27 March 2023

Central adminstration under scrutiny for hiring practices, p. 3

Women’s basketball season comes to a close, p. 2

New SA president has issues to address, p. 4

Rembrandt to Monet exhibit review, p. 5

Satire: Words from an ally, p. 6

TU women’s basketball finishes their season

The Tulsa women’s basketball season officially came to an end, marking the first winning season since 2015. The program had a major turnaround from previous years thanks to new head coach Angie Nelp, the help of new coaching staff and the adjustments Nelp has made to the program during her time here.

With a majority of the team being underclassmen, there is a notion that the team this season is just the beginning of what these players can do. In the coming seasons, as players continue to develop and work together, it is expected for even more vistories. Two of these important underclassmen that have greatly helped the team throughout the 2022-2023 season and received individual accolades for it are Ahrray Young and Temira Poindexter.

Young is a freshman who, despite not being able to finish out the season due to injury, still started a majority of TU’s regular season games. Averaging 8.6 points a game, the guard was elected to the American Athletic Conference’s (AAC) all-freshman team.

Only a sophomore, Poindexter is the first TU women’s basketball player elected to the AAC all-conference first team. Poindexter had a stand out season after starting in all 29 of Tulsa’s games and leading the

team in scoring with 482 points. The second highest scorer on the team, Delanie Crawford (sophomore), comes in at 334 points. These numbers also put Poindexter in fifth place for scoring among all the players in the AAC.

Along with the AAC awards to Young and Poindexter, fifth-year student Maya Mayberry earned the AAC Ambassador Award. This was the first time a player from TU’s program won this award. The Ambassador Award looks to recognize players who display superb sportsmanship, good behavior, fair play and community service outside of basketball. Coach Nelp speaks to Mayberry winning this award by saying, “There’s a community service project going on every weekend that you’re going to probably find Maya Mayberry at, and just her willingness to serve others and just the unselfishness that you see her play with on the court is the same unselfishness that she lives every single day of her life. I really don’t think there’s anyone more deserving of that Ambassador Award than Maya.”

Along with the recognition from the AAC, Mayberry also reached a career milestone earlier in the season after surpassing 1,500 career points. Another player that reached a scoring mile marker this season was Katia Gallegos. A junior guard in her

first year at TU after transferring from The University of Texas at El Paso, Gallegos surpassed 1,000 career points during their game against UCF on Mar. 1.

TU started off incredibly strong at the beginning of the season and solidified themselves as a major team to beat this season.

The winning record they held throughout the entire season placed the team at the seventh seed going into the AAC Champi-

onship Tournament. Despite having beaten UCF both times they played in the regular season, when they faced off in the first round of the tournament, the results were not the same. The game remained incredibly close throughout its entirety, but in the end UCF pulled ahead to win 53-69.

This brought TU’s final record to 17-13 and ended their season.

Baseball needs World Baseball Classic

Sports writer Jude Franco discusses the

The 2023 World Baseball Classic was everything we could have hoped and dreamt for. Despite its seven-year delay, it was well worth the wait. From nail-biting matchups to displays of good sportsmanship to an electrician striking out the best player in baseball in the world. To cap it all off we saw a matchup for the ages to bring the tournament to a close: Japan’s captain, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani vs. USA’s captain, 5-tool center fielder Mike Trout who stood in the way of Japan’s title. Ohtani would go on to strike out his Angels teammate to secure Japan’s third title since the first two installments of the WBC in 2006 and 2009. It is safe to say this is the best World Baseball Classic to date and that baseball needs this tournament especially at a time where MLB and its commissioner Rob Manfred are looking to grow the game.

However, some believe otherwise, saying the tournament should never be played. The reason being the injuries inflicted among some players, the biggest being Edwin Diaz. Diaz, 29, is coming off the best year of his career as the New York Mets closer, posting a 1.31 ERA, with 118 strikeouts, in 62 innings pitched and 32 saves. He represented his home country of Puerto Rico and came into the game per his usual role in the ninth inning looking to protect Puerto Rico’s 5-2 lead against a stacked Dominican Republic team. Diaz did what he does best striking out the side helping Puerto Rico advance to the quarter-finals and the celebration commenced on the field. Diaz was in the middle of the celebra-

tion as his teammates huddled and jumped around him until the celebration came to a screeching halt. Players backed away and started calling for help from Puerto Rico’s dugout when Diaz emerged to be sitting on the floor grasping his right knee. He eventually had to be carried off the field and put in a wheelchair. The next day it was announced that he had torn his patellar tendon and was ruled out for the 2023 season.

The Mets had just signed Diaz to a massive contract in the offseason for $102 million for five years, now the Mets are without their closer for the year and are still looking to find one.

The World Baseball Classic began to gain backlash, the games being called “meaningless exhibition games” as fans saw their star players getting hurt in something that doesn’t involve the team that is paying them. To make matters worse, just four days later Houston Astros all star second baseman Jose Altuve broke his thumb on a hit-by-pitch while representing Venezuela against USA’s relief pitcher Daniel Bard and has been ruled out indefinitely.

Mets and Astros fans watching their players get injured has sparked more outrage among the baseball community. The next day during a press conference with Angel’s center fielder Mike Trout and Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, who both represented team USA, addressed their thoughts on the Diaz injury and backed up what they believed about the WBC. Trout states, “You know there’s obviously risk involved, you’re still playing baseball in Spring Training. Being part of this atmo-

sphere, it’s special, it means a lot to me. I knew going in it was going to be a fun time but I never knew it was going to be this fun.” Betts followed up Trout’s statement by saying, “Those things can happen to anyone at any given time, you can always try and place blame on the WBC but you know that a freak accident that can happen to anyone.” The statement by Betts is true, during the beginning of spring training,

Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux suffered a torn ACL in his right leg running from second to third while trying to avoid the throw from the third baseman and has been ruled out for the 2023 season. Rhys Hoskins, the Philadelphia Phillies slugging first baseman, also just recently experienced a torn ACL in Thursday’s Spring Training match against the Tigers and is out for the season.

Whether it is the World Baseball Classic or Spring Training, injury is a threat to any player no matter what. Canceling the World Baseball Classic would be a terrible thing to do and is not a solution to preventing injury. Especially at a time where Major League Baseball is trying to figure out how to grow the game and make it more action packed, baseball needs this event in order to flourish. The championship game between the United States and Japan

gained over 6.5 million views, which was a 69% increase from the 2017 WBC championship between the United States and Puerto Rico. Even more shocking, South Korea vs Japan, a rivalry that is filled with history even with the tournament still being fairly new, gained over 62 million viewers. Games saw a 20% increase in attendance as the event accumulated over one million fans. This is everything the MLB wants and needs, now they just need to find out how to translate it into MLB games. The answer is not a pitch clock, wider bases or banning the defensive shift, it is the World Baseball Classic as it markets itself well naturally, while drawing the attention of fans from all around the world. Major League Baseball struggles to market itself and reach certain audiences, but with a little help from the WBC, showcasing some of MLB’s finest talent on the global stage can certainly help grow the game. It will be interesting to see how the WBC could possibly affect future MLB events. But until 2026, we won’t be seeing another pitch thrown in a World Baseball Classic, so all MLB and its commissioner Rob Manfred can hope for is an increase in viewership and attendance until they have a better idea of what to do with the game of baseball.

Sports editor Callie Hummel discusses the first winning season for the women’s basketball program since 2015 and the individual player accolades.

“However, some believe otherwise, saying the tournament should never be played.”

Jennifer Fierro now SA President following controversial run-off

Former candidate, Athan Lau found guilty of violations leading to his disqualification and a new runoff.

Aurora Stewart Student Writer

Campus politics have been dominated for the past month by the unexpected events after the first Students Association Presidential run-off of the year. This runoff was quickly followed by multiple judicial hearings and a second run-off that resulted in the election of Jennifer Fierro as the new SA President.

The original two candidates, Sepand Ashenayi and Athan Lau, have both been involved in judicial hearings concerned with the legality of their actions during this past election season.

Following the election, Chief Election’s Officer Matt Mangan submitted a complaint to the SA Elections Committee over the Elections Code violations committed by Athan Lau.

On Feb. 14, Lau sent an email to administrators at the TU College of Law requesting access to their listserv to contact the law students as part of his campaign. This was a violation of the SA campaign rule that states “no campaigning may occur on any online campus forum or through any subscription based email list… unless that list is created for the explicit purpose of campaigning.”

Lau then met with respondents and SA Staff Advisor Peter Nguyen to discuss next steps. The Elections Committee presented Mr. Lau with three options according to their official report:

“

(1) concede the runoff election to Mr. Ashenayi without admitting wrongdoing, (2) withdraw from the runoff election with-

out stating a reason or admitting wrongdoing, or (3) be publicly sanctioned.”

Lau decided to accept the third choice to be publicly sanctioned and make the public aware of his violation.

Brandon Swearengin then submitted a request for a Writ of Election on behalf of Lau where he claimed that Lau was prosecuted not in accordance with regulations and he therefore was not able to procure an

“1. Section III(A)(1): ‘All campaign materials shall be submitted to the Chief Elections Officer by the candidate prior to their introduction into the campaign. All campaign material must be approved by the Chief Elections Officer with the advice of the Elections Committee, when necessary’

2. Section III(B)(1)(ii): ‘Electronic campaigning must include a disclaimer provided by the Chief Elections Officer…’

adequate defense. The regulations he cited

The SA Elections Committee was in violation of are:

“Elections Code § V(B)(2) stating ‘[a] ll complaints of alleged violations must be substantiated by witnesses or physical evidence deemed factual by the Student Association Elections Committee within twenty-four (24 hours) of the time the complaints are filed.’ and Elections Code § V(B)(2)(i) which provides ‘[t]he candidate or party against whom a complaint is filed must be informed of the charge by receiving a copy of the complaint and must be provided an opportunity for defense in front of the Elections Committee.’”

He also claimed that Mangan treated the candidates unfairly based on his own bias due to his membership in the same fraternity as Ashenayi. While Mangan reported Lau’s violation, Lau asserted that he did not report that Ashenayi campaigned using unauthorized flyers he left on the tables in the Allen Chapman Student Union which is prohibited.

Simultaneously, Lau’s opponent Ashenayi expressed his interest in an appeal in the form of a Writ of Election. Zachary Frame submitted this appeal on behalf of Ashenayi, claiming there should be a Writ of Election based on Lau’s violation of not one but three election rules:

3. Section III(B)(1)(iii): ‘No campaigning may occur on any online campus forum or through any subscription based email list… unless that list is created for the explicit purpose of campaigning…’”

Petitioner Ashenayi argued in the judicial hearing that the decision of the Election Council was not sufficient reprimand for his actions and that instead Lau should be taken out of the race.

Ultimately Lau lost his case. The Elections Committee was deemed innocent, Mangan was not found to be a conflict of interest, and Ashenayi was able to prove that he simply handed out those flyers to individuals as a way of introducing himself and they were left on the tables not by him but by those individuals.

Ashenayi won his contention, therefore disqualifying Athan Lau from the running. His position in the runoff was replaced by Jennifer Fierro, the third place Presidential Candidate.

The run-off following Athan Lau’s disqualification between Jennifer Fierro and Sepand Ashenayi included a lively debate and two days of voting.

The TU SA now welcomes Jennifer Fierro as their new President and despite the rocky start to their new term, attitudes seem optimistic about their ability to be a sufficient successor.

TU central administration embroiled in hiring controversy

Hiring practices at the law school have come under fire recently as university administration has begun exercising an unprecedented influence over faculty hires. Earlier this semester, Professor Johnny Parker of the law school circulated a memo

the release of his memo, the third ranked candidate declined prior to Dec. 24, the fourth ranked candidate received an offer on Dec. 13 and declined Jan. 2, and the fifth ranked candidate remains unknown as the central administration left the law school dean out of all dealings with him. All three of these candidates received offers of employment from central administration. The top two ranked candidates, however, did not become privy to their offers of employment until Jan. 20 in conversation with the law school dean and never received any contact in this regard from central administration.

In the world of higher education, pro-

detailing issues he noted during the hiring process of new professors occurring from last fall through this semester. The memo notes how central administration, namely Provost George Justice and President Brad Carson, inserted themselves into the hiring process to a far greater degree than precedent or standard would suggest. This influence, as Parker identifies, came at the dispense of recommendations from the faculty hiring committee.

Worse, Professor Parker details how the preferential treatment shown among five ranked candidates could create grounds for a discrimination case. The hiring committee ranked five candidates in order of preference from one through five to fill two job openings, with the top ranked candidate being a white woman and the second ranked candidate being a black man. Candidates three through five were all white men. Soon after the committee ranked these candidates, administration approved the hiring of all five candidates. Just under a week before Christmas, central administration asked the committee to consider making tenured offers to the second and fourth ranked candidates; the committee approved only the second ranked candidate, noting how he had held a tenured position elsewhere in the past whereas the fourth ranked candidate had not. Jan. 9, after the fourth ranked candidate had declined his offer, Justice advised further deliberation on the tenure aspect for the second ranked candidate and suggested the candidate undergo external review, a feature alien to the law school’s standard hiring practices. The candidate ultimately received, against the wishes of the committee, an offer without tenure.

Additionally, the order in which the candidates received their offers of employment may contribute to accusations of discriminatory hiring practices. From what Professor Parker could find prior to

longing offers of employment, even just a week or two, can prove catastrophic, as other institutions less hesitant may claim candidates under consideration -- and candidates needing to confirm employment might not be able to afford the time to wait for another offer. And normally, disparity in offers of employment would not even reflect on administration: this right has in the past fallen to the dean of the school hiring. This hiring cycle, however, President Carson usurped this right from the dean, sending the offers himself.

The apparent discriminatory hiring practices reflect a more fundamental issue that has arisen this academic year. President Carson and Provost Justice have inserted themselves into the hiring process of the law school to a greater degree than their positions have held before, and other colleges on campus worry that this new level of influence may infect their own hiring practices. The typical hiring practice is a faculty-oriented one, letting colleges and departments determine who best fits their needs. The president and provost then hold a minimal role, with candidates usually holding a brief, informal interview with the provost before receiving a contract and usually never interacting with the president as part of this process. But now, all hires meet with the president, including even non-faculty positions.

In an interview, Dr. Maurer helped to detail some of the problems with the administration’s new role in the hiring process. While the law school was the first to have problems broader than a sense of shared governance surface with the accusations of discrimination, it is not the only college on campus feeling the encroachment of administration in the hiring process. Whereas before, the dean of any given college would approve lists of candidates to interview and to hire, this role now belongs to the provost. A tension

now exists here in that the move, according to Dr. Maurer, may suggest a lack of trust. Faculty committees and the dean no longer suffice to determine interviewees and hires, but the provost must oversee all decisions -- the fact that the provost is always the most unfamiliar of all these actors to the circumstances of any given college or department only exacerbates these tensions. Worse, the current administration has struggled to implement new and changed policies in any written form, relying mostly on word of mouth, especially in small or one-on-one meetings. This causes problems as faculty members often find themselves privy to current expectations only once they have breached them. With the discriminatory practices accusations, however, Dr. Maurer suggested that, at best, they are symptomatic of a broader disregard for diversity initiatives on campus. Last November, in a meeting with all faculty in Arts & Sciences, Provost Justice mentioned that the administration would no longer allow diversity statements to appear on applications. In asking more about this decision, Maurer discovered the decision had allegedly occurred in September, but the Arts & Sciences dean at the time Karen Peterson had not heard of it yet and, worse, Maurer got the news in the meeting before Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Kelli McLoud-Schingen knew. At McLoud-Schingen’s request, Provost Justice did agree to hold a meeting to speak to concerned faculty, albeit during the Monday of Thanksgiving break and only advertised through word of mouth -- with no paper trail at all to suggest that it would happen.

These concerns also arise in the same year that Dean Oren Griffin of the law school overrode the Student Bar Asso-

ciation’s (SBA) denial of a charter to the Christian Legal Society (CLS). SBA members cited reservations about the oath members must take if they wish to become officers, which includes a line affirming a belief in marriage existing between one man and one woman. Dean Griffin, mentioning consultation with the university president and provost, bypassed SBA to grant the charter to the organization and became himself the adviser for the organization.

As the president and provost insert their own influence into hiring practices and other areas typically alien to their control, the question becomes to what extent, if any, they should exercise this influence. In just the first year that this has appeared as a potential new norm for administration, faculty have already begun to express reservations as to whether or not they welcome any newfound administrative role in hiring practices. Worse, administrative influence has resulted in what some faculty and staff on campus perceive as a negative impact on diversity efforts. Diversity statements will no longer appear on applications, which may impact the university’s ability to secure diverse candidates; administration has received accusations of discriminatory hiring practices, displaying apparent preferential treatment in the law school’s hiring process; and, in the name of diversity of opinion, CLS received a charter, despite the fact that SBA denied it on the basis of discriminatory language within the charter. It remains to be seen to what extent the administration will continue to insert itself into faculty hiring practices and how it will address DEI related concerns.

Provost George Justice declined to comment on the memo Professor Parker circulated.

Brad Carson is taking an even bigger role in the hiring process than past presidents have. courtesy The University of Tulsa

During the last hiring cycle, the administration’s involvement in the law school’s hiring process may have crossed the threshold of discriminatory behavior.

Zachary Short Editor-in-Chief

TU SA welcomes Jennifer Fierro as the new SA president after a tumultuous election. courtesy Jennifer Fierro

“The apparent discriminatory hiring practices reflect a more fundamental issue that has arisen...”

“Brandon Swearengin then submitted a request for a Writ of Election on behalf of Lau...”

TU finally has an SGA president

the student body has for SGA. The only times non-presiding members are present for the “student concerns” portion of a senate meeting is if they are looking to secure funding for their whimsical club.

throughout SGA in years past and within four of the five presidential candidates for this year’s election. The point is most often expanded regarding the confusing funding process for an organization through SGA,

After one general election, two runoffs and three election violations, the student body finally has a president for next year.

Adam Porterie Student Writer

After a month-long election process that included historic election drama, the Student Government Association finally has an official voice to be ignored by administration and delegate the spending of student fees.

Jennifer Fierro will be TU’s next student body president after a narrow election win of 27 votes in the second runoff election this past week. The two candidates in the runoff were Sepand Ashenayi, who came in second place for his third consecutive ballot attempt, and Fierro, who had her campaign revived by SGA’s judicial council.

Ashenayi and Fierro were respectively second and third in the initial general election and this was the second time voters could see Fierro on the ballot following the disqualification of Athan Lau.

SGA’s Elections Committee head Matt Mangan was desperate for voters to turn out and begged each senator to notify just one group chat that the election was occurring in the weekly Senate meetings. Despite Mangan’s emphatic requests, voter turnout declined by 18%. This election turnout highlights the general lack of care

Although it was hard to find passion among the student body and even SGA senators for this election, Fierro brought the energy at the executive debate earlier in the week. To kick things off, Fierro adopted the position that transparency and student engagement would be her primary focus points.

She wants to “take into account each student and represent them accurately from our commuters, our first gen students, our international students and pretty much accurately representing each student on campus and being able to voice, their ideas and their opinions, in a way that everyone can benefit from.”

One of Fierro’s primary positions of transparency is a sentiment echoed

yet it could be much better served in making it more widely known that Senate meetings are open to the entire student body or hosting larger meetings within more public spaces like the Great Hall.

While that is a great idea to show support to the student body, most engagement with SGA starts and ends with SGA members. Even the current SGA senators, outside of a few, show up for their check and leave every meeting having not provided any input as to what their constituents believe or representation of their beliefs.

Fierro has played a dedicated role in the planning and constructing of some of SGA’s biggest events, like the international extravaganza and pride week. She has her work cut out for her to increase student engagement and create some semblance of community between SGA and the student body.

As something she plans to do differently as president, Fierro wants to institute “an anonymous survey or an anonymous platform in which students can either reach out with questions or opinions or just random comments about campus or things they’d like to see.”

This year’s election was undoubtedly the most action-packed within recent memory, and with its conclusion the student body will return to ignoring the existence of SGA.

Double the lockdowns, double the anxiety

vader ran onto campus. She evaded police for several hours until she was eventually found at about 5:15 p.m. hiding near TU.

As the campus was slammed into a lockdown with TPD and Campus Security ensuring people were sheltering in place, classes at Oxley Campus downtown continued as normal. With phones buzzing with updates from the alert system, breaths hushed and stress at an alltime high, some professors decided to continue having classes, regardless of the situation developing.

From roughly 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Campus Security enacted a shelter-inplace (SIP) order for students and faculty.

pus before being arrested hours after the initial burglary, in which the other suspect was shot dead at the scene. One student, who wishes to remain

the main campus. I was shocked to continue receiving updates while my professor pushed forward in the lecture, and only after about an hour of the course did

With professors on campus who decide to continue classes with a potentially armed shooter on the loose, who is to say that our students can feel safe when going through another situation similar to this one?

On March 1, TU’s main campus went on lockdown in response to a burglary that resulted in the death of one and the arrest of another. The second home in -

Students were not supposed to be outside of buildings and were escorted to safe spaces on campus. Coming only a month after the fatal shooting at MSU which claimed five lives, a potentially armed and dangerous individual making their way onto our campus provided a fearful event that left students, including myself, with feelings of incredible anxiety.

Luckily, no student on campus was injured or killed, and the suspect left cam -

anonymous, felt as though their professor, who continued class during the intense lockdown, did not take the SIP order seriously. Regardless of whether the suspect was armed or not, the order should have been taken seriously, and the student felt as though their safety

my professor realize what was going on. They claimed that since they were not on TU’s main campus, they could continue as scheduled, even though no policy exists for this instance.

The policy in place at the university is set to protect students, and it is essential for professors to adhere to these policies, especially in situations such as these, where students’ and professors’ safety are potentially placed in harm’s way.

was potentially at risk. They felt that the situation was not taken seriously, and the professor in question was not named.

I was downtown at the Oxley campus during the entire event, where classes continued as normal, regardless of the suspect being on the main campus. In the policy of the university, there is no separate stipulation for what to do at Oxley, and there should be a section that specifies what to do in the event of a SIP on

Less than two weeks later, another suspect in an unspecified crime was potentially on campus around 11 p.m. on March 10. I spoke with a student who was walking around campus when the announcement occurred. The student claimed that they were walking with a group of other students on their way to QuikTrip for a snack when Campus Security approached them. The group was questioned why they were out on campus and asked to get in the Campus Security vehicle to be escorted back to their living space.

After the first SIP order from the March 1 lockdown, a couple of students said that they did not think the charges were severe, and this is why they were out and about during the second SIP order. The student also claimed that they felt safe on campus after Campus Security helped them back to their living space and felt as though they were taken seriously.

Regardless of preconceived notions of the safety that Campus Security provides, all students should be aware of the emergency alert system, and follow all orders which come from said system. Campus Security takes precautionary steps, like the second lockdown, in order to protect students from any harm, and students should take these orders seriously and follow the policies in place.

“This election turnout highlights the general lack of care the student body has for SGA.”

Classes continued with a potentially armed shooter on campus.

Alex Soeder Student Writer

“... most engagement with SGA starts and ends with SGA members. ” courtesy utulsa.edu

Jennifer Fierro won the election against Sepand Ashenayi.

“I was shocked to continue receiving updates while my professor pushed forward in the lecture ...”

“... some professors decided to continue having classes, regardless of the situation developing.”

Tulsa Philbrook museum exhibits Rembrandt to Monet: 500 years of European painting

dency to have a crowd, the nature of the set up separates the exhibit into sections which helps give it a more intimate feel.

Aurora Stewart Student Writer

The Tulsa Philbrook museum is currently exhibiting Rembrandt to Monet: 500 years of European painting from the Joslyn Art Museum. The exhibit began Feb. 22 and will be available for viewing until May 28. The artists highlighted include such masters as Rembrandt, Titian, El Greco, Bouguereau, Renoir and Monet.

As you enter the exhibit, the room opens to a winding hall lined with pieces, each unique but thematic to the European style the exhibit high -

Both Renaissance and Baroque art are highlighted in the exhibition. “Portrait of a Man of the Cornaro Family with a Falcon” by Titian is a stunning representation of Renaissance period art. The lighting is dark, focusing itself on the main figure’s face and hand where he holds his falcon.

The most incredible part is the visibility of the brushstrokes characteristic of the painterly style used in art of the period. Despite its age, the paint still shines and has a wet appearance. As you shift your gaze, the brushstrokes catch the light and reveal themselves to you, giving a stunning effect and insight into the artist’s process.

“Still Life of Flowers in a Glass” by Maria van Oosterwyck represents the Baroque period. The array of colors chosen by Oosterwyck are

lights. The first thing that catches your eye is the lavishness of color the paintings share. The larger paintings that call for the observer to step away and take the whole image in are paired with seating placed in an ideal location for viewing.

The paintings are rich with detail. They draw you in and flow easily into one another as you walk along and stop at each one. Despite its ten -

showcased by the dramatic spotlight-like lighting characteristic of the era. The background is nearly devoid of light which creates marked contrast. The piece is also full of vanitas which symbolize death.

The flowers toward the sides of the painting are beginning to wilt while being kissed by butterflies. At the bottom of the painting, there are seashells lining the table that holds the vase of flowers.

Each of these represent the dwindling of life: the flowers literally dying while the butterflies’ short life span symbolizes the fleeting nature of life, and the seashells represent the greed of those who live as they were very valuable in the day.

Dr. Maria Maurer’s art history class was able to visit this exhibit. As a member of that group, I felt seeing the paintings in person helped me better understand the significance and details of each piece. As a viewer there is nothing akin to being able to actually experience the artist’s brushstrokes, use of color and attention to detail. Each piece represents a different aspect of art and history in Europe during both the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Once you have entered the center area of the exhibit, you are sure to be lured in by one of the largest, and my favorite, pieces. “The Weeders” by Jules Breton is beautifully imposing. On the

warmly lit landscape female figures pull weeds at dawn. The figures appear alive through their poses that imply movement as the sun casts them in shadow. As you watch the sun set you also see a sliver of the moon, giving the piece an interesting symmetry in composition. It is a beautiful piece that holds the viewer’s interest and is easily observed for an extended period. In front of this piece is one of the seating where you can observe it along with other patrons who are enticed by its lovely nature.

I can not recommend this exhibit enough. I have no doubt there is something for everyone, and if you are a lover of art in the Oklahoma area this is an absolute must see.

Relaxing and fun ideas this week for TU student study breaks

School is important but so are you, here is a list of things you can do to relax in between your study times

With spring break over and all our assignment due dates approaching soon, it’s important that you remember to take a break every once in a while. From a quick coffee break to a whole day’s adventure, there are plenty of things to do on campus or around Tulsa to relax your mind and take a break from the textbooks.

Starting with everything on campus you can do to relax and have fun, it’s Springfest week! Throughout the school week, the student association is holding three events. Garden Party is Monday from 4-7 pm at Dietler commons. This event will consist of painting flower pots and potting plants while listening to music from The King Cabbage Brass Band and enjoying free sandwiches from Schlotzsky’s.

The next event for Springfest will be Disco Cowboy, this event will take place in the Reynolds Center from 6-8 pm on Wednesday. This will be a great event to have some fun and forget about that paper you’ve been procrastinating on. Enjoy some free Foxy Tacos, a petting zoo, decorating cowboy hats, and music entertainment from DJ Matt Murrie.

Mother Road Market is right off campus and is a great place to grab a quick bite in between study sessions. With so many options to choose from such as pizza, sushi, barbeque, tacos and even ice cream. This is a great place to sit back and relax, also with TU’s new partnership students are able to use Hurricane Gold Dollars to purchase food

918 Coffee is another relaxing activity for students, it’s also a good place to study if you don’t have a long amount of time to take a break. The coffee house has a cozy spot filled with the great smell of fresh coffee. I recommend white chocolate hot chocolate on a cold day for those who don’t actually like the taste of coffee. They are open from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, so if you want a good place to study before that early morning class or to get away from the chaos of classes and start your day in a different environment, this would be a great place.

The last Springfest event is Karaoke and Cocktails, this event will be held Thursday at Jackson Commons from 7-9 pm. There will be karaoke, cocktails and even mocktails for those under 21. Now if drinks aren’t your thing, there will also be s’mores and snacks. Also, there will be hidden eggs around campus this week that hold prizes and some include tickets to redeem larger prizes at the event.

Stepping away from campus, there are many nearby activities around our campus.

Finally, Tulsa Farmers Market is officially starting their spring season this Saturday, April 1st. The farmer’s market has been downsized during their winter season, as many vendors’ produce wasn’t in season. This Saturday, right in front of She Brews Coffee House and Pancho Anaya Bakery, E Admiral Blvd will be lined with vendors excited to sell their fresh produce, baked goods, and even crafts. Not only is it a 15-minute walk from campus, but it’s a great opportunity to enjoy some fresh air and it is a great way to support local businesses. Also with She Brews Coffee house on the same street, you can enjoy a coffee using your TU ID to get a student discount.

It’s important to remind yourself that the stress of schoolwork should not overshadow your body’s need to relax. Whether it’s a 10-minute walk outside, a 10-minute break scrolling through TikTok or a couple of hour-long adventures away from your textbook, relaxing gives you some time to re-energize and will make studying less of a pain.

This new exhibit showcases artists such as Rembrandt, Titian, El Greco, Bouguereau, Renoir and Monet.

Isabella Herrera Variety Editor

photo by Emma Chase

“Each piece represents a different aspect of art and history in Europe during both the Renaissance and Baroque periods.”

“Finally, Tulsa Farmers Market is officially starting their spring season this Saturday, April 1st.”

courtesy @philbrookmuseum on Instagram

This exhibit includes over fifty works of art spanning over 500 years of European painting.

Rembrandt to Monet: 500 years of European painting is avaible for viewing until May 28.

“They draw you in and flow easily into one another as you walk along and stop at each one.”

We listen to women here at The Collegian

State-Run the media

The Instagram ally’s manifesto

As a male feminist, I know all the lyrics to “Put Your Records On.”

Kyle Garrison Progressive king

I am writing this to tell my story as a middle class cishet white man, who has bravely fought alongside the oppressed when convenient. I am here. I retweet infographics which I do not read. I put confusingly formatted but still heteronormative pronouns in my bio. I listen to Corinne Bailey Rae. I am an ally. Please read my woke manifesto.

As the one and only “A” in LGBTQIA (ally), I listen to and support women. It is really all about that intersectionality–that and the Natty Lights, am I right fellas? I mean, am I right folx? I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Yes, I was 16 but I voted illegally. If more people were like me the world would be so much kinder. Just like it says on my bumper sticker: “Kindness 2024 for President!”

Many men in this country gaslight women in an unfortunate attempt to woo them. Because I am an ally, the only gaslighting I do is I gaslight the stove before cooking my friends (many of whom are women or minorities) food because men belong in the kitchen just as much as women. Hear that ladies? I bake cookies for fun.

I only joined Pike to change it from the inside. I am using my privilege for good. Every day I connect my phone to the bluetooth speaker system and play some radical music, like anything from “Hamilton,” “Put Your Records On,” “Roar,” “Red

(Taylor’s version)” or the soundtrack to ”Frozen.” Through this act of praxis I do not pretend to wipe out eons of patriarchal oppression. I bet I can fix about 80% of it in a few days though.

Dating apps present an interesting problem in our society. Many men think it is cool to show muscles, dead fish or a picture of their face on their profiles. Now I do not use dating apps anymore, seeing as I have matured past my need for them, but, when I did, I did not commit any of the common microaggressions perpetrated by unwoke men. First of all, I only had one picture on my profile and it was a picture of Hillary Diane Rodham Goddamn Clinton and my only bio was a quote from Barack Obama’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Whenever I met a girl in a bar when I was single, I used only feminist pickup lines such as,“Are you a star across my sky? Because girl, put your records on and give me your number. Please.” Our world would be better with more of me. I make an effort to hit on as many women as possible so they do not have to talk to creeps (seeing as I have taken up all of their free time already).

Men like me face unimaginable oppression. One time a KA boy called me a b*tch-*ss (please excuse my expletives) just because I was a feminist. The only bword I call women is beautiful.

Real men do not use gross words when talking crassly about female anatomy, I only use the most accurate of anatomical terms when I engage in so-called “locker room talk.” I only listen to clean versions of music. I have no idea what most music is even about. The best rapper is Macklemore (clean version).

Public execution for school teachers who teach about racism might be bad

Aurora Stewart Reactionary liberal

The newest policy trend sweeping the nation is a crack down on teaching about America’s past of racism in schools.

Teachers have been using their platform to tell students about the past examples of racism in America. This past has made students in the present feel guilty for actions to which they have no connection, and politicians are no longer going to tolerate it.

These anti-critical race theory policies started mildly by banning over 1,600 books in public libraries and schools throughout the nation. Educators responded indignantly to these policies by ensuring their students who did not have access to it in classrooms still had access to all literature outside of school. Politicians attempted to combat this by creating financial incentives to keep white students comfortable in all schools. This means that schools who attempt to have trainings that only value students of color, LGBTQIA+ students or female students such as diversity training or sexual assault prevention trainings will have state funding revoked to ensure all students feel included.

Still, educators are not listening to the complaints of concerned parents and citizens who fear the next generation will not understand that racism is not their fault because it is a relic of the past. The natural next step that conservative politicians are calling for to uphold the traditional values of America are public executions for

school teachers who teach about racism.

Despite the vast historical precedence that is used to justify these new policies, it may not be the best way of handling this particular problem.

Firstly, it will be very expensive. Executions of this nature require a level of preparation that would be a large financial burden on states. States that implement death penalties generally see a large increase in the cost of supporting their criminal justice system. In Kansas, the cost of a case that required an execution was 70% more than a comparable one that did not. The scale of executions required for this policy would increase this burden

immensely. In the status quo, these states are actually saving money on the current anti-critical race theory policies since their violation means they have to spend less on education.

Secondly, teacher turnover is already too high; it would devastate the student to teacher ratio in schools. Especially in states like Texas and Oklahoma, they are already facing a lack of people willing to be educators. Even if they find enough teachers to fill their classrooms, they typically leave to work in other less disadvantaged states. This policy would decrease the amount of teachers too significantly which would make education less acces-

sible for all students, particularly in the states that need more reliable teachers.

Lastly, it could potentially cause emotional distress for certain students. Research proves there is a link between high teacher turnover and decreased student performance. One of the factors of this correlation is the emotional attachment students form to their teachers. This means that despite the fact that some teachers may not treat all their students equally which can cause emotional distress, the impact of their execution is likely to be worse than the guilt they inflict on white students.

Politicians are tired of teachers blaming their white students for the racism of the past.

graphic by Kyle Garrison

graphic by Kyle Garrison “Don’t tread on me” apparently does not cover state executions.