The Vista Feb. 9, 2012

Global Competency The Centre for Global Competency is seeking familes to participate with CRISP. Page 3

FEB. 2, 2012

Tennis UCO Tennis lost its home opener to UTArlington this past weekend.

Page 8

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THE VISTA

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.

Campus

REFERENDUMS PASS After a short campaign, results were announced just after 7 p.m. Tuesday. By a margin of 913 votes, the Campus Improvements Act was passed. The other referendum question regarding the removal of the treasurer also passed.

By Trevor Hultner / Staff Writer & Bryan Trude / Sports Editor On the heels of the largest voter turnout in school history, UCO students have passed the Campus Improvement Act, authorizing the first increase to the Student Activity fee since 1999. 2,693 people – 1,803 for and 890 against – voted on the referendum. A vote to remove the treasurer position from UCOSA also passed.

The act, which will increase the fee by $6 per credit hour, was boosted by what bill coauthor and UCOSA president Matt Blubaugh referred to as a record voter turnout.

“We’re very excited about the vote, we’re excited about how many Bronchos came out,” Blubaugh said following the announcement of the results. “We’re very excited and happy that we are now able to have more opportunities for more students and we look forward to seeing what we will get out of this over the following academic year.”

Students ran informal, grassroots campaigns to get the vote out on a short notice.

These included going door-to-door with information on the act and handing leaflets out on campus. There was also a series of town hall-style meetings in Constitution Hall for students to either voice their concerns regarding the bill or sing its praise.

The act, formally known as SBR 11-201, earmarks $2.95 of the increase to the athletics department “for the benefit of student athletes and the [UCO] campus as a whole,” according to the text of the act.

Many detractors drew comparisons between SBR 11-201 and Proposition One, a failed UCOSA bill to raise the activity fee last year. Blubaugh was quick to distinguish

UCOSA’s Prop One from the Campus Improvement Board’s act.

“Prop One did not earmark things the way we earmarked them,” Blubaugh said. “Prop One just raised the overall cost $10.75, and was just raising the current percentages. Under Prop One, athletics was going to get 56 to 57 percent of what was currently distributed.

We’re changing distribution.”

The share of the new fees reserved for Athletics comprises 49 percent of the new fees, the largest single share. $1.12 of the increase is earmarked for the Division of Student Affairs to fund student life services. Another $1.12 is earmarked for the General Conference Committee on Appropriations, which handles funding for student organizations on campus such as clubs and organizations like The Vista.

The remaining $0.81 per credit hour will go to the Vice President’s Student Scholarship and Aid Committee.

Opponents of SBR 11-201 also cited the timing of the election; most notification of the act went out the Friday before voting opened.

On the following Monday, the only physical announcement of the vote were pro-act posters in a handful of campus buildings.

The complaints regarding how the act was brought up for a vote has prompted some students to propose legislation on reforming the election procedures.

The Fair Elections Act, authored by Vista Editor-in-Chief Cody Bromley, proposes that any act or bill brought to students for a vote be announced at least one week prior to the election, including a notice published in student media, as well as extend the voting period from 24 hours to 72 hours.

“It was my feeling that whether or not we

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Sources: University Relations, Campus Improvments Board

need or didn’t need this raise, the students were not informed about the bill with enough time to talk or debate it before the election started,” Bromley said.

Bromley is in the process of gathering the 300 student signatures required to bring the Fair Elections Act to a vote.

While Blubaugh hopes the new funds will help with projects such as renovations to Hamilton Fieldhouse, student day care and a proposed nighttime coordinator for Disability Support Services, he cautions that the new fee alone will not pay for everything. “[The act] will not generate enough revenue for all of this to happen immediately,” Blubaugh said. “Any new facilities built will be done using 40-year capital bonds.”

Other proposed programs for the new funding include building a facility to serve international students.

The act also dictates that UCOSA will develop a five-year plan for the design, funding and construction of a new student union to replace the Nigh Center, which Blubaugh said is not owned by the campus and is rented by UCOSA. “This really enhances and enriches our academic experience,” Blubaugh said. “I’m so glad that there are people against it and concerned. It really raises the excitement level from debates and helps people learn more about the bill.”

SPB SPINS UP SPLASHY SHUTTER SHADES

Courtney James attaches a pair of shutter shades to a spinner during the Student Programming Board’s Spin Art Stunna Shades event, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Matthew Henton, an English education sophomore, takes his shutter shades during the Student Programming Board’s Spin Art Stunna Shades event, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Student Programming Board invites students to wear their shades to the free glow party and concert tonight featuring DJ Earworm

Shutter shades during the Student Programming Board’s Spin Art Stunna Shades event, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

WEATHER

The event starts at 8 p.m. in the NUC ballrooms TODAY H 56° L 39°

TOMORROW H 51° L 27°

DID YOU KNOW? The word “orange,” as it refers to the fruit, is about 200 years older than “orange” as it refers to the color.

More weather at www.uco360.com

OPINION

2

FEB. 9, 2012

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

How do you feel about the passage of the Campus Improvements Act? 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.

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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.

Address letters to: Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 730345209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be emailed to vistauco@gmail.com.

“I haven’t really heard about it.”

STAFF

Management

Editorial

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

“I think it’s a good thing for UCO community. It gives the students the opportunity to save money.”

“Oh it passed? Hopefully we’ll see more money being used for students’ activities, though most of them are for athletics.”

LESA MAXWELL

CARMEN MABREY

GUADALUPE CANDANOSA

Junior - Nutrition & Dietetics

Junior - International Business

Junior - Chemistry & Forensic Science

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

Editorial

DRIVEN TO MADNESS

By Ben Luschen / Staff Writer For the most part, I haven’t had terrible experiences with police. Sure, I’ve met my fair share of jerk cops and have heard plenty of horror stories from those who have been mistreated by law enforcement.

Even in the few times police have been less than courteous to me, I couldn’t be that mad at them because these were usually times I had clearly broken a law.

However, in the state of Oklahoma, the days of police belligerence may well be upon us, if they are not already here.

A bill newly introduced into the state legislature would allow you to be pulled over for reasons that are currently unprecedented. Essentially, HB 2525 would allow police to pull you over for no other reason than suspicion of an invalid or expired insurance.

This wouldn’t be such a bad idea... if we lived in Stalinist Russia. I mean, why stop here? Why not a bill that supports unwarranted police raids based on the suspicion of illegal music downloads?

Many critics of the bill will likely ask something along the lines of, “And just what does a person without insurance look like?” This is a valid question. Would someone who doesn’t have insurance be white with blonde hair or Mexican with black? Would he be driving a station wagon or a Porsche?

Fortunately for the supporters of HB 2525, there is an answer to all these questions. Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are installed on many police cars across the state. ALPRs are cameras that, when mounted on police vehicles, can discreetly scan the license plates of other vehicles and crosscheck this information with an online database to, among other things, verify your insurance.

Remember a few years back when we all had to change our license plates? That wasn’t because Osage warrior shields suddenly fell out of fashion; the state needed a plate system that would comply with its new ALPR technology.

Though it’s bad to have uninsured drivers on the road, will citing these drivers more often really be worth forfeiting some of our civil liberties? As far as I know, there’s nothing that says an officer would need the verification of ALPRs to suspect someone of invalid insurance. This, of course, opens the door for profiling.

The state of our society amuses me sometimes. When SOPA and PIPA threaten to take away our precious YouTube, we become incensed. However, HB 2525, which threatens our ability to privately drive state highways, will likely pass without receiving much attention at all.

“There’s always room for improvement. It’s only 6 dollars increased per credit hour.”

“I think it’ll be beneficial for campus but we’re putting more money into tuition, which some students struggle to pay.”

“That’s awesome. I think it’ll help our school a lot.

I’m totally up for it.”

By Evan Oldham / Cartoonist

NEWS

FEB. 9, 2012 International Students

3

Opinion

CENTRE FOR GLOBAL COMPETENCY SEEKING MORE FAMILIES FOR CRISP

Out of Context By Brittany Dalton Sink or Float

The Centre for Global Competency, located in the International Office, is looking for families interested in working with the Community Reaching International Students Program. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

By Mervyn Chua / Staff Writer The Centre for Global Competency is still searching for families for the Community Reaching International Students Program (CRISP). The Centre has a file of the families who had previously participated, and Brandon Lehman will attempt to get those families to rejoin the program. Lehman is coordinator of International Activities in the Centre.

“Getting families to join the program is difficult. It is hard to get the word out there,” Linh Thai, a special student assisant for the Centre said. “Some of them are in Edmond and some of them are in Oklahoma City. They are so dispersed, it’s hard to pull them in.”

Thai also explains that recruiting for CRISP is not like Broncho Buddies, an intercultural program also run by the Centre, whereby an international student is paired up with an American student all semester. With Broncho Buddies, students are all on campus and a mass email can be sent out. CRISP, on the other hand, involves going out and communicating with American families.

“Brandon does a good job of personally inviting new families to join the program and old ones to rejoin the

program,” Thai said. “Many people he reaches out to are from churches and his personal network.”

So far, 30 students have signed up for CRISP. One way the Centre promotes this program to the international students of UCO is by handing out flyers, especially during the international student orientation. The Centre also has a booth with laptops set outside Constitution Hall, where the orientation is held, so that students can sign up. There is even a segment of orientation dedicated to an explanation of this program.

CRISP differs from a host family; with host families, students usually live with the family. CRISP is designed for international students to spend time and have meals with American families but not live with them. This program also enables students to be flexible with meeting with their CRISP families.

The Centre is responsible for pairing up American families with the international students and introducing them.

The rest is up to the schedule of both parties to meet as often as they would like, although normally the families and students meet twice a month.

Some families even take more than one international student in, since some

of the international students might be shy, and feel more comfortable if there is another international student for company.

American families are given a basic application form to fill out when they join the program. The form has a column where the family is free to indicate a preference of international students if they wish.

Thai gave an example of instances in which a family may show a preference: one American family preferred a Chinese student because the daughter was learning Chinese and they wanted the daughter to have someone to practice it with. Another family wanted a Columbian student because they used to live in Columbia and wanted to reconnect with their roots.

The Centre for Global Competency is a joint affair between the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Academic Affairs. One half of the program provides students opportunities to study abroad as well as paid internships. The other half is to let American students share experiences with international students locally, through programs like CRISP and Broncho Buddies.

LGBTQ

WASHINGTON STATE POISED TO APPROVE GAY MARRIAGE

By Rachel La Co Jensen/ Contributing Writer OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Lawmakers are poised to legalize gay marriage in Washington state, which would make it the seventh state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed.

The expected action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples.

The Washington House began debating Wednesday afternoon, and the measure is expected to pass comfortably. Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign the bill into law next week.

Washington state has had domestic partnership laws since 2007, and more than a dozen other states have provisions, including civil unions and gay marriage, supporting same-sex couples.

Gay marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington D.C. Lawmakers in New Jersey are expected to vote on gay marriage next week, and Maine could see a gay marriage proposal on the November ballot.

Proposed amendments to ban gay marriage will be on the ballots in North Carolina in May and in Minnesota in November.

The Washington state proposal would not take effect for 90 days after the governor signs it. Opponents have promised to fight gay marriage with a ballot measure that would allow voters to overturn legislative approval.

If opponents are unable to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, gay couples could wed starting in June.

Otherwise the law would be put on hold pending the outcome of a November election.

Regardless of the recent court ruling in California, Washington state’s momentum for same-sex marriage has been build-

ing and the state Senate passed the measure last week on a 28-21 vote.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled against California’s voter-approved same-sex marriage ban, known as Proposition 8.

The three-judge panel gave gay marriage opponents time to appeal the 2-1 decision before ordering the state to allow same-sex weddings to resume. The judges also said the decision only applies to California, even though the court has jurisdiction in nine western states.

Lawyers for the coalition of conservative religious groups that sponsored Proposition 8 said they have not decided if they will seek a new 9th Circuit hearing or file an appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The debate over same-sex marriage in Washington state has changed significantly since 1998, when lawmakers passed Washington’s Defense of Marriage Act banning gay marriage.

The constitutionality of that law ultimately was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2006. But earlier that year, a gay civil rights measure passed after nearly 30 years of failure, signaling a change in the Legislature.

The quick progression of domestic partnership laws in the state came soon after, with a domestic partnership law in 2007, and two years of expansion that culminated in 2009 with “everything but marriage” expansion that was upheld by voters.

In October, a University of Washington poll found that an increasing number of people in the state support same-sex marriage. About 43 percent of respondents said they support gay marriage, up from 30 percent in the same poll five years earlier. Another 22 percent said they support giving identical rights to gay couples, without calling the unions “marriage.”

If a challenge to gay marriage law was on the ballot, 55 percent said they would vote to uphold the law. And 38 percent said they would vote to reject a gay marriage law.

The votes are in, and the Campus Improvement Act has passed, riding a tidal wave of promises of things better to come. I think what everyone’s downplaying in all the hullaballoo, though, has a lot less to do with the election itself and everything to do with real life.

In the four years I’ve attended UCO, I’ve never seen a group of students so passionate about anything, as both sides of this debate were. Sometimes it’s easy to assume that college kids don’t care about politics, but I can assure you that wasn’t the case this week.

Philosopher G.W.F. Hegel once said that nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. I don’t think he had university legislation in mind when he said that, but the message remains the same across the board.

Too many people allow apathy to beat them down without giving their opinions a fighting chance. Too many people allow themselves to be muzzled by indifference, mustering only a feeble protest when things don’t go their way.

If you’re so passionate about what you believe – campus improvement, women’s rights, educational reform – why are you on the sidelines?

Okay, so it’s easy to believe you don’t matter. After all, what are you but one little guppy in a vast sea? What difference will your blue vote make in arguably the reddest state in the Union? How would one picket sign stand out in a crowd? What are you doing to change the world?

First, stop looking at the big picture. Condense and reconsider.

Of course you aren’t going to change the world by tomorrow. The French Revolution wasn’t carried out by one person – rather, by a horde of pissed-off individuals. But even they got a night’s sleep in between.

The first time in my teenage years I can remember being completely and utterly invested in a cause was when my high school threatened to eliminate the creative writing curriculum. I couldn’t believe a school so highly praised for its educational merit was taking away the class that made school tolerable for me, taking away my livelihood and my passion.

Three hundred signatures later and after a visit to the academic advisor under my belt, a decision was made: the classes would be combined and meet in one group.

I didn’t get exactly what I wanted. I got the next best thing.

Get fired up enough about anything and life will reward you. It’s when you slip on the muzzle and compromise on your opinions that you’ll lose out.

Anytime you think your words don’t matter, make a disparaging comment or allow it to be published. Anytime you think your one voice doesn’t matter, talk to an occupier who spent night after night sleeping in a tent to protest the excesses and wrongdoings of corporate America.

Yes, it’s true that you won’t make friends this way. It’s true that more often than not, you’ll feel like no more than a fish caught in the rip tide. But there is always more than one choice, and so it is with life.

You have one of two options: sink or float.

4

NEWS

FEB. 9, 2012

UCOIN

FINANCIAL LITERACY GROUP WANTS TO HELP STUDENTS ‘GALLOP OUT OF DEBT’

By Shannon Moham / Contributing Writer UNCOIN, UCO’s financial literacy initiative will be holding the Gallop Out of Debt seminar today, Feb. 9, from noon to 1 p.m. in room 103 of the Nigh University Center. The seminar is free to students, faculty, staff and community members.

The informational seminar will feature Jennifer Wallis from Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Oklahoma. Wallis will be presenting on different ways to handle your debt, whether it is from educational loans or credit cards.

Senior sociology major Ashley Combs is very pleased that UCOIN is holding this seminar and hopes to take away some valuable information.

“I do have some questions about handling debt and what to do when it comes time to pay back student loans. I think this will be a great way to learn about taking the steps to reduce my debt,” Combs said.

UCOIN coordinator Amy Rothbaum said that there are several things most students don’t know about when it comes to student loans and financial debt.

“A lot of students are unprepared to start paying back their loans after they are no longer enrolled in school,” Rothbaum said.

“Federal loans have a six-month grace period from when you are no longer enrolled to when you have to start repaying them.

The monthly amount owed is sometimes a shock.”

Rothbaum says that the most common way that college students accumulate debt is from educational loans.

“Also, credit card bills must be paid off in full each month. Paying only the minimum payments sets off a snowball effect of fees from interest rates,” Rothbaum said.

She also says that the most common financial advice that students seek from UCOIN is how to make a budget.

Rothbaum says that there is no preparation

needed for the seminar. Only a pencil and paper is needed to take notes.

UCOIN was founded in 2011 to help UCO students build their financial success by giving money managing tips and other valuable information.

Gallop Out of Debt is the third presentation given by UCOIN this academic year.

There will be two more this semester: “Saddle Up for Saving” on March 13 and “Pony Up to Good Credit” on April 5. These seminars will also be held in room 103 of the Nigh at noon.

Students can also get involved with UCOIN by co-teaching a seminar or researching money management strategies to share on the UCOIN website, Facebook, or Twitter pages. Students can also assist with the Money Management group being held at the Rolling Green Apartment complex.

Students can sign up for the informational email list by emailing ucoin@uco.edu.

Other Upcoming UNCOIN Events Saddle Up for Saving March 13, 2012, 12-1 p.m.

NUC 103 Pony Up to Good Credit April 5, 2012, 12-1 p.m.

NUC 103 More info at:

uco.edu/student-affairs/ financial-literacy

State

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

GEOSCIENTISTS PANEL CALL FOR HONEST DIALOGUE ON FRACKING

The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters should be typed, double-spaced, with a maximum of 150 words, and must include the author’s printed name, title, major, classification and phone number. Exceptions on size may be granted as space allows. 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 133 Letters can also be e-mailed to vistauco@gmail.com.

February 1, 2012 This letter is in response to the recent opinion piece “Fork in the Road.” This article spread like wildfire on Facebook, and though I already frequently read this column, it was sent me to a number of times.

Based on the comment section of this article online, I see that people are angry and offended by the column; however, personally, I found such honesty refreshing. I did not infer that the author was attempting to offend all women that “make themselves beautiful.”

Instead, I got the impression that the author was pinpointing a very prominent problem in my generation of women and the younger generations: the idea of dumbing yourself down and changing who you are for men.

When class first started this semester, I spent a week talking to girl in my class who was very interested in the subject matter of the class and very excited to discuss it with me. The next week, an attractive guy sat in front of us, and she blurted out, “I don’t understand any of this.

This class is so boring!”

I was shocked! She had completely sacrificed all of her good ideas for the attention of this one (likely uninterested) man.

From this piece, I gathered that the author wants to encourage women to be true to themselves: wearing what they want, reading what they want, and believing what they want. This is in no way a negative idea, and it is important to reinforce this.

Feminism is the idea that women can embrace their femininity while staying strong and true to themselves.

This is the overall theme I gathered from this article.

On another note, I found that comments degrading the author’s appearance and intellect invalidated any offense the commenter was attempting to express. They were blatantly rude, hateful, and to keep with the theme, offensive.

Again, I enjoy reading this column and find the author’s outlook on issues honest and bold. I urge you to continue to publish such unique material even though those that can’t handle the honesty are outraged.

- Mary K. Goff Senior, Political Science

FILE - This May 22, 2009 picture shows John Fenton, a farmer who lives near Pavillion in central Wyoming, near a tank used in natural gas extraction, in background. Fenton and some of his neighbors blame hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a common technique used in drilling new oil and gas wells, for fouling their well water. Sen. James Inhofe and colleagues will ask EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in a letter Friday Jan. 20, 2012 to formally raise the profile of the EPA draft study linking fracking and groundwater pollution in Wyoming.(AP Photo/Bob Moen, File)

By Justin Juozapavicius / Associated Press Southwest, he didn’t know of a single lawsuit or complaint that arose from TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Better indus- the process — even offering that he had try oversight, an honest dialogue with fracked “over 3,000 wells” himself. the public about controversial drilling Tuesday’s moderated discussion at the methods and a clearer explanation from University of Tulsa featured scientists Dacompanies about how clean, natural gas vid Hughes and Terry Engelder. Hughes can be extracted from wells drilled hun- is president of Global Sustainability Redreds of feet underground is desperately search, Inc. and has studied energy reneeded from energy companies, two sources for nearly 40 years. Engelder is geoscientists said Tuesday. a professor of geosciences at Penn State The two spoke as part of a panel on University and has previously served on hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a the staffs of the U.S. Geological Survey, controversial process that uses water, Texaco and Columbia University. sand and other additives to free natural The two were expected to debate as gas underground. part of the fourth-annual Chesapeake Critics worry about water and other Energy Lecture presented by the TU environmental contamination and point College of Law and the National Ento hundreds of earthquakes that have ergy Policy Institute. But they ended up hit Oklahoma since fracking was intro- agreeing on most points. duced. But supporters say those fears are Engelder, who has been named to overblown.

Foreign Policy magazine’s 2011 list of One prominent proponent, billion- “Top Global Thinkers,” said energy comaire energy magnate T. Boone Pickens, panies have gone on the offensive, formrecently boasted that out of the 800,000 ing America’s Natural Gas Alliance, to wells that have been fracked in the take their message directly to the public.

“They came out with a new ad ... and the first sentence had the word ‘risk’ in it,” he told The Associated Press following this speech. “And it starts out something to the effect that everything we do is risk, and this includes the gas industry.

“That’s a step in the right direction in terms of how the industry interacts with the public, and I think it is a very important step in terms of industry behavior that they are no longer shying away from that term ‘risk,’” he said.

Engelder’s counterpart, David Hughes, who has researched, published and lectured over the past 10 years on global energy and sustainability issues across the world, said there’s no question about the risk to the environment but fracking makes economic sense and is “the right thing to do.”

“It has to be done right,” he said.

“There is a risk, and we have to understand the risks. I will say the industry is capable of finding the leaks and fixing them.”

NEWS

FEB. 9, 2012

5

State

FALLIN HIGHLIGHTS MORE CUTS TO OKLA. INCOME TAX

By Sean Murphy / Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Mary Fallin outlined a budget plan Monday to deeply reduce Oklahoma’s personal income tax rate by eliminating dozens of tax exemptions, including many claimed by poor and working-class Oklahomans.

In her State of the State address, Fallin said she wants to cut the state’s highest income tax bracket from 5.25 percent to 3.5 percent beginning next January, and proposed that couples earning $30,000 or less would not pay income taxes.

Couples earning between $30,000 and $70,000 would be taxed at 2.25 percent.

Her plan would shrink the number of income tax brackets from seven to three and impose a revenue-growth trigger that would further reduce the income tax by onequarter of 1 percent each time state revenues grow by at least 5 percent.

The Republican governor said the proposal would “immediately cut income taxes for Oklahomans in all tax brackets, it will simplify the tax code and will chart a course towards the gradual elimination of our income tax.

“It will give Oklahoma the lowest income tax rate in our region, besides Texas, making us a more competitive state for job creation and retention.”

Oklahoma currently has seven tax brackets ranging from 0.5 percent for single taxpayers earning $1,000 or more in taxable income to the top rate of 5.25 percent on taxable income of more than $8,701.

While she didn’t offer specifics in her speech, her budget officials said the plan calls for making up the estimated $1 billion in lost revenue

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin delivers her State of the State address on the floor of the Oklahoma House in Oklahoma City, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Garett Fisbeck)

by eliminating nearly 40 different tax credits, including the child care and sales tax relief credits for lowincome Oklahomans. It would also end personal exemptions claimed by about 1.5 million Oklahoma tax filers each year.

“Low-income families with children and low-income seniors will pay more in income tax. That’s a concern,” said David Blatt, director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a Tulsa-based think-tank. “It’s cut taxes first and then ask questions later.”

Democrats also blasted the plan, saying it makes little sense for Fallin to call for increased funding for transportation, education and performance audits for state agen-

cies while endorsing a plan to slash a funding source that accounts for more than one-third of state revenue.

“Gov. Fallin cannot expect to cut and then eliminate the state income tax, which constitutes one-third of the state’s revenue,” said Rep. Mike Brown, D-Tahlequah, “and in the same breath, talk about making the Department of Human Services one of the best in the nation, or repairing all our bridges by 2019.”

Fallin’s chief policy advisor, Secretary of State Glenn Coffee, acknowledged that many low-income Oklahomans would receive fewer benefits under Fallin’s tax proposal, but he said many of the families

earning less than $30,000 a year already have no tax liability and currently receive a small subsidy as part of the sales tax or child care exemptions.

“In a number of those cases, there are individuals who we are in effect paying them to file a tax return,” Coffee said. “What this plan does is zero that out. It makes a policy statement that if you don’t owe taxes, you don’t owe taxes, but we’re not going to use this as a tool to write you a check.”

Coffee estimated that at least half of the couples earning $30,000 or less would have the same tax liability or be better off under Fallin’s plan, while between 70 and 80 per-

cent earning between $30,000 and $70,000 would benefit from the plan.

House and Senate leaders in the Republican-controlled Legislature did not immediately endorse Fallin’s plan, saying they needed more time to review it and a myriad of other tax-cutting measures that are being offered.

Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, said, “I’m willing to look and see what’s best for Oklahoma, and certainly the governor has ... some ambitious goals in her plan.”

House Speaker Kris Steele, RShawnee, said he’s eager to begin reviewing the details.

“All income tax plans will get careful consideration as we determine the best way to achieve a growth-spurring, responsible tax reduction,” he said in a statement.

Fallin also decried the state’s poor health rankings in her 49-minute speech and announced Monday that she had signed an executive order to prohibit tobacco use on all state property, beginning in July. She said she plans to close a smoking room at the state Capitol and convert it into a small fitness center.

Fallin also urged lawmakers to approve a bond issue that would help pay for an estimated $140 million in necessary repairs for the state Capitol, which currently has pedestrian barricades erected outside the building’s south steps after engineers determined pieces of mortar and limestone façade were falling off. She called the state of the building “embarrassing.”

“It is our responsibility to maintain this building, which is a symbol of Oklahoma and its people, and that requires proper funding,” Fallin said.

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I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breath on this terrestrial ball. What am I? Answer in next weeks issue.

RANDOM QUOTE When we exercise self-control on a given occasion, we win for ourselves a little credibility we can rely on the next time around. Pretty soon we develop a reputation to ourselves that we want badly to uphold. With each test that we meet, our resolve gains momentum, fueled by the fear that we may succumb and establish a damaging precedent for our own weakness.

- Daniel Akst

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44. “Fiddlesticks!”

48. “Gee whiz!”

49. To take to graze or pasture

28. Lady of Lisbon

50. Bar offering

1. Some are inert

29. Song and dance, e.g.

51. Arrive, as darkness

2. Eyeball benders

30. Fish sperm

52. English exam finale, often

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31. British system of withholding tax

53. Like a stuffed shirt

Down

4. Devil 5. Marienbad, for one 6. Affranchise

32. “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto)

8. Come about

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55. History Muse 56. Addition column 57. Produced without vibration of the vocal cords 60. Compete 61. Carbonium, e.g.

RANDOM FACTS Birth order influences the role of aggression in dreams. While men typically experience more aggressive dreams than women, a firstborn male typically sees himself in a more positive manner than do his younger male siblings.

First-born females tend to have more aggressive characters in their dreams.

In 2007, there were more than 11.5 million plastic surgery procedures performed, an increase of 50% from 2000. The overall number of plastic surgery procedures has increased 457% since the collection of statistics first began.

Richard Hollingshead of Camden, N.J., built

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THE VISTA

In the early 1900s, jugglers and acrobats, not singers and rappers, kept their eye on Billboard magazine each week. In those days, the magazine served as the insider’s bible for the traveling fair and carnival crowd.

In 1956, East Germany decided to honor the death of native composer Robert Schumann by featuring him on a stamp.

The design included a commemorative portrait of the artist against the backdrop of one of his musical scores. Unfortunately, the musical manuscript they used was that of fellow composer Franz Schubert.

SPORTS

FEB. 9, 2012

7

BronchoSports.com

BRONCHO TENNIS FALLS IN OPENER ARLINGTON, Texas (Feb, 4) -- Central Oklahoma opened its 2012 spring schedule with a 7-0 loss to NCAA Division I Texas-Arlington Saturday afternoon.

The match followed Division I rules, with each singles match worth one point and the team winning the majority of the three doubles matches received one point.

“It was a very solid Division I team to start our spring season with,” UCO coach Natalya Nikitina-Helvey said. “Our team responded well with a good performance and that’s all we wanted to accomplish. When you start the season with a strong team like UTA you have to elevate your game right away and we had some good singles and doubles matches. We have two weeks to get ready for our next match and then the season will really kick in.”

The Bronchos host Cowley College Friday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.

UTA 7, Central Oklahoma 0 Doubles Martinez/Matovicova (UTA) def. Shviadok/Abramovic, 8-1.

D’ortona/Mayuk (UTA) def. Cabato/Rossini, 8-4.

Foote/Scott (UTA) def. Kochigina/Pulumati, 8-2.

Singles Martinez (UTA) def. Abramovic (UCO), 6-2, 6-0.

Mayuk (UTA) def. Shviadok (UCO) 6-0, 6-0.

D’ortona (UTA) def. Rossini (UCO) 6-1, 6-0.

Scott (UTA) def. Kochigina (UCO) 6-1, 6-3.

Foote (UTA) def. Cabato (UCO) 6-3, 6-2.

Smaizyte (UTA) def. Pulumati (UCO) 6-2, 6-1.

Senior Elizabeta Ambrovic during a tennis match Feb. 18, 2011 in Edmond. The tennis team is coming off of a 17-9 mark during the 2010-2011 campaign. Photo Provided

Continued from page 8

Continued from page 8

AT THE BUZZER

WRESTLING

teams, there is also the requirements posed

by Title IX, which may require the addition or expansion of women’s programs to keep the funding equal.

Then there is the cost of facilities. One of the big projects discussed during debate of the act was proposed renovations to Hamilton Fieldhouse, to bring the building into compliance with the American Disability Act. Division I status would necessitate further renovation and expansion of Hamilton to increase locker room facilities (currently, all 14 teams share four locker rooms in the building).

Finally, there is the issue of scholarship.

Despite the recent $1.5 million endowment the athletics department received, no athlete in Division II sport gets a free ride. Division I schools are allotted 63 full scholarships, and to attract Division I talent, UCO would have to fund those scholarships, jacking the cost even higher.

Needless to say, an extra half million per se-

have to prepare now.”

James said performing well and getting momentum heading into Regionals is key for the Bronchos on Saturday. James has also discussed the importance of preparation with his wrestlers.

“I’d like to see our guys dominate the matches, really separate us from the competition, and get that motivation heading into Regionals in a few weeks,” he said.

Not only is it the last dual of the regular

mester for athletics could not even begin to scratch the surface of funding such a jump.

It should come as no surprise that sports facilities are insanely expensive. The cost of even renovating a high school football stadium can easily reach over $5 million, much less a facility the size of Hamilton.

So, as long as students are concerned with keeping the cost of attendance lower than Division I schools like OU and OSU, barring a sudden increase of funding from the state regents, we should be happy in the good ol’ NCAA Division II. I don’t mind paying extra fees to support athletics and student organizations, but that tolerance has limits.

So, in short, before we decide whether to take on the added cost of pulling the Bronchos into the pantheon of Division I institutions, let’s make sure that the cost is something that we - all of us, not just some of us - can accept.

season for the Bronchos, it is also senior day at Hamilton Field House.

“We have just one senior this year and we will be recognizing Jarrett Edison,” James said. “He’s having an outstanding year.” Edison, a biology major from Wichita, Kan., will be recognized on Saturday afternoon for his career at UCO. The Bronchos will play host to the NCAA Division II Super Regional II on Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26.

Follow Vista Sports and much more UCentral student media content by scanning this code or logging on to

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Sports Opinion

VISTA SPORTS PREDICTIONS: NBA WEEK 8 A two-week surge brings the Vista’s Garett Fisbeck into a tie for second place with The Huddle’s Terry Fox. On the other side, a 5-7 outing by Chris Brannick allows Bryan Trude to move out of the cellar. The Coin still holds onto last.

NBA Week 8

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”

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SPORTS

8

FEB. 9, 2012

Opinion

Wrestling

AT THE BUZZER

UCO WRESTLING READY TO END REGULAR SEASON

By Bryan Trude

Vista Sports Editor

PASSAGE OF ACT IS NOT GOLDEN TICKET TO DIVISION I With the recent passing of the Campus Improvement Act, the UCO athletics department stands to gain close to a half million dollars of additional funding each semester, give or take a little.

The athletics department supports 14 different programs that compete in NCAA Division II, an intermediate between the non-scholarship Division III and the incredibly expensive Division I. That doesn’t even include the popular UCO Hockey program, but I digress.

During the town hall meetings for the Campus Improvement Act, the subject was brought up about UCO’s desire to move up to Division I. Now, I haven’t spoken with anyone in administration or athletics, so I do not know how valid this desire is, but I will say this: if UCO wants to be a Division I school, the students will have to pay much more than an extra $6 per credit hour in activity fees.

For starters, Division I schools are required to field athletes for at least seven sports, men and women. Alternatively, schools can only field six men’s sports if they provide eight for women.

Currently, UCO fields five men’s sports and nine women’s sports.

So, beginning with the athletic requirement, UCO would have to pay to sponsor an additional men’s sport.

One of the easy solutions would be to integrate one of the club sports that play on campus, which includes the hockey, men’s soccer, rugby, sailing and bowling teams.

Besides the costs of athletics supporting one of these

Continued on page 7

UCO’s Casy Rowell wrestles OCU’s Eric Waggoner during a wrestling match between UCO and Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista

By Whitt Carter/ Contributing Writer The sixth-ranked UCO Bronchos return from a match in Wichita, Kan. with Newman University and will be at home for their regular season finale this weekend. The Ouachita Baptist Tigers will be traveling to Edmond on Saturday afternoon for the duel at Hamilton Field House.

The Bronchos are sure to be ready for the Tigers.

“We wrestled OBU at their place with a win and we did a good job,” head coach David James said. “The importance of this match is OBU is a team in our regional and it’s our last dual of the regular season.”

Baseball

UCO BASEBALL HOME OPENER CANCELLED

By Chris Brannick / Contributing Writer UCO Baseball has cancelled its game with Oklahoma City University. The game was scheduled to be played Wednesday at 2 p.m. at UCO’s Wendell Simmons Field.

Head coach Dax Leone said a combination of weather and the welcoming of a baby girl were the reasons for rescheduling the game, a date which has not been set.

UCO will have to wait to see their Bronchos until Feb. 17, when they will host Northwest Missouri State University. They will play four games in three days that weekend against the Bearcats.

The Bronchos started the season with three wins in Sherman, Texas. They played a doubleheader against Austin College on Saturday and another game on Sunday winning 13-1, 14-2 and 21-8 respectively.

The Bronchos performed well in their last dual with Ouachita Baptist, defeating the Tigers 29-12 on January 14. The Bronchos scored many bonus points as they won seven of their nine matches contested. It was in that match, however, UCO lost fourth-ranked All-American Cory Dauphin.

“We hope to get Cory back by Regionals,” James said. “He’ll probably wear a brace.” Dauphin, a sophomore, sustained an MCL ligament tear.

James said it has been a frustrating past couple of weeks for his Broncho wrestlers.

“We’ve had three All-Americans out of the lineup with various injuries,” he

said. “The last three weeks we’ve had to shuffle or adjust our lineup. We have four or five new guys in the lineup. This is our last week of the regular season.

This time of year you are trying to gel and to get really tight as a group.”

The latest injury came to junior Trison Graham early last week. Graham, who entered the season ranked fourth at 133 pounds, sustained concussion syndrome and will be out the rest of the year.

“We are trying to simulate it that we are going into the postseason and there is time for improvement,” he said. “We’re not going to get by the bare minimum.

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