OU Esports Acquires New Main Office in Cross Village
Jack Lederman
The University of Oklahoma Esports Club is currently expanding its facilities to include a new main office in Cross Village.
A room in Cross Building B has already been acquired and renovation is underway. The facility will be previewed for all in the Fall 2023 semester and a full renovation is planned for Summer 2024.
“This room here in Cross is a big step,” OU Esports news lead Conner Marshall said. “Acquiring even more of Cross is something that the club hopes to accomplish.”
OU Esports plans to use the space as a communal area for members as well as a place that competitive gamers can practice and hold tournaments. OU Esports began the timeline of developing their home on campus in Spring 2023. There are plans to build a full-scale esports complex as well as construct a physical space in the dorms in the coming years.
Director of Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation Mike Aguilar said that the club offers a home to students who feel as if they don’t fit in with their peers. As the club expands, they hope to maintain this sentiment without losing touch with gaming culture.
“The most important thing internally that I do is not forget what gaming is supposed to be about,” said Aguilar. “Which is, that it is welcoming of all parties regardless of your orientation, religion, what you’re studying, your socioeconomic background, etc. Gaming is meant to be touched by everyone.”
OU Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation is a department inside the Division of Student Affairs. They are committed to giving students the opportunity to develop skills, creating an inclusive experience, and heightening the student experience.
“For me personally, keeping [OU Esports] student run is beneficial for us,” Marshall said. “Students getting leadership time and being able to do what they want is always important.”
Aguilar said that in the near future, the collegiate esports environment will begin to look more and more like the Big Ten or the Pac-12. He plans to expand production to account for this. For example, Aguilar proposed a Madden NFL tournament that would take place at OU prior to the football games.
“The thing that I want the most is more buy-in and less negative dismissal,” says Aguilar. “We can move mountains right now, but the more mainstream buy-in we have, the faster those mountains move.”
Marshall is excited for the future of OU Esports. The new facility brings more opportunities for members to connect in person.
“It feels great to be a part of it,” Marshall said. “I love helping something I love grow, and seeing OU Esports expand with improvements that will help more people who are into esports. Honestly I feel really lucky to be a part of that.”
You can keep up with OU Esports’ expansion and their upcoming events by visiting their website or by joining their Discord server.
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is Hosting Yellowstone in Color
Jack Lederman
A Norman museum of art is currently showing an exhibit to honor the first American national park and some of the artists that have captured its beauty.
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is showing Yellowstone in Color, a complete collection of 15 watercolor paintings by Thomas Moran and mass produced by Louis Prang. The museum is also offering workshops that take you back in time to experience how the pieces were produced. The exhibit will be available until Nov. 26.
Yellowstone in Color offers a significant opportunity for museum goers to see artworks from an important time in America’s history. While the school of art has a large collection of works from the American west, they do not own any images of Yellowstone by Moran – so see them while you can.
“Moran was such a significant figure in American art and Yellowstone is such a significant place in the American West, it is really special to be able to bring those prints here,” said Hadley Jerman, Eugene B. Adkins senior curator.
Museum director Thomas Smith curated a similar exhibition 12 years ago for the Denver Art Museum. Smith has a connection to the lenders of the prints that allowed them to be presented here at OU. This exhibit is different in that it focuses on the prints in the context of Prang’s printing firm and Moran’s visit to Yellowstone.
The museum is hosting workshops that allow people to learn how Prang made art more accessible to the masses. This is the first time the museum has set up a working art studio inside an exhibit.
“When we have people participating in the print studio it’s like they’re doing the same thing as Prang,” said Jerman. “They’re being inspired by the natural world to make their own artwork.”
There are only 150 surviving copies of Prang’s printed portfolio today, and even fewer of them contain all 15 of Moran’s watercolors. The way in which Prang mass produced Moran’s works is no longer used today, but it was revolutionary at the time. These prints are considered the best chromolithographs ever produced, according to the museum.
“A lot of the time we just think about the artists themselves or the person who designed or did the first drawing, but we never think about who made the reproduction or how that process happens,” said Johnathan Hacker, curatorial intern.
Starting Oct. 12 the museum will be exhibiting Treasures of Tuscany: Renaissance in Arezzo. The exhibit will contain some pieces that have never left Italy. For more information and to keep up with the museum visit their website.
OU College of International Studies Breaks Away from Multiple Programs
Jack Lederman
The college of international studies is currently undergoing a significant transition as their student population has been declining, separating from the oversight of multiple university-wide programs throughout the year.
The Boren College of International Studies is experiencing many changes as they decouple from Study Abroad and International Student services. CIS is narrowing its focus to research and academics by consolidating its resources. The International Student Services and Study Abroad programs will be relocated to the Provost’s office.
“We are in the midst of a fair number of basic logistical transitions but in the coming year, we are making a number of far more exciting moves to reconcentrate CIS wholly on the three-r’s of recruitment, retention, and research,” said Johnathan Stalling, interim dean of the College of International Studies.
Boren College of International Studies has lost 12.3 percent of its previous year’s class size on average every year for the last six years. They lost 25 percent of the fall 2022 class size this semester. As tensions rise around the world in places like Israel, Russia, and Armenia, it is important that OU prepares the next generation of globally-minded students.
“We live in an interconnected world and you can’t not be affected by everything that is happening around the world right now. You should know what your neighbor may be going through,” said Arine Mkhitaryan, OU student with a minor in international studies.
Career opportunities for students with a degree in international studies are low, but include some of the most important and respected jobs out there. 80000hours.org lists “research into global priorities” as one of its highest impact careers based on their research.
“Our students move into careers in diplomacy, humanitarian work, military, security, intelligence, academia, and other purpose-driven careers with international angles,” said Stalling.
CIS has many ways for students who are not studying International studies to get involved. OU offers 17 unique international student organizations. As well, any student is able to start an organization by visiting the OU Student Life website.
“There are a lot of international student organizations on campus and all of them host events literally every week. Going to those events, experiencing those cultures and being aware of what is going on in those countries could really help to get that international perspective,” said Mkhitaryan.
If you want to stay up to date with the latest news from the Boren College of International Studies you can visit their website or follow them on social media.
Oklahoma City Dance Studio Promoting Inclusivity
Jack Lederman
An Oklahoma City dance studio is encouraging everyone to try dance no matter your age, size, or skin color, offering classes in many different styles.
Reach Dance Studio, Located in southwest Oklahoma City, was founded by Ivis Torres in 2019. Now, the studio has over 130 students and offers 26 classes per week. Reach is providing the area with a culturally rich environment to learn and practice different styles of dance.
A dancer for most of her life, Torres traveled around the world sharing her passion for dance through teaching and performing. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Urban Studies/Development from Columbia University, Torres would start Reach out of a yoga studio.
“She’s always had the dream of opening up a studio and bringing dance to everybody in the world, adults and children,” said Savanah Mariscal, co-director of Reach Dance Studio.
Reach offers dance classes in multiple different styles, from ballet to hip-hop and many forms of Latin dance, including Ritmos Latinos and Folklor Mexicano. The studio even teaches classes for TikTok dances, if you want to stay trendy. Reach also hosts classes for children as young as three and adults alike.
“It’s amazing how Reach is known in those different entities. You can say ‘Reach’ and some people might know us for quinceaneras, ballet or folklórico, and it’s just like there’s such a range that it’s really cool to see how it all blends together into one community,” said Misty Kroupa, yoga instructor, dance mom and staff at Reach Dance Studio.
Reach also seeks to be accessible. Without many affordable dance opportunities in the area, Reach is able to give children and young adults a way to practice dance where there previously wasn’t one. The studio prides themselves on being a home away from home for many of their children.
“Many of our dancers are here from the southwest Oklahoma City side and this area doesn’t really offer dance at an affordable price or through any of the schools to our kids. A lot of our kids love that because they get the opportunity to dance, their parents can afford it, and it helps them just be more active and do something they love,” said Mariscal.
The studio has plans to open up more locations across Oklahoma City. If you want to keep up with Reach Dance Studio or register for any of their classes you can do so on their website or follow them on social media.