The Vista Feb. 23, 2012

FEB. 23, 2012

Baseball

Contest

UCO fell to Newman University 18-11 Tuesday afternoon at Hamilton Fieldhouse.

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Students who received a President’s Honor Roll certificate with a typo are being given the opportunity to win one of a few prizes.

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THE VISTA

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.

Politics

GINGRINCH MAKES CAMPAIGN STOPS IN OKLAHOMA

By Josh Wallace / Contributing Writer stage, he thanked the crowd for coming and immediately launched On Monday, Feb. 20, Republican into attacking the Obama adminpresidential hopeful Newt Gingrich istration. He went on to say, “This spoke to a packed room at the Jim will be the most important election Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City. in your lifetime, because a second The speaking event was Gingrich’s term by Barack Obama would be an second of the day, having spoken unqualified disaster.” earlier in the day at a town hall The candidate continued, transimeeting in Tulsa. tioning into his reasons for running According to Gallop polling data, for office and contrasting his posiGingrich currently ranks third tions against Obama’s and Washingamong the Republican presidential ton’s. candidates running, bringing in “The reason I’m an optimist, the around 13 percent of Republican reason I’m absolutely convinced we voters. This is in sharp contrast to can solve almost all of our problems late January, where he had taken a is that I spend most of my time in a sizeable lead against Mitt Romney, world that can get things done, and with 32 percent to Romney’s 24 Washington spends almost all of its percent. time in a world that can’t get things The event was held next door to done,” Gingrich said. the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s He went on to criticize the federal headquarters. Prior to the candidate government on its ability to control taking the stage, a small group of illegal immigration, stating that the protesters lined the street outside government has failed to find the 11 the museum, shouting slogans and million illegal immigrants currently holding up signs demonstrating living in the United States. He went their disapproval of Gingrich’s visit on to describe that UPS can ship to the metro. and track 25 million packages a day, When Gingrich finally took the and “why don’t we just send a pack-

Newt Gingrich greets the crowd at the Jim Thorpe Museum Monday, Feb. 20, 2012. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista

Newt Gingrich speaks at the Jim Thorpe Museum Monday, Feb. 20, 2012. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista

age to everyone who is illegal, when it arrives, we’ll pull it up and we’ll know where they all are.”

Throughout the night, the former Speaker of the House was met with thunderous applause and laughter from his supporters. The crowd was a mix of different age groups, ranging from high school-aged to the elderly.

Gingrich touched on other hot topic issues, including gasoline prices, which he continued to attack the Obama administration on, saying President Obama is in favor of expensive gasoline. Outlining his position, he said there would be more oil produced locally, and added, “I want the U.S. to be so energy independent that no future president ever again bows to a Saudi leader.”

Diversity & Inclusion

While continuing on his energy policies, the former Speaker addressed the Keystone XL Pipeline, which was stalled out by Obama’s rejection in late January. He added that if he were elected, the first day after being sworn in, he would sign the executive order to approve the pipeline plan as it currently stands.

After all his proposed changes to our current energy policies, Gingrich then claimed he believed it possible to get gasoline prices down to between $2 and $2.50 a gallon for all Americans. While he offered these lower price points, he failed to say for how long these prices would be sustainable in a world competing for oil.

He criticized the “liberals” for going after Mitt Romney when he disclosed the 15 percent in taxes

he paid last year. He added that he would decrease taxes for everyone, bringing everyone to Romney’s tax level. Gingrich went on to describe his plan to change the U.S. tax system, drawing large applause when he described shrinking the government and lowering everyone’s taxes in the process.

At the end of the event, the former Speaker described this election cycle as one he’d never experienced before, with candidates shuffling back and forth from the top to the bottom over and over again. He ended the night asking for support in the upcoming Oklahoma primary.

“A victory in Oklahoma would be a huge breakthrough for us,” he said.

Campus

WOMEN’S OUTREACH CENTER ECUADORAN JOURNALIST JOINS GRAND OPENING NEXT WEEK CLASS FOR PRESS FREEDOM TALK The Women’s Outreach Center grand opening ceremony will be held on March 1 at 1 p.m. in room 113 of the Nigh University Center.

“It has been up and functioning the whole spring semester,” Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion MeShawn Conley said.

“March 1 is the kickoff of Women’s History Month.”

The center is open most days of the work week, between noon and 4 p.m.

“There are exceptions, however, due to the fact that I’m a student worker and only here part-time,” Student Coordinator Sarah Blackburn said. “This office has been in the works for a long time. It was a group effort to get it going, but it was the brain child of MeShawn Conley of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.”

Blackburn said there has not been an office on campus designated for the promotion female student population before. Though other services are offered to students who are women, this office serves as a resource for female students and celebrates the feminine contribution to all areas of life.

“We’re here on campus to celebrate and educate students on women’s rights and history.

Some of our events include service projects that students can get involved in, and we also are going to provide networking opportunities for students to establish contacts in the business world,” Blackburn said.

Conley said the program educates women on leadership development and helps them learn more about the gender roles and how it plays in human experiences. The center also provides an opportunity to have reflection and personal growth here at UCO. “We have several events coming up to celebrate Women’s History Month in March: a

benefit dance for International Women’s Day, a forum on what feminism is, among others,” Blackburn said. “It’s an amazing feeling to help other women on campus. Even if there’s not a good way to measure it, right now, I can only hope that our efforts are reaching the students, and they’re benefitting in some way.”

Blackburn is excited to be part of what she calls a “pivotal moment” in UCO’s history.

“We want the center to be a place for the women of UCO to find opportunities, grow, reflect, and challenge themselves and each other to be the absolute best they can be,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn said that in spite of headway made in society, there is still far to go.

“In an age where women make 77 cents to every dollar made by men doing the same work and in a political climate like the one we’re in right now, it’s more important than ever for women to be vigilant and stand up for their rights and take an active role in their homes, jobs, and government,” she said.

The WOC has partnered with the Violence Prevention Project, Campus Activities and Student Organizations. There has been other offices have also showed interest in partnering up as well. Volunteers are needed for all the WOC events. The sign-up sheet can be found on Orgsync. The center is an open organization that students can join if interested.

For more information contact WOC at 405974-3626 or through e-mail at woc@uco.edu.

You can also follow on Twitter @ucowoc. The official WOC web page is not up yet, but their Orgsync site is http://uco.orgsync.com/org/ woc.

What: WOC Grand Opening When: March 1 @ 1 p.m.

Where: NUC room 113

Allen Panchana, an Ecuadorian journalist, speaks to Yvette Walker’s Press Freedom class in the Mass Communications building, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

By Trevor Hultner / Staff Writer Ecuadoran journalist Allen Panchana spoke to UCO students on Wednesday about the state of press freedom in his country. Pan-

WEATHER

By Treva Yarbrough / Contributing Writer

TODAY H 64° L 37°

chana, who is the editor-in-chief of Ecuador’s longest-running television station, Ecuavisa, described the difficult environment for journalists in Latin and South America.

“It’s difficult to do journalism in Latin America,” Panchana said. “We can’t always write what we think.”

He outlined the forced closure of one of Ecuador’s largest newspapers, El Universo, following a state-sanctioned libel lawsuit. The paper had to pay the state $40 million in damages, and the managerial staff was sentenced to three years in prison over an article they published that was critical of the state’s use of deadly force during a police uprising.

“The closing of El Universo was like if the New York Times got closed. Unfortunately, it’s common for Latin America,” Panchana said.

During his presentation, Panchana showed two videos. One was an unedited recording of a news report during a police uprising and attempted coup d’état on Sept. 30, 2010, in which five people were killed. It featured a street battle between the police and the military.

Panchana explained that the unrest was just the latest in a series of revolts dating back to 1997, and this was part of the challenge of being a journalist in Ecuador.

“Our daily challenge,” he said, “is to survive, defend democracy, make our stories heard and strive for a better world.”

TOMORROW H 55° L 35°

DID YOU KNOW? More than 10 people a year are killed by vending machines.

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OPINION

2

FEB. 23, 2012

THE VISTA 100 North University Drive Edmond, OK 73034 (405)974-5549 vistauco@gmail.com

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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. LETTERS The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, with a maximum of 150 words, and must include the author’s printed name, title, major, classification and phone number. 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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“I just hung out with friends and ate with them.”

“Party. I had a good time.

Ate a lot of oyster.”

“I didn’t really celebrate.”

STAFF

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Cody Bromley, Editor-In-Chief Christie Southern, Managing Editor Brittany Dalton, Copy Editor Bryan Trude, Sports Editor

Ben Luschen, Staff Writer Josh Hutton, Staff Writer Mervyn Chua, Staff Writer Trevor Hultner, Staff Writer Celia Brumfield, Staff Writer

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Editorial

WAR ON THE IMPOVERISHED

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Studying. I didn’t even remember it, but I was supporting Phi Beta Sigma’s Gospel Night.”

“What’s that?”

Lyndon B. Johnson declared “war on poverty” during his 1964 State of the Union address. As state lawmakers decide upon whether or not to make drastic changes to Oklahoma’s income tax, the information coming out sounds more like state conservatives want to declare war on the impoverished.

Earlier this month, Gov. Mary Fallin revealed her plan to shrink the state’s income tax from seven tax brackets to just three.

“Our goal is to create a tax structure that is fairer, that is flatter, that is simpler to use, one that will help Oklahoma be more competitive as a state,” Fallin said.

The change is also being billed as giving most Oklahomans a “tax break.” The trouble is, most Oklahomans aren’t below the poverty line and the ones who are will be getting an even worse end of the stick.

Proposals to end some of the existing taxes would shift the burden to fund the state government off those with higher incomes onto higher sales and property taxes. These more regressive forms of taxation would adversely affect those below the poverty line, who spend a high percentage of their earnings each year just to maintain a moderate standard of living.

These proposals would end up making Oklahoma more like Texas, who has no income tax but has high property taxes.

In the most recently available data from Census.gov, Oklahoma had a 16.3 percent poverty rate based on household income in 2010. Compared to our neighbor to the South Texas who was 18.4 percent the same year, the difference sounds small but is truly staggering. Oklahoma was in a three-way tie for 35th place, while Texas was 45th.

Is it a coincidence that the bottom 10 states are all located in the very conservative Southern states? While politicians have been going on moral crusades, some Americans have been surviving on a standard of living lower than someone of their same standing 50 years ago.

In fact, all of this comes after the Census Bureau declared last November they would be changing its poverty formula for the first time in 50 years, to account for reductions in food costs as well as increases in healthcare costs and other categories.

The bad news is the numbers end up being worse than we thought they were. The good news is with the truth in hand, perhaps something will be finally be done.

By Evan Oldham / Cartoonist

NEWS

FEB. 23, 2012 Academics

3

Opinion

AWARD TYPO COULD SPELL LUCK FOR FALL HONOR ROLL STUDENTS

Out of Context By Brittany Dalton Love Is...

The UCO print shop, Print Central, mistakenly distributed around 1,100 awards with an outstanding mispelling. Print Central is offering an apology in the form of a giveaway. Photo Illustration by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

By Ben Luschen / Staff Writer A simple misspelling could result in one UCO student’s great fortune.

Earlier this month, those who received the distinction of President’s Honor Roll, which is awarded to students who maintain a 4.0 grade-point average over a semester while enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, were mailed a certificate commemorating their achievement. These certificates, however, were marked by a misspelled word.

Instead of congratulating students for their “outstanding” work in the classroom, the certificates read “‘outstnanding’ scholastic achievement.”

Print Central, a full-service print and copy shop located inside the Nigh University Center, produced the certificates and took full responsibility for the mistake when it came to their attention.

Print Central is owned and operated by the company R.K. Black Inc. Chris Black is the president of the company and his wife, Cynthia Black, is the vice president. Cynthia Black described the misspelling and its mass distribution as a “failure in processes and procedure.”

“We couldn’t have picked a bigger platform to mess up, so we wanted to make sure in an equally big way that everyone know this was not a failure on the President’s Office or the University at all,” Cynthia Black said. “This was, in many ways, a simple human error.”

Upon realizing a mistake had been made, the Blacks knew they had to do something to rectify the incident. According to Cynthia Black, it is the way of her company take full responsibility for its errors.

“Our culture – the way we do things – is that we can’t always be perfect, but we certainly can have a lot of fun remedying it,” she said. “Rather than tuck our tails or minimize the exposure, we really wanted to increase it and say, ‘wow, we messed up in a big way, let’s celebrate in a big way.’”

About a week after the original certificates had been mailed, President’s Honor Roll recipients were mailed a corrected certificate along with a letter apologizing for the initial mistake. In the letter, the company announced that students could return the misspelled certificates to Print Central to be entered in a prize drawing, which the letter dubbed an “OUTSTANDING apology.”

The drawing will take place March 5. Its prizes include a 13inch MacBook Pro laptop for first place, an iPad 2 for second place and an iPod Nano for third place. The fourth through 10th place winners will receive a $50 iTunes gift card. Recipients of the original certificates have until March 2 to enter the drawing.

Chris Black, who estimates his company sent out approximately 1,100 errored certificates, said he chose to give away Apple products because he is both a fan of the company and believes that their technology is useful for students in college.

“I love Apple products,” Chris Black said. “I’ve got an Apple iPhone, I’ve got an Apple just about everything right now, and I switched over about three years ago.”

Matthew Boehme, who is studying chemistry at UCO and has made the President’s Honor Roll the past three semesters, is among the many students who received a misspelled certificate. Boehme said the error was apparent to him as soon as he opened the envelope.

“I have a degree in journalism from OU, so I spent a lot of time proof-reading in the job I had before I came back to school, so it kind of jumped out at me. It was all garbled and messed up,” Boehme said.

Boehme actually threw the incorrect certificate away and did not think much of his action until he received the letter from R.K. Black Inc. announcing the giveaway. He sent an email to Chris Black, asking if he could still enter the contest. Mr. Black replied, saying he could.

Unknown to Boehme, a secret prize was to be given to the first person to come to Print Central with a misspelled certificate.

“I’m old, so I wake up early and get to campus pretty early,” Boehme said. “It was around 8 a.m. so I was like, ‘well, may as well go do that contest thing’ and lo and behold - I was the first one.”

Boehme received a $25 iTunes gift card for his prompt entry.

Though he is pleased to already be a winner, Boehme is still hoping to win the laptop.

Chris Black is hopeful that all of the other students share Boehme’s desire for the grand prize, but realizes many of them would prefer to keep the excitement to a minimum.

“It’d be pretty cool if we had all 1,100 [recipients enter], but at the same time, if you’re a statistics major you probably want to keep that number pretty low,” he said.

Sex

REPORT TIES ORAL SEX TO CANCER

By Josh Wallace / Contributing Writer According to a report published last year by the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the leading cause of oral cancer is no longer from smoking or drinking, but from oral sex. Nearly two-thirds of all oral cancer diagnosis in the United States is now from transmission of the human papillomavirus (HPV) through engaging in oral sex.

HPV is considered the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI), which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 50 percent of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their life.

Most commonly, HPV is associated with cervical cancer in women, but according to the report, the number of HPV-related oral cancer cases will surpass those of HPVrelated cervical cancer cases by the year 2020.

One theory tied to the increase according to a statement released by one of the report’s authors, Maura L. Gillison, states, “Today’s teens consider oral sex to be casual, socially acceptable, inconsequential, and significantly less risky to their health than ‘real’ sex. However, oral sex, like any unprotected sex, can result in transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as human papilloma virus (HPV).”

If you were assaulted by your boyfriend, and three years later he called asking you to collaborate on a project with him, what would you say?

There are few things in life I’m certain of, but one would be that I would say no. In fact, I probably wouldn’t even answer my phone. My first thought would have a lot less to do with art and more to do with asking, “How do you have my number?”

Rihanna, on the other hand, apparently said yes.

Online news is atwitter with the news that she and her supposedly on-again boyfriend Chris Brown have dropped remixes featuring one another. In an attempt to justify this decision, Rihanna tweeted to her followers, “They can say whatever, I’ma do whatever. No pain is forever.”

That’s nice and all, but try telling that to anyone who’s made it out of an abusive relationship. Or the families of women who weren’t so lucky.

The general mentality of quite a few people is that it’s “different,” because Rihanna and Chris Brown are celebrities, and thus not beholden to such constraints as respecting the person you’re in a relationship with.

Or keeping your hands off them, apparently. Because when you’re a celebrity, it’s all good to beat your girlfriend as long as you go on to win a few Grammys.

I’ve only been in one really toxic relationship, but one of the few good things I can say about that person is that he never laid a hand on me. But the problem is that he never had to. Ever had a boyfriend who said you should “probably lay off the cheesecake”? What about a boyfriend who made his way through other girls like days of the week but whose catchphrase was, “Why don’t you trust me? You’re being crazy.”

No, I wasn’t being crazy. Unless it’s crazy for a person to ask that his or her significant other respect them.

What is crazy, though, is holding onto an ex and hoping that if you ignore the past hard enough, they’ll change. Seasons change. You change your socks every day. But people generally don’t. Two years later, I can tell you that much. Two years later, I don’t have his number in my phone. We’re not friends on Facebook and we don’t even have mutual friends.

That’s without even the threat of physical abuse.

Why would you allow yourself to be abused – by your on-and-off-again significant other, by others who try to tell you you’re making the wrong decision, by yourself for continuing to hang on?

It’s a shame Rihanna feels so strongly this is the right decision, considering how much of a role model people thought she was when she ended things after the abuse took place. It’s a shame that Chris Brown feels flippant enough about the situation to tweet, “Let them be mad! We make music. Don’t like it, don’t listen!”

Maybe he’s onto something, strange as that feels to say. Maybe we shouldn’t listen, thereby condoning abuse and the “slap on the wrist” mentality that abuse should get a free pass. It’s wrong. And to an extent, accepting, boasting about, and in some circles even glamorizing abuse - it’s disrespectful to those of us who have seen abuse. Or those who have lived it.

“Love” isn’t ‘collaborating on a remix with your abuser’. Love is respect, Rihanna.

Comment on this column on UCO360.com Follow Brittany on Twitter @lttlbrd

A couple kiss in a crowd gathered to participate in the Beatles-themed street party, “Sargento Pimenta,” Portuguese for “Sergeant Pepper,” in the streets of Aterro do Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday Feb. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Dado Galdieri)

While the large spike in oral cancer cases through HPV transmission is expected to continue, there are steps people can take to prevent their cancer risk. Last year, the CDC changed its recommendations on HPV vaccination, which had previously been solely for girls and young women ages nine through 26, to include vaccinations of boys and young men of the same

age.

The vaccines have been shown to be effective against HPV, and specifically HPV 16 and HPV 18, which are thought to cause most cervical cancers, and other HPV cancers including oral cancer. The CDC now recommends the vaccination of all girls and boys aged 11-12 years, if they

Continued on page 4

NEWS

4

FEB. 23, 2012

Feature

STUDENT LIVES STRONG AFTER LOSING BOTH PARENTS

By Adam Holt / Contributing Writer Anna stood next to the bed where her mother, dying of breast cancer and lymphoma, was making the best of her situation. She tried to enjoy herself, knowing the timeline where she lives was getting shorter by the day, by the hour. She felt the bearing of one more important responsibility: the one of a mother taking care of her child, no matter the circumstances. She tried her best to prepare Anna for a future that few of us have had to face.

This sense of preparation was familiar, though.

“I knew what to expect,” Anna said.

Anna Wilson is now 22, a year removed from the death of her mother. She is a senior public relations major, finishing her final semester.

Friendly and quick to smile, Wilson goes about her day rarely showing stress. One would be hard-pressed to ever find a frown.

This may be surprising if you knew Anna Wilson’s story, but the answer may be found in her father.

Michael Wilson, Anna’s father, was known to all as outgoing and funny.

“My dad was the guy who everyone loved,” Wilson said. “Other parents loved him.”

Michael was the kind of father who loved to dress as Santa during the holidays.

“He loved kids,” she said.

His demeanor is what created the aura of the Wilson family.

“My mom could be very blunt. She told it like it was,” Wilson said. “My father was so laid back and I believe that’s what my mother needed.”

Her father, Wilson said, was the comical glue of the Wilson family.

Michael also had Hepatitis C. His first bouts with the liver disease began while Anna was in middle school, but it wasn’t until her sophomore year in high school when instability began to take hold of the Wilsons.

The hepatitis began to eat away at his liver.

Her father was moved to a Houston, Texas, hospital for treatment. Tests showed that his liver was almost gone. He needed a transplant, but doctors said he was too sick for a transplant. He most likely would not survive the operation. He was placed on a ventilator, which kept him close to comatose for nearly three months.

Anna Wilson poses with a photo of her parents on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012.. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Surprisingly he improved. Anna’s father would be coming home.

Michael would not return the same man who left for Houston. Due to damage to his liver, ammonia could not be filtered out of his body and would settle on his brain. This leads to a condition known as hepatic encephalopathy.

Confusion and unstable levels of consciousness are usually associated with the condition. He would need to be taken care of and supervised.

Anna was 16 years old at the time, at a time when adults usually say, “these years will be the best and most fun of your life.”

Instead of hanging out with friends after school and on the weekends, you would usually find Anna at home with her father. Due to

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her love of her father and care for her family, she would have to grow up fast and in many ways become a “parent” to her own father.

The changes in her father were drastic. His internal clocked flipped and his body did not want to sleep at night. His mind did not want to sleep during the day, which caused unpredictable bouts of sleep at inopportune times. He would disappear, sometimes at night, often unintentionally scaring his family. Luckily, he was usually found in the backyard.

He was not able to do the things he once loved, particularly play guitar and sing. His want was there, but the ability was gone. Anna could only watch in sadness.

This went on for two years. One day Anna’s father got a gash on his leg. A staph infection quickly set in and Michael was rushed to the hospital. Due to his liver disease, the infection intensified more quickly than usual. Doctors tried to stop the infection by amputating his legs.

The effort was too late, and he would succumb to the infection one week later.

Through the sadness, Anna knew she had someone to lean on: her mother, Mary Wilson.

“I was thinking ‘what would I do without my mom,’” Wilson said.

Anna stayed close to her mother’s side during her fight against breast cancer. Their conversation would often turn to Anna’s future. The foreclosure of their house would now be in Anna’s hands, along with other finances that would passed on to her. Most importantly, though, Mary wanted to her to finish college.

There had definitely been happier times in their lives. They often involved an activity that Anna loves to this day.

Anna was barely more than a toddler when her mother first introduced her to swimming.

“I’ve been in the pool since I was 3,” Anna said. Swimming became the main summer activity for her and her mother.

It was during these times where Anna often found the “blunt and to the point” Mary letting her hair down. Throughout her teenage years and to this day, Anna has been a lifeguard or swimming instructor at local YMCAs. About one year ago, 10 months after the pass-

ing of Michael, Mary found a lump in her breast.

It was breast cancer and lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes. Once again, way too soon, Anna became a caretaker.

Anna would drive her mother to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, watching her mother wear down from the medication. Though very sick, Mary was still a mother, telling her daughter to keep hanging out with friends and try to have fun. She understood how life had dealt Anna a tough hand and she wanted to help her through it as much as Anna was helping her.

After nine months of intense medication, Mary’s cancer went into remission. At least that’s what the doctors originally thought. Her mother’s cancer returned after two months.

“She had 30 to 40 brain tumors. She was probably never in remission,” Wilson said.

Finally after a fierce fight against the disease and conversations about her daughter’s future, Mary finally passed away.

In two years, Anna lost her parents at a time when she was vulnerable: the time when she transitioned from high school to college, and when one becomes an adult leaving the confusion of adolescence, with no one to guide her.

Today you can see her parents’ traits in Anna’s personality. Her approachability and humor are the brushstrokes of her father; the way she juggles schoolwork and her family’s finances, reminiscent of her mother.

Through these events Anna has found a new lease on life.

“For so long, since middle school, my life was about my parents, helping them as much as I could,” she said. “Now for the first time as a teenager or adult, I’ve realized I don’t have to take care of someone. I can have a life of my own.”

A smile comes to her face when she speaks about the future.

“I never realized that life can be about yourself, learning and exploring things for yourself,” she said.

She stresses the sediment of learning and enjoying life.

“We aren’t here forever,” she said.

Take her advice. She knows too well.

Continued from page 3

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hadn’t already received the vaccine, in order to head off HPV infection before they become sexually active.

For Dr. Sara Cole, a professor in the Deparment of Kinesiology and Health Studies, the inclusion of young men makes perfect sense.

“I absolutely agree that boys/men and girls/ women should get the vaccine. The virus can be transmitted during opposite-sex and same-sex intimate contact (skin-to-skin, not necessarily penetration or bodily fluids), so all individuals who plan to become sexually active at any time during their lives should get the vaccine,” Cole said. “It’s a vaccine that prevents cancers related to HPV. If there was a vaccine for breast cancer or lung cancer, people would probably want to get it.”

The more sexual partners one engages with, as well as the frequency of performing oral sex, increase the chances of developing a HPV-related cancer. In many cases, the cancers can take years to develop, so the risks taken in one’s youth

might not be pronounced until middle age.

Aside from getting the vaccine to help prevent the risk of cancer, there are other steps people should consider. Limiting the number of partners and routinely getting tested for STI’s can decrease your risk level, as well as being aware of someone’s alcohol and drug use, as people tend to engage in higher risk behaviors when under the influence.

Cole offers one last bit of advice for those concerned about HPV and its risk of cancer.

“I always encourage young people to make educated choices about their behaviors, whether that is abstinence or safer sex, only they know,” she said.

Cole said that people should get tested for STI’s, which routine pap smears do not test for.

In addition, we should all be experts on our own bodies…thus, if anything changes, you’ll be the first to know,” Cole said. “Know your status. Protect yourself. Protect others. It’s all part of being a sexually responsible adult.”

NEWS

FEB. 23, 2012

5

Books

INSTRUCTOR AND FATHER HOLD FIRST BOOK SIGNING AT FULL CIRCLE BOOKS being abandoned altogether.

“We would meet once a week in a Starbucks in Nichols Hills. I would write out a scene, and he would write out a scene. We would blend them together and come up with one main scene,” Teddy Burch said.

The hardest thing about writing a novel, he said, is not quitting.

“There were some weeks we had a lot of garbage. Just about every time you started writing there would be some reason to quit,” he said. He recalled staring at the Word icon before starting to write.

“Some days it would take me 10 minutes to open it,” Burch said.

His advice to anyone writing a novel?

“Get started, and stick with it.”

Two of Teddy’s brothers are also involved in the creative process: Zach Burch is responsible for the design of the book and materials,

and Geoff Burch is in charge of editing for the audio version of the book available online.

Daryl’s Southern Cajun accent can be heard reading the first chapter aloud on the book’s website, www.theratandthefrog.net, where you can also buy the book or the ereader version of it. To listen online is free and subsequent chapters will be added in order.

The novel is the first in a series and Teddy Burch says there will likely be two more.

“We’ve been writing ideas and we’ve gotten quite a long ways on that,” he said.

There is no description of the story available, other than the cover art of the book and the phrase on the back cover: “Sometimes a curse can be described as a blessing.”

Teddy Burch and father, Daryl, co-authors of “The Rat and the Frog”, pose for a photo at their book signing at Full Circle Books, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista.

By Celia Brumfield / Staff Writer Journalism instructor Teddy Burch hosted his first book signing for his new novel, “The Rat and the Frog,” this past Saturday, Feb. 18, at Full Circle Books in Oklahoma City. His first fiction novel is a collaborative effort with his father, Daryl, who writes and also creates the artwork for the book in the form of acrylic paintings.

Full Circle’s space for the signing was filled to capacity, complete with

coffee bar and fog machine, giving the event the smoky atmosphere of a 1950s cocktail party minus the tuxedoes.

It took four years for the fatherand-son team to finish the book and find themselves autographing copies for strangers, which the author said is no easy task.

“I’m convinced I’m going to misspell their name,” Teddy Burch said.

“This was something we decided on driving back from Houston one time… Just to see if it could be

done: could you start something from nothing and finish it,” Teddy Burch said. “We thought it would take a year and it ended up taking four.”

Daryl Burch described the novel as, “Clean, pure, fantasy imagination. I thought it would be so cool to just stretch out in this fantasy world. I wanted to keep it clean and stay away from fantasy cliché.”

Father and son spent a lot of time together finishing the project, which was constantly in danger of

(from left) Daryl, Zachary, and Teddy Burch at their book signing at Full Circle Books, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista.

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CLASSIFIED CROSSWORDS

EMPLOYMENT

Camelot Child Development Center 3 Locations now hiring bus drivers and FT/PT teachers.

We promote a very positive and fun atmosphere!

Please call for specific openings: Edmond-749-2262 Quail-254-5222 Deer Creek- 562-1315

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FEB. 23, 2012

Senior Services Part-time jobs. Senior Services of Oklahoma is looking for students to fill part-time positions Monday-Friday. We pay $10/hour for energetic phone work. No experience is needed, we will train. Business is located at 1417 N.W. 150th St. in Edmond. Call 8791888 to set up interview.

Ask for Megan Parris.

Help Wanted Window cleaning company needs window cleaners.

Will Train. $9-11/ hour. Email resume and/or cover letter to Roger at afineshine@ hotmail.com.

Advertise with The Vista Contact Kylie at 405-974-5913 or email your questions to vistamedia@ yahoo.com for rates.

Across 1. “Shoo!”

5. “What’s gotten ___ you?”

9. “Beg pardon ...”

13. Advocate 14. Merlin, e.g.

15. Basic unit of money in Western†Samoa 16. Locomotive driven by the electric†current generated by a diesel engine 19. Speak to rudely 20. “Awesome!”

21. Dispatch 22. His “4” was retired 23. Setting for TV’s “Newhart” 24. Parisian gangsters 26. Nonsense 29. Bring up the rear

FACTS

30. Boat propellers The first Major League Baseball stadium to feature a live organist was Chicago’s Wrigley Field in 1941.

America, having been incorporated on May 2, 1670 by British royal charter by King Charles II.

The Hudson’s Bay Company (now known as “The Bay” or “HBC”) is the oldest commercial corporation in North

The second largest country by land area is Canada, after Russia.

31. “Acid” 34. “___ it the truth!”

35. You are

Down

24. Biology lab supply

1. Areas of a concert†hall where the audience sits

25. Dermatologist’s concern

44. B-complex vitamin that is a constituent of lecithin

2. Band or bracelet worn around the wrist

28. Early maturity

3. Long, long time

31. Make laws

47. When doubled, a dance

4. “Amen!”

32. Tavern

5. Cuba, e.g.

33. Woman chaperon

6. Call for

35. 10 jiao

7. ___ el Amarna, Egypt

36. “___ bitten, twice shy”

40. Brass instrument without valves 41. Terminal that serves bus passengers

48. “My boy” 49. Devastation

37. Bridges of Los Angeles County

50. ___ cross

38. “Crikey!”

51. Arm bone

39. Stalk

52. Large edible crab of northern Pacific waters

8. Bauxite, e.g.

27. It may be boring

37. Except

9. Charge

39. Jerk

10. Draconian

40. Bleat

56. Blemish

11. A-list

57. Fluff 58. ___ bread

12. Ceremonial staffs carried as a symbol of office

59. “Check this out!”

17. Coastal raptor

60. Irascible

18. Pandemonium

61. Maple genus

19. Name holder

41. Kind of case 42. Lean 43. Criminal 44. Mashed potato with spring onions 45. Meteorologica effects

23. Calamity

50. Bell sound

FEB. 21 CROSSWORD ANSWERS

51. Obtained from urine 53. A pint, maybe 54. Josh 55. Bean counter, for short

RIDDLE All about, but cannot be seen, Can be captured, cannot be held, No throat, but can be heard.

What is it?

SUDOKU Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.64)

3

7

2

7 9

2

4

6

Answer in next weeks issue 9

1 8

9

1

4 5

2 3

4

2

6

3 5

6

2 6

8 2

7 7

4

RANDOM QUOTE When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win.

-Ed Macauley

SPORTS

FEB. 23, 2012

7

Baseball

BRONCHOS, JETS PUT ON BATTING CLINIC AS CENTRAL FALLS TO NEWMAN 18-11

Cameron Mavroulis (44) dives for a ball during a game between UCO and Newman in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista.

By Whitt Carter / Contributing Writer contest.

However, Newman (6-4) brought Clear skies and winds out of the their bats to Wendell Simmons southwest were the perfect recipe Field on Tuesday, using five home for tons of offense on Tuesday af- runs and 20 hits to hand the Bronternoon, as the UCO Bronchos fell chos their worst loss of the season. to familiar foe Newman University, Led by Tanner Vinson (5-for-5, 18-11.

2 HR, 7 RBI) and Corey Cowan (3The Bronchos (8-3), who have for-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI), the Jets scored gotten off to a hot start in 2012, in every inning except the third, played host to a struggling Newman and ran through six UCO pitchers. ball club which had yet to find their “After a four-game sweep, human rhythm on offense prior to Tuesday’s

nature is to have a letdown,” UCO head coach Dax Leone said. “Especially when your pitchers don’t throw it in there, and work behind in the count, and tack on the wind, it happens.”

Powered by a fifth inning that saw eight runs on five hits (two homers), the Jets took control of the afternoon contest, and never looked back, as they took a commanding lead, 12-4.

Nonetheless, the resilient Broncho club wouldn’t bow out, as they responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.

Doubles by Austin Rycroft and Jordan Mullin, coupled with singles

by Cameron Mavroulis and Kevin Blue, saw the Bronchos answer with four runs of their own to bring themselves within four runs, trailing the Jets 12-8.

However, consistent hitting and run scoring by the Jets would keep the Bronchos from mounting any sort of a comeback.

Newman managed two runs in the sixth, one run in both the seventh and eighth, and added two more in the final inning, continuing to pile the runs on top of UCO in the latter part of the game.

“It’s just one game, and our guys won’t think too much into it. It’s definitely not our brand of baseball, but give credit to Newman for swinging the bats well,” Leone said.

Senior Austin Rycroft and junior Cameron Mavroulis, who both had solid outings, paced UCO in the loss.

Rycroft finished the day 3-for5 with two doubles and two RBI’s.

Mavroulis was 3-for-4, with a HR and also knocked in two runs.

Leone is excited about his club, who managed 14 hits on Tuesday, as they move forward into the deeper part of the season.

“We have a lot of returning guys

in our lineup. We have started off on the right foot this year,” Leone said. “This group of guys is a great group, and they play the game right.

The good teams are the ones who can bounce back from a loss like this, so we’ll see.”

The Bronchos travel to Texas A&M-Kingsville this weekend for a three-game set before returning home next Tuesday to host MidAmerica Christian University.

Need More?

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High School

OKLAHOMA ATHLETE, HOMECOMING QUEEN DIES, FLU SUSPECTED VIAN, Okla. (AP) Vian High School says its homecoming queen has died after suddenly falling ill with a suspected case of the flu.

Principal David Vinson says Whitney Miller died unexpectedly on Friday. He says she became ill last week and was rushed to the hospital Friday morning, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Vinson says she died later that day.

Miller also played on the basketball team. Her teammates won their district championship a day after Miller’s death by beating Haskell 63-52. The team returns to action Thursday in a regional game against Morris.

GOOD LUCK BRONCHOS! The Vista wishes the best of luck to our UCO Broncho wrestlers competing this weekend at the NCAA Division II Super Regional Two. They will be competing for a spot in the nationals March 9-10 in Pueblo, Colorado!

125 - Ryan Brooks, Freshman, Marlow 133 - Dustin Reed, Sophomore, Choctaw 141 - Casey Rowell, Sophomore, Duncan 149 - Ky Corley, Senior, Stillwater 157 - Cory Dauphin, Sophomore, El Reno 165 - Chris Watson, Sophomore, Andover, Kansas 174 - Kelly Henderson, Junior, Talequah 184 - Tanner Keck, Junior, Marlow 197 - Jarrett Edison, Senior, Wichita, Kansas HW - Cody Dauphin, Sophomore, El Reno

Sports Opinion

VISTA SPORTS PREDICTIONS: NBA WEEK 10 An off week by The Vista’s Garett Fisbeck allows The Huddle’s Courtney Landsberger to move back into second, with Fox and Fisbeck tying for third. A season-worst 4-8 mark sends The Coin further into the basement.

NBA Week 10

Bryan Trude Vista Sports Editor

Christie Southern Vista Managing Editor

Garett Fisbeck Vista Photo Editor

Chris Brannick Vista Sports Writer

Terry Fox UCentral’s “The Huddle”

Courtney Landsberger UCentral’s “The Huddle”

“The Coin” 1987 Quarter Dollar

East @ West

West

West

West

West

West

West

East

Lakers @ Thunder

Thunder

Thunder

Thunder

Thunder

Thunder

Thunder

Lakers

Knicks @ Heat

Heat

Heat

Heat

Heat

Heat

Heat

Knicks

Spurs @ Nuggets

Spurs

Nuggets

Nuggets

Nuggets

Spurs

Nuggets

Nuggets

Magic @ Hawks

Magic

Magic

Magic

Hawks

Magic

Magic

Hawks

Celtics @ Cavaliers

Celtics

Celtics

Cavaliers

Celtics

Celtics

Celtics

Cavaliers

Warriors @ Pacers

Pacers

Warriors

Warriors

Pacers

Pacers

Warriors

Pacers

76ers @ Pistons

76ers

76ers

76ers

76ers

76ers

Pistons

76ers

Hornets @ Bulls

Bulls

Bulls

Bulls

Bulls

Bulls

Bulls

Hornets

Raptors @ Rockets

Rockets

Raptors

Raptors

Rockets

Rockets

Rockets

Raptors

Jazz @ Kings

Jazz

Jazz

Jazz

Jazz

Jazz

Jazz

Jazz

Clippers

Clippers

Clippers

Clippers

Clippers

Clippers

Clippers

5-7

9-3

6-6

6-6

8-4

9-3

4-8

42-30

53-19

48-24

43-29

48-24

49-23

29-43

Timberwolves @ Clippers Last Week’s Picks (W-L) Season Picks (W-L)

8

SPORTS

FEB. 23, 2012

Opinion

Hockey

AT THE BUZZER

BRONCHOS HOSTING OU TO CLOSE OUT SEASON

By Bryan Trude

Vista Sports Editor

NCAA CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT NO PATH TO PEACE Back in the before time, in the long long ago (of 2002), I went to high school with a guy named Matt Kemp.

Now, to be fair, our lives have taken pretty separate paths. Kemp has gone on to a lucrative and successful career as a star baseball player with the Los Angeles Dodgers, dating movie stars and treating things like cars as impulse buys.

Myself, I’m pushing 30 and am sitting in college, writing columns for the school paper as I inch closer to graduation next year, dating precisely nobody and treating things like potato chips as impulse buys.

But I digress.

Now, Kemp and I were never really friends. He preferred to hang out with my more athletically-inclined younger brother, but we know each other and on a (very) rare occasion we’ll talk.

With Kemp in the news regarding last year’s MVP title, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk.

Matt? It’s Bryan. How you been? I see that baseball thing’s working out for you. That’s cool, that’s cool.

I read in Sports Illustrated the other day that you were not interested in accepting the National League MVP title you lost out on last year to the Brewers’ Ryan Braun.

Yes, the same Ryan Braun who failed a drug test for performance enhancing drugs – steroids.

Now, I know that it’s already been decided that Braun will retain the title, and you already said that even if offered, you would not accept the MVP award in the first place.

No offense, Matt, but that’s like refusing the presidency because you found out you lost to a guy from Kenya.

Looking back, you lost because Braun was more popular than you. You beat him on the stat line with 39 homers to Braun’s 33, along with 126 RBIs as opposed to his 111.

Braun, however, got his because he juiced. Do you really think Braun would have been popular enough to beat you out in voting if he couldn’t produce those kinds of results without the boost from PEDs? You put your work in, you got the hits, you got the runs, you even competed in the Home Run Derby last season, and you did it all without the help of artificiallyproduced hormones and chemicals.

I can understand you turning down the award, should it be offered, because you’re friends with the guy. I can also understand that you would turn it down to avoid stirring up controversy, since that’s something the Dodgers have had in spades as of late.

If I may say, Matt, that’s precisely the reason Los Angeles would need a Matt Kemp MVP trophy.

The Dodgers have wallowed in mediocrity for years.

They were reduced to a nearly-insolvent bargaining chip in a divorce fight between owner Frank McCourt and his ex-wife Jamie. They even have to fight for local dominance with the attention-bogarting Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who used to be just from Anaheim.

Besides, it’s not like you’re not used to getting lauded on. Ever since Manny juiced his way out of town, you’ve been the toast of that clubhouse, signing a nice, big contract, getting your name in the Hollywood people-watcher rags.

You even got to date Rhianna of all people, following her run-in with Black-Eye Brown.

Look, bud, all I’m trying to say here is that if you’re offered Braun’s MVP trophy because he can’t play clean, you should accept it.

You’ve earned it.

UCO’s Anthony Knuth (29) takes a shot during a hockey game between UCO and OU at Arctic Edge Arena, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

By Bryan Trude / Sports Editor After a long road schedule that saw them drop five out of six games, the UCO Bronchos hockey team returns home for their last home engagement of the season. The Bronchos will face off against their crosstown rival, the University of Oklahoma, on senior night Friday, Feb. 24 at Arctic Edge Ice Arena.

The #15 Bronchos (15-20-1) are coming off a three-week road stretch that saw them drop two losses to both the Iowa State Cyclones and the Liberty Flames, as well as one overtime loss to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. The #9 Sooners (23-12-2) rebounded from a four-game losing streak to sweep the North Dakota State Bison.

The last time these teams met back in December, UCO swept the Sooners in two games by a combined score of 9-2, the first Bronchos sweep in the series’ history.

More recently, the Bronchos have suffered in a slump, only notching two wins in the spring semester - a funk Head Coach Craig McAlister hopes the team will pull out of this weekend.

“It’s all who you play,” McAlister said.

“You could have a bright, sunshiny re-

cord like Canton has if you didn’t play in the top 25. All semester we’ve played top-10 teams, we had one week off where we played Rutgers.”

Central enters this final weekend aching for a solution at goal scoring. Goals leader Donald Geary (19) is the only active Broncho skater in double digits in the goals column – J.M. Biron, who left the team over the winter break, is second in scoring at 11.

Geary also leads in points (35) and assists (16) in 36 starts. Freshman Nolan Grauer follows close behind in the assist category with 15.

In net, freshman Tory Caldwell has led the Bronchos in minutes; however, the extended losing streak has pushed his GAA to 3.21 with a .91 save percentage.

“The team’s been in a slump lately, but I think that last game against Liberty we hung around and we have a lot of confidence in this room going into the weekend,” Caldwell said. “We’ve talked as a team about focusing on this weekend and building towards nationals one game at a time.”

The Sooners are led by goals leader Chad Hudson (16) and points leader Shane Vorndran (29). Five OU players have double digits in goal scoring. In

net, OU is projected to start netminder Nick Holmes, a transfer from the Bronchos who currently sports a 4-4 record with a 1.89 GAA and .91 save percentage.

“As long as you’re prepared physically and mentally, we’re going to work on a few things and hopefully we’ll come out with a couple of wins,” McAlister said.

“That is our ultimate goal anyways, always beat the Sooners.”

Both teams have qualified for the ACHA Division I national tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, March 2-7. UCO will open the tournament with a matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes.

Friday will not only be senior night for UCO’s seniors – it is also the team’s “Bronze Out” promotion, where the first 200 students and faculty through the gate will receive a complementary UCO Hockey T-shirt. Home Run Sliders will also be on hand selling slider hamburgers.

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. The two teams will play again Saturday, Feb. 25 at OU’s Blazers Ice Center in Oklahoma City. Admission for the home game is $7, $5 for faculty and staff, and free for children under five.

Wrestling

GRAPPLERS TO HOST, COMPETE IN NCAA DIVISION II SUPER REGIONAL

By Stuart Dickison / Contributing Writer The UCO Broncho wrestling team will play host to this year’s NCAA Divison II Super Regional II tournament this weekend at Hamilton Fieldhouse.

Finishing the regular season at 9-5, the Bronchos enter the tournament ranked sixth in the nation and will host 10 other schools. That list includes Belmont Abbey, Truman State, Tiffin, Central Missouri, Lake Erie and Ouachita Baptist. Ranked opponents include #10 Ashland, #13 Limestone, #14 Findlay and #16 King.

“The opinion on paper is we are the highest ranked of the eleven total teams,” head coach David James said. “We keep our destiny in our own hands and we’ve got to lay everything out on the mat.”

James and his Bronchos have been preparing for the Super Regional II tournament for quite a while now.

“The key is buying into it and getting total effort,” James said. “To physically and mentally get ready and have an edge.”

Of the 10 visiting schools, UCO has only faced Central Missouri, Findlay and most recently, Ouachita Baptist this season.

The Bronchos came out the victors in all three meets with the schools.

The Bronchos met with Central Missouri last on Feb. 2 in Edmond, destroying the Mules 41-10. UCO received strong performances from sophomore Kaleb Cradduck and red shirt freshman Chris Watson.

In their bout with 14th-ranked Findlay on Jan. 7, All-American sophomore Cory Dauphin pinned his opponent within the first minute, sparking UCO to victory. Dauphin, who wrestles at 157 lbs. and currently ranked fourth nationally, has been out with a knee injury since Jan. 12. He should be back in the lineup on Saturday.

“He’s been working out for two or three weeks trying to get ready,” James said. “The other competitors at his weight class will be coming after him.”

UCO’s Tanner Keck wrestles OCU’s Andrew Pontikes during a wrestling match between UCO and Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista

Other currently ranked Bronchos heading into the weekend include #8 Kelly Henderson (174 lb) and #4 Tanner Keck (184 lb).

The Bronchos closed their season last week with a 25-12 win over Ouachita Baptist. It was a milestone for James, who recorded his 350th career win with the Bronchos. James, who has been at the helm of Broncho wrestling for 30 years, now ranks fifth in NCAA Divison II for all-time dual wins.

The NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship will be held in Pueblo, Colo., on March 9 and 10. The top four wrestlers at each weight in the Super Regional II this Saturday will advance to Pueblo.

“With 10 wrestlers competing, I’d like to see 10 qualifiers,” James said. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves, though. We’ve got to take care of business this weekend first.”

The action for this weekend’s tournament begins at noon at Hamilton Fieldhouse. The second round is set for a 4 p.m. start and the tournament will continue through Sunday, starting again at noon and concluding with the second round at 4 p.m.