Friday, December 6, 2024
Tattoo Tensions OSU student sports OU ink BELLA CASEY
STAFF REPORTER @BELLACASEYYY Whether he’s walking to class or spending time with college friends, Chase Kingery gets noticed. “I can feel the stares whenever I walk,” Kingery said. “I just feel like, ‘Yeah, they’re looking at me.” And he knows why. Branded with the mark of the enemy, Kingery sports a University of Oklahoma tattoo on the back of his right calf. The bold, black letters are hard to miss, especially in the heart of Cowboy territory. The Yukon native transferred to OSU from Redlands Community College in El Reno to pursue a secondary education degree, and he anticipated flack for his ink. “I literally got out of my first class ever at Oklahoma State, and I was walking up the stairs, and a guy said, ‘Is that real?’” Kingery said. It’s real, and his father has the same one. But neither of them attended OU. The crimson runs a little further back in the family tree. Kingery’s grandfather, John Kingery, was an assistant coach for OU women’s basketball, and his parents were OU football season ticket holders. OU games were always on the TV, and Kingery watches OU play each Saturday, even if it’s from Stillwater.
See TATTOO on page 5A
Payton Little OSU student Chase Kingery sports a University of Oklahoma tattoo despite never attending OU.
Bryson Thadhani University Counseling Services gives students an opportunity for low-cost therapy.
Rising demand for mental health care overwhelms University Counseling Services BRYSON THADHANI Tulsa campus had an opening. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR @BRYSON.THE.CAMERA.MAN
When Lilith Breazeale tried to sign up for University Counseling services at OSU, she was put on a waitlist. Unsatisfied, she went to the OSU-Tulsa campus to see if she could be seen sooner. Again, she was put on a waitlist and all she could do was wait. After eight months, the
“It was definitely hard,” Breazeale said. “By the time I was seen, I had to drive an hour to Tulsa, which made scheduling nearly impossible.” Breazeale’s experience underlines a growing crisis in college mental health care. As demand soars, students turn to university resources like counseling centers to find support. But with rising demand, one question becomes more and more prominent: Are these services equipped to meet student needs?
Numbers show growing problem College students have long faced mental health issues. A 2023 report from Best Colleges found 76% of students deal with moderate to serious psychological distress. Out of that group, 31% reported suicidal thoughts and 79% experienced high stress in the past 30 days. Globally, the World Health Organization reports that one in seven children experiences a mental health disorder. These untreated issues can
lead to long-term challenges like social exclusion, poor physical health and struggles inside the classroom. At OSU, University Counseling Services is feeling the strain. “Every year, we see there’s more people presenting with mental health concerns and more severity of mental health concerns overall,” said Joseph Dunnigan, the director of University Counseling Services. He also said waitlists can reach up to eight days at their busiest.
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Students leap into leaves, finals HAYDEN ALEXANDER idea and knew his team could pictures, and some lept into execute it. Landscape Services typically rakes up the leaves across campus for composting, but the landscape workers were Ready? Set. Jump! excited to turn an everyday Students gathered on Library Lawn on Thursday for a task into a fun memory for OSU students. chance to jump in a massive “This was an opportunity,” leaf pile built by OSU UniLee said. “That something we versity Landscape Services. were doing anyway to keep Students leaped, cartwheeled campus beautiful, we could and somersaulted into the turn around and create a very leaves with shouts of joy and unique environment for stuchild-like enthusiasm. The dents to enjoy.” scene was reminiscent of the Workers for Landscape great OSU snowball fights of Services began compiling 2021 and 2022. the leaves Monday afternoon The idea for the leaf pile and soon caught the student originated from a student’s body’s and social media’s social media request. John attention. The leaf pile’s Lee, the director of Landscape social media dominance even Services for Facilities Mancaught the attention of local agement at OSU, loved the news stations. Students posted
NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
the pile after class hours for an early leaf pile session. However, many students waited patiently for Thursday’s 11:15 a.m. jump time. Sophomore Andrew Dickson attended the event with a friend and did not initially jump in. “It felt kind of funny at first, and then I was like, ‘Oh, this is actually really fun; it’s like a huge pile,’” Dickson said. Dickson took a running start, landing himself in the middle of the pile. He was soon buried under a flurry of leaves as his fellow students continued crashing through the pile. Dickson said the last time he remembers building a leaf pile was at 8, and Thursday, it reminded him of fall days with his mom.
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Payton Little
Andrew Dickson didn’t jump at first but quickly changed his mind and leapt into the leaves.