Volume 115, Issue 15
Ghost Guns on the Rise
the VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
ucentralmedia.com vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017
Bronchos Mess with Texas
Evelyn Stewart
@TheVista1903 Contributing Writer
Guns that are untraceable, undocumented and not required to have background checks are what some people in America are calling "ghost guns". The term has been used for guns that do not have a unique serial number on the receivers. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the receiver is the only part of a gun that is labeled as a firearm. The receiver is a frame made out of metal that holds internal components. The hammer, bolt, action and firing mechanism are all parts of the receiver. Receivers that are not one hundred percent finished are not labeled as firearms. They are not considered finished until it is one hundred percent completed and has a unique serial number. "Purchasing a receiver is legally the same as purchasing a completed firearm. Commercial sale requires identification and a background check, even if the receiver is empty or only partially completed," said Ben Failer, a communication officer for highway patrol. Failer has 10 years of firearms experience and worked for two years as a military aircraft weapons specialist. If a receiver is unfinished, it is not required to have a unique serial number. "[A lower receiver] cannot function without a multitude of other parts and mechanisms," Failer said. According to Sergeant David Butcher, an Edmond police officer, manufacturers sell these unfinished
The UCO Bronchos’ football team poses after winning the inaugural Corsicana Bowl over the Tarleton State Texans in Corsicana, TX on Saturday, Dec. 2. The Bornchos won 38-31. (Provided/Mackenzie Harmon) continued on page 8.
Bronchos Wait for Their Fate
Kateleigh Mills @kateleighsuz Reporter
Without a clear vision, as to how much is going to be cut from higher education, University of Central Oklahoma school officials, students, faculty and staff anxiously wait for the news of a second special session at the Oklahoma Capitol. UCO Vice President of Finance, Patti Neuhold said the finance team is still waiting to hear what the cut will be for next school year after Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed most of the budget bill, House Bill 1019X, which included a cut to higher education of about $17 million.
"UCO's share of that amount [$17 million] would have been more than $910,000," Neuhold told The Vista. Gov. Fallin said she vetoed most of the budget bill because it did not provide long-term solutions to the reoccurring budget deficits, and that within a three-month span the budget gap could reach about $600 million. Gov. Fallin did keep portions of the bill that provided funding for health and human services programs. The last time the school saw a flat allocation of state funds was during fiscal year 2015. Since then, UCO has seen a cut of 25.52 percent, which equals about $13.62 million, Neuhold said.
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Graduation Listing
on pg 12
A Letter from Betz
on pg 3
In the meantime, the uncertainty has some teachers and students concerned. One UCO employee, who hasn't received a raise in over 12 years, said he is worried about what possible cuts will mean to his family, since two of his children are in college. Oklahoma Rep. Cyndi Munson (D) has worked at the state legislature to explain that schools like UCO require state money, since the school doesn't rely heavily on private donations. She said during the first special session, which began on Sept.
Campus News
UCO Classes Talk About Sexual Misconduct on pg 7