3 February 2020

a student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

February 3, 2020 issue 15 ~ volume 105

President Clancy resigns; Provost Levit to serve in the interim, pg. 7 The Collegian predicts the Iowa caucus, pg.9 Nimrod offers Day of YA on Feb. 22, pg. 14

Wichita State shocked by loss to Golden Hurricane, pg. 2

photos by Tommy Reid

Sports

The Collegian: 2

3 February 2020

Court of dreams: Tulsa’s buzzer beater Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins covers the Golden Hurricane’s thrilling 54-51 win over the No. 23 Wichita State Shockers on Saturday.

Going into the game Saturday, Feb. 1, against the Wichita State Shockers, Tulsa had the momentum of a five game winning streak but the question remained: could the team come together and upset another ranked team in two weeks?

Led by Elijah Joiner’s 22 points and Martins Igbanu’s 10, the team showed that they could hit it where it counts.

Tulsa proved they could overcome any deficit that they were faced with as they ascended through the conference rankings in front of a 97 percent filled home arena.

The Golden Hurricane started off with missed opportunities, losing the tip off and watching as the Shockers scored back to back.

Horne interrupted when he hit his first three, putting Tulsa on the board, but Wichita State returned the favor with Jaime Echenique’s three-pointer. A pair of layups by Igbanu and Echenique lessened Tulsa’s deficit by five.

Continued poor defense and another three by the Shockers put Tulsa down by seven, but a three

by Lawson Korita and a layup by Horne put Tulsa back in the game.

The Golden Hurricane and the Shockers went back and forth, with Wichita State keeping a slim lead deep in the half.

A three by Joiner gave Tulsa the first lead of the game, but a jumper

by Echenique took it away. Joiner tried again, but fouls on Tulsa let the Shockers hit key free throws, putting Tulsa down by six at the half.

After back and forth and failed shots at the top of the half, Tulsa was able to put the first points on the board with a pair of free throws

by Korita. Joiner capitalized on this with another three, bringing Tulsa back near the lead, but Wichita State responded in kind.

The Golden Hurricane stayed within two of the lead as the teams traded points back and forth, but a three by Wichita State put the Golden Hurricane down by six.

Tulsa seemed to wake up, with a jumper by Joiner, three free throws and a layup by Joiner giving Tulsa the lead again with eight minutes left. The teams went point for point, with Igbanu giving the Golden Hurricane a slight lead.

The teams were tied after a jumper by the Shockers when Darien Jackson hit a free throw

with a minute and a half left. A layup by Wichita State was met by a pair of free throws by Igbanu tying the game with 45 seconds left.

After a few missed plays, Tulsa had possession of the ball with 3.3 seconds left. The ball was passed to Joiner.

He rushed down the court and threw a three with 0.1 seconds left that was nothing but net, giving Tulsa the win, 54-51.

After this game and the team’s upset against No. 20 Memphis last week, the largest upset by an unranked team in 27 years and Tulsa’s largest ever, the Golden Hurricane is in a great place going toward the end of the season.

The team is now first in the conference when they were projected to end the season tenth last year.

If they keep hitting fifty percent threes and key shots like tonight, there’s a strong possibility this will be Tulsa’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016, where they lost in the First Four, or 2014, where they were knocked out in the Round of 64.

This team has hit their stride at the perfect time, and I’m excited to see how they do the rest of the season.

Joiner celebrates after becoming the team’s hero (top). Igbanu looks to shoot (left). Korita drives the ball (right).

photos by Tommy Reid

Tulsa falls 1-6 against Texas A&M Sports photographer Brayden McCoy brings the action from TU’s recent match.

Kamden lines up a backhand (top). Hing elevates for a return (right). Hing remains casual as he swings his racket (bottom).

photos by Brayden McCoy

Sports

3 February 2020

The Collegian: 3

Tulsa misses shots, loses to Tulane Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses missed opportunities in the Golden Hurricane’s 50-46 loss to Tulane.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Tulsa just let the Tulane Green Wave wash right over them before failing to claw back to the lead.

Morgan Brady was the only Golden Hurricane to hit double digits, scoring 18 points, with the next highest scorer Kayla Moutry’s seven points. This was not enough to withstand Tulane.

At the start of the game, Tulsa had a good rhythm going. Brady started the game off with a jumper. The Golden Hurricane tried to capitalize off the shot but missed on successive possessions.

A layup by Kendrian Elliott and two free throws by Rebecca Lescay brought Tulsa up by four, their largest lead of the game.

After that, the team started to stagnate. After one more free throw by Desiree Lewis, Tulsa watched on as Tulane scored eight unanswered points, missing five separate shots. Brady hit one three pointer, leaving Tulsa only down five going into the second quarter.

The second quarter started scoreless; it took three minutes for KK Rodriguez to hit a three, putting two of the lead, but Tulane continued to trade shots with Tulsa, leaving TU with a deficit. Maddie Bittle’s three towards the end of the half seemed to light a fire, but three successive shots by Tulane left the Golden Hurricane scoreless for the remainder of the half.

After the half, Tulsa continued to lag behind; Brady’s layup marked the only points on the board for the first half of the third quarter. Elliot and Rodriguez each hit a shot, but the 13-point deficit seemed to be

too much for the tired team. Moutry’s pair of free throws concluded an abysmal scoring quarter.

As the Golden Hurricane entered the fourth quarter, they seemed to dominate the hoop and remember that they had the ability to win a game, scoring the ten points of the half with shots by Moutry and Brady. Tulane only had two shots on the hoop in that time, as even the handful of missed shots of the first half of the quarter were all by Tulsa.

With four minutes left and a deficit of only four, Tulane started to get back on the board with a single free throw by Mia Hiede.

Unfortunately, that was enough to break up Tulsa’s rhythm as the Golden Hurricane watched Tulane score another three, widening the gap between the teams. Unfortunately, a key layup by Elliot and a three by Moutry did not make a dent in the lead as fouls by Tulsa allowed Tulane to keep their lead, ending a mere four points up, 50-46.

This game shows that Tulsa has some basic things to work on for the future, namely their ability to shoot. Tulsa should be able to make more than one in every four shots they take. That’s about the average I have, and some of those misses were rather dramatic air balls.

Even at the line they didn’t perform very well. Sixty percent free throw shooting is low, especially given the amount of free throws Tulsa let Tulane take. Tulsa had the opportunity to succeed in this game, and their final deficit of just four points shows they’re just not quite there yet. Maybe some shot practice would help.

photos by James Taylor

Moutry launches a jumpshot (top). Johnson goes for a layup (left). Brady dishes a pass (right).

Chris’s Premier League corner Commentary Editor Chris Lierly gives a complete analysis of the top teams in the world’s most competitive national soccer league.

Liverpool FC: 70 pts Current For:WWWWW What’s left to say? They’ve been unbeaten since January 2019. They’ve only dropped points this season in a draw with Manchester United in October. And as of Thursday, Jan. 29, they have now topped every other Premier League side in the course of the 2019/20 season. The Reds are 19 points clear of second place Manchester City, but have yet to slip up the way many Liverpool sides before them have. Virgil van Dijk’s second year as the squad’s defensive anchor looks to have resulted in the kind of year Liverpool have been posed to make for the past few seasons and the kind that Kopites have waited on for 30 years.

Manchester City FC: 51 pts Current Form:WWDWL Manchester City are back-to-back Premier League Champions and sit comfortably within the top four in a constant back and forth with Leicester for second place.

They have been plagued by injuries to both Sergio Aguero and Keven de Bruyne, and rumors of Pep Guardiola leaving in the summer have cast a less than magical air over what could have been the capstone to a dynasty. Their title hopes are certainly alive but they will have to make it to their April 4 showdown with Liverpool in Manchester if they are to have any hope of a third straight trophy lifting ceremony.

Leicester City FC: 48 pts Current Form:WLLWD Like Sheffield and Wolves, who both sit just outside the top six, Leicester City have performed spectacularly this season. Their 4-0 loss to Liverpool on Boxing Day seems to have sent them into a small slump allowing Manchester City to overtake them, but the Foxes have fought back from deficits all season and remain 8 points above Chelsea at fourth. Though most Leicester seasons fail to compare to the Cinderella 2015-16 season, their current run is nothing to forget quickly. If Leicester finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, manager Brendan Rodgers will have put the Foxes back on track to being competitors again.

Chelsea FC: 40 pts Current Form: DWLDD Chelsea’s season has been nothing less than a perfect mix of thrilling successes and dismal capitulations. Wins against London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal highlight some of the best that manager and former legend Frank Lampard’s squad have to of-

fer. When Chelsea’s forward and midfield are in a rhythm they can prove terrifying to other Premier League defenses. However, the lack of defensive experience and leadership in the back have resulted to point total crippling losses including a 2-0 embarrassment against Southampton. If the Blues are unable to conjure up a more strict defensive structure and mentality before the end of the season, it is unlikely that they will maintain the 6-point lead they hold over the three teams tied for fifth.

Tottenham Hotspur: 37 pts Current Form: LLDWW José Mourinho began his return to the Premier League as manager of Tottenham with strong start, but that streak has now tapered off into a series of conservatively achieved wins and draws characteristic of the Portueguese manager. Due to Christen Eriksen’s signing with Italian club Inter Milan, it is unlikely that Spurs will make into the top four by season’s end, but the North London’s sides inspiring 2-0 win over Manchester City could help them in their pursuit of fourth place Chelsea.

Manchester United: 34pts Current Form: LWLLD In Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s first full year as manager, Manchester United have continued to look a lot like they did at the end of last season, full of potential but inconsistent at all levels of the game. With the long awaited signing of Bruno Fernandes, they may have purchased the kind of healthy goalscorer that their midfield has needed,

but one can not help but think that Chief Executive Ed Woodward’s time in charge is nearing an end.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: 34 pts Current Form:LDWLD Wolves’ moniker as the giant killers of the 2019/20 Premier League season is primarily a result of their two wins against defending champions Manchester City. However, the main reason they have made themselves a threat to break into the top five by the end of the season is their ability to consistently put away small teams that would generally be considered as comparable to the recently promoted squad.

Premier League Table Liverpool 73pts Manchester City 51pts Leicester City 49pts Chelsea 41pts Tottenham Hotspur 37pts Sheffield United 36pts Manchester United 35pts Wolverhampton Wanderers 35pts Everton 33pts Arsenal 31pts Burnley 31pts Newcastle United 31pts Southampton 31pts Crystal Palace 30pts Brighton and Hove Albion 26pts Bournemouth 26pts Aston Villa 25pts West Ham United 24pts Watford 23pts Norwich City 18pts

The Collegian: 4

Sports

How global warming affects sporting events

3 February 2020

Student writer Brayden McCoy compiles the data on the impact climate change has had on sports.

With each year gradually growing hotter and 2019 officially recorded as the secondhottest year the world has experienced, a lot of focus is on global warming these days.

This increase in global temperature has a myriad of effects that range from changes in the environment to changes in animal migration patterns and plant life cycles. One lesser thought of effect of Global Warming can be found in one of the world’s favorite pastimes, sports and athletic events.

There are numerous sports being threatened by global warming, the most obvious of them are winter sports. A prime example would be Iditarod, the annual, iconic Alaskan dog sled race. In both 2015 and 2017, the race had to be rerouted due to a lack of snow.

According to the Washington Post, Anchorage experienced zero days below zero degrees Fahrenheit in 2014.

This is the first time Anchorage has ever experienced such a phenomenon since temperature recording began. It’s not just Alaska that’s feeling the heat either, on Feb. 11, 2017, Oklahoma had cities nearly reaching 100 degrees fahrenheit.

Another winter sport facing problems is Ice Hockey, when played outdoors to be exact. Reports highlighted by ClimateNexus show that from 1951 to 2005, temperatures rose by 4.5 degrees fahrenheit, which led to

a decrease in playable days at rinks across the country.

The reports specify that many locations in Canada experienced a 20% decrease in the outdoor hockey season.

A 2014 study by the University of Waterloo even predicted that by mid-century around half of previous Winter Olympic host cities would potentially be too warm for usual winter sports and outdoor Alpine sports in particular.

The 2014 winter games in Sochi, Russia is a prime example with temperatures reaching 61 degrees fahrenheit during the events.

The bad snow conditions created a host of complaints, injuries and delays in events like the women’s ski jump and the men’s downhill.

Winter Sports aren’t the only things affected though. Many warm weather sports face their own set of problems from an increase in temperature. One particularly notable example is tennis, especially in regards to world-class events like the Australian Open.

The Australian Open even had to revise their heat policy for 2015 after 2014 saw extreme heat to the degree that it became a serious health issue, leading to cases of hallucinations, vomiting and fainting.

Deadspin relayed how the extreme heat caused a litany of issues ranging from play-

High temperatures have been plaguing a variety of sports.

ers faining on the courts to shoes and water bottles literally melting.

Football is also at risk, with extreme heat combining with the heavily-padded players wear to create dangerously hot and humid conditions.

The human body performs worse at high temperatures, when it is more humid, so it should come as no surprise that the sweatladen pads that football players wear pose

graphic by Emma Palmer

a threat during the hotter times of the year.

A study by Scientific American focused on high school football found that between 1994 and 2009, deaths due to heat tripled in comparison to the previous 15 years.

There are many other sports and competitions endangered by the gradual rise in heat, thus providing yet another call to action to combat global warming.

The best and worst Super Bowls In honor of the recent Super Bowl, student writers Brett Tyndall and Zach Short chronologue and rank the highs and lows of NFL history.

Top Five Super Bowls 5. Super Bowl XXIII San Francisco 49ers beat Cincinnati Bengals If for nothing else, this game holds a place in many people’s hearts solely because of the legendary performance from one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game: Joe Montana. It had been four years since the great’s last Super Bowl appearance, and the man was still dealing with pressures from a bad loss in the playoffs the year prior, in which he had performed so badly he had been removed from the game early.

Dealing with all that pressure to perform, it would have been understandable for Montana to have a psychotic breakdown, much less just play poorly. However, he secured the nickname “Joe Cool” for all eternity when he, down 16-13, took the ball from his own eight yard line with just over three minutes left in the game and scored the winning touchdown.

That drive started with Montana pointing into the crowd and shouting, “Hey, is that

To this very day, it remains the most watched Super Bowl in NFL history. The reigning champion Seahawks were arguably the most widely loved team in the NFL, save Broncos fans from the preceding Super Bowl, with fan favorite Russell Wilson and still controversial Marshawn Lynch, A.K.A. Beast Mode, serving a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

The Patriots, conversely, had Tom Brady making his sixth Super Bowl appearance and were widely regarded as the day’s antagonists everywhere but New England, but that made it all the more fun. Every good story has a good villain.

The game was close throughout, being tied at 14 at halftime, but the Seahawks looked ready to take home another victory heading into the fourth ahead 24-14. All of that came crashing down when the Patriots stormed back with two touchdowns of their own, and Russell Wilson was forced to take a quickly paced trip back down the field to try to reclaim the lead.

tying Johnny Unitas’s longest Super Bowl pass record with 75, all following a career best season from the Louisiana Tech Alumnus.

1. Super Bowl LII, Philadelphia Eagles beat New England Patriots The Patriots were arguably at or past their peak in the 2018 Super Bowl. They had won the Lombardi trophy two of the three preceding years, their last one being in dramatic and historical fashion.

The Eagles, with their back-up quarterback at the helm and underdog mentality, seemed absurdly outmatched against the football superpower. As it seemingly always is for the Patriots (such as it was for the Rams, Falcons, and Seahawks), it was the whole world against them. No one wanted them to win, but everyone secretly assumed they probably would. Then, the unthinkable happened. The Eagles started to look as though they might have a chance, and, with the now notorious Philly Special, it became clear that they had the momentum to do it.

Fight me. 3. Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) Result: Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8 Seattle had an elite defense seven years ago. This was a time when the Legion of Boom was still fully intact, meaning safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor were bullying people in the secondary.

Richard Sherman was also a shutdown cornerback who had his famous outburst about Michael Crabtree in the NFC Championship that year. Denver’s QB Peyton Manning put up historic numbers in the 2013 regular season, throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns (both all-time records).

Denver still holds the record for best scoring offense in NFL history, putting up 606 points over the course of the season (nearly 38 points per game on average); that insane mark may never be touched. Despite all this, Denver’s all-time best offense completely flopped against Seattle, putting up a measly 8 points. All that hype and it didn’t deliver. I like picking on the Broncos.

“Tom Brady looked like a geriatric in the pocket and Jared Goff looked like a deer in headlights the entire game.”

John Candy?”, letting his teammates know that the pressure was gone.

4. Super Bowl III New York Jets beat Baltimore Colts It was this year that secured the legacy of the Super Bowl in American culture. The NFL-AFL championship game had only begun two years prior, but the future was unclear after back to back dominant wins by the NFL’s Packers. The NFL had only conceded to merging and having an interleague championship game because of the growing prominence of the AFL, and that prominence was starting to come under scrutiny.

The partnership seemed almost doomed to a lopsided relationship heading into the third Super Bowl, the first to officially use the name, as the Colts were heavily favored over the Jets.

However, in one of the most legendary upsets of all time and to the shock of all spectators, the Jets defeated the Colts and promised a future of solid competition between what is now the two conferences.

Even better than that, Joe Namath promised the win in an interview three days before the Super Bowl, a move that made the future legend look absolutely insane compared to the predictions, but gave him the clout he needed to put his name in history books after the final whistle against the Colts.

3. Super Bowl XLIX New England Patriots beat Seattle Seahawks

He might have done it too, had it not been for the most controversial play call in Super Bowl history.

With the ball on the Patriots one yard line, the Seahawks elected to run a passing play in lieu of giving the ball to Beast Mode, ultimately having the pass intercepted by Malcolm Butler to put the final nail in the coffin. Even without the happiest ending, this remains one of the most iconic Super Bowls ever.

2. Super Bowl XIII Pittsburgh Steelers beat Dallas Cowboys It was the first match-up of its kind in more ways than one. Not only were both teams competing to be the first to win their third Super Bowl, but it was the first time that two teams met for the second time in the Super Bowl, after the Steelers beat the Cowboys three years earlier.

Let that not belittle the success of the Cowboys though, who were making their (then highest) fifth appearance and were already establishing a powerhouse in Dallas.

Both teams fielded legendary quarterbacks, the Steelers with Terry Bradshaw and the Cowboys with Roger Staubach, who would both go on to become Hall of Fame inductees, giving the game serious nostalgic value as time elapsed, being an incredible showdown between two greats.

Bradshaw was elected the game’s Most Valuable Player as well, beating Bart Starr’s first half passing yards record with 253 and

Finally, with a shred of doubt in everyone’s hearts through the very last seconds, the Eagles actually beat the Patriots. For the entirety of the following offseason, it almost even appeared as though it was the death of the Patriots’ dynasty — the final nail in the coffin. If not great for the fantastic game or the initial elation of someone beating the Patriots, the euphoria that stayed in the following months over the apparent end of the Brady era cement this game in history.

Bottom 5 Super Bowls 5. Super Bowl XXII (1988) Result: Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10 This game was over by halftime. After going down 10-0 in the first quarter, the Redskins responded with 35 unanswered points in the second quarter. One historic note is that Washington quarterback Doug Williams became the first African-American to start at quarterback in the Super Bowl.

Subsequently, he became the first AfricanAmerican QB to win it. A cool historical landmark for an otherwise boring game.

4. Super Bowl XXXV (2001) Result: Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7 The Ravens had an amazing defense.

Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Rod Woodson were running amok. Giants QB Kerry Collins was no match for them. A great defensive performance leads to lopsided and boring games.

2. Super Bowl XXXVII (2003) Result: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21 I’ll be frank here. I didn’t — and still don’t — give a rat’s ass about either of these teams. Oakland had the better offense, but they fell flat against the Bucs’ defense.

Jon Gruden got his lone Super Bowl win against his former team. The 2002-03 season was a weird time for the NFL. The Patriots weren’t good yet and Rich Gannon was a franchise quarterback. Strange times.

1. Super Bowl LIII (2019) Result: New England Patriots 17, Los Angeles Rams 7 Yeah, recency bias yada yada yada … but it was truly awful on every facet. Defenders of this Super Bowl are either Patriots fans or have never watched football. If you enjoyed this disgraceful display but don’t fall into either of those categories, then you’re just wrong. The scoreboard would lead people who didn’t watch the game to say it was a defensive battle. Not so.It was an avalanche of complete ineptitude from both offenses.

Tom Brady looked like a geriatric in the pocket and Jared Goff looked like a deer in headlights the entire game.

This was the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever. That fact alone does not intrinsically define the game as the worst of all-time, but the actual game does.

Plus the Patriots won for, like, the 400th time, so that part sucked, too.

Sports

3 February 2020

The Collegian: 5

Everything about the Astros scandal Student writer Zach Short details the scandal rocking the MLB, how it happened, whom it involves and what he thinks of the whole affair.

What Happened In November, just after the Houston Astros lost to the Washington Nationals in the World Series, the professional baseball universe was upended when Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Fiers went on record to spell out an advanced sign-stealing operation in the Astros’ organization.

Fiers, who played for the Astros in 2017 when the sign-stealing allegedly began, said that the Astros had been using technology to steal opponents’ signs (highly illegal in the MLB) and that some of their recent brilliant success was result of that. An investigation from the MLB that quickly followed concluded that the allegations from Fiers were truthful, and the Astros were consequently stripped of top round draft picks for the upcoming years.

How They Did It The genius of the operation was the lack thereof. In the growing prominence of instant replay, the Astros set a camera in centerfield that was set to see the signs coming from the catcher.

In the watch room, established to assist coaches in knowing whether or not to challenge a call, viewers would carefully watch signs and the pitches that followed so as to uncover the meaning of the signs. The decoded meanings would then be shared from teammate to teammate.

As the operation grew in success, the team became more daring, and a television was placed in the Astros dugout with a game stream so that players could watch signs from the dugout. Supposedly, players would bang a bat against a rubber barrel, common items and sounds from a dugout, to signal to the batter what pitch to expect.

How People Feel About the Whistleblower Fiers let loose a floodgate of national coverage that led to a slew of suspensions, resignations and terminations. Some of the more notable among those being former

Astros player Carlos Beltran, who stepped down from his role as the new manager for the New York Mets, and former Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who parted ways as manager of the Red Sox through a mutual agreement.

However, the man responsible for inciting the exposition of a potentially league-wide scandal has not been met with resounding applause.

Multiple Astros players have anonymously shared their displeasure with his actions, but one of the most prominent people to openly criticize Fiers was baseball Hall-ofFamer Pedro Martinez, who suggested that “whatever happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse” and that, if he really was uncomfortable with the sign-stealing, he should have made his thoughts known to the organization privately while he was still a part of the team. Martinez also said that if

of sense given that the Astros took the title from the Dodgers in 2017 and Red Sox did the same in 2018. Reminder, the Red Sox manager for the 2018 season was Alex Cora, who served as a bench coach for the Astros the year before and is believed to have utilized some of the same methods after his transition to Boston.

Personal Thoughts (Opinion) Stressing the severity of the issue, I attempted to write what I have here in an objective tone, devoid of the usual potentially biased flair that I reserve for sports writing.

However, this is an issue in which I am deeply opinionated and I feel that it may be productive to let my own sentiment toward the issue at hand be known, while still keeping it separate from the bulk of the article to maintain a level of professionalism.

First, it is hard to say that any punishment be too extreme. Obviously, the death pen-

“The Astros set a camera in centerfield that was set to see the signs coming from the catcher ...” the exposé had occurred while Fiers was a player that it may have shown some “guts,” but that for it to happen after Fiers departure from the organization makes Fiers “just a bad teammate.”

Aftermath While the issue is not subsided yet, repercussions have already begun to circulate around the league. There is, of course, the aforementioned loss of draft picks, which includes the loss of first and second round picks for the 2020 and 2021 drafts, in addition to the departures of many involved.

In addition, the Los Angeles City Council voted to request that the 2017 and 2018 World Series titles be stripped from the recipients and be awarded to the Dodgers instead. While that may seem potentially extreme, it actually makes a fair amount

alty may be overreaching, and there are certainly other steps before that one that would be considered too much, but I have to hear of any suggested course of punitive action that I found to be overly harsh. It is surely no coincidence that the Astros had great success while cheating, and it is hard to believe that the Red Sox championship season did not benefit either.

It would be different if the perpetrators went from the bottoms of their divisions to the middle or simply were able to make the postseason as opposed to missing it, but the people here went all the way. The only place I may stop myself here is in the awarding of the victory to the Dodgers.

As far as precedent goes, I could only find the NCAA scandal with Rick Pitino and Louisville. In that example, their ac-

complishments had to be vacated, but nothing was awarded to teams that lost to them as the whole path they took to win stopped multiple potential champions. I find nothing wrong in using the same course of action here.

Second, I do not demonize the actions of Mike Fiers. To suggest that he should have spoken up as a player of the Astros and kept the issue a clubhouse matter is, to me, an opinion of ignorance, and it is there where I vehemently disagree with the rant made

by Pedro Martinez. It is idealistic to expect everyone to speak up instantly when something wrong is happening.

There are factors left mostly unmentioned, such as the ire of an entire team benefiting from the operation and the potential ostracization from baseball entirely, that could have easily played into Fiers’s decision to wait to talk about the organization. Additionally, the idea that all problems, even ones as big as a giant cheating scandal where everyone involved is aware that they are making illegal moves, should be handled internally is ridiculous. If there is an ongoing fight between players, maybe handle it internally.

If there is a cancerous tolerance of destroying the integrity of the sport spreading across the organization, blow it up; not everything can be solved in the clubhouse.

To compare the situation to another notorious whistleblower, imagine telling Edward Snowden to handle the situation internally.

And as for the time he waited to go to the press, I cannot blame him for waiting to be out of the Astros to do so. They were his employer, and it makes sense that it would be more comfortable to wait.

Therefore, to Pedro Martinez, I say grow up; we do not live in a world where everyone is comfortable accusing their employer of widespread and condoned malpractice. It is a lot easier to say all these idealistic statements as a retired Hall-of-Famer.

graphic by Emma Palmer

Jeff Luhnow, A. J. Hinch and Alex Cora were all connected to the scandal.

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9 Monday

Tuesday 3

Wednesday 4

5

Thursday 6

No Events

W Basketball W Basketball vs. UCF vs. UCF 7 p.m.

6 p.m.

Softball @EKU 11:15 .m.

M Tennis @ RV Alabama 6 p.m.

Sunday 8

7

Softball @ TTU 9 a.m.

W Golf @SMU All Day

Saturday

Friday

9

Softball @Mercer 3:45 p.m.

Softball @Dayton 11:15 a.m.

Softball @EKU 8:15 p.m.

M Tennis @LSU 12 p.m.

News

The Collegian: 6

3 February 2020

ABC Spotlight: Houston Hardman For the month of February, the Collegian is working with ABC to spotlight black students at TU. Nora Bethune Student Writer Paying attention to TU’s closeness to her home and drawn to the Liberal Arts program, now-senior Houston Hardman felt that, if she needed a challenge and wanted to become a more well-rounded person,TU was the best fit.

One of the many organizations Hardman is a part of is being a member of ABC, or thee Association of Black Collegians on campus. The President of the organization Jayla Meeks recommended that she be highlighted as a student for all the work she does behind the scenes for the program. When I asked Hardman about working with ABC and how she doesn’t ask to be acknowledged she said “I don’t have to be at the front, I can do my part and let the work show for itself,” said Hardman.

To show Hardman that her hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, The Association of Black Collegians Executive Board chose to select Houston Hardman as the first black student on TU’s campus to acknowledge for her work for ABC, her involvement in campus activities and for being the person that is always ready to help others.

Houston Hardman was previously a member of ABC’s Executive Board as a freshman to senior, but with the executive board switching from academic to calendar year, when entering 2020 it was time for someone else to take the reigns and take over. Houston Hardman thinks this was necessary as it was time for someone younger to take over and “do their own thing” When first joining ABC, the program was very small. With such a small program, there weren’t many people to fill the seats on the executive board, so Hardman was asked to become in command of Community Outreach.

Looking back, Houston Hardman doesn’t regret joining the program. Being able to find a community that shares some of her struggles, the solidarity and bond ABC has provided Hardman is something she will never forget. Finding lifetime friends Hardman said that she can see her calling people in ten years to scream and laugh about their lives outside of college.

Being with other black students, Hardman finds it important that there’s a place where they can all gather and celebrate differences while still being a group. Hardman doesn’t regret saying yes to the community outreach position.

“We’ve seen it grow from the bottom up, and I’m happy to be a part of that,” said Hardman. At the time when first joining, Hardman recalled the times when there wasn’t enough black involvement in ABC

that they didn’t have many members in the program.’ From then to now, Hardman finds it inspiring that there will be a continuation in the program due to the overwhelming amount of people joining.

Going from Jack and Jill of America, an organization geared toward African American children to learn leadership skills and other opportunities, Hardman found it refreshing to see that ABC is continuing this by giving college students an opportunity to help the community and give back. By volunteering at Greenwood, asking blackowned businesses in Tulsa to cater events, and giving black vendors a platform at a Self Care Expo, ABC does their best to aid and uplift black creators in Tulsa.

Hardman says there’s a lot of pressure and responsibility when it comes to being in today’s society as a black woman. She said.

“Even if I fail, I need to keep my head up [because] other black girls won’t be encouraged to keep going.” Houston feels that it is important to always work your hardest because someone who looks up to you, or who needs to see someone who looks like them succeed is extremely important in life.

With Black History Month, Hardman feels that it’s necessary to celebrate everyday and to acknowledge who came before us. “Everything happens for a reason [and we] are here to continue what they did.”

Some advice she gives to freshman is to join organizations, get involved on campus and to find a community that you feel com-

Houston Hardman (second from left) with other members of the Association of Black Collegians.

fortable in. “Finding solidarity whether political or not, cultural or not, can help you get through hard times.”

Another organization that Houston Hardman pushes for is Global Scholars, as it gives everyone a chance to travel the world and to do community service. Houston has gone to Cape Town, South Africa, for community service and has a pen pal she keeps in contact with and studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, for six weeks. Hardman wants freshmen to explore outside of their comfort zones to find themselves and see the world.

Houston Hardman is majoring in Exercise Sports Science in Pre-Med with a minor in Spanish. Some of Hardman’s hobbies include watching scary movies, playing intramural volleyball and basketball and hanging out with friends. Recently, Houston was in the first TU volleyball club team to ever travel for a game, where they would win the last two games.

Additionally, Hardman is the Senior Apartment Community Assistant and works primarily with sorority row in helping them with fire drills and other routine procedures.

After graduation she wants to take a gap year to focus on herself then apply to medical school. We want to acknowledge Houston Hardman’s hard work and dedication to TU, and the work she’s done for ABC behind the scenes. Thank you, Houston, and have a wonderful semester!

courtesy Student Association University of Tulsa Facebook

WHO declares coronavirus “Doomsday Clock” closer a public health emergency to midnight than ever While the threat to Americans is still purportedly low, international travel is still limited to and from China.

Alex Leeper Student Writer Following the outbreak of a new virus from China, the World Health Organization has declared the virus a global health emergency. This virus, a coronavirus that is said to have originated in Wuhan, China, is causing anxiety from nations across the world about a possible international public health threat. Because there is room for speculation and misinformation, here are the facts we can establish for sure.

A coronavirus is a virus that usually causes disease in animals, but can evolve and infect humans, causing respiratory infections and in rare cases, pneumonia and death. In late 2019, several citizens of Wuhan developed pneumonia with no discernible cause and for which existing vaccines were not effective. The virus was discovered to be able to spread from person to person, and the symptoms of the virus were not immediately visible.

Because Wuhan is an enormous city with an average of 3,500 passengers flying out of the city per day, the virus could have easily spread to many places unknowingly. On Jan. 9, the first death from this virus occurred.

Since the outbreak, China’s actions in banning travel to and from the country and implementing other quarantine methods have helped to secure the spreading of the virus. Many New Years events and tourist attractions have been closed all around China, with citizens staying in their homes in fear of transmitting the disease. The leader of Hong Kong has announced an emergency, closing schools until mid-February and cancelling all of the city’s New Year celebrations.

Now, nearly 60 million people have been under partial or full lockdown in China.

There are only 140 cases of the coronavirus outside of China, six of which have been identified in the United States: three in Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Orange County in California, one in Snohomish County,

Washington, one in Maricopa County, Arizona, and a husband and wife in Chicago, Illinois, with many more unconfirmed, such as with a Tulsan student at ORU who is currently in quarantine after having arrived from a trip to China. In total, the number of total cases is over 15,000, with over 300 deaths in total, all in China.

Countries like Sweden and Germany have found one case of the coronavirus, and more are discovering their first case each week.

And most recently, on Jan. 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern for the virus.

Along with the declaration, the WHO has released information on the disease’s mortality rate, as well as other insightful information. According to the WHO, the mortality rate is probably less than 3%, which is much less than that of Severely Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a mirroring disease that broke out in China in 2003, and has been contained.

Because of the alleged low mortality rate and the extremely low percentage of United States cases, as well as the extreme measures being taken to screen new arrivals into the country, the threat to the safety of Americans still remains low.

The United States has also declared an emergency for the virus and has issued a “Level 4 Travel Advisory” for China, meaning that citizens are strongly encouraged to cancel all non-urgent flights to the country.

Those arriving to the United States from the Hubei province in China within 14 days will face 14 days of quarantine, while passengers from other provinces will be asked to self-quarantine.

Amidst this news, the University of Tulsa sent out an advisory message for students in acknowledgement of the virus, as well as the upcoming flu season. Additionally, Vice Provost for Global Engagement Jane Kucko warned students wishing to study abroad in the country that they are restricted from doing so, as per TU policy.

Students are encouraged to continue and emphasise practicing healthy habits, such as washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and staying hydrated.

Doomsday is only 100 seconds away due to increased anxities regarding climate change.

Madison Walters Student Writer The Doomsday Clock moved 20 seconds forward, leaving it resting 100 seconds before midnight. This is the closest to midnight the clock has ever been. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, “When midnight is reached, we are dangerously close to destroying our world with our own technologies.”

The main reason for the clock being moved so close to midnight on Jan. 23 is climate change and the governments of the world failing to try and combat it.

viet Union both testing their thermonuclear weapons within six months of each other.

The main characteristic for a clock’s time to be set further back (away from midnight) is peace. At times when the regions of the world are more at peace with each other, the clock will go backward in time. The clock was set to 17 seventeen minutes until midnight in 1991 — the furthest back the clock has ever been set. This was largely due to the United States and Soviet Union signing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

In 2018, the clock was again set for two minutes until midnight. 2018’s time was chosen based off nuclear risk and climate change. Until this year, two minutes was the closet the clock had ever been to midnight.

The board decided to hold the two-minute warning for 2019 as well.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who determine where we are on the Dooms-

“Regardless of what the clock says, it has always been met with scrutiny ...”

In an interview with NPR, Sharon Squassoni, a member of the board, said, “We set the clock in November … This was before recent military actions by the U.S. and Iran, Iran’s statement or threat that it might leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and North Korea’s abandonment of talks with the United States.”

The Doomsday Clock began in 1947.

The clock was created by Martyl Langsdorf, whose husband helped work on the Manhattan Project. Langsdorf set the original clock to seven minutes before midnight. When asked about her decision, she reportedly said, “It looked good to my eye.”

The clock first changed in 1949 due to the Soviet Union’s first successful test of an atomic bomb. It went from seven minutes to three minutes until midnight.

In 1953, the clock was also set for two minutes until midnight. The time for 1953 was chosen because of the U.S. and the So-

day Clock, consists of a Science and Security Board, in which some members have backgrounds in nuclear technology and climate change. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, they meet twice a year to discuss world events and take in account how the events should change the time.

Regardless of what the clock says, it has always been met with scrutiny due to the sensationalist behavior put forth by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the clock itself. Many experts view the clock as a form of clickbait. In an interview, Tom Vaughan, an expert of international politics, said, “The image of a clock counting down to midnight imbues planetary threats with a quality of inescapability.”

Regardless if the clock is to be believed or not, the problems that caused the clock to move forward are very much real problems.

News

3 February 2020

The Collegian: 7

Clancy steps down, Levit to act as interim president After three years as President of the University of Tulsa, Gerard Clancy steps down, citing medical issues.

Madison Connell News Editor Effective immediately, Dr. Gerard Clancy has stepped down from his position of president of the University of Tulsa, citing medical complications. The Board of Trustees designated Provost and Acting President Janet Levit as interim president.

This announcement follows the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Jan. 30, and comes in the wake of a sudden medical leave from Clancy that began on Jan. 17. According to a campus-wide email, the decision is due to the ongoing medical issues that prompted his leave of absence.

Clancy will continue as a faculty member of the Oxley College of Health Sciences.

This resignation is the latest development in a period of uncertainty primarily stemming from backlash surrounding the rollout of the University’s True Commitment plan.

Clancy’s three-year tenure as president has been defined in recent months by ongoing controversy, including a vote of no con-

fidence from faculty and a student petition seeking a student-led confidence vote. It is unclear whether these instances contributed to his resignation.

In place of Levit, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives Tracy Manly has been designated as acting provost. Manly, a former accounting professor, has been an architect of True Commitment, both as a member of the PPRC and in her capacity as Vice Provost. According to Communications Specialist Gail Ellis, “Levit has turned over provost duties to Tracy Manly” for the duration of her time as interim president.

When asked whether a search for a new president would be conducted and whether

Interim Provost Levit was a candidate, Ellis stated that, “A national search will be held but the board has not settled on a process or timeline.”

She went on to say that, “[g]iven the newness of the announcement, it is not yet known if Levit will apply.”

Additionally, the Board of Trustees announced, in the same email mentioned above, that they have passed a resolution stating that the university must attain a positive cash flow by fiscal year 2023. This decision is likely being made public due to the downgrading of the University of Tulsa’s bond rating in December of 2019.

President Clancy’s time at The University of Tulsa 2016

January 17th

Clancy begins his time at the University.

Clancy goes on medical leave

January 30th

Official resignation

Present—

Ongoing search for new president

graphic by Emma Palmer

Impeachment trial of President Trump to continue without witnesses In a near tie, the Senate has voted 51-49 to block witnesses from the president’s impeachment trial, which will be finalized this week.

Lindsey Prather Student Writer The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is set to conclude this week. This will take place following hours of arguments, questioning from senators and a series of votes cementing the lack of witnesses in the trial.

Beginning on Jan. 29 and moderated by Chief Justice John Roberts, senators were allowed 16 hours of questioning as they attempted to solicit answers from either side.

There were a number of contentious questions, however the most notable incidents were questions from Senator Rand Paul (RKY) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

Paul’s question was rejected by Chief Justice Roberts as it pertained to the identity of the whistleblower. This prompted Paul to immediately leave the chamber, followed by droves of reporters.

Directly outside the proceedings, he read out his question to throngs of cameras:

courtesy Gage Skidmore/Flickr Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConell has been able to block witnesses from the impeachment trial.

“Manager Schiff and counselors for the president, are you aware that House Intelligence Committee staffer Sean Misko had a close relationship with Eric Ciaramella when at the National Security Council together? Are you aware and how do you respond to reports that Ciaramella and Misko may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings?”

Paul claimed that the identity of the whistleblower was not an integral part of his question, as he lambasted Roberts for denying the question. This was the latest in a series of concerns raised against Roberts. A question submitted by Senator Warren followed a similar theme.

Roberts read out Warren’s question: “At a time when large majorities of Americans have lost faith in government, does the fact that the chief justice is presiding over an im-

peachment trial in which Republican senators have thus far refused to allow witnesses or evidence contribute to the loss of legitimacy of the chief justice, the Supreme Court and the Constitution?”

Although Roberts read the question without comment, Republican Senators seemed to take some offense, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AL) citing it as a tipping point for her decision to vote no on allowing witnesses.

The potential for acquittal along party lines remains, as the last-ditch effort by Democrats to seek witness testimony culminated in a failure; Senate Republicans successfully staved off all attempts to subpoena specific witnesses on Jan. 31. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) forced votes on individual witnesses, seeking to ensure each vulnerable Senate Republican was on the record denying each attempt.

Specific Senate Republicans were under scrutiny: Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) , Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) had particularly situated themselves as moderate swing voters. However, the votes ultimately fell short 51-49 on all amendments. These totals reflect the decisions of Romney and Collins to vote in favor of witnesses, with Alexander and Murkowski ultimately voting against.

@TUCollegian

tucollegian@tucollegian.org editor-in-chief

Ethan Veenker managing editor

Emily Every news editor

Madison Connell sports editor

graphic by Emma Palmer

Brennen Gray variety editor

Piper Prolago commentary editor

Chris Lierly satire editor

Sara Serrano photo & graphics editor

Emma Palmer

business & advertising manager

Brian Kwiecinski

social media & web manager

Anna Johns

distribution managers

Alaina Nauman Mary Bergwell copy editor

Hana Saad Nothing’s cooler than student journalism.

photo by Sara Serrano

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.

Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising@tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday proir to publication.

Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian.org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.

Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing may take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content.

Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

News

The Collegian: 8

3 February 2020

12:05 a.m.

Officers responded to the Mabee East Lot for an individual urinating on a vehicle. Officers located the suspect and two other underage students drinking alcohol in a vehicle. Officers confiscated alcohol from the vehicle and two fake IDs from one suspect, who admitted purchasing the alcohol.

Two of the students lied about living in a dorm and involved another student to claim being a resident assistant. Officers confirmed their actual residence was a fraternity and turned them over to the house president.

Jan. 24 5:40 a.m.

Officers are investigating a vehicle burglary in the Norman Village Lot. Unknown suspect accessed an unlocked vehicle and stole cologne, sunglasses and a pocket knife. The owner reported they parked their vehicle 24 JAN 2020 at approximately 3:45 a.m. and declined to file a police report.

Jan. 25 2:15 a.m.

Officers responded to John Mabee Hall for an intoxicated student. Officers determined the student was underage and had been drinking off campus. Housing staff were notified of the incident.

10:45 a.m.

Officers responded to Pat Case Dining after receiving reports of an intoxicated individual asking students where the parties were. Officers conducted a pedestrian check on the individual who was uncooperative. Officers escorted the person off campus after issuing a trespass warning.

Jan. 26 12:25 a.m.

Officers responded to a suspicious vehicle driving on the sidewalk fire lane north of Mabee Gym. Officers located the vehicle in the Mabee West lot and determined the driver was dropping off an intoxicated student. Officers advised the driver they had driven in a fire lane, the driver understood and left campus. Officers escorted the intoxicated student to their fraternity residence where members took responsibility for them.

Jan. 27 12:05 a.m.

Officers identified the student who urinated on a vehicle in the Mabee East Lot while investigating 0117-20 and referred them to Student Affairs for Student Misconduct.

1:30 a.m.

A student turned over a fanny pack containing marijuana and paraphernalia found outside Fisher South Hall. Officers impounded the contraband for destruction.

8:30 a.m.

Officers made contact with an individual near a University Square West Apartment building. The individual stated they were on campus to visit a student. Officers made contact with the student, and the student verified the individual was on campus to visit them. No contact card was created for this individual.

8:50 a.m.

A faculty member reported a suspicious person had entered their Oliphant Hall classroom on 24 JAN 2020 at approximately 1:00 p.m. The unidentified individual walked into the classroom and requested to record the faculty member’s lecture. The individual was asked to leave and left without any further incident. Officers are unable to identify the individual at this time.

10:02 a.m.

Officers confiscated an invalid permit from a student’s vehicle parked at 7th St. & Gary Ave. The invalid permit was obtained in violation of TU Parking Regulations.

11:04 a.m.

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

4:30 p.m.

Officers made contact with drivers involved in a non-injury vehicle collision that occurred in the Keplinger/Law Lot. The non-TU affiliated individuals filled out witness statement forms and exchanged insurance information. Tulsa Police responded to the scene after being contacted by one driver because the other driver could not produce insurance verification at the time. That driver was able to obtain insurance verification for the information exchange.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Student Writer UK officially out of EU as Brexit deal passes EU Parliament At 11 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union (EU) after three and a half years of political turmoil that has paralyzed much of the British political system. The House of Commons finally passed a withdrawal agreement in late December, and the European Parliament approved the bill on Thursday, Jan. 30.

The U.K. has seen two seperate Prime Ministers in the time it took to negotiate Brexit, three if you count David Cameron, who resigned after the referendum became the first to oppose the government in power’s stance in British history.

Current PM Boris Johnson promised “the dawn of a new era” for the British people and has encouraged his cabinet to “go full steam ahead” in the upcoming trade talks that the U.K. will have to make with every nation that the EU had a deal with. In a more reflective light, French President Emmanuel Macron called Brexit “a historic alarm signal” for the 27 remaining countries in the EU. Macron went on to call for a more unified Europe that could prepare to combat the issues of climate change, migration and technological upheaval.

China’s handling of coronavirus As the death toll from a coronavirus strain that began in China reaches 259, multiple nations, including the U.S., Russia and Australia, have begun trying to evacuate their citizens from the country. Inside China, the government has locked down much of the Hubei province where the strain was reported to have begun spreading in late December 2019. With 50 million people barred from leaving the Hubei capital of Wuhan, and surrounding cities, the challenge is now on Beijing to keep the central province functioning.

Other than trucks transporting disinfectant or food, travel into and out of the greater Wuhan area has ceased. The 17 cities under this restriction makeup over three quarters of Hubei’s population with Wuhan alone boasting two and a half million more people than New York City. The industrial center city has also closed schools, restaurants and theaters in an attempt to reduce the kind of contact that spreads the virus. However, worrying reports of Wuhan’s suburbs developing independent cases of the virus cast doubt on whether the lockdown is working.

American response On Jan. 31, President Trump officially declared a public health emergency in regards to the coronavirus. The most important implication of this designation is that it allows the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) to impose quarantine restrictions on citizens that have been exposed to the virus. A quarantine of this type has not been used in nearly 60 years, when a smallpox epidemic ravaged the global community in the 1960s and 1970s.

Although the coronavirus has not yet reached the same level of severity, granting the CDC the ability to enforce a quarantine is expected to act as a significant barrier to the continued spread of the disease in the coming months. This announcement from the Trump administration will potentially prompt similar actions from other affected countries in both Europe and Asia as more forceful actions are undertaken against the coronavirus.

4:35 p.m.

Officers investigated a marijuana odor at John Mabee Hall and recovered a vaporizer pen that tested positive for marijuana after searching the suspected room. The involved students are being referred to Housing and Student Affairs.

6:30 p.m.

Officers received a noise complaint from Mayo Village Apartments. Officers located the source of the complaint and made contact with the resident. The resident complied with officers’ requests to keep the noise level down and was issued a housing contact card by officers.

Jan. 28 10:45 a.m.

An officer assisted a process server to serve a legal notice to a Pat Case Dining employee.

5:10 p.m.

Officers responded to the Collins Fitness Center in regards to a faculty member who was refusing to leave. The faculty member did not have their identification and refused to leave to go get it. Upon arrival, I spoke with the individual and they left the fitness center without further incident.

8:45 p.m.

An officer made contact with an unknown subject for loitering in the Oxley College of Health Sciences lots. The subject had no previous contact with security and no active warrants. The subject was trespass warned and escorted off the property. A contact card was created.

Jan. 29 8:25 a.m.

Officers are investigating a theft of wheels from a bicycle by an unknown suspect at John Mabee Hall that occurred between 28 Jan 2020, 11:30 p.m. and 29 Jan 2020, 7:00 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

Officers responded to a panic alarm activation at Collins Hall and determined it was accidentally activated by a staff member. Officers met with the staff member and confirmed that the situation was normal.

4:45 p.m.

Officers responded to John Mabee Hall for a water leak. The Physical Plant was contacted and officers documented the scene.

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

Wednesday, Feb. 5 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

College of Law, Price & Turpen Courtroom 20th Annual Buck Colbert Franklin Memorial Civil Rights Lecture The University of Tulsa College of Law welcomes César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, Associate Professor of Law, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, 20th Annual Buck Colbert Franklin Memorial Civil Rights Lecture.

“Migrating to Prison: Immigration in the Age of Mass Incarceration” For most of the nation’s history, migrants came and went from the United States without the risk of being imprisoned simply for moving about. That world is a now receding memory. These days, roughly half a million migrants are locked up annually because they have violated immigration law. The time is ripe to ask why we imprison so many migrants and remind ourselves that migration policy hasn’t always been this way.

The reception and lecture are free and open to the public.

Thursday, Feb. 6 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Great Hall A Spring Activities Fair Join Us February 6th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM for the Spring Activities Fair! Meet and join fun organizations!

Free Desserts and fun!

Thursday, Feb. 6 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Zarrow Center for Art & Education Biography and Play: Zachary Leader Join us for an afternoon with biographer Zachary Leader. Learn about the playful nature of biography writing and research.

Leader’s best-known works are The Letters of Kingsley Amis (2001),The Life of Kingsley Amis (2007), a finalist for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Biography, UK; 2007, US), and The Life of Saul Bellow: To Fame and Fortune, 1915-1964, which was shortlisted for the Wingate Prize in the U.K. The Life of Saul Bellow: Love and Strife 1965 to 2005 was published in 2018. He has written and edited a dozen books, including both volumes of the Bellow biography, and is General Editor of The Oxford History of Life-Writing In partnership with the TU Department of English. Free and open to all.

Friday, Feb. 7 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

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

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

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

We are honored to be here and take our role – and your needs – seriously.

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

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

3 February 2020

Commentary

The Collegian: 9

Sanders will ride public opinion to an Iowa victory

Sanders has created another national grassroots campaign, but this time Iowa is his to lose.

Brett Tyndall Student Writer There’s a candidate with a lot of momentum right now. It’s not Mayor Pete, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and it’s certainly not Joe “Nothing Will Fundamentally Change” Biden. It’s Bernie Sanders.

Several polls from viable pollsters have Sanders surging in Iowa (and New Hampshire), pulling into virtual ties with Joe “Whywhywhywhywhy” Biden in multiple

polls from Monmouth University. Now you’re probably saying, “Well, Brett, a tie in a few polls doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll win.” Fair point, but Sanders has a factor working in his favor. Back in the 2016 primary, Sanders consistently outperformed his polling numbers leading up to primaries.

Two notable examples of this in 2016 came in Michigan and … Iowa. In fact, all but one poll leading up to the 2016 Iowa caucus saw Sanders losing to Hillary Clinton by as much as nine percentage points. Clinton only won the caucus by 0.25 percent. In Michigan, Sanders was down in the polls by

According to Emerson College Polling, 45 percent of people age 18–29 favor Sanders.

The next closest is Elizabeth Warren at 22 percent, and Biden dwells near the cellar at 9 percent.

Even though the Senators in the race ⁠— Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar ⁠— have had to return to Capitol Hill for Trump’s impeachment trial, Sanders’s ground game is still rock solid. It’s also worth mentioning that Sanders reached 5,000,000 individual donations at the beginning of the year. No one else comes close to touching that number.

“Sanders seems to have the support of a group that pollsters don’t account for:young people.” as many as 20 percentage points. He won that primary by 1 percent.

Sanders seems to have the support of a group that pollsters don’t account for: young people. This election cycle, a young base seems energized enough to want to get Trump ousted out of the Oval Office.

But that’s enough about momentum and polling numbers and overwhelming grassroots support, let’s talk about who’s getting attacked the most from mainstream media and popular figures. Spoiler alert: it’s still Sanders. Just last week, Hillary Clinton gave Sanders an anti-endorsement of sorts,

saying, “Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician. It’s all just baloney, and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.” Appropriately, #ilikeBernie trended on Twitter once that news broke. There was also the Warren-Sanders feud CNN tried to manufacture a couple weeks ago. Then on Thursday, Jan. 6, Biden said that Sanders “isn’t a registered Democrat.” I’ve never understood this critique because that basically means Biden said, “Bernie’s not willing to hide behind farcical partisan lines in the sand. He needs to fall in line with the rest of the herd.”

Bernie isn’t one to follow a herd. He never has. In 1991, he talked about the dangerous implications of the Gulf War to an empty House of Representatives. He’s the only presidential candidate to get arrested for fighting for Civil Rights in the ‘60s. He’s the only one to take Americans to Canada by bus to buy cheaper insulin. Is he flawless?

I’m sure he’s not, but he’s always believed and fought for his principles in earnest.

That’s why he’ll win Iowa.

Biden’s endorsements will win him Iowa despite recent polls

Biden’s experience and proximity to Obama make him the favorite to get the most votes on Monday.

Hannah Robbins Student Writer There’s a well-known political science book called “The Party Decides,” which states that it is the party, not the voters, who really select presidential nominees. In the past the party literally selected nominees, but now there’s a complex magical system of hand signals the party uses to indicate to voters who they should select, with one of the most visible signals being endorsements.

While this might not seem intuitive at first, in all but a pair of elections in the past 50 years, the candidate with the most endorsements before Iowa goes on to win the nomination. In addition, the winner of the Iowa caucus has gone on to clinch the nomination more than 55 percent of the time, with the last seven winners of the caucus all getting the nomination. Using these facts, it becomes obvious who has a stronger likelihood to win in the current polling tossup of Iowa: Joe Biden, the candidate who has more than quadruple the endorsements of the other hopefuls.

If that didn’t seem to sway you toward Biden, the polls put him within the margin of error of Bernie, meaning the race is a toss up, and with the way the polls have been slightly off in the past year, that might as well be a win. In addition, some of the latest polls put him above Bernie, which might point toward a slight shift in his favor that some of the older polls might not have picked up. This puts Biden in a great position going into Iowa.

In addition, Iowa is a caucus state, which means that it might be harder to get less

establishment, more casual supporters to show up for a meeting on a weekday in the evening. Party insiders and their side of the party have an easier time showing up because most party insiders have a 9-5, unlike the rest of the party who might work night shifts or not be free at that time. That’s probably why the last time a party outsider won the caucus on the Democratic side was in Tom Harkin in 1992. Even considering the addition of tele-caucuses where caucus

and beyond the coverage that Sanders is receiving. This brings him to people’s minds, and gives less plugged in voters an easy candidate to vote for, especially considering the support Obama received in winning Iowa in 2008. Biden’s closeness with Obama has been a significant part of his campaign strategy, and if Iowan’s remember their support for Obama in the past, Biden becomes the simple solution in a mess of radical new faces.

“... if Iowans remember their support for Obama in the past, Biden becomes the simple solution ...” goers can meet in additional places if they cannot make it to their assigned one (like in a nursing home), this will not be enough to undercut the structural support that Biden has going into the caucus night.

Plus, as the conventional wisdom puts it, any publicity is good publicity, and with the impeachment proceedings continually pointing toward Hunter Biden, Joe Biden continues to be brought up in the news far

Biden has everything he needs to win in Iowa: the endorsements, the polling, the structural advantages and the publicity. If all goes according to the Democratic Party’s playbook, Biden should snag a slight win over Sanders. I’m excited to tune in Monday to see what happens.

Iowa gives Warren a chance to prove the doubters wrong

With a strong ground game, Warren could shock the establishment and the progressive wing of the party.

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor The title already makes this seem like a cop-out of an argument, and it might be.

However, the Iowa Caucus is perhaps the most unruly electoral event in American politics, and winning there does not necessarily mean getting the most votes. With that in mind, Elizabeth Warren, despite trailing Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden in forecast polls, could perform well enough in Monday’s contest to begin a surge that could car-

The Des Moines Register endorsed Warren.

ry her to the Democratic party’s nomination for president.

The Washington Post reported in January that Warren’s campaign in Iowa is the most organized and efficient, despite her polling third behind Sanders and Biden. She has invested millions in an ad campaign, and her campaign operates out of 26 offices across the midwestern state of three million people.

Additionally, she received the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, Iowa’s largest newspaper, and according to

goal posts for this primary that every other candidate exists somewhere between, then Warren and Buttigieg have the most room to move around between them in order to sway voters. And that is exactly what both will have to do in Iowa. The caucus system, more than the primary system, requires a candidate’s supporters to sway other voters in favor of their candidate. Warren’s success will likely rest on this, and her recent messaging has given her ground forces in Iowa exactly what they need.

“... [Warren] stands a very good chance of siphoning votes from both of the front runners...”

FiveThirtyEight, a poll analytics website, she trails only Vice President Biden in national endorsements after the shuttering of Kamala Harris’s campaign.

Warren has multiple major endorsements and a grassroots effort that has given her a strong ground game in Iowa, but what gives the Massachusetts senator the best shot at winning a majority of the delegates needed for the nomination is her flexibility. If Sanders and Biden have set the ideological

Rob Fischer of The New Yorker argues that Warren has stopped trying to brand herself as the moderate progressive to undercut Sen. Sanders’s numbers in Iowa and that she has instead begun trying to help people see her as the progressive moderate, thus providing a more liberal option then Joe Biden. It seems unlikely that Warren will top the former Vice President’s numbers come Monday, but she stands a very good chance of siphoning votes from both of the

front runners while also completely removing Buttigieg from contention. Race and age based demographics favor the ideology of Buttigieg more than Warren, but his inexperience in politics could prove critical in a state that lives for the bi-yearly caucus.

If Warren can prove the forecast polls wrong and leave Iowa with a healthy start of delegates, she may be well on her way to the nomination. In fact, a strong performance in Iowa could dash the electability arguments that have plagued the opinion sections of just about every major American newspaper and provide Warren with the chance to court the larger endorsements that are out of Sander’s reach while promising the kind of structural change to which Biden has yet to commit.

Warren cannot downplay the threat an insurgest Buttigieg campaign poses to her somewhat precarious third place spot. However, if she continues to run like a front-runner by positioning herself as an alternative to the two aging men deemed more likely to win than her, she could very well shock the world.

graphic by Emma Palmer

Commentary

The Collegian: 10

3 February 2020

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

Justin Klopfer Student Writer

House Bill 3872: This bill would make conversion therapy illegal for all minors. Conversion therapy is defined as “any practice or treatment that seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity” in the legislation.

Conversion therapy has been a topic of debate for a while in America, with high profile conservative figures like Mike Pence accused as advocates. To these supporters, being in the LGBT+ community is considered a problem that must be fixed by this so-called therapy The obvious question: why do people within the conservative sphere seem to support bills which strip LBGT+ people of their rights? Aren’t they supposed to support small government and individual liberty? How are they okay with children being forced by their parents to attend this “therapy”?

Beyond being completely inadequate at addressing the real troubles LBGT+ people face, conversion therapy often makes these people feel unwanted and isolated from society. It is a terribly invalidating thing to tell people they must change who they are fundamentally.

With this being said, hopefully House Bill 3872 will come to pass through the legislature.

Oklahoma is of course densely comprised of the aforementioned conservatives, though many conservatives (even Mike Pence!) have denounced the use of conversion therapy as too extreme.

Senate Bill 1081: This bill is a countermeasure to possible future Red Flag laws in Oklahoma. Red Flag laws enable law enforcement to confiscate a person’s firearms after an approval from the state court deeming them a danger to others or themselves. The guns can then be returned after a period of time if the person is no longer deemed an extreme risk.

One of the most startling things about the bill is that it isn’t just preventing the state legislature from creating Red Flag laws. Even future federal laws enforcing “extreme risk protection” would become “null, void, unenforceable and of no effect in the state of Oklahoma.”

Gun control is another issue that is very much on the minds of voters today given the rise in mass shootings across the country. Personally, I don’t believe that lack of gun control is the sole problem, but people who are deemed an extreme risk by a court should not be allowed to have guns. Additionally, Red Flag laws can also do a lot to prevent suicide by firearm, given that guns can be confiscated when the owner is a danger to themself.

The bill has gone through several steps in the senate but has yet to be subjected to a vote.

Hopefully the legislature will see the importance of red flag laws and not eliminate the possibility of implementing them later.

Epstein’s circle included powerful Fox News town hall a political people in both the UK and US game candidates must play

Prince Andrew has recently been in the news for evading American authorities.

Justin Klopfer Student Writer In the wake of Jeffery Epstein’s death, many connections the late financier possessed are being put into focus in the international media. One of the highest profile connections known to exist was Epstein’s link to Prince Andrew, who admits to staying with Epstein several times in his New York residence. To bring these connections to the public awareness, we must become more willing to question these elites and confront their awful crimes.

would turn into sex acts. These crimes were settled by what is termed a “non-prosecution agreement,” which surmounted to a farcical 13-month prison sentence in which he was allowed to have work leave almost every day.

Epstein then continued his growth into high society, making many connections and gaining immense wealth. He owned a private jet, an island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and a 10,000 acre ranch in New Mexico. All of these are alleged to be locations where Epstein committed his horrendous acts.

The true horror of this entire event is the degree to which the same names always seem to surface and that these people are usually some of the most powerful people in the world. Epstein once took a trip to South Africa with Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey. Epstein’s initial crimes were given light sentencing by Alex Acosta, who was later given a position as Secretary of Labor

by Donald Trump. Trump himself has been photographed numerous times with Epstein at his Mar-a-Lago resort, and Giuffre claims she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell at this resort. Going into the impeachment trial, one of Trump’s defense lawyers is Alan Dershowitz, who originally defended Epstein in his Palm Beach trial and was also

“Many of Epstein’s associates, such as Harvey Weinstein and Alan Dershowitz, were prolific donors ...”

Virginia Giuffre, née Roberts, one of many credible women who accused Epstein of sex trafficking, also claimed she was one of Prince Andrew’s victims. This accusation has been supported with a photo of Prince Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s waist from around the time of the alleged crimes.

Not only did Prince Andrew claim this photo was doctored and that he had zero contact with Giuffre, but the Royal Family itself denied all of these accusations in the face of insurmountable evidence. Still, the prince stepped out from his Royal Family duties in November, most likely at the request of the Family.

Also pictured in the Andrew-Giuffre photograph is Ghislaine Maxwell, one of Epstein’s closest allies and often referred to as his “procurer” of underaged women.

Numerous accusations have occurred over several years of Maxwell instructing underage women how to best “serve” Epstein.

Maxwell is now in hiding as her crimes and connections are becoming increasingly apparent.

Epstein’s crimes date back to the mid 2000s, when he owned a mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Here, Epstein often paid underage women to give him massages which

accused of having sex with Virgina Guiffre while she was underage.

Many of Epstein’s associates, such as Harvey Weinstein and Alan Dershowitz, were prolific donors and supporters to various high-level political figures. These political players, like Bill Clinton and Larry Summers, have also been frequently seen with Epstein. With powerful friends like these, it’s not hard to imagine how Epstein could be able to manipulate the justice system and media.

Of course, this is not to say that there is zero willingness in America to prosecute Epstein’s associates. Prince Andrew has now been called in as part of an FBI probe to investigate the late Epstein’s crimes.

However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny that there is a definite organization to these crimes with support from powerful figures.

Going forward, the focus should of course be to end the horrific ring of abuse that is present at the absolute top rungs of the social ladder. The problem is that doing this will require the investigation and exposure of some of the most high profile public figures in the world.

The Presidential Primary season begins Monday, Feb. 2 with the Iowa Caucus. The Collegian’s Jan. 22 issue has an additional commentary article on Pete Buttigieg

by Lindsey Prather discussing the possible outcomes of the vote mentioned on p. 9 of this issue.

Remember: go vote!

The Democrats who go on these specials risk little when they do, but Fox is the real winner.

Adam Walsh Student Writer While it seems strange to consider a Democratic presidential candidate on any tangentially related Fox News program, the recent Fox-hosted town halls featuring prominent Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigeig have incited a surprisingly low level of backlash, and I see no real downside for either party from this setup.

If I put on my political philosopher’s hat, imagine whatever you want, these primetime events on a national cable network are free publicity for those candidates who decide to partake. However, there is the caveat that what is said at these town halls has no

politician could possibly entertain the idea of meeting with the enemy. Oddly enough, it seems our president exists in this camp.

These rage viewers watch the show to pick apart tiny idiosyncrasies, ranging from the production value, to when someone says a word wrong, to any little gaff that emerges from live television. Then, they post to their favorite message board or social media how X thing happened and how immature the network/candidate is for allowing it to happen. However, that’s still money for the network; they’re still a viewer, and rage viewership brings in the same amount of dough as happy viewership.

As for the Democratic candidates that take part in these town halls, what do they have to lose? Modern political credibility is a term that has no meaning due to its definition becoming so broad that no one can totally fulfill it, and how can one lose credibility when they try to cross the political divide? That idea illustrates the most interesting facet of this non-controversy — people are upset that a Democratic candidate is trying to heal the divide that has turned this country into a reality TV show. In a situation in which someone lambasts one of these candidates, spitting some vitriolic statement about their supposed betrayal, the candidate can easily turn the conversation by saying the offender is betraying the unity of the United States or some other quip about political unity in times of turmoil or something else vaguely sentimental.

“The odds of a candidate or host fundamentally changing their position on a certain topic are astronomically low ...” particular importance. The odds of a candidate or host fundamentally changing their position on a certain topic are astronomically low — each candidate will still be a Democrat and the hosts will still be Republicans.

First, let’s take a look at why Fox would host any of these events, extending their hand to individuals that their audience sees as direct rivals to their political party. The answer’s pretty easy: it’s an opportunity to take free potshots at prominent Democrats, and their loyal Republican audience loves to see their political enemies seemingly destroyed by their favorite Fox host through the power of facts and logic. Even if the barbs don’t land or produce no reaction, it’s easy television that immediately produces a high viewer count, which means they can charge more for ad slots and that means more money comes into the network’s bank account. Even if they don’t necessarily own the libs, they don’t have to.

Individuals watching for such a purpose sit in anticipation, waiting for the one question that reveals a weakness in the opponent’s armor, then they hope their beloved anchor has noticed the same weakness. If that moment passes, they simply wait, eagerly sifting through the candidate’s words, looking for the next opportunity. It’s easy television for easy money.

In addition to those viewers, there is a non-negligible portion of the audience, whom I shall term as rage viewers, that cannot believe their favorite news network or

In this modern political landscape that is oftentimes dependent on soundbites and the charisma of the politician, farming these easy opportunities to seem witty is a savvy course of action. Another important aspect of these appearances is how it’s just free exposure on an internationally recognized news network. Solo primetime events on such a platform, with such an avid audience, don’t exactly appear every day, and the question becomes “Why not?” If they simply make fun of you for however long, your base in the Democratic party will close ranks and claim Fox News has confirmed their worst fears, that they exist to mock the more quote unquote competent candidates, which changes nothing. Of course, one has to expect Fox to take some potshots, but the overall tone of the town hall cannot be overtly hostile because that would lessen the likelihood of another Democratic candidate agreeing to participate.

The only loser in this situation is the individual that doesn’t play the game, which happens to be Elizabeth Warren, who decided that it was contrary to her ethical obligations to appear on a “hate-for-profit racket” news network. Make of that information what you will, but if I were a Democratic candidate, I’d take the free exposure.

What’s the worst they could do? Make fun of me? The modern political landscape is so full of vitriol that if you can’t take the heat, it’s a good idea to stay out of the kitchen.

3 February 2020

Variety

The Collegian: 11

“Cats” movie adaptation so bad it’s bad

The Broadway musical adaptation oversexualizes its CGI characters and presents an incoherent story.

Madison Connell News Editor

When I heard all the outrageous reviews of the new “Cats” movie, of course my first instinct was to race to see it before they could re-release it with the edited CGI. Instead of a good time laughing at a movie so bad it was good, I endured a mixture of utter boredom and disgust.

I didn’t go into the movie knowing much about the musical, other than the song “Memories,” and that it was marketed as one of the first “family-friendly” Broadway musicals. I knew it was kitsch with overthe-top fringe and touches of fake fur and largely made fun of its original source-material — T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.” Therefore, I carry none of the nostalgia of the original. But to be fair, lovers of the musical had little to be nostalgic over in the new adaption.

In the first half of the movie, the only thing that happens is a new cat to the block is introduced to a handful of different cats, who keep showing how they’re a “jellicle” cat, which is never really explained, but I gathered it is the “cattiest” cat. After each song, I kept wondering, when will this finally be over.

Some of the cats that are introduced don’t show up later, or are so minor that I forgot them after their long, drawn-out musical introduction. One person who agreed to watch the movie with me left after only 30 minutes; the introductions were that pointless.

To be fair to director Tom Hooper, he wasn’t working with much of a plot, but he still decided to take on this passion project.

Hooper, for those of you who don’t know, was the same man behind the live-action Les Miserables that was both a critical and smash hit — and the man loved the experience so much, that he tried his hand at another movie-musical adaptation. But at no point in the movie could you imagine the same person worked on any small part of the project — from the music quality, to the camera work, to the acting.

But beyond the story, so many terrible choices were made in production that Hooper could have absolutely avoided.

First, the CGI cats. Instead of a fun, overthe-top cat-inspired costume like the musical, we get completely human features, such as faces, hands and feet pasted onto the hyper-realistic CGI fur-covered bodies of the actors. The movie rejects the whole kitschy, family-friendly vibe and instead tries to turn the actors into realistic cats. This decision, as one reviewer said, makes you question if you even know what a cat looks like.

Beyond the bizarre artistic direction of the realistic cat fur, the CGI team didn’t even manage to complete the — I can’t believe I’m putting these two words together — “cat-fantasy.” Instead of paws on their hands and feet, the CGI team left the human hands and feet as just that, with only a little bit of fur on them. One notorious flaw was that Judi Dench’s wedding ring can be made out. The production team couldn’t even bother to make one of the lead (if one can even find a lead in such a plotless pile of fur) characters take off a piece of jewelry.

The CGI massacre didn’t stop there. For some reason or another, ultimate girl-nextdoor Taylor Swift was chosen to be a (I’m so sorry real-life felines for saying this) “sexy” cat who sings in a breathy, vaguely British accent that was one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen the popular musician display. Oh, and she has boobs, because how else are we to realize Swift is trying to be sexy?

Then there are the fursuits — and no, I’m not talking about furries, although I almost wish I was. We are introduced to Rebel Wilson, whose whole character is the tired trope of “haha she’s fat and lazy so funny,”

in the most bizarre scene of the whole film.

In it, CGI cockroaches, who are even more lazily animated than the cats, dance with completely human faces plastered on. Wilson then eats these too-human cockroaches and at one point zips off her fur suit to reveal another fursuit.

Yes, you read that right, below the first CGI fursuit, there is another — but this time, it has a dance costume on it.

I have so many questions. Where did the zipper come from? How long had she been wearing that fursuit over her other fursuit? Does wearing two fursuits get itchy?

Where did she get the additional fur suit?

Did she murder another cat, along with the cockroach deaths the audience is forced to watch? And, finally: why?

Unfortunately, the movie does not let your eyes forget this moment for too long, because later Rebel Wilson uses her magical fur suit abilities again, as an integral part of the plot. I want to put a spoiler alert, but I don’t know if there is enough of a plot to even warrant the word “spoiler.” Anyways, after being captured for hours, Wilson suddenly remembers her infinite source of fur and unzips her fur suit again, begging the question, just how high is Wilson’s kill count? Or, at the very least, when did she find time to put back on her skin carcas?

Finally, one of the boldest directions in the film was that every cat seemed to be trying to turn on every other cat in the vicinity. At certain points, their tails erect, they rub against each other and, cats tries to lick themselves between their legs. It seemed like the only requirement to be in this mov-

courtesy Universal Pictures In one scene, Taylor Swift’s character sprinkled catnip on the rest of the cast, sending them into an erotic frenzy.

ie was that you had to have sexual chemistry with literally every other character on screen at once.

In an interview with The Atlantic, Hooper even admits as much. “It was quite a sexy show — if they weren’t cats, would you be taking an 8-year-old?”

I’m not sure why Hooper decided to take a kitschy, fun for the whole family fantasy and make it an erotic nightmare that even furries can’t appreciate. None of the characters look like they are having fun. I can’t imagine how much they could have possibly paid all of these A-list celebrities to take part in this cat orgy foreplay. The CGI looks like its at least a decade or two old, but the movie somehow spent $95 million before marketing. It was estimated by numerous sources that the film will have lost somewhere between $70 and $100 million.

In contrast to quite possibly the biggest financial sink of the decade, Playbill claims the original “Cats” is the 10th-highestgrossing musical of all time.

The review wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the few moments of hope in the performance, however sparse they are.

First, Laurie Davidson as Mr. Mistoffelees, the “magical” cat, has one of the only character arcs in the entire movie. He tries his darndest to bring back Judi Dench’s cat after she is kidnapped, and eventually summons the strength and courage to transport her back to the rest of the cats. He’s so lovable, that you actually hope he can complete his task, compared to the rest of the cats whose names I can’t even bother to remember.

Francesca Hayward, who played the only character with a normal name (“Victoria”) also came across as genuine and sweet with an angelic voice. She was the only one, besides Jennifer Hudson in her rendition of “Memory,” who I was excited to hear sing again.

Unfortunately, I can’t even recommend you see this movie just to laugh at it. It’s not one of those movies that’s so bad it’s good — it’s just plain bad. Don’t spare yourself the hour and 50 minutes and a matineepriced ticket to see this trainwreck. Instead, wait until clips reach YouTube or until if it’s on CaneFlix, watch a few minutes, forward the highlights to a friend, then decide to inevitably ditch the whole ordeal. Trust me.

You’re not missing out.

Oscar-nominated short films tackle contemporary issues In every category, these shorts address topics from history to identity with the same depth as fulllength films.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer This past year, films ranged from touching and sweet to heartbreaking and thoughtprovoking to simply funny. The Oscarnominated shorts are no exception. Whether nominated in categories for Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short or Best Documentary Short, each of these films highlighted the innovative approaches of their directors in less than 40 minutes. Though small in the number of minutes each one is allotted, they are entertaining and some had a message that is worth sharing with movie lovers. In other words, no matter how tiny the package, there might be a big surprise.

The messages these shorts conveyed were about self-love, compassion, coping with

tragedies and facing the realities of being in an unforgiving world yet still striving to be happy and finding love. Each short deals with the plot head-on no matter how heavy or light it was, and it never deters from the uniqueness. Instead, the stories grow into miniature masterpieces that could rival any giant motion picture being nominated at the Academy Awards.

love and highlights the strong bond between father and daughter.

Or take “Learning to Skate in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl),” nominated for Best Documentary Short. This film encourages viewers to find joy in a war-torn area, centering on a character who focuses on education and learning to skateboard. The short film highlights the importance of having

“... no matter how tiny the package, there might be a big surprise.”

For instance, “Hair Love,” nominated this year for Best Animated Short Film, is a touching story about a young, African American girl and her father figuring out how to style her and give her the much needed confidence to feel beautiful and accept her hair as it is. Though it seems light and humorous, it deals with issues like self-

an outlet, especially for girls in the Middle East and finding happiness even if there is despair. It’s about rising to the occasion and dedicating yourself to your passions, even if it seems out of the ordinary.

“The Neighbors’ Window,” nominated for Best Live Action Short, tells a story of discovering a new life through a window.

This helps the main character consider their own life. “The Neighbors’ Window” is raw; it illustrates the longing for excitement and realization of the loneliness engulfing the main character in spite of their own daily routine. It’s touching, yet sad. Nevertheless, the underlying message is that although the grass looks greener on the other side, sometimes the grass on your side is not so bad after all. It also demonstrates how the people in our lives need compassion and that we can reach out somehow.

This was also the case with “Run Walk Cha-Cha,” a nominee for Best Documentary Short. In this film, immigrants from Vietnam find their passion for dancing and for each other on the dance floor. “Run Walk Cha-Cha” highlights that starting over is not necessarily a bad thing and that having that outlet can be a meaningful and beautiful thing to hold on to for years to come.

The Oscar-nominated short films like the ones mentioned deserve the nominations they received. It’s a way of showing more of the world despite the limited runtimes.

Billie Eilish takes home all four major Grammy Awards At only 18 years old, Billie Eilish became the youngest person and the first woman to achieve this.

Nora Bethune Student Writer At the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards red carpet, the event before the actual Grammys start, Billie Eilish distinguished herself from other artists with her neon green roots and the luxe spin on her gender-neutral and baggy style. Billie and her stylist Samantha Burkhart collaborated and came up with a customized fit by Gucci, black and green matching bowling and jogger pants with Gucci’s GG logo encrusted with crystals. With this outfit she had a green turtleneck blouse and fingerless gloves complete with slime green nails, also with the GG logo, metallic green Flashtrek sneakers, mismatched earrings and a facemask.

Billie is not only recognized for her unique sense of fashion, but also for her extremely successful debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” Billie Eilish has had one of the most successful years in music with this album debuting at number one on The Billboard Top 200 and countless other charts worldwide.

With all these accolades, it came as no surprise that on the red carpet she would find out her brother, Finneas, received his first Grammy of the night for producing her album. The winning wouldn’t stop at the red carpet, however. When the show started, Billie and her brother would go on to win more awards.

Billie Eilish then went on to be the youngest person to perform at the Grammys. For the Album of the Year award, Billie Eilish was nominated along other powerful forces in music: Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. Despite this pool of prominent musicians, Billie came out victorious as the Album of the Year recipient. Along with Album of the Year, she also went home with a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, secured Song of the Year and Record of the Year for her lead single “Bad Guy,” and won Best New Artist.

By winning AotY, SotY, RotY and Best New Artist, Billie Eilish made history by being the first woman to secure the “Top Four” awards at the Grammys — at the young age of 18 with an album she and Finneas produced and released when she was only 17.

Even after securing this award and breaking records, she said multiple times that she felt like she didn’t deserve the award. She

could be seen mouthing “Please don’t be me” on the screen just before the announcer listed the winner for Album of the Year.

“Can I just say that Ariana Grande deserves this?” were her first words after receiving the award and the camera panned to Ariana Grande, shaking her head and blowing kisses toward Billie Eilish.

After accepting the award, she did something that other artists that night hadn’t. In her speech she thanked not only her fans but all fans. Eilish stated that without them, none of the artists would be at the Grammys that night. Billie Eilish’s humble words are something that makes her craft and her passion for music so evident. This is only the beginning of her record-breaking career.

courtesy Interscope Records Eilish released “When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” with her brother, Finneas.

The Collegian: 12

Variety

3 February 2020

Of Montreal’s “UR FUN” not fun at all, actually

The indie artist’s newest album betrays the inventiveness of their previous discography.

Emily Every Managing Editor

A series of uncharacteristically straightforward, boring synth pop singles led up to Of Montreal’s 2020 release, “UR FUN.” (Yes, it’s a bad album title. The cover art also blows. We don’t have to get into it.)

Of Montreal’s front man and polyamorous supervillian, Kevin Barnes, is in love with his beautiful girlfriend, and here’s the longawaited album about it. It’s not very good, but at least we can assume Barnes had FUN with it.

It’s a flavorless album, frankensteined partially out of loud, colorless synth songs and more somber pieces that, while less loudly annoying than the synth songs, remained just as drab. It’s an album that seems outdated already at release, failing to capture the more exciting movements in recent pop or to put an interesting spin on nowoutdated synth music.

The lead single and first song on the album, “Peace to All Freaks,” is ostensibly about how it’s good to be weird, freakish, whatever else. Barnes sings (way too low in the mix, but that’s just my opinion): “You cannot spin us ‘round, your hate will end (Your hate will end) / We know the universe must express itself as awful people too / So we really just feel sad for you.” It’s a supposed salve to the great evils of society: outcasts of all walks of life, here’s your clunky, synthy validation. Easy as that.

The problem with all that, besides the complete superficiality of the song’s message, is that there’s absolutely nothing freakish about the song’s actual sound. It’s mediocre synthpop, full stop. A song called “Peace to All Freaks” should not sound like it could play in a Kmart. The title and the failed message of the track reminded me of a much more successful, somewhat recent song from Dorian Electra, “fReAky 4 Life,” a semi-industrial take on the same idea.

Dorian Electra deserves to call themselves and their sound freaky, with their whole 2019 debut album “Flamboyant” featuring heavy vocal distortion, industrial beats and themes of gender complexity. Barnes’s “freakishness” pales in comparison, and makes him look like the much less in touch artist.

“You’ve Had Me Everywhere,” another one of the love song singles, is overwhelmed

by its massive, inorganic instrumentation.

The intended softness of the chorus, “Listening to your heartbeat, realizing it’s my heartbeat too / Because if something were to happen to you / I would lose my mind and I’d never get it back,” can’t compete with the poreless noise of the backing synths. The juxtaposition between the lyrical content and the compressed, metallic synths doesn’t elevate either element of the song; it just ensures that the song’s bad. Not in a unique or noteworthy way, but just generically bad — the sort of badness that’s rooted in blandness, not in failed experimentalism.

The whole album reeks of unoriginality.

There are a few songs that seem like a paler version of early work from Of Montreal, “St. Sebastian” in particular, but they lack the punch in either the lyrics or in the instrumentation that typically makes Of Montreal engaging. Every track comes across either as 2020 Kevin Barnes doing a poor 2006 Kevin Barnes impersonation or as Barnes pretending to be a washed out synth pop musician. Neither is endearing.

“Camillas of Love” is a conceptually overburdened track about Alex Chilton of Big Star deleting his singer girlfriend’s recording vocals off tracks when they argued.

Or, maybe it’s about ecstasy and couple’s therapy? In all honesty, neither the instruments nor the lyrics are interesting enough to really warrant further investigation. It’s all cloudy, off-putting faux-intellectualism, something that Barnes had been able to sell better on his last albums, even making it grimy and charismatic on 2007’s “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?,” but it comes across as cheap and lazy on “UR FUN.” And the reason why should be fairly obvious: it’s a synth pop love album. Why is the chorus on “Camillas of Love” literally “‘La morte negli occhi del gatto,’ or literally any Mario Bava / I, the Knight of Pentacles / Through Valleybrink whistles of ‘Twisted Nerve’ / With eyes coal-black as a Death Throne track”? It doesn’t make sense in the context of the rest of the album, or really at all. It’s not even subversive or thought-provoking or even coherent — it’s annoying.

“Gypsy That Remains” featuring Locate S,1 (the only feature on the whole record) is a breath of fresh air in the tracklist. The beat doesn’t overpower Barnes’s vocals or Christina of Locate S,1, and the addition of a female vocalist gives a light, dreamy quality to the track that’s severely lacking in the rest of the compressed metal-cube of an album. The instrumental for this track is by far my favorite of the record. There’s this killer

synth-y, flute-y solo maybe three minutes in that’s my highlight of the whole project.

That being said, the latter half of the track is burdened by a verse comprised of “I hate myself / I love myself,” which comes across as Barnes hitting the listener over the head with just how Emotionally Complex he is.

It’s a minor blip in an otherwise good track, but it’s definitely still there and I definitely had to sit through it.

I liked the slow, sort of syrupy guitar on “Deliberate Self-harm Ha Ha,” and I think I enjoyed the first two minutes of the last track, “20th Century Schizofriendic Revengoid-man,” before the guitar solo breaks in and disrupts the flow of the song. It was difficult to gauge my exact feelings on these two final tracks, though, because the rest of the album was so genuinely grating that it became a challenge to judge the more somber, slowed down conclusion of the album apart from the abrasive, high-hat hitting “Peace to All Freaks” or “Polyaneurism.” The overly self-congratulatory King Crimson reference in the title of “20th Century Schizofriendic Revengoid-man” hardly helps things, either.

What really gets me about this new Of Montreal album, though, is that I think it might be sort of sucking away the luster the last decade of the band’s back catalogue has for me. Barne’s best work came out in the last half of the aughts, and while I’ve been a defendant of his 2010s releases (“It always surprises me,” I’d say), I have to admit the same problems are persistent throughout Barnes’s discography. The frustration I feel about this album, how I want to take a red pen to the lyrics for every one of the songs, would probably be how I felt about most of Barnes’ output if I heard it for the first time now. Maybe recognizing that means that I’ve grown as a music consumer, maybe I’m over-exaggerating in the moment how poorly I think Barnes executed “UR FUN.” But like the rest of this project, it doesn’t really matter. This album is bad. Listen to Dorian Electra.

Highlights: “Gypsy That Remains,” “Deliberate Self-Harm Ha Ha” Lowlights: “Peace to All Freaks,” You’ve Had Me Everywhere,” “Polyaneurism,” “Get God’s Attention by Being an Atheist”

Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal’s frontman, wrote “UR FUN” about his girlfriend.

courtesy Polyvinyl Record Co.

Tulsa Signature Symphony performs Shostakovich with intensity Shostakovich’s fifth symphony gives a commentary on communism, lending emotional weight to history.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Saturday, Jan. 25, the Tulsa Signature Symphony performed Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony in D Minor, Op. 47. There was a mild crowd consisting of students and older music lovers. Though it was a smaller crowd, the audience knew what they were expecting: a piece with raw emotion unfolding repeatedly, creating a story of sorrow, anger, frustration, fear and hope to rise above tragedy. The orchestra tuned and solidified music passages for the final time, nervous and excited for the hefty piece that was ahead of them.

After what seemed like a few minutes of silence, the conductor, Andrés Franco, immediately enter the front of the stage, firmly in front of the orchestra and started on an intense excerpt of the symphony. He stopped the musicians abruptly to turn to look at the audience, indicating that it was just a teaser of what was yet to come. Maestro Franco then greeted the audience, thanking everyone for coming out to hear the Tulsa Signa-

ture Symphony. He proceeded to explain the history behind the piece.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) was a prolific Russian composer and pianist who defined the 20th century with his ability to make his tragedies into beautiful music, ranging from strong and intense to delicate and sweet in a matter of movements. He did not have the most pleasant life, dealing with the death of his father as a teenager and later on suffering in the Soviet Union under the reign of Joseph Stalin, never able to defect like the other Russian composers at the time, such as Igor Stravinsky.

Despite his painful experiences, he was able to find happiness and success with his music. When Shostakovich’s father died, he had to take a job as an improvisational pianist at the local movie theatre to support his family. Over the course of his lifetime, Shostakovich became a well-known composer throughout Russia, eventually winning favor with Stalin. Nevertheless, this came crashing down on him as Stalin heard one of Shostakovich’s operas and walked out midway through, implying Shostakovich’s life was on the line and that he could be killed at any moment.

Dmitri Shostakovich was able to turn this fear into one of the most profound pieces of the 20th century, signifying his true thoughts

on Stalin’s regime and giving secret hope to the people struggling to maintain hope in such a dark time. Through his music he produced triumph, as it was the symphony that could showcase the various emotions that could not be conveyed without punishment.

His painful life became beauty for the world through his compositions.

Franco then explained how Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony is interesting in how it showcases many different techniques without being overwhelming. He mentioned there are several repeated themes, rhythms and notes that establish a certain mood throughout the piece. For instance, the piece consisted of the note A being played 250 times and the use of a march-like rhythm or even a stressed rhythm (long short short) to indicate a type of musical painting (this is also known as the Shostakovich rhythm).

Each of the movements has a distinct mood, but the piece as a whole highlights the depression and the anxiety of living with the idea that death was a reality that could come without warning. The first movement, “Moderato,” represents struggle and sadness, as well as a gesture of rebellion against the government. This illustrates the fear and destitution that people lived with.

The second movement, “Allegretto,” represents the light heartedness and the reluc-

Events next week in Tulsa Wednesday, Feb. 5

Dr. Sean Latham, Director of the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities, will discuss the HBO series “Watchmen” at All Souls Unitarian Church. The series deals with the history of Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre; Latham will discuss race and responsibility with Nehmiah D. Frank, founder and editor of The Black Wallstreet Times. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Dinner will be provided; the chili cookoff will begin at 5:30 and the program will begin at 7 p.m. courtesy Roger and Renate Rössing Dmitri Shostakovich is considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.

tance to support the regime, implying that Shostakovich was extremely sarcastic and angry at the idea of writing music for the Soviet Union.

The third movement, “Largo,” is positioned at the center of the symphony. This movement is supposed to be an underlying ode to the lost souls and to give comfort to their loved ones. It’s slow, to demonstrate the grievance of the family members; as Franco put it, the third movement sounds like an Orthodox Church choir without words. It’s a requiem without words.

The last movement is the most forceful: the “Allegro non troppo” movement represents the persecution of communism and the realization of its darkness. Nevertheless, there was hope amidst the suffering.

At the end of symphony the audience members were deeply moved, as was the conductor and the orchestra. The Tulsa Signature Symphony received a standing ovation for the extraordinary work they put in to bring the piece to life. Just like one of the pictures showed a conductor doing with Shostakovich, Maestro Franco held up a copy of the score, indicating that the real hero was the music and that it was a gesture of persevering to see the light and fighting for happiness. Shostakovich would have been proud.

Saturday, Feb. 8

The Helmrich Center at Gilcrease Museum will host a free event called “Gaming The Museum” featuring museum professionals. Event will be 1-4 p.m.

Tulsa Symphony performs Mozart and Grieg with guest pianist Sean Chen and conductor Leslie Dunner. Tickets range from $15-70 and the performance will start at 7:30 in Chapman Music Hall.

Sunday, Feb. 9

Circle Cinema hosts an Oscars Watch Party. $25 general admission, events will start at 5:30 p.m.

3 February 2020

Variety

The Collegian: 13

Netflix offers a variety of underappreciated content

From a heartfelt zombie movie to an he tries to protect his daughter. The film is comedy. Possibly my favorite thing about “Lucifer” is how strong, intelligent, and intimate look at superheroes, Netflix equal parts heart and despair.

My next recommendation is a film that I fierce the women in the show are. offers something for everyone. found by chance, but was oddly enthralled My final recommendation is “The UmMadison Walters Student Writer Netflix’s ever-growing list of original content can be intimidating to sift through.

Whether it’s movies or TV shows, Netflix almost has it all. In this article, I am going to recommend some personal favorites of mine.

First up is “Unicorn Store.” The story follows Kit, a young art school dropout, as she goes on a quest to fulfill her dream of adopting a unicorn. “Unicorn Store” was directed by Brie Larson, who also stars in the film with Samuel L. Jackson. It’s both funny and extremely inventive. Not to mention, the aesthetic of it is genuinely appealing.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway of the film is that it’s okay to be yourself, even if you’re a little weird. Yes, it is very cliche, I know. It’s still a great movie.

The next movie is “Cargo.” The film follows a father and his infant daughter amid the zombie epidemic. The father is bitten by a zombie and only has 24 hours to find someone who will take care of his daughter. Zombie movies as a genre are overdone; there are a million of them that all have almost the same plot. However, this one is different. Most films of this nature work to find a cure or to kill all the zombies; however, “Cargo” solely focuses on a father as

by. “The Polka King” is about a Polish-born bandleader (Jack Black) who lures his fans into a Ponzi scheme, which happens to be based on a true story. I was mystified by its apparent basis in truth. As soon as the film was over, I immediately searched “Jan Lewan” to see how much of this actually happened. Words cannot describe how shocked I was to find out that the majority of the film actually occurred in real life. It’s wacky, zany, quirky and ridiculous, all while staying true to history.

This brings me to the TV show section of this article. The first show I would like to recommend is “Mr. Iglesias,” a series about a public highschool teacher who works to teach misfit kids from being counseled out, a process by which schools end up kicking out students. The show stars Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. It tackles tough topics while still maintaining a layer of comedy. Think about that one teacher at your high school who did so much to inspire their students because of the passion they have for their vocation.

That is Mr. Iglesias.

My next TV show recommendation is “Lucifer.” The show follows Lucifer Morningstar as he decides he is sick of ruling over Hell and moves to Los Angeles to open his own nightclub and work with the LAPD. As the description would lead you to believe, it’s quite the wild ride. Oddly enough, the TV show is very much like a buddy-cop

brella Academy.” The show follows the stories of estranged, adoptive, superhero siblings who are brought back together by the death of their father. Perhaps my favorite thing about this show is that it highlights the issues superheroes face: they’re not perfect.

Throughout the show, we are able to witness the negative effects of being a superhero.

You’re not sold yet? How about the fact that Mary J. Blige plays an assassin named ChaCha. Regardless if you liked my suggestions or not, Netflix literally has thousands of other TV shows and movies. Go out and find your own favorites.

courtesy Netflix

Brie Larson directed and starred in “Unicorn Store.”

Late Rush drummer Neil Peart greatest of his time TU professor of English Bob Jackson fondly recalls Neil Peart’s impact on rock music.

Brett Tyndall Student Writer It’s been a rough start to the year. We’ve had war escalations in Iran, the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter and an outbreak of Coronavirus in China. Seemingly lost in the mix of this terrible month was the loss of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer and Rush band member Neil Peart, who succumbed to brain cancer after a long battle.

Widely regarded as the greatest drummer of all time, musicians and fans alike lament the passing of this rock icon.

TU English professor and avid Rush enthusiast Bob Jackson says of Peart’s “Greatest Ever” moniker, “Of course [he] is the greatest rock drummer of all time. Nobody else is even in the conversation. People who call him ‘one of the best’ are either clueless or just trying to be polite.” While Jackson says Peart had several influences, like The Who’s Keith Moon, The Police’s Stewart Copeland and jazz drummers like Buddy Rich; Peart had a style all his own that constantly evolved, a style that Jackson describes as “technically masterful.”

However, it wasn’t just Peart’s insane skill on the drums that garnered worldwide admiration. The guy was also a talented lyricist. He was the main lyricist in Rush, as gems like “Limelight” and “Subdivisions” still fill the airwaves today. Nicknamed “The Professor,” Peart was a dedicated reader and poet despite dropping out of high

also wrote several books of his own, including autobiographical accounts and fiction.

Referencing the impact Peart had on music, Jackson recalls a time he was in a band in college: “When I was playing rock and roll in college, my band’s drummer listened to everything out there, but when he played onstage

Neil Peart played drums for the rock band Rush for several decades.

school. Jackson mentioned Peart had an Ayn Rand phase during the early portion of his career, a phase and philosophy he’s since disavowed with wry embarrassment. Peart

courtesy Wikipedia

or in the studio, there was really only one role model he held high. That’s about how I’d sum up Neil’s impact on music. The problem is that Neil was so much better

than everyone else, so sometimes it’s hard to know how much other people have been influenced by him. You can’t always hear it in their playing. Neil was also a great individualist, creating his own personal sound that could never be confused with anyone else’s . That’s a tremendous legacy, because it pushes everyone else to figure out who they are and aspire to comparable levels of achievement in their own ways.”

The news of Peart’s death came as a surprise to fans everywhere, as Jackson details, “It’s the kind of news one is never ready to hear. I was in shock for a while. I’ve been listening to his music since I was fifteen years old. I saw him play live 20 times between 1990 and 2015. I’ve had a lot of friends over the years who also loved his music. Many of them were calling and sending messages.

So, a lot of that history and memory came flooding back, and I felt a lot of warmth and gratitude amid the sadness.”

One of my favorite non-Rush Neil Peart moments comes from “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters,” a movie based on the Adult Swim series. Peart voices a miniature version of himself (for some reason) and plays “The Drum Solo of Life” to revive characters in the movie. In some brand of absurdist irony, I don’t think anyone will ever match his skill and talent needed to replicate “The Drum Solo if Life” in order to bring the legend back.

Ian S. Port discusses the history of the electric guitar The author of “The Birth of Loud” spoke about the iconic rivalry that shaped rock ‘n’ roll.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Jan. 30, TU hosted Ian S. Port for an event centering on his book, “Birth of Loud,” which investigates the history of guitars and the rivalry between Les Paul and Leo Fender. The event took place at Tyrrell Hall, where people were excited to hear how their favorite bands and musicians were formed with the very instruments they played with. The crowd consisted mostly of older people, yet they were loud with anticipation.

Unlike any presentation or concert, the crowd didn’t cease to talk as Dr. Sean Latham, the Director of the Oklahoma Center Humanities and Arts came up to welcome Port. Instead, they got louder and applauded. It was like they were reliving and rediscovering a part of their life that they had left behind.

After a few moments, Port greeted everyone and thanked everyone for coming out to hear him speak. It didn’t take long for him to get into a discussion about the importance of the electric guitar in the development of rock ‘n’ roll. Port went on to explain that “no one person created it” and “it was not invented for music,” but rather an entire generation.

He then proceeded to explain how music genres expanded in the United States in the 20th century: the most popular ranging from jazz, blues, country and hillbilly western swing, a type of jazz-country fusion. At the time, people loved the sound that came with it, especially the guitar. The only flaw,

which was major, was the guitar was not loud enough to project sound over roaring crowds and among the band. If it did, it would produce feedback. Aside from this, there was not really a difference between the acoustic and electric guitar.

Nevertheless, there were two music loving kids with a fierce passion for tinkering with electronics from different parts of the U.S. that wanted to produce a different sound. Little did either of them know is that their ideas would change the course of what we consider rock and roll in the latter half of the 20th century.

Port described the lives of two music innovators: Leo Fender, a shy kid raised on country music who tinkered with radios and built amplifiers and guitars for a living. The other was Les Paul, a charismatic showman who thrived off of the belief that he would be a star. Like Fender, he also loved country music and loved pulling apart electronics and putting them back together. Port went on to say how their rivalry went from friendly competition to all-out war in seeing who could succeed in the music business.

Port went on to play samples of songs that included the early influences of the guitar before Fender and Paul as well as after. The list consisted of songs from Chuck Berry, Dick Dale, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. He concluded that both Fender and Paul were influential and that both played an equal part in the birth of the rock and roll genre that we know today, evident in the continued success of both of their brands. At the end of the event, he was open to answering any questions that the audience had regarding the musicians and their equipment and held a book signing, special thanks to Magic City Books. “The Birth of Loud” is available at Magic City Books or on Amazon.

“The Birth of Loud” explores the history that has created rock ‘n’ roll as we know it today.

courtesy Scribner

The Collegian: 14

Variety

3 February 2020

Gilcrease After Hours brings art lovers together Gilcrease’s game night theme allowed the community to play games, eat and view the collection.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Jan. 31, the Gilcrease Museum hosted Gilcrease After Hours, a fun, free social event for the Tulsa community to come together to play games, drink, eat and look at art. This month’s theme was game night. The turnout was impressive: the crowd ranged from college students taking a break from their busy schedules to families wanting their kids to learn about the arts to people in between wanting to hang out with friends and colleagues they wouldn’t normally see after work.

Aside from this, people were mingling with each other, making new friends as they spoke about the art before them, playing trivia and games. There were photo booths to capture fun moments and bright corners filled with happy people eating free Andolini’s pizza talking about how their week went and their plans for the upcoming weekend.

During After Hours, the museum opened up the exhibits for people to walk around and appreciate the art that has culturally and historically defined both Tulsa and Oklahoma. It was astounding to see how modern American art and Native American art

complemented each other; works from different time periods never competed with each other. It flowed amazingly.

Over the course of the event, people were weaving to and fro from the games and to the galleries for quiet time. With their time alone, people were able to notice intricate details and colors put in the art. I could see the emotions and hear the voices of the history surrounding not just Tulsa, but Oklahoma as a whole.

One comment that stood out was a man telling his wife to take a closer look at a painting in the hallway leading to the Vista Room. He exclaimed just how beautiful the “reds and the blues swirling into each other” were and the tiny details on the art piece. He and his wife slowly walked to see the other small paintings in the area and consider how they compared. Before he left, he came back to the first painting, taking it in one more time before leaving. There were people who reacted the same way to different parts of the museum; it was inspiring to see these pieces being discovered, making the Gilcrease even more special than it already is.

Throughout the event, there was never a dull moment. The most excitement was found among the chattering, live jazz music in the Vista room, where most of the games were. The event brought the community to the museum to enjoy a night of art and to end the work week happily, form friendships and forge a deeper appreciation of the arts.

TU students were engaging with Gilcrease’s collection during the After Hours event.

photo by Nora Bethune

Nimrod offers Day of YA to prospective writers The Tulsa Public Library will host this free event, offering writing workshops and a diverse panel of speakers.

Adam Walsh Student Writer On Feb. 22, Nimrod will offer a young adult fiction day. While Nimrod’s fall convention answered questions on editing, writing techniques and how perspective influences writing, the spring conference narrows its focus to the “young adult” genre and on crafting narrators, characters and your protagonist. With a selection of authors and guests ranging from Tulsa Artist Fellows, published authors, professors and editors, this exposé and examination of the genre will offer panel discussions, questionand-answer sessions and various opportunities to get to know fellow prospective writers in Tulsa, as well as the panelists.

A bold decision considering the state we’re in, the selection of all women panelists of various races and cultural backgrounds allows for several underrepresented groups in the literary field to emerge and offer unique insights on characters that have historically had … difficulties in literature.

Oftentimes, the YA genre is overlooked by literary scholars, preferring works that would be more digestible as wood pulp than bound books, but there is no denying the

immense effect these novels have on both a cultural and personal level, especially by providing good role models when the ones in real life, in my experience, aren’t up to snuff.

Justina Ireland will be one of the anticipated guests to join the panel. Ireland is an African-American writer currently prepping for the release of her second entry into her historical fiction/zombie apocalypse series that began with the release of “Dread Nation” in 2018. As an author, she consistently draws on her heritage and the horrors faced by millions of black individuals suffering from systemic racism, especially that which forces the oppressed to do their dirty work.

She is also the recipient of a World Fantasy Award for her work as an editor from the

an who is as accomplished in the literary sphere as she is in the art of traditional Chinese brush painting. As the co-founder of Diversity in YA and acting as an advisor for the We Need Diverse Books charity, Pon channels traditional Chinese stories and folk stories into new forms for a modern world, breathing new life into forgotten myths and painting vivid worlds with eloquent words worthy of a master’s canvas.

The third wordsmith on the docket is Ally Carter, which while a pseudonym, we’re going to use it because that’s the way things are. As an Oklahoma native, Carter first got her start as a published novelist through novels aimed at an older audience, she is most well known for her “Gallagher Girls” series that focused on teen spies in an exclu-

“... there is no denying the immense effect these novels have ...” classic fantasy publishing company Tor (not the web browser used to access the deep web), which is known for publishing fantasy giants like Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time and Brandon Snaderson’s Stormlight Archive.

Cindy Pon will also join the panel and offer insights into the art world as a wom-

sive, definitely-on-the-NSA-watchlist spy training academy and/or high school.

I’m running out of both creative ways to introduce people and words, so next up is Sonia Gensler. An author with a knack for ghost stories and great taste in the classics, Gensler understands what it means to be a rural kid, growing up in the middle of no-

where Tennessee and holding a variety of odd jobs that have granted her immense experience with the strange and supernatural.

M. Molly Backes is the first of our very own Tulsa Fellows to be mentioned, and as both an experienced novelist and workshop teacher, she has a reputation for bringing out the creative side in all of her students. Legends say that she convinced all of the seventh and eighth grade students in her New Mexico school to write and submit novels for the National Novel Writing Month, which is no small feat considering there were 135 of them.

The final non-academic on the panelist list is another Tulsa Artist Fellow. Juliana Goodman received her masters in fiction writing in 2017 and earned both scholarships and critical acclaim with her fiction, as well as her savvy industry skills to gather viewers. She also happens to be teaching a course on YA lit as a 4000 level special topics class at TU. As for how I know that, I have my sources.

There are about half a dozen more academics that will be attending as guests and panelists, and more information about those amazing individuals, as well as the registration page, can be found online at www.tulsalibrary.org/tulsa-day-ya. Nimrod’s Day of YA will be held at the Tulsa County Library for free on Feb. 22, but one must register to attend. Dude, it’s free and on a Saturday, so why not go?

Vietnamese American Student Association celebrates Lunar New Year VASA’s first event educated students about Vietnamese culture with food, games and performances.

Nora Bethune Student Writer This past Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Vietnamese American Student Association (also known as VASA) hosted an event on the second floor of the Student Union in celebration of Vietnamese New Year.

There was a line trying to get into the event. After scanning our IDs to check in, we were handed a red envelope with a sticker and chocolate coin. This is a spin on the original “Li xi,” which usually contains a small fortune given to children to welcome the new age on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Upon entering the room, we were greeted by a long table with food for everyone. Food choices included steamed or fried rice, calamari or tofu, with pot stickers, chicken and sticky rice cakes. Drink options featured the likes of lemonade, a cane sugar beverage and boba. At each station there was someone to hand out food and explain the options to those who weren’t sure on what it was.

After getting food, there were tables with bowls of shrimp cakes. After everyone was settled with food, Y Quan let people know that there were games and that there would be a dragon dance and fashion show later in the night with a Kahoot game about Vietnamese culture. I played Bầu Cua Tôm Cá with people I’ve never spoken to before.

The point of the game was that you had five candies, and whichever one of the six tiles you bet on, if you were right, you could

trade in your candies for a lychee jelly.

Everyone was very kind and patient when describing the game. Once everyone understood the rules,we were all exclaiming when we won (or lost) and overall enjoying each other’s company.

After playing games, many sat down and got seconds or just talked with one another. At one point, there was a rhythm being played on a drum, and three teenagers showed us a traditional dragon dance. They

illustrated a story by dancing as a unit, and the two girls performing as the dragon did an amazing job. After they were done with the dragon dance, the performers showed us traditional Kung Fu techniques. It was all an amazing display of their talents; you could tell that each one of them put in effort and it took skill to do what they did.

Following the dragon dance, it was time for the Kahoot. The trivia game was about Vietnamese culture and featured questions

The Lunar New Year event featured a performance of the dragon dance.

photo by Nora Bethune

about Lunar New Year. It was interesting to see everyone trying to guess correctly; many people weren’t even Vietnamese. This shows that there was a lot of inclusion at this event, as the person who ended up winning wasn’t Vietnamese.

After the Kahoot there was a fashion show that showcased traditional Vietnamese wear. The fashion show was unique in the sense that each person who walked the mini runway had their own style. You could see a variety of colors and styles that each person modeled.

After the fashion show, it was all very laid back and chill. They insisted that we take food to our dorms since they had some leftovers. People left as they pleased;after grabbing some fried and steamed rice for my dorm, I departed.

Since VASA were able to host such an amazing event that showcased Vietnamese culture while being inclusive and teaching everyone who came, it came as a shocker when Y Quan, Vice President of the association, told me that it was a struggle to start the organization: “It was hard getting chartered all of the fall semester.” Only being chartered in September, they’re relatively new, so this Lunar New Year was the biggest event the organization has hosted so far.

VASA was extremely kind in letting Tulsa University students have a glimpse and participate in parts of their culture. Letting people participate and learn about different cultures is what makes The University of Tulsa so great. Complete with delicious food, interactive games and fun traditions, it was exciting to see what the association had to offer, and I can’t wait for the next event that they will host.

3 February 2020

The State-Run Media

The Collegian: 15

The BBC: masters of the transitive property

Racist?? No way! The BBC is just super #woke.

Brett Tyndall Walking the tightrope Last week, the BBC made the edgy provocative move of broadcasting LeBron James footage when reporting on the passing of Kobe Bryant. The BBC played us like a damn fiddle by subverting our expectations and implemented the transitive property to great effect. What is the transitive property, you ask? It’s a train of thought that takes one aspect of something or someone and connects it to something or someone else without any context. For example, Kobe Bryant is black. LeBron James is black. Thus, Kobe Bryant is LeBron James.

The BBC, by making this assumption, begs the question: Is Kobe James LeBron Bryant? Is James Bryant Kobe LeBron? Is LeBron Kobe Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Is James Bryant Metta World Peace? Is James Kobe James Earl Jones? Is Coco Crisp Crispus Attucks? It leaves one with more questions than answers.

The BBC also wants you to believe pancakes and waffles are the same; Coke and Pepsi; Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds; Big Shaq and Shaquille O’Neal, etc. This

is a bold precedent. As the BBC shifts our perspective of the entire world. The transitive property is the most flawless line of logic the world has to offer. The Earth is flat.

Paper is flat. The Earth is paper. That is an irrefutable fact. The BBC took it a step further and incorporated social commentary on race. People are missing the point of this incisive experiment on racial stereotyping. By making the insinuation that Kobe is LeBron using the transitive property, the BBC makes us all wonder if racial stereotyping is even possible when everyone is the same person.

By showing LeBron James highlights while reporting on Kobe Bryant, the BBC has done two helpful things: 1) They showed us the light that is the transitive property.

They’ve removed the wool from our eyes by revealing that Kobe transcends above our current plane of existence; thereby releasing us from the matrix. Kobe is love. Kobe is life. 2) They assisted in the effort to free us by conditioning viewers to see what was truly in front of them. You think this was the first time this had happened? How many times have you confused Chris Rock for Chris Tucker? 10,000 times? 20,000? Well, you were right all along. Maybe we’re being racist for not understanding what the transitive property has to offer. At the end of the day, the transitive property offers equality to all things, living and nonliving.

R.I.P. Kobe.

courtesy U.S. Department of Defense

graphic by Sara Serrano

The State-Run Media

3 February 2020

the

State-Run media Well fuck you too.

Collegian reporters make deal with devil

graphic by Emma Palmer

Lenin (left) and Toemahtoes (right) in front of their new Brexit Bus 2.0.

Two reporters pay the ultimate price Lenin and Toemahtoes Topher, agreed to were making some kind of deal with a suan interview about their encounter with the pernatural third party.” to protest bloated spending at TU. Michaela Bueche Not a damn Commie Early last week, I was taking my nightly stroll around campus when I witnessed an odd trio in the parking lot behind Collins Hall. One was enveloped in a blood red glow, two horn-like growths sprouting from his head, He leered down at the other two, who appeared to be desperately begging him for something.

I soon discovered the two beggars were in fact reporters for our competitor, The Collegian, and the glowing goat man was Satan himself. The two reporters, Lenny Lenovich

Devil.

I first asked them how they came to be in the Collins Hall parking lot Monday night.

They exchanged a glance, seemingly to hype each other up for their crazy tale.

Lenin responded, “We were digging through the dumpster to see if we could find any shredded True Commitment documents to piece back together. These would be crucial in our plot to take down the administration, providing blackmail material and insider information. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find anything. Administration seems to be catching on to us.”

At this point, Lenin started getting sidetracked from what I really wanted to talk about, so I interjected with, “That’s not what it looked like. It looked like you and Topher

Topher chimed in as Lenin glared at him.

“Oh yeah, that was our good pal, Lucifer.

We were selling our souls for one of those Brexit buses that Boris Johnson has. We’re gonna repaint it to say, ‘We send Levit and Manly £350 million a week. Let’s fund our NHS instead.’ and call it Brexit Bus 2.0. Or maybe LeTrexit Bus? TraLexit Bus? We’re not sure yet.”

Neither Toemahtoes nor Lenin seemed to notice the obvious flaws in this slight modification, so I said, “You must admit that that figure is, at best, grotesquely misleading, not to mention that it’s in British pounds instead of U.S. dollars.”

Topher cut me off there, screaming, “No! I won’t! No! No!,” pointing his finger at me.

“That gross figure is the right figure, and you can’t change my mind.”

He wasn’t budging on the matter, and I was pressed for time, so I moved on to my follow up question. “Why should TU be funding the British NHS at all?”

Lenin took over with the response, “The NHS is very important! If I can’t afford healthcare, I at least want someone else to be able to.”

With that response, I concluded the interview. Packing up to leave, I could distinctly hear Topher repeating to himself, “This is a red bus.” I’m don’t know what that means, but he was very adamant about the matter, so it must have been important. This has been Silly Reporters Selling Their Souls to Satan. Tune in next time to hear Lenin say, “I love Karl Marx.”

TU’s new mission statement:

FUCK YOU Short, sweet and completely accurate.

Hannah Robbins TU stan As you might have learned from the emails that aren’t quite as persistent as Pam Smith’s suggestions to do your course evals but just as likely to prevent you from interacting with them, TU has come out with a new mission statement. This new mission statement is fairly simple and yet still discerning. Peer-reviewed and finally voted in after months of meetings, TU committee members came up with a very catchy and overarching phrase that represents how the university represents its students: fuck you.

This mission statement meets all the goals of a good one: it’s short enough to motivate everything that the University of Tulsa is doing, it communicates the direction the university wants to go and it shows how it wished to affect markets it’s influencing (students). Once you break down what this means for all the silos of the university, the direction I’ve personally seen the university move makes sense.

As tuition has increased, the diversity of offerings for students has gone down. Some of the liberal arts emphasis that allowed students to major and minor in completely different things was pushed by the wayside with True Commitment, preventing students from colleges outside of arts and sciences from taking previously open classes on subjects like American Sign Language.

Students have to look toward independent studies to complete courses that were full courses in the past, which impacts not only their learning, but the course-load of profes-

sors. At the same time, professors have to do more work and teach more, making it harder for them to complete their research at this research university, hampering the quality of work being published.

Coming from TU’s administration, this mission statement also implies some level of censorship, as obviously, half of the mission statement cannot be said twice in family friendly films (though it is used liberally at this institution). However, as the administration values memorability over hope toward a brighter and more productive future, this mission statement does fit particularly well.

The simplicity of the new mission statement leaves little room for addition, but as the aforementioned student survey does question if there’s anything missing from TU, something noting the disproportionate praise for athletics over arts, neglecting the accomplishments of the latter might be beneficial to hint at. However, I can see how from a PR perspective that might not be the best addition. And, as some might argue, some of the arts (creative writing, computer simulation and gaming) are doing well, as shown by the new e-sports lounge, so there might be less validity to that addition as a whole.

However, I doubt that anyone could disagree that adding students to the end of the mission statement would be remiss. With all the changes in my time at the university, the input by students was definitely limited, if there at all, and as changes made by administration limit the ability for students that are paying the university to get the quality of education they desire, Tulsa has raised a specific finger at their students time and time again, in big and small ways.

graphic by Sara Serrano