‘Untapped resource’
Street and Miller Avenue.
Forty years into a career in retail management, Chad O’Roark decided it was time to be an owner.
O’Roark’s new venture has become a reality in Sugar Llama’s, an up-and-coming franchise that serves gourmet donuts, ice cream and specialty coffees. The multicolored store front and llama logo stand out on the corner of Main
“I have always had this desire to open up a very whimsical, colorful business type restaurant…, ”
O’Roark said. “I’ve been talking about it for years, and this fit into that category.”
Stillwater and its proximity to Oklahoma State inspired O’Roark and his business partners.
Expanding into a college town gives businesses consistent clientele along with college
students who move back and forth, he said. With O’Roark’s son recently graduating from OSU, Stillwater just made sense.
“It’s just an untapped resource,”
O’Roark said. “It’s got the coming and going of the students, which I think would be very beneficial to our business. Plus, it gives us a chance to serve a greater community.”
Shooting in Stillwater kills 2, injures 1
Stillwater Police Department is investigating a double homicide from a shooting that took place in the early hours of Monday morning.
Around 1:14 a.m., SPD responded to reports of gunshots in the 200 block of West Elm Avenue. Police found two dead and one injured from a gunshot wound in an apartment complex. 38-yearold Vanessa Henry and 35-year-old Andrew Rice, both of Stillwater, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The third individual located at the scene was 34-year-old Carman Murphy of Stillwater. Murphy was transported to a local hospital and is listed as in stable condition.
The suspect — 36-year-old Theodore DeMarrio McCloud of Langston — fled the scene before SPD arrived.
McCloud was later located by Langston University Police Department (LUPD) at a residence in Langston. When LUPD officers arrived, McCloud exited his vehicle and fired shots at the officers. One officer returned fire, but there were no reported injuries.
McCloud was taken into custody without further incident. This case is still in active investigation and charges will be reviewed by the Payne County District Attorney’s office.
Howell NEWS AND
Move-in is no easy feat.
Doing it at the same time as thousands of other students can be even more challenging.
To make things easier while turning your closetsized dorm room into a home, the following five tips can help.
Dress comfortably
For those of you who haven’t been in Stillwater this summer, it is hot. One minute outside under a heat advisory will have you soaking wet and on the verge of passing out.
Wear active clothes, such as a tank top and shorts, to stay cool and comfortable while moving your belongings. (Pro tip: Bring a fan for your dorm, and plug it in on the first trip up.)
Parking on campus will also be terrible on move-in days. Your feet will thank you later if you wear comfortable tennis shoes for the hike to your dorm — and potentially up flights of stairs if the elevators are backed up.
Bring your own moving cart
The dorms only have a few carts that are available for move-in use. Your best bet is to bring your own. Amazon sells dollies and hand carts for $50 to $100, but you can rent them from a local U-Haul store for cheaper.
Packing your clothes in luggage is also way easier than packing it in boxes. Call your mother, father, grandma, aunt, uncle and best friend and ask to borrow their suitcases.
Raynee Howell
The multi-colored building located at 132 1/2 N. Main St. will soon to be home to the franchise Sugar Llama’s.
Adam Luther
Two people are dead and one is injured after a shooting early Monday morning in Stillwater.
Raynee Howell NEWS AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Raynee
Raynee Howell NEWS AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Sugar Llama’s
The process of working with the city of Stillwater has been seamless. O’Roark said he’s heard back quickly each time he’s reached out to city officials.
“Usually, you got to go through the red tape and sit on calls and hold et cetera,” O’Roark said. “Didn’t have any of that with the city of Stillwater; they’ve been phenomenal.”
The only thing keeping the store from opening is the installation of a key part for ridding the building of smoke. O’Roark said the store could open as soon as this weekend once installed.
Though O’Roark said he is glad the location is so close to campus, his business will also cater to families living in Stillwater. The location will have a party room set aside for guests to celebrate birthdays and other events. With 40 to 50 donut flavors on the menus with customizations available, the machines can put on a show.
“We have a plate glass there so you can stand there and see,” O’Roark said.
“We’ve even got a little stepstool for kids to get up there and see. It (the batter) travels down and then flips out, and then that’s when they decorate them (the donuts).”
There is also a kid’s drink called
“Llama Spit” made up of Sprite and vanilla soft top. “Pink Llama Spit” is another drink with lemonade that targets kids.
The ice cream — shipped in from Michigan — is also a gourmet brand. O’Roark said it’s so creamy that it starts melting as soon as the ice cream case opens. It’s one of the last true gourmet brands out there, he said.
Sugar Llama’s is also known for its specialty coffees and drink infusions. Hot coffee, iced coffee and Red Bull with different flavored syrups will be available. The location in South Tulsa — which O’Roark is an area representative for — has been making those same drinks with Alani energy drinks, and it’s been a hit. He plans
to bring it to Stillwater, along with a special drink.
“We’ve actually come up with a specialty drink for the city of Stillwater that’s not served anywhere else, and it’s called ‘The Cowboy.’” O’Roark said. “I can’t give it away, but it’s got a chocolate macadamia nut flavor, and that is something we put together for the city.”
O’Roark said he is excited about the number of offerings that Sugar Llama’s has. He encourages people to stop by whether they’re on the go in need of a treat or need a place to set up their laptop, drink coffee and work.
“We’re just excited to be here to create a different experience,” he said.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Courtesy Sugar Llama’s Stillwater
Sugar Llama’s serves gourmet mini donuts, ice cream and speciality coffee. Its Stillwater location is set to open soon.
Raynee Howell NEWS AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR
A string of young, Red Dirtinspired artists from Texas have infiltrated the country music scene.
The newest to debut his first album is Hudson Westbrook, the same Texas native who took the stage before Treaty Oak Revival at Calf Fry in May. With combined traditional country sounds and mainstream production, the 17-track debut album titled “Texas Forever” is reminiscent of early Parker McCollum.
The Texas swagger and combination of drinking songs, break-up songs and love songs creates a similar listening experience to “Gold Chain Cowboy” — an album bridging the gap between McCollum’s RedDirt inspired albums and more mainstream radio hits.
Similarly, Westbrook’s album gives country music listeners a range of songs to experience, and for Texans, there are references to every major city in the state. (Tulsa is an honorable mention in the song “Fool.”) The fairly new artist wrote or co-wrote or each song on his album-long love letter to Texas, pulling from his experiences as well as other concepts.
The singles and previouslyreleased songs set a high bar for the rest of the original tracks. “House Again” — a song with
enough pull to garner a Miranda Lambert remix — holds its own even after its radio play. The lyrics evoke a feeling of nostalgia for the listener.
Nostalgia is also apparent in “Weatherman.” This previouslyreleased song still stands as one of Westbrook’s best. The concept is similar to Lambert’s song “Over You,” which uses snow to signify grief. Westbrook uses rain to represent hard times as he goes through a break-up.
A few songs on the album teeter on mainstream and seem to focus more on being catchy than telling a compelling story. “Only Girl” and “Darlin’’” both showcase catchy choruses with just-all-right verses. None of these songs are objectively bad, but are simply outdone by other tracks.
“Damn Good Taste in Whiskey” is an example of one that outshines, even with it clearly having the same intent. It has a catchy chorus, but the writing is good and relatable, and if it came on the country hits radio, most wouldn’t flip the station.
The more Red Dirt-leaning tracks felt more authentic to the live-Westbrook sound. Everyone with a Coors Light can in the crowd will raise it to “Momma Raised a Winner.” The lyrics “Drinking my dinner for the fifth night in a row” are not only potentially relatable, but also fun to sing along to. Concert junkies will especially relate to
the ending line: “My wallet’s got thinner since I went out all night long.”
“Funny Seeing You Here,” another single, has a similar feel to “Momma Raised a Winner.” The upbeat acoustic guitar combined with the sad lyrics makes for a perfect combination. The verses leading into the chorus also tell a story that is believable and human, not just meant to reach the masses with a few rhyming lines.
“Lie To Me” is another song that would kill it live. The song is slow and focused on yearning for a familiar toxic behavior from someone you love. The featured artist, Mackenzie Carpenter, complements Westbrook with her country twang. Any female artist touring with Westbrook could hop on stage for the duet to surprise the audience.
Another song with the potential to become a fan favorite is “Burning Love.” The acoustic guitar rings out beautifully behind raw, unfiltered lyrics. The mention of the Turnpike Troubadours also boosted the song up in the rankings.
“Mine Tomorrow” and “Hill I’ll Die On” will be joining several wedding playlists along with songs like Cody Johnson’s “The Painter.” Both songs are sweet and focus on the concept of forever. When you have a face to put the song to, it’s even better.
Bargain stores
The furniture you bring to your dorm will most likely end up in the closest dumpster at the end of the school year. Hit the 5 Below, Dollar General or Ollie’s for your decorations. The items from these stores have the shelf life perfect for a year in the dorms.
Each of these stores also sells cleaning supplies and snacks at a reduced price. You may have some high school graduation money saved up, but it’ll be gone before December in a college town. Start saving immediately.
Shop outside of Stillwater
The Walmarts in Stillwater run out of hangers every year. That and whatever else you waited until the last minute to buy are probably not on most of the store’s shelves.
With thousands of college students in search of the same things, it’s smart to plan ahead. Make a list of what you know you’ll need and shop in your hometown or in another town on the way to move in.
GroupMe
Most community mentors (CMs) — also known as RAs at most colleges — will put up a QR code in the lobby and on your floor. The QR code is a link to a GroupMe chat. Join it and stay updated on what is happening on your floor and on campus. If you find yourself lost or in need of help during move in, the GroupMe is a good place to start. If you don’t have a GroupMe yet, download it. Your dorm floor chat is one of many chats you will join to stay in the know and connect with other Cowboys.
File photo
A Wentz resident unloads a mini-fridge from a truck with the help of her parents. Move-in can cause parking problems and long days.
Payton Little
Hudson Westbrook sings to a crowd of OSU students and Red Dirt country music fans at the Calf Fry Festival in May.
Block 34’s grand opening
Mayor Will Joyce and others celebrate Block 34’s grand opening.
A guitarist performs for crowd at the Dancing Turtle Arts Festival.
Kids throw confetti during the celebration for the opening of the decade-long project Block 34.
A performer at the Dancing Turtle Arts Festival sports an Oklahoma flag guitar strap.
The Dancing Turtle Arts Festival at Block 34 had a KidZone for the youth of Stillwater to discover art.
Stillwater residents and their furry friends visited Block 34 during its opening over the weekend.
Photos by Daisy gower
A drummer performs at the Dancing Turtle Arts Festival after the celebration of Block 34’s grand opening.
The first event at Stillwater’s Block 34 was the Dancing Turtle Arts Festival during its opening over the weekend. To celebrate the opening of Block 34, several live musicians took the stage.
Friday, August 1, 2025
Dill reflects on Big 12 Beyond Borders program
Kraich EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
When Caroline Dill’s name was put in the hat to participate in the Big 12’s Beyond Border’s program, the Oklahoma State soccer goalkeeper didn’t know what she was signing up for — only that her coach saw something in her.
What followed was a two-year journey that reshaped her understanding of leadership and culture.
The Big 12’s inaugural class of the Beyond Borders program, according to the conference’s Chief Impact Officer Jenn Hunter, aimed to “help develop athletes into the global leaders of tomorrow,” utilizing “history, culture, engagement, advocacy and giving back as a way to understand connectedness and place in this world.”
Dill was one of two athletes chosen from each Big 12 school to participate in the program.
“I was excited to be the first female athlete from OSU to go and experience Beyond Borders,” Dill said. “I didn’t know what I was getting into at first… But once I finished it out, it was so worth it.”
The experience for the sophomore began in 2024 when the conference took all participating athletes in the program to Washington, D.C. They visited museums, held open-forum conversations and advocated on behalf of student-athletes everywhere on Capitol Hill.
For Dill, the most emotional, impactful experiences happened during visits to the National Museum of African American History and the United States Holocaust Memorial.
“I think walking through (them) just made it so much more real,” Dill said. “I feel like as a person, it’s made me more open and have a broader understanding of it all.”
See DILL on page 6
OSU football roundtable
Our biggest questions as Cowboys prepare for 2025 season
O’COLLY STAFF
It’s not often Oklahoma State football enters fall camp with so many unknowns.
Things change, though. After a 3-9 season in 2024, sweeping staff changes and high roster turnover, the Cowboys have undergone a revamp ahead of the 2025 season.
The O’Colly football beat writers Parker Gerl, Luke Mazza, Weston Wertzberger, Cayden Cox and Sam Mitchell offered their biggest questions heading into the season.
Gerl: Will OSU’s offensive line be ready?
The quarterback battle between Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores is the most popular storyline
surrounding this new-look OSU team. Rightfully so.
But even if Hejny or Flores play well, they’ll need support from the Cowboys’ offensive line to help OSU have a true bounce-back season. Without a good run game and pass protection, Hejny or Flores’ job gets harder.
Longtime starters such as Preston Wilson, Joe Michalski, Dalton Cooper and Jake Springfield are gone. These are guys that made more than 30 starts in an OSU jersey. Now, the Cowboys are plugging several new faces in with new offensive line coaches Cooper Bassett and Andrew Mitchell. Will it work?
Mazza: Who will separate
themselves in Oklahoma State’s wide-open quarterback competition?
The battle everyone’s watching: Is it Flores or TCU transfer Hejny?
Mike Gundy said at Big 12 Media Days that one of Hejny or Flores will have to take the job.
Doug Meacham returns to OSU as an offensive coordinator and is expected to bring a fast-paced attack to Stillwater. That style favors Hejny, whose speed and athleticism stand out, though his 5-foot-11 frame could limit him as a passer. Flores is not a runner, but his big arm gives him a shot to win the job. Neither Hejny nor Flores has attempted a pass in a college game.
See ROUNDTABLE on page 8
Payton Little
Mike Gundy is coming off a 3-9 season, his worst as the head coach at Oklahoma State. With major changes to the coaching staff and roster, the Cowboys enter the 2025 season
unknown commodity in the Big 12.
Mykalyn Daidone Caroline Dill was part of the Big 12’s inagural class for the Beyond Borders two-year program.
Kenzie
OSU soccer preparing new roster in intersquad scrimmage Saturday
Kenzie Kraich EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Oklahoma State soccer is coming off an undefeated spring season, chasing another taste of the NCAA Tournament.
Ending its regular season on an 0-2 drought, OSU came back in the spring with a new determination, experimentation and roster. While turnover wasn’t extremely high for the Cowgirls, they’ve brought in key players to replace transfers and graduating seniors.
The emotions felt by Dill and her fellow Big 12 athletes were not just internalized, but given a chance to be voiced through a group discussion following each museum visit. In this setting, athletes from all backgrounds — Jewish, Black, Hispanic and more — were able to open up about their histories and speak freely about their modern-day experiences.
Historical and cultural contexts were abundant in Washington D.C., but Dill also had the opportunity to present on Capitol Hill regarding a topic she has become passionate about as a woman in sports: revenue sharing. She and a select few others were able to give a presentation arguing for the rights and protections for athletes of all kinds.
“We spoke at Capitol Hill and told them (legislature), ‘Don’t make athletes employees,” Dill said.
Dill’s passion and eagerness for representation among historical, cultural and political issues were evident before her time in the Beyond Borders program — the summer of 2024 just solidified them.
Fast forward to July 2025, and Dill was on a plane to Mexico as the second half of Beyond Borders went into action. The athletes who participated in the trip were not on a resort; it was an intentional trip to Mexico City where they would broaden their scope of culture even further.
“When we went there, there wasn’t a single thing out of the ordinary,” Dill said. “It’s no different than walking around Stillwater, and I was just not expecting that.”
Dill was presented with an immersive itinerary, highlighted by salsa dancing, cooking classes, Lucha Libre wrestling and visits to local museums. But between each of those
were conversations that would go beyond the surface.
“Even on bus rides, some people would sleep, but others would stay up talking about the most random things,” Dill said. “The relationships we built there probably ended up so much better than what any of us had thought of when we were first introduced.”
Dill credits the experience in Mexico City as the most influential on how she now approaches empathy, patience and community in her team.
“It definitely connects me with my teammates,” Dill said. “It sparked conversations with people on my team and gave me a better grasp of who they are and where they come from.”
Even Dill’s experience in Washington, D.C., helped transform her teammates’ mindsets surrounding the funding changes as NIL continues to evolve in the college landscape.
While she may not be the last OSU female to participate in the Beyond Borders program, she was the first, wearing the title with pride.
“Once I finished (the program) I sent coach (Colin Carmichael) a text,” Dill said. “I told him, ‘Thank you so much for choosing me out of the 30 girls on the team to go and experience this.”
The athletes who participated in the inaugural two-year Beyond Borders program remain close, with some actively sharing updates and achievements whenever they cross paths. Dill says there are even a few planning a self-funded trip for next summer.
For Dill, Beyond Borders wasn’t just about the cool trips or time off from training — it was about transformation.
“As a person, it made me more empathic,” Dill said. “I came out of it a better leader, a better teammate and really a better person.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
BLESSINGS & BARGAINS Rummage
“With the transitions and ins and outs of your roster a little bit more (prevalent), you’re just going to have to find kids that can step in and help immediately,” coach Colin Carmichael said.
Carmichael and his staff have filled in positions seamlessly, it seems, bringing in All-Big 12 defender Jazmin Brown from Kansas State and Emma Alvord from Southern Methodist.
Murphy Sheaff also transferred from KSU, giving the Cowgirls another option at goalkeeper.
The transfers, along with freshmen and returners, make up a roster of 25. Carmichael is leaning on his veteran leaders to ease the transition for a team that will only have two weeks of field practice before its first game.
“The coaches have to work on making sure that the new players understand the demands and the standards that we have, and then you’re relying on the returners to coach them through the game,” Carmichael said.
Ending last season in the first
round of the NCAA Tournament, the Cowgirls now know what it takes to play deep into November — something they hadn’t seen since 2020.
“We hadn’t made the NCAA tournament in a couple of years, so maybe we weren’t quite used to playing that late in the year,” Carmichael said. “But it’s something we have to get used to if we want to compete for the Big 12 championship and make a run.”
The Cowgirls entered the Big 12 Tournament with 14 wins last season, but in the three games after their first-round win against Cincinnati, they went scoreless, dropping matches to BYU and Arkansas by a combined nine goals.
Carmichael wants to focus on the patience within the process, making sure his athletes understand when the right time is for success.
“We don’t want to peak in August or September,” Carmichael said. “We want to peak in October or November… . We made the NCAA tournament, but that should be the starting point, not the ending point.”
With the loss of Mollie Breiner and Alex Morris from one of the nation’s best defensive lineups last season, the Cowgirls will continue to look for the pieces to put together another successful season. For them, it starts on Saturday with an intersquad scrimmage.
The Cowgirls are opening up the scrimmage in Neal Patterson Stadium to the public before traveling to Tulsa on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.
Courtesy Caroline Dill
Caroline Dill (left) participated in the Big 12 Beyond Borders program, which presented athletes with an immersive itinerary, highlighted by salsa dancing, cooking classes, Lucha Libre wrestling and visits to local museums.
Mykalyn Daidone
OSU soccer coach Colin Carmichael is looking to utilize transfers, freshman and returners in OSU’s new lineup.
Tooth Be Told
OSU experience — chipped smile and all — put Pierce on career path
For many Oklahoma State fans, the image of a 1995 men’s basketball win is unforgettable: A chipped tooth, an Eskimo Joe’s T-shirt frenzy and a celebratory town.
But for Scott Pierce, these moments stood as footnotes to a much deeper story.
“I was a role player,” Pierce said. “I was a glue guy. I was not that well known on the team, and then all of a sudden, I got this little bit of fame from it.
“I did a lot of speaking engagements where I got to go and speak about my faith, and I don’t think that would’ve ever happened without my tooth getting knocked out and Eskimo Joe’s not making that shirt.”
Pierce can remember Eskimo Joe’s staying open for days on end after promoting the “Toothless in Seattle” shirt. The viral T-shirt — commemorating Pierce’s chipped tooth in an Elite Eight win over Massachusetts —is the very thing that would spark where Pierce is now.
“The irony of what happened with Eskimo Joe’s and the T-shirt being made with my name, image and likeness is I’m actually in sports licensing for colleges,” Pierce said.
Reminiscing on his time at OSU, Pierce credits coach Eddie Sutton with shaping both his mindset and career.
“It was almost like joining the military,” Pierce said. “(Sutton) broke us down to where nobody had an ego, and then he built us back up in the roles that he wanted us.”
Taking a step into his future with those same principles in mind, Pierce spent several years navigating various careers before settling into one that brought things full circle. As a sports licensing consultant, he now helps
BY KENZIE KRAICH I EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
brands secure NCAA licensing deals with colleges across the country.
While Pierce travels to hundreds of other college campuses, there isn’t anything that compares to OSU for the alum.
“There are few colleges that remind me of OSU,” Pierce said. “I think OSU people in general are very humble and have good morals. I just loved having a small town like Stillwater to have my four years in.”
Crediting Stillwater for a lot of who he is, Pierce has also taken something much more meaningful with him through his viral moments — his faith.
“I was contemplating my faith and
all those other things that were going on,” Pierce said. “I look back on it, and I think it was God.”
With his faith driving his current passions, Pierce says his dream job wouldn’t be a focus in licensing or NIL, but in people.
“In all honesty, my dream job would be to be a sports psychologist and help teams become better teams,” Pierce said. “Faith shows you that everyone has a role. It’s not about being the star. It’s about being part of something bigger than yourself. That’s what made our team special.”
Pierce believes the humility, purpose and trust he references in
scripture were the keys to his team’s success in 1995. One of the most formative places for those values, he said, was the locker room.
“There was no pretending in there,” Pierce said. “We were honest with one another, and there were a lot of tough conversations that you would have to have in there.”
Though the crowds have quieted for Pierce and the T-shirt craze has faded, he still carries the lessons of Stillwater with him.
“Stillwater is where I went from a boy to a man,” Pierce said. “And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Courtesy Scott Pierce
Scott Pierce was part of the OSU men’s basketball team’s Final Four run in the 1994-95 season.
Roundtable
Wertzberger: Will Todd Grantham fix the defense?
Grantham comes in as the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator after OSU finished 132nd out of 133 teams nationally in total defense in 2024 under Bryan Nardo.
Grantham, a veteran coordinator, holds a 35-year coaching resume with 12 seasons as an FBS defensive coordinator, during which his defenses have ranked in the FBS top 20 in total defense six times and have ranked in the FBS top 10 four times.
The Cowboys brought in several transfers, including some junior college prospects, to rebuild the defense. One of the most significant additions was Akron transfer and two-time All-MAC linebacker Bryan McCoy, who put up 120 tackles and 54 solo stops in 2024. Although Grantham has the unit starting from scratch, there will be some few familiar faces, too: Iman Oates, Parker Robertson, Cam Smith and Kale Smith to name a few.
Cox: Who will emerge as the No.1 receiving option?
With the Cowboys losing their all-time leading receiver Brennan Presley, as well as Rashod Owens and De’Zhaun Stribling, there is a lot of ground to
cover in the wide receiver room.
Redshirt Senior Da’Wain Lofton showed promise in limited action a year ago, appearing in three games and compiling 140 receiving yards. OSU also brings back Gavin Freeman, who has primarily been used as a return specialist in his career, but has showcased his big play ability.
The Cowboys also brought in Central Oklahoma transfer and All-American Terrill Davis. The redshirt senior led the nation with 1,609 receiving yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
Mitchell: Will anyone win over the fans?
A poor performance in 2024 and a Gundy press conference in which said
negative fans “can’t pay their own bills” placed Cowboy football fans in a new position. Frustrations were extremely high. In 2025, how will OSU regain some of its fans’ trust and let them know they should be confident about the future?
The team is different. Roster turnover and fresh faces open opportunities for fans to leave the past behind them. There doesn’t need to be a Heisman Trophy level player, but after a 3-9 season, someone who can bring positive support into Boone Pickens Stadium will go a long way toward giving Cowboy football a fresh start.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Bryson Thadhani
Hauss Hejny is in a tight race for Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback position entering fall camp. The QB battle is just one of the Cowboys’ uncertainties.