INSIDE • Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 2 • Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 3 • Hantavirus . . . . . . . . PAGE 5 • Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 6 • Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGES 7 & 8
WWW. UCO360.COM
THEVISTA University of Central Oklahoma
The Student Voice Since 1903
Women’s volleyball travels to Arkansas Tech for a three game weekend • Page 7
THURSDAY • September 06, 2012
THE PARTIES ARE JUST GETTING
STARTED by Luke Loftiss, Contributing Writer
Presidential nominee Mitt Romney waves to delegates after speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Aug. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Throughout last week, amidst heavy rains, flooding and power outages along the gulf coast caused by Hurricane Isaac, the 2012 Republican National Convention (RNC) was held, and on Tuesday, August 28, in Tampa, Fla., former Massachusetts Governor and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney received the Republican Party’s nomination to be the next president of the United States. With the nomination process complete, the convention quickly shifted into campaign mode and attendees were presented with a series of speeches by high profile Republican Party members as well as family and friends of Mr. Romney and a 75-minute uncensored musical performance by Kid Rock whose song “Born Free” is Romney’s campaign theme. On Thursday night, multiple Oscar winner Clint Eastwood took the stage in support of Mitt Romney to deliver a striking indictment of the Obama administration. Eastwood’s speech at the RNC included a one-sided conversation with an empty chair that, Mr. Eastwood explained, seated an apparently invisible President Obama. Eastwood’s unusual performance, which was later revealed to be completely improvised, was seen as a breath of fresh air for convention goers tired of the standard speeches but drew widely divergent reactions for its portrayal of Obama which Eastwood
portrayed as foul mouthed and angry. “What do you mean shut up?” Eastwood asked the empty chair “I’m not going to shut up, it’s my turn.”
“What’s missing is leadership in the
White House.” The Convention also served to introduce Vice Presidential candidate and Romney running mate Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to the American public. Ryan, addressing what was easily the biggest crowd of his career, attacked the Obama White House saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, these past four years we have suffered no shortage of words in the White House. What’s missing is leadership in the White House.” Ryan’s speech was heavily criticized in the media for being exceptionally deceitful. Even Fox News, normally considered a vanguard of right-leaning politics called Ryan out on many of his statements. “Though Ryan insisted that President Obama wants to give all the credit for private sector success to government, that isn’t what the president said. Period,” said Fox News contributor Sally Kohn.
President Barack Obama gestures during his last stop before the Democratic National Convention at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va. Sept. 4, 2012. ( AP Photo/Steve Helber)
With the RNC concluded, the Democratic Party takes the spotlight this week for their convention in Charlotte, NC. The first days of the convention will consist mostly of press conferences and caucuses for groups such as Hispanic, LGBT, senior citizen and women voters. President Obama will address the convention Thursday night. Both San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and Michelle Obama addressed the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Tuesday. Both speeches urged the public to reelect President Obama and both contained biographical stories of the speakers’ struggles to achieve the
“I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are.” American dream. Castro related the story of his orphaned grandmother who came to America as a child, dropped out of school by fourth grade but taught herself
GUN CONTROL
BICYCLE PLAN
BY ALEX CIFUENTES, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
BY LUKE LOFTISS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With the shootings at Aurora, Colo. and near Texas A&M University still weighing on people’s minds, many have renewed their faith in the right to bear arms. Following both of these tragedies, a major spike in requests for gun licenses and guns has been seen throughout the nation. Local gun shop owners have experienced a large increase in traffic, with people looking to purchase firearms. Juliana Keeping of The Oklahoman reported that Miles Hall, founder and president of H&H Shooting Sports Complex has said, “I do not believe it is about gun control and panic buying, I think it has everything to do with fear and (people) wanting to take care of themselves.” This fear of being attacked is not centralized to the locations of both the tragedies in Aurora, Colo. and at Texas A&M University but can even be felt here at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Continued on page 4
The city of Edmond’s plans to create a more bicycle friendly environment are moving forward with a special open house Sept. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Downtown Community Center to discuss the Edmond Bicycle Master Plan (BMP). This will be the second open house for the BMP with plans to present a draft of the plan to the Edmond City Council on Oct. 8. The BMP is a large-scale project conceived by the Edmond Bicycle Committee (EBC) and approved for funding by the city of Edmond in the spring of 2011. According to the 63-page master plan document, available to the public online at http://edmondok.com/DocumentCenter/ View/1725, the goals of the BMP are to “identify the challenges and barriers to bicycling in the city along with recommended solutions; identify opportunities for development of a city-wide, connected and safe bicycle facility network; and recommend policies, practices, and levels.”
Continued on page 5
to read and write in both Spanish and English.“My family’s story isn’t special. What’s special is the America that makes our story possible,” Castro said. Michelle Obama told the crowd and TV audience about the trials both she and her husband had faced “Barack and I were both raised by families who didn’t have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable, their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves,” she said. Mrs. Obama later attested to her husband’s integrity saying, “Today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are.” The President is currently on the road campaigning. On Monday, Obama spoke to the United Auto Workers Union, in Ohio, saying, “The middle class is carrying a heavy load in America but Romney doesn’t see it.” Fiscal issues such as unemployment, government spending, taxes, and the national debt are the primary focus of the campaign rhetoric from both sides.
WEST NILE VIRUS BY ADAM HOLT, STAFF WRITER The Oklahoma State Department of Health has confirmed 118 cases of the West Nile Virus (WNV) this year. Seven have died due to the illness. The number of diagnosed has eclipsed the previous state record. The former high was 107 cases in 2007. The mosquito-spread pathogen is quickly traveling through the state, even though we are in a drought. Common sense would tell us that less water would cause a lower mosquito population, hence less WNV spread. According to Sherry Meeks, professor of Microbiology, there is a reason for the prevalence of infected mosquitoes. “There is one species that likes a long dry summer,” she said. “Then we had a mild winter, hence there is a higher risk of being exposed.” With last year’s dry summer with the following mild winter, this type of mosquito was able to thrive.
Continued on page 5