FEB. 7, 2012
Football
Central Station
The Broncho football team has signed 19 new players for their team, all but one hailing from Oklahoma. Page 8
UCO’s Central Station, located in the HES building, is now open Wednesdays and introducing new menu items. Page 4
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THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS ACT
VOTING ENDS TONIGHT THOSE IN FAVOR “The Campus Improvements Act allows student to take ownership of their university by raising the Student Activity Fee by $6 per credit hour. The Student Activity Fee pays for everything that supports the students including student organizations, the Fine Arts program, UCOMMUTE, an International House, The Vista, and so many more great programs. By voting yes for the Campus Improvements Act, you are voting for a better campus for the students by the students.”
– Melody Sweet
Chair of Campus Improvements Board Sophomore - Fashion Marketing
“I think the Campus Improvement Act is a great step for UCO and its growth. It is time for UCO to catch up on the society we live in and this is a way to start that movement. I think both sides bring up valid arguments but in the end the point is to better the university that we the students put so much pride into. And by passing this bill we can better our university.”
– Kaite Heggy
Legislation Co-Author Sophomore - History Education
“The more opportunities our university can offer, the more our students will be prosperous in the future. Raising a cost that hasn’t been raised in over 12 years can only mean one thing: uplifting campus organizations, services, clubs, scholarships and athletics.”
– Desirée Maw
THE BASICS
THOSE OPPOSED
Student Body Resolution 11– 201, a petitioned proposal written by 13 students, including UCOSA Student Body President Matt Blubaugh, would substantially increase the university’s student activity fee, or SAF.
The mandatory fee currently sits at $8.25 per credit hour, but the SAF increase, also known as the Campus Improvements Act, would increase the fee by, raising it $6.00 to $14.75.
If passed by a simple majority of UCO students, the legislation would be move on to be signed by university President Don Betz and submitted to the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education.
Of the $6.00 proposed increase, $2.95 would go to UCO Athletics, $1.12 would go to Student Affairs, another $1.12 would go toward the UCO Student Association General Conference Committee on Appropriations (GCCA), which allocates funds to student organizations. The final $0.81 per credit hour would go to the Vice President’s Committee.
The proposal also commands UCOSA to develop a five-year plan for the design, funding and construction of a student union to meet the needs and desires of the student body.
The proposal’s detractors say that reserving nearly 50 percent of the planned increase for athletics is too much, and that almost doubling the fee is unfair to students.
Voting began at 7 p.m. Monday in the “Broncho Surveys” section on the UCONNECT website, and ends at 7 p.m. tonight.
“The CIA is a misrepresentation of the student body of Oklahoma. It’s not that we disagree with an increase, it is the way they are going to get it passed. Trying to go behind our back... they are supposed to be representing the students. Why pass a bill that helps 3,000 - 4,000 students and not all 17,000 students as a whole.”
– Lance Loomis
Senior - Management Information Systems
“If an act is to be brought to a vote by the student body then it should be advertised with sufficient time to allow for debate and discussion among students. The Campus Improvement Act, if passed, will increase Student Activity Fees by more than 50 percent - this is grossly unwarranted during the middle of an economic recession. It is disgraceful, and unacceptable, that student organizations have tried to pass legislation without consulting the student body.
– Randell Baze
Senior - Humanities
“I heard about this act not because of anything the supporters did, but by happy accident. I understand the need for a possible raise, but this act and the way the group behind it is trying to get it passed makes it seem like it was done in secret, and it looks suspiciously like the bill we voted down last year.”
– Brandon Barnes
Senior - Journalism
Senior - Interpersonal Communication
HOW TO VOTE ON THE CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS ACT
Step 1: To take part in the voting for the Campus Improvements Act, log into UCONNECT.
WEATHER
Step 2: Once logged in, follow the prompts in the box labeled UCO Surveys.
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2
OPINION
FEB. 7, 2012 Editorial
THE VISTA
FAILURE TO EDUCATE
100 North University Drive Edmond, OK 73034 (405)974-5549 vistauco@gmail.com
By Cody Bromley / Editor-in-Chief
The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, semi-weekly during the academic year except exam and holiday periods, and only on Wednesdays during the summer, 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. LETTERS The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, doublespaced, 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. Address letters to: Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 73034-5209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be emailed to vistauco@gmail.com.
STAFF
Management
Editorial
Cody Bromley, Editor-In-Chief Christie Southern, Managing Editor Brittany Dalton, Copy Editor Bryan Trude, Sports Editor
Ben Luschen, Staff Writer Celia Brumfield, Staff Writer Josh Hutton, Staff Writer Mervyn Chua, Staff Writer Trevor Hultner, Staff Writer
The elections that started last night pose a bigger question than whether or not students are “for” or “against” the proposal. Instead the question at hand should be, “Why wasn’t I told about this sooner?” Myself and the rest of The Vista staff were not informed until Friday. Meanwhile, the supporters of the bill had known for two weeks about the vote. To paraphrase the UCOSA Constitution, any bill which receives 300 student signatures is put to a vote of the entire student body two weeks later. UCOSA President Matt Blubaugh should know this, especially given the fact that he is one of the bill’s co-authors, that he is the owner and administrator of CampusImprovementsAct.com. And did I mention he’s the president of UCOSA? While Mr. Blubaugh was not elected by students to his position this year, he still has an obligation to keep them informed of legislation that affects them. A walk around campus Monday afternoon found that many buildings were without posters telling students about the vote. By my and two Vista reporters’ count the Liberal Arts building only had a single biased poster, while there was
more than adequate amounts of signage in the art building and the library. Howell Hall, Math and Computer Science, the Music building, Health and P.E., Wantland Hall, the Nursing building, Evans Hall and the Center for Transformative Learning were all bare. No posters. Not even biased ones. The biggest surprise was finding the Administation building covered in 10 posters. How many students spend time in there? Students deserve better than this. Talking to students, even some of them opposed to SBR 11-201, you will hear that the bill’s opponents are not universally against increasing the student fee, but to do it in this fashion is just highway robbery. That’s why I’m introducing my own bill: SBR 11-203, otherwise known as the Fair Elections Act. Under the Fair Elections Act, any election put forward to the entire student body would need to be made apparent in the form of an email blast a minimum of seven days prior to any vote. No more surprise elections. Also, any election put forward to the entire student body would need be made apparent by a notice printed in The Vista, at a minimum of one printed issue prior to the election. The way SBR
11-201 was held in secret kept The Vista from fulfilling our promise to the students. It is my hope that with this election reform it never happens again. Additionally, under the Fair Elections Act, the voting window for any election put forward to the student body shall be a minimum of 72 hours allowing a greater portion of students to voice their opinions. If we want the opinions of all 17,000-plus students, we need to give them a chance to be heard. The bill concludes with a final plea. If any of the three preceding parts of the bill are not made for a given election, we push it back two weeks. Plain and simple, students deserve a chance to hear both sides of an argument before voting and with these new standards they stand an even greater chance of knowing the election is taking place. I ask you to join me in getting the Fair Elections Act passed, but the first step is gathering 300 signatures. I will be out by Broncho Lake and in the Nigh gathering signatures on Tuesday until I reach my goal. Regardless of how you feel on SBR 11201, we can almost all agree that it was brought forth unfairly. Join me and let’s make a change we truly need.
Graphic Design Michael McMillian
Advertising
Photography
Kylee Turner Brittany Eddins
Garett Fisbeck, Photo Editor Kathleen Wells Cyn Sheng Ling
Circulation
Editorial Comic
Joseph Choi
Evan Oldham
Adviser Mr. Teddy Burch
How do you feel about the Campus Improvement Act and did you hear about it before today?
BENN VARGHES
LAYNE STEVERSON
CHRISTIAN DIMANDJA
MICHELLE GARBRECHT
Senior-Biology
Freshman-Speech Pathology
Freshman-Computer Science
Graduate Student
“I didn’t know it was happening until today. I don’t feel comfortable paying for things I don’t participate in.”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“I feel that the campus is making a lot of improvement. Being here I feel the dedication level is really high.”
“I did not hear about it before today, and was wondering what was going on. I want to go and read all the details about it online.”
JASON CHAMBERS
ALEX HARTGROVE
TAYLOR PAYNE
RUBI CAZARES
Senior-Mechanical Engineering
Junior-Creative Writing
Junior-Actuarial Science
Sophomore-Forensic Science/Criminal Justice
“I have not heard about it, except that half of the proceeds goes to athletics and I don’t see what that has to do with education.”
“Yeah I have heard about it, but not in detail. Tuition’s going up so we might as well have it go where we know it’s going to good use.”
“I haven’t heard about it.”
“I think it is good because it provides more activity funds for things we want to do. If we raise fees it would lower tuition.”
NEWS
FEB. 7, 2012 Politics
3
Opinion
SENATOR TOM COBURN VISITS UCO FOR TOWN HALL MEETING
By Josh Hutton Yawning at the Apocalypse
Sen. Tom Coburn speaks during a Town Hall Meeting in the Nigh University Center Ballrooms, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
By Trevor Hultner / Staff Writer Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn held a town hall meeting in the Grand Ballroom at UCO’s Nigh University Center on Saturday. In a session that ran for an hour and a half, Coburn answered questions from the public. The questions ranged from an Edmond North High School senior’s concerns about student loans and a future in the medical field to queries about the US’s future relationship with Israel. Coburn’s opening statement was short, to open the floor up for questions as soon as possible. “The whole purpose of this is for me, really, to hear from you, rather than for you so much to hear from me,” Coburn said. Coburn told the crowd that he had seen “anxiety and apprehension about our future” everywhere he went in the US. “I think that’s appropriate,” he said. “Because the problems that we have are very real. They’re significant.” He told the crowd that what gave him hope for the future was that the problems he referenced were solvable even considering the current brinkmanship throughout the political system. “There are two or three things that give me hope,” he said. “One is our young people, when I look at them and I see their potential and our capability. The second thing that gives me hope is our seniors.”
He said that wherever he went, he asked seniors if they were willing to sacrifice to make sure their grandchildren were better off, and that he rarely got a “no.” “The real problem is, over the last 30 years, we’ve actually lived off the next [generation],” he said. He told the crowd that everyone currently on Social Security - not people who were going to be on the program in a month, but now - will collect $21 trillion more than they paid into the program, and that the unfunded liabilities for the program amounted to $36 trillion. He also said that Medicare’s unfunded liabilities were in the range of $62 trillion. It is uncertain whether these are accurate figures, as Coburn did not specify a time frame or point of reference for either number. According to fact-checking website Politifact.com and the Government Accountability Office, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and public debt will exceed total GDP for the first time in 2026, accounting for approximately 104 percent of GDP. Coburn finished his short statement before opening up the floor for questions by addressing the atmosphere of division in American politics. “Conservatives can’t have it all their way, they won’t get it,” he said. “So to hold a position that you will never achieve is stupidity.” Coburn is not up for reelection in 2012, and has said that he would not seek a third term in 2016.
Editorial Cartoon
By Evan Oldham / Cartoonist
The 24-hour news cycle buzzes to background noise like flies in summertime. Sarah McLachlan fishes for tears on every commercial. Inboxes brim with invites from social vultures boasting a positive change to the world. Globalization. Tolerance. Passiveness. “And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government, which limits or destroys the individual,” John Steinbeck argued in “East of Eden.” In an age where all news events feel like a cliché, where all ads pluck heartstrings until they break, and where all of us are forced to streamline, network and turn a shade of grey for the sake of a societal collective, it’s nearly impossible to feel (let alone have) an individual mind. I occasionally judge competitive speech at a high school level. While waiting for the first round to start this past weekend, a blonde-haired, toothpick woman with clenched fists and a quivering lip approached her school’s sponsor and yelled, “I HATE MY MOM! She brought me my phone, ya know? Because I like, need it in case of emergencies and stuff. And she KNEW it was dead. SHE KNEW IT! But she didn’t bring my charger!” The angst-ridden adolescent hated her mom. Hated her. It’s the beginning of the end. If the death of a smartphone makes us wish revenge in the names of our 2,000 Facebook friends, the war’s already over. Technology defeats the individual mind. Earlier in this column, I mentioned three words: globalization, tolerance and passiveness. I would contend that none of these elements on an individual basis are inherently wrong. The issues spawn from the packaged three-trait deal in the status quo. Civilizations should always be open to different cultures and ideas. On an individual level, a person should analyze these ideals and ways of living. After the research, if you have a problem—speak up. Passively tolerating everything makes you a void. Invisible. Unusable. Disinteresting. Test yourself. What have you been concerned about today? How many times have you checked social networking sites? Are you really paying attention to the news or was it background noise while you surfed your iPad? If you listen intently, a symphony of ringtones, viral videos, and the pounding of keyboards blend. The apocalypse of the individual mind begins. With the growing volume of our technological symphony, the apocalypse goes unnoticed. The youth goes out with an apathetic yawn.
4
NEWS
FEB. 7, 2012
MISS BLACK UCO 2012
SAFE
GATE CHANGES ITS NAME TO SAFE
Tiffany Thompson hugs Toamey McCollum after being crowned Miss Black UCO on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. Photo by Cyn Sheng Ling, The Vista
By Celia Brumfield / Staff Writer The Gay Alliance for Tolerance and Equality (GATE) has changed its name to the Student Alliance for Equality (SAFE). The move was made in order to be more inclusive of all students on campus. While the focus of meetings is to support and educate gay and lesbian students on how to deal with situations unique to them, the members want everyone to feel welcome to attend and participate. “We’ve always included everyone, just our name wasn’t inclusive,” GATE President Brandon White said. White has been president of the organization for the past two years and says the mission of the student alliance is to “support” lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and queer and questioning students. “We almost always have a guest speaker or an activity with an educational theme,” White said of the meetings that are held every other Tuesday in the Nigh University Center. SAFE has no fees or dues, and has anywhere from 40 to 60 members present at each meeting. At a recent meeting of SAFE, White explained that a guest speaker came to talk about how a gay student or professor might discuss a date they had recently been on with a person who did not know they were gay, without giving away the fact that the date was with a person of the same sex. “They might not want to come out of the closet,” White said.
When asked how he handled opposition on campus, White replied, “We don’t get a lot of opposition, surprisingly… as SAFE.” “I really just take it with a grain of salt. We tend to live in an area that tends to be more oppressive,” White said in regards to opposition on a personal level being slightly more frequent. White said posters for the SAFE organization are no longer vandalized or torn down as they have been in the past. “It seems sometimes it’s worse to be a democrat than gay,” White said. He also noted that posters for the UCO Young Democrats, of which he is a registered member, are still defaced, especially during the recent presidential election. White is also unsatisfied with gays and lesbians simply being “tolerated,” and does not approve of the word. “It’s a negative word, and it’s back-handed acceptance. People tolerate ants at a picnic,” White said. White prefers the word “acceptance.” When asked what he would like to say to those who feel that being gay or lesbian contradicts their religious beliefs and is therefore wrong to condone, White said, “I do my best to defend myself. One of the key parts of the Constitution are ‘All men are created equal,’ and we can’t get away from that no matter how hard we try.”
Food
CENTRAL STATION NOW OPEN WEDNESDAYS By Treva Yarbrough / Contributing Writer Central Station is now open on Wednesdays and is featuring new items on the menu. The hours of operation on Wednesdays will be the same as Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new items at Central Station, which is located in the Human Environmental Sciences building, will only be available on Wednesdays. “They’re doing homemade waffles, and their desserts are going to be a cupcake, and they can do a specialty cupcake whichever they choose to do,” general manager Ashley Slayton said. Each week the general manager is different. “They make up their own so their cupcake of choice. They are also doing Ham and corn beef sandwiches rather than our Turkey Central.”
Slayton said the reason Central Station is open on Wednesday is because the men’s golf class now requires food management. On Tuesdays and Thursday they have Turkey Central sandwiches and brownies. The brownies are the most popular food item. Central Station is run by students who are majoring in dietetics as a required lab on Tuesday and Thursday. The roles vary so that every student can have experience in food production, behind the bar, and business management, general manager and production manager. The business manager is only in charge of the cash register. The production employees prepare the food, and the production manager is in charge of the kitchen and staff. The general manager comes up with the menu and is in
charge of talking to the customers. There are also employees that are behind the counter to take orders and make the drinks. Most of the drinks are $1 and smoothies are just $2.50. “Soups and entrées prices varies between $3.50 -$5. It depends on if there is a lot of meat in it. If it is a vegetarian meal it would be cheaper,” Travis Martin, a senior majoring in nutrition, said. At Central Station each day there is a signature dish that the students prepare for the day assigned to them. There is a variety of different foods from Chicken Cordon Bleu to Khati Rolls. “Our entrées are always really good. They’re so unique in comparisons to any other option around here because we can make whatever
we want,” Slayton said. “I’ve never had one of our entrées that tasted bad.” Slayton said the choices offered at Central Station are healthier than other on-campus options. “We try as nutrition majors we kind of are bias towards nutritional healthy food,” she said. For the month of February, Central Station will have heart-shaped cheesecakes and on Valentine’s Day red velvet will be the cupcake of the day. You can place an order over the phone by calling 405-974-5556. Voicemails are checked daily.
NEWS
FEB. 7, 2012 “DANCING WITH THE BRONCHOS”
5
Who: UCO Athletics Department What: Live Auction & Dance When: Feb. 10, starts at 5:30 p.m. Where: Hamilton Field House Tickets: $50/person, $10 after 8:30
Chris King, sophomore football player, and Roberta Bortello, administration, dance during the Dancing with Bronchos rehearsal at Evans Hall, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
Law
SHARIA LAW IN OKC
Dancing With The Bronchos and Auction is sponsored by the UCO Athletic Department and the CHOICES grant program through the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Office.
years ago. “It is important for Muslim women to show modesty,” he said. “As a practicing Muslim, there are certain standards of beliefs to guide you.” A recent survey suggests that most North American Muslims would not expect Islamic law to apply to non-Muslims in the secular legal system. Dr. Albahadily completely agreed that nonMuslims do not have to follow the Islamic law if they choose not to. “Compulsory religions defeat the idea of the concept of religion itself. Religion should come from full conviction and understanding that this is the way of life. It is up to the individual to make his or her own decision; it cannot be imposed on others,” he said. “Religious beliefs have to come from the heart. If it doesn’t come from the heart, then it’s not a religious belief. Of course, there is understanding that you have to respect the law of
the society and follow it.” According to Albahadily, Muslims wish for others to recognize that Muslims, and indeed all people, should have the right to practice the religion of their choice as long as such practice does not impose upon or cause difficulties for their fellow citizens. All people, Muslims included, have the right to practice the religion they want as long as it’s not conflicting with the law of the country. “Myself and everyone I know have a wonderful opportunity to grow socially, professionally, financially. As a matter of fact, we are better off as Muslims in the U.S. than where we came from,” Albahadily, originally from Iraq, said. “The opportunity we have here is tremendous. Although there are some difficulties here and there, ultimately, it is nothing compared to the great opportunity and freedom we have here in this country.”
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Tunisian Salafists protest against the visit of International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde and for the application of sharia, or Islamic law, in Tunis, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Headband at left reads in Arabic, “Allah is the Only God, and Mohammed is his Prophet”. (AP Photo/Amine Landoulsi)
By Mervyn Chua / Contributing Writer Recently, NewsOK reported a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban Oklahoma courts from considering international or Islamic law discriminating against religions. A Muslim community leader has the right to challenge its constitutionality, a federal appeals court said Tuesday. Part of the amendment reads: “The courts shall not look to the legal precepts of other nations or cultures. Specifically, the courts shall not consider international law or Sharia law.” As an American citizen practicing Islam, Dr. Al Albahadily, professor of chemistry at UCO, thinks that it was all a misunderstanding. Dr. Albahadily believes that Muslims never promoted religious ideas that conflict with the U.S. Constitution. Muslims recognize that there are certain civil cases or problems that will be better understood and may be solved if some aspects of the Sharia or any other religious laws are taken into consideration. It is by no means a substitution of the law of the country. Dr. Albahadily gives an example of someone filing for divorce and going to court. In this case, the length of time it takes to finalize the divorce can differ between secular and religious laws. For instance, the Sharia Law recommends a waiting period of three months. On the other hand, state law allows the divorce to be finalized immediately. Such differences could be another dimension that the court can take into consideration. Sharia law does not necessarily conflict with the secular law but should be considered complimentary to the secular law. “We have to understand that there should be a separation between the church and the state. At the same time, one should be wise enough to understand that there is a lot of commonality between the state and the church,” Albahadily said. “We need to remember that secular and religious laws both deal with organizing society for the betterment of mankind, so there has to be some consideration of the two.” The concept of Sharia law is one that orga-
nizes the lives of the individual within a society. Every action must be thought of carefully before being executed because everything one does in life has effect on others. The Sharia law comes from the understanding that the human being is created for one purpose, which is to worship God only. That worship is not just subject to meditation, Sainthood or praying days and nights. It could also mean that if a student studies hard and succeeds, it is a form of worship. Helping a neighbor in need, visiting a sick person and respecting the rights of others are also forms of worship. Sharia Law is based on the idea that there are certain guidelines to follow. However, Albahadily says that in many countries, Sharia law has been abused. “If you try to survey all countries where Muslims are the majority, you will find that there is no such thing as Sharia law being practiced correctly,” he said. “There are people benefitting from what they refer to as Sharia Law. They twist Sharia law to ensure their supremacy or control of power over others. If one studies the Sharia law and looks at it carefully, one will find that it is nothing more than a system to organize people for the benefit of the individual as well as mankind.” The difference between the secular law and the religious (Sharia) law is the fact that the latter is based on the ideology that man is accountable for his actions to a higher power in addition to the court of law. Secular law is not completely a relationship between one and his or her Creator. Also, religious laws have certain moral standards that do not change based on the needs of the society especially if it does not limit activities or contributions to one’s job or responsibility. “God has more wisdom than us. So when God instructs us to do certain things, we may not be able to comprehend it,” he said. “However, if it is not making anyone’s life difficult, then maybe we have to follow some of these. This is where some of the conflict might come.” Albahadily referred to the case regarding the wearing of head coverings in drivers’ license photos here in Oklahoma nearly two
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FEB. 2 CROSSWORD ANSWERS
FEB. 7, 2012 CROSSWORDS
Across 1. The Everly Brothers, e.g. 5. Bank 10. Bounce back, in a way 14. “Not to mention ...” 15. Accused’s need 16. Cole ___ 17. To a remarkable degree or extent 18. State in which a substance has no tendency to flow under moderate stress 20. Pin for holding women’s hair in place 22. Largest of the Dodecanese 23. Altar avowal 24. “At Seventeen” singer Janis
44. Calf-length skirt
3. Desk used for writing
25. Partygoer
45. Bit
4. To specification
30. Becomes brisk
46. Aftershock
5. Actors
34. “D”
48. Sudden sharp drop
6. “Thanks ___!”
35. Jewish month
50. “You stink!”
7. Anger, with “up”
40. Sue Grafton’s “___ for Lawless”
37. Place for a barbecue 51. Away
8. ___-Wan Kenobi
43. Offense
38. “Gimme ___!” (start 52. Cancels of an Iowa State cheer) 55. Hearer 39. Impressive in ap60. Adherent of Mapearance hayana Buddhism 41. Branch 62. ___ a one 42. Any “Seinfeld,” now 63. Penal institution
9. Vein in the centre of a leaf
45. Kind of gland
64. Tall perennial herb of tropical Asia 65. “Mi chiamano Mimi,” e.g. 66. “O” in old radio lingo 67. Bakery supply 68. Cleaning cabinet supplies
36. Change 39. Exclusive
10. It regained independence in 1991 11. Attired 12. “Unimaginable as ___ in Heav’n”: Milton 13. Has a mortgage
47. String of beads used in counting prayers 49. Lizard, old-style 52. Early pulpit 53. Cutting remark 54. Its quarter says “Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers”
19. Alert, energetic person
55. Andes capital
21. Long, long time 25. In pieces
56. Egyptian fertility goddess
26. Contents of some cartridges
57. Leave in, as text
27. “Can’t Help Lovin’ ___ Man” 28. ___ cheese
Down
33. Amiens is its capital
58. Ashtabula’s lake 59. Swedish shag rugs 61. Dundee denial
29. Dine at home
1. Slap on
31. Standing†still
2. Arm bone
32. Bolshoi rival RANDOM QUOTE
RANDOM FACTS
That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong. - William J. H. Boetcker
Individuals with bachelor’s degrees earn an average of 60% more than people with only a high school diploma, which adds up to more than $800,000 over a lifetime.
LAST WEEKS ANSWER Nothing SUDOKU
Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.60)
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There are sixty women’s colleges in the United States in twenty-four states. The state with the most women’s colleges is Massachusetts, with eight. Pennsylvania comes in second with seven The most popular flower on Valentine’s Day is a single red rose surrounded with baby’s breath. The red rose was the flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
SPORTS
FEB. 7, 2012
7
Football
FOOTBALL SCORES BIG ON SIGNING DAY, ADDS PAIR OF JUCO TRANSFERS
Steven Daniels (28) holds up the good luck sign as the UCO Bronchos take the field during a college football game between UCO and Lindenwood at Wantland Stadium in Edmond, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
By Blake Colston / Contributing Writer A chef can’t cook without ingredients and a football coach can’t coach without players. With that in mind, after Nick Bobeck took the helm of the UCO football program on Jan. 4 his attention quickly turned to recruiting. With less than a month to go before signing day, Bobeck and his staff put their collective noses to the grindstone. National Signing Day on Feb. 1 revealed the fruits of their labor. There were 19 student athletes who signed national letters of intent with UCO. The class has a distinctively local feel, with 18 of the players coming to UCO from inside the borders of Oklahoma. Signing classes heavy with local talent is something Bobeck expects to continue. “The majority of our kids are going to be Oklahoma kids,” Bobeck said. “I don’t think there is any doubt that that’s how we’re going to build this program.” Being a native of Beaver, Okla. and a UCO graduate is something Bobeck says will help in maintaining a strong grip on Sooner-State talent.
“I think it helps being an alum. The kids kind of have a little bit of familiarity with me and have some things in common with me,” he said. “We’re able to sit and talk and chew the fat about growing up in Oklahoma.” Despite the emphasis on Oklahoma, the lone Texan in the 2012 class might be the crown jewel. Quarterback Adrian Nelson comes to UCO after a prolific 2011 season at Navarro Junior College. Under the tutelage of then Navarro head coach Nick Bobeck Nelson threw for a school record 3,754 yards and 33 touchdowns. Bobeck believes Nelson’s familiarity with him could give the Houston native a chance to earn the starting role at quarterback. “He knows how I operate, he knows how my staff operates and he’s got big-time talent, too,” Bobeck said. “He’s a great addition and he has a good chance to start for us, but we have a lot talent so he’ll have to earn it.” Earning it is something Bobeck values highly. “The key to having a successful football program is being able to create competition in practice because that’s where kids get better,” he said.
High School Signees • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Garrett Baker, 6-1, 210, LB, Morris Carlos Bustillos, 6-2, 235, DE, Enid T.J. Eckert, 6-0, 190, QB, Bixby Micah Goodman, 6-4, 285, OL, Medford Jared Griffin, 6-2, 170, DB, Duncan Brandon McCollough, 6-5, 270, OL, Claremore Luke Owens, 6-1, 220, LB, Sand Springs Montana Poorboy, 6-4, 295, OL, Catoosa Connor Pulley, 6-4, 195, TE/HB, Newkirk Marc Robinson, 6-0, 220, LB, Millwood Tylor Seabolt, 6-1, 190, WR, Jones Clint Simek, 6-2, 210, TE/HB, Guthrie Jacob Space, 6-3, 220, TE/HB, Catoosa Jas’sen Stoner, 6-0, 205, LB, Oklahoma City (Douglass) Chase Talbert, 5-11, 200, Athlete, Claremore Jacob Warner, 5-11, 205, LB, Lawton (MacArthur) Isaac Whitney, 6-3, 180, WR, Moore (Southmoore)
Juco College Transfers • •
Adrian Nelson, 6-4, 230, QB, Navarro College (TX). Adrian Shoecraft, 5-10, 225, LB, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
Baseball
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UNDEFEATED BRONCHOS SET TO BEN ZONE HOST STARS IN HOME OPENER By Chris Brannick / Contributing Writer The UCO Baseball team will host first-ranked Oklahoma City University Wednesday afternoon in its first home game of the season. The Bronchos (3-0) will look to continue their hot start after defeating Austin College on Saturday and twice on Sunday in Sherman, Texas. The Stars of OCU will bring their richin-tradition program to Wendell Simmons Field at 2 p.m. and head coach Dax Leone knows the test ahead of his team will be tough. “I think that’s what you want early on,” Leone said. “The execution part of practice makes me feel like we’re ready [for this game].” Leone added a comment about the weather and how it was nice to have practices where the team can be a little more relaxed. Leone focused on how the team has stepped up in practices saying, “Players have taken ownership.” OCU picked up four wins of their own this past weekend, defeating Hastings and Grand View, twice each. The topranked Stars got home runs from key
players to lead them to victory. Miguel Beltran, a senior from Long Beach, Calif., drove in three runs, including a solo home run in one game Saturday. Beltran tied National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) records with two grand slams and 13 RBI’s in a game versus St. Gregory’s last season. OCU head coach Denney Crabaugh said in an interview earlier this season that they would look to Beltran to pick up where he left off. Chad Carman is another key contributor for the Stars and the senior will start at catcher as he has in each of his years with OCU. Brian Fisher is another senior who will be looked to by the Stars for contributions. Kale Gaden, who also hit a home run last weekend for the Stars, is a junior transfer from Seminole State. Dane Phillips, a transfer from Oklahoma State, also looks to contribute offensively. Phillips earned first-team all-Big 12 honors last spring for the Cowboys. An interesting focus will be the ongoing recruiting battle that UCO and OCU have.
“There are kids on their team that we recruited and vice versa and that makes things interesting,” Leone said. The Bronchos will look to sophomore Jake Tuck for pitching Wednesday. The Weatherford native impressed coaches in practice. “He’s been our best guy all fall and spring,” Leone said. Tuck actually handles closing duties for UCO but Leone said because of his efforts, he’ll get the start. UCO has been relatively healthy so far this spring and remain that way this week. Senior Derik Grimes has a torn labrum and junior William Kilpatrick is out four to six weeks with an elbow injury. Saturday the Bronchos got a lift from senior Keegan Morrow, who had three hits and four RBI’s. Morrow hit a tworun homer in the first inning of UCO’s season opener. Fellow senior Kevin Blue also got off to a good start, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI’s. The Bronchos defeated Austin College 13-1, 14-2 and 21-8 in their weekend series.
UPCOMING GAMES Feb. 8: VS OCU
Feb. 11: @ NSU
Feb. 12: @ NSU
Feb. 14: @ SEOSU
edge the Giants held over its opponents this postseason. Whereas other teams with high expectations were playing not to lose, the Giants were playing to win. Let’s not let the example set by the New York Giants go by the wayside. When life has us on the ropes while facing fourth and inches with two outs, the shoot clock winding down and whatever other sports euphemism you want to throw in there, what are we going to do? Are we going to call it quits? Are we going to run in place? Or will we choose to go out like winners? Are we going to choose to satisfy our hunger for more, even if it means risking failure? To these questions, I leave you with one last piece of sage wisdom: Stay thirsty, my friends.
BOX SCORES Hockey Feb. 3, 2012 - FINAL UCO Bronchos Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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Feb. 4, 2012 - FINAL (OT) UCO Bronchos 2 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 3 Women’s Basketball Feb 4, 2012 - FINAL UCO Bronchos Newman Jets
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FEB. 7, 2012 Behind the Scenes
Opinion
THE BEN ZONE BEHIND THE SCENES: JACOB BLACK UCO STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING By Ben Luschen Vista Columnist
COMEBACK KINGS NOW SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS “Running in place will never get you the same results as running from a lion.” So goes the sage wisdom of The Most Interesting Man in the World, Dos Equis’ patron saint of being awesome. I’m not sure if his advice is scientifically valid, but the world’s only overhand bowler still makes a good point. When we’re put in that spot where our backs are against the wall, when we’re forced into that dreadful choice between fight or flight, we sometimes find strength and courage we never knew we had before. The New York Giants were in that spot. With just two weeks left in the regular season, the now-Super Bowl champions were only 7-7 and looked anything but “super.” But, as proved in both the world of sports and in everyday life so many times before, lack of success doesn’t always mean lack of desire or heart. Truthfully, a meager start was probably the one thing the drove Giants to Indianapolis. Sitting on the verge of elimination, Eli Manning’s squad finished the regular season by beating their crosstown foes the Jets, and their longtime rival Dallas Cowboys to take home the divisional crown. While fighting for their playoff lives (mostly while on the road), the Giants beat the Falcons, Packers, 49ers and Patriots en route to the biggest crown in American sports. When the Giants were just 7-7, they faced a critical decision: close up shop and call it a season or keep fighting and hope for the best. They chose to play the odds and ended up winning the lottery. Every team the New York Giants played in their seasonclosing winning-streak came against teams that, at the time they played, had either equal or superior records. They were fighting off lions, and I don’t mean the Detroit kind. The New England Patriots were running in place. The AFC’s number-one seed didn’t have doubters to quiet. What they did have, however, were expectations. Heck, even the Green Bay Packers, a team that for most of the year looked like it could be having one of the best seasons the NFL has ever seen, were caught in a stationary jog by the end of the season. It’s not that these teams weren’t great. It’s not even necessarily that they were arrogant about their past and current successes or didn’t care about winning a championship, because I can promise you they did care. In the world of sports, oftentimes there are few things as dangerous as a team with nothing to lose. This is exactly
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Jacob Black, director of strength and conditioning, poses for a photo at Hamilton Field house, Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
By Whitt Carter / Contributing Writer UCO strength and conditioning coach Jacob Black has been a weight room junkie since he was a young boy. The Ohio native hasn’t slowed down since, and now finds himself coaching more than 250 athletes on 11 teams in what he calls, his “favorite place.” Black graduated from Ohio University in 2007 after playing football for the Bobcats for two years. After a career-ending injury, Black joined the Ohio program as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach. After arriving at UCO in 2008 as a graduate assistant, Black took charge as the Director of Strength and Conditioning this past year. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and a master’s degree in science education from UCO, Black works with all sorts of different teams, from football to women’s soccer, to rowing. Black talked about the differences in each sport’s training. “You have to know what kind of sport you are dealing with and what kind of movements those sports use,” he said. Black works with both male and female athletes, which constitutes different styles of leadership and coaching.
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“Men and women are totally two different people. You can’t just come into the weight room and yell and scream with women, as you do with men,” he said. “You have to get women interested in working out, and use different things to get them to think the right way.” Black works closely with the Broncho football program that has seen rough times in recent years. He talked about the focus of discipline and focusing on minor details that make big differences, as a new staff enters in 2012. “It’s a discipline issue. It’s all about the little things that turn into big things,” Black said. “Last year, discipline was an issue as well as inconsistency. We have some athletic kids with potential, but right now we are just trying to get them to have the correct attitude and me more disciplined.” The big, blond instructor who frequently wears a smile is focused on getting the UCO football program back to national prominence. “I want to help get football back to where they were in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. People didn’t want to come play here against UCO, and these kids need to realize their potential, and get back to
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where we were,” Black said. As an expert in weight training, Black realizes that an athletes’ diet is as important as anything. Black’s enthusiasm for his job and his role is fueled by his desire to make a difference in the lives and performance of student athletes. “The best part about my job is that I get to help these kids and get to be in the weight room every day,” Black said. “Being around weightlifting for a long time, this is what I have wanted to do from the start.” Catch the first edition of the “Behind the Scenes” series on UCO Hockey’s Tadd Austin
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BOWLING NIGHT Friday, Feb. 10, 7-9pm Heritage Lanes www.heritagelanesokc.com/location.asp free transportation for the first 10 students to sign up. free bowling for the first 40 students to sign up. Reserve your place with a $5 refundable deposit in the International Office, NUC 137. for more information, contact Brandon at blehman@uco.edu or 405.974.2448.
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