Friday, April 14, 2023

Friday, April 14, 2023

Fentanyl distributor arrested in Edmond

A 29-year-old Edmond man whom police describe as “the largest distributor of fentanyl” to Stillwater is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on drug trafficking charges May 1 in a Payne County courthouse.

Edmond police arrested Cord Leshandon Moore, 632 Thorn Briar Road, on March 24. Moore is being held in the Payne County Detention Center on $2 million bail.

Moore was charged Feb. 9 with one count of racketeering after former conviction of a felony and one of conspiracy to commit aggravated trafficking of controlled substance.

He faces a maximum sentence of

life in prison because of his prior convictions for drug trafficking, according to the charges.

Moore was released in August from state prison after serving five years for trafficking methamphetamine and marijuana, possession of a firearm while serving probation and possession of drugs with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a public university.

Lt. TJ Low, Public Information Officer at Stillwater Police Department, said Moore was released on good behavior but went back to committing the same crimes.

“The Payne County District Attorney’s office wasn’t in favor of that,” Low said. “They said this is guy is a very, very serious criminal, and they didn’t want him to be released on that.”

Since September, nine people

charged with possession or trafficking of fentanyl have told police they delivered more than 150 fentanyl pressed pills to Stillwater buyers from the Edmond-Guthrie area for Moore, according to a police affidavit.

The round blue pills, are called “foxy’s” and “blues,” with the imprint “M 30,” according to SPD Officer Newly McSpadden’s affidavit.

A suspect charged with aggravated trafficking said Moore kept the pills at a location different from where he lives. When a client contacted him, Moore went to the storage location to retrieve the number of pills ordered. Either a runner took the pills to a location, or the client would meet Moore in the Edmond or Guthrie area, according to McSpadden’s affidavit. Moore wouldn’t visit Stillwater

OSU Cowboy to Hollywood star

Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” while playing guitar and harmonica for the judges; Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

The freshman from Broken Arrow said his mom pushed him to audition this year.

Eckhardt’s mom was another strong influence during his childhood. Eckhardt said she helped propel him into his music career.

for fear of being arrested. A warrant for Moore’s arrest was issued in Payne County District Court on Feb. 16.

Attorney Irven Box of Oklahoma City will represent Moore in the preliminary hearing before Judge Katherine Thomas.

On Wednesday, Box said Moore’s mother hired him and he hadn’t yet met with Moore.

Low said since Moore’s arrest, he hasn’t heard of many other fentanylrelated arrests.

“Our guys were able to track him down to find out who was distributing the fentanyl in the area,” Low said. “That is huge because we don’t want anybody to receive a drug that is laced with fentanyl that could possibly kill them.”

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OSU professors debate the existence of a God

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Science versus religion: A tale as long as time. Last Friday, two OSU philosophy professors debated the existence of God.

Christopher Drohan, a teaching associate professor, argued God does not exist, while Richard Neels, an assistant professor, argued for the existence of God.

The event was popular among students, hosting about 50 people interested in the subject, with some sitting on the floor when no more chairs were available.

Harrison Gimpel, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, said this event was the talk of the moment in the philosophy department.

“Everyone has been excited for it and looking forward to it, so I was excited to come,” Gimpel said. “It was something I put on the calendar a while ago.”

Neels started the debate using science to assert the existence of God. Neels said since the 1970s, all physicists agree the universe is finely tuned for life and said if any of the parameters in the universe were slightly different, life could not have evolved on Earth.

These parameters include physical constants, such as the mass of a proton. Neels said physicists estimate there might be 19 fundamental constants, and his favorite is the cosmological constant, which

the Greek letter lambda represents. This constant is the balance between gravity and repulsive force.

“Now, if lambda weren’t precisely what it is, the universe would either expand too quickly, in which case given the Big Bang, you’d just have particles flying infinitely into oblivion,” Neels said. “Or it would collapse instantly after the Big Bang, so you have the Big Bang of all of this matter exploding and then just condensing right back on itself. If lambda isn’t exactly what it is, that would happen.”

Drohan did not use science to argue against the existence of God, he used morality. He said God does not play an active role in the current world as he is described to in ancient texts. There is no longer direct interaction with God, and those who claim to speak directly to God raise concern, he said. The power of God, through believers and their actions, is real and powerful, Drohan said.

Drohan spoke about learning to play “Hot Cross Buns” as a child, and used this as an analogy to refute Neels’ argument about an in-tune universe.

“When you appreciate better music, you start to realize (“Hot Cross Buns”) is just a garbage tune,” Drohan said. “With our culture, human minds and perspective on this absolutely infinite universe that surrounds us, this might seem like things are pretty well-tuned for humanity.”

After auditioning for nearly six years, Owen Eckhardt landed a spot on “American Idol.”

The day before moving into his dorm in Stillwater, Eckhardt received a call saying he was going to Las Vegas for an audition. Overwhelmed and excited, Eckhardt auditioned three weeks later, where he received his golden ticket. A golden ticket is given to singers who receive a “yes” from all three judges and means they move on to the next round of the competition.

Eckhardt sang Zach

“I wasn’t planning on trying out this year, originally,” Eckhardt said. “I’ve been through it enough, I was like, ‘OK, I think I’m done.’ It’s a lot of work, especially with me coming off to college.

And then my mom was like, ‘I don’t know, maybe try one more year, you never know.’ She was right. Like most of the time, I guess. So I tried out one more time, and here we are.”

Standing in lines wrapped around busy city blocks and sitting in Zoom waiting rooms, Eckhardt has dreamed of being on “American Idol” since he was little. He said he looked up to country music stars like Carrie Underwood growing up.

“Whenever I was little, I feel like that’s how we bonded,” Eckhardt said. “We always sang. She was always the one that really encouraged me to lean into singing and into artistry.”

He also credited the major financial role she has played in his music career.

Eckhardt said his irregular travel schedule presented unique challenges during his first semester in college.

“It was a lot,” Eckhardt said. “Especially leaving and being gone for weeks at a time to do that stuff, and having to be like, ‘Hey,’ to my professors, ‘I’m gonna be gone for a week and a half, is there any way I can do this stuff now or online?’ I was literally in my hotel room in Hollywood writing papers.”

Courtesy of Owen Eckhardt Owen Eckhardt auditioned for “American Idol” and sang Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” while playing guitar and harmonica for the judges; Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

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OSU faculty discuss potential ChatGPT policies

policies, BlueCross BlueShield and a new training for faculty concerning student veterans.

plained her respect for each professor’s right to choose personal parameters for ChatGPT use in their classes.

Kennedy Thomason Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

Oklahoma State University’s faculty is adapting to students.

The monthly faculty meeting was held Tuesday in the Student Union. The attendees consisted of a board of OSU’s faculty, including a representative for President Dr. Kayse Shrum and Provost Jeanette Mendez.

The group discussed new policies and updates for OSU. The highlights among the agenda included ChatGPT

Hollywood...

Continued from 1A

After his debut in Las Vegas, Eckhardt continued to Hollywood Week in December. This portion of the TV show has contestants work with designated mentors to prepare their songs.

Christine Ormsbee presented an assessment on ChatGPT. She said OSU will not be adding any bylaws concerning the AI platform. She explained that OSU’s academic integrity policy, which specifies that students must do their own work, will suffice.

Ormsbee also encouraged a positive outlook on the platform, comparing it to a calculator. She explained how the introduction of the calculator, ChatGPT is another tool for students and professors to utilize.

Ormsbee provided details for how professors could combat student abuse of ChatGPT. Ormsbee encouraged professors to create assignments that would require critical thinking and unique perspectives. She also ex-

She said as the technology continues to advance, there could potentially be rules set in place.

A liaison representative announced the contract between Stillwater Medical Center and BlueCross BlueShield has been extended to Dec. 31, 2023. This will give the groups more time to negotiate before their previously set deadline in May expires.

Speakers from the Veterans Faculty & Staff Association announced dates for their new presentation, Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots, which focuses on educating faculty on the needs of student veterans.

The three presenters hope the one-hour presentation will help faculty provide student veterans with support.

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NFL trainer Kellington to be OSU graduation commencement speaker

Sam Hutchens Staff Reporter

The man whose speedy, skilled response in front of millions of NFL fans helped save a life will speak to OSU’s 2023 graduating class.

Buffalo Bills athletic trainer

Denny Kellington, who played a key role in delivering medical treatment to Bills safety Damar Hamlin after Hamlin collapsed on the field during an ESPN Monday Night Football game, will be the keynote speaker at OSU’s graduation ceremony on May 13.

The news came via an OSU press release.

Kellington’s actions earned him an MVP vote at the NFL honors after the season.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to address the 2023 graduates at Oklahoma State University,” Kellington told OSU. “To have the chance to return to my alma mater, where I sat many years ago, and to share my personal and professional journey, is absolutely amazing.”

A Midwest City native, Kellington graduated from OSU in 2000 with a bachelor of science degree. He interned with OSU football from 1996-99 and also has experience with Ohio State University and the Denver Broncos.

Eckhardt was cut after the first round but is grateful for the experience. In Hollywood, he sang Lainey Wilson’s “Two Story House,” which he dedicated to his sister.

“It was one of those songs that was really special to me,” Eckhardt said. “It wasn’t the flashiest song, and whatnot, but I wouldn’t change it.

Overall, I had one chance to do it, and that’s what I felt like doing in the moment, and I would do that again. It has

significance, you know. I sang it just the way I planned to, so I did everything as perfect as I could.”

As far as his future, Eckhardt plans to continue making music. He is working on four new songs and plans to have an EP released within the next year or so. Eckhardt’s music can be found on Spotify. Other content can be found on his Instagram, @theoweneckhardt.

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“At Oklahoma State, the Cowboy Code and a spirit of service are foundational to our culture,” OSU President Kayse Shrum told OSU. “When the world was watching, Denny Kellington and the Buffalo Bills medical team responded immediately with lifesaving action. He is the epitome of what it means to be an OSU Cowboy, and we are honored to have him come back to his alma mater to share his inspirational story with our graduates.”

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Courtesy of Owen Eckhardt

Owen Eckhardt performed “Something in the Orange” by Luke Bryan for his Las Vegas audition.

Courtesy of AP/Shutterstock

Buffalo Bills athletic trainer Denny Kellington will speak at OSU’s spring graduation ceremony. Kellington helped save the life of Bills cornerback Damar Hamlin.

U.S. Secretary of Energy, Second Gentleman announce formation of Great Plains Center of Excellence at OSU

for the centers is possible because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Two members of U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration made a stop in Stillwater last Friday morning. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff announced OSU’s creation of the Great Plains Center of Excellence during a news conference in the Endeavor Lab. It is one of five universities selected to host Centers of Excellence for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Assessment Center program. The program will be part of OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

Granholm explained the funding

“This initiative, which is all about investing in America, is one piece of a grand strategy for us as a country to be able to get back the manufacturing jobs that we have lost over the past couple of decades,” Granholm said. “And this is something that I know Democrats and Republicans can agree on — the importance of bringing back manufacturing in this country.”

OSU’s Great Plains Center of Excellence will receive nearly $7 million of the $18.7 million in funding awarded to the selected universities to enhance and expand the Industrial Assessment Center program. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, these centers “serve as regional hubs that collaborate and coordinate with government, nonprofit, labor, and industry actors to train clean energy workers and support SMMs in their respective regions.”

The establishment of the Great

Plains Center of Excellence allows OSU to further its land-grant mission of stimulating economic growth and addressing pressing societal issues through the research opportunities the center will give its students. The funding the program receives will contribute to the center’s ability to conduct industrial assessments and educate students through technology such as smartphone apps, drones and virtual reality.

“And the thing that is so important is that it does give students this hands-on ability to see technology in action, to see how to reduce the carbon emissions price of energy, reduce energy use on-site, and that is so critical for what we want to do in both attracting and retaining engineering students, making sure that those students see in themselves a future in reducing Co2 emissions and in reducing energy use and in generating clean energy into the future,” Granholm said. “And it’s those innovative technologies that are being

used right here that caught our eye.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt attended the event and explained that Oklahoma’s affordable, reliable energy grid is what attracts many large companies to the state. Oklahoma is No. 2 in the country in wind energy and is one of four states that gets 40% of its energy from renewable sources.

Before the press conference, Granholm and Emhoff toured the Endeavor Lab to observe the opportunities available to students, and OSU football coach Mike Gundy made a special delivery to Emhoff.

“Yes, I got the football from coach Gundy, but that was a surprise,” Emhoff said. “What was really not a surprise was to see the excellence here at Oklahoma State University; to see the passionate colleagues that you have, the students, the grad students, just to see the work that’s being done. You can see it. That’s what I love so much about this tour. You can literally see the future in front of your eyes.”

Trump’s indictment

OSU students share their opinion

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State University students have followed the news on the indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Trump was charged with 34 felonies on April 4 and his charges are all Class E felonies relating to his payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, of which Trump is accused to have falsified business records and attempted to conceal the payment.

Jonathan Grable, a senior in political science, served as a jury coordinator for Tulsa County for several years and worked in the Oklahoma State Senate. Grable said he is concerned Trump will not receive a fair trial.

“We don’t typically charge a former president in the United States, because one of the issues is the sixth amendment guarantees they have an impartial jury,” Grable said. “No matter what party the president belongs to, you’re going to have a hard time finding anyone who is impartial to that person and does not know about the case.”

Aiden Minton, a sophomore in agribusiness, said if there is

evidence Trump committed the crime, he should be indicted.

“It should be something that goes through the legal system,” Minton said. “Just because he’s a former president, doesn’t mean he’s above the law.”

Camryn Paulson, a marketing junior, said she was relieved when she heard about the indictment and feels that it is a massive triumph for the American justice system.

“Ever since the 2008 financial crisis, the public has had a consensus that felt like the ultra wealthy get bailed out time and time again, for illegal or unethical practices in the world of finance,” Paulson said. “In Trump’s case, falsifying business records.”

Paulson said it is empowering to know not even a former U.S. president is above the law.

A sophomore in natural resource ecology and management, who asked to remain anonymous, said he thinks the indictment is crooked and that there is no case against Trump.

“If it were anybody else that is not on the right side, they would probably just brush it under the rug like they usually do,” he said. “I wish it wasn’t happening, and if it were anybody else, it wouldn’t be happening at all.”

Daniel Hoelting, a senior in American studies and global studies, said if Trump is guilty, he should be convicted like any other citizen.

“The law should go the way it should,” Hoelting said. “He’s just another person.”

Jake Williams, a computer science and mathematics sophomore, said the indictment does not affect the average American. Williams said Trump is a wealthy individual and no matter the verdict, he does not think Trump will receive a harsh punishment.

A political science sophomore anonymously said the indictment is a complete political sham.

“You have things like the Mueller investigation, the two impeachment trials,” he said. “They found absolutely nothing on him. The fact that they’re still searching for stuff means one thing: they’re afraid of him.”

He said the reason these investigations are happening is to keep Trump off the ballot in 2024. Tabor Watkins, a business marketing sophomore, said he does not think the indictment will impact Trump’s plan to run for president in 2024. “If he decides to run, he will get the nomination on the Republican side no matter what,” Watkins

Debate...

Continued from 1A

Drohan said humanity is not finely tuned, referencing political issues in the world.

“We’re just one bad day and one crazy dictator away from a nuclear disaster that’ll wipe us all out,” Drohan said. “Why would a benevolent God give us that kind of power?”

Ethan Silvernail, a computer science and philosophy junior, said watching two professors engage in meaningful discourse in a respectful and civil manner has impacted how he will approach disagreements in the future, but has not changed his belief in God.

“I think [Neel’s] arguments were more

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persuasive,” Silvernail said. “So if anything I feel more sure in my belief, but only marginally.”

Theo Camp, a graduate philosophy student, said he arrived and left the debate an atheist. Camp said neither side was particularly compelling to him, but as an aspiring philosophy professor, he took the debate as a learning experience for how he will interact with students, explain material and what activities the university can host to enrich the community.

“In that respect, OSU has set a really good example with the type of events they put on,” Camp said. “And the philosophy department in specific. I think these sorts of conversations are integral to a society’s progress and growth.”

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Courtesy of OSU

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff visited OSU as part of the “Investing in America” tour.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Former President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Bella Casey

Staff Reporter

‘Grease Live!’ takes the stage

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

This show is automatic, systematic and hydromantic.

It’s greased lightning. On Monday, the Student Union Activities Board showcased its rendition of ‘Grease Live!’ Cast members lip synced and performed choreography for all 12 of the 1978 movie’s titular songs as the movie played in the background.

The cast interacted with the audience throughout the show while simultaneously timing their performances perfectly to the movie. Senior Louise Ruleford loved it and was there cheering on her roommate Rebekah Bowman, who played Marty.

“I loved how accurate the cast’s timing was,” Ruleford said. “It matched the movie perfectly.”

The cast loved performing the show and viewed it as a success. Junior Drew Underwood, also known as everybody’s favorite second-in-command of the T-Birds, Kenickie, felt the rhythm during “Greased Lighting.”

“It’s such a huge production and scene in the movie,” Underwood said. “I thought it looked really good, and the whole group worked really hard, and it turned out really nice.”

Underwood watched the movie multiple times as a way to channel his inner Kenickie.

“I watched the movie way more than I ever thought I would,” Underwood said. “It wasn’t super hard to prepare for Kenickie. I kind of relate to his mannerisms.”

Underwood danced his way into the fan favorite “Greased Lighting.” Junior Kenedi Davenport, who played Sonny, fell in love with the routine and the friends she made during the performance.

“Grease lighting was really amazing,” Davenport said. “I’m really thankful that I’ll get to look back on this memory that I’ve created.”

Junior Haley Monday, who played the one and only Pink Lady, Rizzo, translated the “Greased Lightning” number from the big screen onto the stage.

“I choreographed that, so it was just fun to have that onstage,” Monday said. “I think that’s everyone’s favorite song.”

Mastering choreography was the most challenging part of the show. Cast members learned the moves from professionals in the movie.

“The hardest part was definitely how intricate all the dance scenes are,” Underwood said. “In the movie, it’s professional dancers, and replicating that in a way that we could physically do it and still make it look good was very difficult.”

The show date was changed to allow the cast more time to master their moves.

“We ended up changing the date because of how intricate all the dance scenes were,” Underwood said. “We had stuff that we had put a lot of time into but still needed work.”

Postponing the date and their continued efforts paid off for the cast. Every dance was well-timed, well choreographed and full of energy.

“I felt like the first go around with a new event like this went really well,” Davenport said.

The decision to

perform “Grease” was spontaneous, but SUAB is no stranger to theatrical performances. Every fall, SUAB puts on “Rocky Horror” and “Grease,” if their official endeavor is to introduce a possible yearly spring show.

“I would love the idea of doing a different one every year,” Davenport said. “I think venturing into plays like “Hairspray” or just more critically acclaimed screen adaptations would be a really cool thing to incorporate.”

To the members of SUAB and cast members, their show holds a deeper meaning. Compared to the movie, their cast represents how far the movie industry and art have come. The film shows kids today vs. kids in the 50s.

“I think “Grease” is just very culturally significant movie for the US in general and especially people within our age group,” Davenport said. “It displays to us the same kind of energy that was present within teenagers in the 50s and 60s and 70s is still something we can connect to nowadays.”

Davenport sees their performance as more than just a reflection of the same kind of energy but a new step toward inclusion and diversity as SUAB’s cast proves that anyone can step into whatever role they want.

“To kind of see where we were and kind of where we are now and to notice the growth that we’ve had, I think it hits a lot of different spots,” Davenport said.

SUAB’s Grease goes together like “rama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.” It will be remembered as a performance that defined what it means to have fun renewing and reinventing show business.

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Films, food and fun: the 10th annual Red Dirt Film Festival returned to Stillwater.

Damon Blalack, a Stillwater native and Oklahoma State University alumnus, founded the festival. Blalack said this community-wide festival is a way to bring people in from all over the world and give students and the public an outlet for art that was not previously available.

“Because I grew up in Stillwater, I was always wanting to give back to the community and the campus to make a film festival available for everyone,” Blalack said.

The festival started on Thursday morning and will run through Sunday night. This year’s festival will be different from previous years because it will be broken up into various venues rather than centralized.

The festival is free for students who bring their student ID and for the general public, the cost ranges from $5 to $60. A block, which is about two hours of film, is $5. The VIP badge costs $60 and provides access for the entirety of the event as well as free food.

The event will feature a variety of films, such as short, documentary and narrative. Blalack said this year they received their shortest film ever, lasting only 15 seconds.

The festival will showcase: nine high school films, six university films, 11 feature narrative films, 21 short films, eight documentary features, 12 documentary shorts, two music videos, 12 feature screenplays, four short screenplays and two virtual reality short films, according to Red Dirt Film Festival’s full 2023 Schedule.

The festival’s schedule is divided into blocks: different types of films will be shown in blocks, with panels and guests scheduled throughout the duration of the festival. Ticketing information and the full schedule can be found at reddirtfilm.com.

Blalack has seen all of the films that will be shown; he said they usually receive between 600 to 700 submissions from around the world. They spend about seven or eight months narrowing down the submissions to the 85 to 90 films that will be shown at the festival.

Some of the guests for this year’s festival include Sarah Graalman, a Stillwater native, who now works in production makeup in New York City. Blalack said Graalman will hopefully demonstrate production makeup on stage; details are still being worked out.

Blalack said they try to feature new guests at the festival each year. The Iranian Film Spotlight and Native American panel are not new; Blalack said they have been featured every year with the exception of years they did not receive enough submissions for the respective categories.

“The Native American Panel is very near and dear to me as a Cherokee Tribal Citizen myself,” Blalack said. “To me, it’s very important to always have that Native American panel where we show films in a block that deal with various contingencies of Native culture.”

Bryan Jones, a visiting professor of English, has been helping organize the festival and will be attending for the first time.

“There’s so many short independent documentaries that are doing really great work in all kinds of fields,” Jones said. “That’s really what I’m most excited about, are these really short documentaries that are made in a DIY fashion.”

Jones said he likes that everyone can participate in making films. He has not thought about making films previously, but after seeing some of the documentaries, he said he would love to try it out in the future.

“It’s an itch that’s started lately, and I think that maybe that will catch on with some people that are watching these films,” Jones said. “Everybody’s got something to say, and we can all participate.”

Hayden Alexander

Blair (Putzie), Jasmine Taplin (Dany Zuko), Aliyah Smith (Doody) and Drew Under-

Courtesy of Red Dirt Film Festival

The Red Dirt Film will feature a variety of films, such as short, documentary and narrative. Blalack said this year they received their shortest film ever, lasting only 15 seconds.

‘Everybody’s got something to say’ 10th annual Red Dirt Film Festival

Stephanie Landaverde

Staff Reporter

Indie pop star Moriondo plays for Pride Picnic

Isaac Terry Staff Reporter

Chloe Moriondo used YouTube to reach stardom.

More than 100 students filled Classroom Building’s lawn on Wednesday to hear Chloe Moriondo perform.

Once signed into the SAA and SUAB Pride Picnic event, people were given a ticket to enter various sweepstakes, a meal with a sandwich, cookie and chips, their pick of stickers and a grassy knoll to sit on and listen to multiple bands and songs. People cheered and clapped when special guest Moriondo took the stage.

“It seemed like a really sweet opportunity,” Moriondo said in an exclusive interview with The O’Colly. “I’m specifically here [in Oklahoma]... the sweet sweet south, to play this show. I honestly didn’t even know it was going to be like, this much of a little party. It was really sweet, and there were a lot of really cool people here.”

Moriondo revealed the 20-yearold had never played a show in Oklahoma before and didn’t know what to expect.

“I came in to hang in the south, and to play my little show. So far, it has exceeded my expectations,” Moriondo said.

Wielding both a guitar

and ukelele, Moriondo blended their older styles of music with acoustics, as well as their more modern “hyper-pop” music style. They also hinted at possible future acoustic versions of songs.

“There’s some stuff in the works,” Moriondo said. “A little bit of acoustics, just a little, a taste.”

During the performance, Moriondo sang various songs, such as “Plastic Purse,” “CD Baby” and many more over multiple hours, including most of her favorite songs.

“I think right now, number one is Plastic Purse, number two is CD Baby, number three would be Cry, they’re all off the new album,” Moriondo said. “Four and five are unreleased... not even like, demos right now, but I’m having a lot of fun with them.”

“Suckerpunch,” Moriondo’s most recent album, is one of the more “hyper-pop” albums they have produced. They shared a few songs and artists that they felt helped influence the vibe of the new album.

“I would say, Kesha,” Moriondo said. “Charli XCX, I would say Ashnikko... also a bit of old Selena Gomez and Black Eyed Peas, that was the range of inspirations I feel I was drawing from. I’m still riding that wave a little bit, but it’s transforming into something different, I’m just not sure what

in the future. They revealed they are playing with a new way of interacting with fans: Twitch streams. Even though Moriondo has livestreamed on platforms like YouTube in the past, they hope to expand the Twitch Streams into both a new fun direction and a familiar older direction.

Moriondo has a somewhat unique past, in that their musical journey has been documented through YouTube. Moriondo originally posted covers and songs when they were 11 or 12 years old to YouTube, growing at a glacial rate at first.

“I think YouTube is definitely the reason why I was able to be a musician to begin with,” Moriondo said. “I think I’m always gonna feel like I’m going to forever, I think, owe it something. I feel very grateful for the fact that I got my start there, even though I’m a little less frequent on there now.

Moriondo had advice for those who want to create music like they have, as well.

it is yet. I’m feeling oceanic, my world is an oyster.”

Moriondo hasn’t posted frequently on YouTube recently, something that they said they would like to change

“I always mean this,” Moriondo said. “Make whatever you want to make, regardless of what’s cool or what other people or your friends are listening to. Write like you’re drunk and edit like you’re sober. If you’re writing something and you’re already trying to edit it while you are writing it, nothing emotional, or exciting, or powerful or raw I feel will ever come out of it. You need to throw up onto the page, or notes app, or onto the guitar or whatever it is, and then sort it out later. Or don’t. Sometimes it’s best when you don’t edit it, which I’ve also been learning recently.” They also offered some final part-

ing advice.

“I think being a pop star is about your attitude, and it’s cool to be the coolest person in the world in your own head. A little delusion never hurt

anyone.”

Moriondo said they would love to come back to OSU to play again next year.

It’s cool to be the coolest person in the world in your own head. A little delusion never hurt anyone.

Isaac Terry

Chloe Moriondo performed on Classroom building’s lawn on Wednesday.

most anticipated Garth Brooks songs to hear live

Garth Brooks is performing for students Friday at the McKnight Center.

This happens rarely, and probably many who stood in line for hours two weeks ago know a few songs from Brooks’ discography.

But, if you did get a ticket or don’t know any songs from him, here’s a list of The O’Colly writer Davis Cordova’s most anticipated Brooks songs to listen live.

No. 10 ‘More Than a Memory’

This song is more-recent than many on this list, but it’s still a good song. It features Brooks’ voice more than the instrumentals, which is always good for a concert.

No. 9 ‘Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)’

This is Brooks’ first hit in 1989. It’s about a rodeo cowboy whose industry becomes filled with much younger people and misses his family. Besides his voice, the song features a fiddle.

No. 8 ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’

One of Brooks’ first popular songs back in the early 1990s, this song is about love and is a concert-made song.

No. 7 ‘In Another’s Eyes (duet with Trisha Yearwood)’ Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, performing a song together at OSU. Is there more to say?

‘Shallow’ is another option for the duo to perform together, with their version becoming popular during early 2020.

No. 6 ‘Ain’t Going Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up)’

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

This song is a change of pace from the first four songs on this list, it’s one of Brooks’ most up-tempo songs. It features a couple of harmonica solos with one going for more than a minute to end the song.

No. 5 ‘The Thunder Rolls’

This song has multiple layers to it, that’s what makes it great. Not many songs tell a story quite like this one.

It’s one of Brooks’ mostfamous songs, but some would hope he plays the not-so-popular long version of the song that includes a third verse and more meaning to the story.

No. 4 ‘When You Come Back to Me Again’ A (very) underrated song

and is similar to No. 1 on this list – it’s a song centered to present Brooks’ voice and lyrics. The song is the main song in the movie “Frequency” starring Dennis Quaid (great movie, go watch). Some Brooks fans may not know about this song because it’s from a movie, but regardless, it’s a must-hear. No. 3 ‘Workin’ for A Livin’ (duet with Huey Lewis)’

As a personal favorite, this song is a hidden gem in Brooks’ discography. Would it not be cool to have Huey Lewis with his handy harmonica walk out on the McKnight Center stage and

perform this song?

No. 2 ‘Callin’ Baton Rouge’

This song is a fan favorite and a great concert song. There are a lot of instruments incorporated such as a banjo, resonator guitar, fiddle, mandolin, drums, keyboard, electric guitar and acoustic guitar.

It’s a feel-good song that makes everyone get up and dance, even if they don’t want to.

No. 1 ‘The Dance’

This is Brooks’ best song. Hands down. Any Brooks fan looks forward to one day seeing this live, with their own eyes and ears, not through a screen.

The song is a slow-paced,

piano-based song, but it’s not about that. It’s about Brooks’ voice. This song is structured to showcase his voice and the lyrics.

BONUS: ‘Friends in Low Places’ OK, this song is in a world of its own. With as many times this song plays at OSU sporting events, it doesn’t catch the interest of a live performance.

This concert should be about the other great songs Brooks performs, instead of featuring OSU’s unofficial song that is blasted constantly throughout Gallagher-Iba Arena and O’Brate Stadium.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Tribune News Service

Garth Brooks is performing two concerts in Stillwater this weekend. One for students and one for donors.

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

‘Thoughtless but easygoing’ ‘Murder Mystery 2’ review

Emi Norton Staff Reporter

“Murder Mystery 2” is the sequel no one needed.

You could say I was not surprised to come to that conclusion after watching the one-hour and 29-minute film. As far as the stigma of sequels missing the mark goes, “Murder Mystery 2” with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston does a good job adhering to that all-too-common proposal.

After the original release of “Murder Mystery” in 2019, critics and fans of movie stars Aniston and Sandler seemed to have mixed emotions about this mystery/comedy.

With a script from James Vanderbilt and direction from Kyle Newacheck, the original film in the “Murder Mystery” series set the scene for a nice family-friendly weekend film for movie lovers.

Like many of the other light-hearted films starring Sandler and Aniston, viewers can expect to see much of the same goofy banter and repetitive jokes you’ve heard one too many times.

Ultimately, if you take

this movie at face value for what it is - a thoughtless but easy-going film to fill the silence in a room-it can be enjoyable.

Almost five years later, despite the mediocre reviews from critics and fans, the “Murder Mystery” production team decided to try a second time and slammed the screens with a part two. With a handful of other returning characters from the first movie, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler are back portraying the same roles as Nick and Audrey Spitz. Almost exactly like in the first “Murder Mystery” Nick and Audrey’s marriage is at risk when they make the spontaneous decision to travel across the world for a vacation in hopes of putting the spark back into their relationship.

The only difference this time is that Nick and Audrey have gained some experience, in their hobbies as detectives, and when someone close to them is taken hostage while on vacation they intend to do what they do best.

Not surprisingly, the obstacles in the way of saving their friend prove to be for-

midable and the repetitive and almost identical storyline from the first movie ensues. Even though I can’t

say that “Murder Mystery 2” exceeded any expectations I may have had before finishing the movie, I will say if you

can keep your expectations at a minimum, then the film is enjoyable for what it is.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Jennifer Aniston, left, as Audrey and Adam Sandler as Nick in “Murder Mystery 2.”

LEAGUE OF HER OWN

Wynne shaping path on and off the field

OSU’s “Orange Power Weekend” begins Friday. There will be three baseball games, three

Pitching in a slump for OSU baseball

is seemingly playing shuffle for two starting spots each week with bullpen arms.

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

Rob Walton got up from his perch in the Oklahoma State dugout and walked to the mound.

He took the ball from Gabe Davis and waited for Bayden Root to make his way from the bullpen.

This is a position Walton finds himself in every game, but recently it’s been a repetitive stroll to the pitcher because opposing runs have been aplenty recently.

The Cowboy bullpen is understaffed with some pitchers learning on the fly in key moments. The staff owns a 5.20 earned run average, 97th in the nation, and

In OSU’s past five games, the pitchers allowed 42 runs, leading to a 1-4 record.

What’s going on?

This staff seemed to be fine heading into the season with highly touted transfers and returning starters, but now it needs fixing, quickly. Injuries and depth have hurt OSU’s pitching this season.

Ryan Bogusz, considered to be a weekend starter at the beginning of the season, is slowly coming back to full strength following a shoulder injury. He’s pitched 10.1 innings in six appearances and gave up four runs.

BYU transfer Janzen Kiesel is another candidate for a starting spot but is also returning from a shoulder injury.

Morgyn Wynne bolted to her room and bawled.

It was May 2022, and OSU was hosting the NCAA Regional round in Stillwater. The Cowgirls made quick work of the opening round, winning the three games they played, but Wynne went 0-2 on the weekend, and hadn’t put a ball in play since April 20 against Tulsa.

She failed to record a hit the rest of the season. That’s how her senior year went.

After three seasons at Kansas she transferred to OSU with leading a championship-caliber team in the forefront of her mind. The Cowgirls were headed toward postseason success, but without the aid of Wynne.

The once All-Big 12 player couldn’t even see the field in Stillwater.

Now, Wynne’s recaptured her love for softball, playing a pivotal role in the Cowgirls’ success on the field. Off the field, she’s built a resume that can compete with any studentathlete in the country. She’s back to being the driven, full-of-life Morgyn.

Laying on her bed last May, Morgyn never envisioned the success she’s enjoying now.

Morgyn’s mother, Caroline Wynne, had been waiting for her daughter to arrive at her apartment. Standing in her daughter’s

kitchen and asked Morgyn how she was holding up, only to be answered with silence.

Morgyn walked into her room, closed the door and the tears flowed. She said felt like a failure. She wasn’t good enough to play at Oklahoma State; she should have known. Everyone at her old school was right, she made the wrong choice. “I just didn’t enjoy softball,” Morgyn said.

Caroline gave her daughter 10 minutes to cry. She needed to get it out.

Then the mother walked through the door into her daughter’s room to figure out what was wrong.

They carried out plenty of heavy conversations throughout Morgyn’s challenging season, but

this was different. This seemed like the beginning of the end.

“I thought, ‘Oh gosh, this is it,’” Caroline said. “I really thought that was her breaking point.”

Caroline peered down at her lone daughter, her strong-willed, independent Morgyn, and told her it wasn’t all about softball. She did so much off the field in her time at OSU, swiftly becoming a primary leadership figure for the Big 12. Her life was about more than taking the field at Cowgirl Stadium.

Green’s spring of change

waiting to be picked up.

Braden Bush Assistant Sports Editor

Blaine Green doesn’t have to sit and wait for a ride anymore.

It used to be common. Blaine and his twin brother, Bryson, shared a car, inevitably leaving one of them stranded and at the mercy of the other,

But that’s not the case anymore as Bryson transferred to Wisconsin in the offseason and Blaine stayed behind at OSU.

“He’s got his own whip now,” Blaine said. “So hey, that’s a plus. I don’t have to wait for him to pick me up… that’s maybe one of the upsides.

“But other than that, I do miss him, for sure.”

It’s been an offseason of change for Blaine, who is

transitioning to life on campus without his brother and making the transition from Cowboy back to wide receiver this season.

“He had his decision, I had mine,” Blaine said.

“I feel like this was the best for me to stay.”

Blaine, a redshirt sophomore, started his OSU career as a wide receiver alongside his brother and was third on the team with 314 receiving yards in 2021. He was also used

as a Cowboy back because his 6-foot1, 220-pound frame – which is nearly 20 pounds heavier than most receivers on the roster –made him a reliable blocker.

Last spring, Blaine made the full-time switch to Cowboy back to utilize his passcatching and blocking abilities. But in mid-August, a wrist injury ended his season and the prospect of a receiving-heavy Cowboy back.

Sam

Staff Reporter

The faded Wilson Ultra basketball, with its composite tan leather shell long since worn down to a white, fuzzy exterior, is in no danger of rolling off a gleaming wooden desk in Mike Boynton’s office. The hole that was cut into it years ago keeps it still.

And though it rests among cool sports memorabilia decorating Boynton’s office — a framed Henry Iba picture, a Cade Cunningham-signed basketball and the softball he tossed out the first pitch with at Cowgirl Stadium — the beat-up ball holds a special place.

The ball gives Boynton perspective. It is from the Remember the Ten memorial in a Colorado pasture a few miles off I-70. The memorial honors the ten members of the OSU basketball team that died in a January 27, 2001, plane crash. There is a pole at the monument where a basketball is affixed.

In 2020, Jason Pogue, OSU’s Director of Fiscal Operations for the Vice President for Research, wanted to replace the ball at the pole with a new one from the Cowboy basketball team. After getting the team staff’s blessing — and a brand-new ball— Pogue made the road trip and completed the swap, gouging a hole in the new ball with a box knife to place it on the pole.

“It never dawned on me what I might do with the old one, other than just throw it in my car and throw it away when I got home,” Pogue said. “When you get out there and walk those long steps down to the pole which marks the actual sight of the crash, it’s kind of a weird, emotional feeling.”

He resolved to give it to Boynton, who graciously accepted it at a small ceremony with his team after practice one day.

Though the ball may look a little out of place in Boynton’s office that once overlooked Boone Pickens Stadium before a jumbotron was installed, he understands the humble significance of it.

Ashton Slaughter

Staff Reporter

See Wynne on 7B

From Friday to Sunday, OSU will host its second annual “Orange Power Weekend.”

Three OSU sports teams will be in Stillwater to play multiple games over the course of the three days.

The Cowboy baseball team, who have been to 20 College World Series, will host West Virginia for a three game series — one of the last home series of the year.

The Cowgirl softball team, ranked No. 3 in the country, will play Iowa State.

The Cowgirls have been to three-consecutive Women’s College World Series and won the 2022 Big 12 championship.

On Saturday, the 17th annual Remember the Ten run will take place, honoring those who died in a plane crash on Jan. 27, 2001. Runners will participate in either a fun run, a 5K or a 10K race. Instead of a spring football game, there will be a 30-minute meet and greet at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center for fans to get autographs and take pictures with a number of OSU football players.

The Cowboy tennis team will host Texas Tech and Baylor at the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center on Friday and Sunday respectively. OSU will host the 2024 NCAA D-1 Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships there.

ORANGE POWER WEEKEND

Baseball Schedule: Friday at 6 p.m.

Saturday at 6 p.m.

Sunday at Noon

Softball Schedule: Friday at 6 p.m.

Saturday at 2 p.m.

Sunday at Noon

Remember the Ten Run:

Saturday at 8 a.m.

Men’s Tennis Schedule: Friday at 6 p.m.

Sunday at 1 p.m.

Football Meet-andGreet:

Saturday from 1:30-2 p.m.

What to know about OSU football’s meet-and-greet

Instead of a spring football game, Oklahoma State will host a meetand-greet for fans to meet, get autographs, take photos and even throw a football around with players at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center on Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 2.

Construction inside Boone Pickens Stadium restricts the team hosting a spring game with the multi-million dollar renovations made to the field and stands.

Fans can park in Lot 9 and 9A and will congregate at the west side of the training center within the black fence. The curtain will be lowered as practice

continues. But once it is raised, fans will be able to watch the final minutes of practice.

Once practice ends, fans can walk onto the field and have 30 minutes to talk with any players made available. Some players may have lines of fans waiting.

17th Annual Remember the Ten Run

Now, Bryson, John Paul Richardson, Stephon Johnson Jr. and Braydon Johnson – more than 52% of OSU’s receiving yards last season –aren’t with the program. And with the abolishment of the Cowboy back position and return of the tight end, OSU’s needs are different. That means a new role for Blaine. Or rather a return to a familiar spot.

“It’s definitely weird,” Blaine said. “I know I had bulked up just to try to fit that role (Cowboy back) on my team. I’ve been asked to be a wide receiver again, so I’m just trying to fit my role on

Boynton...

“It’s really, really tragic,” Boynton said. “I do think in some ways, somehow being connected to this story is a part of my journey also, in a small way. When you become the head coach at Oklahoma State for basketball, this comes with it.”

Boynton said he respects how Eddie Sutton, OSU’s basketball coach in 2001, was a steadfast leader and comforter in that dark time, and how he led the university and a basketball team finishing a season at the same time.

It’s why Boynton always participates in the Remember the Ten run — an annual 5K and 10K race held in honor of the 10 — and emphasizes the importance

of the anniversary like a lifelong OSU Cowboy.

Chad Weiberg, OSU’s athletic director, has a deep connection to the crash. His brother Jared, a student manager, was one of the 10 men killed.

“(Boynton) does a great job (remembering the ten),” Weiberg said. “I really appreciate it. I appreciate him and all of the staff, you know, of course, that’s the tone set by him…it’s not even just the anniversary.

Boynton likes waking early. He carries two phones, and the morning is the only time where he can exercise and work in peace without either of them buzzing. Getting up early to ready for a 5K race — which he has a propensity to finish in under 30 minutes, given his competitive spirit — is a welcome activity.

“The run is another opportunity to let people know that we care about them,” Boynton said. “We know that they’re still hurting. It doesn’t matter how much time passes. It will never be easy for those families.”

So what does Boynton think of when he glances at the ball every day?

“I think of the families,” Boynton said. “I think of myself, in this sense. I was a college athlete at this time. Why that group? Why that team? Why that group of people? Why those folks? There’s a reason I’m a faithful person. Their story is living on. So that’s what I think of. God is working through this university, through their lives and their families.”

this team to my best ability. And I’ve dropped some weight – I’m feeling a little bit faster and stuff.”

Blaine never played tight end in high school, so receiver is more natural. After bulking last spring, Blaine said he is down to 217 pounds and gaining quickness.

More importantly, Blaine has recovered and is resuming development after a lost season.

“He hasn’t been healthy,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “Luckily, up until now, he’s had a really good month. We need him to finish healthy, have a good summer, get his body where it needs to be based on what we’re asking him to do. And then he should start continuing to improve because now he can play.”

But for the first time, Blaine won’t be improving in

the same wide receiver room as Bryson. They haven’t spent much time apart outside of it, either. Just the few moments between the twins’ births.

“Six whole minutes,” Blaine said. “He’s little bro.” No love was lost with Bryson’s decision to transfer. They still talk on the phone every day and play video games with each other. They even go over playbooks, just as they did in Stillwater. Blaine said Bryson calls him to help learn the plays at Wisconsin.

Some things don’t change.

“You might see me in a Wisconsin jersey every now and then,” Blaine said, “but other than that, I’m praying for his best, he’s praying for mine.”

Blaine Green had 314 receiving yards in 2021, then missed his sophomore season with a wrist injury.

Golden finds treasure in track

scored game-winning shots and earned AllState recognition.

“In high school, I was a really good shooter,” she said. “I could play defense, and everyone can do that at the collegiate level.”

But not everyone can match Golden’s track achievements.

Josh Langley asked the same question to Bailey Golden about 10 to 12 times.

‘‘Why are you picking track over basketball?”

Langley, OSU’s throws, multis and pole vault coach, recruited several multi-sport athletes and the result usually didn’t favor track.

Except for Golden. At least partly.

Golden appeared in five games for the Cowgirls basketball squad her sophomore year while competing in track but reached the answer to the question. She won a high school state basketball championship for Choctaw,

What’s

So, Golden, equipped with a desire to accomplish the unaccomplished, immersed herself in track, crushed four school records and boasts Division I’s second-best heptathlon score this season with a win at the Jim Click Invitational in Arizona last week. The Big 12 named her the Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.

“I just kinda wanted to see where I could get with track,” she said. “I haven’t really done anything with it in high school so I just wanted to see where I could go.”

The heptathlon, a

mix-match of track and field events, tests athletes’ versatility. Langley said he looks for all-around athleticism in recruits.

“I saw the same demeanor on the basketball court that I see on the track,” Langley said. “Doesn’t get intimidated. Doesn’t get rattled. I think the night that I went to go see her play she put up maybe 28 points.”

Golden insists basketball skills don’t translate to heptathlon except for the jumps, the events she performed in high school. She warned her coaches she wouldn’t compete if she had to run.

Now, she must. In a sport of specialization, Golden does anything but that.

“I would’ve got bored,” she said. “Josh recruiting me as a multi when I came in.”

In the summer, Golden visits the track three to four times a week, dials Langley’s number and requests her coach’s supervision and teaching. Anything to

improve.

“After her first year, I wasn’t surprised at where she is now because of her work ethic,” Langley said. “It’s unlike any athlete I’ve ever coached. She just wants to work. She is willing to put in so much extra time.”

Golden, who Langley described as an “OK” high school long jumper, owns the program record and the jump helped her qualify for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

She balances track with a biology pre-med major and will return in the fall to pursue a master’s degree in forensics with hopes of possibly working for the FBI. Golden seeks All-American status in June and her heptathlon mark will likely remain strong enough to qualify for nationals.

“She doesn’t get stressed,” Langley said. “I’ve never heard her complain about her workload. She just gets it done.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Dailey Jr. signs with OSU men’s basketball

OSU men’s basketball cemented its high-profile recruiting class on Wednesday, as four-star recruit Eric Dailey Jr. signed his letter of intent to join the program.

A 6-foot-7 forward from Florida’s IMG Academy, Dailey has a previous relationship with OSU coach Mike Boynton, which he cited as a factor in his decision to play for the Cowboys. Boynton serves as an assistant for USA Basketball,

where he and Dailey won a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in summer 2022.

“I’ve known Eric for most of his life and I am beyond thrilled that he has chosen to become part of our program along his life’s journey to become a pro,” Boynton said.

The top-50 recruit committed to OSU on Jan. 13, choosing the Cowboys over Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan and others.

With his combination of size and strength, Dailey pro -

OSU’s 2023 Recruiting Class in Rankings:

Rivals: No. 9

ESPN: No. 10 24/7 Sports: No. 11

OSU’s 2023 Recruiting Class (ESPN):

- Four-star center Brandon Garrison, Del City

- Four-star forward Eric Dailey Jr., Bradenton, Florida

- Four-star forward Justin McBride, Plano, Texas

- Four-star guard Jamyron Keller, Killeen, Texas

- Three-star forward Connor Dow, Broken Arrow

vides great versatility on the defensive end of the ball. The left-handed forward also brings a reliable jumper and good playmaking to the offensive end and has shown the ability to be effective on the boards.

“He is a really dynamic playmaker with the ability to create shots for himself and his teammates,” Boynton said. “We look forward to his versatility on both ends of the court.”

Dailey joins OSU’s recruiting class that consists of five-star center and McDonald’s All-American Brandon Garrison, two top-150 national prospects in Justin McBride and Jamryon Keller, and Connor Dow. ESPN ranked the class No. 10 and Rivals ranked it No. 9, marking the second time since 2020 that Boynton and the Cowboys have put together a top-10 national class.

“Eric’s parents have raised a hard-working, respectful and goal-oriented young man who possesses a high-level desire to succeed,” Boynton said. “He wants his team to win more than anything and has always been a great teammate.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Kiesel had a great first start for OSU in February versus California Baptist, striking out 11 batters, but has since pitched six innings and given up 13 runs.

With two starting candidates healing to recovery, OSU is down to two regular starting pitchers – Juaron Watts-Brown and Ben Abram. Watts-Brown is the Big 12 leader in strikeouts with 73 and Abram is consistent with solid starts, but this past weekend didn’t bode well for the two. They surrendered five runs at TCU.

For Abram, it’s his third-consecutive start allowing four runs or more, he also has 23 strikeouts in that span.

OSU pitching coach Rob Walton said they have a blueprint to fix that.

“He’s got a five-pitch mix, it’s good,” Walton said in an exclusive interview with The O’Colly. “But it all comes down, for every guy, the ability to repeat, the ability to execute quality pitches over a period of time. So far this year through four or five innings it’s good. The fifth, sixth inning is where he starts to lose a bit of it, but we’ve got a plan to get through that.”

On Tuesday night when Walton exchanged the ball from Davis to Root, Davis surrendered six runs in the eighth inning to Oral Roberts, leading to a loss.

Walton said the game comes quick for Davis and others in the bullpen like him who are seeing criticalinning action for the first time.

“Guy has got an electric arm in Gabe, where the game runs fast for him,” Walton said. “He didn’t pitch his senior year of high school. He didn’t pitch this fall because he was hurt. Now he’s trying to learn in the middle of this deal. It’s difficult because he doesn’t have the same advantages as some of the other guys, but that doesn’t mean stop trying to develop a guy.”

Since Bogusz and Kiesel are progressing to 100%, the Cowboys have been forced to start usual relief guys. This causes bullpen days like Tuesday, where eight Cowboys pitched. It doesn’t help that star center fielder and closer Nolan McClean is out with an injury for an undisclosed amount of time.

The inexperience and inconsistency of the bullpen gives way for opponents to score many runs in an inning, especially in late-game situations.

“We will shut anybody out through seven (innings), but we’ll give up five, six, seven, eight, nine (runs) in a particular inning because basically they are all new,” Walton said. “They’re all either a freshman or a transfer. They are all new. So, the level of competition goes up. The level of skills gotta go up and there’s going to be a learning curve that goes along with it. You gotta live with the bad and the good.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Cordia

Eric Dailey Jr.

signed

File Photo

Rob Walton is in his 10th year as OSU’s pitching coach and assistant coach.

Courtesy of OSU Athletics

Bailey Golden (right) played on the OSU women’s basketball team in 2019-20 but decided to fully commit to track and field.

Adam

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

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

Help Wanted

Yost Lake (private lake located northeast of Stillwater) is hiring certified lifeguards to work Saturday-Sunday from May 25th-September 3rd and July 3rd-4th. $15/hr with bonus and paid uniform. Call/text Cathy at (405)788.6435 to apply.

Business Squares Business Squares Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin”

550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (04/14/23). You’re on top of the world this year. You can accom plish what you dedicate time and energy for. Springtime delivers satisfying personal rewards. Adapting around summer financial challenges together deepens autumn partnership and romance. Make personal financial changes for gro Savor the prizes.

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 a 7 — Discuss, coordinate and sort resources. Keep your patience with delays. Build a bucket brigade to bail someone out. Together, you can move mountains.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Look for professional opportunities hiding behind changes. Solutions around blockages arise in conversation. Clean messes for extra reward. Read the small print before signing.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Learn from a talented teacher. Simplify your investigation. Reinforce the basics. Make backup plans for travel or shipping. Patient connection can open valuable doors.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate patiently. Avoid wasting time and money with financial arguments. Budget for value. Focus on marketing, fundraising and investments. You’re building for the future.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Listen carefully to your partner. Avoid automatic reactions. Misunderstandings abound. Compromise for now and work it out later. Share encouragement and support. Provide stability.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Focus on what you know works. Don’t push into a brick wall. Follow the rules. Keep lines of communication open. Nurture yourself and grow stronger.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Relax and focus on fun. Don’t stir up jealousies. Miscommunications and delays could frustrate. Patiently persist. Find creative solutions. Connect with people you love.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Home is where your heart is. Share family support. Clean house. Strengthen foundational structures to keep systems flowing. Plant seedlings and tend your garden.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Connect with your creative muses. Capture ideas onto paper, files or film. Edit carefully before publishing. Practice diplomacy. Controversies and misunderstandings abound. Consider multiple views.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Carefully check financial statements and invoices. Mistakes, miscommunications and delays could slow cash flow. Collaborate to keep balances positive. Kindness and patience returns magnified.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Keep your eyes on the prize. A personal challenge requires patience and self-discipline. Clarify misunderstandings or misinformation. Steadily build for a personal dream.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 6 — Savor peaceful, private spaces. Keep secrets and confidences. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Write your own story.

FOR RELEASE APRIL 14, 2023

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS

1 Pizza chain in many food courts

7 Mark Cuban’s NBA team

13 Blue state

15 Fútbol chant

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Pam Amick Klawitter

Level 1 2 3 4

Solution 4/14/23

Cowgirls readying to defend national championship in Ocala

tive overall championships, doing so in 201819.

OKC Spark represent softball’s growth, prominence in Oklahoma

The love for softball continues to grow in Oklahoma, opening a window for a women’s sport long left strictly to the amateurs.

Nine women are joining the newest addition to the Oklahoma sports world. The Oklahoma City Spark is the newest softball team in the state and in Women’s Professional Fastpitch.

Three of the squad’s nine players nine are from Oklahoma – Lynnsie Elam, Sydney Sherrill and former Cowgirl Chelsea Alexander.

“It means the world to me to be able to represent my home state as a professional athlete,”

Alexander said. “As a kid who wasn’t highly recruited and I just played softball because I loved the sport, my softball career has been unbelievable.”

While Alexander grew up in Latta, some Spark players are familiar with Oklahoma for other reasons. Players such as Team USA pitcher Keilani Ricketts and all-time NCAA homerun leader Jocelyn Alo played at the University of Oklahoma.

“I’m just hoping to leave my mark,” Alo said. “I just want to help any of the up-and-coming girls that want to play professional softball. I just hope to continue to grow the game no matter where I am playing. So, I think that by me playing in this will help the women to come have better opportunities and exposure.”

Alexander faced off against Sherrill in the Women’s College World Series in 2021, and

against Alo, Elam and Rickett while the three played at OU for five seasons. Sherrill played for Florida State.

“I’m really excited to play with all of my future teammates,” Alexander said. “Everyone asks about playing with OU girls, the Spark roster is full of really good players and even better people. I think there’s a lot of respect for each because of the programs that we come from.”

Softball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Its high-paced play has attracted fans, especially in Oklahoma. The Sooners seek their third straight national championship in June while the Cowgirls look for their first after three straight Women’s College World Series appearances. Rogers State won the 2022 Division II national championship with 16 Oklahomans on its roster. Oklahoma City University won last year’s NAIA championship.

The 2022 WCWS final’s viewership peaked at 2.1 million viewers, according to ESPN. The same year, the Men’s College World Series only peaked at 1.9 million viewers for their most watched game in the tournament.

“People are realizing how much fun it is to watch and it’s getting the recognition it deserves,” Alexander said. “For Oklahoma, it’s incredible. OU continues to do what they do and set the standard in college softball, but to see OSU right there at the top holding their own is exciting. Having a professional team based in OKC makes a lot of sense and I’m excited to see how the community comes together to support

the organization.”

Cowgirl Chyenne Factor, a fifth-year senior outfielder, played with Alexander for multiple seasons. Factor grew up in Yukon.

“This is a softball state, so I think this will bring in big crowds there,” Factor said. With the continuous growth of the league and the addition of the Oklahoma City Spark, more girls can aim toward their dreams of being professional athletes. The flourishing of this female sport gives opportunities for players such as Alexander to give back to the sport.

“Just like any 18-year-old coming to college, I had a lot to learn,” Alexander said. “Playing at OSU taught me a lot of responsibility because I was always representing something more than myself. I learned to take pride in that, as well as take pride in representing myself. One of the biggest things I learned was to be confident in myself and my abilities, whether that was on or off the field.”

OSU continues to add to the reasons for Oklahoma being nicknamed “the softball state”. Coach Kenny Gajewski describes the attitude his team has toward the growth of softball as “the Cowgirl way.”

“The Cowgirl way is relentless,” Gajewski said. “I think we play like that. We’ve immersed ourselves in this town, community, Payne County and the state of Oklahoma… I see all of these little kids running around here… and I think that tells you how it has impacted those kids.”

There is a small red countdown clock in the barn of OSU’s equestrian center. The digital display shares a wall with horse stalls and is placed at eye level. It provides an unrelenting reminder, counting down the seconds until the next matchup. This week, Georgia was the team name emblazoned under the red numbers.

It’s time to update the team name under the sign. No. 3 OSU defeated No. 6 Georgia 13-7 Thursday afternoon in the NCEA Championship quarterfinals. OSU advances and will face Auburn in the semifinals.

The Cowgirls won their first NCEA National Championship in 2022 and are attempting to repeat. Their next opponent, Auburn, was the last program to win consecu-

OSU enters the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, fresh off a Big 12 Championship. The Cowgirls beat TCU and Baylor on consecutive days to capture their third straight Big 12 crown. “Our girls are riding extremely well right now and have become even closer the past few weeks,” OSU coach Larry Sanchez said. “This is setting up to be an exciting championship.”

OSU returns 13 of 16 starters from the 2022 lineup, so the expectation around the program is to compete for another title.

Multiple Cowgirls critical to last year’s success are ready to lead the team through the postseason again.

Sophomore Quincee Clark rides a five-match unbeaten streak into the championships. She is 8-2 this season and provides valuable experience, as she won two points at the national championships last season.

Last year, the weight of entire season came to rest on senior

Sydnie Ziegler. The only way OSU could win the title was if Ziegler could outscore Texas A&M’s Kaitlyn Lovingfoss in the final ride of the day.

Ziegler took a turn too tightly and disrupted her horse’s stride. Her ride was good, but not perfect. Nerves skyrocketed as everyone in the arena shifted focus on the score read over the public address. Ziegler’s score of 250.5 edged Lovingfoss’ score, giving OSU the championship.

Ziegler said she doesn’t remember what happened next. Lots of jumping around, hugging and tears in Ziegler’s case, tears.

“That’s a year’s worth of work and being at workouts at 5:45 in the morning and practicing, taking care of the horses,” Sanchez said. “It’s a year of hard work and it paid off. And it only pays off for one team.”

That’s the feeling the Cowgirls are chasing. And they think they can get there.

“I think as long as we keep pushing, we have the talent,” Ziegler said.

Ben Hutchens Staff Reporter

Tessa Dorrell Staff Reporter

File Photo

Former OSU softball player Chelsea Alexander, from Latta, will play for the OKC Spark.

Continued from page 1B

The two talked it out and effectively altered Morgyn’s outlook on her career. She didn’t break.

Now, 11 months later, Wynne is finding continued success off-the-field, while simultaneously proving her worth on-the-field. It wasn’t easy, but she has rediscovered what’s most important to her. Softball.

Damion and Caroline Wynne’s sons knew what they wanted for Christmas. Sitting in the living room of their California home, the parents of the (at the time) four Wynne boys asked every child’s favorite question: “What’s on your Christmas list?”

Brandon, Devyn, Cameron and Nathyn all wanted the same thing.

A baby sister.

“We were like, ‘Good luck with that,’” Damion said with a laugh, recalling the moment in the living room. “But, being a family of faith, we prayed about it and said that if it was God’s will, it would happen.”

Shortly thereafter, Caroline was pregnant, and the two decided they weren’t going to find out the gender of the baby until its birth.

But Caroline couldn’t resist. Damion didn’t want to know, but she did.

So, she promised to not tell her husband the gender of their fifth child. When the time came for an ultrasound, Damion stepped out of the room, leaving Caroline with a nurse to determine whether they were having another boy or a girl.

“We waited a couple of seconds, just so he could get further enough to where he couldn’t hear,” Caroline said.

The results were in: they were having a girl. Caroline couldn’t help herself, screaming out of pure excitement.

Damion reentered the room and didn’t need to ask his wife what happened, he knew.

“Ah, we’re having a girl.”

Morgyn loves to sing.

Growing up, she loved to grab the biggest kitchen utensil she could find and turn it into a microphone. The world was her stage.

“I always say I think in my past life I was a performer or in my next life I’ll be a performer,” Wynne said.

She wouldn’t always sing songs, though. Wynne often found herself in her room, on the opposite end of the hallway to her brothers belting her heart out. This would commonly get an emphatic “Shut up” from down the hall to which she would sing back, “Now they’re telling me to shut up.”

This carried on to the eighth-grade talent show, where she sang Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning,” and even now to the Cowgirl locker room, where her teammates say she still sings now.

Accompanying her love for singing came her love for sports. Wynne started cheerleading when she was 5 and took up softball at 9.

Her parents put her into softball, wanting to see what she could do. The Wynnes were a baseball family, so it seemed right for her to try out a diamond sport.

She excelled, quickly.

The success prompted a sit-down with her father. She couldn’t do cheerleading and softball, so she had to pick one and put her all into it.

At 10, it was an easy call for Morgyn.

“Well, I don’t see my cheerleading idols on TV, but I see my softball idols on TV, and I want to be on TV one day,” Wynne said about her thought process.

“From there, I just knew I wanted to be a softball player.”

Just like that, she was all in. Morgyn started training with Ernie Munoz, a softball and baseball coach who currently coaches the Lady Magic, a competitive, 14U travel softball team in California.

Munoz saw her talent. When she hit the ball, it was different.

“When she was about 13, she hit the ball as hard as anybody,” Munoz said. “She’s always had that going for her. The bat speed and the power was just different.”

When Morgyn left home, she didn’t even cry. Sure, she was going to miss Concord, California, and her family, but she was excited about this new adventure. The only adjustment she had to make came in the winter, when she saw snow for the first time. Other than that, it was smooth sailing.

“She doesn’t fear anything,” Damion said. “She doesn’t fear the unknown.”

As a freshman, Morgyn led the Jayhawks in home runs and batting average, earning her a spot on the 2019 Big 12 All-Freshman team. The following year in a shortened season because of COVID-19, Morgyn put up single-game career highs in home runs and RBIs against Rutgers, hinting she had improved since her impressive first college season. Yet it was during her junior year when her play elevated.

a low-key, small town. Something that Morgyn had been used to her whole life. On her visit to OSU, her mom noticed it, too, and knew she needed to be a Cowgirl.

“When I’m with her, I can see that this is where she believed she needed to be,” Caroline said. Ultimately, Gajewski sold Wynne on the program. The program that consistently succeeds on-the-field, while also growing its women off the field.

So, Morgyn headed south, hanging up her Jayhawk feathers for Cowgirl boots.

*****

Coming off a career season at Kansas, there were lofty expectations for Wynne with the No. 5-ranked team in the country.

She never folded under pressure, it’s where she has shined in the past. But this time it was different. The expectations got the best of her.

College coaches and scouts noticed, leading to a full-scholarship offer from the University of Kansas.

“I figured it was going to be the biggest and best deal that I was going to get, so I just picked it,” Wynne said.

Morgyn led the Jayhawks in hits, home runs and RBI, among other categories. Four of those RBI came during their home series against OSU, where Morgyn made a significant impression on Kenny Gajewski.

“She hit a home run off Kelly (Maxwell) and I was like, ‘Damn, OK,’” Gajewski said.

The eye-popping numbers landed her on the All-Big 12 Second Team, making her career as a Jayhawk even more decorated.

Still, despite the numbers and the accolades, something was missing.

The program wasn’t pushing her enough. Morgyn said she felt as if she wasn’t around other top-notch players, leaving her craving more.

She told her parents she wanted to transfer, to leave the team and program that she had been with since the beginning of her teenage years.

Such a move was met with pushback, especially from her father.

“I’m not a creature of change, and we were all in,” Damion said. “We were Jayhawks.”

On the surface, it seemed like a questionable decision. Morgyn was a star player for the Jayhawks, getting a free education.

“I was looking for a program with more like-minded individuals, wanting to do more, wanting to perform at the highest level,” she said. “I just wasn’t content with mediocrity.”

She entered the transfer portal, leaving Lawrence behind.

Stillwater felt a lot like Lawrence,

“When I got here, I felt like I had some really big shoes to fill,” Morgyn said. “Just being in a new program and feeling like I had to prove myself. Then it just went disastrously.”

Morgyn’s playing time dwindled. She couldn’t stay on the field consistently, and eventually lost her starting spot at first base to Hayley Busby. Even when Morgyn got an opportunity, it typically didn’t go her way. Morgyn’s batting average dipped from a career-best .355 to .235 in her first season as a Cowgirl. Her softball career was going downhill, and she felt helpless.

“I didn’t like going in every day and putting in a lot of blood, sweat and tears for something I wasn’t getting any payoff from,” Morgyn said. “It felt like I was working so hard to keep my head above water, but I was constantly drowning. I was working so hard but never getting any better.”

That prompted heart-to-heart conversations like the one in Morgyn’s apartment last May. Her father, mother and oldest brother, Brandon, were often on the receiving end.

Brandon related to his sister’s situation. He was a college athlete, who like his sister, once felt like he wasn’t getting enough playing time. So, Brandon left the Eastern Oregon football team to play baseball at Folsom Lake College in California.

He didn’t want his sister to follow in his footsteps.

“I didn’t want her to make the same mistakes I did,” Brandon said. “It’s so, so easy to become a cancer on the team, it’s easy to sit at the end of the bench and not cheer for everybody.”

So, Morgyn stuck with OSU. Even through all the ups and downs.

Read full story at ocolly.com

Courtesy of Morgan Wynne

Morgyn Wynne’s off-the-field resume is impressive, and she’s confident too. So confident she told OSU Athletic Director, Chad Weiberg, that she wants “a bigger job” than his.

She doesn’t fear anything. She doesn’t fear the unknown.

Damion Wynne

File Photo

Caroline Wynne took notice, her daughter needed to be a Cowgirl. “This is where she believed she needed to be,” Caroline said when recalling her OSU visit.

OSU’s intramural G.O.A.T.

over intramurals behind.

His obsession started in his Beta fraternity house when someone told him the record for championships was in the 40s.

finding a way to win more often than not,” Mahoney said. “But, damn, when he’s on your team he’s the best teammate ever. You love him to death.”

Ben Hutchens Staff Reporter

Beau Fraley became an expert at drawing charges in wheelchair basketball.

It’s simple, Fraley explained. He was quicker in a wheelchair than most opponents. All he had to do was establish position in the paint, lock both wheels and wait for someone to ram him.

That’s the mentality it takes to become the most decorated intramural athlete in OSU history. Fraley attended OSU’s business school from 2012-17, but intramurals became his identity on campus. Statistically, Fraley is the greatest intramural athlete in OSU history. He stands alone with 52 championships. His 394 wins are 124 more than the next student. He has more wins than any other student has games played.

Fraley was just built different.

He stands only 5-foot-7 and isn’t dripping with athleticism, but had enough to play several sports at Bixby High School. He received JUCO baseball offers but declined because he hated working out.

Wheelchair basketball is one of 45 intramural sports Fraley played. He participated in every major team sport, of course, but also played handball and inner tube water polo. The only one Fraley said he didn’t play was badminton, because he wasn’t good. Fraley said his secret to success was his tenacity and recruiting ability.

Six years removed from college, Fraley works as a nurse in Edmond. He got married in October and thinks of his college days less and less. Fraley is leaving his days of finagling, rule-bending and obsessing

“I was like, ‘Dang that’s incredible, I want to beat that,’” Fraley said. He signed up for everything, keeping track of it all in excel. His record is six games in one night.

“I treated school like a job,” Fraley said. “From 8-to-5 I was studying, doing homework that way all of my evenings I could play intramurals from 6 to 11.”

The work began at the mandatory captains’ meetings. As other kids played on their phones, Fraley scoured the rule book. He knew teams weren’t allowed more than two club players on a roster, so he kept track of club team rosters. He would play games against teams he knew were ineligible, and if he lost, file an appeal. Looking back, Fraley said he isn’t proud of a lot of things he did to win.

“I was not necessarily kind and gracious about that all the time,” Fraley said. “Obviously, older and wiser now I can see I was a little bit of a tool at times.”

Jordan Mahoney graduated from OSU in 2017 and played intramurals frequently. He said his first three years of college he hated Fraley.

“He was smart enough to read the rule books forward and backward so he would know how to bend the rules,” Mahoney said. “If he got a ref who he could tell didn’t know what the rule was, he could push and shove and try to bend as much in his favor as he could.”

Fraley’s will to win made him enemies, but also devoted teammates. In Mahoney’s senior year, he played club volleyball with Fraley and the two became friends. Mahoney was a groomsman in Fraley’s wedding.

“He’s that guy that you hate playing against him because he’s going to end up

Fraley developed a reputation in the intramural office. Chris Grider played against Fraley’s teams, but also encountered him as a referee and intramural supervisor.

“Everyone knew who he was,” Grider said. “At the intramural office, it wasn’t a dislike, but it was a definite warning to pick up on. Like you got to put your best referees on those games, people have to know what’s going on.”

Fraley’s competitiveness carried him too far his senior year. He body-checked an opponent in indoor soccer and had choice words for the referee who carded him. That was one strike. Fraley’s trash talk in a basketball game incited an opponent to slap him across the face. When Fraley clapped as a technical foul was issued, he was also ejected. That was his second strike, and he was suspended.

Fraley was devastated. He wrote a letter to the office sharing what intramurals had done for him. Fraley struggled with depression in college. Intramurals is where he got outside, let his endorphins out and where he was happiest. People knew him as Beau the intramural guy, not Beau Fraley.

He asked to be reinstated, even if just for volleyball and softball, his two favorite sports. The intramural office reinstated him. Fraley took it as he was free to play all sports, but when he checked in for a wheelchair basketball game, he was pulled off the court and permanently banned. A miscommunication supplied an ignominious end to the career of OSU’s most decorated intramural athlete.

Today, Fraley’s name doesn’t hold much weight on campus. His accomplishments are mostly forgotten as new generations of students cycle through. Even the OSU competitive sports supervisor, who was

a freshman in 2017, didn’t know the name. The only physical reminder of Fraley’s dominance is a plaque hanging on a wall in the intramural office showcasing Beta’s six-year run as Greek life intramural champions. Maybe that’s not enough respect for the greatest to ever to do it.

“I always joked and had a dream if I was ever rich enough, I would donate money

to the Colvin in hopes of getting a statue,” Fraley said. “I definitely was a 23-year-old cocky tool when I was saying that, but there is still a little part of me that would love that.”

For more intramural profiles visit ocolly.com

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Beau Fraley

Beau Fraley (middle) played 45 intramural sports in his time as a business student from 2012-17. Sand volleyball and softball were his favorites.