The Vista January 26, 2021

the

Volume 118, Issue 13 v

VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”

vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Professors adapt to virtual class

INSIDE

Malaysia to UCO

Amanda Siew interviews students from across the world, and sheds light on their experiences at UCO. See Pg. 2

Classes at UCO are currently held in a remote setting due to the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person classes are set to resume on Feb. 1. Professors have spent hours adjusting in-person classes to an online format. (Provided/Creative Commons)

Lilli Myers

Board of Education

Bryce McKinnis writes on Governor Kevin Stitt’s new head of the Oklahoma Board of Education.

See Pg.3

Winter Sports Sports Editor Tanner Johnson provides an update on the records and performance of UCO athletics.

See Pg.4

UCentral Media Visit ucentralmedia.com to read even more stories from the staff and contributors of The Vista.

Contributing Writer

Due to COVID-19 the University of Central Oklahoma started the 2021 spring semester online, professors planned coursework differently than they have before.

Mark McCoy has been teaching full time at UCO for 15 years. McCoy is teaching cybercrime, Digital forensics tools and analysis, and expert witness.

McCoy has taken extra time to prepare his classes to be taught through different formats.

“Since the pandemic is unpredictable, I prepared to teach all of my

classes virtually with the ability to be in the classroom if the COVID situation allowed. In past semesters, faculty just prepared for teaching face-toface in the classroom, but over the last year we have all learned to be flexible and provide the best product for our students either in class or virtually,” McCoy stated.

With online courses becoming more popular than ever, students may have to put forth extra effort to get the most out of it.

McCoy stated: “You have to be a very self-directed learner in the online classroom and be self-motivated. UCO’s online quality program for

online courses ensures that online courses at UCO are of the highest quality and faculty are trained to facilitate them effectively.”

Although some courses may rely more on student self-sufficiency, professors at UCO are doing their best to ensure students have a positive experience.

Melville Vaughan is teaching a cell biology laboratory this semester.

Vaughan said there are different ways to benefit from an online course and it is not better or worse, just different.

Other professors say that classes where students apply what they learn are more challenging to teach online.

Mid-Season update on UCO athletics

Tanner Johnson @tdjohnson28 Sports Editor

The University of Central Oklahoma announced on Jan. 13 that it will temporarily not allow spectators at any of its upcoming athletic events through Jan. 31 for the health and safety of faculty, staff, students, and fans.

“While we aren’t excited to move into a time when fans cannot come and support us, we do understand that we must take every action that can help slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Assistant Athletic Director Chris Brannick. “From mandating masks Continued on Pg. 4

Senior Isiaih Wade drive through the lane for a layup. The Bronchos visited Northwest Missouri on Saturday and fell 68 -90 in the matchup. (Provided/Broncho Sports)

2 | The Vista

January 26, 2021

Malaysia

Attending UCO from across the world Amanda Siew

@amandasiewyk Contributing Writer

As the United States remains the country with the most COVID-19 cases in the world, some University of Central Oklahoma international students have chosen to complete the spring semester remotely from their home countries.

This was a new experience for strategic communications senior, Hazzik Chaudhry, who returned home to Pakistan in December after contracting COVID-19 a month before.

“Covid was a huge catalyst in my decision,” said Chaudhry, who was an asthma patient.

“I was in quarantine for about three weeks, and being in isolation gave me a lot of time to contemplate and made me decide that it was time to do the next semester from home.”

Chaudhry had initially made plans to return home in March, but then delayed his decision due to COVID-19 exposure risks, travel restrictions in Pakistan and expensive airline tickets.

Now, he is taking five classes via extended classrooms while adjusting being 11-hours ahead of Oklahoma time.

“Back in Oklahoma, I used to dread having class at 8 a.m.,” Chaudhry said.

“Luckily, an 8 a.m. in Oklahoma City would just mean 7 p.m. here in Pakistan, which means I can go to sleep at 11 p.m.”

Chaudhry also said that worrying about not being at his best sometimes keeps him from sleeping at all.

“The biggest challenge I’ve had so far is waking up for early morning

the

Graph showing the cases of COVID-19 in the United States vs. the cases seen in the country of Malaysia. (Provided/OurWorldInData.org)

meetings outside of class,” Chaudhry said. “Let’s say the meeting time is 6 p.m. in Oklahoma, which means it’s 5 a.m in Pakistan.”

Chaudhry said he intends to return to the United States before his graduation in Spring 2022 but has no concrete plans for now.

“It really depends on how the cases surge in Oklahoma City and on whether the university would continue their policy of online classes,” Chaudhry said.

For forensic science-criminal justice student Govinaash Selvantiran, taking classes online at UCO from Malaysia has become “normal.”

After completing this semester, he will have spent over a year studying remotely while dealing with a 14-hour time difference.

“I left Oklahoma in April 2020 after UCO went online for the rest of the semester,” Selvantiran said. “Since I

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didn’t have any in-person classes anymore, I thought I could just take everything while being home.”

Since being home, Selvantiran has taken a mix of online and extended classes at UCO, while also taking classes online at a local Malaysian university.

Due to his mixed class schedules, instead of sleeping a consistent eight hours a day, Selvantiran said his sleep schedule is like taking “mini naps” throughout the day.

“I just sleep whenever I can,” he said. “Sometimes, I’ll sleep for four hours, then two hours, then three, and it continues.”

Selvantiran had originally planned to go back to Oklahoma for the fall 2020 semester, but he chose not to due to rising case numbers in the state and persuasion from his parents.

While he is grateful he doesn’t feel homesick anymore, he said he hopes

to return to UCO in the summer, even if cases don’t decrease.

“I much rather take face-to-face classes instead of online,” Selvantiran said. “Online classes have been stressful for me, and I don’t feel like I’m learning effectively from them.”

Last fall, close to 10% of the international student population was enrolled virtually from their home country, according to Timothy Kok, director of international affairs at the UCO Office of Global Affairs.

Kok said that the pandemic also led to a decline in international enrollment across the country, with the Chronicles of Higher Education reporting a 43% decline last fall, and UCO reporting a 30% decline in fall compared to the previous year.

“It was not a norm for students to be pursuing their studies from home pre-COVID-19,” Kok said. “We’ve only seen a growing interest for students to consider continuing or even starting their education from their home country while waiting for the pandemic to be over with.”

Front page tease photos, from top: Provided/UCentral Archive Provided/Ok.gov Provided/UCentral Archive Alex Fischer/UCentral Archive

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Education

January 26, 2021

The Vista | 3

Professors adapt to virtual class Continued from pg. 1

Caleb Lack has been a full-time professor since 2006. This semester he is teaching applying psychological science, child adolescent counseling and practicing in counseling psychology.

“The courses that are more skills based (that is, teaching things like how to do psychotherapy) are more challenging to do well online. Courses that are more content based are (to me) a bit easier,” stated Lack.

Elizabeth Maier is a director in the

school of criminal justice. Maier is teaching careers and technologies in criminal justice and innovations in correction and penology this semester.

“Within the school of criminal justice, we offer several courses that have practical/ experiential components. For example, laws of arrest search and seizure has students create crime scenes that other students will go through and collect evidence and write reports. It is difficult to recreate that learning experience in an online

environment,” Maier stated.

Although COVID-19 forces the usage of online classes, face-to-face learning is still important for students. It can benefit students who are working in a lab setting, learning a foreign language, or even learning marketing methods.

Susan Miller, professor in fashion marketing said: “Personal interaction is hard to replace even with Zoom.

In retail, I feel our students need the personal face-to-face interaction in most of our courses. I think that

many students have struggled with the change to virtual learning.”

Miller stated, “I have worked harder and longer hours since last March than I have in my teaching career.”

Miller is not alone in her efforts.

In an Email, McCoy stated: “Faculty across campus have worked hard to be ready for whatever comes along and I have seen students be better prepared as well and I believe students are more comfortable learning in the virtual environment as well.”

Stitt appoints new head of education Bryce McKinnis @McKinnisBryce Managing Editor

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed Trent Smith to the State Board of Education, he announced in a news release Friday afternoon.

Smith, who played football at the University of Oklahoma and was a member of its 2000 National Championship team, will fulfill the vacant seat for the 3rd Congressional District.

“Trent Smith will put the future generation of Oklahomans first, which is why I nominated him to fill this seat and why I trust he will be critical in helping Oklahoma become a Top Ten state in education,” Gov. Stitt stated.

Oklahoma ranked 50th in the most recent Educational and Performance report published by Education Week in Jan. 2020.

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister tweeted Saturday night regarding Smith’s hiring.

“Trent Smith will bring an important and unique perspective to the State Board of Education,” Hofmesiter said.

“I know he is engaged and passionate about strengthening public education in our state.”

Smith will replace Kurt Bollenbach, a Kingfisher man, who had held the position from April 2019 until his removal last month.

“The Governor’s office called me. . . and told me I was being replaced,” Bollenbach told the Kingfisher Times

& Free Press on Dec. 4. “. . . the Governor has the right to appoint and remove board members for any reason.

For whatever reason, he decided I just wasn’t the guy for him right now.”

Bollenbach was replaced initially

by Melissa Crabtree, an Enid woman, whose appointment was rescinded by Stitt at her request after she received “fierce criticism from Democrats in the Legislature,” according to the Associated Press.

4 | The Vista

Sports

January 26, 2021

Mid-Season update on UCO athletics Continued from pg. 1

and social distancing, this is another step in us trying to do our part. We are looking forward to welcoming fans back when that time comes. We will wait for the university’s decision on what we do next.”

The situation will be reassessed to consider whether the changes should be extended.

However, the competition has continued for men’s and women’s basketball, along with wrestling.

Men’s Basketball: After losing the first three games of the season, the UCO men’s basketball team might be turning a corner. They have won three of their last five games by a combined 38 points. In that stretch, they beat the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers, Central Missouri Mules, and Emporia State Hornets.

They lost on Saturday to the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats 90-68.

They are led in scoring by Camryn Givens (13.8 points per game), Callen Haydon (11.5 points per game), and Isaiah Wade (10.3 points per game).

The team is currently 3-5 on the sea-

son, and they sit at number 12 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association standings.

Women’s Basketball: The UCO women’s basketball team are currently 7-4, and they have won five out of their last six. They beat the Central Missouri Mules on Jan. 14, who are sitting at second place in the MIAA standings.

Central is sixth place in the MIAA standings.

Their game on Saturday against the Missouri Western State Griffons was postponed due to COVID-19.

Senior Kelsey Johnson is averaging a double-double for Central, 20.7 points and 10.3 rebounds. Brooke Rayner is averaging 8.9 points, and Jaci Littell is averaging 8.5.

The Bronchos play next on Thursday, Jan. 28 against the Emporia State Hornets.

Wrestling: The UCO wrestling team came into the season with high expectations.

They earned the No. 2 ranking in a national preseason poll released in November.

Heath Gray is the No. 1 pick at 184

UCO wreslter Kalin Winkler competes against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Jan. 23 at the Midwest Duals. UCO won 37-6 in the matchup. (Provided/Broncho Sports)

pounds to lead UCO’s ranked wrestlers, while Ty Lucas is second at 157 and Dalton Abney third at 197. All three were named All-Americans last year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

The Bronchos are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in MIAA conference play.

Central’s next three bouts will be against the Fort Hays State Tigers on Feb. 5, Nebraska Kearney Lopers on Feb. 6, and Oklahoma State Cowboys on Feb. 14.

UCO esports overcome COVID-19 related obstacles Ty ‘Halt’ Wallace Contrubitng Writer

UCO has had to make some pretty tough decisions this past year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those has been the cancelation of all team sports for the fall and spring semesters. This unfortunate but necessary change left a lot of room for UCO’s growing student-run esports organization to flourish.

The Vista checked in with each team to see how they did during the fall 2020 semester.

Valorant

Valorant may be the newest team to join, but they’ve quickly made a name for themselves. At 6-2, the Valorant team is fighting for a playoff spot in the Collegiate Star League’s Star Division.

Their last game of the season is 7 p.m. on Jan. 29.

“Throughout this season, we have been able to beat out other universities such as Tulsa, OU, and even had a perfect game against University of Culver-Stockton with a double 13-0,” Tecumseh Cline, Valorant game captain said.

“One of our standout players, Brendan “LowEyeQ” Frias, has recently achieved a spot in the top 2000 of North America. His personal high was 1888th.”

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

(CS: GO) went head-to-head against some of the best schools in the country according to Ashley Kelly, the CS: GO game captain.

“We had to move off of the arena and onto playing from home because players moved off-campus back

home. [Brandon “NTS” Kelly] was a standout player, helped lead the team, brought a lot of knowledge and frag power to the team.

“We had the opportunity to scrim against some of the top schools in the league currently (MTU specifically, they have an ex-pro on their team and we learned a lot from that scrim and their captain said they were impressed with our team bc other schools couldn’t get that many rounds on them, score was 16-9).

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t compete this semester due to lack of players.”

The CS: GO team is working on restructuring and building up for the fall 2021 season.

Overwatch

“The effect of the pandemic had a major toll on many universities, but most importantly our players. We had to make some sacrifices in spring 2020 but we persevered and kept fighting to reach the top 64 out of 500 schools in the TESPA League, qualifying for the National Championship playoffs of the Overwatch Collegiate Series, which is something we have never accomplished before on the national stage since our inception in fall 2018,” Alex Matos, assistant game captain said.

“The varsity invitational was our biggest and greatest opportunity to compete with some of the best Overwatch teams in the nation, and with valuable experience came with great development and growth opportunities. Alongside the invitational, we competed in another tournament called the NACE (National Collegiate Association of Esports) Fall Cup, which we made playoffs in.”

League of Legends

Game captain Rodger Allen recapped the semester for the League of Legends team.

“Over the course of the past semester, the League of Legends team has seen a number of changes in our lineup while competing in CSL. We said goodbye to Seth “Setherson” Szabinaand Riley “MisterMocha” Reedmer and welcomed new students Paighton “Furious Ginger” Barnes and Nic “Jazz Man” Cockerill. Our current record is 1-4.”

Super Smash Bros.

The Super Smash Bros. team was hit a little harder by COVID-19 than the others, according to Ben Staudt, game captain.

“Our game is played offline, so our normal way of competing was unavailable to us. We have online events that we can participate in, but the game is significantly worse due to a bad online experience, so we weren’t really happy with what we had to work with.” Staudt said one bright spot was Camden Hunt, who is next in line to captain the Smash team.

“Camden has done very well for himself this semester. A slew of high profile wins in online events has him moving forward, primed to captain the smash team next year,” Staudt said.

“Sadly, COVID has kept our event accomplishments to a minimum. We are in a state of training and preparation for next semester when hopefully COVID resolves itself to the point where we are able to compete in our preferred format again.”

While this year has been rough for all athletes, Esports at UCO plans to continue all team play online throughout this Spring 2021 semester and some tournaments in the summer.