15 November 2021

Page 1

November 1, 2021 - Issue 10 - Volume 107

Cover by: Amy Polovich

A student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

ASTROWORL D DI S AST E R S C OT T ’S FAU LT, P. 5 T U M E N S S O C C E R W I N S A AC CHAMPION SHI P, P. 3 VAC CI NE APPROVE D F OR C H I LDREN , P. 4 HOLIDAY MOVI E , P OD C AST, A N D G IFT R EC OM ME N DAT ION S , P. 6 SAT IR E : ONLY A G U N C A N STOP JA KE G YLLEN HAA L , P. 9


Sports

The Collegian: 2

November 15, 2021

TU men’s soccer hosts AAC Championship

Our soccer team gave it their all and it paid off, writes sports journalist Callie Hummel. Tulsa went into the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament at #2 in the country by the United Soccer Coaches and receiving many awards and recognitions in the prior week. Alex Meinhard, forward, was unanimously voted the Offensive Player of the Year. Meinhard currently leads the team with 12 goals this season. Mariano Fazio earned the Defensive Player of the Year and was unanimously voted onto the all-conference first team. Henry Sach, the Midfielder of the Year, also earned first team all-conference. Alex Lopez was awarded both Rookie of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year for his first season playing with the Hurricanes. Meinhard, Fazio, Sach, Lopez and Chase Bromstedt, were all placed on the first team all-conference team. Meinhard and Fazio were unanimous decisions for this team. Malik Henry-Scott was picked for the second team all-conference. Tulsa also earned the Fair Play Award, which is given to the team that has the fewest yellow and red cards. This is the first time in league history that a team has earned all seven of these major awards. Head coach Tom McIntosh instills the importance of a team saying, “Obviously the individual de-

serves the award, but it is a byproduct of how the team performs.” Tulsa’s first game, the semifinals, brought them head-to-head with SMU. The two teams had already played twice in regular play, proving to be tough competitors after the first game ended with a Tulsa win with seven seconds left in the second overtime, and the second a 0-0 tie. With Tulsa ranked #1 in the tournament and SMU #4, the two teams faced off on Nov. 11.

15 minutes into the second half, Mitchell Cashion, who had been controlling the ball and continuously moving it toward Tulsa’s attacking goal, dribbled around his defender and crossed the ball into the middle of the box. Tom Protzek, a midfielder who traditionally sets up the goal with the assist or third touch, ran through the box and sent the ball flying past the SMU goalie for a 1-0 lead.

“‘Obviously the individual deserves the award, but it is a byproduct of how the team performs.’” The first half went by without goals from either team. A clutch save by Lopez when an SMU attacker had a lone break away in the final minutes of the first half meant the second half would start out at 0-0. Tulsa’s top two goal scorers, Meinhard and HenryScott, are both out of the championship tournament due to injuries. While this could have been a big hit to the team’s mentality and confidence in being able to win, midfielders and new forwards stepped up to ensure the team’s victory.

With more than 20 minutes of the second half played, SMU got another breakaway that was immediately stopped by Fazio but left him rolling on the ground clutching his ankle. Fortunately, after taking a few minutes to walk off the injury, he was back to playing. In the final nine minutes of the game, Fazio got the ball in an attacking position. A give and go in the attacking box from Fazio to Til Zinnhardt, who sent the ball up into the air in front of the goal, Fazio in the

middle connected with the ball and headed it into the top right corner of the net. This goal by the Defensive Player of the Year put Tulsa up 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left in the game and instilled more confidence in the team that they would be going onto the championship game. The conference final was played on Sunday Nov. 14 with Tulsa, seeded #1, and UCF, seeded #2. In regular play, UCF won the first game 2-3, but Tulsa came back the second time they played and won 2-1. Tulsa won the game Sunday again with a final score of 2-1 against UCF, making Tulsa the conference champions for 2021. “I am proud of our guys for going for it and chasing that trophy,” said Head Coach Tom McIntosh, “I thought our substitutes were tremendous and I am so happy Will Edwards and Marcos Moreno because they took advantage of their minutes. We have more depth up top than we did a year ago and I think we’ve found more ways to score goals than besides relying on the two guys up top. Obviously we miss Alex Meinhard and Malik Henry-Scott because we want them to be a part of it, but we have other players who can help us win games.”

photos by Tommy Reid

Hurricane women’s basketball crushes home opener Sports writer Daryl Turner discusses the team’s win against Duquesne last Thursday. 19 turnovers. Maddie Bittle had four steals herself while Rebecca Lescay and Delanie Crawford each had two and Wyvette Mayberry had one. Before the game Lescay was already ranked fifth in all-time steals here at Tulsa with 179. The leading scorer for Tulsa was outstanding freshmen Temira Poindexter who

start and didn’t let up. Coach Angie Nelp has these women ready to hoop and it showed during the game. This season could be a phenomenal one for these Tulsa women if they continue to play like they played against Duqusne. Of course Duqusne is far from the best opponent these women will face this season, but they do give us a glimpse as to

“The future of the women’s basketball team looks very bright ...” photo by Tommy Reid

Tulsa women’s basketball officially started off the season against Duquesne on Thursday evening, and came out swinging for the fences. Duquesne started off their season losing by 29 points to UCF on Tuesday and didn’t fare any better in the game against Tulsa.The women started off the game playing hard and aggressive and ended it in the same way. At the end of the first half Tulsa women were leading by 17 points and they ended the game with a score of 77 to 62. The team dominated defensively, ending with a total of nine steals and causing

finished with 23 points on 8 for 14 field goals and right behind her with 20 points was the sharpshooting senior Maya Mayberry who went 7 for 16 from the field and 5 for 11 from three point land. Mayberry had a three percentage of .455, which for her has been a very common thing throughout her career because she ranks second in Tulsa’s program history for the best three-point field goal percentage. Other contributors in the scoring column for the women’s win over Duquesne are talented senior Bittle with a solid nine points, super senior Lescay with eight, freshmen Crawford and sophomore Mayberry with seven, along with sophomore Jessika Evans with three. The women were ready from the

what this team could do against more formidable opponents. Stay tuned in Tulsa fans, because this ship has just sailed and there is no telling how far it’s going to go. Now in terms of next year, Coach Nelp has already signed five new talented young ladies to be a part of the team. There are 5 seniors potentially leaving next year (Lescay, Bittle, Elin Hrafnkelsdottir, Mayberry and Madi Whashington) and these new five pieces are going to hopefully come in and fill the void these amazing seniors will have created. Briley Barnes, Cambridge Mathews, Hadley Periman, Chole Williams and Ahrray Young are the names of these five up and coming members of the Hurricane. Briley Barnes out of Amarillo, Texas

is a 6-1 guard/forward who averaged 13.4 points a game while shooting an admirable percentage from three at her high school. Cambridge Mathews is a 5-7 guard from Keller, Texas who averaged 17 points, 4.7 assist, and a really good 2.9 steals per game at Keller High School. Next up is Hadley Periman who is a 6-2 guard/forward out of Tuttle, Oklahoma, and she is an all around player who averaged around nine points, nine rebounds, four assist and two blocks a game at her high school. Chole Williams is a 6-3 forward from Los Angeles, California who attended Bishop Montgomery High School where she played her freshman and sophomore year and excelled in every aspect of the game. She is currently ranked in ESPN’s Top 100 highschool players and is expected to bring big things to Tulsa women’s basketball. Last but not least we have Ahrray Young who is a 5-11 guard from Elk Grove, California and she averages 14.6 points a game along with 8 rebounds and an astonishing 3.5 steals at her High School, Laguna Creek. These women are superb athletes and are ready to come and sweep everybody at Tulsa off their feet with the amount of talent they possess. The future of the women’s basketball team looks very bright and the potential for some unprecedented achievements at Tulsa seem very plausible.


Sports

November 15, 2021

The Collegian: 3

American Athletic Conference adds six new schools Sports analyst Callie Hummel discusses the changes that are happening to Tulsa’s conference.

In early October, talk began that the American Athletic Conference (AAC) was looking into taking six new schools from Conference-USA. In light of this news, a representative from Conference-USA attempted to contact the AAC to propose a

trance date for the new teams, but the AAC regulations allude to July 2024. The six new teams-—Florida Atlantic University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Texas, University of Texas at San Antonio, Rice University and

“The six new teams ... are all previous members of Conference-USA” better idea. Instead of Conference-USA slowly diminishing as the AAC poached their teams, conferences should be made dependent on location. This change would decrease travel time for teams, but most importantly, expenses during a time where money is tighter than usual. Still, on Oct. 21, the AAC announced the official entrance of six new schools into their conference. There is currently no exact en-

University of Alabama at Birmingham—are all previous members of Conference-USA. These schools are hoping for an earlier entrance date, but that would mean having to pay the exit fee from their own conference. A few teams have announced they hope to play in the 2023 season with the AAC, but this would mean paying Conference-USA’s $3 million exit fee, so it is unclear whether or not the teams will pay this to play earlier.

The AAC started looking for new teams initially because of the exit of three of their teams to the Big 12., Houston, Cincinnati and University of Central Florida all announced in September that they would be joining the Big 12 conference in 2024 at the earliest. There are nine continuing members in the AAC—Tulsa, East Carolina, Memphis, Navy (football only), South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane and Wichita State (basketball only)—increasing the number of teams to 14 in football and basketball. When the new teams enter the conference, it will mean that 12 of the future AAC schools will be former Conference-USA teams. The AAC, including the new schools, has taken 13 schools from Conference-USA in less than a decade. Many fans of Memphis, who have been in the AAC, as well as University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), are more ecstatic than other teams with the new additions to

the conference. Memphis and UAB were longtime rivals in the Conference-USA until Memphis left for the AAC. In light of this rivalry, and Memphis and Birmingham being two of the best United States’ cities for barbecue, the teams started playing every year for a 100-pound trophy that was sculpted into a rack of golden ribs in a game titled “Battle of the Bones.” The rivalry would also continue outside of the stadium, where groups from Memphis and Birmingham would compete during the tailgates to see who had the best ribs. When Memphis moved to join the AAC in 2012, the Battle of the Bones series was led by UAB 4-3. The two teams have not played again since. With both teams in the same conference now, their fans are eager to start the competition again.

The Collegian’s Crystal Ball Predictions 2021

Sports analyst and part-time fortune teller Zach Sabel has peered into the future and tells us what we can expect for upcoming championships. 1. The U.S Men’s national team: The USMNT will qualify for the world cup in 2022, and I predict they will make it through to the knockout round. There have been some iffy performances from the team so far through qualifiers, particularly the loss to Panama, but it seems like the team is finally finding their stride after missing the

world cup back in 2018. The only hurdle for reaching that benchmark would be head coach Gregg Berhalter. Seemingly prone to an endless stream of bad decisions when it comes to lineups, tactics and subs, this team will be heavily reliant on amazing performances from Ricardo Pepi and Christian Pulisic.

2. University of Texas Never wins another national title: Like something out of an old Shakespeare play, someone cursed the University of texas to an eternity of mediocrity and average seasons. Even the media proclaiming “Texas is back!” every season will not break the curse. 3. The Carolina Hurricanes will win the Stanley Cup: Already looking like a very strong side, only a few other sides in the league can compare to how good they are. With a beast like Antti Raanta in goal and a playmaker like Andrei Svechnikov on attack, Carolina is solid in every area on the ice. I believe the only stumbling block for them on the road to the Stanley

still probably make it even if they lose to Georgia in the Conference title game, with Ohio State and Oregon almost certain lockins with no real tough competition left for them in the season. I believe the Cincinnati Bearcats football team will do a great rendition of “Waving Through a Window” from the musical “Dear Evan Hansen” after they are again shut out from the CFP after going undefeated due to weak wins against teams like Navy and TU. In terms of who will win it all, I don’t think anything can stop this UGA team. They have been utterly dominant in every game they’ve played and I think they’ll dispatch Alabama with ease in the conference title and have no trouble

“Even the media proclaiming“Texas is back!” every season will not break the curse.”

courtesy @Canes on Twitter

Cup would be Florida. Even with all of the turmoil Florida has faced with head coaching departures, they’ve still managed to remain a very strong team almost on par with Carolina. With their own talents in goal like Sergei Bobrovsky and bonafide goal scorers in Anthony Duclair and Aleksander Barkov they’ll surely be able to put up a fight, but at the end of the day Carolina’s sturdier defence will help them prevail. 4. CFP prediction: Barring any major upset I see the current top four teams apart from maybe Alabama making it into the College Football Playoffs. Alabama will

dealing with Oregon or Oklahoma State, whichever is given the fourth seed. Who they face in the finals is a little less clear to me. I don’t think Alabama will stay second in the final rankings, they might even end up playing them in the finals, but I really like this Oregon team to make it to the final against UGA. With a win already notched against another top four team in Ohio State, I think they have the tools to beat whoever they face in the semi-finals. Those tools however will not be good enough to face a dominant team like UGA barring a magical story-book ending.

Nov. 15 - Nov. 21 Monday

Tuesday 16

15

W Basketball Sam Houston 12:00 p.m. none M Basketball Oregon St 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday

Thursday

none

Saturday 19

18

17

W Basketball Florida A&M 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Volleyball @ ECU 5:00 p.m.

20

Sunday 21

Football Temple 3:00 p.m.

Volleyball @ Cincinnati 12:00 p.m.

Cross Country NCAA Championship

All Day

W Basketball @ORU 2:00 p.m.

M Basketball Sunshine Slam 6:30 p.m.

M Basketball Sunshine Slam TBA


News

The Collegian: 4

November 15, 2021

Mass casualty event at Astroworld Festival

Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival resulted in nine deaths and hundreds of injuries. Shelby Hiens Student Writer Astroworld Festival is the annual music festival held in Houston, Texas run by Travis Scott. This year the event was scheduled for Nov. 5 and 6. However, after a crowd surge on the first night caused the deaths of nine attendees and the injuries of hundreds more, the second night of the festival was cancelled. Before Scott even took the stage, the Houston Fire Department had begun documenting concerns about the event as early as 9:23 a.m. At that time, the department logged, “Participants have breached main gate and bypassed Covid testing check-

Officials with the fire department stated that the location of the event, NRG Park, had a maximum capacity of more than 200,000 people, but the concert was limited to 50,000 guests. However, crowd estimates at around 9 p.m. reported 55,000 concertgoers with 3,000 to 5,000 of them having illegally breached the site. Scott appeared on stage at 9:02 p.m. and within the first several minutes of the show, a massive crowd surge had compromised the main stage. Over the next 40 minutes, officials began receiving 911 calls and reports of trampled and unconscious concertgoers flooded in. At 9:38 p.m. Houston officials declared that a mass casualty incident had occurred and event personnel were told to shut down the event. “The ultimate authority to end the show is with production and the entertainer,” Finner said in a news conference on Wednesday.

climbed a ladder to reach a platform where a cameraman was filming to plead for him to stop the show. A woman joined Cruz in yelling at the cameraman, but he waved them off and ignored their pleas. Scott seemed to notice something was happening 22 minutes into his performance as he said, “Make sure he good. Walk with him. Take him.” Six minutes later as a golf cart with flashing blue and red lights struggled to drive through the mass of fans, Scott said, “There’s an ambulance in the crowd,” and paused for about a minute before continuing the show. Eight people were confirmed dead on the night of Nov. 5. A ninth victim died on Nov. 10 after previously being declared brain-

dead due to injuries sustained during Scott’s event. The dead ranged in age from 14 to 27. There were 25 people hospitalized from the incident, the youngest patient being nine years old. The family of the nine year old boy disclosed that he has been put in a medically induced coma after injuries sustained to his heart, lungs and brain. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation but have not assigned any fault as of yet. “This is a very, very active investigation, and we will probably be at it for quite some time to determine what exactly happened,” Houston mayor Sylvester Turner said at a press briefing Nov. 6.

“Authorities have opened a criminal investigation but have not assigned any fault as of yet.” point.” At 10:02 a.m. the department reported damaged fences and having “no control of participants.” Reports of bolt cutters being used to enter the venue came later in the day. At 4:54 p.m. the Houston Police Department assessed “dangerous crowd conditions.” Chief Troy Finner of the police department met with Scott to communicate concerns about the conditions in the venue that afternoon and decided it was safe enough to proceed with the concert. “I had no reason to believe it wasn’t going to be safe,” Finner said.

The concert continued for more than 30 minutes until it was officially stopped at 10:10 p.m. Scott’s team stated that he did not know what was happening and was not informed of the tragedy until after the concert ended. “It was hours and hours after the concert when they actually found out about the tragedy and how it unfolded,” said Scott’s spokesperson, Stephanie RawlingsBlake. Multiple people attempted to get the attention of Scott and his production crew in order to stop the concert. Ayden Cruz, who attended the event with one of the victims,

Scott started Astroworld Festival in 2018.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11 The approval comes after a study showed strong protection with no serious side effects. Logan Guthrie Sports Editor On Oct. 29, the United States Food and Drug Administration granted approval for children within the age range of 5 to 11 years old to receive the Pfizer vaccination for the COVID-19 in emergency-use situations. The FDA described the approval vote as overwhelming,, 14-0, as the vaccine was shown in studies to be 90.7 percent effective in preventing the virus in children of this age group with no serious side effects. This decision has been received very well by many Americans. Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting Commissioner of the FDA, is quoted saying “As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s

authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy.” Pfizer’s vaccination is significantly different to accommodate for 5-11 year olds, administering lower doses of only 10 micrograms (one third of the dose given to 12 year olds to adults) of the vaccine in two doses which are spread apart by three weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have demonstrated their support as well for the FDA’s decision that this meets the efficacy and safety concerns. Approximately 39 percent of cases of COVID-19 in the United States under the age of 18 fell within this age range, and a large amount led to hospitalization, giving strong motivation to get a version of the vaccine out as soon as possible to address such concerns. North Carolina was one state that jumped at the opportunity of having a vaccine for this age group. 24,000 children were vaccinated in the state within 24 hours of its opening, although this is only 3 percent of the state’s total population that is under the

Authorization came after the FDA similarly approved booster shots.

age of 11. This is likely to change as more and more children receive the vaccine, and concerns regarding safety of this vaccine have been alleviated. According to Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, the clinical trials for this vaccine were very extensive, and we should not cite the young age of these children as a reason to not get a vaccine.

mum to do what it is meant to do without significant concerns of serious adverse effects.” This vaccination approval is still relatively new as we reach the middle of November, and there is still much to be seen as to the effects it will have upon the dynamic of the U.S. as a whole in the fight against COV-

“‘Vaccinating younger children ... will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy.’” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walenski echoes these sentiments, stating, “I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated,” Pediatric professor Dr. Sarah Long also agrees with this view of the situation, saying, “We have one more vaccine that saves lives of children. And that we should be very confident to deploy it to the maxi-

ID-19, but this is just the beginning in North America, as Canada will likely be following suit within the next few weeks of approving the Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11 year old children. For updated and accurate information and research into the coronavirus and vaccines among other medical questions, please visit both the FDA and the CDC website in order to be informed on issues surrounding health and medical treatment in the United States.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons


November 15, 2021

Commentary

The Collegian: 5

Travis Scott to blame for festival disaster

While Scott did not directly harm any individuals, he has encouraged violent behaviors without regard for safety. Maddie Walters Social Media & Web Manager On Oct. 5, a deadly crowd crush occurred at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival, a music festival hosted in Houston, Texas. This disaster left nine dead, 25 hospitalized for serious injuries—two of which are still in critical condition—and over 300 injured. The crowd crush began moments before Scott took the stage, worsening with each minute he performed; the mass casualty event continued despite cries for help and an ambulance driving through the audience to save concert-goers who were being trampled to death. Despite all this, Travis Scott kept performing. In a viral video, as the ambulance tries to make its way through the crowd, Scott sees the vehicle and says, “put a mid-

Scott performing for another 42 minutes, then attending an afterparty with Drake after the concert ended. While many people share the blame of what happened that night, such as security, the executive producer of the festival and the festival director, no one is more to blame than Travis Scott himself. According to a police report, Scott was personally warned by the Houston chief of police about the possibility of “lack of crowd control” hours before the concert began. In addition to this, a 56 page document obtained by The New York Times depicts the security plan arranged by concert organizers that clearly outlines the possibility of “The potential for multiple alcohol/drug related incidents, possible evacuation needs, and the ever-present threat of a mass casualty situation.” Knowing all this, Travis Scott chose to perform. Even his conduct during the performance itself is incriminating. Security placed at the front of the barricades that block the crowd from the stage can only see what is happening directly in front of them. Travis Scott, however, was performing on an elevated stage—elevated enough to see an ambulance in the crowd. Scott could see everything that occured in the audience. Perhaps he did not truly know the extent of what was happening, but when he has a long track record of encouraging violence at his own shows, then can he really be so innocent? Travis Scott has been arrested twice for inciting violence and riots at his concerts, one of which occurred in a nearby venue, the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers, Arkansas. Scott has long idolized the cruelty and injuries of his fans as he posted pictures of seriously injured individuals on his instagram throughout the years—some of these are still up, though some have been deleted in the aftermath of Astroworld.

“Rather than asking the audience to make way ... he immediately starts another song.” dle finger in the air … Two hands in the sky. You all know what you came to do, Chase B, let’s go. I wanna make this motherfucking ground shake.” Rather than asking the audience to make way for the ambulance or better yet ending the show, he immediately starts another song as the ambulance attempts to aid dying individuals. This occured only 26 minutes into his set, with

Travis Scott’s decision to continue performing despite pleas of help and an ambulance in the audience shows that does not care for the well-being of his fans. It is extremely easy for an artist to stop a show and help fans. For example, Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters has kicked out violent fans mid-song. Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day once noticed a woman getting sexu-

TikTok gesture saves a life

Covert signals indicating personal danger have appeared in drink orders, codewords and now TikTok gestures. Logan Guthrie Sports Editor On Tuesday Nov. 2, a 16 year old girl from North Carolina was reported missing by family members, but found the following Thursday and later rescued from a kidnapper by the Laurel County Police Department of Kentucky. The authorities have attributed her escape to the use of a hand gesture wellknown on the platform TikTok as a signal of domestic violence at home. According to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, “The complainant was behind the vehicle and noticed a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform ‘TikTok’ to represent violence at home—I need help—domestic violence … we don’t know how long coming down the interstate from Ohio that she had been doing this to other motorists hoping that they would notice that

she was in distress, but finally someone did recognize.” The police arrested her kidnapper on multiple charges, such as possession of a matter of sex performance by a minor, and unlawful imprisonment. While this gesture is specifically intended to express domestic violence, it is very impressive that the girl thought to utilize the same gesture in her situation. This is much more subtle than something that would be obvious like writing a note on paper and holding it up to passing traffic, or trying to send a text or dial 911, and the situation may have turned out much worse if she had tried something else. That being said, this situation raises questions about the implications of posting something on public social media platforms that demonstrates such techniques to communicate danger and signal for help. One cannot deny that TikTok and other social media are not the best method to teach youth how to protect themselves or get help when in danger. The very publicity of the platform and how the vast majority of people today use these platforms point to the sad truth that child predators also lurk online, as well as others that desire to do violence to others. It is unreasonable and dangerous to live under the assumption that predators are not seeing these publicly broadcasted gestures to call for help, and that they are monitoring such information to serve their own twisted goals. The people posting these videos and educational content on self protection are not the inherent problem. In fact, they are using these platforms as a tool that clearly helps people like this young girl. However, why is this not being communicated in other educational methods, such as in classes in school? There needs to be a push in public and private education to do better to communicate these techniques to young people that are victims due to their innocence and

courtesy Wikimedia Commons Starting in 2012, Scott has become a prominent rap artist with a large sway over his audience.

ally assaulted in the audience of his concert. Armstrong immediately took matters into his own hands by missile drop kicking the perpetrator, and then proceeding to not miss a beat by ironically introducing their next song, “Nice Guys Finish Last.” Another example is Frank Iero stopping mid-song to pick up an unconscious woman from the front row, taking her backstage to receive medical attention. Afterwards, he passed out water bottles to the audience. These artists are not heroes for helping their fans; they are doing what any person in a position of power should be doing in this situation. Travis Scott, on the other hand, did nothing. In reference to the belief that violent behavior is normal for concerts, it’s not. Mosh pits happen, but there is an etiquette that any decent person should know and follow, artist and fan alike, and for those that even have to ask what the etiquette is, they should not be joining a mosh pit. Travis Scott not knowing this basic etiquette and co-opting mosh culture into his live shows has created a fundamental issue with his performances; Scott has encouraged mosh pits with the expressed goal of injuring people, when in fact, mosh pits are a way of celebrating the

music and releasing frustrations—not causing bodily harm to other individuals. Travis Scott has also inadvertently profited over the tragedy at Astroworld. On the day of the incident, his song “Escape Plan” received almost two million streams on Spotify. His song “SICKO MODE” has also re-entered the top 200 list on Spotify. He’s even gained 500,000 new followers on Instagram since the tragedy. Despite this, and the fact that he is worth $60 million as per Celebrity Net Worth, he has done very little to make amends with his fans present at the festival. He has offered to pay for the funerals of the nine killed, and he has also given a month of free therapy via BetterHelp to those in attendance, but he has done nothing to help those who have been hospitalized by his festival. LiveNation announced they would start a fund to help pay the medical bills of those hospitalized, but have failed to announce exactly how much they are donating to this fund, or if this fund will fully cover the attendee’s medical bills. Travis Scott has done the bare minimum, driving home the point again about how little he cares for his fans.

.

tucollegian@tucollegian.com editor in chief

Piper Prolago managing editor

Zach Short news editor

Justin Klopfer sports editor

Logan Guthrie variety editor

Julianne Tran commentary editor

Adam Walsh satire editor

Anna Johns photo & graphics editor

Amy Polovich

business & advertising manager

Madeleine Goodman social media & web manager

Maddie Walters copy editor

Ji Aldada

@TUCOLLEGIAN

The Collegian is the student newspaper of the University of Tulsa. It is distributed Mondays during the fall and spring semesters, except during holidays and final exam weeks. The University of Tulsa does not discriminate on the basis of personal status or group characteristics including but not limited to the classes protected under federal and state law. Inquiries regarding implementation of this policy may be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104-9700. (918)631-2616. Requests for accomodation of disabilities may be addressed to the university’s 504 Coordinator, Dr. Tawny Rigsby. (918)631-3814. To ensure availability of an interpreter, five to seven days notice is needed; 48 hours is recommended for all other accomodations. Advertising Policy: Advertising appearing in this publication does not imply approval or endorsement by the University of Tulsa or the Collegian for the products or services advertised. For advertising information, email the Collegian at advertising @tucollegian.org. The deadline for advertising is noon on the Friday prior to publication. Letter Policy: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words and can be sent to tucollegian@tucollegian. org. Under no circumstances will anonymous letters be published. The name of the person submitting the letter must be published with the letter. We reserve the right to edit or reject all letters. The deadline for letters is 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication. Editing Policy: The Collegian reserves the right to edit all copy submitted by all writers. This editing my take place in many forms, including grammar corrections, changes in paragraph structure or even the addition or removal of sections of content. Editorial Policy: Columnists are solely responsible for the content of their columns. Opinions expressed in columns may not represent the opinions of the Collegian staff, the administrative policies of the University of Tulsa, the views of the student body or our advertisers.

impressionability. While there is still the opportunity for people seeking to do immoral things to receive this information, it would hopefully be more minimized than broadcasting that information to billions of people on the internet. All said, there is not a great solution to the problem, and bad people will do bad things

still, so the victims should never be blamed and the educators should not be harshly criticized for doing the best they can to help. We should all be proud of this girl, as she used the tools at her disposal to do the right thing and get the help she needed.


The Collegian: 6

Though traditional Thanksgiving food might be boring, these Turkey Day podcasts sure aren’t. Hana Saad Student Writer Thanksgiving is officially upon us! It is a busy time of year for sure, with everyone rushing to complete final projects and study for exams amidst general holiday busyness, but I urge you to find the time to listen to one or two of the podcasts. In the spirit of Julianne’s article about cake, make your listening experience a relaxing one. Light a candle or something and put on your comfiest clothes. Settle on the couch with a steaming cup of tea, cocoa or coffee. We all deserve a break. Whether you’re celebrating the holiday or not, here is a list of podcasts about Turkey Day that are sure to delight.

Variety

“Thanksgiving, Part 1: Sage wisdom (with Demi Adejuyigbe)” from “Home Cooking” This delightful episode is hosted by Samin Nosrat (author of the cookbook “Salt Fat Acid Heat”) and Hrishikesh Hirway (creator of the podcast “Song Exploder”). This episode is warm, friendly and emblematic of everything a perfect Thanksgiving Day makes you feel. The hosts answer questions from the audience, giving tips about how to prepare the perfect dinner and inspiration for unique vegetarian recipes that take on the flavors of fall. Guest Demi Adejuyigbe joins to detail his baking adventures in quarantine. Although this episode is a year old, it is still a wonderful thing to listen to, especially on a rainy day. You’ll find yourself smiling as the joy and happiness of the hosts and their guests is palpable. “Episode 10: Thanksgiving” from “Hidden Brain” The holidays can be a stressful time, es-

pecially when food and family are involved. Is it even Thanksgiving if someone isn’t arguing at the dinner table or acting weird about the latest family drama? This episode helps you figure out ways to enjoy the holiday even when challenges crop up at family gatherings. They bring in research from social sciences, like psychology, to explain why people get into arguments over intense topics. There are a variety of different studies covered in the episode that offer helpful tips for keeping your calm at holiday gatherings. Host Shankar Vedantam will help you calm down with his gentle tone and sciencebased tips that are sure to give you relief in a stressful time. “Why Thanksgiving?” from “American Ritual: Exceptionalism” Most people should know that the history of Thanksgiving is not the one so sweetly told in the Charlie Brown stories. This podcast breaks down the history of Thanksgiving and how the myth of Thanksgiving that schoolchildren hear across the U.S. is an attempt to erase the reality of the relationship between colonial settlers and the Indigenous people of the U.S. This conversation features artists from Third Space Collective, which aims to reimagine what America could be like through “deep listening, shared acts of renewal, and true Democratic collaboration.” The show notes also list the variety of sources that they drew from in their conversation, with many articles that are definitely worth the read to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving. This is just a tiny sampling of the podcasts available on your favorite streaming

November 15, 2021

courtesy Radiotopia This podcast was first released in September 2020.

courtesy Third Space Media This podcast is now on its second season.

platforms about Thanksgiving. A simple search reveals dozens of episodes, from cooking shows to true crime stories. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving, you just might find an interesting podcast to help you get through the holiday.

Holiday gift guide to start making your list

courtesy Public Domain Pictures It’s the perfect time to start compiling your gift list and getting ideas on what to gift others.

Buying or asking for gifts can be stressful, but this guide can give good ideas for any need or person in your life. Myranda New Student Writer With the holiday season just around the corner, your mom may have started asking what’s on your Christmas list. Or maybe you’re trying to come up with gift ideas for the other members of your family and your friends. Either case, gift giving can be tough, especially as you grow older, and it seems like you already have all that you need. I hope this holiday gift giving guide takes some of that stress away. Starting with the basics, I know that no one was too excited to be gifted socks as a

kid, but as an adult, that is a great present to open. Socks and clothes are so much more exciting as an adult to unbox. You could get socks with animals, plants, reindeer or one of a hundred other things on them. Getting new shoes is also always fun, either a nice pair of sneakers or some boots that you’ve had your eyes on. Pajama sets could be the perfect gift to wear the night after Christmas, and there’s nothing better to sleep with than a weighted blanket. Especially for college students, weighted blankets are great to begin easing anxiety. It also wouldn’t be a 2021 holiday gift guide without mentioning squishmallows, the stuffed animals taking the world by storm that come in all different shapes and sizes. Moving on to the kitchen, I know that I’ve had my eye on a mini Keurig for my dorm room, and last year for Christmas, my family gifted me the microwave that’s now in my dorm. Air fryers also make great gifts

for the family due to the vast number of recipes that can be made with them. I’m also a big fan of mini waffle makers and egg cookers seen at Target and Kohls. If you want to look into something extra special for your parents, try a cast iron pan, a dutch oven or a number of Pampered Chef products to make cooking easier. For entertainment, there are numerous gift ideas ranging from books and movies to workout gear. Look into a yoga mat or weights to really dedicate yourself to that workout routine you’ve been trying to stick with all semester. While you’re working out, you could have a himalayan salt lamp on in the corner of the room for some ambiance. Or maybe for some family fun, ask for a puzzle, card decks or board games. The game aisle at Target is very long with tons of fun options whether you want something deeply involved or just for fun. For the scholarly learner in your life, look up the Goodreads Book of the Year lists and consider getting some of those novels. They’re on the best books list for a reason. Some beneficial technology investing could be in a Smart Watch to track all sorts of health-related things or getting a tablet or iPad. iPads are helpful for taking notes in class, organizing your schedule but also for simply watching television. Printer ink could also be a great gift to ask for due to the price tag, and stationary sets always make for something fun to open and use throughout the year. Sometimes part of gift giving is the mystery behind what it could be, and for some gifts, the mystery can last long after the holidays. By getting subscription boxes, the gift giving can continue all year round. There are subscription boxes for all sorts of

things, from Book of the Month club where you get a new hardback book every month to Ipsy where you get new makeup. If you research subscription boxes, there’s going to be one for all tastes. Magazine subscriptions are also fun if you have a specific company in mind, like “National Geographic,” “Good Housekeeping” or “Popular Mechanics.” Scratch off posters are exciting and come in all different types, from yoga poses and vacation destinations to movies and books. Maybe someone doesn’t want a physical gift, but an experience instead. Gift cards are a great way to start. There are gift cards for favorite restaurants, shops and entertainment destinations. The movie theater or roller rink would be great places to get gift cards for. Also look into spas and nail salons for those in your life who need to take a break. Getting an AirBNB trip in order or a hotel room for the weekend could also be fun to give everyone a break in a new location. Of course, I must mention that we have one of the best places to get gifts right here on campus. The University of Tulsa bookstore is an amazing place to get clothes, accessories and collectibles for everyone in the family, while also asking for some things for yourself. You could ask for a sweatshirt or pajama pants. There is a wide assortment of baseball caps, beanies, stuffed animals, scrunchies and drinkware. During the holiday season, the bookstore begins selling ornaments and stockings. It may seem daunting at first to begin drafting your Christmas list or theorizing what to get others, but these are some great places to start. Every gift is special and will look beautiful wrapped up with a bow under the tree. Happy holidays!

The five best Christmas movies to watch this season As we head into the most sentimental time of the year, nothing sounds better than curling up with a holiday classic. Zach Short Managing Editor 5. The Green Knight I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen this movie. I have, however, read the poem a couple times and can confirm that this is one of the best stories to enjoy during Yule. They say that Charles Dickens started the trend of Christmas ghost stories, but this beautiful poem fell upon ears centuries before he was born. I hear the Dev Patel adaptation has a bit more lewd content than the original written work, but if anything remains of the themes on willpower and composure, the movie certainly suffices. Any iteration of this piece should do the trick for a holiday selection. 4. Eyes Wide Shut The last work of a legend, this film saw director Stanley Kubrick die before the theatrical release. If you plan to watch any of these with family though, make sure it isn’t this one. The whole movie explores topics of infidelity and marital contentment with graphic nudity and sexual imagery. I would definitely recommend mentally preparing yourself for a movie like this: it does not af-

fect the palate lightly. The Christmas aspect seeps through in the setting, which adds to the theme an interesting nostalgic feel that makes the movie read like a modernist masterpiece. This one takes some maturity, but it is a solid choice. 3. Batman Returns The second of the Tim Burton Batman films, and arguably the better of the two, is an often forgotten Christmas classic. With the holiday providing the means of the first scorn to send the villain, the Penguin, on a spiral toward iniquity, a bittersweet atmosphere forms around the holiday as a centerpiece. One of the most memorable images (and definitely one of the most fitting for Burton) comes at the end of this film with penguins carrying their dead caretaker into the water. If you’re looking for a superhero movie to watch this year, this is the one for you. 2. Edward Scissorhands Hot take: this is one of the most beautiful films ever created. I have no qualms about double dipping and taking two Burton movies for this list, especially as this movie is so different from his take on the Batman universe. The pastel world he creates screams suburbia and the collective crime of the town against the protagonist makes for a semi-sweet, melancholy ending that makes its viewers appreciate their loved ones just a bit more. I love this movie with my whole heart and would suggest it to anyone for a holiday film, no matter their taste.

“Edward Scissorhands” is a fantasy and romance movie.

1. Rocky IV Easily the greatest Christmas film and perhaps the greatest film in general of all time, the fourth contribution to the Rocky film franchise never ceases to amaze. The Italian Stallion becomes the poster child for American patriotism as he seeks to go into the Soviet Union and beat their machine of a boxer. The premier himself, modeled after

courtesy 20th Century Studio

premier of the time Mikhail Gorbachev, presides over the match from a darkened seat that looms over the ring like the superpower over a multitude of developing countries and neighbors. Rocky trains in Siberia during late autumn to fight Ivan Drago in this Christmas Day fight. I could watch this movie every day for the rest of my life.


Variety

November 15, 2021

The Collegian: 7

Top five directors for all your film needs With directors piecing together every film, here the five I wish to commend for their work. Zach Sabel Student Writer Every film takes a lot of different people to help it come together, but one role behind the camera manages to captivate audiences almost as much as the stars seen on the screen. The director helps to bring every piece together to form these great pictures, and has done so throughout history. In my

4. Wong Kar-wai Wong Kar-wai has directed some awesome films throughout his career. Films like “Chungking Express” and “Fallen Angels” are very similar in story but equally amazing films. His unique editing and camera work set his films apart from most of the mainstream directors who often just point the camera and shoot without much thought for how the composition of the shot affects the story. His stories themselves feel like deeply personal dives into the characters and they often diverge into multiple different stories. I can’t recommend that you check out these wonders of the Hong Kong cinema scene enough.

“The director helps to bring every piece together ...” view, these are, without question the greatest directors of all time. 5. Wes Anderson Few directors’ styles can be as recognized as much as that of Wes Anderson. His quirky tight shot composition and weird stories have helped him stake his claim as one of the few mainstream directors able to make unique films. A master of live action and animation, films like “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and his newest film “The French Dispatch” display his creative and quirky style previously mentioned. One of my favorite Wes Anderson films is fairly unique in this regard, the least like any of his other films, “Bottle Rocket.” This was his first feature film, based off of a short film he had previously made. What makes this film so special to me is that it’s more like any other movie from another director being made in that you don’t see the same exact editing style or shot composition, which might sound like a bad thing, but you get to see his iconic style being formed. You get little sneak peeks of what’s to come from him style wise. Seeing his frequent collaborators Owen and Luke Wilson on the screen together is also very fun.

3. Alfred Hitchcock What can really be said about Hitchcock that hasn’t been said already? One of the preeminent masters of suspense in film, Alfred Hitchcock helped revolutionize aspects of film and storytelling. Almost everyone could reference the infamous stabbing from “Psycho.” His films are all unique and his composition of the shot is often second to none. His ability to write intricate thrillers and amazing twists just add to his filmmaking arsenal. Films like “Vertigo” and “North by Northwest” just give proof to how great a director he was. 2. Guillermo Del Toro Guillermo Del Toro is a director who has consistently impressed throughout his career. He directs a variety of different films, from comic book adaptations like “Blade II” and the “Hellboy” movies, to fantasyhorror films like “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Devil’s Backbone.” His film “Shape of Water” was nominated and won an Academy Award, showing how well respected his films are. He is able to blend elements of things like sci-fi, fantasy and horror and somehow make it work. His fantasy horror films take more from the classical fantasy

courtesy Toho Co., LTC

“Ikiru” was released in 1956.

children’s stories, rather than our often happy idea of children’s fantasy tales. 1. Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa, to me, is the quintessential film director. His films transcend cultural lines, able to be enjoyed by so many around the world. His career spanned from the late 40s all the way to the 90s, when he was still making great films. Many directors lose their touch eventually, but not Akira Kurosawa. His samurai films like “Ran,” “Seven Samurai” and “Hidden Fortress” are top notch and have inspired the western renaissance of the 70s as well as inspiring

George Lucas in making the first Star Wars film. Where he really shines for me is his slower films. Films like “Ikiru” and “Madadayo” are very slow emotional burns, with “Ikiru” telling a story so relatable in today’s culture of overworking ourselves, while the latter can be seen as a sort of retrospective on Akira Kurosawa’s career as a whole. If you picked one film of his out of a hat, no matter what you drew, you would be in for a fantastic film experience.

Wes Anderson-inspired exhibition at Philbrook Philbrook’s “This is an Adventure: Accidentally Wes Anderson” exhibition displays photography with never-before-heard music. Logan Guthrie Sports Editor Wes Anderson is one of the most famous and prolific filmmakers in Hollywood, nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay, as well as two more for Best Animated Feature. He has won one Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture and another for Best Director, among other awards. Whether he is making live-action films like “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014) or stop-motion movies such as his adaptation of “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009), Anderson’s creativity and style stand out

showcase photography of architecture, natural landscape and more inspired by this director’s films in terms of vibrant colors that are almost eccentric, symmetrical imagery, etc. Submissions have continued to be sent to Koval over the past few years, growing a whole community dedicated to creating a lasting tribute to a filmmaker and movies that they love dearly. Koval has received so many pictures by this group he founded that he was actually able to publish a book in Oct. 2020, titled “Accidentally Wes Anderson,” after the social media account that started it all. This book has been authorized by Anderson himself, and showcases over 200 of the photography submissions that Koval received from his community of over 1 million people, as well as telling the stories behind the pictures and the photographers who took them. But the inspiration does not stop there. Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum has worked in

“With an open mind and broadened persepctive, adventure awaits ...” in the eccentric nature, unique visuals and original narratives of his works. Anderson’s work has been able to inspire many others as well. In 2017, the Instagram account Accidentally Wes Anderson, created by Wally Koval, was made specifically to

collaboration with the Accidentally Wes Anderson community to put on an exhibition of the photography that the movement has shared, titled “This is an Adventure: Accidentally Wes Anderson.” The photos showcased in the exhibition are a mixture The cover of “Accidentally Wes Anderson” feautres Hotel Belvédère in the Swiss Alps.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons Wally Koval started the @AccidentallyWesAnderson community on Instagram in 2017.

of photo submissions from Tulsa and Tulsa County that were hand-picked by Philbrook’s community inspired by Anderson’s work, as well as photos submitted to Koval. But the exhibition goes further than just displaying photography. This exhibition collaborates with new wave band Devo’s keyboardist Mark Mothersbaugh, who has composed the soundtracks of many of Anderson’s films, to contribute a collection of never-before-heard compositions that were unused in final cuts of these movies, including outtakes and rough drafts, to create a unique and original soundtrack for this exhibition. This alone should be enough to peak one’s interest in checking out Philbrook’s latest collaborative project. According to their website, the Philbrook describes that this exhibition allows viewers

courtesy Voracious

to “Find inspiration to explore the world, but also to take a closer look just where you are. With an open mind and broadened perspective, adventure awaits us all.” This is such an amazing opportunity for Tulsa to be involved in a larger community of artists around the world, all inspiring, each centered around a tribute to one of the best filmmakers of his generation. This is a wonderful way for Tulsa to support local artists trying to make a career out of their passions, and connect with others who are trying to do the same. The exhibition will remain open until Jan. 2, so there is plenty of time for you to drop by the museum and check out this display of a very unique artistic community.


The Collegian: 8

Variety

November 15, 2021

Green Day ushers in new era of music in exchange for a more carefree attitude. While “Father of All…” received mixed reviews from fans and reviewers, it is an extremely impressive album. Rather than singing within his own vocal range, Armstrong opts to sing in falsetto for the majority of the album, which is something he has never done before on a Green Day album. Within the same vein, Tre Cool’s consistently clean drum fills and the level he holds himself to while playing these songs is awe-inspiring; no track is more evident of this than the titular “Father of All,” which sees Cool playing an exceedingly complex piece of music at a breakneck tempo of 164 BPM. Despite all this, a large portion of fans never warmed to the album. Perhaps this has something to do with how different the album is in relation to previous albums; “Father of All” sees the band make the shift into pop-punk territory, though echoes of the band’s inspirations, such as Joan Jett, the Clash and the Beatles, can be heard.

Green Day released “Holy Toledo” on Nov. 5, 2021.

With new single “Holy Toledo,” Green Day sharply contrasts their past style of music. Maddie Walters Web & Social Media Manager This past week, Green Day released its newest single, “Holy Toledo,” which is featured in the film “Mark, Mary, and Some Other People.” This marks the fourth single Green Day has released just this year. Their first single “Here Comes the Shock” released in late February with the band’s partnership with NHL. The second single “Pollyanna” saw its release date in coordination with the beginning of the Hella Mega

courtesy Mark, Mary, & Some Other People

Tour earlier this summer. In the middle of the same tour, the band released a cover of Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Night,” celebrating the return of live music. It’s safe to say that Green Day has definitely been keeping themselves busy this year as it appears the band is beginning to rebrand their music. 2020 saw the release of Green Day’s latest album “Father of All...” which was unlike anything Green Day had ever released before. The music style was similar to that of their “Kerplunk” album, but what was different were the lyrics. Green Day exists as an extremely political band as its albums “American Idiot” and “Revolution Radio” critique the former President Bush administration and former President Trump administrations respectively. “Father of All…” shakes off these politically charged thoughts

is gonna be alright,” “Pollyanna” is an uplifting song that chooses to focus on the positives rather than the negatives, which is a drastic shift for the band. Green Day never heavily relies on darkness or strife for their music; it’s just baked into the songs by what inspired the song’s creation. “Pollyanna” seems deliberate as if Armstrong knew that Green Day’s fans needed a pick-me-up. The phrase “everything is gonna be alright” is something that everyone has desperately wanted to hear the past few years. Judging by the music video, which focused on different audiences from the Hella Mega Tour, the Pollyanna effect definitely spread to the crowd as smiles can be seen for as far as the eye can see. This past week, Green Day released their newest single “Holy Toledo.” Beginning with a slow, melodious ballad, the song soon launches into an energetic pop-punk anthem. Sharply contrasting “Pollyanna” with lyrics like “I’m killing myself just to

“Green Day exists as an extremely political band ...” Green Day followed up with a new single “Here Comes the Shock” with its fitness themed music video, choreographed by Hilken Manchini of Punk Rock Aerobics. “Here Comes the Shock” sounds like it was a B-side song leftover from “Father of All…” Steeped with musical influence, this song is energetic and fun, but it lacks any of the musical craftsmanship present within their last album. When it comes down to it, “Here Comes the Shock” is just three friends who have known each other for 35 years, having fun. “Pollyanna” sees the band shifting into a different direction entirely. Taken from Eleanor H. Porter’s novel “Pollyanna,” the name has become synonymous with an overly optimistic viewpoint on life. With lyrics like “It’s wonderful to be alive” and “everything

live,” “Holy Toledo” concerns itself with trying to feel a spark of life—to feel alive again. Brutally honest and highly relatable, “Holy Toledo” stands as one of the strongest songs the band has released in years. In fact, it feels like one of the most “Green Day” songs that the band has ever released as it is reminiscent of their Trilogy albums and Green Day side-project, Foxboro Hot Tubs. Despite these similarities, “Holy Toledo” teases fans with a new direction and era for “God’s Favorite Band.” With all this in mind, Green Day has recently been spotted hanging around the BBC Recording Studios in London. It seems as if the upcoming year will usher in the band’s 14th studio album and, along with it, a new era for Green Day.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” hits all the right autumnal notes because she took such a turn with “1989” and “reputation,” the songs languished in the vault for a few years. “Red” was a mosaic of heartbreak and intense emotions, spanning from euphoria to sadness. These new songs paint a greater picture of the story that Swift tells with this album. Songs like “I Bet You Think About Me” and “The Very First Night” bring Swift’s heartbreak into focus, with hyperpersonal lines that translate effortlessly into the universal.

“All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” “Nothing New” and “Forever Winter” with the songs in “folklore” and “evermore.” Swift worked on these songs when she was about 21, and it’s satisfying to see her prowess as a writer was building even then. It’s even more pleasing that fans finally get to hear the album in the way that Swift wanted it to be. Now that she has more power as an artist, she can choose which songs to include on the album, regardless of whether or not her record label thinks it might fit in

“This album definitely has a special place in my heart.”

“Red” was initially released in 2012.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” is the the bittersweet fall soundtrack you’ve been yearning for. Hana Saad Student Writer “Red (Taylor’s Version)” could not have come sooner. This past week, I found myself humming “All Too Well” as I walked around on campus, watching autumn leaves fall down like pieces into place, daydream-

Taylor Swift toured with her “Red” album in 2013.

courtesy Kitty Committee

ing about what the new songs on Taylor’s re-recorded album would sound like. This is Taylor Swift’s second re-recording of her albums. Early this year, fans were thrilled to hear “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” but something about “Red (Taylor’s Version)” feels different. Maybe it’s the fact that Swift included nine bonus tracks, with six never heard before tracks on this sort-ofnew album. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Swift explained that these were songs that she had cut from the original album. She thought they might make it on future albums, but

It’s classic Swift to create songs that are both catchy and well-written. “The Very First Night” along with “Message in A Bottle” have a production that turns them into perfectly danceable songs, with honest lyrics about regrets and new crushes, respectively. There’s also the long coveted 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” This is the original version of the song, a raw and powerful story about the heartbreak that ensues when you lose someone you thought could have been the one. You might think a 10-minute song is too long, but every line is expertly crafted and adds depth to the story. Details like “you were tossing me the car keys/fuck the patriarchy” and “I was thinking on the drive down/anytime now, you’d say it’s love/you never called it what it was” are sung in an almost ironic tone, with a strong feeling of remorse. It’s easy to see connections between the themes and tone of

with the rest of the album or disappoint fans looking for a simple radio friendly single. This is the album that many Swift fans, aka “Swifties,” have a soft spot in their heart for. It’s a fan favorite and for good reason. This is the album that is about heartbreak, with masterful songs that demonstrate some of Swift’s best writing. This album definitely has a special place in my heart. I first listened to it in high school and played the songs on repeat as I drove home from school through the red and gold tree-covered hills. It was the perfect fall soundtrack, happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time, if you will. “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is well worth the listen, especially the new songs which round out the album and turn it into something that is truly magical. You can listen to “Red (Taylor’s Version)” on all streaming platforms.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons


November 15, 2021

The State-Run Media

the

State-Run media This will look great on my resume.

Goldie II used as bait for campus scavanger hunt

I suppose you have to take drastic measures to get any kind of student turnout for campus activities. Adam Walsh Local scavanger

With the fall semester, the University of Tulsa’s campus engagement team has attempted to further student relations through the creation of new activities. One such activity was the faux “Mission Impossible” style scavenger hunt to save Goldie, with the winning team getting a series of Goldie plushies. However, not every team was given the same set of instructions, and the State-Run Media has tracked down a video taken by a team that shows their rather perplexing pursuit of said plushies. The video begins, like most college-made films, with our star and starlet fidgeting with the camera. “Laurie, just back up. Lemme do it.” “Dude, it’s my camera. I know what I’m doing.” The bickering and nattering continues for quite some time, but eventually they settle things and begin the hunt. Their first series of clues were relatively boring: go here, look in this room, take an envelope and run to the next location. This process repeated a few times, and morale dipped. Running alongside other teams vying for the same clues seemed more like a footrace than an actual hunt, but, somehow, they found themselves alone, following a clue that very obviously indicated Tyrrell Hall. On approaching the building, a piece of copy paper saying the next clue would be exclusively on the second floor convinced our team they were in the right place. Although the note said second floor, the door opened into a landing between two flights of stairs and, confused, the video shows them peeking down the stairs as well as up. Incorrectly deciding that the

landing was between the basement and first floor, the two headed up the stairs, then up again to what they believed was the second floor but actually was the third. On the third floor, the footage shows the two adventurers navigating the area in dim light, trying doors and looking around corners. One can hear them calling out to one another, with questions relating to the lack of other teams and the strangeness at the lack of light, but followed by reassurances that the note said they were in the right place. Eventually, one of the two freshmen spots a door with a crack of light at the bottom, pointing out the irregularity and motioning her companion to join her. As they opened the door, they looked at not a welcoming committee of administrators with Goldie plushies, but a dozen obviously flustered and frustrated individuals. They were, according to the footage, arrayed around a series of tables, with documents, papers, rubrics and other academic materials splayed out. Enthralled in their work, the room full of dudes continued passing comments to one another.

they slipped around the group, sharing a sigh of relief when passing the threshold into another room. This room, however, was not really a room, but a gallery looking into an auditorium below. From beyond the railing, cheers and shouts could be heard, with irregular sounds of martial combat coinciding with the cacophony. Looking over the edge, the two chanced upon seeing a makeshift arena created by stacking chairs and tables with a group of obviously older students watching two younger individuals in the center of the room. “I … I think that’s my grad teacher.” “Really?” “Yeah, she’s teaching my comp class.” “Woah, is that Jasper down there?” “Where?” “In the middle? You remember him from orientation?” “Oh, yeah! That is him!” As the two conferred, Jasper, presumably, lunged forward and struck the other student, knocking them down and triggering an uproarious cheer.

“With this USB stick, it’ll automatically download a program to the computer ... it gets around Lockdown browser.” “Hey, can you make sure this draft doesn’t match yours?” “Don’t you remember? You promised to take this exam for me.” “With this USB stick, it’ll automatically download a program to the computer with all the tables and formulas you need. Yeah, it gets around Lockdown browser.” The conversations centered on conducting academic misconduct, and the two freshmen, after their initial shock, perceived a door slightly ajar on the other side of the throbbing mass of those without integrity. Moving slowly so as to not draw attention,

“I told you he was a good bet!” “Hey, get back up! I put good money on you!” Looking again at one another, they glanced back at the door they came through, but going back to the sweat-filled stress room seemed unpleasant at best. Through a few quick comments, they split up, attempting to find another way through. The camera then shows our broadcaster seeing a hand raised up from the other side of the gallery, creeping over to rejoin his partner, then working their way up to an access door. From here, they stepped into another

stairwell, carefully taking one step, then another, tiptoeing their way past the door presumably to the auditorium. At the bottom of the stairwell, our two heroes share another glance, hinting at how they have no other options then pushing open the door. Behind door number three was, yet again, not a room full of joy and happiness, but a series of robed figures kneeling over facing the center of a room. However, thankfully, in the center of the room, the object of the cultists’ attention, was Goldie! There she sat, munching on leaves? crickets? something? She’s a puppy, she eats everything. But there she was! After the initial shock, the two protagonists stood still, and the cultists began a vague, low chant in an unknown language. Minutes pass as the students stand still, witnessing something they certainly should not be seeing, yet when our cameraman steps forward, his footstep brushes something on the floor, sending it clattering. Breaking the chant, the cultists look towards the interlopers, one larger figure standing up and stalking towards them. Frozen in fear, the two younglings simply stand as the cultist reaches up, grasping beneath their masked neck, then ripping off the mask and cloak, revealing a man in a three piece suit. “Congrats kids, you’ve finally made it!” Brad Carson then began to point out the other cultists, naming off various administrators as they derobed, then calling Goldie over. “Here you go Goldie, meet some new friends.” From there, an administrator brought over a pair of plushies, whose eyes flashed in the light, seeming almost alive. After retracing their steps, passing the fight club, then the room of misconduct, then navigating the stairs and making their way outside, our two plush-bearers proceeded to lay in the grass and pass out, the footage capturing a time lapse of the stars.

Only a gun can stop Jake Gyllenhaal I used to believe in gun control. Then Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t visit Taylor Swift on her birthday. Kyle Garrison Please do not send me death threats. I do not get paid enough. This has been a hard few weeks for me. Once the idea of owning an AK-47 was entirely foreign to me. Now I cannot imagine a world in which I would not be able to access a weapon capable of swiftly killing anyone who slights pop star legend and feminist icon, Taylor Swift. Do not misunderstand. I am not a republican. There is only one reason to be progun, and it isn’t because the police will be more violent against an unarmed populace, or that laws already do not apply to the upper-middle class white men who are committing mass shootings so the laws will just

death threats on Twitter will no longer suffice. True change only comes with violence. The preventive effect of an armed populace outweighs the effect of punishment. Not only will we make an example of Jake, we will prevent future Jakes from even considering not calling her on her birthday. We all know that when Taylor said “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise,” she really meant that she wanted us Swifties to make that loser Jake Gyllenhaal fear for his life in every waking hour. He cannot hide forever. Taylor you can always trust us Swifties to read between the lines. This is definitely what you asked for. Okay, I know everyone is gonna say “but what about mass shootings?” Hear me out, what if we gave all Swifties (but only real fans who have been listening to her since the beginning) guns and qualified immunity? Surely we all will feel safer the more people who have both guns and a vinyl copy of “Folklore.” If only there was a way to eliminate any chance of gun ownership for non-Swifties.

“If only there was a way to eliminate any chance of gun ownership for non-Swifties.” be another way to feed mass incarceration of Black Americans. The only acceptable reason to have a gun is to kill someone for breaking up with America’s girlboss. Once I was a pacifist, no more. I think many pacifists misunderstand the meaning of true action. Can we truly defeat Jake while following the guidelines of the ruling class? Status quo maintaining strategies like

The only thing that can stop a bad guy, who you know was trouble when they walk in, is a Swifty with a gun. As Karl Marx— self-proclaimed Swiftie—said, “Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered [especially if someone breaks up with Taylor Swift]; any attempts to disarm the people must be stopped, by force if necessary.”

Taylor Swift performs at her militia gathering.

graphic by Kyle Garrison


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