The Vista July 18, 2012

INSIDE • Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 2 • Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 3 • Healthcare . . . . . . . . . PAGE 4 • Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 6 • Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGES 7 & 8

THEVISTA University of Central Oklahoma

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Q & A with Broncho Baseball coach, Dax Leone, concerning the future of the program • Page 7

WEDNESDAY • July 18, 2012

UCO student of business has died

UCO business major Justin Walling, a recent transfer from Oklahoma State, passed away July 10. He was 24.

“It is always a tragedy when someone so young passes before his time,” John Camey Ph.D., assistant dean of business, said. “The business department offers their deepest condolences to Justin’s family.”

The son of Debbie Kay and David Lynn Walling of Edmond, Walling also leaves behind a sister, Erin. With a love of music and an interest in a career in wind energy, Walling was described as a believer of the impossible, according to an obituary ran by the family in the July 15 edition of The Oklahoman.

“His laughter and smile were infectious, and he was a joy to everyone who knew him,” the obituary read.

Services were held Monday, July 16 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5401 N. Brookline Ave., Oklahoma City. Funeral services were provided by Baggerley Funeral Home, 930 South Broadway, Edmond.

Adrienne Nobles, director of communications and marketing for University Relations, released a brief message of condolence on behalf of the university.

“We are saddened to hear of the loss of one of our students, Justin Walling,” Nobles said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

The Vista was unable to make contact with the Walling family prior to the publishing of this article. The cause of Walling’s death had not been made public by the time this article went to press.

Students and sponsors from the Student Life organization play a relay race game called “Soap” on East Field July 17, 2012. Photo by Aliki Dyer

Campus

Miss Black UCO 2012 met with racist reception at LibertyFest Fueled by the crowd’s reaction, Tiffany Thompson decided to make a stand against racial injustice.

Alex Cifuentes

Staff Writer The Fourth of July is meant to be a time to celebrate the freedom of our nation, but during this year’s LibertyFest Parade Miss Black UCO, Tiffany Thompson, felt no reason to celebrate.

Thompson was in the parade to represent the UCO campus, as she had been crowned Miss Black UCO. As she rode through the parade with her mother, she had no clue of the sort of reception she was going to receive.

“I saw this older lady, and I was waving at her then she frowned at me. Immediately I felt not welcome, and then she said, ‘Oh look, there’s a black one. When did they let them in the parade?’…I was the only minority queen in the pageant, and when she said that I just wanted to cry,” Thompson said.

Being a representative of an organization, Thompson continued on smiling and waving, as any queen would, but the dirty looks did not end there.

“My mom heard the comments as well and she said, ‘Just ignore them. You are here making a difference,’” Thompson said.

After completing the parade route, Thompson was shocked at the negative reaction to her participation in the parade. She felt as though she had been the first minority to participate in the parade, although she was not.

Thompson was not going to let a few comments take her down, and a few days later, she decided to write a letter to the Edmond Sun, outlining her experience of the parade.

“My mother told me not to even write the letter, because it’s not going to change anything. The comments are still going to be made, but I felt that at least I could stand up for justice and for myself by writing that letter,” Thompson said.

Thompson’s platform for Miss Black UCO was

Miss Black UCO 2012, Tiffany Thompson, maintains a smile and waves despite racist remarks from the crowd during the LibertyFest parade on July 4, 2012. Photo by Trevor Hultner, The Vista

helping give confidence to children, especially those with Dyslexia. Having faced these issues herself, Thompson knows firsthand what it is like to struggle with confidence.

After writing her letter to the Edmond Sun, she was able to use her confidence and her platform as Miss Black UCO to stand up to the injustice that was demonstrated during the parade.

Since the letter was published, Thompson has received an outpouring of compassion from the Edmond community through Facebook.

“People have Facebook requested me and said that they were at the parade and were more than happy to see me. They said they were sorry for

what had happened, and that made me cry, seeing that people felt my pain and understood where I was coming from,” Thompson said.

Thompson hopes that her experience can teach something to others facing hardships like hers.

“Don’t get discouraged. Although that’s the first thing you want to do when someone says something negative, but don’t. Take that anger and express it nonviolently. Write a letter like I did, and if there’s not a newspaper that will listen, write it on Facebook, because somebody is going to understand and care. The best thing is to believe in yourself, and to know that you have a voice that matters,” Thompson said.

Campus

UCO develops new strategy for retention Trevor Hultner

Staff Writer Complete College America, a nonprofit organization based out of Washington, D.C., and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have entered into a partnership to improve retention rates among the state’s universities, including at UCO. One of the broad goals? 20,400 graduations in 12 years, set by Oklahoma State Regents chairman Glen Johnson when the partnership was announced last year. After a year of planning, the program is getting under way, with uniFreshmen Orientation at the Wellness Center, from a versities across the state improving or Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011 file photo. Photo by Liz Boyer, updating their remedial classes as a first step towards raising retention rates.

The Vista

“Complete College America focuses on two sections,” Dr. Myron Pope, Vice President for Enrollment Management at UCO, said. “It focuses on making sure that students are prepared and ready to go off to college, and we’re doing everything we can to recruit them, and the second part of that is when students arrive at college, specifically UCO, we try to do as much as possible to help them to be successful.”

Pope said that the university has done a good deal of community outreach recently, trying to establish “pipelines” to both high schools and local businesses and individuals but that the goal was to increase that outreach.

“I feel like one of the things we’ve got to do long-term is invest a little bit more in terms of creating a pipeline,”

he said. “Barry Lofton over in our TRIO programs, with the Upward Bound program, they’re going out to the high schools and helping those students who are from a variety of backgrounds.”

Oklahoma has also changed its graduation requirements for high school students, which has opened the door for universities to work with secondary schools to sync curriculi. This would help universities be able to place incoming students where they need to be, according to Pope.

“Once students arrive here at UCO, we try to make sure that we place them in the right courses initially. That process is one that, if flawed, if a student starts off at the wrong level, their likelihood of success is not going to be very

Continued on page 5

Opinion

THEVISTA

Page 2

July 18, 2012 Editorial

Revelation leads to hip hop introspection

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

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, double-spaced, with a maximum of 250 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.

Those who know me well know I’m an unabashed fan of rap music.

Being the hip-hop head that I am, I was intrigued when I heard Odd Future’s Frank Ocean’s admission earlier this month that his first love was another man.

The subject of homosexuality in hip-hop has long been seen as one of entertainment’s biggest taboos.

Could Frank Ocean coming out forever change the mindset of a genre – not to mention a generation of fans?

It’s true. Frank Ocean isn’t a ‘rapper’ per se. However, he has established himself in the hip-hop community. He is a member of the alternative hip hop collective Odd Future, known mostly for brash leader Tyler, the Creator.

Ocean reached mainstream status after the release of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album “Watch the Throne,” which he contributed to.

Reaction within the genre has been surprisingly positive. Beyonce, Russell Simmons and even Busta Rhymes, who, in the past, faced al-

legations of homophobia, have all heaped praise on Ocean for coming out.

The real test impact of Ocean’s revelation will be how it impacts Odd Future and Tyler, the Creator, who is notorious for homophobic lyrics.

In his album “Goblin,” Tyler uses gay slurs or anti-gay themes a total of 213 times, as counted by NME magazine.

Tyler tweeted his support for Ocean shortly after the news came out, but that was to be expected.

Whether or not this will lead to a change in lyrical content is still unknown.

In the past, Tyler has been defensive of the content of his music, as he explained in an interview in NME. “I’m not homophobic. I just think ‘f----t’ hits and hurts people. It hits.

And ‘gay’ just means you’re stupid.

I don’t know, we don’t think about it, we’re just kids. We don’t think about that s---. But I don’t hate gay people.”

I don’t think Tyler hates gay people. I do, however, think he’s not

giving any thought to the impact his words really have. Intentional or not, Tyler is endorsing an antigay attitude every time he casually throws around one of those slurs.

It’s not enough to not hate gay people. Simply not hating black people, or women, or Jews isn’t enough. It’s about treating all people with the same respect, regardless of their minority status.

I realize it’s entertainment, but what a culture choses as its entertainment is a direct reflection of its values. I can only hope Frank Ocean’s admission will somehow open doors for a genre that is in need of a little diversity.

Ben Luschen Managing Editor bluschen@uco.edu

ADVERTISE WITH THE VISTA The Vista is published biweekly during the fall and spring semesters, and once weekly during the summer. In all issues, The Vista has opportunities for both classified, online and print ads.

Contact Brittany at 405-974-5913 or email your questions to vistamedia@yahoo.com for rates.

STAFF

Management

Editorial

Joshua Hutton, Editor-In-Chief Ben Luschen, Managing Editor Sarah Neese, Copy Editor Chris Brannick, Sports Editor

Bryan Trude, Senior Staff Writer Josh Wallace, Staff Writer Mervyn Chua, Staff Writer Trevor Hultner, Staff Writer Adam Holt, Staff Writer Whitt Carter, Staff Writer

Graphic Design Michael McMillian

Advertising

Photography

Brittany Eddins

Aliki Dyer, Photo Editor

Circulation Joseph Choi

Adviser Mr. Teddy Burch

Editorial Comic Evan Oldham

Cartoon by Evan Oldham

Which is your favorite Olympic sport?

ZAK COOPER

EMILY WEBB

ABDUL ALSADAN

CASEY CROSS

Nursing - Junior

Biology - Senior

Management - Sophomore

Piano Performance - Senior

“I like basketball. It’s a mixture of teams. I think it’s cool that they can come together and work for a common goal.”

“It used to be softball until that got taken out.”

“Soccer.”

“Track and field.”

Life

THEVISTA

Page 3

July 18, 2012 Opinion

Music

Woody Guthrie’s 100th Little Miss Sunshine birthday commemorated By Kara Stewart

Several musicians gathered to celebrate Guthrie’s folk legacy.

50 Shades of Grey

A sign welcomes people to Okemah, Oklahoma, the home of Woody Guthrie, in Okemah, Okla., Friday, July 13, 2012.

Okemah is celebrating the Guthrie Centennial with the 15th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Ken Miller

Associated Press Folk singer and native Oklahoman Woody Guthrie was “probably not one of the favorite sons” when he was alive, a state senator said. But Guthrie’s legacy has inspired a celebration in honor of his 100th birthday this Sunday at the annual festival in his hometown of Okemah.

Guthrie, perhaps best known for his song “This Land is Your Land,” was hotly political, speaking out against fascism and aligning himself with working class, influenced by his time in the Dust Bowl.

Guthrie had a silly side, too, in ditties such as “Car Song.” And his seemingly simple songwriting inspired countless musicians, among them Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.

Guthrie’s son, singer Arlo Guthrie, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Friday that he believes his father would find humor in the fact that his life and music are being celebrated as part of the 15th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, referred to by fans as WoodyFest.

“We’re living in a very divided time (politically), I think everyone would agree with that,” Guthrie said from his home in Massachusetts. “I think he would have had some fun with that. His hero was Will Rogers, who was able to traverse between political ideologues and he did it very deftly and everybody liked him.

“And I think that’s what my dad tried without surrendering his own ideals,”

Guthrie said.

He performed Wednesday during the opening night of the festival, which runs through Sunday and also features singer-songwriter Judy Collins and British folk singer Billy Bragg, who set three albums’ worth of Woody Guthrie’s lyrics to music with Wilco in the late 1990s.

State Sen. Roger Ballenger, whose district includes Okemah, said Guthrie “tended to be a little bit abrasive and straightforward” with his beliefs and in talking about what he saw happening to those who were struggling.

“His popularity rose, as many do, after he passed away,” said Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, noting that the Okemah festival began in 1998, 31 years after Guthrie’s death in 1967.

Guthrie would probably still be a polarizing figure in Oklahoma, Ballenger said.

“He would be seen as an extreme left political thinker, I’m sure. I’m not sure how political he was, he just had a passion for people that were struggling and he called it like he saw it and that came out in his music.”

Rep. Steve Kouplin, D-Beggs, whose district also includes Okemah, also noted that Guthrie wasn’t a favorite of Oklahomans.

“A lot of people thought he was Communist-influenced. Time has changed all that, he’s proven to be one of the folk heroes of his generation,” Kouplin said.

Sarah Lee Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie’s daughter, said she thinks Oklahoma has seemingly embraced her grandfather.

“I think Oklahoma, in a sense, has finally come around,” she said. “I can

imagine he’d have a blast down there playing with all those folks. It’s probably way more than his Oklahoma self could have imagined.”

Arlo Guthrie spoke to his father’s lasting effects on Okemah and the state.

“The controversy about him in Oklahoma I have always thought of, as mentioned elsewhere, no one is a prophet in his own country, and they’ve found a way to make him profitable,” said Guthrie, who called the festival a family reunion of sorts.

“I get to see all my aunties and cousins, so that’s an annual pilgrimage if we can make it,” Guthrie said.

Many musical tributes have come out this year in honor of Woody Guthrie’s July 14, 1912, birth date. Among them will be the release of the Guthriepenned 1947 song, “My New York City,” as recorded by folk music duo Mike + Ruthy, aka Mike Merenda and his wife, Ruthy Ungar.

Merenda and Ungar are longtime friends of Sarah Lee Guthrie’s and their old band toured with Arlo Guthrie. The Guthrie family provided the unrecorded song to the duo, and were told, “Do something beautiful with this,” Merenda said.

“It has not been recorded. We got to make the premier recording,” Merenda said. “It’s been getting an overwhelming response in our live concerts.”

Arlo Guthrie said he believes his father would approach what he called the “venom” of today’s political climate with an attitude of compromise.

“Let’s all get together” and discuss our differences, Guthrie said.

WEEKEND LINEUP WEEKEND LINEUP July 20-22 Prix de West Art Exhibit - July 20, 10 a.m.

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum will host art exhibit highlighting the best contemporary Western artists. Seminars focusing on different aspects of Western life and art will continue until August 5. Access to the gallery comes with the general admission ticket price.

OKC Roller Derby Double Header - July 21, 6 p.m.

The Oklahoma City Roller Derby will host the Lightning Broads vs the 580 Rollergirls and the Tornado Alley Rollergirls vs Randall County Roller Dames this Saturday. The entertainment kicks off at 4pm with a tailgating party, while the battle begins at 6pm.

Gotcha!

If you had the displeasure to encounter my first article this summer, you already have an idea of how much I adore my job. In case you were lucky enough to forget the Vista even prints in the summer, let me fill you in. I’m a twenty-year-old female, professional student, trying my best to navigate my way through college and the maledominated automotive industry.

Truthfully, my job isn’t entirely awful. I enjoy most of the people I work with, not as people, of course, but as co-workers. See, I operate on an entirely different set of ethics and values than do some of my cherished coworkers.

By that, I mean I cannot sell you a car. This isn’t because I am a woman, or because of any lack of knowledge for the field. On the contrary, in fact, I would bet half of my already poor paycheck that I know quite a bit about cars.

I mean that I have discovered my set of ethics. There’s no question for me what is right or wrong. I know that it depends entirely on a variety of things, from the situation to those people involved. While I have no problem outrageously screwing someone that I don’t particularly love out of a few extra thousand dollars, I can’t do that to a complete stranger.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

It’s not totally black and white for me. I love the thrill of sneaking over to the grey-areas and having some fun.

I just can’t live there, and that means I can’t live in the automotive industry forever.

The lack of good motives of my business partners probably doesn’t surprise you. But what if it was your doctor? Your bank teller? Your grocery store clerk? What if it was your neighbor, who seems nice enough? Your best friend, who you couldn’t imagine being anything but a little effed up enough to be fun?

What about your parents? What if you were created for the sole purpose of placing them behind a tax bracket, collecting food stamps to make daily life a little easier?

What then?

The answer to that question, for me, at least, is that I absolutely, unabashedly, do not care. We all have that grey-area moment, when we run with open arms to the thrill of the undefined, what could or could not be considered inappropriate, just to roll around and say we did.

If you don’t judge me for mine, I will pretend like I know you don’t do the exact same thing. That’s the beauty of humanity, the beauty of the car industry: we’re all doing the exact same thing, but we want to pretend to be offended when the grey areas are different.

Comment on this column on UCO360.com Follow Kara on Twitter @kara_shae

Coop Ale Works Tour - July 21, 2 p.m.

Famous for their flagship beer “Native Amber”, and their golden Beligium-style brew, “DNR”, Oklahoma City’s Coop Ale Works will host a tour this Saturday. Guests will be led around the microbrewery, walked through the brew process, and will be able to purchase merchandise. Due to Oklahoma liquor laws, Coop does not serve samples on site, but their brews are featured at many local pubs.

Chinasaurs - July 22, 10 a.m.

The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History will debut an ecletic mix of dinosaurs found in China. The exhibit features many rare finds. From the frightening Yangchuanosaurus, the 30-foot-long king of the Asian Jurassic dinosaurs to the little Jurassic Park movie-star Velociraptor, a dozen rare cast dinosaurs are featured in this Mesozoic menagerie of mysterious dinosaurs in “Chinasaurs”. Access to the exhibit is included with the general admission price.

The Last Word

with Bryan Trude a weekly web blog on UCO360.com

read editorials online at UCO360.com

http://goo.gl/zDkT0

News

THEVISTA

Page 4

July 18, 2012

National News

Health care fraud settlement largest in US History

Attorneys for British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline leave U.S. District Court in Boston Thursday, July 5, 2012 after an agreement by the company to pay $3 billion for criminal and civil violations. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Josh Wallace

Staff Writer On July 2, 2012, the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pleaded guilty to committing health care fraud, reaching a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ’s investigation into the company had been on going since 2003, and the fines levied against GSK amount to the largest in U.S. history for health care fraud at $3 billion.

The charges brought against GSK stem from how they promoted and sold some of their well-known pharmaceutical drugs, such as Paxil and Wellbutrin, for purposes unapproved by the FDA, as well as failing to report serious side effects the drug maker had

observed in its own clinical studies. Former GSK employees, like former sales representative Blair Hamrick, alerted the DOJ. Hamrick started to become concerned by the company’s choice to market its drugs for off-label use, use of a drug not recommended or approved by the FDA. Hamrick described his concern about off-label use to ABC News, “The FDA licenses drugs to be used for specific things. That is what is called an indication. Many times physicians will discover that this drug may work for other disease states, and that is fine. But when a company takes it upon itself to go off the label, meaning that drug x is indicated for adults only for migraine headache, and they decide well golly why don’t we give it to kids for migraines.

Well, the reasons are for safety. What if the

child has a stroke?”

Hamrick tried raising the issue within the company, but he said that, soon after, he was forced out of the company. Following his dismissal, Hamrick hired an attorney and sought out the FDA to voice his concerns over GSK’s practices.

A prime example of GSK promoting offlabel use of their drugs involves the antidepressant Wellbutrin. The drug is approved to treat depression, but internal documents from GSK, released by the Justice Department, show that the company was actively trying to promote the drug as a libido enhancer as well.

The DOJ’s investigation revealed that GSK paid doctors to tout Wellbutrin in a way not approved by the FDA. Most notably is the hiring of celebrity Dr. Drew Pinsky, who was paid $275,000 over a two-month period to promote the drug.

A transcript of the radio program David Essel – Alive! shows Pinsky speaking to Wellbutrin’s effects at being able to increase libido where other anti-depressants are seemingly decreasing sexual function. Pinsky states that, most commonly, when a person has a change in libido “the number one cause for that is medication. Interestingly lots of the anti-depressants, but the one that I have most, I’ve seen that from my clinical practice is Wellbutrin. It actually is the one we advocate, one of the things we suggest people do if they’re getting decrease in their libido or decrease in their arousal from an anti-depressant which typically occurs in the serotonin re-uptake inhibitor medication.”

Documents show that GSK also began to push the use of another of its anti-depressants, Paxil, for adolescents. The drug had been approved for adults. GSK’s own clinical studies, intended to prove the safety and efficacy of the drug’s use at treating adolescent depression, actually had results ranging from

little to no effect when compared to a placebo, to the complete opposite of the drug’s desired result, with an increase in suicidal thoughts and tendencies among the subjects.

After agreeing to a settlement deal with the DOJ, GSK issued a press release taking responsibility for the civil and criminal liabilities. GSK CEO Andrew Witty spoke of the settlement, adding “Today brings to resolution difficult, long-standing matters for GSK. Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored. On behalf of GSK, I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made... In the U.S., we have taken action at all levels in the company. We have fundamentally changed our procedures for compliance, marketing and selling. When necessary, we have removed employees who have engaged in misconduct.”

There are many who are skeptical of the company’s claims of change and see the settlement as a slap on the wrist as no individuals have been prosecuted. Among those is UCO Professor of Psychology Caleb Lack, who commented, “I think that is a pretty wrong statement for them to make, they do still push things off label, they do still control the trials that are determining whether or no things are getting approved by the FDA, and they made like 35 to 40 billion dollars off those drugs during that time and they get a 3 billion dollar fine.”

Lack points out that ultimately GSK is a business and that their main objective is to be as profitable as possible. “It’s not make enough profit to pay your people reasonably and continue operations, it’s squeeze every dime you can. So they may be saying things like we’re not going to be pushing people to do off-label stuff or encouraging that, but I think there’s very little chance of that happening.”

Campus News

Campus News

First member inducted into Suicide prevention seminar seeks to aid college students ‘Order of the Clocktower’

UCO Counseling Center, Testing Services, and the Violence Prevention project have teamed up for a program centered around the warning signs of suicide. Stock phto

Michelle King UCO President Don Betz, left, is pictured with former board of regents member Belva Howard, right. Howard is the first to be inducted into the new Order of the Clocktower, which Betz started kast year as a way to honor those who have positively impacted higher education.

Michelle King

Contributing Writer With the construction and renovation on Old North almost complete, President Don Betz has an eye on the future of not only the building but on the future of higher education here at UCO. “We wanted a way to put focus on Old North and suitably and distinctively honor those people who have made an extraordinary difference to higher education,” Betz said.

With that vision in mind, he created a capstone award called the Order of the Clocktower. This award is to recognize those individuals or groups that embody the true spirit of commitment to higher education. The first recipient of this award was retiring regent Belva Howard.

“There are no words to adequately describe the feeling of receiving such a prestigious award,” Howard said. “There are so many deserving people who have given their time and talents to UCO; I am truly humbled to be the first.”

Howard has served on the state regent’s board for an unprecedented three terms, serving 27 years as regent to UCO and other colleges. She was on the committees that decided to hire Betz as president of UCO, but he has known her for much longer.

“I have a document on my wall, signed by Belva (Howard), from 1991,” Betz said. “If you’ve been in higher education a long time,

you gain a lot of treasured friends along the way, and Belva is one of mine.”

The Order of the Clocktower will continue to be the highest honor that UCO awards, and Betz hopes that future recipients will look back at the people who have come before them and feel humble to be counted among them.

“This is one of those memories that I will hold very near and dear to me for the rest of my life,” Howard said. “Being an alumni from UCO, Old North and the university hold a special place in my heart, and this honor is very personal to me, because the university is personal to me.”

The history of Old North, and the legacy of those who have embraced the commitment to serve in higher education, will be remembered as more than what they are.

“This (Old North) is the cathedral on the plains, “Betz said. “It is the bedrock and foundation of higher education here in Oklahoma, and this award shows the prominent history of that. We wanted to honor someone who has engaged in shifting the world around them.”

Over the many years she served as regent, Howard remembers only her love for the university and its members.

“The achievement of which I am most proud of is being part of the effort to provide the best possible higher education experience and value for Oklahoma’s students,” Howard said. “We never really leave UCO as it remains ‘Central’ in our hearts.”

Contributing Writer Suicide is a major issue on any college campus. It is the second-leading cause of death for young teens and adults here in Oklahoma and the third-leading cause nationally. That is why the UCO Counseling Center, Testing Services, and the Violence Prevention Project joined forces for a two-day seminar focusing on helping students and faculty to recognize the warning signs and give them the skills to help prevent suicides.

“We really wanted to focus on equipping our university members and the community with the skills to create a safety net,” Dr. Elissa Dyer said. “We want students to have recognition and awareness and have the tools to get suicidal individuals the help that they need.”

The idea that was central to the seminar is that even people who have never encountered a situation with a suicidal friend or loved one can know what to do if they are put in that situation.

“They gave us a simple model to follow, just knowing to listen and empowering us to step in and help,” Adrianne Adams, a seminar participant, said.

The first day of the seminar focused on how to recognize the warning signs of a person who is thinking about committing suicide, while the second day of the seminar focused

on how to enact a prevention plan.

“Don’t hesitate to get involved. Even if you don’t feel confident that you can help, just be persistent in getting them to the help that they need,” Ken Elliot, director of Testing Services, said.

Even if you were unable to attend the seminar, Elliot and Dyer say there are still ways for you to get information about what to do in a suicide-prevention situation.

“The UCO Counseling Center is a great resource for students and staff here at UCO,” Dyer said. “They have all sorts of information available, whether you know someone having suicidal thoughts, or you just want to have that information available if you are put in the situation later.”

The Counseling Center provides information, resources, and counseling free of charge to all students and staff. They are located on the fourth floor of the Nigh Center, and are open Monday through Friday.

“This seminar can help anyone, because it provides a process for helping you in a safety plan and giving you a structure to know how to help,” Tammy Brown, a seminar participant, said.

For additional information, Elliot said to contact the Counseling Center at 974-2215, or during an immediate situation, to contact the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE.

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News

THEVISTA

Page 5

July 18, 2012

National News

Student’s death a reminder on dangers of hazing Florida A&M University’s president chose to resign, effective immediately, following the death of a marching band member who was subject to a violent hazing ritual. Hazing is a problem UCO takes very seriously.

FILE - In a Thursday, June 26, 2008 file photo, James Ammons, President of Florida A & M University, announces that the school has had it’s accreditation restored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida A&M University President James Ammons, who has been under fire since the hazing death of a marching band member, is immediately stepping down from his job. Ammons has reached an agreement with FAMU’s governing board to resign effective on Monday, July 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Phil Coale, File)

Adam Holt

Staff Writer James Ammons, president of the University Of Florida A&M, resigned Monday following a hazing incident that left one member of the school’s marching band dead.

Robert Champion, 26, a drum major for Florida A&M’s Marching 100, died Nov. 19, 2011 after being beaten on the band’s bus following a football game against rival Bet-

hune-Cookman.

Hazing has been an eyesore on college campuses for decades. Stories that stem from Greek organizations, athletes, and now school bands have become all too familiar.

Though colleges, as well as fraternities and sororities, have imposed many policies to stop the practice, hazing rituals still exist.

According to InsideHazing.com, a website devoted to fighting the rituals, 5 percent of all college students admit to being hazed.

40 percent admit to knowing activities.

50% percent of all female NCAA Division I athletes admit to being hazed, a staggering number.

Chris Snoddy, Director of Student Conduct, is well versed on the subject through research and dealing with instances of hazing.

“Hazing can come in different forms.

Blindfolding someone, sleep deprivation, demeaning them, endangering physical health, paddling. Also forced consumption of alcohol and even forced consumption of water,” he said. “It can be mental, physical, or emotional.”

UCO’s policy on hazing encompasses Oklahoma’s hazing law but also goes deeper by taking in account actions that may not be against Oklahoma law but are considered hazing.

Oklahoma law defines hazing as “an activity which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental health or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating subject to the sanction of the public or private school or of any institution of higher education in this state.”

If a person is found to have broken hazing policy, they may have sanctions put upon them.

“Sanctions can be verbal warnings up to removal of recognition from school,” Snoddy said. Other sanctions include restriction of activities and suspension from school.

Peer pressure is often why hazing is tolerated or keeps someone from coming forward with information. Someone may take the punishment because students before them went through the rituals. Those who deal the hazing often do it because it was done to them.

Peer pressure does not justify hazing, according to Snoddy.

“We state that apathy, by standing and witnessing but not saying anything, you are responsible,” he said.

On the subject of hazing at UCO, Snoddy was very matter-of-fact.

“Occasionally, but not often,” he said.

“That’s not saying it’s not going on. We just don’t get reports.”

UCO does take measures to educate students about the dangers of hazing.

Jenna Lutz, Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, believes hazing is an

important issue that needs to be discussed frequently.

“We are constantly educating our members on hazing,” she said.

Enlightening is at the forefront during National Hazing Week, Sept. 24-28. New and old members of the Greek system review policies on hazing.

“It is an opportunity for student organizations, fraternities and sororities to continue to educate the members on hazing. What it is and how to spot it,” Lutz said.

UCO also holds events like Greek 101 and 411. Greek 101 is for incoming freshman who want to enter Greek life.

Representatives from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Conduct, the Wellness Center, the Student Counseling Center, and the Violence Prevention Center speak about having a productive time in Greek life and warn against the dangers of hazing and discuss how to spot it.

Greek 411 is for Greek leaders and refreshes them on the school’s hazing policies.

For students who have been hazed, or want to report it, Snoddy says there is three ways to do so.

“The first way is the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. The second is the Office of Student Conduct. You can call 974-2361 because we always have someone at that phone between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M.,” he said. “The third way is to call the university police.”

There is also the Emergency Dean Phone if it is after business hours. The number is 200-3004.

For students who are conflicted about reporting hazing they have witnessed or have had done to them, Snoddy pleads for you to do so.

“The University is here to help students learn. We all have tough choices to make.

We encourage you to leave a good legacy for you and your organization. Please help us save someone’s life,” he said.

To report hazing call or visit the following: Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, 9742580, room 424 in the Nigh University Center Office of Student Conduct, 974-2361, room 211 in the Administration building Police Services, 974-2345, located west of the Education building, along University Drive, on the west side of the main campus.

Emergency Dean Phone, 200-3004.

Continued from Page 1

Campus News

First member inducted into ‘Order of the Clocktower’ Joseph B. Nickell

Contributing Writer A new study from the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine has shown that obesity may not be as responsible for death as Type 2 diabetes or hypertension.

While hypertension and Type 2 diabetes come hand in hand with obesity, this new study shows that citizens of a healthy weight are just as likely to suffer from the disorders.

The study followed 50,994 Americans between the ages of 19 and 90 for a total of six years. According to the study, at any age, the likelihood of a healthy weight individual, not suffering from either of these diseases, dying within six years is not any higher than an overweight individual who is also free of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.

According to the National College Health Assessment data for UCO, 54 percent of students are at a healthy weight, defined by Body Mass Index. 26 percent are overweight and 16 percent are obese.

The combination of our own statistics and the new study may give you reason to raise an alarm as a student, but Brittney Criswell, the Coordinator of Health Promotion at UCO, assures that there are steps that can help prevent these diseases.

“The best ways that we know how to combat chronic disease such as Type 2 diabetes and hypertension is through proper nutrition and exercise. That means ensuring a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables, such as the diet outlined on my MyPlate.gov. For exercise, it means being moderately active for most days of the week, as recommended by

the American College of Sports Medicine.”

While the study shows that overweight or obese Americans, without hypertension or Type 2 diabetes, may not be at any more risk of dying than Americans of a healthy weight.

Criswell says that obesity is still a large risk factor and underlines the importance of seeing the survey as supporting evidence that all of us should strive for healthy lifestyles.

“It is important to realize the risk factors of chronic diseases such as those mentioned, and obesity is definitely a strong risk factor for many of the chronic diseases seen today.

However, one must remember that ‘thinness’ does not necessarily constitute a clean bill of health. Proper nutrition and daily physical activity are vital keys to obtaining healthy lifestyle, and hopefully these findings will simply reiterate it.”

There are many services available for students at UCO to help them live healthy lifestyles; Group fitness classes, personal training, health education, intramural sports, outdoor recreation, peer health leadership programs and even a Mercy Clinic, located inside the UCO Wellness Center.

“UCO is very fortunate to have Mercy Clinic available for the campus community.

Dr. Stephanie Husen does an excellent job of treating patients and keeping the UCO population healthy.” Criswell said.

The UCO Wellness Center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Students can find the Mercy Clinic open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Retention high,” he said.

One issue UCO and other universities face, however, is “squirelling,” or the act of moving around from university to university within a given system for whatever reason. According to Pope, UCO’s Institutional Research Office is looking at a new model on retention and student success taken from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, that seeks to address that issue, but it is not the federal standard.

“Typically when you look at retention and graduation numbers, essentially what happens is, everyone’s put into this box. The federal government has a standard that says, for all students coming in as first-time, full-time freshman, this coming fall, we’re supposed to track those students as a cohort,” Pope said.

“And essentially, if that student returns their second fall, that determines your retention rate. If that student graduates in six years’ time, that determines your graduation rate.”

According to Pope, the average student at

UCO has three transcripts.

“In some cases, students may graduate with UCO; in other cases, they may graduate from another institution. If they graduate from another institution, Even though they graduated in six years, we don’t get credit for it,” he said.

And neither do the other schools the graduate attends.

“In any given year, 50 percent of our new students are transfers,” Pope said. “And even if those transfers are successful, they don’t count toward our graduation rate. And we’re penalized for that.”

Pope said that the Anchorage model looks at student success rates based on students who are squirelling, which lets the university focus on who’s leaving and why.

In the midst of more public discussion on student debt, waning public support for higher education and steadily increasing tuition rates, this shift in focus may be a step in the right direction.

Have a Follow Vista Multimedia for photos of campus news, life, and sports.

@UCOVistaVisual

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Classifieds

THEVISTA

Page 6

July 18, 2012

CROSSWORDS

EMPLOYMENT

Camelot Child Development Center 3 Locations now hiring bus drivers and FT/PT teachers.We promote a very positive and fun atmosphere! Please call for specific openings: Edmond-749-2262 Quail-254-5222 Deer Creek- 562-1315

Help Wanted Handy Student. P/T Summer. Property and lawn maintenance, painting. Near UCO. Must be self-motivated, trustworthy, able to work unsupervised.

Call 641-0712

Help Wanted Part-time jobs. Senior Services of Oklahoma is looking for students to fill part-time positions Monday-Friday. We pay $10/hour for energetic phone work. No experi ence is needed, we will train.

Business is located at 1417 N.W. 150th St. in Edmond.

Call 879-1888 to set up interview.

Ask for Megan Parris.

Shogun Steakhouse Looking for conscientious workers. Manager Trainees and Chef Trainees, Part-time servers, bussers, & bartenders. No experience necessary.

Call 405-749-0120.

Advertise with the Vista Call 405-974-5913 or email your questions to vistamedia@ yahoo.com for rates.

RANDOM FACTS The “Crows Nest” on a ship (the basket near the top of the mast) used to actually contain a crow. The ships navigator would use one of the birds as a guide in bad weather, since they invariably flew towards land.

“Cleaner shrimp” is a general term for any decapod crustacean that feeds off parasites living on fish. To attract a passersby in the market for a cleaning, the cleaner shrimp will do a little dance. Fish taken in by the choreographed moves will

respond by “striking a pose,” which signals the cleaner shrimp to start washing and waxing like an underwater car wash.

The original name for the starship in Star Trek was “Yorktown,” not “Enterprise”.

8

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14. Court employee

8

3

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30. One of the Seven Dwarfs

2

33. Converted into ozone

RANDOM QUOTE Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Tue Jul 17 18:11:13 2012 GMT. Enjoy!

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

- George Bernard Shaw

62. Prefix with phone

25. Idle

63. Winged

27. Hood

65. “Soap” family name

28. Kind of dye

66. Blocks

29. After expenses

67. Celebrate

31. Grammatical term

68. Bypass

32. Two-masters

69. Brightly colored fish

34. Batman and Robin, e.g.

71. Medical advice, often

27. Native of Catalonia

3

23. Capital on the Dnieper

22. Place to get alcohol during Prohibition

4

35. Like the flu

21. Kosher ___

59. Arc lamp gas

70. Abbr. after many a general’s name

26. Bring up the rear

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55. Analogous organs

20. Correct, as text

24. Cambodian currency

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13. Jewish month

19. Change

3

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9. Fluff

18. Huxtable wife

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5. Experienced

17. Intro to physics?

1 7

1. Apteryx australis

16. Aroma

SUDOKU Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.62)

9

Across

Down 1. Ridge left by retreating ice sheet 2. Footnote word 3. Fire-extinguishing apparatus 4. Like some oil

36. Bottom of the barrel 39. “Dear old” guy 40. Barely managed 43. Mishmash 44. 100 cents 46. Crown 47. Elected magistrate in ancient Roman republic 49. Humidor item

5. TV monitor?

50. Commercial trucking company

6. Building additions

53. Cast

7. Bounded

55. Early pulpit

41. “I ___ you one”

8. Testers

56. ___ tide

42. Feudal lord

9. Danger for sailors

45. Rounded oak galls

10. “I had no ___!”

57. City on the Yamuna River

48. Bend low

11. Acceptances

51. Bring down

12. “Iliad” city

52. Dickens’s ___ Heep

15. Enclosure for exhibit of wild animals

37. “Awesome!”

38. Musical composition for practice

54. “___ me!”

58. “Let it stand” 60. “Miss ___ Regrets” 61. Catch a fish 64. Antiquity, in antiquity

WORDSEARCH BATTERY BRIEF CIRCUIT DESIGN DRILLING ETCHING GRAPHICS MILLINGMACHINE PACKAGING SANDING SITUATION SOLDERING SPECIFICATION TENONSAW VACUUMFORMING

M Q K V A C X F C I R C U I T V E T C H I N G L R W Q I D S N G N I M R O F M U U C A V D P Y R I T C S O L D E R I N G K Y Y A H D S Q Y R P T L G J O U L H P C H W A I K I U N J G N G E S H A P W L Y K M I Z C O N W B A I M K L L A K D O T I I Q A R W C G I G U E N V N T G O T S I G S N Y S J A D S A A W T H N E X G I Y B S L U U K C E U G O F G Q L U N O U T C B R I O N N B V N L C R Z I A H Y V T P Y E M Q R I H Q S P E C I F I C A T I O N M

Sports

THEVISTA

Page 7

July 18, 2012

Baseball

Vista Q&A with the Coaches: Dax Leone, Baseball

UCO head coach Dax Leone talks with Senior pitcher Danny Cartwright (14) during a game against Southwestern Oklahoma State University March 6, 2012. Photo provided

Chris Brannick

Sports Editor The Vista’s Q&A with the Coaches Series wraps up for the summer this week in an interview via email with Baseball head coach Dax Leone.

Leone is preparing for his third season as skipper of the Bronchos. Turning the boys of summer into a top tier team has been and remains the focus.

UCO won only 13 games in 2010, but then, Leone took over leading the Bronchos to a 2423 record and followed that turnaround season up with an impressive 31-17 record this past spring.

plus 8 last season, what about next year?

We lost some really good players, but we like our incoming and returning guys. Year three in the system is a real measuring stick for our program.

The Vista: What is your favorite food?

Bacon Cheeseburger.

The Vista: What did you do with your time off this summer?

Hung out at lake Texoma with my kids (Tal age 3, Payden 5 months, wife Amber).

The Vista: National League or American?

The Vista: What do you love about UCO?

Coach Leone: Both, I just like good baseball, certain players like Jeter, Ian Kinsler, David Price etc.…

Quality of life, Edmond, and college atmosphere. There is no place I’d rather be than UCO and look forward to building a national contender every year.

The Vista: Plus 11 wins in your first year,

The Vista: Can you strike out Coach Hardaker?

He was one of the greatest players in ever play here, so I will give him the edge. Guy is a great coach and good friend.

The Vista: Who is taking the mound in Game 7 of the World Series if you played tonight?

Felix Hernandez from Seattle. He’s got some serious stuff

The Vista: How is recruiting going?

Going well. Coach Steele has done a tremendous job recognizing the type of players we want to represent UCO. We like guys that love to play and have an edge about themselves on and off the field.

The Vista: What do you think about Ty Hensley from Edmond Sante Fe signing with the New York Yankees?

I have known Ty and his family a long time.

His dad recruited me out of high school when he was the pitching coach at Kansas State. It’s always nice to see baseball people have success.

The Vista: How do you replace Tucker Brown?

You don’t. He is a special kid and an unbelievable competitor. He’s a gamer.

The Vista: What would you like to see next from this university?

Continue to develop and stay pro-active.

Athletically going to the MIAA, facilities are a huge part of this conference so hopefully we can strive to continue to improve ours.

Hockey

Hockey team releases schedule for 2012-13 season Chris Brannick

Sports Editor

UCO’s Corey Allen (2) fights for the puck with OU’s Blake Martin (14) during a game between UCO and OU at Arctic Edge Arena in Edmond, Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. Photo

by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

UCO Hockey has released their schedule for the upcoming 2012-13 season.

The Bronchos, who participate in the American College Hockey Association as a club team, reached the National Tournament last season.

The puck drops Friday, Sept. 14 in a matchup against the University of Arkansas in Edmond at Arctic Edge Arena. The teams will play a second game on Sept. 15 as well.

A matchup with the Sooners comes Friday, Dec. 7, with a second game Dec. 8, and the two powers from Oklahoma will square off again in February, with two games here in Edmond.

Last season, the Bronchos split the season series with the Sooners 2-2 including a 4-0 shutout by the Bronchos.

Oklahoma took the first two games of the series in October winning 7-3 and 4-2. UCO came back winning both December games,

one 5-2 and the other, that shutout 4-0.

The ACHA National Championship is scheduled for February 28 through March 2.

In UCO’s trip to the National Championship last spring, the Bronchos met up against tourney favorite Lindenwood University.

With UCO sports moving to the Mid American Intercollegiate Athletic Association this fall, the Hockey team got a taste of that competition last season, losing all six games played against Lindenwood, including the two games in the National Tournament.

Though the Bronchos won’t compete in the MIAA, the two schools will meet for two, two-game series’ this season in September and again in October.

The schedule is composed of 15 road games and 21 home games. UCO’s home finale will come Feb. 15-16 in a matchup with North Dakota State. The two teams did not meet at all last season.

UCO went 11-8 at Arctic Edge Arena during the 2011-12 season.

The Bronchos finished the season 15-23-2.

Associated Press

Edmond baseball player signs deal with Yankees

Edmond Sante Fe senior Ty Hensley pitches in a game last spring. Photo provided

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have agreed to a contract with first-round draft pick Ty Hensley, giving the pitcher a $1.2 million signing bonus.

Hensley, an 18-year-old right-hander from Santa Fe High in Edmond, Okla., originally agreed to a $1.6 million deal but accepted the lower signing bonus after an MRI on June 8 detected what agent Rob Martin said was an abnormality in his pitching shoulder.

"There's no sense in being bitter about my reduced bonus or medical situation," Hensley said in a statement. "I'm still living a dream and grateful for the opportunity."

Hensley was 10-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 11 games this year with 111 strikeouts in 55 1-3 innings.

As the 30th pick overall in the draft, Hensley had a $1.6 million slot value for the Yankees' bonus pool under baseball's new labor contract. His contract includes a $200,000 college scholarship plan.

"People have told me all along that there was the game of baseball and the business of baseball," Hensley said. "All I know is that I'm ready to get back to playing baseball. I'm healthy and throwing up to 98 mph and have never had any shoulder trouble, period. At the end of the day I have decided that the best place for me to prove that this 'abnormal' is my 'normal' is on the field in pro ball, and I can't think of an organization I'd rather do it with than the New York Yankees."

Sports

THEVISTA

Page 8

July 18, 2012 Football

Opinion

Full Timeout

Top five reasons you should get excited about Broncho Football

By Chris Brannick Sports Editor

U-S-A!!

“Hell yeah we can beat ‘em,” Kobe Bryant said emphatically.

In 1992, USA Basketball changed the sport as we know it by sending NBA players to the Olympics. The average margin of victory was more than 40 points for “The Dream Team,” that featured almost a dozen now Hall of Famers.

No team in the world was prepared for what they came up against in team USA. If Michael Jordan can take a team through any and all competitors in the NBA, you would think taking the best our league had to offer and pitting them against other countries would have resulted in exactly what happened.

A couple of weeks ago, prior to the newest installment of USA Basketball, Kobe Bryant wasn’t scared at all about a matchup with the Dream Team. The confidence is admirable.

If a team full of kids, most who are entering their prime, have one old guy on the team giving them a compliment like no other, their confidence is sure to fly through the roof faster than MJ did down the courts in Barcelona 20 years ago. The media heard of Kobe’s comments, and instantaneously, it was like every journalist’s birthday.

The comparisons began and didn’t stop. Most of the Dream Team’s members laughed it off. His Airness reminded us all that this year’s team learned from the Dream Team, not the other way around. Some almost became defensive as tweets poured in for days.

Others on this year’s Olympic team backed their veteran leader by saying things like, well I’m on this team so I have to back him.

Not exactly the confidence Bryant was hoping to instill.

However the evidence was there in their first exhibition game last week against the Dominican Republic. USA won that game 113-59. Impressive.

The confidence booster must have worked. Right?

Well Monday night against Brazil, USA was back at it.

However, the game didn’t play out the same. USA would win, 80-69, but it wasn’t the same.

“This was our first test,” Tyson Chandler said. In regards to being tested, the Dream Team never got such a thing outside of practice with some college kids when Chuck Daly called the game as soon as the college kids got ahead.

Now that message was heard loud and clear. The next day the Dream Team played the kids again and beat them some kind of bad.

“Right now we’re just trying to focus on us and getting better,” Kevin Durant said after the game. One thing that never happened with the Dream Team was a game where they were trying to get better.

Two things are for certain this summer, Team USA will contend for the gold medal in next month’s Olympics, and they stand no chance to beat the Dream Team.

Now there is no doubt that when I watch the Olympics I will certainly be doing some U-S-A chants in my living room.

This team is well equipped and defeating any and all competitors is not at all far from imaginable. The three best players in the world right now are on team USA and them doing anything short of winning it all would be the biggest story to come out of London.

Until Kobe starts drawing comparisons again.

Scan this code to follow Chris on Twitter @chrisbrannick85 for more on USA Basketball and other sports including all things UCO

Nick Bobeck, a UCO graduate and former UCO football player, is announced head coach of the football team in a press conference at Wantland Stadium, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Whitt Carter

Staff Writer The Vista’s countdown of reasons to get excited about the fast approaching Broncho Football season comes to an end this week.

The anticipation is over, here are the top five reasons.

5. Transfers; New Faces. When the Bronchos step onto the turf for their first game in a little over a month, you will likely see some faces/players that you don’t recognize.

Ten transfers and 22 freshmen help fill out the UCO roster of 94 players, with many of the newbies looking to push for playing time.

Several skill position players and a few interior linemen make up the transfers, many of which follow new Head Coach Nick Bobeck to Edmond from Navarro JC. That being said, many of these transfers have already been under Bobeck and his staff for a year or two. That’s comforting to Broncho fans, as the program makes a transition into a new system, looking to compete in the MIAA, one of the toughest conferences in the country.

4. Home Opener: Thursday, August 30th vs. Missouri Southern State. The first college football game in the state of Oklahoma in 2012 will be this.

That’s pretty cool.

The new era of Broncho football will open up in the late August night, a couple of days before all other Oklahoma universities/colleges kickoff their respective seasons.

MSSU is not a daunting opponent at all. The Lions are 10-21 since 2009 and have played most of their days in the MIAA as the cellar dweller.

People from all over the metro will likely attend this ‘Introduction to Football: 2012” on that Thursday night. UCO students, faculty and staff will definitely be out in numbers for the contest.

Sounds like a recipe for the perfect result, doesn’t it?

3. Josh Birmingham. One word: electrifying.

If you haven’t seen the one they call “Juice” juke before, imagine Kendall Hunter, the former star back for Oklahoma State.

Birmingham is instant offense. Halfway into his UCO career, Birmingham has already rushed for 2,132 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 25 scores.

Oh yeah, Birmingham does it through the air, too. Already eighth in career receptions (99), the do-it-all junior has totaled 718 yards and caught four touchdowns.

Although Birmingham had an impressive sophomore campaign, his production was down from his first season, in which he was a Division-II Harlon Hill Trophy

Finalist (think Division-II Heisman).

Birmingham finished last season with 70 less carries than he did in 2010, which resulted in only 884 yards, down 366 from the past year.

No doubt about it, Bobeck and his staff will figure out how to get the All-American involved to the maximum level in 2012.

2. Move to the MIAA. This is a move that will pay off, in the long run, for UCO athletics.

Widely considered the most dominant conference in all of Division-II, the MIAA features stout competition in all sports.

Last season, Pitt State was crowned the 2011 Division-II National Champions in football. In 2010, Emporia State won the Women’s Basketball National Championship.

Northwest Missouri, a continuous power, was crowned champions of the gridiron in 2009.

Success has been a constant for the MIAA, as has been the size of the conference. The conference currently stands at 15 members and will drop to 14 after this school year.

UCO will be the largest school by enrollment, as well as host the third largest football stadium.

UCO is joined by fellow Oklahoma school, Northeastern State, Lindenwood University and University of Nebraska at Kearney in making the jump to the Mid-America

Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

1. Fresh start.

Without question, the undisputed top reason to be excited for UCO football in 2012 is the arrival of the former Broncho, Nick Bobeck.

Bobeck has returned to Edmond to restore power to one of the top programs in Division-II history.

He brings with him a staff and a quarterback that are a year removed from a junior college national championship. He brings toughness.

He brings what UCO needs, desire.

Bobeck has always been a fierce competitor, ever since playing as a blocking back in Gary Howard’s system at UCO in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.

He understands that there has been no greater time, than now, to lift this program up, and return it to national prominence.

Bobeck is ready to win now. I hope you are ready to win, too.

A view from atop Wantland Stadium in August 2011. The seats will be full on Aug. 30 when UCO hosts the state’s first collegiate football game of the year against Missouri Southern. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista.