Fashion design majors overcome obstacles, find success in program
to create three-dimensonal designs of their work.
She’s been a fashion major twice, but she’s graduating with one degree.
Jasmine Waller was devastated when she had to retake a course. Life had been busy — she was working a student job, pouring hours into projects and attending class — and her report card reflected it. Somewhere in between the poor grade and the hours of working on projects, she switched her major to fashion design.
“I actually did it over a break and then immediately came back and was like, ‘I want to change back,’” Waller said. “I didn’t even have a day of classes as a merchandising major.”
Waller said lots of students make the switch, with her 30-person freshman class shrinking to only four graduating students. Fashion majors often put thousands of dollars and hours into their classes, and passersby may hear sewing machines in Nancy Randolph Davis room 480 whirring late into the night, though classes end in the afternoon. Diane Limbaugh, a fashion professor, said OSU’s fashion program doesn’t teach students about only the “pretty” parts of the industry. Housed on the fourth floor of NRD, the fashion program teaches students about garment construction, manufacturing, sustainability and how
Despite the major’s difficulty, Waller preserved.
“I don’t have a plan B,” Waller said.
She remembers her dad rushing to JOANN Fabric and Crafts one Christmas Eve to grab her one last gift — a sewing machine.
Others in the fashion program began the same way. Both Department Head Lynn Boorady and Limbaugh started sewing at 9, but neither imagined themselves making a career out of it. Boorady discovered the possibility when she met with the textile and apparel department while getting her master’s at Cornell, and Limbaugh got her fashion degree at OSU after getting a fashion merchandising undergraduate degree and working in the industry.
Now, they are part of a team of faculty that encourages students to pursue degrees in fashion as undergraduates.
“It’s very rewarding when you see the light bulb turn on in the students’ eyes,” Limbaugh said, “And then to see them be successful in the industry and stay connected and everything is really pretty cool.”
Waller and peer Makenna Bayer are well past that “lightbulb” experience some had in their beginner classes. They’re in the home stretch, designing a seven-piece collection for a fashion show April 25.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Oklahoma State students face challenges with accessibility, disability accommodations
BY KENNEDY THOMASON I STAFF REPORTER I @_KENNEDYPAGE
There’s only been one semester when Belle Wood hasn’t had accessibility issues with professors.
The first-year interdisciplinary studies graduate student has a physical disability and uses a mobility scooter to get across campus. She also has chronic illness and an eye disability, which impacts how long and fast she can read. Because of her disabilities, Wood receives accom -
modations, such as early access to reading materials.
“When I think about how much I did, I think I overdid things,” Wood said. “That’s one thing I’m trying to stay away from in grad school is that I’m tired of babysitting professors, of reminding them of certain things, of being on them. It’s not my responsibility for certain things to remind them to send PowerPoint slides, things like that.”
Oklahoma State has faced
issues with physical and mental accessibility. The university complies with disability and accessibility laws, but some students have expressed difficulty with their learning environment.
For about the first year and a half at OSU, Wood said she didn’t work much with Student Accessibility Services, or SAS, and instead talked with professors, department heads and deans about her accommodations.
OSU student on mission to support
Stillwater elders with Purple Pals
At Stillwater nursing homes, behind the hum of conversation, the occasional beeping of medical monitors and the rhythmic squeak of a nurse’s shoes on tile floors, Anya Thompson fulfills her purpose: to love without conditions. Thompson, a sophomore at
Oklahoma State, juggles many responsibilities, but one takes center stage. She is the president of OSU’s chapter of Purple Pals, a nonprofit focused on connecting college students with elderly people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. The organization aims to enhance the quality of life for seniors while giving caregivers a break.
“I fully believe in that message,” Thompson said. “It’s a space to give caregivers a break and a
space for their loved ones to be around smiling faces and college students.” Thompson, a pre-med student, co-founded OSU’s Purple Pals chapter during her freshman year alongside Paige Harding, a former OSU student whose grandmother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Courtesy Belle Wood
Belle Wood, a graduate student at OSU, requires a mobility scooter to get around campus and has faced some accessibility issues.
Luisa Clausen
Anya Thompson (left) leads Purple Pals, a nonprofit focused on connecting college students and people with Alzheimer’s.
Oklahoma State cuts Innovation Foundation after scathing audit
Friday, and Regent Jennifer Callahan addressed the internal audit afterward. She said she took action to freeze funds to the Innovation Foundation in January after employee complaints of fund mismanagement and observing a meeting that violated the Open Meeting Act.
Several organizational changes have been made in the wake of an audit that found Oklahoma State mismanaged millions in state funds.
The changes, announced Monday in an email from Interim President Jim Hess, include cutting off funding for the Innovation Foundation, which was at the heart of the $41 million in misappropriated funds.
“As part of our work to address issues raised in the audit, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue funding for the The Innovation Foundation at OSU and the shared services and facilities positions within it,” Hess’ statement read. “This decision was necessary as the financial structure of The Innovation Foundation is simply not sustainable. We are working closely with affected employees to provide transition support during this challenging time.” Hess said the financial decisions and transactions were “isolated and do not impact OSU’s overall financial foundation.”
Social Media editor Bryson Thadhani news.ed@ocolly.com
The internal audit found that the Innovation Foundation generated 2% of its revenue, with 96% coming from misappropriated funds. Revenue rapidly declined at the foundation, from $4.2 million in FY23 to $955,000 in FY24 to $150,000 so far in FY25.
According to the Innovation Foundation’s website, its mission was to “maximize the impact of OSU’s excellence in aerospace and advanced mobility, energy, agriculture and One Health, by translating innovative applied research into products and services, facilitating strong partnerships with aligned industry and regional partners, and investing in the development of emerging companies — all for the benefit of society.”
Other organizational changes include naming Dr. Jeff Stroup as the CEO of the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority. Hess previously served as the CEO. Building a new veterinary teaching hospital is one of Hess’ top priorities, as well as one that the regents have placed emphasis on.
Assistant Sports editors Kenzie Kraich, Calif Poncy, Sam Mitchell
Assistant Photo editor Connor Fuxa
Assistant Social Media editor Jose Brito
Assistant Design editors Alexandra Guinn, Tobey Lunceford
Adviser Brett Dawson brett.dawson@okstate.edu
Ask the Pokes
What are your plans for spring break?
“Me and my boyfriend are going on a mini road trip. We’re going to northeast Oklahoma to visit his family and then down to southeast Oklahoma to visit my family.”
- Maddy Claiborn, freshman
“I’m going home. I’m going to be rock climbing a lot at climb Tulsa and going home to spend time with friends and family.”
- Carter Cacciola, freshman
“I’m going home to visit family and friends in Woodlands, Texas. I’ll be working, and my mom and I are going to go get cowboy hats.”
- Madi Gosney, freshman
Sports reporters: Photographers & Designers:
Daniel Allen
Dalton Arredondo
Baylor Bryant
Cayden Cox
Timothy Christensen
Gina Foster
Allyn Orndorff
Kaitlyn Robertson
Wyatt Tessier
Will Thorogood
Wyatt Watson
Weston Wertzberger
News & Lifestyle reporters:
Bella Casey
Sungjoo Chung
Luisa Clausen
Audie Martin
MJ Nyamdavaa
Richard Robertson
Megan Roy Kareem Sawan
Kennedy Thomason
Alli Themer
Olivia Upton
Aliyah Young
Jose Brito
Maya Blanks
Mykalyn Daidone
Catherine Dzanski
Lilian Easter
Andon Freitas
Cody Garcia
Kaytlyn Hayes
Ethan Hilbert
Jonathan Jackson
Michael Jane‘t
Benjamin Perry
Bailey Schmitz
Bryson Thadhani
Payton Little
In an email Monday, it was announced the Innovation Foundation will
News
OSU Chief Beckner discusses transparency at SGA meeting
Question Authority, an event Beckner hosted during his previous role, to OSU. Beckner said he would love to and values student opinion.
After a month on the job, OSU Police Chief Michael Beckner met with the Oklahoma State Student Government Association to discuss his goals for campus and answer questions.
Beckner focused on multiple issues during his remarks, including blue light stations on campus. The stations are posted around campus, and students can press them for assistance. Their use has come into question, but Beckner said the lights will remain operational until a new solution can be found.
One of Beckner’s proposed solutions is switching from the Rave Guardian app to App Armour. The new app would provide a mobile blue light system and eliminate the need to wait at a station.
“You would have a blue light in your pocket no matter where you are at,” Beckner said. “With the mobile blue light wherever you run off to, we know where you went, so we can come to you.” The app also includes a feature called “Friend Walk,” which allows students to alert friends and family that they are traveling and lets them send aid if needed.
“You put in your location, where you’re going, and they’ll watch you go,” Beckner said. “If something happens, they can hit the panic button, or you can hit the panic button, and it switches to the police department.”
Beckner assured that once a student disconnects from the service, the department does not continue tracking the student. Beckner said if the app is approved, the switch would take about a year, allowing students to transition smoothly and learn how to utilize the new app.
Beckner told SGA that he is unafraid of the tough questions and wants to foster a stronger relationship between the OSU community and police force.
”I want to see how we, the police, can be more involved with students,” Beckner said. “We like to be involved with our students. We want to be out there. We want you to trust us. We want you to know our officers by name.”
Senate Speaker Cannon Mitchell asked Beckner if he planned to bring
“I think it’s very important that students have a voice; whether I agree with it or not; it’s your voice, and I’ll protect your rights,” he said.
After one senator posed a question about last year’s car break-ins and the current incidents, Beckner explained his plan to get security cameras on campus working.
“This is a major university living in the ‘80s when it comes to certain technologies,” Beckner said.
Beckner said that after two cars were broken into last month, he asked if he could see the camera footage, but none was available.
“I went to our investigators and said, ‘Well, we got cameras on that, right?’ and that’s when they told me we didn’t have cameras in the parking lot,” Beckner said. “It’s something that we’ve got to work on. Cameras in the parking lots and some other technologies that we have we can use to deter crime.”
Christian Jimenez asked Beckner how he would handle incidents similar to last year when a group verbally harassed several students while driving a truck around campus. The occupants of the truck yelled racial slurs at Jimenez’s friends.
“It felt like the police didn’t really do anything about it,” Jimenez said.
Beckner said he wants his police force to treat every call like it’s a family member calling.
“Understand that it’s important to that person,” Beckner said. “I try to instill in my officers that, ‘It’s your little sister who just called you.’ You want to take it seriously.”
In addressing the lack of trust in police, the chief said that he will defend his officers but is not afraid to hold them accountable.
“I’ll be the first to stand up and say they did it right,” Beckner said. “If the officer was wrong, I’ll look at you and say we’re going to correct it.”
Beckner closed his remarks with the promise of honesty and cooperation with the students and SGA.
“I’m a firm believer in transparency,” Beckner said. “I believe that everybody in this room has the right to know what’s (happening) on campus.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
11.2% in faculty discrepancy between OSU and the Big 12 is a “pressing issue.”
Faculty Council proposes a plan to address 11.2% faculty
salary deficits
two solutions; an immediate salary adjustment and a five-year adjustment. Both would yield about the same overall salary change.
A proposed plan could help change faculty salary disparities at Oklahoma State.
The plan, presented during the Faculty Council meeting Tuesday, presents two options to address faculty salary and compensation, which sits 11.2% below the Big 12 Conference average.
To remedy this, $10.8 million is needed.
Merle Eisenberg, a member of the Faculty Council’s budget committee, said the discrepancy in pay is a “pressing issue.”
“The more loyal and true, the longer you’ve been at the university, the more you’re actually hit by this pay discrepancy,” Eisenberg said.
The report states that of 56 academic departments, the average faculty salary in 30 departments is more than 10% below the Big 12 average.
It also found about 80% of faculty salaries are below the conference average in department and rank. This increases with higher ranks, as some “full professors” are paid less than 50% the average.
The budget committee proposed
Eisenberg said the plan is a first attempt to correct the disparities. He said the goal is to create a plan that works “for the university and faculty in a collaborative way.”
Budget Committee Chair Brad Lawson said the immediate adjustment is unlikely but serves as a starting point for conversation.
Although the plan did not factor benefits in, Lawson said he doesn’t want a “trade off” of benefits or salary.
“We don’t want to end up having a decrease in benefits to raise salary because ultimately, you’re not really doing anything,” Lawson said.
Howard Sanborn, the department head for political science and Budget Committee member, said the plan’s goal is to attract and retain the “best and brightest” professors.
Without competitive pay to offer, Sanborn said faculty in his department have accepted jobs with other universities, citing salary as their reason.
“I think the issue is we can’t keep losing people because they like being here and want to be here, but on some level, even factoring in cost of living, it’s really tough,” Sanborn said.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Google to open Stillwater data center
several local stakeholders,” Joyce said. “Together, we look forward to welcoming Google to the Stillwater community.”
Google has purchased land slated to become a data center in Stillwater.
The City of Stillwater announced in a press release Wednesday that the Fortune 100 company acquired land at the intersection of Perkins and Richmond roads with plans to develop a data center campus. The City Council approved the data center plans late last year, and Stillwater voters approved OG&E as the contractor in November.
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce said in a statement that Google choosing Stillwater is a “testament to the strength of our economy, our workforce and our commitment to community investment.
“This project is a tremendous collaborative effort among the City, our economic development partners at the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, and
The first two phases of the project have been approved, with six possible. The data center is estimated to bring in about $3 billion, according to the city’s website. Construction on the first development, which will be about 300,000 square feet, is expected to start in early 2025 and could be complete in early 2027.
Previously, Kipper LLC was identified as a subsidiary company that entered into the agreement with the city.
City Manager Brady Moore said in a statement that city administration and staff will work with Google throughout the development phase.
“We look forward to the successful implementation of the project, and the positive economic impact they will have on our community,” Moore said.
news.ed@ocolly.com
OPEN YOUR HEART TO GOD!
“Open your heart and let him in. God will remove all your sorrow and sin. He may not pass this way again, so open your heart and let him come in.” These are words from an old hymn.
Many struggle so hard to take this step, not wanting to give up their independence; not wanting to humble themselves before God. In the Psalms, David said: “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all the day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”
(32:3-5 NLT)
It seems so simple, and it is! Yet, so many
struggle with honesty and humility. These qualities are of great importance with God. The truth is another has paid the penalty for your sins and mine. That is the good news! What we could not do (get rid of our sins), Jesus did by dying in our place. Therefore, “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven,whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (Ro.4:7-8 NIV)
Again, blaming friends or relatives will not help; getting religious does not help, thinking you are among the “better” people does no good. Trust what God has done for you through Christ. Get honest and humble yourself before God. Confess your sinfulness, and God will freely forgive. You will be free of guilt and stand innocent before God. Then you can begin a lasting and fruitful relationship with this great and loving God.
Kennedy Thomason
During the Faculty Council meeting on Tuesday, Budget Committee member Merle Eisenberg said the
Bryson Thadhani
OSU Police Chief Michael Beckner spoke to members of SGA on Wednneday.
Lifestyle/news
10 tips for staying safe during spring break
HAYDEN ALEXANDER NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: spring break.
Finally, students can catch a break from endless assignments and midterms.
While spring break is considered a fun time of year, it can also be dangerous. Increased travel and alcohol consumption can lead to more accidents.
Stay safe, travel smart and have fun with these 10 safety tips:
Safe travels
If you are planning on traveling during the break, whether home or on vacation, take time to plan your trip in depth. Know your route, stops and plans ahead of time in case of an emergency.
If you’re taking to the skies, check your flight departure times and be prepared to get to the airport early. Keep an eye on your bags. If you’re traveling abroad, try not to overpack. Download the AlertTravler App to stay informed while traveling abroad. The app sends out safety and security alerts to travelers.
Hitting the road? Make sure you have an emergency kit handy and plan out your stops along the way.
Keep an eye on your belongings When traveling, it’s easy to misplace or lose things. Secure your valuables and do not leave your belongings unattended.
If you are planning on doing a lot of sightseeing or walking during your travels, consider investing in some anti-theft gear. Do not leave your valuables in your pockets. Make sure they are secured and not easily accessible.
Sunscreen
The sun is out, and thanks to Daylight Saving Time, it’s here to stay. Pack your sunscreen and hats and enjoy some fun in the sun.
Hydration
Stay hydrated. Drink water regularly, especially if you plan to spend time outdoors or go on a trip requiring a lot of walking. If you hope to experience a true MTV-style spring break, bring and use a water bottle.
Alcohol
If you plan to drink alcohol during the break, hydrate regularly and drink in moderation. Consuming an overabundance of alcohol is a great way to cut your break short.
If you are attending a large gathering or going out, make sure you do not leave your drink unattended. If you put your drink down or someone else picks it up, leave it.
Travel in packs
Travel with trusted friends and
family if you can. Create a communication plan and always designate a driver. If you hit the town, look out for your fellow travel buddies. Ladies, you know the drill: Don’t let anyone go off alone; take group bathroom breaks.
If you travel alone, check in with your friends and family regularly and ensure they have copies of your itinerary. If possible, share your location with them. Apps like Life 360 make it possible for your trusted loved ones to always know your location.
In case of emergency
If you have an emergency, make sure you have updated your emergency contacts list and safety information. If traveling abroad, memorize or write down emergency numbers and consider getting travel insurance.
If traveling abroad solo, note where the local U.S. Embassy is if you need assistance.
Transportation
Before driving long distances, give your car a good check-up. Check local transportation options and prepare ahead of time for prices and availability.
Do not drive under the influence; designate a driver or research rideshare services before utilizing them. For those staying at a hotel or Airbnb, memorize and know your route back and charge your navigation devices. Consider investing in a map if the service is spotty.
Respect culture and laws
Traveling abroad is a unique experience, but research customs, cultures and laws beforehand. If standing out as a tourist is your goal, disregard this. But if you want to blend, research the etiquette of the country you are traveling to. Take some time to look up if the country or state you are traveling to has different laws and requirements.
Social media safe
Wait until after your trip to post, or only post to your close-friends list. Posting while on vacation lets people know that your home is unattended.
Check your privacy settings to ensure that your personal information stays safe. Avoid updating your personal location in real time.
Weather aware
Check your weather apps, local stations and weather reports for your travel destination. It may be warming up in Stillwater, but it could get chilly depending on where you’re going, so bring the right gear. Be on alert this weekend. High winds are predicted across the midwest, with a high fire danger.
Oklahoma State’s original Burning Man: StillyStock
StillyStock is an opportunity for Oklahoma State students to showcase their musical talents.
The student-run music festival doubles as a food drive where students have the chance to give back to their community.
The third annual StillyStock will be held on the McKnight Center Lawn on April 4 from 4-11 p.m.
Admission for festival-goers is $3 or two non-perishable items. All profits raised from StillyStock will go directly to the Greenwood School of Music and the Preparatory Rock Academy to support up-and-coming OSU artists.
The headliner of the festival is Red Sun, a punk-rock band based in Oklahoma City.
“Stillwater doesn’t have many opportunities besides country music,” said Sav Foster, student coordinator and drummer for the band White Subaru Outback. “And so (the creators of StillyStock) just wanted to put something together to showcase the other talent that we have here in Stillwater.”
Stillwater does not see a lot of punk or alternative music, Foster said, and she wants to change that.
“A lot of their gigs happen in Tulsa and Oklahoma City,” Foster said. “So something that I’m really passionate about is bringing a lot of that back here to Stillwater.”
White Subaru Outback played the event last year, and the four-person band with the eye-catching name will be performing live again this year.
“We were trying to come up with a band name,” Foster said. “We couldn’t really come up with anything and our bassist, Donald, was
like ‘We should call it White Subaru Outback.’ And we were like ‘Why?’ And he was like, ‘That’s what my mom drives.’ And we were like ‘OK…’ I like the name, I think it’s random. And very like, you hear it and you’re like ‘What?’ Because you’re like, ‘Who names a band after their bassist mom’s car?’”
StillyStock is by no means the band’s first rodeo. The group has been performing together since January 2024. Foster said she learned some lessons from performing at StillyStock.
“I think playing at StillyStock last year definitely taught me how to be flexible, because you have 15 minutes in between bands for a sound check too,” Foster said. “So you have to move fast.”
StillyStock is a music festival for students run by students. OSU students can see their peers perform live while getting food from a variety of food trucks. If a student band is interested in applying for StillyStock they can visit the StillyStock Instagram or the Music Industry Association Instagram. From there, bands can submit their music and wait to be picked by the StillyStock planning committee. “I really want to emphasize this isn’t for me,” Foster said. “This is for the kids who are wanting to do what all of us are up on stage doing. Is it going to be fun? Yes. Are there going to be a lot of cool vendors and cool food trucks, and cool merch? Yeah. Like all of that is going to be there, but it is for an amazing cause to get kids to where I’m at now.
“And if there’s a kid where the only thing that they’re missing to, like, get them to where they want to be is lessons or buying an instrument, then I would want to do whatever I can to get them there.”
After a nationwide search, the Stillwater Police Department has named an incoming chief of police.
Christopher Hassig, captain of the Houston Police Department, is joining SPD on April 28, the City of Stillwater announced Thursday morning.
“This was a collaborative process with City leadership, community stakeholders and members of the police department,” Deputy City Manager Christy Driskel said in a release. “Stillwater Police Department personnel exhibit professionalism and expertise daily, and we are excited about the leadership and experience that Chief Hassig will bring to the City of Stillwater. I look forward to working with Hassig and introducing him across the organization and community.”
Hassig is jumping from the nation’s fifth-largest police department, where he’s managed more than 160 people and served in a leadership role at a department of almost 6,000.
“I am honored to be chosen as the Chief of Police for the Stillwater Police Department,” Hassig said, in a release. “The men and women that form the organization have built a firm foundation, and I am excited to lead and grow such an amazing agency. I look forward to elevating an already strong culture, nurturing area relationships and becoming a pillar of the Stillwater community. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to what lies ahead for the Stillwater Police Department, the community, and my family.” Hassig replaces Shannon Jordan, who retired from SPD in January after serving Stillwater for more than 32 years.
“Chief Hassig was chosen following a comprehensive selection process,” City Manager Brady Moore said, in a release. “Members of the Stillwater Police Department and community stakeholders were very impressed with Hassig’s experience, leadership style and genuine desire to serve this department and the Stillwater community. I share in their excitement and look forward to his leadership in this organization.”
White Subaru Outback, an alternative band made up of OSU students, will play StillyStock.
Pals
Continued from 1
In its first year, the pair focused on establishing the club and organizing logistics. After months of planning, Purple Pals began sending OSU students to volunteer at Westhaven Nursing Home, Primrose Retirement Community of Stillwater and Legacy Village, rotating events at each facility throughout the semester.
When Harding graduated last May, Thompson took the lead, determined to elevate Purple Pals. Nearly two years after its founding, the organization boasts 70 registered students, with eight to 15 volunteers at each event.
“I want to be a place where people feel heard and supported,” Thompson said. “I might not be able to completely relate, but I want to hold space for them to open up. I think that’s how you create change.”
Thompson’s passion for geriatric care began long before Purple Pals. At 12, a school trip to a nursing home left a lasting impact. Initially intimidated by the beeping monitors, the unfamiliar smells and the presence of nurses, she hesitated — until she met a woman dressed like Cruella de Vil who shared her life story while Thompson held her hand. As Thompson left that day, she knew her calling.
“The connection stayed with me forever,” Thompson said. “I remember leaving and thinking, ‘This is what I am supposed to do.’”
In high school, Thompson worked at an assisted living facility in Edmond, where she witnessed the complexities of the healthcare system and the challenges face families and caregivers. Arriving for shifts at 5:30 a.m., she often found just one nurse caring for an entire facility. Amidst the chaos of medical emergencies and patient needs, she did what she could to help.
Her mother, Cindy Janitz, an OSU alumna, wasn’t surprised by her daughter’s decision to work in assisted living.
“She always had a will to survive,” Janitz said. “She was going to thrive in whatever circumstances she was in. That was evident from the beginning.”
Thompson was born in Russia and lived in an orphanage until she was 18 months old. After a lengthy adoption process, Janitz brought her to the U.S.
Fashion
But a physical lightbulb flickers on in their lives each day. Each of the women goes to class, flips the red “on” switch on their industrial sewing machine and works nearly all day on their collections and class work. Waller’s collection, “Regal Reverie,” is inspired by trim she bought at a Paris flea market as well as the TV show “Bridgerton.” Bayer’s collection aligns with her career goal of designing wedding wear and is called “Going to the Chapel.” Bayer grew up in a family of engineers who graduated from OSU. She applied to be a Cowboy, and as she scrolled down the list of offered degree programs, fashion stood out. “Fashion is a type of engineering; I swear it is,” Bayer joked of the time commitment of the major. Although some may imagine the sewing room the women practically live in as comparable to a runway on class days, students usually dress for
Lifestyle/news
Both mother and daughter agree that Thompson’s early experiences shaped her passion for geriatric care.
“I understand the value of having a family,” Thompson said. “That’s part of why I feel called to serve and validate others.”
Last year, Thompson and Janitz embarked on the Camino de Santiago, a historic pilgrimage route in Spain. Along the way, Thompson encountered people who spoke different languages but still found ways to connect, teaching her a valuable lesson she now applies to her work with seniors.
“At nursing homes, communication isn’t always verbal,” she said. “That trip taught me that there are other meaningful ways to connect.”
During her freshman year, Thompson joined OSU’s President’s Leadership Council, a sorority and the Freshman Representative Council. She also conducted research on forgiveness as a tool for combating loneliness among aging women in correctional custody, which she later presented at a conference in Seattle. Her achievements earned her a spot among OSU’s Top 10 Freshmen.
“She always goes above and beyond,” Koppers said. “She’s incredible. I know she’s going to be an amazing doctor and a leader in the gerontology field.”
Before she graduates, Thompson hopes to organize a Purple Pals event open to the Stillwater community — one where caregivers, nursing home residents and students can come together to build lasting relationships. Thompson’s long-term goals are to become a geriatrician, advocate for improved geriatric care and push for systemic changes in healthcare.
“My highest moral is love, and I believe love comes without condition,” Thompson said. “I want to respect others, hear their stories, and listen to understand — not to change perspectives, but simply to listen. The more you listen, the more you realize just how much love is needed.”
Accessibility
Continued from 1
She has developed a system for explaining her accommodations to professors. About a month before the semester starts, Wood sends an email introducing herself and requesting a meeting to discuss accommodations. This helps her plan for the semester and set expectations, she said.
Wood, who was a TRIO student through Student Support Services, said she had trouble accessing the same resources as others during her undergraduate career. TRIO is a federal program that gives support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Student Support Services has its offices on the fourth floor and its resource center in the basement, which posed physical accessibility challenges, Wood said.
“My mobility scooter, it just barely fits in the elevator, and it’s such a tight fit that I’m not comfortable going in the elevator because I don’t know if I can get out without damaging my scooter,” Wood said. “So for a year and a half, I did not have access to the resources that other students in that program did.”
Student Accessibility Services Director Joshua Hawkins said in an email that students struggling with professors who don’t want to provide accommodations is an “infrequent occurrence.” He agreed to an interview only via email, citing department policy and university guidance.
commodations, she said other students have expressed difficulty.
“Some professors are like, ‘Oh yeah, you need to take a minute? Take 20. I will catch you up after class,’” Hubbard said. “And some professors are just like, ‘No, you have to be in my class from start to finish. No breather, no break, no nothing.’”
Mia Ives-Rublee, a disability justice advocate for the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said this can be a common experience for college students.
Some professors can feel like it isn’t within their “scope of requirements” to provide accommodations, she said.
“Unfortunately, professors are poorly taught about what is within a student’s rights,” Ives-Rublee said.
The back-and-forth can also change how the professor views the student, she said, which can impact potential mentorships or recommendations from the professor.
Under law, “reasonable accommodations” are required by Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the Oklahoma Bar Association. The accommodations should be tailored to specific barriers the student faces, though the best possible accommodation is not required if another is similarly effective, according to the association.
Maci Hartsell, director of accessibility for the Student Government Association, said one of the struggles with accessibility on campus is understanding why some buildings aren’t as accessible as others.
comfort, Bayer said. The long hours encourage them to wear sweatpants rather than dress up.
Room 480 isn’t the only place fashion students put in work. The NC-170 research group is a collaboration between approximately 14 universities that conduct research on personal protective technologies for occupational and environmental hazards.
“This could be specialized clothing, footwear, hand wear, helmets or other head covering, et cetera,” Boorady, the group’s administrative adviser, said. “We have designed items for impact protection, fire fighters, oil field workers, agricultural field workers, sun protection and more.”
Fashion isn’t only about clothes, though, Boorady said. She said it started as a form of self expression, which is something that extends beyond mere clothing. But for some OSU students, clothing and the fashion program are at least where self expression begins.
“In fact, in the main, OSU faculty are quite sensitive to the needs of students and are responsive to those needs,” Hawkins wrote. “In unique cases, SAS works with faculty to determine how best to provide access to courses and course materials, which is the goal of providing academic accommodations.”
Hawkins said students are responsible for registering with SAS, requesting accommodation letters each semester and communicating with instructors about specific needs. This spring, 1,402 students — about 5% of OSU’s student population — are registered with SAS.
Sabrina Miliam uses they/them pronouns and deals with POTS, chronic migraines, epileptic symptoms and tremors, said they had a 504 plan in high school, which helped them receive accommodations.
That plan didn’t follow them to college.
“A couple years ago, whenever I started going to SAS and trying to figure out how to get my high school accommodations to transfer into my college accommodations, it started to be a bit more of a difficult process than I believe that it is now,” Milam said. “And I also didn’t have anybody to connect with to be able to help me through it, and so it was just harder for me.”
Three years in, Milam hasn’t tried to reapply. Through their therapist’s encouragement, Milam said they are considering starting the process for accommodations again.
Milam is a founder of the Mental Health Disability Advocacy Organization, or MHDAO. Her co-founder, Emillia Hubbard, has dealt with mental health issues. The two friends realized they had a passion for advocacy and started the club during the fall semester. The goal, Hubbard said, is to connect the student body to the systems in place and be a space students can advocate to MHDAO for those systems.
Although Hubbard hasn’t experienced conflict with professors over ac-
On-campus buildings are required to meet ADA standards, though some have been grandfathered in to compliance. Even the stamp of approval, doesn’t guarantee accessibility for everyone, Hartsell said.
Hubbard agreed.
“Just because it meets the minimum ADA requirements doesn’t mean that it’s actually accessible,” Hubbard said. “Because the ADA is the bare minimum, and so a lot of times people will meet that bar, not realizing that that bar is really, really low, honestly.”
One of Hartsell’s goals is to improve communication between students and those who work for OSU. Hartsell said a lot of the time, there is a “valid reason” for why things aren’t more accessible. When there isn’t, Hartsell said she wants to help try to find solutions.
“It’s difficult for our staff to be able to prepare and tackle the things that they need to tackle and better the accessibility on our campus when they don’t know what’s going on in the day-to-day life (of) the students,” Hartsell said.
“And it’s also difficult for the students to understand why things aren’t becoming more accessible when the staff isn’t communicating those reasons to them.”
This is part of the reason Wood has worked to become an advocate.
Through her experiences at OSU and Tulsa Community College, Wood said she has solidified her aspirations to work in student accessibility services or student affairs after graduating, helping students like herself.
She said her experience has become a “beautiful transition” to her career goals.
“On one hand, that has made me the advocate I am today, and it’s helped me, pushed me into the career field
I’m going into, but at the same time, I shouldn’t have had to experience that,” Wood said.
Courtesy Belle Wood
Belle Wood (left) said Student Accessibility Services Director Joshua Hawkins’ leadership inspired her to pursue a career helping students with disabilities.
For students without meal plans, buying ingredients and cooking is a cheaper alternative to eating out.
Freshman year of college comes with a new environment, new people, new activities and new ways to spend money.
There seems to be a newly discovered freedom when freshmen move onto campus for the first time.
The temptation to spend money can entice an overwhelmed and curious first-year student in a new environment.
According to AddictionHelp. com, up to 12% of college students experience symptoms of shopping addiction, the majority occurring in freshmen.
“My first few weeks here I was spending a lot,” Oklahoma State freshman Noah Leal said. “I probably went through like $300 in the first two weeks between eating out or buying clothes and games.”
Leal had been spending the money he saved from working in high school. Although he was intending to use this money for recreational things, he realized he was indulging a little too much.
“You see the number in your account and it’s like ‘OK, I have some room to spend here,’ but then before you know it you’ve gone through half your savings,” Leal said.
Many freshmen utilize the meal plans OSU offers because they ease the financial burden for food in the long run. However, with lots of fast food and local restaurants in Stillwater, the temptation to explore is strong.
“I have a meal plan, which is good for lunch, but sometimes the food options get repetitive and boring,” freshman Andrew Erwin said. “The food places on The Strip are really good,
Some freshmen aren’t making an income when they first arrive on a college campus, and money management skills aren’t typically taught in high schools, forcing freshmen to learn for themselves. However, there are money habits students can rely on.
“I started keeping track of how much I can afford to be spending in a week,” freshman Aidan Guarnera said. “As long as I’m keeping my weekly spending under $40, I know I have enough to last me until the end of the semester.
“If I want to get something more expensive, then I’ll just eat into next week’s budget.”
Guarnera started this method after an initial spending spree last fall, when he says he felt the need to spend because the people around him were.
“I guess it was just being away from home and always going out with friends, it felt like I just had money to burn,” Guarnera said. “There’s also that pressure to spend when the people around you are spending.”
There is an adjustment period when it comes to spending; freshmen have to learn money saving and management methods on their own.
“After I was down so much money in the first few weeks, I knew I had to change my habits,” Leal said. “I found the most success by limiting the amount of time I went out to eat to just the weekend.
“For the future freshmen, just make sure you have a plan. You might think you have the money to spend, but it goes fast.”
Student Support hosts workshops to teach students about self-care
self-care habits.
Stress is inevitable in college.
That’s the sentiment Becca Krause brings to a series of workshops she hosts as a student case manager for the Oklahoma State Office of Student Support.
Over the course of the semester, Krause has hosted three workshops leading students through discussion and reflection. She said her hope is to show students healthy ways to manage stress.
“Everyone is going to experience stress,” Krause said. “So learning ways to practice self-care can help alleviate stress and reduce stress, and that’s what we wanted to do (for students).”
Krause, a graduate student studying higher education and student affairs, understands how overwhelming the typical schedule can be. With assignments piling up and after-school meetings cutting into free time, she said self-care can easily be put on the back burner.
Krause suggests making self-care a habit through routine.
“I always feel like students need to prioritize self-care or find ways to implement it into their schedules, because if they push it off for too long, then it’s going to catch up with them, and they might end up having to miss class because they’re sick or maybe they’re just overworked to the point of exhaustion,” she said.
The workshop Tuesday focused on ways to prevent stress from piling up. It began with a guided meditation before Krause dove into how stress impacts students physically and mentally. She posed reflection questions to students to encourage them to think through their current
A self-care planner was handed out to facilitate further thought on how to incorporate self-care into student life. The seven pillars of self-care — mental, social, emotional, spiritual, recreational, physical and environmental self-care — were discussed. Krause encouraged students to find ways to incorporate each version of self-care into their lives.
Students in the audience proposed their new ideas for their self-care such as playing disc golf or reading a book. But stressors will still pile up making stress management another important tool to master, Krause said.
Krause discussed the five A’s of stress management — avoid unnecessary stress, alter the situation, adapt to the stressor, accept the things you cannot change and be active. Practicing these methods can prevent students from missing class or becoming ill from increased stress, she said. Krause also acknowledged the impact burnout (exhaustion as a result of excessive stress) has on college students.
“My biggest piece of advice would be to take it from a closer point of view because when you have a lot going on, you tend to get overwhelmed and you don’t really know where to start,” she said. “Just take it bit by bit, piece by piece; maybe write on a list of everything you need to do, write out deadlines, focus on what’s due sooner and then later, just break it up and that might be a bit more bearable.”
After all, making college life bearable is Krause’s goal. Her workshops will continue into the future with the final one of the semester planned for 3 p.m. on April 1 in the Willard Hall living room.
Raynee Howell
The Student Support Care Team focuses on self-care and emotional resilience in its workshops.
Courtesy Creative Commons
Freshman often learn money managament skills through experience.
Lifestyle
‘Mickey 17’: A messy, intergalactic adventure
and takes the viewer out of the film.
In contrast, Pattinson is great. His comedy and portrayal of the multiple versions of Mickey work well. He can distinguish each version of Mickey, giving Mickey 17 a light-hearted sweetness and endearing goofiness and Mickey 18, or ‘Habanero’ Mickey, a darker undertone similar to Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman.
Everyone knows the fairytale classic “Hansel and Gretel.”
The cautionary tale follows a brother and sister after their sweet tooth leads them right into the clutches of a witch with a taste for children. The Germanic tale has been adapted and retold thousands of times.
Now, Oklahoma State Opera is taking on the story and adding its own twist to the tale. Set in a trailer park, the opera asks, “What if Hansel and Gretel had a little country flair?”
“I thought the opera sort of lends itself nicely to do a more rural setting,” said Christian Bester, an assistant professor at the Greenwood School of Music and director of the opera. “Hopefully, people can identify with that, and it’s a little more familiar to people here in Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma influences are heavily present in the opera with line dances, cowboy boots and sweet treats inspired by the fair.
show, I’ve leaned into it and I’m starting to have fun.”
Bester said that Bullington has immersed himself in the role fabulously.
“He brought just so much to the plate,” Bester said.
The cast of “Hansel and Gretel” is taking the challenge of meshing genres in stride, melding country with classical opera in an engaging way. The opera is fun but not without its challenges. The performers must handle a “rhythmically challenging score” while focusing on the modern elements.
Bester said he is proud of his cast and how they’ve embraced every change and adapted to fit the imaginative atmosphere.
“Singers have to think of some many things,” Bester said. “They have to think of the music, they have to watch the conductor… that was really fun to walk with them and see how they embrace their character.”
Note: This article contains spoilers.
“Mickey 17” is a bit of a mess. The plot is stitched together in an incohesive manner that confuses and ultimately bores. It’s two hours and 17 minutes of loose storylines, sparingly funny moments and missed potential.
The film follows Mickey 1 through 18, all played by Robert Pattinson, a down-on-his-luck wannabe small businessman. After being indebted to a chainsaw-wielding madman, Mickey signs up to hit the space lanes as an “expendable.”
For the next four years, Mickey spends his days dying in various gruesome ways as the ship’s scientists study him, uploading his memories often. When he’s not dying gloriously, Mickey is falling in love with Nasha Barridge (Naomi Ackie).
The first part of the film is excellent. The dark comedy works, and the introductory narration is fun and engaging, but the plot unravels after the title card rolls.
The film is billed as a sci-fi comedy, but there were few, if any, fall-out-yourseat laughing moments. The film tried but missed the mark.
“Mickey 17” had the structure and ideas to be a great film. The premise of dying repeatedly, what that does to a person and the ethical questions involved mixed with over-the-top comedy would have been great, but it didn’t happen.
About halfway through the film, multiple ideas break down, either going unanswered or being entirely forgotten.
Mark Ruffalo is too much in the film. He plays Kenneth Marshall, a washed-up congressman attempting to escape his failures and build his happy little kingdom on a new icy planet. His bravado is fun for about two minutes. It was a Michael Scott-meets-Donald Trump impersonation for the ages.
Despite director Bong Joon Ho’s insistence that Ruffalo’s performance is a mix of multiple politicians, Trump was the key inspiration. Political commentary is typically welcome in films, but the performance ultimately distracts
The more serious notes of the film, such as Mickey’s mom dying, the ethical dilemma of soul vs. body and Mickey’s mental state are left half-baked at best. Mickey 18 gives us a glimpse into what Mickey is truly feeling, and a vomit-filled dinner scene explores the idea of can and should, but the movie never fully gets where it is going.
Nasha is a character that needs more time. The film introduces a beautifully sad scene toward the end of Nasha holding Mickey while he dies from poison gas. It opens up a path to further explore the emotional toll of watching the person you love die every day, but nothing comes of it.
Toni Collette is a phenomenal actress, but her sauce-obsessed character sometimes feels a little out of place. Steven Yuen is hilarious, but they waste him in this role. Thanks to “Mayhem,” he is no stranger to dark comedy, but he isn’t given enough room to envelop his character fully. Anamaria Vartolomei’s character is essential for a few seconds and, after a discussion about a four-way, disappears until the end of the film, an hour later.
The film ends with the Mickeys making peace with the Creepers and Mickey 18 taking out Marshall in an explosive fashion. Nasha is elected to Nifelheim’s governing body, and her first act is to destroy the printing machine, allowing Mickey 17 to be just Mickey.
In a poignant moment, calling back to a red button Mickey hit as a child that supposedly killed his mom, yet another plot point barely touched on or resolved, Mickey hits a red button to blow up the printer and start his new life.
The film is all over the place, from weird subplots — like the random spaceship rebels — to unanswered plot points, but it still has many funny and lovable moments thanks to a strong cast and heartfelt performances. “Mickey 17” presents a dilemma. It’s a great concept, but it gets lost halfway through and can never recover fully. It’s worth a watch, but not a movie ticket.
Bester brought in Oklahoma elements and OSU easter eggs to help connect the show to the university.
“I always try to bring in a little bit of the university into the shows,” Bester said. “We’ve got an OSU blanket that sort of pays homage and recognizes that we are a part of this ‘Go Pokes’ tradition, and we want to celebrate that.”
Mike Bullington, who is playing the witch role, said the theme modernizes the story for a new audience with a constantly changing demographic.
Bullington is a singer at heart, and performs regularly with the jazz band Downtown Funk and always looks for opportunities to sing.
“I just love performing and being on stage,” Bullington said. “I started getting the itch to perform, and the opera presented itself to me.”
As the witch, Bullington sports a pink updo, striking makeup, a cheetah print dress and matching boots in Chappell Roan fashion. It’s the singer’s first time dressing in drag.
“It’s new because I’ve never done drag or cross-dressed before,” Bullington said. “It’s a very fun experience. Through this journey of making this
The show explores themes of brotherly love and family, and Bester is excited for students to experience the message through the lens of the theater. He hopes everyone in attendance will be able to see the work his cast has put into the show.
“It’s a moment where the doors close and the lights go down, and you forget for a couple of hours all about the worries of the world,” Bester said. “It’s a moment of reprieve. It’s a moment of coming to watch magic and theater and to get into the opera itself.”
Bullington said the show is a great way to destress and unwind before heading off to spring break.
“You want to be well rested before you go home, so why not spend that time sharing an evening with OSU Opera where you can enjoy good music and good comedy?” Bullington said.
Bester, Bullington and the entire cast of “Hansel and Gretel” invite students, faculty, staff and Stillwater residents to come out and watch the show Friday March 14, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 15, at 2:30 p.m. at the McKnight Performing Arts Center.
“It’s a wonderful way to come and enjoy the magic of theater and get lost in this fairy tale that we’re all very familiar with.”
Courtesy Creative Commons
“Mickey 17,” starring Robert Pattinson in multiples roles, is an intergalactic dark comedy.
Courtesy Robin Herrod
OSU Opera is performing its take on the classic “Hansel and Gretel” story Friday and Saturday.
Crash course: How to create the best March Madness bracket
Work backward
It is that time of year again.
Sports geniuses, office secretaries, drunk uncles and billionaires compete in America’s most impossible and prestigious challenge: creating the perfect March Madness bracket.
Every March, 68 men’s college basketball teams compete in the NCAA Tournament. In the bracket, there are no byes and no reseeding, just madness.
People have made it their life’s mission to create the perfect bracket. Sadly, it is impossible.
If every March Madness game is a 50/50 chance, the odds of guessing a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to a story at NCAA. com. There has never been a known perfect bracket and the closest to it was 49 straight games. So, if it is impossible to pick a perfect bracket, why play?
Some people compete against their friends, others like college basketball and some lunatics actually think they can get the perfect bracket. The motives for America’s impossible task are endless.
What matters is that people are doing it. With pride, ego and money on the line, there are two goals for filling out a March Madness bracket. One goal is winning, where you game the system for the sole purpose of beating a pool of people. The other goal is the perfect bracket. Both goals use different strategies. We’ll cover the more logical goal first.
If you are in a pool of 40 people competing — or you want to win a
massive bracket challenge — this strategy is for you. March Madness brackets are measured by a point system. The most common is the NCAA System, where predicting the winner of the first games is worth one point each, second games are worth two points, a Sweet 16 game four, an Elite Eight game eight, etc.
This system highly values the last games of March Madness. Remember how one bracket got 49 straight games? With this point system, he was beaten by someone who better predicted the later half of games. This is why it is important to differentiate between trying to win and trying to create the perfect bracket. Even if you predicted 49 games in a row, you can lose to someone who had success in the later games. Now, let’s get into strategies for winning.
Rely on chalk
Going “chalk” is picking the favorite in a sports matchup. It is an excellent way to outscore your competitors. Favorites are favored to win for a reason. They are (usually) the better team. Everyone loves upsets, but picking the better team to beat the worse team is a more logical decision. In addition, it offers a lower cost of error. If you pick a No. 1 seed to lose in the first round, and that team goes on to the Final Four in the tournament, your bracket is destroyed. If one of your higher-seeded teams gets upset by a Cinderella, you will probably only lose one or two more games. You do not pick everything chalk. However, you should use chalk as the backboard of your bracket.
As stated previously, the later games are worth a massive number of points. Pick the teams who will make it to your Final Four. Then, pick a champion. From there, a large part of the bracket is picked for you. Now, pick matchups that do not affect your Final Four. Even if your bracket turns out ugly, if you successfully pick the Final Four and the national champion, you will blow people out of the water.
Use statistics
March Madness has included 64 or more teams since 1985. From this plethora of history, we know a lot of stats: Only two 16-seeded teams in the history of the tournament have won their first game. A seed lower than an 11 has never made the Final Four. There has only been one instance of all No. 1 seeds making it to the Final Four. Random statistics like these, by themselves, are no-brainers. However, when you stack them on top of each other, you can make a safe and competent bracket.
Of course, not everyone will be satisfied with winning. Some want the perfect bracket. Statistically, none of you reading will ever get close to it. In fact, if every Oklahoma State student made 100 brackets, none of them would be anywhere close to perfect. There is no way to predict all 63 games. However, if you want to try, there are certainly strategies you can use.
Look for Cinderellas
A Cinderella is a low-seeded team that makes it far into the tournament. These are teams like Oral Roberts in 2021 and NC State in 2024. Teams
like these usually do well in their conference tournaments, come from small conferences, do not make the tournament every year and have a consistent strategy that is hard to stop (like a lot of dunks or a high 3-point percentage). These low-seeded teams can be good in the tournament. If you are going to make the perfect bracket, you need these Cinderellas.
Study matchups
If you want the perfect bracket, you can’t rely on statistics alone. You need research. You will have to know every matchup. Which team has the better record? Which team has the higher offensive and defensive ratings? Is Power Four conference bias affecting one team’s seeding? You need to go through all of these questions for each matchup. With enough information, you can predict upsets, Cinderellas and the rest of the tournament.
Luck
No amount of strategy will get you the perfect March Madness bracket. In the end, it comes down to luck. Predicting one game is hard enough, 67 is impossible. If you look at those who came close to the perfect bracket, they aren’t super geniuses. They are kids who clicked random buttons. They are secretaries who picked teams based on mascots. They are hungover college dudes who picked their bracket in 10 minutes.
Luck, not statistics, is the deciding factor. In reality, the human race will never see a perfect March Madness bracket. However, with these strategies, you may be close enough to brag to your friends. Good luck.
Catherine Dzanski
The odds of guessing a perfect men’s basketball NCAA Tournament bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to a story at NCAA.com.
RICHARD ROBERTSON STAFF REPORTER
American Woman
BY ASHTON SLAUGHTER I EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“And I’m proud to be an American.” Don’t be shocked to hear Lee Greenwood’s patriotic tune act as a walk-up song at Cowgirl Stadium. The booming “U-S-A” chants from the Oklahoma State softball dugout shouldn’t be a surprise, either.
The No. 14 Cowgirls (16-6) haven’t traded in their orange and black for red, white and blue; they’re just celebrating outfielder Tia Warsop, who recently became a United States citizen. She was born in Northampton, England, and now has dual citizenship between the two countries.
“Yup, I’m an American,” Warsop said with a smile.
Warsop answers questions in an American accent — she can switch in and out of it — that makes her appear as if she was born and bred in the States, but she and her family members are either fresh citizens or hope they’re on track to achieve citizenship.
Of the Cowgirls who average at least a plate appearance a game and appear in 75% of games, Warsop leads OSU in batting average (.422). The sophomore speedster has been an important part of the Cowgirls’ bottomof-the-lineup success and has become one of their most reliable bats while studying to become a U.S. citizen
How the Big 12 tournament ‘battle tested’ OSU, Taylor
ence title.
The silky silver hat and gray shirt adorned with “Big 12 Champs” logos might have pointed to pure elation. Instead, Taylor was looking ahead.
I @ASHTON_SLOT
and trying to navigate scheduling her swear-in.
Because even though her American accent could fool you, she had to work for her recent accomplishment. Hence why Greenwood’s tune and the chants when Warsop gets on base are celebratory.
Passing the test
Warsop’s family moved to the States in August 2009, when she was almost 5.
So for nearly 16 years, the Warsops have called America home. They originally came on a specialized work visa because Mark, Warsop’s father, got
relocated from England to the DallasFort Worth area for work. They then got green cards and, within the “first couple of years,” knew they wanted to stay, Warsop’s mom, Alexandra, said.
“We didn’t want to move back to England, so citizenship was just the next step, really,” Alexandra said. That, along with “the new laws” in the U.S. and the green card renewal process “taking way longer” than becoming a citizen would, Warsop said, led to her family taking the steps to become citizens in their new homeland.
David Taylor shrugged his shoulders, almost instantaneously shutting down the question.
“How long do you enjoy this? Or are you thinking about what’s next?”
Moments after Oklahoma State clinched its first Big 12 Wrestling Championship in four years this past Sunday, Taylor met with reporters as golden confetti fell from the ceiling, commemorating the Cowboys’ confer-
“I’m already thinking about areas we’ve got to improve,” he said. “I’m thinking about the national tournament.”
All business. Taylor maintained that mentality when addressing the media and stressed a hope that his wrestlers will echo the same over the coming weeks.
See TAYLOR on page 7B
When Josh Holliday spoke to the media after his team’s 8-7 loss against Dallas Baptist on Tuesday, he was candid.
About the game. About the state of his team, 9-7 after being ranked No. 17 preseason and selected as the preseason Big 12 favorite. And about
the road ahead.
“We’ve played a lot of really good ball clubs four weeks in,” the Oklahoma State baseball coach said. “And we’ve won some and we’ve lost some.” That came shortly after another squandered late lead — or, in this case, leads — against a marquee baseball program. In a game where the Cowboys showed they can compete in a hostile environment against a perennial baseball power, and OSU nearly clinched its first win at Horner Ballpark since 2018. But it didn’t, as defeat snatched the Cowboys in 11 innings.
Courtesy OSU Athletics
Oklahoma State outfielder Tia Warsop and her family members are working to become United States citizens. Warsop has lived in the States since she was 4.
Payton Little
After OSU won the Big 12 Championship, coach David Taylor said OSU still has areas to improve.
Bryson Thadhani
Alarm
Four weeks into the 2025 season — which many pundits foresaw as potentially one of the Cowboys’ best during Holliday’s 13-year tenure — OSU sits two games over .500.
There’s been a lot of good, and enough bad. But mixed vibes cloud the outlook as Big 12 play opens with a three-game home series against West Virginia beginning at 6 p.m. Friday at O’Brate Stadium. OSU’s resume has been up and down; it lacks an identity.
Time to sound the alarm, OSU fans? Not quite. Let’s dive into why.
Many thought with the return of projected first-rounder Nolan Schubart, first baseman Colin Brueggemann, catcher Ian Daugherty and promising young prospects, such as infielder Avery Ortiz and outfielder Kollin Ritchie, that OSU might emulate the 2023 season.
That was when the dynamic Roc Riggio headlined a lineup with two-way star Nolan McLean, Marcus Brown and Chase Adkison. Schubart and Brueggemann were part of that roster, too.
Instead, OSU fans have witnessed average offensive production. And it’s been too average to bail out a young pitching staff that has endured early season growing pains.
Through 16 games, OSU’s .280 team batting average is tied for last in the Big 12 with Texas Tech (3-11). OSU’s 23 home runs — a category in which the Cowboys have led the conference the past two seasons and consistently ranked atop college baseball under Holliday — is tied for sixth in the Big 12.
Two years ago, the Cowboys had the offensive firepower to outslug their competition, have 20-plus-run games in bunches and blanket what statistically was the second-worst pitching staff under Holliday. On paper, the 2025 pitching staff is immensely more talented. But amid the unit’s growing pains, OSU hasn’t shown that type of potency at the plate.
Yet.
The college baseball regular season is lengthy. Teams often play anywhere from 54- to 58-game slates, before diving into conference tournament and regional play. Ebbs and flows abound, to the point where even the most underthe-radar prospects can surge late in the season.
With a lineup the caliber of OSU’s, the hot streaks will come.
The 2024 season, which featured most of the same players, is a prime example.
Through 16 games, OSU was 10-6. It had losses to then-one-win Utah Tech and an average Mercer team. Shortly after, the Cowboys got rolling, all the way to a second-place Big 12 finish, a conference tournament championship
and a third straight year of hosting a regional.
Sure, the errors have been costly. Last year, however, despite a sluggish start, the Cowboys ranked near the top of college baseball in defensive efficiency the second half of the season.
Holliday’s teams tend to gain traction around this time. Remember in 2016 when OSU was 19-13 midway through the season? That team made it to the College World Series.
How about 2018, when OSU was 11-10-1 heading into conference play, with series losses to Eastern Michigan and Seton Hall at home? The Cowboys nearly won the Big 12 that year, finishing one game behind eventual champion Texas.
Or a year ago, when fans wanted to push the panic button after a series loss on opening weekend to Sam Houston State, and again weeks later after the Utah Tech and Mercer losses? That team ended up just fine.
Who’s to say the same can’t happen with this OSU baseball team? On paper, it should.
“Under (Holliday), Oklahoma State has established itself as one of the most consistent programs in college baseball,” D1Baseball analyst and national writer Mike Rooney told The O’Colly in February. “And his teams always get better over the course of the season. Whatever you see in February, it’s gonna be a lot better in May.”
Like Holliday said, his Cowboys have won some. And “some” might be an undermining way to gauge it.
OSU took College World Series darling Clemson to the brink on Opening Day. It dominated Louisville (now 14-2) the following day and hung with and outplayed now 11th-ranked Texas until a middle-inning implosion. Two weeks later, down went top-ranked Texas A&M and 17th-ranked Mississippi State.
However, his team has lost some, too. Some bad ones.
“We’ve made some mistakes lately,” Holliday said Tuesday. “And we’ve got to clean up those mistakes if we want to continue to be the team that we want to be.”
But it might be as simple as cleaning up the self-inflicted wounds. Perhaps that’s the catalyst in a two- or threegame win-loss differential for OSU thus far. Time will only tell if that’s true.
If history is indicative of anything, it’s that the bad juju will soon be gone. Overrated teams surface in college baseball, but this OSU team garnered its offseason hype for a reason.
The Cowboys have a chance to regain some momentum this weekend at home against a talented Mountaineers’ squad. Let’s see if the Cowboys were worth the preseason buzz.
OSU looks to shake off underwhelming start against WVU
cost their spot in this week’s rankings. OSU’s .280 batting average ranks last in the Big 12, tied at 13th. Its 3.76 earned run average is fifth, and its 0.971 fielding percentage ranks seventh.
In his 13th season, Josh Holliday displays one of his best lineups as the Oklahoma State baseball coach.
After finishing second in the Big 12 Conference standings, winning the Big 12 tournament title and capping off 42 wins in 2024, the expectations were to start well during the stretch of non-conference games before Big 12 play begins this weekend.
Their play hasn’t met the standards OSU wanted to be at after one month.
The Cowboys are 9-7, only one of three remaining Big 12 teams to not have double-digits in the win column. However, a case can be made for OSU, which has played multiple ranked teams.
OSU is 2-4 against ranked teams so far this season, with wins over No. 1 Texas A&M (now at 19) and No. 18 Mississippi State (currently unranked) at the Astros Foundation College Classic.
While their two ranked wins have gotten less impressive, their four ranked losses have done the opposite: Tennessee is ranked second, Clemson has reached the top 10 with Texas right behind them, and No. 20 Dallas Baptist is most likely moving up next week.
“We’ve played a lot of good ball clubs, and we’ve won some, and we’ve lost some, and we’ve made some mistakes, and we’ve got to clean up those mistakes if we want to be the team that we set up to be,” Holliday said.
The Cowboys are 7-3 against unranked opponents. The winning percentage might look good against unranked teams, but this lineup should be expected to beat any team below their talent level.
OSU’s back-to-back losses last week to Winthrop and Illinois State, who entered the game with a 2-8 record,
While the batting ranking could concern this year’s offense, last year’s team finished fifth in the conference with a .282 batting average, including non-conference games.
Colin Brueggemann and Nolan Schubart, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, are still the most significant contributors to the offense, with the two highest batting averages for the Cowboys, and the only two with at least three home runs. Freshman Garrett Shull has already made an impact with a .357 batting average, accounting for 42 runs and seven RBI.
The starting rotation for the pitching staff has been chiefly through Gabe Davis, Harison Bodendorf and Hunter Watkins. Mario Pesca has recently made two starts for OSU. Bodendorf has had a good start in four games with a 3.15 ERA, while Watkins has been decent in his first year for the Cowboys with a 4.74 ERA in four games but has been progressing with better stats after each game. Both are undefeated with a combined 7-0 record.
On the other hand, Davis has been disappointing to start the season with a 6.10 ERA in four games (three starts) with a 0-2 record.
The Cowboys could’ve realistically started 12-4 without the blown leads and errors against Clemson and Texas in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last month and Dallas Baptist on Tuesday. Instead, OSU sits barely above .500 with much to prove ahead of Big 12 action, starting against West Virginia (15-1) this weekend.
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Payton Little
With the return of Colin Brueggemann, among others, OSU was expected to have a strong offense.
Bryson Thadhani
Holliday said the Cowboys have to “clean up” mistakes ahead of Big 12 play.
Warsop
Flashcards were Warsop’s chosen method for studying. Alexandra recalls splitting the 100 flashcards into two piles: a pile of questions Warsop knew and another pile of questions she didn’t know. From there, they worked on the questions she wasn’t certain about until they could go through all 100.
“They made me pretty confident; I could recite all of the 100 questions probably still now,” Warsop said in a Tuesday interview with The O’Colly.
On Feb. 19, Warsop’s confidence paid off. At an immigration office in Irving, Texas, she took the test after waiting around for three hours because they overbooked testees. She got the first six questions right on her 10-question test, which meant she didn’t need to answer the last four and passed.
Although answering six questions doesn’t sound like such a troubling feat, some of them stumped folks in the OSU clubhouse.
“I’ll be danged, the 10 questions that they ask are not easy,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said. “I had to Google like five of ‘em, and I’m an American citizen here. I was like, ‘Huh, I don’t even know if I know the answer to that.’ We have some smart people here that were going, ‘Uh, who is this?’”
For context, Warsop’s “hard questions” were: “Name a war in the 1900s” and “What war was Dwight Eisenhower general for?”
World War I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War were possible answers for the first question, and World War II was the correct answer for the second. But Warsop knew that, of course.
Everyone in the clubhouse was involved in the process, though. The American songs blaring from the locker room leading up to Warsop’s test made that clear.
“We just kept staring at Tia like, ‘You better know this; we’re suffering because of you,’” third baseman Tallen Edwards said.
Divided allegiance
Warsop isn’t the only American in the family now. Her mom took the test Monday and passed. She, too, went six for six to start, so Warsop can’t say she one-upped Alexandra.
Mark is still waiting to get his date for his citizenship test, which the parents are hoping can be done by July 5 — their son, Reef’s 18th birthday. If both parents are U.S. citizens, then he won’t need to take a test.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle softball season brings, though, Alexandra thought Warsop was going to be in
Georgia on March 19, when Warsop’s citizenship swear-in was originally — and randomly — scheduled.
The Cowgirls play in Georgia from March 26-29, the following WednesdaySaturday. The family is trying to push back Warsop’s ceremony until after softball season.
But that’s what happens as a studentathlete. Warsop’s 100 flashcards would have been a challenge for most students, let alone those who travel and play a sport.
There’s a reason why Alexandra tells her daughter to give herself some grace.
“I think she was mad about a month or so ago it was; she called me up and thought she’d failed a test, and so she’s just warning me, and I’m like, ‘Tia, I don’t even know how you fit it all in anyway, so it’s OK,’” Alexandra said.
“Anyway, she called me back and said she got a B. So she just stresses over even getting a B.”
Warsop and OSU haven’t stressed over her play. After starting six games her freshman season, she has started 18 of the Cowgirls’ 22 games. After serving primarily as a baserunner last season, her slap-hitting ability and knack for getting around the bases have made her a staple of the Cowgirl lineup.
In OSU’s 10-1 victory last Sunday against Texas Tech, Warsop turned a single into a run after a Red Raider throwing error gave her enough time to find the plate.
Tara Henry, the Great Britain National Team coach, has seen how much Warsop, who has played for GB since she was 17, has grown this season.
“I’m just really proud of her,” Henry said. “I think she has grown up a ton. I think having Cheese (outfielder Megan Delgadillo) there has been huge. … She’s playing with a ton of confidence and has all the talent in the world and all the speed.
“I think she’s showing the world who Tia Warsop really is.”
Even the Cowgirl softball crowd in Stillwater is getting to know Warsop better; it’s not just the world. Part of the getting-to-know-Warsop process will be her humorous walk-up song choice and her teammates’ chanting the initials for her second country, which might be heard in OSU’s Big 12 Conference home opener weekend series against Houston that starts Friday at 8 p.m.
Alexandra, who didn’t know about these celebratory American actions until her interview with The O’Colly, joked about how she needs to bring British flags to OSU games to showcase the other half of their family’s roots.
She then thought of another idea.
“Maybe I’ll get the British-American flag,” Alexandra said, “the half-divided one.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
OSU softball set for weekend series with Houston,
looks for first Big 12 series victory
giate Softball Player of the Year, and totaled 11 hits and seven RBI. Their 10 runs are the second-most they’ve scored all season.
Karli Godwin described Oklahoma State softball’s trip to Lubbock as getting “punched in the face.”
But in this instance, Godwin thinks it could have been worse. Because now the Cowgirls can use an early blemish as fuel.
OSU opened Big 12 Conference play with a 2-1 series loss to Texas Tech last weekend, including a 9-0 loss in which it was run-ruled in five innings. The Cowgirls bounced back in Game 3, winning 10-1.
“Obviously it wasn’t what we wanted or pictured,” Godwin said. “But I think it was good for us… I think it’s good to get punched in the face — especially that early — and the way we bounced back on Sunday was really nice.”
OSU will get the chance to do the punching this weekend and is looking to pick up its first Big 12 series win of the season at Cowgirl Stadium, where it has won 15 straight games dating back to last season.
The No. 14 Cowgirls (16-6, 1-2 Big 12) host Houston (16-7, 2-1) in a three-game series beginning Friday at 8 p.m. Saturday’s game is at 2 p.m., while Sunday’s series finale has a noon first pitch. Each game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Coming off the series loss to the Red Raiders, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski said the Cowgirls still did “some really good things” they can work with, including the level at which they responded in Sunday’s dominant win.
Offensively, the Cowgirls plated five of their 10 runs in the win off NiJaree Canady, the reigning Colle -
Ace pitcher Ruby Meylan continued her strong season, throwing 14 strikeouts in 11 innings (two appearances) while holding TTU to three runs. And while the numbers say Katie Kutz — who’s 10-3 — gave up five runs in two innings, Gajewski doesn’t think that was all on her.
“I thought we pitched excellent,” Gajewski said. “Katie Kutz got absolutely screwed in the way her numbers look. She should have (only given up one run), and the mental errors (we made instead) were just astounding.
“... But I’m glad with the way we finished (the series) and I think it’ll go a long way with this team.”
The OSU bullpen’s next challenge is slowing down a high-powered Cougars offense. Houston defeated Iowa State 2-1 last weekend and scored 17 total runs. The Cougars have scored 157 total runs — the third-best in the Big 12 — and are top five in batting average (.305) and total bases (291). Godwin said getting “punched in the face” by TTU to start conference play is better than if it were to happen later in the season. She called the Cowgirls “one of the most impressive teams” she’s been a part of — but now they don’t have a reason to be too high and can play with an “extra little piece” of fire.
“We’re already really good now, we just have to take that final little step,” Godwin said. “... It’s gonna be scary how good we are; because we’re already talented on the field, but we’re gonna have that mindset and that drive that’ll help us.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Bryson Thadhani
OSU softball coach Kenny Gajewsi’s team started conference play with a 2-1 series loss to Texas Tech.
Connor Fuxa
Tia Warsop has the highest batting average on OSU’s team (.422).
Spring preview: Oklahoma State looking for its next starting quarterback
GERL SPORTS EDITOR @PARKER_GERL
New Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Doug Meacham will soon hit the turf to begin spring football.
The Cowboys start spring practice March 25, and while there are several question marks surrounding OSU’s team, the biggest one is who will play quarterback in 2025.
Meacham and coach Mike Gundy have a bushel of QBs to pick from.
“(It’s like) you’re going to a peach field,” Meacham said in January. “You’re taking them off the ground or you’re taking them off the tree. We got four (quarterbacks) that are on the tree. We’re just picking it right out there. We can form them or make them whatever we want.
“... It’s like baseball. If you don’t have a starter (pitcher), you have no chance. If you don’t have a quarterback, it’s hard.”
A look at the Cowboy QB candidates:
Garret Rangel
A redshirt junior, Rangel made one start last season against BYU after the Cowboys benched Alan Bowman. Rangel went 6-of-9 passing for 51 yards with a touchdown and an interception and picked up 77 rushing yards on five attempts before exiting the game due to a broken collarbone.
Albeit in a small sample size, Rangel’s combination of mobility and passing injected life into OSU and positioned it to defeat a No. 13 undefeated team on the road. That makes him a viable option for 2025, having already made five starts in three seasons as a Cowboy.
Hauss Hejny
Hejny gives OSU another mobile option. The transfer QB appeared in four games while redshirting last season at TCU and rushed 15 times for 65 yards. He’s never attempted a pass in college.
The former four-star recruit is most familiar with Meacham, though, as Meacham coached the
Horned Frogs’ inside receivers in 2024. Hejny is listed as 6-foot tall and was tabbed as 247 Sports’ No. 12 quarterback in the class of 2024.
Gundy said the Cowboys brought in Hejny to continue “gathering players to try and make our locker rooms as competitive as possible” and maximize talent on OSU’s roster.
“There wasn’t a lot of video on (Hejny),” Gundy said. “(But) one advantage we had is Coach Meacham had a better view than any of us did, and so we hung our hat on that.”
Zane Flores Flores could have made his first appearance last season once OSU had a quarterback controversy, but his season was cut short due to a lower-leg injury that required surgery.
Nonetheless, Flores, a redshirt sophomore, is a highly-regarded prospect. He came to Stillwater from Gretna, Nebraska, where he won MaxPreps Nebraska Player of the Year and was ranked the state’s second-best player by 247 Sports.
Flores stands at 6-foot-3, and his capabilities are those of a gunslinger who can zip the ball on slants and take quick routes.
Maealiuaki Smith
Smith saw playing time in four games last season and started OSU’s final two games against Texas Tech and Colorado.
In a 56-48 loss to the Red Raiders, Smith went 26-of-35 passing for 316 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Smith also scored a rushing touchdown and received Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after his first career start.
He struggled against Colorado, though, going 11 for 29 with two interceptions in a 52-0 loss.
Smith was never supposed to see time last season, but OSU’s team fell apart and he was thrown into the fire as a true freshman. Although he’s young, Smith has seen more college action than Flores and Hejny and could be an intriguing talent for Meacham.
Oklahoma State football will open its spring season in 11 days.
The Cowboys will hit the practice field March 25, beginning the next step in their effort to put a dreadful 3-9 season behind them. Coach Mike Gundy hired an almostentirely new staff and accepted an amended contract after what he called “the most difficult December” of his career and his first losing season since 2005.
There are several unknowns about the new-look OSU team; here are O’Colly writers Parker Gerl, Ashton Slaughter, Calif Poncy and Daniel Allen’s biggest storylines as spring ball approaches.
Gerl: Who’s the alpha of this team? It feels as if the Cowboys don’t have a true one yet on either side of the ball.
Defensively, OSU no longer has a Nick Martin or Collin Oliver at this point; a guy who can muck up a game repeatedly because he’s just that good. Someone will have an opportunity to emerge as that player, but no one in particular jumps out for now.
And same thing offensively. Who’s gonna be an X-factor? New offensive coordinator Doug Meacham still has to settle a quarterback battle, and whoever is behind center will need that dynamic weapon either in the backfield or out wide.
Slaughter: Which returnees are going to stand out? Unlike Gerl, I’m not looking for an alpha, but for players who can stand out when they contribute. They don’t need to be the last piece of OSU’s puzzle, but the pieces around it. Because of staff changes and players from last season exhausting their eligibility, the Cowboys don’t have many names that ring a bell on their spring roster.
Is Taylyn Shettron ready to be the guy? With the talented trio of Brennan Presley (NFL Draft), Rashod Owens (NFL Draft) and De’Zhaun Stribling (transferred to Ole Miss) out of the wide receiver room, Shettron, a redshirt junior, is the logical No. 1. Are brothers Dylan
and Cam Smith going to take a step forward in the secondary? Is either Rodney Fields Jr. or Trent Howland RB1 ready? Can Stillwater native Josh Ford become a legitimate weapon in Meacham’s offense?
All of these players, among others, are returning. Whether they can really make their mark, though, will be seen this fall.
Poncy: The one thing that looms over this entire upcoming season is Gundy’s job security.
He just agreed to a reworked contract and replaced almost his whole staff, but if OSU has another poor season — something that is quite possible with the talent it has to replace — can he survive another offseason? Only time will tell, but that is the defining question surrounding OSU football right now. On the field, figuring out who is playing quarterback for the Cowboys is key. Will it be Garret Rangel, who looked good in his one half as a starter last season? There is the highly-touted pair of Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores, and Maealiuaki Smith, who closed last season as the starter.
Allen: Gundy has seldom dipped into the transfer portal until this year. With so much of the 2024 team exhausting eligibility, declaring for the NFL Draft or transferring out, someone in Gundy’s 23-man transfer portal class should surge. At wide receiver, the Cowboys reeled in Sam Jackson (Auburn) and Jaylen Lloyd (Nebraska). Mesh that duo with Gavin Freeman and Da’Wain Lofton, and OSU has immense speed at the receiver position. If OSU’s receivers aren’t the biggest vertical threats, their ability to catch the ball in space and make plays with yards after catch could be OSU’s bread and butter on offense, as the starting quarterback progressively becomes more comfortable. That’s not taking into account other transfers the Cowboys brought in at the skill positions. Perhaps most notable is Oklahoma running back transfer Kalib Hicks, who will compete with Rodney Fields, Trent Howland and Sesi Vailahi for the starting spot.
File Photo
As OSU football prepares for Spring practice, the quarterback battle is the biggest storyline.
Magassa avoiding fouls key for OSU’s success in postseason
PONCY ASSISTANT SPORTS
Untimely fouls might have been the difference between a semifinal loss and a Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship final appearance for Oklahoma State women’s basketball.
As coach Jacie Hoyt watched her team fall to Baylor in overtime, the absence of Tenin Magassa loomed large. The Big 12’s leading shot blocker fouled out in just 17 minutes, and the Bears ran out to a 10-point lead and never looked back, winning 84-74 and knocking OSU out of the Big 12 tournament.
The result was crushing for an OSU team looking to perform well to offset some of its losses from the regular season, which are keeping it a projected sixth or seventh seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite the loss, the game taught the Cowgirls a few things they need to avoid if they want to advance when their season is on the line.
That list starts with Baylor’s Aaronette Vonleh, who scored 37 and was a big part of why Magassa found herself in foul trouble.
“Obviously, Vonleh was out of her mind,” Hoyt said. “The answer to her was Tenin Magassa, who got to play 17 minutes for us today, so that was just a tough go for us, but she was phenomenal.”
Magassa is the key to OSU’s defense. When she isn’t on the floor, the team becomes reliant on the more sporadic Praise Egharevba, who is also prone to quick fouls and, while improved, is not near the rim protector that Magassa is.
Hoyt said she was “frustrated” with the officials early and throughout the game, believing they blew their whistles too often.
Regardless of who has officiated the Cowgirls this season, Magassa has spent time in foul trouble. Magassa has had four or more fouls in
seven of OSU’s past eight games. In 19 minutes per game, Magassa averages three fouls.
Magassa is as important to the OSU defense as Stailee Heard and Anna Gret Asi are to the offense.
She serves as a repellent to opposing ball handlers. With the most important stretch of their season coming up, the Cowgirls need Magassa to stay out of foul trouble, or opposing bigs will be able to succeed on the often-over-aggressive Egharevba.
“Just strategically what we’re able to do with (Magassa), and I think (Egharevba), she has come right alongside her with that, but (Magassa), her length really gives people problems,” Hoyt said after OSU beat Colorado on Feb. 22. “She is undoubtedly one of the best rim protectors in the country.”
OSU’s loss to Baylor was just one game, but it could lay a roadmap to disarming a defense that has ranked in the top 20 nationally in opponent field-goal percentage.
If a team can limit Magassa’s minutes, the paint opens up. Hoyt said that Egharevba is improving alongside Magassa, but few nationally or internally are as dominant as Magassa is as a rim protector.
Due to resume-hurting losses to Houston and BYU, the Cowgirls will likely have to navigate a challenging slate in the NCAA Tournament.
If Magassa is forced to the bench, as she often has been down the stretch, OSU’s chances of escaping that path decrease exponentially. But, if she can avoid foul trouble, OSU becomes a dangerous draw as a sixth or seventh seed.
“She continues to prove to be one of the best bigs in the country,” Hoyt said after OSU’s Big 12 tournament win over Texas Tech. “She had that early foul trouble so it was hard for her to get going, but we told her at halftime this is why we (got) you, so let’s get to work in the second half.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Where is Oklahoma State projected in NCAA Tournament?
in Baylor. On Nov. 10, 2024, Oregon defeated the Bears 76-74 whereas the Cowgirls are 1-1 against the Bears.
Voters in the Big 12 women’s basketball preseason poll didn’t have high expectations for Oklahoma State this season, picking the Cowgirls to finish 11th.
OSU exceeded those expectations; it set a program record for most regular season conference wins in a season at 14 and earned a doublebye and the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Cowgirls defeated Texas Tech in the quarterfinals and went to the tournament’s semifinals. They went toe-to-toe with No. 2 seed Baylor but ultimately fell to the Bears in overtime.
With its performance in conference play, OSU can comfortably sit at home on Selection Sunday knowing their name will be called for the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN Bracketology has OSU slated as a No. 7 seed, traveling to South Bend, Indiana, where No. 2 Notre Dame will host. OSU would face No. 10 Nebraska in the first round. The Cornhuskers (21-11, 10-8 Big Ten) finished eighth during the regular season and made it to the quarterfinals of their conference tournament where they were ousted by eventual conference champion UCLA.
If the Cowgirls were to get past the Cornhuskers, they would likely face host Notre Dame (26-5, 16-2 ACC) in the second round.
NCAA.com’s Autumn Johnson also has the Cowgirls on the seven line, but has them traveling to host site NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the first round, Johnson has OSU going up against Oregon. The Ducks (19-11, 10-8 Big Ten) have a common opponent with OSU
The Ducks however, had their Big Ten Tournament cut short as they were eliminated in the second round. If OSU was able to pick up a win versus Oregon, it would face the winner of NC State (26-6, 16-2 ACC) and Albany (26-5, 14-2 American East). The Wolfpack were the ACC regular season champions, but finished as the runners-up in the conference tournament.
The Athletic has OSU seeded as a No. 6. The Cowgirls would travel to a regional hosted by ACC champion Duke in Durham, North Carolina. OSU would face the winner of a First Four game between Washington and Princeton.
The Huskies (19-13, 9-9 Big Ten) finished their season in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament whereas the Tigers (21-6, 12-2 Ivy League) finished as the second-place team in the Ivy League during the regular season.
College Sports Madness also has the Cowgirls as a six seed, but has them only traveling 80 miles to a regional hosted by Oklahoma in Norman. There, OSU would face the winner of a First Four game between UW and Harvard. Harvard (22-4, 11-3 Ivy League) finished as the third-place team in its conference during the regular season. If the Cowgirls and Sooners (25-7, 11-5 SEC) were to win their first games in Norman, the two would meet in a postseason Bedlam battle.
The Cowgirls will officially find out where they are headed during Sunday’s selection show at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
OSU’s season
-Picked to finish 11th in the Big 12; finished third with 14 conference wins
-First 25-win season since 2013-14, third-best win total in school history
-9-3 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games with four of those wins on the road
-Entered the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2018
Connor Fuxa
Tenin Magassa (left) is one of the best rim protectors in the country, OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said.
Connor Fuxa
Tournament.
‘It’s
been the story of our season’:
How OSU basketball grew under Lutz
CALIF PONCY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @PONCYCALIF
Robert Jennings II and Connor Dow all played roles for the Cowboys in 2024-25 and are eligible to return.
Whether or not they will take advantage of that opportunity remains to be seen, but the option is there for all of them.
a little more together, and by the end of the season, it was a team that at times, despite lesser talent, could punch up and compete with teams like Iowa State and Baylor.
be ups, there’s gonna be downs, but as long as you keep fighting, you’ll live to see another day.”
Steve Lutz and Oklahoma State men’s basketball’s season is likely over.
The Cowboys are not in the projected fields for the NIT or the NCAA Tournament, and their stay in Kansas City, Missouri, came to an abrupt end when they lost to Cincinnati 87-68 in the first round of the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship.
Barring an invitation to the NIT or the new College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas, Tuesday’s loss was the last game in an OSU uniform for several players, including Bryce ThompsonAbou Ousmane, among others. Lutz has credited this team — and sometimes these players — with setting the culture in his first season at OSU. As they go out the door, a spotlight is shined on those who could return.
Jamyron Keller, Arturo Dean,
“Unfortunately, in this business, the transfer portal age, you already know a lot of these guys that are talking about going into the portal, just like people know our players are talking about going into the portal,” Lutz said. “There’s a lot of transparency and that kind of stuff.”
As of Thursday, it’s unclear which players will or won’t enter the transfer portal, and there’s no indication whether Keller, Dean, Dow and Jennings will return to OSU.
The culture setting Lutz has been so forward with this season trickles down to those players, and Dean, Keller and Jennings all played key roles late in the season.
When the season started, OSU was disjointed. When it played well offensively, it would struggle on defense, and vice versa. With each passing game in Big 12 play, OSU would look
OSU isn’t unique in this case. Most teams under a first-year coach grow as the season goes on, but all of those teams get from Point A to Point B differently. For OSU, the growth was before and after games as much as it was during them.
“Suppressing our emotions, I feel like it’s been the story of our season,” Dean said. “No matter how or what’s going on during the game, down, up, just trying our best to stay evenkeeled and suppressing our emotions and not letting our emotions get the best of us.”
Dean wasn’t the only one who mentioned a change in the Cowboys’ mentality.
Keller said as the season went on, OSU was able to build a callus and respond to adversity in a better way.
“To keep fighting, always,” Keller said. “I’d say that’s one of the biggest things we learned. Through the adversity, keep fighting. There’s gonna
If Keller and Dean return, OSU will have a good defensive backcourt that is comfortable with Lutz on and off the court.
OSU fans may remember this season as a painful one, but the lessons learned by the returning players and coaching staff will be key for the future of the Cowboys.
Thompson’s and Ousmane’s contributions to OSU will fade in some minds as time passes, but if Keller and Dean are at the helm of a turnaround next season, it will be their experiences this season that allowed them to hit the ground running.
“Just knowing that (Lutz) is about the right things,” Jennings said. “That he wants to win, that he knows how to win. We just came up short this year and, you know, the best thing is you get another opportunity.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Payton Little
In his first season as the Cowboys’ coach, Steve Lutz guided
upset against No. 9 Iowa State.
Pineda’s position change key to Oklahoma State soccer’s spring season
PONCY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Xcaret Pineda has been a staple for Oklahoma State soccer the past two seasons.
The crafty midfielder has been part of a lethal pairing with Laudan Wilson. Behind the duo’s playmaking chops and goal-scoring ability, the Cowgirls’ offense complemented one of the best defenses in the nation in 2024. As a result, OSU returned to the NCAA Tournament before losing to Arkansas in the first round.
With last season’s leading goalscorer Logan Heausler transferring to Stephen F. Austin, OSU has a hole at the top of the lineup, and the hope is that Pineda can fill it.
After Pineda started her first three seasons in the midfield, OSU is experimenting with her in an attacking role this spring.
“The idea is we’re trying to get her a little bit higher up the field, take away a little bit of (her) defensive responsibility,” OSU coach Colin Carmichael said. “To hopefully have her closer to the goal when she’s doing her stuff.”
The loudest part of Pineda’s game has always been her passing. Her ability to create good looks for OSU’s attackers has fueled its offense the past two seasons. However, with Heausler out the door and Gracie Bindbeutel inexperienced as an attacker at the college level, Carmichael and the Cowgirls decided to move Pineda out of her natural position.
“I think it’s pretty fun,” Pineda said. “I think it’s honestly not as different I guess because I (did) drop in a lot, so it’s kind of like that number-10 position, it’s just a little bit higher up the field. So, I mean, I love it.”
Pineda didn’t score during OSU’s
first two spring matches, but her chemistry with Bindbeutel and the rest of the attack is already beginning to show.
Carmichael said while Pineda didn’t score, she was already creating good looks for her teammates, making the offense function the same way she used to, just in a different position.
Her feel for the rest of the team is important, but her comfort with Bindbeutel is what will make or break this move.
Bindbeutel’s elite speed allows Pineda to use her passing ability to generate runs. Pineda’s technical prowess and gap recognition allow her to take advantage of defenders who are distracted with trying to contain Bindbeutel.
If all goes well with Pineda’s adjustment, it could be a match made in heaven at the top of the lineup.
“It’s nice because we are a little bit different-minded when it comes to playing up top,” Bindbuetel said. “She likes to check back for the ball, and I like to do that sometimes, but I feel like my strength really comes from running in behind, and that’s what Colin has been telling us, too. It really helps when I know that she can check into the ball, get the ball, turn around and feed me in.”
Changes like these are what the spring season is for.
Experimentation is key in soccer, especially when replacing as many contributors as OSU is this season. If Pineda’s move to the top is successful, it will give the Cowgirls a leg up on the offensive end while the defense, which is replacing long-time starters Mollie Breiner and Alex Morris, figures itself out.
“It worked,” Carmichael said. “She didn’t get goals, but she had some good looks. That’s the plan with (Pineda).”
OSU won a conference title. That’s Step 1.
Now, all eyes are on the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which are held March 20-22 in Philadelphia.
The story of OSU’s swift turnaround in Year 1 under Taylor is a “one-dual-at-a-time” philosophy that has resonated with Taylor’s wrestlers, allowing them to put their blemishes behind them in the long run.
The Cowboys have returned from a good-enough program to a contender within one season. Taylor’s vision and blueprint for the program he took over from tenured former coach John Smith has been apparent.
However, there’s plenty for Taylor and his wrestlers to clean up, he said, to cement this season as a successful one in his eyes.
The road ahead doesn’t ease up. Seedings for nationals have been unveiled, and the Cowboys have less than two weeks to prepare for the premier event of college wrestling. And there’s work to do after Tulsa.
As each Big 12 session winded by, OSU’s lead dwindled. What started as a 29-point advantage ended in a tie with second-place Northern Iowa midway through the final session. And had it not been for an 8-5 decision from top-seeded Wyatt Hendrickson against Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz in the heavyweight title match, OSU’s wait for an outright conference title would have been prolonged.
But make no mistake, Hendrickson said, adversity is perhaps the most vital facet of self growth. Particularly for dominant wrestlers like him.
“I like adversity,” Hendrickson said. “I’ve talked to coach (Taylor) about that. I’ve had a lot of dominant wins this year, and then still in the (national) tournament it still might not be that easy. It’s definitely not going to be a cakewalk by any means. So, facing some of those hard situations now, it’s only going to prepare me — and all of
us — for the national tournament.”
Still, the Cowboys sent six wrestlers to the championships Sunday. Only one left a champion. In a team race, more efficiency on the big stage is paramount. Starting 0-5 in the finals round, Taylor said, was the “biggest” blemish of the weekend, despite all of the good that transpired.
“Today is not the national tournament,” Taylor said. “We’re not looking back and saying, ‘Hey, our No. 1 priority is winning the conference tournament.’ Do we want to win the conference tournament? Yes. Are we competitive? One-hundred percent. But we want to perform at our best during the national tournament. We’re going to perform at our best during nationals.”
Now, OSU has one option: “Grind our tails off,” Hendrickson said. In one week, OSU heads to Philadelphia for nationals. Awaiting are hopes of avenging a loss to rival Iowa, dethroning three-time defending national champion Penn State and hanging banner No. 35 in the rafters of Gallagher-Iba Arena.
It’s a daunting task, but one that Taylor said he believes his team is up for. And if anything, being “battle tested” in the manner Taylor said he believes his team has been over the course of the season will only pay dividends come nationals.
Because now, Taylor is all business. The elation that often comes with a conference championship is in the rearview mirror. Less than a half-week later, his focus is now on nationals.
“There’s a lot of good experiences that we can take from this into the national tournament,” Taylor said. “I think when our team is at our best, we’re scoring — and we’ll keep scoring. That’s obviously something that we need to continue to keep focusing on over the next couple of weeks. I think our team has been battle tested and prepared. And now we go into the national tournament.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Kaytlyn Hayes
OSU coach Colin Carmichael said the Cowgirls want Xcaret Pineda “closer to the goal.”
Payton Little
OSU coach David Taylor said the Cowboys have been “battle tested and prepared” for nationals.
CALIF
Big 12 Wrestling Championship
Oklahoma State wrestling won its first Big 12 Wrestling Championship in four years. Here are our staff’s best photos:.
TOP LEFT: The Cowboys celebrate their conference title.
TOP RIGHT: Full group picture of OSU’s celebration.
MIDDLE LEFT: View of the mats at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship.
MIDDLE: OSU wrestler Dustin Plott and coach David Taylor.
MIDDLE RIGHT: OSU fans on their feet celebrating.
BOTTOM LEFT: Coach David Taylor celebrating his team’s conference title with his wrestlers and staff.
BOTTOM RIGHT: OSU wrestler Tagen Jamison after upsetting top-seeded Andrew Alirez from Northern Colorado
