July 7 by The O'Colly

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Mix and match Students share their favorite Sonic drink customizations Addison Duling Staff Reporter

The sign outside of the Sonic Drive-in on Main Street claims it to be the first of the chain, but this claim may be disputed.

Joshua Cleary

Several students shared their favorite custom drinks from Sonic Drive-In. Sonic is a Stillwater hotspot. There are three different locations in Stillwater, and they always seem to be busy taking orders and delivering unique combinations of beverages. Their drink menu offers a selection of slushes, lemon and limeades, soft drinks, teas, coffee, and limitless flavor add-ins. Madie Petree is a senior majoring in animal science, preveterinary. Her go-to drink from Sonic is a chocolate Coke. “I love chocolate and I love Coke! One of my friends said she had tried it before, and it was pretty good so I thought I’d give it a go,” Petree said. This is just one of hundreds of the many soda pop combinations created by Sonic visitors. See Mix on pg.3

Delta’s Rapid Spread Clouds Summer With Fear of Covid Revival Tribune News Service The fast-spreading delta variant is clouding Americans’ hopes for a carefree summer -and casting a shadow of doubt over plans to get back to business as usual in the fall. The shift in sentiment marks a reversal from the spring, when it looked like the U.S. immunization campaign would turn the tide definitively against the coronavirus. But lingering vaccine hesitancy in some areas has converged with the arrival of the more contagious delta strain and darkened the mood across much of the country. “The delta variant recreates this anxiety that many of us had prior to being vaccinated,” said Megan Ranney, an associate professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University. “’Are we safe? Are our kids safe? Is it OK for me to go to a restaurant?’ The things that we had started to accept were normal again.” While U.S. health officials say delta is on its way

to becoming the country’s dominant strain, an analysis by genomic testing firm Helix suggests it’s already there, accounting for about 40% of new infections. As hospitalizations rise in some states, the Biden administration is sending response teams to less-vaccinated areas to try to combat its spread. First seen in India, the mutant is estimated to be 55% more transmissible than the alpha variant that surfaced in the U.K. While the severity of disease the newer strain causes isn’t fully clear, some data suggests it leads to a higher risk of hospitalization than alpha. Weapons That Work Vaccines from Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca Plc give protection against delta, research shows. Yet for millions of unvaccinated Americans, largely concentrated in the south and central regions of the country, the variant presents a serious threat, Ranney said. Many unvaccinated See Delta’s on pg.2

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Page 2 Wednesday, July 7, 2021

News Delta’s... Continued from pg.1 people live in low-income areas and are at greater risk of developing severe disease due to underlying conditions, she said, so delta’s spread could lead to even greater disparities in health outcomes. There’s also the looming potential that if the virus continues to spread and evolve, it could to take on a form capable of evading vaccines. A related strain called delta-plus has already emerged, but researchers have said there’s no evidence yet to suggest it adds to the danger. “Weapons we have work against this virus,” said Mark Pandori, director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory. But “we could let this virus stay in the community, and it will become something that our weapons don’t work on. And that’s what we should be afraid of.” Gaining Attention Already, the variant has disrupted some nations’ plans for a return to normal life. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushed back the lifting of many U.K. restrictions by a month to mid-July and is now saying some precautions will remain even longer. Regions of Australia have responded to its spread with lockdowns. In the U.S., where just about half the population is fully vaccinated, delta has gotten Americans’ attention: 84% have heard of it, and 72% are at least somewhat concerned, according to an Axios-Ipsos poll this week. Yet few people are taking more precautions, according to the poll. And guidelines from health officials are mixed: Los Angeles County recom-

mended wearing masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still says fully vaccinated people can shed masks in most settings. “There’s a degree of flexibility,” Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s medical adviser on Covid, said in a press briefing Thursday. “People at the local level, depending upon the on-ground situation, will make recommendations or not according to the local situation.” In areas where the strain is feeding cases, there are some signs of increased caution. In Arkansas, one of the least-vaccinated states, daily vaccinations now appear to be trending up, according state epidemiologist Jennifer Dillaha. On a good day, the state might see 5,000 shots administered; on Tuesday, it was more than 10,000, she said. “PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO ANTICIPATE THE REST OF THE SUMMER WITH MORE APPREHENSION,” DILLAHA SAID. Back to Offices Some Arkansans are being more careful about going out in public, and even some who are fully vaccinated are still masking, she said. State officials are already looking to the fall, asking about how the variant could affect schools when they come back into session. In Missouri, where delta has also fueled cases, the St. Joseph School District moved summer programs at two schools online after students had to quarantine due to Covid exposure, Superintendent Doug Van Zyl said. Now, as those programs have ended, the school district is looking at its plans for the fall, he said. Continuing to use vaccines and masks will be key to allowing workers to return to offices, said David Holtgrave, dean of the School of Public Health at the University at Albany. “The more we use those tools now, with urgency and on a large scale, the more we’ll be able

to think about returning to office and school this fall in a way that looks like a return to normal,” he said. “The less we do that now, the more disruption there will be.” Vaccine Question But the most pressing question may be how well vaccines will continue to hold up. As delta has spread in Colorado, health officials there began seeing higher attack rates and potential increases in cases among vaccinated people in long-term care facilities, said Ginger Stringer, epidemiology response program manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The department asked for help from the CDC to understand what delta’s implications were for vaccine effectiveness in general, and for older people and those with chronic diseases. Health officials would like to know how likely it is that a fully vaccinated person who contracts delta will transmit it, said Dillaha, the Arkansas epidemiologist. The uncertainty around that question is part of why Los Angeles County recommended masking for all residents, Barbara Ferrer, director of the county’s department of public health, said at a press briefing. Those gaps in knowledge add to the difficulty of making public-health decisions for a population fatigued by pandemic limits. Policymakers are facing “a horrible dilemma,” said Jonathan Javitt, a senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. “People have finally gotten out. They’ve finally tasted a bit of freedom,” said Javitt, who’s also chief executive officer of NRX Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is developing a therapy for severe Covid patients. After experiencing months of restrictions, “there’s only so much the average person is willing to take.” news.ed@ocolly.com

News Mix... Continued from pg.1

Logan Stockemer, a sophomore in chemical engineering, has a specific custom Dr. Pepper that he orders – cherry vanilla diet Dr. Pepper with easy ice. “I love cherry Dr. Pepper, and vanilla in my pop is so good, so I decided to mix them and try it out,” Stockemer said. “And I think I can speak for everyone and say no one likes watered down pop so I always get easy ice.” Stockemer is not the only student who enjoys the vanilla flavor add-in. Shelby Weymouth is a sophomore majoring in Finance who based her Sonic order off her love of vanilla. “I like my custom drink because it is very fresh, but I really like vanilla in everything I drink. I came up with this drink because I already like Vanilla Coke, so I figured it had to be good!” Weymouth said. Weymouth is also a member on the Sonic app. The Sonic app allows you to order ahead and get half-priced drinks and slushes every time you visit. Many students have invested in the app to save money or make their Sonic trips quicker and more convenient. Chloe Blood is a sophomore majoring in hospitality, tourism and management, and she is an avid user of the Sonic app. Her custom drink order is a lemonade with raspberry. “I like the Sonic App because it makes the ordering process so much easier,” Blood said. “And if you have more than one person in the car you can order at once and not have to pull up and orderly separately or have one person pay for everything.” Many other students get water at Sonic and add flavors or combinations of flavors for only about 10 cents per flavor. There is also the option to add sugar-free flavorings, real fruit, and candy. Lauren Flake is a sophomore majoring in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. Her go-to Sonic order is water with lemon, lime, and strawberry flavor add-ins. No matter the combination of drinks and flavorings, students all around Stillwater love creating custom Sonic orders. news.ed@ocolly.com

Page 4 Wednesday, July 7, 2021

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sports

Trip to Tulsa OSU men’s basketball visits Greenwood

Twitter (@OSUMBB)

Sam Hutchens Staff Reporter Mike Boynton places importance on helping his players in transition. On June 23, however, it was not fast break layups he was concerned with, but the transition of a different kind. Boynton, the head coach of the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team, and his team recently visited the Greenwood District in Tulsa. It was the site of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, where white rioters

destroyed the affluent black neighborhood known as “Black Wall Street.” The losses were major, displacing thousands of African Americans and devastating thriving businesses. Now, reconstructed into a successful community, the Greenwood district serves as a teaching tool and as grounds for reflection. Bryce Thompson, a Tulsa native and newcomer to the Cowboy basketball team, shared his thoughts from the visit in a Cowboy basketball video posted to Twitter. “Being from here, it’s very important that I know what happened,” Thompson said. “There’s a lot of stuff that I didn’t know, didn’t learn about. To be able to come down here, learn about the people that died, the people that helped our people develop and how the money stayed within this circle and were able to thrive, it’s very

important.” The Cowboys learned about race relations and history. The impact visiting the site had on players and the lessons it taught may not be seen directly on the scoreboard, but rather years down the road when players careers are over. “My number one job here is to help these kids in their transition,” Boynton said. “Find out who they want to be and help them become that. It’s an educational process.” The entire team OSU team made the trip; players and staff alike. “In order to figure out where you want to go you’ve got to know where you came from,” Boynton said. “Your roots. Especially now with everything that’s been going on. Understanding what happened there, the legacy that was left behind.” Whether reading the plaques

describing the tragic happenings and recovery or walking around the area and being immersed in what was, the trip was enjoyed. “It gives you some perspective that maybe you wouldn’t have otherwise,” Boynton said. “I’m really thankful that we were able to do it.” For a team with black and white players and coaches, the visit was more than a weekend trip to the lake or a team dinner at a coach’s house. “Our guys can understand (how important Greenwood Oklahoma was to the black community), Boynton said. “It was a great opportunity. I’m glad they embraced it. They wanted to be there; it was a learning experience. I look forward to taking my family there.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Page 6 Wednesday, July 7, 2021

sports

Gut-wrenching question The story of the Brad Holt Memorial Tournament

Ben Hutchens Staff Reporter Ron Holt asked himself a gutwrenching question after his son died in a car wreck. Would anyone remember his son, Brad, a couple years after the shock of the accident wore off? Brad Holt had just graduated from Stillwater High School in 1991 and was committed to play baseball at Cowley Community College. Because of a rain out, instead of playing in the American Legion Baseball finals, Holt went to Tulsa with his brother and close friend. During the 3 a.m. drive back, the driver of the vehicle fell asleep and veered into the center median, throwing Brad’s body out of the car. He died on impact; his lifeless body cradled first by his brother. “It was very tragic what happened that day,” Mike Brown said. Brown, a three-year starter at catcher for Stillwater, counted Brad as a little brother and eventually passed the catching torch to the kid who was always hanging around the team. “Brad was the guy that everybody (on the team) took care of because he wasn’t entitled, he didn’t think he was better, he didn’t think he was cool, he just wanted to hang around us and do that stuff,” Brown said. The year after Brad’s death, the Hanner-Sharp American Legion Post 129 renamed its tournament in Brad’s memory. “If (the tournament) had Brad’s name on it, we wanted it to be something special that people would re-

member and want to be a part of,” Ron said. The Brad Holt Memorial Tournament has been a gem among other summer baseball tournaments for over a quarter century. It has hosted seventime MLB all-star Matt Holliday and Oklahoma State University pitching great Pat Hope. The Holt’s tournament separates itself by selling commemorative programs, t-shirts and giving away raffle prizes courtesy of generous sponsors. All proceeds from this year went to Guthrie High School baseball and the Brad Holt Memorial Scholarship fund. Along with all the great things the Brad Holt Memorial Tournament provides (with the concession stand’s homemade cinnamon rolls being near the top of the list), the tournament offers a greater value for Ron and his wife Becky. “(Brad’s) death was July 4 and we have this tournament around this time so that takes our mind off what we would probably be sitting around thinking about,” Ron said. The Oklahoma Dirt Bags, a team from Stillwater, won the 2021

Brad Holt Memorial Tournament last weekend at Squires field in Guthrie with a 3-0 record and run differential of plus 26. The tournament that is so precious to the Holt family and everyone involved almost folded when several teams dropped in the days leading up to the event. Guthrie High School baseball coach Casey Porter wasn’t going to let it happen. Porter quickly called other coaches and helped get enough teams to play. “It’s real simple (why I did that),” Porter said. “There’s 25 Holt family members all down there getting together and celebrating Brad. It’s that simple. This is a celebration of Brad’s life and the Holt family gets to do it every year and its very important that we keep doing it every year.” Porter played on the same Stillwater baseball team as Brad Holt and the two were close friends. “We grew up going to church together, playing ball together, playing ball against each other, we were family from the time we were four,” Porter said. “The Holt’s and the Porters are

Ben Hutchens

family.” Porter said he feels a large responsibility to share his former friend’s legacy with the young men on the Guthrie High School team he coaches. He said his team appreciated Brad Holt’s story and the legacy he left behind. “I’m a history teacher, so history and nostalgia are big to me,” Porter said. “One of the coolest things about this was when I called these coaches, one of the first things they asked was ‘Who was Brad Holt?’” Porter got the joy of sharing Brad Holt’s legacy with coaches and youth all while joining in the celebration of his old friend’s life. The answer to Ron Holt’s painful inquiry is clearer than ever 30 years after his son’s death. “This whole tournament and everything Ron and Becky have done with the memorial has changed some of that tragedy into a triumph,” Brown said.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

FOR RELEASE JULY 7, 2021

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Business Squares

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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 1 Tomato used for paste 5 Comic strip frame 10 Cookbook abbr. 14 Issue with a URL 15 Colleague of Amy and Sonia 16 Roast, on le menu 17 Amazed 19 Wilson of “Zoolander” 20 Boring lecture feature 21 Agatha contemporary 22 Blue Bonnet, e.g. 23 Small change 25 Swear off sinning 27 Shout from Speedy Gonzales 30 Set, as a price 32 A or Ray, say 35 Chip away at 38 Branch 39 Amazed 41 “101 Dalmatians” villain Cruella de __ 42 __ Ludington, 1777 militiaalerting rider 44 “Well done!” 45 Widen, as a hole opening 46 Attempts 48 Very 50 __ music: orchestrates 52 Ate 54 End for soft or silver 55 GPS options 57 Bob Marley, e.g. 61 Lago contents 62 Amazed 64 Foul weather gear for Brits 65 Permeate 66 A fisherman may spin one 67 Jet black 68 Until now 69 British submachine gun DOWN 1 Collecting Soc. Sec., maybe 2 Sharif of “Che!”

7/7/21

By Kurt Krauss

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Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

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7/7/21

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Daily Horoscope Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes

Level 1

Today’s Birthday (07/07/21). Grow shared prosperity through collaboration this Transformative discoveries this summer lead to a team challenge this autumn. Winter recharges your physical performance and health before a delightful social phase next spring. Collaboration gets lucrative. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Study and write. Stand up for what’s important. Begin by learning the facts. Articulate a persuasive case and share it far and wide. Keep strengthening support structures. Current obstacles fade later. Prepare and polish marketing materials and presentations. Get ready. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Carve out some special alone time. Revive your spirit with a natural connection. Set aside doubts. Pursue personal passions and diversions. Nurture yourself. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is a 7 — Contemplate deep questions. Consider possibilities. Private inquiries lead to interesting opportunities. Listen to considerations. Choose freely. Make plans and preparations. Make a spiritual connection. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate to reinforce team structures. Listen to considerations and align on actions. Find a way around obstacles. Together, you have a wider view. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Handle professional responsibilities before going out to play. Resolve a breakdown or make corrections. Keep your Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Watch where you’re going, to avoid a bad step. Monitor conditions carefully before beginning. Consider potential consequences. Study the situation and share your discoveries. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Review the numbers with your partner. Adjust the budget to the circumstances. Get creative, to meet your goals. Find a way around a temporary challenge. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Collaboration can get through where individuals get stalled. Work with your partner to resolve a puzzle. Focus on practical priorities. Strengthen basics and foundations. physical moves. Gentleness works better than force. tracted by doubts or fears. Reconnect with someone special over shared passions. Give in to fun and relaxation. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — You can resolve a domestic puzzle. Come up with a workable solution. Listening can impact more than speaking. Let someone know they’ve been heard.

7/7/21 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