24 February 2020

a student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

February 24, 2020 issue 18 ~ volume 105

TU stomps SMU, p.2 Students vote “no confidence” in Provost and Interim President Janet Levit, p. 3 Why Oklahoma’s decision to resume the death penalty is misfounded, p. 6 Theatre department performs “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” p. 10

cover by: Emma Palmer

Sports

The Collegian: 2

TU’s second half steamroll

24 Februrary 2020

Basketball journalist Hannah Robbins discusses the Golden Hurricane’s 79-57 win over SMU that put Tulsa back at second in the American Conference.

After a disappointing finish against Houston earlier in the week, Tulsa brought their all to the court against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs on Saturday. Led by Martins Igbanu’s 23 points, Tulsa’s trio of double-digit scorers pushed the team to a strong game where the Golden Hurricane took the lead and rode off into the sunset with it.

The Golden Hurricane started the game strong with a three by Lawson Korita, to which the Mustangs responded with a three and a free throw before Darien Jackson put another one up at the line. An-

other TU layup was only followed by a single free throw. Tulsa and SMU kept trading possessions, but the Mustangs weren’t able to get the lead, closing the gap to three points before Igbanu hit a pair of layups and a jumper.

Both teams were unable to capitalize on their respective handful of possessions until the Mustangs hit a free throw and a layup back to back. Tulsa responded with a pair of twos and a free throw, widening their lead. However, back-to-back threes by the Mustangs narrowed the Golden Hurricane’s lead to two with three minutes left in the half.

Igbanu hit a jumper, Korita hit a pair of free throws and another set of free throws put Tulsa decisively ahead, and a late free throw by Jackson put Tulsa up by seven at the end of the half.

TU started the second half strong. After a free throw by Korita, Tulsa’s pair of threes and a layup was mirrored by SMU, keeping an eight-point difference between the two teams. After the teams traded shots, a three by Jackson widened the lead again. SMU put up a pair of layups, but Tulsa was in their groove, responding with a pair of layups and a three.

As the team hit the midway point of the half, fouls started to lead to pairs of free throws, with Tulsa hitting six in a minute to SMU’s three made, putting Tulsa ahead by 19 points. After a minute without any luck, Isiah Jasey dunked for SMU in an attempt to gain some momentum, but the only response was a layup by Jackson. The clock wound down, and Tulsa was only able to put up four free throws.

Another dunk from SMU with a minute left led to an action-packed 60 seconds where Tulsa hit a three and a layup with 15 seconds left, ending the game 79-57.

While this was a solid game for the Golden Hurricane, almost 30 percent of their points came from free throws.

This is an outsized proportion of their points, but hitting 84 percent of their free throws shows they’re practicing this important part of the game.

However, the team was only hitting 35 percent of their threes, an area they’ve been struggling with in the past. Igbanu continued to be a strong part of the team this week, and his successes this month are pushing the team in the right direction as March looms.

UEFA bans Manchester City Commentary Editor Chris Lierly covers Manchester City’s day of reckoning for breaching financial play rules and what the scandal will cost them.

photos by Tommy Reid Darien Jackson flexes some muscle (left). Martins Igbanu soars to the rim (right).

Igbanu throws one down (bottom).

Last year, reports indicated that the financial investigative body of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) was seeking to ban English club Manchester City from the Champions League for their breach of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

On Friday, Feb. 14, UEFA have done just that by excluding Manchester City from all European play for the next two years and imposing a 30 million euro fine to the club. UEFA cited a “serious breach” of FFP regulations, and though Manchester City are likely to appeal the ban, the penalty could prove disastrous for the club.

The current FFP rules went into effect at the beginning of the 2011-12 season, but this sentencing marks the harshest ruling that UEFA has ever enforced for a breach of the regulations.

The only comparable case is the investigation into Paris St.Germain (PSG) as a result of their 2017 spending spree that resulted in an almost full exoneration for the French club. However, Manchester City lacks the kind of close relationship that PSG has cultivated with UEFA, and while that may

not necessarily have factored into City’s penalty, it will almost surely define the appeal process that they applied for the same day.

Sheik Mansour Zayed alNayhan, whose brother rules the United Arab Emirates, owns Manchester City. It’s al-Nahyan’s alleged funneling of money through a state-backed investment fund to get around UEFA regulators in order to boost the club’s warchest that brought on the ban.

As for the fallout, City stands to lose a lot more than just the 30-million-euro fine. Sergio Aguero is 31 years old, and this development only has the potential to bring his retirement closer. Additionally, other major European clubs have targeted players like Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane in past transfer windows but holding onto these stars will now be even harder for manager Pep Guardiola.

That is if Guardiola stays. Pep has rarely been one to stay in a managerial role long: four seasons at Barcelona, three at Bayern Munich and he is currently in his fourth at Manchester City.

It seems likely that things were tense between the Catalonian manager and the board before UEFA

issued the ban, but now his departure seems almost certain.

Despite an increase in the amount of swirling rumors regarding how long he plans to stay in England, Guardiola reportedly said in a defiant moment that, “Even if they put us in League Two, I will still be here.” Whether he’s just saving face in the hope of an appeal or truly that dedicated to his City tenure remains to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine a world where City aren’t looking for a new manager and two wingers in the summer.

All of this marks an awful week for fans of Manchester City.

They’re presently 22 points behind league leaders Liverpool, their future as a European competitor is more than in jeopardy and the Premier League announced that it would investigate whether deducting points from City’s championship seasons is a viable punishment for domestic play.

If that were to happen, and if the trophies of 2014 and 2018 went to Klopp and Mourinho, Guardiola’s North England dynasty would be erased from history. Perhaps that is why he’s so defiant when the odds are so bad.

Feb. 24 - Mar. 1 Monday

Tuesday 24

Wednesday 25

26

Thursday 27

W Tennis @Kansas 4 p.m.

W Golf vs. ICON Invit.

All Day

M Basketball vs. Tulane 8 p.m.

W Golf vs. ICON Invit.

All Day

Saturday

Friday Softball vs. Oregon 2:30

28

M Tennis @Texas Tech 4 p.m.

No Events No Events

29 W Basketball @ Temple 1 p.m.

Softball vs. Drake 2:30 p.m.

Sunday 1

M Tennis vs. Nebraska 11 a.m.

Softball vs. Drake 5 p.m.

Softball vs. Illinois 5 p.m.

Softball vs. Louisville 12 p.m.

W Soccer vs. OBU 6 p.m.

M Basketball vs. UCF 5 p.m.

M Tennis vs. ORU 6 p.m.

Track&Field Track&Field @Indoor @Indoor Championship Championship

24 February 2020

News

The Collegian: 3

Student body votes “no confidence” in Levit — 805 to 264

Approximately one in four students at TU voted on Harvey, with three out of four voting “no confidence.”

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor

tion. Students contacted The Collegian with specific evidence of the latter two instances.

On Tuesday, SRC members reported that Vice President of Student Affairs Earl Johnson had taken down no-confidence flyers in Zink Hall on the pretense that they were anonymous. When they brought this ad-

not specifically address the actions of Vice President Johnson.

On Wednesday, the day voting opened, multiple students (all of whom requested anonymity) contacted The Collegian to report that a tenured professor in Anthropology and previous member of the PPRC was

Lindsey Prather Staff Writer Last week, TU’s Student Association (SA) held its annual election; however, alongside the usual Senate election there was another initiative — a no confidence vote in Interim President Janet Levit. The student body of the University of Tulsa voted No Confidence in Provost and Interim President Levit by a margin of 805 to 264, with 1,069 students voting. This number of voters surpasses the 10 percent threshold necessary to make the vote official; approximately one in four students voted with a turnout rate of 26 percent.

In accordance with Article VII of the SA Constitution, TU Students for Responsible Change (SRC) successfully secured the vote through the referendum process. The vote stemmed from a petition that collected almost 400 verified signatures, surpassing the five percent of the student body necessary to pose a Harvey referendum.

Despite the seemingly dismal turnout rate of 26 percent, this vote marks the highest participation rate on record for a student election. SA conducted the digital vote from Wednesday, Feb. 19 to Thursday, Feb. 20 through Harvey alongside their regularly scheduled elections.

Despite a brief concern regarding the validity of the vote which was quelled by SA’s Judicial Council, organizers of the vote described many additional obstacles. During the week, members of SRC advertised the vote with flyers and signs calling for students to vote no confidence in Levit, but in multiple instances the flyers were removed by fellow students, faculty and administra-

graphic by Lindsey Prather Election turnout for Student Association elections, with the exception of Fall 2013, Fall 2017 and Spring 2017, which could not be found.

ditional action up to Mike Mills, the dean responded by email: “the guideline for students/student groups is the information listed in the ‘Statement on Rights, Freedoms, and Responsibilities, Section II. Freedom

“‘The right of free expression is essential to the learning process and must be protected by all segments of the community.’” of Expression, C. Dissemination of Printed Materials’” in the student handbook and that, “[a]dhering to that guideline will ensure that flyers will not be removed or damaged.”

Despite the fact that this rule does not prohibit anonymous flyers, Dean Mills did

Man in Ottawa jail dies of pneumonia, sepsis

Jail staff, including nurses, ignored Oklahoman Terral Ellis’s plea for medical care, resulting in his death.

Emily Every Managing Editor

Late last month, surveillance camera footage of 18 clips from 16 cameras compiled from hundreds of hours first became publicly available of the 12-day jail stay of Oklahoman Terral Ellis, who had been put in solitary confinement and died of pneumonia in Ottawa County Jail in 2015. The video has become infamous because of its use as evidence in a now federal neglect case and the audio in the video of the jail staff mocking a deathly ill Ellis. “I think I’m dying,” Ellis told nurses, only to be met with accusations of being the “boy who cried wolf.”

were eventually able to convince the prison staff to call a first ambulance for Ellis after his being visibly sick for days; however, prison staff told the paramedics that Ellis was faking his illness in order to “get out on bond.” Smolen believes that EMT staff from Integris Baptist Healthcare of Oklahoma didn’t give Ellis adequate care following these comments, and Ellis was moved to solitary confinement. When jail staff did call a second ambulance after finding Ellis unconscious, he was moved to the hospital where he died within hours from pneumonia and sepsis.

Being released on medical bond means that the inmate is released from the prison (occasionally to be reincarnated afterward) for medical treatment without the prison needing to cover their hospital bills.

Sometimes the inmate, or their insurance if they’re insured, is responsible for their own bill, more rarely medical providers write it off.

“‘Listen to me and shut up. We had EMS come over and check you out and there ain’t a damn thing, nothing wrong with you, you understand me?’”

Ellis had turned himself in at the jail in Miami county for an outstanding DUI warrant on Oct. 10, 2015 in good health, and he was hospitalized and died 12 days later.

In 2017, the estate of Terral Ellis Jr. and his parents filed a wrongful death and negligence suit against Ottawa county, its former sheriff, its former nurses and the jail staff.

The jail staff claimed to have called paramedics days earlier into Ellis’s sickness and were told that nothing was substantially wrong with him. Former nurse at Ottawa County Jail Theresa Horn can be heard in video saying to a pleading Ellis, “Listen to me and shut up. We had EMS come over and check you out and there ain’t a damn thing, nothing wrong with you, you understand me?”

According to Dan Smolen, the Ellis family attorney, the other inmates at the prison

actively and aggressively discouraging their classes from participating in the referendum, as well as encouraging students to tear down flyers and signs. In addition to tearing down a flyer in front of their class, the professor

In more urban areas, jails are usually equipped with their own internal infirmaries with staffed 24-hour nurses and doctors, usually outsourced from private firms. In rural areas, this sort of setup is less common, and jail staff is not given medical education. Notably, however, Ellis’s death occurred with nurses, including Horn, on staff at Ottawa County Jail.

In most cases of inmate neglect being caught on tape, the audio isn’t available, so the condemning audio in these videos makes the case noteworthy. According to Smolen, “If you don’t have everything I have [audio], this is just some kid who died in jail because he got sick [...] I want people to understand this is happening, every day, all day long, in jails across the United States.”

reportedly told their students that they had torn down multiple flyers across campus before coming into class and that “good students should be studying, not holding votes like this.”

When we reached out to the Department of Marketing and Communications, Com-

munications Specialist Gail Ellis presented this statement from the university: “The right of free expression is essential to the learning process and must be protected by all segments of the university community.

Student Affairs is currently reviewing its policies regarding the posting of anonymous fliers.”

It is unclear whether this review will result in the change of student policy.

Faculty at TU voted no confidence in then-president Gerard Clancy and Provost Levit in November of last year in a vote sponsored by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). That vote resulted in the Faculty Senate addressing the results in multiple following meetings, and the vote has raised questions of whether SA will follow suit.

When asked for comment regarding the outcome of the vote, SRC responded with, “This vote affirms what the student body has seen since the unveiling of the True Commitment plan on April 11: patterns of incompetence in our university leaders” and that, “It is our sincerest belief that the university must start including students in further policy decisions.”

However, whether there will be any official action from the Student Association’s Senate or Executive is unknown. SA President Maddie Pickett responded to a request for comment with: “SA’s main role in this was facilitating the vote — in terms of action, there isn’t a ‘next step’ other than publishing the results and making them accessible to the public.”

The result of this vote comes in the wake of an announcement from the Board of Trustees to the Faculty Senate regarding the length of Levit’s tenure as Interim President. According to this announcement, the search for a new President will not begin until “our financial situation stabilizes.” It is unclear what constitutes financial stability, or if this student vote will affect this indefinite duration.

Fear of coronavirus spreading faster than new infections The coronavirus is subject to particular sensationalism from media and others.

Alex Leeper Student Writer A new respiratory coronavirus sprung into the mainstream view last month, and after weeks of federally mandated quarantines, outbreaks in several countries and more than 75,000 cases, the virus, known as COVID-19 (Coh-Vid-Nineteen), is still gaining public attention every day.

The mortality rate is much higher than that of the infamous flu virus with one out of every 125 cases resulting in death outside of China as of Feb. 20 according to the World Health Organization versus roughly 1,240 cases in the U.S. according to the Oct. 1 to Feb. 2 estimate from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because of the efforts to quarantine and barr citizens from entering the United States, experts such as Dallas County Health and Human Safety director Dr. Philip Huang believe that COVID-19 poses a low threat to U.S. citizens, especially considering the amount of public anxiety around the virus.

In an interview with Kera News, Huang explained some are associating people of

“... at least three people have been tested for the novel coronavirus in Oklahoma, all of which have been negative.”

The virus, which originated in the province Wuhan in China, has statistically only slightly broken through the country’s barrier, with only about 1,000 of the 75,000 cases confirmed outside of the country, and eight deaths opposed to China’s 2,121. However, the amount of outside cases is reportedly increasing faster than that of China, with stories of outbreaks sweeping the world headlines.

In Iran, there are only 18 cases and five deaths confirmed, but the World Health Organization has expressed concern that these are few as many that have been undetected in many cities, and that virus spread could be accelerated due to the high volume of pilgrims moving from city to city and the lack of official reaction from the country.

The virus will also affect Apple’s sales numbers, according to the company’s financial forecast, among others. The company, who uses a large percentage of labor in China, reported last week that they were not predicting to reach their second-quarter revenue guidance due to the halting of production in the foreign country. According to a forecast from Oxford Economics, the slowdown in China caused by the virus could result in a 0.2 percent global economic growth drop to an annual rate of 2.3 percent.

Asian descent to be more susceptible to the disease, but in reality, it’s “having been in the affected areas or being exposed to someone who has the virus.” The fear surrounding this virus could be explained by society’s fear of the unknown and potentially harmful.

A recent literal example of this happened late last week, when an email of a false reporting of five COVID-19 case confirmations in Ukraine took the country into a spiral of public outcry and protesting. The email, sent to the entire contact list of the Ukranian Ministry of Health, sparked national panic, resulting in citizens protesting the arrival of evacuees from China by smashing the windows of the buses in which the evacuees were being transported and blocking hospitals to which the evacuees were to be administered.

As for local news surrounding the COVID-19, at least three people have been tested for the novel coronavirus in Oklahoma, all of which have been negative. One woman in Tulsa who had been teaching grade school in Beijing is currently under investigation for the disease, which involves daily temperature taking, and monitoring for symptoms.

The Collegian: 4

Nora Bethune Student Writer

News

ABC Black History Month Student Feature: Star Okolie

Being on a predominantly white campus can be exhausting. Spending time with people who don’t look like you isn’t bad, as you can get a new perspective on things.

But when you constantly don’t get to see people who look like you, it can start to feel like you are alone.

Star Okolie looked for community on campus through associations like Association of Black Collegians (ABC) and the African Student Association (ASA), of which she became the president.

“Associations like ABC and ASA gave me the breather from being the only one [black person].”

Finding that community on campus was extremely important to Okolie. She believes that being able to celebrate her culture with those who look like her is vital to minority groups on campus.

Okolie isn’t only involved in ABC and ASA, she is also a Resident Assistant (RA) for Lottie Jane, Secretary for the Residence Hall Association, a Collins Fitness Center staff member and a Center for Academic Student Success (CSAS) Tutor. Through

her involvement in a multitude of organizations on campus, Okolie began to learn that she would be the “only one,” meaning the only black person in these meetings or discussions. For the 2019-2020 school year there’s only one other black RA. With little black involvement on campus, Okolie believes it is important to speak up about black issues. Okolie finds it vital that she has to educate any misunderstandings pertaining to the black community on campus, or black culture in general: “I use [my voice] to speak on topics that generally go ignored.”

Being black to Okolie is extremely important. With Black History Month only being 29 days, she feels that it’s important to celebrate blackness whenever you can.

“I’m black every month, and I’m proud of that.”

However, During Black History Month, Okolie and the black community get the chance to display black pride with more acceptance.

It’s Star’s chance to not only educate but also learn about black history.

“It’s interesting to see the countless contributions we’ve made to

societies across the world,” said Okolie.

With the Black community on campus being at its highest and only growing, Okolie urges black freshmen to get involved. She’s an advocate for joining ABC and ASA to be around people like you.

Okolie feels like finding community on campus is vital and can give Black students a break from feeling like they’re alone on campus. “[Being the only one] can be draining,” explains Okolie.

Okolie also feels like organizations like ABC and ASA can aid you in taking pride in yourself and your culture.

Okolie is majoring in Biochemistry and Sociology with a tract in pre-medicine and hopes to become a heart surgeon. She wants to go into surgery because she wants to “fix a problem for a patient for their well being instead of prescribing them medicine and telling them to come back to see if it works.”

After shadowing a heart surgeon, she took to heart surgery.

Okolie feels as though the medical industry is heavily lacking in terms of diversity and there have

24 February 2020

courtesy Star Okolie Biochemistry and sociology student Star Okolie plans on being a heart surgeon.

been too many instances of racial discrimination. “It is important for diverse patients to have a diverse set of staff.”

Regardless of what Star Okolie does in life, through her involvement on campus and her dedica-

tion to Black issues and how she wants to help people, she plans on making a difference in the world.

Okolie plans on continuing her involvement on campus to spread knowledge about black history and being the best version of herself.

Student Association crowns Mr. and Mrs. International Ellis Brown from Cameroon and Namera Newaz from Bangladesh win Mr. and Mrs. International.

Nora Bethune Student Writer With a campus as diverse as TU, it’s important to showcase the different cultures and backgrounds the students represent. And with the Mr. and Mrs. International pageant, the Student Association and AIS was able to do just that.

The pageant celebrated students and their different cultures, each student showcasing a talent. Ellis Brown representing Ghana, Elijah Tenkeh representing Cameroon, Linda Li representing China, Daesung Kim representing South Korea, Mario Pinto representing Angola, Namera Newaz representing Bangladesh and Caroline Deal representing the United States.

First, the emcees introduced the contestants in pairs who walked from the back of the LPC to the stage standing in a line. Many looked anxious, but they all seemed excited to represent their country and showcase their talents.

photo by Nora Bethune Winners of Mrs. and Ms. International, Ellis Brown and Namera Newaz, with their crowns and sashes.

In the fashion portion, the contestants strutted down the catwalk in their countries’ traditional wear, striking poses up and down the stage.

After the fashion came the talent portion. Ellis Brown showcased his photography skills, complete with a slideshow presentation and a voiceover presentation of black and white photos with the common theme of being enough.

Namera Newaz performed a tra-

ditional dance that she choreographed. Namera performing with friends would go on to present the Bangladesh flag by the end of the dance. Elijah Tenkeh showed off his music skills by doing a drum and piano solo, complete with his vocals as backup. Linda Li sang both a song in English and Chinese. Daesung Kim rapped a song in Korean and English, and Mario Pinto showcased a traditional dance from Angola.

When the talent portion came to an end, one of the three judges gave each contestant a unique question to answer. The questions ranged from how TU has changed them as a person to which famous person would they have dinner with.

After the questions, it was time for crowd interaction with the crowd awards. In the program there was a barcode for people to use to vote. The crowd voted on Best Talent, Best Fashion, Crowd’s Favorite and Most Woke. Most Woke went to Ellis Brown, Best Fashion went to Namera Newaz, Crowd’s Favorite went to Daesung Kim and Best Talent went to Mario Pinto.

While waiting for the judges to come tally all their scores and crown the winner, the audience played a Kahoot. The Kahoot included a diverse set of questions, all about different cultures that were represented in the pageant.

It was interesting seeing all the cultures coming together into one Kahoot, and the top three winners were gifted laundry bags by the Student Association.

The judges all came together to crown Ellis Brown and Namera Newaz as Mr. and Mrs. International. Brown described the win as amazing and unexpected, but he

was proud of himself and his culture. “It was an honor to be one of the winners of the show,” Brown said.

Brown wants to stress how talented the rest of the contestants were and how happy he was to be beside them onstage.

Elijah Tenkeh is happy about the friends he made while participating in the show. “I learned a lot of new stuff about people I didn’t know.”

Tenkeh also mentioned how important it was to him to express himself on stage through music: “It meant a lot to me.”

With the pageant over the audience and contestants ate Tandoor Express, an Indian restaurant that catered for the event. All viewers of the show were eating and congratulating the participants in the show. Milaya Ruffin an audience member said, “It was really interesting seeing the different cultures on campus.”

For those who couldn’t attend this event, you can also attend the International Night hosted by AIS on Mar. 6. Seeing what else is out there is important and interacting with students who don’t look like you can start a conversation and make the world a better place.

Internships can make or break a student’s college experience A student’s internships can either supply a job after college or provide stress and no compensation.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer Many undergrad and grad students contemplate whether to get a small part-time job outside of their major or an internship, especially when it comes time that they need the experience to help them find a successful career path. With the question (and eventual decision) of whether to have a job or an internship, many students take the conventional route of having a job that is not in their field of study, waiting later on to intern at a place during the summer or until their degree calls for it. But could an internship be worth it and actually replace having a job to rely on during college?

The positives are great, in fact applying for an internship could enhance CVs (Curriculum Vitae) and résumés that can make a student stand out from competition.

According to career advice expert

Katherine Hansen in LiveCareer. com’s article “College Students: You Simply Must Do an Internship (Better Yet: Multiple Internships)!,” employers want to see on résumés that a potential employee has had an internship of some sort, preferably in the field they are majoring or have majored in. Hansen stated that a “staggering 95 percent of employers said candidate experience is a factor in hiring decisions, which was pulled from an annual survey from NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers.”

Kaitlin Norton, a TU undergrad majoring in Vocal Performance, has had two different internships simultaneously in Chicago; the first being part of a research team at an aquarium, and the second one as a vocal conducting apprentice at a church. Her experiences at both of these places were life changing: as much as she loved working with a research team, Norton found her real passion in music, which she earned a paid position as apprentice for choral conducting.

For her, the advantages of having an internship were greater than the disadvantage, which was not being paid at the aquarium or “negotiating the work” needed to be

done. Although it was unpaid, she was able to go to certain places for free, such as the aquarium.

As she prepares for graduate auditions, Kaitlin has strengthened her repertoire and her résumé as well as formed connections across the U.S., especially since in her experience of working with someone and “they introduce you to their friends,” causing a ripple effect of opportunity.

Though she is no longer interning, former employers will call her in order for her to participate in conferences or music events. With this she is able to navigate and network with other hard working musicians. As she recalls, “having an internship was worth it.”

Having an internship in college — and, in some cases, the summer before college — could help students get a job immediately after graduation due to having experience of handling stress of the given workload. From a study conducted in 2005 for the NACE, LiveCareer. com pointed out that employers on average pay students who interned 6.5 percent more after graduating.

It also gives students the opportunity to weigh their options if they really want to go into the profession of choice. In the College

of St. Scholastica article, “The Importance of Internships: How Students and Employees Both Reap the Benefits,” it states that up to 80 percent of college students will change their major at some point of their academic career.

Alexander Lowry, a faculty member at Gordon College who was interviewed for St. Scholastica, added that interns have the opportunity to “test drive” to see if that is the career that they want to go into after graduation.

Aside from a detailed look of what goes on in the given career in pursuit, interns sometimes do get paid or at least get some kind of compensation, such as college credit. Through True Blue Neighbors here at the University of Tulsa, juniors and seniors are eligible to earn three academic credit hours through the participation of working up to 160 hours with non-profit service organizations within the greater Tulsa area.

Like the University of Tulsa, many universities offer services for students looking for internships or even community service work study during the academic year and the summer to prepare for upcoming job opportunities.

Having an internship should be considered, but it should be done so carefully. If a student chooses to apply, they should do so with a plan. It’s about balancing out both an education and a budding career. There needs to be the consideration of what could be overwhelming and what’s not. If it is, step back. The internship might be offered again at a different time, a company might be willing to work with any conflicts, or there might be another company offering a better opportunity. It’s always good to ask questions beforehand in order to avoid conflicts or misunderstandings later on.

However, if there is still uncertainty in applying, consider your options. With scheduling, if the idea of interning during the academic year seems daunting, see if there are any internships available during school breaks. Overall, it can be a very good thing if all options are explored thoroughly. The True Blue Neighbors are located here at the University of Tulsa on sorority row. The Career and Services office is located on the second floor of Hardesty Hall.

News

24 February 2020

The Collegian: 5

party at the Sigma Chi Fraternity House earlier in the night.

One of the students stated underage drinking occurred at the party. Officers collected witness statements. All of the students were alert and coherent and were released to their residences.

6:05 a.m.

Officers discovered a damaged mailbox outside the True Blue Neighbors office at West Park. Surveillance footage revealed 2 unidentified suspects breaking the mailbox and taking off with mail items. This case will be referred to the U.S. Postal Inspector for further investigation.

Feb. 14 1:20 a.m.

Officers impounded a men’s shoe, a women’s shoe, wrist wrap and hair tie found at the Collins Fitness Center.

8 a.m.

An officer discovered a damaged university golf cart at Zink Hall. Upon investigation, officers learned the damage was already known to the employees and it occurred on 14 Feb 2020.

12:25 a.m.

Officers are investigating malicious mischief in the Lorton Village Lot that occurred between 13 Feb 2020, approximately 10:45 p.m., and 14 Feb 2020, approximately 11:50 a.m. Unknown persons vandalized license plates on parked vehicles by bending them while still attached to the vehicles.

3 p.m.

Officers responded to a fire alarm at Lottie Jane Mabee Hall that was caused by a student burning popcorn in a microwave. Tulsa Fire Department was canceled and the fire panel reset.

11:40 p.m.

Officers responded to Mayo Village Apartments for a noise complaint and made contact with the resident who’s apartment was emitting the noise. The resident agreed to keep the noise down and a housing contact card was issued.

Feb. 15 1:55 a.m.

Officers investigated a group of students who had been at a

Additional Information: 17 Feb 2020: Officers followed up with True Blue Neighbor employees who stated they were not expecting anything of value and are unsure what was taken.

Feb. 16 1:15 a.m.

An university-owned vehicle suffered minor damage after being backed into a fence pole by an employee in the Harwell Lot. 2:50 a.m.

Officers conducted a party shutdown at a Mayo Village apartment after receiving a noise complaint during posted quiet hours. A housing contact card was issued.

3:25 a.m.

Officers conducted a party shutdown at a Brown Village Apartment. The resident was compliant, all guests were of legal drinking age and left without incident, a housing contact card was issued.

4:40 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to a Brown Village apartment due to excessive noise as the result of a party. Upon arrival, officers observed the party was comprised of the same group as a prior party shutdown. Officers initiated a party shutdown due to the event occurring during quiet hours. The resident was non-cooperative and a housing contact card was issued.

Feb. 17 1 a.m.

Officers responded to a noise complaint in Lorton Village

Chris Lierly Commentary Editor Lindsey Prather Staff Writer Irish elections result in no clear majority Two weeks ago, three parties finished with comparable amounts of seats in the Irish parliamentary elections, but have yet to form a coalition. Out of 160 possible seats, the two centrist parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, won 37 and 35 seats respectively, while the left-wing nationalist party Sinn Fein won 37 seats. Ireland’s Parliament, The Dail, met on Thursday to begin the legislative session, and though its members elected a speaker, none of the major parties’ candidates for prime minister garnered enough votes to attain the post.

Leo Varadkar, Fine Gael’s candidate, is the current prime minister, or Taoiseach, and will stay on as prime minister until a new one is selected. This interim will likely include the traditional St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. Despite the deadlocked status of the lower chamber, this election marks a significant win for Sinn Fein and a troublesome result for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Sinn Fein’s platform of housing and healthcare reforms seems to have swayed young voters from the traditional centrist coalition members, despite the left-wing party’s connections to the Irish Republic Army and sectarian violence in Northern Ireland by the latter group.

Shooting in western Germany perpetrated by far-right gunman Germany experienced its first mass shooting of 2020 on the night of Feb. 19. A gunman entered a hookah bar in Hanau, Germany and opened fire, killing nine people before returning home and committing suicide. Five of those killed were Turkish citizens, according to the Turkish foreign ministry; this prompted a suspicion that the killer was motivated by anti-immigrant extremism.

Following preliminary investigation, German authorities confirmed that the gunman identified closely with far-right extremist groups in Germany. The man legally possessed firearms for sport shooting and left behind a confession letter calling for the extermination of Muslims and praising eugenics. The manifesto mentions a number of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories as well as a “shadow government” in the United States. This shooting is the second far-right attack in the past six months, with the first being a shooting in a synagogue in October. As more information becomes available, German authorities plan to allocate more resources to combat far-right violence.

South Sudan forms unity government A unity government has been formed in South Sudan, ending six years of conflict that has killed nearly 400,000 Sudanese people. In an attempt to solidify a political unification, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir swore in prominent opposition leader Riek Machar as Vice President. Although this arrangement has been attempted before, the inauguration of three other vice presidents alongside Machar is expected to ensure the stability of the new government.

The short political history of South Sudan has been tumultuous, and this development has been backgrounded by a United Nations report released two days prior to the agreement. This report indicated that over 6.5 million people in the country will face poverty and starvation as a result of widespread corruption in the South Sudanese government.

Apartments. Officers were able to locate the noise and made contact with the resident. A housing contact card was issued.

4:25 p.m.

Officers received information from faculty members concerned for the welfare of one of their students. Officers spoke with the student, who is dealing with domestic issues, and discussed a safety plan.

Feb. 18 12:45 p.m.

A student reported that an unknown person made unwanted comments to another student in the University Square West Apartment parking lot. Officers identified the unknown person as affiliated with a faculty member and officers made contact with the faculty member.

Feb. 19 2 p.m.

Officers conducted a pedestrian check near Mabee Gym on an individual trying to collect signatures for a petition without prior approval. The individual left campus after the policy was explained.

Feb. 20 1:30 a.m.

Officers and paramedics responded to an ill student at a Norman Village apartment. The student was treated on scene and not transported.

3:30 a.m.

Officers made contact with a suspicious person who activated a Blue Phone near the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

They determined the individual did not have a valid reason to be on campus and escorted them off property.

6:10 p.m.

Officers and paramedics responded to an injured student at Collins Fitness Center. The student was transported to a local hospital for further treatment of a possible broken ankle.

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

Monday, Feb. 24 & Wednesday, Feb. 26 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Chouteau Room Body Positivity Workshop This body positivity workshop is designed to help participants resist and challenge social pressures to pursue unrealistic standards of beauty. You’ll participate in verbal, written, and behavioral exercises to establish and maintain a positive body image. This is a 2-part workshop and attendance at both 2-hour sessions is required. Part 1 is held Monday 2/24 from 12-2 pm and part 2 on Wednesday 2/26 12-2 pm. Contact ashlisharpton@utulsa.edu to register for this free workshop.sion.

Tuesday, Feb. 25 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Helmerich Hall, Room 121 International Student Workshop for Employment, Internships & Volunteering Finding companies that sponsor international students is the biggest challenge in every international student’s job search. It is quite difficult to find companies that hire international students because there is no official list. Finding companies that offer H-1B takes a lot of research and preparation. The International Student Services (ISS) office at The University of Tulsa is presenting this workshop to help international students begin the process.

Tuesday, Feb. 25 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Great Hall

Etiquette Dinner Enjoy a formal dinner, network with employers, and learn from Jana Christian, a leading expert in the etiquette industry and a national certified etiquette instructor. Registration is first come, first served. Register on Handshake today! If you register and do not attend, your account will be charged a $25 fee. Attire is business professional.

Wednesday, Feb. 26 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Great Hall Black Leadership Panel This event would serve as an opportunity for minority students to receive feedback and inspiration from real professionals in the career field that they aspire to be hardworking members of. This connects directly with the purpose of educating all of TU’s campus as well as helping to develop strong and competent future leaders professionally.

Thursday, Feb. 27 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Allen Chapman Student Union, Chouteau Room Let’s Change the Conversation – Body Positivity This is a place for all students to come and engage in fun activities that start changing the conversation around unrealistic beauty standards. There will be a range of activities from guided mindful eating (food provided), writing body positive affirmations, and opportunities for education and learning. Free cookies!

Thursday, Feb. 27 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Mayo Village Student Activity Center Black Wall Street and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre This panel structured event will shed light on the success of Black Wall Street before the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. We will then end with a discussion on current diversity initiatives, highlight what Black Wall Street is today and how we can actively engage and support Greenwood businesses.

Sunday, March 1 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Suit-Up JCPenney, Woodland Hills Mall Shop everything you need to finish your look for career fairs, interviews, and new jobs! Up to 60% off select career dress apparel, shoes and accessories. (Use salon entrance on bottom level of JCPenney.)

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

Contact us at news@tucollegian.org with events.

The Collegian: 6

Commentary

24 February 2020

Ocasio-Cortez diverges from progressive staple, proves maturity

By calling Medicare for All into question, AOC incited pushback from Sanders and others.

Hannah Robbins Student Writer The day before Valentine’s Day, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broke some liberal Democrat’s hearts. In a departure from previous statements, AOC recognized that “Medicare for All” is not something that “a president [can] wave a magic wand and pass.” To most supporters of this legislation,

this looked like a strike against the (somewhat radical) platform, but instead, this shows that AOC is realistic about the way that Congress interacts with the presidency and the constitutional limits on presidential powers.

When AOC accepted the limitations of a platform that includes Medicare for All, suggesting instead a public option as better than nothing, she was under heavy fire from members of her caucus, including Sanders, whom she had endorsed. Sanders said that the Medicare for All bill that is being written is already a compromise and that it is realistic as written.

It seems like Sanders has not looked at the numbers lately. Medicare for All would get rid of private insurance entirely and replace that with government provided insurance. This is not something that’s popular with most Americans (especially after you explain the details of the plan) let alone a majority of Congress in both chambers.

How can that become law when even liberal members of Congress would have a major, unpopular vote on their record? Democrats

would face the same purge they did in the 2010 midterms with the same loss of seats.

There’s also not a huge chance the bill would even pass in both chambers with the heightened partisanship and number of party line votes in Congress these days.

So why does Bernie not get it? Medicare for All isn’t realistic. It just isn’t feasible for the Democrats to pass another seat-purging healthcare bill that will just be struck down in the courts system, even if they have a majority in both chambers.

For Sanders and others who balk at her statement, it’s time to start asking questions: do these individuals know what they’re doing, or do they have unrealistic expectations of the powers of the presidency and the legislature? When it comes down to votes, it really is a numbers game, and the president can’t vote. It’s not as easy as having a dream to get a bill passed, and the focus on a dramatic policy with no desire to even consider compromise will only lead to losses if Medicare for All ever came to vote in Congress.

“It just isn’t feasible for the Democrats to pass another seat-purging healthcare bill ...”

AOC is right. She’s now been in office for almost two years, and as reelection looms, it’s time for her to be a realist. She can’t make every campaign promise she wants reality in these highly partisan times, and it’s better to say it now while other members of Congress agree with her than during her campaigning.

AOC was right on Medicare for All, and someone should back her up. It’s time someone points out the elephant in the room: why are Democratic presidential candidates fighting to pass a liberal litmus test that is unpopular and won’t get passed?

Governor Stitt recent decision to resume lethal injection rash, cruel

The U.S. as a whole should reconsider criminal execution, not restart faulty programs of it.

Justin Klopfer Student Writer Two weeks ago, the state of Oklahoma announced that it will resume its use of the death penalty. The announcement comes as a result of the state acquiring a “reliable supply” of the chemicals needed to perform lethal injections. The chemical mix for lethal injections consists of midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride.

This will end a five year gap in executions performed by Oklahoma. Governor Stitt

claims that executions are justified for “the most heinous of crimes,” despite it being a “somber duty.”

The five year gap began with the botched execution of Clayton Lockett in 2015. Due to a mistake from the supplier, the inmate received potassium acetate instead of potassium chloride which resulted in intense pain for about 40 minutes before his death. Another similarly botched execution occurred in late 2014 as well. Despite this, Oklahoma thinks it’s a good idea to resume their practice of capital punishment and begin plan-

it very difficult to have any confidence in Oklahoma to not botch future executions.

The state clearly doesn’t take the process as seriously as they should, and more time should be taken to ensure the efficacy of future lethal injections.

Of course, all of this ignores the obvious question: should anybody be executed by the state? Oklahoma currently has the highest rate of executions per capita in the entire nation. What makes criminals in Oklahoma worse than criminals in other states? Often, the reason given for capital punishment is

“Former President Obama called Oklahoma’s record on botched executions ‘deeply troubling,’ ...” ning executions for the 47 people on death row in the state.

Former President Obama called Oklahoma’s record on botched executions “deeply troubling,” and it’s easy to see why. Taking the life of a citizen is an incredibly serious sentence that should be treated with utmost caution; mistakes should be completely disqualifying. To botch an execution is to force agonizing pain onto the criminal, pain which was not a part of their sentence. I find

that it sets an example for other criminals.

However, during the years when Oklahoma didn’t execute criminals (2016-2019), violent crime rates were almost identical to the violent crime rates when executions were performed.

What about “the most heinous crimes” justifies a death sentence? Life imprisonment is understandable; other citizens must be protected from violent people. However, how can we ethically justify killing these

people when we have prisons capable of keeping them alive? I see no reason to murder someone simply out of a feeling of revenge. Once someone has been apprehended by the justice system, they are no longer a threat to society, and there is never a need to kill them.

This also doesn’t address the disproportionate amount of people of color that face capital punishment in whatever state it is used. Since 1976, 34.1 percent of people executed in America have been black, while African Americans make up only about 12 percent of the population in this time period. Additionally, accused criminals are far more likely to receive a death sentence if their victims are white. In this way, capital punishment is yet another instance of the criminal justice system being used to target people of color, particular black people.

Capital Punishment’s draconian nature, along with its discriminatory application, make it an absolutely indefensible practice in any modern nation. With the exception of Belarus, no European countries practice capital punishment, and neither do Canada and Mexico. America should join these more civilized nations and end this barbaric practice once and for all.

Post-partum ad too realistic for a detached Academy

ABC declined to air the ad during the Oscars broadcast, and mothers rightfully protested on the internet.

Tori Gellman Student Writer There is a stark difference between portrayals of childbirth and motherhood on television and the realities of those situations. Frida Mom, a company that makes personal care products for new mothers, created a startling real depiction of the labor pains that extend far beyond the hospital room. The advertisement shows a new mother getting out of her bed in the middle of the night to replace the sanitary product in her underwear. Her newborn is crying from the other room, and the mother goes directly from dealing with her own bodily pains to those of her child. ABC and the Academy claimed that the advertisement was inappropriate because it was “too graphic with partial nudity and product demonstration.”

Women discussed how they felt ashamed for not doing what they saw other brand new moms doing, such as taking a first photo in the hospital, smiling through the pain. Or how they didn’t leave their beds for several days following giving birth because once they found a position they could be relatively comfortable in they were scared to move.

This was not the first time that Frida Mom had run into issues getting its products advertised. A previous product with the slogan “your vagina will thank you” was deemed too inappropriate and controversial for billboards. Entertainer Busy Philipps spoke out, saying that the postpartum advertisement as well as Frida Mom’s mission as a whole brought her to tears. Philipps is a major supporter of women’s rights alongside her best friend, Michelle Williams. Both have spoken out numerous times about their choices to have abortions and the importance of that choice for so many women. The fact that women are so impacted by actual portrayals of their life experiences should say something to these advertisement companies who refuse to air them.

I’m unsurprised and continuously outraged at what is deemed inappropriate in our society and what is permissible. There are individuals and groups who wonder why so many unplanned pregnancies occur and why women are unprepared for newborns, but these same people also support censoring and removing advertisements, products and general knowledge about these situations and experiences.

“... the only depictions of childbirth are rosy and manufactured for social media ...”

Mothers took to the internet in swarms to express their outrage when the ad wasn’t aired. Women were irritated and offended that an accurate representation of the postpartum experience had been crafted and then dismissed on the grounds of “graphic content.” Frida Mom posted the ad on their YouTube page and stated that nothing about it was “violent, political or sexual in nature.” The so-called “partial nudity” in the advertisement is a swollen and exposed belly, a commonality for women who just gave birth.

Health and sex education in this country are a joke, and if the only depictions of childbirth are rosy and maufactured for social media, then they will feel irrationally inadequate and like failures and that is an absolute travesty. The fact that each and every one of us comes from a vagina and yet the word is deemed too controversial absolutely baffles me. I wonder what it will take to effect any sort of widespread change when it comes to acknowledging and appreciating women and their bodies.

Ocasio-Cortez’s standing on issues has often reflected younger Democrats’ positions.

courtesy Wikipedia

24 February 2020

Commentary

The Collegian: 7

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

Justin Klopfer Student Writer

SB360: This bill concerns a scholarship given out to children with disabilities for private school enrollment called the “Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship.” Under the proposed changes, having a currently incarcerated parent would qualify a student for this scholarship.

Incarnation of a parent can obviously have a serious impact on a child’s development and world perspective. It means one less parent to aid the child with schoolwork, one less parent to offer encouragement and one less parent to push the child in a positive direction.

Hopefully, a now affordable private school education can grant these children the resources they need to achieve academically.

One could argue that Oklahoma’s public school system itself should be improved. The existence of this bill is tacit admission that the public school experience is inherently inferior to the private school experience. Why should disadvantaged children need to enter into a separate system; why can’t the public schools be good enough for everyone?

Many children who do not qualify for this scholarship still face significant hardship that impedes their education. In fact, the immense underfunding of education in Oklahoma puts practically every public school student in the state at a disadvantage. Small class sizes, overworked teachers and a lack of aid outside of the classroom are all problems present in

public schools that are often not present in wealthy private schools.

All this being said, I am still not opposed to the bill coming to pass; it helps children who are particularly disadvantaged by mass incarceration. However, the bill does beg greater questions about Oklahoma’s public education system.

HB3323: This bill came as a result of a tragedy at Lexington Junior High. During a football game, Riley Boatwright, a player for the team, passed away after suffering a particularly bad hit.

According to his mother, Riley waited about 15 minutes without professional care for the ambulance to arrive. If this time could have been reduced, Riley might have been saved.

That is why Rep. Sherrie Conley has proposed a bill instating “Riley’s Rule,” a stipulation that an emergency medical provider must be present at every junior high and high school football game. The provider could help hurt children with first aid before ambulances could arrive.

This bill helps to make an incredibly dangerous sport a little safer for children. Serious injury and even death are not uncommon consequences for players at all levels of football, including children. Having these safety precautions in place should be a bare minimum to protect the children who choose to participate.

Only Sanders agrees to support winner of most delegates

Sanders’s stance is the only one that would award the most popular candidate the party’s nomination.

Brett Tyndall Student Writer As the Nevada Democratic Debate wrapped up, moderator Chuck Todd posed a question to all the candidates: “I want to ask all of you this simple question. There’s a very good chance that none of you are gonna have enough delegates to the Democratic National Convention that clinches this nomination. If that happens, and I want all of your opinions on this, should the person with the most delegates at the end of this primary season be the nominee even if they are short of a majority?”

The answer is yes, but Mike Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar didn’t think so. They

and completely indicative of his Mr. Burns character.

Elizabeth Warren gave an odd response given her record. Warren said, “A convention working its will means that people have the delegates that are pledged to them, and they keep those delegates until you come to the convention.” Before she can finish, Todd cuts her off, but Warren was arguing that more votes were tallied at the convention and it’s important for those votes to be counted. People who are aware of convention proceedings know this is an insidious answer, which will be explained when I talk about the response from Bernie Sanders.

Joe Biden simply said, “Play by the rules.” Todd rephrased his question, “Leading person with the delegates, should they be the nominee or not?” Biden quickly replied, “No, let the process work its way out.”

Pete Buttigieg said a plurality of delegates is not enough and that a nominee shouldn’t be chosen until there’s a majority. Amy Klobuchar echoed Biden, saying, “let the process work.” I clumped the moderates together since they’re echoing the same sentiment of “letting the process work” and “playing by the rules,” which just sound like blanket statements all moderates like to use for any situation. So let’s discuss what playing by the rules would entail.

Bernie Sanders believes that the person with the most votes should be the nominee. How scandalous! This is what makes the responses from other Democrats all the

nominated. This is where the insidious nature of Warren’s response comes into play.

These superdelegates are unpledged delegates who can vote for whomever they want. The mere existence of these officials is completely undemocratic, as various party chairs and elected officials will have far more sway than any state in the union.

500 individuals have more influence on the primary than the entire state of California, which has 416 pledged delegates in its primary. That’s wrong. Playing by the rules, huh? What if the rules are completely asinine and undermine American democracy?

NBC hosted the debate in Nevada. However, when the media giant posted the full debate on their website, it wasn’t quite full.

They conveniently omitted this question about a contested convention from the replay. Why would they do that? I don’t know.

Is revealing information about an undemocratic process worth hiding from the masses? It’s quite the mystery.

Now, to receive a majority of delegates in the primary, the magic number is 1,991.

With five of the six candidates on the debate stage wanting the superdelegates to have a say, the intentions of the party seem

quite clear. They would rather let 500 people decide who’s the nominee as opposed to millions of Democratic voters. With six statistically viable candidates, there is absolutely no chance any one candidate reaches 1,991 delegates before the convention. I’ll be blunt: whoever has the most delegates, in other words a plurality, should be the nominee. No one should have the nomination ripped from them after winning the popular vote. This should be a redundant point for the party who wants to abolish the Electoral College. If the party decides not to nominate the candidate with a plurality of delegates, then it will end much like the 1968 convention, where a person who didn’t earn the nomination lost to the Republican candidate (Hubert Humphrey lost to Nixon that year).

Whether the candidate with the most votes, and therefore a plurality of delegates, is Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden or Vermin Supreme … that candidate should be the nominee. Period. Full stop. Any other outcome makes the entire voting process a farce and paints an oligarchical picture over a country that claims to love democracy.

“They had different alibis that contradict each of their supposed ideologies.” had different alibis that contradict each of their supposed ideologies.

Bloomberg said the party should adhere to the rules enforced by the Democratic National Committee. This is an especially ironic answer coming from Bloomberg, as he essentially bought his way into contention by spending nearly four hundred million dollars on ads in Super Tuesday states, including Oklahoma. This kind of spending inevitably inflated his polling numbers and allowed him to qualify for the Nevada debate. So, for Bloomberg to want to adhere to the rules that he spent a grotesque amount of wealth to warp in his favor is hilarious

more perplexing. For instance, the Electoral College is a garbage system that I bet every single one of them wants to reform. Yet, everyone but Sanders doesn’t see the irony of attacking the Electoral College and defending this primary process, which can apparently also result in the popular vote winner missing out on the nomination. It’s okay for them here, but the Electoral College is bad?

The answers from everyone but Bernie are either lacking self-awareness or are completely hypocritical.

Sanders goes on to mention a vital procession of the convention. On the second ballot, 500 superdelegates vote on who should be Sanders’s early lead in delegates has impacted the discourse on the nomination.

courtesy Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Slavery depictions lauded in Academy, other parts of black life excluded the black experience: that of Pre-Civil War times and Slavery.

Cynthia Erivo was the only Black nominee at the 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 9. She was nominated for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman, a runaway-slave who became a strong freedom fighter. Now, “Harriet” certainly wasn’t the only motion picture created by black filmmakers featurThe lack of diversity and representation within the world of cinema has been a hot

The Academy has nominally fixed a whitewashing problem, but true change is yet to come.

Tori Gellman Student Writer

topic for almost a decade now. There are always the arguments that the Academy does acknowledge, nominate and even award films made by and starring black individuals. However, it was particularly blatant this year that Hollywood is only really interested in depicting one particular aspect of

Michael B. Jordan sort of called out these grandstanding white actors who haven’t backed up their speeches and pleas with any real action. Perhaps the most notable snub for me lies with “Waves,” an absolutely heart wrenching story of a suburban black family overcoming tragedy and simply trying to navigate everyday life.

It was very apparent to movie lovers that

“To all actors and filmmakers looking for change, I say, make the change yourself.” ing strong black characters last year. In fact, there were a number of incredible films this year brimming with black actors. Jordan Peele’s “Us” featured Lupita Nyongo at her best and “Just Mercy” had incredible performances by Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and many others.

Not to mention that Michael B. Jordan did what so many white actors who have been bestowed with Oscars over the last few years have spoken about during their acceptance speeches: Jordan mandated racial inclusivity in every step of the filmmaking process. Though likely unintentional,

although “Harriet” contained heartbreaking performances and a beatiful score, it was not the best film featuring black actors and filmmakers this year, nor was it representative of the diversity and complexity of the modern day black experience. The Academy has tried to point to instances in which they’ve recognized and rewarded “black films” over the years; “12 Years A Slave,” “Gone With the Wind,” “Django Unchained,” “Lincoln.”

Notice a pattern? Similar to bopics, the Academy clearly has an affinity for films depicting historical battles and discontent as well as slavery. I guess Academy mem-

bers use their recognition of these films as grounds for being able to sleep at night as there continues to be one and only one aspect of black culture and history depicted on the silver screen.

While awareness and calls for inclusivity from white actors are noble and are steps in the right direction, it is but a small step that accomplishes very little. If these actors who claim to be so passionate about inclusivity and diverse representation in storytelling and filmmaking actually created inclusive sets, and hired actors and filmmakers of different backgrounds then there would be far less of a need for these impassioned, but relatively useless displays of discontempt on the Academy Awards stage every February.

To all actors and filmmakers looking for change, I say, make the change yourself.

Take notes from women who have created films exclusively created by their female counterparts. Look at Michael B. Jordan’s methods for telling a unique, and topically relevant story of the black experience, and managed to do so with a racially inclusive group of individuals. Use your words to fuel your actions and maybe we will see a change in the Oscars in 2021.

The Collegian: 8

Variety

24 February 2020

Daniel the golden retriever wins fans’ hearts

This year’s Westminster Dog Show caused an upset after Daniel lost to a poodle.

Tori Gellman Student Writer

For many, Thanksgiving brings to mind images of roast turkey, cranberry sauce and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For me, I see the blue ribbons of the Eukanuba Dog Show. The 2019 National Dog Show was particularly captivating because of one particular dog. Daniel, a purebred, fiveyear-old Golden Retriever from Pennsylvania strutted his stuff with his handler, Karen Mammano. He was the winner of the Sporting Group category, but ultimately, Thor the Bulldog won Best in Show.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Daniel competed again at the 144th Westminster Kennel Club

for that are specific to each dog breed. For Goldens, this includes a kind expression, an eager-to-please personality, as well as being active and self-confident. Along with all of these qualities, they have to be impeccably groomed and have their nutrition well-maintained. Daniel, without a doubt, is the closest thing to perfect in his breed. For a Standard Poodle, qualities include a proud and smart temperament as well as being over 15 inches tall so as to not fall in a different category of poodle.

Viewers and dog lovers across the country were pretty upset, thinking that Daniel could be the first Golden Retriever in the 143 year history of Westminster to win Best in Show. Twitter erupted with an image of Daniel clutching his Sporting Group blue ribbon in his mouth with captions such as, “he was robbed,” “the best boy” and many similar sentiments.

to the Golden the way they did. She stated that everyone loves a good dog, and that’s just what Daniel is. Similarly, the Golden Retriever Club of America couldn’t have been more proud of how Daniel represented their breed and all of dog-kind.

And although Daniel only placed third at Westminster, this is a dog with many accolades, including 19 Best in Show titles and

the 2019 National Speciality Best of Breed winner. Daniel’s owner, Tammy Tomlinson, announced that her pup will be going into “semi-retirement” from the dog show world. She further reported that the day after Westminster, Daniel hda dug himself a nice hole in the backyard to bask in, and that his temperament was just as loveable and happy as ever.

“Everyone loves a good dog, and that’s just what Daniel is.” dog show. Though Daniel once again triumphed in the Sporting Group, it was Siba, the standard poodle who took home the title of Best in Show. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has certain things they look

While the Internet exploded with cries of outrage on Daniel’s behalf, Daniel’s handler and owners are all in agreement that Daniel will be just fine. Mammano wasn’t the least bit surprised that the American public took

Daniel celebrates his near win with Goldie, a fellow golden retriever.

graphic by Naomi Dunn

Tulsa Ballet continues classic story in the Land of Oz The dance company performed a magical rendition of “Dorothy and the Prince of Oz.” Karelia Alexander Student Writer On Feb. 16, the Tulsa Ballet closed their season production of “Dorothy and the Price Oz” at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. This was the first time in a while that I’ve attended a ballet. I was blown away by the enthusiastic audience members as they scurried to find their seats, hoping to get a glimpse of the dancers. The orchestra, though out of sight, could be heard tuning their instruments one last time.

I didn’t know what to expect with the Tulsa Ballet. As the lights dimmed and silence rippled through the concert hall, the curtains went up and the maestro, Peter Stafford Wilson, walked to the orchestra pit as thunderous applause rang through the auditorium.

The Collegian team views and reviews a movie while getting uproariously drunk.

Brennen Gray Sports Editor Chris Lierly Commentary Editor CHRIS: This article as not asber, but he “hr’s olde nd and fuckec up, but he’s fucked yp,, howeve,. The film Death of Stalin expoes some of the best commentary against the 1 Stalin was the friends we Buscemi’d along the way. But toni aSPRINO ofs hin [Good Reviews with Brennen, the part of the article where Brennen comes on, and gives … a shockingly good review considering his blood alcohol concentration]

He thanked everyone silently and sank into the orchestra pit. His intensity zapped through the rest of the musicians, as they were just as ready as he was. The production had begun with its burgeoning bright colors and memorable music.

everything seems well at first, the king and queen fight until separation ensues, and the Diamond Queen takes the prince with her, leaving the Sapphire King hurt and alone.

It is then up to Dorothy and her loyal friend Scarecrow to save Oz once again.

“ ... the dancers were not just telling a story, they became the story.”

The production of “Dorothy and the Prince of Oz” is rather unique; the story takes place after the events of Oz, where Dorothy is living a normal, peaceful life back in Kansas, preparing to greet her new neighbors. This is not the case in the beautiful dreamland Oz. The prologue begins with the Sapphire King and the Diamond Queen falling in love and having a son. Though

As the ballet progresses, Dorothy and Scarecrow gain courage and find love. Towards the end, all is well again through the magic of Oz, though Dorothy’s life would never go back to normal. As she returns to Kansas, she discovers that her new neighbors are in fact the Sapphire King and the Diamond Queen, and her one true love is the prince.

ally remarried aunt you get a maniacal spymaster and perhaps the greatest portrayal of a soviet military man ever (shout out to the actor that plays Lucious Malfoy).

Going along with the sitcom metaphor what makes this movie so funny, despite the incredibly dark content, is the motif of true familiarity between the characters. They all know each other and love each other and hate each other. The simultaneous introduction to the protagonist and antagonist features the pair chest bumping lovingly.

Their parting just an hour and 45 minutes later is the protagonist scornfully watching as the latter is scooped off the ground with a shovel. This movie is funny because it’s the Soviet Union.

Of course this is not a perfect movie for everyone. Many of the important Soviets are played by people with British accents, there are a few historical inaccuracies that keep the audience from being able to say “it’s all super real!” and it’s still an all white male

duction to Beria and his final execution were unfortunately talked over. The most important moment of the film, the introduction of the sexy general, was luckily a savored and treasured moment.”

Sara Serrano (another of the accompanying viewers of “Death of Stalin”) added that, “Lucius Malfoy was my favorite character.

Very scary, very sexy.”

CHRIS, LATER, HEALTHIER: “The Death of Stalin” might be my favorite come-

I was blown away. I was in awe. There wasn’t a moment that I wasn’t hanging on to the smooth choreography and beautiful lines of the dancers. The way they moved was effortless as they danced in sync to the rumbling of the music. Underneath the lights, though the strength of the ballerinas were visible, their vulnerability was clear as they conveyed each emotion precisely at each given moment. From the beginning to the end, the dancers were not just telling a story, they became the story. The audience clung on to each scene as it unfolded with twists and turns and eventually dwindled down to the happy ending Dorothy deserved.

At the end, the audience didn’t miss their cue to give the performers a standing ovation. As the dancers each took their bow, the cheers got louder. It was astounding. If you have not already seen a production from the Tulsa Ballet, I highly recommend it. They will perform “Vendetta, A Mafia Story” March 26-29.

dy movie because it has such a wide range of jokes and fits just about any sense of humor.

It has enough commentary to keep from ignoring its subject material, but even for this poli sci/history nerd I’m glad it doesn’t try and make a bigger point.

We’d like to thank Emily, Emma and Naomi for “owning” the movie and hosting this review party, and I hope that this becomes a consistent column.

“Stalin was the friends we Buscemi’d along the way.”

BRENNEN: But seriously. I think there are few movies I have seen that can nail dark humor as successfully as this film does.

It had Soviet Russia, it had tragedy, murder, killing montages, vodka, hysteria, paranoia and everything that anyoune could ever want in a thriller. But it’s funny.

It has the humor of a well-written sitcom, except instead of a drunk uncle and perenni-

cast. That being said, one has to love this movie for what it is.

I hope you enjoy it too, comrade.

Naomi Dunn (one of the accompanying viewers of “Death of Stalin”) says that, “the subtlety and nuance of this film was lost on some of the delightful, although quite intoxicated, viewers. Particularly interesting and nuanced moments like the entire intro-

courtesy Entertainment One Films

Variety

24 February 2020

The Collegian: 9

Fans fell in love with Cold War Kids and Overcoats The two indie rock bands performed at Cain’s on Valentine’s Day, enchanting adoring concertgoers.

Tori Gellman Student Writer What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than attending a concert at Cain’s Ballroom with your ultimate gal pal? On Feb. 14, 2020, indie rock band Cold War Kids played an outstanding show in downtown Tulsa.

Not even single concert-goers could escape the inevitable romance of Valentine’s Day, as the band held a competition over the radio during the week that led to one attendee winning an engagement ring and proposing to her boyfriend onstage.

But before the headliner even hit the stage, the femme power group from New York, Overcoats, got the night started. I had never heard of Overcoats before, but now I cannot stop listening to them. Not least of all because of their absolutely stunning band members who are equal parts class, talent and beauty. The lead singers, Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell, were utterly charming, constantly feeding off of each other’s energy and communicating directly with the crowd. Covers of Hozier’s “Cherry Wine” and The Killers’s “Mr. Brightside” were big hits of the evening and got the crowd revved up for the rest of the concert.

If I wasn’t already completely in love with Overcoats’s guitarist, Sarah L’Abriola, I had another unanticipated two hours for our romance to develop. Earlier on in the tour, the lead guitar player for Cold War Kids had to cut his time short due to his child falling ill. Rather than cancel or reschedule the latter shows of the tour, Sarah stepped up and

learned all of the songs in Cold War Kids’ set. How’s that for badass? The headlining band played selections from their earliest album all the way up to their newest release. There was a beautiful interlude in the middle of the concert which included inaugural live performances of songs that had been reworked into acoustic versions on the new record.

The lead singer, Nathan Willet, was incredibly vulnerable with the audience, thanking everyone profusely for attending and explaining how it warms his heart to

see hardcore, long-term fans singing along to each and every song on the setlist. For the encore, Overcoats and Cold War Kids came together on stage with maracas, tambourines and tons of energy. Two members of Overcoats leapt into the crowd and made their way to the back of the audience and all the way back to the stage without being dropped. The night ended with the ballad, “Saint John,” which had everyone in the room “waiting for a pardon.”

This was by far the best concert I’ve been to at Cain’s since Lord Huron in the fall of

Nathan Willet, frontman of Cold War Kids, serenaded the audience with vulnerability and warmth.

2018. It made the pressures of Valentine’s Day disappear for a few hours, and brought together a wide variety of individuals from across Tulsa and neighboring states. Additionally, Cold War Kids and Overcoats both took their respective stage time to hype up and thank the other group which was extremely heartwarming and charming. It highlighted a different, and arguably more important, kind of love and really cultivated a sense of community and mutual appreciation. I’m so glad I finally got to see this band after being a loyal fan for over a decade.

photo by Tori Gellman

“Birds of Prey” follows the erratic emancipation of Harley Quinn DC presents another characterstudy of a villain with a fun depiction of a girl gang in Gotham City.

Karelia Alexander Student Writer Whoa … that’s all I can really say for DC’s new movie “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey,” originally marketed with the subtitle “and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.” The movie is a glitter-trip of craziness and violence as it follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) through a mental breakdown after calling it quits with the Joker. Quinn, who has reached her limit with the rest of Gotham a long time ago, goes on a lavish rampage with a few new accessories: a girl gang called the Birds of Prey and a ferocious new attitude, awaken-

ing her independence and finally becoming the leader.

As the movie progresses, the action intensifies, the scenes get quicker and women get tougher. Harley Quinn, the beloved criminal of Gotham, was no longer the main hench-wench of the Joker. She transforms into her own hammer, nailing each person who seemed to get in her way. Her new attitude and zesty lust for life ushers in chaos as she faces the deceptive, lethal enemy Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), otherwise known as the Black Mask. With this chaos, she also finds new friends including the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and the Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), who are also looking for a new beginning and to leave behind the darkness of underground Gotham. Thus is born the Birds of Prey.

“Birds of Prey” is unique in its own odd way; though it’s a spin-off of the 2016 film “Suicide Squad,” it holds up as a standalone

movie. Even more than this, the versatility and complexity of the details seem to suggest that DC could expand “Birds of Prey” into future spinoff movies, possibly the Gotham City Sirens (another group that Harley Quinn is a part of) or even about the Black Mask. Another thing that sets the movie apart from the other movies is how likeable the main character is, despite her status as a villain.

The movie is a bright light compared to the bleak masterpiece “Joker.” An origin movie about Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and his downward spiral into insanity and anger, “Joker” follows many of the same tropes as does “Birds of Prey” by humanizing the villain. “Birds of Prey” is a neon tape rewinder: Harley Quinn has already reached rock bottom. Though she is going through a mental breakdown (even a withdrawal of dependence), she uses it as fuel to have happiness and find her independence. She slowly weaves herself back into

society, picking up her damage and running with it.

Aside from “Birds of Prey” being a sticky-sweet, lipstick coated smile for mayhem, there is a deeper undertone of feminism. At the beginning of the movie, Harley Quinn is alone and heartbroken after her breakup with the Joker. Despite this, she is able to rise above the shambles and become independent, becoming an unhinged leader with a new sense of identity that is hard to ignore. This can also be heard within the soundtrack: the music was just as fun, describing the female liberation with a sharp edge. The music served as a second dialogue for the movie as it also set the tone for the trailers.

Underneath the fireworks, dreams, lights, and snappy one liners, there is a message: reinvention. Director Cathy Yan captures it, sparks it, and Margot Robbie puts it in a mischievous deadlock.

If you’re feeling curious: If you’re feeling concerned: If you’re feeling experimental:

courtesy Crown Publishing Group

Tori Gellman Student Writer

Though typically high school required reading is met with exasperated sighs and last-minute skimming, this incredible true story is absolutely worth your time. Henrietta Lacks, a poor, black tobacco farmer unknowingly paved the way for crucial advancements in and understanding of modern medicine. Lacks’s cervical cancer cells, obtained unbeknownst to her in 1951, were discovered to have the ability to be kept alive and grow indefinitely. Lacks’s cells would go on to be used in numerous experiments and tests that were commercialized and subsequently generated millions of dollars. This book is not only a look at scientific discovery, but also a story of racial inequality, ethics in medicine and the moral obligations associated with Henrietta Lacks’ life and death.

courtesy Spiegel & Grau courtesy Graywolf Press

I use “experimental” both to encapsulate the incredibly relevant and fresh content that Rankine covers in this relatively small book, but also to touch on the unique style and formats that she utilizes. Combining poetry, essays, images and other forms of writing, Rankine portrays various facets of the black experience ranging in history from pre-Civil War to modern-day sports and cinema. This book makes different parts of your brain really work with the material in order to make sense of aspects of living that maybe don’t apply to us as individuals, but certainly play a role in who we are as human beings.

It’s no surprise that the state of the world has been less than ideal for as long as human beings have inhabited it. The issues that plague the human race have changed and evolved exponentially over time. A concern that seems to be on the mind of many humans today, is that of racial equality. TaNehisi Coates’s incredibly small and potent book, “Between the World and Me,” is partially a letter to his son, and at the same time a plea to the human race for kindness, understanding and equality. I read this book as part of a class on propagandist literature and not only has it stuck with me ever since, but it has become a book I frequently revisit and think about.

Variety

The Collegian: 10

24 February 2020

Tame Impala’s new album convincingly nostalgic

The psychedelic rock band ruminates on the passage of time in their newest release, “The Slow Rush.”

Nora Bethune Student Writer

Five years after releasing their previous album “Currents,” Tame Impala has come back with another full-length album titled “The Slow Rush.” Tame Impala is a psychedelic pop and alternative group consisting of Kevin Parker on guitar and vocals, Dominic Simper playing guitar and synthesizer, Jay Watson on synthesizer, vocals and guitar, Cam Avery on bass guitar and vocals, and the final member, Julien Barbagallo, on drums and vocals.

This album’s focus on nostalgia and the passage of time is evident in the song titles alone. “One More Year,” “Instant Destiny,” “Posthumous Forgiveness,” “Tomorrow’s Dust,” “Lost in Yesterday” and “One More Hour” all have the theme of time. The album art depicts sand trapped in a house like an hourglass, further driving this point home.

Whether they’re talking about being out of time on “Posthumous Forgiveness” or “One More Hour,” you can tell that Tame Impala has thought greatly about their time on Earth and what running out of time means to them as individuals.

Beginning with “One More Year,” the album kicks off like a trance. It’s a sort of distorted and far away sound, and I felt like I was being transported into a different universe. Kevin Parker’s first words on the song, “Do you remember we were standing here a year ago?,” start the album with a sentimental feeling.This first song really displays Parker’s history with his band, emphasizing how they now have a career based on something they used to do for fun. In the middle of the song, there’s a moment where the phrase “one more year” repeats after each line. Although this song is a good start to the album, especially for encapsulating the time theme, I can’t really see myself listening to it outside of the album. It’s good in the context of this album, but on its own, it would be a skip unless I was in the mood to listen.

Going from the nostalgic, nearly tired end of “One More Year,” the energy in the beginning of the next track “Instant Destiny” demands attention. You can hear the drums throughout the whole song, while the first track felt more like a synthy haze. This track is more about romantic love and the rash decisions that it can cause you to make. “I’m about to do something crazy” is the first line on the hook and the first line in the whole song. This sound of the track reminded me of childhood, especially with the vintage game soundtrack ending. Going from a

drum-dominated beat to relying solely on a synthesizer, the song itself almost seems like it’s slipping away from reality. Similar to the opening track, though, I feel like it is something that you would have to listen to in context of the album, and not so much on its own.

“Borderline” seems to be the point in the story where Tame Impala is directly questioning what’s going to happen after everything whether that be when the group stops making music or when they pass away.

Parker asks questions like “Will I be known and loved?” and “Is there one that I trust?” you can feel the worry and the questions

imagine someone throwing things around and yelling out of anger and sadness. But as the beat becomes calmer, I think Parker is accepting that his father can’t apologize for the mistakes that he made and he has to forgive him anyways.

The seventh track, titled “On Track,” reminds me of opening the curtains and letting the sun hit your face. It has a morning vibe to it, something that you listen to when waking up, or something when you are feeling weary or slightly tired. With the lyrics, it’s almost like Kevin Parker is recovering from something or has taken a break and is comforting himself by saying he’s still on track

courtesy Modular Records Tame Impala released “The Slow Rush” on Valentine’s Day this year, five years after “Currents.”

that don’t really have an answer. This is one of the songs that stuck out the most to me. I am a big fan of the type of sound this song has — there’s something almost neo-soul to it. With the drums and the faster singing, this is almost like the song to get back any attention that might’ve been lost during the previously slower songs. This song ends on a more energetic tone, also distinguishing it from the previous tracks.

With the song “Posthumous Forgiveness,” Parker addresses his relationship with his father. You can feel the same nostalgic vibe from the very start, with the mixed sounds of the guitar, bass and drums. “I also thought heroes stayed close, whenever troubled times arose, I didn’t know [that it] ain’t always the way it goes.” With those lines, Kevin tackles the problems he has with his dead father. You can feel Kevin himself getting angry in the middle of the song as the beat intensifies and the lyrics drop out. I can

and working toward his goal, even if he had something hold him back. I feel like the song was lacking in something, but I can’t say exactly what. It feels like a throwaway track almost, only on the album to further emphasize the theme. It’s important to the theme of the story but it still feels lackluster compared to the other songs.

The previous three tracks had me worried for the rest of the album. But with “Lost in Yesterday,” my worries faded away. The lyrics speak to me more than anything else on the album, stressing the importance of following your dreams. Kevin also reminisces on when Tame Impala first started, and how they were just young adults doing something that they loved.

Following “Lost in Yesterday,” the ninth track “Is It True” is mainly about young love and how unpredictable and uncertain it is. “I hope it’s forever but how do I know?” is a line that perfectly encapsulates not only the

song, but the album as a whole. Just following that sense of longing and how bad you may want something to last forever, even though that may not only be the case. With a sort of grim premise, it’s interesting for the song to be over the most upbeat instrumental in the album so far.

“Glimmer” has the ultimate nostalgic feel to it. You can feel the energy of the ‘70s disco era. With no words except for a conversation in the beginning and the repetition of the phrase “I just want a glimmer of hope,” there’s a momentum that’s pushed by the background music itself. This feeling is presented so well that “Glimmer” instantly became my favorite on the album. The beat alone takes me back to times when I was a child and my mother would play the music that she grew up listening to.

On the twelfth and final track “One More Hour,” you can feel the album is being wrapped up and summarized. Being the longest track at seven minutes and 13 seconds, it’s a worthy closer. With the single trail of sound with layers progressively adding on, you can hear the song maturing and growing up, like Kevin Parker has done through his confrontation of growing older, his father dying and falling out of love with someone. This song feels like it went through all stages of life, from birth to first love to death with the “One More Hour” left the song is reminiscing on all it’s past events and memories.

This is an amazing end to an album. It brings everything in the album together while adding its own point into it but not overbearing to the point that you need to listen to another song. Even though it is good on its own, because of the length I can’t see myself listening to it on it’s own, more of if I come back to the album in the future I will be looking forward to that track.

“The Slow Rush” storyline is amazing.

Kevin Parker was able to tie in dreamy feelings of nostalgia with the urgency of running out of time. This album is good for those wondering what the next step is in life or those who feel trapped in a repetitive cycle. This is a mood album, something you’d really like to listen to when you’re wary or don’t know what to feel.

It doesn’t feel right to compare this to “Currents,” since the stories and the sounds presented in this album are very different.

As of now, I can see myself casually listening to “Currents” more, but I like the cohesion and story offered in “The Slow Rush.”

You can see the development of Tame Impala, and how they have mastered the craft of alternative and psychedelic pop. As a group, Tame Impala never cease to amaze so I can’t wait for their next project and what they will offer.

TU Theatre delivers comedic performance of Shakespeare Students create an enchanting imagining of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Justin Klopfer Student Writer TU’s theatre department’s first show of the semester is a performance of Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The play revolves around four young lovers in Athens having their affections manipulated by the fairy king Oberon.

All four lovers go through rapid changes of heart while undergoing a chaotic night in the Athenian woods.

The performances of Andrés Tovar and Tabitha Littlefield as Oberon and Puck particularly stick out for being convincing depictions of the devious characters. They prance around the stage with animalistic

posture while playing with the mortal characters. Puck feels authentically conniving; the actress delivers her lines with an unsettling tone and mischievous laugh. Oberon’s deep roars alongside his beastly voice perfectly sell him as the monstrous lead.

Within this complex plot is a “play within a play” performed by a troupe of actors in a subplot that adds some of the funniest scenes in the performance. These sections of the show are led by Bottom, played by Michael Flake, who delivers a hilarious performance as an overzealous actor. A supporting performance from John Broadwater adds to the laughs with a hilariously satirical depiction of a wall as a character in the play. The entire troupe of actors has brilliant chemistry, synchronizing drum rolls and group chants.

The hilarity of the performance is hard to understate; the audience was constantly overcome with laughter. All characters in the play are given some ridiculous dialogue

The “Midsummer Night’s Dream” set created a dreamy atmosphere for the comedy.

or scenario to mock their character. The four lovers in particular play off of each other amazingly. They constantly shift between violent hate and unquenchable love as they are deceived by Puck and react to each other’s shifting.

Fantastical costumes abound, particularly those of Titania and Oberon. The fairy followers of Titania also sport beautiful, fluttery wings and sway them in unison. The actors often use keenly choreographed gestures to simulate otherworldly powers. The four lovers become progressively more undressed as their night descends further into madness and convolution. The stage itself was beautifully lit with multicolored ensembles and dramatic spotlights.

Of course, the play is far more than just a comedy. The constantly changing affections of Lysander and Demetrius, played respectively by Nicholas Mueller and Martin Van Stipdonk, are startling reflections of how

love often emotions often act in real life. A magical love potion is used in the play to create this attraction so quickly, but Shakespeare uses this potion to satirize the constantly changing nature of genuine human emotions. Additionally, Hermia and Helena, played by Emily Peterson and Hannah Benson, face the social restrictions and mores imposed upon women of their time. Whatever Shakespeare’s intended comment on these restrictions may be, it still serves as a fascinating portrait into gender relations and romantic chaos.

The play will be performed on Feb. 27, 28 and 29, as well as the first of March. Tickets are $6 for TU students and $15 for standard admission. Be sure to come to see an amazing performance of a classic play and to support the outstanding theatre department of TU!

courtesy TU Dept. of Theatre and Musical Theatre and Dance Facebook

Variety

24 February 2020

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24 February 2020

@TUCollegian

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