19th Street Magazine December 2021

Charity Coffee Festival

Common Grounds

Is He Really A Superman

Caleb Williams

Veteran of the Month

Bryson Simer

December 2021 • Issue 12 • Volume 4

bringing you

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Features

DECEMBER CONTENTS 2021

ISSUE 12– VOLUME 4 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Doescher

Common Grounds 10 Coffee Festival

MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Cuomo

by Callie Collins Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity to host Common Grounds Coffee Festival.

Tech Savvy

18by Sharla Bardin

Training courses equip center students for IT positions.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mark Doescher

CONTRIBUTORS

10

Is He Really A Superman

26 by Chris Plank

PUBLISHER

Casey Vinyard

In Memory of

Caleb Williams takes the QB1 reigns and attempts to live up to his nickname.

Moore Lions Preview of Moore Lions’ winter sports.

Westmoore Jaguars

42

by Perry Spencer

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Haley Gauley - haley@sportstalk1400.com Trevor Laffoon - trevor@sportstalk1400.com Perry Spencer - perry@sportstalk1400.com

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by Perry Spencer

Roxanne Avery| Sharla Bardin Callie Collins | Lindsay Cuomo Bill Moakley | Chris Plank Perry Spencer

Preview of Westmoore Jaguars’ winter sports.

26

19th Street Magazine 2020 E. Alameda Norman, Oklahoma 73071 Phone: (405) 321-1400 E-mail: 19thstreetmagazine@gmail.com Copyright © 19th Street Magazine Any articles, artwork or graphics created by 19th Street Magazine or its contributors are sole property of 19th Street Magazine and cannot be reproduced for any reason without permission.

Any opinions expressed in 19th Street are not necessarily that of 19th Street management.

Southmoore Sabercats

46

by Perry Spencer

Preview of Southmoore Sabercats’ winter sports.

Where You Live Matters

50

by Roxanne Avery

Village at Oakwood offers affordable senior living options.

Seeking Solutions

55

by Lindsay Cuomo

Innovation partnership aims to educate more nursing students.

38

Veteran of the Month:

58 Bryson Simer

by Bill Moakley Moore alumni shares about his time in the Marine Corps.

sportstalk1400.com

58

Cover photo by: Mark Doescher

COM M U N I T Y

Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity to host Common Grounds Coffee Festival

S

erving others will take on new meaning at Cleveland County Habitat for Humanity’s first Common Grounds Coffee Festival, already brewing for March 2022. The festival is set to take place at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organizers’ goal is to raise $100,000, enough to fund an entire home for a family in need.

“Coffee is a communal event, from business meetings where people stay around after to chat or just for people to have conversations,” said President and CEO Randall Gardner.

“We wanted to take that experience and host an event dedicated to the common good.”

Habitat for Humanity volunteers renovate and repair homes, in addition to building new structures, in communities throughout the world. The organization works with those in need to make home ownership more feasible.

Contrary to popular belief, Habitat for Humanity does not give away homes. Instead, its leaders help advocate for fair housing policies at the legislative level and consider applicants who would be unable to qualify for a traditional mortgage. No single background makes up those who benefit from housing services: veterans, adults with disabilities, the elderly and families with young children are among those who have qualified in the past.

Habitat for Humanity outlines a path to homeownership through a combination of factors. Applicants must go through a lengthy process, including attending an information workshop as a first step. They must meet defined eligi-

10 December 2021

bility requirements and be able to make a down payment and all subsequent monthly payments with a 0% loan.

They also complete 350 hours of work on the home or in the community, often called “sweat equity,” and additional homeownership classes related to financial literacy, budgeting and other life skills topics.

“What we’re really trying to do is build a community filled with hope,” said Gardner. “What our applicants have in common is they are people trying to advance to the next rung of the financial ladder. Stable housing can be the hand up they need to keep climbing.”

When he joined the organization in 2019, Gardner set a goal to build three houses per year. Even with the pandemic, that objective has proved possible, so he has now redefined success as five houses per year.

Habitat for Humanity places a vital role in community revitalization. Some properties are built from the ground up.

Others need significant remodels or major maintenance, including modifications like wheelchair ramps or other adaptive features.

Stable residency through fixed housing gives residents an address of record they can count on to receive important mail, often the first step in applying for other aid needed to help them move on with life.

Family and social sciences also indicate the vital role of consistency, without the disruption of frequent moves which can affect children’s access to and progress in educational set-

BY: CALLIE COLLINS

Unique blends, served with warmth and compassion tings, adult job opportunities and the wellbeing of people of all ages. Access to greenspaces, a neighborhood school and surrounding business also makes investment in their infrastructure more feasible.

Gardner describes the application process as a mutual partnership. Applicants who are not selected are mentored on how to improve for a future opportunity. They can apply again on a yearly basis, but, in the meantime, Habitat for Humanity continues to be a resource for them in other ways.

“What we’re trying to solve here is generational poverty one family at a time,” said Gardner. “(The Common Grounds Coffee Festival) will bring people together in a way that hasn’t been done before here in Norman.”

Coffee, including unique micro batches from local roasters and specialty beverages from Oklahoma-operated cafes, will be featured throughout the day. All things coffee will round out the event, including coffee art, pastries, chocolates and more.

“Any of those staples of coffee house culture, that’s what we want to feature,” said Gardner. “You have your wine tastings and your beer festivals, but this goes broader.”

The unique blend of coffee, community and other items is sure to draw a crowd.

Tickets are $10 each and are on sale now at cchfh.org/coffee/.

Title sponsors are currently being sought for the event and are a vital part to reaching the $100,000 goal. Vendor fees are $150 and include a 10’x10’ booth, with retail permitted at each station.

“If you try a coffee and you really like it, that vendor may be able to sell you the beans of what you just tried so you can repeat the experience at home,” said Gardner.

Information exhibits about coffee, latte art, samples and more will be part of the day, too. –19SM

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Tech Savvy Training courses equip center students for IT positions

F

or those seeking a career in information technology, Moore Norman Technology Center’s classes can help individuals gain skills, certifications and expertise for employment.

She said the certification classes can help equip individuals for entry-level jobs in information technology and provide opportunities to expand on those skill sets.

The center’s CompTIA training courses are available to high school students and adults who are interested in technology jobs. The courses cover such subjects as operating systems, hardware and networking, cybersecurity as well as how to install, optimize, repair and perform preventive maintenance on personal computers, digital devices and operating systems.

Cory Dutton, of Purcell, is taking a CompTIA A+ class that builds on students’ existing knowledge and experience with personal computer software and hardware to give them skills and concepts they will use on a job.

The classes focus on a variety of topics but also offer real-world application through lab work, said Erica Strohmeyer, IT program developer at the center.

“You’re getting not only the content but you’re also getting the hands-on applications,” Strohmeyer said.

Classes are taught by instructors “in the field and they bring that real-world concept into what they’re teaching you,” she said.

The CompTIA classes also prepare students for certification exams and offer a discount on taking the exam.

Classes include long-term and short-term options, as well as hybrid courses where students meet online and in-person, as needed, Strohmeyer said.

18 December 2021

Dutton said he’s taking the class because he loves “working with technology and being able to help people.”

“I used to work at AT&T and we did a ton of technical support for customers and seeing the way even fixing the smallest issues brightened their day made mine,” he shared.

Dutton said he hopes to complete certification in the course and get an entry-level job in information technology. The 25-year-old said he enrolled in the class after taking other courses at the technology center.

“I enjoy that the classes aren’t overly packed, and the instructors take the time to make sure that you are able to take in and understand the information,” Dutton said.

For more information about the CompTIA training courses and other classes in information technology, visit mntc.edu.-19SM

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S P O RT S

C

aleb William’s playmaking is undeniable. His passion and enthusiasm are contagious and, for a team with championship aspirations, he has been the jolt of energy this team and fanbase has needed.

Williams has been nicknamed Super Man because he has a knack for the big play in game-saving moments.

Against Texas, Williams entered the game on 4th down. He took a 4th-and-1 snap and converted with 56-yards and a Sooner touchdown. Eventually, Williams would take over the quarterback duties and engineer the greatest comeback in the history of the Red River Rivalry, finishing with over 300 total yards and four touchdowns.

With the Sooners sputtering against Kansas, Williams did it again.

On 4th and short in the 4th quarter, on a play that was almost a mirror image of the run against Texas, Williams gave the Sooners a two-score lead on a 40-yard keeper. Then again late against Kansas, Williams took the ball from running back Kennedy Brooks on a 4th down play that would have been stuffed behind the line of scrimmage and ended up picking up a much-needed first down. The heads-up play by Williams helped the Sooners survive in Lawrence.

The fingernail-painting, play-making freshman is not permitted yet to speak to the media, but his personality and ability are unquestioned.

“He’s a very unique kid,” Lincoln Riley said of Williams. “He’s got different interests. He’s got a unique but fun personality. He does a good job relating to different people.”

Williams’ confidence and passion has put the Sooners in a position to win its 7th straight Big 12 championship and catapulted the true freshman into the middle of the Heisman Trophy conversation.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Parker Thune said.

Thune co-hosts the noon to 2 p.m. show weekdays on The Ref Sports Radio Network with Mike Steely. In addition to his work on the Ref, Thune also covers recruiting and Sooner Football for OUInsider.com.

Caleb William’s recruitment was one of the first big stories he covered.

“From the minute I watched him at the Elite 11 in July of 2020, it was at that point that I realized this guy could unseat anyone in America.

He’s just that good. We’ve seen that manifest itself here at Oklahoma.”

Williams came into a situation at Oklahoma where there appeared to be an unquestioned starter in Spencer Rattler. Rattler was considered the pre-season Heisman favorite, and many had projected him as a top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But as you will find out, competition is not something that Williams shies away from, and his personality is contagious.

Photos by: Mark Doescher

“Caleb gets along with everybody, can talk to anybody,” Riley said.

“He can have a conversation with my 5-year-old. He can have a conversation with an adult and interact and be very personable. He’s a neat kid.”

Williams has caught the eye of many with his enthusiastic approach and fiery personality. As a true freshman, he is constantly talking up teammates and finding ways to keep the energy up on the sidelines when he’s not on the field making plays.

26 December | November2021 2021

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19TH BOYD STREET MAGAZINE | 27

“He’s a football guy, very driven,” Riley continued with his Williams portrayal. “But also, (he) can laugh, can joke, can have some fun. He’s got, for a young guy, pretty good balance.”

HOW CALEB ENDED UP IN NORMAN The end of the 2019 season was a gut punch for the Sooners after an incredible run to make the four-team playoffs. The Sooners rallied from a loss to Kansas State to win a Big 12 Championship and earn a spot in the four-team playoffs. But the magic of 2019 quickly came to a disappointing end after LSU rocked the Sooners, 63-28.

That loss hurt, but what happened on January 1, 2020 may have hurt a little bit more. Sooner 5-star quarterback commit Brock Vandagriff decided to decommit and withdraw his pledge to play for the Sooners.

Vandagriff was the No. 1 pro-style quarterback and No. 8 overall prospect in the 2021 class and had been committed to the Sooners since June 2019. A tough loss to LSU hurt, losing the Vandagriff commit was salt in the wound.

Sometimes, what can be viewed as setback is merely a platform for an incredible comeback. In the case of Vandagriff decommittment, that ended up being true for Oklahoma Sooner football, and part of the reason that it played out so perfectly was because Caleb Williams was not going to let an28 December 2021

other player at his position or even a scholarship get in the way of where he wanted to play and to accomplish his ultimate goal: to be the best to ever play the position.

Well before Vandagriff had even made his pledge to Oklahoma and his eventual change of heart, Williams was making a name for himself early in his high school career. During his sophomore season, Williams led Gonzaga College High to a 9-3 record and its first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title since the 2002 season. Williams quarterbacked the Eagles all the way to the WCAC championship game, where they faced rival DeMatha Catholic High School, ranked No. 1 in the WCAC, at season’s end.

It appeared as if the Stags would win a fifth WCAC title in six seasons before Williams, then a sophomore, scored three of his six touchdowns in the final minutes of the game. That included a quarterback keeper to cut the score to 36-33, then another touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining to give his team a 40-36 lead.

But his team’s ensuing squib kick was returned for a touchdown, giving DeMatha the lead again at 43-40 with only 15 seconds remaining.

With time left for only one more play, Williams launched what was officially a 53-yard Hail Mary on the final play of the game — from his own 41 — to give his team the 46-40 victory.

30 December 2021

He was special, but in some ways was still a bit of an unknown outside of his high school heroics and the Elite 11 appearance.

“The 2021 class was in a unique circumstance,” Thune said of covering the recruitment of Williams. “There were no official visits and thus a tougher time to build relationships because of COVID-19, and because of COVID no one had a true and proper framework of just how good Caleb could be at the collegiate level.”

OU was barely recruiting Williams because of Vandagriff’s commitment. After the decommitment of Vandagriff, COVID hit in March 2020 and everything shut down. Caleb couldn’t play his senior year. The exposure camps in the off-season didn’t happen, so no one got to get a firsthand sense as to how good he could be.

“I was fortunate to see him in action at the Elite 11 which was one of the very few exposure opportunities that was held before the pandemic.,” Thune said. “The second that I saw him on the field I knew right away he could be a generational talent on the field.”

Williams already had eyes for the University of Oklahoma. Despite the prior commitment of Vandagriff to OU and well before his eventual decommitment, Williams was still interested in the Sooners and even took an unofficial visit to Norman during the 2019 season. Riley wouldn’t meet with Williams because he was loyal to the quarterback who had already committed.

“I kind of stayed out of it,” Riley said looking back on the unofficial visit Williams made in 2019. “Just loyalty to the guys in the class, especially at a position where you’re taking one (player)… We’ve always tried to be upfront and honest with all parties, those that did commit to us and those that didn’t.”

When Vandagriff decommitted, it opened the door for Lincoln to have a more open door, but it truly did not matter. William’s mind was made up. If Vandagriff had maintained his commitment that would not have stopped Williams from coming to Oklahoma.

“Caleb Williams was going to be a Sooner either way. And it all came down to Lincoln Riley,” Thune said. “Caleb is one of the most competitive humans you will ever meet. Caleb won’t sleep after a loss. He will sit up and watch film all night long. He’ll look for ways to improve. He will pound himself into submission to figure out what he can do to help his football team win a game. He hates losing.

It’s pretty evident that is the type of player he is when you see him on the field, and you see that competitive nature manifest itself.”

Even with the commitment of Vandagriff and the presence of Rattler on the roster, Williams was set on coming to Oklahoma.

But being committed to Oklahoma was not enough for Williams. He wanted to make sure that he had talent around him. Williams was recruiting other top prospects to join him, and once his commitment became official, he kicked it into high gear. Williams was active on social media reaching out to players like Latrell McCutchin, Mario Williams and Jalil Farooq. All three eventually signed with the Sooners.

A little more than a month after committing, Williams put together what he called the Sooner Summit in which several top prospects from around the country convened in Norman to check it out, despite the NCAA’s ongoing recruiting dead period. Coaches couldn’t meet with the visiting prospects, so they did everything themselves.

“I’ve been recruiting even before I chose a school,” Williams told AllSooners.com at the time of the Sooner Summit. “I try to build a friendship and a bond between me and other players. Hopefully, that goes a long way.” sportstalk1400.com

19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 31

The on-the-field comparisons have already started to rush in. The ability to make guys miss is Murray-esque. The fiery mentality while getting teammates and fans to rally around him is Mayfield-esque. In everything he does, there seems to be a bit of Baker and a bit of Kyler in every move, moment and motion.

“That’s a tough question,” Riley said when asked about the comparisons. “He’s got a good calm demeanor about the game. He’s done a good job in scramble situations. It’s impressive to see his poise and the way he approaches it with not having had all the experience in the world. There are a lot of positives to build upon.”

Teammate and team captain Pat Fields took it one step further.

“Caleb is crazy competitive in practice. The same dude you see on game day you see in practice,” Fields said. “On game day, he tells us, (the defense), to get him the ball and he will put it in the endzone. That’s who he is. He’s fiery.

“He has a little K1 (Kyler Murray) and Baker in him and I’ve said that multiple times. He has a little of both in him and you can interpret that to get a feel for what he will be in two years when he’s headed out to the next level.”

Caleb Williams is talented, energetic, fiery and fun. He will be a foundational piece for this Sooner football program over the next few seasons.–19SM The summit worked in gaining a handful of commitments and confirmed the leadership that is engrained in the Sooner quarterback.

“It shows you what kind of influence he has as a leader. It’s a buzzword that’s thrown around… ‘leadership’... but you have to have a guy that people look up to, that people respect, that people are willing to follow because the harsh reality is that there is not a position on the football field that carries as much intrinsic leadership as quarterback,” Thune said. “The fact that OU ended up with a guy like Caleb Williams who is not only a tremendous football player but also a tremendous leader, that sets this program up very well as long as he is under center to compete for National Championship. It’s plain and simple, he’s a guy that people want to play for. He’s a guy whose vision people jump on board with.”

THE COMPARISONS Eventually, every Oklahoma quarterback is compared by fans and the media to recent greats like Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Both won the Heisman, and both were the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

The fact that competition was not something that scared away Williams from Oklahoma is one of the many similarities between Williams and his predecessors. Mayfield was not worried about a quarterback room that included a Sugar Bowl MVP and Murray was not worried about a quarterback room that included Mayfield. Greatness was the goal regardless of who stood in the way.

32 December 2021

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MOORE LIONS

Heidi Noisey, wrestling 38 December 2021

T

Alan Phan, swimming sportstalk1400.com

BY: PERRY SPENCER

he Moore Lions start the season with some exciting expectations. Seventh-year head coach Gregg Hardin said that “this year’s Lions team has the potential to be a state contender.”

“The Lions will play a more up-tempo style with four returning starters and a solid underclassmen group,” Hardin explained.

Senior Marcus Dockins dominated on the football field this season, and now he heads to the hardwood to lead the Moore Lions. He led the team a season ago in scoring at 17 points per game and 8 rebounds. A pair of his teammates from the football field, Lonato Henderson and Rejond Hayes, are fellow seniors that will help Dockins lead the Lions this year.

Marquis Lockett, a 5’9” guard, and Donovan Hines, a 6’4” post, will be depended on as well. Junior Malichi Lee, 6’3”, is a returning starter who can slash and rebound, while fellow juniors Kyler Landrum, 6’3”, Cameron Smith, 6’, and Tristan Hankins will be looked at for their shooting ability.

One of the underclassmen that Hardin is excited about is Chiante Tramble, the 6’2” guard who will be the floor general, after averaging 18 points per game last season. Darian Grant is a 6’4” sophomore that can defend with length and is very athletic. He will boost the inside scoring game.

The key games on the schedule for the Lions will be the John Nobles Tournament hosted by Moore Schools, plus the Putnam City Invitational and the always difficult COAC schedule.

The Lions tipoff their season with the Moore War. Brent Hodges will embark on his seventh season just like his counterpart on the boys’ program. The Lions lost a big piece of the puzzle from last season with Aailyah Moore, the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year. She graduated and moved on to the University of Texas. Raychael Harjo went to Central Florida and Peyton Andrews is at Oklahoma Christian.

Hodges returns four players that all saw time in the starting line-up: seniors Bree Huffman and Brooklyn Haywood and juniors Madeline Bills and Kayla Jones.

The Moore boys’ wrestling program is a young team with a lot of potential, according to head coach Robert Washington.

Washington anticipates a bright future for this squad, despite a challenging season ahead.

Returning starters are Yancy Kite, 113 lbs, Payden Thomas, 182 lbs, Logan Ashford, 138 lbs, Jax Rumsey, 285 lbs, David Silas, 145 lbs, Bradlee Neal, 152 lbs and Caden Elliott, 170 lbs.

Kite and Thomas were state qualifiers.

New players Washington expects to make an impact are Keegan Van Werder and Jaylan Pounds.

Evans expects multiple state qualifiers for the Moore girls’ wrestling program. Seniors Bella Shepard, 114 lbs, Riley Osteen, 120 lbs, and Heidi Noisey, 235 lbs, along with juniors Mercadie Miller, 126 lbs, and Hannah Davis, 138 lbs, return with solid experience as the Jags finished with a record of 3-0.

Cara Leyses, 100 lbs, Harley Stringer, 114 lbs, and Jocelyn Joy, 132 lbs, are also expected to make an impact this season.

The Lions will face tough challenges during their COAC tour, especially against Broken Arrow on Dec. 9 and Union and Yukon on Dec. 19.–19SM 19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 39

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WESTMOORE JAGUARS

Valerie Teixiera, swimming 42 December 2021

M

BY: PERRY SPENCER

atthew Thornton is in his fourth year as the head coach for the Westmoore High School girls’ basketball team.

A year ago, his program finished 6-13, but he said he is excited about the upcoming season, even though four starters will not be returning.

“We have a bunch of players that will step up and play big roles for us this year,” Thornton said. “We are excited to see how quickly we can improve. Our goal is to make a run in the playoffs.”

The Jaguars return senior Jaiden Smith, 5’9”, who averaged close to 6.3 points per game and 7 rebounds. Makayla Jackson is another player to look out for this season. New players that will have an impact are junior Ruta Andrews and two freshmen Dee Frost and Blythe Crawley.

Last season, the COAC had four of the eight teams in the state tournament so those are the key games on the schedule.

Scott Millwee is in his third season as the head coach for Westmoore boys’ basketball. They are coming off an 8-8 campaign.

“We have expectations to keep improving and to advance in the postseason,” Millwee said about the upcoming season.

With four returning starters for the Jags, Millwee is excited about this team. Leading the way will be seniors Zach Bandy and Zion Faboro and juniors Evan Barber and Zach Hays.

Barber averaged 15 points per game a season ago and Hays averaged 11 a game.

Some new players that Millwee expects to make an impact are Gavin Loper and Ethan Wohletz. When asked about Loper, Millwee pointed to his experience as a multi-sport athlete as a freshman last year.

“He has worked hard in the offseason to improve his game and to prepare his body to compete at this level,” Millwee said.

Millwee said that key games for the Jags will be “inner-city games vs Moore and Southmoore.” –19SM

Zach Bandy, basketball sportstalk1400.com

19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 43

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SOUTHMOORE SABERCATS

Landon Valenzuela, wrestling 46 December 2021

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BY: PERRY SPENCER

im Stogsdill returns for his sixth season as the Southmoore boys’ basketball head coach. The Sabercats finished last season with a 10-10 record and have high expectations entering this season.

“This group is hungry and wants to get back to the state tournament,” Stogsdill said.

Junior Ryan Guerrero, 6’0”, is the Sabercats’ lone returning starter. He averaged 9 points a game last season. Other returning players that are expected to make an impact are seniors Keilan Howard and Ethan Clark, as well as junior Trenton Wetselline. Also, look for sophomore Jesse Ledbetter to get in some quality minutes for the Sabercats.

New players you might see on the court are seniors Nate Stogsdill and Jeray Kerford.

“Both had great summers and have stepped up and are contributing on the varsity level,” Coach Stogsdill said.

A tough conference schedule will have the Sabercats battle tested well before the playoffs begin in February and March. A big game this season will be the matchup against the Moore Lions in the Battle of the Big Cats on Dec. 3.

The Southmoore Sabercats girls’ basketball program starts a new era with new head coach Kayla Fourkiller who comes to Southmoore from Catoosa. Fourkiller is the fifth head coach in Southmoore Sabercats history.

The Sabercats finished 2-17 a season ago, but Fourkiller is ready to start rebuilding the Southmoore program and aims to “start a new winning tradition here at Southmoore,” she said.

The Sabercats are excited to have three returning starters in Caroliena Diaz, a 6’0” junior, Jenna McManus, a 5’8” junior, and Kennedy Fridia, a 5’5” sophomore. Players that are expected to make an impact this season are Brianah Wren, a 5’8” freshman, Maddison Crandall, a 5’8” senior, and 5’8” sophomore Zya Vann who played a big role for the Norman Tigers a season ago.

Key games on the girls’ basketball schedule are Moore, Westmoore and the Norman Tigers, the defending state champions.

The Southmoore Sabercats wrestling team was one of the top teams in 6A a season ago. Last season, they finished with a 7-3 record and head coach Zac George is hoping to qualify and place multiple wrestlers at the state tournament.

One benefit to having a great season last year is that Southmoore is returning quite a few wrestlers including Shelby Alvardo, Ciana Grate, Noah Reynolds, Diallo Stone, Landon Valenzuela, Bradley Ballard, Landon Wilson, Tristen Dartez and Josh Clay.

Landon Valenzuela is a three-time state qualifier and will be a candidate to win a state championship. Hayze Ivey and Kyler Macias are new wrestlers that have the potential to make an impact as well.

Madison Crandall, basketball sportstalk1400.com

The city duals on Jan. 13 at Southmoore High School will be a big event for Sabercat wrestling. –19SM 19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 47

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B U S I N E SS

Whe re Yo u L ive M a tters Village at Oakwood offers affordable senior living options

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or many people, transitioning from a house where they spent many years raising their family to moving into an assisted living center can be difficult, but much has changed over the last several years. Often in the past, this type of move was triggered by a health issue where a person simply could no longer care for themselves.

Today with the average age of people moving into assisted living centers ranging somewhere between 75 and 84, it’s a lifestyle choice with facilities catering to a new genre of senior citizens and offering unique services and amenities.

The Village at Oakwood has been open since 2010 and, because of the unique way they operate their facility, is one of Oklahoma’s best kept secrets. Until recently, this living center was Oklahoma’s only 100% low-income center. With the average fee of $3,000 per month to live at this type of center, the Village caters to people who do not have the financial resources to pay that type of fee.

The Village is income driven so when people move in, they pay based on income criteria determined by government programs such as Medicaid Advantage, low-income housing tax credits and Section 8, a housing choice voucher program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Some residents pay $750 or less because it’s all income driven,” explained John Wilson, administrator at the Village.

“Here, you pay what you pay and there is no increase even as your level of care goes up and there’s no stress of figuring

50 December 2021

out how to pay because it’s all budgeted by the government.

“Everything is included in one monthly fee such as rent, utilities, meals, housekeeping, maintenance and personal care, just about everything except personal items and snacks.”

Wilson said it is an educational process to help individuals understand available programs and what the monthly fee will be.

“A lot of people just don’t think about what they’ll do when they get older. Then when the time comes, they may feel they don’t have enough money to afford this type of facility, especially when traditional monthly fees are higher than mortgage payments.”

The old stigma of nursing home facilities is very different from today’s assisted living centers.

“We’re more like a bed and breakfast with some really rampedup services for the next phase of these people’s lives,” Wilson said. “We take the stress and burdens of living at home off our residents which makes life easier and more manageable.”

Wilson said one of the residents at the Village volunteers his time at local art museums as well as ushers performing arts events throughout Oklahoma City.

“Housekeeping and meal preparation as well as dispensing his medications were becoming more difficult until he moved here. Now we take care of all that for him, making his life much more enjoyable,” Wilson said.

BY: ROXANNE AVERY There are 90 apartments at the Village that are 545 square feet and furnished with the resident’s furnishings to give them a sense of being at home. Each unit has its’ own heat and air, a kitchenette, living room, private bedroom and closet, full private bathroom with an easy-access shower, an exterior window, cable TV hookup and are ADA compliant.

No one shares an apartment unless a husband and wife elect to do so.

“These apartments feel like home and not a clinical environment,” Wilson said. “We offer a state-of-the-art dining room with no set mealtime. Our restaurant opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m. We have a full three-page menu our residents can order from.

“Breakfast is served all day like IHOP, and there’s a whole page of healthy entrees as well as a regular entrée page with everything from burgers to chicken strips to fish, and more.”

The nursing staff is available Monday through Friday and traveling doctors visit the building as needed.

“60% or more of our residents actually see a doctor here at the facility so they don’t have to leave. They have the flexibility to leave as they traditionally have in the past to go see their own doctor outside our facility or they can do both. If they need something after-hours or over the weekend, our doctors are available to fill in that gap by being on-call and coming here to see patients.”

The Village has the unique distinction of being fully “deficiency-free” over the last seven years, despite heavy regulations enforced on this type of facility.

“Despite us not getting as much money as the market rate building, we are very compliant,” Wilson said. “We don’t have a lot of turn-over with our staff in a field that is usually high with turn-over. Our staff, and specifically our administrative staff, have all been here five to ten years.”

With the new age of senior living, residents at The Village enjoy life-enriching activities and a full social schedule of fun such as yoga, movies and popcorn, church services and more.

Pharmacists are available for medication delivery and residents can have blood drawn, get x-rays and urgent care without being transported to clinics. Home healthcare services are also available at the facility.

If you or a loved one are ready for the next chapter in life, contact the Village at Oakwood for more information and a free tour. The Village at Oakwood is located at 817 SW 59th St in south Oklahoma City. Learn more at villageatoakwood. com or by calling 405-605-6353. -19SM

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Getting us all to a healthier place.

H EA LT H

BY: LINDSAY CUOMO

SEE K IN G S O LUT I O NS

Innovation partnership aims to educate more nursing students

A

nationwide nursing shortage has pushed nursing into one of the most in-demand jobs in the United States, a trend that has only been increasingly impacted by the pandemic. The shortage is a result of several factors including stress of the job, burnout and an aging nursing workforce.

“The need for nurses in our community, we can’t even put words to what that demand is,” said Julie Anne Hoff, dean of the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing. “Nurses are the single largest provider at the frontlines. Without nurses, it shuts it all down.

“We have infusion centers that can’t be opened and hospital beds that can’t be used because there are not enough nurses… international data states that the level of education of the nurse at your bedside predicts morbidity, morality, failure to rescue, quality of care, all those important things.”

According to an article in the Nursing Times, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 11 million additional nurses are needed to avoid a further shortage and employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a faster rate than all other occupations through 2026.

“The only way we are going to be able to educate more nurses is through partnerships,” Hoff said. “We don’t want to compete.

We want to work together to strengthen nursing for Oklahoma.”

A new partnership between Norman Regional Health System and the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center will begin next August, training more nurses while also giving students hands-on experience at the system’s two hospitals.

“Norman Regional Health System is partnering with the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing to create a new nursing school in Norman,” said Brittni McGill, chief nursing officer for Norman Regional. “Our program will begin offering a traditional BSN program in August 2022. Our sportstalk1400.com

hope and desire is that this becomes a partnership model that can be replicated in other healthcare disciplines.”

This new program is an innovative way to battle the shortage by educating new nurses and quickly preparing them for their role in a hospital setting, McGill explained.

Students entering this program will not only get clinical experience at the hospitals, they will also attend class in the Norman Regional Hospital Education Center. Norman Regional has unique hands-on training such as its simulation lab featuring life-size mannequins.

“It is so impressive what the Norman Regional Health System has done, your growth, your facilities and your investment that’s been made in Norman,” said Jason Sanders, provost of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Sanders pointed to benefits such as nursing students practicing alongside and training with the professional teams they will be working with as valuable assets to the new program.

Joan Kemmet-Greenleaf, retired nurse and member of the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board, agreed “Those of who are experienced in the profession have the privilege but the obligation as well to encourage, to education and to mentor nursing students… this collaboration accomplished just that,” said Kemmet-Greenleaf. “This unique partnership will educate nurses and give them valuable experience close to home. This collaboration is truly a benefit for everyone.”

Applications for all Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing programs are now open and are due no later than February 1, 2022.

“To those out there that might be interested in becoming a nurse, we need you,” Kemmet-Greenleaf said. “We need your skills, we need your talent, and we need your compassion.” –19SM 19TH STREET MAGAZINE | 55

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V ETE R A N

Veteran of the Month: Br yson Simer

BY: BILL MOAKLEY

PRESENTED BY

CENTURIONCG.NET

Moore alumni shares about his time in the Marine Corps

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hen Bryson Simer graduated from Moore High School in 2009, he knew he wanted to pursue a college degree. He also knew there was a heavy price tag attached.

“I started college and realized it was expensive,” Simer recalled. “So, I decided to go join the military with all my friends. I had two of my good high school buddies that joined the Marine Corps and few other friends had joined. So, I just went in behind them after my first semester in college.”

Simer joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves and headed to basic training in San Diego at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. From there, he went on to Marine Combat Training School and then on to Twentynine Palms, California for communications school. There he would hone his specialty in intermediate repair for ground radios.

“That means anything like all your Humvee radios, all the personal radios people carried on them, like the little handheld Harris radios, and then all the radios inside vehicles,” Simer explained. “If you’d set up a command center with radios, we repaired all the different types of radios for that as well.”

As a reservist, Simer was based out of McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.

Near the end of 2013, as Afghanistan forces were taking a larger role in security operations in the country and the U.S. focus was shifting, including a drawdown of troops, Simer was deployed to Helmand Province.

“We went there as we were pulling out,” Simer said. “We were part of the group that was packing stuff up and inventorying it and cleaning it.”

While at Camp Leatherneck, Simer got to experience something that’s not guaranteed at home in Oklahoma but is a regular part of the harsh Afghan winters, a white Christmas.

“There was a snowstorm, and we had a big snowball fight,” Simer recalled. “We got there right as winter started and I

58 December 2021

think we had the biggest snowfall since U.S. forces had been in Afghanistan.”

Not allowed to leave base, Simer’s time in Afghanistan was an 8 to 5 affair, going through containers of military equipment, cleaning and inventorying it, and getting it packed for shipment back home. He headed back to the U.S. in May of 2014.

Simer would be attached to what would become Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 453 out of Wichita. In 2015, after six years of service, he left the reserves and focused full-time on taking classes at Oklahoma City Community College. He then moved onto the University of Oklahoma, thanks in part to the G.I. Bill.

“As a reservist, you don’t get the full GI Bill, you get a small little bit,” Simer said. “But, once you deploy and do enough active-duty time you start getting more money, I ended up with 80 percent of the GI Bill. So, 80 percent of my tuition was paid for.”

That would pay off with a degree in mechanical engineering in December 2017. Simer now works for Horn Equipment, an oilfield equipment manufacturing company in his hometown of Moore.

When he’s not at work, Simer, who married in June, enjoys working on his truck, hitting the golf course and keeping his yard in shape. –19SM

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