On May 6, a staff member received a letter from Credit Card Services in Fargo, ND regarding a credit card application.

The letter was sent to acquire additional information.  The staff member did not send the application. But, the application was made with her information via a computer at a bank branch.

The staff member said she had an account at that bank. Credit Card Services could not specify which branch the application originated.

She called the TransUnion credit bureau May 6 to report fraudulent activity on her account.

The suspect is still unknown.

Student’s car damaged at Ann V. Nicholson Apartments

At 7:19 a.m. OUPD responded to the destruction of a student’s car at his residence in Ann V. Nicholson Apartments May 7.

The roommate woke the student up at 7:05 a.m. when he saw the student’s car had a broken window.

The student stated he did not see anything missing.  He also does not know who would have broken his window.

He said he last saw the car at 10:00 p.m. May 6, at which point he did not see a broken window.

On May 7 at 3:02 p.m., the student was contacted by another student.  The caller admitted to throwing a baseball into the car’s window.  He offered to pay for repairs to the window.

The student decided not to press charges against the caller.

Wallet stolen on east side of campus

OU officers responded to a call that a construction worker had recovered his own stolen wallet but about $510 was missing from inside at 8:15 p.m. April 30.

He said that he and a fellow worker were working on the roof of a restaurant.  It began to rain, so he took his coworker home.

During the ride to the coworker’s home, the construction worker realized that his wallet was missing.  After dropping the coworker at his house, he returned to the construction site to look for his wallet because he said he had a “funny” feeling.

He found his wallet in some bushes about 10 feet inside a wooded area at the corner of Mansion Drive and Pavilion Drive.

He believes his coworker is the suspect.

A look into the Sevens

The Sevens have a few different regulations than the regular 15’s played in the fall and winter months. Generally instead of having 15 to a side it is changed to seven, giving it its name.

“Playing the Sevens is very different than any other season,” OU men’s rugby team president, Ted Tansley said. “There is only seven positions and it goes prop, hooker, prop, scrum-half, fly-half, center and winger. Then one of those positions acts as a full-back and gets any breakaways that happen.”

The changed regulations include seven minute halves and a minute and a half of half time. With less people on the field, there is a ton more ground that needs to be covered. However, this also allows for each player to have more contact with the ball. Due to the smaller team size, the number of technical offenses decreases. On the other hand, it allows for faster game play and easier flow.

Back to the basics  

Due to the lack of coverage in the Sevens, players focus and rely on their basic rugby skills to lead them to victory. These include running, stamina, tackling, speed and decision making. It is important for each player, regardless of position or physical build, to train and try to improve in each of these areas. There are different skills that are more important in the Sevens than in the 15’s including footwork, greater perception of where the other team is and knowing if a player is covered. The lack of coverage allows for a greater chance of a tackle and opposition. Even though the Sevens allows time for individual players to shine, the game cannot be won without a team effort. When everyone on the team contributes to the effort, the game can be won much easier.

Summer at OU

With the summer months quickly approaching, the men’s team is doing everything they can to prepare. The main focus is improving skills and running plays. The easiest way to do that is just by playing a game of Sevens.

“We pretty much spend all of practice playing Sevens,” Tansley said. “We also do a ton of running, which I love.”

This allows the team to not only improve on their game play, but to work on their mindset as well.

“This is a game all about speed,” Tansley said. “And when keeping that in mind along with maintaining a defense that doesn’t allow a player to break away, then you have a successful team.”

 Keeping the team together

The Sevens can be an advantage in the summer. With most students only attending OU in the fall and winter semesters, the team tends to lose members over the summer.

“We only need seven guys and we expect a good amount to drop out from 15’s due to their home location and being a position that has difficulty playing Sevens,” Tansley said. “So the guys who are in the area tend to be the ones playing Sevens with us.”

The team practices often on campus in either the upper fields or the Rec Center on campus.

Not just a man’s world

The summer not only marks the beginning of the Sevens season but the announcement of the women’s rugby team. The team gained their official club sport status at the beginning of the spring semester.

“Women’s rugby gaining official club sport status has been a long time coming. The men have had their team at OU since ’05 and there has always been interest in starting a women’s team, but nobody was really willing to do the ground work for it till now,” women’s rugby team president, Katie Wright said. “I think it is really important that the women have a chance to play, but I think it is even more important that none of the rules were changed. It’s nice to be a part of a sport where no gender bias is holding women back from their full potential.”

The women’s team practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-7 in the upper fields. There is also conditioning on Sunday afternoon in the Rec Center. The Sevens are also planned on becoming a staple for the women’s team, as well. This allows for coordination between both teams.

“The rules for men’s and women’s are exactly the same,” Wright said. “No rules, regulations or equipment is changed for the women. We also practice and train the same hours as they do.”

Side by side

The men’s team has had a big hand in getting the women’s team off the ground.

“We (the women’s team) could not be more grateful for all the time and energy the men have put into teaching and training us,” Wright said. “ There are no selfish players in rugby. It is a team sport so you have to rely on your team to have your back. It is really nice to know that our brothers are here to have our back and help us out.”

The teams are still recruiting players and are encouraging students, regardless of skill level, to come out in either the summer for the Sevens or in the fall for 15’s.

“Almost all of the girls that have come out this year have never even heard of the sport, let alone played it,” Wright said. “The men’s team was extremely helpful in teaching all of us the rules and fundamentals of the game. We encourage everyone, men and women, of any skill level to come out for our summer Sevens season or fall 15’s season.”

 Contact Staff Reporter Lilly Reid via email at lareid@oakland.edu

Junior right handed pitcher Tim Koons went six scoreless innings in the first game of the doubleheader. It wasn’t until the 7th inning when Omaha scored two runs, giving Koons the no decision. Junior left handed pitcher Jason Hager pitched his first complete game shutout of the season, striking out five batters and allowed four hits in game two’s victory.

Corcoran is familiar with the title of dean, being the Dean for the College of Arts and Science at Northern Kentucky University for the past seven years. Before that he headed the faculty of Psychology for the University of Cincinnati, where he also taught Clinical Psychology.

“One of the things I said to the folks that interviewed me was Oakland strikes me as somewhere in between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati,” said Corcoran. “It’s sort of a mixture of those two institutions, being really committed to their community and the metropolitan area which they find themselves.”

Corcoran also spoke on the similarities between his college experience and the one typically found at Oakland.

“I was a commuter student,” said Corcoran. “I didn’t see a point living on campus because I was only twenty minutes away. I found a cheap enough used car, and I made my way to campus.”

Corcoran went on to say that his relationship with his deans, as well as his years as a dean at Northern Kentucky University, helped him understand the fundamental principle of his job: the need to be transparent.

“There’s one thing that I find is important with faculty and with the students, and that’s to be visible,” said Corcoran. “Some of the most worthwhile conversations you’ll have will happen completely by accident. So part of what I need to do is be visible.”

His availability to the students and the need to innovate, intrigue and accelerate were key points expressed to the search committee over the long interview process, which involved strenuous travel and interviews with a multitude of critics from Oakland University.

“Well, of course when you get the job you realize that it was enjoyable process,” said Corcoran. “But the hardest part was the airport interview process, which is where I flew out to Detroit and then back to Cincinnati all in one day. All for an hour and a half of interviewing—and literally at the airport!”

Corcoran commented that the headlong process was reflective of the progressiveness of Oakland University.

“One of the questions I always advice people to ask when looking for an academic job is: What’s the biggest threat to moral?” said Corcoran. “A lot of places will say, ‘Well it’s budget cuts,’ or something like that. What the search committee said to me was ‘We’re running out of space because we’re growing so fast.”

Corcoran concluded that the ambition of the university is what drove him to it.

“In 2013, to have a university that’s growing, that’s exciting. I want to be a part of that,” said Corcoran. “It’s not the case everywhere, but people here are excited about the future. This is the place to be.”

The new album, written and recorded after the death of bassist Robert Levon Been’s father, Michael, wbho also served as a producer to BRMC, encompasses a lot of that grieving process, along with many other influences.

“It’s coming from a little bit of everything and anything. We’re always trying to do that, tie [the songs] together to make it kind of cohesive,” Hayes says.

The current summer tour weaves the band stateside, from small venues like St. Andrew’s in Detroit to mammoth festival outings, such as Sasquatch! Festival in Washington. Both types of shows have their own prevailing attributes.

“The hard thing about festivals is it can be everybody playing is in the same boat,” Hayes says of the “throw and go’s, where you walk in, throw your amps up and play.”
“I’m waiting for the day where the fans at the festival can vote for the songs they want. Kind of like a jukebox.”

Hayes says that while the band isn’t seeking any more fame or money, the most humbling part of his job is inspiring fans to play music of their own.

“It’s a pretty incredible thought. I would never have expected that to happen in my life. I don’t think that much of myself. To have someone turn around and go, ‘Man, I felt like playing music because of you?’ It’s a lovely thing.”

While Hayes doubts BRMC’s reception at times, he thinks keeping the music respectable and authentic is important to success.

“I never get too caught up in the whole downloading music for free. [With some music] there’s no reason to respect that, so why would you pay money for that? We try to bring back more important things. Not sure if we’re any good at it, but hopefully someone else along the way will do it.”

Hayes says the band plans to keep boots to the ground and keep this tour going for a while, with only one real assertanable goal in mind.

“I’m not looking for money or album sales. Honestly, the goal is to not fuck it up along the way. I feel lucky to be where we’re at, so we’re not looking for more.”

Doors open at 7 pm Friday at St. Andrew’s Hall, with opening band thenewno2 kicking off the night.

She has been replaced on an interim basis by Dean of Students Glenn McIntosh.

During her time as vice president, several new student programs and services were created. The Oakland Center has also seen expansion, and most recently, she was involved in the planning for both the new residence hall and Elliott Carillon Tower.

Change is good

With Snyder’s departure, her position is the fourth high ranking administrative job, which is open at this point. The others are Provost and the deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Business Administration.

Snyder said change is inevitable.

“I’m a person who is very comfortable with change. I think it’s always good for some change to go on,” Snyder said. “I think with the right hires in some of the vacant positions, you’re going to bring fresh ideas, fresh eyes.”

She feels OU is on the brink of several improvements. But, parking remains an issue.

“You’re going to see a very different campus environment two years from now,” she said. “In the meantime, I and all my colleagues know that parking needs to be improved. We continue to need to make sure that the Oakland experience is convenient for the types of students that come to Oakland.”

She also mentioned ongoing improvement of faculty and academic resources.

An engaged leader

McIntosh said Snyder knew how to get the most out of people.

“She is such a dynamic person and leader that  inspires people to be the very best,” McIntosh said. “I think as a result of that she has been able to really create a team within the division of student affairs that she has led to accomplish so many things at Oakland University from new facilities, renovation of facilities, to new programs and services, all with the goal of better serving students.”

Director of Undergraduate Admissions Eleanor Reynolds said the students always came first for Snyder.

“In all the things that we did, there was just a sense that we needed to be positive and always represent the most positive faith and make sure that what we were doing was going to be in the best interest of the student,” she said.

Student Liaison to the Board of Trustees Robbie Williford said she really tried to involve students in the decision-making process.

“There are things, I guess you could say privileged information, that administrators don’t have to share with students, for example, the preliminary designs for the housing building,” he said. “She let (student leaders) be a part of all the design meetings. We all got to meet with the design firm. They got to pick our brains. That’s something that you don’t normally get to see.”

Creating a community

 Snyder said she’s proud of the amount of pride students take in OU despite the lack of a football team.

“It’s easy to create that warm, fuzzy feeling in your alma mater when every Saturday everyone goes out to a big football game,” she said. “We’ve been able to do that with our alums absent that kind of experience that you find at a Michigan State or a Michigan.”

She said the school spirit is the result of students taking full advantage of everything OU has to offer.

“I think our student leaders over and over have demonstrated that they get it early on in their freshman years, sophomore years in some cases,” Snyder said. “This is just a cornucopia of opportunities to learn something about themselves and make them stronger and better prepared for life and their careers.”

Oakland University’s Dr. Erin Meyers book “Dishing Dirt in the Digital Age: Celebrity Gossip Blogs, and Participatory Media Culture,” was published April 30, 2013.

In her book she examines how celebrity culture has changed over the years, and the role blogs and advanced media technologies have caused.

“We’ve become much more into surveillance culture, we want to see everything. Paparazzi and digital cameras have made it so much easier for celebrities to be a constant focus of everyday life,” Meyers said.

Blog

Meyers began her research in 2005. She chose six blogs ‘Perez Hiltion,’ ‘Pink is the ‘New Blog,’ ‘Popsugar,’ ‘Young Black and Fabulous,’ ‘What Would Tyler Durden Do’ and ‘Jezebel.’

Through blogs the creator posts stories they’ve seen from outside sources and allows user commentary. Each blog has a different perspective that appeals to their audience.

“A place like ‘Popsugar’ loves celebrity babies and celebrity fashion. It just depends on what you’re looking for on a blog. Some blogs lovingly mock and others, like Perez, mocks to be mean. Some people like that mean girl thing and they go there to see celebrities get bashed,” Meyers said.

Meyers spent several hours scanning every site looking at updates and searching for comments of users. She found in many cases the comments of the users reflected the style of the blog.

Blogs set up their own technological control. Meyers said certain blogs, such as ‘Jezebel’ require comments to be approved a moderator before even appearing on the site. Others, such as Perez Hilton don’t monitor user comments at all.

Throughout her studies, Meyers was able to contact all blog administers, minus Perez Hilton, and found that most of them weren’t even in the media industry, they had just enjoyed expressing their opinions online, and developed an audience.

Meyers also posted an online survey on several blogs to find out what attracted users to blogging.

“People love the instant access and the community aspect. They could talk to people about it instantly. They also liked that it wasn’t always scandals, it also showed celebrities doing everyday things, like getting their Starbucks,” Meyers said.

Through blogging readers can see the latest gossip, and begin talking about their opinions immediately.

Safe Gossip

Meyers believes that celebrity gossip is a way for people to unconsciously work out social norms.

Meyers presented the case of Angelina Jolie and Jenifer Aniston when they battled for the love of Brad Pitt.

“The side you chose said something about you as an individual and what you believed was normal for women in society. It’s a safe way to gossip. You can say whatever you want about these celebrities and re-establish your beliefs,” Meyers said.

Surveillance Mode

However, the game is changing in today’s media world. The mystery of Old Hollywood has been placed with reality shows such as, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians’,” “Jersey Shore” or “Basketball Wives.”

These reality shows are focused on people going through everyday life and attract millions of viewers.

According to E! Online, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ Facebook page adds 989 fans a day, 7, 279 fans a week and 34, 743 fans a month.

“Over the past decade is the extent to which the public has access to and now takes for granted—the personal lives of celebrities. It is now commonplace for people to acquire fame simply because they of their willingness to make their private life public,” said Rebekah Farrugia, associate professor of communication, with a specialization in media studies.

However, other celebrities who have been in the spotlight for years have also chose to make reality shows. One example is Britney Spears, who started her own reality show in 2005 called, “Chaotic.”

“I think some celebrities see a reality show as an opportunity to take away the control over what people see in their lives,” Meyers said.

For more information on “Dishing Dirt in the Digital Age: Celebrity Gossip Blogs, and Participatory Media Culture,” contact Dr. Meyers at emeyers@oakland.edu.

“The Roving Eye: Aura and the Contemporary Portrait,” was an exhibition formally opened at Oakland University’s Art Gallery in January. Two artists who showcased their work at the exhibition have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize.

Awarded to one British artist under the age of 50 each year, the prize holds a prestigious rank in the world of art and design.

Curated by Dick Goody, this past winter’s exhibition explored works of international contemporary artists fixated with portraiture, either temporarily or permanently.

“What initially compelled me to do the portrait show was the idea of how we look at a work of art in a different way, when it’s making eye contact with us,” Goody said.

“I’m looking at you and your eyes, and you’re looking back at me. When you do that with a portrait, it closes the circle in a way. If the person isn’t looking at you, you can become a voyeur.  But if they’re looking at you, you’re having a different experience with a work of art, than when you’re looking at a ‘regular’ piece of art.”

David Shrigley and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye will be showing in the Turner Prize exhibition at Ebrington in Derry-Londonderry for the UK City of Culture 2013. The exhibition will open Oct. 23, and the jury-selected winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Dec. 2.

Shrigley was nominated for his solo exhibition, “Brain Activity,” curated by Cliff Lawson of the Hayward Gallery, London. “Brain Activity” showcases the diversity of Shrigley’s work and offers satirical commentary on the absurdities of life and death.

This particular survey was the largest of the artist’s work to date, featuring drawings and paintings on paper, a variety of sculptures, several installations, sets of photographs, and a selection of animations.

Yiadom-Boakye was nominated for her exhibition, “Extracts and Verses,” at Chisenhale Gallery in London. Her figurative oil paintings are drawn from imagination, and her fictitious characters further allude to traditions of European portraiture.  She invents pre-histories for her subjects and seeks to raise questions about how pictures are read and interpreted, particularly in regards to black subjects.

According to Jacqueline Leow, Assistant to the Director and Registrar, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye also received the “Main Prize” of the “Future Generation Art Prize” in December 2012, which is an international award for artists 35 years old or younger.

“Portraiture has the great advantage of being captivating in ways that non-portrait artworks cannot. The contemplation of a sitter-less artwork tends to be a one-way trip. The work broadcasts. The receptors, i.e, you and me, capture the image/data of the work and then process and digest it. We consume. But we can never devour a portrait so completely, because we also communicate with it, and, therefore, initiate a relationship with it,” explained Goody. “Empathetically, we project our thoughts and feeling (through our eyes) back to the eyes of the sitter, because it is not just a work of art with which we are communing. We interact with the mind of the sitter.”

It is an incredibly rare occurrence for a movie based on a book to even be able to hold a candle to the original novel. The norm for these kinds of movies, or as I call it, the “book-to-film adaptation rule” is a generally negative reaction, an onslaught of comments like, “The book was better,” and a slew of movie critics dismissing it as an attempt to ride on the book’s coattails.

The original, “The Great Gatsby,” was a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. The 2013 film remake,
directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, is one of those rare exceptions to the rule.

Much like his 1996 gangland version of “Romeo and Juliet,” Luhrmann’s “Gatsby” is a mixed drink with a base of a classic tale, mixed with a modernist perspective, topped with perfect casting, extremely convincing acting and a soundtrack that screams “Oscar-worthy,” and dusted with, albeit repetitive, beautiful cinematography.

The film opens as the novel does. Nick Carraway, the optimistic, conflicted, innocent protagonist and narrator played by Tobey Maguire, reflects on his life, writing, “In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.” Periodically throughout the film, Luhrmann returns to the text of Fitzgerald’s original novel, providing authenticity to his unique interpretation of the novel.

Maguire’s portrayal of Nick Carraway is unique. Maguire portrays the first half of Carraway, the shy, out-of-place newcomer, with an understanding that can only come from extensive study of the novel. His portrayal of the risk-taking side of Carraway is made to appear that Maguire himself is afraid of what Carraway is becoming, which adds to the emotion of the film.

Title character Jay Gatsby, the eccentric, selfish, morally questionable, naïve helpless romantic, is played by Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his most complex roles to date. When you think of a movie starring DiCaprio, you do not picture a character with zero lines of dialogue for about a quarter of the film. But, staying true to the novel, DiCaprio’s dialogue starts late in the movie, with aloof one-liners overpowering the few profound conversations he has. But, over time he becomes the DiCaprio you expect, with powerful emotional spouts, and an expertly displayed understanding of a troubled, emotionally damaged man.

But Carey Mulligan, as the shallow, malleable cynic Daisy Buchanan, along with her adulterer husband Tom, played by Joel Edgerton, steal the screen without a question.

Mulligan, who starred in the 2011 film “Drive”, speaks the lines from the book as if they were from her own mind, musing, “… that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool,” sending shivers down your spine as the camera focuses in on her deep but distant eyes, gazing straight through the other characters as if she actually were Daisy Buchanan.

Edgerton matches DiCaprio’s intensity and rage as Tom Buchanan, almost as if he were still on the set of his 2011 film, “The Warrior.” As the film progresses and Luhrmann’s direction of the movie’s pace jumps faster and faster, Edgerton does not miss a beat.

An important thing of note in the film is the emotional contribution of the score. Luhrmann’s blending of diegetic and non-diegetic sound can only be described as ingenious. His daring choice of, among others, Jay-Z, Florence and the Machine and Jack White, demonstrates a strong vision for the pace and speed of his “Gatsby” to be the hare to the tortoise of Fitzgerald’s original version.

In one particularly strong scene, where Carraway first attends a party at Gatsby’s mansion, lies a perfect example of Lurhmann’s understanding and appreciation of the auditory component of an award-winning film. A jazz band plays a classic roaring 20’s party tune, while the score of an orchestral version of “Crazy in Love” fades in and out over the music, blending the visual component of the roaring 20’s with the sound of house music in a club in downtown Manhattan.

The cinematography of the film bears a huge positive and a slight negative. The creative long zoom shots and the sharp jump cuts are extremely well done and the ultra-wide tracking shots are tastefully pulled off, and Luhrmann’s utilization of empty space and symmetry is admirable. But… it gets old after a while. I’m not saying that you grow to become annoyed of these shots, but Luhrmann could have varied it up a little by the end.

The casting of this film, especially of the main quartet, is all but perfect. DiCaprio, Maguire, Mulligan and Edgerton do not simply play their roles in, “The Great Gatsby.” As long as you sit in that theater, they become their roles. The acting, the pacing and the soundtrack of the film serve to complement Luhrmann’s revolutionary diegesis of a classic tale.

Just as Carraway refers to Gatsby’s smile as the kind of smile one only sees a few times in life, Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” is the kind of film adaptation you only see a few times in life. The original novel poses questions of the validity and the reality of ‘The American Dream.’ While I can’t answer that question, I can say this: I will not go to bed and dream about anything at all until I go see this movie again. And you should join me.

“The Great Gatsby” is rated PG-13 and runs for two hours and 10 minutes, and receives three and a half out of four stars. 

You can contact Managing Visual Editor Dylan Dulberg at dsdulber@oakland.edu, or follow him on Twitter @dyldude64

Professor Susmit Suvas was awarded a five-year $1.8 million grant from the National Eye Institute at the Institutes of Health to study a new treatment for herpetic stromal keratitis.

Suvas, who teaches immunology in the department of biological sciences, was previously awarded a two-year grant to gather preliminary data on the effect of neuropeptide treatments which led to this grant.

Herpetic stromal keratitis is caused by herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) known to most people as the virus that causes cold sores. Suvas said however that since the virus stays in the ganglion, an area underneath the brain, it can affect three different branches of the body.

“When we get a cold sore, then the virus is coming out of sleep in the ganglion and travels to that branch, that’s the one that comes to the face, called the maxillary branch,” he said. “If the virus takes another path, the path that comes to the cornea, it will start causing inflammation.”

If the virus makes its way to the eye three or four times, it can start to cause chronic inflammation and blindness. The very cells intended to fight infection turn on the body.

“What was known in the field is that the virus comes into the cornea, causes damage to the cornea and brings in the immune cells, the cells that fight off infection,” Suvas said.  “They come into the cornea and cause corneal tissue damage. A normal cornea is clear- light can pass through the cornea, strike the retina and we see it. After the inflammation, the cornea becomes opaque. It’s cloudy.”

According to the National Institutes of Health, there are approximately 1.5 million cases of HSV-induced keratitis worldwide with 40,000 new cases of visual impairment or blindness in one eye each year.

P could mean progress

The current treatment for this disease is a cortical steroid. However, used continually, the treatment has side effects.

Suvas plans to use an antagonist of Substance P, a key controller of inflammation in the body, to bring the infection under control.

Although the treatment could eventually be delivered by eyedrops, the treatment is currently being tested in mice.

Tiny test subjects

Shravan Chintala, an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the Eye Research Institute, said the identical eye structure makes mice ideal test subjects.

“The only difference between mice and humans is that mice are nocturnal,” Chintala said.

A special microscope enables researchers to see to the back of the eye of the mouse.

All animal research must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). There is an animal care facility on campus.

Chintala breeds mice with glaucoma for his research on potential cures for the disease. He explained glaucoma is caused by a buildup of pressure in the eye.

“The disease occurs because the pressure in the eye actually increases because there is a fluid every day that is produced, but it doesn’t leave the eye,” he said. “There is a plumbing system which actually takes care of that fluid, but in some people it doesn’t happen.”

Chintala has identified a key protein associated with the vision impairing disease.

“There is a protein called SARM1, because of the pressure this SARM1 protein grows up in the retinas and this SARM1 protein actually kills (retinas),” Chintala said.

The Board of Trustees accepted an invitation to switch from the distance-heavy Summit League to the Horizon League, located primarily in the Great Lakes region.

During a board meeting held in the Oakland Center, OU Athletic Director Tracy Huth made a presentation highlighting several benefits of making the move from the conference that it’s resided in since 1998.

“We really don’t see a downside to this,” Huth said.

After receiving an invitation from the Horizon League April 15, the school made the move today that will allow the Golden Grizzlies to compete in the 2013-2014 season. The switch won’t be official until July 1, 2013.

“The universities in this conference are strong academically and they value the student-athlete experience,” Oakland University President Gary Russi said, “Oakland fits well with them and we look forward to being part of their tradition of excellence.”

What’s on the Horizon

Oakland will compete in 18 of 19 Horizon League sports, with the exception being men’s tennis.

The Horizon’s current schools are Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Illinois-Chicago, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State.

Loyola (Chicago) is leaving the conference for the Missouri Valley, which opened the spot for Oakland. Butler also left last year for the Atlantic 10 conference.

“I want to thank The Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple and his staff for the professionalism, dedication and service provided to us during our membership,” Huth said. “We wish them the best in the future.”

Among the many benefits that played a major factor in the switch, was the emphasis on making games more accessible for fellow students and families to attend.

With the heavy travel involved, playing North Dakota State and the conference championships taking place in South Dakota, fans will be able to travel with the team more easily since the Horizon League opponents are located within the Great Lakes region.

“With fans, they want to be able to see their teams play in person in most cases even on the road,” Huth said.

A Full House

During his presentation, Huth said the biggest challenge is that OU does not meet the minimum seating capacity requirement for men’sbasketball.

The school is requesting an exemption and has discussed opportunities with the Palace of Auburn Hills, if necessary.

With the move, it will present the chance to fuel and renew the geographic rivalry with fellow Horizon League member University of Detroit Mercy, particularly in men’s basketball.

“It’s going to be great for local interest amongst both schools,” Huth said. “With such a rivalry, it will be great for attendance and competition.”

Cost and Opportunity

At the meeting and the following press conference, Huth confirmed a Summit League exit fee of $250,000, and the school will also pay an entrance fee to the Horizon League of $882,000, both of which will come from external sources.

Despite these fees, the cost saving of over 20 percent associated with travel and distance to where OU traveled in the Summit League played a major part in the decision as well according to Huth.

The deal also opens up more exposure for OU on a national level.

With the new deal, OU will be part of a venture with the Horizon League Network (HLN), who will hold the television broadcast rights for Oakland games.

According to Huth, the conference will pay for television production costs. In its previous deal, OU paid for the broadcast costs to televise on Fox Sports Detroit.

Another factor that was taken into account was the effect that change in conference could have on recruitment.

There is the chance for more recruitment opportunities among the major Midwest areas within all sports. Huth is convinced that this new partnership will serve as a huge benefit to the program in academics and athletics looking towards the future.

“With more opportunity to recruit in areas like Chicago and these several other major markets, we have the chance to improve our athletics drastically while continuing to uphold our academic standards.” Huth said.

The Horizon League is an NCAA Division I athletics conference that sponsors 19 intercollegiate championship sports and is headquartered in Indianapolis.

Contact Staff Reporter Allen Jordan at ajordan2@oakland.edu or @aj1218 on Twitter.

The Niddatal Hessen, Germany native finished with a 3-under-par 69 for the round. She recently finished in a tie for 10th place at The Summit League Championship in April with an overall score off 244 (+28). Komma earned All-Summit League second team honors after finishing sixth in the league with a scoring average of 78.67.

According to an email from Oakland University President Dr. Gary Russi, Dr. Mary Beth Snyder has announced her retirement.

Dr. Snyder has held the position of Vice President of Student Affairs since 1994 and briefly taught as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education and Human Services. Some of her main accomplishments since 1994 have been the expansion of the Oakland Center, the addition of two student housing facilities, the building of the Recreation Center, the installation of the First Year Advising Center and a joint effort with Pete Hovland, Oakland University Swimming & Diving headcoach, to obtain and keep the Grizz statue that is displayed outside of the O’rena.

Dr. Snyder has obtained multiple awards since 1994: The Phyllis Googasian award for the advancement of women in higher education in 2002, the NASPA Distinguished Service award in 2007, NASPA Pillar of the Profession honor in 2010 and the Burnstein Clinic Esteemed Women of Michigan award in 2012.

According to Dr. Russi, an announcement will be made soon regarding the appointment of an interim Vice President of Student Affairs.

Snyder posing with OUSC President Brandon Hanna at a recent event on campus  -  Dylan Dulberg/The Oakland Post

Both teams competed April 22-24 at Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club in Keller, Texas.

The men’s team finished in sixth place with an overall score of 927 (+63). Kansas City took home the team title with a 16-over-par score of 880.

On the women’s side, the Grizzlies finished in sixth place with a score of 1,001 (+137). North Dakota State won its first championship with an overall score of 949 (+85).

In her final championship at Oakland, senior Alanna Gerber shot a final round 82 and finished in a tie for 16th-place with an overall score of 247 (+31). This is Gerber’s third top 20 finish at the league tournament.

For the men, sophomore Cameron Nelson recorded a team-best 75 Wednesday to post a final score of 236.

According to an April 17 email sent to faculty and staff from current Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Susan Awbrey, the decision is still pending governance and approval from the Board of Trustees.

“He (Corcoran) is eminently qualified and received the strong support of the community,” Awbrey wrote.

The search for a permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences began after Ron Sudol stepped down from the position Aug. 14, 2012. Tamara Jhashi, associate professor of art history, has served as acting dean of the college since Aug. 24, 2012.

In the email, Awbrey thanked psychology professor and department chair, Todd Shackelford, as well as members of the search committee, for the work the work they had done to “secure top candidates for this position.”

“I also wish to thank all of our colleagues from CAS and the university community for their participation and feedback in this important search,” Awbrey wrote.

Corcoran is scheduled to start his position July 1.

Photos by Dylan Dulberg

Imami will transfer to Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio, while Poches will be going to Ferris State University.

Poches played in 31 games during the 2012-2013 season, making one start. He averaged 8.8 minutes and 2.3 points per game. Imami redshirted during the 2011-2012 season and played in five games this season.

“I think both of them have made the choice due to playing time, and they are going to go to a school where it appears that they will get a chance to fulfill their dreams, better than they can here at Oakland,” head coach Greg Kampe said in a press release from the Oakland University Department of Athletics. “I wish them all the success, and really enjoyed coaching them.”

As the semester comes to an end, we decided to take a look back. We decided to dust off our old Facebook albums and see how far we have come since our high school days.

To our horror, we found a huge misstep. As we clicked through our “sUmMeR <3 2009” pictures, unfamiliar rag-tag gals were tossing up Wu-Tang signs in a terrifying sepia sequence.

Spiked hair, studded belts, snug Tripp skinny jeans, heavy black eyeliner, animal print in unnatural colors and bows meant for two-year-old girls.

Yes, we were scene kids. Hot Topic posers wearing hard-ass clothes courtesy of Mom and Dad’s wallet.

But, we couldn’t remember that phase. Had we blocked it out?

We popped open iTunes and deep within the playlists was a singular enormous file: xxxWARPEDTOURxxx.

Fall Out Boy, Metro Station, All Time Low and Cobra Starship were among our most played tracks.

Curiosity compelled us to take a listen to what we once thought to be the music of our generation.

What were these electro pop beats and whiney, angsty singers bleating about being young forever and dancing until your parents got home at 8 p.m.?

We suddenly found ourselves thrown in the mosh pit of nostalgia a.k.a. Warped Tour a.k.a. the Mecca for scene kids a.k.a. the hottest hell hole to ever hit Comerica Park’s parking lot.

A mere seven seconds into our trip down memory lane, we could feel the panic that after all of the dancing, our eyeliner had smudged, our liberty spikes began to wilt and our skinny jeans began to stretch out. Because when you were a scene kid, all you had were your looks.

Looking back at it, attending this “music festival” for two consecutive years was a poor choice. Because getting nearly kicked into coma by a chunky teenager who decided that crowd surfing back to front was a solid choice is never a solid choice.

After we smacked the laptop closed and cried in self-pity, it felt like a self-imposed intervention. But, after the initial shock, we felt at ease. We forgave those little teeny-boppers because it was the past and we were all just trying to fit in.

It’s now time for you to fess up. Admit it. If you weren’t a scene kid, you were probably a metal head, a goth kid, a nerd, a prep or an outcast. And hey, it’s okay if you were a one-dimensional cliché in high school, because we all were. But as with any problem, admitting it is the first step.

And after realization comes reconciliation. We can understand our past mistakes, be able to move on and truly grow into who we want to be.

But hey, if you still really want to keep your purple clip-in hair extensions and listen to “Niki FM” by Hawthorne Heights, we promise not to tell.

Hint: It isn’t President Gary Russi.

Salary levels across OU range from $400,207 for the medical school dean to $20,197 for the position of shelver in the library.

Those figures are published as part of the “Budget and Performance Transparency Reporting” section located on the bottom of OU’s homepage.

Under a requirement of legislation passed by state lawmakers in 2012, OU is required to make certain documents publicly accessible and available in one place.

These documents include the general fund budget, collectively bargained contracts, data on enrollment and student to faculty ratio, and a list of salaries paid for in whole or in part through the general fund.

Salaries by department

Looking at departments with a primarily academic focus, there is an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The top five academic departments by mean salary are:

-Accounting and finance: $104,436

-Electrical and computer engineering: $104,201

-Decision and information science: $102,484

-Management and marketing: $93,147

-Economics: $92,706

The bottom five average salaries by department are:

-Art and art history: $49,908

-Women’s studies: $50,264

-Philosophy: $50,316

-Library: $52,743

-Continuing education (School of Education and Human Services): $52,897

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Peggy Cooke deals with issues involving faculty salary.

“Faculty salaries depend on a number of factors, including the market rates for a specific discipline, faculty rank, experience, specific skills etc.,” she said. “The deans and Academic Human Resources work together to establish market salaries for new faculty hires, based upon these variables. Changes in faculty salaries are subject to various provisions in the faculty collective bargaining agreement.”

Karen Miller, president of the OU chapter of the American Association of University Professors and an associate professor of history, said she believes a nationwide emphasis on the STEM fields is being reflected at OU.

“I think now the sort of STEM emphasis that we see in higher education today is reflected here on campus,” Miller said. “I’m not at all opposed to that idea. I think we have to understand where the jobs are and what students want to study. I think we do have a responsibility to grow in areas where there is desire to grow.”

In addition to an increased emphasis on certain subject areas, Miller said there are market forces at play which can also affect how much a professor might be paid in one area versus another.

“Most people who get PhDs in history get a PhD because they hope to teach, whereas in other areas, like engineering or finance or certain kinds of medical areas, there are also the private sector employers who have more money who would be willing to pay those people,” she said.

Salaries by gender

Another component of the salary equation for which there is information on OU’s website is salary by gender, a requirement of federal law.

The average salary for a male who has achieved the rank of full professor, the highest teaching position, is $13,657 more than the average full female professor. There are 87 male professors versus 21 women in the same position. These numbers are from 2011, the most recent year for which data was available.

But Laura Schartman, director of the Office of Institutional Research, said that looking at the data in the aggregate can be deceiving.

“A lot of (men) could have been here more (time),” Schartman said. “There hasn’t always been that much equity. More women have been promoted to professor more recently, so that could be part of it. Some of it could be the disciplines that they’re in.”

She said that salaries tend to increase with more time at the institution. Schartman said also that not as many women have entered the fields that are attracting money in the market right now.

According to the 2011 data, there were 113 male and 87 female associate professors. The average male salary was $5,294 more than the average for females.

Male dominance does not hold true at all levels, as female assistant professors and instructors are making a little bit more than their male counterparts.

85 women are assistant professors, compared with 65 men. Women out-earn men by an average of $2,942.

At the instructor level, women earn an average of $1,522 more than men. There are 40 female and 20 male instructors.

Comparison to other schools

Miller is concerned OU may be losing talented faculty to other schools because of lower wage levels.

OU is in the 16^th percentile compared to the median for wages when it comes to full professors, according to a 2012 faculty salary survey conducted by the AAUP and published by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“Because our salaries are slipping substantially below national averages, I’m afraid that we lose in terms of being able to recruit new faculty and that we also lose faculty to other institutions,” she said. “In my own department, I know several of our assistant professors who have left for other institutions for higher salaries. I’m reasonably convinced that this is something that is happening across the university.”

Miller also discussed a concern that salary of longer serving faculty were depreciating without increases to account for changes in cost of living.

Cooke said salary is an important factor in attracting faculty.

“Compensation strategies are critical to successful recruitment and retention of our faculty and staff,” she said.

Cooke said there are currently no provisions in the faculty contract for cost-of-living raises.

According to the same survey, OU pays faculty at the rank of instructor in the 64^th percentile above the national median for that position.

Side note: if any of you bought a calendar for your Mayan friends this past Christmas, kudos.

Who has still kept their New Year’s resolution? I have.

I, Christopher William Peralta, will not set myself on fire throughout the year of 2013.

Okay, back to discussing the end of this semester. I’m in a glass case of emotion because I’ve
finally been hit by the daunting realization that after this semester officially ends, I only have
one more semester of college left. And I’ll be an adult.

It’s sad. I remember my first day of college like it was yesterday. I walked into South Foundation
Hall fifteen pounds lighter on a cold September day in 2009, only to go back home and not have
class for another week due to the teacher’s strike.

Best first day ever.

I’m relatively certain that my fellow seniors are reminiscing about their first day here at
Oakland. Or maybe they’re not. They could be eager to run out of the door with their degree,
take it to dinner and never call it again after they get a grown-up job.

Don’t worry, I don’t understand myself either.

In all seriousness, I and the rest of the Post wish our graduates the best of luck with their future
endeavors.

To the rest of you, I hope that you’ll make your stay here a memorable one. But more
importantly, since I won’t be taking classes in the summer, I want you to surprise me when I
return in September.

The first thing that I want isn’t a football team. I want one of those to form (if one ever does)
after I graduate. Right now, the tuition rates are at a tolerable level. With a football team, and
all of the expenses that go along with a football team, the rates will go through the roof and run
straight into the moon. No, the first thing that I want from you is a gigantic LARPing population.

Don’t tell me that a group of 100+ people attacking each other in front of Kresge wouldn’t be
entertaining. Personally, I just want to stab a knight with a cardboard sword when I’m on my
way to the Rec center. I could even shout “Get REC’d” while I’m doing it. Perhaps I’d even settle
for a cardboard trident. Perhaps.

I also want the summer students to develop an Oakland University party-life before the fall
semester. Stop laughing, I’m being serious. Let’s get that going, huh? Let’s rival Central and
Michigan State. Let’s start a revolution. Let’s go hog-wild.

But if you all fail me and if there isn’t a LARPing population or an Oakland party-life in the fall, I’ll
be okay because I probably wouldn’t participate in either of those things.

You see, I’ll be far too busy being a fake model, and I’ll be beating “Bioshock” for the umpteenth
time.

Now would you kindly draw me like one of your French girls?

Until the fall, you stay classy, Oakland University.