Friday, Jan. 20, 2023

Anti-human trafficking efforts announced

Kennedy Thomason Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

The Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women is launching two new programs to combat human trafficking.

The OCSW, an official state agency, advises members of Oklahoma’s government on women’s issues in hopes of advancing quality of life and economic opportunities. They have worked since 2014 to educate Oklahomans on human trafficking.

According to a document published by OCSW, “sex trafficking of adults and labor trafficking of adults and children occurs when force, fraud, or coercion are used to engage a person in commercial sex acts or labor.”

Community Conversations to Stop Human Trafficking is an educational series that will travel to high schools, colleges and universities across the state. Community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the dangers of human trafficking.

A qualified group of panelists, including professionals, experts and nonprofits will lead these conversations. This series is centered around educating citizens on the early warning signs of human trafficking.

Pakita Asberry, the media contact for the OCSW, said facilitating

Not Me is an initiative to stop human trafficking and to raise

human trafficking.

these Community Conversations is an important part of the Commission’s work.

“Human trafficking is another issue that concerns Oklahoman women and community leaders statewide, so in 2023, the Commission is focusing its Community Conversations on this

issue and partnering with high schools, colleges, universities and career techs to educate young people on the early signs of human trafficking, so they are empowered to stop it before becoming a victim,” Asberry said.

Review: New Plaza Corner Café brings freshness to Student Union

Adam Engel Editor-in-Chief

A new, ready-to-serve restaurant replaces a construction zone.

A soup and sandwich-based concept opened Tuesday in the former space of Johnny Rocket’s in the OSU Student Union. Plaza Corner Café operates from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Johnny Rocket’s closed last year and the building was closed for construction in the fall semester.

Plaza Corner Café becomes the Student Union’s 10th dining concept.

The O’Colly tried the Plaza Corner Café during its soft opening last Friday and became one of the first customers.

Plaza Corner Café offers a simple

menu of mostly soups and sandwiches. It’s somewhat similar to what is served at Planet Orange Café in the College of Human Sciences Building. Plaza Corner Café also offers a soup of the day. It was a chicken tortilla soup during the soft opening.

I shouldn’t have ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. I realized that a few bites in. Not to say grilled cheeses are gross. They’re not. But they are simple. Low value item and easily replaceable.

It’s not hard to make. Put a few slices of good ol’ American cheese between bread. Smother butter on the bread and grill for a few minutes. Have you ever had a “bad” grilled cheese?

That’s why I shouldn’t have ordered it. There’s no surprise factor in one. You know what it’s gonna be. A grilled cheese never blows you away.

But it was free, darn it.

Come to think of it, so was the brisket-included smokehouse melt. Or the bacon tomato melt. I had a coupon for a free meal.

I crumbled under pressure at the

opportunity of free lunch. Poor decision making. Immediate red flag.

Let me ask you this. In a lineup of sandwiches like that, which seems like the most appetizing? Not the grilled cheese. Not to me at least. So that’s where I messed up. Next time. Smokehouse melt.

The tomato basil soup was delicious though. I was surprised with the portion size. A larger cup. It was the opposite of the grilled cheese. Flavorful and authentic. It was rich though. Too salty. I couldn’t imagine eating a bowl of it because of that. The cup was a fine size. Nitpicks, though. Overall, a soup that tasted much better than I expected.

But hey, that’s the purpose of a soft opening. An opportunity for feedback and improvement. Surveys were offered at the end of my meal. Overall, it was a cool experience and solid meal. I’m excited that the building isn’t a construction zone anymore.

New Year’s resolutions at Colvin boost attendance

Bella Casey Staff Reporter

Pokes prioritize fitness. As the new year begins, OSU students flood the Colvin Recreation Center, eager to pursue their New Year’s resolutions.

Karlene Stelling, a senior who works for the Colvin as a personal trainer

and program assistant for the program of fitness, said the new year has inspired an increase of students to visit the Colvin. Although this is the first week of the spring semester, Stelling said the line of students overflowed out the door at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Honor Roll Hot or not?

Mak Vandruff Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State announced 8,170 students were named to fall semester honor’s roll and 3,595 were named to the President’s Honor Roll, a list containing the names of every student who earned an A in all of their classes.

Students on the honor roll receive a cer-

tificate, but can also use their honor roll status on resumes and in scholarship applications.

Kayla Eyler, a zoology pre-vet student, said the President’s Honor Roll is a goal she’s happy to meet because she can use it in the future.

“I feel like it’s important for jobs,” Eyler said. “But unless you’re on it or

Courtesy of Oklahoma Commision On The Women Status

awareness in recognizing early signs of

See Anti-Human on 7A

File Photo

Many students are flocking to the Colvin Recreation Center in hopes of completing their New Year’s resolutions.

Courtesy of OSU

OSU named 8,170 students were named to fall semester honor’s roll and 3,595 were named to the President’s Honor Roll.

Victmins of human trafficking use their hand held up, as if giving an oath, with all fingers together, then thumb folded onto the palm and fingers fold over and around the thumb, thereby symbolically “trapping” the thumb inside the fingers, representing someone who is being trafficked, trapped, abused, hurt or confined against his or her will.

National Coffee Break Day

End syllabus week with a classic cup of joe to celebrate National Coffee Break Day on Friday.

Stop in the Student Union and visit Caribou Coffee. Support one of several local coffee shops, too.

MLK MARCH

New Editors for Spring Semester

Hello! My name is Luisa Clausen, I am a sophomore majoring in Multimedia Journalism. I was born and raised in Brazil and first came to the U.S. when I was 17, as an exchange student. After that, I decided I wanted to go to college in the U.S., and with a lot of sacrifices, I was fortunate enough to start my academic life at OSU. I am passionate about journalism and I am more than proud to represent The O’Colly as the News and Lifestyle Editor.

Editorial board

Editor-in-Chief Adam Engel editorinchief@ocolly.com

Sports editor Gabriel Trevino sports.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant sports editor Braden Bush sports.ed@ocolly.com

Design editor Sam Beebe design.ed@ocolly.com

Hello reader, my name is Kennedy Thomason and I am the Assistant News and Lifestyle Editor this semester. I am a freshman from Blacksburg, Virginia (Go Hokies!). A fun fact about me is I have played lacrosse since third grade and I am now the president for OSU’s club lacrosse team.

Hey, everyone, I’m Braden Bush, and I’ll be serving as Assistant Sports Editor this semester. I’ve been at The O’Colly for a year, and I’m excited to help the sports department bring excellent coverage of OSU athletics this spring. A fun fact about me is that I have an animal science degree from OSU and worked on a cattle ranch before coming to The O’Colly

The O’Colly Staff

News & Life editor Luisa Clausen news.ed@ocolly.com entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant News & Life editor Kennedy Thomason news.ed@ocolly.com entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Photo editor Mackenzie Janish photo.ed@ocolly.com

Adviser John Helsley john.helsley@okstate.edu

News & Lifestyle reporters:

Jaden Besteda

Payton Little Baylor Bryant Michael Clark Rebekah Cleary Micah McKamie Jaycee Hampton Isaac Terry Bella Casey

Newsroom

Sports reporters: Photographers & Designers:

Sam Hutchens

Braden Bush Davis Cordova Ashton Slaughter Daniel Allen Rowdy Baribeau Payton Little PJ Tikalsky Parker Gerl Gina Foster Calif Poncy Bradley Cook Ivan White Ben Hutchens

Rebekah Cleary Kendall McGhee Jaiden Daughty Molly Jolliff Cole Gueldenzoph Chase Davis Michael Clark Karlie Boothe Ethan Hilbert Paul Houston Carson Toulouse Jaycee Hampton Cassius Davis Ava Whistler

Luisa Clausen News & Lifestyle Editor

Kennedy Thomason Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor

International coffee organization

News/Lifesyle

Plaza Corner Café menu

Continued from 1A

The place seems nice, too. Clean but that’s also a soft opening. A stampede of hangry students will be the real test. It looked like the old tile stayed which is a cool touch. Fresh lighting all over the place. The original counter from Johnny Rocket’s stayed along with diner seats. The orange and white color scheme is simple and clean. Visually appealing.

I’m looking forward to a second visit. As always, students can use their meal plan at any OSU Dining Services’ concept.

Sandwiches

Classic grilled cheese — $4.95

Smokehouse melt: Chopped brisket, pickles, melted cheddar and American cheese — $7.95

Roasted veggie melt — $6.95

Bacon tomato melt — $7.95

Soup

Tomato basil cup — $2.95

Tomato basil bowl — $4.95

Soup of the day cup — $2.95

Soup of the day bowl — $4.95

Sides

Tater tots — $3.55

Mac and cheese — $3.95

House salad — $3.55

Combo

Classic grilled cheese and tomato soup combo — $7.65

Grilled cheese and salad combo — $7.65

Soup and salad combo — $6.15

OSU Global rebrands name for bigger impact

Staff Reporter

OSU Global is the new name and brand identity for the School of Global Studies and Partnerships.

The name change is a combination of strategy and inclusivity. It aims to increase OSU’s international engagement. The rebrand will create awareness and identify the magnitude and responsibilities of the department and appeal to both domestic and international audiences.

“This new brand, OSU Global, will enable us to better serve our university and external partners,” Dean Randy Kluver said. “A simplified, broad name will bring a greater awareness of the impact the university has on global engagement. As we position the university to be a preeminent land-grant university, this will help us to build a broader set of international partnerships to facilitate our service to the state and the world.”

The change will create awareness the administration offices serve, not only the specific needs of OSU Global, but also the entire university. It will also shed light on the fact that the offices deal with the representation of the university to external constituencies. The new name showcases the department to reflect national norms and puts OSU as a devoted leader in international engagement with a focus on large-scale global interaction.

Since its creation in the early 1950s, international offices have held many names. In the beginning, the unit was called the Office of International Programs. In 1997, it shifted to the International and Economic Development department. Just two years later, the name was changed to the International Education and Outreach office. In 2017, the department went under another re -

branding to what we have known in recent years as the School of Global Studies and Partnerships and added the International Students and Scholars office. Just six years later it has been changed again to the shortest of the titles.

OSU Global is still the administrative office that oversees a variety of international and travel programs at OSU, including the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade Development, International Students and Scholars, the Center for Global Learning, the English Language and Intercultural Center and the School of Global Studies.

The dean’s office will remain responsible for globally focused functions across OSU, such as international partner-

ships, promotion of the Fulbright and other internationally focused scholarship programs, delegation and regulation of university-wide external branding efforts, the Mexico Liaison Office and other communications.

OSU Global will continue to house the academic department — the School of Global Studies. The school includes an M.S. in global studies, two graduate certificate programs, the Iranian and Persian Gulf studies program, the global briefing series and administration of the interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in international studies.

For more information regarding the new branding of OSU Global, please visit their website.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Eddie Sutton foundation reveals year-end beneficiaries

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

The Eddie Sutton Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping raise funds in the fight against cancer, revealed Tuesday its first beneficiary of the year.

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer will recieve a $50,000 endof-year donation with a lead gift of $25,000 for its dedication to research and fighting pediatric cancer.

The Eddie Sutton Foundation sticks to the values that made Eddie Sutton a beloved coach, in the Naismith Memorial

Basketball Hall of Fame, honoring the memory of OSU’s former men’s basketball coach. His defense, dedication and firm discipline in the face of adversary. The foundation believes it will someday find a cure by maintaining its beliefs.

The Eddie Sutton foundation was announced on March 12, 2022, what would have been Coach Eddie Sutton’s 86th birthday.

OSU Coaches vs Cancer transitioned to Cowboys vs Cancer by partnering with Eddie Sutton Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to fight against cancer,

Adam Engel

A look at the grilled cheese and tomato basil soup combo from the Plaza Corner Cafe.

Courtesy of OSU

OSU Global is the new name and brand identity for the School of Global Studies and Partnerships. The name change is a combination of strategy and inclusivity.

Mallory Pool

Courtesy of OSU

The Eddie Sutton Foundation announced its beneficiary of the year. CureSearch for Children’s Cancer will recieve a $50,000 end-of-year donation with a lead gift of $25,000 for its dedication to research and fighting pediatric cancer.

support families and provide positive and memorable experiences to those affected by the disease.

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is also known for ensuring children diagnosed with cancer receive safe treatment options through their focus on pediatric cancers with insufficient or poor treatment options.

Stillwater Cancer Center has been dedicated to treating its patients beyond immediate medical needs with affordable, lenient financial programs.

The Karmen Korner Grant Program was given another $22,500 through the Stillwater Medical Center Foundation to provide financial assistance to aid families battling cancer while going through a financial crisis or struggling. About $2,500 was given to the children’s education fund named in honor of Stillwater High School’s late female basketball coach, Kendra

Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick died in November after battling stage three papillary breast cancer for two years. She was named the Oklahoma Girls’ Basketball Association Coach of the Year after bringing the Lady Pioneers to 6A State Championship. After her death, her children created the Riley and Kendall Kilpatrick Education Fund.

“As our inaugural operational year of helping individuals and families battle the impacts of cancer, 2022 was a banner year for the Eddie Sutton Foundation. To be able to make sizable donations to very worthy organizations making positive strides in this battle is precisely aligned with our mission,” Dave Hunziker, co-president of the Eddie SuttonFoundation said. “These year-end donations add to the regular activity the foundation pursues throughout the year, providing resources and opportunities to travel and attend Oklahoma State University athletic events and create unforgettable memories with the Cowboy Family.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

News/lifestyle

Honor...

Continued from 1A

you know someone who’s on it, then you don’t really know that much about it.”

As someone in the early admit program for the College of Veterinary Medicine, Eyler has to keep her grades up. She’s only allowed two Bs, so it wasn’t a stretch for her to hit the President’s Honor Roll.

Other students don’t feel that the President’s Honor Roll is helpful. For students with heavy workload degree plans, it can be a

massive struggle to keep all As in their classes, but they still come out with many career opportunities because of their degrees.

Nathan Wallace, a sophomore majoring in accounting and finance said the list could do more to recognize those who accomplished this goal.

“I think President’s Honor Roll is so overrated,” Wallace said. “I think getting all As is better than the honor roll. What do we get, a spreadsheet they release on LinkedIn?”

Wallace said students should work to achieve goals that fit their needs more than ones that the university sets in place. He added that students who have

an incredibly difficult workload should focus more on doing the best they can do, rather than push for President’s Honor Roll.

“You can go study at the library for eight hours, or you can go work at McDonald’s and make money there,” Wallace said. “It’s just about accepting that you’ve done something with your time that you feel is productive.”

Whether students feel they can use the honor roll in the future, those who did receive all As in every class will be on a list at the end of every semester.

The whole list is available on the OSU website.

news.ed@ocolly.com

‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ season two premiere review

Clark Staff Reporter

Sometimes more of the same isn’t a bad thing. However, the formulaic nature of “Star Wars”’ new animated flagship may prove tiresome to certain viewers.

A pattern firmly established through Dave Filoni’s previous animated shows, “The Clone Wars,” and “Rebels,” is that they all have relatively disappointing starts that give way to exciting and engaging arcs later down the road. “The Clone Wars” in particular has a finale that stands among the best that “Star War” has to offer.

“Star Wars” Bad Batch” was

announced on August 5, 2021. It was released on January 4, 2023 with a twoepisode premiere, and is set to conclude on March 29, also with a two-episode finale.

The show started off much more consistent and it sticks to darker and more action-packed storylines, even if it doesn’t fully dedicate itself to its dark theme. While this consistency makes the episode-to-episode viewing experience more fun, it hasn’t quite reached the heights of its predecessors.

As always, the animation is stunning and incredibly well done with exciting action scenes and gorgeous set pieces. The first episode starting off on an island shore was an excellent way to show off some shiny new animation and

smoother fight scenes. Besides these fun action scenes, these two opening episodes hardly offer anything else. The story is run-of-the-mill and feels a bit too similar to the formula from the previous season. While the characters are older, they’ve hardly changed.

The third episode, which aired last week, is a much stronger start to the season. While it hammers in tired themes from “The Clone Wars,” the animation and framing of each scene are even more compelling, its focus on some of the more villainous characters from the Star Wars universe makes for a refreshing change of pace.

This seems to be all there is to say about “The Bad Batch” so far. It simply is more of the same.

While it’s still fun to watch, the potential for a darker and more thematically rich story permeates through each episode. There are plenty of exciting concepts to follow in this galaxy, and one can only hope this series picks up the slack and reaches its full potential. If the most recent episode is indicative of the quality of this season, it will surely be a welcome improvement.

If you liked the first season of “The Bad Batch” then you’ll surely enjoy this one as well. However, with a relatively weak premier followed by a stronger third episode, it’s once again teetering on the edge of being truly great.

Jaiden Daughty

Thousands of students were named to the honor roll. But is it really worth the hype?

Courtesy: OSU Athletics

Eddie Sutton was a basketball coach at OSU from 1990 to 2006.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service Adm. Tarkin in a scene from “Star Wars: The Bad Batch.” “The Bad Batch” Season 2 was released on January 4, 2023 with a two-episode premiere (Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney+/TNS)

Michael

Lifestyle/news

‘The Last Of Us’ series review

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

When I sat down with my friend to watch the first episode of “The Last of Us,” I profusely apologized in advance for the cynicism I was about to exhibit.

In my heart of hearts, I truly believed this show was doomed to fail. Over the 85 minutes, we laughed, screamed, covered our faces in fear and ultimately witnessed the beginning of the best video game adaptation of all time.

In fact, Craig Mazin’s masterful adaptation of “The Last of Us” may end up being the best show of the year, and it’s only two weeks into 2023.

“The Last of Us” follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) a broken man with nothing to lose. Through a series of unfortunate events, his path crosses with a young child named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and they embark on an adventure across the post-apocalyptic zombie wasteland of North America.

The show hits the ground running with a 30-minute, pre-pandemic sequence that is paced perfectly as a slow

descent into societal collapse. While it’s technically the same story as its video game counterpart, the fresh coat of paint and brand-new scares make this iconic opening even more gruesome and heartbreaking.

As an adaptation, “The Last of Us” is simply phenomenal.

The atmosphere set design and score is all identical to the games. Pedro Pascal as Joel, and Bella Ramsey as Ellie capture the essence of this iconic duo flawlessly. They may not look exactly like the video game characters but their performances have the exact spirit. The mannerisms, banter and line delivery are all on point. I found myself thinking “Yes! Those two are Joel and Ellie!”

What makes “The Last of Us” truly shine is what it brings to the table. “The Last of Us Parts I & II” are my favorite games, but they’re imperfect. Motivations are undefined, the pacing is all over the place, and Joel and Ellie’s adventure can feel aimless at times. This show adds even more depth and nuance to an already phenomenal story. It takes its time to establish the journey ahead in a much more refined way, all while enriching the characters with new arcs and motivations.

OSU library receives $1.2 million grant to process U.S. Sen. Inhofe’s papers

Kennedy Thomason Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

The Oklahoma State University Library received $1.2 million from the Senate Historical Office.

The money is part of a preservation partnership grant, which will fund the supplies, employees and space to process, archive and make U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s papers publicly available.

Sheila Johnson, Dean of Libraries and Clerico Family Chair for Library Excellence, said the library is thankful for the opportunity.

“Senator Inhofe’s career has helped shape today’s Oklahoma and left a mark on national discourse,” Johnson said. “We are honored to serve as the repository for the senator’s papers.”

Inhofe announced OSU as the repository for his archive in late 2022. The papers that will be processed include documents of Inhofe’s public service from 1967 to 2023. These years cover his time as a member of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives, Oklahoma State Senate, Mayor of Tulsa, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The papers vary, including constituent mail, Inhofe’s schedules, legislative, press and audio-visual files and awards.

The library was invited to apply for support after receiving news that OSU would house Inhofe’s papers. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee earmarked $10 million to help with the archiving process.

This funding will preserve the senator’s records and donate the records to research institutions, which will make the documents public.

“Our Special Collections and University Archives endeavor to gather and protect significant records that preserve our history and culture,” Johnson said. “Sen. Inhofe’s papers represent an important element of Oklahoma history, and this collection will serve as a valuable resource for researchers for generations to come.”

OSU’s library has already received half of Inhofe’s collection. The other half is expected to arrive in early 2023. Archivists expect it to take over five years to process the collection because of its size, more than 1,400 linear feet.

Inhofe’s collection will be housed by the OSU Library’s Special Collections and University Archives. All documents will be available to view by appointment.

For more information about Inhofe’s Collection or to inquire about accessing the material, contact the OSU Library Special Collections and University Archives at 405-744-6311 or libraryhelp@okstate. edu.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Virtual health program unites Oklahoma universities

necessary funding as well as the expertise that’s critical to bridging these innovations from bench to business.”

Payton Little Staff Reporter

Rivals on the field, innovators in the research.

On Wednesday, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Innovations unveiled an initiative known as Canopy Healthtech. With a multi-year action plan, the team-up is looking to fast-track the commercialization of virtual health innovations through the universities in Oklahoma.

The initiative will create critical virtual health technologies to help mitigate gaps in healthcare delivery.

“To reach their potential, these technologies need business, regulatory and marketing expertise,” said Shawna Khouri, director of the Virtual Health portfolio at Tulsa Innovation Labs and architect of the Canopy Healthtech program. “Canopy will surround clinical and technical faculty members with the

What makes this program unique is its use across major Oklahoma universities in the state, uniting the schools and creating room for the initial statewide.

Senior associate vice president for research at OSU, Ron Van Der Busche, is excited about the direction the Canopy could take OSU in making a difference in public health.

“We are excited to see where this new partnership will take us,” Busche said. “OSU’s land grant mission means serving our communities in the state and Canopy will be a catalyst to move OSU virtual health technology into the real world.”

The initiative is inspired by the Coulter Translational Program and works in three sectors.

Canopy PREP- workshops focused on the commercialization of virtual health technologies and the annual problems and questions that arise from them.

Canopy FUND - $400,000 for competitive non-dilutive awards to translate ideas and concepts into successful and commercially viable

virtual health technologies.

Canopy COMMENCE - allows industry experts and ecosystem assistance access to push forward the translational success of Canopy Fund award winners.

The initiative is being executed by Executive Director Rachel Lane, Ph.D., R.D., a senior staff member of the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Tom Love Innovation Hub and former CEO of BIO Alabama.

Lane has earned her doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center helped to found the Oklahoma Association for Women in Science Affiliate Group and has much work experience with the industry as well as entrepreneurship experience.

Researchers, faculty members, students, post-docs and all other clinicians are encouraged to apply projects for consideration in changing Oklahoma’s virtual health. Applications are now being taken and must be submitted by 1 p.m. on March 1.

I have nitpicks, such as the dialogue feeling a bit clunky, a scene or two being a little out of place and a few weak line deliveries. Now that the show is in its groove, I can feel the worst of these flaws are behind us. If “The Last of Us” continues at this pace, it could surpass the game as a superior adapta-

tion. As of now, the jury is still out. In summary, keep your eyes on this one. “The Last of Us” may prove to be the breakout hit of 2023, and it’s only going to get better from here.

Courtesy of HBO In “The Last Of Us,” Bella Ramsey,on the left, plays Ellie, and Pedro Pascal plays Joel and they embark on an adventure across the post-apocalyptic zombie wasteland of North America.

Courtesy of OSU

Executive Director Rachel Lane, Ph.D., R.D., a senior staff member of the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Tom Love Innovation Hub and former CEO of BIO Alabama.

Courtesy of OSU

The Senate Historical Office awarded the Oklahoma State University Library more than $1.2 million.

Lifestyle

New Year’s resolutions are to blame for Colvin chaos. Students are pushing themselves to be better in 2023, and many have chosen to target physical fitness as an area of improvement.

Fitness-related resolutions may be common but following through with them is rare. Stelling said integrating the gym into daily routine and making working out a habit can help students stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

“Studies say that it takes 21 days to form a habit,” Stelling said. “The rest of it will just kind of come naturally.”

Lukas Hammack, an accounting and finance major who works at the Colvin, said he noticed an increase in students attending the Colvin this year as well. Hammack expects New Year’s resolutions will keep the Colvin full for the weeks after the beginning of the semester, but attendance generally dwindles after a month.

Hammack said fitness related resolutions are worthwhile. The benefits of working out go beyond physical wellness.

“Staying physically fit doesn’t help with just your physical appearance aspects, but mental too,” Hammack said.

After a long day of going to class or studying, visiting the Colvin can do more than help students reach physical health goals. Working out offers mental health benefits such as stress and anxiety relief. Exercising at a gym gives students the opportunity to socialize.

Stelling said there is science behind why exercise makes a person feel happier and focused.

“It’s shown that when you work out endorphins are released in your body that just naturally make you happier,” Stelling said. “Moving your body, any form of exercise can release those endorphins that can keep you a focused person and healthy person mentally and physically.”

Hammack can attest to the mental benefits exercising has to offer. He not only works at the Colvin but exercises there, too.

“I’ve gone to the gym for years and it’s sort of like a calming experi-

ence and makes you more mentally focused as well as the physical aspects of it,” Hammack said.

Hammack and Stelling have taken exercising seriously for years. This year, Stelling’s New Year’s resolution is to drink more water and to improve her max lifts by 10 pounds over 2023.

Many students are visiting the Colvin for the first time this year and do not have a starting point to base their goals off of like Stelling does.

Stelling said working out only a few times a week is a great starting point for beginners.

“The American College of Sports Medicine says that in order to become an active person, three to five days a week of working out is basically

your baseline,” Stelling said. “I would say even if we’re only able to get in the gym three times a week, consider that week successful.”

Getting out of the house and into the gym can be difficult. Stelling said the Colvin’s 45 personal trainers and variety of classes offer something for everyone. Many students enjoy working out independently.

Stelling suggested visiting the Colvin with a friend can make working out in a gym less intimidating. If you are visiting the Colvin for the first time as part of your New Year’s resolution, it is important to remember other students are doing the same thing.

“Remember that everyone around you has the same mindset you do, and

that everyone might just be starting over as well,” Stelling said.

The Colvin is excited to welcome new students and their New Year’s resolutions. Although getting started may be hard, exercising is beneficial to every person’s mental and physical health.

“You’re not alone,” Stelling said. “You got it. Push yourself through this next year. Spend those 21 days forming that habit that when the rest of history.”

Visit the Colvin website to learn more about what the Colvin has to offer.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Cole Gueldenzoph

The Colvin Recreation Center offers dozens of classes from 45 instructors including the occasional dance party.

Continued from 1A

A Not Me initiative is being implemented to make citizens aware of early signs of human trafficking and to share resources for those forced into human trafficking. These resources include hotlines and websites for victims to access.

Some of these resources include Domestic Violence Intervention Services in Tulsa, The Dragonfly Home in Oklahoma City and The Spring in Sand Springs. The National Human Trafficking Hotline for Oklahoma can be reached via phone at 1-888-3737888, or by text using *233733.

Commission State Chair Brenda Jones Barwick explained a common human trafficking scenario.

“The focus has been on dealing with human trafficking after the crime has occurred,” Barwick said. “Many are unaware they are being trafficked because it is typically a slow, methodical recruitment process by a trusted relationship. We will educate Oklahomans to recognize the first, second and third typical approach by traffickers and empower Oklahomans to stand strong and say ‘Not Me’ to the trafficker.”

Seminole State College hosted the first Community Conversation and Not Me initiative on Jan. 12.

Both of these programs were created in response to a concerning number of people that human trafficking imopacts.

In

Barwick reiterated the importance of these initiatives.

“Human trafficking is modernday slavery,” Barwick said. “It’s a $150 billion a year industry and Oklahoma is not immune to it. Most human trafficking in Oklahoma is not happening by people passing through on highways, but by Oklahomans who are family members, friends or acquaintances entrapping Oklahomans into involuntary servitude through labor, sex or drugs.”

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery ʼʼ ʼʼ

The OCSW hopes that by raising awareness, they will be able to help prevent human trafficking.

OSU to host course in grape-growing area

Brenda Barwick

“More than 4,000 Oklahomans are seeking help - each year - from a human trafficking situation or knowledge of a human trafficking environment,” Asberry said. “In a state of 4 million, these numbers are tragically significant. The significance of launching the Not Me Stop Human Trafficking initiative are the beginning steps towards lowering the number of Oklahomans impacted by this crime.”

The events held at Seminole State College are only the beginning. The OCSW has made this issue a high priority in response to the statistics.

“The Commission launched the Not Me Stop Human Trafficking educational initiative because we have worked on this issue since 2014, from the perspective of recovery and helping victims,” Asberry said. “Now, the Commission wants to focus on preventative measures, and that starts with educating young Oklahomans and parents on how to recognize the early signs of human trafficking as an effort to stop it.”

For more information on the OCSW’s efforts, visit website or contact ocswadmin@omes.ok.gov.

If you witness a situation you believe to be human trafficking, contact federal law enforcement at 1-866-3472423 or Oklahoma’s hotline at (855) 617-2288.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Luisa Clausen News & Lifestyle Editor

Cotton and corn fields are not all people can find in Oklahoma. The state also dedicates some of its lands to growing grapes.

Oklahoma State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture will host the 2023 Grape Management course, due to more Oklahomans developing an interest in the grape-growing area. The course starts March 2 and will meet one Thursday per month through September. The

course is geared toward seasoned and novice growers.

Classes will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Cimarron Valley Research Station, 10820 S. Jardot in Perkins. Registration is $250 and due before Feb. 17. The course will accept 50 people.

“Traditional agriculture typically takes many acres of land, but viticulture can be successful on a few acres of land,” said Aaron Essary, OSU Extension assistant specialist with grapes and wine. “This course will familiarize participants with grape management requirements throughout the growing season.”

The classes will focus on what is going on at that time of the year in grape production.

Topics include site selection, sprayer calibration, Mesonet tools, soil and water quality, insect management, irrigation, marketing, harvesting and more.

The course will feature both classroom and hands-on learning opportunities in the vineyard. Specialists from OSU Extension will lead discussions and share research-based information with participants.

Continuing Education Units from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, are requested for categories 1A and 10, as well as private applicators. Participants must attend at least four classes to receive a certificate.

news.ed@ocolly.com

There have been 887 cases of human trafficking identified since 2007, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

those cases, 2,059 victims were identified, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Courtesy of OSU

The 2023 Grape Management Course will give current and potential grape growers a close-up view of the grape growing industry and offer information vital to successful production.

Athletics budget, facility issues noted at OSU faculty meeting

Luisa Clausen News & Lifestyle Editor

The first faculty council meeting of the semester took place Tuesday at the Student Union.

The meeting started with Sgt. Adam Queen as he presented his Active Shooting Training Program to the faculty and explained what the training covers. Queen gave examples of how faculty can protect their classrooms and students, including the suggestion of professors asking their students to leave their phones on vibrate mode instead of mute. The reason for that is, if there is a big emergency and everyone’s phone is mute, no one will have the opportunity to be alerted and protect themselves.

After Queen, OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg handed out out a high-level snapshot of the athletics budget and said part of athletic’s responsibility is fiscal integrity. He broke down the revenue budget and explained where all the money comes from and goes.

“The point of it is to be transparent,” Weiberg said.

As of this year, OSU Athletics owes $2,425,551 in debt service, the lowest amount in the Big 12. Next year, with renovations, debt service will go up, but Weiberg said OSU will still be the school in the Big 12 with the least debt service.

When asked about what actions they are taking to protect football players from brain injuries, Weiberg said they are partnered with the OSU medical school and the players are constantly checked.

“We’re watching the latest technologies and all of our players wear helmets that perfectly fit their head, made just for them,” Weiberg said. “It’s expensive but it’s an investment.”

Weiberg reminded faculty that

OSU Athletics is a self-funding department and it not draining money from the school.

Damages caused in the residence halls on campus because of the arctic temperatures in Oklahoma during winter break were also discussed. It was said some students came back to lessthan-desirable situations but everything is being taken care of. Faculty were encouraged to talk to students affected by it and make sure they have resources in their favor.

The faculty council meeting addressed the negotiations between Stillwater Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance company, which are centered around an increase

in reimbursement for services Stillwater Medical provides to BCBSOK members. Both parties disagree on the appropriate level of increase to meet the rising costs of healthcare. Negotiations ceased on Dec. 31 and have yet to resume.

Faculty Chair Ki Cole said OSU administration is in close communication with Stillwater Medical Center and BCBSOK and everyone is working for the best interest of staff, faculty and students. Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance at OSU, Joe Weaver, said everything is going in the right direction.

Luisa Clausen

Active shooter training, athletics budget and facility issues were among the several topics discussed at OSU’s monthly faculty board meeting.

Newton learning through loss of father

turn back to basketball.

It had always been a huge part of his life, and it was something that his father, Atwood Newton Sr., supported him in and shared a love for.

Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor

Woody Newton struggled to

But on Nov. 7, basketball became far less important and was pushed to the side when Newton learned his father died.

“It’s very tough,” Newton said. “I gotta think about that every

day. There’s not a day I don’t go without thinking of my pops.”

Newton’s passion for basketball, and sports in general, came from his father. He remembers Newton Sr. taking him to see the hometown Washington (at the time) Redskins play a game every season, including a game quarterback Robert Griffin III ran for a 76-yard touchdown against

See Woody on 2B

The strange case of

OSU, OU in better place with young women in charge

season, 66-year-old Littell got fired from OSU a 9-20 season.

As Littell’s replacement, OSU hired 34-yearold Hoyt.

Jacie Hoyt grabs the mic from the scorers table and paces out to the middle of the court.

Hoyt exudes passion and energy addressing the buzzing crowd that just saw the Cowgirls topple TCU, thanking them for simply coming.

Avery Anderson

entire Cowboy career. He’s always been one of the best defenders on the team, whether on the ball or in the passing lanes, but that’s unquantifiable with silly numbers.

Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor

Avery Anderson is a stat sheet anomaly.

The grid of numerals, decimals and percentages is an enigma. It’s hard to make sense of it, which makes Anderson’s value to OSU difficult to define throughout his

The scoring efficiency numbers are what alarm basketball nerds, and what makes Anderson an unusual player.

He was an off-the-bench role player as a freshman on a young team whose hopes got cut short, and only made two three-pointers all season. An abysmal 0.77%.

His second year he became the second option on another young team, this time with Cade Cunningham on it. Sophomore

year saw an improvement in shooting; 48% from the field, 33% from three and 84% from the line.

And last season, Anderson elevated himself to the leading scorer on a Cowboy squad with nothing to play for — the second time a season had been lost for the third-year guard — and his numbers from the field and the line decreased by 8% each. Weird, but the 3-point shooting was consistent, albeit consistently average.

Now, in his senior year, field goal and free throws are back up, but

Ultra-focused Plott eyes national title

son, Dustin.

Adam Engel Editor-in-Chief

Robert Plott routinely gripped the knob, tugged open the door and barged toward a clear path.

That was the plan at least. He quickly walked into a thin layer of saran wrap. Suddenly, he was tangled and trapped. Nowhere to go. Just a wad of wrap to unravel. Another prank victim to his

A practical joker to some, Dustin can be described as goofy once you get to know him. But a wrestler first. And a prankster, a noted prankster per friends and family.

Dustin’s pranks reveal a gentle side to a man who’s known for wrestling through torn labrums, broken teeth and busted lips.

He views wrestling as his job, a duty to become an All-American and represent OSU.

Dustin rolls into the wrestling room about 90 minutes before practice each day and ranks among the last to leave. He’s becoming an example of what coach John Smith

preaches. An All-American who extends scores and always attacks.

“He goes 100% day in and day out,” Robert said.

Dustin wrestles with the belief and goals to become the best. When he was 5, he silently observed wrestling, studying any match he could watch.

“He’s one of them that’s ultrafocused,” said Matt Surber, Dustin’s high school coach at Tuttle. “Even in youth.”

In December’s Bedlam dual, Dustin harassed Oklahoma’s Darrien Roberts with consistent flurries of offense, thunderous mat returns and pressure.

See Plott on 4B

Hoyt is not Jim Littell, nor any other Cowgirls basketball coach for that matter. She’s young and vibrant, the new face of the program, a face that’s infusing life into a once-lagging fan base. Oh, and her girls, too.

This type of energy and commitment to the fanbase is key these days to build a strong fanbase, establish a culture and be successful.

Saturday, the Cowgirls travel to Norman to face No. 15 Oklahoma, which is buzzing to the beat of a new face, too. Well, a new-ish face.

This game holds a lot of importance, but it’s much bigger than just the basketball being played, it’s with the coaches too.

Both teams have recently changed from longtenured coaches to young women coaches.

In 2021, 56-yearold Sherri Coale, who led OU to three final fours in 25 years as coach, retired from coaching. In the three seasons prior, OU didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, it seemed it was time.

OU then hired a young, vibrant coach –39-year-old Jennie Baranczyk from Drake.

Since that hire, the Sooners are 40-11 and made the second round of the tournament last season.

A year later, OSU did a similar move.

At the end of last

To quote Cody Nagel of 247sports, the Bedlam schools have gone, “Younger. Hipper. Cooler.”

What’s been a trend in recent years of basketball? Points, something both teams do well.

OU is averaging 86.8 points per game, which is sixth in the country, and OSU is No. 11 in 3-point percentage at 37.72%. Last season, OSU ranked as one of the worst shooting teams in the country.

The change for both schools needed to happen in order to keep up with the widespread change not only in women’s basketball, but in college athletics.

The use of social media is a huge recruitment tool, something Coale and Littell didn’t utilize. Now with NIL growing more and more, relationships with players are more important. Hoyt after big wins versus Texas and at Baylor celebrated with her team. She cried, prayed and cheered with the players.

Who better to lead a group full of young women than a young woman who can find it easier to relate to the player more, speak to the players and provide the updated requirements for a team to be successful.

“I think women’s basketball is in a really good place right now where the game is growing,” Hoyt said. “I think it’s super important that females have strong females leading them and mentoring them. I wouldn’t be where I’m at if I didn’t have that in my life.”

Jaiden Daughty

Avery Anderson is shooting an abnormal 16.6% from three on the season.

Abby Cage

Both OU and OSU have changed coaches recently from long-tenured coaches to young, lively women.

With two duals this weekend, eyes will be on Cowboy stars against Northern Colorado and West Virginia. See on Page 3B.

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

from three, a regression of astonishing proportions.

Sixteen percent.

In 18 games this season, he hasn’t even made double-digit threes yet. Nine for 54.

What?

His overall scoring is about the same — averaging only two less points from a year ago — and the free throws have improved back to the second-year rates. Beyondthe-arc baskets elude Anderson. The now senior’s role has changed again, too. Bryce Thompson and Kalib Boone are a solid 1-2 punch for the Cowboys’ offense. Each is averaging double-digit points and shooting the ball at the highest rates of their careers.

OSU has more shooters as well, adding Caleb Asberry and John-Michael Wright, and with Bryce Thompson shooting 40% from three, on some nights, Anderson has become the fourth or fifth scoring option.

There are five moments this season that personify the year Anderson is having on the court.

Disobeying orders

Before OSU’s trip to the then top-10 ranked UConn, Anderson only connected on three of 19 shots from three all season. And to coach Mike Boynton, it wasn’t enough.

“I’ve told him he hasn’t taken enough,” Boynton said before the game. “If you don’t make threes, you really put yourself at a disadvantage. (Avery) doesn’t give himself the grace to overcome a slump,” Boynton said. “You’ve got to be OK going one-for-six sometimes. Trusting that all that work you put in, there’s gonna be a fourfor-six day out there for you.”

But, on the road against a highly ranked team, Anderson didn’t follow his coach’s advice, attempting one shot from deep all game; a desperation hurl with 17 seconds left in the game while down 10 to salvage some pride.

Anderson did his typical thing — scoring 14 and getting to the line with a few steals. But, even if he missed most of them, the Cowboys could’ve used a few threes from Anderson in a game the team kept close for longer than expected.

Playing like himself

OSU trailed by nine to Virginia Tech at halftime, with Anderson shooting only one three — a miss. But in the second half, coinciding with a comeback, Anderson made 3-of-4 threes, all of them resulting from either a designed play or created separation. He was open, and he made them.

“Avery came out and played like Avery,” Asberry said after the Virginia Tech game. “When he does that I feel like we’re a way better team and we just need that from him way more.”

Two games later, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Anderson contributed to the team’s 40% three-point shooting on the night with two more makes, and on six attempts. He was taking more shots again. These are the only two games all season Anderson had made more than one three. In the latter, the two makes were from wide-open catch-and-shoot looks with his feet set and easy passes from his teammates.

When he was open, he was making them.

“Assist numbers and percent-

age of baskets assisted have been off the charts,” Boytnon said. “We have a lot of guys who are capable of making shots. We’ll get Avery going.”

Just can’t find the net

To tipoff Big 12 play, Anderson looked to continue his shooting streak. His first shot of the game was an open second-chance three. He missed it. OK, well his second attempt was another open look in transition. Missed that one, too.

Huh. Odd.

One more in the first half, a wide-open catch-and-shoot three. He’s made these before. Well, not this time. Starting 0-for-3 from deep in the first half wasn’t too alarming, as OSU led Kansas by 15 in Lawrence.

But in the second half, in the midst of a second-half Cowboy crumble, Anderson tried only one shot from the field — a layup he made, which were also the only two points he contributed in his nearly 32 minutes of time on the court.

It was a poor performance in a loss to a top-5 team, but, like it had earlier this season, his mindset stayed steady.

“Offensively I have to keep finding my way,” Anderson said. “I can’t lose my confidence, keep playing and get onto the next one.”

Rock bottom?

The next one came, and so did Anderson with heaps of confidence.

In the first half of the game vs West Virginia, Anderson disregarded waiting for open shots, taking two contested threes from the corner — one step back and another catch and shoot — but missed both. After that? Nothing. Not one attempted three.

To start the first half of the next game, he again did not attempt a three. It was more than 54 minutes of game time between three-point attempts. He was playing through a wrist injury at the time, but in the two games after, he missed another four. In that fivegame stretch, Anderson went 0-13 from three.

The scoring wasn’t there either — two against Kansas, five

vs Texas and zero at Baylor — but, again, Boynton expects Anderson to contribute in ways he had been this season.

“I don’t think he ever loses confidence in his game, he just overthinks parts of his game,” Boynton said. “He hasn’t shot the ball well from three this year, which is a little bit of a burden. We have to release him to find other ways to impact the game. But when you’re open, you have to take a shot.”

Finding that way A 1-6 shooting with only three launched in the first 20 minutes from Anderson accompanied a sluggish 24-point half from OSU in Bedlam.

But in the second half, Anderson began finding his purpose on the court. OU’s Grant Sherfield scored 15 in the first half, but whenever Anderson was on the court guarding the experienced scorer, Sherfield couldn’t find the basket.

And as for scoring himself, Anderson did so with quick drives to the rim and acrobatic finishes. He even passed up on a three later in the game to allow Bryce Thompson to take instead — an opportunity he capitalized on.

He missed another two threes, but who cared, he sparked the Cowboys second-half energetic surge on both ends of the floor that gave them an 18-point win.

His three-point percentage on the year is still 16%, but it didn’t matter. It may later, since it already has hurt the team earlier this season. But when he’s driving to the basket and drawing fouls, creating shots for his teammates and shutting down the best opposing scorer, he’s playing like himself.

“Avery Anderson four years ago couldn’t do what he did over the last few games, which is struggle offensively and still be able to bring it with a high level of intensity and focus. There’s more to the game than putting the ball in the basket.”

against the Vikings. The two often went to watch Newton’s favorite Wizards player Gilbert Arenas, and later John Wall.

All those game days and experiences fed Newton’s passion and drive to further his basketball career.

“Without my father, I wouldn’t play sports,” Newton said. After receiving the news, Newton returned home to be with his family and was away from the team for nearly a month. OSU was in the Bahamas participating in a tournament the day of the funeral, but coach Mike Boynton sent an assistant coach to attend and show the program’s support.

“It just shows how much of a familyoriented program it is and just that in this program basketball isn’t everything,” Newton said.

A season ago, center Moussa Cisse dealt with the loss of his mother and spent time away from the team. He had to lean on his teammates to help regain his focus when he returned.

Now, it was Newton’s turn to rely on his team for support.

“Just being able to be with my brothers, my teammates, Coach Mike, LB (assistant coach Larry Blunt),

they helped me through it, you know, keep me level-headed and make sure I’m always good if I ever need anything,” Newton said. “So, it’s tough, but I’m getting helped through it.” Newton averaged just more than four minutes a game in his first four games back. He said it took some time to get back into the groove and that he’s still searching for rhythm from the 3-point line. But now, he Boynton are starting to see more comfortability.

Boynton said struggles on the court can make the weight of an off-the-court situation even heavier. But he sees signs that Newton has found more of that rhythm lately, playing 21 and 19 minutes the last two games and scoring 11 points.

“What I’ve seen since he’s been back is he’s slowly getting back to just having an urge and desire and hunger to do this and kind of not be burdened by what he’s lost but really trying to take advantage of what he still has in front of him,” Boynton said.

Newton said he’s still learning how to fight through the pain of losing his father. That’s something that doesn’t change. But with the help of coaches and teammates, he’s pushing through.

“I’m glad that he’s here with us,” Boynton said, “because I think we all need each other.”

Jaiden Daughty

Avery Anderson has yet to make a three through the first six games of Big 12 play. sports.ed@ocolly.com

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

In his first career start, Woody Newton scored 12 against Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

sports Know the opponents Northern Colorado

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

OSU should have a strong performance in its Friday dual against Northern Colorado. Although any bout can go any way, Northern Colorado is favored in a few. Everyone will be watching Carter Young as he takes on top-ranked 141-pounder in the nation, Andrew Alirez.

Alirez has a 92.3 bonuspoint percentage and has yet to allow a takedown on the year. While Alirez is expected to notch a victory, one can’t count out Young’s clutch factor. OSU coach John Smith knows what Alirez brings to the table and also knows Young will have to be at his best to defeat him.

“He’s good, he’s really good, let’s just say that,” Smith said. “(Young) better be good if he wrestles at the weight.”

Outside of the 141-pound bout, there are a few more exciting matches that the Cowboys will wrestle. At 125 pounds, there’s a top-25 showdown between Trevor Mastrogiovanni and Stevo Poulin. Poulin has a 18-3 record in his first year as a Bear and has been one of the more impressive young wrestlers in the Big 12.

At 157 pounds, Vinny Zerban who finished eighth at the Southern Scuffle, will get a rematch against Kaden Gfeller after suffering an injury against him in Chattanooga. Another Southern Scuffle rematch will occur at 174 between Dustin Plott and Andrew Berreyesa. Plott got

coming just over three years ago.

West Virginia

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

Projected

Debatably, the best ranked bout will be at 125 pounds between Trevor Mastrogiovanni and 2021 All-American Killian Cardinale. Cardinale is a thick 125-pounder with good skills on top, which poses a potential problem for Mastrogiovanni.

Lineup:

125: No. 21 Trevor Mastrogiovanni vs. No. 8 Killian Cardinale 133: No. 2 Daton Fix vs. Davin Rhodes 141: No. 32 Carter Young vs. Titus Jordan 149: No. 20 Victor Voinovich vs. No. 28 Sam Hillegas 157: No. 11 Kaden Gfeller vs. No. 28 Alex Hornfeck 165: No. 22 Wyatt Sheets vs. No. 12 Peyton Hall 174: No. 6 Dustin

Another ranked bout is a bout between reigning and former All-Americans. 2021 AllAmerican Wyatt Sheets will battle 2022 All-American Peyton Hall who has had a strong start to the season. Sheets, has been slightly inconsistent, but he will have to be at his best if he wishes to upset a reigning All-American.

One of the main things to watch in the dual against West Virginia are the heavier weights and how they perform in their tossup matches. At the 184, 197 and heavyweight matches, they could go either way. If OSU is able to get at least two of the three, they would be in good shape as the lightweight classes are projected to be the strength in this dual outside of the 125-pound bout.

There’s no doubt that Sunday’s bout against West Virginia will conclude a tough weekend for the Cowboys. However, the strength of WVU and Northern Colorado should not be surprising to Big 12 wrestling fans as they’ve steadily been climbing the ranks of the Big 12 and creating more parity and competition within the conference.

WVU figures to be more competitive than Northern Colorado, but neither should be taken lightly.

Courtesy of Logan Adams of WVU Athletics Digital Media West Virginia 125-pounder Killian Cardinale enters Sunday’s dual at OSU ranked No. 8 at his weight. A 2021 All-American, he’s 3-0 against the Cowboys.

OSU’s Sunday bout with West Virginia features seven ranked matches and one match that could be a surprise.

sports

Quintessential Cowboy wrestling. The result started the Cowboys comeback win.

“You want the next guy to go out with some fire under his ass and like, ‘That dude just wrestled. I’m wrestling, too,’” Smith said. “It was exciting to see a tough major decision. Not an easy one either.”

Dustin doesn’t vary from other Cowboys. He’s a guy who doesn’t say much but lets the work do his talking. As a junior, though, he’s becoming one of the team’s trusty contenders. His face is plastered onto the locker room. That’s what All-American honors get you.

With that, comes responsibility as a leader.

“He’s getting to where he will speak up and let people know if they’re doing a good job,” heavyweight Konner Doucet said. “If they’re not doing a good job, he can push them to be better.”

It’s what Smith does. It’s what Robert did when he raised Dustin. Work ethic courtesy of Robert, a thirdgeneration oil and gas worker. A drive comes from simple things; a love for wrestling and a desire to achieve greatness.

“He was very instrumental and he had the, ‘If you do something, do it 110%,’” Dustin said. “Along with it, I think it’s a God-driven thing as well. As a Christian, God calls me when I’m working on something, work on it with all my heart and to do it for him. I just

feel like it’s something God has called me to do.”

That’s the Dustin that Cowboy fans see. At one point, in 2022, a cauliflower-eared variant of Joe Dirt who could scrap with the best.

A double-leg takedown to his front teeth changed the way OSU fans envision Dustin. At the 2021 NCAA Tournament in St. Louis. Dustin battled North Carolina’s Clay Lautt, who popped Dustin’s mouth from a sprawling lunge, sending his teeth backward.

“They were folded straight back,” Robert said. “He had a crack across the bottom of them.”

Dustin’s teeth, grotesquely deformed, lodged deep into his gums, far above the line where teeth aren’t supposed to go. Blood trickled onto the mat and Dustin spit several mouths full of blood. An emergency dentist appointment became necessary. Only surgery could dig the teeth out of the mess. He continued to wrestle, too.

Because Dustin needed to wrestle. That’s his priority. He finished the match, a 6-2 loss, and rushed to a St. Louis dentist where his front teeth were immediately extracted. If he won, Robert said Dustin would’ve tried to wrestle through the injury and the pain.

“When it happened, we just thought he bloodied his nose,” Robert said. “I saw how much he kept spitting blood up during the match. I still didn’t know.”

For a year, Dustin lived without two front teeth. He admitted that his mother and girlfriend weren’t fans. Now, he has permanent replacements.

“When his teeth were out, he was liking the whole messing around and acting like a hillbilly thing,” 197-pounder Luke Surber said.

It represents a wrestler’s mentality. Do anything to finish the job. Dislocated shoulder? Excuse. Torn labrum? Excuse. Nothing stops for wrestling. That can be a curse for some Cowboys, too.

At what point do they stop? Hardly ever. He’s a Cowboy in the same way many are. Exemplary leaders.

“You gotta tell ‘em, ‘Hey, you gotta find a way to do something else in your downtime to shut off your mind and even the physical side of trying to put in too much work,’” Matt said. “It’s a negative thing sometime. It’s a balance.”

Dustin finds balance in anything outdoors.

“We took a tractor tire one time and we decided it would be a good idea to roll down this by his house when were probably 10 or 12,” Doucet said. “We would get in it and push each other down the hill.”

Hunting or fishing, too. Can’t get much more Oklahoman than that.

Many Cowboys find solitude in hunting. But there’s a downside, too.

“Dustin also has some bad luck hunting,” Luke said. “That’s why he goes hunting so much.”

To Dustin, it’s the pursuit that matters.

The pursuit of victory, too. Weeks ago, Oregon State’s Aaron Olmos delivered Dustin his first loss of the season, 9-4. In minutes, Olmos became Dustin. A durable motor always on the offense.

Though Olmos pranced around the mat after the whistle, Dustin trudged away without emotion.

“When you see things like that in a match like that, somewhere you’re skipping,” Smith said. “You’re being lazy somewhere. Lazy, probably not

a word we have affiliated with Dustin Plott but there’s definitely somewhere you’re being lazy. If mentally, we can’t keep things intact, then you’re being lazy somewhere and you’re not extending yourself.”

It’s not a new theme for the Cowboys. Smith constantly harped on toughness. Dustin proves capable of it. But it’s the challenge to channel that belief. It’s the natural progression from an NCAA Tournament appearance as a freshman when he wrestled through a torn left labrum. He earned All-American honors in 2022.

“I don’t know if it’s the skill level jump to college but in college, mentality and confidence seem to kinda be the name of the game,” Dustin said. “It’s a game of inches. If I show up and don’t compete as who I am and with my heart, I could lose to anyone in the country still.”

He routinely works with a sports psychologist to sharpen his mind and establish mental techniques. Complacency isn’t in Dustin’s vocabulary.

The belief remains despite the losses. It’s a glimpse of hope gained from the sixth spot on the podium at the NCAA Tournament. He’s now Dustin, the national championship contender. Not Dustin, the high school super recruit. The belief to do it drives his improvement.

“Granted, All-American is great but I’m not the top dog yet,” Dustin said. “I know that target is only gonna grow. I still have something to prove. I haven’t won a national title yet.”

File Photo

Cowboy fans won’t see a toothless Dustin Plott anymore. His gap toothed smile became synonymous with his name en route to All-American honors at the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

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

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

Business Squares Business Squares

Salem Lutheran Church

Corner of Duck & Elm Sunday Evening 5 p.m. Informal, 30-minute, acoustic music, candlelit prayer

Guaranteed Parking! $50, corner of Duck & Elm. 405-372-3074

Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin” 550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium Airbnb.com/h/cowboy-cabin

1

8

13

15

16

17

18

19

20

Film franchise featuring Lightning McQueen

“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

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes (TNS)

Today’s Birthday (01/20/23). Build your dream place this year. Your consistent, excellent work is lucrative. Adjust around a winter change of heart for satisfying springtime domestic projects. One summer social door closes and another opens, revealing rising autumn professional status and influence. Wrap home and family in love.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Enter an innovative period. Team efforts and collaborative projects are favored this month, with the Sun in Aquarius. Your social life gets extra fun.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Accept an exciting challenge this month, with the Sun in Aquarius. Take advantage of new professional opportunities. Your status and influence are rising.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Leap boundaries, push limitations and discover. Travel and studies beckon, with the Sun in Aquarius this month. Explore a fascinating subject with great potential. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Focus on family finances this month, with the Sun in Aquarius. Sort, file and organize. Talk about long-term goals, dreams and fun possibilities.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Grow and build successes in partnership, with the Sun in Aquarius. Collaborate, compromise and negotiate win-win deals. Provide stability. Rely on each other.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize work and physical health under the Aquarius Sun. Raise the level of your performance with practice and care this month. You’re growing stronger.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Begin a highly creative month, with the Sun in Aquarius. Balance with fun, family and friends. Practice hobbies, sports and talents. Invent possibilities.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Home and family flower, with the Aquarius Sun for the next month. Nurture your creativity in comfortable surroundings. Take care of household responsibilities.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Sift data and sort it into order, with the Sun in Aquarius. Learn and retain complex material. Communication flows easily. Research, write and publish.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — You’re growing stronger. Money comes more easily this month, with the Sun in Aquarius. Balance expenses with income. Advance strategically. Divert extra savings. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Consider possibilities. Personal dreams entice. You have a distinct advantage, with the Sun in your sign this month. Use your growing power for good. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Savor privacy and introspection this month. Finish projects in peaceful productivity, with the Sun in Aquarius. Recharge with rest, nature and meditation. Enjoy traditions and rituals.

24

27

32

34

35

36

37

42

43

Young man

Anklebones

Stretching muscle

Common Market letters

Chophouse order, and an apt title for this puzzle?

Silky fabric

61

62

63

65

66

67

68

DOWN

Command to a prompter

Actress Moriarty who plays Starlight on “The Boys”

PlayStation, for one

Strappy top, for short

Comprehensive

Like Greenland’s population

Compass dirección

Azalea, e.g.

Park and drive

“If I Were a __”: Beyoncé ballad

Horseracing achievement

“Will do, hon”

Crochet loop

Heckle

On the facing pg.

© 2023

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

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

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Fix embracing the ride, Smith figuring out future lineup

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter

After a long, demanding road trip, the Cowboys are back at GIA for duals against Northern Colorado and West Virginia this weekend.

There have been differences about 133-pounder Daton Fix’s wrestling this year and it’s been quite obvious. He’s spending more time on top and not standing up, quite different from what people usually see from Fix.

With struggles at certain weights, coach John Smith is still figuring out what the best fit is for dual meets. Smith also briefly spoke about the shooting that occurred in Del City on Tuesday night.

Fix refining his wrestling Daton Fix is a three-time NCAA runner-up. Impressive, but that’s not the standard Fix has for himself. For someone who’s on the quest to become the, “greatest ever,” as his nickname suggests, he has yet to become an NCAA champion at 133 pounds. However, he believes riding on top will get him to where he knows he can be.

“I think that when it comes time to beat the guys I need to beat to win a national title this year, I’m gonna have to do a lot more riding than I have in the past,” Fix said. “I could easily let the guy up and get back on my feet where I’m more comfortable, but I’m making it a point for me to put a little more emphasis on riding and build my conditioning and my mind.”

Fix elaborated he realizes his style is a bit different now in regards to getting bonus point victories. He knows that with this new strategy, he’s not going to dominate by points. But, come NCAA and Big 12 tournament time, the competition would likely prevent him from getting large sums of points. Fix is still working on his comfortability level while riding for longer periods of time but he knows with time he will eventually get more back points.

New lineup changes?

Periodically throughout the season, Smith would leave a hint there could be changes in the lineup. But there hasn’t been so far. This week, after “lethargic” showings against Oregon

State and Columbia, Smith was noncommittal on if some regular starters will be seen in the lineups on Friday and Sunday. He did not specify which weights he was thinking of experimenting with, but the results on the mat provide tea leaves into what he may be thinking.

For instance, Smith stated “if he wrestles at the weight” in reference to Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez’s opponent on Friday. Could Carter Young not go against the No. 1 141-pounder in the country? It would be a gutsy move, but Smith is not shy of sticking with his gut.

Trevor Mastrogiovanni’s inconsis-

tency has been a subject throughout the season and Smith also made a comment creating skepticism if he wrestles this weekend. In all likelihood, Mastrogiovanni could wrestle one match and if Smith is unimpressed, he could roll with freshman 125-pounder Zach Blankenship for the following dual. The same goes for Young, but it’s unclear who Smith may roll out at that weight.

Smith spoke on the Del City shooting Tuesday night

Police were called to the scene at John Smith Fieldhouse in Del City, in response to a shooting that left one person injured. The shooting occurred after a basketball game between Mill-

City. He won a lot of matches in said fieldhouse, which is why in 1992, it was given the namesake of “John Smith Fieldhouse.” Smith made a call home as soon as he heard the news.

“I called down there to talk to one of my friends,” Smith said. “I hope everyone’s OK. I think there was someone that might have got injured. So, we just need to make sure our prayers are heard for those that are injured.”

wood and Del City and video from the incident began to circulate across social media. Smith was born and raised in Del

Cole Gueldenzoph

With many weight changes and lower expectations, this year’s OSU wrestling team is different from ones in OSU’s past. Cowboy coach John Smith remains positive after a Southern Scuffle championship.

sports

No. 0 allows zero: Anderson’s imposing play key to Cowboys’ defensive success

Ashton Slaughter Staff Reporter

All Avery Anderson III could do was watch from the bench.

After picking up his second foul with more than 13 minutes left in the first half, Grant Sherfield, star Oklahoma guard, subbed back into the game, looking to seize an opportunity with Anderson’s absence from the floor.

Anderson was Sherfield’s primary defender, holding him to zero points and 0-for-2 from the field before exiting due to foul trouble.

With Anderson looking on, Sherfield caught fire.

A thunderous 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting took OSU into halftime with a six-point deficit at home. Coach Mike Boynton’s message to his team was simple:

“I told them, ‘It would be a shame to watch one guy come in here and beat us.’”

So, his squad, led by Anderson, made sure one guy didn’t come into Gallagher-Iba Arena and capture a Bedlam victory, and Anderson’s defensive play led to a dominant 72-56 win over the Sooners on Wednesday night.

“I just wanted to make it difficult for him,” Anderson said. “He’s a great scorer.”

That Anderson did, holding Sherfield to zero points in the second half, meaning that anytime the two were both on the court throughout the game, the Sooner guard didn’t record a point.

Although impressive enough as is, Anderson has been battling through a nagging wrist injury over the Cowboys’ three-game losing skid, contributing to what has been widely considered a down year for the senior.

Despite his offensive numbers not being what they were expected to be in the preseason, when Anderson was announced as a member of the 2022-23 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, his defense is still the focal point, and always will

be.

“That’s my thing I take pride in is locking up on the defensive end,” Anderson said. “So regardless of my injuries, I’m always locking up on the defensive end.”

In the Cowboys’ three-game losing streak before Bedlam, Anderson averaged 5.3 points per game on 21.3% shooting from the field. Despite these offensive struggles, Anderson buckled down on the other side of the ball in his team’s biggest game of the season, shutting down a perennial offensive threat in Sherfield. Boynton, who’s coached Anderson throughout his career as a Cowboy, saw his play against the Sooners as a sign of maturity above anything else.

“That’s a sign of maturity,” Boynton said on Anderson’s ability to shake off his offensive struggles and continue to play high-level defense. “Avery An-

derson four years ago couldn’t do what he did for the last few games, which is struggle offensively and still be able to bring it on the defensive end, so credit to him.”

With the lofty expectations his senior guard has faced, Boynton recognizes how a player’s confidence can diminish when they aren’t making every shot, especially when one’s offensive abilities are on par with Anderson’s. However, even with the grueling losses for three straight games, his leader’s head was in the right place, and did what he did best: defend at a high level.

For Boynton, this isn’t the expectation for just Bedlam, but for every game moving forward. Although the environment of a matchup against the Sooners in a packed GIA is hard to replicate, the intensity will need to be heightened from here, especially when a team like Iowa State is coming to Still-

water on Saturday.

A team that Boynton believes may be the best in the Big 12.

“I told our team this, I watched everybody play in our league multiple times (and) I think the best team I’ve seen play is coming here Saturday,” Boynton said.

The Cyclones’ leading scorer, Jaren Holmes, will provide yet another test for Anderson, continuing his battles against scoring guards. Yet, if Anderson’s confidence continues to build and he plays like he did against Sherfield, Holmes may be in for a demanding matchup.

“We’ll have to play really well on Saturday at 1 o’clock against a team that is playing as well as anybody in our conference,” Boynton said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Davis Cordova

Avery Anderson is shooting an abnormal 16.6% from three on the season.