‘Our work doesn’t stop’: Students react to Israel-Hamas ceasefire
HAYDEN ALEXANDER
On Jan. 19, Israel and Hamas entered the first of a three-phase ceasefire deal after 470 days of fighting.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have died since the Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 according to The Associated Press.
The ceasefire is meant to offer a break from the violence and allow for the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, but many fear it won’t last.
One OSU student worries for her family as Israel and Hamas settle into an uneasy truce. Mena, who asked not to use her last name due to safety concerns, was born in Gaza and is in constant contact with her family in the area.
Following videos surfacing online of violence continuing after the ceasefire, Mena and her family told her loved ones in Gaza to be careful.
“My family is from Rafa, so we told our family to slow down on returning back to look at their homes because it’s not even safe to go back,” Mena said.
The ceasefire is only in its first phase, but Mena fears that the truce will not continue.
“I’m pretty sad with the ceasefire because I read through the whole plan… it seems very
hesitant about what we’re going to see after,” Mena said.
Brady Patterson, who serves as the membership chair for Students for Justice in Palestine, said he would like to see peace but is not confident in the ceasefire.
“We obviously hope that there will be peace,” Patterson said. “We obviously hope that the ceasefire can work, but when we look historically at what Israel has done, Israel always violates the ceasefire.”
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he is not confident in the ceasefire, stating, “It’s not our war,” according to CNN.
“That’s pretty ironic, considering the fact that billions of dollars of weaponry is from the United States has gone to Israel when the president just said that it’s not their war to fight,” Mena said.
Holley Hansen, a political science professor at OSU, said that the ceasefire is the first step to resolving the conflict, but a clear-cut answer is not that simple.
“Having a ceasefire doesn’t mean this conflict is over,” Hansen said. “You can think of them as trust-building exercises. There’s a chance to have a pause in the fighting, but there’s no guarantee that it will continue.
Hansen’s research focuses on conflict mediation, and she said a significant factor in the continuation of the ceasefire is “spoilers” or people who would like to see the conflict continue for their own personal gain.
See CEASEFIRE on page 5A
Free Mom Hugs offers support to members of LGBTQIA+ community
HAYDEN ALEXANDER NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Sometimes, all people need is a hug.
Volunteers with the nonprofit organization Free Mom Hugs came to OSU on Tuesday offering hugs and words of encouragement to students.
“The idea is that there are a lot of people out there you don’t know, they might be needing some love, some caring and so we just volunteer to give people hugs randomly,” first-time volunteer Sarah Prater said.
While brightening people’s days with hugs is the goal there is much more to the organization than meets the eye.
Free Mom Hugs offers support to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Kim Shenold joined Prater carrying a sign advertising the free hugs to students. The multi-colored sign hinted at the organization’s mission to help LGBTQIA+ students feel accepted and loved.
Shenold’s child is gender diverse and said she that
members of the LGBTQIA + community need support.
“We just need to have a more positive light on the LGBTQIA+ community, especially in this part of the country,” Shenold said. “This is one small thing that I can do to show people that they’re welcome and accepted.”
Sara Cunningham started Free Mom Hugs in Oklahoma City to be there for members of the LGBTQIA+ community that might not receive the love they need from their families. Cunningham didn’t start out as an ally and had no idea how to handle her son’s homosexuality at first. Growing up in the church and surrounded by a conservative community influenced her response to her son, Parker. “I was born to believe that homosexuality was wrong, and that if my son was gay, that meant that I had failed as a mother and as a woman of faith,” Cunningham said. It took Cunningham a long time to open up to her son’s sexuality, but she wanted to maintain her faith and her relationship with her son.
See HUGS on page 5A
Food
insecurity rates rise in Payne County
JESSICA PEARCE STAFF REPORTER
Sarah Fadling, a mother of three and a longtime Cushing resident, said recent years have made it difficult to raise her family in the community it loves.
With years of rising grocery prices, health issues and the closure of the local grocery store, Fadling said she worries about being able to feed her family every week.
“Our sons are used to making a big pile of food on their plate,” Fadling said. “We’ve had to tell them, ‘Hey, don’t go crazy.’ It’s not something you want to ever tell anyone in your house, especially your kids.”
That strain is familiar to residents of Payne County, where 17% of residents are considered food insecure, according to Feeding America, a national nonprofit working to address food insecurity and promote access to healthy food.
As grocery prices rise and pandemicera benefit programs end, officials expect
the issue to worsen. That puts a greater strain on existing government assistance programs, school districts and local food resource centers. To meet the growing demand, OSU is working with community partners to provide healthy, affordable food for residents of Payne County and OSU students.
What is food insecurity?
Food insecurity — the lack of access to nutritious, affordable food — is on the rise in Payne County and across the state.
Austin Prickett, the marketing manager for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, said the increase in food insecurity rates stem from the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rising cost of living across Oklahoma.
“During the pandemic, we had all these really great federal and state programs that were helping us reach folks,” Prickett said.
“But in the last few years, a lot of those programs have ended, so now people are finding themselves without enough funding month to month. It’s gotten quite a bit worse.”
See FOOD on page 8A
Bryson Thadhani
The president of Students for Justice in Palestine helps put together rallies, protests and events for the club.
Hayden Alexander
Kim Shenold (left) and Sarah Prater (right) walked around campus Tuesday giving out free hugs for National Hug Day.
Jessica Pearce
John Moran stocks shelves at Our Daily Bread before a shopping session.
News
New ombuds officer sees 30 ‘visitors’ in 3 months
I’ve been in this job… that’s been one of the things that I’ve noticed that’s a problem in some units on campus.”
Oklahoma State’s new ombuds officer is taking the role in stride.
A retiree of OSU’s faculty, Tom Wikle assumed his part-time position in October. His job entails confidentially meeting with “visitors,” which can include faculty, staff, students, parents and anyone else who has problems or concerns related to OSU. He presented to the Faculty Council about his position Tuesday.
The one-man office reports to the office of the president, though the position remains independent, Wikle said. He handles concerns on each of the university’s five campuses.
“I’m an advocate for respectful dialogue,” Wikle said. “So we want to see people talk to each other. That’s very important just in the few months that
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Wikle said 30 people have visited him, with 60% of people returning for multiple meetings. About half of the people he has met with are faculty, Wikle said.
The former geography faculty member said issues with supervisors have been the bulk of concerns he has received.
Wikle said one of his priorities is to resolve issues at the “lowest level possible.” Conversations with visitors are confidential, and Wikle said he only involves other people if the visitor requests it. However, the ombuds officer is required to report violations of the law or university policy.
Wikle, who retired from his faculty position three years ago, replaced former biosystems and agricultural engineering professor Carol Jones. He can be contacted at ombuds@okstate. edu or (405) 744-6627.
Do you think banning TikTok is a good or bad idea?
“I think it’s a bad thing. I think a lot of people use it as either their actual job or their side hustle. Banning it would take jobs away.”
- Emma Milsow
“I definitely see both sides of it, but I think it’s a good thing. I think it distracts people from their real life.”
- Carley Higgins
“I think that it’s weird that they’re taking it away from us. I feel as though, maybe the government doesn’t want us to hear something from other countries.”
- Haley Zuniga
Paul Miller Stillwater, OK 74078 (405)-744-6365 Editorial
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Tom Wikle assumed his position as ombuds officer in October.
Donald Trump sworn in as 47th president
the U.S. will only recognize male and female as genders.
As snow fell in Stillwater, President Donald Trump took office in Washington, D.C.
Trump, who served as the 45th president, is now serving as the 47th. The business tycoon was sworn in on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Vice President J.D. Vance was also sworn in.
After a contentious presidential election, Trump began his four-year term Monday.
“The golden age of America begins now,” Trump said in the opening line of his inaugural address.
The president promised to sign a slew of executive orders, including declaring a national emergency at the southern border, reinstating his “remain in Mexico” policy, revoking the Green New Deal, taking back the Panama Canal and declaring that
In line with recent statements, he also said the Gulf of Mexico will change to the Gulf of America and he will create the Department of Government Efficiency. “... America’s decline is over,” Trump said.
Former president Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris sat to Trump’s left, rarely clapping or showing emotion. On Trump’s side, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and UFC CEO Dana White were in attendance.
He thanked the Black and Hispanic communities for their role in his election. Both demographics turned out in record numbers for the Republican president.
“I will not forget it,” Trump said.
Trump said he has been “tested and challenged” more than any other president in the country’s 250 year history.
“In America, the impossible is what we do best,” Trump said of his election.
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Former OSU student sues City of Stillwater, SPD for unlawful arrest, strip search
RAYNEE
Two former OSU students were arrested in 2022 on multiple charges; one is now suing Stillwater Police Department and the City of Stillwater alleging her arrest and strip search were unlawful.
Claire Hosterman and Caymon Severs were on The Strip in the early morning hours of Sept. 22, 2022. SPD responded to a call around 2 a.m., from an employee of The Union bar who explained to dispatchers there was an individual who refused to leave and threatened to fight staff, according to a statement from SPD. By the time the police arrived, a group of people including Severs and Hosterman were in front of Pickleman’s. In the body cam footage, Severs and Hosterman are shown being repeatedly asked to walk away from Officer Bryan Luginbill. They continued to question Luginbill, and he reached out and grabbed Severs’ wrist.
A struggle ensued, Severs was tased and both were detained. Hosterman was charged with resisting arrest and public intoxication. Severs was charged with obstructing an officer, public intoxication and two counts of resisting an officer.
Severs took a guilty plea for resisting an officer and public intoxication. The state dismissed the other charges.
Hosterman was then booked for her third charge, assault and battery of a corrections officer from an incident in the jail, according to a Stillwater News Press article.
During Hosterman’s booking, a strip search was conducted, according to the civil lawsuit filed against the city and SPD on Sept. 20, 2024. The lawsuit alleges a male officer held Hosterman’s feet down while a female officer removed her shorts and two other male officers stood and watched from a few feet away.
A video was released to Stillwater News Press, and the article explained the scene further.
“Hosterman is loudly crying and objecting to the search the entire time. At one point, the male officer moves from holding the feet to apparently spreading Hosterman’s legs in a cavity search,” the article states.
The lawsuit also alleges her shirt was removed and she was left with no clothes, alone on a bench, for eight minutes.
Hosterman was a former lifestyle editor for The O’Colly and was suspended from her position after the initial incident in 2022. The O’Colly is following the lawsuit and will continue to update as necessary.
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While many are watching the presidential inauguration today, others are celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential leaders of the American Civil Rights movement.
In 1983, President Ronald Regan signed a bill designating the third Monday in January as MLK Jr. Day to honor the late activist. The holiday was first observed in 1986 and celebrated in all 50 states by 2000.
In a rare crossover, MLK Jr. Day and Inauguration Day happened on the same day.
This happened last during President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013 and Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997.
Historically, Inauguration Day takes place on Jan. 20 after the 20th amendment, ratified in 1933, moved the date up to reduce the time between presidential transitions.
While the peaceful transition of power unfolds, we remember the peaceful practices that define MLK Jr’s legacy.
The Baptist preacher-turned-activist employed words and non-violent forms of activism in his leadership of the American Civil Rights movement. In 13 years, King broke down barriers, redefined activism and spearheaded one of the greatest wins in the history of equality.
In 1955, King took up the mantle of spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 13-month-long protest that led to the desegregation of public transportation. In 1963, King led a group of activists to expose police brutality in Birmingham, Alabama.
King was arrested in Birmingham on April 12, 1963, and spent eight days in jail. While behind bars, he wrote his famous manifesto, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The letter and its revelation of the violence in Birming-
ham led to national outrage in favor of Civil Rights.
Later that year, during the March on Washington, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to about 250,000 people.
This speech defined the Civil Rights Movement and is considered one of the most pivotal speeches in American history.
King’s and many others’ work paid off. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy asked Congress to pass a civil rights bill. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into Law, prohibiting discrimination based on “race, color, sex, and national origin.”
The act was the first of many to follow, establishing and protecting the rights of all American citizens.
Later that year, King, 35, won the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest person to win the award, until 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai in 2014, for his nonviolent activism.
King shifted to economic justice after the Civil Rights Act of 1965 prohibited states from disqualifying votes based on race. He continued working and advocating for equality until his assassination on April 4th, 1968, at a motel in Tennessee. He was laid to rest in Atlanta, Georgia.
King’s legacy lives on through the Civil Rights Act, the lives he impacted and the lessons he left behind. He is the only non-president to have a federal holiday dedicated to him and to be honored with a monument on the National Mall.
For many, Monday is more than a normal day; it’s a day to celebrate a man who peacefully and effectively pioneered civil rights in the United States.
While the march honoring King at OSU was canceled due to inclement weather, multiple student organizations are planning a celebration in the Student Union on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. to highlight King’s legacy.
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Courtesy Creative Commons Each
Courtesy Creative Commons
President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States Monday.
Lifestyle
Tribute to David Lynch: Visionary movie, TV show director dies at 78
to every person who watches television.
It’s simultaneously hilarious and horrifying; uncanny and beautiful; silly and serious. It’s a masterpiece that deserves a spot in the great American canon.
OSU students ditch New Year’s resolutions, focus on small changes
models, she’s discovered a profound truth about personal growth.
“I want to give myself breaks and focus on taking care of myself rather than just my grades,” she said.
Last year, Pate picked up guitar playing and quilting — creative outlets that brought joy without the pressure of perfection.
On Jan. 15, I received news that completely and totally floored me. The man who inspired me to make movies had died.
David Lynch was the co-creator of “Twin Peaks” and director of 10 feature films, including “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet,” “The Elephant Man,” among others. Lynch was a visionary director and influenced so many filmmakers with his distinct visual style and his eccentric approach to the film-making process.
You can’t look at Lynch from the typical lenses that you use to look at Hollywood directors. Lynch defied everything from scene composition to the basic fundamentals of narrative structure. No other director, dead or alive, has played with the medium quite like him.
A wonderful example of how bizarre his films could be is in “Blue Velvet,” when Kyle Maclachlan’s character delivers a human ear he finds in a field to a detective, exclaiming “I found an ear!” Lynch could only write a scene so disquietingly funny. His grotesque sense of humor is omnipresent in culture today, with shows like “The X-Files” and “Gravity Falls” being directly inspired by his most famous work: “Twin Peaks.”
“Twin Peaks” is a perfect summarization of Lynch’s mad genius. No other director could make a story about a small town dealing with grief featuring kung-fu business men, giants, alternate dimensions and an FBI director who communicates through screams. It’s a beautiful show, and I truly recommend it
One last thing I want to mention about Lynch is his personal life was just as bizarre as his work. For example, he obsessively consumed the same meal today for 40 years: grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes and cheese. He was an avid coffee consumer, including advertisements for his own specialty blend in the physical releases of multiple films.
He had five Woody Woodpecker dolls that he called his “boys,” who were saved from the fate of hanging from a telephone pole. They were named Chucko, Buster, Pete, Bob and Dan.
He practiced transcendental meditation for decades, and his foundation has assisted millions of people in bettering their lives. There are thousands of other interesting tidbits about his life I could share, (like how his nickname for Laura Dern was, in fact, Tidbit), but I think that his legacy speaks for itself.
The Bob’s Big Boy Burger in Los Angeles, where Lynch wrote the script for “Blue Velvet” on the back of napkins, has turned into a pop-up memorial for the director. Hundreds of DVDs, cups of coffee, cigarette cartons, bottles of Coke, chocolate chip cookies, photos of Laura Palmer from “Twin Peaks” and handwritten notes have been left at the feet of the iconic Big Boy statue. At the top of the pile is a donut, just like Lucy buys the Twin Peaks sheriff department every evening. A donut, just like Lynch’s most iconic quote: “Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole.”
Rest in peace, David Lynch.
The clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Confetti falls. Promises soar. Yet by mid-January, those ambitious New Year’s resolutions often feel like distant dreams gathering dust in our mental attics.
But what if we have been thinking about resolutions all wrong? What if the secret to lasting change isn’t in grand declarations but in the quiet whispers of everyday choices?
Deep in the creative space of Oklahoma State University’s School of Architecture, students are quietly revolutionizing how they approach personal growth. They are trading in the traditional “new year, new me” mantras for something far more powerful and surprisingly simple.
“My resolution for the new year is to make more friends, be more outgoing, and get more organized in my daily life,” student Logan Gaber said. “One small habit I would change is getting up earlier and actually preparing for the day instead of rushing out the door.”
Gaber might not know it, but she’s onto something big. Research published in the European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care suggests these kinds of specific, manageable changes — rather than sweeping transformations — hold the key to lasting success. The journal’s editors found setting overly-ambitious resolutions often becomes a trap, leading straight to disappointment.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the studio, senior architecture major Evelyn Pate is rewriting her own rules for the new year. Between sketches and
“Be kinder to yourself,” she said. “And give yourself some grace.”
Her words echo what editors emphasize: that perfection isn’t the goal; progress is.
This shift in thinking — from rigid goals to gentle progress — isn’t just feel-good advice. Medical experts suggest that sustainable change comes from what they call “micro-habits”— tiny adjustments so small they’re almost impossible to fail at implementing. Think of it as building a masterpiece with LEGO bricks rather than trying to sculpt a statue in one go.
These architecture students, surrounded daily by the principles of thoughtful design and careful construction, understand intuitively what many of us struggle to grasp: Great things are built one small piece at a time. Whether it’s Gaber’s morning routine or Pate’s creative projects, they’re proving meaningful change doesn’t require a complete demolition and rebuild of our lives.
As January marches on and resolution fatigue sets in for many, these students offer a refreshing blueprint for personal growth. Their approach suggests that maybe — just maybe — the best resolutions are not written in bold declarations on New Year’s Eve, but in the quiet moments of daily choices, small victories and gentle progress. After all, as editors remind us, “The best results come from patience, consistency, and the willingness to adapt. Perhaps it’s time we all took a page from these young architects’ playbook and started building our better selves one small brick at a time.
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2025 movie lineup
Will 2025 be the year the box office and film fans are waiting for?
The pandemic permanently changed movie-going habits. The 2023 labor strikes foiled hopes for a return to normal cinema, leading to last May becoming the worst month at the box office in 25 years.
With 2025 offering a calmer cinema climate and promising a resurgence of major franchises, movie fans are hoping this year will shape up to be the one that brings cinema back.
The film lineup includes a diverse genre mix and plenty of fan-favorite actors, including Tom Cruise, Jamie Lee Curtis and Cameron Diaz. With the abundance of rebooted franchises, sequels and remakes, fans will have the chance to embrace familiarity this year.
Although there is plenty of optimism about how the year will affect cinema, only time will tell.
Marvel is returning strong after releasing only one feature film in 2024.
In 2025, it will release feature films “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts” and “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” along with an upcoming Disney+ animated series, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Disney will release live-action remakes of two classics: “Snow White” and “Lilo and Stitch.” Fans will also have the chance to enjoy familiar films in sequels, such as “Zootopia 2,” “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” and Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan’s return in “Freakier Friday.”
Other highly anticipated films include “Paddington in Peru,” “Karate Kid: Legends,” a live-action “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Superman,” Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in “Back in Action,” and “Wicked: For Good” – the second act to the very “popular” 2024 Broadway film adaptation.
Franchises like Jurassic World and Mission Impossible will both release films. Tom Cruise returns for “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning,” seemingly the franchise’s last movie. Scarlett Johansson will star alongside Bridgerton and Wicked heartthrob Jonathan Bailey in “Jurassic World: Rebirth.”
The year will wrap up with films including “Downton Abbey 3,” “The Conjuring: Last Rites” and the biographical musical drama film “Michael,” based on the life of American singer Michael Jackson, predicted to be the new highestgrossing music biopic.
With so many major titles releasing in close proximity, 2025 is a big year for the box office, promising something for everyone and, hopefully, a return to the glory days of cinema.
Courtesy Creative Commons
David Lynch, long time film director, passed away this month from emphysema.
Courtesy Creative Commons
The film industry is looking to make a comeback in with an impressive line-up for 2025.
Hugs
“When Parker, my son came out of his closet, I went into mine,” Cunningham said. “I had to get educated.”
Cunningham started researching and talking with other moms about their experience. She met her son’s significant other and witnessed how he interacted with his friends. The joy Cunningham saw him experience with people that accepted him inspired her to re-examine her views without parting from her faith.
“It was a process, but one that took me from the church to the Pride parade without losing my faith or my son,” Cunningham said. “I believe that homosexuality is, in fact, a gift from God.” Cunningham’s journey to acceptance did not stop with her son. After attending a Pride parade with her husband and son, Cunningham realized she could do more. She quickly made a button and went out to a Pride parade offering hugs to anyone that needed them.
“I offered anyone who made eye contact with me a hug,” Cunningham said. “The first hug went to a beautiful young girl who said it’d been four years since she had a hug from her mother, because she’s a lesbian.”
That hug changed the course of Cunningham’s life.
Realizing how many members of the LGBTQIA+ community go without hugs from parents and friends because of their sexuality, Cunningham started Free Mom Hugs. The organization took off as more parents joined hoping to make a difference in their communities.
Free Mom Hugs volunteers help organize Second Chance proms, fill clothing closets and advocate for human rights with groups like PFLAG.
“I empower our chapters to be that loving presence in the lives of those who need it most,” Cunningham said. Cunningham said that her volunteers are always looking to bring out a spark in people by acknowledging them as a human first. She hopes the group will inspire other parents to make a change for their loved ones.
“I was stuck in my fear and ignorance,” Cunningham said. “It was love and education that brought me to this place.”
Free Mom Hugs is growing with chapters all over the nation bringing joy to people daily. Their mission is to empower the world to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.
“As human beings we deserve to be loved,” Cunningham said. “We deserve to feel safe and be supported and be celebrated.”
Hit-and-run driver faces negligence claims regarding job at family farm
gence” against Peters Farm. This implicates Michael Peters, Tyler’s father, who owns the family wheat farm.
Ceasefire
“We’ve seen in past peace agreements in Israel with those spoilers, both on the Israeli side and the Palestinian side that have really made it difficult for initial agreements to stick,” Hansen said.
The peace is delicate, and Patterson wants students to realize that there is still violence taking place in the Gaza Strip.
“There’s still a siege, there’s still a restriction of movement for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank,” Patterson said.
Israel is in the process of occupying the Westbank, and “suspected” Jewish settlers have attacked two Palestinian villages since the ceasefire started Sunday according to the Associated Press.
A clear solution may not be attainable, but both Patterson and Mena said they believe that the Palestinians have a right to exist on their land and territory to claim as their own.
Mena is passionate about sharing her story and the story of all Palestinians affected by the war. For her it’s a matter of home and heart.
“No matter how long I stay here and live here, this isn’t my country, this isn’t my land,” Mena said. “Gaza is my land and my home.”
Since the war started many Palestinians living abroad have been unable to return home.
“I have a right to go back there and I am also fighting for every single Palestinian that hasn’t been able to go back to their own country,” Mena said.
Mena reminds everyone that innocent civilians are at the center of the conflict. To her, the humanitarian crisis is everyone’s problem. She encourages students to consider their fellow students that are impacted daily.
“I think innocent people dying everywhere should be an issue for everyone,” Mena said. “I’ve lost so many family members in this war, and to constantly hear that it’s just a part of the war, that is disgusting and unfair.”
A negligence claim will remain against a former OSU student who was involved in a fatal hit-and-run.
Tyler Peters, who has maintained his plea of not guilty, killed Gabrielle “Gabi” Long on Feb. 22, 2024. He is employed as an “agricultural advocate” through Peters Farm, a family-owned farm, according to his Linkedin. On Friday, Gabi’s estate responded to a motion to dismiss the claim that Peters was operating on behalf of his employer.
Peters was driving a truck that belonged to the farm when he hit Gabi. Because of this, Gabi’s estate is suing for “negligence” and “gross negli-
“At the time of these actions, Defendant Tyler Peters was operating a farm truck, with a tax-exempt farm tag, issued by the State of Oklahoma. The primary purpose of such vehicles is to perform heavy-duty work and commercial use,” part of the motion reads.
The defense has argued that driving the farm-issued truck falls under Oklahoma’s “going and coming” rule, which protects employers from liability for employees when driving to and from work. Gabi’s estate has argued taking classes at OSU falls within the scope of his duties of employment.
Gabi’s estate sued on April 5, 2024, and the state of Oklahoma began its litigation against Tyler Peters five days after the hit-and-run occurred.
No new court dates have been set.
“I hope for a Palestinian state,” Patterson said. “I am not Palestinian, but I think that every group of people deserves a national territory, deserves a national state to govern their identity and to give sovereignty to people.”
The halt in the fighting does not change anything for Mena and as president of SJP; she has led members in rallies, protests, and demonstrations on campus advocating for a free Palestine.
Mena said that the SJP plans on shifting gears to more demonstration-type events to help students visualize the scale of the conflict in Palestine.
“Our work doesn’t stop because we know who the people of Gaza are, unfortunately, who they are dealing with, and we know that isn’t the end,” Mena said. “We’re fighting for justice in Palestine, and bringing them back to rubble in an open-air prison is not justice.”
One event Mena hopes to see on campus is a cultural day for students who might not fully understand the conflict or the Palestinian culture. She wants them to hear from Palestinian students.
“We want to introduce people to more of the Palestinian culture and humanize those Palestinians that are currently passing away,” Mena said.
Patterson and Mena said that many students feel removed from the conflict and therefore don’t really look into what’s happening overseas. Patterson reminds everyone that their tax dollars are funding the war.
“I know that it’s my country, the United States of America, that supplies all of these weapons to Israel,” Patterson said. “We give maybe a billion dollars in taxpayer money to Israel.”
While many are unsure about peace, Hansen offers up a bit of hope. Her days are spent delving into conflicts from across the globe and throughout history. She has seen disaster turn into hope.
“There are many conflicts that we’ve seen that we previously thought to have been hopeless who have reached peace agreements,” Hansen said.
Hansen said peace is not an absence of disagreement but a way of transforming weapons into words and allowing conflict to play out democratically.
Hansen encourages students wanting to know more about the IsraelHamas war to do their research and avoid using social media as a source. Hansen recommends checking out the global conflict tracker from the Council on Foreign Relations at www.cfr.org.
“A lot of students, if they’re getting their news on social media, are going to probably be running into very biased sources,” Hansen said. “A lot of the social media messaging you’re getting is going to be very heavily pro-Palestine or heavily pro-Israel, and depending on the algorithms that may shape which one you get.”
As for Mena and Patterson, their fight isn’t over.
“We’ll keep shouting, and we’ll keep protesting until people hear us and understand that it isn’t something they can turn a blind eye to,” Mena said. “These are people. These are children. These are families. These are mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, aunts and children all dying.”
Courtesy Creative Commons
Free Mom Hugs volunteers with PFLAG, Second Chance Prom and other Human Rights groups.
Bryson Thadhani
Tyler Peters, who killed Gabrielle “Gabi” Long in a fatal hit-an-run, is facing negligence claims.
Bryson Thadhani
Israel and Hamas entered into a ceasefire agreement on Jan. 19.
Lifestyle
Student Involvement Fair showcases
diverse array of OSU organizations
us it’s just a small group of people trying to help wherever we can.”
Members of the Foster Youth Advocates also regularly volunteer with Lions Meadows of Hope, DHS and child support services.
What do K-pop and the Global Medical Brigades have in common?
They are both organizations at Oklahoma State and were featured at the Student Involvement Fair on Wednesday.
The fair happens once a semester and showcases many different organizations and clubs on campus to students. For a couple of hours, the Student Union Ballroom overflows with tables, posters and students ready to share what sets them apart.
Alex Comer, the Coordinator for Student Organizations, said the event is a great way for students to connect face-to-face.
“We’re mostly just trying to get students connected with other students on campus and get them involved in student organizations so that they have a better college experience,” Comer said.
Walking into the ballroom, students experienced a showcase of clubs and organizations, including Seoul Mixx, OSU’s very own K-pop club. The club is for K-pop lovers and newcomers alike and celebrates K-pop culture and the love of music.
Kierra Miles stood next to the K-pop club’s colorful poster, talking with students and sharing her love of the music genre. Miles said she got together with fellow music lovers to get the club up and running.
“I knew that I really wanted to hang out with people who had the same music interest as me because, for me, music is one of my top priorities in my life, and having friends that I connect to is really nice,” Miles said.
Connection is the word of the day for student organizations, and one group works hard to create a safe environment on campus. Foster Youth Advocates works with former foster youths and those currently in foster care, serving the community and raising awareness.
Domenic Intrieri serves as the club’s secretary, and he said the club helps guide former foster students and creates a space where they can relate to others.
“It targets a niche community that is sometimes overlooked on college campuses, and it allows them to be successful in their college career,” Intrieri said. “It’s hard to find your people, but with
“It’s a great way to give back to the community and help with service hours,” said Kara Chandler, a member of Foster Youth Advocates.
Volunteer opportunities are abundant at OSU, and multiple student organizations provide opportunities for students to help their communities, but one club sends students across the globe to serve.
Global Medical Brigades (GMB) pairs students with professionals in the medical field as they embark into the world to provide healthcare to people in need.
Last summer, students traveled to Guatemala to learn and help in whatever way they could.
“We got to go volunteer shadow,”
President Mattie Hobson said. “We worked with Guatemalan doctors and Hungarian doctors and all these people.”
Hobson said the club is more than just an educational experience; it’s a way to provide care to people who would otherwise not receive it.
“We go abroad and help these people and give medical care for the first time for some of them,” Hobson said. “It’s such a great organization to be part of and it really melts your heart to help all these different people.”
Medical clubs are plentiful at OSU, and Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) set up its table next to the Global Medical Brigades. Together, the medical tables introduced many students to an array of medical opportunities.
Hariette Diara with HOSA said the organization is student-focused.
“We try to pave a path,” Diara said. “It’s just a place where you can ask questions without feeling judged and also grow and seek your goals.”
The fair might be over, but the chance to get plugged in is still available to students through Campus-Link. Students interested in joining an organization can hop on Campus-Link and utilize search tools to find a club that suits their interests. Comer encourages students to get involved.
“I think it is one of the most important things you can do as a college student is get out of your comfort zone and go meet people that otherwise you wouldn’t have ever met,” Comer said.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Students tackle new schedules and activities to start the spring semester.
After one week of classes, students are ready to take on spring semester
KAREEM SAWAN STAFF REPORTER
Students have finished up their first week of the spring semester.
That could either be exciting or frightening, depending on the student. School in the first week can feel like a lot, but can start to feel like home after a few weeks. The O’Colly talked to students to see how they feel after finishing the first week of a new semester.
“I really like it a lot,” Whitley Glass said. “I’m enjoying all my classes so far.”
Glass enjoys being back on campus since she is able to see her friends and get to know her residents as she is currently a community mentor. She is excited for new opportunities this semester. Excited as well to see who joins her sorority as rush is happening currently for the spring semester.
“I enjoyed my first week, and glad to be back in a routine” Riley Smith said.
Smith is eager to get to see all the tours on campus to see any future Pokes that come to OSU campus while also seeing her friends come from her hometown.
After trying out different organizations around campus, Smith has developed in interest in working with the wrestling team.
“I am a wrestling mat maid” Smith said. “I go to all the duals, and I get to cheer with them and it’s really cool” Smith is excited to see where the semester leads her for the years to come.
“I am really excited,” Makenna Polozola said. “I really like all of my professors and they also seem really excited for the spring semester”.
Polozola is ready to be back on campus since she gets to see her friends and is excited about what OSU has to offer. She is part of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club as well and is enjoying it.
“I am really excited to be back, because the sorority I am in; Alpha Kappa Delta Phi,” Abigail Jamison said. “We are doing rush right now, and I am really excited to meet all of the potential new members.”
With spring recruitment happening for sororities, Jamison said she is excited to see all the future members for her sorority.
“Come out to rush,” Jamison said.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Country artist Ty Myers releases debut album ‘The Select’: Is the old country sound back?
Ty Myers, a 17-year-old from Austin, Texas, has risen to small-town country fame and is now releasing a debut album to back it up. Myers, who sold out Tumbleweed Dance Hall in Stillwater, has now sold out almost every stop on his new tour — The Select Tour. His new album “The Select” is being released Friday. From Myers previous releases, fans have heard his smooth soul-style voice take on old-fashioned country tunes. With a classic sound and, oddly enough, songs about drinking, he quickly became a hit among country audiences.
“Drinkin’ Alone,” for example, is one of Myers’ first and most popular releases. This track alongside other previous singles — not all about drinking, and many about love — has made its way onto the 15-track album. If the previously released-singles are any indicator of the album overall, fans and casual listeners are in for a treat.
“Ends of the Earth,” the title track
of Myers’ EP from October is worth mentioning as it is the opening song on the album, and in my opinion, the strongest song in his discography. It starts off slow with a bluesy buildup before Myers sings the sweetest lyrics about unconditional love.
The other two singles released to tease the album were “Drunk Love” and “Can’t Hold Me Down.” These songs, respectively, took the second and third spots in my ranking behind “Ends of the Earth.”
“Drunk Love,” my runner-up, is a song about feeling unfulfilled with the love you’re receiving. In a more literal sense, it has to do with drinking and hooking up, but we don’t have to go there. It’s catchy, it’s fun and the lyrics do the concept justice.
“Can’t Hold Me Down” explores a theme many country songs have tackled before; the story of an artist on the road who can’t be held down by a loved one back home. Although it has been done before, Myers’ catchy chorus is hard not to find yourself singing. The rest of the seven tracks will be released after The O’Colly’s print deadline. To read the rest of the review, visit ocolly.com.
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Bryson Thadhani
Hayden Alexander
Kierra Miles shared her love for K-pop with other students at the Student Involvement Fair.
How to balance work, school as a college student
for assistance. Apply for scholarships
The “broke college student” stereotype is not just a stereotype.
Alongside paying for school, there are a handful of other expenses. The combined cost of gas, loan payments, groceries, rent and utilities can take a toll.
One solution: find a job.
But juggling school and work can be a daunting task. Here are six ways to manage your time to find success at work and in the classroom.
Scheduling and communication
Many companies in Stillwater employ college students. If you make it clear in your interview that you are a college student, the employers who work with college students will ask you to provide your schedule and work with you on availability; that way there are no surprises for you or the employer once you’re hired.
Communicating to your managers and co-workers is key. If you know certain days you have an exam or event, ask off weeks in advance. Most likely, time-off will be granted; but if not, knowing your co-workers can help you find someone to cover your shift.
Joining the work group chat and downloading the scheduling app on your phone will also help you plan out your schedule. It will be easily accessible, and if you need someone to trade or pick up a shift, texting all your coworkers at once will be beneficial.
Try an on-campus job, work study or internship
Jobs on campus are required to work around your schedule. Alongside your resume and potential cover letter, most campus employers ask for a schedule upfront. The pay for on-campus jobs are typically on the lower side, but if you live on or near campus, the convenience may outweigh the cost to drive off campus.
Internships related to certain majors are also available across campus.
To browse on-campus jobs or internships, Career Services utilizes the 12twenty job portal for listings. Students are also able to visit the Career Services office in Student Union 360
Receiving scholarship money may help ease the financial burden of paying for school, books or other educational resources. Reach out to your academic adviser or visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to find scholarships related to you, your interests and your situation.
There are also many websites tailored to finding scholarships for college students. It’s a lot of paperwork, but it can be worth it. The more you apply for, the more chances you have to lessen the cost of the bills piling up around you.
Use a calendar or to-do list
Planning is an essential tool for every college student, especially for those with jobs. You know that reading most of your classmates are waiting til the last minute to read? Well, when you get off work 30 minutes before class, you may not have time during your commute to check your notes.
Plan ahead. Try to stay on top of readings and homework assignments days before it needs to be completed. If you procrastinate, you may lose essential time you could have used. Make a to-do list, or better yet, use a calendar to plan out allotted times for certain school work, classes and shifts all in one place.
Waking up early
Easier said than done. Waking up hours before your first shift or class can be awful, especially when you worked the night shift the day before. But it will make you feel like you have much more time in the day to be productive.
Finishing an assignment due at 11:59 p.m. at 9 a.m. in the morning is an unmatched feeling. Reward yourself with an iced coffee and a bagel during your early-morning study seshes, and I promise it won’t be as bad.
Take time for yourself
Working and attending school at the same time can be extremely hard. Give yourself a break when you need it. Whether it’s taking a walk or watching your comfort TV show, a few minutes here and there make all the difference.
Several
Bring on the books: 10 novels to look forward to in 2025
Looking to add to your 2025 reading list? Here are 10 page-turning novels releasing in 2025.
‘Onyx Storm’
Rebecca Yarros surged in popularity after the “Fourth Wing” release in 2023. The fantasy novel quickly captured hearts with action-packed scenes, a strong female heroine and an enemiesto-lovers plotline. A familiar plot, but it worked for readers, and Yarros quickly released a sequel, “Iron Flame,” in 2024.
Yarros’ third novel, “Onyx Storm,” was released on Jan. 21 and was one of the year’s most anticipated releases. Readers lined up outside Target for the special edition, stores ran out of copies and Amazon experienced delays in shipping because of its demand.
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’
The “Hunger Games” dominated the 2010s dystopian era and continues to keep the genre relevant as readers shift to fantasy. In 2020, Collins released “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” The prequel novel followed Coriolanus Snow and fans loved it.
Collins plans to release a new prequel novelization of Haymitch Abernathy’s experience in the Hunger Games on March 18. This raises the question of exploring future prequel novels and characters.
‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ Emily Henry is known for her contemporary romance novels. Her 2021 novel “People We Meet on Vacation” is being made into a film with Emily Bader from “My Lady Jane” and Tom Blyth as the titular couple.
“Great Big Beautiful Life” is another romance novel that follows two writers chasing the perfect story. Alice Scott is looking for her big break, and Hayden Anderson is a seasoned writer who wants to add to his repertoire. The pair get the opportunity of a lifetime and one month to interview the elusive octogenarian Margaret Ives. Needless to say, a little rivalry doesn’t hurt the chance of a good romance.
Henry’s novel will be released on April 22.
‘The Floating World’ Guess what? Yep, we’ve got another fantasy story plagued with romance but with a hint of mythology this time. “The Floating World,” by New York Times bestselling author Axie Oh, draws inspiration from the Korean legend of celestial maidens, promising an adventurous journey for readers.
Ex-soldier Sunho is kicking the Underworld with nothing but his sword and memory loss. He specializes in odd jobs, and when a bounty too good to ignore comes along, he springs into action.Meanwhile, Ren, an acrobat, harbors a secret: She wields a celestial power. Naturally the two run into each other.
It is not quite an enemies-to-lovers trope, but it’s enough to pique readers’ interest. “The Floating World” is set to release on April 29.
‘Needy Little Things’ If you are a fan of mysteries, Channelle Desamours’ debut novel follows Sariyah Lee Bryant, a girl with premonition capabilities who has to use her abilities to find her missing friend.
Opting to take matters into her own hands Bryant teams up with her friends to find Deja using her powers as a means to an end with less than great results.
‘Ruinous Love’ #3: ‘Scythe & Sparrow’ Romance is the name of the game in 2025, and “Scythe & Sparrow” is the latest in Brynne Weaver’s “Ruinous Love” series. The trilogy pairs romance with a hint of murder... OK, lots of murder. In this third installment of murderhappy lovers, Dr. Fionn Kane is running from a failed love and crashes right into motorcycle performer Rose Evans, who happens to enjoy murder as a side hustle. It’s a love story for the ages that releases on Feb. 11.
‘Death of the Author’
In an exploration of the emerging “Africanfuturism” genre, New York Times best-selling author Nnedi Okorafor dives into the psyche of writers. Zelu, a Nigerian-American woman, is at odds with life. She has paraplegia and uses writing as an escape. After being fired from her job and having her novel rejected, Zelu writes a new story. Diving deep into sci-fi, readers suddenly find themselves in a book within a book as the relationship between artists and their work deepens.
Like “Onyx Storm,” Okorafor’s novel was released recently on Jan. 14.
‘Everything is Tuberculosis’ Let’s add a little nonfiction to this fictional list. “Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection,” by John Green, is an account of his time with Henry, a tuberculosis patient. Green, an advocate for healthcare reform and author of “The Fault in Our Stars,” illuminates the devastation of the disease while telling a heartwarming story of a friendship between author and patient. Green’s novel will be released on March 18.
Hayden Alexander
Bryson Thadhani
Creating a schedule is an essential part of juggling school, work and extracurriculars. RAYNEE HOWELL
Food
That puts many Oklahomans in a precarious situation.
“A lot of people are only one or two paychecks away from being food insecure,” Prickett said. “And if there’s kids involved, you have to make some hard choices. You have to think, ‘Do I pay rent? Do I put food on the table?’”
Food insecurity in rural areas
Although the rate has increased statewide, Payne County sees some of the highest levels of food insecurity in Oklahoma. In 2020, 14.9% of the population was considered food insecure. In 2022, that number grew to 17%. That’s nearly 1,700 more people without access to food and an additional $4.2 million needed to meet the community’s needs.
Scott Haywood, the communications coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, said residents of primarily rural counties like Payne County have fewer resources, like food pantries and grocery stores, than those in more urban areas.
There are about half as many grocery stores per capita in Payne County than in Oklahoma. Payne County has 7.76 grocery stores compared to 16.5 grocery stores per 100,000 people, according to a community health assessment published by the Payne County Department of Health.
Almost all of those grocery stores — including three Walmarts, an Aldi and a Sprouts — are in Stillwater. Most towns in the county, including Cushing and Glencoe, have no grocery stores. Perkins has a lone grocery store outside of Stillwater city limits.
Haywood said the lack of grocery stores leads many residents of rural areas to compromise on the quality of their meals.
“Quite often you’ll find people whose only access to food is at a Dollar General or a convenience store,” Haywood said. “They’re not going to have the best choices as far as nutrition goes. But when it gets down to it, you’ve got a choice of eating or not eating.”
Consequences of food insecurity
As grocery prices rise, access to healthy, affordable food becomes more scarce. Without fresh produce and grocery items, Prickett said the existing health issues in Oklahoma are likely to worsen.
“If you’re living with food insecurity, a lot of the food that you can afford isn’t healthy,” Prickett said. “Oklahoma already ranks as one of the least healthy states in the nation. We have high percentages of the population with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.”
Additionally, Haywood said access to healthy food is important at all stages of life to support moods and cognitive abilities. However, it’s especially vital for children, he said.
“Birth to 3-years-old are probably some of the most essential years,” Haywood said. “They will affect so much of that child’s development through their entire life. But you continue developing long after that, and you need food to grow.”
Lauren Ornelas, the founder of the Food Empowerment Project, said access to food can have a significant impact on children and their communities. The FEP conducts research on communities facing food insecurity and promotes access to healthy foods. Ornelas said a lack of access to affordable, nutritious foods can have long-term effects on communities.
“Offering foods that are not nutritious can impact generations,” Ornelas said. “It can impact the education of children. It is not enough to have a full stomach — we need foods that are healthy for your body and mind.”
Strain on services
For Haywood, those partnerships between government agencies and local organizations are vital in meeting the needs of Payne County residents. He said the dream would be to have a centralized agency that could support Oklahomans in need, but acknowledged such an agency is unrealistic.
Currently, Haywood said his department has not been able to hire more employees, despite seeing more people needing their services.
“We’re at a stagnation as far as getting more people on board with us,” Haywood said. “We only have one community health worker for Payne County, and I’m thinking we could keep three busy on a regular basis — if we had funding for that.”
State assistance
The state and federal government do provide some benefits for Oklahomans facing food insecurity. Oklahoma receives money from the federal government for its Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, or SNAP.
In 2024, more than 934,000 Oklahomans received SNAP benefits.
Fadling’s family began receiving SNAP benefits last year. Each month, she receives $500 for groceries. Although the assistance has been helpful, Fadling said the money is not enough to offset high grocery prices.
“I’m very grateful for it,” Fadling said. “It’s helped us a ton this year, but it’s always gone by the second week. It’s frustrating because you’re trying to make every little bit count.”
Our Daily Bread
Although the SNAP benefit is helpful, the program — like many state-run options — comes with a lengthy application process and strict requirements.
Rachel Condley, the executive director of Our Daily Bread, said she wanted Payne County’s largest food and resource center to be open to anyone who needed assistance. Since its founding in 2017, ODB has grown to include a satellite site in Cushing and a mobile market that visits Glencoe, Perkins, Yale and the OSU-Stillwater campus.
Condley, who joined ODB in 2021, said the center has served an increasing amount of families, adults and OSU students since.
“The amount of guests we serve has definitely grown,” Condley said. “It’s been an increase year after year, but also week after week.”
Condley, an OSU alumna with a background in nutrition, said she wanted to provide her guests with an accessible variety of healthy foods. The resource center allows its guests to select fresh produce, eggs, dairy products and meat.
However, steadily increasing grocery prices have stretched ODB’s abilities to provide to its growing clientele.
“Buying produce and groceries used to cost us about $3 per guest,” Condley said. “Now, it’s up to $4, so we’re spending more money and serving more guests.”
OSU partnerships
For nearly eight years, OSU faculty and students have worked closely with ODB to provide healthy, affordable produce to Payne County residents.
Bailey Norwood, a professor in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, looked at the large, grassy areas near ODB’s construction site and saw an opportunity to offer a hands-on learning experience for students in his Farm to Fork class.
“I thought it was silly to have a course called Farm to Fork and never see a farm,” Norwood said. “I looked around and thought, ‘I’ve got a class with 250 students, and there’s no better way to garden than with free labor.’”
Every spring semester, roughly 270 students work in small groups to plant, nurture and harvest fruits and vegetables outside ODB. Norwood said the arrangement is ideal for both the resource center, whose guests receive fresh produce grown right outside the building’s doors, and the students, who learn how to garden outside of a classroom setting.
Although the garden plots have helped make produce more accessible, OSU professor Justin Moss said the garden’s production is not enough to meet ODB’s needs. For the past year, the resource center has received more than 90,000 pounds of produce from OSU’s student farm.
Moss, the head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, has overseen OSU’s Student Farm since its inception. Like the garden, Moss said the student-operated farm offers students valuable hands-on experience in large-scale horticulture while filling a growing need in the OSU and Payne County communities.
“We really needed a place where our students get hands-on experience in a real production environment,” Moss said. “This way, we get to do it for a purpose.”
Between the student farm and the center’s gardens, Moss said OSU has helped provide enough produce that ODB’s guests are encouraged to take as much as they need. That’s unique among food resource centers, where shelf-stable groceries and produce have to be carefully rationed among the centers’ visitors.
By 2026, Moss said he expects the student farm to assist communities throughout Oklahoma. Within the next year, the farm will expand from six acres to 16. By more than doubling the productive land, Moss said the farm will be able to fulfill the needs of ODB and OSU’s Pete’s Pantry and supply much-needed, quality produce to food banks statewide.
“We want to keep on producing everything that Our Daily Bread can handle,” Moss said. “But the goal is to expand so that we’re actually delivering produce to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. We’ll go from servicing one county and one campus to potentially 53 counties across Oklahoma.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Payton Little
OSU partners with Our Daily Bread, a local nonprofit, offering a course for agricultural students to grow produce at the ODB garden.
UFC fighter Lopes delivers resonant visit to Oklahoma State wrestling before dual
DANIEL
Sitting in the Gallagher-Iba Arena wrestling room, Luke Surber eagerly awaited the start of practice.
In his mind, this one meant a little more.
Surber, Oklahoma State’s 197-pound wrestler, along with his teammates, had been told to expect a guest. But they wanted to see it happen.
Moments later, it did.
Renowned 145-pound UFC fighter Diego Lopes walked into the room. He was accompanied by first-year OSU head coach David Taylor.
“I don’t follow UFC too closely,” Surber said. “But I obviously know who he is.”
Everyone, even casual UFC fans present, knew of Lopes. Many were diehard fans who were in awe of his presence when he spoke to the team ahead of OSU’s Jan. 13 home dual against North Carolina State. Lopes’ message was simple. And it parallelled a talking point Taylor has echoed throughout No. 3 OSU’s (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) season.
“He just emphasized always being ready,” Surber said. “You never know when your opportunity is going to come. So, I think it’s just pretty cool. And (that goes) for any of our guys, especially the younger guys.” Lopes’ path to stardom didn’t come easy.
After Lopes’ success in multiple promotional fights in Mexico, UFC president and CEO Dana White got word of Lopes. In August 2021, White invited Lopes to fight Joanderson Brito at Dana White’s Contender Series 37 on Aug. 31. Lopes lost the fight via technical decision but impressed White enough to earn an invite back. After three more promotional fights, Lopes signed with UFC. The rest is history.
“That’s really Diego’s career,” Taylor said. “He was right there. He was kind of a little bit old to get into and get a chance to fight in the UFC. On short notice, he fought a guy that nobody else wanted to fight and almost beat him. And then he got another shot, showed up, said yes and he’s been on a roll since. Now he’s getting the chance to fight for a title.”
See LOPES on page 6B
How Gundy retooled Cowboy football after ‘most difficult December of his career’ ended
we’ve developed into a big-time college football organization based on continuity and development,” Gundy said.
But it likely won’t be in the same manner, he said.
For Mike Gundy, the most difficult part of Oklahoma State football’s 2024 season wasn’t its trajectory. It was the changes that followed.
Gundy hates losing. The Cowboys coach made that known Thursday morning when addressing the media for the first time since November.
But OSU’s 3-9 season forced Gundy’s hand. That meant utilizing the transfer portal more than he has since its inception in 2018. Bringing new faces into the program.
“This is the most difficult December in my career because I don’t like letting people go,” Gundy said. “I don’t like affecting peoples’ families, kids and lifestyle”
Out went defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo and offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn.
In came Todd Grantham to lead the defense and Doug Meacham to run the offense.
OSU has brought in 23 transfers, and Gundy noted Thursday there might be more coming. Even with the changes, there’s something to be said for the stability of Gundy’s tenure.
“In my opinion, over (20) years here,
For years, Gundy has thrived off high school and junior college prospects, bringing them in and developing them. That, however, was pre-NIL and transfer portal. So he adapted. Gundy gave Grantham and Meacham “full control” of assistant hirings and portal recruiting. And so far, from a numbers standpoint, it has sufficed.
“We have to deal with the hand that we’re all being dealt,” Gundy said.
Weeks after OSU’s season-ending loss to Colorado, Gundy was in a reported “standoff” with members of the OSU/ A&M Board of Trustees. He eventually reached an agreement for an amended contract, trimming $1 million off his salary heading into 2025. But it didn’t happen without reports that the Board of Trustees considered firing Gundy.
OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg declined to comment on that Thursday, saying he didn’t “want to get into specifics.” He did, however, affirm backing Gundy, citing the coach’s success as reasoning.
Meacham tasked with fixing Cowboys’ offense in crucial ‘fourth rotation’ with OSU
Oklahoma State football is counting on a familiar face to help turn its fortune around.
Including one who’s worn orange and black in several roles.
On Thursday, the Cowboys introduced their new coordinators; defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and Doug Meacham, a former OSU lineman who will now direct the Cowboys’ offense. Meacham spent last year coaching inside receivers at TCU and has been the offensive coordinator at Houston and Kansas.
“It means a lot to me to be back here again,” Meacham said. “This is my fourth rotation back through (OSU) as a player, a (graduate assistant), a full-time coach, and to come back here as the (offensive coordina-
tor), it just means a great deal to me.” Meacham’s coaching history is extensive. In addition to UH and KU, he has been the offensive coordinator at Georgia Military, Jacksonville State, Henderson State and Samford. Meacham was also a co-OC at TCU from 2014 to 2016. Now 59, Meacham coached at OSU from 2005 to 2012, when he was the tight ends and inside receivers coach. His fourth stop with the Cowboys will be the highest of duty.
OSU went 3-9 last season and finished 83rd in total offense — a massive drop-off compared to most Mike Gundy-led teams.
Meacham’s offense will look different on paper and schematically, too. Star running back Ollie Gordon II is gone, and at quarterback, Meacham will have the choice of Garret Rangel, Zane Flores, Maealiuaki Smith or Hauss Hejny — who followed Meacham from TCU and is a former four-star.
Payton Little
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has made changes since his worst season in his 20 years ended.
Oklahoma State wrestling coach David Taylor (left) with UFC fighter Diego Lopes (right).
Payton Little
Oklahoma State football offensive coordinator/inside receivers coach Doug Meacham is taking over a unit that was 83rd in total offense last season and ihas lost key players.
DANIEL ALLEN STAFF REPORTER
See GUNDY on page 2B
PARKER GERL SPORTS EDITOR
How a ‘fortunate’ Grantham wound up at OSU
When Mike Gundy was searching to fill Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator role, he turned to voices he trusted to point him in the right direction.
“I visited with some pretty prominent coaches, and these guys have extensive backgrounds on the defensive side of the ball,” Gundy said. “And so I asked them, in particular, ‘Who would you hire if you were looking to hire a defensive coordinator?’
“And I trust these guys — and particularly one that said, ‘If I was coaching, I would hire this guy to be my coordinator.’”
“This guy” was Todd Grantham, whom Gundy eventually hired and has tasked with turning around last season’s second-worst FBS-I defense.
Grantham, who spent the last two seasons in the NFL coaching defensive linemen for the New Orleans Saints, will spend his 36th season coaching in Stillwater. He said Thursday morning he considers it another example of being “fortunate” throughout his career.
“If you look just in college, I worked and played for Frank Beamer, who’s a (College Football) Hall of Fame coach; I’ve coached for Nick Saban,” Grantham said.
“But really, when you look at Coach Gundy, he’s the winningest coach in this school’s history, and just two years ago, they were in the Big 12 Champi-
Meacham
onship Game. So I always look at the history (being) the best indicator of the future.”
Before the Saints, Grantham had many stints as a DC — the first with the Cleveland Browns from 2005-07 and the second with Georgia from 2010-13. Grantham has also been the DC at Louisville, Mississippi State and Florida. When he hasn’t been a coordinator, he’s coached linemen and linebackers and been an analyst for the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Alabama and other NFL teams and college programs.
Grantham has picked and chosen parts of different coaches to carry with him. It’s now led him to Stillwater, where after OSU went 3-9 last season — the worst in Gundy’s 20 years — Grantham needs to turn around the defense.
Gundy
Continued from 1
For years, Gundy has thrived off under-the-radar high school and junior college prospects, bringing them in and developing them. That, however, was pre-NIL and transfer portal. So he adapted.
Gundy gave Grantham and Meacham “full control” of assistant hirings and portal recruiting. And so far, from a numbers standpoint, it has sufficed.
“We’re not so naive to think that that’s going to have to be that way moving forward,” Gundy said. “So we have to deal with the hand that we’re all being dealt.”
Thursday was the first time Gundy had addressed the media since OSU’s season-ending loss to Colorado. Weeks later, Gundy was in a reported “standoff” with members of the OSU/A&M Board of Trustees. He eventually reached an agreement for an amended contract, trimming $1 million off his salary heading into the 2025 season. But it didn’t happen without reports that the Board of Trustees considered firing Gundy.
OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg declined to comment on that Thursday, saying he didn’t “want to get into specif-
With players like Collin Oliver and Nick Martin heading to the NFL and others like Kendal Daniels and Jeff Roberson exiting via the transfer portal (Daniels to Oklahoma and Roberson to Minnesota), Grantham and his newlook staff have put together a seminew-look defense.
In his defense, with “multiple” schemes, nothing is set. Luckily, there are many spring practices to iron out problem spots and find gold mines.
However, whether it’s a player who stayed with OSU, one who came to Stillwater or even Grantham himself taking the leap, he said everyone on the defensive side of the ball has one thing in common.
“This is the place we wanna be,” Grantham said.
ics.” He did, however, affirm backing Gundy, citing the coach’s pedigree of success as reasoning.
“There’s been 19 years of evidence of why there should be trust in him moving forward; it’s pretty remarkable what (OSU football has) done in that time,” Weiberg said. “...He didn’t forget everything he knows overnight. I think there was just a lot of confidence there. He knows this place better than anybody — he’s been here, played here, he’s coached here for a long time.”
The 2025 season will be Gundy’s opportunity to show 2024 was a fluke. A bump in the road for one of college football’s most consistent programs of the past two decades.
“I didn’t have to recover emotionally or psychologically,” Gundy said. “I’ve said this to you guys many times before: I get it. I’m here every day. I know what’s going on.”
If it goes well, Gundy will come out a hero for evolving. For now, Gundy has at least shown his willingness to do that.
“There is a lot at stake in us moving forward in the right way,” Weiberg said. “I’m confident that Coach Gundy and this staff is gonna put us back on the right track in terms of winning football.”
Continued from 1 sports.ed@ocolly.com
Hejny’s best trait is his mobility, while Flores, Smith and Rangel are stronger pocket passers.
“It’s like you’re going to a peach field,” Meacham said of the quarterback battle. “You’re taking them off the ground, or you’re taking them off the tree. I’m saying we got four guys that are on the tree. We’re picking ‘em right off there. We can form them and make them whatever we want to grab.”
Gundy said different candidates were “knocking the door down” in hopes of landing coordinator gigs on
OSU’s staff, even after the Cowboys were a lousy 3-9 last season — the worst in Gundy’s 20 years. The dissapointing season didn’t phase Meachman either. He said the job was still attractive based on the years before the Cowboys’ disappointing 2024 efforts and believes OSU has “a lot of good energy” on its staff.
“I just think about the 18 straight bowl games,” Meacham said. “You went to the Big 12 Championship (two seasons ago)... Look at some of these teams, it’s a lot of (up and down)... I’m looking at how we can get better and get to where we want to be.”
Payton Little
Oklahoma State football defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Todd Grantham has coached for several NFL and high-level college football teams.
Courtesy Tulsa World
Doug Meacham previously served as OSU’s tight ends and inside receivers coach from 2005-12.
Bryson Thadhani
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said he “didn’t have to recover
O’Colly football writers’ takeaways from OSU football press conference
STAFF REPORT
O’COLLY SPORTS
On Thursday, Mike Gundy faced the media for the first time since reports surfaced in December that Oklahoma State considered firing him.
That wasn’t why OSU held a press conference, though. Gundy hired two new coordinators, and they were officially introduced. Gundy spoke first, followed by Todd Grantham — OSU’s new defensive coordinator — and Doug Meacham, who will call the offense. Athletic director Chad Weiberg concluded the press conference.
Here are O’Colly writers’ biggest takeaways from Thursday’s press conference:
Parker Gerl: Trust was the biggest factor behind Meacham and Grantham’s hirings. Meacham has long known Gundy and coached OSU’s tight ends and wide receivers under him from 2005-12. Gundy said, “I trust him. I know his family, and he has a great relationship with high school coaches.”
As for Grantham, Gundy said he spoke to several “prominent” coaches whom he trusts, and one in particular said he’d hire the new DC. Gundy said he didn’t know Grantham, but in their interview, Grantham presented himself as a “head coach on defense.”
That’s what OSU needs.
Ashton Slaughter: Despite former TCU quarterback Hauss Hejny transferring to OSU with Meacham, it doesn’t seem like he has a leg up in the quarterback room.
With Garret Rangel, Zane Flores and Maealiuaki Smith returning in hopes of quarterbacking the Cowboys, many think Hejny will throw a wrench in some plans with his speed and connection to Meacham. However, the new OSU OC said himself it’s a level playing field for all four quarterbacks. Combine Meacham’s statement
with Rangel and Smith’s highs from last season and Flores’ ceiling, and we have all the makings of a QB battle in Stillwater.
Daniel Allen: Complacency played a role in Oklahoma State’s demise in 2024.
Sure, the Cowboys returned a seasoned offensive line, a threeheaded wide receiver corps and the reigning Doak Walker Award winner — running back Ollie Gordon II. But returning quarterback Alan Bowman for a second season — after Bowman was already expected to be a bridge quarterback for OSU in 2023 — tarnished the potential in OSU’s QB room.
The same can be said for Gundy’s past efforts, or lack thereof, in the transfer portal and unwillingness to fire coordinators. This offseason, however, he made changes.
Will they be enough to return the Cowboys to their winning ways?
TBD. But at least Gundy has shown a willingness to adapt to the modern realm of college football.
Calif Poncy: Gundy said on multiple occasions that he allowed Grantham and Meacham to build their own staff on both ends. I think Gundy handing over control and trusting his coordinators is a promising sign.
Grantham has a ton of experience across multiple conferences and in the NFL. In other words, he’s met plenty of people and worked with countless coaches. Allowing Grantham to do exactly what he wants with the coaches he wants to do it with is the best way for OSU to go from the worst defense in the Big 12 to a respectable one.
Meacham is less traveled than Grantham, but has still been around and has worked at TCU, Houston and Kansas. Turning over control can be a struggle for some coaches, but Gundy seems to have a good grasp on it.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
players with a higher portion of the revenue.
Coming in April, revenue sharing with athletes is widely expected to be implemented for all schools in the NCAA. Schools are preparing for a $20.5 million cap that can be shared with all NCAA-sanctioned athletes in 2025-26 and it is expected that that cap will increase annually, according to an email sent by Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg last week.
In the email, Weiberg asked fans to buy tickets to sporting events, join POSSE and support OSU financially if they want OSU to succeed in this new era of college sports.
“Oklahoma State remains determined to compete for championships in the Big 12 Conference and at the highest levels of college athletics,” Weiberg said. “To do so, we will need to have access to an additional $20.5 million annually.”
Despite the upcoming change, schools have been given little information on the specifics of what the regulations of revenue sharing will be.
“Religion, politics, portal and NIL, I have no interest in talking about it because nobody knows,” OSU football coach Mike Gundy said. “(With) Revenue sharing, I think we all feel like we have an idea of what it’s going to be, but we still don’t.”
With the landscape of revenue sharing still unclear, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a memo last week.
“When a school provides athletic financial assistance in forms other than scholarships or grants, including compensation for the use of a studentathlete’s NIL, such assistance also must be made proportionately available to male and female athletes,” the U.S. Department of Education memo stated, according to On3 Sports.
In short, if a school does not equally distribute the estimated $20.5 million to all NCAA-sanctioned athletes, that school risks violating Title XII laws.
At OSU, women’s basketball, soccer and tennis, among other women’s sports, have been more successful than some prominent men’s sports over the past calendar year.
However, football still generates by far the most revenue for the school each season, bringing into question whether OSU should follow the Department of Education’s advice or reward football
“I think there are going to be lawsuits coming for the schools, the conferences and the NCAA no matter how the revenue gets distributed,” OSU soccer coach Colin Carmichael said. “I think there are gonna be groups that sue because they don’t think it’s fair.”
During a press conference Thursday, Weiberg said that “a majority” of available revenue-sharing funds will go to football players.
In December, Gundy and OSU went through a public contract dispute that eventually saw Gundy agree to a restructured contract. One of the primary reasons for it — increasing available revenue.
“We’re looking at everything and how we need to restructure everything that we do,” Weiberg said. “That was certainly a part of it. Coach Gundy understands it.”
Judge Claudia Wilken of the U.S. District Court for Northern California is slated to sign the bill into law in April, barring unexpected changes.
When she does, the landscape of college athletics will undergo another massive change. Changes have become par for the course in college athletics recently. Between NIL, the transfer portal and conference realignment, schools have been forced to adhere to an evolving rule book that has yet to be made concrete at any point.
However, OSU has done its best to stay ahead of revenue sharing, realizing that without the full $20.5 million pot available, it has little chance to compete in a world where financial resources are more important than ever.
Will revenue sharing be the supreme law of the NCAA going forward? Nobody seems to know, but for most schools around the country, adapting to what is in front of them is the best they can do.
With how the NCAA has handled the constantly changing financial regulations hover above college athletics over the past half-decade, only one thing is certain in college sports — uncertainty.
“What I think is critically important for us to understand right now is, we can either attack this with everything that I know Oklahoma State can attack it with and get started off how we want to get started off in this new era, or we can spend the next several decades trying to catch up,” Weiberg said.
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Payton Little
Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy, coordinators and athletic director Chad Weiberg all met with the media Thursday morning after the a drama-filled offseason for Cowboy football.
Jose Brito
OSU soccer coach Colin Carmichael said he thinks “there are going to be lawsuits” coming for schools.
How the Cowgirls’
win over
TCU is a ‘stepping stone’ for their
program
and are on pace to make the NCAA Tournament. With more attention than ever on social media, Hoyt and her program are becoming more known.
Gundy needs a Hoyttype turnaround in 2025
dyn Wooten, Micah Gray, Tennin Magassa and Macey Huard bought into Hoyt’s fast-paced, run-and-gun vision, fitting alongside returnees like Heard and Anna Gret Asi.
It is hard to pinpoint when a college team or program goes from good to great.
Sometimes, that moment happens in a recruit’s living room. Other times, it happens in an arena full of cheering fans and passionate spectators. For Jacie Hoyt and Oklahoma State women’s basketball, it may have been the latter.
When No. 9 TCU rolled into Stillwater to take on the newly unranked Cowgirls on Wednesday night, it was clear OSU was ascending, but it was difficult to tell exactly where it was.
Before the game, OSU boasted a 15-3 record, but only one of those wins was over a team that was ranked in the AP Top 25.
When the halftime buzzer sounded and TCU led by 15, it was easy to think the Cowgirls had been a paper tiger all season — a team that took care of mediocre and bad teams but wasn’t at the point where it could knock off the nation’s elite. Then, the second half happened.
OSU roared back, eventually taking the lead with just over a minute left and closing out TCU for its first top10 win since 2017.
What a difference a half can make.
Now, with videos of a court storming making the rounds on social media, it appears OSU is primed to make a leap as a program. To go from a good team that nobody thinks about in March to a real contender in one of the best conferences in the nation.
“We’ve got a really great thing going,” Hoyt said. “This is just one more stepping stone of affirmation of what we’ve got going.”
Fans storming the court and a top10 win are the evidence that, just as Hoyt said, whatever OSU is doing is working.
Barring a loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, the Cowgirls are certain to reenter the AP Top 25. They have a real chance to win a share of the regular-season Big 12 championship
“That’s a top-25 team in the country,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said.
“That’s an NCAA Tournament team.”
Although this notoriety seems sudden, the pieces have been assembled since Hoyt was hired in 2022.
Since taking over, Hoyt has landed two players listed in ESPN’s HoopGurlz Top 100. One of those players, Jadyn Wooten, was the difference against TCU, scoring 14 second-half points and delivering a wrap-around assist to a wide-open Stailee Heard to take the lead in the closing moments. Lena Girardi, a four-star in the 2025 class, is also signed to the Cowgirls.
Heard, an Oklahoma native, was underrecruited out of high school but has established herself as one of the most promising young players in the Big 12.
OSU has also hosted multiple fivestar recruits during Hoyt’s tenure, such as 2025 prospect Keeley Parks, 2027 prospect DeAndra Minor and 2025 prospect Janiyah Williams.
As the Cowgirls notch more signature wins and become more known on a national scale, recruiting should only improve.
Hoyt has shown an ability to use the transfer portal well, landing contributors such as Anna Gret Asi, Micah Gray, Naomie Alnatas, Macey Huard and many more in her three years at OSU.
Outside of her second season, when OSU was ravaged with injuries, inelgibilities and dismissals, Hoyt’s style of play and success level have been consistent.
The one thing that had been missing from Hoyt’s resume at OSU was a signature win. One court storming later, she has it, and with more than half of OSU’s conference schedule remaining, there is still plenty of time for the Cowgirls to establish themselves as a real contender.
“What a great place to play,” Hoyt said. “I feel like people are definitely taking notice.”
Mike Gundy should pay close attention to the success of Oklahoma State women’s basketball.
Heck, maybe Gundy should ask head coach Jacie Hoyt how she did it.
The Cowgirls defeated No. 9 TCU on Wednesday night in comeback fashion, earning their first top-10 win since 2017 and improving to 163. OSU fans executed the blackout theme and stormed the court when the buzzer sounded.
“That was the best environment I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here,” Hoyt said.
Hoyt came into this season with heightened pressure after the Cowgirls went 14-16 last season following their 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance. A fall-off after a strong first season left Hoyt tasked with turning things around in her third season.
And Hoyt has done just that, as the Cowgirls are in a position to return to the big dance one year removed from a disappointing season.
Now it’s Gundy — the winningest coach in OSU football history — who’s got all the pressure on himself after his Cowboys went 3-9 last season. The 57-year-old needs to deliver a Hoyt-type turnaround in 2025 to get OSU back on track — and perhaps to save his job.
Hoyt has shown it’s possible to bounce back from a down year in Stillwater in a modern, NIL-driven landscape (albeit in a different sport with different challenges).
The Cowgirls’ losing season was driven by season-ending injuries to key players and, ultimately, a team that didn’t fit together. Multiple Cowgirls had eligibility issues as well.
Gundy endured similar misfortune, whether injuries to defensive stars Nick Martin and Collin Oliver or underwhelming performances from the offensive line and quarterback Alan Bowman.
Hoyt retooled her team through roster reconstruction and put together a group that is “so much closer,” guard Stailee Heard said.
New contributors such as Jay-
Now, the Cowgirls have more wins through 19 games than they had all of last season. Hoyt reshaped the roster and built a team-wide mentality that moved on from the season they didn’t see coming.
OSU football wants to do the same from its 3-9 season — the worst-ever under Gundy.
“The season that we had last year is not going to sit well with me,” Gundy said on Thursday. “That’s not going to be good. But I get it. We’re moving forward. Sometimes that happens.”
Gundy did big-time reconstruction through his coaching staff. He fired defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo and offensive play caller Kasey Dunn, hiring Doug Meacham to call the offense and Todd Grantham to manage the defense.
Meacham coached inside wide receivers at TCU from 2022-24 and has been a play-caller at Kansas and Houston. Grantham most recently coached the New Orleans Saints’ defensive line and was Florida’s defensive coordinator from 2018-21.
New position coaches were hired, too, making it an almost clean sweep of the previous staff.
OSU added several players with power four experience on both sides of the ball, including former fourstar quarterback Hauss Hejny from TCU.
Now Gundy and his new-look staff have to find a winning formula — the type Gundy has had more often than not in his 20 years as head coach — and put the program past last season’s disaster.
Re-establishing the winning culture OSU had under Gundy should be on the to-do list, just as Hoyt recalibrated the Cowgirls back to what they were in her first season. If Gundy can do so, maybe he’ll bring a field storming to Boone Pickens Stadium — just like Hoyt brought a court storming to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Wednesday.
“Dr. Shrum and Chad and I had had really good conversations about the future, about the portal, about NIL (and) about the things that are very important in dealing with college athletics today,” Gundy said. “... My energy level, my commitment to Oklahoma State football, is stronger every year.”
Connor Fuxa
Connor Fuxa
The Cowgirls and coach Jacie Hoyt won their first game against a top-10 opponent since 2017.
sports
Cowboy duo Schubart, Davis garner
D1Baseball
first-team preseason All-American honors
DANIEL ALLEN
As Opening Day for the 2025 college baseball season nears, preseason accolades continue to be released.
D1Baseball announced its slate of preseason All-Americans on Tuesday afternoon. As expected, Oklahoma State garnered some representation.
Junior left fielder Nolan Schubart was the lone Cowboy to earn firstteam preseason honors. A consensus first-round projection in the 2025 MLB Draft, Schubart finished with a team-high in batting average (.370) and home runs (23), to go with a .513 on-base percentage, .838 slugging percentage, 68 RBI and a 1.351 OPS. His home run, RBI and OPS totals marked Big 12 highs. His .370 batting average also marked the second-best total in that respective category behind Texas Tech’s Damian Bravo (.378).
The other OSU player to earn preseason honors was junior righthanded pitcher Gabe Davis, whom D1Baseball tabbed as a preseason third-team All-American.
Davis has spent the past couple of seasons as one of the Cowboys’ high-end relievers, and at times a season ago, held the role as OSU’s closer. He is, however, expected to ease into a starting role at some
point in 2025. As a sophomore last season, Davis logged a 4.17 ERA to go with 55 strikeouts and a. 217 batting average against through 18 appearances, five starts and 45 ⅓ innings pitched. Davis struggled with walks late last season, thus his 2.2 strikeoutto-walk ratio is below average. But OSU’s coaches have indicated Davis had a productive fall camp and is expected to be one of the Cowboys’ breakout arms in 2025.
OSU is coming off a 42-19 campaign, which included a second-place finish in the Big 12 regular-season race, a conference tournament championship — highlighted by a 9-3 thrashing of Bedlam rival Oklahoma in the title game — and an 11th-consecutive regional appearance. The Cowboys hosted a regional for a third straight season, but failed to advance to super regionals. OSU hasn’t escaped the regional round since 2019, and hasn’t advanced to the College World Series since 2016.
OSU opens this season against Clemson on Feb. 14 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, as part of the Shriners Children’s College Baseball Showdown. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
OSU softball trio named Preseason All-Americans
American honors and helped Washington reach the Women’s College World Series.
In her All-American season, Meylan went 27-17 with a 2.31 ERA. She put up a 2.55 ERA in 2024 with 139 strikeouts.
Three Oklahoma State softballers earned big-time preseason honors.
Karli Godwin, Ruby Meylan and Megan Delgadillo were named D1 Softball Preseason All-Americans on Wednesday, all recognized on the second-team.
Godwin is entering her second season with the Cowgirls after putting together one of the best freshman seasons in OSU history. She hit .340 with 15 home runs and a teamhigh 51 RBIs, setting the single-season freshman home run record and earning All-Big 12 honors.
Meylan and Delgadillo each joined the Cowgirls in the summer through the transfer portal as highly-touted prospects, helping head coach Kenny Gajewski put together what Softball America tabbed as the second-best portal class.
Delgadillo, an outfeilder spent 2020-24 at Cal State Fullteron, where she finished as the Titans’ career record holder in hits (272), runs scored (172) and stolen bases (151). Delgadillo was also 2024 First Team All-Big West and NFCA First Team All-Region.
Meylan came to Stillwater after two seasons at Washington. As a Husky, she picked up 2023 All-
During fall ball, Gajewski said Meylan “has the potential” to be the best arm the Cowgirls have had, adding, “it looks like it’s our best team, but now we got to play like that.”
If Meylan is able to reach the heights Gajewski said she’s capable of reaching, Meylan would join great company — such as Lexi Kilfoyl and Kelly Maxwell — and be in position to be an All-American for a second time.
OSU was ranked No. 4 in Softball America’s Preseason Top 25 last week — the second-highest in program history and the eighth straight year the Cowgirls will open the season in the Top 25.
Having returned two-thirds of last season’s roster, Gajewski and OSU will be chasing a sixth straight WCWS appearance. The Cowgirls are one of seven teams in the NCAA era to reach five straight WCWS.
The Cowgirls’ season begins against Florida State at 10 a.m. C.T. on Feb. 6 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge. OSU is slated to face 14 opponents that are ranked in the top 25.
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OSU baseball & softball all-americans
Davis — First-Team Schubart — Third-Team
Meylan — Second-Team
Godwin — Second-Team
Delgadillo — Second-Team
Gabe Davis Pitcher
Nolan Schubart Outfield/First base
Ruby Meylan Pitcher Karli Godwin First base
Megan Delgadillo Outfield
Bryson Thadhani
Oklahoma State outfielder Nolan Schubart was named a first-team peseason All-American.
Connor Fuxa
Karli Godwin is named one of the OSU sotball players who earned preseason All-American honors along with Ruby Meylan and Megan Delgadillo.
Lopes
Lopes dazzled OSU wrestlers and assistant coaches with his humility and “down-to-earth” persona. At times, he’d jokingly pick fights with OSU wrestlers to show dominance, Surber said.
“If I fought him, I’d get beat pretty bad,” Cowboys’ heavyweight wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson said with a laugh. “If I wrestle him, it’s (going to be different).”
Even a coveted professional fighter like Lopes, who holds a 26-6-0 career record and No. 3 spot in the UFC featherweight rankings, showed fame isn’t always the answer to happiness, Surber said. It’s a rigorous work ethic.
“We always talk about, it’s just easy to say ‘No,’ why I can’t do something,” Taylor said. “But just say ‘Yes.’ Go do it.”
OSU’s season thus far has mirrored some of Lopes’ sentiment.
At 133, sixth-year senior Reece Witcraft and redshirt freshman Cael Hughes battled for OSU’s starting spot for most of the offseason. They traded starts for the first two weekends of the season, before Witcraft had seemingly secured the role as a starter.
Not so fast. An injury to Witcraft during OSU’s Dec. 19 pummelling of Virginia Tech forced Taylor’s hand. Less than one month later, Hughes dazzled in his return to the lineup, pinning top-10 Kai Orine of North Carolina State with relative ease.
At 157, returning starter Teague
Travis held the No. 8 ranking to start the season. After a sluggish start to the season due to injury, Caleb Fish – who transferred to OSU from Michigan State last offseason – pulled his redshirt to fill Travis’ vacancy. Since being inserted into the Cowboys’ lineup, Fish is 4-1 in duals and has more than proven to be a feasible short-term replacement.
Neither Hughes nor Fish knew when their opportunities would arise. When they did, both made the most of it. That, Taylor said, made Lopes’ discourse resonate with the team even more.
“Just always being ready for your opportunity (is important) because you never know what’s going to come,” Surber said. “Like Diego’s done, he’s ran with his opportunity.”
As the third-ranked Cowboys (90, 6-0) travel to the Hawkeye State this weekend for duals at No. 5 Northern Iowa (9-0, 3-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 13 Iowa State (7-3, 2-0) on Sunday at 4 p.m., OSU has a chance to echo Lopes’ words on the mat. What lies ahead is unknown until the weekend. Making the most of the moment, however, remains in the Cowboys’ control.
“You just need a little spark,” Taylor said. “You never know when that spark is gonna come. So, just him coming in, showing that to us, being around – for as big of a superstar as he is, just how humble he is and how appreciative he is to be around and just learn it’s (cool). So, it’s just cool for him to seek out some wrestling.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Oklahoma State preapred for ‘challenging’ duals against Northern Iowa, Iowa State
decision win.
Now, the OSU senior has a chance for redemption.
Oklahoma State continues its stretch of conference duals with a road trip to the Hawkeye State.
Matchups against No. 5 Northern Iowa (9-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 13 Iowa State (7-3) on Sunday at 4 p.m. will give the Cowboys more confrontations against highly-ranked opponents.
No. 3 OSU (9-0) has defeated two top-10 opponents, beating No. 7 Virginia Tech and No. 5 North Carolina State at home. This weekend, though, the Cowboys won’t have that home-crowd advantage.
“It’s gonna be a good trip,” coach David Taylor said. “Two challenging duals, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The Cowboys — who have wrestlers ranked in every weight class — will have ranked matches in all 10 bouts against Northern Iowa and nine against Iowa State, the only exception being at 165.
When Taylor was asked if there was any particular wrestler he would keep an eye on, he said he would focus on everyone.
“(I’m) excited for all of them to go out and compete,” Taylor said. “We don’t pick and choose who we’re excited about. We’re excited for all of them. (For) every one of them, it’s an opportunity to go out and wrestle conference opponents and build your lead and build your reputation.
“... We want to leave them with that mentality like, ‘Hey, I want to wrestle us again.’ But that’s on them, and we got to go out and just wrestle with an attitude and score some points.”
Of the 19 ranked matchups the Cowboys will face this weekend, one will be the spectacle to watch: Friday’s 184-pound bout between OSU’s third-ranked Dustin Plott and No. 2 Parker Keckeisen from Northern Iowa.
Plott is 11-1 this season, with his only loss to Keckeisen. The two met at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in the 184-pound championship, where Keckeisen earned an 8-3
“(Plott’s) just got to go out and compete,” Taylor said. “He’s obviously had a lot of history with (Keckeisen), and he knows what to expect. I thought he did a good job in Vegas in parts of that match.”
Cael Hughes and Reece Witcraft remain split at 133
Hughes has been the starter at 133 for the previous two duals and could remain the starter this weekend, but Taylor will also bring Witcraft for the trip.
As for Taylor’s plan for the position for the remainder of the season, he’s still looking to evaluate.
“I think we’re trying to balance both guys match counts, but at the same time, we just got to pick our best guy getting ready for the national tournament (and) conference tournament,” Taylor said. “We have some time to make that decision. Both guys are working really hard... So we’ll just kind of see how that continues to play out.”
If things stay the same, Hughes will have two ranked tests against UNI’s No. 20 Cory Land and ISU’s fifth-ranked Evan Frost. Even with two significant opportunities ahead, his mindset for this weekend is to treat the matchups as just another dual.
“I’m just kind of keeping an even mind, just (the) same thing as usual,” Hughes said. “(It) doesn’t really matter who you’re stepping out with, (I’m) just seeing it as a test, an opportunity to compete.”
National TV OSU wrestling has only been shown on ESPN+ and FloWrestling this season. On Sunday, its dual against Iowa State will be nationally televised on ESPN for the network’s second-ever regular-season dual — the first being Iowa State vs. Iowa this past November.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Taylor said. “This is the second dual, I think, ever that’s been on ESPN flagship. It’s a premier network, so getting the opportunity to compete there is pretty awesome.”
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File Photo
Oklahoma State’s next two duals are against Northern Iowa and Iowa State.
Bailey Schmitz
UFC featherweight fighter Diego Lopes attended Oklahoma State’s wrestling dual against NC State and trained with the team for several days.
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Taylor advocated for National Duals, he got it;
DANIEL
ALLEN STAFF REPORTER
@DANIELALLEN1738
Once Jan. 14 rolled around, David Taylor made up his mind.
National Duals needed to make a return to college wrestling. Taylor, Oklahoma State’s head coach, felt he needed to speak out.
That evening, Taylor made his opinion known via X: “We should bring back National Duals. Do it in November before conference competitions.”
More than one week later, his wish was validated.
On Tuesday, OSU Athletics announced it will host the National Invitational Duals at the BOK Center in Tulsa on Nov. 15-16. Paycom will sponsor the event, which will feature 16 of college wrestling’s best teams — invite only — competing in a single-elimination bracket with consolation rounds. A total purse exceeding $1 million will be included, and the event will be separate from the NCAA Wrestling Championships, which takes place every March.
The news was met with excitment from the college wrestling community
“It’s what fans have been clamoring
here’s how it will work
for literally for years now,” Christian Pyles, FloWrestling analyst and director of content, told The O’Colly. “They’ve wanted a doable, extremely competitive dual meet tournament — a team bracket. That’s what people really want to see.”
Amid OSU’s 9-0 start, Taylor has advocated for stronger non conference competition. But will Tuesday’s news hinder how head coaches approach scheduling?
Taylor said he doesn’t plan on lightening OSU’s nonconference schedulings.
“Every coach has a different priority in how they want to schedule and what (dual) count they want to be at,” Taylor said. “I would like for our guys to get a little bit more matches heading into the national tournament. This will be a good start to that.”
From a structural standpoint, it will be different than nationals. Diehard wrestling fans love March. Casual fans, however, might find it more difficult to follow nationals. Taylor and other college wrestling coaches said the event will be an ideal scenario to draw in more casual fans.
“It’s the greatest product that we
have for the average fan,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser said at a media availability this week. “Your diehard fans will go to Philadelphia for three days (for nationals) and sit there for six or seven hours per day. But your average fan is not going to do that. And so, if you can put together a two-hour that’s got a lot of excitement, you’re gonna grow our sport a lot.”
And that’s not taking into account the financials. The event’s top eight finishers will earn payouts, with the winning squad securing $200,000. The second- and third-place teams will earn $150,000, while fourth place earns $75,000. Fifth- through eighth-place teams will each earn between $50,000 and $20,000, respectively. All participating programs will receive $20,000.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for college wrestling,” Oklahoma head coach Roger Kish told The O’Colly. “It helps incentivize the sport. And not only that, it’s a reward for the teams that are invited. It’s like, ‘Hey, here’s $20,000.’
National Duals disbanded in 2017 for an array of reasons — politics, conflicting viewpoints among the sport’s higher-up officials, financial burdens
and others. Fans and head coaches have advocated for its return, but to no avail. But with Taylor’s advocacy, action was taken.
“The dual meet concept is something that a lot of Division I coaches have wanted to do, and for very, very political reasons, it’s always got squashed,” Dresser said. “But I think there’s a lot of excitement right there where you get a new hire (at OSU), and it’s a perfect time for (Taylor) to step up and say, ‘You know what, these duals are pretty darn fun. Let’s make them happen.’”
Returning National Duals not only draws in more fans; it reinvigorates enthusiasm for those who have been stuck with the current format for the past half-decade. As college wrestling continues to grow in popularity, complacency is its worst enemy. Adapting and evolving, Taylor said, is a “best-case scenario” for the sport.
“I think just injecting a little bit of life and excitement (is big).
“...I think it’s gonna be something that can be part of really growing our sport. I think that we’ve got to continue to be creative in ways that we can do that.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
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The apostle Peter is writing to a people who previously had no real relationship with God, but as they came to Christ, to trust and follow him all things changed. They are now special people, a pure people, chosen to be a special group who were taken from spiritual darkness. They are God’s people!
If you have come to Jesus, and received forgiveness of your sins; this is also your new condition. The Apostle Paul said it this way; “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Co.5:17 NIV) We are the people of God and we have sto ry to tell. We can proclaim it clearly and sincerely to all. This happened to me in Japan, November, 1956. I heard the good news of Christ and things begin to change in my life. Jesus became real and began leading my life. It has been an adventure, learning to fellowship and walk with the Lord. I have made many mistakes, but the Lord keeps encouraging me to keep following Him. The God, who has started a good work in me and you (fellow believer)
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Payton Little
Oklahoma State head coach David Taylor is one of the many coaches around the country who are excited for the return of National Duals.
Best photos from Remember the Ten
TOP LEFT: Fan reading The O’Colly.
TOP RIGHT: Remember the Ten memorial.
MIDDLE LEFT: OSU guard Bryce Thompson flexing.
MIDDLE: OSU coach Steve Lutz smiling after the win.
MIDDLE RIGHT: OSU forward Abou Ousmane dunking.
BOTTOM LEFT: OSU players in their Remember the Ten T-shirts before the game.
BOTTOM RIGHT: OSU forward Robert Jennings II trying to finish through contact.
The Cowboys defeated Colorado in the Remember the Ten game last Saurday. Here are our staff’s best photos:
