Leading people home Friday, November 19, 2021
OSU Student starts non-profit organization
Taelyn Brown
Oklahoma State Student Emalee Arthur started a nonprofit organization during her freshman year in college.
Taelyn Brown Staff Reporter
Emalee Arthur remembers the first time she stepped foot in Fonds Parisien, Haiti. In 2014, she walked through the bright orphanage, a strong sense of joy and resilience left a lasting mark on the then 14-year-old. Although in 2018, Arthur, who is now an applied sciences senior, was feeling nervous about her first semester of college. However, she was also eager because this is the summer she will get to reconnect with the children from the orphanage in Fonds Parisien. When Arthur stood in that the same
building this time, though, she barely recognized it. “My first time to Haiti I was 14, so that was the first time I had come across this orphanage,” Arthur said. “All the kids at the time were doing super well, and there was a local missionary who was taking care of them and feeding them and the kids were healthy.” She said when she returned in 2018, the missionaries left a couple of years after her first visit, and during her second visit there was no one to go in and help them. Once she returned to the United States, started the process of creating Paths That Lead to Home, her nonprofit. Paths That Lead to
Home is a 501(c)(3) that rescues and empowers Haiti’s vulnerable, destitute and distressed children, according to its website. “When I saw those kids, it’s just like you know that you have to help them, and I asked around,” Arthur said. Arthur said she did not want to start something similar to an already existing program because then, she would be part of that organization. However, she said there was not a lot of help in this part of the country where the orphanage is, so she decided take action The process was not short or easy. Arthur said she thought about the abandoned orphanage constantly. She made the decision to go back to Haiti
OSU’s religious exemption on vaccine regulation
Anna Pope News Editor Some religious exemption forms for the COVID-19 vaccine mandate are different at some universities. Oklahoma State is enforcing the vaccine requirement where federally contracted employees must have their final dose of either Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 4, 2022. This mandate will apply to all
OSU employees in Stillwater, OSU-Tulsa and the Center for Health Sciences and the OSU extension. It also applies to student employees on campus. OSU employees who cannot comply with the requirement for medical or religious reasons, can fill out a form in the vaccine portal. “The federal mandate does not require a specific religious exemption form. The form OSU is utilizing was developed in conjunction with the Office of Legal Counsel,” OSU officials said. See Exemption on 4A
in 2019 and said she sincerely hoped someone else had stepped in. In her mind, someone needed to help those children, so Arthur stepped up. After all of the paperwork was finalized in 2019, they held a Christmas event for the children where they received clothing and gifts. In the first month of Paths That Lead to Home being official, Arthur began a child sponsorship program with 15 sponsors. Today, there are 38 people who sponsor the children. Donations are also wired to the children’s home director every month for food, vitamins and more.
See Emalee on 6A
Inside... Heritage................................................................... 3A Some students at Oklahoma State said Native American Heritage Month can be an opportunity to educate. Branson Evans Gov. Kevin Stitt granted clemency to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Julius Jones sentence commuted Jaden Besteda Staff Reporter
Julius Jones’ execution was set for 4 p.m. and within hours of the execution, Gov. Kevin Stitt granted clemency to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Stitt announced the executive order 2021-25 commuting Jones’ sentence on the condition he will never again be eligible to apply for,
be considered for or receive any additional commutation, pardon or parole, according to the statement. “After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all side of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones’ sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole,” Stitt said in a statement.
City......................................................................... 4A Stillwater City Council discussed putting the vote TIME projects on the ballot.
Brendan Abernathy.................................................5A A traveling musician stops in Stillwater.
Taylor Swift............................................................6A Taylor Swift recreated a version of her “Red” album.
See Jones on 3A Artist Talks, Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 6:00 PM
Opening Reception, Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 5:00 PM
BAs Megan Bretz Claire Dabney Michael Miller
BFAs Courtney Juen Emma Lynn Seyvon Vick
CAPSTONE EXHIBITION November 17 - December 10, 2021
Gardiner Gallery | Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts
gardinergallery_osu
GardinerArtGallery
To follow along on upcoming events and updates, follow us on social media