The Vista Feb. 27, 2018

the VISTA

Volume 116, Issue 7

“Our Words, Your Voice.”

ucentralmedia.com vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

University Welcomes Mexican Consul Christian Tabak @CaffeineWallace Reporter

Mexican Head Consul Rodolfo Quilantán-Arenas of Little Rock, Arkansas, left, speaks to a room of members of the University of Central Oklahoma community, including UCO President Don Betz, on Friday, Feb. 23 in the Leroy Coffman Territorial Lounge of Old North. Quilantán-Arenas visited UCO to speak on DACA and undocumented students, as well as what the Mexican consulate can do for them. (Cara Johnson/The Vista)

As part of a partnership to increase support and available resources for Hispanic students, the University of Central Oklahoma hosted a reception last week for the Mexican Consulate from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Mexican Consul Rodolfo Quilantán-Arenas was welcomed at Old North on Friday in an event organized in part by UCO’s DACA and Undocumented Task Force. As the Mexican consulate in Little Rock already provides services to the Hispanic community in Oklahoma City, the university arranged the event to help solidify a partnership that would benefit both students and the community.

“UCO is a metropolitan university, and as such, we have reached out to our Hispanic community to provide access to higher education and serve our community’s needs,” said Liliana on pg. 3

UCOSA Appoints New Supreme Court Justices Christian Tabak @CaffeineWallace Reporter

A new slate of justices was appointed to the University of Central Oklahoma Student Association’s Supreme Court during last week’s UCOSA Congress meeting.

Freshmen Bryan Becker, Curtis Diaz, Sarah Faust, Karlee Ogden and Morgan Tarpley were selected by

UCOSA President Stockton Duvall to fill the vacancies left by the previous Supreme Court justices.

“Basically, I chose five freshmen who I believe are true to UCO, who love this campus and would always take a stand if there was a controversial issue and that they would always have the university’s best interest in mind,” Duvall said.

A lifetime appointment, barring resignation or impeachment, jus-

tices are responsible for deciding questions or concerns regarding UCOSA’s constitution, as well as the constitutions of all other recognized student organizations.

The Supreme Court also addresses any questions of accountability or transparency that Student Congress’ Accountability, Reform and Transparency Committee is unable to resolve, according to Duvall. on pg. 5

NEW Letters to the Editor Inside

on pg. 8

NATIONAL NEWS

BRONCHO SPORTS

Bronchos Make History on pg. 7

on pg. 12

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Feb. 27, 2018

the

VISTA

Contents

CONTENTS

Mexican Consul...................................................................3 Around Campus...................................................................4 UCOSA Watch....................................................................5 Sex Series/Task Force.........................................................6 TO R U S / A DA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Letters to the Editor...........................................................8-10 Humor Column...................................................................11 Men’s Basketball/Football Recruits.................................12-13 Women’s Basketball...........................................................14 Bucking Broncho................................................................15

STAFF

Cara Johnson Elizabeth Spence Austin Moseley Regan Rosson Megan Thele Peter Agnitsch Michelle Pennza Christian Tabak Alejandro Gonzalez Evelyn Stewart Katie Standlee Rani Spindle Ashley Trent Jonathan Goudeau Dylan Brown Gerald Leong Teddy Burch

THE VISTA

is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, weekly during the academic year, at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained.

EDITORIALS

Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO.

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Design Editor Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Sports Reporter Humor Columnist Photographer Adviser

LETTERS

The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s printed name, major, classification and phone number. Phone numbers are included for contacting purposes only.

Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space, or to eliminate statements of questionable taste. The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters.

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On the Cover:

UCOSA Story: UCOSA President Stockton Duvall addresses attendees of the Feb. 19 UCOSA Congress meeting in the Will Rogers Room of the Nigh University Center.

(Evelyn Stewart/The Vista) Bottom Left: Letters to the Editor are accepted and encouraged from readers. Letters are printed the week they are received, as long as they are received before the paper goes to print. (Provided/Pixabay) Bottom Middle: Angela Page of UCO Disability Support Services guides a UCO student trying to use a wheelchair during a disability awareness event at Broncho Lake.

(Vista Archives) Bottom Right: Senior guard Marqueese Grayson, No. 10, runs the ball during a Feb. 24 game against Emporia State in Hamilton Field House. (Gerald Leong/The Vista)

Mexican Consul

Feb. 27, 2018

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University Welcomes Mexican Consul

Continued From Page 1

Rentería Mendoza, director of OKC Cultural Outreach Strategies at UCO. “This is why this event today, hosting the Mexican consul, marks a milestone in our journey.”

The consulate in Little Rock provides services for all of Arkansas, half of Oklahoma and half of Tennessee. These services include legal protections and assistance, as well as providing resources and some support in situations involving immigration.

Issues of immigration, as well as detainment, are some of the most common cases the consulate takes on, according to Quilantán-Arenas.

While Mexico has approximately 12 million residents living in the United States, roughly half of them are undocumented.

Quilantán-Arenas admitted that immigration was a complicated legal situation, but said that universities such as UCO have been some of the most supportive institutions on the issue.

“In all of the communities, one of the most important supporters on this has been the universities, the supreme institution of education,” Quilantán-Arenas said. “And of course, it is a very complex issue because you have to balance the compassion with the knowledge that they are coming without papers.”

One of the most pressing issues that Quilantán-Arenas said the Consulate has been facing is questions

Mexican Consul Rodolfo Quilantán-Arenas speaks to University of Central Oklahoma President Don Betz following the consul’s Welcome Reception in the Leroy Coffman Territorial Lounge of Old North on Friday, Feb. 23. (Cara Johnson/The Vista)

related to the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act under President Donald Trump.

The DACA program was enacted in 2012 by the Obama administration as a means to protect the more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants, who had been brought to the U.S. as children, from deportation.

The Trump administration ended the program in September, permitting DACA applicants to renew their applications by Oct. 5 before completely phasing the program out in March 2018.

While a federal judge issued a ruling last month that temporarily blocked the program’s phase out and required that the Trump administration resume accepting DACA applications, the question of how to replace DACA has left Congress deadlocked.

While Quilantán-Arenas said that the Consulate can only do so much in the event that DACA is successfully repealed, he did say that they were willing to provide whatever resources they had available.

“We can try to provide guidance and support, we can tell how Mexico has been prepared if DACA is not renewed,” Quilantán-Arenas said.

“Fortunately, two American judges, one in California and one in New Mexican Consul Rodolfo Quilantán-Arenas, left, shows off a UCO scarf given to him by Graciela Lopez following his remarks at the Welcome Reception hosted in Old North’s Leroy Coffman Territorial Lounge on Friday, Feb. 23. The visit was intended to fortify the relationship between the university and the consulate in order to improve the assistance both can give to UCO’s Hispanic and DACA community. (Cara Johnson/The Vista)

York, have stopped the suspension and I am feeling optimistic.”

With more than 7,000 DACA recipients in Oklahoma and a Hispanic population of approximately 10 percent at UCO, advocacy for undocumented students is a growing issue on campus.

Collaborations with partners such as the Mexican consulate are a step in the right direction for improving what resources the campus can provide students and the community, according to Mendoza.

“A few years ago, there were only a handful of us in this room who were helping undocumented students find resources on a case-by-case basis,” Mendoza said. “I am proud to say today, now, that we have a task force of over 20 faculty, staff and students working on coordinating events and trainings to educate our community to be allies.”

While optimistic on the possible outcome of the lawsuit for DACA, Quilantán-Arenas said that the current relationship between Mexico and the U.S. was strained to levels that the Mexican government had not seen since 1985.

“We are facing many great challenges, but the most important challenge we are facing in the 21st century is to learn to live with someone who is not like you and who is not like me,” Quilantán-Arenas said.

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Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018 Southern Smash: From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Broncho Lake Clock Tower, UCO Peer Health Leaders will be raising awareness on eating disorders and spreading self-love by hosting a scale smashing event and handing out information on how students can be their best selves.

SMART Recovery: In Nigh University Center Room 402, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being is hosting a meeting for those in recovery to learn tools for coping with urges and managing thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

The meeting takes place at noon.

Spring Women’s Leadership Development Institute: The second session of the Women’s Leadership Development Institute is at 1 p.m. in the Nigh University Center. This session’s topic is “How Women Lead by Serving.”

Flash Mob Meditation: At 1:15 p.m. in the Quad Fitness Room, representatives from the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will offer meditation, tai chi, yoga and relaxation.

UCO counselor Jeff Jones will lead the group every Tuesday.

Connections Group: The Center for Counseling and Well-Being will hold a Connections Group from 2-3 p.m. in Nigh University Center’s Room 402 to help students increase communication and social skills in order to connect more easily on campus.

Be Your Best Self: The Center for Counseling and Well-Being is hosting a group for those looking for a positive change in life. The group focuses on self-improvement, relationship building and other skills to improve mental health and wellness. This group meets at 4 p.m. in Nigh University Center Room 402.

LGBTQ Spirituality Panel: At 7 p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Carl Albert Room, the Student Alliance for Equality is hosting a panel discussion of LGBTQ+ spirituality and spiritual communities, as well as resources.

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 Off-Campus Housing & Living Fair: In the second floor hallway of the Nigh University Center, Off-Campus Life is hosting an Off-Campus Housing and Living Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help students find the right fit for moving off campus. Properties from Edmond and the OKC Metro will be in attendance, give out freebies and have information on housing options.

Speed Mentoring: The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is hosting speed mentoring at noon

Feb. 27, 2018

in the Nigh University Center Heritage Room for students to attend and be mentored by current UCO faculty and staff members.

This Month with SPB: From 12-2 p.m. at the Nigh University Center Activity Table, the Student Programming Board will have information about events for March, as well as freebies for students who follow them on social media at the event.

Hacking Democracy: At 12:30 p.m. in Radke Theatre of the Center of Transformative Learning, a panel discussion featuring Dr. Leslie Thiele of the University of Florida and Dr. Mark Raymond of the University of Oklahoma will explain public leadership and how democracy can survive artificial intelligence and social bots.

Stages of Change: In Nigh University Center Room 402, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will have a support group designed to help students learn how to make and clarify goals and begin lasting changes in their lives.

The group begins at 12:30 p.m.

Non-Traditional Student Support Group: Non-Traditional Student Support Group: The group is hosted by the Center for Counseling and Well-Being to help non-traditional students find support at UCO. Attendees can talk and relate their life experiences with one another in order to help meet their personal needs. The group meets from 2-3 p.m. in the Nigh University Center Room 402.

Powwow 101 – Color Guard: The Native American Student Association is hosting a demonstration by the Seminole Nation Color Guard from 4-8 p.m.

Panel Discussion with Movie Preview: Guest speakers from the Center for Counseling and Well-Being and Living Hope will be in the Nigh University Center Heritage Room at 5 p.m. to answer questions about eating disorders, eating habits, nutrition, mental health and well-being and any other questions students may have. Before the panel, a movie preview from “Embrace”, a film on one woman’s journey to self-love, will show. The event is come and go.

Sexual Health Awareness Series – STIs & Contraception: In the Quad Room 111W, students can learn more about the pysical body, STIs, contraception, sexual orientation, gender diversity and consent in this session of the Sexual Health Awareness Series. The event begins at 5 p.m.

MPB Presents Healthy Hunks: Students can learn to make healthy and tasty meals at 6 p.m. in the Nigh University Center Will Rogers Room.

Around Campus

Rooted in Gospel: An event showcasing a fundamental part of the African American culture is taking place in the Nigh University Center Constitution Hall from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 1, 2018 Transformative Learning Student Project Proposal Workshop: This workshop is to help students, faculty and staff supervisors in the process to submit Transformative Learning Student Project proposals for STLR funding. The workshop begins at 1 p.m. in the Education Building Room 101.

Trauma Recovery: This workshop addresses topics like self-soothing, the mind and body connection, effects of trauma on relationships and healthy relationships. The event is from 2-3 p.m. in Nigh University Center Room 402.

Women’s History Month Kickoff: At 2 p.m. in the Nigh University Center Heritage Room, Miss Oklahoma 2017 Triana Browne will kick off the 2018 Women’s History Month.

Mindful Eating Workshop: From 3-4:15 p.m. in the Nigh University Center Heritage Room, the UCO Peer Health Leaders are teaching students what it means to eat mindfully and why it is beneficial to college students. A campus counselor will lead an activity on mindful eating.

Stress Paws: UCO offers students a chance to take a pause from daily stress and visit with therapy dogs on campus. Each week, Stress Paws will be held in Nigh University Center Room 402 from 3-5 p.m.

Holi: The Hindu and Baha’i celebration of color and rejuvenation of spring, Holi, will be celebrated from 4-6 p.m. in Plunkett Park. The event will take a twist with students throwing colored powder and water balloons.

Study Hall: The National Society of Black Engineers is hosting a study hall at 5:30 p.m. in the Max Chambers Library for members of NSBE to get advice and help from people who have taken their current classes.

Friday, March 2, 2018 Anger Tamers: From 9:30-10:30 a.m. in Nigh University Center Room 402, students can learn to identify their own anger triggers and gain tools to help reduce conflict in their lives.

The free and confidential group is hosted by the UCO Center for Counseling and Well-Being.

Grief Group: From 11 a.m. to noon, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being is holding a grief group for anyone grieving. Group and individual session will be in the Nigh University Center Room 402.

UCOSA Watch

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Feb. 27, 2018

Life Skills Around Eating: This is a group that offers an affect regulation approach to eating disorders. The group focuses on skills that increase mindfulness and to teach appropriate emotion regulation. Life Skills Around Eating meets from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Kaleidoscope Dance Company Spring Concert: March 2 through March 4, the Kaleidoscope Dance Company of UCO will perform their spring concert featuring faculty and guest artist choreography.

Saturday, March 3, 2018 UCO Tennis vs. Midwestern State: The UCO Tennis team takes on Midwestern State at 3 p.m. at the Broncho Courts.

Monday, March 5, 2018 Constitutional Provisions of the First Amendment: A presentation on the First Amendment and its subsequent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on its restrictions will take place at 10 a.m. in advance of an appearance by Ken Ham. SPB Build-a-Broncho: Students can come by the UCO Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to build Bronchos in exchange for bringing a children’s book to donate.

Asian American Awareness Week KickOff: At noon in the Nigh University Center Ballroom A, keynote speaker Michelle Myers from Yellow Rage will kick off Asian American Awareness Week.

Adulting 101: The Center for Counseling and Well-Being is hosting a support group focusing on handling the difficult life transitions that come with being an adult. The group is held from 1-2 p.m. in Nigh University Center Room 402.

LGBTQ Support Group: The Center for Counseling and Well-Being holds a support group for those who identify or think they may identify somewhere within the LGBTQ community. The group is held from 2-3 p.m. in Nigh University Center Room 402.

Ken Ham Presentation: Creationist Ken Ham will give a presentation titled “Genesis and the State of Culture” on creationism at 3 p.m. in Constitution Hall.

UCOSA Appoints New Supreme Court Justices Continued From Page 1 Despite their prominent role in deciding major issues on campus, the Supreme Court is a resource that is seldom used to solve disputes. The last time the Supreme Court addressed an issue was 2013, when they ruled on the eligibility of candidates to run for office within UCOSA. Because of the unique limitations of the role, maintaining justices who are engaged and active often poses a difficulty for UCOSA, according to Cole Stanley, UCOSA advisor and assistant vice president for Student Affairs.

“UCOSA has been working hard this year to get a lot of gaps filled in,” Stanley said. “We have always had a Supreme Court, but through attrition and lack of interest, people dropped off.”

This was the case with the previous slate of justices, who, for various reasons, had expressed they were no longer interested in serving on the Supreme Court when Duvall had reached out to each of them, according to Stanley.

“This is a hard group, just because there is typically little for them to do and we don’t see them on a regular basis,” Stanley said. “So, we are going to work to keep this group of five more engaged and see if that helps with consistency.”

Congress also reviewed legislature that would limit the appointment of congressional committee chairs and vice chairs to active members of Senate. Currently, UCOSA statutes permit students who are not senators to serve in either position.

The measure would work to improve the functionality of committees and help ensure that committee

chairs are engaged by requiring that they are active members of UCOSA, according to the bill’s author, Sen. Tate Atkinson.

“As is currently stated in our bylaws, a committee chair or vice chair do not have to be part of UCOSA itself,” said Atkinson. “This can cause some problems because the committee chair is unable to propose any legislation and would require the people within the committee to bring stuff to the floor.”

The bill also addressed establishing a procedure for the vice chair to head a committee during the absence of a committee chair during a regular meeting week, as well as the establishment of a process to remove a committee chair following three absences from regularly scheduled meetings.

Ultimately, the bill was tabled pending amendment and revision due

Student Alliance for Equality President Rachel Watson addresses UCOSA President Stockton Duvall regarding the investigation into his bullying claims against the Women’s Research Center at the Feb. 19 UCOSA Congress meeting. Duvall claims he has not yet filed a complaint with Student Conduct. (Evelyn Stewart/The Vista)

to concerns raised by some senators that the bill might be too limiting by restricting committee chairs to active members rather than the most qualified applicant.

“My fear in passing this is that you are going to be shooting yourself in the foot because the people who are best qualified for the job are juniors and seniors, people who are trying to get jobs in the real world but also care about this [student] body very much,” said Sen. Jon Lowrey.

The Ken Ham controversy also surfaced again during the meeting, with the Student Alliance for Equality following up on the possibility of investigating Duvall’s claims that UCO’s Women’s Research Center and BGLTQ+ Student Center had attempted to bully him into rescinding Ham’s invitation to speak.

“Will UCOSA, as a whole, continue to support or stand by Stockton’s official statement that alleges bullying, considering there is no investigation being made into those allegations?” said SAFE President Rachel Watson.

While Duvall had said that he has not filed an official complaint with the Office of Student Conduct or with any other office, he did confirm that he was planning on doing so.

When asked if Student Congress would retract their support from Duvall’s claim until the outcome of any official investigation, Senate Chair Remington Dean said he felt that the move would be likely to produce more difficulties.

“As I stated last week, I cannot speak for all the senators in here,” Dean said. “If you wanted to, we could put it to a vote, but I think it is a very unnecessary process, as it would then create a lot of unnecessary work and effort that we could be putting towards other things.”

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Feb. 27, 2018

Sex Series/Task Force

Let’s Talk About Sex Baby Ashley Trent

@TheVista1903 Contributing Writer

The University of Central Oklahoma Housing and Dining Office is teaming up with the Women’s Research Center and BGLTQ+ Student Center to bring a monthly series on sexual health awareness to educate student about sexual wellness, identity and expression.

Residence Education & Leadership Coordinator Lauren Carter said the Sexual Health Awareness Series is an event where students can learn more about the physical body, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, sexual orientation, gender diversity and consent.

The Feb. 28 session focuses on the topics of STIs and contraception.

Each session is an interactive presentation facilitated by two of the Center’s sexual health ambassadors.

Students are presented with infor-

mation and allowed to participate in open discussion.

“We believe it’s important to create a safe space where they [students] can ask questions and not be judged,” Carter said.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 9 million of the nearly 20 million people in the United States diagnosed with STIs each year are women. An STI is an infection passed from one person to another through sexual contact and only some of them have a cure.

The Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describes contraception as any method, medicine or device used to prevent pregnancy.

Interested students can attend any session and receive STLR credit in Health and Wellness.

“College students are learning things inside and outside of this classroom,” Carter said. “We are

not here to make decisions for them however we do wish to provide them with the resources they need to make the best educated decision for themselves.”

The series will include sessions Feb. 28, March 14 and April 11 in the

The UCO chapter of the American Association of University Women said the task force aims to create a diverse and educational month.

“With cultural heritage months, we invite the whole campus to be a part of the task force, so that way it’s not just one organization responsible for all of the events for that particular month,” said Chrissy Kyles, coordinator of the Women’s Outreach Center. “We want students to feel that they’re able to have an input on how student activity fee dollars are spent.”

Panhellenic Council representatives, alumni and social justice focused student organizations typically make appearances at the task force meetings.

This year’s events begin on March 1 with the Women’s History Month

Kickoff at 2 p.m. in the Nigh University Center Heritage Room featuring keynote speaker Miss Oklahoma 2017, Triana Browne. Her platform as Miss Oklahoma is “Bridging the Cultural Divide”, and she will speak on her experience growing up as both a Native American and African American woman.

“We want to encourage students to advocate for women that look like them and don’t look like them,” Kyles said.

International Women’s Day will include a presentation by Nyla Khan, University of Oklahoma professor and award-winning author of “Islam, Women, and Violence in Kashmir: Between Indian and Pakistan.” “[Khan] is going to talk about gender equality, not just from a national level, but from an international

Quad Room 111W. A different topic will be discussed at each session beginning at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit housing.uco.edu or visit the OrgSync events page.

Former UCO student Jasmine Misner shows another student a condom at a sexual health awareness table at the Broncho Lake Clock Tower during the fall 2016 semester. Housing and Dining, partnered with the Center, is bringing the Sex Series back to campus to educate students on different aspects of sexual health. (Vista Archives)

UCO Forms Task Force to Honor Women

Rani Spindle

@TheVista1903 Contributing Writer

Students at the University of Central Oklahoma have developed a task force to determine how the university plans to honor Women’s History Month 2018.

March has been Women’s History Month since 1987, years after former President Jimmy Carter declared March 8 International Women’s Day. Women’s History Month is recognized annually at UCO, and the task force met in early February to finalize plans for the month.

According to UCO’s Women’s Outreach Center, Women’s History Month 2018 plans to focus on contributions of historical women and female empowerment.

level,” Kyles said.

A Women in Africa panel will discuss various issues of Western and Central Africa, such as female genital mutilation, on March 13 at 6 p.m. in the Nigh University Center Carl Albert Room.

The Exceptional Women’s Brunch takes place on March 29 to recognize one student and one faculty or staff member that helps make UCO a better place for women. According to Kyles, the student recognition is accompanied by a scholarship.

“We want to be recognized for what we do, not just simply because we’re women, but because we’re people,” Kyles said. “To help us get to equality, I think we have to raise awareness.”

TORUS/ADA

Feb. 27, 2018

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Math Department Takes TORUS in Texas Alejandro Gonzalez @A_Gonzalez_17 Reporter

Two students and two faculty members from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Central Oklahoma attended the annual Texas/Oklahoma Regional Undergraduate Symposium at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas on Saturday, Feb 10.

Lawrence Dongilli, a computer science major, and John Mason, a math education major, represented UCO at TORUS, sharing their research with other undergraduate math students from Oklahoma and Texas. Dongilli and Mason gave a presentation titled “Cordial Inverses of Functions” and

participated in the Math Jeopardy contest where they placed fourth.

TORUS aims to increase the awareness of undergraduate mathematics research and provide a platform for students to share their work at a regional level.

“TORUS provides real opportunities outside of class work,” Dongilli said. “It is a very valuable experience where you get to show off and get real experiences outside of the classroom.”

More than 16 expositions were given by undergraduate students from more than seven universities in Texas and Oklahoma.

“It is cool to see the different topics that the other universities were presenting,” Mason said.

The presentations covered all areas

of mathematics, including education, statistics, pure mathematics, applied

“It is a very valuable experience where you get to show off and get real experiences outside of the classroom.”

mathematics and history of mathematics.

Michael Scott McClendon, UCO math professorsaid he believes UCO’s math level to be remarkable compared to other universities.

“We had more students representing UCO than Oklahoma University and the University of Arkansas,” McClendon said.

UCO hosted TORUS six years ago with McClendon in charge of organizing the symposium.

“There is a huge undergraduate research at UCO,” McClendon said.

“TORUS is always fun and educational, not the kind of education that you get in the classroom.”

The next TORUS will be held at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma in 2019.

New Bill to Give Businesses More Leniency

Katie Standlee @katiestandlee Reporter

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill Feb. 15 that changes the Americans with Disabilities Act drastically, making it possible for businesses and companies to opt out of complying with certain current ADA regulations.

The bill, H.R. 620 – ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 was passed by the House with a 225-to192 vote.

Essentially, if the bill becomes law, it prevents lawyers from bringing lawsuits against ADA regulations.

However, to do that, the bill is allowing businesses to have illegal barriers that go against ADA regulations until someone files a written complaint about them to the business owners.

“As far as for the community itself, that relies on the ADA, its [the bill] got some issues,” said Jody Wilham, Disability Support Services coordinator for the University of Central Oklahoma. “I understand where the legislators are coming from, but they’re not looking at the big picture.

They’re looking at one small portion of trying to stop so many frivolous lawsuits.”

Under the new bill, written complaints will have to be submitted directly to a business in question. The business is then given 60 days to develop a plan to fix the illegal barrier mentioned in the complaint, and an additional 60 days to follow through with the plan.

Detractors of the bill claim that if it passes Senate, it guts the ADA regu-

lations that have been in place since 1990. Specifically, it could hinder public accommodations, which are in place for people with disabilities to have the same access to public places as non-disabled people.

“H.R. 620 would create significant obstacles for people with disabilities to enforce their rights under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act to access public accommodations, and would impede their ability to engage in daily activities and participate in the mainstream of society,” said the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities in a letter written in September 2017. “The ADA has been law for almost 27 years. By this time, business owners have had ample notice of the ADA’s requirements and opportunity to remove barriers.”

H.R. 620 supporters claim it will prevent lawyers from taking advantage of businesses in ADA lawsuits.

This stems from several business complaints that lawsuits do not give them enough time to fix the illegal barrier.

“If they were willing to work with the ADA community, I believe that the bill could have some possibilities and benefits to work, but the way it’s set up now, it’s basically telling a disabled person that [they are] making them pay the price for an inaccessible environment,” Wilham said.

Sec. 2, titled Compliance through Education, lays out a plan to develop a program to educate state government, local government and property owners on the correct ways to allow proper and legal access to public places for everyone.

The bill does not currently include

a budget for the development of this program.

The Senate plans to review this bill, and once it is reviewed and vot-

ed upon, there will be a better idea as to whether or not the bill will be made law.

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Feb. 27, 2018

Letter to the Editor

Your Words, Your Voice.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, We are faculty and staff of the University of Central Oklahoma who wish to express our disappointment at the decision by UCO’s administration to invite Ken Ham to speak on our campus.

First, and just to clear things up, we believe that Ham has the right to believe whatever he wants, and to express these beliefs.

But neither of these rights confers the additional right to payment for expressing one’s convictions, or to the provision of an arena within which to express them. We believe the University resources that will be allocated to this event would be better used in other ways to advance our institution’s educational goals.

Although student funds will not be used to pay Mr. Ham’s speaker fee, the administration’s invitation cannot but be seen as an attempt to pre-empt and publicly rebuke the decision made by the elected representatives of the student body to rescind Mr. Ham’s invitation to speak here. This seems to us entirely to discount the opinions and preferences of our students. The further decision to schedule a “Presentation on the Constitutional Provisions of the First Amendment” alongside of Mr. Ham’s talk strikes us as an inadequate and irrelevant response to the issues at hand.

Mr. Ham’s anti-evolution, anti-gay, anti-feminist opinions are widely available to all with access to the internet. Universities are under no academic or First Amendment-based obligation to give equal time to scientifically discredited views. One purpose of a public university (which must remain neutral between religions) is to teach the best that science has to offer.

There also seem to us to be significant reasons not to provide a platform at UCO for someone who has such an extensive history of advocating intolerance and open hostility toward communities that make up a substantial part of our student population. We find Mr. Ham’s apparently baseless willingness to profess personal expertise about topics in Biology, History, Women’s studies, and other disciplines in which UCO employs a complement of highly-trained faculty deeply disturbing.

Public universities are able to function in a free society only as long as those whom they employ as experts, and the students who are elected to represent their peers’ best interests, are able to develop and adhere to meaningful standards when deciding what should and should not happen in the classrooms, lecture halls, and open spaces of a campus. We the undersigned wish to express our sincere hope that the UCO administration’s decision to act openly against these standards does not signal an emerging trend.

Sincerely, Mr. William Andrews Web Developer, College of Liberal Arts Ms. Carol Barry Librarian (retired), Max Chambers Library Dr. Laura Bolf-Beliveau Professor and Assistant Chair, English Department Dr. Rick Chew Professor, Humanities and Philosophy Dr. Jamie Childs Adjunct Instructor, Humanities and Philosophy Dr. Eva Dadlez Professor, Humanities and Philosophy

Dr. Marc Goulding Assistant Professor, Department of History and Geography

Dr. Margaret Musgrove Professor, Department of Humanities and Philosophy

Dr. Katrina Lacher Associate Professor and Assistant Chair, History and Geography Department

Dr. Jeff Plaks Professor Emeritus, History and Geography

Dr. Caleb W. Lack Associate Professor, Psychology

Dr. Alyssa L. Provencio Assistant Professor, Public Administration

Dr. Patricia Loughlin Professor and Chair, Department of History and Geography Dr. James Mock Professor, Humanities and Philosophy Dr. Maria-Teresa Moinette Associate Professor, Modern Languages

Dr. Youngtae Shin Professor, Political Science Dr. Mark Silcox Professor, Department of Humanities and Philosophy Ms. Heidi Vaughn Director, UCO Laboratory of History Museum

Letter to the Editor

9

Feb. 27, 2018

Your Words, Your Voice.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, It was unfortunate that Ken Ham’s speech was canceled. But what is even more unfortunate is that Ken Ham was invited to a higher education institution in the first place. His views on the formation and age of the universe have no support in the scientific community, despite his claims that the young earth idea is supported by observations. Everyone is free to express their ideas (and I support Ham’s right to free speech), but should a university campus, where the purpose is education and learning, provide a platform for someone who fabricates scientific claims to support his agenda and undermines science education, and says that secular education “contaminates” children? Here I will briefly discuss what we know about the history of the universe and my concerns about UCO giving a platform to Ham’s claims.

The scientific method involves observations and experiments. During the scientific revolution, scientists tried to explain the mechanics behind what people had been observing for centuries. Newton’s research explained the kinematics of motion, Galileo’s and Kepler’s observations explained planetary motion. Developments in positive sciences transformed the views of society about nature. The rapid accumulation of knowledge gave rise to the foundation of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century. Many theories based on quantum mechanics have been proposed and then experimentally proven.

Advances in technology led to many discoveries that give us hints about the origins of the universe. Measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation tells us that the background radiation is isotropic and homogeneous, as predicted by BigBang cosmology. Recent observation of gravitational waves from the merging of two black holes 1.3 billion light-years away is an expected phenomenon in many inflationary universe models and can be interpreted as the smoking-gun signature of an event that happened 1.3 billion years ago. The discovery of the Higgs boson was not only a discovery of the missing particle in physics’ Standard Model, but also evidence of the thermal history of the universe. None of the theories that led to these discoveries and observations were proposed or supported by creationists.

There are several theoretical models that can successfully explain everything from clusters of galaxies in the universe to the existence of humans, but none of these models allow for a universe that is only 6000 years old. In fact, claiming that the universe is only 6000 years old is a ridiculous comment for the scientific community and directly contradicts scientific observations. The claim of creationism does not meet any standard that science requires of theories: it does not make predictions and has been repeatedly shown to be false by all the relevant scientific data.

Whether science and religion are in conflict is a question that one can come up with his/her own interpretation. There are scientists who became more devout as they advanced in their research, none of which required rejecting the findings of science. I am not making any claims about whether science and religion are in conflict or not, but UCO’s decision to give a platform to pseudoscience is concerning, just as it would be if they invited a flat-Earth proponent. Ignoring scientific facts or interpreting them incorrectly should have no support from an intellectual community.

Ham is making a hopeless effort to take subjective religious claims and try to reconcile it with scientific observations.

His claims do not deserve any scrutiny, yet UCO’s invitation to him seems to validate his viewpoint to an extent. This is disappointing for the supporters of science and secular education and for scientists who believe in scientific data rather than its ignorant interpretations.

Dr. Hasan Serce Lecturer, Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Vista always accepts letters to the editor to be published in the issue following its receival. If you would like your response displayed in the next issue, please send your letters to The Vista at 100 N. University Drive Edmond, OK 73034 or email your response to The Vista at thevista.ads@gmail.com.

**Personal contact information has been omitted. No other changes to these letters have been made.

10

Feb. 27, 2018

Letter to the Editor

Your Words, Your Voice.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, Who invited Ken Ham and why?

UCO just got played as a pawn in the national chess game of “free speech on campus” debate. But by who- and why?

I ask this as a former advertising professional for over 20 years (and a present grad student in History).

I saw many dirty PR and advertising tricks in all this. I saw “buzzwords” used and signs of feeding false media narratives. the details of truth, such as student funds being the source used to pay Ham, were lost in false media narratives of “oppression of free speech/expression of religion.” Far right (and alt-right) media claimed even worse false narratives such as “Oppression of Religion” and “LGBT against Christianity”.

I have done the research… I will be glad to share it with anybody. All the above narratives are false, but were absolutely the only narratives far-right media offered. Some media were clear on the real issues, and others ignored them altogether to feed false narratives. I am disappointed and embarrassed that our university became any part of this. It is a shame that hurts us all.

It is easy to make damaging and false claims in the media - you don’t have to back them up with facts.

There is a UCO process to report any such claims, and someone didn’t use it! Instead- they went to national news media-why?

Whose idea was it to invite Ham? The Vista has shown it wasn’t anyone at Valid Worldview, or Pastor Paul Blair. The 5-person UCOSA executive committee seem to be the only ones that know whose idea it was to invite the controversial Mr. Ham. I would also like to thank President Betz for negotiating a solution that still supports the spirit of free speech on campus, as well as being a solution we all can live with.

Jay Smith Grad Student History

The Vista always accepts letters to the editor to be published in the issue after it is received. If you would like your response displayed in the next issue, please send your letters to The Vista at 100 N. University Drive Edmond, OK 73034 or email your response to The Vista at thevista.ads@gmail.com.

**Personal contact information has been omitted. No other changes to these letters have been made.

Humor Column

Feb. 27, 2018

11

Are you tired of working in a job that does good for your community or possibly the world? Are you tired of your current workplace not allowing you to spread thoughts that you have, thoughts you know aren't true in any way whatsoever? Do you not have a job, but are looking to spread ideas (that aren't true) about highly sensitive topics?

Well, here at the Vista we love helping people in every way, even if the people we help don't have the slightest clue about how the world ACTUALLY works. Remember, we aren't just here for news, we're here for you. That's why we've compiled a list of job postings to help you get off your feet and start unleashing your theories into the world. It's a fact that most things you think are true, probably are. If you think the moon is made of cheese, it probably is. Aliens are already here? If you think so, then that's true, too.

Here are a couple jobs for you if you're that conspiracy theorist that never wants to shut up. Enjoy.

HELP WANTED: Convince my kid that Santa Clause is real.

I'm looking for a conspiracy theorist to convince my daughter that Santa is actually real. The other day, she told me that she didn't believe in him anymore and that worries me. I need someone who could sit with her and show her some YouTube videos that would convince her otherwise. Or maybe someone that has some deeply secret government documents that show they've been hiding him this whole time.

HELP WANTED: Convince the world that I'm a good actor.

Need someone who can be dumb online and convince the world that I'm a good actor. I've seen it done before. Five bucks.

HELP WANTED: Convince the world that fedoras are back in style.

I've come to a realization: fedoras went out of style very recently. I now need someone who can convince a large part of the population that it IS cool. Actually, if people could see the cool tricks that I can do with the head gear, they would be convinced easily. There's a lot of money in it for you, unless you would just like a really classy fedora. Maybe you could start by going to highly sensitive news stories online and just mention how cool you think fedoras are.

HELP WANTED: Convince my boss that I was sick.

Responsibilities include: coming up with a new kind of sickness that only affects people named Chad. I don't know why, but I told my boss I have the Chad Disease and that only 8% of the country has it (amount of people named Chad in the US). Maybe start a Facebook page that is for any Chad suffering from the disease and invite my boss. Or even say your name is Chad and tell my boss that it is crippling you.

HELP WANTED: Convince people that my new album is fire.

I have finally been honest with myself. My music is not as good as it could be. So, I've dropped to an all time low and decided to hire a conspiracy theorist to use ridiculous ways to convince people my music is lit. I don't know how you would do it, but if you could convince people that I am a distant brother of Lil' Bow Wow or even just a cousin of Ludacris. My new album is called 'The World is a Deck of Cards, Let's Shuffle'.

If the world is an oyster, shuck it. You shouldn't be living in your parents basement anymore. Spread your wings and fly into the land of opportunity. You've probably been online, posting stupidly ridiculous ideas that don't make sense and yet gaining trust in the process. Now, you can get paid for it. So, be a horrible individual and change the world in a negative way. Man, the internet is such a great place for lies.

12

Feb. 27, 2018

Sports

SPORTS

Bronchos Make History Austin Moseley @Austin_Moseley Sports Editor

In the last game of the year, the University of Central Oklahoma men’s basketball team secured a first round bye in the conference tournament as they beat Emporia State University 76-73 on Saturday at Hamilton Field House.

“It just kind of gives you, really, just the confidence that you’re right in the mix with the top four teams in the league,” UCO Head Coach Tom Hankins said.

This is the first time the Bronchos have had a first round bye in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association conference tournament, a league they joined in the 2012-13 season. UCO plays their first game of the tournament on Friday in Kansas City. The Bronchos play the winner of Missouri Western and Central Missouri.

In regular season play, the Bronchos lost to Central Missouri 74-64 on Feb. 1 and beat Missouri Western 65-61 on Nov. 30.

For the Bronchos to secure a first round bye, Central Missouri had to lose to Pittsburg State and UCO had to win Saturday’s game. Central Missouri ended up losing to Pittsburg State 74-70, which left the Bronchos first round bye aspirations in their hands.

Marqueese Grayson did not score a single point in the first half - he took one shot. Just 13 seconds into the second half Grayson was pulled out of the game by Hankins after he fouled an opposing player.

But it was Grayson, on senior night, in his last home game in a Broncho uniform, who pushed the Bronchos over the top in the closing seconds.

Grayson scored his first points of the game off a layup at the 15:35 mark in the second half.

Five minutes later Grayson hit a jump shot. Twenty seconds later, Grayson followed it up with a 3-pointer. Grayson made his next two baskets, and scored a total of nine points in a span of two minutes

Senior guard Marqueese Grayson, No. 10, drives to the lane against Emporia State defender Brian Morton, No. 0, at Hamilton Field House on Feb. 24. Grayson scored all 16 points of his points in the second half of UCO’s 76-73 win over Emporia State University. (Gerald Leong/The Vista)

and 25 seconds.

The Bronchos led 54-48 with eight minutes to go in the game.

Fast forward to a little under two minutes remaining in the game and Emporia State is down one. Hornets Center Garin Vandiver, who scored 20 points, received the ball at the top of the key and drilled a 3-pointer to put the Hornets on top, 70-68. It was their first lead since the 10:00 mark of the second half.

Jordan Hemphill, the Bronchos leading scorer for the game with 20 points, hit a jump shot to tie the game at 70. However, Emporia State was able to get in the lane for a layup on the next possession to take a 7270 lead with 48 seconds to go.

While UCO was fighting for a first round bye, Emporia State was on the outside looking in. The Hornets were already eliminated from tournament contention, now they were just trying to spoil the Bronchos’ efforts at securing their first ever first round bye.

Hornets guard, Brandon Hall, screamed as Emporia State took the

lead once again, clapping his hands together as the Hornets were on the verge of spoiling UCO's senior night and tournament hopes. That is until the ball got back into Grayson’s hands.

Grayson dribbled the ball at the top of the key and saw a weak point in the defense as he drove the lane. A swarm of Hornets defenders packed the paint to stop Grayson, but it was too late. Grayson laid the ball in and earned a trip to the free throw line with a chance to take the lead.

Grayson’s free throw was nothing but net, and the Bronchos went on top 73-72.

The Hornets had a chance to take the lead, but Hall missed a layup with eight seconds left and Hemphill and Corbin Byford both hit free throws to seal the game.

Grayson finished the game with 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting.

“We’re just fortunate to have him for a year,” Hankins said. “[He’s] a wonderful, wonderful guy, really good teammate and he can score the

basketball as he did tonight.”

Byford ended the game with 11 points and eight rebounds while Jake Hammond, another senior, finished with five points, six rebounds and two blocks.

“I thought the in first half [Corbin Byford] and Jake Hammond were really, really good,” Hankins said.

“They protected the rim, blocked some shots and got a bunch of rebounds.”

Hankins said Josh Holliday, who also played in his last home game, had a terrific game. Holliday came off the bench and scored 14 points, including three 3-pointers.

Now the Bronchos move on to the MIAA tournament and Hankins said there is still work to be done.

“We’re gonna have to go in there and shoot the ball well,” Hankins said. “On the nights where we shoot the ball well, make three’s and make open shots, we’re a really good team.

We can compete with anyone in the league.”

Sports

Feb. 27, 2018

13

New Bronchos On the Block Jonathan Goudeau @Goudeau_jdg

Sports Reporter

After finishing the regular season on a six game win-streak, the University of Central Oklahoma football team carried that momentum into the recruiting trail by signing 32 players for next fall.

“This is our largest high school signing class since we've been here,” Head Coach Nick Bobeck said. “Of the thirty-two signees, there are 30 from Oklahoma and two from Arkansas.”

These signees are in addition to six mid-year signees that are already on campus.

“We were able to address our needs and bring in student-athletes that fit our program athletically and socially," Bobeck said. “They will do a great job representing the University of Central Oklahoma on and off the field.”

The Bronchos class is full of size and length along the offensive and defensive line and in the secondary.

The average linemen in this class weighs 250 pounds and the average height of a defensive back is 6 feet 1 inch.

“The MIAA is a big league,” Bobeck said. “In order to win in this league, you must have the size to compete along the line. We feel you must win the rushing battle in every game. This establishes physicality within the game.”

Seventeen of the 32 signees are on the offensive side of the ball, where the Bronchos lost a lot of players from graduation and departures.

After playing with two running

Freshman running back Bruce White, No. 22, is surrounded by his teammates after scoring his first career touchdown Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. (Hayden Barzditis/The Vista)

backs for most of the season, the Bronchos signed three and continue to build depth along the offensive line signing five.

The Bronchos must also replace starting wide receivers, J.T. Luper and Josh Crockett. So far, the replacements are junior college transfer Tyriq French and freshman Diego Richards.

“Tyriq is a big physical receiver that is still raw but has the tools to be special for us in the slot,” Bobeck said. “He can really run and does a great job with the ball in his hands. Diego is lightning in a bottle.

Freshman running back Jake Standlee, No. 20, rushes up field during UCO’s homecoming victory against Nebraska-Kearney Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. Standlee rushed for 135 yards. (Hayden Barzditis/The Vista)

One of the most explosive players in the state. He is a very clean fit in our offensive scheme and special teams.”

The Bronchos also signed two quarterbacks, freshman Camden Cargill from Christian Heritage Academy and University of Louisiana at Monroe transfer Will Collins.

“We felt that Will Collins added experience to the quarterback room and we sign a high school quarterback every year,” Bobeck said. “Both are highly competitive individuals and will be able to come in and compete quickly.”

Defensively, the Bronchos signed seven linebackers, including midyear junior college transfer and Edmond native Dillion Hall.

“Dillon is a thumper with natural

box instincts," Bobeck said. "He was very productive in his time at [Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College] and earned Second-Team NJCAA All-American.”

Despite this, Bobeck said he would still like to add more linebackers in next year's class.

“We have several seniors at defensive end and linebacker," Bobeck said. “We'll see where attrition hits and what we need to do come December.”

Overall Bobeck said he is pleased with the class that he and his staff signed this season.

“We think this a very deep class with exceptional talent throughout,” Bobeck said. “On paper, we feel this is the best class we have signed since we've been at UCO."

14

Feb. 27, 2018

Sports

Bronchos Get Playoff Buzz James D. Jackson @JamesDJackson15

Contributing Writer

A late game run by Emporia State University on Saturday at Hamilton Field house nearly ruined senior night for the University of Central Oklahoma.

On a night where seniors Jesheon Cooper and Melinda Murillo were being honored, the Emporia State Hornets battled all the way back from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit. However, the Bronchos held on late to win 87-86, producing a final season record of 22-6 for UCO. “Just almost everything we did at the end was poor,” said UCO Head Coach Guy Hardaker. “Luckily we had a big enough lead we could do that.”

The Bronchos began the fourth-quarter with a 16-point lead.

Eventually their lead was pushed to 22 points off a layup from Murillo with just over four minutes left in the game. However, this was UCO’s last made field goal and the Hornets went on an 18-1 run, led by 6-foot junior forward Tyra Jones, to cut the lead to four. Jones scored 10 fourth-quarter points for Emporia State by going 8 of 9 from the freethrow line.

“At the four minute mark we shot a couple first pass shots,” Hardaker said. “That’s not very smart, especially when you have time and possession in your favor. We [also] kept stopping the clock by fouling, hopefully [we] learn from that.”

With 22 seconds left, Madison Lee hit two free throws, giving the Bronchos an 87-81 lead. After stealing a pass from the Hornets, Cooper was fouled with 9.5 seconds left with a chance to put the game out of reach at the line. Cooper missed both free throws and Murillo then fouled Emily Miller on a drive to the hoop with 4.9 seconds left.

Miller made both free throws, cutting the lead to four, 87-83. After another pair of missed free throws

by UCO, Hornets guard Miller made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, falling just one point shy of the Bronchos.

“I don’t know how many times in games where we’ve been in the same boat [as Emporia State] thinking 'man if we had two more minutes we were going to win’,” Hardaker said. “But there was a reason we were in that situation. It should have been a 15-point game, but we gave them a chance and it

Senior guard Melinda Murillo, No. 22, dribbles the ball near a Northeastern State University player at Hamilton Field House on Jan. 20. (Gerald Leong/The Vista)

was our own fault.”

UCO’s seniors both scored in double figures on their night. Murillo scored 22 points, while Cooper finished with 14. In her time as a Broncho, Murillo earned First Team All-MIAA honors in 2017, UCO's first. Cooper holds school records for most blocks in a single game (nine), blocks in a single season (100) and blocks in a career (181).

“Next to my wife and my mom, those are two of the best women I know,” Hardaker said. “I’m going to miss them. They are two of the best seniors to play for me here, and I’ve had some good ones, but they are as good as anybody that has played here.”

With the win Saturday, the Bronchos secured their first ever first round bye in the MIAA playoffs after being in the league for six years.

“It’s big, [as a coach] I’ve never done that,” Hardaker said. “This is about the sixth or seventh year we’ve been in the league and I’ve tied for fourth, but I’ve always finished fifth or sixth. But this one can’t be taken away from us, we are in fourth position.”

The Bronchos play the winner of 5th-seeded Nebraska-Kearney and 12th-seeded Missouri Western on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.

“We’ve had a fantastic regular season,” Hardaker said. “We’ve won 20 games and almost all of my

teams who have won 20 games have made it to the NCAA tournament somehow.”

Freshman guard Jo’Nah Johnson, No. 23, drives the ball against Jacee Kramer, No. 22, in a game against Emporia State University on Feb. 24. (Gerald Leong/The Vista)

`

Bucking Broncho

Feb. 27, 2018

15

Bucking Broncho: Thunder’s Time To Strike Last week in Oklahoma, the weather was all over the place, with the sun being out and shining, to raining and then sleeting and snowing, but that's typical, unpredictable Oklahoma weather. There is no better way to describe the Oklahoma City Thunder's season.

The team has had its highs this season, like having Russell Westbrook and Paul George be All-Stars.

Oklahoma City has marquee wins already against the Rockets, Cavs, Raptors, Spurs and Warriors, all teams that have a better record than them. The Thunder has also gone on an eight-game winning streak this season that shows they have it in them to make a run.

With all that being said, the Thunder have also seen their lows this year. For example, losing starting shooting guard Andre Roberson due to injury and having as many bad losses as good wins to teams like the Suns, Kings, Mavericks, Nets and Magic.

The Thunder now sits at seventh in the western conference, two games behind the Spurs at third, but they are a game and a half ahead of the Clippers at ninth. This is the best

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook reacts after hitting a 3-point shot at the buzzer against the Sacramento Kings in an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. The Thunder won 110-107. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

opportunity the team will have to be able to give themselves some wiggle room in the standings. Other Western conference teams are going through their toughest time of the season.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) works against Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. The Thunder won 110-107. (AP Photo/ Steve Yeater)

The Timberwolves are in first place in the Northwest Division, but Jimmy Butler is out for a month due to an injury, which could cause the Timberwolves to lose games down the stretch, sliding them down the playoff standings. Other conference rivals are also missing star players due to injury, like the Spurs with Kawhi Leonard, who has been cleared to play, but is still on injured reserve and the Pelicans' Demarcus Cousins, who is out for the year.

According to TeamRankings.com The Warriors’, the number two seed in the western conference, remaining schedule is ranked the easiest in the NBA with the Jazz right behind them at two. Oklahoma City’s remaining strength in schedule is ranked eleventh.

The biggest thing the Thunder has for them to ignite a winning streak is their favorable schedule. This week the Thunder play the Magic, Mavericks, Suns and Trailblazers, with Portland having the only winning record.

The games this week can be labeled revenge games for the Thunder since they are 1-6 against them this year. An undefeated week for the Thunder would put them the most

games over .500 they have been at this season.

Six of the next nine games for Oklahoma City are against teams with losing records. The Thunder need to start winning against losing teams now before they hit the back half of their schedule in March, where they play seven straight teams with winning records.

Oklahoma City plays three of their most important games of the season in March against Northwest division rivals the Nuggets and Trailblazers.

The last time the Thunder played the Trailblazers Damian Lillard sat out due to injury and his replacement Shabazz Napier scored 21 points.

They will need to win all three games to help their odds of winning their division. They have lost both games to the Trailblazers this season and are one and two against the Nuggets. If the Thunder want to host a playoff series, they will need to win those games to help strengthen their odds.

The Thunder may not want to motto themselves after the state's weather, but they might want to be like Sooners in the Oklahoma Land Run and get off to a fast start in March.