THEOakland University’s IndependentOAKLAND Student Newspaper VolumePOST 46 l Issue 11 lOctober 21, 2020
WXOU’s Haunted Halls hits the Oakland Center The campus radio station is reworking Haunted Halls to be scary but safe Page 6
FRISBEE CHARITY ROOM REASSIGN SNL SATIRE Ultimate Frisbee ‘Outlaws’ raise Housing offers room change period Bill Burr’s SNL introduction teeters money for American Cancer Society to promote social distancing between comedy and bigotry PAGE 3 PAGE 5 PAGE 12 PHOTO BY: EMILY MORRIS OCTOBER 21, 2020 | 2 THIS WEEK
PHOTO OF THE WEEK THEOAKLANDPOST EDITORIAL BOARD Michael Pearce Emily Morris Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor [email protected] [email protected] 248.370.4266 248.370.2537
EDITORS COPY&VISUAL Ben Hume Web Editor Jodi Mitchell Design Editor [email protected] Meg Speaks Design Editor Sophie Hume Photo Editor Sam Summers Design Editor [email protected] Sergio Montanez Photographer Liz Kovac Engagement Editor Ryan Pini Photographer [email protected] Maggie Willard Photographer Cayla Smith Campus Editor [email protected] Jeff Thomas Features Editor [email protected] REPORTERS DISTRIBUTION Bridget Janis Staff Reporter Jaylon Johnson Distribution Director Lauren Karmo Staff Reporter [email protected] Autumn Page Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Distribution Assistant NEVER EVER LET IT COOL On Matilda Dodge Wilson’s Birthday Bash celebration, Lauren Reid Kimmy Guy Staff Reporter Distributor students were welcomed with free gourmet hot chocolate. Rachel Yim Erika Beechie PHOTO / EMILY MORRIS
ADVERTISING ADVISING Kaitlyn Woods Ads Director Garry Gilbert Editorial Adviser [email protected] [email protected] 248.370.4269 248.370.2105 Don Ritenburgh Business Adviser [email protected] 248.370.2533 4 10 13 NEW FACILITY BLY MANOR TOURNAMENT TIME! Board of Trustees purchases new “The Haunting of Bly Manor” 2024 Men’s Basketball regionals to be VOTE AND CONNECT AT: facility for SECS research launched on Netflix hosted by Oakland, Detroit Mercy Photo/Oakland University Photo/Netflix Photo/Golden Grizzlies oaklandpostonline.com
POLL OF THE WEEK LAST ISSUE’S POLL WHAT IS YOUR MUST WATCH HALLOWEEN SHOW WHAT SPORT ARE YOU MISSING THE MOST RIGHT NOW? OR MOVIE? A) HOCUS POCUS B) THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 27% 8% 15% 50% A) B) C) D) C) THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR SOCCER CROSS COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL I’VE ALWAYS MISSED D) HALLOWEEN TOWN FOOTBALL
CORRECTIONS CORNER:The Oakland Post corrects all known errors of fact. If you know of an error, please email [email protected]. OCTOBER 21, 2020 | 3 CAMPUS Oakland Outlaws raise money for breast cancer research
RACHEL YIM Staff Reporter
October is breast cancer awareness month. To raise awareness, the Oakland Outlaws Ultimate Frisbee team is hosting its second annual breast cancer fundraiser game. The team is raising money throughout the month of October by selling Outlaws Against Cancer t-shirts for $15. The fundraiser will last until Oct. 24, and all profits will go to the American Cancer Society (ACS). As a Division I travel team, the Oakland Outlaws Ultimate Frisbee team participates in Ultimate Tournaments all over the Midwest. Ideas for the breast cancer awareness game started out last year by President Jacob Lekki. Lekki said that his grand- PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND OUTLAWS GOFUNDME PAGE mothers were the inspiration for his ideas. 2020 Oakland Outlaws Against Cancer team t-shirt design. The team is raising money selling their t-shirts for $15. “Breast cancer is a very important issue to many members of our team scrimmage for its fans, friends and proud of all the funds we have raised for as possible for game day and to receive and me personally because three of my family to watch and enjoy. the American Cancer Society last year donations and support from them. grandmothers have had breast cancer They will be wearing their team jerseys and this year.” “I would like to ask the OU community and have made it to remission,” Lekki with splashes of pink for breast cancer for Clarence Round, the advisor for the to help us out and to please donate online said. “One was diagnosed with stage four the recording, according to Lekki. club, said she is proud of the team for or buy a shirt and check out our social metastatic breast cancer and has been Though COVID-19 resulted in a using the spirit of Ultimate Frisbee media,” Lekki said. fighting for a few years now.” different way of conducting the fundraiser competition to support important causes. People can participate in the fund- Through this fundraiser, the team game, it did not stop the team from “I’m looking to see how far the team raiser by emailing Jacob Lekki at hosted a pink-out game against Kettering spreading awareness for breast cancer. has grown,” Round said. “To put on a [email protected] or visit their University and raised $2,110 for breast Lekki and his teammates are looking good showing for friends and family that GoFundMe fundraiser which is directly cancer research last year. to raise over $1,000 for breast cancer come out to support the game and cause.” tied to the ACS. Oct. 24 is one of the most important research, like they did last year. According to Round, she has been To order an Outlaws Against Cancer days for Lekki and his teammates. “What I look forward to the most is making social media posts and posting team t-shirt, contact any Outlaw members It is the deadline for their fundraiser, getting to play with my team, to grow on several Ultimate Frisbee pages in or Club President Jacob Lekki via phone and the team will be playing a and learn … to play alongside them is Michigan in order to spread the word. number: (630)-360-0945 or email: scrimmage that day and recording the something I love,” Lekki said. “I am She hopes to gain as many spectators [email protected].
Graphic designer and videographer Jason Willis visits OU
LAUREN REID Communications, where Willis helped freelance],” Willis said. “You might pick the guardian of your time, and nobody Staff Reporter revamp brand styles and build a new look up a client here, lose a client there, and can really tell you how to spend it. Wrap for the company and eventually, the OU it’s all just part of the process.” your head around timeboxing and trying Local graphic designer, videographer marketing department. Willis enjoys working with nonprofits to set time aside for what’s coming up and photographer Jason Willis visited “We worked on a lot of different but unfortunately, due to the ongoing throughout the week.” Oakland University on Thursday, Oct. sections of the [OU] website, graphics pandemic, budgets have been cut back. To conclude the event, Willis took 14 to share his experiences and offer for social media – I had my hand in a lot “I really like the nonprofit worlds questions from students, sparking expertise, touching on storytelling in of the different areas of design for the – great stories to tell and it’s all for discussions on edits, work/life balance, media design and his branching off to university, whether it was web, social, wonderful purposes,” Willis said. “I potential internships and collaboration and freelance work. campus signage or brochures” Willis like when the work I do has an impact. creative freedom. Willis, an OU alumni, began his work said. “Ever since I’ve been working at Knowing that what I’m doing has a little “At the end of the day, what people at The Oakland Post as a design editor, Oakland, I’ve been going in two different meaning to it.” want is content and the story,” Willis highlighting the creative freedom he paths between design and video.” Willis also touched on what he refers said. “Whether I shoot it on a $3,000 had in his role. About two years ago, Willis started to as the “4 quadrants to [a] project:” camera or record it over Zoom (in regard “There’s literally nobody telling you freelancing, and has since worked with client, creativity, profit and wellbeing. As to COVID-19 times), the message is still what you can and can’t do,” Willis said. Downtown Detroit Partnership, creating projects come, it’s important to consider getting out there. People still need to do “It allowed me to push into my style.” brochures, maps and event support, these aspects before taking on the that sort of storytelling.” During his time at The Oakland Post, Romulus Public Schools, Eastern Market, endeavour, as mentioned by Willis. For more information on Willis – Willis also worked with the Detroit Warrior Sports, among others. “Managing your time is one of the most his projects, design and contact – visit News, leading into his work at Grid 4 “[You] just have to go with the flow [in important things,” Willis said. “You’re JMW Creative. 4 | OCTOBER 21, 2020 CAMPUS Off-campus research facility to temporarily fix space shortage LAUREN KARMO The SECS faculty Piskulich is referring Staff Reporter to will occupy the 40 labs at 2871 Research Dr. following a $10-12 million renovation. After receiving a vote of approval from They currently reside in Dodge Hall, and Oakland University’s Board of Trustees their vacancy will be filled by others in (BOT), the university is planning to purchase departments needing research labs. an off-campus facility located at 2817 “We would then backfill that space [in Research Dr., Rochester Hills to expand Dodge Hall] with faculty from the School of research in the School of Engineering and Medicine, biology, chemistry and physics, Computer Science (SECS). The $3.715 and then bioengineering,” Piskulich said. million facility is located four miles south “So, these are areas where we’re expecting of campus. growth, and these labs would be very The 2016 Campus Master Plan critical for our ability to continue to provide determined an immediate need for 21,000 the space necessary for those faculty.” square feet in research space with an The university had a third party company additional 131,000 square feet in order called SmithGroup appraise and create an PHOTO COURTESY OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY 2871 Research Dr. is the address of Oakland’s newly purchased research facility. for the university to achieve their research outline for the renovations needed to 2871 goals by 2025. Research Dr., which will increase the total purchase of the facility itself, they have not need for space, the cost of building on The 50,000-square-foot facility, priced cost-per-square foot to roughly $600. voted to approve the renovations necessary campus is much higher than the $600 per at $75 per square foot before renovations, “SmithGroup has concluded that with to make it functional as a research space. square foot provided at 2871 Research Dr. will allow for the university to fulfill some an investment of somewhere around $10- The funding for this project is coming Once the university can foot the bill of that need. 12 million, we would be able to create from the same set of 2019 bonds that are to build on campus, they will look into “I’ve been dealing with space here at the 40 labs, a number of offices, restrooms, funding renovations to South Foundation long-term solutions for the need for university for quite some time, and it’s been collaboration space, and do a fair amount of Hall and Wilson Hall. Because of this, the research space. tight for a while, but it’s gotten critical,” maintenance as well — replacing the roof, 2020 decline in student enrollment and its “In the ideal world, we would build all Interim Provost Michelle Piskulich said. securing an emergency backup generator, effect on the university’s finances will not the research space that we need on our “Right now, we have faculty that were hired power upgrades, add HVAC improvements impact this project, according to Beaghan. own campus, and ... we would eventually this year that are still waiting on labs, and and those sorts of things,” BOT Treasurer The expansion to 2871 Research Dr. will build our research buildings back on the we also have a faculty that are in the process John Beaghan said. most likely be a temporary one. While the open campus,” President Ora Hirsch of being hired for which we have no labs.” Although the BOT voted to approve the university is experiencing an immediate Pescovitz said.
YOU CAN FIND US ON
THE VISIT US ONLINE WWW.OAKLANDPOSTONLINE.COM 5 | OCTOBER 21, 2020 OCTOBER 21, 2020 | 5 CAMPUS Housing offers room reassignment period to social distance
MICHAEL PEARCE “We thought it would be most Editor-In-Chief equitable to make an announcement to the entire population so no one would get left out of the party,” Zentmeyer said. Students must meet the prerequisite requirements to live in a certain building before their reassignment is approved. For instance, a freshman in Hamlin Hall could not be reassigned to the Ann V. Nicholson student apartments. Students must list their requests on the form, including where and with whom they would like to live with. Each student is only offered one reassignment request each and switching rooms with a peer is not allowed. MARY MITCHELL | ARCHIVES If someone is receiving a new Hamlin Hall is home to OU Housing, which roommate, they will receive 24-hour will handle all reassignment requests. notice before their new roommate picks up their key. To increase social distancing The reassigned student then has the in the residential halls, Oakland next 24 hours after their roommate is University housing is offering a room notified to pick up their new key. reassignment period. According to Zentmeyer, Housing Students who want a more socially has received pushback regarding this distant experience living on campus can decision. However, he believed the request reassignment to a vacant or less equity is the most important aspect occupied room. of this decision when dealing with an “Please note that this process is not imbalance of room occupancy. intended to be utilized for room change “Bringing it up to 50% occupancy purposes other than enhanced social would be equitable,” he said. distancing,” the official Housing email According to Zentmeyer, health and said. “Not all vacancies in University safety studies recently have shown Housing will be offered during this Housing that COVID-19 doesn’t process in order to maintain increased spread as easily on shared surfaces, it social distancing where possible.” spreads more through shared air and The room reassignment period runs close contact. from Oct. 19-30. Director of University Because of this, Zentmeyer and Housing Jim Zentmeyer felt this process Housing believe that if distancing is was needed to promote equity and followed, the reassignment process proper health precautions. won’t further the spread of contagions. “Some locations are set where you If a student is alone in a four- would have, say, one four-person suite person suite and they receive a new fully occupied, then right next door to it roommate, Housing will put them on you’d have a four-person suite with one the direct opposite side of the suite, to person in it,” Zentmeyer said. “Rather limit close contact. than sitting on the status quo we thought “There’s got to be a sense of fairness it would be advantageous to offer up in this as well,” Zentmeyer said. “It that space to our residential population.” does not seem fair to have one person Rooms without anyone in them will sitting in a four-bedroom apartment be prioritized. If all empty rooms are when right next door there are four filled, then four-person suites with one people in a four-bedroom apartment.” person will be next in line. Since Housing has never done a Housing had received individual room reassignment period like this requests to move, so it was decided to before, it has no expectation of how open the opportunity to all students who many students wish to be reassigned. might have COVID-19 concerns. The After Oct. 30, all room assignments Graham Health Center and the Office of will be finalized. Once a student is Environmental Health and Safety have reassigned, the decision is final. approved this plan. 6 | OCTOBER 21, 2020 CAMPUS