17 February 2020

a student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

February 17, 2020 issue 17 ~ volume 105

Film Feature: “Black Wall Street Burning,” pg.10

Men’s basketball sinks ECU, pg. 2

“Smoke billowing over Tulsa, Oklahoma during 1921 race riot.”

Photo by: Alvin C. Krupnick Co.

i

ABC Spotlight: Ellis Brown, pg. 4 White House budget leaves many Americans without needed social services, pg. 6

Sports

17 February 2020

The Collegian: 2

Tulsa clobbers East Carolina Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses the Golden Hurricane’s 70-56 win led by Martins Igbanu against the ECU Pirates.

After their back-to-back losses against UConn and UCF, the men’s basketball team returned home to take on the East Carolina Pirates.

Led by Martins Igbanu’s 24 points, the Golden Hurricane’s four double digit scorers allowed Tulsa to steamroll over East Carolina.

The game got off to a slow start as both teams missed shot after shot. Jeriah Horne’s 3-pointer two minutes into the game finally put the Golden Hurricane on the board, which was quickly followed by another three by Lawson Korita.

The Pirates responded with a three of their own, but it became obvious the Pirates were going to play catch up all game after Emmanuel Ugboh hit a layup and a free throw in response to put the Golden Hurricane up 9-3.

Tulsa continued to dominate, scoring another seven unanswered points before the Pirates could answer. Darien Jackson’s dunk spoke to how the game was going; only seven minutes in and Tulsa was up by 14 points.

After back in forth that didn’t lead to anything for several minutes, the Pirates tried to get something started, scoring seven points to put the Pirates back in the game.

A three by Korita, followed by layups by Igbanu and Elijah Joiner, put the Golden Hurricane up 32-16.

The Pirates started clawing their way back, responding to free throws with threes, but a run of free throws to end the quarter kept the Golden Hurricane up by 16 as the half ended.

The Pirates started the half with a three, which they followed with a layup, but the Golden Hurricane came back into the game.

The Pirates went on a run, but Joiner met them with layups. East Carolina put up another pair of layups, but Tulsa kept them to a 10-point margin with pairs of layups by Joiner and Igbanu.

After midway through the first half, neither team could get much going, relying on free throws to put points on the board, but the Pirates started to rally. After making shots on back-to-back possessions, Tulsa only could respond

with a dunk by Jackson. The teams traded layups again, and as time wound down, the Pirates tried to foul Tulsa in an attempt to get more points on the board.

But as the Golden Hurricane kept making pairs of free throws while the Pirates kept missing shots, Tulsa’s lead widened and Tulsa got the last shots of the game: a pair of free throws by Isaiah Hill, ending the game 70-56.

This game shows what the Golden Hurricane is capable of.

They hit the ground running and neither let up nor gave the Pirates a chance to catch up.

The team is hitting their shots more. They are also succeeding in keeping their fouls low to avoid giving the Pirates free points.

It seems the team has put their egos aside after winning big games to remember that they have to win every game, and none of them are easy.

Hopefully the Golden Hurricane can translate this win into another winning streak that will take the team to the American Conference playoffs and push them up past third in the conference.

photos by Tommy Reid

Darien Jackson goes up to the rim (top). Darien Jackson throws down an inspiring dunk (bottom).

Can Tulsa make March Madness?

Student journalist Zach Short answers the question on every TU fan’s mind: how the Golden Hurricane can better their chances at making the NCAA tournament.

After throttling a nationally ranked Memphis team, it seemed all but guaranteed that Tulsa Men’s basketball would make their way into one of the coveted top 25 slots.

That victory was topped off with another narrow victory in Connecticut just before the AP poll was released. It was a slim chance, but hope was held out that Tulsa would make the list.

The university received a measly three votes, and Memphis was knocked out of the rankings. With a feeling they had been glanced over, the Golden Hurricane went on to defeat Wichita State in dramatic fashion the following Saturday on the assumption that a second win over a Top 25 team would guarantee a spot on top.

Once again, Tulsa was overlooked, and the poor sap that had lost to them had their spot revoked.

With all the drama surrounding a season posing to be the most successful in a while, one question

hangs in the air: will Tulsa be a part of March Madness? As of yet, it’s unclear.

However, Tulsa will have a few chances to boost their odds in the remaining weeks.

The more milestones they can put on their resumé the better, as there is more to it than just making it into the bracket.

Tulsa has not been in the bracket in any capacity since 2016, at which point they appeared in a play-in game, and has not played a game in the first real round, the round of 64, since 2014.

To make matters more depressing, Tulsa has not won a game in the tournament since 2003, and their best appearance was an Elite Eight run in 2000 two decades ago.

For reference, that was before a few of the younger players were even born.

On a lighter note, here are a few things that the Golden Hurricane can do to better their odds at not only making the bracket, but also

getting a decent seed and a chance to win a game or two.

Win the AAC Tournament Right out of the gate, this is the best option for Tulsa. As conference champion, they would not only guarantee a spot in some capacity (the only way for them to do that), but they would also earn the respect of the onlooking powersthat-be who would be in charge of seeding.

There are, as of this moment, five other teams in the AAC with any real hope of making the tournament. Three are teams that have been ranked at some point, including Wichita State, Memphis and Houston (currently #20). Tulsa has played all of these teams and beaten them.

The other two are Cincinnati and SMU, the former of which beat Tulsa early in the start of conference play by an absurd 31 points. With all of these teams vying for conference champions, it would certainly make Tulsa look

nice should they win. If Tulsa can win this tournament, I guarantee a tournament seeding of 12 or higher and personally predict a 10.

Win more than 20 games CBS sports, in their bracket builder, display an estimated strength of schedule for every team in the tournament.

The teams who win less than twenty games in any given year typically come from schedules that are estimated to be extremely difficult.

Tulsa, while having a handful of games against strong conference rivals, had a relatively relaxed schedule comprised of weaker non-conference games and poor conference competition from the bottom.

In sum, no one should hold onto hope that the Golden Hurricane will be given the benefit of the doubt. Tulsa should aim for at least 21 wins. It will be difficult given that their best possible record now is 23-8 (they are currently 17-8),

but it is certainly feasible in their remaining six games.

Beat Houston, Wichita State, and SMU in upcoming games Obviously, the chances of winning against all three of these teams are slim, but wins here will be more valuable than the rest.

SMU is the biggest home game remaining, so if the usual strong fan presence there can be counted on, Tulsa can cash in big. Houston and Wichita State are away games, which will make them more difficult, but also more valuable.

Tulsa has beaten both already, so they have proven themselves capable, but playing those same teams without a boost from a home crowd will make it harder. As of now, Houston is the only conference team that is nationally ranked and they are winning in standings.

Honestly, if Tulsa can beat them again, that just may write the ticket, but all three of these games would be great help if Tulsa can win.

Sports

The Collegian: 3

17 February 2020

Cutest couples: pitchers and catchers Pitcher and catchers are the first to report to training camp, and avid baseball journalist Zach Short covers which pitcher/catcher duo has the strongest relationship.

In hyper-capitalist American society, big business assumes everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day as much as they can.

Candy boxes, flowers and giant teddy bears keep the money moving in the slow economic months between the winter holidays and summer spending.

However, another holiday always passes around the same time, and most of the world never even notices. Each year, pitchers and catchers report to spring training in and around the week of Valentine’s Day, starting the early stages of the next season.

This year, in honor of the exciting time for baseball fans, and as a distraction from the corporate holiday, we look at some of the greatest pairs from around the MLB. Will Smith and David Price After just recently leaving Christian Vázquez in Boston, all eyes are on Price to see how he will do with his new partner in Los Angeles.

Price spent the last four years of his life with Vázquez, so there is no doubt this new change will hit him hard.

Some fans are worried that he will not be as compatible with Smith on the Dodgers and that Price peaked in his time in Boston.

Others contend that the relationship was too one-sided with Vázquez. Regardless, Price needs some time to figure out where he is going, and he cannot do that if he stays with one catcher his whole career.

Maybe he will find a new place where he fits in better, or maybe someday he will return to Boston.

Kurt Suzuki and Max Scherzer Most baseball duos only dream of winning a World Series together and taking that trophy home, but Suzuki and Scherzer just took that step together last fall.

While most would assume a shared moment like this could only bring the two closer together, it will more likely strain their relationship.

There is a lot of pressure put on champions, especially when they waited so late to do it.

It is not uncommon for reigning champion players to have a terrible year following their huge accomplishment, and if either Suzuki or Scherzer starts to feel the pressure like that, it could threaten the whole dynamic.

Likely this season will put the two to the test, with the big question concerning whether or not the two will stay together through it all Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright In the present state of baseball, most pitchers and catchers do not stay together nearly as long as Molina and Wainwright have.

The two first played together in the 2005 season and won a World Series together the next year when Wainwright grew to be a bigger name on the team.

In 2007, Wainwright joined the starting rotation and they have been working together ever since. Now, however, the times have changed.

The two are clearly in the twilight years of their careers, and they seem to be running out of time to play together.

Every once in a while, a glimpse of the old magic they held shines through in a game, but they obviously do not have the youthful exuberance they once shared.

They can look back together on two achievement-filled careers, but there is a certain sadness from fans in seeing them grow old together.

Gary Sánchez and Gerrit Cole As some of the best in their respective positions, baseball can be a pressure cooker for Sánchez and Cole.

Each coming off great seasons, fans often expect perfection of them and are unnecessarily angry when they do not receive it.

Not only that, but Yankees’ fans are starting to get restless for a World Series win, constantly asking the pair when they will take that next step.

For a couple of players who seem to just want to play baseball and enjoy their youth, the intense pressure puts a strain on all the fun to be had.

Some sports analysts have speculated as to whether or not they will take home the trophy this year, while others have wondered whether or not the pressure will force the dynamic duo to resent each other.

In either case, the only thing that matters is that the two find a place that makes them happy and that they do what they do because they want to, not because they feel pressured.

Conclusion While perhaps not quite representative of all baseball duos, these eight players represent some of the most distinct dynamics across the league.

As a Missouri native, my heart always warms when I see Molina and Wainwright take the field, and I will be filled with sadness when the two retire.

However, the strength and empathy that Suzuki and Scherzer are able to display on and off the field is amazing, and my immense admiration for their relationship just might make them my favorite couple in the majors right now.

Regardless, all these pairs are fantastic and part of what makes baseball fun to watch—fun to eagerly anticipate as early as February. graphic by Naomi Dunn Suzuki, Scherzer, Molina, Wainwright, Sánchez and Cole are all amongst the best in their positions.

Feb. 17 - Feb. 23 Monday

Wednesday

Tuesday 17

19

18

Thursday 20

W Basketball @ECU 6 p.m.

W Golf W Golf vs. Allstate vs. Allstate Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Intercollegiate

M Tennis vs. RV Arkansas 6 p.m.

M Basketball @Houston 8 p.m

Saturday

Friday

No Events

21

22

Softball Softball vs. Minnesota vs. Illinois Baylor Invit. Baylor Invit.

11:15 a.m.

10 a.m.

Softball @Baylor Baylor Invit.

3:45 p.m.

Sunday M Tennis @Cornell 8 a.m.

23

Softball vs. Minnesota Baylor Invit.

11:15 a.m.

M Tennis M Basketball @Binghamton vs. SMU 12 p.m.

2 p.m.

Softball vs. TSU Baylor Invit.

1 p.m.

W Basketball vs. Wichita State 2 p.m.

The Collegian: 4

Nora Bethune Student Writer Ellis Brown When first starting college, it can be hard adjusting to a new curriculum, new surroundings and new people. Overcoming homesickness and getting involved on campus can be hard, but Ellis Brown found it as something he’d have to do if he wanted a satisfying college experience.

Ellis Brown took a while to get adjusted.

Brown had only found out he was coming to the University of Tulsa the weekend before classes started. Coming all the way from Ghana, it was no surprise that he would have trouble adjusting during his first semester.

Can you blame someone who traveled from a different continent to go to school?

When first trying to get involved, Brown would go to events for only 10 minutes before leaving, thinking of his family and friends back home. Sometimes when people would try to talk to him, he would avoid and dodge questions.

“I felt really homesick, it was almost like I wasn’t supposed to be here,” he said being asked about his first semester here. “I wanted to go home more than anything. I had never been away from home for so long, so some part of me thought it was like a summer vacation that would obviously end shortly, but no!”

Brown is currently majoring in Computer Information Systems with minors in Cyber Security, Computer Science, French and Art. He is interested in computers and how they work, and he feels like minoring in Cyber Security and Computer Science can help him out when looking for a job in the future.

Although the work is hard, Brown is focus-

News

ing on the end goal of receiving his diploma and starting a career in the field of computers. To Brown, It would be no surprise if he ended up somewhere in Apple Inc. as he really has a love for Apple products.

After enrolling at the university, Brown had no interest in getting involved. He would go to his room and think about home constantly. It seemed like these would be the longest years of his life, and he would have to struggle to fit in. Previously surrounded by people who looked like him, being in Tulsa has made him realize that there will be moments where he is one of the only black people in the room.

Towards the end of the first semester, Brown started to get involved in organizations. He pursued his interest in Beta Upsilon Chi, or BYX, a Christian fraternity and campus ministry. Throughout the process of becoming a member of BYX, he talked about how he felt like he fit in and how welcoming the brothers in the fraternity were: “It’s actually crazy how they found me, and it feels so nice to find a fraternity that fits best with me.”

In addition to being in BYX, he is also a member of the Association of Black Collegians, or ABC. Brown isn’t on the EXEC board; however, he always is offering help for several events like the Martin Luther King Day Parade, where he held the banner.

Brown has also been in contact with the organization president Jayla Meeks to help her with some of her responsibilities.

In terms of ABC, Brown is happy that he can find a group of individuals working hard like him and that look like him. “Being in the meetings is extremely pleasant because I can feel a sense of community that I can’t get in many other places I end up. It all started when one friend introduced me to a couple of other members, and ever since

17 February 2020

courtesy Ellis Brown Ellis Brown, a computer information systems major, is this week’s ABC Black History Month student feature.

then I’ve had some friendly faces to smile at around campus.”

Brown says that being part of the minority on campus can be distancing, so it’s almost a breath of fresh air when he gets to be with people who see the world in a similar way he does. Although it isn’t always about race, Brown feels like it is still always nice to have a group at the end of the day that has your back. He compares ABC to one big family and hopes to be more involved in the near future.

Brown thinks that during Black History Month it is important to celebrate the trailblazers of the past while celebrating the current pioneers in today’s society: “We [black people] have so much ahead of us, and we are still working so hard to learn from the past and create a bright future that can be enjoyed by many people on this earth.”

Brown has gone from feeling secluded on campus to wanting to be more involved and getting more involved on campus. He is known as one who always looks to help or include others.

“He’s the type to come up to you and say hi when you’re by yourself,” Brianna Guillory, a close friend of his said. “[Brown] will do something because it’s the kind thing to do and won’t ask for anything in return.”

With his kindness and good work ethic, it’s no surprise that he has applied to be a University Ambassador and Resident Assistant for next year. Regardless if he gets either position, Brown plans on continuing to make a difference on campus by being helpful to everyone around him and staying positive.

Bernie Sanders leads in New Trump administration fires key Hampshire Democratic primary witnesses from impeachment trial Following the malfunctioning of Iowa’s Democratic caucus, all eyes were on the New Hampshire primary.

Alex Leeper Student Writer On the eve of Tuesday, Feb. 11, the tensions in the national democratic party heightened. Presidential candidates spent all weekend campaigning (or running ads) in New Hampshire to ensure the most votes for the first U.S. Democratic primary of 2020 the following day. Some of the candidates that rallied during this time were former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

In the context of this, democratic party leaders released their breaths as the results of the Democratic New Hampshire primary went thankfully without catastrophe. Bernie Sanders obtained a tight victory over Mayor Pete Buttigieg, gaining 25.6 percent of the popular vote over Buttigieg at 24.3 percent, and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar saw a trailing third place at 19.7 percent, with the remaining 30 percent scattered among other candidates, with Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden at 9.2 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively. Due to poor performance, entrepreneur Andrew Yang and senator Michael Bennet have both suspended their campaign for presidency.

The small victory by Sanders leaves his supporters excited, but many others believe that Sanders’ refusal to compromise will make it hard for voters to stand with him.

“Bernie Sanders obtained a tight victory over Mayor Pete Buttigieg, gaining 25.6 percent of the popular vote ...”

The primary followed the first U.S. caucus of the election season in Iowa last week, where the malfunctioning of the state’s mobile application for displaying the results delayed the official release of them. The Iowan government subsequently released votes in chunks of percent, with around 60 percent of results released the next day, and around 96 percent released by the end of the week. Many officials believed that the error in sharing results highlighted a higher issue in the democratic party, that the disorganization of the party will be a disadvantageous element when trying to defeat President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

Because the New Hampshire rally is the first in the U.S. each election season, the push for rallying in the state became higher, with Sanders holding an impressive 7,500 person rally featuring the Strokes, and Biden and Warren crossing the state to call on voters. Before the primary, officials predicted that Sanders and South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg would contest for the win, with Biden and Warren fighting for third place.

Senator Warren, among other candidates, repeatedly states that in order to win against Trump, the democratic party must unify, which includes all members, high or low income, while Sanders refuses to take part in this unification that other candidates prescribe, as he strongly believes in not accepting donations by the top one percent class.

This means that through principle, the party may remain unbalanced, unless a majority of the party agrees on one or two candidates.

The future of the 2020 Democratic primaries looks surprisingly promising for Joe Biden, as the next few states in view of primaries include Nevada and South Carolina at the end of February, both of which are racially diverse. A great percentage of Biden’s voters are black, which may make Biden perform better and Buttigieg worse in the next few weeks. In a recent telephone poll at Nevada, Sanders pulls a lead at 25 percent, with Biden at 18 percent, and businessman Tom Steyer (11 percent), Buttigieg (10 percent), and Klobuchar (10 percent) trailing behind.

The Trump administration removed Vindman and Sondland, sparking condemnation from Democrats.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor In the aftermath of President Trump’s impeachment trial, the Trump administration fired the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council (NSC), Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, and Ambassador to the European Union (EU) George Sondland. Secret service also escorted Vindman’s brother, who worked as a lawyer for the NSC, out of the White House shortly after his subsequent firing.

This came two days after the senate’s acquittal of President Trump for his role in a scandal stemming from a whistleblower complaint made in August 2019. The complaint alleged that Trump withheld military aid and a visit to the White House from Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky to assert pressure to open an investigation by Zelensky into Joe Biden and his family.

In order to assess these claims, House Committees on Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs began deposing witnesses in October 2019. Among them were testimonies from Vindman, Sondland and former

rectly & was given a horrendous report by his superior.”

Trump has yet to criticize Sondland in the same manner, but the Republican donor did release a statement after the firing stating that he was “grateful to President Trump for having given me the opportunity to serve.”

Democrats have harshly criticized these firings in both houses of Congress. Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff wrote that, “President Trump is exacting his retribution, removing those who complied with subpoenas, came forward and testified about his misconduct.” In a less fiery quote than Schiff’s, senior California Senator Dianne Feinstein said, “This is as clear a case of retribution as I’ve seen during my 27 years in the Senate.”

A group of Republican Senators, including Susan Collins, Thom Thillis, Martha McSally and Ron Johnson, reportedly tried to stop the firing of Sondland since rumors had been swirling that the ambassador might resign shortly after the Senate trial anyways.

Collins told CBS News just before the end of the trial that Trump, “has learned a lesson from this case,” but has since clarified that she was not referring to potential retaliation when she made the “aspirational” statement.

Essentially every Democrat on vying for the Party’s presidential nomination condemned Vindman and Sondland’s firing, except for Tulis Gabbard, who when asked about the subject during a Fox News ap-

“When asked about Vindman’s firing, Trump said on Friday that, ‘I’m not happy with him. You think I’m supposed to be happy with him?’”

Ambassador to Ukraine Yovanovitch confirming much of the whistleblower’s story.

Trump recalled Yovanovitch in early 2019, after complaints from Rudy Giuliani that she attempted to undermine the pressure being put on Zelensky.

When asked about Vindman’s firing, Trump said on Friday that, “I’m not happy with him. You think I’m supposed to be happy with him?”

He later complained in a series of tweets that “[Vindman] was very insubordinate, reported contents of my ‘perfect’ calls incor-

pearance said that “our foreign policy is set by the President of the United State” rather than unelected bureaucrats or the military, and that “there are consequences to elections.”

These firings come in the same week that the Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly made drastic changes to the cases of former Trump associates Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, as well as the news that any investigation into a 2020 presidential candidate would have to be personally cleared by Trump’s Attorney General William Barr.

News

17 February 2020

The Collegian: 5

Feb. 10 3:30 a.m.

Officers impounded a silver flute found at Collins Fitness Center for safekeeping.

11:10 a.m.

A faculty member in the McFarlin Library reported a possible malicious mischief involving the defacement of an event flyer posted in a restroom of McFarlin Library.

Feb. 6 10:30 a.m.

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

Feb. 7 11:50 a.m.

Officers met with an individual who requested to file a report about an altercation that occurred with another individual after the basketball game at the Reynolds Center on 6 FEB 2020.

Feb. 8 12:15 a.m.

Officers investigated damage to a student’s vehicle in the University Square South Lot that occurred when an unknown subject left a dent in the vehicle after kicking it. Officers did observe the victim’s vehicle was taking up two parking spaces.

10:40 a.m.

Officers are investigating a wheel stolen off a parked vehicle in the Lorton Village Lot. Feb. 9 10 p.m.

Officers spotted a non-TU affiliate attempting to steal a TU yellow bicycle near the Reynolds Center Lot. Officers attempted to make contact with the individual who abandoned the bicycle and quickly rode off property on their own personal bicycle. Officers recovered the TU bicycle.

4:15 p.m.

Officers responded to a report of possible gunshots near the Mayo Village Apartments. Officers searched the area and could not confirm shots were fired. Officers made contact with the reporting party and obtained a witness statement, and advised the individual to contact Campus Security if they hear the noise again.

Feb. 11 10 a.m.

Officers impounded headphones, flash drives, pocket knife, 2 keysets with lanyards, plaid shirt and prescription glasses found in Keplinger Hall for safekeeping.

10:50 a.m.

Officers and paramedics responded to an injured student at Chapman Hall after the student tripped walking up stairs.

The student suffered only minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

1:05 p.m.

A student reported their vehicle was damaged while parked in the University Square South Lot by another vehicle but no information was left by the offending driver. The accident occurred sometime between 8 Feb – 10 Feb 2020.

4:20 p.m.

Officers confiscated an invalid permit from a student’s vehicle parked in the Keplinger/Law Lot. The invalid permit was obtained in violation of TU Parking Regulations.

4:50 p.m.

Officers documented a non-injury vehicle accident reported by a student that occurred at an unknown time on 10 Feb 2020 while their vehicle was parked in the University Square South Lot. The offending driver left a note with contact information and the officers facilitated the exchange of information.

7:05 p.m.

Officers responded to a bicycle theft at West Park apartments and caught the suspect at 5th & Atlanta. The suspect followed residents into the building and stole a bicycle left in the lobby. The suspect was arrested by Tulsa Police for warrants and drug possession after the victim refused to press charges.

Feb. 12 1:30 p.m.

Officers responded to a panic alarm in Collins Hall and determined it was accidentally activated.

1:50 p.m.

Officers received information from the University School regarding an ongoing internal investigation involving potential student misconduct.

1:50 p.m.

Officers responded to intimidating comments made by a University School student to fellow students at the University School that is being investigated by University School administrators. Officers have increased their presence and patrols around the school pending the results of the investigation.

Feb. 13 8 a.m.

Officers responded to the 4th & Harvard Lot after a student reported seeing a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot and a male searching through the vehicle. Campus officers made consensual contact with the individual at 11th &. Harvard.

The individual stated they parked in the lot briefly to look for a tire repair kit. The individual left without further incident and a contact card was completed.

2:30 p.m.

Officers responded to a fire alarm at the Sigma Nu fraternity house that was caused by a student cooking in the kitchen.

Tulsa Fire Department was cancelled and the fire panel was reset without incident.

Feb. 14 1:20 a.m.

Officers impounded a men’s shoe, a women’s shoe, wrist wrap and hair tie found at the Collins Fitness Center.

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

Tuesday, Feb. 18 - Wednesday, Feb. 19 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union Oklahoma Blood Institute Blood Drive All donors will receive a free Friends themed T-shirt, Papa John’s pizza and coupon and one admission to Frontier City.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer US and Taliban reach agreement The United States and the Taliban government have agreed to a truce in the 18-year war in Afghanistan. The truce, formally agreed to on Friday Feb. 14, could potentially produce peace talks between Afghans involved in sectarian conflict across the country and the American forces stationed in the country. Any peace talks would involve discussions over a cease-fire across the country, a commitment from the Taliban to stop sheltering members of al-Qaeda and an established timetable for U.S. withdrawal.

The United States’s military involvement in Afghanistan, which began as a manhunt for Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks in 2003, is the longest conflict in American history. Both Barack Obama and Donald Trump’s administrations have made ending the conflict one of their primary goals. However, despite the setbacks encountered in the last six years, by making it to verbal commitment of peace talks, this attempt is the closest the two sides have come to restoring peace in the region.

Coronavirus sees decrease in new cases shortly after spike China reported 143 new deaths from the CVID-19 strain of the coronavirus along with 2,641 new cases from the last 24 hours, as of Friday Feb. 14. That latter statistic marks a decrease from the previous number, as China’s lockdown of the Hubei province, among multiple other measures seems to have worked in maintaining the spread of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that “bought the world time” with their efforts, but that other nations must take action soon.

The U.N. health agency’s director-general has casted doubt on China’s success stating that he is “concerned by the continued increase in the number of cases in China” and criticized the rest of the international community for not responding quickly. He went on to say that “We must use the window of opportunity we have to intensify our preparedness.”

These statements come as France just reported the death of a Chinese tourist from Hubei, marking the first death outside of China, and as the U.S. deals with nationals quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan.

Wet’suwet’en pipeline protest In the wake of increasing natural gas extraction in northern British Columbia, Canadian gas company Coastal Gaslink has been deadlocked in a land dispute with a First Nations group known as the Wet’suwet’en People. Coastal Gaslink is presently attempting to install a natural gas pipeline to Kitimat — a northern coastal district in BC — for natural gas exportation.

As the development of the pipeline has prompted protests from many affected parties, the issue at hand for Indigenous Canadians involves the destruction of traditional tribal lands.The construction of the pipeline has also exposed a number of bureaucratic shortcomings in regards to tribal treaties. In order to continue development, Gaslink must receive permission from all owners of the affected land. Because many treaties are somewhat ambiguous and not all are formally recognized, disagreements within the tribes themselves regarding authoritative decisions have broken out amongst leadership.

Following a week of chaotic protests and infighting, certain Wet’suwet’en elders elected to construct a makeshift camp in the path of the construction. This led to a swift response from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as Canadian authorities descended upon the camp and forced the protestors to disperse.

Tuesday, Feb. 18 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Pat Case Dining Center

Soul Food Soiree Annual event that celebrates Black foods and Black culture. Soul food is known as a major portion of American culture and cuisine. The Soiree gives TU a visual and tasteful aid to that point. The Equity Celebration celebrates figures in the Tulsa community who celebrate, educate, and invite others to be present in the issues our community faces. Race is an ongoing issue in our country. These individuals and the work they do should be celebrated. Soul food is the perfect way to do that!

Wednesday, Feb. 19 9 a.m. - Thursday, Feb. 20 9 p.m.

Harvey Confidence/ No Confidence vote in Provost Levit A petition requesting a vote of Confidence/No Confidence in Provost Levit was submitted on Tuesday, January 28th. In accordance with the Student Association Constitution, signatures from 5% of the student body have been validated to proceed. Voting will open Wednesday, February 19th at 9:00 a.m. and conclude on Thursday, February 20th at 9:00 p.m. using the Harvey platform.

Wednesday, Feb. 19 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Lorton Performance Center Mr. & Ms. International Pageant 2020 There will be International cuisine, fashion, talent, awards and much more...

Friday, Feb. 21 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Chapman Lecture Hall What is the Best Way Forward for The University of Tulsa?

A campus symposium with distinguished faculty panelists.

Panel presentations will be limited to five minutes to allow for questions and discussion.

Friday, Feb. 21 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Helmerich Center for American Research Centennial Suffrage Keynote Join Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, author of “The Women’s Suffrage Movement” (Penguin 2019), as she tells the origin story of the fight for women’s right to vote as we celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment in her keynote address, “Forgotten Champions of Women’s Liberty: The Haudenosaunee, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and African American Women.”

Friday, Feb. 24 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Chouteau Room Body Positivity Workshop This body positivity workshop is designed to help participants resist and challenge social pressures to pursue unrealistic standards of beauty. You’ll participate in verbal, written, and behavioral exercises to establish and maintain a positive body image. This is a 2-part workshop and attendance at both 2-hour sessions is required. Part 1 is held Monday 2/24 from 12-2 pm and part 2 on Wednesday 2/26 12-2 pm. Contact ashlisharpton@utulsa.edu to register for this free workshop.sion.

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

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

Commentary

The Collegian: 6

17 February 2020

Buttigieg’s success paints a target on his back for the rest of the race

The former mayor’s lack of experience and appeal to voters of color will hurt him going forward.

Hannah Robbins Student Writer Before the Iowa caucuses, Pete Buttigieg was not the most well-known name. He was a distant fifth in the polls and his best known political position before this campaign was as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Neither of these led to any sort of focus by the me-

dia or other candidates on Buttigieg’s past or qualifications for President of the United States. However, this has changed since Buttigieg’s first place Iowa finish, and he has taken some hits because of it.

Buttigieg’s flaws came to light during the debate on Feb. 7 before the New Hampshire primary. With Biden cornered after a poor finish and anticipating another in New Hampshire, he rounded on Buttigieg, stating the Buttigieg is not another Obama and that he should stop comparing the managing of a tiny town in Indiana to serving as a United States senator in Illinois. That was not the only attack Buttigieg faced. Klobuchar pointed out Buttigieg’s similarities to Trump, stating that newcomers to elected office are not a good idea in the presidency.

If these were the only hits Buttigieg took, he would have been able to spin his way out, but when the debate went toward his record of race relations, Buttigieg could not talk his way out. As mayor of South Bend, Buttigieg watched as arrests for marijuana went up and claimed it was to crack down on gang violence in communities of color,

but after firing both a black police chief and fire chief, that does not quite seem to be the case, and Buttigieg’s supporters seem to be as white as he is as a result. When Warren was asked if his answer was substantial, she said, “No.” A clear statement on the general consensus of Buttigieg’s track record.

Before the debate, Buttigieg was able to fly under the radar, making jabs but not having to receive them as often. But now, with Buttigieg the leader of delegates so far in the campaign, it’s time for the other candidates and the party to determine his viability in winning the election, and it’s been hurting him.

outs among the union leaders that have an outsized say in the elections, then it’s the end of his momentum media narrative.

Then, he heads to South Carolina, where it’s significant black population is not particularly partial to Buttigieg.

These attacks during the debate were well calculated to the primary calendar, and if the candidates would have known of Buttigieg’s ability to do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, we might not even be talking about him as a viable candidate today. The Democratic Party has learned from watching the Republicans allow Trump to win in 2016, and they don’t want another outsider

“These attacks during the debate were well calculated to the primary calendar ...”

The next two primary elections are Nevada and South Carolina, and these are two states that have a lot of establishment power to sway the vote, especially in the Nevada caucuses. If Buttigieg finds himself on the

to win. Looks like they’ve figured it out, but it all depends on Buttigieg’s luck in Nevada and South Carolina.

courtesy Af.mil

Defense received no cuts despite its lower priority than healthcare spending.

Trump’s proposed White House budget would slash social programs

The Trump administration’s budget misplaces America’s values and is dead on arrival to the House

These cuts come after a promise from the President that he wouldn’t cut funding to Medicare. He denies lying about this because the cuts are technically cancelling planned future increases in spending, but they still divert money away from providing healthcare to Americans. Add this on to Trump’s growing list of lies and failed promises.

Most disgustingly, these cuts come along with the increase in military spending that seems to accompany all federal budgets in the 21st century. Trump has also requested $2 billion for his precious border wall. Since

half of Americans put off healthcare because of expected costs. They don’t care about the student loan crisis harming millions of young people. To them, the military and the border are what need money right now.

Of course, you probably already agree with all of this. About three quarters of Americans support cutting the military budget, according to a revealing survey conducted in 2012. This even includes 60 percent of self-identified Republicans! So why, then, is the military budget higher than it has been since World War 2, even when accounting for inflation?

“These attacks during the debate were well calculated to the primary calendar ...”

Justin Klopfer Student Writer Last Monday, President Trump revealed his new plan for the federal budget. One of the most startling features of the new plans is the cutting of funds from social programs.

Student loan programs face $6 billion in cuts, Medicare faces $8 billion and welfare programs face $20 billion.

the so-called War on Terror has begun, military spending has continually skyrocketed to fight this elusive enemy.

The message from Trump and his party is clear: the power of the military is more important than the well-being of the people.

The Republican party doesn’t care that over

The answer lies in the dangerously powerful military-industrial complex in America. Weapons manufacturers lobby the government to increase military spending, and receive a huge paycheck when the newly increased budget needs to be spent. Raytheon, for example, has spent over a hundred mil-

lion dollars on lobbying since 1998.

Some may argue that increasing funding of the military is necessary to ensure the security of our nation. To those people I ask: what is the military doing in Afghanistan?

Why does America still have a presence in Iraq (a country we decimated not long ago) despite a vote to oust us? In what way does America’s ridiculous build-up of nuclear arms make you feel any safer? It certainly doesn’t make the rest of the world any safer, either. In a 2013 Gallup poll of people from 65 different countries, America was seen overwhelmingly as the greatest threat to world peace, with three times more votes than the next country.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the so-called security our military is protecting is truly the interests of the powerful elite and military-industrial complex. Trump said as much when he claimed our occupation of Syria is “only for oil” last November. Naturally, his budget has a very low chance of making it through the House (and even the Senate) as is. But, if history is any guide, the Democrats will only offer a mild resistance to these ridiculous priorities.

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social media & web manager

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distribution managers

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The new budget differs little from past budgets.

courtesy the White House/Flickr

Commentary

17 February 2020

LEGISLATIVE

DIGEST

SB1858: If passed and signed, this bill would create several criteria for allowing parents to opt their children out of normally mandatory vaccinations. Some of these reasons are understandable, such as if there is a serious health risk associated with vaccinating a particular child. However, one new addition to this bill would accept “any personal belief or opinion” as a valid objection to vaccination.

The phrase “personal belief or opinion” is clearly aimed to allow members of the antivaccine community refuse vaccinations for their children. Parents who believe for any reason that vaccines are harmful to their children would be able to opt them out.

The anti-vaccine movement has existed for many decades, but it was given a large spike in adherents due to a now-debunked study in 1998. Since then, the idea that vaccines cause various medical conditions has circulated through the internet, typically infecting overcautious parents on Facebook. President Trump even famously tweeted skepticism towards vaccines in 2014.

Obviously, these kinds of anti-science sentiments destroy all the progress we have made in the field of immunology. The World Health Organization listed the anti-vax movement as one of the top ten health threats of 2019. We cannot allow mis-informed parents to ruin the herd immunity skilled professionals have given us through tireless research.

The Collegian: 7

The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature, upcoming bills and the terms to know.

Justin Klopfer Student Writer

SB1667: This bill creates many different new policies for handling cryptocurrencies within Oklahoma. One of these policies would allow government agencies to accept payment in the form of cryptocurrencies, given that the agencies transfer it back to U.S. currency within 24 hours.

Another clause in the bill requires all profit gained from “the purchase, sale, receipt, payment or exchange of cryptocurrency” to be subject to state income tax. Hopefully this will bring in more revenue for the state in an industry that seems to produce ridiculous amounts of (currently tax-free!) profit.

Judging this bill on the whole is difficult; there are many facets to it and its overall impact is hard to predict. However, what concerns me greatly about cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, is their environmental impact. Bitcoin is “mined” on constantly running computer systems, and these systems use immense amounts of energy. Bitcoin’s carbon footprint is estimated at 22 megatonnes of carbon dioxide, comparable to large cities like Las Vegas.

To further encourage the production and use of cryptocurrencies would be to ignore the impending threat of climate change. This bill’s direct impact may appear innocuous, but its ultimate influence could contribute to catastrophe.

New Hampshire victory marks an important milestone for Sanders

Despite a variety of narratives since last Tuesday, the Vermont Senator’s win is the biggest takeaway.

Brett Tyndall Student Writer On Tuesday, Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary by 1.4 percentage points, or about 4,000 votes, over Pete Buttigieg. Amy Klobuchar also made off with delegates, finishing in a close third. Sanders and Buttigieg performed well in Iowa, leaving the two neck-in-neck in delegates after the first two states. Unlike Bernie, Buttigieg and Klobuchar are polling horribly in future primaries and caucuses, as well as nationally. In fact, Joe Biden is the only moderate Democrat polling decently in the next two

Each of them also poll a little bit better in future states, meaning that they’re in for the long haul. When 1,991 delegates are needed to secure the nomination, it’s obviously foolish to throw in the towel when the leader holds only 23 delegates. Biden will likely bounce back in South Carolina with a win, as his lead over Sanders in nationwide polls is still around eight percentage points on average.

For Warren, there is no such data to suggest she’ll win any upcoming states. Her campaign is in a tough spot, but her performance in New Hampshire shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Progressive voters can pinpoint where Warren messed up. Her backpedalling on Medicare For All pushed some progressives away late in 2019. If her campaign ultimately fails, there’s the reason why. If, however, she bounces back, it’s because she’s readopted this portion of the progressive agenda. While it’s still technically early, it just feels like progressives have thrown their proverbial apples in the Bernie Sanders basket. His campaign has all the momentum while Warren’s has stagnated. I don’t see how she bounces back given this information. If I’m a betting man, I suspect a campaign suspension after Super Tuesday.

“[Warren’s] backpedaling on Medicare for All pushed some progressives away late in 2019.” states, Nevada and South Carolina. Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar are polling at 10 pecentage or lower nationally, according to RealClearPolitics, a polling data aggregator.

Some hilarious statistics have come from pundits since Sanders’s victory. For example, media outlets and Twitter pundits have created the three-headed monster that I like to call Amy Buttibiden. By combining the three moderates’ results from the primary, they garnered more votes than Sanders by a wide margin. This would be a problem … if Bernie Sanders faced three opponents in a general election. This is just one of a multitude of bad faith arguments with terrible statistical analysis that arose from New Hampshire.

The biggest losers from New Hampshire have to be Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden, as each of them failed to break the 15 percent threshold required to earn delegates.

Biden has campaigned on his so-called electability throughout this primary cycle.

Electability is a concept I’ve never understood. Presumably, electability refers to a candidate’s ability to get elected. Biden has yet to crack the top three in a primary or caucus, so that argument blows up in his face, right? Pundits don’t seem to think so.

However, Sanders, the person leading in most polls, coming off strong performances in the pair of opening states and receiving the most donations ever received by a political campaign in American history, receives the ire of MSNBC and the Washington Post.

Electability is a made-up talking point designed to baselessly undermine popular candidates and promote the “safer” more moderate candidate. Despite all this, Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner of the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Deal with it.

Bernie’s performance has totaled less than all three moderate candidates combined.

graphic by Emma Palmer

Biden’s stumbles causes his poll numbers to stagnate focus on for his campaign.

At first, it was New Hampshire. Biden never planned on focusing on the land of ethanol, and he trusted the media to understand that. Then he finished fourth. Bad, but OK if you didn’t really try there, I guess?

Next, comes New Hampshire. In the debate before New Hampshire no one was attacking Biden because he was not on top, and

The former Vice President’s dismal primary record leaves many asking why he’s still in the race.

Hannah Robbins Student Writer After a fourth place finish in Iowa, Joe Biden followed in New Hampshire with a fifth place finish. If most candidates finished like this, they would at least consider dropping out, but since Biden was the national front runner until anyone hit the ballot box, he continues to shift where the media should

ries and won the nomination: Bill Clinton in 1992. Biden is no Bill Clinton. Clinton had no name recognition, Biden was the Vice President for eight years. Clinton was a young candidate, Biden is older than my grandparents. There is no parallel between the two candidates, and Biden should stop trying to pretend he can win after these two sad finishes.

“Biden lacks the support necessary to get any momentum for the rest of the primary season ...” perception became reality with a distant fifth place finish on Tuesday. So Biden fled to South Carolina where he thought he had the black support to win before the end of the New Hampshire primary.

If Biden had not done so well before February, no one would have even considered that he had a shot to win the nomination. There has only been one case where a candidate lost both of the first two prima-

After the 2016 election it became clear that there is a disconnect between what the party elites want and what the electorate wants, especially within a crowded field.

Biden is the candidate of the party elites; that’s why Trump felt the need to commit impeachable crimes to dig up dirt on him.

However, with the perception versus reality disconnect there seems to have been no need to do anything he did.

Biden lacks the support necessary to get any momentum for the rest of the primary season, and he did not have overwhelming support anywhere besides in African American communities. If black democrats stay with him, he might be okay, but it is not particularly likely.

As Biden stagnates, there are calls for candidates that used to be in the field coming back. Biden crowded them out, and now voters have buyers remorse, even if they haven’t had a chance to vote or even been polled yet. Kamala Harris, Julian Castro and Cory Booker were candidates that represented what the party could become, but instead they chose a white man who has not placed above fourth in a presidential primary ever.

It seems that Biden was a mistake, and when he didn’t toss his hat in the ring in 2016 he should have stayed out for good.

The Democratic Party doesn’t need Uncle Joe; the votes have shown that. They need someone who can get the support to win the nomination and the presidency.

Commentary

The Collegian: 8

17 February 2020

Support from far right prompts German leader to step down

Karrenbauer’s resignation shows just how effective far-right parties have become at getting elected.

Adam Walsh Student Writer

France has become the focus of the spread of coronavirus in Europe.

courtesy Wikipedia

The heir-apparent to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political empire and current Minister of Defense Annegret KrampKarrenbauer (shortened for our sake to AKK) has resigned from her post as the Chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU). In addition to her resignation, she has directly stated she would not be seeking the office of chancellor in the upcoming 2021 German elections. The reason behind her actions stem from a recent local election — similar to that of an American governor — where members of the local CDU chapter joined forces with the far right, hard conservative Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in order to oust the incumbent Bodo Ramelow, a member of the helpfully named Die Linke (The Left) Partei.

to more hardline and extreme groups. The two parties, as well as the political unit they have created in the German federal assembly, the so-called Grand Coalition, do not align with the current trend of smaller, more niche groups taking political power. A similar chain of events happened in Poland, with the centrist party and related groups being ousted by hard right and far left groups, mirroring the political nightmare that has emerged in the United States. Evidently, European countries have begun flirting more and more with increasingly dangerous fanatics on both sides of the spectrum, which potentially stems from an escalating tension in the European Union. However, the current actions taking place in Berlin have a wide impact on the rest of Europe, because their position as the driving force behind the EU rests on their internal stability and willingness to compromise — two things extremist parties don’t necessarily lead to.

England, wanting to protect its domestic markets from the dangers of cheap labor and the EU bureaucracy, has left. Emmanuel Macron has lost ground in France, with some individuals claiming that his centrist party will not be able to retain the majority they currently have in the French legislative body. Poland has succumbed already to the siren’s song of isolationism, focusing more on domestic issues than participating in the EU. Spain and Greece have had conflicts with the EU courts and legislation, and why does it need an army? Questions and disputes have begun to pile up and Angela Merkel stands as the only world leader in the EU that has both feet on the ground, but

“European countries have begun flirting more and more with increasingly dangerous fanatics”

The spread of the virus has held the attention of world authorities for weeks.

courtesy Wikipedia

Global reaction to coronavirus filled with racism and xenophobia

As the COVID-19 strain spreads, bigotry has permeated much of the policy choices around the world.

Nora Bethune Student Writer On Dec. 30, a strain of coronavirus began to spread in China. By Jan. 30, 2020 the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee declared an outbreak of COVID-19 in China a “public health emergency of national concern.”

Since the coronavirus outbreak in China, there has been an increase in cases worldwide. Globally, there have been confirmed cases in America, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, India and several other countries.

U.S. officials have confirmed cases in Texas, California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Illinois and Wisconsin.

cialize an illness. With travel bans, it is understandable in efforts to stop the sickness from spreading, but students who are travelling abroad and haven’t been infected can’t come home.

With so many questions surrounding the Coronavirus outbreak, it’s easy to be scared. Fear makes people do questionable things, but it’s extremely sad seeing many react to this disease by being racist towards Asian people using them as scapegoats. In Canada, there has been cases of racism and stereotyping the Chinese community with cases of massive quarantine, some of which haven’t even been to China recently.

There have been similar cases of this in France as well, the French labeling it as “Le peril jaune” (Yellow peril) and “Alerte jaune” (Yellow alert). The fear of the coronavirus has given bigots a means to be racist and belittle the Asian community. Many French Asians have hit back with the phrase “I’m not a virus” and have taken to social media to spread their cause.

With the coronavirus, business around the world has been impacted. Facebook had to cancel a 5000-person conference in San Francisco due to the outbreak. Apple has also been impacted, delaying the reopening of a plant in Zhengzhou because of the coronavirus fears. This has also put a halt in the

The situation is deeply complex, so suffice it to say that both the local CDU and AfD parliament members wanted to oust their political adversary in the Thuringian presidential election, Bodo Ramelow, but neither group presented a strong enough front to win alone. The CDU has a strong ban on working with AfD members in these types of elections due to the influence of Angela Merkel, who has, throughout her career, tried to pull the center-right CDU towards the direct middle. On the other hand, AKK has always sat pretty well in the center-right box, which made her an odd choice as the successor to Merkel’s political fortune. The two women simply don’t agree on certain matters like gay marriage and immigration.

Even though they may not be as similar as the nickname “Mini-Merkel” leads one to believe, they both denounced the actions of the local Thuringian CDU members as contrary to the party’s beliefs and policy.

Now that I’ve exposited more than most video game NPCs, what does this all mean?

In the simplest terms, the events in Germany represent the increasing polarization of political parties, with center parties like the CDU and its mirror on the left side, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), losing

a leader that straddles the political lines like her in an increasingly fractured landscape cannot last much longer. At this point, Germany is the EU, but the time of centrality and unity has come to pass and AKK’s resignation is only a symptom of the greater problem.

Another look into the 2017 German national elections confirms this fear. While the two center parties, CDU and SPD, came in first and second, respectively, in the voting booth, neither party represented enough members of parliament to form a single party government, which acted as the impetus for the Grand Coalition between the two parties. However, AfD came in third place, and another laissez-faire capitalist party, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) came in fourth. AfD went from 0 seats to 94 and FDP went from 0 to 80. These massive jumps from previously ignored parties representing alternatives for Germany that do not require the central, democratic-socialist model, which would mean for Merkle, the CDU and AKK a downfall to their decades of political maneuvering.

For anyone hoping that the age of polarization would come to a swift and complete end in 2020, I have some bad news for you.

“... people around the world are using the outbreak of this virus to make subtle ... racist jabs at Chinese people ...”

A major problem of the coronavirus is that the severity isn’t fully understood.

There have been several deaths from this virus, including the doctor, Li Wenliang from Wuhan that warned colleagues and the public of the sickness. Many Chinese citizens aren’t even sure of how the doctor passed away and are demanding answers from the Chinese government. Chinese citizens are in the dark of the situation and circumstance while being at the forefront and most vulnerable to the sickness.

Outside of China, people around the world are using the outbreak of this virus to make subtle (or not so subtle) racist jabs at Chinese people. Similar to the Ebola outbreak, people are using worry and fear of the virus to fuel microaggressions towards minorities. This is one of the things that happens when people make an effort to ra-

creation of the iPhone 12. Some companies are making a profit from the Coronavirus fears like Honeywell, by making facemasks and selling them to the public.

With this outbreak of an unknown disease, it’s reasonable to be afraid. But it is also important to notice that just like with Ebola, it is extremely difficult to become infected with this disease. It is also important to note that Asian people aren’t carriers of this disease, especially if they haven’t been to China. This disease is giving too many motives to be bigots, and it is extremely saddening to see this happen. No one deserves to be at the receiving end of racist jokes and to be mocked. Racializing a disease only leads to bigotry and mocking. Instead of letting your worries about the disease consume you, try learning more about it and realizing that it isn’t exclusive to one single race.

Karrenbauer is generally considered more conservative than Merkel.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Variety

17 February 2020

The Collegian: 9

Barnes & Noble releases tone deaf book covers

The bookstore’s recently announced Black History Month book covers outraged fans calling for more representation of black authors.

Tori Gellman Student Writer

February is Black History Month, a time for appreciating and celebrating AfricanAmericans throughout United States history. Many companies and groups develop different ways to recognize and emphasize the importance of Black History Month.

One attempt in particular has garnered much attention because it completely missed the mark.

Barnes & Noble, recently bought out by hedge fund Elliott Advisors, decided to rerelease classic books with “reimagined” covers illustrating black characters. There are several problems with this. For starters, the characters in these very obviously white based on the settings of the various books chosen. “The Wizard of Oz,” for example, was originally released with illustrations of Dorothy being white. Based on this, reimagining the characters as racially diverse is problematic and inaccurate. However, more notably, there are so many incredible books by and about black people, and Barnes & Noble ignored an obvious and simpler opportunity: to bring attention to the contributions to literature, both classic and contemporary, that black writers have made throughout history.

Authors and book lovers alike took to the Internet to inform Barnes & Noble of how wrong this project is. Black author Ellie McKinney brought attention to the fact

that the books chosen for new covers were published in times when African-Americans were ignored and segregated from American society and their voices were unable to be heard. She suggested a more authentic and aware campaign in which authors like Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin would have their books getting a facelift and featured spot in the bookstore.

Individuals on Twitter posted comments such as “This fake diversity nonsense is dis-

gusting” and “It’s not sincere or a solution.”

Another black author, Frederick Joseph, went so far as to call the project “literary blackface,” claiming that replacing the image of a white character with one of a black character doesn’t actually make the character black, it just color washes the cover.

Booksellers and corporate officials responded to complaints and outrage by arguing that they tried to select books for the project that didn’t explicitly state the race

of the characters. However, the heart of the representation and diversity issue in literature extends far beyond this individual instance. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, in 2018 only 6 percent of children’s and young adult books published within the United States were written

by Black authors. Additionally, over 75 percent of U.S. Publishing Industry staff identify as white.

Barnes & Noble has gotten into other public trouble with its selection of Jeanine Cummins’s much debated novel, “American Dirt,” being this month’s B&N Book Club Pick. The novel is about the experience of a Mexican immigrant, but is written by a woman who is neither Mexican nor an immigrant. This book has echoed previously mentioned discussions of diverse representation in publishing.

White individuals are much more likely to earn book deals, even when writing about the experience of marginalized groups. It’s not that these groups don’t have incredibly talented and qualified members to write these stories, it’s that there’s a gross lack of attention paid to authenticity and equality within the industry. Both of these choices occurring so close to one another doesn’t bode well for the company.

With all of the backlash, Barnes & Noble has ultimately decided to cancel the reimagined cover campaign. The official statement from the company is as follows: “The covers are not a substitute for black voices or writers of colors, whose voices deserve to be heard. The booksellers who championed this initiative did so convinced it would help drive engagement with these classic titles.”

courtesy Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble selected books that didn’t explicitly mention the characters’ race for the book cover program.

Jazz band delivers colorful salute to the blues TU’s jazz band performed “All Blues,” incorporating several great compositions throughout history.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Feb. 13 the University of Tulsa’s Music Department presented “All Blues,” an anthology of jazz tunes that revolved around blues chords and scales, as well as the lyrics, which consisted of having the “blues.” Even with the low temperatures, Gussman Hall filled up quickly of people eagerly looking over the program notes and talking to their friends about the upcoming performance.

As the lights dimmed in the auditorium, the audience fell silent. The performers hurried onto the stage in clusters, grabbing their instruments and immediately playing the music without their conductor, Daniel Arthurs, a professor of music theory. Their performance almost seemed like an inside joke: the jazz band was in on a secret of their own, as they all smirked, bobbing their heads with the music. In this case, the secret was the rest of the concert, which didn’t fail

to bring both the performers and the audience moving to the eclectic beats and blending harmonies.

When the segment finished, Professor Arthurs turned around and thanked everyone for coming out to support the TU Jazz Band despite the nasty weather. He proceeded to crack jokes about the musical introduction, which was a snippet of “Shofukan” by Snarky Puppy. Some of the audience members “awed” (only because “puppy” is in the band’s name). All jokes aside, he gushed

Shortly after the stage was set up for the band, the audience went backstage to wait for the next set of tunes and surprises. Vernon Howard, the Director of the School of Music here, came up and thanked everyone.

He went on to talk about the pieces the band was performing and gave background information about each one, tying it all back to the performances and his love of jazz music.

Even though there wasn’t an official title for the concert, Howard stated that when picking out pieces, he discovered that all the jazz

“There was never a dull moment: the band members were moving to the beat ...” how grateful he was to work with the students here at TU. Arthurs thanked the audience again, faced the band, and started up the music. There was never a dull moment: the band members were moving to the beat, not only enjoying the music, but enjoying themselves.

tunes circled back to the blues, hence calling it a “Salute to the Blues.”

The “Salute to the Blues” consisted of jazz tunes that reflected on being down and out, yet making the most of a tough situation. The band performed with booming passion against the beat. Despite the running

If you’re feeling magical:

theme of having the blues, the music had a colorful range of blasting notes.

The second half of the concert encompassed another diverse set of music.The musicians were bouncing; at this point they weren’t just playing the music, they were the music. This was the same for the guest artists of the night, Steve Wilkerson and Ms. Andrea Baker, both TU graduates. Their extensive musical training was apparent as they improvised alongside the TU jazz band, adding their own spin on the songs that they were found of during their time at TU and at the beginning of their careers.

At the end of the concert, the audience couldn’t hold it any longer as they gave a loud standing ovation to both jazz bands and the guest artists. Howard beamed, as he looked back at the band. He had one more surprise: an encore presentation of the first song, “Bird Count” with Wilkerson playing as the soloist. The audience then erupted into another standing loud and extensive standing ovation. With the music played, one thing was clear: sometimes the blues can be a great thing to have. The next jazz concert will be on April 16.

If you’re feeling confused (and want to stay that way):

If you’re feeling festive:

courtesy Doubleday

Tori Gellman Student Writer

“The circus arrives without warning.”

With this first sentence, readers are instantly transported into a different world — one of whimsy, creativity and unimaginable stakes.

With the initial story being a duel to take place at some undisclosed time in the future, the book is actually about much much more.

Romance, murder, trickery, contortion, manipulation and friendship are all themes surrounding the larger plot at hand. Jumping in time and place, forcing readers to treat every sentence and word with the intense attention that this book genuinely deserves, you come to love the characters whose lives you watch develop and unfold. Never would I have ever expected to love this book as much as I did. I am so glad that this book found its way on to my shelf and then weaseled its way into my heart.

courtesy A Strange Object

courtesy Knopf Books for Young Readers

If you’re like me, and already waiting for Christmas to be here again, I recommend this delightful Children’s novel. This book is a wonderfully fresh take on the invention of Father Christmas and is riddled with beautiful morals for children and adults alike. The content brings with it a wave of nostalgia, but there is nothing stale or worn out about the way Haig talks about Christmas magic.

This short story collection is like the best rollercoaster at an amusement park, the one you save for the last ride of the day. Ranging in themes from religion, childhood and familial relations, Rita Bullwinkel masterfully crafts vignettes and slices of life that simultaneously connect and stand alone.

Bullwinkel’s prose makes readers question whether they are supposed to be reading her stories on a literal level, or if there is something larger and more other-worldly she is trying to convey. What I love most about “Belly Up” is that we as readers, are left to decide things for ourselves and interpret the stories in whatever way we see fit. There’s a beautiful power in that for readers, and in turn an immortality for the author’s writing.

The Collegian: 10

Variety

17 February 2020

Tulsa filmmakers commemorate Black Wall Street Circle Cinema screened “Black Wall Street Burning” followed by a panel with the creators.

Justin Klopfer Student Writer Filmmaker Dekoven Riggins decided over 10 years ago to create a film about Tulsa’s Black Wall Street district and the terrible race massacre of 1921. In 2020, his efforts, as well as his co-director Marcus Brown’s, have culminated in “Black Wall Street Burning.” The Tulsa independent theater showed the film and held a Q&A session with the directors afterwards.

The film tells the story of the jailing of Dick Rowland (given an alias in the film) for the alleged assault of Sarah Page (also given an alias). When white rioters gathered for a outside the jail, armed black citizens arrived armed to prevent a likely lynching.

After this, white rioters burned the black businesses of Greenwood to the ground.

Some residents flew planes and dropped firebombs onto the buildings, possibly with the support of the police. When the flames had settled, over 40 blocks of Greenwood had been destroyed.

Remarkably, “Black Wall Street Burning” was shot on a miniscule budget of $5,000. This low budget does show in some segments of the movie, but to simply make a feature film with this amount of funding is incredibly impressive. All actors in the

film are nonprofessional, and many were friends of Riggins, who went to the same church. Since the budget wouldn’t afford the creation of a set, the directors set the film in a small town meant to emulate 1920s America. The directors had to be careful not to accidentally let and modern technologies sneak into the shots.

In a scene early in the film, O. W. Gurley purchases the original land for Black Wall Street. Riggins and Brown laughed while explaining how they found the location for this scene: they checked listings for land on Zillow and showed up to one of the fields for sale. These kinds of stories demonstrate the attitude and ingenuity low-budget filmmaking requires.

Telling the true history of an event that is often pushed to the side or even completely ignored was a major motivation for Riggins and Brown. This is actually the first feature film made focusing solely on the massacre; however, people are now trying increasingly to highlight the tragedy of Greenwood’s history. A member of the Tulsa Public Schools’s administration was at the screening who worked to put Black Wall Street and the race massacre into Tulsa’s curriculum.

Asked what’s next for the filmmakers, Brown responded that he plans for this film to be only the beginning in a series on Black Wall Street before it was destroyed. He wants to create an “Oklahomawood” where movies would be produced and created by black people. To them, Black Wall Street was a model for how to build thriving black

communities in the future. It’s important for there to be representation at all levels of the filmmaking process, for a black child to tour a movie studio in Oklahoma and see that the owner looks like them.

“Black Wall Street Burning” is showing at Circle Cinema through this week. Be sure to check it out to learn more about this tragic event and to support independent cinema.

courtesy Notis Studios The actors in “Black Wall Street Burning” are all amateurs that the filmmakers recruited from their church.

Music department pays tribute to female composers As part of the Concerts with Commentary series, TU hosted “Pioneer Women.”

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Feb. 11, The University of Tulsa’s Music Department presented “Concerts with Commentary: Pioneer Women.” Soon after the doors closed and the lights dimmed slightly, the talking ceased as the audience focused their eyes towards the front. The performers came up to the stage dressed in turn of the century costumes to match the Victorian-era living room set. Judith Pannill Raiford, a vocal professor, welcomed everyone to their “parlor” and thanked everyone for coming to support them. She then faced her colleagues, Diane Bucchianeri, a cello professor and Brady McElligott, a vocal professor.

The concert was dedicated to the determined female composers whose compositions recognized in the music business at a time when women had to publish under pen names to be taken seriously. Instead, they were able to achieve success and forge a path for women in music. As the night progressed, Raiford explained each composer’s background, the inspiration behind their work and the unique, distinct characteristics in each song.

The first set of songs was written by Carrie Jacobs-Bond (1862-1946). After Jacobs-Bond’s husband died, she found herself penniless and in dire need to support her young son. Heartbroken and frustrated, she moved to Chicago; it was then that discovered her love for writing songs.

Jacobs-Bond became recognized for the success of her music, which lifted her out of poverty once and for all. The set of songs ranged from sweet and sentimental to silly and funny. At the end of the set of songs,

Bucchianeri played Jacobs-Bond’s gorgeous cello-piano duet called “A Perfect Day,” with McElligott accompanying her on the piano. The cello and the piano were synchronized, telling a beautiful story, with each sweeping movement.

This continued with the next set of songs, composed by Amy Beach (1867-1944).

Beach’s success was rooted in her love of combining poetry with her compositions. This was evident in the titles of her songs and pieces, such as “Three Browning Songs,” which were influenced by the poetry of Robert Browning, and from Five Pieces for Cello and Piano, “Dreaming.”

Unlike the previous set, the music had more serious, somber undertone. Nevertheless, the set was beautifully sung by McElligott with Raiford accompanying him on the piano.

The final set of songs, composed by Liza Lehmann (1862-1918), was just as beautiful, but with a more whimsical approach.

Lehmann originally trained to be an opera singer. However, her voice was not strong enough to project with an accompanying orchestra. She never gave up singing; instead her love of singing brought her to holding small vocal recitals consisting of art songs that she admired. Because of this, she started writing songs, finding more success as a composer. Raiford was joined by two of her vocal students, soprano Ariel Rodriguez and tenor Caleb Ricketts, to perform Lehmann’s compositions.

The concert slowed into silence. People were in awe of the music they heard and the inspiration behind it. The performers then turned to each other, smiled a final time and bowed to a long applause of admiration.

The next Concerts with Commentary, titled “Just Duet: Music for Four-Handed Piano” will be on March 5.

92nd Oscars awards deserving actors and filmmakers This year’s Academy Awards represented a diverse set of winners and nominees.

Tori Gellman Student Writer Last Sunday, Feb. 9, the 92nd Academy Awards were held in Hollywood, California. Some actors continued their winning streaks, and some motion pictures got long overdue recognition. Though the Awards went hostless for another year, there were still presenters who managed to slip in charged commentary and demands from the industry to be more inclusive and representative. Like many film industry professionals and movie fans alike, I have many thoughts about what transpired at this year’s Oscar Awards ceremony.

Janelle Monáe opened the show with an electrifying performance that adapted her song “Come Alive” to include quips about snubbed films from the past year as well as comments about issues that have been plaguing the film industry for decades. The performance featured costumes referencing some of the snubbed movies, such as “Midsommar” and “Us.” Monáe was met with uproarious applause when she acknowledged all of the wonderful films directed by women this year, a sentiment that would be echoed several times throughout the evening.

The first award of the night was no surprise. As with the rest of the film awards this season, Best Actor in a Supporting Role went to Brad Pitt for his work in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.” However, I was pleasantly surprised to finally hear Pitt say something sincere when he accepted his Oscar, showing a different side of himself than the jokester that had been present at the rest of his acceptance speeches this year.

Another actor who continued her winning streak was Renée Zelwegger, who portrayed the iconic Judy Garland in “Judy.”

Similarly, Joaquin Phoenix finally won his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work in “Joker.” Joaquin Phoenix has used every single one of his acceptance speeches this season to raise awareness of inequalities and injustices that plague the human race and the world as a whole. His Academy Award speech was no exception, as Phoenix spoke out about the interconnectivity of prejudices, drawing particular attention to environmental advocacy and not-so-subtly condemning the consumption of meat.

Although “Marriage Story” was by far my least favorite movie of the season, it’s hard to be upset at Laura Dern winning anything, as she is such a delightful, genuine human being. She earned an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and dedicated to her loving parents, not leaving a dry eye in the house.

I strongly believe that “Jojo Rabbit” deserved significantly more attention and praise than it received, but Taika Waititi did earn the film its sole Academy Award of the evening for Best Adapted Screenplay. I would have loved to have seen Best Actress in a Supporting Role go to Scarlett Johanson for her part in “Jojo Rabbit,” as it was my favorite performance of hers to date.

Though Taron Egerton was robbed in the Best Actor category, Elton John brought home his second Oscar for Best Original Song in “Rocketman,” 25 years

after earning his first. As usual, each nominee for Best Original Song was performed throughout the award ceremony. Cynthia Erivo, the only black nominee of the evening, belted her heart out to “Stand Up” from “Harriet.” Idina Menzel was joined by numerous international actresses who have played Elsa in translated versions of the “Frozen 2” in the performance of “Into The Unknown.”

“Toy Story 4” upheld the long-standing belief that you don’t bet against Pixar at the Oscars.

Animated Short Film winner, “Hair Love,” brought attention to a facet of African-American culture that is often not depicted or spoken about in popular culture.

Best Documentary Feature went to crowd favorite “American Factory,” produced by none other than the Obamas.

“1917” didn’t do nearly as well as was generally expected by film critics. Personally, I think it won exactly what it deserved with Cinematography, as that was the most notable aspect of the feature. “Ford v Ferrari” earned a bit of acclaim with achievement in Sound Editing and Film Editing. “Bombshell” got its moment of fame winning Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling. Though the picture tackle workplace sexual assault, many critics rightly agreed that the film didn’t do enough to expose

the real weight of the sexual assault epidemic. Though immensely disappointing, it didn’t come as much of a surprise that “Little Women” was only recognized for Achievement in Costume Design. Greta Gerwig being left out of the nominations for Best Director was one of the most talked about snubs of the evening.

Of course the biggest film of the evening was the South Korean picture “Parasite” — which made history in several regards.

“Parasite” is the first foreign language film to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and it also took home awards for Best International Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. In January, the film also made SAG award history by being the first foreign film to win Best Ensemble Cast; the most prestigious award of the night. The film’s culminating wins led to perhaps the most heartwarming moment of the evening. As a second member of the film’s production team approached the mic to say a few words, the stage lights started going down. The front row of the auditorium found this unacceptable, and Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks and Margot Robbie led the entire audience in a chant of “Up!,” convincing the tech crew to turn the lights back up and re-raise the microphone.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the 92nd Academy Awards.

I went into the evening lighter than I have in years, because I finally felt a return to quality cinema that I feel has been sorely lacking in the last few years of filmmaking. I echo the sentiment that there continues to be a need for diversity in cast and crew makeup as well as authentic representation of different lives and experiences in cinema. Hopefully, the actors championing this issue and many others throughout Awards season do not become complacent the rest of the year and enact actual change amongst their peers and fans.

17 February 2020

The State-Run Media

The Collegian: 11

Five suggestions for new Academy Awards

graphic by Naomi Dunn

The Oscar for Best Woman is sure to be a smash hit!

What better way to spice up the Oscars than to add a bunch of new awards?

Michaela Bueche Golden gorl Last Sunday, I joined millions across the nation in tuning into the 92nd Academy Awards. To my immense boredom, the show was just a repeat of last year: the same boring ol’ categories! It’s 2020 ladies, theydies and gents! We need some creative, new awards to excite the youth of today! That is why I propose adding five new awards to the 2021 Oscars. If we start now, we can update all the awards shows before next season.

Now to the nominees:

1. The first proposed award shall be Best Translator. As you may have noticed on Sunday, every time Bong Joon-ho accepted an award for “Parasite,” there was a lady repeating everything he said, but in English. If the International Films keep getting nominated for Best Picture and spread into the Best Actor and Best Actress categories, there will be an influx of translators. They put in so much effort translating for wasted, stuttering celebs. They should at least get the chance at a little gold dude for all their trouble.

2. The next category should be for Best Extra. Do you ever stay until the end of the movie and watch all 50 billion names scroll by? Well, half of those people are extras, and they need some recognition ‘round these parts. I don’t have space here to list all of the advantages to adding this category, so I’ll just give you a sample. With extras,

you have a much larger pool of people to choose from for the nominees and eventually the winner. Statistically speaking, this means there is a higher chance of getting a profoundly amazing actor than in the Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/ Actress categories. And of course there are no disadvantages. Why would I waste my time with shitty ideas?

3. For years, people have been creating comedic masterpieces in the film industry.

But where is their praise? Where is their little gold dude? Nowhere to be found because when people think “funny,” they think “not art.” Well my dear comrades, that is about to change with the Oscar for Best Comedy.

As Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig proved Sunday, comedians can be dramatic. By association, comedies can be dramatic too. Go watch “Wine Country” with the SNL female comedic geniuses of the 2000s, and tell me

it shouldn’t have been an Oscar nominee. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It makes you realize you just want to be a middleaged woman day drinking in Napa Valley.

4. Since the men keep winning every other category we need something for the ladies. I propose the Oscar for Best Woman.

“But what about Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress? Men can’t win those,” you say. Those are irrelevant. Nobody actually pays attention to them. The Oscar for Best Woman will be a literal fight to the death between all women, actress or not. Get in the pit, girls. The fight will take place somewhere in the middle of the night to liven up these otherwise boring awards.

5. Our final Academy Award addition will be for Best Dressed. This will be a subtle attempt to incentivize the men to dress more creatively. I don’t want to see 50 guys wearing the exact same suit. That’s so 2019

Joe Biden savagely insults rally attendee, DNC defends him

OK, so John Wayne didn’t say anything like that. Seemingly dissatisfied with a single controversy, Biden has now found himself in another. Calling an elderly man a “cottonheaded ninnymuggins” is a new low for Joe Biden. Gasps, quickly followed by boos from all 36 attendees rang out at the middle school auditorium in which he hosted the event.

“Look, folks, it’s just like the movie, we’re not in New Hampshire anymore,” he tried to assuage the crowd, the noise bothering his hearing aids.

The DNC had to act quickly if they wanted to defend Joe Biden. DNC officials did the only logical thing: they pulled a Spielberg and digitally altered the films Biden was trying to quote. They went back and subtly switched the setting of “Wizard of Oz” from rural Kansas to suburban New Hampshire while also removing every mention of Kansas to put New Hampshire in its place.

The film Biden was likely referencing is “Pony Soldier,” a 1952 Western starring Tyrone Power. John Wayne has nothing to do with the movie, that is until the DNC digitally altered Power out and put John Wayne in.

When informed that “cottonheaded ninnymuggins” is also a movie quote, Biden froze.

“Look, whatever you think about ‘Birth of a Nation,’ it’s a part of American film history.”

Please vote for Joe Biden!! We swear he’s not going senile!

Brett Tyndall Film buff

Democratic candidate Joe Biden, just a week removed from insulting a student voter by calling her a “lying dog-faced pony soldier” has struck again. At a rally in South Carolina, Biden called an elderly man a “cottonheaded ninnymuggins.”

The former senator is coming off poor performances in Iowa and New Hampshire.

As the Nevada caucus and South Carolina primary draw closer, Biden has attempted to clarify what sparked the first incident.

“I love classic films, and John Wayne is a good friend of my brother, Emperor Palpatine,” Biden said. “What I said to the young lady, who has great hair by the way, was something John Wayne had said in one of his movies.”

To see if this was true, we had a crackpot team of film students get high on Adderall and go through John Wayne’s filmography in search of this “dog-faced pony soldier” quote. They said The Duke never said it.

So, we had them take just a little more Addwerall and try again. They said they could hear paint drying in the next room, but they didn’t hear John Wayne say “dog-faced pony soldier” to anything or anyone. These results are conclusive, and we’ll fervently defend our methodology.

“Toto? I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

graphic by Naomi Dunn

Oscars meets diversity quota for next 10 years That’s enough, right? Can we just go back to rewarding all the straight, white males?

Michaela Bueche A woman In case you’ve been living under a rock, news flash, the Oscars were last Sunday and they were diverse as fuck. The night began with Janelle Monáe and Billy Porter with an opening performance. As the night progressed “Parasite” started raking in the Oscars. There was also a consistent stream of nominees, presenters and performers that were women, people of color or LGBTQ+.

Surprisingly, a woman, Hildur Guðnadóttir, beat out the greats (John Williams, Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat and Randy Newman) for Best Original Score.

And if you hadn’t already heard, Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture.

With all this, the Oscars has definitely met their diversity quote for the next 10 years.

Now we can go back to #OscarsSoWhite.

Who cares if there was only one woman of color nominated for Best Actress. At least

cobson said, “This is ridiculous! I hate being represented on TV and in movies. I want to go back to the good old days when men played every role. Y’all gotta admit, a man in a dress is pretty damn sexy.”

Mary Jane is so fucking right because, honestly, the women representing us are so

“I hate being represented on TV and in movies.” she was nominated. Honestly, the Oscars should just eliminate that category because all actresses should be supporting their male co-stars anyway.

After the Oscars aired, I went around campus asking students how they felt about the diversity of the Oscars. Mary Jane Ja-

bad at their jobs and being famous in general. For example, Laura Dern’s drug-addled brain produced hallucinations of a small, green alien at a basketball game. She probably didn’t even know who was playing. We should no longer be rewarding and encouraging her subpar efforts. She should work

for it just like Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s been nominated for years and didn’t actually win until 2016 with “The Revenant.”

More like Leo, we have hundreds of men like Kevin James, Val Kilmer and Matthew McConaughey who have been laboring at their craft for years and have yet to receive any reward. But we keep nominating and allowing women like Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Katharine Hepburn to win for mediocrity.

This is not to discount the great work women have done in film. For instance, Meryl Streep has supported the most prolific actors of her generation including Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro and Tom Hanks.

But the Oscar statue is a gilded man for a reason.

In conclusion, we should eliminate all female centric awards and only consider straight white men for the rest. With this tactic, we will stay gold, Ponyboy.

The State-Run Media

17 February 2020

the

Bueche-Run media Also Brett.

Which Collegian editor are you most compatible with?

Michaela Bueche Happily divorced

This past weekend was hard for you for one of two reasons: you ended it with your boo of two months on Valentine’s Day to avoid buying them a gift, or you’ve been tragically alone for the last 20-some years. Either way, this quiz will solve all your problems by determining which Collegian editor with whom you are most compatible.

1. Who is your favor- 4. Are you lawful, neuite Veggie? If you don’t tral, or chaotic? know what that means, A) Lawful you’re done. You get Em- B) Neutral ily, the most ignorant, C) Chaotic least cultured of the editors. Good day, sir.

5. What do you do when A) Archibald Asparagus approached by a drug B) Larry the Cucumber dealer on the street?

C) The French Peas A) Run home and lock yourself in your room for 2. Pick a catch phrase. the next week.

B) Buy some drugs and A) “Suck it.”

B) “That’s what she said.” have a chill party with C) “Name of your sex some friends.

C) Beat him up, steal his tape.” drugs and become a drug dealer yourself.

3. If you were to murder your best friend, how 6. Choose an animal. would you do it?

A) Wait until they die A) Tardigrade (think catof natural causes. Why erpillar from Alice and Wonderland without enshould I put in effort?

B) Probably with a gun or couraging children to smoke) something.

C) First, you start a tradi- B) Blobfish (this one is tion of cooking together self explanatory) every week. Then, you C) Pangolin (if an antgradually add more and eater and armadillo had a more poison to the meals, baby, it would be a pangobut only their plate. Once lin) you have determined that they are close to death (this is really just a guess), 7. What is your zodiac you will go to one of those sign? recreational axe throwing A) Sagittarius, Scorpio, places. At the axe place, Libra, Leo you will hit them with B) Pisces, Aquarius, an axe, but you have to Gemini, Taurus make it look like an acci- C) Virgo, Capricorn, Candent. While you are wait- cer, Aries ing for the ambulance to arrive, shoot them. Make sure there are at least three 8. Are you neutral, good, witnesses. At your murder or evil? trial plead not guilty, but A) Neutral get convicted. You will go B) Good to jail and get free hous- C) Evil ing and food. Everybody wins.

Mostly A’s

A’s and B’s

You got Ethan the Editor-in-chief aka head boi. But what do we really know about him? Why is that my problem? You’re the one that’s compatible with him. You figure it out!

Madison the Dead Propagandist is the most compatible with you.

You don’t mind dating a ghost, right? Date idea: Avenge her death by killing Sara, her murderer.

Mostly B’s

B’s and C’s

Piper Prolago is the gorl for you.

What a name.

Ms. Managing Editor Emily likes long walks on the beach, sexy drug deals and you. ;)

Mostly C’s

A’s and C’s

You’ve been matched with Sara.

If you’re looking for a badass who can push people off bridges and whatever other form of murder you can think of, then you really are a perfect match. However, she charges $50 a murder nowadays, and she has a 3 month long waiting list, so pick your enemies carefully.

You get the sexiest pair, Chris and Brennen. The dynamic duo will treat you like the god/goddess you are.