27 January 2020

January 27, 2020 issue 14 ~ volume 105

a student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

Sports staff Super Bowl predictions p. 3 New York Times double endorsement means little p.7 Hogue Gallery hosts Kathryn Polk’s “Spilt Milk” p. 9

Sign here

True Commitment student petition gaining traction p.5

Sports

The Collegian: 2

27 January 2020

Tulsa Hurricane sinks the Pirates Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses the players and strategies that led to Tulsa’s first conference basketball win against the East Carolina Lady Pirates.

On Tuesday the Golden Hurricane snapped a five-game losing streak to surge to a late victory over the East Carolina Lady Pirates. Lead by Kayla Moutry’s 19 points and Rebecca Lescay’s 15, the Golden Hurricane fought back from a sluggish first half on the merits of free throws and key shots.

After the Lady Pirates opened the game with a layup by Taniyah Thompson, the Golden Hurricane responded with three 3-pointers in the first three minutes. The Golden Hurricane’s lead started to narrow as the Lady Pirates began to steal the ball from the Golden Hurricane possession after possession. After going scoreless for three minutes, Lescay was able to hit a jumper to widen Tulsa’s lead slightly with Moutry’s free throw rounding out the quarter.

As the game continued into the second quarter, Thompson scored out of the gate to put the Lady Pirates on top with a jumper, and that set the tempo for the quarter. Tulsa fought back, but scoreless minutes

and dozens of missed shots left the Golden Hurricane unable to make any headway. A late shot by Elin Hrafnkelsdottir narrowed Tulsa’s deficit to one.

After halftime, Thompson once again started the quarter with an increase to the Lady Pirates’ lead.

From there, the Golden Hurricane and Lady Pirates went shot for shot until Thompson went on a 6-point run midway through the quarter.

Moutry and Addison Richards struggled to respond, but it was free throws by Lescay and Kendrian Elliot that put the Golden Hurricane within two as the game entered the fourth quarter.

The fouls continued to run rampant in the fourth quarter, with the first points scored off free throws

by Moutry, and Lescay’s layup right afterwards gave the Golden Hurricane the lead for the first time this half. The Golden Hurricane and the Lady Pirates traded, shots, tying the game before Lescay gave Tulsa back the lead halfway into the fourth quarter.

TU and ECU fight for a loose ball (bottom). Rebecca Lescay lays it up with finesse (right).

Tulsa seemed to stagnate, allowing the Lady Pirates to score 6 unanswered points before the team responded. At the end, it was all Moutry.

Her layup gave Tulsa back the lead, and from there, the game was very close.

Moutry continued to hit shots and free throws, barely edging out the Lady Pirates after they missed a layup with seconds left that would have tied the game, making the score 58-56.

This game was an opportunity for Tulsa to finally win, but the failures to get into the net for large chunks of the game and the significant amount of points made from free throws begs the question: how will the rest of the season go?

The team seems to not be working at their highest level, and this low scoring game shows the kinks that the team is still working out.

At this point in the season, the team should be more well-oiled than this, and I hope that the success of Moutry this game will spur the rest of the team into action.

photos by James Taylor

Tulsa annihilates Memphis 80-40 TU sports photographer Tommy Reid captures the action from the men’s basketball team’s huge victory last Wednesday.

Ugboh makes a play on the ball (left). Joiner celebrates (top). Rachael looks to pass (bottom).

photos by Tommy Reid

27 January 2020

Sports

The Collegian: 3

Super Bowl 2020 score predictions

The Collegian sports writing staff comes together to weigh in on which team will win the most-watched event in America and why.

A. C. Boyle Although both teams have incredible, explosive offenses, talented head coaches and young Quarterbacks who are the next generation of Brady and Brees — The Kansas City Chiefs look just too hot and too resilient to cave in this one.

For one, the Chiefs are high off of the momentum of two incredible victories, in which they came back from down 24 and 10 points, respectively.

When things got rough, Patrick Mahomes got rougher, and so did Tight End Travis Kelce, and the entire Chiefs defensive unit.

In both games, the winner was effectively decided the second Kansas City had the lead, and the opposing team could no longer milk the clock.

But more than that, this also seems like a team of destiny, a team with spirit and intangibles on their side.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the Chiefs’ last Super Bowl appearance and only win, and it also feels like a redemption year after last year’s heartbreak. It should also be mentioned that the Chiefs are unlikely to get off to a slow start like they did in their last two games, because they have two weeks to watch game film, adjust their plan, and correct mistakes.

Leave it up to Andy Reid to make his team better with extended break periods (He’s 17-3 over his career after regular season bye weeks).

While the San Francisco 49ers are no pushover team, having just humiliated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game, they are also not as resilient as the Chiefs in close games, having lost tight matchups against weak teams like the Falcons and Cardinals this year.

All things considered, the Chiefs are going to be hyped up and hard to contain.

Expect this one to be a high scoring game, whether or not it gets ugly.

A.C.’s prediction: Kansas City 42 - San Francisco 28

Brett Tyndall The 49ers have one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL, boasting what is probably the best pass rush the Chiefs have faced all season. KC’s O-line will have to contend with Nick Bosa, Deforest Buckner, Arik Armstead and former Chief Dee Ford. While that will be no easy task, the Chiefs have this guy named Patrick Mahomes. Under Mahomes, in his 35-game tenure (including the playoffs) at quarterback, the Chiefs have never truly been out of a game, leading the Chiefs to a 27-8 record. All eight losses were by 7 points or less. Therefore, the Chiefs have not lost decisively since the 2017-18 season.

Marred by an inept defense last season, free agent additions Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark have cauterized a formerly hemorrhaging defensive unit, putting themselves near the top-10 in overall defense this season when they were 31st (second-worst) the year before. Kansas City has scored at least 23 points in 36 of their last 37 games.

The outlier came at Week 5 this year against the Colts, a 19-13 home loss where Mahomes was clearly hampered by a nagging ankle injury.

San Francisco will have no answers for Mahomes. The Chiefs force defenses into a tough situation with all the weapons Mahomes has at his disposal. Richard Sherman and company will need to double-team Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Time after time this season, this has been virtually impossible for opposing secondaries. While doubling Hill can take away his threat of verticality, it typically leaves Kelce and Sammy Watkins open in the middle of the field. The Chiefs receiving corps is simply too good for everyone else, if San Francisco shuts down one receiver, another will feast.

While Jimmy Garoppolo should be fresh after only attempting 8 passes against the Packers in the NFC Championship, the Chiefs defense will play well enough to get three or four stops over the course of the game. This is all the help Mahomes

First woman, openly gay Super Bowl coach Sports writer Lindsey Prather covers the debut of 49ers skills coach Katie Sowers, a trailblazer for both women and the LGBTQ+ community.

On Feb. 2, San Francisco 49ers coach Katie Sowers will make history.

This season Sowers grabbed headlines following her debut as a skills coach for the 49ers, and soon she will hold two historic titles: the first female coach and the first openly gay coach to coach in the Superbowl.

Despite the slow progression of acceptance in the NFL, this event will mark some important milestones, both paving the way for both LGBTQ+ acceptance in the league and potentially allowing more skilled female coaches to have meaningful positions.

Sowers began her career not as a coach, but as an athlete.

After playing in the Women’s Football Alliance for two separate clubs, she retired in late 2016 due to a significant hip injury.

Sowers went on to join the NFL, working as an intern for the Atlanta Falcons.

The following year, she accepted an assistant coach position with the 49ers and has found great success.

Following her short stint with the Atlanta Falcons as a training camp assistant, Sowers would go on to be the second female

Sowers will break barriers in Feburary.

coach to ever work in the NFL. After coming out as gay just before the 2017 season, she detailed in an interview from earlier this season the difficulties faced regarding her sexuality and her professional life.

On one particularly glaring occasion, she described her experiences with blatant LGBTQ+ discrimination in sports.

After seeking to coach in a meaningful capacity in college, Sowers was denied a volunteer coaching position due to her “lifestyle.”

This event followed months of coaching with no incident, yet the distrust of student parents was sufficient grounds for dismissal.

Her alma mater, Goshen College, has since issued a statement apologizing and acknowledging the wrongdoing in 2009, the school’s policy allowed for such discrimination up until 2015.

According to the university’s current president, Goshen updated their non-discrimination policy in 2015 to prevent such events happening in the future. Sowers has not publicly responded to the school’s statement.

graphic by Brennen Gray

will need. KC’s elite offensive unit will put themselves into the conversation of best offense to ever win a Super Bowl.

Brett’s prediction: Kansas City 38 - San Francisco 30 Brennen Gray I’m not an NFL expert. But I do know a good team when I see one, and the Chiefs are simply unstoppable. Patrick Mahomes is just too good, and the Kansas City is destined to win.

Growing up a Broncos fan, I always had a bitter dislike for the Chiefs so touting them today is not something I really enjoy. Nevertheless, Mahomes is a talent that I wish had gone to the Browns or Broncos. It has been a long time since I have been so excited about seeing how good a young quarterback can be.

There is something to be said for Deforest Buckner. I love a Super Bowl where it’s an incredible offense versus a stalwart defense.

An unstoppable force versus an immovable object and all that.

But what’s more is the 49er’s key player happens to be a direct counter to the Chief’s key player.

It would already be interesting if both key players were quarterbacks, or one was a running back, or they were both defensive players.

But quarterback leading his team against a defensive tackle leading his? It sounds like a battle from a fantasy novel, and I am here for it.

But at the end of the day, even after Buckner stops a dozen Chief’s rushing plays, sacks Mahomes a couple times and maybe even recovers a fumble.

The sheer amount of scoring Kansas City will do on top of all those foiled score attempts will win them this game. If Buckner chokes, and fails to stop any of them, we would see a 56 point KC. But money money is he will be on his game.

Brennen’s prediction: Kansas City 35 San Francisco 21

Zach Short As a Missouri native, it is hard to have an unbiased opinion toward the biggest Chiefs’ game of my lifetime. That being said, it is in my most objective opinion to say that Kansas City is perfectly capable of making a mockery of the 49ers. My faith has always been in the offense, led by the godlike abilities of Patrick Mahomes, but after witnessing seven touchdowns in a row in the divisional round (followed by a field goal for a cherry on top), I do not believe that any team in the world could score enough in a single game to outdo my anticipated efforts from the Chiefs’ offense.

To the contrary, the Chiefs have been a struggle on the defensive end, and the 49ers could easily be the team to exploit that fully.

San Francisco has a top-ranked rushing offense, and Jimmy Garappolo is no slouch in the passing game either. The Kansas City defense has, in accordance with years past, not been the most formidable, and their rushing defense has been one of the weakest points: good news for a top rushing offense.

However, Derrick Henry looked to be the biggest threat available for the Chiefs, and they were able to overcome.

My overall guess is that the 49ers offense will be able to score, but that the Chiefs will, as always, be able to score more.

Zach’s Score Prediction: Kansas City 45 - San Francisco 38 Chris Lierly Here’s the thing; I love KC not the city, the team but we’ll get there. However, San Francisco is just too cool to lose. The team can get lost but Kansas City’s Midwestern charm won’t stand up against the culture of San Fran. If there’s one thing the Bay Area does well it’s that they surround their awful fan culture (see Warriors’ fans) with an otherwise great city. I mean every Super Bowl in the past 20 years has been one by the team from the better city (ignore 2018).

Chris’ Prediction: KC -a lame flyover San Fran-cool, but an untenable housing crisis.

Sowers has been very open in how this incident has affected her outlook on inclusivity; in May 2019, she founded the “49ers Pride Fan Club,” an LGBTQ+ group that had official recognition from the franchise.

This club was the first of its kind, as the 49ers became the only team in the NFL to acknowledge their LGBTQ+ friends in such a meaningful way.

Early in the 2019 season, Sowers initially gained recognition in the NFL following her appearance in a widely-shared commercial for the Microsoft Surface. Much like the Arizona Cardinals’ addition of a female coach

to their staff and the league’s hiring of a female referee (both in 2015), the treatment of women in visible roles was treated as somewhat of a novelty. However, after the great success enjoyed by the 49ers and her meaningful contributions to their development, she has been lauded by players and coaches alike for her knowledge and capability.

Her future in the NFL seems very bright; one can only hope that in a league where continuously failing coaches can still be entrusted with entire franchises, more women are able to climb the coaching ladder and aspire to the same elite levels.

US nationals prepare skaters for Olympics Skating journalist Hannah Robbins discusses Gracie Gold, Nathan Chen and the fight for the top spot in the ice dance competition.

This week in Greensboro, North Carolina the best U.S. figure skaters competed in the national championships. Among the upsets came redemption, and some old faces returned on their own path to the 2022 Olympics. America loves a comeback and an underdog, and both had successes and failures this weekend.

In the ladies competition, Gracie Gold made her first nationals appearance since 2017. In her time away from the sport, she worked on recovery from an eating disorder and depression. While this year’s nationals left her in 12th place, her strength in coming back to the competition shows she will have a future in the coming years.

Karen Chen also returned after a year away, and her fourth place finish put her back in contention, even though she had a rough pair of skates. Maybe Chen’s multitasking with her academics at Cornell and skating left her slightly underprepared for the event.

Alysa Liu was back this year, and the now 14-year-old reprised her victory from last year. After finishing in second in the Grand Prix Final, Liu put a decent performance on the ice, though she did have her mishaps.

The surprise on the ladies side was Mariah Bell, who beat the Grand Prix Final competitor Bradie Tennell handily.

Bell finally showed some of the consistency she’s lacked in the past, and her fall during her step sequence was simply a mental lapse.

Tennell seemed uncharacteristically shaky, falling at the end of her free program.

Hopefully she’ll get her groove back for the rest of the season.

On the pairs stage, Olympians Alexa and Christopher Knierim seemed to get their groove back after rough competitions in the past several years, but falters in their free program left them barely with the lead.

These two need to be more consistent, or newcomers Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson might snag their spot in two years.

The free dance competition was fierce, but Madison Chock and Evan Bates were able to capitalize on their place in the Grand Prix final to edge out back-to-back national champions Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donahue. Chock and Bates’ snake themed free dance was able to hit hard in a way that Hubbell and Donahue just couldn’t match.

This begs the question: are Hubbell and Donahue on the decline? They seem to be playing second fiddle among the American teams more and more, and this isn’t the result they want going into the world championships.

As the men’s competition was not finished at the time of writing, it’s hard to say how it will go, but Nathan Chen seems poised to claim a third national title in a row after leading the short program by 13 points.

Jason Brown seems like he could also place; his second place finish in the short leaves him in a good position, but he does not have the technical chops the rest of the skaters do.

As usual, U.S. Nationals is full of ups and downs, but the competitors that are on top seem to have a chance to represent America well in the rest of the season.

Sports

The Collegian: 4

27 Janurary 2020

Road to the Super Bowl AFC/NFC Student writers Brett Tyndall and A. C. Boyle outline the long trail to the Super Bowl for the NFC and AFC, respectively.

The NFC with Brett Tyndall The 49ers won the NFC title last week against Green Bay in one of the most dominant rushing performances in NFL playoff history. Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries.

San Francisco ran a total of 50 plays and 42 of them were running plays. That means quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo only attempted eight passes the entire game. While

same game. C. J. Prosise was also injured, which meant Beast Mode needed to leave the old folks home and eat Skittles one last time. Rookie Travis Homer was also there, who honestly played better than Marshawn Lynch.

Their defense was decent, I guess. Ultimately, Russell Wilson can’t do everything, which is why they lost to Green Bay in the Divisional round.

against Houston in their previous playoff game, the Chiefs turned on the gas and let their high-powered offence take flight.

At the end of the first half, Mahomes scrambled for what might be the most beautiful scrambling touchdown a quarterback has ever scored, eluding seven defenders while barely avoiding stepping out of bounds, and this put them up 21-17.

Once the Chiefs had taken the lead into

The next challenge is on Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It’s there that the Chiefs will face off against the 49ers, another team with a high powered offense.

The 49ers are lead by head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator at the Atlanta Falcons the year they lost that infamous Superbowl against the Patriots.

“While San Francisco was impressive for most of the season, some of their success can be attributed to overall team health, as they had very few impactful injuries up to this point ...”

San Francisco was impressive for most of the season, some of their success can be attributed to overall team health, as they had very few impactful injuries up to this point.

Philadelphia and Seattle, on the other hand, had no such luck. The rest of the NFC was no match for the 49ers, but there are reasons why each team failed in the NFC playoffs.

Philadelphia: The Eagles might as well have had local tryouts again with all the injuries they had. Carson Wentz got concussed during Philly’s Wild Card game against Seattle. This left them with 40-yearold Josh McCown at quarterback. The dude played his heart out, as he was playing with a torn hamstring near the end of the game.

McCown, however, didn’t have enough in the tank.

The Eagles were also down running backs Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders.

Philly also lost Darren Sproles early in the season, leaving 2018 sixth-round draft pick Boston Scott in the backfield. But wait, they also had receivers Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson on injured reserve, leaving passcatchers I had never heard of. Their secondary was also beaten to hell. The 2019 Eagles were one of the most banged-up teams I’ve ever seen in football.

New Orleans: The Saints choked. Drew Brees finally looked his age (40), Alvin Kamara did virtually nothing and the Saints defense looked terrible in their home Wild Card loss to the Vikings. They lost to a Minnesota team that simply played harder and better than they did. It’s a shame since receiver Michael Thomas had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history (149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns). The 149 receptions are a new NFL record and the yards broke his own Saints record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,405 yards last season).

Drew Brees made some awful mistakes against the Vikings, making uncharacteristically bad decisions and turning the ball over twice. This loss was on him.

Minnesota: The Vikings never had a chance against San Francisco. Once the Niners’ front seven shut down running back Dalvin Cook, that was pretty much it.

Not to knock quarterback Kirk Cousins; he had a great season, but he was never going to beat San Francisco single-handedly.

The Vikings just don’t have the offensive and defensive depth the 49ers have. Minnesota was simply beaten by a better team.

Full stop.

Seattle: The Seahawks were carried on the back of elite QB Russell Wilson all year. The Seahawks were also incredibly injured, particularly at running back. They lost Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny in the

Green Bay: This team was only good on paper. While 13-3 is a great record, if you look closer, you would’ve seen their loss to San Francisco in the NFC Championship coming from a mile away. Of those 13 wins, seven of them were won by 8 points or less. The other team in those games were a Mahomes-less Chiefs team, Detroit twice, Minnesota, the Redskins and Chicago.

Four of those six games were against awful teams. Green Bay was really good … at winning ugly games. They were also proficient at losing badly; they got shellacked by the Chargers and Niners in the regular season.They also lost a close to the Eagles early in the season. Green Bay’s run defense looked horrendous against the Niners, as Raheem Mostert marched across the field time and time again. This team had flaws that even Aaron Rodgers couldn’t reconcile.

San Francisco is easily the most complete team in the NFC, which is why they will now face the Chiefs in a battle of opposites in Super Bowl 54. The last time these two teams faced off was Week 3 last season, when Jimmy G tore his ACL in a 38-27 San Francisco loss.

The AFC with A. C. Boyle The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to their first Superbowl in 50 years, where they will play the San Francisco 49ers. Good lord, it feels great to say that out loud.

No fans have been more loyal and embittered than Chiefs Kingdom, who have been waiting for a literal half century. The Chiefs last made the Superbowl in 1970, where they upset the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings by a score of 23-7, their first and only Superbowl win. After coming close but not close enough many times over the next half century, the Hunt family turned to former Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid to revitalize an otherwise irrelevant small market NFL team to its former glory.

In the past seven years, Andy Reid has done just that, by drafting perhaps the greatest generational talent of his time in Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, seemingly right under everyone’s nose like some kind of magician.

Now the Chiefs have an offense so elite that they can score from anywhere, and many of their drives end in touchdowns after less than six plays down the field.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs won the AFC Championship game against the Tennessee Titans by a score of 35-24.

At the start of the game, it looked like things wouldn’t go the Chiefs’ way, as they let the Titans run offense milk the clock on long scoring drives that put them up 17-7 in the second quarter. But then, just as they did

the halftime locker room, the game seemed over to anyone paying close enough attention. With the lead, the Titans couldn’t run the ball like they wanted to, and trying to take off chunks of possession wasn’t disrupting KC’s offense on their subsequent drive, it was giving them time to rest and adjust.

Plus, after the heartbreak of coming so close last year, the Chiefs simply weren’t going to allow themselves to fall short again. This team is just too mentally resilient for that.

After that game, Shanahan left his OC position for the head coaching job on the dismal 49ers, and within two years he had completely transformed the team from the inside out.

Now they’re headed to their first Superbowl since 2012, and seeking their first Superbowl win since 1995.

I expect both teams to come out firing on all cylinders, in what will prove to be a high scoring game, blowout or not.

@TUCollegian

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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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Jan. 27 - Feb. 1 Monday

Tuesday 27

Wednesday 28

No Events No Events

29

W Basketball vs. Tulane 7 p.m.

Thursday 30

Saturday

Friday 31

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Sunday 1

2 Track and Field @Indiana Track and Field All Day @Indiana relays Track and Field All Day @Black and Gold Invit.

All Day Track and Field @Black and M Tennis Gold Invit. @OSU All Day 2 p.m.

M Tennis @Texas A&M 6 p.m.

W Basketball @Memphis 3 p.m.

M Basketball vs. WSU 5 p.m.

27 January 2020

News

The Collegian: 5

Petition circulating for US Senate debates impeachment student vote of no confidence trial rules, begins trial Students acquired 365 petition signatures toward a confidence/no confidence vote in President Clancy and Provost Levit.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer

Beginning on Jan. 21, TU Students for Responsible Change (SRC) began circulating a petition calling for a confidence/no confidence vote in President Gerard Clancy and Provost Janet Levit — similar to that of the one held by faculty late last semester.

In accordance to Article VII of the Student Association Constitution, the petitioners are seeking to trigger an online referendum in order to give students an opportunity to advise Student Association on how to proceed regarding the True Commitment plan and its resulting fallout.

Article VII reads: “Any student wishing to propose a referendum ... must acquire the written support of at least five percent of the student body; this support must be given in a verifiable manner.” According to the University’s “TU Fast Facts” page, 2019-2020 enrollment counts 4,380 students, placing the number of required signatures at 219.

According to Haley Ashworth, a member of SRC, they have collected 365 signatures in less than a week. They plan on submitting the petition to SA on Jan. 27 to be verified.

After verification, SA must refer the issue to a vote to be held “within five weeks.”

When asked what prompted the petition, SRC member Elise Ramsey responded, “No one has really asked us, especially not the administrators, who claim that students already ‘voted with their feet.’ Hopefully, the vote will make a firm statement to the Board and University leadership … if they really believe they are acting in the best interests of the University, they can do us the courtesy of sitting down and offering us a real explanation of why their plan is the best way forward.”

This petition follows criticism leveled at both the Board of Trustees and Student Association for a perceived lack of action

immediately following the faculty vote of no-confidence held on Nov. 13. In response to the faculty vote, TU Board of Trustees Chair Frederic Dorwart indicated that the vote would have no bearing on the Board’s support for the President and Provost.

It is unclear if a student vote would receive a similar response, despite a very powerful precedent being set in a 1990s noconfidence vote against then-President Bob Donaldson. Donaldson went on to resign from his post, due in part to a SA vote of no confidence.

Leading up to the SA Senate meeting immediately after the faculty vote, there was a considerable increase of “chalking” around campus demanding action from student officers. At the Nov. 19 meeting, when asked if SA would also be holding a vote, SA President Maddie Pickett declined to comment.

At the same meeting, Vice President Braden Wright said that any inaction stemmed from a perceived lack of student interest.

The SRC has characterized the general response to the petition as positive overall.

Baylor Brandon, a member that has been active in gathering signatures, described his experience: “We haven’t experienced any pushback from administration, faculty or even other students. Interestingly, however, the most commonly-cited reason that students give for not signing is fear of backlash from the administration.”

Brandon gave one example: “There was one student who didn’t want to sign because they were afraid of damaging their RA application. It seems strange to me that a college that claims to have a ‘dedication to free inquiry’ (according to TU’s [newly proposed] mission statement) simultaneously has students who are afraid to speak out against the administration for fear of punishment.”

The outcome of the petition process would ultimately entail an anonymous vote held through Harvey. According to the procedures described in the Student Association bylaws, “public notice of such election shall be given not less than four days before it shall take place,” therefore obligating SA to provide ample time to advertise and ensure students the ability to be informed.

These machinations will begin following the submission of the petition of SA Vice President Braden Wright on Jan. 27.

Additional controvery already surrounds the impeachment trial over the lack of witnesses.

Lindsey Prather Student Writer Monday, Jan. 20, the impeachment trial of Donald Trump began in the United States Senate. After over a month of withholding the articles of impeachment, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent over the charges and designated seven impeachment managers.

These seven representatives — Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Rep. Jerry Nadler (DNY), Rep. Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Cal), Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) — will effectively act as prosecuting attorneys for the House of Representatives.

ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (RKY) presented a resolution that somewhat mimicked the rules of President Clinton’s impeachment trial; however, one glaring distinction was the lack of witnesses. Senate Democrats sought to amend the resolution in favor of including witnesses, however, were unsuccessful in all 11 attempts as the votes fell almost entirely along party lines.

The accepted rules allowed for up to 24 hours for each side to present their case over three days. After the House managers had exhausted their allotted time on Jan. 24, Trump’s defense began their case and are expected to present their most aggressive arguments in closing on Jan. 27. Following the conclusion of the White House’s case, Senators will be given 16 hours to question each side.

After allowing for questions, the Senate Majority Leader will decide which vote will take place next: one final vote deciding whether witnesses will be called, or the final votes on whether to acquit the President.

“According to a CNN poll ... 51 percent of Americans think President Trump should be removed from office.”

President Trump’s defense team includes Former Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, Clinton Prosecutor Ken Starr, Former Special Counsel Robert Ray, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, Personal Defense Attorney Jay Sekulow and Former Attorney General Pam Bondi. This team of lawyers will act in Trump’s defense throughout the duration of the trial.

The impeachment trial begins with immediate controversy, as it was unclear as to whether or not the Senate would compel certain witnesses subpoenaed by the House to testify. The president expressly instructed these witnesses — such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Former National Security Advisor John Bolton and other highranking officials for the Trump administration — not to testify, spawning the second charge against him in the in the impeachment inquiry: obstruction of Congress.

Before the trial could officially begin, the Senate body must debate and vote to confirm the rules that will govern the trial. Sen-

At present, it is unclear whether McConnell and Senate Republicans will allow witnesses in the trial at all.

Overall, the result of the impeachment trial has been treated as a foregone conclusion. The logic for this has been bolstered throughout the last week as Senators were seen ignoring the proceedings and wandering around the Capitol — one Republican Senator, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, was seen on Fox News, giving an interview just outside the chamber while the trial was in session.

According to a CNN poll released the night before the trial began, 51 percent of Americans think President Trump should be removed from office. An additional poll found that 69 percent of Americans believe that the trial should include witnesses to key events. After a series of incidents that appear to communicate the apathy of Senate Republicans towards the trial, it still appears as though President Trump will be acquitted along party lines.

Gov. Kevin Stitt sues native tribes over gaming contract Lindsey Prather Student Writer The office of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced on Jan. 22 some updates surrounding his ongoing dispute with vari-

ous native tribes in Oklahoma regarding the State Gaming Compact, which Stitt believes expired on Jan. 1.

In response to the filing of a federal lawsuit by several tribes, Gov. Stitt and the State have opted to file a suit seeking a ruling that would halt all Class III gaming in the state.

The basis for this lawsuit is Stitt’s insistence that the compact expired and that there is no agreement in place that allowed gaming to take place.

Stitt gave no indication as to whether he would accept the exclusivity fees from the tribes for January. When asked what would

happen if the state lost the lawsuit, Stitt replied “Everything is on the table. I don’t know. I am not going to lose in court.”

He also indicated the possibility of bringing in commercial gambling companies; however, this is not possible without legislative approval.

The New York Times endorses two candidates for the first time The newspaper picked one progressive and one moderate candidate, marking a change in tradition.

Lindsey Prather Student Writer

For the first time in its history, The New York Times editorial board, a group of opinion journalists and editors, has chosen to support two separate candidates for presidency.

The New York Times announced its support of both Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, who are both a part of the Democrat Party.

The New York Times believes that America is being presented with three models on how to govern the country and that the Democratic party is currently split on which is the superior model. The paper wants to frame the choices that Democrats have, rather than making the choice for them.

In a statement about their choices, The New York Times said, “It’s a fight the party itself has been itching to have since Mrs. Clinton’s defeat in 2016, and one that should be played out in the public arena and in the privacy of the voting booth. That’s the very purpose of primaries, to test-market strategies and ideas that can galvanize and inspire the country.”

The process of choosing their endorsements is done through lengthy interviews with the candidates. The board interviewed Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang,

courtesy Gage Skidmore/Flickr The two Democratic candidates that The New York Times chose to highlight this year are Sen. Amy Klobuchar (left) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (right).

Cory Booker (who has since dropped out of the race), Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren, Deval Patrick and Amy Klobuchar. The only candidate that failed to meet with the paper was Michael Bloomberg. The paper states that he said he did not yet have positions “on enough issues.”

One reason for their support of Warren is because of her desire to improve foreign policy, specifically NATO relations.

They also support her endeavors to combat climate change. Finally, they also like her ideas for expanding government support, free public college and expanded Social Security. Warren is considered by the paper to be the more progressive candidate.

The paper’s support Klobuchar can be attributed to her also wanting to improve foreign policy. The paper additionally supports her plans to combat climate change,

promote gun safety and provide help to the narrowing middle-class. Klobuchar is considered by the paper to be the emerging centrist candidate.

The paper also states, “her lengthy tenure in the Senate and bipartisan credentials would make her a deal maker and uniter for the wings of the party — and perhaps the nation.”

It has now become a long tradition of the newspaper to choose an endorsement for the election. The New York Times first started endorsing candidates in the election of 1860. The first candidate they ever endorsed was Abraham Lincoln.

The first Democrat endorsed by the paper was Grover Cleveland in 1884. The most recent endorsement was for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

As mentioned before, the first Republican candidate that the New York Times endorsed was Abraham Lincoln. In fact, the paper has not endorsed a Republican candidate since 1956; the last being Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Only once in its history has the paper nominated a third party candidate; The New York Times nominated John M. Palmer in 1896, who happened to be a member of the National Democratic Party.

This makes the first time in the paper’s history that it has decided to endorse two candidates for an election. The paper’s statement finishes with, “Ms. Klobuchar and Ms. Warren right now are the Democrats best equipped to lead that debate. May the best woman win.”

News

The Collegian: 6

27 January 2020

Jan. 18 11:30 a.m.

Officers discovered 3 fake driver licenses while inventorying a student’s found wallet and confiscated them. This case will be referred to Student Affairs for a student conduct violation.

Jan. 13 1:10 p.m.

Officers responded to a report of two individuals asking for signatures on a petition. The individuals were identified and a check for previous contacts and warrants was negative.

The boundaries of the campus were explained and both individuals were warned for trespassing.

8:55 p.m.

Officers responded to a non-injury motor vehicle accident in the 4th & Harvard Lot after an employee struck a light pole with a university-owned vehicle.

Jan. 15 3:40 p.m.

A student reported slander that had been committed through a social media post by another student. Officers advised the individual to contact the social media service.

Jan. 16 5:05 p.m.

Officers made contact with two individuals from Fieldworks Petition Group near the Allen Chapman Student Union. Officers advised the individuals they are not permitted to be on campus without proper approval. The individuals were informed the boundaries of campus and escorted off property. The individuals were trespass warned, and contact cards were created.

5:45 p.m.

Officers responded to a call at Hardesty Hall about a person soliciting to students. Officers informed the non-affiliate that Tulsa University is private property and soliciting is not allowed without proper authorization. The non TU affiliate left the property, a contact card was created.

Jan. 17 12:10 p.m.

Officers confiscated an invalid permit from a student’s vehicle, found parked in the University Square South Lot, due to possessing to separate lot permits in violation of TU Parking Regulations.

Jan. 19 3:15 a.m.

Officers observed a vehicle running and unsecured in the middle of 7th St. & Gary Ave. Officers discovered the individual was a delivery driver. The individual was not trespass warned. A contact card was created.

Jan. 20 1:30 a.m.

Officers responded to a Brown Village apartment to investigate a noise complaint and discovered the resident was not present but five non-resident students were inside. Officers initiated a search after detecting a strong odor of marijuana coming from the apartment and impounded paraphernalia and a decorative sword. The students were escorted out and referred for student misconduct.

6:00 p.m.

Officers responded to a non injury vehicle collision in the Allen Chapman Student Center parking lot and facilitated the exchange of information. Tulsa Police Department was not contacted.

Jan. 21 10:50 a.m.

Officers observed a suspicious vehicle on the south side of Tucker Loop. Officers made contact with a individual and discovered they worked for a food delivery service. Officers explained that they could not park on campus and needed to find another location to wait for calls.

11:15 a.m.

A fire alarm at the Delta Gamma sorority was activated by a smoke detector in a room. Officers found a heater left on in the room. The Tulsa Fire Department was canceled and the residents were able to return to their rooms.

12:55 p.m.

Officers and Tulsa Fire responded to a fire in a North Campus building. The fire fire was confined to testing equipment and on-site personnel were able to extinguish the fire prior to officers arrival. No injuries or building damage were reported.

Additional Information: Not Clery-reportable because the fire did not occur in a student housing facility.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer Chinese coronavirus spreads across the world Following the widening outbreak of the coronavirus, the Chinese government has officially issued a quarantine order for the city of Wuhan, planning to cut off all transportation to and from the city. This response comes with an increase of global attention as the virus has been responsible for 56 deaths and affected nearly 2,000 others. Leaders in the global community have criticized Chinese officials for not properly reporting the spread of the virus by only disclosing a limited number of actual cases.

Currently, China is seeking to swiftly improve healthcare infrastructure in certain regions in order to better combat the spread of the disease. Efforts to build new hospitals and bring in new healthcare workers have been widespread, as the implications for the uncontested infection begin to worsen.

With this newly announced quarantine, officials in China are beginning to take the outbreak more seriously as the spread of disease has worsened. Five other countries — including three cases in the United States — have reported confirmed cases. Beginning in the next few weeks, the global community is expected to take more measures to combat the spread of the virus.

Riots in Puerto Rico following natural disasters On Jan. 20, citizens in Puerto Rico took to the streets, following the unearthing of millions of units of disaster aid supplies, hidden and unused from Hurricane Maria relief efforts. Puerto Rico is in the immediate aftermath of a devastating earthquake, further exacerbating the outrage at this mismanagement. The political situation in Puerto Rico has been tumultuous following the string of natural disasters that has drastically increased the need for relief on the island.

Just six months ago, Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló was forced to resign following allegations of corruption and cronyism involving himself and his cabinet. As the public reacts to this new evidence of negligence, it is possible that yet another massive shakeup could occur in the ranks of Puerto Rico’s government.

US troops suffer brain damage from Iran strike Though Iran’s retaliation against the United States for the killing of Qassim Suleimani did not result in any American casualties, the Pentagon has now reported that 34 service members sustained brain injuries as a result of the missile strike. When asked about the injuries on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Trump stated, “I heard they had headaches and a couple of other things ... and I can report it is not very serious.”

That downplaying of the injuries came before the Pentagon announced the number of brain injuries sustained, and they have yet to confirm the extent of those injuries.

However, they did announce that half of the service members still remain under medical observation.

6:00 p.m.

Officers responded to a Mayo Village apartment to investigate a student’s apartment being unlocked after they left it locked. It was determined nothing was missing from the apartment and Tulsa Police was not contacted. This report will be forwarded to Housing to determine if maintenance was performed in the apartment.

8:30 p.m.

Officers responded to University Square South Apartment Complex to take a report of a broken window. The outer panel was broken but the inside panel was not compromised. Officers walked the surrounding areas and did not find any other broken windows or any signs of forced entry.

Tulsa Police Department was not contacted and a work order was placed to replace the window.

Jan. 22 1:05 a.m.

Officers responded to a fire alarm at the Delta Gamma Sorority and determined it was activated by a lit candle in a student’s room. Tulsa Fire was cancelled and the panel reset.

1:20 a.m.

Officers observed an individual sitting on the Skelly Mansion property. Officers requested an ambulance due to the individual not being responsive but the individual declined treatment. Officers advised the individual they were on private property and they left without further incident. A contact card was created.

8:10 p.m.

Officers were notified of a student hit by a food delivery vehicle near 8th St. & Tucker Dr. The victim stated they were were walking across the street when they were struck by the vehicle, which immediately left campus without stopping to provide assistance. The victim did not require medical treatment and officers advised the student to file a report with Tulsa Police about the incident.

Jan. 23 3:40 p.m.

Officers are investigating a vehicle burglary that occurred in the West Park Lot between 6:40 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., 22 JAN 2020. The were no signs of forced entry as the vehicle was unlocked. The victim declined to file a report with Tulsa Police.

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

Tuesday, Jan. 28 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Keplinger Hall, Room 2355 Technology @ TU Feedback Forum Your TU IT Team is excited to meet and hear from you. Over the course of the spring 2020 semester, we have several sessions across campus scheduled to meet faculty, students and staff.

Why? Since we are asking for feedback, suggestions and ideas, we feel that it just makes sense to meet you where YOU are! Please join us on any date, in any location and share your thoughts on TU technology – positive-to-critical and everything in between.

Our job is to SERVE this campus and build for you a connected environment that facilitates teaching and learning in the best way. If we don’t hear from you, we make the decisions ourselves. And no one needs that! Thank you TU for all the hard work you do. We are honored to be here and take our role – and your needs – seriously.

Tuesday, Jan. 28 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Great Hall Vietnamese New Year Come celebrate Vietnamese New Year with VASA! Enjoy free food, lion dance, games/prizes, and a fashion show!

Thursday, Jan. 30 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Tyrell Hall Auditorium The Birth of Loud: The Guitar Rivalry That Shaped Rock-n-Roll The Birth of Loud is “a hot-rod joy ride through mid-20th-century American history” (The New York Times Book Review), this one-of-a-kind narrative masterfully recreates the rivalry between the two men who innovated the electric guitar’s amplified sound— Leo Fender and Les Paul—and their intense competition to convince rock stars like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to play the instruments they built.

Ian S. Port is an award-winning writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Village Voice, The Threepenny Review, and The Believer, among others.

Join us for a talk by Port at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 30th, 2020 in Tyrrell Hall on the University of Tulsa campus. Book signing following the event.

Free and open to all.

Co-sponsored by Magic City Books.

Monday, Dec. 2 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Student Union

2nd Pride Bingo of the Year!

Join us for PRIDE BINGO with the one and only GRANNY RAINBOW! Of course there will be awesome prizes, drag performances, and food and drinks a plenty. Plus, every dollar you spend goes directly to raise money for TULSA PRIDE 2020!

Table with unlimited drinks $300 Single tickets with 3 drinks $35 Single-game $20 The Collegian does not produce all event descriptions in the Community Calendar.

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

Commentary

27 January 2020

The Collegian: 7

Bloomberg’s plan to fix inequality lacks any concrete policy details

The former NYC mayor’s Greenwood Inititative is not feasible but its goals are admirable.

Adam Walsh Student Writer In his recent visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg announced a new plan to increase the amount of wealth in historically impoverished neighborhoods, focusing on black Americans. While it seems to be a net positive for the nation, Bloomberg’s Greenwood Initiative raises some old questions, such as where the $70 billion he wants will come from or the sheer possibility of this project. His proposal encompasses a multitude of impressively progressive actions, like providing assistance through free financial aid classes, monetary aid in the purchase of property and the rollout of a program that would advise students from their first day of pre-k to their last day of college.

However, something feels off about the entire plan. The immense density of changes, investments, new program creations, one-stop entrepreneur training shops, justice reforms, loan market regulations and the list seems to go on and on. His plan seems less like a concrete policy initiative and more like a list of things his advisors told him to include to sound more woke. On his campaign website, Bloomberg’s dedicated webpage to the Greenwood Initiative is half proposed objectives and half humble brag on his time spent as mayor of New York City.

forces or anything. Even if he didn’t intend to push this program against minorities, he’s foolish and generally incompetent for implementing it.

It’s frustrating to see this businessman exploiting the hopes and dreams of the nation’s most destitute individuals by listing off a multitude of potential strategies, then providing nothing in the way answers on where funding will come from. To make matters worse, he then spends a portion of his speech trying to prove how woke and progressive he is by talking about his reforms in one of the richest parts of the country. None of his campaign material mentions the time period in which he was mayor.

From 2002, through the 2008 housing market crash and into the 2010s, Bloomberg held office, running for a controversial third term by rewriting the legislation surrounding mayoral term limits. This specific window implies that any growth or accomplishment he claims to have achieved cannot be truly verified as a result of his actions, because the massive ballooning of the housing market would statistically look like an increase in homeownership, but the reality is that it only set up more people to fall. The policies and loan forgiveness opportunities he so courageously espouses were economic necessities in order to preserve the stability of the city. If they were necessary and unavoidable, then why should he take credit for their implementation?

His proposal is also such a glass cannon that whatever executive order he concocts —because there is no way this monstrosity will make it through Congress — will be exceedingly fragile and easy to manipulate. He talks about adding $1.5 trillion to the national economy through the expansion of Black-owned businesses, but where will all of this mystery capital come from?

Economic systems are not infinite, and just shoving money at it won’t work like it did when he was mayor. Bloomberg takes special care to mention that in his announcement, but neglects to inform the audience

“... this could be a potential back pocket plan for the Democratic Party in general ...”

With how it revolves around the massive amount of commercial guidelines meticulously limiting the opportunities of black Americans, as well as the systemic racism forcing young men and women into gangs and prisons over classrooms and board meetings — it doesn’t take a genius to identify the issues. Neither does it take a super savvy economist to come up with potential solutions, but it does take one to come up with an economically feasible plan that wouldn’t backfire like Bloomberg’s time in New York City.

Bloomberg’s plan only seems to say that he understands there is a problem with poverty and how it unequally affects minority groups, but even without any concrete idea on how he would pay for these various plans and bureaus and regulation audits, his plan isn’t a plan. Instead, his remarks focus on his campaign, attempting to lend his presidential bid credibility after the miserable stop and frisk scandal, a practice he implemented and eventually tried to reduce, attempting to limit his culpability by saying he didn’t understand how many innocent minority members would be stopped. Yes, this practice that involves ostensibly random searches won’t disproportionately affect minorities. It’s not like there’s a history of implicit bias against minorities in police

that he had about $10 million worth of equity in his former company.

It doesn’t help that he’s a moderate Republican in disguise, siding with the Democratic Party only to attain their coveted presidential candidate title and poach the portion of their base that sees the party affiliation and votes. His website is a codified version of his trophy shelf, talking about how Mike did this and Mike did that, and it gives me revolting flashbacks to the times I went to work with my dad and saw the clean looking CEO while my dad’s hands were covered in grease and problems the CEO was too important for. There’s nothing of substance behind these actions because he would turn and burn you as long as it gave him an advantage; just ask those Guantanamo Bay sources imprisoned by that Patriot Act he so loves.

These tactics are disingenuous and predatory, and while I agree with the goals and potentially the ways he intends to reach them, I don’t trust him to do it. This could be a potential back pocket plan for the Democratic Party in general, and I believe that’s where this plan should stay. Let’s, uh, not elect another individual who has held enough money that it has no consequence to them, shall we?

Bloomberg announced his plan in Tulsa’s Greenwood district.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Warren also recieved the endorsement of the Des Moines Register.

courtesy Lorie Shaull/Flickr

The New York Times’s endorsement not pragmatic, indecisive

By choosing to support Warren and Klobuchar, the newspaper’s backing means even less.

Hannah Robbins Student Writer On Sunday, Jan. 12, The New York Times released their endorsements for the 2020 Democratic Primary. That’s right, their endorsements, plural. The newspaper endorsed two candidates for the office for the first time in their history, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. While in the beginning the field was wide open, at this point in the race there are less than a dozen candidates and even less viable ones, which begs the question: why can’t the New York Times make a decision on a single candidate to endorse?

In case the New York Times forgot, an endorsement is selecting a candidate that they believe to be the best fit for a job.

However, by selecting two candidates they are simultaneously saying that no candidate is the best and selecting two decent candidates, which does nothing to show support, instead putting them both on a pedestal of almost-good-enough. This shared spotlight shows waning viability and enthusiasm for the remaining candidates.

By choosing two candidates, the New York Times tried to get the best of the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party. This shows that the Times is not able to risk alienating a specific viewership to appease another. This does not bode well for the validity and honestly of the editorial board’s decision, nor the unity of the Democratic Party behind their eventual nominee.

The Times decided to cop out, and choose one from both sides, but in the end they missed reaching both.

The other obvious point this endorsement was supposed to prove was that, no matter which side of the Democratic party you’re on, you should vote for a woman. By endorsing Klobuchar over a higher polling candidate, such as Biden on the moderate side, the Times is gambling on a candidate with less likely to win while pushing that

“... why can’t [T]he New York Times make a decision on a single candidate to endorse?”

This year the Times decided to try a new strategy with their endorsement: instead of smoke filled rooms in some office somewhere, they were going to make their deliberations public in the form of podcasts.

Each candidate that wanted to be considered for their endorsement had to sit down for a taped interview the Times released after their endorsement was announced. This put more pressure on the Times to make a decision, and apparently somewhere along the line the editorial board forgot how an endorsement works and selected two candidates.

the Democratic Party should elect a women.

This endorsement seems to be more symbolic than a pragmatic approach to push voters toward a struggling campaign.

On the more progressive side, Warren’s selection on its own is more logical since she is consistently polling as a frontrunner on this campaign; however, by not selecting her alone, the Times is able to put some distance between themselves and some of her more radical ideas. Either way, the Times should have made a decision, and by throwing support behind both, they make a more symbolic endorsement than one that shows any belief in the ability of either candidate to win.

Despite trailing nationally, Klobuchar has polled well in Iowa.

courtesy Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Commentary

The Collegian: 8

LEGISLATIVE

DIGEST

With the legislative session about to begin on Feb. 3, here are two of the noteworthy bills that were submitted in the past few months.

Senate Bill 1819:This bill prohibits gender reassignment medical treatment for any people under 18 years of age. According to the bill, gender reassignment medical treatment includes “suppressing development … of sex characteristics,” “alligning … appearance or body with the patient’s gender identity” and “interventions to alleviate … distress resulting from gender dysphoria.”

For those unfamiliar with youth gender transitions, it is important to note that pre-puberty transitions do not involve these types of treatments. Pre-puberty transitions only involve what is termed “Social Transition” by the Human Rights Coalition, such as a change in clothing and used pronouns.

These treatments would begin in early adolescence with puberty blocking medication, a process which is reversible if the child changes their identity. Surgeries and hormone therapy would not occur until older adolescence and when the child feels affirmed in their transitioned identity.

Adolescents not allowed to receive these treatments often delve deeper into the negative mental conditions associated with transgender youth. The Human Rights Coalition points out that not letting an adolescent halt their pubescent development (which is in contrast to their gender identity) can “make [their gender dysphoria] worse, even to the point of a mental health crisis.” Additionally, the changes transgender people’s bodies will undergo during puberty without treatment will be irreversible, even once they reach 18 years of age.

27 January 2020

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

Justin Klopfer Student Writer

Thankfully, this bill is only in the prefiling stage, meaning it hasn’t made any real progression through the approval process. Hopefully, SB1819 won’t come to pass through this process.

House Bill 2994: The main thrust of this legislation would be to prohibit beverages not obtained from “hooved mammals” from being labelled “milk.” This would stop products like almond milk or soy milk from being labelled as such. This bill is also only in its prefiling stage.

Many people in recent years have shifted from drinking cow milk to various plant-based milks because of the large negative impact animal agriculture can have. This has led to a seven percent decrease in national milk sales in 2018 (about a billion dollars in sales). The milk industry has long held influence in American politics (remember all those “Got Milk?” posters in your public elementary school?), and this legislation would only go to further benefit these corporations.

Additionally, I don’t want to ignore the obvious ridiculousness of this legislation. The country now faces historical income inequality, a constant struggle for human rights and the looming threat of climate change. Despite all this, the author of this legislation has decided milk labelling is the most pressing issue he must face.

Coincidentally, Jim Grego, the representative who proposed the bill, happens to be a cattle farmer! It is probably a reach to claim he proposed this bill for his own economic benefit, but perhaps he is personally offended at all the counterfeit milk being peddled in today’s grocery stores.

Buttigieg’s recent surge could propel him to victory in Iowa

Buttigieg’s strength in Iowa is a result of demographics and his ability to pitch policy ideas.

Lindsey Prather Student Writer Throughout the last few months, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been slowly closing in on a strong showing in the Iowa Caucus.

According to FiveThirtyEight, a website that provides poll analysis, Buttigieg is currently trailing only Former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls for the first contest of the Democratic Primary. After first breaking into double digits in New Hampshire in November 2019, Pete has been on a steady upwards trajectory and is poised to make significant gains before the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucus.

Buttigieg has outlasted several promising candidates such as Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, despite his questionable political pedigree and credentials. Although Vice President Biden could maintain his

lead, the trajectory of Pete’s popularity as well as a strong showing in the latest debate may provide the boost needed to steal a victory.

Most people primarily know Buttigieg as the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. In the infancy of his campaign, his status as the only openly gay candidate, as well as his stint military service, set him apart. He entered the race as a dark horse candidate, but he was expected to become an eventual rising star for the party especially following Beto O’Rourke’s stunning campaign collapse.

However, Buttigieg has somehow remained within the top five for many prospective Democratic voters, and his campaign has maintained a promising presence during the past few months.

After spending a significant amount of time on the periphery of the primary, Buttigieg’s campaign has outlasted a number of contenders. This, combined with the advantageous demographics (read: primarily white) in Iowa and New Hampshire, could allow his campaign to enjoy a much longer shelf life than anyone expected.

Mayor Pete’s ability to survive so far has been a result of his ability to choose his battles. In the most recent Democratic Primary Debate on Jan. 14, Buttigieg received a considerable amount of time explaining policy matters – which most voters tend to gloss over or tune out – in a straightforward and understandable way.

Although in previous debates, Pete had attempted some verbal takedowns and rhetorical jabs, he never quite connected with anyone of note. These attempts fell flat as Pete sought to mimic the success of Kamala Harris in her dressing down of Joe Biden in

The South Bend Mayor would be the youngest president if elected.

an earlier debate. Instead, Pete has begun to change gears. The result has been clear, concise explanations and the shoring up of subjects on which he had previously been vulnerable, such as foreign policy. This “adult-in-the-room” attitude is especially powerful in contrast to the unhinged tweetstorms of President Donald Trump, which could potentially increase its appeal.

For Buttigieg’s campaign, Iowa is a mustwin race. Iowa is extremely welcoming to him both demographically and politically,

courtesy Gage Skidmore/Flickr

and these factors directly cost Kamala Harris and Cory Booker their campaigns. In order to convince the wider population of his electability, Pete must continue his tactic of projecting a calm presence while on the campaign trail. If the trend continues and Joe Biden continues his tendency to say outrageous things, Buttigieg’s campaign could get a vital boost that carries him further in the race than anyone imagined.

Overcoming discrimination available only for those who can afford it

Amtrak, Uber and other transportation services are not held accountable for discrimination.

Madison Connell News Editor One of the many challenges to being disabled is transportation. In the last week alone, two prominent national stories displayed Uber drivers reportedly denying a wheelchair user with a service dog and Amtrak quoting another two wheelchair users with a $25,000 ticket. And transportation is not just a disability issue — it’s a class issue as well.

In the case of Uber, Zipporah Arielle told her Twitter followers under the username @coffeespoonie that four different Uber drivers denied her a ride in one week. She claims the drivers rarely face repercussions.

One of the driver’s excuses was that he had leather seats.

Beyond the troubling discrimination by the drivers, Twitter users respondeded with little sympathy. Twitter user @DisgorgeYugo wrote, “[to be honest] if you’re disabled you need to find some other way of getting around. [R]ideshares are normal people’s [sic] cars. [T]hey aren’t equipped to fit some legless wonder and their wheel throne in the back seat. [I]t’s called a city bus or a subway.”

money, they could have bought over 1,500 of the non-accessible seats.

Not only is this treatment illegal, it’s prominent, with few possible solutions.

Public transportation is often not better than these examples. Some wheelchair users claim buses choose not to stop for them, and many old subway systems do not have access to some of their stops, such as New York City. Most of even the University of Tulsa’s buses do not have a wheelchair lift available.

Personal transportation is an option — but only if that person is prepared to pay a significant fee. Manual wheelchairs can often fold up, but for people with motorized wheelchairs or scooters, like myself, at least

“Basic activities like buying groceries or going to the doctor’s office can become nightmares ...”

Other Twitter users doxxed her, and told her it’s not her right for transportation.

In the case of Amtrak, more wheelchair users attempted to buy tickets than there were accessible spots for on the train cars for a certain time slot. The two wheelchair users that tried to purchase tickets were charged $25,000 to move seats to make more accessible spots. Normal tickets for this ride cost only $16. With that amount of

an extra-large SUV or a minivan is required.

Even used, these vehicles start sometimes double the average sedan or crossover. For example, the price of a sedan can start at around $8,000 for a model 2010 or newer with less than 40,000 miles, and a minivan starts at around $15,000.

On top of this, people who do not have the strength to put their (oftentimes heavy) chair into the car or ability to get out of their

chair will have to have the vehicle retrofitted to allow them to roll their chair into where the driver’s seat would be or put in a lift into the side or trunk. At a bare minimum, this costs a few thousand dollars.

Disabled people are disproportionately impoverished, with 20.9 percent of disabled people living in poverty while only 13.1 percent of people without disabilities, according to the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire.

Where does this leave disabled people?

Often at home or hitching a ride with a friend or family member, whenever possible. Basic activities like buying groceries or going to the doctor’s office can become nightmares, relying on loved ones or gambling with public transportation and ride shares.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, which rules on accessibility issues, isn’t enough. Until people’s opinions on disability change, no one will hold major corporations like Uber, Amtrak and even public transportation responsible.

In the case of Amtrak, they temporarily went back on their new policy, but what will happen the next time one too many disabled people try to get on board? When one in five people are disabled and people are having longer and longer lives, will America evolve with us, or continue against us?

Variety

27 January 2020

The Collegian: 9

Oscar nominations highlight award show contradictions

The 92nd Academy Awards demonstrates the incongruities between various shows.

Tori Gellman Student Writer It’s award season yet again, and like the past few years the announcement of the nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards was met with numerous complaints and a multitude of accusations regarding the lack of diverse representation. Some of the most notable snubs include Greta Gerwig for her directing of “Little Women” and “The Farewell” for literally anything.

This year’s Academy Award nominations also sparked some surprise and confusion, as the nominees didn’t correlate as much to the winners of the 77th Golden Globe Awards, as is often the case. Again, “The Farewell” must be mentioned, as Awkwafina won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy and was not even nominated for the Academy Awards. An explanation for this sort of situation has con-

sistently been that while the Golden Globes essentially splits movies into two categories, Drama and Musical or Comedy, the Academy Awards does not, thereby halving the number of nominees in each category.

Another surprise for this year’s nomination announcement was “Joker” leading the race with a whopping 11 nominations, followed by “The Irishman,” “1917” and “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” right behind with 10 nominations apiece.

Cynthia Erivo, nominated for best actress for her role of Harriet Tubman and soon to be starring in the HBO adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “The Outsiders” responded to King’s assertion by saying that it is the job of people in power to create a system of better representation. The notion of representation in Hollywood has become one of the biggest, if not the biggest, talking points for the film industry for the last several years.

“ ... it is the job of people in power to create a system of better representation.”

This past week, Stephen King has perhaps unintentionally stepped into the spotlight with his controversial comments as to what is important within the film industry and how filmmakers and movie-goers alike seem to have lost sight of such things. King tweeted, “I would never consider diversity in matters of art. Only quality. It seems to be that to do otherwise would be wrong.”

I think one of my biggest complaints about the film industry is that the overall quality of movies being made has seemed to exponentially decrease over the last decade or so. I’m hopeful that the recognition of foreign films have started to receive beyond their delegated category is signaling a shift in the types of movies that will be made and hopefully be successful in the box office.

The fact that “Parasite” set a new precedent by being the first foreign film to win the SAG for best ensemble cast, as well as the commentary from director Bong Joonho during his Golden Globes acceptance speech, which encourages movie-goers to get past the one inch boundary of subtitles, seems to be indicative of a more appreciative look at films that I feel often get neglected by the Hollywood Foreign Press and other governing film bodies.

I am immensely curious to see how the Oscars shake out on Feb. 9. There are some awards that seem to be pretty definite — Joaquin Phoenix has swept the best actor category across the board — while other categories seem to have less clear frontrunners. I think Best Picture at this point is anyone’s game; though “1917” brought home the Best Drama win at the Globes, it’s come under some criticism for its beautifully inventive cinematography but lack of original take on the classic war film. Meanwhile, “Parasite” could continue its winning trend and take home two best picture awards at the Academy Awards.

Kathryn Polk brings personal history to Hogue Gallery “Spilt Milk” is full of prints featuring individual symbols and stories from Polk’s own life.

Stasha Cole Student Writer The Alexandre Hogue Gallery hosted an artist’s talk and opening reception on Jan. 23 to introduce Kathryn Polk and her work to TU students, faculty and visitors. Polk has been a lifelong illustrator, but within the last two decades, she discovered a love for stone lithography, a method of printmaking.

In Polk’s words, her dynamic works feature “a collection of personal visual narratives referencing the past to the present. My drawings and lithographs depict humorous, visual memories and thoughts through the eyes of all the women in my family.”

The artist’s talk highlighted Polk’s personal life and a slideshow of many of her pieces. Polk started off as a painting student, but her career was built on marketing illustrations; this still did not allow her

full creative license, however. As a result, Polk quit her job and committed, full-time, to herself and her artwork. Polk expressed that her “creative side — [her] soul — was not being fed” until she started making art again on her own terms. As Polk delved into her creative process, she explained that she sketches and draws inspiration for her lithographs from her depictions of everyday life, memories, and ideas.

is meticulously crafted and depicts motifs and characters that echo through the rest of the gallery. The viewer can connect depictions of members of her family to the glass of “Spilt Milk,” representing the artist’s relationship with her sister, for which the exhibit is titled. Other repeated symbols include a crown, an iron, floating hands, logs, a purse, a blindfold, a red balloon, a cigar, a tattoo, an acorn, cacti, broken scissors and

“... Polk quit her job and committed, full-time, to herself and her artwork.”

Some of the lithographs on display in “Spilt Milk” feature vibrant primary colors inspired by Polk’s time selling fireworks to pay for college. Others are more subtle in color but just as powerful in their portrayal of the artist’s memories, childhood misconceptions about the world or her commentary on current events. Each lithograph

red thread, each of which are significant and meaningful to the artist and her life. These personal motifs are accompanied by broad symbolism within her lithographs that is universally meaningful.

Like her personal symbols, each work comes with a story; whether you hear it from the artist herself or create it on your

own. Polk commented, “You might lose the relationship to the piece … if I don’t leave some of it up to you,” when asked to explain the meanings behind some of the paintings.

Polk’s use of motifs provides her with a medium of expression that, on the surface, avoids commentary, but upon explanation or interpretation, yields a cathartic release of ideas and information about family, climate, gender, age and subverting expectations.

This symbology is personal and unique to this collection of work, but the lithographs paint vivid imagery of universal ideas.

This lecture prompted me to examine the relationships between the artist, the art and the observer, recognizing the value of all three in such a personal and yet subjective gallery of work. The dichotomy between the artist’s creative expression and the viewer’s individual interpretation lends itself to personal and unique experiences with Polk’s work. The exhibit will be displayed in the Hogue Gallery until Feb. 6; I urge you to interpret these lithographs yourself and discover your own stories within Kathryn Polk’s evocative prints.

Kathryn Polk delivered a heartfelt and deeply personal lecture discussing her work and inspiration.

Events next week in Tulsa Tuesday, Jan. 28

Charles Yu launches his newest novel, “Interior Chinatown,” discussing his work with Tulsa Artist Fellow and TU associate professor of creative writing, Simon Han. The event will be at Magic City Books and start at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 31

Circle Cinema screens Oscar Nominated Short Films. This will include films from all three categories (animated, live action and documentary).

Gilcrease Museum will host their monthly After Hours event. This month’s theme will be Game Night.

Andolini’s will offer free pizza and Thursday, Jan. 31 Oklahoma Center for the Humani- gusts can play pop up games and ties and Magic City Books will host trivia. Event will start at 7 p.m. a discussion with Ian S. Port about his book, “The Birth of Loud: The Guitar Rivalry That Shaped Rock-nRoll.” The event will take place at 7 p.m. in Tyrrell Hall. photos by Stasha Cole Polk included many repeated symbols in her prints, like the burning purse referencing money problems.

The Collegian: 10

Variety

27 January 2020

Halsey’s “Manic” adds authenticity to discography The pop singer’s third studio album incorporates a wide range of emotions and stories.

Myranda New Student Writer No matter how you feel or what you are going through, I promise that Halsey can put your own unique sentiments into words through her newest album “Manic,” an introduction to the full emotional spectrum.

Her third studio album following “Badlands” and ”Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,” “Manic” is unlike anything Halsey has ever tackled before. Usually shrouded behind a story, hidden within the aura of her stage name, Halsey describes themes through her music, like mental health in “Badlands” and true love in “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.”

These albums, though, are never truly her.

“Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” mimicked a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, and “Badlands” had the aesthetic of a postapocalyptic wasteland. “Manic,” though, is completely and unapologetically the story of Halsey and how she came to be. It is the story of everything that can happen while existing in the human condition.

The album is meant to be listened to in order, the timing and placement of each song flowing from emotion to emotion. It morphs

luding back to a tweet she posted prior to the release of “Manic.” She was going to share her deepest secrets through this anthology, and so she did.

“Clementine” takes on a childish tone that immediately separates this album from the ones that Halsey said she wrote during periods of depression. She has brought up in multiple interviews that the album name for “Manic” came from how this was the first album that she wrote in a manic state of mind, and manic it is. She bounces around all different genres, from rap to country and everything in between.

“Graveyard” was a single that Halsey released earlier this year, which was linked to another theme she touched upon with this album. “Manic” is the first album to come out since Halsey has regularly played on the radio. In an interview with Apple Music, Halsey remarked how after “Badlands,” she was meant to disappear into the wallpaper of alternative pop, according to many experienced people in the music industry. It was an album similar to ones that had done that in the past, and Halsey would mirror them, they all assumed. Instead she fought to make her name known, and “Manic” is full of chart-topping hits, also including “Without Me” which topped the charts for over ten months. For Halsey fans everywhere, that was one of the most incredible moments of her career.

is “More,” the poem that Halsey wrote to “someone that doesn’t exist yet,” as she likes to say, “but will hopefully exist one day.” That is the beautiful thing about this album; the listener does not have to go through what Halsey did to understand every single emotion that she felt when she cried “and when you decide it’s your time to arrive / I’ve loved you for all of my life.”

An even more personal song, the one that she calls her “most uncensored song of all time” is a stream of consciousness known as “929.” Born Sept. 29, this is Halsey’s autobiography, a breathless, relatable confession to catch us up on her last few years of fame. “I’ve got a long way to go until self preservation / think my moral compass is on a vacation” Halsey belts, knowing that she is still learning, that she is still looking for that best version of herself. “I know that I love you but I’m still learning / to love myself, / I’m still learning to love myself,” she sings in “Still Learning.” That is the drive of “Manic”: knowing that you can always be better and that your best self is out there to be found.

The music industry needed an album like “Manic,” an album that was unafraid

to break away from the traditional mold of how a collection of songs should be. It is messy in the best sense of the word, only so from how it skips all over from sad songs to joyous ballads, from technical beats to live instrumentals, a soft version of her voice or a mixture with electrical tones. It encompasses everything that Halsey and music have to offer a listener, something to help people know what it is like to be famous, to be in love, to accomplish the best things and grow from the worst things.

“Badlands” was the story of being an outcast while “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” was the beginning of belonging to a group, but never feeling like you were truly accepted. “Manic” is the acceptance of self-worth and discovery from those journeys. They are a progression of Halsey’s maturity and growth not only as an artist, but as an adult.

She is no longer a nineteen-year-old girl, but a twenty-five-year-old woman ready to take on the world with fans that have been with her every step of the way, never failing to cheer her on.

Tickets for the Manic World Tour are officially on sale. Go on out and see how it feels, take part in the “Manic” experience.

“... the album begins to shift from upbeat songs to more emotional lyrics ...” from a longing to connect to someone to the blissfulness of falling in love before receding to the anger that comes from being cheated on until it finally closes by coming full circle, recognizing the acceptance of love that you deserve.

This is a love album, it truly is, but not in the traditional sense. These aren’t romantic songs for an intimate partner, but anthems to let you know that you will find love. Above all, there is nothing more important than recognizing that you deserve love, and loving yourself.

The album opens with what she calls “the most Halsey song on the album,” a strong ballad called “Ashley” which warns that this album will not be like her past albums.

“I told you I’d spill my guts / I left you to clean it up,” Halsey belts in the chorus, al-

“You Should Be Sad” is personally my favorite song, a country riff that channels music icons like Shania Twain and Christina Aguilera. This is an absolute banger that conjures strong feelings in the listener of strength and independence. Like most of the songs on the album, it is powerful and energizing, specifically through the lyrics that allude to how things can get better even when it seems like you are stuck.

It is around this point that the album begins to shift from upbeat songs to more emotional lyrics that both warm the heart and shatter it. These are the songs that Halsey did not release as single, ones that she kept to herself until the much anticipated album drop.

One of these songs, the one that many fans have said nearly brought them to tears

Halsey will go on tour with “Manic” this year; tickets are already on sale.

courtesy Capitol Records

David Lynch’s new short film continues the director’s legacy “What Did Jack Do?” offers the director’s signature style to a wider audience on Netflix.

A. C. Boyle Student Writer On Jan. 20, a new short film by acclaimed director David Lynch was released on Netflix, taking audiences and fans of the unique director by surprise.

Lynch, famous for directing films such as “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” and “Mulholland Drive,” is seen by many as the most avant-garde filmmaker in Hollywood today. His films are known for being surreal, strange and sometimes funny.

His new short film, titled “What Did Jack Do?,” is no exception.

The film is about 17 minutes long and shot entirely in black and white (same as Lynch’s first two films), with an excessively grainy sheen over the film stock, making it look visually like an old 1940s noir film in need of digital restoration. As strange as that may sound, it’s no match for the story.

Lynch acts in this short film himself, playing a police detective who interrogates

a talking capuchin monkey at a train station, suspecting him of murder. Yes, you read that last sentence right. He’s interrogating a talking monkey, which speaks with a human mouth superimposed onto its face with CGI, with a wild head of furry hair that can be beaten only by Lynch’s wacky hairdo.

This monkey has to be the shiftiest monkey in all of cinema, as most of the short film is comprised of Detective Lynch asking “Jack” odd, seemingly non sequitur questions, while trying to get to the bottom of a crime of passion committed over a beautiful chicken. Meanwhile, Jack is waiting to board a train to skip town, and is not pleased at all with the detective’s probing questions.

Despite being petite with a cute face, this little fella is assertive and brash, cursing at the Detective’s accusations while morosely reminiscing about the lost loves of his sordid past. If it weren’t a monkey saying these things, I’d be tempted to take the whole thing seriously. And that’s what makes this short film work.

While the two mammals talk, the usual Lynch motifs play out in a spellbindingly strange fashion. A beautiful waitress (Lynch’s wife in real life) delivers a cup of fine, black coffee to the monkey, who

David Lynch stars in his own short film, interrogating the capuchin monkey, Jack, in “What Did Jack Do?”

doesn’t drink it. Conversation strands and topics are brought up and then seemingly abandoned moments later. A song and dance number is played at the end, in which the monkey confesses his love for the female chicken he possibly killed a man over. And all the while, Lynch sits in the foreground, blank faced, scrutinizing his (non-human) prey.

If all this sounds weird to you, then welcome to textbook David Lynch. If it sounds funny to you, you should hop on Netflix and give it a shot, because in many ways it seems like the director is attempting to replicate the magic of today’s absurd viral videos, only with a very retro visual aesthetic.

If this sounds like something totally out of left field for the director, though, you might be surprised to know that this is not his first run in with the motif of talking animals.

Lynch directed a 40-minute short film called “Rabbits” back in 2002, which focused on a family of talking rabbits who are the subject of a sitcom with oddly timed laugh tracks. Furthermore, hardcore fans of Lynch will remember the iconic and scary scene in “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” where a young kid (played by Lynch’s son Austin) puts on a clay mask, only to take

it off moments later, his face replaced by that of a whispering monkey. And of course, Lynch directed “The Elephant Man.” Perhaps he should have titled this short film “The Monkey Man” while he was at it.

This is the first film David Lynch has released since “Inland Empire” in 2006, but strangely enough, “What Did Jack Do” was made four years ago, in 2016. What took so long for it to be released? In any case, it’s out now, on a streaming service that everybody and their mother has. And what better time to release it, with Lynch having just won his first Academy Award last year?

Hopefully this odd short film is a sign of Lynch’s next big film project, which might also drop on Netflix.

Even if he isn’t working on anything big on the horizon, this Netflix film is just another reminder that talented directors like Lynch and Martin Scorcesse are catching on to the fact that streaming services are the best and easiest way to reach newer, wider audiences, so that their unique artistic decisions can continue to wow audiences.

courtesy Netflix

Variety

27 January 2020

The Collegian: 11

Anna Johns Social Media/Web Manager Arctic Monkeys — “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” When I was 13, I had specific images of England in mind: girls with scribbled, smoky eyeliner, ashing what was left of their cigarettes, moody skies and faded brick landscapes, the intangible spirit of rock, whatever fostered the Clash, the Smiths and the Libertines to write stinging, embittered lyrics.

Looking back, I know I’ve made a lot of generalizations there. Maybe I based my opinion too much off of the television show “Skins.” Maybe I was caught between whether I wanted to be Effy or date her. Or, maybe, there’s something paradoxical about that English punk band scene that was both relatable and unrealistic — where the reality of cheap beer, fauxpoetics and cloying tobacco tar coincided with the ability to produce lyrics that were almost universal in their disillusioned tone.

The Arctic Monkeys was the kindling of my stupid thirteen-year-old angst. Sure, there were a few whiny lyrics by The Smiths thrown in my subconscious at the time, but the Arctic Monkeys gripped me by the throat and told me to listen.

Now at nineteen, I’m still grappling at trying to understand what frontman and lyricist Alex Turner wanted me to hear about Sheffield life. And I think I’ve got a better idea.

The title of the Arctic Monkeys’ debut album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” is the pinnacle of what the songs entail: a curled lip and snarky, biting lines. Turner highlighted the experience of adolescents, writing about pushy bouncers (“From Ritz to Rubble”), petty squabbles in relationships (“Mardy Bum”) and pretentious members of bands, hyping their minuscule fame and never really saying anything of importance (“Fake Tales of San Francisco”).

Turner was twenty when the album released and even younger when he wrote the songs.

On the album’s fourteenth anniversary, he has only built upon his prowess as a wordsmith.

The opening line of the album from the song “The View from the Afternoon” is telling enough: “Anticipation has a habit of setting you up / For disappointment . . .” Foreshadowing their recent album, “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino”? Maybe. But it’s an important enough statement in itself – he wants the listener to rise above the hype that the Arctic Monkeys had established from their previous Myspace fame and make their own opinions on the content itself.

Then, with jolting, rambunctious drums and fevered guitar riffs, the band’s first breakout single, “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor,” plays. Turner finds the reality of a night out. There isn’t romance (“no Montagues or Capulets,” he sings in the bridge) but rather temporary lust and alcohol-inspired boldness. His lyrics are nothing groundbreaking and possess no head-scratching, soul-searching metaphors; rather, they’re realistic, no frills involved.

Perhaps that’s the magic of the Arctic Monkeys’ first album. Trying to break away from poetic drivel, the lyrics offer significance through simplicity.

Later, the night out is over, and the album finishes with two punches: the real sound of the Sheffield streets in “When the Sun Goes Down” and an existential crisis plus small-town claustrophobia in “A Certain Romance.” The former features Turner vividly painting an angry yet emotionally distant observation of prostitutes and their uncaring pimps (“He told Roxanne to put on her red light / They’re all infected, but he’ll be alright”). The latter is Turner sighing about, really, living with chavs. He offers an almost wistful feeling when he writes, “There’s only music so that there’s new ringtones.” Boredom breeds violence, and as a young adult coming to his own, he is only too aware of the little difference he makes with his lyrics. It is what it is, he seems to say, and the lines are characteristically adolescent in the stoicism it intones.

I don’t know many albums that have gripped me the way “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” does, but I think that’s the mastery of young Turner. By breaking down idealistic illusions of small-town, English life, he narrates in a way that is somehow disarming and undeniably authentic. Sure, Turner’s lyrical voice hasn’t fully established itself in this album, but what it does is create the roots from which his following albums can branch off. And whatever it is about this album – the snarly lyrics, the momentum built from roaring instrumentals, a disinterested portrayal of the heart of Yorkshire – there’s something that has kept me listening.

I may not be the doe-eyed Anglophile dreamer that thirteen-year-old me was (thank God), but the Arctic Monkeys have stuck with me. Their sniveling punk tone is matched with a mad sprint through clubs and pubs and drunken streets, and I’m satisfied because I can finally keep up with the album’s running.

courtesy Domino Records

courtesy Hyunsoon Whang Hyunsoon Whang has performed across the world, including at the Taos School of Music.

Hyunsoon Whang brings precision to Chopin piano preludes The visiting pianist joined TU’s professor of piano studies to perform memorable compositions.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Tuesday, Jan. 2, critically-acclaimed pianist Hyunsoon Whang performed at the Gussman Concert Hall with a heavy repertoire consisting of a set of 24 preludes and two piano duets.

The entire hall was buzzing with excitement, not really knowing what to expect, only anticipating good music from a great pianist. Dr. William Roger Price, the head of piano studies at TU, confirmed how amazing Whang really is, stating a few of her accomplishments: she received her education at the North Carolina School of the Arts as well as the Juilliard School of Music.

Whang has also performed in Europe, Asia and North America as both a soloist and as a collaborator. She is currently a professor of music and McMahon Endowed Chair of Music at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma.

As soon as Whang came on stage, people were ready to hear her play. She thanked everyone for coming out to see her, stating that she didn’t really like to speak before playing, but she felt like she needed to say something about the first set of pieces of the night.

The first set of piano pieces were from Frédéric Chopin’s (1810-1849) Op. 28 Collection consisting of 24 short preludes.

Whang explained how each piece was written in a different key ranging from C-B, in both major and minor keys (example: one prelude in C Major, one prelude in C Minor, etc.).

She then gave the background of Chopin’s inspiration. Frédéric Chopin was analyzing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier Piano Collection, which consists of two books of preludes followed by their fugues in all 24 major and minor keys (example: No.1 Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 846, No. 2 Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847, etc.).

After talking about Chopin’s influence, she briefly discussed her thoughts about the 24 preludes. She discussed the tempo markings of the pieces, emphasizing that the compositions shouldn’t be rushed. She indicated that “slow meant slow,” and that’s

living through the music. The way she responded to Chopin’s composition told an emotional story. Whang’s interpretation of the pieces was in her own voice, which above all is the most important thing a musician can do. She knew each piece inside out: she carefully attacked every note with a different mood each time, creating a different personality, but with a strong and steady fiery passion, slowly rising at the end. When Whang was done with her solo performance of the preludes, she smiled and took a much deserved bow, acknowledging that the first half was over, but the real fun was about to begin.

“ ... both pianists complemented each other, never competing ...” how Chopin envisioned that piece, and that the marking was not a suggestion. She also mentioned that Chopin only played the preludes four pieces at a time due to certain pieces being incredibly dissonant, such as Prelude in B Minor, Op. 28, No. 6. Nevertheless, she concluded with a smile that tonight she would play them in order and to pay attention especially to Prelude No. 15 in D-Flat Major (Sostenuto), also known as the “Raindrop Prelude”.

After Whang spoke, she went straight to the piano and played with no hesitation. It was incredible to see a musician so calm and collected, knowing exactly what she wanted out of the piece. Each prelude was difficult in its own way; some in fingering and dynamics, some in articulation and flow. Despite this, Whang played effortlessly.

It was easy to get lost in the music;she wasn’t performing anymore, rather, she was

At the beginning of the second half of the concert, Whang was joined by Dr. Price, an accomplished pianist and composer, to end the night with piano duets. Price briefly spoke about the influence of Spain in France and how it was always said amongst musicians that French composers always wrote the best Spanish music because they were able to perceive and appreciate the culture from another point of view.

Price revisited Chopin’s Prelude in B Minor, and spoke of its background. Chopin wanted to leave France for a little while and decided to go to Spain with his lover George Sand (her real name was Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin). It was thought that, because he was constantly sick,, if he went to Spain, he would be able to heal be being in a warm climate. However, when Chopin arrived, it was dreary, as if he was trading one miserable scene for another.

Chopin composed the “Raindrop Prelude” as he witnessed a funeral. He started to imagine his own funeral, as if to die twice (it’s also been indicated that there are two deaths in the piece, despite it picking it up in certain sections). This became his most well-known prelude out of the Op. 28 collection. The “Raindrop Prelude” was both acknowledged Chopin’s imagination for the sadness of death and the beauty that emerged in Spain.

The first piece Whang and Price performed was “Lindajara” for two pianos by Claude Debussy (1862-1918). Throughout the piece, both pianists complemented each other, never competing to have louder dynamics or to be more dramatic. Instead Price and Whang were in sync the entire time with their intertwining melodies and harmonies, creating the sound of two hands on a piano rather than four hands on two pianos. They captured the heart of the piece as they held their own; creating a story of Spain and the beautiful music that was to be offered.

The next piece was “Danses andalouses” for two pianos by Manuel Infante (18831958). This time, Price and Whang switched pianos. They played again with the same fiery intensity, yet added a hint of playfulness to this composition. Price’s hands moved effortlessly across the piano, yet powerfully, taking hold of the piece and giving it an identity.

Toward the end of the concert, both performers graciously bowed to a standing ovation. It was clear the audience didn’t want the music to end. It was because both Price and Whang played from the heart and took the time to understand the music of the night and actually had it live through them. They, like the audience, embraced the music, never distancing themselves from it. That’s what makes these two pianists remarkable.

The Collegian: 12

Variety

27 January 2020

The Vanguard hosts experiential EDM festival Shock creates an inclusive and intimate environment for both the audience and the performers.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Jan. 24, the Vanguard hosted Shock, a festival for up and coming EDM artists.

The venue was small and dark, with just a few clusters of people standing on one side of the room staring at their feet and bobbing their heads slightly with their eyes closed.

It felt different than the other usual concerts around Tulsa; as much as there was intense electronic dance music playing, there wasn’t any hyping up or vibrant anticipation.

The audience consisted of EDM-lovers chilling out and living in the present. Even though Shock wasn’t a big festival, there was a special notion in the room: Shock cultivated an atmosphere that reminded me of the first time discovering something awesome and keeping it a secret from everyone else, tucked away for personal pleasure, and having that nostalgia after the night is over.

As much as the event was public for anyone looking for a good time with background music, the event felt private and not for the faint of heart, as it was for people who loved the grittier side of music with a booming bass.

Shock had a lineup consisting of young EDM artists going up to the music board, letting their creativity flow through as they pulled apart and mixed each song together.

Each musician went up one at a time without any silence between sessions. Instead, they carried the previous song and gave their own spin on it, transitioning into their set.

None of the artists seemed to compete with each other, instead owning their individuality, being united by their love for EDM. One artist that stood out went by the stage name “Tapps” (stylized as TVPPS). Before he went on, TVPPS was fidgeting around with his headphones, walking slowly up and down the edge of the dance floor. He finally stopped and stood parallel to the music board. For a brief moment he was silent with his hands in his pockets; it almost looked like he was calculating how to capture lightning in a bottle. When it was his turn to take the stage, he was still calm and collected, but ready to strike.

At first he eased his way into it, using the last song from the previous set to establish his flow. TVPPS built into the intense bass drops and whimsical melodies that seeped through the entire venue. The audience really started to take notice at that point. It was incredible to see him behind the music board working with the music as well as engaging with the audience.

However, there were a few special moments where TVPPS was lost in a trance, feeling the beat under his skin and having the music rush through his veins. He was electric. In those few moments, it was him against the music with his passion igniting his way through the darkness of the Vanguard. Every time he put his hands in the air and closed his eyes, it felt like he was the only one in the room, and time stopped only to be interrupted by the next bombastic bass drop.

Shock was an impressive concert overall.

It’s the little concerts at The Vanguard that really capture the love of music as well as providing overall support for upcoming artists.

TVPPS was a higlight of the festival, delivering a hypnotic performance.

courtesy The Vanguard

Reception of “Parasite” changes popular perception of foreign films Bong Joon-ho’s film makes history at award shows across the world, reimagining the role of American award shows.

Nora Bethune Student Writer The South Korean film “Parasite” has become an unstoppable force in making movie history as a foreign film. “Parasite” is a satirical thriller suspense film that centers on the Kim family as they slowly infiltrate the Park family home. Actors, directors and cinephiles alike have all come to a consensus that the film is a thought-provoking work of art that demands full attention during and even days after watching the movie.

With the rightfully deserved hype surrounding “Parasite,” it came as no surprise when the film became the first South Korean film and first foreign film to ever win Best Ensemble Cast at the SAG awards. Not only this, but when going to accept the reward,

Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

“Parasite” has been nominated for six Oscars as well, two of the categories being Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Director and Screenwriter Bong Joonho isn’t new to all aspects of the success of “Parasite”. Two of Bong’s prior films, “The Host” and “Snowpiercer” are two of the highest-grossing films of all time in South Korea. He is highly respected in South Korea as a movie genius, so it’s no surprise that Bong is against highly-respected directors in American cinema for the Oscars.

“Parasite” and Bong Joon-ho are up against big Hollywood names for the Oscars such as Quentin Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood,” Martin Scorsese for “The Irishman,” and Sam Mendes for “1917.” All this considered, it seems like “Parasite” is the obvious winner for its multiple nominations due to its extremely chilling narrative of life in poverty and trying to escape something you are born into, complete with an amazing cast and crew who put their lives into the work.

“[Bong] is highly respected in South Korea as a movie genius ...” the cast was met with a standing ovation from everyone in the audience, and a beaming smile from the director Bong Joon-ho as he recorded the cast giving their acceptance speech on his iPhone.

“Parasite” isn’t only sweeping competition at the SAG Awards, but also AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards), Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, British Independent Film Awards, Toronto Film Critics Association and countless other programs winning awards for categories like Best Asian Film, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. This is also not including the nominations that it has for the

Regardless of what the outcome for the future award shows will be, “Parasite” will be known for a long time after this. For a movie to be so well done, with a thoughtprovoking script, this film transcended all barriers that could’ve stopped it from getting to mainstream overseas media. The foreign film was able to reach such a wide audience, and it being the first South Korean movie to ever be nominated for these awards overseas is making history. Bong Joon-ho is solidifying himself and his creation as trailblazers that is opening doors for non-American creators and for the average movie fan to look beyond language barriers.

courtesy CJ Entertainment Bong Joon-ho’s latest film centers on the Kim family’s interactions with the wildly wealthy Park family.

Upcoming finale of “The Good Place” reminds audiences of its power “The Good Place” explores ethical intricacies and what we owe to each other.

Madison Walters Student Writer “The Good Place” sadly airs its series finale on Jan. 30. The show premiered season four, its final season, in September; it is now reaching the final episode. NBC reported that this particular episode will be 90 minutes long.

“The Good Place” centers on a woman named Eleanor Shellstrop, who wakes up in the “Good Place,” a somewhat suburban analogue for heaven, in essence, after her death. She quickly realizes that she must

have been sent there by mistake, as she did not live the most righteous of lives while on earth. In an attempt to stay in the Good Place, she decides to try and become a better person.

“The Good Place” stars Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto and D’Arcy Carden.

The chemistry between the actors brings an incredible power to the show. The first season started back in 2016 and now, four years later, fans are saying goodbye to “The Good Place.” The series finale of “The Good Place” will bring a long-awaited resolution to these characters’ stories.

Creator Michael Shur revealed that he had been planning for the fourth season to be the final season since writing the second season.

In a tweet announcing the final season, he said, “Making the show is a rare, creatively

fulfilling joy, and at the end of the day we don’t want to tread water just because the water is so warm and pleasant.”

“The Good Place” is a remarkably special show. It executes the plot, minor details —basically everything — so well. The plot twists are genuinely shocking and come from nowhere, but still somehow manage to stay ingrained within the plot. Not to mention, the show is deeply rooted in ethics and philosophy.

Beyond the plot, “The Good Place” drives home the fact that anyone can change for the better, all they have to do is work for it. This show asks its audience, “What do we owe to each other?” The answer is, to be better. We all have the capacity for goodness.

Getting into the Good Place is based off the score one receives while on earth. Points are added when someone does something

good, and are deducted when someone does something bad. Easy as it seems, it is so much more complicated than that.

Our choices impact those around us, regardless if we mean for them to. The show urges watchers to try and consider the effects of our own actions. Overall, “The Good Place” is about trying to be a good person and striving to become an even better person.

“The Good Place” came to life in 2016 and is gracefully exiting this year, 2020.

This is definitely a show that the past four years had needed. It was created in a tumultuous time, and it is leaving in one as well, hoping that viewers will take heed of its powerful message.

Just remember, as the finale airs on Jan. 30: “Everything is fine.”

The State-Run Media

27 January 2020

The Collegian: 13

Ten ways the 2020 Super Bowl could be more “memorable” than last year’s

After last year’s boring game, Super Bowl LIV has a lot to prove.

Brett Tyndall Only here for the layered dip

Super Bowl LIII was the worst iteration of the big game in recent memory, featuring a team that everyone was sick of seeing (the Patriots) and a team that didn’t deserve to be there (the Rams). There was no “Sweet Victory” and Adam Levine took his shirt off, so it was also the worst halftime show in Super Bowl history. The game ended 13-3 in favor of the Patriots, marking Tom Brady’s sixth Super Bowl win and the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever. Everything about the game was either boring or predictable. We, as viewers, were forsaken by the football gods. Here’s ten ways they could forsake us again this year.

10. The Patriots will decide to play anyway Tom Brady, right before opening kickoff, does his best elderly shuffle as he takes the field in Miami. Bill Belichick lures Andy Reid into a supply closet with a cheeseburger before locking Big Red inside. New England fans will argue that they deserve to be there as the country collectively groans at their annoying entitlement. New England plays in the Super Bowl again because God hates us all.

9. Jimmy Garoppolo will be too busy hitting on sideline reporters to play the game Jimmy G. will style his hair with his favorite pomade before doing his best Johnny Bravo impression. Erin Andrews will not be able to resist. No one can reject Garopps twice, he’ll say. The two will get it on in the blue injury tent on the sidelines as backup QB C.J. Beathard tanks the Niners offense.

8. Ryan Fitzmagic will engulf all of Miami as he ascends to godhood Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is inevitable and cannot be contained. The Harvard alum will wear sunglasses at night and the deepest V-neck the world has ever seen.

With his beard full of Patriot tears, he’ll levitate above the field at Hard Rock Stadium and unleash cataclysmic tempests. Fitzmagic, having revealed himself to be one of the old gods, will reign for a thousand years over the land. Fitzmagic is your God now.

Long may He reign.

7. Shakira will have a confession to make During her and JLo’s halftime show, Shakira will stop everything and reveal that hips, in fact, do lie. They won’t make you want to speak Spanish because it won’t feel right. Fans and viewers will begin to

graphic by Emma Palmer

Kill dem horses.

question everything they’ve ever been told, which will lead to widespread existential panic. Garopps won’t mind, he’s an ass man anyway.

6. Patrick Mahomes will take his ketchup obsession too far Patrick Mahomes will pull a prank during his first Super Bowl appearance by replacing all the Gatorade with ketchup. This will weaken everyone but himself, as ketchup is the life-force of Mahomes. Pat will scramble past vomiting defenders for several touchdowns before the field gets too messy.

5. Joe Buck will forget that he can’t get excited The Fox commentator will get too excited while calling the game and be the root cause of the apocalypse. When his voice gets to a certain volume, the fabric of space and time will tear and cause a singularity to form in the press box. Everyone and everything you love will be sucked into the black hole. The planet and the surrounding solar system will be annihilated by Joe Buck. Afterwards, Joe

will return to Valhalla and rest in the Mead Hall of the Gods.

4. Super Bowl commercials won’t be the same without Mr. Peanut apolgy for bad english it is my first languagen’t where were you when mr. peanut die i was at house eating dorito when phone ring “mr. peanut is kil” “no” 3. Budweiser will also kill their mascots Much like Mr. Peanut, Budweiser will also kill their beloved mascots. They’ll take up two minutes of ad-space to show the Clydesdales getting loaded up in a cramped trailer and delivered to the nearest glue factory. Profits for the watery beer will skyrocket, marking the most effective marketing campaign in recent history.

2. Travis Kelce will shoot his “Bachelor” rip-off show during the game “Catching Kelce” will inexplicably return to our television screens during the game.

After catching a touchdown pass, Travis will go through the tunnel and out of the stadium to catch dinner with his girlfriend, Kayla. In full pads, Kelce will struggle to get his fork through his facemask. Furiously, viewers will watch as Kelce lets a perfectly good ribeye go to waste and wonder why he hasn’t popped the question yet.

1. Jimmy Garoppolo will be required to play for the Chiefs after halftime Jimmy G will be consulted by Joe Montana, Alex Smith, Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac and Steve DeBerg in the tunnel before the second half. Unaware of what’s going on, Garoppolo gets surrounded by the five men, who start a ritualistic ceremony. “Te non iam aurum, ludere ad Kansas City,” they’ll chant. Under the influence of an ancient spell, Garoppolo will suit up for the Chiefs, continuing a time-honored tradition of 49ers quarterbacks going to Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes will realize he never truly belonged because the Chiefs never play quarterbacks they draft.

graphic by Collegian Staff

The State-Run Media

27 January 2020

the

State-Run media Sponsored by the George Kaiser Family Foundation

Signals from admin up in smoke Honestly, only the pope should smoke.

Hannah Robbins Prefers to vape In the wake of Clancy temporarily stepping down as president of the University of Tulsa citing health concerns, the student body of the university was left in the dark.

But this wasn’t on purpose. After further investigation, it became clear to me that there was an obvious miscommunication. Somehow the scarlet plume of smoke that was supposed to rise from Collins to symbolize the shift of power — not to be confused with the magenta or maroon plumes symbolizing a men’s basketball and women’s rowing win respectively — was lost in the dramatic weather we had last Friday.

With our current smoke signal communication strategy, some things just get lost in the mix. Especially if you happen to have class at one of the 17 times a day announcements are made or misplace your singleissue communications flow chart broken down by day, time and mood of the individual, never mind if something is trying to be communicated during Holi or on the weekends. It’s also almost impossible for colorblind (or actually blind) students to know what’s going on, but CSAS has not found a good solution to this problem yet.

Last week’s unprecedented communication flaw (Oklahoma’s weather is normally pretty tame) has left students wondering: is there a simpler way for the administration

to let the students know about important things? Because with their current approach, it’s almost like the university doesn’t want to tell us things, and that’s frankly ridiculous. The University of Tulsa is a completely transparent institution that works to make sure all students have a say in the direction the university is going.

So, to help the administration in their decision process, I have several suggestions on new ways to convey the same information. In our current announcement system, red and blue smoke at 11:12 a.m. is used to convey that all students should check Harvey for a survey from SA. However, this could be conveyed more simply by having the president of SA send

a campus-wide email advertising their own personal agenda with a single line at the bottom about the survey. In a similar vein, the yellow smoke every Tuesday reminding students about the BCM’s lunch could be reflected by abstract chalk art in front of every third academic building. Finally, the literal gold smoke that is used when TU wins a football game could be replaced by a victory parade led by the marching band and football team the day after the game (in the afternoon, so everyone is awake).

With the unnecessary complexity of our current system, something has to change.

Students should not have to learn about Clancy stepping down as president of the university from social media or other news sources. They should hear it from the administration themselves, and with the unfortunate wind on Friday, current students didn’t have that opportunity, and that leaves the administration as opaque as the smoke it uses to inform students.

graphic by Emma Palmer

TU’s smoke signals are losing effectiveness.

propagandist My dearest loyal subjects (of voting age), It is my great pleasure to announce the State-Run Media’s 2020 presidential endorsement. After much careful consideration and brutal deliberation, I have decided to endorse none other than our own TU Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Interim President Janet Levit for President (of the United States).

A woman of impressive experience, Levit has proven her dedication to student success at TU with her steadfast advocacy of underfunded STEM majors with her True Commitment initiative, a tenacity and magnimatity that is sorely needed in Washington right now.

Levit has many other qualities that befit the highest office in the land. A born leader, Levit has only lost one no-confidence vote in her entire career as TU Provost. Levit is also a great speaker. Many can attest to her great eloquence in board meetings and speeches alike. With international tensions higher than ever, Levit can be a diplomatic voice in a world of mayhem.

Currently juggling three administrative positions, adding the U.S. Presidency to her workload would not only be a breeze to Levit, but a natural next step for her.

But of course, Levit is far too humble to announce a candidacy of her own. As much as this is admirable, this country needs someone like her in order to move this country in a stronger, more profitable direction. So come next November, my lovely readers, make sure to write-in Jane Levit on your ballots, a woman truly committed to the future of this country.

Sincerely, Sara Serrano The Head Propagandist

Her power only grows stronger ...

graphic by Collegian Staff

graphic by Sara Serrano