The O'Colly, Friday, October 25, 2024 by The O'Colly

Friday, October 25, 2024

Comics Cowboy

OSU alumnus to speak in Stillwater comic con

BY BELLA CASEY I STAFF REPORTER I @BELLACASEYYY

Abiology major left his classes and returned to his dorm to make comics. It was collegeaged John Wooley, a future Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductee, author and comic writer. The life-long comic enthusiast from Chelsea spent his teenage years searching second-hand shops for comics and writing his own whenever he could, and his love for them did not dwindle with age.

“People just didn’t know what to make of somebody past their teen years or in their late teen years that was still dealing with comic books,” Wooley said. “They were perceived as something for kids, and people really weren’t quite sure of people who were into comic books.”

That never stopped him.

Wooley and his friends founded the Comic Collectors Club, Oklahoma’s first comic club, in 1966, shortly before he attended OSU. He could be found on campus with his nose buried in an EC Horror Comic or disc jockeying for KVRO, the rock ‘n roll station on campus. He had a knack for writing and took electives in journalism, broadcasting and radio when he could.

Wooley recalled receiving a higher GPA in those elective classes than in his major. He decided to be a biology major because his mother advised him to get a degree he could “fall back on.” He stayed focused on comics and story writing in 1969, and he sent a story into “Eerie,” a horror magazine that featured some EC Horror Comic artists.

“I have never had a feeling in my life like I had when I opened my mailbox in Kerr Hall and got a thin envelope,” Wooley said. “(I) tore open the envelope, and I had a check for $25. They bought my story.”

That was the beginning of Wooley’s, award-winning writing career. Wooley wrote countless comics and novels, country music articles for the Tulsa World and produced radio programs and films.

About that biology degree: He used it for seven months at a Ralston Purina in Edmond.

“That was one of the worst jobs I ever had in my entire life,” Wooley said. “I went from there to the service. I was called on active duty. Spent two years in the service, one of those years taking marines to Vietnam, and that was a better job than working as a biologist.”

His passion for comics remained constant throughout this time, but the stigmas surrounding comic lovers changed.

Wooley said he believes comics have become more acceptable for all ages to enjoy because of the development of “nerd culture,” something he hypothesizes the internet and the TV show “The Big Bang Theory,” where main character Sheldon Cooper enjoyed comics, cultivated.

The Stillwater community is celebrating comic lovers of all kinds from all fandoms Saturday with Stillwater Lexicon, Stillwater’s mini comic con. The free event features a cosplay contest, drawing lessons, demonstrations, the Classic Tetris World Championship regional tournament, speakers and comics. Wooley will speak at 10:30 a.m. at the Stillwater Public Library.

Lexicon caters to comic enthusiasts of all ages, but it was born from the interests of a smaller demographic. Stillwater Public Library Circulation Supervisor Paula Long said library staff were thinking of possible programming for the library’s summer reading program in 2015, tossing around ideas such as costume contests when the concept of a mini comic con came up.

See COMICS on page 5A

Sea of misinformation Students

receive news from social media

LUISA CLAUSEN STAFF REPORTER @LUISACLAUSEN

When roommates Paityn Pitman and Jesalin Cole catch up at their dorm after classes and work, one phrase frequently comes up: “You won’t believe what I saw on TikTok.” Pitman and Cole, freshmen, get most of their information from social media apps, and both said that sometimes, distinguishing what is true or not may be a challenge.

“I’ll see a TikTok and completely believe it,” Cole said. “Then I’ll tell Paityn about it and then scroll more and then I see a video that completely contradicts it. So I’m like, ‘I don’t know,’ I feel like I could believe either or not.”

Cole and Pitman are not alone.

In four years, the share of adults who say they regularly get news from TikTok has grown about fivefold, from 3% in 2020 to 17% in 2024, and 86% of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news from a smartphone, computer or tablet, according to Pew Research Center. But why are people increasingly relying on social media for information, and what are the consequences of it?

For the roommates, TikTok offers instant gratification and quick information. They said they trust most of what comes across their “For You” page, even though not all the videos may offer fact-checked information.

Hocoween: Students prepare for two holidays

HAYDEN

Happy Halloween! Or should I say Homecoming?

It’s almost time for America’s Greatest Homecoming, and the campus is bustling as students and organizations prepare for the upcoming week.

Greek life is in the throws of battle, fighting with every pomp to conquer the last stand, AllNight Pomp. It’s a worthy venture, culminating in a celebration to rival OSU’s victory over OU last season.

Amid the welcome chaos, an interesting predicament arises: Halloween. The spookiest of all days falls on Oct. 31, smack in

the middle of Homecoming. For Greek life, Halloween is the same day as all-night pomp, and for the many other student organizations involved in Homecoming, the holiday comes at a hectic time.

This raises an interesting issue: When are students planning to celebrate Halloween?

It turns out students at OSU are adapting the ghoulish day to fit their Homecoming plans, and many find the holiday’s placement a fun addition to the festivities.

Members of the Paddle People, the heartbeat of BPS, are using Halloween to their advantage, dressing up in various orange and black costumes to scare the competition. Brielle Rotter, the member of its, said she is excited for a Halloween Homecoming game.

“It’s actually kind of cool because you get to dress up and then

you can go to the Homecoming game as what you want to be for Halloween,” Rotter said.

Rotter said she is still deciding what to dress up as, but she has a couple of ideas in the works.

“We’re trying to go for zombies,” Rotter said. “But we’re going to go off of what we think we can find.”

For some students, celebrations take place on Halloween. One student takes Halloween seriously. Noah Rainwater drew attention last year after a Halloween stunt earned him a few posts on the social media platform YikYak. How did Rainwater manage this brief moment of internet fame? He dressed up as the Flash, but he didn’t stop there. After putting on the speedster’s iconic costume, Rainwater ran across campus several times to show off his superhuman speed.

See TIKTOK on page 5A See HOCOWEEN on page 7A

Courtesy John Wooley

On December 12, 1969 the Daily O’Collegian published a feature on Wooley detailing his love for comics.

Courtesy Tribune News Service OSU students have noticed they increasingly rely on social media for news.

Bryson Thadhani

What’s your favorite scary movie? The O’Colly editorial board News

Kennedy Thomason, Editorin-chief

‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’

Based on my pick, you’ve probably guessed I don’t like scary movies. Every fall, I do my best to avoid them. I last watched this movie years ago, but one of its scenes still haunts me. For my fellow haters of scary movies, this could be the one for you.

Watch Indi as he takes a dangerous journey across India looking for treasure. The trip leads him and a few tag-alongs to a remote temple, where they watch as someone has their heart removed from their chest.

Watch it, or don’t. But that scene will always linger with me.

Hayden Alexander, News & Lifestyle editor

‘Fear Street Part Two: 1978’

“Hocus Pocus” is not technically scary, so it’s on to option number two. I love the entire “Fear Street” trilogy. Is it a psychological thriller or a macabre masterpiece? No, but I am here to have fun.

The 1978 chapter is my favorite because it recaptures the early 1970s and ‘80s slasher vibes in the same way “Stranger Things” encapsulates the nostalgia of the ‘80s (it doesn’t hurt that Sadie Sink stars in 1978).

The trilogy is based on R.L. Stine’s novels and weaves a supernatural storyline cleverly utilizing actors and creating mystery and intrigue.

I am not big on supernatural horror films; ghosts and other entities freak me out. However, despite the R rating, “Fear Street” does not keep me up at night and I have fun watching the trilogy.

Ashton Slaughter, Sports editor

I’m a big movie guy, but not really a horror movie fan; I don’t

Editor-in-Chief

Kennedy Thomason editorinchief@ocolly.com

Sports editor

Ashton Slaughter sports.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant sports editor

Parker Gerl sports.ed@ocolly.com

Design editor

Katie Lehew design.ed@ocolly.com

Social media editor

Bryson Thadhani news.ed@ocolly.com

find them all that enjoyable to just toss on.

So the closest to a horror you may get from me is something like Jordan Peele’s 2017 film “Get Out.” It’s a horror and thriller film mixed with some comedy and is one of the best films of the past decade. It’ll make you think but also give you a jump scare or two.

Raynee Howell, Assistant News & Lifestyle editor

‘Coraline’ I may be bullied for this, but the Other Mother and her button-eyes are enough for me, and anyone sane, to consider this a scary movie. Even with no mention of Halloween, it is a Halloween staple, and shockingly, marketed as a children’s movie.

I was a wimp as a child, and I still am. Anything scarier than this, I will not be watching, respectfully.

Parker Gerl, Assistant Sports editor

‘Halloween’ (1978)

I’ve got to go with the original to my favorite series. We see Michael Myers escape from an asylum, spawning the next 45 years of the franchise.

The pale white mask. The theme music. Myers’ slow strut. Everything about the 1978 movie, and the series as a whole, is elite.

Payton Little, Photo e ditor

‘Scream’ is my favorite scary movie because of the actor who portrays Billy Loomis, Skeet Ul-

rich. I love watching his preformance in this film because of his acting skill range; he is also quite handsome, I won’t lie. I also love how this movie turned into a series. It’s a tradition for me to watch it every year.

Bryson Thadhani, Social Media editor

‘Late Night With The Devil’

This movie is one of my favorite scary movies from recent years. It perfectly captures that ‘70s vibe — kind of like the horror classics, you know, with practical effects instead of CGI.

The Cairnes brothers wrote, directed and made sure every detail, from the lighting to the costumes, felt authentic.

David Dastmalchian’s performance as Jack Delroy ties it all together, making the supernatural horror feel real but not overly terrifying. It’s got just enough tension without keeping you up at night.

Katie Lehew, Design editor

‘Creep 1’ & ‘Creep 2’

I am a huge fan of thriller movies, especially psychological thrillers. Although these movies fall under the horror genre, they are not your typical slashers.

Blumhouse wanted to experiment with improvisation throughout the movie, which creates a lot of creative, unexpected moments. This approach leads to clever lines that often make you laugh while also keeping you on edge. They are masterpieces that’ll make you think twice before interacting with strangers online.

News & Lifestyle editor

Hayden Alexander news.ed@ocolly.com

Assistant News & Lifestyle

editor Raynee Howell news.ed@ocolly.com

Photo editor

Payton Little photo.ed@ocolly.com

Adviser Brett Dawson brett.dawson@okstate.edu

Ask the Pokes

What are you dressing up as

for Halloween?

“I’m dressing up as Amanda from “Saw,” with the bear trap and everything. I just started watching the show, and I was like, ‘Now, I have to commemorate that momentous occasion.’”

- Lynn Ferrel

“I play with a funk band at College Bar, and for Halloween, we’re all dressing up as a ‘70s funk band.”

- Hayden Rhoades

“Mr. Clean because I think it’s hilarious; my roommates, we throw a huge Halloween party, and so we want to dress up as something really goofy.”

- Sierra Winkler

News & Lifestyle

reporters:

Milo Cantrell

Bella Casey

Luisa Clausen

Jackson Johns

Jocelyne Perez

Megan Roy

Issac Terry

Alli Themer

Ava Whistler

Sports reporters: Photographers & Designers:

Daniel Allen

Dalton Arredondo

Allyssa Brandon

Baylor Bryant

Cayden Cox

Timonthy Christenson

Gina Foster

Kenzie Kraich

Samuel Mitchell

Calif Poncy

Jose Brito

Delainey Cops

Mykalyn Daidone

Bryson Thadhani The O’Colly Staff

Allyn Orndorff

Kaitlyn Robertson

Wyatt Tessier

Will Thorogood

Wyatt Watson

Weston Wertzberger

Catherine Dzonski

Andon Freitas

Conner Fuxa

Kaytlyn Hays

Ethan Hilbert

Isaac Terry

Courtesy Creative Commons

Actor Billy Loomis plays “Scream” in the famous scary movie.

Senate district 21 candidates spar over Ryan Walters, higher education, more

KENNEDY

With less than two weeks until Election Day, two state Senate district 21 candidates squared off.

Robin Fuxa, the democratic candidate, and Dr. Randy “Doc” Grellner, the republican candidate, debated at the Stillwater Public Library on Wednesday. Each attempted to sway voters in parts of Payne and Creek counties with their differing policy agendas.

Fuxa focused her talking points on education, leaning on her background as a “24-year educator.” Grellner, a doctor in Cushing, said his main policy points are healthcare, oil and gas and agriculture. The candidates covered a swath of issues, from opinions on Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters, abortion and higher education.

Grellner said he is running for office to help stop some of the major issues Oklahoma is facing, such as healthcare costs that are “out of control.”

“I have a big stake in Oklahoma and the future of Oklahoma, and I want my grandkids to grow up here, my great grandkids grow up in a state like I grew up in that was free, and we have an ability to be successful,” Grellner said.

Fuxa, a fifth-generation Oklahoman, said she is running to protect the state’s public schools.

“As an educator, you also have a window into folks’ lives,” Fuxa said. “We’ve got to expand health access. We’ve got to make sure folks have childcare to get to work. We have to take legitimate steps around making sure veterans have the services they need. We need a real problem solver, not a partisan in this race.”

Walters was a controversial topic of debate, with the crowded room reacting audibly to statements the candidates made.

Fuxa said Walters is voters’ No. 1 concern when she knocks on their doors.

“It’s astonishing, except it’s really not, because when we talk about waste, fraud and abuse, he is the most glaring example in recent memory,” Fuxa said.

If elected, Fuxa said she wants to bridge the gap between what teachers are paid in the district, compared with wages of other educators in the state.

Grellner said Walters has not been

charged with a crime and should not be treated as such.

“I don’t agree with everything Ryan Walters does or says,” Grellner said. “I think he’s too bombastic, but he did come in, and he has done everything he said he would do in the campaign, and people put him in office.”

The candidates each tackled healthcare, specifically discussing abortion. The medical procedure is illegal in Oklahoma, unless the mother is in an active medical emergency.

Fuxa said Oklahoma’s policy has driven OBGYNs out of the state.

“I will trust Oklahoma families when they’re in crisis, I will not try to impose a decision from the government on that situation, on a family and in need,” Fuxa said.

Grellner said he would not support legalizing abortion.

“I believe that life begins at conception, and that you have the DNA of the mother, the father, and then you have a separate entity that is its own entity and own DNA, and that then the Constitution kicks into at that point in time, and we have to protect it for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Grellner said.

The candidates were also asked about whether they thought the state legislature is adequately funding higher education institutions.

Since the 2018 Oklahoma teacher walkout, Fuxa said funds for higher education have been cut more than 30%.

“We’ve got to get to work on doing it better,” Fuxa said. “Because the only way we make sure that everybody has access to opportunity in the state of Oklahoma is we actually fund our universities.”

Grellner, who said he knows OSU President Dr. Kayse Shrum, said she has done a “bang-up job” of raising money for OSU.

“There’s a lot of people in the state that have done very well, and they feel that they need to get back, and she’s done tremendously well with that,” Grellner said.

Debate attendee and Grellner supporter Sheila Means said being able to watch the candidates in person is valuable.

“When you come to a debate, you get to hear that person themselves from their own mouth, saying what it is that they stand for and what they believe,” Means said. “And also, when you come in person, you get to see body language too, and body language is your second evaluation.”

‘Commercial wasteland’

City Council takes no action on rezoning after resident

has not listened to her complaints regarding his properties, which contributes to her concerns.

When Bruce Parnell moved his family into a house on South Duncan Street in 1995, he loved the location.

A few streets from downtown, the Stillwater Reformed Presbyterian Church pastor and his wife still walk to get coffee from Aspen, a local coffee shop. Raising his five children, Parnell said he enjoyed walking to the Homecoming parade or taking his family out to dinner.

Over the years, his family, along with the rest of the neighborhood, have seen Stillwater’s downtown develop. But now, the development is getting too close for comfort.

During a City Council meeting Monday, councilors took no action on rezoning two South Husband Street properties from residential to commercial. It was not immediately clear what the effect of the decision will be.

Parnell said turning the lots into commercial ones would limit the market for first-time homebuyers. One of the other vacant buildings on Main Street could be a better option for a new business, he said.

“This seemed to be the direction… the city was going just two years ago, and we’ve seen some nice examples of that in Hatch (Early Mood Food) and Stonecloud (Brewing Co.) and Empire (Slice House),” Parnell said. “But do you really need these two homes?”

Cory Williams, a local developer and CEO of Upside Hospitality, owns the properties, as well as many others in the neighborhood. He said the plan is to turn 1002 S. Husband St. into a cafe and make 1010 S. Husband St. a parking lot.

“I want to do nothing in this immediate area except build it up,” Williams said.

Williams faced pushback from the neighbors of his properties, who are concerned how the developments would impact their homes.

Janet Rogers, a core facility manager for OSU, lives between the properties Williams is hoping to develop. Because the developments would surround her house, Rogers said approval to rezone would not be in her best interest.

Rogers also claims there have been multiple instances where Williams

“I just feel like that in developing these two properties on either side… I’m going to be the person who’s not listened to in terms of my ideas,” Rogers said.

Griffin Pivateau, a professor in the Spears School of Business, is also concerned about the impact a rezoning could have on the safety and value of the neighborhood.

Pivateau said he lives a block south of the properties. Initially, he said, the area attracted him because of its proximity to downtown, the farmer’s market and the public library.

However, Pivateau said he is concerned a zoning change could overburden the area with its already heavy traffic flow.

“A change in classification will reduce safety, it will limit connectivity, and it will certainly hamper mobility,” Pivateau said. “Now, I understand that growth is important, but growth has to be curated. Main Street, Lewis Street, the entire east of downtown is underdeveloped. We need to focus on pushing development there.”

He said approval would violate the city’s comprehensive plan, which emphasizes maintaining the character of neighborhoods, turning it into a “commercial wasteland.”

Williams, a Stillwater native, said the residential developments that he has done in the area have been an attempt to enhance and “integrate some of the vibrancy into that neighborhood.”

“Although I don’t live there, there are very few people in the City of Stillwater that care more about that neighborhood than the person standing before you at this very moment,” Williams said.

The neighborhood sits adjacent to downtown and has already seen some businesses border it. Block 34, a community space that will feature a stage, is set to finish construction next year, just north of the neighborhood.

Although Parnell said he is excited to have another addition to downtown’s landscape, Parnell said he is concerned that starting to rezone the area now would make it so that it will “cease to be a neighborhood.”

“It’s a great destination, but it’s also a great place to live,” Parnell said.

news.ed@ocolly.com news.ed@ocolly.com

Kennedy Thomason

Bruce Parnell, a Stillwater Reformed Presbyterian Church pastor, said rezoning would diminish opportunities for first-time homebuyers in the city.

pushback

Kennedy Thomason

Senate district 21 candidates Robin Fuxa (second from left) and Dr. Randy “Doc” Grellner (third from left) debated Wednesday at the Stillwater Public Library.

Lifestyle

Steppin’ time with Pepper

Line dancing lessons to get you in the groove

CODY GARCIA STAFF REPORTER

Line dancing is making a big comeback in the U.S. and local dancer Pepper Vold is playing a part in helping Stillwater students and citizens learn the moves to be confident on the dance floor.

“So I started the lessons at Outlaws in February of last year,” line dance instructor and owner of Pepper’s Line Dancing, Vold said. “Cheryl, the owner here at Outlaws, reached out to me and said, ‘Hey can you come do lessons here?’ and I’ve been here ever since.”

Vold has taught line dancing lessons in Stillwater for almost two years. She started teaching lessons while she was a Zumba instructor and held classes at ES Bodyworks Gym, a local gym in town.

During that time, she would frequent Outlaws and decided there was a need for line dancing lessons when she saw all the variations that were performed often ending with confusion on the dance floor.

“Dancing is just a passion, it’s one of those things where I’ve never done anything that comes so natural,” Vold said.

Between teaching lessons at Outlaws on Thursdays, Vold also teaches lessons at Oklahoma Ranch in Bricktown, and a competitive team she coaches Monday nights. Besides competitions, her team has done performances during Calf Fry and has even been asked to do a production for the Big 12.

Vold said community and friends are her favorite part about teaching dance in Stillwater.

“The people that are here love each

other,” Vold said. “This is an amazing way to meet new people and discover a possible hidden talent.”

The group of dancers Pepper has taught, are a testament to the family and community she mentioned.

“I’ve always had a passion for dancing,” said Jennifer Kochick, a regular at Pepper’s events. “When I saw it on Facebook, I told my husband, and we’ve been here every Thursday since.”

Many of the dancers who started the lessons in February 2023 have attended every lesson since.

“The one thing I would say to the general public is coming to the class is like gaining a family,” Victoria Wackerly said. “I knew none of these people before I started this class, and now I feel like I have gained a whole new family.”

Jayni Jarrett started attending the classes after a life-changing event, which made all the difference for her mental health.

“My fiancé passed away, and he always made fun of me about my dancing,” Jarrett said. “So I decided that I wanted to learn to dance and one of my coworkers brought me out and I was hooked. The lessons were kind of more like therapy for me, and so I kept coming to them ever since.”

Every person at the lessons talked about how accepting and inviting they are to new members and how they encourage anyone from college students to retired adults to come out, relax and have a good time.

Whether you’re a first-timer or seasoned pro, avid country listener, or lover of pop, line dancing lessons with Vold are the perfect way to connect, have fun and stay fit during your time in Stillwater.

Wyatt Flores’ ‘Welcome to the Plains’ A love letter to Oklahoma

Susannah,” dives into relationships and mental health. Flores admits to trying to carry someone else’s mental baggage before realizing his limitations. The mandolins, fiddles and light guitars create a backdrop that is both personal and relatable.

Note: This article contains spoilers.

I’m a simple woman; I see Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield starring in the same movie, and I buy movie tickets.

As a fan of movies that leave you in shambles, I had high hopes for this one. Although there were some amazing elements, it did fall short in certain areas, but I can confidently say this movie surpasses many of the recent movies of this kind.

Yes, “Five Feet Apart,” I’m looking at you.

One part of the movie I found confusing as a viewer was the back-and-forth timeline. The first scene begins with Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh) at the doctor’s office, where Almut receives a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

A few scenes later, without realizing you’re jumping back in time, Tobias is in a hotel room, struggling to sign

divorce papers. With the last encounter between Almut and him, it’s almost hard to not assume they’re the ones getting the divorce, but if I remember correctly, they never even marry, which is besides the point.

Tobias can’t find a pen that works to sign his divorce papers, so he heads to a local grocery store in his hotel robe. He buys cookies and a few ink pens. On the way back to the hotel, he drops a cookie, still in its wrapper. When he bends down to pick it up, he is hit by a car.

Almut, of course, was driving it. But this was also unclear at first. In the next scene of Tobias in the hospital, Almut is sitting across from him. I’m thinking she’s the ex still being there for him because he got hurt. Nope, she comes out and says she hit him with her car, and then it finally clicked. Normally, I am not a fan of back-and-forth plots, with my one exception being “The Notebook,” but I think it was pulled off after the first few scenes. I was also able to push it aside because of how lovable the characters were.

With Tobias, he’s extremely awkward, but in the best way. He starts conversations outof-the-blue and finds himself upsetting Almut talking about

Stillwater’s own Wyatt Flores dropped his debut album “Welcome to the Plains” this past weekend, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite releases of the year.

From start to finish, the album blends Red Dirt country’s signature sound with Flores’ personal connection to Oklahoma. It’s not just a collection of tracks; it feels like a love letter to his hometown, filled with themes of identity, love and resilience. For OSU students, Flores’ reflections on Stillwater and how it shaped him hit close to home.

The title track, “Welcome to the Plains,” introduces the album by blending Oklahoma’s history with personal reflection. Flores talks about the impossibility of leaving the town, mixing his feelings with a broader reflection on heritage. The fiddle-heavy beat paired with classic Red Dirt drums adds to the feeling of timelessness, drawing listeners into the emotional weight of the land and its legacy. This song isn’t just about a place — it’s a statement of belonging.

“When I Die” uses humor to approach death, but beneath the lightheartedness, Flores conveys a desire to be remembered fondly, emphasizing love and relationships matter more than any mistakes. The stripped-down backing track reflects vulnerability, making the song intimate and reflective.

One of the standout tracks, “Oh

children. Almut held a baby shower for a friend in her apartment, and Tobias sneaks in with the pizza man to apologize but also call out Almut for hurting his feelings; in front of a room full of Almut’s friends, in the most awkward way possible.

It was cute, it was charming, and my boyfriend leaned over and said “No way that worked.” Oh yes, it most certainly did. Now for Almut, she’s one of those characters that is kind of hard to believe. I mean, she was an award-winning figure skater and now a world-class chef. How can one be both? It’s Florence Pugh so I guess it’s not too much of a stretch.

But as you watch the love story unfold, you can’t help but feel a sense of dread remembering the first scene. She inevitably is diagnosed with cancer. But she fights it, and she goes into remission. Almut, who kept one of her ovaries, decided she actually did want children if it was with Tobias.

The next 15 minutes of the movie followed their journey of repeated pregnancy tests, each timed on Tobias’ phone. With each negative, the more devastated the pair became. But thankfully, we get one happy moment with a test finally coming up positive.

“Only Thing Missing is You” evokes ‘90s country, with smooth guitar licks and steady rhythms that bring a nostalgic feel similar to Travis Tritt and George Strait. The song focuses on longing and absence, classic country themes, with heartfelt lyrics that feel timeless.

In “Stillwater,” Wyatt Flores nails the tension between those who see the town as just a stop and those who call it home. He paints a picture of college kids living it up for a few years, getting drunk on The Strip and then leaving without a second thought. Meanwhile, locals like Flores stay behind, watching the town barely change. The lyrics capture his frustration with how temporary everything feels to outsiders, while he’s left holding on to memories in a place that means everything to him. It’s a bittersweet reflection on being tied to a town that others treat like a phase.

Flores ends on a positive note with “The Good Ones,” celebrating those who stick by us. The upbeat melody complements its heartwarming message, making it the perfect closer to an album filled with reflection, resilience and love.

At its core, “Welcome to the Plains” explores life, love and identity, wrapped in the sounds of Red Dirt country. For Flores, this album isn’t just about music — it’s about his roots and his sense of belonging to Oklahoma and beyond.

When it’s time for the baby to come, Almut is trapped in a bathroom of a gas station.

The most comedic scene released on the silver screen this year followed. With Tobias and two panicked gas station workers forced to kick down a door and deliver Almut’s baby. It was a chaotic scene that had the entire theater audience giggling. The best part was when the 999 operator told them to unlock the front door for the ambulance to get through, and the one worker said in a British accent, “It’s a petrol station, you can just walk right in.”

But I will admit, the rest of the movie leans on the more emotional side of life. Almut is diagnosed with cancer a second time. One of the most emotional, but beautiful scenes is when Tobias and their daughter shave Almut’s head. It was a joyous, fun moment with the undertone of devastation the daughter could not understand.

Almut goes behind Tobias’ back to compete in a cooking competition, in his words, prioritizing cooking over her health. Yet, it gives her a sense of purpose.

As she practices secretly, her health deteriorates, and she is plagued by a timer going off before she can finish the dishes. Looking back, it

seemed to symbolize her time running out before she is able to reach her goal.

Tobias originally was upset when he found out her secret, and even more so when their planned wedding was on the day of the competition, but he supported Almut’s desires and cheered her on with their daughter by his side.

After the competition, the three walk out and visit a skating rink, and without knowing it as the viewer, Almut says goodbye to Tobias and their daughter for the last time. She skates away waving, and the symbolism is apparent.

The final few scenes begin with many eerie shots of the empty house. It reminds me of Zach Bryan’s song “Pink Skies,” and it was the moment I almost lost it. Until the adorable scene of Tobias and their daughter collecting eggs appeared on the screen. I had a moment of peace, but just a moment. I knew then, Almut was gone, but the scene of her daughter cracking the eggs in the same way Almut taught Tobias early on in their relationship was almost, again, my last straw. But, I never ended up crying, and that is the main grievance I had with the movie.

Courtesy @hayleyshoots

Wyatt Flores performs at Country Fan Fest in Tooele, Utah.

Cody Garcia

Pepper Vold teaches hour-long line dancing lessons at Outlaws every Thursday starting at 7 p.m.

Pitman said her TikTok feed is filled with an array of content, ranging from social media influencers showing their daily lives to political videos. She said the short clips from political debates or discussions help her stay informed about the current political climate. Still, she said her ability to remember information has decreased over time.

“I think people produce so much information on TikTok, so many people are on it, that it’s hard to go anywhere else because everything is right there,” Pitman said. “I don’t think it’s changing anytime soon because so many people use the app, and it is kind of addictive.”

Andrew Abernathy, an assistant professor in the School of Media and Strategic Communication, conducts educational research, crisis communication research related to higher education, and research related to information access, and media information literacy. When he asks his students where they get their news, the answer is often unanimous: social media. Abernathy said students admit they understand it is a problem to rely mostly on social media for information, but even though they express awareness, Abernathy said few focus on changing that pattern.

“There have been psychological studies to show that bandwagoning is part of the problem,” Abernathy said. “If there’s someone seeing false information, if they see it has lots of engagements and likes, they’re more likely to interpret it as credible. It’s easier psycho-

logically for us than to go and check the facts and look at the sources and see if they are using data to make arguments, or is it correctly cited, you know? Are they putting things in the right context?”

In 2020, about half of American adults got their news from social media, though in 2018, only one-fifth of them did the same, according to a Social Network Analysis and Mining study done in 2022.

For Abernathy, that number is alarming. He said before understanding the consequences of getting the majority of information from social media, it is essential to understand the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Abernathy said disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false or manipulated information and misinformation is the unintentional spreading of false information.

“There’s research that shows people will unintentionally spread fake news or misinformation at a rate five times faster than intentionally,” Abernathy said. “I think it’s important that we give people tools and steps that they can take to be aware of our behaviors, and so we’re not helping to spread bad information.”

For Jake Williams, a senior and Student Government Association senator, one tool is to use social media as only one of the resources to gather information. Williams follows news outlets on Instagram, and if a headline catches his attention, he does further research. Williams said social media became a doubleedged sword, with empathy and lack thereof walking hand in hand. He said he grew up in a family that always watched the

news but recently has decreased its level of trust in mainstream media. Williams noticed his parents started relying on TikTok for more information and personal stories from the war between Hamas and Israel.

However, they continue to fact-check the information they come across. Pitman and Cole share the same story and said their parents, like them, started believing more in the information they see online.

“I think social media has helped independent thoughts rise even amongst the older generation,” Williams said. “I think it’s important to always look at meaningful sources because there will always be bias, but being aware of what those biases are and making sure you’re getting a full picture is important.”

Abernathy also referred to social media as a double-edged sword. Although there’s a spread of misinformation on social media, he said it is also a place to give voice to the voiceless. He said one way to avoid being caught in the sea of misinformation and disinformation is to practice activities that can improve critical thinking skills, such as reading. As for the long-term consequences of relying on social media for information, Abernathy said he cannot predict the future, but he does worry.

“The less reliable information that people have access to, the more susceptible people are to corruption, to biased practices and policies, to inequities in our society and power holders making decisions that affect lots of people,” Abernathy said. “The less accurate information we have access to, the more vulnerable we are.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Long said LexiCon got its name from a social media contest the library hosted before the first comic con. It invited users to choose a name for it, and they chose LexiCon, a word meaning “the vocabulary of a language, an individual speaker or group of speakers or a subject,” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

“Somebody suggested that we call it LexiCon, because we’re a library, and we’ve got all the words here, so that’s how it became LexiCon,” Long said. “And then the tagline became, “What fandom do you speak?” because all the different fandoms do have their own languages.”

Long said each group speaks about its interests in a different way. For example, she said she can never understand what the “Lord of the Rings” fandom is talking about. She said LexiCon is somewhere for all groups to come together and learn about different groups in Stillwater.

Not everyone who writes comics is connected to a fandom, though, and not every comic is connected to a fandom, either.

Kendall McGhee, a senior multimedia journalism major, started making comics because of his love for drawing. He said his parents made sure he always had art supplies in his hands, and comics came to him naturally.

“I think what qualifies a thing to be a comic is that

‘Smile 2’

it has a story, like any other movie or written book, but it’s just in a visual form,” McGhee said. “So I think what qualifies a comic is if you have a picture, and you have a story and it’s in a box.”

Like a mirror of Wooley’s younger self, McGhee started a comic club when he got to college. Comic Creators Club meets biweekly to practice making comics. It began with McGhee’s passion for comics and a desire to share it with others.

McGhee stopped drawing as he got into playing sports growing up, but revisited the passion in early college.

“I just wanted to rehash that feeling when I was a kid and just started making comics, and eventually became the comic guy for The O’Colly through John Helsley (former O’Colly staff adviser),” McGhee said. He said he felt selfish as The O’Colly’s lone comic artist, and he felt there were other artists on campus who probably knew how to make comics. McGhee walked to the Student Union and registered the Comic Creators Club after a conversation with interested colleagues. The club started with five members, but grew to 21 people in attendance at its first meeting this semester. McGhee said the club is full of students from different majors and interests.

Similar to Comic Creators Club, Long said LexiCon is for everyone.

“It’s not just a small library thing anymore, and I love that we’re able to help provide that for the community,” Long said.

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not smiling (and that’s a good thing)

JACKSON JOHNS STAFF REPORTER

Smile 2 is a good movie. But, man, is it brutal.

I had not seen the entirety of the first film before watching this film, so I honestly didn’t know exactly what I was getting into, but after about two minutes, the amount of blood on the screen told me that I was in for a wild ride.

I was right. This movie does not hold back. It never reaches the levels of gore the “Terrifier” films or the later “Saw” sequels do, but it gets pretty darn close. More than once, I audibly gasped at the sheer horror on screen.

The cinematography in this movie is some of the coolest I’ve seen in a while. Inverted drone shots, wicked reveals using mirrors, disgusting closeups and one of the slickest

chase scenes I’ve watched on the big screen in a while are just some of the incredibly varied camera tricks pulled off by cinematographer Charlie Sarroff.

That goes double for the sound effects. Gunshots, face smashes, imagined stabbings and car crashes all have a punch to them, thanks to the incredible sound mixing in this movie.

The special effects are nothing to scoff at either. One specific character has some of the grossest makeup work I’ve ever seen. Technically speaking, this film is a great example on how to make something really special.

The plot is also engaging, but a little lackluster. The main character, Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), is a pop star recovering from both drug addiction and a horrible car accident that killed her actor boyfriend Paul Hudson (Played by Ray Nicholson, Jack Nicholson’s son).

Skye is constantly downing Voss water (something she says her therapist recommends she

do when she feels the urge to start using again).

After reinjuring her back during a choreography session, Skye seeks out drug dealer Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage) for some Vicodin. Unbeknownst to Skye, Lewis has the smile curse, having witnessed an attack on the mob by a policeofficer-turned-curse-possessing vigilante Joel (Kyle Gallner, returning from the first film). During the deal, Lewis begins screaming and violently offs himself in front of her, infecting her with the curse. Afraid of the police’s response to what would appear to any sane individual as a drug deal gone bad, Skye flees the scene. However, the following day, after seeing hallucinations of Lewis and others smiling their horrifying rictus grins at her, Skye receives a text message from a mysterious number claiming to know that she was at the scene of Lewis’ death. Terrified, Skye invites her estranged friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula) over to keep her company.

After this, the movie goes completely off the rails, but in the end serves as an interesting parable about substance abuse and how it effects you and those around you. I also feel as if its message is less harsh compared to the prior film’s message on suicide. With the ending setting up many more possible scenarios for this series to continue, I’m very interested in seeing what mental health issues are addressed in the inevitable sequels. I’m sure writer/director Parker Finn has many more twisted grins for us in the next installment of the “Smile” franchise. I am giving this film a solid 4 out of 5. If you have the stomach for it,

Courtesy John Wooley

John Wooley founded OSU’s first comic club, the Comic Collectors.

Courtesy Tribune News Service

actress Naomi Scott, special effects

Payton Little

Kamille Robinson scrolling on her phone in the Paul Miller Journalism and Broadcasting building on Oct. 24, 2024.

Gateway horror for the (sort-of) faint of heart

JACKSON JOHNS STAFF REPORTER

Personally, I’m a huge scaredy cat.

I have, since I was a little kid, jumped at my own shadow. But I still love horror movies.

It’s a genre that captures so many different emotions and feelings.

From “The Thing” to “Get Out,” horror has been the perfect genre for social commentary throughout its history.

Despite its rich offerings and roots, its nature can be limiting for those who don’t quite like a thrill. So I’ve compiled a list of films I think represent the best the genre has to offer, organized by subgenre with suggestions for further exploration in case you find something you really enjoy.

Supernatural horror

My personal favorite film on this list, and also the most accessible, is “Poltergeist.”

This film is maybe the most touching tale of familial love I’ve ever watched. It’s scary enough to keep you frightened throughout, but sweet and touching at the same time. It also has the greatest jumpscare in history. Other essential supernatural horror films are: “The Exorcist,” “The Conjuring,” “Carrie” and “The Shining.”

Slasher horror

The slasher genre is one cheap scares and gore dominant. It isn’t exactly easy to stomach or analyze critically if you can’t stand blood and guts. All except for one: “Halloween.”

This absolute masterpiece by John Carpenter is terrifying while maintaining a tight, unflinching story that never lets you wander too far away. It utilizes the camera to hide everything you don’t need to see. This makes the kills a whole lot scarier without ever being stomach churning. It also helps that Michael Myers is, to this day, one of the most iconic characters in fiction.

Other essential slasher films include: “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and

“Childs Play.”

Monster movies

The monster movie genre is the oldest in horror and has some of the most important films of all time. But none is more important than the original “Godzilla.”

This absolute behemoth of a film serves as a somber reflection on American nuclear testing in the waters off the coast of Japan and the fears of another Hiroshima or Nagasaki. The film is never quite “scary,” but it definitely is frightening at times. But just because it isn’t the scariest thing in the world doesn’t make it any less of a horror film.

Other great monster movies are: “The Thing,” “Alien,” “Cloverfield,” and “Frankenstein.”

Horror comedies

The horror comedy genre is one full of few hits and too many misses, and though some films in this genre are garbage, one that I cannot recommend enough is “The Frighteners.”

This film was originally pitched as a family-friendly “Ghostbusters” knock off, but somewhere down the line, it became a hilarious thrill ride with some of the funniest characters I’ve seen on screen.

Everyone is acting their tail off, and what should have been a simple Michael J. Fox vehicle, turns into a breakneck fast-thrill ride with some of the best (and worst) CGI of its time.

Other great horror comedies include: “Scream,” “Re-Animator,” “American Psycho” and “Gremlins.”

Thrillers

This last genre is not easy to describe. To me, a thriller is any horror film where the subgenre is too vague to be determined.

“Silence of the Lambs” is not only one of the most compelling films of the last century, it’s also one of the scariest. While never delving fully into the more pulpy and campy elements of the genre. It’s also not terribly graphic. I recommend it to any fan of crime, or anyone who loves movies.

Other fantastic thrillers include: “Se7en,” “Jaws,” “Zodiac” and “Malignant.”

Best fall-themed coffee in Stillwater

RAYNEE HOWELL & ASHLEY YARBROUGH

As the fall breeze starts picking up, so does exam season.

Take a break from studying at Edmon Low, get off campus and pick up a fun, caffeinated drink. Don’t know where to go? Here are six local coffee shops serving scrumptious fall-themed drinks.

Balanced Coffee Co.

On the corner of East 9th Avenue and South Lewis Street sits a coffee shop bustling with college students. From beautiful hanging lights and hammock chairs in the back to regular tables with outlets for electronics, it’s the perfect study or hangout spot.

If you’re feeling festive, order the “Sweater Weather” latte, complete with brown sugar and cinnamon. Order inhouse and you will receive an actual coffee cup to use while visiting the store. Of course, this spot also has a dirty chai latte and pumpkin spice latte, both staples for the fall weather.

One word of warning, if you like sweet milk with a splash of coffee, Balanced may not be the place for you. The coffee is strong with a little bitterness that I find perfect for a pick-me-up when you’re falling off the bone.

Aspen Coffee You can’t write an article about coffee in Stillwater without mentioning Aspen Coffee. When I visited the shop, there were no fall specials, but you can create your own with the amount of flavors it offers.

Whether you go to the one near campus on Duck Street or venture further out to one of the other three locations, you can start with a base — for example, a latte or cappuccino — and then add a number of flavors like vanilla, caramel or lavender.

My personal favorite is adding vanilla and cinnamon. It tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal milk in the best way. Aspen is the opposite of Balanced in terms of sweetness. Their coffee is best consumed when you’re craving desserts.

Round House Bakery

If you are looking for a scenic location to study or a place to update your Instagram story, Round House Bakery is the place to be. With a wide range of baked goods, coffee and sweet treats, Round

House puts effort into its drinks with fresh pumpkin spice and custom flavors. This fall for a limited time, Round House has a tasty menu of fall drinks including the two standout favorites: the “Sugar Cookie” latte and the “French Toast” latte. If you are looking for a sweeter drink, the sugar cookie is the way to go, with a lighter roast and a perfect taste for the fall or winter months.

My personal favorite was the “French Toast” latte, which gave the quintessential fall vibes. Although the french toast was a more bitter latte, the sweet cold foam was a great addition.

Blue Spruce Gelato

Although often visited for gelato in the warmer months, Blue Spruce is the perfect place to go for a fresh pressed coffee as well as a scoop of a dessert.

Even though their menu is limited, the Blue Spruce drip coffee is a known favorite and has the perfect warm and cozy vibes of fall while also having enough caffeine to get you through exams.

Since the weather in Stillwater has yet to cool down, I also got a scoop of their coffee gelato which was the perfect way to cool off after a football game or just for a late-night treat.

7 Open A Cafe

This locally-owned coffee shop is located right across from the Student Union garage inside the Wesley Foundation building. The owner, 22-year-old Aaron Harmon, originally started drinking Folgers coffee with his Papa Ted. Now, he owns his own spot.

You may order a Papa Ted special, but if you want to go to the newer coffee route, check out the fall flavors menu. For the classic fall-flavor lovers, there are four pumpkin-flavored assortments: pumpkin pie latte, pumpkin caramel macchiato, pumpkin pie chai and pumpkin pie shaken espresso.

For those like me who don’t go for pumpkin most times, it was between the S’mores Mocha and the Cinnamon Roll Latte. I chose the S’mores Mocha, which is made up of chocolate milk and toasted marshmallow syrup, and of course, an espresso shot. As someone who doesn’t normally like chocolate, the marshmallow syrup complemented the chocolate accents, and it was truly a delight.

If you find yourself in line at Caribou Coffee in the Student Union, consider meeting Harmon at a local spot right across the street.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Bryson Thadhani

Aaron Harmon, owner of 7 Open A Cafe, making a s’mores latte.

Courtesy Creative Commons

Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho,” a horror comedy from 2000.

Data center could bring in revenue for Stillwater

KENNEDY THOMASON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @_KENNEDYPAGE

Stillwater’s voters will face the first of many decisions on a potential data center in less than two weeks.

The Nov. 5 ballot will give voters the option to approve or deny OG$E, one of Oklahoma’s largest public utility companies, to provide power for the first phase of a data center that could move into the northeast side of town. Although the center would require significant amounts of power and water to sustain itself, the project is estimated to increase Stillwater’s revenue.

Interim City Manager Brady Moore said Stillwater would join the trend of many small towns housing these centers, which house banks of servers.

“In this industry, as we’ve learned, the companies, the major leaders in the data center hosting fields thought they were well ahead of the curve, and then with just the add of AI and computational data processing that you know they’re kind of behind the ball a little bit,” Moore said. “So they’re looking to get more data centers established in the country.”

The OG$E vote will be the first provided to Stillwater residents. A second vote to approve or deny the data center itself will be held at a later date. The measure’s second required hearing will be during the Nov. 4 City Council meeting, hours before voters head to the polls. The hearing will focus on the economic development agreement for the first two phases.

The project has the capacity to have six facilities, but only two have been approved for the first phase. Construction on the first development, which will be about 30,000 square feet, is expected to start in early 2025.

“They’ve told us that the first two phases are likely to develop, that it’s cost effective for them because of our utilities and because of everything that we can do to serve the site, those first two are likely, they’ve told us,” Moore said. “And they’ve been very clear, after two it’s a pretty exponential curve on expenses. It just means that they’re going to have to invest

News

This year, Rainwater is trying something new.

“Unfortunately, this year, I will be retiring the Flash, and instead, I will be going as a Jedi,” Rainwater said.

Rainwater plans on dressing up as ObiWan Kenobi and using The Force to pass his Thursday classes and tutor students at the Math Learning Sucess Center.

Homecoming is on Nov. 2, and Rainwater hopes to see others dressed up for the holiday at the game and is curious to see how Halloween will play a role in Homecoming.

“I think it would be hilarious to go to a game and be dressed up as something completely random because it’s so close to Halloween,” Rainwater said. “I am interested to see if they implemented Halloween into the designs of all the pomping and stuff.”

Many face the holiday debate. Is Halloween over on Oct. 31? Does Christmas begin on Nov. 1? It’s one of the great arguments of our time, but Erin MacDonald settled it.

In a hot take, MacDonald said that there is no issue with dressing up for Halloween after Oct. 31.

“I think it’s a free country, and our ancestors threw tea in the water, so that means we can do whatever we want,” MacDonald said.

Homecoming may be taking over, but a couple of student groups are working to keep the Halloween spirit alive. Every year, SUAB hosts a performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Faith Appledorn is the director this year. She is prepping for showtime on Oct. 30.

“We play the Rocky Horror movie, and we have a shadow cast, and they come out on stage during the musical numbers, and they perform,” Appledorn said. “It’s going to be a great time.”

GOD’S VIEW OF US!

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10 NIV)

It is good to stop and see who and where we are. This is what the apostle says of all believers. Those who have turned to Christ and received him as their Lord and saviour. By God’s grace, we have received a new relationship with God. It is quite a step up from where we were before. We have received mercy and are God’s people. We belong to him! However, there is a purpose in all of this.

We are to realize all that God has done for us and praise him who has called us out of spiritual darkness into his wonderful light. He has not only forgiven our many sins, never to be remembered any more, but has brought into a new relationship. We are children of God! We are to live with him forever in his Heaven. The wonderful truth is that all can come to Christ and receive this wonderful relationship with the God of love!. No matter about your past. All are welcome to come. Christ died for all that they might receive this great and eternal blessing.. Wow!

As Christians we can and should share this message with all. I remember first sharing this with two fellow air force men As I begin to share, there was a great joy.that filled my being. No wonder it is called the “Gospel”. It is the “Good News” that is for you and all people.

For a significant population of campus, Halloween is now rebranded as ‘all-night pomp,’ a night when everyone in Greek life pulls an all-nighter to wrap up work on one of OSU’s defining traditions: house decs.

Starting Thursday at noon, Greek students are going to stick tissue paper into the chicken wire as if their lives depend on it. Many don’t have time to think about Halloween.

Megan Phillips is a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and the Cowboy Marching Band. Her Homecoming is shaping up to be a whirlwind of pomping and marching, but she stays positive.

“It’s going to be a lot of work, but I know that at the end of the day, hopefully, we win (the game), and then it’ll pay off,” Phillips said.

Freshman Eduardo Saldana is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and is preparing for his first all-night pomp. He said he is not excited about the all-nighter but does not mind the holiday crossover.

“I’m excited to see what it is (all-night pomp) but dreading staying up all night,” Saldana said. “I think Halloween makes it (Homecoming) more fun because we can go to the Homecoming things and do Halloween activities at night.”

Taylor Outlaw is a student worker for Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. She is prepping for Greek Trick or Treat and Pumpkin Pals, two events that will happen after Homecoming settles down.

Outlaw is ready for those events but looks forward to spending Halloween with her sorority sisters.

“Honestly, I really love Halloween,” Outlaw said. “We’re going to all be together, and hopefully, we are still having our spirits high and dressing up since this is something we all celebrate and look forward to every year.”

America’s Greatest Homecoming kicks off Sunday, Oct. 27, and students are ready to rock ‘n roll.

Kennedy Thomason

OG+E signs advocating for residents to vote ‘yes’ for the Nov. 5 measure appeared around town recently.

Hocoween

Andon Freitas

Halloween is Thursday, or “All-Night Pomp,” for the Greek community.

Guthrie Haunts

A scary good time

fully avoiding the scare actors with varying success.

The main event, the haunted house, required a little waiting. Guthrie Haunts operates on a color system, handing out an array of colored tickets and calling each color to wait in line. This system worked well, as it allowed guests to mill about the spooky Renaissance-style festivities until their color was called.

Are you brave enough to enter a haunted house?

I am not much of a haunted house connoisseur, nor a fan of jump scares from purple clowns and glowy-eyed scarecrows, but I did enjoy my night at Guthrie Haunts Scaregrounds.

The Super Haunt is an about 45-minute drive from Stillwater, right off Highway 77. At $30 a ticket, the drive and price might not seem reasonable, but Guthrie Haunts has more to offer than four walls and a couple of scares.

After a mini road trip coupled with a spooky playlist to set the vibes for the evening, a friend and I pulled up to Guthrie Haunts to discover a bustling atmosphere. At first glance, the haunted house was the least exciting thing about the haunt.

A ticket granted us access to more than 30,000 square feet of acts, pop-up shops and activities. Two steps into the grounds, a fire eater and an acrobat greeted us. Venturing farther into the grounds revealed a tent of haunted items; we decided not to go inside.

Several small businesses lined the grounds, selling homemade goods and featuring Oklahoma artists. A kind caricaturist drew pictures, a blackand-white horror film played and food trucks offered a variety of snacks.

Armored knights from Oklahoma City Armored Combat lit up the night with fiery battles. One wore a cowboy hat, adding a little Oklahoma to their medieval garb.

Before entering the haunted house, my friends and I explored the entire place. Suddenly, the $30 did not seem so astronomical. Unlike many haunted houses, Guthrie provides an experience before and after the haunt. Once admitted to the grounds, guests can roam until closing time, which is midnight.

Never fear — the scares did not stop at the haunted house’s doors. Several scare actors roamed the grounds, targeting the most frightened attendees, one of whom was my best friend and roommate. We spent the night skill-

It was a bit of a wait, but not the end of the world. The scare actors wandered through the line, one of them, a clown, made a beeline for our group.

The haunted house itself was so much fun. It was scary but in a fun way. I do not want to spoil the haunt, but each room brought a new terrifying experience and plenty of jump scares.

The actors were fully committed.

I was too impressed to be scared when one of the actors disappeared around the corner before popping out of the ceiling. Sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. It was too cool not to share.

As we traversed the halls, I quickly discovered that my defense mechanism was talking. Instead of screaming, I made a bunch of silly comments and even talked back to the scare actors. It made the trip a little less unnerving. The wacky comments also helped my roommate make it through in one piece.

The house was the perfect length. Not long enough to make you go insane, but not short enough to disappoint. It was probably five minutes, but that’s enough for even the toughest haunted house-goers.

The craziest part of the house involved a chainsaw and a little bit of cardio, but it was a blast.

After surviving the haunted house, we re-entered the grounds and continued with our adventure, knowing we’d made a good choice in a haunted house. If not for the price, I probably would have returned for a round two.

Guthrie Haunts is a truly terrifying experience. The price is worth it, and for those who like a little more bang for their buck, they offer touch-pass tickets for $40 and touch-pass with blood for $45. They also provide fast-pass and instant-pass tickets at a higher rate to skip the line.

The haunt is open every Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight until Nov. 9. It is also open on Halloween from 7 p.m. to midnight.

No tricks

Halloween costumes on a budget

MEGAN ROY STAFF REPORTER

One could say it’s a canon event.

Every year without fail, September comes to its crawling end and here comes October, bursting through the door and sprinting past you without a single ounce of remorse.

This can be especially true at Oklahoma State, where Homecoming is king and the weekends blur together as the OSU football team puts loyal fans through 10 rounds in the ring. Oh, and there’s that other little thing that we’re all here for. You know what I’m talking about... that beautiful piece of paper we call diploma.

So, it’s not surprising that as October comes to an end, Halloween inevitably finds a way to sneak up us. Pun intended.

If you’re anything like me in this conundrum, then you feel the panic start to set in. Halloween parties and get-togethers are happening sooner rather than later, and you can’t be the one bobbing for apples without a costume.

It’s too late to order from Amazon and no way your college bank account can afford to go to Spirit Halloween, where one can find a cheap mask and a flimsy plastic knife for the ripe price of $70 and half your soul. But please, you can rest easy now, because I went on the mission to find the cheapest and most affordable options for Halloween costumes in the Stillwater area.

First, I paid a visit to the lovely Karmen Korner. Located off 8th and Main, the resale shop offers many fantastic options for fun and electric costumes. Prices are tolerable, and I find it to be consistently lower than Goodwill. There are always sales and,

conveniently, the day I visited the shop, all their Halloween goods were marked half price.

Even better, Karmen Korner is a nonprofit, and all proceeds go to Stillwater Medical Center. If you are looking for simple, they have plenty of ready-to-go gimmicks like pumpkin shirts and witches hats. If you want to go a little more extravagant, they sell lots of men’s and women’s dress clothes. These are perfect for costumes like a “Peaky Blinders” thug or maybe a vampire in a bloody wedding dress. Want to be a grouchy grandpa in his morning robe? Karmen Korner has you covered. The Stillwater Goodwill also offers plenty of options. There’s always numerous Hawaiian shirts you can pick from, perfect for the tacky tourists. Since we are in Stillwater, there’s nothing wrong with repping some old OSU apparel you don’t mind tearing up and dirtying, therefore making the perfect OSU zombie.

Funky hats, belts and purses are also never in shortage at Goodwill, so if you’re just looking for that extra umph in accessories, that is always an option.

Goodwill is also a great place to get some basics like black T-shirts if you need to complete a black cat or ninja costume. Group costumes are also made easy because you and your buddies can all grab something similar from Goodwill’s racks and pull off an awesome decade’s costume.

Whatever it may be, just know you have options, and you have time. Stillwater has your back, if only you know where to look. So don’t wait, it’s time to wow your peers and scare your ol’ man. With a trusty costume in hand, you can enjoy Halloween, without all the nightmares.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Hayden Alexander

Guthrie Haunts is open Fridays, Saturdays and on Halloween from 7 p.m. to midnight until Nov. 9.

Megan Roy

Check out local Stillwater spots for cheap, fun costumes.

HAYDEN

WHEN: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

‘Zane isn’t going

Flores,

those closest to him remain optimistic about OSU future

BY DANIEL ALLEN I STAFF REPORTER

Mel Flores remembers precisely what he was thinking as his son, Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores, was ushered into surgery. Could the timing have been any worse?

Surgery stinks. Not to mention the lengthy and at-times grueling rehab process that comes with it. But undergoing surgery amid a losing season as a football player is “hell,” in Mel said.

OSU football is experiencing that reality. The Cowboys were eying new heights ahead of the 2024 season. And why not? OSU returned around 20 starters from last season’s team that went 10-4

and appeared in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game that included seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman and a multitude of key prospects on the defensive end.

But seven games in, OSU is 3-4, under .500 for the first time since 2014. The Cowboys are 0-4 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2005 — head coach Mike Gundy’s first season at the helm — ahead of a 2:30 p.m Saturday matchup against Baylor in Waco, Texas.

This year, quarterback play, which was already statistically average a year ago, has weakened. And Zane, widely considered the star-in-themaking within OSU’s quarterback room, won’t

OSU looks to knock off offensive juggernaut TCU on Senior

Day

Alex Morris has never beaten TCU. With one regular-season match remaining in her Oklahoma State career, Morris has done it all as a Cowgirl. She’s defeated Oklahoma in Bedlam, won Big 12 Conference defender of the week and become a captain. The wingback has accomplished almost everything one can individually accomplish in a career, but beating TCU has eluded her. Morris has one opportunity left, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. TCU

and OSU are two of the best teams in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs are gunning for a regular-season conference championship, and the Cowgirls are on the precipice of finishing in the top four and earning a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

“We want this one bad; I think everybody on the team could say that,” sophomore attacker Gracie Bindbeutel said. “It’s helped that we’ve been winning these past few games. It’s given us confidence leading into the last game. It’s important for a lot of different reasons. Obviously, (for) postseason, we want this one. It’s a lot of the girls’ last home games. It’s big.”

be around to help after undergoing voluntary season-ending surgery last week to repair a tarsal coalition on his left foot — an abnormal connecting bridge of tissue between two separate tarsal bones. The O’Colly reported Oct. 17 that Zane was set to be Garret Rangel’s backup after learning the redshirt freshman took second-team reps last week before undergoing surgery.

“Hindsight is always 20/20,” Mel told The O’Colly. “It’s a surgery that had to be done. The pain got to a point for Zane to where he felt like it had to be done as soon as possible. It just felt like now was a good time to do it.”

When Garret Rangel hit the turf, it ended a quarterback controversy, his season and any hope of him officially seizing any sort of momentum heading into a presumed open quarterback battle in 2025.

After Rangel made his first start of the season against BYU last Friday and shined, it all came to an end on a 54-yard scramble when he was tackled from behind and broke his collarbone, which he had season-ending surgery for Tuesday. It seemed poetically cruel, truly.

Not only because Rangel’s pivotal, for-the-taking moment was going smoothly after an early secondquarter interception — he finished 6-of-9 passing for 51 yards, a touchdown and an interception, along with 77 rushing yards before a 38-35 OSU loss — but because of how it happened.

OSU’s quarterback play has been poor this season. Both with seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman at the helm and Rangel when he’s been thrown into a relief effort at times (3-of-11 passing against Utah as a bad blemish).

But against the Cougars, OSU’s offense had something. A jolt. Rangel’s legs gave it that. And the other poetically cruel part about Rangel’s injury is that it ended what had become clear: his scrambling and playmaking ability injected life into what was a dead Cowboy offense.

Payton Little

Oklahoma State redshirt freshman quarterback Zane Flores underwent season-ending surgery during the bye week, ending any chance of him seeing the field.

Jose Brito

Alex Morris has never beaten TCU, but she and the Cowgirls are aiming to do it in their last regular-season match.

Flores

Continued from 1

It’s an injury Mel said Zane played through for most of his high school career. He managed to shake off the pain during his freshman season. But this year, the pain mounted, and Zane reached his breaking point.

“It got to the point where after a big game or after a big workout, when he would rest, the pain would get really, really bad,” Mel said. “There have been times in college where he’s played or practiced one day, and then the next day, he had a hard time walking.

“It’s something that you can live with. But not if you’re playing football.”

Football can be a cruel mistress at times. Few know that better than OSU fans this season.

Against BYU, Rangel injured his collarbone on a 54-yard rush in his first start of the season — an eventual 38-35 loss. Gundy said Monday that Rangel would miss the rest of the season.

Now, OSU fans and Mel are spitballing over hypotheticals, the whatifs and what-could-have-beens.

“If Zane had known that Rangel would be injured or would get hurt, he probably would have put this off,” Mel said. “But now, you never know.”

But those close to Zane say he’s built to overcome such adversity. As a senior at Gretna in 2022, Zane threw for 3,117 yards, 31 touchdowns and completed 65.5% of his passes. It

was good enough to guide Gretna to an undefeated regular season and a second consecutive appearance in the state championship game. There, he set a state title game record with 414 passing yards.

Zane rose from the depths of the often-overlooked Nebraska high school football realm, garnered an Elite 11 invitation, and made the most of it. He ballooned from an unranked afterthought to a hot commodity as the early signing period in 2022 approached. Even as a consensus threestar prospect, several schools, OSU included, saw him as a diamond in the rough. A star waiting to burst into the college football limelight.

But through it all, he affirmed his commitment to the Cowboys, choosing OSU over the likes of Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa State and Memphis. He even fended off a last-ditch effort from home-state team Nebraska.

“Zane is a fighter and is one of the biggest competitors I’ve ever coached,” Mike Kayl, Zane’s high school head coach, told The O’Colly “He’ll bounce back from this. From an injury standpoint, he never really had to go through anything like this. But he started his first year here. Overcoming these things is nothing new for him.”

And rest assured, Zane isn’t testing the unchartered waters of the transfer portal any time soon.

“Zane isn’t going anywhere — he loves Oklahoma State,” Mel said. “He fully intends to stay and compete for the starting job in the spring, and hopefully do some big things with that opportunity.”

Rangel

“Quarterback run game allows Ollie (Gordon II) to free up a little more because now they have to play everybody involved,” OSU head coach Mike Gundy said postgame. “I thought the plan was good, and I thought he was good rushing the ball.

“It is just an unfortunate incident.”

Unfortunate it was, because with Rangel and redshirt freshman Zane Flores both having season-ending surgeries days apart, the Cowboys are returning to Bowman with freshman Maealiuaki Smith serving as his backup.

For Rangel, who has been placed in nothing but bad situations in his collegiate career, it’s another setback.

He was thrown to the wolves his freshman season with an injuryriddled OSU roster and started three games.

The next season, he battled with Bowman and Gunnar Gundy for the starting quarterback job in a threequarterback rotation. It seemed like a battle Rangel never truly lost because of poor play, but Bowman’s experience lifted himself above two inexperienced quarterbacks.

Then this year, after being pulled off the sideline and thrown into two games, Rangel got a bye week of preparation before game week as the guy. Although nothing was certain, it was clear that if he gave OSU’s offense a spark — which he did — he could hold onto the job for the rest of the season.

Past that, he could put himself in prime position to be the Cowboys’ quarterback moving forward in a position room highlighted by him, Flores

and Smith.

“I feel like all the hard work and preparation we had just from my freshman year to last year to this year, it’s finally paying off, and I’m excited to go out there and just let it all hang next week against BYU,” Rangel said on the QB Lifestyle Podcast before his start against the Cougars.

To Rangel’s credit, he left it all out there, just like he said he would.

Not only that, he proved even in less than one half of game time he is capable of leading an offense against a defensive juggernaut in BYU.

Gordon had his best statistical game in weeks — maybe even of the season considering the defense he was facing. That’s not a coincidence.

With Bowman under center, the Cowboys rushing options are limited. Even with Bowman, OSU tries the occasional read option or QB draw, which shows the desire for those plays to be made and the importance of offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn having them in his wheelhouse.

Yet those plays are never fully maximized; it’s far from Bowman’s strong suit.

And though Rangel would probably rather sling the ball down the field, plays like his 54-yard run are why he’s going to be the presumed frontrunner over Flores and Smith.

We haven’t seen the latter two make a play like that against one of the nation’s best defenses; we’ve seen Rangel make it.

But like his injury, that thought is cruel. The scramble and Rangel’s limited playing time were practically a tease for OSU. A tease of something better. A tease of an offense that unlocked something.

Instead, fans are left with the image of Rangel heading toward the locker room, grabbing his collarbone.

File Photo

With Garret Rangel at quarterback, Oklahoma State unlocked a wrinkle in its offense.

File Photo

Despite his injury, Zane Flores’ dad, Mel, said his son “fully intends” to stay at Oklahoma State.

Gundy’s 20th

Editor’s note: This is a story from “Gundy’s 20th,” The O’Colly’s weekly series to commemorate OSU football head coach Mike Gundy’s 20th season as the leading man. This week, we talk about other seasons when Gundy’s impressive bowl streak was in danger and how OSU has continued it through tough seasons.

For the past 18 seasons, it has mostly been an Oklahoma State staple.

A bowl game.

Other than his first season as OSU’s head coach, Mike Gundy has coached the Cowboys to an extra football game every season.

After a 3-4 (0-4 Big 12 Conference) start this season, that streak is in real jeopardy.

It’s purely a numbers game now: three wins in the next five games. The next opponent is Baylor, which just scored 59 points against Texas Tech. That’s a notso-good sign for an at-best shaky OSU defense.

Gundy said he’s not worried about his bowl streak, though; he’s taking the next five games week by week.

“I have to evaluate the situation based on the hand that we’ve been dealt each week,” Gundy said. “So I don’t think that it would be fair for me to say that it is not important. But most things that go on in society today, somebody will talk about them, and two days later, nobody cares anymore.”

It’s been more than two days since Gundy said this at his weekly press conference, so somebody must care. Because of that, let’s look at times during Gundy’s career when the longest active bowl streak by a singular head coach was in serious peril, and how his

squads finished to overcome it.

2007, second year of the streak

To begin, it’s an early season in the streak. After cementing a bowl game appearance through 10 games in 2006 — which led to OSU defeating Alabama 34-31 in the Independence Bowl — the Cowboys were 5-5 through 10 games in 2007 with two remaining on the schedule.

The season had statement wins (No. 25 Kansas State at home and Nebraska on the road), but also had losses against superior teams (No. 5 Kansas and No. 14 Texas, among others). So with a bad Baylor team and No. 10 Oklahoma on the schedule, the Cowboys needed to capitalize against the Bears rather than the Sooners.

And OSU did, defeating the Bears 45-14 in Waco; the Cowboys then lost 49-17 to the Sooners. From there, OSU played in the Insight Bowl and defeated Indiana 49-33.

2014, ninth year of the streak

Gundy got a few seasons off from being stressed about bowl season, as during 2008-13, OSU won an average of 9.33 regularseason games. In 2014, though, coming off a 10-3 season and a Cotton Bowl appearance, the Cowboys got off to a hot 5-1 start, with their only loss coming against No. 1 Florida State to open the season.

Just a few weeks later, though, OSU was 5-6; its closet margin of defeat was 14 points.

A trip to Norman against the No. 18 Sooners was OSU’s last chance at a bowl game, and it seemed improbable: then Tyreek Hill happened.

Hill’s 92-yard punt return to force overtime led to a 38-35 Cowboy win and eventually a Cactus Bowl victory over Washington.

2018, 13th year of the streak

After the 2014 scare, OSU finished each of the next three seasons 10-3.

But like the 2007 season, after 10 games, OSU found itself in a situation where it needed to split the two remaining games to make a bowl game. No. 7 West Virginia at home and a road game against TCU were the two challenges.

WVU was the more intimidating opponent, but the Cowboys had taken down ranked teams (No. 6 Texas and No. 17 Boise State), so it wasn’t an impossible thought. And for the third time, the Cowboys did just that, defeating the Mountaineers 45-41.

Luckily for OSU, that win meant a lot, as it followed the monstrous victory with a 31-24 loss to TCU. From there, OSU defeated No. 24 Missouri in the Liberty Bowl.

Final thoughts

Albeit just three seasons, Gundy has faced adversity before bowl season. And OSU facing and overcoming adversity under him is nothing new.

Although he said he’s not worried about the streak, it’s undoubtedly part of his OSU legacy. He’s become known around the country for having consistency within his program — OSU has the sixth-longest bowl streak in college football.

Assuming the Cowboys will be favored in only one or two games the rest of the season, it’s projected they fall short of six wins, meaning they’d more than likely miss a bowl game.

It would be the most Gundy and OSU-esque thing to finish this season strong with an injuryriddled and ragtag roster, but that seems unlikely. If history is the best indicator of the past, though, then OSU will find its way; it’s just a matter of if the past can always be replicated.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

OSU goes 6-4 against Baylor in 10 EA Sports College Football 25 simulations

ASHTON SLAUGHTER SPORTS

OSU is going to pick up its first Big 12 Conference win against Baylor on Saturday, according to EA Sports College Football 25.

I simulated the Cowboys’ road matchup in Waco 10 times and made it an afternoon kickoff with 15-minute quarters. Below are the results in The O’Colly weekly OSU game simulations.

Average score, results

OSU went 6-4 against the Bears, and the average score was OSU 31.7-24.9.

The 6.8-point margin of victory meant EA Sports projected OSU to not only cover the spread (currently Baylor -7), but outright win and almost completely flip the spread the Cowboys’ way.

The over/under game total of 65.5 went under, as the game total average was 56.6.

Cowboy statistics On average, OSU had 408.2 yards of total offense. Baylor, on the other hand, had 359.4 yards of total offense.

Cowboy quarterback Alan Bowman completed 60.9% of his passes and threw for 192.2 passing yards, 2.3 touchdowns and 0.6 interceptions on average.

Running back Ollie Gordon II averaged 17 carries for 134.1 yards and 0.7 touchdowns. We’re on Week 9 on sims, and Gor-

don still hasn’t fumbled once. As for the wide receivers, De’Zhaun Stribling averaged 3.1 receptions, 57 receiving yards and 0.5 receiving touchdowns; Brennan Presley averaged 2.7 receptions, 37.8 receiving yards and 0.7 receiving touchdowns; and Rashod Owens averaged 2.1 receptions, 27.5 receiving yards and 0.1 touchdowns.

When it comes to who racked up the most tackles, safety Lyrik Rawls and cornerback Cam Smith each led the way three times, linebacker Kendal Daniels led twice and defensive lineman Kody Walterscheid and safety Ty Williams led once.

Kicker Logan War went 13 of 17 kicking field goals and 33 of 33 kicking PATs (two games he went 7 of 7 and once he went 6 of 6).

More results Like last week, Gordon was injured in two simulations (Games 8 and 10), but he averaged 11.5 carries and 136.5 rushing yards in those two games despite his early exits — the Cowboys went 1-1. Stribling had two games where his stat sheet was all zeroes (Games 7 and 9), but still led the way in receptions and receiving yards per game by far. Like every week this season, EA Sports projected OSU to come out victorious. Maybe the video game gets it right this week, as the Cowboys take on a not-so-great Baylor team.

Bryson Thadhani

Oklahoma State wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling averaged 3.1

File Photo

Whenever Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has been close to losing his bowl streak, his squads have always come through.

‘A different dynamic’

How Fields Jr. could kickstart Oklahoma State’s offense

PARKER GERL ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @PARKER_GERL

Had Rodney Fields Jr. made one guy miss, his longest collegiate run could have been a big-play touchdown.

Fields put forth a solid 38 yards on eight carries in Oklahoma State’s loss to BYU last week, but the freshman running back received some tough love for not scoring on that 22-yard run.

“I got on to him pretty tough,” said Robert Jones, who coached Fields at Del City High School. “Because he got to the second level, and that’s the first

Knock

TCU has yet to lose a match in Big 12 play this season, and its offense is the primary reason why.

Led by a three-headed monster of attackers, the Horned Frogs have scored more goals than any other team Big 12 team. Seven Castain, Bella Diorio and Caroline Kelly each have 10 goals and AJ Hennessey and Morgan Brown both have four. For reference, the Cowgirls leading goal scorer is Logan Heausler, who has eight.

“They have really good players; they’re attacking group are killing it right now,” OSU head coach Colin Carmichael said.

“Two of their three starting forwards and one off the bench all have 10 goals. To me, that’s unheard of. That’s crazy.”

TCU typically has a good offense, but it has taken it up a level this season. The Horned Frogs have the eighth-ranked offense in goals per match, with the next highest Big 12 team coming in at 20th.

Although they have been a dominant offensive team, the Horned Frogs have shown a tendency to allow goals on the defensive side. The Cowgirls are the complete opposite. OSU has struggled to finish chances for most of the season, but it is second in goals allowed nationally with just .33 per match.

If the Cowgirls can control the game defensively, there is a chance that great defense could beat great offense.

“You look at them, and you have to respect them, but you also have to understand that, yes, their offense is good, but they’re also letting up goals,” Bindbeutel said. “So we know they’re susceptible to that. I also have immense confidence in the fact that we have one of the best defenses in the nation.”

time I’ve seen someone tackle him at the second level.”

Nonetheless, Fields’ OSU debut was sound. His speed and shiftiness provided the Cowboys’ offense with a spark and put OSU in a position to win. And though Fields could be a big-time player in the future, he showed he could help the Cowboys try to salvage whatever is left of this season.

Ollie Gordon II slashed the Cougars for 107 yards on 16 rushes but came in and out of the game as he’s been banged up with a lower body injury for the last couple of weeks.

Fields ran for 4.8 yards per touch in relief of Gordon. He also kept OSU’s offense alive with a fourth-and-1 conversion moments before the Cowboys

OSU’s dominant defense has not played an offense as potent as TCU’s this season, but with seniors Morris and Mollie Breiner on the back line supporting reigning Big 12 goalkeeper of the week Grace Gordon, it has as good a chance as anyone to slow down the Horned Frogs. The trio of seniors will be playing in what is likely to be their final match at Neal Patterson Stadium on Friday, and Senior Day couldn’t have come in a bigger spot.

If Morris, Breiner and Gordon can hold TCU’s offense in check, OSU would lock in a first-round bye in next week’s Big 12 Tournament.

“The first-round bye is kind of critical because it’s a whole less game that you have to play,” Morris said. “It’s a whole week off that you get to rest before your first game. We really want that. Realistically, the team that wins the Big 12 Tournament is going to be one of those four teams, which isn’t to say we couldn’t win it if we didn’t get a bye, but realistically, you have a big advantage there.”

For obvious reasons, OSU’s matchup with TCU is the biggest match of the season for either side. Since 2017, TCU has gotten the better of every matchup against the Cowgirls. With Senior Day, securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament, earning a bye in the Big 12 Tournament and breaking a seven-year losing streak on the line, the Cowgirls have everything to play for and can prove they are a real contender both in the Big 12 and nationally with a win.

“It’s always a tough opponent playing TCU, and my whole time here we’ve never beaten them,” Morris said. “I think we have a good chance this year. I’m not really trying to do anything special to prepare for them. We have a great team, and we’ll be one of the hardest games they play as well.”

scored with 1:13 left in the game to take the lead.

“That was a big play, regardless of if you’re a freshman or a senior,” OSU offensive lineman Jake Springfield said. “To see him come in and just be able to do his job and help the team get the first down, it was huge.”

Whether it’s Gordon’s health or Fields’ abilities, OSU has reason to keep the freshman a part of the offense.

Opposing defenses are stacking the box to limit Gordon. If Fields can use his speed to give OSU a change of pace — the way many thought backup running back Sesi Vailahii would, but he’s had 29 carries for 59 yards this season — it’ll keep Gordon fresh and take pressure off the offensive line, all while

forcing the defense to match different looks.

Although Fields hasn’t caught a pass yet, he has the skill set to contribute in that fashion, too.

“He’s gonna help that o-line because he’s a downhill, one-cut guy,” Jones said. “...If you mix in him and Ollie Gordon together, you get a physical back, but then you get a back that comes in and is still physical but has more shiftiness.

“Obviously, you don’t diminish Ollie Gordon, but Rodney showed he’s capable of taking the rest of the backup running back (reps)... Regardless of who is playing quarterback, Rodney gives you a different dynamic.”

Cowgirls finish in three-way tie for fourth at Stephens Cup

GINA FOSTER STAFF REPORTER @GINAFOSTER04

The Cowgirl golf team concluded its stint in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup on Tuesday and finished in a three-way tie for fourth place after its best team score in Round 3.

In Round 1, Grace Kilcrease held a close yet steady lead. She finished her opening round 1-over.

Wake Forest’s Carolina Chacarra was making the right birdies to take the lead and eventually win the solo title in Round 3.

Play did not cease when the second 18 began as soon as the first concluded. The second round was a struggle for many players and teams overall.

Kilcrease concluded Round 2 8-over, making her 9-over for the tournament.

The third round included more competition, as almost every team improved.

Kilcrease finished 1-over, making her final

score 10-over and tied for eighth place.

Cowgirl Ellie Bushnell was right behind her as she finished her 54 holes 12-over and tied for 11th.

In Round 1, Bushnell carded a 3-over 73 but dropped after a second-round 8-over 78. Bushnell improved in the third, scoring a 1-over 71.

Thitaporn Saithip carded rounds of 5-over 75, 7-over and 4-over 74 to tie for 16th. Summer Lee was right behind her, as she tied for 19th. After scoring 7-over in the first, Lee, along with Tarapath Panya, led the Cowgirls in the second round with a 6-over 76. Lee carded a 4-over 74 to conclude the tournament.

Panya shot an 8-over 78 to open the tournament but improved in the second as she carded a 76. She fell in the third with an 11over score and placed 28th.

The Cowgirls will compete in their last tournament of the fall next week, as the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate Challenge begins Oct. 28 in Forth Worth, Texas.

Courtesy OSU Athletics

Against BYU, Oklahoma State freshman running back Rodney Fields Jr. provided a spark as a change-of-pace back behind Ollie Gordon II.

Courtesy OSU Athletics

Junior Grace Kilcrease tied for eighth place in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup.

Why Hendrickson chose to transfer to OSU with military service looming

DANIEL ALLEN STAFF REPORTER @DANIELALLEN1738

Wyatt Hendrickson didn’t want to rush.

After four seasons as a star heavyweight wrestler at the Air Force Academy, Hendrickson knew he had the option of an additional year, thanks to the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligability rule, which granted all winter and spring student-athletes during the 2019-20 academic year an additional season. But he wanted to make the right decision. Should he transfer to a higher-up program? Should he begin his military service immediately?

“It was a tough decision,” Hendrickson said. “You’re weighing all these options in your head – I’m weighing all these options in my head and just trying to figure out what’s best for me before I start my military service.

“It’s a big decision, you know?”

In the end, Hendrickson went with his gut. Once he received a military exemption for his final year of eligibility — U.S. military academies do not honor COVID-19 seasons of eligibility — Hendrickson entered the transfer portal in late April.

On May 19, he committed to OSU, choosing the Cowboys as Penn State, Missouri, Iowa and Iowa State, among others. Now, Hendrickson is set to wrestle for his “dream school.” His head coach is already relishing the opportunity to coach him.

“We’re just very fortunate that it worked out and that he could come here,” OSU head coach David Taylor said. “I mean, things change all the time. You know, (athletic director) Chad Weiberg talks about it all the time: ‘You just get used to change.’ So (Hendrickson’s transfer) worked out in our favor. And we’ll see what it looks like for us in the future.”

“Fortunate” might be an understatement when illustrating the talent boost OSU added with Hendrickson’s.

Adding a two-time All-American and Big 12 individual champion with a career record of 103-11 — including a 27-2 mark a season ago with a third-place finish in nationals — will provide some more talent.

But the recruiting process isn’t the only thing barricading a military-academy transfer and a prestigious wrestling program.

Hendrickson still has a five-year commitment to uphold. His “military clock” does not commence when he is wrestling. And while it is common for military academy scholars to go to graduate school, as Hendrickson noted, it is not as common for them to seek a new school for athletics amid impending military service.

“As long as I am wrestling, the clock does not start,” Hendrickson said. “So I’m planning on wrestling for four years — one in college and then three years at the Regional Training Center, the RTC.

“Then, after those four years, I’ll have that five-year commitment of — I’m an acquisitions officer, but I’m not doing my acquisitions job right now. But I have five years of actually performing my job that I’m assigned to.”

Now, less than a month away from the Cowboys’ 2024-25 season opener at Utah Valley on Nov. 15, Hendrickson is poised to add stability to a weight OSU has lacked the past few seasons. And perhaps most importantly, he is hoping for a storybook ending to an already prestigious college wrestling career while fulfilling a lifelong dream to wrestle for OSU.

“I think it’ll really hit me whenever our dual season starts,” Hendrickson said. “I’ll get to walk out in GIA.

That’ll definitely be the Ground Zero Effect, I think. But even just being here right now, training with the guys, being in the wrestling room, fulfilling our training duties and everything, I’m really just enjoying the process. I’m definitely taking the time to sit back and be grateful for it all.”

Cowgirl conductor

Wooten to lead OSU’s offense as point guard

CALIF PONCY STAFF REPORTER @PONCYCALIF

Oklahoma State didn’t have a true point guard last season.

Before injuries derailed the Cowgirls’ season, the pieces to become an above-average offense were there. Anna Gret Asi and Lior Garzon were two of the best 3-point shooters in the Big 12 Conference. Freshman Stailee Heard looked ready to thrive as the Cowgirls’ Swiss Army Knife. Rylee Langerman brought intensity to on both sides of the ball.

Despite having many of the pieces to create a good offense, it never quite clicked.

The offense was an orchestra without a conductor. A plane without a pilot.

Insert Jadyn Wooten.

A top-100 recruit in the 2024 class and the highest-rated commit under OSU head coach Jacie Hoyt, Wooten is the point guard of the future for the Cowgirls. With Asi, Heard and Langerman returning and standout transfers Macey Huard, Tennin Magassa and Stacie Jones poised to make an immediate impact, Hoyt’s squad is angling for a rebound season, and Wooten, despite her freshman status, is at the heart of it.

“She’s the most natural point guard we have,” Hoyt said. “We expect her to run the show.”

Hoyt’s desired style of play is no secret. She wants her team to get up and down on the offensive end, and when fastbreak opportunities aren’t there, she wants to swing the ball around the perimeter and create open looks from outside. With Asi manning the point last season, Hoyt’s style was impeded. Asi had never played the primary point guard role for long stretches at the college level and toward the end of the season, she adjusted to the primary playmaker role, finishing the year with a 26% assist rate and averaging nearly five assists. But still, she’s a scorer by nature, and something about the offense felt a little out of place.

When Asi wasn’t running the show, it was Heard, who was forced to play one through five for most of the season because of injuries, dismissals and ineligibilities. The position came a little more naturally to Heard, but still, the Cowgirls’ offense never reached the highs of the prior season.

Under the watchful eyes of Naomie Alnatas at point guard in 2022-23, the Cowgirl offense was third in the Big 12 in points per game and first in both field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Just one season later, with Alnatas gone and no true point guard, the Cowgirls ranked eighth in points per game and sixth in both field goal and 3-point percentage.

With Wooten taking the reigns as the fulltime point guard, the table is set for the Cowgirl offense to return to its 2022 form and get its stars back to doing what they do best.

Asi can move back to her natural, off-guard position where she can display her movement and shooting ability. Heard can use the on-ball creation skills she developed as a freshman but can also slot into the role Hoyt and her staff envisioned Heard in when they were recruiting her.

“Anna Gret (Asi) is one of the best shooters in the conference, and if she has to bring the ball up the floor, you are taking her away from that,” Hoyt said. “Last year we had that going on with Stailee (Heard). Stailee had to run point for us a little bit. We’ve got Alexia Smith, who is one of the best defenders I’ve coached in a long time. She transferred to us from Virginia, and right now she’s even had to take on that point guard role; so we don’t get to see her at her best defensively. Jadyn will take a lot of stress and pressure off of everyone else. It’s not necessarily about her allowing us to do what we want; it’s about her making other people around her better.”

Wooten was the gem of the Cowgirls’ 2024 recruiting class, and she will have an opportunity to show what made her the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year once she is healthy. She has missed some of the Cowgirls’ rampup period ahead of the season, so she may not immediately slot into the starting lineup. Hoyt made it a point to bring in multiple point guards during the summer, but she has also made it clear that when Wooten is back, she’s the future at that position.

“We’ve got really high expectations for her, and she wants those expectations,” Hoyt said. “To be a point guard in the Big 12 as a freshman is a lot, but we’re ready to walk that walk with her. I think she came here knowing what it was going to be like. She hasn’t backed down from that to this point, and I’m excited to see how much she will continue to grow.”

With her first two seasons at OSU in the books, Hoyt has already seen both ends of the spectrum. With a returning group that includes several experienced players, the Cowgirls are looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament. With a new point guard at the helm, OSU expects its offense to return to the heights it reached in Hoyt’s first season, and Wooten, while under the radar now, could be the key in making that happen.

“That’s what Jadyn wants; that’s who Jadyn is,” Hoyt said. “She’s been that her whole life. We understand that we’re going to have to be patient and there will be a learning curve, but in terms of wanting that role, that’s what Jadyn came here for.”

Courtesy Jadyn Wooten

As a freshman, Oklahoma State guard Jadyn Wooten is set to “run the show,” according to head coach Jacie Hoyt.

Wulfert relishing new role as Oklahoma State grad assistant

it is a bit of a different feeling.”

When Tyler Wulfert stepped foot on campus at Oklahoma State in fall 2022, not once did he envision himself in a coaching capacity.

Wulfet, the hot bat known for his immense hitting ability at Midland Junior College, had his sights on the MLB. At the time, Wulfert was just like any other hot-commodity prospect. Coaching was merely an afterthought.

“In the moment, you don’t really think about anything else but baseball,” Wulfert told The O’Colly. “So, I never thought about what life after baseball would be like.”

But things change.

Statistically, Wulfert fit the mold of a quality hitter — .278 batting average at OSU; 14 combined home runs; .841 OPS with the Cowboys — but a broken hand suffered in OSU’s series finale at West Virginia this past year put a slight damper on his prospect profile for the MLB Draft.

Now, after a stellar two-year career as OSU’s third baseman, Wulfert serves as a graduate assistant for the Cowboys. Instead of donning a pinstripe or orange crush OSU jersey, Wulfert sports a black jacket, which he joked mirrors what Cowboy head coach Josh Holliday wears on game days.

Wulfurt got his first dose of the coaching life a couple of weeks ago when the Cowboys faced Arkansas in a three-game fall exhibition series at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. It’s a feeling he described as “a lot different” to the regimen of a ballplayer.

“You’re not swinging a bat or running around in the infield,” Wulfert joked. “So yeah,

Wulfert said he’s always had a knack for helping people — whether that be gunning an opposing batter down, logging a go-ahead base hit or anything outside of the baseball realm. The opportunity to conduct those same duties post-playing career was too appealing. So when Holliday mentioned the opportunity to him in May, Wulfert said he couldn’t resist.

“I think what I like most about the coaching thing is the opportunity to help the guys,” Wulfert said. “And I want to be someone who can be relatable to our guys, on more of a personal level. When you have someone on staff that you can really bond with, it’s great. I remember that would always help me.”

And Holliday said he couldn’t have been happier when Wulfert accepted his offer.

“He’s always been one of those blue-collar, hard-working individuals,” Holliday said. “He’s getting to finish his undergraduate degree this year and learn about the art of coaching and help us out. What more can you ask for?”

Wulfert said he often reflects upon the life lessons endured during his collegiate career. He’d always been told that baseball is “the perfect life sport.” And it took a nagging hand injury to teach him that life is bigger than baseball, he said.

Now, he’s relishing his current situation. The opportunity to prolong his time around baseball. The opportunity to stay around friends, former teammates and coaches in Stillwater.

And perhaps, most importantly, the opportunity to launch a new chapter in his career.

“I’ve always thought that everything happens for a reason,” Wulfert said. “But I also know that if you work hard at something, everything will play out. So, that’s what I tell myself — ‘Work, work, work, and everything will be just fine.’”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Cowboy, Cowgirl cross country riding high into Big 12 Championships

For both Oklahoma State cross country teams, the confidence heading into the Big 12 Conference Cross Country Championships is there.

Now they just need to execute.

At the Griener Family OSU Cross Country Course this past Saturday, OSU hosted the Weis-Crockett Invitational. The Cowboys and Cowgirls ended their regular season with impressive fashion, especially the No. 1-ranked men, who don’t seem phased with the expectations of being the top-ranked team.

“I think they’ve handled it well,” assistant coach Mason Harbour said of the Cowboys. “Obviously, we’ll find out (when) they get their first big taste of action at Big 12s, but obviously, they know they have the target on their back. They know everybody’s looking at them. And so, we’ll see how they handle that… but they know what the deal is.”

In the Weis-Crockett Invitational, the Cowboys finished with a season-best 18 points in the men’s 8K, and five of the top seven finishers were wearing OSU orange. Denis Kipngetich picked up his third victory at the Griener Family OSU Cross Country Course with a winning time of 23:26, which beat the previous meet record by more than two seconds.

As for the Cowgirls in Stillwater, they had a perfect score of 15 points in the women’s 6K, and sisters Lauren (21:45.4) and Grace Ping (21:46) finished first and second.

After the Pings, though, was another series of Cowgirls, as they rounded out the top eight spots.

An hour later, another group of Cowgirls began running in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Wisconsin PreNats. There, OSU’s women finished 12th against top-tier competition — 15 of the top 25 teams were in Madison. Because of the team’s placing and individuals likely earning points toward qualifying for the NCAA Championships, Harbour said the Cowgirls’ confidence is high heading into Big 12s and beyond.

“I think those girls know what they have to offer; they’ve just been waiting for a chance to show it,” Harbour said. “And so I think they got a chance (in Wisconsin) at Pre-Nats.

“...We’ll see what happens at the postseason, but I know a lot of those women have just been waiting for their opportunity for the last couple of years, and we’re finally starting to see that growth.”

The conference championships are Nov. 1 in Waco, Texas, at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course. The Cowboys have won the last four conference titles; the Cowgirls have won two of the last three.

For the men, in particular, showing up and dominating the conference championships is important because they want to be working toward their best form as they’re searching for a second straight national championship.

“I think what we’ve seen with these guys before is that the course doesn’t matter to them,” Harbour said. “The course, the conditions, they really don’t matter; those guys are gonna go out and give their best effort on every day… And ultimately, they know that the job is to win another national championship.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Payton Little

Former Oklahoma State third baseman Tyler Wulfurt has taken on a graduate assistant position while finishing his degree.

Kaytlyn Hayes

Oklahoma State ophomore Denis Kipngetich won his third race at the Griener Family OSU Cross Country Course last weekend.

Cameron, Baylor’s leading wide receiver this season with 352 yards and seven touchdowns on 24 catches, often looks more like a running back lined up out wide than a receiver.

His thick lower body combined with excellent elusiveness makes defenders look foolish when he hits the open field. Baylor will likely use Cameron in a variety of ways against an OSU defense that has struggled with open-field tackling. Against Texas Tech last week, Cameron did damage as receiver and a returner.

When teams have wanted to throw the ball against OSU this season, they have been able to, and there is no reason to think Baylor won’t get Cameron going early and often.

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Under Garret Rangel, OSU appeared to have alleviated some concerns with its rushing attack and made defenses think about crashing in on Ollie Gordon II, improving a running game that looked lifeless in Big 12 Conference play.

With Rangel done for the season, the Cowboys are back to Alan Bowman, who is about as traditional of a pocket passer as it gets. OSU still used Bowman as a runner against BYU, but Bowman isn’t going to morph into Lamar Jackson anytime soon.

Maealiuaki Smith, a true freshman, is said to have some running ability, but it is doubtful that OSU would turn to him in any capacity barring an injury. With that being said, that one-half sample size of Rangel’s ability to run being a massive help to the offense can’t be ignored. It will be interesting to see if Mike Gundy and his staff use Bowman as a runner, scrap the QB running game or turn to Smith if needed.

Before Collin Oliver, Nick Martin and Trey Rucker were hurt, OSU didn’t have a great defense. Now with those three, along with Cameron Epps missing time or playing through injuries, the defense is even worse. Obi Ezegibo has been solid in support of Oliver, and Jeff Roberson has filled in admirably for Martin, but with an offense that has shown the ability to be explosive and put up big numbers on bad defenses, those players’ lack of availability will be highlighted even more than normal.

With Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson finally finding his groove, it’s not much of a leap to say OSU could be in for another long day on the defensive end.

Will OSU’s kicking woes come to an end?

After a strong start to the season, kicker Logan Ward has struggled the last few weeks.

Ward has missed at least one field goal in three of OSU’s last four games, including an 0-1 performance against BYU, a game the Cowboys lost by three points. The kicking game seems like the least of OSU’s worries right now, and Ward has shown the ability to be a good kicker, but with a bowl game becoming harder and harder to reach, the margins are going to begin to come to light more every week.

Ward’s power is undeniable, but if he can’t improve his accuracy, it could become a real problem for a Cowboy team that is already dealing with a variety of issues.

Opposing linebackers have feasted on the Cowboys this season, and Jones could be next in line.

Jones does it all for Baylor. He leads the team in tackles and pass deflections and is tied for third in sacks with two. He has yet to get an interception this season, but it is clear he is effective in the passing game with his deflections.

Under Alan Bowman’s watch, opposing linebackers have keyed in on the run and made life miserable for Ollie Gordon II. Unless OSU uses Maealiuaki Smith to inject some quarterback rushing threat into the offense, Jones will be able to pin his ears back and get into the backfield to stop Gordon before he gets going.

Robertson’s emergence key in Baylor’s slight resurgence

CALIF PONCY STAFF REPORTER

Daquan Finn went to Baylor to become the guy.

After three seasons of passing for at least 2,000 yards while starting as Toledo’s quarterback, the runway was clear for him to put his name on the map at a higher level in Waco, Texas, starting in a power conference.

After winning the MAC’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2023, Finn was poised for bigger and better things, so he transferred to Baylor and won the starting job. He beat Sawyer Robertson, who struggled for the Bears as a freshman in 2023.

All was going according to plan. Finn had won the job and played well against Tarleton State to start the season, and Robertson has been stashed away as the quarterback in waiting — until Finn got hurt in the second game of the season against Utah.

Robertson took over for Finn and never looked back, forcing Finn to spend his final season of college football watching from the sideline and giving Baylor its quarterback of the future.

Robertson, who has a year of eligibility remaining after this one, started his career at Mississippi State. Robertson committed to play for Mike Leach in Starkville as a fourstar recruit who was ranked as a top-10 pocket passer in his class by 247Sports. Most expected Robertson to eventually become the guy at Mississippi State and play his way into the bottom half of the NFL Draft.

Needless to say, that didn’t happen.

Robertson never started a game at MSU, and when Leach died in late 2022, Robertson, along with most of the Bulldogs roster, was left contemplating what his next move was.

For Robertson, that meant transferring to Baylor. At the time, the Bears were only two seasons removed from winning the Sugar Bowl and the Big 12 Championship Game.

Unfortunately for Robertson, Baylor’s football program has been in a downward spiral ever since. Rumors of head coach Dave Aranda being on the hotseat, a 3-9 2023 season and a 2-4 start to 2024 have many Baylor fans asking what’s next, but Robertson’s performance against Texas Tech and the last handful of games have given Bears fans something to hold onto.

Robertson threw five touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Red Raiders, who were 5-1 and atop the Big 12 standings before Robertson and Baylor scored 59 points on them en route to a victory. In the game prior, Robertson threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns against Iowa State, which has one of the best defenses in the conference. Before that, Robertson had Baylor on the brink of a comeback against BYU but fell short by six points.

Robertson isn’t perfect, but he has Baylor back to a point where the Bears could surpass last season’s win total and perhaps sneak into a bowl game if the pieces fall into place.

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if osu loses to baylor, is there any hope of a bowl game?

ashton slaughter

Yes. Although the Cowboys will be favored in only one or two games the rest of the season, forgetting 18 straight years isn’t something I’m willing to do. Mike Gundy has snuck into bowl games when he shouldn’t have in the past, and I don’t see why this OSU team couldn’t do the same, even with all its problems.