The Vista Sept. 6, 2016

See Page 6 for Bucking Broncho Volume 113, Issue 16

the VISTA

“The University of Central Oklahoma’s Student Voice Since 1903”

Follow the Vista: UCentralMedia.com vistanews1903 @TheVista1903 thevista1903 The Vista Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016

Don’t Count on Voting for Pot in November Queila Omena @QueilaOmena Reporter

Clinton Wales stands with his sign in front of the state capitol at the Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 Pack the Capitol for Legal Medical Cannabis rally. Protestors gathered at the capitol to protest the revision of the initial proposal by state officials. Photo by Queila Omena, The Vista.

Despite 67,761 signatures in favor of putting medical marijuana on the ballot this November, University of Central Oklahoma students should not expect to be able to vote on this debated issue.

Oklahomans for Health collected the signatures to State Question 788, where medical marijuana would be implemented and would allow doctors to prescribe cannabis products to patients in need.

The original ballot question was modified and rewritten by Attorney General Scott Pruitt. Supporters of medical marijuana believe the change to the ballot question was made to evoke a “no-vote” from voters.

Supporters say the new wording of the state question misleads voters to believe the petition would also allow the recreational use of cannabis, instead of strictly medical use.

See Marijuana on 5

The Push for International Dollars:

A Private Institution’s Philosophy

Eriech Tapia @eriechtapia95 Reporter

International students have become a discussion in recent years as funding cutbacks to the University of Central Oklahoma have deepened and how creating new ways of funding has become an issue.

Paying $325.35 more per credit hour than their in-state counterparts, international students will end up paying almost three times as much when they take 15 credit hours, according to the university’s fee schedule.

“We are having to function more like a private institution in the form of recruitment,” Myron Pope said, vice president for Student Affairs at UCO. The university spends over $9.2 million dollars in scholarships each year, with international students receiving more assistance per individual than any other demographic, on average. They also make up around 33 percent of tuition collection, according to Pope.

Out of the entire scholarship fund, international students re-

From left, Don Betz, University President; Myron Pope, Vice President for Student Affairs; Dennis Dunham, Executive Director of International Affairs. (Photos provided by Dan Smith, Photo Services).

ceived $1.09 million, second only to Caucasians who were awarded $3.45 million, the largest of any demographic, according university records.

“Since we are not receiving as much money from the state; what many institutions are doing is they are leveraging their scholarships … and basically what they are doing is going out and

getting high-paying students to be able to cover the cost of the shortfall,” Pope said.

The 866 students who were awarded scholarships received an average of $1,437.49, which is higher than other demographics, but the reward comes with a cost.

“So yes we are giving more dollars

to international students, but if you look at it, they are paying more per student,” Pope said.

Cost for international students comes in at three times as much as an in-state undergraduate student and are required to pay additional fees each semester, which most universities require.

See Scholarships on 4

CONTENTS

2

CONTENTS Around Campus.............................................3

Marijuana.......................................................5

Scholarships...................................................4

Bucking Broncho...........................................6

UCO Football.................................................7

STAFF NAME AND POSITION

Kateleigh Mills Alex Brown A . Suave Francisco Cara Johnson Ta y l o r M i c h a u d Elisabeth Slay Elizabeth Spence E r i e c h Ta p i a Katie Standlee Megan Prather Queila Omena Peter Agnitsch Ike Wilcots Ryan Naeve Te d d y B u r c h

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r S p o r t s Re p o r t e r S p o r t s Re p o r t e r Photographer Advisor

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

Email your questions to:

ucovista.advertising@gmail.com The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, weekly during the academic year, 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, and must include the author’s printed name, major, classification and phone number. Phone numbers are included for contacting purposes only. Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space, or to eliminate statements of questionable taste. The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters.

Address letters to: Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 73034-5209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131.

Letters can be emailed to thevista1903@gmail.com.

AROUND CAMPUS

3

AROUND THE CAMPUS

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016 OKYLP: The Oklahoma Youth Literacy Program serves children from

Pre-K through 9th grade. OKYLP is looking for Math, Reading and Science tutors to teach the principles to children who are lacking or stuggling in the areas. The program is from 3:30 p.m. - 6:10 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to Genipha Backoulou, the education director at OKYLP. The organization is located at 1425 N. Kelham Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73117.

SPB: From 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. the Student Programming Board will be

around the Clock Tower to talk about the events planned for September.

Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 9/11 DAY OF SERVICE: The 9/11 Day of Service event will begin

at 3 p.m. in the Nigh University Center's Room 320 C, where volunteers will meet. From there volunteers will carpool to local fire stations to provide a spaghetti dinner to thank firefighters for providing civic duties for the community. The event is connected to the Volunteer and Service Learning Center as well as the Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR).

PASSPORT TO GLOBAL KOREA: Stand-up comedian,

Henry Cho, will perform in the Nigh University Center's Constitution Hall beginning at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016

FORUM ON DIVERSITY: From 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. in the Nigh Uni-

versity Center's Ballroom B, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will host the UCO Forum on Diversity. The forum is designed to create a safe space for students to discuss recent events relating to shootings of police officers, African Americans, and the LGBT community. The event is also connected with the Student Transformative Learning Record.

SPBALL PIT: From 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. the Student Programming Board will have a ball pit next to the Clock Tower for students across campus.

Friday, Sept. 9, 2016 9/11 REMEBRANCE CEREMONY: From 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. under the blue tent at Broncho Lake there will be a 9/11 Rememberance Ceremony which will include speakers relecting on the 9/11 attacks as well as what they meant and still mean for the United States. The event is under the Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR).

BRONCHO BUDDIES KICKOFF PARTY: From 6 p.m. 10 p.m. in the Nigh University Center where international students will meet their Broncho Buddies for the first time.

4 Eriech Tapia @eriechtapia95 Reporter

"I know a lot of international students who can only stay for one semester, due to money," said June Chong, president of the International Student Council at UCO. "I thank God that I am financially stable, though many people are not."

Chong lost two years of college credit when she arrived at the university, forcing her to start out as a freshman, costing more money and time.

"Most of my friends back home are already graduated," Chong said.

Paying $8,000 per semester, Chong is able to stay at the university due to financial assistance and help from her parents; she said studying abroad is expensive, but worth the investment.

"If you come to the U.S. to just sit in the classroom, you should just stay in your country, because you are wasting your money," Chong said.

Out-of-state students are required to pay the higher tuition fees that international students do, but are spared from paying the international student maintenance fee, which costs $120 for each fall and spring semester.

SCHOLARSHIPS “I would love to have more scholarships for international students.

That would help them so much.

Because as you know the universities across the state have had a tuition-hike,” said Dennis Dunham, executive director of International Affairs at UCO. The university had to cut most areas of scholarships by 20 percent, besides athletics, miscellaneous waivers, and the Broncho Advantage Texas waiver. Pope said he is hoping that scholarships will soon return to their normal levels.

Paying those fees can be difficult for many families from foreign nations, where poverty continues and students must pay for their semester before the arrive in America, Dunham said.

“They need to show that they can pay $24,000 the first year, which is not all tuition, it includes housing and other things,” Dunham said.

“They have to give us a bank statement stating that they have $24,000.”

To obtain a student visa, many international students are required to prove that they can pay for the upcoming year, Dunham said.

In the fall 2015 semester, 1,448 international students were enrolled on campus. Pope and others said

they are wanting to see the number increase as the Oklahoma Legislature has cut funding over the past several years.

“Historically, this institution has had a high number of international students. When I started here in 2004, at that point 8 percent of our students were international,” Pope said.

Attracting international students from across the globe is not new to the university. In October 2015, UCO President Don Betz and Anne Holzberlein, executive director for the UCO Foundation, traveled to Asia to speak with other universities to attract new students through partnerships.

“Long term, our goal is developing a culture of philanthropy, giving back in different ways, not just financially to UCO, giving back time and commitment,” Holzberlein said after her trip in 2015 in an October 2015 the Vista article regarding the newfound connections.

Several new agreements were signed between the universities on the trip and UCO which allowed for cultural exchange programs.

“Several we had relationships with before, the universal theme received terrific reception … particularly the

possibility of their institutions' students receiving training or education here...” Betz said after the trip in an October 2015 the Vista article.

Increasing diversity is also one of the factors that the university considers, making sure to have around 10 percent of the student body be international, Pope said. He said the same of other demographics.

In the fall of last year, international students made up around 11 percent of the total population at UCO, according to the campus Factbook.

“There is no other university that has our cost, that also has this size of campus,” Dunham said. “I would love to have more money to give to international students.”

The international student population at other universities across the state also averages around 10 percent, with the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University having almost 2,000 enrolled.

Reporter's Note: This article is looking at how cuts to education are forcing universities like the University of Central Oklahoma to re-think the way it brings in revenue and how it is using practices from private institutions.

MARIJUANA

Marijuana Queila Omena @queilaomena Reporter

Joe Dorman, board member of Oklahomans for Health, said that the nonprofit believes the new language of the petition is more vague than the original, and there are hopes the Oklahoma Supreme Court will accept the original ballot title.

According to Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, State Question 788 on Ballotpedia. com:

The original first sentences of the proposal read: “This measure amends the Oklahoma State Statutes. A yes vote legalizes the licensed use, sale, and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma for medicinal purposes.”

The revised version reads: “This measure legalizes the licensed use, sale, and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma.” “[The altered version] is very misleading. It does not give a clear picture of what the proposed language would do. This is specifically dealing with medical marijuana. The first part of the description leads people to believe that this is a question for full legalization of marijuana, and that’s not true," Dorman said.

According to the Encyclopedia of American Politics, the Secretary of the State, Chris Benge, deemed the ballot title as insufficient and asked Pruitt to rewrite it.

Once the petition is completed, the attorney general has the ability under the law to rewrite or re-frame the ballot title if the he or she does not see it as a proper description.

Following a revision, the petition is sent to the Supreme Court, and in a period of 10 days the organization that proposed the state question can ask the Supreme Court to accept the original version, the modified one, or to write their own version, Dorman said.

Pruitt said the wording of the state ballot was changed because no medical conditions were listed. He wanted to inform voters by providing an accurate description of the measure's effects, Pruitt said.

“The proposition itself states there are no qualifying medical conditions, and while a physician has to sign-off

5 on an application for a license, nothing in the law provides a physician will monitor usage,” Pruitt said.

According to Dorman, medical conditions were not included in the state question because he believes that doctors have the expertise to discern whether or not a patient needs to use cannabis products. Dorman also said he did not want to leave some medical conditions out.

“The reason we wrote that, in the way we did, is many other states are seeing problems with having to go back and amend the law, just because medical conditions have been left out. We framed [the description] this way, to give doctors full discretion and authority to prescribe for conditions they think it will help,” Dorman said.

According to the Encyclopedia of American Politics, the original ballot title states that a “Yes-vote” would legalize the licensed use, as well as the sale and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma for medical purposes.

The rewritten version of the ballot removes the “medical purposes,” out of the phrase.

Also, the previous state question affirms that the use of medical marijuana must be approved by an Oklahoma Board Certified Physician. In the rewritten version for a physician to give a patient access to medical marijuana, the phrase “must be approved,” was modified to “must recommend the license.”

When asked if medical marijuana

should be implemented in the state of Oklahoma, UCO's Criminal Justice student, Marcus Payton said, “I think [marijuana] can be used medically.

There are a lot of benefits for it, as long as it’s strictly used in certain areas, like hospitals designated for those users. But nowhere outside of that."

Even though the signatures were collected within 90 days, some state officials believe that Oklahomans for Health did not allocate enough signatures within the limited time, and advised them to get signatures earlier.

“Those state officials are incorrect.

We collected, and there was enough time to go through the entire process and everything would go smoothly.

But unfortunately it just wasn’t the case,” Dorman said.

Due to several criticisms of the rewritten ballot question, many supporters attended the rally, Pack the Capitol for Legal Medical Cannabis.

The event organized by Oklahomans for Change hoped to help and inspire others on being involved in the political process and show their displeasure on several fronts, including the rewording of the ballot.

More than 100 people were present at the rally, chanting “let us vote” at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 at 4:30 p.m.

Attendees of the event and Oklahomans for Change members wanted officials, including Gov. Mary Fallin and Pruitt to know there is a large support to legalize marijuana for

medical purposes.

Seniors with disabilities made up the majority of the crowd at the rally.

Several speakers at the rally talked about their severe medical conditions including lupus, cancer, and epilepsy while other attendees spoke about their frustrations after having the petition modified.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be on the ballot this November, because of trickery at the capitol. And there’s a problem with the attorney general changing the title of the question to make it appear that it’s recreational use and not medicinal. That’s a barrier,” Walter Jacquis said, an attendee at the event.

According to a study released in the Journal Health Affairs, in states where medical marijuana is legal, the number of prescriptions given for painkillers and other classes of drugs fell drastically comparing to states that did not have a medical-marijuana law. In the study, the average doctor in a medical marijuana state prescribed 265 fewer doses of antidepressants each year, 486 fewer doses of seizure medication, 541 fewer anti-nausea medications, and 562 fewer doses of anti-anxiety medication.

Although the question will most likely not make it on the ballot this November, Oklahomans for Health believe in the chances for the petition to be on the ballot in the June primary election in 2018, or during the general election that same year.

A group of people supporting a state question to allow the medicinal use of marijuana in Oklahoma chant during a rally at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

BUCKING BRONCHO

6

The Bucking Broncho: A. Suave Francisco @SuaveFrancisco_ Sports Editor

The past week has been nothing short of a frenzy after Colin Kaepernick’s controversial and symbolic statement he made before a preseason NFL game in Santa Clara, California, by sitting during the national anthem.

This is something Americans do not take lightly, but it is also another example of today’s America choosing to magnify and over-analyze a black man’s actions. It is especially perplexing when it is something that other professional athletes have done in the past.

Anyone remember Jackie Robinson? The baseball player and American icon that so many to this day revere?

He was also the man who wore number 42, the number every major league baseball player wears on April 15 along with some fans.

In Robinson’s 1972 autobiography titled, “I Never Had It Made,” he talked about how he made the decision that he could not “stand and sing the anthem,” nor “salute the flag.”

Kaepernick’s statement resembles Robinson’s: Robinson spoke on America’s

Colin Kaepernick’s Actions are Justified

racism: “Today, as I look back on that opening game of my first world series, I must tell you that it was Mr. Rickey’s drama and that I was only a principal actor. As I write this twenty years later, I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made.”

Sounds familiar to Kaepernick’s statement: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

This also reminds me of the multiple occasions where athletes didn’t stand for the anthem. Muhammad Ali refused to serve in the Vietnam War in 1966. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists saluting black power at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf also refused to participate in the American ritual

in 1995. Former Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player, Kendrick Perkins, chose to go to the locker room to relieve himself during the anthem as well.

There are still many racists in America, obviously. Racists that honestly believe blacks should be forever grateful for the “privilege” of not being slaves anymore.

While pondering on this topic, I thought about the people who filmed Kaepernick while he refused to stand during the anthem— better yet, every sporting event. Technically speaking, aren’t they supposed to do the same thing?

How does their profession trump this country’s rituals? As a journalist, covering the Oklahoma City Thunder games and standing about 10-feet from the players on the court, I too decided not to put my hand over my heart as well. Am I also at fault?

My point is that all of these things are ritualistic. They are things that people do but don’t have to do if they don’t want to; this is a country of free speech and expression.

That is exactly what Kaepernick did. Someone may argue that, in return, people have the right to subsequently bash him for what he did.

That is true as well, but before you

In this Nov. 8, 2015, file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sits on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Santa Clara, Calif. A northern Nevada airport is getting an earful about a decorative display that, in part, highlights Kaepernick, a treasured product of the University of Nevada’s football program who in recent days has been in the spotlight over his decision to sit down during the national anthem. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

do that, think about how America has and continues to treat blacks.

Kaepernick is a washed-up quarterback at this point, which may be what fueled such significant controversy. Would it have held more weight if he was still the superstar quarterback that San Francisco once possessed before a quick and sudden decline?

It is ironic that blacks are expected to remain civilized, protest with our words but cannot “get too emotional” about a topic because if they do, it is disrespectful. But when whites take a stand or speak their mind on a topic close to their hearts, they are simply “expressing what they believe in.”

Whether you want to admit it or not, this country was built on racism and slavery. The author of “The StarSpangled Banner” is Francis Scott Key, a slave owner in his time.

The third verse of “The Star-Spangled Banner” also raises some eyebrows, because it contains a couple of lines where one may believe slavery is mentioned.

The two lines are as follows: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”

These lines were penned by Key on Sept. 13, 1814. If written today, it may mean something entirely different, but 200 years ago slavery was widely accepted and also the driving force in America’s early economy.

How could you look at these two lines and think Key meant something different?

Nevertheless, Kaepernick is a very bold man and although I would’ve at least stood up for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” his stance is respected and understood.

Knowing the history of America and the current situation at hand, with blacks, still in 2016, being unjustly slaughtered by men in uniform, try to understand where Kaepernick is coming from.

Remove yourself and your bias for this country for a few moments and view it as a black person in America that has been racially profiled, or treated unfairly because of color.

View it as Trayvon Martin’s family, Mike Brown’s family or someone who’s lost a member of their family because they “appeared” to be a threat for whatever the reason.

Don’t blame Kaepernick for what he did. Realize what he did, then agree or disagree and move on.

UCO FOOTBALL

BronchoUCO Football: Loses Season Opener Against Lindenwood

7

Ike Wilcots

@ikewilcots Sports Reporter

Coach Nick Bobeck and the University of Central Oklahoma Football team traveled up to St. Charles, Missouri Thursday night, where they faced off against the Lindenwood Lions and lost 49-26.

UCO came into the game ranked sixth in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll, while Lindenwood came into Thursday night's competition ranked ninth in the conference.

The Bronchos started off the night with a field goal on their first drive from senior star kicker Seth Hiddink and a 9-yard touchdown run from UCO's junior running back Jake Gandara.

Lindenwood sophomore quarterback Mason Bendigo threw for two touchdowns in the first half while the Bronchos a pair of touchdowns and a pair field goals, giving UCO a 20-13 lead by halftime.

Coming from the break, Lindenwood took over the game. Ben-

digo started the resurgence for the Lions with a 1-yard touchdown of his own at the beginning of the third quarter.

Later in the third, UCO seemed to not have an answer defensively for Bendigo, as he threw a 30-yard touchdown to the Lion's junior running back Kendall Sparks.

Lindenwood's defense gained momentum off of the offense's success as senior defensive back Bakakari Triggs scored one of his UCO kicker Seth Hiddink, 36, kicks the ball off to start the first game of the season on two interceptions for a touchSept. 1, 2016.The Bronchos lost to Lindenwood University 26-49. (Photo provided by down.

Carly Friscoe, The Legacy).

Triggs' first was a 45-yard inter23-yard run.

Senior quarterback T.J. Eckert ception for a touchdown helping The Lion's sophomore defensive dominated in the air with 424 the Lion's go up big at the end back Ben Jackson returned the passing yards for the game, but of the third 34-20. Lindenwood Bronchos' blocked PAT for a 98outscored the Bronchos 21-0 in threw four costly interceptions, yard touchdown making the score two of them returned for touchthe third.

42-26. downs.

The fourth quarter was no difWith under three minutes left ferent. The Lion's continued their The UCO Bronchos (0-1, 0-1) in the game, Triggs capped off the will face off against the Pittsburg dominance on both sides of the ‘’ for the Lions with his secball. Their junior running back T:9.75night State Gorillas (0-1, 0-1) Thursday Shakeem Wharton scored the first ond interception for a touchdown Sept. 8 for their home opener at 7 returning it for 60-yards. touchdown of the quarter with a p.m. in Wantland Stadium.

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