3 February 2019

The Collegian: 2

News

4 February 2019

Okla. relief amid the government shutdown

The Collegian investigated relief efforts from the local food bank, TU and OU. Madison Connell Satire Editor Brennen Gray Sports Editor Jan. 25 brought an end to the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States. After 35 days, President Trump signed a bill that put a temporary end to the shutdown.

It began when the White House and Congress could not agree on the federal budget, the main source of contention being whether to spend $5.7 billion on the proposed wall on the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Both sides offered their proposed budget plan, but thus far neither the Democrats nor the White House will budge on their stance on the border wall.

One such compromise from Trump included allowing some additional protections for DACA recipients along with his proposed border wall, but the Democratcontrolled House of Representatives rejected the offer.

However, Trump’s temporary end to the shutdown will only last until Feb. 15. At this point, Congress and the White House will have to again attempt to find a compromise or risk 800,000 federal employees missing additional paychecks.Not all federal employees were affected by the shutdown; those deemed “essential” were still paid.

Congress and the president were among those deemed “essential.”

Those among the 800,000 furloughed or not paid were portions of the Park Service staff, Forest Service staff, TSA employees, Coast Guard employees, NASA staff members, IRS staff members, Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Weather Service forecasters and Customs and Border Protection agents.

The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma One local organization helping federal employees was The Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

“We had emergency boxes of food available in the lobby so that if people showed up here or called and needed something immediately, we could take care of their needs,” said Greg Raskin, Communications Manager at the Food Bank.

During the shutdown, the people who receive SNAP got their February benefits early, so if the government continues, it will be a much longer period before their March benefits come in… If the government stays shut down for a longer period of time, the risk involved is that SNAP benefits could dissolve altogether.”

Raskin continued that if a similar group of people from the last shutdown needed help, then the Food Bank “will definitely easily be able to accommodate that.”

However, if SNAP funding stops, he said, “That is a huge amount of food to all of a sudden fill in. The food bank is very good about being nimble and flexible and serving people in an emergency situation and to help them bridge short-term crisis, but for chronic food insecurity, charitable giving is not going to be able to fill that need.”

“‘We had emergency boxes of food available in the lobby...’”

Raskin also mentioned their “pop-up market here at the food bank [set up for the] pretty extraordinary circumstances.

“It was open three to seven… the day after MLK Day. We accepted everybody.

We were trying to target federal workers, but anyone who showed up that night was served,” he said.

In case of another shutdown, many people fear the continued lapse in government aid could have detrimental consequences for those who rely on it.

“Things could get complicated,” said Raskin, “with people who are SNAP recipients… formally known as food stamps.

There is also a risk of public-school children who get free breakfast and lunches losing these meals if the government goes back into shutdown for a long enough period.

If both SNAP and the free lunch program get defunded, Raskin said that “instead of dozens of people needing our help, we are going to have probably thousands of people needing our help.”

University of Tulsa As for how the University of Tulsa responded to the shutdown, on Jan. 22, President Clancy said, “We are watching carefully for any potential harm to our students,

faculty or staff. We have sent out emails to the TU community asking if there is anyone that has been affected by the shutdown so that we can provide them with assistance and extensions if needed.”

The shutdown may not affect young students at a private university as much as it does others in Tulsa, and President Clancy stated at the time of the interview that they had not yet received “notice of anyone we could assist.”

Since the government works closely with TU in certain programs, such as Cyber Security, there were some concerns about how the shutdown would affect those areas.

President Clancy responded, “I have not heard of any impact on faulty research as of yet but will ask further if we are at risk.

If you hear of anyone that we can assist or guide, please let me know.”

Beyond TU, larger and public universities may have a different story.

University of Oklahoma As a public institution, the University of Oklahoma was affected a bit more than TU. Federal funding already granted will be alright, but there may be some delays in federal payments, delayed proposal reviews and a suspension of allocation of new funds, according to OU’s Public Affairs.

Public Affairs was not aware of any employee that did not receive a regular paycheck.

OU already had a food pantry in place that helped any potential persons affected by the shutdown, but other organizations or departments like the National Weather Center and the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences hosted additional food pantries to help any “federal friends.”

TU students celebrate 2019 Hijab Day by wearing and learning about hijabs

photos by Madison Connell

Okla. fourth-highest per capita in fatal police shootings This marks a pattern that Oklahoma has been following for five years, with one of the highest shooting rates in the country.

Justin Guglielmetti Editor-in-Chief According to a report released by The Frontier in January, Oklahoma had the fourth-highest rate of fatal police shootings in the nation in 2018. 34 people were shot and killed by Oklahoma police, which comes to one out of every 110,342 Oklahomans.

On a per capita basis, only Alaska, New Mexico and Arizona experienced more fatal shootings.

Put into a different perspective, only six states had a higher raw number of killings,

despite Oklahoma ranking just 28th among the states in total population.

Connecticut and Delaware were the only states that recorded no fatalities from police shootings in 2018. Behind them was Massachusetts, which had one for every 2,182,606 of its citizens.

19 of the Oklahoma killings were white men, though a higher per capita percentage of black people and Native Americans were affected. Just one of the victims, a 72-yearold woman from Bartlesville who fired on officers with a BB gun while they arrested her son, was female.

Eight of Oklahoma’s fatal shootings occurred in Oklahoma City, the most of any of the state’s police forces. Tulsa police killed three people in 2018, in addition to another shooting.

Last year, Tulsa released a list of 54

“Equality Indicators” meant to demonstrate areas within the community that needed to be addressed. Ranked on a 0–100 scale, the city scored 38.93 overall, with a Race and Officer Use of Force score of just 20.

These recent shooting figures only underscore what was already perceived as a major problem within Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma at large, especially after the shooting of Terence Crutcher in 2016, which received national media attention.

2018 was the fifth year in a row in which Oklahoma saw over 20 fatalities inflicted by police, after never once exceeding that total from 2007–2013 (as far back as the Frontier’s study covered).

There is limited information available for nationwide police shooting statistics, but the United States as a whole is known to be far more deadly in this regard than most other

comparable developed countries. According to data from the FBI in 2013, there were 458 justified police killings in the U.S. that year, next to eight in Germany and none at all in the United Kingdom.

It is unclear how the rate of shootings, justified or not, is progressing in the United States. FBI data shows an upward trend over the past 25 years, but according to Politifact, some or all of these numbers could be misrepresented due to local law enforcement officers not being obligated to report their figures to the federal government.

In November, the FBI announced that they would be launching a national use-offorce data collection effort to “offer a comprehensive view of the circumstances, subjects and officers involved in such incidents nationwide.” The initiative began on Jan. 1.

News

4 February 2019

The Collegian: 3

IDL loop under construction until 2020 The construction primarily affects US-75 northbound and US-64/SH51 eastbound.

Thomas von Borstel Student Writer The Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) and its constituent routes are predicted to be under construction until early 2020, weather permitting. The $25 million renovations will reconstruct the roadways on the south leg of the IDL, including portions of US-75, I-244 and US-64/SH-51.

These projects are expected to severely affect travel, especially during peak hours.

The roadwork ensued on Jan. 2, closing all southbound lanes of US-75 and all westbound lanes of US-64/SH-51 until further notice. In the eastern portion of the IDL, near 1st St. and Admiral, the southbound route of US-75 will be closed until further notice.

Those seeking a detour on westbound US-64/SH-51 and southbound US-75 are advised to follow northbound US-75 to I-244 around the IDL. Reroute westbound I-244 around the IDL to bypass southbound US-75.

Additionally, a separate project on the pavement and bridges of US-64/SH-51 at 15th and Lewis will begin in early spring 2019. In the coming months, avoid this already congested area.

The entrance ramp to US-64/SH-51 at 27th and Harvard is an efficient alternative for those looking to head east on the Broken Arrow Expressway. For those seeking to drive west on US-64/SH-51, I-44 or south on US-75, redirect to I-244 at Delaware and Admiral heading west toward Sand Springs and Oklahoma City.

Future road closures and detours will be posted on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation website, odot.org, in the daily Traffic Advisories section.

Construction and road-closing updates are available at odot.org as the project progresses.

courtesy News on 6

Tulsa’s Gathering Place World leaders meet in named top new attraction Davos, Switzerland Beating out nine other locations, The Gathering Place won USA Today’s national poll.

Lizzy Young Student Writer Tulsa is home to the best new attraction in the nation, according to USA Today. On Jan. 18, they released the results of their annual survey of the top 10 best new attractions in the country, with voters selecting Tulsa’s newest park, The Gathering Place, for the top spot.

Executive park director Tony Moore was excited for what the honor meant for the future of the park. Tulsa People reported him saying, “The Gathering Place being named the country’s Best New Attraction is a monumental moment for the Park, our employees, and all guests that have joined us since the grand opening in September. It has been exciting to see the community and country come together to vote for our inclusive space as a top destination in the nation.”

The award was not the subjective pick of one writer but a nationwide popularity contest. First, the editors for the 10 Best column at USA Today partnered with a group of experts to select 20 nominees for the award.

Out of those 20, people were allowed to vote for the top 10. One vote per person was allowed per day for four weeks. Popular vote decided the order of the top 10.

Despite stiff competition, The Gathering Pace emerged in the top spot. Coming in right behind Tulsa’s park is the National Comedy Center located in Jamestown, New York. This museum claims to be the first one dedicated to comedy and is an immersive experience for visitors.

In third place was the Chicago Architecture Center. This museum opened only a month before The Gathering Place in August of 2018. It allows visitors to explore the varied architectural history of Chicago.

Riley Children’s Health Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, took the fourth spot. This is an interactive sports museum just for children. The Orlando Starflyer in Orlando, Florida, claimed the fifth spot. This is the world’s tallest swing ride, coming in at 450feet tall.

In sixth place was The Gateway Arch Museum and Visitor Center in St. Louis, Mis-

souri, a new museum next to the St. Louis Arch that explores the rich Native American and adventuring spirit of America.

Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, New York, was voted in the seventh spot. This museum celebrates the underground railroad abolitionist movement in New York during the pre-Civil War era.

A 9/11 landmark was voted into eighth place: the Tower of Voices in Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania. This monument remembers the 40 passengers and crew members of United Flight 93. The instrumental sound the monument features represents the voices and lives that were lost that day.

The Old Forester Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, too ninth place. This distilling company reopened a 70,000 square-foot facility in their original location. Visitors can tour the state-of-the-art facility, and it is listed as part of the Kentucky Bourbon trail.

Finally, in tenth place was the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This center allows visitors to explore where their food comes from.

Out of all of these fascinating new attractions in the United States, the Gathering Place was voted first. Opened on Sept.

7, 2018 and backed by the George Kaiser Foundation, the park has free admission and is meant to be enjoyed by the entire community The park’s mission is to be an inclusive space for anyone. It has numerous attractions, including playground equipment, winding walking paths and a boathouse.

This honor shows that the Gathering Place has had a large impact on the Tulsa community. Tulsa World interviewed a recent visitor at the park, Jonathan Gaviao, who praised the Gathering Place and what it meant for Tulsa. “It’s a really great city … It has this peaceful sense here (at the park) and then, just down the road, there is the hustle and bustle of the city.”

Mayor G.T. Bynum spoke at the park when the honor was announced. Tulsa People reported him saying, “Gathering Place is truly the best city park in the world and will continue to be a place that brings people together and honors the civic pride we all have for Tulsa.”

Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May were absent from the international forum this year.

Andrew Noland Student Writer This past week, the world’s political, economic and social leaders met in Davos, Switzerland, a ski village in the Alps, for another annual World Economic Forum.

Under the theme “Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” business executives and politicians gathered to discuss advancements in automation, digitization, artificial intelligence and bioengineering, as well as other technological developments.

The primary purpose of the forum is for powerful decision-makers to gather, present and collaborate breakthroughs in their respective fields and how they might impact the year’s economic growth. The forum has attracted ire from progressives and other business executives who claim that the meeting is another venue for the world’s elite to dictate how they can keep control over the global economy.

Artificial intelligence and personal data both became major talking points of the conference. The growth of artificial intelligence, especially highlighted by Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and his emphasis on its development in his nation, remains a controversial topic. The Chinese government still seems to be doubling down on public investment while the West main-

tains its reticence. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed using the gathering as a starting point for world policing of personal data. His speech alluded to recent controversies over Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, and he expressed concerns over how to balance intellectual property and national security.

The U.S.-Chinese trade dispute was another unavoidable topic at the conference.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Wang expressed optimism that a trade deal will eventually be reached.

However, Yahoo Finance reported that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross disagreed with his colleague, claiming that the two sides were “miles and miles apart.”

Climate change was also an important topic with businesses and nations agreeing to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement. A memorable highlight was a speech given by a 16-year-old Swedish climate activist named Greta Thunberg who admonished the attending members of the global community as responsible for the current climate crisis.

Representatives of the United States government avoided the topic altogether.

Notable absentees from the conference included President Donald Trump, who withdrew due to the government shutdown and claimed that his attention was needed on the supposed border crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron was tied down due to the Paris “yellow vest” protests, and British Prime Minister Theresa May stayed in London, citing her need to work on another Brexit deal.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Mayor Bynum establishes new office to monitor TPD The Office of the Independent Monitor intends to suggest certain disciplinary actions.

Emily Every Commentary Editor

courtesy USA Today/Tulsa People The Gathering Place is USA Today’s winner of the annual accolade, “Best New Attraction.”

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum announced Jan. 16 that the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM) that is planned for the upcoming fiscal year will be a moderating presence for the the Tulsa Police Department. While the OIM cannot put in action any disciplinary consequences for the TPD, they can recommend consequential actions. According to Mayor Bynum, the OIM will work primarily in policy, outreach and oversight. The OIM will also specifically “follow up on citizen complaints [and] review use-of-force incidents,” according to Mayor Bynum.

Establishing the OIM is part of a larger initiative to build trust between Tulsa citizens and the TPD. Over the last year, the TPD has been working to implement a list of 77 community policing recommendations.

As of Jan. 16, 97 percent of these 77 rec-

ommendations have been put into practice.

Alongside the OIM, equipping all TPD officers with body cameras and extended training for officers have been either planned or implemented. The system and logistics of the OIM was inspired by the police monitoring system in Denver, Colorado, which has been in place for the last 15 years.

The OIM will also partner with City Hall to create a Citizen Oversight Board constituted of citizens appointed by Mayor Bynum. The Citizen Oversight Board will help to ensure the efficacy of the OIM and will work to find its first leader.

The increased call for a police monitoring body stems from the death of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, who was shot by former TPD officer Betty Shelby in 2016.

“As we develop our community policing program in Tulsa, we recognize the need for modernized oversight systems that provide accountability and transparency and build public trust between our residents and officers,” Mayor Bynum stated in a press release.

News

The Collegian: 4

4 February 2019

Jan. 27 5:45 p.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers observed a vehicle being repossessed in the Norman Village apartment complex. The towing company relayed the information that they had to the officers and left University of Tulsa with the vehicle in their possession.

Jan. 25 12:20 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible intoxicated student in front of Collins Hall. Security Officers were able to locate the ill student. Officers evaluated the student’s condition it was determined that Emergency Medical Authority Services was needed. After further evaluation it was determined that the student was in need of medical attention and was transported to a local hospital.

1:30 a.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driving recklessly through campus. The vehicle was caught driving recklessly and speeding around Tucker Drive near Bayless Plaza. The driver was issued a reckless driving citation and a student misconducted.

10:40 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible noise complaint in Norman Village Apartments. Upon arrival Officers witnessed University of Tulsa students violating alcohol policy and officers initiated a party shutdown. A housing contact card was created.

10:40 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible noise complaint in Norman Village. Upon arrival, officers made contact with 2 University of Tulsa students and 1 non-University affiliate.

All individuals were in violation of University of Tulsa alcohol policy. They were sent to their respective residences on campus.

6:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to John Mabee Hall to investigate a fire alarm. Officers located the fire panel and checked the basement where the alarm originated. Officers found that the alarm was triggered falsely due to students cooking in the downstairs kitchen. No fire or smoke was present in the area.

Jan. 28 12:20 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to Allen Chapman Student Union to investigate a possible online harassment. The student advised officers the online harassment began in November. The student was advised to file an online police report with the Tulsa Police Department.

2:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to West Park Apartments in reference to a University of Tulsa affiliate that was confronted by a non-University of Tulsa individual. The affiliate stated they were spoke to by the non-University of Tulsa affiliate in reference to not picking up their animals excrement on non-University of Tulsa owned property. The affiliate was advised to contact the Tulsa Police Department to make a report.

11:30 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to McFarlin Library to retrieve found property. The owner was determined but was unable to be contacted so the property was placed in property locker for safe keeping.

Jan. 29 1:15 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to sorority row to investigate a possible unknown person peeking inside windows at the Chi Omega house.

Officers made contact with the individual who ran from officers. The individual was stopped at the south side of the

Chris Lierly and Lindsey Prather Student Writers

Gucci owner owes $1.6 billion in taxes The French-owned luxury goods group Kering disclosed that it is now facing a 1.4 billion euro back taxes claim by the Italian government. A subsidiary of Kering based in Sweden has been under investigation for some time on tax evasion elsewhere, but this more recent claim focuses on the renowned fashion brand Gucci. German paper Der Spiegel reports that particular scrutiny has been paid to the transactions between Kering’s wholesale and retailers.

Italian tax police conducted searches on Gucci’s offices in both Florence and Milan in 2017, though Kering contests that final analyses have yet to be run. It is possible that all of this will result in a trial, but more could come to light when Kering releases its yearly report on Feb. 12. This is one of the few times that the new government, made up of more far-right wing parties than in recent years, has made its way into international headlines.

No-deal Brexit prevented in UK House vote On Jan. 29, the U.K. House of Commons voted to prevent a no-deal Brexit through an amendment designed to force Prime Minister Theresa May to accept some form of deal prior to Brexit’s March 29 deadline. MPs voted 318 to 310 for the amendment that does not allow the United Kingdom to leave the European Union without some form of an agreement. This amendment was put forward because May has indicated her willingness to run out the clock and allow for Brexit to go forward without a binding agreement dictating terms.

Although the amendment is not legally binding for the U.K. government, it significantly complicates the ability of the prime minister to pursue a no-deal. The prime minister has repeatedly refused to take the option of leaving without a deal off the table, insisting that “no deal is better than a bad deal.” The deadline for the U.K. to leave the European Union remains set for March 29, 2019.

Germany announces reduction in CO2 emissions On Jan. 26, Germany, one of the world’s biggest consumers of coal, announced that it will shut down all coal-fired power plants over the next 19 years to meet its international commitments in the fight against climate change. This announcement marks a significant shift back on course for Germany, a nation that had long been a leader on cutting CO2 emissions before hitting a slump in recent years and missing its reduction targets.

Presently, coal plants account for 40 percent of Germany’s electricity, which is a reduction from . So far, 12 of the country’s 19 nuclear plants have also been shut down.

Germany will be counting on renewable energy to provide 65 to 80 percent of the country’s power by 2040, removing nuclear and coal-powered electricity from the picture entirely.

fraternities. The individual was detained and Tulsa Police were contacted. The individual was trespass warned and escorted off property. A contact card was created.

Jan. 30 4:30 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a report of a student harassed by a former student occurring. It has been going on since last semester. The investigation is still on going.

6:35 p.m.

While on routine patrol a student sought medical attention from Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) at the Reynolds Center for an injured thumb. The student reportedly injured their thumb while at the McFarlin Library. The student was treated by EMTs and left campus to seek further treatment at an urgent care facility.

11:25 p.m.

While on routine patrol of the Reynolds Center University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers noticed an individual that had been previously trespass warned twice this month.

The Officer made contact with the individual who stated they were working for Standby personnel in order to obtain an opportunity to speak with the basketball coaching staff.

Officers detained the individual for trespassing and Tulsa Police were contacted. The individual was arrested and transported to the Tulsa City Jail for trespassing. A contact card was created.

Jan. 31 3:30 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers were dispatched to investigate a possible fire alarm at Lafortune Hall. A TU affiliate accidentally tripped the alarm while working in the building. There was no fire or smoke in the building. The Tulsa Fire Department was cancelled.

5:20 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security Officers received a third party report of possible suspicious activity that occurred off campus.

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

Tuesday, February 5 at 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Helmerich Hall 121 #Adulting101 Series: Setting & Achieving Goals If you want to have succeed with your goals, you need to make them specific, measurable, and completed with a deadline. Goal-setting is an absolute must for people who want to succeed, find their true purpose, and create joy. Jared Mason with L3 Technologies will be sharing his process and guidelines to help you establish the importance of setting goals for now and the future.

Wednesday, February 6 and Thursday, February 7 at 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union Spring Senate Elections Want to make an impact on campus? Join Senate! Senate is a great way to make a difference on campus.

Registration is open now thru Jan. 22nd. Voting on Harvey opens Feb. 6th at 9 A.M. and closes Feb. 7th at 9 P.M. Thursday, February 7 at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Helmerich Hall 200-D #adulting101 Series: Working Well with Others in the Workplace Employers expect employees to be team players. Regardless of your role, you need to be able to work well with others – and also convey that fact to hiring managers, recruiters and prospective employers. Tenstreet recruiters will share some great skills to help you be a productive team player in your workplace. Lunch will be provided by RSVP on Handshake.

Thursday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tyrrell Hall Poetry & Dementia: A Reading with Lauren Camp Writer and educator Lauren Camp works in the confluence of sound, psychology and language. Her writing distills the world to an essence, a place full of longing, depth and, at times, great sadness. She carries the reader in carefully to see it, slowly revealing the layers.

Camp is the author of four books, including One Hundred Hungers, winner of the Dorset Prize and finalist for the Arab American Book Award. Her most recent collection is Turquoise Door. Her poems have appeared in Poem-a-Day (The Academy of American Poets), Slice, Poetry International, Third Coast, and elsewhere.

In 2018, she presented her poems on dementia at the original Mayo Clinic and for an Alzheimer’s Association Caregivers Conference.

Lauren will be reading from her original works and talking about learning to deal with Alzheimer’s and dementia through poetry.

Free and open to all.

Thursday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Lorton Performance Center, Meinig Hall Anita Hill and Blasey Ford Comparison and Discussion In collaboration with SAVE, we will examine both trials for analysis and understanding in the role race and gender plays in our society and our political system. Blackbird sweater will be given out while supplies last.

Thursday, February 7 at 7:30 Lorton Performance Center Concerts with Commentary: Love Songs and Dances The University of Tulsa School of Music Concerts with Commentary presents soprano Judith Pannill Raiford, violinist Maureen O’Boyle, flutist John Rush, percussionist Brady McElligott and harpist Lorelei Barton in an evening of love songs and dances.

The recital includes compositions by Saint-Saëns, Hermans, Debussy, Obradors, Ginastera, Piazzola and Gershwin.

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

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

4 February 2019

Commentary

The Collegian: 5

The Legislative Digest is your weekly look at the happenings of Oklahoma’s state legislature and the bills and politics you need to know.

Raven Fawcett Managing Editor There are 12 weeks left of school, and we’re all slogging through it. Things are rough! So consider this week a boost of positivity: sometimes, bills in our state legislature can be good, and I’m going to prove it to you.

HB1117: This isn’t the first time a bill to stop having Daylight Savings Time in Oklahoma has been proposed, but still I hope and pray that it gets passed this year. Daylight Savings Time sucks! It’s bad and complicated and effectively useless. We already know time is fake, just stop making us change our clocks twice a year. It’s a good bill. It literally would just stop Daylight Savings Time. Let us have this.

SB58: This bill would ensure that employees who vote in an election, provided that they’ve notified their employer in due time and are gone for an acceptable amount of time specified in the bill, wouldw not be penalized for voting. That means they wouldn’t lose out on pay.

This isn’t to say that this removes all roadblocks to people being able to vote, but it’s a move in the right direction. We should all support any movement toward ensuring that people get to participate in our democracy. The alternative is a government run by businessmen who don’t care about anyone but themselves and their wallets, so this feels like a timely bill. It’s also classified as an “emergency” bill. Emergencies in legislature mean that, if passed, the bill would be effective immediately after it’s signed into law.

SB299: There are a bunch of requirements for teacher education, and more things that they should know about and expect from students before they step into a classroom. This bill would add dyslexia education to that list. It might cause some hiccups in terms of how to add that into teacher education, it might cost money or take time. But at the end of the day, it would also likely help a great many children who don’t understand why school is harder for them than for their friends.

SB21: Is there anything sillier or more entertaining than state mascots? The fact that the scissortail flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma, or that the state flower is the Oklahoma rose, is incredible. How useless! This bill doesn’t disappoint: it would add steaks to the roster. It proposes that the Oklahoma steak would be ribeye steak. Does this matter in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely not. But at least our legislature has a sense of fun.

Renaming Lake Hudson reflects fluctuating national morality

Mayes County is considering renaming Lake Hudson, whose namesake was a founding member of Tulsa’s local KKK chapter.

Andrew Noland Student Writer At the start of a new legislative session, an Oklahoma Senate bill seeks to rename Lake Hudson, a human-made reservoir in Mayes County. The reservoir was created and named in 1964 after Tulsa attorney, state lawmaker and board member of the Grand River Dam Authority Walsh Hudson — who was also a prominent founder of the Tulsa branch of the Ku Klux Klan.

erals or “Lost Cause” monuments, which support the ideology that the Confederacy was politically justified that persist in a supposed post-race America.

As a history major, it’s difficult for me to read statements concerning the rewriting of history. It first implies that the current rendering of history is already perfect, which makes me wonder why we would have historians at all. I guess in that vision of the discipline, all historians would discuss how great Robert E. Lee was at killing loyal Union soldiers. The pivotal argument I want to make is that who we honor matters in a democracy.

Let’s be clear: it does not matter how Walsh Hudson contributed to the city of Tulsa. The damage he has wrought through the founding of a Tulsa KKK branch outweighs any possible benefit he could have ever given to northeastern Oklahoma.

This same principle applies to every other Confederate memorial and statue that currently stands in the South. The Lost Cause in the post-Reconstruction South sought to remind people of color of the place they stood in the political, racial and social hierarchy.

It wasn’t built to honor anyone’s ancestors.

It was built as a testament to the idea that they never really lost. The same people that fought the most destructive war in American

“Democracy rests on an idea of honoring people we strive to become.”

The action has been applauded by the left wing in Oklahoma as a step toward reconciliation and facing the state’s racist past.

Critics on the right claim the move is a supposed re-writing of history and that changing the name insults the memory of Walsh Hudson and other contributions he made to the city of Tulsa.

The critiques from the right might seem familiar to those watching the news over the past several years. Neo-Confederates and the alt-right have made the same arguments regarding Confederate statues, buildings named after slave-owners or Southern gen-

history to keep black people enslaved now had the power to build statues, name schools and buildings and form organizations to perpetuate that same oppression in a new form.

The Civil War was a struggle between good and evil. Yes, not everyone in the Union fought to end slavery, nor did everyone in the South fight to preserve slavery. But if you ever pick up a Confederate Constitution, you’ll read that slavery was meant to be forever enshrined in the legal and social fabric of the Confederate States of America. No matter if we like it, Southern soldiers fought to keep black people in

photo by Piper Prolago Just as Tulsa renamed Brady Street to Reconciliation Way, Mayes County is considering renaming Lake Hudson.

chains. It’s a fact. It’s in the writing. Live with it.

And living with it is how we approach these monuments and the memory of the Civil War in 21st-century America. Democracy rests on an idea of honoring people we strive to become. We live and embody their hopes and ideals into our own private and public lives. We cherish the legacies of people like Abraham Lincoln, Maya Angelou and Eleanor Roosevelt because they exhibited virtues that all of us seek to hone for ourselves. We erect statues of them and put their names on buildings because we want them to be part of our public identity.

Critics of that approach might point to the fact we build monuments to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Our president once asked where we “draw the line” after the Charlottesville rallies of 2017. Roy Wood Jr. of “The Daily Show” answered that by remembering the fact that Washington and Jefferson are not famous for only being slave owners. They founded a nation and, while hypocritical, still espoused

a hope that the nation would uphold liberty and freedom for all people. They were complex men with a multi-faceted past.

When comparing them to men like Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Robert E. Lee, they’re almost exclusively famous for their devotion to the Southern cause and rebelling against the United States. Betraying your country is not something to honor when you were on the wrong side.

There is a firm distinction between who we remember and who we honor. We should remember men like Jackson, Lee and Walsh Hudson so that we do not build a society from their values, yet honoring them is the true distortion and revision of history. Renaming Lake Hudson serves the greater purpose of defining what kind of culture Tulsans wish to cultivate. If Oklahoma wants to celebrate the legacy of the founder of the Tulsa branch of the Ku Klux Klan, it speaks more to the nature of our state than it does to him.

Police violence should be under same legal jurisdiction as citizen violence reasonable and appropriate physical force upon another person when and to the extent that he or she reasonably believes it to be necessary.” In addition, any reference to the policies regarding police department standards have been removed from the bill.

Through this bill, the police would be protected against excessive force lawsuits unless they were arrested for a criminal act.

HB2328 removes citizens’ abilities to hold police officers accountable for excessive force and enables reckless officer activity.

Nathan Hinkle Student Writer In the Oklahoma House of Representatives, a new house bill is being put forward that would increase the protection of police officers against excessive force lawsuits.

House Bill 2328, created by Representatives Kevin McDugle and Josh West, could remove the ability of peace officers, like a regular citizen, to be criminally charged for excessive force . The proposed bill states that “a peace officer… is justified in using

police officers and their departments from having to go to court.

This is an attempt to save the resources and credibility of the police officers involved. While police officers can still be held accountable through a court of law, it is an increasingly rare incident that a police officer would face any form of criminal charges.

“Police officers should be held accountable for their actions if they do not follow policies set in place...”

This is a harmful bill for the citizens of Oklahoma because it removes power away from injured citizens and incentivizes reckless behavior on the side of the police. The major problem with this new house bill is that it removes the ability of citizens to defend themselves in court against possible police violence.

In a statement to the Frontier, Tulsa excessive force attorney Spencer Bryan stated that the new change in legislation to remove any reference to the police would “mean if an officer violated policy in a violent encounter with a citizen, but was not charged criminally, the incident could not be considered excessive force.” This change would remove any citizen’s ability to seek justice for the wrongdoing of police officers. The lawmakers are trying to forcefully protect

In an additional statement to the Frontier, Bryan stated, “I can’t tell you a single time a DA has prosecuted someone for a policy violation. This proposed change is all about lawsuits.” This bill does not protect the rights of average citizens who are injured or killed by police officers. Rather, it seeks to shield these officers from punishment for their own actions.

We’ve already seen the type of people who will be affected by the bill, like Amanda Morrow, who was involved in a policeshooting in 2017.

Morrow was shot by Okmulgee Police Chief Joe Prentice as a passenger in a vehicle that was purportedly attempting to pass by a police roadblock. While Prentice was cleared of any criminal charges, Morrow was able to create a civil case and settled

with the district in civil court a year later.

This bill would erase the possibility for compensation that people injured or even killed by the excessive force of police officers should be able to receive.

Additionally, the bill also promotes potential recklessness in police officers across Oklahoma. If an officer cannot be easily sued by any potential victims and they are unlikely to be arrested, there is no real disincentive use excessive force. Police officers should be held accountable for their actions if they do not follow policies set in place during the line of duty.

This removal of citizen power does not necessarily mean that the police will spurred on to commit more acts of excessive force.

Rather, it removes the potential walls in place that prevent the spread of such force and allows officers to break through more easily.

As things currently stand, all citizens, police officer or not, must take responsibility and be ready to defend themselves in court if their actions cross over the laws of Oklahoma or the policies of their employment. By removing this essence of the law, we are creating an unfair system that gives some groups power over others that should be spread equally. House Bill 2328 helps no one except police officers, and it puts them squarely above the law.

Commentary

The Collegian: 6

4 February 2019

The future of Venezuela hinges on an uninformed American government

After recognizing Guaidó as the interim president, the United States is under fire for its politcal strategy with oil-rich Venezuela.

Chris Lierly Student Writer Over the past few weeks, Venezuela has launched itself into a full constitutional crisis that could result in a catastrophe unparalleled in the western hemisphere in the 21st century. When President Nicolás Maduro won reelection through authoritarian tactics, many Venezuelans refused to recognize his regime’s legitimacy, and over 100,000 of them took to the streets. This might not seem like much for a country that has been protesting en masse for over four years, but these recent demonstrations have more political potency in them than in the past.

This time, protestors are making two major claims: first, that Maduro unfairly achieved his second election win through undemocratic means, and second, that opposition candidate Juan Guaidó should be the interim president. With a restless popular movement amassing in the streets and the inhumane Maduro possessing the power

Finally, the stances of Turkey, China and Russia unsurprisingly all line up behind the dictator in Caracas. Russia has done more than just nominally support the repressive socialist regime and is providing Maduro with personal security as well. Like with Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Russia likely supports Maduro for a variety of reasons, but access to Venezuela’s bountiful oil reserves and making sure illiberal regimes do not let power slip into the hands of democraticallyelected leaders both top the list.

Unlike Russia, it would be hard to pinpoint America’s primary reason for backing Guaidó, though petroleum-produced motivations are never far away when the U.S. is involved. However, a deft handling of the situation by all three powers could produce the kind of result that does not just mitigate the current crisis in Venezuela, but one that helps the people of the country regain control of a nation that has been under socialist dictatorial rule for almost 20 years.

The E.U. has made a smart move in not claiming Guaidó as the rightful president so as to present themselves as a potential mediator, and the Vatican, with its immense cultural clout in a country that is 71 percent Catholic, should hold off on further involvement unless violence becomes inevitable.

The U.S.’s position is equally important. Not only is America the most powerful country the world has ever known, but its firm belief that Guaidó deserves the presidency could keep allies such as the E.U. and the Vatican from shying away from confrontation and ceding a win to Maduro. Unfortunately, all signs point to this potential being squandered, since those currently in control of the American foreign policy establishment lack the knowledge and the expertise to handle a conflict with such high stakes.

“The U.S. will get labeled capitalist, interventionist and imperialistic before this entire crisis is over.” to commit horrible acts, the Venezuelan conundrum has become an international crisis.

Like any divisive international crisis, the great powers of the world and relevant neighboring nations have all taken some sort of stance on the situation. The United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and most of Latin America all recognize Guaidó as the rightful leader of Venezuela. In the middle sits the European Union, whose stance currently calls for new elections, and Pope Francis, who has called for peace in the South American nation.

If the United States was ill-prepared to handle the current strife in Venezuela when the big names in Trump’s foreign policy and military establishment were Rex Tillerson, James Mattis and H.R. McMaster, then it has almost no chance of success under the guidance of Mike Pompeo and John Bolton.

Bolton, the most hawkish voice in Washington, has called for military intervention in the United States’ handlings of both North Korea and Iran, and this week, he walked out of a meeting holding a notepad with what looked like an estimate of troops the

Venezuela has been in political turmoil over the past two decades.

U.S. could send to neighboring Colombia.

That may have been one of the many ideas floated in the meeting, but it was literally the only thing written on the pad. Additionally, the Trump Administration’s intellectual blinders mean that it is likely unprepared for the rhetorical war that Venezuela, Russia and China will likely launch if diplomacy breaks down.

The U.S. will get labeled capitalist, interventionist and imperialistic before this entire crisis is over, and how we respond is vital to the outcome. It is easy enough to handle being called a capitalist country and an interventionist power. Objectively, both labels are mostly true, and it is not difficult to embrace these monikers as good things.

Capitalism, when restrained, can yield incredible economic results, and interventionism, when applied deftly, can prevent genocide and war crimes.

courtesy Wikipedia

However, the label of imperialist is not so easy to confront. Not only has the United States used its economic power to exploit Latin American countries in the past, but the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan meant to some that the U.S. never sought to give up its bullying tactics. Like those wars, any military incursion into Venezuela that does not have sound justifications could become the biggest foreign policy disaster since the presidency of George W. Bush, and a costly war would only increase the record number of refugees that the last two years has seen flee from their home countries. Trump and Bolton will likely push full steam ahead for a plan that is indifferent of past U.S. experience and one that continues the trend of this administration’s shaming of America on the global stage.

Representative Mullin’s #BorderBeard a cartoonish form of protest @TUCollegian

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Justin Guglielmetti managing editor

Raven Fawcett news editor

Ethan Veenker sports editor

Brennen Gray variety editor

Emma Palmer commentary editor

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Madison Connell photo & graphics editor

Conner Maggio

business & advertising manager

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social media & web manager

Sara Serrano

distribution managers

Jacob Lee Jesica Santino and Katelyn Baker copy editor

Bryant Loney

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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Rep. Markwayne Mullin’s #BorderBeard lacks impact as political protest and seems like a plea for attention.

Anna Robinson Student Writer Oklahoma Congressional representative Markwayne Mullin is getting attention from his promise to grow out his beard until the federal government solidifies plans to build the wall along the border between the United States and Mexico. Representative Mullin explained, “This is my border beard,” in a video posted to Twitter. “I’m not going to shave it until we secure our border. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to trim it. It just means I’m not going to shave it off.”

I feel that refusing to shave a beard is less a political statement and more like an act of defiance toward one’s significant other if he or she does not like beards. Unless, of course, Representative Mullin is channeling his inner Russian citizen during the reign of Peter the Great, who instituted a beard tax on his citizens in an attempt to make Russia more similar to the beardless Western Europeans during that era.

Critics believe that Representative Mullin is not making an impactful statement in not shaving his beard. Ginnie Graham of the Tulsa World stated that such a gesture does not matter to those who went without pay for the duration of the government shutdown, such as TSA and national park workers. She also mentions the fact that women cannot perform similar displays of their political opinions. However, some women who participated in #JanuHairy, wherein they showed off their unshaven bodies, added their actions to the support for Representative Mullin’s #BorderBeard.

Some responders over social media liken the beard to a metaphor for hiding something else. This goes along with the common belief among Americans that the federal government is not transparent with citizens. Those who oppose Representative Mullin certainly do not view this gesture as it was intended. Others point out that there are much more pressing issues to focus on than a border wall.

Is it me or does this situation sound like Agnes from “Despicable Me” when she tried to hold her breath until Gru gave into what she wanted? Kids seem to do things like this quite often or throw temper tantrums. But as we have seen over the past few years, the line between the behavior of adults and that of toddlers is beginning to blur among those in the United States government. Anderson Cooper accused Trump of behaving like a five-year-old during his campaign when Trump claimed that he did not start the conflict between himself and Ted Cruz’s wife, as if that justified his continuation of the fight. People from other countries are left wondering what is going on in the United States, when they are not laughing about it, that is. Maybe we should laugh too.

When someone is one of 435 representatives in Congress, it is difficult to make a lasting impression. This could be especially true for those representing smaller states like Oklahoma. Everyone in the federal government would like to be remembered for something. Perhaps that is what Representative Mullin is trying to do. Negative attention is still attention, right?

A beard is a unique way to show your political opinions — but not impactful, as there are no consequences or hardships of having one, save for the extra grooming time. But go big or go home. How about a hunger strike instead? That’s what Graham suggested. Or pull a John Lennon and sit in your bed all day. I’m not a cynic, I swear.

Seeing how long it takes for Congress to make decisions, and how long it will inevitably take to build a wall that spans 1,900 miles, the beard will be here for quite some time. Let’s all get familiar with it. It will probably be the length of Dumbledore’s once this border fiasco ends anyway.

4 February 2019

Commentary

The Collegian: 7

Tulsa Animal Welfare to possibly implement no-kill policy

The Tulsa Humane Society and Tulsa SPCA leading the TAW to a no-kill shelter policy should be successful given time.

Hana Saad Student Writer In November 2018, Mayor G.T. Bynum announced that the city would join forces with the Humane Society of Tulsa and the Tulsa SPCA to form the Coalition for Tulsa Pets. Although this is a great first step, it doesn’t guarantee that the lives of animals in Tulsa will be improved.

The coalition was created to remedy the dog and cat overpopulation problem in Tulsa. In 2017, Tulsa Animal Welfare (TAW) took in 8,819 dogs and cats. On an average day in 2018, TAW takes in around 20–40 animals, most of which are owner surrender.

According to the city of Tulsa, the live release rate is 65 percent, which isn’t terrible, but that still means roughly 35 percent of the animals who enter the shelter never come out. These numbers might cause people to be skeptical of the coalition’s chance of success, but I believe TAW will be a “no-kill” shelter within the near future.

To many, this is a cause for celebration.

But while it is good that fewer animals will be killed, it is important to keep in mind that just because TAW becomes “no-kill” does not mean that the shelter itself will become

more humane. It is great if healthy animals are not being euthanized, but if they are going to be living in the shelter until they get adopted or pulled by a rescue, they need to be treated kindly, and their living conditions need to be clean and comfortable.

The coalition cannot forget to focus on the level of care the animals at TAW are receiving. Obviously, it all depends on the individuals caring for the animals. Like with all professions, there are some compassionate animal control officers and there are some who are rough with the animals. A “no-kill” shelter doesn’t mean the lives of the animals within it are instantly better.

Yet becoming “no-kill” is still a positive, achievable goal. Since 2016, TAW’s live release rate has been increasing, which means fewer animals are being euthanized. With the implementation of the coalition’s steps, the euthanasia rate will continue to drop.

The coalition is focusing on two areas: one, they aim to make TAW a “no-kill” shelter; two, they plan on providing the community with resources for their animals so that they don’t have to give them up in the first place.

Still, with thousands of animals passing through the shelter in a year, it seems like a lofty goal. But it is an achievable one, as other cities similar to Tulsa have demonstrated.

The Kansas City shelter used to have a high

The Kansas City shelter works under a no-kill policy.

and cats. In addition, the laws governing animal abuse in Tulsa are not comprehensive enough. Many owners can get away with mistreating their animals since the ordinances are somewhat vague. Loopholes make it difficult for animal control to step in and help abused animals.

“Since 2016, TAW’s live release rate has been increasing, which means fewer animals are being euthanized.” kill rate: in 2011, their live release rate was 65 percent, the same as Tulsa’s current rate.

Just four years later, the Kansas City shelter had increased their release rate to 93.6 percent by implementing steps similar to the ones that Tulsa plans to take.

Tulsa will continue to have an overpopulation problem if we do not find a way to effectively regulate the sterilization of dogs

For example, section 406 of Chapter Four under Title Two (the ordinances that govern animals) is vague in its description of the type of outdoor shelter that owners are required to provide for their animals. It just says that it needs to be a “moisture-proof and windproof structure of suitable size to accommodate the animal.”

Even if the house is old, the animal is cramped, or it’s freezing outside, the owner

The Tulsa Animal Welfare currently has a live release rate of 65 percent, but it could reach 100 percent with the right policies.

courtesy Kansas City Star

would not be breaking any laws by leaving their pets outside. It isn’t healthy to keep animals, especially dogs, isolated outside away from people. It can lead to aggression, since they receive little socialization, and they could die even if they’re in their shelter if temperatures drop too low. But as long as they have some kind of shelter and a little food and water, the owners will be allowed to keep the animals.

Problems don’t get fixed in a day or even 10 years. It takes time, effort and patience, which, luckily, Tulsa seems to possess. It is a good sign that the city of Tulsa isn’t trying to become “no-kill” on their own, as most of the cities that have achieved a 90 percent release rate have done so with the help of private organizations. Tulsa Humane Society and Tulsa SPCA will help TAW fully implement the proposed plan, which in turn will give the unwanted dogs and cats of Tulsa a chance to have safe, loving homes.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Panhandle counties able to ban medical marijuana if determined by vote marijuana, the burly, high-strung 57-percenters urge wide-flung uniform regulation.

My intense gravitation to principle, though, finds me looking to Senator Casey Murdock, who represents the Panhandle counties.

In the first session of the 2019 legisla-

Although a majority of Okla. citizens voted for SQ 788, local jurisdiction should be able to reverse the decision.

Thomas Von Borstel Student Writer I find myself sympathetic to those in the shadow of the 57 percent in Oklahoma who voted in favor of SQ 788, the state question that legalized medical marijuana in the state.

Provided with every justification on Earth for the utility and benevolence of medical

individual and the tribal institution guarantees that some form of the republic survives.

Sen. Murdock argues that his represented counties voted strongly against SQ 788, with 78 percent of voters objecting.

His duty, and his probity in many ways,

“Sen. Murdock argues that his represented counties voted strongly against SQ 788...” ture, Sen. Murdock introduced SB 325, an amendment that would allow counties to vote on the legality of medical marijuana (including prohibiting the possession, consumption, transport, sale, cultivation or manufacture of marijuana or marijuana products, or any combination thereof as stated in the amendment) in their jurisdiction.

Local reform and legislation have always been attractive to me. When the many live in strongholds far removed from the familial county legislatures, ascribing domain to the

must be backed up by action. If his actions were curbed by the shouting of hipsters and marijuana professionals all the way in Tulsa, then he would be a piss-poor representative.

It seems reasonable for the residents of individual counties to be able to decide if they want a contentious psychoactive substance available en masse in their region, no matter if this is misguided or ill-informed.

There are two concerns that arise, though, from this proposal: interstate legality and precursor farming operations. Questions of

incarceration due to marijuana use in these areas seem to be highlighted by those opposed to SB 325. Additionally, farming operations fear investment loss. Murdock commented on the latter, proposing a grandfather policy for those already in the jurisdiction, as any reasonable person would.

What about marijuana arrests in dry counties? Keep out. Rip a bong at least six inches from the county line with a fan facing you from the opposite direction. It would seem prudent, though, to make accommodations of some sort that would allow for decriminalization, making marijuana possession or use simply a fine in the dry counties rather than arresting every idiot who walks into the region with some bud.

Now, all of the good God-fearing folk who live in the Panhandle who want to chief on a joint for their CTE are left out in the dirt. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of the thing. If cannabis is a serious necessity in one’s life, then one’s life must be structured around that requisite, just like any other serious matter.

Variety

The Collegian: 8

4 February 2019

How to apply for the Gillman Scholarship

The prestigious scholarship is worth going for even with a daunting application.

Courtney Spivey Student Writer Understanding how to travel abroad in the summer can be hard, especially if you’ve got a heavy semester and a light wallet. If you’re in the position to travel this summer and want to maximize your vacation, consider that the option of studying abroad can

help bridge that gap from what is only mere speculation to actual realization of your trip abroad. The catch — there always is one — is that it is highly competitive. This article is to introduce the background and basic requirements of the Gilman Scholarship and to tell you how/where to get more information about it if you’re interested.

The direct description of the scholarship is “... [a] program [that] aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries or areas and world regions… by supporting undergraduate stu-

“The incentive to apply for this scholarship includes a monetary award of $5,000...” make the difference on your resume between a great candidate and a perfect candidate.

Even with all these obstacles and other potential restraints in your own situation, there is a way to get there. The Gilman A. Benjamin Scholarship is something that is available for students with limited financial means to study abroad, and it’s a way to

dents who have high financial need, the program has been successful in supporting students who have been historically underrepresented in education abroad, including but not limited to first-generation college students, students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, students attending HBCUs

(Historically Black Colleges and Universities) or other minority-serving institutions, students attending community colleges and students coming from U.S. states with less study abroad participation.”

In addition to the basic need for eligibility, there is also a mandatory application to fill out.

The incentive to apply to this scholarship includes a monetary award of up to $5,000 (and applicants who are studying a criticalneed language while abroad can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000, for a combined total of $8,000). This program is also funded by the U.S. Department of State, which grants you access for Non-Competitive Federal Employment opportunities in jobs and careers. You are also connected to the Gilman Alumni community and have a higher chance of participating as a Fulbright Applicant. All of these benefits are bonuses on top of being able to go abroad.

Only around 20 percent of students who apply are awarded the scholarship, so there are some things you will want to take into consideration. You must be a U.S. citizen and an undergraduate student in good standing with the university. Although there is no

minimum GPA requirement, preference is given to students who have good/high academic performance.

Your destination is also something to take into account. Although this did not end up impacting me personally (I went to Italy), students trying to study in underrepresented countries will be given preference. These countries are in the following regions: Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific (with the exception of Australia, China, Japan and South Korea), South and Central Asia. So while studying in traditional study-abroad countries is possible, your application enters a higher selectivity range.

Lastly, you must be able to clearly define your goals for impacting the community if given the chance to study abroad.

If all of the above sounds like you and is doable for you, then I highly encourage you to apply. The Gilman Scholarship very recently reopened for application for summer 2019 on Jan. 17. The Study Abroad office also will host an info session on Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 12-1 p.m. in the Allen Chapman Student Union Alcove Room, so attend that if you have time.

TU to host concert reading of “Sea Breeze Academy” The university will bring the young adult novel to life in a way never done before.

Lizzy Young Student Writer Coming to TU for one night only is “Sea Breeze Academy: The Concert Reading,” directed and produced by TU senior and published author Bryant Loney. This event, hosted by the TU Creative Writing department and in partnership with the Alpha Psi Omega theatre fraternity, will bring Loney’s subversive writing to life.

Loney released his experimental novel “Sea Breeze Academy” in June of 2018. The novel centers around a group of teenagers at a boarding school in Southern California who discover that they are living in a television sitcom.

A concert reading is the perfect way to highlight Loney’s innovative work. The book’s format as a script/novel hybrid lends itself to this uncommon storytelling experience,” Loney says, “and I am so grateful to the university and the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities for such an incredible opportunity.”

Although Loney is the author, he will not be acting in the reading. He says, “This performance is meant to showcase the spectacular talent of the student performers we have at the University of Tulsa,” adding, “With this event, I wanted to do everything in my ability to give these wonderful folks the spotlight they deserve.”

As the director, Loney had the opportunity to cast TU theatre students for the roles of his characters. Emily Peterson, a sophomore musical theatre major, plays Brooklyn Rivers, the novel’s go-getter girl protagonist.

This is Peterson’s first concert reading.

She was drawn to Brooklyn, the consummate fashionista, because “she is the epitome of the girl who has it all, yet she’s in a situation that is out of her control, and it’s interesting to see her try to deal with it.

To accompany Peterson, Loney cast Mitchell Shorey, a creative writing major and theatre minor, as the other lead, Matthew Flynn. Loney describes Flynn as, “Lovably dorky. The smart one. He tries his best.”

Shorey related to Matthew’s sense of humor and need for control. “Matthew has a dry sense of humor and probably a control complex, if his difficulty to adjust to the change at Sea Breeze Academy is any indication. I can relate to that. You should see me try to plan a party.”

Stasha Cole, a freshman English and Russian Studies double major, was cast as the pretty-but-goofy Virgo Torres. This is Cole’s first performance since middle school, but she was drawn to play Virgo’s character because “Virgo seemed the most humanized character in the script. She is honest, cares about her friends, is sarcastic and works hard.”

Jourdon White, a junior mechanical engineering major and theatre minor, plays the jokester of the group, Chris Carmichael.

What drew White to his character is their similar personalities. “After reading the script, Chris was a character choice very similar to myself as a person. His wit, sense of humor and general upbeat personality really sold the character for me.”

Additionally, freshman Hannah Triplett plays Liss Williams, the nerdy outsider.

Triplett relates to her character, saying, “I identify with Liss’s quirkiness because she is passionate about what many people are

Promotional art for “Sea Breeze Academy.”

quick to dismiss. I believe there are peculiarities in all of us, so Liss seems very human to me in this way.”

Loney is excited to present his work in this manner because the event will highlight more than just his own talent. “I hope

courtesy Verona Booksellers

to be in solitude. In true TU fashion, we are always better together. We celebrate and strive as one.”

Promised by Peterson to be “a night of fun, intrigue and a few surprises you won’t want to miss,” “Sea Breeze Academy: The

“A concert reading is the perfect way to highlight Loney’s innovative work.” the reading will help in bridging the gap between the creative writing and theatre departments, especially due to all the students we have at TU across disciplines who have a serious interest in writing and performance.” He adds, “Artistry does not need

Concert Reading” will be held Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in Adelson Auditorium in Tyrrell Hall.

Mark the date on your calendars and show up to support fellow TU students at this exciting, free, one-night-only event.

Photos from the Tulsa Arts District’s First Friday The monthly event continues its trend of enriching the Tulsa community with fine arts.

Art by Rafael Cozo.

Photo taken at Living Arts.

Art by Mary Fisher.

Photo taken at Living Arts.

Art by Richard Barlow.

photos by Madison Connell

4 February 2019

Variety

The Collegian: 9

Artist Aaron Coleman visits Tulsa

The artist, who has worked with a variety of media, discussed how racial identity influenced his process.

Piper Prolago Student Writer

Growing up in a multiracial household, Aaron Coleman has found his identity in visual art through the synthesis of different aesthetics. The Henry Zarrow Center for Arts and Arts Education showed an exhibition of Coleman’s prints entitled “Nothing to See Here” for Februaries First Friday.

Coleman was born in Washington D.C. to an African American father and white mother. From a young age, they taught him about the “unfair aspects of society and how to be a good human” with acceptance, tolerance and patience. He spoke extensively about how he “had a hard time finding a ‘tribe’ and figuring out where to fit in.” He was unable to completely connect to either racial group, instead seeking to find ways to blend the two and find his own unique identity.

With this goal, Coleman found inspiration in hip hop culture and graffiti art. Artists like Afrika Bambaataa blended different genres of music: the jazz and soul Coleman associated with his father in combination with the folk and pop his mother listened to.

Here, Coleman found a way to understand his identity. While performing in hip hop groups, Coleman recognized another way to synthesize his identity in graffiti art. He described being able to “recontextualize what already exists” by appropriating the industrial landscape to create something new and personal.

Graffiti became a starting point for Coleman’s work with comic books, both of which he described as “low brow imagery.”

Coleman began to use images from “The Death of Superman” in conjunction with religious imagery because of their structural

similarities: both are stories of salvation and atonement of a people by a supernatural being, sacrifice and ultimate resurrection.

Beyond this, Coleman described thinking that “stained glass windows are the graphic novel of the religious world ” because of the simplified forms, bold outlines with bright colors and stories of good and evil.

Using a combination of comic book and religious imagery, Coleman found a way to comment on the world around him using synthesized aesthetic vocabularies. An overlaid image of Lois Lane being pushed against a wall atop the Virgin Mary is entitled “Akin’s Annunciation,” in reference to Missouri senator, Ted Akin. In arguing against abortion rights, Akin had claimed that a woman’s body had ways of preventing pregnancy if she was raped, meaning that “legitimate rape” could not result in pregnancy.

Between projects that necessitated deep contemplation of the injustices of society, Coleman described needing a break. He found solace in creating more abstract collages with an approach he would take to landscapes rather than the serious social issues that weighed on him in other projects.

“Akin’s Annunciation” by Aaron Coleman.

face minstrel shows in creating prints during this period. This was around the same time that Colin Kaepernick took a knee and was subsequently ostracized from the NFL. Coleman saw this as an “unbelievably horrible portrait of the people we live around” and sought to explore the phenomenon of “second-class citizenship” black people experienced.

“‘[S]tained glass windows are the graphic novel of the religious world’...”

Coleman discussed the importance of “just making stuff” and creating art for its own sake by working without a set plan of action.

During a period as an artist in residence in Massignac, France, Coleman revisited these social issues after having found porcelain blackface figures made in 2015 at an antique shop in the city. Coleman also drew from images of Mickey Mouse, whose original design was inspired by elements of black-

In his exhibition at Zarrow, Coleman shows a collection of small prints created by cutting apart various source materials in collages. He describes the therapeutic experience of sorting through hundred of pamphlets and pages to find specific images in perspectives that fit his composition. Coleman ended his lecture by quoting a music producer, Nate Harrison, in saying “history demonstrates that a society free to borrow and build upon the past is culturally richer

courtesy Arizona State University

than a controlled one.” Coleman uses the idea of borrowing from the world around him to create new ways to understand different perspectives in his prints.

The prints exhibited at Zarrow encompass a wide variety of aesthetics from assorted source materials. Each print, although only a few square inches in size each, introduce viewers to thought-provoking imagery.

Many works convey a post-apocalyptic tone with a combination of ancient GrecoRoman architecture and busts with more contemporary images of people, technology and nature.

Coleman draws from his inspiration in cathedrals to incorporate architectural elements and intricate designs but introduces nuances to alter this vision. He adds striking and contrasting colors through the inclusion of contemporary figures alongside the subdued tones of the marble sculptures and architecture. His merging of Classical and contemporary images allows viewers to experience a world outside of reality that is still connected to a recognizable visual vocabulary.

courtesy Aaron Coleman

Print from “Nothing to See Here” by Aaron Coleman.

“White Rabbit Red Rabbit” an unforgettable experience Over the course of the show, a cold read of a script developed into something memorable.

Madison Connell Satire Editor Going in to see “White Rabbit Red Rabbit,” I knew next to nothing about the play.

In fact, most of the audience didn’t.

That’s the premise of the show. Both the audience and the actor go into the performance blind. The actor doesn’t see the script until they open it right in front of you. This means an actor only gets one shot at playing this role of a lifetime.

To not spoil the effect, I won’t give you the plot. To have the full experience, you need to enter the show blind. However, I will say how this works in your favor.

I was skeptical going in that it was going to be one big gimmick. Was the actor truly going with no information? Am I going to be stuck in a show with a subject that I find no interest in?

The first part of the play was whimsical. I won’t spoil any details, but I felt like it could have been children’s theatre. Audience participation kept the subject matter relevant.

Seeing random adult participants go on the stage and bring their own perspectives to roles was refreshing. They often broke character, but I believe the writer, Nassim Soleimanpour, anticipated and would in fact have welcomed the idea. The improvisations

lucky to have had such an enthusiastic audience. They were at least half the show.

About a third of the way through the script, the play takes a dark, unexpected turn. The actor’s surprise seemed genuine at this point. He even took some liberties of going off script with saying “fuck this” numerous times during the darker bits. It yo-yoed back and forth between the darker portions and the funnier ones after this point Not only did the play take a darker turn, but it turned political. In the play program, there was an “urgent” note telling media and press agents that the play “is NOT overtly political, and should not be portrayed as such. It operates on a deeper, metaphoric level, and very expressly avoids overt political comment. We therefore ask the press to be judicious in their reportage.”

Asking a reporter to not report something is one of the surest ways to ensure they do just that. I believe this was the play’s (or TU’s) cheeky way of trying to get the audience to ensure they did focus on the political side of things by using reverse psychology.

This strategy did play off a little gimmicky to me; let the play speak for itself. Then again, here I am writing about it, just as they anticipated.

Somehow, though, the odd combination of depressing and whimsical, of scripted and improvisational, worked together perfectly. Without the whimsy, the darker parts would have been less impactful. Without the original script, the impromptu responses

“Without the original script, the impromptu responses wouldn’t have shined.” helped bring his ideas to life and might have brought more laughter than the script itself.

It brought humanity to a script that does not have characters in the traditional sense. I’m

wouldn’t have shined.

I can’t finish my review without acknowledging the actor. I could not see many actors pulling this show off quite as well as Friday night’s actor, David Blakely. This 58-year-

courtesy University of Tulsa

old actor’s cold reading was near flawless. I don’t believe I saw a single line he tripped up on, or if he did, he did not show it. He brought the script to life with his characterizations, and his own commentary sprinkled in about how messed-up a part of the script was and his comedic responses to the audience’s participation.

I’m left wishing Blakely could somehow inject a serum into his brain to forget the whole night so more audiences could experience what I found to be a near-perfect performance. If I could find one thing to fault the performance, I think that it might be a bit of a one-trick-pony. Without going into

the play blind, I don’t believe that the night would have been as special. I would see all the tricks and sparkles before they came.

The surprise factor is what holds together the performance, particularly the ending.

For about half the show the ending is suggested, but it isn’t until the end that you get the full implications of what could happen before your very eyes.

Although this play may never happen at TU again, I would highly recommend going to see it if you are given the chance. The one caveat? Do not read any spoilers, no matter how tempting.

Sports

The Collegian: 10

4 February 2019

Tulsa starts strong, falls to Temple Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses the Golden Hurricane’s struggle to break their three-game losing streak as they failed to capitalize on an early lead.

The Golden Hurricane’s hope of breaking their three-game losing streak were dashed on Tuesday evening. After a strong start where Tulsa matched and even lead against the Temple Owls, Tulsa faltered after the half and watched their lead dwindle into a deficit.y.

The Golden Hurricane had no response to the 34 points Alliya Butts put up or the 25 put up by Mia Davis. Tulsa’s highest scorer, Madi Bittle, had only 15 points the entire game.

Tulsa started strong after Desiree Lewis got the tip, handing it off to Crystal Polk whose jumper put the Golden Hurricane on the board.

The Owls responded with two three-pointers in quick succession, but then stagnated. The teams kept within four points of each other for the first five minutes, but with Bittle’s first three of the game, Tulsa started to widen their lead.

Butts began to hit her stride soon afterward. Her jumper with three minutes left in the first quarter took the lead from Tulsa’s hands. Bittle hit another three to put Tulsa on top, and going into the second quarter it looked good for the Golden Hurricane; they were up by three and had the momentum to keep it going.

Two quick three-pointers by Bittle and Morgan Brady and a pair of free throws by Lewis had the Golden Hurricane up by nine three minutes into the second quarter. Another three by Bittle with four left in the half had Tulsa up by a game-high 13 points. The Golden Hurricane started to fizzle

soon afterward. The Owls hit four unanswered twos to end the half only down by five.

Tulsa was unable to recover once they los that momentum.

They returned from the locker room with a lack of motivation and started to slide once the Owls started the half. When Butts tied it up with a three-pointer a minute into the half, it became a losing battle.

The Golden Hurricane went five for 17 on the court in the third, unable to respond to the Owls, who went 11 for 16.

For the first half of the third quarter, Tulsa still seemed to have a chance. The Owls were in control, but Tulsa could respond in kind, keeping the lead below four.

After a layup by Lewis and a three-pointer by Bittle, the Golden Hurricane was even able to snag a one point lead with three left in the third, but that did not last. A three

by Butts took away Tulsa’s last lead of the game and left control squarely in Temple’s corner.

The Owls ended the quarter with three unanswered shots, leaving them up by seven to start the fourth quarter.

Tulsa struggled in the fourth quarter, scoring a mere five points to Temple’s 19 as Butts and Davis combined for 17. Temple ran out the clock as Tulsa fell apart, missing two-thirds of their shots and half of their free throws. Lewis and Alexis Gaulden tried to put anything on the board with minutes left, but had to watch Temple run away with a 75-61 win.

photos by James Taylor

Sports

4 February 2019

The Collegian: 11

Figure skating scoring biased

Skating expert Hannah Robbins discusses the subjective nature of the Program Components Score in figure skating and how judges have changed the results with personal preferences.

During the 2018 Winter Olympics Ladies Free Program, something happened that I had never seen before in figure skating. Evgenia Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova tied for first place in the free program. I have never seen a tie in

the program is composed, how well the skater interprets the music and the quality of transitions between different elements in their programs.

This seems simple enough. A judge watches the program and de-

point difference, so there has to be something more at play: the PCS score is used as a reputation score.

Skaters with more international and national recognition will get higher PCS scores. If the judges want you to do well, they will

place finish left her in the first alternate spot for the U.S. team by 2.40 points, a margin she would have surpassed if she would have received the normal Nationals PCS bump.

In the end, Medvedeva would

ladies would not have placed between ninth and 11th place. PCS is the score that hides the biases that should not be present in figure skating. Judges should score the program in front of them, not the history they have with a skater.

“Skaters with more international and national recognition will get higher PCS scores. If the judges want you to do well, they will bump up your score.” figure skating. The scoring system has so many intricate parts that it seems that the scores are always tenths, maybe even hundredths of points off.

How could a tie happen? Simple: Medvedeva earned the highest Program Components Score (PCS) while Zagitova had the highest Technical Elements Score

pending on how they subjectively enjoy it, they rate it. However, it’s not just based on the program in front of them that judges rate their scores. Take Zagitova’s 2017-2018 season. In her first performance on an international stage, the Grand Prix China, her PCS score was 68.35 points. A good score; enough to win her the gold medal.

bump up your score. Not a ton, but when Zagitova beat Medvedeva by 1.31 points in the Olympics, three points might as well be 20, especially since Medvedeva only had her PCS score increase by 1.36 points over the course of the season (four points less than the bump Kaetlyn Osmond, another seasoned skater, received).

have won if not for Zagitova’s unusually high increase in PCS score. Wagner would have been at the Olympics, and maybe U.S.

Unless something changes, it will be a long time before skaters have a slate as clean as the ice they skate on.

“... Medvedeva would have won if not for Zagitova’s unusually high increase in PCS score.”

(TES). Or is it? When one actually examines the way these scores work, it isn’t as simple as Medvedeva performing her program better, which some (myself included) believe she did, but a systematic bias that can be hidden within the PCS score.

On a surface level there might be nothing wrong with a higher PCS score for skaters that have been around longer. A skater should be rewarded for learning how to hone their skating ability and make movements crisp, clean and full (imagine a runner finally learning to perfect their stride, a dancer managing a triple turn); that is what the PCS score is about. PCS has judges rate skaters from one to 10 for five different areas: their ability to fully move while skating and maintaining clean edges, called skating skills, their performance of their program, how well

Now fast forward to the Olympics a mere three months later. Her PCS score jumped almost seven points to 75.05. Did Zagitova get that much better at skating skills or performance? Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt. A single data point isn’t a conclusion.

Let’s compare it to another skater who started at the same time as Zagitova but didn’t win every event she entered: Kaori Sakamoto.

Sakamoto scored a respectable 63.66 points in her PCS for her first senior event, the Grand Prix Russia, where she placed fifth.

Skip forward three months and she earns a PCS of 68.11 points at the Olympics, an increase of four and a half points. Zagitova had almost double the increase in PCS over the same amount of time.

It’s not like either of the skaters had different TES between competitions; both had less than a

This bias isn’t limited to international events; it plays a large part in national championships as well.

Take for example the U.S. Nationals last season. National championships are notorious for inflating PCS scores. It is not uncommon to see skater’s PCS scores go up by five or more points. That made what happened in the ladies competition so interesting: the PCS bump wasn’t there for one skater — Ashley Wagner.

Unlike Bradie Tennell, the winner of U.S. Nationals whose PCS bump was 5.30 points or silver medalist Mirai Nagasu with a 6.96 point bump, Ashley Wagner gained a mere 0.50 points. That doesn’t line up with her fellow competitors or her results in years past, and she spoke out, stating that the judges were biased against her and didn’t want her to make it to the Olympics. Wagner’s fourth

Medvedeva executes her routine.

courtesy Cribeo

NFL considers reforms after blown call Professional football expert Lindsey Prather discusses the consequences and possible rule changes to follow the egregious missed penalty in the NFC Championship.

graphic by Conner Maggio

The NFL is currently dealing with yet another controversy regarding its officiating. The NFC championship had yet another “miracle” end their season in the playoffs; only this time, it wasn’t a miraculous play from Minnesota but a rather serious no-call regarding a blatant defensive pass interference penalty against the Los Angeles Rams.

Following a sustained drive in the fourth quarter, the Saints were on the cusp of victory; the only requirement was another first down.

From there they had the ability to run out the clock, save for a few seconds to kick a chip shot field goal. However, that did not happen.

Snapping the ball from the Rams 13-yard line, Saint’s wideout Tommylee Lewis attempted a goroute. Although Brees put the ball right where it needed to be, Lewis wasn’t able to get there; he was too busy getting laid out by the flying body of Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman prior to the catch.

Lewis did not complete the catch, preventing the Saints from sealing the game.

First, it needs to be acknowledged that the game did not end with that play. The Saints kicked a 31-yard field goal to take a 2320 lead, but the Saints defense then allowed the Rams to drive 45 yards in the final moments of regulation to set up their own 48-yard field goal.

Los Angeles won it after Drew Brees threw an interception that set up a 57-yard field goal with 11:43 left in overtime. The Saints had opportunities following the no-call to win the game. However, if they had won the game, this nocall would not be having the same effect.

It has been a rough year for officiating in the NFL. It began with changes to how games would be called this year, including controversial roughing the passer penalties. However, this season also included attempts at reconciliation.

Line judge Hugo Cruz was fired in October after missing an obvious false start in a Cleveland Browns game, becoming the first official in the Super Bowl era to be fired midseason.

However, with this newest blunder, some type of reform surrounding referees is finally on the horizon. This offseason, the league is expected to consider adopting a rule that would allow coaches to challenge judgment calls; either penalties or uncalled penalties; on a limited basis. The suggested rule might also include an additional penalty or time runoff if the coach incorrectly challenges a call.

But there is a balance that needs to be struck. The penalty for an incorrect challenge would have to be designed as a sufficient disincentive for abuse.The primary concern involves a coach’s potential ability to challenge and fish for a common penalty in order to grant a first down on a whim.

What would it mean for the future of penalties in football?

Ironically enough, it could lead to even more penalties; a referee could throw a flag just to be safe, knowing the coach has the ability to challenge.

In the end, the idea of a time runoff might wisely offset any time wasted reviewing a call eventually deemed correct. Teams would have the opportunity to challenge controversial calls that directly impact the result of the game, and in this case, their trip to the Super Bowl.

The Collegian: 12

Sports

4 February 2019

Champions League predictions Soccer experts Andrew Noland and Chris Lierly give their takes on which teams will prevail in the next round of the knockout stage.

Matchday: 2/12 A.S. Roma vs. FC Porto Chris’s Pick: Porto 4-1 Andrew’s Pick: Porto 5-2 Andrew’s Take: FC Porto under Sérgio Conceição have dominated the Primeira Liga by continuing the magic Portuguese formula for continental success: playing compact, defensive 4-4-2 football while harnessing the speed of youthful talent. On the

form, and it will not take much to end the Dutch side. However, this Ajax side has some future superstars on it and got unlucky in the draw, just like the long list of underexperienced teams that annually draw Madrid in this round.

Andrew’s Pick: Real Madrid 2-1 Matchday: 2/19 Olympique Lyonnais vs. FC Barcelona Chris’s Pick: Barca 6-1

However, Liverpool not only boast the racing speed attack of last season, but now have cultivated a defensive culture around Virgil van Dijk. That tactically sound defense will prevent the Bavarians from running up the score, and Niklas Süle has not been the focus of the Bayern Munich backline long enough to stop the central duo of Mo Salah and Bobby Firmino.

Andrew’s Pick: Bayern 4-3

Andrew’s Pick: Juventus 2-1 This might be the most fascinating tie of the entire Round of 16. The one-sided rivalry that Antoine Griezmann sees between himself and Ronaldo finally returns with the latter this time, with the Italian giants rather than across the street in Madrid.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico and Juventus’s Massimiliano Allegri face off in the duel of defensive masterminds and will move up

“Mbappé will be allowed to style on the Red Devils’ weak backline and pound De Gea in the first leg...” other side, Roma has practically no talent.

The loss of Alisson, and Edin Dzeko’s lack of a supporting cast, has relegated Roma to mediocrity. Only barely clawing out of their weak group, Roma should not pose any threat to Porto, and when Roma can develop an attack, Porto are more likely to pounce and counter. Italians should avert their eyes.

Manchester United F.C. vs. Paris SaintGermain F.C. Chris’s Pick: United 6-4 Chris’s Take: If this is not the best matchup of the entire round, then it is only second to Liverpool vs. Bayern Munich. This match boasts two teams in distinctly different positions domestically. PSG have all but won Ligue 1 by a record-breaking margin, and United currently sits at sixth in the Premier League.

However, PSG just lost Neymar for the season, and United have won six straight matches. United will win not just because they are possibly the hottest team in Europe, but because interim manager Ole Gunnar Solksjær has proved he can change tactics mid game, which will benefit him in what will likely prove to be a heated contest against the Parisians.

Andrew’s Pick: Paris San Germain 5-4 Andrew’s Take: This will be the closest of all the ties and might even come down to the injury time in the last leg. When the draw first came out, it appeared to be a cake walk for the Parisians when comparing Tuchel’s invincible run against Mourinho’s flopping side. But December changed everything.

Suddenly, Manchester United has gone on an eight-match unbeaten streak, Pogba and Rashford are among the best players in England, PSG’s midfield decided to leave and Neymar’s sister’s birthday curse struck again (seriously, look it up).

However, despite these drastic shifts, the decisive factor is still the French superstar Kylian Mbappé. The World Cup Young Player of 2018 still looks like the successor to Ronaldo and only continues to improve.

Tuchel will instruct Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and new defensive midfielder acquisition Leandro Paredes to swing the ball to the flanks and circumvent Pogba and the Manchester frontline entirely.

Mbappé will be allowed to style on the Red Devils’ weak backline and pound De Gea in the first leg before matching up with Cavani for a dominant performance in front of the Paris crowd.

Matchday: 2/13 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. vs. Borussia Dortmund Chris’s Pick: BVB 4-2 Andrew’s Pick: BVB 6-1 Andrew’s Take: Dortmund, under Lucien Favre, have developed into a cohesive and impenetrable unit. Dominating their group, Marco Reus, Paco Alcacer and Jadon Sancho can now boast that they are one of the best front threes in Europe this year, and their countering style faces well against Mauricio Pochettino’s high press attack. To compound their abysmal form against top teams, Harry Kane and Dele Alli are injured and unavailable for both legs of the Round of 16.

Pochettino will need to pray that HeungMin Son, quietly becoming the Tottenham’s best player this season, can continue his magic and that a bumbling Fernando Llorente can finally put the ball in the net. But the Bundesliga favorites should pull away at Signa Iduna Park to move onto the next round.

Andrew’s Pick: Barca 5-1 Andrew’s Take: Barcelona have simply looked unstoppable in every single competition they play. Messi is still Messi, Su-

Andrew’s Take: I’m not confident in this pick, but hear me out. While Bayern under manager Niko Kovac have struggled to find consistency and been unable to catch peren-

on the list of Manchester United’s favorites to take the permanent job at Old Trafford.

The X factor, as it has always been, will be Ronaldo’s form: will the legend continue his

Mbappé (left), Kane (middle) and Messi (right) will be competing for the Champions League trophy. arez is still Suarez and possession soccer continues to produce results for Valverde’s side. Olympique Lyonnais’ youthful attack could pose serious issues for Barcelona’s aging backline, an advantage also exploited

by Lyon’s win against Manchester City and Pep Guardiola in the Group Stage of the Champions League.

If Lyon can press on Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets with Maxwel Cornet, Memphis Depay and superstar Nabil Fekir, Lyon might be able to squeak by the Catalan giants.

Liverpool F.C. vs. FC Bayern Munich Chris’s Pick: Liverpool 5-4

nial rivals Dortmund in the Bundesliga, the Bayern side need to take the next step in continental play. With time to study against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool during the winter break (a luxury that the Liverpool side does not get to enjoy in the mania that is the Premier League during Christmas), Kovac will have hopefully developed a coherent tactical system to take the gegenpress out.

I admit this is unlikely, so the primary argument is that Liverpool might crumble under the weight of too many commitments on too many fronts. Klopp has been unable to rotate his side with Manchester City only five points behind domestically and this will

graphic by Conner Maggio

goalscoring run and continental domination, or will Griezmann finally overcome his ego and put up a fight? Simeone’s side will need to contend with both fatigue and a resurgent Rugani and Dybala to pull ahead, and I just don’t see it happening.

FC Schalke 04 vs. Manchester City F.C. Chris’s Pick: City 5-1 Andrew’s Pick: City 7-0 Chris’s Take: Schalke are lucky to have made it this far into the competition, and Manchester City is a juggernaut. The current Premier League champions, if healthy, will likely attempt to overwhelm the goal margin in the first leg

“Schalke are lucky to have made it this far into the competition, and Manchester City is a juggernaut.”

AFC Ajax vs. Real Madrid C.F. Chris’s Pick: Real 4-1 Chris’s Take: This one should be straightforward. Real Madrid entered the knockout stage of the Champions League without Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time in almost a decade, but that’s not likely to stop the experience and talent of Los Blancos from shining through. This has been a lackluster season for Real in La Liga, where they are 10 points behind Barcelona, but Karim Benzema is currently in spectacular

Chris’s Take: This is the hardest pick, the biggest matchup and will likely prove to be the most entertaining draw of the entire round.

Liverpool led the Premier League and showed the world they were cut out for Champions League last year by making it as far as the final. Bayern Munich, though currently second in the Bundesliga, have begun to improve their form and have the kind of experience necessary to weather the pressure.

start to take its toll in continental play, especially with a trip to Munich in the middle of a hectic and dangerous February.

Klopp will need to make a choice: win the Premier League or risk it all on the Champions League. Klopp desperately needs a trophy, and I think he will prioritize domestic victory over the Champions League this season. Bayern edges past the Reds.

Matchday: 2/20 Atlético Madrid vs. Juventus F.C. Chris’s Pick: Juventus 4-3

with their downright scary attack of Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero/ Gabriel Jesus.

By doing this, they would likely use the second leg as a chance to rest their starters for a domestic title race where they cannot afford to lose a game. If Pep Guardiola takes this route, he risks giving Schalke the slimmest of chances, but anything other than a City advancement seems laughable here.

Sports

The Collegian: 13

4 February 2019

TU beats Memphis, loses to WSU

Editor-in-Chief Justin Guglielmetti covers the men’s Golden Hurricane basketball team both home and away.

Having lost three in a row and five of their last six, the Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team welcomed the Memphis Tigers into town on Wednesday hoping to get their season back on track. It was a pitched battle that felt (especially in the second half) much closer than the 95-79 margin, but Tulsa ultimately emerged victorious.

DaQuan Jeffries led the team with an efficient 25 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, as well as an awe-inspiring Statue of Liberty that had the Reynolds Center rocking. Curran Scott scored a season-high 20 points, with three other players also reaching double figures. As a whole, the Golden Hurricane shot 54.5 percent from the field, 45 percent from the three-point line and dished 24 assists (led by Elijah Joiner’s careerhigh eight off the bench) on just 30 made field goals.

Tulsa faced little competition in the first half, always seeming to move one step ahead of the overmatched Tigers.

The lead ballooned at one point to as many as 22 points, and even as Memphis made a small run fueled by Kyvon Davenport and Jeremiah Martin, they still trailed by 18 going into the second. However, a strategic decision by coach Penny Hardaway to institute a bothersome full-court press por-

tended trouble to come later in the game.

When it became clear that Memphis’s half-court offense and man-to-man scheme wouldn’t be enough to get them back in the game, Hardaway went back to the press with almost 10 minutes remaining. Tulsa’s ball-handlers repeatedly had trouble getting into the frontcourt and converting when they did, in addition to coughing up 17 turnovers.

Still, they would not have been able to get back in the game if not for the heroics of backup point guard Tyler Harris. Held scoreless and with three fouls in the first half, the 5’10” spark plug erupted in the second for 18 points.

He had the ball on a string, wading through the trees of taller defenders to convert tough plays inside and rising for threes from Steph Curry range. Harris would get the Tigers to within eight, but their exhausting pressure-and-foul approach would not pay off. Scott helped ice the game with nine points (going 6-6 from the foul line) in the final two minutes.

Unfortunately, the good times would not carry over to the first installment of the Havoc in the Heartland rivalry in 2019.

TU went on the road to face off against the disappointing Wichita St. Shockers, and though they led for a time in the second half, end-

ed up falling 79-68 for their backbreaking 10th loss of the season.

Markis McDuffie was a one man wrecking crew for the Shockers, leading all players with 27 points and seven rebounds. He and big man Jaime Echenique scored more points together than TU’s entire starting lineup. The Golden Hurricane were led by sixth man Jeriah Horne’s 16 points, with the rising Darien Jackson also contrib-

uting 10 points on 5-5 shooting off the bench.

Tulsa actually shot better from the field than Wichita St., but 18 turnovers, 10 missed free throws and trouble securing defensive rebounds resulted in the Shockers taking 18 more shots.

It may have been the sterling play of McDuffie and the 17-4 run down the stretch that put the game away, but the Golden Hurricane

courtesy Golden Hurricane never gave themselves much of a chance with that type of performance.

The worst part of TU’s schedule is behind them, but at 13-10, their tournament dreams are almost caput. With eight games left on the docket and 16-6 Temple coming up, Tulsa will attempt to end the season on a high note and move out of their 10th place standing in the American Conference.

Soccer star missing over English Channel Nantes forward Emiliano Sala’s plane never made it to England after the Premier League’s Cardiff City purchased him for £15 million.

James Taylor Student Writer It was a dream signing for the recently promoted Cardiff City squad when they agreed to terms with FC Nantes, a French League 1 side, for their striker Emiliano Sala. Sala had scored 12 goals, almost as many as the Cardiff’s 19 as a team. However, things took a dark turn when the plane carrying Sala to join the squad in Cardiff disappeared over the English Channel, leaving Cardiff and its fans to question how this will affect the future of the squad.

Emiliano Sala was born in the town of Cululú in the northern part of Argentina and showed promise from an early age. By the age of 15, he joined a football school in San Francisco, Argentina, where he continued to hone his skills. At 20, he moved to France to play for Girondins de Bordeaux, a Ligue

1 squad. Sala spent time on loan at Orléans, Niort and Caen before finally being signed by Nantes in 2015. Since signing with Nantes, he has appeared in 120 matches and scored 42 goals.

Sala had been off to a great start in the 2018–2019 season for Nantes. He was voted the Ligue 1 Player of the Month in October after scoring 4 goals in 3 matches.

He also entered December tied for the league lead in goals, 12, with PSG’s young superstar Kylian Mbappé. In fact, despite not appearing in a match in over two weeks, Sala is tied for fifth for goals scored in Ligue 1.

Cardiff purchased Sala on Jan. 19 after coming to terms with both Nantes and Sala. Sala boarded a single engine Piper Malibu on Jan. 21 with Cardiff hoping his talent would improve the struggling squad. The next day, it was confirmed that Sala was on board a missing flight near Alderney.

On Jan. 24, officials with the Guernsey Police announced they had called off the search for the plane after three days. Planes, helicopters and lifeboats spent 80 hours trying to locate any wreckage of the plane. A GoFundMe raised enough money for a pri-

vate investigation led by David Mearns. Finally, on Jan. 30, an announcement was made by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch acknowledging that two seat cushions were found on a French beach believed to be from the missing plane.

This isn’t the end of the issues for Cardiff City. Cardiff will still likely be on the hook for a significant amount of money for Sala’s transfer despite him never appearing for the club. This includes payments to Nantes for the transfer fee, the agent’s fee from the sale and some amount of money from his salary to his estate. Reports suggest that despite having in-

League, last year, each team received an equal share of approximately £80 million. It is imperative for the club’s financial success to remain in the Premier League.

Currently, Cardiff sits in 18th place and is the last team in line for relegation. They are four points behind Burnley, who is the first team out of the relegation zone.

However, Cardiff has a worse goal differential than Burnley, a tie breaker for teams with the same amount of points. This is partly due to the lack of goal scoring from Cardiff. They only have 20 goals on the season, which puts them second to last ahead of Huddersfield Town with 13.

Josh Murphy only have a combined 10 goals.

Cardiff Chairman Mehmet Dalman confirmed on Jan. 24 that the club offered to arrange travel to Cardiff by a series of train trips but was declined by Sala because he wanted to say farewell to his teammates in Nantes.

This opens up the possibility of Cardiff being able to fight a legal battle over the disappearance because they did offer alternative transportation that Sala refused.

Whether Cardiff decides to fight this battle and recoup some of its losses still remains to be seen.

After what Cardiff manager Neil Warnock calls the “most difficult

“Planes, helicopters and lifeboats spent 80 hours trying to locate any wreckage of the plane.” surance, there will still be a large amount that Cardiff will have to pay out of pocket for this accident.

Cardiff City is back in the Premier League after spending the three seasons in the second tier of the English football system. This season is only their second season in the top tier of English football since 1962. With the amount of money available in the Premier

Cardiff significantly lacks an attacking presence up front and that was the gap that Sala was supposed to fill. Forwards Danny Ward, Kenneth Zohore, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and David Junior Hoilett have a combined 48 appearances between them with only four goals. The top three goal scorers for Cardiff this season, Callum Paterson, Victor Camarasa and

week of [his] career,” the team has to move on. This traumatic event does not change the fact they are in the middle of a battle to stay in the Premier League, and they can’t let up at any moment. It remains to be seen whether Cardiff can rally from this horrific accident or if it will doom their chances to remain in the Premier League.

Feb. 4 - Feb. 10 Monday

Tuesday 4

Wednesday 5

No Events No Events

Thursday 7

6

W Basketball vs. SMU 7 p.m.

Friday

Softball @ LSU 6 p.m.

8 Track and Field @ Iowa State Classic Track and Field @ Indoor Gorilla Classic

Softball @ Bucknell 6 p.m.

Softball @ LSU 6 p.m.

M Tennis vs. Texas 6 p.m.

Saturday

Sunday 9

10

M Basketball vs. Temple 11 a.m.

No Events W Tennis vs. Arkansas 12 p.m.

the

State-Run media Support the Libertarian shutdown, smoke the weed.

5 songs that are definitely not about weed People take things too literally these days. Just because lyrics say the word weed doesn’t mean the song is about it.

Brennen Gray Snoop Puppy Lyric analysis websites are all the rage right now. Sites like Genius.com provide such accurate representations of what artists mean that music laypeople never have to try to understand music lyrics for themselves.

Incidentally, the University of Tulsa is opening up talks about weed on campus, so now would be the perfect time to debunk some myths that certain songs are about weed.

And so, here are a few songs not about weed.

1. “Weed Song” by Bone Thugs-NHarmony – Definitely not about weed.

Consider the lyrics, “Smoke another blunt, roll another up,” as the metaphor that they are. “Smoke” refers to vaporizing objects and ideals to make them immaterial to the artist. “Blunt” refers to being blatant and honest — sometimes too much so.

Therefore, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony expresses he wishes to eliminate his flaw of being too honest with people. The song, especially with the lyrics, “Bone Thugs get high, so high,” is clearly not about weed. Instead, it is about the artist wishing to elevate to a better version of himself.

2. “Weed with Willie” by Toby Keith – No weed here! Look at the lyrics, “Never smoke weed with Willie again / My party’s all over before it begins.” On the surface, it admittedly appears to be about making use of that good ganja. But really, it is a metaphor.

He smokes metaphorical weed with Willie, who is a stand-in for the devil. Therefore, the “party” that Keith refers to that has ended is Keith’s eternal reward in Heaven.

Therefore, by partaking in the Devil’s Lettuce with the Devil himself, Keith participated in some illegal activity that barred him from the light of Jesus. We can only guess what that illegal activity was, since it was probably too inappropriate for listeners. It could have been anything, even smoking weed!

3. “Sweet Leaf” by Black Sabbath – Not even a little bit. Analyze the lyrics, “My life is free now, my life is clear / I love you, sweet leaf, though you can’t hear, oh yeah.”

The song is about his deaf lover. The lover was probably always complaining about how they had to listen to Black Sabbath’s music all the time, and then Karma stripped them of their hearing for having bad taste.

Now, the character in the song can enjoy their “sweet leaf,” which is obviously a pet name they affectionately call their botanist lover, with all the tenderness and gentleness of silence. A beautiful love story, really.

4. “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre Feat.

Snoop Dogg – Could not be further from that green. The chorus sings, “I’m on that good kush and alcohol.” It does not mention weed. Kush refers to a mountain range that spans Pakistan and Afghanistan, and alcohol is exactly what it sounds like.

By being on that good Kush and alcohol, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg climbed to the top of a mountain together and enjoyed a bottle of wine while taking in the view.

5. “Blueberry Yum Yum” by Ludacris – Nothing even green in this masterpiece of a song. The lyrics, “Got that blueberry yum yum and it’s that fire (It’s that fire)” describe the most relatable of scenes. Ludacris put his blueberry Poptart into the microwave too long, and it burned his tongue.

We have all been there before, where we hit two minutes instead of 20 seconds, and the lava of blueberry deliciousness scorches the mouth. We feel you, Ludacris.

Bud-dies Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre being classy up high in the mountains.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Ayn Rand becomes a Trumpie to support his move to close the country.

graphic by Conner Maggio

Libertarian proposal: keep the government shut down As the government finally reopens, a new group is calling for an indefinite shutdown.

Hannah Robbins Once Visited a Farm The longest government shutdown in history is over. After 35 days, the United States government has reopened its doors to lawmakers and federal employees everywhere.

While the government is open for now, it is only funded until Feb. 15 and, with the threat of another shutdown in the near future, lawmakers are agitated.

“I don’t want to deal with all this drama again. It’s so much work to have to compromise with Democrats again. Let’s just keep it open,” stated Oklahoma Representative Kevin Hern. His sentiment was echoed by other lawmakers.

While these complaints are almost universal, there is one group that has a better proposal. The Libertarians, never ones to mince words, state it simply: just keep the government closed. It’s a simple proposal really. When the government closes on Feb. 15, stay home. No more fighting to get another bill passed in a hurry, no more angry constituents or disgruntled employees asking where their paycheck is. It’s as simple as saying goodbye and letting people figure it out for themselves.

In most cases, this would be a truly radical proposal, but since the United States did just fine without a government for over a month, why not keep going? As the Libertarian Whip tries to get the bill through the House and Senate, they look toward the benefits of the shutdown they could use to persuade more mainstream Democrats and Republicans.

While the government was shut down, immigration cases were halted, and for some, it will be years before they can be heard again.

Unfair for some? Maybe, but I’m sure the Republicans will be thrilled that we’ll never have a new citizen again!

Another interesting thing that happened during the government shutdown was that some active-duty Coast Guard service members were not paid. While for some this is a travesty, as the Democrats continue to complain about what they view as the U.S. government spending an “obscene” amount of money on defense spending, they have to be happy that less is spent during a shutdown.

The Libertarians hope that this might be one of the talking points that helps this proposal stick for Democrats.

The last point the Libertarians hope to use is the halting of Freedom of Information Act requests. Since there are at least a few Democrats and Republicans who have some things they would prefer they didn’t have to share with the American people, halting those requests is obviously beneficial to everyone. I mean, honestly, who in the government doesn’t have something to hide?

As the Libertarians continue to look for support, they are trying to get everyone to focus on the bigger picture. Libertarian Justin Amash said, “It’s not just about being too lazy to reach a compromise or being so tired of Trump you say, ‘Screw it.’ It’s not about the gall of federal employees to not come into work and the travesty of not having an assistant for the day. This bill is about the true end goal of every American: relaxing on your farm at the end of the day, eating the bread your wife baked and recognizing you don’t owe the government anything anymore.”

South finally learns what a condom is, lowers birth rate The South discovered that teaching people is important and started with sex education, which lowered the national birth rate.

Hannah Robbins Now Knows “It’s Too Big” Isn’t An Excuse As 2019 begins to roar its head, statisticians look to last year. Their focus this time: the birth rate. That’s right — everyone and their brother is concerned about how many kiddos a woman is popping out, and this year, continuing the trend of the mid-2010s, it has decreased. The national average for babies per woman has fallen to 1.77 babies from 1.82 in 2016 and 1.84 in 2015.

There are many theories as to why this decline has occurred, from the sluggish

economy (it’s always the economy, stupid!) to a focus on education over procreation for our younger generations (studying leaves no time for fun times?) to a general belief that millennials should be blamed for everything, regardless of reason.

After a (sort of?) thorough investigation of possible causes, one came out on top: the South finally learned that condoms were a thing and maybe … that’s something that should be taught in schools? I know this might be a surprise to some, but there’s this new type of sex education that not only teaches students what sex is (hint: you can’t get pregnant from public toilet seats or holding hands) but also explains various forms of protection (who knew throwing condoms at kids is both a ton of fun and actually useful?).

Personally, this whole line of research was new to me. I grew up in Arkansas, and my brushes with sex education were few and far between. I’m pretty sure in my seventhgrade health class, we had a two week unit

on sex-ed, but I’m not entirely positive.

I actually got out of health in high school, taking a BYU (the Mormon school, a faith very well-known for their progressive views on sex before marriage) health class that showed (female) anatomy but never even considered sex as something that existed besides discussing abstinence. Imagine my surprise when my younger sister told me she

Mississippi!). The states decided that they had to figure out how to lower it because they were fine with 48th or 49th, but God help them if they would ever be dead last.

Looking to their Northern states with lower birth rates (New York and Rhode Island, specifically), they determined that there was this weird thing called “sex-ed with contraceptives education” and that it lowered the

“... who knew throwing condoms at kids is both a ton of fun and actually useful?” learned about birth control(!) and contraceptives in her health class. She actually had to explain some of the stuff she was learning because I had never heard of it before (still confused about IUDs, honestly).

After some intense digging, I found that a bunch of states realized their birth rates were getting close to Mississippi’s (thank God for

birth rate. One thing led to another, and after a few brawls and a lot of beer, it was decided that maybe this whole abstinence-only thing wasn’t quite working — and here we are! By some sort of magic (or condoms?), the birth rate is lower and people everywhere know that contraceptives actually are a thing.