UCO's The Vista, Nov. 8, 2022

vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com

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Road map of the presidency

A look back at

Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar’s

time as president before her departure

Miller Contributing Writer

On Oct. 31, UCO President Patti Neuhold-Raviku mar announced her upcoming departure from UCO, effective Jan. 31, 2023. This makes her the UCO presi dent with the shortest tenure in modern history. Here’s a timeline of the major events that took place during Neuhold-Ravikumar’s tenure as president.

February 2019: Neuhold-Ravikumar is announced as UCO’s next president.

Neuhold-Ravikumar was announced as the succes sor to former UCO President Don Betz in early Feb ruary 2019. Beginning in 2007, she worked in UCO’s administration and was UCO’s Vice President of Finances before becoming president. According to The Vista’s Feb. 17 issue, one of her goals as president was to prevent tuition from rising. She planned to do this by “Moving funds as smartly as possible…” She also said she was going to be student-focused in her plans.

July 1, 2019: Neuhold-Ravikumar officially suc ceeds former UCO President Don Betz.

Neuhold-Ravikumar officially became UCO’s 21st president, as well as the university’s first female and BLGTQ+ president.

Sept. 13, 2019: Neuhold-Ravikumar announces an alignment and allocations effort.

According to UCO’s website, this effort was to help the university create sustainable growth and financial health, and would involve “ensuring alignment with our mission and allocating resources strategically to allow UCO to adapt to the environment as it changes and influences decision making.”

This effort was created because of the decrease in state funding and enrollment, as well as other factors, which made it more difficult to cover the budget deficit for fiscal year 2021, according to the Sept. 17, 2019

issue of The Vista.

Mar. 20, 2021: Neuhold-Ravikumar suspends the UCO Cheer team operations after incidents of hazing.

Neuhold-Ravikumar announced in a Mar. 20, 2021 email that all the team’s activities and operations would be suspended until the end of the 2021 school year and that the team would not be allowed to compete in national competitions for two years.

Oct. 5, 2021: Announcement of Move the Nee dle Results.

UCO sent out an email on August 16, 2021 concern ing an initiative to get UCO students vaccinated for COVID-19 called “Move the Needle.” At least 50% of students were required to get vaccinated and report it to the school to get a day for fall break, while 60% were needed for 2 days off and 70% were needed for 3 days off.

Only 44% of students reported their vaccinations, said Neuhold-Ravikumar in an email sent on Oct. 5, 2021.

Feb. 28, 2022: Neuhold-Ravikumar rejected the faculty senate’s proposal to add a faculty senate member onto her cabinet.

A proposal to add a faculty member to the presi dent’s cabinet was submitted on Feb. 8 by the UCO Faculty Senate. According to the proposal, it was cre ated so that the UCO faculty could have a permanent representative on the cabinet.

“As currently constituted, the President’s Cabinet is not able to fully represent UCO faculty nor bring their critical insights to the decision making process,” stated the proposal. “Seven of the eight positions on the Cab inet are held by members with an operational focus rather than on day-to-day classroom responsibilities.”

The president rejected the proposal and in her

Student kick off event rings in Native American Heritage Month

In keeping with the theme “Our Land Our Story,”

March 2022: Assistant theater professor Kato Buss is recommended for a promotion to fulltime professor by UCO.

This recommendation happened at the March meet ing for the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO), said the March 29 issue of The Vista. Accord ing to The Vista, six students filed a federal lawsuit against UCO a year prior “seeking financial compen sation for emotional distress, humiliation, and other alleged damages after reporting Buss created a sexually charged environment.” The case was still ongoing at the time of the recommendation.

March 24, 2022: Neuhold-Ravikumar announces impending layoffs of 40+ faculty members.

Neuhold-Ravikumar announced the layoffs, as well as increased fees, at a budget forum meeting, said the March 29, 2022 issue of The Vista. The primary reason for the layoffs was eventually explained as due to the ratio between students and professors being inefficient, she said.

Late March - Early April 2022: Students protest in response to Neuhold-Ravikumar’s plan to layoff 40+ teachers.

Student protests began shortly after Neuhold-Ravi kumar announced the faculty layoffs. One protest was held in the liberal arts building at the same time as this spring’s Liberal Arts Symposium, said this year’s April 5 issue of The Vista. A student-led movement called RIPUCO40 also held multiple protests against the decision and used social media to promote its cause.

Continued on Pg. 4

Investigators find 24 more burial sites from the historic Tulsa Race Massacre

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Graves Investi gation team announced in a Nov. 2 press release that an additional 24 burials were found at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa. “Work continues with hand excavation of four burials in the western block,” the press release read. “One burial from that block, which was buried in a simple coffin, was exhumed this afternoon and taken to the on-site osteology lab for further analysis.”

The release said that experts are continu ing to determine which graves meet the criteria for exhumation and that no childsize burials will be exhumed.

The investigation’s excavation and field work teams are led by Kary Stackelbeck, a

Continued on Pg. 4

Investigation team finds more burials from the 1921 massacre. (Provided/ COT Graves)

Quinn Daugherty Reporter

Allison

response said it would be disruptive to the cabinet to annually introduce a new member and would affect team dynamics, the quality of executive decision mak ing and business continuity.

The UCO president announced her intent to resign Nov. 1. Photos provided by UCO Photo Services and The Oklahoman’s Bryan Terry. (The VisTa/ ainsley MarTinez)

Speaker educates crowd at UCO. (The Vista/ Ethan Brown)

member of the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey based at the University of Oklahoma. Analysis of exhumed bodies is handled by forensic anthro pologist Phoebe Stubblefield.

UCO The Native American Student Association (NASA) kicked off its celebrations for Native American Heritage Month with a keynote address aimed at educating people on

the real history of indigenous people and the struggles with keeping their stories from dis appearing from the American consciousness.

Ben Anderson

Contributing Writer

Weekly Horoscope

AQUARIUS

January 21-February 18

Your fourth house of home and family shifts during Tuesday’s Eclipse. Changes in how you relate within your home unit are likely during this time. On Friday the Sun squares Saturn in your sign, bringing roadblocks and obstacles that may seem im passable. Take your time and come back to arguments an other day.

PISCES February 19-March 20 ARIES March 21-April 19

Your third house of mind and intellect comes to the forefront during the Eclipse on Election day. Watch for changes in the way you form your thoughts. Thursday promises relational peace with a sweet Venus-Neptune aspect, but asks us to be wary of illusions. The Sun trines Neptune in your sign on Monday, an excellent time to work on your creative proj ects.

This Eclipse transits your second house of value, se curity, and comfort. Watch for changes in the ways you seek, receive, and experience security in everyday life. This can be emotional, materi al, or financial. Setbacks are likely on Friday, so keep any projects or dates to other, better times. Secrets could be uncovered on Monday.

TAURUS April 20-May 20 GEMINI May 21-June 20

The way you express and present yourself chang es Tuesday. Changes from this Eclipse are likely to be visible and external but be gin with internal shifts first. Your moon sign may tell you how these shifts begin. Seeking stability is a theme that holds true for all this week with so many aspects in Taurus. Holding onto your inner strength proves smart. Wednesday proves a great time to remain fluid in responding to unexpected events.

On Tuesday, the Eclipse fo cuses energy in your twelfth house of subconscious. This house governs anything un seen, like dreams, secrets, and emotions. Watch for patterns in your conscious thoughts: this clues you in on the shifts below. Scorpio en ergy drives this week, taking a watery detour. As a mu table sign, your adaptability comes in handy Wednesday when plans change without warning. You may be consid ering the taboo this coming Monday.

CANCER June 21-July 22

The Lunar Taurean Eclipse will focus energy in your eleventh house of friendships and the collective. Watch for changes in how you relate to your systems of support. Scorpio aspects likely feel very natural for you this week, bringing darkness to light. Sunday’s Plutonian as pect brings a great time to advance towards your ambi tions. Secrets may come your way on Monday.

LEO July 23-August 22

Career aspirations or public image becomes a major fo cus when the Eclipse pools energy in your tenth house Tuesday. Promotions or lev eling up could come at this time! Look for shifts in the way you think that positive ly affect your work brain. Scorpio aspects could cause some arguments this week, but learning from your sis ter sign Aquarius may be the way to go: a little bit of time, space, and distance from the problem often offer an en tirely new perspective.

GO

You may be thinking big on Tuesday when the eclipse converges in your ninth house of philosophy and other lofty ideals. Travel plans can change or materi alize during this time. Leave early for your commute on Wednesday as a Mercu ry-Saturn aspect brings de lays in travel and commu nication. Watch for hidden meanings in conversation on this day. Topics typically hidden from light make their way into conversations on the coming Monday.

LIBR A

September 23-October 2 2

The Eclipse transits your eighth house of transforma tion, secrets, and bonding at the deepest level. Some thing that’s been bubbling in your subconscious shows its greater connection to the world. This week has many aspects with planets in Scor pio, bringing both soothing energy, relational tension, and a particularly good time to trust your intuition. If ob stacles seem impossible to overcome now, leave them for a better day.

SCORPIO October 23-November 21 SAGITTARIUS November 22-December 21 CAPRICORN December 21-January 20

As the moon eclipses on elec tion day, your relationships are called into the forefront. What shifts now with the way you express yourself in relationships will continue to serve your healing. Growth is a mindset, not a destination.

A Sun-Mercury aspect high lights the importance of the truth, giving you the tools to search it out of the muck. In formation also comes twice as fast as normal on Tuesday due to a Mercury-Uranus as pect, make sure not to jump to conclusions! Expect the unexpected on Wednesday.

A Mercury-Pluto sextile Monday encourages conver sations that don’t usually see the light of day.

This Eclipse transits your sixth house of health and daily habits. What you do ev ery day changes the course of your life. What habits would you like to create? Be ready to adapt when miscommunica tions and unexpected chang es arrive on Wednesday. Saturday brings a great day for finding things out when you trust your intuition. The coming Monday brings a day of uncovering secrets while conversing with others.

This Eclipse transits your fifth house of recreation and pleasure, shifting the way you experience fun. This is a powerful time for letting go of needless guilt. With many planets in Scorpio, your elev enth house is especially ac tive at this time. This high lights your relationship to the collective through obsta cles you may face as well as easier times. Monday brings interesting conversations.

This Week in History: Gates and unions

Preston Drake Contributing Writer

Nov. 8

1892 – A general strike began in New Orleans advocating for the implementation of overtime pay, a 10-hour workday, and prefer ential union shop employment. More than 30,000 unionized workers formed the Working men’s Amalgamated Council, and three labor unions – the Pack ers, Scalesmen and Teamsters – united to form what became known as the Triple Alliance. The New Orleans Board of Trade attempted to break the strike by exploiting racial divisions, at tempting to negotiate a separate deal with the predominantly white Scalesmen and Packers, but the two unions resolved to stand by the Triple Alliance. The board of trade also ran stories in the local press seeking to demon ize the Black protesters, but the attempt largely failed. The strike was a success, with most of the unions’ demands being met, and it was a monumental moment; despite the stark racial divides in the Deep South, Black and white workers remained united and won a landmark victory for labor relations before the age of federal labor laws.

Nov. 9

1918 – Kaiser Wilhelm II von Hohenzollern abdicated the throne of the German Empire in the face of the November Rev olution. Faced with mutinies by

sailors of the Imperial German Navy and general strikes by the working class, the aristocratic monarchy was toppled and re placed by a parliamentary re public that is known today as the Weimar Republic. The Kaiser’s abdication and exile marked an end to the reign of the German Hohenzollerns, who had ruled various regions of Germany since at least 1061 and were the key players in the ultimate unification of Germany in 1871, though a branch of the family did persist as Kings of Romania until 1947. The new republic was faced with many struggles in the wake of the war and was ultimately abolished after the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Nov. 10 1983 – Windows 1.0 was intro duced by Bill Gates. It was the first release of the Microsoft Windows family, which is now the most popular desktop oper ating system in the world, with 74.83% of the market share as of April 2022. This first version was widely considered underwhelm ing by contemporary critics, who remarked on its overall lack of compatibility with other software and the low speed of its perfor mance. Despite this, it was a cru cial step in the development of Microsoft and operating systems in general.

Nov. 11 1918 – The newly-established German Weimar Republic signed an armistice with the Allied

Powers, formally ending World War I. Germany was the last holdout of the major Central Powers, as Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire had already surrendered in the weeks prior. The war had a lasting impact on Europe and the world; it had resulted in the collapse of three major monarchies – Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary – and reshaped warfare forever. Germany was forced to sign the punitive Treaty of Versailles the following June. On this, French Marshal Ferdinand Foch darkly commented, “This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years.” True to his word, World War II began 20 years and two months after the signature of the treaty.

Nov. 12 2018 – Iconic comic book cre ator Stan Lee passed away in Los Angeles. Lee was the face of the popular Marvel Comics and co-creator of numerous popular characters, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, the X-Men, Black Panther, the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange. Many of his characters were adapted to the big screen; Sony produced several Spider-Man movies, and eventu ally the Marvel Cinematic Uni verse launched as a media titan following the success of the 2008 film “Iron Man.” Lee appeared as a cameo in almost every Mar vel-branded movie, making his last appearance posthumously in the 2019 climactic film “Avengers: Endgame.” His legacy continues

Nov. 13

1947 – The Soviet Union com pleted development of the AK47 assault rifle. Although the blueprint for the concept of an assault rifle was pioneered by the German StG 44, the AK-47 is widely considered the first “prop er” assault rifle. Designed by and named after former Soviet Lieu tenant General Mikhail Kalash nikov, this weapon is still used across the globe 75 years after its creation and is considered one of the best firearms ever built. Comparatively cheap and simple in its design, the AK-47 has been praised for its ability to operate in even the harshest conditions, reliably firing even in heavy snow, rain and mud.

Nov. 14

565 – Roman Emperor Justinian I “the Great” died in Constanti nople. An energetic sovereign, Justinian overcame a tumultuous start to his rule, which almost saw him overthrown in a riot. His reign was marked by numerous wars of reconquest, seeking to restore the lands of the defunct Western Roman Empire. These efforts saw the Romans reclaim Italy, North Africa and south ern Spain, bringing the Eastern Roman Empire to its territorial peak. After his death, the empire steadily declined in size until its final fall in 1453.

UCO’s Student Voice Since 1903

Matilda Harvey Reporter

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Graycee Hubbard Photographer

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

EDITORIALS

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beyond his death, with additional Marvel projects slated for release for years to come.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates. (WIKIPEDIA COMMONS/PROVIDED)

Kaiser Wilhelm II (WIKIPEDIA COMMONS/PROVIDED)

Sam Royka Managing Editor

A 1.8 million year old humanoid tooth was found in the country of Geor gia by archaeologists in early September, adding to finds in the area that shape scientists’ understanding of human evolution.

The Vista spoke to Allyson Fenwick, evolutionary biologist and professor at UCO.

The Georgian tooth adds to the discovery of two skeletons dated to 1.8 million years old in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These skeletons have been named Zezva and Mzia.

“This is not the homo sapiens we think of,” Fenwick said.

“The two skeletons were named Homo Georgicus for the country of Georgia,” she said. “It might actually not be its own group, it might just be one population, one group within the species Homo Erectus.”

The group could also be Homo Ergas ter, she said.

However, the skeletons and teeth are far too old to test for DNA, so the scientists must ascertain species from physical similarities.

“Usually you can get some back to about 30,000 years, but anything older than that and the DNA is too broken down and you can’t get enough info,” Fenwick said.

Erectus was not the only human spe cies on Earth 1.8 million years ago.

“There were many species present

at this time, at this one point a million years ago, and they were all over,” Fen wick said.

The Homo genus traveled out of Afri ca quickly by evolutionary time stan dards but slowly by generational ones.

“One family group goes a little bit fur ther, another family group goes further, and the species makes it,” she said.

“200,000 years ago is our species, but the branch from nonhuman animals to humans split off about 6 million years ago. So all these branches off of cousins that don’t exist anymore, that’s what we’re looking at here,” Fenwick said.

We reviewed a timeline of human evolution.

Large time scales like this can be hard to wrap one’s head around, she said, but some tricks make it easier.

Fenwick cited the ice ages as specific events that help place time scales in her head.

“It’s comparing it to other species that I understand their patterns more,” she said.

“We can understand about human evolution by looking at living humans in genetics, but fossils are the ones that can really clarify the timeline,” Fenwick said.

While scientists can estimate a lot about our past by comparing living humans, it is educated guesswork until the fossils are added in, she said.

“The more fossils you can have, the better the estimates you can have on timing,” Fenwick continued.

With the context of the tooth added to the skeletons, scientists are even more

New discoveries unfold from the Tulsa Race Massacre

Continued from Pg. 1

To determine whether exhumed bodies are victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Stubblefield and her team search for physical features such as trauma, bone damage, and bullet fragments.

“Twenty-six death certificates were issued in 1921 for African American victims of the mas sacre; 21 of those victims were reportedly buried in Oaklawn Cemetery,” an Oct. 19 press release read. “Newspaper reports from June 2, 1921, indicate that 18 adult male victims were buried in Oaklawn Cemetery Section 20. This information is the guide the City of Tulsa has been using throughout the exca vation process.”

Intermountain Forensics, a nonprofit Forensic DNA Testing Laboratory, was hired as a con sultant to complete the analysis from last summer’s excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery. The city is asking those who want to get involved who have family ties to the massacre to email info@ intermountainforensics.com.

“The first phase of analysis has been completed and two out of 14 individuals have viable DNA to begin genealogy processing,”

a June 21 press release said. “Ex perts said the age of the remains have created some challenges to extract viable DNA, but they are hopeful that two male individu als have produced enough viable DNA for further analysis.”

The City’s investigation is also exploring options for excavation work at Newblock park and a Raising Cane’s restaurant. Both sites have “strong oral histories as being potential sites associat ed with Race Massacre burials,” according to a press release. A date for that additional work is still being determined.

According to most Britannica, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre left between 30 and 300 people dead. Additionally, more than 1,400 homes and businesses were burned and 10,000 people were left homeless

“The only way to move forward in our work to bring about rec onciliation in Tulsa is by seeking the truth honestly,” Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said when the inves tigation began. “We are commit ted to exploring what happened in 1921 through a collective and transparent process—filling gaps in our city’s history and provid ing healing and justice to our community.”

confident about the timeline of human evolution.

“This might have been one of the earliest places that humans left Africa and went to when they spread around the world,” Fenwick said. “This is where they went first.”

“Evolution, in general, is organizing framework for life,” she said. “That helps us understand the framework of, say, why there are so many species and why they’re different, and also, why some things are more similar to each other.”

The study of human evolution also adds tools that can be used throughout the study of biology.

One example of these tools is the Human Genome Project, Fenwick said, first sequenced in 2001.

“Whole genomes wouldn’t be se quenced without us being interested in

what’s going on with humans, but then the ability to look at all the DNA in an individual moved on from humans and got to be applied to lots of other ques tions, lots of other species. So, we have these really powerful tools because we care so much about humans,” she said.

She continued.

“Even in the early 2000s, some of the other model organisms got sequenced. So mice and rats and puffer fish. And now, because we’re in 2022, these tools are really cheap.”

The Federal database GenBank is where DNA data sequences are stored online for free, entire genomes included.

“Understanding more about ourselves as just another animal species is, I think, it’s really helpful. And then just help ing understand this, this framework of evolution helps us understand the living world,” Fenwick said.

Student organization hosts educational event to celebrate Native American Heritage Month

Continued from Pg. 1

keynote speaker Savannah Waters, a Kiowa tribe member and historian, focused on educating people on the idea that Native Americans have a rightful place in history books.

“I wanted to turn typical American history on its head,” Waters said. “I wanted to indigenize it and show that Native American history cannot be separate from American history.”

Waters also spoke to the struggles of reaching out to other Americans to get them to learn about the history.

“That’s the challenge at the same time. It takes action on the part of the non-Indian person, they have to go out, find a museum or an indigenous person that is willing to talk to them, and it starts with just wanting to learn,” she said.

The keynote address, which also featured food and Native American dancers, was the start of a month-long celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Over

the next few weeks NASA will host a variety of events, including a bingo and movie night, fundraisers, an in digenous people’s garden, history lessons over the topic of the true history of Thanksgiving and discussions on the Native American statue on display on Second Street.

Christopher Hendricks, one of the NASA coordina tors of the events, wanted to emphasize that these events are open to everyone and that all are encouraged to attend.

“I think that there’s a misconception that because {NASA} is a Native American group, then these events are only tailored to that group, but this environment is for everybody,” said Hendricks. “Our mission, and the point of heritage month, is to spread the culture, to educate on our heritage.”

The celebration events will be taking place through out November. Some events, like the basket weaving event on Nov. 30, require sign up. For more information on the time and places of these events, go to NASA’s UCO website or follow them on Instagram at “uconasa.”

Continued from Pg. 1

June 23, 2022: The Fiscal Year 2023 budget released by Neuhold-Ravikumar states that no full-time faculty positions were eliminated.

In the email concerning Fiscal Year 2023’s budget, Neuhold-Ravikumar said the university was able to eliminate 30 vacant faculty positions and keep filled, full-time faculty positions from being eliminated. However, according to the Sept. 27, 2022 issue of The Vista, faculty has been told that the president wants to cut 30 faculty positions this year as well.

Aug. 19, 2022: UCO receives its highest ranking in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges list.

UCO ranked 60 in this year’s edition of the list, which is 11 places higher than its ranking the year before.

“Positive rankings are always welcome news,” said Neuhold-Ravikumar. “What’s even more important is our collective dedication to providing our students quality transformative learning experiences. Fulfilling that mission remains our top priority, and it’s rewarding when our efforts are recognized.”

Oct. 31, 2022: Neuhold-Ravikumar announces her decision to leave UCO Jan. 31, 2023.

In a Special Centralities, Neuhold-Ravikumar said she is leaving UCO next January to be with her wife in Kansas City. It also states that regents of RUSO have accepted the resignation and will announce the next steps for the university soon.

Neuhold-Ravikumar ranks among short-tenured state college presidents

Nickles Contributing Writer

President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar became UCO’s shortest-tenured pres ident since 1919 when she announced that she will step down from the posi tion effective Jan. 31, 2023.

When she leaves office, Neuhold-Ra vikumar will have been president for two years, six months and 30 days. Ac cording to Forbes, the average univer sity presidential tenure was 6.5 years in 2017, down from seven years in 2011.

This is not the first time an Oklaho ma university president has resigned after a brief tenure. There’s been a number of presidents who have had

short stays at their respective schools.

In 1919, UCO President James W. Graves resigned after two years because he, “entered in a business partnership with his brother, B.S. Graves, in Dallas, Texas,” according to the Edmond Sun.

Oklahoma State University Presi dent James B. Eskridge, who served from 1921 to 1923, was removed by Governor Jack Walton and the Okla homa National Guard in order to install his political favorite, George Wilson. Two thousand students protested in Stillwater, one thousand in Oklahoma City, and 100 students gathered in the governor’s office. Despite Governor Walton’s vow to use military force against student protesters in Stillwater,

Wilson was eventually forced to step down from his position, lasting just one month.

University of Oklahoma has seen its fair share of presidential struggles.

James S. Buchanan served as acting president of Oklahoma University from 1924-1925. He left the position to return to full-time teaching and served as the school’s vice president until his death in March 1930.

In 1941, Joseph A. Brandt declined three higher-paying offers to become president at OU. However, he held this position for only two years. The state government decreased funding for the already budget-strapped school. In 1943, Brandt took a job as head of the

University of Chicago Press.

James L. Gallogly, became the 14th president of OU in 2018, following a highly controversial selection process shrouded in secrecy. Less than a year into his presidency, which was marked by budget cuts and protests from facul ty, Gallogly announced his retirement.

All three universities have new presi dents as of 2019. OSU President Kayse Shrum took office in July 2021. Joseph Harroz Jr., President of OU, took office as acting president in 2020 and Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar was inducted in July 2019.

Group attends Native American Student Association’s event. (The Vista/ Ethan Brown)

Emma

A scientist holds the nearly two million year old tooth in a gloved hand (CITY OF DMANISI, GEORGIA/PROVIDED).

Taylor Swift Night at the Tower Theatre

The Vista photographer Madison Dedmon shot the Tower Theatre’s Taylor Swift Night in celebration of the release of her tenth studio album “Midnights.” This album made Swift the first artist in history to occupy all 10 slots of the Billboard Top Ten at the same time. Her song “Anti-Hero” held the top spot, with over 59 million streams between Oct 21 -27. Swift is currently only bested by Drake for the most Bill board Hot 100 Top 10s. (THE VISTA/MADISON DEDMON)

Japan Night will celebrate the nation’s food, dance and art

Japanese students at UCO will host “Japan Night,” 6-8 p.m. Nov 18 at The Liberal Arts South building in the Lecture Hall, room LAS L01.

Aya Iwamoto, coordinator of the Japan Outreach Initiative, said that the event will be a celebration of Japanese culture where people are invited to discover more about the country.

“We are going to have free Japanese food, hands-on activities such as calligraphy and origami, and people will be able to try on a kimono, which is our traditional clothing,” Iwamoto said.

The event, which is free to UCO students and the community, will also feature performances for people to enjoy.

“We’ll have a taiko drums performance, martial arts performances, and a dance performance from Japanese students.” Iwamoto said.

Visitors can enjoy free Japanese food such as ramen noodles and onigiri.

Consul-General from Japan in Houston Hirofumi Murabayashi will attend the event to help promote Japanese culture.

Krottinger Family Gallery hosts Dia de Los Muertos exhibit

information.

Kouts said she believes a lot can be learned from visiting the exhibit.

The Krottinger Family Gallery is hosting a Dia de Los Muertos art exhibition through Nov. 30 in the Mitchell Education Center. The ex hibition showcases artworks created by Latinx artists at UCO.

This is the first time a Dia de Los Muertos art exhibit will be held in Krottinger Family Gallery. Carrie

“This was an opportunity both to let students show work there, and it was an opportunity to celebrate a really important holiday that I think gets overlooked.” said Kouts.

The artworks were chosen by us ing a qualtrics link where the artists could submit their works and was

Lexi Rodriguez, co-curator of the exhibit and a gallery employee, was able to provide her own input into the exhibition, was responsible for a majority of the research that went into the showcase and wrote the exhibition statements and didactic

“I think oftentimes people who are outside of a culture might have some incorrect presuppositions about what the holiday entails,” Kouts said,. “And so we’ve tried to put in a lot of research.”

Antony Morales Garcia Contributing Writer

Ramen is one of the dishes that will be avaliable for free at Japan Night. Onigiri, also known as rice balls, will be available as well. (Cheyenne M. Cohen/Katie Workman via AP)

Andrea Zuniga

Contributing Writer

Kouts, the new curator of museums and collections for the College of Fine Arts and Design, came up with the idea to use the space.

promoted to the Office of Diversi ty and clubs with high chances of having Latinx members. All the art submissions were accepted for the exhibit.

Colorful candy skulls decorate altars around this time of year, celebrating the lives of ancestors and bringing joy to families across generations. (PROVIDED)

Warfare II (2022): Call of Duty Returns

Britton Summers Contributing Writer

I remember when I was a younger kid, my dad and I heard a mutual friend of ours talk about this game called Call of Duty, and eventually my dad ended up buying World at War for the Wii (you could play some of the Call of Duty games at that time.) I had always been fascinated by the mil itary and history, so getting to play games that involved two things that interested me was very alluring, and thus a long-time love affair was born. I grew up in the golden age of the Call of Duty franchise, playing classics such as the original Modern Warfare trilogy, Black Ops (my personal favorite) and its sequel, and World at War before getting into the era of mediocri ty with such stinkers like Ghosts and World War II I am what is called a lapsed Call of Duty fan. I haven’t been playing as many of the Call of Duty titles as I used to. I ignored Vanguard because it looked bad (and apparently it was bad), but I decided to get

the new version of Modern Warfare II, since the previ ous game Modern Warfare (2019), was one of the better Call of Duty games that has been made in the last decade. The gameplay

the original Modern War fare trilogy, but it didn’t need to. It got me excited for the sequel that would eventually come.

I’m glad to say that Mod ern Warfare II (2022) is a

improve some things.

I usually play the cam paigns of Call of Duty first, which has grown increas ingly multiplayer based in recent years. Luckily, Modern Warfare II (2022)

The missions are also well designed, and up the ante from the last game, creating much more intense sce narios and crazy, over the top action while keeping it relatively grounded. I also enjoyed the camaraderie between all the charac ters, and how the game takes every opportunity to humanize these characters and make them feel like real people, even as they go on these wild adventures throughout the globe.

was dynamic, the gunplay was smooth and well-cho reographed, the maps were expansive, and the cam paign was well done, with gritty combat and compel ling characters to keep us engaged with the story that was being told. Perhaps it didn’t reach the heights of the Black Ops games and

worthy sequel to the first game, as well as continuing the good momentum that the previous game built. It was well designed, has great combat, and the story and multiplayer are really where the game shines. It’s one of those follow ups that nicely compliments the previous game, and even manages to

has a great campaign that proves to be more ambi tious than the last one but manages to keep the likable characters and great mission design. We also meet new characters such as Simon “Ghost” Riley, Alejandro Vargas, and John “Soap” MacTavish who prove to be great additions to the game.

The multiplayer is also where this game shone the most. All the maps are ex pansive and give the players freedom to move around with minimal barriers to block them. They all had their unique charms, but my personal favorite maps in cluded Farm 18, Taraq, and Mercado Las Almas as they combined my love for close quarters combat while also having spots where I could camp out if I wanted to.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) proves that the Call of Duty fran chise still has some cool tricks up their sleeves.

Prestige films arrive just in time for award season viewing

We’re down to two months left in 2022, and this is the time of the year when a lot of great mov ies come out. These are six mov ies that seem destined for award consideration when they release.

“The Menu” is an R-rated dark comedy about a couple who trav els to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant, and they are met with shocking surprises. The trailer for this movie really intrigued me — it looks like a fun time.

“The Menu” is directed by Mark Mylod and stars Anya Tay lor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, Nich olas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer and John Leguizamo. “The Menu” releases on Nov. 18.

“The Fabelmans” is being de scribed as a semi-autobiographical film about Spielberg’s own child hood and the origins of his love for movies and filmmaking. The idea of getting a peek into the ear ly history of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time is already cool enough, but the fact that it’s being directed by that same film maker means it will have an extra personal touch that will hopefully make the movie even more impact ful. Early reviews have been great.

“The Fabelmans” is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Gabriel LaBelle, Julia Butters, Oakes Fegley and Judd Hirsch. “The Fabelmans” releases on Nov. 23.

“Pinocchio” is not the first ver sion of this classic story to arrive this year, but this one has no con nection to Disney. Instead, this ver sion of Pinocchio is Guillermo del Toro’s personal take on the original book and using stop-motion ani mation similar to “The Nightmare Before Christmas” or “Coraline.”

The movie currently holds a per fect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 20 critic reviews. I can defi nitely see this movie being a con tender for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards next year.

“Pinocchio” is directed by Guill ermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson and stars Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanch ett and Ron Perlman. “Pinocchio” will stream on Netflix starting Dec. 9.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a follow-up to director Rian Johnson’s 2019 film “Knives

Out,” which was a lot of fun and a good twist on the classic who dunit-style story, so I’m looking forward to the next one. Word-ofmouth has been positive, so I think we’re in for another good mys tery with Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), though it’s a shame the movie is having such a short and limited run in movie theaters.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mys

with “Whiplash,” “La La Land” and “First Man.” It’ll be interest ing to see if he can keep the win ning streak going. This movie has a monster runtime of 185 minutes, so try not to drink too much of your beverage before the movie starts.

“Babylon” is directed by Chazelle and stars Brad Pitt, Margot Rob bie, Olivia Wilde, Samara Weaving, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, Chloe

the

tery” is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daniel Craig, Ed Nor ton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Kate Hudson. It will play in theaters for only one week starting Nov. 23 before going to Netflix on Dec. 23.

“Babylon” is an R-rated drama set in 1920’s Hollywood. The di rector, Damien Chazelle, has accu mulated an impressive filmography

Fineman and Katherine Waterston. “Babylon” releases on Dec. 23.

And finally, there’s one more mov ie that I would regret not mentioning: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

“It’s hard not to say ’Wakanda Forever,’” said UCO Film Studies professor Matt Knutson when asked what movie he was most anticipat ing. “The original ’Black Panther’ was such a rousing success, and with

passing of Chadwick Boseman, there’s keen interest and curiosity in how the ’Black Panther’ series will continue. The context for the film — curtailment of civil liber ties, white nationalism reassert ing itself in the midterm elections, Black Lives Matter experiencing a resurgence in the past two years — makes the Afrofuturism of the series all the more poignant. The film is

arriving at a time when the Ameri can public wants to imagine a bet ter, more future-minded present.”

“Black Panther: Wakanda For ever” is directed by Ryan Coogler and stars Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Ange la Bassett, Winston Duke, Mar tin Freeman and Tenoch Huerta. The movie releases on Nov. 11.

“Modern Warfare II” was released to global markets on Oct. 27. (PROVIDED)

Logan Wood Contributing Writer

Anya Taylor-Joy, known for her role in Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” plays Margot in “The Menu.” (PROVIDED)

Angela Bassett, Golden Globe winner, plays Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” (PROVIDED)

Kauffman pins high hopes on UCO wrestling season

Jones Sports Reporter

The UCO wrestling team is hoping to come back even stronger after its successful season last year. In the 2021 season, the team went 13-0. won the MIAA title and its second Super Regional IV title, and went far in the national tournament, finishing as runners-up.

The Bronchos were recently ranked No. 4 in the nation in the NWCA preseason poll and sec ond in the MIAA poll, trailing national champi ons Nebraska-Kearney. Last year’s finish was the best the program experienced since winning the last of UCO’s 15 national titles in 2007.

UCO returns seven starters, including four All-Americans. Another one of the starters and returning All-Americans is senior Alex Kauff man. He transferred to UCO last season and wrestled at 174, 184, and 197 pounds. He fin ished the season with a 29-8 record and finished sixth at the national championships.

The Vinita, Oklahoma native has had a passion for wrestling since he was a child.

“My dad was a big motivator for me. He was a wrestling coach while I was young — he wrestled in college — and we spent a lot of time together at wrestling duals and practices before I ever laced up my own shoes,” Kauffman said.

Though torn between pursuing football or wrestling in college, Kauffman felt wrestling was the best choice, as football had no correlation to who he wanted to be as a person. He said he

chose wrestling for the thrill, and he chose UCO simply for the historic program.

“I believed UCO to be my best shot at a national title, individual and team. This team is special to me, the memories I’ve made are timeless, and the athletic facilities are top notch,” Kauffman said. “I believe I am part of the best team in the nation. I believe that I am the best wrestler in my weight, despite rankings. I have always fared well as the underdog. 5 seems high, but I am shooting for the top.”

After all his years on the mat, Kauffman said one thing is constant with every match: the chal lenge. Kauffman chooses to embrace it. In fact, he said it was his favorite thing about the sport.

“It’s not always easy to love the challenges that wrestling brings to the table; dehydrating, starv ing, running, and wrestling, all to make weight. The sprints, lifts, and extra work you put in feels like it’s for nothing at times. All the cramps, body aches, injuries, it’s basically expected that you will go through some level of that. Some days you feel it, some days you don’t,” he said.

Ultimately, Kauffman said all those sacrifices are worth it when you become a champion.

“When you get your hand raised at the end of a match, or raise an NCAA trophy, you realize it’s all for that. If you’re a competitor, you en dure those things for your ultimate goal,” Kauff man said.

Looking at the roster, the UCO team is stacked with wrestlers of all weight classes. Leading the group is junior Dalton Abney, the

defending national champion who went 26-0 last year for a perfect season. He was also named UCO’s male athlete of the year.

Kauffman said this range of wrestler weights added depth that will prove beneficial to this year’s season.

“Our team looks fantastic,” he said. “We have a lot of experience in our older guys and a lot of fire from the young guys. It’s been a great dynamic. Our coaches have been preparing us for the highest levels of competition. Nationally, we’re ranked 4th as a team, but I can’t help but feel as if we outweigh that ranking by about 3 spots. We are THE team. Still, we have to go out there and get the job done.”

Kauffman said he wants to make his last year count.

“I want to create my own legacy, my own suc cess. Sometimes the motivation comes from an earful from my coaches, but more often than not, it’s the motivation I need,” Kauffman said.

Though Kauffman will miss the first semester while recovering from an injury, he’s coming back more motivated than ever.

“I won’t be able to wrestle until second semes ter at national duals. Still, I’m excited to kick my senior year off in such a big way,” he said.

Central Oklahoma opened the 2022 sea son Friday against No. 17 Northern State and Sunday at the Dan Harris Open. Their next opponent is Drury on Nov. 10 in Springfield, Missouri.

Sigma Kappa walks with purpose for Alzheimer’s

Teagan Stubblefield Contributing Writer

University of Central Oklahoma Sigma Kappa participated in the Oklahoma City Walk to End Alz heimer’s last month at Scissortail Park to support one of its national philanthropies, the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a fundraiser that raises money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s As sociation. This year, $411,715 was raised in Oklahoma City.

“We had close to 6000+ people at Scissortail Park this year.” said Jessica Hogner, the coordinator of the Oklahoma City Walk. “The

turnout was awesome as always. We receive so much support from the metro community, the atmo sphere we create with the help of community partners is what makes our walk one of the largest in atten dance.”

The Alzheimer’s Association is a national non-profit that supports Alzheimer’s care, resources and research. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes damage to nerve cells responsible for memory, language, and thinking, according to information from the Alzheimer’s Association 2022 Alzheimer’s Dis ease Facts and Figures.

Not only do the women of Sigma

Kappa have a connection to Alz heimer’s through their philanthro py, but some of them also have a personal connection as well.

“Seeing all the people hold up their flowers and the man on stage with his blue flower made me very emotional,” said Marissa Messick, a new member of Sigma Kappa’s UCO chapter.

Each participant in the walk is given a flower corresponding to a different meaning: blue represents someone with Alzheimer’s, purple is for people who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s, and white is for the first person to be cured of Alzhei mer’s.

“I hope that one day the white flower is all that anyone sees at an Alzheimer’s walk,” Messick said.

Sigma Kappa and the Alzheimer’s Association have been partnered for 39 years as of 2022.

“As a Diamond Team, Sigma Kappa is committed to our mission. The Walk provides a great oppor tunity for alumnae and collegiate chapters to join together and raise dollars to help find a cure for this debilitating disease,” Hogner said.

Sigma Kappa’s current president, Adyson Therkelson, said The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is one of the group’s biggest philanthropic events of the year.

Eden

UCO wrestler Alex Kauffman is one of four All-Americans returning to the team for the new season. (CENTRAL SPORTS/PROVIDED)

Behind the Hit: Remembering Migos’ Takeoff

Payton Scott Contributing Writer

Migos’ Kirshnik Ball, known as Takeoff was shot and killed on Nov. 1, in Houston following an altercation outside of 810 Bil liards and Bowling when gunfire rang off and fatally struck the rapper while leaving two others hospitalized. Takeoff was the nephew of Migos member Qua vo.

Takeoff and Quavo released their highly anticipated album, “Only Built for Infinity Links,” on Oct. 7. This 18-song album was the first and only collaborative album from the two Migos mem bers without their third member, Offset. The album featured artists like YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Young Thug, and Gucci Mane. “Only Built for Infinity Links” debuted at No.1 on Bill board’s Top Rap Albums chart and No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

In memory of TakeOff, I have compiled 5 of the most memora ble verses in his career.

“Last Memory” was the lead single on “The Last Rocket,” released in October 2018. Take off shows off his versatility as a rapper in this viral hit.

”They don’t know the meaning of the white (Naw) You don’t real ly live this life (No) Ni–as in the hood shootin’ twice (Pew pew). See my ni–as in the hood shoot precise (Brr). Real wise, we ain’t taking no advice (Naw). I realize that these h–s ain’t right (All of ‘em).”

“I Get the Bag” was a single on Gucci Mane’s 13th studio album, released in August 2017. Migos teamed up with Gucci Mane on this chart-topping hit. TakeOff steals the show with the first verse of the song.

“Back ends I count in my sleep,

on fleek. Hundred K spent on a Patek Phillippe (Phillippe). B–ch, I’m a dog, eat my treat (Hrr). Hop out the frog and leap (Leap). I put them bricks in the fender. My b–ch, she walk around like she Kris Jenner (Kris Jenner). I used to break in and enter. Then Takeoff runnin’ like the game of temple (Whew). It’s simple, I play with her mental.”

“Casper” was on the album “The Last Rocket.” A clever analo gy is used by Takeoff in “Casper,” comparing his car, a ghost, and his rap skills. The term “wraith” refers to a ghostly or frightening image of a deceased person, espe cially seen shortly before or after their death. In another example of Takeoff’s skill and lyricism, he demonstrates that the last thing an opposing rapper sees is his car, which represents his lyricism and ability.

“I’m turnin’ the page on ni–as (Turnin’). I waited days, remem ber? (Waited). Been had that

fame on the side of my hood. Swear it couldn’t change a ni–a (How?). You ni–as are slow (Slow). I can beat you runnin’ backwards (Backwards). The way I ghost, ride the Wraith. Thought you would’ve seen Casper (Where). No, I ain’t gon’ hide the K.’Cause I know I’m who they after (F–in’ bastard). How much you charge a feature? Extra twen ty if you askin’, gotta tax ‘em.”

“LA Leakers Freestyle #111,” featuring Migos, a freestyle that appeared on the Power 106 radio show in June 2021. Upon the release of “Culture III,” they rapped over an original track and earned hundreds of thousands of views on Power 106 Los Angeles’ YouTube channel just hours after it was uploaded.

“A million twenties and fifties and hundreds sittin’ on the floor, look how I swim in it. Don’t wan na get popped, don’t open your top. You better move militant. They talkin’ about COVID, when

I heard the news, I started sippin’ the remedy. If I gotta an opp and you say you my brother, then they better be your enemy.”

“Call Casting” was track three on the illustrious “Culture” studio album released in January 2017. This song was produced by Buddah Bless, who was also responsible for 2 Chainz’s “Big Amount.” It was released as the second official single off Migos’ Culture album, following “Bad and Boujee.” TakeOff offers one of the most iconic verses of his ca reer on one of the biggest tracks offered by the Migos.

“She eat the molly like a snack (eat it up). This gold on my neck a plaque (plaque). Bando Shane’s Rib Shack (eat it up). Rob the plug if he tax (tax). Sip the lean and relax (drink it up). Park the Lamb in the back (skrt, skrt). Big dog, you a cat (cat). Rich in the matte black (skrt, skrt). Twenty h–s to be exact.”

Abortion rights up in air at midterms

With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision in June and Gov. Kevin Stitt banning abortion from the moment of conception in the state of Oklahoma by signing HB4327 into law, abortion has become one of the most significant issues in the upcoming Nov. 8 election.

In the gubernatorial race, the two primary candidates are current State Superintendent for Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister (D) and the incumbent Stitt (R). Hofmeister has taken the stance that she is personally anti-abortion but believes the decision should be between a woman and her doctor. Stitt promised when he became governor that he would sign “every piece of pro-life legislation” that arrived at his desk. At the gubernatorial debate, Stitt said he would sign legisla tion that provided an exception for rape, abuse, or addiction.

As for the senatorial campaigns, Madison Horn (D) is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R). In the special elec tion to replace retiring incumbent U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R), former U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn (D) is running against current U.S. Rep. Mark wayne Mullin (R). Madison Horn said in September in an interview with The Vista that she would vote to protect abortion access on a federal level. Lankford cites his religious background as the basis for his anti-abortion stance. Mullin’s campaign website says that he be lieves life begins at conception and that he will always vote to “protect the sanctity of life.” Kendra Horn called HB4327 an act of government overreach that comes between a woman and her doctor.

For the United States House of Representatives election, all five districts are up for election. Adam Martin (D) and Kevin Hern (R) are candidates for District 1. Naomi Andrews (D) and Josh Brecheen (R) are candidates for District 2. Jeremiah Ross (D) and incumbent U.S Rep. Frank Lucas (R) are candidates for District 3. Mary Brannon (D) and Tom Cole (R) are candidates for District 4. Joshua Harris-Till (D) and Stephanie Bice (R) are candidates for District 5. Most candidates fall along party lines, except Brannon, whose site says nothing about the issue of abortion.

Takeoff, a member of the Georgia-based hip-hop group Migos, was killed Nov. 1 in Houston. (AP/RICHARD SHATSWELL)

Joy Hofmeister (D) says she would reverse the abortion ban. (Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman/AP/Provided)

Kevin Stitt (R) signed the nation’s strictest abortion ban into law in April. (Provided)