Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Cowgirls integrating transfers with unique team building program

lot of time into.”

Sam Hutchens Staff Reporter

When Chyenne Factor plunged into the YMCA pool at 5 in the morn

Pete’s Pet Posse helps students adjust to college

Jacob Plaxico Staff Reporter

Starting in 2013, Pete’s Pet Posse has become a staple around the campus and their cards have become a part of every collector’s prized possessions.

The posse spends their time patrolling the campus looking for students, faculty and staff who need a little emotional support or anyone who just wants to pet a dog. This completely volun teer run force has made all the differ ence for students on campus going through stressful times.

While they can often be found wandering about campus, they al most always have a few planned spots per day all around campus. The schedule for the dogs can be found on their Twitter, @pets4pete, or their Instagram, pets4pete. They are known to go to common gathering places and even certain dorm build ings.

Susan Gram mer, and her golden retriever, Jackson, spoke with The O’Colly in the Griffith community center. She thinks that the

positive effects on student’s mental health cannot go understated.

“I had a student once, while I was walking Jackson, run up to us and just hug him while crying,” she said.

Grammer thinks the posse is not only good for students, but good for parents too.

“I think par ents see the posse and see that OSU really cares about their kids’ mental health,” Grammer stated.

One of the first members of Pete’s Pet Posse, Rick Eggers, spoke with The O’Colly inside the Edmon Low library with his Australian Shepard, Disco. Eggers talked a bit about what it was like to actually be in the pet posse, and the need-toknow risks any potential Posse member has to contend with. Egg ers mentioned how Disco caught heat stroke one year while working. He spoke about the importance of making sure you have enough water for yourself and the animal.

ing, she was not sure how long she would be in the water.

None of the Cowgirl softball players were.

There are plenty of new players for OSU heading into fall ball. Some key members of the 2022 Women’s College World Series team graduated, including Sydney Pennington and Chelsea Alexander. The transfer portal whirlwind was active as ever, with players leaving and others filling the

void. “We’ve got 14 new faces, which is a lot,” coach Kenny Gajewski said. “Some really good athletes, really good people, you know what I mean. It was disappointing to lose a couple of kids that played a lot last year. I never thought we couldn’t replace their talent. We’ve done that. I mean, we’ve replaced people with better athletes, better softball players. It’s just hard when you lose people that you’ve put a

The Cowgirls beat USAO 19-7 on Wednesday in their fall ball sea son opener. Perhaps the big win was because of a unique, intentionally frustrating program that Gajewski employed to get his team to gel.

Offensive styles will contrast in Waco

tle between No. 9 OSU at No. 16 Baylor is that. Two contrasting offenses and two powerful frontlines.

Adam Engel Co-Editor-in-Chief

A clash of coaching philosophies leads to this.

Speedy offense that borders organized chaos vs a slow, high-volume coun terpart.

On Saturday, the bat

After four weeks, OSU’s offense is the na tion’s third quickest offense based on time of posses sion. Coach Mike Gundy’s offense averages 25 min utes of possession. Coach Dave Aranda’s Baylor offense clocks 31 minutes a game.

The Cowboys’ slow est drive to this point? A 13 play, 80-yard drive in five minutes and 19 seconds

against Arizona State. The result? Touchdown.

Baylor consumed six minutes and 25 minutes in its opening drive against Texas State that ended in a touchdown.

Gundy said Baylor likes to use the middle of the field to its advantage while OSU spreads out play to the corners.

To Aranda, the speed jumps out and creates a role reversal. It was the first thing he mentioned about OSU in his weekly press conference.

“I think their team speed really flashes off the tape,” he said. “I think up to this point, we’ve been possibly looked at as the faster team of whoever we played. This is probably not the case in this one and I think they’re transition ing too into new guys and everything else.”

Mackenzie Janish

OSU’s offense is the third quickest in the country based on time of possession.

Ethan Hilbert

Pete’s Pet Posse helps students across campus adjust to college, keep up with their mental health and have a good time with some cute dogs.

Cowgirls...

The Program.

It was a two-day extravaganza, like some thing out of a reality TV competition. It started on the first or second day of classes this semester.

Every softball player met on the field in Cowgirl Stadium, as the sun met the horizon to begin the day.

The team com pleted theoretically simple challenges, such as counting together.

“Everyone had to be on the same page,” senior outfielder Chyenne Factor said. “So it was like, if we did it right, it was supposed to take just 16 minutes to do every thing.”

About four hours later, long after hopes of a 16-minute finish had vanished, the Cowgirls completed their tasks.

“I think it kind of got us together like really fast,” Factor said. “You kind of get to know how people are going to be in pressured situations…so

it was good. It was tough, but it was good.”

The Cowgirls met at the YMCA pool the next morning. At 5, they again started the tedious team building work. On day two, there was a twist. After completing a challenge, plays dove into the pool, swim across, and do another challenge.

Redshirt senior pitcher Kelly Maxwell says, in hindsight, the exercises were worth the toll.

“I think it’s been very good for us,” Max well said. “It was some thing different that I’d never done before. It was hard. Very mental and tough. Being able to get through that and push with new faces and new kids, it gives a new type of feeling for this team that we haven’t figured out completely yet. But it’s something special.”

Gajewski said OSU had some recruiting battles with Oklahoma in the offseason. He has turned OSU into one of the top transfer destina tions in the country, along with OU.

Hentemann discusses switch to long distance running

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Gabby Hentemann came to OSU with her mind made up and her goals set.

Her dream out of high school had been to be a long-lasting middle distance runner. Count less years of rigorous training in the hottest and coldest of temperatures, intense racing atmo spheres and strict dieting had the Grand Haven, Michigan, native poised and ready to take on any challenge that stood ahead of her, in hopes of achieving her athletic goals.

“I came in ready to be that next great runner,” Hentemann said. “I was pretty confident in my preparation for middle distance running because, I mean, I’d basically done it my whole life, or for most of it at least.”

For collegiate student athletes, not everything always goes as planned. It didn’t take long for Hentemann to realize that middle distance simply wasn’t for her. From day one, the competition levels in college middle distance astonished her.

She described it as a culture shock, and a ma jor surprise regarding the level of preparation that went into it. Additionally, she found the lengthy and gradual preparation put into long distance racing

to be significantly easier than the rigorous, fastpaced, constant prac tices for middle distance events.

Hentemann was a competitor, and said she always had been. She hated the thought of not fully going through with a predetermined goal, regardless of how pre mature it may have been, and it was a turn off for her. After a handful of conversations with OSU coach Dave Smith, it was in her best interest to make the switch to long distance running.

“Over time, I was just able to realize with long distance you can put in a lot more work over the years and grow into it,” Hentemann said. “I still think everyone has the potential to be a real ly strong (long) distance runner. Sometimes with middle distance running all that can be a little bit harder. “

The idea sparked

heading into the winter portion of her junior sea son. Hentemann wasn’t getting the race results she had anticipated. Not to say her results weren’t impressive or productive by any means — it just wasn’t to the caliber of success that the third year runner hoped for.

She was frustrated.

So, when she won the 3K at Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Cham pionships, nothing was more satisfying for her than a bounce-back race as such.

Shortly after, in a team meeting, Smith said he needed more girls to run the 5k races because of a slight shortage in participants. Eager to jump at the opportunity, Hentemann agreed to it.

“That was kind of a gateway to the longer distance,” Hentemann said. “Of course, I’m glad I did it.”

After countless days and weeks of train

ing in the cold, howling winter Stillwater winds, Hentemann quickly cemented herself as one of the Cowgirls’ primary long distance runners. As she looks back at the discrepancies between middle and long distance running, Hentemann is happy she made the switch — for purposes regarding the toll that she had felt middle distance running had taken on her, both physically and mentally.

As she begins her senior season at OSU, she believes she is in a better position than she has ever been in during her college days. She says she doesn’t care where she has to go or what she has to do in order to main tain a consistent level of success, she just wants to make it happen.

“Gabby is ex tremely hard working and is someone who has big goals,” Smith said.

at colly.com

OSU Athletics

Gabby Hentemann’s personal best for the 10K race is 33:18.04 and runs a sub-five minute mile.

Abby Cage

Kenny Gajewski strives to find unique ways to boost team chemistry

sports

2022 Sugar Bowl win over Ole Miss.

“We played a fast team in the bowl game and you could argue these guys are faster,” he said. “I think it’s always been a part of what they’ve done but not to this degree. A big part of our prep is getting ready for all that.”

It’s the concentration in practice for the Bears’ defense.

“I see a bunch of gritty guys,” BU defensive lineman TJ Franklin said. “Guys that know that they’re coming to handle business. Our focus this week will be just to match their intensity.”

On the other side, the Cowboys are used to

playing fast-paced Big 12 teams. Baylor isn’t one of those.

“We just got to stick to what we do,” OSU defensive end Brock Martin said. “Every team in the Big 12 is kind of different. Typically, a lot of them like to go fast. But Baylor, they’re a little slower for Big 12 tempos. We just got to stay with what we do and not let their tempo affect our tempo.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

ETERNITY IN MIND!

“ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be stead fast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

(1 Co.15:58 NKJ)

Just about everything in this life is tempo rary. Yet, most people work very hard to have a pleasant few years in their lifetime. I would like to remind the true Christians that God is offering us an eternity of bless ing as we serve him and his purposes now. In 1 Co.15 the Apostle Paul is reminding these believers of Christ’s resurrection and how true and real it was. He continues by emphasizing the sure promise of God that we are going to share in that resurrec tion one day. We will have a new, eternal body like Jesus has now. As we help in the work of God, furthering his kingdom;

demonstrating the love of God in blessing and serving others; as you and I get involved with helping missionary work, even going to help in short term mission trips or providing finances for others to go, we are laying up treasure in heaven “where moths cannot corrupt and thieves cannot steal.”

Actually, this kingdom of God, with forgive ness of all our sins and a new relationship with God as our Father, is offered to all mankind. If you have never opened your heart to Christ, asking for a clean heart and a new life; the door is open wide for you to come. You will not be turned away. Then you too can begin to live for the eternal: laying up treasure in Heaven. I en courage all to consider these words, no matter your age, and choose the best and most satisfying life. It is a life following Christ as your Lord, and going for God’s best in eternity. It is a great and sure future!

The styles trace to the coaches’ playing and coaching origins. Gundy, a former OSU quarterback and Aranda, decades worth of linebacker coaching experience.

For comparison, Aranda referenced Baylor’s

Mackenzie Janish

Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears operate one of the slowest offenses in the Big 12.

Hofmeister with the Cowboys

Joy Hofmeister, a candidate for Oklahoma governor, came and spoke in Classroom Building room 101 on Monday evening. Hofmeister serves as the superintendent for the Oklahoma Depart ment of Education and is running for governor under the Democratic ticket. She spoke with OSU students and faculty over important issues such as her plans for the position, if elected, policies and vitality of voters in elections. She addressed questions from the students and en couraged them to vote.

1957,

All photos by Jaiden Daughty

Several students gathered around Disco and said they mostly see information on the posse’s Ins tagram. The students usually set aside time to come visit.

“I actually have work right after this,” one student, Iris, said. “I’m skipping a nap to come pet

Disco.”

Several students make a point to meet every dog and to collect all the trading cards. Each dog has their own unique trading card that students can find when they visit the dogs.

The therapy dog card collecting has become a bit of a niche but a dedicated hobby on campus. One student, Ethan Chestnut, has collected 33 cards this year, despite only being a freshman. He keeps them all in a binder and plans to collect as many as he can.

After the tragedy that took place at OSU Home coming in 2015, the posse proved a great help to those affected. The dogs visited patients in the hos

pital and comforted families that were hurting. The program just finished accepting applications for the year, but any dog is eligible to become a member, as long as they can meet certain training qualifications. They need to be a registered therapy dog and need to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test. Applications are accepted once a year during August and September.

For more information regarding Pete’s Pet Posse, please visit hr.okstate.edu/pet-therapy/.

entertainment.ocolly.com

Ethan Hilbert

Sophie

Revisiting ‘Avatar’ 13 years after record-breaking box office release

‘Avatar’ upon its release, I am pleased to say that Cameron’s sci-fi adventure aged splendidly and improved as time has passed.

Connor Gray Staff Reporter

With the release of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ around the corner on Dec. 16, director James Cameron saw it fitting to re-release his 2009 block buster ‘Avatar.’

That remains the highest gross ing film of all time 13 years after its release. As someone who did not enjoy

The biggest compliment that can be given to ‘Avatar’ is the way that Cameron tackles visual storytelling and worldbuilding so masterfully. The world of Pandora is filled with creatures and wildlife that will leave you curious and wanting to learn more about this fantastical location due to the show instead of telling nature of the film. With that being said, there is still a lot of lore that is being fed to the audience, but it is done in a way where it never feels overwhelming or boring. ‘Avatar’ succeeds at making the audience feel as if you are in the shoes of the protago

nist and learning everything there is to know alongside him, which makes for a rewarding viewing experience when he takes large steps in his character devel opment.

The visual effects of ‘Avatar’ have held up surprisingly well and I never felt taken out of the experience by anything that was being shown to me on screen. The only real negatives that ‘Avatar’ has is that this is a story that has been told several times already just with a new appearance on it. While for the most part it does feel fresh and well-done, I think the antagonists, just being generic one-dimensional humans that are bad for the sake of money, hold the film back from being a true outlier in the genre.

With acting performances that are strong, but not otherworldly, a story that is emotionally compelling and visuals that changed what was possible on film as we know it, ‘Avatar’ continues to hold up as a terrific sci-fi story. This is a movie made for the big screen and it shows. I think the best way to watch it remains to be on the silver screen where it feels more akin to an experience than a casual viewing.

December will be an interesting time for moviegoers to see if Cameron can produce yet another blockbuster hit with his long-awaited sequel, ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’ The film will hit theaters this holiday season.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, left, and Zoe Saldana as Neytiri, in the movie “Avatar.”

Los Angeles

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

Guaranteed Weekday Parking, 1 block from Eskimo Joe’s, $100/year. Go to salemosu.org or call 405-372-3074 for info.

Company Coming?

Check out “Cowboy Cabin” 550 steps east of Boone Pickens Stadium

Airbnb.com/h/cowboy-cabin

Houses for rent

Now Available Nice Home at 2214 E. 6th Ave.

2-bedroom, 1- bath, Living Room, Dining room, all appliances, washer/ dryer hookups, CHA. 405-372-7107

Help Wanted

Small medical office seeking reliable employee in Stillwater. Flexible scheduling. Must be friendly and willing to learn. No experience necessary. Call 405-743-3668

Check us out on the web at www.ocolly.com

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Linda Black Horoscopes

Today’s Birthday (09/29/22). Deepen your partnership this year. Disciplined coor dination strengthens your game. Creativity, communication and artistic expression flower this autumn, leading to a shift in winter explorations. Profit in collaboration this spring, before a summer plot twist redirects the story. Share and pull together for common gain.

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 an 8 — Partnerships blossom over the next month, with passionate Venus at home in Libra. Love is the game and the prize. Support each other.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Put your heart into your work, with Venus in Libra. Passion energizes your performance over the next month. Practice grows skills, stamina and strength.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Discover extraordinary beauty. You’re especially lucky in love for a month, with Venus in Libra. Creative and artistic ideas flower. Share and connect.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — Beautify your love nest. Home renovation projects produce satisfying results, with Venus in Libra for four weeks. Nurture yourself and family. Savor domestic arts.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 — Listen to your heart. Learn voraciously, with Venus in Libra this month. Satisfy your insatiable curiosity. Creative expres sion blossoms. Write and share your views.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Your work is in demand. Instill it with beauty and love. The next four weeks can get especially lucrative, with Ve nus in Libra.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — You’re irresistible. Your luck im proves, with Venus in your sign for the next month. Get a new haircut or style. Soak in the love.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Savor private productivity, with Ve nus in Libra. Indulge in quiet time this month. Consider dreams and possibilities. Make plans and preparations. Enjoy beautiful rituals.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Enjoy the spotlight. You’re especially popular for the next four weeks, with Venus in Libra. Social activities benefit your career. Collaborate for shared passion.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Put love into your work, with Venus in Libra over four weeks. Demand rises and so does cash flow... as well as status and influence.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 7 — Travel, exploration and investiga tion beckon over the coming month, with Venus in Libra. Set educational goals. Study, write and research. Make beautiful discoveries.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — Increase your shared assets. The next month is good for saving money, with Venus in Libra. Budget expenditures and set up automatic payments.

ACROSS

1 Lacking refinement

4 __ list

8 Young deer 13 Comedian Nwodim

14 “Luther” star Elba

16 Be of use to 17 City for delinquent library patrons?

19 Sturdy fabric 20 “My Cousin Vinny” Oscar winner

21 A bit loopy 23 “How about that!” 24 Cleveland pros, for short

25 City for lookalikes?

28 Broke bread 29 Part of an ear

30 Lack of societal values

31 Short and snappy 33 “The Little Mermaid” voice actress Benson

36 Cook fast, as tuna 37 City for undercover agents?

40 Fruit that lives up to its name 43 Bodega fixtures 44 “Sailing to Byzantium” poet 48 Nucleus particle 50 Prompt 52 “What a lousy play!” 53 City for bank managers? 56 Org. that delivers 57 __ for tat 58 Christian with style 59 Creator of many talking animals 61 “Dragon Ball Z” genre 63 City for feather-bed manufacturers?

66 __ salami 67 Dark beer 68 Capital of Vancouver? 69 “Last Night in Soho” director Wright

By MaryEllen Uthlaut

70 Gas brand with toy trucks 71 Inexact fig. DOWN 1 Call the shots? 2 Stir up 3 Brought around 4 Erase completely 5 Enthusiastic yes 6 __ Lanka 7 Diwali celebrant 8 Secure 9 Map abbr. 10 Military exercise 11 Gulf of Guinea country 12 More streamlined 15 Try 18 911 responders, briefly 22 Swing wildly 24 Laser pointer chaser 26 __ d’art 27 Western outfit 29 Rosalind Brewer of Walgreens, e.g.

32 Whack, biblically 34 Physicist with a law 35 Summer songs? 38 Open veranda 39 Soap chemical

©2022

40 Steal the spotlight from 41 Ending for coarse and cross 42 Sending high in the air 45 Clear 46 Knocks over 47 Brief alarm 49 “I have concerns” 51 First planet discovered using a telescope

54 Some pretzels 55 Stock 56 “Latino __”: podcast hosted by Maria Hinojosa 60 Terrarium youngsters 62 Extinct New Zealand bird 64 Misfortune 65 Good to go

9/29/22

Solution to Wednesday’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

© 2022 The Mepham Group. Distributed by

Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

Lifestyle

Patchin-Jones Ping Pong

Residents at Patchin-Jones Hall bat tled it out in a table tennis tournament Tues day night.

All photos by Ethan Hilbert