Thursday, April 22, 2021
What’s next? Seniors navigate post-COVID-19 job market Jennifer Maupin, O’Colly contributor Forty job applications and two interviews later, Emerson Williams is unsure what he will do after graduation. COVID-19 upended the job market, specifically impacting the travel industry, entertainment and any field that requires face-to-face interaction. Record-level unemployment has college students struggling more than usual to find a job. “[The job search] has not been very fruitful,” Williams said. “I’ve been applying a lot. I went to the career fair and met people and contacts. I went through everything and got a couple interviews, and they didn’t really go anywhere.” Williams will graduate with a 3.6 GPA in aerospace and mechanical engineer-
ing from Oklahoma State on May 8. After his graduation, graduate school is Williams’ worst-case scenario. “There’s a group of nine of us who had a semester project last year,” Williams said. “We all keep in touch and the only person with a job has a dad who works [at the company]… Of the nine
Office of Institutional and Analytics. The number of students admitted to OSU’s graduate school rose from 1,321 to 1,599, a 21% increase. Breanna Gallagher, a career consultant for the university, noticed this increase and said students should have several plans for after graduation in case one doesn’t work out. “With graduate school admissions, there are more and more fish in that pool,” Gallagher said. “It depends on the program and the Unsplash school you are applying to, but sometimes it is really of us, more than half are going back to OSU for graduate hard to get into [graduate school] right now because school.” there are so many people tryThe move to apply for ing to get in.” graduate school is increasThe College of Arts and ingly common among seSciences Career Services niors. From the April 17, hosted an event on April 15 2020 to April 16, of 2021, OSU saw a 16% increase in students applying to graduate programs, according to See What’s on pg. 3
Unforgettable journey Pokeapella remembers their 2019 journey to New York Justin Hughs, the vice president of Pokeapella, said this was the group’s firstever concert. He said that they had mainly performed for small Sheyenne Mitchell-Brown events and other misLifestyle Editor cellaneous occasions, One email gave 12 but this would be the college guys the opfirst time the spotlight portunity of a lifetime. was only on them. Pokeapella was going They called it “A Jourto New York. ney Down the Strip.” In the fall 2019 All their efforts semester, Pokepella paid off. They were off was requested to sing to New York. the national anthem in Jack Moffatt was the Barclays Center for a freshman and new to the Oklahoma State the group when all this v.s. Syracuse baskethappened. He said it ball game. All the was almost by chance guys knew this was a that he was able to join life-changing moment Pokeapella, and he in their hands, but must have been in the there was one problem: right place at the right money. time. The trip did not Being new to the cover any expenses and group and younger the group had to find than all the guys was a ways to finance the challenge for Moffatt at trip. How they did so first, he said. However, make friendships easier to create. was through a concert, being stuck on a bus, “ It was kind of a GoFundMe page and shoulder to shoulder, all a blur,” Moffatt a good community. for 20 hours tends to said. “It was awesome.
Provided by Pokeapella.com
Just in the van, we were just singing songs and making jokes everywhere. I mean, it was awesome.”
Moffatt said he initially picked the worst place to sit on See unforgettable on pg. 5
Page 2 Thursday, April 22, 2021
News What’s... Continued from pg. 1 to help students whose plans were disrupted because of COVID-19. Collin O’Leary, a career consultant for the college, led the talk on Zoom. The event included tools to handle rejection, reapply for graduate school and improve resumes. The rise in graduate school applications is precedented. O’Leary said after the 2008 recession, more students decided to go to graduate school to become more competitive and to wait out the crisis, much like students are doing now. “I remember saying all the time, ‘We’ll be back to normal in like two weeks,’” O’Leary said. “That was a year and a half ago. So, from there, I think a lot of students were just stuck and not wanting to make a decision because they weren’t sure what was going to happen in the world. I think now that we have lived with it and adjusted to this new world we live in, I see a lot of students getting an earlier start, which is smart.” O’Leary graduated from OSU and said he can’t imagine being in the shoes of current graduating students. He said the students who graduated in the spring of 2020 had it the worst, but the job market is slowly improving. “If you are a junior, I want you looking at jobs right now,” O’Leary said. “If you are a senior getting ready to graduate, definitely get in with Career Services. We want to do everything we can to really boost your chances of getting positions, getting into graduate school, whatever it is… Start early, find that support system and then just try to keep your head up.” Although graduate school can be a creative way to improve a student’s chances at finding employment, more students get rejected than get accepted. When graduate school
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isn’t an option, many students have to move back home as they wait to find a job or reapply for next semester. Theater senior Evan Houck is one of many graduates planning to move back home. Live performance, Houck’s focus, has taken a big hit because of the pandemic. He said he has hope live performance will return to preCOVID-19 levels, but it will take time. “It will be difficult to move back home, but that is not to say it will be a big problem for me,” Houck said. “It will take some time to get used to the differences in college culture and my parent’s
culture, but I think in the end it is worth it. I hope it goes smoothly because I would really like to work out of the Tulsa area for around six months. I look at it as being a cheap and affordable option when comparing it to moving into my own apartment after graduation.” Many students don’t have the option to move back home because of familial strife, financial issues or proximity to job opportunities. Raffi Demirjian, a double major in marketing and sports management, said he can’t move home to rural Southern California because the area has limited job opportunities.
With no desire to go to graduate school or to move home with his parents, Demirjian said getting a job is his only option. He has driven as far as Dallas for interviews with little success. “We as students are not looking for pity or handouts or freebies,” Demirjian said. “We are looking for opportunities to not only grow ourselves professionally and personally, but to prove ourselves as young men and women ready to positively impact society.” Through his job search, Demirjian noticed there are See What’s on pg. 4
Page 4 Thursdays, April 22, 2021
News What’s... Continued from pg. 3 two large groups of people looking for work, recent college graduates and people who have experience and were laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said it seems companies are more inclined to hire those with experience because the company won’t have to spend as much time training. Demirjian said he is marketing himself wherever he can, even plugging himself in the interview for this article. “If anyone sees this who is hiring for an entrylevel corporate marketing role or works in professional or collegiate sports, I would be happy to learn more about your company and get to know you,” Demirjian said. Williams, Houck and Demirjian took different approaches in navigating the post-COVID-19 job market, but they each expressed hope for their careers. Houck said venues being closed has been the toughest aspect of
finding a job in live performance, but the film industry is starting back up, which gives him more opportunities. “I have hope for the future in my field of study,” Houck said. “I believe people around the world will soon be tired of virtual entertainment and I hope live entertainment comes back better than ever.” Having worked with students going into the job market long before the pandemic began, Gallagher said graduating from college and figuring out what is next is always tough for students, but the pandemic has made the transition more complicated. Career Services are available to students for a year after they graduate. Students can also join the OSU Student Alumni Association to have access to career services for life, with memberships starting at about $600. Gallagher encouraged students to use the resources available to them as long as they can. “Hang in there,” Gallagher said. “No matter who you are, job searching is hard and it sucks.” news.ed@ocolly.com
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Lifestyle
Provided by Pokeapella.com
Unforgettable... Continued from pg. 1 the bus to give the more senior members a comfortable seat, but by the ride home they were all brothers and they could sit on each other’s laps if they wanted. Wesley Rice, another member of Pokeapella, and Hughes both said similar things about the ride up to Brooklyn and down to Stillwater: It was an unbelievable trip. However, the most surreal part was not the car ride and jokes but the performance itself. Moffatt described being escorted by an officiallooking, intimidating man to where they would need to enter the court. He said they walked through a tunnel and onto the court. It was just Pokeapella and a stage. All
eyes were on them. Moffatt said he could barely see the audience he was performing for. He could see faces of players, couches and fans here and there, but he couldn’t see much. The court felt like it could swallow him whole. Millions of emotions were swirling around inside of him, but the most prominent was disbelief. “Am I really out here doing this?” Moffat said. After they had sung, Pokeaplla moved to the stands to watch the rest of the game. Rice recalled the feeling that they didn’t belong. They were maybe the only OSU fans in the stands that night, and the 12 men in their bright orange uniforms stood out like sore thumbs. “Oklahoma is a long way away, so there is not a lot of OSU fans there,” Rice said. “And so, these 12 guys all in their polos, and we’re all bunched up together, surrounded by a hostile crowd.
Because we’re standing up and we’re cheering on OSU when we’re surrounded by Syracuse fans. And so we’re sitting there and we’re wondering, ‘Ah, man, are we going to get jumped when we try to walk out of here?’” For Hughes, Rice and Moffatt, this is an experience that they will never forget. However, it’s an experience that seems unreal nowadays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Large sports crowds, travel and singing in groups have been some of many things that the pandemic has taken away from human life since March 2020. Nonetheless, these activities are seeing a return as vaccines roll out, and members of Pokeapella are ready for a sense of normalcy again. COVID took away their concerts and performances and their ability to be physically close, but it didn’t take away the spirit of the group. Life may have changed for a
little while, but the music and friendship stayed the same. “I came in at this huge peak, luckily, then we had this huge slow down with the pandemic,” Moffatt said. “It’s still just as fun as it used to be, just in different ways. As long as you have everybody there, it doesn’t matter if you’re going to New York or not. It’s all about the guys and the friendships you make, really.” Rice said he is hopeful that Pokeapella will be back to some kind of normal in a year or two. And even though he will not be there to see it, he wishes the next generation of Pokeapella the best. “I want to see them do more than I got to do,” Rice said. “Like the opportunity to go to New York-- I don’t want that to be a once-only thing for Pokeapplla. I want opportunities like that to keep coming for them and for them to keep getting bigger.” entertainment.ed@ocolly.com
Page 6 Wednesday, April 22, 2021
sports
Polo prodigy Leach growing polo in Oklahoma while pursuing professional dreams
Marcus Trevino Staff Reporter Samantha Leach is one of many Oklahoma State athletes with great potential to play professionally after college, but few know her name. That’s because Leach plays polo ─ a relatively unknown sport in Oklahoma. In fact, the OSU Polo Club is the only collegiate team in the state. Leach, the team’s player-coach, has been riding horses since she started walking. Her family owns a horse ranch in Illinois and her mom is a trainer. Growing up, she mainly competed in western riding events such as rodeo and reining, which are more common in America. But boarding school presented her with a new opportunity. “They had all of the equestrian teams that I wanted to be on,” Leach said. “The only sport out of all them that I hadn’t done was polo.” She began playing polo at 16 and was named team captain by 17. Then, as an OSU sophomore, she was presented with a can’t-miss opportunity. The Texas Precious Metals, seeking an experienced leader, invited Leach to join their team and compete at the Sarasota Women’s Tournament. “When I got to Florida I was just expecting to play as a valued member of the team,” Leach said. “But they revealed to me that I was actually their pro and I was nominated to be captain.” In polo, the pro is essentially the quarterback of the team. They’re the strongest hitter and strategize where the ball goes on the field. And she was sponsored as the team’s pro, meaning she was provided horses,
Courtesy of Samatha Leach
entry fees, transportation and coaching. “That was the greatest opportunity I’ve ever had in polo. That was kind of a life-changing moment in the sport, and it really took my polo career and made it something big,” Leach said. “It really opened up a lot of opportunities for making connections at the bigger polo clubs and getting my name out there.” Leach gained a lot of recognition in polo circles after the tournament, so now she aims to be sponsored to continue polo professionally. “I’ve been exposed to the right people to help put me on track,” Leach said. “It is a big goal of mine in the late future.”
For now, Leach hopes to build-up OSU’s program. Oklahoma is a predominantly western state, so polo hasn’t been developed much if at all. Players such as Leach play in tournaments outside the state to build those important connections. Not every player is able to do that though, growing the sport in Oklahoma is a big deal for her. “I would just like people to be more open-minded with the English riding in Oklahoma,” Leach said. “It’s a really great sport but we don’t have the support for it.” sports.ed@ocolly.com
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DON’T STUMBLE! (Part #3) “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate one another,” (Mt.24:9-10) All this I told you so that you will not go astray. (stumble) They will put you out of the synagogue, in fact a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.” (Jn.16:1-2) The are many places in the scripture that tell of persecution of true believers. Jesus said if they did it to me they will do it to those who follow me. (Jn.15:20) Many times this will separate the true believers from the false. No one likes hardships, difficulties and certainly persecutions, but the challenge comes and we don’t want to stumble and fall away.
Jesus speaks to the Smyrna church in Revelation: "I know your afflictions...slander...do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer...the Devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be careful..." Does God allow persecution and trials of different kinds? He certainly does! Couldn't God deliver them out of bad situations? Of course! Sometimes He will and sometimes not. He even governs how long the difficulties will last. These are times when we see the grace of God in wonderful ways. His grace is made perfect in weaknesses. (2 Co.12:9) That is why we are not to be offended at God's ways. Difficulties can seem to be hindering the very work of God, but the Lord is working in and through the situation to accomplish something good in the end.
Page 8 Thursday, April 22, 2021
FOR RELEASE APRIL 22, 2021
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Help Wanted
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Church Meetings
An elderly couple needs help in cleaning out garden and lished garden that has weeded this past winter. Will furnish any equipment needed. Call 405 372 2355.
Come check out the wide variety of elegant clothing at Formal Fantasy! Located on 121 E. 9th Ave, Downtown Stillwater
Join the New Covenant Fellowship for service every Sunday at 10am and share in our passion for Jesus Christ!”
Business Squares The best selection of beer, wine and liquor that Stillwater has to offer! Perfect for all your game day needs, come to
Try Firo Pizza’s New Roman Style Pizza! The fastest drive-thru, authentic style-pizza offered in the US! Get a free drink with any Roman Style Pizza!
Shop located on 128 N. Main
Teach For America Full salary All majors accepted. Learn more at engagetfa.org/ applyearly
UKirk university group at First Presbyterian Church meets every week! Join us for Bible study every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.! For more information or for Zoom access, visit us at stillwaterfpc.com
Needing to play a sport? Get a TEAM together and Play SASA Adult League. Deadline March 1st for Volleyball. Deadline March 12th for Softball.
Designers Wanted The O’Colly Media Group is now hiring Advertising Designers for our ad and marketing departments. Duties include working on layouts, designing ads, and creating media campaigns.
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 6 The universal language, some say 10 “Time __ transfix the flourish set on youth”: Shak. 14 Red tide cause 15 Bio, in a way, is aptly part of it 16 Most populous Hawaiian island 17 In the event of a freeze, ... 20 Little pigs or blind mice 21 Smelting residue 22 Lowland 25 Title choice on a form 27 Destroy, as files 31 Bitterroot Range st. 32 Take on 35 Close 36 Rye fungus 38 Underestimate, By Grant Boroughs say 40 In the event of a 6 Drives freeze, ... 7 Elementary 43 Shelter securely sequence 44 Tech support 8 Spanish callers relatives 45 Like those who 9 Web page leap before they standard look 46 More evil 11 Cereal grain 49 Brown brew 12 Start of many 50 Aerodynamic band names 13 “Ben-__” 53 Ice cream brand 18 Crater borders 54 Farm skyline 19 Faux __ sight 22 Nielsen ratings 57 Sharp barks units 59 In the event of a 23 Epinephrine“Freeze!,” ... producing gland 66 Jug 24 “Cooking With Power” author middle name 26 Seasons in the 68 Daily delivery sun 69 Sky and Storm 28 Member of a org. league in a 70 Mid-month day Sherlock Holmes 71 Turkey neighbor title 29 With DOWN enthusiasm 1 Deface 30 Ballroom attire 2 Spanish shout 32 “Love on __-way 3 Old British sports Street”: 1970 hit 33 Open __ night cars 4 Finish choice 34 Non-native 5 Orbital period
4/22/21
Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved
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37 Theater section 39 Soup du __ 41 “What else?” 42 Electronics pioneer 47 Vessels with cockpits 48 Final, say 51 Kipling title orphan 53 A 48-Down may include one 55 Norse prankster
4/22/21
56 Poet banished by Augustus 58 Baby seals 59 Beads on blades 60 Have title to 61 State east of Wyo. 62 Afore 63 First aid skill, for short 64 16-Across garland 65 Timeline section
schedule. For more information contact Lori@ocolly.com or call 405-744-7355
Daily Horoscope
Level 1
2
3
4
Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes
Build career accomplishments with consistent discipline and integrity. Adapt to
is in demand. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 9 — A brilliant idea inspires your work. Someone wonderful teaches you a new trick. Practice makes perfect. Words and Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Take advantage of favorable conditions for love, passion and romance. Grab a spontaneous opportunity for fun. Connect with someone dear on a deeper level. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Home draws you in and centers you. Make a domestic change that you’ve long wanted. Creative efforts pay off. Put your love into something delicious. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Investigate secrets, surprises and mysteries. Things are starting to make sense. Ask for what you need and get it. Send love letters and gifts. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Focus on money making for extra gain. Infuse your work with love. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Keep your promises (or change them). Integrity allows workability. Create a promise to realize a personal dream. AdLibra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Peaceful solitude encourages organizaa lucky surprise. Invent an exciting possibility. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Friends provide the support you need. Connect and share the latest. Discover unexpected opportunities in conversaSagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 9 — Deadlines and professional re-
exploration reveals a beautiful treasure. Love sparks when least expected. Make a heartfelt connection. Bold discovery awaits.
4/22/21 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Listen to your heart. Love inspires your partnership to deeper connection. Encourage each other to greater creativity, satisfaction and accomplishment. Cupid’s arrows hit the spot.
Page 6 Wednesday, April 22, 2021
sports
Polo prodigy Leach growing polo in Oklahoma while pursuing professional dreams
Marcus Trevino Staff Reporter Samantha Leach is one of many Oklahoma State athletes with great potential to play professionally after college, but few know her name. That’s because Leach plays polo ─ a relatively unknown sport in Oklahoma. In fact, the OSU Polo Club is the only collegiate team in the state. Leach, the team’s player-coach, has been riding horses since she started walking. Her family owns a horse ranch in Illinois and her mom is a trainer. Growing up, she mainly competed in western riding events such as rodeo and reining, which are more common in America. But boarding school presented her with a new opportunity. “They had all of the equestrian teams that I wanted to be on,” Leach said. “The only sport out of all them that I hadn’t done was polo.” She began playing polo at 16 and was named team captain by 17. Then, as an OSU sophomore, she was presented with a can’t-miss opportunity. The Texas Precious Metals, seeking an experienced leader, invited Leach to join their team and compete at the Sarasota Women’s Tournament. “When I got to Florida I was just expecting to play as a valued member of the team,” Leach said. “But they revealed to me that I was actually their pro and I was nominated to be captain.” In polo, the pro is essentially the quarterback of the team. They’re the strongest hitter and strategize where the ball goes on the field. And she was sponsored as the team’s pro, meaning she was provided horses,
Courtesy of Samatha Leach
entry fees, transportation and coaching. “That was the greatest opportunity I’ve ever had in polo. That was kind of a life-changing moment in the sport, and it really took my polo career and made it something big,” Leach said. “It really opened up a lot of opportunities for making connections at the bigger polo clubs and getting my name out there.” Leach gained a lot of recognition in polo circles after the tournament, so now she aims to be sponsored to continue polo professionally. “I’ve been exposed to the right people to help put me on track,” Leach said. “It is a big goal of mine in the late future.”
For now, Leach hopes to build-up OSU’s program. Oklahoma is a predominantly western state, so polo hasn’t been developed much if at all. Players such as Leach play in tournaments outside the state to build those important connections. Not every player is able to do that though, growing the sport in Oklahoma is a big deal for her. “I would just like people to be more open-minded with the English riding in Oklahoma,” Leach said. “It’s a really great sport but we don’t have the support for it.” sports.ed@ocolly.com
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