UCO's The Vista, March 5, 2024

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“OUR WORDS, YOUR VOICE.”

Professor emphasizes solidarity as Anti-LGBTQ+ bills increase in Oklahoma

Jake Ramsey Managing Editor

University of Central Oklahoma students marched from the College of Liberal Arts building to Old North on Friday, staging a walkout in protest of the recent death of a non-binary student in Owasso.

“It’s about solidarity,” said UCO Professor of Political Science Cornel Pewewardy, “It’s about looking at all the people that have been trashed and trivialized in mainstream society.”

Like Owasso student Nex Benedict, who died after a confrontation with fellow students, Pewewardy is a Native American. He performed a remembrance song at the walkout in honor of Benedict.

Throughout the protest, many students were shouting chants like “Hey hey, ho ho, Ryan Walters has got to go,” “Tom Woods has got to go,” “Justice for Nex,” and “Protect trans kids.”

While the official cause of death has not been released, multiple investigations are ongoing, including one led by the U.S. Department of Education.

Advocacy groups have been pressuring officials to continue investigating the claims that the event was a hate crime following a rise in anti-trans hate across the country. According to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), hate crimes re-

lated to sexual orientation made up 17.2% of all hate crimes in 2022, and hate crimes related to gender identity made up 4%. This is up 2.3% and 1% respectively from the 2021 statistics. The 2023 statistics have yet to be released.

“It is normalizing the abuse, it is normalizing the discrimination, it is normalizing the prejudice against them,” said UCO professor of sociology Leeda Copley when discussing why there has been a rise in hate crimes against the transgender community.

Copley goes on to talk about the use of culture war rhetoric in politics and how it impacts our society, along with the media’s role in using clickbait as a form

of content.

“It’s clickbait, this is what’s going to get people angry, this is what’s going to get people to watch,” said Copley. She goes on to discuss how politicians have begun using rhetoric that will help them get attention through the use of emotional outcry from the public.

A recent example of the culture war rhetoric making its way into politics is through State Senator Tom Woods’ recent comment saying, “I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma.”

Woods’ made this comment at an event in Tahlequah following Benedict’s death.

In response to Woods’ statement, Copley said, “If you’re go-

ing to be a politician, that means you are a public servant, and that means you need to serve the entire public.”

Copley goes on to talk about the rise of acceptance and tolerance for the LGBTQ+ community and how that may be a cause for some of the pushback.

According to a study conducted by the ACLU Oklahoma currently has 54 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in effect or advancing through legislation. This includes 17 which are directly related to K-12 education in Oklahoma.

One of the bills recently introduced is HB 3120. This bill would see adjustments to curriculum on sex education, which would involve a classification of males and females based on biological sex and emphasize abstinence outside of heterosexual marriage.

Another bill introduced is HB 3135 which states, “A public school, charter school, technology center school or institution of higher education shall not use public funds to promote, encourage or provide instruction on topics related to sexual choice, sexual orientation, drag queens or similar topics in public educational institutions.”

If passed, these bills would threaten the funding of various organizations and clubs across both public schools and state-funded higher education

Fizz brings anonymous posting to UCO through brand ambassadors

Shanice Hopkins Contributing Writer

The new social media app Fizz arrived on the UCO campus on February 19. The app received over 2,000 downloads from UCO students within the day. Despite its instant popularity across campuses, students were left with questions and concerns regarding the new platform.

Fizz is a platform that promises anonymity within posts. Students often compare Fizz to platforms such as Twitter and Reddit. Founded in 2020, Fizz was created in response to the lack of communication during the Covid-19 pandemic.

To create an account, students must use their school email. Along with providing this information, every user is given the choice of creating a unique handle or keeping their account as “anonymous.” In the case that a user wants to comment on a post with other anonymous accounts, the users will be labeled as “Anonymous 1,” “Anonymous 2” and so forth.

While given a number, users cannot find out the identity of a user unless a user posts something that would hint at their identity. Comment and post history is only available for the poster to see and other users cannot track or view someone else’s history without their school email information.

“We thus set out to create Fizz, a private

campus-specific platform that facilitates authentic conversations while being properly moderated by other students in the community,” said Fizz’s official website.

To promote the app on UCO’s campus, Fizz employed student labor. The Fizz company paid UCO students to be “ambassadors” for the app, in return, they would be paid a minimum of $50 with incentives of earning up to $90.

Mercedes Cosby, a UCO student and Fizz ambassador, shared her experience working for Fizz.

“I personally did not feel like I was the face of Fizz, but a lot of people I promoted the app to took me as the face of Fizz. When a lot of negativity came on the app, a lot of people [began] coming up to the ambassadors for help, but there was nothing I could do to help them. If you were able to get three friends to download the app and two friends in the Fizz GroupMe, then you gained 15 extra dollars. There was extra money available to be made but $50 was the standard.” says Cosby.

The standard was to promote the app for at least three hours in order to get paid, Cosby said. If students downloaded the app in front of an ambassador, they were given a Krispy Kreme donut in return.

Despite Cosby promoting the app, she was unable to receive her payment from Fizz due

to her not having a Venmo account. Daleigh Harrison, another Fizz ambassador, shares details on how she received payment.

“I made a total of $65 — $50 from doing my 3 hour shift and then $15 from sharing Fizz on my Instagram story. If you made under $100, you would get paid through Venmo or gift card value. You were also able to also talk to the marketing manager about a different payment method. If you made $100 or more, you were paid through direct deposit.” Harrison said.

Ambassadors were required to complete a training via Zoom before promoting the app and a target goal of 4,000 downloads. Despite receiving payment from the company, students say the communication between them and Fizz was limited. Fizz relied heavily on students promoting the opportunity to work for them rather than contacting students individually, according to Cosby.

“I interacted with friends who were also ambassadors more than Fizz representatives. However I did have a little communication from Fizz.” Cosby said.

Per Fizz’s frequently asked questions page on their website, the company assures users that the platform is not affiliated with any educational institution and does not generate revenue from downloads.

Fizz Company has not responded to a request for comment.

Students who walked out of classes last Friday chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Ryan Walters has got to go” while they marched across the UCO campus. (VICTOR LOPEZ/THE VISTA)

The Women’s and BGLTQ+ Center in Thatcher Hall and Center for Counseling and Well-Being have resources avaliable to UCO community members who need support at this time. (VICTOR LOPEZ/THE VISTA)

Weekly Horoscope

March 21-April 19

You’re about to get real with your self-talk. Drop negative attitudes and look forward; you create your future! Piscean themes swim towards you, connecting to your intuition. You may encounter a theme of universal love. Your song is “Let Your Heart” by Nabil and Karim.

May 21-June 20

Hey bubbly. Your friends and networks are about to start blowing up your phone! Keep an eye out for something deeply rewarding headed your way at work. Your song is “Freelance” by Toro y Moi.

Keep your ears open, Taurus, because the universe speaks! Expect a wave of emotions and sweet connection in your friendships this month. The universe has a present for you! Your song is “Friends of Mine” by Sundara Karma.

Your perspective on communication expands this month. Secrets, either of the personal or universal variety, reveal themselves now. The new wave of energy is here to connect more deeply than ever before to yourself and your heart. Your song is “Grow As We Go” by Ben Platt.

Work talk is up, so don’t be afraid to set boundaries if it starts to bleed over into leisure time. It’s also a great time to network! You’ll stretch and grow this month, expanding your perspectives on emotions and love. Your song is the Iron & Wine cover of “Time After Time.”

VIR GO

August 23- September 22

You may tell or hear secrets as well this month. Something hidden in your past or subconscious is changing now. This affects how you approach emotions and relationships as a wave of Piscean energy heads your way. Your song is “Be Yourself” by Graham Nash.

LIBR A September 23-October 2 2

A long-awaited phone call could be here, Libra. You may experience more talk of and in relationships this month!

A new beginning regarding health and routines is here. Your song is “Autopilot” by Allison Ponthier.

There may be a health outcome that starts a new chapter this month. This also comes with a message to focus on the good in life. Your ability to let yourself live life in a happier, unencumbered way is here again! Your song is “When The Daisies Bloom Again” by Tow’rs.

SUDOKU

Joy is fundamental, Sagittarius. Between party plans, a fresh start in your familial or home life is here. This includes chosen family. This is a very promising time to plant seeds. Your song is “Secret For The Mad” by dodie.

Sam Royka Editor-in-Chief

Between fast moving brainand-school-talk comes an opportunity just for you. Your perceptions shape the way you see reality; a gratitude practice can help you see the abundance all around you! Your song is “The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change” by Nina Nesbitt.

Some communication with family and roommates comes your way. Your brain works in fascinating ways: new and rekindled intellectual connections are likely over the next month! Your song is “Act of the Apostle” by Belle and Sebastian.

If there is a piece of life that shakes your stability, know that you can always find this security you seek within yourself. This is a powerful New Moon that shows you all the diamonds of self love. Your song is “Introspection” by UMI.

Money motivation: utilizing credit card cash-back to build wealth

Sam Kozlowski Digital Editor

Would you travel the world for free? Or buy groceries for free? Or, even shop on Amazon without losing a penny? Well, it is a possibility with the power of credit cards.

Every card offers distinct rewards and costs. Some are free and some give better cash back prizes than others. Credit cards with $0 annual fees are frugal options for students wanting to get cash back and start building their credit score. Remember, the benefits of credit cards will only help you if they are paid on time. Fortunately, paying off your card is now easier than ever through WiFi and global cellular data.

Having 100% on-time payment history will help build your credit score fast, even with small purchases.

Many credit cards offer anywhere between 1-5% cash back. This may not seem like a lot, but it adds up quickly with the thousands of dollars Americans spend every year. Spending this cash back can save you a lot of money that would otherwise be spent straight from your own bank account. I earned $400 in free travel in three months because I opened two accounts with no-annual-fee Chase UNLIMITED cards. In fact, most credit card companies have no-annual-fee cards with introduction perks like this, such as Bank of America, Capital One, Citi and Discover.

Most of these credit cards are known for their high acceptance rate of young people and firsttime credit card users so that they can start building their credit scores. They all similarly have ridiculously high interest rates, mostly between 18% and 30%. Be weary, credit card companies make their profit by feeding off others’ debt. These companies know that many of their users will not pay off their credit card, so it keeps the average person paying off high interest rates on their card for years. I urge caution and encourage

self-awareness when opening an account because credit card debt just reached a record-breaking $1.13 trillion in the United States.

In my two years of experience, paying off the card immediately after using it works best. Just go on whichever banking app corresponds with the card and there will be an ability to pay it off. Or, you can set up autopay with your credit card.

However a consistent money supply is needed in your bank account or else the automatic payment can overdraft your account. I use autopay on a separate card for small, recurring purchases only. For example, I have a Nintendo subscription for $2.99 per month, so I know I will always have money in my checking account to pay for it with autopay on my credit card. These tactics have repaid me with a 760 credit score, which helped me easily get accepted when renting property during my last two years at UCO.

It may seem like buying a house is impossible today. However, having a good and experienced credit score will help with mortgage rate costs when you are in the market for a house years from now.

During my study tour in Paris over the sum-

mer, I realized how insane cash back can be if you take advantage of it over a long period of time. A business owner I met on the trip travels the world completely for free, by putting his business expenses on a travel card earning thousands of cash back points. As a business owner, this strategy can make you back thousands of dollars that you spent, allowing for further business reinvestment, travel or spending however you want.

Some people on social media have taken credit card sign-on bonuses and cash back to the extreme. They will sign up for as many cards as they can and then get the sign-on bonuses for them all. This earns these ‘credit card maxxers’ thousands of dollars in cash back, most often spent on hotels or travel. Not only is using many credit cards risky in terms of your credit score and ability to pay them off, but this would require a lot of capital to begin with and is not normally viable.

Growing up, my parents were never financially literate in terms of taking advantage of credit cards and investing. I always wanted to create generational wealth for my family. In order to do that, I taught myself about the benefits of investing and how to use a credit card wisely.

Credit cards can help you or hurt you. It is up to each individual user to know when to use your credit card versus your debit card. For example, large purchases on a credit card should be avoided unless the entire amount can be paid off. Regardless of when you should use a credit or debit card, use common sense. Large purchases like cars, apartments, houses or technology should be avoided as a general rule of thumb; unless you have three times the cost of the item in your bank account.

These are some things that I wish I would have known as an 18-year-old. Expect more ‘Money motivation’ articles in the first publication of the month until May.

According to courts, officials and experts, voter fraud rarely happens

Kelly Clayton Contributing Writer

Election fraud claims initiated by then-President Donald Trump and his allies began once results started pouring in on Nov. 3, 2020. Allegations began bouncing around right-wing media and pro-Trump social media platforms, and led to the attempted insurrection in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump and political allies filed more than 60 lawsuits contesting the election on the basis of fraud, with all being dismissed or dropped, including several by judges appointed by Trump. None of these unsuccessful lawsuits deterred groups backing the former president. Many Trump supporters were convinced that voting machines were to blame for Trump’s loss. Numerous unwarranted claims were made, that the machines were hacked and votes were changed, and in April 2023, Fox News Channel paid $787 million to manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems for broadcasting those false claims.

“One of our biggest threats to elections is actually misinformation and disinformation,” said Misha Mohr, public information officer for the Oklahoma State Election Board. “Our voting machines are not connected to the internet — they don’t have the capability of being connected to the internet.”

According to post election audits, the machines are more accurate and faster than the archaic method of hand-counting. State laws in Oklahoma established that votes are counted us-

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ing these voting devices, which were first implemented in 2012 .

However, machines in Oklahoma were not in question in 2020.

“Those alleging electoral fraud only look to the states where Trump lost, and only those places, had he not lost, would have made a difference in the electoral college totals for him,” said Loren Gatch, UCO political science professor. “It’s a totally opportunistic argument. It’s not one that focuses as a general matter on the election process as a whole, looking for genuine instances, if they do exist, for when fraud took place. People are, in effect, cherry-picking the places they look at, because those are the ones that contribute to Trump having lost the election.”

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Several more defamation lawsuits against other conservative news outlets and individuals brought forth by both Dominion and Smartmatic systems are continuing, including a $1.6 billion lawsuit against Newsmax currently at trial.

The reason that voting machines were the point of interest concerning “stolen election” claims, Gatch said, is because it was the only excuse for their own internal polling failures.

“It goes back to, what would be necessary to commit fraud on a level that really would swing an election one way or the other?” Gatch said.

There have been cases of individuals trying to vote twice, but according to Mohr, safety measures are in place to prevent multiple votes by one voter.

“If you attempt to vote twice in Oklahoma, you will be caught,” Mohr said.

The juice might not be worth the squeeze. Then there are the long-term effects on democracy. False claims about the machines caused more distrust in elections than the machines themselves could have ever done.

“The best that we can do is hope that, in the future, candidates won’t learn from Trump and say, whenever an election doesn’t go the way they want it, ‘It must have been fraudulent,’” Gatch said. “If that becomes a typical claim made by losers, I think that does have very adverse implications for democracy.

“What makes democracy, in a genuine sense, functional and effective, is that people who lose take their loss, and they wait for another day where they perhaps would become a winner.”

UCO’s Student Voice Since 1903

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

EDITORIALS

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 Communications, 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 Mass Communications Building, Room 131. Letters can be emailed to sroyka@uco.edu.

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Tucker Carlson was named in the lawsuit against FOX.

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Students see a quieter TikTok as Universal Music Group pulls songs

Isabel Contreras Contributing Writer

Universal Music Group has pulled all its music from TikTok after the two companies failed to come to an agreement before their licensing contract expired.

Universal Music Group, one of the largest record industry conglomerates, is home to artists like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Ariana Grande, Drake, and others.

Universal released a letter titled, “An Open Letter to the Artist and Songwriter Community. Why We Must Call Time Out on TikTok.” In this letter, Universal mentions that there are three issues they are negotiating with TikTok. These issues include compensation for their artists and songwriters, online safety for TikTok users, and protecting artists from AI harvesting their material.

AI has been a controversial issue, especially after last year when a song went viral on TikTok using AI to mimic Bad Bunny’s voice. The Puerto Rican singer was furious that his voice was used without permission. Bad Bunny joins the list of artists, including Drake, who have spoken out about artificial intelligence in music production.

TikToks that featured any songs from a Universal artist have been permanently muted and show “This sound isn’t available” or “This sound has been removed.’’The music section of these artists have also been removed from their personal accounts. TikTok uses and promotes music more than any other app, according to the letter Universal released. Many users are exposed to new music through the app.

Jackelyn Zamacona, an interior

design student, finds most of the music she listens to on TikTok.

“I find the majority of the songs that I listen to through TikTok, because people use the artist’s song or the artist will make videos to promote the music on the app,” Zamacona said.

Some of the trending songs

Zamacona has found on TikTok include “Happier” by Olivia Rodrigo, “FPS” by Drake featuring J. Cole, and “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish. Zamacona believes that Universal removing songs will impact herself as well as others.

“The impact of the music being removed on TikTok will limit my exposure to songs from different artists that are signed to Universal,” Zamacona said. “I think it will also impact other listeners by having a limited amount of music to hear and to add to their TikTok videos.”

The music scene on TikTok has grown exponentially as streaming services like Spotify have dedicated to creating playlists of top trending songs on the app and Billboard magazine has also created a “TikTok Billboard Top 50” music chart.

Patrick Conlon, associate director of the Academy of Contemporary Music at UCO, explains how music distribution works and how TikTok has become a major part of the music industry.

“For TV shows and films, the creators license content to channels and services,” Conlon said. “This creates a bidding war between them, which gets creators paid more.”

These channels and services can include different streaming services like Netflix, Max, and Amazon, according to Conlon. However, music distribution works a little bit differently.

“Music distribution has essentially been giving to every service and then trying to negotiate higher streaming service rates with each of them,” Conlon said. “But this creates a ton of downward pressure on how artists get paid.”

Conlon has read about the issue between Universal and sees how it could be a potential risk.

“My read on it [without any particular knowledge] is that TikTok or Universal had a ‘take it or leave it’ moment, and Universal decided to ‘leave it,’” Conlon said. “But that’s also a huge risk, because if TikTok still stays the dominant mu-

sic discovery platform then suddenly Universal artists are locked out of that system.”

With Universal pulling their artists, there is fear that other music giants could also do the same.

“If other labels and music companies follow as well [especially if another big company like Warner follows along] then suddenly TikTok is looking at losing their position as the place a generation goes to for music discovery,” Conlon said.

No updates or new negotiations have been made between TikTok and Universal.

International students meet with state lawmakers during recognition day

Jiwoo Han

Contributing Writer

International students from universities across Oklahoma convened at the State Capitol on February 28 for the 2024 International Student Recognition Day, engaging in discussions with state leaders and advocating for issues pertinent to their community.

The event, which ran from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., included a series of activities aimed at fostering conversation between international students and Oklahoma legislators. Among the highlights were a tour of the Capitol, lunch with legislators, and a forum discussion held at the Oklahoma Judicial Center.

Fatima Belen Alconz Sejas, a senior international student from

Bolivia attending UCO, shared her insights on the event. Arriving at UCO during the challenging year of 2020 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Sejas expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect with peers from different universities and engage in meaningful conversations with state leaders.

During lunch with members of the Chamber of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, students started sharing issues such as the high tuition fees faced by international students.

“I think my favorite part was I felt so comfortable to just talk about different topics, even though some of those topics are very challenging to talk about,” Sejas said.

Sejas described the discussions as open and constructive, allowing

students to voice their concerns comfortably.

Sejas said that legislators expressed a commitment to explore avenues for reducing tuition fees at the state level, aiming to attract more international students to Oklahoma. Among the topics discussed was the challenge international students encounter in securing employment post-graduation.

“Watching students who meet representatives were really excited about asking certain questions to different leaders,” said Ashil Bell, director of International Programming at UCO.

For Sejas, the highlight of the event was the opportunity to converse with various leaders and network with fellow international students. She recalled a conver-

sation with a vice president of the student government association at the University of Oklahoma, expressing admiration for the student’s achievements.

Reflecting on the significance of the day, Sejas emphasized the importance of international students sharing their experiences and challenges with Oklahoma leaders. She expressed hope that policymakers would consider the perspectives voiced during the event when crafting policies affecting international students.

As a result of her connections made during the event, Sejas plans to invite some leaders to UCO for further discussions with students.

Universal Music Group removed its music from TikTok, rendering many posts silent. (SCREENSHOT/SAM ROYKA/THE VISTA)

State Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, host of the International Student Recognition Day, stands alongside UCO international students and advisors for a group photo on Feb. 28 at the Oklahoma State Capitol. (JIWOO HAN/THE VISTA)

Supreme Court rules

Jake Ramsey

Managing Editor

After former President Donald Trump appealed his prosecution for election interference to the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices ruled unanimously on March 4 that Trump will remain on the ballot in Colorado, whose state supreme court had declared him ineligible.

Currently the former president is facing 91 criminal charges ahead of the 2024 election, which he currently leads the Republican primaries in. According to Project 538, a political polling organization, Trump leads in primary polling at

AI

Trump must be on 2024 election ballot

76.9% compared to South Carolina

Gov. Nikki Haley, who is resting at 14.5%.

While Trump is currently polling ahead of Haley and locked in a tight race with President Joe Biden, the legal scrutiny he faces can still be damaging. While Trump’s immunity appeals will directly impact him, UCO professor of political science Loren Gatch believes it can also present problems for present and future presidents.

“In order for someone to function effectively as an executive, it may require that we grant them a certain amount of forbearance in office,” said Gatch. “I’m putting it in that

general sense just to defend the idea of immunity.”

There is no immunity explicitly given to the president through the constitution as it stands, but Gatch argues that in order to understand the defense of immunity, it must be analyzed further.

“Are there certain kinds of activities that are not a part of the executive power that would make one liable?” asked Gatch in a restorative manner.

“Are there certain kinds of activities that are not a part of the executive power that would make one liable?” asked Gatch in a restorative manner.

Taking it back to the Clinton Administration and the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Gatch cites the incident as an example of a president committing an act outside of the executive power.

Trump has argued that his actions taken during the 2020 election were official acts, and that the absolute immunity afforded to presidents covers actions taken while in office.

While Trump remains on the ballot in all states, his troubles still are not yet over, with his legal team still pushing the U.S. Supreme Court to find protections from the charges that he attempted to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election.

augmentation of writing indicates changes to education and the workplace

Sam Royka Editor-In-Chief

Last week’s Fusion Conference for UCO media students sparked conversations about how employees might soon be expected to use artificial intelligence on the job.

Laura Dumin, AI coordinator and English professor at UCO, spoke at a panel discussion titled “AI on the Job” and predicted a future in which “AI augmentation of your writing, not AI replacing your writing” is more likely.

“I’m sure that you all have professors on campus who are telling you, ‘You can’t use AI, don’t use it. It’s bad, it’s cheating.’ But the reality is that when you get out into the workforce, your boss is going to expect you to know how to use these tools, because they are tools. And they’re going to expect you to know how to use them responsibly and ethically, and transparently where it matters,” Dumin said.

Exact ethical guidelines for use of AI are still under construction, but the White House published a document titled “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” and there are three AI-related bills currently proposed in Oklahoma.

“It was a lifelong goal to see journalism enter the digital age in a good way that helps the public and journalists, though I don’t have a lot of faith in the immediate future, so now it’s just before I die,” said panelist Alan Herzberger, who worked in journalism for two decades and now is a vice president at Koch Communications. The room erupted in laughter, and he added a more serious answer.

“The market has to demand change, then the industries will change,” Herzberger said.

Dumin said AI can be used like a personal assistant to help the user be more productive, rather than replace their original work.

“AI is kind of like a calculator for words, in some ways. And if you know, the foundation of writing, just like with math, if you know what a calculator is doing behind the scenes, it’s why you can’t use a calculator until you get to a certain age,” said panelist Jared Miller, vice president of growth marketing at Konnect Agency.

Writing is a skill you can lose if you don’t prac-

tice it, Miller said.

Many of the useful pieces of AI for writers echo these skills, but they can also be used in a proactive and transparent manner.

“In education, here for you all, the things that probably matter right now are things like drafting, outlining, ideation, that sort of thing,” Dumin said. “AI chatbots and generation engines can do these things and more, but they also make mistakes. When an AI generates incorrect information, this is referred to as a ‘hallucination.’”

In the multitude of AI softwares now available, there is one in particular for use in academia called Connected Papers.

Connected Papers is a tool that creates a visual map of similar papers. One good thing about this one is that it will not hallucinate. This AI is using keywords and other connectors to bring you related information all created by real humans.

It is an organizational tool that can be likened to a search engine algorithm that optimizes results, for anyone who has ever clicked the “sort by best match” option.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into daily life, Dumin believes there is a balance between the hesitation that many in the industry feel toward the use of AI as a tool.

Within journalism, Dumin said, “We have seen a few missteps over the last year, places like the Washington Post and Sports Illustrated having AI write copy for them, there was not a human

in the loop. And then we had problems.”

The AI-generated article in Sports Illustrated about getting into Ultimate Frisbee included telling the reader that they did indeed first need a frisbee. This note shows another point: that humans have a common sense filter where AI does not.

“And so these things had to be retracted,” Dumin said. “And I think that’s one of the things that is kind of concerning. I have a cousin who is a journalist as well, and she’s sitting here going, ‘Am I still gonna have a job in a couple of years because of AI?’ But I think that’s also a space where we can have, again, humans in the loop, so AI can do some of the early drafting, and then we come back in and fix it, make sure that it’s real.”

Dumin said that people are often afraid of new technology.

In his “Bibliotheca Universalis,” (1545) Conrad Gesner reacted to the invention of the printing press with fears that the “confusing and harmful abundance of books” would cause an information overload.

Today, information consumption has sped up to scrolling through seven-second videos on TikTok, often for hours at a time. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and later engineer Robert Lucky each estimated the human brain’s processing capacity at 120 bits per second.

McConnell steps down: GOP faces internal conflict over Trump

Sam Royka

Editor-In-Chief

Mitch McConnell announced last Wednesday that he would step down from his post as the senate leader with the longest run in history. He has been representing Kentucky since 1985. But why go now?

Really, “he's leaving because he's old. You know, and I just put it really bluntly, he's not leaving because he's going to be primaried by someone on the MAGA side,” said Loren Gatch, professor of political science at UCO.

Some Republicans leave Congress when they feel “driven out by the MAGA part of the Republican Party, or because they're just plumb sick of it. And I don't think McConnell is either of that. McConnell is somebody who made his peace with Trump, got what he wanted in the form of Trump's appointing of three solidly conservative justices. But he is otherwise sort of leaving under his own steam,” said Gatch.

McConnell just turned 82, and “he knows that he is not no longer as effective as he used to be,” Gatch said. Recently, there have been “moments in public where he blanks out,” Gatch said, and “it's a good sign that maybe someone needs to find another kind of activity and, you know, open up a new chapter in their lives, as they say.”

Trump’s effect on the Republican party is something that will outlast his stay, Gatch said. Some Republicans have reported changing their party or position because of the shifting dynamics.

“You know, I would compare [McConnell] in some ways to, to Mitt Romney, who was another senator who basically left because he felt he had no place any longer in the Republican Party that was increasingly in the mold of Trump,” Gatch said.

McConnell had also stayed long enough to secure many of his own priorities even before Trump. “Having sort of secured that as his legacy, he's now leaving kind of on his own terms,” Gatch said.

McConnell’s move creates an internal conflict now faced by GOP senators. The pro- and anti-Trump voters in the party now have some choices to make, and not everyone agrees.

In an election year, the search for McConnell’s heir is on. While anything could happen between now and 2026, candidates in the Kentucky primary on the Republican side will probably be more pro-Trump, rather than less, Gatch said.

Currently, the senate split “is 50/50. And Kamala Harris is the one who makes it possible for the set to be the control of the Democrats. So it doesn't take much and probably

the chances of slipping to the Republicans is just a little bit greater this time than it would be in other two year cycles,” Gatch said.

While the senate is already feeling this impact, the house may go another direction.

However, “what it does for the house, though, that's not clear. It's not immediate to me. I mean, the house operates by its own dynamic, and, of course, they've got their own problems with a narrow, you know, a razor thin majority and a, you know, and a very weak leader in the form of Johnson as a, as a speaker,” Gatch said. For the 2024 presidential election, Gatch also does not see an immediate impact.

L to R: Laura Dumin, Jared Miller, and Alan Herzberger speak at the Fusion Conference. (SAM ROYKA / THE VISTA)

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Feb. 29

#6 NW Missouri - 76

UCO - 70

In an extremely physical game that had 39 total fouls between both teams, UCO could not edge out the MIAA regular season conference champions. They now sit 19-10 with one regular season game remaining.

March 2

Newman - 62 UCO - 83

UCO capped off the regular season with a dominant win on Senior Night. Jaden Wells led all scorers with 29 points, and Central’s lone senior, Jalyn Turner stood out with 16 points of his own. The team now sets their eyes forward on the conference tournament.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Feb. 29 NW Missouri - 77

UCO - 72

In a game that went down to the wire, Caley Young’s 19 points were not enough to keep UCO’s postseason hopes alive. Now 7-20, the team looks to end the season on a high note for Senior Night.

March 2

Newman - 51 UCO - 86

Natalie Stice and Aliyah Llanusa combined for 30 points as Central routed Newman on Senior night. The big win caps off an 8-20 season for the Lady Bronchos.

BASEBALL

March 1

Missouri Western - 3

#17 UCO - 6 Carson Carpenter’s two RBIs were enough to get UCO the bounceback win at home. They now move to 14-2 on the young season.

March 2

M. Western - 5 #17 UCO - 2 UCO’s four hits compared to UMW’s 14 were the story in game two as the Bronchos could not get it going. Now 14-3, they look to get one back before the series ends.

March 3

M. Western - 7 #17 UCO - 6 Haden O’Toole’s lone homer was not enough as UMW belted four home runs of their own, narrowly escaping with the win. Now just 14-4 on the year and 3-4 in their last seven game, the ‘Chos are looking for a way to get back on track.

Lady Bronchos softball finishes flawlessly at Drury Classic

Bradie Gray Sports Editor

The No. 12 Lady Bronchos softball team seems to have found their stride following an outstanding weekend in Springfield, Missouri, as the team took part in the Drury Classic.

Game one against Minnesota-Crookston was the perfect tone-setter for the whole weekend. UCO would score two runs in the first inning and a staggering five runs in the second to blow the game wide open. It was a team effort all around. No single batter for UCO has more than two hits or two RBIs, and pitcher Jordyn Pipkin hosed batters

on the mound giving up only one hit and ringing up six strikeouts in the complete-game showing. Central would grab one more run in the fourth inning of a game that would not reach even the bottom of the fifth inning. UCO rolled in game one to the 8-0 run-rule win.

Game two was more of the same. Against Missouri S&T, the Lady Bronchos lit it up. Theta’s would battle through four scoreless innings before UCO exploded for six runs in the fifth. MST would answer with one run in the inning that was quickly countered by two Broncho runs in the sixth. Central would tack on four more runs in the

seventh for good measure, and the opposition could only muster one more run before the game ended, 12-2 UCO. Rylee Lemos and Tatum Long headlined the team’s 14 hits with one homer each in the contest as the Lady ‘Chos moved to 2-0 on the weekend.

In game three against Minnesota-Duluth, UCO kept the pedal down. Like in the previous game, each team started slow, scoreless through three innings followed by the teams trading runs in the fourth. Then in the sixth inning, the Lady ‘Chos came alive for three runs, then in the seventh a Lemos home run added two more runs as the team

finished 6-1. Terin Ritz also homered in the contest while pitching for her sixth win as a starter this season. The slow starts continued to plague the team in their final game of the weekend against the host team, Drury University. Following an opening inning RBI single from Long, UCO would remain scoreless for the next five innings. All the while, Drury would move out to a 3-1 lead going into the sixth. In that inning, UCO would finally break through. With the bases loaded, Lemos would hit a bases clearing triple to make the score 4-3, then steal home for another run just moments later, now 5-3. That sequence from the All-American would prove to be the difference as Drury could don’t muster an answer, as the Lady ‘Chos escape the final game for the undefeated weekend.

Following their 4-0 record in Missouri, the team now sits at 12-6 and on a fivegame win streak. With the rocky start to the season well behind them, the team looks to be hitting their stride as they resume conference play this weekend at home against Washburn.

UCO Wrestling wins fourth-straight regional championship

Bradie Gray Sports Editor

In a dominant showing over the weekend, the No.1-ranked Broncho wrestling team won the NCAA Division II Super Region IV team championship for the fourth straight year, this time behind seven individual champions.

The ‘Chos ended the tournament with a staggering eight national qualifiers out of the ten-man team they brought to Indianapolis. Across the ten separate weight classes in competition, UCO had a wrestler in each one, finishing with seven champions and one runner-up.

Central’s champions were Dylan Lucas in the 141-pound weight class, Dylan Brown in 149, Gabe Johnson in 157, Hunter Jump in 165, Anthony DesVigne in 174, Garrett Wells in

184, and Dalton Abney rounded out the champs in the 197-pound class. Heavyweight qualifier Shawn Streck punched his ticket to nationals with UCO’s lone runner-up finish. Garrett Steidly and Peter Rolle, 125-pound and 133-pound wrestlers respectively, each finished fourth in their weight class, narrowly missing the cut and giving the team a weight class qualifier sweep.

When it was all said and done, number one UCO scored 160 points as a team, narrowly edging out number five McKendree University’s 151 for the Super Region IV crown.

Following the outstanding showing, head coach Todd Steidly and the eight qualifiers for UCO now set their sights on the national championship tournament in Wichita, Kansas, later this month. One year ago, the Bronchos took home UCO’s first team

wrestling national championship in over a decade, and this year they look to make it two-straight national titles.

Dalton Abney and Shawn Streak will have a bit extra to fight for at nationals as Streck looks to earn back-to-back individual titles in the heavyweight division and Abney looks to win his third-straight 197-pound title. Dylan Lucas, Gabe Johnson, and Anthony DesVigne were all top-ten finishers at nationals last year in their respect give weight classes, and they will all be looking to avenge their shortcomings from 2023.

The national championship wrestling tournament brackets are now finalized and ready for competition. The event is set for March 15-16 in Wichita, Kansas as UCO looks to go back to back.

Formula One zooms past the checkered flag in season opener

Jake Ramsey Managing Editor

The Formula 1 2024 season opening race took place March 2, and saw a dominating performance from Red Bull and the reigning champ Max Verstappen as he would be the first to pass the checkered flag holding a 22 second lead on his teammate Sergio Perez who would come in second, with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz following behind in third.

This season of F1 is set to be the longest ever, boasting 24 races instead of the standard 23, which leaves plenty of room for other drivers to challenge him.

Verstappen’s domination isn’t the only thing notable about the race. Car malfunctions, team drama and even a 52 second pit stop all riddled the race, with the biggest event to note being the disagreement between driver Yuki Tsunoda and his teammate Daniel Ricciardo as well as his RB team.

The disagreement came after Tsunoda was told to allow Ricciardo to pass him and challenge Haas driver Kevin Magnussen which would put the RB team up in points. The decision to allow Ricciardo to challenge had to do with the fact that Ricciardo was on a faster tyre compound.

While Tsunoda did comply with the team’s orders, Ricciardo still would not be able to overtake Magnussen.

Ultimately Ricciardo and Tsunoda would end at 13 and 14 place respectively.

While many predictions for the 2024 F1 season are still up for debate, the one discussed the most is that of world champion, and if Verstappen will see his fourth world title.

McKenna Johnson connects against Minnesota Crookston. (CENTRAL SPORTS/PROVIDED)

UCO Wrestling scored its fourth-straight championship Saturday. (CENTRAL SPORTS/PROVIDED)

No. 2 Jaden Wells takes flight against Northwest Missouri. (VICTOR LOPEZ/ THE VISTA)

Max Verstappen (DARKO BANDIC/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

TEK Fest showcases Native American natural sciences

The First Americans Museum celebrates the return of spring at the annual TEK Fest, March 2 at the museum. This family friendly festival teaches children Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) through hands-on activities, food, songs, and other scientific studies. -words and photos by Taylor Horn- er, photo editor, The Vista

Catalina T. smiles as she eats each “dragon’s breath” snack at the TEK Fest. (TAYLOR HORNER/THE VISTA)

Saige F. plays a seed-identifying game. (TAYLOR HORNER/THE VISTA)

Loretta Oden, nutrional table, shows the color differences between archaic and heirloom beads. She expresses the importance of homesteading and eating healthy foods. (TAYLOR HORNER/THE VISTA)

Alena Rowe shows off the power of dry ice at the TEK Fest. (TAYLOR HORNER/THE VISTA)

Tony Pascal counts the rings on a tree that pre-dates English settlement in America at the TEK Fest. (TAYLOR HORNER/THE VISTA)

Chappell Roan brings the Pink Pony Club to Oklahoma City

Matilda Harvey Copy Editor

Chappell Roan played a Feb. 26 show at The Jones Assembly as part of her current “The Midwest Princess Tour.” Roan, who is currently working on her second album and opening for Olivia Rodrigo on the “GUTS World Tour,” always sets themes for her live shows based on Roan’s lyrics or music videos, and for this tour stop, Roan’s breakout hit “Pink Pony Club” lent the theme of pink cowgirl to the packed show.

Each show on “The Midwest Princess Tour” employs drag queens from the area to perform as opening acts. Pagan Holiday, Bosston, and Salem Moon performed a variety of songs to get the crowd ready for Roan’s set. Each of the queens had a theme and a unique presence, showing the variety and beauty of drag culture.

“All of my non-binary siblings, I see you, you exist, you f—ing matter,” said Pagan Holiday, the first queen to perform, making sure to shout out the LGBTQ community. She then took a moment on stage to come out as agender to the crowd, saying “in drag, she/her. Out of drag, he/they.”

The second queen, Bosston, is a Tulsa native and winner of the 2021 Miss Oklahoma Bold & Beau-

tiful Newcomer title. The emcee for the evening was Dallas-Fort Worth queen Salem Moon. Salem Moon took a moment to thank the audience for supporting local drag queens.

“Thank you to @chappellroan for giving queer folx like us a platform to be us!” said Salem Moon on her Instagram account after the show.

Outside of the themes for each show, Roan has said that all of her concerts are the “Pink Pony Club” in the sense that her shows are a safe space for queer joy and queer love. In the midst of anti-LGBTQ legislation, spaces for the queer community are fewer and fewer. Numerous lesbian bars have shut down in recent years, and spaces for drag performances have dwindled. Roan herself, with her costumes and makeup, as well as her stage presence, is a drag queen. Roan has only released one EP, one album and a handful of singles, making setlist organization a slightly easier choice. She performed all of the singles from her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” including the incredibly popular “Casual” and “HOT TO GO!”

The sea of pink cowboy hats was roaring with shouted lyrics, screaming along to every word. There was a sense of community in the way that people of all genders and identities sang of the excitement of the first girl Chappell fell in love with in “Naked In Manhattan.”

Chappell led the crowd in a synchronized dance to the song “HOT TO GO!”, a song that Roan described as her fantasy of being a cheerleader. Roan joked that the audiences at some of her shows recently have not been excited to dance, so she wanted The Jones Assembly to dance their hearts out.

A mainstay of “The Midwest Princess Tour” has been Roan’s cover of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, a notable figure in modern music and the queer community. The audience was just as excited to put their paws up in the iconic Little Monster pose as they were to sing Roan’s original songs.

Audiences were treated to a performance of “Good Luck Babe,” an unreleased song that Roan has performed at a number of shows on the tour. After that, Roan sang “Red Wine Supernova,” one of her most popular songs and the one

she chose to perform on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in February.

The initial set closed out with “My Kink Is Karma,” an energetic performance with a soft bridge in which Roan knelt on the stage in front of her bassist for a serenade.

It was at the beginning of the encore that Roan shared exciting news with the crowd, telling the room that her family was at the show and that it was the first time they had all attended one of her concerts. She then launched into “California,” a song about missing her midwest hometown when she was on the West Coast.

In an interview with ABC that aired before the show, Roan said that the queer communities of the Midwest were the people she connected with, a point that is not missed by her creative and touring choices.

The show ended with an emotional performance of “Pink Pony Club” in which Roan invited the people in the audience to sing the penultimate chorus. The room vibrated as everyone proclaimed, “I’m gonna keep on dancing at The Pink Pony Club.”

LISTEN UP FOR LIVE SHOWS

MARCH

Riki, March 5, Resonant Head, 400 SW 25, resonanthead.com

Gareth Reynolds, March 6, Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California, bricktowncomedy.com

Katie Thurston, March 7, Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California, bricktowncomedy.com

Grant Lee Philips, March 8, The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley, bluedoorokc.com

Ms. Pat, March 8, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Craig Ferguson, March 8-9, Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California, bricktowncomedy.com

Night Lovell, March 9, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Dan + Shay, March 9, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter. com

Van Full of Nuns, March 9, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Max and Heather Stalling, March 9, The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley, bluedoorokc.com

Guster, March 10, The Jones Assembly, 901 W. Sheridan, thejonesassembly.com

Flipturn, March 10, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Ben Bailey, March 10, Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California, bricktowncomedy.com

Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World, March 11, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter.com

Letterkenny Presents: A Night of Standup, March 11, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Rene Vaca, March 13, Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California, bricktowncomedy.com

Sunny Day Real Estate, March 14, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Canterbury Voices, “For All the Saints,” March 14, Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker, okcciviccenter.com.

Clancy Jones, March 14, Resonant Head, 400 SW 25, resonanthead.com

Katt Williams, March 15, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter. com

Bruce Bruce, March 15-17, Bricktown Comedy Club, 409 E. California, bricktowncomedy.com

The Damn Quails, March 15, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts.com

South Austin Moonlighters, March 15, The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley, bluedoorokc.com

Kolton Moore and the Clever Few, March 15, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, March 15, Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Nabihah Iqbal, March 16, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc. com

Zzzahara, March 16, Resonant Head, 400 SW 25, resonanthead.com

Voivod and Prong, March 16, Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S. Eastern, dcfconcerts.com

Jay Leno and Rita Rudner, March 16, Riverwind Casino, 1544 Highway 9, riverwind.com

Nick Shoulders and the Okay Crawdad, March 16, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Vortxz, March 18, Resonant Head, 400 SW 25, resonanthead.com

Drake and J. Cole, March 18-19, Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno, paycomcenter.com

Jonathan Richman, March 19, The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley, bluedoorokc.com

Dale Hollow, March 19, Ponyboy, 423 NW 23rd, towertheatreokc.com

Hannah Wickland, March 20, Beer City Music Hall, 1141 NW Second, beercitymusichall.com

Chappell Roan performed Feb. 26 at The Jones Assembly. (MATILDA HARVEY/THE VISTA)

Guster performs March 10 at The Jones Assembly. (SONY./PROVIDED)

Chappell Roan performs “Naked in Manhattan” at her Oklahoma City stop at The Jones Assembly. (MATILDA HARVEY/THE VISTA)