Friday, April 3, 2020

f r i day, a p r i l 3 , 2 0 2 0

delayed dreams The olympics are postponed, but former cowgirl track star Sinclaire johnson remains focused on her goals

C OV E R S T O RY

Former Cowgirl using extra time before Olympic trials to work on strength, speed H allie Hart S taff Repo rter @ hallieha rt

Sinclaire Johnson is sticking to her plan, but the timeline has extended to next year.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted sports schedules, Johnson, a former star on the Oklahoma State women’s track and field team, had been striving to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She had met the qualifying standard in the 1,500-meter race, so she was preparing for the Olympic trials in June, when she would need to place in the top three to earn a spot on Team USA. Then the starting date of the Games was delayed to July 23, 2021, because of concerns regarding the novel coronavirus, so the trials have been postponed as well. Johnson said she wasn’t surprised to see this news. Although she must wait a year to see whether her Olympic dreams will come true, she is keeping a positive attitude as she continues to run.

“I think for me, my preparation won’t change much,” Johnson said.

“Just focusing on getting stronger and faster.

We’re going to basically keep training this year as if there was going to be a season and just kind of simulate races here as much as we can.”

Although Johnson chose to forgo her senior year of eligibility so she could launch her profes-

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Sinclaire Johnson (right), the 2019 NCAA champion in the women’s 1,500-meter race, is striving to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games, which have been postponed to 2021.

sional career, she is still part of the OSU community. As a first-year pro athlete who runs for Nike, she continues to live in Stillwater, where she is finishing her economics degree program and training with OSU coach Dave Smith. Johnson also has a professional training partner, a woman who travels from Oklahoma City to work out with her.

Races have been canceled and postponed, but for Johnson, this is no time to take extra breaks from running. She said her routine consists of about six or seven consecutive weeks of

rigorous training before one less demanding week.

“We’re doing a lot more intensity and a lot more volume of workouts now just because there’s no races to taper for or get ready for,” Johnson said. “So we can keep the intensity and volume up, which is a lot different.

Because last year, I would have a hard week of training and then an easy week of training because I would have a race that week, and it would kind of flip on and off like that.”

Johnson is new to the pro scene, but becoming an Olympic runner be-

came a realistic objective for her when she was a member of the Cowgirl track team. To make the Olympics, it wouldn’t matter whether she was a professional or collegiate athlete.

“When I started running here at OSU as a freshman, (competing in the Olympics) was totally out of the realm, so I wasn’t really thinking about the Olympics,” Johnson said. “Probably about my junior year, like beginning of junior year, was when I started to think … not focus on it, but, ‘That’s definitely a goal of mine.’”

During that junior season, Johnson’s career skyrocketed. Her time of four minutes, 5.98 seconds, a meet record in the 1,500, made her a 2019 NCAA champion.

In July, Johnson finished fourth at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. Although she was one spot short of qualifying for the World Championships, she realized she could hold her own as a young athlete racing against seasoned runners. The next month, Johnson announced she was going pro.

Because she is in the process of adapting to life

as a professional athlete, she said it’s beneficial for her that the Games will take place next year when she has more experience.

In October, Johnson will go through another big change when she moves to Portland, Ore., to become part of a professional track and field group, but until then, she is continuing her workouts in Stillwater.

“I’m sure that will be a different kind of adjustment and new lifestyle out there (in Portland) just running and not doing school,” Johnson said.

“It will be exciting.”

N E WS

lifestyle

The Weeknd returns to the top of the charts with new album “After Hours” C hase Co n gl eton Staf f R epo rter @ChaseCon gl eton

The Weeknd released his first studio album in over three years and reclaimed the throne he left vacant for several years.

After the release of his third studio album “Starboy,” Abel Tesfaye took a short hiatus after experiencing a bit of overexposure.

Aside from the short promotional period for his 2018 EP “My Dear Melancholy,” Tesfaye had remained primarily low-key and only gave an occasional feature appearance on songs.

The Weeknd, without a doubt, is one of the top acts of the 2010s. Tesfaye started this decade being a staple in the underground R&B scene. His dark-wave style instrumentals and frankly honest lyrics led him to build a cult following. After experiencing immense success with his 2015 album “Beauty Behind the Madness,” it’s easy to say the singer was in danger of being labeled a sell-out in future releases.

However, the new album

by The Weeknd, without a doubt, is one of his best releases in recent years and shows both an evolution in the singer’s sound and image while also remaining true to the qualities that made him famous from the start.

Thematically, “After Hours” portrays the villainous character of the Weeknd with the promotional material often going for a cinematic and mature

Jacob Sturm/O’Colly

The Student Government Association met for the first time since before spring break and discussed the universtiy’s COVID-19 response.

Jordan Seckel/Flickr

The Weeknd comes back with his new album “After Hours,” a complete solo project that puts a spotlight on The Weeknd’s harmful traits.

direction. The singer’s toxic traits -- overindulgence, promiscuity, self-hatred -- are given a spotlight and a pedestal in the self-contained universe in this album.

The album’s lead single “Heartless” is a return to Tesfaye’s R&B and trap roots and became a smash hit after reaching the top spot of the US Billboard Hot 100. Lyrically, the song is about The Weeknd’s promiscuous behavior after his tough and public breakups with celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez.

The second single “Blinding Lights,” produced by pop music icon Max Martin and Oscar Holter, features a unique 1980s pop sound.

This track’s rise to the top of the charts took several months and escalated faster after both the release of the album and the song’s viral internet fame.

“In Your Eyes” is the most recent single and sonically follows a similar lane to “Blinding Lights” with its heavy 80s influence and saxophone solo. The Weeknd sings about his

regrets of cheating on his partner and features a more melancholic aesthetic in the lyrics.

Other album tracks such as “Save Your Tears” “After Hours” and “Faith” show different sides of the artist and exhibit his sheer prowess as an album artist. The Weeknd continues to innovate on the sound he created over a decade ago.

What’s most notable on this album is the lack of features in the standard edition. In the age of streaming, singers often use a feature verse from a rapper to achieve crossover appeal. However, with “After Hours” being a completely solo project, The Weeknd shows his ability to stand on his own and captivate his audience with his truth.

No other mainstream artist today can write lyrics as haunting or graphic as Tesfaye without it coming across as trying too hard. If “After Hours” is any indication of what’s to come in the next decade from The Weeknd, it looks like music will stay exciting for a long time.

SGA resumes, discusses coronavirus response

E l l i e Me l e ro Ne ws E di to r @ e l e ano r_me l e ro

Student Body President Kaitlyn Kirksey spoke about the university’s pass or no pass option and encouraged students to reach out to the university if they’re having trouble in their online classes during the Student Government Association’s regular Senate meeting held over Zoom on Wednesday.

This was the Senate’s first meeting since before spring break. After a somewhat confusing start while the Senate figured out how to adapt its procedures for Zoom, the body was able to continue their meeting as normal. After a brief update from SGA advisor Melissa Echols, Kirksey took the floor for the president’s report.

“It’s so, so good to see each of you,” Kirksey said.

“I do have a couple of things, actually, quite a few things to keep you updated on my world.”

Kirksey reminded students that Wednesday was Census Day and encour-

aged students to fill out the census for Stillwater, even if they aren’t in Stillwater at the moment because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Then she talked about the university’s pass or no pass option.

On March 23 in the Virtual Town Hall, Vice Provost Jeanette Mendez announced that students will receive a pass or no pass option for their classes this semester in light of the university’s change to online classes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but not many details were given on the option. Kirksey, a member of the committee coordinating the option, said the university will send out an announcement on Monday with more information about the grading system, but she explained why the university chose pass or no pass over pass or fail.

“The Regents of Higher Education for Oklahoma actually have a requirement for universities to designate courses ‘pass/fail’ prior to a student enrolling in a course,” Kirksey said. “Because of that, we can’t give students an ‘F’ in a pass/

fail system if they did not initially sign up for a course designation of that kind.”

Kirksey also encouraged all students who have trouble with internet or other problems resulting from the coronavirus to reach out to the university.

“They want to make sure we’re investigating and helping meet the needs of students,” Kirksey said.

“So, please, if you have any questions or concerns during this time period, please email that (COVID-19 information) email.”

If students cannot email, she said to call the Office of the Registrar.

Kirksey was followed by the student body vice president, Kristen Ball, who said that, in light of next week’s Mental Health Week activities being canceled, she wants to encourage people to share the university’s online mental health resources that are available to students.

SGA’s next senate meeting will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. over Zoom.

lifestyle

‘A lot of things happened Dua Lipa takes fans on a reto on that day’: journey with “Future Nostalgia” Megan Hays L i fe style Editor @m egther ep ort er

After a smash hit debut album, sophomore albums can be intimidating.

Dua Lipa had a lot to live up to after her self titled album topped charts with singles like “New Rules” and “IDGAF.” With success like that, it would be easy to keep up similar songs to replicate the hype but Dua Lipa didn’t do that. On her new album “Future Nostalgia,” the style she developed on the first album is expanded as Lipa explores new sounds while also revisiting familiar sounds with a new twist.

The title track “Future Nostalgia” sounds exactly what the name suggests.

The song sounds like a song that you’ve heard before but don’t know from where. Lipa’s talking/singing verse is a little off putting at first, emphasising her English accent but making the song seem even more familiar like a classic from the 80s. The funky bass and percussion heavy rhythm adds to the sense of nostalgia. As the song progresses into the prechorus Lipa’s voice transitions to her rich singing voice lifting the sound to carry it towards the chorus. The more husky and whisper tones Lipa puts on the chorus adds to the overall dynamic song that keeps the listener invested in the song. The lyrics call back to Lipa’s

Joanna Hearts/Flickr

In Dua Lipa’s new album “Future Nostalgia,” Lipa explores new genres while putting her own style into each song.

independent woman attitude off of her first album but feel more matured as she sings about leaving her mark on the music industry fighting against the big dogs.

Throughout the album, Lipa puts in a little touch of past decades music to bring out that nostalgia.

Her song “Physical” can is best illustrated by an 80s themed night out looking for love. Lipa’s voice takes a huskier tone while maintaining a rich quality upping the sensual quality over a deep thumping beat. Her voice rides along the beat, occasionally overshadowed by a cymbal before everything cuts out with just Lipa’s voice giving the romantic invitation.

The music suddenly picks up along with the mood of the song.

The funky style of bass persists through the entire album like with “Break My Heart.” In a break from all the high energy songs, the bass is subtle

letting Lipa’s big voice shrink down to deliver a more nervous and softer emotion for the lyrics to hit right. Even when the song picks up in tempo and energy, Lipa’s voice remains vulnerable singing about her fears about this new relationship and where it could go.

Over the course of the album, Lipa experiments with the reto sounds in both the music but also in her voice. In “Cool,” her voice goes into a slightly higher register for the first verse and there are certain words her voice catches on, creating the effect of more emotion than the lyrics portray by themselves.

The sparkling beat of “Hallucinate” emphasizes the slight husk of Lipa’s voice in the verses before it goes back up to a higher tone than usual for Lipa. When the beat drops back down, the music speeds up and Lipa’s smooth voice is back for the chorus.

“Future Nostalgia” is a great balance of an artist’s exploration in different styles while also giving those genres their own flare. From heavy funk of “Pretty Please” to classy brass of “Good in Bed” to the female commentary hidden behind a soft strumming beat with a bit of choir in “Boys Will Be Boys” this album demonstrates Lipa’s voice through the lens of different styles and a sign she’s further developing as an artist.

The day the season stopped

read more at ocolly.com

Grocery store workers heralded as essential employees

FOR RELEASE APRIL 3, 2020

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Houses For Rent

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 “Get outta here!”

5 Snatch 9 Give up 13 Sweater outlet?

14 Concerning kidneys 16 Annapolis sch.

17 “Roots” author Haley 18 Actress Graff 19 Ain’t fixed?

20 Never heard of a 1996 Robin Williams movie?

23 Wipes away 24 Juegos Olímpicos prize 25 Road crew’s supply 28 Have a sudden inspiration?

31 Sexually attractive 33 Magical phrase starter 37 “You grabbed the wrong Stephen King movie”?

39 The Parthenon, e.g.

41 Cry from a card holder 42 Roof worker 43 Essay about a 2015 Christina Applegate movie?

46 Fallon’s predecessor 47 __ symbol 48 Ancient queen, familiarly 50 Immigrant’s subj.

51 Rap name contraction 53 Like some numerals 58 Start a 2001 Keanu Reeves movie?

61 Rattle 64 Flower girl, perhaps 65 Paella pot 66 “Rhyme Pays” rapper 67 Unsettled states 68 __ fee 69 Sainted historian 70 Backbone or spine 71 Weight allowance FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020

600+ Rental Units Available Full Listings @ Stillwaterpm. com Stillwater Property 633 N. Husband 405-743-2126

Your Classified Ad or Business Square could be here! $10/Week Published online 3 times a week.

Email ads@ocolly.com or lori@ocolly.com Advertise your business specials, online or remote church activities, houses and apartments for rent, help wanted ads, or any other special your business is offering.

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Level 1

2

3

4

4/3/20

By David Van Houten

DOWN 1 Garden tool 2 Rainbow flag component 3 Fan belt?

4 Messages sent from cells 5 Is amused by 6 Move, in Realtorspeak 7 From the top 8 Scruggs’ strings 9 Nestlé product suffix 10 Initials before a state’s name, sometimes 11 Imaret, say 12 Bit of ink 15 Profits (from) 21 Brew holder 22 Matter 25 Words on a spine 26 1979 sci-fi classic with three sequels and two prequels 27 In style again 29 Close 30 Go to pieces 32 Bubble, in a way 33 Emanated (from) 34 Diamond strategies 35 Same-state opponent, often

Daily Horoscope

c las s if ieds

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

4/3/20

Solution to Thursday’s puzzle

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

36 Future doc’s subj.

38 Plane, e.g.

40 Racing craft 44 Chinese and Indians 45 Most closely related 49 Chicago airport code 52 Not true 54 Give or take 55 Modeling wood 56 Better, to a rapper

4/3/20

57 Shannon’s county 58 Townshend of The Who 59 Son or daughter, often 60 When Juliet says, “Go ask his name” 61 Little lie 62 Frequent winner 63 British jazz element?

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

© 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Today’s Birthday (04/03/20). Enjoy a professional surge this year. By working together with disciplined coordination, you can accomplish miracles. Summer travel and educational changes inspire domestic renovation and beautification.

New professional directions and shifting communications motivate an exciting and satisfying exploration. Stay true to your heart.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Follow your heart. Prioritize beauty, fun and romance. You love learning this month, with Venus in Gemini.

Words come easily. A creative project flowers.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Stay close to home. Gather new income, with Venus in Gemini for a month. This phase can get quite profitable.

Look for hidden opportunity.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Use your charm and persuasive arts.

You’re irresistible, with Venus in your sign this month. Realize a personal dream with cleverness and creativity.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Discover lucrative opportunities.

Make plans in peaceful productivity, with Venus in Gemini. Finish old jobs.

Envision the road ahead and plot your steps.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Step into the spotlight. Get out in public.

You’re especially popular this month, with Venus in Gemini. Make new social connections. Have fun with friends.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Watch for opportunities for career advancement, with Venus in Gemini. Assume more responsibility, status and benefits. Put your heart into your work and it grows.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Make long-distance connections.

Travel, study and investigate over the next month, with Venus in Gemini. Enjoy educational exploration. Dig into a fascinating subject.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Work together for shared profits.

Together you can get the resources you need, with Venus in Gemini. Use creativity and coordination for satisfying results.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Collaboration percolates and bubbles, with Venus in Gemini. Form partnerships to share resources and benefits. Compromise comes easier. Elevate a relationship to new levels.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Put love into your work. Practice for strength and endurance, with Venus in Gemini. Prioritize health and wellness. Movement gets your heart pumping.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re especially lucky in love this month, with Venus in Gemini. Creative endeavors provide satisfying results.

Have fun with people you love. Practice your arts.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Turn your home into a love nest. Savor domestic arts, crafts and bliss, with Venus in Gemini. Focus on family. Add beauty to your surroundings.