Collegian: 6 March 2012 Issue, Volume 97 by The Collegian: Student Newspaper of the University of Tulsa

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

march 6, 2012 issue 20 ~ volume 97

Food for thought: under Sodexo, dining options evolving, still limited While Sodexo and the Pat Case Dining Center may be frequent targets of student complaint, TU’s contracted dining service provider touts an increased array of options. John Lepine Staff Writer

Sodexo, the exclusive provider of dining services at the University of Tulsa, has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Sodexo serves a wide variety of brands and qualities of food at TU—from the basic corn dog and french fries option of the March 1 dinner in the Pat Case Dining Center to the “Black Pepper Crusted

Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper-Ancho Salsa” served as the entrée at the SA Leadership Dinner on Feb. 29, from Halal meals to Chick-fil-A, from Seattle’s Best to Starbucks. TU switched from an in-house catering system to a contract with Sodexo in 2007. Since then, the Hurricane Hut has reopened, Chick-fil-A has come to ACAC and Benvenuto’s (previously known as Bonici Brothers and Delissimo’s) has undergone relocations and name changes, while always retaining its popular pasta dishes. In 2009, TU introduced McFarlin Library’s Cort & Martha Dietler Café, and in 2010 it added a Subway in ACAC. The university also renovated the Pat Case Din-

ing Center and the concessions facilities at the Reynolds Center, and took over management of the Gilcrease Restaurant. All these changes and improvements are just part of what sets TU Dining Services apart from other schools, said David Wagner, Resident Dining Manager. “This is my fifth Sodexo account,” he said. “We’re doing stuff that other schools aren’t touching.” Unique Sodexo work at TU includes a 75-foot sandwich sold last week to promote the new SimplyTo-Go Catering program and the laissez-faire approach to the student-run Dietler Café. “Everything that they buy (at Dietler Café) is exactly what is afforded to Whole Foods,” said Dining Services Director Mike Neal.

“No other account that I know of with Sodexo would have that kind of ability, and we actually turn that over to the students who run it. We let them shop their own products, and we found that by doing that ... students are extremely happy,” Neal said. Goods sold at the café range from organic sesame seed oil to stir-fry pans and loose-leaf tea. There are plenty of students who still have a bone to pick with Sodexo, though. “There should be more vegetarian and vegan options,” said sophomore Kimberly Poff, who is on a meal plan at the Pat Case Dining Center. Freshman John Yuan agrees. “There’s never any vegan options,” he said. Someone with special dietary

needs can call ahead with a request, Poff said, but she has “several friends who are gluten-free and have called ahead and ordered it and sometimes the chicken will have breading on it. Sometimes it’s not actually gluten-free, so it varies.” Poff says she noticed the difficulty of eating vegetarian in the Pat Case Dining Center after giving up meat for Lent. She says that her meal plan is “ridiculously overpriced” and that she will “be glad to be rid of it next year,” but admits that the Dining Center is “actually not that bad.” “Sometimes it’s really good,” she said. Yuan also thinks that some of

See Sodexo page 3

NEWS

6 MARCH 2012

Eye on the world:

Jinan ElSabbagh Student Writer

Africa SOMALIA Joint African Union, Ethiopian and Kenyan forces have successfully taken over Maslah, a key AlShabaab base on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. Al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant group, joined al-Qaeda last month. The Maslah base, located three miles north of African Union-controlled Mogadishu, was used to launch missile attacks at opposing

forces. Al-Shabaab still controls most of central and southern Somalia. AU commander Major General Fred Mugisha said that the operation was “necessary to consolidate the security of Mogadishu.”

Asia CHINA On Wednesday, the Chinese State Council announced new air quality standards. Vice-Minister of Environmental Protection Wu Xiaoqing acknowledged that two-thirds of China’s cities would currently

THE COLLEGIAN : 2

fail these new standards. The regulations, which will take effect in 2016, will measure concentrations of ozone and PM2.5— the fine atmospheric particles that contribute to smog. The new standard require cities to average less than 75 micrograms per cubic meter daily, compared to the U.S. standard of 35 per cubic meter daily. New restrictions on larger PM10 particles will also be implemented. Some cities’ air will be tested this year while others will have to wait until 2015. Wu said that due to economic and population growth, meeting these standards is a “serious challenge.”

Europe RUSSIA Russia passed a new anti-gay bill on Wednesday, angering gay rights activists. The bill’s principal architect was Vitaly Milonov, an outspoken proponent of the Russian Orthodox Church. The bill would fine groups or individuals up to $17,000 if they propagated “sodomy, lesbianism,

bisexuality and transgenderism among minors.” Nilonov argues that information on homosexuality and other “perversions” would negatively influence minors. Igor Kochetkov, president of the Russian L.G.B.T Network, responded to the bill saying, “Even if someone wanted to, no amount of propaganda is going to turn a heterosexual gay.” The bill will force police to investigate gay rights organizations and their marketing.

Middle East ISRAEL Israeli Communication Ministry officials and military troops raided two Palestinian television stations. The officials claim that the two stations, Al-Watan and Al-Quds Educational Television, were repeatedly warned that they were using frequencies which interfered with Israel’s communication system and which violated IsraeliPalestinian agreements. The Palestinian government and the news stations attest that they received no warnings. Confiscat-

ed material included documents, transmitters and hard drives.

South America ARGENTINA Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner wants to renegotiate flights from Argentina to the Falkland Islands. Since Argentina signed a 1999 accord with Britain, weekly flights from Chile have carried passengers to and from the Islands. However, Fernandez wants the flights to be run by an Argentinian state-owned airline out of Buenos Aires. The Falkland Islands are a selfgoverning territory of Great Britain, although they are claimed by Argentina. British officials have said that the decision to re-open flights from Argentina belongs to the Islands’ government, though they expect Argentina to honor the 1999 treaty. Pressures to renegotiate the Argentina-Britain agreements are increasing as the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Falkland War between the two countries approaches.

“Creepypasta” wins at Spring Film Festival TU’s fourth annual short film show featured subjects from a road trip to two proverbial “fish out of water.” Kalen Petersen News Editor

On Feb. 27, an audience at the Lorton Performance Center watched a possessed Game Boy cartridge wreak havok, experienced the haunting memories of a paralyzed dancer and caught a glimpse into the day-to-day struggles of the urban octopus. TU’s fourth annual Spring Film Festival featured seven short films, ranging in genre from drama to slapstick. The award for “Best Film” was taken by senior Elliott Ridgway’s horror/comedy “Creepypasta,” which starred Ridgway’s brother, Phil, as a teen who buys a cursed Pokémon video game from his crazed neighbor—played by Ridgway’s other sibling, Anton. “We found this horror story on the internet about a haunted Pokémon cartridge,” Ridgway said. We all had a good laugh about it and thought that it would be fun to adapt it into a movie.” The Ridgway brothers spent two weeks last summer creating “Creepypasta” in their hometown

of Alva, Oklahoma. “We used (Adobe) After Effects to change the game and make it look like it was doing (things) like glitch up and send threatening messages to the player,” Ridgway said. While the Ridgways’ two-week time frame may have been short, it was leisurely compared to the production of “Octopi,” which won the “Audience Choice” award. Students Sam Stewart, Grant Goodner, A.J. Sinker and Steven McDonald created “Octopi” in a single day as part of the Living Arts of Tulsa 24-hour Video Race. Beginning at midnight, the filmmakers were tasked with creating a movie in 24 hours, incorporating the theme “Occupy” and the phrase “But what if mine sucks?” into the film, and using a globe as a prop. Their answer to this challenge was unorthodox. After brainstorming until 2 a.m., they hit upon an idea. “We decided that we would pretend that we misheard it as, ‘octopi,’” Goodner said. The plot of “Octopi” centered around the difficulties faced by two large orange-and-blue octopuses living in an apartment, trying to do normal things like fold laundry. After snagging a few hours of

Alec Wallace / Collegian

Students Grant Goodner, A.J. Sinker and Steven McDonald receive the award for “Audience Choice” at the fourth annual Spring Film Festival for the short film “Octopi.” “I looked in the mirror and asked, ‘What would I do if I were an octopus?’ Goodner said. ‘I decided that I would probably be turned into sushi.’”

sleep, the four students set about buying props. They managed to find some inflatable octopuses and turn them into costumes.”They only had six legs each, so we had to take them apart and tape them together,” Goodner said. “They made this weird, silly, fun little film, and it worked,” said Chris Galegar, who won the 2010 Festival with the film, “Yo, Jimbo!” and was a judge this year. “Octopi” had “this element of horror camp, like when the octo-

puses were playing piano,” Galegar said. For “Octopi’s” final scene, Stewart and Sinker, in octopus costume, braved the winter weather and swam in a local pond. Galegar offered praise for the “Best Film” runner-up “Tunnel Vision” by Anna Bennett. Clocking in at only two minutes long, “Tunnel Vision” is a wordless emotional depiction about a dancer paralyzed in a car accident. “It was quick and it was choppy and it caused sort of a visceral re-

action throughout,” Galagar said. Galegar said that he voted for the films in the order that they won. He described “Creepypasta” as “a very clever, playful film.” “It wasn’t trying to be more than what it was, and I think it worked because of that,” he said. Ridgway said that he was interested in a career in cinema. “I’m a computer science major, but if the chance ever arose to make films for a living, I’d definitely take it,” he said.

Softball gives no quarter in home game shutouts

upcoming events at

Sharp Chapel Monday: Fair Trade Coffee: Learn more about the fair trade mission and grab some free coffee and tasty chocolate in the Atrium from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch with Calvin: Reading and discussion over John Calvin with lunch at 12 p.m. in the upstairs conference room. Wednesday: WOW (Worship on Wednesday): Uplifting praise music and a chapel service in the main sanctuary at 12 p.m. followed by lunch. Thursday: Apologetics for Lunch: Reading and discussion over John Scott’s writings with lunch at 12 p.m. in the Atrium. Gateway Late-Night Worship: Fellowship, a message and great student-led worship at 9 p.m. in the Atrium. Friday: PLS Lunch: Come learn more about PLS (Presbyterian Leaders and Scholars) and hear a message from a different fellow student each week at 12 p.m. in the Atrium.

Lucas Forsythe / Collegian

Junior Cassidy Bowen nails a double to right center in Tulsa’s victory over the University of North Texas. The team made its first home appearances this past weekend with outstanding results, defeating North Texas twice 7–2 and 6–1, Austin Peay 8–0, and Loyola Chicago twice: 10–2 and 7–0.

TUE 3/6:

WED 3/7:

THU 2/8:

Trio Tulsa Concert

Oklahoma Primary

Michael Martin Murphey

“Our Town” opens

Three members of TU’s music faculty will play a triad of classical pieces. Maureen O’Boyle on violin, Diane Bucchianeri on cello and Dr. Roger Price on piano will perform Mozart, Rachmaninov and Ravel. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. at the Lorton Performance Center, and is free and open to the public.

The nation will be watching Oklahoma, one of 10 states with primaries on “Super Tuesday.” An American Research Group survey put Rick Santorum up 11 percent over Romney in the state last Saturday. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for registered voters.

Country artist Michael Murphey, who has written songs for musicians from The Monkees to Kenny Rogers, will bring his unique blend of country, rock and folk influences to Tulsa’s Little Theater. Murphey has recorded with both Charlie Daniels and Willie Nelson. Tickets are $26 in advance and $30 at the door.

The University of Tulsa’s Theatre Department will present Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” the classic story of life, death and love in the small New England town of Grover’s Corners. The play will be shown at 8 p.m. on March 8, 9 and 10 in Kendall Hall’s Chapman Theater.

NEWS

THE COLLEGIAN : 3

6 MARCH 2012

Pro-life dark horse Terry holds Tulsa rally

Randall Terry, the staunchly anti-abortion Democratic presidential candidate, appeared with conservative commentator Ann Coulter. Emily Callen Staff Writer

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter came to Tulsa on Saturday night, though few people seemed to notice. About 60 people showed up to the rally, which was held for prolife presidential candidate Randall Terry. Roughly seven people attended a fundraiser before the public rally began. Before the event began, several people could be heard whispering, “Where are all the people?” Terry’s stated objective in running on the Democratic ticket is to air his graphic anti-abortion ads on television, since broadcast networks are required to air the unedited ads of federal candidates. According to Terry, “These ads

From Sodexo on cover the complaining is over-the-top. “Some people rage about how bad the Caf is,” he said. “Suck it up— it’s not that bad. We’re starving college students and it’s food, so it’s good.” Both Poff and Yuan want more options and healthier options, and Neal would say that those have been on the menu recently. He tells about a semester in which the Dining Center never served french fries, offering every other option instead, from roasted potatoes to sweet potato fries. According to him, with the variety of replacements—all of them healthier—students did not even notice that the french fries were gone. TU’s position as a mid-market institution gives it considerably more clout and options than most of the 21 other Sodexo-affiliated institutions in Oklahoma. Wagner, who took over as Resident Dining Manager at the Dining Center in November, noted that “TU, in the Sodexo world, is seen as ... a beacon of what we’re supposed to do and what we’re supposed to be.” Wagner calls big events, like the dedication of Rayzor Hall, “hotel resort-level stuff,” while acknowledging that “budgetarily speaking, we can’t always do that at Pat Case, but that’s the mind set we try to instill.” “We’ve got, of course, room to grow in some places, but I think we’re headed in the right direction,” he said. One area that has seen progress—but still has potential for

are narrowly tailored to the Christian voter to cause them to have a crisis of conscience.” This way, “we can suppress the Obama vote by five percent and the Republican is not hurt at all,” he went on, citing polling that his campaign has conducted in Florida. Terry likened his work to the Civil Rights Movement, the end of slavery and the battle against apartheid. Graphic images have been crucial to the success of social revolutions, he said. “This is the way it works, people, and we’re not ashamed and we’re not embarrassed,” Terry said. As in civil rights movements, Terry said, “our mission is total victory.” “Heaven’s point of view is the correct point of view,” Terry went on. Coulter later agreed. She said, “A Mormon is better than a Muslim.” Coulter went on to say that she was joking about the president’s faith, going on to suggest that he was clearly an atheist, earning

“amens” and nods of approval from the small but rapt audience. When it was Coulter’s turn to take the stage, she began with the derisive sarcasm that has become her trademark. Referring to the national battle over access to birth control, Coulter said, “The next thing that’s going to be mandated is coverage for abortion, obviously.” This coverage, she said, will be mandated by “crazed doctrinaire feminist” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Coulter described Secretary Sebelius this way several times during her remarks. The Democratic Party “is exclusively a party of yuppies, feminists and trial lawyers now. If you’re not one of those, they don’t want you,” Coulter said. Referring to Democrats once more, Coulter said, “what this crowd really is is pro-death, for babies, not for terrorists.” In response to the, “If you’re

against abortion don’t have one” slogan sometimes used by prochoice groups, Coulter said, “If you’re against the killing of abortionists, don’t kill one.” The real outrage, Coulter said, is that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution protects the right to abortion. Roe v. Wade prevents states from passing laws barring abortion, which Coulter says curtails the democratic process. In response, she called on the executive branch, at either the state or federal level, to ignore the judiciary. Connie Smedley said she came to the event because she is a longtime fan of Coulter’s. She also said that she is trying to go and hear about all of the candidates running for president: “I don’t think I’ve missed an election in the last 15 years,” she said. “I’m absolutely shocked and dismayed that there aren’t more people here,” Smedley said. Though 15-year-old Tyler James cannot yet vote, he thinks

of CDS, failure to register as a sex offender and first degree rape. The man was arrested by campus officers and TPD was contacted. TPD transported the subject to jail for public intoxication.

Sodexo’s sustainability stats Most milk at TU is produced within 150 miles of Tulsa. “Regionally contracted dairies are antibiotic and rBGH/rBST free,” reported the Sustainability Committee. Eight percent of the food budget is spent on locally grown or raised products. These include: • White and brown mushrooms (Miami, Okla.) • Various melons (Hinton, Okla.) • Mixed vegetables (Norman, Okla.) • Flour and cornmeal (Shawnee and Okeene, Okla.) • Beef, lamb, pork (Oklahoma City, Okla.) • Vegetables and salad mix (Moore, Okla.) In 2009, Sodexo at TU announced that by 2015, 100 percent of the fish and seafood served would be sustainably caught and raised, and 100 percent of the farm and ranch products served would be responsibly grown from local and sustainable producers. TU currently serves no endangered fish or seafood. 100 percent of all milk purchased by Sodexo at TU is hormone-free. growth—is sustainability. After much agitation on both sides over the years, TU still has not gone trayless. “We encourage students to go trayless,” says a report issued by the University of Tulsa Sustainability Committee, noting, “It takes about 1/4 gallon of water to wash just one tray.” Trays are not as conveniently located in cafeteria as they once were, but they are still available to students. Still, TU Dining Services has made many strides to improve TU’s organic, sustainable and local options while wasting less and recycling more. “We took a 30 to 40 percent increase on buying ‘green’ chemicals,” said Neal. He also said that disposable cups, which have replaced Styrofoam everywhere except Chick-fil-A, “cost 40 percent

Young Wang / Collegian

A TU student examines the food options at the Chick-fil-A Express in ACAC. The Chickfil-A was added in 2008. On Wednesday, the popular lunch destination stayed open five hours past its usual 3 p.m. closing time to gauge student interest in expanded hours.

more than what we were buying, but across the board, it’s what’s right for TU.” Before this year’s switch to “Simply To-Go” options for students on meal plans, students could take a Styrofoam box into the Caf, fill it up and go. Now students can get an entrée, a drink and two sides at the front of Pat Case Dining Center, or in the ACAC food court. That second option became available last semester after efforts by Student Association and because of the inconvenient location of the Pat Case Dining Center for music and science majors. Neal attributed these changes in dining options to “healthy dialogue with students.” Wagner agreed, saying that he meets with five or six students every week for specific dietary planning. He noted that TU keeps “a registered dietitian on call.” That openness to student concerns is what paved the way for Sodexo’s newest experiment, extended hours at Chick-fil-A. A joint plan between Student Association and TU administration kept the ACAC Chick-fil-A open an additional five hours last Wednesday, serving a massive dinner crowd until 8 p.m. “I was really excited,” Neal said. He indicated that Chick-fil-A will continue offering a weekly dinner option this semester to gauge student interest. “We don’t mind hiring a (second) crew” in the long run if students keep coming, he said. TU students may differ in their opinions of on-campus dining, but with the manifold changes implemented in the past few years, it is hard to argue that nothing has improved. Whether these changes have gone far enough—that may be a matter of taste.

Dining here vs. there: a campus comparison University of Tulsa

Oklahoma State University

University of Arkansas

• Provider: Sodexo • Most expensive meal plan: $2432/semester (“Unlimited”) • Weekday closing hours of main cafeteria: 7:30 p.m. • Student comment: “ridiculously overpriced,” “actually not that bad,” “sometimes it’s pretty good”

• Provider: University Dining Services • Meal plan uses debit-card style payment, up to $2,000/semester • Weekday closing hours of most facilities: 3 p.m. (restaurants at Kerr Drummond building are exceptions) • Student comment: “Kerr Drummond is the only dining facility open on weekends,” “prices are just like real restaurants”

• Provider: Chartwells • Most expensive meal plan: $1663/semester (“Unlimited Meals Plus”) • Weekday closing hours of main cafeteria: 6:30 p.m. • Student comment: “convenient and effective,” “never been stellar in the eyes of students,” “more concerned with getting calories than an eating experience”

the country is headed in the wrong direction and wanted to hear from candidates offering an alternative. “This president can have his change back,” James said. “If I could vote, I’d be leaning toward Santorum or Gingrich.” Tyler continued, “I love everything about Ron Paul, but his foreign policy is whack. He comes across as that crazy uncle you don’t want to see.” The event also drew several protesters. Misty McGee said she saw Terry’s candidacy as an insult. “It’s a slap on the face. He clearly doesn’t take the government seriously or the office of the President seriously,” McGee said. “I think it’s funny that only seven people showed up for his fundraiser.” Don Henderson held a sign reading, “Democracy, Not Theocracy.” When asked what drew him to the protest, Henderson kept his answer simple. “Well,” he said, showing his sign, “that’s it. Keep religious doctrine out of political doctrine.”

Feb. 22

4:40 p.m. An officer was dispatched to Rayzor Hall in reference to a stolen camera. The reporting party stated that he had left the camera in a room on a shelf and returned later that day and discovered the camera was missing. The reporting party stated that the room was locked. Incident update: Campus Security contacted the RP in the followup investigation to retrieve serial numbers. The reporting party stated that he had returned to the room and found the camera. It was undamaged.

Feb. 25

5:33 a.m. While on routine foot patrol, an officer observed a black male attempting to ride a bicycle. The man was extremely unbalanced and unable to coordinate the pedals. The officer made contact and suspected the subject was under the influence of alcohol. A records check indicated that the subject had previous convictions for first degree burglary, assault on a police officer, assault with a deadly weapon, possession

Feb. 26

1:17 a.m. Officers responded to a fire alarm at the John Mabee Hall. Upon arrival, the officers did not detect any fire. The fire panel indicated a room sensor which officers checked. There was no sign of smoke or fire. The building was cleared and TFD was cancelled. 4:10 p.m. An officer was dispatched to the McFarlin Library for a report of vandalism. Upon arrival, the officer met with the victim who stated that his motorcycle had been pushed over. The side of the motorcycle was damaged. 5:35 p.m. While on routine patrol, an officer observed a vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign at 8th Street and Tucker Drive. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle accelerated and sped off campus, running a second stop sign. The officer was able to identify the owner of the vehicle through parking registration. The Collegian does not produce or edit the Campus Crime Watch, except for clarity and brevity.

Total SA Senate Allocations for Feb. 28: $4,345 Bill # Allocates... 68 $180.60 to Lanbrew, LAN #3 70 $960 to Delta Delta Delta, travel to St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis 71 $450 to Chi Alpha, Friendship Feasts, 1112 S. Evanston Ave. 79

80 81

82 83 84

$175 to Tau Beta Pi, February meeting, Keplinger Hall (room TBD) $210 to Spiked Punch Lines Improv, “Springing Into Action” $130 to Society of Physics Students, SPS February Meeting, Keplinger hall (room TBD) $244 to Reformed University Fellowship, Swing Dancing $400 to St. Philip Neri Catholic Newman Center, Lenten Dinners $595 to NABA, Monthly Professional Meetings, Helmerich Hall room 219 $1280 to Lottie Jane Mabee Hall Government, SYR, Dresser Mansion $466.50 to Engineers Without Borders, travel to Engineers Without Borders USA 2102 $205 to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Play Your Cards Right

When? Feb. 10. March 8–10

7 p.m. Feb. 13, 27; March 5, 26; April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Noon, March 12

March 2, 3 Noon, March 14

Feb. 25 5 p.m. Feb. 24, March 2, 9, 16, 30 Noon, March 2, April 6 8 p.m. April 14

March 22–25

Feb. 27

Additionally... Spring Bill 77: Allows the waiving of the requirements for organizations to meet with the Financial Appropriations Committee and Senate for events under $200 and the waiving of the requirement for meetings with Senate for events under $500.

Sports

6 MARCH 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 4

Memphis silences TU, claims conference crown After a disappointing loss to Memphis, the Golden Hurricane looks toward the C-USA tournament, with a bid to the NCAA on the line for the champion.

Sam Morton Student Writer

Zak Patterson Student Writer

Senior Day did not go according to plan for the Golden Hurricane men’s basketball team Saturday as the Memphis Tigers hushed the Reynolds Center “white-out” crowd of 6,131. Memphis blew away Tulsa 78–66, and in the process sealed the Conference USA regular season title. The final score masked the game’s lopsidedness. Memphis led 77–53 with 3:55 remaining, and Tulsa finished the game on a 13–1 run when Memphis benched its starters. The Tigers held the lead for the duration of the game, but a furious 8–0 run by TU at the end of the first half cut the Memphis advantage to 37–34. Memphis went on a fast 7–0 run to start the second half, however, and never looked back. Seniors Steven Idlet, Joe Richard, D.J. Magley and Will Sanger each scored in their final home game for the Golden Hurricane. Sophomore Jordan Clarkson led TU with 18 points, Idlet had 13 points and six rebounds, and junior Scottie Haralson contributed 10 points. C-USA’s leading scorer, Memphis’s sophomore Will Barton, stole the show, posting 30 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. He tore the TU defense to pieces, shooting 12–17 from the field. Normally easygoing Memphis coach Josh Pastner lashed out at TU’s student section in the second half, and Tulsa students were reduced to yelling “We’re still smarter than you” and “Your coach is small.” Pastner was booed off the court after the game. He playfully donned the “Beat Mem-

Logan Miller / Collegian

Senior Steven Idelt dunks in what was likely his last game in the Reynolds Center against Memphis Saturday morning. While the Hurricane fell to the Tigers, it will get a second chance as it starts its push for a postseason championship this week in Memphis.

phis” T-shirt in his post-game radio appearance for Memphis. TU also fell 68–64 Wednesday night at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Jordan Clarkson had 21 points, freshman Eric McClellan had 14 points, and Idlet added 13. Clarkson missed a lay-up in the waning seconds that would have tied the game, and the loss took Tulsa out of the running for a regular season C-USA championship. The Golden Hurricane ends its regular season with a 17–13 record and a 10–6 record in conference play. Eight of TU’s losses were by five points or less. Both teams will now head to Memphis for the C-USA tournament which will be held Wednesday through Saturday. Thanks to a University of Central Florida win over UAB Saturday night, Tulsa takes the threeseed in the tournament and will receive a

first round bye. After the game Coach Doug Wojcik addressed the coming tournament, saying that because of the rough late season losses, “We have to get ourselves in a good place mentally” to compete. According to Wojcik, with the prospect of “playing three days in a row ... it’s about feeling good and confidence.” Tulsa will play at 2:30 p.m. Thursday and will take on the winner of Wednesday’s SMU-Marshall game. The quarterfinal and semifinal games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, while the conference championship will be aired on CBS. The Golden Hurricane must win the conference tournament to get a bid to the NCAA tournament, while the Tigers will likely make the tournament regardless of how they do this weekend.

Women’s rowing to start 2012 campaign As winter sports draw to a close, Tulsa’s rowers prepare to hit the water for their 2012 season. Amanda Schenk Student Writer

Along with nicer weather, spring also brings the beginning of a new season for a number of sports at the University of Tulsa. While less visible than other sports, rowing is set to join softball in starting its main season of the year, while track and field and golf continue seasons and soccer and football begin spring seasons. TU’s women’s rowing team looks to begin its season at the OU Invitational next weekend, March 9–11, in Oklahoma City. Along with the Sooners, the meet will also include Conference USA rivals Kansas State, the University of Kansas, Southern Methodist University, as well as Creighton, Division II competitor University of Central Oklahoma and NAIA-participant Oklahoma City University. This regatta will provide a starting point for the team, allowing it to judge early on how fast it is against conference opponents, and also allow the coaching staff to work on lineup combinations and determine what it needs to focus on as the team moves toward the C-USA championship in mid-May. Other events that the team is looking forward to include the San Diego Crew Classic, held at the end of March. This event hosts over 3,400 athletes, who race in almost 100 races over the course of two days. A much-loved event, the Crew Classic will provide the team another chance to race

Photo courtesy Lauren Nehf

Tulsa’s rowers prepare to race at the 2011 C-USA championship last May. Tulsa came in fifth overall, placing third in the Varsity 4 race.

conference competitors, including OU. “I am excited to race the University of Oklahoma three times this year,” said thirdyear varsity rower and junior Meredith Papps, “and am looking forward to lining up against big names at San Diego and Sacramento.” By “Sacramento,” Papps means the Lake Natoma Invitational, an annual regatta co-hosted by the University of California Berkeley and Sacramento State. This event is an important opportunity for the team, which will race against some of the top-ranked opponents in the nation, including Brown University, last year’s NCAA Division I champions. Zoë Fleischmann, a transfer sophomore in her first year at TU, echoed Papps’s thoughts. “I’m really looking forward to this season because as a team we’re all re-

ally stepping up: the races are harder, we’re training harder,” she said. “This season will be very exciting for women’s rowing.” An exciting local event for the rowing team will be the Lawless Cup, which it will host on the Verdigris River in Catoosa, Oklahoma. This event will also be the rowing team’s Senior Day, where the 15 nonreturning seniors will be honored. Sophomore Amy Nelson said, “Lawless will be a great way for the TU and Tulsa communities to actually see what we do—a lot of people know that we exist but don’t actually know what it is that we do.” Held on April 21, the team will take on Southern Methodist University in front of what it hopes will be a large supporting crowd, as all community members and TUsupporters are welcome to attend and watch the team in action.

Ryan Braun, last year’s National League MVP, recently had a positive test for performance enhancing drugs overturned by an MLB arbitrator. This case marks the first such reversal in MLB history. Braun’s attorneys argued that the chain of custody was broken when Dino Laurenzi, Jr., the man who collected Braun’s urine sample, failed immediately to FedEx it to the lab to be tested—letting the sample sit in his fridge for 44 hours before sending it in. Laurenzi’s defense was that FedEx was closed for the weekend. In response to the reversal, the league released a statement saying it is “vehemently opposed” to the decision. Its reasoning is that the seal on the sample was not tampered with, and the sample did contain synthetic testosterone. To the MLB, the chain of custody rule is a minor technicality. Unfortunately for the MLB, procedure was not followed. Braun’s sample was not handled correctly, and because of that Major League Baseball, receives the same answer it gave to Armando Galarraga after umpire Mike Joyce blew the call that cost him a perfect game: That’s just the way it is.

Photo courtesy Only a Game

Ryan Braun is THIS HAPPY that he got off on an obscure technicality.

The NBA all-star game is supposed to be a fun exhibition, and it was this year, until things took a strange turn. Everything was peachy: dunks were slammed, uncontested fade-away shots were taken, and very, very little defense was played … until Dwayne Wade laid down an absolute hack on Kobe Bryant as he was going up for a dunk that resulted in a broken nose and a concussion. Shame on you D. Wade! Could this little outburst be a cry for attention? Just because the Miami media brought home another child (a rather large one, mind you) does not mean Wade needs to act out on the big stage. But poor Wade knows it’s just not the same since LeBron showed up. It is okay, Wade, we understand the anxiety that a new addition can bring. Just try to keep that temper of yours under control and you’ll be still Miami’s special little guy.

Rowing basics for the sports illiterate

Photo courtesy Contra Coast Times

What is the difference between sweep rowing and sculling?

It’s kinda hard to feel big next to this guy.

Sweep rowing, the form used to gain points in NCAA championship events, means that each rower has one oar, held with both hands. Depending which direction the oar extends, a rower can either be a “port rower” or a “starboard rower.” Sweep rowing is done in groups of eight, four or two. Sweep rowing incorporates a coxswain, while sculling is performed without, and each rower in a sculling boat has an oar in each hand; one oar extends to the port side, while the other oar extends to the starboard side. The most common sculling boats are quads, doubles and singles.

The Daytona 500 happened! Matt Kenseth won, a car blew up, Danica Patrick lost, and rednecks everywhere rejoiced. Now that that’s over, we can go back to our comfort zone of “forgetting NASCAR ever happens,” and tune into some more predraft NFL nonsense.

What is the role of a coxswain? Coxswains are most commonly seen in eights and fours, and are responsible for steering the boat and providing motivational calls to the rowers. Coxswains face the bow (as opposed to rowers, who face the stern of the boat), which enables them to determine the best course as they race. What is the main muscle group used in rowing? A common misconception about rowing is that it mainly relies on the arms and upper-body. In reality, rowing is a full-body sport, requiring both the arms and the legs. The main force behind the blade, is provided by the legs, which push against a footboard in the boat and allow the rower to move the oar through the water.

Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Online

BOOM!

Sports

THE COLLEGIAN : 5

6 MARCH 2012

Women’s basketball wins finale, tournament awaits After a disappointing 2011 season, Tulsa’s women’s basketball team rebounds with a solid 2012 campaign and a 6-seed in the C-USA tournament. Phillip Fischaber Student Writer

Tulsa’s women’s basketball team concluded the regular season against SMU last Thursday. Tulsa honored seniors Virginia DeWare,

Denise Lewis and Chanice Scott prior to the game. After a close victory, the Golden Hurricane finished the regular season 13–14 with an 8–8 record in Conference USA, and a 10–4 mark within the friendly confines of the Reynolds Center. Tulsa ranks third in the conference in defensive rebound percentage (.679) and fourth in free throw percentage (.654). It ranks fifth in four different categories: scoring offense (60.2), rebounding margin (+3.4), offensive rebounds (15.1)

and defensive rebounds (26.1). Tulsa’s 13–14 record is a significant improvement over last year’s 4–19 regular season record and 5–20 overall record. New head coach Matilda Mossman has made significant improvements in the team this year. Fans are looking forward to an even better performance next season and to the C-USA tournament this week in Memphis. The entire game against SMU was close, with TU trailing at multiple points. Tulsa was down by

two at the half, but came back to maintain around a five point lead for most of the second half, holding on for the 61–57 win. Four Tulsa players scored in the double digits, with Taleya Mayberry scoring 19 and Taylor Hooker earning 14. Chanice Scott had 12, and Denise Lewis scored a seasonhigh 10 points. Hooker also had a team best of eight rebounds. As a further accolade to a significantly improved season, junior Tiffani Couisnard was named to the 2012 C-USA Women’s Bas-

ketball All-Academic Team. This is her second straight year to win this honor. The C-USA sixth seeded Tulsa women will face 11th seeded East Carolina in the first round of the C-USA tournament at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in Memphis. A first round win would pit Tulsa against a Tulane team that the Hurricane defeated 72–59 on the road last month, giving it a solid chance going forward.

variety

6 MARCH 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 6

Internet humor takes TU campus by storm After two weeks of hard meme creation, guest judge and official internet aficionado Charlie Spears announces the Collegian’s “meme-off” results. Charlie Spears Student Writer

Welcome to the Internet, where facts are made up and opinions don’t matter. Believe it or not, there is a lot more to the Internet than social networking and cat pictures. For instance, ever stumbled accross gentlemint.com? It’s Pinterest for men! Well, there goes my semester. Oh yeah, “memes.” A couple weeks ago the Collegian asked for you to submit your best meme! After two weeks of the best and brightest young minds in America staying up late at night, hashing and rehashing ideas to formulate the funniest meme ever, we have chosen winners. First of all, let’s get something straight here. Most of the submissions were what

are called “AdviceAnimals,” a type of image macro series featuring animals of some kind (including humans) that are accompanied by captioned text to represent a character trait or an archetype that fits the role of a “stock character”. A strict definition of “meme” is “an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.”(according to Wikipedia), or a method of conveying cultural ideas. They don’t necessarily have to be pictures. A meme can even be something like the two-fingers peace sign. Memes in Internetland usually take the form of running jokes like “Rickrolling” people, or the phrase “All your base are belong to us.” Most TU meme submissions were AdviceAnimals, although there were a few Ragecomics. Anyone interested in learning more about the quirky ins and outs of internet humor and more should check out knowyourmeme.com for more information. Now, without further ado, we present to you the best memes the University of Tulsa could come up with … unfortunately.

Honerable mention goes to Insanity Wolf, although a true Insanity Wolf would have known the difference between a tornado watch and warning. There aren’t tornados during a watch, fool. Regardless, HONORABLE MENTION for TRUTH.

Submitted by Christian Mann

Too true. Apparently we’re all thinking forward to the time we have a reliable network. Also, that’s a giant hat. How on earth did we get a Scumbag Steve hat on top of McFarlin?

Submitted by Ross Watson, Sophomore, Accounting

Submitted by an Ineligible Anon

Good Guy Greg, it’s time we give credit where credit is due. You’re the guy who pays people back on time, brings flowers to girls without Valentines, and smokes +25 feet from buildings. Don’t be humble, man, flaunt yourself, because you’re the winner in our hearts!

Submitted by Logan Miller, Freshman, Computer Science

And last but not least, our first place prize goes to “the world’s most interesting man.” He’s the bearded face of cool character, the very ambassador of the internet academic, the suave embodiment of sophisticated nonchalance. His noble visage is undoubtedly the perfect way to salute our everyday dining dollar diners—the men and women who didn’t luck out on an obscure standardized test in high school but enjoy riding in the wake of their cohorts’ monopoly-money scholarships anyway. Our hats are off to you, Dos Equis guy, and for that you deserve an EPIC WIN. It so happens that our prize to you is $25 gift certificate to Quik Trip, so whether you’re purchasing several dozen taquitos or maybe even some fine Mexican brews, the next round is on you, my friend.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Collegian meme competition! If you or someone you know have ideas for future Collegian articles or competions, just email collegian@utulsa.edu.

Spa Day

Thursday, March 8 1:00-5:00 pm acac atrium

Free manicures Free 5-minute massages

Variety

THE COLLEGIAN : 7

6 MARCH 2012

By Cory Bys

The Best Twitters to Follow

Photo courtesy Relatively Media

George (left), played by Paul Rudd, and Linda (right), played by Jennifer Aniston, are going through a rough patch in life. But everything changes once they stumble upon a “free love” commune.

Rudd and Aniston deliver in “Wanderlust”

Director David Wain’s latest is humourous but not memorable. Rich Huxtable Guest Writer

Paul Rudd has slowly but surely become one of America’s most consistent comic actors. In “Wanderlust,” he and Jennifer Aniston play a married couple struggling to stay ahead of the game in New York City. When George (Rudd) loses

his job and Linda (Aniston) gets turned down by HBO (she is trying to sell them a documentary about penguins with testicular cancer) they are forced to move to Atlanta and live with George’s brother. However, before they make it to his brother’s house they decide to stop at a bed and breakfast. As they turn their car into the driveway, they are met by a naked man (that’s right—full frontal nudity on this guy, folks). Frantically trying to back out, their car flips over and they are forced to stay for the night. For the duration of the film, we see some bizarre people—or are they just different?—doing some pretty wild things. George cannot even sit down to take care of business without someone wandering

in to have a rap session with him. There are decent laughs throughout this movie, and it is obvious that some of the scenes are ad-libbed, which results in some jokes working better than others. However, these moments are not all that memorable once viewers leave the theater. Still, Rudd and Aniston seem to work pretty well together. Even though viewers might not believe that Rudd and Aniston would be so easily tempted by the “free love” mantra of the commune, they are believable as a married couple. Although “Wanderlust” is a decent comedy, it is nothing great. I might consider the film a near miss; however, fans of Paul Rudd—like me—should still check this movie out.

Waters’ “King Bee” remains solid blues album Studio 54: A Weekly Review of All Things Retro. Elliot Bauman Student Writer

1. @TheOnion—The Onion provides the most essential and relevant news to college students. For example, most people probably did not know that the world’s youngest person was born recently.

Weirdos and say to themselves, “Well, at least I’m not them.”

2. @YouTube—Instead of surfing YouTube for hours to find the best videos, just follow it on Twitter and let it filter the best videos.

7. @StephenAtHome— Stephen Colbert can brighten anyone’s day. Follow him and see what’s up.

6. @DeathStarPR— “Star Wars” related humor is an essential part of college life. This is the best place to find it.

3. @shitmydadsays— He says some pretty funny stuff. But don’t take my word for it. Follow him and find out.

8. @BarackObama— Social media has gained a huge role in politics, so it only makes sense to follow our own president. Come on people.

4. @lordvoldemort7— Even though the Harry Potter movies are finished, “He who must not be named” is still tweeting strong. The Dark Lord is one of the most hilarious people on twitter.

9. @hobbitmovieblog— In anticipation of what are sure to be two of the most amazing movies of our time, it is important to stay informed on recent developments in Middle Earth.

5. @WalmartWeirdos— Students who are having a bad day can follow Wal-mart

10. @ConanOBrien— Join team Coco and follow him on Twitter. You will not be sorry.

AWP conference excellent opportunity for young writers

The blues musical genre is arguably one of the greater truly American cultural contributions to the world. The origins of the musical form could certainly be debated without end, but it is generally accepted that the blues emerged from African-American communities in the Deep South during the end of the nineteenth century. Anyone who has heard the genre knows its characteristics: melancholy lyrics with a distinct musical and chord progression. Throughout the twentieth century, the blues evolved from its acoustic roots and began to incorporate electric instruments, such as electric bass and electric guitar. Additionally, the blues genre began to divide itself into numerous sub-genres. This week’s Retro Review focuses on one particular sub-genre, and the work of a major artist within it: Chicago blues and “King Bee” by Muddy Waters. Muddy Waters is a peculiar name. Born McKinley Morganfield in 1914 Mississippi, McKinley received the nickname from his habit of—big surprise—playing in muddy water as a child. While Waters’ career experienced a slow start up, in part due to a country that was still struggling with segregation and civil rights issues at the time. By his death, Muddy Waters was considered one of the founding fathers of modern Chicago blues and a paramount guitarist. While Muddy Waters is certainly most known for his early albums such as “Folk Singer” and

The annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference introduces and edifies a variety of writers. Helen Patterson Student Writer Photo courtesy Blue Sky Records

Waters’ final album, “King Bee,” is certainly a worthy closing work by one of the most noted blues artists of all time. Throughout his life, and after, Waters had a significant influence on many contemporary artists, including Keith Richards.

“Hard Again,” he is also known for individual songs like “Got My Mojo Working,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” and “Rollin’ Stone.” However, his final studio album, “King Bee” is particularly interesting. True to style, “King Bee” is a very bluesy album. Released in 1981, “King Bee” contains expected array of blues personnel: string, horn, percussion and vocal instruments. The content of the album is typical of the genre; most of the songs muse about the blues feeling, but there a few deviating tracks, such as “Champagne & Reefer” which predictably describes the artist’s fondness of the cannabis. Songs such as “Too Young to Know” and “I’m A King Bee” are also worth listening to. The nature of the production of “King Bee” is also interesting. The album was produced while Waters was experiencing severely declining health; he died less than two years after the album’s release in 1981. Furthermore, the album was recorded in a mere three days and contains outtakes from a number

of Waters’ previous albums. Overall, featuring some outstanding blues guitar and vocals, “King Bee” is a solid blues album and a worthy closing work by one of the greatest blues artists of all time. Despite Waters’ death, his albums and legacy live on. Waters’ career significantly impacted numerous contemporary artists, particularly those associated with the so-called “British blues invasion” during 1960s America. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones cites Waters as a major influence on the band’s music and guitar style. Numerous other artists also cite Waters as a significant influence. Rolling Stone magazine takes its name from Waters’ song, “Rolling Stone.” The magazine also ranked Waters as number 49 on its “100 Great Guitarists of All Time” list. “King Bee” is available for listen from many different sources, including iTunes, YouTube or your local music store.

The Association of Writers and Writing Program’s annual conference and book fair brings together a bewildering assortment of poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, essayists, editors, teachers, students, avid readers and program and journal directors to share their love of the written word. Every year, students from the University of Tulsa who are interning with Nimrod International Journal (a journal of poetry and prose based out of The University of Tulsa) get to attend the conference as members of the Nimrod team. This year, the conference was in Chicago Feb. 29 to March 3. The volume of booths and tables from various graduate programs, journals, magazines and more was incredible. Having all these different organizations in the same place helped to foster a sense of connection and opportunity among writers, who occasionally feel isolated. The amount of information— and the free copies of journals and papers—promised a stuffed suitcase to all participants returning home. In addition, experts offered panel discussions throughout the day. There was a wide variety of topics available, though the emphasis was on literary prose and poetry.

A few workshops introduced conference-goers to the more practical aspects of the writing world, such as running a literary journal and getting published in a competitive business. A few discussions disappointed. It is a wonderful experience to hear authors read their own work; however, when one goes into a panel expecting advice and instead hears only readings, it can feel as though the panel was misrepresented. During the conference, the 2012 Keynote Address was delivered by Margaret Atwood, a controversial author best known for her novels such as “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Edible Woman” and “The Robber Bride.” She emphasized the need for work, work and more work; talent is not enough to become a truly gifted writer. She also told several amusing stories about her experiences as an author. She delivered this address in a dry and humorous manner, beginning with several anecdotes about how surprised people were to discover that she was, in fact, still living. Shelli Castor, an intern with Nimrod, greatly enjoyed her experience at AWP. “The number of classes and reviews are great from anybody,” she said, adding that attending allowed her to, “(focus) on writing and getting her name out there.” “There are so many options ... [it is] cool to meet people from other parts of the country with similar interests as you,” she said. Anyone interested in experiencing the book fair, panel discussions, keynote address and networking opportunities that define AWP’s conference can register at AWPwriter.org as an individual or an organization for the conference in Boston next year.

Opinion

6 MARCH 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 8

Fiat dining dollars an abomination failed to warn us that despite their apparent usefulness, our Dining Dollars are based on nothing but the confidence we give them. This system of fiat exchange is an immoral abomination and will result in the imminent collapse of J. the University of Tulsa—as well Christopher as the United States of America— Proctor if we do not do something to preSports Editor vent it. When a upstanding University of Tulsa student goes to Chickfil-A to order a delicious chicken sandwich, he will likely swipe his ID card—automatically reducing A specter is haunting the Univer- his balance of Dining Dollars— sity of Tulsa—the specter of Din- and then go about his day as if ing Dollars. nothing miraculous had happened. While our beloved adminisWhat he does not realize is that trators have been kind enough to unlike in the days of yore, his dingrant us large sums of these so- ing dollars are not backed by any called “Dining Dollars,” they have precious metals, meaning that the

The Golden Hurricane deserves a gold standard to back its foundationless fiat Dining Dollars.

good people of Chick-fil-A are accepting his payment simply on the trust that it will be worth something to others in the future. But what happens when the university starts tampering with the supply of Dining Dollars, in an attempt to either stimulate or suppress demand? If this were to happen the very stability of our tranquil campus would be shaken to the core! With nothing to limit the Dining-Dollar-crazed administrators, hundreds of thousands of Dining Dollars could be given out, destroying their value and bringing to a halt the delicate balance of exchange upon which we have come to rely. If the credibility of Tulsa’s dining dollars were to collapse, it would not take long for other stu-

dents across the nation to see how fragile their university-issued fiat currency really is—ushering in a crisis of national and even global proportions. We cannot allow this travesty to continue. The University of Tulsa must abandon its fiat Dining Dollar system and adopt a sound currency based on a fixed natural resource like gold. Do not be fooled by those academics who will warn against this switch, arguing that with responsible university actions there is absolutely nothing to fear. Despite the fact that these fiat Dining Dollars have proved safe so far for Tulsa and other schools with similar systems, the Dining Dollar apocalypse is surely right around the corner. Although there are some slight

limitations to this gold standard— including the restriction on practical monetary policy to control inflation or soaring tuition costs, the possibility of wild fluctuations in value of Dining Dollars due to the global gold market and the physical problem of acquiring, storing and distributing gold to those requesting it in exchange for Dining Dollars—the peace of mind we will receive from this switch will be priceless. If we do not abandon our university’s fiat currency we will certainly be led down the road to serfdom sometime in the near future. No general theory can defend these fiat Dining Dollars any longer: The University of Tulsa needs gold and needs it now.

Pentobarbital shortage should send signal to legislators A growing shortage of critical lethal injection component should let legislators know that the death penalty is no longer viable, desierable or necessary. Jinan ElSabbagh Student Writer

Oklahoma has only four more doses of pentobarbital, the first component of the three-chemical lethal injection cocktail. Oklahoma and other states began using the anesthetic in 2010 when sodium thiopental also became scarce. The latter drug had been in use since 1990 when lethal injection took the place of electrocution as a constitutionally sound method of execution. It was initially used to euthanize animals, but the Italian pharmaceutical company that exported the drug refused to sell it anymore to U.S. states due to its role in executions. Pentobarbital is facing the same austerity measures this time by

Danish company Lundbeck. A spokesperson for Lundbeck stated, “We’re in the business to improve people’s lives, so the use of pentobarbital to end people’s lives contradicts everything that we’re in business to do.” Since 1928 pentobarbital has been used as a treatment for epilepsy. Oklahoma and other states inject the drug first to put the inmate to sleep before paralyzing them with pancuronium bromide. The final dose of potassium chloride stops the heart. Under the state constitution, either Oklahoma would have to find yet another substitute for the drug, or it would have to resort to the electric chair (which currently sits in the Museum of the Department of Corrections) or firing squad. Department of Corrections Director Justin Jones is highly skeptical that the state would ever employ the latter two options. Jones argues that the DOC’s preference would be “to continue to access that particular anesthesia (pentobarbital)”, but he acknowledges that the “manufacturers don’t want to sell it for that use” which “you’re going to see for decades to come.” If that is the case, then the Oklahoma legislature should take this as a sign to abolish the death penalty altogether. I generally do not like to side with pharmaceutical

companies; however, in this case,/ I commend companies like Lundbeck, Inc. for their refusal to sell the lethal drug to states who will use it to kill people. In fact, the company will require all future buyers to sign a handwritten agreement not to use the product to execute people. It will make sure that prisons, prison officials and states who employ the death penalty do not receive the medication. Doctors in Oklahoma can still prescribe the drug to their epileptic patients. I agree with defense attorney and board member of the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death penalty James Rowan that news of the shortage is “wonderful.” Already, two executions have been delayed and the hope is that the delay will allow the defendants time for a clemency hearing. The fact remains that no matter how the state ultimately decides to kill a person, state sponsored, mandated and executed capital punishment is “cruel and unusual.” The U.S. vies to be a beacon of morality and justice, but this noble quest will be for naught as long as there are still states that administer the death penalty. On a more cynical note, I was surprised at the popular reaction to the pentobarbital shortage. Suggestions such as “let’s draw

Graphic by Laura Langlois

and quarter them” or “how about using whatever method they used on their victims” demonstrate a general lack of sympathy and compassion. No matter how one looks at it, the 180 individuals executed by the state of Oklahoma since 1915 are people. Since last I checked we are in the 21st century. It is about time

that we abolish the “eye for an eye” mentality which the death penalty embodies. Although the shortage is a godsend for opponents of the death penalty, as Rowan noted, “I’m sure they will find something equally lethal to take its place.” I want Oklahoma legislators to prove him wrong.

opinion

THE COLLEGIAN : 9

6 MARCH 2012

Trayless dining saves food, space Dining without a tray at the TU cafeteria is neither controversial nor difficult— it economizes the use of natural resources producing social and economic benefits. Nathan Miller Student Writer

And Stephen Place Student Writer

Trayless dining should not be a controversial subject. It does not go against any mainstream political agenda, is not a religious issue, and does not pose any threat to the current state of affairs. It is a practical matter, and the logic and facts behind it are sound. Its simplicity, however, does not seem to be making headway. When I first sat down at the “Try Trayless” table outside the Pat Case Dining Center, I expected everything to go over well. Not everyone is an avid environmentalist, but I still thought that people would at least try something easy if they understood the potential benefits. That was not always the case. There were many receptive folks who would smile and give it a try when given a quick and easy fact about how socially and environmentally advantageous not using a tray could be. However, sometimes there were people who would go out of their way to let me know that I could not take away anyone’s rights and that the factual information pro-

vided was insignificant. The most common response of all was an intent facial expression of disgust clearly conveying they were not going to be convinced. This made me wonder: how can any school manage to go without trays with such an apathetic and indifferent student body? Many other schools have made the easy transition, reaping numerous benefits and publicly communicating their results. Most of the studies conducted by these schools include the buzzword “food waste.” A study by Virginia Tech announced that their food waste was reduced by over 1,000 in a week, approximately the weight of two Bengal tigers. This alone has environmental, economic and social repercussions too numerous to list in full. Some of the environmental benefits of reducing food waste include less of an environmental strain to produce excess food. It also cuts the amount fossil fuel needed to transport all that extra food from wherever it is grown to the factory where it is processed and eventually to our campus. The economic benefits that come from spending less money on excess food would go mostly toward the school, and students could see some benefit as well. For example, with the dividends from not using trays, one campus could afford free range eggs instead of the normal powder. Socially, deciding to remove trays from the dining center could show that we can collectively accomplish constructive tasks and that throwing away excess food is not a behavior we want to reinforce. There are many other benefits to removing trays, and they all come down to using less.

We would cut out water and soap used to clean the trays and cut the budget reserved for purchasing trays. We would use less table space,

making it possible to turn the awkward two person table into an awkward three person table. All more trivial reasons aside, the biggest benefit to trayless din-

ing at the University of Tulsa is obvious, and we should not shy away from it. That reason is: It’s easy.

As a fellow science major, I was deeply disheartened to read Kalen Petersen’s recent opinion piece “The enemy of science is dogmatism, not dialogue” which was rhetorically empty, and logically contradictory. Petersen’s argument is rhetorically persuasive in its own way but does not have any real merit. He essentially calls for open and free discussion of an issue which, in theory, is not all bad. However, his core argument that scientific facts are theoretic models and not logically deduced by axiom is both oversimplified and argues against his point. The reason for this is that belief in the scientific sense has a very narrow meaning and that meaning is prediction. Theoretical frameworks are a dime a dozen. It is their accuracy that ultimately counts. To quote Eliezer Yudkowsky “ The roots of knowledge are in observation and its fruit is prediction. “ There is a very specific and narrow problem with ID and that is it had a distinct lack of predictions. Consider by contrast say, Nick Bostrom’s Simulation argument that it is possible we are living in a computer simulation. This is technically an Intelligent Design but its virtue as a possible belief is that it is testable. We know quite a bit about computer

simulations. We know how they process data. We know the troubles logical systems have in producing true randomness. By observation this hypothesis is falsifiable. Now, is Bostrom’s Simulation argument open for political discussion? I would hope not. Putting dry academic argument into the public square is recipe for controversy. It is precisely the provisional, probabilistic nature of Science that argues against it being questioned in politics. The track record of politicians opposing scientists with their own theories is abhorrently bad. It makes as much sense for politicians to challenge medicine with their own heterodox alternative medicine. Let the doctors sort it out. Let the scientists do their work. Further, Petersen’s appeal to the historical record suffers from a lack of perspective, for the heterodox views he argues deserve inclusion are precisely the overturned orthodoxy of yesteryear. Evolution was a hard won scientific theory that is the basis of all biological explanation. It makes predictive claims that turn out to be right again and again. This is why Intelligent Design of the Christian variety fell out of favor. The record is the same for human caused climate change.

The extent of this change remains controversial, but that the climate has been changed because human supplied greenhouse gases caused a greenhouse effect is not open for debate. The heterodox has become the orthodox by being the best available explanation that makes the best accurate predictions. There is a point where we end the questioning. There is a point at which formerly orthodox views should no longer be held as serious contenders for what actually happened. Should Earth Centered models suddenly be put back on the table? Suppose our world is actually a disc, supported by four elephants on the back of a giant turtle? I’m afraid there is not legitimacy to such pondering. It’s turtles all the way down. Questioning at this point is unproductive, and stupid. Politicians who do so are not fighting Big Science’s dogma, they’re advancing their own. This is a key point that Petersen conveniently ignores. “Questioning” isn’t always innocent, and to pretend that politicians who ignore well-established science are somehow heroic doubters is either naive or highly disingenuous. Andrew Summit

RobeRt RedfoRd/dustin Hoffman

all tHe PResident’s men 7:00 p.m. • Monday, March 12 • Lorton Performance Center Free screening • Open to the public The Academy Award-winning film All the President’s Men is based on the book written by Pulitzer Prizewinning journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein about their coverage of the Watergate scandal.

Technicolor® From WArner BroS

A WArner coMMUnicATionS coMPAnY

Woodward and Bernstein will tell the stories behind their work, offering a unique, riveting and personal tour of politics and the nation’s capital. In this 40th anniversary of Watergate, Woodward and Bernstein will speak at TU’s Reynolds Center at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, as part of the Presidential Lecture Series sponsored by The Darcy O’Brien Endowed Chair.

Opinion

6 MARCH 2012

THE COLLEGIAN : 10

♥ HOUSING SELECTION FOR 2012-13

Housing lottery is approaching. - Harwell Lot

(Roommate finder is available at www.utulsa.edu/housing)

n Go or send a proxy on your earliest selection date to the Student Activity Center in Mayo Village.

TUCKER DRIVE

MAYO VILLAGE

E. 11TH STREET

STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER

Selection is here!

campus, either through Greek life or campus events. Hurricane Thursdays are really good for that. - Clarissa Dunn

It is not too late:

You can still submit a paper license for first come, first served. Contact the Housing Office today.

For more information, call the housing office at 918-631-2516, or visit www.utulsa.edu/housing ♥ Collegian Ad, Lottery begins.indd 1

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2/23/12 10:19 AM