The O'Colly, Friday, April 12, 2024.

Friday, April 12, 2024

OSU professor takes classroom lessons to new level with ASL

tions, according to the National Deaf Children’s Society. This divide often leads to higher depression rates among deaf individuals. For Evans, he grew up learning oralism.

Oralism is a process of speech training that teaches lip reading, and how to mimic mouth shapes to speak.

While sitting in a classroom unsure about his future, Evans experienced true understanding and communication for the first time. Growing up deaf, he never experienced a class taught by a deaf professor, nor had his family ever become fluent in sign language. As he grew, he saw more options for his future open up.

“He was teaching with so much confidence,” Evans said. “And I felt my confidence go up like, ‘I can do it. I can do anything. I can do everything except hear, right?’” Evans was born with half cochleas, a condition in which the cochlea organ in the ears, which is essential to hearing, never fully formed. He did not learn sign language until his freshman year of high school, relying solely on his hearing aids and lip reading. This caused issues in communication with people throughout his life, because he was not able to be fully immersed in the conversations happening around him.

About 30% of lip reading is accurately understood under the best condi-

“The problem with oralism and speech training is that not many deaf people can actually learn how to do it and understand the concept behind the words,” Evans said. “Some deaf people can speak well and understand the language, but some don’t. It honestly just depends on each individual deaf person.”

Evans said that doctors often recommend oralism, hearing aids and cochlear implants over sign language. This leads to issues, however, as he said he would often be ignored by teachers, or they would turn in a way he could not read their lips.

Following in his sister’s footsteps, he attended OSU because of the strong Deaf community. After graduating, Tulsa Community College hired him, and OSU hired him two years later. Now having taught for seven years, Evans has taken a step further and is now the president of the Oklahoma Association of the Deaf.

Pedestrian Safety Task Force shows first impact

OSU is making progress with on-campus pedestrian safety.

On Tuesday, OSU News sent an email announcing the Pedestrian Safety Task Force’s first recommendation has been put into place. The speed limit was reduced from 30 mph to 20 mph on Monroe Street from McElroy Road to Hall of Fame Avenue; there is a new four-way stop sign at Scott Avenue and Monroe Street; and neon flags have also been placed on stop signs to draw attention from drivers.

A temporary pedestrian walkway has also been added to the southwest side of campus near the dining facility construction site.

The task force was formed in late February, after two vehicle and pedestrian-related incidents occurred on the same day.

On Feb. 22, Gabrielle Claudia Long, 19, was hit by a car and killed. Later that day, another student was hit in the parking lot of the Fourth Avenue Garage and the Greenwood School of Music.

The next day, the task force was announced. Senior Vice President for Administra-

tion and Finance Joe Weaver was named as the head for the force, which includes OSUPD, Facilities Management and the Stillwater Fire Department.

After Tuesday morning’s email, Weaver, along with Cristina Gonzalez, the chair of the Campus Facilities, Safety & Security Committee, spoke at the Faculty Council meeting that afternoon.

“I’m ‘crashing the party’ so to speak, representing you, but also representing myself as a concerned faculty member on this campus and also as a mother that sees students very much looking more like her own children,” Gonzalez said.

See Force on 5A

First-time director travels cross-country for local film festival

right, well let me try to make something that covers the most difficult subject matter and the most challenging,’” Sanello said.

First-time director

Courtney Sanello is traveling more than a thousand miles to show her award-winning short film “First Refusal” at the Red Dirt Film Festival in Stillwater.

The surreal film is an emotional and cathartic experience for Sanello. The New York-born actress and director pours her heart and soul into it as she traverses loss in her life.

The SAG-AFTRA actress got her start in marketing, graduating from Emory University doMarketing and Organizational Management.

Following graduation, Sanello got into acting. While attending a film festival, she talked with Skip Shea, the director and founder of The Shawna Shea Film Foundation.

The SAG-AFTRA actress is now taking the first steps to direct her own short film. “I had never been to a film festival, and I had no intention of really being a film director,” Sanello said.

After receiving the Shawna Shea Film Foundation grant and being given a year to produce it, with only a year to make a film and no directing experience, Sanello set out to make her way in the film industry.

“I was just like, ‘Al-

Her first go at the film did not go as planned. A communication breakdown between her and her crew led to Sanello scrapping the first draft.

“I got the first cut of my reel and looked at it, and I was like, ‘Absolutely not,’” Sanello said.

Sanello knew that she needed to produce something worthwhile to honor the memory of the foundation’s namesake, Shawna, who died in a car accident in 1999.

“She was an independent spirit who forged her own path in life,” Sanello said. ”I’m carrying the torch to honor a girl who passed away too soon.”

Not only is Sanello honoring Shea, but she’s also honoring her brother, who passed in 2020 after losing his battle with mental illness and drug addiction.

“It’s connected to my own personal experience, and I knew it wasn’t right,” Sanello said.

Sanello may be new to the field, but she refuses to let anything stand in the way of her vision.

“I might not know much, but I’m hard-working, and if they tell me I can’t do something, then I’ll do it,” Sanello said.

Logan Evans’ mindset changed forever in an OSU classroom.

Alivia Weddle

Logan Evans, a deaf professor, had trouble communicating with family and teachers growing up.

See Professor on 6A

Connor Fuxa

A new four-way stop sign at Scott Avenue and Monroe Street to help increase pedestrian safety on campus.

Alivia Weddle O’Colly Contributor

Kennedy Thomason

OSU to update sick leave policy for staff

After 19 years without significant changes, the sick leave policy for OSU’s staff may be updated.

In August, human resources department submitted for review a modified version of the policy recommending changes such as changing the definition of illness to include mental health, adding foster children within the definition of immediate family and providing up to six weeks of sick leave for purposes of placement or adoption, removing automatic application of five days sick leave, updating the policy to include gender-neutral language, adding 960 hours to be used as one year service with Oklahoma Teachers’ Retirement and for OSU retirement criteria.

On March 13, the Staff Advisory Council reviewed and voted in favor of the modified policy.

On Tuesday, the Faculty Council reviewed and voted in favor of recommending the modifications to the administration.

Christa Louthan, the assistant vice president and chief human resources officer, said the work to update this policy started before COVID-19, but the pandemic shut down the discussion.

That changed in 2023 when Louthan and her team modified the policy statements to incorporate reviews of national and regional journals from organizations such as CUPA-HR. Louthan and her team drafted a revised version of the sick leave policy for staff, 3-076. Louthan said she knew from the beginning of the process they needed to modernize the language in the policy to clarify staff could take sick leave, not only for physical reasons but for mental health as well. Louthan said all employees, regardless of where they work, should understand the options and benefits their workforce policies provide.

“Doing so enables them to make decisions that are best suited for them and their careers as well as what’s best suited for their family,” Louthan said.

Louthan said there is no set date for implementing this policy because it is in the initial stages of approval.

The next step is to send the changed policy to the division’s senior vice president, Joe Weaver, who has oversight of the human resources and staff workforce function. With his approval, the OSU A&M

Board of Regents Legal Counsel will review the document and indicate whether or not the action requires the Board of Regents’ approval. The OSU leadership team will then review and approve the document. If approval from the Board of Regents is necessary, the policy does not become active until they review it and approve it.

For Kimberly Meints, OSU is setting an example of how employers should treat their employees.

Meints, the chair of the rules policy and procedures committee of the Staff Advisory Council, said the staff is an essential part of OSU, and the council is committed to aligning OSU’s policies with the goals for recruitment and retention of staff.

“Our policies should encourage equity and be written in such a way that they can be implemented evenly across campus in many contexts and as free from bias as possible,” Meints said.

The Staff Advisory Council and Human Resources Department worked on the modifications together and exchanged opinions. Meints said adding mental health to the illness definition and foster children to the immediate family, was like sending a signal about what is important. “We wanted to make sure regardless of how you chose to build a family you will have the opportunity to utilize your benefit, which is using your sick leave in order to take off,” Meints said. This policy is not in place for faculty yet. Mark Weiser, the chair of the faculty retirement and fringe benefits committee, reviewed the modifications as part of the approval process from the faculty and said the updates are also beneficial to OSU when trying to hire and retain staff.

“If you look at other universities, our benefits need to be competitive with other universities,” Weiser said. “If we’re going to be competitive and attract the staff members and faculty that we want to have.”

Weiser said the updates might inspire a future change in the sick leave policy for faculty. Weiser plans to create a rough draft with Louthan and compare the faculty policy with the possible staff policy before his committee meets in May.

Any policy modifications related to faculty go through the Provost’s Office, not through human resources.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Active Minds organization hosts

3rd annual suicide awareness walk

mental health struggles,” said Brianna Hall, Active Minds president. “Even if not personally, we all know someone who has been affected by it.”

Active Minds hosted the third annual Suicide Awareness Walk around campus to reduce the stigma around suicide and raise awareness on Tuesday.

“That’s the reason why we put these events on, is to reduce the stigma around mental health,” said Jordyn Bales, vice president of Active Minds at OSU.

Students, faculty and staff gathered outside the Student Union before the walk. They set up tables holding T-shirts and multicolored bead necklaces representing the different ways that suicide might affect someone.

“Everyone has their own

There is a high rate of mental health issues, including suicide, among college students.

Sixty-five percent of college students reported feeling hopeless in the last month, and 36.7% have thought about killing themselves in the last year, according to the 2022 National College Health Assessment at OSU.

“It’s important to talk about suicide (and) just to, honestly, insert it into our language,” said Garrin Morlan, the founder of Suicide Awareness Walks. “The more we’re able to talk about it in public or on campus, the more that someone

will hopefully be aware of what they’re feeling and reach out to someone for help.”

Morlan helped found the Active Minds chapter on campus as an undergraduate student and has a strong passion for suicide prevention, mental health advocacy and building hope for recovery.

She encouraged those who showed up for the walk to take a shift in their willingness to start conversations with one another about mental wellbeing and to “chase away the darkness and light up a path toward better mental health.”

Campus mental health resources include University Counseling Services, Student Support and Conduct and University Health Services. The suicide hotline number is 988.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Students showcase ‘New Echoes

Art Inspiring Art’ at OSU Museum of Art

Paige Nguyen, a studio art and art history double major, has reached a new level of artistry with her portrait piece of her Vietnamese grandparents, Nguyễn Xuân Uy t and Cao Th Nhiêu.

Her previous pieces exhibited in the Edmon Low Library and the Gardiner Gallery of Art in the Bartlett Center after winning the 2023 Student Art Exhibition. Although those are important experiences, nothing has compared to the feeling of her grandparents’ portrait being showcased in the OSU Museum of Art.

“A lot of students have been in smaller shows, on campus and the Gardiner Gallery, but I think this is the first time, well, this is my first time being in an actual museum-accredited facility,” Nyugen said. “It’s a really cool opportunity for a lot of studio artists to get their first piece in an actual museum.”

Nyugen’s piece is one of the many student works in the collection, “New Echoes: Art Inspiring Art.” The art comes directly from three classes associate professor Molly Kaderka teaches: advanced drawing, oil painting 1 and 2. The exhibition will be shown for free until April 20 with a closing reception on April 19 from 5-7 p.m.

To create this collection, students from each class chose an art piece from the existing exhibition at the museum to inspire their own piece. The purpose of the exercise was to show the strong influence artists can have on one another.

Nyugen said many students made artist copies before creating a reinterpretation of the art piece. To her, seeing her peers’ styles translate into their own pieces was an art form in itself.

“I was in class with a few of them while we were making these, and I think it was really

cool to see everyone do an exact copy of the piece and learn from their techniques,” Nyugen said. “But when switching to making their own pieces, just translating their own style and voice into it, was really cool to see.”

The displays show the different art mediums students are learning in the curriculum combined with their own style and artistic choices. The original works are shown alongside the reimagined student pieces.

Nyugen, despite creating an amazing piece of art, commended her fellow classmate, Julia Bischoff, for her work.

“For me personally, I really like portraiture, so I’m a little bit biased to Julia’s piece with the drinking glass; it is really nice,” Nyugen said.

Bischoff took inspiration from an untitled painting by Pauline Townsend. She called her piece “Luminescence.”

“I decided to do this painting partly because I like to do

portraiture, but also because of the way this woman of that time period was portrayed in the artwork and how that speaks on the ideology of what a woman was supposed to be,” Bischoff said.

“Especially what type of women deserved to be painted.” Bischoff is a studio art major with a focus on oil painting. During this experience, she said she learned new painting techniques as well as how to use color in a new way. The collection allowed students like Bischoff to gain new perspectives while learning more about classic art styles.

Bischoff felt the importance of art history was honored throughout the works of her classmates.

“I learned that there is so much potential for new art from old art, and the cycle is really never-ending,” Bischoff said. “It was super exciting to see the different ways everyone responded to their chosen art work.”

Bryson Thadhani

Active Minds hosted the third annual Suicide Awareness Walk around campus on Tuesday.

Raynee Howell

Paige Nguyen painted a portrait of her Vietnamese grandparents, Nguyễn Xuân Uy t and Cao Th Nhiêu, which is housed in the OSU Museum of Art’s new exhibit, “New Echoes: Art Inspiring Art.”

Luisa Clausen

It didn’t take long for Sanello to find a crew willing to help her bring her vision to the screen.

“I had the right crew that asked questions and were interested and wanted to be there,” Sanello said.

On top of being a director for the first time, Sanello plays an acting role in “First Refusal.” She jumps from the scene to behind the camera regularly.

Sanello’s determination and aversion to the word ‘no,’ coupled with a crew dedicated to her vision, led to a final product she can be proud of.

“First Refusal” premiered at the Shawna Shea Foundation Women in Film Festival in 2023. The nonlinear storytelling style, colorful themes and original soundtrack won over the hearts of audiences everywhere.

In the film, Sanello’s character grapples with her brother’s death, which mirrors Sanello’s genuine loss. The character exists in a purgatory state, with her brother desperately holding onto him.

“It’s essentially what would be the thing you needed to say if you had a chance of being with that person that is no longer there,” Sanello said.

In a moment of selfevolution, Sanello’s character learns to let go of her brother, allowing the character and, by extension, the director to move forward.

“Being so close with somebody and having that cord severed so severely, it’s just traumatic,” Sanello said. “It was a way for me to heal; it was very obviously emotional for me. I was very angry for a long time, and this film helped me process it.”

Sanello sees the film as a way to progress and find purpose in life after a loss.

“In order for you to progress and become who you’re meant to, you have to let it go,” Sanello said. “It can be heartbreaking because you have to let go of the closest people in your life.”

The subject matter is complex, but Sanello knew that film held the key to clarity.

“It was necessary to do it, you know, to challenge myself,” Sanello said. “It was able to physically, emotionally and mentally move on.”

Although the film acts as a conduit for Sanello’s experience, she hopes her openness speaks to her audience.

“It’s very vulnerable to

express it publicly with the chance of it being rejected or people not understanding, and I had to be completely comfortable with it failing,” Sanello said.

To Sanello’s delight, audiences nationally and internationally found comfort, clarity and purpose in her film.

“It’s helped a lot of other people who might have had tragedy or unfortunate events happen in their life,” Sanello said. “It’s great to have people feel comfortable enough to share their experience with me,” Sanello said.

Getting to share, and help others heal through her experience is reward enough for Sanello.

“It’s nice that they feel comfortable to share and I really honor and treasure that because it’s not every day that people feel safe to talk about it with me.”

Sanello wants viewers to walk away from her film with the courage to let the past go and come to terms with different situations.

“I would love viewers to feel vulnerability or just feel empowerment,” Sanello said. “The main character had that. She was able to confront her deepest fear and accept that and move on.”

Sanello is excited about sharing her short film with a new audience. In her search for film festivals, Sanello fell in love with the name “Red Dirt,” and the location caught her interest.

“There was something about it that was very intriguing,” Sanello said. “It just seemed like a very warm and inviting festival.”

Sanello plans to continue her directing career, producing more short films and hoping to one day direct a feature film. For now, she’s excited to get to know Oklahoma and meet new people.

“I would love to have a group of friends at the end of it just to have that resource,” Sanello said.

Sanello’s film premieres on, April 20, between 3:305:00 p.m. The actress is ready to show Oklahoma what she’s made of and work with the exceptional filmmakers in our state.

“It’s very exciting for me working with all these talented people that I would never had an opportunity to work with in that way.”

The Red Dirt Film Festival is happening in Stillwater April 18th-21st. Tickets can be purchased online at reddirtfilm.com.

Sanello’s short film, “First Refusal,” is avaliable on YouTube.

Here’s what you need to know about music’s latest

Jocelyne Perez Staff Reporter

It’s music mania in the music industry. Over the past couple of weeks, it appears as though many artists are dropping music. If you haven’t been keeping up, here’s a rundown of who’s dropping what.

Rappers Metro Boomin and Future came out with a collaboration album that contained numerous features, most notably Kendrick Lamar. Fans were shocked when Lamar started rapping on the song “Like That.”

The shock continued once fans processed that Lamar’s verse was a diss to rappers Drake and J. Cole.

Drake and J. Cole came out with the song “First Person Shooter” last year, in which J. Cole name dropped Lamar, referring to him as one of the big three in rap.

Lamar’s diss stated he believes there is no big three. It’s just him. Fans are troubled with the prospect of a rap civil war on their hands, but, admittedly, are excited for all their favorite rappers to release new music as a result of this rap feud.

J. Cole has already responded to this in his newly dropped album “Might Delete Later.” He later made an apology statement to Lamar.

Fans are now waiting on the sidelines as Drake takes his time to respond to the diss. Metro Boomin announced a deluxe version of the album that started it all, so who knows what’s to come from this continuation.

Despite the male-rapper world possibly self-destructing, rapper Megan Thee Stallion released a hot new single with GloRilla. The song is perfectly timed to defrost for “hot girl summer,” which Megan is known to advocate for.

Pop music has been on the rise as well. Pop-star BFFs

Conan Gray and Olivia Rodrigo both released new music. Gray released his third album last Friday. The album is called “Found Haven.” The popstar brings in an 80’s and 70’s nostalgia sound to coincide with his soul-crushing lyrics. Tracks like “Killing Me” and “Lonely Dancer” showcase synth pop of the 80’s and Conan brings in 70’s ritzy visuals to create “Found Haven.”

Rodrigo dropped a deluxe version of her sophomore album, “GUTS.” The deluxe version is called “GUTS: spilled” and features five new songs. Fans were ecstatic to finally have their hands on these songs after Rodrigo included them on her tour setlist despite not releasing them on streaming platforms.

Indie music also has hands full with artists dropping left and right. Lizzy McAlpine released her new album “Older” on April 5. The singer’s third album hones in on her journey over the last three years, which is how long she claims the album took to make. With her breathy vocals and minimal production, McAl-

pine’s album is raw and tells honesty bare to the listener.

Additionally, indie artists Chappell Roan released a new single and Malcolm Todd released his debut album, “Sweet Boy.” Roan’s new song, “Good Luck, Babe!” is perfect for those out of luck in the dating scene. The lyrics summarized is longing for anyone who will also want you to the same extent.

Todd’s “Sweet Boy” gives a classic indie feel, with a steady beat, soft vocals and a good guitar riff every now and then. The indie singer exposes himself in his songwriting of his great despair in love. Track one off the album, “Earrings,” sets off the tone right away with having someone’s love in his head.

There is more to come in the music scene, with Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” dropping in less than two weeks, Billie Eilish announced a new album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” and the rumors are growing louder of Harry Styles being in the works for his fourth album.

5 things you didn’t know about Coachella

Jocelyne Perez Staff Reporter

It’s almost time for one of the most talked about nights in music. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is this weekend.

But before Coachella became known as one of the biggest festivals in the world, it started off as a rip-off of Woodstock, in critics’ eyes. As time went on, the festival proved to be a phenomenon that youth see as on of the best music festivals of today.

Despite being a globally talked-about event, many don’t know the festival’s history.

Here are five facts about the Coachella Music Festival:

It all started with Pearl Jam

The concert promoters behind Coachella, Goldenvoice, got the idea to host the festival at Indigo Valley after putting on a concert for Pearl Jam in the same venue.

Showcasing Madonna, Prince and, somehow, Tupac?

The Coachella setlist is widely anticipated each year, and with the crazy talent the promoters have brought in, it’s not surprising. Stars who have performed who you probably didn’t know about include Madonna, Prince, Amy Winehouse, and, in holographic form, Tupac.

Rookie mistakes

In the first year of putting on Coachella in 1999, the festival’s team forgot to buy trash bags for the festival grounds. The rookie mistake was realized the next day when Indigo Valley was littered with trash.

Coachella Music Festival? No, Coachella movie set When Lady Gaga headlined the festival in 2017, she was also in the works of starring in the Oscar winning movie, “A Star is Born.” Parts of the film were shot on the festival grounds during the week of her headlining performance. Headliner kicked out Tyler the Creator has been to the festival not only as a performer, but also as an attendee. Funny enough, the 2024 Coachella headliner was kicked out of the festival in 2011 after cussing out a security guard and spraying him with a water gun. The world waits in anticipation to see what this year’s lineup brings to the table. Coachella history is hopefully to be made with performing acts consisting of Lana Del Rey, Deftones and Ice Spice.

news.ed@ocolly.com

A TRIUMPHED END!

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering , and the time of my departure Is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day, and not to me only but to all who have loved His appearing.”. (2 Tim.4:6-8 NKJ)

Here is a man who has lived a life in serving the Lord Jesus and others. He is in a prison cell, expecting his execution at any time. According to history, Paul was beheaded at Rome.

In his last words to a young man and minister, Timothy; Paul was looking ahead to greater and lasting judgement that would come from Christ himself. A

well done to a good and faithful servant. We all can take encouragement from his life of service to the Lord and his vision of something much better that awaited him. As Jesus neared the end of his life. He prayed:to God “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify me...with the glory which I had with you before the world was.” (Jn.17:4-5 NKJ)

Brother and Sister in Christ: Let us set our goal for a triumphed ending by finishing the work God has called us to do. If it be large or small to our

Kendrick Lamar was featured on an album released by Metro Boomin and Future, where he dissed Drake and J. Cole.

Payne County Drug Court

grapples with fentanyl trafficking, increased drug violations

Bella Casey News and Lifestyle Assistant Editor

Payne County is plagued with a sickness: drug violations.

From 2021 to 2022, drug and narcotic violations in Payne County nearly doubled, jumping from 25 to 48 violations, according to Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation data. In 2023, that number grew to 58 violations.

Drug equipment violations worsened during this time. From 2021 to 2022, the number doubled, going from 14 to 28 violations, according to Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation data. In 2022, the number rose to 38 violations.

The Payne County Drug Court attempts to combat these issues through a program that helps those with substance abuse issues reform.

But there is one drug that does not always apply to the drug court. Fentanyl.

“It (fentanyl) is a dangerous, dangerous drug,” said Noel Bagwell, executive director of the Payne County Drug Court.

The Payne County Drug Court is a nonprofit program designed to help those with

substance abuse issues overcome addiction. Those eligible for drug court must have a pending criminal case in the district court involving substance abuse.

A team, which includes Bagwell, the district attorney, the assistant district attorney, a Stillwater police officer, a detective and a judge, review one’s case to decide if they are eligible for drug court.

“We assess everybody individually and take their individual circumstances (into consideration),” said Dane Lemmons, clinical director at Payne County Drug Court.

Many who are approved to attend drug court have issues using substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin or alcohol. Counseling sessions and regular drug testing encourages users to overcome addiction.

Bagwell said fentanyl is a big issue in Payne County, but those cases are not always accepted for the drug court.

“If you’re trafficking in fentanyl, your chances of coming to drug court are probably pretty slim,” Bagwell said. “And I’ll say that based on the fact that trafficking is trafficking, which means you got to have quite a bit of it (fentanyl), and you’re putting that stuff on the street.”

Unlike those charged

with DUIs or possession of a drug, those charged with fentanyl-related violations are often trafficking the drug, not using it themselves.

“I don’t see that fentanyl will give you the window or the opportunity for it to be recreational because it doesn’t take very much to put you out,” Bagwell said.

The legalization of marijuana also complicated the healing process for some. Medical marijuana cards are confiscated from those who have them when they enter the program, but Bagwell said those who have used marijuana in the past 30 to 40 days may still have the drug in their system.

Bagwell said the drug court compares one’s initial test results to their test results throughout the program with the goal of the number reaching zero.

Bagwell said some choose to forfeit their medical marijuana card at the end of the program, and he has seen many participants graduate and start their own business, get high-paying jobs or get married.

“At the end of the day, I do want to be sure we’ve done everything and provided everything for them to be successful for that day,” Bagwell said.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Force . . .

Continued from 1A

Weaver said he received more than a dozen volunteers before noon on the day the task force was announced. Gonzalez was one of the first.

“When she said she was the chair of the Faculty Council’s facilities and safety committee, I couldn’t get a response quick enough back to her, ‘Yeah, you’re on,’” Weaver said.

Gonzalez said the task force is intended to be shortterm, so it can be most effective.

“I wanted you all to know that these short term changes have been implemented, but the longer term recommendations will take some time, but you’ll be hearing from us in the interim,” Gonzalez said. The committee has been expanded to include former

members with greater institutional knowledge, as well as faculty members who reached out to serve on it, Gonzalez said.

One of the committee’s discussions, along with traffic flow, parking and human behavior, is sharing resources, such as how to walk on campus, with students during orientation.

OSU also hired Traffic Engineering Consultants to assess campus and its safety needs. Gonzalez said the group has collected data since late March.

Tuesday’s email also said a campaign is in the works to “promote safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, scooters and drivers.”

“We’ve assembled a quality group who take their mission seriously,” Weaver said in the email. “They’re already making a difference across our campus community.”

Luisa Clausen contributed reporting.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Bella Casey

Drug violations in Payne County have increased from 2021 to 2023 according to Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation data.

Connor Fuxa Neon flags have been placed on stop signs around to campus to catch drivers’ attention.

Continued from 1A

OAD is a nonprofit organization that states its mission is to advance the social, economical, education and cultural well-being of deaf individuals. Evans said he was on the board for three years before he became president and is grateful for the guidance and knowledge his predecessors passed down to him.

Evans is always thinking about educating. He said his main wish he wants to achieve in his role is to get young deaf leaders involved so they can continue to protect the culture and history of the community.

“This allows him to truly show us

the culture we are learning, and I think it affects his teachings by making us have a personal connection to it,” said Lila Gilreath, a senior ASL student. “He openly invites a conversation, and he actively tries to get us to attend these events to meet new people and talk with them.

“Overall, I think that’s the most important thing about his teaching style, because I don’t think I would’ve had a better understanding of ASL or the Deaf community without it.”

This type of involvement is something students of Evans said they found inspirational and helpful.

“Logan is totally awesome,” said Jordan Landers, president of the OSU ASL Club. “He provides us to be able to make sure we are being respectful of the Deaf community.”

Evans advised the ASL Club by

helping them plan and conduct events in a respectful and proactive way. He also helps them before club meetings by walking them through the signs they should use while leading the meetings as they are conducted fully in ASL.

ASL students are encouraged by Evans to attend club events so they can experience immersion in the community, which has led to a greater appreciation for the language causing students who are no longer in ASL classes to continue attending events. “I’ve been to the silent events that were required for class, and I’ve really loved those, especially the deaf coffee events,” said Emily Myrick, a former ASL student. “I definitely want to continue going on that route and do the ASL club since I won’t be taking anymore ASL classes. So, by doing the ASL club, it will hold me accountable

to still kept learning the language and meet more people who are also passionate about ASL.”

From a moment in a classroom where his life took an unexpected turn, Evans plans to continue to make an impact on the lives of students and those in the Deaf community. He hopes to continue to promote understanding and communication like he experienced that unforgettable day.

“I want the young deaf people to become successful and have success in their everyday life and learn what their rights are so that they can protect them,” Evans said. “My No. 1 goal is passing down that information and that desire to do that well, that’s a great way to do it through teaching, to reaching the young people.”

Alivia Weddle

Logan Evans, a deaf professor, makes it his mission to promote communication with students during his ASL classes. Evans uses his experience as motivation.

Smith retiring after 33 years as OSU’s wrestling coach

The most accomplished coach in Oklahoma State history is hanging up his whistle.

OSU announced Thursday wrestling coach John Smith is retiring after 33 years leading the program. Associate head coach Coleman Scott will serve as the program’s interim head coach.

Under his guidance, OSU produced five NCAA team championships, 33 NCAA individual championships, 490 dual wins, 153 All-American honors,

23 team conference championships, 132 individual conference championships and two Hodge Trophy winners. Smith’s 33-year tenure only trailed men’s tennis coach James Wadley and men’s basketball coach Henry Iba as longest tenured head coaches at OSU. “It has been an honor to coach for more than 32 years at the same institution,” Smith said in a press release. “I can’t even begin to tell you what Oklahoma State has done for me, my wife, my immediate family and brothers and sisters

who all graduated from OSU. My journey started at age 17 here at Oklahoma State and it has allowed me to accomplish everything I ever wanted.”

Smith, 58, is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, a twotime selection as the National Wrestling Coaches Association coach of the year and a 15-time selection as conference coach of the year. He was the first wrestler to be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and is a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Smith also coach Team USA

at the 2000 and 2012 Olympics and the World Championships in 1998, 2009, 2010 and 2011. As a wrestler at OSU, Smith won two NCAA individual championships. On the international level, Smith won six consecutive world championships from 1987-92 − the only wrestler to ever pull off the feat. That includes gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. “Coach Smith is a hero and truly the greatest of all time,” OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg said in a press release. “John has dedicated his life’s work to Oklahoma State Uni-

versity, Cowboy Wrestling and the sport. Although the decision comes with much emotion for him and for us, he felt the time was right to retire. Because we have so much respect for him, we will respect his decision and honor and celebrate his exceptional contributions and loyalty to Oklahoma State. John will continue to support the program as a lifelong Cowboy and due to his efforts, we know great things are yet to come for Cowboy Wrestling.”

This past week, Oklahoma State utility player Jilyen Poullard reminded her coach, Kenny Gajewski, why he got in the business of coaching decades ago. Poullard started the season as an every-game starter, then as her play slowly spiraled downward and the competition for outfield spots continued, she found herself in and out of the lineup.

So Gajewski, hitting coach Vanessa Shippy-Fletcher and Poullard sat down to have a chat, one that Gajewski called “really tough.”

As soon as the conversation ended, Poullard flipped a switch. All the uptightness was gone, and she responded with a stretch of play that’s given OSU a needed spark, allowing Poullard to play freely with the fire and joy she’s used to.

“It’s the only reason why (I’m a coach),” Gajewski said. “To see that kind of stuff and watch things like that happen are just cool.”

The Cowgirls were in Denton for a midweek contest with North Texas following Poullard’s meeting with Gajewski and Shippy-Fletcher. She hadn’t found herself back in the starting lineup just yet, but Gajewski called on her for a crunch time pinch hit with the game knotted at 1.

When Gajewski made the call, he could tell Poullard had been waiting for it.

“I saw her face from third base, I was looking at (her) and I was like, ‘Oh, she’s ready,’” Gajewski said. “When I told her to hit, it was like, boom. (She) jumped up and I was like, ‘That’s awesome, that’s the response.’”

Poullard was the hero. She lifted OSU to a 2-1 win against the Mean Green with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Then Poullard made more noise in Houston right after, when she started in each of the three ballgames against the Cougars, all won by OSU en route to a series sweep. See Spark on 2B

For the first few weeks that John Smith knew Daton Fix, he couldn’t figure out Fix’s last name. When Fix, who ended his career in March as OSU’s first five-time Big 12 champion and a national finalist, was just getting serious with wrestling around the fifth or sixth grade, he showed up at OSU in the summer to practice at the Cowboy RTC. He already had some cousins who were already wrestling and knew Smith, Oklahoma State’s wresting coach, and were around the same age and height. But different a last name.

“He called me by my cousins’ last name for probably the first couple of weeks I was there,” Fix said. “Finally,

he figured out that Fix was my last name.”

Years later, Fix joined the Cowboys, and Smith became his head coach. From 2017 until the end of the NCAA Championships nearly three weeks ago, Fix was a staple on Smith’s rosters. Now, after this season, both Fix and Smith take a bow at OSU.

On Thursday afternoon, OSU announced Smith’s retirement after 33 years leading the program.

This season, Zink has a 15-6 record in singles on Court 1 and has reached as high as No. 15 nationally. Zink has brought down five ranked opponents this season, including San Diego’s No. 5 Oliver Tarvet and Middle Tennessee’s No. 25 Leo Raquin.

“To me, he’s the best coach I could have asked for,” Fix said, “and I’m just really grateful that I got to end my career with him.”

In Smith and Fix’s last season, OSU went 14-1 and rose to as high as No. 2 in the country.

SPORTS

OSU wrestlers, coaching staff react to Smith’s retirement

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

A little after noon on Thursday, Tagen Jamison saw a GroupMe message alert appear on his phone.

Team meeting at 3 p.m. Team locker room.

Although the timing of it felt random, Jamison, Oklahoma State’s redshirtsophomore 141-pounder, said he had a gauge of what it meant.

Minutes after the whole team and coaching staff gathered, OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg walked into the room. Then, he broke the news. After 33 seasons as the program’s head coach, John Smith announced his retirement.

Associate head coach Coleman Scott, who was hired in mid-August to replace former associate head coach Zach Esposito, will serve as the team’s interim coach until an official replacement is found.

“I really do appreciate that I had him for at least a year,” Jamison told The O’Colly. “I mean, obviously all four years would have been cool. But at least a year is cool.

“John made a huge impact on my career. Everyone knows that he has been here for 33 years, so, I mean, he knows what he is doing. And it’s just nice knowing that he’s coached top teams in the past and I got to be a part of it.” Jamison, who transferred to OSU after redshirting his true freshman season at Minnesota, said he often pinpoints drastic changes in his wrestling style when reflecting on his growth over the past season wrestling under Smith – a consensus feeling shared among he and the majority of OSU wrestling alumni from Smith’s tenure. “I know I’m on the right track as a wrestler,” Jamison said. “John Smith has a lot to do with that. Just because he has the history and the experience as a coach and wrestler. And I’m just so fortunate to have been able to experience that for a year.”

Former 165-pounder Izzak Olejnik transferred to OSU from Northern Illinois after earning AllAmerican honors in 2023.

Why? To wrestle under Smith. Fast-forward, Olejnik logged a career-best fifth place at the NCAA

Championships.

“I’m just so, so thankful to have been able to experience one full year of wrestling under coach Smith,” Olejnik told The O’Colly. “It’s selfish of me to say that I want to keep him around longer. Because if he feels like it’s his time to go, then that’s his decision to make. He’s done everything and so much more. He’s just provided so much opportunity – and I’m speaking for myself and everyone – I’m just super happy to have been able to have the opportunity to wrestle under him.”

Scott told The O’Colly that no interest of transferring from any current roster member has been expressed. The expectation is for the entirety of the roster, not having exhausted eligibility, and coaching staff to remain intact for the 2024-25 season.

“Excited for next year, obviously,” Scott said. “But today is about honoring John and what he did for this program.

“I’m grateful to have been able to see the impact that he can make on a program in just one year.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

How Walton has developed OSU’s pitchers this season

age 3.5 walks, and OSU pitchers have escaped most high-leverage jams.

A change in pitching technique can be as little as a misplaced finger on the stitching of a baseball or as drastic as a change in arm slot or delivery.

Oklahoma State baseball pitching coach Rob Walton isn’t like most pitching coaches. His methodology is different. And his pitchers are the first to say it.

Walton, in his 12th season at OSU, invests in the “trial and error” aspect of prospect development, or tweaking a pitcher’s mental state. It can be “boom or bust,” as Walton says, depending on the prospect’s willingness. This season, however, it has boomed.

A season ago, OSU logged a 5.41 ERA, the worst since 2018. Now, OSU has a Big 12-best 4.10 ERA. “We call him ‘The Wizard’ for a reason,” OSU reliever Tommy Molsky said. “He’s so detail-oriented in everything he says and does, and it sticks with us. His methods are all so effective, and I think you’re seeing that with this year’s pitching staff.” 2023 and 2024 are very different. Not everything is comparable, but team strikeouts are. Last year, OSU logged a conference-best 627 strikeouts. This year, it’s at the forefront again with 327.

However, other facets make this year better than a year ago. Most notably, the walk rate is down.

A season ago, OSU averaged 4.3 walks a game, and opposing batters took advantage. This year, the Cowboys aver-

“They’re different circumstances,” Walton said. “This year, they’re different pitchers. It’s a lot of different things. We might not have as much arm strength in general this year, but generally, where we’ve had staffs with really high-end stuff, but perhaps not as much pitch ability, we’d need to strike out an enormous amount of batters. With this year’s, we’ve had our fair share of strikeouts, but I think with this year’s staff, the quality of strikeouts are up. And when our guys do get caught up, they’re able to get out of it.”

Molsky is an example. In two seasons at Penn State, he logged 6.84 and 7.17 ERAs. His opponent batting averages exceeded .300, and on-base percentages exceeded .400.

Then Walton came into the picture.

Molsky instantly became invested in Walton’s trial-and-error game.

First: mental preparation. How does a pitcher look at themselves?

Second: attitude. Walton collectively attempts to make his pitchers assert dominance, regardless of past experiences.

Third: execution.

“That last part speaks for itself,” Molsky said.

When one pitcher has a bad day, the ensuing interaction with Walton involves multiple screens showing various angles of the pitcher’s outing as Walton breaks down what went wrong. Since arriving at OSU, Molsky has molded into one of OSU’s highleverage relievers. His ERA is a career-best

Spark...

Continued from 1B

Then Poullard made more noise in Houston right after, when she started in each of the three ballgames against the Cougars, all won by OSU en route to a series sweep. Poullard rounded out the weekend with three hits, two homers, three RBI and a walk. As each of her home runs left the park, she pumped her fist and jumped up and down. A number of Poullard’s family and friends were in attendance to watch it all, too.

To add a cherry on top, the Cowgirls hosted Tulsa on Wednesday night, and Poullard slashed a single to left center that scored OSU’s first run in an eventual 3-2 win. In those last five

Monday - Wednesday: 10:00am - 10:00pm

Thursday - Saturday: 10:00am - 11:00pm

4.43 with 34 strikeouts through 22 1/3 innings.

“I’m just kind of trying to break things down and not put too much pressure on myself now,” Molsky said. “It’s a very hard mental game, especially as a pitcher. You make one bad pitch, and it can sometimes tumble into others. But I think that a big change (for me) is having the ‘next pitch’ mentality.”

Ace pitcher Sam Garcia, a High Point transfer, is another blueprint for Walton’s magic.

A season ago at HPU, Garcia posted a careerworst 7.57 ERA. That came shortly after earning All-Big South honors as a sophomore in 2022.

He said his confidence level when he arrived in Stillwater was “at an alltime low.” Now, he’s the Friday arm in a Power Five conference.

So far, Garcia has a 3.12 ERA through eight starts and 43 1/3 innings. His 61 strikeouts are atop the OSU pitching staff thus far.

“Rob (Walton) has done wonders for me,” Garcia said. “I’m so fortunate to be around him every day and work with him so much.”

Not everyone’s teaching methods fit the orthodoxies of a modern pitching coach. Walton’s certainly don’t. But so far, they have sufficed.

“I’ve said all along that I really like our pitching staff,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “I honestly felt good about this group all along. “And I think it’s maybe getting a little more noticed now.”

games, Poullard is hitting .385. “(I’m) just putting more emphasis on just enjoying the game,” Poullard said after the win against Tulsa. “I think that’s just taken the weight off my shoulders, and I hope my teammates can feel that because I want to put an emphasis on enjoying the game.”

Poullard is in her best stretch of softball in a Cowgirl uniform, bringing out the high-level energy she’s accustomed to playing with. After her RBI single against Tulsa, Poullard hyped up the crowd and motioned for them to get loud.

During this run, Gajewski is seeing it: high energy, big plays and clutch at-bats, the player he knew he was getting from McNeese State.

“That’s the kid I saw on film when she was in the portal,” Gajewski said. “That’s the kid I saw. She plays with a lot of energy.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Davis Cordova

OSU interim head coach Coleman Scott (left) said he’s grateful to have coached alongside John Smith.

Payton Little

Jilyen Poullard’s return to the lineup gave OSU’s struggling offense some life in the past week.

Classifieds

Business Squares

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

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

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

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

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6 Monday thru Saturday

Houses for rent

Cowboy Calendar

Friday, April 12

Adventuring Academy: A Pathfinder Campaign @ 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Stillwater Public Library

https://stillwaterok.gov/Library

Cowgirl Baseball: Oklahoma State vs. Cincinnati @ 6 p.m.

Location: O’Brate Stadium

https://okstate.com/sports/baseball/schedule

Animal Mother Live @ 10 p.m.

Location: Em Curators of Craft

Admission: $5 Cover

https://curatorsofcraft.co/pages/on-stage

Downtown Funk @ 8 - 10 p.m.

Location: Em Curators of Craft

Admission: $5.00 Cover Charge

https://curatorsofcraft.co/pages/on-stage

Karaoke @ 9 p.m.

Location: The Midnight Bar Friday Flix @ 2:20 - 4 p.m.

Location: OSU Museum of Art

https://museum.okstate.edu

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

Location: Em Curators of Craft

https://curatorsofcraft.co

Karaoke @ 9 p.m.

Location: The Midnight Bar

Classic Cinema At the Center: Singing in the Rain @ 7 - 9 p.m.

Location: Stillwater Community Center

https://www.sccfoundation.org/classic-cinema-2024

Matt Axton Live @ 7 p.m.

Location: Stonecloud Brewing Company

https://stonecloudbrewing.com

Neon Cactus Cerveza @ 6 - 9 p.m.

Location: Mexico Joe’s

https://mexicojoes.com

Roz Live @ 8 - 11 p.m.

Location: Em Curators of Craft

Admission: $5 Cover

https://curatorsofcraft.co/pages/on-stage

Southern National Holstein & Jersey Show & Sale @ 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Location: Payne County Expo Center

https://pcexpocenter.com/event/southern-nationalholstein-jersey-show-and-sale-move-in-day/

The Laramie Project @ 2:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Location: Town and Gown Theatre

Admission: Musicals Adults: $16 Students or Military: $14 Seniors (Sun. only): $14 Plays Adults: $14

Students or Military: $12 Seniors (Sun. only): $12

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes Today’s Birthday (04/12/24). This year showers down abundant resources. Strategize and plan to fulfill your long-term vision. Adjust to a personal change next summer, before delighting in private autumn reflection. Adapt around winter partnership changes for fresh springtime energy with your work and health. Bank a lucrative haul.

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 — You’re especially clever. Solve a puzzle by patiently untangling clues. Gain more with wit than you would by force. Write, express and share your story.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Lucrative ideas spark in conversation. Invent creative ways to make money. Disciplined efforts pay off in extra loot. Discuss and then implement your plan.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Take charge for desired results. Use your power, talent and confidence for good. Solutions arise in conversation. Brainstorm to refine your ideas. Advance a dream.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — Lay low. Savor a pensive phase. Consider long-term goals, dreams and new possibilities. New information clashes with old presumptions. Organize and plan. Stay flexible.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Teamwork keeps a shared vision alive. Enjoy gatherings, meetings and parties. Share laughter and clever ideas with friends. Go for distance, not speed.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Take charge to advance a professional project. There may be a test. Stick close to the basic structure. Experience pays. Pursue a hot lead.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Travels and studies open new frontiers. Research a fascination. Discover unexpected beauty. The completion of a difficult project opens time for something more fun.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — It’s a good time to talk about money. Review financial accounts. Manage tax or legal matters. Collaborate for mutual gain. Find clever solutions.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — You and your partner are on the same wavelength. Your collaboration blossoms. Coordinate efforts to save time and resources. Share a secret connection.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Your work is in demand. Don’t burn the candle at both ends. Eat well. Balance a busy schedule with private time

Smith experiencing most confident spring

As a sophomore a season ago, Cam Smith started every game, but his contributions at cornerback began to show down the stretch of the season.

Against Houston, his interception sealed an important comeback win for the Cowboys that kept them alive for a Big 12 title game berth. The next week against BYU, Smith broke up a pass in the third quarter of another OSU comeback win that clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Ten of his 26 tackles on the seasons came in Arlington and the TaxAct Texas Bowl, including 2.0 of his 2.5 tackles for loss.

“I feel a lot more confident going into this spring than I have before,” Smith said. “And as a team, you really feel like everybody is connected.”

Black is the most experienced defender in the room. Entering his fifth season, Black has 26 starts – most on the defense – and according to Pro Football Focus, Black’s 16 receptions allowed was third best among FBS corners with a minimum of 350 snaps. He was also tied with the most pass breakups (five).

Tied with Black in PBUs was D.J. McKinney, a promising redshirt freshman who transferred to Colorado in the offseason. That means the Cowboy will have to step up and replace that produc-

But there could be more to be excited about from Smith heading into 2024. He and senior Korie Black were mainstays on the outside, and they both return in defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo’s second year.

Oliver back on the defensive line, now a ‘big brother’ on the team

when the Horned Frogs made it to the national championship game, so there was some familiarity among the 3-3-5 in the Big 12.

getic” and described how he never fails to bring energy on the field or in a film session.

tion, but Black said he’s seen Smith make big strides at the end of the season and through the offseason that should help shore up the position.

That’s something Black said the cornerbacks and defense are focused on in the spring.

Collin Oliver is back where he wants to be. The defensive line. Oliver, who mostly played as a linebacker in defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo’s first-year defense at Oklahoma State last season, is back to primarily being an edge rusher.

“That’s all up to the head man (Nardo),” Oliver said of where he is placed on the field. “What he feels like is going to work best for our scheme, (and) what he feels like is going to work best for our team with the personnel we have.”

OSU coach Mike Gundy said that one of the selling points for bringing in Nardo from Gannon University, a Division II school, was the 3-3-5 scheme his defenses were known for. It was a look that TCU had run in the 2022-23 season, which is

Now, though, the scheme seems to have shifted. Oliver said it is more of a four-man front that still has “different variations.” Gundy said his team will be able to do both, allowing opposing quarterbacks to see various looks.

“We’ve had a lot of talks and meetings about defensive philosophy,” Gundy said. “We’ll be able to play three down, and at times we’ll play four down, doing just different things that I feel like we need to do to be successful in trying to create confusion for quarterbacks.”

Also new to the defensive line is the unit’s coach, Paul Randolph, who came from Indiana University and replaced Greg Richmond.

Multiple players have called Randolph “ener-

“Having Randolph here really helped me out a lot,” Oliver said.

“...He knows how to gather a room real well. You really need that with D-line because we’re just a bunch of kids.”

As for Oliver, he’s one of the most experienced players on the line. Sure, Colin Clay and Kody Walterscheid — among others — are still on the line and are older, but Oliver is having to step into more of a leadership role this season.

“I’ve always had the pleasure of kind of being the big brother, but I never really was, and now that I am, it’s real cool,” Oliver said.

But Oliver, 21, is still far from being the biggest of the brothers on the team.

“I’m not Alan Bowman old,” he said with a laugh.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

“The amount of reps I got last year, I just feel more confident playing certain techniques and just being out there on the field,” Smith said.

It isn’t only Smith who feels more comfortable in the techniques. He and Black said the rest of the position group, including Kale Smith, who played in all 14 games last year, are more knowledgeable in Nardo’s defense.

In 2023, OSU gave up 23 points in the first half to Houston, then only seven in the second half. Against BYU, the Cowboys allowed 24 in the opening half and only a field goal the rest of regulation. The defense had good moments, but at times it took time to get going.

“Coming out and playing to our standard like we should,” he said. “Not playing to the other team’s standard and coming out fast.”

A big key to that is the leadership of Black and Smith in a position group limited on meaningful snaps outside of them. Smith said getting 14 starts as a sophomore forced him into that role and will help him lead the cornerbacks this year.

“Experience is the best teacher, if you ask me,” Black said. “Being able to experience things and not just hear things from what other people say but actually being out there and getting reps.”

Lutz plans to ingrain himself into OSU, Stillwater community

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

On any given day, students could stroll through the Student Union and run into Boynton handing out tickets. During finals week, they could get pancakes served by Boynton. And on Veterans Day, they’d see Cowboy players join Boynton at the lawn in front of Edmon Low Library to plant flags. Ingraining himself within the student body and community was a forte for Boynton during his time in Stillwater. That, combined with moments like his emotional press conference after the program received sanctions rallied students and fans behind Boynton. He was perhaps the school’s most loved coach.

On March 14, though, Boynton was fired after seven seasons and replaced by Western Kentucky coach Steve Lutz 18 days later. As Lutz is being tasked with generating wins and retooling OSU, he’s stepping into a role in which the last person

to occupy it set the bar for being loved high.

Lutz, now the 21st head coach at OSU, has plans to do the same.

“You’ll see us out and about in the community a lot,” Lutz said of his family. “Please make sure you don’t hesitate to come over and visit with us. We plan to be highly involved in the community.”

Lutz is a hard-nosed coach who grinded his way up the ladder to become a head coach. He spent more than 20 years as an assistant with stops at Creighton and Purdue, two of college hoops’ top programs, before getting his first head gig at Texas A&M Corups-Christi. He took the Islanders to the NCAA Tournament in each of his two seasons, then coached Western Kentucky to The Big Dance this past season.

Resonating with OSU fans and students isn’t rocket science. In Athletic Director Chad Weiberg’s eyes, it comes down to one thing.

Authenticity. “He’s got to be him. I want him to be him,” Weiberg said. “Don’t think you’re trying to do something you’re not, that’s a recipe for failure... So, he’s got to come in here

and do things his way and operate the way he wants to operate.”

OSU fans and students saw the hard-working, tough mentality of Lutz at his first formal appearance in Stillwater.

Swiftly into his opening statement, Lutz voiced his expectation of Gallagher-Iba Arena being sold out and becoming one of the toughest destinations for visiting teams to play at, adding that he’s ready for it all.

“It’s crazy, because you’re gonna have 13,611 people in this place screaming their heads off,” Lutz said. “And I’m not gonna have a single nerve in my body, except be ready to fight and compete.”

Lutz promised fans watching his introductory press conference that his team will play hard no matter what, and that if that ever falls out of line, he’ll be glad to have a chat about it with any of the OSU faithful.

That’s who Lutz is.

And it’s who, Lutz said, those in the Stillwater community will become accustomed to.

File Photo

Collin Oliver is back on the defensive line this season, as OSU is installing more four-man fronts.

File Photo

Steve Lutz said he plans to be highly involved in the Stillwater community.

Former Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton was a popular face in Stillwater, partly for nonbasketball reasons.

OSU targeting portal players to fix 3-point shooting, rebounding woes

Lutz was behind the fastest-paced offense in college basketball last year.

On his way to the NCAA Tournament at Western Kentucky, the Hilltoppers were No. 1 in True Tempo and third in possessions per game in the country, and featured a number of efficient shooters. That results in more chances to score points, something OSU struggled to do in recent years, no matter the change in personnel.

“I’ve always been aggressive with everything I do,” Lutz said. “I talk a lot about trying to score in the first 12 seconds of the shot clock against an unset defense. That doesn’t mean we get to take crazy shots just because coach says we need to shoot. Anytime we can do that, our numbers and percentages are gonna go up.”

The Cowboys were last in 3-point percentage in the Big 12 in 2021-22, second-to-last in the next season and 10th last year. Seventy-six percent of the team’s 3-point shooting from this season left through the portal or graduation, such as Javon Small, Jarius Hicklen and John-Michael Wright.

Second chance opportunities will be slim, too, as 76% of the team’s rebound

production also left: with Quion Williams, Eric Dailey Jr. and Brandon Garrison in the portal. Lutz and his staff will need to find replacements in the portal to run his style of offense. And so far, they are attempting to do that. OSU has offered or shown interest in three players in the portal who all shoot exactly 38% from 3. Norfolk State guard Jamarii Thomas averaged 17 points per game in his junior season. Six-foot-2 Tulane guard Kolby King also shot 48% from the field, and Wyoming’s Brendan Wenzel — a 6-7 guard who shares a hometown of San Antonio, Texas, with

Lutz — put OSU in his top six schools on Wednesday. The Cowboys also reportedly showed interest in veteran Illinois State forward Myles Foster, an undersized big man who still grabbed eight rebounds a game.

“We’ve got to have a lot of competitiveness,” Lutz said. “We’re gonna face teams in the Big 12 and beyond that are going to be as talented as us. Heck, there’ll be a couple nights we face people more talented than us. What’s the determining factor? We’ve got an opportunity to out-compete them.”

Scoring and stats aren’t all that Lutz

said he cares for in a player. Whether in high school or portal recruiting, he wants players with good character who can mold into a locker room and the offense around them, rather than players who fit a system. Still, Lutz wants to go fast, which requires players like the ones he is targeting to achieve.

“You’ve got to be able to pass and shoot the basketball,” Lutz said. “You can’t play fast and you can’t play in a motion offense if you don’t know how to play basketball. Guys who can pass, handle, shoot and make good reads.”

New Oklahoma State coach Steve

Gabriel Trevino Staff Reporter

Payton Little

OSU is targetting guards who can shoot at a high percentage from 3.

Payton Little

OSU coach Steve Lutz commanded the fastest pace offense in the country at Western Kentucky last year, and hopes to bring that to OSU if he can get the right players.

Sunday Senior Day for 3 Cowgirl tennis players

The undefeated Oklahoma State Cowgirl tennis team is a combination of impactful players, but three will leave after this season.

Safiya Carrington, Kristina Novak and Ayumi Miyamoto have been instrumental to No. 1 OSU’s successful season. The NCAA Championships will be in Stillwater this year, so their time at Greenwood Tennis Center isn’t finished yet. The three graduate students will be recognized during the regular season finale on Sunday against Kansas State.

Carrington has only been with the Cowgirls one season, but her confidence has been a big contributor to bringing this team together. During her four years at LSU, she was a three-time All-State Second Team and two-time All-SEC Second Team. This year she has been named Big 12 Player of the Week and clinched the first win of the ITA Championship. OSU coach Chris Young said Carrington is not afraid of anything or anyone and she portrays the confidence well.

“She just really added a lot of things to the team, like confidence and good energy,” Young said. “She is somebody that has good leadership skills and has really been able to step into a prominent role right away with our team, especially this spring.”

Novak has been a Cowgirl for the past two years, transferring from Nebraska after three years. While with the Cornhuskers, she was named two-time All-Big Ten First Team. Since she’s been at OSU, she has appeared on the ITA Indoor National Championship All-Tournament Team and been named ITA Indoor National Championship Most Outstanding Player. Novak won all three of her matches during the tournament and has clinched a number of team wins throughout the regular season.

Young said Novak brings a positive energy that makes everyone enjoy being around her. However, her progress was not only on the court but off.

“I’ve really just seen a lot of growth in her,” Young said. “Just her coming into herself and her presence and being a really strong leader as well. I

think her and Safiya have really kind of teamed up well to be two really good leaders for our team.”

Miyamoto has had a prosperous five-year stretch as a Cowgirl. She quickly became fond of OSU from her first visit. Since then, her collegiate career has been nothing short of successful. Miyamoto is a two-time ITA All-American, two-time All-Big 12 First Team Doubles and All-Big 12 Second Team Singles.

She has not climbed the court rankings, but she has remained consistent on Court 5 and been a reliable piece of the lineup. Young said her work ethic and leadership have helped her leave an impact on this team.

“I think any time that people are training with her, she pushes them to be their best,” Young said.

Young said each of the girls have led the team in different ways on its way to a memorable season.

“Whether it’s just setting the tone of energy at practice or how hard we work each and every day and holding people accountable to going into a match and being really confident,” Young said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

The Cowboys fell just shy of a Big 12 title and placed 10th at the NCAA Championships, but it was still a breakthrough year for a team that had a worst-ever 18thplace finish at NCAAs a year earlier. Smith said after the tournament that he was “pleased” with his team and that OSU wrestling is “in a good place right now.”

During the season, Smith said a number of times he was having fun coaching this team, maybe even more than the past couple. A mix of promising freshmen and veteran leaders like Fix. It was a refreshing season. Just the kind to go out on.

Those were the sentiments he had for his final team.

“It’s special. He talked about how much he enjoyed coaching this last team, and I think that we definitely went out and competed as hard as we could for him every chance we got,” Fix said. “I think as a coach, that’s all you can

ask for out of your athletes, and we knew that he was gonna do everything in his power to help us win.”

Fix said there weren’t any direct talks between he and Smith about when the retirement was coming or that he was staying around for Fix’s final season. There were always murmurs.

After his 15th season, Smith said after the 2023 NCAA championships, he considered retiring.

“For some reason, I didn’t,” he said.

After a tough finish in 2023, said he “thought” he’d be back. But “I don’t know that for sure.”

But he did. He coached one more season, and Fix, who waited weeks for Smith to get his name right as a kid, got to be part of it. And for Fix, that’s special.

“Obviously congrats to Coach Smith on an amazing career. He’s changed the sport forever, and he a legend,” Fix said. “He definitely deserves everything he’s gonna get and all the nice words people are gonna say and what comes with his retirement. He deserves it all.

“He’s meant the world to me.”

Connor Fuxa Safiya Carrington, Kristina Novak (pictured) and Ayumi Miyamoto will be honored during Senior Day on Sunday.

Davis Cordova Daton Fix reached four NCAA title rounds in his seven years at OSU with John Smith.

Gina Foster Staff