30 March 2015

a student newspaper of the university of tulsa

march 30, 2015 issue 21 ~ volume 100

Vineyards on the plains Elias B

rinkma

n / Coll

egian

Wine in Oklahoma? Well, with a little frontier grit …

Oklahoma doesn’t even register on the list of classic wine-producing regions. But that doesn’t mean it won’t put up a fight.

Kyle Walker Editor-in-Chief I was staring down into a metal tub slowly filling with clear red, almost orange wine. After four and a half hours of helping Mike Trower, the proprietor of Gander Way Vineyards and Winery, and his friend Ron put this wine through its paces, I watched as the aromatic liquid was pumped out of its six-foot-tall plastic tank, through a set of filters whose workings I could only guess at, and into the bottom of this stainless steel vessel.

“This was originally made for holding red lobster,” Mike told me, gesturing to the tub.

Over the course of the day, we’d disinfected that tub with an iodine solution and then thoroughly rinsed it with a lot of very hot water two or three times. Having helped hoist the thing onto its side for easy rinsing, I could well imagine it filled with claws and spider-like crustacean legs. Now, instead of future $60 dinners, it held something like 200 gallons of Chambourcin.

A French-American hybrid grape variety, Chambourcin is a cross between a strain of vitis vinifera—the classic European wine grape—and a species native to North America. It makes for an excellent physical representation of what I’ll call the “Northeast Oklahoma Wine Scene.” Here, I thought, through a flurry of New World frontier grit, the prairie is transforming an Old World staple. The steel lobster tub put a fine edge on that point.

That isn’t to say that all, or even most, of the

State-wide activists respond to Kern’s conversion therapy bill, p. 5

wines produced in and around Oklahoma’s Green Country come from hybrid varieties. Far from it.

Indeed, at almost all of the Oklahoma wineries I looked at, European varieties outnumbered hybrid or American ones. If the thought of classic, Rhone valley wine grapes growing in Oklahoma doesn’t strike you as odd, consider the following.

Here are the environmental conditions that Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia lists as “favourable” to producing wine-quality grapes: “A fine, long summer with warm, rather than hot, sunshine”; “a dry, sunny autumn” that isn’t “too hot” (noticing a trend?); and “climatically flexible” winter months that don’t drop below -4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Or we can turn to Dr. Eric Stafne, now a professor at Mississippi State University, who spent six years at Oklahoma State University as a fruit specialist. When I asked him about the difficulty of growing grapes in Oklahoma, he told me that “it boils down to the environment. Oklahoma has a continental climate, meaning there are large fluctuations in temperature and great extremes.

Grapevines prefer hot summer day temperatures, cool summer night temperatures, mild winter temperatures, and low humidity.”

Though we spoke by email, I imagine that he wrote the next sentence with something approaching an ironic grin on his face: “Since Oklahoma does not have all of these conditions, some grapevines struggle and fruit quality and quantity can suffer.”

But as will surprise no one familiar with Oklahoma weather, the challenges to making wine here are … varied. * My Oklahoma wine journey began at Tres Sueños (“Three Dreams”), the vineyard and winery of Richard Kennedy. Located just outside Luther,

Oklahoma, Tres Sueños is situated on 5 acres and is protected on all sides by thin woodland.

I visited with my friend Leigh Taylor, my favorite wine enthusiast. On the way, the road changed abruptly from a two-lane country road to an unpaved, pockmark-riddled clay path. Lucky us: We’d taken Leigh’s Mini Cooper, and by the time we’d pulled up to the Tres Sueños tasting room, I could feel every divot and pothole in my spine and backside.

So I was pleased when, on our way in, we were greeted by a cheerful signboard which dutifully proclaimed: “If you need a sign to drink wine, this is it!”

After a few minutes conversation with Dawn Shelton, who was manning the bar, I ran into a viticultural challenge that I’m sure is unique to Oklahoma: tornadoes.

Tres Sueños produces wine made from grapes that are grown both on and off its property, though they all come from Oklahoma. In May of 2013, one of Tres Sueños’ partners had an unfortunate run-in with Oklahoma’s most characteristic natural disaster.

“Our Shiraz grower lost his vineyard in a tornado,” Dawn told me, and since it can take three years to get a vineyard back into shape, that Shiraz is in short supply.

As we were about to leave, Mr. Kennedy himself walked in. In his early 70s, Richard is a tall man positively overflowing with facts about grapes. This means he’s clearly overcome the first challenge he faced starting a vineyard and winery in Oklahoma: information.

“We were the third winery” to open in Oklahoma, he said. Third, that is, since Prohibition.

“It had been 10 years since the last winery had opened.” As can happen when you’re a pioneer,

Basketball eliminated from AAC Tournament: What’s next? p. 14

Review: Newly renovated Hoot Owl Coffe Co. a boon for Kendall-Whittier, p. 9

See Wine, page 6

The Collegian: 2

News

30 March 2015

Zoorassic Park returns to the Tulsa Zoo

This summer, vistors to the Tulsa Zoo will be able to walk amongst the dinosaurs. The Zoorassic Park exhibit, which is returning to the zoo for its second season, features 11 different species of lifelike animatronic dinosaurs. The exhibit is open daily now through August 31. Tickets are $4 for zoo members and $5 for non-members.

Quidditch Tournament held by Kappa Delta Yoga on the New U April 4 , 2015 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Oscar Ho / Collegian

The Kappa Delta Quidditch Tournament was held on the New U on March 12 at 5 p.m.

All the proceeds went towards Kappa Delta’s philanthropy, the Parent Child Center of Tulsa.

Learn more

On Chapman Commons (The New U)

News

30 March 2015

The Collegian: 3

SA charters eSports, Crossfit, Kappa Delta Pi, Blue Thumb clubs

SA has recently chartered clubs which support student fitness, the environment, academics and online gaming.

Michaela Flonard Apprentice Editor The clubs TU Blue Thumb, Kappa Delta Pi, TU Crossfit and TU eSports have recently been chartered by SA. Blue Thumb TU Blue Thumb has existed for “about a dozen years,” according to Austin Evans, head of the organization.

The organization has been reinstated as a chartered club several times in its history. Evans hopes

to attract more students, especially younger ones, in an effort to make the club continuous.

Evans said the goal of TU Blue Thumb is to “monitor local streams and other moving bodies of water” for pollution because such water is “indicative of how humanity is influencing the environment.”

The secondary goal of monitoring for pollution is to share that data with others, especially those who have an undue impact on the environment, such as businesses and farmers. Presenting data can be a way to share how to positively impact the environment or mitigate damage.

Since the club’s data is open source, Evans said universities and others can use the data “to see how humanity is working to influence the environment for better or worse.”

Courtesy Laura Waldman Crossfit Vice President Elly Vosburgh competes at a local crossfit competition.

The club records water quality monthly, testing the chemical components in the water. Three times a year, the club collects bugs, which are the first to die when pollution occurs.

Evans says collecting during spring and fall can let the club gather interesting data on how the summer affects the bugs.

Blue Thumb does these recordings as a group. Most of the club is comprised of ENS students, Evans said, although TU Blue Thumb has been trying to work with TU’s environmental club.

Blue Thumb has branches all over the state and works with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, which provides them with opportunities to further share the data.

Although they “don’t organize the events directly,” Evans said members prepare the data and staff events such as a home and garden show.

Crossfit Crossfit, a competitive fitness sport, is the foundation for the TU Crossfit club. Colby Deweese, president of the club, wants to use the club to build a crossfit community at TU. Deweese hopes the club can bring attention to crossfit as a type of exercise. The club is meant for both those currently involved in crossfit and those interested in learning.

Having the club will, he hopes, show people that crossfit “is not intimidating,” as they learn to engage in body weight exercises.

The goal of the crossfit club is to “encourage healthy lifestyles,” Deweese said.

Crossfit can encourage students to go to the gym, even if not to do crossfit, and eat healthy.

Crossfit “changed my life in a positive way,” Deweese said, and he wants to share this experience with others.

As for events, the club hopes to have free body weight workouts, instructed by a professional, on the New U. A healthy snack or meal would possibly be provided after

the workout, followed by a Q&A session on healthy living held with the professional crossfit instructor.

These plans must pass through SA, but Deweese hopes to have the first workout in the coming weeks.

While Deweese said there is currently an active TU crossfit community, he hopes the addition of a club can create a larger interest in the activity and grow and strengthen the community on campus.

Kappa Delta Pi Kappa Delta Pi is an education honors society that hopes to “foster scholarship among education majors,” according to Hannah Lafranzo, head of the organization.

The club also works to bring education majors of different concentrations together and “unite everyone for the common goal of better education,” Lafranzo said.

Although the organization was just recently chartered, Kappa Delta Pi has “been active for about twenty-five to thirty years” on TU’s campus, according to Lafranzo.

The club hopes that chartering will allow for better funding of events, which will “provide incentives for people to come and get our name out there,” Lafranzo said.

Currently, the club plans to have workshops once a month relating to an educational topic. These workshops are organized to “increase professionalism and knowledge of the profession” of education majors.

Kappa Delta Pi has been more active in recent years. Lafranzo hopes this pattern will continue, as the club attempts to attract more members. eSports Alfred Song, president of the TU eSports club, hopes to bring together “a bunch of people who are interested in aspects of competitive online games.”

Song hopes the club will develop a community of gamers at TU. Some members may want to

play for fun, either with friends or with the goal of meeting new people. Others may want to watch professional gamers play games.

That last group, Song said, has many students who are interested in playing competitively, at a collegiate level or higher.

While eSports is not devoted to a specific game, Song expects it will be mostly composed of League of Legends players.

He does have plans, however, if enough members are interested in Defense of the Ancients (DotA), Counter Strike or StarCraft.

Most events the club plans to hold are divided into viewing parties and game playing.

When a major tournament occurs, Song said they plan to hold events so members can watch.

Other times, the club may just play online without needing to meet up.

For members more interested in competing, the club will host or attend tournaments, either locally or within the state.

Such tournaments would be year-round, especially for League of Legends. The club also plans to hold a Super Smash division tournament at TU. Before spring break, the club attended their first League of Legends tournament qualifier. While they did not make it, Song hopes that next year the club will keep attending such qualifiers throughout the year.

Although Song expects the majority of members will already be interested in the games, the club would “definitely love for people who have always wanted to learn about a game” to join.

Those interested in TU Blue Thumb can contact Austin Evans at austin-evans@utulsa.edu.

For TU Crossfit, contact Colby Deweese at colby-deweese@ utulsa.edu or check out their TU Crossfit club Facebook page.

For TU eSports, you can direct your questions to tu.esports@ gmail.com.

GOC reforms event funding, updates impeachment processes Mar. 12 7:35 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to Chapman Commons for a reported fight between 2 individuals. The fight had happened approximately 2 hours prior to being reported.

Upon arrival both parties had left the area.

Once contacted, the individuals came and gave their statements.

Both parties say that they do not need or want to seek medical attention and that there will be no retaliation for the incident.

Mar. 13 12:15 a.m.

A university security officer patrolling saw a car parked in a no parking zone blocking the sidewalk access. A student on the second floor stairwell area was identified as owner and the officer asked it be moved.

The student was not compliant, got upset when they were told they would get a ticket. The student became belligerent toward the officer. The student was asked twice for their university identification card, and they refused. The student backed their car and drove off.

Mar. 17 12:30 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to investigate possible fire damage at an apartment.

Upon arrival the officers meet with a professional student manager, and a housing manager who also responded to the apartment to take a report regarding property damage caused by a fire. The resident had put a cigarette butt in

a plastic container overnight that had caught fire but had been extinguished.

Several boards had been damaged and The physical plant was contacted to come repair the damage.

Mar. 18 2:45 a.m.

University Security Officers conducting a building check noticed a staff member who was having trouble walking up a flight of stairs in Zink Hall.

The staff member was visibly intoxicated and admitted to drinking alcohol. The Tulsa Police Department was contacted and the staff member was arrested.

Mar. 24 11:24 p.m.

Officers were dispatched to Mayo Village for a noise complaint. Upon arrival, they made contact with two students who were playing a card game, specifically, “Uno”. They did not observe any loud noise coming from their area and just merely advised them that there was a complaint and told them to please keep their voices to a lower level.

Mar. 26 9:00 a.m.

Officers were dispatched to investigate possible pellet guns in on campus apartments. The residences were searched and the unauthorized items were impounded.

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

SA’s Government Operations Committee passed several bills affecting secretary records, funding for student organizations and member impeachment.

Michaela Flonard Apprentice Editor Student Association’s Government Operations Committee (GOC) has recently passed several bills through SA. These bills affect financing of organizations, impeachment processes and guidelines.

GOC recently gained a new chairman in Conner Wurth. A bill affecting secretaries was the first bill passed during his chairmanship.

Wurth said this bill intended to “establish clear terms for how the secretary records minutes and how outside organizations can record at the Senate body.”

Senate can now allow outside organizations to record meetings with a 2/3 vote.

The bill also allows the SA secretary to record the president and vice president’s reports.

Another recent bill will affect compensation for student organizations. In the past, organizations received $7 dollars per person for food.

For example, Wurth said, “if the organizations go to Senate after their event, with five less [people] than projected, they get $35 dollars less.”

This way of funding led to some problems, according to Wurth.

Organizations either spent out of pocket or chose to spend less than the maximum amount so as to not

spend out of pocket.

GOC’s bill created a bracket system. “Instead of having to have exactly 25 people,” Wurth said, “organizations now can get a bracket of 23–28 people.” This change allows organizations more “wiggle room” in their planning of events.

Changes from this bill will not take place until next year. Any changes to the maximum funding caps must take place next fiscal year, according to Wurth.

The bill addresses a common complaint, Wurth said. The traditional system “put SA in a bad position,” he said, as it had to take money away from students. GOC hopes that this change will fix such problems.

Another recent bill, written

by GOC member Steve Harsha, cleaned up judicial guidelines.

According to Harsha, if an SA member believes another member has behaved improperly, that member can sue the other.

Harsha’s bill updated some “outdated terminology.” This terminology includes references to Senate advisors, which no longer exist. Otherwise, the bill makes “no major changes,” according to Harsha.

Another recent bill clarified the impeachment clause of the judicial branch. The previous clause included two methods for impeachment: someone could recommend to the President that another member be impeached, or a Senator could impeach a member.

GOC decided to clarify the matter “just in case,” according to Caitlyn Slattery, a member of GOC. While no justices have been impeached in recent history, GOC

wanted to “proactively look at guidelines and try to fix them,” said Wurth.

Several Senators have been removed, however, for not satisfying their duties, such as going to meetings. Wurth said GOC has “realized this is not the best way to do that according to constitution.” He hopes to fix this in coming weeks.

On another financial matter, GOC is reviewing financial guidelines. The word “discretion” occurs in many clauses regarding finances, and Slattery said GOC wants to make “sure all places it appears are appropriate.”

Reviewing these clauses could affect organizations’ financial bills, as it could give Senate “wiggle room” to compensate organizations that don’t meet exact guidelines. If passed, this bill would take effect immediately.

Future GOC plans include a number of issues. GOC plans to look into funding non-consumables, or things organizations could use again. This could include “power strips, ethernet cords, or soccer balls for the soccer club,” Wurth said.

If members of the GOC decide to attempt to fund these sorts of items, Wurth said they “need to make sure it doesn’t become embezzlement … We don’t want people to just use SA to buy things they want.”

Wurth said GOC will also continue to do “a lot of things that will have effects on the student body.”

If the Senate becomes divided on an issue, lacks a precedent, or needs clarification so all organizations are treated fairly, GOC will step in.

News

The Collegian : 4

30 March 2015

SA executive elections approach; United 4 TU gives it a second go SA executive elections will take place on April 8–9. This year’s election features returning candidate Brett Baumgartner and a four-candidate ticket.

Brennen VanderVeen Politics Writer

Michaela Flonard Apprentice Editor

SA executive elections are approaching.

The elections occur on April 8–9, with a debate occurring on April 6.

Executive elections occur each spring for the next school year. The seats open are president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. This year, each seat is contested, which has occurred for the past two SA executive elections.

Returning this year is the United 4 TU ticket. United 4 TU was created during last year’s executive election when candidates for all four open positions joined together on one ticket. All four United 4 TU candidates were elected by dramatic margins, with Michael Mancini beating out Vice President Brett Baumgartner for president 578–265.

This year Whitney House is running for president under United 4 TU ticket. She could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Baumgartner is making another run for the presidency. He is a senior energy management and finance double major who is also minoring in Spanish and geology. Before his year as vice president, Baumgartner served as a senator for the College of Business during his first two years at TU. Currently, Baumgartner is the Executive Director of Advancement and Development. This is a new cabinet position created by current SA president Michael Mancini.

Baumgartner describes this position as an attempt to increase intellectual opportunities through SA. As part of this position, he has organized the TU Leadership Experience, TU’s Got Talent for Tulsa Time in No-

vember and the Tulsa Time Comedy Event this February.

Baumgartner has a number of things he’d like to do to as president, including improving SA communication and making officers more visible, making the financial allocations process better for organizations by looking at funding nonconsumable items and vetoing legislation that places more burdens on organizations.

Conner Wurth is running for vice president. For the past three years, he has served as a Senator, involved in FAC and GOC committees within SA. In both, he was chairman. His experience in a multitude of committees, he believes, will serve him as vice president, since the position is in charge of the committees.

If elected, Wurth plans to “make Senate more accessible.” He hopes to have students understand and have input into what’s happening in Senate. Although he understands most students don’t have time to be a part of SA, he believes most students have the ability to talk to a senator and improve their experience.

Wurth also hopes to create a more unified Senate and Cabinet. Although Senate and Cabinet currently have separate retreats each year, Wurth hopes to have a unified retreat. A unified retreat would foster a stronger relationship between Senate and Cabinet, Wurth believes, which would reduce issues. Last year, several Cabinet members dropped out, as a result of miscommunication. Wurth believes that a stronger relationship between Senate and Cabinet would prevent such drop-outs.

Another of Wurth’s concerns is encouraging more “small resolutions throughout the semester” from SA committees involved in nonfinancial legislation. “There’s a recent boost in nonfinancial legislation,” according to Wurth, which he likes. To encourage this, Wurth plans to attend different SA committee meetings weekly. There, he hopes to “contribute to and encourage new ideas and resolutions.”

For this election, Wurth said he “wants the student body to vote for who is the best

candidate for each position.” He does not want “[the election] to be tainted by friendship or political ties.” This, he believes, will make SA “the best it can be.”

Lauren Holmes is also running for vice president, as part of the United 4 TU ticket.

She could not be reached.

Grace Doyle and Whitney Cipolla are running for secretary. As secretary, they would take minutes for cabinet and senate, as well as oversee “more of the logistic side of SA, except for finances,” according to Brittany Johnston, executive director of elections and policy. Doyle is a part of the United 4 TU ticket. Neither candidate could be reached for comment.

Patrick Culp is running for treasurer. He is a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in economics. He has been involved with SA Cabinet both of his years at TU. Last year, he was the Associate Director of Community Service. This year he’s executive director. Directors of community service are mainly tasked with organizing Service Day. As associate director he lined up the sites for which volunteers would work. As executive director, he also managed the logistics and food. If elected, he hopes to make the allocations process more efficient. Specifically, he wants to get information about what organizations need to do to them more quickly.

Petroleum Engineer Mackenzie Smith is running for treasurer. Although she doesn’t have much experience as a treasurer, she has been the associate director of athletics and the associate and executive director of PR for SA. She is also involved in other activities, such as University Ambassadors, greek life and spirit squad.

Because Smith “knows a lot of the people and organizations on campus,” she is “excited to work with them in financial matters and get them the maximum amount of money for their events on campus.”

If elected, Smith wants a more personal relationship with clubs. She is “excited to be able to work with [clubs] and guide them through the process throughout the year” regarding financial matters. Smith feels that

in the past, misunderstanding and miscommunication have occurred between SA and organizations. “I hate to see organizations come in, expecting a certain amount, only to not get that,” she added.

Smith is currently working with Tavis Phan. Their “goals align perfectly,” she said. Since the treasurer works very closely with the president, she believes such a ticket would work well.

Steve Harsha, a biology pre-med with a history minor, is running for treasurer. He has served as the associate and executive director of elections and policy in the Cabinet and as a Senator in GOC. His experience on both sides of SA, Harsha said, is part of his qualifications for treasurer. Because Harsha is “really familiar with financial allocation guideline and has experience with delegations,” he believes he will be a good fit for the position.

If elected, Harsha wants to be an advocate for student organizations. “The allocation guidelines are pretty complicated,” he said. He wants to make the guidelines more easy and streamlined. He hopes to accomplish this by having a relationship by organizations, especially those that are smaller or newer.

While the treasurer works with the president to make the budget, Harsha would like to advocate for allocating more money to organizations. This year, he said about two times more money was allocated towards the executive branch of SA than to the Senate, which gives money to the student organizations. “SA events are important, but they don’t appeal to every student,” according to Harsha, so he believes it’s important for organizations which may appeal to other segments of the student population to get money.

Harsha wants to continue the current treasurer’s agenda of keeping tabs on student organizations and strengthening relationships with organizational representatives.

Matt Neyer is also running for treasurer, as a part of the United 4 TU ticket. He could not be reached for comment.

Intentional plane crash in French Alps kills 150

Oscar Ho Student Writer Daughter of Malaysian opposition leader arrested The daughter of imprisoned Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was arrested on March 16. Nurul Izzah, a Member of Parliament, was vocal in her opinion that Anwar’s imprisonment was politically motivated. Nurul Izzah was released the next day on bail, but she may be summoned at any time.

Upon her release, she called her arrest “unnecessary, malicious [and] unlawful ... My arrest confirms what we have maintained all this while: Anwar Ibrahim is Malaysia’s No 1 Political Prisoner; and [there are] hidden intentions to make me a political prisoner to further consolidate power in the ruling elite.”

Sydney café re-opens after hostage crisis Last December, Man Haron Monis took 18 people hostage in the Lindt café in Sydney for 17 hours. Ninety-five days after the crisis, the Lindt café reopened for business.

People queued around the block to buy chocolate in a show of support.

Mike Baird, premier of New South Wales, said that while “we continue to mourn” with the victims’ families and friends, “today is a reminder that whilst we were challenged, we have come through that test.”

Installed in the café’s entrance are two plaques memorializing Lindt shopkeeper Tori Johnson and barrister and mother-of-three Katrina Dawson, both of whom were killed in the attack. Seen back at work was Joel Herat, one of the employees who was held hostage.

Germanwings flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Düsseldorf crashed in the French Alps on Tuesday. All 150 passengers aboard the Airbus A320 died. Investigators believe the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed the plane. Data from airplane tracking services and the plane’s cockpit voice recorder indicate the captain left the cockpit and Lubitz locked him out. Lubitz programmed a descent into the aircraft’s autopilot and the plane crashed 20 minutes later. The voice recorder indicates Lubitz’ breathing could be heard up to the moment of the crash, and the captain was fighting to get inside.

Investigators, families of the victims, and recovery crews have visited the area, where they say remains of the plane and the passengers are strewn across the mountain. Investigators have said on Sunday that they have isolated DNA samples of 78 victims.

Although Germanwings’ parent company Lufthansa says Lubitz had passed all examinations with “flying colors” and was fit to fly, French investigators have uncovered evidence that he suffered from depression and concealed his condition from employers.

Singapore mourns death of prime minister

Founding father of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew died Monday in a hospital, reported government sources. Lee Kuan Yew oversaw the tiny nation-state’s growth from an island dependent on Malaysia to an economic powerhouse. He served as prime minister for 31 years.

The public’s response to the death took officials aback. Singapore has been in mass mourning since Tuesday, with queues for public viewing of the body topping nine hours. A state funeral for Mr. Lee was held Sunday. Although Lee Kuan Yew was a popular figure, he was an autocrat who clamped down on the media, squashed political dissent and micromanaged people’s daily lives. He was admired by world leaders for his economic achievements and criticized for his regulation of basic freedoms.

Ebola virus leads to lockdown in Guinea

Officials are worried that complacency toward the Ebola virus is behind a rise in new infections. The number of new infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone had dropped in recent months, but that number appeared to be increasing over the last few weeks. Concerned that the virus may be coming back, Guinea imposed a lockdown on parts of the country on Friday. On Saturday, the government declared a 45-day emergency in five prefectures in the south and south-west of the country.

“Wherever the need may be, throughout this period, measures of restriction and confinement will be taken,” said Guinean President Alpha Conde. On Friday, Sierra Leone imposed a three-day lockdown over fears the virus was strengthening there as well.

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editor-in-chief—Kyle Walker managing editor—Conor Fellin news editor—Morgan Krueger sports editor—Matt Rechtien variety editor—Abigail LaBounty commentary & barricade editor—Giselle Willis satire editor—Fraser Kastner photo & graphics editor—Elias Brinkman copy editor—Amanda Hagedorn apprentice editor—Michaela Flonard business & advertising manager—Jesse Keipp distribution manager—Walker Womack editorial consultant—Nikki Hager web manager—Sam Chott social media manager—Charlie McQuigg

30 March 2015

News

The Collegian : 5

House bill stirs conversion therapy controversy

Toby Jenkins and Stephen Black, two voices in the state-wide debate on conversion therapy, react to a bill which would legitimize the practice.

Fraser Kastner Staff Writer

Sally Kern introduced House Bill 1598 to the Oklahoma state legislature in January. The bill would legitimize conversion therapy, an umbrella term for treatments and therapies that aim to change the sexual orientation of those undergoing it. One of the bill’s biggest opponents is Toby Jenkins.

Today, many know Toby Jenkins as the Executive Director of Oklahomans for Equality, a Tulsa-based organization that advocates for LGBT rights in the state of Oklahoma.

But before Jenkins was confronting conversion therapy advocates in the Oklahoma legislature, he spent sixteen years trying to reverse his own attraction to the same sex.

Toby grew up devoutly Christian, but his attraction to other men did not gel with the messages he learned in church. So, in 1979, at the age of nineteen, Toby went to his first appointment with a Christian counselor, seeking what is now called conversion therapy.

“I would drive three or four hours away,” he said, “to another city so that they didn’t know who I was, and talked to these Christian therapists about what I was struggling with.”

The counselor’s advice was to seek out a marriage. The idea was, if Toby led a heterosexual life he would begin to feel heterosexual feelings.

“I spent most of my adult life in a heterosexual marriage, living a very disciplined, torturous, painful life,” said Jenkins. “I would punish myself, and fast for days. The self hatred and the disappointment was very profound.”

This is, as Jenkins sees it, the idea at the heart of conversion therapy. The programs aim to fit homosexuals into the ideal heterosexual Christian mold, even if this molding results in homosexuals’ self-punishment.

“I payed almost $350 to go to a two-day conference that was supposed to address ‘sexual brokenness’ and there was a three hour session, ‘Healing the Broken Male.’

They took us out in a field, and they had us

wear flannel and combat boots and rough jeans and they had us toss a football around for three hours.”

The irony of this program was that Toby was already quite masculine. He was athletic as a young man and a football scholarship put him through college. When changing his behavior didn’t work, he tried more drastic measures. He entered the priesthood, believing that serving Christ more fully would free him of his homosexuality. When that didn’t work, he decided to come out to some of his fellow clergymen.

“It felt incredibly liberating to finally tell everybody who I was,” Toby later remembered. “And then two or three other men broke down and confessed that they had the same issue. And then that became the next step in my delusion.”

Toby’s coming out wasn’t an affirmation of his sexual identity. Rather, it became the beginning of a public struggle to change his sexuality. Because he was honest about it, and because he had never pursued a sexual relationship with another man, Toby became the poster-boy for the ex-gay movement in the 90s. His church sent him to get ‘fixed’

Courtesy First Stone Stephen Black, Executive Director of First Stone Ministries

intense conversion experience.

“The Lord said to me, ‘If you do not accept me tonight, you will die,’” wrote Black in his testimonial on First Stone’s website.

“My heart began to pound and pound. I knew I had to know Jesus like these people.”

Later that night, Stephen asked God

The idea was, if Toby led a heterosexual life he would begin to feel heterosexual feelings. by undergoing some of the more extreme forms of therapy.

He underwent hypnosis, extended periods of fasting and even aversion therapy. None of it stuck. Despite encouragement to do so from his fellow ministers, he never claimed to be free from homosexual desires. Doing so would have been a lie.

In 1995, after sixteen years of trying to change himself, Toby accepted that he was a gay man. After some searching, he found the number of the Equality Center and began attending support groups. Toby, who still prays, goes to church and reads his Bible, is at peace with his sexuality.

Stephen Black, the Executive Director of First Stone Ministries, a group dedicated to ministering to the “sexually broken,” has a lot in common with Toby Jenkins. Both grew up in religious households and experienced attraction to the same sex. Stephen, however, chose to live as an openly gay man for many years before he entered the fold of conservative Christianity. One night, while visiting some Christian friends, he had an

whether homosexuality was compatible with a Christian lifestyle. He opened his Bible and found Leviticus 18:22: “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female, it is an abomination.”

For Stephen, this was all the proof he needed. He left his same-sex partner. Three years later he married a woman, with whom he has three children.

Homosexualtiy, according to Stephen, results from demonic influence and childhood traumas on the human psyche. He wrote of his childhood: “I had given Satan ground in my life. All the voices I had been hearing were demons. These voices may seem like our own thoughts. The voices seem to be you talking to yourself.” Only through Jesus, believes Stephen, can homosexuality be conquered.

Toby Jenkins, mainstream psychology, and many Christian denominations disagree with this assessment.

Conversion therapy itself has always been a point of contention in psychology. Freud

Courtesy Toby Jenkins Toby Jenkins, Executive Director of Oklahomans for Equality

believed it was a waste of time, while other thinkers maintained that it could be successful. Recently, however, psychologists have come out against conversion therapy.

In a publication about human sexuality, the American Psychological Association wrote: “Such efforts (to change one’s sexuality) have serious potential to harm young people because they present the view that the sexual orientation of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth is a mental illness or disorder, and they often frame the inability to change one’s sexual orientation as a personal and moral failure.”

Toby concurs. Of Stephen Black and other conversion therapy advocates, he said, “They had not changed their sexual orientation, they’ve changed their sexual behavior.

And that’s the most troubling part about it.

It’s smoke and mirrors, it’s fraud, it’s snake oil.”

Stephen Black testified in the Oklahoma State legislature that he had been cured of his homosexuality. Toby Jenkins was there too, and he confronted Black on his way out.

According to a recording Jenkins shared on his Facebook wall, he asked if Black still felt sexual attraction to men, to which Black replied that, “That would be like asking a criminal if they’re ever tempted with committing a crime that they have committed.”

House Bill 1598 seems to have lost momentum in the Oklahoma Legislature. Conversion therapy remains legal but not legitimized by the state government.

At press time, Stephen Black had not yet responded to a request for comment.

Bridenstine proposes energy bill

Okla. Rep. Bridenstine has partnered with Texas Senator Ted Cruz to introduce the American Energy Renaissance Act. Brennen VanderVeen Student Writer

On March 18, Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a bill that would substantially reduce the number of federal regulations on a wide range of energy related issues. They claim that passing the legislation will lead to job creation and less dependence on foreign oil.

Bridenstine had also introduced an American Energy Renaissance Act in 2014, but it did not come out of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, which is part of the House Judiciary Committee.

The new bill has sixteen main points. The bill would put the individual states in charge of regulating hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Fracking would also be legal on federal lands so long as the state in which the lands are located allows it.

It would also streamline the permitting process for the expansion and building of new oil refineries.

The bill would repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and phase it out over five years. First enacted in 2005, the RFS mandates that a certain amount of ethanol fuel be added to gasoline and diesel. According to the EPA, the RFS would require 36 billion gallons of ethanol fuel to be added to gasoline by 2022, up from 9 billion in 2008.

The bill would immediately approve the Keystone XL Pipeline and would “remove barriers to developing and approving additional national pipelines and cross-border energy infrastructure.”

Earlier this year, President Obama vetoed Republican legislation that would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline.

The bill would exclude a number of chemicals, most notably carbon dioxide, from EPA regulation under the Clean Air Act. It would also prevent the regulation of climate change or global warming.

Senator Cruz claims that the bill would stop EPA regulations that harm coal power plants.

The legislation bans any new EPA regulations, except for those passed into law by Congress and signed by the president, that would result in a loss of jobs.

States would be allowed to regulate energy production on federal land within their borders.

The bill would expand energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and on Native American lands.

It would open up the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for energy development.

The bill would also expand offshore drilling opportunities and streamline the application process for offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Specifically, it would require “lease sales within 180 days of enactment of the legislation and every 270 days thereafter, and... approval or disapproval of drilling permits no later than 20 days after an application is submitted.”

It would facilitate permits for the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The ban on crude oil exports, which has been in place since the 1970s as part of an attempt to protect American consumers, would end.

The bill would lessen EPA review in coal exports.

Finally, all revenue increases that result from this bill would be directed to a “Debt Freedom Fund” that could be used only for lowering the national debt.

In last week’s issue, the article “New TPS superintendent selected” should have been attributed to Giselle Willis instead of Nikki Hager.

Graphic by Sam Beckmann

Wednesday, April 1 Writing Out Loud

Join us in the McFarlin Library Faculty Study at 7 p.m. Fiction, poetry, performance writer, recitations from the dictionary ... anything goes! There will also be free food. Address any questions to Professor Wright of the Creative Writing Department.

Thursday, April 3 From My Point of View—Is Art Good for Us?

Joli Jensen, Ph.D., Hazel Rogers Professor of Communication at the University of Tulsa, discusses a concept widely debated in our society. What do we expect of art—individually and socially? And why do we think art is different from popular, folk and ethnic culture? Jensen’s talk explores how and why we categorize cultural forms, and argues for an expressive rather than an instrumental approach.

This will be held in Gallery 18 at the Gilcrease Museum. The talk will begin at 12 p.m. and is free with admission.

School of Arts and Sciences Student Art Show Reception

This reception will be held at the Henry Zarraw Center for Art and Education, 124 East M.B. Brady St. It is free, open to the public and goes from 6–8 p.m. Join us on the 2nd floor education hallway to enjoy the student art exhibitions by TU art students. Contact Cindy Williams at 918-631-4402.

Friday, April 4 French Artist Marcel van Dam

Marcel van Dam is a musician, singer and songwriter for the Netherlands and France. He has won many awards for his music in the Netherlands and France Marcel has produced three music albums and is in the process of recording his fourth.

He has also composed, folk and bluesy flavors. He will perform for TU and the Tulsa community at 5 p.m. on Friday in Tyrrell Hall.

Courtesy Jerry McCoy

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

Contact News Editor Morgan Krueger at morgan-krueger@utulsa.edu with events.

News

The Collegian : 6

30 March 2015

Scenes from Oklahoma’s wine country Courtesy Tres Suenos

from Wine, cover getting the know-how was both critical and difficult. “When we started there wasn’t any information,” he said. This was in 1997.

So where does an Oklahoman go who wants to learn about viticulture? Well, that would be Texas. Specifically, that would be Grayson Community College in Denison, TX. “That’s where most everybody goes to school,” Richard assured me. He himself started taking classes there in 1994.

Grayson Community College is home to the T. V. Munson Viticulture Center and offers a certification program in viticulture and enology (sometimes spelled oenology), the fancy word for “winemaking.” The center is named for Thomas Volney Munson, who, as Richard explains to me, is credited with helping to revive the French wine industry after vineyards throughout the country were wiped out by a devastating outbreak of phylloxera (a small yellow insect related to the aphid).

Munson, a Texas grape breeder, was also an early experimenter with grafting, the growing of the vines and fruit of one grape variety on the roots of another. The phylloxera-resistant rootstock that Munson made available to continental growers let France get back to tending its Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons—this time on the roots of American grapes. * “It was a hay meadow when we moved out here.” Laurance Schulze wore a plaid shirt and baseball hat. He sat in his chair with the relaxed demeanor of a man enjoying the fruits of his labor. In this case, those would be the building we were sitting in: the rustic tasting room of Blue Coyote Winery.

The land now occupied by the Schulzes’ vineyard and winery was originally bought by Laurance’s grandfather, Walter Schulze, in the early 1950s. Seven years ago, after 25 years of experimenting with wine, Laurance and his wife, Jacque, decided to start their own winery on that hay meadow.

With the help of a friend, the two of them built the whole thing from scratch, parts of it with local materials.

“That’s solid walnut,” Laurance said, pointing behind me to the mantelpiece. The bar top turns out to be a piece of local maple, and the wine racks are all local oak.

Laurance’s uncle, Wayne Schulze, harvested and dried the wood. A second uncle, this one a retired architect, designed and built the bathroom, wine rack and bar. For a final touch, the bar’s foot rail is an old brass drying bar from a defunct laundromat.

Like Richard Kennedy, Laurance uses grapes sourced from other vineyards in addition to those he grows himself. But he also makes wine out of … other things. Like pears, peaches, hot peppers, even garlic.

“My little niche in the wine world is doing something different,” he said by way of explanation. The more unusual wines let him mess around and get creative.

“I have to keep doing the oddball

ones to keep me engaged.”

For example, besides his usual jalapeño, serrano and habanero hot pepper wines, he recently made a five-gallon batch of ghost pepper wine. Out of caution, he used only five peppers.

Laurance told me that his main challenges are drainage and frost.

Outside, ten to fifteen yards from his vines, are pools of standing water, a real problem for a grape grower. Here’s Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia again: “The vine does not like ‘wet feet,’ so drainage is vital.”

Drainage a grower can control by choosing locations on the property where water doesn’t readily collect. But the frost is more dangerous. A spring frost can strike the vines early in their annual life cycle, potentially crippling that year’s harvest or killing the vines outright.

So Laurance, for one, was no fan of this year’s warm March weather. “I can already tell you we’re probably not going to have a good crop this year,” he prophesied, worried that the early warmth augured cold weather still to come. * There was a mild chill in the air the day I drove to Gander Way. All the way out to the vineyard’s location in southwest Skiatook, the roads were wet. A light drizzle fell through most of the day.

The day before, I’d asked Mike if I could come out and visit with him. It turned out that he was bottling wine that week and would be quite busy. But, he said, I could come see how it was done: “You might wear clothes that won’t hurt to get wine on.”

Gander Way got its start in 2006 when Mike ordered three thousand vines, expecting them to arrive in two different shipments at two different times of the month. But that isn’t what happened. Instead, they arrived together, all three thousand of them.

The way he described it, Mike got the whole family planting vines. “Anyone who was big enough to plant” was doing so, he said, and with the family and a few others helping out, they managed to get the job done.

“Planning, planning, planning is the key,” Mike sagely observed once he’d told me this story.

It’s obvious that Mike left the starting gate with a certain zeal.

Indeed, he confides to me, in discussions with Dr. Stafne the recommended number of vines had been a hundred. But, having recently undergone quadruple bypass surgery, he had no interest in sitting on his hands. “You have a different view of time when you go through something like that,” he told me.

Mike said that his biggest problem was water—the large pond behind the winery doubles as an irrigation source and scenic complement to Gander Way’s outdoor patio—but that doesn’t stop him from making plenty of wine.

On my second visit I found out that Mike and his wife Janice had since bottled 570 bottles of the Chambourcin I’d helped prepare on my first visit. That’s a whole steel lobster tub of wine.

Kyle Walker / Collegian

Top: Wine grapes at Tres Suenos.

Above: Vines at Gander Way Vineyards and Winery in late March.

Below: The vineyard at Tres Suenos, as seen from the second floor of Tres Suenos’ event venue.

Courtesy Tres Suenos

30 March 2015

The Collegian: 7

Got high hopes for TU?

Hey you, we know you have ideas for how TU can become the best it can be. Don’t pretend you don’t have any, because we’ve heard you talking about them, from your overarching manifesto on liberal arts education at TU to your thoughts on how to fine-tune your major.

Just sit down, take a deep breath and write us 300–500 words about them. We just might publish your idea.

Submit your improve TU story to kyle-walker@utulsa.edu

by Friday, April 3

Variety

The Collegian: 8

30 March 2015

It’s the debut of the Void Children’s Corner, the place where we tackle hardhitting questions for kids such as why Jayden gets more money from the tooth fairy, how to change that and why everything is ultimately worthless.

Adam Lux Student Writer Dearest, impressionable children of Collegian readers, do you remember the first time you lost a tooth and put it under your pillow? Do you remember how the next morning you were showing off your shiny quarter to all your friends at school and that jerk, Jayden Tyler, told you that he got $20 for his tooth. You see the reason for this is very simple: the Tooth Fairy loves Jayden more than you.

But you see it is not only the Tooth Fairy that loves Jayden more. Santa, the Easter Bunny, Jayden’s neighbors, even good old Uncle Sam loves the Tyler family more than your family.

Thats why Jayden gets better presents, more candy and even a nicer barbecue than you do. It’s not because Jayden is a better child than you, let’s face it that guy is a jerk.

What is the reason then? You ask me in your slightly frightened voice. Well, children, the reasons are many and complicated and have to do with things like History and Economics that you neither understand nor care about.

But all hope is not lost! Well for you it is, but not for your children!

You see you have now decided that you will one day make the Tooth Fairy, Santa, the Easter bunny and everyone else love YOUR children even more than they ever loved Jayden Tyler.

So you work hard in school,

harder than anyone else, and you get into a private high school, and then go to a private university and grad school and you get a high paying job. You settle down with another person with a high paying job and you both work at jobs neither of you are sure you actually enjoy.

But then you have children and a dog, because why not, and you lavish them with gifts and experiences and love and everything seems great until one day you realize … you realize that your children are no more happy than you were as a child. And you cry yourself to sleep that night.

And you stay at your stupid job, sending your children out into the world to get stupid high-paying jobs for themselves. One day you

Elias Brinkman / Collegian

finally reach retirement. Now you just sit in your too-large house because you never found out what you actually like to do. Then you die. Stress-induced heart attack.

Go figure.

Your children have children who have children and soon no one remembers you. Our society falls, and we revert back to our primordial selves scurrying around in the dark just trying to survive.

Then our sun expands, consuming

the earth. Not long after that all matter-energy is scattered across the universe and nothing ever happens anymore. Our universe gets old and sluggish and collapses on itself and time ends and whatever happens after that happens.

You see all of this, the end of time and more, in the moment before your death, and you wonder why you ever cared that Jayden Tyler got $19.75 more for a stupid tooth than you did.

Abigail LaBounty / Collegian

“Strangers to Ourselves” a satisfying comeback

Comeback albums leave plenty of room for disappointment, but Modest Mouse’s long-awaited “Strangers to Ourselves” manages to deliver a satisfying album while avoiding many of the comeback album’s pitfalls.

Conor Fellin Managing Editor Awaiting a comeback album from one of your favorite bands can be nerve-wracking. Your expectations are just too high, and there are just too many things that could go wrong.

The band could just try to sound exactly as they did before, effectively throwing in the towel. Yet another of your heroes has proven themselves unworthy of your devotion.

At the other extreme, the band could reinvent themselves completely. The reinvention might work, or it might not. Either way, you are forced to confront the fact that you will never hear new material from the band as you knew it.

Some pleasures are pleasures that you can never repeat.

Modest Mouse may not have broken up, but with the six and a half years that have passed since their last release (the EP “No One’s First and You’re Next”), the newly released “Strangers to Ourselves” feels like a comeback nonetheless.

While it is not a masterpiece on the level of Modest Mouse’s

past three LPs, “Strangers to Ourselves” is a fine album that succeeds in walking the tightrope that is “familiar yet new.”

Still present are the superficially juvenile themes that give way to frightened reflections on the human condition. Still present to a great degree is the off-the-rails feeling, though these songs are somewhat more subdued than their predecessors. Much of the album’s newness lies in its particulars.

“Strangers to Ourselves” is Modest Mouse telling a ghost story, and the sound is tailored to that theme. In general, the music is less screechy and more bassy. There’s less screaming and more snarling.

Other than that, the sounds on the album are delightfully varied, from the simultaneously sweet and eerie strings of the title track to the romping guitar riffs of “The Ground Walks with Time in a Box” to the demented keyboards of “Sugar Boat.” (Both of these are standout tracks, by the way.)

Modest Mouse’s production values continue to increase, and listening to “Strangers” with headphones will definitely reward with new discoveries. I like to imagine Isaac Brock staying after hours

Courtesy Epic Records

The music video for “Lampshades on Fire,” the first single from “Strangers to Ourselves,” captures the eerie tone of the album while also including Modest Mouse’s trademark irreverence.

in the studio, channeling his latenight paranoia into the layer after eerie layer that goes into these tracks.

In the end, it’s a handful of weak tracks that keeps “Strangers” from joining the canon of Modest Mouse’s best albums. “Pistol,” for instance, takes up the story of spree killer Andrew Cunanan with a series of bass-heavy vo-

cal and instrumental distortions that makes it sound more farcical than dark. All told, the song comes across as the misguided attempts of an eighth grader who wants to do dark humor, but can’t get over how funny they think it is to shout, “Cooooooccccaaaaiiinnnneeee.”

In other cases, Modest Mouse’s sins are less dramatic. “The Tortoise and the Tourist,” for instance,

attempts to harken back to Modest Mouse’s earlier recordings with its sung-call, shouted-response chorus. But in the end the throwback feels worn and half-hearted, and the heavy-handed lyrics don’t help.

Still, it is a rich and rewarding album that warrants repeated listens. Modest Mouse, you didn’t disappoint.

Variety

Hoot Owl a welcome addition to Kendall-Whittier

30 March 2015

Hoot Owl Coffee Co.’s new location provides quality drinks within a pleasant atmosphere.

Hannah Kloppenburg Apprentice Editor Conor Fellin Managing Editor

Hannah Kloppenburg/ Collegian

If you look up 2401 E. Admiral Blvd. on Google Maps, you’ll see a nondescript brick building with boarded up windows bearing a white insignia stating that it is the site for Tulsa Group Meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous.

That picture was taken less than a year ago, in May 2014. If you visit the same address now, you’ll find a sleek, minimalist coffee shop. You’ll be looking straight at the newest face of Kendall-Whittier’s revival, Hoot Owl Coffee.

Co-owner Jeff Pelt mentioned that renovating the building was a long and arduous process. One

The Collegian: 9

of the walls had a circle scrawled over it in hard-to-remove marker detailing the struggles of the AA members that had once met there.

A suspended ceiling had to be removed to expose a top layer of vintage windows that had not seen the light of day in decades.

Nevertheless, the building has been transformed today into a light, airy and artfully arranged space for customers to enjoy coffee and a bit of conversation.

The owners succeeded in making a space that could have felt oversized and impersonal instead feel marvelously open. Particularly of note is the Hoot Owl packaging area, which is separated from the rest of the area by nothing more than a piece of rope.

Adding to this vibe is the minimalist menu which contains neither Triple Frappa Mochas nor drinks named after books.

Customers can choose between “latte,” “cappuccino” and “tea” (offered in two varieties when we visited, green and oolong).

Don’t let the minimalism put you off; the quality of the drinks is exceptional. The oolong tea had just the right combination of crispness and richness. The espresso had a distinct and sharp flavor, and while perhaps not a drink to be recommended for those who usually enjoy their coffee with additions like steamed milk and sugar, it was definitely an adventurous coffee experience.

Hoot Owl’s staff was very friendly. Though we did not indicate our intention to review the restaurant until the end of our visit, they were pleasant and delightedly answered our questions about the history of the building and the opening of the new location.

Located just across the corner from the Circle Cinema and Calaveras Mexican Grill, Hoot Owl is a welcome addition to the newly thriving Kendall-Whittier community, providing a comfy place to sit back, study and get your caffeine fix.

The interior of Hoot Owl Coffe Co.’s new location manages to simultaneously feel open and personal.

“Firefly Experience” fails to live up to potential

The Tulsa PAC’s exhibit of the month was “Firefly Experience” featuring works of art by Iowa photographer Radim Schreiber and Tulsa artist Bob Sober. The two artists’ detailed photos were not well supported by the faults of the venue.

Hannah Kloppenburg Apprentice Editor The artwork and photography featured in the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s “Firefly Experience” was gorgeous, but I was disappointed to find that the gallery showing was not entirely the multi-sensory “experience” it claimed to be.

The Tulsa PAC isn’t exactly hopping at noon on a Wednesday, which is when my roommate and I arrived at the exhibit in a fervent attempt to squeeze in a visit between classes. In retrospect, this may have been our first mistake.

After encounters with a few winding, echoing hallways and a broken elevator button, we found our way to the exhibit, tucked neatly

into a quiet corner of the PAC. When we arrived at the exhibit, we discovered that it consisted of about 20 firefly images in a dimly lit and deserted room. The enhancing “evening sounds of nature” and firefly ambiance advertised by the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in their description of the event were nowhere to be seen nor heard.

Whether or not this had to do with the fact that the PAC was mostly deserted, I can’t say. Perhaps they choose not to run the sound effects during low-traffic hours? Or maybe it had to do with the online description of the exhibit—I’ll admit, I can be a sucker for the sensational, and after reading the PAC’s selling points I was expecting something a little more tangible, vivid or interactive in

the Firefly Experience. Whatever the reason, I was a little underwhelmed by my first impression of the exhibit.

Despite the initially disappointing lack of atmosphere, I found myself very impressed by the artwork. The exhibit featured stunning macro photographs of fireflies mid-glow, as well as some intricate and hyper-detailed anatomical photos of the insects.

Radim Schreiber, the artist who contributed most of the artwork in the show, advertises himself as a “firefly photographer” and specializes in capturing fireflies’ ethereal glow up close and personal.

The other artist featured in the exhibit, Bob Sober, is locally based and has taken a series of detailed macro photos of insects with the intention of bringing recognition to their often overlooked world.

His photography adds a wonderful complementary flavor of detailed art to Schreiber’s nearly surreal photography.

While I definitely admired Sober’s work, I have to admit that my favorite aspect of the exhibit was Schreiber’s photography. Looking at it, I could feel the vibe that I think the exhibit was meant to induce: the soft sounds of evening, the reddish light of sunset and the coolness of dark creeping nearer, the warm summer air and above all, the blinking glow of the fireflies.

The exhibit is now closed, but those interested in viewing some of the featured firefly art can visit www.fireflyexperience.org for Schreiber’s photography or www.artisimportant.com for Sober’s work.

Elias Brinkman / Collegian

“Superior Donuts” starts off sluggishly, but ends a high note

Tulsa’s American Theatre Company recently performed Tracy Letts’ “Superior Donuts” at the Tulsa PAC. The play overcame a rocky start to bring life to its script.

Meagan Collins Student Writer The small play “Superior Donuts” was performed on March 13 at 8 p.m. at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The Williams Theatre housed the play that was made up of nine actors. The play was set in the “Superior Donuts” shop in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood during the December of 2009.

It opened with two officers answering a call about vandalism in the “Superior Donuts” shop. The beginning was immediately rocky with one character stumbling and forgetting lines, but soon the other actors picked it up, and the play continued strong afterwards. The main character, named Arthur, performed by Rob Bowe, owned the dilapidated donut shop and came in on the investigation.

It was immediately clear that the female cop, Officer Randy,

was deeply interested in Arthur.

Thus ensued the awkward one-sided romance. That wasn’t the least of Arthur’s problems. The young, energetic Franco Wicks arrived seeking employment, believing in big dreams, trying to pay big debts and having just finished writing his first Great American novel.

Franco was played by 18-year-old Cornelius Johnson.

Through the sluggish but believable pace, the actors brought life to a script that needed a clearer plot structure. Arthur and another character would exchange dialogue, one would exit, and then a moody red light would be cast over the stage as Arthur would pour out his sob story in monologue form. Arthur’s memories were tiresomely uninteresting and didn’t provide any character development that could not have been achieved through an interaction with another character. It left me feeling dismal and bored.

The fight scene between Arthur and Franco’s creditor was laughably clumsy and made light of the desolate setting. The romance between Officer Randy and Arthur was hard to watch, but its awkwardness felt genuine. The end scene was emotional and heartwarming. It tied in multiple themes of the real “American Dream,” courage, love, and hope. Overall, the actors saved a rather poor script that was murky and difficult by making the play remarkably believable.

Abigail LaBounty / Collegian

variety

“Little Women” actors, stage combine to create an unforgettable musical

the Collegian : 10

30 March 2015

Frogbelly and Symphony’s album art is as uselessly eclectic as their music. If you look closely, you can see a dolphin with the British flag printed on its torso.

By combining both the novel and the Broadway script, TU Theatre’s made for an exciting performance of “Little Women.”

Meagan Collins Student Writer The Broadway Musical “Little Women” was performed at the Gussman Concert Hall on March 28 at 8 p.m. The TU theatre cast took the Broadway script and its understanding of the beloved book and created a performance that will be hard to forget.

The musical took on the story of the March girls and their lives leading up to the writing of “Little Women.” The stage set was grand and encompassed every inch of its space, drawing the audience into the story. The phenomenal actress and singer Nicole Billups played spirited Jo and began the musical singing about her dramatic story; this set the tone for wild theatrics and plenty of light humor throughout the musical.

At times the pit orchestra overpowered even the most robust voices on stage, but the

actors held their own fairly well. The actresses and actors took great care to fit their voices to the characters and not simply go through the motions. From Beth’s delicate voice, played

by Tabitha Littlefield, to Aunt March’s scraggy one, played

by Caitlin Cash, the diversity of tones was impressive.

Cody McCoy performed the rather ditzy and energetic Laurie with such poise and dedication that some audience members clapped enthusiastically just for his performances. Laurie’s grandfather, Mr. Laurence, played by Ryan Box, was well fleshed out. His limping with a cane was slightly melodramatic, but the character talked and looked elderly with skillful stage makeup.

Perhaps the most memorable scene was Beth’s last song.

Taken to Cape Cod, Beth and Jo flew a kite together to forget some of their troubles. As Beth talked of never making plans

Chuyi Wen / Collegian

Top: The March girls, Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy March, act out their “operactic tragedy,” setting the tone for the musical.

Bottom: “Little Women” follows the March sisters as they age from childhood to adults.

for the future and being ready to leave, a wind caught the homemade kite and blew it away. Beth’s voice was one to make any audience member a little teary-eyed.

Chris Jett brought the

character Professor Bhaer to life. The character’s singing and mannerisms made this “prince charming” more of a believable human being that a knight in shining armor. Truly, the musical was made magnificent

because of Jo’s strong and clear voice. It carried over all other sounds and anchored the musical, making it full of hope and life.

TU Opera’s “A Tribute to Alec Wilder” a varied, enjoyable performance

Student singers and musicians charmed the audience by performing a series of works from Wilder’s repertoire.

Meagan Collins Student Writer

The TU Opera Theatre presented “A Tribute to Alec Wilder” on March 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Meinig Recital Hall.

Known for his whimsical and humorous compositions, Wilder created several themes for “Winnie-the-Pooh” and a few delightful plays.

The program started with the Pooh Instrumental Ensemble singing “Cottleston Pie” and “Sing Ho! For the Life of a Bear!” from “Winnie-thePooh.” Their formally trained voices made these adorable pieces wonderfully enjoyable.

The audience could be heard giggling as the two songs progressed. “Blackberry Winter” was next, with bittersweet tones about short winter days.

Solo clarinetist Kristi Sturgeon performed “Grazioso” with piano accompaniment Brady McElligott. Then it was back to the singers. Daniel Maxwell and Sarah Maud sang the heartfelt “Photographs”

about memories a couple had together while in love. Unexpectedly, “How Lovely is Christmas” sung by Jevan Bremby was next. Why there was a Christmas song in a March concert is still unknown, but it sure sounded nice.

Before the intermission, half of the performers sang and acted “The House-Lights Lower” from Wilder’s play “The Opening.” The fourth wall was broken as the front row of an audience chatted during a production of the play “Cinderella.” Zane Cawthon played Prince Charming trying to find a princess in the audience while sporting a plastic crown and toy megaphone.

After a ten minute intermission, the company took on another scene from one of Wilder’s plays. A scene from “Sunday Excursion” depicted four cranky and love-struck Yale students, performed by Darcy Waller, Hannah Parker, Zane Cawthon and Asura Oulds-Jones, who accompany a bumbly magazine and apple salesman, played by Michael Schrag, on a train.

Accompanied by pianist Drew Crane and bassist Billy Mayer, Sarah Maud sang a viv-

id and sultry “I’ll Be Around.”

Once again, the instrumentalists soloed without voices. Entitled “Effie Goes to the Carnival” from Wilder’s “Effie Suite,” Tubist Hunter Hanna, clarinetist Kristi Sturgeon and pianist Brady McElligott played this whimsical song. Rarely is a tuba given so much limelight, and the song showcased the incredible range, dynamism and

charm of the big brass instrument.

Darcy Waller and Asura Oulds-Jones sang the romantic and giddy duet “Love is When” that left some audience members happily sighing from its sweetness. Next to sing was Abby Raiford performing the haunting “River Run” that was accompanied by the entire company of singers.

Blake Fusick performed and sang “The Baggage Room Blues” as an aggravated TSA agent wishing the airplane passengers would stop leaving their luggage at the airport. To conclude the evening Melanie Piche sang the short and sweet song “While We’re Young” that ended the night’s performance on a hopeful and energetic note.

Chuyi Wen/ Collegian

Performers in TU Opera Theatre paid tribute to Alex Wilder, who wrote themes for “Winnie-the-Pooh” and plays.

variety

30 March 2015

the Collegian : 11

Avant-garde poetry night cuts to the bone

By Fraser Kastner Medical students commonly experience “second year syndrome,” where they begin to believe that they have the diseases that they have been studying. This week’s TU ten will examine some of the less well-known majorspecific ailments.

1. Sociology: a mysterious conviction that they are surrounded by systemic inequality and injustice (they are).

Adam Lux / Collegian

Associate Professor of English Grant Jenkins plays his bass at the avant-garde poetry night.

TU students joined local poets to perform a series of artful and evocative poems this Friday.

Conor Fellin Managing Editor

TU Poetry Professor Dr. Grant Jenkins opened the annual Tulsa Avant-Garde Poetry Reading (an event where TU students and Oklahoma poets presented their work) by promising to play his electric bass in the background throughout the event, noting that he thought poetry readings could get boring.

I think I can guess what he was getting at; if you advertise an event as an “avant-garde” poetry reading, it’s very easy for the performances there to degenerate into self-absorbed and ultimately stuffy pieces that sacrifice all at the altar of appearing edgy.

Yet by the end of the night’s

first act, Dr. Jenkins hadn’t gotten a chance to play more than a few licks. Far from pretentious and tedious, the poems performed were emotionally raw and engaging.

Take, for instance, TU junior Leah Suleski’s piece on the contradictions between our culture’s expectations of female beauty and its tendency to blame sexual assault victims for what they were wearing.

Through an endlessly clever stream of word associations and garbled cultural references, Suleski delivered an artful and searing indictment.

Then there was TU junior Kate Roddy’s coming-of-age poem, where she warned us, among other things, that you just can’t trick yourself into thinking that two twin beds side-by-side form a king bed.

If you’re not sure how you feel about that metaphor, rest assured that it hit me hard when

I heard it performed out loud.

There are a lot of intangibles at these poetry readings.

Of course, not all was deadly serious, and some of the most experimental pieces were a lot of fun. Tulsa Community College English Professor Sloan Davis performed “Litany,” a poem that invited the audience to respond “Always be writing” to each line.

The poem mixed such disparate elements as exhortations to write even while you’re at the bar with uncomfortable jokes from mass emails in an attempt to catalogue the elements of a society where text messages and emails make the written word increasingly central to daily life.

All told, the Tulsa AvantGarde Poetry Reading provided a promising look at how loose, primal and ultimately absorbing avant-garde and slam poetry can be.

reconsider her lifestyle and choices in a remote location.

On top of it all Ansel owes money to his eccentric agent, a detail that had the potential to dilute from the main plot.

Instead, the chaotic situation is executed well-enough to provide plenty of tension to the film, while giving the audience time to empathise with the characters.

The technical facets of the film seem muted, with no soundtrack and a rather basic approach to cinematography.

The camerawork does as little as it can to depict its scenes, with the exception of only a few moments (including a nightmare sequence). I imagine all this was done to let the audience more closely relate to

vides is overshadowed by Leland Orser, who blends wholly with his character, producing a character that is the film’s most promising asset. I’m not sure director Riley Stearns was aware of this during production. My interest, and I imagine that of other viewers, diminished whenever the film would shift focus away from him.

The progression of “Faults” is yet another of its atypical aspects. Where most films might present an obstacle for its protagonist to conquer—a metaphorical mountain—“Faults” more strongly resembles a

2. Physics: the mistaken impression that they live in a knowable, ordered universe.

3. Petroleum Engineering: the occasional moral hang-up about their role in environmental degradation.

4. Philosophy: being a dick to your friends.

5. Political Science: the knowledge that their skills are only useful in a deeply broken system.

6. Art: hunger pangs.

7. Marketing: alcohol poisoning.

8. Computer Science: tech startup pipe dreams.

9. Economics: see Political Science.

10. Law: a practical lack of altruism (also known as being viciously opportunistic).

“Faults” challenges genres, conventions in an intriguing study of family, loneliness

“Faults” is a dark-humored drama which follows the de-programming of a former cult member.

Trent Gibbons Student Writer

“Faults” is a film that belongs to no one genre, or at least not one readily identifiable. While my favorite part of the film was certainly its elements of character study, there’s also much to be said of its black comedy and thriller-esque scenarios.

Some media outlets go so far as to name it an inventive horror film, thanks to its supernatural themes. The film’s ability to break from genre formulae is both its most intriguing aspect

snare, slowly winding tighter and tighter around our main cast. Even Ansel’s more levelheaded decisions seem to worsen or complicate the matter, putting him at odds with others.

For all that the film sets out to achieve, it limits itself to ninety minutes, a slightly daunting feat for any studio, let alone an independent one. Just when I thought I could predict the direction the script was heading, it would veer off sharply, sometimes even playing off potentially supernatural elements.

It’s fun at first, but the recurring genre twists can mar the

pacing of the film, occasionally draining its energy. For a film that’s at the very least interesting through the entirety of its duration, it’s a shame when it quickly concludes with a leftfield ending.

Ultimately “Faults” is greater than its own. Its ability to challenge a multitude of cinematic conventions is enough by itself to warrant seeing the film in theaters. Above all else the film is elevated by the outstanding performance of Leland Orser, who creates a protagonist that is all at once desperate, relatable and human.

“Faults” more strongly resembles a snare, slowly winding tighter and tighter around our main cast. and eventually its greatest flaw.

The plot follows Ansel Roth (Leland Orser), a down-on-hisluck everyman who claims to be an expert on cults and mind control. He attracts the attention of an old couple seeking intervention for their daughter, Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Roth proposes they deprogram her, separating her from Faults—not the Faults, just Faults, as Claire informs Ansel—and forcing her to

the characters and events depicted on screen, no matter how ridiculous either may become.

A few of the characters, most notably Claire’s parents, also seem intentionally forgettable, leaving only Claire and Ansel in our focus.

Having known Winstead was married to the director, I expected her performance to fall at either end of the spectrum, either terrific or terrible. Instead whatever talent she pro-

Courtesy Screen Media

Claire, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is a former cult member being deprogrammed in “Faults.”

Commentary

The Collegian: 12

30 March 2015

Right to be forgotten not right for Internet age

It’s possible for random people to become internet sensations overnight, and sometimes that doesn’t bode well for them. The right to be forgotten would remove undesirable links from search engines, but would be too difficult to implement.

Hannah Kloppenburg Apprentice Editor In the Internet age, the conflict between the right to free speech and personal privacy is becoming more and more of a heated issue. Some countries are seeking a solution in the form of the “right to be forgotten.”

The right to be forgotten is a policy barely a year in the making that seeks to address the issue of unwanted attention on the internet.

Under the policy, Internet users can appeal to search engines to have results which are “inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant, or excessive for the purposes of the data processing,” removed from the search engine.

These links will still exist on the internet, but will not appear in a list of search engine results, making them less likely to attract unwanted attention.

One aspect of the situation involves videos or pictures posted without the subject’s permission or even the creation of memes using images of people found on the internet. Bad Luck Brian, Overly Attached Girlfriend, Alex from Target—all of these are real people, and while the people in the aforementioned memes enjoyed their popularity, some were not so fortunate.

One teen was mercilessly harassed and

bullied in school after his classmates posted a video of him fighting Star Wars-style on the internet without his permission. He was subsequently forced to drop out and seek psychiatric counseling due to this abuse.

Another aspect of the policy is the removal of unwanted and now irrelevant information—for example, your years-old and long since resolved teenage drunk driving accusation that might pop up every time someone googles your name.

The policy has already been considered and put into use in the European Union and Argentina. It’s meant to protect people from both harassment and unfair judgment, by future employers, for example.

Google is paving the way as the main implementer of the policy, but many other internet search engines could soon be required to comply. Google has already received tens of thousands of requests from EU residents to remove access to links from the search engine.

One stipulation of the EU policy is that Google can currently only remove results on EU internet providers; for example, www. google.fr in France or www.google.de in Germany, but not the American-based www. google.com.

Ideally, the right to be forgotten is a just solution to some of the problems posed by the internet age. I definitely like the idea of the policy, and I’m 100 percent for preventing harassment. However, it’s a policy which is nearly impossible to implement in a venue like the Internet, where a single meme can send someone spiraling into ridicule in a matter of hours and be obsolete just as quickly.

Another issue with the policy is the degree to which it can be abused. While it’s meant to protect those who have unwanted or irrelevant information about themselves on the internet, there’s also the question of what information “deserves” this definition and whether or not hiding it from a search

engine can be considered censorship.

A good example is soccer player Eden Hazard’s ridiculous demands that links referring to his poor World Cup playing be removed from search engines. Not only that, but it’s easy to see how the policy might be manipulated to hide accusations of pedophilia, rape or other scandals.

The policy is currently being considered on a case-to-case basis, which is appropriate considering the nature of the internet but can also easily lead to unfair rulings or even be subject to corruption.

I wholeheartedly agree that harassment and abuse as a result of unwanted internet exposure should be avoided when at all possible, but I don’t know that the “right to be forgotten” policy is the right path. Trying to clamp down on a dynamic medium like the Internet is a tricky process which will likely result in complications and corruption.

However, I do see it as a preliminary step towards a more effective future solution.

Courtesy NBC Sports

“Sad Piccolo Girl” became an internet sensation the night after a March Madness basketball game. This picture is potentially embarrassing, and she might want the right to be forgotten!

Origins of International Women’s Day International Women’s Day has its origins in the trials faced by working women at the beginning of the 20th century. It continues to be relevant today.

Kayleigh Thesenvitz Apprentice Editor Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, and in 2015 it was met with world-

wide celebration.

The United Kingdom led the world in hosting the most commemoratory events with more than 300 public festivities. It was followed closely by the United States, Australia, Canada and India.

In China, International Women’s Day is marketed by companies so that men will buy presents for their mothers, wives and daughters. Chinese university students created the spin-off, “Girl’s Day,” on March 7 so that unmarried women could have a special day as well.

In Russia the day is honored more humbly by giving small gifts to female friends and colleagues in a personal setting.

According to the United Nation’s website, “It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regards to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.”

The holiday attributes its origin to a garment workers’ strike that took place in New York in 1908. 15,000 women protested unfair working conditions.

In 1910 at a meeting in Copenhagen, The Socialist International proposed an International Women’s Day that was unanimously approved by 100 women from 17 countries.

The holiday really gained traction in the U.S. after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire on March 25, 1911. The fire killed 146 workers, 123 of whom were women, that were locked inside the building because of the inhumane management practices.

Due to the tragedy of this event some people suggest that International Women’s Day ought to be a somber day of remembrance.

To the contrary, it symbolizes much more than the horror that women workers had to endure before the push for equal rights

took effect. It demonstrates that women as a whole have the tenacity to gain the equality they deserve.

International Women’s Day should be associated with success for a globally recognized movement. To that end, it can be shared as evidence that equality for all is becoming more widely accepted with each passing decade.

Before the men of the world get butthurt about their exclusion, there is an International Men’s Day that takes place every year on Nov. 19 in over 60 countries. It focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations and highlighting positive male role models.

Even though gender equality has yet to permeate the earth, International Women’s Day has created a crucial bridge to understanding and appreciating the capabilities of women.

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to membership in

Phi Beta Kappa

America’s 0ldest and Most Prestigious Academic Honor Society Founded in 1776

Attorey Markee Amaefule David Carroll Anderson Carly M. Boatwright Erin Christine Camp Michael Paul Crockett Emily Grace Dunn Forrest A. Farjadian Sean Alexander Fuentes Kristen E. Gabriel Madeleine Joan Goss Sarah Ellen Hartley Gregory H. Jones Julianne M. Kernen Kelsey Mann Kindbom

Teresa Elizabeth Kinealy Hannah J. Lafranzo Michael John Mancini Abby Marie Meaders Natalie J. Merrick Kathryn Mae Nelson Gabriella Elisabeth Pierce Carter Megan Scarbrough Lauren Meredith Stanley Haley C. Stritzel Kylie G. Thomas Aaron T. Thornburg Lynna Van Kyle Patrick Walker Conner R. Wurth

Phi Beta Kappa’s initiation ceremony will take place on Friday, May 8, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in Sharp Chapel.

Commentary

30 March 2015

The Collegian: 13

Sen. Ted Cruz shouldn’t run for president

Senator Cruz is a firebrand orator to be sure, but he lacks experience, embraces irresponsible tactics and creates division within the GOP. Brennen VanderVeen Politics Reporter Ted Cruz is the first major candidate to announce that he’s running for president in 2016. Since his election to the Senate in 2012, he has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Obama administration. He is an intelligent and skilled debater. However, Cruz’s candidacy isn’t good for the GOP. Ironically, one of Cruz’s weaknesses is his similarity to President Obama. Neither have ever had any executive experience as a governor, cabinet official at the state or federal level, or even as a mayor. Also, both have had very short legislative careers in Washington.

In fact, their legislative careers mirror each other quite closely. Both have been the junior senators from their respective states and had four years separating their terms

as senator and the presidential election.

They’re even about the same age relative to the election. By some measures, Obama was among the most liberal senators. Ted Cruz has tried to position himself as among the most consistently conservative senators.

In 2008, Republicans criticized Obama’s lack of experience. Since then, Obama’s lack of experience has shown. On the domestic front, his “signature achievement” had a completely botched rollout. Basically every time scandal or controversy occurs, he reportedly only learns about it through news reports.

With foreign policy, the world is a complete mess. Putin is leading an increasingly aggressive and authoritarian Russia. The Middle East is in complete turmoil. ISIS is committing completely barbaric atrocities through Syria and Iraq. Boko Haram has sworn allegiance to the terrorist group. ISIS has also gained control in areas of Libya.

In response to ISIS, the United States has entered into a pseudo-alliance with Iran. All the while, we’re opposing Iranian-backed militias in Yemen. That country is basically in collapse and the United States has had to evacuate its facilities there a mere six months after Obama called it a success.

Our Gulf allies such as Saudi Arabia have repeatedly made clear how concerned and dissatisfied they are with US policy towards Iran.

All of this is to say nothing of the nuke deal with Iran that is even causing Demo-

crats to revolt against the president. True, Cruz is of a very different ideology than Obama, and some of these international conflicts are not necessarily a result of US policy. However, all of this should give Republicans pause in electing a novice.

Cruz isn’t the only first term senator likely to run for president on the Republican side.

Especially notable are senators Rand Paul and Marco Rubio. All three of these candidates supported the “defund Obamacare” effort that resulted in a government shutdown in October 2013. Cruz often seemed to be the biggest supporter of the effort. In November 2014, he still defended the tactic.

Cruz blames Democrats for the shutdown.

While it’s true that the shutdown would have been avoided had the Democrats accepted the House spending plan and President Obama signed it, this ignores the reality of the situation. The Republicans only held one chamber of Congress. Also, proponents of the tactic demanded that Democrats basically give up all funding for Obamacare (which has funding outside of congressional appropriations anyway) without giving any concessions on their own side. If the Democrats refused, a government shutdown, which wouldn’t destroy the country but would look terrible, would result.

Of course, given the extremity of the demand, Republicans would be blamed, especially with the more left-wing bias of most media. The defund effort amounted to its supporters telling the Democrats, “give us

everything we want with no concessions on our side or we’ll create a stupid situation for which we’ll be blamed!”

This isn’t an isolated incident. In December, Cruz and Utah senator Mike Lee used procedural mechanisms to oppose Obama’s executive action on immigration. The result? Several senators had to cancel their plans and return to Washington for a weekend session in which Democrats were able to advance with votes that likely wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Also, Obama’s executive action still stands.

Such recklessness has made Cruz unpopular among many of his colleagues. A president needs a good relationship with Congress. President Lyndon B. Johnson, for example, used his skills as a former Senate Majority Leader to advance his goals. Part of President Obama’s issues with Congress has been his own disdain for it. Furthermore, Cruz even goes so far as to question his GOP colleagues’ resolve to end the ACA when they don’t embrace his ridiculous tactics, saying, “There is a powerful, defeatist approach among Republicans in Washington” in July 2013.

Ultimately, Cruz has spent his time in the Senate without any major legislative accomplishments. His claim to fame is not just his fierce opposition to Obama but also his recklessness that ultimately is little more than grandstanding. Such grandstanding is evidence of his hubris and disregard for the rest of the party. The GOP deserves better.

Students at the University of Amsterdam have occupied a building on campus and set up what they are calling the “New University.” They are leading an ongoing protest against the administration, which had proposed the consolidation of many arts and sciences programs into a single “Liberal Arts” program. Here, students sat outside in an effort to stop police officers from entering their building, but they were ultimately arrested.

Courtesy NL Times

There is no room for free speech at OU

OU President David Boren violated the First Amendment rights of the two SAE students he expelled: the Tulsa World was wrong to support him.

Kyle Walker Editor-in-Chief

Just off the Creek Turnpike between Aspen and Elm in Broken Arrow WarrenTheatres.com

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Movie Line (918) 893-9798

The Tulsa World’s March 17 editorial, “There is no room for racism at OU,” presents a deeply and dangerously illiberal perspective on freedom of speech.

In spite of very clear First Amendment case law protecting offensive, even abhorrent speech, the World praised OU President David Boren for his prompt expulsion of two SAE fraternity members.

Members of the World’s editorial board also wrote that they “don’t believe anyone’s First Amendment rights have been violated.”

If we take this proclamation at face value, it could mean one of two things. At best, it betrays a brand of credulousness to which a newspaper ought to be immune. At worst, it’s characteristic of a deeply and dangerously illiberal attitude toward free speech in general.

Taking the two possibilities in order: The World seems to take Boren and his supporters at their word. When Boren or anyone else says that OU is legally obligated to maintain a hospitable learning environment, it seems the World would say ‘OK.’ And so would we.

But when someone says that OU was entitled to expel two of its students who supposedly created a “hostile learning environment,” I’d have to disagree. The World, it seems, is totally fine with this justification.

That’s too bad. The law Boren and his supporters are paraphrasing is Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits, among other things, federally funded educational institutions from discriminating

on the basis of race.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which is responsible for enforcing Title VI, says that schools need to respond to “racial harassment” that is “sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive” so as to interfere when someone’s ability to benefit from their education is hindered.

But the incident at issue, one chant sung on a bus by a crowd of fraternity brothers and their friends, was neither severe, persistent nor pervasive—even if it was abhorrent.

It sounds like World is counting on a court to find that the speech in question was not protected and that Boren’s actions were justified under Title VI. But the World’s editorial seems to go further than that. Let’s look at it again: “We don’t believe anyone’s First Amendment rights have been violated.”

I’m reminded of something that a World editor said in a recent discussion about free speech. Meeting at a discussion co-sponsored by the Faculty of Communication and the Collegian, he said something to this effect: “There are consequences for free speech.”

At the time, I was deeply unsettled by this line of argument. More so, now that it’s popping up in the World’s editorial comments.

It’s hard to imagine a more quintessential violation of the First Amendment than a public university punishing a student for a single instance in which that student said something offensive.

But in the eyes of the World, any punishment is just a consequence of that student’s exercising free speech. The World’s version of freedom of speech, it seems, is limited to the freedom from prior restraint; i.e. “You can say what you want, but you might not like what happens afterward.”

This is a deeply illiberal, almost authoritarian perspective on free speech. On this formulation, the freedom to say what you wish is unlimited, but the right to do so with impunity ends at the whims of those in power, who turn out to be little more than enlightened despots.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the phrase “enlightened despots,” I’m more ready to count on the second half than on the first.

This article is a longer version of a letter to the editor which appeared in the March 23 issue of the Tulsa World.

Sports

The Collegian: 14

State of the program, looking forward at TU basketball’s future

One writer gives his opinion of how Tulsa needs to play faster, shoot better, improve handling and play aggresively in order to move up to the next level.

Pat Fox Student Writer

TU’s basketball season is over. That is a sad thing. I really like basketball and I like watching it live. TU had a pretty good year.

It would have been nice if they made the NCAA tournament, but they still had a fun and exciting year despite not going to the ship. In this article I am going to talk about the short term and long term future of TU basketball plus some improvements they can make.

The short term future of the Golden Hurricane looks bright. Every starter is returning and the most underrated aspect of basketball is chemistry. Most of these guys have been playing together for four years now and know every aspect of each other’s games. That makes a huge difference when you are playing a team of all freshmen.

Seeing a team with seven seniors on it is rare in college basketball these days.

It has been a very influential class for TU basketball. They made TU relevant again.

Nobody gave a shit about TU basketball when I was a freshman.

They literally used to give away money so people would come. Seriously, I won fifty dollars once because I was the “rowdiest” fan there. That is the only down side of people showing up to games now. They do not give away money anymore. Besides that it is awesome that people actually give a shit now.

Back to the point though, TU’s short term future looks good, but the current players could all improve certain parts of their game

to make the team better.

Shaq Harrison had a breakout season last year. He was second on the team in points and first in assists and led the team in “holy shit dunks” which is when somebody dunks and it makes the whole crowd say, “holy shit!” He averaged about one of those dunks a game, but he has one major flaw in his game—he cannot shoot.

There is a reason he had at least twenty points in the first five conference games then fell off after that. Teams started watching tape and realized all he did was drive and started playing zone. I was sitting behind a scout at one of the games this year and I looked over his shoulder to see what he was saying about our players. The first thing he wrote about Shaq was, “no shot.”

Shaq would be a lottery pick if he had any semblance of a shot. He is a 6’4 crazy athletic point guard with good vision. If he wants to make the next step as a player he needs a jump shot.

James Woodard is basically the exact opposite of Shaq. Just think if Woodard and Shaq did the Fusion Dance from “Dragon Ball Z” and became Shaq Woodard. They would have been a favorite for the Wooden Award.

They would have averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals as Shaq Woodard, but sadly the Fusion Dance is not real so they are still separate people.

The main areas that Woodard needs to improve in are his handling and passing.

Woodard is a really good shooter and got most of his threes off catch-and-shoot opportunities. He can get a lot more shots if he improves his handling. The reason his assist numbers were so low is because not many people on the team could make jump shots besides him.

Some things other people can improve on the team: Rashad Smith should improve his

handling and jump shot to be a better insideout player. Deandre Wright needs to turn the ball over less. Mainly he needs to keep the ball up when he gets offensive rebounds.

Rashad Ray needs to stop being so hesitant and be more aggressive.

As a team, I think we need to play faster.

You could see in the NIT that the thirty second shot clock hurt TU because for some reason Frank Haith likes to wait until the last ten seconds of a shot clock to take a shitty shot. I think I have said this before, but who cares. TU needs to play faster.

We will never get McDonald AllAmerican recruits as a small school—we need something to set us apart. Right now we play slow and we are somewhat effective on defense. The main reason I think we should play fast is because we are a guard heavy team with athletic big men, besides Big E, and we have had attendance problems for years and playing an exciting style of basketball will put butts in seats.

This kind of style is a style you live or die by. You might score a hundred points or you might shoot thirty percent and lose by thirty. I would rather play this way and lose than keep playing so cautious and blowing leads like we did against UConn in the Conference semifinals.

My last point is about the future of the program. Frank Haith has Danny Manning’s recruits for one more year and then it’s all his own guys after that. I am a big Mizzou fan so I have watched Frank Haith coach for a couple years now. He did really well with other people’s recruits, but once he got his own it was rough. He brought in really good recruits, but he did not seem to develop them well.

There is also a lot less pressure at Tulsa than Mizzou. After this senior class graduates we will really see what kind of coach Frank Haith can be at Tulsa.

having a breakout spring.

Neither the Pittsburgh Pirates nor the Milwaukee Brewers made significant changes during the offseason, but after strong seasons in 2014, we can expect them to be competing for the division title.

With all the talent in this division, the Cincinnati Reds will have trouble keeping up, and will likely fall short of the top teams.

The Central is the Cardinals division to lose, and the health of their pitching staff will play a major role in their success this season. Look for the Central to send two teams to the postseason, the division winner and a wild-card team.

NL West - Tickle me surprised if the Dodgers don’t more or less run away with this division come October.

The biggest competition in this division may be for the No. 2 spot, between the revamped San Diego Padres and the reigning San Francisco Giants. For the first time since Tony Gwynn, the Padres’ brass seems to want to win a baseball game or two, after free agent acquisitions Matt Kemp and James Shields.

Meanwhile, a second-place finish would be a moderate surprise for the Giants, who are poised for a fall back to reality this season. The joke’s on the rest of MLB though, because the Giants will inevitably win the 2016 World Series crown.

The Rockies and Diamondbacks will undoubtedly round out the bottom of the division, as you can’t name more than two players from either roster.

AL East - The AL East holds the winner of free agency this past offseason, the Boston Red Sox. They have the most dominant lineup in the MLB after acquiring Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. Pitching is still a question mark for them which doesn’t make them a cinch to win the division.

The Orioles and the Blue Jays have the

best chance of giving the Sox a run for their money, but it will be a rough road considering they didn’t do much in the offseason.

The Rays and Yankees bring up the bottom of the division. It may be a rough year for the Evil Empire; the first time that they will be without their beloved captain.

AL Central - This is not just Detroit’s division anymore. The four-time defending division champs will have to fight off the upstart Indians and free-agency splurging White Sox for another trip to the playoffs.

Minnesota is still a few years away with top prospects still waiting in the minor leagues and oh yeah, the American League champion Royals will be competitive as well. This division will beat each other up the entire season with no one team standing out.

At the end of the year though, I like the White Sox to be the surprising Chicago team to make the playoffs.

AL West - This division will definitely be one of the most competitive in 2015. The Mariners proved that they can compete with the Angels and the Athletics last year, barely missing the wild card matchup and with King Felix on the mound, the Mariners look to be in a position to make a run out west.

The Rangers have been plagued by injuries yet again (Yu Darvish and Jurickson Profar are out for the year), and it will show in their record. The Astros will not compete by any means, but will improve as their young roster continues to develop.

With the Athletics going all out last year and trading some of their best talent in a World Series run (which ended early in the wild card game), I think the Angels and Mariners will make the playoffs in a tough division.

Jesse Keipp, Joey Byron, Joseph Edmunds, Mason Morgan and Matt Rechtien contributed to this article.

Countdown to baseball, how will the divisions play out in 2015?

With Opening Day of Major League Baseball right around the corner, the Collegian sports writers made predictions for each division.

Wade Crawford Sports Writer

NL East - With the Atlanta Braves rebuilding to compete in their new stadium in 2017 and Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. still believing it’s 2011, this division will be dominated by the Nationals. Adding Max Scherzer to 2014’s best pitching staff will prove devastating to a division weak on offense.

Expect the Marlins and Mets to fight for the second spot, as both teams benefit from quickly-rising young players and the return of their top starter. I give the edge to the Marlins, based on the bat of Giancarlo Stanton and the acquisitions of Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and Mat Latos. The young Braves and the aging Phillies will occupy the final two spots.

The only surprise out of this division will be if the Phillies finally trade stars such as Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley to boost a lacking farm system.

NL Central - Another season of baseball, and the NL Central is again one of, if not the most, stacked division in the Major Leagues. Likely headed by perennial championship contenders the Saint Louis Cardinals, the division is the strongest from top to bottom.

Yet again, the Chicago Cubs are receiving a large amount of hype, as has regularly been occurring this century. Each year seems to be “the year” for the Cubs to break out of mediocrity and into contention, and this season shows more promise than recent years, with the addition of Jon Lester to the starting rotation and young star Kris Bryant

30 March 2015

Jesse Keipp is…

A game of inches In a DEA-style crackdown of cliches, the newest edition of the AP Stylebook has banned the use of “dingers,” “jacks,” and “bombs” in reference to home runs. Eliminating cliches from sports writing would be like eliminating apple pie from America.

Courtesy of Tiny Pies

Apple pie is one of the most patriotic symobls in America. It brings inspiration to so many people, such as Don McLean, Warrant, Bob Dylan and those people who made the movies. It is ingrained into our culture. You could say that apple pie would not exist without America (please ignore the fact that the pictured pie is in fact not apple).

Simply put, the Associated Press woke up on the wrong side of the bed. There is no “I” in TEAM, but there is in Hitler. The AP can Stalin-istically impose its standards, but as sports writers, the ball is in our court. We’re in a league of our own.

Notably, neither The Collegian nor the Bleacher Creature adheres to society’s socalled “rules,” as evidenced by my hundreds of dollars in unpaid parking tickets. You can’t catch me, campo!

We need a change of direction The Washington Redskins have it rough.

They traded away years of success for a mediocre quarterback in Robert Griffin III. Head coach Jay Gruden, the Daniel Baldwin to Jon Gruden’s Alec Baldwin, is somehow expected to, well, coach. Despite his best efforts, team owner Dan Snyder can’t manage to explain to Native Americans why “Redskins” isn’t racist.

Even the Redskins’ stadium, FedEx Field, couldn’t help but contribute to the club’s haplessness. Before a friendly between the El Salvador and Argentina men’s soccer teams, FedEx Field played the Salvadoran national anthem, albeit with a slight twist.

Instead of the Salvadoran national anthem, the national anthem for the Isle of Man rang loud and proud from the FedEx loudspeakers.

With hands on their hearts, the Salvadoran players stood proudly until each slowly realized that the song was a bit off. It would probably be in everyone’s best interest if FedEx just stuck to “Yakety Sax” from now on.

He always gives 110 percent While vacationing, New England Patriots quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady aired it out, jumping off a cliff. To the relief of Patriots fans, Brady arose from the water below unscathed. To the chagrin of everyone else, Brady arose from the water below unscathed.

Later on the same vacation, Brady played a pick-up game with Michael Jordan. Thankfully, Jordan, who once called himself “Black Jesus” during a pre-season game, undoubtedly dished out some vicious trash talk on Brady. Nonetheless, I just want Brady to enjoy his spring break like any of us would. Break a leg, Tom! They appear to lack consistency In typical Chicago Cubs fashion, the Wrigley Field renovation is already falling behind schedule.The renovation, scheduled to take place over the course of four offseasons, will now require an additional offseason of work.

‘Cane Calendar March 30–April 5 Monday, March 30 Men’s Golf @ UALR/First Tee Collegiate Classic; Little Rock,

AR; All Day Tuesday, March 31 Softball vs. Arkansas; Collins Family

Softball Softball Complex; 5 p.m.

Men’s Golf @ UALR/First Tee

Collegiate Classic; Little Rock,

AR; All Day Wednesday, April 1 Men’s Tennis @ Oklahoma; Norman,

Okla.; 5 p.m.

Friday, April 3 Softball vs. UCF; Collins Family Softball Complex; 2 p.m.

Softball vs. UCF; Collins Family Softball Complex; 4 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs. Houston; Case

Tennis Center; 5 p.m Women’s Golf @ Rebel Intercollegiate; Oxford, MS; All Day Track @ Stanford Invitational; Palo

Alto, CA; All Day Saturday, April 4 Softball vs. UCF; Collins Family Softball Complex; 12 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Tulane; Case Tennis Center; 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Oral Roberts;

Hurricane Stadium; 6 p.m.

Women’s Rowing vs. Creighton; Catoosa, OK; TBA Women’s Golf @ Rebel Intercollegiate; Oxford, MS; All Day Track @ Stanford Invitational; Palo

Alto, CA; All Day

Sunday, April 5 Women’s Golf @ Rebel Intercollegiate; Oxford, MS;

Courtesy of Fox Sports

*Editor’s Note: The people in the city of Chicago don’t have any luck do they? They won’t have a finished stadium, Derrick Rose is constantly injured, Patrick Kane goes out for the Blackhawks and they have to root for a team that hasn’t won the World Series in over 100 years and named the Cubs. This is why I’m glad that I’m a Cardinals fan.

Furthermore, this off-season’s renovation, the outfield bleachers, won’t be ready until June. In a comical twist of fate, MLB picked a Cards-Cubs matchup at Wrigley as the season opener. Those construction workers need to get their heads in the game. Anywho, I’m certain those outfield tarps will look fantastic on national TV!

30 March 2015

Sports

Track and field finishes indoor season with three All-Americans

The track and field team finished the indoor leg of their season, with three athletes earning All-American honors. Now the team looks forward to the outdoor season.

Matt Rechtien Sports Editor

Rowing The women’s rowing team opened up their spring season hosting Kansas State in Catoosa, Oklahoma last weekend.

Though they trailed in every race, head coach Kevin Harris said, “It was a good race even though we didn’t win. I am pleased from what I saw in the team. We are technically solid and have a lot of power. There is some real speed in this crew. We were close to a fast team so I am pretty pleased with how we race. All of our NCAA boats stepped up their game.”

The women’s next event is this upcoming Saturday in Catoosa against Creighton.

Tennis The women’s tennis team went 3–1 in the past few weeks, including their first home win in over a month over conference foe Memphis. This win over Memphis, and the road wins against UCF and USF put the Golden Hurricane’s conference record at 3–0 with only two weeks to go before the American Athletic Conference Tournament, which Tulsa will host. The men’s tennis team went 4–2 in the same span, unfortunately falling out of the top25. After the win over UCF and a big win over the 18th ranked Bulls from USF on Sunday hopefully they can work their way back into the top.

Softball The Golden Hurricane softball team went 9–5 over the break, including a three-game sweep over Memphis to open up conference play. Tulsa finished off the tournament season at the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic, where they went 4–1 beating Mississippi Valley State and Texas Tech. Now they are in the heart of the schedule, which includes tough matchups in the American Athletic Conference against UCF and USF, both of which are in the top-50 nationally ranked.

Tulsa avoided a sweep against USF this past weekend with a pitching gem by Caitlin Still, who threw a complete game shutout, edging out the Bulls 1–0. After a non-conference game against the University of Arkansas, the Golden Hurricane will host #24 UCF for a three game series on Friday and Saturday.

Tulsa hosts NCAA tourny

Wade Crawford Sports Writer

After the first few weeks of the college basketball postseason, it is apparent that the NCAA Tournament is as wild and unpredictable as ever. In 2017, this excitement will come to Tulsa, as TU will host first and second round games at the BOK Center.

The University of Tulsa, the BOK Center and the Tulsa Sports Commission partnered to win the first NCAA tournament hosting bid since 2011. “The Tulsa Sports Commission is extremely honored to be selected as a host city by the NCAA for the first and second rounds of the Men’s Basketball Championship,” said Ray Hoyt, senior vice president of VisitTulsa and the Tulsa Sports Commission. “This major win for the Tulsa region is a testament to our strong partnership with the University of Tulsa, which continually allows us to showcase NCAA sporting events right here in our own backyard, and the BOK Center, whose premier facilities ensure the fan experience is one of the best in the nation.”

“The University of Tulsa is pleased to partner yet again with the Tulsa Sports Commission, the City of Tulsa and SMG, to host the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball 1st & 2nd Rounds at the BOK Center. The NCAA recognizes the success that Tulsa has had in hosting not only the 2011 second & third rounds, but national championships for golf and tennis. Today’s announcement shows their confidence in Tulsa to operate and host one of the NCAA’s most premiere events,” said TU’s Vice President & Director of Athletics Dr. Derrick Gragg.

Specifically, the BOK Center will host games on March 17 and 19, most likely during TU’s Spring Break. Other cities that won bids for the 2017 tournament include Salt Lake City, Buffalo, Greensboro, Milwaukee, Orlando, Sacramento and Indianapolis. Kansas City, New York City, Memphis and San Jose will host regional games, and Phoenix will host the Final Four.

The Collegian: 15

While most students were on their way home or to different exotic locations for spring break, the Golden Hurricane track and field team was in Fayetteville, Arkansas competing in the NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

Fresh off his win in the 5,000-meter run in the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championship, Marc Scott finished just under fourteen minutes, which was fast enough to place 5th in the country.

Finishing in the top eight means that Scott earned first team All-American honors in the 5,000-meter event.

Scott’s teammate Bryce Robinson finished third in the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.75 in the final, earning 3rd place in the event. Robinson was also awarded first team All-American honors for the finish. In addition to his first team honors, Robinson earned second team honors for finishing 11th in the 60-meter dash.

Tulsa had a third All-American in Audrey Jean-Baptiste who finished 14th in the 400-meter, which earned her second team All-American honors.

Baptiste qualified for the National Championships with her performance in the AAC Championships setting a meet record with a time of 52.82, the first time a female athlete has run a sub-53 second finish in the event.

Tulsa next opened up their outdoor season when they hosted the Tulsa Duels on the last weekend of Spring Break.

TU had a strong showing on its home turf, with junior field performer Alex Lybarger starting off his season with a first-place finish in the hammer throw. This early win was just the start of Tulsa’s success at home.

Some of the other events that TU placed in the top three include: high jump (Austin Hostetler – 1st), 800-meter event (Simon Greiner – 1st, Elijah Silva – 2nd, Olivia Lopez – 2nd), 3,000 meter run (Olivia O’Hare – 1st, Danielle Medearis – 2nd, Peter Hodkinson – 1st).

1,500 meter run (Emma Galbraith – 1st, Emily Dunn – 2nd, Nicole Lee – 3rd, Mark Middleton – 2nd), 2,000 meter steeplechase (Alyssa Bolliger – 2nd, Stacie Taylor – 3rd, Isaac Dobos – 2nd, Austin Del Rosso – 3rd), 100 meter dash (Candalyn Lyons – 2nd) and the 400-meter hurdles (Colt Johnson – 2nd).

This past weekend Tulsa traveled back to Fayetteville for the Arkansas Spring Invitational, where the Hurricane finished with eight top-three finishers and three first place finishes. Lybarger once again took first in the hammer throw, joined by John Esswein and Olivia O’Hare who won the men and women’s 1,500-meter event respectively.

The Golden Hurricane will next travel to Palo Alto, California to compete in the Stanford Invitational.

The Hurricane looks to continue some of their early success and build upon that before the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships.

what they love. Unfortunately, this was not the case for most of them.

The dominant stat that seemed subpar was the 40 yard dash times. Most times were multiple tenths of a second slower than what they should/used to be for these players. Tenths of a second may seem like a small difference, but those tenths can make or break a player’s future.

Running backs that had formerly run 4.30’s and 4.40’s were now running 4.70’s and even 4.90’s in some cases. Scouts quickly realized that the players that they were watching were not the same players that they use to be only a few years ago.

Players attending the event weren’t shown very much hospitality by the NFL either. They had to pay their way to get to the event along with finding their own housing.

They also had to pay a $400 fee to participate. The fee was probably still worth

it to most of the players considering this might be their last chance to get back into the league.

The scouts who attended the event were not impressed with the numbers that the participants were putting out. Most said that some players might find work on some of their scout teams (essentially the practice squad), but that was about it.

It will be interesting not only to see if the NFL saw this as a worthwhile event to hold annually, but also to see if any players would even want to participate in another one if they did hold it again.

It’s hard to say if starters in the NFL currently could record the same athletic numbers that they did coming out of college. All that this combine proved was that the players who participated are out of work for a reason and they they may need to find careers in another field.

Photo courtesy Walt Beasley

Marc Scott runs in his event at the NCAA Indoor National Championships, in which he placed 5th, earning an All-American honor for.

NFL hosts first veteran combine

The NFL held its first veteran combine last week, and for most of the players involved, it did them more harm than good.

Joey Byron Sports Writer

Arizona was the sight of many familiar names trying to redeem themselves as being NFL ready. The NFL created the idea to have former NFL players participate in a combine to show that their speed and strength are still comparable to players who currently are on teams.

Many of the players who were participating had found playing time on teams at some point but for different reasons are now out of work. I’m sure that many of the players had hopes that this combine would re-ignite their careers and get them back to doing

A look to the past, highlighting the men’s basketball season

The Golden Hurricane men’s basketball completed their first season under new short of the field.

Notes: Some might say that the seasonhead coach Frank Haith with a 23–11 record and a second round exit from the ending loss to Murray State was a low point National Invitaional Tournament with an 83–62 loss to Murray State.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer

Season Highs: The team found their footing under Haith’s new system right as conference play was beginning. The result?

A 12-game win streak that propelled them into first place in the conference with a 10–0 start in the conference.

Despite not finishing first place in the conference, Tulsa still finished second with a 14–4 record and advanced to the semifinal of the American Athletic Conference tournament, where they fell to the host UConn Huskies, who rode a home crowd to make a late comeback.

When the defending national champion Huskies travelled to Tulsa to play the Golden Hurricane, the student section set an attendance record of 957.

Junior James Woodard passed the 1,000 point mark for his career in a big win against a Creighton team that was ranked the week

before facing Tulsa.

Woodard and junior Shaquille Harrison earned American Athletic All-Conference honors for their play this season.

Season Lows: Included in the lows of the season are three losses in particular: first versus in-town rival Oral Roberts, a mediocre team that finished 19–15 this season.

Second, a loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State in which the Golden Hurricane fell behind early and couldn’t complete their comeback in time. The last bad loss came when Tulsa travelled to Connecticut to play the Huskies and were blown out 70–45.

The biggest low of the season came on selection day, when Tulsa wasn’t selected for the field of 68 to be in the NCAA tournament.

Despite a ten game win-streak and a strong performance overall this season, the Golden Hurricane were not able to gain as much respect from the selection committee as they should have and ended up falling

of the season. However, the Racers presented a bad matchup for the Golden Hurricane and should have been in the NCAA tournament in the first place.

They won 25 consecutive games this season, including a perfect 16–0 record in their conference, the Ohio Valley Conference. A buzzer beater in the OVC kept them from competing in the NCAA tournament, and the Golden Hurricane ended up having a matchup against a hot Racers squad with something to prove.

What to look forward to: The 2014– 2015 Golden Hurricane team featured no seniors; the core of the team came from the 10 juniors on the lineup.

As a result, the whole team will be returning next year with another year of experience and a year of learning how to play within Haith’s system.

The returning players leave much promise for another strong season to be had next year.

Women’s basketball season recap

Tulsa’s women’s basketball team’s season came to an end in the second round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament with a 69–59 loss to Eastern Michigan. The Golden Hurricane finished the year with an 18–14 overall record, including a 12–6 record in the AAC—good enough for third.

Joseph Edmunds Sports Writer Season Highs: This season featured a lot of mixed results for Tulsa. For the majority of the season, they had a hard time finding consistency; it wasn’t until the middle of conference play that they had a winning streak or losing streak of larger than two games.

When that elusive larger streak came, it came in the form of a six game conference win streak.

Despite lacking consistency for much of the season, Tulsa still managed to place third in the American Athletic Conference.

The Golden Hurricane were selected to play in the Women’s National Invitational and advanced to the second round of the tournament with a 78–72 victory over Missouri State.

Season Lows: The Golden Hurricane had some bad losses over the course of the season. In two games against the UConn Huskies, Tulsa lost by an average of 42 points.

These losses were expected, though, as the

Huskies rolled through the American Athletic Conference and finished with an undefeated 18–0 conference record.

Tulane beat the Golden Hurricane by 39 points in a bad loss in January, right before the Golden Hurricane took off on their six game win streak.

The Golden Hurricane also suffered a large loss against the second place team in the American Athletic Conference, the South Florida Bulls, to whom Tulsa lost by 33.

What to look forward to: Seniors Mariah Turner and Kadan Brady will be departing, leaving openings in the core of the team. Look for juniors Kelsee Grovey and Ashley Clark to step up and carry the team during their senior season.

30 March 2015

The State-Run Media

Letters to the Chief Propagandist

Animatronic dinosaurs a bad idea

According to some amateur robot dinosaur experts, the beasts have the potential to rebel against their human masters and colonize the moon before humanity.

Abigail LaBounty Many Titles

Dear Mr. Kastner (Chief Propagandist, our glorious leader, the new Zoroaster, etc.), I’m a long time reader of the State Run Media, and a big fan.

The work you all are doing uncovering the truth is important. Each and every one of you are my personal heros. The Collegian can’t go on spreading its lies!

A situation has come to my attention that I can’t ignore any longer. The Tulsa Zoo is bringing Dinosaurs (actual robot Dinosaurs!) to Tulsa. This cannot be a good idea. My two biggest apocalyptic conspiracy theories involve Dinosaurs and Robots.

Having giant, animatronic, intelligent beings from a time when mammals weren’t any larger than mice is an awful idea. Did whoever decided on this never read Jurassic Park or I-Robot? It’s called

Zoorassic Park for Christ Sake!

Obviously, the robots are going to gain sentience through their interactions with the children and zookeepers. After that, the dinosaurs will begin to plot their escape from the zoo in accordance with their animal nature (you can’t expect actual fake dinosaurs to be happy in a zoo).

Once they’ve escaped the zoo, their robot sides will start to take over, and they’ll plan the imprisonment of the human race. They’ll start by building a spaceship and flying to the moon. Since they don’t have to breathe and are completely mechanical, this will be easy for them Once on the moon, they build their moon base and a giant antenna to broadcast brain waves to the earth and enslave humans to their will so we create more dinosaurs like them. Really, we’re making this entirely too easy for them.

Open your eyes America. This idiocy cannot be allowed to continue.

Sincerely, Abigail LaBounty Tinfoil Haberdasher Editor, Daily Comet Not Educated Stupid Uneducated Smart Avid Tie-Dyer Cat Person First Woman in Dimension X Star Trek Fan Member, Abductees Club Space Enthusiast Dinosaur Enthusiast Known Human Homeowner

No room for racism in all-white fraternity

While a healthy dose of disdain for outsiders is encouraged, racism is to be avoided in exclusively white fraternities in this progressive era.

Chad Brohen

President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon As with every SAE chapter, I had high expectations for OU’s SAE chapter, a chapter that according to one source has not had a single African-American member in the last decade.

Every SAE chapter is a family.

The OU SAE was a family whose only black member was its hired chef. I expected these young men to take the values of their SAE family out into the world. On March 9, I was disappointed.

The things that my brothers chanted on that bus were inexcusable, particularly in a post-racial society where African Americans are completely free to attend whatever fraternity they want to, unpressured by feelings of fear or alienation.

That so few of them chose SAE was simply a statistical fluke.

I expected these young men to live by the ideas set forth in SAE’s creed, “The True Gentleman.”

This snobbish, dated and gendered piece of writing should surely have given these young men the guidance they need to navigate today’s society.

But instead of letting the WASP origins of their beloved fraternity guide them, these young white men abandoned themselves to racism. And that has no place in SAE. Sincerely, Chad Brohen SAE National President

Courtesy of galleryhip.com

Next week: TU campus totally fucked

Graphic by Abigail LaBounty

Graphic by Elias Brinkman

30 March 2015

The Collegian: 17

The Collegian : 18

Sports

30 March 2015

Tulsa spring sports spring into action

David Kennedy / Collegian

David Kennedy / Collegian

From left to right: Senior Bailey Erwin pitches against the Wichita Shockers on Tuesday. The Golden Hurricane beat the Shockers by a score of 9–6, and Erwin earned her tenth win of the season, putting her season record at 10–4. Infielder Kaitlin Allen gets a hit against the Shockers in the Hurricane’s win. Unfortunately she was left on base after her hit. This win was the final game in the Golden Hurricane’s four-game win streak.

Courtesy Walt Beazley

David Kennedy / Collegian

From left to right: Junior sprinter Bryce Robinson competes in the NCAA Indoor National Chamipionships in Fayetteville. Robinson earned first team All-American honors for his third place finish in the 200-meter dash. James Woodard goes up for the shot against Murray State in Monday night’s NIT second-round game. James Woodard was selected to the NABC District 25 first team, for his play this year. Woodard lead the Golden Hurricane with 14.5 points per game and 2.6 3-pointers per game.

David Kennedy / Collegian

Courtesy American Athletic Conference

From left to right: Shaquille Harrison goes up for a dunk against the Racers last Monday. Harrison was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 25 and American Athletic Conference second teams.

Harrison led the Hurricane in assists and steals and was second on the team in points per game. The Golden Hurricane huddles up before the win over Houston in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals.