INSIDE • Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 2 • Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 3 • Construction . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 4 • Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 6 • Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGES 7 & 8
WWW. UCO360.COM
THEVISTA University of Central Oklahoma
The Student Voice Since 1903
‘25 Things to Know About Broncho Football’ contdown continues with facts 15-11 • Page 7
WEDNESDAY • June 27, 2012
Feature
Tiny bubbles: local brewery keeps the soda flowing for Route 66 icon The Huebert Brewing Company manufactures Round Barn Root Beer for sale at Arcadia’s landmark restaurant, Pops.
Rows of empty bottles within Huebert’s brewhouse wait to be filled with his signature Round Barn Root Beer. Photo by Trevor Hultner, The Vista
Bryan Trude
Senior Staff Writer On Route 66, just off the fringe of Edmond’s city limits, sits Pops, a soft drink fanatic’s paradise and a modern icon of the mother road, whether people call it soda, pop, or some combination of the two. Among the over 500 varieties of soda sold at Pops, only a few select brands are sold under the Pops name itself. One of those brands, Round Barn Root Beer, is produced by the Huebert Brewing Company, located in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Capitol Hill district. “We’re the oldest production brewery in the state,” Rick Huebert, the company’s founder and owner, said. “We opened about 12 years ago when we bought this building we’re in.” Root Beer, one of the most popular varieties of soft drink in North America, takes its name from the root of the Sassafras tree, the drink’s primary ingredient. Though artificial sassafras flavoring is normally used today – the real ingredient is considered carcinogenic – different varieties can use ingredients such as sarsaparilla, wintergreen, birch resin, dandelion root and anise.
According to Huebert, the process for making root beer is similar to the process used for its alcoholic counterpart. “We start back in the brewing vat. The sodas and the beer all go through the same equipment, the same processes,” Huebert said. “The sodas just skip the fermentation process.” For the hard root beers – Huebert also produces an alcoholic root beer that is also sold under the Pops brand – the mixture will sit in one of five 500-gallon vats for up to a week to ferment, producing enough drink to fill a standard tanker truck in about two weeks. Whether fermented or not, the finished product is then stored in a commercial refrigerator until it is ready for bottling by the plant’s automated bottler, which can run at a capacity of around 700 bottles a minute. In addition to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Huebert also produces beverages for Tulsa’s Hard Rock casino, pioneering a technique for carbonating a drink that did not rely on kegs or mixing syrup with soda water at the tap, as with most soda fountains found in most stores. “We brought carbonators in that carbonate the drink at the tap handle,” Hue-
bert said. “It was developed in Germany to replace kegs, so that they could transport beer in bags without worrying about carbonation or keg returns.” Soft drinks, which refer to any nonalcoholic beverage containing carbonated water, sweetener and a flavoring agent, first appeared commercially in the 17th century. When England’s Joseph Priestley discovered a method to artificially produce carbonated water in 1767, soda water’s popularity grew until it exploded in the 1830s, with the rise of the soda fountains and the marketing of the drink as a health tonic. For students interested in a career in brewing, Huebert says the opportunities for education in the art are few and far between. With schools found in California, Chicago and Germany, the best chance for learning the craft is to get a job at a brewery and pick it up there. However, Huebert warns that such job opportunities are also few and far between. “If you want to get in, you just got to be at the right place at the right time,” Huebert said. For more information on the Huebert brewery, visit their website at www.huebertbrewing.com.
Soda production at Huebert Brewing Co. begins with the brewing vat (top). Once the mix is complete, the soda is then bottled (middle), and finally the product is packaged and shipped to retailers (bottom). Photos by Trevor Hultner, The Vista
Metro
OKC honored as ‘America’s Manliest City’ The number of steakhouses, trucks, and hardware stores solidified OKC’s ranking as the nation’s most masculine.
According to the Mars Chocolate Company and Combos Snacks, Oklahoma City was ranked America’s Manliest City for 2012. Points were awarded based on manly contributions to the city, and deducted for more feminine factors. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista
M.A. Smith
ContributingWriter Being a man comes naturally in the big OKC. Or, at least, that’s what the Mars Chocolate Company and Combos Snacks claims. Combos recently chose Oklahoma City as “America’s Manliest City” during its fourth annual competition to determine who the man is. “The results don’t lie; the manliest place to be is the city they call OKC,” Craig Hall, Mars Chocolate North America general manager, said in a press release.
“From its stellar hoops team to its love of pickup trucks, Oklahoma City exemplifies the best of being a man,” he said. Many may ask, “What exactly qualifies a city to boast its masculine abilities?” Red meat, trucks and, of course, hardware stores are a part of the calculation Combos used to standardize manliness. During the competition, Combos and “Best Places to Live” research expert Bert Sperling ranked the 50 largest metropolitan cities on the U.S. census according to their manly qualities. “Each metro area received a ‘manliness rating’ between zero and 100 based on how well it performed in each of the study’s manly categories,”
according to a press release from Mars. Points were awarded based on which city had the most home improvement stores, steak houses and other “manly” contributions in the city. Sorry ladies, Combos say there is no place for frills in its competition. “But, even if a city has a fair share of manly traits, unmanly or ‘girly’ factors, like a high concentration of nail salons and fancy shopping boutiques can bump cities to the bottom of the list,” the Mars release reported. According to the head-count, Oklahoma City was followed by Columbia, S. C. in second place, Nashville, Tenn. in third and Birmingham, Ala. in fourth. Oklahoma City residents say they aren’t surprised. “It figures,” Matthew Yarborough, Oklahoma City resident, said. “Everywhere you look there is a steak house, sports bar or Home Depot.” “And, of course, we have the Thunder,” Yarborough said. “What is more manly than your own NBA team?” And, speaking of basketball, as for the Miami Heat, they may hold their own on the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but, according to the Combos study, the city just doesn’t cut it in a man’s world. Miami ranked only 36th on the list of big men, according to contest results. The least manly of them all, San Diego, Calif. came in at 50th place on the list.
Top
25 Manliest Cities 1. Oklahoma City, OK 2. Columbia, SC 3. Memphis, TN 4. Nashville, TN 5. Birmingham, AL 6. Houston, TX 7. St. Louis, MO 8. Toledo, OH 9. Cleveland, OH 10.Charlotte, NC 11. Louisville, KY 12. Cincinnati, OH 13. Indianapolis, IN 14. New Orleans, LA 15. Dallas, TX 16. Pittsburgh, PA 17. Atlanta, GA 18. Dayton, OH 19. Milwaukee, WI 20. Kansas City, MO 21. Jacksonville, FL 22. Richmond, VA 23. Tampa, FL 24. Providence, RI 25. Phoenix, AZ
Opinion
THEVISTA
Page 2
June 27, 2012 Editorial
The truth is biased, sometimes
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.
The Occupied Wall Street Journal recently published an opinion article by Andrew Gavin Marshall titled, “Biased? Damn Right I Am,” where Marshall attempts to explain the increased reaction - negative and positive - to his ongoing coverage of the Québec student strikes, and the claim that he is biased in his reporting. “We are all biased for the simple fact that we view ourselves and the world from our own individual perspective,” he wrote. “When anyone or any information source claims to be ‘unbiased,’ that is when my internal alarm begins to ring. There are, arguably, unbiased ‘facts’ (as Einstein once said, ‘facts are stubborn things’), but there are not unbiased ‘views.’ Facts can help inform our views, and what facts we gather, how we gather them and from where can determine the view we take.” Bias in journalism exists, and it is everywhere. It is in every choice of word in every sentence in every article, big or small, across the industry. There’s the bias of context: unless you’ve got a small battalion of reporters covering a single event, there’s no way that event is going to be covered without bias by the simple fact that one person cannot conceivably
cover every angle, every nuance. Then there’s the bias of convenience: If a reporter has a story due at 5 p.m. and they need a specific quote from someone, they’re going to go with whomever they can get a hold of first or the fastest. If “the other side” of the story doesn’t get in contact with me before the deadline, then they can’t write about it, and the lack of that perspective creates bias. Then there’s the bias of experience, and it is primarily what Marshall is talking about. Last month, independent journalist Jeremy Scahill was lambasted on social media for calling the president’s drone strike policy “mass murder” during his appearance on liberal MSNBC talk show “Up With Chris Hayes.” Unique from the rest of the panel he was a part of, Scahill said he had actually been to Yemen, where U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki and his son, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, were assassinated by U.S. drones last year, and where drone attacks happen regularly. “What I saw on the ground in Yemen, and I was not just in the capital, Sana’a, but I was in Abyan province,” he said on the show in late May. “People were saying to me, ‘We’ve seen [Nahir al-] Wu-
hayshi walking around in Shebwa, the leader of AQAP, and he’s perfectly safe. But you just bombed a Bedouin village, and you killed all of these women and children. America can’t seem to hit the people you claim to be fighting.’” Journalists must not ignore their experiences for the sake of writing from a nowhere perspective, for the sake of staying within a designated safety zone. The idea that Scahill can be bitterly attacked for reaching an unorthodox opinion based off his experience in the Middle East, or that Marshall can be called biased for reporting what he has seen in the midst of the Québec student strikes is ridiculous and particularly despicable. Journalism’s goal is not to simply shove opposing ideas out into the ether and say “well, I guess we’ll never know who is right!” The goal is to come to what we can gather is the closest version of the truth to reality that we can. Trevor Hultner Staff Writer
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.
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
Kathleen Wells, Photo Editor
Circulation Joseph Choi
Adviser Mr. Teddy Burch
Editorial Comic Evan Oldham
Cartoon by Evan Oldham
What are your plans for the fourth of July? JOIE THIGPEN
ISHAIA GONZALEZ
MICHAEL MCCORMICK
JESSE STORY
Accounting - Junior
Spanish - Senior
Forensic Science - Senior
Wellness Management - Graduate Student
“I plan to pop firecrackers if it’s not too hot, barbeque and party.”
“I’ll actually be taking pictures of the parade and fireworks for the school.”
“I’m going to a friend’s cookout.”
“I’m working.”
Life
THEVISTA
Page 3
June 27, 2012
Music
Despite Badu Blowup, Lips aim for record
Wayne Coyne and company seek to break the record for most live concerts in a 24-hour period.
Wayne Michael Coyne, the lead singer and guitarist of American band The Flaming Lips, performs during the Optimus Primavera Sound music festival in Porto, Portugal Friday, June 8 2012. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)
Chris Talbott
AP Writer Fun for Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips means collaboration, and a recent dust-up with Erykah Badu after they worked together isn’t slowing him down. Coyne and the Lips will launch an attempt at the Guiness World Records mark for most live shows in 24 hours, playing eight concerts between Memphis, Tenn., and New Orleans on Wednesday and Thursday. Trailed by fans along the way, they’ll meet up with acts like Jackson Browne, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Gary Clarke Jr. and Hunter Hayes as part of the activities surrounding MTV’s O Music Awards. The Oklahoma rockers have been finalizing
details and juggling schedules and logistics as they chase Jay-Z’s record of seven shows in a day. “If you had to really consider all this in the beginning, you just simply wouldn’t want to do it,” Coyne said in a phone interview last week. “Luckily, it occurs to you when you get closer and closer. I think it’s a little bit like having a baby. At the beginning of it is a lot of fun, but by the time it’s here, really it’s too late to turn back.” That analogy isn’t too far off the mark when it comes to describing the row between Badu and Coyne, either. Things seemed to be going great until the Lips released the video for “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, their “Heady Fwends” record store day collaboration, earlier this month. The Lips eventually retracted the video after Badu accused the group of releasing it without her approval.
WEEKEND LINEUP WEEKEND LINEUP
In the video Badu sits apparently naked in a tub, then later her sister Nayrok mucks about in a milky white substance and glitter. The disagreement spilled over on Twitter where Badu invited Coyne to kiss her “glittery” posterior and Coyne responded with a picture of himself with lips covered in glitter. Coyne stopped short of saying Badu’s reaction was contrived, but said she and her management certainly knew what was going down as they spent two days filming. He says her opinion changed when “easily riled” members of her audience objected. “This is not her fault. It’s just the nature of the way Twitter works,” Coyne said. “Her fans can just sometimes lash out and be as mean as they want to be, which I think is interesting. That’s the thing about Twitter — there’s no referee, you know.” Coyne doesn’t believe anything else will
Little Miss Sunshine
LibertyFest Edition
By
Chalk it Up for LibertyFest - June 29, 10 a.m.
Kara Stewart
Located at downtown’s Festival Market Place, Edmonites are invited to enter a chalk drawing contest in celebration of Parks and Recreation Month.The event features food, games, and entertainment. Edmond Parks and Recreation will sponsor the event.
11th Annual Car Show - June 30, 8 a.m. Classic cars will pack Hafer Park, located at Bryant and 9th St. Trophies and prizes will be awarded to the best classic cars. The event concludes at 2 p.m.
Kite Festival - June 30 & July 1, 9:30 a.m. Kites will be launched at Mitch Park beginning at 9:30 a.m. and will fill Edmond’s skies until 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. Families are encouraged to bring their own kites.
Miss LibertyFest Pageant - June 30, 7 p.m. Contestants will take the stage at UCO’s Mitchell Hall Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets to the event are $10. Miss Edmond LibertyFest contestants will compete in interview, on-stage question, talent, physical fitness, & evening wear.
Road Rally - July 1, 11 a.m - 3 p.m. Anyone interested in a citywide scavenger hunt is asked to register at the City Admin. Parking Lot on the corner of 1st & Blvd. Cost is $10. Cars, trucks, vans, and more will tour Edmond with a map in search of answers to our questions. Awards Ceremony at 5 p.m.
Taste of Edmond - July 1, 6:30 p.m. Restaurants around Edmond will gather at the Festival Marketplace in downtown Edmond to offer a taste of their specialties. This event is a fundraiser for LibertyFest, helping to ensure the festival for years to come. $10 per person with children 10 and under FREE. $15 per person day of event. There are no refunds since this is a donation. No animals are permitted at the event.
Check out The Last Word with Bryan Trude
a weekly web blog on UCO360.com http://goo.gl/zDkT0
come of the episode. “Luckily I’m doing so many things I don’t have too much time to worry about it,” Coyne said. “And a lot of people I run into now loved, loved that video and I think it’s true to what Erykah and I, in the beginning at least, thought we were going to show the world.” The Lips will be joined on their record run by a number of musicians and celebrities, some performing along the way, some making appearances. The entire extravaganza will be streamed live online and MTV’s family of networks will offer live look-ins. Recent additions to the lineup include Browne, who will ride the bus from Jackson, Miss., to Hattiesburg, Miss., where he will perform with the band, “Jackass” star Chris Pontius, Karmin and Neon Trees. “It’s a logistics nightmare,” Coyne said.
Those Two Things In case you don’t know, there are two things you should never bring up in any conversation, ever: religion and politics. I’m not so great at following this rule. I don’t really have an opinion on religion: not that I’m agnostic, just that I have come to understand that no matter how similar or different religions may be, this is Amur’ca, and we’re going to use anything we can to discriminate. That being said, feel free to continue reading. Religion is great. I happen to think it’s a little bit more than just a book or an idol, something a tad more tangible than an idea or an excuse. There’s a reason people won’t believe tobacco kills but won’t question a large invisible man controlling their world; there’s a reason why the subject of which has caused most of the wars in our history, and there’s a reason why even Lil’ Wayne seems to have an opinion on the subject. Of course Lil’ Wheezy has his opinion on the subject, you just might not know about it because no one denied him seats in any church so he didn’t have a reason to tweet about it. Regardless, I think religion—even the idea of religion—is super cool. Wanna know what else is cool? Tattoos. I think that, no matter what industry you choose to try and work in, you should be able to freely express yourself through your body. In fact, if it’s done tastefully, I think you should be able to show that ink off. Notice: I said tastefully.
Do you know what happens when you combine two really great things? No, sir, you do not get an extra large helping of greatness, you get full-on frontal action with disaster. Let me demonstrate. What are two other things that are great? Cats and peanut butter. What’s not so great? Peanut butter with cat hair. I would even venture to argue that Marcy Playground had it wrong in their one-hit wonder and that sex and candy would not be all that great together. My point is this: don’t take something great (aka: scripture) and turn it into something I’ll be forced to laugh at you for (aka: stupid tattoo). Notice, I’m not saying scripture tattoos are bad. They’re only bad when you’re using it to cover up those track marks on your arms. Likewise, if you’re going to insist on inscribing yourself with the very words our ancestors used to read daily for insight, wisdom, and hope, I sincerely hope you at least attempt to live up to the morals the book you copied that handy little saying from talks about. If not? Well, that’s your business, but don’t get angry when you catch a few snickers at the party next Saturday, and don’t fret when no one takes you seriously afterwards. I’m sure it wasn’t you, doll, they must just be jealous. As for politics? Well, I still don’t have cable.
Comment on this column on UCO360.com Follow Kara on Twitter @kara_shae
News
THEVISTA Mascot change rekindles debate on Native American names used by sports teams Page 4
June 27, 2012
National News
Josh Wallace
Staff Writer
On June 12, 2012 North Dakota let voters decide a controversial issue that had been troubling the University of North Dakota (UND). At the center of the issue was the university’s mascot and team name, the “Fighting Sioux,” which had been in use at the school for over 80 years. The use of the name had been a long standing issue for the school for decades, sparking debate between Native American groups opposed to the use and those supporting the school’s right to continue with its nearly century old mascot. In 2011, North Dakota proposed and passed legislation that would force the school to use the name, but eventually the law was repealed. One of the key reasons for the new law being repealed was tied directly to NCAA sanctions. In 2006, the NCAA introduced new regulations regarding the use of Native American mascots. In a state-
ment announcing the changes, former NCAA president Myles Brand stated, “The NCAA objects to institutions using racial/ethnic/national origin references in their intercollegiate athletics programs,” and that schools continuing to use such references would not be allowed in any NCAA championships. The NCAA banned the school from hosting postseason tournaments and restricted UND from wearing uniforms with the logo or name in postseason games, penalties for not complying would result in forfeiture of the postseason games played. The state decided to let North Dakota voters make the decision on whether to uphold the repeal of the law from 2011, or to reinstate the legislation that would require UND to keep the name. Voters overwhelmingly decided against keeping the name, pushing the issue to the North Dakota Board of Higher Education, where it is believed the name will be retired. In a statement after the vote, UND president Robert Kelly
North Dakota recently passed legislation that allowed North Dakota State University to change its athletic team name from ‘Fighting Sioux.’ The recent change has sparked more debate about teams that use Native American mascots.
said, “We are appreciative that voters took the time to listen and to understand the issues and the importance of allowing the university to move forward. We also understand how deeply this has affected all of us.” The issue of using Native
American references as school mascots is affecting other parts of the country besides North Dakota. In May 2012, the state of Oregon banned the use of Native American mascots in any school in the state. Se-ah-dom Edmo, the vice president of the Oregon In-
dian Education Association, described the practice to the Oregon Board of Education, saying, “It is racist. It is harmful. It is shaming. It is dehumanizing.” The Board voted 5-1 to end the practice, affecting all schools except colleges, as there are not currently any within the state that use Native American-themed mascots. The new Oregon law follows on the heels of Wisconsin legislation that passed in 2010. The Wisconsin law, the first of its kind, gave residents of school districts the ability to issue complaints regarding racebased team names. The complaint is then brought before the Department of Public Instruction, who holds a hearing on the issue. School districts are allowed to prove the names non-discriminatory if they can show tribal approval, otherwise the decision on whether to ban the name comes from the state superintendent. According to AICS.org, there are currently 45 schools that continue to use Native American mascots in the state.
Campus News
UCO now offering virtual dorm tours online Joseph B. Nickell
Contributing Writer
The University of Central Oklahoma has launched an online housing tour. Future and current students can now view complete 360-degree high definition photos, via local company New Spin 360, of example rooms set up through various campus-housing buildings, as well as the lobbies of those buildings. The tour is located on the university website at Housing.UCO.edu. In addition, kiosks with iPads will soon be placed in the University Center. People will be able to access the virtual tour
directly at the kiosks, allowing any person on campus to take the tour at their own speed and leisure. “The virtual tour will be a great tool for incoming freshman that live too far away to make a physical tour or for international students. They can now view the rooms without having to come to campus,” Tabbi Burwell, UCO Sales and Marketing Coordinator of Housing and Dining said. Zach Hurley, a senior political science major, also agrees that the virtual campus housing tours are a step in the right direction for UCO. “You have to adapt to the changing times. Our generation is becoming the main demographic of uni-
versities. Making tours of campus housing readily available online to any student or interested parent just seems like a great idea.” While the influence of the new virtual tour will directly affect incoming freshman and international students, Burwell assures the impact will reach current students who don’t live on campus and some that already do. “It also gives current residents an easy way to see if they would be interested in any other housing option on campus,” Burwell said. “Many students spend all of their time living in one building without knowing what the others look like.” Burwell adds that the virtual
tours are handy for students who can’t make a physical trip to campus before school starts but said that you can’t beat the benefit of coming to campus and learning all about the different housing options. Hurley agrees that the tours will be handy but also adds that it’s his opinion they will couple with physical tours to become the ultimate tool for choosing your living quarters on campus. “When I went on a housing tour before my freshman year I really enjoyed the experience, but once I left, it was over. Now, incoming freshman have the opportunity to revisit the different housing options from any Internet capable device. It
allows them to reassess what caught their eye about a certain room or building as well as show parents or friends, who couldn’t make the trip, the different options. Their decisions can be more informed. I just think that would really allow students to be happier with their first dorm room.” Burwell said a collaborative effort is being made right now to make the website easier to navigate on the iPads that will be set up on campus. Once this is complete and the custom kiosks arrive, the project will be finished and the virtual tour areas set up.
Campus News
Liberal Arts computer lab to be replaced by advisement offices Adam Holt
Staff Writer
The computer lab in the Liberal Arts building is closing and is being remodeled into offices for Student Success Advisement. Dustin Jones, Coordinator of Technical Services in the Liberal Arts building, said the lab was carefully chosen. “It was a large space, and it was not being completely utilized,” he said. The idea behind the remodeling is making the Student Success advisors more available to help students. “This will make the advisors more visible to the students,” said Janie Leftwich, Executive Assistant to the Dean in the College of Liberal Arts. There are plans to replace the computer lab with laptop computers. “There will be a program for a laptop checkout, and we will have a print kiosk for the students,” she said. The kiosk will be located right outside of the current copy center. The school’s idea is to have this service ready to go sooner than later. “The program should start in July,” said Leftwich. Leftwich also feels that there should not be too much trouble when the switch from the computer lab to laptops is completed. “Hopefully the students won’t see too much of a difference.”
Construction on the first floor of the Liberal Arts buiding. The Liberal Arts computer lab will soon be replaced by Student Success advisor offices. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista
“I think it is going to be inconvenient for those students to have to walk so far just to use a lab.”
“I don’t know if it’s fair or not, but the computer lab in the Business building is definitely going to fill up.”
Lisa West, Graduate Student Marcus Smith, Junior - Interna- Educational Leadership tional Business
News
THEVISTA
Page 5
June 27, 2012
Local News
Citylink bus ridership growing rapidly
Citylink bus at bus stop on University and Ayers in Edmond, Friday Sep. 9. Photo by Sacha Swift, The Vista
Mervyn Chua
Staff Writer
Since it’s start in 2009, Edmond’s bus ridership has increased by 269 percent. These numbers are calculated through tally sheets, which bus drivers use to keep track of the number of people who get off and on at each stop and the number of miles traveled by the buses each day. The City of Edmond, UCO
and McDonald Transit Associates, Inc., a company contracted by the city to help with the bus service, work together to provide Citylink, the free bus system that operates citywide. Raul Martinez, UCO Director of Transportation and Parking, sits on the Edmond Public Transportation Committee, and together, Martinez and the other committee members plan Citylink’s bus routes and help make sure the bus system runs smoothly.
May of last year had 2,014 riders on Route 4, the route referred to as Broncholink, which runs in and around the UCO campus. This May, the number of Route 4 riders increased to 3,191. Chip Nolen, parking manager of Transportation and Parking Services at UCO, believes that the drastic increase in bus ridership is because of the upgrade to the entire system. “The city and the university decided that public transportation is important, so they got new buses a few years ago, and they look fantastic. There are also bus shelters now, which not just act as a big visual marker of a bus stop, but also protect customers from the weather” Nolen also thinks that the maps and bus schedules at each shelter provide sufficient information to citizens, making them familiar with the system and rendering a feeling of comfort and reliability toward Citylink. The Citylink booklet, which
contains the bus route and the schedule, can be found at the information center on the first floor of the NUC or in UCO’s Office of Transportation and Parking Services on the third floor. Citylink has done very little to advertise its services, apart from the buses driving around Edmond and the bus stop shelters. According to Nolen, word of mouth has been their main source of advertising. “I first heard about the Citylink bus system from the International Office during the international student orientation. My friends also recommended that I go take a look,” said Jie Zhou, a UCO actuarial science senior from China. Nolen explains that with more bus riders, come more benefit for those who commute to school by car. “If five individuals ride the bus, that is five extra available parking spots and five fewer vehicles, calming traffic a little”. Others who tend to benefit
are those who do not own a car. Viena Thomas, from Dominica and a UCO senior double majoring in forensic science and ACS Chemistry said this. “Citylink is a great mode of transportation here in Edmond. As an international student without a car, it is my main mode of traveling around the area. Without Citylink, I would be extremely limited”. UCO recently paid $200,437 as an annual cost to help provide the bus service, as Broncholink is UCO’s route. The ridership does not have an effect on the cost UCO pays for the service. “It’s something that I enjoy doing. I’m really excited we get to provide this service. It really helps students and it makes a difference,” Nolen said. More information on the Citylink bus system can be obtained at http://edmondok. com/index.aspx?nid=205
Local News
Campus News
ACM@UCO Rocks! gives camp- Oklahoma man receives 18 years ers a taste of the music business for the deaths of his 3 children Alex Cifuentes
Contributing Writer
ACM@UCO Rocks! camp is helping bring together hopeful young rock stars in the metro area. The camp provides equipment, top instructors and a stateof-the-art performance area to afford those enrolled the chance to truly feel like a star. For an enrollment fee of $300, ACM@ UCO Rocks! provides those enrolled guitar amps, bass amps, keyboards, vocal microphones, drum kits, PA equipment, the opportunity to work with important names in the music industry and the chance to perform at the top-ofthe-line ACM performance lab. “We want a chance for young people to get together and learn what it’s like to work in a band,” said ACM’s Director of Academic Operations, Chris Hicks. With the popular enrollment ages of 14 to 16, the camp is able to show those interested the true meaning of being a musician. Each person enrolled in the camp is asked questions about their musical taste, instrument abilities and musical experience. According to these preferences, they are then split into bands and are given five days to learn, rehearse and perform a set. The short amount of practice time gives those enrolled a taste of what real-
life situations are like in the music industry. “If you are opening for a band, a lot of the time, you have just a few days to rehearse,” said Hicks. This taste of reality gives a training experience for the future rockers hoping to make music their careers. Not only does the camp offer a taste of music industry reality, but it helps the young students focus on other aspects that they may not think of on their own. “We put them in a situation that is more professional, and we show them not only how to play the song, but also how to perform it,” said Hicks. Those teaching the camp remind those enrolled that a performance is not only about playing notes and singing lyrics, but it is about showmanship. From a few dance moves, to a full onstage and light set-up, the camp gives a feeling of performing an actual concert. Another major emphasis the camp teaches is unity. “The main thing is that you have to work as a group,” said Hicks. From choosing the music to suit the singer’s preference, to making the band sound cohesive, working in a band is a team effort. For those looking to get a taste of the music industry, and the ability to work in a top-notch facility with instructors that bring real-life experience, then ACM@UCO Rocks! offers just that.
Have a
?
Follow Vista Multimedia for photos of campus news, life, and sports.
@UCOVistaVisual Check out
THE VISTA archives at UCO360.com
Christopher Dunham, left, is escorted from the courtroom following his sentencing in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. Dunham, convicted of child neglect in the deaths of his three young children in a recreational vehicle fire, was sentenced to 18 years in prison. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Tim Talley
Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Del City tow truck driver convicted of child neglect in the deaths of his three young children in a recreational vehicle fire was sentenced to 18 years in prison Tuesday. A jury convicted Christopher Dunham, 26, last month on three counts of child neglect as well as various drugrelated offenses. Four-year-old Christopher Dunham Jr., 3-year-old Crystal Dunham and 22-month-old Kailey Dunham died in a Jan. 4, 2011, fire in the broken-down RV where the family lived behind a relative’s house. Prosecutors say Dunham and his wife, Stephanie Dunham, 27, routinely locked the children inside the RV to prevent them from running off. All the children were burned in the fire. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Crystal and Christopher Dunham Jr. died of smoke inhalation, while Kailey died from a combination of burns and smoke inhalation. Stephanie Dunham has pleaded no contest in the case and is scheduled to be sentenced July 11. Jurors recommended Christopher Dunham serve 18 years on each child neglect count and receive lesser sentences and fines on the drug counts. Oklahoma County District Judge Jerry Bass followed the jury’s recommendation and allowed Dunham to serve all of the sentences concurrently, or at the same time. State law requires Dunham to serve at least 85 percent of the sentences for child neglect, so he will spend a little more than 15 years behind bars before
he is eligible for release. Each child neglect count was punishable by up to life in prison. Dunham, dressed in an orange jailissued jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles, stood before Bass as his attorney, Robert Sisson, pleaded with the judge to suspend the sentences. Sisson said Dunham had no previous criminal record, had been employed and was not likely to commit another crime. “Give the man a chance,” Sisson said. But Assistant District Attorney Pam Stillings showed Bass gruesome photographs of the children’s charred bodies as they were found inside the RV, where investigators also found a propane tank and torch, pipes similar to those used to smoke methamphetamine and marijuana, a weight scale, punctured aerosol cans, batteries and other items that could be used to manufacture meth. “That’s how they died,” Stillings told Bass. Del City investigators said the RV lacked basic utilities such as water and electricity. Extension cords stretching from the family member’s nearby home powered a space heater they said was the source of the fire. “What mercy did he show his children, judge?” Stillings said. “They were beautiful children. They should have been taken care of.” Stillings also disclosed that Dunham told authorities who prepared his presentence investigation report that the couple had manufactured meth in the RV. Bass compared the case to children who perish inside locked cars where they have been left by neglectful parents. “It’s a comment on our society. You are a comment on our society as well,” Bass said. “You’re a sad comment.
Classifieds
THEVISTA
Page 6
June 27, 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 Part-time jobs. Senior Services of Oklahoma is looking for students to fill part-time positions Monday-Friday. We pay $10/hour for energetic phone work. No experience is needed, we will RANDOM FACTS In early drafts of the Back to the Future script, the time machine was built out of an old refrigerator. When Burger King decided to sell fastfood Down Under, they found that there was already a local carry-
train. Business is located at 1417 N.W. 150th St. in Edmond. Call 879-1888 to set up interview. Ask for Megan Parris.
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
out restaurant called “Burger King.” As a result, if you’re looking for a Whopper in Australia today, you’ll have to go to a chain called “Hungry Jack’s.” Platform shoes didn’t just look ridiculous in the 1970s; they looked
Shogun Steakhouse Looking for conscientious workers. Manager Trainees and Chef Trainees, Part-time servers, bussers, & bartenders. No experience necessary.
Advertise with the Vista Call 405-974-5913 or email your questions to vistamedia@ yahoo.com for rates.
equally silly in 15thcentury Europe when they were known as “chopines.” The fashionable footwear was so toweringly high (up to 30 inches!) that ladies couldn’t walk around in them for fear of falling.
LAST WEEKS ANSWER
Across
46. A fisherman may
11. Certain Arab
1. Thumb
spin one
12. Lightning
6. Hires competition
47. Burgle
13. Related maternally
10. “Unforgettable”
49. Little lie
21. Bring in
singer
50. ___ milk
25. Charge
14. Its license plates say
51. Careless
26. ___-mutton
“Famous potatoes”
54. Dog biter
27. Cemetery sights
15. “I had no ___!”
56. Do damage to
28. Gator’s cousin
16. “Absolutely!”
57. Tonsil remover
29. Long, clifflike ridge
17. Big sheet
63. Bumpkin
34. Continuous dis-
18. Neuter
64. Boat in “Jaws”
charge of firearms
19. ___ lamp
65. Change, as a clock
36. Vex, with “at”
20. Vague
66. “___ Brockovich”
37. Doing nothing
22. Condo, e.g.
67. Call for
38. Cleaning cabinet
23. Abominable Snow-
68. Claw
supplies
man
69. Light bulb unit
40. Clip
24. Fine fur
70. “___ on Down the
42. Dynamite inventor
26. U.S. writer Clare
Road”
45. Places of business
Boothe ___
71. “Gladiator” setting
48. Earlier
30. “The Joy Luck Club”
SUDOKU
Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.40)
6
7
2 6
4 9
1
9
5
3 3
4
6
9
5 8
4
2
1
9 5
2 8
7
author
Down
52. Mrs. Bush
31. Mother Teresa, for
1. LP player
53. Circle
one
2. “American ___”
55. Blood carrier
32. Blows it
3. Farfetched
58. Product of protein
33. Musical sign
4. Reproached
metabolism
35. Seal
5. Bunk
59. Binge
39. Dish of little dump-
6. Dried foxglove leaves
60. “Cast Away” setting
lings
7. Fundamental compo-
61. Advertising sign
41. Inconveniently
nent of nucleic acids
62. “Empedocles on
placed
8. Drop
___” (Matthew Arnold
43. Academy Award
9. Made sorrowful
poem)
44. “Eh”
10. Slander
FOR RENT
4
5
1
For Rent
9
4 4
1
51. Chronic nag
RANDOM QUOTE It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.
Spacious, well-maintained apartments for rent just across the street from UCO Library. 1-bed $455 & two-bed - Sir Winston Churchill $555. Tenant pays utilities. Call Joyce, 329-2338, Singh Realty
Get more out of your paper. Stay up to date on campus wide news. UCO360.com
Sports
THEVISTA
Page 7
June 27, 2012
Football
25 things to know about the 2012 Broncho Football season eight weeks from kickoff
A photo taken from atop Wantland Stadium in August, 2011. These seats will be filled this fall including Homecoming on Nov. 3, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
Whitt Carter
Staff Writer The Vista’a summer long look into Nick Bobeck’s inaugural campaign as head coach of the Broncho Football team has brought us to the midway point. Numbers 15-11 are up this week as to why you need to get excited for this season. Only eight weeks left until opening kickoff. 15. A more disciplined football team. After guiding Navarro Junior College to a National Championship in 2010, new Broncho head coach Nick Bobeck knows a thing or two about limiting mistakes. That’s an encouraging sign for Broncho fans. Last year, UCO had 31 give-a-ways and averaged 68 penalty yards per game. Bobeck was notorious for running a tightship program during his tenure in Corsicana, Texas. You can expect more of the same when the Bronchos start practice in just over a month. 14. Homecoming 2012: All You Need is Central. One of the staples of UCO tradition, another excellent celebration of bronze and blue will commence this fall. The first of two final home games for the Bronchos will see UCO host Southwest Baptist for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff on November 3rd at Wantland Stadium. Sure, there is a football game on Saturday. But there is so much more to Homecoming. Free food, a philanthropy event, a concert/ huge event, a 5k run, t-shirts, the crowning of homecoming king/queen and so much more. All you have to do is show up. Oh, yes, there is the most, important event: Saturday’s game. See, everyone wins during Homecoming, except Southwest Baptist. 13. Traveling to Pittsburg State. A mustsee for Broncho fans. Pittsburg, Kansas is only just under four hours from Edmond and as the Gorillas boast one of the best game-day atmospheres in all of Division II, it is a more than worthwhile trip. The defending National Champions will play host to UCO on September 8th, the second contest for both teams.
UCO’s last trip to Pitt. State resulted in a 4213 loss, a score that didn’t show how close the game was for the majority (UCO trailed 21-13 with 1:00 left in the 3rd). However, these are two of the top three programs in Division II football history, with PSU ranking 1st in all-time wins and the Bronchos ranking 4th. A tailgating atmosphere that can hold a candle to many Division I programs, along with rabid fans and crazy amounts of tradition (and a really, cool stadium), this is the road trip of the year. So, who’s driving? 12. Improved Attendance at UCO games. You can take this to the bank. With an alumnus at the helm (and one that everyone seems to love), Broncho supporters can expect to see less vacant seats this fall. More bottoms in seats. UCO football has a tremendous amount of alumni support, and with one of their own now leading the program, former players will show up in waves, I promise. These former players want to join Bobeck in taking UCO football back to national prominence, but they’ll need help from the fans. Back in the late ‘90’s, I can remember fans having to sit on the south hill under the scoreboard because there weren’t any seats available in the stands. We may not get there yet, but there will be more bronze and blue in Wantland Stadium this fall; you can bet your bottom dollar. 11. The return of 16 seniors. This could be huge in determining how Bobeck’s first season goes. Ten seniors on offense and six on defense will help guide a new staff and a host of young/fresh faces through the 2012 season. Four on the defensive line, three in the receiving corps and on the offensive line and six others spread throughout the roster; not only does this Broncho group have a good amount of leadership, but it’s also well dispersed. A few seniors were around in 2008, the last time the Bronchos won a title (LSC North Division Championship). That could pay dividends, both immediately and down the road.
UCO’s Tucker Carson (22) takes down SOSU’s Anthony Foster (6) during a game between UCO and Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant, Satureday, Sept. 10, 2011. Photo by Garett FIsbeck, The Vista
Members of UCO’s Spirit Squad lead the team onto the field before last season’s Homecoming against East Central University. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
Vista Photographer Needed Contact Teddy Burch t: (405) 974-5123 e: tburch2@uco.edu
Photo by Garett Fisbeck
Sports
THEVISTA
Page 8
June 27, 2012
Opinion
Softball
Full Timeout
Softball coach is focused on return trip to World Series
By Chris Brannick Sports Editor
Playoffs! Timeout. Will we all be happy with a college football playoff? Is the idea of this happening going to settle those nerves that run rapid through all of us every fall? Think about those nerves. Your team does outstanding for three and a half months, and then, one bad game ruins everything, or your team lays an egg coming out of the gate and proceeds to dominate college football for the remainder of the season but is shun from glory because of that one bad egg. No mention of college football is complete without the mentioning of the little guys. Remember, every game is played on a field that is 100 yards long. Both teams wear shoulder pads and helmets and play with the objective of scoring more points than their opponent. Thus, on any given Saturday, the little guys can knock off one or two of the traditional powerhouses and earn their own right to claim a seat at the table. Let’s start by focusing on the good of a college football playoff. The best teams will compete in this postseason to determine the champion. So, if you actually find yourself recovering from all of the turkey and stuffing and you see the top four teams and there is a clear separation between number four and number five, consider yourself lucky. March Madness is one of the top grossing events in all of sports. We find ourselves questioning the selection committee regarding the top teams that didn’t make the cut. There are 68 teams that make the cut and we like to question the four teams that don’t. A four-team playoff will result in a minimum of a four-team “we got shafted” argument that should last approximately the length of the offseason. Another good quality of a college football playoff is the understood champion. If four teams enter a playoff, the team that comes out alive is champion. Anybody remember how many Final Fours there were in which we decided the “Real Championship” is being played in the semi-final? I actually recall thinking the Spurs versus Thunder series was the real championship until Miami proved to everyone they were worthy trophy hoisters. Finally, what else is great about a college football playoff system? Dollar dollar bills ya’ll! With the addition of this two-week playoff, revenue for the NCAA will certainly go up, and go up immensely. The ads will develop to be something special, comparative of the Super Bowl. The income generated from the game will contribute to the schools, which in turn contributes to the kids. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and that really awesome stadium with the really big screen hanging from the rafters, is believed to be the leading candidate to win the bid for the first playoff version of the National Championship. This, like most business, will drive itself up more and more over time. Kind of like, “Back in my day I only paid 25 cents for a candy bar, now I pay $1.09!” That’s the way it works, and if we ever want to dream of getting closer to eliminating the free labor in college football, a playoff is the starting line.
Scan this code to follow Chris on Twitter @chrisbrannick85 for more on football and other sports including all things UCO
UCO Softball head coach Genny Stidham talks with her team during a game earlier this season. Photo provided
Chris Brannick
Sports Editor The Vista Q & A series with the coaches at UCO continues this week with head softball coach Genny Stidham. It was the most successful season in the history of softball at UCO. It featured All-Americans, and all-time records and one really long winning streak, 35 games. Seniors Nathalie Timmermans and Rachel Steverson as well as freshman Devyn Frazier earned all-tournament team at the World Series. Junior Kacie Edwards was named Daktronics Inc. Division II Player of the Year and also received Academic All-American honors. Edwards owns the UCO all-time records for hits, doubles, runs batted in and homeruns. Stidham led the Bronchos to the Division II Women’s College World Series earning South Central Coach of the Year honors along the way and is the winningest coach in school history with 424 wins in 15 years. The Vista: What did you take from your trip to the World Series last spring? Coach Stidham: How do you get back?
The Vista: What are you planning to do this summer? Coach Stidham: Recruiting is nonstop day in, day out. You have to put in a lot of effort. The Vista: How is your class for 2012-13? Coach Stidham: 12/13, that’s done. We learned five or six years ago that you have to get ahead. These DI schools will offer early and can get the kids early so you have to get an early start. The Vista: When do you begin preparation for next season? Coach Stidham: In August, you can have 23 practices in 45 days. That’s what the NCAA allows so you try to take advantage and get every practice in. After that we’ll just work out a little. The Vista: Can you speak about your most recent All-Americans (Kacie Edwards, Nathalie Timmermans)? Coach Stidham: They were a 1-2 punch. If you wanted to walk Nathalie, Kacie was going to make you pay, and she did. Kacie played catcher for two years, and when I told her Nathalie was not going to play third and that she would catch instead, Kacie didn’t hesitate. That is a testament to her team-first attitude.
The Vista: Will you be attending the World Cup of Softball this week in Oklahoma City? Coach Stidham: Absolutely, I’ll be there. I’ve got to go support Nathalie. Whether it is Netherlands versus USA or not, we’re going to support our own. Even though she was only here for one year, she made an impact on our program. The Vista: The year UCO had no affiliation to a conference was tough on everybody. What do you like about getting ready for the MIAA? Coach Stidham: We got to see last season basically what we’re going to see next spring. We’ll just get to compete for the conference championship. It’s another avenue to the World Series. When you have five seniors who have all been here for three or four years, it’s just hard to watch them not be able to compete in the conference and have the chance to win those awards. The Vista: Does the success of last season raise any expectations for next year? Coach Stidham: We always expect to get better. We have team goals and individual goals.
Macy McKay (9) slides in to third base during a softball game between UCO and Northeastern State University in Edmond, Friday, April 13, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista
Football
Bronchos work hard to turn program from losing ways Whitt Carter
Staff Writer In about a week from now, players will begin to stroll onto UCO’s campus for summer workouts, in preparation for the start of practice in August. However, that hasn’t stopped almost half of the team from showing up early to get in some extra work. Nearly 40 players have been participating in voluntary workouts since May, consisting of lifting weights at 5 p.m. and conditioning at 6 p.m. “We’ve had a good mixture of different
stuff,” Christian Hood, sophomore wide receiver, said. “It’s been a lot of running sprints, hills and pushing sleds.” The Bronchos are aiming to turn around the program, after falling on a few years of tough times. “We are just trying to come together,” Sam Moses, senior defensive end, said. “We just want to build chemistry as we go through summer workouts and seven-on-seven drills.” With the new staff and lifted expectations, Hood likes where he and his eager teammates sit, as they await the rest of
the Bronchos. “Our morale has improved greatly, compared to last year,” Hood said. “The tough winter and spring has prepared us for what is turning out to be a grueling season.” “Everyone around here is upbeat and looking forward to the start of practice and the season,” Hood said. “We are ready to turn the program around.” Jacob Black, strength and conditioning coach, is conducting the workouts for the summer.