Wednesday, November 1, 2023
‘Like coming home to your grandma’
For Pete’s Sake’s welcoming face JR Churchill Staff Reporter
ney, a children’s minister at St. Francis Xavier. Sample grew up in Tulsa and went to Oklahoma State University, graduating in the late 60’s. The same smile has welcomed cusIn Tulsa, Sharon Sample met tomers into For Pete’s Sake for 25 years. Rodger Sample, her husband. After they In the local store, customers can married, she and her husband moved find all kinds of OSU merchandise. The to Stillwater because Rodger Sample store has seen lots of faces working there wanted to pursue an education. over the years, but Sharon Sample, or The two moved into an apartment Mrs. Sharon, decided to stick around just behind Salem Lutheran Church, through thick and thin. which cost them $110 per month. The Sample has worked at For Pete’s two-story apartment would be their Sake for 25 years. home for the foreseeable future, but that “There’s Pistol Pete and [then] did not last long. there’s Mrs. Sharon,” said Jacob FarSee Grandma on 6
Mia Ledbetter Sharon Sample not only looks after the owners of the store, but she looks after many students as well.
School choice deal struck in Texas? Abbott says yes, but House leaders say Democrats stalling Robert T. Garrett and Talia Richman The Dallas Morning News
It’s also unclear whether the escalation of partisan rhetoric – building on the House’s emotional, late-night debate last week of a bill letting local law enforcement detain migrants – endangers two border security bills, creating a new crime of illegal entry from AUSTIN — With an assist a foreign nation and giving at from Gov. Greg Abbott, House least $1.5 billion more to Abbott’s Republican leaders on Tuesday Operation Lone Star. blamed House Democrats for Both measures have passed slowing the chamber’s work on the House. But their path to Abschool choice, teacher bonuses, bott’s desk would be complicated border security and COVID-19 should House Democrats stay vaccine requirements. away and deny the chamber a Abbott said he reached an quorum to do business in coming agreement on education savdays. ings accounts. But it’s far from a Late Tuesday, three leaddone deal. Lieutenants to House ers of the House Democratic Speaker Dade Phelan alleged Caucus posted on social media that Democrats were engaged in that “there is no quorum break.” stall tactics that could thwart its Several House Democrats issued passage. statements accusing Republicans It was far from clear that of trying to deflect attention from even with Democrats’ cooperation their own dysfunction, which they there was enough time remaining said has included yearlong neglect in the year’s third special session of teachers and inability to agree to pass a comprehensive school on a voucherlike proposal. finance bill. The session can’t go On Oct. 5, Abbott called the beyond Nov. 7. special session, saying it would Abbott said his agreement be about school choice, border with the House included creatsecurity and COVID-19 vaccine ing “universal” education savings mandates. accounts worth $10,400 a year Until Tuesday, he resisted and increasing teacher pay, school pleas by Phelan and House Public funding and school safety fundEducation Committee Chairman ing, as well as phasing out the Brad Buckley, R-Salado, that the STAAR test that public school agenda or “call” be expanded to and charter school students take. items demanded by rural RepubFamilies could use the publicly licans who for a generation have funded ESAs to pay for private joined most Democrats in resistschool or other education-related ing vouchers. expenses. See School on 7
Ethan Hilbert Stillwater can be a cultural adjustment for out-of-state students.
Out-of-state students find new home in Stillwater JR Churchill Staff Reporter
Ashley Landis With an assist from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, House Republican leaders on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, blamed House Democrats for slowing the chamber’s work on school choice, teacher bonuses, border security and COVID-19 vaccine requirements. The House’s Democratic leader countered that Republicans were trying to deflect attention from their own inability to provide teachers with critically needed pay raises.
College can be an intimidating place for new students, but for out-of-state freshmen, the experience can be refreshing and new. Duthie, a 20-year-old freshman from Aberdeen, Scotland, said has loved his time in Stillwater, Oklahoma. “There was definitely
a culture shock, I knew that Oklahoma would be different than [Scotland], but I did not expect people to be so nice over here,” Duthie said. “If you give someone respect, they’re likely to give you respect back, [it is] not like home.” Making the adjustment to life in Oklahoma certainly has its challenges though. For example, there is a cultural difference. In Scotland the primary sport is soccer, and college
sports are not that big. “One thing that surprised me was just how massive college sports are here,” Duthie said. “There are marching bands and thousands of people watch these kids play, its nut.” This is a big change from soccer where people sit and only stand when their team scores. Despite this, outof-state students find Stillwater to be more laid back than they expected it to be. See Stillwater on 5