12 October 2015

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

october 12, 2015 issue 6 ~ volume 101

Last week’s Hurricane Thursday was a mini-fair that featured an inflatable obstacle course, personalized poetry and carnival games.

Chuyi Wen / Collegian

Graphic by Elias Brinkman

The history of the death penalty in Oklahoma, p. 2

Punishing panhandling in Oklahoma City is harmful and unconstitutional, p. 5

Spoken-word poet Andrea Gibson coming to TU, p. 8

News

The Collegian: 2

12 October 2015

Execution in Oklahoma: A history While Oklahoma was the first state to legalize execution by lethal injection, it’s still trying to work out the kinks.

Morgan Krueger Editor-in-Chief A History The death penalty is a highly controversial subject. Crimes punishable by death in the English American colonies included adultery, rape, blasphemy, manslaughter, rebellion, bestiality and poisoning. The first execution on record in America was in 1608 in the colony of Virginia. Since then, the laws have softened considerably.

The death penalty was first attacked as cruel in the mid 1800’s. Executions went from public spectacles to private hangings in several states. Michigan abolished it in 1846, with the exclusion of treason against the state, followed by Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Wisconsin followed suit after a botched hanging, when a man struggled at the end of a rope for five minutes, and wasn’t declared dead for an additional fifteen minutes.

In 1972 the US Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was cruel and unusual as it was used at the time, and ended the practice in the United States. Three years later thirty states had passed new death penalty laws and close to 200 prisoners were on death row.

A gurney like the ones used during lethal injection executions. Those executed in the state of Oklahoma spend their last minutes tied to these.

The states of Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia are the only places in the world that reserve the electric chair as a viable option for execution. Both

Courtesy ok.gov

An electric chair, formerly a favored method of execution in the United States, and still legal in five states.

Today 31 states have the death penalty. Most use legal injection. However, it is technically still legal to hang people in Delaware and Washington or to use a gas chamber is Arizona, California, Missouri and Wyoming.

Arkansas and Oklahoma law allow for the electric chair to be used to execute prisoners if lethal injection is at any point deemed unconstitutional.

According to CNN, between 1900 and 2011 roughly three percent of US execu-

tions were botched. This number is expected to be higher when looking at lethal injections exclusively.

Another study cited by CNN reported that 21 of 40 executed prisoners “had anesthesia levels consistent with consciousness” during their executions.

Oklahoma Oklahoma has the second largest number of executed convicts in the country, plus the highest number per capita. Oklahoma was the first state to adopt lethal injection, though not the first to use it.

The state has executed 194 people: 82 by electrocution, one by hanging and 111 by lethal injection.

There have been some problems with lethal injection, however. The most famous instance occurred in 2014, when Clayton Darrell Lockett experienced a botched execution that resulted in all executions being put on hold until protocols were improved.

Lethal injection in Oklahoma is a three drug cocktail. The first renders the person unconscious, the second paralyzes them, and the third drug stops the heart. It has been asked why the paralysis drug is needed, and suggested by some anti-execution advocates that it is used to create the illusion of a painless execution. If a prisoner cannot speak, they cannot report if they are in pain.

In Lockett’s case, he was neither unconscious nor paralyzed. A blown vein prevented the drugs from being administered properly, resulting in a 43 minute-long execution during which Lockett convulsed and tried to speak.

The paramedic who participated in Lockett’s execution had never used midazolam, the untested drug chosen for his execution.

The equipment provided was incorrect; the IV tubing was of the wrong type, the saline was not packed in syringes.

The IV was stuck into Lockett’s arm multiple times, his foot multiple times, his neck and his chest. They wanted to try inserting it in his groin, but could not find a long enough needle. An hour after they first

Courtesy ok.gov

began they decided they had a working IV; an IV that dislodged during the execution.

This resulted in a smaller dose of anesthetic making it into Lockett’s bloodstream.

Reporter Katie Fretland witnessed Lockett’s execution as a part of her investigation into Oklahoma’s use of the death penalty.

She had found record of another instance where a prisoner died from an overdose of the anesthetic and the executioners hid the two other drugs by injecting them into his corpse. There was also a case that occurred shortly before Lockett’s, where prisoner Michael Lee Wilson said “I feel my whole body burning,” during his execution.

Locket had known his execution would take place with untested drugs, as no company was willing to sell the preferred drug to use in executions.

Locket’s stepmother told him, “Do me one favor, as long as you can talk on that gurney, talk. Let the world know how they are executing people here in Oklahoma.”

Lockett did try to speak during his execution, as per his stepmother’s request, since he was not unconscious during the execution and appeared to be in agony. His words were incoherent. At one point the blinds were drawn, preventing journalists from witnessing the botched execution.

Difficulties with acquiring the drugs needed for lethal injections are common.

Many companies refuse to sell these drugs to state officials, forcing them to rely on distant and sometimes unreliable compounding pharmacies.

These drugs are mostly unregulated and—as Fretland discovered—are purchased with petty cash.

Fretland said her investigation “raises questions about how seriously Oklahoma officials take the death penalty.”

The most recent problem happened on January 16 of this year. Charles Warner was accidently executed with potassium acetate, not the mandated potassium chloride. As a result, all executions in the state of Oklahoma have been temporarily halted.

Glanz resigns amid scandal

Before the grand jury decided to indict Stanley Glanz last week, the former Tulsa County Sheriff resigned.

Brook Becker Student Writer

This past week, Stanley Glanz, former sheriff of Tulsa county, has resigned amidst rumors of corruption and attack on his office. The resignation came only hours before the federal grand jury had determined to indict Glanz and demanded his removal from office.

Glanz is being charged with failure to

Courtesy usa.gov

Stanley Glanz could be named in more than 1ne prospective lawsuits.

release information about Robert Bates, a personal friend of Glanz who was a reserve deputy that initiated the investigation after accidentally shooting an unarmed and restrained Eric Harris, who was alleged to be selling guns. Glanz is also being charged with misuse of funds, after it was found that Glanz had employed taxpayer money to pay for his car as well as other personal items.

Glanz’s lawyer, Scott Wood, had previously claimed in press conferences that Glanz had committed no wrong, and would not resign nor would he be indicted.

Glanz had been petitioned for an investigation since April of this year, when activist group We the People of Oklahoma had called for his resignation and admission of guilt. While WTPOK has stated that their ultimate goal of seeing Glanz in handcuffs has not yet been achieved, his indictment and resignation appear to be a step in the right direction. Glanz’s infamy appears to cross borders, as protestors and advocates of Glanz’s indictment has appeared to even draw in TPD officers who have joined to condemn Glanz and “the bad name he gives police.”

Glanz’s trial dates have yet to be announced, but he has also been named in over ten other potential lawsuits. Glanz, who has been sheriff in Tulsa County since 1989, has been replaced by interim Undersheriff Rick Wiegel until the re-election process on April 6, 2016.

Courtesy ok.gov

A microphone is suspended from the ceiling to capture the last words of those sentenced to die.

12 October 2015

Double Edition Oct. 3 1:30 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security officers were dispatched to PI Kappa Alpha Fraternity in reference to a fire alarm. The pull station on the 2nd floor had been pulled.

There was no fire or damage to the room, Tulsa Fire Department arrived on scene and the was cleared and reset. TFD and officers left the scene.

3:45 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security officers were dispatched to a noise complaint at Brown Village Apartments. Upon arrival, officers made contact with resident and advised them to turn down the music because it was disturbing the other residents. They complied and turned down the music and was issued a contact card.

5:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security officers found a bag belonging to a visiting team equipment manager in the visiting locker room of Chapman Stadium. The teams athletic department was contacted and arrangements were made for the bag to be taken to the owner by another team from the same university.

9:45 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security officers were dispatched to Kappa Sigma Fraternity to check on an individual who took several caffeine pills and was complaining of chest pains. Upon arrival, the guest refused any type of medical treatment and did not want an ambulance called. The reporting party said they would keep an eye on them in case anything changed.

Oct. 4 1:40 a.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security officers observed a highly intoxicated individual walk out of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. 2 individuals were with the intoxicated person who is underage and was vomiting on the side of the house. Tulsa Fire Department and Tulsa Police Department were on scene and checked the intoxicated individual. The individual stated that they did not need to be transported to the hospital. A friend that was with the intoxicated individual stated they would take care of them for the remainder of the night.

2:10 a.m.

News

University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to a noise compliant at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Upon arrival officers could hear loud music and see over 30 or more people inside the house walking with alcohol. Officers spoke with a member of the house and explained that since the house did not have a registered event he was not permitted to host a party. The resident was cooperative and cleared the house of all guest. Officers did not find any underage drinking.

3:10 a.m.

While on routine patrol University of Tulsa Campus Security observed an individual riding a bicycle heading north between Helmerich Hall and Phillips Hall. The individual went north bound, cut a vehicle off and rode through several University parking lots. The individual ran into a patrol vehicle at 4th and Florence trying to maneuver around it. The Individual had no visible blood or scratches and refused EMSA. Tulsa Police Department arrived and arrested the individual for public intoxication.

Oct. 5 11:30 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to a noise compliant at the Mayo Village Apartments. Upon arrival officers could hear loud music and people yelling from inside. Officers made contact with the residents of the apartment and told them to turn down the music and to watch the volume of their voices. They were issued a housing contact card and warned that if officers were called back for the same reason that their guests would have to leave.

Oct. 6 10:00 a.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to receive found property. Officers were given a gift card found in the Lorton Village Apartments parking lot. The owner could not be determined or located so the property was placed into the property locker for safe keeping.

2:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to receive found property. Officers were given a wallet found in Pat Case Dining. The owner was determined but could not be contacted so the property was placed into the property locker for safe keeping.

11:15 p.m.

University of Tulsa Campus Security were dispatched to receive found property. Officers were given a key found on the sidewalk by the sorority houses. The owner could not be determined or contacted so the property was placed into the property locker for safe keeping.

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

Wednesday, October 14 at 8:00pm to 10:00pm Lorton Hall, Room 207 The Clothesline Project: Decorate a T-Shirt The Clothesline Project is a testimonial of t-shirts created by individuals affected by sexual violence. Decorate a t-shirt in support of those who’ve been sexually assaulted.

Join us on October 14th to design a t-shirt and have it displayed the week of Homecoming on Dietler Commons and at the SA Tailgate.

Thursday, October 15 at 7:30pm to 8:45pm Student Union, Great Hall Andrea Gibson Spoken Word Performance Join us for a spoken performance from the award winning Andrea Gibson.

Andrea Gibson is not gentle with her truths. It is this raw fearlessness that has led her to the forefront of the spoken word movement– the first winner of the Women’s World Poetry Slam —Gibson has headlined prestigious performance venues coast to coast with powerful readings on war, class, gender, bullying, white privilege, sexuality, love, and spirituality. For more about Andrea Gibson, visit her website.

Friday, October 16 at 11:00am to 1:00pm Student Union, Lobby Bubble Tea + Pastries: Breast Cancer Fundraiser We’re selling bubble teas and pastries in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

All proceeds go to breast cancer research.

Friday, October 16 at 12:00pm to 1:30pm Chapman Hall, Lecture Hall Andrea Gibson Writing Workshop Andrea Gibson will be leading a writing workshop the day following her spoken word performance.

Andrea Gibson is not gentle with her truths. It is this raw fearlessness that has led her to the forefront of the spoken word movement. For more about Andrea Gibson, visit her website.

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

Contact News Editor Fraser Kastner at fjk219@utulsa.edu with events.

The Collegian: 3

Sammie Hottel Student Writer Four Tunisian groups win Nobel Peace Prize Four civil society groups in Tunisia won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their efforts to foster democracy. The groups consist of the Tunisian General Labor Union, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, the Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers.

The selection committee stated that, “More than anything, the prize is intended as encouragement for the Tunisian people who have laid the groundwork for a national fraternity which the committee hopes will be followed by other countries.” Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi called the award a “sign of hope.”

Surprise ISIS attack in Syria Despite the Russian airstrikes, ISIS militants launched their biggest attack in months on Friday. The militants seized six villages from rebels in the Aleppo province. They reportedly continued killing and wounding rebels in other villages and seizing “qualitative weapons and ammunition.” They also took a former army base known as the Infantry Academy that was captured by rebels from Syria years ago.

The offensive came a day after ISIS killed a top Iranian general on the outskirts of Aleppo city, but it is still unclear if the two incidents are related. Opposition activists believe the militants took advantage of the rebels’ preoccupation with fighting Syrian army forces in other areas as well as the Russian airstrikes.

Tanzania charges Chinese business woman with smuggling Yang Feng Glan, a Chinese businesswoman known as the “Ivory Queen,” was accused on Friday of running a criminal organization known for smuggling elephant tusks.

Glan is the secretary general of the Tanzania China-Africa Business Council as well as a successful restaurant owner. She was charged in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam for smuggling 706 pieces of ivory worth 5.44 Tanzanian shillings, a US equivalent of $2.51 million. She is currently being held in a high security prison and will face a bail hearing on October 12. If she is convicted, she could serve a 20 year sentence in jail.

Demand for ivory in Asian countries is growing because it is used for jewels and ornaments. This demand has led to a sharp increase in the poaching of elephant tusks across Africa.

North Korea prepares for 70th anniversary North Korea will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the creation of its ruling party on Saturday. Although North Korean officials refuse to reveal the details of the event, a military parade will take place and satellite imagery has picked up large scale troop activities in an air base near Pyongyang. No world leaders will be attending, but a Communist Party official from China will be present. It is not yet known if leader Kim Jong Un will be speaking.

Throughout the year leading up to the anniversary several construction and development projects were begun, including new hydropower and high-rise apartments.

German PM faces backlash due to open-arms policy Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-arms policy regarding the influx of refugees crossing into Germany has produced political threats from abroad. Merkel’s controversially conservative ally, Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer, threatened to take the matter to a federal constitutional court if Merkel did not make efforts to reduce the number of refugees entering the country. Bavaria could supposedly apply for an “Organstreit proceeding” if it believes the federal state is not upholding its obligations to the constitution.

Merkel continued to defend her policy in an interview on Wednesday, stating “You can’t close the border and we saw in Hungary what happens when you set up a fence.”

editor-in-chief

Morgan Krueger managing editor

Giselle Willis news editor

Fraser Kastner sports editor

Matt Rechtien variety editor

Kayleigh Thesenvitz commentary editor

Hannah Kloppenburg satire editor

Caitlin Woods photo & graphics editor

Elias Brinkman

business & advertising manager

Paul Moses web manager

Sam Chott

distribution managers

Katie Hill, Walker Womack, Witt Womack and Kyranna Gilstrap

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.

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Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opinions of the entire Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

The Collegian: 4

News

12 October 2015

Erik Larson gives lecture on his work The author of Devil in the White City and many other works of historical creative nonfiction spoke at the University of Tulsa on Oct 6.

Mason Whitehorn Powell Student Writer

After an introduction by Dr. Brian Hosmer, guest speaker Erik Larson took the stage in the Reynolds Center to give the first presidential lecture of the semester.

Larson is the author of nine works of narrative nonfiction. His most recent book, Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, was published earlier this year and remains a New York Times best seller. Dead Wake was not his first book to make the list: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin, Thunderstruck, The Devil in the White City and Isaac’s Storm, all New York Times best sellers, were praised by critics and readers alike.

Erik Larson’s books transport readers to a different time and place, whether it be a luxurious ocean liner over troubled waters, Berlin during Hitler’s rise to power, the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 or Galveston, Texas during a hurricane.

Larson brings these darker aspects of history to life in an entertaining way. During his talk, Larson spoke about his craft and amused the audience with his dark humor.

“Tonight we’re going to talk a little bit about how I like to do history,” Larson said.

“And we’re going to do so through the lens of this latest book of mine, Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. I have to be careful because, for those of you who have not read the book, I don’t want to give away the ending.”

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Erik Larson’s most famous work, Devil in the White City, has won numerous awards.

The first step in Larson’s process is coming up with an idea, which he described as the most challenging and important part of his work. While his books mainly focus on the American experience during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, his range of subject matter in not limited to a specific topic.

To qualify, Larson says that for an idea to interest him, it has to have a “built-in organic narrative arc” and there has to be enough archival material to vividly depict the past.

Originally, Larson was unsure if he should write about the sinking of the Lusitania, as it seemed to be a well known historical event.

But he was convinced the Lusitania was worthy subject matter after uncovering obscure—and human—details in his research.

What interested him was the grimness: one fully loaded lifeboat collapsed on top of another, passengers were sucked into the funnels and blown out after an explosion, and the ship sunk in only 18 minutes on a beautiful day with the Irish coast in sight.

After settling on an idea, Larson begins visiting archives to gather material. In the archives, he encountered many personal stories—important to him because he felt other books lacked a connection to the people involved. Larson talked about a passenger named Theodate Pope, who wrote in her journal about feminist interests and her struggle with depression. He also discussed President Woodrow Wilson’s passionate letters to his girlfriend, Edith Bolling Galt.

Once the idea is in place and he has gathered the material, Larson writes hoping to “bring something new to the story.”

The night ended with a Q&A. Questions were asked about Larson’s experience as a journalist, historic fact versus myth, his emotional reaction to his research and cuts he has to make for a book’s final draft.

One question that amused the audience was about his favorite experience while doing research: Larson was in Italy with his daughter to research Thunderstruck. After dinner at a restaurant, their waiter suggested they stick around after their meal. Before long, a black SUV pulled up and men in suits with firearms filed out. A slim man with grey hair entered the restaurant, and as he walked passed Larson’s daughter he said, “Hi, there,” in a flirtatious manner. It was Bill Clinton.

What’s next for TU? Frontier writers hope to

The Collegian sat down with Steadman Upham to discuss the future of TU’s campus.

Tiffany McGouran Student Writer

At the end of last summer, TU celebrated the completion of a multi-year project. The project consisted of multiple renovations, the relocation of the TU bookstore, construction of a fountain and the newly built Hardesty Hall.

President Upham commented on the project. It “has been incredibly exciting and a lot of good things have happened. The Hardesty family and all of the other donors were incredible in their support.”

Astonishingly, Upham reported that the project, for which 39 million dollars were allocated, finished under budget and ahead of schedule.

“The completion of Hardesty Hall was much needed,” Upham said. “It was a race because we needed the building to be ready for this fall.”

Previously around a hundred students had to be housed downtown because of resident space shortage.

Upham said that now, “We have enough resident units so that we can accommodate all of our students on campus, which was really important to us.”

Not only does TU now have enough resident space, but as a result of the project there is more office space for various departments that previously had trouble finding places in which to fit.

Regarding the renovation of buildings like ACAC and Keplinger, Upham said, “There are always surprises when dealing with renovations,” but that, “Those old buildings...are still very serviceable and it is

“There are always surprises when dealing with renovations”

Steadman Upham

important that we take care of them.”

With all that has happened, The Collegian looked forward to what students should be expecting in the next few years.

While additional buildings on TU’s main campus are unlikely, there will be a new campus located at 12th and Boulder. TU purchased five floors of a building on Boulder to house the recently launched College of Health and Sciences, which Upham said, “is still very much a work in progress.”

But in progress it is. There will be degree

programs moved from other colleges into the new college, as well as the creation of entirely new degree programs, mainly master’s degrees, but also a PhD program called the Doctor of Nurse Practice. The main focus of that PhD program will be on anesthesiology and critical care.

Additionally, TU is expanding another part of the Health and Science department called the Health Care Delivery Science.

Upham said, “It’s sort of a combination of a Master of Public Health and Hospital Administration, coupled with an understanding of insurance framework and both the legal and other structures of government hospitals...We’re really trying to prepare our students with master’s degrees who can step out (of TU) and take leadership positions in health care fields.”

There will also be several new homes built near campus. Previously, TU entered into an agreement with developer David Charney and the George Kaiser Family Foundation to develop affordable housing in the Whittier area. TU purchased land for housing and helped pay down payments for faculty who wanted to live close to campus.

Eleven homes were built, of which nine were bought by university faculty. TU is hoping to continue that project again in the future, with plans to built seven to nine new houses near the others.

In regard to the new homes, as well as the many other services and programs TU offers the surrounding community, Upham said, “We’re trying to be a university of Tulsa, as opposed to just being located in Tulsa.

We really want to be seen as a part of the community.”

Recently, TU was voted into the Top 50 Private Universities in the US, so The Collegian asked Upham if he and the board had any plans to further TU’s national standing.

“There are a whole range of factors that go into making a top national university, and we want to pay attention to those,” Upham said, “but while we are always trying to grow and get better, we are also trying to avoid raising costs for the people we serve.

College is very expensive already, so we want to avoid that.”

For those who are not aware, Steadman Upham is currently serving his second term as TU’s president. “I tried to retire a while ago, but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Upham returned to his post in 2012.

“It has been a joy to be back.” Upham said, “The thing that makes it so nice is the way people work together on this campus.

We’re unique in higher education. A lot of other places are hard to work at because people have turf wars and fight. TU is definitely the opposite of that.”

However, as much as Upham has enjoyed being at TU again, he said “it’s not forever.

I’m not as young as I used to be!”

President Upham said he will most likely serve one or two more years as TU’s president, and then attempt to retire again.

avoid advertising bias

The investigative journalism outfit founded by Bobby Lorton III and a handful of former Tulsa World reporters wants to bring quality journalism to Oklahoma.

Lauren Rogers Student Writer Last spring, a small group of journalists backed by former Tulsa World publisher Robert Lorton III set up shop in the Tulsa area to create a new form of journalism that seeks to eliminate the bias found in nearly every news source.

This online, for-profit corporation is called the Frontier, and they plan on succeeding in their goal by eliminating the traditional use of advertisements.

Editor-in-Chief Ziva Branstetter stated that, “because [the Frontier] take[s] no advertising, [they] are completely independent

riety of shorter stories and blogs.”

Along with the subscriber system, the Frontier does accept sponsorships, however, this system is still evolving. As Editorin-Chief, Branstetter makes it a priority to avoid letting sponsorships affect the stories that the Frontier publishes.

“I have made it a point not to ask our publisher who the corporations and individuals are who have chosen to support us. I don’t want the knowledge of who our sponsors are to have any influence, however subtle, on choices I make as an editor.” Branstetter said. “I understand and agree with the need to prevent sponsors from having any influence whatsoever over editorial choices and am committed to ensuring that separation is maintained.”

Branstetter was one of the journalists who contributed to the Frontier’s creation. She and reporting partner Cary Aspinwall left the Tulsa World the same day that they were named finalists for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize.

“We intended to give notice after the

“Our readers are generally news junkies who want stories that are more in-depth than others”

Ziva Branstetter

from pressure that some advertisers have traditionally placed on news organizations to downplay or avoid certain stories.”

In order to eliminate the need for advertisements, The Frontier charges a monthly fee to their subscribers in order to fund their operation.

“We have a paywall for most content except for blogs and the death penalty stories that we are reporting as part of our partnership with The Marshall Project.” Branstetter explained. “The monthly cost is fairly high—$30—compared to what other sites are charging. We are not writing for a large, general audience so we do not need 10,000 subscribers to cover our expenses.”

The Frontier focuses on enlightening their subscribers with the highest quality stories they can provide.

“Our readers are generally news junkies who want stories that are more in-depth than others in this market are offering or stories that other media are reluctant to tackle,” says Branstetter. “We publish several stories each week that may be 2,000 words or more, complete with links and embedded documents as well as multimedia, and a va-

Pulitzers were announced, since we had entered, though I didn’t think we’d win or be a finalist.” Branstetter stated. “When our employers found out about our venture, they understandably didn’t want us hanging around the newsroom for two weeks— which isn’t exactly good for morale—so we left that day.”

The Frontier believes that in this rapidly changing media landscape, a new approach to journalism is necessary.

“We offer a form of investigative reporting that is increasingly hard to find and aren’t trying to create click-bait for our web site,” Branstetter said. “It has been liberating not worrying about whether my stories are “viral” enough and also being able to start from a blank slate and create something from the ground up. I’m proud of what we are doing whether it is ultimately a financial success or not.”

The Frontier has a two-year plan to expand its local subscriber base, with the hopes of adding more employees during that time. They also plan on expanding their coverage statewide, with an emphasis on the Oklahoma City area.

Commentary

12 October 2015

Panhandling ban Regulations against panhandling and other forms of begging are becoming commonplace throughout the United States, most recently hitting close to home in Oklahoma City.

Sara Douglas Student Writer Individuals seeking financial support through public means may not be able to do so freely anymore in Oklahoma City. A new proposal seeks to make panhandling, the practice of standing in public places and asking for donations, a misdemeanor for which individuals could be fined up to 500 dollars and labeled as “aggressive beggars.”

The same law already applies in Tulsa, except with a lower fine of $200; both cities’ laws allow for jailing of multiple offenders.

Perhaps the most interesting note about this proposed law is that it is intended to be a one-sizefits-all ban that would limit all activities on road medians.

Even if public spaces such as parks or legal buildings are technically built on medians, anyone visiting would be doing so in vi-

olation of city ordinance. If this regulation is passed, crossing the street would be the only allowable reason for a person to be on the median.

The American Civil Liberties Union believes the ordinance would be unconstitutional, as it would impose limits on public property and individuals’ right to assemble, along with the freedom of speech afforded by the First Amendment.

Additionally, the Eighth Amendment could be considered to have been violated in this situation; “cruel and unusual punishment” includes preventing certain populations from participating in public proceedings.

The councilwoman responsible for drafting the proposal, Meg Salyer, did so in hopes of reducing the “explosive” growth of menacing activities such as panhandling and loitering. But by creating such a non-specific law, she is essentially not targeting potentially intimidating or dangerous behaviors or individuals at all.

This ban would even apply to charitable organizations attempting to collect money for fundraisers, like firefighters’ annual “Fill The Boot” campaign in support of muscular dystrophy. Making an exception for groups that could afford to buy permits and liability insurance could be seen as a form of discrimination.

Also, homeless individuals trying to make ends meet would be prevented from making use of some helpful resources that are currently available to them at low risk. For instance, a publication called The Curbside Chronicle

based in Oklahoma City relies on homeless and at-risk individuals to distribute their magazines from medians.

The publishing company sells the copies to interested persons, who become “vendors,” at a discounted price of 75 cents each after providing them with an initial supply of 15 magazines. The vendors then market The Curbside Chronicle by standing on medians and selling them for two dollars each.

Pocketing the profit allows them to buy more magazines to sell and make money for rent, food and other expenses.

This business would likely disintegrate if this new protocol were

The Collegian: 5

• Criminalizes homelessness • Affects charities • Harms the general public

to come into effect.

Similar business ventures would also be limited. For example, in Kansas City, there is a group of tuxedoed men that sells pies from medians near a popular barbecue restaurant. They’d be breaking the law if this ban were in effect in KC. Fortunately, the Obama administration has taken note of efforts similar to the one in OKC that are occurring across the nation and has adjusted distribution of federal grant monies accordingly.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development will no longer provide funds to assist cities in combatting homelessness through the Continuums of Care program

unless they are able to provide documentation of how they are already going about reducing the criminalization of homelessness.

This regulation has virtually no positive aspects, as the risk of standing on medians is already minimal. The financial impact of criminalizing homelessness is a burden on all taxpayers when city resources have to be used to enforce the regulation and jail offenders.

All in all, banning all activities in medians with the intent to target panhandlers not only harms the homeless population that is making efforts to provide for itself, but also creates financial barriers to the general public.

Sara Douglas / Collegian

A sign posted in downtown Tulsa’s Brady District instructs patrons not to pay the panhandlers, who are subject to fines and being charged with aggressive illegal begging.

Deportation of Tulsan problematic, unnecessary

Gabriella Portillo’s deportation is characteristic of a crumbling immigration system.

Giselle Willis Managing Editor Gabriella Portillo’s grandparents sold her into El Salvador’s sex trade when she was a child. She escaped to the United States and turned herself in to immigration officers, who allowed her to stay in the United States with her biological mother, who was already living in the US. When she was thirteen, Portillo was sexually assaulted by another family member and had to report it to authorities herself—a scary endeavor when one is not in this

country legally. DHS took her into custody, and she ended up in foster care.

After having been through sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her family, Portillo lashed out against administrators at a treatment center. She was charged with arson, assault with a deadly weapon (a wooden pole with a nail sticking out it) and spitting (“placing bodily fluids”) on a government worker. Portillo plead guilty to the charges and got placed in a juvenile delinquency center. She was ultimately taken in by her caseworker.

When Portillo turned eighteen last May, she was going to school, attending all of her parole meetings, and taking parenting classes.

Her foster mother, Tylisha Oliver, drove Portillo to an impromptu parole meeting in August only to watch Portillo be aggressively handcuffed by seven police officers so she could be taken to begin deportation proceedings.

Portillo was deported back to the family members who sold her into the sex trade in the first place.

She was pregnant, had one outfit,

and had a tattoo that could get her shot by local law enforcement in El Salvador because it’s similar to a tattoo that local gang members have.

There are two problems with Portillo’s case that are unfortunately common and dangerously misunderstood in this country’s immigration system. The first is that Portillo was not properly informed of her options when she was charged with assault.

A common strategy is for defendants is to plead guilty to minor charges in exchange for concessions from the prosecution. It’s called plea bargaining, and regardless of its efficacy in cases involving United States citizens, it is not a good move for undocumented residents.

Once an undocumented immigrant pleads guilty to a crime, their chances of gaining legal residency status in this country greatly diminish. The best option, if one has to plead guilty, is to try to plead the charges down first to those belonging to a lower deportation priority level. Unfortunately, criminal lawyers aren’t necessarily well versed

in immigration law, and in Portillo’s case she was denied the opportunity of pleading her charges down, which could have kept her from getting deported. Her lawyer did not explain to her the consequences of pleading guilty to her original charges.

Furthermore, the United States government spends billions of dollars on deportations per year.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claims this money goes towards the deportation of aggressive criminals—the agency’s purported number one priority.

Specifically, the number one priority is “aliens who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety.” There are three levels within Priority 1. Level 1 Priority 1 immigrants are those who have been convicted of an “aggravated felony” or two or more felonies. An “aggravated felony” doesn’t necessarily refer to a violent crime, however. Congress made up the term in 1988, which can refer to “more than 30 types of offenses, including theft, filing a false tax return and failing to

appear in court,” according to the American Immigration Council.

Only 20 percent of the undocumented immigrants deported in 2013 fell under this Level 1 category. Out of those, some might have been deported just because they didn’t show up to court once.

While Gabriella Portillo was convicted of an aggressive crime, it’s partly because her lawyer didn’t understand what that would mean for her future, and partly because Gabriella Portillo was tired of a system that kept letting her down.

Maybe Portillo wouldn’t have lashed out if she had been treated fairly and not made to believe she was a delinquent for fleeing awful living conditions. Even if she still would have resisted administrators, ICE needs to rearrange its priorities.

When seven police officers arrested Portillo, they were picturing the misconception of Priority 1 Level 1 deportees. But Portillo was pregnant, tired and 18.

In the words of Portillo’s foster mother, “They think she’s a bigger threat than what she is.”

TU world record attempt excludes students

The university’s world record attempt could have been an exciting spirit event for students and faculty, but it underwhelmed when students were excluded.

Hannah Kloppenburg Commentary Editor TU’s recent world record for the largest human letter could have been a fun event for students and faculty to rally around, but it fell flat for a number of reasons,

the most notable being that a fair amount of students were actually turned away from participating in the event.

Students who showed up after 12:25 pm were greeted with an announcement that there were no world record t-shirts left, and furthermore, that anyone without a t-shirt was not allowed to participate.

This would have made sense (after all, it’s often difficult to predict the number of t-shirts or amount of food you’ll need for an event) except for a later announcement that declared TU had broken the record with 1,156 participants.

This number was not even 100 more than the 1,080 required to break the previous record. There could have been a capacity for far more students to join in on the fun.

Sophomore Jennifer Shelton, one of the students who was unable to participate in the world

record, felt excluded. Shelton said, “I went out of my way to go over there and then didn’t get a shirt, which was fine. But then they wouldn’t even let us in the picture.”

When asked how she felt about the event as a whole, she lamented that “I think it would have been cooler if we’d have allowed as many students participate as possible, but then they wouldn’t let people in so it was sort of dumb. It was like, I tried to be spirited and you wouldn’t let me!”

Sophomore Jaime Nuñez was “not that disappointed,” that he didn’t get to participate. He continued, “I am glad we broke the record as a school. I just wish the school had bought more shirts so that we could have broken the record by even more.”

I commend the event as an attempt to bolster school spirit and bring TU students and faculty to-

gether. We could definitely use a little more enthusiasm at this school and a world record seems like the perfect goofy, exciting event to capture people’s interest.

Additionally, I sympathize with the event planners because I know how difficult it is to predict turnout to an event like this.

That said, the very small allowance of about 70 extra shirts seems to indicate a deliberate unwillingness to allow as many students as possible to participate and makes the record seem like a shallow gesture on the part of the university.

Students have expressed annoyance over the fact that the world record isn’t likely to stand long, making it seem like a pointless endeavor.

Others have lamented the fact that the event was held right in the middle of the day, which was very helpful in allowing faculty to participate but made it difficult for

students with back-to-back classes to be present.

I love that the university is beginning to advertise more events which are intended to bring the TU community together. I’m excited to see this effort in things such as tailgating and homecoming festivities. With that said, those events need to be well executed to ensure continued and increasing student interest.

Rather than a mediocre spirit event which ended up excluding students, I (and other TU students) would have loved to see a rallying event around which the TU community could have gathered.

If the university wants to bolster student participation and school spirit, they need to put 100 percent effort into the events that are offered. Turning students away isn’t conducive to making them feel like they’re part of a spirited community.

Commentary

The Collegian: 6

12 October 2015

Spotlight on Hillary Clinton Collegian writers take a critical look at presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Clinton undeserving of voters’ trust

Despite her extensive political experience, Hillary Clinton’s shady political past and questionable performance make her difficult to trust.

Justin Guglielmetti Student Writer For most registered voters, Hillary Rodham Clinton needs no introduction. Having served terms as the Secretary of State and US senator from New York, run for president in 2008, and been the First Lady while her husband Bill held the highest office in the land, Hillary has long been in the spotlight as a prominent member of America’s political scene.

Now, with the 2016 presidential election approaching, she hopes to improve on her disappointing campaign from eight years earlier, in which she was the early frontrunner only to be outstripped by a charismatic young senator from Illinois named Barack Obama.

As things stand now, Clinton remains a relatively strong favorite to win the Democratic Party’s nomination. According to the Huffington Post’s Pollster feature, which averages together the results of more than 150 reputable

their government, and while a complete and total directness with the American people is an idealistic fantasy, it remains important that the masses can maintain a well-deserved trust in their elected officials.

Hillary Clinton is, above all else, a figure with a rather shady political past, one filled with a number of scandals and mismanagement.

She has perhaps taken the most heat for her involvement in supposedly covering up details concerning the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, Libya in 2012. While her culpability was likely exaggerated, the fact remains that she was Secretary of State during one of the most poorly handled responses to a terrorist attack in recent memory.

In addition, Hillary has come under fire in the past for insider politics and nepotism. She was involved in the changing of the occupation status of one her aides (Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin) which ensured Abedin a lucrative position in a Clintonconnected consulting firm, as well as a paycheck from the Clinton Foundation.

The Clinton Foundation, through charitable in nature, comes with many of the same problems that arise from the existence of Super PACs. It creates a conflict of interest as special interest groups can buy their ways into the good graces of Mrs. Clinton.

Notably, the foundation has received generous contributions from such foreign government entities as the Saudi royal family

“Hillary Clinton is a figure with a rather shady political past... filled with scandals and mismanagement”

nationwide polls, she maintains a nearly 20 percent lead over her closest competition—leading Bernie Sanders at 43.6 percent to 25.4 percent—with virtually no other potential threats from within the party having yet declared their candidacy (Joe Biden looms as a dark horse but has yet to officially announce that he is running).

Still, momentum is not on Hillary’s side, as her numbers have been falling rather alarmingly over the past few months in the wake of Bernie Sanders’ well-publicized rise as a legitimate contender.

Perhaps the voters are starting to realize that despite being the presumptuous favorite, she might not be the best option.

Many of those who represent bad choices for president are considered bad choices because they lack the experience or qualifications for such an important job.

I profiled one such person in last week’s Collegian: Carly Fiorina.

This is most certainly not Hillary’s problem. One does not become as accomplished and influential as Clinton is by accident.

Even her staunchest detractors never question her intellect, work ethic or political savvy, nor the fact that she has extensive political experience. Rather, it is her questionable and irresponsible performance during her accumulated experience that defines her as an unfit candidate.

Transparency is something that voters universally claim is a desired trait in their candidates and

and a Ukrainian oligarch, among others.

Most important and worrisome of all Hillary’s scandals, however, is the most recent: the revelation that during her time as Secretary of State she conducted business and sent emails from a private server rather than using the secure, government-mandated one supplied to her.

While the details over the legality and the extent of Clinton’s actions are still being hashed out, they have been described as a major national security concern by NSA head Michael Rogers.

This should set off alarm bells that a person could be either so irresponsible or arrogant as to discuss classified government information over a server that could be breached by an enemy.

There exists a camp that is fundamentally opposed to Mrs. Clinton’s political positions, especially as she tends to take hardline stances on many of the most controversial issues: her insistence on abortion being a fundamental reproductive right and her full support of the Iran nuclear deal, for example.

But those of you who find yourselves aligned with the left-center Democratic ideology should ask yourselves the question of whether you can really put your faith in Hillary. She hasn’t always shown she is deserving of it in the past and there is nothing to suggest that this will change.

Hillary Clinton, Democratic candidate for the presidency, favors the actions outlined above.

Graphic by Elias Brinkman

Clinton most qualified for President

Clinton’s vast experience and comparatively moderate policy explain her current poll position at the head of the Democratic party.

Kayleigh Thesenvitz Variety Editor

Although not my first choice for Democratic party nominee, Hillary Clinton is leading many national polls for a reason. Her 51 years of experience and relatively moderate public policy will be crucial assets both on the campaign trail and in office if she wins the vote.

Clinton has a long history maneuvering the world of social policy making, which she began in 1964 when she was only seventeen years old and helped campaign for presidential nominee Barry Goldwater.

Throughout her college years Clinton was incredibly politically active, working on a Senate subcommittee and on the presidential campaign of George McGovern.

In 1974, Clinton joined the presidential impeachment inquiry staff,

and witnessed first hand the responsibilities of President. In 2001 Clinton was elected to US Senate, where she championed health care and women’s and children’s rights.

In 2008 Clinton first ran for president alongside Barack Obama. While she obviously lost, she was appointed Secretary of State by President Obama.

During her tenure Clinton has become well traveled. She forged early connections with foreign diplomats, which has given her a clear advantage over almost all other candidates on both sides of the political aisle.

Although a long history in American politics has recently begun to be regarded as a negative (with candidates like Ben Carson, Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina being championed for their nonpolitical backgrounds), having a firm grip on how to navigate the political realm is an asset when communicating with the other branches of government and managing foreign affairs. If we elected our president in the same way that hiring managers choose employees, then Clinton’s years of experience would definitely qualify her for the job.

One of the biggest concerns voters have when it comes to Clinton’s campaign is the number of times her family name has been associated with scandalous behaviour. Throughout her astonishingly long career a fair number of those

have learned from their mistakes, it is only fair to extend that same courtesy to Clinton.

The issues central to Clinton’s campaign have also been targeted by many media sources because they are “flip-floppy” or “wishywashy.” Her recent decision to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership and her change of position on the appropriate amount of involvement in Syria are great examples of how her policies have changed.

But in all honesty this also goes back to forgetting that Clinton is an actual human being. Not only do people make mistakes and learn from them, they also have the ability to make a decision, and upon learning new facts can change their minds. The ability to adapt to new information is a good quality for a leader to have.

Clinton’s policies lie somewhere between her radical opponents on both sides of the debate.

She has obviously made bold statements on the issues of women’s reproductive rights, gun violence prevention and health care that put her clearly left of center. However, in comparison to some of her fellow liberal candidates, she stands a little to the right on issues of free trade, involvement in foreign affairs and marijuana legalization.

This makes Clinton arguably one of the best candidates in either party, because the centralization of her policies are likely to attract swing voters during election time, and having a more centralized

“If we elected our president in the same way that managers choose employees, Clinton’s years of experience would definitely qualify her for the job” advising the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives during the Watergate scandal.

In 1976 Clinton contributed to Jimmy Carter’s successful presidential campaign. In ‘77 President Carter appointed her part-time chairwoman of the Legal Services Corporation, the nonprofit federal agency that funds and monitors free civilian legal aid.

During her positions as first lady in both Arkansas and in the US, Clinton filled her schedule with various social justice causes, as well as supported her husband

can safely be called failures for which she can be personally held responsible. However, to her credit, she has yet to make the same mistake twice.

One aspect of Clinton’s history that many voters may find most difficult to reconcile is the email and private network scandal that has most recently clouded her campaign. However, she is not the only candidate on the trail whose past seems a little shady. If we can forgive Trump and Fiorina for past failures on the grounds that they

president could ease the tensions of our so strongly divided nation.

Many of the other democratic candidates such as Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, Lawrence Lessig and Jim Webb come nowhere close to Clinton’s popularity with voters. The real threats to her campaign are Bernie Sanders, who trails close behind her in every state but New Hampshire, where he has a decisive lead, and Joe Biden. If Biden were to enter the race, it would lower everyone else’s chances significantly.

Commentary

12 October 2015

Pharming Doctors:

The Collegian: 7

Doctors on pharmaceutical payrolls don’t always have patients’ best interests in mind

Doctors who work on the payrolls of pharmaceutical companies are influenced by the gifts and reimbursements they receive for promoting and prescribing certain drugs. This can be harmful to patients.

Anonymous

Full disclosure: I am a former drug addict. It’s not something many people know, including my family.

I began abusing prescriptions after I was prescribed Vyvanse and Prozac without a second thought from my doctor. Since he was my primary physician who had taken care of me since I was a small child, I thought he would have my best interests at heart. I was wrong.

Pharmaceutical companies can persuade doctors to prescribe certain medications.

Graphic by Sarah Power

I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety and major depressive disorder, so my brain chemistry is a bit hot and cold like a thunderstorm. I now know that most neurologists, such as neurosurgeon and former White House advisor Dr. Sanjay Gupta, would agree that the last thing such a volatile and imbalanced biochemistry needs is more stimulants; yet all too often that is what the doctor orders.

Dr. Tinsel of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that about 7.5 percent of US children from the age of six to 17 receive prescription medication for emotional or behavioral difficulties. This number has been increasing at a fivefold rate since 1988.

The problem is that, simultaneously, children are not receiving enough treatment.

This is part of a larger problem within the medical system of treatment in the US, concludes Tinsel. Far too many doctors prescribe medication to treat the symptoms rather than the root of the problem. It’s not that doctors are doing too much; rather, by simply writing a prescriptions and shunting their patients out the door, they are doing too little.

A large part of this problem stems from a much larger issue plaguing the American people: the unregulated behavior of pharmaceutical companies. Pro Publica’s Doc Dollars is a program which contains a database of all doctors receiving benefits from pharmaceutical companies (accessible at

https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/), and it reveals startling information about the Tulsa area: almost 2,000 local doctors are on the payroll of pharmaceutical companies.

This means they receive gifts, reimbursements and paid vacations in exchange for speaking on the behalf of the drugs they prescribe and recommending the pills to patients.

I checked, and my doctor was on the list.

I would recommend you check your doctor as well.

For Oklahoma as a whole, the number rises to about 7,600 doctors who are on the payroll of big pharmaceutical companies. In the US as a whole, about $3.5 billion a year get paid from 1,630 companies to approximately 680,000 doctors. The most money made is from cancer medication prescriptions.

When I delve deeper, I discover that all of my doctor’s payments received when meeting with drug companies are undisputed and written off as meal expenses. My doctor has not received a payment in some time. I hope it stays that way, but this shouldn’t be something people have to worry about. The relationship between the public and corporations has rarely been positive in American history, but no individual should ever have to question if their doctor has their best interest in mind.

correlate with gun violence.

Ben Carson references the Constitution most in his argument that citizens should be prepared and armed in case America were to become a tyranny. But mass shootings have become so common it’s hard to keep up with them, let alone lesser gun homicides.

The same day Obama visited grieving Oregon families, two other separate shootings left two dead and three wounded in Arizona and Texas.

Obama points to Great Britain, Australia and other countries that were able to significantly decrease gun violence through regulation. In 2011, the U.K., with much stronger background checks and prohibitions, had 0.06 gun homicides for every 100,000 people. This is opposed to 3 gun homicides for every 100,000 people in the United States that same year.

Canada, which avoids the ‘gunshow loophole’ through the use of background checks even in private sales, had just .05 for

every 100,000. Japan has some of the strictest gun laws globally, and they had 2 gun homicides in 2006, 22 in 2007, and 11 in 2008. The fable that bad guys would keep their guns while good guys had to turn theirs in doesn’t hold.

Evidence shows that over three quarters of weapons used in mass murder were bought legally. James Holmes, who killed 12 and injured others in the Aurora theatre, legally purchased his guns. The 13 guns used in the Oregon shooting were all legally purchased as well, leaving nine dead.

These stories inspire the greatest grief in us, so why aren’t we changing anything?

“This is a political choice that we make to allow this to happen every few months in America,” Obama said, “We collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction.”

Those who staunchly oppose gun control need to assess the consequences of their stubbornness before more lives are taken.

Editor’s note: The author’s name has been omitted for privacy and safety reasons.

Inaction following shootings is unacceptable

Those who routinely respond to shooting incidents with staunch opposition to gun control should consider the implications of their stance.

Nathan Gibbons Student Writer

Obama smiled as he spoke about the Umpqua Community College mass-shooting that claimed nine victims.

It was an angry smile, one of disbelief about what had happened and an acknowledgement of what would come.

“Somehow, this has become routine...

We’ve become numb to this,” Obama said, “and what’s become routine, of course, is the response of those who oppose any kind of common sense gun legislation.”

Obama’s entire address was emotionally charged as he named famous mass shootings that have taken place over the last decade, in schools or otherwise. Despite this, many argue that Obama is using the issue to push an agenda and that gun control isn’t a viable solution.

Republican Candidate Ben Carson, who’s been receiving a lot of publicity recently for his gun control comments, is “extremely pro-2nd Amendment,” as his Facebook page puts it.

Though Carson is against the ownership of semi-automatic weapons in urban areas, his stance on gun control is radical opposition. After the Umpqua shooting, Carson told radio host Hugh Hewitt he was against gun regulation, as it leads to guns being taken away.

On Fox, Carson stated, “I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, ‘hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me but he can’t get us all.”

Statements like these are easy to make from the outside looking in. Standing in a

room with a loaded gun aimed at you is a different circumstance. When asked for his response to the solid argument that he was being insensitive to victims and that nobody knows what they’d do in a situation like that, Carson ignored the question.

Let’s look at the evidence against Ben Carson, as he doesn’t represent the entire Republican party but does represent almost every gun control-opposed argument available, in the statements mentioned or otherwise.

Carson claims that barring insane people from purchasing guns should come second to people’s rights to bear arms.

If these arms are to be used in defense, it should be mentioned that it’s been statistically proven that states with tighter gun laws have fewer gun deaths and violence.

Carson argues we should try to spot the mentally ill before they procure a weapon.

At the state level, the amount of mentally ill and even neurotic personalities does not

President Obama makes an emotionally charged speech following the recent shooting in Oregon.

Psychiatrist who maimed patient is in the wrong A psychiatrist who attempted to alleviate his patient’s mental condition by physically injuring her should be made to understand his poor judgment.

Nathan Hinkle Student Writer As stated in the Hippocratic Oath, “do no harm.” Doctors, including psychiatrists, are not supposed to purposely injure their patients.

One doctor broke this oath recently. Jew-

el Shuping, a woman from North Carolina, had her psychologist blind her with drain cleaner, because she felt like she should always have been blind.

Jewel has a disorder known as BIID or Body Integrity Identity Disorder. This disorder makes the inflicted feel like a part of their body shouldn’t be there or should be different. In Jewel’s case, she has felt that she should have been blind ever since she was a child.

This is a serious disorder, and doctors who treat these patients should not be going around fulfilling their patients’ wishes.

Doctors should not be injuring people on

purpose, whether the patient wants it or not.

I am not personally blind but I believe that casting aside your working eyesight is an insult to people who are already blind. I believe it is similar to the issue of food waste in America. We throw away tons of food a year when there are needs in other places.

While there are groups of blind people who are fine without regaining sight according to Rebecca Atkinson from the Guardian, I personally believe this woman has recklessly thrown away what 285 million people lack and some would be ecstatic to receive again.

Most doctors have to say an oath that prohibits them from mischief and injury to

their patients. This doctor should be personally required to realize how he personally injured that woman and the problems that will occur in the future. While the patient in question is happy at this point from her psychiatrist’s help, she is also injured at a young age which later on will cause problems for her. There has to be a better way to go about fixing this disorder without having to go to such extreme measures.

This is a problem and instead of following through with these requests of those with BIID, psychologists should figure out a better way to help them without having to physically maim them.

Variety

the Collegian: 8

12 October 2015

Renowned poet Andrea Gibson to visit TU Gibson’s poetry reading at TU this Thursday (Oct 15) will bring students together for a night of entertainment and social justice.

Kayleigh Thesenvitz Variety Editor Andrea Gibson is the spokenword poet of our lifetime. Their (Gibson’s) poetry illuminates those struggles so central to today’s social justice campaigns.

Thanks to the Society for Gender Equality, Pride and the SA department of Student Awareness, Gibson will be giving a spoken word performance at TU in the Student Union Great Hall on Thursday.

“We really wanted to do an event with Andrea Gibson because they are an amazing spoken word artist who covers things such as mental health, LGBTQ issues, privilege and social justice through their po-

etry,” said Whitney Cipolla, VicePresident of Society for Gender Equality.

Gibson stands at the forefront of the spoken-word movement as the first winner of the Women’s World Poetry Slam.

Their work has been featured on the BBC, Air America, CSPAN, Free Speech TV and in 2010 was read by a state representative in lieu of morning prayer at the Utah State Legislature, according to their personal website.

“A lot of people have come together to make this event happen, so it would be awesome if people from all different backgrounds and interest groups could find common ground and unite for a night of incredible poetry,” Cipolla said.

In the days leading up to and following their visit to TU, Gibson’s schedule is full of tours across the nation, so it is an incredible privilege to have them perform here.

“I absolutely think the topics will resonate with students. This performance is for everyone. An-

drea covers a wide variety of topics with both seriousness and humor that appeals to the masses, and I think people will leave thinking about how they too can assert their voices for causes of justice, while also having been thoroughly entertained,” Cipolla added.

The performance will be held in The Union Great Hall on Thursday, October 15.

Doors open at 7 pm and the performance is at 7:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served after the performance.

Additionally, Andrea Gibson will be teaching a writing workshop on Friday, October 16 from noon to 1:30 in Chapman Lecture Hall.

If you are interested in attending the workshop, please contact Whitney Cipolla at whitney-cipolla@utulsa.edu. Space is limited, so RSVP if you want to go. Lunch will also be provided.

Award winning poet Andrea Gibson will perform at TU this week.

Courtesy Andrea Gibson

Erik Larson: loves Juicy Fruit, hates crime porn Non-fiction author Erik Larson left behind gems of wisdom for TU students after his visit on Tuesday Oct 6.

Savanna Deweese Student Writer Author Erik Larson visited the University of Tulsa last Tuesday October 6th to take part in a Presidential Lecture Series and respond to questions from a panel of students about his achievements as a narrative non-fiction writer.

Larson explained to a panel of fourteen TU students how he got the idea for his book, “Devil in the White City”. His book juxtaposes good and evil by recounting the murders of H. H. Holmes during the building of the Chicago World’s Fair.

Larson was interested in writing a story about murder but he did not want to write “crime porn,”

Courtesy usatoday

Bestselling author Erik Larson gave a talk at TU.

which is initially why he was cautious about tackling H.H. Homes’ story. The deciding factor for Larson was when he discovered that Juicy Fruit Gum, his undying “passion,” had been introduced to American Markets 100 years ago

at the Chicago World’s Fair. For Larson, this was all the motivation he needed to write the story.

Larson is a critically acclaimed author with five books, all historical nonfiction, that reached the New York Times Bestseller

list. His most well-known book is “Devil in The White City.”

When asked if Larson had ever written a fiction novel he answered, “I tried to write a fiction novel in highschool, and it had a sex scene in it—I didn’t know any-

thing about sex.”

Larson claimed that he doesn’t think he would have the sensibility to write fiction novels. He couldn’t kill his characters; his fiction stories would “be very short and very happy.”

He has never had any of his four fiction novels published it and he prefers it that way. His niche is in finding small stories in history that he can illuminate the reader’s imagination with, stories that “get your soul going.”

Larson left the panel discussion with advice he wished he would’ve had in college.

He said “you know, don’t take yourself too seriously. The most important thing—you’ll think you have a path, you want to write a feature film or whatever, you have a plan. But life will throw you curve balls and they are usually good curveballs. You’re going to have a life full of zig zags, just go with it.”

International sodas event offers sips of world flavors

The Center for Global Education hosted “Soda-Pop Culture” last Thursday, featuring soda pops from around the world.

Sara Douglas Student Writer Last Thursday afternoon, Hardesty Hall’s archway was filled with students from the Center for Global Education passing out samples of sodas from around the world.

Among the featured flavors were an apple cider without any artificial ingredients from Taiwan, a bright green tarragon flavored soda from Russia, and a caffeine-filled guarana energy drink from Brazil.

Also offered up were the popular fruity Jarritos from Mexico, which are available for purchase at Baja Jack’s.

The most interesting flavor was the tarragon: like a mix between rosemary and parsley, it had a woody, herbal flavor that was savory overall, but it delivered a fresh zesty burst as well.

While the guarana energy drink was appealing due to its caffeine content, the flavor wasn’t very notable.

The Brazilian club on campus was promoting the guarana drink while also encouraging students to attend their Brazil Fest this coming Friday at noon in the LaFortune lobby.

They’ll have free food and drink, likely including the energy drink.

Student volunteers with CGE hand out soda samples to passing students.

The Brazilian club provided guarana energy drinks.

The carbonated apple cider from Taiwan boasted all-natural, fresh flavors.

Sara Douglas / Collegian

Variety

12 October 2015

the Collegian: 9

Goodnight Mommy provides shock, not horror A thematic change halfway through the plot diminishes the quality of Goodnight Mommy.

The movie Goodnight Mommy focuses on the story of three people. A mother returns to her isolated lake house with two children after undergoing facial reconstruction surgery.

Her interactions with her sons, twins Elias and Lukas, are unusual and cold behind a bandaged face.

The ten-year-olds begin to suspect an imposter, human or otherwise.

The movie, created by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, introduces real dread in its first half. The house is large, unwelcoming and all-around too quiet.

Cockroaches stored by the sons crawl over each other in glass jars.

Characters disappear in absolute

plague the twins, and create suspense for the second half of the film.

For better and for worse, the movie turns its heel and reveals itself as a shocking film rather than a terrifying one about an hour in.

I was excited for more horror scenes, but understood how the film was changing pretty quickly.

The second half still had me on edge, but my squirming in the otherwise empty theatre was caused by gutwrenching shock rather than anything inherently scary.

Shock presented itThe interactions between the mother and her sons are unusual and cold. self in two ways. The first through imagery, such as When three characters’ shaky the movie takes a pretty big bite the nightmares of the twins. The willingness to hurt one another can out of itself in order to spit up the second involved characters in a cause or avoid serious harm scene twist. Some meaningful themes are thrown out and the film feels a whole lot less real and thus less impactful.

Whenever the next ‘good’ horror movie is praised, it’s best to take that information with a large grain of salt. Goodnight Mommy relies too heavily on its shock to be considered a horror movie, but

darkness and shots linger. As a tractor rides through the cornfield, the boys walk through the haze of dust. The entire setting boasts surreality.

Isolated in such a place, the opening scenes of the family’s reunion are eerie.

During a guessing game the boys write ‘mama’ on a card and stick it to their mother’s head. They begin to fidget uncomfortably when the woman, entirely bandaged except for her eyes and mouth, can’t easily identify herself.

In their situation, nightmares

situation in which they could become permanently maimed at any moment and have virtually no way of stopping this from happening.

This type of film, when overdone, is commonly referred to as ‘torture porn.’ Goodnight Mommy treads a dangerous line between making audiences’ desperate for characters’ well being and enjoying the pain it dishes out.

Many audiences may be desensitized to this sort of thing after Saw and similar films, but Goodnight Mommy’s smaller scope helps it.

Nathan Gibbons Student Writer

“For better and for worse, the movie turns its heel and reveals itself as a shocking film rather than a terrifying one”

after scene, it’s much more excruciating to watch than other torture films.

There’s plenty more blood and gore in Eli Roth’s mean-spirited Hostel series, but when characters are paying to torture and kill others, you already know how scenes will end.

The film’s turn somewhat negates much of what we see in the first half and it’s in a pointless late reveal that the film really loses quality.

Sure, you can see needless bits and pieces leading up to it, but

Should you do the Honey Boo Boo bop?

Honey Boo Boo released her own pop single with questionable vocals, but cute lyrics.

James Terrell Student Writer She’s back. A year or so after the cancellation of her show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” the fiercely confident Alana Thompson has now released a single.

Titled “Movin Up,” the song features her, her sister and Adam Barta (a singer known for his duets).

There are good and bad parts to this song.

On the one hand, good on Alana for doing something I’m sure she enjoyed. Plus the piano in the background feels very fitting.

Also props to the line “I’m just a small town girl living in my princess world.”

On the other hand, wow. This song is a complete mess.

It’s a pop anthem on how amazing Honey Boo Boo is and how she’s going somewhere and while I love a good empowering number, this is painful.

The track primarily features Alana yelling. While that can be forgiven, it’s the featured singer that ruins it for me.

In the music video Adam Barta seems like a great person, but his vocals are appalling. He seems

lost without his autotune.

It’s unfortunate, but Barta gets in the way of what could’ve been the next ridiculous hit.

It also features Alana’s sister “Pumpkin” which is sort of cute, but at the same time it’s a reminder of how ridiculous this song is.

If you enjoyed “Friday” by Rebecca Black or “Let’s Take a Selfie,” this will surely win over your heart, but if those two songs bring up a boiling anger, this will not be your cup of tea.

While “Movin Up” may never be a top one hundred, it’s definitely worth a listen whether you want a good laugh or to get down and “do the Honey Boo Boo Bop.”

Adam Lux Student Writer So you’re sitting in the study room with a cup of tea. You move your hand a little bit and you spill the steaming liquid all over the homework you just spent four and a half hours on. Or maybe you’re in class taking notes furiously and you spill your coffee all over your friend that sits next to you.

You ask yourself “How did this happen? How did I let my life become this chaotic and meaningless?”

Let me tell you something. Your life has always been this way.

Since the birth of the universe the cup started tipping and entropy slowly eats away at everything.

You’ve never actually had control of your life; it just seemed that way and now that you feel yourself coming apart atom by atom, pulled in every direction, you realize the truth. You begin to question your ability to continue doing all

Courtesy Fandango

is too chilling to be considered anything else. I don’t enjoy torture scenes, but I did appreciate the experience the movie gave me, even if it was a reaction based one. Unless you’re really, really against any kind of torture scenes, you’ll probably be able to appreciate Goodnight Mommy’s better qualities.

this, or at least maintaining your sanity as you do.

But fear not, because your sanity is spilling too and there’s nothing you can do about it. Just like coffee out of that cup, your cognitive abilities seem to flow out of your ears as you fall down into the dark pit of “the real world.”

It starts with just forgetting something here or there and eventually reaches a point where you’re openly weeping over a differential equations exam. As you look around you and realize that no one actually “has their shit together,” you might as well just let the insanity envelope you and swim around in it for a while.

The first time you stood up on your own it was destined that one day you must return to the earth.

The juggler can not juggle forever, every plane has a last flight and the cup always spills, eventually.

So you might as well just knock it over yourself.

“twenty-one plus” Custom cocktail creations and accompanying critiques presented by TU’s own hobbyist mixologist.

Sara Douglas Student Writer Dirty Russian 1.5 oz. vodka 1.5 oz. coffee liqueur 1 oz. espresso 1 oz. cream Pour espresso over ice in tumbler.

Add vodka and coffee liqueur.

Top with cream and stir gently.

Drink this if: You like The Big Lebowski and/or dirty chai lattes and/or spiked coffee (a.k.a. the only way I survive Mondays).

Upping the liqueur-to-vodka ratio while adding a shot of espresso to the classic White Russian emphasizes the coffee flavor, and the added caffeine makes this a wonderful midterm-season beverage. Plus, on chilly days, it can be served warm instead of over ice by using freshly-brewed espresso and heated cream.

Courtesy People

Alana Thompson, A.K.A. Honey Boo Boo, is expanding her young career into the music industry.

Sara Douglas / Collegian

The Collegian: 10

Sports

Tulsa: collegiate tennis capitol

There is a lot to talk about with tennis at Tulsa this week. It has never been more popular, with TU hosting the biggest tournament of the fall for the eighth straight season and the biggest tournament of the spring season for the third time in the last ten years.

Matt Rechtien Sports Editor

Volleyball The Golden Hurricane returned to the Reynolds Center for their ‘Dig Pink Match’ against the UConn Huskies. The game went the distance with Tulsa winning the last set 16–14 to improve their overall record to 8–9 and their conference record to 3–2. Erica Bohannon led TU with 21 kills and Brooke Berryhill had a season 38 digs in the match. On Sunday they hosted the Temple Owls and fell 1–3 in four sets. Next up for Tulsa is a trip to Florida where they will play both UCF and USF. Award Winning Freshman Freshman quarterback Will Hefley III was named one of five recipients of the 2015 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame National High School Scholar-Athlete Award. Hefley, who is red-shirting this season, was the Midwest Region recipient for his performance at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, which included leading the state in passing yards and touchdowns in the 2014 and 2013 seasons. Another recipient of the award is UCLA freshman quarterback Josh Rosen.

Women’s Golf The women’s golf team competed in the Ron Moore Intercollegiate at the Highlands Ranch Golf Club this weekend.

Tulsa sits at 16th with a total score of 610 after two rounds of play. Nadia Majidizadeh and Mackenzie Medders lead the Golden Hurricane and are tied for 45th overall, both shooting a 150 after two rounds. Alex Haun, Olivia Jackson and Johanna Samuelson are all tied for 82nd with an overall score of 157.

Softball Named Scholar Athletes Five Tulsa softball players were honored as National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar Athletes for the 2014–15 season. Current Golden Hurricane players Jocelyn Sheffield, Meddie Withee and Emily Watson as well as graduates Bailey Erwin and Julie Kernen received the honor. The award is given to softball student-athletes who achieve a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher.

Softball continues their fall season this week against Rogers State on Wednesday.

Hall of Fame Inductions Last week Tulsa inducted three former student athletes and one former coach into Tulsa’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday night. T.J. Rubley (football), Michael Ruffin (basketball), Jillian Robbins (basketball) and Elmer Henderson (football coach) were also recognized during halftime at Saturday’s game. Rubley was the starting quarterback for the Golden Hurricane in the late eighties. He lead them to two bowl games and set the school’s alltime passing record in the process. Ruffin was a four-year starter for the Hurricane in the nineties and was the first player in school history to record 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 points. He was named the Student-Athlete of the Year for basketball by College Hoops Insider in 1999. Robbins is the most decorated player in Tulsa’s women’s basketball history, leaving Tulsa ranked first in seven different school records. She also led TU to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and win over North Carolina in 2006. Henderson stunned football fans in 1925 when he moved from USC to Oklahoma to coach the Golden Hurricane. He compiled a record of 70–25–5 over 11 seasons including ten straight winning seasons.

Monday marked the end of the largest men’s tennis tournament of the fall season, the Saint Francis ITA All-American Championships, once again hosted by the University of Tulsa.

Or Ram-Harel, Mitchell Pritchard, Carlos Bautista, Juan Gonzalez, Matthew Kirby and Dylan McCloskey all represented the Golden Hurricane in the singles and doubles brackets.

Ram-Harel won his first match in the singles draw while Kirby and McCloskey won their first doubles match before falling in the second round to Chris Diaz (singles) from Ohio State and Eliot Orkin and Maxx Lipman (doubles) of Florida.

Bautista and Gonzalez were the last representatives for the Golden Hurricane in the main draw doubles consolation bracket before falling to Jeffrey Brown and Alex Gornet of Louisville on Saturday.

TU has hosted the All-American Championships every year since 2008, and in

the spring Tulsa will be hosting the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Championships for the third time since 2004.

Hosting both of these major tournaments is a big boon for Tulsa’s tennis program because it will bring national attention to TU in addition to the top players from across the country who participate in these tournaments.

In a press conference this week, Vice President and Director of Athletics Derrick Gragg talked about this opportunity for TU. “As a university and community, we’re ex-

Tulsa Sports Commision, explained just how big of an impact this could be for the tournament on Thursday.

“Tennis tournaments bring and will continue to bring a significant economic impact to the region. We are looking forward to the NCAA tournament in 2016 and its projected total economic impact of over $5 million.”

Both Golden Hurricane sides qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season and will look to play in front of a home crowd in the spring.

The NCAA Championships consist of

“Tennis tournaments bring and will continue to bring a significant economic impact to the region” cited for the opportunity to host the two biggest events in collegiate tennis this year.”

Gragg also said, “the Michael D. Case Tennis Center is a cut-above when it comes to facilities for college tennis and by hosting these events hundreds of the nation’s best tennis players are exposed to the extraordinary hospitality from our campus and community.”

The significance of hosting these major tournaments extend beyond just the University though. Much like the Olympics or World Cup (though on a much smaller scale), national tournaments like these can have huge economic impacts for the cities that host them.

Ray Hoyt, the President of VisitTulsa and

both a field of 16 team competition, as well as men and women’s individual singles and doubles tournaments to crown individual champions.

Tulsa’s Director of Tennis and Head Coach for the men’s team is looking forward to how these tournaments can help the school and the city.

“Obviously, these two events, the Saint Francis ITA All-American and NCAA Championships, are not only huge for our tennis program, but it speaks to the strong interest that the city of Tulsa has in the sport. These national events allow us the opportunity to showcase the top facility for collegiate tennis and our outstanding community.”

Silva to score an easy goal after USF beat the Tulsa defense with little difficulty after a few crisp passes.

Tulsa responded quickly, though, as Juan Sanchez scored a beautiful curving shot to equalize five minutes later. Neither team was able to convert for the remainder of the half, and the score remained 1–1 at the break.

With ten minutes remaining in the second half, as the game appeared to be headed to overtime, the Bulls were able to get on the scoreboard again. Nazeem Bartman ran onto a ball played forward by Eduardo Maceira, and had a simple pass into the net after he touched the ball around the approaching goalkeeper.

Tulsa’s starting goalkeeper Jake McGuire was injured for this game, and backup Brandon Hanat was injured during warmups, giving the freshman Da Silva the start in front of net. On Bartman’s goal, Da Silva tried to beat Bartman to the ball that was outside the goal box, a ball that he did not appear

to have a chance at reaching. Had he stayed in net, he would have had a better chance at a save on a shot that Bartman took with pressure from the defender coming behind him. In this case, his inexperience showed, and the Golden Hurricane remain winless against ranked opponents this season, dropping the game with a final score of 2–1.

The Golden Hurricane bounced back when they travelled to Orlando to face the Knights of UCF. Tulsa freshman Lesley Nchanji scored twelve minutes into the game, netting his first collegiate goal, to put the Golden Hurricane in front.

The lead would stand, as Da Silva rebounded with seven saves to earn the shutout as Tulsa won 1–0.

With the split games this week, the Golden Hurricane now stand at 5–5–2 (1–2–1 American Athletic Conference) on the season. They are currently in fourth place in the conference. Tulsa’s next game is on Oct. 17 at home against Temple. First kick is at 7:00.

Carter was left open after she received a square pass from Grace Adams, and slotted the ball into the left side of the goal.

Tulsa wasn’t able to produce a goal for the duration of the game, and Carter’s goal proved to be enough to earn the 1–0 victory for the Bulls. The Golden Hurricane were outshot 22–9, but goalkeeper Courtney McKeon had a strong game with seven saves to keep the game always within reach.

After the game, head coach Kyle Cussen said, “I was really proud of our energy and focus, and the fact that we are competing with top-25 teams really shows where our program is and how far we’ve come.”

On Sunday afternoon, Tulsa faced the other American Athletic Conference team in Florida, Central Florida.

The game started out rough for the Golden Hurricane, as they found themselves down after only four minutes. Carol Ro-

drigues gave the Knights an early header goal to take a quick lead.

For the second game in a row, Tulsa was out-shot by a significant margin. In the first half against the UCF, the Knights outshot the Golden Hurricane 14–9. Despite facing so many shots, Tulsa only faced a 1–0 deficit heading into halftime.

The Golden Hurricane came out strong in the beginning of the second half, and were able to knot the score after a minute when Lauren King found the back of the net.

The tie was short-lived, however, as Rodrigues answered to put the Knights back in the lead. Ashley Spivey added a goal for UCF, and they finished with a 3–1 win.

After the losses, the Golden Hurricane’s record is 11–3–1 (2–2–1 American Athletic Conference). They resume play on Thursday evening against Temple at 7:00 at Hurricane Stadium.

good for at least the next couple of years.

Their only problem is that Kane is being investigated for a rape charge that started in the offseason. The investigation is still pending, but the Blackhawks are keeping Kane on the team and trying to downplay all of it.

It’s understandable to have confusion when dealing with this situation, but to have Kane being showcased with things like raising their Stanley Cup banner and doing PR work for the team is very ignorant of the Blackhawks.

Balance of power shifts to the East For years, the majority of the NHL’s top contenders were battling it out in the Western Conference playoffs, while the Eastern playoffs were almost an afterthought. That may have changed this year.

The East is loaded with stacked teams like Pittsburgh, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Washing-

ton, plus both New York teams, and still has consistent stalwarts like Boston and Detroit.

Several of the West teams on the other hand have not made huge improvements.

Some teams out west like Anaheim, Chicago and St. Louis will still be very good, but it seems like this is the season that the East will be on display.

A new generation of superstars The NHL Draft last year featured two of the newest young superstars that the league has to offer since Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.

Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be battling for the Rookie of the Year award and soon will be playing for the MVP. Their teams, Edmonton Oilers for McDavid and Buffalo Sabres for Eichel, are not good right now, but drafting these two guys will definitely turn them the right direction.

Men’s soccer splits with Florida

Tulsa fell to a top-ranked USF side at home before traveling to the Sunshine State to beat UCF on Saturday for their first conference win this season.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer

The Golden Hurricane played both American Athletic teams from Florida this week, losing to South Florida on Wednesday before defeating Central Florida on Saturday for their first conference win of the season.

South Florida was the fifth ranked opponent of the season on Tulsa’s schedule. The Golden Hurricane went into the match looking for their first victory against a ranked foe.

The Bulls got on the scoreboard first, taking the lead just fifteen minutes into the game. Gabriel Carlsson found himself open in front of Tulsa goalkeeper Marcel Da

Women fall to Bulls and Knights

The Golden Hurricane battled USF, UCF and the heat as they played two conference matches in Florida this week.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer The Golden Hurricane women’s soccer team faced their first ranked opponent of the season on Thursday when they travelled to Tampa to take on No. 24 ranked USF. The game was one of few games this year where the Golden Hurricane looked to be out-matched for the majority of the game. In the first half alone, they were out-shot 12–4.

Despite their multitude of shots, though, USF wasn’t able to score for the first seventy minutes of the game.

After seventy minutes, though, Trudi

Three stories to follow in the early days of the new NHL season The National Hockey League kicked off its season this week, so our residential hockey expert looked at three of the big storylines entering this season.

Mason Morgan Sports Writer

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

12 October 2015

You may have not noticed, but the NHL season started this past week. While it’s too early to tell the difference between the pretty good teams and the pretty bad teams, here are a few of the main story-lines going into the season: Chicago faces a lose-lose situation It wasn’t long ago that the Blackhawks won their third title in this decade. They’re built around superstars like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith and will be

Sports

12 October 2015

The Collegian: 11

Golden Hurricane beat Warhawks, put themselves over five hundred

Courtesy Brett Rojo, American Athletic Conference

Clockwise from top left: Freshman wide receiver Justin Hobbs breaks free from a ULM defender in Saturday’s win. Hobbs finished with 82 receiving yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back D’Angelo Brewer runs through ULM’s front seven. Brewer led Tulsa with 91 yards on the ground. Junior linebacker Matt Linscott makes a tackle against Louisiana-Monroe. Linscott recorded an interception that lead to a Tulsa touchdown.

Tulsa came into their final non-conference game of the season looking to break their two game losing streak and prevailed 34–24 over Louisiana-Monroe.

Wade Crawford Sports Writer

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team broke out of their .500 record and got back on the winning track, as they beat the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 34–24.

Quarterback Dane Evans and running back Zach Langer both contributed to the offensive effort again, as both were responsible for two touchdowns each. Evans’s touchdowns were paired with 341 yards passing, while Langer had 69 yards of his own.

However, the scoring began with kicker Redford Jones, as he hit a 34-yard field goal.

Monday

After Craig Ford missed a field goal, Langer scored the first of his two touchdowns, giving Tulsa a 10–0 lead after a quarter.

Early in the second quarter, LouisianaMonroe finally got on the board. Quarterback Garrett Smith ran three yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to a field goal. After a scare via a missed field goal

by Jones, he redeemed himself by hitting a 28-yard field goal, bringing the lead back to six points. Tulsa ended the half with Evans’s longest pass completion of the year, as Joshua Hobbs scored on a 36-yard touchdown reception.

However, the Warhawks dominated the entire third quarter. After a 22-yard field goal

by Ford, Smith completed a pass to Ajalen Holley for 26 yards for a touchdown, bringing the score to 20–17 Tulsa. Louisiana took their first lead of the game on a 43-yard rush

by DeVontae McNeal, as they took a 24–20 lead. Tulsa’s only scoring attempts ended in

Tuesday

Wednesday

a pair of field goal misses by Jones.

After the third quarter, the Louisiana scoring ended, and Tulsa finished the game strong. Evans completed a pass to D’Angelo Brewer for a 15-yard touchdown, and Langer ran for his second touchdown, bringing the game to the final score of 34–24.

Louisiana-Monroe was only held to 173 rushing yards, while compiling 231 yards passing. Meanwhile, Tulsa ran for 222 and passed 341 yards. The game featured a pair of 100-yard receivers, as Josh Atkinson and the Warhawks’ Ajalen Holley both had just over 110 yards each. This was Atkinson’s fourth straight 100-yard game.

After the game, Head Coach Philip Montgomery talked about two big plays by junior linebackers Matt Linscott and Matt Hickman that swung the game back in Tulsa’s favor. “(The interception) was a changing point of the game. Those two plays were huge

Thursday Men’s Tennis @ ITF Futures

Men’s Tennis Men’s Tennis Men’s Tennis Men’s Tennis @ ITF Futures @ ITF Futures @ ITF Futures @ ITA Regionals

Men’s Golf @ Bayou City Collegiate

Men’s Golf @ Bayou City Collegiate

Softball vs. Rogers State University 5:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis @ USTA/ITA Regionals Women’s Soccer vs. Temple 7:00 p.m.

momentum swings for us.” The Golden Hurricane were able to take advantage of those turnovers to go up 34–24 late in the 4th quarter.

Coach Montgomery also had a few words concerning the new black uniforms that the team played in. “[The team] walked in the locker room and it was like a little kid on Christmas....I know our guys enjoyed playing in them, and they were excited about it.

Recruits like it.”

The Warhawks were fighting in honor of quarterback Daniel Fitzwater, who died this past week. “The coaching staff and team are deeply saddened by the loss of a great person in Daniel,” said Louisiana-Monroe coach Todd Berry. “The team’s hurting, everyone’s hurting...We were all heartbroken.”

Louisiana-Monroe goes back home to play Appalachian State next week, while Tulsa goes on the road to take on East Carolina Pirates.

: Oct. 12–18 Friday

Cross Country @ Wisconsin Invitational Men’s Tennis @ ITF Futures Men’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals Women’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals Softball vs. NE Oklahoma A&M College 5:00 p.m.

Volleyball @ USF 6:00 p.m.

Saturday

Men’s Tennis @ ITF Futures

Men’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals Women’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals Rowing @ Head of Charles Football @ East Carolina 11:00 a.m.

Softball vs. Labette CC 5:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Temple 7:00 p.m.

Sunday

Men’s Tennis @ ITF Futures Men’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals Women’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals Women’s Soccer vs. UConn 1:00 p.m.

Volleyball @ UCF 1:00 p.m.

The State-Run Media

the

State-Run media

12 October 2015

I see the masthead and I want to paint it black.

Martian water stolen from California The search for intelligent life on other planets may have ended and they’re not just intelligent — they’re thirsty.

Steven Buchele Knows what Marvin the Martian is really up to New discoveries have pointed to the startling realization that Mars is stealing all of California’s water.

Harold Oodmar, local water commissioner and newly minted adventurer from western Oklahoma, announced his findings Tuesday.

It was an interesting coincidence that started Oodmar on his adventure to learn where exactly all the water in California, and beyond, is going.

“I was on Reddit,” Oodmar told State-Run reporters, “and I saw these two headlines: ‘Water found on Mars, again,’ and ‘Still no water in California.’”

The moment of epiphany came, says Oodmar, when he read Ben Foil’s book X Terras. In X Terras Foil, a noted UFOlogist, draws a connection between droughts and UFO sightings. Pointing to records that show UFO sightings consistently rise by 600 percent during

long term semi-localized droughts, Foil suggests that the alien propulsion systems do not fare well in humid atmospheres, and that they operate better in drought-stricken areas.

“I made a joke at my book club as we were discussing X Terras that the aliens might actually be causing the drought by taking all the rain with them back to Mars,” says Oodmar, “And then I thought

know, because it’s supposed to be the biggest desert in the world— and Alberta. I found all the records on rainfall and UFO sightings that I could, threw them in my suitcase, and I was off.”

“It was like some real-life Indiana Jones came barreling into town,” said Gerald Bathmhire, a resident of one of the sleepy south California villages that Oodmar blasted through on his research

mural to come to his conclusion.

“What I’ve discovered,” Oodmar revealed at the Tuesday press conference, “is that the Martians are actually preparing to take over Earth while simultaneously increasing the martian water table.”

The Martians are apparently approaching the oncoming conflict with cunning and deceit. “First, they are making their world more livable by stealing water straight

“I made a joke... that the aliens might actually be causing the drought by taking all the rain with them back to Mars. ...And then I thought to myself, ‘Oh, God, what if they actually are?’” to myself, ‘Oh, God, what if they actually are?’”

So he set off on a quest that would take him all across the globe trying to find answers.

“I immediately booked tickets to Egypt, the Gobi desert, Australia, Brazil, California, western Kansas, west Texas, Antarctica—you

trip. “He wasn’t here fifteen minutes before he shouted, ‘Eureka, I know where I need to go!’ and rushed out of town.”

Oodmar reportedly tasted the dust on the tires of a Ford Expedition, checked some figures on a receipt book, and deciphered the anachronistic script in a graffiti

from our atmosphere, causing long droughts and decreased food production on our planet. Second, they are waging a massive social engineering campaign to keep us unaware and unprepared for their oncoming invasion,” Oodmar explained.

He then went on to accuse mul-

tiple governments of taking millions of dollars in interplanetary bribes to ignore space exploration and scientific research “so that the Martians can have the highest ground (orbit) when they finally begin the annexation of Earth.”

According to Oodmar, the blockbuster film The Martian may also have been financed by Martians to convince the public that Mars is completely uninhabited and uninhabitable, which would make it Riddly Scott’s third production funded by extraterrestrials.

Faculty invents “super alcohol,” professors miss classes

Graphic by Elias Brinkman

Professors have more sorrows to drink away than their students.

A new type of alcoholic beverage created by TU’s chemistry department may be the cause of a schoolwide cancellation of classes.

Adam Lux Regretfully sober reporter In recent weeks it has become apparent that the chemistry department at TU knows how to party, but maybe a little too much. After a number of incidents in the faculty lounge, authorities were forced to impose a two-drink limit on

faculty. This resulted in chemistry professors across campus banding together to find a way to still get fucking turnt with only two drinks.

Together, professors synthesized a chemical “superalcohol”, which has similar effects as ethanol on the human body, but much more extreme. The chemical, which is a unique hydrocarbon ring, is 3 times more water soluble and 2 times stronger of a central nervous system depressant than ethanol. They quickly turned it into a beverage which they lovingly dubbed the “O-Chem II final.” A local bottling company picked up the beverage, and the new product was unveiled at the faculty club

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

last friday.

The label states that the drink is 100 proof, which is technically correct considering that only 50 percent of the volume is made up of the new “superalcohol.” A representative from the FDA stated that proof on the label is “chemically accurate” but then went on to say that he “wouldn’t touch the stuff with a ten foot pole.” Some experts estimate that compared to ethanol-based drinks, the solution would be around 600-700 proof.

An accident occurred during the production of the first test batch and a lab TA ended up being rushed to the hospital. “It all happened so fast,” stated the TA’s

professor, “one second she was just just making a solution, and then poof.”

However, no consumption of the alcohol was involved. According to sources, a small static shock from the TA’s wool sweater caused the superalcohol to violently combust. The TA miraculously only suffered minor burns.

The Monday following the beverage’s unveiling, students received a barrage of emails from professors canceling classes that day due to “sickness.” Soon after, the University President sent an all-school email canceling classes for the entire week due to “illness” running rampant through the fac-

ulty. The sickness was described as “extreme headaches, thirst, and nausea”. Some faculty reported exceptional sensitivity to even dim light and soft sounds. Many witnesses reported faculty recently becoming extremely irritable.

The State-Run Media attempted to obtain statements from several faculty members who attended the drink’s unveiling, but all of them stated they had absolutely no recollection of that night.

A few of them said they had no memory of this past weekend at all. The only official word from the chemistry department about its new product was that “alcohol is, in fact, a solution.”

The State-Run Media

12 October 2015

Wal-Mart and Target re-ignite war over Christmas decorations The holiday season is undoubtedly the most profitable for department stores and mega-stores, and if there’s anything we’ve learned from human history it’s that where there’s money to be made, blood will be shed.

Samuel Beckmann Can’t we at least get through Halloween first?

Tensions have been escalating between two global superpowers, Target and Wal-Mart, throughout the ongoing “Christmas Tree Crisis.”

Conflict on the issue was reignited when Target spies reported a shipment of Christmas trees being shipped to a local Wal-Mart in downtown Tulsa, five days before the international treatise on Global Holiday Decorations would allow such a shipment to be made.

The GHD treaty states that “All Christmas decorations must wait until the first week of November to be prominently displayed in any Wal-Mart, Target, or department store”. The Wal-Mart shipment violated the treaty, sparking outrage among Target stores nationwide. Target CEO Brian Cornell denounced Wal-Mart in an emergency press conference, and ordered a full-scale blockade of Wal-Marts throughout the nation.

In an exclusive interview with the State-Run Media, the lone WalMart has made no mention that they plan on turning back, and rumors have begun circulating that Target has a full fleet of trucks fueled up and loaded to the brim with trees, wreaths, wrapping paper and other holiday decorations. The situation looks grim as Target prepares to release this force onto America’s populace, spiraling us down into a hell-hole of cheery songs of elves and talking reindeer.

The high tensions between these two superpowers have bubbled up over years of decoration-based controversy. Back when both stores had just begun discovering the incredible power of decorations, all holidays were represented equally. Customers could see

plates all at the appropriate times of year. However, one season of decorations outsold them all: The might of pointless Christmasthemed items designed to do nothing more than take up useless space in your already cramped house was not to be reckoned with. And so Wal-Mart and Target optimized, selling the Christmas thingamabobs earlier and earlier each year.

This conflict reached an all-time high in 2008, when stores began displaying Christmas decorations year-round. This led to an intervention from the National Council on Decorative Products, wherein the two parties entered into weeks-long negotiations.

Wal-Mart and Target reached an agreement with the GHD treaty, which established guidelines for when various decorations can, and cannot, be sold.

In the years since, though, the stores have slowly been pushing their luck, ultimately leading to the current crisis. With Wal-Mart and Target both selling Christmas decorations earlier, we may soon see a full-on war.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

End the violence.

Halloween placemats,

baubles, Shamrock and Thanksgiving

Removal of Ten Commandments monument causes statewide panic

Demons now have free reign over the state of Oklahoma.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Christmas tree warfare escalates.

The removal of the Ten Commandments monument in front of the Oklahoma State capitol has seemingly facilitated a number of disasters on a biblical scale.

Brook Becker Painted his door with blood, just to be on the safe side Fallout has been severe following the removal of the Ten Commandments from Oklahoma’s State Capitol.

In the past week, there has been a massive spiked increase in crime-rates, from venial misdemeanors to felonies. Additionally, a series of plagues have infected Oklahoma, with TU’s campus being one of the affected areas.

Murder rates had skyrocketed as of October 2015, when there was no longer a giant slab reminding the public to not kill one another.

This issue has been compounded by the ravaging issue of burglary across the state of Oklahoma, with both issues being made more difficult by the influx of perjury. Both the TPD and OKCPD

Who even reads anymore?

Apparently, students who have free time and access to a decent library.

Study abroad awakens love of learning in student

Michaela Flonard Foreign correspondant When junior Elizabeth Brown went to Ireland this semester, her friends at TU were expecting to be overwhelmed by travel pictures and stories of life abroad. Instead, Brown has regaled them with tales of the library.

Brown, a Chemistry major, is studying in Cork at University College Dublin. Before she left, her plans for the semester included going to pubs and seeing the Cliffs of Moher, “like every other American abroad.”

Since she’s started school, however, her priorities have changed to focus on reading and discussing books.

UCD head librarian Luke Greer said this reaction is just an exaggerated version of what most visiting students undergo. According to Greer, most Americans are fascinated with the library, as students can check out textbooks and

Graphic by Elias Brinkman

have had difficulty controlling the the return of the cricket swarms homicide and theft epidemic due across the state. An infestation of to mass disturbances of the peace crickets has begun to move across in public religious gatherings. the state, affecting lawns and garWhile those identifying as dens everywhere. “One might Christian have diminished since even call it a plague,” says Benthe removal of the Ten Command- jamin Moore, a local Doomsday ments, the popularity of occult predictor. “It is clear we are seegroups and worshipers of sixth- ing the End Times,” he continued. dimensional deities has been “Better say your prayers now if growing. you don’t want your first-born to The rapid increase in crime has be taken, too.” already stretched public services Critics and opponents to the thin, as experts have emphasized Ten Commandments memorial that the increases in natural disas- have claimed these events are ters also require a large amount purely coincidental, and there is of attention from state forces. A no strong, linked supporting evirecent spike in earthquakes and dence that could argue otherwise. fluctuations in weather have meteorologists and seismologists completely stumped, and emergency responders working well beyond their capacity.

Poli-sci major Kelley Peters has pointed out that, “with the right rhetoric, fracking and energy companies could turn this tragedy into their favor by linking the disasters with secularism rather than their own actions.”

Peters had written in his personal TU blog that “there has never been a better time to be a climate change denier and a religious fundamentalist.”

Competing to do some damage Courtesy Wikimedia Commons to the state of Oklahoma has been Destruction of the Ten Commandments. old exam papers.

“You can always spot the Americans,” Greer said, “as they congregate in the stairwells to complain about buying textbooks back in the States.”

Brown said the availability of textbooks was one of the library’s most attractive features. No longer is she stuck reading the two-hundred dollar chemistry textbook.

For fun, Brown said said she “can check out a political science, maybe even an economics 101 book, if I’m feeling risky.”

Brown also noted that all her classes have only one assignment in the form of a test at the end of the semester, which is giving her more time to read.

Reading so much, according to Brown, has somehow been a boon on her social life. She’s joined the Debating society, Harry Potter Society, and of course, the Book Society.

Book Society member Tómas O Càran said Brown has been “more involved than even [he] has.” Her enthusiasm was at odds with his experiences with the other twentythousand odd students, he added, as most “give my club a wide berth at the Society day.”

Her friends at TU have mixed

feelings about this change of focus.

“I was hoping for pictures of hot Europeans” said Margaret Wiggins, Brown’s previous roommate.

“But all her Snapchats have been book covers. It’s impressive she’s reading so much, but that’s not what I need.”

Others are much more supportive. Lauren Foer, another of Brown’s friends, finds Brown’s choices reassuring.

While originally Foer “was worried I’d get massive amounts of sad drunk texts about stupid decisions,” she enjoys the book recommendations. Foer adds she “thinks it’s unfair Elizabeth gets so much free time to read. I constantly have to study for my next test.”

In her last communication with Foer, Brown provided yet another extensive recommendation list.

But the Skype call ended abruptly with Brown saying she had a flight to Paris to catch.

“The library does close occasionally,” Brown complained, “so then I have to actually go places.”

According to her friends back home, this might be in her best interests.

The Collegian: 14

12 October 2015

Hey! Why not take photos for the Collegian?

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University of Tulsa graduates receive an automatic and renewable $18,000 scholarship to TU Law .

Learn more about the Access to Legal Education Scholarship

The Collegian needs more photography in its life.

You can help by taking a DSLR and snapping some pictures at an event on or around campus. Email eliasbrinkman@gmail.com if you are interested in contributing.

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