Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed annually on the second Monday of October, celebrates the immense contributions the indigenous community has made to society. It serves to honor the resilience, contributions, struggles and successes of this community in the past, present and future. Instituted in 1992 in Berkeley, California, the observation eventually spread throughout numerous cities and…
A Look into OCU OPERAtions
Oklahoma City University OPERAtions is a student-run organization that focuses on learning about and performing operas and is headed by co-executive directors Maeve Sullivan and Camryn Creech. Creech described it as, “an opportunity for people to perform,” as well as explaining that “it’s a way for people to get something under their resume, do something…
Oklahoma City University Music Theatre Presents Season Opener: Sweeney Todd
Oklahoma City University’s Wanda Bass School of Music invited students to “attend the tale of Sweeney Todd”, for this year’s first main stage musical production. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street is a dark and thrilling musical that successfully transported its viewers into the macabre world of 19th-century London. Auditions for this production…
OCU CARE Celebrates Diversity with 4TH Annual Color Cabaret
Oklahoma City University Creatives for Artistic and Realistic Equity (CARE) presented their first major event of the year, Color Cabaret, last Wednesday September 13th. Color Cabaret is an annual musical performance dedicated to showcasing performers of color. This year was the 4th annual cabare which serves as a fundraiser for the organization. The night was…
Lemon Lecture Speaker Hosts Student Session
On September 12, Oklahoma City University hosted author, sociologist, and professor Matthew Desmond as their distinguished speaker in accordance with the Martha Jean Lemon Speaker Series. The Speaker Series features annual events to provide academic enrichment to the OCU community and beyond. Desmond, a Pulitzer Prize winner for Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American…
Greek Life Welcomes Home New Stars
Oklahoma City University proudly sponsors 6 Greek Organizations – 4 sororities and 2 fraternities. During the week preceding each school year, these organizations hold formal recruitment to find new members. OCU’s recruitment process is risk-free and cost-free until you accept a bid to officially join a group. Because of these low stakes, many students take…
Stars Week Orientation Introduces New Students to Campus
At the start of every school year, Oklahoma City University hosts a weeklong new student orientation titled “Stars Week.” Stars Week brings together the entire incoming class for a week of information, tradition, and community building that is essential to OCU’s mission, and this year was no different. Stars Week spanned Monday through Saturday with…
Lambda Chi Supports Youth Mental Health and Food Security
Starting on March 6th, OCU’s chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha began their philanthropy week supporting Feeding America and the JED Foundation. These organizations support food security and young adults’ mental health. The Lambda brothers held all events all week in support of these causes! Monday was “Chopped Ice” where snow cones were sold outside the…
Blast from the Past: Smoke-free Lungs Keep Love Lives Ablaze
Did you know? On March 12, 1927, the Oklahoma City University Gymnasium was abuzz with excitement for the Scarab Queen Beauty Pageant’s Stunt Night. The night featured twenty-three incredible contestants and was heavily supported by various clubs, fraternities, and sororities, making it an event to remember. On March 15th, 1926, students at OCU initiated their…
New Rules Cause Sorority to Stop Raising Funds for Ovarian Cancer in Honor of Late Sister
Oklahoma City University’s Gamma Phi Beta honored the life of a passed sister through their annual National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Philanthropy Week for the last time the week of March 24th. Events occurred all week, ranging from food to activities supporting the NOCC. Bondi Bowls was on campus Monday while a kickback took place at…
April Activities: Best On Campus Events This Month
Check out these awesome upcoming events! Saturday 4/8: ODEI Volunteer Project Monday 4/10: OCU Easter Celebration Tuesday 4/11: Jewish American Celebration Wednesday 4/12: Campus Leadership Awards Thursday 4/13: DARE to Grow Multicultural Night Saturday 4/15: Student Leadership Summit Thursday 4/20: SAC Summer Send Off Friday 4/21: Blue Key Honor Society Spring Sing Saturday 4/22: OKConnect…
Fasting for Spiritual Growth; Ramadan Begins
Considered one of the holiest months of the year for the Muslim community, March 23 marks the ninth month of the lunar calendar and the beginning of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from food and drink, including water during the sunlit hours of the day. This means they only eat or drink prior to dawn…
Next Arts for March
Friday, March 3, OCU Stripped, “Ride the Cyclone” Petree Recital Hall, Free Admission Thursday, March 9 – Saturday March 11, Star Dance Company “MOVE! Dance for the World of Entertainment” Kirkpatrick Auditorium, Tickets Required Thursday, March 23 – Sunday, March 26, Stage II, “Ada and the Engine” Black Box Theatre, Tickets Required Thursday, March 30,…
Winter Choral Concert Showcases Broad Vocal Talents
On February 28, the four OCU choirs combined for their Winter Choral Concert, led by Dr. Randi Von Ellefson and Professor Tony Gonzalez with collaborative artists John L. Edwards, Jean Shackleton, and Donald Tullius. The University Chorale started the concert with, “Even When He is Silent” by Kim Andre Arnesen, directed by student conductor Raeslyn…
March Madness: Best On Campus Activities This Month
Explore Some of Our Favorite Events Happening on Campus This Month! Tues. 3/7 Women in Leadership Lunch and Panel Wed 3/8 International Women’s Day ODEI International Women’s Day Movie Night Mon 3/13 Start of SPRING BREAK!! Fri 3/17 End of Spring Break St. Patrick’s Day Mon 3/20 ODEI Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Presentation Wed…
Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’ reveals cast’s talent
From February 17-19, OCU Opera and Musical Theatre performed their first spring mainstage opera, “The Magic Flute” directed by Cynthia Stokes. The opera is by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from a libretto, a book of texts to be sung for a performance, by Emanuel Schikaneder. The show premiered on 30 September 1791, just two months before…
43rd Vespers set for two weekend performances
On Dec. 9 and 10, OCU’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music will combine more than 250 choral singers and instrumentalists for the 43rd annual Christmas Vespers concert. The Friday performance will begin at 8 p.m. in Oklahoma City First Presbyterian Church, 1001 NW 25th Street. The Saturday performance is a 4 p.m. matinee. Tickets…
‘Monsters’ is ‘biggest, wildest, most exciting’
From Dec. 8-11, OCU Theatre will continue their Mainstage season with “She Kills Monsters.” The 8th through the 10th will have performances at 8 p.m. and the 10th and 11th will have matinee performances at 2 p.m. Tickets are available for the performances for $15 at www.okcu.edu/tickets or at (405) 208-5227. The play is a…
Committee plan mixes new events, old traditions
Homecoming 2022 kicks off on Oct. 31 for an exciting week full of fun, ending with a home volleyball game in Freede Wellness Center on Nov. 5. The Homecoming committee has put together a thrilling week of events and competitions to uphold long-held OCU traditions as well as introduce some new activities.
Composer, vocalist featured as artists in residence
From Feb. 28 to March 1, Oklahoma City University welcomed guest artists Dr. Christopher Willis and Elyse Willis as artists in residency.
OCU Stripped presents Jesus Christ Superstar
OCU Stripped presented Jesus Christ Superstar on October 29th and 30th in Petree Recital Hall.
Gallery: A Bright Room Called Day
On April 8th, the School of Theatre held their last dress rehearsal for their final mainstage production of the semester: “A Bright Room Called Day.” The show was streamed live from the Burg Theatre in Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center to a virtual audience on April 9 and 10, and was directed by Luke Eddy, assistant…
Gallery: Songs for a New World Final Dress Rehearsal
On Friday, March 19, OCU Stripped held their final dress rehearsal for their show “Songs for a New World.” The show ran the following weekend, March 20 and 21, in the Petree Recital Hall in the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Center and was streamed live to a virtual audience.
Gallery: Closer Than Ever
On Friday, Feb. 26, the Wanda L. Bass School of Music debuted their delayed production of the Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire musical “Closer Than Ever” for a virtual audience. The show was held socially distanced in the Burg Theatre and was directed by Dr. David Herendeen.
“Hamilton” should not get a Golden Globe nomination
Columnist Paul Dower discusses his distaste for “Hamilton” being nominated for the Golden Globes.
Professor taking a sabbatical to write music book
A professor of music is taking a semester-long sabbatical in the fall of 2021 to write a book.
