Thursday, April 27, 2023

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Mr. and Miss American Indian pageant honors Native American students

Norton Staff Reporter

The first Mr. and Miss American Indian pageant to be held in years. The annual Native American Honoring Ceremony and crowning of Mr. and Miss American Indian will be on Saturday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Student Union Theatre.

The Native American Student Association is sponsoring this event, where the Center for Sovereign Nations will be celebrating the hard work and successes of their 2023 Native graduates. Included in the event will be the crowning of this year’s Mr. and Miss American Indian, as well as a speech from APA Featured Psychologist, Dr. John Chaney.

The Honoring Ceremony is held by NASA every year to congratulate

Strawberry Blonde Student band takes center stage in Stillwater

in high school.”

The night is over, but Strawberry Blonde is just getting started.

the Native graduates who have overcome obstacles like the overwhelmingly small percentage of Native Americans that attend college in the United States.

The student organization shows its pride for their academic accomplishments with a semi-private graduation ceremony to acknowledge their hard work in an intimate setting.

The event is open to anyone from all ethnic backgrounds. They are encour-

aged to witness an afternoon of Native American heritage.

Junior political science major, former Miss American Indian and current president of the Native American Student Association, Kait Pinkerton, has assumed the role of organizing this important event. She emphasized the importance of the Honoring Ceremony to make sure Native students are recognized for their hard work.

See Pageant on 7

The night is young, the air is fresh, and the energy in the crowd is electric. They take the stage one by one.

First, the man from outer space, lead guitarist Robert Paddack followed by the chemically activated man with the beat, drummer Alex Miller. Next, spouting flame from his base guitar Andrew Rowley and the inspiration behind the name Aaron Williams. Together they are Strawberry Blonde.

Paddack struck a chord, and the band was off. Their music filled the concert venue at Coney Island, bleeding onto The Strip. Soon passersby wandered into the crowd of friends and supporters. Williams sang as Millers’ steady beat laid the groundwork for the crowd.

Rowley created the bridge that melded the sound together; the rest is history.

Strawberry Blonde continued playing, showing off multiple originals with a few covers sprinkled in.

A mosh pit took shape to match the energy of the killer solos. Williams, Paddack, Rowley and Miller took a bow after giving their newly devoted fans an encore to play repeatedly in their heads for weeks.

Paddack couldn’t believe it.

“That was the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life. It was honestly surreal going up onstage and having every one of my friends in the crowd cheering us on,” Paddack said.

Williams couldn’t contain his excitement.

“It was everything I wanted it to be,” Williams said. “Afterward, we got in the car, and we’re all just screaming.”

Miller got lost in the music.

“I felt like I was playing for five minutes because when we were done, I was like, I could definitely play for another hour.”

Rowley hadn’t seen anything like it since hanging up his band uniform.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I haven’t been in front of a big crowd like that since marching band

Strawberry Blonde is a student band taking the streets of Stillwater by storm. The indie rock group debuted at Coney Island, or “Coney’s,” as it’s known in Stillwater, performing for students and friends. Since then, the group has played two other concerts, one at Coney’s and one for the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology.

Strawberry Blonde started at Release Radar, a club started by Oklahoma State students to help local musicians build a network. Lead singer Aaron Williams and future lead guitarist Robert Paddack met and started the band’s formation. Robert brought in drummer Alex Miller and bassist Andrew Rowley to complete the lineup.

“We all just kind of got to chitchatting,” Paddack said. “Aaron suggested that we start a band, and Alex and I had been wanting to start a band for a while.”Before the group could establish itself, they needed a name. Look no further than the lead singer. With his mixture of pink, red and blonde hues, there was only one option: Strawberry Blonde.

“I’m a redhead, but I have darker and lighter roots,” Williams said.

“Three or four people told me within a really short period of time ‘You’re strawberry blonde.’ I was like, that’s a cool name, so let’s roll with it.”

The band greenlit the idea, loving the simplicity and the Indie Rock vibe that followed.

“It just rolled off the tongue and was kind of fun.” Miller said, “We like Indie Rock, Indie Pop, so it was that style.”

Williams, Paddack and Miller held practice for about three months before taking the stage, with Paddack bringing Rowley in to complete the group. Each band member relied on their musical background to get the ball rolling. Williams played in a band in high school and was inspired by his favorite band to take up guitar.

“I got into guitar just from my favorite band, Hippocampus; they are a huge inspiration to me,” Williams said. “I just listened to the music, and I was like, this is pretty sick.” See Band

OSU jumper Sanye Ford to donate kidney to her mother

mom. Whether it was my kidney or anything, I was going to do it.”

Sam Hutchens Staff Reporter

Sanye Ford wants to attend her OSU graduation. But she would rather be asleep on an operating table.

Ford doesn’t know if she will be able to celebrate her four-year student-athlete experience at Oklahoma State with a walk across the stage to retrieve a diploma. It depends on the doctors. Ford, a jumper on OSU’s track team, is set to donate a kidney to her mom. “It feels so casual,” Ford said. “It’s my

In January 2022, doctors diagnosed Sanye’s mother, Rhonda, with stage-four kidney disease. When doctors discovered Rhonda’s kidneys functioning at just 15%, she faced a life filled with dialysis treatments — a frequent, onerous artificial filtration process that would upend her life.

Rhonda made lifestyle changes. She and her husband Donald started walking their dog, Bentley, a Yorkshire terrier-poodle mix, for two or three miles a day. But she needed something else to avoid dialysis.

Receiving a kidney transplant was the alternative. Rhonda’s husband Donald signed up to donate at first. Sanye insisted on registering, too, despite the lengthy registration process requiring 24 vials of blood to be drawn.

Sanye volunteered her kidney without being asked, just in case Donald’s was ruled out.

See Kidney

Courtesy of Sanye Ford

Rhonda Ford (left) has always been close with her daughter Sanye (right) and rarely missed one of Sanye’s sporting events growing up.

Emi

Hayden Alexander

Staff Reporter

Cowgirls, Gajewski not worried about late offensive slump

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

Amidst a five-game losing streak and offensive slump, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski and his team aren’t sweating it.

Gajewski said on Tuesday that he informed his team of their stats and numbers on the season, and his players were satisfied.

“Yesterday, I read off all our stats to our team that we’re in the top 10 in the NCAA, over 300 teams,” Gajewski said. “I read off all those stats to them and said, ‘If I would have told you this in February, would you take it?’ and I think every one of them was like, ‘Of course,’ so what’s the problem?”

OSU has gotten great production from its pitching staff nearly all season, but its offense is struggling to get hits with runners on.

“We just gotta score runs,” said Cowgirls’ outfielder Chyenne Factor. “We’ve gotta get a timely hit. We’re getting runners on, a lot of runners on. But we’re leaving them on as well.”

Aside from breaking through at the plate and wanting to get back in the win column, the goal for Gajewski remains the same.

Hosting super regionals.

“We’re trying to be in the top eight when the Big 12 tournament is done, that hasn’t changed,” Gajewski said. “Do we want to win the regular season conference championship and the tournament? Hell yeah. Like, we want to win that. But I will trade all of that to be in the top eight to host here, because I know how special this place is.”

OSU experienced a similar disappointing losing streak last season, losing its final five games of the regular season before rounding out an all-around successful season,

including a late push at the College World Series. “This happened last year, we lost five in a row and still did what we did,” Factor said. “So, it’s fine, it’s not that big of a deal.

Currently sitting at No.

7 in the polls, OSU has seven regular season games remaining, including a three-game series with Texas Tech and No. 1 Oklahoma, respectively. Gajewski iterated that he wants his team to focus on the task ahead and not pay

attention to outside stuff, like rankings.

“You’re never as good as you think you are, and you’re never as bad as you think you are, I told our team that,” Gajewski said. “I said ‘look, we’re really good,’

(but) I think we’re caught up in trying to protect our ranking. It means nothing, It’s purely opinion. There is no algorithm to the ranking at all.”

Luke Tolbert

The Cowgirls have scored 0.33 runs per inning in the past four games.

Kidney...

Continued from 1

“I was like, ‘Well, when your doctor clears you for transplant, let me know when to sign up,’” Sanye said.

The Ford family got bad news when results came back. Donald was

ineligible to donate.

“When my husband was ruled out you know, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. OK, Sanye,’” Rhonda said.

Sanye qualified for a paired donation with a chain of people. She would donate her kidney to a stranger, and her mom would receive a kidney from a stranger. It was the culmination of months of testing and a few up-and-back trips from Stillwater to Dallas.

Sanye has become accustomed to the procedure mash-up of X-Rays, EKG’s (electrocardiograms) and blood draws required before surgery. The surgery was initially scheduled for April 24 but had to be postponed due to one of the people in the chain getting ill.

“It’s been super tedious,” Sanye said. “Especially last week. Right before surgery was (scheduled) I was at the hospital, like, every day doing

different tests.”

The new date could collide with OSU’s graduation; not that it would change Sanye’s plans. She is more than happy to have a ceremony in her living room.

“I asked (Sanye) if she had reservations,” Rhonda said. “She said, ‘Mom, I have no reservations. I’m doing it. You’re my mom. I would do it all over again.’”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy OSU Athletics

OSU won its first indoor track & field conference championship in Feburary 2023.

OSU’s Voinovich, starter at 149 pounds, to enter transfer portal sports

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

The starting spot at 149-pounds now holds a vacancy in the OSU wrestling program.

On Wednesday evening, former 149-pound starter, Victor Voinovich entered the transfer portal, per OWrestle’s Seth Duckworth.

A prized recruit out of high school, Voinovich committed to OSU as part of the 2021 class, ranked No. 1 in his weight class.

Voinovich redshirted his true freshman season with the Cowboys before going 17-13 overall – 10-7 in duals – his second year in 202223. He qualified for the NCAA Tournament, before going 2-2 in nationals. His brother, Kael, was a state champion for Stillwater High School in 2022 and is currently rated as a top 10 in the 150-pound high school weight class. His future with the Cowboy wrestling program remains uncertain.

Voinovich becomes the fourth OSU wrestler to enter the portal -- joining Travis Mastrogiovanni, Colt Newton and Chance McClane – and the first starter for the Cowboys from this past season to announce his intentions to transfer.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Andy Crown

Victor Voinovich competed in the 2022-23 NCAA wrestling championship.

Paddack played french horn in junior high and high school before channeling his love of heavy metal into a passion for electric guitar.

“I’ve been an enthusiastic listener of heavy metal for a really long time,” Paddack said. “ So electric guitar was a natural choice.”

Rowley started his music career early in concert and jazz band before playing bass in his high school basketball band. He was looking for the perfect opportunity to get back into music.

“I’ve been playing guitar for a while, and when I got to college, I never really had a good reason to pick it up,” Rowley said. “I was itching for a reason to pick it back up and play for people.”

Miller played trombone for two years before exploring writing and producing his music. For him, music has the potential to be more than just a fun side gig.

“If I could choose anything to do as a career, it would be just doing music,” Miller said.

Their individual talent made combining their musical abilities into a stacked setlist easy. The band rehearsed twice a week for over two hours to prep for their show, and as time passed, the band found their collective sound.

“It feels very natural to make music with them, and honestly, it felt like it came together really well,” Paddack said. “I think we all jive as musicians really well.”

“We’ve got some pretty talented people, and I’m not saying we didn’t have to work for it,” Rowley said.

The band is working on assembling an album of their original songs after debuting multiple at their shows.

“We’re planning on recording some music,” Paddack

said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a single out by the beginning of summer and then maybe a five or six-song EP this fall.”

A single and an EP are just the first steps for the band. They plan on playing multiple shows over the summer and expanding their reach.

“As soon as the summer starts, we’re going to start going around OKC because that’s a bit bigger of a venue,” Williams said.

OKC is not the furthest their dreams stretch, as the

band is looking to take it as far as they can.

“We’re going to try to take this as far as we can and just see where it goes,” Paddack said.

As the band prepares for their final show of the semester this Friday, they are finishing strong, knowing that this band has reignited their college experience.

“I just feel like I’m having way more fun,” Paddack said. “ It’s really crazy to just go and play shows in front of my friends and then play

music with a group of dudes I really like.”

Rowley has never loved practicing music more.

“Monday night rolls around, and it’s good time you just go jam with,” Rowley said. “You know, three of your buddies for two hours, and that’s a good time.”

Miller found a home for his love of music.

Continued from 1 news.ed@ocolly.com

“It’s changed tenfold,” said Williams. I finally was able to find people who are really committed to wanting to play.”

Williams is fulfilling a lifelong dream.

“It’s a realization of a dream that I’ve had for a long time, so it’s very fulfilling, and it’s very exciting,” Williams said. “ We’re just on the very tip of what’s to come, so that’s awesome.”

Strawberry Blonde performs this Friday at 9 p.m. at Coney Island. Plans are already in the works for a backto-school bash, and updates can be found @strawberryblondeband on Instagram.

Courtesy of Naomi Hirzel

Lead singer Aaron Williams is the inspiration behind the band’s name: Strawberry Blonde.

Pageant...

Continued from 1

“There are so many Native students who never get through college, so it’s really important to highlight their achievements because it’s a big achievement just to even be here in the first place,” Pinkerton said.

Mr. and Miss American Indian will be crowned in the first pageant

to be held in years. Due to the lack of pageant participants in the past and no form of competition, the actual pageant process has been on pause.

Pinkerton is excited to bring this year’s pageant back and celebrate the cultures of the different tribes.

“It’s a place to show your culture and wear your regalia if you don’t get to wear it often, you know, show what you know,” Pinkerton said. “And then also just share what you’re passionate about, and it’s really nice to have that space to share your culture with everybody.”

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Last year’s Miss American Indian, Gabrielle Tiger, along with the 2022 Mr. American Indian, ran unopposed. Despite not taking part in what a normal pageant might entail, Tiger looks back on the experience as a fun and stress-free experience.

“I have a lot of pride getting to have that title for this last year and making my tribes proud,” Tiger said.

As Miss American Indian, Tiger is in charge of orchestrating the pageant at the Honoring Ceremony this year. As a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation, she hopes to see

people from all backgrounds at Saturday’s event. She hopes they experience the diversity with an open heart.

“I wish to say that anyone and everyone is welcome to come to the Honoring Ceremony and pageant on Saturday, April 29 at 3 p.m.,” Tiger said. “Anyone can come but also anyone’s welcome to come to any NASA meetings, to come here to the Center for Sovereign Nations. Whether you’re tribal affiliated or not, we’re so welcoming,” Tiger said.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of OSU

The Native American Student Association is hosting its Mr. and Miss American Indian OSU Scholarship Pageant Saturday.

Beau is Afraid Lifestyle

Psychological odyssey

Jaycee Hampton Staff Reporter

From his darkest fears, the greatest adventure was born.

Director Ari Aster brings a different kind of horror to theaters with his third film, “Beau is Afraid” and it is surprisingly poignant. Differing from his other films, “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019), Aster was able to display guilt and shame in new, torturous ways. “Beau is Afraid” is not going to be a film everyone will like or understand as a psychological odyssey. There is nothing about the plot that can be shared without it taking away from the shock factor, aside from saying Beau literally is afraid of everything and his mommy issues are apparent. Quite frankly, it feels odd recommending it to others. There were various sequences that were uncomfortable and films like this are something most people might have to brace for.

The run time was three hours and it definitely felt that long. There are moments where the plot goes in completely separate directions and it loses itself. It attempts to come back, but not everything comes together

and viewers will probably feel confused and not fully understand how it gets from point A to B. But despite how infuriating that can be, it just worked for this film. The story takes you on a mental mind bending adventure that is imaginative and highly creative. It’s almost like there’s not a concrete reality, and knowing that you can enjoy it for what it is. Although the film is a three hour long nightmare, it genuinely has funny moments and good structure. Many times people in the theater would audibly laugh,

and that’s another takeaway from Aster’s work that was surprising. The risks he took, paid off.

Joaquin Pheonix portrays Beau and he is undeniably one of the best actors of our time. The way he speaks is full of raw emotion and it will have your stomach turning. One of the most difficult parts to stomach about this film is how relatable it might feel. Personally, it was shocking how real and depressing it felt. As unsettling as that is, it is pushing boundaries and creating a new kind of unsettling genre. Aster is

brilliant for letting viewers see into his mind. It has been reported that Aster does not want to comment on specific parts of the film, leaving it up to the audience to interpret. Common discourse in film communities often ask “What is going on in Ari Aster’s head?”, and “Is this dude alright?” Regardless of these initial thoughts and questions, Aster has a proven track record of being able to pull people into the theater with his name alone and he does live up to the reputation with “Beau is Afraid.”

From brilliant story telling to visually stunning shots, it is a psychological mess that everyone should see once in their life. As time progresses and people process the film, it is certain to gain traction and a cult following like his previous films. When you go watch “Beau is Afraid,” go in with as little knowledge as possible, it is the kind of experience you will never feel the same about twice.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Joaquin Phoenix in the movie “Beau Is Afraid.”