Friday, October 13, 2023
The man behind the mic
Voice of the Cowboy Marching Band pumps up crowd Carter White O’Colly Contributor
Ben Holieway
Beyond the Battle
Finding purpose past diagnosis Kennedy Thomason News & Lifestyle Editor
Brooke Taylor, discovered she had breast cancer six hours before giving birth to her daughter. After completing “traditional” cancer treatments in 2019, such as IV Each October, little pink ribbons appear chemotherapy, surgeries for surprise staph infecacross campus. tions and a double masThey serve as a reminder that it is Breast tectomy with a partial reCancer Awareness month. construction, Taylor found out that chemotherapy had For some people, this been successful. month brings a flood Then her cancer of memories from their returned in March 2022, experiences with breast this time as stage 4 cancer. metastatic triple negative Building a lasting breast cancer. legacy After going through OSU alumnae, round two with breast
cancer, Taylor said her scans currently do not show any cancer. However, Taylor said stage four cancer is “incurable,” so she will never be “cancer free.” “Living with an allegedly incurable diagnosis feels a lot like walking the plank,” Taylor said. “At any second you could jump off the plank, but today I’m safe, today I’m fine.” In March 2022, Taylor launched her brand, Rural Gone Urban, just two weeks after her diagnosis.
recurrence of a tumor in my left arm that I had once before in high school,” Lester said. Lester was diagnosed with desmoid tumor, a sporadic form of cancer that is a locally invasive non metaFor 23 years, Chuck Lester’s static sarcoma. Lester went through 26 voice has padded Boone Pickens Starounds of radiation treatment followed dium. by a six-week rest period and then a As the Cowboy Marching Band 14-hour surgery to remove the tumor enters Boone Pickens Stadium on game and reconstruct his left upper arm. day, fans hear the famous line echo “It was a life changing experithrough the stadium. ence,” Lester said. “The brightest band in all Lester was focused on getting the the land! The Spirit of Oklahoma treatment he needed, but while he did State University! Your O-S-U Cowthat, his academics suffered. He spent boooooooooyyyyy Marching Band!” seven years as a member of CMB and During CMB performances, Les- changed his majors several times until ter readies the crowd for the band and he chose psychology. the game with enthusiasm. He works as “My experience with cancer a grant manager for OSU and on game played a huge role, it took me a while days he takes time to celebrate his to find myself,” Lester said. alma mater. But that did not stop Lester from Growing up in Oklahoma, Lespursuing what he loved: the band. After’s family had an influence on his ter years playing the saxophone, Bryant connection with OSU. Warren, Lester’s friend and teammate, Lester’s dad, Charlie Lester, was suggested Lester should play a different the first Pistol Pete mascot in 1958-59 instrument. Lester said his dad always wore “My ride or die still to this day his Pistol Pete ring, which is now Les- was the tuba section leader, Bryant was ter’s. But Charlie Lester never bragged like, ‘You’re playing tuba now,’ and I about his role. was like, ‘Uh, ok, I don’t know how to “In the same way that he was play that instrument,’ and he said ‘It’s humble about it, I do my best to be fine. We need one body.’ So for my last humble about it, because I didn’t have four years in the Cowboy Marching anything to do with it,” Lester said. Band that’s what I did,” Lester said. “There’s a definite source of pride to it During his years in the band, and just a connection to the university. Lester would do impersonations of the I don’t have to necessarily go around band announcers at band banquets. and tell everybody. I see Pete, and I Lester became known for his joke know. That was my dad.” announcements and in 1999, he got a Lester got involved with band in message that would impact his career. high school, and he pursued his pasWhen former CMB announcer, sion through college; He always knew Scott Hubbard, decided to step down he would choose OSU. But his path from the position, leaving the position was not conventional. open for Lester, who was not expecting “My first year in school, I had a the opportunity. See Voice on 4A
See Awareness on 6A
Annalise Moyes Protesters greeted Alex Epstein on Monday outside of the Student Union Theatre, where Epstein discussed climate change.
Climate change talk sparks controversy Ashton Miller Staff Reporter
the negative impacts they have on the environment. Alex Epstein, writer and fossil fuel expansion advocate, gave a talk on Monday advocating for With talks of clithe expansion of fosmate change becoming sil fuel usage. This has increasingly present in recent years, tensions can proved to be a controverbe high when it comes to sial topic given Epstein’s background. the future of our planet. With a major in phiFossil fuels have losophy, Epstein doesn’t been named the main contributor to climate change. have the typical background someone might However, some believe that the benefits outweigh have if they were going
What’s Inside
into a field regarding fossil fuels and their impact on both people’s lives and the climate. “I wanted to be a practical philosopher outside academia,” Epstein said. “I got a philosophy degree because that was the easiest degree to get so I could train to become a writer.” After writing about various topics over the years, Epstein landed in the energy industry.
OSU alumna returns to direct ‘Ride the Cyclone’ - A theatrical roller coaster of emotions
See Climate on 4A
3A
Courtesy of Chuck Lester Chuck Lester has been the voice of the Cowboy Marching Band for 23 years and does not plan to step down any time soon.
The ballad of Pistol Pete’s spurs
5A
Decoding the buzz: Navigating caffeine consuption in college
7A