The O'Colly, Monday, May 22, 2023

Monday, May 22, 2023

‘That was a nice

Abram’s dominant outing clinches OSU a Bedlam series win, share of first Big 12 title since 2014

coaches he would be starting Saturday.

The feeling of returning to the university and ballpark he spent the past four seasons at was admittedly an odd one. Simultaneously, it elevated emotions until the moment he threw his first pitch.

NORMAN -- Ben Abram felt a variety of emotions when he woke up Saturday.

He got out of bed, walked straight to the bathroom of his Norman hotel room and gazed at his reflection in the mirror. The moment he had envisioned since OSU’s opening weekend at Globe Life Field in February had finally come. The opportunity to pitch against OU, his former team.

The Cowboys (37-16, 15-9 Big 12) struck first, recording four consecutive base hits for two runs to open play. Abram retired the side in order during his first inning, just as he’d hoped. One inning later, he found himself in a jam.

Two singles and an RBI double from OU catcher Easton Carmichael cut OSU’s lead to just one run. As he returned to the mound to recollect himself, Abram cleared his thoughts.

Stephanie Landaverde News and Lifestyle Editor

In an exclusive interview with Inside OSU’s Meghan Robinson, Buffalo Bills assistant athletic trainer and Oklahoma State University alumnus Denny Kellington spoke about administering life-saving CPR to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during an NFL game and how his time at OSU prepared him for his career.

In high school, Kellington played football at Midwest

City High School and became interested in athletic training. After seeing what athletic training was, Kellington knew he was interested and applied to OSU first.

“I got accepted to college in January, I interviewed in March and accepted in April as an athletic training student,” Kellington said. “And then we started that summer.”

During this time, the late ‘90s and early 2000s, to become an athletic trainer students had to work as an intern first, Kellington said. Kellington took classes as well 1,500 hours with his internship his first year.

“That’s what athletic training is, it’s time on task,” Kellington said. “So then the

next three and a half years was just getting as much experience with different sports, different injuries, different athletes, different coaching styles. All those are those things that help you become a better athletic trainer, and I’m not certified yet. I’m just learning.”

Kellington said there are a lot of similarities between the NFL and the college football and sports. The players get younger, he gets older, but age doesn’t matter if you know how to relate to people and they know you care about them, Kellington said. Trust doesn’t happen immediately, but he treats everyone equally, respectfully and fairly.

See Hero on 6

In cold Blood-worth

Bloodworth leads OSU to shutout victory over Shockers

This SportsCenter Top 10-worthy catch was followed with an emphatic fist pump from the usually lowkey sophomore.

One could say it was cold-blooded.

Ashton Slaughter Assistant Sports Editor

With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, star Wichita State shortstop Sydney McKinney had a prime opportunity to carve into OSU’s four-run lead.

The All-American hit a missile toward Cowgirl third baseman Megan Bloodworth, who went airborne to snag the liner with two outs to end the inning.

“That just took the air out of them,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said of Bloodworth’s acrobatic catch. “And that’s what you got to do this time of year; you got to make plays.”

Strong defensive plays like this one helped the Cowgirls (43-14) defeat the Shockers in shutout fashion, 6-0, their second shutout in the Stillwater Regional.

The defense all started with Lexi Kilfoyl in the circle, who, as second in line on the Cowgirl pitching staff, has

been let down by her defense multiple times this season, according to Gajewski.

“We’ve played poorly for her (Kilfoyl) the whole year,” Gajewski said. “Her numbers should be better than what they say. She’s been the biggest tough luck kid I’ve seen in a complete year in a long time.”

Her defense rallied around her Saturday afternoon, and the Alabama transfer had an impressive day of her own, totaling six strikeouts on 88 total pitches.

Three of those strikeouts came in the first inning, when Kilfoyl retired the first three batters of the Shocker lineup by strikeout.

See Blood-worth on 2

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have this game, this series, marked on my calendar all year,” Abram said. “It’s different. It’s not something I’ve had the chance to experience before.”

On Saturday afternoon, the longing for a chance to shut down his former team was upheld in OSU’s 11-1 series-clinching win over OU in the Bedlam series finale, which also earned the Cowboys a share of the Big 12 title.

Due to a shortened week, the initial starting pitching rotation wasn’t entirely set. On Wednesday, Abram was told by his

“Not this time,” he said to himself.

Two at-bats later, Abram ended the inning. On a slow chopper to the pitcher’s mound hit by Sooner designated hitter Diego Muniz, Abram called off first baseman David Mendham and pranced toward the bag to record the final out himself. Abram patted his former teammate on the back before jogging to the OSU dugout.

“It usually takes me a little bit to settle in and that’s fine,” Abram said. “But as soon as I found my fastball command, especially my sinker, it was wraps after that.”

See Bedlam on 3

feeling’

Courtesy of OSU

Denny Kellington returned to Oklahoma State University to speak at the spring commencement ceremonies.

‘I am not a hero, I was ready’

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

sports

Cowboys capitalized in crucial moments down the stretch for a share of Big 12 title

Holliday said. “Winning it isn’t something small.”

So, how did the breakthrough happen?

While Holliday’s thoughts on the Big 12 may hold some merit, statistics show the conference is in a down year.

NORMAN -- Josh Holliday stood along the first base line of L. Dale Mitchell Park, attempting to keep his emotions at a minimum, but to no avail.

A herd of orange jerseys swarmed over the OSU coach as he and his players hoisted the Bedlam series trophy following a 11-1 series-clinching win over OU on Saturday afternoon.

Holliday displayed the joy of not only winning the series, but a three-way share of his program’s first Big 12 regular season title since 2014.

“I’m not afraid to smile and tell you all it feels really good,” Holliday said. “And I don’t usually feel much.”

Excluding the 2020 shortened COVID season, OSU has had four second-place finishes the past seven seasons. Holliday said the Big 12 is often underappreciated.

“The Big 12 conference is a highly competitive conference,”

Since the conference’s current 24-game format began in 2013, a regular season champion hasn’t held a Big 12 record below 16-8. This season, the Cowboys, Texas and West Virginia all donned a 15-9 record.

The Longhorns dropped a series to Cal State Fullerton (2821 record), escaped Big 12 bottom dwellers Baylor and Kansas by small margins and was swept by seventh-place OU at home.

The Mountaineers dropped a road series to Georgia Southern (27-28 record). Granted, earlyseason jitters are a thing, but WVU also lost two of three to Kansas at home in April.

In the midst a down year in the conference, the Cowboys performed well in pivotal moments.

They earned a ranked series win against Texas and a title-clinching victory over OU.

OSU’s 8.7 runs per game average ranks 10th nationally and first in the Big 12. The Cowboys also lead the conference in home runs (99) and rank second in team

batting average at .307, good for 24th nationally. Seven of OSU’s typical starters hold a batting average better than .300. OSU’s prolific offense has produced 21 double-digit run totals.

Statistically, it’s Holliday’s best offense in 11 years at the helm.

“I don’t know how to pinpoint it,” Holliday said. “It’s hard to put your finger on that. We have a good lineup and have good depth to our lineup. The kids are working hard. They’ve listened, learned and made adjustments over the course of the season.”

OSU’s pattern of offensive shootouts drew concern regarding its chances in the Big 12 race. But down the stretch, well-rounded performances with timely pitching put that to rest with a conference title.

“It’s something that’s hard to put into words,” freshman left fielder Nolan Schubart said. “Coming in we were just hoping for a series win. Now we’re able to be (Big 12) champions and that’s pretty surreal.”

OSU beings the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday as the 2-seed, facing 7-seed OU. The Cowboys outscored the Sooners 43-16 in four meetings this season. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

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Cowgirl catcher Taylor Tuck was fired up for her pitcher, along with the rest of her teammates. Kilfoyl, though, had no clue.

“I think the team kinda realized it more than I did, cause they came right out, and they were all over me,” Kilfoyl said. “That’s really good for the team and the energy because I think we’re a team that feeds off energy, and once we get going, it’s hard to stop us.”

After picking up a run in the bottom of the first inning off a sac groundout from Kiley Naomi to send Rachel Becker home, the Cowgirl offense fell flat for a couple of innings before picking it back up in a big way in the fourth inning.

On Friday against UMBC, the Cowgirls had five runs in the fourth; against the Shockers, the Cowgirls added three runs to their total in what seems now to be their lucky inning. Katelynn Carwile, Morgyn Wynne and Taylor Tuck all picked up RBIs in the half inning, propelling the Cowgirls to a four-run lead.

Following a Micaela Wark RBI single in the fifth, the Cowgirls led 5-0 going into the bottom of

the sixth inning, still holding the Shockers (4111) scoreless, and Bloodworth stepped into the box with two outs and hit what would end up being the dagger—a hard-hit double to center field, sending Tallen Edwards to the plate.

Bloodworth admittedly hasn’t been sharp all season at the plate, as before Friday night’s game against the Retrievers, she hadn’t recorded a hit since April 11 against Tulsa. Now, though, she’s starting to get a groove going in the batter’s box, and although she’s just 2-6 on the weekend, she could easily be batting 1.000 in Gajewski’s eyes.

“(Bloodworth) could easily be 6-6 in this Regional; (she’s) just hammering balls,” Gajewski said.

Now, the Cowgirls move onto Sunday, where they’re looking to capture yet another Stillwater Regional title and a thirdstraight Super Regional appearance in Stillwater. They’ll play whoever survives Saturday — UMBC, Nebraska or Wichita State — at 3 p.m. Sunday.

“Now we get to sit back and watch these teams fight it out and go home and recover and put ourselves in a great spot,” Gajewski said.

Chase Davis

Kenny Gajewski believes Megan Bloodworth could be batting 1.000 in the Stillwater Regional, and that she’s starting to get into a groove at the plate, “She could easily be 6-6 in this Regional; (she’s) just hammering balls,” Gajewski said.

Luke Tolbert

After four second-place finishes in seven seasons, OSU broke through for its first regular season Big 12 title since 2014.

Daniel Allen

Staff Reporter

sports

Bedlam...

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Abram finished the day with four strikeouts, surrendering just four hits, one earned run and most importantly, no walks. OSU coach Josh Holliday said Abram, who ranked second on the team in walks allowed prior to Saturday (21), showcased the best version of himself.

“(Abram) didn’t give them any freebies,” Holliday said. “He looked like a different version of himself and I’m proud of him.”

Abram said the highlight of the game was exiting the mound knowing he’d left his team in a position to win the game and series.

“Once you shake the coaches’ hand and you realize you’re done and I knew we were in a good place to win, that was a nice feeling,” Abram said. “The nerves went away for a bit, and I was just able to soak in the moment.”

Leading 4-1 in the top of the sixth, a sacrifice fly from Nolan McLean and a two-out RBI double from Mendham extended OSU’s lead to five.

One inning later, the Cowboys continued with a bases-loaded RBI groundout from catcher Chase Adkison. On the ensuing at-bat, left fielder Nolan Schubart launched a pitch out of the ballpark

for a two-run shot. He followed with a dramatic bat flip and nonchalant jog around the basepath.

“I mean it’s Bedlam,” Schubart said with a chuckle.

“I wanted to be the one to put the icing on top, the cherry on top. It was something very special for me.”

OSU held the Sooners (30-24, 11-13) to just seven hits, with a contribution of 3.1 scoreless innings from reliever Isaac Stebens and a scoreless two-thirds of the final inning from Gabe Davis.

“When you’re playing championship-caliber teams like (OSU), you’ve got to make plays down the line, and (we didn’t),” OU coach Skip Johnson said. “(OSU) kept stacking runs on top and we could never get our offense rolling.”

Not only did Holliday’s team win the Bedlam series, it clinched a three-way share of its first Big 12 regular season title since 2014.

Holliday admitted the moment was big. Even postgame, he couldn’t refrain from displaying a smile.

“It’s special because the Big 12 conference is a highly competitive conference,” Holliday said. “There’s been a lot of good (OSU) baseball teams over time that have competed hard and haven’t won the (Big 12) regular season.

“I think today is a perfect example of when we’re at our best.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

Ben Abram allowed just one run in five innings in an 11-1 win against OU, his former team.

this,’ sports

Becker leads OSU rally to claim Regional title

Ashton Slaughter Assistant Sports Editor

All eyes in Stillwater and Lincoln, Nebraska, were on Rachel Becker; heck, some eyes in West Lafayette, Indiana, were probably tuned in.

OSU had two runners on in the top of the seventh of Game 6 of the Stillwater Regional, a game that, if the Cowgirls won, would advance them to the Super Regional. If they lost, they’d face Nebraska in a do-or-die game right after.

Becker, the All-American who shattered school records in four seasons at Purdue, had never played in a postseason game prior to this weekend.

But she was ready; that’s who she is.

“When they called time, I just looked and her at gave her a little encouragement, and she just looked like the Rachel I see every day, and I was like, ‘We’re in good shape here,’” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said.

“That’s something I feel like I’ve been waiting for my whole career,” Becker said. “Stepping up to the plate, my heart was beating a little bit; I was feeling it. But I knew if I saw my pitch, I was gonna swing hard at it.”

Becker took her pitch— the first one thrown in her at-bat—and capitalized, ripping the ball to center field and bringing two Cowgirls home. Cowgirl Stadium erupted; they were back on top. They finished on top too, beating the Huskers 5-2 to capture the Stillwater Regional title.

The Cowgirls (43-14) held

a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Lexi Kilfoyl entered in relief for Kelly Maxwell, who exited the circle after 74 pitches. Kilfoyl, who threw 88 pitches against Wichita State Saturday afternoon, couldn’t have started her relief efforts off much worse.

The Alabama transfer’s first pitch bounced off home plate before ricocheting off Cowgirl catcher Taylor Tuck’s chest. Husker shortstop Billie Andrews took off from third base and sprinted to the plate, tying the game. Five pitches later, Kilfoyl and Tuck found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation.

Kilfoyl left another pitch low, once again connecting with home plate, and it bounced off the bottom of Tuck’s glove before rolling through her legs. Husker pitcher Courtney Wallace, like Andrews, headed straight for home from third and gave Nebraska (36-21) the lead.

Two wild pitches with odd bounces off a catcher seemingly back-to-back.

“I’ve never seen that in my time, so that’s a first,” Gajewski said. Cowgirl fans fell silent. The few Husker fans made their presence known.

After an empty sixth inning, the Cowgirls entered the seventh inning three outs away from a Sunday doubleheader.

After a Morgyn Wynne groundout to start the inning, fans started gearing up for a few more hours at Cowgirl Stadium. Tallen Edwards entered the box and fought her way to a full count before ripping one down the left field line.

Edwards, the freshman who should’ve just wrapped up her final semester at Southmoore this month, decided to forgo her senior season and a chance at a fourth-straight state title to become a Cowgirl. Even at her young age, she didn’t shy away from the moment;

she came to Stillwater early for this.

“This is what I left high school for,” Edwards said. I knew what I was stepping into; that’s the main reason on why I made this decision. I watched a lot of Oklahoma State’s games last year and being able to see the girls in those moments, I wanted to step in... I got my shot today. When I got it, I was ready to go. I wasn’t gonna budge.”

After Edwards’ hit, some murmurs began, and there was hope.

Then, freshman Katie Lott came to the plate, pinch-hitting for Tuck. After discussing it over with assistant coaches Vanessa ShippyFletcher and Whitney Cloer, Gajewski decided to roll with Lott; he had a gut feeling.

“I have a good feeling about Katie,” Gajewski said to

Cloer after weighing his options.

Lott got the nod and delivered, getting on base with a single and advancing Edwards to second.

Then came Becker, who delivered on the biggest stage in her five-year career, putting the Cowgirls up one.

After a Chyenne Factor single, Kiley Naomi brought one home off a fielding error, and Micaela Wark had a sac groundout to send Becker to the plate.

After a four-hit, four-run Cowgirl seventh inning rally, the Huskers were deflated. Their postseason life was snatched away.

Despite one Husker single, the Cowgirls wrapped up the game with a double play from Naomi to Wark.

When Becker was handed a headset for the ESPN post-

game interview, her teammates were forced to wait to mob her. “Rachel Becker” chants boomed from the left field deck. This was her game.

“It was awesome; that was just insane,” Becker said of the chants. “Having our fans here and just the energy in the stadium, especially in the top of that seventh inning, it was amazing.”

With the win, the Cowgirls will host a fourth-straight Super Regional, and they’ll face off against Oregon.

Until then, Becker and Gajewski will continue to relish this perfect moment.

“I walked over to one of our coaches and I said, ‘I don’t think I could’ve drawn this thing up any better than this,’” Gajewski said.ste or s

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

Rachel Becker had been waiting for a moment like Sunday for years. “That’s something I feel like I’ve been waiting for my whole career,” Becker said of the crucial seventh-inning play. Becker delivered and led the Cowgirls to a 5-2 victory over Nebraska.

‘I don’t think I could’ve drawn this thing up any better than

Toxins all around us

cially on children as lead exposure can slow growth and development according to the Centers for Disease Control.

are also major environmental contaminants according to the National Institutes of Health, as well as the EPA and CDC.

Corporations across the State of Oklahoma have a historic problem with pollution.

Locations such as the infamous Tar Creek Superfund Site display the apathy for public and environmental safety that these corporations demonstrate into the present day.

Every year, hundreds of different corporations release chemicals into the air, landfills, as well as ponds and streams across the state. Due to this pollution, Congress passed the Emergency Planning and Community Rightto-Know Act in 1987.

This act created the Toxic Release Inventory, which acts as a repository of information about releases across the United States, from locations of emissions to the corporation responsible for the pollution. This inventory of data is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency and is accessible online.

Emissions such as those previously listed have long been known to cause diseases such as cancer, but lead can have more damaging effects, espe -

The TRI report also revealed that over half of all carcinogenic releases occurred within only seven counties: Carter, Creek, Kay, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Rogers and Tulsa counties. This finding, coupled with data from the Oklahoma Department of Health’s online health statistics database, OK2SHARE, revealed that multiple of those seven counties have respiratory cancer rates far above the state average.

Data Analysis and Findings:

The TRI revealed 6,804 total emission releases between 2017 and 2021. After sorting these releases by carcinogen detection, the data was then sorted by carcinogen type, revealing the carcinogens most often released within the state.

Of the over 700 chemicals that are monitored for release by the TRI, the vast majority of releases in Oklahoma were heavy metals including lead, chromium, nickel and zinc, each of which are known to cause respiratory cancer. Other major respiratory carcinogens were also detected such polycyclic aromatic compounds, which

After identifying the main carcinogens, the data was subsequently sorted and analyzed by county to reveal the previously listed hot spot counties of Carter, Creek, Kay, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Rogers and Tulsa counties.

Corporations within these counties were responsible for over half (57%) of all carcinogenic releases within this period.

After identifying the major carcinogens at play, as well as where these releases occurred, respiratory cancer rate statistics were retrieved from OK2SHARE for each of the affected counties, for each year of the past five years. Each yearly cancer rate was then standardized per 100,000 residents and compared to state and national incidence rates provided by the CDC and NIH, which also standardize rates per 100,000 residents.

This data revealed that over this five-year period, five of the seven counties experienced multiple years with respiratory cancer rates far above the state incident rate of 65.7 per

100,000 residents. This finding was best exemplified by Creek County, which had an average respiratory cancer incidence rate of 110.9 per 100,000 residents and experiences over 50 toxic releases per year.

What does this mean for Oklahomans?

For any Oklahoman these numbers should be concerning, as a recent Stacker study found that just over 20% of Oklahomans live near a TRI facility. This coupled with large numbers of releases of carcinogens certainly has helped increase cancer incidence rates in these counties, however determining the causes cancer is not that simple.

The data shows that these releases are certainly dangerous, and the correlation shows between both data sets, the causation between these two issues needs to be analyzed further. However this data does show that these toxic releases are a compounding factor.

Note: the State Department of Health and State Department of Environmental Quality had not responded to questions at the time of publishing.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Creative Commons

News

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“When we’re working with people, that is vital for their livelihood to trust you, knowing that you’re doing everything you can to help them become better athletes or recover from an injury to get back to what they love,” Kellington said.

plan set in place, and every NFL stadium has that,” Kellington said.

Kellington believes having an athletic trainer and an elite health care provider at schools that offer sports is vital because they are the first person there to help the child in the event of a medical situation.

Stephanie Landaverde

A cat lover’s dream

Cat show comes to Stillwater

Stephanie Landaverde News and Lifestyle Editor

Southern Comfort, a Persian cat, is now over halfway to her grand championship title after competing at the “Catch a Dream” cat show on Saturday.

The cat show came to the Payne County Expo Center and ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cheryl Zink, the entry clerk, said 112 cats registered for the show but about 10 cats were absent.

“A lot of people don’t realize that cat shows are a thing that you can go to and that you can show cats,” said Southern Comfort’s owner, Carissa Altschul. “But pedigree cats are really amazing.”

Altschul has been attending cat shows her entire life; her mother started attending cat shows seven years before she was born.

More than 200 people came, said the volunteer who checked in visitors, Raymond Waldrop.

There were six judges, and they judged pedigree cats based on the standards of perfection for its breed. For the household cats, the judges were able to pick what they liked, and there were more awards to give out, like “best stripes” and “prettiest eyes.”

Each cat competed six times, and judges picked their top 10 finalists in four categories: championship, premiership, kittens and household pets. Winners received rosettes, ribbons and points toward end-of-the-year wins.

Galveston, a Norwegian Forest cat, also placed at the event. Galveston won “Best Premier” and “Best Longhair Premier.” His owner, Rebecca Koester, said the main preparation that goes into a cat show is grooming.

Galveston has attended cat shows before and won awards before. He has placed top 25 in his region, and last year, he placed finals in 12 out of 12 rings, Koester said.

Mika, a gray and white tabby, represented the Oklahoma Humane Society. The organization also brought adoptable cats to the event.

Saray Suarez, a student at the University of Oklaho -

ma, attended the show. Fair had never been to a cat show and decided to attend after seeing it online.

“I’m a crazy cat lady,” Suarez said. “I want to see all the different types of cats.”

Suarez said her favorite cats were the Oriental cats.

“They’re very vocal,” Suarez said. “And they’re very weird looking. They’re like an alien.”

The event had vendors selling food, cat care items and cat toys, and art. Also in attendance were two Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine alumni, Justin Thomason and Sasha Thomason, with equipment to detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Owners had the opportunity to check their cats for $250.

Koester said she thought the show was presented well. Although Galveston wins awards and does well at cat shows, she said the best thing about cat shows is finding friends in like-minded people.

“I think if people don’t think they like cats, they just haven’t met a cat,” Koester said. “Because I mean, how can you not love a cat?”

news.ed@ocolly.com

On Jan. 2, during Monday Night Football, Kellington and the rest of the Buffalo Bills athletic training staff were spotlighted when Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest. Kellington and his staff immediately administered care and were successful in implementing their emergency action plan.

For game days, the host team provides a copy of the emergency action plan early in the week. Kellington and Nate Breske, the Buffalo Bills head athletic trainer, receive it first, share with the staff and then review it. The head athletic trainer and head team physician meet for a 60-minute meeting. About 30 staff members meet in a secluded area of the stadium to go over everyone’s roles and responsibilities as well as ensure everyone can identify the code leader.

“So that’s one of the most important aspects of in player health and safety is having a good solid emergency action

“Damar’s parent’s were extremely helpful to all of us, just giving us permission that in their heart of hearts, they knew he was going to be fine,” Kellington said. “And as a parent myself, I hope I’m as as strong as they are, if anything was ever to happen to my kids.”

Kellington said having an automated external defibrillator (AED) accessible at all levels of sports is important. The AEDs are not very expensive and there are many resources to help schools pay for them, Kellington said. However, many schools may lock them up after school hours makes them inaccessible at a time when many events happen.

Kellington’s quick actions on Jan. 2 led to him being the commencement speaker at OSU’s graduation ceremony on May 13.

“I hope that they are ready for the next chapter of their life, understanding that their experiences here at Oklahoma State has prepared them for the future and that they are ready,” Kellington said as a message to the class of 2023.

Galveston, a Norwegian Forest cat, won “Best Premier” and “Best Longhair Premier.”

Courtesy of Jose M. Osorio

Kellington said having an automated external defibrillator (AED) accessible at all levels of sports is important.

“Nefarious”

A different kind of horror

a convicted serial killer named Edward Wayne Brady, who has been on death row for the past 11 years.

Jaycee Hampton Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor Review

Horror films are subjective; what is scary to one person might not be to another. This could be the case with “Nefarious,” a faith-based horror film written and directed by Chuck Knozelman and Cary Solomon. Based on “A Nefarious Plot,” a novel written by Steve Deace, the film follows psychiatrist Dr. James Martin as he evaluates

The set intention of the film is to discover whether Edward is mentally fit to stand for execution by electrocution. Set in an Oklahoma prison, there is an underlying sinister force happening Dr. Martin does not actually believe in, which adds suspense. Released on April 14, “Nefarious” is still being shown in select theaters and is not yet available for streaming. The two directors have had many popular releases in the Christian film category, such as “God’s Not Dead” and “Unplanned.”

The entirety of “Nefarious” is heavy in dialogue. For more than half of the film, the audience was watching a back-and-forth conversation between two characters. To some, this may sound like a drag but the writing was impeccable. Something I found surprising was how on the edge of my seat

I was, I did not want to miss a single word that was spoken. The two discuss the reality of God, the devil, heaven, hell, judgement, damnantion and free will. It ultimately leads to a discussion of how demons manipulate and control humans, which is their way of “destroying God’s image.” Through these heavy topics, Edward proclaims he is actually a demon. This said demon, Nefarious itself, states that it’s merely using Edward as a host body, inhabiting him and making him do heinous things, accomplishing what his master expects of him and torturing Edward in the process.

Actor, Sean Patrick Flannery, whom portrayed Edward, was undoubtedly amazing. I truly felt his pain watching along, him switching between Edward and the demon was scarily a great impression of possession. There are many layers to this film which I believe can be impactful even if you are not religious. Dr. Martin is

a self-proclaimed atheist, which made the conversation all the more intriguing and eye opening. Although there are no jump scares and minimal violence, the R-rating is justified for a reason. One of the final scenes was excruciating to watch, so it is not necessarily a film you leave the theater feeling good about. I had a million burning questions exiting the AMC.

Going up against highly anticipated films such as “Evil Dead Rise” and “The Pope’s Exorcist” in the box office at the same time is difficult within itself, but faith-based horror should not be overlooked. It is not a genre everyone will like, even I went into it with skepticism. Even if it is not something you find yourself believing in, the film has the most fascinating dialogue I have heard in a long time. Branching out to a different kind of horror is worthwhile.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Lethal fentanyl poisoning is real.

The drastic increase in opioid overdose deaths is largely due to fentanyl poisoning. Illegal fentanyl is cheaper than most other drugs on the streets and is being intentionally substituted into cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and drugs like counterfeit Adderall®, Percocet® and Xanax® as well.

Learn the facts and protect those you love.

Molly Jolliff

“Nefarious” is playing at the Stillwater AMC.

The Special 2our: Lizzo concert review Lifestyle

“It’s about damn time”

Lizzo performed in Oklahoma.

On May 20, rapper, singer and actress Lizzo took stage at the BOK Center in Tulsa, marking her first ever show in the state. The Special 2our is in support of her fourth studio album, “Special,” and features opening act, Latto.

Entering the BOK for a concert is a feeling unlike no other. Live music is a beautiful way to bring people who have something in common together, and the show began long before Lizzo made her first appearance. Right at 8 p.m., Latto’s

DJ had the entire venue singing popular songs such as Adele’s “Hello,” which perfectly prepared the audience for the energy Latto brought to the stage. Opening with “Soufside,” Latto had four incredibly talented dancers with her on stage. A pressing issue Latto has expressed strong feelings toward is protecting women’s rights. While performing “P*ssy,” her dancers carried various signs that read “my body, my choice,” including the visuals on the main screen center stage. You could feel the tone shift within the arena as her eight song set progressed; there was a lot of love and support in the venue. Audibly, fans grew increasingly eager and restless for the main set.

As Lizzo took the stage, it was evident that she truly embodies the positivity she speaks. Well known for her body positivity, all-loving and caring persona, it truly felt like she created a special bond with

each individual in the venue that night.

Starting off with hits such as “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready?)” and “Boys,” Lizzo was backed up by a five-piece all-woman band, three vocalists and nine dancers. The on-stage chemistry Lizzo has with the other performers is heart-warming. This made for an over-the-top, amazing show.

Before her hit song “Special,” Lizzo dedicated the performance to those who lost their lives in the Tulsa Massacre in 1921. She stated, “History is meant to be learned from. We know about the tragedy, let’s talk about the prosperity of Black Wall Street. When we see someone who looks different, we don’t resort to violence. We are doing it right now in this arena. This is love, this is acceptance.”

“Everybody’s Gay,” was

another uplifting and powerful song performed during the night. With pride month around the corner, it is important to have representation and strength in allies. Every chance she had to express support for her fans in the venue, she took, and it was done so tastefully. Lizzo is not scared to use her platform to talk about these important topics; she stated that she believes we can all change the world. She also showcased another one of her many talents during the show: playing the flute. Through all of the elaborates, it was entracing to witness a performance where you can truly tell the artist puts their all into each show and loves what they do.

Before performing another hit song, “Good as Hell,” Lizzo took time to interact with her fans close to stage. She got

to know the fans she spoke to in those short but meaningful moments, and it was obvious she genuinely cared for what her fans had to say. She took pictures with multiple fans, and told those in general admission she would sign anything they gave to security for them. One impactful conversation she had with a fan led to them thanking Lizzo for all she does for the Black and Queer community, and the entire venue roared.

“This is a safe place to be yourself, we are here to celebrate each other,” Lizzo said. Her encore included “Juice” and “About Damn Time,” which ended the night. The performance was impactful for people of all ages, no matter your gender or self expression. One thing is certain when it comes to Lizzo’s tour: you truly leave feeling special.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Jaycee Hampton

Well known for her body positivity, all-loving and caring persona, it truly felt like Lizzo created a special bond with each individual in the venue that night.

Jaycee Hampton

Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

Jaycee Hampton

Opening act Latto took time during her set to express strong feelings toward protecting women’s rights.

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited

by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Doug Peterson

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (05/22/23). Make expansive plans this year. Steady action gener ates satisfying professional results. Enjoy springtime parties, meetings and social connection. Adapting health and work routines for summer changes leads to romantic autumn connections. Make plans to adjust with winter transitions. Imagine and plot to realize dreams.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Nurture your garden. Settle on practi cal domestic improvements. Make repairs and upgrades. “How would you like it to be?” Listening is part of the solution.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Creativity flowers. Tackle a tricky intellectual puzzle. List objectives and take them one by one. Manage challenging circumstances. Communication is your superpower. Practice diplomacy.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Discuss the project budget before beginning. Avoid taking expensive risks. Don’t push something that’s not ready. Reinforce basic structures. Coordinate moves in advance.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 9 — Focus on personal projects. Avoid risk or expense and strengthen foundational elements. Look before you leap. Listen and observe to adjust with conditions.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Allow yourself time to process recent transitions. Ignore haters and trolls. Look at things from another angle. You’re the author of your own story.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Collaboration gets results. Diplomacy works better than force. Learn from mistakes. Share ideas that contribute to the team mission. Together, you can move mountains.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — A dreamy professional situation develops. Don’t get pushy. Strengthen the basics before adding weight. Reinforce foundational structures or risk a collapse. Discuss and clarify.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Traffic, delays or breakdowns could disrupt travels. It’s nothing you can’t handle. Patient, gentle connection can open doors. Study and observe to advance.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Changes necessitate financial revisions. Avoid risky business. Communication resolves a structural breakdown. Coordinate with your partner to avoid arguments. Talk gets farther than action.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Negotiate and adjust plans with your partner. Go over the basics before leaping ahead. Impulsive moves could get expensive. Discuss and clarify. Listen generously.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Slow for tricky sections. Physical barriers require adaptation. Don’t risk your health. Keep doing what’s working. Discuss concerns with trusted experts. Strengthen basics to advance.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — Don’t launch without coordination. Communication gets farther than force. Share possible options. Listen carefully. Plan and organize basic elements. Romance arises in conversation.

Solution to Saturday’s puzzle

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