Volume 119, Issue 26
the
VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, April 26, 2022
UCO faces Title IX case International student says she was sexually assaulted by a fellow student in the university’s second active investigation
Ainsley Martinez Managing Editor
An international student filed a Title IX complaint against UCO in March after claiming another international student drugged and sexually assaulted her a year prior, resulting in her having to defer her graduation and apply for a new, more restrictive visa. The plaintiff and defendant are identified in the complaint as Jane Roe and John Doe, pseudonyms that protect their identities. Roe “prays for damages; cost; interest; statutory/civil penalties according to law” and other relief as the court deems appropriate, according to court documents. In court documents, she said her decline in mental health and educa-
tional performance occurred after the incident caused her to defer her graduation to 2024. She was expected to graduate this year. The plaintiff ’s student visa will expire prior to her graduation, requiring her to apply for a U-Visa, a visa for victims of criminal activity. However, under this visa she may not leave the country to visit her family. Roe and a professor contacted the UCO Title IX office twice during March, but said she never received a meeting. UCO admits in court documents that they responded to the incident two months after it was filed. The plaintiff was “uncertain whether she wanted to pursue criminal charges,” but reported the incident to the UCO police department where she was redirected to the Edmond Po-
lice Department, according to court documents. Roe then took a sexual assault medical forensic examination through the police department. While having dinner at her apartment, Roe said Doe drugged her and “placed his penis in her mouth, ejaculated on her chest and stomach, and digitally penetrated her vagina,” as stated in court documents. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, “among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.” This is the university’s second formal Title IX investigation, said Title IX Coordinator Erin Logan. Logan said she wants to open up the curtain on the Title IX process.
“Because there’s so much we can’t talk about, I want to really talk about the things that we can talk about,” Logan said. “The conversation is a lot broader than sexual assault. So really educating campus on how we ensure gender equity on our campus is going to be a hot topic moving forward.” She said the university is increasing their partnerships and programs to improve the process. As the coordinator, Logan said she wants every procedure to be fair and equitable. “Somebody is not going to get the outcome that they want in this process, but I don’t want it to be because their voice was muffled in some way or we went forward with a process that wasn’t the right process because it wasn’t properly explained. That’s not how I operate,” Logan said.
Poet zooms to UCO for reading event Cameron Foral
Contributing Writer
The UCO College of Education and Professional Studies will host a poetry reading through Zoom with poet Layli Long Soldier at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Though the event will be virtual, both UCO students and the Edmond community are invited to attend. Soldier will conduct a live reading of several of her poems throughout the event. “The event is open to anyone,” said Wendy Barnes, the organizer for the event, “We hope a lot of UCO students will attend, but they can certainly invite friends, family, or anyone they would like to join us. She will read poems and, if there is time, we will conduct a Q and A.” The College of Education has hosted several poets throughout UCO’s history. Barnes, the visiting poet in residence for UCO, is new to the position. This is her first year organizing poetry Poet, writer and artist Layli Long Soldier attends the 68th National Book Awards at Ci- readings for the community. “I chose Layli Long Soldier because priani Wall Street on November 15, 2017 in New York City. Soldier will host a poetry reading through Zoom. Soldier will conduct a live reading of several of her poems she is simply one of my favorite pothroughout the event. (Gary Gershoff/WireImage) ets, and to my mind, one of our best
American poets.” Barnes said. “I think her formal innovation is masterful, and her book ‘Whereas’ is a book that I teach to undergraduate and graduate students in poetry. The book’s social and political concerns are also incredibly relevant. Whereas directly addresses the bureaucratic language the U.S. government uses in official apologies to and treaties with Native Americans, pointing to its inadequacies, hypocrisies, and the ways it is used to further inscribe its power onto Native people and their cultures,” said Barnes. The university has seen a lineup of prominent poets reading their work to students, such as U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. With this history, some wonder where the department of education will go next with these events into the future. “I am the visiting poet in residence, so this is my first year organizing guest readers at UCO, though I have been involved in organizing readings elsewhere. As I understand it, the frequency of readers varies, and that has Continued on Pg. 3
2 | The Vista
April 26, 2022
Around Campus
are somehow responsible. Tuesday, April 26, 2022 Baseball: Bronchos compete against East Central University at 5 p.m. at Wendell Simmons Field. COVID-19 Testing: IMMY Labs is offering free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing at 312 E. Main St. in Edmond from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Panel Discussion: The War in Ukraine and the Future of Global Politics: Beginning at 6 p.m. in Liberal Arts North Wing 228, a panel of faculty from UCO’s department of political science will examine how the war in Ukraine is changing global politics, and what these changes bode for the future. “What Were You Wearing?” Exhibition: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Melton Gallery, this art installation that bears witness to the experiences of sexual assault survivors while attempting to dispel the victim-blaming myth that clothing is the cause of sexual assault or that survivors of sexual assault
at Buddy’s Lawn, the Japanese mons Field. Student Association at UCO is Wednesday, April 27, 2022 sharing all about Japanese cul- Masterworks Concert: Beginture. Food, drinks, and cultural Broncho Sunrise Wellness performances will be provided. ning at 7:30 p.m. in the Mitchell Hall Theatre, the UCO School Yoga: From 8 to 9 a.m. under Senior Capstone Exhibithe Blue Tent next to Broncho of Music is presenting their anLake, join the UCO Peer Health tion: From 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Leaders for a refreshing mid- the Melton Gallery, studio art nual year-end concert. week yoga flow. Yoga mats will majors will present their thesis work for the completion of be available. Sunday, May 1, 2022 their degree. Refreshments will COVID-19 Testing: IMMY be served. Labs is offering free, drive-thBaseball: Bronchos compete Friday, April 29, 2022 ru COVID-19 testing at 312 against Emporia State UniverE. Main St. in Edmond from 7 Baseball: Bronchos take on sity at 1 p.m. at Wendell Sima.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Emporia State University at 6 mons Field. Poetry Reading with Layli p.m. at Wendell Simmons Field. Long Soldier: Beginning at 6 p.m. via Zoom, the UCO De- COVID-19 Testing: IMMY COVID-19 Testing: IMMY partment of English presents Labs is offering free, drive-th- Labs is offering free, drive-than evening of poems with Lay- ru COVID-19 testing at 312 E. ru COVID-19 testing at 312 E. li Long Soldier, winner of the Main St. in Edmond from 7 to Main St. in Edmond from 11 National Book Critics Circle 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. award for her volume of poems a.m. to 5 p.m. "Whereas." Register at go.uco. The Wise Guys: This performance begins at 8 p.m. at the edu/layli. Monday, May 2, 2022 Jazz Lab, located at 100 E Fifth St. in Edmond. Tickets are $20 Thursday, April 28, 2022 and can be purchased by calling COVID-19 Testing: IMMY COVID-19 Testing: IMMY (405) 974-2100. Labs is offering free, drive-thLabs is offering free, drive-thSaturday, April 30, 2022 ru COVID-19 testing at 312 ru COVID-19 testing at 312 E. Main St. in Edmond from 7 E. Main St. in Edmond from 7 Baseball: Bronchos compete a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. against Emporia State Univer- a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Japan Night: From 5 to 9 p.m. sity at 3 p.m. at Wendell Sim-
To submit events for next week’s Around Campus, please email thevista@ucentralmedia.com. Include the title of your event, time and place, and a brief description. Descriptions are subject to editing.
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VISTA
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Madalyn Nix Ainsley Martinez Brandon Dale Sam Royka Graycee Hubbard Sierra Perkins Manuela Soldi Logan Gassett Cameron Foral Jamie Hammock Tyler Loersch Tyler Whitehead George Lang
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EDITORIALS
Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO.
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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 thevista@ucentralmedia.com.
The Vista | 3
April 26, 2022
Starbucks/Goulding/Poetry
Local Starbucks locations vote to unionize Logan Gassett
Contributing Writer
Starbucks employees at various locations across the country are voting on whether they want their stores to unionize through partnership with Workers United. The decision is made per location based on the total number of votes by Starbucks employees. If the votes to form a union outnumber those who are against it, each employee will be represented by a union. From there, a negotiation begins for better benefits, wages, and a working environment. The union movement began in December 2021 in Buffalo, New York, the first store to unionize. Two more neighboring Starbucks locations voted next for the movement but only one had enough affirmative votes to proceed. Dori Davis, a barista from an Oklahoma City store, said she plans on voting “no” for her store to be unionized. “Maybe my perspective would be different if this was my sole income…I think I’m being paid well to make coffee,” Davis said. “But sure there’s more to it.” Because of the cost of the unionization, Davis is expecting Starbucks to put an extra fee on their products. Workers United created a website message on why it is choosing to rep-
Soldier reads work for UCO students Continued from Pg. 1
a lot to do with budget constraints. UCO has hosted some amazing poets in the past, like our National Poet Laureate and Oklahoman Joy Harjo and Ruth Lilly Fellowship and Kate Tufts Discovery Award winner Danez Smith. I hope that next year brings even more guest readers to the school because it is a wonderful opportunity for the University community to be exposed to these important artists,” Barnes said. The campus will be able to continue attending these poetry readings with different poets thanks to Barnes and the team’s work. To read Soldier’s work to prepare for the live reading, please visit www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/layli-long-soldier. For those wishing to attend the event, make sure to register before Wednesday at go.uco.
resent Starbucks employees, saying “We are partners representing partners.” Starbucks released a rebuttal statement on a new website to its employees, customers, and other staff where it clarified and explained its stance. The company added why it is asking its employees to vote against the partnership with Workers United. “We don’t believe having a union will meaningfully change or solve the problems you’ve identified in your stores,” said the statement. “We know we aren’t perfect, but we believe our challenges are best addressed by working together.” “I believe all the stores are going through Workers United to unionize and Starbucks actually just filed a lawsuit against them earlier today,” said Sean Cauthon, a shift supervisor from an Oklahoma City location. He also said that over 200 stores have filed to have an election but only 20-30 have won their elections so far.” “That’s the part where we’re in right now, filling out cards to show that the store is interested in unionizing and then once we turn in our cards and publish our letter, then the labor ward will set a date for the election,” Cauthon said. To find out more information about the unionization, visit one.starbucks. com. To learn more about Workers (The Vista/Logan Gassett) United, visit sbworkersunited.org.
UCO professor says ‘focus on growth’ Sam Royka Reporter
In light of recent events regarding the university’s budget and faculty cuts, The Vista spoke to Dr. Marc Goulding, professor of history at UCO and former president of UCO’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, about what the university’s administration should focus on moving forward. “Invest in the future of the institution, invest in the future of our students. Focus on more than that. Focus on growth,” said Goulding when asked what he would encourage of UCO’s administration. “It’s very clear that we have a lot of dedicated and super-savvy students,” he said. Goulding emphasized the importance of university employees to students. “Ultimately, whether I work in academic affairs or whether I work in, you know, the president’s office, we’re here for you. That’s our central role,” he said. “Faculty welfare is student welfare,” Goulding said. “When we think of faculty welfare, ultimately, we’re thinking of the reason why we’re here. The reason why we have academic freedom, the reason why we have secure and stable employment, is to offer you what we can,” he said. “Listen to students,” he said, as students are “ultimately in the short term fighting for us,” meaning faculty and staff.
He continued. “In the long term, we would say students are fighting for all of us and the health and wellbeing of the institution,” Goulding said. Earlier this month, UCO students participated in peaceful protests regarding the proposed faculty cuts, which are said to not be announced until after April 29. Students marched to UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar’s office on April 6 to voice their concerns about recent decisions being made by the administration. “Students are like anybody else. Most all students I’ve met in my nine years here are pretty straight up people and want the best for the institution, want the best for, you know, their peers, their colleagues. And that’s what we want. To work together. You know, I think we’re fairly formidable together, frankly,” he said.
4 | The Vista
Brandon Dale
April 26, 2022
Remembering Brandon Dale The Vista’s sports editor, Brandon Dale, lost his own life to opioids. His parents now hope his story will help others in their struggles. George Lang
Coordinator of Student Publications
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a year or so before he became sports editor at The Vista, Brandon Dale was working at Iguana Mexican Grill in Automobile Alley when a homeless man came to the rear service door, hoping to get some food on an inhospitable Oklahoma City evening. “I think it was a cold night and he was hungry, a little out of it,” said Doug Dale, Brandon Dale’s father. “The people at the restaurant fed him, but Brandon went one step further. He kept him there until after work and then put him in his car, took him to the Jesus House and dropped him off. It was terrible that I said this, but I said, ‘My God, Brandon, weren’t you scared of getting COVID?’ He gave a weird look and said, ‘Well, good lord, Dad, I put a mask on him.’” Doug Dale, a retired sales and marketing professional with the biotech firm Genentech, and his wife Patti Dale, a retired special education teacher, both said that this was par for the course for Brandon, that he consistently put the needs of others above his own, even when his own needs were great. He had a support system beyond his parents and his “in real life” friends that included the many online friends he made through Thunderous Intentions, his Fansided blog covering the Oklahoma City Thunder, and his Twitter feed, @MrOKCtober. “And that makes it harder; for a good person to have left this world,” said local sportswriter Dylan Huntzinger, a friend of Dale whose podcast “Topic: Thunder” posted an episode titled “A Tribute to Brandon Dale” on April 23. He was loved and admired, but Brandon Spencer Dale, 32, was fighting a consuming war with his own body and mind, and on April 21, he died from an apparent opioid overdose. Doug Dale said he now feels compelled to tell his only son’s story. “I never did when he was alive, because I didn’t want to — I thought that was private, something personal for him, and I didn’t think it was my place,” he said. “But now that he’s gone, I think we have to. I’ve already had a couple of friends that saw that I posted something on Facebook and have reached out to me in confidence and said they’ve had children that are suffering. “And so that’s what Brandon would want, It’s a disease, and I’m totally convinced it’s a disease and I would argue with anybody that tries to say, well, it’s lack of will or anything like that. We, unfortunately, had a family history. All those things fell into place.” An epidemic comes home
Over the course of Brandon Dale’s addiction, his parents became aware of that family history, in which beloved members of both sides of his family endured substance dependencies. Growing up during an opioid epidemic magnified his own genetic predispositions. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 43% of Oklahoma’s overdose-related deaths
in 2018 involved opioids, a product of increases in the prescription of drugs such as oxycodone and the availability of black-market versions of the drug laced with the highly addictive sedative, fentanyl. Patti and Doug Dale saw a change in their son, who they believe discovered opioids at “pill parties” when he was a teenage sports and music fanatic attending Edmond Public Schools in the mid-2000s. Dale spent his childhood playing soccer and basketball, and his hoops obsession became a driving force in his life, especially when he discovered his love of journalism. He played bass in what his father described as a “garage band” called So Far Good. His family and friends saw him as a force for positivity.
Brandon with his girlfriend, Meg Sine. (Obtained/Meg Sine)
“He never was too busy for his friends,” said his girlfriend Meg Sine, an attorney with Crowe & Dunlevy. “The number of people that he talked to — you know, I wouldn’t say daily but weekly — to just check up on them, ask how they’re doing, Say, ‘You know, what are you up to this weekend?’ Even if it wasn’t a plan, making a plan. He just wanted to always check on all of his people.” Dale could be the brightest light in the room, but when he was using, he could also be a source of heartbreaking darkness. “And that’s what was so tough when he was actively in addiction,” Doug Dale said. “It was almost like an invisible shield, like on ‘Star Trek’ or something. You know, it wasn’t him. That was sad, because you wanted to break that shield and reach him inside. And I mean, that’s how it is. It’s just, you know, every day you just hope and pray there’ll be a change and to see him come out of that and become the man who I knew he would be.” Dale’s addiction obstructed his dreams, with several attempts at college getting subsumed by a continuing need, including a one-week enrollment at OSU and an abortive first-run at a college career as a Broncho. At a treatment program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he was introduced to heroin by a fellow patient, Dale’s father said. At Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, he studied to become a drug counselor while undergoing treatment, but when one of his close friends left the program, Dale left as well. Finally, he moved home and enrolled in a meth-
adone program that he successfully completed in January 2021. While he summoned his strength and took care of some academic requirements to return to UCO, he worked in the food service industry, including his time at Iguana. In November 2021, Dale applied to become sports editor at The Vista, arriving at a rebuilding time for UCO’s campus newspaper in the wake of COVID-19. Having earned the job on the strength of his Thunderous Intentions work, he quickly fit into the team, writing energetic sports coverage and working with his colleagues on newspaper layouts during production days. He contributed to a sense of unity and purpose at The Vista and became friends with the many students who are part of The Vista and UCentral Media. “He loved what he was doing at school and writing and working at The Vista,” Doug Dale said. “And, you know, we take comfort in that it wasn’t like he was using like crazy and living in the streets. He had a good life. Up until the very last day.” On April 20, Dale went out with friends. According to Patti Dale, her son was drinking more than usual recently, and two days before he died, he said he had gone through “some of the most difficult months” of his life during his most-recent semester at UCO. “I think things were stressors in some areas and he just took it real hard. I mean, I think he was just drinking too much and just lost all sense of judgment that night,” Patti Dale said. “And that’s all we can kind of piece together.” Finding peace
The Dales are members of the Edmond chapter of Parents Helping Parents, a support group for people with children facing substance issues. Many members have lost children and now stay close to one another, giving comfort as they face empty spaces. A certain amount of preparation takes place among such parents. The drugs their children use to avoid pain of many stripes is strong and heavy. The Dales taught themselves to love Brandon with great passion and forgiveness, because he was their only son and they wanted it to last for longer than it did. Doug Dale learned a lot about love from his son’s life. He tells parents to, even in the process of giving out “tough love,” pay for their cell phones if they are living on the streets. He tells them to never let go. Then Doug Dale thought about that story in which Brandon Dale cared for an unhoused man on that cold night at Iguana. “I take that to heart because that’s what I need to be doing. He was a blessing for us, and we’re grateful for those 32 years,” his father said. “Just a wonderful young man.”
Brandon Dale
April 26, 2022
Brandon Dale
The Vista | 5
January 21, 1990 - April 21, 2022
The Vista/Madalyn Nix
Sports Editor Brandon Dale died early Thursday morning. He was 32 years old. Brandon was a loyal editor and friend, and The Vista is still processing saying goodbye to one of our own. The Vista will greatly miss him. I met Brandon last fall when I went to talk to Professor Mark Hanebutt’s News Reporting class about submitting their stories to The Vista. I was also advertising that The Vista was desperately in need of a sports editor. Brandon showed interest immediately. He initially thought I was a professor because he started off by addressing me as “professor Nix.” We laughed about that all of the time, especially considering he was eight years older than me. Brandon always came into the newsroom on drop days with a great attitude and smile. He was so eager to learn everything, especially figuring out Adobe InDesign. He got the hang of it a lot faster than I did. He was finally able to complete two pages of layout on his own for Issue 25. He was so proud
of that. He continuously talked about ideas about sports content for next year and I could tell he was beginning to really step into the role as editor. When I wrote my Valentine’s Day editorial, he said that I inspired him to be vulnerable and he wrote an editorial of his own that next week. I have peace knowing that I impacted him in some way, even as little as that. The Vista has lost a great friend, colleague, editor, and student. Through this grief, we will remember the great man that Brandon was and dedicate this last issue to him. Rest peacefully, friend. Until we meet again. - Madalyn Nix, Editor-in-Chief
Brandon was the first person I met in college, and became one of my first college friends. Every class I walked into, Brandon would be there. After a while, we became familiar faces to each other, and tended to sit together in our classes. We talked about the publications we wrote for, and how we hoped to be on The Vista one day. After becoming the managing editor, I begged Brandon to apply to be the sports editor every time I saw him. He did, and George saw him as the best candidate for the job. I’m so glad we got to do it together. Brandon had an easygoing personality, and he could talk to anyone. On Mondays, we would all banter about politics, sports, and pop culture. Although everyone in the newsroom converses, Brandon really better connected The Vista and UCentral’s staff. The sports broadcast crew loved him. Usually, Madalyn and I had nothing to contribute to the sports conversations, but Brandon knew everything. We’d come up with horrible, sensational headlines just for the joke of it, and talk about the crazy things said in our classes. Brandon had a humor made for the newsroom. Next year won’t be the same without him. -Ainsley Martinez, Managing Editor
6 | The Vista
April 26, 2022
Editorial
EDITORIAL
My year as Editor-in-Chief of The Vista Madalyn Nix Editor-in-Chief
If you had asked me last year if I saw myself being editor-in-chief of a newspaper, I would’ve said you were crazy. At that time, I was “just a photographer.” Last August, it was brought to my attention that I was somehow recommended to apply for the position. I was shocked and confused. I didn’t feel like I had the credentials or ability to qualify for such an important position. I applied, but in the back of my mind I kept questioning myself, thinking I was making a mistake. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My first semester as editor-in-chief was challenging to say the least. I didn’t know what I was doing. I was still figuring out my role and how to become the best leader for my staff. Sometimes, it was very overwhelming, and I almost threw in the towel a couple of times. It took a little longer, but I finally began getting the hang of things. We finally found our routine and our newspaper took off. Our staff grew, our stories’ significance increased with each issue, and our hard work began paying off. Earlier this month, The Vista brought home five awards from the 2022 Oklahoma Collegiate Media Awards, two of them being first place finishes. Manuela Soldi, our senior photographer and one of the first place recipients from the OCMA’s, is heading to the Tulsa World this summer as their 2022 photography intern. We began receiving feedback and praise from some very important people and readers, reminding us that we were doing the right work. However, with each triumph and happy moment we have had, I am humbly reminded that life consists of heartache as well; the biggest being the sudden and unexpected loss of our sports editor, Brandon Dale.
The Vista brought home five awards from the Oklahoma Collegiate Media Awards on April 6. (The Vista/Archives)
George Lang: George, I could write a novel… You came into the adviser position with an open mind, so many creative ideas, and pushed all of us to be our very best. Your constant positivity and uplifting talks are ones that I will remember most of all. You believed in me, all of us, when we didn’t feel like it. You have done so much for all of us and I cannot thank you enough for everything. I can’t wait to see what The Vista continues to deliver under your guidance. Cynthia Faulkner: Cynthia, thank you for getting me ready in the very beginning for this position. I was scared and overwhelmed, but you showed me the foundation of getting started, and the rest just followed. I appreciate the time you took to train me for this position. Brad Keim and Amber Loomis: Brad and Amber, you two were the friends I didn’t know I needed. Brad, please keep sharing your headline ideas, The Vista might use one of them one day… maybe. Amber, thank you for listening to me and for making me laugh every Monday. To The Vista staff, thank you for believing in me to lead us on this incredible journey this past year. I know it took a few tries, but we finally got our routine and we published great issues this semester. None of our success would’ve been possible without every single one of you. You are among the most talented peo-
Madalyn Nix, Ainsley Martinez, and Brandon Dale took this photo on April 18 in the newsroom during the drop day of issue 25. (The Vista/George Lang)
When I took this job, I never thought that losing a staff member would be something I’d have to experience. It’s a weird feeling with few words to describe. Trying to balance my reaction and feelings as both EIC and a friend… I didn’t realize what it meant to be a true leader until I did. Brandon was a loyal member of our team and we miss him dearly. The Vista will keep his memory alive through the work it will continue to seek and write. This experience has been one that has taught me both great, and hard lessons, that I will take with me as I finish my college career this fall. I’ve learned so much from so many great people that I never would’ve met had I not been in this position. I never would’ve reached this point without thanking some very important people: First and foremost, Joe Hight: You believed in me to take on this position before anyone else. Your mentorship, advice, and friendship was the motivation that kept me going during the rough days. I never believed myself to be a leader, but through this experience, I can’t see myself being anything else. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me. Mark Zimmerman: Mark, you listened to me when I felt like no one else was. You encouraged me to keep going when I was ready to throw in the towel. Thank you for your continuous support, encouragement, and for teaching me the importance of photojournalism. I couldn’t have made it this far without you.
ple I know. You all made me a better leader. I couldn’t be more proud of you and couldn’t have asked for a better team. I cannot wait to see you continue the great work you’ve done. Thank you for making this year the best. To all of my friends in UCentral, thank you for making a newcomer feel right at home within the newsroom and welcoming me with open arms. It’s been an honor to listen, learn, and experience all of the hard work you do that not many others see or understand. I’m excited to see what you all continue to do. This is the last time my words and photographs will ever be published in this small, but very important newspaper. A newspaper that has changed my life for the better. It’s a very bittersweet ending to this volume of The Vista, but I know this publication is going to continue, through the good and bad, and serve its purpose: telling the truth, informing our audience, and holding accountability where it lies. It’s been the absolute honor of my college career serving as The Vista’s editor-in-chief. I am nothing but grateful for the opportunity. Madalyn Nix
Series Review/Neurodivergence
The Vista | 7
April 26, 2022
REVIEW
‘Kardashians’ refreshes reality TV family
This series shows less of their lavish lifestyles and more of a presentation of what each family member is working through. (Provided/Hulu)
Tyler Whitehead Contributing Writer
Hulu’s latest series takes a different view into the lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family than previous series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” The series opens as fast camera movements reintroduce the audience to the well-known family. They begin a commentary on what life was like without cameras and how their lives are changing. Kourtney Kardashian, the eldest sister, is seen in a new relationship with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. The couple plans to buy a house together, and Barker makes arrangements to propose to Kourtney. There’s a lot of commentary from other family members about their relationship and frequent PDA. There’s a slight focus on Kourtney’s ex-boyfriend, Scott Disick, and how the family tries to keep him involved. Kim Kardashian discovers through her
son’s Roblox game that someone is trying to release new footage from her leaked sex tape. This causes her to investigate and want to take legal action. She calls ex-husband Kanye West and breaks down with him over the phone. Later on, “Saturday Night Live” asks Kim to host, so she decides to ask comedian Amy Schumer for opinions on her opening monologue. Schumer gives insight into which jokes she should and shouldn’t include in her opener. Kim is also preparing to take the baby bar exam for the third time after failing the first two tests. The baby bar is an exam that law students who aren’t taking the traditional route of law school must take after their first year of law study. Khloè is juggling motherhood and her relationship with NBA athlete Tristan Thompson. Kylie Jenner is expecting her second child with rapper Travis Scott. Kendall Jenner continues her modeling career, and Kris Jenner, the mother of the family, helps manage everyone.
The majority of the first two episodes focus on Kim’s life and antics as she is facing many different scenarios in her life. The series takes a lot of its beats from “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” but showcases the family more conversationally. There’s less focus on their lavish lifestyles and more of a presentation of what each family member is working through. The downside to the series is that it doesn’t leave you wanting more, because a lot of the scenarios covered on the show have been trending topics on social media for the past year. For example, Kim’s “SNL’’ hosting gig happened in October 2021, and Kourtney had already been engaged to Barker for several months before the show aired. However, this could be proven to help the series as multiple different media outlets say that the first episode is the most-watched premiere Hulu has ever produced. New episodes of “The Kardashians” release every Thursday exclusively on Hulu.
Queer neurodivergence explains the difference between sex and gender Sam Royka Reporter
Nick Walker wrote in a 2015 essay titled “Neuroqueer: An Introduction, “I originally conceived of neuroqueer as a verb: neuroqueering as the practice of queering (subverting, defying, disrupting, liberating oneself from) neuronormativity and heteronormativity simultaneously.” However, she wrote, the term can also be used as an adjective to describe an experience of existing in a way that subverts or defies these same norms. Walker is a professor of psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies. Neuroqueering shares an approach with feminist scholars. In science, biological sex essentialism is studying sex and gender as one and the same. “However, contemporary science does not support an essentialist view of the sexes. Moreover,
theorists and researchers have proposed that essentialist thinking in general serves to justify existing social inequalities, rather than merely describing it neutrally,” reads the 2018 article “Beyond Mars and Venus: The role of gender essentialism in support for gender inequality and backlash” by Lea Skewes, Cordelia Fine, and Nick Haslam. Vanessa Bentley, professor of philosophy at UCO, said “rejecting sex essentialism” is one way she applies feminism to her work, she said. “I’m taking a standpoint feminist approach. So that means starting from the lives and experiences of certain groups of people, marginalized individuals, individuals who are being relegated to positions of less/no social power and things like that, and learn from them what their lives and experiences are like and take that into consideration.” There are queer neuroscientists making space for “multiple different types of normal,” Bentley said. Taking a standpoint approach to neurodivergence
research might look something like this. “If we were to do research on autistic individuals,” Bentley said, “they need to be taken in as partners and even direct the research, so that we are not creating knowledge that marginalizes them.” Bentley said that the term neuroqueer “just makes sense, insofar as the queer movement is recognizing multiple genders and sexualities and the neurodiversity movement is recognizing multiple philosophies of multiple understandings of mind and brain. Waves of life are different ways of characterizing it, ways of being in the world.” In 2015 Anelis Kaiser and Isabelle Dussauge published an article titled “Feminist and Queer Repoliticizations of the Brain.” “The brain is, can, and should be described as a cultural object, a political arena, a hegemonic and contentious figure of the human being itself,” wrote Kaiser and Dussauge.
8 | The Vista
April 26, 2022
Letter/Norman/Netflix
Letter to the Editor
Group calls on UCO to reconsider cuts and fees Dear Editor,
The College of Liberal Arts Good Trouble Task Force (GTTF) is a volunteer committee of faculty and staff who are dedicated to the work of equity, diversity, and inclusion at UCO. We in the Good Trouble Task Force have grave concerns about how the recently-announced faculty cuts and raised student fees will impact the University’s efforts on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We stand in solidarity with the Office of Inclusive Community’s goal “to advance equity for the purposes of cultivating and sustaining inclusive excellence” at UCO, especially by building inclusive partners such as diverse faculty members. The GTTF calls on the university leadership to consider how these faculty cuts could disproportionately impact minority faculty, who serve as important members of our inclusive community in many ways. The proportion of UCO faculty mem-
bers from underrepresented groups is already low, as reported on bronchoanalytics.com and in the Inclusive Community Strategic Framework. Current faculty demographics mean that cutting adjunct, lecturer, and early-tenure faculty positions will disproportionately affect women, Black, Native American and Hispanic faculty members. We are concerned that the potential elimination of jobs for faculty in underrepresented groups will negatively impact minority student recruitment and retention. Research substantiates that Black and Hispanic faculty mentoring for Black and Hispanic students affects the graduation rates of those students. Faculty members from underrepresented groups tend to be more committed to teaching, service, mentorship, and community work, and often shoulder a disproportionate amount of equity, diversity, and inclusion-related labor. In addition, the GTTF asks the university leadership to oppose the proposed course fee increase of
$6.82 per hour. Many of our students are first-generation, non-traditional or from lower-income backgrounds. Education provides an important access point for upward social and financial mobility. This fee increase will make it more difficult for all our students to pay for their college courses, and further, it is likely to affect minority students disproportionately. The GTTF voices our strong opposition to faculty cuts and fee increases, especially when it adversely affects diversity, equity, and inclusion. - College of Liberal Arts Good Trouble Task Force The Vista’s Letters to the Editor do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Vista’s reporters, editors or other staff members. Letters are edited for grammar, but not for content.
Norman Music Festival offers all-you-can-hear music Tyler Loersch
Contributing Writer
Norman Music Festival will take place Thursday through Saturday in the streets, shops and stages of downtown Norman. Originally founded in 2008, the festival has grown from a one-day event to three-day event featuring multiple genres of music in both indoor and outdoor venues. Saturday’s headliners include The Drums, Wet, Rainbows Are Free, Fire in Little Africa, Thunder Jackson, Johnny Manchild & the Poor Bastards and Carter Sampson, along with after-hours performances by …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Thunder Jackson and Sativa Prophets. Although hundreds of artists will be playing, a few smaller acts to note are Lust Online at the Al-
ley Stage (8-8:40 p.m. Thursday), Speak Memory on Friday at the Sooner Theatre (8-8:40 p.m. Friday),
and Gage Pabst at the Sooner Theatre (1-1:40 p.m.
Wet is set to perform on Saturday. (Provided/Sony)
Saturday). Along with musical artists there will also be special events to attend, such as the “Skating Polly: Ugly Pop” screening at the Sooner Theatre (7-10 p.m. Thursday). The festival is free to attend and attendees can enjoy local craft beers, wine, and food trucks. Certain items will not be allowed at the festival, such as outside alcohol, food and beverages, fireworks or illegal substances, glass materials, posters or banners, and carts or large backpacks. Pets are welcome at the event during daytime, but NMF requests that there are no pets after 7 p.m. for their safety. There are also VIP passes available for purchase. For the full schedule, visit normanmusicfestival. com.
Netflix sees sudden net drop over password sharing Jamie Hammock Contributing Writer
Netflix has seen an unexpected drop in subscribers this past week, which caused Netflix shares to plummet on Wednesday. This forced the company to consider experimenting with advertisements on the service. Netflix is also cracking down on password sharing by users. The sudden net loss of 200,000 subscribers shook investors, who were told by Netflix that they were expecting a gain of 2.5 million subscribers. Netflix shares fell 35%, the sharpest drop since 2018. Netflix estimates about 100 million users are streaming for free by password sharing. “We’ve just got to get paid at some degree for them,” co-CEO Reed Hastings said during a shareholder call on April 19. Netflix has already tested programs in Latin America that try to convince the unsubscribed users to subscribe to the service. In Costa Rica, Netflix price ranges from $9 to $15 a month with an option for users to add additional accounts for $3 a month. With the sudden crackdown on password sharing,
users are considering unsubscribing from the platform should Netflix make changes to their accounts.
Provided/Netflix
Some users have been sharing their passwords for years, UCO student Briceson Jackson said. “I’ve been sharing my account with two other friends of mine,” Jackson said. “I don’t make them pay me for it or anything; I just let them have it be-
cause if there’s a show I like, I want to talk about it with them.” Instead of a gain in subscribers, Netflix is expected to lose 2 million more subscribers by the end of the second fiscal quarter. “I would not be shocked if Netflix lost a lot of subscribers because of this change,” said another UCO student, Carson Stevens. “Most of the people I know are not actually subscribed to Netflix and get it from someone else.” Some users might feel betrayed because of this potential change. “Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with, because there’s so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids,” said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a 2016 earnings call. “So there’s no bright line, and we’re doing fine as is.” These sudden changes could also be due to recent pricing changes causing a loss of 600,000 subscribers in the U.S. and Canada in January, and from pulling the service from Russia, causing a loss of 700,000 subscribers.