Tuesday, March 9, 2021
It’s our turn
Oklahoma moves into phase 3 of vaccine distribution, making college student eligible for vaccination
Maddison Farris Phase 3 of the Oklahoma vaccine distribution plan is beginning on Tuesday. This is the third of four phases that aim to vaccinate all eligible individuals by the end of May. This phase includes teachers, staff and residents in other educational settings, as well as other various critical personnel. This includes college students and staff, some of whom have already received vaccinations under the ordinance of phase 2. Earlier today the CDC announced that fully vaccinated individuals were safe to gather indoors without masks or the need to socially distance. The future is still unknown, but Stillwater leaders are pleased
at the progress of vaccine distribution. “I’m excited to see that they’ve moved so quickly into phase 3,” said Stillwater Mayor, Will Joyce. The announcement of the move into phase 3 raises questions concerning mask mandates in relations to new CDC guidelines, but these issues have yet to be publicly addressed. “I hope this summer in Stillwater will be close to normal, and certainly by next fall with students coming back and all the excitement around a new semester, and all the fun fall things we do here in Stillwater, I’m really hopeful that we’ll be able to do that pretty close to the way we’ve done it in the past.” Said Joyce. Oklahoma State has already announced the intent for in-person classes in the fall of 2021, but the need for mask requirements remains unknown at this time. news.ed@ocolly.com
Honoring the Women of America A brief history of National Women’s History Month
Joshua Cleary Pioneered by the vision of self-empowerment and the chance to stand up for themselves, Anita Hill, Nancy Randolph Davis and Mary Fallin each earned the respect of all with their unwavering passion.
By Natalie Leding When you think of women’s history, usually Rosie the Riveter comes to mind. While she is a part of it,
there are thousands of other women that contributed to the growth of America. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected into the US Congress, said, “Tremendous amounts of talent are
being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.” Since the late ‘80s, March has been nationally recognized to honor what women have done for the country. It is in
place to recognize what women have done for American history, including how they have contributed and what they have accomplished. This celebration first started in the ‘70s as an educational week, leading up to March 8, International Women’s Day. “The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration for 1978,” according to the National Women’s History Alliance. This special week was put forth to educate the youth on how women contributed to the U.S. According to the NWHA website, “Over 100 community women participated by doing special presentations in classrooms throughout the country and an annual “Real Woman” essay contest drew hundreds of entries.” On March 8, there was a celebratory parade to end the week. Two years later, the first presidential proclamation regarding National Women’s History Week, was declared by President Jimmy Carter. In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month. We have been able to celebrate the women of America for the last 34 years, which allowed women’s history to be integrated into school curriculums. Coretta Scott King once said: “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.” Visit https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org to learn more about the NWHA and Women’s History Month. news.ed@ocolly.com