Issuu

JAN. 12, 2012

Baseball

International Enrollment

Bronchos prepare for their 2012 baseball season and welcome new Assistant Coach Jeff Steele. Page 8

Across the country, universities are seeing an increase in enrollment of Chinese students. Page 5

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THE VISTA

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S student voice since 1903.

CHEMICAL SCARE LEADS TO EVACUATION

Jeff Harp (left), UCO chief of police, and Brent Miller, supervisor of safety operations, clear the area by Howell Hall and the Nigh University Center. There was an explosive chemical scare at Howell Hall and students were evacuated from the building, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

By Cody Bromley / Editor-in-Chief & Bryan Trude / Sports Editor Wednesday afternoon, Howell Hall was evacuated after an explosive chemical was discovered. Students were advised to leave the building shortly before 2 p.m. after the chemical discovered was determined to be dangerous by visiting scholar Robert Nordquist. The discovery was made during an inventory of a lab set to be renovated. “I was kind of surprised,” Kate Gault, senior biology major, said Wednesday. “I knew it was kind of serious, but I was pretty calm. They

told us to get out, and I got out.” The chemical, picric acid, is an explosive compound used in labs as a chemical reagent. Stored in liquid form, the acid is merely flammable. Once the liquid dried out into a crystallized form, the compound became shock-sensitive and explosive. Picric acid has historically been used in munitions and mortar shells. At about 2 p.m., Edmond Police dispatched their bomb disposal robot, and by 2:40 p.m. the container of picric acid had been removed successfully. Meanwhile, students

were advised to stay a safe distance away. “[UCO’s response] has been pretty good so far,” Kieran Adams, freshman history education major, said Wednesday. “The officers were very nice, they just walked up and said they couldn’t say what was going on, and I got turned away. They gave clear instructions and everything.” Classes resumed at 3 p.m. after the picric acid was removed from the building and taken away in a containment vehicle. There were no The Edmond Police Bomb Squad send in a robot to investigate an exinjuries. plosive chemical scare at Howell Hall, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Violence Prevention Project

STALKING AWARENESS MONTH AIMS TO REDUCE UNWANTED PURSUITS It might start out with flirty Facebook messages from someone in your afternoon class. For others, it comes in the form of their exgirlfriend, calling and texting at all hours of the day and night. What might once have been seen as positive, romantic interaction rapidly deteriorates into unwanted attention. In extreme situations, those on the receiving end of these behaviors begin to fear for their personal safety. During National Stalking Awareness Month, organizations such as UCO’s Violence Prevention Project, hope to raise awareness and urge action against stalking behavior. According to statistics provided by the VPP, more than 3.4 million people over the age of 18 are victims of stalking annually in the U.S. The collegeage demographic, or those aged 18-24, are most likely to be victims. “Stalking is any unwanted pursuit,” Kathyrn Toahty of the VPP said. While many are stalked by former intimate partners, Toahty said this is not always the case. “It’s important to remember that a stalker can also be someone you don’t know at all,” she said. With the advent of social media sites like Facebook, one out of every four victims of stalking said they had been stalked through the use of some form of technology. “Social media is huge when it comes to cyberstalking, which is anytime technology or electronic communication is used to stalk a victim,” Toahty said. “[Cyberstalking] is a lot

harder to investigate, but social media is also getting better about creating ‘safety nets’ that would allow for someone to get caught cyberstalking someone else.” Janetta Bridges, a senior majoring in public relations, has firsthand experience with stalking. While she was living in student housing and attending the university, she said a student in two of her classes began exhibiting stalker-like behavior. She said the student in question would call and text repeatedly, even showing up at her place of work. “He happened to pick up a little brother at my job, and would wait outside in the lot, I assume to watch me come out,” she said. “I would always just wait inside with my coworkers until he left, though.” Since she lived in Central Plaza at the time but the student in question did not, Bridges went to the Central Plaza help desk to ask them to keep an eye out. Bridges said the desk worker claimed the student was harmless, and urged her to confront the student on her own. “Is that cool? To tell someone, ‘hey I feel like you’re stalking me, can you stop?’” Bridges asked. “He had texted me, and I’d already asked him them to stop and leave me alone. I’d asked him not to call or text anymore.” Bridges said she was met with what she feels was a lot of misunderstanding of the situation. The student had a girlfriend at the time, and she said he used this against her, claiming he could not possibly have been acting in the wrong.

Continued on page 3

Stalking Statistics

• Nearly 3 in 4 stalking victims know their victim in some capacity. • The most common type of stalking behavior experienced was unwanted phone calls and messages. • Victims are most likely to be stalked by an offender of the same race and age. • More than half of all victims of stalking report that the stalking or harassment began within the past 12 months. According to Kathryn Toahty of the Violence Prevention Project, these are some behaviors that men and women alike can be aware of: • Show up wherever you are • Follow you • Repeatedly call you, including hang-ups • Drive by or hang out at your home, school or work • Send unwanted gifts, letters, cards or emails • Monitor your phone calls or computer use • Use technology (e.g., hidden cameras, spyware or GPS systems) to track you • Find out about you by using public records or online search services • Hire investigators to go through your garbage or contact friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers to gain information about you • Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends and/or pets • Damage your home, car or other property • Any other actions that control, track or frighten you

WEATHER

By Brittany Dalton / Copy Editor

TODAY H 38° L 21°

TOMORROW H 44° L 30°

More weather at www.uco360.com

DID YOU KNOW? Originally, Twinkies had banana-flavored filling. Hostess switched to vanilla after bananas were rationed during World War II.

OPINION

JAN. 12, 2012

THE VISTA 100 North University Drive Edmond, OK 73034 (405)974-5549 vistauco@gmail.com

The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students, semi-weekly during the academic year except exam and holiday periods, and only on Wednesdays during the summer, at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained.

How do you feel about Mitt Romney winning the New Hampshire primaries? STACEY PICKENS

NICOLE WILLIAMS

ABRAHAM VARGHESE

Sophomore-Theatre Performance

Sophomore-Nursing

Freshman-Kinesiology

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 150 words, and must include the author’s printed name, title, major, classification and phone number. 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 730345209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be emailed to vistauco@gmail.com.

STAFF

Management

Editorial

Cody Bromley, Editor-In-Chief Christie Southern, Managing Editor Brittany Dalton, Copy Editor Bryan Trude, Sports Editor

Ben Luschen, Staff Writer Josh Hutton, Staff Writer Mervyn Chua, Staff Writer Trevor Hultner, Staff Writer

Graphic Design Michael McMillian

Photography

Advertising

Garett Fisbeck, Photo Editor Kathleen Wells

Kylee Turner

Circulation Joseph Choi

“I don’t think he really knows what he’s talking about.”

“I don’t even follow all of that.”

“No. I don’t follow it.”

TUCKER ZETTERBERG

ANDIE POINTER

SAMAN SALEKI

Sophomore-Forensic Science

Freshman-Interpersonal Communications

Junior-Psychology

Editorial Comic Evan Oldham

Adviser Mr. Teddy Burch

Editorial

TURNED OFF Tomorrow is the last day of the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Every year, the technology industry gathers together in the Grand Central Station of vice to salivate over the latest electronic doodads, like cultists worshipping the golden idol of gadgetry. Looking at the early movers and shakers of the show, one is left with the subtle impression that humanity has run out of ideas. Early reactions out of CES show that the hottest products this year are a Lenovo knockoff of an iMac, a Samsung Galaxy cross between an iPhone and a Kindle Fire, a boombox built into a messenger bag, a 3D TV and a remote-controlled robot with a TV screen on it that displays the user’s face. How can people sleep soundly at night with something like that rolling around? Indeed, the biggest news is not the products, but the fact that Microsoft doesn’t plan to come back in the future. This leads one to think: is the human race out of ideas? Every year some salesman on commission will trot out in front of a starstruck media to show off the latest blinking wonderbox that will “revolutionize the way we live our lives,” however how far back does someone have to go to find the new product that truly revolutionized the way we live our lives? That sounds like kind of a tie between the modern computer – invented in 1946 – and the cellular phone, with the first cell network going up in 1979. Ever since then, it seems the idea of “the future” has not been in discovering and developing a landscape-shaking new technology, but tweaking something that already exists. Steve Jobs is often credited as the greatest inventor of our generation, but all of his greatest achievements have been tweaks and repackaging of existing technology. While computers and cell phones get smaller, faster and prettier every year, these are all things that existed before the average college student was even born. Where are the flying cars? Where are the Star Trek transporters and food replicators? In all honesty, we as a species can afford to sit around with an iPhone 4S for a generation or two if as a result we devote our collective intelligence in expanding humanity beyond its current limits.

“I thought he would. People were doubting him, but he’s pulling ahead.”

“I like Ron Paul, personally.”

“I think he sucks. He’s a Republican, not that I like Democrats any better.”

The Vista invites and encourages letters to the editor. Submitted letters are subject to editing for clarity, space and libel. Address your letters to : Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 73034-5209 Letters may also be e-mailed to vistauco@gmail.com or delivered to the Editor in person in Communications Building Room 131.

By Evan Oldham / Cartoonist

NEWS

JAN. 12, 2012 Continued from page 1

STALKING “I do not think [Student Conduct] took it seriously because there had not been any physical interaction, all mental. Since he is a student on campus, he’s allowed to be anywhere. Even if that meant he was everywhere I was, all the time.” The brush-off Bridges faced is an all too common reaction to stalking behavior, in a culture that at times blames the victim. “We normalize this type of behavior and make victims feel as though what is happening to them is really ‘not that serious,’ by the things we say and do as a society,” Toahty said. Toahty explained that the societal trend toward victim-blaming actually makes survivors more reluctant to report stalking behavior, out of fear of revictimization. In this way, victims risk further harm, choosing to shoulder the burden alone rather than be branded as just “crying wolf.” Toahty urges students to take initiative as well, and take appropriate measures to prevent stalking. “We have become a society that is so eager to share everything we are doing, with anyone willing to listen. But sometimes the people listening to us are not ones who have your best interest at heart,” she said. “I always caution students to be careful with the information they are giving out. It can be used to stalk them, steal their identity, or even impact their future feelings of safety if a situation arises.” She also urges those who become victims to take immediate action. She said one does not have to be the victim to take action, either.

“We have become a society that is so eager to share everything we are doing,with anyone willing to listen.” - Kathryn Toahty, VPP Coordinator

“Do not laugh at someone who tells you they’re being stalked. Encourage them to talk with someone who can help them: police, advocates, counselors. Do not rush to judgment,” she said. “Survivors may feel as though they will not be believed, so taking them seriously is important.” If victimized, Toahty said it is essential to document everything: texts, calls, even unwanted appearances. “Keeping track of all related things that have happened is important when making a police report. Stalking behavior can quickly escalate and become dangerous,” she said. Lastly, Toahty said students should keep in mind that help is there for those who have been, or feel as though they are, victims of stalking. “We have a very safe community at UCO, and the Violence Prevention Project is always working with other departments on-campus to keep our community safe.” Though the Violence Prevention Project works to raise awareness and hopes to prevent stalking, Toahty said that ultimately, society’s view on the behavior must also change. “Society must understand that victims and survivors are not to blame,” Toahty said. “Perpetrators are.

The Violence Prevention Project (VPP) is an oncampus organization providing on- and off-campus resources, and is always happy to assist and answer questions relating to stalking behavior (including cyberstalking). The Violence Prevention Project is located on the fourth floor of the Nigh University Center, Room 406.

Opinion

Out of Context By Brittany Dalton Snug New Glove I’ve spent my life in love with words. My preschool days passed in a blur of cow, chicken and pig jokes. When family members’ friends would come over to shoot hoops, I’d sit in wait, eager to tell my newest story. Gifted storyteller though I thought I was, they always began the same: “So a cow, chicken and pig were walking down the road…” While they all began the same, they usually deteriorated into something resembling not a joke, but a life narrative. The pig would suddenly decide he needed a new pair of shoes, and decide to go to the store. Funny, right? I know. I breezed through my classes in school, always the first done – and almost always the best. Only one red mark sullied my grade school transcripts: the dreaded “talkative in class.” Those three words were levied against me, causing many a day of the worst punishment my younger self could imagine: no reading. This passion for words, for stories spoken and written, carried with me to my time in college. As with any wide-eyed freshman, many people asked me what I planned to major in. As with most college students, I had no idea. Only one thing in my life has ever come naturally. By naturally, I don’t mean I majored in writing-intensive subjects as a copout. Every person, regardless of who you are, has one thing that comes as easily and effortlessly as breathing. And that’s why I’m sitting here, writing this column. Stumbling and fumbling through education majors, theatre majors – each fit me as poorly as when I was small and borrowed my mother’s gloves, tips hanging loosely from my fingertips. Writing fit like a snug new glove. I’ve never strayed far from my fascination with the spoken and written word, with the endless ways you can spin stories from disconnected little phrases. One of my least favorite phrases in the world would have to be “you’d have to be there to understand.” A classmate told me that once, when I asked them about a funny story they’d tried to relate over email. Sometimes, it feels as though that’s just a copout. I want to understand, I want to feel as though I’ve been immersed in an event I’d previously had no starring role in. Why tease me with what sounds like a tantalizing story, if you slam the storybook shut on my nose? Words are everything and nothing at the same time. Words are whatever you weave from them. Ancient philosopher Plato believed in the sanctity of words, and explained it as thus: “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” I believe wholeheartedly that the world is in my hands, and all my life I’ve wanted nothing more than to share it with others. So here’s a start. A cow, a chicken and a pig were walking down the street…

NEWS

JAN. 12, 2012

Enrollment

ENROLLMENT OF NEW CHINESE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT FAIR STUDENTS RISING NATIONWIDE

Rubi Cazares, a Forensic Science and Criminal Justice sophomore, writes “Cure” on a board at the Big Pink Volleyball table during the Student Involvement Fair in the Nigh University Center Ballrooms, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Students enroll for classes at the Nigh University Center Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Photo by Kat Wells, The Vista

By Ben Luschen / Staff Writer It’s no secret that many schools and institutions of higher learning across the country are passing through rough economic times. Funding is low enough in a few school systems that some universities are limiting the number of in-state students it accepts in favor of the full tuition-paying out-of-state and international (often Chinese) students. In the University of California school system, as is common in many state school systems, non-resident students often pay more than twice as much in tuition than resident students. After receiving large budget cuts for this academic year, the school system began setting a cap on the number of in-state students its universities could accept. As a result, many more international students have been accepted into the California school system, the majority from China. For example, over 200 Chinese freshmen enrolled at the University of California at San Diego in 2011, up from just 16 in 2009. Coincidentally, the number of ChineseAmerican and Asian-American students en-

rolled at the school is down 29 percent over the same two-year span, according to numbers compiled in an article by multinational news corporation Bloomberg. The number of Chinese students at UCO is also on the rise, according to Timothy Kok, director of admissions in the International Students office. When Kok first arrived at campus in 2007, the university only had 27 students from China. That number has now risen to over 200. Central is currently hosting 459 international students from Asian countries. Though the number of Chinese students at Central is clearly on the rise, Kok said the reason has less to do with a faltering American economy than it does China’s blossoming finances. “Economically, China has been growing and parents are more inclined and able to send their children to America, which is the number one destination for most Chinese students,” Kok said. “With the one child policy, which is still enforced in China, all the money the parents earn and make is all for that child, so they want to give them the best.”

Dan Beshear, an actuarial science junior, reads questions from a paper at the UCO Broncho Academic Team table during the Student Involvement Fair in the Nigh University Center Ballrooms, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

Another reason Kok gives for the rise in Chinese enrollment is the new institutional partnerships UCO has made with schools from China. “There’s a rise in the number of visiting students we have who are here for one or two semesters. They’re not degree-seeking, they’re just coming here to experience American education and then return home after that,” Kok said. In Oklahoma, this rise in the enrollment of students from China is not unique to UCO. In fact, from 2005 to 2010, Chinese enrollment rose 57 percent in Oklahoma’s state universities. Though Kok says this number will likely

continue to rise gradually over the next few years, UCO may eventually put a cap on the number of Chinese it chooses to accept. At this time, however, no such limit exists. Ultimately, according to Kok, both UCO and its students only reap benefits from a continued rise in Chinese and other international students. “Diversity brings different cultures, languages and world perspectives into the classrooms. Certainly, it will allow American students to interact with international students without requiring them to leave Oklahoma,” he said. “The world comes to you rather than you going out to the world.”

Oil & Gas

OKC BASED ENERGY GIANT LINKED TO WELL EXPLOSION A western Oklahoma hydraulic fracturing well caught fire in its early stages of drilling amid increasing public scrutiny of the controversial extraction process. By Trevor Hultner / Staff Writer Oklahoma City-based energy giant Chesapeake Energy Corp. is investigating exactly how a well in Sweetwater, Okla. exploded last Thursday. The well is being dug by company subsidiary Nomac Drilling, LLC. The well in question, Nomac Rig 17, located about four miles northwest of Sweetwater near the TexasOklahoma border, hit a pocket of pressurized natural gas and caught fire at approximately 6:00 p.m. last Thursday evening. “Clean up has already started, as has a very thorough investigation,” Chesapeake media relations director Jim Gipson said in an email conversation on Tuesday. Gipson told The Vista that 810

feet of the initial well had been protected by steel-reinforced concrete casing. He said there had been no environmental impact from the blowout. However, oil-and-gas industry publication Upstream published an article last week which quoted Gipson as saying that safety equipment which would have avoided the blowout had not been installed because surface casing hadn’t been set down yet. The story was cited on an environmental blog known as Earthworks Action. The misunderstanding was a result of recent procedure changes in Chesapeake’s well construction. Chesapeake developed a new casing system following an incident at a well site along the Marcellus Shale formation in Pennsylvania in

April 2011. They now start wells by laying what is called a “conductor casing” - approximately 800 feet of steel-reinforced concrete – and then drill down to 1,500 feet before adding the surface casing and additional safety equipment. This well blowout is the latest in a series of PR shakeups surrounding the process. In early December 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency published a draft report that linked fracking to groundwater pollution in Pavillion, Wyo. The report concluded that wastewater disposal pits near frack sites are a source of shallow groundwater contamination, but it was harder to determine if fracking caused any pollution. Critics of the report, such as the Independent Petroleum-Association

of America-affiliated blog “Energy In Depth,” the governor of Wyoming, and the Casper Star-Tribune editorial board, call its findings “sloppy science” and “poor policy.” The EPA is also working on a separate study on fracking, due to be released later this year. Hydraulic fracturing is a process that involves boring down into shale deposits thousands of feet below ground. The deposits are then horizontally drilled into, explosive charges perforate the formation, and a high-pressure mix of water and “proppant” - a substance Chesapeake says is mostly sand but which has been found to contain the carcinogen benzene – is forced into the perforations, expanding them and letting the gas out. Fracking entered the public

spotlight following the release of the 2010 documentary “Gasland,” though it has been a common extraction process since the late 1940s. Last week, seismologists from Columbia University linked the creation and use of wastewater disposal wells near fracking sites to a series of earthquakes near Youngstown, Ohio, resulting in a statewide ban on the operation. Fracking itself was not seen as being responsible for the earthquakes. Yesterday, doctors convening at the Mid-Atlantic Center for Children’s Health and the Environment annual conference in Arlington, Va. called for a nationwide moratorium on the extraction process so that researchers could examine if it had any adverse health effects.

CLASSIFIED

JAN. 12, 2012 CROSSWORDS

EMPLOYMENT

ecological development of an area. 59. Tasteless by virtue of being cheap or vulgar. 63. Slang for an arrogant or self-important man. 65. Any of numerous insects of the family cicadellidae that suck juices from plants. 67. Chief monetary unit of Western Samoa. 68. To an advanced time. 69. Nuts of forest trees used as feed for swine. 70. Vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horse or dogs for transportation over snow. 71. Distance traveled per unit if time. 72. Cry plaintively.

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Help Wanted Part-time office work. Call Stacey 752-8819. $8.00/hr. Flexible schedule.

Advertise with The Vista Want to connect with students on campus? The Vista distributes 2,000 copies twice weekly onto UCO’s campus. Contact Kylie at 405974-5913 or email your questions to vistamedia@yahoo.com for rates.

JAN. 10 CROSSWORD ANSWERS

Across

23. Extinct ostrich-like, flightless bird native to New Zealand. 24. Dazzling effect. 26. Swimming. 28. One of the periods of human life. 31. Present location. 32. Becoming officially one year older. 33. Elementary particles with a net electric charge. 25. Help. 36. Second letter of the Greek alphabet. 38. Dense, opaque, white opacity of the cornea. 40. Be in charge of. 43. Self-assured.

44. Michael _, founding member of the musical group Lost Dogs. 45. Jagged projection upon which something can be caught. 47. Hanna _, wife of Joseph Smith. 49. Acronym for Our Lady of Lourdes School. 51. CGS unit of energy. 52. Large migratory shorebirds of the sandpiper family. 54. Leaps lightly about. 56. Period marked by distinctive character. 57. Sequence of changes in

Down

1. Chiefly nocturnal insect resembling a butterfly. 2. Mountain nymph who a served Hera. 3. At another time. 4. So strange as to inspire a feeling of fear. 5. Wet through and through. 6. Blood relation. 7. Tied with a knot. 8. Small case for toilet articles. 9. Having a strong physiological effect. 10. Lump of composed material. 11. Like a diamond in luster. 12. Supernatural being generally malevolent in character. 13. Belonging to. 18. Bright with a steady but subdued shining. 22. Stew of meat braised in wine. 25. Elaborate song for a solo voice. 27. Wooden beam used as part of a framework. 28. Aromatic bulb WEEKLY RIDDLE used as seasoning. 29. Anything _, 1958 film starring Ethel This is a most unusual paragraph. This writing Merman. may annoy you until you find out why it is so 30. Denumerable. unusual, for you won’t find a solution instantly. 34. Crown of the But don’t go into a tailspin about it or go crazy, helmet. for it isn’t that difficult. But you will admit that 37. Sixth month of the civil year, the 12th it is most unusual. This writing looks so ordinary month of the ecclesithat you might think that nothing is wrong with astic year in the Jewish it. And, in fact, nothing is wrong with it. But it is calendar. unusual, and you must ask why. If you study and 39. Amorous manners. think about it, you may find out why, but you must 40. Sarah _, wife of do it without any coaching of any kind. No doubt James. 41. Like the taste of. if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you... 42. _ banjo, fried egg who knows? So start to study it now, and try your sandwich. skill at finding out what is so unusual about this 44. Overly optimistic. writing. If you can do it in half an hour, you may 46. Trails of hunted claim an approach to wisdom, but if you can’t do animals 48. Persistence of it in half an hour... wind-formed waves Answer in next weeks issue. after wind ceases. 50. Having great coolness and composure SUDOKU under strain. Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.52) 53. Wild sheep ranging from near the Caspian Sea to Tibet. 7 1 5 3 6 55. One of the separate, usually green 6 3 parts forming the calyx of a flower. 58. Obtain a reward. 6 9 7 60. Usually semicircular often vaulted 2 3 1 5 recess, especially the termination of the 1 2 6 sanctuary end of the church. 4 3 9 2 61. Sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. 62. Jetzt _ recht,! a 1 6 7 German crime TV series. 4 6 64. Sorrowful. 66. Federal agent. 1. Measured. 6. Sort of basket narrow at the bottom and wide at the top. 10. Shallow, usually sharply defined depression in a desert region. 14. Pale brownishyellow color. 15. Having an enthusiasm for. 16. Important port of Yemen. 17. That time or place. 19. Something of little value. 20. Sharping on a finegrained whetstone. 21. Loaned to buy lender’s goods.

SPORTS

JAN. 12, 2012

Sports Opinion

VISTA SPORTS PREDICTIONS: NBA WEEK 4 Opinion is pretty united for the Thunder’s upcoming matchup with the Knicks, while Photo Editor Garett Fisbeck takes a chance with the Raptors over the Bulls. Newcomer Chris Brannick looks to Denver to upset the red-hot Heat.

NBA Week 4

Bryan Trude Vista Sports Editor

Christie Southern Vista Managing Editor

Garett Fisbeck Vista Photo Editor

Chris Brannick Vista Sports Writer

Terry Fox UCentral’s “The Huddle”

Courtney Landsberger UCentral’s “The Huddle”

“The Coin” 1987 Quarter Dollar

Knicks @ Thunder

Thunder

Bobcats @ Hawks

Hawks

Pistons @ Bucks

Bucks

Pistons

Magic @ Warriors

Warriors

Magic

Warriors

Magic

Blazers @ Spurs

Blazers

Spurs

Blazers

Spurs

Blazers

Heat @ Nuggets

Heat

Nuggets

Heat

Nuggets

Wizards @ 76ers

76ers

Wizards

Cavaliers @ Lakers

Lakers

Cavaliers

Nets @ Suns

Nets

Suns

Nets

Suns

Hornets @ Grizzlies

Grizzlies

Hornets

Raptors @ Bulls

Bulls

Raptors

Bulls

Mavericks

Kings

Mavericks

0-0

Kings @ Mavericks Last Week’s Picks (W-L) Season Picks (W-L)

BronchoSports.com

BRONCHOS SET FOR RIVAL RIVERHAWKS TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Central Oklahoma’s basketball teams start a four-game series with old rival Northeastern State here Thursday with a doubleheader at Dobbins Field House. The women’s game tips off at 6 p.m., with the men’s contest to follow at 8. Click here for the live stats. UCO and NSU, both playing as NCAA Division II independents this season before joining the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2012-13, were forced to play four games against each other because of scheduling issures. The teams will play another doubleheader in Tahlequah on Feb. 11 while meeting in Edmond on Jan. 28 and Feb. 22. UCO’s women enter Thursday’s game with a 10-6 record, while the No. 12-ranked RiverHawks are 13-1 and riding a six-game winning streak. NSU owns a 28-19 lead in the series, though the Bronchos notched a 68-60 upset in the semifinals of the South Central Regional last year in Tahlequah in the last

meeting. Heather Davis and Courtney Harper top UCO with 10.5 scoring averages, with Britney Morgan adding 10.3 points a game and Jill Bryan 10.1. The Bronchos have lost six players to season-ending injury this year. NSU, which is allowing just 49.4 points a game, gets 10.9 points a contest from Cristy Nitz and 10.6 from Taylor Lewis. UCO’s men are 8-9 on the season and will be looking to end a three-game ski against the RiverHawks, who have won their last two outings to get to 3-12. Brent Friday leads the Bronchos in both scoring (13.4) and rebounding (5.9) while also shooting a team-high 59.2 percent from the field. Fellow seniors Shane Carroll (12.3) and Tyler Phillips (11.7) are also averaging in double figures. Jon Miller (12.8) and Landon DeMasters (10.0) are NSU’s leading scorers. Shane Carrol (23) Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

SPORTS

JAN. 12, 2012 Baseball

Opinion

AT THE BUZZER

COACH LEONE, BRONCHOS READY FOR NEW SEASON

By Bryan Trude

Vista Sports Editor

TIME TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE With the madness of another college football season behind us, people have just enough time to wake up from the snoozer that was the BCS Championship game to settle in for another offseason spent listening to talking heads rant about the various injustices of the BCS itself. Locals have special reason to slam the BCS. The system supposedly shafted perennial little brother Oklahoma State in favor of a rematch between SEC powerhouses Louisiana State and Alabama, relegating the Cowboys to a Fiesta Bowl matchup between NFL golden boy Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinals. Don’t get me wrong, OSU-Stanford was an incredibly entertaining game. I watched it from my parents’ couch near Seattle, and I must have woken up half of the Puget Sound with my cheering. I’ve been a Cowboy fan since coming to this state in the sixth grade, even if I only picked them because my younger brother picked OU. Therefore, what I am about to say angers me as a fan, but as an impartial sportswriter, I have to. The BCS did exactly what it was designed to do, and the simple fact is that Oklahoma State did not take care of business. Sure, the BCS bowl system may have been hijacked by the big-name conferences to bogart the big-money bowls for themselves, but the BCS system itself has one task: to determine the best two teams in the country to play for a national championship. There are plenty of arguments about how the system is flawed, that it didn’t take into account OSU’s better record against Top-25 caliber competition, how the Pokes played a tougher schedule, and beat their opponents like a drum. However, like Coach Mike Gundy said prior to their Bedlam matchup against the Sooners, the Cowboys bought in to the BCS system like everyone else. The reality is that when there are only two chairs at the big boy table, someone is going to get shafted and forced to eat their turkey with the kids. Of course, had Gundy’s boys beaten Iowa State, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and I will not go into the reasons behind that loss. I’ve only got so much space to work with. Of course, nobody starts writing about the BCS without having what they think is the solution, so naturally I have my own ideas. After every college football season, when the talking heads at the major networks start hamming up their indignation over whatever flaw the BCS showcased that year, the kneejerk reaction is to go in and change the formula. That, boys and girls, I think is what the problem is. Nobody really knows what the rules are anymore because the rules and formulas are constantly being changed. Every year, some formula tweak means that someone else loses out for some new reason. I hate to say it, but when you’re looking for the two best teams in football, someone has to lose out. Most pundits say the ultimate solution is a playoff, which raises all sorts of questions of its’ own, without even mentioning how much money the bowls would lose from such a deal. Instead of reacting to the BCS and its shortcomings the normal way –with high explosives- just leave the poor thing be. Time breeds familiarity, familiarity breeds stability. Because, for once, I’d like to go into a college postseason knowing what the rules are.

Tucker Cason (4) makes a leaping catch during a Bronchos baseball game last year. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Vista

By Chris Brannick / Contributing Writer The UCO baseball team took to the field for practice on Monday for the first time, eager to get the 2012 season under way. Head coach Dax Leone returns in his second season after leading the Bronchos to a 24-23 record last spring. “The guys have a good taste in their mouth coming back,” Leone said regarding the teams’ strong finish. The Bronchos won 10 of their final 11 games of the season.

Leone also said they have good players in a good system and that can go a long way. One player who is truly excited to get started is senior Austin Rycroft. Rycroft hit a couple of home runs in Monday’s practice. “We’ve got more talent on this team than any other team I’ve been on,” Rycroft said, when asked how he felt about the team. “And I’ve been on a lot of teams.” Rycroft said he did not expect to be in home run form on the first day but it felt

great to come back and get started. Rycroft started in 34 of 40 games last season, leading the team with 10 home runs. The Bronchos will get their season under way on Feb. 4 in Sherman, Texas, playing a doubleheader that day. They will play another game on Feb. 5 against the Kangaroos of Austin College. Their first of 16 home games will be Tuesday Feb. 7 against Oklahoma City University. With only 16 games at home, does that affect the game at all? Leone said in baseball, home-field advantage isn’t as big as in other sports. “You just go out and play,” he said. The Bronchos are also excited to welcome Jeff Steele to the coaching staff. Steele has coached at Lubbock Christian for the past six seasons and Leone is glad to have him here. Steele served as pitching coach for the Chaparrals and helped that staff to produce top five numbers in each of the last four seasons. Last season Leone was not only the first year head coach, but also the pitching coach. “This frees me up to be the head coach,” Leone said. He said he is relieved to be able to focus more on the team as a whole. The Bronchos for the most part are injury-free. Senior Tucker Brown and junior Edgar Lopez both had knee surgeries in the offseason. Leone said they are doing fine and that the team was healthy. The Bronchos almost doubled their win total from the previous season and are not looking for anything less than what they accomplished last season. “Last year helps a lot,” Leone said, in regards to the 15 returning players looking to continue the success they enjoyed last spring.

Softball

NEW TALENT INFUSES SOFTBALL By Amber Pyle / Sports Reporter The Central softball team begins the 2012 season coming off a 25-23 campaign under head coach Genny Stidham, in her 15th year of coaching. UCO returns with a core group of starters, but are looking for some strong play from some of the first years. Coach Stidham expects to see a turnaround from last season with the added speed and a fresh take on plays. Catcher Kacie Edwards, outfielder Kayce Raines and and sophomores Hannah Justus and Amanda McClelland are all players to watch for this season. Edwards returns for her junior year after receiving earning first-team All-Lone Star Conference North Division honors last season. Edwards has been UCO’s main catcher the past two years, but will probably see more action in right field and third base this season. Finishing her career this season, senior Raines was a second-team All-Lone Star Conference North Division selection after batting .320 with 10 doubles, four home runs, 20 runs batted in and a team-high 11 stolen bases in 2011. In the infield, returning starter Justus will once again handle shortstop duties. Justus finished last season with a .954 fielding percentage, making just seven errors in 153 chances while finishing with a team-high of 77 assists. She also claimed NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors.

In the circle, pitcher McClelland will return as starter and reliever after earning all-tournament recognition at the Lone Star Conference Crossover Tournament, going 3-1 with a 1.38 ERA in four games and allowing just 14 hits and four earned runs in 20 1/3 innings while striking out 15. New to the field are freshmen Macy McKay, Devyn Frazier, Kaylee Bruson and senior transfer Nathalie Timmermans. “We are expecting good things from these girls, they have good attitudes and the speed we lacked last seaon,” Stidham said. Infielder McKay was an All-State pick as a high school senior last year and has a chance to step in and take over as third baseman this spring. Outfielder Frazier earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-State honors as a senior; expect to see her in left field. Fellow outfielder Bruson is expected to make a huge impact on the team’s overall speed. She earned Oklahoman Little All-City and All-State recognition in both softball and track as a senior at Tuttle High School. OCU transfer Timmermans is expected to make a huge impact on the team this spring. She was a first-team NFCA All-America pick at third base last year after hitting .402 with 17 home runs, 11 doubles and 64 runs batted. Competing internationally she became a member of

Rachel Steverson (25) (Photo Services)

the Dutch National Team in 2008, playing in the Beijing Olympics that year. She also played in the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City in 2009 and competed in the European Championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Bronchos start their season in San Angelo, Texas against Angelo State University on Feb. 11 at 12:30 p.m. They will have their home opener on March 6 against Cameron University.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES BASEBALL Feb. 7 Oklahoma City University Feb. 17 Northwest Missouri State Feb. 18 Northwest Missouri State (Doubleheader) Feb. 19 Northwest Missouri State Feb. 21 Newman University

SOFTBALL March 6 Cameron University March 16 Lincoln University March 17 Lindenwood University March 20 West Texas A&M March 31 Northwest Missouri State