Thursday, February 11, 2021
The spark plug By Chris Becker Tatum Sparks walked into her first college locker room during her visit to Oklahoma State in 2016 — a locker room she will call her own next year. Sparks signed with the Cowgirls on Nov. 11, but has been committed since her freshman year at Shawnee High School. Deciding what school to attend wasn’t hard for her. Sparks’ brother, Tanner, played baseball at OSU for two seasons, and she is an Oklahoma native, but neither of those were the main factor. It was the people at OSU. “It’s a huge place, it’s a Division I school, but it does not feel huge, it feels homey and it’s a great atmosphere,” Sparks said. “Everyone there was so nice. We visited the training table, where the athletes eat, and the football team was there and they were nice. Everyone was so friendly, and that’s what really made me want to go there.” Committing as a freshman allowed Sparks to do something most high school athletes don’t get the luxury of doing. Playing four years of high school withSee Spark on pg. 4
Courtesy of Tatum Sparks OSU softball signee Tatum Sparks has been committed to the Cowgirls since her freshman season in high school.
LASSO from afar:
Joshua Cleary Despite classes returning to in-person teaching style, tutoring that is provided through Oklahoma State remains online.
By Marcus Trevino Students have finally settled in at Oklahoma State, restoring life to its
formerly empty buildings and grounds. The same cannot be said for the LASSO Center. The LASSO Center hosts tutoring facilities and educational help resources for students in all classroom and education settings within the school. Every door in Class-
room Building’s basement is shut two hours prior to the building’s official closing time with the same posted note. “Our office is telecommuting.” The next morning, all but one door is closed. In it, a student tutor is helping a freshman understand how to calculate probabilities in Elementary Statistics. But they’re doing so virtually. Tutoring sessions are held almost exclusively online, just as they were last semester. Accommodations can be made for in-person appointments, but they are not preferred and are not encouraged. “This is to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and students utilizing our services,” instruction coordinator Tashia Cheves said. Students can use the Star System to make an appointment. Appointments must be made 12 hours in advance. Students can locate the Star System through the student portal, and scheduling an appointment is similar to booking a time to
speak with your advisor. “Students can also simply connect with a coach in the open-drop in zoom,” Cheves said. Information regarding that feature can be found on the LASSO Center’s website. So for now, the LASSO Center’s doors will remain shut and its halls will remain empty. One student, in particular, feels disconnected and inhibited behind their computer screen. “I struggle with learning during Zoom classes and I feel the same way with online tutoring,” sophomore Robert Fisher said. “I wish it were different but I like getting the help anyways.” Every student is different though, and Tony Flores said he prefers online tutoring. “I don’t make appointments often, but when I do it’s so convenient,” Flores said. “I don’t have to drive to campus and walk over there. That would suck during a week (such as) this one.” News.ed@ocolly.com