‘Red Dirt’s original home’
Wormy Dog Saloon returns
but his performances at the Wormy Dog would play a huge part in establishing the Red Dirt genre.
In the early ‘90s, 17-yearold Cody Canada somehow maneuvered his way onto the stage in a low-lit bar, complete with a peanut-covered floor and saddleback bar stools.
It was the Wormy Dog Saloon — a bar that’s name is etched into Red Dirt history.
Canada didn’t know at the time,
Canada became the frontman for Cross Canadian Ragweed and played weekends at the Wormy Dog with bandmates Randy Ragsdale, Grady Cross and Matt Wiedemann. During the week, he played with other names such as Stoney LaRue, Jason Boland and Mike McClure.
Canada credits Wormy Dog for giving him the training to hit the ground running with the band.
“There were 1,000 nights I couldn’t believe happened,”
Canada said. “We’re at the Wormy Dog where there’s sawdust on the floor, peanuts and broken bottles and spit. There were nights that were just debaucherous, throwing bottles against the wall and people in the crowd throwing bottles past our heads, until we finally have to be like ‘Look, that’s good.’”
Canada will slip back into his old habit of playing to a crowd of rowdy folks in a bar on The Strip on Dec. 13. A new version of The Wormy Dog Saloon is reopening in the same building as the former Wormy Dog Concert Hall.
See WORMY on page 7A
MORRIS TAKES OSU JOB
Gospel on the Ground
Students chalk the book of John across OSU’s campus
Theta Pond,” Luschen said. “We are trying to write the entirety of the gospel to make Jesus’ name known.”
A familiar face on Oklahoma State’s campus has taken his ministry from a handwritten sign to hundreds of handwritten Bible verses.
Cameron Luschen, a staff member with OSU’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry, has spent the week kneeling on cold pavement in front of Edmon Low Library.
“We are writing the entire Gospel of John on campus in front of Edmon Low, stretching all the way toward
Luschen, widely recognized on campus as the man who holds a sign reading “How can I pray for you?” said the chalk project isn’t sponsored by BCM. Instead, it began with a video he saw on social media of a similar effort at another university, then grew into a rotating group of volunteers from different faith backgrounds.
See GOSPEL on page 8A
The
Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services serves victims of domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault and stalking across five counties.
Audie Martin STAFF REPORTER
Two victims of abuse are picking up the pieces of their lives while the perpetrator walks away freely.
Stillwater gained national attention when 18-year-old Jesse Butler, a Stillwater High School student, faced 10 charges against two victims for various forms of rape and attempted rape. He also faced an additional charge for violating a protective order.
Butler was granted youthful offender status, waiving what would have been a 78-year prison sentence. Instead of jail time, he was ordered to complete an approved youthful offender rehabilitation plan until reaching 18 years and six months old, according to court documents.
To Oklahoma resident and former lawyer Ronald Durbin, it appears as if hope for justice for victims has been lost in the Oklahoma courts.
6A
Connor Fuxa,The O’Colly
Cameron Luschen kneels onto pavement to write the Gospel of John in chalk.
Bryson Thadhani SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Audie Martin,
O’Colly
Raynee Howell CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Photos by Payton Little, Chance Marick
Illustration by Katie Lehew
Stillwater Mayor Joyce to seek third term
Mayor Will Joyce is running for a third term as mayor of his hometown.
The Stillwater native and Oklahoma State alumnus ran for mayor and was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. He also spent two years on the city council from 2016-18.
Joyce’s goal has remained the same throughout his time in city leadership: to continue to assist Stillwater in its development. He said continuity in leadership is one of his motivations for seeking a third term in the mayoral election Feb. 10.
“They (long-term projects) require many years of consistent leadership to sort of see those things through,” Joyce said. “I think our city charter changed back in 2016 to allow for longer terms by our city council… which I think has really been effective at allowing us to see things happen. And so from my standpoint, it’s really just a matter of wanting to see some of those projects through and maintain that consistent direction of the city.”
Although Joyce credits Steve Irby, Kicker and others involved in the planning for Block 34, it is a moment he looks back on proudly. Projects like Block 34 show Stillwater is capable of bigger things, Joyce said. Joyce was a part of mapping out the future for development as a member of the comprehensive plan
advisory board for the city’s new 20-year plan, Envision Stillwater. It outlines six areas for city leadership to focus on; land use, transportation and mobility, housing and neighborhoods, economic development, community character and infrastructure.
Through planning efforts, partnerships, investment, the pursuit of grants and other external funds, Joyce said he hopes to take small steps toward each big goal.
“If I’m Mayor again, for the next four years, we’ll have a big focus on how do we tie the implementation of the Envision Stillwater plan to the decisions we make on a week to week basis on council?” Joyce said.
“How do our policies align with that? How do we make sure that, as we’re discussing infrastructure and zoning and housing, how do we make sure it ties to that plan, so that we’re walking the path that we’ve laid out.”
As the city’s economy grows and an up to $3 billion data center project begins construction in northeast Stillwater, sufficient infrastructure is imperative for continued growth.
A majority of the electric usage for the project will be covered by OG&E, and city officials have confirmed the water rights from Kaw Lake will provide enough water for the approved first two phases. But beyond the potential development of four more data centers, economic growth in
other parts of Stillwater will be impossible without the infrastructure to support it.
Joyce said city leaders feel good about the stability of the electric infrastructure, but the water infrastructure will become a main focus in the next few years.
“We’ve got a big amount of momentum ready and pushing forward,” Joyce said.
“We’ve got to be prepared for what that brings… The water
infrastructure project is a thing we’ve been working on for several years, and that’s probably the biggest project over the next several years that we’ve got to maintain for our forward progress on. That kind of thing is what enables us to continue to see the current momentum and push forward to the next step.”
The City of Stillwater uses social media, information sessions, pop-up events, emails
On This day
and more to reach out to the community to inform them about what’s going on. Joyce said his goal is to focus on the in-person events.
“I want to try to find ways to connect more personally with folks,” Joyce said. “I want to push forward with more ability to interact at events and just at those places in the community where people are out having conversations.”
2000. 25 years ago.
According to broadcast reports out of Oklahoma City on Monday, former Oklahoma State University offensive coordinator Les Miles will be named head coach this week.
The reports came after former Boise State coach Dirk Koetter was announced as the successor to Bob Simmons last week. Over the weekend, Koetter turned down OSU to become head coach at Arizona State.
Miles served under former coach Bob Simmons as offensive coordinator from 1995-97. Under his guidance on offense, the Pokes went 8-4 and made an appearance in the Alamo Bowl in 1997. The following season, Miles accepted an offer to become the tight ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
Before coaching in Dallas and at OSU, Miles was an offensive line coach at Michigan and Colorado. A twoyear Wolverine letterman, Miles played guard for UM from 1972-75 and played in two bowl games.
Last week, several outgoing and returning Cowboys voiced support for the 47-year-old Miles. The outgoing seniors were in the program when Miles became coordinator, and several have said he would be the best fit for the team.
This would be Miles’ first head coaching job.
Tulsa World Archives
Former coach Les Miles became the head coach of Oklahoma State 25 years ago.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Will Joyce is running for a third term after eight years as mayor.
Students weigh in on study tips
Marcus Mesis STAFF REPORTER
With final exams around the corner, the University Student Affairs office has some recommendations for how to get the most out of studying.
It recommended finding the study spot that works the best for you and doing active studying, which is practice problems, flashcards or study groups. Distractions are the largest problem during studying, and there are a plethora of ways to deal with it.
Sometimes it’s as simple as turning on do not disturb on your phone or telling friends ahead of time that you’re not available. But that may not work every time or for everyone. It is important to recognize when something is being too much of a distraction.
Evan Burk, a graduate student, recognized that his phone was too much of a distraction for him while studying. Burk has started to turn around in his chair and throw his phone on his bed to be able to focus on his studying for his exams.
OSU Undergraduate Academics also have some tips for studying. It recommends studying in blocks. Do fifteen minutes of studying and then five minutes of something else and repeat.
Cornell Health recommends taking breaks anywhere from five minutes to 60 minutes, depending on how long you are studying for, but scrolling social media is not a good break as it doesn’t let your brain rest properly, according to Cornell.
With exams being so close, some students think cramming to get the studying done right before the exam will work. Unfortunately most of the time it doesn’t work out.
Kristal Soderstrom Junkens, a senior academic advisor, said to not cram it all in at the last minute. For next weeks exams, she advises to start studying now. As for the spring semester, start studying throughout the semester to best prepare for it.
OSU student Elizabeth White said working to understand the course material is a semester-long endeavor. She said working with the professor throughout the semester will allow you to see the results you want.
“My biggest studying hack is to go to office hours,” White said. “As an underclassman, I was terrified to ask my TAs and professors for assistance because I didn’t want to be seen as stupid. However, most faculty love talking to students, especially about their research. I recommend going to office hours to ask for help or just to yap with the professor and get to know them.”
Tutors, professors offer advice heading into finals
As students head into finals week, lead engineering tutor at the LASSO Center, Kara Ceyda offers some tips and insight.
The LASSO Center offers tutoring and academic support for free to all students. It provides one-on-one tutoring for more than 100 courses in-person and virtual. The center also has opportunities for students to meet outside of class and review course material together, which is called supplemental instruction or SI.
Ceyda said when students reach out for help, most of the time, they’re going to perform better academically, though outside of learning, a big part of that is about mentality.
“A lot of people are just stressed out,” Ceyda said. “They start the exam and their mind goes blank.”
They just don’t have the proper mentality, she said.
Ceyda had a few tips for students on how to prepare for exams:
Do not relax in ways more enjoyable than studying
“If every time you’re taking a break from studying, you decide to scroll on your phone or decide to watch a movie, your brain is going to crave the thing that’s easier,” Ceyda said.
During your breaks, quietly stare at a wall for 15 minutes rather than picking up your phone. Then, studying will be what’s stimulating your brain.
Separate studying and relaxing spaces
“You should not study and take a break in the same place,” Ceyda said. “Take a break somewhere else, so that when you sit down, your brain immediately recognizes it as study mode.”
Ceyda also said you should have a specific place you only associate with studying and not study next to your bed or you’ll stress while you sleep and sleep while you study.
Motivation
The importance of having little rewards for oneself throughout studying, like a nice drink or taking
short walks every so often, she said.
“I make sure I treat myself with a lot of snacks,” Ceyda said. “Every time I get stuck, I feel like that helps me to stay motivated.”
Staying active
“Staying active is going to help your brain,” Ceyda said. “If you take walks, the oxygen flow into your brain will improve, and you can study better.”
Associating smells
Something the tutors do at LASSO is light a different scented candle for a different class.
“So, every time you study math, you light a strawberry candle, and a vanilla candle is for English,” Ceyda said. “So, whenever you light your vanilla candle, your brain immediately goes into ‘OK, I’m studying for English right now.’”
She said you take this a step further by matching that scented candle to a perfume or gum, and while taking your exam, using the perfume or gum to put you into that studying mode.
Colored pencils
Ceyda said if you’re writing in pencil all the time, and you’re trying to remember stuff, it’s more difficult because it’s all the same.
“But if you have, like a different colored pen for each chapter, and you’re on the exam, you’re like ‘Oh, this chapter was like the redcolored pen,’” Ceyda said.
She encourages students to create these small memory pathways. When you do it in a unique way, it’s more likely you’re going to remember that, she said.
“Something novel to the experience of studying, you have to make it different from your everyday life,” Ceyda said.
Early mornings
Get your stuff done early in the mornings, because when you wake up, that’s when your body and brain is most ready to do what you need to do, Ceyda said.
She said it’s also important to try to not study past 10 p.m. and close all your screens to not stress yourself out. One grade or one final is not the determination of a
student’s future, and it’s important to remember that, she said.
Emily Abel, assistant professor at Oklahoma State, offers advice from her years as a student.
Prioritize rest
Abel said prioritizing sleep is her biggest recommendation for students during this stressful time.
“Staying on a regular sleep schedule and prioritizing getting at least seven hours of sleep per night,” Abel said. “You know, that’s The National Sleep Foundation’s recommendation.”
Stick to a schedule
She also says it’s important to maintain other consistencies in life in addition to sleep by making a schedule.
Making a plan with specific times to study for certain things or finishing projects and final assignments, while scheduling in time for sleep, can be a way to maintain balance, Abel said.
“Trying to work backwards. Plan for the time you want to go to bed,” Abel said. “Then seeing how much time you have left and planning everything into your day from there.”
As a professor, Abel shows her support by sending her students reminders of projects or giving them time in class to work on those projects.
“But also trying to check in on them, see how they’re doing, see if there’s any ways that I can support them,” Abel said.
Abel said incorporating purposeful breaks in the schedule to go outside, get some fresh air, go for a walk and remember to eat can be beneficial for students.
Even meal prepping, she said, can be helpful when students are constantly at the library and don’t have time for nutritious meals they may normally be having any other week.
It’s also important for students to seek support from counselors, professors or friends during this time, she said.
“Know that it’s okay to get the support that you need,” Abel said. “And not kind of abandoning those things at the end of the semester.”
GOD’S WONDERFUL LOVE GIFT!
“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Ro.5:8 NLT)
One of the important foundations of our faith is the extent of God’s love for us. It is how far He would go to help us in our sinfulness. If we were to face the righteous judgment of God without his help, we all would be eternally lost; separated from God and all that is good, and it would be forever.
John 3:16 expresses that simply. “ God so loved the world! God went to great lengths to supply a way for us “not to perish;” not to be separated in eternal regret from all that is good and wonderful. It is God who took the initiative. We are so dead in our sins that we did not even see our need fully. To save us, God sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us; to pay the
penalty that was rightfully ours, so that we, humans, could go free.
What does he ask from us? When we learn (hear) the message of God’s love, of Jesus’ sacrifice for us; we trust him, admit our need(our sin), and honestly thank him for his love gift. God forgives all our sins and declares us righteous in his sight.(Ro.5:1) He also gives us a new life within. We are “born again”, and we begin a new and real relationship with God. It is a love relationship; “We love him because He first loved us.” (1 Jn.4:19)
“How great is the love the Father (God) has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 Jn.3:1 NIV) Not by any works we have done, but receiving freely Gods love gift. It is free to all!
Taylor Tiberg, The O’Colly Pistol Pete writes on a student’s iPad while she studies.
Caleson Coon STAFF REPORTER
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Students gather in the Student Union and Edmon Low Library to study before finals week.
dead week study break
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly Student throws leaves from university-organized leaf pile.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
OSU President Jim Hess hands out free pancakes to students at the Student Union Activities Board’s Late Night Cafe.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Students bury each other in a giant leaf pile at the university’s event Tuesday.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Students take a break from studying to wrrestle in a leaf pile.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State students eat pancakes during a late-night event hosted by the Student Union Activities Board on Monday.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly Student throws arms up in excitement while in leaf pile.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Students take a break from studying to receive free pancakes in the Student Union.
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly OSU Landscaping Services collected leaves from around campus to make a giant pile.
Early exposure to explicit content may affect K-12 student mental health
the school day. But those protections have limits.
OSU experts attend League of Women Voters meeting to discuss AI
Caleson Coon STAFF REPORTER
The League of Women Voters of Stillwater invited three Oklahoma State professionals to connect with members and guests about a topic infiltrating several areas of life.
The league’s recurring event, Civic Conversations, focused on artificial intelligence and its impact on families, schools and society of Stillwater on Nov. 19.
The mission of the league is to register and educate voters, while advocating for democracy. Its book club covers various issues, and it hosts monthly meetings for speakers to come and further educate its members. Every couple of months, the league hosts a civic conversation meeting to discuss current issues.
Jan Largent, co-president of the league, said AI is a subject many in the league and people attending the meetings don’t know a lot about.
“I don’t think anyone knows how it’s going to affect the future, but we need to educate ourselves,” Largent said. “And that’s something the league is good at — educating.”
Member Barbra Stadler said its important for people to get involved and understand what goes on in their government, and a part of the leagues goal, along with voter registration, is to help people become more involved.
professor at OSU who directs intelligent learning for the explainable and acute decision support lab, was the second to speak. Shamsuddi spoke of the assistance AI gives to healthcare facilities and the benefits to it, while also sharing the concerns.
Shamsuddi said AI can be useful for taking notes, so the physician would be able to have more time with the patient. Although, she said she is worried about AI becoming a “best friend” for people on the spectrum, as a coping mechanism for mental health issues.
“It traces the important question that, what does it say about us as a society and our human value if a human being is more comfortable confiding in machine than a human being?” Shamsuddi said.
Shamsuddi explained to the crowd that Chat GPT 3.5 performed horribly when tested on identifying suicide ideation, while Chat GPT 4 performed at a professional human level in a screening test, yet Chat GPT 3.5 is widely available to the world while Chat GPT 4 is subscription only. Shamsuddi pressed that though there are encouraging aspects of AI, those encouragers are in return are a cause for concern.
Some students attending schools across Stillwater come to school carrying worries adults never had to face at their age.
Nicole Wisdom, a former Stillwater elementary student, began to face confusion about relationships and questions shaped by things she seen online long before she was ready to understand them.
“Kids don’t realize what they’re seeing or why it makes them feel the way it does,” Nicole Wisdom said. “It just hits you before you’re ready.”
The problem doesn’t always start in the classroom, but its effects almost always end up there. For Nicole Wisdom, now a college student, the issue began long before smartphones were banned from Stillwater classrooms. In second grade, a classmate brought explicit photos to school and shared them during lunch.
“It was gossip at first,” Nicole Wisdom said. “Then she showed us during lunch. I just remember feeling so uncomfortable.”
Some students laughed, others stayed silent. But what stuck with Nicole Wisdom wasn’t the images; it was the lack of acknowledgment afterward.
“No one addressed it,” Nicole Wisdom said. “Looking back, I think that silence made it worse.”
At home, her mom, Tara Wisdom, noticed changes she couldn’t explain.
“Nicole seemed quieter and more anxious, but she didn’t tell me,” Tara Wisdom said. “You think you’re watching everything as a parent, but kids see so much through their friends’ phones. If I had known, I would have handled it differently.”
In college, Nicole Wisdom now sees the long-term impact on peers who had similar early encounters.
“When that kind of stuff becomes normal so young, it changes how you see people,” Nicole Wisdom said. “It changes what you think is OK.”
The first person to see the districtwide effect is often Kira Frisby, Stillwater Public Schools’ Wellness, Trauma and Emergency response coordinator. Her inbox fills with daily monitoring alerts from school-issued devices.
“We’re seeing fewer incidents happening at school now,” Frisby said. “But that’s because so much of it happens on personal devices at home, outside the filters outside the structure.”
Research shows the average age of first exposure has dropped sharply. A decade ago, it was about 12 or 13; now, national data from Common Sense Media places it between 7 and 11, with some cases involving children as young as 6.
Stillwater Public Schools’ phone ban and strengthened monitoring have reduced inappropriate searches and social media conflicts during
“Kids don’t stop being online when the bell rings,” Frisby said. “What we’re managing at school often starts late at night on apps we obviously can’t regulate.”
Even kid-focused platforms, like Roblox, YouTube Kids and messaging games, can expose young users to suggestive content through chats, ads or shared links.
Rachel Jones, a licensed adolescent therapist in Fort Worth, Texas, said the fallout is often more emotional than behavioral.
“Schools are overwhelmed,” Jones said. “Teachers are seeing kids acting out, but underneath is often confusion and shame. These are children who were simply never ready to see what they’ve seen.”
Most exposure starts with harmless curiosity, Jones said.
“Kids Google things like ‘kissing’ or ‘boyfriend and girlfriend,’” Jones said. “They’re developmentally curious. But what they find online goes way beyond their ability to understand.”
Physiologically, Jones said explicit content triggers neurological responses that developing brains can’t regulate.
“It’s not just about morality,” Jones said. “It’s about neurology. Pornography lights up reward pathways. When that happens in a developing child, it can lead to anxiety, shame and distorted views of relationships.”
These effects can surface at school as withdrawal, inappropriate jokes, irritability or shifts in behavior.
“When a child sees something they can’t process, it creates anxiety,” Jones said. “They don’t have the words for what they’re feeling, so it comes out as behavior.”
The district doesn’t yet have a formal curriculum addressing the mental health impacts of explicit content, but early conversations are underway. The new phone policy seems to be helping the issue, Frisby said.
“There’s been more talking and less scrolling,” Frisby said. “You can’t solve everything with a rule, but every small step helps.”
Frisby said she believes open conversations, not silence, are key.
“We’re learning this in real time,” Frisby said. “Technology evolved faster than our understanding of how it affects kids. But the more we talk about it, openly and compassionately, the better equipped we are to protect them.”
For students like Nicole Wisdom, those conversations might have changed the moment that has stayed with her since sixth grade.
“Kids shouldn’t have to figure this out alone,” Nicole Wisdom said. “If they can have a space to ask questions, we can undo a lot of the confusion before it turns into something bigger.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Three experts were introduced and given approximately 15 minutes to inform members and guests on their area of expertise and opinions regarding AI.
Christopher Crick, an associate professor at OSU whose research involves AI because of his interest in robot’s human interaction and teamwork, was the first to speak.
Crick gave the small crowd perspective as a professor. He mentioned though there are positives to AI, problems still occur. He said one of the problems that he sees is pedagogy.
“These AI systems are really good at generating grammatically correct, plausible, ordinary person text,” Crick said. “Teaching students to generate that is a part of the educational system, and if AI’s doing it for them, they’re not learning how to do that.”
Crick said AI doesn’t actually understand anything but is only picking words that it statistically has seen used in the same context before. He also stressed his worry of the work there needs to be done for education to be arranged for AI use and shared the concerns of a few in the crowd who agreed that humans should not lose the important trait of being a good thinker.
Rittika Shamsuddi, an assistant
The last speaker of the night was David Warren who is an AI program leader at the Extension Foundation and senior director of digital strategies at OSU.
Warren compared AI to his past technologies throughout his 30 plus years of working and said AI is much easier and faster to automate processes, than it ever was in the past, when used in cases where its applicable. He touched on impact in job markets, for programmers, that result in the addition of AI.
Warren said lower-skill programmers are having a more difficult time finding jobs, and the other side is that more experienced programmers — though not the very best ones — are getting laid off.
“Especially the big tech companies,” Warren said. “Because its cheaper to hire new programmers and get them to use AI that’ll bring them kind of up a little bit, and pay them less than you would a middle programmer.”
He continued to speak more on the impacts that AI has on job markets because of it being cheaper for businesses, but how that has happened in the past and will continue on in the future.
“So, in these big tech changes, there’s always this big shift,” Warren said. “And I think we need to spend some real time thinking about how we help people get past it.”
Julia Price O’COLLY CONTRIBUTOR
Courtesy Pexels
Kira Frisby said inappropriate searches and social media conflicts seem to have reduced since Stillwater Public Schools implemented a phone ban.
Caleson Coon, The O’Colly
Rittika Shamsuddi, an assistant professor at OSU, speaks about AI at a League of Women’s Voters of Stillwater event called Civic Conversations.
“I can’t deliver them justice; I can’t rewrite history, but what I can do is hold everybody that’s associated with it accountable,” Durbin said. “And at that point, I’m worried about the future people. I’m worried about Jesse Butler’s future victims.”
The focus of the uproar has centered around Butler’s youthful offender status. Several have spoke out on social media and a couple hundred attended a protest at the courthouse in October. However, across Stillwater, crisis centers have been reminding others of the support they are eager to provide for victims.
“I think it comes down to women have not had great representation and have not had a voice for a long time in Oklahoma,” said Brandi White, executive director of the Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services.
For victims of any kind of abuse, White said finding help can seem impossible, particularly if the abuser utilizes emotional, physical or sexual manipulation to make victims feel trapped. In one of the victim statements in Butler’s case, the victim attested to this emotional and physical trapping.
“Those threats silenced me just as much as his hands ever did,” the victim said. “I was terrified. Every time I thought about telling someone, I heard his voice in my head reminding me that if I spoke up, he would be there to silence me, and I believed him.”
The process of receiving help for a victim of any form of abuse or violence varies by case. At Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, victims can call 405-372-9922 to receive help. Services include a safe shelter, counseling, children’s programs, court and legal services, victim advocacy and a sexual assault response team.
For Ellen Jensen, the center’s counselor and sexual assault response advocacy (SARA) program coordinator, her goal is to ensure victims are aware of the options they have and are working to support victims in their process of receiving aid.
“I think of one of the big pieces is acknowledging that whatever a survivor did to survive in that moment, again, is valid and justified… maybe it’s not safe to leave at the time,” Jensen said. “We know that on average it takes a survivor about seven times to fully leave an abusive relationship — that’s the reality that we deal with. I think talking more about that rather than blaming a victim, placing blame on a victim (or saying) that they could have done something different to change their situation, is a key component in this justifying and validating that it’s extremely difficult and sometimes can be fatal to leave a relationship.”
At Stillwater Public Schools, there are multiple partnerships between the district and advocacy centers such as Care Solace, The Saville Center and Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services. While the process of students receiving aid can look slightly different, Kira Frisby, Wellness, Trauma and Emergency Response Coordinator for Stillwater Public Schools advocates for students and staff to be aware of the resources available through SPS.
“We have amazing mental health professionals in our community that
work very closely with us, whether they’re coming in and doing education or just responding to situations as they come up,” Frisby said.
These resources aren’t the only sources deeply invested into providing
advocacy and mental health support for students, Fuxa said there have been challenges in posting about or bringing awareness of other activities occurring in the Stillwater Public School district outside of Butler’s case.
“We fell passionately about these kids, and we want to helo keep them safe. And it is an assault on our administrators, our teachers, our SROs, our parents, our coaches, when people say, ‘You don’t care.’”
BARRY FUXA | PR AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
aid for students. Barry Fuxa, PR and Communications Coordinator for SPS, expressed his deep care for students.
“We feel passionately about these kids, and we want to help keep them safe,” Fuxa said. “And it is an assault on our administrators, our teachers, our SROs, our parents, our coaches, when people say, ‘You don’t care.’ I mean, I do, and I know Kira does.”
While Frisby has continued her
“It is deeply frustrating that the 1,200 other kids at that high school can’t be celebrated and lifted up on social media without those posts being subject to comment after comment, by people outside our community, about decisions made by the justice system that the school system does not control and accusations that the school supports atrocious behavior,” Fuxa said.
SPS continues to advocate for students and staff to not only stand up for themselves, but also for others. Fuxa said there can be a nuance lost in how the district must handle difficult situations, however students and staff are encouraged to advocate for others in the community.
“I would say that the vast majority of our staff care very, very deeply about issues that affect our students,” Fuxa said. “And we want students to speak up when they can. We want our staff to speak up when they can; the First Amendment is the First Amendment for a reason, right?”
As advocacy continues across the Stillwater campuses, there is also a recognized challenge for some victims to reach out for help. The goal for advocacy centers is to ensure victims are able to receive aid whenever they are ready. With Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, Jensen said the door for victims is open whenever they are able.
“It’s OK for a little while if you need to get your bearings, and when you’re ready, we’re here for you; when you’re ready and we’ve recognized that it’s not that easy,” Jensen said.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Courtesy Wings of Hope
At Wings of Hope Family Crisis Services, victims can call
to receive help. Services include a safe shelter, counseling, children’s programs, court and legal services, victim advocacy and a sexual assault response team.
Lifestyle
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Cary McBride, the owner of The Dirty Rooster and Tumbleweed Dancehall, is recreating the iconic spot at 421 S. Washington St.
The grand opening for the bar will feature a performance from Canada and McClure who was the frontman for The Great Divide and a producer for many of Canada’s songs.
“I don’t think you could have a better grand opening act than the two guys that, in my opinion, put Red Dirt on the map,” McBride said.
McClure alongside Canada were some of the firsts to gain traction at the Wormy Dog. Canada said it’s a full-circle moment to play there again with McClure.
“When it first started, it was just Mike, and then it was Mike and I, of course,” Canada said. “Mike showed me, taught me how to really share it (music). And he’s my mentor, so it’s always nice to play a gig with him.”
The original Wormy Dog Saloon was located at 219 S. Washington St and opened in 1992. It closed in 2003 and relocated to Oklahoma City. That location ended an important chapter in Red Dirt history when it closed in 2017. One person documented the glory days of the Wormy Dog from open to close.
Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone contributor and author who formerly wrote for The O’Colly, could be spotted sitting on the edge of the stage next to the speaker whether it was McClure, Canada, Boland or another artist rocking the stage.
“I went there one night, and then every night after that, and by my senior year, I was kind of just planted there,” Crutchmer said. “I would just wedge my way all the way up through the crowd and go sit right on stage next to the speaker most nights, and nobody would even bat an eye.”
Crutchmer was a sports editor for the student paper, but the Red Dirt scene in Stillwater was rising, and if anyone had to document it, it was Crutchmer. With a losing football team in 2000, Crutchmer wrote in a column that he’d rather be at the Wormy Dog, and most days that’s where he could be found.
“The Wormy Dog was the proving
ground, and any artist would say that,” Crutchmer said. “If they played the Wormy Dog during that time, it holds a special place in their heart. And if they were in Red Dirt music, it’s kind of just their first home, their original home.”
In the Dec. 13, 2000 edition of The O’Colly, formerly The Daily O’Collegian, Crutchmer, whose title was “Wormy Dog editor,” wrote about an upcoming show for Cross Canadian Ragweed at the Wormy Dog that Friday night.
Twenty-five years later, Canada will be hitting a similar stage. A stage that eventually Red Dirt outgrew when the lines surpassed the length of The Strip.
“Me and my friend group that would go there all the time, would talk about Wormy Dog like, ‘This must be what it was like to be in Seattle when grunge took off,’” Crutchmer said. “This must be what it would have been like when Motown started in Detroit.’ But we didn’t really think that that was actually going to come true.”
The genre expanded into Tulsa and Oklahoma City before sweeping across state lines. Cross Canadian Ragweed toured heavily, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma before disbanding in 2010. Canada never stopped making music as a solo act and for The Departed, a band he formed in 2011.
After 15 years, Ragweed reunited for a reunion show. More than 200,000 fans stood elbow-to-elbow over four days in Boone Pickens Stadium. Playing BPS was a dream for Canada, but performing at the Wormy Dog for its grand opening will bring him back to where it all started.
“That’s what it’s all about for me,” Canada said. “Go to the big shows, go to the medium shows and then come back… That’s really how I learned how to to be a performer, I guess is working in smaller rooms. So it kind of brings you back and reins you back in and makes you realize the love of the game once again, and I love this game.”
The Red Dirt music scene in Stillwater has changed since Canada first took the stage in the original saloon, Crutchmer said. It doesn’t exist the way it once did.
McBride’s goal is to continue the tradition of Red Dirt in Stillwater from highlighting new artists at the Dirty
Rooster to hosting larger artists at Calf Fry. The new Wormy Dog will be a middle ground, but for current bargoers, the former Wormy Dog Concert Hall is a pool hall called Shots.
McBride formed a bond with the Shots regulars and has incorporated pool tables into the new floor plan. Remnants of the new age will mix with more nostalgic elements. The acoustic stage is made with white tiles and cedar wood pillars to mirror the original. The saddleback bar stools are back, and a second stage toward the back is fit for a full-band set.
“We clean all of our mess up and try to get the smell out (each night before Shots opens),” McBride said. “That was our biggest thing… we didn’t want to run off our pole players, because we have some loyalty there and we’ve really turned some good friends out of that, and they’re like ‘Oh, put purse hooks on all the tables.’ and ‘Get more comfortable bar stools…’ We did that. We’ve had a lot of fun with them.” Canada, in the midst of it all, didn’t realize the scene had changed all that much.
“Evan Felker from Turnpike (Troubadoors) in the fourth night of the stadium, he said, ‘How does it feel to to revive a genre of music?’ And I was like, ‘Well, that would be really bold for me to answer that question,’” Canada said. “But I didn’t know that there was a lull in this… I really hope that that this (Wormy Dog reopening) puts people, puts acoustic music and full-band music in all the bars in Stillwater again.”
Wyatt Flores’ emergence out of Stillwater lit a spark over alreadyexisting hot coals. Crutchmer, a friend of Flores, said Flores wanted to reestablish Red Dirt in Stillwater before he headlined Calf Fry in May. Now, the opening of a Wormy Dog 2.0 might help a new and old wave of artists recreate a classic hub for the genre.
“I hope it brings back the feel of the home of Red Dirt music,” Crutchmer said. “That title doesn’t really exist in Stillwater now. And I mean all credit to the Salty Bronc for putting the shrines to Red Dirt all over the walls. But these days, Red Dirt feels like it’s home is Cain’s Ballroom and that’s cool by itself, but it started in Stillwater, and it started at the Wormy Dog.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
‘Wicked:
Ashley Yarbrough STAFF REPORTER Review
After one long year of press tours, singalongs and even Wicked-branded margaritas, the second installment of director John M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good” has finally landed in theaters.
One year ago in the first installment, audiences watched Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) defy gravity, uncover the Wizard’s (Jeff Goldblum) secrets and truly become the wicked witch of the west.
“Wicked: For Good” picks up right where the first film left off with the “not-so wicked” witch in hiding while the Emerald City forces its animal citizens to do brutal labor to construct the yellow brick road. Compared to the first film, “Wicked: For Good” starts with a bang and is a noticeably darker film than its predecessor.
As Madame Morrible continues to broadcast propaganda to the citizens of Oz about the wicked witch, it’s hard to be immersed in the experience when one thing is impossible to ignore, Michelle Yeoh cannot sing.
Surrounded by vocal powerhouses in the cast, such as Ariana Grande and Erivo, it leaves viewers wondering why Chu fought so hard for Yeoh in the cast when she delivers the film’s weakest vocal performance by a wide margin. Madame Morrible’s hate for Elphaba paired with the less-than-impressive vocals make her scenes less enjoyable than those starring Erivo and Grande.
While Elphaba has been forced into hiding by the people of Oz, her former best friend Glinda has fully embraced becoming the polished spokesperson of Oz with her reluctant fiance Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) who promised the citizens of Oz that he would find the witch himself.
Although, “Wicked: For Good” runs 23 minutes shorter than the first film, it has an impressive two-hour-and-17-minute run time and keeps audiences just as entertained as the last film.
However, with less iconic songs in this half of the soundtrack, the standout is arguable Erivo’s fiery rendition of “No Good Deed,” which was a performance so good it had me believing Erivo was actually casting a spell on People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Jonathan Bailey.
In addition to incredible vocal performances, Erivo and Grande’s chemistry was just as good, if not better than the first film. The infamous fight between the two had the whole theater laughing as if the tornado had not just run through Oz minutes before.
Beyond vocals, Erivo and Grande’s friendship shines through the most in the closing duet of the film. There was not a dry eye in the theater.
The film’s most powerful moment arrives immediately after: Elphaba and Glinda sharing their final exchange from opposite sides of a closed door. Shockingly, this emotional scene was improvised by Erivo and Grande was nearly cut from film.
Say what you will about their dramatics in press interviews, but its undeniable that Erivo and Grande bonded in a way on set that only improved their acting and made their performance as Elphaba and Glinda stronger.
Although it may not be as lighthearted and whimsical as the first, “Wicked: For Good” shows the darker backstory behind Dorothy’s journey to Oz and leaves audiences feeling, fittingly, changed for good.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Cross Canadian Ragweed lead singer, Cody Canada, performs to a sold out audience for the “Boys From Oklahoma” concert series. He began performing in Stillwater at the original Wormy Dog Saloon.
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“It’s individuals who happen to be in BCM,” Luschen said. “There’s been a number of people outside of BCM and even people who are Orthodox or Catholic who came out and helped.”
The group began writing Tuesday morning and continued late into the night despite dropping temperatures.
“It started on Tuesday at 10 a.m. and we stopped at 11:30 p.m.,” Luschen said. “Then we picked back up (Wednesday).”
By Thursday morning, they had reached Chapter 12, just past the halfway point.
“Taxing, but in a good way”
Freshman Stetson Caldwell said the writing process is harder than most people realize.
“It’s been taxing, both physically and mentally,” Caldwell said. “The reader has to go word by word, slowly, and the person writing is crawling on the ground for however many feet.”
The cold wind slowed their progress overnight, and the group temporarily
ran out of materials.
“I had to call up one of my buddies last night to get more chalk because we ran out,” Caldwell said.
Luschen said the uneven sidewalk has been another unexpected challenge.
“We have used around 100 to 150 pieces so far,” he said. “Some parts of the concrete are more rough and just eat through our chalk like crazy.”
Even so, Caldwell said the effort is worth it.
“We’re literally writing the gospel on the sidewalk,” he said. “It’s a little bit of evangelism, worship and community involvement all at once.”
Curiosity leads to conversation
Former OSU student Amber Wilmoth, who now volunteers with BCM, said she has been energized by the responses from people passing by.
“Everyone has just been so kind and so curious,” Wilmoth said. “People feel bad for walking on our work. Some will go in the grass and go around it. I’ve just been really surprised by that kindness — how many people are willing to come up to us and say, ‘What the heck is this? Can you tell me more?’”
Before anyone walks away, Wilmoth
said they try to slow down the moment.
“We get a glimpse into their life and love on them,” she said. “We just get a moment to slow down with those people.”
The conversations, Luschen said, are the real goal.
“It’s about the conversations we have with people who walk up and question what we’re doing,” he said. “We’re able to share the gospel as we’re writing the gospel.”
Not everyone has reacted positively.
“One person spit on it,” Luschen said. “Aside from that, we’ve only had a minimum amount of people who didn’t like it.”
A campus faith expression
Caldwell said OSU granted them permission to chalk the sidewalks under two guidelines: no writing on brick and no profanity.
“No one from OSU has come up and said stop,” Luschen said.
The group’s chalk permit has technically expired, but Luschen said they intend to continue into the weekend so they can finish the entire book.
“If it rained and washed part of it
away, I think we’d just keep going,” he said. “If we finished, then we could say we did. We still wrote the entire gospel of John.”
The Gospel of John was chosen for its readability, Luschen said, and because they hoped students would follow along.
“We thought it would be cooler,” he said. “It’s more comprehensive if someone wants to read it.”
For Caldwell, the book holds personal significance.
“It holds a little bit of weight to me,” he said. “Comfortability kills progress. So just trying to get uncomfortable for a minute, go out here in the cold and do something that’s hard.”
Wilmoth said that’s ultimately why they’re out there — to show love in a visible way.
“We want them to see it’s important to us,” she said. “They can see that in the length.”
No matter how long the chalk lasts, Luschen said he hopes the message does.
“I hope his (Jesus’) love can be seen through this,” he said. “That they can forget about us but remember his name.”
Connor Fuxa,The O’Colly
Cameron Luschen, a staff member for OSU BCM, spent days writing the Gospel of John from Edmon Low Library to Theta Pond and beyond.
Friday, December 5, 2025
Right guy, right time
Eric Morris was announced as Oklahoma State’s next football coach Nov. 25 and will be introduced on campus
Morris balancing UNT’s title push, transition to Oklahoma State job
Parker Gerl
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
North Texas football coach Eric Morris sported a white and green visor Saturday, but his future in Oklahoma State orange was already solidified.
Morris accepted the OSU job last week, as the school announced the hire Nov. 25, naming Morris the 25th football coach in program history and the successor to Mike Gundy, who was fired in September during his 21st season with the Cowboys.
After UNT defeated Temple 5225, Morris spoke publicly for the first time since being hired. What he previously saw in Stillwater, combined with his familiarity with the league, made OSU a perfect destination for the next step in his
coaching career.
“I grew up in the Big 12,” Morris said. “I was able to watch coach Gundy build that thing, and I played there a ton. The atmosphere is electric. I don’t think I ever won a game there as a player or a coach. I think that’s kind of what made it intriguing to me.”
Morris is in his third season
coaching the Mean Green and has No. 20 UNT at 11-1 this season.
The Mean Green is set to face No. 21 Tulane in the American Conference Championship on Friday night with the winner positioned to advance to the College Football Playoff. UNT is allowing Morris to coach the rest of the season before fully moving on to OSU.
See TRANSITION on page 5B
‘He’ll turn this thing around’
OSU students excited about Morris hire
Parker Gerl CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Oklahoma State student Dakota Herndon didn’t know much about Eric Morris when he saw the Cowboys hired him as their new football coach last week.
So, Herndon did some research on Morris and found out that he coached at North Texas in Denton. Herndon’s first thought, ‘that’s pretty cool,’ cause he’s from Carrollton, a town near UNT.
But then Herndon kept digging on OSU’s new coach and saw how well Morris’ Mean Green team has performs this season. That’s when Morris checked all the boxes for Herndon and had him excited about the coach heading to Stillwater.
“They only lost one game, which is honestly really good,” Herndon said. “I know (OSU is) in a higher conference than what (UNT) is in, but I think it could translate.” Morris will be formally introduced as OSU’s new coach Monday in the Conoco Philips Alumni Center at 1:30 p.m. His hiring was announced Nov. 25, and so far, students are excited about the pedigree that Morris brings. Student Bradley Breland said Morris’ gradual improvements with the Mean Green are what stand out most to him. UNT went 5-7 and 6-7 in Morris’s first two seasons before going 11-1 in the regular season this year and receiving its first ranking in the AP Poll since 1959.
See STUDENTS on page 5B
Wooten shining in off-the-bench role, growing as vocal leader
Jadyn Wooten may just be a sophomore, but that hasn’t stopped her from emerging as a leader.
The Kansas native took major steps in the offseason to blossom into that role and has become a key player for Oklahoma State.
“It was something that really needed to happen,” Wooten said. “I needed to mature. I needed to just find some consistency and discipline off the floor.” Wooten has been able to translate her work off the court this season, averaging 11.6 points and leading OSU with 5.3 assists per game. Despite her success, Wooten remains on the Cowgirls bench but is providing coach Jacie Hoyt with a spark for her second-unit.
“She’s really special right now,” Hoyt said. “She just takes our team to another level when she gets in.”
In her freshman campaign, Wooten shied away from shooting 3-pointers, attempting 32 and hitting on 21% of them. This year, Wooten has shown more confidence in her ability from deep, as she is shooting 50% from deep. With her talent, Hoyt worked with Wooten on building up her confidence and becoming another option for the Cowgirls high-powered shooting.
See WOOTEN on page 3B
Zach Del Bello, UNT Athletics
Monday.
Connor Fuxa, The O’Colly
Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER
Our best Photos from osu-iowa state
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State running back Trent Howland leaps into the end zone to score a touchdown.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Punter Wes Pahl and long snapper Aidan Davenport celebrate a muffed punt against Iowa State.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Trent Howland celebrates a touchdown.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Bryan McCoy Jr. (left) and Brandon Rawls (right) tackle Iowa State running back Carson Hansen during the Cowboys’ game against Iowa State.
Lilian Easter, The O’Colly Oklahoma State offensive line Kasen Carpenter ready to snap the ball.
Kaytlyn Hayes, The O’Colly Oklahoma State Logan Ward kicking a field goal against Iowa State.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
OSU and Iowa State get set up prior to a snap in Saturday’s game at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Oklahoma State interim coach Doug Meacham walks off the field for the final time this season.
Kaytlyn Hayes, The O’Colly Quarterback Zane Flores throws a pass.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Two Cowboy players tackle an Iowa State ball-carrier.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Doug Meacham high-fives kicker Logan Ward against Iowa State.
Lilian Easter, The O’Colly Cornerback LaDanian Fields during the game against Iowa State.
“We felt last year that especially in conference play, teams started to sag off of her, leave that shot open for her and she wouldn’t take it,” Hoyt said. “That was a part of her (game) that we really identified that we needed to work on. She can shoot it, she’s got a beautiful shot, it was just her confidence to take the shot.”
With an increased level of confidence, Wooten has nearly doubled her points per game total from 6.5 to 11.6. The sophomore guard is also shooting 55% from the field.
Wooten believes her coaches and teammates are a big part of her growth.
“I feel like that’s always been in my game, I just feel like I haven’t had the confidence in myself,” Wooten said. “My coaches (are) pouring into me, my teammates are pouring into me. I believe God gave me the gift to play basketball. Just putting that all together (has led) me to play with confidence.”
With the increase in confidence, Wooten has been able to take on a larger workload.
In OSU’s past two games, Wooten has played more than 30 minutes, a feat she achieved just one time prior to this season. In those increased minutes, she has oozed confidence onto her teammates and provided the Cowgirls with extra juice while Micah Gray and Stailee Heard have struggled.
During the Cowgirls’ 87-84 victory against Miami, Wooten helped spur a 14-point comeback against the Hurricanes, as she shattered her career-high with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting.
The three days in between games didn’t slow her down, either. In OSU’s win against North Texas on Wednesday, she played a career high in minutes and helped spark the Cowgirls as Heard got in foul trouble and Amari Whiting missed nearly the entire second quarter with an injury.
“She’s playing with a great amount of confidence,” Hoyt said. “She’s giving other people around her confidence. I think she’s just incredibly solid right now and someone we’re leaning on.”
While playing at OSU was the first time Wooten came off the bench, she believes it’s had a positive impact on her.
The Cowgirls’ roster is filled with a ton of experience as OSU’s starters have combined to play 369 games in their career. OSU also adds Wooten and Lena Girardi off the bench who despite their young age have become key contributors for Hoyt.
With this level of talent around her, Wooten believes it’s a unique opportunity to play on a team with so many options.
“It’s super cool to play on a team where you have probably seven or eight people that can be in the starting lineup,” Wooten said.
With the opportunity to provide a change of mojo for her team and find a spark, Wooten has taken off in that role and believes she fits her role as the team’s ignitor off the bench.
“It’s been really, really cool because I get to come off and be the spark,” Wooten said. “Coming off the bench and being able to bring a juice to my team, it takes us to a newer level. It’s just been so much fun. I don’t really look at it as off the bench. To me, I’m the next one up.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Improved road shooting key for OSU Cowgirls
Over the past two seasons, Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball team has been lights out inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowgirls are 23-1 over that span and are averaging more than 100 points while playing on their home court this season.
However, when OSU leaves GIA, those numbers have dipped, as the Cowgirls are just 10-7 away from home in that time span dealing with an inconsistent offense on the road a season ago.
This season, that trend looked to continue for OSU, as it fell flat in its first road game of the season, shooting 25% from 3 while going nearly the entire second quarter without scoring a bucket in its 74-67 loss to St. John’s.
With that loss to St. John’s, the Cowgirls saw their ranking drop six spots, going from No. 18 to No. 24 and felt like they didn’t play Cowgirl basketball.
With the road struggles in the past, coach Jacie Hoyt has reminded her
team they are playing for the OSU brand and to carry that mindset with them wherever they go.
“I definitely wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily a home or away thing,” Hoyt said. “(It’s more) just the name on the front of the jersey and us understanding what our approach needs to be no matter what.”
The loss to the Red Storm was a wake up call for the Cowgirls, as they flipped the script in the Cayman Islands, shooting 48% against Charlotte and storming back from a 14-point deficit against Miami by shooting 61% from the field.
Hoyt has revolutionized her lineup in road games this year and that has led to more success. Micah Gray was one Cowgirl who struggled away from home last year and has continued to face challenges in the early contests this year, scoring 10 points or fewer in all of OSU’s three road games this season.
In Gray’s place, Hoyt turned to Haleigh Timmer, Amari Whiting and Jadyn Wooten to lead the offense.
Whiting and Wooten led the Cowgirls in the Cayman Islands, as Whiting shot 60% and Wooten shot
75%, but the biggest growth came from Timmer after she attempted only two shots against the Red Storm. Timmer found her groove in OSU’s contest against Miami. She went 6-of-7 shooting and drilled both of her 3-point shots against the Hurricanes, providing buckets for the Cowgirls as Gray went cold.
With all the shots that Timmer attempts, Hoyt isn’t concerned about her off nights, but remains confident in her talent.
“She’s an elite shooter,” Hoyt said. “But I think a lot of times as a shooter, you’re going to have bad games, you’re going to miss shots.”
Despite having down games in the past, the Cowgirls have focused on responding to the errors and changing their mindsets.
With aspirations of making a deep run in the Big 12 conference and road games against four ranked teams on the schedule, Hoyt believes the Cowgirls know what they need to do away from GIA.
“I think our kids understand the mindset they need to have on the road,” Hoyt said.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER
Chance Marick, The O’Colly OSU guard Amari Whiting has been one of the Cowgirls’ top 3-point shooters this season.
OSU men’s basketball one-month report card
Luke Mazza STAFF REPORTER
Steve Lutz’s mission is to get the Cowboys back to March Madness; that dream could become a reality.
Coming into the season, there were many unknowns about this team. With only three returning players from the 2024 season, it was uncertain how the team would gel together. One thing is clear however, this team plays fast and finds ways to win games.
Its 8-0 start is the first since the 2006-2007 season and with the start of the conference schedule, the Cowboys are presented with an uphill battle and a chance to define its season. Here’s a breakdown of the Cowboys’ season after one-month.
Coaching: A-
The Lutz experience couldn’t have started better in year two. OSU’s 92.3 pointer per-game ranks 13 nationally, including four players averaging more than 10 points.
The A- is partially due to the defense, as they allow 76.3 points, but some is because of its pace of play, which ranks fourth in adjusted tempo, per KenPom. Lutz runs a deep rotation of players and the depth of the Cowboys has jumpstarted this streak.
Off the court, Lutz proved he can recruit at an elite level. While he is busy mentoring and coaching his players, he’s bringing in a bright future for the Cowboys, which ranks eighth in 2026 high school recruiting, per 247Sports.
It’s early to say, but Cowboy basketball seems to have a bright future with Lutz captaining the ship.
Backcourt (Guards): A-
The clear strength for the Cowboys is the guards and their athleticism. It’s not often you see a team play seven guards consistently, but that’s a testament to their success. As mentioned Lutz likes to get down the court in a blink of an eye, and Jaylen Curry has been a huge addition for Lutz.
Curry, a transfer from UMass, averages the most minutes on the team (25.7) and averages 15 points per game and only 1.7 turnovers. An underrated aspect of the 6-foot-1 guard has been his rebounding. (4.3 per game)
Anthony Roy and Vyctorius Miller, have been reliable scorers, both averaging over 15, and what separates them from the rest, is their 3-pointshooting.
Miller is shooting a remarkable 50% from beyond-the-arch. For Roy, he has gotten hot down the stretch in late November and early December
and now has a 40.7% and has scored double digits in every game he has played.
Overall, this group has been terrific, and if Isiah Coleman, who averaged 15 points a year ago can find his rhythm offensively, the guards will be a nightmare for opponents.
We know offense won’t be an issue for this group, but the success may hinder on its ability to defend.
“This team, offensively, I think’s gonna be OK,” Lutz said. “But our biggest area for growth is defensively.”
Frontcourt: B+
The biggest question coming into the year was the bigs. Parsa Fallah took away some of that doubt and is off to an incredible start, averaging 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Fallah’s personality and work ethic has won over Lutz and continues to develop into one of the Cowboys most reliable player.
“Shoot, I like everything about Parsa, you know?” Lutz said. “I mean, he’s been our most consistent player, pretty much night in, night out. He shows up every day, he pulls his shorts up, he laces up his shoes, he smiles, and he goes out there and competes.”
For the rest, Lefteris Mantzoukas, is a versatile player, who earned “the belt,” (player of the game awarded from Lutz) from Wednesday’s win versus Sam Houston and can be plugged into different type of situations.
“We play (Mantzoukas) at the small forward, we play him at the power forward, and Parsa can play power forward as well,” Lutz said. “I think you have a lot of versatility with those guys. They all give you a little different offensive and defensive punch. I think we’ve got, you know, good talent there.”
Gallagher-Iba-Arena: C
The atmosphere inside GallagherIba-Arena is doing well, but the number of fans still lacks at times.
Lutz has made it a mission to get more involved with the community, from high fiving the fans after each game, to doing radio shows and visiting sorority and fraternity houses. So far, the average attendance is 5,977.
Fan attention for the Cowboys is starting to pick up as the team’s success grows.
“Last year, I could go to restaurants and nobody would say anything,” Lutz said “Now people want to come over and tell you how excited they are for the season, take pictures and sign autographs. When we had Homecoming this year, there was a lot more pressure on me to be available. Last year, (people) didn’t identify with men’s basketball yet.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
OSU
wrestling
adds
Cougar Clash
as Taylor seeks tests
When Oklahoma State’s wrestling schedule came out in early October, the Cowboys planned to take a threeweek break from late November to mid-December in between competitions.
That agenda has changed with coach David Taylor and Co. assigning a new event to the schedule.
The Cowboys are scheduled to take the mats on Sunday at SIU Edwardsville for the Cougar Clash. Nine teams will take part in the invitational, including Brown, Little Rock, Illinois, Missouri, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Oklahoma and SIUE.
It’s not surprising that OSU has wanted to endure as many challenges as possible. It’s the standard Taylor has brought into the program under his second year as head coach.
“We have a really challenging schedule this year, by design,” Taylor said before the season started. “With having a young team, we’re going to throw ourselves in the fire this year, and I’m excited about it.”
The Cougar Clash will be the first of four tournaments this season where wrestlers compete in an individual bracket. The Southern Scuffle will take place in early January, followed by the Big 12 and NCAA Championships in March after the conclusion of the regular season.
With the number of freshmen on the Cowboys’ roster, it’s critical to have tournaments like these to get good preparation for the end of the season. Taylor knew that was needed last year ahead of the 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
“I think anytime, especially young guys, can get the feel of a collegiate tournament, especially this high caliber of one, early on in their years, (it’s) really beneficial for them,” Taylor said.
Will Casey Swiderski find a way to bounce back?
The beginning of the season hasn’t gone the way Swiderski hoped for to begin his Cowboy tenure.
The Iowa State transfer is 1-4 with his lone win against Nebraska’s Nikade Zinkin in a 7-6 decision Nov. 16 at the National Duals Invitational. Swiderski did not appear in the last two duals after Cutter Sheets took over against Air Force and Arizona State at 149.
Despite the challenges, Taylor knows Swiderski is improving and will continue to find a way to become the best wrestler he can be for the Cowboys.
“I think Casey’s doing a great job,” Taylor said in a postgame of the NC State dual. “I think he’s given himself ample opportunities... As I said, this is still early in the season. We’re still practicing. We’re still getting better and tomorrow’s an opportunity to do that.”
A new threat has arrived in the Big 12
The latest NCWA Coaches Poll came out Monday and OSU is no longer the highest-ranked team in the Big 12. Iowa State defeated Iowa on Sunday in Ames, 20-14, leapfrogging the Cowboys in the rankings, as the Cyclones moved to No. 3 in the country, while OSU dropped a spot to No. 5.
While OSU is still trying to crack the code against the Hawkeyes, seeing as the two schools will face again on Feb. 22, ISU finally got past Iowa and is now a massive contender for the Big 12 Championship.
The Cowboys and Cyclones will face each other in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Feb. 1 for the biggest showdown in the conference.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Davis Hicks, The
O’Colly
OSU guard Jaylen Curry is averaging 15 points per game with 5.3 assists.
Weston Wertzberger STAFF REPORTER
Bailey Schmitz, The O’Colly 149 pounder Casey Swiderski is seeking a bounce-back outing in his next match.
Which players should Morris, new OSU football staff look to retain?
As Eric Morris steps in as Oklahoma State’s new football coach, he inherits a program facing modern roster challenges and coming off its worst season since 1991 — a 1–11 collapse that reshaped expectations in Stillwater.
The transfer portal has tightened every offseason window, and coaching transitions only amplify the urgency to retain young talent. While Morris will bring his own offensive identity and new defensive direction, the success of his first full season in 2026 will hinge not just on who he brings in — but on who he convinces to stay.
Among a roster full of emerging contributors, here are five players who Morris and his staff should look to retain.
Wendell Gregory
The former four-star linebacker’s combination of speed, size and versatility makes him one of OSU’s most important young defensive pieces. Gregory showed flashes of becoming an every-down playmaker, capable of slipping blocks, rushing off the edge or dropping into coverage.
In a new system that may ask defenders to be more interchangeable and aggressive, Gregory provides the type of raw athleticism that Morris can build a defense around. Keeping him in Stillwater gives the Cowboys a defensive cornerstone whose potential remains untapped.
Rodney Fields Jr.
Fields is an ideal fit for Morris’ offense. The sophomore running back’s acceleration and open-field shiftiness make him a natural weapon in a spread system built on tempo and spacing.
Fields has the ability to turn simple concepts — swing passes, inside zone, jet sweeps — into explosive plays. With expanded touches under a coach who values speed and versatility, Fields could emerge as OSU’s most dynamic playmaker in 2026. Retaining him ensures Morris has a proven threat who fits his offensive DNA.
Hauss Hejny
No retention priority is bigger than Hejny, the quarterback whose skill set aligns perfectly with Morris’ identity. Hejny’s dual-threat ability, quick decision-making and mobility outside the pocket fit seamlessly into the Air Raid-influenced concepts Morris is expected to bring.
But Morris’ arrival also raises a fundamental question: could Hejny be influenced to leave if North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker — who is playing under Morris this season — decides to follow his former coach to Stillwater? It’s a scenario worth watching. Adding a veteran who already knows Morris’ system could make OSU’s quarterback room more competitive, and young passers across the country often react quickly to depth-chart changes.
Even so, developing Hejny still makes the most long-term sense, and continuity at quarterback is essential for a rebuilding program. If Morris can
UNT staff members to OSU. And The Oklahoman reported Monday that Raj Murti, Morris’ general manager with the Mean Green, has begun working on behalf of the Cowboys.
keep Hejny invested in the plan despite possible roster moves, he’ll have the centerpiece needed to stabilize and shape his offense for years to come.
Gavin Freeman Freeman stands out as a player whose versatility makes him invaluable. His burst and creativity with the ball in his hands allow him to thrive in quickhitting concepts, motion packages and misdirection plays.
He’s a natural yards-after-catch threat, and Morris’ scheme rewards players who can win in space. Retaining Freeman gives the Cowboys a movable chess piece who can turn short passes into chunk gains — something Morris leaned on heavily in previous offensive stops.
LaDainian Fields
Fields represents the type of long-term cornerback the Cowboys must keep. His range, physicality and instincts project him as a multiyear starter in the secondary.
As the Big 12 continues to trend toward pass-heavy, fast-tempo offenses, OSU cannot afford to lose young, developing corners. Fields has the tools to become a shutdown presence in 2026, and Morris will need defensive backs who can hold up in space while new schemes take shape.
For Morris, recruiting will matter — but retention may matter even more. If he can keep this core intact, he’ll have the foundation needed to accelerate the Cowboys’ rebuild and shape the identity of his first true roster in 2026.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Now, UNT has the No. 1-ranked offense in the country on the back of Morris’ Air Raid offense and his development of quarterback Drew Mestemaker — a former 0-star recruit who now leads the NCAA in passing.
“I’m not saying when he first got there that it instantly changed,” Breland said. “But I mean, he grew it into something. They’re going to the (conference championship)... And this quarterback, he didn’t even have any offers. Morris took him in and how he’s one of the top passers. So, I’m sitting here like, ‘I think he’ll turn this thing around.’”
Aaron Stinson is excited about Morris coming to Stillwater, but he’s even more intrigued about the talent Morris could potentially bring with him.
The Cowboys inked 15 on Wednesday’s signing day, multiple of which were previously committed to the Mean Green. And with Morris now heading to Stillwater, some are wondering if key players like Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins could enter the transfer portal and follow their coach to OSU.
“I think Morris is gonna be a good coach,” Stinson said. “But maybe getting some of that UNT talent could be used as a stepping stone for us.”
Most OSU students said they thought that it could take a couple of seasons for the Cowboys to compete for conference titles. But with Morris’ high-powered offense, some think it could give OSU a return to the postseason next year.
“If we go 6-6 and make a bowl game, that’s kind of the primary thing I’m hoping for (in Morris’ first season),” Stinson said.
The most consistent sticking point amongst OSU students is what Morris brings to Stillwater offensively. It’s his most notable trait, and it’s what students are looking forward to most after the disappointing 2025 season.
“We need offense; we need guys who want to come in and produce an effective offense,” Graham Pregenzer said. “I think Morris was the right guy to do that.”
The Mean Green’s success this season is on the back of Morris’ high-powered offense, which he has successfully deployed at multiple stops in his career. UNT boasts an NCAAbest 511.8 yards per game and has the second-best passing attack in the country.
Morris called a team meeting last week in hopes of being the first person to inform his players of his move to OSU, though the news hit the internet before the meeting. Nonetheless, Morris and Mean Green players have locked in and hope to continue extending their season after Saturday’s win.
“I apologized to our team that they didn’t hear that from me,” Morris said. “And to be quite honest with you, it’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.
“I don’t want to coach players who believe in me and them not knowing what’s going on. Whether that’s right, wrong, indifferent, I don’t know. You can attack me if you want, but don’t attack our players. They’ve done a phenomenal job finding a way to continue to block it out and stay committed to one another.”
Although Morris is finishing the season in Denton, he and his crew are already doing work for their move to Stillwater. Multiple outlets have reported that Morris is bringing several of his
The Big 12 ties Morris mentioned originate from his collegiate playing days as a wide receiver at Texas Tech under Mike Leach from 2005-08.
Morris got his coaching start at Houston, where he was on staff from 2010-11. Then he spent one season at Washington State in 2012 coaching inside receivers before landing at Texas Tech, where he held multiple positions from 2013-17.
In his time with the Red Raiders, Morris was Patrick Mahomes’s offensive coordinator and instrumental in recruiting him to Lubbock. Morris has also earned the “quarterback guru” tag, having coached or recruited Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward and John Mateer at different stops in his career.
After a strong showing at TTU, Morris got his first head-coaching gig at Incarnate Word, where he was at from 2018-21, discovered Ward and led the Cardinals to an FCS Playoffs berth. That success led Morris to his current position with UNT.
And throughout Morris’ 13 seasons as a head coach or offensive coordinator, his teams have produced a top-five passing offense in the country nine times, ranked in the top 10 in total offense 10 times and ranked in the top 25 scoring offense 10 times.
“Coach Morris has proven his ability to build and lead winning football programs,” OSU athletic director Chad
Zach Del Bello, UNT Athletics
Eric Morris’ North Texas team is 11-1 and will play for the AAC title on Friday.
Weiberg said in a release. “He has consistently identified, recruited and developed some of the best players in college football.”
Now, as Morris steps into the job at OSU while balancing his remaining duties with UNT, he’s taking a calculated approach early on.
Morris knows there’s groundwork to get going on in Stillwater with his staff and recruits, among other things, but he wants to dissect everything and be in the best position possible to make decisions for the OSU program.
“When I got somewhere, and I made decisions fast, I made mistakes,” Morris said. “So I think having a blueprint of what it looks like, and sometimes those things take time, and sometimes you miss out some things. But I want to gather as much information as I can.”
Weston Wertzberger STAFF REPORTER
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Linebacker Wendell Gregory (left) and running back Rodney Fields Jr. (right) were two of OSU’s most consistent players in 2025.
Grading college football’s latest coaching carousel
Parker Gerl CO-EDITORIN-CHIEF
Results are the only true indicator of whether a coaching hire worked out well, but this year’s carousel has already become one of the most inetresting to date.
With several high-profile jobs opening and drama involving incoming and outgoing coaches, most positions have now been filled, and we have a good idea of who will lead most programs next season.
O’Colly Co-Editor-in-Chief Parker Gerl focused on fit, pedigree and whether the school got what it needed to hand out initial grades for the latest hires in college football.
Oklahoma State hires Eric Morris: B+
Morris was reportedly in the mix for the Arkansas job, so landing his services in itself is a nice win for the Cowboys.
There’s also a lot to like on Morris’ resume: he brings an Air Raid scheme and is rightfully known as one of the top quarterback evaluators, having coached or recruited Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, John Mateer and now Drew Mestemaker, a former 0-star recruit who now leads the country in passing at North Texas.
Morris went 11-1 with the Mean Green this season and has strong Texas recruiting ties that could immediately boost OSU.
Florida hires Jon Sumrall: ASumrall has four years of head coaching experience with Troy and Tulane. In each year he’s been in charge, his teams have played for the conference championship, with his No. 21-ranked Tulane team set to play for a College Football Playoff spot against North Texas on Friday.
The Gators whiffed on Lane Kiffin, but comparing the Sumrall hire to the Billy Napier hire isn’t accurate. Sumrall is a better hire. Sumrall took over Troy after it finished 5-7 in three straight seasons and went 23-4 with a pair of conference titles. Tulane has also been one of, if not the best G5 teams under Sumrall. A bonus for UF fans is Sumrall has SEC experience as an assistant at Ole Miss and Kentucky.
LSU hires Lane Kiffin: A+
The biggest story in college football the past couple of weeks was whether Kiffin would depart from Ole Miss, where he lost only six games in the past three seasons and gave the Rebels their best six-year strech in program history.
Now, Kiffin, who was the best available coach, takes over the
Tigers, who have a monopoly on star Louisiana prospects and are one of the top jobs in the country. Kiffin is still chasing a Power Four title, but he’s a proven winner — so much so that he’s probably worth the drama of his exits if you’re the one landing his services.
Auburn hires Alex Golesh: B
Golesh was reportedly in the mix for several openings, though Auburn came out on top, and it looks like a good hire for the Tigers.
After taking over a 1-11
South Florida team, Golesh went to three straight bowl games and became the first coach in USF history to secure bowl eligibility and victories in his first two seasons. Now Golesh — a former offensive coordinator at Tennesee — will look to revive Auburn’s offense.
Arkansas hires Ryan Silverfield: C Silverfield had a good run at Memphis going 29-9 over the last three years, but he never reached an AAC title game in six seasons and was 12-20 against teams above .500.
In the stacked SEC, it’s hard to calculate how high Arkansas’ ceiling is, and Silverfield will have to do some great work as a recruiter.
The Razorbacks aren’t asking Silverfield to go 9-3 in his first season, though they’re looking to at least get back to a bowl game. Now it’s up to the 45-year-old coach.
Virginia Tech hires James Franklin: AFranklin has earned the “can’t win the big one” tag amongst college football fans, but if you’re Virginia Tech, this is a near home-run hire.
Franklin never missed a bowl game at Penn State or
Vanderbilt outside of the COVID-19 season, and he was a recruiting monster in the state of Virginia during his time at Penn State. He has only won one conference championship, but that was while competing in the gauntlet of the SEC at a lowtier job and a strong Big Ten league. Simply put, Franklin brings a lot to the table that’s perfect for the Hokies.
Ole Miss promotes Pete Golding: B-
After losing Kiffin, Ole Miss quickly announced Golding’s promotion to permanent head coach. He’ll lead the 11-1 Rebels into the College Football Playoff and look to guide Ole Miss to an extended postseason run.
Golding has never been a head coach, but the Rebels will continue to fund a compeitive roster and offer the 41-year-old Louisiana native the support
he needs in the future. Only time will tell if promoting from within was the right choice for Ole Miss.
UCLA hires Bob Chesney: B-
The Bruins will need to their football spending to give their coach a chance to win, regardless of whom is in charge. Nonetheless, UCLA found a guy who has only one losing season in 16 years as a head coach and has won in Divison III, II, FCS and now G5 at James Madison.
Chesney’s Dukes finished the regular season 11-1 and are ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll. Other moves: Kentucky hires Will Stein (B), Michigan State hires Pat Fitzgerald (C+), Stanford hires Tavita Pritchard (C) , Oregon State hires JaMarcus Shephard (B), Colorado State hires Jim Mora (B).
Stephen M. Dowell, Tribune News Service
Tulane coach Jon Sumrall was hired by Florida and was widely considered one of the top coaching candidates in the cycle.
The o’colly sports picks
ABOUT OUR GUEST PICKER:
Katie Lehew is The O’Colly’s Design Editor and has spent two years with The O’Colly. She is a graphic design major with a minor in marketing and will graduate in spring 2027.
GUEST PICKER LEADERBOARD
Raynee Howell: 10-0
Berry Tramel: 8-2
Nicole Auerbach: 8-2
McClain Baxley: 8-2
Scott Wright: 7-3
Davis Cordova: 7-3
Shehan Jeyarajah: 7-3
Mason Young: 7-3
Patrick Prince: 7-3
Braden Bush: 6-4
Jacie Hoyt: 5-5
Kenny Gajewski: 5-5
Sam Khan Jr.: 5-5
Sam Mitchell
Luke Mazza
Cayden Cox
Katie Lehew
