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Campus Quotes
Art
Student Life
Fantasy Football
How are students getting involved in campus events this semester?
The ‘Language of Drawing’ will be A university health insurance plan Sports Editor Chris Wescott finally spoken at UCO’s exhibit of A.D. hopes to keep students covered enters the addictive, cutthroat Donovan’s work on Sept. 9. through college. world of fantasy sports.
SEPT. 9, 2010 uco360.com twitter.com/uco360
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.
SEXT, SEXT, SEXT ARMY WORKOUT ROTC
By Brittany Dalton / Contributing Writer
P H OTO BY K AT H L EEN WEL L S
GETS THE BOOT
With technology advancing in leaps and bounds, communication is faster and easier than ever before. Instant communication is possible through such means as texting, webcams and instant messaging. However, this growth has lent itself to a phenomenon that is causing both families and lawmakers to take a closer look: “sexting.” Sexting is defined by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as “youth taking sexually explicit photos of themselves or others in their peer group, and transmitting those photos to their peers.” The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a nonprofit organization funded by Congress and working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice. According to a 2009 survey by Cox Communications, one out of every five teens has sent, received or forwarded these images. Of those surveyed, sixty percent said they sent the photos to a boyfriend or girlfriend. “What young people need to understand is that cell phones aren’t like Vegas. What happens on them
UCO ROTC students spent Wednesday preparing for military fitness exams, which are evolving for new troops.
New military fitness guidelines set sites on minimizing injury and maximizing results for new recruits By Ryan Costello / Senior Staff Writer It turns out that hours of Call of Duty and Mountain Dew do not a soldier make. As America’s ever-expanding obesity issue assaults the collective waistbands of youths across the board, military recruits are beginning to show significant declines in physical fitness, and drill sergeants are being forced to adjust. Since the release of a report by retired generals and admirals entitled “Too Fat to Fight” earlier this year, the training regiments in boot camp have changed. And according to the report, they changed for good reason. In 2000, the percentage of male recruits that failed Army fitness tests at one major training base was just four percent. In 2006, the number at the same facility had increased five-fold to 20 percent. The same percentages were also higher for women. In 2002, another major center reported just three stress fractures of the pubic bone, but just last year, the number at the same camp had ballooned to 39. The report asserts the causes are not enough weight-bearing exercise and a diet primarily
doesn’t always stay on them,” Tim Woods said. Woods is the Coordinator of Health Education for UCO’s Wellness Center. In June 2009, Senate Bill 1020 was signed into law. The bill toughened laws on the transmission of child pornography via the Internet. Shortly after the bill’s passage, Rep. Anastasia Pittman (D- Oklahoma City) requested a study over the practice of sexting. But what does the bill have to do with sexting? And with no across-the-board definition of sexting, where would sexting fall in the prosecution process? The Supreme Court defines child pornography as “any visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually suggestive poses or acts.” Federal regulations on child pornography go a step further, stating “the production, distribution, possession or selling” of these images is a felony offense. According to federal law, “the consumption of child pornography can lead to a maximum of five years in federal prison, whereas distribution has a maximum penalty of 15 years.” In January 2009, six Pennsylvania teens were arrested for sexting, and prosecuted on child pornography charges. The three females were charged with production, while the three males were charged with possession. In the absence of uniform state legislation to address sexting’s role in regards to child pornography, states enact their own policies. Some states, such as Rhode Island, Mississippi, Ohio and Kentucky are attempting to prohibit the practice altogether. However, Ohio is the only of these states to pass the legislation. Other states attempt to define sexting as an offense; Florida’s attempts to do so died in committee, though South Carolina’s were successful. Other states such as New York and New Jersey succeeded in passing legislation that would promote education as a means of preventing sexting. But the question still raised by many lawmakers is the issue of how to prosecute sexters, or whether they should be prosecuted at all. In the state of Oklahoma, legislation has been introduced to specifically
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WEATHER TODAY
H 87° L 72°
9/11 Anniversary
NINE YEARS LATER, UCO STILL REMEMBERS
TOMORROW H91° L 72°
More weather at www.uco360.com More weather at www.uco360.com
DID YOU KNOW? About 85 percent of the plant life on the Earth is in the ocean.
The 9/11 service project, an idea that began as a student initiative, is now going into its ninth year. The UCO Volunteer and Service Learning Center now sponsor the event, and this year will facilitate approximately 400 volunteers giving back to their community and firefighters. The event is sponsored by the VSLC, but director Lyndsay Holder said that the service project is “planned and organized by the freshman class of the President’s Leadership Council.” Freshman Jillian Goodman, secondary social studies education major, is one of the students in the President’s Leadership Council (PLC) who has taken the charge to plan the event. “We’ve been working on the event since July 24. We had our PLC retreat and picked who we wanted to head it up, and we got started.” The event does hit a little close to home for some members of PLC. Chelsey Herbster is another member of the PLC who has served a large role
P H OTO BY T H E VIS TA
By Cody Bromley / Staff Writer
Every year about 200-250 volunteers plant nearly 3,000 flags around Broncho Lake. PLC freshmen are leading this year’s memorial efforts.
in planning this event, and her father is a firefighter in Moore. Goodman
says Herbster was quick to jump onboard once she heard about the event.
“Any chance to help firefighters, she was right there to show appreciation for firefighters,” Goodman said. Goodman also has a tie to the project; she lost a family member in the World Trade Center attacks. She says she was not very familiar with him, nor had she met him. There are three parts where people can volunteer. Early Friday morning on Sept. 10, around 200 to 250 volunteers are needed to plant nearly 3,000 flags around the perimeter of Broncho Lake. It should be noted that the number of flags surrounding is not intended to be a proportionate representation of the number of victims. The second part of the event happens later that evening. Approximately 125 students will disperse to fire stations all around the Edmond area to cook dinner for local firefighters. “I believe we have close to 15 different stations we are serving,” Goodman said. “There are 22 PLC members who are heading up stations. Some stations are larger, so
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THE VISTA
The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, semi-weekly during the academic year except exam and holiday periods, and only on Wednesdays during the summer, at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained. EDITORIALS Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO. LETTERS The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, with a maximum of 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.
‘‘
OPINION
2
SEPT 9, 2010
‘‘
CAMPUS QUOTES
How are you going to get involved on campus this semester?
RYAN BULLARD
NATALIE HOUTZ
ALICE WOLF
Sophomore-Forensic Science
Junior-Sociology & Political Science
Freshman-Graphic Design
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.
STAFF
Management
Editorial
Kory Oswald, Editor-In-Chief Jenefar DeLeon, Managing
Ryan Costello, Senior Staff Writer Jack Chancey, Staff Writer Ethan Larsh, Staff Writer A.J. Black, Staff Writer Elizabeth Hillin, Staff Writer Cody Bromley, Staff Writer Chantal Robatteux, Staff Writer Michael Collins, Sports Writer
Editor
Chris Wescott, Sports Editor Garett Fisbeck, Photo Editor Samantha Maloy, Copy Editor
Advertising Brandon Cameron Brittany Koster
Circulation
Photography Kathleen Wells Joseph Moore
“I’m an orientation leader, I help send new students through orientation and I signed up to be an ambassador, and I’m a member of Kappa Sigma.”
“I am involved in GIVE, and am secretary of the President’s Leadership Council. I’m going to be more involved in helping international students.”
“There is just so much going on, I’m just really focused on school. There is this Japanese class, JSA.”
Jack Chancey
Adviser
Graphic Design Steven Hyde
Mr. Teddy Burch
DYNIKA YOUNG
Freshman-Business, International Affairs
CLARK CRAWFORD
JIMMY VASQUEZ
Sophomore-Criminal Justice
Junior-Criminal Justice
Administrative Assistant Cartoonist
Tresa Berlemann
Prakriti Adhikari
Editorial
CUT TAX CUTS By Jack Chancey / Staff Writer No issue toes party lines like taxes. In a 1988 campaign speech George H. W. Bush set the stage for Republicans with his divisive comment, “Read my lips, no new taxes.” It was unfortunate that to fix a budget crisis, Bush had to renege on his promise to not raise taxes. Living up to his father’s words, and campaign promise, George W. Bush installed no new taxes in his terms as president. However, he did give Americans one of the largest tax cuts in the history of the U.S. Bush’s tax cut was to last 10 years, and the time has come for congress to either let the cuts expire or extend them. With elections eight weeks away, the timing for this expiration date is surely an inconvenience for Democrats who would typically be in favor of letting the tax cuts expire. The plan Obama proposes would be to let the taxes expire for the 98 percent of American’s who do not make $250,000 per household or $200,000 per individual. The White House offered this solution to insulate the middle and lower class from any new taxes during recessionary times, while making those who can afford to, cough up a few percentage points more of their hard earned dollars. The everyman is in no position to have his taxes raised. However, we cannot afford to let the wrecked federal budget to spiral out of control with deficit spending, a direct result of Bush’s $1.7 trillion tax cut. Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve Chairman and supporter of the tax cuts said to Meet the Press “Extending the cuts without making offsetting spending reductions could prove disastrous.” Unfortunately spending is not going to slow down. Ask your grandmother if she’s willing to give up her Social Security and Medicare. The very man who designed the Bush’s tax cuts, Glenn Hubbard, recently said to BusinessWeek, “The cuts have been undermined by years of deficits. Until the trajectory of spending changes, deficits are just future taxes. You’re just talking about taxes today vs. taxes tomorrow.” Republicans in Congress have said there will be no debate on whether to let the taxes expire or not. The party of “No” will only compromise as far as extending the tax cuts two years into the future, a time in which the GOP hope to control both the House and the Senate. Don Stewart, communications director for Minority Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, told the Huffington Post, “If what it takes to prevent a tax hike is to start with two years, if that’s what it takes to talk Democrats out of raising taxes that would be a good start.” Democrats have a hard decision to make at the end of this year. On one hand they’re facing a recession, which is never a good time to raise taxes, but they are also facing a wrecked budget. Like Hubbard said, deficit spending now is the equivalent to taxes in the future. Despite its weak backbone, the Democratic Party has a chance to stand up to political pressures and repeal a Bush era mistake. The children of tomorrow just simply cannot afford to pay for debt they did not accrue themselves.
“I am thinking about joining a sorority, I think its AKA, and I’m just looking for any kind of job really, computer or retail.”
“I just joined the Rugby team, “I’m in Kappa Sigma, that’s it.” and I’m still looking around.”
By Prakriti Adhikari / Cartoonist
NEWS
SEPT 9, 2010
3
Veterans
Student Groups
PHOTO BY GARET FISBECK
UCO ‘CARES’ BUDO SOCIETY TEACHES UCO STUDENTS ‘WAY OF THE SWORD’ FOR VETERANS
Wayne Stein, adviser to the Budo Society and a kendo black belt, is warming up before fighting Niegel Pickett, a UCO Senior majoring in sociology. Stein said that the greatest asset students get is stress realease from martial arts.
By Ethan Larsh / Staff Writer Students are going samurai in the University of Central Oklahoma’s established martial arts club. The Budo Society is a group of UCO students who practice ancient Japanese sword fighting. The society has been in existence for a decade. “We’ve been here for about ten years,” Wayne Stein said, adviser to the Budo Society. “It was started by some Taiwanese students.” Of the martial arts the Budo Society practices, Kendo, meaning “way of the sword,” has a more competitive nature. It is based on a hit system, in which combatants receive the winning point for hitting their opponents with a bamboo sword. Stein, who has a black belt in Kendo, discussed how the sport is played. “We have protective armor in Kendo,” Stein said. “You hit somebody, you get a point. You have three judges ranking your hit in Kendo.” Even after an opponent is struck in Kendo, the attacker may still not receive
a point if he were to show himself to be vulnerable after the attack. “The effects of the afterhit are very important,” Stein said. “You have to show power after you make the hit.” There are many advantages for students to practice with the Budo Society as opposed to other dojos. “This is an official dojo certified by the Southwest Kendo and Iaido Federation,” Stein said. “It’s full martial arts training offered free to students.” Of the styles practiced in Japan, Kendo may even be more popular than Karate. “Kendo is one of the most popular arts in Japan. They do it in middle school; they do it in high school. Lawmen are required to practice it,” Stein said. Students sharpen their skills by competing at tournaments. Fighting outside of the school dojo is a good way to practice and perfect technique. “You need to go to tournaments,” Stein said. “You need to fight someone outside your school. You need to test your skill.” When competing at tournaments, students become familiar with other martial
arts competitors from across the state. “There’s a fellowship,” Niegel Pickett, a senior majoring in sociology, said. “If you do Kendo in the state you know everybody who does Kendo in the state. You see the same faces, and they see you.” “They [UCO Budo Society Members] go to seminars and tournaments out of state and they meet people,” Stein said. “We went to Denver, Colo., in the spring. UCO has been very supportive of the club.” The Budo Society has enjoyed a diverse membership since its founding 10 years ago. “We have quite a few females that join,” Stein said. “A lot of people think that the sword is about muscles. It’s about finesse. Females learn quicker than males. There’s softness to Kendo.” Perhaps the greatest asset the Budo Society can offer students is that it allows students to alleviate their tensions. “The greatest thing that students get from it is that it relieves stress,” Stein said.
By Emily Davis / Contributing Writer One year ago, the UCO Veteran Support Alliance was gearing up for its first meeting; now they are days away from their first event, Service Member to Student: A Community Forum on Higher Education Resources. The forum will be opened by Veteran Family Network spokesman, Major Ed Pulido who is also one of the co-founders of The Folds of Honor Foundation, which supports all veterans, Beth Adele, founder and chairwoman for the UCO Veteran Support Alliance and director of Career Services at UCO, said. Following Pulido’s introduction, there will be two panels that take place. The first panel is an awareness panel that will feature students, parathletes, the Campus Awareness Response and Evaluation (C.A.R.E.) team from UCO, and psychologists. “[The panel] is about making people aware of what could be happening to these students,” Adele said. The second panel will cover resources such as GI Bill information, advisement, resumes, the Counseling Center, Stress Management Clinic, Wellness Center, Disability Support Services and more. The closing of the forum will mark the start of fundraising efforts for a Veteran’s Memorial here on campus. The idea of the memorial comes from UCO Student Association Representative, Jesse Green, said Adele. A flag will also be placed out by Broncho Lake for the remembrance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “All of this is so we can educate UCO and the external community of what these students need and educate these students and prospective students on what’s available to them,” Adele said.
“All of this is so we can educate UCO and the external community of what these students need and educate these students and prospective students on what’s available to them,” The UCO Veteran Support Alliance started when a crosscollegiate committee came together. “We started dreaming of things we wanted to do, how to support our veteran students here on campus, and lots of things came up, anything from making admissions a little bit easier for them…to providing a memorial for them and helping the faculty, staff, and community understand the challenges a veteran has when reintegrating back into higher education,” Adele said. Adele noted the difference in authority that veteran students face when coming back, or starting college for the first time. “Coming into a liberal arts environment with 18-year-olds can be a little daunting in that transition,” Adele said. The committee also came up with ways to support students with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Adele said that her passion to start this project came from her veteran students and also a veteran family member. “What student affairs does is find a need for student services and tries to provide for that need. The focus is the student and there was a definite need for focus to be on our veterans, especially with so many deployments in all of our branches here in Oklahoma,” Adele said. This organization also has student involvement thorough UCOSA representation, Adele said. For more information or to get on the list serve, email VetHERO@uco.edu The forum will be September 9 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided by the Central Oklahoma Alliance for Community Health.
Art
DONOVAN SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS THE MANY LANGUAGES OF DRAWING By Elizabeth Hillin / Staff Writer The opening reception for “The Language of Drawing: The Work of AD Donovan” exhibit is Thursday, Sept. 9, from 4-6 p.m. on the fourth floor Donna Nigh Gallery in the Nigh University Center. Galleries and Collections will host the opening reception, which will include the band “The Shining Lights” as well as an artistic performance piece. Galleries and Collections, directed by Zina Gelona, is one way for students to either display their own work or experience the work of nationally and internationally renowned artists. The “Language of Drawing” exhibit demonstrates the wide variety of approaches associated with contemporary drawing, Donovan said. AD Donovan is an Assistant Professor of Art and Coordinator of Drawing at UCO. Ms. Donovan received her bachelor’s in fine art
from Louisiana Tech University, master’s from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a postgraduate diploma in fine art from the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland-New Zealand. “I have been drawing since I could hold a crayon. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Donovan said. She was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for International Postgraduate Study. She was the recipient of grants for postgraduate research study at Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy and Bauhaus Kolleg in Berlin, Germany. Her studio practice incorporates aspects of painting, drawing and installation. Interested in the historical aspects of materials, her work is influenced by the earliest examples of drawings--pigment with binder of animal fat or resin. The lineage of drawing as an instinctual, primal experience remains a fundamental theme in her work.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight work that has expanded the definition of drawing and explored boundaries that are in line with current national and international trends,” she said about the opening of “Language of Drawing.” Donovan’s work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and internationally. When asked what her inspiration was Donovan answered, “My students and their appetite for learning inspire me.” Fall 2010 marks the first semester of the new studio area of emphasis in drawing. Students have the opportunity to focus on traditional techniques in addition to employing technology and hybrid media, such as performance, video and electronic media. The work of 11 current art students and recent graduates will be shown in “Language of Drawing.” Ashley Romano’s piece, “Corruption,” which she explains is about the decay of
knowledge will be on display. She will also be in a performance art piece opening night that will include eating paper from a ripped up book. Romano said that Donovan “pushes students to explore varieties of art.” Jennifer Waldrop will also be displaying her work, “Max and Jennifer,” for the exhibit. She says her inspiration came from feelings of apathy and frustration. She selected photos to draw from that reflected her emotions and projected the feelings into a self-portrait and portrait of her husband. The band “The Shining Lights,” comprised of UCO alumnus Nick Smith and Evan Mustard, will perform during the reception. The group recently released an EP titled “Taking the Hill” on July 29, 2010. They can be seen performing in Oklahoma as well as throughout the Midwest. The exhibit will continue through Oct. 17.
4
NEWS
SEPT 9, 2010
Associated Press
COLORADO GOVERNOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER WILDFIRE ERUPTS day and three more on Tuesday, but his own was unscathed. “It was very pocketed. Some areas were severely burned and some were not (burned) at all,� he said. Esposito, 27, who works as a bartender in Boulder, said he never felt in danger and kept clear lines of escape in view at all times.
released $5 million to fight the blaze. Between 300 and 400 firefighters were on the ground Tuesday and more were arriving, said Laura McConnell, a spokeswoman for the incident management team. Aerial tankers and helicopters dumped thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water in the fire’s path, but McConnell had no specifics.
PHOTO BY ERIC PETER ABRAMSON
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Will Esposito describes an otherworldly scene after a wildfire tore through a canyon in the Colorado foothills: Some houses in his neighborhood burning while others stood intact, a propane tank shooting flames into the sky, and an eerie quiet interrupted only by firefighting helicopters and airplanes. “There was something majestic and beautiful about it, although it’s terrible that some people lost their homes,� Esposito said after he took a clandestine tour on Tuesday. The 11-square-mile blaze had destroyed at least 92 structures and damaged at least eight others by Tuesday night, Boulder County sheriff’s Cmdr. Rick Brough said. A partial list of property destroyed contained the addresses of 53 homes on a government website Tuesday night. The list was based on a survey of only 5 to 10 percent of the burned area. No injuries have been reported since the fire broke out on Monday. Officials say the cause is still under investigation. Authorities said about 3,500 people have been evacuated from about 1,000 homes. Esposito said deputies told him to leave at about 4 p.m. Monday, but he stayed behind to watch, finally driving to Boulder at about 9 p.m. “It was very desolate. Everybody cleared out,� he said. “No one was around at all.� On Tuesday, state troopers blocked roads leading into the evacuation area, letting only firefighters in. Esposito — frustrated by the scant information officials have offered about the destruction — took his mountain bike to a trailhead and rode back in to his neighborhood to see for himself. “It sends chills through your body a little bit,� he said of the scene. Esposito saw three homes burning on Mon-
A line of buses are destroyed after a wild fire passed through Gold Hill, Colo. on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010.Gov. Bill Ritter offically declared a state of emergency Tuesday.
“I never felt foolhardy,� he said. Gov. Bill Ritter, who declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, pleaded with residents to be patient and not try to get back into the area until firefighters tell them it’s safe. Brough said that could be two days away. “It’s important right now for people who have been evacuated to just be patient. This is a very volatile situation,� the governor said after touring the area. His disaster declaration
Crews managed to save the historic town of Gold Hill, including an Old West grocery store and structures once used for stagecoach stops. Though westerly dry winds that spread the blaze Monday had eased Tuesday, authorities would not say whether fire lines had been established or speak about the prospect of containing the fire. “There’s no information about anything. ...
I am so frustrated,� said Ronda Plywaski, who fled her home with her husband and their two German shepherds and spent the night at an evacuation center at the University of Colorado. “I just want to know if my house is OK.� Authorities were trying to figure out what caused a failure in an alert system designed to automatically call the homes of residents under evacuation orders. Officials said the system successfully sent out eight rounds of calls but failed on two. Barb Halpin, a Boulder County spokeswoman, said the failures happened later in the afternoon when other areas outside the immediate vicinity of the fire were being alerted. “It’s unfortunate that those callouts failed,� Halpin said. “We don’t know the reason. Obviously, we’re investigating,� she said. Halpin said that sheriff’s deputies went to the areas where the notifications failed to knock on people’s doors and tell them to evacuate. Residents gathered Tuesday at a mountain overlook to watch the yellowish-brown haze. One of them, Kirk Parker, sipped a beer on the tailgate of his Nissan pickup and spotted the roof of his home with binoculars. It wasn’t on fire. “I think we’re safe,� Parker said. David Myers started hearing from people Tuesday afternoon that they think his house was destroyed. He said while he’s sure he will experience “a varied level of emotions� about losing it, he remembers how he felt when fleeing the wildfire. “All that really matters to us was my wife and I getting each other, getting the dogs, and getting out of there,� Myers said. “We grabbed a couple of things, but when we look around, and we go, ‘What should I take?’ it all seems pretty irrelevant.�
Associated Press
PHOTO BY BINSAR BAKKARA
QUAKES, TSUNAMI LEAD TO 36K DEAD IN INDONESIA
Catering ★★★★★
Villagers who flee their homes on the slope of erupting Mount Sinabung rest at a temporary shelter in Tanah Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 3, 2010.
An Indonesian volcano shot black ash three miles (5,000 meters) into the air early Tuesday — its most powerful eruption since springing back to life after four centuries of dormancy. The force of Mount Sinabung’s explosion could be felt five miles (eight kilometers) away. “This one was really terrifying,� said Anissa Siregar, 30, as she and her two sleepy children arrived by truck at an emergency shelter near the base, adding that the whole mountain shook violently for at least three minutes. “It just keeps getting worse.� The volcano in North Sumatra province erupted last week for the first time since 1600, catching many scientists off guard. With more than 129 active volcanoes to watch, local vulcanologists had failed to monitor it for rising magma, slight uplifts in land and other signs of seismic activity. There are fears that current activity could foreshadow a much more destructive explosion in the next few weeks or months, though it is possible, too, that the mountain will go back to sleep after letting off steam. More than 30,000 people living along the volcano’s fertile slopes have been relocated to cramped refugee camps, mosques and churches in nearby villages. But some — like Siregar, the mother who fled with her children — have insisted on returning to the danger zone to check on their homes and their dust covered crops.
The government sent trucks to the mountain before Tuesday’s eruption to help carry them back to safety. Surono, who heads the nation’s volcano alert center, said intensity at the mountain is clearly increasing. There were more than 80 volcanic earthquakes in the 24-hour lead up to the blast, compared to 50 on Friday, when ash and debris shot nearly two miles (3,000 meters) into the air. The eruption early Tuesday occurred just after midnight during a torrential downpour. Witnesses said volcanic ash and mud oozed down the mountain’s slopes, flooding into abandoned homes. Indonesia is a seismically charged region because of its location on the so-called “Ring of Fire� — a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia. It has recorded some of the largest eruptions in history. The 1815 explosion of Mount Tambora buried the inhabitants of Sumbawa Island under searing ash, gas and rock, killing an estimated 88,000 people. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa could be heard 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away and blackened skies region-wide for months. At least 36,000 people were killed in the blast and the tsunami that followed.
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NEWS
SEPT 9, 2010
5
Student Health
By Emily Davis / Contributing Writer Graduating from college typically means the end of health insurance coverage for most students, but for a large group of students that are past a certain age, are married or are not currently holding a full time job, not having health insurance is just as common. According to CNN News, adults ranging in age from 19 to 29 make up the largest age group of uninsured Americans. Through UCO, students no longer have to fall under that statistic. UCO offers an affordable health insurance plan that allows students to see a doctor right on campus. Jalal Daneshfar, immigration advisor and student activities coordinator for the International Office said, “Our university has contracted with Mercy Clinic…this clinic has made arrangements that when our students use this insurance to visit the Mercy Clinic at UCO, their rates are reduced and there is no co-pay.” The annual rate for a student with this plan is $542, but students may sign their spouse and children up as well at an extra cost. Students are also able to purchase this insurance by the semester. This plan helps cover students if they are
hospitalized for sickness or injury, for surgery, and accidental injury and sickness treated in the emergency room for medical emergencies. “Accidents can happen to anyone, if we are required to have insurance for our car, isn’t our life or our peace of mind worth having health insurance?” Daneshfar said. Undergraduate students need to be enrolled in nine hours to qualify, while graduate students need six hours, and graduate assistants need one hour. International students who are taking one or more hours are required to purchase this insurance if they are not covered elsewhere. The hours are different for students taking summer courses. Students that sign up for this insurance will also get additional benefits such as discounts on dental and vision, and coverage when studying abroad and traveling. “What we would like to see on our campus is when students enroll, they have the knowledge that this is provided. Right now, many students do not know. We think it should be a question asked at the time of enrollment. If more and more students register for this insurance outside of international students, the numbers go up, the rates go down,” Daneshfar said.
Art
P H OTO BY K AT H L EEN WEL L S
UCO AND MERCY KEEP STUDENTS COVERED
UCO student, Rupe Sirka, signs papers to seen by Mercy Clinic physicians. The UCO Mercy clinic is located on the first floor of the UCO Wellness Center.
Flirting or Felony?
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
WRITERS READ FOR SEXTING STUDENT LISTENERS
Rilla Askew, the UCO English Department’s Artist-in-Residence, reads selections of her new material on September 3 in Pegasus Theatre.
By Ethan Larsh / Staff Writer Renowned authors give free public readings at the University of Central Oklahoma from their published works steeped in Oklahoman and Native American history. Jerry Ellis, a creative non-fiction writer and published New York Times author, is expected to read selections from his published works tonight in the Pegasus Theater at 7 p.m. In 1989, Ellis, who is of Cherokee heritage, walked the 900-mile Cherokee Trail of Tears in reverse from Oklahoma to Alabama. He slept in forests and meadows along the eightstate trek, and spoke to strangers about the history of the Trail of Tears, recording their answers en route. He chronicled his travels in a book called Walking the Trail: One Man’s Journey along the Trail of Tears. It became a Literary Guild Book Club selection. “When you grow up in an area where an individual’s accomplishments are infamous,” Ellis said, “it rubs off on you. You are instilled with a belief that you too can do something of lasting and far-reaching value.” Ellis, who went to graduate school at UCO to study creative writing in the early seventies, has come back to share his talents with the student body and Edmond community. “His book ‘Walking the Trail was a milestone in raising awareness for the Cherokeee Nation and Oklahoma communities,” said David Macey, chair of the English Department at UCO. “I think this is a tremendous opportunity for the whole campus
Last week’s speaker gracing the podium of the Pegasus Theater on Sept. 1 was Rilla Askew, author of the award-winning book “The Mercy Seat,” who read selections of new material from an untitled manuscript. Askew, is currently serving as the UCO English Department’s Artist-in-Residence for the 2010-2011 school year, shared her expertise on writing and how to develop memorable characters after the reading. “They have to come alive,” Askew said talking about developing her characters. “I have to write for them to come alive.” Askew went on to discuss the importance of meticulous research. She stressed how essential it is for an author to immerse themselves in the world of their character and their environment. “I always have to know way more then what goes into a book,” Askew said. “I can’t write with authenticity if I don’t put in the research.” More pages are actually written than are eventually published. There is an involved editing process for Askew. “You have to make a lot more pages than actually show up in the book,” said Askew. She discussed her influences as a writer, which included William Faulkner and James Baldwin. “My first novel [The Mercy Seat] was compared to Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy,” Askew said. Askew and Ellis provide first-hand direction for students interested in pursuing careers in creative writing.
address the issue. Rep. Pittman submitted tos are viewed only by the recipient. HowHouse Bill 3321 in February 2010. HB 3321 ever, this is not always the case. Many young would prohibit engagement in sexual contact people can become victims, often after a fight with a minor, “by use of any technology...in- with their significant other, or the recipient of cluded but not limited to text messages con- the message. The recipient retaliates against taining sexual content, that include nude, the sender by forwarding the images to others. semi-nude, or erotic That is what hapimages or video.” pened to 18-year-old “What young people need to HB 3321 would Jessie Logan from understand is that cell phones Cincinatti, Ohio. Lomake this action a felaren’t like Vegas. What hap- gan had send nude ony offense, but with certain exceptions. The pens on them doesn’t always photos of herself to penalty would not apher boyfriend, who stay on them.” ply if the messages are forwarded those phoconsensual and betos to other girls after tween two minors between the ages of 14 and he and Logan broke up. 18. It also does not apply if one of the conThese images often go “viral” after the sendsenting persons is 18 or older, and the other is er and recipient break up or get into an arbetween the ages of 14 and 18. gument. What this means is that something On the Oklahoma House of Representatives meant to be kept between two people spreads Website, Pittman acknowledges the inconsis- rapidly around the school and even the city. tency in legislative attempts to lump sexting “It can be forwarded to fraternity brothers, into child pornography prosecution. the entire hockey team and even coworkers,” “Currently, the child pornography law [in Woods said. “What is private becomes pubOklahoma] reads to ‘every person’ and does lic.” not distinguish between minors. So your teenTeens may think sexting is harmless, and ager could be charged with child pornography that the dangers will not apply to them. They and given a felony conviction for sexting,” Pit- may read the stories of young girls’ suicides tman said. and dismiss them, claiming it only happens to A child pornography conviction in the state teens in other cities and other states. of Oklahoma currently holds a sentence of 10 But the consequences can hit home, and to 25 years in prison. they can be far-reaching. While the legal implications could be seri“Any action you take will have conseous if one were convicted of a felony, there are quences in six different areas,” Woods said. further effects on the people involved. “Ultimately it will affect you physically, intel“This is something that needs to be talked lectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and about, because there are major implications,” financially.” Woods said. “There are consequences to every If convicted of child pornography, an indichoice you make. Not only physically, but also vidual is required to register as a sex offender. emotionally and socially.” This registration is a weighty distinction that The emotional and social backlash can lead affects the chances of securing a job, or even to depression or ostracism, or in extreme where he or she lives. cases, lead to suicide. In September 2009, Woods advises students to think twice be13-year-old Hope Witsell of Sundance, Fla. fore sending images of any sort electronically, hanged herself after semi-nude images sent to sexual in nature or not. a boy she liked were spread around the area’s “With technology, what’s done is done. schools. Once you press send, you don’t know who is Students may believe their cell phone mes- really going to see it.” sages are private, and that their texts or pho-
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NEWS
SEPT 9, 2010 Continued from page 1
OPINION LACED
ARMY WORKOUT
WITH
FACT
BY
A.J. BLACK Watching an epic movie like “The Gladiator,” never fails to get my blood pumping with angst. I think the Romans may have been onto something with their publicly financed coliseums and awe-inspiring spectacle. The old proverbial wisdom of the ancient state was to provide the masses with bread and circuses in exchange for complacency. A quick Google search revealed that the ruling elite of the old empire found that if the working-class and lower class citizens went hungry or had too much time for politics, they could pose a threat to the social hierarchy and conservative political institutions. The act of providing frequent food, games and entertainment was actually a strategic move meant to pacify the populace and divert their attention from political issues.
It is not difficult to become sidetracked. The airwaves are jammed with more information and misinformation than any one person can digest, and no matter how we feel about it, a person has to admit that after a long day of school or work, it is easy to want to shut our minds off. I don’t know about you, but I cannot think of a more appropriate topic of discussion, following one of my favorite films and tidbit of history: the art of cheering on a scar-ridden slave, martyr or criminal fighting for freedom, with a bloodcurdling howl of exhilaration and encouragement. I imagine that spectators of the great Roman Coliseums often felt like we do today about our favorite sports teams and athletes. As we all know, Rome eventually crumbled from within, but their legacy lives on in today’s athletic and political arenas. As autumn encroaches on the fading memory of summer, the first falling leaves mark the beginning of the season for 120 yards of freshly-painted turf, the piercing shrill from a whistle, the slapping of shoulder pads, grunts, growls, and the relentless clashing of heads and helmets. Football is upon us. The beauty of sports is that they encompass the essentials of good old-fashioned clean competition, where there are observantly clear winners and losers, and that is as American as super-sized fast food value meals or Capitalism. Even though the outcome of any sporting event does not mean anything in the grand scheme of the world, it is an exciting diversion from the burden of politics and social affairs. It is true that it takes up a lot of time and attention to stay current, not only on statistics and what free agent is playing for whom, but which athlete is facing criminal charges or cheating on their spouse. It might be necessary for us to check Yahoo, Facebook and the 212 channels dedicated to delivering us the latest breaking news in sports just to hit par. It does make it easier that every restaurant, bar and hotel has at least most the televisions dedicated to some sort of athletic program. In this day and age, it is not difficult to become sidetracked. The airwaves are jammed with more information and misinformation than any one person can digest, and no matter how we feel about it, a person has to admit that after a long day of school or work, it is easy to want to shut our minds off. Sports are a significant part of our daily lives. From grade school and little league, and on into college, we have been bombarded by the need to cooperate and submit for the greater good of the team and leadership. After all, we are all in this together, and any questioning of policy or a decision can detract from the cohesiveness and continuity of the common goal of victory. Now with all that said, Go Bears! Enjoy yourself this season, watch the games, eat the food, and drink the beer, but don’t forget about the issues. You know, the things that really matter. -Light it Up, A.J. Black
consisting of sugary energy drinks and sodas but lacking severely in calcium and iron. Sgt. 1st Class Paul Jowers of UCO’s ROTC program said that the recruiting pool had become “fragile” since his early days in service. “The physical requirements we had 18 years ago were much more strenuous than they are now,” Jowers said. Even before the new physical fitness standards, the requirements to join the ranks of service had been declining from the marks expected of Jowers and his ilk. “82 pushups, 92 sit-ups, and 11:54 on the two mile,” Jowers said, rattling off the numbers as if they had been drilled into him since birth. Now, military training programs have taken on a different identity; gone are the days of endless pushups and sit-ups. Nixed too are most distance runs. The touchstones of boot camp tradition have been relieved in favor of stretching, short sprints, and military movement exercises, which train a soldier’s body to perform tasks on the battlefield. Also in are graduated exercise programs that start small and slowly add more mechanical stress to the body’s bone and muscle for gradual improvement with minimal risk for injury. All of this comes in response to dealing with a different kind of recruit. “Society plays a huge part in that,” Jowers said. “You don’t have those three square meals a day being fed to them, and no parent in their right mind is going to allow their kid to ride their bike across
P H OTO BY K AT H L EEN WEL L S
Opinion
After this year’s release of “Too Fat to Fight”, a study by retired admirals and generals, traditional boot camp excercises are being scrapped in favor of lower impact streching routines.
town [to visit some friends].” Master Sgt. Roderick Carter, also of UCO’s ROTC, says it is not just an American military problem, it is an American problem. “We are more obese as a nation. Stats prove it,” Carter said.“You hear it on TV and in articles all the time that they’re promoting more exercise and physical activity.” But perhaps it was time for a change in the physical training program. UCO’s training guide, The Standardized Physical Training Session, is one that is accepted under the military’s new program, and focuses on the same gradual progress and military motion training recommended by military brass.
“Maybe the old method was obsolete,” Carter said. “When I was in Iraq, it took a little while to get used to the weight [of the equipment],” Jowers said. “Instead of pushing 300 pounds [on the bench press right away], we’re starting them at 90 to get them that muscle memory. From there, the sky’s the limit.” In theory, the new practicum for training is ideal for the new soldier.“If you work the body the way you work in the field, you’ll be better for it,” Jowers said. But the jury is still out. “There’re advantages and disadvantages to it. Until I see the new system and how it plays out, we won’t know if it’s a good thing.”
Campus
HALL OF FAMER SPEAKS ON CAMPUS chuckle. She did eventually get to go to a prison riot, although she said it was the least dangerous story she had ever covered. Later in Henry’s career, she was assigned the corrections beat. She said she remembered shrill whistles coming from inmates as she walked through a prison for the first time, edging closer and closer to the warden nearly knocking him over. Eventually she got used to it and said she could go anywhere in the Oklahoma prisons. When she tried to do a story in a Texas prison where they did executions, she
“I cleaned up the language in newsrooms across Oklahoma City.”
Pam Henry was inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame this past April. The Hall of Fame is located on the third floor of the NUC.
By Jessica Bruha / Contributing Writer Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame honoree, Pam Henry, spoke to mass communications students about her journey through her broadcasting career on Thursday, Sept. 2 in the Center for Transformative Learning. “I want everyone to know I was in the news business,” she said, while showing off her jacket designed to look like a newspaper. Henry, 60, was the first female reporter and anchor woman in Oklahoma City. On top of her battle with sexism in the newsroom, she has endured polio since she was 14 months old. “I overcame bein’ a woman and I overcame polio,” Henry said. Henry was first introduced to the world of journalism when she was eight years old. Chosen as a poster child for the National March of Dimes, she was exposed to many broadcasters who covered the event. “That was one of the best experiences of my life,” she said.
Her boss treated her as a news professional, but some colleagues did treat her as “the girl,” she said. “We already have a black, why do we need a woman?” one colleague said when Henry was applying for a job in 1972. That was the beginning of the end of his job she said. As a woman, she figured she would have to work harder than the men, and she did, Henry said. Some people were aggressively for her, some were against her and some were neutral as they should have been, she said. Either way, Henry brought diversity to the newsroom. Another thing she contributed to was the language in newsrooms. “I cleaned up the language in newsrooms across Oklahoma City,” she said. “I would shy away from anything that I perceived as a woman’s story,” she said. Henry was assigned to cover a bake sale the day of a significant prison riot, something she was not very pleased about. “But you take the story you’re given, and of course I’ve been grumbling about that for 30 years now,” she said with a
was told they do not allow women to go through their prisons. “I thought, I’ve been running rampant in Oklahoma prisons for two years now,” Henry said. After being denied, she said she acted like a real hardened journalist. “I ran to the bathroom and cried, I had never been that frustrated in my life,” she said. Henry said the worst mistake she made was getting married and following her husband to Washington where she strayed from her love of broadcasting. She took a public relations job in Virginia working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which she thought was fascinating. “Everything you do contributes to who you are, so it’s not a mistake,” Henry said. Some advice she had for future journalists was to have a broad education and to really focus on their writing. She said that we need more journalism by journalists and not all of the opinion we have today. Also, don’t burn your bridges she said. “People can report on something and that doesn’t make them a reporter,” Henry said. “What I pray for is real journalists who believe in telling both or seven sides of the story. I think that’s what the democracy needs.”
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Senior Services of Oklahoma is looking for students to fill part time positions. Several from 9a.m.-1p.m. shifts and1:30p.m.-5:30p.m. shifts are available for Monday- Friday. We pay $10.00 per hour for energetic phone work educating senior citizens on healthcare issues. No experience is needed; We will train. Business is located at 1417 N.W. 150th St. in Edmond. Call 879-1888 to set up inter- No deductibles, premiums, view. Ask for Megan Parris. copays or waiting period. Pre-existing conditions accepted. Starting at $14.95/mo. 405.886.4553
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UCO 360 COM
Across 1. 2:00 or 3:00 5. Catalan painter Joan 9. On the safe side, at sea 13. Annoying 16. Auction cry 17. Fairy tale meanie 18. Heroin, slangily 19. “Paradise Lost” character 20. The America’s Cup trophy, e.g. 22. Absorbed, as a cost 23. Angers 25. For some time 27. Range rovers 30. Carry on 32. Armageddon 33. Fencing sword 34. ___ cross 35. Pitch adjusters 38. Bit of a draft 39. It bites 41. Morgue, for one 42. Carve 44. Cheat, slangily 45. Surefooted goat 46. “Malcolm X” director 47. “20,000 Leagues” harpooner ___ Land 48. Assignation 49. Hitchcock classic 51. Garment of Hindu women 53. “Fantasy Island” prop 54. Part of the Hindu trinity 56. Carnival attractions 59. “American ___” 61. Enriches soil 64. All there 65. In a difficult position 66. “Not to mention ...” 67. “The ___ have it” 68. Buddy
Down 1. ___ Master’s Voice 2. Crumbs 3. Protein metabolism product 4. Strong surface current 5. Acadia National Park locale 6. “___ alive!” 7. Baptism, for one 8. Type of street 9. Balaam’s mount 10. Crosstown rivalry 11. Carry away, in a way 12. Halftime lead, e.g. 14. Autocrats 15. Got bigger 21. Sleepy seeds 24. Bandy words 26. Setting for TV’s “Newhart” 27. Amerada ___ (Fortune 500 company) 28. “Beowulf,” e.g. 29. Repelling actions 31. Ill-gotten gains 34. Sylvester, to Tweety 35. Cooking meas. 36. Regrets 37. Sixth Hour 39. Eyeglasses 40. Boosts 43. Tin and lead pewter 45. Hard, brittle, silvery-white metal 47. Devotion 48. Voice lesson topic 49. Organ part 50. LP player 52. Astrological ram 53. “Mona ___” 55. Affectedly creative 57. “The Snowy Day” author ___ Jack Keats 58. The Amish, e.g. 60. “Seinfeld” uncle 62. Not just “a” 63. “___ Cried” (1962 hit)
SUDOKU Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.45)
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NEWS
SEPT. 9, 2010
9
Campus Economy
FRIENDS HELP FRIENDS SAVE WITH GROUPONS By Chantal Robatteux / Staff Writer Everything is evolving; everyone wants to be better than someone else. With this tough economy, people seem to not want to spend as much money, but businesses still want to sell and keep people coming back. Some businesses put coupons in newspapers or they hand coupons out when buying at their location. The Internet has been a big factor in today’s media and makes it easier for businesses to get the word out and to have coupons online. One company, Groupon.com, was founded in 2008 in Chicago and they are doing business all over the world, according to their press release. Andrew Mason, the founder and CEO of Groupon, said in an interview on CNN, “Everyday, for 24 hours, we have one deal for one business, restaurant, theater tickets, or a spa. There is always a minimum number of people that need to buy, as long as we hit that minimum, then all of them get it.” He added that businesses benefit because these coupons bring in new customers. People go online to groupon.com and buy these coupons cheaper than the value of the service, usually 50 to 70 percent off, and the businesses split the money with Groupon. People rediscover their cities, and get to know new businesses. “We think Groupon has taken off like it has because it is another way of a city guide,” Mason said. People don’t use it for the same things for which people usually use coupons. He explained: “They use it for ex-
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periences like skydiving; all kinds of interesting things. We think when the economy recovers, people will be even more inclined to get out of the house and it will go even better.” Fortune Magazine says Groupon is the fastest company to ever reach a billion dollars in sale in this coun-
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try’s history. “It’s really resonated and it’s really solved a problem for merchants, there’s never been such an effective way to get customers in the door. In one day we are able to bring in thousands of new customers for a small business. Historical alternatives like newspapers or ra-
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dio advertising may only get them a couple dozen. Our biggest problems are these huge waiting lists, the overwhelming demand we get from merchants. We have something like 35,000 businesses lined up just in the U.S. to be featured,” Mason said. He added that the companies look
at it like getting an amazing amount of exposure. In a city like Chicago where Groupon is based, an email goes out exclusively about the featured business to hundreds of thousands of people. “Our distribution is larger than say the Chicago Tribune. And then you’re getting new customers in the door. You might break even or make some money, but then those customers hopefully become customers for life,” he said. The reason Groupon is doing so well, Mason explained, because they keep focusing on improving the product for their customers. “We recently announced deal personalization so now in a city, two different people will get different deals depending on their gender, exact location, buying history etc. Our biggest concern from our customers [was that] our male customers would say stop sending me deals on manicure and pedicure packages, female customers would say stop sending me deals on paintball, this allows us to serve both better,” he said. The good thing about this coupon is that everybody gets something out of it. The customers are saving money, the businesses sell their services and get potential new customers and Groupon is making a profit as well. With other coupons, the businesses spend their money on the advertising, but they are not sure how many people will actually see this coupon and use it. But with Groupon, people bought the coupon, and therefore are likely to go to the business to get the most out of the money already spent.
High-Resolution PDF - PRINT READY
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two PLC members work with one station. We have volunteers that have signed up, and some stations have five volunteers and some stations with 15 volunteers. So it’s actually a large group of people that are working on this right now.” What’s on the menu? Holder said it will be a spaghetti dinner with salad, lemonade and cookies. In years past after dinner, firefighters have given students tours of their stations, trucks and even let some volunteers try on their equipment. Holder said that she knows it sounds like something a five-year-old would like, but even as college students, the volunteers still enjoy it. The final part of the service project is the Monday after the event, when volunteers will pick up all the flags around Broncho Lake to use next year. The event is funded by students’ activity fees. Holder said that just like for any other organization on campus, student activity fees
are collected into a large pool, and then divided up among the groups. Holder said the majority of the money will be used on the food for the firefighters, but that overall the event is very cost effective. Some money will go towards the purchase of new flags, but many will be ones from years past. Holder also added that next year, they plan on bringing part of the event to UCO. “This is the last year that the portion involving firemen and women will only be cooking dinner at the firehouses. Next year we’re hoping to do a cookout here on campus in addition to going to the firehouses so that firemen and women who aren’t on duty that night can come and bring their family and we can celebrate them as well.” The volunteer sign-up sheet is available in the offices of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center in NUC 212, next to the Greek Life office.
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SPORTS
SEPT. 9, 2010
11
Sports Column
THE CLICK FOR GLORY Sports Editor Chris Wescott has finally joined the ranks of fantasy sports and is beginning his first season of fantasy football. Each week Wescott will update readers on the addicting, competitive, cut-throat world of fantasy football. I hear the news that slips through the cracks. Little known fact: Spiller’s performance in the preseason and injuries to running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch have pushed this electric rookie into the starting lineup. He will be a star, and I snatched him up while I could. My next 16 rounds are un-eventful. I won’t bore you with too many details. Here are the rest of my starters:
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
By Chris Wescott / Sports Editor I’ve always been skeptical about trying fantasy football. It’s always seemed like a time consuming thing that I just wouldn’t be interested in. Don’t get me wrong, I am a football fanatic. Especially when it comes to the National Football League. But, fantasy football? I just never thought I would have the time or enjoy it enough to play. After years of being asked to join this league or that league, and watching my friends talk fantasy football non-stop, I have finally joined the ranks of fantasy players around the nation. Here we go... My first observation: This is for real. There is a legitimate draft, complete with online stats, player breakdowns and ratings. There are automated schedules with game predictions and player match ups. This is awesome. I chose the team name “Kenny Powers”. Powers is a popular character on a HBO series. Draft day arrives. Team Kenny Powers is picking third overall. Time to put my game face on. Pick one is up and down goes Chris Johnson, Running back, Tennessee Titans. Pick two goes by, Adrian Peterson, Running back, Minnesota Vikings. There is a run on rushers happening. It’s time to make a decision. Take the third best running back or go after the top quarterback on the board? Elite quarterbacks go
The World Wide Web: the virtual gridiron where people live out their fantasy football dreams.
fast, and solid rushers can be found later. But, Maurice Jones Drew is on the board... This is where fantasy football legends are made. Take a deep breath, and click “draft player” champ. It’s go time and you’re the General manager. With the third overall pick in this particular 2010 fantasy football draft, team Kenny Powers picks: Drew Brees, quarterback, New Orleans Saints. Be shocked. It’s ok. I’ll be the one with the big smirk on my face when Brees is racking up my fanta-
sy points all season long. There’s no time to pat myself on the back for such an awesome pick, my second round choice has to be a moneymaker. I don’t pick until the thirdto-last selection of round two because my league has a “snake draft” setting. With the 26th overall pick in the draft, team Kenny Powers selects: Reggie Wayne, wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts. So I just got a stud quarterback and a wide receiver who’s going to put up numbers. Not bad for my
first fantasy draft, but there’s more work to be done. This is addicting. I can see why so many people play. My next pick has to be a running back. I already decided that taking the best player available here could set me back. I also know that most of my opponents already have their feature back. So I take a chance on a rookie. With the 31st pick in the draft, I select C.J. Spiller, running back, Buffalo Bills. Disappointed? Some would be. But I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan, so
RB: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles RB: Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins WR: Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens TE: John Carlson, Seattle Seahawks D/ST: Pittsburgh Steelers defense/special teams K: Matt Prater, Denver Broncos You may disagree or agree with my picks. That’s ok. Maybe you are an all-pro at fantasy football. But for me, the adventure is just getting started. In this once-a-week column I’ll update you on my journey through my first-ever season of fantasy football and my road to the championship.
UCO Football
By Michael Collins / Sports Writer After having this past weekend off, UCO’s football team will take on the Texans of Tarleton State University Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Wantland Stadium. Both the Bronchos and the Texans are coming off week 1one losses, and both are coming into this game trying to get their season back on track. Tarleton State lost 3123 against Northeastern State last Thursday. Not since 2006 had the Texans lost their first game of the season. The Broncho defense will be in for quite a battle, The Texans had 463 total yards last week in the loss. They were unable to capitalize on multiple occasions which ended up costing them the game. The player to watch for the Texans will be their standout wide receiver Jeken Frye. He tallied 11 catches and 215 yards last week. The Texans also have a former North Texas, player at tailback; he gained 76 yards on 16 carries. Guys like Turner Troup and Tucker Cason are going to have their hands full this week. Fans who were bored with last week’s run-happy Pitt State team, will have their eyes in the sky this week, both teams chuck the pigskin around a lot. For the Bronchos, the big question coming into this game will most certainly be how will the quarterback(s) play? From player accounts of practices and film study, it looks like Ethan Sharp is still the starting quarterback. After tossing four interceptions in week one, there were plenty of fans clamoring for a change at the position. But in all fairness, two of his picks last week were not necessarily his fault, and his mechanics looked great all night. The other quarterback who played last week, Carter Whitson,
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
BRONCHOS HOST TEXANS SATURDAY
The UCO football fans came out in full force for the Bronchos’ home opener against Pittsburg State two weeks ago. UCO lost the game 31-20 despite having a lead in the fourth quarter. The Bronchos (0-1) take on the Tarleton State Texans (0-1) this Saturday at Wantland Stadium in Edmond, Okla. Kick off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
seemed to have changed back to his position he played at the University of Oklahoma, wide receiver. This would leave Landon Greve, who doubles at the punter and Brett Maxie as the only backups. If quarterback is the question, then maybe the running back is the answer. Josh Birmingham averaged 7.4 yards a carry, on his way to 112 yards on only 15 carries. The philosophy around college football these days seems to be “let the pass open up the run.” If the quarterbacks continue to struggle, the philosophy might be “ground and pound baby.” If the quarterbacks
can just “manage” the game, Birmingham should be able to bring home the win. Putting all the questions on the offense and defense aside, this game Saturday will be a chance for a little payback. Last season, the Bronchos had a seven-point first half lead on the Texans and let it slip away, so they ended up losing 35-17. After scoring only seven points in the first half the Texans erupted in the second half to down the Bronchos. Sound familiar from last week’s game? This week is a chance for the Bronchos to prove they are wor-
thy of being one of the top teams in Division II football. Honestly, this is a chance to gain their rightful spot among our own states small school rankings. Last week, the Daily Oklahoma ranked Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and Langston University ahead of the Bronchos. Both of those schools belong to the Central States Football League in the NAIA division. The rankings mean nothing, but if the Bronchos ever hope to start reeling in some top recruits, their going to have to prove after OU, OSU, and Tulsa, they are the best team in the state.
Both teams gave up 31 points in their opening losses, so neither defense has proved they can stop anybody yet. With both teams airing it out, look for a high scoring game. If the Bronchos with the plus and minus in the turnover game, they should win. The coaching staff and players are more talented than the Texans, but if Sharp keeps throwing to the wrong team, it could be another long day/season for the Bronchos
SPORTS
SEPT. 9, 2010
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UCO Football
By Trey Hunter / Contributing Writer UCO’s football team has a superstar in the making at running back this season. Josh Birmingham, the redshirt freshman out of Luther, proved two Saturdays ago that his abilities on the field can help an offense click. In the Aug. 28 opener against the Pittsburgh State Gorillas, Birmingham showed off his amazing ability to cut through a defense. He carried the ball 15 times and gained 111 yards in an offense that is built more around passing rather than rushing. He also showed off his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, gaining 63 yards on seven receptions with a 28-yard-touchdown on a swing pass from quarterback Ethan Sharp. The Bronchos lost the game 31-20, but found their running back for the future in Birmingham. “His ability to quickly change direction and accelerate is special. He just has that special move that you don’t see very often,” head coach Tracy Holland said. His work ethic off of the field has led him to become the player he is on the field. “We call him the old-fashioned lunch pail guy. He brings his lunch, comes to work and gets better,” Holland said about his featured back. “He doesn’t get caught up in all of the hype or all of the issues, and to me that’s what a separates the good players from great ones.”
With all of the talent Birmingham possesses, he is still a running back in the spread offense. His touches are not going to be as many as a running back in an offense that lines up under center and likes to pound the ball. The challenge is to find a way to get one of the best players on the field the ball. The Bronchos had success at getting Birmingham touches against Pittsburgh State, but could have had more if it were not for numerous turnovers. The 28-yard touchdown reception from Sharp was on a swing pass, which seemed to help get the offense going. “Whether Josh gets the ball or not, he’s still going to be a guy the defenses are going to have to plan for,” Holland said. “The real challenge is trying to stop him in our offense. We can either hand the ball off to him or throw it to him on a swing pass, and when going another direction, defensive guys still have to key on him.” The key factor with running backs in spread systems is touches. The more touches the guy can get in open space, the more productive he can be. Half-back draw, spring-option, playaction and swing passes are ways that most coaches like to get the defense to key on the running back. Birmingham makes it tough on any defense to figure out what is going on. If they hand it off, it takes more than one guy flying to the ball to bring him down, which
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
OLD SCHOOL EFFORT, NEW SCHOOL MOVES
Josh Birmingham (21) runs between the tackles in a 31-20 loss to Pittsburg State in the UCO home opener. Birmingham finished the game with 111 rush yards.
opens up the passing game where he can still hurt opponents by catching the ball out of the backfield. The Bronchos could be using more plays to get Birmingham the ball after his performance
in the season opener. Whether it is on a swing pass or on a half-back draw, his pure talent is good enough to help carry an offense, and with plenty of football yet to be played, the Bronchos are looking forward to seeing it.
UCO Soccer
Sep 03, 2010 Nebraska-Omaha Goals by period: 1 2 Total 1 1 0 Nebraska-Omaha Sep 05, 2010 Central Oklahoma 1 2 Goals by period: 1 Truman State Central Oklahoma
Truman State 1 2 Total 2 2 0 1 0 1
PHOTO BY GARETT FISBECK
LADY BRONCHOS SPLIT WEEKEND’S GAMES
Not feeling well?
Your roommate can’t make your mom’s soup. That chem test doesn’t care if you’re running a fever. Stop by the Mercy Clinic at UCO. We’re not your mama, but we’ll help you get better.
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Junior Ashton Morris (10) fights for the ball in a 2-1 UCO victory against the University of Nebraska at Omaha last Friday in their home opener. UCO is 1-1 on the season.
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