“Map of Newstands” on 7 Volume 114, Issue 1
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Old North Opens At Last
After being closed off since 2001, Old North has been re-opened to students, faculty, and staff at UCO. The renovation project began in eary 2015 and is still ongoing. (Ryan Naeve/ The Vista).
Elisabeth Slay @Eslayslay Reporter
After 14 years of construction and three phases of renovations, the first and second floors of Old North are open to students and faculty at the University of Central Oklahoma. Although the third and fourth floors are still under construction, the building has undergone many changes over the last several years, according to the director of architectural and engineering services, David Stapleton. “Old North has changed dramatically, much like building a ship in a bottle. The entire interior structure-floors, walls, ceilings [have] been removed and a new steel frame concrete floor structure has been installed while leaving the original exterior sandstone walls and roofing in place,” Stapleton said. Stapleton also said Old North has a new air conditioning and heating system, lighting, ceilings, flooring and interior walls. While there have been classes
held at Old North and some faculty members have begun to move in to new offices located on the first floor, Stapleton said there are some last minute touch-ups to be made. According to Stapleton, items including some flooring, cleaning, lighting and landscaping are being done to finish the construction. “The third and fourth floors will be formally turned over to UCO by the end of next week, Jan. 20. Again, final work is in progress and clean-up is next. The work, in its entirety-interior and exterior, is to be complete by mid-February with the contractor off site and all construction fences removed,” Stapleton said. At the start of the semester, professors and faculty members in the psychology department moved back into to Old North after having to leave when it first closed down. According to the chair of the psychology department, Mark Hamlin, the professors love being back in the new interior of the building, but they also appreciate the original exterior of Old North. See Old North on 8,9
UCO Beats No. 2 Emporia State
UCO’s junior guard Melinda Murillo, 22, blocks Emporia State’s Jacee Kramer during a game on Jan. 12, 2017 at Hamilton Fieldhouse in Edmond, Okla. The Bronchos won the game 70-64. (Photo/ UCO Photo Services). See Women’s Basketball on 13 for full story and game recap.
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CONTENTS UCOSA News...............................................3
Public Safety..............................................10
Around Campus.........................................4-5
Editorial......................................................11
Nintendo........................................................6
Voter Forum................................................12
Map of Newstands.........................................7
Women's Basketball....................................13
Old North...................................................8-9
Wrestling.....................................................14
Bucking Broncho.......................................15
STAFF NAME AND POSITION
Kateleigh Mills Megan Prather Peter Agnitsch Siali Siaosi Cara Johnson M i r a n d a Va n M e t e r Elisabeth Slay Elizabeth Spence K a t i e To w l e r J a m e s Ro d r i g u e z A . Suave Francisco Ryan Naeve Te d d y B u r c h
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Sports Editor Online Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r S p o r t s Re p o r t e r Photographer Advisor
CONTENTS
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The Vista is published weekly during the spring, summer, and fall semesters. In all issues, The Vista has opportunities for both classified, online and print ads. Email your questions to: ucovista.advertising@gmail.com
The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, weekly during the academic year, at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained. EDITORIALS Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO. LETTERS The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, and must include the author’s printed name, major, classification and phone number. Phone numbers are included for contacting purposes only. Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space, or to eliminate statements of questionable taste. The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters. Address letters to: Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 73034-5209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be emailed to thevista1903@gmail.com.
UCOSA NEWS
Jan. 17, 2017
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UCOSA Members Strive for Clarity
Chair of Student Congress, Caleb Shaw, middle, speaks to Congress at UCOSA weekly meeting on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016. Vice Chair of Student Congress Stockton Duvall, right, and Secretary of Student Congress, Kalina Popova, left, join in on the meeting. (Photo/ Vista Archives).
Kateleigh Mills @kateleighsuz Editor-in-Chief
Members of the UCO's Student Association, UCO's student government, are working together this semester to completely rewrite the bylaws which govern their legislative branch. Caleb Power, parliamentarian for UCOSA's Student Congress, and members of the Accountability, Reform and Transform Committee (ART) have started work on clearing up rules and bylaws that exist in the UCOSA Legislature. Power said that the reason that a complete rewrite is the direction they are leaning towards is because they don't want to write something that conflicts with existing bylaws. "The ART Committee will be rewriting this as a whole, hopefully with support from the Internal Affairs Committee, which consists of the chairs of all the committees and the three congressional executive officers. We want to make sure that ART is completely open about rewriting it," Power said. In addition to the rewrite, one of the pieces of legislation that will be worked on this semester is the Congressional Statutory Migration Act,
according to Power. Currently congressional committees are defined within the bylaws, which are the documents that govern the congress, however, Power said that the existing bylaws have no type of accountability in them. "If we have a problem with something in the bylaws, then the one person who has the final say is the chair of student congress," Power said. What this bill would do would be to solidify certain items inside the UCOSA bylaws that would allow members of the congress to bring in the UCOSA Supreme Court if there was a disagreement within Student Congress that could not be resolved. Last fall on Nov. 28, the UCOSA Legislature met to discuss three bills and one resolution that Power authored. "In the past, we've had conflicts between what is being done and what is written in the law and we can't have a student government that does something differently than what is written down. It is not very transparent and it's not very accountable," Power said. The bills, which were derived from a list that UCOSA advisors and ART collectively came up with, were intended to address issues in the current laws that either were confusing
or something that had not worked in the past. Power said that the intention of the bills, CB16-102, CB16-103, CB16104 and resolution CR116-110, were to improve the clarity and the rules by which UCOSA members are supposed to abide. CB16-102 was a modification of the campaign rules that candidates need to follow. "For everything that UCOSA does, generally the [UCOSA] Supreme Court is the final word, but for elections it is the Election Commission," Power said. The Election Commission is comprised of 5 people who are handpicked by each member of the UCOSA Executive Board. "The idea here was that we wanted to make sure that all election problems that happened were decided by the Election Commission and not the [UCOSA] Supreme Court because the Supreme Court doesn't really meet up that often," Power said. Everything else the in CB16-102 was just a clarification of what already existed in the law, Power said. CB16-103 and resolution CR116110 were coupled together for Student Congress to decide when elections are to be held, which would modify the election timeline.
CB16-104 was also an effort to clarify existing definitions with the UCOSA statutes. According to Caleb Shaw, chair of the UCO Student Congress, each of the bills and the resolution authored by Power passed unanimously on the floor. "You can tie transparency into it [authoring the legislation] but it was more about making everything line up and make sense than it was to make everything transparent. It still strives to be transparent, but it wasn't the entire goal," Power said. Additionally, the only modification made to the legislation was within CB16-102, which kept the money that can be spent by individual candidates during a campaign at a $1,000 limit. Candidates running for UCOSA President and Vice-President have a $2,000 limit. The Spring 2017 Legislative Session will convene for their first meeting of the semester on Jan. 23, according to Shaw. The UCOSA Legislature meets every Monday morning in the Nigh University Center's Will Rogers Room at 1 p.m.
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AROUND CAMPUS
AROUND THE CAMPUS
‘KING WEEK’ Jan. 16-19, 2017 The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will host ‘King Week’ which will include
events throughout the week in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 MSA Library: In Howell Hall, representatives from the Muslim Student Association will be in Room 221N. MSA has created a library that lends textbooks to students at no cost. These textbooks are available for University Core classes. More information or to check book availability can be found by contacting bronchomsa@gmail.com or on OrgSync.com. Uninsured? Meet with a Healthcare Navigator: From 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 402, the Center of Counseling and Well-Being will have a healthcare navigator to talk about health care options.
Blood Drive: From 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the
Nigh University Center’s Will Rogers Room, the Athletic Training Student Association at UCO will host a blood drive that will be sponsored by the Oklahoma Blood Institute.
SPB Member Meeting: Beginning at
7 p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Mary Fallin Room, located on the third floor, the Student Programming Board will have their general meeting that all members are required to attend.
UCO’s Faculty Artist Concert Series: At 7:30 at the UCO Jazz Lab, located
at 100 E. Fifth St. in Edmond, UCO alumna and adjunct clarinet instructor at UCO and Oklahoma Christian University, Jenny Rucker, will play the clarinet in a performance entitled “A Touch of Class and A Taste of Jazz Part Two.” Tickets are free for students with a valid UCO ID and $10 for all others.
Emotional Fitness: Beginning at 10:30
a.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 402, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will offer a wellness group that focuses on learning skills dealing with interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance. The groups are free and confidential.
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017 2017 Winter Involvement Fair: From
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. around Broncho Lake, the Winter Involvement Fair will have representatives from different organizations across campus to answer questions and to get students involved.
BGLTQ+ Support: From 12 p.m. - 1
p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 402, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will host a support group for individuals thinking about coming out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or for people who have recently come out and are seeking support. These groups are free and confidential.
Welcome Back Wednesday Caricatures: From 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. in the
Nigh University Center on the 2nd floor, Campus Activities is bringing in two caricaturists to campus to draw a 4 -7 minute caricature of people who stop by their table.
National Stalking Awareness Month Panel: From 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Cherokee Room (213), SPEAK Educators will lead a panel discussion on popular song lyrics in the past and pop culture that cross the lines into obsession. The panel will also discuss rights under UCO’s Title IX policy. Other partners for the panel discussion include UCO Mass Communication, YWCA OKC, UCO Office of Student Conduct, UCO Employee Relations and UCO Center for Counseling & Well Being. Dinner will be provided.
Martin Luther King Enterprise Oratory Competition: Beginning at 2
p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Ballroom C, the Martin Luther King Enterprise Oratory Competition will be held as a campus-wide initiative that works to spread the ideals and principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The competition will feature students, Yabo Adebowale, Thao Pham and Kalen Russell, who will deliver speeches in celebration of ‘King Week’ hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 SPB Warm It Up: From 11 a.m. - 1
p.m. around the Broncho Lake clock tower, representatives from Campus Activities will be helping students make their own reusable hand warmers.
The Dream Continued: Beginning at
11 a.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 301, UCO Junior Jaylon Thomas will share his experiences at the Rise for Boys and Men of Color Grad Prep Academy that is located at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was one of 32 men chosen to take part in the all-expense paid grad prep program. Thomas will also provide insight that the program provided that has led him to continue with researching policing in marginalized communities. This event is connected to ‘King Week’ which is hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Student Organizations Office: Beginning at 9 a.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 202, the Student Organizations Office will offer training for any new organization on campus as well as assist current organizations in renewing their information. Any organizations renewing will need to have their advisor, president and vice-president attend one of these trainings to be considered active. Stress Paws: From 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 402, , the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will have therapy dogs to help students relieve stress. SMART Recovery: Beginning at 5:30
p.m. in the UCO International House, located at 912 North Chowning, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will have a SMART Recovery meeting for those in recovery to learn skills to stay balanced and motivated in staying healthy. More information about the SMART Recovery can be found on www. smartrecovery.org.
AROUND CAMPUS Evening at the Movies: Hidden Figures: At 6:40 p.m. at Kickingbird Cin-
ema, located at 1224 E. Danforth Rd, the Women’s Outreach Center invites the UCO community to watch Hidden Figures, a film that highlights the career of African-American mathematician, Katherine G. Johnson, who helped calculate flight trajectories for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 to the moon. The Women’s Outreach Center has a limited number of tickets available, where people can sign up at www.uco.edu/woc. This event is connected to ‘King Week’ with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 2017 Homecoming Activities Board Applications Due: Forms for the 2017 Homecoming Activities Board will be due by the end of today on OrgSync.com for those wanting to plan UCO homecoming events. For more information about the application process contact Campus Activities at 405-974-2363 or the 2016 Homecoming Executive Director, Mariah Wagner at mwagner5@uco.edu.
Jan. 17, 2017 Anger Tamers: From 9 a.m.- 10 a.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Room 402, the Center for Counseling and Well-Being will give confidential and free support for those who struggle with controlling anger. Women’s History Month Task force Meeting: From 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. the Women’s Outreach Center and the American Association of University Women at Central is creating a task force for Women’s History Month 2017 to discuss programming for the campus, create a calendar and create marketing plans for the programs.
Voter Issues Forum: From 8: 30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the Nigh University Center, the Oklahoma Academy, the League of Women Voters and the State Election Board are partnering up for a forum to discuss Oklahoma’s political history, voting trends, demographics, student voting engagement, legislative redistricting as well as potential legislation that could be introduce to the 2017 Oklahoma Legislative session. For more information contact the office of Public Affairs/Leadership Central at 405-974-5560.
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Information gathered for ‘Around the Campus’ can be found on UCO’s OrgSync page, uco.edu, blasts.uco.edu, Campus Activities and other organizations across campus.
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NINTENDO
More Nintendo Switch Details Revealed James Rodriguez @JamsTheKuma Reporter
After its initial reveal in October 2016, Nintendo has now shared more details about its upcoming console, the Nintendo Switch, in Tokyo on Jan. 12. The new system, which is a hybrid of traditional home gaming console and a portable gaming console, will be launching worldwide on March 3, 2017, alongside new software titles and the long-awaited game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”. The Switch console itself will be a tablet with detachable controllers called “Joy-Cons.” It will also come with a dock that can connect the system to a TV with an HDMI cable. At launch, the system will come in two bundles. One bundle has the standard black “Joy-Cons” and one has neon blue and neon red “Joy-Cons.” The “Joy-Cons” have motion control capabilities, allowing some games to be played with motion controls similar to the Nintendo Wii. The controllers will also have a new advanced form of vibration called “HD Rumble.” During the presentation, Nintendo claimed that the controllers can simulate the feeling of ice dropping into a glass. Other technical details were revealed, such as the system’s battery life, which is reported to run between 2.5 and 6.5 hours. New games were announced alongside the
President of Nintendo Tatsumi Kimishima speaks during a presentation event of the new Nintendo Switch in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. Nintendo Co. said Friday that its Nintendo Switch video game console will sell for 29,980 yen (about $260) in Japan, starting March 3. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
system. One is called “1-2 Switch,” a game in which the players use the “Joy-Cons” to compete in a series of dueling games based purely around movement. The other newly announced game is “Arms,” a boxing game that uses the “Joy-Cons” to let players control spring-armed opponents who
box each other. As well as completely new titles, Nintendo also announced new games from established series. A new Mario game is coming out called “Super Mario Odyssey,” which will feature Mario exploring a number of different open-world areas, some of which are based off of real cities. The other major sequel is Splatoon 2, a follow-up to the ink-based shooting game from May 2015. Other major releases will also be coming to the Switch, including the critically acclaimed game “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” and EA Sports’ FIFA series. The Switch will have a companion app on smart devices that will allow users to connect and voice chat with other players. The app will be part of Nintendo’s new online system that will be part of the console’s infrastructure. It will be a paid service that offers voice chat and online play, as well as giving users free software every month. The application will also have parental controls settings so that parents can monitor and choose when to restrict their child’s playtime. Currently only a select few retailers are taking preorders and they are expecting limited stock of the system at launch. A model puts the controller on to the Nintendo Switch d uring a presentation event of the new Nintendo Switch in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. Nintendo Co. said Friday that its Nintendo Switch video game console will sell for 29,980 yen (about $260) in Japan, starting March 3. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
MAP OF NEWSTANDS
Jan. 17, 2017
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Where to Find The Vista on Campus
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Jan. 17, 2017
OLD NORTH
Old North Through the Years 1893.
1912
1917
Archive photos provided by University Archives. Current photos by Ryan Naeve, The Vista.
Elisabeth Slay @Eslayslay Reporter
(Continued from cover) “I don’t know who’s in charge of making the decisions, but they did a great job in terms of picking out wood and stain, leaving brick and rock exposed in some of the offices...All of our faculty are just really excited,” Hamlin said. According to Hamlin, students will benefit from the renovations because of the new classroom space and the connection to such a historic building.
“A lot of students that have attended UCO may remember taking classes here and so now we’ve got the next generation and the goal with the classrooms is to try to get as many students to have an Old North experience,” Hamlin said. According to Stapleton, the Old North project officially began in the early 2000s and has gone through a long remodeling process. “The project has been accomplished as funding allowed over three major phases of work that began in 2002 to 2004, continued in 2008 to 2010 and once again from 2014 to 2016,” Stapleton said. Stapleton also said there were several companies that have been part of the
OLD NORTH
Jan. 17, 2017 1960s
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2017
completion of Old North over the last several years. “The Architectural firm from start to finish is Miles Associates, Oklahoma City. Bud Miles and Mark Gandy followed this project since 2002. We’ve had three construction companies - Mid Continental Construction did Phase I, McNatt Construction Phase II and CMSWillowbrook Phase III,” Stapleton said. According to Stapleton, funding for Old North has come from several different places, but primarily the funds are from private giving, 1997 State General Obligation Bond funds and other institutional support organizations. “The total cost of all three phases of work is approximately 14 million dol-
lars for about 44,000 square feet of space, designed and built over a 14-year time line,” Stapleton said. Stapleton views the reopening of Old North as a way for the Edmond community to reconnect with a piece of the past. “The history of UCO, of Edmond [and] of Oklahoma is wound up in Old North and the image of Old North has been central to much of the history of not just Edmond, but Oklahoma City and the state. Old North opened for classes on January 3, 1893. We reopened for classes January 10, 2017,” Stapleton said.
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Implementing Safety Across UCO Campus Elizabeth Spence @lizzlynn Reporter
There are several safety features located on the University of Central Oklahoma campus to provide students and faculty with safety options such as severe weather shelters, the Rave Guardian App, and Safewalk. There is a list located at University of Central Oklahoma Severe Weather Areas. When the list comes up, there is an option to scroll through and find the building with the biggest availability or that is located closest. Murdaugh Hall and the Central Plaza are the only housing units with primary severe weather areas inside. All other housing units have not been marked as primary severe weather shelters. Although these are certified as storm shelters, UCO does not promise a space for any specific amount of people and does not state that they can find room for all faculty, staff, and students.
The UCO Police Department also wants to remind students to use the everyday safety features that UCO provides. There is the Rave Guardian app that is accessible to iPhone and Android users. Anyone can download this app and if they need help, all they have to do is press a button on their phone and a UCO police officer will be notified. This app can be used anywhere in the country when there is a dangerous situation. The user just has to press the emergency button in the app and the UCO Police Department can see the exact location of the person and will send help immediately. Another feature of safety that UCO provides is SafeWalk. This is still highly underutilized according to UCO Police Chief Jeff Harp The SafeWalk program was created to provide safety for students or any person on campus while they are walking on campus. If their destination is off campus, they will be walked or driven in a golf cart to the
PUBLIC SAFETY
SafeWalk is one of the many tools used to provide safety on campus. It allows students to call the UCOPD from any building that has a button, and request an escort to their car or another building. (Photo/ Vista Archives).
edge of campus grounds and then watched until they reach their vehicle or house. Another safety option that UCO provides to keep everyone on campus safe are the ‘Timely Warnings� that are sent out in the event of an emergency or for any reason that students do not need to be on cam-
pus. The system was created as a mass email device so that everyone with a UCO email could be contacted immediately and informed about situations on campus. The UCO Police Department is requesting that students, faculty or anyone else on campus utilize these safety features.
Jan. 17, 2017
EDITORIAL
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Discovering Real Information In the Sea of Fake News
The Vista staff works diligently each week to produce an accurate, timely, and relevant newspaper for the University of Central Oklahoma campus. (Cara Johnson/ The Vista/ Photo Illustration).
Kateleigh Mills @kateleighsuz Editor-in-Chief
It seems there is a problem with trusting news. People read the headlines on their social media newsfeeds and assume they know the full story without double-checking facts or even bothering to see if their source is credible. When college students do not seem to understand their basic rights or why “freedom of the press” is included in the first amendment, or when the next President of the United States constantly calls the media out for being biased, why should people be surprised about news organizations going out of business? Living in the digital age we are constantly bombarded with news, alerts and updates. We hear people around us referring to a story they saw on Facebook from a site that prides itself on giving people what they want to read rather than what they should be informed about. This is troublesome because if society is always distracted by the latest hysterical video or just the feel-good stories then they are not going to be prepared when something critical comes along. News organizations continue to fight the “fake news” battle. Some founders of these fake news
sites, such as NationalReport.net, only publish these fake stories with the intention to debunk everything they published and show that fake news is harder to spot than what the common person might believe. There are also satirical news sites, such as
information so people can make well-informed decisions about their lives. In other words, journalists are trained to be public servants- just like police officers, fire fighters or health professionals. Therefore when there are people out on the streets that have shirts depicting lynching members of the press, then there is a serious concern for the safety of journalists. But instead of falling prey to scare tactics, journalists wake up every morning for that higher purpose and do their job. Here at The Vista, we know that we have a big responsibility on our shoulders. We want you to know that it is okay to disagree with us or to have an opinion on something we publish. Just like other newspapers around the state and country, we encourage interaction and double-checking our facts. The goal of The Vista and other newspapers is to contribute to a well-informed society- something that this democracy needs to get a grasp of before we lose what it means to function freely in our “open-marketplace of ideas” country. So value where you get your news, pick up a newspaper, do your research. We are all here together to find out the truth.
“Journalists are not the enemy. Journalists are trained to provide accurate, credible and timely information so people can make well-informed decisions about their lives.” TheOnion.com, which are used merely for entertainment purposes. New York Times CEO Mark Thompson said it best in his speech to the Detroit Economic Club when he spoke about society and the rise of fake news. “Whatever its other cultural and social merits, our digital ecosystem seems to have evolved into a near-perfect environment for fake news to thrive,” Thompson said. In this process, journalists and news organizations across the country have all united to say one thing: come to us for the real news. Journalists are not the enemy. Journalists are trained to provide accurate, credible and timely
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VOTER FORUM
Voter Issues Forum to Discuss
Low Voter Turnout in State Katie Towler @towler_k Reporter
The University of Central Oklahoma will host a voter issues forum on Friday January 20 in the Nigh University Center ballrooms, partnering with the Oklahoma Academy, the League of Women Voters, and the Oklahoma State Election board. The forum will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. and there will be a luncheon from noon to 1:15 p.m. The event is free, but the luncheon requires registration. There will also be a viewing of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration speech at 11 a.m. Anyone in the community is welcome to join and watch. During the forum there will be presenters discussing voter issues and election participation. There will be twenty presenters discussing different topics about voter issues and how to improve our state’s low voter participation. Presenters include Sen. David Hold and Rep. David Perryman. There are also many UCO professors who will be presenting. Dr. Mark Kinders, vice president of public affairs at UCO and chair of the forum, said that this event is open not only to UCO students, but also the general public. “We are strongly encouraging UCO students to participate in those sessions they are able to attend, and some faculty in some classes are encouraging their students to attend.” He added that this event is set as a Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) leadership and civic engagement event. This means students who do attend will receive STLR credit. Kinders said that the forum was the outcome of a continuing conversation between community leaders. For almost a year they discussed how to increase voter awareness of issues confronting Oklahoma and to encourage people participate in the election process. “It was particularly stimulated by the fact that in last November’s general election at one time there were plans to consider more than one hundred ballot measures, on everything from farming to sales tax increases to support teacher salaries.” Kinders
Sen. David Hold and Rep. David Perryman will attend the University of Central Oklahoma’s Voter Forum on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 to speak to students about topics concerning voter issues and participation. (Photo/ Pixabay.com).
said that the complexity of each issue was difficult to understand, and when voters do not understand an issue, they typically vote “no.” Oklahoma has some of the lowest voter turnout in the nation. Kinders and fellow community leaders concluded that Oklahoma is in dire need of a statewide conversation. This sparked the idea for a forum and a decision made by the Oklahoma Academy to focus its Town Hall in October 2017 to the same issues. The Academy annually holds a threeday discussion on critical issues confronting Oklahoma. Kinders says the main purpose of this event is to reverse the declining trend of Oklahomans who participate in the elections process. “Oklahoma faces critical issues for its future. Who decides public policy in the state is a direct result of what happens on election day.” To register for the luncheon and see the full list of presenters check out: https://www.uco.edu/central/ leadership/voter-issues-forum/index. asp.
President-elect Donald Trump , accompanied by family members and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, speaks during a news conference in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Jan. 17, 2017
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Women’s Basketball Peter Agnitsch @PeteyPete33 Sports Editor
The UCO women’s basketball team, currently ranked 16th in NCAA Division II, hosted second-ranked Emporia State on Thursday night. UCO was a half-game ahead of Emporia State in the MIAA conference. The Bronchos were looking for their third consecutive win after defeating Lincoln University and Lindenwood University on last week’s road trip. The Hornets began with a bang, hitting a three-pointer on their first possession, and a free throw to take a 4-0 lead in the first 2 minutes. The Bronchos answered with an 8-0 run, forcing the Hornets to call a timeout with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. After the timeout, the teams traded buckets, but Emporia State hit a shot at the buzzer, taking the lead 16-15. The Bronchos started the second quarter, with a vengeance going on a 6-0 run in the first 2 minutes, forc-
UCO’s senior forward Olivia Mason, 25, is blocked by Emporia State’s forward Shelby Baker, 23 at the Jan. 12, 2017 game at Hamilton Fieldhouse in Edmond, Okla. The Bronchos won the game 70-64. (Photo/ UCO Photo Services).
ing Emporia State to call a timeout. Shatoya Bryson continued the run banking in a three-pointer to extend their lead to 24-16. The Bronchos maintained their advantage until Emporia State made
a run, cutting the lead to 28-26, when UCO took a timeout with 2:13 remaining in the half. Hayley Bryan, like her teammate Bryson, nailed a three immediately after the timeout, but couldn’t sustain their lead when Emporia’s Megan Holloway nailed a three as the shot clock expired. The half ended with the score tied 31-31. The Bronchos shot 11-27 (40 percent) from the field in the first half. During the second half, the lead changed hands until the first timeout of the third quarter with the Hornets up 40-39. The Bronchos went on a 6-0 run during the third quarter, to retake the lead 45-40, forcing Emporia State to call a timeout with under 3 minutes to play. The timeout didn’t diminish the Bronchos run, with UCO extending its lead to 54-44, thanks to Olivia Mason’s shot at the buzzer. Mason began the fourth quarter for the Bronchos with another three-pointer, but Emporia State’s Kelly Moten replied with one of her own, cutting the lead to 10. “The runs are big, and the three point baskets are big,” said by UCO Women’s head coach Guy Hardaker. Emporia State’s three-point struggles continued early in the fourth
quarter going 1-4. The Bronchos extended their lead to 61-47 with five minutes remaining. “We felt like that we were going to try and prevent that three ball,” said Hardaker. The Hornets’ defense answered with a full-court press, however, the Bronchos were up to the challenge maintaining possession. Anderson came up huge late for the Bronchos, scoring 6 points in three minutes, helping to extend their lead to 67-56 with two minutes remaining. Jacee Kramer tried to keep the Hornets alive, hitting a three-pointer with 1:15 remaining, forcing UCO to call a timeout. The following Broncho possession consumed valuable time, cutting the clock to 55 seconds when Melinda Murillo was fouled and subsequently hit 1 of 2 free throws. Murillo led the Bronchos in points with 14. “Melinda Murillo was incredible,” said Hardaker The Bronchos went 3-6 from the free-throw line in the final minute, sealing the upset 70-64. “I’m proud of what they did tonight,” said Hardaker.
University of Central Oklahoma’s junior guard Melinda Murillo, 22, runs the ball during the Jan. 12, 2017 game against Emporia State at Hamilton Fieldhouse in Edmond, Okla. (Photo/ UCO Photo Services).
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The Vista
Jan. 17, 2017
WRESTLING
UCO Sports Recap:
Bronchos’ Wrestling Season Starts Strong
Blake Dauphin competes in a match at Hamilton Fieldhouse at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla., on November 3, 2016. (Ryan Naeve/ The Vista).
Peter Agnitsch @PeteyPete33 Sports Editor
UCO Wrestling has stampeded through the competition so far this season, going undefeated at (9-0, 1-0) and are currently ranked 8th in NCAA division II. “It’s been a great start,” said UCO first year wrestling head coach, Todd Steidley. UCO Wrestling started it’s season with back-toback wins. First beating Mckendree University, who was ranked 8th in the country at the time 21-19 on Nov. 9, then on Nov.10 beating Missouri Baptist University 44-0. The Bronchos took the momentum into the home opener, dominating Ouachita Baptist University for a 47-3 win on Dec.7. Blake Dauphin and Joshua Ailey helped lead the charge, both winning by pin. On Dec. 19, the Bronchos competed in the OCU-Champion Hotel Duals, defeating four universities that day.
Their first win was against Hastings University, 29-6, where Tim Null had the only pin for the Bronchos with 9 other wins being made by a decision. The Bronchos shutout their second opponent Concordia 48-0. The team had total control of the match by having 6 wins by pin. The team then went on to steam-roll their two final opponents, Lyon University 38-12 and Wayland Baptist University 39-3, to close out the first semester. “It gave us a lot of momentum going into Christmas break,” said Steidley. After the break, the Bronchos started 2017 like the end of 2016, continuing their winning by beating the University of Central Missouri 37-6 on Jan. 8. Josh Lindsey and Kyle Factor both recorded pins to help secure the win for UCO. The Bronchos faced OCU at home on Wednesday.
Before the match Steidley said “OCU has a great program. We respect them a lot.” The tone for the night was set by Josh Lindsey, Blake Dauphin, Joshua Ailey and Will Steltzlen, who all recorded pins to start the match, and led the Bronchos to a 35-12 win The Bronchos currently have three wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their weight class - Caleb Cotter, Josh Lindsey and Greg Wilson. Cotter is ranked 3rd in the heavyweight division, Lindsey is ranked 4th in the 125 pound class, and Wilson is ranked 7th in the 197 pound class. “It’s nice to see their hard work rewarded by being ranked,” said Steidley. UCO, so far this season, have outscored their opponents 338-61. “They are very close knit group of guys and they fight hard for each other. They are proud to be Bronchos and fight hard for their university,” said Steidley.
BUCKING BRONCHO
Jan. 17, 2017
The Vista
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Beckham and Co. Made a Mistake A. Suave Francisco @SuaveFrancisco_ Sports Reporter
Odell Beckham made headlines again and this time he pulled his fellow wide receiver core into the mix with a trip down the east coast to unwind before they started the playoffs. The New York Giants’ wide receivers swiftly flew out to South Beach, everyone’s premier vacation spot, and unwound before a stressful stretch of the season. It sounds equivalent to a businessman taking a short vacation before a stressful portion of the fiscal year or a teacher taking a trip right before the spring semester starts. The only difference is something we’re already aware of: Beckham, Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard, and Roger Lewis are all athletes about to play in the NFL playoffs. That’s why people care so much about this. Although I remain an advocate
for the freedom of these players and their lives, I do think the trip they made was a mistake after witnessing the 38-13 dismantling by the Green Bay Packers, largely because the Giants offense looked like complete crap. Beckham finished his season with a performance of 4 catches for 28 yards. He virtually had no effect on the game’s outcome and neither did Cruz, one of the team’s leaders who finished with 3 receptions for 30 yards. The rookie Shepard had the most productive day with just 4 catches for 63 yards. I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong with taking a short trip before a stressful portion of the season, but as a well-known athlete, I wouldn’t make it publicly known. This little trip made headlines, as they knew it would as soon as that picture on the boat was posted. They knew there would be good
New York Giants receivers Odell Beckham, center, and Victor Cruz, right, walk together after NFL football practice Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/ Mel Evans)
publicity and they knew there would be critics. From the looks of it, it all got in their heads and they weren’t 100 percent focused on the ultimate goal: the upcoming matchup against the Packers at Lambeau Field, a challenging place to play even without off-the-field drama. Other athletes, especially former star Ray Lewis disagree with Beckham’s actions as well. I think it’s also safe to say that Beckham knows about his problems, as mentioned in this story. Then again, Beckham’s maturity
has been in question for a while now. From the petty fights with Washington Redskins’ defensive back Josh Norman to getting in a fight with a kicking net, then a week later proposing to it, we’ve just known he likes attention like a 14-year-old. This is just another example. With that being said, the New York Giants’ season is over, allowing time for these receivers to do all the traveling and partying they please while they watch their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, march through the playoffs.
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