UCO's The Vista, Feb. 21, 2023

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022

OKC incumbents retain seats; dark money flows

equals policing,’ because I don’t think a lot of people believe that.”

Derailment highlights a lack of environmental media coverage

A train in East Palestine, Ohio derailed, sparking conversations about the United States’ environmental practices and impact. However, some suggested news organizations did not cover the incident to the greatest extent.

Travis Roach, an University of Central Oklahoma environmental economics professor, said other events, specifically the Chinese-operated balloon sighting in the U.S., overtook coverage on East Palestine.

“That kind of sucked the oxygen out of the room,” Roach said.

However, the lack of environmental coverage did not start with the Ohio train derailment. Roach said this has been happening for years.

“In Oklahoma, we’re used to seeing this,” Roach said. “You can have a very large scale tornado that causes terrible damage and changes lives and livelihoods for a lot of people, and unless you live within that state or within that community, it doesn’t get covered. It’s not

really talked about quite that much.”

Roach said while some criticize the media for new coverage “always being negative,” these events often impact people the most.

When the train’s operator Norfolk Southern conducted a controlled burn of hazardous materials, including the flammable vinyl chloride, it released the fumes into Ohio and bordering states. Locals reported experiencing headaches and eye irritation, and approximately 3,500 fish were killed by acidic water. However, a reporter was arrested on-thescene for attempting to cover the derailment. He was released and no charges were filed.

Roach said the environmental effects of the derailment on Ohio residents are concerning. While regulations have been stigmatized in recent years, Roach said, these policies are essential to public safety.

“It’s become such a political football to fight, but we forget about some of the mundane ways in which regulation helps us,” he said. “We can go to a restaurant and eat and we

basically assume or trust that the food that we’re eating is safe and edible, and won’t cause disease. That’s a result of good regulation that most people can agree on.”

In 2018, the Trump administration repealed a 2014 safety rule for high-hazard cargo trains.

“This is what happens when you have more deregulation. We’ve taken off some of the guardrails,” said Roach.

It comes down to policies and the overproduction of materials, such as plastics, Roach said.

“I just hope that we pay attention to the people who were impacted,” Roach said.

He mentioned 911, and the first responders who had serious health effects. He said it took celebrities going to Congress to gain support for financial aid.

“This is not nearly the same scale of an event,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to gain support for the people who have had to live through this by no fault of their own. They just happen to live in this part of Ohio.”

UCO prepares for student government elections

Elections for student body president are taking place March 21, and students planning on running are already getting a head start on preparing their campaigns.

Few students see the planning that goes into creating an entire campaign for candidacy, even if it’s just for college. The “Barry and Berry” duo offer a peek into what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming election.

Izabel (Izzi) Barry is a junior majoring in political science on the pre-law track and minors in leadership and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. She is involved in Leaders of Tomorrow, founder and president of the Historical Film Club, and a part of several other organizations on campus.

“As a commuter student, I really understand the struggles associated with finding ‘place’ on a college campus, and non-traditional student involvement is an area that Lauren Berry and myself would really like to see more opportunities for on our campus,” Barry said. “Furthermore, international students are an integral part of our campus community and we will prioritize engagement and collaboration in creating the best campus for our international

students.”

Lauren Berry is a senior majoring in psychology who is also involved with Leaders of Tomorrow and has served in UCOSA for multiple terms.

“As the upcoming election approaches, Izzi and I are programming a few ways to get our names and platform out across campus,” Berry said. “As we want to reach as many communities at UCO as possible, we plan on tabling, attending meetings, and fostering a close relationship with the student body so as to uphold our standards of transparency, teamwork, and trust.”

The team has worked with senior strategic communication major Meg Davis to create a marketing campaign.

With Interim President Andrew Benton joining the UCO community at the beginning of the month, Barry and Berry see their candidacy as a great opportunity to work closely with Benton to strengthen the campus as a whole.

“Transparency, teamwork, and trust are the keys to developing a successful community that thrives on diversity and inclusion,” Barry said.

Emails will be sent to all eligible UCO student voters detailing how voting will take place.

Oklahoma City’s Wards 2, 6, and 8 each reelected its incumbent Oklahoma City Council members while Ward 5 will participate in the April 4 general election.

Ward 2’s James Cooper won with ease, securing 76.9% of the vote in his bid for re-election. During his re-election campaign, Cooper promised to make Ward 2 more walkable, connect neighborhoods with reliable public transportation, and link city services to the people.

Mark Stonecipher will serve his third term as Ward 8’s councilman after winning 53.1% of votes. Stonecipher promised to finish the MAPS 4 projects, increase neighborhood patrols by police, maintain the city’s AAA bond rating, and bolster infrastructure.

Republican Maressa Treat and Democrat Derrick Scobey will face off in the general election for Oklahoma County Clerk after winning their respective primaries. Treat received endorsements from U.S. Senators James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin in January and served in both Lankford’s most recent re-election campaign and in his personal office.

JoBeth Hamon of Ward 6 won re-election against challenger Marek Cornett, tallying 54.4% of the votes. Hamon drew attention in the runup to election day during a Feb. 8 debate against opponent Marek Cornett when she referred to the Fraternal Order of the Police as “one of the most extreme groups in our country.”

“They have some of the most power to wield in this country, and the things they do with it are to protect bad actors that abuse their power and hurt people in our community,” she said during the debate hosted by NonDoc. “It’s hard for me to imagine finding common ground with folks that say something like, ‘Public safety

On her Facebook, Hamon said she was grateful to the hard work of volunteers and the generous contributions of donors. Hamon said her campaign received $11,500 total in donations.

“We put so much work into this campaign and the negative ads and text messages added an additional layer of exhaustion (especially emotionally),” she said about the campaign process on her Facebook. “Particularly as someone who is pretty shy and introverted, it’s been hard to process my image and words plastered on screens across the city, with my words taken out of context and used to spread fear and frustration instead of to spark hope and conversation.”

Hamon was the target of a series of digital advertisements labeling her politics as “anti-military” and “anti-jobs”. The ads were produced by Catalyst Oklahoma, a nonprofit in the state about which very little is known. Because of its nonprofit status, under the Citizens United ruling, Catalyst Oklahoma does not reveal its donors. Catalyst and organizations like it are becoming an increasingly common fixture of the Oklahoman political landscape, more frequently using their capital, referred to as “dark money,” on attack ads, canvassing, and political marketing.

A Dec 6 article from the Frontier revealed that $33.6 million was pumped into the Oklahoma election cycle during 2022 from outside groups. It was determined from data from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission that political nonprofit groups with hidden donors (dark money groups), spent more than triple the amount that was spent in 2018. Voters may recall Governor Kevin Stitt claiming dark money entities spent $50 million in ad buys.

UCO professor responds to artifical intelligence

Kaleb Gonzalez

Contributing Writer

An English professor at the University of Central Oklahoma is revamping English writing courses this semester to adapt to advancements in artificial intelligence, like Open AI’s ChatGPT.

English professor Laura Dumin is the director of the technical writing program at UCO and works with the compositions and rhetoric master’s program. Dumin is running

an Institutional Review Boards study to learn how ChatGPT will affect her students’ learning this semester. Dumin said they are looking at this critically.

“I think it is important that, even if we are going to have students use it or not, we know that they are using it, and we have to help them think critically,” Dumin said.

According to the AI’s own description, ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI.

“I am designed to understand and generate human-like responses to natural language input,” the AI, or its programmer, said.

“It is not actually sentient,” Dumin said. “I think that is where people need to remember that it is not going out and finding the best answers for us, but it is using predictive modeling to put together the answers that it thinks fit.”

Quinn Daugherty Reporter

Students of the UCO African Student Association won an award at the Edmond International Festival 2021. (Provided/ uco international student council)

“OUR WORDS, YOUR VOICE.”

Kelanie Robertson Contributing Writer

(Provided/ Ted Hsu / Alamy Stock Photo)

Ainsley Martinez

Editor-in-Chief

AQUARIUS January 21-February 18 PISCES February 19-March 20 ARIES March 21-April 19 TAURUS April 20-May 20 GEMINI May 21-June 20

As the innovator of the zodiac, there are two aspects with Mercury in your sign you’ll need to know this week. Tuesday, Mercury squares Uranus, making sure that every single thing that can go wrong will. Not so great. However, Mercury trines Mars the next day, bringing in sweet and clever energy to your communication. Use your powers wisely! Your song for the week is “El Arma Que Te Trajo” by Safety Trance and Arca.

After your New Moon last week, this is a great time for planting the seeds to grow towards your goals. As we get closer to Spring, wildflowers will bloom. You can too. A weekend with three full days under a Taurus moon will provide a chance to ground and reconnect with your own intuitive energy. Your song for the week is “Cologne” by beabadoobee.

The Moon slides into your sign on Wednesday, brightening up the energetic undercurrent to match your pace. Last week’s New Moon in Pisces may still be showing its effects as the Moon continues to wax. This transformative sign’s effects may be catalyzed in your 12th house of the subconscious mind, meaning that your dreams could have extra significance at this time. Your song for the week is “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan.

Make sure to double-check your texts before pressing send on Tuesday as a funky Mercury-Uranus square scrambles our words. After last week’s New Moon, you may notice changes in your social networks. Making new friends doesn’t have to be anxiety-inducing. Following your flow will make all the difference. Your song for the week is “Telegram Sam” by Bauhaus.

After navigating any speedbumps on Tuesday, the week unfolds naturally. The waxing Moon builds on intentions you set last week. Notably, the last New Moon transited your house of career connections. This is the time for updating your LinkedIn profile! Next week starts with the Moon in your sign, making a great time for work-related moves. Your song for the week is “Strange Conversations” by Automatic.

Don’t make important plans on Tuesday, it’s going to work out better another day. Use that time instead to lay low and work carefully. Good news: the Moon stays in Taurus all weekend long, which lends itself perfectly to a nice, long nap. This week builds on last week’s New Moon, so keep an eye on any changes via emotional exploration. Your song for this week is “Waterfalls” by TLC.

SAGITTARIUS November 22-December 21

Don’t plan anything important for Tuesday. Wednesday brings out your wild side when the Moon swings into Aries. Try to get into some good trouble! This week’s Moon waxes over the intentions you set at the New Moon. Any goals related to whatever feels like home begin to materialize during this time. Your song for the week is “Peach Fuzz” by Groupthink and Cybertrash.

When was your last at-home spa day? This weekend is all luxurious Taurus energy, so take your time soaking it in. A charcuterie board and a fluffy blanket is an excellent way to spend a night in. Take time this week to build on goals related to any inner healing. Pro tip: rewatching your favorite childhood movies with friends counts as inner child work! Your song for the week is “COZY” by Beyonce.

VIR GO

August 23- September 22

While Tuesday could throw a curveball your way, the rest of this week will bode well for work. Wednesday’s Mercury-Mars trine puts just the right words exactly where you need them! As temperatures rise and the Moon waxes, your thoughts and actions continue to create your physical reality. What changes are you ready to make? Your song for the week is Each Time I Die by Bones & Beeker.

LIBR A September 23-October 2 2

CANCER June 21-July 22 LEO July 23-August 22 SCORPIO October 23-November 21

Wednesday will be fun for you. As the Moon in Aries coincides with a sweet, chatty Mercury-Mars trine, expect sweet interactions all day. This week builds upon your daily habits. The small changes, like removing barriers to exercise or calling an old friend, will turn into big results over time. Your song for the week is “Right On, Frankenstein!” by Death From Above 1979.

Picking up some angst this week? Don’t stress too much, the weekend will make up for it. Whether you have time off or not, three days under a Taurus Moon will create the energy you need to ground within yourself. This is the perfect time to recenter and remember what you did for fun as a kid. Your song for the week is “DON’T STOP” by BAD NERVES.

March is around the corner as the Moon waxes this week, opportune for spring cleaning!

CAPRICORN December 21-January 20

If any instability comes in early in the week, remember you got this! Because of last week’s New Moon in Pisces, this week builds upon how you understand your emotional and material security.

Beginning Friday, three days with the Moon in Taurus will bring you back to center. Your song for the week is “Each Others” by Boyfrndz.

ChatGPT challenges educators to nd its value

rough drafting stage, and then I have guidelines for how much of the AI can show up in their rough and final drafts,” Dumin said.

Dumin said ChatGPT can become a tool because it has the potential to help people do their work faster and possibly better. However, if it is used as a replacement for actual learning, it becomes a hindrance.

Dumin said there are other concerns, including professor bias and how it might condense language over time.

Continued from Pg. 1

Dumin said that ChatGPT can be both a tool and a threat to higher learning, but the main priority is to help students with their critical thinking. Dumin lets her students use it in the classroom for brainstorming, depending on the writing project.

“I think it is super-beneficial for brainstorming. Some of them are using it for the very early

“If somebody goes in and asks AI to write something for them and they feel that the output is ‘standard English,’ then they might choose to use that sort of output instead of their own voice. Also, there is a concern about who gets checked for cheating. If a student perhaps presents in a way that the instructor’s bias would say, ‘Well, you should not be able to write this well,’ that is where professor biases can, unfortunately, play into that,” Dumin said.

This kind of artificial intelligence is still new. Microsoft announced its new AI-powered Bing search engine Feb. 7, and Google announced an

AI chatbot called “Bard” on Feb. 6.

“It is moving so fast. We’re still in the infancy of what it can do, but policies are being updated. We want to take a step back and not just say, ‘we are not going to use this,’ but to really make sure the policies are well thought out and helpful based on where we are now and where we think this might go in the next few years,” Dumin said.

LISTEN UP FOR LIVE MUSIC

FEBRUARY

Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew: Remain in Light, Feb. 21, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Ballyhoo!, Feb. 22, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

KEM, Ledisi and Musiq Soulchild, Feb. 24, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter.com

PB & Jazz, Feb. 23, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, ponyboyokc.com

Cory Branan, Feb. 24, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, ponyboyokc.com

Banda MS, Feb. 25, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter.com

Noise Pollution, Feb. 25, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts.com

Andy Shauf, Feb. 26, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Runnner, Feb. 27, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc. com

International Anime Music Festival, Feb. 28, The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan, criterionokc.com

MARCH

Early James, March 1, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, ponyboyokc.com

Soft Hands, March 3, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc. com

Dexter and the Moonrocks, March 3, March 5, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

The Damn �uails, March 4, March 5, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Steel Panther, March 4, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts.com

Winter Jam, March 4, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter. com

Danielle Nicole, March 5, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Legendary Shack Shakers, March 5, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc.com

El Perro, March 7, Blue Note, 2408 N. Robinson, okcbluenote.com

Flogging Molly and Anti-Flag, March 8, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts.com

Bodysnatcher, March 8, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc.com

Static-X, March 9, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts. com

Cro-Mags, March 9, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc. com

A Tribute to the Purple One, March 10, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Scott H. Biram, March 11, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc.com

Hide, March 14, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc.com

Shwayze, March 15, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

STAFF

Ainsley Martinez

Editor-in-Chief

Sam Royka Managing Editor

Payton Scott Sports Editor

Logan Gassett Graphic Designer

Nikki Robinson Layout Artist

Matilda Harvey Reporter

Quinn Daugherty Reporter

Britton Summers Reporter

Ethan Brown Photographer

Madison Dedmon Photographer

Josh Reynolds Advertising Executive George Lang Adviser

VISTA 2022-23 layout design by Kevin Davis

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e Vista is published weekly during the spring, summer and fall semesters. In all issues, e Vista has opportunities for both digital, online and print ads. For information or questions, contact: 405-974-5549 or thevista.ads@gmail.com

Alter Bridge, March 15, The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan, criterionokc. com

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, March 15, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, ponyboyokc.com

Ana Gabriel, March 16, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter. com

Blake Shelton, March 17, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter.com

Holly Beth, March 17, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

K. Michelle, March 19, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

The War and Treaty, March 19, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Jackie Venson, March 19, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, ponyboyokc.com

Drive By Truckers, March 21, The Jones Assembly, 901 W. Sheridan, thejonesassembly.com

Riley Green, March 23, The Criterion, 500 E. Sheridan, criterionokc. com

Carson Jeffrey, March 24, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Joey Valence and Brae, March 25, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Hairball, March 25, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts. com

Badflower, March 26, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc. com

Colony House, March 26, The Jones Assembly, 901 W. Sheridan, thejonesassembly.com

Kevin Kaarl, March 26, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Caloncho, March 30, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

The Heavy Heavy, March 30, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, ponyboyokc. com

Dan Deacon, March 31, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Underoath, March 31, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts.com

APRIL

Kenny Chesney, April 1, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter. com

Dameon Allensworth, April 1, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Hayes Carll, April 1, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc. com

Pop Evil, April 4, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Waveform*, April 4, 89th Street OKC, 8911 N. Western, 89thstreetokc. com

Watchhouse, April 5, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc. com

The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students weekly during the academic year, at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free.

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 Communications, 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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ADDRESS LETTERS TO: Editor, e Vista 100 N. University Dr. Edmond, OK 73034-5209

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The ChatGPT program is creating challenges for educators, but also opportunities. (Associated Press/Peter Morgan)

The ChatGPT program is creating challenges for educators, but also opportunities. (Associated Press/Peter Morgan)

Hard Luck Auto fixes cars for cost of parts; labor is free

Sam Royka Managing Editor

With new car prices always increasing, many folks want to keep their old cars on the road. Hard Luck Auto has been helping do just that since 2017.

“We help anybody that comes through the door,” said Adam Ely, Army veteran and co-founder of Hard Luck Auto, located in Choctaw at 14002 SE 29th St.

He went from working on Chinook helicopters in the U.S. Army to providing charity automotive work.

“We’re an automotive nonprofit,” he explained.

“We never imagined it getting this big and have no idea what to expect in the future, but it brings

us joy and we get to meet some pretty amazing people,” said Toni Ely, partner in both life and work to Adam.

They “focus on the simple stuff, brakes, shocks, struts, CV joints, stuff like that,” Adam said, and can get your car “in and out in under 3 hours.”

One big thing about Hard Luck is that “labor will always be free,” he said.

“I help you source the parts,” he said, so customers do not have to worry about finding parts themselves. Additionally, NAPA Auto Parts teamed up with the nonprofit in 2019, offering parts at a discounted rate to customers of Hard Luck Auto.

“But that doesn’t mean he can’t build a mean hot

rod,” said Jay Shanker, owner of ListenUpOKC, a local vinyl bar.

Hard Luck Auto is open Mon-Thurs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The staff suggests getting there as early as

possible to ensure you are seen that day.

They are closed Friday through Sunday and holidays. To avoid scheduling conflicts, they advise checking their Facebook

page for any updates. More information can be found at hardluckauto.org. Email questions to hardluckautoservices@gmail. com.

Black Girl Magic celebrates beauty and accomplishments of Black women

Chandler Coleman

Contributing Writer

Black Girl Magic is an event hosted Feb. 22 in the Nigh University Center Ballrooms at UCO to celebrate the creativity and resilience of Black girls and women. This event provides a platform for Black women to share their experiences and showcase their talents in the field of art, music, literature, and activism.

The UCO Office of Diversity and Inclusion has hosted this event for many years to provide a space for Black women to feel safe while also being able to network with each other. This event brings Black women from different walks of life and provides for them to share their experiences and stories. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the past years have brought on keynote speakers, panel discussion and performances by black women who have contributions in their own respective fields.

The term “Black Girl Magic” was created by CaShawn Thompson in 2013 to affirm the beauty and strength of Black girls and women. Thompson first used the term on Twitter and the hashtag was then shared over several social media platforms, leading to the phrase and creation of the brand Black Girl Magic.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will also provide a $500 scholarship for incoming freshmen of the fall 2023 semester. To be eligible for this scholarship, The student must reserve their spot and complete the scholarship part of the online registration. For current college students, a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded. Awardees must be enrolled full time and plan on being enrolled full time during the Fall 2023 semester.

This event is designed to provide a supportive and empowering environment for Black women to share their stories and celebrate their own achievements while also supporting each other.

The Wise Guys bring genius fun to classic rock at UCO’s Jazz Lab

Taylor Mckittrick

Contributing

Writer

One of OKC’s party bands, The Wise Guys, make their return at 8 p.m. Feb. 24 to the UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E 5th St., in Edmond.

“The Feb. 24 show is composed of the band’s favorite songs that we perform,” said lead singer Jeb Reid. “It’s a wide range of tunes — some are very well known and others are kind of obscure. But these are songs that band members themselves enjoy playing and singing the most.”

The Wise Guys are mostly known for their high energy and humorous onstage interaction. They have also been voted the market’s favorite band five times in The Oklahoman Reader’s Poll, and they are the current holders of that distinction.

The band does not run a backing track to add instruments or additional vocals — every note fans hear is 100% live and real. Their band consists of seven regular members, and two additional members who are an extended family of band members.

“We are primarily a classic rock band, performing the songs of our musical influences: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, the Eagles, and others,” Reid said. “We also added music from the 1990s, 2000s, and later so as to remain relevant to younger audiences. But the heart and soul of the Wise Guys is still our early musical influencers, particularly the Beatles.”

The Wise Guys are led by guitarist-vocalist Randy Colton; founder and lead vocalist Reid; “Swiss Army Knife of talent” Mike Harris on keyboard, guitars, and vocals; Jeff Curran on

vocals and guitars; lead guitarist Brad McPherson, bassist Chris Greenly; and drummer Jeff Hanes. Extended members include bassist Doug Vrooman and drummer Jeff “Doc” Nelson, who played with the band at some of their biggest shows.

“Performing at the Jazz Lab is a blast,” Reid said. “You are so close to the audience, which is both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. But the acoustics are wonderful, and the vibe is very friendly. However, we know when we play there that we must bring our “A” game to the Jazz Lab, because any mistakes will be known immediately by such an intimate audience.”

Tickets are $25. Visit ucojazzlab.com.

Age gap ‘Lolita’ film adaptations walk a dangerous line in media

Matilda Harvey

Contributing Writer

Trigger Warning: This article contains references to grooming. “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins.” These are the opening lines of one of the most controversial novels of the twentieth century. “Lolita” was written by Vladimir Nabokov and was first published in 1955 in France. Two film adaptations of the novel have been created: the first in 1962 by Stanley Kubrick and the second in 1997 by Adrian Lyne. The book follows Humbert Humbert and his relationship with the eponymous Lolita, whose name is actually Dolores Haze. At 37, Humbert meets the 12-year-old Dolores, to whom he is sexually attracted.

Age gap relationships and power imbalances are not a new concept in media, nor are they restricted to film and television, but the depiction of these relationships is potentially dangerous, as they downplay the severity. The primary issue with depicting these relationships is the line between protecting child actors and accurately showing the actual age of the characters. Sue Lyon portrayed Dolores Haze in the 1962 adaptation of “Lolita” when she was 14 years old, and her co-star, James Mason was 51 years old. In the 1997 adaptation, Haze was played by Melanie Griffith, who was 19 years old, while 48-year-old Jeremy Irons played Humbert. While both of these actresses were young, neither was as young as Haze was in the novel. “Lolita” (1962) aged Haze up to 15 to comply with the Hays Code at the time, which was the predecessor to the Motion Picture Association of America.

The issue persists in television and movies today. “Pretty Little Liars,” which ran from 2010 to 2017 on Freeform and contained seven seasons. One of the main characters, Aria Montgomery, has a relationship with her high school English teacher, Ezra Fitz. The characters were 15 and 22, respectively, while the actors were 20 and 24, respectively. The show never condemns this relationship, with Montgomery and Fitz getting married in the Season 7 finale. Alternatively, FX’s “A Teacher” follows a 32-year-old English teacher as she has an illegal relationship with her 17-year-old student. The actors were 38 and 25, respectively. This show does condemn the relationship, going so far as to show the victim dealing with the trauma of the relationship. It is understandable that between Child Entertainment Laws and common decency, it would be harmful to cast actual children in these roles. However, when child victims of grooming and abuse are portrayed by adults, audiences might be less likely to recognize the relationships as abusive.

As media continues to expand and adapt, it is necessary to continue to consider the societal repercussions of romanticizing or minimizing these relationships. Predators in Hollywood are frequently in the news, with Harvey Weinstein facing a possible 20-year jail sentence, in addition to the 23 years that he has already been sentenced to.

Hard Luck Automotive has been providing care to the community for six years. (PROVIDED)

Voters to decide on recreational marijuana in Oklahoma

Sam Kozlowski

Contributing Writer

University of Central Oklahoma students now weigh the pros and cons of recreational marijuana for the March 7 vote on State Question 820.

Recreational marijuana is used frequently among college students: according to a 2020 University of Michigan study titled Monitoring the Future,.between 43% and 44% of college students used cannabis during the studied year and usage is at an all-time high.

Supporters for recreational cannabis will be present on election day to vote in favor of recreational marijuana, although not without resistance from opponents of SQ 820.

“I think a lot of people would support recreational weed here,” said Logan Wright, student and supporter of SQ 820. “It can help people all over the world, if they’re stressed. Some people who smoke weed every day are more productive than people who don’t smoke weed at all. If you smoke weed and are lazy and unproductive, then you are a lazy and unproductive person when you’re sober.”

Supporters cite that marijuana is well-known for its therapeutic benefits. The drug treats chronic pain, though it does not cure it. It is also used for relieving anxiety,

insomnia and stress in many users and approximately 71% of them reported no adverse effects, according to patients in a 2014 study by the Hawaii Journal of Medicine & Public Health, on the therapeutic benefits of cannabis.

If recreational marijuana passes, the state would impose a 15% tax on every transaction. The tax money will go towards public school programs, drug addiction treatment programs, general revenue, courts, and local governments. Recreational cannabis can help those who need medical treatments but cannot afford doctor appointments or the $100 application fee.

With the oversaturation of the cannabis industry, small businesses struggle to compete when their prices are undercut by unlicensed dealers.

The state question has a chance to pass as many people in Oklahoma are in support of recreational marijuana: according to an Amber Integrated poll collected in late2022, 49% of possible voters said they would vote in favor of SQ 820, while 38% opposed the question and 13% were undecided.

Opponents of SQ 820 say that Oklahoma is already struggling to keep up with regulating the huge growth of the medical marijuana industry since its inception in 2018.

The booming cannabis industry puts pressure on natural resources in the state; growing the plant indoors uses inefficient, nonrenewable electrical energy such as artificial lighting, air-conditioning, large quantities of water and industrial fans according to a 2020 legal call to action, Marijuana Industry Meets Climate & Environment Crisis.

“Advocates believe that legalizing marijuana provides more jobs, brings more income to people and diversifies the economy. However, all this could be erased if legalizing marijuana increases the crime rate, increases healthcare costs and decreases worker productivity,” said Dr. Kuang Chung-Hsu, at the

Department of Economics at UCO. Included in resource pressure is the illegal purchasing of land in Oklahoma, which has become a problem recently as the marijuana industry has been a boon for international acquisition. With an already oversaturated market, the industry can be impacted by less-effective drug and safety testing. Although college students today typically support the legality and decriminalization of marijuana, the outcome is uncertain. During the November 2022 midterm elections, only 24% of eligible voters under 30 cast their ballots, while 76% did not vote.

Oklahoma transgender youth face multiple targeted bills this session

Contributing Writer

Oklahoma currently has 34 anti-LGBTQ bills being proposed regarding education, free speech, healthcare, and civil rights, more than any other state in the United States, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). With so many proposals to ban queer education, sexual health classes, care for transgender individuals and more, many are beginning to worry about the future for queer youths in Oklahoma.

Many of the bills being proposed in the Oklahoma House and Senate’s current session target transgender youths. One such bill filed by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, known as the “Milestone Act of 2023,” would prevent anyone under the age of 26 from accessing gender-affirming medical care. It would also make it a felony for healthcare administrators to administer or recommend gender affirming care. “Surgical and chemical genital mutilation has

“Do you know how it feels to constantly see in the news that people are debating over your human rights? That people want to create laws punishing people like you? That people find you disgusting? Just for being you? I bet those politicians don’t.”

been occurring in our great state, and it must be stopped,” Bullard said. “We have a sacred duty to protect our children from those who wish to do them harm. Senate Bill 129 is designed to protect our children from those who want to benefit financially at their expense. Child abuse is a felony in our state and mutilating a young person’s genitalia should be viewed no differently. The Millstone Act will hold those who perform child mutilation accountable by making such activity a felony. Those guilty of such a heinous crime will be both legally and financially liable.”

-- Peyton, a BLGTQ+ activist

The bill would also block care beyond surgery, preventing puberty blockers and hormones. Exemptions would be provided for procedures relating to the treatment of a medically verifiable disorder of sex development, treatment of any infection or disorder that has been caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures, or to prevent danger of death or impairment of major bodily function.

Regardless, many argue the bill is simply anti-trans, considering it reaches a full eight years

beyond the accepted threshold for adulthood. This could potentially mean that young adults who have already transitioned would be forced to “medically detransition,” blocking them from their own medical care.

“All I’ve ever wanted is to go to the store and not be scared for my life,” said Peyton, an activist who asked that their full name not be used.

“All I’ve ever wanted is to live my life without someone telling me it offends them. Do you know how it feels to constantly see in the news that people are debating over your human rights? That people want to create laws punishing people like you? That people find you disgusting? Just for being you? I bet those politicians don’t. And I sincerely hope they take the time to think about the effect those bills may have.”

Other bills, such as HB 1780, propose a prohibition on sex education classes, programs, tests, surveys, or questionnaires. HB 1011 would ban health care professionals from performing or attempting to perform gender transition procedures to anyone under the age of 21. These and other bills will be heard during the current legislative session, which will adjourn on May 26.

State Question 820 will decide whether Oklahoma legalizes recreational marijuana. (ASSOCIATED PRESS/PAUL SANCYA)

Georgia Jones

Gov. Kevin Stitt signs legislation that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams in March 2022. (ASSOCIATED PRESS/SEAN MURPHY)

From BLACKPINK’s K-Pop to ‘Squid Game,’ say hello to hallyu

Madelyn Fisher Contributing Writer

In recent years, Korean media including music, movies, TV, and food have made large strides across soil. So much so, in fact, it has even been given its own name.

Hallyu is actually a Chinese term that, when translated, means “Korean wave.” This wave began in the 1990s, first sweeping through Asian countries like Japan and China. The term hallyu came about specifically with the airing of the K-drama “What Is Love” in 1997, with its ratings skyrocketing the show to second place in China’s imported content. Korean wave then swept across Japan in early 2003 with the airing of another K-drama, “Winter Sonata,” which brought about a massive tourism boom to Nami Island in Chuncheon. This was only the beginning, as the wave made its way across the Pacific Ocean to Latin America and finally crashed onto U.S. shores in the early 2010s.

One of Korea’s most notable cultural impacts is K-Pop. Despite its name, K-Pop covers more than the pop genre and has become its own entity in the country with a myriad of agencies looking for the next big thing. With hundreds of young men

and women across the globe dreaming of debuting in the next idol group, global fans alike have no shortage of bands and solo artists to choose from.

Although most Americans were first exposed to K-Pop by Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ in 2012, many stuck around to become longtime fans of some of the most notable current groups,including BTS, BLACKPINK, Twice and NCT, and older generation groups like BigBang, Shinee, and Girls Generation.

K-Pop has grown so popular so quickly it has become a massive source of economic growth for the country in recent years. In 2019, the Korean music industry drew in a U.S. export value of over US $756 million. With BTS drawing in $4.9 billion to date over their nine-year career and drawing in $1.43 billion alone with their hit song “Dynamite,” that comes at no surprise.

Although K-Pop might be one of South Korea’s most notable industries, in recent years both the nation’s film and television industries made waves with movies like “Parasite” and series such as “Squid Game.” In 2019, with the release of his acclaimed hit “Parasite,” director Bong Joon-ho became the first Korean director to win the Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival and he did so with a unani-

mous vote. The film went on to take the most awards at the 2020 Oscars after winning four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Writing, International Feature Film, and Directing.

Following the success of “Parasite” came the Netflix series “Squid Game.”

Released in 2021 and written by Hwang Dong-hyuk, “Squid Game” is the streaming giant’s biggest original series launch to date. The launch was so massive that SK Broadband, a South Korean internet service provider, sued Netflix for the massive increase in traffic from viewers after the show’s release caused usage to shoot from 50 Gigabits per second to 1,200. The series went on to be the first non-English language television series to be nominated and win Emmy Awards. The series received 14 nominations and won six, including Lee

Jung-jae’s Outstanding Lead Actor win and an Outstanding Directing win for Hwang.

UCO student and member of the university’s Korean Student Association, Han Ji-woo, is happy that her country’s media is now massive in America.

“It’s started to boom, K-Pop and other K-things,” Han said. “If they don’t know BTS, they definitely know ‘Squid Game’ or ‘Parasite.’” Han expressed her surprise at Oklahoma and the Edmond areas offering authentic Korean restaurants, from boba tea shops to traditional Korean barbecue restaurants with grills embedded into each individual table for the patrons to cook their own meat.

“I used to have to go to Dallas to get some of these things, but it’s clearly growing and that’s exciting,” Han said.

In Bloom: Remembering Kurt Cobain as Nirvana is honored at Grammys

Sam Royka

Managing Editor

“Punk is musical freedom. It’s saying, doing and playing what you want. Nirvana means freedom from pain and suffering in the external world and that’s close to my definition of punk rock,” Kurt Cobain wrote in a journal entry.

Nirvana, who were honored this month with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Grammy Awards, was one moving piece that spurred the grunge movement of the 1990s to explode into a global, cultural phenomenon. Grunge still has distinctive styles of clothing, hair, and attitude birthed from ’80s goth and ‘70s British punk, and before then, ‘60s beatnik music and spoken word.

Long before “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic founded Nirvana with drummer Aaron Burckhard in 1987. This occurred in Aberdeen, Washington, about a hundred miles from Seattle. The city is considered the birthplace of grunge, the “Seattle sound.”

The band shifted drummers until Dave Grohl, who would later lead Foo Fighters, joined Nirvana in No. 133 in the world on Spotify’s listening charts.

In “Serving the Servant,” author Danny Goldberg, who managed Nirvana, Hole and other acts, writes that “many who knew Kurt emphasize those aspects of his life that reinforce their particular notion of who they think he was,” and he admits to the same. In the field of communication, interpretive theory suggests the nature of human perspective may prevent an entirely objective view of any given topic.

In so many words, we’re only human.

Goldberg was personally Cobain’s friend and profes-

sionally Nirvana’s co-manager, a relationship that he described as completely in service of the band’s wishes.

The success that Nirvana achieved was “all the more remarkable because they had emerged from the insular world of punk rock, which up until that moment had faced indifference from most American rock fans,” he wrote.

They shifted the face of punk rock and grunge subculture, cementing recognition by mainstream culture and creating the musical reality that exists today.

The particular success of various anti-establishment movements like punk rock could be attributed to the fact that music was their art form.

Goldberg wrote that “musicians have more individual cultural power than other artists.”

Explaining further, he wrote that “even the biggest movie stars, novelists, and painters can’t meet their audience in adoring groups of thousands on a nightly basis or get into their fans’ heads every day the way a hit song does. Hence the power of the phrase ‘rock star.’ Because he was that rare rock star who stood for something more than sex appeal or entertainment, Kurt was viewed by many journalists and fans as a savant,” Goldberg wrote.

Genre Talk:

In his last interview, a journalist asked Cobain where the term ‘grunge’ came from.

“Some of the rumors are that Jonathan Poneman said it one time sarcastically, and it just caught on,” he said. In this way, Poneman is credited with putting a label on the grunge phenomenon.

Poneman founded indie record label Sub Pop, which signed Nirvana to their first record deal for $600 in 1989. The band fulfilled this contract

with the album “Bleach.”

In another journal entry, Cobain wrote that “Nirvana try to fuse punk energy with hard rock riffs, all within a pop sensibility.”

Love and Cobain:

The story of Cobain’s love life typically picks up with his girlfriend Trudy Marander, who supported them while he wrote songs and slept. While she wanted him to get a job, he felt weighed down. He wrote “About a Girl” about her during this time.

After they broke up, he dated Tobi Vail, drummer of Bikini Kill.

In “Heavier Than Heaven,” author Charles Cross wrote that while many Nirvana songs are about Vail, the pairing didn’t work because Vail regarded Cobain’s desired relationship structure as sexist and unaligned with radical punk values.

Finally, Cobain met Courtney Love.

There are multiple accounts of how this romance began. No matter how they met or who introduced them, Love quickly began her advances.

Cobain, however, said that he wanted to remain a bachelor just a little longer. This was expressed by him ignoring her calls and dodging some but not all of her advances in the beginning.

Soon, however, they bonded over music, art, and drug use.

Love’s band Hole released the album “Pretty on the Inside” one week before “Nevermind” catapulted Nirvana to the top of the charts in September 1991.

They were married in Honolulu in 1992 with eight close friends bearing witness. Cobain wore green and white plaid pajamas, while Love wore a gauzy white satin-andlace dress.

On their anniversary in

2020, Love posted a tribute to Cobain on Instagram.

“28 years ago I recall feeling, deeply, delighted, dizzy, so in love, and knowing how lucky I was,” she wrote, calling the man her “angel.”

Cobain’s death:

There is no way to erase the pain of the end of this story, but it can be said with certainty that his legacy continues his story to this day.

Cobain and Love’s connection included a shared addiction to heroin. In connection with the addiction but with other factors at play, Cobain died by suicide on April 5, 1994 at the age of 27.

The wound is still raw for many that he knew in his life,

Goldberg wrote.

In his last note, Cobain wrote “Frances and Courtney, I’ll be at your altar.”

Aftermath:

Goldberg ends his biography with these words.

“Notwithstanding Kurt’s dark side, I keep returning to the last chorus of “All Apologies,” where Kurt sang, ‘In the sun I feel as one / All in all is all we are,’ and to these lines from his journals: ‘No True Talent is fully organic, yet the obviously superior talented have, not only control of study, but that extra special little gift at birth, fueled by passion. A built in totally unexplainable, New Age, f–king cosmic energy bursting love.”

K-Pop girl group BLACKPINK is part of the hallyu taking the world by storm. (PROVIDED)

Two favorite bands of Cobain’s were Mudhoney and Eugenius. (PROVIDED)

Baseball wraps up non-conference schedule at 7-2

Bradie Gray

Contributing

Writer

With one game remaining before conference play begins, the Broncho baseball team is off to a blistering 7-2 pace to start the season while dominating offensively.

Despite losing their last game to Oklahoma Baptist in a 5-4 bout on Wednesday, Central baseball has played phenomenally overall to start the season. Last year, the team’s non-conference record finished at 9-8, but this year in nine non-conference games they have already racked up seven wins, all led by their impeccable offense.

Of the 13 players that have taken an at-bat, nine of them are hitting over .300 and four of them are hitting over .400 so far. The season is still young, but this is a vast improvement from the team last year, which had a cumulative batting average of .288 and zero batters with a plus-.350 batting average. In their nine games so far, the ‘Chos have been scoring to the tune of 8.8 runs per game and have scored 10 or more runs in four of them.

The offense has been led by junior infielder Seth Gray. In his second season in Edmond, Gray is off to a blistering start, hitting .364 with nine extra-base hits, including three home runs and an astounding 17 RBIs. Sophomore infielder Orlando Gonzales has hit three homers and outfielder Noah Olsen hit two homers. Another facet of their offense has been their hyper-aggressive base running. The Bronchos have galloped for 46 stolen bases already this year, led by Aid-

en Proctor with 13.

Defensively, the Bronchos have been more than solid as well. Pitchers so far have a combined 3.8 ERA, led by Jeb Jenkins with a 0.9 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. Marcos Lopez and Chris Spry have each racked up a dozen strikeouts as well.

According to Bronchos’ catcher Wyatt Gray, this team has the chemistry and the talent to go the distance this season.

“The team chemistry has been great so far between all of us,” Gray said. “We all trust each other and I don’t think there’s anything holding us back from what we’re really capable of doing. A conference championship is a really good goal we have. We want to do that and find our way into a regional tournament. Find ways to continue to beat people, and go as far as the World Series. That’s the ultimate goal for everybody,

Jaden Wells breaking records for UCO hoops

Jaden Wells is not only known as one of the best basketball players in the MIAA conference, but also across the entirety of NCAA Division II programs. The third-year sophomore for the Bronchos, who has already engraved himself into the school’s record books, is considered among the best scorers in the nation.

A Hurst, Texas native, Wells’ driven competitive spirit began at a young age when he attended a local YMCA, where he first picked up a basketball at age four. Little did he know; this sport would end up giving him endless opportunities.

Wells graduated from L.D. Bell High School in 2020, where he averaged 15 points per game over his career. During his senior campaign, he earned MVP honors from the Dallas Morning News for Class 6A’s District 3, First Team All-District selection and was one of just 11 players in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to post at least 500 points and 100 rebounds.

“Honestly, I didn’t receive much recruitment in high school,” Wells said. “I had zero offers after my junior year, and it wasn’t until I played in a Prep Hoops tournament here in Edmond that I started receiving interest.”

With his great performance in the Prep Hoops tournament, Wells picked up multiple offers from Division II schools in Oklahoma. After many visits and long talks with the family, he finally found a place where he was comfortable.

“It’s funny, because I have always been a mama’s boy and wanted to stay close to home,” Wells said. “But after my visit at UCO, I knew instantly that it was my perfect match. From the location, to the teammates, to the coaches, all of it just felt like home.”

Wells made an immediate impact the moment he arrived on campus in Edmond. In his true freshman season, he played in all 24 games for the Bronchos and made 19 starts. Over the

year, Wells averaged 11.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and led UCO with 59 made 3-pointers, which was also the best in the MIAA.

In his second year at UCO, Wells started in all 31 games, in which he helped lead the Bronchos to an MIAA championship and an overall record of 24-7. He registered 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game to help him earn All-Conference Honorable Mention. Wells also reached No. 10 on Central’s Top 10 list for 86 made three-pointers in one season and gathered NCAA Statistical Champion for best free-throw percentage in the country at 95.2.

After a highly regarded first two seasons with the Bronchos, Wells was determined to have an even bigger year this go around. With all the big expectations surrounding the standout shooting-guard, Wells has lived up to all the hype, at least up to this point of the season.

For 2022-23, Wells leads the UCO team in scoring with 17.7 points per game, which ranks third among the MIAA conference. On Jan.

7, playing against Rogers State, Wells passed two career milestones when he hit 1,000 career points and 200 career three-pointers in the UCO uniform. He is now the 44th player to reach 1,000 points and just the seventh player to reach 200 three-pointers in program history.

Wells has been named MIAA Player of the Week twice this season, to go along with being named to the Small College Basketball’s Bevo Francis Top 50 Watchlist. The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who achieves the finest overall season within Small College Basketball.

“I just can’t give enough credit to my teammates, because without them, none of this would’ve happened,” Wells said. “I’m just so happy that I chose this school, and to this day, it still feels like home.”

Wells and the UCO Bronchos are currently 23-3 on the season and ranked No. 6 in Division II. They wrap up their final two games of the regular season this week on the road at North-

Back-to-back-to-back for Central wrestling

UCO’s wrestling team won its third consecutive MIAA title after demolishing No. 3 Nebraska Kearney. The Bronchos beat the Lopers 21-13, and some of the winners for the night were Studd Morris, Shawn Streck, Nate Keim, Gabe Johnson, Ty Lucas, and Emmanuel Skillings.

For UCO, beating UNK was a huge momentbecause the Lopers were the winners of the 2021-2022 National Championship. The Bronchos fell short to them last year at the finals, so taking the MIAA title meant a lot for the program and team.

“We’ve won it three years in a row and Kearney is a huge rivalry for us in wrestling,” said Coach Todd Steidley, “Either Kearney has won our conference or we have — no other teams have ever won the conference in wrestling. It’s a heated rivalry and our guys prepared well.” Steidley, is a former national champion for Central, and is searching to take a national title this year. The first step to making it to the tournament was to win the MIAA title. Now it is time for the team to pave their way to the National Cham-

pionship, and Central’s team is different from others.

“Our guys are really close,” Steidley said. “We stress family and we stress Broncho wrestling family. We’ve been fortunate, we’ve got some wonderful guys that encourage and support each other a lot.”

The Central wrestling team is preparing to host the NCAA Division II Super Regionals on February 26. The Top 3 placers will be qualifiers for the Division II Wrestling Championship in March in Iowa.

“It’s always great to be home for important events,” Steidley said. “I’m excited to see how the guys perform. We want to qualify as many guys as we can for nationals. We want to make UCO proud, and our state and community proud.”

Seth Gray has hit .364 with nine extra-base hits and three home runs this season. (CENTRAL SPORTS/PROVIDED.)

Cal Haydon

Contributing Writer

Jaden Wells enters the top three in three pointers made in uco basketball history (CENTRAL SPORTS/PROVIDED)

Brooke Niver

Contributing Writer

Gabe Johnson (CENTRAL

Marvel formula gets buggy with ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’

I love superheroes, and I really enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As much as I bemoan Hollywood’s lack of curiosity and creativity nowadays, the MCU is a shining beacon of hope in an era of creative drought in the Hollywood scene.

It’s the rare blockbuster franchise that has soul and is made by people who clearly love the source material of the original Marvel comics and want to do the characters in the original comics justice. After watching “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” I decided to take a break from the MCU for a while. I didn’t want to get burned out and to be fair, I was wanting to take a break from the MCU since everything wrapped up so well in “Avengers: Endgame.”

Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of Ant-Man, both the comics and the movies. The first film was a solid heist comedy film with a lot of heart to spare, though I find myself wishing that Edgar Wright had made it as was originally planned. “Ant-Man and The Wasp” was a pile of meh after the incredible experience of watching “Avengers: Infinity War,” yet then again, I’m not sure how you could follow that up without being “Avengers: Endgame.”

What made me intrigued by this film? For starters, I was interested in the direction that they were going with the strange world of the quantum realm, and the fact that they would introduce the new big villain of the MCU: Kang The Conquerer (played by Jonathan

Majors.) I had enjoyed Majors’ performance as one of Kang’s alternate selves He Who Remains in the first season of “Loki” and I was hoping he’d bring that same energy to “AntMan and The Wasp: Quantumania.”

Overall, I thought the movie was fine. I thought that it was a solid, middle of the road MCU film, which has been a trend with the Ant-Man movies. I enjoy Paul Rudd, who is in the camp of people like Chris Pratt who are talented but have a niche on the type

by Michael Douglas), and Janet (played by Michelle Pfeiffer).

My favorite aspects of this film are the villain and the world of the quantum realm. Majors is magnetic and menacing as Kang, an intergalactic, time traveling dictator who wants to dominate everyone and everything that is in his path. He is more menacing and sinister than his more manic previous appearance in “Loki,” but he is no less dangerous. I was also in love with the world design of this film. It might be some of the best CGI that I’ve seen in terms of creating a world. It almost seemed like it was a live action episode of “Rick & Morty,” which is funny considering the writer of this movie Jeff Loveness was a writer on “Rick & Morty.”

There were certainly issues such as the inconsistent tone and corny humor that sometimes-undercut moments that could have been heartfelt. There was also the character of MODOK (meaning Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) played by Corey Stoll, who was a mixed bag for me. They did nail his persona from the comics where he’s this goober supervillain who desperately wants to be cool and respected. But the movie gave him this redemption arc which felt halfbaked and unconvincing.

of characters that they play. I enjoyed the relationship that he had with his daughter Cassie (played by Kathryn Newton) and the struggles of their relationship, as well as the chemistry between the characters that in-

‘Bonnie & Clyde’ puts bank robbing to music in UCO musical premiere

Ainsley Martinez

Editor-In-Chief

When the University of Central Oklahoma Musical Theater Department announced the program would perform “Bonnie & Clyde,” the choice seemed odd.

A two-person lead musical for a university production? Even with casting doubles, students’ opportunities for gaining roles felt limited. But at the final dress rehearsal for the show, UCO Director of Musical Theater Greg White proved me wrong.

While, as the title suggests, the show focused on real-life criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow— supporting characters stole the show with their raw emotions and timeless jokes. The musical highlighted the lives of Bonnie and Clyde as much as it did the lives of the characters impacted by the couple’s rendezvouses.

Morgan Paulson’s performance as Blanche Barrow was nothing short of immersive. Her southern twang and religious humor made the role playful, but by Act II Paulson’s brazen demeanor displayed her range. Her partner

“Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” is showcasing the MCU’s middling quality as of late, becoming more of the CGI action fests that they have been good at averting. I do hope that the MCU’s best days are ahead of them and not behind.

in the show, Buck Barrow, played by Garett Christensen, gave an impactful performance with realistic uses of props and fake blood. Just as the love between Bonnie and Clyde, played by Laila Jalil and Logan Corely, was palpable, so was the unrequited love police officer Ted Hinton had for Bonnie, displayed by student Logan Wright.

Wright’s typecast as the “quirky leading male” felt upgraded: delivering a heartfelt, if not heartbreaking, performance. Student Lamar Burns, who sang as the Preacher, made the serious, literal gut-wrenching scenes digestible.

The audience roared, and Burns received a standing ovation for his gospel led vocals. Guest director Justin Larman created a realistic escape: projecting historic photos and videos from the Great Depression on a screen behind students. But this escape did not feel like a vacation.

While “Bonnie & Clyde’”s juxtaposed numbers intertwined humor with the realities of a national recession, it left viewers feeling almost relieved at the country’s current state. There’s nothing like 1930’s Oklahoma to make you appreciate the present. But with inflation and the post-COVID recession, perhaps “Bonnie & Clyde” is the perfect musical for the season.

Britton Summers Reporter

cludes Hope (played by Evangeline Lilly), Hank (played

Evangeline Lilly and Paul Rudd star in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”. (MARVEL/PROVIDED)

Jonathan Majors is Kang the Conqueror in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (MARVEL/PROVIDED)

(PROVIDED/ UCO PHOTO SERVICES)

Laila Jalil and Logan Corely as Bonnie and Clyde. (PROVIDED)