MLK events attendance grows in its second year on campus Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Anna Pope News Editor
For McClintock, listening to Chideha Kanu, an OSU student, give the keynote address was impactful because he has known this student. “That’s what is most rewarding to me is to get students to be leaders and be strong role-models because their the future of this country,” McClintock said. McClintock said the march in memory of MLK’s legacy symbolizes the community’s want to work to address societal issues. McCltiock said there are specific messages conveyed through the events. “I think one, is we all come from different walks of life, we have different backgrounds, but can we come together in once space and recognize that we still have some social injustices? And we’re going to continue to work together to address those,” McClintock said. Attendance is expected to be consistent through the week. McClintock said about 750 seats have been reserved McClintock and 200 seats are available for the An Evening With Soledad O’Brien at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts. MLK events will wrap up on Saturday at Tulsa’s Greenwood Districts. Students can register to visit the Greenwood District and tour space like the Greenwood Rising Museum for free.
Leon McClintock noticed not many Oklahoma State students attended Stillwater’s Martin Luther King Day Jr. events during his first few years working at the university. This prompted McClintock, who is the director of student housing and residential life, to pitch the idea for the school to hold formal MLK Day events. “I felt like students need to know and understand and learn about MLK’s legacy because it’s still relevant today,” McClintock said. He said university officials supported this initiative. In Spring of 2021, a formal MLK march was held for the first time at OSU and McClintock said he was happy to see the amount of people in attendance. This year, he said the turnout has grown. Yesterday not only students but also faculty, staff and organizations like the OSU softball team participated in the event. Earlier in the day, McClintock visited each community service sites news.ed@ocolly.com before participating in the march.
Abby Cage Student, faculty, staff and organizations marched in honor of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Abby Cage
Oliver named FWAA’s Most Inspirational Freshman time he signed with Oklahoma State as a senior I was most amazed with how quality of a young man he was.” Oliver’s preparation showed. He had 11.5 sacks in his rookie year. He broke the OSU single-season freshman sack record of nine, which Rodney Harding set in 1981. Sam Hutchens ““He’s achieved a lot of accolades because of Assistant Sports Editor the stuff he’s done on the field,” Clements said. “He led the nation in sacks (for freshmen), he led the Racking up sacks leads to racking up awards. team in sacks. He was rushing with a lot of other Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State’s freshman quality, good football players. A couple of those pass rusher, was honored on Monday night for his were game winners. Special moments for Oklahoma stellar season. The Football Writers Association of State.” America (FWAA) awarded Oliver the title of “Most Oliver had 15 tackles-for-loss, and his sack Inspirational Freshman Player” total was the 8th best in the nation. Perhaps his most A true freshman, Oliver enrolled early at Okla- important was his game-clinching sack of Oklahoma homa State, in the spring of 2021. Instead of prepar- quarterback Caleb Williams in Bedlam. ing for his high school prom, he was preparing to Oliver was also one of three finalists for the wreak havoc on Big 12 defenses. FWAA freshman of the year award, along with “By the time he ended his sophomore season Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and Ohio State of high school, I had a pretty good idea he had a quarterback CJ Stroud. Bowers won that top honor. chance to be a very quality football player,” OSU Oliver was, however, names to the 2021 FWAA defensive line coach Joe Bob Clements said. “By the Freshman All-America Team. Previously, the last
OSU cowboy named to that team was running back Justice Hill in 2016. “This is kind of crazy,” Oliver said. “A year ago, I was in high school. All this stuff is coming right now. It’s pretty surreal. I’m trying to take it in little by little. Be humble and try to do me out on the football field.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com