Big Change Comes to Stuco Hours Before the Shooting, Agh- Dam Was Practicing at a Gun Range

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Published biweekly by and for the Upper School students of Riverfield Country Day School in Tulsa, OK APRILMAY 11,3, 2015 2018 THE COMMONS Tragedy occurs at YouTube HQ

By Logan Payne NEWS EDITOR

On April 3, a woman identi- fied by the police as Nasim Aghdam shot three people at the YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California before turning the gun on herself. She opened fire at a group of people eating lunch outside in the café, according to CNN. Law enforcement said the shooter is believed to have known at least one of the people, but the motive of this shooting is something many people 2018-19 STUCO President Sydney Sowell (left), Secretary Dylan Briggs (middle), and Vice President Kendall Clary (right). Not pictured couldn’t believe. are Treasurer Robert Hale and Social Chair Braden Bates. PHOTO BY BRENDEN PAUL and ANDREW JORDAN Aghdam shot up the YouTube HQ because she was angry with the practices and policies the company has been implementing for its site users. The police said that nine Big change comes to stuco hours before the shooting, Agh- dam was practicing at a gun range. She used a 9mm Smith & By Andrew Jordan a representative for their grade. Wesson semi-automatic pistol STAFF WRITER The argument is that a person who has experience in a to open fire at YouTube. STUCO position would be better suited for the higher offices A 36-year-old man was left ith the Student Council elections just because they already know what is going on in the Council. It in critical condition, a 32-year- finished, the new officers are getting ensures more continuity in the overall Council organization. old man was in serious condi- ready for their positions next year. But However, there is some backlash to this new amendment. tion, and a 27-year old-man was one big thing is happening with STUCO Some in the student body argue that this is biased and caters to in fair condition after arriving at — the amending of their constitution. the current officers, eliminating opposition in the future. the hospital. W Many suggested this amendment after last year’s election, Both sides are adamant about their arguments, but it looks Since this incident, shoot- and the amendment is in the process of being voted into the as though the amendment is going to pass. Most likely it will ings in the U.S. have calmed constitution. The amendment states that any person running be a good thing. With the new officers in place and the new down quite a bit, particularly for a high position (President or Vice President) needs to have amendment, the council will likely be more efficient in the because it was such a stupid at least one year of Student Council experience, such as being years to come. move to put people’s lives in danger simply because she did- n’t like YouTube’s terms and conditions. Aghdam had taken her own life by the time police arrived Education funding is at stake around nation on the scene. One person said that he didn’t even realize a By Jack Jones out. West Virginia was the first. This has been a very bad However, there is also the shooting was happening. He STAFF WRITER They had a statewide teacher decade for education funding, possibility that it won’t happen. thought it was balloons popping strike from Feb. 23 to March 7. with many schools dropping If funding does not increase, until everyone began running One of the biggest conflicts At the time of this writing, around 7% of their total funding schools will need to find a way and scrambling. in the United States lately has Arizona is in the middle of a per student, sometimes more. to adapt to the budget cuts. been the debate over education similar walkout to Oklahoma’s. However, nationwide, school There is also the possibility that funding. This issue has been Colorado, North Carolina and funding has been gradually re- funding cuts could keep occur- especially relevant to those liv- Kentucky have also coordinated pairing itself since 2015. ring, which would be a huge ing in Oklahoma. protests and walkouts on a If school funding continues blow to public education. FINALS SCHEDULE Oklahoma public schools smaller scale. to improve in this manner, it is The issue of education fund- began a teacher walkout on What does all of this mean? entirely possible that it will ing is something that needs to Monday, 5/15 -———- 9-11 History 1-3 English April 2 that lasted for nine days. Everyone has heard plenty reach its previous levels, and be dealt with. Education can be They secured a $405 million about the budget-related issues education will go on as if noth- properly funded, but only if Tuesday, 5/16 —–— 9-11 For. Lang. 1-3 Mathematics raise in public school funding. concerning public schools, but ing happened. Based on recent both the schools and state gov- But Oklahoma is not the what does it mean? Will it affect events, there is a promising ernments are willing to do what Wednesday, 5/17 -—— 9-11 Science only state to experience a walk- you? Well, maybe. chance that it could happen. is necessary.

THE COMMONS is published biweekly dur- SPRING 2018 STAFF VOLUME XII ISSUE 13 ing the school year by the Upper School Newspaper elective class at Riverfield Country Day School, 2433 W. 61st Street, Tulsa, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ...... James Morley FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 Oklahoma 74132. The staff reserves the right to edit any article or MANAGING EDITOR ...... Brenden Paul letter submitted for publication. Send all submissions to the Editor-in-Chief at NEWS EDITORS ...... Logan Payne, Jack Bluhm [email protected]. All opinions SPORTS EDITORS ...... Noah Laubach, Brady Heinig DESIGN EDITORS...... Jake O’Shaughnessy, expressed are those of the individual writ- OPINIONS EDITORS ...... Quinten Nokes ...... Jack Jones, Mason Malloy ers and do not reflect positions of the staff, A&E EDITORS ...... Connor Keesling, Kip Derryberry GRAPHICS EDITOR ...... Elise Wagoner adviser, or school administration. REVIEWS EDITORS ...... Alex Milton, Andrew Jordan COLUMNISTS ...... Grace Clark, Grant Heinig, Online: riverfield.org/community/student-newspapers.cfm FEATURES EDITOR ...... Will Dozier, Hana Saad ...... Alexis Lipe, Adaira Reid

THE COMMONS Friday, May 11, 2018 CONGRATS TO GRACE CLARK, WHO PLACED 8TH AT #1 SINGLES at the SPORTS State tennis tournament! Good luck to the boys this weekend ... 2 NBA’s MVP Race down to James vs. Harden

By Logan Payne past years. He averaged 27 had an truly astonishing ceil- STAFF WRITER points per game, eight rebounds ing, leading his team to the No. and nine assists. These numbers 1 seed in the East, and five and The MVP candidates for are fantastic and show that he is a half games in front of the the NBA were quite impres- the most dynamic player in the best team to play in a decade, sive this year. league. He has averaged more the Golden State Warriors. Those in the race for MVP assists than most point guards Harden averaged 30 points, were LeBron James and James and more rebounds than some five rebounds and eight assists Harden. Both have played at centers. per game. peak performance this year. But James’ team is strug- Harden has dominated the Karsten and Grace have left a legacy of excellence for next year’s teams. PHOTOS BY BRADY HEINIG They have been the best play- gling hard with the loss of Kyrie competition this year. Nothing ers on their teams as well as Irving and the injuries of Kevin has gotten in his way to lead the two best players in the Love. The loss of these players his team to greatness. Don’t be league. has greatly hurt the team, alt- surprised if they go to the fi- Knutsen and clark lead LeBron James led his team hough an analyst cannot blame nals this year with one of the to the No. 4 seed this year, him for his team doing badly. hottest offensives in the varsity tennis teams extremely low compared to his James Harden, though, has league. to State tournament Major League baseball starts Riverfield tennis has had a great season this year, and both Most By James Morley the best lineup in the league. going to be open for a long time the Varsity Boys and Varsity STAFF WRITER This offseason the Yankees add- because of their dominant start- Girls teams are positioned to Valuable ed Giancarlo Stanton, the Na- ing rotation, their bullpen, and make a splash at the State tour- If you’re anything like me, tional League MVP who bat- their young core of power hit- nament this year. Both teams Players this is the best time of the year. ted .281 and hit 59 homeruns. ters. Despite losing to the Astros Baseball season is finally back. The Yankees certainly are a are led by a great group of sen- By James Morley in the World Series last year, iors. On the Boys’ side there is The Houston Astros took force to be reckoned with this they have a good chance of Karsten Knutsen, and Grace home the 2017 World Series year, but they may not be the making it back this year. Clark leads the Girls. seniors and juniors. The Varsity Trophy, and many teams are best team in the AL. The Astros, Despite barely missing the Grace Clark — Grace is in Boys team recently moved up to hungry for theirs this year. reigning World Champions, playoffs last year, the St. Louis her senior year and is playing the 5A class in tennis, the divi- During the offseason, new added All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cardinals are in a position to her best tennis yet. Grace comes sion with the most competition. rules were implemented. One Cole to their already dominant make a splash this year. The from a long lineage of tennis They have a great chance to win limits managers to only six starting rotation. The Astros are Cardinals added one of the best greatness and is continuing the State this year. This is largely mound visits per game. still the favorite to represent the all-around hitters this offseason, Clark legacy. Grace came into due to Karsten’s tennis ability. The 2017 season had the AL in the World Series. Marcell Ozuna from the Miami this year with a big task, to try Karsten is playing in the #2 most home runs ever hit in a On the other side of the Marlins. Ozuna hit .312 with 37 to lead five freshman through singles class and is the favorite single season, so we have a lot MLB, the LA Dodgers and St. homeruns. He will add the big regionals and into State. Grace to win State this year. Success to look forward to in 2018. Louis Cardinals are my picks to bat the Cardinals needed last has been successful with that like this doesn’t come without One team that made big contend for the NL. year, and he makes the Cardi- task. Grace is not able to just hard work. Karsten trains for moves this offseason was the The Dodgers are virtually nal’s defense look much better. lead the team, but can help them hours on end every day to hone New York Yankees. They made the same team as last year when The season is still young, win. Grace plays in the #1 sin- his craft. Keep up the hard it to Game 7 of the ALCS last they made it to the NLCS and and lots can change. Make sure gles spot, and she has had tre- work, Karsten! year against the Astros but came won 104 games. Their window to keep up with the MLB season mendous success despite having Karsten and Grace were this up short despite having arguably for winning a championship is to see who comes out on top! to play the best players in the issue’s MVPs. They are the last state. Great job, Grace! MVPs of this year, and it is also Karsten Knutsen — my last time writing this col- Karsten is also a senior, and he umn. But Riverfield will contin- is doing well just like Grace. ue having outstanding athletes. I Karsten has a great supporting am hopeful this column will cast around him with a group of continue next year. NFL DRAFT ends april 28 By Noah Laubach Three other quarterbacks Angeles with the tenth overall Conor McGregor SPORTS EDITOR were taken in the first 10 picks. pick. Southern California’s Sam Dar- Baker Mayfield was the One of the most anticipat- nold went No. 3 overall to the only player from an Oklahoma loses it, injures ed National Football League New York Jets. The Buffalo university drafted in the first (NFL) Drafts in recent histo- Bills traded up to the seventh round, but five other players other fighters ry, due to the big name quar- pick to get Wyoming’s Josh (three from Oklahoma State terbacks, star running backs, Allen. And the Arizona Cardi- and two from Oklahoma) were and hard hitting defensive nals drafted Josh Rosen from also drafted in this years NFL By Brady Heinig pacted the careers of others. players, commenced with the the University of California-Los draft. SPORTS EDITOR Some celebrities and athletes first round on April 26. It end- need to understand that bad de- ed on April 28 after the sev- On April 5, Conor McGreg- cisions impact the lives of oth- enth and final round. or shocked the sports world in ers too, and although everyone The first pick was con- what was an immature and bi- makes dumb choices, these ac- trolled by the Cleveland zarre turn of events. tions cannot be tolerated in Browns, who owned the first We’ve always known Mc- adults. A 29-year-old man overall pick for the second Gregor has a very large person- should not be acting like this, straight year,. They chose this ality and can sometimes be a especially one with such a high year’s Heisman Trophy win- little controversial, but nobody social status. ner and the University of ever expected him to do this sort No doubt McGregor will Oklahoma’s very own, Baker of thing. regret this decision for the rest Mayfield. Mayfield will be the The fighter was scheduled to of his life. Hopefully he can Browns 29th starting quarter- speak at a press conference for learn from his mistakes. After back since the 1999 season, UFC 223, and after the confer- being on such a high after com- easily the most by any fran- ence he took a metal handcart peting with Floyd Mayweather chise over that span. and threw it at a tour bus full of in the ring and making so much The second pick went to UFC fighters. Many of the fight- money, it is disappointing to see the New York Giants, and ers were injured and had to be him at such a low point in his they chose arguably the best pulled from scheduled fights. life. University of Central Florida’s one-handed linebacker, Shaquem Grif- overall prospect in this year’s Not only did McGregor’s Hopefully the injured ath- fin, was drafted in the 5th round by the Seattle Seahawks, the same team draft, Penn State’s star running action earn him a spot in jail and letes can make a speedy recov- that drafted his brother, Shaquill, in last years draft. back Saquon Barkley. PHOTO: USATODAY.COM a felony charge along with three ery and return to doing what misdemeanors, but it also im- they do so well.

THE COMMONS Friday, May 11, 2018 Looking for A great mother’s day gift? Shop at OPINIONS smile.amazon.com (list RCDS as the beneficiary!) … 3

OK governor’s race is How influential is u2, really? already shaping up

By Kip Derryberry “Songs of Innocence,” into Ap- By the late 1980s, U2 was By Alex Milton economic diversification, ac- ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ple product consumers’ music at their peak of popularity. STAFF WRITER cording to The Oklahoman. libraries. People weren’t content However, in those days bands Todd Lamb served as It would be an understate- with seeing this mediocre album like Kraftwerk were shaping In November of this year, Lieutenant Governor under ment to say that U2 is a huge in their music lists without buy- the sound of synthpop, and Oklahomans will be tasked Gov. Fallin from 2011 until band. However, despite selling ing it, and it became clear the Cocteau Twins were popular- with voting for who they think Feb. 2017, when he resigned incredible numbers of tickets band’s best days were over. izing dream pop. U2 failed to is best suited to lead the state his position as a small busi- for live performances, it’s sort So why, despite their forget- bring many new ideas to the for the next four years. ness advocate in protest of of difficult finding avid fans of table current presence, is U2 table. Since Governor Mary Fallin’s proposed tax increas- the band nowadays. able to stay so popular with Since the 1990s, it has be- Fallin has reached her term es, according to Oklahoma’s Their dwindling audience modern audiences? Essentially, come important for great art- limit, Oklahomans will see News 4. Lamb also served in mostly leaves out younger the band manages to stay in the ists to weave deep meanings new faces in this election with the State Senate from 2005 to listeners, which is understand- public eye because their act is into their music, not only with many Republicans and some 2011. able. In 2014, they literally based on writing deep music for lyrical poetry, but also in the Democrats working to take One Democratic candidate, forced their then-new release, shallow listeners. soundscapes they create using Fallin’s place. Drew Edmondson, served as their instruments. The primaries are only State Attorney General under But ever since the ’90s, weeks away, so it is time to Governors Frank Keating and U2’s music has almost com- start paying attention to the Brad Henry. Edmondson used pletely hinged on Bono’s abil- numerous candidates running his position to set limits on the ity to write lyrics with themes in each party. advertising of tobacco prod- that listeners don’t have to Some of those candidates ucts in Oklahoma. He also think too much about. are former Oklahoma City conducted a successful investi- In essence, artists that mayor Mick Cornett, current gation against former State write profound lyrics and back Lieutenant Governor Todd Insurance Commissioner Car- them up with compelling Lamb, former Attorney Gen- roll Fisher. soundscapes have become less eral Drew Edmondson, and Democrat Connie Johnson popular because listeners have former State Senator Connie is a former State Senator who to think about the underlying Johnson. served for 33 years. She is meanings of the music. U2 is Republican Mick Cornett known for having represented popular because the meanings served as Oklahoma City’s women and minority groups in aren’t underlying at all. Their mayor from March 2004 to the Senate. Johnson worked in sound is so bland that all the April 2018. Throughout his 14 2015 and 2016 to abolish attention is directed towards years as mayor, Cornett fo- Oklahoma’s death penalty and U2 filled the BOK Center on May 2. PHOTO: THETULSAVOICE.COM Bono’s pretentious lyrics. cused on improving city roads, proposed reform on the state’s public transportation, and policy on marijuana.

Op-eds prove very influential CONTROVERSY AS promotion By Will Dozier an issue. The control group did posed to the opinion pieces. STAFF WRITER not read an op-ed, while the In this time when it seems By Will Dozier bases in their scenes) after con- treatment group did. The op-eds everyone has an opinion on STAFF WRITER troversy. 6ix9ine pled guilty to a As you read this page, you used were five different Ameri- issues such as gun control, felony and XXXTentacion has may be under the assumption can libertarian opinions. The human rights, etc., opinion On Friday, April 13, famed been charged with second bat- that people take articles like researchers asked for their im- pieces are very significant. rapper and celebrity Kanye West tery. these with a grain of salt, and mediate opinions after reading While many dismiss opin- reactivated his Twitter. During It is likely that these increas- they do not change the way the articles, and again 10 and 30 ion-based sites such as the following weeks, he has es in popularity can be credited people think. However, that days later. PragerU and others in its vein, garnered over 27 million follow- to the backfire effect (a.k.a. con- assumption would be false. Excluding the people who this study shows that opinion ers and has announced a new firmation bias.) According to Science already agreed with the articles, pieces are significantly influ- album. According to JSTOR Daily, News, a recent study by Yale 30-40% people immediately encing people’s opinions. During these weeks, Kanye the backfire effect is a proven University on April 24 found shifted their beliefs to be the Many believe their opin- has done a lot to polarize his fan theory that says when people’s that op-eds do change peo- same as the op-eds’. ions on issues are their own, base as well as his critics. His ideas are challenged, they be- ple’s minds for the long term. Even those of different polit- but their opinions may be a actions include supporting con- come more strongly convinced Researchers tested more ical parties, classes, and educa- result of the opinions they are servative commentator Candice of their original opinions. Not than 3,000 people, asking tion showed very little differ- exposed to, rather than their Owens, showing his Trump- only can controversy spread the them to share their beliefs on ence in results after being ex- own thought and analysis. signed Make America Great word, it actually can make fans Again hat, and endorsing like the person more. Trump. Kanye is again being This phenomenon is not lim- talked about in the news and, ited to music. It extends into not surprisingly, he is being more important areas of culture. controversial again. It is evident that President GUN CONTROL debate is a hot button But, why is Kanye involving Donald Trump rose to populari- himself in controversy now? ty using controversy. Regardless By Brady Heinig so that is why blanket bans in people who would use them in The answer is to drive sales of of your political beliefs, it is STAFF WRITER the past have failed and why defense. his upcoming album and his undeniable that most of his fan one would not be successful A lot of mass murderers clothing line. base became more dedicated In 2018, the most hotly de- now.” have either illegally possessed A lot of musicians in the past when their opinions were chal- bated topic by far has been gun Although many think assault guns or were not mentally stable year, particularly rappers, have lenged. This effect has been control, and it doesn’t seem the rifles are the main weapon used enough to possess weapons. So gained prominence through con- noted with other politicians, too. arguing will die down anytime in mass shootings, the New when guns are taken away from troversy. A couple of the most So, if you want to promote soon. York Times reported that only people who are going to use popular rappers in recent times, your artwork, music, campaign, Since the Parkland, Florida 3% of all murderous shootings them for their intended purpos- 6ix9ine and XXXTentacion, or any other project, give it a try. shooting in February, students in America are done with as- es, the people who will use guns became more popular (and argu- Controversy seems to work very and adults all around the coun- sault weapons, and the majority as a harmful instrument will ably had the most dedicated fan well. try have been clamoring for gun are done with handguns. So retain theirs. law reform. However, this may clearly, it is not the assault rifle Instead of focusing on ban- not be in the best interests of that is the biggest problem. ning guns for all people, there the people of America. The use of guns as deadly needs to be greater reform in the One of the main demands weapons needs to cease imme- process by which people are by those who want gun reform diately, but there is a problem allowed to buy guns in the first is a ban on the sale and posses- with thinking that legal gun place. Background checks and sion of all assault rifles. That owners giving away their weap- mental health tests need to be was the type of gun used in the ons would be a good idea. strengthened, and police offic- Parkland shooting. Passing a law that would ers should be enabled to do a As senior James Morley force assault rifle owners to turn better job of removing weapons Dec. 17, 2017 Apr. 8, 2018 said, “It is hard to nail down in their guns would take weap- from those who are likely to This shows Kanye's jump in popularity after restarting his Twitter. exactly what an assault rifle is, ons out of the hands of some wield them improperly. GRAPH BY GOOGLE TRENDS

THE COMMONS Friday, May 11, 2018 Wishing everyone a A&E / REVIEWS fun -filled summer break! 4

The Chase Experiment creative fiction

By Elise Wagoner ILLUSTRATIONS BY PENNY MUSICK STAFF WRITER and ANNA TIDMORE BOOKTALK BOOKtalk Previously … The guardian By Hana Saad After a car wreck, Chase tells Chase he will face three dan- finds himself in a strange gerous “games” on his journey to new world. “Vicious” is V.E. Schwab’s “Vicious” is an extremely return to his former life. He must (“Shades of Magic,” “This Sav- well written and addicting book. survive them all ... age Song”) first adult novel, and The first dozen chapters are rel- At first, Chase feels as if he she does not disappoint. atively short, making the first Now Chase’s adventure has is falling, then discovers he A cross between a superhero half of the book difficult to put come to an intermission. now has wings. He floats story and a crime drama, down. The pace does slow to- Let us reflect on all that has down to a huge, gleaming “Vicious” is the tale of Victor ward the middle, but the story is happened to our hero and the pro- white marble building and is Vale’s plan for revenge against compelling enough that it never cess that brought him to this point. welcomed to “The Reborn.” his ex-best friend (now arch- feels dull. Chase Sawyer has already gone nemesis) Eli Ever. Schwab’s writing style is through many trials. After a fatal (?) car wreck, Ten years before, Eli and very clean. She gives the reader he has struggled trying to understand who he is Victor performed an experiment enough description to picture the and how he fits into this crazy whirlwind. that transformed them into EOs, setting, but not so much that it He needs to understand that death is not just which are people who have spe- becomes overwhelming. Her use an end, it is a strange new beginning. cial powers after experiencing of third person omniscient to Chase’s old past may haunt him, or he may intense trauma. narrate “Vicious” allows the leave it behind. But with the help of his new- The experiment went wrong, reader to fully understand al- found friend, the guardian, it will only be a and a nasty fight between Eli most every character, although it bump in the road. and Victor led to Victor being does make it tough to differenti- Chase has potential, and he will fulfill it in put into prison for 10 years. ate between the villain and hero his own time. When he finally escapes, his at first. Please come back in the fall to see what only plan is to exact revenge Victor is the main character, happens next in “The Chase Experiment.” against Eli, whose lies put him and he is a really great anti-hero. Chase meets a “guardian,” who tells him he must in jail. His voice is memorable, and the survive three trials in order to regain his mortal Victor picks up a few friends choices he makes often waver form. She will be his guide and trainer. along the way, including hack- between what is considered ing extraordinaire Mitch Turner good and bad. He is one of the and 13-year-old Sydney, who main reasons “Vicious” is such also happens to be a necro- an interesting book. mancer. I give Schwab’s new adult The three form a team to novel 4.5 ravens out of 5. take down Eli once they discov- er he is murdering innocent EOs just because he believes them to be unnatural.

But, wait… is any of this real? It turns out that Chase is the subject of a medical experiment, and his brain has created this alternate reality. Of LOGO: NINTENDOEVERYTHING.COM course, Chase doesn’t know that.

New update released on April 3

By Mason Malloy to customize the maps you STAFF WRITER play as well as the bracket Villa Ravenna is special size. As a result, you can al- Over the past few years, most make your own playing Last week, Grace and I went dining — and very intimate. We “Rocket League” has been a style and match. Play local or to Villa Ravenna, the top rated FULL were immediately greeted and great experience for gamers. online — it’s a ton of fun. restaurant in all of Tulsa, ac- shown to our seats. The concept of a mash-up Another feature to mention cording to Yelp. of I ordered the Gnocchi di between a racing game and is that a custom interface can This will be our last review, IT Patate, and Grace had the Tor- soccer seemed almost impos- be made for players who pre- so we decided to treat ourselves. tellini Alfredo. My gnocchi was sible to combine. fer a different style of play I have been to this restaurant By Grace Clark sublime. It had pesto, alfredo Last month, a new update from the normal “Rocket many times, and I love it. This & Adaira Reid and marinara sauces on it, and was released that includes League” interface. For most, was Grace’s first time here, and the gnocchi was perfectly many new features. this feature isn’t much, but for I was super excited for her to The restaurant was dimly lit cooked. Grace described her When you start up the some it can be a literal game experience it. — always a good sign when tortellini as simply bursting with game, the first change you changer. flavor. will notice happens right at Fan Rewards has not The owner of the restaurant the beginning. Music from changed much apart from the actually came by to greet us and “Rocket League X Monster- new Triumph Crate. This crate ask us how our food was while cat, Vol. 2” is included in the includes the new black market we were eating, making it an soundtrack. There are many decal “Dissolver” and the new even more pleasant dining expe- great tracks if you like elec- car, “Samurai.” rience. tronic dance music. All in all, “Rocket League” While the menu was expen- The next change can turn just keeps getting better and sive, it was definitely worth it. “Rocket League” into a com- better. This update, in particu- Villa Ravenna is the perfect pletely new game, and that is lar, allows players to have place to go for a special occa- tournament mode. more customization over their sion or simply when you want to Tournaments allows play- play style. treat yourself. ers to make a custom bracket I love the ideas of having We give it 5 out of 5 ravens. so they can have a similar a massive LAN party and a type of playing experience as huge tournament with your eSports. You have the ability friends. We agree with the posters on Yelp. This just may be the best restaurant in Tulsa. We loved it. PHOTO: TULSA WORLD

THE COMMONS Friday, May 11, 2018 A huge “thank you” to our regular columnists, REVIEWS who will all graduate next week. We will miss you! 5

The ultimate Marvel film — GAME REVIEW:

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ ‘dragon ball fighterz’ By Kip Derryberry very rewarding. By Connor Keesling “Avengers: Infinity War” is and Joe Russo, drain every ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Arc System Works nailed ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR the story of Thanos, as he at- scene to give it the biggest the overall presentation. Despite tempts to collect all six infinity emotional impact possible. Game developer Arc System using 3D models for characters Ten years ago, Marvel re- stones and “rebalance the uni- As the proposed antagonist Works is notable among the and environments, the models leased “Iron Man,” starting verse.” of this story, Thanos is given a fighting game community for are so cel shaded they often one of the most ambitious cin- “Infinity War” features a lot of depth and represents one their excellent work on titles appear to be 2D, emulating the ematic experiments of all time. roster of more than 20 superhe- of the most fully formed Mar- such as “Guilty Gear Xrd.” style of the show. Many charac- Now Marvel has finally, roes from the past 10 years from vel villains in the franchise. However, outside of the esoteric ters’ attack animations cleanly fully delivered on the promise all across the Marvel universe. “Infinity War” is packed fighting game scene, they’ve replicate animations used in the of a shared cinematic universe. What makes “Infinity War” with surprises that are best largely gone unnoticed. original Dragon Ball shows, so They have given us a film that so special is the surprising experienced for the first time When they announced the game serves as a callback to incorporates all the best parts amount of emotional depth to in theaters, so make sure to “Dragon Ball FighterZ,” a new the glory of the series. of the past 10 years. the film. The directors, Anthony stay away from spoilers. 3 vs 3 fighting game starring the However, the game is Much credit for why the Dragon Ball cast, casual and plagued by bad balance issues in film works as well as it does competitive players alike took terms of character skill. Some has to be given to its directors, an interest in the game. characters have certain gim- who manage to pull off the The unique visual styling of micks that others don’t, and this daunting task of balancing 20+ “Guilty Gear” plus the hectic can make playing against such heroes and one massive villain gameplay mechanics of Marvel characters frustrating. with total grace. vs. Capcom equaled a recipe for As it stands, “Dragon Ball This is the movie you success, especially for a fran- FighterZ” is monumental in dreamed of watching as a kid, chise as popular as Dragon Ball. fighting game history for its and now Marvel has turned “Dragon Ball FighterZ,” visual styling, gameplay me- your dream into reality. released in January, is wholly chanics, and clean representa- I’m giving “Avengers: accessible to casual players tion of its franchise. Whether Infinity War” 5 ravens out of while remaining mechanically you’re a fan of fighting games 5. The film is rated PG-13 for deep for competitive play. All or just someone who enjoys intense sequences of sci-fi characters can perform auto- some good Dragon Ball, there is violence and action through- combos by pressing one button something to enjoy in this game. out, language and some crude repeatedly, yet the player is en- “Dragon Ball FighterZ” de- references. couraged to find their own com- serves 4.5 out of 5 ravens. bos that do more damage. There is a high learning The Avengers prepare to face their greatest enemy … curve for the game’s ins and PUBLICITY PHOTO: MARVEL outs, yet overcoming the gap is

MUSIC REVIEW: ‘The World is Yours’ ‘Civilization VI’ is best

By Quinten Nokes Morning Trappin,” “Small Kid’s flow and type of music. It in multiplayer mode STAFF WRITER Things,” “Listen Up,” “Gar- also went well with the other goyle,” and “Dead Friends.” artists’ verses. There’s nothing quite like Rich the Kid has recently There are many featured “New Freezer” — This song the satisfying feeling of jumped onto the scene even artists on this album: Kendrick features Kendrick Lamar and achieving world domination. though the rapper has actually Lamar, Future, Khalid, Jay went platinum. It was released Sid Meier’s “Civilization VI” GAME been around for a couple of Critch, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, before the album. Rich the Kid manages to improve on nearly years. Now he is really making Quavo, Offset, Lil Wayne, Trip- said he wrote the lyrics to the every aspect of the previous Night top quality songs. pie Redd and Swae Lee. song in 15 minutes. This is one games through major mechan- On March 30, Rich released The best songs on this al- of people’s favorites and defi- By Alex Milton ical and stylistic overhauls. his debut studio album, “The bum are the following two. nitely one of the best on this Civilization is a series of World is Yours.” It peaked at “Lost It” — This is the best album. games where players find a Great of Macedon, Queen No. 2 on the Billboard 200. song on the album due to it hav- I give “The World is Yours” civilization and try to domi- Catherine de Medici of Tracks are: “World Is Yours,” ing a really good beat and two 3 ravens out of 5. nate that world through cultur- France, and former President “New Freezer,” “No Question,” of the hottest featured artists, al, scientific, or militaristic of the United States, Theodore “Plug Walk,” “Too Gone,” Quavo and Offset. The beat was means as the leader of their Roosevelt. Each character has “Made It,” “Drippin,” “Lost It,” produced my Metro Boomin choice. their own set of stats, unique “End of Discussion,” “Early and goes well with Rich the After founding the first buildings, and abilities to give city of their civilization, play- them advantages in specific ers are tasked with expanding fields. their influence by growing While some playable char- their empire through con- acters struggle with balancing Movie review: ‘pacific rim 2’ is mediocre structing new buildings, estab- problems that make them less lishing new cities, and using enjoyable to play, the game By Andrew Jordan wrong with the plot, but there -monster action film. I admit statistics to run an efficient still mostly relies on skill to STAFF WRITER was enough robot-on-monster that sounds crazy. civilization. be successful. violence to distract the audi- The dialogue is a bit lazy, “Civilization VI” can be Since its release in Oct. One of the biggest movies ence. The movie did well at the but there are certain points played in either single player 2016, “Civilization VI” has of the past couple of years has box office, and even I was a fan. where it does seem believable. or multiplayer with up to 12 received many new characters been “Pacific Rim.” In this Since I enjoyed the first However, the action keeps others competing for world and game modes through the 2013 monster thriller, a world movie, I had very high hopes for your interest, with the main domination. However, it is release of paid downloadable of giant monsters called Kaiju the second. Unfortunately, it part of the movie comprised of best enjoyed in multiplayer content. While the content rose from the sea to fight giant was just mediocre. robots beating up on monsters. with others. adds a great deal, it is entirely human-controlled robots called The plot isn’t as good as the That does not disappoint. Call While the sheer number of optional, and the game still Jagers. first film There really isn’t a it a guilty pleasure. game mechanics that require feels complete without it. In this film, the rift that the true and believable enemy (wait, Overall, they could have the player's attention can be While the game struggles, monsters originally came from was there one in the first?) A done a bit better with this overwhelming at first, the in- “Civilization VI” is a must- started to spew out bigger and global CEO of a monster- movie, but it’s pretty good as game tutorials do a great job play for anyone who enjoys more powerful monsters. fighting-drone-producing corpo- it is. I give “Pacific Rim 2” at explaining the mechanics turn-based strategy. I give it 4 Eventually, one pilot had to ration gets his mind taken over 3 ravens out of 5. and their significance. out of 5 ravens. sacrifice his robot, making it by the monsters. He then turns The game’s playable char- go nuclear in the rift in order all the drones against the world. acters include leaders from to stop the flow of monsters. Now, that isn’t exactly the most various nations and time peri- There were a few things believable plot line in a robot-on ods such as Alexander the

THE COMMONS Friday, May 11, 2018 Altug delen and drew dozier won 1st place school honors for racing drones at ‘Flight night’ … FEATURES 6 Khutulun, a Mongolian ‘You’re a Good Man’ sparkled By Brenden Paul pers during the 1950s and ’60s.” STAFF WRITER The entire story takes place warrior princess during one day. In it, Charlie Riverfield Theatre Company Brown is trying to cope with the Many people are under the has been busy this year. Starting everyday struggles of being a 5-

impression that being a woman with “12 Angry Jurors,” they year-old. automatically makes a person THE progressed to monologues, one- But this was also a musical, weaker than they would be if wonder acts and short plays at the ISAS so there were song numbers that they were a man. Enter Khu- Arts Festival in Dallas. included dancing. tulun, the Mongolian warrior women But their biggest production Ari said, “The play is an princess who remained unde- was staged a week ago: “You’re overall tribute to the Charlie By Alexis Lipe a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Brown comic strip.” feated by men in her specialty of wrestling. Two Upper School perfor- Those who attended a performance were very impressed Khutulun was the great- wrestler. However, if the suitor mances were held on May 4 and great-granddaughter of the lost the match, he would have to 5 at the Tulsa Little Theatre. with the skills of the cast mem- famed warrior Genghis Khan. give her horses. Freshman Ari Sanders, a bers. It was another success in a Meredith Peters captivates the year of successes for Riverfield She was also the daughter of a Her father soon found many crowd as Snoopy in the Upper cast member, said the play was Theater Company. Mongolian leader, and the strong men to wrestle her, think- School production of “You’re a “a combination of a bunch of Congratulations to Mr. young sister to 14 brothers. Her ing surely they could beat her. Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Charlie Brown comic strips that father trained her as he trained He thought wrong. When Marco PHOTO BY ABBY REDMOND were originally run in newspa- Weaver and the entire cast! his sons. Khutulun learned to Polo met her in 1280, she had ride a horse, shoot a bow, use a hundreds of horses and no hus- sword, wrestle, punch, and build band. fires. She fought in battles Khutulun eventually married alongside her father, grabbing a man she chose, although she 2018 WORLD CUP play will begin soon soldiers right off their horses did not wrestle him. and taking them to her father. When one of Khutulun’s By Jack Bluhm good one. They are a fast-paced from Ligue 1 club Monaco, on But her real specialty was brothers became the new leader, STAFF WRITER team with very young attackers loan to Paris Saint-Germain. wrestling. So, when her parents he appointed Khutulun as the and older defenders. Watch He is a fast forward and a very started pressuring her to marry, army’s commander, a position The FIFA 2018 World Cup Philippe Coutihno, a player in good shooter. He’s one of the she agreed … as long as her she held for five years until her is being hosted in Russia from his 20s who is very fast. He is best young players I've seen in suitor could beat her in a wres- death. Khutulun died a powerful 14 June 14 to July 15. Russia great on both of his feet. His a while. tling match. If she lost the woman who refused to give up doesn’t always make it to the foot skills make him a very val- The U.S. Men’s team did- match, she agreed to marry the in a fight. Round of 32, but they are one uable right winger. n’t make the World Cup for of the most consistent World Another player to watch the first time in more than two Cup qualifiers. hails from England, Dele Alli. decades. The team lost in their Other very consistent teams He is a midfielder (and a very group qualifiers to Trinidad are England and Germany. good goal scorer) for Premier and Tobago. They both have very good League club Tottenham Hotspur Whether you call it soccer Newspaper wins coaches and players, along and the England national team. or football, you can catch all with some of the best training The best young player in my the action of most on the ma- staffs. opinion is from France, Kylian jor sports channels and many prestigious award The Brazil team is another Mbappe. He is a 19 year old news channels as well.

They won more awards than ever. Staffers took 1st Place in seven of the nine categories they entered. Noah A nice starter car for thrill-seekers: Laubach won 1st Place in News Story and Sports Col- umn, James Morley took 1st 2004 Porsche GT3 Cup in Opinion Column, Will Dozier took 1st in Critical I was recently given the braking was very twitchy and Review, Jake O’Shaughnessy opportunity to drive a 2004 prone to locking up the front took 1st and 2nd Places in Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car on TEST tires. It took more effort to get By Hana Saad both Front Page Design and track. This is what I thought. the car to turn a fast lap time, STAFF WRITER Inside Page Design, and Pen- Porsche has been produc- DRIVE whereas a front engine car like ny Musick and Anna Tidmore ing “Factory Cup” cars for a Corvette is much more for- Every year, The Commons swept the Story Illustration many years. The frame is stiff- By Grant Heinig giving. enters two statewide competi- category. er, the body is lighter, and the This car is good at teach- tions. One is hosted by North- The Commons was given engine is more powerful than ing you how to drive a Por- eastern State University multiple awards for Overall the road-going variant. away. This is good, but that sche, but not how to drive (NSU), and the other is hosted Newspaper: Highest Honors, This being a rear engine means that mid-corner, the car other cars. The rear engine by Oklahoma Scholastic Me- All-Oklahoman, and the pres- car, all of the mass is in the will understeer very badly. design is outdated. New Por- dia (OSM). tigious James F. Paschal Me- back. Under acceleration, the Since the car hooks up so sches use rear wheel steering This year marked NSU’s morial Sweepstakes Award weight shifts to an 85/15 dis- well under acceleration, I could to aid in weight management, 47th annual Media Day. Staff- for the best publication in the tribution to the back to aid in get on the throttle earlier. But but the better option would be ers for The Commons took small schools division. This acceleration. Under braking, since the front was light, I had to move the engine to the mid- home top awards in five out of last award was the equivalent the weight moves forward and to enter the corner slower. The dle. I’m sure Ferdinand Por- the seven categories they en- of a state championship. results in a 50/50 balance end result was a different line sche would be rolling in his tered. Almost everyone re- It is amazing that The which is perfect for turning through the corner that felt grave for my saying that, but ceived a Superior or Excellent Commons has received so the car after a long straight much slower overall. Under- it is the truth. award for their work. many awards, especially con- The more experienced sidering the class only meets staff members were not the twice a week and publishes only ones whose work was biweekly. It competes against deemed Superior. Underclass- many schools that have news- 2004 Porsche gt3 Cup men such as Will Dozier, paper classes five days a week Specifications Elise Wagoner, Quinten and only publish monthly. POWER 400 hp Nokes and Jack Bluhm also Every person involved in TORQUE 287 lb.-ft. received this highest rating. The Commons, whether they The Commons received a are writing articles, designing 0-60 3.7 seconds

Superior for Overall Newspa- pages, taking photographs, or ENGINE 3.6L H6 per, the highest award given. drawing illustrations, works TRANS 6-speed manual On April 30, the staff trav- incredibly hard to make each eled to Norman to participate MPG N/A issue the best it can possibly in OSM’s Spring Media Mon- be. Consider joining the staff CURB WEIGHT 2,850 lbs.

day at the University of Okla- next year, and maybe you’ll PRICE AS TESTED $68,000 The rear engine placement causes problems with cornering. homa. win some awards, too! PHOTO BY GRANT HEINIG