The Vista April 18, 2016

Monday April 18, 2016

UCO progresses toward

UCOSA elections conclude Cara Johnson Photographer

Results are in for the University of Central Oklahoma Student Association president and vice president election, which took place from April 1 to April 15.

With a total of 457 votes, Cash Dietz and Macie Snowden have been named the new president and vice president to begin their yearlong term in Fall 2016.

“I am absolutely ecstatic, because Cash and I both put in a lot of hard work into the process of campaigning,” Snowden said.

Snowden also said that the amount of voters that showed up was disappointing, regardless of the hard work she and Dietz put in to spreading the word to students.

However, they were still satisfied to see the end result and UCO’s support of student government.

Their main goal for UCOSA in the coming semester is to begin a program called “Bronchos for Success”, which will be an online database for students that will offer professional attire to students in order to dress their best and help them succeed.

Dietz and Snowden defeated their opposing candidates, Zubayr Rahman and Matthew Ecton, by 341 votes.

The elections were held via UCONNECT, where students could log in and cast their vote through UCO Surveys.

North Carolina’s new bathroom bill sparks national controversy Tara Nichols Contributing Writer

The Title IX Office at the University of Central Oklahoma has made it a priority to address concerns from the student body; however, it is transgendered students who might see changes in the difficulties they face whether that is in athletics, bathroom privacy, housing, or Greek life due some additions to the Title IX policies.

The UCO Title IX Office typically deals with claims such as harassment, gender equality and discrimination.

An inclusive policy added to Title IX in 2014 stated that people are not to be excluded from educational programs or prevented from receiving financial assistance based on gender identity.

Adrienne Martinez, the Title IX coordinator for UCO, has seen an increase in the number of transgendered students enrolled on campus and also the concerns that they are voicing.

“UCO has an equal opportunity statement that says we will not discriminate

on gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression,” Martinez said.

Some of the problems that transgendered students face include bathroom privacy, a heated nation-wide topic. As for state law, Oklahoma does not have a law that prohibits a person of a certain sex, or what someone identifies with, to enter in the opposite-sex restrooms.

“UCO relies on the policy and federal law that backs the policy that we will not deny access to anyone to any of our facilities on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or gender expression,” Martinez said.

There are, however, state laws about lewd and indecent exposure, as well as privacy laws.

For a transgender, someone who was born male but identifies as a woman can utilize the woman’s public restroom.

Privacy laws are still applied and all restrooms must be in compliance with the privacy act of doors or curtains hung

Continued on page 3

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

NAME AND POSITION Alex Brown Editor-in-Chief

David Terry Photographer

Queila Omena Managing Editor

Kateleigh Mills Reporter

Daltyn Moeckel Design Editor

Jessica Phillips Reporter

Bradley Jayroe Sports Editor

Eriech Tapia Reporter

Ryan Naeve Photo Editor

Ike Wilcots Sports Reporter

Sabrin Abu Seir Copy Editor

Teddy Burch Advisor

Two turtles enjoy the warm spring weather by sunbathing next to Broncho lake on the morning of Friday, April 15. Photo by Cara Johnson, The Vista.

Cara Johnson Photographer

ON THE COVER Protesters chant at the intersection of Franklin St. and Columbia St. where they formed a circled and stopped traffic for hours in Chapel Hill, N.C., Tuesday, March 29, 2016 to protest the recent passage of N.C. HB2. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, seeking re-election in what’s anticipated to be one of the nation’s most heated and expensive campaigns, is doubling down on a sweeping law he signed last week preventing local governments from protecting people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity when they use public accommodations such as hotels and restaurants. People also would have to use multi-stall bathrooms that match their birth certificates at state agencies and public schools and universities. (Chris Seward/The News and Observer via AP) Photo illustration by Daltyn Moeckel.

Latest at UCO........................................................3-4

Feature.................................................................8-10

News.........................................................................5

Classifieds................................................................11

Editorial....................................................................6

Above the Rim........................................................12

Voices of Oklahoma..................................................7

Sports.................................................................13-14

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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, with a maximum of 250 words, and must include the author’s printed name, title, major, classification and phone number.

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Mileah Lyons, a junior interior design major, attempts to navigate through an obstacle course in front of Bronco Lake. The obstacle course was meant to simulate the feeling of being visually impaired.

Photo by David Terry, The Vista.

3

LATEST AT UCO Tara Nichols Contributing Writer

Continued from cover in all the stalls.

Despite the clarity of the law and UCO policies, transgender students are frequently faced with discomfort and sometimes harassment no matter which bathroom they choose.

Locker rooms, even more than restrooms, have presented difficulties for transgender students. Locker rooms often do not have the privacy that restrooms have, therefore causing an increased need for more policies and procedures backed by federal law to take place.

UCO has stood by their policy that no student will be denied access to any facilities based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and follows the NCAA recommendations and policies for the inclusion of transgender athletes.

These policies have been documented in the “NCAA Policy on Transgender Student-Athletes Participation Handbook.”

A transgender male student athlete who has received a medical exception for treatment with testosterone for gender identity may compete on a men’s team immediately, but is no longer eligible to compete on a women’s team unless it is a mixed team status.

On the other hand, a transgender female student athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for

gender identity cannot compete on a women’s team for up to one year of testosterone suppressive, unless changed to a mixed team status.

“We stand by the NCAA rules but also follow our policy and procedures regarding the locker rooms and discrimination. We make sure we have privacy curtains and stall doors in place. By having these things in place, then it is not such a noticeable implication when something like this comes up.

This protects us and includes our athletic facilities, wellness center, and restrooms,” Martinez said.

Another problem transgendered people face also include choosing the right place to live on campus.

Institutional housing departments have typically assigned on-campus housing based on students’ birth sex. Then, students are placed in gender-segregated dormitory buildings, floors, or rooms.

Transgender students have commonly had trouble finding suitable or appropriate housing options. Because of that, UCO has not only adopted the gender-neutral or gender-inclusive housing policy, but has educated on the front end, making their policies very clear regarding transgender options to live in housing they feel more gender identified with.

A student on campus who does not feel comfortable with the gender-neutral policy has the right to find other means of living that will make them feel comfortable. However, access will not be denied by UCO, nor will they tolerate any type of

harassment or bullying on campus regarding these policies.

Another issue UCO transgendered students face include difficulties with Greek life.

Greek life is governed by a national organization and the Title IX laws do not affect fraternities and sororities. Therefore, all aspects of membership-based decisions and interpretations, including whether a transgender student meets the requirements for being a member under the organization’s governing documents, remains with either the fraternity or sorority themselves.

“I don’t know where this will go or how it will end up, or if it will move with society. I don’t know how they will determine their membership, or if the university will have a say or if the members themselves will petition for change.

Sometimes it takes a case, if you will, to bring those things up,” Martinez expressed.

Some steps are being taken to ensure transgendered students feel like they are getting their voices hears.

All of UCO employees are required to take a gender-based, sexual misconduct training seminar annually. Recently the seminar addressed the issues of handling situations appropriately and fairly in regards to transgender issues.

If an employee showed harassment or discrimination based on gender identity, protocol calls for disciplinary action to take place.

The Trans Student Alliance at the University of South Carolina holds a rally and news conference at the state Capitol to protest a controversial bill that would ban transgender people from choosing the bathroom they use Wednesday, April 13, 2016, in Columbia, S.C. Louisiana’s governor issued an executive order Wednesday banning discrimination in state government based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and transgender people in South Carolina told state senators that a bill requiring them to use a public bathroom corresponding to their “biological sex” puts them in danger of harassment. (Tim Dominick/The State via AP) “Each person may have a different philosophical belief but must still respect the rules. If there is a concerning trend coming out of a department, we have an obligation to address it and it needs to be brought to our attention,” Martinez stated.

Having campus resources available for transgender students has been essential in helping students have a positive experience during their transition.

The Counseling Office has worked closely with the Counseling Center Director and followed the community mental health model. Experts have worked with college students in general, but are not unfamiliar with students who are coming out or have questions about sexuality or identity.

All of the counselors have had specific training in the LGBT issues and do not require payment.

Student Alliance for Equality has been on campus for 27 years and is a social service and educational organization focused on the needs and desires of the LGBT students at UCO. “I work with the students, we have guest speakers throughout the semester, we engage in service projects especially connected with LGBT community in OKC/Edmond, we march in the pride parade and we run a campus safe zone program, we serve as a point of first contact resources for students who may have questions or concerns related to sexuality in general,”

said Dr. J. David Macey, faculty advisor for SAFE. UCO counseling center and other programs offered to transgender students have not practiced the conversion technique of counseling.

“The type of counseling here on campus is a therapeutic opportunity that is inclusive and affirmative of not fixing or converting you, but instead helping you to lead a happy and fulfilled life as the person you are,” Macey explained.

There are smaller counseling groups led by the department of Psychology, which has provided support as well as a more private group led by Jade Bennight.

Project SPEAK, which stands for Support, Promote, Educate, Advocate for Knowledge, led by Michelle Stansel, is a group for students who have been harassed or bullied who are looking for an advocate outside of the regular reporting structure. A large number of resources and groups are also led outside of the UCO campus within our community.

According to Macey, UCO has had the largest amount of transgender students on campus due to the fact that UCO is a commuting institution here in Oklahoma and has drawn a lot of diversity.

“Oklahoma City has had a large transgender community for decades,” Macey stated.

Many students have transitioned on campus, as opposed to coming in already having gone through the process of gender confirmation and gender affirmation.

“We don’t talk about gender change, it’s really a situation when a person’s external gender does not correspond with their internal notion of who they are as a gender. When we talk about a transition we are talking about bringing the outside to conform with what has always been true in the inside psychologically and emotionally,” Macey explains.

UCO has an inclusive and very broad non-discrimination policy, which encompasses sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

“Progress is occurring, and we must start training at a younger age,” Macey said.

Training for Oklahoma’s future teachers has included awareness of inclusivity of diversity, and formal training to speak in a knowledgeable, professional and informed way about gender identity.

“Here at UCO we are doing whatever we can to protect our students. It would be a lot easier if we could change a culture or the way people think. The younger we can start, the better chance we have at doing that,” Martinez said.

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LATEST AT UCO

Tier system proposed for UCO parking Eriech Tapia @eriechtapia95 Reporter

Proposed changes to the University of Central Oklahoma’s parking are being deliberated in light of frustrations voiced by students and faculty. The new system will be divided into zones, which is being evaluated for the entire campus for the fall of 2017.

“The wheels have not fallen off this wagon. We are by no means a mess, we are by no means the greatest organization in the world, but we are on the right track,” Josh Stone said, director of Transportation and Parking Services.

Parking frustrations by students, faculty, and staff have been a concern for TPS for many years, according to Stone. TPS sent out a survey asking students and faculty about their parking experiences.

With the new zone system, housing,

staff and faculty, and commuter lots will no longer exist. There has been no decision on how many zones there will be, though, Stone expects there to be seven.

“Any classification, whether you are student or staff or non-affiliated with our parking pass, you would park where you paid to park,” TPS Assistant Director Justine Tozer said.

The proposed parking zones will not be completely closed. Users will be able to park in ascending zone lots in case their lots overfill.

However, users will not be allowed to park in lower numbered zones.

“The other thing you work in a zone system … is that there is always that odd chance you may not find space in that one zone, you can now park down,” Stone said.

The potential system could consist of several different zones ranging in price.

Stone said he expects zones on the west side of the campus and ones closer to buildings to cost more, with lots on the north end of campus to cost less.

“The goal is not to, not to charge a ridiculous rate, but to provide the best service we can,” Stone said.

TPS expects that students will start using lots around Wantland Stadium, which may be some of the cheapest zones in the proposed system. However, Stone and Tozer expect prices overall to increase due to inflated cost within the Broncho Link system and maintenance on parking lots.

“We have to deal with the inflated prices to pay for all of our services, so eventually it is going to have to go up,” Tozer said, detailing that costs within the department have increased in recent years.

TPS will also be holding several town hall meetings across campus during the week of April 18.

“We want to provide the best service we can to help students accomplish their goals,” Stone said.

SP+, a parking consulting firm, was contracted to determine the best way for users to park on campus and ways

TPS can improve on their community engagement.

“SP+ came highly recommended,” Stone said. “It is all up in the air. We are going to work with the consultant and see how we can best break up our campus in these different zones.”

The current hunting system that the university has been using since the creation of TPS, was never developed to accommodate the increase in users, though Stone said he expects the proposed system to alleviate problems users are having.

“Right now we are running off a hunting system, which was very popular in the 90’s,” Stone said. “We are not guaranteed to switch to this system, but we are wanting to develop it.”

The university currently has 6,590 parking spaces, which equates to 3.15 cars per parking spot and the current hunting system is something that Stone described as not a good fit.

“Right now people pay the same price, so they want the same convenience. But we can’t provide convenience, we can only provide access,” Tozer said.

TPS is currently in negotiations with Saint Mary’s Episcopal church on the west side of campus to acquire their property and has already acquired property from the optometrist office and the Arcadia Inn. The two acquired lots will be turned into parking lots.

“These lots are expensive, we have over 2 million square feet of parking,” Stone said. “We know that we have surplus parking already.”

There is no plan for a parking garage at this time, due to cost. However, Stone indicated that a possible two level parking deck could be built in the future to accommodate the new Science Technology Engineering and Math Building, which would take over parking lot 13.

“Parking Garages are $20,000 to $25,000 a parking space. Surface lots are about $7,000,” Stone said, citing that it would cost between $500,000 and $1 million per year to maintain the garage, “Permit prices would have to significantly increase.”

Any changes to campus-wide parking will have to be sent to UCO’s President’s Cabinet for approval.

TPS will be holding several public meetings about parking from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19 and 8:30 to 10 a.m. and 12- 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20 in varying locations across campus.

Hundreds of cars fill up the housing parking lot near the Chambers Library at UCO. Several changes to UCO’s parking system are being deliberated after hundreds of complaints have been received from students, faculty, and staff.

Photo by David Terry, The Vista.

5

NEWS

MIITOMO Nintendo launches

social networking app

James Rodriguez @jamesthekuma Contributing Writer

On March 31, Nintendo, known for popular franchises such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, released their first ever smartphone app.

Miitomo is a social networking service in which users create avatars, called Miis, to interact with friends online.

Miis can be personally customized, down to clothing and accessories which can be purchased with in-app currency.

As well as answering questions, users can also take photos with their Miis and pose them in a variety of ways against different backgrounds, as well as photos from the user’s own library.

Though Miitomo may be just a small social app, what it represents is a big change in how Nintendo is viewing smart devices.

While previously Nintendo has been very opposed to making apps or games for mobile devices, Nintendo has now changed their stance and plans on releasing multiple smart phone games and apps. Miitomo is merely the beginning of a bigger shift.

This change to producing mobile content has led to some Nintendo fans doubting whether or not the company is really doing the right thing. Though for some, Miitomo has eased this worry and given fans faith in Nintendo’s future in mobile development.

“As a Nintendo fan, I was a little worried when I heard they were going to be publishing games for platforms that weren’t Nintendo consoles and handhelds, as iPhone games are often are lower quality,” Garland Moore said, a University of Central Oklahoma student.

“If Miitomo is anything to go by, then Nintendo can definitely keep up their reputation for quality games even if they’re for iPhone.”

Miitomo’s first days have been incredibly successful, it received 1.6 million downloads within its first four days of availability on app stores. Its success has only continued with more and more downloads in the past few weeks.

It has also become popular with a number of UCO and Academy of Contemporary Music students as well.

“I’m really loving Miitomo so far, it’s a really cool substitute to other social media,” Maxwell Moore said, an ACM music production major. “The focus on fashion is really fun. It makes me hope-

ful for Nintendo’s future apps.”

Nintendo has revealed that they are working on a second game for mobile devices though details on it are scarce, with the company only mentioning that

it will feature one of their “best known characters.” Only time will tell if Nintendo will stay successful in the every growing mobile marketplace.

Two characters socialize in the Miitomo app. Miitomo is a social networking app released by Nintendo in which users can interact with each other by using an avatar, called a Mii. Screenshot by Cara Johnson, The Vista.

EDITORIAL

6

New siren policy:

helpful or dangerous?

Alex Brown @aymae_baybay

Editor-in-Chief

For the 2016 storm season, severe weather situations could have just gotten hairier.

Back in December 2015, the Oklahoma City Council adopted a new policy in regards to tornado sirens.

The new policy will have sirens sound only if they are in the immediate or close vicinity of a tornado/severe storm’s path. This is so the sirens will sound in smaller areas, thus making sure that people don’t stop associating the sirens with an imminent threat.

In previous years, tornado sirens sounded in the entire county if any part of it was under the National Weather Service’s tornado warning. So, say you’re living in southern Oklahoma county, and the northwestern part of the county was under a tornado warning, you would hear sirens even though you weren’t in the direct path of a tornado.

It sounds like a good idea, right? Why desensitize citizens to the warning sound of a siren if they aren’t in any immediate danger?

As a resident of Moore, Oklahoma, I understand the importance of tornado sirens and could possibly appreciate the new policy; I remember last year I, and the other residents of Plaza Towers, were woken up at 6 a.m. to a siren sounding and my heart dropped to my stomach.

We weren’t ready-- we didn’t have our bags packed and we had to round up our pets while checking the news, and it was then we saw that the storm wasn’t anywhere near us.

The tornado warning was only peeking into the bottom of our county line, yet residents of Moore, Norman, and southern Oklahoma City were woken in a panic for an emergency that wasn’t even going to happen.

The new policy is supposed to make people associate the sirens with immediate danger, but I don’t think that this policy will work, and here’s why: tornadoes are often unpredictable.

Sure, technology has come a long way, and Oklahoman meteorologists have some of the best equipment in the nation for detecting

severe weather, but tornadoes have a mind of their own and they often move very quickly.

In late March last year, Moore was under a tornado warning --surprising, I know. There was hail, flash flooding, and tiny tornadoes were touching down sporadically, and they were usually touching down and then retracting back up into the clouds before the meteorologists on the news could even see them.

At one point, the meteorologist speaking on the TV said, “Severe storms are in Moore, but there are no tornadoes. I repeat, no tornadoes in Moore.”

I thought it was awfully windy and loud outside for there not to be any tornadoes, so I thought to check how every other Oklahoman does: go stand on my front porch looking up at the sky to decipher the weather for myown-gosh-darn-self.

Sure enough, I opened my front door, and there was a tornado on 4th Street and Sante Fe Avenue, and the tornado sirens didn’t sound in Moore until after the tornado took down two of the three the radio towers at the KOMA station. It’s hard to be upset at officials though, because tornadoes are just that unpredictable; it’s also why, as an Oklahoman, you don’t rely solely on tornado sirens and just one news outlet.

Tornadoes have also been known to change directions drastically.

The May 20, 2013 tornado that plowed through Newcastle and Moore crossed I-35 and changed direction to head south toward Norman, then suddenly corrected itself and followed its original course. You can see the deviations in its path on the National Weather Service’s history page.

What I’m saying is this: maybe it’s better to warn a whole county of a possible tornado threat so that citizens can be weather aware, rather than think that we can guess where the tornado might be heading and only sound sirens in that small area quick enough to possibly save lives.

Tornado damage on a home in the Country Ridge neighborhood in Claremore, Okla., Thursday, March 31, 2016 after a tornado moved through the area the previous night. (James Gibbard/Tulsa World via AP)

7

VOICES OF OKLAHOMA

“My dad was an elementary school teacher, and then decided at age 40 that he didn’t want to do that, and he wanted to go to med school, and so he balanced going back to school at night here and then working three jobs on top of that.”

“The first day of my deployment it was 119 degrees outside, hottest day of my life. I remember being so full of water I didn’t want to drink any more ever again … I remember thinking really, really bad, ‘man I miss cold water.’

[On my last day of deployment] I was just glad I was going home. I was ready to see my family.”

Abbey Wood, UCO Biology student

- Cody Mason, veteran

“We get here every Friday at 11:30 and praise the lord until 12:30. God has shown us his love through Jesus and I just wanted to share that to people here. They might not listen to it, but you know, God will use it for his will. We started doing this last semester… People will come and just join singing, musicians will come and join, there’s this one dude who just kind of started dancing, I don’t know, it was kind of cool.”

-Anna Soh, singer.

8

IRON FEATURE

Masters of Elisabeth Slay @Eslayslay Contributing Writer

Sparks fly from the impact of the hammer banging against the hot metal. The man grips the tool with a strong hand and continues to hit the rod in calculated strokes.

His brow furrows in concentration, as he carefully maneuvers his instrument to and fro, molding the steel into a unique shape.

For blacksmith and Iron Masters owner, Robert Bryan and his colleagues, this process is used constantly to make

interesting artwork and furniture.

“That’s the beauty of blacksmithing.

We are the makers. It doesn’t matter what you need, we can make it,” Bryan said. He first took ownership of Iron Masters in 2002 after he left his previous career of working with horses.

“I worked out at Remington Park and when I left I was just looking for a business that I could get back into for myself.

This one happened to be for sale,” Bryan said. While he had done some iron work

in the past, Bryan had no prior knowledge of being a blacksmith.

However, as the years have progressed, Bryan has gained knowledge about his craft from his own experience.

“I’m still learning. You can do some traveling and get some classes. So there are some resources but I am self taught,” he said.

Although Bryan has owned Iron Masters for the last 14 years, the company has been around since 1952. Originally

they only made practical metal objects such as fences, stair railings and gates.

“When I bought the company they were making things that you assemble not necessarily make. You’re buying the components and you’re putting them together,” Bryan said.

For a while, after he bought the company, Bryan and his fellow blacksmiths continued to only make ornamental steel work. However, he said he eventually decided to head in a different direction.

Blacksmith Cody Jennings welds a piece of metal that will be used to make a stool. Jennings works closely with Robert Bryan, owner of Iron Masters, an Oklahoma City blacksmith shop. Photo by Elisabeth Slay, The Vista.

9

FEATURE

Works of art are made in the Masters of Iron workshop all the time, such as these metal roses. Photo by Elisabeth Slay, The Vista.

“It wasn’t until recently that we started transitioning the company back into what it was truly founded on. We still do gates and fences. It’s just that we’re dedicated to getting the company back to a place where craftsmen get to do what they really do,” Bryan said.

Iron Masters can make anything from an alluring light fixture that brightens the day to a thought-provoking sculpture that broadens one’s mind.

“If you think about history. Everything started with a blacksmith. The carpenter didn’t build anything until he had a hammer and guess who made the hammer?

The warrior didn’t go to war without his spear and guess who made the spear?

The blacksmith,” Bryan said.

Over the years, Iron Masters has produced several different pieces of steel work; such as grand chandeliers for the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.

However, perhaps the most eclectic and outrageous artwork they created was made at the request of Wayne Coyne, lead singer of the Flaming Lips.

“It was a 20-foot diameter disco ball.

It was made completely out of aluminum. He wanted a disco ball that he could take on the road with him. It was a

pretty unusual project,” Bryan said.

As a blacksmith Bryan has a different experience every time he makes something. For him, this is the best thing about his craft.

“Everyday is a brand new day. If all I did was come in and build fencing I would go crazy. Every project is unique in (and) of itself,” he said.

For the last two years Bryan and his team have strived on the concept of originality. He has made it known to clients that he won’t make the same thing for various people.

“When we walk out of your house we

Robert Bryan, owner of Masters of Iron, shapes a hot piece of iron at an anvil. Photo by Elisabeth Slay, The Vista.

want you to have something no one else has because we’re not going to make it for someone else,” Bryan said.

While Bryan may take components of other certain designs, he doesn’t duplicate.

“I don’t have to recreate the wheel every time. [Tell me] whatever elements you like of this design. Now let’s put a new twist on it and make it yours instead of theirs,” he said.

Iron Masters has a warehouse in Oklahoma City where the iron is made and as of October 2015, an office in the Plaza District where ideas become reality.

10

FEATURE

A Love Affair with a Homeless Homeland Jessica Phillips @thejessphillips Reporter

Pamela Olson, a Stanford University graduate, author and Oklahoma native, shared her experience living and travelling in the Middle East with the University of Central Oklahoma, Feb. 29.

Olson is the author of “Fast Times in Palestine: A Love Affair with a Homeless Homeland.” The book details the stories about the countries and areas she visited and the people she met.

Her stories focus on Palestinians and the Israeli occupation. She lived in Ramallah, Palestine, for a year and a half, and in that time she was a journalist and foreign press coordinator for Palestinian presidential candidate, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti.

She spent fall 2003 backpacking through Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey.

“In short, I was enchanted. People were so nice and so welcoming … it was so different from what I expected because you just, you get there and you’re kind of nervous,” she said of Egypt.

In October 2003, she travelled to the West Bank. Her plan was to spend a few days there and then to travel to Israel.

“After three/four days I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay. So I kind of

Author Pamela Olson gives a presentation at the University of Central Oklahoma. Olson, an Oklahoma native, authored the book “Fast Times in Palestine,” in which she details the places she’s travelled and the people she’s met. Photo provided by UCO photographic services.

made an excuse. I was going to volunteer with [Project Hope] teaching English,” Olson said.

However, she had to return to the United States to make more money.

“All I could think about was going back,” she said.

The United Nations voted in 1947 to divide Palestine into two states: one Jewish and one Arab, to bring Jewish refugees; many of whom were Holocaust survivors, into Palestine, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website.

Around 1946, about 7 percent of the land was owned by Jews. Then the numbers became overwhelming, Olson said.

Jews became about one-third of the population and occupied about half of Palestine, she continued. “[Y]et if somebody says we need to give 55 percent of Oklahoma to Syrian refugees, my guess is most Oklahomans would resist that. And it was the case in this,” she said.

Palestine resisted and lost. Israel conquered 78 percent of the territory, then conquered the rest 19 years later and continues to expand on that land.

The ideal goal is to get Israeli people to understand that how their government is behaving is not acceptable to the international community, Olson continued.

“One of the ways Israel is responding is, ‘hey, look over there,’” she said.

Olson was raised in Stigler, Oklahoma, and attended the Oklahoma School of Science and Math before going to Stanford in California, where she studied physics and political science.

As a junior in college, she studied abroad in Russia and had to learn Russian because her host family didn’t speak English. “It was just such an enormous learning curve,” Olson said.

She began working for the Institute for Defense Analyses in 2006, where she was a research associate who assisted in projects to provide perspectives from Arab and Muslim worldviews.

A small crowd gathers to meet with Pamela Olson and have their books signed after her speech in the Pegasus Theater on Monday, Feb. 29. Photo provided by UCO photographic services.

11

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS BFF PERFORMANCE SHOE STORE (NW OKC) is accepting applications from College students for part-time employment.

15-20 hours per week.

Evenings and Saturdays.

No retail experience needed.

Call: 608-0404 and ask for Randy.

NW Pool Management Inc is hiring certified lifeguards and pool managers for the summer.

Edmond and NW OKC areas.

Memorial Day through Labor Day. Good pay and flexible hours.

Apply online at: www.nwpoolmanagement.com

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12

ABOVE THE RIM

Above the Rim:

OKC’s backup point guard issue Bradley Jayroe @bradjayroe Sports Editor

First it was Derek Fisher playing more minutes than James Harden at times.

Then it was more of the same with Caron Butler added to the mix, playing both Fisher and Butler over guys like Jeremy Lamb and even Reggie Jackson here and there.

Also, let’s not forget that this season, Mitch McGary has all but disappeared despite being better than Collison at this point in his career by just about every measure.

Neglecting to play McGary is at least somewhat excusable, considering how deep the team is at power forward and center; Collison himself barely even plays. But what the Thunder does with its backup point guard slot in the postseason could very well be the difference between a deep run or a second round exit.

The Thunder, by most appearances, is headed to the postseason with Randy Foye as its backup point guard instead of Payne, who’s had a very good rookie season.

While Payne played 40 minutes in the regular season finale against the Spurs, this was likely to keep Foye in his familiar role coming off of the bench--similar to how James Harden would still come off the bench when Thabo Sefolosha used to miss games. Prior to that game, it was largely Foye who was commanding the second unit down the stretch of the regular season while Payne was relegated to irregular minutes outside of the typical rotation, similar to sharpshooter Anthony Morrow who has also been under-utilized.

Here’s how Randy Foye had done over the last 10 games as the Thunder’ backup point guard, ranging from the team’s March 22 win over the Houston Rockets to its loss to the Sacramento Kings April 9. In each of these 10 games, he played at least 14 minutes for a total of 195 minutes: 17 assists to 12 turnovers (not even good enough for a 2:1 ratio), 30 percent from three point range and 30 percent shooting overall.

To compare, the following is a sample of the last 10 games in which Payne

played at least 14 minutes as the backup point guard--therefore the Spurs game is not included, as he was a starter: 35 assists to 10 turnovers (better than a 3:1 ratio), 34 percent from three point range and 44 percent shooting overall.

Additionally, if we compare the players’ defense, according to Basketball-Reference, both players are nearly identical--with a slight edge to Payne in a few stat categories.

So who would you rather have as your backup point guard in the playoffs?

The only thing Foye has over Payne is experience, but that’s a curious thing to hold against Payne considering that Foye himself has only been to the playoffs once, and it was four years ago.

Not to mention that neither Dion Waiters nor Kyle Singler have been to the playoffs before, along with Morrow.

Even Sixth Man of the Year candidate Enes Kanter has only been to the playoffs once--a series sweep against the Spurs, in which he played 10 minutes a game.

The Thunder needs to be consistent in its philosophy, and it makes no sense to hold lack of experience against Payne.

By just about every objective measure, particularly PER, Payne has been the Thunder’s second best bench player this season, and it’s not all that close. We’ve all seen how the bench struggles to score and maintain leads, so why shoot yourself in the foot by removing your best bench facilitator from the rotation?

Hopefully, the Thunder reconsiders Foye’s firm role assignment as the backup point guard. In the season finale, it’s not hard to see that Payne was trying to make the most out of his final audition for the job: 17 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds in 40 minutes. While he had 6 turnovers, they were against arguably the best defensive team in the league in the first start of his NBA career. If Payne is going to grow as a player and achieve the promise of his immense potential, the Thunder has to give him the opportunity to learn in the playoffs, despite any growing pains that may result.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cameron Payne (22) shoots as Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcelo Huertas (9) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Monday, April 11, 2016. Oklahoma City won 112-79. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

SPORTS

13

Looking ahead to the U.S. Open after a shocking Masters finish TJ Eckert @tj_eckert Contributing Writer

Raise your hand if you picked the winner of the 2016 Masters.

Okay, raise your hand if you have ever even heard of the Masters champion.

That seemed to be the reaction many people had after watching Englishman Danny Willett claim the green jacket. Willett shot a bogey-free five-under 67 to claim a three shot victory over countryman Lee Westwood and defending champion Jordan Spieth.

The talk around the tournament was more on how Spieth lost the tournament than how Willett won. That was accomplished by a second-nine collapse of historic proportion.

Spieth rattled off four straight birdies to close out his first nine in shooting four-under 32. That pushed him to

seven under for the tournament, five clear of the field.

Then the wheels fell off.

Spieth bogeyed the 10th hole from the greenside bunker, then drove into trouble on the first leg of Amen Corner on the 11th, leading to a second consecutive bogey. Then came the short par 3 on hole number 12.

Spieth did not get all of his nine iron and hit it into Rae’s Creek. He decided to drop a little further back than where the drop zone was and hit a weekend amateur chunk right back into the water. Hitting five from the same spot, he knew he could not be short again, and flew it into the bunker behind the green. He got up and down from there for a tidy quadruple bogey score of 7.

In the span of three holes, he went from up five strokes to three behind.

With barely a glimmer of hope remaining, the defending champion gathered himself and birdied the par 5 13th and 15th holes, cutting the margin to two with three to play. A par on 16 was followed with a bogey on 17, officially ending any chance of a miraculous comeback. A second-nine score of 41 was the end result, and a tie for second was his finish.

The collapse was the main storyline from the final round, which was flawless from Willett, who started the day three shots off the lead. After a first-nine 34 got him within shouting distance, he closed with three birdies in four holes on the second nine, and had to wait for the rest of the contenders to finish.

Willett held off some serious competition. Along with Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin

Rose, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy all finished within six shots of the lead. It was an impressive performance from a player that casual golf fans may have never heard of, while avid golf lovers did not think he had a real chance of winning.

Speaking of casual golf fans, most people will likely tune out golf for the next two months until the U.S. Open, beginning June 16. So for those fans, it’s a good time to look ahead at the U.S. Open course, and who should thrive in the sport’s second major.

The U.S. Open, unlike the Masters, changes venues each year. This year, the tournament returns to Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania for the ninth time, most of any venue. The tournament was last held at Oakmont in 2007, when Argentina’s Angel Cabrera held off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk to win.

Oakmont is a par 70 course, but stretches out to 7,255 yards, meaning it’s a long course with few par-5’s. In

fact, there are only two on the course, and they are both over 600 yards.

Oakmont is generally considered one of the most difficult courses in the country, and that showed in the last major played there, as Cabrera won the tournament at +5. There were only eight rounds under par in all four days--in other words, it is really difficult.

Looking at past tournaments hosted there, a few things stand out. First, you have to hit it well off the tee.

U.S. Open courses are always long, and always require length off the tee. Second, you have to be able to grind over putts. Oakmont is regarded as having the toughest greens in tournament play, so every putt requires your full attention. Finally, you have to know when to just accept making bogey. U.S. Open’s are generally won by the player who makes the fewest double bogies or worse, not who makes the most birdies. Knowing when to take risks and knowing when par is a good score

could be the difference in winning the tournament and missing the cut.

So who has length, makes putts, and can grind through a tough round? The early pick to win this year’s U.S. Open has to be Jason Day. Sure it is not a surprise that the number one player in the world is a favorite to win a major, but his game is in the right place and it fits perfectly for Oakmont. There is still plenty of time until the tournament starts, so many things could happen.

Right now, Day seems to be the clear-cut guy to win it.

If you disagree, watch some golf tournaments yourself these next few weeks and make your own picks.

Masters champion Danny Willett, of England, gives a thumbs up after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 10, 2016, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

14

SPORTS

The NBA Playoffs: predicting the first round Bradley Jayroe @bradjayroe Sports Editor

The NBA Playoffs are finally underway and finally back in Oklahoma City after last year’s hiatus. Which teams will advance, how will they do it, and how long will each series be? The following piece attempts to answer all of those questions and predict the next two weeks of NBA basketball.

Western Conference Golden State Warriors (1 seed) vs Houston Rockets (8 seed) The Warriors continue their hot play in the first round of the postseason. James Harden averages upwards of 30 points per game in the series, but it isn’t enough as the Warriors overwhelm the Rockets with their depth. Harden heroics and a cold shooting night in Houston give the Rockets a single win in the series.

Prediction: Golden State wins 4-1 San Antonio Spurs (2 seed) vs Memphis Grizzlies (7 seed) The Grizzlies can’t keep up with the talent and depth of the Spurs in this matchup, especially without Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. San Antonio’s topranked defense suffocates Memphis into scoring less than 80 points per game in a quick series as the Spurs’ ball movement completely obliterates the Grizzlies.

Prediction: San Antonio wins 4-0 Oklahoma City Thunder (3 seed) vs Dallas Mavericks (6 seed) The Thunder has more talent and undoubtedly the two best players in the series. However, Rick Carlisle’s coaching wizardry coupled with perhaps a little Dirk Nowitzki magic and continued hot play from JJ Barea lead to a tougher-than-expected first round matchup for OKC. Dallas wins a game in OKC and in Dallas before ultimately succumbing to the MVP talents of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Prediction: Oklahoma City wins 4-2 Los Angeles Clippers (4 seed) vs Portland Trail Blazers (5 seed) After losing nearly all of their starting lineup to free agency and trades, the Trail Blazers have shocked the basketball world by nabbing the fifth seed in the West rather than a slot in the lottery.

The surprises continue as Portland overwhelms Los Angeles with some epic performances from Damian Lillard and the postseason coming-out party of CJ McCollum. Blake Griffin has some

difficulty returning to action in the postseason, resulting in chemistry issues for Los Angeles.

Prediction: Portland wins 4-2.

Eastern Conference Cleveland Cavaliers (1 seed) vs Detroit Pistons (8 seed) Lebron James and the Cavaliers will stumble out of the gate a bit, leading to a more difficult first round series than expected against Andre Drummond and the up-and-coming Pistons. Stan Van Gundy’s strategic experience in battling Lebron in the playoffs will make this a close series, but ultimately the Cavaliers’ superior talent will prevail.

Prediction: Cleveland wins 4-2.

Toronto Raptors (2 seed) vs Indiana Pacers (7 seed) Paul George returns to the postseason stage with a vengeance, and along with emerging big man Myles Turner lead the Pacers to three wins against the second-seeded Raptors. However, Toronto’s exceptional backcourt and superior depth result in a tough-fought series victory in game seven.

Prediction: Toronto wins 4-3.

Miami Heat (3 seed) vs Charlotte Hornets (6 seed) In a battle between two surprisingly even-matched teams statistically, The Heat ultimately claims victory over the Hornets due to the stellar play of its promising young players accompanied with solid production from Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson. Kemba Walker gets his, but it isn’t enough to win the series for Charlotte.

Prediction: Miami wins 4-2.

Atlanta Hawks (4 seed) vs Boston Celtics (5 seed) These two teams split the regular season series, and the postseason tilt should be similarly competitive. In a series that will likely swing back and forth between highlight reel plays from Isaiah Thomas and incredible team basketball by Al Horford, look for the Celtics to take the next step under Brad Stevens’ leadership.

Prediction: Boston wins 4-2.

(Right) Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, left, shoots over Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 24, 2016. The Clippers won 96-94. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, left, drives against Memphis Grizzlies guard Ray McCallum in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 28, 2016, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/ Brandon Dill)

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