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Campus Quotes
Campus Awareness
Spring Break
Basketball
What do you think about student gun rights on campus?
One in 110 children will be diagnosed with Austism, learn how UCO students are bringing awareness to UCO’s campus.
The International Student Council and International Services took approximately 40 international student to experience Spring break.
UCO Golf dominates in the 61st Annual Southern California Intercollegiate Championship.
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THE VISTA
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.
ANNUAL DISABILITY AWARENESS EVENTS COME TO UCO NEXT WEEK
MAR. 24, 2011
UCO PAINTS THE CAMPUS HOLI PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
By Brittany Dalton Staff Writer
Next week, March 28-30, UCO will be hosting the annual Disability Awareness Week. The events are sponsored by Students for an Accesible Society (SAS) and are intended to raise awareness and understanding for those living with disabilities. The event will feature daily events from 10 am to 2 pm by Broncho Lake, free and open to the public. On Monday, there will be visual challenges. Participating individuals will use blindfolds, goggles, and canes to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by the blind or visually impaired. “Events like this give people that don’t have disabilities to experience, for a few minutes, what it’s like to have [a disability],” said Michael Hendricks, president of SAS. In addition, the participants will have to navigate around obstacles including trash bins, tables, and other people. Others will have to solve a jigsaw puzzle, or write or draw, while blindfolded. Tuesday’s event will focus on learning disabilities, offering games and tests to show the challenges posed by learning disabilities. Spelling tests and finger spelling will be offered, as well as a hearing loss simulator to also highlight the issues faced by the deaf or hearing impaired. Wednesday, physical challenges will be held to offer the participants a chance to maneuver through a maze in a wheelchair, considered the minimum standard according to the Americans with Disabilities Act recommendations.
WEATHER TODAY
H 73° L 56°
The UCO Indian Student Association celebrates the arrival of spring with the religious celebration known as Holi with food, music and a traditional water balloon fight Tuesday evening at East Field.
By Cody Bromley / Staff Writer Spring has now officially begun. Trees are blooming, flowers are growing and on Tuesday evening water balloons full of colored water splashed across East Field. The balloons were not just for fun, but also for tradition. Holi is a religious holiday celebrated in India, and other countries with practicing Hindus and Baha’is, welcoming the rejuvenation of spring through a special celebration of color. Resident assistants and the UCO Indian Student Association put UCO’s special celebration of Holi on Tuesday evening, but the idea to bring the event to UCO came from West Hall RA Amanda Collins after taking a mission trip to India. “One of the things that we did while we were in India was took surveys. One of the questions on the survey was, ‘What is your favorite festival here in India?’ Well the top two were Diwali and Holi,” Collins said. Collins said she did not know much about Diwali, known as the festival of lights, but the idea of a Holi game sounded like a lot of fun. “I saw photos, all my friends were talking about all these fun things they did. I just had to do it,”
Collins said. The planning for the event started over a month ago, but students like Manisha Patel, a senior chemistry major and president of UCO’s Indian Student Association, were filling up some of the 1,500 or more water balloons and preparing other last minute arrangements on Monday and Tuesday. Patel said that her organization was already thinking about having a Holi celebration, but were faced with the problem of finding a venue. “Then Amanda finds me in the international office, gets my contact info and she says, ‘Hey I went to India last summer. I heard about this game and I want to put it here as a tradition at UCO.” So I was like, ‘Man. I’m so lucky to have found this girl,’” Patel said. At 5:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, a line of people queued up just north of the business building right outside the gate to East Field where as they entered were given white t-shirts. The event kicked of around 5:30 with a prayer, also known as a puja, to the gods Krishna and Genesah by Justin Vineyreddy, junior biology and philosophy major and president of UCO’s Baha’i Club. After the prayer, students from the Indian Student Association did a fashion show of traditional
Indian clothing, and then performed some Bollywood dance routines. Before the tubs of balloons and powder were rolled out, event goers got a taste of India with some biryani from Gopuram, an authentic Indian restaurant in Oklahoma City. After everyone had a chance to eat, the tubs of balloons were carried out on to the field, and bags of powder scattered. The game of Holi begins with a traditional first throwing of colored powders, but after that, it was open season for water balloons and powder. The crowds tore into the water balloons, quickly hurling them across the field at bunch of people surrounding other tubs. Friends became targets, and strangers become allies in a war of fun, color, and being extremely messy. The fight lasted under ten minutes, but when it had finished, a clean shirt was hard to find. At the end of the night, with stained clothes and smiling faces, the crowd of people left to wash up. Collins and Patel both said they believed the event a success, and so did the people in attendance. “It was awesome,” Kevin McCoy, sophomore broadcasting major, said. “We need to have one everyday.”
State Government
GUNS APPLYING FOR ADMISSION By Ryan Costello / Managing Editor
TOMORROW H 76° L 51°
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DID YOU KNOW? The name “Oklahoma” comes from the Choctaw words: “okla” meaning people and “humma” meaning red, so the state’s name literally means “red people.”
A wave of proposed legislation seems poised to substantially alter the landscape of firearm accessibility in Oklahoma, including guns on campus. This month, a pair of proposed bills, Senate Bills 858 and 129, were passed in the Oklahoma State Senate. SB 858 would allow all students and faculty with concealed carry licenses on Oklahoma campuses to carry concealed firearms at school. Currently, guns are prohibited on school grounds. SB 129 would establish the controversial right to openly carry firearms for all citizens at least 18 years old, without a license or training. Both bills were introduced by District 45 Sen. Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City) and passed with overwhelming support in the heavily Republican state senate. The proposed pieces of legislation are currently being considered by the Oklahoma House Public Safety Committee, which is comprised of 12 Republicans to just five Democrats.
If guns are allowed at Oklahoma colleges, the state will join Michigan, Utah, Colorado and Virginia as the only states with firearms on campus.
If the bills survive a vote of the State House in general session, it would need only a signature by Governor Mary Fallin to become law with a proposed effective date of Nov. 1.
Fallin’s camp hinted to NewsOk. com that Fallin would sign. “I think we will wait and see what gets to her desk, but she supports the concept of open carry in general,”
Alex Weintz, a Fallin spokesman, said. At the state Capitol’s “Higher Education Day” last month, Russell told the Associated Press that prohibiting guns on campus creates a danger for students and faculty. “Those signs don’t do anything but create a cornucopia of defenseless citizens who become easy targets for these criminals,” Russell said. Russell did not immediately return calls seeking comment for this article. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Chancellor Glen Johnson spoke against firearms on Oklahoma campuses at the same event. “Keep those bills in committee,” he said. If any Oklahoma campus were to allow firearms, it would make the state the fourth in the nation to have guns at universities. Twenty-five twoand four-year institutions in Colorado, Utah, Michigan and Virginia allow guns on their grounds. Michigan State University, in East Lansing, Mich. Allows guns on the general
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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.
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OPINION
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MAR. 24, 2011
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CAMPUS QUOTES
What do you think about student gun rights on campus?
CHELSEA DAVIS
AMBROSE CHISHOLM
JOHN WILSON
Junior - Dance Education
Junior - Interpersonal Communication
Freshman - General Education
LETTERS The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, with a maximum of 150 words, and must include the author’s printed name, title, major, classification and phone number. Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space, or to eliminate statements of questionable taste. The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters. Address letters to: Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 730345209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be e-mailed to vistauco@gmail.com.
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“In reality, you can’t carry unil you’re 21 and the majority of students aren’t old enough, so it won’t make that much of a difference, in my opinion.”
“I understand why someone would for the protection, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Everyone has the right to protect themselves. We’re in the South.”
S.J. NOH
KINZEE RYLANT
MONIK MONTER
Sophomore - Business Management
Freshman - Speech Pathology
Freshman - Science Education
Photography Kathleen Wells
Circulation Bill Southard
Adviser Mr. Teddy Burch
Editorial Comic Prakriti Adhikari
Administrative Assistant Tresa Berlemann
Editorial
CENSORSHIP? THERE’S AN IPHONE APP FOR THAT By Cody Bromley / Staff Writer How fair does a closed market have to be? The answer is only as fair as they want to be. Tuesday, Apple removed a controversial application from their iPhone and iPad App Store after an online petition reached more than 145,000 digital signatures from supporters. Exodus International produces the controversial application, and in it they openly denounce homosexuality. The group’s mission statement says that they are “committed to encouraging, educating and equipping the Body of Christ to address the issue of homosexuality with grace and truth.” The problem with removing the app is that it effectively silences a voice in a given marketplace of ideas. There are other pro-Christian applications, and other pro-gay rights applications on the store, but when a voice is silenced someone is excluded from the conversation. The advocates of the applications removal said that Apple, a promoter of gay rights and donator in the fight for gay marriage in California, should take down an application that is fundamentally against their own stance on the issue. Apple is a private company, and may do as they wish, but seemingly the application isn’t violating any of the terms of their developer agreements. The only problem with the app is that some people don’t like it. I don’t like Angry Birds, but I’m not trying to get it banned from the App Store. If the iPad is the newspaper of the future, then this is a sign that things are already off on the wrong foot. In a media environment where certain topics are off the table before even being discussed, where can ideas openly be shared? This, among other things, is what drove readers to online editions and to stop paying for print editions of magazines and newspapers. To me, this is the same as manipulation an image and airbrushing away blemishes. In this instance, the blemish is a topic we don’t want to talk about. Right now it’s gay rights, but what’s next? What about the next time Apple makes a political donation? Will they remove apps that go against their position then? I’m a loyal Apple user, and I have been since my elementary school days when I played Number Munchers and Oregon Trail, but as a journalist, censorship is something I can’t forgive and won’t forget. Maybe instead I’ll get to work on my own application that tracks Apple’s censoring track record.
“I think it causes more “That scares me, because problems than good.” I don’t know why they would want to carry a gun on campus.”
“I think it’s weird, it’s like why would you carry one at college if you can’t in high school? We’re all here for education; we should be in a safe environment.”
By Pakriti Adhikari / Cartoonist
NEWS
MAR. 24, 2011 Beards
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Opinion
A PEEK INTO THE LIFE OF THE ‘FANTASTICALLY FOLLICLED’ The Oklahoma City Beard Club is ‘bringing respectability back to the beard.’ PHOTO PROVIDED
By Josh Hutton Green-painted Concrete
Travis Nance, founder of the OKC Beard Club (right) posing with Willi Chevalier, international beard competitor (left).
By Amy Stinnett / Contributing Writer A few Oklahoma City residents and UCO students have taken facial hair appreciation to the next level and formed social clubs to spread their love of beards. The Oklahoma City Beard Club is a local chapter of Beard Team USA. Travis Nance, 27, founded the club and presided over the first meeting in January 2010. “It started because I couldn’t get all my friends together in one place,” Nance said. As a child Nance was actually scared of beards, blaming it on a child’s incapacity to grasp the concept of object permanence. When he got older, though, he hated to shave so he let the beard grow and kept it trimmed. The members have various reasons for allowing their facial hair to flourish. Alex Meek, a senior photo arts student at UCO, for example, grew his raven black beard “just to try something new,” he said. What began in fun and jest has grown in popularity and seriousness. The members definitely know how to have a good time, but a few have opted to take their facial hair to national competitions across the country.
Business can be fun Up to 15 members of the OKC Beard Club gathered at the Prohibition Room for their March meeting on the first Sunday, a tradition that has carried on for over a year now. The Prohibition Room Restaurant, Lounge and Whisky Bar is located in the Historic Gold Dome on N.W. 23rd Street and Classen Boulevard. The entertainment on the first Sunday of the month is a performance by the 7 Deadly Sins Revue, a local burlesque troupe. The timing is no coincidence. They had been meeting at another location previously, until they happened upon the burlesque show when giving the Prohibition Room a chance. Before the show begins, the attendees order drinks and food and engage in friendly, educated banter. “The length that you have is too much. I can’t do that because the fire risk is too great,” Jeff Cohen said to Nance. Cohen is a blacksmith and the group’s photographer. He came to the meeting with a traditional shaving razor he is working on. “There are considerations you must take,” Nance concedes, illustrating this fact with an anecdote about world beard champion Jack Passion. This fellow’s vibrant red beard grows past his belt, so he must braid it to avoid choking himself in his sleep. Grooming and beard hygiene are other considerations Nance encourages among club members and the bearded community abroad. To avoid discrimination, beards should be trimmed and presentable. “If you go to a job interview with a big beard, that shouldn’t count against you,” Nance said. “We want to bring respectability back to being bearded.” They have definitely earned the respect of the Prohibition Room employees and patrons. When people see this group of “fantastically follicled” folks, they cannot help but do a double take. “It’s almost an attraction in and of itself,” Nance said. For those onlookers who actually approach the curious group, they find them to be friendly and compelling. During their meeting, people continuously stopped by to say hello and visit and were each offered a seat at the table. The OKC Beard Club loves newcomers and were kind enough to lend me a fake mustache and buy me the latest gin at the lounge, saffron infused and worthy of a modest sipping pace. Young adult men mostly constitute the OKC Beard Club, but do not be mistaken. The club includes a few women and does not discriminate against other age groups. Anyone with facial hair- real or fake- and a sense of humor is welcome to join.
Friendly competition A few of the members have had the opportunity to show off their facial follicles in out-of-state competitions. Most recently, Nance and Devon Holcombe competed in the 5th Annual Misprint Beard and Mustache Contest at the Mohawk bar in Austin, Texas. “Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top was a surprise guest judge,” Nance said. Holcombe returned with a tequila bottle the shape of Texas painted silver for his second place win in the Sweetest ‘Stache category. He attended this meeting with his handlebar waxed out like the braids of Pippi Longstocking, reaching a foot in width. Nance attended the World Beard and Moustache Championship in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2009 and notes it as a fun experience. The next year he and Cohen competed in Nationals in Bend, Oregon where they met Willi Chevalier, a world beard champion from Sigmaringen, Germany. Competitors from the local chapter travel at their own expense. Telling by the numerous stories they are able to share about these competitive ventures and the smiles and laughs they have while doing so, it is worth it to these members. Nance was asked to manage the entire beard competition at the Oklahoma Steampunk Exposition being held at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center April 15-17. He wanted to compete but chose to take charge since he was unable to do both.
Not a sideshow, just a good time Unaware of the OKC Beard Club’s existence, a few females formed the Bearded Ladies Club in October of last year. Jennifer Skiba, the founder and a senior design student at UCO, explained that the origins of the club were somewhat coincidental. “I wanted to be an old man for Halloween, so I bought this big gray beard a week before. I had this great beard just lying there and decided to ask my friends if they wanted to go out in beards for fun,” Skiba said. The willing participants included UCO senior English major Anna Kinder, senior political science major Stephanie Lonsdale, and Jennifer’s sister Heather Skiba. The bearded group hopped a few bars in the Classen Circle, such as the Drunken Fry, Edna’s, the Speakeasy and the Hilo, where they met the Flaming Lips’ lead singer Wayne Coyn. People approached the ladies and asked if they were a club. After the fun night they had and the random encounter with Coyn, Jennifer Skiba replied, “Yeah, we’re a club.” The bearded adventures have continued and the group has taken on some new members. After hearing about the OKC Beard Club, they have plans to join forces. The Bearded Ladies’ agenda differs from that of the OKC Beard Club slightly. Both groups endeavor to battle social stigmas, but the Ladies are fighting gender stereotypes specifically. Their mission statement reads, in part: “It takes courage to stand out and stand up for what you believe in. For the Bearded ladies Club, we stand up for womanly strength by standing out in public with our beards.” The Ladies are standing up for equality in the workplace along with an end to stereotypes of “what women should be and do.” “I only wore a beard for 30 minutes, but I felt very liberated,” Jennifer Stursa, a junior substance abuse studies major at UCO, said. “I feel like I’m growing wings from my face and it allows me to fly away from the restrictions of society,” Lonsdale said. Both groups can be found on Facebook and are eager to make new friends and induct new members.
As weary souls break – penniless, directionless, and without meaning – our affluent city asserts, “Edmond: A Great Place to Grow.” The rustic welcome sign utilizes the mantra to instill images of an ever-greener grass. After living in Edmond a few months, disillusionment gnawed within me like the most annoying stomach pang. Just take a short drive on the main drag. The region saturates itself with chain establishments – the commodification of community, of culture, of youth, runs rampant within every Starbucks, Target, and the like. The grass only looks greener because the grass, dear friends, is fake – nothing more than green spray-painted concrete. This city acts as the tanning-bed-baked trophy wife of the Big Business movement. Attracting Big Business to Oklahoma, the calling card for the Republican-controlled state legislature, plays like a broken record on television set and newspaper column. Coupling Big Business with strong Oklahoman populist roots sets the stage for cultural warfare. Putting so much power in the hands of so few dismantles the entire ideal of democracy. I spent most of last week rolling my eyes at the GOP’s new proposals for handing more power to the governor. If these proposals come to fruition the state governor will have unprecedented power to appoint judges and integral members of state boards and commissions. Mary Fallin’s Big Business agenda would only gather more strength. The agenda spews keys phrases like “stimulate the economy” and “creates jobs” so often that Big Business generates a visceral positive response. The negation never gets a chance at the microphone. Granted, the small businesses struggle has lasted for decades, but their final breath equates to the destruction of art and true community. Large corporations sport millions of cogs but few leaders. Whereas any locale that supports small business creates a wealth of community guides and refreshing diversity. Recently, the cause of cultural preservation and innovation has sharpened its teeth for its clash with the million-pound behemoth, Big Business. An effort heavily backed by the Oklahoma Gazette and year-old organization, Keep It Local OK. Keep It Local OK has been a successful campaign to give patrons a discount when supporting various small businesses. A variety of establishments are featured from coffee shops to clothing stores. On the music front, Oklahoma radio is predominately a lackluster corporate affair, but independent station The Spy relieves stagnate air with dedication to oft-overlooked artists and genres. The lines are drawn, and if you think culture is only for the kids with thick frames and skinny jeans, you are sorely mistaken. We fight for identity, beauty and abstract thinking. Even if our state economy gets stimulated, even if unemployment goes down, will it be worth signing an entire generation up for a formulated existence? Chose the coffee shop that French presses each cup, chose the record store with the bearded music buff, chose the Asian market, the jazz hall, the blues bar; just choose a pulse.
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NEWS
MAR. 24, 2011
Campus Awareness
Continued from page 1
AUTISM SPEAKS LOUDER WITH SORORITY’S HELP
GUNS ON CAMPUS
Alpha Xi Delta will be bringing Autism awareness to the UCO campus for thier annual philanthropy event. By Trevor Hultner / Contributing Writer UCO freshman public relations major Haley Thompson’s brother was diagnosed with autism six years ago, at the age of two. Since then, she and her family have been dedicated to autism awareness. “We didn’t know much about (autism) until it affected us directly,” Thompson said. Her family found out that, although autism is a legitimate affliction, the state of Oklahoma does not mandate insurance coverage for it. “They (the state of Oklahoma) say it is going to cost a lot more money for everyone’s premiums, which is a lie,” Thompson said. “We have had to pay everything out of pocket, and it has put my family through some hard times financially.” Her stepmother, Kathy, and her father, David, now both volunteer with the Oklahoma Family Center for Autism “Piece Walk.” The “Piece Walk” is one of many events that take place nationally to raise awareness for autism, similar to efforts made by Autism Speaks, the advocacy organization started in 2005 by General Electric vice-chairman Bob Wright with the purpose of informing the public about what autism is and financing research into its causes and potential cures. According to Autism Speaks’ website, “Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.” It is not known what causes autism at this point, but 1 in 110 American children – roughly 3,300,000 - will be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder this year alone. Because of this, in 2009 the national Alpha Xi Delta sorority made Autism Speaks the recipient of their philanthropic endeavors. Sophomore Jamie Poplin, the philanthropic chair of the UCO chapter of Alpha Xi Delta, explained that as of now, there are several events her sorority are putting on to raise money for Autism Speaks on campus. “In April we have a lot planned,” Poplin said. “We haven’t got it all approved yet, so I can’t really say a lot, but we do things for
campus, but not in university buildings. In Oklahoma, all 25 public college presidents are against firearms at their institutions, including UCO president Roger Webb, who spoke against House Bill 1083 last year that would have allowed military veterans and faculty to carry concealed weapons. HB 1083 stalled in committee. UCO Professor Kurt Hochenauer, a staunch opponent of firearms on campus said that he would not carry a firearm if UCO allowed concealed carry, but “if I thought I had to be armed because all of my students were armed, I’d leave that option open.” Hochenaur noted that there is room for reasonable debate on gun legislation, but questioned whether the second amendment has been appropriately interpreted by pro-firearm groups. “It really is speculation because we’ve never had guns o n
campus, but it just seems like it’s common sense that you’re going to actually make universities less secure,” Hochenauer said. I think it’s just a wrong notion that by bringing guns on campus, you’re going to have less gun violence on campus.” UCO Police Chief Jeff Harp, a self-described supporter of second amendment rights, said that the presence of firearms on campus is more likely to cause complication or harm than good. “The reality of a critical incident is somewhat more complicated than just the comfort of having a gun on your hip, or in your purse or backpack,” Harp said. Harp said that armed students could cause problems from violence to accidental discharge, and that police officers responding to calls could be caught up trying to identify which gunman is the suspect, and which is a bystander. One of the greatest complications with concealed carry is what would be faced by police officers when they respond to a call where’s there has been a shot fired or there’s some other risk and they arrive looking for somebody with a gun and what they’ve found is maybe more than one person with a gun.” Still, Harp said that he trusts that the state legislature will do the right thing.
World Autism Day as well as the month; we’re planning on being involved in Light It Up Blue, which is an Autism Speaks world event.” Additional events include Xiesta, a Mexican food night, and Rock You Like A Hurricane, a battle of the bands-type fundraiser to be held sometime in September. Raising awareness for autism has become a large part of Poplin’s life since she became Alpha Xi Delta’s philanthropic chairperson; she said she spends roughly three to four hours each day, not counting weekends, working on projects related to autism awareness. “The one (fact) that catches me off guard every time is that more children are diagnosed with autism in this year than AIDS, diabetes and pediatric cancer combined,” she said. As the push to understand and eventually cure autism continues, Thompson reflects on what she has learned living with a sibling who has the disorder. “I’ve learned how to be more patient with people, especially people with disabilities,” she said. “And I’ve learned to cherish what I have, because I could have a lot worse.” She said her brother is happy and has a lot of support from friends Oklahoma Senator Steve Russell (R-Oklahoma City) has introduced legislation that would make concealed firearms legal on Oklahoma campuses. and family. “He has sort of a chance at a normal life,” she said. The Oklahoma Family Center for Autism Piece Walk and 5K run is on May 7, 2011, at the Bricktown Ballpark, and there will be an unrelated indoor sale at Knob Hill Baptist Church in Oklahoma City from April 7 to the 9. World Autism Day is April 2, 2011.
“The one fact that catches me off guard is that more children are diagnosed with autism in this year than AIDS, diabetes and pediatric cancer combined.”
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NEWS
MAR. 24, 2011
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International
INTERNATIONALS STUDENTS SIGHT SEE THE SOUTH FOR SPRING BREAK PHOTO PROVIDED
By Chantal Robatteux / Staff Writer Spring break is a huge thing in America, and students started months in advance to start planning for the break. Stephen Lanier, an immigration adviser in the Activities of the International Services Office, planned an International Student Council and International Services Spring Break Trip for international students. These trips have been taken place for a number of years and take place every spring and fall semester, and sometimes in the summer. Lanier said he started thinking about the destination in January, but did not actually start with calls and research until early February. This three-day trip cost $90 a person, everything included depending on where one chose to eat. Leaving Monday morning around 8:30 a.m., Lanier and three other International Services Office employees took approximately 40 students, divided into four vans, on a trip to Texas. The first stop was the Galleria in Dallas. The group arrived there around 1 p.m., and after receiving lunch money, had a couple of hours to explore the mall. They continued with their trip to Houston, stopping at the Sam Houston Statue to take a group picture. After dinner, the group arrived at their hotel, Best Western NASA, in Houston around 9 p.m. Monday night. The following day around 10:30 a.m., one group of approximately 20 people went kayaking in the Galveston Bay while the other group went to “The Strand.” The Strand had several stores such as surf shops, nice restaurants, and historical buildings. The kayaking guide explained how to kayak and also told them about the different animals and the surroundings. She explained the differences between a brown pelican and a white pelican, as well as the marine life and eco-system. After lunch, both groups drove to the Space Center in Houston where the students explored on their own. Students could choose between several things, some of which were to go on a tram tour of the Johnson Space Center, listen to an audio tour which guides
one through the artifacts and exhibits, or experience the space-shuttle flight simulator, and also simulate landing of a space shuttle. Wednesday, the groups switched activities, so the group which kayaked Tuesday went to “The Strand” and the other one went kayaking. After these activities, the group met up for lunch and started for the way back to Oklahoma. Lanier said he decided to go to Texas because it is far enough south and things are much greener and the weather is somewhat warmer, while Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri are just at the end of winter with little or no leaves on the trees and a bit chilly. Lanier believes these trips were started because a lot of international students do not have much opportunity to travel in this region of the country. “They don’t generally have transportation or know where to go in Oklahoma and surrounding states,” Lanier said. He added these trips are so affordable because they are subsidized with student activity funds allocated to the International Student Council. “Also we try to choose destinations and activities that are reasonable in price. For most trips we charge $50 or less. This particular trip was the largest in terms of the number of students and also the distance traveled was greater than any previous trip,” Lanier said. He tries to go to different places when doing these trips. “In the past we have gone to Dallas, Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio with canoeing on the San Marcos River. We have visited Arkansas and done some hiking there. We have been to the Aquarium in Jenks and visited Fantastic Caverns in Missouri. Also we [have] done some hiking in the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma. I generally try to have an educational component and an outdoor activity in each of our trips. We usually visit an interesting museum or historical site on each trip as well,” Lanier said. The other employees who accompanied this trip were Brandon Lehman, Jay Shacklett, and Angie Strader. The way it is decided on who accompanies this trip is based on who is available during the time of the trip.
The International Student Council and International Services took approxomately 40 international students to Texas for spring break.
“I just ask around starting with the other advisers in the office,” Lanier said. Lanier said they will have a Fall Break Trip, but he does not know where they will go yet. “I’m just thankful we are able to put on these trips for our students and I hope they have enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed putting them together,” Lanier said. One of the students who went on this trip was Anja Brachmann from Germany. She has been here since Jan. 3 and is only here for one semester. She found out about this trip through the European Student Association and chose to go on this trip because it was inexpensive. “It’s really cheap, plus you meet other international students. Also, it was well organized and planned; I met very nice people.” Brachmann added, “I liked kayaking the best.” Another student who went on this trip was Sanjay Sah from Nepal. He has been here four-and-a half years, and has been on one trip with the international office before.
Sah found out about the trip through a friend of his. He decided to go because he wanted to have some fun. Sah said, “It was awesome. I liked kayaking and ‘Mario’s Italian Seafood’ restaurant [at the beach] the best.” He also said he would recommend others to go on a spring/fall break trip with the international office. “People from other countries can learn about the American life and you meet new people.” Shacklett, one of the international admissions advisers, said he usually accompanies this trip in the spring and sometimes summer. “We do these for students who don’t have cars or don’t want to plan a trip on their own. Also, you can’t rent a car if you’re under 21 so they wouldn’t even be able to, and renting a car is also expensive.” Shacklett said he enjoys going on these trips. “[I liked] the kayaking and seeing the beach. International students rock!”
NEWS WITH A FLASH
FILE - In a Sept. 22, 1951 file photo, Elizabeth Taylor is shown at the premiere of “The Lady with the Lamp” at the Warner Theater in London. Publicist Sally Morrison says the actress died Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure at age 79. (AP Photo/File)
A sightseeing boat washed away by the March 11 tsunami sits on a ruined building in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Wednesday March 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE
A Libyan woman reacts with her hands written on them in Arabic “ I love Libya’ as she joins a rally in support of the allied air campaigns against the forces of Moammar Gadhafi in Benghazi, eastern Libya, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
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2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT2 with only 75k miles. Hefner Grill, Hiring all po- Sporty gray with leather sitions. Apply within. power bucket seats, sun roof, wheels, dual exhausts and good gas mileage. Very clean and in excellent mechanical condition. Not a cleaner 2004 anywhere. Located near campus. $8,950 with posHiring for waitstaff, busers, sible bank loan. 844-8787 or dishwashers, host, bar tender. carterml@sbcglobal.net Apply in person at Northpark Mall (NW 127nd N. May) after 5:30 pm. 749-0120 FUN FACTS
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River Oaks Golf Club Part time/Full Time Positions Available. Banquet Staff, Wait Staff, Beverage Cart, will Train. Friendly Atmosphere. River Oaks Golf Club. 10909 Club House Road, Edmond, OK. 405-771-5800.
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Fun personal assistant to be a companion for a senior citizen in retirement resort. Contact Joan at 359-0369 or rdfrdf@cox.net
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Edmond Answer Service operator, type 45 wpm, parttime evening positions available. $11 per hour. Call fo information 285-4316
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Teacher needed immediately for Edmond Daycare. FT/PT experience preferred. Competitive wages. Apply in person @ 24 NW 146th or call Camelot CDC @ 7492262.
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HANDY STUDENT. P/T. Afternoons. Property & Lawn maintenance, carpentry, painting. Near UCO. Must be self-motivated, trustworthy, able to work unsupervised. 641-0712
‘Aposiopesis’ is the official name of the rhetorical style in which you deliberately fail to complete a sentence. (’Why you…’) Mary Ann really was prettier than Ginger, at least in beauty pageant terms. Gilligan’s Island star Dawn Wells was beautiful and talented enough to represent Nevada in the 1960 Miss America pageant. Bela Lugosi became famous for playing the title character in the classic 1931 movie Dracula. After his death in 1956 he was buried wearing his Dracula cape. At age 35, Harrison Ford was fitting a door for Francis Ford Coppola when a studio executive asked the handyman to take a break and read lines with actresses who were testing for a new film. The film was Star Wars. The first private detective agency was established in 1833, by Eugene Francois Vidocq, a former fugitive who used his extensive knowledge of the Parisian underworld to become a master criminologist. Vidocq was a pioneer in the use of surveillance and disguise, ballistics, card-index record keeping, and was the first to use plaster-of-paris to take impressions of shoe prints. Although oil is known as “black gold,” it isn’t black to begin with. When it spurts from the ground, the crude stuff is most often dark green.
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Full/PT positions. Apply in Person at Comet Cleaners. 1401 S. Kelly Ave. Call 3595958.
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1. ___ singers, Eng. renaissance a cappella vocal ensemble 9. Disgustingly 15. Foreignness 16. Bully 17. Dry ___ 18. ___ tiger from India 19. And others, for short 20. Those who fail to win 22. Cheat (slang) 23. Brouhaha 24. Conclusion 25. “___ on Down the Road” 26. Bed board 28. By way of, briefly 29. Chipped in 30. Blonde’s secret, maybe 31. Revoked, as a law 33. Limerick, e.g. 35. A chip, maybe 36. Enter illegally (2 wds) 39. “Much ___ About Nothing” 42. Succinct 43. Mint 44. Guns 46. Golden Triangle country 47. Alliance acronym 48. Dumfries denial 49. Columbus Day mo. 50. Country whose capital is Warsaw 52. Charge 53. Decrees 55. Caribbean coffeeflavored liqueur 57. Safe 58. Native of country whose capital is Tallinn 59. Being 60. Subs (2 wds)
1. Official who carries a ceremonial staff (pl.) 2. In sum (2 wds) 3. Become less in amount or intensity 4. “Get ___!” 5. Setting for TV’s “Newhart” 6. Highlander 7. Fertilizer, e.g. 8. Landlord (pl.) 9. Dark area 10. Orders to plow horses 11. PC linkup 12. Thankless wretch 13. Mediated 14. Made a short cry 21. A specialist in the theory of learning 25. Ingratiate 27. Native Amer. tents 28. Arduous journey 29. Amazon, e.g. 32. It’s now or never (acronym) 34. Big galoot 36. Area overgrown with large coarse ferns 37. A vigorous reprimand (2 wds) 38. Writes in symbols, esp. music 40. Ancient Roman silver coins, often called pennies 41. ___ cancer, affects women 42. A woman’s loosely fitting shirt 45. Closed automobile with a front and rear seat (pl.) 47. Snoopy 50. Chipper 51. Computer info 52. Harry Potter’s tool 54. ___ generis 56. Back-to-work day (abbrev.)
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SPORTS
MAR. 24, 2011 UCO Baseball
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NFL Opinion
MID-SEASON REPORT: OPINION: BILLION UCO BASEBALL DOLLAR CRY BABIES By Trey Hunter / Sports Writer The Central Oklahoma baseball team has made long strides towards becoming what head coach Dax Leone envisioned at the beginning of his inaugural season. Consistent. The Bronchos defeated Arkansas Tech University on Tuesday to win their fifth contest in seven tries. UCO won the single game 14-7 and it was the third time they scored doubledigit runs in five games. To start the season, the Bronchos opened the season 4-7 with two conference series losses to West Texas A&M University and Cameron University. After the Cameron series in the middle of February, the team proceeded to lose four straight games to Oklahoma City University and Southwestern Oklahoma State. “We didn’t have much success at the beginning of the year,” Leone said. “It was mainly due to the lack of focus on the mound and out in the field.” Through one full month, they had yet to find consistency from their fielders and from the pitching staff. Central’s pitchers combined to give up 97 runs in Feb. and the team has combined for 42 errors in just over a month and a half. March has proved to be a bounce-back month for the Bronchos. They started with a win against the University of Science and Arts (Okla.) but followed that up with a series loss to the University of the Incarnate Word.
The pitching rotation has been much better. Since the Incarnate Word Series, they have only surrendered 37 runs and the fielders have settled down nicely and are not committing errors at the same rate as they were at the beginning of the year. “Our rotation has had a complete turnaround,” Leone said. “They have let the game come to them and have settled down. Our fielding is better as well. I really like the way we have been playing in March.” The team has won five of its last eight games and has played most of their more challenging games already. They have played five of the top seven teams in the Lone Star Conference already making their road ahead much lighter than the road behind. Incarnate Word and SWOSU are a combined 28-11 in conference play and Cameron is fourth in the standings with a 10-5 record. “I like the way our schedule is panning out,” Leone said. “Everybody on our schedule can compete, but I’m glad that we have gotten the tougher part over with. If we keep our play up, we can string together a few wins.” The Bronchos will travel to Durant to take on Southeastern Oklahoma State University in a three-game conference set this Friday and Saturday. The team returns home on Tuesday for a single game against Southern Nazarene University at Wendall Simmons Field at 2 p.m.
By Michael Collins / Sports Writer Even though we are months away from “football” season, the NFL has been taking all the headlines recently. Many people didn’t realize at the time, but are starting to come to grips now is that as of March 12, 2011, football was cancelled. I never thought I would take the side of the overpaid professional athlete, but in this case I am, and I’ll give you my reasons so that you may make your own decision. First off, the NFL owners are proposing an 18-game schedule and wanting the players to take less money out of the “9 Billon” dollar pot. Just to put that in perspective, the NFL owners are essentially asking the players to work more and get paid less. What kind of garbage is that? Another sticking point is the post-care retirement funding that the NFL provides for its former players. The NFL owners are trying to cut down on the pension plans while paying the players less? It seems to me if the owners are trying to get out of the pension business, shouldn’t they pay the players more so that they might be able to take care of themselves? And the pension plans are not for the Peyton Manning’s or Tom Brady’s of the league, those guys are making enough for the next four generations of their family to live well off, this issue is for the guy who makes a fraction of what those guys make. Take the 53rd man on a 53-man roster. He is likely to be making are $500,000 or so, and I’m no tax expert, but I would imagine a good chunk of that goes to
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MID-SEASON REPORT: SOFTBALL By Trey Hunter / Sports Writer Through 24 games, the University of Central Oklahoma softball team has a record of 13-11. Head coach Ginny Stidham put her squad through a grueling test to open the season. The team opened the season with a two wins at home against Northwest Missouri State University. However, after the double-header, the club played in 17 straight road contests that pitted stops Ada, Durant, Canyon, Texas and Joplin, Mo. UCO went 9-8 during their road trip. “We are still a young team,” Stidham said. “We have a lot of improvements to make, but I think that the road trip has really made us a tougher team.” Since returning home, the Bronchos have split a series with Missouri Western State University and lost two of three to Cameron University. Sophomore Kacie Edwards is leading the team at the plate. She is hitting .355 in 20 games and has five home runs with 22 RBIs. Junior outfielder, Kayce Raines has also contributed substantial production to the lineup this year. She has played in all of the Bronchos’ 24 games and is hitting .347 with 12 RBIs.
The combination of Rachael Steverson, Amanda McCelland and Rachel Lowery has been working this season. Steverson is 4-5 and McClelland is 8-6 at the midway point. Each has already pitched more than 70 innings and have combined for over 140 strikeouts. “We’ve had a lot of road games,” Stidham said. “Our pitching staff has done a great job of battling all season long and I’m proud of them. Hopefully we can get in a groove and get some momentum to end the year.” Central is ranked sixth of seven teams in the Lone Star Conference North Division. Midwestern State is 27-2 overall and it is highly unlikely the Bronchos can make a run at them, however, the other teams are very catchable. If they can put the offense and defense together, they should be able to make a run. UCO’s next conference matchup will be this weekend as they travel to Durant to take on Southeastern Oklahoma State University in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday. The team will not play another home contest until April 9 when they host Northeastern State University in a three-game set.
taxes. The average player in the league lasts three years, so the max amount of dollars he could make would be about $1.5 million before taxes, probably 700k after taxes. Add in agent fees and that number continues to drop. You can see where these guys are stacking bread quiet like the league’s elite. Playing football is a risk, and anyone who has played will tell you they play for the love of the game. Well Jerry Jones and Robert Craft are making BILLIONS off these guys love of the game. They put their lives on the line every second of every game, and while it is a risk they are willing to take, if the owners are making billions, why shouldn’t the players get a decent cut of that money as well? The owners are the ones who opted out of the 2006 CBA, not the players. The owners are the ones who essentially said, “give us back some money or we will not let you play.” Yes I know that is a generalized statement, but I mean these are two groups of rich grown men who are puffing up their chest and refusing to come to terms on how to stay rich? Like I said, I am on the player’s side, but it’s starting to get ridiculous. The only thing this lockout proves is that football isn’t infallible. Before, I used to think that football was untouchable. Our politics and economy may be heading down the drain but at least we will have football. Nine billion dollars in a pot and that’s not enough to go around. They better figure out a way to get on the field or their going to start losing fans.
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SPORTS
MAR. 24,2011
OKC Barons UCO Tennis
BARONS’ FEDUN BUILDING BRONCHOS TOPPLE ECU HOVERCRAFT By Chris Wescott / Sports Editor Edmonton native Taylor Fedun signed a two-year contract with the Oilers’ organization on March 8. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defenseman couldn’t be happier to get a chance with his childhood team. “You’d hate to use a cliché but it really is a dream come true,” Fedun said. “To grow up in the city of Edmonton, to look up to the Oilers your entire life, to have the opportunity to be a part of the organization is something that I think is really special and one I’m really excited about.” Fedun is currently spending time with the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League, but has yet to appear in his first professional game. Fedun comes to the Barons from Princeton University where he appeared in 127 games, recording 68 points (20-4868) and 154 penalty minutes. Fedun’s best season came during his senior campaign. Fedun scored a careerhigh 10 goals and added 12 assists in 29 games. The blueliner is part of the Princeton Class of 2011 which will graduate as the winningest class in program history with 72 wins in four seasons. Fedun will also graduate as one of the more recognized defenseman in recent Princeton history. As a senior, Fedun became just the
third defenseman in the last 40 years to score double figures in goals. “It’s quite an honor. It’s something that I didn’t really know much about until it had happened and it’s such a storied past with the program so it’s quite an honor to be in that type of elite
company.” Fedun, a captain in his final season, was also named first-team All-Ivy League as a senior. “Again, that was another huge honor. The Ivy League, I don’t think it gets a ton of press for NCAA hockey but…the Ivy League games, there’s always a little bit extra in those ones. There’s always rivalries.” The soon-to-be Princeton grad’s favorite collegiate memory came early in his career. “That would definitely have to be freshman year when we were able to win the ECAC championship. To see the
guys who had put the four years in, and how much it meant to them, it truly was a spectacular moment.” Fedun may not see the ice for the Barons this season. OKC head coach Todd Nelson said that the team has defensive depth and that Fedun will be headed back to Princeton soon. “Academically I should be done at the end of this semester,” Fedun said. “I just have a few more courses that I need to take care of as well as senior thesis, which is required of all undergraduates at Princeton. So unfortunately, it’s some hands on work that I need to be right on campus for. So I need to go back for that.” As well as his thesis, Fedun also has an intriguing senior project. “The goal of the project is to build a hovercraft. We’ve actually been working on building some smaller models and in the next month here, we’re hoping to ramp it up and make something a little bigger that we can drive around on.” Although Fedun may not see the ice for the Barons this season, he looks forward to being a productive member of the team if he gets the chance next season. “I think you’ll see someone who competes very hard, looks to make a good first pass out of the ‘D-zone’ and when the opportunity arises, likes to jump up in the play and try to make some things happen.”
UCO Golf
UCO GETS DOMINATING WIN IN CALIFORNIA From Bronchosports.com MISSION VIEJO, Calif. -- Colby Shrum and Andrew Green finished 1-2 in the individual race to lead a dominating Central Oklahoma performance that carried the No. 5-ranked Bronchos to an overwhelming victory in 61st Annual Southern California Intercollegiate Championship that closed here Tuesday. UCO shot a closing 290 at the par-71 Mission Viejo Country Club, finishing the two-day, 54-hole tournament with an 884 total that was an astounding 31 strokes ahead of runner-up and No. 11-rated Sonoma State. That set tournament records for both 54-hole score and margin of victory. The Bronchos shot 291-290 in the final two rounds, with
no other team shooting lower than 305 in any of the three rounds. It was UCO's sixth tournament win in eight tries this year. St. Edward's was third in the 14-team tournament at 924, followed by Washburn (943) and Colorado-Colorado Springs (944). "We just played outstanding the last two rounds," UCO coach Dax Johnston said after collecting the 43rd tournament title of his 10-year career with the Bronchos. "This is a really tough golf course that gave a lot of people trouble, but our guys did a great job managing their games and picking their spots of when to attack and when to lay back. "It's a really good win for us and I like
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From Bronchosports.com Eli Abramovic and Anto Rossini each won a pair of matches to lead Central Oklahoma to a 6-3 Lone Star Conference victory over East Central here Tuesday afternoon. The No. 20-ranked Bronchos took control early by sweeping all three doubles matches and then split the six singles bouts to stay safely in front. UCO, now 9-7 overall and 2-1 in the league, goes to Wichita Falls, Texas Wednesday for another league match with Midwestern State. Abramovic teamed with Julia Shviadok for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles and then rolled to an easy 6-1, 6-2 triumph at No. 2 singles, while Rossini had an 8-4 victory at No. 2 doubles with Lacy Caldwell before cruising 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. Meredith Marney had UCO’s other singles win, prevailing 6-4, 7-5 at No. 5.
Central Oklahoma 6 East Central 3 Doubles No. 1 – Julia Shviadok/Eli Abramovic, UCO, def. Marta Valles/Nilsa Ramirez, 8-4. No. 2 – Lacy Caldwell/Anto Rossini, UCO, def. Kristen Clubb/Rhiannon Mecanovic, 8-4. No. 3 – Anna Kochigina/Rose Cabato, UCO, def. Kendra Coltrain/Adisha Waghmarae, 8-2. Singles No. 1 –Valles (ECU) def. Shviadok, 6-3, 5-7 (107). No. 2 –Abramovic, UCO, def. Mecanovic, 6-1, 6-2. No. 3 – Nilsa Ramirez, ECU, def. Caldwell, 6-0, 6-2. No. 4 – Rossini, UCO, def. Waghmarae, 6-1, 6-1. No. 5 – Meredith Marney, UCO, def. Coltrain, 6-4, 7-5. No. 6 –Clubb, ECU, def. Lindsey Sweetgall, 6-3, 6-1
the way everybody contributed." All five players finished in the top 10, with Shrum rallied past teammate Green for medalist honors. The Perry senior and two-time All-American fired a closing one-under-par 70 to come from three strokes back and edge Green by one shot, finishing at 218 in winning his eighth career tournament title. Green had a final-round 74 in finishing second at 219, while Dillon Rust and Baer Aneshansley tied for fifth at 227 and Josh Creel tied for eighth at 228. Aneshansley closed with an even-par 71, with Rust shooting 75 and Creel 79. UCO also had two players compete as individuals, with Matt Charlson shooting a 78 to finish at 234 and Chris Muriana a 78 to end with a 237 total. The Bronchos go to Dallas for the Dallas Baptist Classic next Monday and Tuesday.
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Upcoming Schedule 3/28-29 Dallas Baptist Classic Dallas, TX 4/4-5 Kickingbird Classic Edmond, OK 4/18-20 LSC Championships San Antonio, TX
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