the
Volume 117, Issue 9
VISTA “Our Words, Your Voice.”
UCO Battles Low Enrollment and Budget Struggles
vistanews1903 @thevista1903 @thevista1903 The Vista ucentralmedia.com Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Opinion: War Waged on Senator Warren During Fourth Democratic Debate
Jeff Elkins @JeffElkins12
MANAGING EDITOR
From left, OneStop representative Jerkiya Davis speaks with Shatoya Bryson about advisement on Oct. 21 in the Nigh Univeristy Center. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)
JaNae Williams @janaebwilliams REPORTER
Declining enrollment is impacting budget preparation and long term fiscal planning at the University of Central Oklahoma.
On Oct. 8, UCO President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar, Provost John Barthell and Vice President for Finance and Operations Kevin Freeman held the first public Alignment and Allocation forum. The forum served as an opportunity for members of the university community to learn more
about the “Alignment and Allocation Effort” announced by Neuhold-Ravikumar in mid-September. “Our annual planning and decision-making efforts have historically started too late in the year to make time for the broad and inclusive Continued on Pg. 6
Search For Thatcher Hall Suspect Reaches 20 Days Haley Humphrey @HaleyBHumphrey REPORTER
The 12 Democratic presidential hopefuls met in the swing state of Ohio, on the campus of Otterbein University in Westerville, for the fourth Democratic primary debate. This debate was the first in this presidential cycle to exceed 10 candidates on the same stage. In previous debates, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) had largely avoided being the lightning rod as everyone was focused on coming at former Vice President Joe Biden. Now that she has front-runner status, she seemed to be taken off guard as the front shifted in her direction and struggled with the early turbulence. She continued to dodge a straightforward question on whether taxes would go up for the middle class under her Medicare-for-all plan, and this led to Sen. Bernie Sanders (DVT) stepping in to answer and steal her thunder on that question. She recovered well as the debate went on, but she probably lost some progressive support back to Sanders. “Costs will go up for wealthy, they’re going to go up for big corporations,” Warren said. “They will not go up for middle class families, and I will not sign a bill into law that raises their costs.”
There is no new information about the complete compilation of the Thatcher Hall missing items. Renda Walter, former University of Central Oklahoma employee, who was accused of stealing Thatcher Hall property and selling it online, has still not been charged with embezzlement or violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. Walter has not been located since Oct. 2.
Students walk by Thatcher Hall on Oct. 4 in Edmond, Oklahoma. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)
CAMPUS CHAT
SPORTS
What Is Your Favorite Halloween Memory?
Volleyball Sweeps Fashion Show Photo Story Accidentals Debut Through Weekend See Pg. 12 See Pg. 7 See Pg. 8
See Pg. 5
AROUND CAMPUS
Continued on Pg. 9
STATEWIDE
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the
October 22, 2019
Contents
VISTA
Content
UCOSA/Stephenson Park............................................................3 Around Campus...........................................................................4 Campus Chat...............................................................................5 Enrollment.........................................................................6 Accidentals Debut.......................................................................7 Fashion Show...............................................................................8 Editorial.......................................................................................9 Games Page...............................................................................11 Volleyball..................................................................................12 Soccer/Basketball.....................................................................13 Football/Golf.......................................................................14 Bucking Broncho........................................................................15
Staff James D. Jackson Jeff Elkins Derek Parker Tanner Laws Megan Thele Lauren Morris Michelle Pennza JaNae Williams Haley Humphrey Gerald Wing Yi Leong Samantha Karbelk Teddy Burch
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Online Editor Design Editor Reporter Reporter Photography Photography Adviser
THE VISTA
is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, weekly during the academic year, at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained.
EDITORIALS
Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO.
LETTERS
The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced and must include the author’s printed name, major, classification and phone number. Phone numbers are included for contacting purposes only. Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space, or to eliminate statements of questionable taste. The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters.
ADDRESS LETTERS TO:
Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr. Edmond, OK 73034-5209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be emailed to thevista.ads@gmail.com.
Advertise with us! The Vista is published weekly during the spring, summer and fall semesters. In all issues, The Vista has opportunities for both digital, online and print ads. For information or questions contact: 405-974-5549 or thevista.ads@gmail. com
On the Cover: Left: A student poses for a shot on the University of Central Oklahoma campus on Oct. 15. (Tanner Laws/The Vista) Left Middle: UCO volleyball prepares to break huddle. (Vista Archives) Right Middle: From left, Brandon Smith and Jacob Velders performing at the Radke Fine Arts Theatre on Oct. 18. (Jeff Elkins/ The Vista) Right: Melanie Mikles poses during the Shades of Autumn fashion show put on by the UCO Fashion Marketing Department. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)
UCOSA/Park
October 22, 2019
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UCOSA Inquires Taking Out Judicial Branch Lauren Morris @TheVista1903 ONLINE EDITOR
The Oct. 14 UCO Student Association meeting saw the congress debating the future of their judicial branch and going over committee updates. Chair of Congress James Limbaugh said that a few years back, former UCOSA President Stockton Duvall tried to “revamp” the judicial branch, and swore in nine justices. “That [was]...three years ago, so a lot of the justices that are there either have no clue, they’re not involved in UCOSA at all or they’ve left the university,” Limbaugh said. “I don’t know those people personally. I haven’t had contact with them… I don’t know which ones are here and which ones are not.” A concern was also raised about the current UCOSA Supreme Court being unaware of what was going on because they are rarely needed or used. “In the 12 [or so] years I’ve been working with UCOSA, we’ve tried to use it one time,” said faculty advisor Cole Stanley. Several options were introduced. These included: getting rid of the judicial branch and creating a judicial committee; assigning more roles to the judicial branch so they could be more involved with UCOSA; one president nominating a fraction of the justices and making the current Supreme Court smaller. A final decision has not been made
Chair of Congress James Limbaugh, left, and Secretary Dillon Rasberry, right, conduct a UCOSA meeting. Senator Kailey Kelpine is seated behind them. (Lauren Morris/The Vista)
yet. No legislation was brought to the table or passed. Committee chairs instead gave updates on what was going on in their assigned committee. There are six committees in UCOSA: Accountability, Reform and Transparency; Academic Affairs; Human Diversity; Ways and Means; Public Relations; and Campus Development. Each senator is placed into one of these committees. Senator Alex Galaviz, from the Accountability, Reform and Transparency committee, said they were working on going through UCOSA’s constitution, bylaws and statutes to become knowledgeable of them and also to fix problems where they saw fit. The Academic Affairs committee
is working on de-stresser events for dead week, and are talking to the Center for Counseling and Well-Being staff to achieve these. Senator Marcus Ting, of the Ways and Means committee, said they are currently working on getting the annual budget application up for organizations for next semester. The Human Diversity committee is working with international students and the International Student Council for the upcoming International Festival at the Edmond Farmers Market on Nov. 16. They are also working on issues they heard regarding international student employment. Senator Evan Bostic said the Public Relations committee held a Town Hall meeting on Oct. 21 in hopes to get
students to engage with UCOSA and voice their concerns about campus. They also started something called “Talk to Us Tuesday” where UCOSA senators sit in the Nigh University Center to get questions, comments or concerns from passing students. Senator Megan Watkins said some of the projects the Campus Development committee is working on include improving the Lime scooters on campus and trying to set up another night walk, which would check if there are any lights out or dark areas on campus. They are trying to look into the possibility of security cameras around campus. UCOSA meets every Monday at 4 p.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Will Rogers Room 421.
Avenue and East Fourth Street, would be improved using funding from the Capital Improvements Funds passed in 2000 and 2017. “The 2000 sales tax was a ¾ cent sales tax that had previously been adopted by the city in earlier years but it had a sunset provision to it so it was a five-year or a 10-year tax,” Commons said. The city decided to permanently adopt the tax in 2000.
According to Commons, the 2017 Capital Improvement tax was originally a ½ cent, five-year tax approved to build the public safety center. The tax was later repurposed to help with other capital improvement needs, which Commons said the ¾ cent tax couldn’t keep up with, and it was approved for a 10 year window of time. Commons said that the 2000 and 2017 taxes combined generate approximately $22 million per year for capital improvements. According to the City of Edmond 2019-2020 budget book, improvements at Stephenson Park will be in addition to other downtown improvements and will include Streetscape parking around the park and “implementation of improvements in the park to make it more of an urban area for the additional residents moving downtown.” Commons said the concept of Streetscaping is usually applied to downtown parking. “It breaks up the parking to where
it’s not all just a sea of pavement,” Commons said. “It provides also places for public art or benches. We try to make it a more landscaped kind of environment.” The City of Edmond has requirements for this, according to Commons. He said capital projects over $250,000 must have one percent of the project toal needs set aside for public art. “We also have an allocation every year for matching grants for public art, too,” Commons said. Commons also said that the streets around the park will also see improvements. “We have 60 percent plans done for Fourth Street, which is on the north side of Stephenson Park, to re-do it,” Commons said. Commons said there has been a resurgence of interest in downtown Edmond. “It’s unbelievable,” Commons said. “Part of what we’re doing around Stephenson Park is a response to that.”
Edmond Plans Stephenson Park Improvements Maury “Kevin” Blair @mauryb007 CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Visitors to Stephenson Park will soon enjoy improved parking and other amenities as a result of the City of Edmond’s focus on urbanization downtown. Steve Commons, assistant city manager of Administration for the City of Edmond, said that Stephenson Park, located near South Littler
An entrance to Stephenson Park. Part of the current improvements in downtown Edmond include Stehepenson Park. (Kevin Blair/The Vista)
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October 22, 2019
Around Campus
University of Central Oklahoma students play pingpong on the basketball court inside the Wellness Center on April 10. (Provided/Angel Bonilla)
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 Student Art Exhibit: Sculpture Armature, Steel & Stone: 3D Foundation students create clay containers which are construction from planar surfaces and explore texture, color. The exhibit is open and free to the public in the Student Art Gallery inside the Art and Design building on campus. Beginning through advanced students will be showcasing their projects. Lessons in Leadership: President Patti Neuhold-Ravikumar will be the featured speaker of the week. Lessons in Leadership meets from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Nigh University Center’s Constitution Hall. These events are STLR tagged and are open to faculty, staff, students, alumni, classes and the community.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019 CLA New Faculty Lecture Series with Dr. Annie Holt: CLA welcomes their newest Assistant Professor of Humanities, Annie Holt. She will present, “Writing the modern body: costume design in the work of Richard Wagner and Oscar Wilde” in the Liberal Arts South Wing L03. A reception will follow in Room 210 of the Liberal Arts building. HEAT/CardioKickboxing: H.E.A.T. stands for High Energy Aerobic Toning. At the Wellness Center from 12-12:30 p.m., this class introduces
weightlifting in a fun, energetic environment. H.E.A.T. hits each major muscle group, is coupled with a push/ pull motion, and incorporates plyometrics, calisthenics to increase cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
ty Center, the College of Fine Arts and Design will showcase various designs from UCO design students of all levels.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
UCO Musical Theatre Shadow Day: This free, all day event is open to high school seniors and transfer students who are interested in taking a look inside the UCO Musical Theatre program. A complimentary dinner and tickets to the UCO Musical Theatre performance of MACABRET at the UCO Jazz Lab round out the day.
Melton Gallery - Brown Carmine and Blue: At 5:30 p.m. inside the Melton Gallery, there will be an artist talk, workshop and opening reception for Movement as Resistance. Adulting 101: Basics of Financial Planning: In Business Building Room 121, Kyle Thompson, managing associate at MassMutual Oklahoma will talk about retirement and how to get there. CMS Fall 2019 Seminar: In STEM Room 101, Johannes Blaschke in the department of applied mathematics at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will be presenting his research and talk entitled “Exciting Problems Involving Particles in Fluids.” MACABRET: Spooktacular Musical Theatre Revue: At the UCO Jazz Lab at 9 p.m., MACABRET: Spooktacular Musical Theatre Revue will feature Halloween favorites performed by over 50 actors and musicians. Tickets are $22 and doors open 30 minutes before the show. The Jazz Lab is located at 100 E Fifth St. in Edmond. Patience Grosshopper: At the Donna Nigh Gallery inside the Nigh Universi-
Friday, October 25, 2019
Prescription Drug Take Back: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Student Affairs will host a prescription drug take back to prevent abuse on the north side of the Max Chambers Library. WVB v. Nebraska Kearney: Broncho volleyball will take on the University of Nebraska-Kearney inside Hamilton Field House at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at bronchosports.com WSOC v. Northwest Missouri: Broncho soccer will take on Northwest Missouri State University at 7 p.m. at Tom Thompson Field. Tickets are available at bronchosports.com NERF War Study Break: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the UCO Wellness Center basketball court, Bronchos are invited to participate in a NERF war. There will be obstacles set up and NERF toys will be provided.
Saturday, October 26, 2019 WVB v. Fort Hayes State: Broncho volleyball will take on Fort Hayes State University inside Hamilton Field House at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at bronchosports.com
Sunday, October 27, 2019 WSOC v. Missouri Western: Broncho soccer will take on Missouri Western State University at Tom Thompson field. Tickets are available at bronchosports.com Opera On Tap: At the Jazz Lab at 5 p.m., local professional opera singers from Opera On Tap - OKC will perform their set entitled “It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To: Death Arias and Party Songs.” Tickets are $10 at the door. Information Technology Maintenance: Systems maintenance will be conducted from 5 a.m. through noon. Multiple services may be unavailable during this timeframe.
Monday, October 28, 2019 Broncho Buzz Jeopardy: Inside the Nigh University Center Cherokee Room 213, Student Affairs will host a Jeopardy event to educate Bronchos on alcohol consumption. The event will have free food for attendees.
Campus Chat
CAMPUS CHAT Haley Humphrey
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October 22, 2019
Reporter
Opinions From UCO Students
@HaleyBHumphrey
What is your favorite Halloween memory?
Savannah Anderson, senior, History Education: “One year, [my family and I] dressed up as the Wizard of Oz. I was Dorothy, my dad was the Tin Man, my mom was the Scarecrow and my brother was the Cowardly Lion. We just rocked the look. I was about 11 years old, and everyone loved it.”
“Mackenzie Cranfill, sophomore, Undecided: “Taking my little cousins trick-or-treating in their Halloween outfits.”
Robert Donnohue, junior, General Business: “I was at Frontier City and we were doing a haunted house thing, and it was kind of frightening and everything. At the very end, a guy popped out with a fake chainsaw and scared me to death.”
Stephen Mauldin, sophomore, Political Science: “My friend lost his phone, so all of Halloween we were looking for his phone through [this] neighborhood, and while we were doing that, we would steal a bunch of candy.”
Eric Flippen, senior, Marketing: “A house party that I got invited to in middle school where I got to dress up as Peyton Manning.”
Isabella Murphy, sophomore, Elementary Education: “[During] my childhood, we would do haunted houses at one of our neighbor’s houses, and all the families on the street would decorate in one theme and scare everybody.”
Tyler Gitthens, sophomore, Management Information Systems: “Staying home, eating my own candy that I bought with my family and watching scary movies.”
Ainsley Bain, freshman, Human Resource Management: “Last Halloween, one of my friends threw a Halloween party and we carved pumpkins and we did games where we had candy pumpkins and we had to build a tall structure with the pumpkins and toothpicks, which sounds kind of nerdy, but it was really fun. And I was a cow, I had a cow onesie.”
Montanna Morris, sophomore, Math and Education: “My sophomore class in high school put on a haunted house thing. It was pretty fun, we didn’t make too much money, but it was a fun memory to do together.”
Tristan Riley, sophomore, History Education: “At the age of six, I watched my first horror movie, it was the second “Friday the 13th,” which kind of made me like horror movies a lot. Now I still watch a lot of horror movies.”
Maddie Willis, sophomore, Early Childhood Education: “My senior year my best friend and I dressed up as unicorns and then we went trickor-treating together. We were 18.”
Timothy Bartee, sophomore, Electrical Engineering: “Not having a costume, but going to Wal-Mart and just making one out of whatever [my friends and I] could find.”
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October 22, 2019
Enrollment
UCO Battles Low Enrollment and Budget Struggles Continued from pg. 1
conversation that we’d like to encourage,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said at the forum. “And that’s a point that can be resolved with forethought.” The Alignment and Allocation effort will create a plan that represents the goals of the entire campus community by bringing together a task force made up of students, faculty and staff, according to Neuhold-Ravikimar. Barthell added that the process should create regular open conversation on campus. The aim of the task force’s efforts will be to “[empower university] leaders to respond nimbly to opportunities and threats in the education industry and in our state,” Neuhold-Ravikumar said. In her initial Alignment and Allocation announcement, Neuhold-Ravikumar expressed concern for a slump in enrollment that diminishes the university’s financial abilities. Since 2012, university undergraduate enrollment has decreased by 12.6 percent. This number, paired with decreasing state appropriations, affects the process by which the vice president for Finance and Operations creates the annual budget, according to Barthell in an interview. “Each year the Division of Academic Affairs is consulted in order to help predict the following year’s enrollment number as total credit hours,” Barthell said. Credit hours directly impact the calculation of the following year’s budget. University students are enrolled in 14,794 less credit hours in fall 2019 than their counterparts in fall 2012. In current undergraduate tuition and fees, this equates to a loss of about $3.82 million. Freeman said during the forum that university enrollment has not reached levels this low since 2001. “We’re certainly not the only institution facing this challenge; it has been both a regional and a national trend,” Freeman said. “A number of factors we believe are contributing to this trend - some of them out of our control, some of them we may have influence on.” According to data obtained from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education website, UCO is one of only three public schools in the state that reduced its budgeted expenditures from FY19 TO FY20. Additionally, OSRHE data shows that state funding for higher education has continually decreased for the last several years by as much as a quarter.
Angela Caddell, associate vice chancellor for communications for the OSRHE, said that the process the regents use for allocating funds follows a specific timeline and procedure. “Individual institutional allocations from the State Regents reflect the institution’s base appropriation (how much an institution received the previous year),” Caddell said. Caddell added that the regents reevaluate state universities annually and offer increases in appropriations as incentives based on performance factors. These factors, according to Caddell, include raising retention rates from freshman to sophomore year and degree completion rates. “Since state-appropriated funds represent less than 25 percent of our annual revenue, we are increasingly dependent on tuition and, therefore, any decline in enrollment has a strong impact on our overall budget,” Barthell said. While Barthell mentioned that the university works to avoid increases in tuition in fees, costs have gone up by 33.5 percent since FY 2015, according to Freeman. Decreases occur based on reduced state funding for higher education. While facing challenges created by dropping enrollment, UCO is still at work trying to find solutions that work for everyone.
Adrienne Nobles, assistant vice president for University Communications, said a two layered recruitment and retention strategy aimed at increasing enrollment is one part of the plan. Nobles added that one of the newest recruitment strategies is UCO’s auto-qualification scholarship program. “Students may qualify for additional scholarships, but the idea here is to let them know earlier what kind of assistance they can get at UCO,” Nobles said. Nobles and Barthell agreed that when it comes to retention, students who come to UCO need to be equipped with the tools to stay enrolled. “Our retention efforts center on removing barriers for current UCO students,” Nobles said. “Our goal is to help students who start at UCO finish at UCO.” Ultimately Barthell noted that the university’s fiscal decision-making is a collaborative effort between numerous entities. The process is an effort to offer transparency and inclusion to as many members of the university community as possible. “In addition to discussions in the President’s Cabinet, the University Planning Committee meets with cabinet members, deans, faculty and staff senates, and UCOSA representatives each month in order to
share ideas about how to address fiscal concerns,” Barthell said. During the forum, Barthell said that reexamination of how to allocate resources in a university can be done based on a number of criteria. The Allocation and Alignment effort will review each area of the university to determine those areas in need of more funding and those with funding to give, according to Barthell. UCO has had to close a gap every year and that means cuts are inevitable, Barthell said. But the new process is designed to allow for better management of funds. “Right now, we’re trying to recover from a $12 and a half million loss that we sustained during tough times in Oklahoma,” Barthell said. “We have a long way to go, and so until we get there, we need to develop a mechanism where we can look fairly across campus.” Freeman said that while many areas have been used to offset budget deficits in the past, some of them are not sustainable. “Our current fiscal environment requires our ability to ensure resources are being allocated in ways that provide the greatest impact,” Freeman said. For more information on the university’s fiscal allocation and alignment plan, contact the Budget Office at 405-974-2555.
Accidentals
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October 22, 2019
UCO Acapella Group Performs Fall Jams Jeff Elkins @JeffElkins12
MANAGING EDITOR
The Accidentals, the University of Central Oklahoma’s acapella singing group, performed their debut/first solo fall concert, “Autumn Jams: A Pop Acapella Concert,” at the Radke Fine Arts Theatre on Friday. “For this concert specifically, we prepared some pop tunes, funk tunes, there is a video game song, the ‘Mii Channel Theme’ too,” said Keegan Rose, president of the group. Curtis Diaz, who sings bass for the group, said The Accidentals like to interpret pop broadly. “With the internet, popular culture is getting wider and conglomerating, so it leaves us a lot of room to interpret,” Diaz said. “Every single song we are doing, someone in the audience has heard it when we perform.” In addition to the “Mii Channel Theme,” the group performed pop tunes like Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” and “Run to You” by Pentatonix, one of The Accidentals main influences. Rose said the group draws heavy influence from Pentatonix as well as Voctave, another popular acapella group.
“I wanted to make sure that every decision that was made was a group decision, so when we were trying to think of a name, I just let everyone submit ideas. The Accidentals is what we went with and that’s what has stuck.” “Voctave actually came and worked with us and a barbershop quartet that a couple of us are in,” Rose said. “One of their guys is the lead from Main Street, so if you know barbershop music, he is the guy.” Pauly Allsbrook, who used to dance for UCO Pom, said she appreciates the variety that their influence brings and wanted to be involved on campus after she finished dancing. “It was nice having their influence because we always hear about the groups that are very pop centered, but
The Accidentals take a bow after their fall concert at Radke Fine Arts Theatre on Friday Oct. 18. (Jeff Elkins/The Vista)
Voctave does a lot of Disney and almost classical music theater type music, so it was cool to blend both influences,” Allsbrook said. The acapella group was started in the spring of 2017 by Danny Etherington. “Last year Danny had put up flyers about the group - Danny was the founder of the group - and I just decided to try it, because I like music a lot and it’s still performance,” Allsbrook said. “I knew a lot of people who had an interest and passion for acapella music, and at the time there really wasn’t a resource for that on the main campus, so I wanted to create that opportunity for those who were interested,” Etherington said. Etherington said the group’s name, The Accidentals, was chosen collectively by the members. “I wanted to make sure that every decision that was made was a group decision, so when we were trying to think of a name, I just let everyone submit ideas,” Etherington said. “The Accidentals is what we went with and that’s what has stuck.” According to Rose, the group meets collectively once per week, then in sectionals (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) once per week for a total of two hours a week. “We try to hold auditions in the spring and the group is open to all majors,” Rose said. “We do open auditions and are looking to be involved in more things on campus.” Recently, the group performed at one of the UCO hockey games and
last month sang at the 9/11 Day of Remembrance on campus. “That was something I wanted to push, was us being more involved with the UCO community, especially since we are an official organization now,” Rose said. “We started out the year doing the student involvement fair and had like 30 sign up to audition for us, which is more than we
ever had.” A collective goal for the group is to become the UCO Acapella Foundation and compete in the International Championship of Collegiate Acapella (ICCA). “We’re taking baby steps by planting some acorns and hoping they’ll grow into some trees later on,” Diaz said.
Three members of The Accidentals sing during their fall concert “Autumn Jams: A Pop Acapella Concert,” inside Radke Fine Arts Theatre on Friday Oct. 18. (Jeff Elkins/The Vista)
Fashion Show
October 22, 2019
8
Shades of Autumn Through the Decades
Top: Loclynn Lively on stage during the Shades of Autumn fashion show presented by the UCO Fashion Marketing Department on Oct. 16 at CHK Central Boathouse. The show looked at fashion from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s. (Tanner Laws/The Vista) Left: Justice Parker modeling clothes from Express on stage during the Shades of Autumn fashion show on Oct. 16 at CHK Central Boathouse. (Tanner Laws/The Vista) Right: Micha Ripley models clothes from Library OKC on stage during the Shades of Autumn fashion show on Oct. 16 at CHK Central Boathouse. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)
Joshua Redden models clothes from Girl Gang 405 during the Shades of Autumn fashion show on Oct. 16 at CHK Central Boathouse. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)
Ljeoma Njenje models clohing from Lush Fashion Lounge during the Shades of Autumn fashion show on Oct. 16 at CHK Central Boathouse. (Tanner Laws/The Vista)
War on Warren
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October 22, 2019
War Waged On Senator Warren During Fourth Democratic Debate Continued from Pg. 1
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg took the opportunity to press Warren on the matter, mentioning that she was asked a yes or no question and gave a dodgy, non-forthright answer. He followed up the attack with a matter-of-fact pitch for his “Medicare for all who want it” plan. Warren said the plan is really “Medicare for all who can afford it.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) took her shot at the frontrunner, which has been par for the course for her the last two debates. Her punchline seemed scripted, but it was her best soundbite yet. “At least Bernie [Sanders] is being honest here, and saying how he’s going to pay for this and that taxes are going to go up,” Klobuchar said. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but you have not said that and I think we owe the American people to tell them where we will send the invoice.” In retrospect, Warren’s decision to talk about the cost of the plan
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, in Westerville, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
exclusively is a wise one, as admitting any tax increase is most certainly going to be used against her, regardless of how strong her ‘yes, but..’ is. If the moderate left couldn’t get the public option passed last time, why does anybody think they’ll do it this time? Obama ran on the public option and no mandate against Clinton and we all saw how that worked out — no public option and a mandate. There’s no good way to play this attack but Warren is playing it
about as good as one can. Many presidential candidates have lost by simply giving their opponent that sound bite — she’s smarter than that. Warren may have taken a soft ‘L’ during the fourth debate, but she has proved that despite seeming shaky on the defensive, she can withstand a storm as the frontrunner — something the previous frontrunner found problematic. She got the most speaking time in the debate at 22 minutes and 48 seconds, which is six minutes lon-
ger than Joe Biden, who had the second most time. It’s important to mention that much of that was response time allocation after being called out specifically. CNN punditry caters to moderate sensibilities. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, though. When you hear Van Jones ask Warren about the politics and perception of Medicare for All, he’s not being critical or skeptical of it. He’s auguring questions that all the major networks will ask of the eventual Democratic nominee. Consistency is a necessity here for Warren. She doesn’t need to score drama or zinger points at this stage. This far into the cycle, Warren is one of the few safe bets from a debate perspective to put on stage with Trump. Her lead in the polls should widen over the coming days as we get closer to the fifth debate in November, which will require 3 percent approval in the polls, up from the 2 percent required for the third and fourth debates.
ACCREDITED. AFFORDABLE. MEANINGFUL.
MBAONLINE.UCO.EDU
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October 22, 2019
Tornado/Spotify
Tornado Slams Dallas DALLAS (AP) — A tornado tore homes and businesses apart in a densely populated area of Dallas, where only minor injuries were reported, but a person was killed by a falling tree in northwest Arkansas as a late-night series of storms caused chaos in several states. Radar confirmed the tornado struck near Dallas Love Field Airport around 9 p.m. Sunday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Godwin. There were no reports of fatalities or serious injuries in Texas on Monday, but Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans says three people were hospitalized for evaluation of injuries that were not life-threatening. Tens of thousands of people were without electricity. Dallas Love Field spokesman Chris Perry said
the airport was not damaged in the storm. Tornado warnings were in effect Monday morning in far eastern Arkansas near the Mississippi River as the storm system moved to the east. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, says areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee could see severe thunderstorms later Monday. Dallas-based radio station KNONFM went off the air when the studio suffered major damage from the tornado. Lew Morris, one of the hosts of “Reckless Rock Radio,” told The Associated Press that the power went out first, followed by the “distinctive whistle” of a tornado within three minutes. He and another radio show host
A passerby stops to look at a mansion damaged by a tornado in the Preston Hollow section of Dallas, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
In this Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019 photo, Matt Younger, right, a pastor at Northway Church, embraces facilities associate Robert Lusk in their church’s severely damaged sanctuary after a tornado tore through North Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
sheltered in the bathroom. “We then heard the building shaking and could hear the glass windows shattering everywhere along with debris banging around. We waited until all the noise died down,” Morris said. “We walked out to see the studio he was just broadcasting from destroyed.” Addressing a news conference Monday morning, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said the city was lucky this time. “I think we should consider ourselves very fortunate that we did not lose any lives — no fatalities and no serious injuries — in last night’s storms. I think we should all be very grateful for that,” Johnson said. October tornadoes are not common,
Monster Mash — Bobby “Boris” Pickett
Hungry Like the Wolf — Duran Duran
Thriller — Michael Jackson
Halloween — AFI
Enter Sandman — Metallica
A Nightmare on My Street — DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Time Warp — Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, Richard O’Brien Addams Family Theme — Vic Mizzy This Is Halloween — The Citizens of Halloween Werewolves of London — Warren Zevon I Put A Spell On You — Nina Simone Ghostbusters — Ray Parker, Jr. Tubular Bells (Exorcist Theme) — The Session Twin Skeleton’s (Hotel In NYC) — Fall Out Boy Evil Approaches — Reel Big Fish
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and cities are rarely hit, according to tornado scientist Harold Brooks of the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma. A study by Brooks last year found that only one-third of the most violent tornadoes hit communities of more than 5,000 people. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has been hit at least three times in the last 25 years, he said. Godwin said the size and severity of this tornado won’t be known until crews survey the damage. NWS warning coordination meteorologist Jennifer Dunn said there may have been two or more tornadoes in north Texas but said the extent wouldn’t be known until Monday afternoon. Killer Queen — Queen The Devil In I — Slipknot I Want Candy — Bow Wow Wow
Speak of the Devil — Logan Henderson
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565: 1. Toccata — Johann Sebastian Bach, Simon Preston
Superstition — Stevie Wonder
Death Valley — Fall Out Boy
Psycho — slowthai, Denzel Curry
Bring Me To Life — Evanescence
Highway to Hell — AC/DC Disturbia — Rihanna
Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...) — Panic! At The Disco
Hedwig’s Theme — John Williams
Halloween Theme — John Carpenter
Spooky, Scary Skeletons — Andrew Gold
Opening Title — Stephen Sondheim
Skulls — Misfits, Glenn Danzig
Welcome to the Black Parade — My Chemical Romance
Demons — Imagine Dragons Goosebumps Theme — Cinematixx
The Phantom of the Opera — Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum
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October 22, 2019
C R A E S D R O W
Remove the M’s to Make a New Word
H
Games
11
ARMREST CAMPER CHAMP CHIMPS COMMERCE DIMES GAMBLE GRAMMY PALMS PAMPER SMOLDERING SMOOTHING SUMMIT TRIMMED UNMENDED
WEEKLY HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You could be caught in a torrent of advice from well-meaning friends and colleagues this week. But remember, Lamb, you are at your best when you are your own inimitable self. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Expect strong efforts to get you to accept things as they are and not question them. But ignore all that and continue your inquiries until you’re sure you have all the answers you need. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Heavier than usual family and workplace duties compete for your time this week. Try to strike a balance so that you’re not overwhelmed by either. Pressures ease by week’s end. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) It’s a good time for the Moon Child to show off your uniquely inspired approach to the culinary skills -- especially if they’re directed toward impressing someone special. LEO (July 23 to August 22) You might be happy about the re-emergence of a long-deferred deal. But don’t pounce on it quite yet. Time can change things. Be sure the values you looked for before are still there. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Try to rein in your super-critical attitude, even if things aren’t being done quite as you would prefer. Remember: What you say now could create an awkward situation later on. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Although you can expect on-the-job cooperation from most of your colleagues this week, some people might insist on knowing more
CROSSWORD Answers
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
Starry Words Word Search CAKE
(Week of Oct. 21, 2019)
about your plans before they can accept them. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Creating another way to do things is commendable. But you could find some resistance this week from folks who would rather stick with the tried-and-true than try something new. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You usually can keep your aim focused on your goal. But you might need to make adjustments to cope with unsteadiness factors that could arise over the course of the week. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) News arrives about a projected move. Be prepared to deal with a series of possible shifts, including starting and finishing times, and how much the budget will actually cover. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A new relationship needs time to develop. Let things flow naturally. It could be a different story with a workplace situation, which might require faster and more focused attention. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Accept a compliment without trying to troll for any hidden reason beyond what was said. After all, don’t you deserve to be praised every now and then? Of course you do. BORN THIS WEEK: You like to weigh all possibilities before making a decision. You would be a fine judge, or even be a star in a jury room. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
Weekly SUDOKU Answers
B12
October 22, 2019
Volleyball
Central Sweeps Conference Rivals James D. Jackson @JamesDJackson15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The University of Central Oklahoma volleyball team swept through both of their Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchups last week to improve to 15-6 on the season. The Bronchos battled Newman University on Oct. 15, and Missouri Western State University on Oct. 18 and did not lose a set in the two matchups. UCO defeated Newman 25-21, 25-20, 25-19 and Missouri Western 25-20, 25-14, 25-13. “We did a good job spreading the ball around offensively,” said head coach Edgar Miraku after the Bronchos’ win over Missouri Western. “Our defense was pretty solid as well and we came out with a good win. I'm really proud of this team for the work they're putting in and we're getting better.” The Missouri Western sweep was the Bronchos 11th sweep of the season. UCO recorded 47 kills in the match, led by Lauren Jenkins in the opening set, Amanda Desch in the second and Courtney Lane in the third. Jenkins had six kills in the first set as Desch went five-of-five on attacks in the second and Lane matched Desch with five kills in the final set.
University of Central Oklahoma volleyball players meet after a point was scored during the battle between Missouri Western University on Oct. 21 at Hamilton Field House. (Provided/BronchoSports)
Bailey Combs had eight kills and Malia Kaaiohelo had five. Ericka Scholl contributed 19 assists and two aces, with Dominique Lipari, recording a match-leading 18 digs. It was a complete game as UCO jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the first set, before the Griffon’s rallied to tie it at 16. But the Bronchos retook the lead, putting off six unanswered points, ob-
taining three kills from Jenkins and two kills and a block from Combs. UCO finished the set 25-20 capped off by two more kills from Jenkins. Central never trailed in the second set and got off to a 15-3 after it was tied at 10 to win the third. Tuesday night, the Bronchos swept the Newman Jets for the second time this season, behind a season-high 15 kills from Lane at Fugate Gymnasium. “We played pretty solid all night and came out with a nice road win,” Miraku said after the Newman victory. “Offensively we did some good things. This team keeps working hard and getting better.” UCO put up 45 kills on 111 attacks with just 10 errors. Lane recorded 15 of those kills on 35 attempts, with four in the first set, six in the second and
five in the third. Kaeli Robinson followed Lane in total kills as she put up nine kills on 17 attempts. Chloe Hancock and Desch each added six kills, with Desch passing 23 assists. In the first set, the Bronchos were in a close battle with the Jets as the score was 22-20. However, a pair of errors and a Lane kill down the middle gave the Bronchos the first set win. The Bronchos came from behind 5-1 and took the lead with an 8-2 run, getting two kills from Lane and aces from Lipari and Desch in that span. UCO led the third set 16-9 before the Bronchos finished off the sweep. UCO will travel to Pittsburg, Kansas to battle the Pittsburg State University Gorillas on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
UCO WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM STATISTICS KILLS: ERRORS: TA: HITTING %: POINTS: ASSISTS: ACES: BLOCKS: UCO volleyball player Lauren Jenkins prepares to strike ball during the battle between Misouri Western University on Oct. 21 at Hamilton Field House. (Provided/BronchoSports)
MW 34 17 108 .157 37 32 0 3
CentOK 47 7 111 .360 60 44 7 6
More information available on bronchosports.com Chart created by the Vista’s Design Editor Michelle Pennza.
Basketball/Soccer
October 22, 2019
13
Bronze Prevails Over Blue in Scrimmage Derek Parker @DParkOK SPORTS EDITOR
The Bronze defeated the Blue in UCO basketball team’s intra-squad scrimmage. Bob Hoffman, the Bronchos first-year head coach, put the event on in hopes to make it a tradition. “I thought we played really well for it being our first live action of the year, but most importantly, I just want to thank the fans who took time out of their Sunday to come and watch us play,” Hoffman said after the game. “The guys had a good energy today and I know it that had to do with the fans that showed up and cheered them on. It was great to see and we can’t wait for the next opportunity.” Last season, under former head coach Tom Hankins, the Bronchos finished 11-17 on the year. They were 7-2 against non-conference opponents, but the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association schedule came down hard on UCO, as they finished 4-15 in conference play. This year, the Bronchos are led by Hoffman, who has more than enough experience with the game. Hoffman coached at Division I Mer-
cer University for nine years, as well as a number of other teams. Hoffman will be taking over an extremely young team, with just five upperclassmen on the roster. There are seven freshman and two sopho-
mores. “You’re only young for a little while,” Hoffman said. “By the time you get to conference play, you have enough experience you can call upon. For me personally, I’ve had
UCO forward Seth Hurd dribbles past defender during UCO’s Bronze & Blue Game on Oct. 20 at Hamilton Field House. (Provided/Bronchosports)
multiple teams with what we’re encountering right now. We’re trying to take it a day at a time and build really good habits.” The Bronze won by a score of 5349 in the first ever Bronze & Blue game. Freshman Jalyn Turner led all Bronchos on Sunday with 15 points, all of them coming from beyond the 3-point line. Isaiah Wade followed close behind with 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting. The game was the Blue’s to lose, as they led by as many as 17 in the first half alone. Turner, Wade and Seth Hurd, who had 10 points of his own, all finished as the leading Blue scorers. Bronze came back in the second half, however, starting with a 16-4 run. Cam Givens and Cooper Clark finished as the only Bronze members in double digits with 13 and 10, respectively. Colt Savage added nine and Dashawn McDowell added eight points, seven assists and six rebounds. The Bronchos open their 201920 season with a game on Nov. 8 against the University of Mary in Alva, Oklahoma. Conference play for Central begins on Dec. 7 with a game against Northeastern State University.
Bronchos Soccer Splits MIAA Matches
A UCO soccer player controls the ball during the Oct. 20 matchup agaisnt Washburn University. (Provided/BronchoSports)
Eric Gomez @EicGomez83
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The University of Central Oklahoma dropped two games in Kansas this weekend after taking on Emporia State University and Washburn
University for Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association conference play. The Bronchos stopped in Emporia on Friday night to take on the Emporia State University Hornets in MIAA play. Both teams took a total of 12 shots,
each with six on goal. A goal in the 37th minute by ESU’s Mackenzie DiMarco left UCO with a 1-0 loss. Kaitlyn Asher played all 90 minutes in the net and had five saves. Sophie Hunter led the Bronchos taking three shots, with Kelsie Eason right behind her taking two. Asha Haile started the Bronchos off taking the first shot in the eighth minute of the game. Central didn’t get another shot opportunity until the 32nd minute when Taryn Kedzior put a free kick on goal. Hunter put up the next shot on goal in the 40th minute and Brooke Moore took the final shot of the first half for the Bronchos in the last minute of the half. The second half only showed two chances for the Bronchos. Eden Jones took the first of the two in the 60th minute and Eason took her chance in the 68th minute. ESU goalie Jillian Patton stopped all six shots, giving the Bronchos their first loss of the weekend. After the loss in Emporia, Central was an even 3-3-0 for conference play. On Sunday, the Bronchos took to the road again and traveled to Tope-
ka to take on the Washburn University Ichabods. Central found trouble early after a Washburn goal in the 17th minute. Kedzior led the Bronchos once again and tied up the game at 1-1 with a goal for Central in the 21st minute. Washburn answered back in the 28th minute and took the lead once again. Kedzior answered once again in the 48th minute to tie the game once again. The game went into the half tied at 2-2 and the second half was not as successful for the Bronchos. UCO took six shots on goal but could not get one past Washburn goalkeeper Reagan Wells. Washburn scored the final goal of the match in the 84th minute to give the Ichabods the 3-2 win over the Bronchos. Central has lost the last three games of the season and are now 3-40 in conference play and 8-4-2 for the season. Central host Northwest Missouri State University on Friday at 7 p.m., and Missouri Western State University on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the final two home games of the regular season.
14
October 22, 2019
Football/Golf
Bronchos Football Drops Fourth Straight Game James D. Jackson @JamesDJackson15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A career-high game from University of Central Oklahoma quarterback Chandler Garrett was not enough as the Bronchos football team came up one touchdown short against Missouri Western University Griffons, 50-43. This was UCO’s fourth straight loss. During the Bronchos four losses, they have given up an average of 47 points each game. In each, the Bronchos would get down early and never be able to fight back. On Saturday in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchup, UCO was tied late in the first quarter at 14 before the Griffons scored 21 unanswered points. MWU was able to battle all the way back to the wire as Garrett had season and career highs in both passing and rushing yards. Garrett finished with 299 passing yards on 16-for-32 passing attempts and four touchdowns. He also recorded 155 yards rushing on 22 carries and two rushing scores. But with Garrett’s performance, the Bronchos were unable to overcome their own mishaps. In their battle against Missouri Western, the Bronchos muffed a fumble that led to a Griffon score, missed three field goals and failed to convert on a pair of twopoint conversion attempts.
“We made a handful of mistakes today and it was a handful of mistakes too many,” said UCO head coach Nick Bobeck. “We played well and there were some good things that we can take from this game, but the mistakes we made cost us. We have to correct
those mistakes moving forward.” Down 35-17 late in the fourth quarter, they were within striking distance. The first fourth-quarter score came by a Garrett 10-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Basks. The Bronchos failed a two-point try and after a three-and-
University of Central Oklahoma QB Chandler Garrett awaits the snap. The Bronchos lost to Missouri Western State University 50-43 at Wantland Stadium on Oct. 19. (Provided/BronchoSports)
out and muffed punt, the Griffon’s scored five plays later to go up 42-23. Garrett and Basks linked up again for a 39-yard touchdown pass. However, UCO failed another two-point conversion as the score stood 42-29 with just under seven minutes to play. Just 22 game time seconds later, the Bronchos scored again as on the following kickoff Central’s Jakarri Hunt forced a fumble and O’Shay Harris recovered it and ran it to the Griffon 11-yard line. From there, Garrett ran for his second touchdown of the day from one yard out, his first coming in the first quarter. This brought the score to 42-36. The Griffons weren’t finished as they drove 75-yards on three plays capped off by a 70-yard touchdown score to push the lead to 50-36 with five minutes left on the clock. Central matched the Griffons drive as they too traveled 75 yards to score. But Garrett’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Basks was the Bronchos final score of the game. UCO dropped to 2-5 on the season. The last time the Bronchos dropped four straight football games was in 2015, where UCO started the season 0-4 but finished 7-5. Next week the Bronchos will square off against Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Last season UCO shut out Washburn 34-0.
Women’s Golf Finishes Up Fall Season Derek Parker @DParkOK
SPORTS EDITOR
The University of Central Oklahoma women’s golf team wraps up their fall season with the Arkansas Tech Classic in Danville, Arkansas on Monday and Tuesday. After an eighth-place finish in the Tarleton State Invitational to start their fall season, the Bronchos have finished within the top four in their last three tournaments, finishing fourth in the University of Nebraska-Kearney Loper Invitational, first in their own UCO Classic and second in the University of Central Missouri Midwest Classic. “We’ve had a good fall season and we’re looking to finish it off on a positive note,” said head coach Michael Bond. “This is a good tournament with a strong field on a really nice course and our girls are excited about the challenge.” Sydeny Roberts, Kinsley Hall, Madison O’Dell, Susana Olivares and Emma Shelley will be rounding out
the Bronchos’ five-person lineup. Oliveras, as a freshman, leads all Bronchos with a 71.9 scoring average. She finished fourth and 10th individually in her first two collegiate tournaments, before individually winning both the UCO Classic and Midwest Classic. She finished the UCO Classic with a one-over 143 performance, six shots ahead of her nearest competitor. “This team has been working hard and we’ve made a lot of improvement already this year,” Bond said following the team’s win. “Hopefully this will give us a boost the rest of the fall.” Central will now be looking to continue their streak in the Arkansas Tech Classic. Heading into the tournament, O’Dell follows Oliveras with a 75.3 average and three top-20 finishes in all four of the tournaments thus far. Roberts has posted a 77.8 scoring average, while Shelley and Hall have a 78.5 and 81.5, respectively. Following the Arkansas Tech Classic, the next tournament for
the Bronchos will be in the spring. UCO kicks off their spring season with the St. Edwards Invite in Austin, Texas on Feb. 24 and 25. From there, the Bronchos will play in four
more spring tournaments before the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association championship in late April.
Broncho golfer Kinsley Hall hits a shot during a fall 2019 match. The women’s golf team wrapped up their fall season in Danville, Arkansas on Monday and Tuesday. (Provided/BronchoSports)
Bucking Broncho
15
October 22, 2019
Who Should Be The Top 4 Teams
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron joins his players as they sing their school song following a 36-13 win over Mississippi State in an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Midway through the college football season, several teams have achieved well above where they were expected to, and some, far below. Here’s the 2019-20 season rerank, according to me.
No. 1
Louisiana State University. LSU has looked like the best team in the country at times, but so have lots of teams. The difference between them and the others is that they have the resume to prove it. The Tigers have Top 10 wins over No. 9 University of Texas and No. 7 University of Florida. Their defense isn’t as good as years past, but is made up for with a legit top offense in the country. Joe Burrow is a legitimate Heisman contender, and possibly the front-runner. No matter where they rank on this list now, in two weeks they have a matchup against the University of Alabama, and we’ll really see if they’re the best team in the country.
in the country, and they have several quality wins and have passed the eye test so far to be the No. 2 team in the nation.
No. 3
University of Alabama. It looks as if the Crimson Tide’s defense has taken a slight dip. They could be just as good as last year, but
they’ve yet to prove it. Their matchup with LSU in a couple weeks will tell us all we need to know. With head coach Nick Saban, Tua Tagovailoa and the talent pool they currently have, it’s hard to count them out of anything, but Alabama hasn’t shown me anything this year outside of blowout wins over bad teams.
No. 4
Clemson University. The only reason Clemson is in the top four is the simple fact that they won last year’s title. There’s several teams that could fill this spot, Univer-
sity of Oklahoma being the first out, but Clemson simply has too much talent to boot out without a loss. They’ve shown they can compete with the top teams in the country in the past, and this year should be no different. However, the Tigers have looked less than impressive so far, almost suffering a loss to unranked University of North Carolina. Trevor Lawrence, the Heisman favorite coming into the year, has been a complete mess so far, and their defense has yet to recover after sending multiple players to the draft. Clemson has the coaching and talent to beat top teams, but as of now, I won’t believe it until I see it.
No. 2
Ohio State University. Again, regardless of how good Alabama and Clemson University have been in the past, they don’t have the current resume to prove anything. Justin Fields and the Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 348 to 56. They very well may have the best combination of offense and defense
Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (1) scrambles during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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