11 November 2019

Sports

The Collegian: 2

11 November 2019

Tulsa triumphs over UCF Knights

Football journalist Hannah Robbins discusses the late mistakes by UCF that allowed TU to beat the conference leader 34-31.

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane came into their matchup against UCF with no conference wins and a 2-7 record. UCF, the two-time American Athletic Conference champions, had a 7-2 record and four conference wins.

The betting markets were in, and they weren’t in Tulsa’s favor.

However, because of mistakes on UCF’s part and successes on TU’s, Tulsa got its first conference win of the season.

The game got off to a slow start.

Despite moving slightly down the field, Tulsa was not able to connect on the first drive of the game, and on UCF’s first drive, the Knights were not able to even get a first down.

When Tulsa gained possession again, they got into the groove.

Key passes by Zach Smith to Sam Crawford, Jr. and Josh Johnson brought the ball near the goal where Shamari Brooks ran it in to give Tulsa the first points of the game.

UCF started getting down to business at this point. A pass interference call on Tulsa brought the Knights to the 11-yard line, and after UCF recovered their own fumble at the one yard line, they managed to tie the game 7-7 with four minutes left in the first quarter.

After Tulsa failed to get anything started on their next play, Dillion Gabriel’s 49-yard pass put UCF in the red zone, and on the next play they took the lead with a touchdown.

Tulsa worked to respond on their next possession, but an of-

fensive holding call left Tulsa with a field goal. UCF extended their lead with Adrian Killins Jr.’s 57yard touchdown run.

Neither team was able to put together a drive, and when Tulsa gained possession again, Smith was able to connect with Keenan Johnson for a 35-yard touchdown, narrowing UCF’s lead to four.

UCF extended their lead to 11 with seconds left in the half after a 48-yard pass by Gabriel and a short run into the end zone.

After halftime, both teams were off to a slow start, but after Cristian Williams intercepted Gabriel’s pass, the tide started to change.

Tulsa was able to capitalize off the interception as Seth Boomer came in for Smith after an elbow injury.

Boomer’s 22-yard pass allowed T. K. Wilkerson to run in a touchdown, bringing Tulsa within four of the lead.

UCF responded, but was limited to a field goal after Gabriel was sacked.

Tulsa had a strong drive as Boomer connected with passes, finally passing 17-yards to Crawford Jr. for a touchdown. Tulsa had tied the game with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Tulsa had momentum, and had a chance for the lead after UCF fumbled on the kick return, but Jacob Rainey missed the 35-yard field goal.

UCF seemed to come apart as two UCF players yelled at each other as one returned off the field after an injury, a sign of what was to come.

The Golden Hurricane celebrates after scoring.

UCF continued to falter, and Gabriel threw an interception that Reggie Robinson II returned to the 18-yard line. Tulsa could not make it to the end zone, but instead succeeded in scoring a field goal with five minutes left. TU had the lead for the first time since the opening minutes of the game.

Keenan Johnson jukes a defender (left). Sam Crawford completes a pass in the endzone (right). Johnson runs in for a touchdown (bottom).

UCF had one drive to score, but penalties and sacks by TU prevented them from getting to field goal range. The Golden Hurricane was given the ball with a minute and a half left. Tulsa had to run down the clock, but as UCF called timeouts to prevent this, they had to get a first down to keep possession.

photo by James Taylor

TU seemed to fail to get a first down on fourth and one, leaving UCF with a minute to score, but UCF had 12 players on the field, which is a five yard penalty.

This gave Tulsa the first down and allowed them to run out the clock to win 34-31.

photos by James Taylor

Sports

11 November 2019

The Collegian: 3

Women’s basketball falls to Ladyjacks The Tulsa Hurricane covers the Golden Hurricane’s close game against Stephen F. Austen, where 15 points from Richards was not quite enough.

Trailing by as many as 24 points, the Tulsa women made a valiant comeback bid to get as close as 3 points but ran out of time and fell to the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks, 67-63, Tuesday night at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

Tulsa was led by Addison Richards’ career-high 15 points, while Morgan Brady added 13 and Kendrian Elliott turned in a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Tulsa played without its top returning scorer from a year ago, Alexis Gaulden, and heralded freshman, Destiny Johnson, due to injuries.

“I am proud of our effort in the 4th quarter,” Head Coach Matilda Mossman said.

“After being down by 24, our kids fought, our kids battled and they never gave up and that’s what we are going to build on.

We’re going to fix some things from the third quarter, but we’ll build on their effort, their intensity and their heart in that fourth quarter.”

The Hurricane trailed 57-33 with 0:45 to play in the 3rd quarter, before mounting a come-from-behind effort in the 4th stanza.

SFA led by 22 at the end of 3 quarter.

The Ladyjacks scored 30 points in the 3rd period on 11-of-16 from the field and 6-of-10 from 3-point range, while Tulsa managed just 14 points of 6-of-13 from the field, but suffered 7 turnovers.

In the 4th quarter, the Hurricane was just as dominant in the period as the Ladyjacks were in the 3rd quarter. Tulsa kept chipping away at the SFA lead by converting 11-of17 field goals and 3-of-4 treys with 11 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals. Tulsa’s defense held the Ladyjacks to just 3 field goals and 27-percent in the final period.

Tulsa got the game within single digits at the 2-minute mark on a Brady 3-pointer that made the score 63-54. Brady hit another

trey at the 1:06 mark cutting the deficit to 6 points.

Two Elliott free throws and a layup by Richards cut the SFA lead to 3 points with 0:22 to play.

SFA’s Marissa Banfield hit two free throws to push the lead to 5 points at 6661 before Richards jumper in the paint with 0:12 on the clock made it a 3-point game again. Banfield made 1-of-2 free throws in the last 0:10 for the 4-point victory.

Leading by 6 at halftime, the Ladyjacks came out of the locker room and put up the first 8 points to take a 35-21 lead with the first 2:09 of the quarter.

The 3-pointer was dropping early in the 3rd quarter for SFA. After hitting just 2-of-12 treys in the first half, the Ladyjacks knocked down their first 4 treys of the 3rd quarter to take a 41-24 lead at the 6:13 mark.

SFA closed out the 3rd quarter on top by a score of 57-35.

Both teams started slowly to start the game as the end of the first quarter SFA held an 8-6 lead. SFA scored within the first minute of the game, but it took the Hurricane nearly 3 minutes before Desiree Lewis hit Tulsa’s first basket of the 2019-20 season at the 7:10 mark.

For the first stanza, SFA was 3-of-20 from the field, while Tulsa was 3-of-15 and the two teams combined for an 0-of-9 first period from behind the arc.

In the second quarter, things heated up somewhat for both teams. The Ladyjacks scored 19 points to Tulsa’s 15. SFA took an 11-point lead with 3:34 left on the clock at 25-14.

The Hurricane closed out the first 20 minutes on a 7-2 run to cut its halftime deficit to 27-21.

Despite trailing at the intermission, Tulsa had a better field goal percentage than the

Rebecca Lescay goes for a layup.

Ladyjacks, 32.3% to 27.8%, but SFA was 5-of-5 from the free throw line whereas Tulsa did not have an attempt from the charity stripe.

Tulsa’s Rebecca Lescay led Tulsa with 7 points, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the halftime buzzer sounded.

photo by James Taylor

Tulsa will continue its 5-game homestand to start the season this Saturday, Nov. 9 against Arkansas State. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

photos by James Taylor

Morgan Brady dribbles down court (left). Addison Richards pops a jumpshot (right).

It’s official: Simone Biles is the first GOAT Gymnastics journalist Hannah Robbins discusses Simone Biles’s impact on artistic gymnastics and her record-breaking achievements.

In professional sports, there are few individuals that people debate calling the greatest of all time (GOAT).

Most of these athletes don’t deserve the title for one reason or another, but Simone Biles is not among them.

She is the first athlete that deserves the title, and her performance at this year’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships shows that.

This year at the World Championships, Biles became the first gymnast to win 25 medals total at the World Championships, surpassing the previous total by two at the age of 22.

This is regardless of nationality or gender.

She also has the most total gold medals of any gymnast, at 19. Biles also tied the

record for the most gold medals at a single World Championships at five.

Take away those achievements though, and she still is the GOAT. Not only can she win, but she pushes the boundaries further than anyone else in the sport. In gymnastics, women rarely compete after the age of 20, and at this World Championships she unveiled two new skills named after herself: one on floor (the Biles II) and one on balance beam (the Biles).

Her skill on the balance beam was actually so complex that the skill was devalued because it was deemed dangerous.

Biles is excelling so much even after taking a year and a half off after the Olympics.

To get back to the shape she was in after a break is difficult enough, but to be unveiling more and more difficult elements still?

That’s the mark of a GOAT. As Biles continues to compete, she continues to win by wider and wider margins, despite some technical problems. This only goes to show just that she can do more difficult skills than anyone around and continues to push herself.

This year’s all-around victory was by two points, even after Biles made errors and omitted some of her most difficult skills.

Keep in mind, the year before Biles started competing as a senior, the all-around victory was determined by .033 points.

Biles continues to push herself to perfect more and more difficult skills, even as the rest of gymnasts struggle to keep up. Even at Biles’ worst event, uneven bars, she has medaled in World Championships, and has not lost an all-around competition since

2013. In a time when gymnastics at the United States is still in turmoil, Biles has continued to excel despite it all.

She is continuing to grow and progress as she prepares to the United States to her second Olympics, sometimes doing even more than men can. Her medals and achievements speak for themselves; especially as comparing her medals with men omits the fact that men have two additional events they compete in each competition, giving them more chances to medal.

Biles is able to rise above it all to excel in a way that is uniquely her, and her constant drive to do more and compete at a higher level means that even when her routines are not as clean as others, her technical ability puts her in a league of her own, making her a true GOAT in artistic gymnastics.

The Collegian: 4

Sports

11 November 2019

Tulsa Hurricane sends Huskies packing Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses the Golden Hurricane’s 80-72 win against Houston Baptist in the first game of the season

For their first game of the season, the Golden Hurricane went up against Houston Baptist at home.

After a slow start, Tulsa came back by the end of the half and was able to beat Houston Baptist by a healthy margin. The Golden Hurricane was led by Jeriah Horne with a game-high 22 points and senior Martins Igbanu with 16.

At the start, it was clear that this was Tulsa’s first game of the season. After Igbanu missed the jump ball at the start, Houston had the first jump shot of the half, but Igbanu responded in kind.

After a free throw by Igbanu and a layup

by Elijah Joiner was met with two jump shots, Tulsa remained behind.

The game remained scoreless for several minutes, and Darien Jackson scored the lone layup to tie it up, but then couldn’t respond to a pair of three-pointers.

Horne started to turn the tide with a jump shot and a three-pointer, but Tulsa was still failing to block shots.

As the half wore on, Tulsa tried to keep up with Houston Baptist, but could not respond. After Igbanu made four free throws in a row with five minutes left, Tulsa started to wake up.

Houston Baptist brought their lead up to eight points, but shots by Horne and freshman Isaiah Hill brought Tulsa to within two of the lead. Horne went to the basket with 30 seconds left and hit a key jump shot.

Hill’s layup with 13 seconds left had Tulsa leading by three as the teams went to the locker room for halftime.

From the start of the second half, both teams were trying hard to have the lead.

However, after a jump ball was called three minutes in, Tulsa faltered.

Houston Baptist scored five unanswered points. Horne made several shots, but Tulsa’s inability to defend against Houston left them at a six point deficit.

However, Tulsa managed to turn the game around. Layups by Horne and Igbanu brought Tulsa to tie Houston Baptist with 11 minutes left in the game, and didn’t let up.

Tulsa continued to be solid at the line, with Horne bringing Tulsa ahead off two free throws.

Shots by Joiner and Igbanu worked to extend their lead, and Tulsa never lost it.

Brandon Rachel made good use of his time in, scoring nine points as the half wound down, and shots by Horne and Joiner kept Houston Baptist from getting any traction. Tulsa ended the game on top, 80-72.

While this was a good first showing by Tulsa, Tulsa failed to connect on three’s, which could really hurt them as they move towards conference play.

Houston Baptist is not a strong D1 school, and with the Golden Hurricane playing ranked teams further into the season, they don’t have room for simple mistakes like sloppy defense.

The team was solid at the line however, and this got them through scoring droughts within the game.

This season looks to be fruitful for the Golden Hurricane if they keep it up.

Brandon Rachal takes the wind out of HBU’s sails (top). Martins Iganu shoots a free throw (left). Darien Jackson makes a play for the ball (right). Jeriah Horne recieves a pass (bottom).

photos by Brayden McCoy

11 November 2019

Sports

The Collegian: 5

The Clippers to rule NBA as new favorites ... is that good?

Professional basketball journalist A. C. Boyle discusses the sport’s new order in which power is concentrated in Los Angeles and whether the Clippers will be become a dynasty.

As I write this now, the NBA defending champion Golden State Warriors’ 2019-20 season has started 1-5.

The Los Angeles darlings of the offseason, the Lakers and Clippers, are 5-1 and 5-2, respectively.

Welcome to the new NBA order.

Change in the hierarchies of NBA basketball are as slow and painful as change in any other area of life, and anybody who knows the agressively absurd and annoying lack of parity in the NBA knows this to be true.

of College Basketball, where upsets are as common as Oregon rainfall thanks to March Madness.

Surely if the second highest tier of basketball can find a way of balancing things, the highest tier league can too.

Right?

I know that the NBA Playoffs have best of seven series matchups while March Madness has only one elimination game, making upsets less likely in the NBA. Maybe the NBA should learn from this,

Golden State’s shadow for a while now, ready to come out and make the new decade their time to shine.

Of these teams, the biggest and brightest is the Los Angeles Clippers, led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, their two superstar offseason acquisitions.

Leonard, possibly the best basketball player in the league right now, just brought the first NBA title to the country of Canada by helping the Toronto raptors dethrone the Warriors.

Intra-city rivalries in sports are always fun (think Yankees-Mets and Cubs-White Sox), but where this one is different is in the fact that both these teams share the same stadium– Staples Center– and the floorboards have to be switched out each time the other team has an upcoming game (they need to house LA’s hockey team, too. Yikes!).

This would make a hypothetical playoff matchup between the two teams even more interesting because either of the teams would need to fly from one city to another

“From the years 1980 to 2003, there were only seven different NBA Champions, with three of those teams winning 17 of those 23 championships ...”

From the years 1980 to 2003, there were only seven different NBA Champions, with three of those teams winning 17 of those 23 championships. The last NBA champ from the Western Conference that wasn’t located in the state of California or Texas doesn’t even exist as a team anymore because they relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

And there are 11 teams– a third of the league– that have never won a single NBA title, while two teams (the Lakers and Celtics) combined have won 33 of the NBA’s 71 championships. By percentage, that’s almost half.

This immense lack of parity owes to the fact that basketball is the most skill-oriented game in the world, besides chess.

While the other major American professional sports leagues have dynasties, it seems like underdogs can always find a way to win and unseat giants (did you see the Washington Nationals in baseball just last month?).

But in NBA Basketball, the big, star-studded, juggernaut teams are always better, and they virtually always win (unless you are the 2004 Detroit Pistons, because we still haven’t figured out how they upset Kobe Bryant and Shaq).

With only five players on the field and a huge gap between good and bad teams (due to superstar talent being concentrated at the very top of the pyramid), this disparity shouldn’t come as a surprise.

But it should disappoint you, because the NBA is basically the complete opposite

then, and change their playoff format.

For the past few years, the Golden State Warriors have dominated the league with an all-star roster that won more regular season games than any other team in history, only to add another top-5 superstar to their team next year.

They have represented the Western conference in the NBA Finals for five years in a row, and won three of those five championships.

And now, their season is off to a lackluster 1-5 start, with their own star player, Draymond Green, declaring that “We f-----suck right now.” They lost Stephen Curry to injury, Klay Thompson to injury and Kevin Durant to injury, and then free agency, with him signing with the upstart Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference.

Green, too is also temporarily sidelined, meaning that their once illustrious “Big Four” is now a big zero.

This team went from the highest highs to the lowest lows, and it only took a couple of bad luck injuries to unseat them.

At this point, the Warriors aren’t even thinking the word “Championship” right now.

They’re thinking about rebuilding their health and roster for next year.

This leaves another old chapter of the NBA in the past, with the door blown wide open for several new teams to try and take the Warriors’ place on the throne of the (decidedly stronger) Western Conference.

There are several teams who have been in

Now he is looking to follow this success up by moving to a new city to help a perennial underdog team that has never made a conference finals, let alone the NBA Finals, finally reach their peak.

Joining him is Paul George, a player who has come close to the promised land several times before, but never won a title. Together, they will probably be the team to beat at things shape up.

But I should also mention their intracity competition, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Led by legendary superstar LeBron James, and adding former New Orleans pelicans superstar Anthony Davis in the offseason, this team is the answer to the Clippers, and much stronger than last year, when they disappointed fans by missing the playoffs.

James, in his 18th year, is getting old, with probably about two or three years left before retirement.

But he still wants to win, perhaps now more than ever, in order to cement his legacy and silence the haters who think he can’t bring championships to Lakertown like Shaq and Magic could.

The Lakers and the Clippers played their first game against each other, with the Clippers winning a close shootout by the score of 112-102.

They will meet three more times in the regular season, including a game on Christmas Day which might shape up to be the best game of the regular season– and after that, who knows? They might face each other again in the playoffs.

for the home-away schedule, meaning their level of play would be devoid of jet lag and likely improved.

The Lakers have pretty much always been the dominant team among fans in LA and nationwide, with many considering the Clippers to be nothing but a sideshow experiment, an afterthought.

But if I know anything about the Clippers’ roster, I know that they are filled with hard-nosed, resilient players who don’t think of themselves as afterthoughts, and are ready to finally prove themselves to the city of dreams.

They have a talented coach, Doc Rivers, and a passionate owner, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. They don’t want to play second fiddle to the Lakers anymore, and they look poised to finally capture the big prize this year, barring any injuries.

Which begs the question: will a time come when the Clippers aren’t the resilient, likeable underdogs anymore, but the bullies beating up on the little teams?

Before that can come, they’ll have to beat the Lakers, and whichever Eastern Conference team pushes ahead of the pack.

This is good news for anyone tired of the same team winning each year, because now we have two really strong teams that both have something to prove, competing for dominance in the very same city.

Hopefully the NBA will get exciting again soon, because I’m going to bury my head in the sand if not.

Quads give skaters wins, injuries

Figure skating expert Hannah Robbins discusses the benefits and risks of quadruple jumps in figure skating as three teenage Russian stars attempt to compete with multiple injuries in the Grand Prix.

As the senior figure skating season is ramping up, it is quickly becoming apparent who is going to be on top for the season: Alexandra Trusova, Alena Kostornaia and Anna Shcherbakova.

These three Russian figure skaters are in their first season as seniors, but that hasn’t stopped these 15-year-olds.

For each of the competitions in the Grand Prix so far, these ladies have won by at least 10 points, a large margin for figure skating.

These three ladies are the only currently competing seniors that have landed a quadruple jump.

The only previous senior to do so, Elizabet TurSynbaeva, is out for the entire Grand Prix season due to injuries.

Quads have allowed the trio of skaters, or three A’s, to surpass their more experienced competitors; however, as TurSynbaeva has shown, they won’t lead to the girls winning for long.

All four of the seniors that have landed quads work with one coach: Eteri Tutberidze. While Tutberidze has a prolific coaching career, including both Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva, 2018 Olympic gold and silver medalists, her coaching strategy has one flaw: skaters only train on ice.

On the surface, this doesn’t seem like an issue, however, upon closer examination of what skaters are doing, these techniques with both hurt the three A’s, and any other skater that begins to attempt dangerous jumps like these to get ahead.

When a skater attempts a quadruple jump, they land with seven to 10 times their body weight on one leg. After repetitive attempts, this can lead to tiny microfractures on a skaters landing leg.

Now imagine if skaters only practiced jumps like this on ice, eight hours a day, five days a week.

This will cause these young, hopeful skaters to be injured time and again because of how they practice.

This is not just about these three skaters, though.

Because of their success, more skaters will attempt these jumps in the same wrong ways.

The only skater who got even close to the three A’s was Rika Kihira, but that was a flawless performance. None of the three A’s have had a clean set of programs so far, and they’re still winning.

That is that advantage that quad jumps create.

The incentive is real, but so is the danger.

Look at TurSynbaeva.

As more and more skaters focus on the quads that will gain them an edge in hopes of making a podium, injuries will continue to be prevalent and widespread.

Just look to Yuzuru Hanyu, who has been injured every year since 2016 as his quad count continues to rise.

The advantage of the quads is enticing, and if the rest of the season continues to look like these first few competitions, quads will definitely be common in the ladies senior events.

There have been whispers that Zagitova is working towards a quad of her own; however, after mistakes in her first outing at the Internationaux de France, it seems like she honestly needs to work more on her current program than going for dangerous jumps. courtesy Wikimedia Common Alexandra Trusova has enjoyed success but also suffered injuries.

Sports

The Collegian: 6

11 November 2019

NBA predictions: the best of the west Professional basketball journalist Zach Short gives his takes on which teams will improve from last year and which teams will see some decline.

Los Angeles Clippers 60-22 (48-34) Not to hop in on the hype or anything, but the Clippers are good. Like, really good.

Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were both dominant players last year, that much is undeniable. And unlike other star players,

but a few tragic losses to complement them.

It’s almost a guarantee that they’ll have a Playoffs spot, and probably even a safe bet that they’ll be in the top half of the seeds (a good accomplishment in the West), so I expect a second round appearance from them.

not psych themselves out on a chance to beat the Warriors out of their usual spot. Of course, I said anyone in the West could do it, so the Warriors could still thump everybody again and go on to face an indeterminate Eastern competitor.

prised if they picked up a big talent from a rebuilding organization (cough, cough Steven Adams). The Pelicans are in the same boat. They should have an experimental year now to figure out where they are, and they should come back in force next season.

“If [the Jazz] want to go somewhere in the Playoffs, they’ll have to learn to be the better team on a consistent basis, which I don’t think is at all out of the question ...”

I think these two can really mesh together well.

They are not out to be liked, a fact that is clearly evident by their surprise moves, and they are not famished for attention, evident in the way Kawhi has spoken a grand total of maybe 78 words in his entire NBA career.

There are no explosive or dramatic interviews, there is only good basketball, and it is going to reign supreme this season. These guys are my favorite for rings. Did I mention they have great roster depth too?

Los Angeles Lakers 58-24 (37-45) The Lakers will be a dominant force in the NBA this season. Whereas Demarcus, ahem, “Boogie” Cousins seems to be a little too dramatic for a clutch performance and AD will have to adapt to the possibility of actually winning something, LeBron will be back with a vengeance after missing the Playoffs last year.

They will, without a doubt, win an impressive amount of games this year and could easily make a Finals appearance.

In fact, the only thing really standing in their way is a mostly unpredictable Rockets lineup, the Joker in Denver, and the crosstown rival. Who will establish themselves as LA’s team?

As for where they go from there, it just depends on whether or not they’re a mature enough team to upset the league’s biggest stars.

Utah Jazz 53-29 (50-32) From what I have seen, the Jazz are scary and unpredictable. While I thoroughly expect them to trounce most games with teams from the lower half of the league, I find that it’s really anyone’s guess if they’ll win in games against legitimate competitors. If they want to go somewhere in the Playoffs, they’ll have to learn to be the better team on a consistent basis, which I don’t think is at all out of the question.

San Antonio Spurs 50-32 (48-34) Gregg Popovich is a good coach and has the longest current postseason streak in all of professional sports with the San Antonio Spurs.

That being said, I think the safest bet a person can make in all of the NBA is that the Spurs will secure a spot in the Playoffs.

They may make it there and get immediately swept or they may pull out some surprises and upset one or more of the most favored teams in the league. I won’t claim to know how they’ll do in the Playoffs, I just know that they’ll be there.

After all, Klay could be back for some postseason fun.

Out of the Playoffs Dallas Mavericks 41-41 (33-49) New Orleans Pelicans 40-42 (33-49) Sacramento Kings 40-42 (39-43) Minnesota Timberwolves 37-45 (36-46) Memphis Grizzlies 35-47 (33-49) Oklahoma City Thunder 31-51 (49-33) Phoenix Suns 15-67 (19-63) The biggest changes here are the Mavericks, the Pelicans, and the Thunder. I expect the Mavericks to see huge improvement and for Luka Dončić to lead the way. They should start setting their sights now on a 2021 Playoffs spot, and I wouldn’t be sur-

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“Not to hop in on the hype or anything, but the Clippers are good. Like, really good.”

Houston Rockets 56-26 (53-29) Westbrook and Harden will be good teammates. They know each other, they played together on a Finals team once upon a team, and they are both starved for a championship.

The big criticisms seem to be that neither one of them ever appear too eager to share the ball, but I think that might mostly be because of who they were playing with. Westbrook had no genuinely good teammates other than Paul George and Steven Adams.

Adams picked up rebounds and played solid defense, got his points on post passes from less important players, and I never noticed George not getting the ball enough.

Therefore, other than George, to whom should Westbrook pass it with the reasonable expectation of scoring?

In Harden’s case, he was supposed to be sharing outside shooting and driving with Chris Paul, who has had a tremendous decline in efficiency since his glory days as a Clipper. The Rockets now have two guards who can trust each other to deliver, they’ll be a good team and a potential contender.

Denver Nuggets 55-27 (54-28) The Nuggets are good, but they haven’t undergone a whole lot of change. I can’t really see them surging upward record-wise, but they should certainly be a dynamic force in the West again. I expect to see some scary thumpings on the elite teams in the league,

Golden State Warriors 50-32 (57-25) If they’d just lost KD, I might’ve put them higher. However, I think the loss of Iguodala is going to hurt worse. While KD is a phenomenal talent, they have Curry, and he can keep the points on the board. It’s Iguodala’s defense and hustle that pushes them far ahead of other teams in all the ways that most people never even see.

If nothing else, he was the veteran on a fairly young team for a while. He was the experience and the know-how for the game of basketball; he was their Yoda. While I expect a good season from Curry, I think this will be a rough transition year, especially with the potential for Klay to miss the whole season. Mark my words though, they’ll be back next year out for blood.

Portland Trail Blazers 50-32 (53-29) Damian Lillard is the same player as Russell Westbrook, he’s just a little bit better at it when it comes to clutch moments. If you haven’t noticed yet, I have these bottom three teams with the same records while still having a nine-game lead on the next team in line. I am confident that these teams will make it, but the order they fill these bottom slots is anyone’s guess.

The West is just a very competitive conference at the top right now. Honestly, I think all of these teams have the potential to make a Finals appearance, it’s just a matter of who will keep their heads together and

Zion will be good and potentially a great help in the coming years, but let’s not ignore that there are some other names there as well. The Thunder, on the other hand, are going to have a tough season this year.

While Oklahoma fans are probably a little bummed to see their two superstars leave, it was the right thing to do.

Neither George nor Westbrook were going to win a championship there, so it was best to send them to very competitive organizations where they could and start looking to the next phase for OKC. Problem is, this year will be the worst one in a while for the Thunder.

editor-in-chief

The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700, (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby, (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpeter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations.

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Hana Saad

Nov. 11 - Nov. 17 Monday

Tuesday 11

No Events

Wednesday 12

M Basketball vs. ORU 7 p.m.

13

W Basketball vs. OSU 7 p.m.

M Soccer @ American Semi-final

Thursday 14

Saturday

Friday 15

Volleyball @ Wichita St. 7 p.m.

No Events

16

M Basketball vs. Austin Peay 2 p.m.

Cross Country M Soccer NCAA Midwest @ American Championship Regional

Sunday 17

Volleyball @ Cincinnati 12 p.m.

11 November 2019

News

The Collegian: 7

Board rejects faculty senate’s alternative to True Commitment The board’s decision came on the same week that the accreditation liaison met with the Faculty Senate and the administration.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer Multiple developments impacting the restructuring plans at the University of Tulsa this week point toward a more turbulent future as faith in leadership, accreditation and the level of shared governance were all brought into question.

On Wednesday, Oct. 6, Tom Bordenkircher, a liaison from the Higher Learning Commision (HLC), met with the University of Tulsa’s Faculty Senate to discuss the changes that have occured at TU since the HLC’s last visit in November of 2018.

Administration has cited previous visits from HLC as one of the various catalysts for True Commitment. However, this meeting focused on what has happened since the April 11 rollout of the plan.

The meeting began contentiously as multiple faculty members engaged in heated exchanges with Bordenkircher regarding the involvement of faculty in the TU’s changes.

According to faculty sources, one of the fundamental takeaways of this meeting was the extent to which the HLC was unaware

of the turbulence wrought by the True Commitment announcement. One notable exchange involved a faculty member broaching the subject of the administration’s use of non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, specifically in regards to the Provost’s Program Review Committee. Bordenkircher responded, “What’s an NDA?” After the discussion delved deeper into the fallout of True Commitment, a professor from the College of Arts and Sciences pushed back against the idea that faculty resistance was rooted in ignorance. Describing the faculty as “well-informed,” they claimed that the problem stemmed simply from a “lack of confidence in the administration, and [from a] lack of transparency.”

be solidified following the announcement of an official vote of no-confidence in university leadership in response to the Board’s wholesale rejection of the Faculty Senate’s alternative to True Commitment.

On Thursday, Nov. 7, the Board of Trustees of the University of Tulsa chose to reject the plan presented to them by the Faculty Senate that would have made major alterations to the True Commitment plan. This came after both a 30-day planning period and a presentation of the plan by Faculty Senate leadership to the Board earlier last week. That proposed plan would have only cut 50 percent of the degree programs that were slated to be closed as a result of True Commitment.

“‘[T]he board remains resolute in its opinion that the recommendations in the Strategic Plan and True Commitment remain our best path forward.’”

However, this view did not go unchallenged. A faculty senator from the College of Arts and Sciences insisted to Bordenkircher that the assembled group of faculty was not a representative sample of all attitudes across campus, and that the overall climate across campus was far less one-sided against the administration.

Another vital topic was discussed following a Senator from the College of Law expressing doubts in the leadership of the university; this apprehensiveness would later

The purpose of this decision was, in Clancy’s words, “in the spirit of bringing us together and moving forward.”

Though this does not directly address the Faculty Senate’s plan or give reason as to why the Board rejected it, Clancy does write that, “[T]he board remains resolute in its opinion that the recommendations in the Strategic Plan and True Commitment remain our best path forward. While we welcome suggestions for improvement through established pathways, there will be no ‘re-

peal’ or ‘rollback’ of True Commitment.”

When asked for comment regarding the decision, chairman of the Board of Trustees Frederic Dorwart responded with: “The True Commitment represents the strong work of the faculty itself. The President and the Provost continue to work diligently with the Faculty Senate and those faculty willing to move the University forward, consistent with the University’s Strategic Plan and True Commitment. The Board of Trustees has, as recently as November 5, unanimously resolved its unconditional support of the President and Provost.”

When asked for comment from administration, Senior Executive Director of Marketing & Communications Mona Chamberlin directed us to the announcement made

by Clancy. That announcement was emailed to faculty and staff on Thursday and is accessible on the university’s website.

The HLC visit and the rejection of the Faculty Senate’s proposal both represent major developments in the ongoing fallout from both the announcement of the True Commitment plan and the lack of faculty involvement in the plan’s design.

Bordenkircher captured this attitude when he commented on the relationship between the faculty and the administration by saying, “The administration honestly hasn’t told me anything about how you [faculty] feel.” Bordenkircher also said that the board believes that its relationship with the faculty is “good.” This seems tenuous in light of the no-confidence vote for President Clancy and Provost Levit next Wednesday.

No-confidence vote for Clancy, Levit to be held Wednesday Following the Board’s rejection of the Faculty Senate’s proposal, the president and provost face additional uncertainty.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer On Friday, Nov. 8, the University of Tulsa chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) announced it would be holding a vote of no-confidence in President Gerard Clancy and Provost Janet Levit. The vote will be held next Wednesday, Nov. 13, in the McFarlin Library atrium from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

When asked for comment, TU AAUP Vice President Dr. Matthew Hindman responded with: “Whether faculty have confidence in our administration has been the source of some debate. We need to answer this empirical question and move forward accordingly.”

In an Oct. 1 interview with President Clancy and Provost Levit, the prospect of a no confidence vote was raised.

President Clancy responded, saying, “We knew True Commitment would be bold and be seen by some as not where they wanted the university to go. But I find it very necessary that this is where we need to go, and if a vote of no confidence is put forward, I understand.”

He continued, “I believe this is the best pathway forward. We’ve gotten great input now coming from the Faculty Senate for opportunities for improvement. The board believes this is the best pathway forward.”

When asked for comment following the official no-confidence announcement on Nov. 8, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Mona Chamberlin provided a link to President Clancy’s November Board update. No other comment was given.

The potential for a no-confidence vote had been looming over the university earlier in the semester, however, attempts to prevent it culminated in the Board’s offer to allow the Faculty Senate to propose an alternative within 30 days. Although the Faculty Senate delivered a plan that fulfilled the Board’s stipulations, on Nov. 7, it was announced that True Commitment would instead be implemented as previously planned. The Board’s wholesale rejection of that proposal this past week has prompted this swift and severe response.

A vote of no-confidence has happened at the university before, although the most re-

cent case was the Student Association voting for removal of President Bob Donaldson in the 1990s. The vote occurred as a result of “institutional stresses” and “conflicting expectations among school constituencies” regarding Donaldson’s desire to enact swift changes at TU, according to a contemporary article from The Oklahoman.

It is unclear at the time of writing what the result of the Wednesday vote will be; however, the vote’s implications are farreaching given the emphasis that the Higher Learning Commission, the body that accredits the university, places on shared governance as a fundamental pillar to a school’s accreditation.

Although the results of the vote, even if the result is no-confidence, do not represent a binding agreement, it would greatly hinder the ability of the administration to continue their current agenda, casting a shadow of illegitimacy over their actions going forward.

Football players arrested Active shooter drill training on drug, firearm charges teaches steps to safety on campus Campus Security officers find a firearm, three airsoft guns and 253 grams of marijuana in two freshmen’s dorm room.

Adam Walsh Student Writer Late at night on Oct. 30 the Tulsa Police Department arrested two University of Tulsa football players in their dorm room for weapons and illegal substance possession at John Mabee Hall. A strong smell of marijuana in the area near the room in question alerted Campus Security officers.

After knocking and entering, the Campus Security officers confirmed the presence of marijuana and noticed a Kel-Tec SUB-2000 9 mm rifle.

While the security officers detained the two occupants, TPD officers arrived with a warrant to search the room. The officers found 253 grams of marijuana and three airsoft handguns in addition to the 9 mm rifle.

ries a maximum sentence of five years in a Department of Corrections facility and a fine up to $20,000.

The University of Tulsa can also enforce punishments in relation to their continued enrollment therein. Both Campus Security Captain James Palmer and Marketing and Communications spokesperson Mona Chamberlain stated that their hands were tied in confirming or denying details relating to the investigation due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which reserves the right to privacy for the students in question and their family. Personal information (PI) cannot be released to the public.

However, TU confirmed in a public statement that the two individuals have been released from the football team. Chamberlain has also stated that one of the two individuals is no longer enrolled at the University of Tulsa.

The Student Code of Conduct disallows airsoft guns, similar to the possession of marijuana. The firearm, while remaining in compliance with federal and state regula-

“With possession with intent to distribute classified as a felony, both May and King were charged with the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.”

The two individuals in the room, Lazarus May and Korey King, were both redshirt freshman for the TU football team as a defensive end and wide receiver, respectively.

They have since been released from their positions and are in the Tulsa County Jail on $15,000 bond each with charges for possession with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Possession of marijuana on TU campus is prohibited. Medical or otherwise, marijuana is not allowed and will be confiscated by Campus Security if found. In larger amounts, TPD can be called in, and the individual possessing the substance will be charged with possession with intent to distribute — a felony. Both May and King have been charged such, which, if convicted, car-

tions, is prohibited in school buildings, including university housing.

This leads back to the charges. With possession with intent to distribute classified as a felony, both May and King were charged with the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Oklahoma and Tulsa law follow a very broad definition of “use,” with merely having a replica of a weapon during the crime in action qualifying for this charge.

With the rifle in their possession, May and King both face, if convicted, between two and 10 years in prison in addition to the sentences served by the first charge.

Chamberlain, while constrained by legal codes, released in a statement that, “The university takes the safety of its students, faculty and staff very seriously.”

Campus Security Sergeant C. J. Laughlin leads workshops teaching student and faculty what to do in case of an active shooter.

Gabe Powell Student Writer In 2018 alone there were 82 recorded instances of school shootings in the U.S., resulting in 90 injuries, 61 deaths, and seven suicides where no one else was injured.

In an effort to promote campus safety, Sergeant C. J. Laughlin of the University of Tulsa Campus Security hosted a presentation for an audience of students and faculty in the Student Union alcove Tuesday.

The talk centered around the main tenets of ALICE, an acronym for the steps people should take in the event of an active shooter on campus.

Laughlin noted that when the FBI conducted an analysis of all active shooter events between the years 2000 and 2013, 98 percent of the shootings involved only one shooter.

Campus security has 28 patrol officers and supervisors on staff, and they work in eight hour shifts of nine officers each. The average shift has one supervisor and five officers patrolling campus and monitoring more than 600 cameras on a campus that’s less than one square mile large.

Laughlin assuaged fears about an active shooter on campus, stating, “I like to think if we get that call, we can be in any building on campus in one minute or less.”

Not only is there a large number of campus officers, but they routinely lock each non-residential door on campus every night and are knowledgeable about potential hiding spot for a campus shooter.

ALICE is not meant to be taken in chronological order. It is simply a tool meant to help students and staff understand their options in an active shooter situation. Evacuation is always the safest option whenever possible.

The ALICE acronym stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Alert The alert can be hearing a gunshot or a PA announcement. On the TU campus, the alert is likely to be a text message from the university-wide opt-in security messaging service.

Lockdown Lockdown means to barricade the doorway and prevent a shooter from gaining access to a room.

If a shooter gains access to the room, Counter or Evacuate should be followed.

Inform This means to inform police or campus security about the situation. Laughlin recommends calling Campus Security first, because they have armed officers on site already and they are familiar with the buildings on campus, unlike the Tulsa Police.

There are always two dispatchers on staff, so if someone calls Campus Security one dispatcher gets in contact with patrolling officers and the other calls 911.

Counter Counter is meant to distract the shooter and prevent accurate firing. This could be throwing chairs and books, spraying a fire extinguisher or forcing the gunman to the ground after he steps in the doorway. If you manage to disarm the gunman, it is advised to not pick up the weapon, as Campus Security or Tulsa Police Officers could mistake you for the shooter. Instead, slide it away from the assailant with your foot.

Evacuate By far the safest and easiest option, evacuate means to exit the building or immediate area where the shooting is occurring and move off campus.

The Campus Security text message service can be accessed through the TU webpage. To be enrolled in the system, go to Student Resources, click on the Campus Security tab, then click on Safety Measures.

From there, scroll until you reach the Emergency Notification System drop-down tab.

Then, enter your cell number and you will receive safety alerts from Campus Security.

Campus Security can be reached at any time for both emergencies and non-emergencies at (918) 631-5555.

The Collegian: 8

News

11 November 2019

Facts and myths on Oklahoma Medicaid expansion proposal

The impact of the record-breaking 2020 healthcare state question causes confusion.

Zach Short Student Writer By the Oct. 28 deadline, the petition to put the Oklahoma Medicaid expansion on the 2020 ballot had blown past the required 178,00 signatures, getting over 313,000 signatures. For reference, that’s roughly eight percent of the entire population of the state, or approximately one in every 13 people.

This support for a state question set the record for signatures on an Oklahoma petition.

As with anything happening in politics, there is a lot of misinformation circulating.

Here’s a quick guide to what’s true and what is not concerning the prospective change.

Myth: The initiative will be a huge tax burden on Oklahoma citizens Fact: Because of Oklahoma’s relatively low median income in comparison to other states, the federal government would cover 90 percent of the cost of the expansion. The estimated cost for Oklahoma is projected at

roughly 100 million. However, the new cost for the state would be largely alleviated by disappearing costs that were going to the same place. The state typically covers the cost of uninsured persons who receive care, and the expansion would extend to cover many of those people. It would be a very cheap endeavor for Oklahoma in comparison to other states that have already adopted the measure.

Fact: No one will be forced to sign up for Medicaid. People will be eligible if they make at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty line (the text says 133 percent, but the first five percent of income is not counted). That means for an individual making roughly 17,000 or less — or a family of four making roughly twice that or less — will have the option to enroll in Medicaid, but will not be required to do so. No one will be

“Oklahoma has the second highest rate of people being uninsured in the United States, losing only to Texas.”

Myth: This is a ploy of the Democratic Party.

Fact: While the expansion would only be accepting some of the change proposed by the Affordable Care Act, the expansion has started finding bipartisan support across the nation. Many right-leaning states have already implemented the expansion, and more have passed the change into law but are still working on implementation, including Nebraska and Utah.

Myth: People will be forced into Medicaid.

taken from a private insurance plan should they have one they like.

Myth: The potential positive impact will not be much.

Fact: An estimated 550,000 people will have the option to get a Medicaid plan, per a study from the Oklahoma Hospital Association.

Myth: People being uninsured is not as bad in Oklahoma as in other places.

Fact: Oklahoma has the second highest rate of people being uninsured in the United States, losing only to Texas. The most recent

proportion of the Oklahoma population recorded as uninsured was 14.2 percent.

Myth: People without disabilities who would be covered by the expansion will be discouraged from working.

Fact: According to the journal Health Affairs, a mere 13 percent of able-bodied adults covered by the expansion (in states that have passed the expansion) do not work, are not in school or are not seeking work. Three quarters of that 13 percent reported are not working in order to be a caregiver to a family member. The vast majority of people covered in expansions still seek out work.

While the vote on the legislation will not take place for another year, it is still important to understand what is true and what is not about what is going to be on the ballot.

The fate of the proposition is uncertain now, but advocates are certainly feeling rather good about their chances at present, considering the incredible number of signatures on the petition. At least until the election, Oklahoma will remain in the minority of 14 states who have yet to pass the expansion.

Twitter bans political ads among spread of misinformation After Facebook was criticized for allowing extremist ads, Twitter is taking a stand by banning all political advertisements.

Zach Short Student Writer In a move that came as a surprise to many, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that the platform will not be accepting political tweets for advertisement any longer. The decision, according to a tweet from Dorsey, alleges that it is the belief of Twitter that “political message reach should be earned, not bought.” Whether or not that is true is up to interpretation, but the move certainly ups the ante for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has come under scrutiny for a handful of issues in relation to elections.

Zuckerberg first came under heavy fire for Facebook’s role in the 2016 election, when fake news became more than just the annoying ads on shady websites, but a weaponized tool to sway voters. Evidence has been found in a plethora of locations on the social media site of fake news being pressed

by Russian sources, most of them spreading misinformation or trying to cause strife and further polarization.

Following the election, misinformation grew to become a hot topic in other areas.

Homeopathy, which at its core may seem innocuous, is now having real world consequences. Diseases that were thought to have been beaten, such as measles, are making comebacks attributed mostly to the spread of anti-vaxxer misinformation.

A similarly popular claim is that vaccines, the MMR vaccine in particular, can cause autism, which is simply untrue. Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who published the original, now popularly refuted study proposing the link has lost his medical license as a result of the falsified information.

Facebook’s response to the issue was to create a “war room” for the 2018 mid-

terms, in which a small group of employees were tasked with combating fake news.

The room also had a number of TVs tuned into major news networks to give the workers a reference for hot topics that might be posted about. Unfortunately, the move was received mostly as a PR stunt, and many frequent Facebook critics showed no sign of toning down their harsh tones. One year after the midterm election, the social media giant is under as much scrutiny as ever.

Twitter’s recent decision is a move to combat a new controversy that has risen out of Facebook’s seemingly ceaseless turmoil.

What may have started as just fake news being shared from person to person through more direct interaction has now evolved. It is now potentially a much larger problem as false information is now not only being advertised to people, but also being given the option to target certain groups with advertisement.

After Facebook released new terms for political advertisements, people quickly realized that the rules subtly allowed for the use of fake information, as there was no prohibition on the use of false information in political advertisements. Consequently, the problem of candidate and issue promotion on social media almost immediately grew into a national scandal. Elizabeth Warren responded promptly to the revelation with a promotion that led with patently false information to grab attention, only to segue into a stern discussion on the newly established rules for the platform.

The Massachusetts senator’s jab at Facebook also comes after a scandal involving Zuckerberg’s apparent sentiment toward the presidential candidate earlier this year. In a leaked audio file from a Q&A session with employees, Zuckerberg can be heard saying “You have someone like Elizabeth Warren who thinks that the right answer is to break up the companies . . . if someone’s going to try to threaten something that existential, you go to the mat and you fight.”

Creator and co-founder of Twitter, Inc. Jack Dorsey.

Twitter’s decision is certainly not one that everyone is pleased with. Donald Trump’s campaign manager Brad Parscale took to the platform shortly after the announcement with his own response.

In his official statement, Parscale writes, “Twitter just walked away from hundreds of millions of dollars of potential revenue, a very dumb decision for their stockholders. Will Twitter also be stopping ads from biased liberal media outlets who will now run unchecked as they buy obvious political content meant to attack Republicans?”

The statement continues, “This is yet another attempt to silence conservatives, since Twitter knows President Trump has the most sophisticated online program ever known.”

courtesy The DEMO Conference/Flickr

The main concern for Parscale appears to be that the rule will not be implemented fairly and that Twitter is actually taking steps to undermine conservative efforts on the platform.

As the election drama continues, all eyes are on Facebook to see whether they will adapt their conditions or reject change. It is evident that Zuckerberg feels his enterprise is threatened by some beliefs festering in the Democratic party, and action against fake news could certainly benefit people like Warren when Russian trolls and bots have a history of favoring Donald Trump. How and if Facebook will respond to their problems is still unclear at present.

Whistleblower identity under scrutiny, House subpoena ignored Whether or not the whistleblower is revealed would serve as precedent for future cases.

Caleb Pinegar Student Writer Another week has passed in the impeachment process, and events continue to unwind unpredictably. The House announced that on Wednesday, Nov. 13, public hearing will begin with a televised questioning of George Kent, a senior American diplomat, and William Taylor Jr., a top American diplomat in Ukraine, followed by another on Friday of Marie Yovanovich, former ambassador to Ukraine.

All three of the witnesses called to testify publicly have already spoken privately with investigators in closed door depositions.

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the House released the transcript of Taylor’s private testimony in which he stated that “security assistance money would not come until the president committed to pursue the investigation,” as to his understanding.

During his testimony, Taylor also revealed that Rudy Giuliani was the main proprietor in the effort to get the Ukrainian president

to publicly announce an investigation, with Yovanovich later backing that statement in her own testimony.

Chairman of the Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff announced that the public hearings will be how the American people “evaluate the witnesses for themselves, to make their own determinations about the credibility of the witnesses, but also to learn first hand about the facts of the president’s misconduct.”

More testimonies are being planned, and it is expected that more transcripts of closed door depositions will be released as the inquiry moves on.

The House continued to question top State Department employees in order to round out the narrative of what transpired.

They have called upon John Bolton, former national security advisor, to testify, but he did not appear for the scheduled testimony on Nov. 8. Bolton stated he is willing to talk only if a court rules he should ignore the White House’s objections to the hearings.

Bolton abruptly left his post in September and has since come out stating he was deeply concerned about Trump’s efforts to push the investigation in Ukraine. Bolton’s lawyer has also mentioned that Bolton knows about “many relevant meetings” in regard

to the Ukraine but has not explained what those meetings are.

Fourteen Trump officials have refused subpoenas and have failed to show for testimonies. In response, Democrats forced noncompliant witnesses to appear. Democrats pulled a subpoena for Charles Kupperman, who, like Bolton, asked a federal judge if he should appear.

Two photographs circulated by various right wing social media accounts claim to have the identity of the whistleblower.

Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have since banned any distribution of this information in order to protect the whistleblower’s identity.

The whistleblower’s lawyer, Andrew Bakaj, issued a cease and desist to the White House, telling Trump to quit attacking his client. Bakaj wrote that President Trump is “engaging in rhetoric and activity that places my client, the Intelligence Community Whistleblower and their family in physical danger.”

Many feel that the identity of the whistleblower should be revealed in case they hold a political bias, but doing so would threaten the whistleblower’s safety and establish a dangerous precedent for possible future cases related to this issue.

Misinformation about the identity of the whistleblower is still circulating around, with some believing it to be David Eldelman, a former advisor for Obama. Eldelman has since come forward, stating in a CNN interview that it would be impossible for it to be him as he left government long before the events took place. He was confronted on Twitter with people telling him to “watch his back” and that he was “as good as done for,” yet he appears unconcerned with those threats.

Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter, has come out and stated that the identity of the whistleblower is “not particularly relevant.” This differs from the belief of many Republicans who call the whistleblower a spy. Ivanka believes that the motivation behind the complaint is what is important. She feels the impeachment inquiry is an effort to “overturn the results of the 2016 election” in contrast to the Democrats’ statement that it is about abuse of power.

The public hearings will begin on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. ET. As more information comes out, it is expected that partisan issues will continue to arise, but it is clear that the House feels they have enough information to move forward.

News

11 November 2019

Nov. 1 12 p.m.

Officers responded to Chapman Hall to document and remove an unauthorized sign posted by unknown persons on an exterior door. Supplement: Additional unauthorized signs were also recovered at Fisher, Lottie Jane, John Mabee and LaFortune Halls.

2:50 p.m.

A student reported reckless driving by another student in the University Square West Apartments.

5:40 p.m.

Officers were notified of a battery that occurred between 31 OCT 2019 at approximately 10:00 p.m. and 1 NOV 2019 at approximately 2:00 a.m. at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

The victims declined to file a report with Tulsa Police at this time.

6 p.m.

Officers were notified of an unregistered party at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity that occurred on 31 OCT 2019 and was a Halloween themed event that provided alcohol to underage persons.

6 p.m.

Officers were notified of a Larceny from Person that just occurred at 11th & Tucker and located the suspect inside a Lorton Village apartment. The non-TU victims flagged down an officer to report a suspect took off with the victim’s PlayStation console during a transaction meeting and ran to Lorton Village.

Officers detained the suspect until Tulsa Police arrived and arrested the suspect for two counts of larceny from a person after admitting to stealing money during a previous transaction meeting at QuikTrip on 27 Oct 2019, see incident report 1512-19. The suspect was also trespass warned and a contact card created.

7:20 p.m.

Officers made contact with an individual entering the Zar-

The Collegian: 9

row Center during the First Friday Art Crawl wearing a poster board sign and carrying a toy gun. Officers escorted the individual out of the building and issued a trespass warning. A contact card was made.

9:55 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to Fisher Hall in response to intoxicated students. Officers made contact with both students and determined they were not intoxicated.

Nov. 2 6 p.m.

A student reported a bicycle larceny. The owner stated the bicycle was secured to the bicycle rack on 2 NOV 2019 at approximately 6:00 p.m. and was discovered missing on 3 NOV 2019 at approximately 3:40 p.m. Officers advised the student to file a report with Tulsa Police Department.

Nov. 5 3:45 p.m.

Officers made contact with a non-TU affiliate who was attempting to hop a fence in the Keplinger/Law Lot. The individual was trespass warned, escorted off campus, and a contact card was issued.

Nov. 3 1:30 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to Kappa Alpha fraternity on report of assault with pepper spray. No one witnessed the assault and bystanders were unable to provide a suspect description. The victims refused medical attention and returned home. A bystander located a can of pepper spray near the area where the assault occurred and gave the spray can to a security officer. Officers impounded the pepper spray pending the investigation.

6:50 p.m.

A student contacted campus security after nearly being hit by a vehicle entering into Chapman Stadium. Officers found a vehicle in the area that matched the description given by the student but the driver was not present.

8:45 p.m.

Officers responded to a verbal disagreement at Lorton Village Apartments. Officers made contact with two students who were not the residents of the apartment. Both students were having a mutual verbal disagreement and talked it our before returning to the proper residence.

Nov. 4 8:15 a.m.

Officers were flagged down near Fisher East in regards to suspicious activity in the Human Resources office when a non-TU affiliate entered and began asking questions that did not make sense. Officers followed the vehicle, described by the reporting party, but the vehicle was already off campus.

Officers determined no threats were made towards anyone.

1:30 p.m.

Officers towed a vehicle off campus from the Mabee East Lot. A vehicle was found parked contrary to university policy and officers verified that the vehicle had been previously tow warned. Towing of the vehicle was authorized by the on-duty supervisor and the vehicle was towed off campus without incident.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer US to leave residual force in Syria after withdrawal The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley announced this week that the United States would leave 500 to 600 troops in Syria following the withdrawal of a majority of its forces from the region. That withdrawal, a surprise once announced by President Trump over two weeks ago, will drastically reduce the United States’ presence in a region it has found difficulty working in since the Obama administration.

That remaining force would be tasked with securing some of the oil fields in eastern Syria. Though this announcement contradicts the president’s commitment to bringing all American troops in Syria home, it is directly concurrent to other moves he has made.

The same week of the Syria withdrawal announcement, Trump directed 1,800 troops to defend a group of oilfields in Saudi Arabia.

30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall Saturday Nov. 9 marked 30 years since the wall dividing West and East Berlin fell as a result of both a thawing in the Cold War and increased pressure from East Berliners.

In the cold and damp weather, over 100,000 people showed up to celebrate the anniversary at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate late into Saturday. German reunification marked an economic reinvigoration for the country as well as the conquering of the authoritarian Soviet regime that had divided the nation.

The fall of the wall and the massive protests preceding it are perhaps the most famous event symbolizing the end of the Cold War, and they also marked the end of many months of tension between East German officials and those living in Berlin. Though no significant protests are currently occurring in Berlin, its most famous was a model for many of the major protest movements since.

First official casualty of Hong Kong protests A 22-year-old university student protester from Hong Kong has died, marking the first confirmed death related to the protests since they began six months ago. Chow Tszlok, a second-year computer science student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, suffered a severe brain injury after falling from the third floor of a parking garage on Nov. 4. Chow died of his injuries on the morning of Nov. 8.

Chow had been in a coma after being rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong early Monday morning. The circumstances of the fall are somewhat unclear, although several early news reports claimed that Chow was running from tear gas that police had fired into the parking garage while trying to disperse protestors. This event has led has contributed to already-strained tensions between the protestors and Hong Kong police, as the details of the events that caused to Chow’s life-threatening injuries remain murky at best.

3:15 p.m.

A student reported their bicycle stolen between 01 NOV 2019 at approximately 5:00 p.m. and 03 NOV 2019 at approximately 7:00 p.m.. The chain and lock that secured the bicycle were also taken. The individual was encouraged to file a report with Tulsa Police Department.

4:20 p.m.

An individual reported a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident that occurred in the Mabee West Lot between 07:20 a.m. and 3:50 p.m.

Nov. 6 5:10 a.m.

Officers conducted a pedestrian check at Hardesty Hall and determined the individual was a non affiliate of the university. The individual was trespass warned, escorted off campus, and a contact card was created.

1:50 p.m.

Officers administered a pedestrian check on an unknown individual who was hitting themselves in the head and talking to themselves. The individual was found not to be a university affiliate. A trespass warning and contact card were issued. The individual was explained the boundaries of the university and escorted off property.

9:25 p.m.

Two students were involved in a non-injury motor vehicle accident at 8th and Tucker Dr. Officers facilitated an exchange of information and explained how to file a report with Tulsa Police Department if they wished to do so.

Nov. 7 10:55 a.m.

Officers escorted a student from their Mayo Village residence to Holmes Student Center.

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

Tuesday, Nov. 12 - Friday, Nov. 15 Hardesty Holmes Student Center, Room 1100 I Bombed My Midterm…Now What?

You thought you were prepared for your midterms; but your scores were less than desirable. Attend this workshop to examine how you prepared for your first exams and to learn concrete, effective learning strategies to prepare you for your next exams.

The “I Bombed My Midterm…Now What?” workshop will be offered three different times in Hardesty Holmes Student Center, Room 1100 – • Tuesday, November 12 from 12:00-12:50 PM • Thursday, November 14 from 5:00-5:50 PM • Friday, November 15 from 12:00-12:50 PM Tuesday, Nov. 12 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Lorton Performance Center, Gussman Hall Isis King of America’s Next Top Model Come listen to Isis King, one of the first openly trans models on “America’s Next Top Model” and actress in the Emmy-winning Netflix series “When They See Us,” discuss her physical/mental transformation, television career and her perspective on the current climate of trans rights and acceptance.

Wednesday, Nov. 13 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Great Hall Peace Corps Information Session Stop by the Peace Corps Information Session to get general information, the application process, benefits during and after services, tips for putting forth a competitive application, and a Q&A at the end.

Friday, Nov. 15 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

College of Law, Price and Turpen Courtroom Richard B. Risk CLE Practicum Series: Hugh M. Robert, featured speaker Guest speaker, Hugh M. Robert (BA ’98, JD ’08), will present “Non-Profits and the Law: Board Duties and Ethical Considerations for Serving on Non-Profit Boards.”

Hugh is a principal attorney with Sherwood, McCormick & Robert, a Tulsa law firm. His practice focuses on complex litigation cases including business transactions, business torts, business dissolution, nursing home negligence, real estate transactions, and condemnation. He also represents and works with non-profit foundations and organizations advising them on state and federal compliance issues, policy and procedure best practices, intellectual property and licensing, and board governance issues.

The event is free and open to the public and one ethics CLE credit may be earned free of charge. Lunch will be provided first come, first served basis. RSVP required: tulawalumni@utulsa.edu Friday, Nov. 15 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Great Hall 2019 International Bazaar Join us as the Association of International Students host the annual International Bazaar! This event will demonstrate some of the defining qualities of several cultural groups. Various organizations on campus will serve traditional foods from different countries and participate in the Parade of Nations. This year’s theme will be The Golden Age, so invite your friends to enjoy a golden night filled with food and fun!

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

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

The Collegian: 10

Commentary

11 November 2019

Global protests show a world in rebellion

Though these protests vary in cause, they all seek to bring about change in drastic ways.

Brayden McCoy Student Writer Here in the United States, not all that much is happening in regard to conflict and change. A few climate protests, a visit from Greta Thunberg and some more booing of Trump have been things we’ve seen in the last few months. However, the rest of the world is a different story.

Across the world, massive protests and riots are breaking out, or have been raging for weeks, months or nearly a year. The most notable and currently reported on are the Hong Kong protests, which began after the introduction of a law that would give the Chinese government the right to extradite and try Hong Kong residents in mainland China. The protests quickly grew in size and the purpose drastically shifted to a prodemocracy rallying cry.

The protests began in June and quickly heated to a boiling point, with protesters

throwing rocks and petrol bombs, and police responding in turn with tear gas. A new level of tension was reached in early October when a policeman shot a protestor in the chest, which was the first use of live rounds in the long, heated conflict.

These protests gained an incredible amount of visibility after NBA executive Daryl Morey tweeted in support of the protesters and Hong Kong, which, surprisingly, drew reprimanding comments from stars like Lebron James and the basketball organization itself.

In late September and early October, protests broke out in Indonesia, particularly Jakarta, after a new criminal code was announced. The code would outlaw sex outside of marriage and go as far as setting a jail sentence of six months for unmarried couples living together, which is rather oldfashioned and outdated. Most of the protesters were students who had water cannons and tear gas mercilessly fired at them, but the protests succeeded in having their Parliament delay voting on the code.

rest in the world today extends to places one wouldn’t normally think of.

Farmers in France also took to the streets to protest their country’s agricultural policy.

They held mass demonstrations twice in October, with over 10,000 protestors blocking the highways during the first demonstration on Oct. 8. However, these aren’t the only protests happening in France.

France has also seen over 48 consecutive weeks of protest by the “yellow vest” demonstrators. During the Global Climate Strike in September, they were also joined by their anarchist counterparts, the “Black Blocs” and after things turned violent, about 7,500 police had to be sent in to subdue things.

They are expecting a massive turnout Nov. 17, which is the anniversary of the yellow vests movement.

To make matters worse, firefighters and policemen in Paris are also protesting. They are protesting for better living conditions and benefits, as Paris has seen a steady number of Officer suicides both this year and last. Protests striking out at the government

“Many claim that violence and such methods are no way to create change.”

Farmers in the Netherlands protested multiple times in October by rallying and blocking highways with their tractors. This was a result of Dutch Parliament members claiming that cattle farms in the Netherlands were causing too many emissions.

These protests, while small and non-violent, show that the political and economical un-

also rage in the countries of Haiti, Peru and Lebanon. These range between a few similar reasons that generally point to government incompetence and corruption.

Small scale protests have broken out in England by the “Extinction Rebellion” group who are upset by Parliament’s lack of action in regard to the climate crisis,

and protests are expected in Iraq due to the Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi because of the government’s inability to improve conditions like unemployment and public services.

Even with all of these protests across the globe, one of the fiercest yet is the rioting in Chile. It started with a simple student protest over the government raising subway fares by 3 percent but quickly escalated as students began hopping lines for free rides and the protest swept the nation. Then it picked up momentum, morphing into the protest it is now, a nationwide uprising demanding immediate economical and political changes. Despite emergency measures and the replacement of political leaders by the Chilean President, the riots still rage with at least 18 deaths and countless arrests amid massive outbreaks of violence and arson.

The people of Chile continue their uprising claiming “we are subjugated by the rich. It’s time for that to end,” according to The Guardian. Through all of this a few overarching connections can be made. The government is the catalyst behind most of these protests. The world is tired of inaction, tired of contentment and tired of those who would stand above them and limit their opportunities, limit their fate.

People are rallying behind change, behind progress. Many claim that violence and such methods are no way to create change. While there is some truth to this, not all change can be achieved in the same peaceful manner of the great historical figures of Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi and Rosa Parks to name a few. The world is taking action, and change is coming.

New York subway fare enforcement punitive and concerning

The meausres taken by Gov. Cuomo will disproportionately hurt racial minorities in the city.

Nora Bethune Student Writer On Oct. 25, a swarm of police officers pointed their guns on a black man sitting on a train full of civilians. The police officers then swarmed in and forcefully pushed him to the ground, arresting him. Another video showed a group of police officers engaging in a fight with multiple black and Latino teenagers, one of the police officers punching a black teen in the face.

Both confrontations were because of fare evasion, and both videos have amassed

thousands of shares on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The video has now become the catalyst for protests and demonstrations New York civilians are taking against the racially unjust lengths New York is going through to deter fare evasion. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is hiring 500 more officers for the subways that are not required to wear body cams. There have been plans put in place to install cameras in every subway station.

This plan will require more than $250 million a year in its proposed capital plan.

on the police officers have the public worried, because this can lead to more reckless and dangerous behavior exhibited by the NYPD. There have been protests and demonstrations both on the subways and on the streets, two of them being the masses jumping over the turnstiles and marching in the streets chanting “No NYPD in the MTA!” With these additional obstacles the NYPD is putting in place, it’s almost like they are starting an unfair fight on the impoverished citizens of New York. The New York State government and the NYPD would rather

“Citizens are being forced to choose between getting to work and school or breaking the law.”

Even if the installation of more cops and cameras could help deter crimes like robberies and possible assault, the citizens of New York are concerned and upset with these adjustments because these actions seem to be racially charged. The impoverished citizens of New York, who are mainly minorities, are most at risk of being charged with fare evasion and more likely to be victims of police brutality. The lack of body cams required

spend more money fighting fare evasion than brush off the yearly amount of money they lose because of fare evasion. With the money they are willing to spend, they could lower the price of the fare, making it easier for the citizens of New York to get around. New York is criminalizing something that people from low income households are likely to do, thus giving police a reason to be rough, because the fare evaders

are “criminals.” Citizens are being forced to choose between getting to work and school or breaking the law.

The people of New York aren’t necessarily marching for the price of bus fare to be lowered, but are mainly acting in response to the acts of police brutality that are carried out on fare evaders and turnstile jumpers. A protestor stated they’re “marching against the brutality of the police in the black community” and “I jump every day, that’s why I’m here.”’ For something like fare evasion, in the long run there is money being lost, but not as much as business that will be lost from people avoiding public transportation and the money that’s being used through the additional police officers and the installation of security cameras everywhere.

The amount of money being spent on something as miniscule as fare evasion in comparison to poverty, homelessness and police brutality is unsettling. Making it harder for the poor and homeless to have transportation instead of combating the things that make them poor and homeless is counterintuitive to the progression New York should be striving for.

Success of IS raid likely to boost morale of Trump supporters

The president’s use of “dog” as an insult has drawn the attention of many.

A. C. Boyle Student Writer On Saturday Oct. 26 a raid conducted between the United States and Kurdish intelligence resulted in the death of ISIS leader and founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The raid was conducted at al-Baghdadi’s compound in Northern Syria.

Trump quickly made the announcement of Baghdadi’s death to the media, doing so in his usual unapologetic, bombastic flair.

Trump called him a “sick and sadistic man,” adding that “he died like a dog, he died like a coward.” Trump also said that it was “a very successful, flawless raid.”

One controversy surrounding the raid came in the form of the strange emphasis on the canine in Trump’s announcements. During his announcement of Baghdadi’s death, he referred to the IS leader as a “dog,” in a derogatory fashion.

This might have been done as a form of psychological propaganda, given that many extremist Muslims see dogs as unclean, and making this connection might have been a way to dissuade would-be extremists from sympathising with Baghdadi. But then came the tweet on Oct. 28, in which Trump posted the picture

of the K-9 “hero” who helped sniff out the compound and contribute to Baghdadi’s death, getting injured in the process. Trump declassified the picture of the dog on Twitter, but did not initially give out his name for security reasons. The dog’s name – Conan – was later released to the public, and he is indeed a very good boy. He will visit the White House sometime next week. Trump followed up this canine rant with another one soon after, on an entirely different battlefront. On Nov. 1, shortly after Democratic Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, President Trump gave a rally in which he added to his tally of canine epithets by saying of O’Rourke that “he quit like a dog.”

This canine trend isn’t a coincidence or a case of grasping at straws, but a real trend,

by Donald Trump. It is also worth noting that Trump is the first president in a century to not have a dog of his own. The last was William McKinley.

inform prominent government officials, including Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, and Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff. McConnell was not bothered by this, noting that Obama kept him out of the loop when Bin Laden was killed in 2011. However, Pelosi and Schiff were upset and promptly criticised Trump for it. Trump explained his decision not to notify Democrats by calling Schiff “A leaker like nobody’s seen before”.

Of course, the U.S. had to inform Russia and Turkey, who hated Baghdadi as much as we did, about the raid, so that we wouldn’t violate their airspace and kick off a third world war in the process, but Trump’s decision to play this one close to his chest is indicative of these divisive and distrustful times, and of his reticence to work with a group attempting to impeach him in the House and Senate. Another controversial incident took place in the form of a Washington Post headline that was stealth edited after its

“Al-Baghdadi was anything but an ‘austere religious scholar.’”

On the one hand, while I can certainly get calling a mass murderer a “dog,” it seems very wrong to call a political opponent of yours a “dog,” for reasons that should be obvious. Trump is an unapologetic person who speaks his mind, the single greatest source of his popularity, but there is such a thing as tact. Even if you dislike O’Rourke and his policies, I don’t think it would be smart to repeat those things as the sitting president.

If Jimmy Carter had called a political opponent a dog, it would have gone down as his most controversial moment.

Additionally, the process of conducting the raid, Trump informed the SDF, Russia and Turkey of the operation, but he did not

release, prompting backlash from several pundits. The headline originally read: “Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, Islamic State’s TerroristIn-Chief, dies at 48.” It was then changed to: “Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, Austere Religious Scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48.”

The difference should be blatant and disturbing to all. Al-Baghdadi was anything but an ‘austere religious scholar.’ Several formally trained Islamic Scholars were quick to condemn him and IS’s practices as “un-Islamic” when the terrorist group gained ground, and started perpetrating – or claiming responsibility for – terrorist attacks in the west. On top of this, the man was responsible for a wide scale campaign of sexual enslavement

of women, and even had sex slaves of his own, whom he repeatedly raped and then murdered. If he’s an “austere scholar,” then the Unabomber was a “clever inventor” too.

Of course, the backlash prompted the Washington Post to apologize and change the headline back to what it should have been, but the decision to sanitize this evil man’s deeds is still baffling. Did the Washington Post not want to be seen as Islamophobic for condemming a man who orchestrated the mass murder of Shia Muslims in Iraq? Moreover, why were they so kind with Baghdadi, when they repeatedly use harsher words on Trump? This is this kind of rhetoric and behavior that leads to Trump and his supporters calling the media “fake news,” and it is also why trust in the media and in journalists is at an all-time low. If you don’t want this president to have another four years in the White House, then this kind of journalistic stealth editing needs to stop – and it needs to stop anyways, because it is morally wrong, misleading, manipulative and foolish. You know that people can screencap these articles, right? If you don’t provide full transparency to any changes, redactions or alterations to your content after its release, then you are being journalistically unethical.

In the meantime, criticism and support for Trump’s operation and his subsequent handling of it– as well as the rhetoric surrounding it with Beto and Schiff– will no doubt remain split along ideological lines, with those in Trump’s camp relentlessly supporting him, and those outside relentlessly critiquing him. But it is likely that this operation will give Trump the same boost in morale and centrist support that Obama received when his men killed Bin Laden, and Trump certainly needs it as this divisive and inflammatory impeachment battle rages on, and his future in the White House remains uncertain.

11 November 2019

“OK boomer” follows horseshoe theory

Millenials and boomers mock each other in similar ways.

Dominic Cingoranelli

Student Writer

Watching arguments between these two generations is kind of like watching Instagram influencers flock to Chernobyl ⁠—they’re both rife with cancer. All this has happened before, and all this will happen again. From Hesiod’s “Ages of Man” and the deterioration seen there to the Biblical Fall of Man, the notion of finding other people to blame for worldly problems is a notion deeply embedded in human nature: “I’m not going to go to bed at a reasonable hour”, I often tell myself, “I’ll be tired tomorrow, but you know what? Tomorrow’s problems will be dealt with by tomorrow’s me.”

Since rarely any individual, let alone an entire generation, is willing to accept responsibility for their circumstances, it is no surprise that there is enmity between the baby boomer generation and younger generations.

“OK, boomer,’’ I hear you saying, “quit trying to defend the generation which was given everything, and has spent their time making sure that those who come after will have nothing.” Yeah, yeah, we’re a power in decline and this nation will never see as much opportunity as it did in past generations. Blaming anyone who bought a McMansion is not going to fix that. Conversely, blaming “kids these days” for spending too much on “avocado toast” and not being able to achieve homeownership is not going to fix the situation, either.

The Millennial generation is projected to be the first that makes less than their parents did (adjusted for inflation, of course) as well as the first generation with a lower life expectancy than the preceding generation. Not only this, but current global approval of U.S. leadership is now at 30 percent, as compared to China’s 31 percent. How is it even possible to screw up so bad that people would rather be in bed with China ⁠— a neo-colonialist power that openly operates internment camps? These are real problems which demand real solutions; discussion of these solutions is hindered by the obstinate ravings of two generations looking for a scapegoat for all of their problems.

The inevitable friction between generations has only been exacerbated by the existence of the internet, which has been both a blessing and a curse. It has created an environment where the sum of all information available to humanity can be accessed by anyone at any time. Because of the Internet, I know that the global population is probably going to peak circa 2100 and then it will gradually atrophy for the foreseeable future; that’s very useful information, I’d say.

Most people, however, don’t use the internet just for information gathering ⁠— most people use the internet to argue with 14-year-olds in Russia about whether or not Minecraft will ever get a cave update, or something similarly fulfilling.

Even when people do use this incredible tool to inform themselves, they don’t do so in an objective and dispassionate way, they use the internet to find echo chambers that they deem to be to their liking. This has created an environment where Boomers propagate minion memes amongst themselves about how “technology bad,” and Millennials and Gen Z are now responding in kind with a slew of “OK boomer.” In lieu of generations using the wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and working towards a solution for some of the aforementioned problems, we have a retiring generation of ignoramuses, most of whom probably don’t know what an IP address is, and a rising generation of petulant selfproclaimed victims, most of whom are every bit as shortsighted and self-centered as the boomers they despise.

I do not mean to insult either generation by calling them stupid, because all humans would act the same way in either position.

Human nature is to favor ideas and plans which benefit oneself, which is why lower-income people are almost always fiscally liberal whereas the wealthy are almost always fiscally conservative. In fact, the Boomer generation was once in almost the exact situation in which millennials now find themselves.

In the midst of counterculture, activist Jack Weinberg is quoted as saying, “Never trust anyone over 30,” which is essentially a less meme-able version of “OK boomer.” When it was convenient for boomers to mistrust authority, they were distrustful of authority.

Now that shaking their fists at them darn kids is more convenient for the generation’s collective ego, that’s the stance they’ve taken, and in 30 years or so that’s the stance that millennials will take.

Here’s a quote which perfectly illustrates this generational cycle, from The Simpsons, of all places: “I used to be with it, but then they changed what ‘it’ was.

Now, what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary to me. It’ll happen to you.”

These generations resemble each other more than either one of them is willing to admit, and the more extreme their enmity, the more I think that horseshoe theory is, in many ways, an accurate model of political discourse.

Horseshoe theory, in a nutshell, states that the farther right you go, and the farther left you go, the more these two ideologies resemble each other. Think back to when you had to read Animal Farm in eighth grade, and the pigs and humans were blurred so that nobody could tell which was which.

Although I wouldn’t entirely subscribe to this, it seems that these two generations, even though they are ideological opposites, resemble each other behaviorally.

Neither generation has a visibly substantial population willing to engage in civil discourse, instead participating in an increasingly toxic “blame war” where they invent ways to pin all of their problems on other people.

They both use humor as a means of propagating their opinions; “Boomer comics” and modern memes are fundamentally the same, both being bite-sized humorous bits of content predominantly spread online in the modern era. Worst of all, they both participate in willful ignorance.

Commentary Unless you’re an antivaxxer or a Kardashian, you probably have something worthwhile to say, and your perspective is probably worth considering. However, as evidenced by the dismissive and obstinate language used to address the opposing generation and by the emphasis on generation-

al echo chambers, this is not a notion which has seen its due consideration in either of these cultures.

I’d like to conclude with a modicum of John F. Kennedy’s wisdom: “Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.

What unites us is far greater than what divides us.”

“OK Boomer” a justified joke for a pitiful generation

Boomers have labeled younger generations many times themselves.

Caleb Pinegar

Student Writer Generation Z has started a war against the Boomers with the phrase “OK boomer.” Many people of the now older generation take offense to this phrase, with some going so far to claim it’s a slur. But when the older generations have called us actually harmful terms like “snowflakes” and “lazy kids,” it’s hard to take their claim of offense seriously. Many millennials have also latched onto the phrase, with some even claiming that they started it.

“OK boomer” began in late 2018 on Tiktok, but it only recently became a viral sensation when news articles began to be published about it. The meme many older people feel uncomfortable and that they were being made fun of. The reason for the phrases existence stems from the fact that many younger people feel that they were being ignored and condescended to. Many times well-considered l political arguments from younger people would only be responded to by older people with “you’re too young to know what you’re talking about.”

This is the younger generations come back to the idea that they don’t know anything. Instead of tirelessly fighting against rascist, homophobic or just plain ignorant claims, younger people have decided to ignore them. Many young people have had those arguments with their parents and still continued to be ignored, saying “OK boomer” turns those tides and puts it back on the older generation.

It’s ironic that baby boomers are upset at this term when they tried to

name younger generations things like generation me, IGen or, as one baby boomer suggested once, “thumbies.” Boomer refers to what they are and the ideas that many of their generation hold. It’s a form of call out for when someone says something idiotic or ignorant. Is it offensive? A little.

But being told that your entire generation is “snowflakes” because we want true equality in our lives is a little bit more offensive.

Millenials and Gen Z are the most diverse and educated generations within America and have recognized the ignorance of the generations before them.

Choosing to call out these backwards ideas shouldn’t be a problem. Being told “OK boomer” after saying something racist should make you feel bad, because the racist thing you just said made someone else feel even worse and possibly even dehumanized them.

Baby boomers are uncomfortable at the prospect of younger people being in power and outnumbering them. Younger people have always thought that older generations were wrong or uneducated, and older people always see those younger than them as children.

The children that boomers used to see have grown up in a world filled with unjust policies and are tired of living in a society where that’s okay.

This isn’t an attack on the entirety of the generations preceding them, it’s specifically against those that complain about the younger generation changing the world for the better. We’re tired of hearing “back in my day” in order to support an ideology that hurts people.

We’re tired of hearing “kids these days are so sensitive” and that we’re all “special snowflakes.”

The arguments that the younger generation have given, yelled about and even died for have been ignored by people. Saying “OK boomer” is an acknowledgement that your outdated and offensive idea has been heard, and it’s being ignored.

courtesy Flickr Baby boomers make up much of the recent political leadership.

The Collegian: 11

Boomer jokes a result of a world full of problems

Few generations had it as good as the boomers.

Adam Walsh

Student Writer Well, this is probably the closest I can get to a satire article in the commentary section.

With each of these articles, I always try to go and look through other pieces of information, following what carries my interest and letting my mind wander in the direction it goes. While looking up supplementary details on the generational breaks, the starting and ending years, I came to one overwhelming conclusion: Boomers had it easy, but they did not attempt to preserve those good times for their children. They showed their trademark selfish and prideful streak, believing that they were solely responsible for that economic growth and social change.

In their hubris, they forget how much of their wealth and fun came from a different generation’s struggles.

With a high GDP, fair taxes, cheap products and an ever-increasing market of entertainment, those born between 1946 and 1964 were gifted a prime opportunity in economic, social, medical, political and every other world possible. Things were looking up. The Second World War had recently ended, and the men and women among the nations were hopeful for a world of peace, instilling that deep sense of optimism into their boomer children, which were notably disconnected from the horrors of the war.

American hegemony was at its highest peak, intimating a time of peace, and even though the Cold War was an omnipresent aspect of the latter half of the 20th century, well, we live in an age now of school shootings and the potential collapse of the American regime, with the continuous threat of nuclear arms not really helping the situation.

I am simply unimpressed by the struggles of the Boomers. They were handed an excellent post-secondary school situation, limited inflation, cheap housing, a bevy of scientific discoveries paving the way for new jobs and a government that was relatively stable and honest compared to current days.

I volunteer with a group of highschoolers each week, and the beautiful part of this particular group is that we often tackle subjects that others do not. Hard stuff.

The difficult side of life and what one can do to make it a brighter place, and that is an exceedingly hard group to lead because I’m not exactly optimistic for the future. If pressed, I couldn’t tell you where I expect to be in 30 years, nor in 20, nor in 10, five, one. I don’t have faith in the greater world. Everything seems to be falling apart. The United States government is having a stroke, Brexit hasn’t moved an inch and most people have no consistency in their life. Free time? Who has that? The ability to take care of myself? Nope. I

have work to do for my two degrees that don’t guarantee a decently paying job. My free time is still spent doing activities that help others so I don’t go home and fall into a depressive spiral or another nervous breakdown about my future.

Meanwhile, a generation that had it easy tells me my mental illness isn’t real.

OK boomer, let’s compare traumas, then we’ll see who has more worldly experience.

If I’m being honest, there is always the terrifying thought in the back of my head that some group of old white men will do something heinous and ruin my life, that the dispassionate so-called leaders of the world will become even more disconnected from the problems of everyday people. Boomers grew up with parents that had time for them, with a future that paved the way for success and wealth. I am not saying that the Boomers do not deserve their success, but I am saying that they should keep their money grubbing hands off my future. My life is not a tool to be used by an old man or woman to ensure the continuation of their dynasty. Boomers need to get out of politics, of economics, of the housing market, of everything. Their laissezfaire capitalist policies that have driven my father and mother into the dirt trying to provide for my sister and me can shove off.

Is it spiteful? Yes, it is, but if some old man that lives in the lap of luxury tries to tell me one more time that I only need a better work ethic to succeed and that he did it all on his own, I will gladly tell him “OK boomer” and then ignore him. These individuals that proclaim their own strength and merit are nothing more than bratty children. They did not have to deal with crushing student loan debt like current generations, they do not have to deal with the decay of the American hegemony, because they’ll be dead by the time it rolls around, same thing with climate change. Greta Thunberg was right when she said that the old fat cat boomers are stealing her childhood. For such wise, experienced and successful individuals, the vast majority of boomers are woefully ignorant to the struggles of modern times.

How many boomers have to live through the constant deluge of sadness brought in front of our eyes? How many boomers grew up in the insistent fear that one will never make it? How many of them are self-sufficient? So I will make fun of them, the bad ones. Some boomers are good and great people, but the selfish streak that permeates the majority of that generation is vile and disgusting.

That’s why I make jokes.

That’s why I try to make people smile. That’s why I give random gifts to people.

Make cookies, lead groups, make a fool of myself, because humor is all that we have. The world’s screwed.

Eventually, inevitably, someone older than I, believing themselves to be a great leader of men, will make a decision in their hubris that damns the rest of us. These little memes are all that we have to fight back against those decisions. There is one rule on the Internet in relation to memery: talk shit, get hit.

The Collegian: 12

Commentary

11 November 2019

New Emmett Till memorial doesn’t solve the problems that made it neccesary

Students have protested the lack of action by lawmakers regarding white supremacists.

Nora Bethune Student Writer Emmett Louis Till was only 14 years old when he was lynched by a group of men after a white woman accused him of flirting with her in the store. After the group murdered him, they dumped his body in a river, and, when he was found, his face was unrecognizable. His death caused an outrage, and posthumously Till became an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. In a 2008 interview Carolyn Bryant, the white woman who accused him of flirting and whistling at her, admitted that the whole story was fabricated.

50 years following Emmett Till’s death, a memorial in his honor was erected on the edge of the Tallahatchie River where his body was found. Even though this was a harmless memorial, simply an indicator of the dark past that occurred in Mississippi, it has gained notoriety for being defaced and disrespected.

The memorial plaque was constantly riddled with bullet holes, and white supremacists would pose next to it, holding guns and smiling, posting it to social media platforms like Instagram. In October, there was a scandal of Ole Miss students posing with firearms, and the students were only suspended.

There was outrage surrounding this because many argued that the students should be charged with damaging government property and expelled from Ole Miss. Despite the white supremacists being caught, there have been subsequent instances of vandalism. The memorial had been defaced and vandalized more than five times.

On Oct. 20, it was announced that a bulletproof sign would replace the current one. Made of AR500 steel and covered in an acrylic panel that’s three-quarters of an inch thick, it was created to withstand a rifle round. In addition to this, a group of black students attending Ole Miss marched the old bullet riddled memorial and put it at the base of a confederate statue on Ole Miss’ campus, as a protest to take the confederate statue down.

Although the creation of a bulletproof memorial is an excellent way to both honor Emmett Till’s life and a way to keep it from getting vandalized, it is still extremely sickening that something like shooting up the sign was such a common thing. Students who posed with the bullet riddled sign smiling posted the picture to their Instagram, and the students have only been suspended for their racist actions. Many black students have stated how uncomfortable and unsafe they feel on the campus of Ole Miss, and how racism on the campus is ignored by many.

It’s shameful that there must be a bulletproof exhibit in the first place and that the students of Ole Miss are the ones taking a stand and protesting instead of law enforcement or the faculty of the university. It is a representation of the generations of violence against minorities and racism that is deeply embedded in the culture and history of Ole Miss and the south in general. But regardless, this is one step forward in the right direction: combatting and fighting racism and prejudice so future generations won’t have to go through it either.

Tulsa’s push to become the cybersecurity hub of the nation, unlikely to suceed

The logic of the plan is sound, but Tulsa just lacks what bigger cities can bring to the table.

Adam Walsh Student Writer Surprise! Clancy wants to make Tulsa a cybersec Mecca! While others might remark on how the TU bachelor programs in cybersecurity were created without faculty senate approval and how that could unintentionally affect accreditation, I am more interested in the possibility of this whole shindig working. For the uninitiated, one of President Clancy’s primary goals as president of TU is to make Tulsa more relevant in the grand scheme of American economics. Considering that Oklahoma lacks many of the geographic features that would help with economic development, namely an ocean and, you know, being in the middle of nowhere, one can reasonably doubt his dream. Clancy wants to emulate the great port cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City, but while those cities focus on movie making, technological innovation and high value stock exchanges, Clancy wants Tulsa to grow into a cybersecurity hotspot.

Rumors relating to this venture have circulated in Tulsa for several years, with hints and various statements claiming that Clancy is currently courting the United States Departments of Justice and Homeland Security for lucrative cybersec contracts, as well as the potential development of TU property on Sixth Street with the help of the George Kaiser Foundation.

Oddly enough, I agree with the idea.

Tulsa cannot adequately compete with huge coastal cities like New York City or Hollywood; Tulsa simply cannot enter into a capitalist clash over an already established field. Cybersecurity, while part of a booming internet craze over the past two decades, does not have a de facto home yet. The closest thing to a cybercenter is Minneapolis, Minnesota, where a cybersecurity summit is held annually. Somewhere like Dallas also seems to be looking into the cybersecurity race, but Tulsa has a real chance, depending on how the contracts pan out, to be the place to be for cybersec. With cities scrambling to be the first to the pie, Tulsa has a real chance

of zooming out ahead of them, claiming a right as an important industry capital.

However, even though I agree with the general thrust of Clancy’s idea, I fail to see how it would succeed.

Let’s take a little historical look at globalization. Now, the g-word is a little occult in certain circles, because it lacks a real, concrete definition, but, for the purposes of this article, simply think of it as allowing distant groups to work together. When globalization and modernization ballooned after the birth of the internet, many economists anticipated a huge boom in any worktype that could be supported by instant communication. The belief was that one no longer needed to work in a stationary company headquarters ⁠— that they could instead work from home through the power of the web. However, as time passed, economists realized that for all the wonderful innovations the internet brought, individuals in like fields still grouped up, moving together into a segmented area. Think of those cities mentioned earlier. With the power of instant communication, why do script writers still live in expensive Hollywood suburbs? Who wants to pay to live in Manhattan as a stockbroker? Can’t the internet allow each of the workers to reside elsewhere? Bay area web developers could still sit in the comfort of their mother’s basement, but choose to live in the, again, overwhelmingly expensive San Francisco peninsula.

Because they still need that human contact.

That’s the answer that is widely accepted; there is something about being near one’s peers, teachers and bosses that ignites the competitive, industrious spirit. It simply works. Humans need real, physical human contact. Of course, in this situation Clancy has no real competition, but Tulsa is far from the centers of power necessary for this specialization. If he’s courting the U.S. Federal Government, why wouldn’t the Feds choose to send their contracts to Arlington or somewhere close to Washington D.C.? The linchpin behind the criticism of globalization is that humanity is not purely rational. Certain industries need to be in certain places near certain other industries.

Creating one’s own economic center does not work if one cannot draw the industries necessary to create a self-sufficient supply chain. For the federal government specifically, wouldn’t senators and representatives want to be near the guys behind the keyboards? It would make for easier conversations and allow secure discussions without possibly compromised tech. And, we all know how much politicians love keeping people under their thumb.

It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see if it pays off.

The older memorials acted as symbols of the racism still present in America.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Permitless carry bill unlikely to affect gun related crime rates

Though supporters and critics of the law have labeled it the end all of gun laws, that simply isn’t true.

Dominic Cingoranelli Student Writer Oklahoma House Bill 2597, which was passed in February and went into effect recently, legalizes permitless carry (also known as constitutional carry) of firearms for anyone who is allowed to own a firearm.

To some, this is a massive red flag (pun intended) and to others, this is a long-overdue recognition of constitutional rights. Ultimately, I think it will change very little.

First, it is important to look at exactly what HB2597 actually says. Section 1 of this bill authorizes permitless open or concealed carry of a loaded or unloaded firearm, provided that the person in question is over 21 years old or an honorably discharged military veteran older than 18 who has not been convicted of assault or battery, domestic abuse, stalking, violation of restraining orders or illegal drug possession or use.

Section 2 prohibits firearms from being carried inside government buildings and inside parks and wildlife refuges, inside schools (including universities), at sporting events and in casinos. However, this prohibition is null for parking areas of these, meaning that one may have a firearm in his or her car. However, the weapon must be completely out of view and the vehicle must be locked if at one of these parking places.

over must tell the officer that they have a weapon if they are asked. Depending on which of the above was violated, punishments range from fines of $70 to $250.

Based on this (which, needless to say, was all pulled straight from the final version of the bill available on the Oklahoma State Legislature website), I don’t believe that gun crime will increase or decrease as a direct result of this legislation. This legislation does not allow your dad with a beer belly to traipse into an elementary school with a glock sticking out of his waistband; more than anything else, what this really does is allow people to keep firearms in their vehicles wherever they go. Let’s look at some statistics: According to World Population Review, 14 states now allow constitutional carry.

Looking at all of them would be very tedious, and honestly I don’t get paid enough to be that rigorous, but the following information is from Business Insider if you want to verify it yourself. From 1991 to 2015, homicide rates fell by 37 percent in Arkansas, 36 percent in Arizona, and 22 percent in New Hampshire, but rose by 83.8 percent in Alaska and 19.8 percent in Oklahoma; all of those states have allowed open carry. Interestingly, Delaware — which does not allow open carry and has 39 separate gun provisions as compared to Oklahoma’s 10 — saw a massive increase of 184.7 percent. Minnesota, which has 41 separate gun control provisions and does not allow permitless carry, saw an increase of 22.1 percent.

Based on this, it seems that there is no statistically significant correlation between open carry laws and gun crime. Instead, these percentages must be explained by a rigorous, case-by-case analysis. Looking at Alaska, for instance, the large increase in violent crime is correlated with factors like increased alcohol abuse and a rising cost of living, along with the psychological effects of seasonal 23-hour nights and relative isolation.

“... there is no statistically significant correlation between open carry laws and gun crime.”

Section 3 says that convicted felons in other states cannot carry weapons legally unless they were pardoned and it was a nonviolent felony. Furthermore, section 3 states that none of this applies to illegal immigrants, and that a $250 fine is the penalty if an illegal immigrant is carrying an unlicensed firearm. Section 4 states when permitless carry actually does apply ⁠— basically, anywhere where the property owners allow it to be so. Section 5 says that anyone who has a weapon in a vehicle and is pulled

House Bill 2597 is really not the end of the world. Gun crime in Oklahoma will probably continue to increase, but I am of the opinion that this legislation won’t impact that in any substantial way. It’s not nearly as significant as it is made out to be.

In theory, it seems like this would lead to a catastrophic increase in violent gun crime, but in practice it doesn’t have the adverse effects one might associate with deregulation of firearms.

Critics of the bill claim it is a further loosening of gun restrictions.

courtesy Flickr

11 November 2019

Variety

The Collegian: 13

My Chemical Romance welcomed back to the Black Parade While its members pursued solo careers after the band’s separation, the alternative rock band announced a reunion concert.

Caleb Pinegar Student Writer Maddie Walters Student Writer My Chemical Romance announced on Oct. 31 that they will be having a reunion concert in LA on Dec. 20. The band, which split up in 2013, has been a favorite of emo kids all around the world, and this news shocked millions. Tickets went on sale on Nov. 1 and sold out almost immediately.

Though the band has yet to announce any additional shows within North America, they have confirmed they will be playing Download Festival in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia as well as shows in New Zealand and Japan.

My Chemical Romance’s main drummer during the height of their popularity, Bob Bryar, will not be joining them again.

Instead it has been confirmed that Jarrod Alexander, who played with the band in September 2011 will be coming on as the drummer for the reunion.

Since the announcement of their reunion, the band has since found their way back on the charts. Billboard’s Lyric Find Chart, which tracks the number of times a lyric is searched, found “Welcome to the Black Parade” hitting no. 5 with a 376 percent increase in the past week with “Helena” reaching no. 10 and a 257 percent increase in searches. MCR also made an appearance in Billboard’s social chart for the first time since 2016 debuting at no. 41.

Some old MCR fans are concerned about the reunion, worried that the band they loved as a kid will disappoint or not hold up to old standards, while others are ecstatic to have them back. No matter how you feel though, this is a momentous occasion for emo kids everywhere, and it’s good to feel a little nostalgic and celebrate the anthems of misunderstood teenagers everywhere.

Since My Chemical Romance’s hiatus, the members of the band have all kept themselves busy. Each member of the band has released an album of their own, among other things.

Gerard Way, the lead singer, released his first solo album, “Hesitant Alien,” in

2014. He has also released multiple singles throughout the years. Last year, he released “Dasher,” “Getting Down the Germs” and “Baby You’re a Haunted House.”

All the members have stayed connected through the years by working on songs together and meeting for barbeques. “Getting Down the Germs” was a collaboration with Ray Toro, the lead guitarist of My Chemical Romance. “Baby You’re a Haunted House” features Mikey Way on bass, Gerard’s brother and bass guitar player of My Chemical Romance.

He has also released two singles this year. “Happy Together” and “Hazy Shade of Winter” are both songs he covered for the soundtrack of the “Umbrella Academy” television show.

Way has also been heavily involved with DC comics as he was a co-creator of the “Young Animals” imprint. He is also the writer for the “Umbrella Academy” comic series.

“The Umbrella Academy” has recently been adapted into a Netflix television show.

The first season was released early this year, and the second season is already in production. The cast includes Mary J. Blige, Ellen Page and Robert Sheehan, among others.

It was also recently announced that Way would be composing the soundtrack for the upcoming “Clerks 3” film, which is the third film in this series. “Clerks 3” follows the character Randal as he recovers from a heart attack, which is inspired by the director’s,

Kevin Smith, own recovery after a heart attack in 2018.

Ray Toro also released a solo album since the band’s break. The album was titled, “Remember the Laughter,” and released in 2016. It was made entirely in his house. He wrote, produced, mixed, engineered and played most of the things on the album.

Before this, he released a single titled, “For the Lost and Brave.” He dedicated this song to the memory of Leelah Alcorn.

Leelah Alcorn was a transgender woman who committed suicide because her family did not accept her.

Mikey Way has also been busy since the band’s hiatus. In 2016, he and David Debiak released the first album for their band, Electric Century. The album was titled, “For the Night to Control.”

He has been involved with a few other bands, recording as their bass player. He contributed to Andy Black’s first solo album, “The Shadow Side” and to Waterparks EP, “Cluster.”

In addition to music, he has also recently started releasing “Collapser” with Shaun Simon. “Collapser” is published by DC Comics under the Young Animals imprint. Both Way brothers are now working together on Young Animals for DC comics.

Perhaps the busiest member of My Chemical Romance has been Frank Iero, the rhythm guitarist. He first released songs on his own in 2013. The first release of his was a two song cover album titled, “For Jamia.”

In this album, he covers “Walk the Line”

graphic by Emma Palmer My Chemical Romance will perform in Los Angeles in December for their first reunion show.

and “Be My Baby.” He dedicated the album to Jamia, his wife.

Next, he released a single that was cowritten by his daughter, Lilly. In the single, Lilly and Cherry, his other daughter, are featured as backing vocalists. They were three years old when this song was written and performed.

After this, Iero announced his formation of his new band, frnkiero andthe cellabration. FIATC released their first, and only, album in 2014. The album was titled, “Stomachaches.” Iero played every instrument on the album, except for the drums.

In 2016, he and James Dewees released an album under the name of Death Spells.

The album was titled, “Nothing Above, Nothing Below.” Death Spells was a band before My Chemical Romance’s break, but they never officially released an album until after the hiatus.

Iero also released an album in 2016. He changed his band’s name to Frank Iero and the Patience and released “Parachutes.”

While doing promotion for the album, Iero and the members of his band were in a horrible accident. A city bus hit him and the other members of his band as they were unloading their van. Iero was dragged 10 feet along the curb by the bus.

Evan Nestor and Paul Clegg were also injured in this accident. In an interview with MTV, he said, “ I ended up underneath the bumper of this massive vehicle. From my vantage point, I could only see Evan, and I could hear Paul. I thought whoever I couldn’t see or hear had to be dead, and if they weren’t dead yet, then we all would be soon.”

After the accident, the band took a break from touring for awhile to recover, but they soon came back with a vengeance. In 2017, they released a four-song EP titled, “Keep the Coffins Coming.” This was the last album released with the Patience.

In 2019, Iero changed the members of his band and started a new band called Frank Iero and the Future Violents. Their album, “Barriers,” released earlier this year. In this album, there is a song titled, “Six Feet Down Under.” This song is about the accident him and his band members had in 2016.

It is very safe to say that all the members of My Chemical Romance truly love what they do as they haven’t stopped making music. This may be the first time fans have publically seen the members together; however, they have still remained very close friends throughout the year. If you’re looking for some new music to listen to, give some of these albums a listen.

Kanye West’s “JESUS IS KING” lacks self-awareness The rapper and newly declared gospel artist’s latest album features hackneyed sounds and lyrics.

Ethan Veenker Editor-in-Chief Following a tumultuous series of failed release dates and a scrapped record (“Yandhi”), Kanye West’s ninth studio album, “JESUS IS KING,” finally dropped last month. Clocking in at a solid 27 minutes, the record presumably confirms West’s latest musical habit: frustratingly short record (this follows last year’s “ye” and “KIDS SEE GHOSTS,” both of which were 24 minutes long).

It’s been a couple weeks at this point.

Those of you who like the record have likely already decided as much, and those of you who dislike it have already expended some energy trashing it. All the reviews have been written, posted, read and watched. The general consensus, as far as I can tell: it’s all right. It’s not his best. It’s not his worst.

I won’t lie in saying that I enjoyed parts of this album quite a bit. The percussive slams on “Selah” are exciting (if misleading); West’s flow on “Follow God” makes for one of the most straightforwardly entertaining tracks he’s released in years; and Pi’erre Bourne’s giddy production in “On God” evokes memories of an old Sega Genesis title.

And then there’s low moments. The lyrics of “Closed on Sunday” are some of West’s unashamedly worst; something about the chorus-backed “Water” reminds me of “Demon Days”-era Gorillaz, and makes me want to switch to that record rather than blast “Water” any more; and “Hands On” commits the worst sin a West track can muster: it’s just boring.

“Use This Gospel,” the record’s penultimate track (let’s face it: final track), is a

highlight, with perhaps the most prominent features to be found on the album (from Pusha T and No Malice), simultaneously minimalist and maximalist production (is that a “car door open” warning tone?), and all followed by a gobsmacking saxophone solo from Kenny G, of all people. It’s brief, punchy and trashy in a smooth-jazz sort of way. I still can’t tell if I love or hate it.

It reminded me, unfortunately, of the “cursed” Twitter video that Kim Kardashian-West shared on Valentine’s Day this year: Kenny G, standing in the middle of a room, surrounded by equidistant roses in vases, serenading her. Evidently, this is where West actually met Kenny G, so the bizarre video is to blame for the feature on “JESUS IS KING,” something I’ve got mixed feelings about.

But more than just a creepy image of a stranded Kenny G, the video reminds us of something important about the Wests: they are not like us. They are overwhelmingly rich, dripping with decadence, absolutely unconcerned with the day-to-day lives of the people who love their products. We’re talking about a man who sells shoes and concert tickets for hundreds of dollars and a woman who’s, well, a Kardashian. The name is synonymous with “inconceivably rich” at this point.

So when West declared that his new record would be a gospel album, fans were understandably confused. Kanye West’s appeal lies solely in his distance from standard models of theology, and I use the term “appeal” lightly. His insufferable wealth (never mind that he was “in debt,” as that means something vastly different for him than it does for you or me) and self-centeredness have always been necessary, masochistic things to acknowledge and indulge in while living in the totally upside-down world we inhabit. People (myself included) tend to get drawn toward these larger-than-life personalities. We indulge in them, almost as a form of escapism. We howl about their problems to escape our own.

courtesy GOOD Music/Def Jam Recordings West has hinted at plans to release a Christmas Sunday service album, “Jesus is Born.”

For this man, then, famous for being up his own ass and rich beyond relief, to suddenly start preaching the name and gospel of the Christian Jesus Christ, a man with a well-recorded disdain for the rich, if the Christian Bible is to be trusted ... well, it stinks of hypocrisy. But here he is, throwing a choir on every other track, making Bible references, building himself up and parading an air of authority — no longer in terms of cash or fame, mind you, but of morality and spirituality. He was better than you before, but now that he’s found God, well, shit, he’s better than you in a whole new way.

Kanye West is far from the only rich person on earth, and he’s further from being the only rich Christian, an oxymoron by nature, but there’s something about the self-assured, Heaven-bound air of the new record that just does not sit well. I’m not even speaking

as a scandalized Christian, or anything — the theology of the whole situation is of the least concern for me. It’s the hypocrisy that irks me; it’s the utter disconnectedness from our world that West still clearly lives in, and the distinct lack of self-awareness he champions on stage while preaching a gospel that is objectively not suited to his own lifestyle.

But this is an album review. So, I’ll return to the music. That’s all music journalists are meant to do anyway, right? Stick to music.

The production is fine, the features sparse and the bars hold together well enough. It has its highs and lows, though generally more of the former than the latter. It’s a solid release from Kanye West, though disappointingly safe, unexperimental and easylistening-minded. All the same, it won’t offend your ears to hear it. Just to hear. But when you begin to listen ...

Variety

The Collegian: 14

11 November 2019

Twenty One Pilots energizes BOK with animated show

Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn entertain Tulsa audience with colorful displays and inspiring performances.

Mary Bergwell Student Writer I’m going to preface this article by saying that nothing I could write could ever encapsulate the sensory overload induced by a Twenty One Pilots concert. I’ve been a fan of this band for years, and I have even had the pleasure of seeing them once before in concert, but I am truly amazed by the variety and creativity they display every time I see them.

Known for out-of-the box entertainment at their shows, including crowd surfing in a human hamster ball during their “Emøtiønal Røadshøw” World Tour, the rock duo consisting of singer/ frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun captivates the audience from the very beginning. Emerging while standing on a car covered in flames while Dun held a lit torch, the duo was greeted by a deafening roar from the crowd, but it wasn’t just this fiery entrance that kept me entertained.

Throughout the entirety of the concert, Joseph was maintaining the crowds’ engagement, instructing the audience to get low, jump, put their hands in the air, scream, dance, sing along and celebrate life.

“Are you happy to be alive tonight?” Joseph asked the crowd and was immediately greeted with a symphony of cheers.

The lyrical content of this band has often been accredited as a hallmark of their success with their global hits “Stressed Out” and “Ride” catapulting them into mainstream markets. The band’s ability to vocalize the anxieties common to our generation has elevated them to a platform that enables them to share their positive messages about dealing with mental health struggles.

These two, in addition to being incredible performers and creators, also come across as truly genuine and appreciative of everything they have accomplished. Pausing the show not once, but twice to have the crowd give it up for the staff at the BOK, Joseph graciously vocalized his appreciation, highlighting how much he and Dun appreciated working with the venue.

Likewise, both Dun and Joseph work to ensure that every single person at their concert gets what they paid for. Alternating between the main stage and the B stage posi-

“... their showmanship truly distinguishes them from other bands out there.”

The show was a mesmerizing amalgamation of incredible graphics, lights, actual fire (and a few fireworks) and lyrically dense, emotional songs with upbeat melodies. Not only are Joseph and Dun outstanding musicians, but their showmanship truly distinguishes them from other bands out there.

tioned near the end of the arena, Joseph and Dun ensured that their show is incredible from any vantage point.

As the duo moved to the B stage to perform a variety of crowd favorites, including “Smithereens” and “Tear in My Heart,” both about his wife, Joseph told the audience in

Tyler Joseph, whose wife recently announced her pregancy, shouted out the dads in the crowd several times.

the seated section to sit down for the next two songs.

“I do that for the dads out there. They’ve got tired legs” said Joseph. A soon-to-be father himself,Joseph once again shouted out the dads in the audience during the song “My Blood.” As he split the crowd between the left and right side and started to sing a call and response, he informed the audience that when Josh “takes us home on the drums” everyone had to start dancing, especially “all the dads out there.”

To “provide inspiration” to anyone who may not be an automatic dancer, Joseph had three of the security guards in front of the pit show off their best moves. In addition to authorizing the children of the aforementioned fathers to force their dads to dance, Joseph also reminded the dads of the service he had done them earlier.

“I let you sit down earlier, so now you have to dance,” Joseph commanded.

Finishing their set with their song “Trees” from the album, “Vessel,” Joseph thanked

the audience while playing the beginning chords on his keyboard, especially shouting out the fans who camped in front of the venue days leading up to the show.

Ending in their typical fashion, Joseph and Dun were both held up by the crowd while playing drums at the end of “Trees,” greeted by a chorus of “Hey” every time they pointed their drum sticks into the air.

As the confetti blasted around the venue, and the song came to a close, Dun and Joseph took their bows, thanked the audience one last time, and ended the show, saying “We’re Twenty One Pilots and so are you,” before the Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” filled the BOK. I’m not sure why Twenty One Pilots ended their year-long multi-leg North American tour in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but I’m glad they did. I can easily say that it was the best show I have ever been to. If you haven’t yet seen them live, I highly recommend you do, and definitely make sure that you bring your dad.

photos by Mary Bergwell

The lights and effects throughout the concert created an engaging and exciting environment for fans.

Concerts with Commentary educates about music Tenor Kim Childs, oboist Lisa Wagner and flautist John Rush perform Ralph Vaugh Williams and Carl Philipp Emanual Bach.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Thursday Nov. 7, the music department presented Concerts with Commentary, which consisted of “Ten Blake Songs” by Ralph Vaughn Williams and Carl Phillipp Emanual Bach’s “Sonata for Flute in A Minor.” This one was rather unique: instead of having a piano accompanist and either a vocalist or instrumentalist, this concert consisted of a vocalist, oboist and flautist, all of whom are faculty members of the TU Music Department.

At the beginning of the concert, the vocalist, Dr. Kim Childs, took the time to explain the significance of the songs. Ralph Vaughn Williams (1872-1958), was inspired by a set of poems by William Blake (17571827) that were based on the little pleasures of life. Later on, he set them to music that was used in the 1958 documentary “The Vision of William Blake.”

Instead of using a pianist, Williams composed the songs as either a cappella or with an oboe. Mrs. Lisa Wagner played the oboe at this concert. Unlike a piano accompanist, the oboist was not there to support the vocalist (feed the melody line to the singer); instead the oboe was its own separate entity and simply harmonizing with the voice line.

If told this idea or seen on paper (not sheet music!), this idea would have appeared odd.

Even though there was a strong independence between stellar musicians and their instruments, hearing the oboe and singer intertwine was magic in the air. It wasn’t just music, it became a story. When it was over, the audience was in a trance, wanting more

and waiting for the next song. However, when Dr. Childs and Mrs. Wagner took their bow together, the audience knew it was over and the auditorium ruptured in applause.

The next set consisted of two instruments: oboe and flute. Like Dr. Childs, the flautist, Professor John Rush enthusiastically shared a little bit about Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

courtesy Wikipedia William Blake was an English poet whose work inspired Ralph Vaughn Williams’s compositions.

(1714-1788) and his composition style for the piece of the night.

Rush stated that although the piece, “Sonata for Flute in A Minor,” is intended to be performed in a much smaller, more intimate setting, it was versatile with a few adjustments, such as switching the flute used.

Aside from this, he also explained how the piece itself was different from the other pieces of the time period: it uses a slow-fast-fast form to illustrate the intensity. At the end, the audience was impressed and applauded the duo. Unlike the Blake Songs, the oboe and flute fit perfectly together, bringing out the unique identity of the piece even more.

Despite the contrasting styles of music, the concert flowed together and the pieces performed complemented each other. Although Concerts with Commentary vary, I highly recommend going to them. The TU Music professors took the time to understand not just their instrument’s line, but the music as a whole. Their love of music showed through their collaboration and knowledge as well as their attention to details.

It’s fascinating to hear the details of the music that you probably wouldn’t have noticed from just listening alone. Concerts with Commentary is also a great way to discover different combinations of compositions from different genres and eras and how it all forms a musical connection. The possibilities are endless, and that’s what makes it wonderful.

Variety

11 November 2019

The Collegian: 15

Ethan Veenker Editor-in-Chief Explosions in the Sky - “The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place” You hear lots of lyrics these days. Our modern perception of music is nearly inseparable from vocalists — the dashing young person clenching a microphone at the front of the stage, reaching down to return high-fives and share in selfies — and given how the modern musical zeitgeist leans heavily toward rap, words and music just go together.

I don’t mean to surprise you by discussing a genre of music without lyrics — soundtracks exist, after all, and “classical” music is well-known. Post-rock, however, a genre that grew from the ever-expansive punk and art rock of the ‘80s, is a mode that exists on the fringes of popular music. It sometimes has its spurts of proper popularity, but for the most part just flourishes within its own dedicated fanbase.

It began either with Slint’s 1991 record, “Spiderland,” or Talk Talk’s 1988 “Spirit of Eden,” or maybe somewhere else. The genre now boasts the likes of Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós, Tortoise and, of course, Explosions in the Sky, who first came to prominence in 2003 with “The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place,” which turned 16 last Monday.

Post-rock, which I call “rock’s take on classical music” as a quick-and-dirty definition, is not inherently devoid of vocals, but modern iterations stray from the role of the vocalist. The music is written with a distinct emphasis on complex composition and emotion from the music, rather than the words of any given vocalist. It’s a musical genre that triumphs music itself (aren’t lyrics, after all, just the bastard child of poetry and music?).

An interesting endeavor of post-rock — of any instrumental genre, really — arises when the band attempts to tell a story through the record. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, a wild group of Canadian anarchists, never strays far from politics in their releases, for example.

“The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place,” while not exactly a concept album, is nonetheless an effort to tell a story through instrumentation alone. It’s described by the band as an assortment of love songs.

Love songs to what, or to whom? It’s difficult to say. The track titles are devoid of proper names, and the only real hint from the liner notes is an etching on side D of the vinyl edition: “The earth is not a cold dead place because you are breathing, because you are listening.”

The tracks are undeniably emotional. High-pitched guitars soar like birds on every track: the crescendo and the climax (assisted by a ride on the crash cymbal) is a musical tool the band uses on each of the five greater-than-8-minute tracks. It’s generally easy-listening, though. You won’t hear the drony experimentations that the genre’s other bands are known for, and, speaking as a guy who’s seen Explosions in the Sky live twice, the music really is down to a science. They wrote it and practiced, and practiced, and practiced, and the live versions are rarely even a note off from the studio versions.

I think, though, there’s a more engaging feature to “The Earth …” than its love-song front or enjoyable composition. It’s the band’s third release, following 2001’s “Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever,” which came out a week before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. The album cover prominently features an airplane, and the liner notes had the line, “This plane will crash tomorrow.” The band, fully engaged with the aesthetic of their latest release, had this imagery and wording on their guitar cases, which proved a difficult thing to maneuver in post-9/11 airports.

It was merely a case of poor timing that brought the band slight infamy, and it made sure that 9/11 certainly left an impression on its members. I see “The Earth …” as a direct response to 9/11, released to a cold, terrified, war-incumbent America. The album was a soothing reminder of the world’s beauty, of how things can sometimes just sound so pretty that you don’t have to do anything but lie down, listen and smile. It’s a shamelessly optimistic release at a time where optimism wasn’t the norm, an effort to soothe a wounded world.

Unfortunately, the wound remains today. But then, so does the album.

courtesy Temporary Residence Limited

Events next week in Tulsa Wednesday, Nov. 13

Spoon University hosts Lunch and Learn with Assistant Professor of History Dr. Anna Zeide. She will speak about her book, “Canned: The Rise and Fall of Consumer Confidence in the American Food Industry.” Event will be free and include lunch from Laffa in McFarlin Library, starting at 12 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 14

Tulsa Artist Fellow Anita Fields hosts Osage Arts & History Workshops.

Dr. Andrea Hunter, a member of the Osage Nation, will speak about the history of the Osage at Archer Studios at 12 p.m. Later, Philbrook Downtown will host workshops for guests to make crafts. On both Thursday and Friday, there will be two workshops: one at 9 a.m. and another at 1:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 15

TU Capella Chamber Singers and TU Concert Chorale perform their fall concert. Performance will begin at 7:30 in LPC, free and open to the public.

Circle Cinema screens “Blade Runner” (1982) as part of Graveyard Shift series. Film will start at 10 p.m. and will play at the same time on Saturday. Tickets are $10.

Saturday, Nov. 16

The Woody Guthrie’s Real Talk Event will center on “Thanksgiving as Native Genocide Day.” Panel will discuss this issue at 2 p.m. at Philbrook’s main campus. Free and open to the public.

“Bandstand” delivers emotional account of war trauma Jennifer Elizabeth Smith performs with vulnerability and complexity, adding to the depth of the musical.

Tori Gellman Student Writer The Broadway sensation, “Bandstand,” opened in New York City in 2015 and made its way to Tulsa for one single night last Tuesday. “Bandstand” tells the story of the aftermath of World War II through the lives of returning veterans and those who lost loved ones in battle. The musical is particularly special in that it is the first ever to be certified by Got Your 6, a nonprofit organization created to ensure accurate portrayals of military veterans in popular culture. The cast and crew worked directly with real veterans in order to create the most well-rounded, authentic characters possible. I feel secondhand regret for anyone who was unable to witness this spectacular and moving show last week.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to interview Jennifer Elizabeth Smith, who plays Julia Trojan, a woman who lost her husband during the war. She talked to me a bit about her background and how she began acting at a very young age and decided to pursue theater as a career. She earned a BFA in Musical Theater from the Boston Conservatory. Following the production of “Something Rotten!,” the company Smith was touring with announced that it would be working on “Bandstand.”

She proceeded to bug the casting directors for about six months, begging them to consider her for the show. She auditioned six times for the part and got the call that she would be playing only six weeks before rehearsals started.

Being particularly enamored and in awe of Julia Trojan, I asked Jennifer what her favorite thing about her character is. Smith didn’t hesitate in saying she loved and admired Julia particularly for her resilience.

The ability of this woman to be so strong, and not in a showy way, after losing her husband to war, her father to another woman and her staying in Cleveland rather than moving and starting a new life somewhere else is remarkable. She’s so vulnerable and

emotionally mature so she can channel all of these feelings into the creation of art in an era when no one is really talking about their feelings.

Just hearing Smith gush over Julia got me even more excited to see her embody this incredible woman. Lastly, I asked Smith what she thought audiences would love or be surprised by when they saw “Bandstand.”

“People are going to hear the name ‘Bandstand’ and think Dick Van Dyke is going to come out and swing dance with 50’s music,” the actress joked. Smith emphasized that this was a story that talks about really things and it’s an extremely unique and eye-opening show. It couldn’t be left out that the choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler, who choreographed the famous “Hamilton,” is what elevates this show, as he is able to capture the themes and emotions of the show through movement.

After speaking with Jennifer, I had extremely high expectations for the show and they were all exceeded. From the opening number when we are introduced to the returning vet, Donny Novinski, the audience

is wrapped in the warm tenor voice of the lead actor.

The production only continued to enthrall me with the ensemble of dancers and witty one-liners. When seeing a musical, you sort of expect for the voices of the actors to be pretty polished. What I was absolutely blown away by was that every actor on the stage who played an instrument in the Veteran band, was actually playing their instruments live. So not only were these men impeccable singers with angelic voices, masters of Blankenbeuheler’s intense footwork and body movements, but they are also each superb instrumentalists. It was the greatest display of musicianship and artistic craft I had ever seen.

Jennifer Elizabeth Smith really got it right when she described the interworking complexities of the plot and characters in “Bandstand.” It was so interesting to see the conflicting power dynamics at play throughout the show. Donny learns how to be vulnerable through Julia’s strength which she maintains indefinitely with the utmost grace.

Andy Blankenbuehler choreographed “Bandstand,” bringing energy to the stage.

courtesy Jeremy Daniel

The beautiful display of music as a source of relief in the face of trauma and grief really touched and resonated with me. The musical does a wonderful job of combining humorous theatrical elements with commentary on the very real psychological and emotional aftermath that accompanies those who have experienced a catastrophe.

The drummer in the band, Johnny, has severe memory loss and drug dependency. He only feels able to cope with through playing music. The saxophone player, Jimmy, practices law in order to bring some order and justice to a wildly unjust world. Bass player, Davy, is an extreme alcoholic, who willingly admits to being attached to liquor because it keeps the memories of war away.

Trombonist, Wayne, has a heart wrenching scene where he’s clearly contemplating suicide in his home that he eventually leaves when his wife can’t understand his behaviors and coping.

All of this and more culminates in the profoundly moving finale number, “Welcome Home.” My arms were covered with goosebumps and there were tears in my eyes as Smith belted her lungs out, transporting the audience to a completely different time and place.

My two favorite parts of the show were a particular interlude of dance between a soldier and his girl, in which there was so much said without any words at all. Secondly, Louis Jannuzzi III, who played Wayne was not only everything I aspire to be as a trombone player, but also had one of the most emotion-filled voices I’ve ever heard. I find myself after the fact scrolling through certain songs just to hear Wayne featured, and the original recording really doesn’t hold a candle to what Jannuzzi was able to do.

Despite the weight of what “Bandstand” depicts, the entire show had a vibrancy to it.

Even the most somber songs were met with such emotional intensity and energy. The entire production was such a beautiful display of pure talent and versatility. Between the piercing warmth and sincerity of the relationships between mothers and daughters, estranged lovers and brothers at arms, this is not an experience I shall soon forget. My friend Alyssa and I turned to each other after the curtains closed and said, “Can we see it again?”

Variety

The Collegian: 16

11 November 2019

Satirical film “Jojo Rabbit” proves deeply moving In a humorous and innovative account of World War II propaganda, the film critiques nationalism.

Maddie Walters Student Writer “Jojo Rabbit” had its Oklahoma premiere at Circle Cinema this past Tuesday. The film originally had a limited release starting on Oct. 18 and was later released nationally on Nov. 8. “Jojo Rabbit” is satirical film about

World War II, also billed as an “Anti-hate satire.” It follows the story of a young boy, Jojo, whose imaginary friend is Hitler. Jojo’s views are suddenly turned upside down when he finds out that his mother his hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic, forcing him to confront his blind nationalism.

The film was directed by Taika Waititi, who has also directed “Thor: Ragnarok,” “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” In “Jojo Rabbit,” Waititi skillfully managed to balance comedy and drama, while still maintaining the heart of the film.

Director Taika Waititi (left) played Hitler, the imaginary friend of Jojo, played by Griffin Davis (right).

“Jojo Rabbit” features the talents of Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Betzler), Thomasin McKenzie (Elsa Korr), Taika Waititi (Adolf Hitler), Sam Rockwell (Captain Klenzendorf), Rebel Wilson (Fraulein Rahm), Scarlett Johansson (Rosie Betzler) and Stephen Merchant (Captain Deertz).

Essentially, the film shows World War II from the eyes of a boy who is fed propaganda and believes everything without a doubt.

There is a quote from the trailer where Elsa, the young Jewish woman, tells Jojo, “You’re not a Nazi, Jojo. You’re a ten-year old kid who likes dressing up in a funny uniform and wants to be a part of a club.”

courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures

“Jojo Rabbit” is the film that 2019 needs.

This film is about friendship, tolerance and love. On the outside, it can look like a silly movie, but on the inside it is filled with an astounding amount of heart. The story starts out with a very light-comedic tone to it, but as it progresses, it becomes more and more serious.

The Oklahoma premiere is an experience that I will likely not forget. I have never heard so many people laugh in unison before. Later, the audience collectively let out an audible gasp. Everyone applauded during one scene; not just applauded, but fullon cheered for the character. This film has a very dynamic emotional range; it will make you feel so many emotions simultaneously.

This will definitely sound cliche, but “Jojo Rabbit” is a film that can unify people, no matter what their differences are. The premiere had such a vast range of people and personalities; there were college students, older generations, war movie lovers, children, fans of comedy, etc.

“Jojo Rabbit” was able to bring together everyone in the theater despite the differences we had. For two hours, we laughed together, we cried together as we experienced this beautiful film together. My biggest take away from the film is that hate is never the answer and that we should all learn to love more.

“Jojo Rabbit” is already on track to be nominated for “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards. At the Toronto Film Festival, it took home the coveted People’s Choice Award. Every People’s Choice Award winner since 2011 has received a “Best Picture” nominee.

Please, do yourself a favor and see this beautiful film. As of right now, only Circle Cinema, AMC Southroads and Cinemark Tulsa are playing the film. The last showtime looks to be on Thursday, Nov. 14.

“The Lighthouse” demonstrates impeccable storytelling Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe perform with undeniable grace in this intimate and confounding film.

A. C. Boyle Student Writer As this decade draws to a close, moviegoers are inevitably going to start asking what the greatest films of the 2010’s are. People’s tastes are very subjective, and there is never going to be a “right answer” to this question of film greatness. But there are definitely a few movies from this decade that stood out as special, and Robert Eggers’ new film, “The Lighthouse” is, in my personal opinion, definitely one of them.

One undeniable facet of this decade has been the dominance of superhero movies on the medium. We have had 13 straight years of blockbuster films coming out of large, titanic, shared cinematic universes at Marvel,

tal isolation – meaning that both these actors have to carry the film entirely by themselves.

Fortunately for audiences, both these actors bring their absolute A-game in performances that are the best in their respective careers.

Pattinson is best known for his role as the male lead in the “Twilight” movies, but his career has undergone a complete and total transformation since then. His character, Ephrahim Winslow, is the younger, more relatable character of the two – with the movie mostly being framed from his perspective – but he comes to the island with a checkered past, and an uncertain future.

Pattinson, who is no stranger to big budget movies, has cemented his reputation as a serious and talented actor with several critically acclaimed roles in indie films, and between this movie and his recent casting in the next Batman movie, his career seems to have broken a glass ceiling.

The movie has the right balance between being easy to follow and complex.

The director, Robert Eggers, has made one previous movie, “The Witch,” in 2015. He specializes in period pieces, and this movie feels like traveling back a century ago (both actors nail their Northeastern American accents, and sound like characters straight out of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”).

The entire movie is shot in black-andwhite, and presented in a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, which makes the film look intimate, claustrophobic and well crafted at every turn. To enhance this, they even shot the movie with 35mm film, making it feel at times like a movie from the 1940’s.

Eggers has especially strong direction, and his film carries a variety of complex themes. The biggest is the tension created by the 31-year age gap between the two

leading characters. This age gap increases the friction and distrust between the two in a natural way.

The film also contains themes and allusions to classical mythology and literature, giving the film a large, grandiose stature. All of this makes for a big budget experience from an arthouse film.

“The Lighthouse” managed to do exactly what it set out to do – tell a tense, constrained story of two men trapped together on a rock with a lighthouse. To make something so simple so well isn’t easy, and yet this movie has all the intensity of a three hour long superhero movie with millions of dollars’ worth of CGI. With “The Lighthouse,” the budgetary limits don’t show up on the screen. It is a master work of storytelling, and I highly recommend it to all but the faint of heart.

“This is one of the most unnerving movies in recent memory.” with countless iconic comic book characters getting the silver screen treatment.

Recently, however, this trend had started to become stale, with superheroes being a very familiar genre. Famed Director Martin Scorcesse recently called out superhero movies for lacking artistic integrity, prompting backlash from other filmmakers.

It seemed like an odd time to deride superhero movies, with a complex and nuanced, grounded superhero story in the form of “Joker,” being released to critical and financial acclaim around the same time as Scorcesse’s comment. “Joker” showed audiences that superhero films could flourish by keeping things grounded.

As for arthouse films, they need to punch up – to make bold choices, and tackle tough, sweeping themes, oftentimes with limited budgets. And that is exactly what “The Lighthouse” does.

The film stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as lighthouse keepers, or “Wickies,” in the 1890’s, who become stranded on a remote island during their duties due to inclement weather. As the storm worsens, the two men begin to lose their grip on reality, and mysterious things begin to unfold. Cabin fever, distrust and paranoia soon set in, as possible supernatural occurrences assail the two morally questionable protagonists.

Pattinson and Dafoe are alone on this island; there are no other actors in the film, save for two tertiary extras that have little under a minute’s screen time in flashbacks.

Other than that, the film is complete and to-

Dafoe, on the other hand, is not unestablished. He is a true veteran of the Hollywood industry, having been acting in movies since 1980. He is best known for his roles in “Platoon,” “American Psycho,” “Spiderman” and “The Boondock Saints.” However, “The Lighthouse” may be his most impressive acting performance in a 40-year career. His character, the elderly sailor Thomas Wick, fluctuates between charming and disturbing, all without these shifts feeling disjointed or unnatural.

It seems certain that Dafoe will be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and he has a great chance to win. His performance was astounding in this movie, and featured one of the most ferocious monologues in recent movie memory. Both these actors have excellent onscreen chemistry, and they seem to be aware of each other’s acting rhythms, oftentimes crashing against each other like ocean waves. There is conflict, but they also compliment each other well.

The film is a horror movie, but don’t let this fool you. There is more to this movie than meets the eye. It is at times very funny – there were several moments during the film when the entire theater burst out laughing. This element of comedy helps ground the characters in the extreme conditions in which they’re placed. It also helps raise the pressure.

This is one of the most unnerving movies in recent memory. It relentlessly bashes you with tense pacing, and keeps you guessing.

Robert Eggers’s “The Lighthouse” is his second film, following “The Witch.”

courtesy A24

11 November 2019

The State-Run Media

The Collegian: 17

Millions of emos rise from the depths of the Earth for MCR’s return

Are you excited about MCR’s return? So are all the lost and forgotten emos of the world.

Sarah Le Retired emo kid

After breaking up in 2013, My Chemical Romance left killjoys and emos all over the world in tears. The band had no intention of reuniting until the four ex-band members all simultaneously ran into each other in a Walmart self-checkout line earlier last month. While waiting for the slow line to proceed, one of the quartet proposed the novel idea of getting the band back together.

“Haha, I’m just kidding … unless?” said former MCR guitarist Frank Iero.

Surprisingly, the other members agreed and decided to reconvene at one band member’s house.

They returned to the very garage where their band had started 18 years ago, dusted off their black parade coats and band equipment and tested the note “G” on their piano keyboard to see if it still worked.

It did, and the note resonated throughout the garage and beyond, followed by a violent rumbling of the earth. The band members braced themselves for what they thought was an earthquake when, in reality, it was the force of millions of emos around the world rising from the depths of the earth, awakened by My Chemical Romance’s magic touch.

A volcano of emos, clad in black t-shirts, black ripped skinny jeans, black Converse, and black eyeliner very much not on fleek, erupted by the thousands, all chanting “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” as they ascended.

Terrified onlookers barricaded themselves within their homes in fear, believing that the zombie apocalypse had started.

The frenzied emos, shaking the dirt from their highlighted black swept-over hair all began crawling in the same direction like baby sea turtles headed to the ocean, the moon their guiding beacon. Only for this journey, Hot Topic was their moon.

Thousands of emos swarmed into Hot Topics all over the world, wanting to get their hands on as much My Chemical Romance merchandise as possible to prepare for the beginning of a new era. However, the emos were gravely disappointed in Hot Topic’s disgustingly mainstream vibe and ransacked the store as they set fire to Funko Pops and Melanie Martinez merchandise.

The emos made their own merchandise by stealing and painting over anime t-shirts with “MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE” spelled in splattered letters.

Adam Shadowclaw, a Hot Topic cashier who witnessed the rampage said, “Well, we get storms of self-destructive emos daily and I thought these guys were just, like, really early for our Black Friday sale but these emos were, like, feral. They all just came in shouting ‘I’M NOT OKAY!’ and I’m like, ‘Y’all, there’s a therapy center next door,’ but they didn’t hear me and set fire to half the store. I freaking hate my job.”

After ambushing Hot Topic, all of the emos began their long journey to the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, the mecca where MCR’s first reunion show is set to be held.

They traveled by foot, passing through rugged and rural terrain, absolutely wrecking their metatarsals as they hiked in black Converses and displayed their diehard love for MCR. Billybob Bryer, a farmer in rural Oklahoma, shed a man-tear as he witnessed them tramping through his cattle fields.

He sighed, “Y’know how swarms of locusts emerge every 13 years? Well, looks like this year’s swarm evolved to be humansized and pure black in color. The bastards are going to destroy all of my crops this year. I’d better invest in some Godzillasized scarecrows or somethin’.”

When the emos reached their destination, they quickly built nests out of ripped skinny jeans and loose-leaf poetry around the Shrine Expo Hall, planning to camp there until MCR arrived.

The emos began reciting every My Chemical Romance song ever made at the top of their lungs, screaming through the night like horny cicadas.

Meteorologists report that the average temperature of Los Angeles increased by

We’re not okay (we promise).

1.2 degrees Celsius due to the emos’ heatabsorbing black attire.

One of the emos, Boxxy Loxie, rambled, “The last time I came out to see the sun was in 2013 when Fall Out Boy got back together. I was soooo happy to hear the news, but it turned out to be a let-down because Fall Out Boy changed their sound. Ugh! Those emo legends turned mainstream.”

“I’m soooo excited for MCR’s return but they better not change their sound so they can collab with Taylor Swift or something.

graphic by Sarah Le

If they do, I’m going to be soooo sad, and I’ll have to return underground to sulk for another decade or until Flyleaf gets back together.”

Despite the reunion concert being a month away, the mob around the expo hall is growing at an exponential rate. There is no word yet on whether the crowd is simply gaining new followers or somehow reproducing, but efforts into researching the phenomenon are ongoing. Experts warn not to feed the emos until further notice.

Where has all the money gone?

The answer might surprise you.

Michaela Bueche Ancient conspiracy theorist

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, economics professor Dr. Matthew Hendricks gave a presentation comparing TU’s allocation of funds to that of other colleges and universities. Many students I have talked to have praised Hendricks for his great use of graphs and straightforward explanation of our money usage. One student even said, “Dr. Hendricks was amazing! He makes economics look so fun!”

Recently, an associate approached me, and I was informed that all of Dr. Hendrick’s data was fabricated. You may be wondering, “Why would Dr. Hendricks fake the data?”

The answer? He’s being paid off by the university to keep quiet about what our funding is really going towards.

You’re probably also wondering, “But if it’s fake, where did he get the data?”

BIG PHARMA! Supported by the pharmaceutical industry, The University of Tulsa is putting a lot of effort into burying the true money trail.

But why? Obviously, they don’t want us to know what they are actually doing with the money. So, where has the money really gone?

After doing some digging (Literally.

They legit buried a path of Benjamins from

Up from the witch’s brew came the Golden Hurricane.

Collins Hall to the College of Law), I have determined the answer … The Golden Hurricane, one of TU’s mascots.

What does that mean? It means there is a hurricane made purely out of gold waging war on the plains of Oklahoma. It is completely possible and the only logical explanation.

graphic by Emma Palmer

The administration withdrew the billiondollar endowment from all departments it was funding and traded it for solid gold bars. The administration also convinced every investor to withdraw all money from programs and add their equivalent gold bars to the stash. Because of this, the administration had to cut all programs that weren’t receiving government funding. (They couldn’t

very well tell the government to do the same as the common folk.)

Administration’s next step was to melt the gold down into one enormous vat. Stirring clockwise 665 times and then once again counterclockwise, the gold began to emit blue sparks and the scent of deceit.

They then finished the dark spell to create a hurricane, which sucked up all the gold. The spell slightly backfired, however, because every three days or so, a gold bar will fly out of the tornado and hit a student in the head, which the administration has somehow managed to explain away as part of their fees.

The university’s president, Dr. Gerard Clancy (did you know he’s a doctor?), and provost, Janet Levitt, were spotted drawing yellow squiggly lines on the sidewalk in front of all academic buildings. When questioned, they said, “We’re just dropping hints about the big announcement that is to come at the last home football game on November 23.”

They wouldn’t disclose what this “big announcement” is, but we all know it will be the unveiling of the Golden Hurricane. They either have not considered Houston’s history with hurricanes or it’s all part of a larger revenge plot for homecoming last year.

If they’re willing to go this far over a measly fifteen point loss, how much farther are Clancy and Levitt willing to go against a kicker who can’t kick?

Four laws that weren’t voted in last week

How could our legislators leave out such robust additions?

Brennen Gray Legislatin’ boi

Ah yes, my favorite time of year! Oklahoma’s law changes are now in effect. More than 300 big ones are out there now, some of which allow permitless carry, place limits on opioid pills and let minors into liquor stores. All very fun, very fresh.

Since it’s that time of year, and we at The State-Run Media love states’ rights, here are some of the new laws we think would be fitting additions to our local legislature.

Limes and Birds … just pick one – OK, does anyone else just have one scooter app on your phone to save space? Between

Lime, Bird, Uber, Lyft and who knows how many other ride-share apps, does anyone else choose to have just one of those because smartphones can only hold so much space?

If so, you may be familiar with the feeling of being surrounded by Birds, but only having the Lime app. Or vice versa. With the rival scooter company being upwards of a 15-minute walk away. In the wrong direction. To the point where you’d rather just walk to where you were going to scooter to.

By making one brand illegal, and we will never have that problem again. The city can vote on which they like better. Then we can all pitch in to sacrifice the undesired vehicles to the scooter gods by pitching them into the river. Or even better, we can just paint all the Birds green or all the Limes black.

Up the penalty for gaslighting, lower the penalty for lighting up everything else – I mean is there is no legal deterrent for this. Really? Making someone doubt their own perceptions is totally acceptable here?

Of course, anyone gaslighting their peers deserves at least 10 years in prison. Now this raises a problem considering Oklahoma’s prisons are so overcrowded that we could not fit the offenders in there.

So, to make room, let’s just decriminalize drugs!

The minimum penalty for many of the controlled substances in Oklahoma is around four years. Even the misdemeanor of possessing weed could land you a month or two in jail or with a $500 fine. Let’s empty our prisons of those offenders and then fill them with the scum that enjoy psychological manipulation.

Free beer in city council meetings – Has anyone reading this attended a city council meeting in Tulsa or otherwise? How ‘bout once a month? Well they happen weekly, and people need to come more.

So, free beer, baby! People would flock to the seats! While listening in on your mayor drone on about economic issues and other boring stuff, kick back and enjoy a brewski!

Instead of hearing council members argue about important issues sober as a gopher, snag something hoppy and light and sip away!

Legalize murder – Don’t make me say this one again. We at The State-Run Media believe in a citizen’s right to bust a cap in someone’s rear end. We already have permitless carry and the death penalty, so honestly why not at this point?

Have a happy holiday season everyone!

The State-Run Media

11 November 2019

the

State-Run media Japanese death metal stans.

Giuliani accidentally woos reporter, spills incriminating secrets I think I’ve found the love of my life ... and some shit about Trump.

Sara Serrano Head Propagandist I’ve met someone.

No, I’m just as surprised as you are. But this guy … there’s just something different about him.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit weirded out I first saw his name pop up on my caller ID, but now just saying his name aloud makes me quiver.

“Rudy Giuliani.”

What a man.

But I digress. President Trump’s personal lawyer. A queer twenty-something student journalist. I know you’re all probably wondering how this even happened. Well, allow me to spin you the whole sappy story.

It was a cold, wet Friday night and I had nothing else on my mind beside a steaming mug of tea and turning in early. But as fate would have it, an incoming call interrupted my quiet night in from none other than Mr. Rudolph William Louis Giuliani.

“Hello?” I answered tentatively.

A shuffling of cloth on cloth, muffled speech and then, clear as a summer’s day, he spoke: “Hello? Is this Sara Serrano? Editor at the TU Collegian?”

“Yes? Yes it is?” I responded, confused but intrigued. It’s not everyday a celebrity attorney directly contacts a podunk newspaper editor. “Um, can I help you?”

“Oops, well … haha, I must have pocket dialled you. But um, actually … while I’ve got you … would you, uh, like to go out on a date with me?”

Stunned, I could only stammer into the receiver.

“How about it?” Giuliani continued .

“Dinner, drinks, and maybe some dancing?

And then … well, I guess we’ll see where the night take us.”

graphic by Emma Palmer

Dinner was lovely, but I’ll never forget dessert. ;)

My mind began to wander. A romantic night out with Rudy Giuliani. To be honest, it didn’t sound half bad. I hadn’t been asked out in ages and it felt nice be wanted.

And hey, I’m not one to turn down a free meal.

“Sure.” I replied, trying not to betray my mingled hesitancy and excitement. “When?”

“Tonight. I’ll pick you up at nine,” he breathed and I swear I could hear him smile through the line. “Send me your address.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

“See you then, babe.” he said, hanging up.

What followed was probably the best night of my entire life. To say Rudy swept me off my feet is an understatement. Meta-

phorically, he took me to the moon. And literally, he took me back to his place.

One private jet flight later and we’re cuddled up together in his Brooklyn apartment, his warm breath tickling my cheek, whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

“Oh Rudy, stop,” I giggled, teasing him playfully. “You had too much wine at dinner.”

“Nah…” he smiled into the side of face.

“You just didn’t have enough” He continued his soft, drunken whispers: “Don-Donald’s being blackmailed by the Kremlin. But … the joke’s on them: he would’ve done it for free.”

I felt so safe in his arms, so loved.

“If Turkey doesn’t dig up dirt on Biden, Donnie’s gonna fuck ‘em over soooooo hard.”

What a beautiful man.

“But I’ll keep him clean. Always do.

Took care of the girls he got too friendly with when they complained. He gropes ‘em, I dope ‘em.”

What a beautiful soul, spilling such incriminating secrets to me.

To me.

And I know he’s since recanted all this, saying it was an accident, that didn’t mean to ask me out and tell me all that he did. But I’ll always know the truth.

That he loves me.

Emos endure TikTok e-boy invasion

A factionalized emo group is tested by a new age of alt kids.

Anna Johns mrow?

Located in Nebraska, the Cult of Unbelievers inspires a dwindling punk pop, selfproclaimed emo fanbase with a simple message: we’ll carry on. Members are clad in Hot Topic band merchandise with striped long-sleeves and chipped black nails. It’s a union, the group says, of the past and present — a marriage of old bands and the allfamiliar abyss of angst and uncertainty felt through puberty. Despite grumbles of how 2008 Fall Out Boy was so much better than the shit they put out now, all was fine for the members. Now, however, the Cult of Unbelievers faces a new challenge: TikTok e-boys.

Sean Thimblepaw, who concedes that isn’t his last name but rather his “Warrior Cats” roleplay nom de plume, first invites us into his world of Central Nebraska — a world he believes is best suited for his group’s survival.

“What makes us thrive is our need to feel both self-conscious and unique,” he says, absentmindedly twirling his “I <3 BOOBIES” wristband. “Really, the Cult of Unbelievers works best in Nebraska because we stand out the most here. We’re shocking, especially since the rest of the population are either cursed corn husks awaken by the full moon, ormen who perpetually have a smear of oil on their nose from working on their engines.”

Still, the Cult’s glamor and allure fades.

What was seen as weird before is now a personality trait for teenage boys on TikTok. With sparkling chains, dead-eyed stares and a need to feel recognized for being different, e-boys have been mingling with the Cult of Unbelievers.

“First thing these boys always notice is our many factions,” grumbles Thimblepaw, a huskiness to his voice that suggests he does not talk for long periods of time. “Obviously, ‘emo’ is not a cookie-cutter thing.

It’s an umbrella term.”

cryptic poems about, like, the concept of matrimony.

If engaged in conversation, their eyes do not leave the field, a swoop of the wheat in the Nebraskan breeze, achill a ripe paradox of ephemeral and something everlasting: does it, too, rise only with the fall, or does it find its own meager way in the summer?

Absurd metaphors and misunderstood big vocabulary words are modelled off Panic! at the Disco’s 2008 album, “Pretty. Odd.” It helps them come to terms with the band’s 2009 split— it’s been 10 years, sure, but

“... the Cult of Unbelievers faces a new challenge: TikTok e-boys.”

The most prominent factions are the Ferals and the Rancids. Thimblepaw participates in a less popular, but devoted group, Sad Kitty Purr Purr Purr, where they listen to My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero’s solo projects and regularly practice a breathy meow.

The Ferals’ base is a “Sugar We’re Going Down”-inspired wood-paneled basement, decorated with deer taxidermy and a lingering odor that can only be described with the word “moist.”

Their favorite activity is spending about 13 hours every day just standing in the middle of a desolate wheat field, staring yearningly into an old locket they found forgotten in the wood chips of a jungle gym a couple years ago. They stand deathly still except for the fact that they constantly murmur

you can definitely still feel the difference the writing.

Then, huddled together under one flickering street light are the Rancids.

“Only look at them through the corner of your eye,” Thimblepaw warns as he tucks his hands in the paws of his faux fur cat hat.

The slow death of the lamppost is the closest thing to a rave in Nebraska. The group has gelled hair carefully coiffed into geometric shapes. Most of the group poses with their necks craned upward, like they’re looking toward a camera that no longer is there.

The lamppost and its surrounding area hold the gritty, perilous quality of the American Frontier: it’s the land of the lawless.

Here are the fans of Blood on the Dance Floor and Jeffree Star’s music career. Here

they stand, eyes blinded by tufts of hair.

Here are the Cookie Monster hats that kid named Vincent in fourth grade would wear.

Don’t linger too long, and don’t think about the song “Pretty Rave Girl.”

So, where do e-boys fit into this mess?

Messily, apparently.

The e-boys first documented arrival is fall 2018. The teenage boys, prior to entrance, named themselves some shit like Milo or Luca, cursed because it is unique enough to be alluring but nonetheless limited to the cramped imagination of a sixteen-year-old.

Their fashion was taken from K-Pop, and the only talent they bring to the table is the ability to bite their thin lips and lip sync to indie music.

“It’s fucking chaos,” Thimblepaw says.

“Noah No. 8 has asked me where to get my nail polish. And I’m like, hello, Noah No. 8, maybe you should have put your name on the list because nail polish rations are getting low, and I hate going to Walmart. Also, kitty boys — mrow — like me aren’t allowed to drive.”

Morale is lower than ever, but since My Chemical Romance announced their revival, there is a more positive, bubbling mood to the Cult of Unbelievers. The Rancids moved hair from their left eye and made direct eye contact with Joel No. 4. The Ferals mentioned something positive about Brendon Urie’s collaboration with Taylor Swift.

And kitty boys like Sean Thimblepaw are licking their faux fur paws, lounging with their milk-filled bellies in the sunlight. For now, even with Jeremy No. 13 whipping his pants chain around and pretending to hit people with it, there’s a sense of peace.