1 February 2021

A student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

February 1, Issue 14 - volume 106

Tribute to musician and producer SOPHIE, p. 6

the cOllegian’s super BOwl writer predictiOns, p.2

OklahOmans challenge sen. lankfOrd’s pOsitiOn On centennial cOmmissiOn, p.4

cover by Emma Palmer

epic charter schOOls priOritizes prOfit p.5

Sports

The Collegian: 2

1 February 2021

The Collegian’s Super Bowl LV writer predictions With the culmination of the NFL season looming, sports writers for The Collegian offer their takes on what will happen during the nation’s most-watched televised event.

Zach Short Kansas City Chiefs 40-38 My two sincere hopes for this game are for an offensive spectacle and for another championship to my home state. If that does not happen, compound my disappointment by the fact that I earnestly expect it to happen too. Since the very moment that Brady announced his move to Tampa Bay, I have prayed for this Super Bowl to occur; the AFC showdowns between these two quarterbacks have given me some of the most incredible games I have ever had the pleasure to watch to date. Now, with the magic of these two exponentially increased by the stakes of a Super Bowl, I feel nearly beside myself with joy. Brady looks as great as he ever has, and Mahomes only gets better as the season continues. Ultimately, I predict this game to come down to the Chiefs getting one more stop than the Bucs and winning by a field goal (I even tried to account for a missed PAT by Butker). These two quarterbacks know how to score and will certainly do so quite a bit in this Super Bowl, but, at the end of the day, the best quarterback will win. Patrick Mahomes is simply the better quarterback.

Ethan Worley Kansas City Chiefs 35-28 The Chiefs offense has been unstoppable all season and the Buccaneers defense doesn’t look like it can change that fact.

When the Chiefs met the Buccaneers in Week 12, Tyreek Hill had 7 catches for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns by the end of the first quarter. The Buccaneers sole hope will be double-teaming Tyreek Hill all game, which gives Travis Kelce the opportunity to have a big game. Tom Brady struggled last week, throwing three interceptions, and if Brady gives the Chiefs’ offense opportunities like that next week, then a narrow win in a shootout is a best case scenario for the Bucs, and they could be looking at a blowout. While Brady has experience, and the Bucs have gone on a winning streak recently, it should be realized that 5 of those wins were against teams that finished below .500.

The Chiefs have shown season-long consistency, with only one loss when Mahomes started, and in that loss they still scored 32 points. While the passing games of both teams will be the primary point of conversation, the rushing games could be the difference, especially if the Buccaneers overcommit to stop the pass. The Chiefs have a rushing game that is 16th in yards per game while the Buccaneers are near the bottom of the league at 28th for rushing yards per game. With three running backs that consistently contribute, as well as Mahomes running ability, on top of their league-leading passing game, the weapons that the Chiefs have will be too much for the Buccaneers defense.

Zachary Sabel Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-26 This Superbowl will be a rematch of an earlier game from the season, in which the Chiefs came out on top by a field goal, but the Bucs gave a good fight. This is a Tampa team that has gotten better and better as the season progressed, while the Chiefs, in contrast to their previous campaign, looked fairly beatable up until the postseason started when they looked more like the vintage Chiefs we have come to know. I expect a tight game, and like their previous matchup, I think it will be decided by a field goal. In the end, I think the dark magic that is propelling a Bucs team led by a 43-year-old tom Brady will be too much for the young Chiefs squad. Couple this with a homefield advantage, a still solid Gronk, and an extremely deep receiving core going up against an average Chiefs secondary, it feels like destiny for Tom brady. The Chiefs also have an amazing receiving core, but lack the defense to match the Bucs.This Bucs team has defensive guns like Devin White and Ndamukong Suh that could exploit Mahomes’ tendency to drop further back than the normal QB, weakening his blockers ability to protect him.

Tommy Reid Kansas City Chiefs 35-31 Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs finished the season with the best record in the

AFC East and won their first Super Bowl since 1970. In the same season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the season with a record of 7-9, coming in third place out of the four teams in the NFC South. This year sees the Chiefs back in the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year and playing for their third title, while also having the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2003, playing for their second title. Tom Brady’s offseason move to Tampa Bay brought the Buccaneers into Super Bowl contention, and he has demonstrated throughout the season that he still has the ability to win a Super Bowl despite his move from New England to Tampa Bay. Patrick Mahomes has likewise demonstrated that he has the ability to win the Super Bowl once again, as his statistics this year for completions, percentage, passing yards and touchdowns were better than last season and the Chiefs have a better overall record than they did last year. While both teams have had an excellent season this year, only one can walk away as the champions of Super Bowl LV. Despite the Super Bowl being played in the home stadium of the Buccaneers, since the Chiefs have been the better team this season, I believe they will win their second consecutive Super Bowl championship.

NFL retirement: Who’s coming back and who’s not?

This year might finally prove the end for a generation of football legends. Football analyst Logan Guthrie speculates as to who may take an exit — and who may surprise.

As another season of the NFL comes to a close in the upcoming weeks, a question is on the forefront of many sports fans minds: “Who all will we be seeing in the next season?” Over the long history of football at this level, we have all seen many a beloved player come and go, and unfortunately we seem to be reaching another period in which we will be losing some of the most prolific names in the sport to retirement, but some may be sticking around for a little longer.

Despite the rumors, we may have a few moments left watching our favorite athletes compete in football at the highest level.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, despite rumors of retirement, says that he plans to play another season in 2021. Roethlisberger has one more year left upon his contract, and he intends to honor that last agreed upon season. But even moreso, he claims that he is still having fun and enjoying himself, and he isn’t quite ready to hang up his jersey.

While this season has had a toll on his body physically, Ben Roethlisberger likes playing with his Steelers team too much to quit just yet. At this time, it seems we can count him in for one more final round at least.

For one of Roethlisberger’s rival players, retirement is slightly more of a certainty. According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, his last game in the 2021 Playoffs is indeed Drew Brees’ last game in the league. The quarterback of the New Orleans Saints did not confirm personally that this is in fact true, but has said that he will be taking some time to think about things, and while Brees is taking the time to consider, the team itself has stated that they will be preparing the best as they can for their prolific quarterback’s retirement. Although nothing is confirmed yet, all that fans of the Saints can do is hope that Brees will consider another season and prepare for the possibility that he will be moving on to new endeavors.

These two players are not the only ones that the word “retirement” has been floating

around in the NFL, however. After a career spanning 17 years, Philip Rivers has officially announced that he is officially tossing in the towel and passing the baton onto the future players of the Indianapolis Colts. The Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers’ contract places him to play till at least 2024 at the age of 39. While Rodger’s doesn’t seem to express immediate retirement plans, he states a desire to help youngsters coming into the sport after his time has passed. However, he was caught off guard when the Packers picked Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the draft, as it may cause issues for Rodgers in terms of retiring with the same team that he has spent his career with up to this point. In early 2020 there were speculations on both sides about whether long-time Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would pack it up and head home, but he claims that he hopes to avoid going through such a tough decision until after he is 45. And though he has moved on from his Patriot days, his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hasn’t been without successes.

It is undeniable that some of the biggest names in the NFL to date are reaching the inevitable point where they must move on from competing in the sport they love at the professional level. Though this is a sad realization for many football fans, there are positive notes to hang onto. Most of these players that thousands of fans have followed and enjoyed watching for years seem to have a few more seasons left in them. And even when these players are finally resolved to pass the baton onto the next generation of athletes, the fact of the matter is that there will then of course be those new athletes that we will have the opportunity to watch as they use their talents at one of the greatest games of all time. We will once again be rewarded by both seeing this new breed of player and hopefully having the chance to see what great things the players we once watched and love do with this new upcoming season of their life outside the stadium.

TU basketball splits into two A Pro Bowl like no other

crucial conference games

Even without a normal Pro Bowl, the NFL still wanted to honor its stars. Sports writer Joseph Sports writer Tommy Reid describes the fight Breedlove discusses the temporary format. to stay alive in the conference as Tulsa plays two still an event to honor the best players from this season and all the hard work and dediessential road games. cation they have put in to get to this point.

courtesy Wikipedia This past week, the Tulsa Golden hurricane men’s basketball team played two games on the road. The first game was last Tuesday against Temple, and the second game was last Saturday against East Carolina.

In the Golden Hurricane’s first game of the week, Temple began the game with a 6-0 lead over Tulsa and later expanded this lead to 10-2 four minutes into the game. A few minutes later, after several layups by Rey Idowu, the Golden Hurricane had reduced Temple’s lead to just two points and a score of 14-12. This, however, was the closest they would ever get to Temple for the remainder of the game as the Owls soon bounced out to an eleven-point 23-12 lead.

Despite Tulsa continuing to score, Temple went into the half time break with a 4425 lead. Elijah Joiner opened the second half scoring but Temple added onto their already large lead. They continued this throughout the rest of the game and, while Tulsa was able to make a small comeback, Temple ultimately won the game by a score of 7667. Even though the Golden Hurricane was unable to win the game, Rey Idowu scored

a career high 20 points and Elijah Joiner scored 15.

In the Golden Hurricane’s second game of the week, an early three-point jumper by Austin Richie gave Tulsa an early 3-2 lead.

The lead went back and forth over the next few minutes, but when Austin Richie made another three-point jumper, Tulsa took the lead for the next few minutes. East Carolina once again took the lead, but Tulsa took it right back when Elijah Joiner made a layup putting Tulsa ahead 24-23. Tulsa held the lead going into the halftime break with a score of 37-35. Throughout the beginning of the second half, Tulsa kept the lead with points by Brandon Rachal, Rey Idowu, and Emmanuel Ugboh until East Carolina took the lead ten minutes into half.

Tulsa kept a small lead until East Carolina tied the game at 63 points each with just over four minutes left to play. Two free throws by Elijah Joiner gave the Golden Hurricane the lead again and from this point they never looked back. Tulsa won the game with a final score of 77-68. Brandon Rachal scored the most points for Tulsa with 21 points while also achieving a double-double with his 10 rebounds.

As the week of American Athletic Conference basketball ends, Tulsa moves to 9-6 on the season. Their next game is Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in the Reynolds Center where they will face the Southern Methodist Mustangs. They will also play the University of Central Florida on Saturday at 11 a.m.

courtesy Wikipedia The NFL Pro Bowl is an event held to honor NFL athletes that had a standout season, as decided by fans. When being selected into the Pro Bowl, it pits the NFC against the AFC for the match-up. Saturday teams typically participate in mini games against each other such as dodgeball, a skills showdown, a best hands competition and even a gauntlet. On Sunday,the actual game between the two conferences begins, and it is always entertaining to see the best of the best go against each other, but the players are just out there to have fun as well.

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the Pro Bowl game has been canceled. Instead, the NFL is teaming up with EA Sports to have different players, celebrities, legends, and even streamers play as the actual NFC or AFC Pro Bowl roster on the newest version of the Madden game. While still upsetting that no actual game will occur, the fact we get to see players playing Madden is much better than a complete cancellation. These matchups will be on many platforms for fans to watch if they are interested, as this is

Getting into the logistics of it, in the AFC the players that are playing will be Deshaun Watson, Derrick Henry, Snoop Dogg and Keyshawn Johnson. For the NFC it will be Kyler Murray, Jamal Adams, Bubba Wallace and Marshawn Lynch. Each player plays one five minute quarter, and the winner takes all. Other specials featured this year before the kickoff to the game include five time Pro Bowler and wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals Deandre Hopkins work with three time Pro Bowler and defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers Joey Bosa breaking down their game type from this past season.

Some noticeable names that made the Pro Bowl roster for their first time ever are Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf. Meanwhile, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (rookie) and Washington defensive end Chase Young (rookie) also made appearances as rising stars. Other big names are Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Titans running back Derrick Henry, Chiefs receivers Tyreek Hill, Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson. As people can see, it would have been a thrilling game to watch; sadly, with Covid-19, it didn’t get to happen. There will always be next year though, and hopefully the players will get to perform in front of the beloved NFL fans.

Sports

1 February 2021

The Cavaliers are good?

The Collegian: 3

of what happens with veterans like Kevin Love, Javale McGee and Andre Drummond, Cavs’ fans should be looking forward to the

next few years thanks to the newly-formed trio of Sexton, Garland and Allen.

tempts return

After upsetting some top teams, the Cavs seem McGregor at almost competitive. NBA writer Ethan Worley MMA writer Joseph Breedlove examines the analyzes the league’s most unpredictable team. hopes that preempted an anticipated comeback, The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one mond could be a valuable piece for a conof the biggest surprises of the NBA season tender or a team looking to offload salary as well as the bitter defeat that defined it. so far. Through the first 18 games, they went 9-9 and got to the sixth seed in the East. Their start can be primarily attributed to the young backcourt duo of Colin Sexton and Darius Garland. Colin Sexton is in his third season in the league after being drafted with the 8th pick in the 2018 draft out of Alabama. Sexton has seen consistent improvement since his rookie year, going from averaging 16.7 points a game to 20.8, and to now averaging 25.2 points a game with an impressive 52 percent field-goal percentage and a 47 percent three-point percentage.

Now in his second year, Darius Garland has increased his efficiency and production, going from a 35 percent three-point shooter to a 40 percent three-point shooter and increasing his PPG from 12.3 to 14.3. The Cavaliers further bolstered their young core

for free agency. The Cavaliers have a solid young core and might decide that it is worth more to build for the future than to have a postseason run that would likely struggle to make it past the first round.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not there is any actual value in Drummond. While he would be a significant help for any team that needs a more traditional big, like the Boston Celtics, his large salary will make it difficult for teams to be able to come up with the matching salary needed in order to facilitate a trade. Yet, the acquisition of Allen, which included giving up a first round pick, signals that he is their center of the future, and that they are moving on from Drummond in the off-season no matter what, so it could be worth it to test the market for Drummond.

“Their start can be primarily attributed to the young backcourt duo of Colin Sexton and Darius Garland.” with the acquisition of Jarrett Allen from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade.

However, with the acquisition of Allen, it has raised further questions about the shape of the roster, especially in the front court.

Rumors have circulated that the Nets are now interested in Kevin Love or Javale McGee in order to fill the hole in the frontcourt that Allen left. The most interesting question for the Cavs’ season is Andre Drummond. Drummond has played fantastically this season averaging 18.9 points and 14.7 rebounds; however he is an expiring contract, and if the Cavaliers decide a postseason opportunity is not worth it, or if they fall out of the Playoff race entirely, then Drum-

Unless the value given for Drummond is high (unlikely given his steep contract) it would be unwise to trade Drummond for scraps just to get something out of him as having a veteran like Drummond could be beneficial for Allen’s development this year and give the Cavs a push to possibly put up a fight in the Playoffs. This reality would be better for the culture of the Cavs, rather than attempt to tank for draft picks, as the Cavs, even without Drummond are probably too good to finish worse than a low pick in the lottery. A self-sabotaging team would most likely only move up a couple picks and, as seen by teams like the Knicks, intentionally tanking can set a team back a decade and destroy the morale of a team. Regardless

courtesy @TheNotoriousMMA Twitter On Jan. 23, 2020, two of the most elite UFC fighters went head to head in the steel cage octagon: Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. A lot of build and hype went into the promotion of this fight because it signified a rematch between the two. The first time these two met in the cage was in 2014 in a featherweight showdown, where McGregor ended up knocking Poirier out for the win.

That in mind, all eyes fell on Poirier as a jilted contender looking for revenge.

Watching the fight, McGregor came out with his characteristic blazing speed and ruthless power. Poirier was just taking shots left and right, but hanging in there somehow. Poirier’s game plan appeared to involve simply getting multiple leg kicks in and going after McGregor’s calves. After the fight, McGregor explained how effective the leg kicks were because he was never

able to move the way he wanted to. When Poirier saw that, he went on the offensive and ended up knocking McGregor out in the second round. Poirier’s composure during the fight also became a key aspect for him to win. He seemed confident in the ring and never got flustered, even after all the shots he was taking. “I’m happy, but I’m not surprised,” Poirier said after his win, “I put in the work. Conor took this result very professionally over here. He’s a pro, man. Nothing but respect. We’re 1-1; maybe we have to do it again. I’m just happy in the place I am.”

It was a great win for Poirier because Conor McGregor is no joker (they call him Notorious for a reason) and is one of the best fighters in the game. Much of the world may feel shocked at how the fight resulted.

With this loss, McGregor now sits at 1-2 in his lightweight match up fights. Yes, UFC fighting is not a skill that just goes away, but McGregor has only fought twice since 2018.

Not that that works as an excuse, but such an absence certainly proposes its challenges. A lot of training occurs before a fight, but not having real fights under your belt has to be different. McGregor has promised to be more active when it comes to fighting, and he appears as if he needs to get that bad taste of a loss out of his mouth.

Interestingly enough, after the fight, Jake Paul spoke out in mockery of McGregor, wanting his own chance to fight him. This could honestly be his next fight if he chooses to do it. Conor McGregor is one the greatest UFC fighters we have seen in this generation. His next fight he will come out with a vengeance and show no mercy, so to the fans of UFC and the people who love to watch it for just entertainment — stay tuned.

The Collegian’s top NBA teams of the week

Prepared once more to start a fight at the dinner table, basketball analyst Zach Short is here again with his top teams. Spoiler alert: the LeBron disciples might have a complaint to register.

courtesy @utahjazz Twitter 5. Milwaukee Bucks Dropping two places from their spot last week, this has less to do with the Bucks looking any worse and more to do with other teams looking scary good. However, they still looked formidable in each of their games notwithstanding, and, barring any unfortunate injuries or bad funks that may

come their way, seem poised to move up this list before the drop out of it. The only potential issue for Milwaukee lies in their weak depth, but if D.J. Augustin can play to his full capacity and Bobby Portis can maximize his effectiveness off the bench (his rebounding has raised some eyebrows), then this team will tear a war path to a championship.

rest of their team needs to refine with some serious off-ball and defensive play if they want to make it back to the Finals. After all, Davis is fantastic, but on a night that he sits, should any team with LeBron lose to the Pistons? Until the rest of the Lakers’ squad starts playing at a professional level, this team will have to sit at the middle of these rankings — or maybe even drop.

4. Los Angeles Clippers The only thing keeping the Clippers above the Bucks is the fact that they play in the West. This week should have been relatively easy for a team vying to secure the top slot in their conference, but they played a little too close in wins against the rebuilding Thunder and the disappointing Heat, and they dropped their game against the Hawks. Sorry to spoil some of the coming picks (again), but no team dropped out of the list from last week to this week; however, the Clippers seem the favorite to get replaced. They look great, but other teams have started to look a little better.

2. Philadelphia 76ers No team seems to continually impress quite like Philly. I seriously had to consider placing them at the top of this list, and the only reason I did not is they lost to the Pistons too, themselves without Joel Embiid due to back tightness from the hard foul he received from LeBron. Perhaps the Pistons merely have found themselves ideally positioned to exploit defenses missing their usual post presence (after all, Blake Griffin is no slouch), but I still feel like a truly elite team just does not lose to this year’s Detroit team. Ever. It would have to take more than one absence to convince me that they could not beat a team scraping the bottom of the East.

3. Los Angeles Lakers In what easily seems the most controversial pick, the Lakers have dropped two slots. LeBron and Anthony Davis still look great, but they cannot win everything by themselves. The spotty production from the

1. Utah Jazz While certainly hinted at last week, the Utah Jazz have successfully locked their place as the best team in basketball right

now. Honestly, even if they drop a winnable game or two here in the coming weeks, they can probably hold onto this spot if they look good enough doing it. If the postseason started today, not one team in the league could win four out of seven against the ravenous and unstoppable scoring power of Donovan Mitchell and the humiliating shutdown defense of Rudy Gobert. Did I mention that every other person on this team is playing their best too?

Hot Seat: Denver Nuggets These guys are a few big wins away from making a serious run for the West.

Nikola Jokic, save for Joel Embiid, is playing the best post game in the league right now, ousting Anthony Davis from a spot he typically reserves. If they beat the Lakers this coming week, look for them to pop into the list and boot out either the Bucks or the Clippers. If the Lakers choke against the Nuggets and against the Pistons in their upcoming rematch, then definitely see them sitting on the outside looking in. Of course, I speculate, but I would never take such a heretical position if I thought it could never become true. After all, stranger things have happened.

Feb. 1 - Feb. 7 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 2

1

Thursday 4

3 W Basketball Houston 12 p.m.

W Golf @ SMU All day

W Golf @ SMU All day

M Tennis @ Arkansas 4 p.m.

M Basketball SMU 8 p.m.

Friday

Saturday 5

Track & Field Wichita St. Invitational All day none M Tennis Washington 3 p.m

Sunday

6 AAC Championship @ Wichita TBA M Tennis Texas Tech 11:30 a.m.

M Soccer @ UCF 5 p.m.

M Basketball UCF 5 p.m.

7

W Tennis Memphis TBA

News

The Collegian: 4

1 February 2021

Black Oklahomans demand accountability from Sen. Lankford

Following Lankford’s challenge of the presidential election, many called for his removal from the Centennial Commission.

Piper Prolago News Editor Oklahoma Senator James Lankford’s role in propelling riots by pro-Trump extremists has prompted many Oklahomans, particularly Black Oklahomans, to challenge his position on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission, an organization that oversees activities related to the commemoration of this tragic event in Tulsa history. The Commission ultimately decided to allow Lankford to remain a member of their body, but many continue to call for his resignation.

Lankford was speaking on the Senate floor when a pro-Trump mob forced their way into the chamber. As this happened, Lankford was in the middle of challenging the certification of the Presidential election in Arizona, seeking to delegitimize the victory of President Biden. Courts had already thrown out allegations of fraud and irregularities and all 50 states’ election boards confirmed the election; despite this, Lankford and several other Republican senators challenged the confirmation of the election by claiming a need for “more election information.”

Following the incidents at the Capitol, Lankford and other initial challengers dropped objections against the results of the election. Lankford released a statement urging the “need [for] the entire Congress to come together and vote to certify the election results.” A few representatives including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Missouri

Senator Josh Hawley maintained their opposition after Jan. 6.

Despite changing his position on the validity of the election, many Black Oklahomans voiced outrage at Lankford’s support of false claims of fraud actively disempowered Black voters. Challenges to election results would amount to the invalidation of votes from predominantly Black and Democratic areas. State Representative Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa commented, “This is a great example of Black people voting in record numbers, with a coalition of people who look different, who are being told, ‘No, their votes didn’t count.’”

With this in mind, the Tulsa community and Centennial Commission members called for his resignation or removal from the Committee. Black Wall Street Times first reported demands for resignation: Editor-in-Chief Nehemiah Frank wrote, “Restorative justice is not possible if we choose to placate white elected officials who only portray themselves as allies when they feel it is politically expedient.” Tulsa activist Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, who served as a senior advisor in Greg Robinson’s campaign for Tulsa mayor, made a Facebook post demanding that “Sen. James Lankford resign from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission NOW!” Robinson posted, “If he doesn’t (resign), then he should be removed.”

In a letter addressed to “My Friends in North Tulsa,” Lankford apologized for the implications of his opposition to the election; he claimed to not realize his challenges in battleground states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan “cast doubt on the validity of votes coming out of predominantly Black communities like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Detroit.”

Some viewed this letter as a feeble attempt at apology. Lankford wrote, “I should have recognized how what I said and what I did could be interpreted by many of you,” seeming to apologize not for his actions, but for how these actions were interpreted. With this, a Black Oklahoma state official who remained anonymous told CNN reporter Abby Phillips that Lankford “did NOT apologize for questioning the Electoral College vote.

He expressed regret that (many) Black Tulsans were offended by his actions.”

Despite controversy regarding this apology letter, the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Commission decided to allow Lankford to remain a part of their body. Meetings leading up to this decision involved more than 40 people on the Commission; although the decision to retain Lankford was not unanimous, a letter issued by the Commission concluded that “Senator Lankford, despite .

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James Lankford was elected in 2014 after serving in the House for two sessions.

clear differences (some of them profound), stands on common ground with us in terms of the importance of reconciliation as well as educating all United States citizens about Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District, the storied ‘Black Wall Street,’ including the massacre and its impact on Oklahoma and the nation.”

Many of those initially calling for Lankford’s removal were dismayed by this decision and continue to call for his resignation.

While the Commission decided to “extend an olive branch” to Lankford, this controversy raises questions about the responsibility and accountability that cannot be answered with the resolution of this issue alone. Rather, Lankford’s position on the 2020 election has led to mistrust that he must reconcile in order to be able to effectively contribute to the Commission and to represent all of his constituents’ interests.

HanacopySaad editor

Bryant Loney

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Biden’s executive orders address discriminatory systems

President Biden combats inequalities in the previous administration’s response to COVID-19 and the climate crisis.

Joseph Breedlove Student Writer

President Joe Biden Jr. was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2021. In his first day in office, Biden immediately began issuing executive orders that demonstrated his commitment to shifting policy away from Donald Trump’s administration. Despite the

mate agreement and to reinstate more than 100 regulations which former President Trump limited or eliminated during his administration. The U.S. now joins more than 200 nations in the Paris climate agreement to reduce carbon emissions and to limit the consequences of global warming. President Biden also rescinded the permit that would allow construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would have transported carbon-heavy oil to the Gulf Coast, cutting through the Great Sioux Reservation. Biden has announced an ambitious plan to reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emissions entirely by 2050.

“ ... President Biden has set a new precedent in accountability ...” controversy surrounding President Biden’s victory over incumbent Trump, particularly the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a pro-Trump mob, Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20 went smoothly and ushered in a new era of American administration. At the time of writing, President Biden has already issued 42 executive orders in his first few weeks in office.

The first executive order that President Biden signed in office was entitled “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” In this, President Biden addressed the fact that systemic inequalities in healthcare and economics, particularly, have inhibited many marginalized communities from accessing opportunities. The order mandates that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget partners with the head of federal agencies to assess these barriers. In six months, this will culminate in a report to President Biden suggesting ways to eliminate barriers facing marginalized groups.

Prioritizing the climate crisis in his first days in office, one of the executive orders that Biden signed was to rejoin theParis cli-

Biden also introduced an executive order centered on combating the spread of COVID-19 by providing a unified response to the pandemic and instated a requirement to wear a mask and social distance on federal property. For this, President Biden created the position of Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response and Counselor to the president, who will oversee efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, addressing racial and ethnic disparities, and coordinate distribution of the vaccine.

Among Biden’s priorities is banning discrimination on sexual orientation and gender identy. In the past few years, there has been notable progress for the LGBT+ community’s fight for equal rights., Last year’s Bostock vs. Clayton County Georgia is a landmark decision that protects employees from discrimination due to their gender or sexuality, for example, though such protections were not consistently enforced under the Trump administration. Biden’s “Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation” includes protections for transgender children at school, as well as an acknowledgement that transgen-

der Black people face unique discrimination at the workplace. This executive order does not put new laws into place, but signals that Biden’s administration is prepared to defend protective laws already on the books from decades past. An additional executive order on “Enabling All Qualified Americans To Serve Their Country in Uniform” allows transgender individuals to serve in the military.

Expanding his interest in responsivity to discrimination, President Biden signed the “Executive Order on Reforming Our Incarceration System To Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities.” Acknowledging the disproportionate number of people of color in the carceral system, President Biden announced this initiative to move away from the Federal Government’s use of for-profit privately owned and operated criminal detention facilities.

With this, President Biden addresses the underperformance of these facilities in the goal of prioritizing rehabilitation of inhabitants, seeking to ensure the safe and human treatment of those in the criminal justice system by moving away from under-regulated prisons.

In terms of financial decisions, Biden has put pressure on Congress to forgive $10,000 of student loan debt per person as an extension of COVID-19. It is estimated that this would wipe out student loan debt for 67 percent of student loan borrowers. Concurrently, he has pulled funds from building the border wall. Additionally, Biden has mandated an ethics pledge for government appointees, barring them from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

As the U.S. transitions out of former President Trump’s administration, President Biden has centered his attention in his first days in office on addressing inequalities, whether they be on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

By retracting many decisions made by the previous president, President Biden has set a new precedent in accountability in areas from the climate crisis to the carceral system. In the coming months and years, this new administration will be tasked with finding ways to uphold the initiatives that President Biden has introduced through executive orders.

courtesy ABC News Joe Biden was inaugurated as President on January 20, 2021 alongside his wife, Dr. Jill Biden.

Commentary

1 February 2021

The Collegian: 5

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

Justin Klopfer Commentary Editor

SB 223, 224 and 225: This collection of bills was authored by Nathan Dahm, who is ranked as the most conservative Senator in Oklahoma. The bills would prevent mandatory vaccinations and mask mandates, as well as make contact tracing purely voluntary. These bills were also written with a declaration of emergency for the “preservation of the public … health,” meaning they would take effect immediately upon passing.

Bill 223, concerning mandatory vaccinations, covers all vaccines, not just COVID -19 vaccines. It also includes schools in its list of entities unable to mandate vaccinations. Students and teachers returning in the fall could come back without having been vaccinated.

This is on top of Oklahoma being one of only 15 states in the country that allows for parents to bypass vaccine requirements for their children for “personal reasons.”

The bills are being considered as Oklahoma is still in the thick of its COVID-19 outbreak.

Daily new cases haven’t seen significant decline and are still well above where they sat for most of 2020. To think that now is the time to loosen our prevention methods is an affront to our public health. The bills will worsen the emergency that is actually being declared within the bills.

Luckily, these bills seem unlikely to pass. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has espoused mask-skeptical talking points, but these bills seem too far for even him to sign. However, both the Senator and the Governor seem to have the same general solution for COVID-19: personal responsibility. Everyone just does what they think is best, and eventually it will go away. Neither seem willing to take any real legislative action to stop this deadly virus.

SB 495: This bill attempts to make abortion illegal in almost all cases throughout the state of Oklahoma. Any pregnancy termination completed after fertilization would be legally considered a homicide, with exceptions only for coerced abortions and pregnancies that threaten the life of the mother.

Abortion restrictions like these are nothing new, of course, though this one is more extreme than most. It should go without saying that a woman ought to have control over her body, and that politicians concerned with the “sanctity of life” ought to be more concerned with the external factors that cause abortion, such as lack of contraception and reproductive education. However, the circumstances surrounding the authoring of this bill tell an unnerving tale about the near future of Oklahoma politics.

The bill’s author, Warren Hamilton, is a newly-elected far-right reactionary. In his press release on the bill, he calls abortion the “American holocaust.” Hamilton seems to acknowledge that similar bills — such as Alabama’s — have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but still puts a stipulation in his bill to nullify any such rulings or future laws.

Hamilton’s campaign was also heavily supported by a cult-like right-wing group eerily named The Ekklesia of Oklahoma. Many of the members live together in a large house in Guthrie, OK. The group called for the resignation of both of Oklahoma’s Senators for failing to stand behind Trump. On a more local level, Ekklesia of Oklahoma actively supports ultra-right Oklahoma primary challengers like Hamilton, who narrowly won against a slightly less pro-life Republican. What’s scary is that these candidates, and others around the country, are winning.

The ideological slop that has been fed to the average Republican over the last five or so years is beginning to have its natural consequences. Moderate Republicans, derided as Republicans-In-Name-Only, are just as evil as Democrats, and must be replaced with warriors of truth and justice like Warren Hamilton. Some pity the so-called moderate Republicans for this regrettable shift, but it’s important to remember they encouraged the reactionary foment for as long as it benefited them.

Epic Charter Schools must Partisan election challenges put students’ needs first present threat to democracy

Misallocated funds put into question the motivations of the education company.

Logan Guthrie Student Writer Epic Charter Schools is swimming in high water right now, as the state’s auditor has found more violations of Oklahoma’s policies on payroll cost in addition to the original discoveries of the original audit.

The original lawsuit is delayed and the previous deadline for Epic to pay back $11.2 million is postponed to a month from its original deadline 60 days after the year-long audit.

Epic is an online charter school for PreK through 12th grade. It markets itself as a free online school with individual instruction and support from a certified teacher in the state of Oklahoma. This of course, is not a traditional style of education, and many families are moving towards a more online form of learning for their children that is more at their own pace. Epic, along with other partners of the Oklahoma State Board of Virtual Education, is a part of this larger trend in education.

As far back as 2019, reports of illegal activity within Epic were circulating. Multiple warrants were filed against the online institution, seemingly indicating a belief by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation that the purpose of Epic Charter Schools is to profit from the state’s tax dollars. It appears Ben Harris and David Chaney kept $10 million through the recruitment of homeschool and private school students who continued their education outside of Epic Charter Schools through their traditional institution or at home in traditional homeschooling methods.

These students are referred to as “ghost students,” and recruitment techniques such as this are an illegal way of falsely boosting student population numbers to receive the funding public schools receive per-student attending. Allegations surrounding this claim include students receiving little education from teachers through Epic’s system (again, it is set up as an at your own pace system), bonuses for any teacher that can keep ghost students enrolled in the online

school and the questionable legality of the $1000 Learning Fund that Epic gives the families who enroll for their students.

Are the intentions of the administration of Epic Charter Schools truly as devious as things are made out to be? Some parents disagree, saying that the founders are well-intentioned and not in it for the money. These families believe that the media are trying to make Epic out to be more suspicious than they are in reality, that news sources are creating a twisted narrative around the educators.

The simple truth I believe is this: Epic Charter Schools are not indeed, at the core, placing the best interest of their students and their families first, but rather are trying to take millions from the government that is designated to public education. Oklahoma public schools are already suffering enough without funding without being robbed of what is already there to begin with. There would be no issue with Epic Charter Schools, frankly, if it weren’t for the illegal work arounds that they instigated, namely their alleged ghost student system.

If Epic Charter Schools is recruiting students from private schools that are not attending online in placement of a private education, then this is a huge problem. Not only does the state not receive the money that families give to private academic institutions, but also in this case the state is losing money to Epic that could have benefited the education of students that cannot afford a private education or the technology to attend an online platform. This isn’t even including homeschooled students who do not use the Epic Charter School system but are enrolled. Even worse, students’ families are enticed to join by an incentive of upwards of a thousand dollars, and teachers are paid bonuses for keeping students that don’t even attend enrolled.

All this being said, online schooling is not the problem. Technology is in fact a great tool for education when utilized properly. The issue is that Epic Charter Schools is using their tools in a destructive manner for many students. More and more evidence is being brought against them, and they already owe $11.2 million to the state, so it would be better to correct their course of action now if they are truly interested in the education of young minds.

Trump’s challenge sets a dangerous precedent for all future elections.

Sarah Berno Student Writer Throughout history, American voters have watched their candidate win, lose or decide to run again but very rarely, if ever, have we seen an entire voter base disregard their candidate’s loss and claim victory. The 2020 election made history in many aspects, but most notably, in the fact that Donald Trump refused to concede and convinced his supporters that they had been wronged.

In grade school, we learn about our country’s power as a democracy, with the crown jewel of that being free and fair elections.

Yet, our country just witnessed a most blatant attempt to steal a presidential election.

Starting in 2021, elections in the United States are no longer simple. The innate trust that American voters had in our electoral system is fundamentally broken.

you know, um, that you’ve recalculated.”

This leaked conversation caused an uproar among those fearful of Trump’s intentions.

In this instance, Raffensperger knew that, despite his previous declared support of Trump, he was entrusted with upholding the sanctity of the election. However, this revealed that if a party can elect corrupt election officials, they can alter results to favor their party.

Similarly, whatever party has the House or Senate majority can abuse that power to overturn results. We saw this with the 147 Republicans that voted not to certify electoral votes. They did so claiming they were protecting our democracy when, in reality, they were the ones fighting against it. However, the events that took place outside the Capitol before the vote show that Americans no longer have faith in the process.

Our country is in a dangerous position.

Both major parties witnessed that the electoral process that should be simple and trusted, can be easily manipulated. Republicans or adamant Trump supporters experienced what they believe was a stolen elec-

“[Trump] found and exposed the weak points in our electoral system.”

Trump did more than instill his followers with the belief that he rightfully won the election. He opened the door for future corruption. He found and exposed the weak points in our electoral system. His attempt was without success, but it set an example of how to bully, manipulate and take advantage of the complicated system’s smaller parts.

On Jan. 2, 2021, Trump called the Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger to discuss his loss of Georgia. He told him, “there’s nothing wrong with saying that,

tion. From their perspective, the damage has been done, and those in power have overturned the will of the people. Democrats and Biden supporters watched as a sitting president attempted to sow doubt in the validity of the election results, and he did so easily.

No matter your party affiliation, it is clear that to most Americans that future elections could be challenged and possibly overturned. Especially if those in power, whether they be federal or state politicians, are willing to put their own party’s interests ahead of those of the American voters’.

Students attending Epic Charter Schools

91,839

33,712

2019

45,130

2020

2021

Graphic by Emma Palmer As enrollment skyrockets, Epic is given greater amounts of funding.

Universally accepted elections are a requirement for democracy.

Courtesy Pixabay

The Collegian: 6

Variety

1 February 2021

RIP SOPHIE, a pop star for the new millennium

A pioneer in pop production, a legend in the underground scene and a trans icon, SOPHIE will be fondly remembered.

Emily Every Editor-in-Chief Artists like SOPHIE don’t happen often.

She was one of those musicians that never missed — every single she released was magic, and her having a production line on a track meant that it would be the highlight of the album. There was no one who could do it like she did it, which is why her sudden death from an accidental fall moon gazing in Athens, Greece, early morning last Saturday, Jan. 30, hit so hard. She was 34 years old.

Though she was arguably most known for her work producing for Charli XCX, Vince Staples, Kim Petras, Madonna and Nicki Minaj, she worked widely, and some of her best tracks are with lesser known artists (take Quay Dash’s “Queen of This Shit” as an example). She was particularly active in the hyperpop community, of which she herself was a pioneer.

Her self-produced 2015 singles set the tone for current artists like 100 Gecs, Rico Nasty, Slayyyter, Bladee, Dorian Electra and, well, the list goes on. It’s hard to overstate her relevance in the so prevalent metallic hyperkinetic sounds in pop music these days. Just listening to “BIPP” or “LEMONADE” from her early- to mid-2010s work lets you know that she basically invented the sounds of today more than half a decade ago.

“Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides” (also read as “I love every person’s insides”) was

her debut album and her only solo album, released in June 2018. At times it is sprawling, lush, vulnerable; at times it is sparse, harsh, industrial. The album is complex, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent. Tracks like “Immaterial,” “Ponyboy” and “Faceshopping” are worth it even if the rest isn’t your thing. And, if you don’t click with it on a first listen, try it one more time. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love “Ponyboy” the second time around.

Besides being a stellar and totally singular piece of art, “Oil of …” was when SOPHIE stopped working as an anonymous producer and introduced herself to the world, along with coming out as a trans woman in the “It’s Okay to Cry” music video. It’s peak SOPHIE, between the strange cheekbone prosthetics, the fabricated beauty of the sky and the creshedo of an ending. It’s the story of a woman accepting herself, and that sticks with you, you know? The video was emotional at its release the way any joyful coming out is, and now, given her recent passing, “It’s Okay to Cry” is given a whole different context — permission to mourn given to fans from the artist herself.

There’s more I could say about SOPHIE. She was nominated for a Grammy. She worked as a model for several different designers. Her live shows were known for being bizarre. She changed the sound of pop music forever. The rest of the music scene will be trying to catch up with her for years to come. She touched the lives of many, many people.

Her death was too soon. She had more music left to make, more life to live, more of everything. The sad thing about death is that there’s not much to say about it. I’m sorry that she’s gone, but I’m thankful we ever even had her. It’s okay to cry.

Courtesy @sophiemsmsmsm Twitter

Many artists paid tribute to SOPHIE over the weekend.

SOPHIE has been nominated for numerous awards for her work, including a Grammy for Best Electronic Album.

Courtesy @sophiemsmsmsm Twitter

“OK Human” evokes raw emotions with stunning orchestrations Weezer’s new studio album “OK Human” is one fit for the pandemic, awakening complex feelings derived from isolation and alienation.

Madison Walters Student Writer Weezer recently released their 14th studio album, “OK Human.” Recorded during this past summer, “OK Human,” as per Weezer’s Twitter, “is about feeling isolated, alienated and secluded — the perfect soundtrack for today.” Differing from anything Weezer has ever done before, the band enlisted the help of a 38 piece orchestra to make the record, resulting in a truly beautiful album.

The album opens with “All My Favorite Songs,” which served as the first single from the record. The song begins with what can only be described as “analog music,” which doesn’t last for long as the orchestra comes in slowly, building and building. Despite the almost emo lyrics of the song, “All my favorite songs are slow and sad. All my favorite people make me mad,” the orchestra’s music adds an upbeat tempo and melody, creating the perfect juxtaposition between the “happy” music and sad lyrics.

sprinkled throughout the song as Cuomo sings about listening to Audible books.

More specifically, the song is about falling asleep and being transported into the world of different classic novels; throughout, he passionately references “Moby Dick,” “Mrs. Dalloway,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” “1984,” “Peter Pan,” “Catch-22” and “The Lord of the Rings.” This track feels like a love song to books, and any who have ever sought escape through literature will be able to relate to it.

Next up, we have “Numbers,” dripping with raw emotion. “Numbers” is easily the prettiest song on the album as Cuomo’s lyrics and the orchestra’s music perfectly balance to make this sentimental song about feeling inadequate. The chorus culminates as Cuomo lovingly sings, “So call on me and tell me what you need.”

Directly following is “Playing My Piano,” with its curious, yet jaunty, piano melody. The second verse brings a shift in the music as it sounds as if the orchestrations could be the score for a superhero movie.

Despite the beauty of the song, the lyrics do not fit with the orchestrations as Cuomo sings about eluding Zoom meetings by playing his piano.

sounds more out of touch than sincere; however, the beautiful orchestrations make the song worthwhile.

Another favorite of mine, “Bird With a Broken Wing,” follows next as it tells a story from the point of view of a bird with a broken wing. The imagery this song creates is exquisite, especially during the chorus as Cuomo sings, “I’m just a bird with a broken wing and this beautiful song to sing. Don’t feel sad for me.” Surprisingly, optimism flows throughout this bittersweet song.

“Dead Roses” follows with a beautiful brass and alto opening. In this song, the orchestra steals the show with an almost medieval melody, offering a darker sound to this upbeat album. “Everything Happens for a Reason” follows next as an analog music transition between the previous song and the next song, “Here Comes the Rain.”

The infectious piano melody of “Here Comes the Rain” is sure to be an earworm for anyone who listens to this buoyant, yet self-deprecatory song. In this song, Cuomo sings about being “another punk that bit the dust.” Cuomo also showcases his sensational vocal range throughout this song, proving that he isn’t really a punk that bit the dust.

The album closer, “La Brea Tar Pits,” tells the story about being trapped in a rut and not being able to break out of the same, boring behavior that has ruined the spoils of life. The orchestra brings the album to a close with a 30-second instrumental full of curiosity, effervescence and, finally, a callback to the melody of the song.

Despite the repetition of the orchestra, its contributions to the album are immense, diffusing many of the tense lyrics with a vivacity worthy of a movie soundtrack. “OK Human” is an enjoyable album that is sure to delight new and old fans of Weezer.

“... the perfect juxtaposition between the ‘happy’ music and sad lyrics.”

“Aloo Gobi” follows next with its oddly specific lyrics and hopeful tone. What I mean by “oddly specific” is Cuomo’s strange, yet relatable lyrics, such as, “They said that life gets sweet as years go by, but mine has lost its flavor like this chai.” The song also seems to reflect current times, as it makes references to avoiding crowded movie theaters.

The outro of “Aloo Gobi” directly rolls into “The Grapes of Wrath,” the third song on the album. “The Grapes of Wrath,” one of my favorites, has literary references

“Mirror Image,” timing at just over a minute long, follows next. For me, this song is almost forgettable until the music stops and Cuomo keeps singing, “Heaven can’t help this man. Heaven can’t save this man.”

Brutally honest, “Mirror Image” ends on an emotional note about feeling unworthy of being saved.

“Screens” starts off with a familiar beginning, riffing off of the iconic intro to “Pretty Woman.” However, the music quickly changes to lyrics despairing about the excessive use of technology in today’s world.

Though somewhat relatable, “Screens”

With 12 tracks, “OK Human” has a listen time of just over half an hour.

Courtesy @weezer Instagram

Variety

1 February 2021

The Collegian: 7

Godzilla and King Kong vs. the public

Racking up 19 million views in just one day, the trailer for “Godzilla vs.

Kong” promises a fight the movie theater industry is sure to lose.

Joseph Boehm Student Writer It’s officially 2021, and if 2020’s global pandemic didn’t cause enough chaos, destruction and desolation, HBO’s release of “Godzilla vs. Kong” certainly will. We’ve been subjected to brawls between Nate Robinson and Jake Paul, McGreggor and Cormier and the battle of the old men, Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson. Arguably, quarantine has given us an appetite for watching two warriors beat the hell out of each other for our own personal enjoyment.

But what could possibly be bigger than these noteworthy boxing matches? HBO believes the two most iconic monsters in

movie history fit the bill, forcing them headto-head in this most recent installment of the monster movie genre. The trailer, dropping on Jan. 24, racked up a massive 19 million views on the first day, proving there is clearly an audience ready to indulge in the CGI orgy teased in the trailer. In fact, the last three installments of these monsterverse films have proven the audiences loyalty. Although they are not usually the most critically acclaimed films, “Godzilla,” “Kong: Skull Island” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” all grossed $529 million, $566 million and $386 million, respectively.

Imagine the numbers a collaboration between these two could produce.

HBO has set the release date on their streaming service and in theaters for March 26, 2021, and anticipation is already building online. Twitter has exploded with ideas and theories about the outcome as the trailer promises, “ONE WILL FALL.” Obviously, we all are entitled to our own speculation, whether in favor of our favorite monster or

trying to consider which monster is most financially valuable to the studio for years to come. Personally, the outcome is not particularly important to me, but the numbers Kong put up in one film compared to that of Godzilla in two suggest the odds may be in the favor of the giant gorilla, not to mention the trailer depicts Kong as the more sympathetic of the two.

Regardless, HBO can expect to continue their hot streak of big numbers. From the release of “Wonder Woman: 1984” to the upcoming release of Denzel Washington’s new serial killer film, “The Little Things” and the eventual release of the highly anticipated correction to the disaster that was “The Justice League,” “The Snyder Cut,” HBO is on a hot streak; there is no way around it. This monster film promises big numbers for them and ultimately may lead to streaming dominance.

In fact, the only thing that may cause more destruction to a city than a massive monster battle between Godzilla and Kong

is the streaming service’s destructive impact to the movie theater industry. How can a potentially compromised gathering spot like a movie theater compete with a major streaming site like HBO, when most of their revenue comes from concessions and higher ticketing costs? Why would the consumer put themselves at risk to attend a theater and pay over priced concessions when they could benefit from an entire month of HBO Max for the price of one night at the theater?

But I digress.

Overall, this CGI monster fest promises to do big things both for the streaming site and for the future of the monster genre. One will fall; one will stand victorious. Unfortunately, the biggest fall will ultimately be the destruction of a beloved member of the entertainment industry which has been brutalized by the COVID-19 pandemic and the “innovations” that arouse the greed of streaming platforms. But in terms of our topical characters, Godzilla and Kong, only one shall survive.

Netflix unveils “Shadow and Bone” first looks Just a few months shy of the show’s release date, Netflix and Leigh Bardugo unveiled beautiful character posters and set images.

Myranda New Variety Editor Jan. 27 was already an exciting morning for variety news as Halsey revealed her pregnancy on social media and sneak peeks to the next “Wandavision” episode were aired. At the exact same time, Leigh Bardguo, author of popular young adult fantasy series “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows,” as well as the talented actors taking part in the television show posted pictures of the new character posters and first-look images from the set.

wrong does, but there seems to be nothing that Kaz can’t scheme his way out of.

Now that we’re all caught up, let’s go back to the promotional poster. For the first time since the reveal that the show was going to be created, fans were finally able to lay eyes upon the six main characters. Alina Starkov, Malyen “Mal” Oretsev and The Darkling of “Shadow and Bone” as well as Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa and Jesper Fahey of “Six of Crows” were cast with actors that seemed absolutely perfect for the roles. So many fans have commented across platforms that Freddy Carter was exactly how they envisioned Kaz Brekker in their minds or that Ben Barnes as The Darkling was the best casting for the actor yet. What I appreciate is that the actors aren’t absolutely wildly popular, actors that seem to be cast in everything Hollywood creates nowadays

“... beautiful and intriguing, a magical tale mixed with darkness ...”

If you haven’t heard, Netflix first announced that it would begin adapting these two incredibly popular series into a television show back in January 2019, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and fans have been actively anticipating it ever since. Casting began April 2019, and in October 2019, a promotional picture of the cast was posted, sending fans into a frenzy.

It was the first time we were able to see our Alina Starkov, our Kaz Brekker and our Darkling.

Before we discuss what we know about the show and what we have seen so far, let’s begin by discussing the plot, for those who may not know. In 2012, Bardugo released the first book of her “Shadow and Bone” series, a story where, as summarized by Goodreads, soldier and orphan Alina Starkov discovers a power she holds which may save her country from looming enemies.

Ravka, Alina’s home, is a nation clutched in the hands of war, with the first army and second army defending it, the first army consisting of non-Grisha soldiers and the second army made up of Grisha soldiers.

The Grisha are those with very special powers, which will hopefully be enough to win against the darkness overwhelming the kingdom.

In 2015, Bardugo opened another story within this magical world with the “Six of Crows” duology. Taking place after the events of “Shadow and Bone,” “Six of Crows” follows the Dregs, a gang in Ketterdam, Kerch, a nation south of Ravka.

Led by infamous criminal Kaz Brekker, he puts together a team to pull off the biggest scheme yet: stealing from the Ice Cout. It seems like everything that could possibly go

(you know the type). Besides our main six, we also have actors for beloved characters Nina Zenik and Matthias Helvar, as well as Genya Safin and Zoya Nazyalensky.

With this one picture, six actors standing on a staircase, so many theories and so much excitement for the show came from fans as they anxiously awaited the next piece of news. At the end of 2019, filming started and wrapped up just shy of lockdown beginning in 2020. Though the majority of filming was done, much post-production was delayed because of COVID-19, but that didn’t stop the show from carrying on.

In October 2020, Bardugo and screenwriter Eric Heisserer virtually attended a Comic Con panel where they shared a piece from the show’s score while sharing many details and, in December 2020, Netflix uploaded the teaser trailer on YouTube.

This teaser trailer is quite a teaser, only a few seconds long and showing a beautiful, majestic stag in the woods with a crow flying around overhead. It is a teaser that evokes much mystery and beauty, leaving fans only wanting more, wondering what could be coming with this show as the calendar flipped to 2021.

Well, Bardugo has started off 2021 strong, her and her actors posting their character posters online. The character posters follow the trend with the six main characters, and they are absolutely stunning! The details in the costume design are exquisite, from the pattern stitched on Kaz’s gloves to the clasps of The Darkling’s coat and the knives that Inej carries. The shirts are stunningly patterned, not simply one color, but a mixture of shades that compliment the atmosphere of the show exquisitely. The characters could’ve adorned plain white shirts or

“Shadow and Bone” will introduce a “Six of Crows” prequel storyline.

Courtesy David Appleby/Netflix

black shirts beneath their detailed jackets, but the shirts are just as thorough in their textures and prints as the accessories.

If you kept looking, though, not only were character posters revealed, but also first-look images from the sets of a variety of episodes. For the “Shadow and Bone” characters, we see an exciting head-on shot of Alina, clearly from the pilot episode, as well as a sweet picture of her embracing her friend Mal. We even get a still that seems to be Mal in battle and another of The Darkling watching something — or someone — in a dark room. For “Six of Crows,” we have an incredible shot of the original gang together, Kaz, Inej and Jesper standing side by side, besides a separate picture of Inej clutching one of her knives, seated as she watches something closely. Finally, we have a still of Nina and Matthias in the snow, which we can only assume is from the end of the season as Matthias is only rumored to appear by the end. Much can be theorized from these seven photos, and they prove just how stunning this show is going to be when it airs.

So what do we technically know about this show outside of promotions? Well, Netflix will be airing it on April 23, and it will have a total of eight episodes, whose titles can already be read on the Wikipedia page.

The entire show was filmed in Budapest, Hungary, which leads fans to think that all eight episodes will be featured in Ravka,

saving Ketterdam for hopefully a second season down the road.

There is also a little bit known about the plot, which is awfully exciting. As we stated earlier, the events of “Six of Crows” takes place long after “Shadow and Bone,” so Bardugo and the writers took it upon themselves to craft fans an entirely new story.

To have the characters intertwine with one another, they have announced that it will be very different from the books, but in the best way. As Bardugo has said herself, it will be like “a high budget fanfiction.” To incorporate the crows, the writers took the stories of “Shadow and Bone” with the characters of “Six of Crows” to create a prequel story for the crows to live through. While I’m sure some fans were disappointed that the events of the books wouldn’t be taking place on screen, I am actually quite excited to see our crows take on a new heist. Since the duology was only focused on one main plot, it will be interesting and cool to see how these characters interact with a different goal in mind.

With so much unveiled regarding visuals, we can be sure that “Shadow and Bone” will be beautiful and intriguing, a magical tale mixed with darkness and schemes that no one will want to miss out on once it hits Netflix on April 23. Just remember, for those avid fans of the book, no matter what happens in these eight episodes, no mourners, no funerals.

The role of Alina Starkov will be played by Jessie Mei Li.

It is rumored that Matthias Helvar will only appear in episode seven.

Courtesy @shadowandbone Instagram

Courtesy Attila Szvacsek/Netflix

The State-Run Media

1 February 2021

the

State-Run media Back to the abyss, baby.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” surprises audiences with love story

Goodbye, “Brokeback Mountain.”

Sayonara, “Call Me by Your Name.” “Godzilla vs. Kong” is here to stay.

Anna Johns Gay rights!

Well, it happened. The trailer for the new “Godzilla vs. Kong” released, and fans expected to see an epic boss battle between gorilla and lizard, who, as we all know, are natural enemies and Mother Nature’s chosen foe. Instead, Godzilla vs. Kong is a classic enemies-to-lover slow burn.

The trailer started normally. The human characters bumbled around with wide-eyed expressions, saying vague lines about destinies and ancient stories that could be easily lifted from any Naruto episode. Then came the unexpected: Godzilla and King Kong crashed through destruction and flames, only to end lips locked in a steamy kiss.

Understandably, the public was confused.

When did these huge animals develop sexual tension? Where did those fiery, lust-filled gazes come from?

Also, does that mean Godzilla and King Kong are LGBTQ icons now?

King Kong’s violent actions are a vehicle for his repressed sexuality. He yearns for a human woman, an unrequited love that society sees as deplorable. If their love were to exist, it would merge within the subconscious, where the primal urges and culturaldriven corrections are buried. The world is a brutal, unforgiving place for King Kong – and society destroys him in order to keep the status quo of human and human relationships.

It also doesn’t help that he lusts so much after a conventionally attractive woman.

Caught in a restricting tempest of his own creation, Kong tries to subscribe to the stan-

It’s 2021. Giant gorillas and nuclear lizard creatures can fall in love, you know.

dards of toxic masculinity. It is a battle he loses as his beard is taken away from him and he is left vulnerable. The extended metaphor about homophobia was so overstated that viewers left vaguely irritated, intelligence belittled by how obvious the whole thing was.

Godzilla, however, is the definition of Hollywood stud, grizzled and glitzed in saltwater kisses. He is the king, fate held in his claws. His queer identity proves to the audience that sexuality isn’t based on appearance but instead one’s heart.

Self-proclaimed true fans of Godzilla were outraged. King Kong’s coming out seemed to make more sense to the public –

after all, we’ve all seen the internalized homophobia from him in his first movie, and there was that big societal commentary. But Godzilla?

The GodzillaisStraight subreddit was therefore born in the flames of controversy.

Its bio read: “if you’re an SJW, Prepare to be Triggered… Kek.. You have fallen into our trap. . since you clearly just want to get OFFENDED by the truth amd push your LIBERAL agenda onto our godzilla movies. King Kong, you can have because that’s CLEARLY a given… but you weren’t satisfied with that. You, just cant handle when people have opinions.. You are so sensi-

tive… Did you forget about straight moth female Mothra? Bah!! You feminazis can’t even defend your own… Pitiful, really. *touches my sacred amulet and turns into a wolf* *runs away*” However controversial, “Godzilla vs.

Kong” is a cultural milestone, proving to the world that lizard and gorilla can love and be loved, regardless of social faux pas and those clinging to the past of heteronormative titans. Plus, remember Godzilla’s blush in the trailer when he and King Kong engage in their first violin-stirring, furiously passionate stare down? So cute!

Goldie trained to detect COVID

In an hour of pandemic need, TU turns to budget-friendly Goldie and her medical expertise.

Anna Johns Has an idea of what COVID is?

With the winter season in tow, the University of Tulsa continues its hypervigilance in catching and preventing the spread of COVID-19 on campus. Returning students are required to take a COVID-19 test, and, phew, the Board truly underestimated how much tests cost.

We have been honest with our students regarding our deficit and money hemorrhaged. As usual, we taken into account the concerns of the students and staff, and we finally elected to ignore any consensus faculty receives. The Board gave us the go ahead, and that’s just showbiz.

Having budgetary issues in mind, we have been advised by the state health department on how to secure a cost-effective means for testing that was still accurate. Fortunately, TU did not have to look any further than who was already on campus: Goldie, a famous part of the Canine Ambassador Program, will be administering the anterior nasal swab.

When an expert from the Oklahoma State Department of Health heard our proposal, he blew his smoke and shrugged. “Sounds COVID’s all bark and no bite.

graphic by Emma Palmer

graphic by Emma Palmer

cool,” the expert said. The department’s wisdom was invaluable; after all, Oklahoma has received praise for its quick acting in virus prevention. $2 million spent on hydroxychloroquine proves Oklahoma’s devotion to its citizens, and TU strives to act with as much attention and care.

Of course, we hear your concerns about leaving a dog in charge, and we take them into consideration. However, if “Dog with a Blog” could do what he did, we think Goldie will be perfectly fine in her new medical practice. She has been trained accordingly; not only does she know how to shake, but she can carefully balance nasal swabs in her paws while giving a comforting, personable service to our students and staff.

Goldie isn’t entirely aware of what a pandemic is necessarily, but she knows duty and responsibility. Each day, she puts her personal protection equipment on with the gusto of a young pup, snout held high to the air in practiced confidence that money just can’t buy. Her work is rewarded with treats and rubs at the end of the day, so there’s definitely some labor incentive.

Students can schedule an appointment online. Please remain vigilant of your health, and please stop trying to book appointments to marvel at Goldie as she is working. For your convenience, Goldie offers drive-thru and walk-up diagnostic testing – and she does it all with a wag of a tail.