Contents

Northeast News 5
The Facet Center is a hub for writing, math and science studies.
Community News 6-7
The stigma around certain banned books gives vulnerable groups the
opportunity to read freely.
College News 8
TCC hosts the “Out for TCC” event.
Snaps 19
Tulsa’s Centennial Park is a popular destination for Metro Campus
students.

Cover: West Campus adoptions gives

forgotten pets a second chance.
Design by: Zach Redwood
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
Tulsa Community College
The TCC Connection Office
Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity
910 S. Boston Avenue
Room 3028
Tulsa, Okla. 74119-2095

Mission The Connection Staff

Managing Editor
Zach Redwood:
Zachary.Redwood@tulsacc.edu
The mission of the TCC Connection, as a voice of the student
body, is to be a leader in excellence among two-year college Assistant Managing Editor
Jake White:
newspapers by offering a journalistic laboratory for students. jake.white@tulsacc.edu
The TCC Connection exists to unite Tulsa Community College Metro Associate Editor
by providing a reliable, informative and engaging channel of Tatyana Nyborg:
tatyana.nyborg@tulsacc.edu
communication for students, faculty, staff and administration.
Northeast Editor
Opinions/Editorials expressed in this publication do not Madeline Wells:
madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu
necessarily reflect the views/opinions of the TCC Connection or
Northeast Associate Editor
Tulsa Community College. Clinton Switzer:
clinton.switzer@tulsacc.edu
Southeast Editor
Camille Rutherford:
camille.rutherford@tulsacc.edu
Southeast Associate Editor:
Trent Gleason:
trent.gleason@tulsacc.edu
West Editor
Monique Moore:
monique.moore@tulsacc.edu
West Associate Editor
Dylan Axsom:
james.axsom1@tulsacc.edu
Faculty Adviser
Jerry Goodwin:
jerry.goodwin@tulsacc.edu
Award-Winning Members
Tulsa Press Club
Oklahoma Press Association
Great Plains Journalism Awards
Society of Professional Journalists
Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association
National Association of Black Journalists-Tulsa Chapter
 Metro News
Review: Fake news on the Internet is still a hot topic
by Tatyana Nyborg
Metro Campus Associate Editor

Brennan advises to always check the source and author of a suspicious

article.
“Look in the comment section of a post to see if someone has already
uncovered that it was fake news,” he says.
“Google an article from a social media post and verify from a trusted
source,” the librarian continues. “See if the story came from a standard news
outlet, such as CNN, CNBC, BBC or The Guardian.”
Brennan recommends to use the following resources for verification of
facts and mass media websites:
www.snopes.com, www.factcheck.org, www.politifact.org, Ulrichsweb
and Zimdar’s list.
The librarian also instructs to differentiate satire from real news on the
Internet.
“The most commonly seen satirical sites are “The Onion” and “Berowitz
Report,” he says.
Brennan underlines that TCC librarians are always ready to help stu-

Photo by Tatyana Nyborg

dents with resources and could be contacted in person or at the library web-
site http://askus.library.tulsacc.edu.
tatyana.nyborg@tulsacc.edu

Adam Brennan, TCC Metro Campus librarian, is on a mission to inform about fake news on the Internet.

Social media rolled into the space of information, like a bulldozer, and almost
flattened traditional mass media, such as newspapers, for example.
Twitter claims about 50 million members in the United States, and Facebook is
one of the most popular social media in the world with millions of users.
The Internet is flooded with stories and videos from playing cats to politics and
history.
Some news on the Internet is not true, but it is written professionally so it is
hard to identify that it is fake.
Adam Brennan, librarian at the Tulsa Community College (TCC) Metro Cam-
pus, keeps educating TCC students and personnel how to spot false information
online.
Brennan gave excellent talks with the support of a PowerPoint presentation at
the Metro “Lunch and Learn” events in 2016 and summer 2017.
One of his last speeches was followed by a constructive student discussion,
which occurred at The Connection newspaper office on Sept. 25, 2017.
The most shocking case about the negative impact of fake news, which the li-
brarian mentions, is the “pizza gate,” when a man read and believed false news on
the Internet that a pizza restaurant was used by Hillary Clinton as a child slavery
location. The man brought a gun to the restaurant to “save the children.” Luckily,
nobody died in that case.

Photo by Tatyana Nyborg

Other “bright” fake stories published on Facebook within the last two years
include posts about loggers who accidentally cut down the world’s oldest tree in
the Amazon forest and the robotic bear Seppukuma engineered in Japan to aid in
assisted suicide.
The false story about the Colorado McDonalds offering the first marijuana
friendly smoking section appeared on Facebook at the time when the discussion Jake White, assistant managing editor for The Connection, wins an I-Pad at the summer 2017
about legalizing marijuana was hot in other mass media. “Lunch and Learn” event devoted to false information online.

Page 4 The Connection November 21, 2017


FACET Center supports students’ success
by Clinton Switzer
Northeast Associate Editor
The Facilitating Academic
Creativity through Educational
Technology Center, or FACET
Center, at Tulsa Community
College’s Northeast Campus
has been providing educa-
tional support to TCC students
since its opening in 1995. Cen-
trally housed under one roof,
the FACET Center is home
to Northeast Campus’s Writ-
ing Center, Math and Science
Lab, American Sign Language
Lab, and Technology Lab. So
whether a student needs help
brain-storming ideas for an
essay, or help balancing a
chemical equation, the staff at
the FACET center are there to
make sure students get the help
they need.
What makes the FACET
Center such a tremendous re-
source to the students at TCC
are the variety of tutors on staff
who specialize in different areas
of academia. The FACET Cen-
ter tutors offer students one-on
-one educational assistance in
the subjects of their expertise.
There are no appointments or
reservations necessary to ask
any of the tutors questions, al-
though arrangements can be
made in advance to ensure a
tutor is available. To get one-
on-one help from a tutor, stu-
dents are welcomed to come to
the FACET Center during oper-
ating hours and walk up to the
desk of the tutor who has the
expertise in the subject in which
they need some assistance and
start asking questions. If a tu-
tor is occupied helping another
student, it is recommended to
politely let the tutor know that
his/her help is wanted when
he/she is available next, then
find a seat nearby and wait.
The Writing Center is where
students working on essays or
wanting to improve their writ-
ing skills should visit for help.
The writing consultants at the
Writing Center are not an essay
The Connection November 21, 2017
Northeast News
proof-reading service, but will
be more than happy to sit down
and go over an essay with stu-
dents and help them identify
errors in their writing. The pri-
mary goal of the Writing Cen-
ter “is to help students become
more confident and proficient
writers” through “collaboration
in all stages of the writing pro-
cess.”
The Math and Science Lab
can help with a variety of sub-
jects including Calculus, Phys-
ics, Chemistry, and Statistics.
Be sure to check the schedule
Photo by Clinton Switzer
of the tutors before heading to
the Math Lab as not all tutors
can help with all subjects and
the hours that each tutor are at
work vary. Here, math tutors
can help students work out dif-
Computers and tables fill the floorplan of the FACET Center giving students ample space to work.
ficult math problems by guid-
ing them step by step on how to TCC campus offers educational in any and all subjects. Rather another remains the focal point
arrive at the solution, a helpful support similar to the FACET than sift through hundreds of of this organization.
service as the Northeast Cam- Center with tutors available on videos and webpages trying to The FACET Center is open
pus is home to TCC’s Engineer- site willing to sit down with stu- find the one that will explain a Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. to
ing Department. dents giving them the support concept just right, sometimes 9 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Technology Lab has a they need to overcome academ- it is just easier to ask another and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
variety of software such as Ado- ic challenges. human who is considered an during the Fall 2017 semester.
be Photoshop and Microsoft This individual attention expert in that particular field. FACET Center staff can be con-
Office available for use on the stands in contrast to today’s The benefit of the human touch tacted at (918) 595-7592. Also,
computers in the lab. Students digital age with the Internet has not been lost at the FACET be sure to check out the FACET
can also get help with Pear- filled with websites and vid- Center where the transfer of Center’s Facebook page.
sons’s MyITLab assignments eos aimed at helping students knowledge from one person to
clinton.switzer@tulsacc.edu
from the Technology Lab staff.
There are over 90 computers
in the FACET Center ensuring
everyone who needs access to
a computer will be able to use
one. A PC specialist is stand-
ing by willing to help students
and staff navigate the lab’s vast
collection of hardware and soft-
ware.
The American Sign Lan-
guage Lab offers ASL specialists
who can work with students “to
review ASL concepts and prac-
tice their ASL skills.”
TCC in its goal to help stu-
dents succeed has put forth the
resources at every campus to
make sure students can get the
help they need in order to excel
in their academic studies. Each
The schedule for the tutors for the Math & Science Lab and Writing Center are posted to let students know the availability of each
tutor.
Page 5
 College News
Banned Book Week celebrates the freedom to read
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor
Banned Books Week was
first observed in 1982. In the
years since, it has become an
annual celebration of the right
to read.
Natalie Manke, library as-
sistant on the Metro campus;
Josh Barnes, library assistant
on the Southeast campus; and
Adam Brennan, librarian at the
Metro campus, recently got to-
gether to speak to The Connec-
tion about Banned Books and
the freedom to read in honor of
Banned Books Week.
“This is a time of year where
libraries get together and cel-
ebrate our freedom to read and
we call attention to efforts of
censorship over the past year,”
Brennan said.
“It’s a great time to sort of
highlight the part that the pub-
lic library and that other librar-
ies like ours, academic libraries,
play in supporting the freedom
of speech or the right to read.”
TCC’s Southeast campus
library hosted a “Freedom to
Read Party” as a part of Banned
Books Week.
“Today’s event was a cel-
ebration of [the right to read],”
Brennan said.
“It was bringing some at-
Page 6
tention and some recognition
to the issues of censorship in
America today.”
“It was to let folks know a
little about some of the books
that were being challenged and
talk a little bit about what it
means, what reading means to
growing and critical thinking,
growing as a reader, and grow-
ing as a citizen.”
The event was, in part, to
educate students on Banned
Books and the particular form
of censorship that is banning
reading material.
“The main part of the pre-
sentation was on the top ten
banned and challenged books
of 2016,” Barnes said.
“This is a time of year
where libraries get
together and celebrate
our freedom to read and
we call attention to
efforts of censorship over
the past year.”
“Every time a book is chal-
lenged or banned it is reported
to the National Library Asso-
ciation and they compile a list
every year of the books with the
most challenges.”
The lists of banned and
challenged books from 2012
through 2016 can be found on
the American Library Associa-
tion (ALA) website.
“We told a little bit about
each book and why it was
banned or challenged and
when we had information on it
we talked about specific cases
of where they were banned or
challenged,” Barnes said.
“Books with LGBT con-
tent seem to be banned pretty
frequently, especially of late it
seems,” Manke said.
On this year’s list, a book
with LGBT content is one of the
recurring themes for challeng-
ing books.
“Books with LGBT content
seem to be banned pretty
frequently, especially of
late it seems.”
The top five [most fre-
quently banned] were all LGBT
related books. Though actu-
ally one of them the LGBT was
not even the main relationship
in the book, it was just a rela-
tionship but that was enough,”
Barnes said.
“I think it’s significant that
half of them were banned be-
cause of that,” Manke adds.
“With more visibility comes
more opposition.”
“That’s why you have these
marginalized and venerable
populations who need these
book and need access to these
resources the most and then
you have people coming in and
trying to put barriers up for
peoples’ access to these things
that they kind of desperately
need,” she said.
“I think that that’s why it’s not actually removed. If it is re- In addition to collect-
so important to promote this moved from a library or from a ing information on the type
event and promote the freedom reading list of curriculum, then of challenge, the ALA collects
to read.” it is called a ban. Most of these information on the groups re-
“Two Boys Kissing,” by Da- books were challenged and sponsible for the challenge. The
vid Levithan, and “The Perks of not banned and that is due to majority of challenges come
Being a Wallflower” by Stephen librarians, teachers, and com- from parents.
Chbosky appear most frequent- munity members standing up Not all challenged books
ly on the top ten lists, both for for the freedom to read. It’s a get banned.
portraying LGBT characters. very positive thing, in a lot of “One of the most powerful
The difference between cases,” Barnes said. tools that a member of the com-
a challenge and a ban is not According to the ALA, the munity can utilize is raising the
always clear and in many in- most common reason for a profile of a case when it comes
stances, the two terms are mis- book to be challenged is for along. A lot of the reasons these
takenly used interchangeably. being “sexually explicit” with books are challenged and not
“When a person challenges “offensive language” as a close banned is because they do have
a book at a library, it is often second. people who are willing to advo-
cate for them and are willing
The Connection November 21, 2017

to advocate for people’s right
to read whatever they choose,”
Brennan said.
“As just the average layper-
son, the best thing that you can
do is be informed and when you
do see such a challenge arise,
do your best to make your voice
heard.”
Once a book has been
banned, it does not necessarily
“Every time a book is chal-
lenged or banned it is
reported to the
National Library
Association and they com-
pile a list every year of the
books with the most chal-
lenges.”
mean that the battle is over.
“There have been instances
where a book is banned, I’ve
noticed people will tweet at the
author or contact them some-
how on social media. Several
authors, when a book has been
banned from a school or public
library, will provide copies be-
cause usually authors are very
passionate about the freedom
to read,” Manke said.
British Sci-Fi author Neil
Gaiman is one of the authors
that Manke mentions. Gaiman
has provided copies to institu-
tions where one of his books
has been banned on numerous
occasions.
It is not just the authors,
however, that have the ability
to fight for the right to read.
“Stay informed, stay aware,
and if you hear of a ban or chal-
lenge going on in your area,
blast it on social media, write
letters to the editor, and talk to
your library,” Barnes said.
The Connection November 21, 2017
“Even if the challenge isn’t
at that library, maybe they want
to do a display, just in solidar-
ity. Libraries are always want-
ing to bring banned books and
that fight to light.”
While many of the banned
and challenged books have
been brought up on serious is-
sues, there have been a few that
are challenged for more uncon-
ventional reasons.
In 2015, Hop on Pop: The
Simplest Seuss for the Young-
est Use, by Dr. Seuss was chal-
lenged on the grounds that it
“encourages children to use
violence against their fathers.”
The Bible and The Koran
have both been challenged for
religious viewpoints. Another
common challenge is for “Of-
fensive viewpoints.”
“I see this one a lot. Which
just means that somebody
didn’t agree with something.
Or they have some sort of moral
disagreement. A lot of [the rea-
sons] are very vague terms like
religious viewpoints,”Manke
said.
“Bans can come from all
sides of the political spectrum,
on our banned books display,
Sherman Alexie’s book “The
Absolutely True Diary of a Part
Time Indian,” was banned for
being culturally insensitive,”
Barnes explained.
“Sherman Alexie is a Native
American author who writes
about Native Americans. He
pokes fun at his own culture.
He’s just writing about his own
culture in a humorous way, but
then people get offended.”
Books and films have so
much in common where con-
“The best thing that you
can do is be
informed and when you
do see such a challenge
arise, do your best to
make your voice heard.”
tent is concerned. However,
books frequently come under
fire for the content they contain
and films, for the most part, do
not.
The reason, according to
Brennan, Manke, and Barnes,
comes down to tax dollars and
whether the work is a part of
the public versus private sector.
“A lot of it also has to do
with how people’s tax dollars
are spent,” Brennan said.
“There are libraries all
across the United States and
they provide a main focal point
of access for so many people
and much of that access for
those books and materials, it’s
paid for out of the pockets of
taxpayers. People tend to be
particularly sensitive when
they feel that their money is
going to pay to support a view
point that they don’t, them-
selves, have and that’s where
we start to see some of those
challenges come about that we
don’t see so much in the private
sector.”
Editorial
Another factor is the sys-
tem of rating that films already
have in place.
“Part of the thing about
movies is that Hollywood and
the MPAA [The Motion Pic-
ture Association of America]
is a layer of self-censorship al-
ready folded into mainstream
Hollywood movies,” Manke ex-
plained.
“A lot of times they go for
a PG-13 rating because that’s
going to make the most money
and more people are going to
see it so that’s already built in
a little bit.”
That being said, there are
infrequent instances where a
film might be banned. One such
instance was in Oklahoma.
“A film called “The Tin
Drum” was ruled obscene by a
judge in Oklahoma City, about
20 years ago. It was taken out
of someone’s home who had
rented it from video store,”
Barnes said.
Banned Books Week is only
a small part of fighting for the
right to read.
The best thing that can be
done to combat the censorship
of books?
“Read banned books,”
Brennan said.
For more information, visit
ala.org.
camille.rutherford@tulsacc.edu
Page 7
Southeast News
“Out for TCC” brings local LGBT high school students to tour TCC
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor
GSA is a club often found
on high school campuses. It is
usually student-led and brings
together LGBT+ students and
straight students to provide a
safe space for all students. GSA
can sometimes stand for Gay-
Straight Alliance or, more re-
cently, it can stand for Gender
and Sexualities Alliance.
“I’m here to
represent TCC Pride to
new incoming students
and help some of these
students
understand when they
come to TCC what resourc-
es and things are available
to them.”
“This is the second Out for
TCC event,” said Jose Vega,
program coordinator for the
Dennis R. Neal Equality Cen-
ter.
The event was held on Na-
tional Coming Out Day. Last
year’s event was held on World
Aids Day.
Out for TCC encourages
GSA students from area high
“He is a TCC alumni. All
of our speakers we try to
bring are TCC alumni to
represent and show that
they started at TCC and
went on to do better and
greater things.”
schools to tour the Metro Cam-
pus and find out what TCC has
to offer.
“We give them scholarship
information and resources.
Page 8
In addition to all of the educational resources TCC has to offer, the library has many
LGBT friendly books available to read.
They get to take a tour of the
campus, they go to the arts and
film studios, and they’ll also
meet the Pride leaders of the
TCC Pride group,” Vega said.
“We had the dean of the
Center for Creativity, Annina
Collier, speak and we will have
the dean of Nursing, Angela
Sivadon, speak and encourage
them about creativity and the
nursing department.”
The students also get the
benefit of interacting with oth-
er Tulsa area GSA students.
“Lunch is provided by
Oklahomans for Equality,”
Vega said.
Oklahomans for Equality
several groups from within little rainbow flags that we give
TCC. Among those is TCC’s out and sometimes we have
Pride Club, represented this other identities.”
year by student Yuki Clarke. “It’s beyond the rainbow
“I’ve been a member of TCC
Pride for about a year now,” “It tripled its size since last
Clarke said. year. We had 30 students
“I’m here to represent TCC
Pride to new incoming students last year and this year we
and help some of these students had 100. We have eight
understand, when they come to
TCC what resources and things schools
are available to them.” represented out of 100
“Many of them don’t know
that there are a lot of things students.”
that TCC has put in place to
flag, we know that it’s not just
help [LGBT+] students, espe-
cially trans students with pre- LGBT, its LGBTQPDSS and
so many other identities. So
“We give them whenever they see that asexual
scholarship flag or that pansexual flag, they
feel represented and accepted
information and and welcomed.”
resources. They get to
The event experienced a
dramatic increase in atten-
take a tour of the cam- dance this year.
“It tripled its size since last
pus, they go to the arts
Photo by Camille Rutherford
year. We had 30 students last
and film year and this year we had 100.
We have eight schools repre-
studios, and they’ll also sented out of 100 students,”
meet the Pride leaders of Vega said.
For more information on
the TCC Pride group.” the Pride club, contact Kelly
Clarke on the Southeast cam-
partners with TCC to put on the ferred names and such. This is pus at kelly.clark@tulsacc.edu.
event each year. an opportunity to help the club For more information on
and represent TCC Pride and
At the end of the tours, in-
the LGBT community here in
Oklahomans for Equality, visit
troductions, and guest speaker, okeq.org.
the students are given time to the best light possible.”
The event is concerned with
play games and win prizes be-
educating potential students
fore the event ends.
This year’s guest speaker with what educational resourc-
es TCC has to offer to them,
for the event was Moises Ech-
however, it is also intended to
everria, president and CEO of
the Oklahoma Center for Com- let these students know that
there are also LGBT resources
munity and Justice.
available.
“He is a TCC alumni. All of
our speakers we try to bring are “Having them come in and
TCC alumni to represent and be happy and ready to learn is
show that they started at TCC the best part that I see,” Vega
and went on to do better and said.
greater things,” Vega said. “Seeing all the kids happy.
The event is attended by As they walk in, they see all the
camille.rutherford@tulsacc.edu
The Connection November 21, 2017

Animal adoptions available at West Campus
Dylan Axsom
West Campus Associate Editor
Expresso is a one-year-old
orange long haired boy. He is
very friendly, soft, calm, social,
loving, and likes to be held.
He is a curious cat who is not
scared to check out new people
or things.
Cat adoptions are $50 and
include spay/neuter, all vacci-
nations up to date for one year,
microchip, and flea prevention
for three months.
A glimpse inside the West Campus Veterinary Technology building
Dylan Axsom
West Campus Associate Editor
The Livestock Room is where the large animals such as horses, sheep, and cattle are kept.
In the room is a cattle chute, seen in the center, as well as several stables.
The Connection November 21, 2017
Dolly Parton is a two-year-
old female American Stafford-
shire Terrier. She is black and
white with lots of energy and a
big smile. Dolly is very friendly
and loves to play tug of war.
Dog adoptions are $75 and
include, spay/neuter, all vac-
cinations up to date for one
year, microchip, flea and tick
prevention for eight months,
Latte is a three-year-old
black/white domestic short
hair female. Her front paws
are declawed, but it is a doubt
she would use them. She is
calm, small, sweet, and shy, but
warms up after she gets com-
fortable and loves to cuddle.
and heartworm prevention for
six months.
All animals that are ad-
opted out of Tulsa Community
College’s West Campus Vet-
John Travolta is a one-
year- old brown and white male
retriever mix. He is pretty big
for a one-year-old, and has
plenty of energy to go along
with his size. John loves to play
fetch and run around the yard
until he is tired.
erinary Technology (Vet Tech)
Center are ready to be in their
new homes within the first few
weeks of November. For more
information or to set up an
West News
Pumpkin Spice is a
10-month-old domestic short
hair male orange tabby. He is a
loud purrer, very energetic and
playful, friendly, but not a fan
of being held. Pumpkin would
make an excellent big brother
to another cat.
adoption, please contact the
West Campus Vet Tech Center
at (918) 595-8212.
All photos courtesy of Dylan Axsom and the Vet Tech Center
The Vet Tech Center has
many facilities where students
will gain real experience for the
profession they wish to enter.
Some of these spaces in-
clude a livestock room (pic-
tured far left), a laboratory (top
center), a treatment room (bot-
tom center), and a radiology
room (above).
james.axsom1@tulsacc.edu
Page 9
Community News
Portugal. The Man performed a
groovy show at Cain’s Ballroom
Madeline Wells
Northeast Editor
The American psychedelic-
rock band from Alaska, Por-
tugal. The Man, recently per-
formed Oct 5 in Tulsa.
The group opened up the
show at Cain’s Ballroom with a
cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another
Brick in the Wall.”
The notorious protest song
set the mood for a lineup that
is reminiscent of the 60s and
70s and left the crowd wanting
more.
The band then played “Pur-
ple Yellow Red and Blue” with a
light show to match.
Portugal. The Man show-
cased multiple songs from its
new album Woodstock along
with a variety of songs from
previous albums.
The set list was full of nods
toward the current social and
political status of America while
also speaking to the youth.
The themes of the set list
inspire independence and en-
couraged one to “live in the mo-
ment.” “So American” “Modern
Jesus” “Rich friends” and “Got
it all” are just a few examples of
the rebellious mood set by the
band.
Fans cheered enthusiastically while Portugal. The Man played.
Page 10
Portugal. The Man formed
in 2001 in Wasilla, Alaska. Af-
ter moving to Portland to start
recording and touring in 2004,
the band steadily rose to fame
over the next 10 years.
The group produced their
first few albums with Fearless
Records in 2006 before parting
ways in 2008.
Portugal. The Man played
shows and produced indepen-
dently before signing with At-
lantic Records in 2010.
After years of touring and
headlining festivals, such as
the 2012 Norman Music Festi-
val in Norman, Okla. the band
had a few changes amongst the
roster.
The group currently con-
sists of John Gourley, Zach
Carothers, Kyle O’Quin, Jason
Sechrist and Eric Howk.
The alternative rock group’s
latest studio album Woodstock
was released earlier this year in
June.
The band’s latest album has
been in the making since 2014,
and up until this year was en-
titled “Gloomin and Doomin.”
The new album title was
inspired by an original 1969
Portugal. The Man performs at Cain’s Ballroom.
Woodstock ticket stub that was
owned by Gourley’s father.
“Music has the same
mission it always has to
comment on societal and
political unease”
Talking with his father
led Gourley to realize that mu-
sic has the same mission it al-
ways has “to comment on soci-
etal and political unease.” The
group then scrapped the “Gloo-
min and Doomin” album in or-
der to write Woodstock.
The group wanted Wood-
stock to say something that
mattered. The intention was
“to write music that would help
people feel they’re not alone,
even if they’re angry or feeling
lost,” said Gourley in an inter-
view with Billboard.
The album intends to re-
flect our current cultural and
social climate. The album’s
leading single, “Feel it Still,”
topped the Billboard Alterna-
tive Songs chart this summer
and has become the band’s big-
gest hit single to date.
The band covered the musical style, it is often seen as
Beatles’ “I want you (she’s so selling out rather than experi-
heavy).” Portugal‘s take on the mentation and growth.
iconic Beatles’ song was well Portugal. The Man ended
adapted and highlighted the the Tulsa show with its single
band’s use of synthesizers and “Feel It Still” accompanied by
technical skills on the bass. pink and blue geometric graph-
The use of red lighting during ics, but the crowd insisted on
the Beatles cover transported an encore.
the crowd to a night from the The band obliged by play-
past. ing “So So far away” before ex-
iting the stage. The audience
“Thank you for buy- was enthusiastic throughout
ing and or stealing our the whole evening and experi-
enced an impressionable show
music” to remember.
Portugal. The Man suc-
“Thank you for buying and ceeded in sending a message
or stealing our music” was pro- about spirited youth through a
jected onto the background fun and upbeat performance.
while the band played “Waves”
and was a funny poke at a real-
ity of the music industry. The
same phrase was printed on
shirts for sale at the merchan-
dise table.
The band had another shirt
that read “I liked Portugal.
The Man before they sold out,”
which also pokes fun of some
accusations the band has re-
ceived.
Some fans feel that the
band’s new album is a synthetic
attempt to appeal to a wider au-
dience.
When a band expands its-
madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu
The Connection November 21, 2017

1st Thursday! brings sustainability lectures to the Center for Creativity
Madeline Wells
Northeast Editor
Sustainable Tulsa’s 1st
Thursday! event’s new home
is at TCC’s McKeon Center for
Creativity. First Thursday is a
monthly meeting that is open
to the public and gives indi-
viduals the opportunity to hear
lectures from notable leaders in
sustainability.
The 1st Thursday! events
provide networking amongst
local businesses, students, and
other individuals committed to
environmental stewardship.
On Nov 2, Urban Forestry
coordinator Mark Bays pre-
sented an inside look at Okla-
homa’s forest industry.
Bays discussed the vari-
ous benefits of having forests
in Oklahoma as well as how
the forest industry impacts the
economy.
Benefits include improving
quality of life, reduced crime,
improved learning and job per-
formances, improved air and
water quality amongst other
things.
Having a large tree canopy
helps fight against the urban
heat island effect, and cities
with more trees tend to have
reduced energy bills.
Besides the benefits of
Oklahoma is one of four states with more than 10 ecoregions. The map above illus-
trates the diverse terrain in the state.
The Connection November 21, 2017
growing trees, Bays shared in-
formation on the various spe-
cies in the different regions
of Oklahoma. Oklahoma is
home to 13 ecoregions and of-
fers some of the nation’s most
diverse terrain. Ecoregions in-
clude tall grass prairies, hard-
wood forests, desserts and pine
-covered mountains. Oklahoma
is also third in the nation for
the largest amount of diverse
plant communities.
There is a reason why we’re
called “Oak”-lahoma and that’s
because Oklahoma is home to
26 varieties of oak trees. The
majority of Oklahoma’s forests
is composed of oak-hickory,
with the southern oak pines
coming in second.
In southeastern Oklahoma,
one can stroll in the shade of
bald cypress and willow oaks.
While in the northeast, one will
find pin oaks and cove-type
hardwoods.
A new forest has emerged
across Oklahoma in the last 70
years due to the containment
of wildfires. Red cedar trees
have scattered across Okla-
homa, and are now native in
every county except for the pan
handle.
A map from the Oklahoma Forestry Services website shows the diverse forests of Okla-
homa.
While many ranchers could
call the Redcedars an “inva-
sion,” the wood has multiple
commercial uses that benefit
the economy. Another popular
tree, the Cottonwood, can be
found in all 77 counties in Okla-
homa.
The most famous and his-
torical Cottonwood tree in
Oklahoma is nicknamed the
“Marrying tree” due to the nu-
merous weddings that have oc-
curred under its limbs.
In the past, a marriage li-
cense issued in an Oklahoma
county was only recognized in
that county. Because the Mar-
rying tree rests on the border
of two counties, couples would
get married on both sides of the
tree in one ceremony.
The convenience of the Cot-
tonwood’s location made for an
ideal romantic hitching spot.
Trees are special to Tulsa
and to Oklahoma and are tied
to multiple historic events. The
now modern city of Tulsa was
founded underneath an oak
tree by the Lochapoka Clan of
the Creek Nation.
Community News
The Creek Nation hosts an
annual celebration under the
historical oak to commemorate
the Clan’s arrival in 1836.
The Creek Council Oak Tree
and is located between 17th and
18th and South Cheyenne.
Another notable tree is
Tulsa’s Hanging Tree or the
Creek Hanging Tree. The tow-
ering Bar oak tree located at 3
N. Lawton St. is said to be over
200 years old.
The oak was reportedly
the hanging and burial site for
cattle rustlers before Tulsa was
officially a city. Violators of the
Creek Indian law were alleged-
ly hanged there as well.
While there is no sound
proof that the tree was used
for hanging, in the 1920s, city
workers discovered skeletons
under the tree while replacing
a sewer line.
More than 12 million acres
(approximately 28 percent) of
Oklahoma’s land is made up
of forests that generate over
$2.95 billion to the economy
annually.
While the Creek Council
oak tree and the Creek hanging
tree belong to the City of Tulsa,
the majority of the land is not
owned by the federal govern-
ment.
Over 90 percent of the for-
ests are owned by multiple pri-
vate individuals that provide
care and management for the
good of the forest.
At the end of his lecture,
Bays raffled off a “small forest”
of five Red bud trees and 10
loblolly pine trees.
Bays graduated from Okla-
homa State University in 1982
and has been with the Okla-
homa Forestry Services for the
last 26 years.
Oklahoma Forestry Ser-
vices falls under the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture,
Food and Forestry. OFS is
dedicated to conserve, enhance
and protect Oklahoma’s forests
for future generations to enjoy.
Future 1st Thursday events
will be held at the Center for
Creativity on the first Thursday
of every month.
Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m.
with a guest speaker and net-
working from noon to 1 p.m.
To find out more informa-
tion, visit http://sustainable-
tulsainc.org/ or http://www.
forestry.ok.gov.
madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu
Page 11
 Entertainment
Review: Disney On Ice puts on a magical show
by Monique Moore
West Editor
From Sept. 28 - Oct. 1,
Disney on Ice presented, “Fol-
low Your Heart” at the Tulsa
State Fair. Most children in
the area anticipated Disney
on Ice’s arrival each year.
Steadily awaiting anxiously
to see which characters will
be presented and what theme
will follow.
“The show this year was
magically
marvelous.”
This year, kids all over
Oklahoma were in for a real
treat as the “Follow Your
Heart” show hosted a pletho-
ra of Disney characters rang-
ing from the entire “Frozen”
cast all the way to the Brooms
Photo by Monique Moore
from the classic Disney hit,
“Fantasia.” The performance
was nothing short of magi-
cal and creative obtaining re-
Elsa from the new Disney favorite “Frozen” is telling the children in the audience to views, such as “The show this
shoot for the stars. year was magically marvel-
ous.”
The story plot involves a
young girl, Riley, that has just
moved to a new area and who
joins a hockey team as an at-
tempt to fit in with the other
kids at her new school. How-
ever, she quickly notices that
Photo by Monique Moore
Rapunzel from the hit Disney movie “Tangled,” is seen flying above the audience. Pictured are the brooms featured in the Disney Classic, “Fantasia” dancing on stage with Mickey Mouse.
Page 12
she is not as good at the sport
as she anticipated.
As she struggles with feel-
ings of inadequacy, the cast
from “Inside Out” comes to
counteract these feelings of
isolation and insufficiency,
prompting her to “follow her
heart.”
Throughout the show, all
of the Disney princesses ex-
pose different scenarios in
which they had to overcome
adversity. During this part of
the performance, Ariel and
Rapunzel were flipping on
ropes and flying around the
stadium. As expected, this
was a crowd favorite as all of
the kids awed in amazement.
“This year’s
performance was a
10 out of 10!”
As the show wraps up,
Dory from “Finding Nemo”
makes an appearance to en-
courage Riley to “just keep
swimming” when faced with
hardships.
Consequently, Riley’s
teammates let her know how
much they need her to win the
big game, where she ends up
scoring the winning shot for
The Connection November 21, 2017
her and her team.
It was apparent that the
theme of the story was de-
signed for all age groups. Ev-
ery character offered some
form of advice to help chil-
dren in almost every scenario
possible for kids to encounter.
“Definitely worth every
penny! We will be
returning next year!”
Parents after the event
made it a point to state, “This
year’s performance was a 10
out of 10!” Many people felt
previous Disney on Ice shows
were, “pricey” and “rushed.”
However, this year parents
were left in awe stating, “Defi-
nitely worth every penny! We
will be returning next year!”
If you were unable to
make the show this year, be
sure to check out the Disney
on Ice performance next year
at the Tulsa State Fair.
monique.moore@tulsacc.
Photo by Monique Moore
 Food
Reporter’s Notebook: Russian soup and American casserole go well
together in winter and spring
by Tatyana Nyborg
Metro Campus Associate Editor
mato paste and mix the Stop occasionally to check
soup. for taste, and add Worcester-
Step Two: Cut po- shire sauce, a tablespoon at a
tatoes into small pieces, time, until the desired taste is
cook for 10 minutes. achieved.
Then, chop cabbage into “Green Bean Casse-
linear pieces and add to role” by Tommy Hurt,
the soup, cook for 5-10 The Connection Southeast
minutes. Campus Associate Editor
Step Three: Chop a Ingredients:
half of white onion, shred 1 can green beans
carrots creating linear, 2 cans cream of
noodle-like pieces, then mushroom soup
fry the onion and carrot 1.3 cups of milk
in cooking oil until the 1.5 consort of fried onions
onion turns golden color. Baking dish
Pour the fry mix into the Pour two cans cream of
soup. mushroom soup and 1 can of
Step Four: Chop milk into a baking dish. Stir
green onions, cilantro, with fork until uniform consis-
dill and mix the greens on tency. Add a can of green beans
a separate plate. (drained) and a container of
Serve hot “Borsch” fried onions and mix.
in a bowl or plate, add a Bake at 350° for 30 min-
table spoon of sour cream utes.
and greens on the top of Top with 1/2 container
the soup. Put slices of of fried onions and bake 5-10
bread on a separate plate more minutes.
for those who prefer to “Cherry Dump Eu-
eat a soup with bread phoria Cake” by Sonora
(Many Russians prefer Meadows, The Connection
Photo by Tatyana Nyborg

that.) Metro Campus Editor

“Borsch” is a great Ingredients:
source of vitamin C, A 1 can (21-ounce) cherry
and D. Served hot, it pie filling
Russian “Borsch” is a beef soup rich of vitamin C, A and D. It is usually served hot with a spoon of sour cream and fresh dill, cilantro and green gives a boost of energy in 1 can (15-ounce)
onions. cold weather. crushed pineapple
“Cheese Ball” by 1 box yellow cake mix
While living in the United American delicious dishes, 1 white onion Jake White, The Connec- 1 stick butter
States for 18 years, I have been which the students brought to 2 carrots tion West Campus Editor Method:
frequently asked questions the holiday office party. Cooking oil Ingredients: First, dump crushed pine-
about Russian and Soviet his- Below are recipes that can 3 tablespoons of 3 packages of cream cheese apple into a 9” x 13” baking
tory, politics, culture and even embellish any table. tomato paste 2 packages of thin dish. Then, dump the cherry
weather. I am always happy “Borsch” by Tatyana 1 tablespoon of salt sliced honey ham, chopped pie filling on top.
to share my experience and Nyborg, The Connection 2 green onions 1 package of green Add in the dry cake mix
knowledge of the life and his- Metro Campus Associate cilantro onions, chopped next, distributing it as evenly as
tory of the countries of the for- Editor dill Worcestershire sauce possible.
mer USSR. Borsch is a Russian beef sour cream to taste Preheat oven to 350 de-
Recently, my co-workers stew or soup. Prepare the fol- 2 bullion cubes Place cream cheese in large grees and bake for 45 minutes.
at The Connection newspaper lowing ingredients for Borsch: Step One: Cut beef into mixing bowl with chopped ham
asked me to share Russian reci- 1 lb of beef small pieces, add a gallon or and green onions. Add a table-
pes with our readers and them. 1 gallon of water less of cold water, salt, bullion spoon of Worcestershire and
In response, I asked them to 3 potatoes cubes and boil about an hour mix by hand until all ingredi-
share secrets with me of the Green cabbage or until beef is cooked. Add to- ents are thoroughly combined. tatyana.nyborg@tulsacc.edu

The Connection November 21, 2017 Page 13

Calendar of Events
West Campus Metro Campus
Tuesday, November 14 Tuesday, November 14
Healthy Eating During the Holidays; 12:30 p.m. @ Student Union Free Lunch & Learn; 12 p.m. @ MC 214
Free lunch for attendees! Wednesday, November 15
Wednesday, November 15 Healthy Holiday Eating Presentation; 12 p.m. @ Student Union MC 214
Free Lunch Sponsored by Baptist Collegiate Ministries; 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Campus Tour: Honors; 12:15 p.m. @ Metro Campus entrance off 9th and Boston
@ Student Union Thursday. November 16
Coping with the Holidays; 11:30 a.m - 1 p.m. @ Student Union Hibakusha Stories: Survivors of the Atomic Bomb; Time TBA @ Center
During BCM Lunch for Creativity
Hispanic Student Association Meeting; 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. @ Language Lab
Wednesday, November 22-26
Thursday, November 16 TCC Closed, Have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Event Horizons Movie and Discussion; 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. @ S196
Free Pizza Monday, November 27
Turkey Burn Spin Class; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Fitness Center
Monday, November 20 & 21 Join us for part or all of our 2-hour spin class! Burn off some of that holiday
Give Thanks & Giveaways; All day @ Student Union meal with the Metro Fitness Staff!
Wednesday, November 22-26 Monday, November 27 - December 1
TCC Closed, Have a safe and wonderful holiday! International Education Week; All Day @ Metro Commons
Monday, November 27 Flag display all week
Free Holiday Blend Coffee; All Day @ Student Life Wednesday, November 29
Tuesday, November 28 QPR Suicide Prevention Training; 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. @ Wellness Services
Ping Pong Tournament; 12:30 p.m. @ Student Union MC 528
Prize for Winner Friday, December 1
Wednesday, November 29 Holiday Arts Market & Improv Show; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. @ Center for Creativity
Fostering Healthy Attitudes in Children about Sexuality and Diversity; Glow in the Dark Dance; 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. @ Metro Commons
12:30 p.m. @ Gallery Conference Room Monday, December 4 - 7
Presented by students in CHLD 2263 Finals Fuel and Coffee; All Week @ Student Life Office
Thursday. November 30 Relaxation Stations in Metro Library
Foosball Tournament; 12:30 p.m. @ Student Union Monday, December 11 - 14
Prize for Winner Canines & Coffee; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Library
Monday, December 4 - 7 Therapy Dogs on Campus for Finals Weeek
Stocking Stuffed with Study Stuff; 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. @ Student Life Monday, January 8
Candy Guess Game; 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. @ Student Life Spring Semester Begins
The student who guesses closest without going over wins the container
filled with M&Ms. Monday, January 15
Martin Luther King Day, College Closed
Wednesday, December 6
Christmas Craft Corner; All Day @ Student Union Thursday. February 15
FAFSA Thursday; 6 p.m. @ Library Classroom
Thursday, December 7
Free Assistance at FAFSA Night; 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. @ WCi-134
Register at tulsacc.edu/fafsahelp
Monday, December 11 - 14
Finals Week: Canines & Coffee; @ Library
Free coffee & snacks all week in the Library and therapy dogs at various
times
Monday, January 15
Martin Luther King Day, College Closed

West Campus Fitness Center Metro Campus Fitness Center

11:15 a.m. 12 p.m. 4 p.m. 12 a.m. 1 p.m. 5:30 p.m.
Monday Total Body Bootcamp Monday Spin L.I.F.T.
Tuesday TRX Zumba Rip-N-Ride Tuesday Kickbox Boot Camp Yoga Restore Bootcamp
Wednesday Bootcamp Total Body
Wednesday Spin L.I.F.T.
Thursday TRX Rip-N-Ride Kickboxing
Thursday Shred Yoga Restore Bootcamp
Friday

Page 14 The Connection November 21, 2017

 Calendar of Events
Southeast Campus Northeast Campus
Friday, November 10 - 11, 16 -18 Tuesday, November 14
TCC Theatre Department Presents “Big Fish”; 8 p.m. @ Van Trease PACE Studio T-Shirt Tuesday; All Day @ Student Life
Theatre Study Tips & Free T-Shirt at Student Life
For ticket information, contact PACE ticket office 918-595-7777 Wednesday, November 15
Monday, November 13 Free Lunch & Learn Spotting Fake News Presentation; 12 p.m. @
Men’s Health Awareness; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. @ Student Life Lobby Small Auditorium
Wednesday, November 15 Thursday, November 16
Healthy Cooking Remixed; 12 p.m. @ The “Y” Great American Smoke Out
Science Seminar; 7 p.m. @ Auditorium 9101 Info at Student Life
Thursday, November 16 Wednesday, November 22-26
Oklahoma’s Birthday; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Student Life Lobby TCC Closed, Have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Friday, November 17 Wednesday, November 29
Intramural Basketball; 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. @ Fitness Center Wii Wednesday; 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. @ Student Life
Wednesday, November 22-26 Monday, December 4 - 7
TCC Closed, Have a safe and wonderful holiday! Good Luck on Finals
Monday, November 27 Stop by Student Life for Study Tips and Goodie Bags
Die Laughing Improvisational Comedy Troupe; 8 p.m. @ Van Trease PACE Monday, December 11 - 13
Studio Theatre Finals Fuel; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. @ Cyber Lounge
Thursday, November 30 Tuesday, December 12
OBI Blood Drive; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Bridge Alcove (on bridge between building Canines & Coffee; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Library
7 & 4) Wednesday, December 13
Give Blood and get your choice of OU or OSU T-shirt! Canines & Coffee; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Library
Monday, December 4 Monday, January 8
Yoga for Relaxation; 2:30 p.m. - 3 p.m. @ Chat Room 9100 Spring Semester Begins
Tuesday, December 5 Monday, January 15
Tea Tuesday; 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. @ Library Martin Luther King Day, College Closed
Wednesday, December 6 Saturday, February 24
Pancake Breakfast; 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. @ Bldg 8 BluePrint 2018; 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. @ Student Union
Thursday, December 7 Find out how to apply to Tulsa Achieves
Pancake Breakfast; 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. @ Student Life Lobby
Monday, December 11 - 12
Canines & Coffee; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Library
Therapy Dogs on Campus for Finals Weeek
Saturday, December 16
Christmas with Brian Nhira and Friends from “The Voice”; 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. @
VanTrease PACE Studio Theatre
Monday, January 8
Spring Semester Begins
Monday, January 15
Martin Luther King Day, College Closed

Southeast Campus Fitness Center Northeast Campus Fitness Center

12:30 p.m. 1:15 p.m. 2 p.m. 5 p.m. 11:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 5:15 p.m.
Monday Cycle Yoga Stength True Grit Zumba Monday SPIN Core Challenge
Tuesday Iron Impact Zumba Tuesday TRX
Wednesday Overdrive Core Scuplt True Grit Wednesday Total Body
Thursday L.I.F.T. Zumba Thursday Low-Impact Cadio Bootcamp
Friday Cycle Fusion Friday Absolute Abs

The Connection November 21, 2017 Page 15

Entertainment
MoviePass offers near-unlimited theater visits at a staggeringly low cost
By Trent Gleason
Southeast Associate Editor
For many, going to the
movies is a way to clear the
mind and relax after a long
week. However, the price and
inconvenience of attending a
movie theater compared to op-
tions like Netflix and iTunes
movies have caused the indus-
try to falter over the years. One
service seeks to change this.
MoviePass is a subscription
service that was established in
2011 with the goal of making
theater-going an easier, more
casual experience. The service
asks that the user pay $9.95 per
month to attend a movie the-
ater showing once every calen-
dar day.
The service requires that
the user download the official
MoviePass mobile app, where
the desired theaters and show-
times can then be selected.
Upon subscribing to the
service, the customer is shipped
a MoviePass MasterCard,
which is used at any desired
movie theater when purchasing
tickets. This all works through
the application. The user must
first “check-in” at the theater
location, which requires that
the user be within a 100 yard
radius to the theater, and once
this action is completed, the re-
quired funds are loaded onto
the MasterCard.
The service covers tickets
up to $12, and if a ticket ex-
Page 16
ceeds that amount, the user can
cover the remainder.
Select theaters also offer
“E-tickets,” allowing for tickets
to be purchased through the
MoviePass application without
having to use the MasterCard.
Does this sound too good
to be true? Many think so, and
the recent announcement of
the service’s new, incredibly
low price point shook theater
chains and moviegoers alike.
Most notably, theater chain
AMC took issue with Movie-
Pass for what they felt was a
unsustainable price drop.
“From what we can tell, by
definition and absent some oth-
er form of other compensation,
MoviePass will be losing money
on every subscriber seeing two
movies or more in a month,”
AMC’s statement read.
Ultimately, the popular
theater chain believes that
the service will, more or less,
spoil theater attendees. Since
the company is confident that
MoviePass will go under sooner
than later, they believe that po-
tential AMC customers will be
unable to go back to paying full
price for movie tickets.
In an interview with Va-
riety, MoviePass CEO Mitch
Lowe—previously involved with
Netflix and Redbox—revealed
concern that AMC’s statement
could hurt the business.
“I’m not worried about it
killing the sale,” Lowe said.
“What I’m worried about is it
confusing customers and mak-
ing them believe they can’t use
this service at AMC theaters.”
Since using MoviePass at
a theater is as simple as swip-
ing a debit card, a theater chain
would effectively have to block
MasterCards as a whole to keep
customers from using the ser-
vice.
AMC has taken steps to
keep MoviePass out of their
business by removing E-ticket
support from a few theaters,
but it goes without saying that
such an effort hardly moves the
needle.
“This is so much like Block-
buster was when we rolled out
Netflix or Redbox,” said Lowe.
“It’s the big guy being afraid
of the little guy offering better
value to consumers.”
Prior to the service’s price
change, the company had a
meager 20,000 subscribers,
most likely due to the service’s
initially high cost, which made
it a niche product that most ap-
pealed to movie buffs.
Following the announce-
ment of the service’s new $9.95
price point, the company’s sub-
scriber numbers have sky-rock-
eted to over 400,000.
“We underestimated the
response,” said Lowe in an
interview with Forbes. “My
wildest dream was that we’d
reach 150,000 subscribers in
15 months; we hit 150,000 in
two days. We had 1.3 million
unique visitors to our website
in four hours and it crashed
our servers. And even though
we turned off all our marketing
and social media, we’ve contin-
ued to acquire more new sub-
scribers than we’ve been able to
keep up with.”
The massive number of
potential customers pushed
the service to a breaking point,
causing their whole system to
crash. This prevented current
subscribers from using the ser-
vice they were paying for, and
prevented interested customers
from sealing the deal.
Once customers were fi-
nally able to register, there was
still the issue of how MoviePass
was going to ship thousands of
specially manufactured Mas-
terCards to thousands of new
subscribers within the prom-
ised span of 5-7 days.
Shipping times quickly
jumped from a week to over a
month. This caused mass out-
rage and confusion from cus-
tomers, as they sought answers
for why they had yet to receive
what had been purchased.
“I was happy because it
shows how passionate people
really are about the service
The Connection November 21, 2017
we offer,” Lowe said. “But we
weren’t ready to fulfill the de-
mand. Our staff was just nine
people, half of them customer
service reps, and we got caught
unprepared.”
Ultimately, though the
launch of the new price point
was a disaster, MoviePass suc-
ceeded in growing their user
base, and now that customers
have been able to actually use
the service, reception has been
very positive.
There are still some wrin-
kles to be ironed out: having to
be on location to purchase tick-
ets is anything but convenient;
tickets cannot be purchased in
advance, making the process
of reserving seats early mostly
impossible; tickets can only be
bought solo, making reserving
seats with a group incredibly
difficult.
All that aside, MoviePass
succeeds in making going to a
theater a much more enticing
option, and there is no doubt
that the service will only im-
prove from here.
For more info, visit movie-
pass.com.
trent.gleason@tulsacc.edu

Review: Mother! leaves audiences unnerved
Madeline Wells
Northeast Editor
A movie poster for “Mother!” depicts Jennifer Lawrence ripping out her own heart.
“Mother!” is 2017’s new-
est psychological horror film.
Written and directed by film-
maker Darren Aronofsky
(“Black Swan,” “Requiem for
a Dream”), “Mother!” tests the
relationship of a couple when
uninvited strangers stay in
their home.
Love, devotion and sacri-
fice are just a few of the film’s
thought-provoking topics that
will leave the audience unset-
tled with questions.
“Mother!” starts off with a
quiet wife, “Mother” (Jennifer
Lawrence) and her poet hus-
band, “Him” (Javier Bardem)
living peacefully in the country.
The gorgeous farmhouse
the couple lives in is said to
be the husband’s home that
was rebuilt after a terrible fire.
Lawrence’s character evidently
rebuilt the house herself while
supporting her husband’s stag-
nant career. Despite the large
age difference of the two lov-
ers, their marriage seems cute
The Connection November 21, 2017
and one out of love, not lust.
The character’s lives appear
peaceful and harmonious in the
countryside, that is, until visi-
tors arrive.
The arrival of the new char-
acter is when the audience’s
discomfort really begins to
build. A supposed doctor and
fan of the husband’s writing,
referred to as “Man” (Ed Har-
ris), arrives in the middle of
the night looking for a place to
sleep. The husband invites the
stranger to stay the night with-
out consulting his wife. The
men bond over drinks while
Mother suffers from slight hal-
lucinations in another room,
which she takes a mysterious
yellow powder to cure.
The next day, Man’s wife,
Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer), ar-
rives and causes more chaos
for Mother. Woman is viva-
cious, blunt and disrespectful,
causing Mother to reflect on
her own relationship and life.
The strangers continue to frus-
A movie poster for “Mother!” depicts Javier Bardem with a mysterious orb.
trate and disrespect Mother
while her Husband begs her to
let them stay because the male
guest was dying and wanted to
meet him. But when the Man
and Woman disobediently en-
ter the poet’s office and break
his treasured crystallized ob-
ject, Mother kicks them out of
the house.
Suddenly the strange cou-
ple’s two sons show up to the
house in uproar about their
father’s will and add to the
chaos. The brothers have a
power struggle resulting in the
death of the younger brother.
A wake is held for the dead son
that evening, and suddenly the
house is flooded with dozens of
disrespectful people. Mother
continues to be gas lighted by
Him, as he reassures her that
everything was fine despite the
obvious destruction of their
home. Mother finally kicks out
the unruly guests when they
flood the house, and berates
her husband for ignoring her
Entertainment
lence, sacrifice and cannibal-
ism, leaving the audience un-
settled and confused.
The movie has sparked
controversy amongst viewers
due to the violence and biblical
references. The whole film is an
allegory depicting “the rape and
torture of mother earth” said
Lawrence in an interview with
The Telegraph. Lawrence’s
character is supposed to be
Mother Earth, while her hus-
band, the poet/creator, repre-
sents a form of God. Harris and
Pfeiffer’s characters represent
Adam and Eve, with their sons
depicting Cain and Abel, with
the house itself resembling the
Garden of Eden at times.
The use of heightened ev-
eryday sounds throughout
the movie added a dreamlike
element to the movie. Every
scrape, step and creak that took
place in the house could be
heard and resonated through-
out the audience. The minimal
for his own pleasure.
use of a musical score balanced
A sense of normalcy re-
well with the surreal everyday
turns once all of the guests have
sounds creating an unsettling
been eradicated. Months go by
atmosphere.
and Mother is now expecting
The building of tension and
their first child, which inspires
gas lighting makes the audi-
Him to create again and finish
ence feel as though they suf-
his work. When published, His
fered alongside Mother (earth.)
piece immediately sells out and
Aronofsky did a brilliant job at
Mother prepares a special din-
heightening sounds and situa-
ner in celebration. That is, un-
tions to make Mother’s suffer-
til fans show up at the house to
ing relatable to the audience.
admire and celebrate Him. At
While not a movie for the
first, they ask to use the bath-
faint hearted, “Mother!” is a
room, and before you know it
physiological movie that feels
hundreds of strangers have in-
like a nightmare that never
vaded the house again.
stops escalating.
At this point in the movie,
“Mother!” was playing at
things start to deconstruct. The
select theaters including Circle
wild fans take over the house
Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. Circle
like termites and start destroy-
Cinema is a local nonprofit the-
ing the house. Some fans have
ater that screens independent
turned into a cult worshipping
and art films. Circle Cinema of-
Him and start killing people.
fers student discounts on mov-
The military suddenly arrives
ies with a valid student ID.
to help, but they don’t actually
help, and Mother is caught in
the middle of everything. The
following scenes depict vio- madeline.wells@tulsacc.edu
Page 17
 Sports Analysis
A look into the fading popularity of boxing
Dylan Axsom
West Campus Associate Editor
As the recent fight between
boxing legend Floyd May-
weather and mixed martial arts
(MMA) superstar Conor Mc-
Gregor has shown, boxing is a
dying sport.
Everyone from those who
only watch pay-per-view events
to the oldest analysts agree that
the sport is in demise, but not
many understand why this is
true. There are several possible
factors at play, ranging from
how boxing has set itself up as
an organization to having new
combat sports emerge.
Boxing viewership has been
on a decline ever since the 20th
century. In the first half of the
1900s and before, the three
main past times were horse rac-
ing, baseball, and boxing.
Soon enough, other sports
like basketball and football
gained popularity and pushed
horse racing and boxing to the
side. Boxing did not take an
enormous hit because of this,
as it was still the main com-
bat sport, but it did begin the
downward trend that the sport
is experiencing.
The real popularity loss
happened with the emergence
of televised MMA around 20
years ago, starting with the
PRIDE Fighting Championship
founded in 1997.
PRIDE started in Tokyo,
Japan and featured fighters
from all different backgrounds.
The fighters usually specialized
in one area, such as Brazilian
jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, wrestling,
etc., while some specialized in
multiple areas. MMA brought
quick pace and more action to
viewers than boxing did, with
the latter being slower and
more methodical. MMA also
spoke, and still speaks, to the
modern world of instant grati-
fication and shortened atten-
tion spans with its hundreds of
methods to defeating an oppo-
nent. These fights also typically
Page 18
have five, three minute rounds,
whereas boxing matches can
have anywhere from eight to 12
rounds of the same length.
This shorter but more di-
verse sport brought out some
of the world’s best athletes,
many of which first showcased
their abilities during their time
at PRIDE. A few of the most
famous fighters to have fought
in PRIDE include Dan Hender-
son, Wanderlei Silva, Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson, Mauricia
“Shogun” Rua, Anderson Silva,
and many others.
After PRIDE merged with
the Ultimate Fighting Cham-
pionship (UFC) in 2007, most
of the popular fighters followed
and became UFC champions.
With the continuation of popu-
larity in MMA moving to a new
organization, boxing sustained
its viewership loss to a more
diverse and exciting sport that
was only able to grow.
With names like Roy Jones
Jr. and Mike Tyson no longer
in the limelight, boxing strug-
gled to stay relevant with only
a handful of household names.
The sport became more reli-
ant on Floyd Mayweather and
Manny Pacquiao to reel in pay-
per-view dollars and in-arena
spectators.
Many of these facts are still
true today in boxing, exempli-
fied by the Mayweather-Mc-
Gregor bout on Aug. 26. The
fight had almost five million
pay-per-view viewers, with an
estimated three million ille-
gal streams, according to Fox
News, and the preliminary
fights, which aired for free on
Fox Sports, had just over three
million viewers. These are ex-
tremely good ratings for a fight
of any sort, so they do not make
much sense to see in a sport
that is long past its peak. The
numbers make more sense
when considering a couple of
factors.
For one, this fight took both
boxing and MMA’s two biggest
stars, and trash-talkers, and
pitted them against each other
in a highly advertised fight. The
crossover of a superstar into
another sport is always sure to
generate tons of publicity, as
was recently seen with former
quarterback Tim Tebow mak-
ing a run in minor league base-
ball.
The other part is that this
fight, in comparison with oth-
ers, is not even close enough
in terms of viewership to com-
pare to each of the two sports.
The one exception is the match
between Mayweather and Pac-
quiao, which saw 4.6 million
pay-per-view purchases, but
that fight had five years of build
up, compared to Mayweather-
McGregor being thrown to-
gether in several months.
To compare with other big
fights, the Sept. 16 bout be-
tween Canelo Alvarez and Gen-
nady Golovkin, two of boxing’s
current brightest stars, only col-
lected 1.3 million pay-per-view
spectators, according to the
Los Angeles Times. In similar
fashion, one the most viewed
UFC fights – between Conor
McGregor and Nate Diaz – only
gathered around 1.3 million
viewers as well. These numbers
pale in comparison to the Au-
gust bout between McGregor
and Mayweather, and move the
conversation to another point:
boxing’s lack of superstars.
While the sport of boxing
has no shortage of talent, it
does have a serious shortfall in
the stardom department. The
world of boxing lacks person-
alities that make people want
to watch. Personas like Floyd
Mayweather or Mike Tyson,
and even as far back as Muham-
mad Ali, would grab headlines
with strong social statements,
outbursts at press conferences,
or shenanigans in the ring.
Now with Mayweather re-
tired for good, boxing has a
great void to fill. Not only must
the sport have great fighters,
but it must also have those who
can double as media moguls in
order to build interest in fights
and the sport in general.
And even this issue stems
from another one: a lack of
unity in both the world of box-
ing itself and its relationship to
other combat sports.
Boxing in itself is a struc-
turally divided sport. There are
four main sanctioning bodies,
which are the organizations
that sponsor championship
bouts and award belts. There
is the World Boxing Associa-
tion (WBA), which is the oldest
of the four, the World Boxing
Council (WBC), the Interna-
tional Boxing Federation (IBF),
and the World Boxing Organi-
zation (WBO). These groups
are the only ones recognized by
the International Boxing Hall
of Fame.
Having this many organiza-
tions to compete under makes
it hard for the casual fan to stay
focused on one main organiza-
tion like MMA does with UFC.
There are other MMA organi-
zations, like Bellator Fighting
Championship, but rare is a
time that the two overlap. In
boxing however, organizations
overlapping is quite regular
and is seen as a key marketing
point for the bodies involved.
In fact, a recent fight be-
tween Nebraska native Terence
Crawford and Namibian Julius
Indongo saw a unification bout
of all four junior welterweight
belts go to Crawford by way of
a third round body shot that led
to a TKO. Though he later had
to forfeit one belt because of a
mandatory title fight conflict,
Crawford became only the sec-
ond male boxer to unify all four
belts in a single weight division.
But unifying belts is much
The Connection November 21, 2017
easier to do than it would be
to unify the sanctioning bod-
ies. The issue lies within the
politics of the boxing, making it
very difficult to even approach
the idea.
“What boxing as an indus-
try should do, is say, ... ‘hey,
combat sports fans, MMA
fans’ ... ‘you like combat
sports? Come check us out, we
think you would like us too.’”
A less complicated form
of unity lies within the rid-
ding of cross-sport arguments.
The discussion between fans
usually ends up being “boxing
versus UFC,” with Mayweath-
er-McGregor serving as a key
example once again.
Max Kellerman, sports
analyst and commentator for
ESPN and HBO Boxing, says,
“I think what [the Mayweather-
McGregor fight] shows is that
you’ve combined two audienc-
es here, [and] it’s brought the
combat sports world together.”
He says that neither the
UFC or boxing could have done
so well in sales by themselves,
and adds, “I’ve always thought
that what boxing as an industry
should do, is say, ‘hey, combat
sports fans, MMA fans’ – this
young demo[graphic] that ev-
eryone’s coveting, that the UFC
has – ‘you like combat sports?
Come check us out, we think
you would like us too.’ It’s ri-
diculous that this [crossing-
over] doesn’t already happen
[regularly].”
james.axsom1@tulsacc.edu
Tulsa’s Centennial Park offers a unique place to relax
by Camille Rutherford
Southeast Campus Editor

Centennial Park is home to Tulsa’s time capsule. The capsule was sealed in 1998 and The Central Community Center is a part of Centennial Park. The Central Community
will be opened in 2048. Center hosts a variety of classes and activities for all ages.

The park is 11.65 acres and its walking trail stretches from 6th Street and Peoria to 6th Centennial Park is located on East 6th Street, near TCC’s Metro Campus
Street and Madison.

The Connection November 21, 2017 Page 19