The O'Colly, Monday, May 15, 2023

Monday, May 15, 2023

OSU’s ‘clutch’ first inning sparks onslaught of Kansas State

single, then first baseman David Mendham followed suit with a three-RBI double to start the Cowboys’ 19-5 onslaught of the Wildcats on Saturday afternoon at O’Brate Stadium.

The first inning is early to call a moment pivotal, but that’s what it was.

After Kansas State took an early lead in the top of the first, Tyler Wulfert stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded from walks. It could have turned into a big, missed chance to take advantage of KSU errors.

Instead, Wulfert hit a two-RBI

“The key was the first inning base hit by Wulfert followed by the base hit by Mendham to get off a five-spot in the first – it’s a big deal,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said. “Those were clutch two-out hits by those two kids.”

In the fifth, with OSU leading 8-4, Wulfert led off with a triple to leftcenter field. Designated hitter Colin Brueggemann followed with a sac fly that almost wasn’t. But again, Wulfert made a winning play for OSU (34-15, 12-8 Big 12).

He pretended to return to third base after the fly out, then ran home

Comedy of errors

OSU upset by KU in first round of Big 12 Tournament

After resuming the game in the top half of the fourth, the Cowgirls came out in the bottom half of the inning and scored four runs, completely flipping the game on its head.

when the Wildcats (32-19, 12-8) let their guard down.

“It’s just a little delay play, so we executed it there and it was pretty cool,” Wulfert said.

OKLAHOMA CITY – It was a tale of two days for the Cowgirls.

On Thursday night, a shaky performance from Kelly Maxwell and cold bats left OSU (No. 3 seed) trailing Kansas (No. 6 seed) 3-1 before the game was postponed til Friday morning due to inclement weather.

On Friday, though, the Cowgirls’ bats were smoking, giving them a two-run lead heading into the seventh inning.

Then, the collaspe. An error-filled, defensive meltdown from the Cowgirls led to a fourrun KU seventh inning. Out of nowhere the Jayhawks had a two-run lead.

“We take a lot of pride in our defense, and it really let us down,” coach Kenny Gajewski said.

Three of those runs came off a Katelynn Carwile home run, her first since late February. Carwile extended her arm in the air the moment she let go of the bat; she knew it was gone.

In the top of the sixth, the Cowgirls had two outs and were looking to leave the field before Kiley Naomi fired the ball past third baseman Megan Bloodworth.

Shayna Espy, Jayhawk centerfielder, found the plate. One-run game.

After the Cowgirls got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, they entered the seventh up 6-4, and were three outs away from advancing to the semifinals of the tournament.

This is when the defense broke down, as crucial errors from Naomi and Bloodworth paired with sharp Jayhawk bats led to the four-run, comeback inning. The Cowgirls’ four errors were the most they’ve had in a game since June 2021.

See Tournament on 3

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) launched a new Harm Reduction campaign last week, working to provide all Oklahomans with life-

saving resources.

Vending machines that contain naloxone and fentanyl test strip kits will be distributed in areas where they are highly trafficked. More than 40 vending machines will be placed in zip code locations where overdose rates are high. This will be the largestscale initiative in the U.S.

Nearly 300,000 Oklahoma residents report a substance use disorder, and accidental overdoses are now the leading cause of death for people in the U.S. under the

age of 50. The campaign launch coincided with National Prevention Week, May 7-13, and will aim to decrease accidental overdose in Oklahoma through education, awareness and access to lifesaving resources like naloxone and fentanyl test strips. In 2020 alone, drug overdoses increased by 31%, with nearly 92,000 lives lost that year. More than 70% of these overdoses were driven by opioids, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

Holliday met Wulfert outside the dugout with high five for executing the play they call the “Brett Brown.”

Chase Davis

Tyler Wulfert went 4-for-4 from the plate, including a big two-out, two-RBI single in the first inning of OSU’s 19-5 win against Kansas State on Saturday.

Courtesy of ODMHSAS

Braden Bush

Sports Editor

Ashton Slaughter

Staff Reporter

Stephanie Landaverde News Editor

Clutch...

Continued from 1

“They come off of throwing the ball in at full speed, and then you pop the clutch,” Holliday said, “which he did. So, it was a good play by the team right there.”

Catcher Chase Adksion got in on the scoring barrage, too. He went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI –three coming from a triple in the fifth that nearly earned him an inside-the-park grand slam.

“(Third base coach Justin Seely) was

sports

sending me (home) and then he stopped me,” Adkison said. “I didn’t know where the ball was, so I just trust Seely. Would have been a bang-bang play, but we’ve got Schubart behind me, so there’s no need to push that.”

The bullpen’s performance matched the offense’s.

Bayden Root entered in the fourth inning to replace starter Ben Abram, who gave up back-to-back-toback home runs to lead off the fourth. A seven-run OSU lead had quickly been cut to four with no outs. Root didn’t let the situation spiral further.

Against his first

batter, slugger Roberto Pena, Root caught a line drive and threw out base runner Cole Jonson for a double play. Four pitches later, Root struck out Raphael Pelletier to escape the inning without greater damage. Root calmed a situation that could have turned into another shaky bullpen performance, and he finished with one hit allowed and no runs in two innings.

“At the time (Root) came in, the game was in balance very much,” Holliday said. “He did a good job of hanging some zeros there and giving us time to keep scoring, which we did.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

OSU earn No. 6 seed, in position to host a Super Regional

During their recent struggles, Cowgirls coach Kenny Gajewski remained firm that earning a top-eight seed was a priority. On Sunday, they heard the news they had been hoping for.

“Awesome reaction from our team,” Gajewski said. “This is something that they’ve (the players) worked really hard for... Really excited for this whole team.”

OSU (41-14) will enter the 2023 NCAA Tournament as the No. 6 seed and host UMBC, Nebraska and Wichita State, as announced on ESPN’s selection show.

In two meetings with the Cornhuskers earlier in the season, the Cowgirls outscored them 13-1 in their two victories.

When facing the Shockers, though, the Cowgirls have been on the other side, losing both matchups against WSU. UBMC is the question mark heading into this weekend; even Gajewski admits that.

“I don’t know anything; I’m not gonna lie to you,” Gajewski said. “We will jump in on UMBC immediately, get to know them, who they are.”

Barring an upset in the Regional, this will be the third consecutive season in which the Cowgirls host an NCAA Super Regional. In each of the prior two seasons, they advanced to the Women’s College World Series, where they were eliminated by Florida State and Texas, respectively.

“Everybody in this tournament has hope again,” Gajewski said. “It’s like opening day. The slate is 0-0; you better show up and play or you’ll get beat.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

Bayden Root entered in the fourth inning, after KSU hit three straight home runs, and calmed the situation. He allowed one hit and no runs in two innings.

Luke Tolbert

OSU is the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning it will host a Regional and a Super Regional, barring an upset.

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

Continued from 1

Although a Taylor Tuck RBI triple gave the Cowgirls hope of a comeback, they ended up falling 8-7, and have lost 11 of their last 13 games.

“We fought the whole game; we just can’t catch a break,” Gajewski said.

“We’re just kinda doing it to ourselves.”

Now, the focus turns toward Regional and Super Regional rounds.

OSU currently sits at No. 4 in the NCAA Softball RPI, but these rankings will change throughout the conference tournament weekend. A top-16 placing and hosting a Regional is safe, but a

top-eight placing to host a Super Regional is very much in question.

“We know we’ll be hosting that first round,” Gajewski said. “Beyond that, I don’t know. We’ll get what we deserve.”

The last time Gajewski’s team didn’t host a Super Regional was in 2019, when they traveled to Tallahassee and defeated the defending champions,

Luke Tolbert

Florida State University.

On Sunday, the Cowgirls will learn their fate during the 2023 NCAA DI Selection Show. Until then, they’ll be crossing their fingers for more upsets across the country.

“It’s weird,” Gajewski said. “I’ve never really been through this, so I don’t have a lot of answers.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

The Cowgirls are not happy after the lost against Kansas.

OSU run-rules Kansas State, wins series with Big 12 title in reach sports

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Josh Holliday wasn’t coy about his team’s performance Sunday afternoon.

Just two days earlier, OSU dropped its series opener to Kansas State, leaving the possibility of an imperative series win at risk. On Sunday afternoon, the OSU coach was celebrating a series victory following his team’s 12-2 run-rule win over the Wildcats.

“That was gritty, it was a great comeback,” Holliday said. “Even after a loss, there can be some momentum or victory garnered within the process. I thought the way we finished Friday night with the two-out rally in the ninth inning and pushed it to the last pitch was a good sign. We picked that up and executed the final two games and I’m proud of these kids.”

A two-out home run by left fielder Nolan Shubart over the batter’s eye gave OSU a 3-0 lead after one inning. Holliday, in his 11th season at the helm, said Schubart’s homer – which measured at 461 feet by Trackman-- was one of the most “monstrous” home runs he’s witnessed.

“That was towering,”

Holliday said. “I was in awe when it happened.”

The Cowboys (35-15, 13-8) followed with a seven-run bottom of the third, providing a nine-run cushion.

Five Cowboys pieced together a multi-hit game, including second baseman Roc Riggio, who has upped his batting average to .361, the second highest on the roster.

Riggio said collective offensive outings are more beneficial for OSU’s success, as opposed to sporadic breakout games by various teammates.

“I think it’s really good

that our guys are starting to get a good routine for games,” Riggio said. “I think Josh (Holliday) has prepared us all very well before games. I think all 15 or so of us that are in the lineup are doing a tremendous job of piecing together quality offensive performances.”

The Wildcats (32-20, 129) were limited to just four hits on the day, tied for a season low.

Starting pitcher Carson Benge threw 5.0 innings, striking out four and surrendering just two earned runs off three hits. K-State managed to put

only seven base runners on.

After holding an ERA exceeding 6.00 just three weeks prior, Benge has since dwindled it to the 5.23 mark. After earlyseason growing pains, consecutive quality outings have Holliday believing the redshirt freshman righty is starting to show his potential.

“I think we’re starting to see (Benge) pitch his best,” Holliday said. “It takes a little time because Tommy John surgery is a very tough surgery to rebound from. It’s even tougher when your healthy and fully back to regain all of that

muscle memory. But Carson, he’s starting to figure it out.” Riggio backed his coach’s claim.

“I think (Benge) has handled himself really well,” Riggio said. “Even during his failure early on, he handled himself really well and now he’s starting to turn it on.”

After Sunday’s seriesclinching win, OSU sits two games behind first-place West Virginia (39-13, 15-6) in the Big 12 standings. The Cowboys head to Norman next weekend to face Oklahoma to conclude the regular season.

For a Big 12 title, the Cowboys will need strokes of luck and some aid from the Texas Longhorns, whom the Mountaineers face in Austin next weekend. Still, Holliday realizes his team’s fate lies 80 miles south. “We’ve got an important series coming up,” Holliday said. “Each game matters. But our kids enjoy the competition. They recognize it. We’re not necessarily trying to hype (Bedlam) up, but they’re important baseball games.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chase Davis

After Sunday’s run-rule win, OSU coach Josh Holliday said he’s starting to see the best out of Carson Benge (3).

News

Machines...

Continued from 1

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, binding to opioid receptors to reverse and block the effects of opioids. Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in various types of substances. Both are available to Oklahomans statewide free of charge.

“Our hope is that people are educated about substance use disorders and that they understand what free, live-saving resources are available within reach,” said ODMHSAS commissioner Carrie Slatton-Hodges. “We believe each Oklahoma household can benefit from having essential tools like these naloxone and fentanyl test strip kits on hand, as most

of us know a friend or loved one who has been affected by accidental overdose.”

Nearly 40% of overdoses had a bystander present who could have intervened, according to the CDC.

While nearly 300,000 Oklahomans report having a substance use disorder, statistics show that about 90% of individuals who receive evidence-based treatment report they get better.

“Substance use disorder is a chronic, treatable disease that individuals can recover from and go on to live healthy lives when provided with effective tools, which is why it’s critical for us to provide free and easy access to treatment in the state,” Slatton-Hodges said.

Oklahomans also have access to free naloxone and fentanyl test strip kits online. To access these resources and find more information visit okimready.org news.ed@ocolly.com

OSU-CHS recognized for outstanding employee wellness

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State University’s Department of Wellness has been recognized alongside its Mind Over Matter program for two Health at Work Awards by ComPsych, a behavioral health and wellbeing services provider.

Kelsey Ashwood is an employee wellness coordinator at OSUCHS (Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences), and spoke positively about the Mind Over Matter program, describing that it is directed toward employees to help build resilience, cope

with stress and identify counter-productive thinking and patterns.

“Our employee surveys showed stress levels had increased tremendously. Health care workers especially have to deal with high levels of stress,” Ashwood said. “We want to better equip people to become more resilient and improve outcomes over a period of time, that’s the goal. The most motivating thing is the feedback I get from employees. It’s been very positive, and they feel it’s a good use of their time.”

The Mind Over Matter program, which is inspired by a training program at the University of Pennsylvania,

was launched three years before the pandemic, but has become far more relevant and successful over time.

The program is offered for an hour once a week over three weeks. Participants are given workbooks to read as part of their training, and it’s a useful material that they can keep and look over when necessary.

“I didn’t expect to win anything,” Ashwood said. “Sharing these ideas with other organizations and institutions is exciting. This is my favorite program that we offer. It’s a lot of work but it’s worthwhile.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of OSU

Kelsey Ashwood, OSU-CHS employee wellness coordinator, gives a Mind Over Matter presentation for staff members at OSU Center for Health Sciences.

Courtesy of ODMHSAS

Nearly 40% of overdoses had a bystander present who could have intervened, according to the CDC.

Oklahoma State University is infested— and that’s a good thing News

Jessica Pearce Staff Reporter

Oklahoma State University students, faculty and staff are leading efforts to foster a bug-friendly campus.

When Neil Aker was 10 years old, a wasp stung him. He spent the rest of his childhood terrified of all things with six legs. But in present time, the OSU sophomore is passionate about saving the same insect, and more, that terrified him years ago.

Aker’s first meaningful exposure to insects came during a course at OSU:insects and society, which examines how insects affect— and are affected by— human culture. Aker was a music performance major, but he soon found an unexpected draw to entomology.

“Over the course of the semester I realized that I enjoyed insects way more than I enjoyed playing the trumpet,” Aker said.“At the end of the semester, I just jumped ship and I was like, ‘I want to be an insect major.’”

Aker is not alone in his fascination with insects. Wyatt Hoback, associate professor of entomology and plant pathology, teaches nearly 300 students— almost all non-entomology majors— in insects and society, a course taught each semester.

“We’re so lucky to have insects and society,” Aker said. “Three hundred students every semester, just exposed to entomology. You don’t get that at a lot of colleges. You don’t get that anywhere.”

Reaching as many students as possible is Hoback’s goal as a professor. He said only so many people have read his research publications, so he hopes his class helps students reevaluate the role of insects in the environment, economy and global culture.

“People are so disconnected from what is a good bug, bad bug,” Hoback said. “They’re kind of indoctrinated

that if you have bugs around your house, you’re not a good homekeeper, so it’s cultural.”

OSU’s entomologists hope to challenge these perceptions through outreach and education.

OSU is home to Insect Adventure, a petting zoo intended to increase the public’s knowledge and appreciation of insects.

“We’ve had people come in terrified of touching anything and by the end of the trip, they’re holding a cockroach,” Aker, who volunteers with Insect Adventure and teaches visitors about the zoo’s insects, said. These outreach programs aim to build support for insects, an often-overlooked group facing significant threats. Agricultural practices, climate change, deforestation and urban sprawl have cut into insect habitats around the world, and 40% of insect species are in decline, according to a 2019 study published in Biological Conservation.

“Even in protected areas, the number of insects has fallen by almost 75% in the last 20 years,” Hoback said. He also stated that 75% less insects means 75% less food for birds and fish, as well as 75% less insects to control pests.

Pollinators are in a particularly precarious situation. 23% of American bee species have declined due to habitat loss, rising temperatures, competition from non-native bees and neonicotinoid pesticides, which impede bees’ ability to reproduce, navigate and ward off infections, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Insects play a vital role in the global ecosystem. They pollinate plants, dispose of waste and are a crucial part of the food chain.

“If we lose the insects, I think that humanity is going to be in real trouble,” Hoback said. ”We’re going to struggle for fruits, we’re going to struggle for overcoming the pests that these natural enemies control.

I’m not saying that if all the bugs disappear, we die auto -

matically, but a whole bunch of humans will die.”

To combat this steep decline in insect populations, OSU has pursued several initiatives to make the campus more bug-friendly. Monarch Watch, a monarch butterfly research and conservation program, named OSU a Certified Monarch Waystation in 2022.

“The application was like $14 to be certified, and I saw that we already met all of the criteria,” said the conservation, research and reporting intern for OSU’s Office of Sustainability, Gabby Barber. The criteria included employing sustainable landscape management practices and allowing ample growing space across campus for milkweed, nectar plants and other host plants for caterpillars to develop, Barber said.

That same year, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation named OSU the first and only affiliate of Bee Campus USA in Oklahoma. To become an affiliate, a campus must reduce its use of pesticides, provide courses and resources to teach about pollinators and install nesting sites and native plants around campus.

These designations reflect a larger plan to improve sustainability and green spaces on campus, said an OSU landscape design manager Nick Ouellette.

Native plants are a critical component of insect conservation. While OSU’s large, manicured lawns might be aesthetically pleasing, Aker stated it has a lot of turf and plain grass, which is not great for diversity.

Native plants, however, support more beneficial insects as well as being lower cost.

Native gardens require less tending, water and maintenance than OSU’s formal gardens and lawns, which translates to lower labor costs for the university, according to Ouellette.

“They’re more sustainable,” Ouellette said. “We leave our leaf litter in a lot of those spots and let things be a little

bit more natural.”

OSU’s capacity to support insects has recently expanded with the completion of the Biodiversity Garden south of Physical Sciences South. It will feature plants native to Oklahoma, a butterfly topiary and three insect hotels, which are large wooden structures filled with organic material designed to promote insect infestation and reproduction.

“What our campus has been doing is increasing the amount of pollinator resources,” Hoback said. “Of course, things that use flowers need flowers for nectar and pollen. But these same insects also need other things to reproduce and raise their young, such as wood, leaves and other organic materials to feed on and nest in.”

The goal for the Biodiversity Garden was to help emphasize pollinators and biodiversity. Oullette said insect hotels are informative while also capturing people’s attention.

The Biodiversity Garden and Edmon Low Library North Plaza anchor a series of gardens between Hester and Monroe streets that comprise the Native Plant Corridor. The intersection of Athletic Avenue and Hester Street usually features an OSU topiary.

“Not this year,” Ouellette said. Instead, the area will feature “A better, more natural, sustainable horticultural practice.”

“It’ll have a bison sculpture or topiary this summer,” he added. “It’ll have some lettering, some verbiage that spells out ‘Native Plant Corridor’ to let you know what you’re entering.”

The biggest project, however, is at a once-empty lot at the corner of McElroy and Western Road. Before development, “It was an area that we would mow, quite often. Just this vast ground area,” Ouellette said.

Now, the OSU pocket prairie is a 4,000-square-foot garden featuring native grasses and blooming flowers. Already,

there are plans to grow the pocket prairie.

“We have big visions as well to expand on that and add even more out there,” Ouellette said. “We actually just heard that a professor that’s assisting with that is putting four apiaries out there next weekend.”

“That garden is going to be an absolute haven for butterflies, bees, pollinators,” Aker said. “After about three years, we’re going to have the plants be at the mature stage, it’ll be gorgeous and it’s going to act as probably the best thing on campus for pollinators.”

While faculty and staff have been supportive in promoting insect-related issues and developing sustainable gardens, including the pocket prairie, Ouellette credits students for many of the recent initiatives.

“I think there’s been a lot of energy and a lot of want for what we’ve been doing,” Ouellette said. “They’ve been driving it.”

news.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of OSU Monarch Watch, a monarch butterfly research and conservation program, named OSU a Certified Monarch Waystation in

James Harwick An OSU Success Story

private companies while Youngblood worked for the government. The two never worked together but stayed in touch over the years.

Taylor Carroll Staff Reporter

One of many successes to come from Oklahoma State University, James Harwick has had a prosperous career.

Harwick graduated from OSU with bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and business administration and management, but his journey did not begin here.

In 1965, Harwick started working as a full-time mechanic while simultaneously attending Northwestern Oklahoma State University part time.

Soon after, Harwick joined the U.S. Army Security Agency where he received Top Secret cryptography security clearance.

He completed electronic courses in Fort Devens, Massachusetts and met Ron Youngblood during his classes.

“We were always together,” Youngblood said. “We went to school at night, which is different, and he’s a wonderful guy.”

Youngblood said six people from the training classes would make it to the advanced training course. Youngblood, Harwick and another man were the only students from Oklahoma and they placed top three in their class.

The two returned to OSU after having received the same electronic training.

After graduation, Harwicked worked for more

Harwick taught rapid troubleshooting and repair of the (then) classified data acquisition system. These classes were available to the Army, Air Force and citizen advanced electronic technicians.

Harwick was promoted five times in his four years of service in the military. Before getting out of the military, he was assigned to an electronic intelligence operations systems maintenance in Alaska.

Harwick graduated from OSU with his degree in electrical engineering and started a job as an engineer right out of college. He realized he wanted to do something more than engineering.

For two years, Harwick went back to OSU for a B.S. in business administration and management. After graduating, he began a job as a test engineer in business computers manufacturing for NCR Co. Soon after he became a manufacturing engineer for Smith International Inc., where he doubled the plant’s physical size resulting in doubled productivity.

Harwick then worked at E-Systems Inc. as a manufacturing engineer, and Jimmy Evans worked as a manager alongside him. They would both consult each other on occasion but worked on different aircrafts. E-Systems was a great place to work, and there were 5,000 different jobs in the company, Evans said.

“When you are talking about airplanes, there are a lot of jobs because we build the

parts and production,” Evans said. “There are all the wiring harnesses, PC boards and modifications to the flat controls. We got the airplanes to the bare bone and completely rebuilt them.”

Harwick went on to become a plant manager for John Zink Co. in 1992. He introduced and enacted the statistical process control and total quality management to reduce the indirect staff by 35% and worker injuries by 80%.

Harwick’s next career move was becoming a center manager for Software Engineering Institute Computer Systems Technical Call Center. Here, he helped provide the first million dollars of profit

the corporation had in a month and became Manager of the Year.

Harwick said the stress of his jobs was tremendous, but he managed to stay level headed by living with his wife, Diane, and his family at their farm. Many times, his jobs involved making budgets for various projects as well as keeping track of materials and purchases. Harwick had to keep up with the constant adapting of computers.

“How I kept up with computers is by having hands on with them,” Harwick said. “Not so much in the design of them, but in the use in the advanced application, not the normal application.”

In 1998, Harwick went to Boeing Aerospace Operations to be a senior specialist engineer. He was the project engineer for big projects like VC-25A, which is the current Air Force One and a Boeing 747 aircraft. It also includes a C-137, which is the previous Air Force One and a Boeing 707 aircraft. Harwick was also elected as one of three trustees and as the mayor of the town of Lone Chimney.

Harwick retired in 2012 but writes novels and travels in his free time with his wife. Among his novels are “Tears Among the Wheat” and another written with knowledge from his time in Alaska.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Graphic Designers Wanted

The O’Colly Media Group is now hiring Advertising Designers for our ad and marketing departments. Duties include working on layouts, designing ads and assisting marketing department with media campaigns. Must be able to work part-time during the summer. Remote work hours possible. Hours are flexible, we will work around your class schedule. For more information contact Lori@ocolly.com or call 405-744-7355.

Courtesy of James Harwick

Harwick retired in 2012 but writes novels and travels in his free time with his wife.

New 7/11 was worth the wait

There I was, a solid 3 feet off the ground and hurdling directly into a face full of asphalt. Time slows down in moments like these, and as I soared through the air not-so-majestically, I took this moment of airtime to wonder if going to 7/11 on an electric scooter in the middle of the night was really worth it if it was gonna end like this.

The answer was yes.

We all have those lapses of judgment where we indulge in our favorite snacks and meals in a moment of weakness. Perhaps we deserve it, perhaps we’ll regret it in a week. Regardless, I was on my third essay of the night, and I needed a slushie fast.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, in which case I wouldn’t blame you, there’s been a 7/11 under construction for several months. Many people doubted it would ever be finished. It was excellent water cooler talk.

“Hey! Did you see they still haven’t finished that 7/11?”

“I figured so, how disappointing.”

These conversations echoed around OSU’s campus for many moons.

Then, one day, it was complete. The construction workers were gone as quick as they had come. It was hard to imagine, after so many months of mocking the existence of the unfinished pile of debris, they finally did it. They built the 7/11!

It took me a solid month to finally work up the courage to go, and that’s where I went that night. After a quick

Advertising Executives Needed

scooter ride to Main Street, I arrived at long last. A somewhat tacky yet fittingly triumphant inflatable Slurpee hovered above the establishment, beckoning me in.

As I entered the premises, I was completely and utterly whelmed. It was more or less a regular 7/11. It was large, glistening and stacked with cheaply priced snacks and delights, a college student’s paradise. My delicious prize awaited me in the far back. So many options, yet I chose the familiar comfort of a Mountain Dew slurpee. The staff were friendly, even if I didn’t join their rewards program, and I was in and out faster than I expected. All in all, a pretty good 7/11 experience. I will undoubtedly go there on many sleepless nights. On the drive back, the electric

scooter hit a bump. My 2-dollar, Big Gulp slurpee was launched into midair, and the neon green mountain dew particles reflected in the misty night as I somersaulted over the swerving scooter after failing to catch it. So that’s how I ended up spending my Monday midnight tumbling to my demise.

Spoiler alert: I was fine, but my Slurpee was not. The walk of shame home was a miserable one. Despite this, I felt confident that the entire trip was not a waste of time. Sure, I wasted my money, I possibly fractured my wrist, and I lost whatever pride I had left, but I can at confidently least say the new 7/11 is a really nice place to stop if you need a quick pick-me-up in the late hours of the night. It was well worth the wait.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Cassius Davis

The new 7/11 is full of cheap snacks, every college student’s dreams.

Michael Clark Staff Reporter

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

Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater

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

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

Murphy’s Department Store

815 S Main, Downtown Open 10-6

Monday thru Saturday

Houses for rent

Spacious 1100 sq. ft

2 bedroom home. Recently remodeled, CH/A, wood

floors, nice yard. 2214 E. 6th Ave., Scarlett Bus Route. 405-372-7107.

Business Squares Business Squares Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin”

550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium

Airbnb.com/h/cowboy-cabin

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black

Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (05/15/ 23). Plan for the future this year. Realize bold visions together with friends. Backstage springtime organization prepares for powerful results. Redirecting collaborative ef forts this summer leads to growing autumn strength, vitality and endurance. Upgrade your portfolio and presentation next winter. Long-term dreams come true with organi zation.

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 9 — Financial transactions flow better, with Mercury direct in Taurus. It’s easier to discuss money. Confusion diminishes noticeably. Barriers dissolve. Make deals and bargains.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Listen powerfully. It’s easier to resolve misunderstandings, with Mercury direct in your sign. Serve as a translator for others who don’t get each other.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Consider dreams and possibilities. Words, transportation and traffic flow better, with Mercury direct. Review where you’ve been. Keep a journal, plan and strategize.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Communication barriers evaporate. Team coordination comes together naturally now that Mercury is direct. Background noise quiets and you can hear each other again.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Negotiate, collaborate and network. It’s easier to advance professionally, with Mercury direct. Brainstorming gets more productive and creative again. Discuss possibilities. Develop opportunities.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Make long-distance connections. It’s easier to travel and launch, with Mercury stationing direct for three months. Explore, study and investigate possibilities. Expand your horizons.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Buy, sell and discuss finances. Money, invoices and payments flow with greater ease and velocity, with Mercury direct. Confusion fades. Negotiate deals. Sign contracts.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Partnership misunderstandings diminish. Communications clarify naturally, with Mercury direct for the next three months. Consensus comes easier. Share love messages, acknowledgments and invitations.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Have fun with physical action, especially outdoors. It’s easier to concentrate and communicate, with Mercury direct for three months. Discover health solutions in conversation.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Listen to your muses. It’s easier to express yourself, with Mercury direct. Practice your persuasive arts. Share your passion, possibilities and affection. Get creative.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Family communications clarify, with Mercury stationing direct for three months. Resolve a misunderstanding. Collaborate and strategize. Share visions. Make domestic improvements together.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Creative efforts leap forward. It’s easier to learn and express, with Mercury direct. Sign papers, post and publish your views. Communicate and connect.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Solution to Saturday’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