The Vista June 25, 2019

Volume 116, Issue 22

the

VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”

Ribbon Cutting for LAR South Wing

vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, June 25, 2019

SPORTS

UCO Rows Into New Conference

See Pg. 11

AROUND CAMPUS

President Don Betz, middle, cuts a ribbon that finalizes the opening of the new south wing of the University of Central Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Arts building on June 18. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)

Megan Thele

@1bigtimenicole COPY EDITOR

The new south wing of the University of Central Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Arts building is nearing completion, as marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 18.

A private event marking the final stretch, the ceremony gave the first look at the south wing as it nears its grand opening and move-in date in August.

“I [have] been talking about the ribbon cutting as closing on your house, where now it’s yours and you can now

move your stuff in, or you might want to do a few more things before you move your stuff in,” said Catherine Webster, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

The ceremony featured speeches, the ribbon cutting, a reception and the opportunity for self-guided tours of the facility. UCO Provost John Barthell opened the ceremony, followed by remarks from Don Beck, principal architect at Beck Design; Nick Bench on behalf of Tom Lippert, president of Lippert Brothers, Inc.; Webster; and UCO President Don Betz.

The ceremony marked Betz’s last event appearance and speech as presi-

dent of the university.

“I have such great appreciation of so many that have made a difference for bringing us here today,” Betz said at the ceremony. “This is a wonderful moment for the College of Liberal Arts, it’s a defining moment for the University of Central Oklahoma...

This is not a state project, this is a UCO project.”

After the groundbreaking ceremony in November 2017, work began to clear the area and tear down Pegasus Theatre, with official construction

@kyle_tangco

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Edmond City Council has started phase two of construction to install the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), which will improve 22 intersections off Broadway Avenue with new traffic signal devices and fiber optic cables.

According to the Edmond website, the system includes field devices, a communications infrastructure and a computer system that will monitor streets for accidents and traffic congestion. The system is overseen by staff members at Edmond’s Traffic Management Center, who detect all

road activities with the installation.

The first phase of the Intelligent Transportation System was established on Second Street in January 2016.

The city administration has also been working with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to improve traffic flow on Interstate Highway 35, located within the city’s limits.

The council plans to add the road into ODOT’s 8-year construction plan, which aims to improve all highways in Oklahoma. This project includes converting the highway’s twoway access roads into one-way roads, as well as construct turnaround lanes on the highway’s bridges to reduce traffic congestion.

“It’s partially a problem in the

PHOTO STORY

See Pg. 10

Continued on Pg. 7

Edmond Adds Intelligent Traffic System Kyle Tangco

UCO Finishes 30th in Directors Cup

morning rush hour, but it’s even a bigger problem in the evening rush hour,” said Larry Stevens, Edmond city manager. “We’re very glad that ODOT is interested. We understand why they’re interested because that’s

Pride Celebrates 50th Anniversary

See Pg. 6

A WEEK IN TECH

Continued on Pg. 3

Our Only Defense to Deepfake Videos

See Pg. 8

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the

June 25, 2019

Contents

VISTA

Content

Traffic/ACM .................................................................................3 Around Campus .........................................................................4 Lime Scooters .............................................................................5 Pride ............................................................................................6 Ribbon Cutting ...........................................................................7 Deepfake .....................................................................................8 Editorial .......................................................................................9 Directors’ Cup ...........................................................................10 Honors/Rowing .........................................................................11 NBA Draft .................................................................................12

THE VISTA

Staff James D. Jackson Jeff Elkins Derek Parker Tanner Laws Megan Thele Lauren Morris Michelle Pennza Christian Tabak Madison Bolton Gerald Wing Yi Leong Samantha Karbelk Teddy Burch Alex Brown

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.

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Design Editor Senior Reporter Reporter Photography Photography Adviser Advertising

EDITORIALS

Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO.

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ADVENTURE

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FLASHLIGHT HIKING

INSECTS MAP

MARSHMALLOWS

On the Cover:

NATURE

Top: University of Central Oklahoma rowing team won it’s second consecutive national championship on June 1.

(Provided BronchoSports)

STARS

Top Middle: University of Central Oklahoma soccer versus Lindenwood during the 2018-2019 season. (Vista Archives)

SUNSCREEN

Bottom Middle: Pride flags on display at the 31st OKC Pride parade on June 22.

(Gerald Leong/The Vista)

TENT

Bottom: Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, left, takes his seat beside Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as they open a hearing on politically motivated fake videos and manipulated media, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 13, 2019.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

SAFETY

SUMMER

SWIMMING TRAILS

WOODS

Traffic/ACM

June 25, 2019

3

Edmond Adds Intelligent Traffic System Continued from pg. 1

the most dangerous stretch of road we have in the community right now.”

Stevens said that about 800 car accidents, including 10 fatalities, have occurred at I-35 within the past five years. He hopes that the administration can finish construction on I-35 in eight years or less.

According to Edmond’s citizen satisfaction survey for 2018, every nine out of 10 residents in Oklahoma said that traffic signals and roadways need the most improvement in the city. More than 75 percent of survey participants said that parking in the downtown area should be considered a medium to high priority.

Rainfall has prevented staff from finishing ongoing construction projects, as well as minor factors like buying and moving property in order to pave wider streets.

“We have to mainly buy some of the land adjacent to us to put the roads, sidewalks and the utilities on,” said

Traffic lights on Edmond Road and Fretz Avenue guide drivers. Intelligent traffic systems are being added around the city of Edmond to aid traffic flow. (Vista Archives)

Steve Manek, director of Engineering. “The weather definitely hampers anything if you’re going to be dealing with pavement.”

Traffic buildup in Edmond is mostly caused by a population increase, alongside city events and rush hour drivers that includes the city’s school population. Traffic Engineer Tom Minnick said that the University of Central Oklahoma’s commuter population is a high generator of traffic,

with many students coming from the metro area.

In addition to improving roadways, Stevens said he recommends walking, as the city is hoping to make all streets pedestrian friendly.

“We’re trying to encourage walkability all over town,” Stevens said.

“It’s one of the big focuses of our downtown redevelopment. We’re just in the early phases of it, but we think downtown will look much different in

the next five to ten years than it does now.”

Stevens also said that use of alternative transportation is another solution to decrease traffic buildup. The city council currently funds Citylink, a city-operated transportation bus system and promotes the construction of bike lanes as another means of transportation for the public.

“You don’t have to bother with the hassle of driving, you’re not paying a monthly parking fee, you can sit there and do whatever you want until it’s time to get off,” Stevens said.

The council will continue future construction projects with phase three, which includes the installment of new traffic signal devices at 22 intersections of 15th Street and Kelly Avenue. Funding for phase three will require an estimated $7 million dollars, according to the council’s website, with support coming from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments.

ACM Students Featured in Bricktown Celebration Jeff Elkins @JeffElkins12

MANAGING EDITOR

To commemorate 20 years of the Bricktown Canal, Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership and the Bricktown Association are hosting a celebration event June 29 with live music provided by students from the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The all-day event goes from 9 a.m to 9 p.m., with student musicians performing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the canal.

Andy Hopkins and Miche'la Creel, also known as the rock duo Jipsi, start off the lineup on Saturday morning.

"We are playing right at 10 a.m., so our hope is that we are going to pair nicely with a fresh cup of coffee to help get a great start to an awesome day of celebrating Oklahoma culture," Hopkins said.

Both Creel and Hopkins have lived in Oklahoma their entire lives and said they feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of such a momentous occasion.

Hopkins and Creel began the project about a year ago, starting off playing open mic nights at Sauced in the Paseo District for fun, eventually performing under the name Jipsi.

"We landed on the name Jipsi as a way of symbolically saying that this project would be intended for our

own creative exploration and artistic expression," Hopkins said.

According to Hopkins, the duo is very much rock 'n' roll at heart.

"We want to embody that spirit into everything we do,” Hopkins said.

“Musically, our influences range from blues to metal, rock, country, Americana and everything in between, but when it comes to songwriting this barely paints an accurate description of who we are striving to be with this project."

Hopkins said they draw inspiration from experiences like art, live music, film, food and community.

"We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and entertain so many great people all over Oklahoma City and we intend on keeping it up as long as we can," Hopkins said.

Oklahoma pop-rock musician Grant Adams said he hopes listeners enjoy themselves and walk away inspired to love more deeply and pursue who they are made to be.

“I think music has the ability to connect with people on a deeper level than just about anything and I hope to do that with my music,” Adams said.

Jipsi and Grant Adams, along with Mandias, Chloe Beth and Landon Bumgarner are all performing busking-style by the canal, as there isn't a set performance stage.

Holly Hoyler, events coordinator for Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership, said artists will be playing

different locations, one by the ACM@ UCO back door and the other near HeyDay Entertainment on Oklahoma Avenue.

"Since this is the 20th anniversary the theme is 'party like it's 1999' and we wanted to bring that spirit back with the festivities," Hoyler said.

A Sonic stage will have live painting, brewer entertainment, as well as a ‘90s through early 2000s playlist that will be available on Spotify.

Local Emmy winner and musician Lucas Ross will play live banjo mu-

sic at the Bricktown Beach on Mickey Mantle Drive from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other activities include live art demonstrations at three locations throughout Bricktown, complimentary Ride OKC bike tours, popup bars and an art station for kids featuring balloon animals, face painting and more.

Over 30 business in Bricktown will be running promotions throughout the day.

A river taxi parked in Bricktown Canal. The Bricktown area is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary with festivities and live music. (Provided/Wikimedia Commons)

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June 25, 2019

Around Campus

The original bell used to call students at the Territorial Normal School, located in the Gerald “Cowboy” Barnett Bell Plaza north of Plunkett Park is said to bring good luck to students. Graduates walk through Old North after touching the bell and then on to Hamilton Fieldhouse for the commencement ceremony. (Katie Standlee/The Vista)

Tuesday, June 25, 2019 Twilight Hours at Pelican Bay: The Pelican Bay Aquatic Center will be wrapping up the night swim events that have taken place on throughout June from 7-10 p.m. For more details call 405-216-7633 or visit https:// www.pelicanbayaquatics.com/events Make ‘Em Laugh – Theatre Camp: The Fine Arts Institute of Edmond will host a Theatre Camp designed to help students develop performance skills as they collaborate with industry professionals from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students ages 7 and up will be able to register. The price for admissions is $220 and the camp will run through June 28. For more details call 405-340-4481 or visit https://edmondfinearts.com

Thursday, June 27, 2019 Sharel Cassity and Friends: The UCO Jazz Lab will be hosting former Central student Sharel Cassity and Friends at 7 p.m. The 2010 Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee and 2007 ASCAP Young Jazz Composers award winner will perform jazz music with her saxophone. Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling 405-974-2100.

LibertyFest: Concert in the Park: UCO Mitchel Hall Theatre will host

the free-to-all LibertyFest Concert in the Park. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the north lawn of Mitchell Hall. The UCO summer band will be performing, conducted

by UCO Wind Symphony Conductor Dr. Brian Lamb.

2019 Native American New Play Festival: UCO Mitchel Hall Theatre will host Jo MacDonald in the comedy “Neechie-Itas” at 8 p.m. in the Mitchell Theatre Performance Hall from June 20-22 and 27-29. This is the 10th consecutive year Mitchell Hall has hosted a Native American festival. For more details call 405974-3375.

Friday, June 28, 2019 Forensic Science Spotlight Tour: The Forensic Science Institute will host a tour for students interested in UCO’s forensic programs from 1-2 p.m. Students in attendance will have an opportunity to meet a faculty member, see a classroom and tour the Forensic Science Institute.

Summer Jazz Camp – Final Concert: The UCO Jazz Lab will host the free-to-all final concert for the Summer Jazz Camp attendees.

Brian Gorrell & Jazz Company: The UCO Jazz Lab will be hosting Brian Gorrell & Jazz Company at 7 p.m.

Tickets will be available for purchase online at ucojazzlab.com or by calling 405-974-2100.

51st Annual LibertyFest Rodeo: The Edmond Round Up Club Carl Benne Arena will be hosting the 51st annual LibertyFest Rodeo on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults (12 and over) and $5 for children (11 and under). For more details call 405-264-3685.

USTRC Oklahoma Championship: Lazy E Arena will be hosting the USTRC Oklahoma Team Roping Championship Friday through Sunday.

Call 405-282-7433 for more details.

Summer Block 1 Classes End & Final Exams

Saturday, June 29, 2019 19th Annual LibertyFest Car Show: Hafer Park will host the free-to-all 19th Annual LibertyFest Car Show from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be $15 to pre-register a car in the event and $20 on the day of event. The first 200 entries will receive a free T-shirt and dash plaque. For more information call 478-8100.

Art in Public Places Tour: Mac in Mitch Park will be hosting the Art in Public Places Tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tour will include walk-

ing and driving. A 15-passenger van will be provided by Edmond Parks and Recreation during the driving portion. The walking portion will proceed from Second Street to Hurd Street and back. It will be $10 to attend the event. Call 405-359-4630 for more details.

Old Bulldog Band: The UCO Jazz Lab is hosting the Old Bulldog Band at 6 p.m. The Old Bulldog Band will perform classic rock music. Tickets are available for $15.

LibertyFest KiteFest: Mitch Park will host the free-to-all LibertyFest KiteFest, in its 29th year, Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The kites will fly between Covell Road and Coffee Creek Road. The festival will include the creation of kites, kite flying techniques and a night-fly depending on the weather. For more information call 405-359-4630.

LibertyFest A Taste of Edmond: The Festival Market Place & Plaza will be hosting LibertyFest a Taste of Edmond from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The event will feature a variety of culinary options from different “mom and pop” restaurants. Tickets will be offered at $12 in advance, $17 the day of event.

For more information call 405-3594630.

Lime Scooters

5

June 25, 2019

Lime Scooters in Process for UCO Campus Haley Humphrey @haleybhumphrey

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Edmond and University of Central Oklahoma officials are in the process of bringing Lime scooters for cost-effective and efficient transportation purposes in town and on campus.

David Chapman, an Edmond city councilman and associate professor of Finance and Real Estate at UCO, said the council members decided to have the city staff research safety implementations, such as where the scooters will be stored, at the June 14 city council meeting. The staff members have until July 24 to return to the council, and the scooters will be considered again.

Lime sent two representatives to the meeting to answer questions and gave the council a proposal for a oneyear trial period, Chapman said.

“It’s going to happen,” Chapman said. “It plays an important role in the multimodal aspect of transportation.”

UCO was also present at the meeting, as Chapman said UCO Student Association President Emily Grim and other executive members like Congress Chair James Limbaugh showed support for the idea.

“By listening to students on campus, we have determined that the student body wants to see these electric scooters on campus,” Limbaugh said.

Chapman said the scooters could be a significant way of linking Edmond’s bus service system to the

The electric scooters Lime and Bird are parked on a sidewalk. Lime scooters are cost-effective and efficient transportation and may be coming to the University of Central Oklahoma campus. (Provided/Wikimedia Commons)

neighborhoods, and linking UCO to downtown Edmond.

“I want the faculty and the students to have access to the businesses and restaurants and coffee shops in downtown Edmond, and I think this is a catalyst to do it,” Chapman said.

Chapman also believes the scooters will benefit UCO’s and Edmond’s international population. He said he has witnessed many international students riding bikes to and from campus because they cannot drive in the U.S. Limbaugh agreed. “Our international student population could use [Limes] to get to and from the International House and around Edmond.”

The scooters are available to all students to shorten the amount of time it takes them to get to class by walking from the parking lots or riding their bikes from home. “[The scooters] give you the opportunity to get [to UCO] without being sweaty,” Chapman said. “Nobody wants to show up to class drenched in sweat.”

Chapman also said the scooters can be a helpful avenue for the parking dilemma many students who commute have.

If approved by the council, the scooters will not cost the city anything.

“This is one of the only ways that a public municipality can actually have a transportation system that’s free,” Chapman said.

While Chapman is a proponent for the scooters, the other council members are less in favor, wanting to put an ordinance in place.

The council would look at safety guidelines, such as speed limits, when creating an ordinance for the scooters. According to Chapman, the scooters can be programmed to go a certain speed and the city could require riders to go 10 mph in some areas instead of the top speed of 18 mph.

Chapman said he wants the scooters to be safely enacted and not become an issue that litters the community.

Scooters would be limited to operating on sidewalks and not city streets.

However, limiting them to sidewalks could pose a concern for those with disabilities who would have to maneuver around them. The council is concerned there won’t be a guarantee as to where the scooters will be placed routinely on the sidewalks.

“We do not want our citizens injured,” Chapman said. “Our job is to protect citizens.”

Lime contractors would drop three or four scooters off on city corners each morning around 6-7 a.m. and pick them up at night to recharge them. Since users are not required to take the scooters back to the corner they paid to ride them from, the council is worried the scattering of scooters will become a problem for the city.

Another concern Chapman noted was the angled parking downtown, which makes it difficult for some to see their surroundings when backing out. He said there must be awareness and training for the scooters to be conducive throughout Edmond.

While many cities and universities throughout the nation have had electric scooters available to the public for some time now, UCO is currently working on its own agreement with Lime. The university does not have to wait for Edmond’s council to vote on an ordinance before they make their own for the campus if decided upon, according to Chapman. He said he hopes UCO will work with the city and coordinate their implementations.

The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University do not have correlated ordinances with their city councils. However, OU and OSU have also experienced problems with Bird and Lime contractors the universities and city governments have addressed for better usage.

Chapman said he hopes Edmond’s council will have a plan for the scooters by the end of summer, so they may be available to the community by fall at the earliest convenience.

A Lime electric scooter awaits a rider. Lime scooters are possibly coming to the University of Central Oklahoma. (Provided/Wikimedia Commons)

6

June 25, 2019

Pride

OKC Pride Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Stonewall

Top Left: Participants of the 2019 Pride Parade & Festival march in celebration on June 22, in Oklahoma City. (Gerald Leong/The Vista) Top Middle: Parade goers walk in celebration of the 2019 Pride Parade & Festival on June 22, in Oklahoma City. (John Redfearn/The Vista)

Bottom Left: A celebrator waves a flag during the 2019 Pride Parade & Festival on June 22, in Oklahoma City. (John Redfearn/The Vista)

Top Right: An attendee of the 2019 Pride Parade & Festival rides a bike on June 22, in Oklahoma City. The pride celebration was a week long event, hosting over 100,000 people. (Gerald Leong/The Vista)

Bottom Middle: A festival goer rides in a car during the 2019 Pride Parade & Festival on June 22, in Oklahoma City. (John Redfearn/The Vista) Bottom Right: Parade participants celebrate in a truck during the 2019 Pride Parade & Festival on June 22, in Oklahoma City. (Gerald Leong/The Vista)

Ribbon Cutting

June 25, 2019

7

Liberal Arts South Wing Honored at Ribbon Cutting Continued from pg. 1

starting early in 2018. Now, finishing touches are being made before furniture and faculty can move in starting August 1.

“When we were interviewing the construction management companies... they all said this is a 15-18 month project,” Webster said. “Roughly speaking, we had all 12 months of [2018] and six months of [2019]; that’s about 18 months. Our plan, our goal overall was to be able to hold classes in the fall of 2019 and that’s what we’re doing.”

The $17.5 million 55,000-square-foot expansion has a two-story atrium, 30 faculty and staff offices, 15 classrooms, meeting spaces and study steps with outlets for laptops and USB cords.

“When I first came in this building in its early forms...I looked up and my imagination, even though I’d seen the plans for a long time, my imagination literally soared because I began to think of ‘oh my goodness, what can Dean Webster do with this space,’” Betz said.

A 215-capacity lecture hall that doubles as a storm shelter will serve as a replacement for Pegasus Theatre.

“It’s not a theater, it does not have theatrical lighting or a grid, there’s no curtain,” Webster said. “It’s really meant for, say, readings or conferences, we do have a film screening capability.”

Several events are already planned for the lecture hall, including TedxUCO, the annual Media Ethics Conference, the Chaddlesone Arts and Letter Series, the Liberal Arts Symposium and the university’s annual Collegium on College Teaching Practice, the week before the semester begins.

A coffee bar named the Pegasus Cafe, will open later in the semester and feature barista-made drinks as well as

President Don Betz speaks at the podium while Chair of the Regional University System of Oklahoma Susan Winchester, middle, and Liberal Arts Dean Catherine Webster listen. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)

fresh and packaged food.

“There will be somebody who’s going to make coffee drinks,” Webster said.

“It’s a Chartwells activity. They’re excited because there’s nothing on this side of campus for them.”

Some work is left to be completed by August, including finishing the final set of study steps, furniture and A/V installation, signage, final inspections and exterior work such as landscaping the south parking lot.

“The biggest setback has been the heavy amount of work we have receivedv over the past few months,” said Kevin Tero, assistant director of UCO Architectural and Engineering Services. “It has impacted landscap-

ing and sidewalk work, as well as the replacement of the south parking lot.”

Tero was credited by several speakers at the ribbon cutting, including Webster for being “fundamentally essential” to the final outcome of the project. Along with Architectural and Engineering Services and Beck Design, he was key in several ideas, such as designing a split level plan with a four-stop elevator and increased study areas. “[This] optimized circulation paths and created additional open study areas,” Tero said. “The whole project was a textbook example of how teamwork and shared ideas make a project better.”

A grand opening celebration is set for August 12 when Liberal Arts faculty and staff come back for a meeting, according to Webster. Others from the university will have a chance to see the facility at the Collegium the next day.

Although no opening celebration is planned for students, the building is considered open as of August 1 for students that visit the dean’s office or modern languages faculty, according to Webster. However, there may be a small grand opening for the cafe later in the semester, which students can attend.

The Provost Building Excellence Fund provided a new generator, fire suppression system and a single key access system for classrooms and offices in both wings of the building. Not including these costs, the south wing is being paid for through $3 million of already-collected student course fees and a 30-year, $14.5 million bond that will be paid back through future course fees.

“I feel very spoiled that our college is getting to have this new space available to us and I’m grateful to my predecessors in the dean role who initiated the ideas and the ways to support them, to fund them, because that was already all in place,” Webster said.

Don Beck, principal architect, speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the south wing of the Liberal Arts building.

(Megan Thele/The Vista)

6 8

June 25, 11, 2019 2019 June

iTunes Store Deepfake

Our Only Defense toMarks “Deepfake” iTunes Store Closing End ofVideos an Era

For those of you who believe evI never thought I’d miss something erything you see, be ready to secI completely forgot about, but for ond-guess your eyes as any video some odd reason, the Apple iTunes you see could now possibly be fake.

Store closing down is emotionally Through the power of editing and hitting me harder than expected. computer science, computer-generFor those who have no idea what I ated videos can now be faked and am talking about, Apple announced honestly, you should be scared of at WWDC 2019 that it will be shutthe possibilities. ting down iTunes to put their foThe videos are called “deepfake,” cus into Apple Music, Apple TV essentially videos that were created and Podcasts, as well as moving auto make it appear as if someone is diobooks to Apple Books. saying or doing something that they Unexpected, but also not shockdid not actually do. Are you scared ing-- a paradox, I know. Basicalyet? Everyone should be on alert ly, what I mean is, I understand about blackmail. why they shut it down, I just never Obviously, video manipulation is thought they would. not a new thing but it is so much As someone who was born in the harder to spot deepfake now than it 1990s, it’s hard to believe that the used to be. main way I purchased music online Deepfake works by creating a neuwill be shut down as if it was the CD ral network AI to match the shape section in Walmart. Similar to the of the person of interest’s mouth and disappearing CD sections, new tech- Apple announced that they will close the iTunes store and move the contents to Apple Music, Apple TV and Podcasts in the next then the fake mouth is placed on top software update. (Tanner Laws/The Vista) nology has threatened its place in the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., left, greets witness Clint Watts, a cybersecurity and intelligence of real footage and audio of them. the Foreign a hearing on politically videos andBoy manipulated media, on music industry, causing the number expert times, with be hesitant to Policy spendResearch my hardInstitute, Perri,atwhich I used to createmotivated a playlist fakethe Soulja Tell’em “Crank That,” The fake mouth is controlled by Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 13, 2019.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) of users and sales to dwindle each earned money on little things unre- for my uncle’s wedding last year. Had which to this day is a nostalgic hit. someone else. More or less, like how year as its use becomes less neces- lated to obtaining my degree, I have my uncle not been getting married, For Apple, ringtones werewho pivotal Paul Walker’s brother played him in tial candidates who are often giving making him say that his employees damning, there are some are sary over time—and for iTunes, that not helped and I believe there are I would not have been on iTunes, to iTunes’ conception and probably the ending of Fast & Furious. speeches on camera where the mal- can survive on $8 an hour in New still hopeful such as University of it has. many more like me. can study their which I never thought I’d say when the biggest financial boom them I first noticed this practice when practice scientists Washington Professor Irafor KemelYork City.

“Revenues from downloaded Ever since I have been a college I was a kid, or in this case write, bein the early 2000s — basically the Snapchat created its face swap fil- maneuvers. Obviously, with this This was just a demonstration, macher-Shilzerman. tracks and albums declined for the student, I have been subscribed to cause I used to love iTunes. glory days for iTunes.

For artists, it ter that would swap the faces of software, political sabotage and pro- but it has to be known that the pos“We’re developing technology, sixth consecutive year to $1.04 bil- Apple Music’s streaming service, beHowever, not everybody loved was terrible for business.

Instead of two people looking into the phone, paganda are imminent. sibilities of what you can now force every technology can be used in lion,” according to the Recording In- cause why not take advantage of the iTunes as I did. Pete Fader, Wharton selling their full album for $10, conwhich is not too concerning. So, I For example, University of Wash- someone to say are endless. The en- some negative way and so we all dustry Association of America. “Per- discount, right? It’s much better on School marketing professor, wrote sumers could buy just one song if kept my worries to myself. However, ington researches performed the emies of political candidates might should work toward making sure it’s manent downloads of albums fell 25 my pockets to pay $4.99 a month and on Twitter, “iTunes is a cancer for the they so wished, which was usually when the gender swap was created deepfake procedure on President not be so nice about what they force not going to happen,” Kemelmachpercent to $500 million in 2018, and have access to all of the music I want music industry. This was obvious 15 the hit song on the album. that allowed a man to use a filter to Barack Obama by collecting 14 someone to appear to say. er-Shilzerman said on BBC news. individual track sales were down 28 than to pay $0.99 cents per song or years ago … Good thing it will finally For those know how the look like a woman and vice versa, I hours of footage of him and then even who one don’t of the interesting Although this product seems very “And percent to $490 million. Downloads $10 per album. go away.” music industry worked before knew technology had advanced to a directions is once you know howthe to accounted for 11 percent of revenues So, as of late I have not been using To better understand why he felt 2000s, an artist would make a hit dangerous place. create something, you know how to for 2018, down from 42 percent as iTunes too much. In fact, the last two this way, I had to go back and look song and then the label would push What I find most troubling about reverse engineer it and so one could recently as 2013.” behind This includthe deepfake process is that it does songs I purchased from iTunes were at the history of iTunes. What I everything create methods forthat. identifying editThose numbers are not shocking. “This Very Moment” by K-Ci & JoJo found out is that although it has been ed tours, merchandise and, most imnot take much to do. You know the ed videos versus real videos.”

As a college student who can, at and “A Thousand Years” by Christina around a long time for me, 18 of portantly, the albums. joke of “there’s an app for that?”

Farid is doing just that as he is my 22 years, it has not been around developing The hit song was typically how Well, there’s one for creating deepa software to spot deepa long time for any service or store. artists promoted their albums as a fake videos as well, called FakeApp. fake videos. Farid hopes to upload So, for those who were adults when whole.

If you wanted that song,news you FakeApp is a free online tool that a website where traditional it was created and knew music before had to buy the full album, but iTunes everyone has access to as the anonorganizations can run the videos it, they could obviously see the flaws eliminated so instead ofthey making ymous developers have left the code through histhat, software before put that I could not. $10 off an individual, artists, in theoopen to the public - open source esout the video as fact. iTunes was created as a follow up to ry,In were onlytomaking But even sentially. an act protect$0.99. the candidates 1999 Napster, which ran into copythat $0.99 the artist wasn’t making “We are outgunned,” said Hany of the 2020 presidential election, right infringement problems because fully.

Th ey didn’t even make the full Farid, University of California at Farid has gone through the process it was sharing music files instead $0.99 — that was split between the Berkeley computer science profesof what he calls “fingerprinting,” of charging consumers.

In January label, writers, producers and so forth. sor. “The number of people workwhich is downloading a significant 2001, Apple swooped in and decided However, the music industry aling on the video-synthesis side, as amount of footage of individuals to charge $0.99 per song. Years later, ways adjusts.

Even move with when streaming, opposed to the detector side, is 100 to learn how they they as a kid in fi ft h grade who just rewhich awards popularity over talent, to 1.” talk. ceived his fiIntelligence rst cellphone for Christ- musicians haveofcontinued to fiyear,” nd a the House CommitCreating deepfake videos is not Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif, ranking member of “By the end this calendar tee, center, is joined by, from left, Rep. Chris mas, Stewart, R-Utah, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, I found that to be well within way make a living. e death of too difficult, it just takes time. Since R-Ohio, Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rep. Jim Faridtosaid.

“That is theThgoal is that Himes, D-Conn., during a new iTunes is just another hump for the my budget.

I bought about fi ve Apple’s Stacey Lysik speaks at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San it is such an easy process, the main hearing on politically motivated fake videos and manipulated media, on Capitol Hill in we will have most, if not all, of the Jose, Calif., Monday, June 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) ringtones a year. My favorite was music industry to get over. concern of deepfake is for presiden- Washington, Thursday, June 13, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) candidates fingerprinted.”

Editorial

9

June 25, 2019

Trump Makes A Good Call James D. Jackson @JamesDJackson15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As the United States was on the brink of war with Iran, President Donald Trump stepped in and stopped it just 10 minutes before it started.

The president said he called off a missile strike that would have reportedly killed “150 people” after an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone was shot out of the sky by Iran on Thursday morning and frankly, that was the correct thing to do.

Iran claimed the drone was over the Iranian sovereign airspace while the U.S. claimed it was in international waters. Nevertheless, the tension was building and many expected it would push the U.S. to war.

As we know, Trump is not afraid to threaten his military on the world, as he threatened North Korean leader Kim JongUn with his bigger “nuclear button.” We’ve also seen him take action on Middle Eastern targets as he struck Syria in 2017 and 2018.

So, we all patiently waited in anticipation for the retaliation strikes to occur largely due to Trump’s tweet Thursday, “Iran made a very big mistake!”

The Federal Aviation Adminis-

President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order to increase sanctions on Iran, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, June 24, 2019, in Washington. Trump is accompanied by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, left, and Vice President Mike Pence. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

tration even issued an emergency order Thursday night restricting flights over the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in preparation.

“The [Notice to Airmen] warns pilots that flights are not permitted in the overwater area of the Tehran Flight Information Region until further notice, due to heightened military activities and increased political tensions that might place commercial

flights at risk,” the FAA said in a statement Thursday. “The NOTAM applies to all U.S. air carriers and commercial operators.”

There was no secret that retaliation military strikes were being prepared due to those attacks, by Trump along with the support of his allies.

But shockingly, it did not happen.

“On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it,” Trump said in a tweet Friday.

The president continued his tweet stating that the Iranian death toll would not have been proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.

He then said that he did not think that Iran shot the drone down on purpose.

“I find it hard to believe it was intentional, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “I think

that it could have been somebody who was loose and stupid that did it. We’ll be able to report back and you’ll understand exactly what happened, but it was a very foolish move.”

This all just comes after a week of Trump blaming Iran for the explosions that damaged U.S. oil tankers that were transporting oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway used for much of the world’s oil transportation.

However, Iran sits on the idea that they do not want a war.

They still claim the only reason the drone was shot down was because it entered Iranian territory.

Iran’s ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi continued that narrative as he claimed that portions of the drone, after being shot down, fell down in the territorial waters of Iran. The U.S. has yet to see the pieces of the drone.

“What is in it for Iran to have a provocation?” Ravanci said to the United Nations. “If God forbid, a conflict erupts in our region there is not going to be a loser or a winner, everybody will lose.”

President Donald Trump signs an executive order to increase sanctions on Iran, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, June 24, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Alex Brandon)

10

June 25, 2019

Directors’ Cup

UCO Finishes Ranked 30th in Directors Cup

University of Central Oklahoma’s softball team gives each other high-fives during a 2018 game. The softball team earned 64 points out of 452 for UCO in the Division II Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup. (Vista Archives)

Derek Parker @D_Park2 SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Central Oklahoma scored 452 points in the Division II Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup race this year and finished ranked 30th out of over 300 Division II schools.

“UCO is held in high esteem across not only the conference but the nation,” said UCO athletic director Eddie Griffin. “We have quality programs athletically and academically. That’s what we’re proud of and our coaches continue to do a good job.”

Division II programs across the nation have a chance to win the award, earning points based on each of their team’s finishes in the NCAA championships.

The Bronchos earned 64 points in the fall due to a historic soccer season. The soccer squad started their season out on a 16 game win streak before finishing 22-2, the best record in school history. They won the MIAA postseason tournament, defeating Washburn University, Fort Hays State University and the University of Central Missouri before losing 4-3 overtime to Central Missouri in the NCAA Division II Central Regional.

UCO wrestling attributed 58.5 points to UCO’s total, finishing fourth in the DII Super Region-

al IV Tournament and 16th in the DII wrestling championships.

Heath Gray and Greg Wilson both earned all-American honors.

Central earned 329.5 points in the spring, with strong finishes from rowing, softball and tennis.

Rowing’s second straight national title earned a maximum 100 points. The Bronchos finished first in the V4+ and V8+ over the Florida Institute of Technology to earn UCO’s 20th ever national title.

Softball and tennis finished with 64 points each, with both having historic seasons.

Tennis lost in the NCAA Championships Round of 16 but finished 19-5 on the season. UCO won 6-3 in the No. 1 doubles in their first match against Azusa Pacific University but lost in both No. 2 and No. 3 to go down. APU eventually finished the Bronchos season with a 4-1 victory.

Central softball’s historic run came to a close in the Division II Central Super Regional when they lost out in back to back games to the eventual national champion Augustana University. The Bronchos won the MIAA regular season and tournament titles, along with the Central Regional I Tournament. They finished with the second most wins in program history and graduated four decorated seniors, including JoBi Heath, who set multiple offensive records at

Central. Augustana won 7-6 in a walk-off win that finished UCO’s season.

Women’s golf earned 51.5 points toward the Leafield cup, ending with a sixth-place finish in the NCAA Division II Central Regional, with only the top four teams making it to the championships.

Sydney Roberts tied for ninth with a total of 228.

Broncho baseball finished with 50 points after posting a 38-20 record and making it to the NCAA Central Region II Final for the second time in three years. UCO’s season ended with an 8-5 loss to Central Missouri, but qualified

for the NCAA Tournament for the third time and sent pitcher Spencer Van Scoyoc to the MLB Draft.

Overall, UCO finished within the top 10 percent of Division II schools this year, a testament to its program’s success, according to Griffin.

“If we’re 30th out of about 300 Division II schools, that’s pretty good and I’m really proud of our student-athletes,” Griffin said.

Central soccer will kick off the 2019-20 season for UCO and will play their first game on September 5 at 1 p.m on Tom Thompson Field.

University of Central Oklahoma’s wrestling team in the middle of a match on Nov. 6, 2017. The wrestling team contributed 58.5 points to UCO’s 452 overall in the Division II Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup. (Vista Archives)

Honors/Rowing

June 11, 2019

11

MIAA Honors 50 Bronchos in Academics Christian Melman @cbmelman

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The University of Central Oklahoma had over 50 student athletes honored in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association’s 2019 Spring Academic Awards and over 40 recognized in the freshman and transfer student awards.

At the end of the spring, winter and fall sports seasons the MIAA Honor Roll recognizes the student-athletes who complete the season with a 3.0 grade point average, with the exception of transfer students, who do not meet the requirements, and freshmen.

The UCO softball team highlighted the list with 10 players selected. They were followed by the men’s golf team at six, women’s track and field and women’s golf both at five, and baseball and women’s tennis with four each.

UCO also had seven athletes named MIAA Scholar Athletes, which is awarded to those who maintain a 3.5 GPA along with receiving All-MIAA honors in their field of play.

The tennis team had three of the seven athletes named, with Kirtana Bhat, Alix Williams and Sarah Van Eeckhoudt receiving the awards.

Central softball players Lexy Dobson and Carli Jones, along with Madison

Student athletes can study in the Mike Ciskowski Athletic Academic Center in UCO’s Sports Performance Center. Over 50 student athletes were honored in the MIAA’s 2019 Spring Academic Awards . (Provided/BronchoSports)

O’Dell and Sydney Roberts of UCO’s women’s golf were also recognized as MIAA Scholar Athletes.

Three UCO athletes were honored with the MIAA Excellence Award, given to those with a 4.0 GPA. The three athletes recognized were Madison O’Dell, Faith Stewart and Cody Troutman.

Forty-seven Central athletes across 10 sports were also highlighted in the MIAA’s Academic Awards for fresh-

men and transfer students, which recognizes those with at least a 3.0 GPA. UCO baseball led that list with 10 players honored. Football, softball, women’s track and field and women’s soccer all had six athletes honored, followed by women’s tennis and volleyball at four, women’s basketball at three, wrestling with two and men’s basketball with one.

Central had over 150 student-athletes recognized by the MIAA for

their academic success over the course of the 2018-19 year.

“Everybody [in the MIAA conference] understands the quality of education needed for student-athletes to be able to succeed, not only on the playing field, but also in the classroom,” said UCO Athletic Director Eddie Griffin. “What I am really proud of is the time and the effort and the work that a lot of the people don’t really see.”

UCO Rows Into New Conference

James D. Jackson @JamesDJackson15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After 11 seasons as an independent, the two-time National Champion University of Central Oklahoma rowing team will be joining the Great Northwest Athletic Conference starting in the 2019-2020 school year as an affiliate member.

The GNAC will be the second Division II conference to sponsor women’s rowing as a sport, along with the Sunshine State Conference.

There are currently 16 schools that compete in Division II rowing. The Sunshine State Conference currently holds six schools and the GNAC took in four, Humboldt State University, Seattle Pacific University, Western Washington University and Central Oklahoma, but they also took in University of California San Diego for a year. The other schools will remain independent.

“UC San Diego is transitioning to Division I,” said Chris Brannick,

UCO assistant athletic director and media relations. “So they’re not listed in this new list of teams [in the GNAC]. There’s only four but UC San Diego would be the fifth team.

They’re kind of just going to be involved in the racing competition but they only have one more year left of Division II competition.”

Brannick said there will be a few benefits for UCO to joining the GNAC. “There will be a conference championship to play for, to compete for, so there’s one benefit that’s exciting,” Brannick said. “As well as getting a little bit more confidence of your path to the national championship.”

Brannick said that academic award are yet another benefit of joining a conference.

“Most every conference recognizes academic achievements,” Brannick said. “Our student-athletes don’t really have an opportunity to be recognized for their academic achievements as well and in the GNAC they will.”

All of UCO sports are a part of the

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association conference with only women’s rowing not in the conference. The MIAA recognizes students who have a 3.0-grade point average and UCO had 50 student-athletes recognized this academic year. However, the rowing athletes were not able to be recognized as they were without a conference.

“To us, it’s just as important but it’s a little bit less recognized,” Brannick said. “Most people just see the competition and the wins and losses but academics obviously are a big priority too.”

Brannick said he does not think there are any downsides to UCO joining the GNAC because the schedule does not change like it did when UCO football left the Lone Star Conference and joined the MIAA. “Downside arguments would have been the travel,” Brannick said.

“Where we use to play Southwestern and East Central and Southeastern and Northwestern and now we don’t play any of those schools in [the] conference and we’re going to Nebraska,

we’re going to Missouri. So if there is a downside to be argued, it would have been something like that but in rowing, we were already going to Washington we were already going to California and those schools were already coming to Oklahoma City so I don’t believe there’s a downside to it.”

Women’s rowing is the GNAC’s 17th championship sport. GNAC conference teams have won 12 of the last 18 national championships in rowing and was the runner-up in four other seasons. Western Washington has eight titles alone. Humboldt won two, one in 2012 and one in 2014, and UCO has won the previous two.

UCO rowing has been an independent for eight seasons in which UCO has won three consecutive national championships in eights, their first ever in fours and their second national championship as a team.

The GNAC CEO board unanimously approved the addition of women’s rowing. The last sport added before rowing was women’s golf during the 2010-2011 season.

12

June 25, 2019

NBA Draft

NBA Draft Winners and Losers: New Orleans and Bol Bol This year’s NBA draft had it all. An emotional superstar, a 7-foot-3-inch center in a spider suit and, as usual, a ton of controversy. Here’s a look at the winners and losers from the 2019 draft.

Winner: The New Orleans Pelicans.

Regardless of what happened after the first player was taken off the board, the Pelicans won the night. With the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft, they unsurprisingly chose Duke University phenom Zion Williamson.

Williamson started stealing the show in high school, dunking his way to Duke and taking college basketball by storm. One of the most sought after athletes since LeBron James, the Pelicans narrowly won the Williamson sweepstakes on May 14, beating out the likes of the Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.

The Duke product has almost no bust potential. At his worst, he’ll still most likely be a perennial all-star. His ceiling, however, could be unprecedented.

Williamson broke in his interview after being drafted No. 1 overall, thanking everyone, especially his Mom, for getting him to that point.

At 6-foot-7-inches he fits right in with a majority of current NBA players. He averaged 22.6 ppg and 8.9 rpg in his lone season at Duke and should easily be the front runner for Rookie

of the Year.

On top of getting Williamson, they turned the Anthony Davis trade into University of Texas’ center Jaxson Hayes, who they drafted at No. 8, and Virginia Tech’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker at No. 17. The Pelicans have officially entered the rebuild, and only time will tell if this draft class was as loaded as they hoped.

Winner: The Atlanta Hawks. After swapping Luka Doncic for Trae Young in the 2018 draft, the Hawks got a second first-round pick in this year’s draft. Many thought the Hawks lost the trade, but it turned out to be great for both teams.

Young and Doncic both had terrific years, and are both candidates for Rookie of the Year, and Atlanta got even more assets for the future. The Hawks also nabbed Kevin Huerter in the 2018 draft, who surprised everyone by earning all-rookie second team.

This year, Atlanta’s goal was to surround their young talent with, you guessed it, more young talent. They began by trading up to No. 4 to grab University of Virginia’s DeAndre Hunter and took a chance on Cam Reddish at 10. Pairing Hunter and Reddish with Young and Huerter, along with 2017 draftee John Collins, who improved significantly in year two, makes for one of the better drafts.

If the 2019 draftees pan out like the

Oregon’s Bol Bol smiles before the NBA basketball draft Thursday, June 20, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

New Orleans Pelicans first-round draft pick Zion Williamson arrives for his introductory news conference at the NBA basketball team’s practice facility in Metairie, La., Friday, June 21, 2019.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

ones before them, the Hawks will be right there with New Orleans for the 2024 title.

Loser: The Oklahoma City Thunder. For the second year in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder have whiffed on the draft.

Last year, Oklahoma City didn’t have a first-round pick but traded to choose Hamidou Diallo with the 45th pick in the second round. While winning the dunk contest is a nice accolade, Diallo gave OKC little to no real production.

This year they passed up the likes of Brandon Clarke and Grant Williams to trade back for Darius Bazley, a wiry 19-year-old who bypassed college to train specifically for the draft. Bazley is a long, lengthy athletic product Presti’s type - and was projected to be a future lottery pick before skipping college. While he could pan out and become a star, he will almost surely give no immediate production this year.

With Russell Westbrook and Paul George aging, it’s doubtful 19-yearold Bazley, who last played competitively in high school, will help win this season.

Loser: The Phoenix Suns. After stringing together a chain of several good decisions over the last couple of years, the Suns were bound to have a bad night.

True to form, the Suns traded down

from No. 6 to 11 for Dario Saric, an average talent they only retain the right to for a single year. Shortly after trading down, they drafted a player many thought was much, much too early in University of North Carolina’s Cam Johnson.

Johnson was projected to be a late first to an early second rounder, and drafting him just outside the top 10 could have been a major mistake. On top of all of that, they traded a usable player in TJ Warren for cash. Not assets, such as players or picks, just cash.

All in all, Johnson had better become a multi-time all-star for the 2019 offseason to have been a win for Phoenix.

Loser: Bol Bol. Son of former NBA player Manute Bol, Bol Bol was projected to be a lottery pick in the 2019 draft before suffering a season-ending foot injury at Oregon.

Despite the injury, Bol was still projected to go somewhere in the mid to late first round, or so we thought. Bol slid all the way to 44th pick in the 2nd round and was drafted by the Denver Nuggets.

With his spider-web suit, he walked up to the stage, grabbed his new Denver Nuggets hat, and proceeded to tell an interviewer that he would prove everyone that doubted him wrong.

Bol stands at 7’3”, but weighs just 236 lbs.