The O'Colly, Friday, May 3, 2024

Students rally in support for Palestine on Library Lawn

Luisa Clausen Editor-in-Chief

Between 50 and 75 protestors chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” on Library Lawn on Thursday as OSU students, administrators and faculty stopped to observe.

The Students Coalition for Palestinian Liberation at OSU organized a ProPalestinian rally after posting a press release on its Instagram demanding disclosure and divestment from OSU. In it, they request that “OSU fly the

Palestinian flag at the Wes Watkins center for 24 hours, provide full transparency of the university’s investments, and divest and end partnerships with companies that are fueling and profiting off of the U.S.‘s part in the conflict, such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Caterpillar, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Chevron, Palantir and Valero.”

OSU issued a statement addressing the call for divesting and the request for the flag display. “The OSU student group organizing the event shares the same demands made of other universities in the state. In compliance with Board of Regents

policy, the university does not engage in advocacy of a specific viewpoint. OSU tuition and fees, along with state and federal funding, are the primary funding sources for the university’s operations. These funds are not used for investment purposes.”

“The Wes Watkins Center has a policy regarding its exterior flag display limiting those flags to nations officially recognized by the United States.” OSUPD was present, and safety barriers were put in place. The rally remained peaceful and respectful through the entire time.

See Rally on 5A

Students, professors grapple with AI

AI and AI detection are hindering student and professor relationships, but an OSU professor said faculty should not be worried about AI.

In fall 2023, Vice Provost Christine Ormsbee brought the issue of AI detection to the Office of the Provost. Ormsbee’s research showed her the inaccuracies of AI detection. The Office of the Provost, the Instruction Council and the Dean’s Council agreed to not use AI detection on campus.

AI detection being inaccurate makes it difficult to guarantee the difference between AI work and what a student has done. Ormsbee said this could hinder the relationships of students and faculty that are built upon trust.

“I hope we all care about our students, and so the last thing I want to do is accuse a student of cheating,” Ormsbee said. “If I see that as cheating in my class, and I don’t have real evidence. I don’t have 100% accurate evidence that they did. And the concern I have is as a student, how do you prove you didn’t?”

Ormsbee said one false accusation could lead to students losing trust with professors.

“It’s not just our relationship,” Ormsbee said. “It’s every relationship that student now has with other faculty because, now, I’m not going to trust faculty.”

Ormsbee brought a presentation to the Faculty Council at its monthly meeting on March 12 about AI detection, updates on generative AI and how faculty can better communicate with their students about AI.

AI has already made its way into college courses around the country. About 53% of university students say they had coursework that requires them to use AI as part of an assignment, according to Ormsbee’s presentation.

Nearly 80% of students said they had at least one instructor discuss the ethics and use of AI, according to Ormsbee’s presentation. Ormsbee said if faculty don’t want students using AI, then they have to be able to communicate it with their students.

See AI on 4A

OSU faces rising pedestrian-vehicle accidents

ing lot next to the Fourth Avenue Garage and the Greenwood School of Music.

Looking both ways before she walked across the street, Madison Inbody chatted with her mom on the phone.

Seconds later, a car lifted her off the ground.

Slammed against the car and then the road, Inbody briefly lost consciousness.

“As I was in the crosswalk, I was just walking, and then the next thing I know, there’s a car underneath me, hitting me,” Inbody said.

“And then I woke up on the ground, and there were, like, 50 people over me.”

Inbody’s accident on Jan. 31 was the first of a series of pedestrian-vehicle accidents across campus during the spring 2024 semester.

In February, an OSU student was killed.

Gabrielle Claudia Long, 19, was the victim of a hit-and-run on the north side of campus on Monroe Street and Cantwell Avenue.

Hours later, another student was hit in a park-

When Madison Inbody heard about Long’s death, she was thrown back to the moment of her accident.

“I definitely cried when I heard that,” Inbody said. “I was putting on a Ross Lynch event for the Speaker’s Board, and I was around a bunch of people, and I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry because, obviously, it’s not about me, but I felt for that, and I felt for her family. It’s what happened to me, and it could’ve been me.” OSU has seen an increase in pedestrianvehicle accidents in the past two years. From 20192021, OSUPD recorded 1-2 accidents per year. In 2022, that number jumped to five. In 2023, it climbed higher to eight recorded accidents.

In response to Long’s death, OSU formed the Pedestrian Safety Task Force, aimed at creating safer conditions for pedestrians, which includes walkers and bicyclists, on campus. It was announced the day after the fatal hit-and-run.

Bella Casey

Students gathered under the shade of a tree near the Student Union to rally in support of Palestine.

Connor Fuxa

Hayden Alexander & Kennedy Thomason

Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter

Editor-in-Chief

Luisa Clausen editorinchief@ocolly.com

Sports

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Assistant Sports editor

How do you prepare last-minute for finals?

Jillian Eckert

“Locking myself in the library with a drink and a snack and putting on a good playlist and just focusing and being like, ‘I can’t leave until I know what I’m doing, until I’ve finished this essay or been through all these flashcards.’ It’s putting myself in a public place so I can keep myself calm.”

“If you know it, you know it, and if you don’t, you don’t. Don’t stress about what you don’t know because whenever you stress about it, you get to the exam and just completely forget what you do know. You have to distinguish what you need to focus on more and what you need to focus on less.”

“Just going to the library late at night and just getting in the zone and trying my best to just focus as much as I can.”

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OUR EYES ARE ON CHRIST!

“ As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he show us his mercy.” (Ps.123:2 NIV)

“My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty...But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Ps.131:1,2 NIV)

“ I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit...he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear (stand in awe) and put their trust in the LORD.” (Ps.40:1-3 NIV)

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall

renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Is.40:31 KJV)

There is something definite and real about waiting on the Lord. I remember years ago when I sensed the Lord speak to me. “Make yourself available!” I thought I was! I was reading my Bible some and going to church regularly. As I considered this challenge from Lord, I felt I should spend

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New ‘Transformers’ trailer is more than meets eye

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

times, movies do not need to be serious; you can just enjoy them and have fun without the emotional trauma.

The first official trailer for Paramount Pictures’ “Transformers One,” directed by Josh Cooley, hit the internet on April 18.

The film stars Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, who play the younger versions of Optimus Prime, Megatron (also known as Orian Pax) and D-16. It takes a note from the cartoons and goes back to Cybertron, where it all started.

Now, I admit that I am a rookie “Transformers” fan, but this movie excites me. I grew up watching the cartoons and loving the lore of the universe. The blockbuster-style “Transformers” movies lost me after a while.

This trailer feels like a more lighthearted take on the franchise, similar to the 2018 “Bumblebee” movie. The small scale of that movie and the relationship building between Autobots and humans works well. Although “Transformers One” is on a slightly bigger scale, we are still focusing on the origins of Orian Pax and D-16’s friendship and eventual betrayal.

This is the first time fans will see Cybertron, the “Transformers” home world, on the big screen. In most “Transformers” media, the planet is a ravaged wasteland because of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, and what we do see in flashbacks is brief. Now fans get to see the planet in its prime (ha, get it?).

The vibes are immaculate in this trailer. The original cartoon was released in 1984, and this movie screams the 1980s. Everything is neon, there is some campy ‘80s humor for good measure, and the soundtrack is, of course, ‘80s.

The trailer is getting some flak for its childish tone, but this is not an issue. “Transformers” was originally a kid’s cartoon, and it seems like they want to honor that. I love it. Some -

The director, Josh Cooley, addressed fans’ concerns in an interview with IGN, pointing out that this film is an origin story and there are no stakes in the beginning. The trailer feels lighthearted because none of the big character definition moments have happened. This movie is a clean slate for the creators. Cooley wants the movie to be accessible to all fans.

“I would say that we set out to make a film that’s for everyone,” Cooley said. “Because it’s an origin story, it was like, I want to make a movie not just for fans, but for everyone.”

As for the comedic tones of the film and the budding friendship between Orian and D-16, it’s a result of Cooley and his team wanting to build a friendship and then break our hearts with betrayal.

“Optimus and Megatron become enemies, and so I wanted to make sure that the audience fell in love with them as brothers, as friends early on,” Cooley said in his IGN interview.

Cooley promises that the stakes will get higher by the end of the film. Remember trailers cannot show all of their cards at once. Plus, I miss a time when trailers left the plot and big twists shrouded in mystery.

The ensemble characters, Bumblebee (Keegan-Michael Key) and Elita-One (Scarlett Johansson) are going to be fun to watch this time around. Bumblebee is always a bit on the sassier side; this time, he’s got a voice box. Cooley promises that ElitaOne will be a pivotal part of the film.

“Elita, this movie can’t happen without her,” Cooley said. “That’s what I love about her character. She’s not just there in the background to lean in and say funny things.”

As for the plot, it looks like the characters get a gear upgrade, and Orian Pax and D-16’s friendship will grow and then fall apart.

There is a lot of turmoil surrounding this trailer, but it’s the first of many. Hopefully, more content will address fan concerns as the year progresses and Sept. 20 draws near. If anything, the movie will be a fun time.

Autobots roll out.

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32nd annual Calf Fry gathers students, country fans alike

Ava Whistler Staff Reporter

Most Stillwater residents know about Calf Fry, the annual outdoor country music festival.

But what they might not know is its name origins from the food item, “calf fries,” or deep fried calf testicles.

Although calf fries will be available at various food trucks, the festival doesn’t bring in thousands of attendees for its food alone. Every year, Calf Fry hosts a different lineup of country and red dirt artists to perform.

This year’s music lineup will host 18 bands in a span of three days. It includes Flatland Cavalry among other headliners, including Shane Smith and the Saints and Giovannie and the Hired Guns.

“Calf Fry (feels like) a hometown music festival,” said Megan Rice, a senior. “You get the vibes of a real music festival while also keeping the vibes of Stillwater and knowing you’re home.”

For many Oklahoma State students, Calf Fry is the last party of the semester, or for some, of their college career. Seniors like Rice have a final opportunity to celebrate with friends before starting the next chapter in their lives.

Although it rallies plenty of college students, it’s also an opportunity for avid country fans and OSU alumni to revisit Stillwater or to join in on the excitement.

Claire Cornell, a country music fan from Nebraska, has been counting down the days for this year’s festival. Every year, she drives down to Oklahoma with a group of friends, and they rent an Airbnb nearby.

“Calf Fry is incredible,” she said. “Everyone around you wants to have fun, and enjoy the three days together. Girls compliment girls outfits, we run into other Nebraskans and hang out during the entire festival. The booths, drinks, food and music… it can’t compare.”

Although it appears to be all fun and games, for newcomers there are a few things to be aware of before jumping into festivities.

Oklahoma weather is always unpredictable, especially in the spring. It can often be rainy, humid or surprisingly warm. Rice encouraged attendees to look at the weather beforehand to choose their outfits, and also to make sure and hydrate ahead of time.

Cornell suggests wearing comfortable shoes.

“You’ll be standing for long periods of time, and I learned my lesson last year,” Cornell said.

This year’s Calf Fry is the 32nd anniversary of the event and will be held from yesterday through Saturday. Whether you’ve been to past festivals, it’s worth coming again for fresh music, familiar food and a lively atmosphere.

“Each experience at Calf Fry has been one to remember,” Cornell said. “It’s (always) the same but different in its own way.”

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Tribune News Service

Optimus Prime was featured in the new “Transformers One” trailer.

Calf Fry is hosting its 32nd annual country music festival, which began last night.

perspective would not be captured.”

Continued from 1A

“You need to put that in writing in your syllabus,” Ormsbee said. “Communicate that, and then make sure that they really understand that if you’re OK with them using it. We gave them language to put in their syllabi.”

In response to Ormsbee’s presentation, a professor brought up the concern several composition professors had about students using AI to write their papers. The professor said students can use AI for spell check and grammar check, but they shouldn’t use it for generative writing.

“They should value their own ideas,” Aimee Parkison said. “They should value the human aspect, and not let a computer write something for them because not only are they not learning something if they do that, but their own unique voice, and their own unique voice

In response to Ormsbee’s presentation at the Faculty Meeting, an OSU professor of microbiology and molecular genetics said the real problem with AI is if students are using it to just get an ‘A’ instead of learning and developing the skills. The professor said the structure of incentivizing grades is probably an unwise decision.

“We want the incentive structure to be ‘Are you learning what you think you should be learning? How deep is your understanding, whatever knowledge you have in your brain, are you ready to use it?’” Wouter Hoff said. “‘What do I care if you’ve got an ‘A’ because you could remember it?’ No, that’s not what it’s about.”

Hoff said changing the homework assignments would be a good first step in implementing AI into coursework and allowing growth at OSU.

“You make the assignment much harder,” Hoff said. “Where students need to use AI. Sometimes AI

gives you the right answer and sometimes it won’t. How could you validate your answer? Is it consistent with other things you know?”

Hoff is moving more toward open books exams because of the growing information age. Hoff said having all the information at your fingertips does not mean you’ll understand what the computer is telling you, and it doesn’t mean you can use it.

AI comes with negatives and positives. Ormsbee said despite its negatives and downsides, AI is a tool for the future.

“I think that students today who are employees or employees in the future, if they can think about how this tool makes them more efficient, more effective, they’re going to be somebody who people want to hire,” Ormsbee said. “Because businesses are trying to figure out how to use it to be more efficient. There are some downsides, but mostly it’s an opportunity if we look at it right.”

Raynee

Staff Reporter

Olivia McCarter knows how it feels to successfully overcome burnout, but she also knows how it feels to fail.

McCarter, an OSU agriculture education student, tries to remind herself the stress she is under is temporary. As pre-finals week comes to a close and finals week is two days away, many students are grappling with burnout.

McCarter said focusing on how great it will be once it is over and she can go home to see her family keeps her going.

“I’ve overcome burnout, but I’ve also let it hurt me,” McCarter said. “And trying to scramble at the end of the semester to salvage your grade makes it so much harder and makes you want to give up that much more.”

Unfortunately, more than half of college students across the nation are experiencing the same feelings as McCarter. Eighty-two percent of college students reported feeling overwhelmed during the academic year, according to the American College Health Association. These overwhelming feelings of stress can lead to complete mental and physical exhaustion, known to college students as burnout.

With finals approaching, students’ stress levels are peaking and some may not know how to cope. McCart-

er said she starts dealing with burnout as soon as the flowers start blooming.

“I lose all motivation and contemplate dropping out every spring,” McCarter said. “I’m just so ready to be done that I can’t even focus on my classwork half of the time.”

Assistant professor of counseling Lisa Beijan said taking care of yourself yearround is the best protection against burnout.

“The best way to support good mental health is to maintain healthy habits throughout the semester,” Beijan said.

Prioritizing mental health for the entire semester can be challenging alongside the countless responsibilities of college. Beijan offered advice for those who need to find extra time for themselves.

“Laughter, play and fun; give your brain a break and help you focus more effectively when you return to your task,” Beijan said.

Students like Kevin O’Neal, an international business student, use a similar method to cope with burnout and excessive stress.

“I cope with it (burnout) by finding time to do the things I enjoy to take my mind off of school, no matter how small the thing may be,” O’Neal said. “I try to disconnect myself from school and the outside world.”

O’Neal said he feels the effects of burnout after

OSU students join U.S. Navy program

Luisa Clausen Editor-in-Chief

Austin Lantz and Jay Gibson sat across each other in silence on benches outside the Student Union as they waited for Chief Michael Ramirez on Monday.

Although the two had never met, they were about to take the same oath to become U.S. Navy Officers.

The aerospace engineering students were accepted into the baccalaureate degree completion program, where the Navy assists current college students in paying for their degree, books, rent, food and full-time Officer pay while in college with a guaranteed job upon graduation.

The students, who joined the aviation program, were sworn in on campus Monday and are on active duty but do not have any military requirements until graduation except for random urinalysis tests and remaining in good physical health.

“So, we want to pay them to ensure that they’re going to make those good grades,” Ramirez said. “And that’s what we want them to focus on.”

For Lantz, a junior, the Navy was not always in the plan; the FBI was. A year ago, he said he started to challenge his assumptions about what he wanted to do with his life.

“God’s given me a strong sense of justice and protection, which led me to start talking to a variety of people about potential futures,” Lantz said.

He first talked to the Air Force and then an FBI agent, who then suggested he talk to the Navy. Lantz said he spoke to Ramirez to understand the process, which led him to ensure the Navy had the broadest range of opportunities for what he wanted.

Lantz took an aviation selection exam and Ramirez told him he could be a highly qualified Navy pilot.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Lantz said. “It was a pleasant surprise because being a pilot was one of my earliest childhood dreams.”

Gibson, who also studies mechanical engineering, has consid-

ered joining the military since high school but said he did not want to rush it. Gibson said he wanted to have a career after he left the military.

“I wanted to make sure I was able to serve my country to the best of my ability,” Gibson said.

Gibson, like Lantz, didn’t choose aviation from the start. He spent three days in San Diego, California, touring and learning about the nuclear program. During those days, he realized that was not what he wanted to do; he wanted something more active.

Gibson reached out to Ramirez to understand his other opportunities, and the recruiter explained the aviator program.

Although Gibson passed the necessary test, he still had to go through a screening with a board and wait for its approval.

“My family was excited for me, but I just thought it was one step on a really big journey,” Gibson said. “There’s a lot more hurdles in the future, but I’m excited to have gotten started.”

After Gibson and Lantz graduate, they will go to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, where they will be trained for 13 weeks to become commissioned Officers in the Navy. After that, they will go to Florida to start aviation school.

Ramirez is the only general officer recruiter for Oklahoma and travels to anywhere in the state to talk to students, recruit them and swear them in.

He handles Officer programs in engineering, such as aviation officer programs, general officer programs, such as Surface Warfare intelligence, cryptologic warfare, information professional programs and the nuclear engineering program.

Ramirez said few college students know about the program and its benefits. Still, those interested in joining can contact him. He said they pick the best of the best, but it is possible for every student.

“You never know unless you ask,” Ramirez said. “So many students find out about this when they are about to graduate.”

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attending class for the first 3-4 months of the semester. He said even the smallest assignments can seem tedious. Despite how long and hard an assignment may seem, O’Neal said finishing them teaches him he’s stronger than he thinks.

“It can give you a sense of accomplishment because you did something even at your lowest,” O’Neal said.

Giovanna Salazar, an entrepreneurship student, thinks of her future to ease the effects of burnout. Halfway through the semester, Salazar said she has to remind herself this feeling is temporary and there is more to look forward to after overcoming this challenge.

“I think of my parents who came from nothing, and I think of my future,” Salazar said. “You cannot let yourself sulk onto something for so long because you have a purpose; don’t let all your hard work go to waste.”

Salazar and O’Neal can frame their mindsets to combat burnout, but not all students are as successful. Beijan tells her students to focus on one thing at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

“Break large and overwhelming tasks into smaller manageable pieces,” Beijan said. “I frequently use this example with students and advisees: ‘The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.’”

Payton Little

AI is a tool being integrated into some of OSU’s classes for online assignments and projects.

Payton Little

As students deal with end-of-semester burnout, taking tasks one step at a time can help them manage the stress.

‘One bite at a time:’ Students deal with burnout

Howell

Luisa Clausen

Chief Michael Ramirez helped Austin Lantz understand wht path to follow in the Navy.

Although the protesters declined to comment during the rally, The O’Colly spoke to a Palestinian student the morning of the rally who chose not to share her name for privacy and security reasons.

She has been advocating for the Palestinian community at OSU since the war started.

Her family left Palestine in 2008 when she was three because of another war. Although she was only three, she remembered the day they left, the fear and the insecurity. Her parents left home behind to give their children a safe life, but they never let go of their culture and values.

She said she has received hostile messages on social media from OSU students but will not stop fighting for a voice because she never thought it would be easy.

“Our fight is for human rights and for the killing of all humans to stop,” She said.

She said there are at least five Palestinians on campus from the West Bank who have suffered some type of verbal violence needing representation and people fighting for them. She said a statement from OSU saying violent behaviors such as those are unacceptable is a place to start.

“The Palestinian students no longer feel safe on campus,” She said.

On Oct. 7, Hamas militants issued attacks on sourthern Israel, killing a reported 250 people and abducting around 250 hostages. Israel death toll has been revised to arounf 1,200. The Israeli military responded by launching bombing

campaigns and invading the Gaza Strip, killing 34,000 people as of Monday.

Quinn Martin, a freshmen, is Jewish and has supported Palestinian students and said the rally is an opportunity for students to be more open to listening to each other. Martin said people gave up on grieving with one another and need to work on compassion.

“A lot of students have lost their families, close friends and now it feels like they are losing a space here on campus,” Martin said.

As soon as the rally started, a small group of students holding the U.S. and Israeli flags stood facing the protesters and yelling, “God bless America,” and “What about the Israelian families?”

Cade Smith, a freshman, held the Israeli flag in disagreement with the rally.

“This is embarrassing for the OSU campus,” Smith said. “People will come out here and show their beliefs and I will show them as well.”

Camden Roberts and Nick Smith, a junior and a senior, respectively, were with Turning Point USA and said they were there to pray for the students protesting. Though they disagreed with them, they still wanted to spread love and were willing to have discussions to understand different points of view.

“This is a flash point of ideas,” Roberts said. “We need more peace and understanding in the world. Showing up to things subjectively, you can approach both sides with an open mind and respectful heart.”

The rally happened during a time Pro-Palestine protests and encampments surfaced at universities nationwide as students have protested and called for support for Palestine amid the ongoing war in Gaza and divestment demands. The protests and encampments nationwide took off after an encampment began at Columbia University in New York, where students and professors

The science behind the struggle of allergy season

Reagan Webb, a student from Arkansas, is taking Zyrtec and Benadryl to fight the new symptoms she faces daily.

have clashed with law enforcement and university officials.

One of the students managing the event, who asked to keep his name private for security reasons, told The O’Colly that though protests are effective, they often lack when trying to be personable. He said he did not expect people who did not agree with them to completely abandon their ideology, hop the fence and pick up one of their signs.

“I just hope I gave them a reasonable conversation to express our opposing beliefs and not immediately lash out at each other,” He said. “I hope it will work toward a de-escalation of tensions and a more amicable outcome.”

A second event-manager said they talked to Israeli students at the protest and it was a tense topic for everyone but it was noticeable both sides had more in common that they thought. They said that they had no doubt that many people who showed up today to watch or counter-protest would like to see the end of the conflict.

“If we could come together to agree that our tuition and taxes should not be funding foreign governments,” They said. “I think that’s a step in the right direction.”

Vice President of Student Affairs Douglas Hallenbeck talked to The O’Colly on Tuesday and was at yesterday’s rally. Hallenbeck encouraged students to take the time to listen to thoughts and opinions that may differ from their own before responding. Hallenbeck said he and the people working in his office are open to talking to students and providing resources that may help during this time.

On Tuesday, Hallenbeck said his expectations for the rally was that students would remain respectful of each other’s right to share their opinions and voice.

“Part of the ideal of college is that we’re able to discuss ideas and beliefs and debate those things openly to come to a greater understanding,” Hallenbeck said.

Spring season is here, which means warm weather and flowers blooming, but for those with seasonal allergies, like Olivia McCarter, it’s not all sunshine.

More than 25% of Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For sophomore McCarter, it’s no joke.

McCarter is from southeast Oklahoma, about three hours from Stillwater, but this is her first year in the town. She said she is taking lots of medication to manage.

“Ever since I was a kid, I mean every fall, every spring, rounds of antibiotics and steroids,” McCarter said. “All this to try and keep me from absolutely going down. But here lately, ever since I moved here, I’ve noticed it almost yearround.”

Campus has experienced a wave of pollen within the last few weeks, and students are being hit hard.

Doctorate candidate Rebekkah Pope said people often use the word allergy broadly.

“In general, it is an immune response to a foreign substance,” Pope said. “And it can be mild, like with a runny nose and an itchy throat, or severe, when you have an anaphylactic shock, which you can die from.”

Pope said the definition helps explain the main reasons for students’ suffering. Allergies are based on individuals’ immune systems. When allergies start to flair up, the experts try to find out why.

Pope said locations can affect allergies as well.

“Our antibodies are very specific,” Pope said. “So there can be one species of tree pollen that affects you, but then another very specific tree pollen will not affect you. People’s reactions are very specific to the type of pollen and where it is coming from.”

This means that new students could be experiencing allergies for the first time or experiencing them in a new way.

“I’ve had allergies for as long as I can remember, but I got used to it back in Arkansas,” Webb said. “Then coming here, it’s new stuff, so I’m going through that process, again, of trying to get immune to it.”

This can work oppositely, too.

Will Morrison, a sophomore, who moved from Aurora, Illinois, said he has experienced allergies in a better way.

“I have had terrible allergies all my life, and being here in Oklahoma makes it feel so much better,” Morrison said. “I mean, it’s so much easier. I only have allergies for one or two months of the year instead of the entire spring and summer, so it’s just easier to get by.”

Stillwater is near the allergy capitals of the world, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. In its ranking of the top 10 allergy capitals, Wichita, Kansas, came in at one, Dallas, Texas, came in at four, Oklahoma City slotted at five, followed by Tulsa at six and Fayetteville, Arkansas, at 10.

Freshman Alan Martinez from Pawhuska, has been affected by allergies since he was a kid but wants more people to understand it and spread awareness.

“I just think it should be brought out to light more that people are allergic to it,” Martinez said. “Because most people, whenever you tell them you’re allergic to the outside, they’re like ‘Really?’ and then they don’t believe you until it happens.”

Puni Jeyasingh, a biology professor, said allergies are a lock and key mechanism that work differently for everyone.

He said some people’s bodies treat tree pollen like a virus rather than as a tree pollen doing no harm.

“For people like me who are more allergic than others, what is sticking out of my cells is reacting more and binding on to more things than someone who has no allergies,” Jeyasingh said.

“So people who aren’t allergic to Cedar pollen will not have that lock and key mechanism and cedar pollen will not bind to the protein of the cells.”

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The HUB breaks ground, set to be ‘value add’ to Stillwater

Kennedy Thomason News & Lifestyle Editor

The HUB broke ground on Wednesday.

Announced in May 2023, processes are now in motion to begin building the family entertainment center at North Perkins Road and East Airport Road. The Tonkawa Tribe is partnering with the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce to create The HUB.

Alane Zannotti, president and CEO of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, said she is excited to begin the building stage of the project in partnership with the Tonkawa Tribe.

“I always say the Chamber’s the front porch into any community, and I say that for a multitude of reasons,” Zannotti said. “One is because when someone comes to the community and wants to know about things, the Chamber is usually the first place they call. The business wants to expand or find new support, the Chamber is who they call.

So I couldn’t be more proud and pleased that the Tonkawa Tribe has decided to call Stillwater home and hopefully have

a front porch in our community as well.”

The HUB will feature a 16-lane bowling alley, movie theater, arcade, eight outdoor pickleball courts, a restaurant and an interior and exterior sports bar. It is planned to be a 63,000 foot indoor complex with a 20,000 foot outdoor open-air complex.

Stillwater’s The HUB is not the first. The Tonkawa Tribe has one in Tonkawa that connects to its casino.

Russell Martin, president of the Tonkawa Tribe, said it didn’t take much convincing to get the Tribe on board. With the help of Patrick Waldroup, vice president of the Tribe, and Racheal Starr, secretary treasurer of the Tribe, Martin said he is excited to bring The HUB to Stillwater.

“We (Martin, Waldroup and Starr) made a pact between us, we’re all going to agree to do something, or we’re not going to do it at all,” Martin said. “It’s served us very well, I believe.” Lambert Construction Co., based in Stillwater, and Studio 45 Architects, based in Tulsa, are also part of the project. Mark Lambert, owner of Lambert Construction Co., said the company

will begin building as soon as it can get materials and equipment. He estimated it will take 12-14 months to complete construction.

“I like to think that Ross has really assembled the A team for this project,” Lambert said. “We’re very, very proud to be a part of it.

“But honestly, I’m more excited for the collective community of Stillwater, that we have such a quality of life type of family entertainment facility coming to Stillwater.”

Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce shared sentiments similar to Zannotti’s.

Joyce said The HUB will be the next step in helping Stillwater build its professional and interpersonal community.

“In Stillwater we value education, culture, arts and civic engagement, and our business community reflects what our greater community holds dear,” Joyce said. “We see this project as a tremendous value add for our community, and I’m confident that the Tonkawa Tribe will be a wonderful partner and participant in building the business landscape and culture here in Stillwater.” news.ed@ocolly.com

Bella Casey

The rally happened during a time Pro-Palestine protests and encampments surfaced at universities nationwide as students have protested and called for support for Palestine amid the ongoing war in Gaza and divestment demands.

Kennedy Thomason Tonkawa Tribe President Russell Martin said the tribe is excited to have The HUB in Stillwater.

Connor Fuxa

Charles Thomas O’Colly Contributor

News

Tail-wagging therapy: Animals ease stress, anxiety

Gannon Blankenship

O’Colly Contributor

On a vacation without her cat, Chloe Summers wanted nothing more than to see her eight-pound friend.

Battling a chronic health issue that leads to anxiety, Summers wanted to see her “mutt” cat, Luna. Stressed, emotional and holding back tears is where Summers found herself on the central coast of California while on vacation with her family.

“When I go on vacation, I don’t take my cat and by the end of it, I just want to go home and see my cat,” Summers said. “I am emotional, and I cry over anything and everything because I just want to come home and see my cat. It is ridiculous, but l am not homesick for people, but I am homesick for her.”

Summers is not alone. Almost onefifth of the United States population struggles with anxiety. More than 40 million adults, 19.1% of the population, have an anxiety disorder in the U.S., according to Forbes. In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey reported nearly one-third of adults reported anxiety and depression symptoms.

The world needed a solution, and it turned to therapy dogs.

A study in August 2021 by the Zebra showed that after the pandemic, 46.9% of people with a therapy animal reported a therapy animal improved their mental health. Universities and schools are starting to realize that therapy animals are helpful, and as of 2024, more than 60% of universities and schools have a therapy animal program in place.

OSU was ahead of the curve when, in 2013, it started Pete’s Pet Posse, a therapy dog program on campus.

Trevor Richardson, the director of counseling and sports psychology, said the program became popular and took off.

“Just the popularity didn’t take long,” Richardson said. “We started small with 10 teams that went through the training, and then we knew real soon that we were going to need more and more, and going to need to add more each year to the team. I can’t imagine how many calls that Kendria takes from not just people from our campus, but from people across the country that call and that just goes to show how well respected the program is.”

Andrew Wyse, a sophomore, has major support for the system, even though the dogs help him in an unusual way.

“I think the program is cool because they have great pyrenees, and that was my childhood dog, so even though I am not at home, I was able to see a great pyrenees, and it brightened my day,” Wyse said. “I didn’t even have to interact with the dog for it to brighten my day.”

The program has been so helpful within OSU that Richardson said the hardest thing about the program is meeting the demands of the people. Campus has 59 teams, with 11 additional teams in training. After the June graduation, when all the teams graduate, OSU will have 102 teams across the five-campus OSU system.

“The program is a victim of its own success, and so many people really get a lot of the program,” Richardson said. “There are so many more people that become aware of it, and then they ask for visits, so meeting the demand is difficult, and it takes a lot. Continuing to try and provide resources is really important, and we are doing the best we can with that.”

Not long after OSU started Pete’s Pet Posse, the Stillwater School District followed suit and started its own therapy dog program, Paws for Pioneers. It has five dogs, with one at the high school, one at the junior high and three at the

elementary level.

Kane Mach, the assistant junior high principal and director of Paws for Pioneers program coordinator, said the benefits go beyond the stress and anxiety relief.

“There is a ton of research that shows therapy dogs in a school setting can improve attendance rates, which helps us with chronic absenteeism and helps us with culture,” Mach said. “When you get kids to come to school, and they want to be here, and the staff wants to be here, well then you start to see learning increase and all of a sudden academic achievement is going up.”

Therapy animals are proven to be effective because they can increase dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin which are often referred to as the “feel good” chemicals within our brain, according to signaturehealthinc.org. When these chemicals are released, they not only help improve our mood and happiness, but can affect the way we think, too.

“As they (dogs) look at you, they’re non-judgmental,” Richardson said. “The research shows that they decrease heart rate, they decrease blood pressure, and it helps you get to a more relaxed homeostasis. And when you do that, then you’re getting to the more rational part of your brain, and then you’re able to think ‘what’s going on right now’ and respond appropriately.”

Josh Matthews, a sophomore philosophy major, said dogs have a heightened consciousness where they can sense stress and anxiety within humans.

“They’re (dogs) just so in tune with their emotions that they can sense who’s stressed, and who’s happy and who’s

SINCE 1957,

230 S. Knoblock St. Stillwater, OK 74074

Stop in for fresh Fried Mushrooms or Pizza made to your liking!

mad or whatever,” Matthews said. “I’m hanging out with my dog because he is able to notice if I need to cry, and he will literally come to me and just lick my face or whatever and literally take care of me for 15 minutes.”

Heather Orr, the owner of Pete’s Pet Posse dog Lumos Orr, said her dog always wanted human interaction.

“So when I first adopted her, I took her to the dog parks, and she would run to all the humans first and want to get petted, and then want to go play,” Orr said. “And then when new humans came, she would run to them first and check on them, and then want to go play.”

Richardson said his dog, Scruff, has a calming effect on people.

“I noticed that when we went into offices that Scruff just knew who to go to because he could just sense something,” Richardson said. “This led to people who were going through stuff to just be able to let their guard down and be able to open up. And so that opened my eyes to how effective this program can be in a more significant way.”

Therapy dogs were so helpful among college students that OSU has given students the opportunity to bring their dogs to campus as an emotional support dog. Students who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness involving stress or anxiety have the opportunity to have their dog live with them all year in the dorm.

Kaden Bush, a junior industrial engineering major, said his ESA dog helps him relax.

“He definitely calms me down and keeps my mind going, and that’s kind of what I need,” Bush said. “I’ve gone

through close family and family members pass away and stuff like that, and it just helps me to have some comfort there, especially when I am so far away from home. So, he helps me feel better.”

Mach’s dog, Junee, is a therapy dog at Stillwater Junior High, but also acts as an ESA.

“I just love having her here at work with me,” Mach said. “She’s my dog, and she just helps me stay calm in my role, as I am faced with a lot of highstress situations, and I have to make a lot of decisions every day, so I think she is just as beneficial to me as she is the rest of the building.”

Sawyer Peddicord, a junior marketing research major, knew that if all else failed, she would still have her ESA dog Buttercup by her side.

“One time I had a panic attack in between classes, so I didn’t go to my next class, and I had to go home,” Peddicord said. “And I couldn’t get ahold of my parents, and I didn’t have like my roommates home or anything, but Buttercup, my dog, was there, and so I got that comfort from her and it was really, really great.”

Even though Summers couldn’t take her cat on vacation with her, bringing her cat to college with her was an easy choice.

“It wasn’t like too much of a stretch, and honestly it was kind of a logical choice,” Summers said. “Like she was my cat, and if I am leaving the house and living somewhere else, like, she’s coming with me. She’s like a piece of me.”

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.

Gannon Blankenship

OSU Barbell Club competes at USA Powerlifting competition

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

USA Powerlifting hosts multiple competitions yearly, but its biggest competition, Collegiate Nationals, brings together the strongest lifters for four days of spirited competition.

Five members of OSU’s Barbell Club competed at the USA Powerlifting National Collegiate competition in Atlanta, Georgia. Out of 110 teams, OSU ranked No. 20.

Three of the powerlifters who made that placement possible are Rocky Hensley, Cole Hunter and Madison Smith.

Lifting is in Hensley’s DNA. Hensley’s dad, a powerlifter himself, had Hensley lifting by the third grade. Hensley is the current president of the OSU Barbell Club.

“Once I graduated high school, I was like, I’ll just keep lifting and just see where it takes me,” Hensley said. His lifting took him straight to the national level.

“It’s the biggest meet that I could go to since starting powerlifting,” Hensley said. “It’s pretty much always been the end goal.”

Hensley said that the scale of the meet was daunting at first.

“It was scary at first,” Hensley said. “I’ve been to meets with live streams and announcers, but I haven’t been to one with a lot of sponsors and coaches and seeing so many people from other colleges it was kind of scary, but at the same time, it was like, ‘That’s not why I’m here, I’m here to lift.’”

When Hensley stepped up to the platform for his first lift, the gravity of representing OSU on the national stage hit him.

“I got up on the platform, like, ‘Gosh, I actually get to show off for my college,’ which is really cool,” Hensley said. “It was a really cool fullcircle moment from freshman year learning what nationals is and now I finally get to do this.”

After years of lifting, like Hensley, Hunter is proud to represent OSU.

“It’s always been a dream of mine just to compete at a national level for any sport and to do it for a school that I really enjoy,” Hunter said. “It was really cool to see my

name up with Oklahoma State on the scoreboard.”

Hunter grew up competing in sports but fell out of love with athletics in high school.

Powerlifting changed the game.

“I fell in love with the process of lifting, and then I tried my first meets in college when I found this club and for some reason it really reginited a love for lifting,” Hunter said.

Just before the meet, Hunter got sick, throwing off his training and preparation, but that did not stop him from competing. Hunter did not get his usual totals but said competing is the real prize.

“Obviously I didn’t get the numbers I wanted to, but it was just a dream to compete on the national level, so I wasn’t too worried about placing,” Hunter said.

The secretary of OSU Barbell, Smith, will be vice president next year and is ready to lead the club to new heights.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to grow the club as well as just help out anyone who’s interested in lifting,” Hunter said. I think there’s just a wealth of knowledge, and it’s a really cool experience as well as just traveling with the club.”

Of the five members who traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, Smith was the only woman representing OSU. Smith said lifting at nationals is about more than only competing.

“I felt very proud being able to represent OSU, especially since I was the only girl there,” Smith said. “That’s on a mission that I’m on it to try and get more females to compete, to get involved with strength sports, because being able to represent our school is awesome, but a majority of the members are male. It’d be wonderful to take some more girls next year.”

Not only did Smith make OSU proud, she handled a tough situation at the competition. In between each lift the competitors write down the weight they want set for their next lift. Smith put down 402 pounds, but when she wrapped her hands around the bar for her final deadlift, she didn’t know the weight was wrong.

“I got out on stage and I’m ready to work and hit this lift,” Smith said. “I go up to the bar, and I got into my position that I’ve routinely done

for years now, and I pull, and I’m pulling, pulling, pulling and next think I know, I lose my balance.”

Smith gave it everything, but the extra weight, 413 pounds, threw her off. She almost had it, even with the additional weight.

“It’s super frustrating, but I’m very proud that I was even able to lift up the weight that I was not anticipating on even touching,” Smith said.

Smith said missing out on her final lift hurt, but she is always continuing to improve her skills and is ready to go back next year.

“Whenever things don’t go right, it’s debilitating,” Smith said. “It’s very heartbreaking. Just knowing in the back of my mind and having my coach tell me, you know, you did your best; you did what you came here to do. You’ve improved regardless because you’re competing on the national level.”

Watching her mom as a personal trainer meant Smith grew up in the gym. Her partner and now coach, Gage Smith, introduced her to powerlifting.

“I met my coach, who is also my partner, and he exposed me to powerlifting, and I just fell in love with it immediately,” Smith said. “It felt good knowing that I could improve my strengths, and I could better improve myself that way.”

With her mom and coach acting as personal inspiration, Smith hopes to inspire other women to find their passion in the powerlifting community.

“I think it’s a good message to put out to other women that you have the capabilities,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter what society has told you; you’re more than capable.”

Smith is all for women joining the OSU Barbell Club, but she and her fellow lifters encourage any OSU student interested in powerlifting to check out the club.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals that are passionate and driven about bettering themselves,” Smith said.

OSU Barbell is competing in a mock meet at the Blackwell gym in Oklahoma City May 4. Go check out the club, or reach out to the club on Instagram @osu_barbell for more info and fees.

Oklahoma minimum wage petition signings in full swing

Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor

Amber England watched for years as Oklahoma legislators refused to raise the state’s minimum wage. Now, she is part of the change. England is the campaign spokesperson for Raise the Wage Oklahoma, a non-partisan association that advocates for fair wages for Oklahomans.

Raise the Wage is conducting petition signing events across Oklahoma for State Question 832.

SQ 832 proposes a gradual increase from the state’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour to at least $15 per hour by 2029. Increases beyond $15 per hour would be based on the federal consumer price index.

Oklahoma’s minimum wage has not increased since 2008. Neighboring states have all increased their minimum wages since the federal minimum wage was set to $7.25 in 2009. The minimum wage has lost more than 27% of its value when adjusted for inflation, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Colorado’s minimum wage is $14.42 per hour, Texas’s minimum wage is $9.50 per hour, Arkansas’ minimum wage is $11 per hour and Missouri’s minimum wage is $12.30. Kansas’s minimum wage is also $7.25 per hour.

Raise the Wage hosts a weekly petition signing in Bliss Books and Bindery, a Stillwater bookstore, every Thursday from 6-7 p.m.

Raise the Wage organizers began collecting signatures on April 16. They have until July 15 to collect 92,263 signatures to get SQ 832 on the ballot.

“It’s not an easy task at all,” England said. “But it’s certainly doable with all the Oklahomans who have been excited, engaged and willing to help us out.”

“Now, we’re (17) days into signature collection,” England said. “So it’s been a long road to get here, and (I’m) really excited to finally see it come to fruition.”

England has been involved in policy and advocacy work for nearly 20 years. She said Oklahoma legislators never had the courage to raise the state’s minimum wage. England said Raise the Wage organizers have trained more than 200 volunteers to collect signatures.

Cindy Alexander, the region 2 leader for Raise the Wage, trained most of them. Alexander is also the founder and co-leader of the Oklahoma Direct Democracy Team, a team that monitors legislation related to the initiative peti-

tion process, voting and elections. She said her team began training volunteers more than a year ago to support the efforts of initiative petitions.

The initiative petition to raise the state’s minimum wage was filed in October 2023, and the Oklahoma Supreme Court gave official notice on April 3 for the signature gathering period to begin.

Volunteers collect signatures across the state at events for community members to sign the petition. Those who would like to sign the petition must sign in person.

These events are not the only way to sign the petition. Raise the Wage organizers are preparing to mobilize their efforts and bring petition signing opportunities to festivals, farmers’ markets and parades.

Alexander said those she has asked to sign the petition have done so readily.

“It’s not hard to understand why,” Alexander said.

Oklahomans who work fulltime for the current minimum wage could make less than $15,100 a year, according to Raise the Wage.

Raising the state’s minimum wage would be a change for businesses. Roger Mullins, who owns Bliss Books and Bindery, said a raise in the state’s minimum wage is a legitimate concern for his business, but he thinks people should be paid a livable wage.

“As small business owners we support the idea of solid good minimum wage, even though it’s going to be a struggle for us,” Mullins said.

If the state’s minimum wage was increased, Mullins said he may have to adjust his employees’ schedules to accommodate the cost of increased wages.

Under SQ 832, the first raise would raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour next year. It would be $10.50 in 2026, $12 in 2027, $13.50 per hour in 2028 and $15 per hour in 2029.

Alexander said anyone over 18 can volunteer. Volunteers must attend a virtual or in-person training event. Raise the Wage offers a virtual training event every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Those interested can register at https://www. mobilize.us/raisethewageoklahoma/event/621374/ . To find a petition signing event, visit https://raisethewageoklahoma.com/.

These events are not the only way to sign the petition. Raise the Wage organizers are preparing to mobilize their efforts and bring petition signing opportunities to festivals, farmers’ markets and parades. news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Madison Smith

Madison Smith represents Oklahoma State as the team’s only female powerlifter.

Oklahoma State’s Vice President for Administration and Finance, Joe Weaver, was named head of the task force.

As a parent of on-campus students, he said he wanted to prevent a tragic event like Long’s death from happening again.

The task force began analyzing campus, looking at multiple aspects of student life for its data with help from external data firm Traffic Engineering Consultants.

“They are analyzing that data and places where accidents have occurred over the years,” Weaver said. “Not only are they analyzing accident data, I want them to come to again to the campus and look around, go by the intersections and see where our sidewalks are, where the traffic flow is and make additional recommendations.”

In April, the Pedestrian Safety Task Force announced the implementation of its first wave of recommendations. The speed limit was reduced from 30 mph to 20 mph on Monroe Street from McElroy Road to Hall of Fame Avenue; there is now a four-way stop sign at Scott Avenue and Monroe Street; and neon flags have also been placed on stop signs to draw attention from drivers.

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

Weaver said the data on accidents should be available by the beginning of May.

“It’s going to be a long process, it’s going to take us some time to sort through all of this, and then once we know what we want to do, then we have to implement those things, and you don’t do that overnight,” Weaver said.

Pedestrian-vehicle safety is not exclusive to OSU’s campus.

The City of Stillwater has recorded an overall decrease

in pedestrian-vehicle accidents from 2015 to 2020. In 2016, there was a peak of 19 accidents. The number of recorded accidents leveled off to nearly half of that in 2019 and 2020, with 9 accidents each year.

Stillwater’s accident rates contrast with OSU’s and the state of Oklahoma’s reported pedestrian-vehicle deaths. However, the accident rate is similar to Stillwater’s.

From 2010-2019, the state recorded a high of 91 deaths in 2016 and a low of 47 deaths in 2011. In 2019, there were 88 deaths.

State-reported accidents had an overall decrease from 20152020. With a high of 806 accidents in 2016, the state steadily declined to 682 accidents in 2020.

Of the reported accidents at OSU so far in 2024, Inbody’s accident is not recorded. The lack of accident reports is an issue Weaver has noticed.

As part of the task force’s job, Weaver said he encourages everyone to report any accident. It helps the task force better meet campus needs, he said.

“One thing I learned from this thing is not everyone who has an incident reports it, and so there have been countless times where there have been almost collisions or very minor collisions and nobody thinks to report it, but still we’d like to know,” Weaver said.

Weaver and his task force are not the only group striving for change; students are looking to make a difference as well.

When the Mr. OSU pageant announced it would include platforms in its competition, Jonah Kramer said he knew what he wanted to talk about: pedestrian safety.

“I was big into advocacy for better public transportation, better walking and better biking before February, but having a very timely recent experience made it feel like this was the correct platform to go on,” Kramer said.

Moving from a rural town in Minnesota, Kramer, a civil engineering student, said he has found that having the ability

COPPER CREEK NOW LEASING

to walk or bike safely and efficiently makes a city feel like home.

“In Stillwater and at OSU, it’s just that pedestrians and bicyclists are treated as an afterthought,” Kramer said. “Everything that’s put there for them is tacked on at the end. It’s not the priority. And that leads to constant danger.”

Kramer said he realizes that the speed limit is a suggestion for most drivers. To combat this, he suggests reducing the width and changing the straight path of travel and the smoothness of roads. These prevent

drivers from feeling as if a road through campus is a highway.

Adding items such as trees on either side of the road makes the road feel narrower and more natural to drive slowly, he said.

Kramer’s passion is mirrored in other students, like Inbody, who encourages her fellow classmates to be more aware.

“Don’t be on your phones and look where you’re driving and pay attention and see if there’s a crosswalk or not,” Inbody said.

Inbody was able to walk away from her accident with a

bruised patella and a compression brace for the torn cartilage in her knee.

Although she still gets to walk across campus every day, her accident still stays with her.

Inbody said she was lucky to walk away with minor injuries.

“I definitely struggle with the mental aspect of it,” Inbody said. “The world doesn’t stop if you get hit by a car, so trying to get back to schoolwork and things like that, it was just really hard to find my routine again, and I am still struggling with that.”

Hayden Alexander

(Top) Oklahoma has seen an overall increase in pedestrian deaths. (Bottom left) OSU has seen a drastic increase in pedestrianvehicle accidents since 2019. (Bottom right) Stillwater’s overall pedestrian-vehicle accidents have decreased.

‘Mama Carol’

How Wang’s life-changing summer is allowing her to live best life at OSU

Gabriel Trevino Staff Reporter

Caroline Wang prepared to give up her passion for a dream.

She had known for four years what she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing. Now it was time to act.

“Leaving Liberty last year, I had no idea what (life) was gonna look like,” Wang said. “I truly had no expectation of being here, especially when I was just prepared to go and have a job.”

Wang had played softball for 18 years when she entered the transfer portal to leave Liberty. She didn’t leave for more playing time or to chase a championship, though. She wanted to go to school. One with a speech language pathology department. Softball was now secondary.

But the same day she left Liberty, Wang would find the opportunity to allow her to do both at Oklahoma State. A year later, she went from polishing her resume and watching the postseason to preparing to play in one with a Cowgirls team chasing its fifth-straight Women’s College World Series appearance, something it may not have been able to do without Wang. For the same reason she was ready to put away her glove, OSU is chasing its dream with Wang as its best player.

“She’s just Carol,” said freshman first baseman Karli Godwin. “She’s ‘Mama Carol’ to all of us. Mother Carol. All of us are unique in our own way, but the relationships we have make us closer. We get to be sisters. We get to cry. We get to connect in a way a lot others don’t. She brings so much joy into our lives. Even though she may not be the most energetic

person, she brings energy with her smile, her joy and her kindness.”

All a 5-year-old Wang wanted to do was play with her sister, Celie. They were signed up for the same youth team despite Wang being years younger than every other kid.

“She was terrible,” her mother, Ginny Hudson, joked.

Hudson wanted her daughters outdoors — preferably to play sports, as she was a gymnast at Auburn and Wang’s father John was a 10-year NFL veteran safety with the Eagles, Jets and Ravens.

“They could work in the garden picking vegetables or play ball,” Hudson said. “They chose to play ball. We just wanted them busy, they needed something to be working on. It didn’t matter to us what it was. But when they found something they enjoyed, we enabled it.”

Celie eventually pitched at Chattanooga, something Hudson found much more stressful to watch than Wang bat.

Wang immediately made an impact in high school despite being born and raised in small town Paris, Tennessee. Her family invested in her future by paying for her to be on the best travel ball team they could find and making connections when she was in middle school, which led to Liberty offering Wang early.

Wang didn’t take any other offers seriously after committing early. She stayed loyal to Liberty, repping the red and blue for four years.

See Wang on 4B

‘We have to stay us’: OSU, OU to open series Friday

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

Friday night, two of the best softball teams in the country will open what’s maybe the most high-profile series of the 2024 season.

It’s Bedlam.

No. 2 Oklahoma (45-4, 21-3) — which has won three consecutive national championships — will host No. 4 Oklahoma State (42-8, 19-5) at Love’s Field, OU’s new, shiny ole ballpark. Both squads are riding eight-game winning streaks and remain alive in the Big 12 regular season title race.

A conference trophy, Big 12 Tournament seeding and, of course, bragging rights are at stake to round out the regular season between OSU and OU, the last time the two will play a series as conference mates.

Schubart leading OSU’s scoring swarm

Oklahoma State is on a six-game winning streak, and there are a few reasons why, but the most apparent is the offense.

The Cowboys are averaging 13 runs a game during the streak, and nearly 15 the past five games. That’s with its biggest stretch of the season coming up, beginning with Texas on Friday in Austin.

“It’s pretty scary what our lineup is doing,” said Nolan Schubart, one of the Cowboys’ biggest offensive threats.

The pitching and defense were good, but the offense has overshadowed it.

During the winning streak, OSU hit 27 home runs (4.7 per game), including nine against Wichita State on Tuesday night.

As Schubart said, the lineup has been deep. Ian Daugherty is hitting .333 in the past six games with two home runs. Colin Brueggemann has struggled at times but went 5-8 with a pair of home runs the past two games. Zach Ehrhard and Carson Benge are each batting above .320 and have 22 homers combined.

“Obviously the conditions have been favorable for home runs, and we’ve hit a bunch,” said OSU coach Josh Holliday. The Cowboys’ scoring burst has also come from capitalizing on free bases. The home runs are nice, but even better, they are clearing bases the Cowboys continue to load.

In the first 39 games of the season, OSU averaged 4.7 walks a game. Since, that average is at 8.0. Combine that with the big swings OSU continues to win, and it’s been a scoring frenzy.

Although, the Cowgirls aren’t playing for the spectacle. They want to play good softball this weekend, as they have for most of the season, without getting lost in who they’re facing. OSU wants to play catch, swing the bat and score runs their way, not in counter of what the Sooners do.

“We have to stay us,” Kenny Gajewski, OSU’s ninth-year coach, said. “We can’t be worried about what we’re trying to do against them. We talk about playing the game of softball, we’re not playing the opponent… And that’s the way we’re gonna take it.”

Friday night’s series opener is expected to feature Cowgirls star pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl and former OSU ace Kelly Maxwell, who left the Cowgirls after five years and joined the Sooners.

Bedlam on 3B

Payton Little

Caroline Wang spent four years at Liberty before transferring to OSU.

Braden Bush Sports Editor

Madison Queen

Nolan Schubart has hit seven home runs in the past six games. See Baseball on

Kaytlyn Hayes

The Cowgirls are on an eight-game winning streak.

SPORTS

Bedlam softball storylines: Newcomers, strategy for

Ashton Slaughter Assistant Sports Editor

Heading into postseason play, No. 4 Oklahoma State will finish its season against No. 2 Oklahoma for the final conference matchup between the rivals.

Aside from it being the last Big 12 Bedlam and former Cowgirl turned Sooner Kelly Maxwell’s faceoff against her old team, here are some other storylines to watch this weekend.

Does having players who haven’t played in Bedlam help or hurt OSU?

With nine newcomers to this year’s roster, a handful of Cowgirls haven’t played in Bedlam. They’ve heard about the rivalry and have probably watched the games on national television, but they don’t know what it’s like.

“I think it’s good for them not to go in and do a little bit mindless,” pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl said. “… I’m excited to see how these younger girls compete because they’re super competitive.”

But maybe that’s a positive, not a negative, for OSU coach Kenny Gajewski’s team, who will be playing at Love’s Field — OU’s new softball stadium — an unfamiliar place for OSU, and may not know what to expect this weekend.

“Something I’ve always said is I love to play young kids cause they don’t know what’s at stake yet. They’re about to find out Friday night.

“But I love it; I do.”

What’s the strategy with lefty hitters facing Maxwell, a lefty pitcher?

Gajewski has a fair share of left-handed batters in his lineup — Tallen Edwards, Jilyen Poullard and Timm, to name a few — but will be facing one of the best lefthanded pitchers in the country, Maxwell.

Is there any thought to avoid leftyon-lefty situations?

“We just gotta go with what we’ve got and and we’re gonna fight,” Gajewski said. “And it’s not always ideal, but the idea here is that their pitchers make plenty of pitches over their plate just like ours, and the team that capitalizes on those is the team that’s going to win this thing.

“…Our game hasn’t gotten into the baseball matchup deal quite as much, but I would say it’s more than it’s ever been. And so we’ll just kind of pay attention. We’ll kind of watch, we’ll see how the first game goes.”

How’s Claire Timm feeling about her first Beldam start?

Claire Timm got two at-bats against OU as a pinch hitter last season. This year, the sophomore Timm will be starting, and ahead of the series, she doesn’t feel any butterflies or nervousness.

“I’m super excited,” Timm said. I’m super excited last year as a freshman, but just try not to press myself or anything like that.

“I’m ready to go.”

In 110 more at-bats this season, Timm’s batting .331 and hit her first-career grand slam last weekend against Kansas.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Future matchups with Texas ‘possible’ if scheduling permits

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

For most of college baseball’s existence, Oklahoma State and Texas are programs that have been in the spotlight.

This weekend, the two storied programs will meet for the final time as conference foes. The No. 14 Cowboys (31-14, 14-7 Big 12) will play at historic UFCU Disch-Faulk Field, and the Longhorns (28-18, 13-8 Big 12) look to defend their home ballpark with the conference race heating up.

In football and men’s and women’s basketball, the probability of future OSU-Texas series is rather dim. However, OSU coach Josh Holliday has expressed interest, if future scheduling permits, to rekindle the rivalry after UT jumps ship to the SEC after this season.

“Yeah, anything is possible,” Holliday said. “We’ve never shied away from our schedule, from playing really good teams.

“But if the opportunity presents itself, sure.”

Of course, scheduling happens years in advance. Holliday said the likelihood of a series or midweek contest occurring in 2025 is low. He added that OSU already has its nonconference schedule for next season, calling it “the most challenging” nonconference slate during his tenure.

Even in the years to come, the pieces must fall into place.

This season, the Big 12 expanded its conference format from 24 to 30 games, which is what the SEC uses. With that, teams only play four nonconference weekends compared to six in years past.

Holliday hasn’t shied away from scheduling premier competition during his time at OSU. Still, Power Five teams need a home series with a competitive advantage.

If not a weekend series, why not a midweek? Well, OSU already has its regulars of midweek home-and-homes – Oral Roberts, Wichita State, Dallas Baptist and Missouri State. OSU will play one game against Bedlam rival Oklahoma with alternating campus host sites each year, with the Sooners also darting for the SEC next year.

“Scheduling is a little bit like a set of Legos,” Holliday said. “And all of the pieces have to fit.”

The series also has a bright history in college baseball.

From 1981-87, the Cowboys and Longhorns met in the College World Series six of seven years. OSU claimed residence in the Big 8 while Texas resided in the Southwest Conference. The games were often intense, high-scoring and displayed no shortage of late-game heroics.

“Those two rivals met in Omaha quite often,” Holliday said. “It quite honestly became a yearly marquee matchup.”

In 1994, the Longhorns merged with the Big 8 to create the Big 12 Conference. From then on, the games became more memorable and the scores became even tighter.

Since Holliday took the OSU job in 2013, competition has grown fiercer. OSU and Texas have met twice in the Big 12 Tournament Championship and twice in the semifinal round. Weekend series have become memorable, particularly as of late.

In 2018, the Longhorns, after dropping the series opener, plated a five-run seventh inning to win the series over the Cowboys. In 2022, OSU swept the No. 10 Longhorns after completing a comeback win, highlighted by a 10-run seventh in the finale. In 2023, the Cowboys won the final two games after dropping the series opener.

Now comes the finale. Will it be the last? Should it be, the final outcome this weekend becomes all the more paramount.

“Some very memorable games have been played between our two programs,” Holliday said. “Texas obviously has had numerous great teams, great players, great history, the third-most national championships, I believe. And then Oklahoma State obviously has its own history.

“There’s great history there between these two programs. And I think anybody who knows the story of college baseball will tell you that.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Since dropping to a .242, Schubart went 24 for 50 (.480) at the plate the next 14 games and climbed to a team-high .348 average.

“We’ve created a lot of baserunning opportunities,” Holliday said. “We’ve hit the ball hard and often. We’ve been pretty efficient when we’ve had runners in scoring position at getting them home.”

Schubart’s swingin’

Speaking of home runs, Nolan Schubart has ‘em.

Of the 27 homers in OSU’s past six games, Schubart is responsible for seven of them, including a school record-breaking four on Tuesday. Before this stretch, Schubart had seven all season.

On Feb. 27, Schubart left OSU’s game against Dallas Baptist with an injury and didn’t return to the lineup for three weeks. It took time for Schubart to get going, hitting only one home run in the first seven games after his return, but he’s made up ground as of late.

“Pretty talented guy. He’s worked extremely hard to get back and find his rhythm and get in a groove,” Holliday said. “And that’s coming off of a midseason surgery that cost him a month and cost him a lot of time early in the season where hitters are finding their stride.”

When Schubart returned, OSU was in conference play and there weren’t any matchups to boost confidence. His .259 average dropped to as low as .242 during the Oklahoma series in early April. But those days are gone.

“It’s a consistency about him swinging at the right pitches, taking walks, limiting strikeouts,” Holliday said, “and when he does touch it, it just goes in a different way.”

Big 12 title race tightens

Things are starting to come together for OSU in the Big 12 title race. After OU took a big lead on the conference, the Sooners stumbled, and OSU capitalized.

In addition to the soaring offense, OSU’s pitching has been solid. The Cowboys haven’t allowed more than eight runs in a game since Bedlam on April 6. Before that game, OSU had given up five run totals in the double digits.

“We’re showing glimpses of both of us being unlocked together, and that’s pretty scary,” Schubart said. “We’re gonna be pretty hard to beat when both defense, hitting and pitching and our offense are all going together. If we get that going like I know we will, it’ll be really scary.”

The Texas series this weekend is huge for the No. 14 Cowboys. The Sooners are on the road against Texas Tech, giving OSU the potential to make up more ground. The Cowboys trail OU by a game, so a series win at Texas could boost OSU to the top or keep it in the fight. A series loss could hurt those chances with only two Big 12 series remaining, and it would propel the Longhorns, who are two games behind the Sooners.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Bryson Thadhani

OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said his young players are “about to find out” what’s at stake in Bedlam in the series opener.

Madison Queen

OSU enters the weekend one game behind first-place Oklahoma.

Maxwell has handled the majority of OU’s work this season. She’s pitched 101 innings with 107 strikeouts, a 1.66 ERA and a 16-1 record. Her only loss came against Texas, which is No. 1 in the nation and handed OU its first Big 12 series loss since 2011.

Kilfoyl, through 132.1 innings, holds a 1.16 ERA and a 19-3 record. She’s struck out 109 batters and pitched two complete-game shutouts against the Longhorns in late March.

Maxwell and Kilfoyl, two of the best arms in the country who were on the same pitching staff a season ago, will duke it out as Bedlam rivals this weekend.

“(Maxwell is) having a good year,”

Gajewski said. “So, it’ll be a dogfight; I mean, it’ll be tough. And you know, we’re not gonna back down, I can tell you that. We’ll be ready and see where it falls.”

Freshmen Karli Godwin, Rosie Davis and Lexi McDonald are set to play in their first Bedlam series, along with senior Jilyen Poullard, who transferred to OSU from McNeese State.

Sophomores Claire Timm and Tallen Edwards are the two starting underclassmen who have experience against OU. Edwards started all three games last year and posted two hits, while Timm appeared as a pinch hitter twice.

In total, the Cowgirls are expected to start five underclassmen.

“I love to play young kids because they don’t always know what’s at stake yet,” Gajewski said. “They’re about to find out Friday night, so we’ll see (how they do). But I love it, I do.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Cowboy tennis team makes NCAA Tournament, heads to Columbus

Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter

After anticipation in Gallagher-Iba Arena’s Varsity Room on Monday, the OSU Men’s Tennis team was selected to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year.

The Cowboys will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the first round of the tournament. The No. 32 Cowboys will face off against No. 44 Vanderbilt in the first round on Friday. A win against Vanderbilt would have the Cowboys up against No. 1 Ohio State.

This will be the second NCAA Tournament for the Cowboys under coach Dustin Taylor. Taylor said Vanderbilt is a good team.

“That’s a first-year head coach in Scott Brown, we were assistants together in Virginia,” Taylor said. “So, he’s won three national championships in Virginia. He took over his alma mater, Vanderbilt last summer. And I think they’re returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a few years. And he’s really come back into that program.”

Last time in the tournament

Last season, the Cowboys were selected to the tournament after going 13-13 in the regular season and reaching the second round of the Big 12 Championships with a 4-3 win over Texas Tech. In the second round of the Big 12 Championships, the Cowboys fell to TCU, 4-0.

Last season, the Cowboys went to Tucson, Arizona, for their matches. The Cowboys defeated the No. 20 Florida Gators, 4-2, where OSU’s Tyler Zink defeated Florida’s No. 32 Axel Nefve, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. In the second round, the Cowboys were defeated by the No. 15 Arizona Wildcats, 4-0.

This time around

The Cowboys are entering the tournament with a 17-9 record and with more experience on their backs. This season, the Cowboys have impressive wins over No. 5 USC, 6-1, and No. 11 Illinois, 4-2. In the Big 12 Championships, they defeated UCF, 4-2, then lost to Texas in the second round, 4-1.

This season, the Cowboys have some of their highest ranked singles players in the Taylor era. Zink is ranked No. 24 nationally, Isaac Becroft

is No. 82 and Alex Garcia is No. 108.

Oklahoma State is hosting the NCAA Championships at the Greenwood Tennis Center. If the Cowboys make it to the Elite Eight, they will play at the Greenwood Tennis courts again this season. Taylor said the team has been motivated at the chance to be back at home this season.

“You’re grateful and excited for this last push,” Taylor said. “Seeing the motivation throughout their time here, but especially with the opportunity to have a storybook ending and then be a Cinderella story and come back here to Stillwater, but we got a long way to go to get there. And it starts with Vanderbilt on Friday.”

Columbus Regional Schedule

Friday, May 3

9 a.m. - [2] Oklahoma State vs. [3] Vanderbilt

12 p.m. - [1] Ohio State vs. [4] Cleveland State

Saturday, May 4

3 p.m. - Winner of Friday’s matches will play.

SELECT THURSDAYS IN MAY

Cowgirl tennis team earns No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament

Gina Foster Staff Reporter

The Cowgirls continue to make history, as they earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Another piece of news that led to an abundance of excitement during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday evening is that the Cowgirls will be staying at home in Stillwater for the regional matchups. They will take on Fairfield (12-8) at 4 p.m. Saturday in hopes of continuing their journey at the Greenwood Tennis Center.

The undefeated Cowgirls have defeated difficult opponents multiple times this season, and this tournament provides another opportunity for the Cowgirls to show their determination and depth.

“This is a gift for the girls,” assistant coach Jaime Sanchez-Canamares said. “After all of their hard work, being No. 1 is just a number. We just

have to back it up on the court.”

OSU has dominated the entire season. From the first matchup of the spring to an ITA Indoor National Championship and a Big 12 title, Sanchez-Canamares said the team will continue to do what they’ve been doing all season.

“It seems to work so far,” Sanchez-Canamares said. “We just have to stay consistent with the girls. This tournament is no different than other weeks, it’s just another week and another tournament; we just gotta get ready.”

The Cowgirls have mentioned the lack of pressure they’ve felt throughout their success, and Sanchez-Canamares said the NCAA Tournament is not pressure other than just wanting to win, but there is a lot of excitement.

“The NCAA Tournament is the last tournament for every single team that qualified, so everybody’s gonna give you everything they have,”

Sanchez-Canamares said.

“It’s a matter of preparing for every single match, knowing that we gotta give our best performance in order to move on.”

Fairfield will give the Cowgirls its best shot. The Stags’ resume consists of being undefeated in conference play. A Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship title. The winner will advance to the second round and play the winner of the SMU and Alabama matchup, which will also be at the Greenwood Tennis Center on Sunday.

Regional Schedule:

Saturday, May 4

1 p.m. – [2] Alabama vs. [3] SMU

4 p.m. – [1] Oklahoma State vs. [4] Fairfield Sunday, May 5 2 p.m. – Winner of Saturday’s matches play.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Myah Shoemake

The OSU men’s tennis team will open regional play Friday against Vanderbilt in the Ohio State Regional.

Myah Shoemake

The Oklahoma State Cowgirl tennis team plays Fairfield in the first match of regional play in Stillwater.

File Photo

Tallen Edwards is one of two starting Cowgirl underclassmen with Bedlam experience.

“I just had to leave because they didn’t have the school,” Wang said.

For as long as her loved ones have known her, Wang has always been a “kid magnet.”

It’s why she wanted to be a doctor in high school. It’s why she chose psychology instead when she arrived at Liberty. It’s why she is pursuing a career in speech language pathology. And it’s why there’s another girl named Caroline in this world.

“I want to work with kids, I love kids,” Wang said. “Every time there’s a baby around, I’m swarming the baby.”

When Wang was in high school, family friends, the Adams, adopted a foster baby straight from the hospital. The baby’s parents were drug addicts and weren’t able to take care of the child, but the “kid magnet” Wang was. She helped raise the boy.

“It was a baby, and she was going to be there as much as she could,” Hudson said. “At that point, she was driving, and she would go out into the country where they live, and she spent as much time at their house as she did ours.”

The family raised the baby for three years until he was forced to return to his birth parents. Everyone was devastated.

But shortly after, the doctor from the same hospital called again. There was another baby they could adopt. A girl.

The father, Mason, went out one morning to feed his farm animals, thought of their new baby’s godmother, Wang, and the impact and support she’d given on their family before returning to the house in tears.

“We’ve got to change this baby’s name,” he told his wife.

“What are you talking about?” she responded.

“We’ve got to name her Caroline,” Mason said.

Wang hasn’t been a Wang for long. Before she married her husband, Matthew Wang, in July 2023, she was Caroline Hudson. A month later, the two moved to Stillwater for the fall semester and the beginning of softball training.

In an introductory psychology class at Liberty, Caroline and Matthew — a business major who wasn’t required to register for it — suffered a fate

most college students fear: being placed into a group project. It was an 18-page research paper divided between Caroline, Matthew and three other girls with all five being randomly assigned to the group.

“And (me and Caroline) were the only ones showing up,” Matthew said.

The one-on-one time led to the two growing close. He went to social media, noticed she was a softball player and asked a friend who was a manager on the team what they thought of her.

“She was like, ‘She’s quiet, but she works harder than anyone you’ll ever meet,’” Matthew said. “I knew that she was on the softball team, but I didn’t really know anything about her.”

Matthew asked Caroline on a date when they finished the project and returned from winter break. And they wouldn’t wait long to become engaged, with Matthew proposing in December 2022.

“She says that she knew (they were going to get married) after like six to eight months,” Matthew said. “I knew after a year.”

Their relationship presented another challenge to leaving Liberty. Caroline and Matthew’s families are from the East Coast, and they had created a life together there. If Caroline were to move somewhere far, Matthew would be part of the deal.

A month before their wedding date, Caroline made her decision.

“(Willing to move) is something she’s expressed to me that she’s grateful for,” Matthew said. “I can’t ask for anything else. That’s exactly who I want to be. I want to be a leader and I want to offer that comfort to her, to encourage her.” *****

Caroline informed Liberty’s softball staff that she was going to transfer in September 2022, five months before the season began. But there was a caveat. She would play out her last year with the Flames before leaving.

Liberty didn’t offer a specific speech path program, and Caroline wanted to prioritize her education. She learned more about the program throughout college and through talking to professionals in the industry. She knew that was her calling.

Caroline still wanted to graduate from Liberty and stay for her senior year but needed to leave as soon as the season was done. She went through it knowing it could be her last in softball, won her second-straight ASUN Player of the Year Award and entered the transfer por-

tal the day after Liberty’s last game, as she wanted as much time as possible to find the right school for her.

“We had no idea what the interest would be when she got on the portal,” Hudson said.

“I wanted to go for school, but I had no expectation of what type of softball program I was going to be on,” Caroline said. “I was gonna go somewhere with a speech path program, whether that was somewhere I’d never heard or not at all.”

But Caroline’s offers came in droves. If the school didn’t have a speech path program, she would decline their offer. With Hudson’s help, the two developed a list of five potential schools.

Hudson drove to Lynchburg, Virginia, to help move Caroline out of her college apartment.

Caroline drove ahead in her car with her parents right behind her pulling a trailer back to Paris. Hudson’s phone rang, as Caroline called from just in front of her with excitement.

Oklahoma State contacted her and offered to bring Caroline on a visit. The school checked the boxes — offering a speech path and a top-ranked softball program in need of a catcher.

“(OSU) said, ‘Great, can you come tomorrow? We have a Super Regional game tomorrow, and you might as well come see it,’” Hudson recalls.

Paris is nine hours from Stillwater, though, and Lynchburg is another nine hours from there. An 18-hour road trip to get to Stillwater as fast as possible didn’t seem feasible.

“We can fly y’all,” OSU offered in return.

Caroline and Hudson boarded a flight the next day, landed in Stillwater where assistant coach Stacie Pestrak picked them up and drove to Cowgirl Stadium in time for the first pitch of OSU’s game vs. Oregon with a chance to advance to the

Women’s College World Series.

They sat right behind home plate, where Caroline’s former teammates and friends noticed her on the main ESPN broadcast angle. The visit made Caroline surer OSU was going to be her home.

“She just fell in love with it,” Hudson said. “It’s our kind of place. I think if I had gone to school out there, I’d probably still be there.

Kenny Gajewski still wasn’t sure if Caroline was going to fit in. OSU’s coach watched for months as Caroline quietly went throughout her business in practice and team activities, rarely speaking up or leading.

She spent the entire summer away from the game, spending that time at an internship for speech path. Caroline showed up for fall training less ready than ever before and had to adjust to a new environment as a naturally introverted person.

“Coming in at first it was a little uncomfortable,” Caroline said. “I didn’t know anyone. I don’t know these coaches after being with the same coaches and teammates for years, then you come here and everything’s new. So obviously I was uncomfortable. I was coming off a long break where I didn’t do anything all summer, so I had to get back into it. I wasn’t doing too great. They don’t know me. I don’t know them. It was a lot of learning for everybody. Even if I was doing OK, they don’t know how I play. I’m not a high-energy person. The idea is to stay the same and the big game is in the low games. For me at least.”

But when the season began, Gajewski noticed it was like a switch flipped in Caroline.

“Man, I just didn’t know when this season started, and now she’s like a different kid,” Gajewski told the Hudsons after the second weekend of the season.

Caroline leads the No. 4 Cowgirls in OPS (1.173), RBI (46), is tied for third in the Big 12 in home runs (16) and is five away from breaking OSU’s single-season home run record in her lone season with the team before the last series and impending postseason.

Gajewski and Caroline knew the bat would translate to the Big 12. Her first homer at Liberty was against Washington’s two-time All American and PAC-12 Pitcher of the Year Gabbie Plain, and Wang hit two off Virginia Tech’s Keely Rochard in the same game, a two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year. When he recruited her, Gajewski mostly looked at stats in her games against top teams, and Caroline never shied from the pressure of being at a bigger program. It’s what she’s done behind home plate and in the dugout since the season began that has surprised the team.

In the middle of a game at Houston, a fan with a dog walked around the stands. Caroline noticed, and during play, pointed out to her teammates and coaches for them to look at the dog. She even spent time between pitches glancing back at the dog just to stare at it. Gajewski didn’t know how to react. Usually, he’d be upset. But with Caroline, he didn’t care and knew she was being herself. It doesn’t help that pitchers working with her everyday appreciate that attitude, too.

“(The team) loves her,” Gajewski said. “They love her

carefree mentality. I mean, it’s literally carefree. She’s grown on us like that. I would tell you that at the beginning of our year. I don’t think our girls would say she was the favorite one to throw to, and I would tell you now that I think they’re choosing her a lot.”

OSU didn’t just need her bat this year, either. It needed some leaders, and experienced ones at that. The Cowgirls lost program staples Chyenne Factor, Kiley Naomi and Taylor Tuck, who all graduated after the 2023 season. They also lost Kelly Maxwell to rival Oklahoma via the portal, and Rachel Becker, who set records in her only year in Stillwater. Between the five players, OSU lost 1,031 starts, seven First-Team all-conferences and two conference Player of the Years.

Caroline still isn’t the most vocal but has broken out of her shell with more time with the team. She still elects to lead by example. Gajewski compares her to a pro baseball player. She goes about her business — in practice and games — calmly and without exaggerated celebrations. Most of Caroline’s teammates, especially batters, are four or five years younger than her. Whenever someone needs help, Caroline knows when to be the voice they need.

“I was going through a rough patch a few weeks ago, and she came and loaded a tee for me and told me, ‘I’ve been here before, you’re going to get out of it because you’re one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen,’” Godwin said. “It’s great to have somebody that’s such a good softball player and an even better person. She’s a veteran. She’s so smart. I feel like I could go to her for literally anything.”

Some of her demeanor is helped by Matthew. Caroline said having a spouse with her throughout the season allows her to have someone to comfort her in hard times and support her at her best.

Her teammates get her caring personality off the field, too.

“You almost kind of get that motherly phase of her,” said pitcher Ivy Rosenberry. “I wasn’t throwing the best once, and I was getting in my head when she told me how good I was. Caroline is such a sweet person. She’ll have your back no matter what, but she’ll also tell you straight up that we’re wrong. Holding your teammates accountable is always something we try to do, and Caroline does that in the best way.”

All Caroline wanted was a hug. After a loss in the second game of the series against Texas, one that OSU let go despite it being tied in the sixth inning, she went to her batterymate Lexi Kilfoyl.

The two embraced. Not because Caroline was sad about the outcome of the game. It was the opposite. Her reality set in. Her decision a year before to potentially not play softball again never happened. Instead, transferring led her to her happiest. The best of life and softball.

“I told (Kilfoyl), ‘I love you,’” Wang said. “I was really overcome with a feeling. I felt so blessed to be here. I’m glad I get to be here. I’m really thankful for this opportunity after not having any idea what this year was gonna look like for me, and it’s really hit me hard lately. It was just fun to realize that perspective and then go out there and have success.”

Payton Little

OSU made Caroline Wang’s top-five list because it had a speech language pathology program.

Classifieds

Business Squares

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

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

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

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

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6

Monday thru Saturday

Houses for rent

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword

Edited by Patti Varol

Cowboy Calendar

Friday, May 3

Dylan Moss & The Middle Class @ 7 - 9 p.m.

Location: EM Curators of Craft

Admission: $5

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

2024 Calf Fry 3 Day Music Festival Official After Party @ 5 p.m.

Location: Tumbleweed Dance Hall & Concert Venue

Admission: General: $70 & VIP $125

https://www.calffry.com/

2024 Calf Fry 3 Day Music Festival Opening Day @ 5 p.m.

Location: Tumbleweed Dance Hall & Concert Venue

Admission: General: $70 & VIP $125 & 3-Day Pass: $325

https://www.calffry.com/

2024 Calf Fry 3 Day Music Festival Official Pre-Party @ 4 p.m.

Location: Tumbleweed Dance Hall & Concert Venue

Admission: General: $70 & VIP $125 & 3-Day VIP Pass: $375

https://www.calffry.com/ Calf Fry Goat Roping @ 7 p.m.

Location: Tumbleweed Dance Hall & Concert Arena

Admission: Calf Fry Ticket to watch and $20 per team and $10 buyback

https://www.calffry.com/ Game Night @ 5 - 7 p.m.

Location: The Hub w/ Bluepeak

https://mybluepeak.com/

Larry Newsom Live @ 6:30 p.m.

Location: EM Curators of Craft

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

Oklahoma FFA State Interscholastics @ 8 a.m.

Location: OSU

https://agriculture.okstate.edu/students/ffa/cde/ schedule.html

April Donations Drive for Local Animal Shelters @ 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Location: Bluepeak Tech Hub

https://mybluepeak.com/

Politics & Pastries @ 9 a.m.

Location: OSU Social Science & Humanities Building https://calendar.okstate.edu/

New Echoes: Art Inspiring Art @ 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: OSU Museum of Art

https://museum.okstate.edu/art/new-echoes.html

Rabbit Posse of Oklahoma Show @ 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Location: Payne County Expo Center

Admission: $4 / rabbit

Shane Simma Live @ 5:30 - 7 p.m.

By Jay Silverman

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (05/03/24). This year throws roses at your feet. Realize amazing results with help from friends. Summer plans may shift directions, before social fun and gatherings illuminate the autumn. Adapt around a winter work obstacle to discover springtime romance. Grow and develop like a weed.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Beautiful dreams can come true naturally. Prioritize peaceful reflection. Plan and organize to reinforce basic structures. Advance in the direction calling to your heart.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — A community connection provides purpose. Friends give you a boost. Share each other’s milestones. Remind someone who they are for you. Count gratitudes and graces.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Dreamy professional projects unfold with ease. Get a tip from an elder. Take action to advance long-term objectives. Let your heart guide you.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Keep digging for the facts. An educational exploration flowers into new possibilities. Align logical and emotional thoughts. Follow a hunch. Bold discoveries await.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Collaboration comes easily. Work together for long-term financial gain. Pay off an old debt for new freedom. Share support to conserve resources and build savings.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Partnership and romance flowers. Renew an old bond. Coordinate intuitively. Support each other to advance common aims. Share your heart. You’re building something beautiful.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Practice with renewed vigor. Follow your plan. You’re gaining healthy benefits. Throw yourself into your work. you’re energized. Reward yourself by reconnecting with nature.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 9 — Reconnect with someone delightful. Get creative with your favorite games, sports or arts. Play around and have fun. Fall in love all over again.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Enjoy your cozy nest. Settle into a comfortable chair with something delicious. Connect with family and pets. Tend your home and garden with love.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Relax and listen. Discover works of art and beauty. Catch inspiration to read, write and craft your own stories. Mold your ideas into coherence.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Develop lucrative ideas. Press for an advantage. Make an important commitment. Provide leadership and excellent service and profits rise naturally. Build to last.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Take charge for what you want. A personal dream lies within reach. Push for results. Your actions speak well for you. Develop your passion.

Cowgirl basketball adds pair of transfers

Calif Poncy Staff Reporter

Jacie Hoyt and the Oklahoma State Cowgirls brought in two new faces in the past week.

Announced first was former Mercer forward Stacie Jones, who comes to Stillwater after splitting her first four seasons between Kennesaw State and Mercer, followed by Alexia Smith, a Virginia transfer.

Jones averaged double digits in each of her past two seasons and also has flashed as a rebounder, averaging nearly seven boards per game in each of the past two seasons. Jones brings a physical presence on the offensive end, scoring exclusively inside the 3-point line and mostly around the rim. During her four years in college, Jones hasn’t made a 3 and has only attempted one.

Despite being listed as a forward, Jones is

more likely to serve as a center in Hoyt’s offensive system.

“Stacie is going to provide us with a muchneeded rebounding ability and inside presence,” Hoyt said in a press release. “Her athleticism is going to allow us to get back to playing the fastpaced tempo with which we want to play. She is a natural connector of people, and I believe her electric personality and work ethic are going to make her a fan favorite.” Smith, who spent her past four seasons at Minnesota and UVA, brings 45 games of starting experience to Stillwater and is a scrappy defensive player who focuses on playmaking more than scoring on the offensive end. Smith averaged four points per game last season and has hovered around that mark for her career, but she is a tenacious rebounder who pulled down nearly four per game last season despite standing 5-foot-8.

Smith specializes in getting her hands on the ball, as she piled up 57 steals in 61 games for the Cavaliers, including 35 during her junior season.

“Alexia just took our roster to another level of athleticism and experience,” Hoyt said. “Defensively, she has a tenacity to her that will make her a natural leader on that end of the floor. Offensively, she is a Swiss Army knife … she is very solid at everything. I am most excited about her ability to rebound as a guard and her toughness on the glass is going to help us with her up-tempo offense we want to play.”

Jones and Smith join Micah Gray and Macie Huard as new Cowgirls who will look to play a big role next season for an OSU team needing to replace a lot of last season’s production.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Lutz filling in OSU’s roster, staff

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

from the portal to come to Stillwater. Avery joins former FIU guard Arturo Dean and former Texas Tech forward Robert Jennings.

Appearing in 31 games last season for the Knights, Avery logged nearly 18 minutes per game. In his one season with UCF, he posted 7.6 points, 0.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.

“In Chi Chi, we’re getting a great kid who has the rare combination of experience and upside,” Lutz said in a press release. “He’s a supreme athlete who continues to add to his game and will benefit this spring from a chance to explore the NBA Draft waters. Offensively, he can score from just about anywhere, and his size and skill will

help create mismatches for us on both ends of the court.”

Avery shot 39.5% from the field and made 34.3% of his 3s (3.4 attempts per game). He played 20 or more minutes 11 times and scored in double-figures in eight of those, including three outings in which he scored 16 or more.

At 6-foot-7, Avery brings needed size and length to the Cowboys. He had 12 games with five or more rebounds last season and stole the ball nearly once a game. Avery, a Richmond, Virginia, native, has one year of eligibility remaining. Then, on Thursday, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that George Mason assistant coach Mike Ekanem is joining Lutz’s staff. Ekanem earned his first assistant coaching job as Sam Houston State from 2022-23 before joining George Mason this past season. Ekanem is Lutz’s third staff hire, joining associate head coach James Miller and assistant Robert Guster. Keiton Page was also retained as an assistant.

Reliving one of the top OSU-Texas moments

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State and Texas have had several big moments, and one of the more recent came in 2022 when No. 8 Oklahoma State clashed with No. 10 Texas in Austin and used a 10-run seventh inning in the series finale to complete a rare sweep of the Longhorns.

As OSU heads to Austin for the final Texas series in the Big 12, here’s a look back at that game.

David Mendham’s lead-off single up the middle in the seventh inning sent a spark through the OSU dugout, one in which Mendham said was greater than any in the games before.

Nolan McLean’s walk further solidified it. And once Texas starting pitcher Lucas Gordon was pulled from the game, the Cowboys took advantage.

Jayme Riggio, the father of second baseman Roc Riggio, was sitting along the third base section when OSU’s rally from down 7-0 began. Suddenly, the OSU comeback didn’t seem too farfetched after center fielder Caeden Trenkle was walked.

Once Roc hit a bases-clearing, three-RBI double off the rightfield wall to make it 7-4, the dugout believed a comeback was imminent. A hit batter and walk loaded the bases for OSU. Then, up came slugger Griffin Doersching.

“I remember looking over at someone and saying, ‘Griff is gonna hit a grand slam here,’” Jayme said. “You could just feel it coming. He’d struck out with the bases loaded an inning earlier and it really just felt like he was due.”

And he was. On an 0-1 count, UT right-handed reliever Coy Cobb delivered a lower-inside sinker to Doersching, who made him pay.

The sound of the bat-to-ball collision left no doubt.

“The Disch, that place went from half capacity in a heartbeat, just like that,” Jayme said. “It was

a great college experience. It was rowdy for the most part. It was hectic. And it was fun.”

As the ball traveled toward the OSU bullpen in left field, former director of player development Roland Fanning watched it sail over his station and let out a cry of emotions. “Let’s f***ing go.”

“It was just a moment of boys being boys,” Holliday said. “That’s all that was.”

Two more runs were plated to make it 10-7 Cowboys through seven. A series sweep was six outs away. But due up was the heart of the Texas order. Right-handed reliever Roman Phansalkar escaped a two-base runner jam unscathed.

In the eighth inning, Texas shortstop Trey Faltine launched a lead-off solo shot to left field, into the OSU bullpen to make the score 10-8. Fanning and Co. were back to a restless state.

In the ninth, shortstop Hueston Morrill fielded a hard-hit grounder from Messinger. Calmly, Morrill threw a one-hopper to Mendham at first base. Just like that, it was final. A top-10 road sweep for OSU and a catapult toward the top of the Big 12 standings.

“Any time you go into Austin and sweep the Texas Longhorns, that makes you official,” Fanning said. “That’s easily top five in terms of my all-time baseball moments. That was freakin’ awesome. Winning two of three at that place is so, so rare. But sweeping them at their place? That’s unheard of.”

It’s a moment that resonates with the parents and players of the 2022 OSU baseball team. Now, they hope that success can be emulated this week in the same confines – one last time.

“That was a special moment for our guys,” Holliday said. “I know they’ll always remember going into Austin and sweeping the University of Texas on the road. Special group of guys and an even more special moment for them.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Payton Little

Griffin Doersching hit a grand slam to give OSU a rare series sweep of Texas in 2022.

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