Friday, May 6, 2022
Graduation Edition
Economics senior graduates at 19, debt free high school students an introduction to college-level classes and gain college credit before graduating high school. Stone excelled in his five AP classes, earning all A’s. “The only class I didn’t make an A in that year was actually German, which I made all C’s,” Stone said. Growing up with their father in
Dru Norton News Editor At 19, Joe Stone is not an average college graduate. Stone, an economics major, cut his four years of college in half; graduating in just two years. Not only did Stone fast-forward his college experience, he earned a 4.0 each semester and will have no student debt. “I didn’t expect to get a 4.0, but it just kind of happened,” Stone said. Growing up, Stone said he was better known to his teachers and peers as the class clown, not the smart kid. “As a kid, I wanted my teachers to think I’m not smart because one, then they don’t expect a lot, and two, I was always the class clown,” Stone said. “I didn’t study for the tests, but I always did well on them. I was this smart kid, but I never tried to be the smart kid, I just wanted to have fun.” Stone said he was an average high school student his first two years, earning a 3.0. Until his junior year, when Stone decided to take advanced placement (AP) classes developed to give
Before graduating from Norman North High School in 2020, Stone made it his goal: he would be a debt free college graduate. “I thought, ‘If I can get all of this crammed into two years, then I don’t have to pay
Stone needed 86 more hours to complete a degree in economics. At first, Stone said his mom was skeptical of his decision.
Abby Cage After graduation, Joe Stone will attend law school at the University of Oklahoma.
the Air Force, Stone and his sister were eligible to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill. This bill was designed to help active military members serving after Sept. 11 pay for up to four years of college, which Stone’s father transferred to his children. Stone and his sister split the bill; each having two years of college paid for.
anything,’” Stone said. “I might as well try, why not?” Stone decided on OSU for two reasons: 1. He wanted to stay in-state for college. 2. OSU accepted enough of his AP credits so he could graduate in two years. After earning 34 college credits from his AP classes in high school,
OSU sees highest application numbers since 2013, excited for more growth
“My mom said, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea, everybody that I’ve talked to said it’s going to be super hard, like impossible,’” Stone said. “Then, I went and got a 4.0 that first semester and that made me realize it was probably all going to work out just fine.” See Debt free on 3A
Commencement schedule
Friday 1 p.m. College of Veterinary Medicine 7 p.m. Graduate College
Chris Becker Editor-in-Chief Numbers are everything. At least for colleges and universities. The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on many universities including Oklahoma State, especially in the admissions office. Classes were online, no in-person tours were taking place, which meant recruiting was all done virtually, as most items of business were in 2020-21. However, despite the pandemic, applications rates have continued to rise each fall since 2013, with the exception of the fall of 2021 where applications dipped from the previous term. The sharp rise in admissions, and the controlled damage from the pandemic
Saturday 9 a.m. Ferguson College of Agriculture Courtesy of Gary Lawson As Oklahoma State pushes out of COVID-19 precautions, the university is seeing rising application numbers.
doesn’t surprise Jeff Hartman, the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. “From ground-breaking research to our strong academic profile as well as new leadership with President (Kayse) Shrum and the work going on in our office and across campus, we have great momentum,” Hartman said. In the fall of 2013, the OSU admissions office received 11,064 applications; since then the number has eclipsed 18,000 for fall of 2022. The office of admissions
does set forth a target number of applications they hope to see filter through, and the number changes each year. “One of our goals is to reduce barriers for students,” Hartman said. “The Office of Undergraduate Admissions continues to enhance our process for reviewing applications, which includes our commitment to timely communicate to students regarding their admission status.”
9 a.m. College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology 12:30 p.m. Spears School of Business 3:30 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences 6:30 p.m. College of Education and Human Sciences *All ceremonies will be in GallagherIba Arena
See Applications on 6A
What’s Inside
Thank you Page 4A
Pistol Pete thanks the Cowboy family for their support.
Provost continues Page 6A
A look at of OSU’s options for the new provost.
Seniors last goodbyes Page 8A
Graduating seniors give advice to their freshmen selves.