24 January 2022

A student newspaper of the University of Tulsa

January 24, 2022 - Issue 12 Volume 107

A look at Tulsa Artists’ Coalition juried exhibition, page 7 COVID safety measures extended, page 2 TU women’s basketball starts their season off strong, page 3 Kevin Stitt uses MLK Day to attack Native Americans, page 5 Satire: Administration sets traps for Omicron variant, page 8

Cover by: Amy Polovich

News

The Collegian: 2

24 January 2022

Oklahoma retail theft ring busted

A complex system of shoplifting and reselling stolen goods was unearthed by state and federal authorities.

Shelby Hiens News Editor

On Jan. 14, over two dozen people were charged for partaking in a retail theft ring that was based in Northeastern Oklahoma and spanned over at least five states. Merchandise amounting to millions of dollars was stolen from stores and sold out of state through illegal operations dating back to 2016.

The complex ring involved organized shoplifters called boosters stealing products and over-the-counter medicine from stores, then selling them to fencers outside of Oklahoma, often for half the price. The fencers gained profit by reselling the stolen goods through e-commerce sites such as eBay and Amazon. The group allegedly stole over $10 million in retail products and turned a profit of $4.5 million.

Viviscal, Mucinex, Claritin, Culturelle, Flonase, Nasacort and vitamins. Cosmetic products and tooth-whitening strips were also commonly boosted items.

The Tulsa Police Department announced that 29 participants are facing 215 federal charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit money laundering, larceny from a retailer, receiving stolen property, violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, unlawful proceeds, wire fraud and concealing a crime. Five defendants are still outstanding.

Linda Been is the accused ringleader of the operation. Court documents state she would give the boosters a list of items to steal with the corresponding prices that she would pay for each item. She then paid the boosters for their services through PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and sometimes in drugs.

As the boosters often stole from out-of-state retailers, Been would pay their travel expenses as well as their bonds when arrested.

A small group of defendants by the names of Billy Osborne, Juston Osborne, Corey Fields and Amanda Johnson have been charged with assisting in the management

“The group allegedly stole over $10 million in retail products and turned a profit of $4.5 million.”

Retail chains such as Target, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, CVS, Akin’s Natural Foods, GNC, Reasor’s and Sprouts were victims of theft from the highly organized group. Boosters were sent to towns such as Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Owasso, Claremore and Jenks to lift products off the shelves.

They also expanded past Oklahoma state lines and conducted illegal business in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.

Drugs targeted by the shoplifters included Allegra, Prevagen, Zantac, Rogaine, Zyrtec,

of the operation by storing merchandise at their residences and businesses while prepping the stolen goods for bulk shipments to fencers. C&B Welding and Fabrication, owned by the Osbornes and Fields, was allegedly a storage hub and shipping point for stolen goods. Johnson’s business, Suburban Revival Boutique, was allegedly used to store and prepare the items for resale. Both businesses are located in Sand Springs.

The investigation into the unlawful organization began in 2019 after an organized crime investigator with CVS Health, Hector Leal, detected a trend of specific items being

courtesy oag.ok.gov Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor stated he plans to prosecute “... to the fullest extent of the law.”

thefted in bulk. Leal was able to link Been and several boosters to the criminal activity using open-source records and sales on eBay. Kayla Johnson, a detective in Tulsa, had been investigating an aggressive shoplifting case involving Been when she began connecting prior cases involving Been’s group.

“As the investigation developed, TPD and OAG [Oklahoma Attorney General] investigators determined that several theft crimes… in surrounding states were linked to [Been’s retail theft organization],” the affidavit states. “A federal investigation with Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office was initiated.”

TU extends temporary campus safety measures Masks are still required, professors may teach remotely and another 500 students will be tested for COVID-19 in the coming week.

Jihan Aldada Copy Editor The University of Tulsa has periodically updated their COVID stats, informing students weekly of safety measures on campus.

With the spring semester beginning on Jan. 10, students remained unaware of just how serious the active cases were in our community. Unlike other private and public universities, TU did not begin the first two weeks of the semester virtually. Instead, the university implemented its return-to-campus COVID-19 testing initiative but was quick to send out a “Temporary Campus Safety Measure” email to inform everyone of how to move forward with the positivity rate just two days into the new semester. The

university tested all unvaccinated students regardless of residency status, as well as vaccinated students who live in congregate housing (e.g., on-campus residence halls).

In total, 1,024 return-to-campus tests were administered between Jan. 4 and 11, with 151 positive results and an overall campus positivity rate of 14.7%. At the time, there were 98 active COVID-19 cases in the TU community consisting of 89 students, six faculty and three staff.

ity rate of 14.2%. Currently, there are 89 reported active COVID-19 cases in the TU community of 77 students, four faculty and eight staff. With just a 0.5% decrease in two weeks, the safety measures may continue to roll over for several more weeks, unless TU decides to completely go virtual, much like the Fall of 2020 and Spring of 2021. However, to help regulate and slow the spread, TU has decided to extend the safety measures until Jan. 28. These safety

“With just a 0.5% decrease in two weeks, the safety measures may continue to roll over for several more weeks ...”

As of Jan. 19, TU has completed a second round of COVID-19 testing of the student body. Between Jan. 12 and 18, over 400 tests were performed, resulting in 60 positive results and an overall campus positiv-

TU will be extending these safety measures through Jan. 28.

measures include continuing the mask requirement in all academic and administrative buildings on campus, allowing faculty to choose whether they teach in person or remotely and selecting 500 students to par-

courtesy tualumni.com

ticipate in surveillance testing at the Student Union. You do not have to participate in next week’s testing if one of the following conditions apply: You have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 180 days, you are a remote student (meaning you are enrolled in all online classes, and you do not live on campus) or you have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

Currently, there are two known variants of COVID-19, called Delta and Omicron.

Viruses constantly change through mutation and sometimes these mutations result in a new variant of the virus, according to the CDC. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reported this week in Oklahoma surpassed the Delta variant wave’s peak, with the state reaching the top 10 worst states in four key pandemic metrics. What does this mean? Although they are already suffering shortages, health care facilities are strained again as temperatures decrease and the cold sets in along with a surge of COVID patients. According to a recent article by 2 News, Hillcrest Medical Center says their ICU is at 99% capacity, while OSU Medical Center and Saint Francis Health System are both at 100%. The recommendation from most health care professionals remains the same: isolate and quarantine if infected or suspect an infection and protect yourself by wearing a mask in public and getting vaccinated. The average infections and hospitalizations in the Tulsa area are increasing, but according to the TU COVID-19 dashboard, the campus’ infection rate is slowly decreasing.

The university has a frequently updated COVID-19 Statistics dashboard online which can be found on the main TU website under the University Initiatives tab.

The dashboard provides results of active cases on campus and the current ongoing positivity rate. The coronavirus section also has many tools and resources for students and faculty to use. With links to testing, vaccinations and the mask policy, the website is easily accessible, informative and easy to navigate. The website also has a News&Updates link that provides access to the email updates about safety measure extensions. With this new extension of safety measures, students and staff are hoping the spread will slow and the semester may continue as seamlessly as possible.

January 24, 2022

Sports

The Collegian: 3

TU women’s basketball starts their season off strong

Sports writer Daryl Turner discusses the beginning of the season for the TU basketball teams Tulsa’s men’s and women’s basketball has started conference play, and both have started off in two seemingly different ways.

For the women’s team, winning has become something they have become accustomed to over the course of this season.

The ladies started off the season with an impressive 10 game win streak, before eventually losing to San Francisco in a nail biter (78-76). Now with a record of 12-3 and only losing two conference games, one to the Houston Cougars and another in a close and hard-fought battle against South Florida, these ladies seem to have clicked under the guidance of first year head coach Angie Nelp.

Sophomore standout Wyvette Mayberry has been playing extremely well at the start of these conference games. Scoring 20 or more points in her last three games, Wyvette has turned on a switch that will hopefully stay on throughout the duration of this season. Another stand out player that has been a crucial part of the Tulsa women’s basketball success is Temira Poindexter. A freshman on

the team that carries her weight, she impacts everything on the court, leading the American Athletic Conference in blocked shots per game with 1.70 and 15th in points in the conference with 11.86 points per game.

Maddie Bittle has also played really well; against Memphis, she went five for six from three point land and ended the game with 22 points as they secured the win that night.

All of these ladies have played great and I guarantee you that all of the Tulsa faithful are glad to see it.

Now for the men, things have not gone as smoothly as predicted at the beginning of the season, but it’s still a long road ahead.

The men have started off their conference play with zero wins and five losses. Now as bad as that sounds, out of those five losses four of them could have easily been wins if the ball bounced their way a couple of times, but as Wilzon Mizner once said, “The only sure thing about luck is that it will change,” and if there is anything these men need right now it’s surely for their luck to change.

“The ladies started off the season with an impressive 10 game win streak ...”

Their next game is on Jan. 26 at the Reynolds Center at 6:30 p.m. against a Memphis team that resulted in a close game last time.

I hope that these women will be ready to win again on their second go around with Memphis.

Four out of their last five conference games have been lost by no more than five points, and the most exciting game of the season so far against number 11 ranked Houston was lost by two points after a missed shot that could’ve brought them into

overtime after making a miraculous comeback down by seventeen at the half. If it’s one thing these men know how to do astonishingly well, it’s to make a game very nip and tuck.

This wasn’t the case for their last game against Cincinnati though, a game they lost by twenty one points, allowing the Bearcats 90 points that night. The men had a cold night from the field ending the game with a field goal percentage of 38.4 percent, going just 28 for 73 as a team. To top that off their three point percentage was an atrocitus 21.4 percent while Ciny’s three point percentage was an astounding 55.2 percent for the game.

The Tulsa men will look to continue their journey, hopefully getting their first win against a depleted Memphis team at home—a team Tulsa lost to by three earlier this month. Their next game is on Jan. 23 at 2:00 p.m. and I would bet on it being a very close game.

courtesy @TUWbasketball on Twitter

courtesy @TUMbasketball on Twitter

Top US athletes to watch for during Winter Olympics Sports editor Callie Hummel discuss the competitors at the 2022 Winter Olympics to borrow his teammates to compete. Gerard is the youngest gold medal snowboarder in history. In the four years between the Olympics, he’s continued to compete in the X Games and other major snowboarding tournaments.

Another returner to the Winter Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin, an alpine skier in her third time competing, won gold both previous times. In February 2021, she became the most decorated female skier in the United States with six world champion titles at the Alpine World Ski Championships. Winning a third medal at the Olympics this year would push Shiffrin farther towards being a historic skier.

courtesy @usahockey on Twitter

On Jan. 16, the Olympic Qualifiers officially ended and the teams were determined for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Although the Summer Olympics in 2020 were postponed to the summer of 2021, the winter athletes are still on track for competing normally from Feb. 4- 20.

Shaun White will be returning for his fifth Olympics, snowboarding the halfpipe.

In his first Olympics, White won the gold medal at only 19 years old. In total, he’s won three gold medals in his four appear-

ances at the Olympics. White also holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder. While he has announced that 2022 will be his last Olympics, a gold medal this year could help him set the bar even higher for future halfpipe snowboarders.

Red Gerard, a fellow snowboarder who specializes in slopestyle/big air, caught the nation’s attention at the previous Olympics.

The 17-year-old at the time announced after winning his gold medal that he slept through his alarm, lost his Team USA coat and had

important scorer on his college team, the University of Michigan.

Winter Vinecki is also competing for Team USA for the first time in aerial skiing. Skiers gain momentum going down a steep slope before launching off a jump to perform flips in the air, and then landing on a slight slope. For such a complicated and dynamic sport, Vinecki only started training in 2011 when an aerial skier recruited her to come train after seeing Vinecki’s speed skiing highlights. Prior to training aerials, Vinecki competed in triathlons and other running events, and, before the age of 15, she became the youngest person to run a marathon on all seven continents.

“... before the age of 15, she became the youngest person to run a marathon on all seven continents” The 2022 Winter Olympics brings lots of new athletes to the Games for the first time.

Matty Berniers, a center for the US hockey team, is currently the youngest player on the team at 19 years old. Athletes competing in the NHL are still not allowed to play in the Olympics, so Beniers postponed his 2021 NHL draft offer to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Attention has turned to him after assisting his team in the 2021 World Junior Championships and being an

There are more than 600 athletes competing for the United States in seven different sports, and 15 different disciplines are encapsulated in those sports. Similar to the Summer Olympics, athletes are required to be vaccinated and quarantined upon arrival to Beijing for 21 days to try and ensure all athletes who earned their spot on the national teams will be able to compete.

Sports

The Collegian: 4

January 24, 2022

The Cowboys’ upset loss against 49ers

The events that led the Cowboys to their playoff loss, explained by sports writer Daryl Turner There’s a saying by Cowboys fans that goes, “Win, Lose, or Tie I’m a Cowboys fan till I die,” and after the last game of the season, some of the fans might be rethinking that chant of theirs. The Dallas Cowboys (akaAmerica’s Team) found a way to lose their first playoff game of the season against an inferior San Francisco 49ers team—even with home-field advantage.

The game ended with San Francisco on top with a score of 23 to 17 and a heavily unpleasant reaction from the Cowboy fans that attended the game. Fans became unruly

All of this stemmed from a crazy ending to the game that cost the ‘Boys their season.

The season was one of the best the Cowboys had in years, with quarterback Dak Prescott coming back after a horrific ankle injury and leading the offense to become one of the best in the league in both scoring and yardage totals. With great receivers like Amari Cooper and Ceedee Lamb having amazing seasons and running backs like Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard making the most of their opportunities, the offense was very potent throughout the season.

“... it’s still difficult to believe the Cowboys were eliminated by a subpar 49ers team.” and wayward when the officials began to make their way back into the tunnels, and the fans started launching all types of debris from the stands at the officials, almost hitting some of the players at the same time.

The Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott had choice words for the fans, at first thinking that they were throwing the debris at his teammates. He was recorded at a press conference saying, “It’s sad… you’re talking about a team, you’re talking about men who come out there each and every day of their lives and give everything to the sport.”

He goes on to say that he understands what fans are and what they mean to the game but that doesn’t excuse them from being so harsh and critical to players that try their hardest to succeed every day. Concluding that statement a reporter clarified that the fans were throwing the debris at the officials in which Dak replied by saying, “Credit to them then” and then he later apologized for that statement on Twitter.

While the offense was clicking, the defense also became elite. With the addition of Micah Parsons (Defensive Rookie of the Year) to the linebacker position with a progressively better Leighton Vander Esch, the Cowboys’ defense played phenomenally this season. Cornerback Trevon Diggs ended the season with a total of 10 interceptions—leading the league. Dominating the league in takeaways and creating havoc every game, the Cowboys’ defense was very legitimate during the season.

Considering their skill, it’s still difficult to believe the Cowboys were eliminated by a subpar 49ers team. However, several factors led to the Cowboys sitting at home watching others compete for the Lombardi. Number one: penalties. The Cowboys had fourteen penalties in the game against the 49ers, and I’ll repeat that just in case you missed it, the Cowboys had FOURTEEN penalties in ONE game—a playoff game at that. There are teams that can go almost three or four

courtesy @dallascowboys on Twitter

games without that many penalties altogether, so to say penalties cost the Cowboys this game would be an overwhelmingly strong understatement. According to an article by Jeff Kerr, “The Cowboys tied the NFL record for the most penalties by any team in a playoff game” and they also finished with 127 penalties on the season. As sports analyst/journalist and forever Cowboy hater Stephen A Smith would say, “This [expletive] is straight-up blasphemous and disgraceful” amongst other things.

The infamous run play call in the closing seconds of the game led to their loss. The Cowboys capitalized on a poor play by San Francisco, ended up getting the ball back at the end of the game with 32 seconds left.

Trailing by only a touchdown, they needed only a touchdown and a point after to win the game. Starting from their own 20-yard line, they made their way down the field gaining first down after first down while simultaneously stopping the clock by getting out of bounds, seemingly getting closer and closer to a Cowboys win.

With 18 seconds left on the clock and the Cowboys on the 50-yard line, Dak Prescott made a throw to the sideline to their tight end who caught it, got out of bounds, but ended up short of the first down marker by a yard. Now, it was second down and they were 41 yards away from the endzone with no timeouts and 14 seconds left on the clock—ironically the same amount of penalties they had. Coach Mike Mcarthy made an executive decision to call a draw play up the middle. A draw play is designed for everybody to fake like it’s a pass for about one or two seconds and then the quarterback runs the ball straight up the middle for a big

gain. When Dak ran the ball up the middle he had gotten an easy 15 yards, slid down and had little time to spare, but unfortunately that time dwindled down faster than anyone would’ve thought.

In the moments after Dak had slid, he got up, ran to his center, gave him the football and then he and the referee ran straight into each other. Dak was supposed to give the ball to the ref originally instead of the center, because the official always has to touch the ball before it’s snapped in order to officially put the ball in play. So, all those little collisions and confusions ended up leaving the Cowboys with no time to snap the ball and that’s how the game and their terrific season ended for them.

Some people have blamed coach Mike Mccarthy for this blunder of a loss, some have blamed Dak and others have blamed it on the ref and officials, but ultimately none of that matters. They lost and will have to try again next year. According to Todd Archer, an ESPN staff writer, the executive vice president of the Cowboys Stephen Jones has said the words “absolutely” and “very confident” when asked about coach Mike McCarthy’s return to the team next year.

To all the Cowboys fans out there, even if the defensive coordinator Dan Quinn or the offensive coordinator Kellen Moore find a new team and move away, coach McCarthy is still planning to stay and will try to hopefully rectify everything bad that happened this year for your team. With that being said, don’t change on America’s team now, remember, “Win, Lose, or Tie, I’m a Cowboys fan till I die.”

courtesy @49ers on Twitter

Jan. 24 - Jan. 30 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 25

24

Thursday

none

M Basketball @Tulane 8:00 p.m.

Saturday 28

27

26

W Basketball vs. Memphis 6:30 p.m. none

Friday

W Tennis vs. Oregon TBD none

Track & Field Washburn Open All day

29

Track & Field Washburn Open 12:00 p.m.

W Tennis North Carolina TBD M Tennis ITA Kick-Off All Day

W Basketball @Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.

M Basketball vs. South Florida 7:00 p.m.

Sunday 30

M Tennis ITA Kick-Off All Day

January 24, 2022

Commentary

The Collegian: 5

Kevin Stitt attacks tribal sovereignty again public safety threat for tribal and non-tribal members. As governor, it’s my first priority to ensure the safety of 4-million Oklahomans.” The Cherokee Nation replied that they were prepared for the decision, working hard to ensure that safety of citizens will be maintained and claiming that for decades now Oklahoma had illegally exerted authority to prosecute Native Americans on reservation land. The acknowledgement of such

built for themselves after their forced relocation to Oklahoma centuries ago, and to deny them this is the exact opposite of equal rights for all Americans. That being said, to put words in the mouth of one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement leaders who fought so hard for equality and to compare this situation to that fight is truly “disgusting” and dishonorable to the memory of this great man.

“... it is clear that Stitt’s priorities are not in alignment with the needs of the people ...”

The Oklahoma Governor uses MLK Day for his personal agenda.

Logan Guthrie Commentary Editor Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has never been short of controversy when it comes to his interactions with Native American tribes within the state. An enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, Stitt has come under fire from his own tribe and their neighboring tribes for his stance on the McGirt v.

Oklahoma ruling from last year.

This ruling confirmed that a major portion of Eastern Oklahoma is still considered the reservation land of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole, and therefore prosecution of crimes committed by Native Americans falls primarily under the jurisdiction of the tribal court systems, as well as federal judiciary as per the Major Crimes Act of 1885.

The governor has spoken out publicly against the ruling, citing concerns that “The Supreme Court’s McGirt decision created a

is a step towards progress, despite Stitt’s misgivings about it.

However, Stitt has taken a new approach to his outspoken opposition to the McGirt ruling. During a Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech, he invoked the name of this hero of the Civil Rights Movement in the midst of reiterating previous points, predicting that King might be “disgusted” by the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“I believe that freedom fighters like Dr. King would be astounded, maybe even disgusted by the McGirt ruling,” stated Stitt.

“Because the ruling created two sets of rules for Oklahomans, based on their race.

In eastern Oklahoma right now, there is not equal protection under the law.”

There are a couple issues with the statement made by Governor Stitt to address.

First of all, the Muscogee Nation is correct in saying that Dr. King “...stood for truth and justice. [Stitt’s] pouting and dishonest fear-mongering about the effect of tribal sovereignty exhibit neither.” Governor Stitt is not Dr. King by a long shot. The tribal members and leadership desire to revitalize and sustain the cultures that they have

Second, it is clear that Stitt’s priorities are not in alignment with the needs of the people of Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. has stated that the governor should “... redirect his hysterics over tribal sovereignty into something productive.” What does Oklahoma gain by de-

stroying Native American sovereignty when efforts could be focused on issues such as funding problems for public schools, or any number of other problems? Instead of a discussion on addressing more pressing situations, Governor Stitt seems hellbent on dragging McGirt v. Oklahoma through the mud, revoking Native American hunting and fishing licenses and other negative actions directed towards Native Americans, a people that Stitt claims as his own.

In a recent meeting between the leaders of the tribes in Eastern Oklahoma, Gary Button, a chief of the Choctaw Nation, said, “We need to desperately see who we’re going to support for governor in this upcoming election.” It appears that the principal chiefs of Oklahoma, a voice representing at least 400,000 people in the state, will be looking to unseat Governor Stitt in the 2022 election, and this justified desire may be in the best interest of these cultural groups.

courtesy @GovStitt on Twitter Governor Stitt is a member of one of the five major tribes in Eastern Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation, making his oustpoken opposition to Native American tribal sovereignty all the more shocking.

Megachurch pastor rubs spit in brother’s face

Rev. Todd deserves backlash for his controversial visual aid.

Logan Guthrie Commentary Editor It is no secret that megachurch pastors in the United States always seem to be the object of controversy and criticism for a wide range of reasons.From the classics such as Rev. Oral Roberts declaring God told him he’d die if he didn’t raise $8 million or Pastor Peter Popoff using earpieces to receive “clairvoyant” messages about members of his congregation, once again a minister has made the headlines, but this time for rubbing his own spit in another man’s eyes.

when he turned to his brother and rubbed his spit on him, saying, “Receiving vision from God might get nasty.” I don’t know that anyone at his church that day got a vision from God, but he is right that something was nasty.

This action seems very contradictory to his previous ministry of assisting in a day of prayer across the state of Oklahoma for the people who have suffered from COVID-19.

A community leader so openly concerned about the current state of the public’s health ought to consider such a display to be in bad taste and ill-timed, at the very least.

It is not uncommon for Christian ministers to use visual aids that may help illustrate their message to people at their service, and the pastor makes an excellent point that people often react the way the crowd does when good works are performed. People are often too quick to turn away in shock when they are just on the verge of a miracle. However, to echo one of the comments on the viral sermon, “I found your demonstration demeaning and gross. Your message was loud and clear without rubbing your spit all over a brother’s face.”

Whether or not Pastor Todd is a good man, Transformation Church performs many different community outreach programs, including children’s sports leagues, environmental work with Up With Trees and a good Samaritan non-profit health service. Under Todd’s leadership, his church

courtesy Transformation Church Rev. Michael Todd has been the lead pastor of Transformation Church since 2015, when he was given the position by the church’s founder, Bishop Gary McIntosh.

tucollegian@tucollegian.com

editor in chief

Justin Klopfer managing editor

“... there is no place for actions that are in any way demeaning to another human being.”

Tulsa pastor Rev. Michael Todd of Transformation Church went viral last week for a video in which he—in a gross display to his congregation—spat in his own hands and then rubbed it on a church member’s face.

The man was later confirmed to be Pastor Todd’s brother, Brentom, but that does not make the action of rubbing one’s saliva on another human being any less shocking and plain disgusting.

The Bible passage that was discussed in Todd’s service was Mark 8:22-25, where Jesus heals a blind man in Beth-sa′ida by rubbing spit in the man’s eyes. Pastor Todd’s parishioners gasped at the shocking display

is doing much to try to make Tulsa a better place for everyone.

However, these good works do not excuse rubbing spit in your brother’s face.

Rev. Todd has since apologized for the action, deeming it disgusting and distracting from the message that he was trying to get across, which it indeed was. As a community, Tulsans need to have high standards for the behavior expected of each other, especially from the public figures we look up to, and there is no place for actions that are in any way demeaning to another human being.

Adam Walsh news editor

Shelby Hiens sports editor

Callie Hummel variety editor

Julianne Tran commentary editor

Logan Guthrie 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.

Variety

The Collegian: 6

Columnist Hana Saad starts off the year with a myriad of podcast recommendations.

Hana Saad Student Writer As we wrap up the first month of the year, it’s never too late to listen to some inspiring or helpful podcasts! If you’ve never listened to any podcasts or haven’t ventured beyond your favorite shows, perhaps now is the time to expand your weekly rotation of podcasts.

Two shows that I think will be invaluable resources to anyone trying to take care of their mental health are “The Daily Shine” and “Sleep Cove.” “The Daily Shine” is a soothing meditation that has a new prompt and word of advice for its listeners every day. The speakers’ voices are calming and the background music is gentle. Often, episodes include a journal prompt (but if you

don’t have a journal, you can simply follow along). These episodes are a nice way to start off the day, offering encouragement in episodes that are 10 minutes or less.

“Sleep Cove” is similar in terms of the way the episodes are presented. A charming British man narrates these episodes, which are accompanied by pleasant background music. “Sleep Cove” offers a variety of different episodes to help its listeners gently fall asleep, from stories like “Beauty and the Beast” to sleep visualizations. The variety is a good thing because some nights you need distraction to fall asleep whereas other nights you need to simply relax.

I know that almost everybody has a favorite podcast. That’s why I asked my Instagram followers what podcasts they were listening to as we go into the new year. This is what they had to say!

“99% Invisible,” suggested by Rosalind Hobbs (@roshobbs). This intriguing podcast explores the behind-the-scenes power of architecture and design.

“Dream a Little Deeper,” suggested by Sam Modde (@sam.modde). Fun fact! This show is a Disney-themed podcast run by former University of Tulsa graduates!

“Two Hot Takes,” suggested by Lisa Lam (@lisaxxlam). This show is funny and something that Lam listens to “all the time!”

“Office Ladies,” suggested by Caitlin Sullivan (@caitlinisabelleanne). “The Office” co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey re-watch episodes of “The Office” and give exclusive information about the show.

“The Liturgist Podcast,” suggested by Emilee Adair (@emilee.adair). This podcast “helped to redirect and deconstruct” her faith. Perfect for the new year.

“Going Mental with Eileen Kelly,” suggested by Margaret Laprarie (@margaretlaprarie). The show dives deep into mental health and sex education.

“The Letterboxd Show,” suggested by Claire Abkemeier (@claire.abkemeier).

This podcast covers all things movies from the creators of Letterboxd.

“Unlocking Us with Brene Brown,” suggested by Hannah Vance (@hannah.vance).

A longtime fan of Brown’s work, Vance loves this podcast because it has in-depth conversations about life.

Even though we’re almost done with January, it’s never too late to listen to a new podcast. You never know, you might just find your newest favorite show after listening to any of these suggestions!

All of these podcasts are available on your favorite streaming platforms.

January 24, 2022

courtesy The Shine App This podcast is hosted by Tiffany Walker.

courtesy Sleep Cove The host of this podcast is a former hypnotherapist.

Is When We Were Young Festival a scam? of their youth. But could this once-in-a-lifetime festival be too good to be true?

Immediately following the announcement, social media users began to point out some of the similarities between the When We Were Young Festival and Fyre Festival, a fraudulent luxury music festival in which attendants were scammed in numerous ways. One such similarity is WWWY festival’s $12,500 VIP cabana package which, according to their website, only includes tickets, the cabana and two bottles of “premium liquor”—among other amenities that should already be included in the ticket price like restrooms, charging stations, access to food trucks (at an extra cost) and free water stations. The general admission ticket—the cheapest ticket option available—costs $224.99.

ceived a barrage of hate from those unable to get tickets—so much so that the festival added a second date.

Strangely enough, some bands did not know they were scheduled to play this festival until the lineup was released this past Tuesday. Royal and the Serpent posted on their Instagram story, “I literally found out when y’all did im just as surprised as u are..” The band’s account also commented, “who was gonna tell me I’m on this lineup” on a viral Instagram post. Strangely enough, The Killers are not present in the lineup for this concert despite the festival ripping its name off of one of their most famous hits, “When We Were Young.”

The festival’s COVID-19 protocols are non-existent. As of right now, the festival will not require attendees to show proof of

“... some bands did not know they were scheduled to play this festival ...”

When We Were Young will take place Oct. 22nd and 23rd.

Live Nation’s festival promises to bring together a legendary lineup, but is it too good to be true?

Maddie Walters Social Media & Web Manager

courtesy Live Nation

If you’ve been on social media this past week, then you have certainly seen the announcement for Live Nation’s When We Were Young Festival. Featuring bands like My Chemical Romance and Paramore, this festival seems like the dream lineup of essential punk and emo bands from the early 2000’s—perfect for those who have remained fans or want to relive the music

This year, Paramore is set to release their first album together in almost five years.

Hosted by Live Nation, the promoter is perhaps the most troubling thing about this music festival. Live Nation is the company responsible for Astroworld, the mass casualty event that killed 10 people. With a $2 billion lawsuit on the horizon, it’s quite possible that Live Nation is trying to cash in on nostalgia as a way of paying.

Taking place on Oct. 22, this music festival plans to include 65 artists in its lineup across three different stages. Conflicting schedules at musical festivals are exceedingly common, but not to this level. With 65 bands and so little time, many of the festival’s openers are expected to only play for 20 minutes, while the headliners My Chemical Romance and Paramore, the former of which has only recently got back together, will play for an hour. Presale tickets sold out in a matter of minutes. With unending queues and waitlist signups, the festival re-

vaccination status or negative test results upon entry. The festival’s terms of agreements state that they have the right to change the lineup or cancel the festival entirely. In a now viral Tweet, twitter user @misssssneek claims, “I just dove into the terms and conditions policies and basically what I’m seeing is that they leave themselves a loophole where they don’t promise a refund in all cases of cancellation.”

When We Were Young Festival has not made any response to the many social media posts that have brought up these valid concerns. Regardless, many of the bands involved have taken to Instagram to voice their excitement for the concert and the prospect of seeing old friends from “back in the day.” If the festival can pull off this weighty lineup, then this concert will be one for the history books.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

January 24, 2022

Variety

The Collegian: 7

A look at the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition juried exhibition

The exhibion of local art invites viewers to participate in the jurying process.

Margaret Laprarie Student Writer

Earlier this month, the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition opened its 33rd annual exhibition of juried artwork from its community of TAC members. The exhibition—displayed each year in ahha, Tulsa’s first floor gallery— features 99 different artworks from 65 local artists. These 99 artworks include a variety of mediums such as paintings, photographs, sculpture and even articles of clothing.

As the exhibition is juried, two jurors carefully choose each work, Kristen Gentry and Majorie Bontemps. Gentry—a practicing artist from Tulsa—specializes in areas of relief and monotype printmaking, painting, jewelry and photography. Inspired by the mission to preserve her traditional Native American heritage she is involved in a variety of community organizations throughout the city.

manship and blue shows that you found it as thought provoking. Viewers place these balls into a small plastic tube located alongside each work, and there is no limit to how many you can award. If you find that five works represent fine craftsmanship, give them all a purple puff ball!

While a great way to explore some of what Tulsa’s downtown Arts District has to offer, visiting the exhibition is also a great way to support the work of local artists within the community. According to their website, the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition is “... a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization of artists and art supporters, formed to encourage and support emerging and established contemporary artists, and to foster the development of new forms and multidisciplinary work in Tulsa and surrounding communities.” By coming to see the displays, visitors not only experience a variety of contemporary artworks, they also support the mission of an organization focused on advancing the work of local artists.

Visitors can view the exhibition with the purchase of admission to ahha, currently $16.75 for adults above the age of 12, and $12.75 for children ages three through 12.

“The exhibition ... features 99 different artworks from 65 local artists” “Cavallucci Marini” by Michele Clancy.

Friday Art Crawl on Feb. 4. If you do find yourself with a chance to visit, make sure to snap a photo of your favorite pieces and tag @ahhatulsa, where they usually repost tagged photos on their stories. In true ahha

“Electric” by Doug Baur.

Also a practicing artist and curator based in Tulsa, Bontemps has spent many years involved in the local arts scene. Her medium of choice is photography, focusing on representing contemporary culture and connecting her artistic as well as curatorial inspiration to the years she spent studying art history and cultural studies in Paris, France.

When visiting the exhibition, viewers are encouraged to try their hand at the process of jurying as well. At the entrance to the gallery lies a round table with different colored puff balls that each correspond to an “award” you can give the works of your choice. Red gives you the option to choose works you find beautiful, green represents works that are innovative, purple indicates fine crafts-

photo by Margaret Laprarie

spirit, you can show everyone what you are doing to #KeepTulsaCreative and encourage others to visit as well!

photo by Margaret Laprarie

Photographs are allowed and encouraged, though the staff asks that you keep a face mask on at all times, covering both your nose and mouth. Admission to ahha also includes THE EXPERIENCE on their second floor, an interactive and immersive art installation comprised of six different themed rooms, and THE STUDIO on their third floor, where guests can use a vast variety of art supplies to tackle creative challenges and bring their artwork home with them.

Almost all works on display are for sale and can be purchased in-person at ahha, making it a great stop for any art collectors as well. The exhibition will remain open for several more weeks, including the next First

“Inner Self” by Aaron Rayner.

photo by Margaret Laprarie

Grohl’s autobiography is a gift to readers and music lovers In “The Storyteller,” artist Dave Grohl gives readers endearing and candid insight into his life.

Maddie Walters Social Media & Web Manager From Scream to Nirvana to Them Crooked Vultures and Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl has lived an extraordinary life, which he has extensively penned down in his autobiography “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music.” When the world shut down at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grohl decided to take advantage of the time

and write down his life experiences. Covering his life from childhood to present day, “The Storyteller” is a gift to readers and music lovers alike.

The narrative, told in a somewhat skewed chronological order, starts with Grohl’s musical beginning, making a makeshift drum set from his pillows and learning to play by listening to his favorite records. In the same chapter, he talks about the many injuries and accidents he had as a child, which triggers his memory of breaking his leg during a concert in 2015. Candid and humorous, he recounts falling off a 15 foot stage onto concrete below and the aftermath as he forced the EMT to come on stage with him to hold his broken leg while he finished the show. In short, each chapter has a connected

theme or message—usually highlighted in the first and last sentences of the chapter.

Grohl’s narrative style is endearing as it feels like you’re speaking to an old friend who has just remembered something else similar while wading through the stream of memories.

Months before the book’s release, speculation as to whether Grohl would dish out any gossip from his time in Nirvana quickly spread through social media; however, he

“Grohl’s love for music drips off of every single page.” is not that type of person. Though brutally honest, Grohl handles some of the more sensitive topics of this novel with care and discretion—namely the death of Kurt Cobain.

One of the most memorable things about this novel is the love Dave Grohl has for his daughters, which borders on devotion.

Though his stories of meeting various rock gods are special, the anecdote of him traveling through 16 time zones just to take his daughters to the father-daughter dance is completely unforgettable and probably the most memorable of all the stories he tells throughout the novel.

“The Storyteller” was released in Oct. 2021.

courtesy Wikimedia Commons

For every serious and/or heartwarming story present within this novel, there is a side splitting anecdote paralleling it. Such examples include Grohl unknowingly buying a haunted house and getting a DUI in Australia (whose legal BAC levels are considerably lower than America’s) while riding on the equivalent of a Lime—the latter goes on for pages detailing his arrest and getting teased by people who recognized him while he was in jail.

Grohl’s love for music drips off of every single page. For him, music is a lifelong love affair that started at the age of six and will last until the day he dies. Grohl is the type of person that must constantly create things whether that be music, a novel or even a film. “Never erase. Always record.”—words that everyone should live by.

“The Storyteller” has something for everyone—massive fans and casual listeners alike. You’ll find yourself wishing the book will never end. “The Storyteller” is out now at all major bookstore retailers; it can also be found at Magic City Books, a local Tulsa bookstore.

The State-Run Media

January 24, 2022

the

State-Run media Another semester? Well, looks like it’s time to leave the Bog...

Origin of TU’s horse torment nexus revealed by student sleuth

Students may never recover from the fleshy paste strewn upon campus, the creatures’ cries with no godly business in the throats of a ranch horse. No godly business at all.

Adam Walsh Feared for prophetic dreams; admired for devastating counter magic

Something fishy is happening at the University of Tulsa. No, it’s not the mandatory re-education of University Ambassadors, nor is it the ghosts in the machines of hyflex classrooms. It’s not even the mysteriously quiet search for the next provost. The walls whisper of another tale, another warning: beware the falling horse.

Indeed, this arcane advice answers a fear literally no one had: the idea of a plump pachyderm materializing above them, then landing all 600+ pounds on their now-dead corpse. Originally, the appearances of these frequent fliers were seen in small ways. A chess piece moved without thought, purchasing a new car engine to match a horse’s power, summoning a mount in Dungeons and Dragons to squish a pesky wizard.

Then things escalated. TU campus is now a minefield of pack animals, some equipped with explosive devices preventing their removal. Whoever is in charge of the teleporting terrors has mastered the art of fear.

Changing the volume on your computer?

The shadow of a falling horse changes in size until you’re a flat paste on the floor.

Looking both ways before crossing the street? That horse above you will cross you up—and it won’t even pay for your tuition because it doesn’t have insurance.

Finishing an essay? Do I even need to say anything? You’re donezo. A complete goner.

But listen here, dear reader, I have found out the source!

Yes, the ethereal essence of horse-flight has been made known to me.

graphic by Anna Johns

Well, at this point of my academic career, this is bound to happen.

In the deep caverns of Chapman, the decrepit halls of Kendall, the generic awfulness of Keplinger, none of these campus corners provided the truth!

To find that, one had to dig deeper. Dig harder. Consult the oracles. Toss the bones.

Tempt fate. Ask the grounds crew. Deliver pizzas. Canoodle, schmooze, bribe. All of these sacrifices, menial jobs and breaches of morality led to one place: Oral Roberts University.

Upon contacting a sleeper agent embedded in their educational armada, various

pieces of intel crossed into my lane. These classified documents clarified the plan concocted by the giant hands or ORU. Their first plan was to send plague-ridden students to TU, though the university failed to realize COVID was spreading yet again on campus and simply converted these students to the way of the ‘cane. Following this failure, ORU sent poor provost candidates to Collins Hall, but basically no one knows what goes on in Collins so that also failed.

Indeed, the only way they could strike at the university was by converting precious

student funds embezzled from financial institutions to remake the university in their image, cutting the arts and defiling TU’s traditions… Wait, no. That was the previous presidential administration of TU. Ahem. Upon realizing TU was its own worst enemy, the heads of ORU decided launching horses would be a good use of their catapult, and you know what: they’re right. Maybe TU should incorporate that into their mental health lectures.

Traps placed around campus to lure the Omnicron variant

With no other avenues to follow, the COVID-19 mitigation efforts of TU are trying any half-sensible idea.

Anna Johns Oh, sweet temptation!

Oh, discordia!

As the Omicron variant ravages the state of Oklahoma, The University of Tulsa’s Division of Risk Management hopes to thwart any potential danger to the student body.

Safety measures have been put into place: sending weekly emails about the state of campus’s infection rate, randomly selecting students for COVID tests and gently recommending students to wear masks. With a current positivity rate of just under 15 percent, the Risk Management team has decided to get a little creative with their approach to the highly contagious variant.

On Wednesday, the group unanimously decided in a show of fuck-all and placed conspicuous candy bars around campus to lure in that pesky Omicron. These chocolates come with a surprise, however: they are attached to a string that causes a cardboard box to fall, effectively trapping any sugar-fiending viruses.

This plan comes after several harebrained schemes from the Risk Management office. First, TU students sat enraptured as the group tried to light dynamite on that wily fucker—only to watch patches of

grass get singed and cheer when Keplinger Hall exploded. Then, the TU administration attempted to climb into a wooden horse, knock on the walls of Omicron’s compound and pretend to be an offering from the gods.

The virus caught onto that ruse, though, because Risk Management already tried it with the Delta variant. Fueled by desperation, the Risk Management team has placed these candy bar traps as a true-and-tried last resort.

While TU claims the results of the cardboard boxes have been promising, witnesses to the unearthing of these traps have only seen some library cats and stray STEM students caught with chocolate smeared around their lips.

Frankly, some of the university’s staff was surprised TU was being so proactive with something that was not spending millions to plaster the school’s name on a building. Then, any commending comments were silenced by the administration’s unanimous measure to increase the salary for all members because this COVID stress has been really hard on them, you guys, and don’t you want to see another catered, fancy lunch for one of the highest-paid college administrations in the country? Have a heart during these unprecedented times, won’t you?

When asked why not provide N95 masks for free to students or require vaccinations, TU simply plugged their ears and hummed the Hurricane Fight Song, interspersing the tune with exclamations of “I’m not listening!”

Wow, a perfectly normal Twix. I sure hope nothing happens if I eat it!

Indeed, this variant is the toughest adversary the University of Tulsa has ever faced—well, besides True Commitment, but only, like, half of the graduating class can remember that now. Only time will tell

graphic by Anna Johns

if these cardboard box traps will be able to mitigate potential infections.