The O'Colly, Friday, March 22, 2024.

Friday, March 22, 2024

Stillwater’s newest restaurant delivers comfort food quickly

Stillwater has gained another eatery.

Grandy’s, a comfort fast food restaurant, opened its newest location in Stillwater on Hall of Fame on March 4. The franchise includes more than 45 locations spanning from Oklahoma all the way to Georgia, according to its website. Featuring a menu filled with homestyle cooking for each meal, Grandy’s serves all things chicken, an arrangement of sides and your choice of cobbler for dessert.

So, let’s get to the review.

Menu Options

Grandy’s gives the customer an array of food your granny would cook. The eatery offers pancakes, burritos, biscuits and gravy and a variety of sandwiches for breakfast. Transitioning into lunch and dinner by 11 a.m., Grandy’s begins serving its specialty, chicken.

The menu offers plenty of options to fill any appetite. From chicken fried steak, chicken nuggets, meatloaf and pot roast, to seafood lovers who want to order some shrimp, Grandy’s offers a variety.

No meal is complete without its hearty sides, and Grandy’s offers corn, green beans, baked beans, mashed potatoes and more. On the sweeter side, the menu offers fruit cobblers, dinner rolls and their famous Sinnamon Rolls.

Grandy’s is Stillwater’s newest comfort fast food restaurant. See Food on 8

Brock Mills

Spring break is coming to an end. For many, it’s an unfortunate reality to come to terms with. However, there are a few days left to enjoy the school-free atmosphere.

Whether you are traveling back to Stillwater or resting for the rest of break, here are three ways to recharge before the second half of the

semester starts. Enjoy time outside The second half of the semester will fly by as fast as the first part did. The only difference is the weather will be more tolerable.

Instead of trudging to class in a puffy coat or warm socks, students will soon be able to

sports

‘We didn’t like losing’

Smith fell behind in modern college athletics but now has OSU back among college wrestling’s elite

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

On a December afternoon, John Smith sat against the wall inside the Oklahoma State wrestling room, an iconic facet of Gallagher-Iba Arena.

It is something that Smith, in his 32nd season as OSU’s coach, often reminds his wrestlers they are fortunate to use.

“Don’t forget the legacy and tradition you’re carrying on,” he often reminds them.

It’s a legacy Smith prides. One he regards highly and makes a priority of instilling within his wrestlers. Thirty-four team national championships, the most among any D-I college program in any sport. Plus, 143 individual national champions, 53 conference championships and 485 All-Americans.

It’s something Smith believes has been vacant the past couple of seasons. Coming off a program-worst 18th-place finish in the 2023 NCAA Championships, to go with the program’s first set of consecutive finishes outside of the top 10 (14th in 2022), Smith made it a priority to enforce drastic changes.

His offseason checklist was simple.

Adapt to modern college athletics – most importantly, the transfer portal.

Check. Assemble a nonconference slate that challenges his team early, in hopes of preparing the group for Nationals.

Check. With his back against the wrestling room walls, Smith glanced around the room, paused, then spoke. His Cowboys were 3-0, but he wanted to see more before formulating a gauge on his lineup that featured six new starters, including four freshmen.

“I like where we are right now,” Smith said. “I’m not sure how the rest of the season is going to materialize. But for now, I do think that we’re in a really good spot.”

Three months later, OSU is 14-1 heading into Nationals, which begins Thursday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s OSU’s best regular season finish since the 201819 season, when the Cowboys finished third in Nationals.

Although OSU didn’t win the Big 12 Championships this season, it was the highestscoring runner-up in tournament history with 141.5 team points. But the results showed OSU wrestled well enough to win. Smith fulfilled his offseason wish – restore dominance within OSU Wrestling. The Cowboys are back closer to where they have been for so long. Among the nation’s elite.

How did it happen?

Months of patience, resilience and grit. And so far, as Smith had hoped, it translated to the mat.

“We didn’t like losing. Obviously, we didn’t want to lose,” 133-pounder Daton Fix said. “We didn’t want to have those down years. But it happened. And it’s just a matter of what you do about it. As a team, we all decided that we were gonna have a good year this year. And I think it’s shown.”

*****

Smith vividly remembers the emotion of defeat after last season’s 18th-place finish. He said he didn’t know how to immediately react. As the final placings were announced, he stood in the tunnel, emotionless. Bewilderment. Awe. Denial. All of it.

“Coach Smith took it all pretty hard,” 184-pounder Dustin Plott said. “I mean, you could just tell. I’ve honestly never seen him like that, ever. Not once during my time here at OSU. I can’t even really begin to explain what he looked like. It just didn’t look like him. He felt off.”

Keyboard-happy X (Twitter) users called for Smith’s job. Smith wasn’t coy about his job status after the tournament.

“I think I’ll be back (at OSU),” he said. “But they may can my ass. I don’t know.”

Shortly after last year’s “fiasco,” he began preparation for the ensuing season.

The first step entailed a roster makeover. Of course, to Smith’s discretion.

“I won’t shy away from it, we had some struggles over the last two years,” Smith told The O’Colly. “We definitely had some distractions the last two seasons. But, you know, sometimes you just need to clean it all up. And that’s what we did.

“Right then, in that moment, it wasn’t a matter of who it was gonna be. It was a matter of what we were gonna do.”

Throughout his coaching tenure, Smith has maintained a traditionalist approach to formatting a lineup. Much of that involved prospect development.

Even since the transfer portal’s inception in 2018, Smith has stuck to his personal ideologies. Loyalty above all.

“The transfer portal, in some ways, it’s cruel to the kids on your roster,” Smith said. “Then you look at smaller programs who have a really good guy, he has a great year, it’s hard for them to hold on to him. That’s a negative. That’s a problem. In many ways, that’s unfair.”

Simultaneously, Smith acknowledged its growing necessity.

“Not using it, that’s been part of our problem the past two years,” he said. “We’ve been behind in it.”

Prior to this year, Dakota Geer, who transferred to OSU from Edinboro ahead of the 2018-19 season, was the

lone portal product to earn All-American honors with the Cowboys. Juggernauts within the sport – like Penn State and Iowa – have thrived off the transfer portal.

Smith’s teams hadn’t been notably impacted by the portal. However, all OSU wrestlers who have transferred out of have been mainstay backups or young prospects in search of immediate opportunities. Until last year.

The team’s starting 149-pounder, Victor Voinovich, appeared in the portal less than a month after Nationals concluded. Shortly after, he announced his transfer to Iowa.

In addition to Voinovich’s departure, former starter at 125, Trevor Mastrogiovanni, left from the team midseason for personal reasons. At 157, Kaden Gfeller exhausted his eligibility. Wyatt Sheets, too at 165.

To replace Mastrogiovanni, Smith brought in Troy Spratley, a redshirt freshman from Minnesota. For Sheets, he reeled in reigning All-American Izzak Olejnik from Northern Illinois. He brought in Sammy Alvarez from Rutgers and Tagen Jamison, a redshirt freshman from Minnesota, to compete for starting jobs, too.

In September, a month before OSU’s season opener, starting 184-pounder Travis Wittlake transferred to Oregon State. So, Dustin Plott, who wrestled at 174 his first three years at OSU, bumped up to 184. Smith went with freshman Brayden Thompson, the No. 3 pound-for-pound recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, at 174.

Uncertainty clouded the outlook of OSU’s roster. But history indicates OSU typically reloads, even if it takes multiple years.

“The thing with Oklahoma State is that they always respond,” said Christian Pyles, FloWrestling analyst and director of content. “They’ve had years like (the past two) before. Years like that happen. But they always find a way to respond. They always find a way to reload.”

But Smith had more reloading to do. And the time frame to do it shrank by the day.

Smith glanced at his computer screen, attempting to avoid eye contact at all costs. Across from him sat longtime assistant, associate head coach Zack Esposito, who had just concluded his 14th season on staff. Esposito was a former wrestler at OSU under Smith. He’d given time and effort toward the betterment of Smith’s program. “He’s an OSU Cowboy,” Smith said. “Plain and simple.” Which made the conversation between the two all the more uncomfortable.

It was late August. Less than two months remained until the Cowboys’ season opener. That’s when Esposito said, “I think I’ve found a better opportunity.” Esposito found a job opening with USA Wrestling as the National Freestyle Development and Resident coach. He wanted to act swiftly upon the oppor-

tunity.

Already in the heart of the process of creating a lineup, now, Smith was tasked with hiring a new associate head coach. He was caught off guard.

“Zack, he thought it was his dream job,” Smith said. “It is what it is.”

Smith gave Esposito a candid response.

“Zack, go for it.”

Now, Smith had a vacancy to fill within his coaching staff. But by the day’s end, he narrowed his option to one name.

*****

Coleman Scott and his family was in Los Angeles en route to Dodger Stadium when the phone rang. A call from John Smith. “LA traffic, it slows things down, makes it about two or three hours (longer) than it needs to be,” Scott joked. “Not like he was really interrupting anything.”

Smith got straight to the point. Scott had spent the past eight seasons as head coach at North Carolina. He’d built a program into national contention. He’d coached individual national champions and AllAmericans. Smith’s call was sudden, but it made sense.

Scott said he knew the impending question. And when it was asked, he didn’t hesitate to agree to terms.

“John Smith is the sole reason I made this decision,” Scott said. “If, (somewhere else) had come calling, I probably wouldn’t have gone.

See Smith on 4

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (Jn.14:1 NIV)

Jesus had just told his disciples of his betrayal. He also told to them of his leaving and they could not go with him. I am sure that it seemed to the disciples that everything was “caving in, falling apart.” The future seemed so uncertain. Then Jesus speaks these words; DON’T BE TROUBLED; TRUST ME!

Jesus tells them that he is going to the Father (God) and in his house there is plenty of room. He tells them that he is going to make a place for them all and he will return to take them there. As we look around us there is much uncertainty about this planet that we live on; safety is a premium, and what about when death comes? What is going to happen to you and me? Many are betting on losing consciousness and never

awakening. They live on that assumption. However, Jesus tells us all are going to experience a resurrection from the dead; some to everlasting life and others to be condemned . (Jn.5:28-29, Dan.12:2)

Again, the Lord Jesus makes things clear to his followers: “I am going to my Father’s house to prepare a place for you. I will return to get you and take you to be with me.” when asked about the way to this wonderful place, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn.14:6) No wonder he declares plainly; don’t be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.

Jesus has prepared a place and is the way to God’s wonderful place. Let’s trust and follow him, and lay up treasure there. It is a sure place promised by the Lord Jesus himself. He will not fail us; so shall we ever be with the Lord! (1 Thess.4:17-18)

TRUST THE LORD! (Part #1)

Payton Little

After a program-worst finish at the NCAA Championships a season ago, OSU coach John Smith made changes to get the Cowboys back into relevance.

How OSU prepared Olejnik for final NCAA run and convinced him to stay in Stillwater

Braden Bush Sports Editor

Oklahoma State needed a 165-pounder, and Izzak Olejnik needed a place to spend his final year of college. But it’s turned into a longer stay.

Olejnik wrestled for four seasons at Northern Illinois, earning All-American status a season ago before transferring to OSU. He wanted a place he could compete for a national title and finish higher at his final one.

And Olejnik has made progress, going 24-5, placing third at the Big 12 Championships and is the No. 7 seed in the 165-pound bracket at the NCAA Championships in Kansas City beginning Thursday.

The Cowboys got a veteran leader on a young team, and Olejnik isn’t ready to leave Stillwater just yet. His stint at OSU won’t end after his last year of eligibility expires – he is earning his master’s degree and buying a house in Stillwater.

“I have one more year of school, so I’ll be finishing that up and just sticking around and helping out with what-

ever they need,” Olejnik said.

For the past four years, Olejnik built up to have this final season and a chance for a memorable finish. OSU was the right spot for him to do it. Olejnik has fit right into the team and gives the Cowboys a chance at a postseason run and one of his own.

“This was definitely what he needed to prepare himself to win a national title,” said Olejnik’s father, Matt.

Olejnik faced some tough opponents at NIU, but the grind of a season in the Big 12 was much different than that of the Mid-American Conference.

Every week, he was up against a topnotch opponent. He wrestled three of the six ahead of him in the seedings during the season.

OSU coach John Smith and Matt said that took a toll on Olejnik at times, but it has helped prepare him for March. That’s why Olejnik said he came to OSU. It is a program used to competing for titles, and it had a room full of young guys hungry to win.

“It’s been an awesome thing to be able to wrestle here, and I think just having guys who are all like-minded wanting to win a national title just kinda raises the competitiveness in the room, and that’s definitely helped,” Olejnik

said. Smith said he has seen Olejnik thrive at OSU and become comfortable in his abilities and with his team.

“Ultimately, that’s what it’s about,” Smith said. “Having that comfort zone that you feel like you can win in.”

Coming out of high school in California, Olejnik didn’t have a ton of interest from colleges. He ended up at NIU on a partial scholarship and had to prove what he could do, culminating into the All-American finish in 2023.

Now, he has the shot to do it at OSU, a program Olejnik and his father had on their radar.

“For me, as a father, to have him be part of the Oklahoma State legacy and – knocking on wood – winning a national title or becoming an All-American from there and being able to be put in Heritage Hall and just to be a part of the tradition, to me, as a parent, that is the ultimate testament to how Izzak has trained his whole life for this moment,” Matt said.

Regardless of how the season ends, Olejnik isn’t going anywhere. He is finishing his master’s in leisure studies, and he wants to continue to train, help coach, assist with the Cowboy ROTC or wherever they need him, really.

The Cowboys have a young core, and Olejnik said he wants to see it through and stay in the environment he is in.

That meant buying a house and planting his roots a little deeper in Stillwater. Olejnik finalizes buying his house in May, and he’s not the only one excited about it. His family is all in on OSU, too, and wants to be part of his journey.

“I want to make sure he got a big enough house that there’s room for me and my wife when we come in,” Matt said, “because I plan on keeping my season tickets and checking out some of the best wrestling in the country at OSU.”

Although he’s been at OSU less than a year, Olejnik found a second home in Stillwater. One that has him prepared to cap his career on the NCAA podium.

“For the amount of time that I’ve been here, the people, my teammates, my coaches, they’ve all welcomed me with open arms,” Olejnik said. “It’s felt like I’ve kinda been on this team a little longer than I have. That’s something I want to be able to kinda stick around and be a part of.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Payton Little

Izzak Olejnik is buying a house and staying in Stillwater after his final season ends.

Smith . . .

Continued from 2

“When you’re offered an opportunity to coach with arguably the greatest wrestler of all time, that’s something you just can’t turn down.”

In the moments after the call, the Scott family weighed their options and the pros and cons of leaving Chapel Hill for Stillwater. Was it worth it? Why leave what he had at UNC?

He remembered the memories of winning an individual national title in 2008. He remembered earning AllAmerican status and the thrill that came with it each time.

Soon, the choice became clear. Stillwater.

“The opportunity to come home,” Scott said. “The opportunity to give my kids what I had – the quality of life – when I was in college.”

As for the primary reason?

“I love Stillwater. I love (Gallagher-Iba Arena). I love everything about that campus,” he said. “And I wanted to win immediately. I knew we could and would do that at Oklahoma State.”

*****

The next few days were bittersweet for Scott. A lot of goodbyes, particularly to those within the UNC Athletic Department. People who believed in Scott. People who trusted him to lead UNC’s wrestling program.

“It’s hard, no doubt,” Scott told The O’Colly two days before his arrival in Stillwater. “My family and I, we’re embracing these final days (in Chapel Hill).

“The coaching business is hard man. Sometimes you have to make quick-trigger decisions. For better or for worse.”

Days later, it was time to get to work.

The immediate response of Scott’s arrival was overwhelming positivity. Wrestlers, such as Fix, who grew up attending OSU duals, remembered Scott’s 2008 individual title and the grueling path Scott took to accomplish that.

Out of high school, Fix scheduled an official visit to UNC solely because Scott was the head coach. But those close to him didn’t see Fix’s perspective. They saw Fix visiting a struggling program with, at the time, subpar facilities.

“People would always say to me, ‘UNC? Really?’” Fix said. “I didn’t care. Coleman Scott was the reason I took that visit.”

Fix said Scott’s impact on the program was immediate.

“He’s a younger guy that has experience as a head coach,” Fix said. “He definitely knows how to lead people. You could see that the moment he stepped in the wrestling room here at OSU for the first time. He’s a great leader. A great motivator. A great everything, really.”

Scott had a say in some structural changes to OSU’s practice regimen. Wrestlers said they found workouts more intense and conditioning-oriented than in past seasons. They have

two off days in contrast to the one, or sometimes none, they’ve had in recent years. Perhaps most importantly, he provided a younger, more relatable voice. Not to say that Smith lacked that, but Scott had a way of connecting with the wrestlers like they had yet to experience.

“Coleman’s impact on us has been profound,” OSU heavyweight Konner Doucet said. “His knowledge of the sport is so, so vast. And he’s someone who, as a young wrestler myself, can relate to easily. (His hiring has) paid off so far.”

As for Smith, Scott’s presence relived him of a surplus of stress.

“It’s made my job a hell of a lot easier,” Smith said. “That’s for sure.”

It led to immediate success. The Cowboys started the season 14-0 for the first time in five years, including 12 ranked wins and three top-10 wins.

“I’d had a chance to coach Coleman. I’d recruited Coleman. I’ve watched him in his role from afar at North Carolina,” Smith said. “And I just felt like he had a certain level of energy that was destined to complement our program. And sure enough, it’s done that. It’s been an all-around good fit for us so far.”

Less than one year removed from one of the worst seasons in program history, Smith and Co. had the Cowboys back in national contention.

“They’ve just come out firing this year,” Oregon State coach Chris Pendleton told The O’Colly. “John has done a damn good job of putting the past couple of years behind him and focusing on the developing the current core he has. It’s shown

in the win-loss column.”

*****

A little more than two hours before No. 2 OSU vs No.

4 Iowa, herds of fans snaked around Gallagher-Iba Arena. For the first time in years, tailgates were set up around campus, emulating a college football game day.

“I haven’t seen a wrestling dual with this much anticipation and hype around it in decades,” one tailgating OSU fan said. “As someone who has grown up attending duals for a long time, it’s pretty cool to see.”

The buildup was fulfilling. For many OSU fans, the atmosphere was reminiscent of the glory days in the mid 2000s, when the Cowboys won three consecutive team national titles. The product on the mat wasn’t, though. The Hawkeyes dominated OSU, 22-9. The Cowboys hadn’t experienced that type of failure.

Smith said in the moment he wondered how his team would respond, especially given the surplus of youth within the lineup.

“They don’t have a choice,” Smith said the following week. “How are you gonna take this? How are you gonna respond?”

The response was quality.

Although OSU finished second at the Big 12 Championships two weeks later, Smith was impressed by his team’s outing. OSU’s 141.5 team points became the highest point total for a second-place team in tournament history, 11 points behind Iowa State’s 152.5.

“We, by no means, we didn’t lose the tournament,” Smith said. “Iowa State won it.”

The outing validated a response to what Smith referred to as the “most embarrassing” point for his team this season. But Smith knows his team must wrestle better to avoid a third consecutive finish outside the top 10 at Nationals. Although the Cowboys, on paper, appear poised to return to that echelon, qualifying all 10 starters, five of whom earned top-10 seedings, if the past two seasons have indicated anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed. *****

Smith knew heading into the season the importance of bounce-back season. For the program. For the fans. And most importantly, for his wrestlers. With Nationals beginning Thursday, Smith said he often reflects on the progression his wrestlers have undergone to get to the point they’re at. “As a head coach, it’s quite fulfilling,” Smith said. “You love seeing your guys earn their stripes. And that’s exactly what my group has done this year.” The Cowboys have climbed their way back into national relevance. Earning a ranking as high as No. 2 validated their claim for legitimacy. So did a 14-0 start to the season. And with a facility upgrade set to take place in the future, Smith holds the upmost confidence in his program’s trajectory.

“I think a year like this was big for Oklahoma State, if not paramount,” Pyles said. “Momentum obviously works in two ways. You can fall off a

bad year, and another bad year, and then another bad year, then say it goes bad for Daton (Fix) again in NCAA’s and suddenly it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, when will this team get over the hump?’ But that’s a team’s biggest pitch, their overall success, most importantly in Nationals. That’s Penn State’s phone call. That’s their selling point. ‘Hey, this could be you.’”

Will the Cowboys get over that hump? That remains to be seen.

But this season has been promising. Especially given the amount of youth in OSU’s lineup.

And with a laundry list of premier recruits committed to OSU – Dee Lockett, FloWrestling’s No. 3 pound-forpound recruit in the 2025 class; Japanese prodigy Rin Sakamoto and No. 2 pound-for-pound recruit Cody Merrill in the 2024 class − to go with up-andcoming names such as freshman 133-pounder Cael Hughes and heavyweight Christian Carroll, the former No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, many experts see OSU as a program on the rise.

Now, Smith hopes to achieve something greater. Something he hasn’t done in four years – lead his team to a top-five finish or better at Nationals. Beyond that, who knows?

“Never count us out,” Smith said. “On paper, some of these teams may be better than us. But one thing is for damn sure, my guys know how to win matches. And that’s resulted in them winning so many dual meets.

“You can overlook us. Fine. But never count us out.”

Davis Cordova

Coming off a program-worst 18th-place finish in the 2023 NCAA Championships, to go with the program’s first set of consecutive finishes outside of the top 10 (14th in 2022), Smith made it a priority to enforce drastic changes.

‘Something that’s been missed’ Cowgirls set to compete in Bedlam Cup for first time since 2017

Gina Foster Staff Reporter

Alexis Sadegy remembers her Cowgirl golf team preparing for battle as they tied bows in their hair and spread face paint on their cheeks with the sound of fans cheering as they walked onto the course.

That Bedlam Cup in 2016 is one of Sadegy’s favorite Bedlam Cup memories. During a tournament with such pressure, the OSU women’s golf team could have lost focus, but the energy stayed consistent, and the Cowgirls experienced the win of a lifetime against the Sooners.

Sadegy, a member of that OSU team, said this event is not like a regular tournament, but it is a good balance of fun and competition. She said her team always got hyped for the event, and it’s

a big deal.

“There’s a certain level of etiquette that has to be followed,” Sadegy said. “But Bedlam I feel like is a time where we really get to show our team spirit and how much fun we can have on the golf course while remaining super competitive.”

Moments like hers are coming back Friday as the Cowgirls participate in the first Bedlam Cup since 2017 in Norman.

Students, athletes and alumni look forward to Bedlam each year, but golf has missed out on participating for years. Sadegy said this event has been missed.

“That’s definitely something that’s been missed because it’s such a fun and competitive experience that I think should happen every year,” Sadegy said.

“All the other sports have it pretty regularly, so it’s just a nice addition to the spring schedule.”

This OSU team has not experienced the one-on-one match play against the Sooners, and it is ready to have the same experiences Sadegy had.

“I hope that people are going to show up,” Cowgirl golfer Clemence Martin said. “It’s only against one team, who’s going to win and who’s going to lose. Having this is really, really exciting.”

Sadegy played in the tournament from 2015-17 but missed it greatly during her senior year. Although the results she hoped for were not always there, playing with a teammate and cheering each other on was just as significant.

“You have to stay focused on yourself and cheering on your teammates,” Sadegy said. “The first round is the best ball, so just having that team spirit is a really unique experience. There were so many high fives and ‘You’ve got this.’”

The team camaraderie which doesn’t usually happen on the course,

is bringing the Cowgirls and the community together as they receive their first chance to defeat the Sooners in the match-play tournament.

OSU coach Greg Robertson knows how important, yet exciting, this matchup is. “It’ll be fun, especially against a rival like Oklahoma,” Robertson said. “They’ve got a good team, and you certainly don’t want to lose to the team in Norman. It’s going to be a fun event.”

The excitement this event has brought to the team and the community will intensify at 8 a.m. Friday when the first ball is hit.

“I just love seeing the Cowgirls succeed in everything they do,” Sadegy said. “It’s so cool to see them win tournaments, in the news and see all the cool things they are doing off of the course. I think adding Bedlam to their list of achievements would be really special.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of OSU Cowgirl Golf (X)

On Friday, the Bedlam Cup returns for the first time since 2017.

Recharge . . .

Continued from 1

Put the screens away

Students spent all semester hovering over keyboards.

Use the last three days of spring break to enjoy time with family, friends or yourself. Start a puzzle, read that book you’ve been meaning to or get creative with painting or journaling.

Take time to plan When Monday hits, the chaos will resume.

Don’t get caught up in the craziness. Instead, start the second half of the semester on a strong foot.

Over the next three days, take 15-20 minutes to plan out the first week back. Think about assignments, test, quizzes and other commitments. Also take some time to write down bigger goals you want to accomplish before the semester concludes.

You’ll thank yourself later.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Esposito to visit campus

A supervillain is on his way to campus.

Giancarlo Esposito, an actor, is visiting OSU on Monday as an OSU Speakers Board guest. The event will happen at 6 p.m. in the Wes Watkins Center.

When looking at his backlog of projects, in practically every role he is the villain. He achieved iconic status with his portrayal of Gustavo “Gus” Fring in the

critically acclaimed series “Breaking Bad.” His portrayal of the enigmatic drug lord earned him widespread acclaim and several award nominations, showcasing his ability to inhabit morally complex characters with nuance.

Besides “Breaking Bad,” Esposito played the villain in “The Mandalorian,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Far Cry 6,” “Better Call Saul” and numerous other projects. Esposito has been a vocal advocate for diversity in Hollywood, advocating

for more nuanced portrayals of characters from marginalized backgrounds.

In addition to his artistic endeavors, Esposito is involved in philanthropy, supporting various causes that promote education, social justice and mental health awareness.

Esposito is the second guest the Speakers Board has hosted this semester. In February, Ross Lynch, an actor and singer, visited campus.

Tickets are free for OSU students, faculty and staff.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Creative Commons

Giancarlo Esposito will be on campus on Monday as a guest of the OSU Speakers Board.

File Photo

Start a puzzle, read that book you’ve been meaning to or get creative with painting or journaling.

Jake Hernandez Staff Reporter

Brock Mills

Food . . .

Customer Service

Upon arrival, customers are immediately greeted by helpful and welcoming employees. With its clean facilities, customers can take their dining experience to the max.

able to enjoy my meal comfortably.

The Food

I chose to keep it simple and order the chicken nugget meal with mashed potatoes and corn with a sweet tea on the side. Grandy’s also includes a roll with each meal.

the flavor area, they were still tasty and made me feel as if I was at home. Additionally, the dinner roll topped with honey or butter hit the spot to complete the main course.

Dessert

the finishing touches it needed.

In all, the restaurant has room to grow, but has already accomplished so much. With the turnaround time from ordering to being served, the meal fulfills the needs that many customers are looking for.

Despite opening its doors recently, the employees are resourceful, maintain the area professionally and check in with those dining in regularly to make sure they are satisfied. With that, I was

As soon as I was served, the chicken was hot, fresh and ready to eat. With a side of sauce, the chicken was perfect and tender. The potatoes did not have much flavor but got the job done. Much of the added flavor to make the potatoes whole came from the white gravy. The corn had slightly more flavor with a hint of sweetness. Although both lacked a little in

Although I do not typically order a dessert while dining, I decided to splurge for some peach cobbler, my favorite dessert that makes me feel like I am back at my grandma’s house.

By the time I had a chance to get to the cobbler, it was a little cold. However, it was perfectly soft and sweet. Filled with the sweetness from the peaches and a soft crust, the small cup of gooey goodness gave the whole meal

I would recommend Grandy’s for anyone who is searching for a sense of home in a short amount of time. With the many options that are offered, your appetite can be met any day of the week, any time of day. Grandy’s advertises “Serve ‘em plenty, Leave ‘em happy,” and it did just that.

Continued from 1 news.ed@ocolly.com

Grandy’s serves a variety of chicken meals with hearty sides and cobbler for dessert.

Classifieds

Business Squares

Come check out the wide variety of elegant clothing at Formal Fantasy!

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

The best selection of beer, wine and liquor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to Brown’s Bottle Shop located on 128 N. Main

“The Original Hideaway, located on the corner of Knoblock and University. Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6

Monday thru Saturday

Houses for rent

O’Colly Media Sales Manager Needed

The O’Colly Media Group is now accepting applications for a full time summer Account Manager, Media Sales. This position is responsible for contacting and selling local, University and Oklahoma businesses OMG advertising opportunities. Specifically print, online and mobile and video streaming service.

Job duties include developing sales, marketing and promotional strategies and create materials to support this effort and propose additional special issues and revenue streams and implement said issues and revenue streams.

Qualified applicant should be able to work with and train students, develop advertising and agency expense budgets, create and monitor daily revenue goals, determine credits and adjustments for advertising errors, serve as liaison between O’Colly and local retail community, university advertisers and other college newspapers. Serve as part of a long term strategic planning to further determine marketing strategies and additional revenue opportunities. Build relationships with prospective clients by attending local Chamber of Commerce meetings and making non sales calls.

Send resume to Lori@ocolly.com for consideration.

Cowboy Calendar

Friday, March 22

1 Day Spring Break Camp: Canvas Pillow @ 1:30 - 4 p.m.

Location: AR Workshop Stillwater

Admission: $55

https://www.arworkshop.com

1 Day Spring Break Camp: Holiday Countdown @ 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Location: AR Workshop Stillwater

Admission: $55

https://www.arworkshop.com

Bad Brad’s BAR-B-Q After Hours Comedy Show @ 10 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Location: Bad Brad’s Bar-B-Q

Admission: Tickets in Advance: $20; Tickets at the Door: $25

https://badbrads.com

Cowgirl Baseball:: OSU vs. TCU @ 6 p.m.

Location: O’Brate Stadium

https://okstate.com/sports/baseball/schedule/ Downtown Funk @ 8 - 10 p.m.

Location: Em Curators of Craft

Admission: $5.00 Cover Charge

https://curatorsofcraft.co/pages/on-stage Mid-South Horn @ 7:30 a.m.

https://cas.okstate.edu/greenwood_school_of_music/studio_pages/horn/midsouth2024/midsouth-registration.html

Friday Flix @ 2:20 - 4 p.m.

Location: OSU Museum of Art

https://museum.okstate.edu

Oklahoma Selfbow Jamboree 2024 @ 8 a.m.

Location: Lake Carl Blackwell

Admission: Free to walk around and watch, Cost is only for Participation

https://oklahomaselfbowsociety.wildapricot.org

Grillin’ & Chillin’ At The Varsity Shop @ 1 - 3 p.m.

Location: Em Curators of Craft

https://curatorsofcraft.co

Karaoke @ 9 p.m.

Location: The Midnight Bar Spring Break @ 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Location: Lost Creek Safari

Admission: Admission: Adults $11 & Kids $8 All-Inclusive Pack (3+) $22 All-Inclusive Pack (2 & Under) $14 AFTER HOUR EXTRAS: Produce Feedings $15, Special Feeding Encounter $20 Optional Experiences: Feed Cup $5, Parakeet Stick $1, Reptile Barn Experience $6, Baby Goat Encounter $2, Baby Kangaroo Encounter $2 https://lostcreeksafari.com

Spring Break Camp @ 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

20 Miner concern

physicists softball game?

22 Water coolers

23 Water movers

24 Break-even transactions involving vintage TVs and turntables?

27 Dead set on 29 Tangy red spice

30 “Jingle Bells” contraction 32 CSNY’s “__ House”

33 Making one’s hair stand on end?

37 Doesn’t take well?

38 One issuing tickets to the over-50 crowd?

40 Mark left by a bumper

42 Afternoon rests

43 Sprint

44 Dudes

45 Romance novelist Dare

49 Make space on the whiteboard

51 Animated image of an apple falling on Sir Isaac?

55 “__ you a barrel of laughs”

57 Nintendo character option

58 Artemis org.

59 Lab work focused on data storage devices?

62 Gov. or sen.

63 Barrel of laughs

64 Big-box shop

65 68-Across restroom

66 Drummer Ulrich

67 “Anything Goes” star Merman

68 U.K. part

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

By Katie Hale

DOWN

1 Focuses in college

2 Brief sketch

3 Comms experts

4 Rock’s __ Lonely Boys

5 Opposition parties

6 Hanger-on

7 Teegarden of “Friday Night Lights”

8 Financial paper, for short

9 “The Jetsons” maid

10 What love is, per a “Frozen” song

11 Earnings report

12 Lapel edges?

15 Take up, in a way

19 Playful “grr” alternative

21 Try to hit 25 Lenovo rival

26 Wireless speaker brand

28 RN workplaces

31 Elton John accomplishment, briefly

34 Basilica alcove

35 Result of angering a wasp, probably

Today’s Birthday (03/22/24). Benefits swell your accounts this year. Balance your busy schedule with quiet alone time to recharge. Springtime collaborative possibilities spark into romantic flame, inspiring summer renewal by releasing worn out habits. Creative inspiration feeds autumn organization and planning, before winter changes require shared support with your partner. Conserve an extraordinary harvest.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Clean and plan. Savor peaceful privacy, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Organize and prepare for what’s ahead. Tap inspiration, passion and spiritual connection.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Together, anything’s possible. Collaborate with teams, groups and friends over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Push for a shared dream.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Move forward boldly. Advance professionally, with Mars in Pisces for a few months. Energize your career. Push past old barriers for rising status.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Investigate a fascination. Explore and learn something new over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Discover new horizons, ideas and flavors.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Energize profitable plans with your partner over two months, with Mars in Pisces. Lucrative opportunities reward your collaboration. Budget shared finances for growth.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Love heats up over the next few months. Partnership surges forward, with Mars in Pisces. Collaboration provides fun, ease and rewards. Connect and share.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Maintain healthy practices. With Pisces Mars, you’re physically energized over two months. Nurture body and mind. Savor nature, art and music. Eat and rest well.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Have fun with friends. Love, romance and creativity flower over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Share your passion. Energize your game.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Prioritize home and family. Power into domestic improvement, with Pisces Mars for two months. Repair and renovate. Nurture and decorate. Physical action gets beautiful results.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Communication and transportation flow with greater ease, with Mars in Pisces. Research, write and brainstorm. Share information, data and resources. Energize a conversation.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Collaborate to empower profitable pursuits. Grow your income, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Physical efforts produce rewarding results. Your energy pays in cash.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Begin a twomonth superpower phase, with Mars in your sign. Focus on personal development. Restore integrity where missing. Take charge to realize a dream.

3/22/24

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved 3/22/24

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

36 Fury

37 Taken up, in a way

38 University of Michigan city

39 Spread out at a cocktail party

40 Rap’s Dr. __

41 “1984” superstate

44 Maitre d’ offering

46 Paper clip alternative

47 “Time to go already?”

48 Like a watch with hands

50 Factions

52 “You can’t stop me”

53 Colin of “1917”

54 Extended family member

56 “No Scrubs” group

59 Clickable link

60 Little piggy

61 Mexican lager

Level 1 2 3 4

Solution to Thursday’s puzzle

3/22/24

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk