College President states that "This is not a day care. This is a University!"

College President: 'This is not a day care. This is a university!'

By: Susan Svriuga

Everett Piper, President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OKWU) wrote a letter to the campus community recently after a student complained about feeling “victimized” by a sermon given at a chapel service. Piper essentially said that going to a sermon is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable and that one should not be so self-centered. He continued to say that many universities will give in to what students want, but Oklahoma Wesleyan is not one of them; OKWU is not a “safe place” but rather a place to learn. He ended his statement by saying that “This is not a day care. This is a university!”

I agree for the most part with Everett Piper. A University is a place to explore what the world has to offer, and we don’t always like or feel comfortable with what the real world has in store. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable by religion, and if one does not feel comfortable, he has the willpower to get up and leave during a sermon. The world is not meant to make every single person feel perfectly comfortable at all times in his or her life. Universities have support and counseling if one is feeling uncomfortable, and this should be fully utilized if needed.

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Planned Parenthood Shooter has Targeted the Agency Before

Planned Parenthood Shooting Suspect Robert Dear Targeted Agency Before: Ex-Wife

By: M. Alex Johnson and Vivian Glover

On Friday November 27th, Robert Lewis Dear opened fire on a Planned Parenthood, it is now being said that Dear has targeted this agency before. Barbara Mescher Michaux, Dear’s wife, said that over 20 years ago, Mr. Dear put glue in the locks of a local Planned Parenthood. Michaux says that Dear used to be a very good man, but at some point his demeanor changed and he became very unpredictable, violent, and abusive.

The attack on Planned Parenthood was very sad. Planned Parenthood helps both genders with a variety of services, not just abortions. We do not know all of Dear’s motives, but we do know that his intention was to inflict harm and fear, and that is unacceptable. People should feel safe going into Planned Parenthood for help. Hopefully, this attack will gain the attention of politicians who can try and make it safer to work at or receive assistance at Planned Parenthood.

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Since Paris Attacks, More Raids, Arrests have Occurred

Paris Attacks: 2,000 Raids, 210 Arrests, Since State of Emergency

By: Jake Cigainero and Alastair Jamieson

On November 13th, Paris was attacked by terrorists. Since the Paris attacks there have been over 2,000 raids, more than 300 weapons have been sized, and 210 people have been arrested. Manuel Valls, a french politician stated that these arrests "are not due to chance," rather they "allow support for objective suspicions."

The attacks on Paris caused an alarming realization that the Western world is very much susceptible to attack. The attacks caused much harm, however at least one positive thing has come from it: nations are joining together to help each other remain safe. These raids and arrests may be scary, but they are showing that French, as well as other nations' security officials are on top of current terror threats and are working to ensure public safety.

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High School Football Player Dies in Texas

'Great kid, athlete' Dies After High School Football Game

By: Ray Sanchez

On Saturday, mourners remembered Cam'ron Matthews - an Alto High School football player who recently died after a football game in Texas. Matthews' death marks the 6th death of high school football players in the U.S. this year. In 2014, 11 football players died from sports related injuries, and another six died of indirect causes such as heat stroke. 

I recently heard about the amount of concussions that high school and professional football players suffer from. In fact, a new movie "Concussion" is coming to theaters soon; it focuses on how concussions can damage the brains of athletes. This article reminded me of how dangerous high school football can be, and although concussions and other injuries may seem small in the scheme of things, they can often be preventable or treatable just by simply letting athletes know that if they aren't feeling well, it is crucial that they tell someone. Although this blog post is not about a war or about crises of the world, athletic injuries are a very important matter to be aware of. 

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Photo Scavenger Hunt

                      -Sports action photo

-Photo taken before an event

-Wide Shot

-Photo taken during an even

-Leading lines

-Medium shot

-Artistic shot

-Repetition
-Framing

-Close-up shot

-Academic photo

-Photo that includes one person

-Photo that includes a large group

-Student life photo

   

-Bird's-eye view

                                

                                         

























 -Photo that includes a pair or small group

                

                       



























  -Sports reaction photo
             

-Clubs or organization photo
-Photo taken after an event

          -Worm's eye view 

ISIS Leader Hit by Airstrike

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Convoy Hit by Airstrike, Iraq's Military Says

By: Susanna Capelouto and Mohammed Tawfeeq

Iraq's military is claiming to have struck a vehicle in which ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was in. It is unknown how the ISIS leader was affected, and the US Pentagon is not confirming what has happened. His vehicle was struck in his way to a meeting in Karabelah to meet with senior ISIS leaders. The meeting site was also struck, and several ISIS leaders were killed or wounded.

The threat of ISIS is alarming. They are recruiting more and more people and they do not appear to be slowing down in their fight. Recently I watched an interview with President Obama talking about the fight against ISIS, and how it is a battle that requires the work of many countries. I will be interested to hear what has happened/what will happen to al-Baghdadi, and how his condition will affect ISIS' capabilities.

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Chris Mintz Saved Lives in Oregon Shooting

Hero Chris Mintz Shot as he Faced Oregon Community College Shooter

By: Jessica Durando and Mary Bowerman

As students at an Oregon community college were being shot at on October 1, 2015, Chris Mintz, an army veteran, saved his students from being injured. Chris heard shots in a neighboring classroom. He encouraged his classmates to stay calm as he went up to the shooter to try and talk him out of shooting. Mintz saved many more lives from being taken that day, however while trying to talk to the gunman he was shot seven times. Mintz is expected to live, but faces a long recovery as he broke both of his legs. Officials have tried to not use the shooter's name in order to not give him infamy. However, the name that has gone viral is Chris Mintz - the hero of this tragedy. 

When I heard of this shooting I was deeply saddened. I can't believe that these shooting keep happening. It seems that there is nothing that we can do to stop them, however after this shooting I realized there is something that we as a society can do...stop focusing on the gunman and focus on the heroic acts that come out of these horrendous situations. I have seen many tweets about Chris Mintz, and I have not seen any tweets focusing on the gunman. It is clear that we, as America need to take action against gun violence, but that will be a slow process. In the meantime, let's focus on society's everyday heroes. 

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Tweets about Chris Mintz