Monday, March 30, 2020

M o n day, M a r c h 3 0, 2 0 2 0

Joe exotic on campus

Before his docuseries “Tiger King” reached Netflix, Joe Exotic campaigned for office at OSU

C OV E R S T O RY

That time Joe Exotic spoke at OSU Ryan N ovoz in s k y D i g i tal Ed itor @ryan n ovo6 2

In the popular Netflix documentary “Tiger King,” Joe Exotic is shown to make an impact--whether it’s good or bad--in most places he visits. This was the case when he visited Oklahoma State University two years ago.

On April 26, 2018, candidates in the Oklahoma gubernatorial election met at OSU’s Student Union Theater to discuss issues impacting the state.

Many top candidates were there, including current Gov. Kevin Stitt, runnerup Drew Edmondson and former Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett, but the first one who spoke that night was the flamboyant, mullet-sporting cowboy, Exotic.

“We’ll start left to right, starting with Joe Maldonado, and then we’ll rotate that as we go,” said OSU alumnus David Stewart, who introduced the candidates at the event.

Joe’s response set the tone for the rest of his comments that night.

“Hey ladies and gentlemen, thanks for having us here on the ballot,” he said. “My name’s actually Joe Exotic.”

In a room full of suits, politicians and political correctness, Exotic wasn’t going to conform. He was proud to go by his nickname and, as he stated in the documentary, he “re-

@Joe_Exotic/twitter

Two years before the Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” was released, Joe Exotic spoke at OSU and met with students.

fuses to wear a suit.” He was on stage in a lively brown jacket, jeans and his signature Seth Wadley Auto Group Hat. “You know, I’m a little bit different than everybody else, so I’m not in a suit, I ain’t gonna take my earrings out and I ain’t gonna cut my hair or anything else because I’m not gonna be fake,” Exotic said. “I come from out in the rural area. I know what’s wrong. I live in the real world. I know how to fix it.”

The casual way he dressed coincided with his policies, too. One of his main stances was wanting the common people and small business owners to be able to compete with big corpo-

rations.

“Oklahoma has been open for business for quite some time for a special select group of people: the windmill farms, the oil companies, big businesses, in order to give them tax breaks to come into Oklahoma and open up their businesses,” he said. “But the problem with that is, when the oil goes boom, everybody’s unemployed, and they go back to wherever they come from until the oil picks back up. Meanwhile, the businesses that struggle in this state, which is the mom and pop businesses like yours and mine, continue to pay the highest tax rates, and we work the hardest in order to keep this state

functioning by hiring people and keeping the taxes going so we can pay the bills.

“So what we need to do if we’re gonna open business in Oklahoma is we need to make it fair for everybody. I think we should have a flat tax rate for everybody to pay so everybody can compete on the same field. It doesn’t matter if you have four employees or if you got 2,000 employees” A majority of Exotic’s policies focused on small business owners and people in rural areas. When discussing education at this forum, Exotic said the government should focus more on people who don’t have an interest in attending a

university.

“I’m all for higher education, you have your beautiful school here,” Exotic said of OSU. “But we’re forgetting a very big part of Oklahoma out there and that’s rural Oklahoma. Not everything out in rural Oklahoma is fit for the kids to come [to college].

We’ve got to get more trade schools going on, we got to get more things set up in the schools for the people that are in the areas where they live and the interests they have in. Not everybody is for college.”

Whether it’s way of life or policies, Exotic seems all about appealing to common people.

This was evident when

he announced that he was coming to speak at the school.

Hours before the meeting started, Exotic took to Twitter to send a message to OSU students: he was coming with tiger-print yard signs and campaign rolling papers-- a thin paper that can be used with tobacco or marijuana products.

The message was out there, and the people listened. Exotic was seen posing for pictures with students after the event in front of a stretch limousine with his name on it.

He even tweeted a picture after the forum and stated his love for OSU’s students.

“OSU gang, I love you,” Exotic said.

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Former U.S. senator and How The Barn is adapting during COVID-19 pandemic OSU alumnus dies at 72 Ryan Novozi ns k y Di gi tal E di to r @ ryannovo 6 2

E lli e Meler o N ews Ed ito r @e lean or _ m el er o

Former U.S. Senator and Oklahoma State alumnus Tom Coburn died Saturday morning after a long fight against prostate cancer. He was 72.

“Tom A. Coburn, MD, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully at home this morning surrounded by his family,” his family said in a statement. “Because of his strong faith, he rested in the hope found in John chapter 11 verse 25 where Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, will live, even though they die.’ Today he lives in heaven.”

Coburn was born March 14, 1948, in Casper, Wyoming, and grew up in Muskogee.

He graduated from OSU as a top ten senior from the College of Business Administration with a bachelor of science in accounting in 1970. He later attended the University of Oklahoma Medical School and graduated in 1983.

Coburn served in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms from 1995 to 2001 and later in U.S. Senate from 2005 to 2015.

He was a staunch conservative, and he consistently fought against

Gage Skidmore / flickr

Former U.S. Senator and OSU alumnus died Saturday morning after a long fight with prostate cancer. He was 72.

what he considered to be unnecessary spending and fought for anti-abortion legislation. In 2011, he was a member of the “Gang of Six,” a bipartisan group that worked on a proposal to cut the U.S. federal debt by trillions of dollars.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 and announced his retirement from Congress in 2014, two years before the end of his second Senate term.

In a statement Saturday, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter expressed his condolences to the Coburn family.

“I was privileged to know Tom as a friend

and colleague,” Hunter sadi. “He was a man of principle and dauntless in his pursuit of conservative policy objectives. I often thought of him as the embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena comment in his Citizenship in a Republic speech, which surmised that the credit belongs to the man who dares greatly.”

In a tweet Saturday, President Burns Hargis also expressed his condolences.

“It’s a sad day for the Cowboy Family,” Hargis’ tweet said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Tom Coburn.”

Since 1994, customers at The Barn in Stillwater have been buying beer and wine in a unique way. To make a purchase, people literally drive through a big red building on Washington Street and check out without ever exiting their vehicle.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic rising, things have to evolve. Now, The Barn is driving their cars to you.

On March 24, the Oklahoma alcoholic beverage laws enforcement commission announced that alcoholic beverages could now be delivered to people 21 and over until April 17.

For a business that runs on customer convenience, manager Travis Smith knew this would be perfect for the shop.

“ABLE commission released a statement saying that we were allowed to deliver, and at that point I thought it would be a great way to turn the community,” Smith said of Oklahoma’s Alcohol Beverage Laws Enforcement group.

The addition of delivery adds to the accessibility of The Barn. Stillwater residents can still go to the drive-thru or call 405-377WINE (9463) to have Smith deliver alcohol or other goods to them personally.

Despite only doing deliveries for a few days, Smith says he’s already met many great people -- all while keeping social distance.

“Yesterday I was able to deliver to a lady who is start-

Adam Luther/O’Colly

The Barn Spirits & Liquor is now delivering amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

ing (chemotherapy),” Smith said. “She was a really nice lady. I didn’t really get to talk to her much because we had to social distance, and it’s not just alcohol we deliver; it’s general convenience store items, too.”

These general convenience store items include chips, candy, pop, juice and most other things one could find at a convenience store.

With people flocking to grocery stores, these delivery convenience items could be a life saver to people most vulnerable to the virus.

And vulnerable populations are important to Smith.

“My parents are both elderly, so I worry a lot about (COVID-19) in general,” he said.

In fact, Smith had to forgo his original plans for a delivery driver to help protect someone who falls in this category: his 72-year-old father and Barn co-owner, Calvin. Initially, the plan was to have Calvin do the delivery runs and convey a positive message with his friendly face.

Unfortunately, Calvin wasn’t able to do his thing for long. In accordance with Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt’s “safer-at-home” order, which requests that the most vulnerable people to the virus stay sheltered at home, Calvin had to end his

one-day stint as a delivery driver. Travis said despite this change of plans, Calvin is bringing his strong work ethic to the yard at home. “(Calvin) is at home right now, and he’s out spraying the yard for weeds,” Travis said. “He’s crazy, I could say that.”

The measures Smith has taken during this pandemic are both lifesaving and convenient to customers.

The way The Barn and other small businesses in Stillwater have adapted to COVID-19 has received praise by many local leaders, including Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce.

“I’ve been really encouraged to see the adaptability of some of our businesses and our economy overall,” Joyce said. “To continue to serve in the current situation, I think it’s a good thing.

“I know the state ABLE commission relaxed some rules to allow for delivery of alcohol and that sort of thing. So I’m glad to see that some of those changes have been made to allow for some of that adaptability. I would expect nothing less from businesses and entrepreneurs in our area and around the country to find ways and help deal with the changing circumstances right now and to serve their customers however they can.”

lifestyle

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Greenwood School of Music develops Shelter in Place new ways for students to perform issued in Stillwater M egan Hays L ife style Editor @ megther ep orter

From sports to classes, things are being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Oklahoma State’s social distancing directive. For most students, it is an adjustment to dealing with online classes, but for seniors at the Greenwood School of Music, a greater conflict has come up.

Their required senior recitals have been completely cancelled.

For seniors, this is not only a degree requirement but something they look forward to for years and a chance to stand on the McKnight Center stage as a soloist to display the skills they developed during their studies.

The director of the Greenwood School of Music, Jeffrey Loeffert, has been working with professors and students to find alternatives to ensure students are still able to perform and graduate.

“Of course, it means for degree recitals to students, they will not be able to engage in those (rectials) in the traditional way,” Loeffert said. “So we’re giving students a lot of options. We want to be flexible to meet their own circumstances.”

The solution revolves around students recording themselves performing their selected pieces with a local pianist or a recorded track to play over sent

exclusively to their professors or live streamed. In some cases, a student may change what their senior project is completely based on their circumstances.

Steffi Tetzloff, an instrumental performance senior, will play her trumpet while working with a pianist in her hometown and sending the recording to her professors.

“It is nice that we do have the technology to send videos, and I still get to kinda have that experience,” Tetzloff said. “Although nothing compares to having a live recital, especially since the McKnight center just opened.

That would have been my big chance to play in the recital hall as a soloist.

So now, knowing that I won’t get that opportunity is sad.”

While Tetzloff will still be able to experience working with another person on her performance, students like Clayton Chai, a music education senior, will be working with a backtrack.

“The main thing is collaborating with others,” Chai said. “In my recital, I was going to have my brother perform on it like a duet with me. We’ll be able to do that, but it’s just not the same. It’ll feel more like a practice than a performance… You don’t get that connection that you get when you’re playing right next to each other and feeding off each other’s energy and musical

K ayla D u n n E ditor in Chief @ K aylaJ_ D u n n

Logan Biggins/O’Colly

The Recital Hall at the McKnight Center will remain empty for the rest of the semester as all senior recitals are cancelled. With this cancellation, students and faculty needed to come up with new ways to perform.

ideas.”

This lack of collaborative experience was Loeffert’s main concern when recitals had to be reinvented to work with the circumstances.

“That’s something we can’t simulate,” Loeffert said. “An example being large ensembles, those courses had to be cancelled because of the social distancing directive because there is no way an ensemble of multiple people can play together virtually because that’s where collaboration has to happen: in real time and close proximity. With the student recitals, even the preparation part, they have to prepare with their instructor or a collaborative pianist that’s no longer an option. I think that suffers a little bit.”

Even with circumstances not being the best, Loeffert

is focusing on what this could mean for the department. He sees it as an opportunity to reinvison the traditional recital practice as well as changes that could make the teaching at Greenwood better.

“Everything is an opportunity, and there are going to be parts of this that are going to work quite well, and I’m hopeful that since we’re forced into a situation where we have to be resourceful and innovative and find a different pathway to make things work,” Loeffert said. “I’m actually hopeful that we’ll retain some of the tools we’ve learned over these few weeks and the spirit of being innovative and resourceful and see how we can be better instructors and a better program going into the fall semester.”

On Tuesday morning, a shelter in place policy should take effect in Stillwater to further enforce the severity of the COVID pandemic at hand.

According to Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce, the details of the policy will be finalized at a special City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. today (Monday, March 30, 2020). The policy could implement tighter restrictions on what businesses/ services are open and further encourage citizens to stay home unless leaving is truly vital.

Although the specifics of Stillwater’s shelter in place policy are still undefined, cities such as Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa have already implemented and defined their own shelter in place policies.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt believes the shelter in place policy not only demonstrates the gravity of the situation more explicitly, but it also removes confusion and allows for law enforcement measures.

“You can still go to work if your job is deemed essential. You still go to get groceries, gas, medicine, and other goods you need,” Holt said. “Shelter in place means, just as we have been saying since the governor’s orders on Tuesday, you should stay home.”

In Oklahoma City, if citizens do not comply, police have the right to investigate and issue a citation.

The shelter in place policy title is reminiscent of a wartime or severe weather procedure and political leaders, such as Holt, have publically discussed the gravity of such language.

“We don’t yet know how long this new normal will last. To some extent, that depends on the virus. To some extent, it depends on you,” Holt said.

Possible measures for Stillwater’s shelter in place policy include new limitations on city facilities, public tennis courts and parks.

Joyce, Holt and other political leaders have assured their communities that this does not mean people will be stopped and asked for proper documentation while out on a jog, but instead they hope such policies will communicate to citizens that staying home is a necessity.

“It basically gives us an enforceable order for people to stay home unless they have an essential reason to be out of their house,” Joyce said. As COVID cases in Oklahoma and the nation continue to rise, even small communities such as Stillwater must alter their lifestyle and implement measures to “flatten the curve.”

“The success of these efforts depends on each of us choosing to put the welfare of the community ahead of our own desires,” Joyce wrote. The special City Council meeting will be held over Zoom and then live-streamed to the City of Stillwater’s YouTube channel, Suddenlink channel 14 and AT&T U-verse channel 99.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Houses For Rent

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Run __ of the law: get in trouble 6 Seized SUV, say 10 Pumpkin dessert 13 Style 15 Wind instrument in Donovan’s “Jennifer Juniper” 16 “__ ideas?”

17 Studio feature that produces reverb 19 GPS choice 20 AFL partner 21 Pool-filling aid 22 Spa sigh 23 Fifty percent 25 Very popular movie star, e.g.

30 Advanced in age 33 Museum of Natural __ 34 Goat’s cry 35 Pasta sauce brand 36 Poe’s “Annabel __” 37 2017 DayLewis film with multiple Oscar nominations 41 True master 42 Days, to Diego 43 Famous Downing Street address 44 Bone-muscle connectors 46 Like moody Romantic heroes, as first described in the works of a British lord 50 Talk Like a Pirate Day greeting 52 Centers of activity 53 Before, to poets 54 Untidy condition 57 __ Van Winkle 58 Sassy West 59 Last leg of a race ... or a hint to the circled letters 63 SUV’s “U,” briefly 64 “Easy to Be Hard” musical 65 Way out of jail 66 Ed.’s backlog 67 “Don’t move, Rover!”

68 More sensible

600+ Rental Units Available Full Listings @ Stillwaterpm. com Stillwater Property 633 N. Husband 405-743-2126

MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020

Your Classified Ad or Business Square could be here! $10/Week Published online 3 times a week.

Email ads@ocolly.com or lori@ocolly.com Advertise your business specials, online or remote church activities, houses and apartments for rent, help wanted ads, or any other special your business is offering.

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Level 1

2

3

4

3/30/20

By Annemarie Brethauer

DOWN 1 “Cocoon” co-star Don 2 Spa skin-care treatment 3 Waiting for a phone rep, maybe 4 Tres menos dos 5 Solidarity’s Walesa 6 Juliet’s love 7 Tidal reflux 8 “Nevermore” poet 9 Poet’s contraction 10 Geometry curve 11 Losing money, colorfully 12 Organ with a pupil 14 Letter after pi 18 Pallid 22 Check no.

24 National Preparedness Month org.

26 “Is __ legal?”

27 First of two nearly identical words to a tucked-in tot 28 Loan shark 29 Whiskey grain 31 Hit-or-miss

Daily Horoscope

c las s if ieds

FOR RELEASE MARCH 30, 2020

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

3/30/20

Solution to Saturday’s puzzle

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

32 Rita Moreno, e.g.

35 Apt. ad count 37 Warms in advance 38 Award recipients 39 Hops kiln 40 Organic compound 41 School support org.

45 Color, as hair 46 Tournament passes

3/30/20

47 McAfee rival 48 Frozen spike 49 Coded writing 51 Nail-filing board 55 Car care brand 56 Mex. ladies 58 “The word” in silence 59 FDA overseer 60 Breakfast grain 61 Hamm of soccer 62 Important period

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

© 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Today’s Birthday (03/30/20). This year blesses your career, status and influence.

Contribute to strengthen vital teamwork. Professional triumphs inspire resolution of a family plot twist. Expect shifting travel conditions this summer, inspiring an indulgence in domestic joys. Changing news next winter leads an investigation to discoveries. Realize a dream.

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 a 7 -- Recharge at home. Help your team score over the next six weeks, with Mars in Aquarius. Anything seems possible together. Engage in community action.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Move forward boldly. Advance in your career, with Mars in Aquarius over the next six weeks. Take leadership. Accept authority. Keep your objective in mind.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Wear comfortable shoes over the next six weeks, with Mars in Aquarius. Pursue travels, studies and adventures.

Follow the thread of a fascinating inquiry.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Take charge. Grow your shared accounts, with Mars in Aquarius. Coordinate and implement your plans together.

Monitor investments, expenditures and cash flow.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Compromise for common goals. Work together to get farther, with Mars in Aquarius for six weeks. Support your partner and ask for help when needed.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Balance work and health, with Mars in Aquarius. Provide excellence and reap the benefits over the next six weeks.

Nurture yourself with exercise and good food.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Follow your heart. Actions speak louder than words, with Mars in Aquarius. Passion and creativity infuse the atmosphere. Fun is the name of the game.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Study and research. Improve your living conditions. Apply elbow grease for home renovation, organization and beautification. Pamper your family with seasonal flavors and colors.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Do your part. Learn difficult material quickly, with Mars in Aquarius. Dig for the underlying truth. Write, record and share your discoveries. Speak out.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- With Mars in Aquarius for six weeks, make profitable financial moves. Wheel and deal. Generate positive cash flow. Energize your work to grow accounts.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Practice your moves. Take bold, decisive action for a personal dream, with Mars in your sign. You’ve got the power!

Steer a steady course.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Create your vision. Make long-term plans and priorities over the next six weeks, with Mars in Aquarius. Clean closets, garages and attics. Organize for what’s next.