Friday, January 19, 2024
Welcome students
‘Busy as ever’
Hargis embraces new chapter of life Bella Casey News and Lifestyle Assistant Editor
“I’m as busy as I’ve ever been,” Hargis said. Among the excitement of traveling and continued mentorship, one thing is missing. “I’ll tell you what, we missed the kids,” Hargis said. “I mean, we missed that. You can’t replicate that anywhere Every other week, Burns Hargis else.” creeps up to his office on the third Hargis recalled the advice anothfloor of the Student Union. er university president once gave him: The maintenance workers recwhen he gets frustrated, take a walk on ognize him, and a few professors and campus. Breathing in the excitement students pay him a smile or a nod in and energy of the students would be passing. The last class of students who like taking an energizing elixir. were at OSU during his presidency Hargis took his advice. He was are anticipating graduation. Many right, the students’ energy proved freshmen recognize him only when contagious. Hargis said he and Ann they walk past his statue in front of Hargis miss that feeling. the classroom building because it is Now, the Hargises draw less of labeled with a plaque. their energy from campus, but they Although his days on campus are have not slowed down. quieter and fewer, Hargis never left “I don’t know that (Hargis) has a OSU. The Hargis Leadership Institute, slow gear,” said Joshua Taylor, direcPete’s Pet Posse, and most of all, stutor of the Hargis Leadership Institute. dents, continually lure Burns and Ann “And so he’s just always moving, and Hargis back to campus. so I think now he’s just doing different To Hargis, this ritual is not rethings.” tirement. It is a new chapter. Although Hargis’ daily commit“I really don’t like the word rements look different from those of his tirement,” Hargis said. “That’s (when) OSU presidency, one priority proved you’re sitting on the front porch just permanent: leadership. rocking, watching kids riding their The Hargis Leadership Institute bicycles. That’s not me.” was founded as Hargis retired. Despite For Hargis, retirement has been the opportunity to take a step back lunches with students, mentoring those from OSU, Hargis remained a constant working at the McAfee & Taft law presence during staff training. firm, sitting near the Royal Family at “He insisted he wanted to be a Ascot and continuing to mentor stupart of every minute of that,” Taylor dents at OSU. said. “So he came up each day.”
Bryson Thadhani Students surrounded Kilty O’Connor-Box’s cage, which he set up on Library Lawn, but he could not see them. The lenses of his glasses were covered with duct tape.
All caged up Bella Casey News and Lifestyle Assistant Editor As students poured onto campus on the first day of class, Kilty O’Connor-Box was waiting for them. In a cage. Students swarmed O’Connor-Box’s cage, set up on Library Lawn, and peppered him with questions. Did he lose a Fantasy Football bet? Is
See Hargis on 4A
he associated with Greek life? Is he a student? Who put him in the cage? His answers: He does not play Fantasy Football, he does not go to OSU, he is from Springfield, Missouri, he is 28 and he locked himself in the cage. O’Connor-Box answered the same series of questions each time a new audience surrounded his cage, though he had no idea who was asking them. The lenses of his sunglasses were covered with duct tape. He said
this helped him focus and communicate with others better than if he could see. As the group of students surrounding the cage grew, students talked among each other and rumors of why O’Connor-Box was in the cage spread across campus. “It’s very interesting, a guy in a cage,” said spectator Sam Armentrout. “You would expect this to be a joke or a bad hazing thing.” See Caged on 4A
MLK Jr.’s legacy lives on through OSU Luisa Clausen Editor-in-Chief
File Photo Burns Hargis spends time on the OSU campus almost every other week despite retiring as OSU’s president.
What’s Inside
‘Saltburn’ explores desire, wealth, obsession
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subject to discrimination. “For me being a Black officer today, I always felt like I had to be better,” Galbraith said. “I had to score the highest on the test. I had to be Throughout his the best because I wanted career, Capt. Michael Galbraith thought he had to undo that stigma of to work twice as hard to ‘I’m here because of affirmative action.’” overcome certain stigGalbraith was mas. raised in Guthrie, speAnd for years, he cifically in an area where was right. African Americans When Galbraith, settled. The community the now operations caphad its system and everytain for the OSU Tulsa one knew each other. At Police, started working for OSU 17 years ago, he the time he was growing and Leon Jones, the chief up, the country he lived in was changing. of OSU police, were the Dr. Martin Luther only Black officers. King Jr. was the face In the back of of a movement. He was his mind, there was an fighting for the end of insecurity that the only reason he was there, was segregation and counter because of affirmative ac- prejudice. Galbraith was a kid tion, a practice or policy when King was assasthat favored individuals sinated, but throughout who belonged to disadvantaged groups or were his life, he never stopped learning from his legacy.
Wings of Hope helps domestic violence victims
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“We have to remember where we came from,” Galbraith said. “We have to remember the struggles that we endured. That is why it’s important to continue conversations about Martin Luther King Jr., and the things that he did for civil rights.” Galbraith said King worked for people of all colors who were not heard, and even though his legacy is extensive, there is still work to be done. “The older I get, the more I realize younger people weren’t taught the things I was taught,” Galbraith said. “I think we need to focus on the teachings that are being lost. What was the Civil Rights Movement? What did it mean to people? What is racial discrimination?” See MLK Jr. on 4A
SGA adds to ranks, prepares for presidential election
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