9/10/21

Grounded

Friday, September 10, 2021

What it was like being in the air on 9/11 gers the plane would be escorted to the ground by an F-16.

Taking off from Oklahoma City early in the morning, Kyle Wray, Anna Pope senior vice president of executive affairs for News Editor Oklahoma State, said he was going to speak at a Before Kyle Wray’s marketing conference in flight landed on the Fort Myers, Florida and morning of 9/11, the pilot the plane was due to land announced to the passen- in Atlanta, Georgia.

When the pilot made this announcement, Wray said when he looked out the window, sure enough, the fighter jet was beside them.

When they landed, Wray, a frequent flier, said the pilot returned and said there were no gates available.

That’s what cowboys do See Grounded on 4A

Habbie Colen

On the morning of 9/11 Kyle Wray was on a flight to a marketing conference.

Lessons Garth Brooks learned on his path from Willie’s to superstardom would echo throughout stadiums and arenas on Oklahoma State game days.

Aside from the two Grammys and numerous hit songs, Brooks’ songs are an OSU tradition. When his song “Friends in Low Places” plays at home football games or at the bars, thousands Ryan Novozinsky of people sing it in unison. The same Staff Reporter thing happens when he sells out the biggest stadiums in America on his In 1986, with ‘American Pie’ tour.

by Don McLean blaring in the back“I’m ground, a 24-year-old Garth Brooks not saying leaned on the bar at Willie’s, guzzled a ‘Friends in 25 cent pitcher of cold beer and thought Low Places’ about his future. is on the level One could blame it on his buzz, of ‘American or maybe the cigarette smoke engulfPie’ or ‘Piano ing him, but he was having serious Man,’” Brooks self doubts. He loved playing concerts said. “With that at Stillwater’s Washington Street, said, it’s hard to but Brooks wanted to be an icon like find someMcLean. He dreamed of having a song body everyone knew.

“You ended the night at Willie’s with ‘Piano Man’ or ‘You Never Even Called Me by My Name’ or ‘American Pie’ and you think, ‘man, how cool would it be to be associated with one of these kind of songs?’” Brooks told The O’Colly in an exclusive interview.

Little did he know, years later his songs

who doesn’t know the words to it.”

While he understands his status, Brooks has taken a humble approach since his college days. When someone suggests he is one of the greats, he immediately responds with someone who he thinks is great, like Robin Ventura and Barry Sanders. Brooks attributes his success and humility to lessons he learned at OSU. He ranks attending OSU near the top of his achievements.

“The things that I’m proudest of, other than my children and being married to the love of my life, would have to be that I’m an Oklahoma State Cowboy,” Brooks said.

His legend continues to grow at OSU, decades after he graduated. Students and faculty constantly bring his name up.

“I came here

from Fort Worth in 2018 and when I get asked the best place to go in Stillwater, I always refer to Willie’s because it’s where Garth first performed,” said OSU student Keaton Hargett.

Some who saw Brooks’ rise predicted his fame. OSU public address announcer Larry Reece said Brooks was close with some of OSU’s most famous students, but still shines as one of the most notable alumni.

“During the 1980’s, OSU had three students who would go on to become GOATs,” Reece said. “Robin Ventura had the all time longest hitting streak of 58 games and would become a major league all star. Barry Sanders set 34 rushing records and is considered the greatest running back ever to play the game. Then there’s Garth Brooks who went from playing Willie’s on the strip to selling more music than any other solo artist in history. All friends and as humble as anybody you could ever meet. It’s the Cowboy way.”

Although some things can change when a person becomes famous, according to Brooks, he still performs every show the same way he did at Willie’s. “(At Willie’s) we ended every night with ‘American Pie’ and the last time I played in Lincoln, Nebraska, in front of 91,000 people, the last song we did was ‘American Pie.’” news.ed@ocolly.com

Unanswered prayers Tribune News Service

Ryan Novozinsky Staff Reporter File photo Garth Brooks earned a degree in advertising from Oklahoma State in 1984.

Garth Brooks desperately wants to perform at OSU – but ac-

cording to him, it is impossible.

“Logistically, it’s not possible to play there,” Brooks told The O’Colly in an exclusive interview airing Friday on O’Colly TV. “Would I want to play there? Hell yeah. That’d be like ordering two buffets at a pizza joint. There’s no better place to play.”

Brooks, a 1984 alumnus, has been doing a stadium tour since 2019, but Boone Pickens Stadium

never came up as a possible location. As a result, thousands of Twitter users started the “#GarthToBPS” campaign in an attempt to persuade the two-time Grammy winner to play there. Unfortunately for these users, Boone Pickens Stadium is not built properly to suit Brooks’ concerts.

See Prayers on 3A

Page 2A Friday, September 10, 2021

O’Colly

Page 2

Fun Fact: OSU’s orange and black school colors were copied from Princeton in the 1890’s, where a popular faculty member’s father had attended school.

Graphic by Joshua Wisel

O’Colly on repeat The Thunder Rolls Garth Brooks

Never forget.

Tribune News Service

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Reporters/photographers

Editor-in-chief Maddison Farris editorinchief@ocolly.com

Assistant Sports Editor Chris Becker sports.ed@ocolly.com

News editor Anna Pope news.ed@ocolly.com

Design editor Karisa Sheely design.ed@ocolly.com

Lifestyle editor Ellen Slater entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Photo editor Abby Cage photo.ed@ocolly.com

Sports editor Dean Ruhl sports.ed@ocolly.com

Digital editor Ben Hutchens digital@ocolly.com

Adviser John Helsley john.helsley@okstate.edu

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Prayers...

Continued from 1A “The problem with Boone Pickens is it’s built exactly opposite for concerts,” Brooks said. “It’s not built

for how we play in the round stadiums.

If we were front on, we’d be fine. But since we’re at 360 (degree angle), the stadium is built more in a ‘U’ and where the opening of the ‘U’ needs to be is exactly opposite of where it needs to be.”

However, Brooks did not completely shut down the idea of playing in Stillwater. The artist said he would

be willing to play at Willie’s Saloon on Washington Street – where he played his first big concert in 1985.

“If I had a place to pick to play there, it’d be Willie’s,” Brooks said. “I would love to play Willie’s again.”

When discussing how a potential concert in Stillwater would be, Brooks passionately talked about his school.

He said he appreciates the people at

Friday, September 10, 2021 Page 3A

OSU and thinks they would show him a great time.

“That’s what’s fun about anything at Oklahoma State: It’s going to be a party, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be sincere and it’s going to be loud as hell,” Brooks said. news.ed@ocolly.com

‘I want to play spring training’ How a party at Garth Brooks’ house brought the Mets to the 2000 World Series

Tribune News Service

Despite wanting to play at Boone Pickens Stadium, Garth Brooks said it’s not possible.

to play spring training with the Mets,’” Ventura said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, I can’t make that decision but it would be great.’

“So I called (Mets public relations manager) Jay Horwitz and Garth came.”

Brooks met Ventura during their Ryan Novozinsky college days at Oklahoma State. Both Staff Reporter were athletes, Brooks in track and field and Ventura in baseball, and this was the first time they reconnected in a Robin Ventura sat on his hotel while. What started as a publicity stunt bed in Port St. Lucie, Florida, at the for Brooks to promote the Touch ‘Em New York Mets spring training in 2000, All Foundation, ended up as a mawhen he received the season-altering jor key to the Mets’ pennant win that phone call. year. After a few games with the team, This was an unusual baseball call. Brooks invited the team to a party at his It wasn’t manager Bobby Valenhouse, a move that drastically improved tine on the line chewing him out, nor team chemistry. was it a teammate asking for fielding “We ended up going to the World advice. It was country music star Garth Series that year and (Brooks) solidified Brooks. our team a little bit,” Ventura said. “We “He calls me and he goes, ‘I want had a barbecue at Garth’s house and it

IS GOD WORKING IN YOU? The Apostle tells us; “...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

(Phil.2:13 NIV) This seems an important statement that God would actually work in you and me. How can it happen?

In Philippians chapter 2, we are given direction from the apostle Paul about this very important matter. He tells us to look at Jesus while he was here on this earth and follow his example. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”(V5 NIV) What was his attitude? You see clearly the key in verse 8; : “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself.” Man, woman, youth; whoever we are and whatever our situation, we are to intentionally humble ourselves before God. Present ourselves to God so that we become a vessel for his work in and through us.

The Lord looks on humility in a very positive way.

God says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” (Is.66:2 NIV) God greatly respects those who greatly respect him and his word. This person is ready to hear and move with God. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Ps.25:9 NIV) If we stop and think about it; this person is the only one who will pay any attention to God’s will. Pride and self-centeredness are great hindrances to God working in us.

The apostle says, offer your body as a living sacrifice. He does not say “get religious.” You are humbling yourself before God for his will to be done; an attitude of humility. This is what Jesus did. As you do the same, God will lead and work in you.

was players, family and it was great.

“I had to cook the whole thing, but other than that, it was fun. There’s a lot of guys that remember how that meshed the whole team together.”

Brooks’ off field contributions were the only thing that benefited the Mets. To put it bluntly, he should probably stick to singing rather than swinging. Brooks went 0-for-17 in his time with New York and was scared of the critical situations they put him in.

“What I loved about the Mets was they would stick you in freaking bad situations,” Brooks said. “I mean like, ‘Holy s---, please don’t even call my name type situations.’”

While he’s used to selling out stadiums and being the center of attention, Brooks was surprised at how different baseball’s challenges were. Making contact with the baseball wasn’t impossible for him, but he said the biggest

hurdle was “hitting it where those guys weren’t.”

Even the mundane tasks at a Major League Baseball game were an adjustment for Brooks.

“Everything that came up was a challenge,” Brooks said. “It was a challenge to even put your uniform on right because they have certain rules. Endless respect for professional athletes.”

Mets success aside, this experience brought the college friends back together. Poking fun at Brooks, Ventura said if the roles were reversed and he had to perform a concert, he would do about as well as Brooks did on the baseball diamond.

“No, no, no no, no, no,” Ventura said. “I don’t even sing in the shower.

That’s how bad my voice is.” news.ed@ocolly.com

Page 4A Friday, September 10, 2021

Grounded...

Continued from 1A Eventually, the group reached a gate and the pilot prepared the passengers and said they would find some panic inside because the Air Traffic Control System for the United States was shut down.

“Then I thought, ‘OK, something crazy has happened and then we got in and everyone’s around the televisions, I can’t remember if, I think we got in just in time to see the first tower fall,” Wray said. “The had planes already hit, but we saw the first tower fall and then, of course, the second tower fall.”

On Sept. 11, 2001, planes hijacked by terrorists associated with al Qaeda were flown into the north and south towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed.

After this, Wray said there was panic, people took the passenger’s luggage and took them to a place the ‘size of Boone Pickens Stadium’ with mountains of luggage to pick up his bag. Wray said, there was a system in place, he found his bag and spent the night in Atlanta.

The next day Wray and his team of people rented a van and drove to Fort Myers.

“You always feel separated from your parents or loved ones when you travel but to know, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna be able to get back to them, I mean, the same way I got out there,’” Wray said.

When he got to a phone, Wray said he called his family and while they did not feel like they were in any imminent danger, he was later told his flight was one of the last planes in the air.

Wray said understanding this was an affront attack was a wakeup call. His immediate reaction was anger because it was an act of terrorism.

However, after watching sporting events the weeks following the event, it was also patriotism and a sense of togetherness.

“You saw a lot more patriotism,” Wray said. “It wasn’t about democrat or republican, it wasn’t about (New York) Yankees versus (Boston) Red Sox, we could bring that down to ourselves in the state of Oklahoma. It was about being an American and that we had been attacked, and that galvanized America in some ways.”

Wray said he flew on a plane again, just a week later, and many security questions were raised because there were no flights happening before this.

He said there was a difference in security before boarding his next flight, but nothing like they saw a year later. The precautions in place to fly are completely different than what is in place today.

“It has made us more fearful, it’s made us more appreciative of the freedoms that we have and I think more patriotic as a result,” Wray said.

Later, Wray said he was at the celebration of the Freedom Tower in New York City, which replaced the Twin Towers, and it felt like hallowed ground.

news.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

News

Remembrance A professor’s recollection of 9/11 He turned on the Willistean Bennett TV and saw the live Staff Reporter

coverage of the attacks. Before his eyes, Reitan witnessed the second plane crash into the second building.

Observing this event and learning about the government’s response changed Reitan’s view of the world from that day forward.

“I had this naively optimistic vision of the direction the world was going before 9/11 hit,” Reitan said.

In the weeks following the events, Reitan spoke on a panel with his colleagues due to his work in violence and non-violence, discussing his perspective on the terrorist attack and how to respond to it.

“One of the questions that I asked (at the panel) was what effect will the use of our military power on a nation have on the ways of thinking that fueled the terrorist act against the United States?” Reitan said.

Reitan said he believes a possible way to cure it is to find out what is triggering ideologies leading to devastation.

Eric Reitan was getting ready for a full day of work the morning of 9/11, the nation’s deadliest terrorist attack.

Twenty years ago, nineteen men, associated with alQaeda, hijacked four U.S. commercial airplanes and slammed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Also, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, when passengers fought back against the hijackers, diverting the plane intended to crash into the U.S. Capital. These events killed nearly 3,000 people.

Eric Reitan is an Oklahoma State philosophy professor and graduate student adviser. His research interests include nonviolence theory, philosophy of religion, ethical theory and applied ethics.

Reitan was getting ready to go to work at Oklahoma State the day of the 9/11 terrorist attacks when his fiancée called and told him to turn on the TV. news.ed@ocolly.com

Willistean Bennett Twenty years ago, millions of people witnessed the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

‘Show ring ready’

Payne County Free Fair creates meaningful opportunities Reagan Glass Staff Reporter

Courtesy of Reagan Elaine Photography Participants prepare weeks ahead of time to exhibit animals in the stock show.

Payne County youth participants competed at the Payne County Free Fair livestock show Aug. 24-28 at the Payne County Expo Center.

The fair, one of the first of the fall season, provided an opportunity for livestock show participants across the county to build relationships, connections and valuable life skills.

“The Payne County Free Fair is something I know I can look forward to each year because it’s normally just a fun, relaxed show compared to some others we attend,” Avary Blakey, Stillwater High School senior and cattle show participant said. “It also has some fair rides, like a Ferris wheel.

This year, emotions were kind of all over the place because this was the first show of my last show season.”

Blakey said she prepared for the show three weeks ahead of time by spending every evening washing animals, working hair, clipping calves and working with them to get them “show ring ready.”

“Working on my various projects, including showing sheep, is fun and difficult at the same time,” Brayden Arnall, Stillwater Middle School student and sheep show participant said.

“4-H has helped build my confidence and helped me find many things I am interested in and has given me the opportunity to participate in the fair.”

Arnall said his favorite thing about the fair is learning new things and building

relationships. He has learned a lot from people who helped him and he appreciates everyone who encouraged him to be the best he can be.

“Showing sheep takes commitment, patience and hard work”, Audrey Arnall, Will Rogers Elementary student and sheep show participant said. “My favorite thing about the fair is showing my sheep, building relationships, the Barnyard Olympics, showing rabbits, the pet show and all the food.”

Courtney Arnall, mother of Brayden and Audrey, said the free fair is a great place for learning about sportsmanship. She said it has helped her kids learn responsibility and networking skills they can take and use for years to come, as well as build relationships providing mentorships.

“One of the things we really focus on is sportsmanship,” Courtney said. “So, how do we encourage others when maybe they might not be doing as well and then celebrate our wins in a humble way.”

It takes many volunteers to put on the Payne County Free Fair and Oklahoma State student’s attendance helps drive up numbers, said Colin Campbell, Payne County Expo Center director.

“You know, we’ve got a really nice facility and the people of Payne County enjoy it,” Cambell said.

Read more about the Payne County Free Fair and other events at pcexpocenter. com

news.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

News

Friday, September 10, 2021 Page 5A

Life is back in the library Mak Vandruff Staff Reporter

Maddison Farris

Enough is enough

This is the cowboy way.

Students need to speak up

COVID-19 makes it difficult to be social around campus.

Buildings are closed, people are spaced apart, and classes are defaulting back to online. Even the Edmond Low Library has been slow to restart its events, but fortunately students do not have to wait any longer to participate in library activities. Plus, Oklahoma State is building something new and exciting on the north end of the library.

Bonnie Cain-Wood is the manager of communication services for the OSU’s library. She says the library is more active than ever with its activities.

“Even pre-pandemic we were livestreaming a number of our events,” Cain-Wood said. “So for us, shifting to that 100 percent virtual wasn’t a big

change for us.”

Library events have been more popular online than they were in person. Whether it be convenience, time management or any other reasons, people enjoy the comfort and ease of online affairs. Several activities have moved fully virtual, but that has not has not stopped events from becoming bigger and better than ever.

Constitution Day used to be a big in- person event, in which the library partnered with the political science department, but it has been moved to a week-long activity where students and faculty are able to voice their thoughts on the U.S. Constitution.

“That’s an example of how we are taking things that normally we do in person, and just moving them to an online format,” Cain-Wood said.

Since 2020 the library shifted all of its workshops and instructions virtually, but the new format has not stopped these activities from expanding.

“We found for our workshops, for our instruction sessions, attendance has been up,” said Cain-Wood.

“So, I think the virtual option is just a

really convenient option for that style of event.”

Despite all of the awful things COVID-19 has brought to the community, the library is doing its part in creating events and activities for students, faculty and other people in Stillwater to enjoy. Additionally, renovations are happening outside the library.

“It’s going to be a garden and seating area,” Cain-Wood said. “We’re pretty confident that it should be ready for homecoming.”

There is a native plant garden on campus that is going to be extended in front of the library. The flowers will not take off for another season or so, but eventually the garden will stand proud outside the building. There will be seating outside and brand new bicycle racks, so the entire area will be newly refurbished and ready for students outdoors.

The library is bringing life back onto campus, so stay tuned for more of its online events and brand new garden.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Maddison Farris Editor-in-Chief Column: Last week I was kicked out of a classroom for not wearing a mask. Is this really what Oklahoma State has come to?

When I was offered one by the professor, I shook my head no and was told to leave. I left without saying a word.

My heart was pounding and I was confused. What just happened? Was I really just kicked out of a classroom for refusing a mask?

Really?

I had done my research prior to the class. Senate Bill 658 informed me that a mask could not be required of me within a school setting in the state of Oklahoma.

Knowing this, I decided to take a stand.

Multiple phone calls with the governor’s office confirmed what I already knew. This instance occurred before the mandate injunction was passed by Oklahoma County District Judge, Natalie Mai. The amount of support I got for this was overwhelming. I have had an abundance of encouragement from students, faculty and even parents of other students, many of whom I have never met.

Others have asked me, “Why don’t you just wear a mask for a couple of hours?” And, “Why can’t you just deal with it instead of making it a problem?”

Here is my answer.

If I believed that it was just a mask, then, of course, I would simply wear it for an hour or two and then go about my day.

But it is more than a mask. It’s control. It’s control over my choices, desires and body. I will not allow any institution to take away my right to decide for myself what is best and to make my own decisions, or to take away the rights and decisions of others.

Students at Oklahoma State need to wake up and realize they have a voice. They have the right to make their own decisions, to make their own choices, to decide for themselves what is best for them.

This is not about protecting you. This is about the university trying to appease the faculty after receiving threats of possible ‘civil disobedience.’

Your voice, the student voice, is loud. It can be heard. There is strength in numbers and the students outnumber the faculty by a great deal.

What is going on at Oklahoma State is troubling. The “back door” approach to mask requirements is both concerning and laughable.

The school may think that they are avoiding legal consequences by putting the “authority” for mask requirements in the hands of the professors, but the discrimination that has already occurred is a major cause for concern when it comes to future repercussions.

I have reached out to the legal counsel of the school multiple times and received no response.

Students are ready to live life again, and I think the football game last weekend was a perfect example of how true that statement is.

news.ed@ocolly.com

Zachary Hunter

Students flooding the library with activity as campus opens up again.

Traveling for tests

Rising COVID-19 cases raise the need for tests Teyte Holcomb Staff Reporter

COVID-19 cases are rising and so is the need to get tested, but some are unable to find an available appointment on Oklahoma State’s campus.

COVID-19 testing increased significantly among students since the beginning of the semester. University Health Services has performed 1,547 tests from Sept. 1-7. This surge has put a lot of stress on University Health Services (UHS) to help administer these rapid tests.

Dr. Doug Hallenbeck, Vice President of Student Affairs at OSU, discussed how testing efforts have skyrocketed among students in recent weeks.

“Testing has gone up a considerable amount from 165 tests per day to over 300 a day,” Hallenbeck said.

While people can continue to get tested for COVID-19 at UHS, some students are still facing testing setbacks. Despite the increase in testing, OSU student Carman Montgomery said she was not able to get a test from UHS. “They didn’t have an appointment available when I was free to take one, so I had to travel away to go get one done,” Montgomery said.

Regardless of time conflicts, the UHS states there are plenty of tests at the moment. Hallenbeck said recently,

Jaiden Daughty Oklahoma State University Health Services (UHS) offers drive-thru COVID-19 testing on the east side of UHS.

more opportunities for testing are open.

“Typically, we offer around 300 spots a day, but have since opened more after labor day,” Hallenbeck said. “Someone is more than welcome to come when there is a spot available.”

This increase in testing comes days after Stillwater officials declared a state of emergency because of the high volume of patients and shortage of staff. In preparation for a possible influx of patients, tents were set up in the parking lot to treat patients last

Friday.

On Sept. 8 Stillwater Medical Center reported two Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and five non-ICU beds available. In the declaration, city officials said the hospital serves patients in a six-county area.

As cases are still rising, Hallenbeck’s advice for stopping the spread on campus is simple.

“Wear a mask and get vaccinated,” Hallenbeck said. news.ed@ocolly.com

Page 6A Friday, September 10, 2021

O’Colly

Lifestyle

Hello, friend OSU students emotional after Steve clarifies why he left Blue’s Clues

Chris Becker Assistant Sports Editor

Sydney York

Return of the home field advantage The Cowboy Marching Band is ready to return to normalcy.

The cowboy marching band plans for a normal fall

Gabriel Trevino Staff Reporter Home field advantage was lost across the entire country in the 2020 college football season. Due to limited fan capacity, and smaller spirit groups, Boone Pickens Stadium was not the environment needed in order to make visiting teams uncomfortable.

Boone Pickens Stadium is renowned as one of the loudest, and best fan experience stadiums in all of college football. A major factor: the Cowboy Marching Band.

Last season, each member of the Cowboy Marching Band was only allowed to attend one game each. The groups at each game were not able to take the field at pre-game, nor halftime.

In 2021, Boone Pickens Stadium will be back to full capacity.

With the full marching band back in the stands, they are hoping to

recreate a rowdy setting.

Seniors are excited to get to have their last season spent on the field.

“Everyone is really excited for game days,” Cowboy Marching Band President Ethan Crawley said. “It’s exciting to march again… last year, we were in the stands, and we didn’t get to do a pre-game performance, we didn’t get to do the reason we are in marching band, which is to perform, I’m excited to get everyone on the field and do a full pre-game performance in front of all the fans.”

After experiencing the season last year, they understand the greatness a “normal” season is.

“We saw what we didn’t get to do last year, and want to make it really great this year,” drum major, Doug Bell said.

The Cowboy Marching Band hopes they will be able to create the best fan environment, and a hostile habitat to opposing teams, whenever they play OSU’s fight song.

“It’s gonna be something that most people have ever experienced before,” Bell said.

Even though Boone Pickens

Stadium will operate at full capacity to start the season, the Cowboy Marching Band is taking the advised precautions in order to keep the stadium packed all season.

“What we have is a really resilient group of people who are excited to be here,” Bell said. “At the end of the day our core focus is supporting the athletics of Oklahoma State.”

“We are fully committed right now,” Crawley said, “all of our practices have been really great, high energy, we’ve got a lot of work done… we’re ready for our first halftime performance.”

The traditions of the Cowboy Marching Band, and game day traditions at Boone Pickens Stadium is what makes game days so special. The Cowboy Marching Band, and all of OSU’s spirit groups are excited, and committed to making Boone Pickens Stadium the loudest, most hectic stadium in the country, in order to support the football team’s success, and craft the best fan experience possible.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Steve Burns from Blue’s Clues abruptly left the show in 2002, and for many children their TV friend was gone.

The show went on but many wondered where Steve went, and why he was no longer hanging out with Blue.

“You remember how when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue and find clues and talk to Mr. Salt and freak out about the mail and do all the fun stuff?” Burns said. “And then one day, I was like, ‘Oh hey, guess what? Big news, I’m leaving.”

On Tuesday, as the 25th anniversary of the show

nears, those kids, now adults, got their answer.

He went to college.

“It was really sweet. It was cute to see

him come back and close that chapter,” said Hannah Campbell, an OSU student. “It provided closure. He closed the chapter, a door to my childhood.”

For many of the show’s former viewers who are now well into their adult life and long removed from children’s TV shows, the announcement was emotional, striking up keen memories of their youth.

“It hit me right in the feels,” said graduate student Ryan Hill.

Fans of the show thought when Steve left the show they’d never hear from their best friend again.

“It was a little sad,” student Matthew

Mitchell said. “I honestly didn’t (expect to hear from him again), I thought he dropped off the earth.”

Just as Steve will always be remembered by the children who adored him, Steve will always remember them.

“I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years, I never forgot you… ever. And I’m super glad we’re still friends,” he said. entertainment.ed @ocolly.com

Worship With Us

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.

Ephesians 3:16-17

To have your worship services and special events published each Friday on our church page please contact our display advertising department at ads@ocolly.com or call 405-744-7355

O’Colly

Friday, September 10, 2020 Page 7A

Lifestyle

Time to fly Flying Aggies return Ellen Slater Lifestyle Editor

Courtesy of Elizabeth Burks Elizabeth Burks held a summer internship at the Tech Health Science Center School of Pharmacy.

Humans of OSU: Elizabeth Burks A summer of mice and JUULs Ellen Slater Lifestyle Editor

Senior Elizabeth Burks is a nutrition and biology major at Oklahoma State. She spent the summer as a biomedical research intern at the Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Pharmacy and was excited to give the O’Colly some insight into her experience.

“I worked at the Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Pharmacy in Amarillo, Texas and I was a summer biomedical research intern. There were four interns but we all worked in different labs and then my lab specifically focused on stroke research and cigarette and tobacco smoke and e-cigarette research. They had me on a project specifically looking at the cerebrovascular effects of JUUL, electronic cigarettes, and tobacco smoke, therefore, comparing their effects on stroke.

When I applied,

I was looking for more in their brains as well as research opportunities swelling in the brain. because I have a lot of I think that (OSU clinical and shadowing classes) prepared me experience but I did not for my internship this have a lot of research summer. It was different experience. because I had never really This was my first known a lot about strokes exposure to animal so I had to do a lot of research. I have done research on my own, outresearch here at OSU but side of my OSU classes. only on cells so I have I was a little nernever had an animal vous because I did not experience. I was really know what to expect and nervous at first and I had I was the only undergrad to get certified with all of there. It was me, three the ethical sides of things. PhD students, and two We worked with male post-doc students. They black mice. were really nice and I compared the efeveryone was really kind fects of regular cigarettes and welcoming in teachto electronic cigarettes ing me how it all works. and see if the effects of I had a great experience strokes are worse with and I ended up getting JUULs or if they are really close to them. I better. The research we went to a lot of their muldid mimicked the same ticultural organizations amount of nicotine that with them-- none of them would go in the brain were from the United with a typical human States which was a good smoker if they were to experience for me. I got smoke a pack of cigaa lot of exposure to other rettes a day or a pod a cultures.” day.

Elizabeth is back We take images of in Stillwater to finish up their brains to see the her senior year and will deficits that the different take what she learned this kinds of smoking had. summer to succeed in her The JUUL was worse classes at OSU. than tobacco, with both being worse than no smoking at all. They had many more dead areas entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Hangar hockey.

Defined as the act of playing hockey on a cleared-out airport hanger. Played by the Flying Aggies. No need to worry, no one went to the hospital this year, which beat last year’s track record.

OSU is known for having an outstanding aviation program where many young students pave their way to success in this field. When the young professionals are not in the classroom-- or 30,000 feet in the air-they still make time for the community they have from their programs. Flying Aggies is an aviation interest group on campus.

The organization has a variety of events and involvement opportunities-- sometimes things as simple, yet complex sounding, as hangar hockey.

While the group does have a competitive subgroup, the Flying Aggies flight team, it acts as a normal organization as well. Claire Reader, Flying Aggies vice president made it clear everyone is invited to be a part of the Flying Aggies, not just students with intentions of flying.

“The community of the Flying Aggies is a really good representation of the way that all of Oklahoma State is,”

The Flying Aggies are returning to normalcy this fall.

Reader said. “Everyone in the Flying Aggies is really friendly and they want to help each other succeed.”

Reader went on to say that while a large part of the group is aviation majors, they have students from all different parts of the university from a wide variety of majors.

The organization is very excited to get back to more of a “normal” swing of things, as it was one of the organizations that felt the wrath of the pandemic on its regular programming. Preston Shoemaker is president of the Flying Aggies. He is thankful the group will get to meet in-person once again.

“It’s also a really great way to connect people because not everyone is in the same spot in training or even in the same major; at our meetings, everyone is connected by the same passion for aviation,”

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Shoemaker said.

The group is not just meeting up to fly planes.

“We are meeting up to do intramurals, to volunteer,” Reader said.

It is a social organization, but also a place where students interested in any form of aviation can come and seek resources.

The competitive part of the Flying Aggiesthe flight team- is known for its orange uniforms and great performance history. They are planning on competing regionally this fall and nationally in the spring, but with the ongoing pandemic ever-changing, plans are still up the air-pun intended.

For more information on the Flying Aggies, the officers said to visit flyingaggies.com or to follow them on social media. entertainment.ed @ocolly.com

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Pave the way

The day nothing felt right

OSU’s O-line looks to improving run blocking against Tulsa

Sudeep Tumma Staff Reporter

Saturday had to have felt a little eerie for Oklahoma State fans.

The Cowboys were 38-point favorites over Missouri State. It was supposed to be a crushing defeat, but instead, the game was within doubt until there were nine seconds left in the game.

See Pave on 3B

Ventura’s story as a New York Met during 9/11

Abby Cage The offensive line play last Saturday was reminiscent of last season’s struggles.

Sam Hutchens Staff Reporter

Maroon, white, blue Players, media reflect on OSU’s first game after 9/11

File photo

College Station flooded with maroon, white and blue weeks after 9/11 attacks.

days after a cell of Al-Qaeda militants hijacked four planes, crashing them into the Twin Towers, Pentagon and attempted to hit the U.S. Capitol.

In a meeting prior to Dean Ruhl leaving for the game, discussions of whether to drive of Sports Editor fly were had, but there was a resiliency to board the plane Berry Tramel counted from Tramel. eight other passengers on his “We were a little bit fired flight. up, to say they can’t stop us Three of them his cofrom living the way we want to workers from The Oklahoman, live,” Tramel said. “We’re not the remaining five strangers. going to stop doing the things The pilot entered the cabin, we want to do like getting on looked at the nine people an airplane. It was a sort of aboard his plane, and uttered: defiance.”

“You’re the last line of In the wake of the largest defense.” terrorist attack on American A startling statement but soil, the defiance carried over telling of the times. Tramel, onto Kyle Field in College then the sports editor for his Station. newspaper, was traveling to The United States and College Station, Texas to cover Texas flags swayed in the Oklahoma State’s game against brisk September air at halfthe Texas A&M on Sept. 22, mast. Fans had brought in 2001. It would be OSU’s first flags themselves, a Texas flag game since the terrorist attacks draped to the left of the faon Sept. 11, 2001. mous ‘Home of the 12th man’ “It was a big plane, sign at Kyle Field. An Ameriseated however many, 80 to can hung over the ‘H’ in ‘the’ 120 people. It was very eein the massive sign. rie,” Tramel said. “It was very The largest American eerie, nobody in the airport, flag wasn’t one swaying in the nobody on the plane, it was wind, but the stadium itself. A very strange.” group of five TAMU students It wasn’t a difficult choice created a massive campaign for Tramel and his colleagues to honor the 2,996 people who to board a plane, a mere 10 lost their lives during the at-

tacks, printing red, white and blue T-shirts to raise money.

If you’re ticket was for Kyle Field’s top tier, you’d buy a red shirt. The middle tier represented the white, and the lower bowl was relegated to blue.

The group, which organized and executed the plan in just 10 days, sold 70,000 shirts for five dollars a-piece.

Through poster sales and donations, they raised $180,000 and donated it to the New York Fire and Police Benevolence relief funds.

The shirts read: “In memory of 9-11-01 – Standing for America – Aggieland, USA – September 22, 2001.”

Terry Don Phillips, then OSU athletic director, had relaxed his call for Cowboys fans to wear orange prior to the game, even putting a blue shirt on over his white dress shirt. His orange and black tie still popping out of his collar.

More than 82,000 fans pushed aside concerns of another imminent attack the terrorists had threatened in the days following to attend the game.

“The stadium was as packed as I’d every seen a stadium,” OSU wide receiver Rashaun Woods said. “(With the coordinated shirts) in all the sections, it was pretty phe-

nomenal.”

With a larger stadium, there was a level of fear from individuals to attend the game, but Tramel said it the thought didn’t weigh heavy on him.

“I didn’t have any (fear),” Tramel said. “There was some trepidation for some people, whether it is family or friends.

I don’t think there was among us, but I think there were some people who were concerned.”

There wasn’t a better school for such an event. Until 1964, Texas A&M was an all-male military school, and in 2001, graduated the fourthmost officers, behind only Army, Navy and Air Force.

Prideful patriotism continued to ooze into the stadium when the A&M band took the field. The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, known for its constant movement when performing, stood stationary as it performed “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the flags rising to the top and peaking before returning to position at half-mast.

The band belted out “God Bless America”, also motionless.

“It was emotional for everybody,” Tramel said. “There was a lot of pent-up energy.

The Aggies have big crowds coming into the game, but you could tell it was different.

See Maroon on 3B

Robin Ventura was used to seeing men in uniform sprawled out around the New York Mets locker room.

Twenty years ago, though, the sight Ventura saw after entering the locker room looked a little different.

For one, the uniforms the men wore were fireproof.

--A few days before firemen took up temporary residence in the Mets locker room, Ventura woke up on Sept. 11, 2001 in a Pittsburgh hotel room.

His morning routine had been crafted by years on the road. Grab a cup of coffee and turn on the TV. Ventura flipped on the Today Show and picked his cup up off the counter.

Not even the strongest cup of joe in the Steel City could prepare him for what he saw.

“I just remember I had my coffee in my hand, and couldn’t figure out what was going on,” Ventura said.

Images of smoke and fire. Sounds of shrieking people and groaning steel.

The World Trade Center had been attacked by hijackers, and Ventura said he felt numb watching the television.

“Terror is the right word,” Ventura said. “There was confusion. You’re nervous. All of a sudden it was like nothing felt right… everything kind of changed in that instant.”

See Nothing felt right on 4B

File Photo Robin Ventura played in New York City’s first baseball game after 9/11.

Page 2B Friday, September 10, 2021

O’Colly

sports

GAMEDAY PREVIEW

Business as usual

Cowboys lose Sterling to targeting, message remains same

Key matchup Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Abby Cage

The Cowboys will have to adjust their secondary in the first half due to the loss of Tre Sterling.

which should not be an ejection in my opinion,” Gundy said. “It wasn’t a direct head-only contact.

I saw several others that happened this week that were every bit or maybe more than, and they ruled the other way. So it’s a matter of Chris Becker opinion, right?”

Assistant Sports Editor Coaches on the OSU staff make it a point to teach its players Missouri State’s Myron to hit below the chest to avoid a Mason ran toward the middle of possible targeting call and to avoid the end zone as quarterback Jason putting the rest of the game in the Shelley searched for a receiver to hands of officials. throw to.

“You got to stay down (below Shelley found Mason over the the chest),” Gundy said. “OK, you middle and as he crossed into the stay down here, we don’t rely on endzone, Oklahoma State safety somebody else to offer an opinion Tre Sterling lowered his body in on whether it’s targeting or not. My Mason, who’s body also lowered in personal opinion, I am excited that an attempt to lessen the big blow they have greatly minimized blows headed his way. above the shoulder, but this in my The Big 12 officials in charge opinion, whether it was a penalty of the game flagged Sterling for or not I’m good with, but for an targeting on the hit. After review ejection, I didn’t think it was that the play was upheld, and Sterling type of a hit.” was ejected because the play hapOSU, however, has depth pened in the fourth quarter the in its safety room to help fill the Cowboys star safety will miss the void Sterling leaves, for the first first half of their game against half. Replacing him isn’t an easy Tulsa. task, but defensive coordinator “I thought that he led with Jim Knowles will turn to redshirt a partial shoulder, partial head junior Jason Taylor II.

Taylor is most notably remembered as the OSU special teamer who returned a Texas Tech onside kick for a touchdown and an 85-yard fumble recovery against Kansas State in 2020. Despite only starting in one game in his career, which also came after Sterling was called for targeting, the Cowboys are expecting big things from Taylor.

“He’s an experienced guy that had to play for us at times,” Gundy said. “He practices all the time. I’m good with him, we trust him, he plays hard.”

Despite not having a key starting piece to the defensive backfield the message is simple, just play the game they’ve played forever.

“Just play football, we’ve been playing this game for a long time,” safety Tanner McCalister said. “It’s always business when we step onto the field. Everybody, especially us being (defensive backs), we all kind of have a cocky side to us, nobody wants to lose or get beat.”

Back in the saddle sports.ed@ocolly.com

Courtesy of Tulsa Athletics

Jaxon Player vs. Josh Sills

Defensive lineman Jaxon Player has recorded 89 total tackles during his time at Tulsa, including three in Tulsa’s loss against UC Davis.

Left guard Josh Sills, a preseason All-Big 12 first team member, is tasked with containing Player, allowing quarterback Spencer Sanders to be comfortable.

3 players to watch

OSU vs. Tulsa Ashton Slaughter Staff Reporter

Chris Becker

Jason Taylor Taylor, a redshirt junior, will play in the absence of Tre Sterling for the first half, due to a targeting penalty late in the fourth quarter against Missouri State.

Sanders ‘available’ for Tulsa game Saturday

week and feels good,” praise from quarterbacks coach Gundy said.

Tim Rattay for Sanders developIllingworth went ment the past several months.

22-40 for 315 yards Sanders threw for 2,007 and a touchdown during yards across nine games and 14 his promotion Saturtouchdowns this past day, but will be season. He completed Dean Ruhl relegated back 62.8% of his passes, Sports Editor to his secondand threw eight string duties interceptions.

There might have been a this weekend, “I saw him week delay, but quarterback Spen- with Sanders (Thursday) and he cer Sanders is ready make his 2021 expected to seems to be doing debut. make his 21st really well,” Gundy On Thursday, coach Mike career start. said. “I’m excited Gundy said Sanders would be Sanders about him getting available for the Cowboys’ game will begin his out there and seeagainst Tulsa on Saturday during highly-anticing what he can the latest episode of the Orange ipated season bring to the table.”

Power Podcast hosted by Dave campaign Hunziker. against Tulsa.

Sanders missed the opening In the offseagame against Missouri State due son, Gundy sports.ed@ to COVID-19 protocols, thrusting said Sanders sophomore Shane Illingworth into had improved ocolly.com the starting role. more in two Chris Becker “(Sanders) is out of protocol, months than Spencer Sanders looks on during position group work. he has practiced well this week. He he had in two years, their secondary in the first half due to the loss of Tre was able to practice throughout the along with high Sterling.

Courtesy of Tulsa Athletics

Travon Fuller Tulsa’s cornerback depth will be very important against the Cowboys receiving corps, especially the play of Fuller, who is capable of being a lock down cornerback.

Abby Cage

Brock Martin Defensive end Trace Ford suffered a right ACL injury, forcing Martin into the starting role. OSU will need him to keep up this good play, as they now know he will be the starter for the rest of the season. sports.ed@ocolly.com

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O’Colly

Three storylines OSU vs. Tulsa Jax Thompson Staff Reporter

Chris Becker

Spencer Sanders returns Sanders sat out the last game due to Covid protocols, but is expected back this week. The Cowboys will need a solid performance from him in his return against TU.

Friday, September 10, 2021 Page 3B

sports Pave...

Continued from 1B per carry.

For all intents and purposes, the pass blocking was sound. The O-line gave sophomore quarterback Shane Illingworth plenty of time when he dropped back, which allowed him to throw to the tune of 315 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

But the run game didn’t aid him much.

“Several times, we were one block away from being a lot better in the running game,” Gundy said. “That’s something to work on this week and get cleaned up.”

Illingworth, who was filling in for starting quarterback Spencer Sanders, had to take

on a much larger role with the run game struggling.

A prime example: OSU had a ball with 1:59 left in the game, needing a first down to ice the game away. LD Brown rushed on first down to make it second-and-five, and MSU called a timeout.

Then, in what should be an obvious running situation, Gundy elects to throw the ball twice — both ending in incompletions. OSU had to punt the ball back to the Bears.

The run blocking clearly laid a crater in OSU’s offense Saturday night.

“We need to be better,” offensive lineman Jake Springfield said.

Gundy said there were a few times a running back could have found a different hole, but the majority of the issues had to do with the blocking up front.

He said the Cowboys were usually one guy away from springing a solid run, but it wasn’t usually the same guy.

It could have been any one of the linemen or a Cowboy back.

Going into its matchup with Tulsa, OSU is going to look to fix its run blocking woes and reignite a typicallyexplosive run game that went over 200 yards in five of 11 games last year.

“We’ll be fine,” Gundy said. “We need to get some things cleaned up. We had a couple things happen that were unusual... So (the coaches) need to do a better job of showing (the offensive line) the looks that they’re going to get in the game that way you have better chance for success.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

‘We’ll get through it, we always do’ Martin has more than football on his mind

Abby Cage Tulsa in need of a win Tulsa is coming off a painful loss last week in a close game against UC Davis. They will be looking to bounce back and prove themselves with a strong showing against the Cowboys.

Courtesy of Tulsa Athletics

How will the RB depth chart sort out?

LD Brown had the most carries last week, but OSU will continue to use a committee at running back. The backs’ performance in these non-conference games will determine the touches they get later in the season. sports.ed@ocolly.com

On Devin Harper’s performance in Saturday’s game:

I really wasn’t surprised with Devin Harper because he’s been here for like 19 years.

- Coach Mike Gundy

Gabriel Trevino Staff Reporter Tay Martin scored his first touchdown in an Oklahoma State jersey Saturday.

Surrounded by his teammates, Boone Pickens Stadium cheered him on, Martin’s mind was not solely focused on football. It was 700 miles away in his family’s hometown of Houma, Louisiana.

Hurricane Ida devastated the small bayou town of 33,000 residents, leaving many homeless and destroying businesses.

Martin’s family was among the thousands who fled the path of the storm as it barreled toward them, gaining strength.

“My family actually evacuated to Houston before it hit, so they were able to get away from all that chaos, but our house didn’t hold up. Our roof blew off,” Martin said.

“I was grateful for them to be able to go out to my aunt and my uncle out there in Houston and get away from the hurricane. I’m just glad they’re safe.

It’s a tough deal, but we’ll get through it. We always do.”

Martin found a way to ensure his loved ones safety without physically being there.

“My daughter actually lives in Louisiana, so I got to always make sure she’s good,” Martin said. “I have two little sisters and a little brother, so I was checking on them as much as I can and making sure they were evacuating and making sure they knew this was a serious deal.”

Ida’s destruction inspired

Tay Martin’s family was motivation for him this past Saturday.

Abby Cage

Martin’s dominant perforcommunicated with them as mance. much as possible. Knowing “It added more fuel to they were safe gave me the the fire. I just used it to mocomfort to go out there and do tivate me as much as I can,” what I do best.”

Martin said. “I think about family all the time on the field, especially when it’s a deal like sports.ed@ocolly.com that with the hurricane. I just

Page 4B Friday, September 10, 2021

O’Colly

sports

Staying on track

After Olympic trials, Rodriguez carrying momentum into season Jarron Davis Staff Reporter As Isai Rodriguez steps on the track in Eugene, Oregon for the Olympic trials, a mix of emotions race through his body.

As he mentally prepares for the race, Rodriguez listens to rapper Lil Baby to get his blood pumping.

Before the Olympics trials, Isai was just a smalltown kid with big dreams.

He grew up in Ringwood, Oklahoma. His name is a biblical name meaning gift, and that he was to cross country coaches across the nation.

In high school, Rodriguez was a highly decorated runner. He was awarded All-State honors, the Meet of Champions champion, and was also Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

When it came time to attend college, Rodriguez had a tough decision to make. He had a gut feeling that Oklahoma State was the school for him.

“I don’t know really what drew me in, I just feel like I was destined to be here,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of circumstances were just adding up for me to choose OSU.” Rodriguez ran on an AAU track team in high

school and multiple athletes on the team were runners at OSU. He would hang out with them quite often, and they treated Rodriguez like family.

Since signing at OSU, Rodriguez has had the opportunity to compete on a national level and gain experiences like no other.

The Olympic environment was uncharted territory for Rodriguez, as it was his first time competing at Hayward Field in Eugene.

“I was a little nervous,” Rodriguez said. “I had never been in that type of atmosphere.”

Rodriguez said the whole experience was a “blessing” and to compete with the nation’s best while representing his country was like a dream come true. It also gave him confidence moving forward.

“To have that reassurance that I got what it takes and that I’m able to compete with the best is a good sign that I’m headed in the right direction,” Rodriguez said.

After a third place finish last season, Rodriguez said moving forward the team has “tunnel vision” ahead of OSU’s 2021-22 season.

“The whole team is focused,” Rodriguez said. “We came in third last year and we felt like we honestly ran safe. We were not all in, and just kind of running to safely get third or second and that was the outcome we got.”

Rodriguez said the team knew coming into this season they either needed to

Nothing felt right...

Continued from 1 Mets players congregated in the hotel lobby. There was an impromptu meeting and team members went to pack their bags. They might be in danger.

“We were next to a federal building and everybody was panicking,” Ventura said. “Major League Baseball had us moved to a different hotel out in the suburbs.”

The Mets bussed to their new place and it was there, at a small motel guests can park right outside their rooms, where the day’s happenings hit Ventura.

“It’s hard to explain to people how big the building was that went down and how much it took out,” Ventura said.

--It was all bus rides for the foreseeable future. Planes were grounded.

The Mets traveled back to New York the next day. All MLB activity, games and practices had been paused.

The team didn’t know what to do, but the eight-or-nine hour bus ride hampered by traffic provided plenty of time to ponder.

“We ended up on the Jersey-side coming in,” Ventura said. “You could see where Ground Zero was. All it was just smoke. There were lights everywhere.”

The Twin Towers, each previously 110 stories tall, washed a wave of debris over the immediate vicinity.

Ventura said it was as if someone had taken a giant hose of dust and sprayed it everywhere, wrecking nearby apartments.

“It was wet too so it would stick,” Ventura said. “Everywhere you walked around, cars had soot on them…when you see those pictures of people just covered in powder, that’s because it came down and just shot out. “ The wreckage site in Lower Manhattan was not the only space that looked different to the returning New Yorkers. Their home stadium had been transformed.

“Shea Stadium already started as kind of the collection center for all the supplies…anything that was needed to go down to Ground Zero, that’s where it was staged before they took it into the city,” Ventura said. “It was great.”

be all in, or all out. Rather than taking last year’s approach of running conservatively, this year’s mind set was clear, run to win.

Rodriguez has had a tremendous amount of personal success while at OSU. With a fourth-place finish in the 2018 NCAA Championship, he earned the title of first team All-American.

Rodriguez has competed in multiple other events such as the Arturo Barrios Invitational, where He placed second. He also ran his way to back-to-back second place finishes in the Big 12 Conference Championship.

He kicked off the 2018 season with a victory at the Stanford Invitational, running in the 5,000-meter outdoor event. Then ended it with a second-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

With everyone retuning this year, Rodriguez says the team is looking “strong.”

“We got everybody back and then we added a couple more guys that could make a real difference,” Rodriguez said. “We all know what we can do, and we all know what we are capable of.”

Rodriguez feels the momentum going into this year is good and remains hopeful for this upcoming season.

“We got a lot of good things ahead of us if we just stay focused and on track,” Rodriguez said. sports.ed@ocolly.com

The circular stadium, which was demolished in 2009, was encircled by a grey asphalt expanse. The parking lot, designed to hold lifeless vehicles on gameday, was alive with activity when the Mets got back home that day in September 2001.

A crowd of volunteers used the space to gather, organized and package supplies for distribution. The caches of goods included water bottles, food, snacks and bandages.

“There (were) people everywhere,” Ventura said. “There’s fire trucks from, a couple states away that were already there. It was just like this huge effort just to get as much stuff there as you possibly could.”

--Going back to work was diffi-

Isai Rodriguez is prepared to dominate this season.

the diamond a few hundred feet away.

Packing cans of corn with hundreds of other volunteers, though, felt better than catching one in practice.

“Somebody would just kind of yell at you,” Ventura said. “They would just tell you what to do. We didn’t know what we were doing. You just did it. He didn’t really think too much… it was kind of chaotic organized chaos.”

The work of Ventura and the Mets continued to be woven into the work of first responders in the short time after the attack.

Like those dispersing rescue supplies, firefighters temporarily used Shea Stadium’s facilities. Men fresh off 12 or 24-hour shifts clearing rubble and looking for survivors away at Ground Zero nine miles away slept on cots in

Robin Ventura helped with 9/11 relief efforts while he was a member of the New York Mets.

cult. In fact, after teams could resume practicing a few days after the attack, Bobby Valentine, then Mets manager, and his ball club agreed it simply was not worth it.

“The first practice we had, you know, we kind of did it for about 30 minutes and nobody was really into it,” Ventura said.

Valentine sensed the apathy and made a suggestion.

“Our manager was like, ‘Let’s just go pack boxes,’” Ventura said. “Everybody just kind of went out and just started packing boxes and doing stuff.”

The commotion of the relief efforts was a far cry from the comfort of

File Photo

the Mets locker room.

“It was really weird,” Ventura said. “You’d walk into a room and they’re kind of in their gear. They took their jacket off, but they’re still there sleeping in their boots and their pants.”

Ventura said he felt guilty practicing baseball while seeing firsthand what the firefighters did. The Mets did not practice very much in that time, but they were good hosts. The players let excited (but exhausted) firefighters hit, take ground balls and play a game on the field.

--The Mets played the first game back in New York ten days after the

Courtesy of OSU Athletics

World Trade Center fell.

Shea Stadium was bursting at the seams with patriotic fans, leading to a weird atmosphere of somber and joyous moments.

“You didn’t even know if you could cheer, laugh, clap or do anything like that,” Ventura said. “I think that was kind of the start of people being able to feel comfortable doing that.”

With the snipers lining the roof providing a visible reminder of the bolstered security, catcher Mike Piazza hit a go-ahead home run to center field in the bottom of the eighth. It would be the deciding factor against the divisionleading Atlanta Braves.

Ventura greeted his future hallof-fame teammate at home plate with a two-handed high five.

“The game was emotional,” Ventura said. “Mike Piazza hit a homerun at the end of it that was really cool. It kind of was like the perfect little topper to the first game back.”

--Ventura always thinks about Chris Quackenbush during yearly anniversaries of the attack on NYC. A big Mets fan, Quackenbush was paired with Ventura in a charity golf tournament hosted by Valentine.

Two weeks after the tournament, Quackenbush became one of the 2,996 casualties of 9/11.

“It was just tough everyday going to the ballpark in New York knowing that when you’re meeting people, it wasn’t for ‘Hey how’s it going?’ It was because they lost somebody...It was a tough rest of the season.”

The Mets decided to honor firefighters, nurses, doctors and other key groups in the efforts to stabilize America’s biggest city by wearing hats honoring the first responders.

Ventura wore a Port Authority hat; an ode to the group that over sees bridge and tunnel infrastructure in that area.

Heads poking over the Mets dugout railing sported navy-blue caps reading things like NYPD and FDNY in the appropriate lettering, even if it clashed with the uniform and MLB asked them to stop.

“We were like, ‘Yeah, we’re not gonna do that,’” Ventura said. “We’re just gonna keep wearing these …and we ended up wearing them the rest of the year.”

Firemen eventually left the Mets locker room, but the first responders of New York never left the hearts — or hats — of Ventura and the Mets that season. sports.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

Friday, September 10, 2021 Page 5B

sports

Realignment roulette Big 12 expected to add four new schools Staff Report

After a two-month courtship, the Big 12 might have finally found some partners.

BYU

Location (Population): Provo, Utah (116,618) Established: Oct. 16, 1875 Type: Private research university sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Enrollment: 36,024 students Known for: Arts programs and athletics, nestled below the Wasatch Mountains Famous alumni: Mitt Romney, Stephenie Meyer and Orson Scott Card Colors: Blue, royal and white Mascot: Cougars Current conference: Independent Varsity sports: 19 Notable sports figures: Steve Young, Andy Reid and Jack Morris Greatest sports accomplishment: 1984 NCAA Division 1-A football national champions Big 12 benefit: BYU boasts one of the nation’s biggest fanbases because of its religious affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Cougars are also extremely successful and competitive in athletics.

On Friday, the conference is expected to vote via conference call to accept the applications of BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida, which applied for membership earlier this week.

The four applicants will require approvals from eight of the 10 teams. With all schools except Oklaho-

Cincinnati

Location (Population): Cincinnati, Ohio (303,940) Established: 1819 Type: Public research university Enrollment: 46,798 students Known for: Fine arts and health master’s programs Famous alumni: William Howard Taft, Kevin McCollum and Kathleen Battle Colors: Black and red Mascot: Bearcats Current conference: American Athletic Conference Varsity sports: 16 Notable sports figures: Sandy Koufax, Oscar Robertson and Urban Meyer.

Greatest sports accomplishment: Men’s basketball national champions in 1961 and 1962.

Big 12 benefit: UC’s football squad has re-emerged into national relevance after winning the American Athletic Conference in 2020. Men’s basketball is also a perennial NCAA tournament team.

UCF

ma and Texas, who are bolting to the SEC, expected to vote in favor of the expansion.

So what do the schools bring to the Big 12?

Here is a breakdown of the four (expected) new members to the conference:

Location (Population): Orange County, Florida (1.393 million) Established: 1963 Type: Public university Enrollment: 71,913 (2020) Known For: Health/Nursing Famous Alumni: Cheryl Hines, Daniel Tosh and Erika Dunlap Colors: Black & gold Mascot: Knights Current Conference: American Athletic Conference Varsity Sports: 16 Notable Sports Figures: Daunte Culpepper, Brandon Marshall and Tacko Fall Greatest Sports Accomplishment: 2017 FBS Football Champions (selfproclaimed) Big 12 Benefit: The Big 12 is able to tap into a market that they haven’t seen before. Now the whole state of Florida may be tuned into Big 12 games rather than SEC or ACC games. This also opens an avenue for Florida recruits to become more interested in being a Big 12 athlete.

Houston

Location (Population): Houston, Texas (2.31 million) Established: 1927 Type: Public university Enrollment: 46,148 Known For: Business Famous Alumni: Elizabeth Warren, Jim Parsons and Dennis Quaid Colors: Red & white Mascot: Cougars Current Conference: American Athletic Conference Varsity Sports: 16 Notable Sports Figures: Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Tom Landry Greatest Sports Accomplishment: Three straight Final Four appearances from 1982-1984, also known as the peak of “Phi Slama Jama” Big 12 Benefit: With the Longhorns having one foot out the door with the Big 12, this gives the conference a Texas team so there are still three teams in Texas. Houston would be the biggest market in the Big 12, which gets more eyes on the conference and potentially more big-time recruits to play for the conference. sports.ed@ocolly.com

Page 6B Friday, September 10, 2021

O’Colly

sports

Maroon...

Continued from 1B There was a little bit of a more somber attitude.”

Les Miles, then coach of OSU, had sent his players out to the field to absorb the atmosphere, a rare occurrence. Linebacker Terrence Robinson was one of those players.

“As a player, coming out and seeing the red, white and blue, it was about unity,” Robinson said. “I remember walking out of the locker room going to the game and even some of the A&M fans were being supportive.”

The fans might have opted against the maroon colors of Texas A&M, instead donning America’s colors, and the flag might have been flapping at halfmast, but the game had an atmosphere of returning to normal.

“It felt like we were getting back to normal, a little bit,” Robinson said.

“Everything was back to the way it used to be.”

The game itself proved to be lackluster. The Aggies defeated the Cowboys 21-7. OSU running back Tatum Bell mustered the lone Cowboys score, Robinson snagged an interception from Aggie quarterback Mark Farris, and Cowboy quarterback Aso Pogi threw for 110 yards.

The Cowboys season record fell to 1-2, the Aggies to 3-0. A&M won its sixth consecutive game against OSU, the Cowboys remaining winless against the Aggies since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.

The teams combined for 439 yards of total offense, with fumbles on each side. The Cowboys were heavily penalized, earning 11 flags to TAMU’s four.

The outcome of the game didn’t matter to anyone. Someone had to win just because the rules require it. For the players, coaches and fans, this was the definition of being more than just a game.

Tramel called the game “therapeutic” to have football after the previous Saturday’s game had been canceled.

“For me, it felt like I was playing for something,” Robinson said. “It felt like I was playing for more than just OSU, it felt like I was playing for more than just Terrence Robinson. I felt more like I was playing for the country.”

Robinson’s fear he’d felt had subdued since the attacks when he touched the field. He was able to just play football for a few hours.

“I think my mind and especially being that young at the time, my mind was so set on going out and playing

football,” Robinson said. “Not to lose focus on what happened in our country, but my mind was just totally set on going out and playing football.”

The game, despite being another addition to the Cowboys loss column, was a strong change of scenery compared to where the players were a mere 11 days prior.

Woods was walking through Bennett Hall, headed to class when he saw a large group of students gathered around the televisions in the common areas.

“I walked by like ‘what is everybody looking at on the TV right now?’

I had class in 15 minutes,” Woods said.

“Next thing I know I walk by another TV and it is packed. At that point I realized that something serious just happened and I definitely paid attention to it.”

Robinson, enjoying a Tuesday morning, walked through the student union when he saw the second plane slice into the south tower in New York.

Classes were canceled at OSU that day, leaving students, like Woods and Robinson, glued to television sets for the remainder of the day. Cancelations were rampant shortly following the attacks.

Flights were grounded. People were told not to come into work. For Tramel, Bob Stoops, then head coach at the University of Oklahoma, had practice and his press conference quickly canceled.

“I was mowing my lawn at about

9 a.m. in the morning,” Tramel said. “I came in and flipped on the TV while getting ready to take a shower and that was probably 9:20 and of course all the TV’s were on it already so that is how I learned.”

Tramel drove into work on Sept.

11, quickly presented with the idea many Americans were having. What should we do?

Robinson and Woods struggled with the same question. Robinson said he had fear for the safety of the United States. There was fear and anger piled on top of confusion. Nobody wanted to leave their houses, to be in large crowds or to attend an event.

Robinson recalled his first flight following 9/11.

“I flew somewhere after that and I just remember being very, very cognizant of my surroundings,” Robinson said. “Just being aware of everything around me. All that stuff was very important to me then.”

--The Cowboys went on to finish the season 4-7. Their season closed with a 16-13 victory over Oklahoma, then ranked No. 4 in the country and primed for a Rose Bowl appearance.

The Texas A&M game a primed memory in the heads of all whole attended. Tramel, a sports editor. Robinson and Woods players on the team.

The fans in their color-coordinated shirts. They all came together for not a football game, but an event of solidar-

Last week 6-0 Spread:4-2

TULSA vs OSU OSU-13.5 IOWA vs ISU ISU -4 ORE vs OSU OHST -14 UT vs ARK UT -6.5

OSU 31-16

Dean Ruhl

Last week 4-2 Spread:3-3

Sudeep Tumma Ben Hutchens Sam Hutchens Last week 6-0 Spread:4-2

Last week 3-3 Spread:1-5

Last week 3-3 Spread: 0-6

OSU 35-13

OSU 35-10

OSU 31-24

OSU 30-17

ISU 28-23 Iowa 28-21

ISU 23-20

ISU 24-17

ISU 30-20

Ohst 42-20 Ohst 35-31 OHST 40-10

UT 35-24

UT 33-30

UT 33-20

ohst 34-24 OHST 37-20

UT 32-28

ity.

Mike Gundy, OSU’s offensive coordinator in 2001, somberly recalled the events of 9/11.

“That was the first time in really my generation that we had what would be a real terrorist attack because we hadn’t had a real war in a long time,” Gundy said. “I kind of swallowed it like “I can’t believe that could really happen’, it was scary.”

20 years later, the Aggies “Red, White and Blue-Out” is still remembered. This past Saturday, the Aggies hosted Kent State and resurrected the concept to honor the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Fans once again bought red, white or blue T-shirts, sitting in designated sections, in remembrance of not only the game, but the attacks.

For Robinson, age 21 at the time of the attacks, the game, and event, put a new perspective on his life.

“It puts a lot of emphasis on just life and family,” Robinson said. “For me, my whole motto is to create memories. I found this saying a while back that says ‘fathers tend those gardens that you seeded, and be a friend when a friend is needed’ and that is kind of my motto now.

“Just going back on what happened on 9/11, it is really, extremely important that people keep those important to you close, extremely close.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Chris Becker

Obviously, Oklahoma State did not play its best last week, but it’s way too soon to push the panic button. It was the first game of the season, the first full speed football game OSU had played in 249 days. Rust is expected.

The Cowboys also were far from full strength missing multiple starters.

OSU certainly has improving to do to reach the potential the team contains, but close the box that contains the panic button.

Should OSU fans be worried about the team’s performance?

UT 31-0

RYan novozinsky

APP ST vs MIAMI MIAMI -8

MIAMI 31-24

MIAMI 35-17

MIAMI 35-20

MIAMI 34-24

MIAMI 28-14

KU vs CCU CCU -27

CCU 41-10

KU 24-23

CCU 42-3

CCU 35-7

Ccu 40-18

Point / Counterpoint

Picking winners (and losers) Chris Becker

File photo

The game itself was forgettable, as the Cowboys offense led by quarterback Aso Pogi, totaled just 199 yards.

Um, absolutely fans should be worried. The score that OSU won by the other day would have only been acceptable if Mike Gundy randomly decided to play the third stringers — which they obviously did not do. Yes they had injuries, yes Sanders was out with COVID, but the fact that they let an FCS sideshow like Missouri State — who has the nuttiest coach in football — come in and scare them is unacceptable. Sound the alarms.

O’Colly

Friday, September 10, 2021 Page 7B

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Page 8B Friday, September 10, 2021

O’Colly

Getting yelled at sports

Breiner’s first college goal a ‘banger’ Ben Hutchens Digital Editor

For a split second, Mollie Breiner thought she was going to get yelled at.

The Oklahoma State sophomore defender had just unleashed a shot from well beyond the 18-yard box. The ball was suspended in air, having just taken its third bounce, as Breiner struck it and Brown University goalkeeper Kayla Thompson got a glove on the ball.

But, odds be darned, the shot went in.

“Those can go top 90 or they could go 20 yards over the goal, but she just caught that one so sweetly,” coach Colin Carmichael said.

“That’s a strike that if you see that in a professional level everybody’s raving about it for weeks.”

The shot was the second of Breiner’s college career and her first to find the back of the net. It was such a sudden and partially unexpected occurrence Breiner could hardly believe it.

“When (Thompson) first hit it I was like, ‘crap,’ you know I’m going to get yelled at,” Breiner said. “Then it hit the side net and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh I just scored.’”

Then Breiner was yelled at, but not by an unhappy coach. Her teammates instantly swarmed her, sharing in the glorious moment.

They recognized a rare opportunity a defensive player like Breiner gets to let one rip off the right foot.

“Being a center back, you don’t really have those chances of it being a goal that you actually score from kicking it, you’re going to be like a header or something like that,” Breiner said. “So being able to score a goal from outside the box, it was just amazing.”

At Broken Arrow High School, Breiner said she was the main scorer on her team. So, it wasn’t a completely foreign feeling she felt last Saturday against Brown, just one she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Molly had a banger, I mean, what an amazing goal,” Carmichael said. sports.ed@ocolly.com

OSU sophomore defender Mollie Breiner scored her first collegiate goal last Saturday.

Braden King