Frayed relationships Friday, January 27, 2023
Insurance issues coming to a head
Graphic by Sam Beebe
Luisa Clausen News & Lifestyle Editor Jacob Seagraves, 20-year-old student, adores his one child and has
another on the way. Seagraves’ priority is his family’s well-being and when he took his 2-yearold son for a checkup with his pediatrician, he was expecting to hear good news and return home with no extra concerns. The consultation took an unexpected turn for Seagraves and his wife, who preferred not to be named. His son’s pediatrician at the Stillwater Medical Center shared the news. Blue Cross Blue Shield, among the most
prominent insurers in the country and the largest insurance network in Oklahoma, contracting with more than 1.7 million doctors and hospitals — more than any other insurer — and Stillwater Medical Center were in an impasse in negotiations over who should pay for rising costs of medical care. Unless one of the sides compromises, Stillwater Medical Center will no longer be a Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network provider May 1. How does that affect Seagraves? His wife is expecting their second child,
and she has Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance. “The pediatritian was angry,” Seagraves said. “My wife and I were mostly frustrated.” The collective rate payments for Blue Cross Blue Shield patients compromise 21% of Stillwater Medical Center’s patient base, according to the SMC website, and the decision to end their contract would compromise thousands See BCBS on 6A
Students, staff, grapple with TikTok ban
media access is a new move on OSU’s campus. Many of OSU’s teams and organizations have TikTok accounts, including Kennedy Thomason football (@cowboy_fb), Assistant News & men’s basketball (@ osumbb), the Student Lifestyle Editor Union Activities Board (@suabokstate) and TikTok is banned the university itself (@ from Oklahoma State okstate). University. These accounts During winter connect with students break, Gov. Kevin Stitt on a popular platform. released an executive Using social media is a order that banned the powerful tool to share use of TikTok on all information in today’s state-issued government college landscape. devices. In a university The executive announcement, OSU order pointed to “govshared its reasoning ernment entities,” such behind this decision. as the United States “On Dec. 8, Military, as an exOklahoma Gov. Kevin ample. Using TikTok Stitt issued Executive on government-issued Order 2022-33, which devices has been prohibits employees of banned in response to the State of Oklahoma “its unique national from downloading or security risks.” using the TikTok app In compliance on state-issued devices with the executive or networks,” the anorder, OSU banned nouncement said. “In TikTok from university- compliance with the issued devices and order, Oklahoma State Wi-Fi. For students, University blocked this means TikTok is access to TikTok on no longer accessible on its wired and wireless personal devices connetworks on Dec. 22. nected to OSU’s Wi-Fi, We are continuing to eduroam. monitor the situation Riley Flickinger, and will remain flexa political science ma- ible in our approach to jor, said she discovered compliance with this the ban when trying to executive order.” use the app. OSU is not the “I know about only university to ban the TikTok ban, but it TikTok. Many southern wasn’t because I heard universities, including it from the school or University of Oklahoeven anyone at school,” ma, University of Texas Flickinger said. “I just at Austin and Texas went on the app one A&M, have banned the day and it just stopped video-based app. working.” See TikTok on 3A Limiting social
Courtesy of OSU “Tradition Interrupted” is a traveling art exhibit that the Bedford Gallery organized, and it will be at the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art from Jan. 17 to April 1.
“Tradition Interrupted” now showing at OSU Museum of Art Mak Vandruff Staff Reporter
The staff at the OSU Museum of Art is well-versed in the exhibits that come through and are happy to talk about the pieces with museumA new art exhibit is available goers. Taking advantage of the staff for viewing. can help to see the backstories be“Tradition Interrupted” is a hind the pieces and further analyze traveling art exhibit that the Bedwhat the artists are trying to say. ford Gallery organized, and it will “What’s unique about this one be at the Oklahoma State Univeris there are a lot of pieces that obvisity Museum of Art from Jan. 17 to ously come from a lot of different April 1. backgrounds and a lot of different All of its exhibits are free to artists,” said Casey Ihde, a marketthe public. ing coordinator and museum educaThis exhibit showcases art tor at the OSU Museum of Art. “We that unites traditional and conhave a lot of different techniques temporary ideas. The pieces range and materials that are being used. from melting rugs to skateboards There’s a good blending of sculpturflying in the air. Every piece of art al works, of paintings, of ceramics. is unique, though they all show So visually, it’s very different.” something from the past and present Ihde said one of the most fused into one. Looking through the visually attractive pieces at the pieces can bring up old memories museum would be Mounir Fatmi’s while still playing with modern “Maximum Sensation.” It portrays designs. skateboards covered in prayer rugs, Twelve artists created all of seemingly flipping across a wall in these pieces. These artists all cohe- a massive arc. sively brought together the ideas of However, Ihde has a different traditional craft with a contempofavorite piece. rary spin. “My personal favorite is by
an artist named Ana Gómez,” Ihde said. “These are ceramic pieces designed to look like the little cup of noodles. And then we have pieces that are also ceramic, designed to look like take-out containers. Through these pieces, she’s talking about throw-away culture and how our family dinners where we’d sit down and eat off of ceramic plates has been replaced with a more fast-paced culture where we get our McDonald’s box and eat out of the bag on our way back home.” All of the pieces have a different message, and whether viewers would rather interpret pieces on their own or have staff help guide them through the artwork, the “Tradition Interrupted” exhibit will be there until April 1 for whoever stops. More information about the museum and the exhibits can be found at the OSU Museum of Art website.
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