Friday, Feb. 24, 2023

Friday, February 24, 2023

Representation matters

Mr. and Miss Black pageant

One reign ends and another begins.

On Saturday, Bobbi Jarmon, OSU’s 2022 Miss Black, will pass her crown.

Jarmon graduated from OSU in the fall with a bachelor’s degree in general business and a minor in finance. She now works for a federal defense contractor in its finance and accounting department.

The Miss Black pageant is the one of four multicultural scholarship pageants at OSU. The event will take place at 4 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre.

Kerri Benard and Daisha Blation are the contestants this year. Benard is a sophomore majoring in psychology pre-med and Blation is a freshman majoring in biology.

Giving students a voice Presidential election coming up for SGA

Student Government Association presidential and vice presidential candidates will go headto-head in a debate at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre on March 3. The two teams hope to lead the charge for change at

OSU. As current President Riley Pritzlaff and Vice President Maddie Dunn end their term of leadership with SGA, two new pairs are competing for their positions. The debate is an opportunity for candidates to explain and defend their intentions for the student body.

For presidential

candidate Austin Dedmon and his vice presidential candidate Olivia Kopang, their mission is simple: unite the Cowboys. The three pillars behind Dedmon and Kopang’s platform are awareness, understanding and action.

Dedmon plans to strengthen the relationship between SGA and the student body and ad-

dress the issues students face while on campus. A strong relationship between SGA and students promotes communication between the two parties and allows SGA to identify the pressing issues students face on campus.

See SGA on 4A

Contestants compete in several categories. They are scored on their professionalism throughout the months of preparation and they have a private interview on the morning of the pageant. Each contestant must introduce themselves with a platform that, should they win, they will carry out throughout their reign.

Benard said her platform is Black representation and preservation of culture.

“That’s just a really fancy way of me saying that I want to build a community here,” Benard said. “I want to see more people be involved in the Mr. and Miss Black Oklahoma State University pageant. Especially seeing as it is Mr. and Miss and we haven’t had a Mr. in the past couple of years.”

See Pageant on 6A

OSU students return home with food, culture at International Bazaar

“This is big exposure for us,” Mohammed said. “Mostly Africa is not portrayed in the positive light. But we have our food here. Some of us have our national cultural dresses. People seem them and they’re like, ‘Who are these people?’ Then we talk about it. It makes us feel included.”

Saani Mohammed stands in traditional Ghanaian attire, below a connected banner of international flags and basks in the exposure for his country.

Finally, he feels seen, he said.

Not just a statistic or body walking across Oklahoma State University’s campus. Mohammed finally acted as if he was home. He was. Kinda.

OSU’s International Student Organization hosted its annual International Bazaar, a threehour fun fest filled with dozens of global foods, strong flavor and music, on Saturday afternoon in the Wes Watkins Center.

More than 200 students and Stillwater residents bounced from 12 booths and sampled deserts and entrees from more than 12 countries or regions.

It’s times like Saturday that show food and community can bring people together.

“The purpose of today is to show Stillwater community the diversity of international students that we have here on campus,” Salome Suarez, International Student Organization president said. “Each area club has prepared different dishes from their own country. We want everybody to see how the dishes are from

other parts of the world.”

Foods ranged from the Bangladeshi students’ tandoori chicken to the Latino American students’ cheese empanadas. Lots of desert, too. Within hours, the exhibit hall transformed into a multicultural kitchen.

Tim Huff, ISO’s adviser, said the event began more than three decades ago. It’s one of ISO’s five annual events and the purpose remains.

“It gives all these students a home,” Huff said. “They feel like they belong when they’re here. You can see them just relax and get into it. It’s very important to see the true nature and culture of these kids because they settle in here.”

Many of the foods appeared similar. Lots of chicken and different meats. But cultural differences appeared in the bite and the food’s preparation.

Courtesy of Austin Dedmon

Austin Dedmon, the presidential candidate for SGA, and Olivia Kopang, the vice-president candidate.

Courtesy of Bobbi Jarmon Bobbi Jarmon, OSU’s 2022 Miss Black, holds the crown with contestants Daisha Blation (left) and Kerri Benard (right).

Molly Jolliff

Saani Mohammed (middle) interacts with participants at the International Bazaar on Saturday afternoon.

Mohammed, a Ghana native, said the event makes his country and culture feel seen.

Bella Casey Staff Reporter

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Black History Month

Adam Engel Editor-in-Chief

The Boys are Back

All photos by Chase Davis

played its first game in O’Brate Stadium on Tuesday against California Baptist.

Barry Sanders

OSU’s greatest player

Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter Statue Series

A bronze statue of a man in the Heisman pose stands on the northeast side of the Boone Pickens Stadium.

Barry Sanders, had his statue unveiled in front of Boone Pickens Stadium on the night of his induction into Oklahoma State’s ring of honor in November 2021.

Sanders was born in Wichita, Kansas, on July 16, 1968. Growing up, Sanders played basketball and football at Wichita North High School.

Sanders was accepted into OSU and played running back for the Cowboys from 1986-88.

In his first two years, Sanders backed up Thurman Thomas, who became a Hall of Famer in the NFL.

After Thomas was drafted, Sanders finally got his time to show the impact he could truly have on the field.

In his junior year, Sanders produced one of the greatest seasons. He led the nation with an average of 7.6 yards per attempt with more than 200 yards rushing per game.

Sanders set the college football season record with 2,628 yards rushing and piled on

StopTopps: Safe drinking initiavite to change the strip in Stillwater

37 rushing touchdowns. Sanders was selected for the Heisman, the most outstanding player in college football, and was a unanimous All-American.

After OSU, Sanders declared for the 1989 NFL Draft and the Detroit Lions selected him as the No. 3 overall pick. Sanders played for 10 seasons with the Lions.

Sanders was the 1989 Offensive Rookie of the Year, a 10x Pro Bowler, 6x All-Pro, the 1997 NFL MVP and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Sanders retired from the NFL in July 1999, with 15,269 rushing yards in his career, which is the most a player in a 10year span has had. Sanders is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.

Sanders will most likely always be the face of Cowboy football. Now, everyone heading into Boone Pickens to watch the Cowboys year after year will be reminded of the greatness that was Barry Sanders.

A foil sticker holds the power to save someone’s life.

Audrey Fleschute ignored the naïve assumption that all college kids wait until they are 21 to drink alcohol. The speaker of the senate for the Student Gov ernment Association said as

incredible as her position in the association is, there was still something missing in her personal life. Fleschute wanted to make a change.

On a trip to Lawrence, Kansas, last fall, Fleschute learned about how Kansas University promotes safety among parties as a dry campus. KU’s Student Government initiatives inspired Fleschute to start her own project: The StopTopps cup stickers.

The stickers can be placed on top of people’s drinks and a straw can be poked through it. The goal is to protect drinkers from being drugged while out partying. Fleschute, who is getting her degree in political science, got in contact with Outlaws, a bar in Stillwater and introduced her idea to the donor.

“I just wanted it to be an option,” Fleschute said. “I’m not looking at people who commit those crimes. I’m looking at the establishments that facilitate the space where these things happen. That’s why I went to the bars.”

In the U.S., 11% of college students experience rape or sexual assault through force, violence or incapacitation, and in terms of drug-facilitated sexual assault, alcohol is the No. 1 substance for assailants, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

“I feel like we highlight the negatives of partying a lot, but maybe we should say, ‘We know people party and that’s ok,’” Fleschute said. “We just want you to be safe so here are some things we can do to help you do that.”

Fleschute said the stickers will not make people drink less, but it can help avoid malicious intentions to follow through. The foil allows customers to know if someone tried to peel off the side or bend the foil, making it possible for the person drinking to stay alert and get a different drink. The stickers come with a QR code that takes the person to a website.

“It’s a website free of nonsense,” Fleschute said. “There is no branding. All it shows is how to use the stickers, what is its goal,

how to tell if you’ve been drugged and what are the next steps.”

Kelsie Woods, a junior at OSU, said she feels unsafe most of the time she goes out in public, especially when there is drinking involved. Woods said she is cautious and tries to make sure nothing will happen to her.

“This idea gives a safer feel to the bar,” Woods said. “Most women don’t feel safe so it’s good to hear there are people putting in some effort to help.”

The owner of Outlaws, Willies and JR Murphys said he is supporting Fleschute’s initiative and this process to help protect all the customers.

After spreading 500 stickers around the strip, Fleschute went out to the bars to see her project come to life.

“I saw a lot of moms last weekend because of admitted students day,” Fleschute said. “We started talking about the stickers and everyone loved them.” Fleschute is running a one-woman show and her next step is to go from the foil stickers to the scrunchie version, a fabric cup cover that people can wear on their wrists while they are not drinking. SGA has funded Fleschute’s initial project but moving foward funding will be even trickier.

“But what’s great is I have not heard a single person tell me that they thought it was bad,” Fleschute said. “Which is good enough for me, there is nothing wrong with setting boundaries and going after what we want.”

Courtesy of Outlaws

StopTopps foil stickers in the female bathroom inside of Outlaws.

Luisa Clausen News & Lifestyle Editor

File Photo Barry Sanders received his statue at OSU’s football game against TCU in 2021.

Ukrainian history expert visits OSU

Stephanie Landaverde Staff Reporter

Johannes Remy, an expert on Ukrainian and Russian history, visited OSU on Tuesday.

Jason Lavery, an occupation regents professor in the history department, organized the visit.

Lavery said he organized Remy’s visit because Ukraine is an important topic in world affairs and its history is not well known.

“A lot of the current conflict has long historical roots,” Lavery said. “So I thought it would be good to bring an expert like Dr. Remy.”

Remy has published three books centered on Eastern Europe. His first was a doctoral dissertation focused on nationalism in Eastern Europe and how this relates to Russia. His third, titled “Brothers or Enemies: The Ukrainian National Movement in Russia from the 1840s to the 1870s” has won two awards.

“History of Ukraine,” his second book, was the focus of Tuesday’s talk.

SGA...

Continued from 1A

“I think that student government has done a great job trying to address student concerns over the last couple of years, especially since I’ve been here,” Dedmon said. “But we can always do more, we can always strive to improve that process and make it more accessible for students to voice their concerns and to feel like they have an open space to kind of talk to us.”

Dedmon, a sophomore, and Kopang, a sophomore, have always been leaders.

Dedmon was student body president during his senior year of high school and was actively involved in the leadership organization FCCLA. Kopang worked her way through the ranks of her high school student council until she was the president of it. Both Dedmon and Kopang have previous involvement with SGA.

Unlike their opponents, presidential candidate Ashley Peterson and vice-presidential candidate Hilary Albrecht are new to SGA. The two view this as an opportunity to shed light on issues SGA overlooked in the past.

“I’m coming in as an outsider, but I think it’s honestly my greatest strength because I come in with fresh ideas and true student background and connections,” Peterson said.

If elected, Peterson and Albrecht want to bridge the communication and awareness gap between SGA and students. They plan on reaching out to students and other campus organizations to address the concerns and hopes they have for life on campus.

Peterson and Albrecht have spe -

The book covers the entirety of Ukrainian history. It was originally written in Finnish and because of its popularity in Finland, now has a second edition. This edition was published months after Russia attacked Ukraine and includes comments about these events, making it an extremely up to date account of Ukranian history.

Remy began his lecture of Ukrainian history in the 14th century. At this time, what is now more than half of Northern Ukraine was part of Lithuania and later Poland. Crimea is now Southern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian language formed in the 16th century. Royal power was substantial, but a king could not enact new laws or introduce taxes without the consent of parliament. Members of parliament were elected and after 1569, even the king had to be elected.

“The decision was made by shouting,” Remy said. “So the arrangement hardly matches our standards of democracy.”

Remy said women at this time theoretically had equal rights politically. This political and social system

cific intentions for OSU outside of building a connection between students and SGA. The two want to target the everyday hassle of campus parking and plan on advocating for more student parking spots and providing students with the option to pay off parking tickets through food or hygiene product donations.

Other goals include gameday benefits for students and requesting OSU cover the cost of online homework and exam platforms.

Peterson and Albrecht are not new to leadership.

Both were involved in leadership organizations in high school and continued to lead once in college.

Peterson found herself protesting at the Oklahoma State Capitol in high school and part of Spear’s leadership fellowship in college. The two juniors met at a TLX leadership conference and have remained connected.

“I have always had a passion for leadership, and not even just leadership, but just connecting with people and solving problems and working with people who care about an issue to solve that problem and utilizing everyone’s strengths to solve the problem,” Peterson said.

Peterson is a marketing major, and Albrecht is an agribusiness major, but they view their differing majors as an opportunity to represent a variety of students on a personal level.

Peterson said that between the two of them, they have connections across campus.

Watching the two teams debate will allow students to familiarize themselves with the different candidates and their plans for the student body. Voting begins March 7 at 8 a.m. and ends March 8 at 5 p.m.

Season one of Amazon Prime’s “The Legend of Vox Machina,” an animated show centered around the popular roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons, was a hit receiving 100% on Rotten Tomatoes after its debut in January 2022.

The 115-episode campaign of Critical Role’s, a webseries in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons, inspired the show’s premise. It follows the adventures of the Vox Machina party, which includes Percy De Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), Keyleth the Ashari (Marisha Ray), Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), Scanlan Shorthall (Sam Riegel), Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson), and the twins Vex’aliah (Laura Bailey) and Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien).

What sets the Amazon Prime show apart is the party members from the Critical Role campaign channel voice every character in the show. Matt Mercer, the Dungeon Master, and the main cast voice several characters throughout the show.

Including their voices adds a fun and unique element to the story as new fans enjoy fantastic voice acting. Old fans experience watching

reiterates the freeness of the country and makes it distinct from most other European countries, which had strong royal power.

“The local democracy was especially perceived as antithetical to Russia,” Remy said.

Remy went through the rest of Ukrainian history leading up to current times and its relationship with surrounding European countries. He discussed different elements of Ukraine’s history that impact its present state, such as the factors that influenced its estrangement with Poland, the abolition of Cossack autonomy and the suppression of Ukrainian literature in the Russian empire.

Abigail Lavery, a freshman zoology student, attended the lecture after the opportunity was presented in her

class. Lavery said she learned about how current events relate to numerous factors, such as religion, and how Ukraine’s historical culture is still present.

“He was talking about the OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists) and how people still think that they weren’t really part of the Holocaust,” Lavery said. “But those kinds of people are the ones that continue antisemitic views. I thought that was interesting.”

the characters they pictured during the YouTube live streams come to life visually with the voices they know and love.

The solid animation is another strong point of the show. It isn’t unique, but good animation can make a show. Dungeons and Dragons is being brought to life with a media format allowing more flexibility in exploring storylines. Several sequences of epic battles will leave you out of your seat. A new sub-genre of adult cartoons has become more mainstream in the past few years, and Vox Machina has taken advantage of the rising popularity. Campaign players can do anything they want with their character, and the show mirrors this experience with having a TV-MA rating.

This rating makes the show more authentic to the actual gameplay and makes the characters far more relatable. They aren’t perfect heroes and their imperfections are more realistic to the real world. The characters are well written and well done. A player built the characters’ traits and arc over multiple episodes. The pairing of the Critical Role team, showrunners, and writers generated a storyline that could fit into two 12-episode seasons. The first season

started strong with a quick establishing arc involving dragons and a plot to take control of the Kingdom of Emon before moving on to the primary season storyline, calk full of vampires, villainous magic and one party member’s quest for revenge. Each character was given their moment to shine, and overall, the season provided a fun and entertaining first outing for the group. In the first season, they encapsulated the feeling of playing DND while perfectly balancing a TV series storyline.

Season two of “The Legend of Vox Machina” delivered a strong sequel, complementing season one well. The story picks up with the aftermath of the events of the first season arc, with the dragons retaliating against Emon. The Vox Machina party faces the impossible task of defeating the infamous Chroma Conclave. Through a series of 12 episodes, each part member seeks weapons known as the Vestiges of Divergence to aid in their battle with varying success. The season ends with only one member of the Conclave meeting its end.

The pacing feels a little off throughout the season. The multiple missions for the other Vestiges feel off at points, with some characters given more screen time than others.

The season also rushes some of their major plot points. In episode three, Vex’aliah dies but is resurrected in regular DND fashion. The death felt too sudden but also too obvious. At the start of the episode, there was a flood of back flashes telegraphing the end, but it didn’t feel earned. It was more of a sped-up plot point to get Vax’ildan mixed up with the Raven Queen in his efforts to resurrect it, his twin.

Many shows need more storylines, but Vox Machina is different. The Critical Role team has more than 300 hours of content. Taking their time with the storyline allows the team to roll a 20 on every turn. The decision to end the show with the main villains still at large was brilliant.

Netflix’s “Stranger Things” brought DND into the spotlight, but Vox Machina gave new and old players a glimpse into the worlds they have built through many long and complex campaigns. The Critical Role teams continue to publish content and have already confirmed a season three of “The Legend of Vox Machina”. The Dungeon Master tells you to roll the initiative and watch Vox Machina on Amazon Prime.

Courtesy of Ashley Peterson

Ashley Peterson, presidential candidate for SGA, and Hillary Albrecht, the vice-presidential candidate

Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Season two of “The Legend of Vox Machina” was released on Amazon Prime in January.

‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ series review

Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter

The local democracy was especially perceived as antithetical to Russia

Johannes Remy

‘Pokemon’ series to feature new protagonists

Baylor Bryant Staff Reporter

Ash’s “Pokemon” journey is coming to an end, and there are some new trainers ready to take up the torch.

For more than 20 years, “Pokemon”’s protagonist Ash Ketchum has pursued his dream of becoming a “Pokemon” master. Traveling through eight regions, battling hundreds of trainers and going on countless adventures, his story is known throughout generations.

In November 2022, Ketchum defeated the strongest trainer in the world, Leon, in the World “Pokemon” Championships, becoming the World’s Strongest Trainer and thus, a “Pokemon” master.

Now that Ketchum’s story is coming to end, a new group of trainers must take up the mantle.

New episodes of “Pokemon’s” 25th season, “Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Series,” will be released on Netflix on Friday in English. These episodes will lead up to Ketchum’s battles in the World “Pokemon” Championships with another drop of episodes coming at a later date showcasing Ketchum’s victories against “Pokemon” champions.

After the season of “Pokemon” ends, there will be special bonus episodes that will be used as gratitude to all the fans for sticking around with Ketchum and Pikachu’s journey throughout the many years. This collection of bonus episodes will

have Ketchum and Pikachu reunite with Brock, Misty and other characters that have appeared throughout the series.

After Ketchum’s journey ends, two new characters will take up the spotlight and continue the “Pokemon” story. Liko and Roy will be “Pokemon’s” newest protagonists and their journey will start alongside the starters of “Pokemon Scarlet and Violet,” Sprigatito, Quaxley and Fuecoco. It has not yet been confirmed if Liko and Roy will travel the Paldea region with these starters, but it is highly likely.

Every region in “Pokemon” has its own fleshed out story besides Galar, which was replaced for Ketchum’s adventures throughout all the regions battling trainers in preparation of defeating Leon, but Galar was still visited in the story.

With all new protagonists, their story could be fully contained in Paldea, having the two compete in the Victory Road, Starfall Street, and Path of Legends storylines, or they could travel the entirety of the world similarly to Ketchum in “Pokemon Journeys.” However, it is most likely they will stay in Paldea for the first season of their series.

There is still no confirmation for when the series will air and what it will contain as of now. And with the popularity of “Pokemon” still at a high peak, there could still be tons of regions introduced and explored, and Liko and Roy could become the next generations’ version of Ketchum.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Bazaar...

Continued from 1A

The Nepalese Student Organization sold about 750 momos, steamed dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables.

Niranjan Pokhrel, a horticulture master’s student from Nepal said the group started making the food at 6 p.m. on Friday. The job wasn’t finished until 3:30 a.m.

It’s no easy task.

“It takes a lot of effort to make that,” he said. “It’s also a skill thing. Not everyone can make it. We had some people’s friends and seniors were really good at making it.”

In Persian culture, Yaser Shamsi, Iran native and doctorate student in OSU’s English department, said men perform tasks of manual labor as moving large pots. Many women cook as do men.

“We have some good cooks here who are men here,” he said. “Like my dad. Some of the boys also participated.”

It’s the process that makes everything unique.

‘Stumbling in circles’: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania’ review

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

When you fool me 39 times across an entire cinematic universe, whose fault is it? This is the question I asked myself on the long, dreary drive home from seeing “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”

Should I blame Kevin Fiege for dangling this metaphorical carrot over my head, or should I blame myself for falling for it every time? Like Lucy and Charlie Brown, he’s held the football out in front of me with promises of redefining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Foolishly, I engage with this twisted

game and end up flat on my back.

Unfortunately, “Quantumania” is another unfulfilled promise in the multiverse saga, a saga full of unfulfilled promises. It strives to usher in a new era of the MCU, and bring about a new antagonist that makes the likes of Thanos run for his money.

The only person who’s running for their money is Jonathan Majors cashing in his check after singlehandedly carrying this film on his back. The biggest compliment I can give this film is Majors’s strong performance as Kang, The Conqueror. He’s a genuinely scary villain, but his role in the film is wasted.

Most of the 125-minute runtime is wasted with repetitive

action scenes, hit-or-miss quips and wildly redundant dialogue.

The added insult to injury is that not a single character develops in an interesting way throughout the movie. No one learned a lesson, there are no meaningful themes and the MCU as a whole is in the exact same place as it started.

This would all be fine if the film was at least fun, but it hardly brings any creativity or magic to the screen outside of a few standout moments. The film chugs along and hardly has a point. Thanos wiped out half of the galaxy as his debut and Kang debuts with countless defeats. The movie is truly nothing. Does it deserve such harsh words if it’s per-

fectly mediocre? Maybe not, but after 30+ movies of the same plot beats, the same quips and the same action, it gets hard to appreciate this tired formula. The potential of this movie lingers in every scene and the possibility of what could have been truly stung.

If this is where the MCU is headed, I want off the train. The multiverse saga of the MCU was the perfect opportunity to get weird with it. Take some risks, make audiences gasp, and really tell an exciting and worthy story. “Quantumania,” proves that the MCU will likely just stumble around in circles until the end of time.

“Even looking at the way people celebrate things and the way people cook (are different),” Shamsi said. “You can cook the same ingredient when you just buy it from a shop like Walmart. But when it goes home and it goes through the process that happens in the kitchen, it is the culture, the back-

ground and the people that makes the final dish that you see here.”

His wife made some of the Persian foods, such as Ash e Reshte. Another couple made falafel.

“Having a community of Iranian people just makes me feel as if it’s not that far away from family,” Shamsi said. “OSU is really international friendly. This is one of the events that I really appreciate.”

OSU boasted 1,519 international students in fall 2022, according to OSU international student statistics provided to The O’Colly.

Mayank Talreja, a master’s student from India, represents OSU’s largest international community. The country’s 418 students make it OSU’s biggest international population. The Indian Student Association also won the event’s best desert content with its kalakand, an Indian milk cake.

“That is what encourages us and gives me a motivation to do something for students,” Talreja said. “We help students transition their life from India to a new country here. It’s been great that a lot of friends are here from our country.”

ISO will also host its Culture Night on April 8 in the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts, another opportunity for OSU’s international students.

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Ash Ketchum returns to the Netflix in its special, “Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Series.”

Courtesy of Tribune

Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror in Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Jay Maidment/Marvel/TNS)

Molly Jolliff

OSU’s International Student Organization hosted its annual International Bazaar on Saturday afternoon. More than 200 people showed and ate foods from many countries.

Mr. and Miss Hispanic/Latinx gives opportunities to international students

Jaycee Hampton Staff Reporter

Since spring 2001, Oklahoma State University has annually crowned a Mr. & Miss Hispanic/ Latinx in a scholarship pageant open to all OSU undergraduate students.

Alexander Turner Camacho is a sophomore aerospace and mechanical engineering major. Originally from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, Camacho moved to the U.S. at 8.

Crowned as the 2022 Mr. Hispanic, Camacho has many positive things to say about the opportunities and community OSU has brought him. The Mr. & Miss Hispanic/Latinx Scholarship Pageant aims to help develop students’ leadership skills, boost confidence, expand creativity and guide contestants to become role models for their communities.

Camacho has been given exciting opportunities such as representing the Hispanic community in the America’s Greatest Homecoming parade. He also visited the Oklahoma Capitol twice to meet the governor. Although there are some upsides to having the Mr. or Miss Hispanic/Latinx title, Camacho expresses that students can do anything he is doing, too.

“Any student can start a fundraiser, any student can create a scholarship, give a scholarship away, can contact and email any of the people I email, such as student affairs or OMA for information or your own college,” he said.

Camacho wants to give back to his commu-

nity and support Hispanic International students. OSU strives to bring awareness to various Hispanic/Latinx traditions, serve students and celebrate the heritage of the communities. Participants contending for the title compete for the crown and $1,500 scholarships, as well as one year to promote and work toward their platform.

Camacho said international students at OSU have to pay twice the amount U.S. students would and he wants to help students who left their countries to come to the U.S.

“I know some people who are currently here that are struggling with finding out how they are going to stay here after university, so I want to help with that money [from fundraising] and help them with scholarships, even if it’s a minimal amount.” Camacho said

Camacho stated after an easy application process, preparation and training begin around September, giving student contestants nearly six months to prepare for the pageant. Broadcasted live on Inside OSU, the pageant consists of multiple categories: private interviews, platform, cultural wear, talent, evening wear and a spur-of-the-moment question for all audiences to see. Contestants were also judged on professionalism.

“There are a lot of stigmas with pageantry. I know that for me, I had people tell me that because I’m a guy it’s just weird for me to be up on a stage with a suit on, trying to look good,” Camacho said. “But that’s

not the main point, the main point is to be able to professionally, accurately and effectively voice your opinions, what you believe in and your ambitions in an inspiring and truthful way. Really at the end of the day, it gives you a lot of practice in what you need to do to be a good leader in your community. It’s not about how good you look, they aren’t going to judge you on that, they will judge you on how good you present yourself and how genuine you are.”

The Mr. & Miss Hispanic/Latinx Scholarship pageant not only serves students of this community, but it brings all together. Camacho said the pageant coordinator moved to another spot on campus but DJ CarterRodríguez, the coordinator of African American affairs, switched to help the pageant.

“Because we didn’t

have an assigned pageant coach, me and Valerie Rios (2022 Miss Hispanic) had taken on the role of being the contestant’s main coach,” Rodríguez said. “We have basically been at every single practice, and we look through their paperwork and their speeches, we are helping review their platforms, bios and speeches.”

The 2023 Mr. & Miss Hispanic/Latinx pageant will be held on March 25, in the Student Union. More details will be announced soon.

“[Community] is really important, not so much because we want Hispanics to only be with Hispanic students, but sometimes we feel like we miss home, sometimes we feel like we miss our culture and we want to be able to fall back on our culture when we are at college,” Camacho said.

Pageant...

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Blation’s platform is substance abuse. She said she wants to talk about college students who have substance abuse issues and hold events to help students who struggle with this.

After platform statements, each contestant will present cultural and evening wear. They will also be scored on talent presentations and an extemporaneous question.

Jarmon said it’s important for people to know that these are scholarship pageants, not beauty pageants.

“It’s more so about what it’s in your head and what you’re going to do,” Jarmon said. “It’s not at all about what you look like.”

Jarmon chose to compete in the pageant as a way to become involved on campus. She joined Black Student Association where she learned about the pageant. She ran on a platform focused on mental

health awareness in the Black community, and throughout her reign has hosted wellness events focused on stress relief, such as a game night prior to the beginning of the school year.

Jarmon said this pageant will be more intimate than most pageants because of the small number of contestants.

“You really get to see what these two contestants are about,” Jarmon said. “Two amazing girls. They’ve worked so hard.”

D.J. Carter-Rodriguez, the coordinator of African American affairs and Hispanic/ Latinx affairs, said black students benefit from competing because representation matters.

“Being at a predominantly white institution, there’s not a lot of opportunities for Black, Latino and Asian students to really showcase their culture,” Carter-Rodriguez said. “So any opportunity to do that and have people appreciate and learn from it, I think is beautiful.”

Courtesy of Gary Lawson/OSU

Alexander Turner Camacho was crowned at OSU’s 2022 Mr. Hispanic and strives to represent his community.

Courtesy of OSU

The Mr. and MIss Hispanic/Latinx pageant gives students scholarships opportunities.

Rowdy Review: ‘You’ shows Joe tasting his own medicine

Rowdy Baribeau Staff Reporter Spoiler Alert

Rowdy review is back.

The first five episodes of “You” season four released on Netflix on Feb. 9 and The O’Colly reviewed the first two episodes last week. This week, I am back to highlight key points from episodes three through five and I would like to give a heads up of spoilers ahead.

Episode Three: “Eat the Rich”

Whoever Joe’s stalker is, he’s good, almost too good.

He’s already beginning to tie Jonathan to Joe, and Joe has to go along with the act… until he doesn’t. Once the first murder went public, the stalker/ killer caught Joe’s attention. He begins to play into the act that the stalker wants him to play. He also doesn’t necessarily have a choice considering he’s being blackmailed using a body part from the second victim.

The stalker wants Joe to kill Kate — who begins to turn into his next love interest. That prompts Joe to believe Kate could be on the killer’s radar and he enlists himself to “protect” Kate. To Joe, stalking and making judgments about others’ lives is protecting them. So, he follows Kate around London, once after a funeral and then after he leaves her apartment.

The bodyguard of one of the people in the inner circle catches Joe. The bodyguard, Vic, believes Joe is the killer and has voiced his suspicions about him to others, and to Joe’s face. The two get into a scuffle and it results in Joe’s first kill in season four.

The stalker picks up on a pattern that the viewer has likely already established at the end of season two. Joe will protect and attempt to save those who he cares for and he’ll kill to ensure their safety or his anonymity. Joe takes a different approach to dealing with the stalker. Joe admits to the killer that he is — Joe. The two plan to meet, but before anything can be said between the two, investigators hit Joe with another impromptu interview and it doesn’t seem to be good for Joe.

Episode Four: “Hampsie”

Joe lucks out. After a build-up from episode three, it turns out that the investigators asked the same questions to everyone. Joe’s special, but not quite

that special. So, Joe breathes a sigh of relief. As he walks back into the same room the intercepted him, Phoebe invites Joe to a get-away country house — with her, all her friends and… the killer.

Joe decides to go on the trip with the belief that he will catch the killer when the trip comes to an end. When he arrives at the house (which is really a mansion with a full staff of butlers and chefs) he scopes out the area. There’s also no cell service, which Joe didn’t anticipate. It also throws a wrench in Joe’s pursuit of the killer. Not as big of a wrench as he initially thought, considering he has a conjoined door with Kate.

The majority of the episode of spent with Joe mingling with the group and seemingly assimilating himself and making himself more welcomed. In doing so, Phoebe and Adam open up to him and he gets closer to them, among others in the group.

The tension between Kate and Joe continues to build, especially since they’re directly next to each other in their rooms. Kate gives Joe a little tip that piques his interest. Roald invited Joe when it was initially believed Phoebe wanted him there. Joe reflects on all the connections between Roald, Kate and Malcolm, Kate’s dead ex-husband. It gets Joe’s mind turning and he snoops into Roald’s room, where he finds an interesting discovery.

Roald and Joe then go on a hunt. Joe is not a hunter, nor a shooter. The entire trip with Roald has him on edge. Kate interrupts the two and Roald and Kate go their separate way from Joe. They all reconvene at dinner, but Joe’s still suspicious about Roald. He goes into his room for a minute until Roald sneaks up on Joe and knocks him out of the bedroom window. When he goes back inside to find Kate, he walks in on yet another dead body… with Kate standing over it. She has blood on her hands, but was it her?

Episode Five: “The Fox and the Hound”

Another one of Kate’s friends is dead. This time, Kate found the body and Joe found Kate. Not a great look for a seemingly innocent woman. The two agree to “take care of it” together. The problem is, one is experienced in body disposal and one isn’t. Wouldn’t it be a slight red flag if someone immediately knows what to do in that situation?

Joe has to act as if this is his first time and sells it decently enough until the two are in the barn and Kate con-

fronts Joe with a knife, asking him, “Why are you so good at hiding bodies?” Before he can answer, she fires off three more questions in a state of panic. He calms her down and then comes clean about the situation he’s been navigating. He opened up about the murders and how he’s being blackmailed and briefly touched on his past in hopes that Kate would release her grip on the knife held to his neck.

Meanwhile, Roald and Adam are discussing what to do about “Jonathan” after he told Phoebe a dark secret about Adam. A secret — that has come in between Phoebe and Adam, impacting their relationship and leaving Adam with a finger to point, to which he aims at Joe.

Roald finds Joe with the body in the barn and brings him into the house for judgment. The jury? A bunch of drunk, high, exhausted and incoherent friends, who counter Roald’s legitimate questions with facetious, humorous questions. There’s not a bit of serious-

ness taken during the interrogation outside of Adam and Roald.

Adam and Joe get into an argument that leads to a physical altercation, leading to a nice stroll in the woods. Joe is running for his life from Roald, who’s carrying the same double-barrel shotgun they went hunting with in episode four. It’s then, Joe meets his foe, and it’s the most unlikely of them all.

He brings Joe and Roald into a chamber underneath the mansion. The chamber is locked, and the killer burns the chamber as an attempt to hide his tracks and kill Joe and Roald. Kate finds the chamber and frees the two.

Joe’s name is cleared among the group, which eases his mind. But he had hoped to end the nightmare in Hampsbridge, where the mansion is. He goes back to London with only the name of the killer. To see what he does next, binge-watchers and television freaks alike will have to wait until March 9, when part two releases on Netflix.

Courtesy of GoldDerby Season four of “You” will consist of 10 episodes split into two five-episode batches.

‘The Tennaissance’

How Taylor, staff plans to turn Cowboys into elite pros

outliers either; of the top 100 players on the ATP tour, 12 singles and 35 doubles players in their respective rankings developed their game on a college campus in the U.S.

PJ Tikalsky Staff Reporter

On Jan. 24, 20-year-old Ben Shelton reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open. Shelton, a Florida native, became the youngest American to reach a quarterfinal in Melbourne since Andy Roddick. On top of that record, though, laid a long-held milestone not broken in almost 60 years — Shelton was the first NCAA singles champion to advance that far since Arthur Ashe in 1966.

J.J. Wolf, Shelton’s match opponent, held the No. 1 rank at one point at Ohio State. Wolf and Shelton aren’t

Cowboy basketball’s postseason scenarios

Gabriel Trevino and Braden Bush

A three-game losing streak where you allow an average of 91 points in the Big 12 is never a good thing; especially when you only have three games left. OSU was off the bubble on Feb. 14 before its game vs Kansas but is now looking to stay in the tournament. As Selection Sunday approaches, The O’Colly Sports put together what outcomes and their results are possible for OSU.

See Postseason on 2B

VS

OSU vs Kansas State. Tipoff: 1 p.m. Saturday

OSU vs Baylor. Tipoff: 8 p.m.

Monday

Gallagher-Iba Arena

This level of success hasn’t gone unnoticed. In addition to increased attraction from both homegrown and foreign players as a viable development option, the ATP’s new Accelerator Program — made in partnership with the ITA, college tennis’ governing body — just announced it would grant main draw and qualification spots in Challenger Tour events (the ATP’s second level of competition) to the top 20 ranked NCAA singles players at the end of the season, regardless of where they currently stand in the ATP rankings. College tennis is in a ‘Tennaissance,’ and OSU men’s coach Dustin Taylor is ready to put the Cowboys front and center of it all. He sums up his goals for the program with one idea.

“[At] Oklahoma State, you come here to win national championships … The standard here is high.”

In a globally-competitive sport with some of its greatest legends entering professional play as young as 15, for many young players vying for big-time success college used to be seen as a lateral move, perhaps even a step back.

Now?

“It’s not a hard sell anymore,” Taylor said. “At 18 years old, you’d better be physically extremely mature, mentally extremely mature, and also not feel the weight of the world pressure and financials-wise [to go pro]… but for the majority now, the world’s really seeing the benefits of college tennis and all the resources that it provides them, all the opportunity it provides them and all the growth that it provides them.”

‘My pizano’ Tales of Gary Calcagno

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

conditioning coach. Jacked, Italian and downing red bulls by the package. During every dual, he sits with the coaching staff and if someone loses a match, he’s one of the first to console them. If they win, he finds the first opportunity to celebrate with them.

See Calcagno on 4B

and

For older players such as fifthyear Chase Ferguson, college was a last minute choice. Before becoming the Cowboys’ captain, the native Australian played four years at South Florida, and just barely made it there.

On the other end of the age spectrum lies freshman Carl Roothman from Cape Town, South Africa, who began talking to Taylor as soon as he was hired at OSU.

“The long term goal was obviously to go pro, but I felt that my game still had some areas to improve on,” Roothman said. “I started talking to [Taylor] the first day that he got the job…we spoke for quite a long while because I had an injury and wasn’t sure when I would come.”

See Taylor on 6B

Six-game win streak boosts

Cowgirls’ confidence

Gina Foster Staff Reporter

The Cowgirls came to play their best and stay competitive in an intense matchup.

The continued teamwork and agility the Cowgirls possess contributed to the 73-68 win against No. 20 Iowa State in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Wednesday.

See Upcoming on 3B

OSU at Kansas. Tipoff: 2 p.m. at Lawrence, ESPN+

OSU at Kansas. Tipoff: Sunday at 2 p.m. in Lawrence on ESPN+

OSU at West Virginia. Tipoff: Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Morgantown on ESPN+

File Photo

OSU coach Dustin Taylor’s (left) goal is to develop his tennis players into future professionals.

Molly Jolliff

Wrestling strength and conditioning coach Gary Calcagno is beloved by many OSU wrestling alumni.

Locked in: Win out in the regular season, advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament and not get blown out

For the Cowboys to secure a spot in March Madness, they will likely have to defeat No. 14 Kansas State on Saturday, No. 9 Baylor on Monday and at Texas Tech on March 4 — a team on a four game win streak with two against ranked opponents.

If OSU does this and ends the season as the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 tournament, it should also win the first

round matchup and advance to the quarterfinals. At this point, the Cowboys will likely face either Kansas or Texas, and as long as they don’t get blown out in this round, they should feel safe on Selection Sunday with their resume.

Stay out of the First Four: Win three more games OSU sits at No. 42 in the NET rankings with more than two weeks before Selection Sunday. If the Cowboys can get to 19 wins, no matter who the wins are against because the Big 12 is so competitive, OSU could avoid a trip to Dayton for the First Four games. Bubble anxiety: Add two wins or sweat out tournament hopes Selection Sunday will be an antsy one if OSU can’t find at least two more wins.

OSU’s final three conference games – No. 9 Baylor, No. 14 Kansas State and Texas Tech – would all be Quadrant-1 wins, which go a long way toward making the tournament. Win two and the Cowboys are likely safe. If they don’t, the Big 12 Tournament will become more important.

As of now, the Cowboys would have to play in the 7 vs 10 first-round game of the Big 12 Tournament against OU. A win would give OSU some breathing room, but a loss would have the Cowboys sweating their fate.

How OSU misses the tournament

Simple. Lose the final three conference games.

Seven wins in eight games skyrocketed the Cowboys from the bubble

to the 8/9-seed range, but three straight losses quickly put OSU back on the hot seat. Lose the next three and the Cowboys are on the wrong side of the cutoff line.

Games against two top-15 teams and a fellow bubble team present the opportunity for quality wins. But those wins will be hard to come by.

Lose all three and that leaves OSU with a 7-11 conference record. The NCAA Tournament threshold has typically been an 8-10 or 9-9 conference record. If the Cowboys lose all three, they will need to make a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament or they won’t make the Big Dance.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Davis Cordova

The Cowboys are “on the bubble” in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology.

Gabriel Trevino

Courtesy of Big 12 Athletics

Upcoming...

Continued from 1B

“I think that momentum has a lot to do with confidence and our confidence is at an all-time high,” coach Jacie Hoyt said. “We continue to remind ourselves what got us here. We’ve talked a lot about a verse, Galatians 6:9, ‘Do not become weary in doing good. For at the proper time, you will reap a harvest if you do not give up,’ and we’ve really focused on that last part. We have to continue to work hard, continue to be selfless and the rest will take care of itself.”

Momentum is essential, as the team will have three more games before the postseason. Two are on the road, at Kansas then at West Virginia a few days

later.

After the road trip, they finish the season at home with a matchup against No. 25 Oklahoma, who is first in the conference.

The Cowgirls constantly talk about how they don’t look ahead at the schedule. A top-20 win for the Cowgirls led to them taking the third-place spot in the Big 12 rankings, but that’s not what concerns them when there is one more game in front of them.

“We literally take one game at a time, so we don’t think too far ahead,” forward Terryn Milton said. “We don’t think about past games, just whoever’s in front of us is who we’re going after. With that mentality, we don’t get caught up.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

HIMALAYAN GROCERY STORE

NCAA denies

Rioux, unable to play at OSU

Payton Little Staff Reporter

After months of back and forth between the NCAA, the verdict finally arrived.

OSU tennis player

Lisa Marie Rioux was the anchor for last year’s squad. Her experienced leadership and level headed playing always added an attitude of subtle confidence to the Cowgirl roster. She finished the year ranked at No. 37 in singles play and as the No. 8 doubles team in the country.

After such a successful season, especially with doubles partner Ayumi Miyamoto, Rioux was looking to build off everything she accomplished in her previous years at OSU. However, the clock ran out.

For Rioux to obtain more eligibility, Chris Young, OSU’s women’s tennis coach, had to appeal to the NCAA proving her reasons for transferring from Mississippi State in 2017 were valid. Rioux needed to tell this story herself, as she had to write a letter making her

case to the NCAA. Rioux continued to practice with OSU. During matches, she would help the team warm up the swings before matches, float around and offer advice to those playing.

As an international college athlete, Rioux has not been able to travel home often, especially with home 7,237 miles away in Okinawa, Japan. With a new stage of life unfolding soon, she’ll have the opportunity to experience a time in Japan that she has not known for years.

“Right now, I still miss home,” Rioux said. “I kind of want to spend time in Japan… I’m never home from February to May. I was always here (Stillwater), so I’m kind of excited.”

Her career has come to a close as Rioux finished with two AllAmerican doubles teams and capped out with career high finishes at No. 5 in doubles rankings and No. 37 in singles.

“I’m glad that I got to be a part of OSU,” Rioux said. “I really appreciate all the girls… It’s my strength. It’s a huge part of making me strong. Not just as a tennis player, but as a human.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Andy Crown

OSU’s next opponents are West Virginia and Kansas.

File Photo

Lisa Marie Rioux was not granted her extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, ending her college career this season.

Feb. 17 vs Missouri: 8 hits, 3 earned runs, 11 strikeouts, 3 walks

Feb. 18 vs Vanderbilt: 11 hits, 11 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks

Feb. 19 vs Arkansas: 14 hits, 13 earned runs, 9 strikeouts, 10 walks

Feb. 21 vs California Baptist: 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 15 strikeouts, 1 walk

Cowboys leave bruising in Arlington behind; throw OSU’s 12th no-hitter

the weekend, the OSU pitching staff rebounded Tuesday in a 2-0 win against California Baptist.

It is OSU’s first nohitter since Justin Campbell did it against Kansas in 2021 and first combined no-hitter since 1993. It is the 12th no-hitter in program history.

OSU third baseman

Aidan Meola charged a bouncing ball in the ninth inning. He let the ball take a tiny third hop before securing it in his bare hand and winging it across the diamond in time for an out.

Meola’s effort was the most dramatic moment in a script OSU couldn’t have written any better: A combined no-hitter in the home-opener. Just days removed from getting brutalized in the College Baseball Showdown over

OSU surrendered 32 runs in the first three games of the season against Missouri, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. The last game, an 18-1 blowout, was mercifully called after seven innings.

Turning around and blanking CBU, a team that took two of three from the Oklahoma Sooners, is precisely what the Cowboy pitching staff needed.

“A game like tonight can do tremendous things for your confidence,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said.

people – especially regarding an individual with the persona of Calcagno’s.

“The games in Arlington served a purpose as well. We’ve come out of the chute playing some tough, good baseball teams. We have some guys getting their feet wet in all phases of the game, whether its position players getting their first tastes of this level or pitchers, and we’re doing it against elite competition. There is no built-in forgiveness to the schedule. It’ll continue to be that way. Tonight’s game helped our team grow.”

Janzen Keisel, a BYU transfer, got the start and pitched 5 1/3 innings. He struck out 11 and walked only one. He said the first couple innings weren’t his sharpest, but pitching coach Rob Walton kept him mentally focused in his first start with the Cowboys.

After Keisel exited to a standing ovation, junior Isaac Stebens, freshman Drew Blake and junior Evan O’Toole pitched flawlessly in matchup situations. They set the stage for closer Nolan McLean, who earned his second save of the season. The pitching performance will go down in history but will come up in the present as a confidence-booster and a roadmap for success.

“This weekend we kind of struggled throwing strikes a little bit,” Keisel said. “So best thing was just coming out and throwing strikes and getting ahead on hitters and when you get ahead, obviously you get positive results.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Continued from 1B

Regardless of the number of accolades, overall record or individual championships, each OSU wrestler seems to have a feel-good story or a moment of truth with “coach G.”

The development:

A day in the weight room with Calcagno has a variety of reviews. However, there’s one commonality.

“He always gets what he wants out of you,” OSU 133-ponder Daton Fix said. “Coach G, he’ll be friendly with you, but he’ll also tell you how he feels, for better or for worse.”

Nick Piccininni, a former OSU wrestler and MMA fighter, recalls his first interaction with Calcagno.

Piccininni just left a team meeting, still detoxing from what he felt was a long day. When suddenly, a middle-height hulk of a man approached the then-true freshman and spoke words that stick with him years later.

“What’s up my pizano?” Calcagno called out.

Piccininni greeted his coach with a hug and an extensive conversation.

“At the time, I was thinking to myself, ‘I like this guy,’” Piccininni said. “Maybe it was because he was Italian, and I was Italian.”

Of course, first impressions aren’t always precise encapsulations for

During the ensuing session, Piccininni’s perspective shifted after attaining a glimpse into an everyday lifting session with OSU’s beloved strength and conditioning coach.

“I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t ready for it,” Piccininni said. “It’s like he has an alter-ego in the weight room.”

Calcagno is often described as a perfectionist, bringing high-intensity workouts every weight room session. It wasn’t far-fetched for wrestlers to be too sore to sit down in a classroom chair the following day – in spite of the shape they were in.

Because of scheduling conflict during the first semester of his freshman year, Piccininni underwent one-on-one lifting sessions with Calcagno. He had a biology lab at 7:30 a.m. and team lifts were scheduled 30 minutes prior. So, he woke up around 4 a.m. every lift day just to knock out his mandatory lifting sessions.

At 5:30 a.m., he would meet with Calcagno in the weight room and undergo the same workouts he would in the team sessions.

“If you’re getting one-on-one lifting sessions with coach Gary Calcagno, you better be ready,” Piccininni said.

“But looking back on it I cherish those moments. As much as I hated them back then, I kinda miss them now.”

As rigorous and tir-

ing as the workouts were, he formed a unique bond with Calcagno. The two got to know each other on a more personal level, which he credits largely to his 7:30 a.m. biology lab.

Piccininni came to Stillwater as an underweight wrestler, hoping to wrestle at 125 pounds for the Cowboys. Four years later, he concluded one of the most decorated careers in OSU wrestling history – holding a 112-17 dual record and four individual Big 12 championships.

“I was the kid in the weight room who was the odd man out having one plate on the bar when everyone else had two or three,” former OSU wrestler Chris Pendleton said. “I came into OSU as a 140-pound freshman and left at 215 pounds. I couldn’t have done it without Gary.”’

5 softball players to watch this

weekend

Coming off an excellent 2021 season, Kiley Naomi only hit six homers, batted .224 and had an OPS of .709 in 2022.

But to begin 2023, Naomi is back to her old self; batting .458 and hit four home runs — including a grand slam against Louisiana — at the Clearwater Invitational last weekend.

If Naomi could replicate even 75% of that production, she will be one of the best shortstops in the country and the best hitter on an OSU lineup capable of winning a national championship.

Ivy

Coach Kenny Gajewski said Ivy Rosenberry was a hidden gem in the transfer portal. The right-handed junior can reach up to 72 mph on her drop-fastball, but her stats haven’t reflected her talent.

In just six innings pitched as OSU’s No. 3 pitcher, Rosenberry allowed 10 hits, five earned runs and only struck out five. Hitters are also batting .357 off her in two games so far.

Ace Kelly Maxwell and No. 2 Lexi Kilfoyl will take up most of OSU’s innings later in the season, but in the early parts of the year, the Cowgirls will rely on Rosenberry to win games while the other two pitchers are off.

Rosenberry’s battery mate, Schneidmiller didn’t play at all in her freshman season, but has been OSU’s second catcher in 2023.

In only nine plate appearances, Schneidmiller is batting .375 with a 1.194 OPS and a home run against Michigan on Saturday.

Starting catcher Taylor Tuck has started the season slow, with only one hit in 12 plate appearances, so Schneidmiller may get more time behind the plate in the nonconference schedule.

Before her only start of the Clearwater Invitation vs No. 9 Virginia Tech, Kilfoyl allowed zero runs and struck out 12 in 7.1 innings. But against the Hokies, Kilfoyl allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings. At the plate last weekend, she only collected two hits.

None of OSU’s opponents this weekend are even receiving votes in the rankings, so Kilfoyl will have a chance to regain some confidence in the circle and batter’s box.

Kyra Aycock and Bailey Runner OK, I’m cheating by placing two players together, but both have the same opportunity this season. Mostly coming out of the bullpen, Aycock and Runner have combined for 13.2 innings, 12 runs and 16 hits allowed.

Gajewski has even kept them both in close games late and doesn’t show signs of decreasing his confidence this weekend. Expect both pitchers to throw in most of the games this weekend to preserve Maxwell and Kilfoyl’s arms.

Andy Crown

OSU pitcher Janzen Keisel, a BYU transfer, led the Cowboys to a combined no-hitter in his first start. It is the first no-hitter since Justin Campbell

File photo

Gary Calcagno builds special bonds with his athletes during football and wrestling season.

Kiley Naomi:

Rosenberry

Audrey Schneidmiller

Lexi Kilfoyl

Kyra Aycock

Ben Hutchens

Staff Reporter

Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor

Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

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

Business Squares Business Squares Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin”

550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium

Airbnb.com/h/cowboy-cabin

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR BOTH SUMMER SEMESTER 2023 and FALL SEMESTER 2023

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE O’COLLY

Applications for both Summer Semester 2023 and Fall Semester 2023 Editor-in-Chief of The O’Colly will be accepted from now thru Friday, March 3, 2023.

Applications are now available in the Paul Miller Journalism and Broadcasting Building, room 106. Applicants must return their completed applications to room 106 no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2023.

This application process involves two separate positions, EIC for Summer and EIC for Fall. Applicants can apply for one or the other, or both positions. Be sure to indicate which position(s) you wish to be considered for on the application form.

To be eligible for Editor-In-Chief, the applicant must be a student on the Stillwater campus of Oklahoma State University, be in good academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation), have a grade point average of not less than 2.5, and have completed at least 60 hours toward a degree. Applicant must show evidence of having worked one semester in an editor position on The O’Colly. Students serving as an Editor-in-Chief may take up to 6 credit hours of independent study in consultation and approval of their major advisor.

An internship on a newspaper in a newsroom capacity may be substituted for one semester of service on The O’Colly. The internship must meet the requirements of the School of Media and Strategic Communications’ current internship course.

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda

Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (02/24/23). Reap a bountiful harvest this year. Disciplined practices build to realize your long-term dreams. Springtime animates imaginative possibilities, motivating the redirection of your summer research. Joint ventures earn extra autumn profits, before changes reorient your creative communications. Invest and save for the future.

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 9 — Take advantage of favorable financial conditions. Buy, sell and trade. Monitor accounts for growth. Changes can bring lucrative opportunities. Advance to the next level.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Changes could benefit you personally. Confidence comes in handy. Direct positive attention toward a passion project. Energize your efforts. Pour on the steam.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Settle into your private productivity zone. Adapt plans around an evolving situation. Look for hidden opportunities and find them. Notice dreams. Envision perfection.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — Exchange the latest. Network to share news, data and resources. Reconnect with friends and teammates. Adapt shared projects to take advantage of recent changes.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Take charge for career gain. Expect a test. Polish promo materials. Update your bios and public profiles. Prepare to catch an opportunity before it happens.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Study the options. Plan your itinerary to grab a lucky break. Organization and preparation allows you to travel light. Advance an exciting exploration.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Monitor financial conditions with shared accounts. Investments can surge. Carefully manage for growth. You’re building for the future. Conserve resources. Nurture your garden.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Learn from another’s experience. Discover something new about someone you love. Collaborative efforts flower. Ally forces for common gain. Romantic connections develop naturally.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Prioritize your work and health. Power into a busy schedule with good food and rest. Exercise and nature recharge you. Physical action gets satisfying results.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Have fun with someone charming. Connect around common passion. Relax and get playful. Creativity flowers. Romance blossoms. Discover beauty hiding in plain sight.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Stick close to home. Conserve resources. Manage systems for comfort and functionality. Organize, clean and clear space for upcoming projects. You’re cooking up something fun.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — Follow your curiosity. Get carried away by a fascinating thread. One clue leads to another. Summarize and share the benefits of your research.

1

7

Sally Hoelscher & Wendy L. Brandes

Solution to Thursday’s puzzle

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

Whether their choice is made over years or months, one of the biggest things Taylor brings into account is the players’ personality and attitude off-court. With so many results tied to individual performance, having the right team chemistry can make all the difference on the sideline, in training or mid-match. Passionate and energetic players can keep their teammates energized, and cool personalities keep level heads in their or other games.

“You can’t have all testosteronedriven egomaniacs that are going nuts, but then you also can’t have just all soft spoken guys,” Taylor said. “When you’re looking down the line a year or two, you want to bring in a freshman that can sort of emulate an Isaac Becroft or a Tyler Zink… guys that could bring power or calm to a team at any given time.”

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Alongside his role as assistant coach of a Virginia team that won four national championships and produced two national singles champions, Taylor spent more than a decade as a professional coach on the ATP tour, tutoring former NCAA players from across the country to career-high pro rankings.

The experience of working with college players on the professional tour puts Taylor, affectionately dubbed ‘DT,’ in a unique position to maximize player development for success on the professional and collegiate stage.

“We want to pride ourselves on being one of those elite programs that

takes every player, tries to look through their lens and tries to develop their identity, has that player buy into their identity and have a bunch of different game styles [on our team],” Taylor said. Taylor implements his coaching method across the program in different ways. He exposes players to film of

like-minded professionals, pushes them to explore their on-court personalities and how to infuse it into their game. For freshman Alessio Basile, it’s a system he’s not used to but enjoying being a part of.

“My childhood idol was Roger Federer,” Basile said, “but at the moment, I try to take a bit away from (world No. 21) Tommy Paul. I mean, we talk about with our coaches, like ‘try and find your identity,’ and it told me that I match pretty well with Tommy Paul. So I try to look up to him more now.”

Individual lessons are also key to the system — whereas other Power Five programs across the country typically implement weekly or biweekly lessons, Taylor believes daily work is key to both current and future success. Although entirely optional, it’s taken advantage, who already work with individual coaches or parents in the offseason.

“In the time that I’ve been at Oklahoma State, it’s clear to me that I’ve gotten better in the short period of time that I’ve been here,” Zink said.

“They’ve been such a help to me… just having more of a plan, really playing a ball ahead; I wasn’t very good at it coming here, but I’m starting to get the hang of it more and being able to do it in competition.”

While Taylor is focused on winning as a team in the present, with his system and history of creating high-level pros, he could soon put a Cowboy in the same place as Shelton found himself in January, or perhaps even higher.

“That’s promised to them in the recruiting pitch, Taylor said. If you just do team practice, it’s gonna create a good competitive environment, but actually developing guys’ games? I found it tough to do with six courts going on and the madness that team practice is … it’s something that we as coaches in our staff we really pride ourselves on, that we’re going to give you the individual time that guys on the tour are getting with a coach.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

File Photo

Coach Dustin Taylor (right) is looking to make OSU a professional development team for the future.

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Chase Ferguson came to OSU for his last year of college eligibility to develop before turning pro.

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