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15th Street News - October 2022

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15 STREET NEWS

VOLUME LII

OCTOBER 2022

ISSUE 3

Legislative Fail Delays Politics? Let’s Talk Nonprofit Funding By Nathan Fox Sports Editor

Rose State College students are as diverse in their politics as they are in their degree programs. While the current political climate across America is extremely contentious, more young adults are registering to vote than ever before. Many people are still exhausted from the aftereffects of COVID-19. Many are infuriated by the current state of inflation, and more still are enraged by recent judicial decisions, wars, climate change and the ever-present arguments about universal healthcare. The list goes on and on. Tackling these issues politically seems daunting and perhaps, to some, impossible.

Many students across Oklahoma attend Boys & Girls Clubs to participate in their numerous after-school programs. (Courtesy of The Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County)

Boys & Girls Clubs of OK on hold for $30.1 million

By Katrina Crumbacher and Valerie Scott Editor-in-Chief and Assistant Editor

Any hopes of having mobile Boys & Girls Club experiences in rural Oklahoma by the end of the year were dashed as the legislature’s special session adjourned Friday, Oct. 14. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma was just one nonprofit of 10 that were set to receive American Rescue Plan Act funding in the latest round of pandemic relief appropriations.

However, funding allocations were delayed when state lawmakers failed to reach a consensus regarding YWCA’s funding proposal. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma’s proposal requested $30.1 million to build out mobile clubs and for capital needs at their 96 locations across the state. The proposed mobile clubs would have brought specialized programs to areas where The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma do not have a physical presence.

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wheels, we can go.” Even when schools are closed, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma are open and ready to serve. However, the delay has stalled programs that were ready to hit the ground running. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County recently piloted a reading recovery program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The program is designed to improve students’ reading level after the

See ARPA, Page 4

According to a Forbes Advisor survey, Oklahoma ranked fourth behind Utah, Missouri and Colorado for angriest drivers. Nearly 70% of Oklahomans have reported being involved in a situation in which a driver has become extremely aggressive or exhibited road rage like behaviors, such as, tailgating, verbal threats and dangerous driving. “A car was tailgating me for several miles,” said Ginger Howerton, chemistry major. “The car sped

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See POLITICS, Page 6

We’re All Mad Here, Survey Says

“There are some schools and a lot of rural towns in the state of Oklahoma that don’t, for various reasons, have access to a club experience,” said Teena Belcik, the president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County. “[We] can come with a mobile club and bring all the academic support, mentoring, sports, arts and STEM opportunities. All of those would be beneficial in many of these areas that maybe don’t have or can’t support a full-time club, but when we’re on

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Nevertheless, contentious as politics may be, political commentators make their opinions known on television and radio and have permeated into various social media, such as Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. “I love watching John Oliver,” said Kinsley Madison, nursing major. “I just love how he intertwines the facts with comedy. I laugh a ton and learn a lot in the process. I can then share what I’ve learned with my friends, and we all become much more informed than we previously were.” Through social media, these talking heads are able to reach far greater audiences. While some may exist to spew only

By Alyx Sabina Senior Staff Writer

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around me and cut me off then brake checked me. I was so angry that I proceeded to drive around them and cut them off. The other driver was not happy and was yelling profanities at me.” The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that on average, at least 1,500 people are injured or killed each year in the United States as a result of “aggressive driving.” Many road rage associated incidents even end up involving gun violence.

See RAGE, Page 3

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