Friday, November 7, 2025
‘Stop protecting rapists’
Outcry follows sentencing of convicted rapist Jesse Butler
Affidavit reveals former OSU staff member’s explicit online chats
The former associate vice president of research at Oklahoma State was charged with three counts of solicitation of a minor and one count of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor Tuesday. Pratul Agarwal, 51, was arrested Oct. 24 at his home in Oklahoma City. He was booked on four counts; one count of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of lewd acts with a child and one count of violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He was formally charged with one count of soliciting sexual content with a minor and three counts of solicitation of a minor.
An OSU spokesperson said they were aware of his arrest on Oct. 26 and confirmed on Oct. 27 that he was no longer employed at the university. Agarwal chatted explicitly with an undercover agent who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to an affidavit. The Edmond Police Department received information from Broken Arrow Police Department Detective Chris Pellegrino. Pellegrino was operating as an undercover agent in an online chatroom beginning on Sept. 9. Pellegrino exchanged conversations with the username “DrkMster.” The profile stated the user was a 44-year-old male from Oklahoma. Pellegrino identified himself as a 14-yearold girl from Broken Arrow.
on page 2A
event
A couple hundred Stillwater community members and high school students gathered Wednesday at the Payne County Courthouse in protest of the sentencing of Jesse Butler, a convicted rapist who received no jail time.
Butler, a student at Stillwater High School, was charged and pleaded no contest to 10 rape-related counts and one count for violating an emergency protection order. Butler is 18 years old but was under legal age at the time of commiting his crimes against two confirmed rape-victims.
Melissa Pepper-Woodworth organized a protest against Butler’s sentencing and in support of victims of sexual assault. She is a mother of two teenage daughters who attended school with Butler before he transferred online.
Some Stillwater High School students walked to the courthouse from the school, an almost 2-mile walk, on their lunch break.
See RAPIST on page 5A
One of Jesse Butler’s victims revealed in her victim impact statement that a medical professional told her she was 30 seconds away from dying. A student from
High School held a sign in reference to the violent encounter at a protest against Butler’s sentence.
students of all different backgrounds, each person was there to stand with their community.
Students at Stillwater High School, a mere five minutes from Oklahoma State, were determined to join the protest of the outcome of a rape case at the Payne County Courthouse on Wednesday, and succeeded, but not without “consequences.”
As the students were in school at the beginning of the protest, which started at 10 a.m., some students made the decision to walkout at lunch and begin a 33-minute walk to the courthouse. Although, there were people and
“I am heartbroken for these girls — they did everything right, they did everything that everybody said they needed to do,” said Madeline Thomas, senior at Stillwater High School. “The least we can do is be out here and support, like that’s honestly the least we can do for them, because of all they’ve gone through and this is nothing compared to what they had to go through.”
Raynee Howell CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Stillwater
Caleson Coon STAFF REPORTER
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
Protesters yell in protest of Jesse Butler receiving no jail time after he was charged with 10 rape-related charges.
Pellegrino gave out his phone number and the suspect from the chatroom started texting him.
In the exchanges, the suspect asked for and shared several explicit photos. He also made multiple attempts to set up a time to meet to “have sexual relations,” according to the affidavit.
In one message sent to Pellegrino, the suspect admitted he likes teenage girls. The messages to follow became more explicit.
“They are cute, they talk nice, love their soft bodies, I like when they giggle…,” he said, according to the affidavit.
The suspect also told the officer he had sexual relationships with three other teenagers at the ages of 14, 16 and 13; one from the chatroom and two from his neighborhood. Another BAPD officer spoke to the suspect on the phone and pretended to be the 14 year old. The suspect admitted the first photos he sent previously, of a white male, were not him.
After the phone call, the suspect sent photos of himself to Pellegrino and a Google Image search revealed the man in the photo was Agarwal. The phone number was identified as belonging to Agarwal through Google and Verizon search warrant results. The Google account also revealed it was connected to his Gmail account.
Along with the photos of Agarwal, the affidavit stated that photos of a black 2015 BMW 328, which matches Agarwal’s vehicle registration, were sent to the number.
Agarwal worked at the university for more than six years. State of Oklahoma payroll revealed Agarwal made $17,085 for about 200 hours worked a month. It also showed it was not classified as teacher pay.
Before his employment at OSU, he founded Arium BioLabs. He also was the chief technology and science officer at the Oklahoma Pandemic Center for Innovation and Excellence simultaneously, according to LinkedIn. news.ed@ocolly.com
CORRECTION
IN THE OCT. 31 PRINT EDITION OF THE O’COLLY, AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE RECENT ARREST OF PRATUL AGARWAL INCORRECTLY IDENTIFIED HIS FORMER POSITION AT OSU. AGARWAL WAS THE ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH.
Editorial board
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Raynee Howell & Parker Gerl editorinchief@ocolly.com
Design editor Katie Lehew design.ed@ocolly.com
Social media editor
Bryson Thadhani news.ed@ocolly.com
On This day
1973. 52 years ago.
Three Unidentified Flying Objects were sighted and their movements recorded Monday night (Nov. 5, 1973) in the Lake Carl Blackwell area after an investigation into the recent sighting.
Two reporters arrived at the Tan Tara housing addition west of Stillwater at 7 p.m. after a call from Gary Gallagher, Oklahoma State pre-law sophomore who lives in the vicinity.
Two of the objects were seen by reporters in separate locations and altitudes above the lake. Both of the objects had the same physical shape and light configuration.
Each object resembled a horizontal oval with the main radiance of a red-amber light coming from the center of the body of the object....
“The traffic was at a minimum yesterday,” one spokesman from Tinker Air Force Base told the Daily O’Collegian. “As far as our operations are concerned, what was sighted was nothing of ours.”
Maj. Robert Collom at Vance Air Force Base in Enid said all aircraft at that base had “been on the ground since 5 p.m. Monday” and whatever was sighted “was nothing of ours.”
A national Weather Service spokesman in Oklahoma City said in a telephone interview Tuesday, “No weather balloons have been launched here so it couldn’t have been one of those.”
Assistant social media editor Jose Brito news.ed@ocolly.com
Photo editor Chance Marick photo.ed@ocolly.com
Assistant photo editor Payton Little photo.ed@ocolly.com
News & Lifestyle reporters: Rhema Coleman
Mesis
Avery Miller
Richard Robertson
Alli Themer
Olivia Upton
Aliyah Young
Ashley Yarbrough
Sports reporters:
Timothy Christensen Cayden Cox
Gina Foster
Pearson Gilliam
Kenzie Kraich
Luke Mazza
Sam Mitchell
Tanner Revas
Will Thorogood
Weston Wertzberger
Photographers:
Matt Burk
Trey Creel
Catherine Dzanski
Lilian Easter
Andon Freitas Connor Fuxa
Cody Garcia
Daisy Gower
Teaguen Harbour
Kaytlyn Hayes
Davis Hicks
Kaitlyn Robertson
Bailey Schmitz
Hannah Lissiak
Brianna Martinez
GOD’S VIEW OF US!
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10 NIV)
It is good to stop and see who and where we are. This is what the apostle says of all believers. Those who have turned to Christ and received him as their Lord and saviour. By God’s grace, we have received a new relationship with God. It is quite a step up from where we were before. We have received mercy and are God’s people. We belong to him! However, there is a purpose in all of this.
We are to realize all that God has done for us and praise him who has called us out of spiritual darkness into his wonderful light. He has not only forgiven our many sins, never to be remembered any more, but has brought into a new relationship. We are children of God! We are to live with him forever in his Heaven. The wonderful truth is that all can come to Christ and receive this wonderful relationship with the God of love!. No matter about your past. All are welcome to come. Christ died for all that they might receive this great and eternal blessing.. Wow!
As Christians we can and should share this message with all. I remember first sharing this with two fellow air force men As I begin to share, there was a great joy.that filled my being. No wonder it is called the “Gospel”. It is the “Good News” that is for you and all people.
JIM GIPSON | THE DAILY O’COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER, 2005
O’Collegian Photo Editor Larry Maloney
Unidentified Flying Objects were sighted in the vicinity of Lake Carl Blackwell last night in 1973.
SNAP benefits paused; local food bank options
Marcus Mesis STAFF REPORTER
With the partial pausing of SNAP benefits, some people are looking for places to turn to for feeding themselves and their families.
There has been a rallying of support behind food banks in local communities. Officials have given approval to use $7.8 million to fund food banks across the state of Oklahoma.
The Trump administration announced Nov. 3 that it would be using an emergency fund for a partial funding of the program.
The administration said it will use $4.68 billion to offer payments to the 42 million SNAP recipients, nearly 700,000 of those in Oklahoma. This is still only half of what is needed to fully fund it through the month of November and leaves a potentially similar situation in December if the shut down is still occurring.
Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center has seen an immense amount of support, with one drive having 6,500 lbs of food and personal hygiene products for those in need. It is expected to see an increase of 15% of the number of people that are coming to see them, according to a News 9 article.
State officials from the Contingency Review Board, including Gov. Kevin Stitt, have voted to use an emergency fund to fund food banks across Oklahoma. The money will be split between the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and Eastern Food Bank of Oklahoma. Between the two organizations there is coverage for all 77 of Oklahoma counties.
OSU has a food drive organized by Staff Advisory Council to stock Pete’s Pantry. The drive runs from Friday through Dec. 12. The drive is looking for non-perishable items and a holiday bundle, which is ingredients for a favorite holiday dish with an included recipe card. There are four drop-off locations for the drive; the Student Union store, McElroy Hall lobby, North Classroom Building and the Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence.
Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center is preparing for an influx of families to come in and see them. It is hard for them to be able to predict how many more families as they don’t know how many federal employees are in Payne County.
“They also recognize how many families will find it hard to ask for help and seek it out,” said Melissa
Tuck, assistant director of Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center.
Our Daily Bread has been increasing the supply of different options that are available for purchase during its normal shopping hours.
“We are trying to make sure that we have extra choices on certain areas of our shopping floor through the month of November or until SNAP resumes,”
Tuck said.
The organization is also attempting to make sure the supply that is available is enough to match the potential demand. Tuck said they also want to ensure that there is not a shortage of options for the shoppers and that those options are well stocked.
“We are trying to make sure that the people who come in at the end of our general shopping hours have the same amount of choices as those at the start of it,” Tuck said.
Shopping is not the only service available at Our Daily Bread; there are also supplies to help with an emergency that may arise.
“We have emergency bags for people who need help, it’s not meant to give food for a month but it is there as extra help if they need it,” Tuck said.
Our Daily Bread Food and Resource Center is not the only place to receive support in Stillwater.
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma has partnerships with food banks in Payne County to provide support for affected families.
There is also the Salvation Army in Stillwater that has programs to help with food insecurity and other issues.
Churches through Stillwater also offer meal programs for people on Saturdays and Sundays.
LOCAL FOOD RESOURCES:
OUR DAILY BREAD
Monday: 1 pm - 3:30 pm
Tuesday: 3 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday: 11 am - 1:30 pm
4th Thursday of each month: 5 pm - 6:30 pm
3rd Saturday of each month: 9 am - 11:30 am
SALVATION ARMY - BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Thursday 5 - 6 p.m.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Saturday 11-12 p.m.
OSU STAFF ADVISORY COUNCIL FOOD DRIVE Friday - Dec. 12
Drop-off locations: Student union - University store
McElroy Hall Lobby North Classroom Building 104 CLBN Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence 101 ITLE
YAF reports disruptions while tabling at OSU
Bryson
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
A person disrupted an Oklahoma State student group’s tabling event four times Oct. 30, prompting a police report and investigation.
Members of OSU’s Young Americans for Freedom said the person repeatedly grabbed flyers, stickers and pins from their table near Edmon Low Library and threw them away or scattered them across the lawn.
Caleb Buxton, a YAF member who was staffing the table, said the incidents happened over roughly two hours while the group discussed its current topic, “marriage being between one man and one woman.”
“I was engaged in conversation with two people in front of my table when I saw the individual walking through the Palestinian flag protest,” Buxton said.
Buxton said he did not know whether the person was affiliated with the group that put out the flags for the deceased Palestinians. Buxton is referring to the OSU chapters of the Student Socialist League and Students for Justice who put out the flags at the Palestinian demonstration, which the club is calling a memorial.
“They immediately turned and walked straight to our table and pushed their way through the people who were standing there and began grabbing all of our stickers and pins and everything.”
Buxton said he began recording as the person took stacks of materials and threw them into a trash can. The same individual, he said, returning three additional times. Once tossing materials on the ground near the library, again scattering them across the lawn and finally returning to repeat that behavior.
Video from the final incident was filmed by a bystander and later circulated online.
“Our whole reason for being out tabling is to talk to people who disagree with us and have civil discussion,” Buxton said. “We want to just have civil conversations about whatever topic we’re tabling on.”
After the third incident, Buxton said he and another member contacted police. Officers arrived after the fourth occurrence, once the person had left. YAF filed a report with Oklahoma State University Police and said it intends to pursue damages for lost materials.
“The individual should be held liable
for the damages that occurred to our materials, which is in the $100-$300 range,” Buxton said. “We have a lot of our stickers and stuff that are unusable now, as well as flyers that are no longer usable.”
YAF Chair Thomas Hatfield said he was there to witness the incident.
“An individual came up to our table and started cussing us out, grabbing our stuff,” Hatfield said. “Normally we have stuff out on our table for people to take, but this person was doing it not within reason. They were just picking up whole stacks of stuff, chucking it everywhere. Being overall disrespectful and trying to silence our speech.”
Hatfield said the group expects the university to apply its student code of conduct if investigators reply.
“What we want to happen is, of course, disciplinary action to be taken,” Hatfield said. “It’s the expectation that everybody at Oklahoma State is respectful and kind to everybody, no matter what their beliefs are.”
Buxton said the group has faced similar incidents in the past.
“Stuff like this happened all the time to us,” he said. “It just never got the attention it has now. Sadly, it’s kind of the natural occurrence on OSU’s campus.”
He added that while YAF’s events often spark disagreement, many students condemned the behavior at the tabling event.
“People we disagreed with on our actual topic were like, ‘This is wrong; this person shouldn’t be behaving this way,’” Buxton said.
The incident follows a separate case of vandalism last week involving a Palestinian flag display on Library Lawn, which OSUPD is also investigating. Buxton said he supports accountability in that case as well.
“Whoever did that should be held responsible because even though I may not agree with the display, that doesn’t give anyone the right to be taking them down,” he said.
OSUPD released a statement to The O’Colly confirming a report was filed and an investigation is underway.
“OSU supports the rights of student groups to express their opinions and speak freely,” a spokesperson said.
“The OSU Police Department has investigated the incident and charges are pending.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Payton Little, The O’Colly Oklahoma State OSCA Senator, Thomas Hatfield, speaks about the destruction to the Young Americans for Freedom demonstration at its tabling event.
Thadhani
Payton Little, The O’Colly Our Daily Bread Food and Resource center has its own garden to grow fresh produce.
Lifestyle
Parents bring comfort to students at Hugs from Home event
As students embark on their college journey, they undergo a lot of change, including leaving home.
On Monday, home was brought to Stillwater as moms and dads uplifted student spirit, hosting a Hugs from Home event.
The Library Lawn Plaza was filled with parents. Tables and tents were also brought out with boxes of snacks offered to students. Encouraging words
were shared with students about their progression through the semester.
Meredith Weidner and Tameka Haines were amongst two of the moms who sacrificed their Monday afternoon to showcase their support for the students.
“I think it helps the students because it gives them a little bit of connection to their home,” Weidner said. “It just gives them a little connection to show them some love, that we’re proud of them and they’re doing a good job.”
Some students don’t get to travel home for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, others go through difficult patches and may not have the support from their parents that they need.
Haines believes that Monday gave a reassurance to the students that they’re loved and can find parental love when they’re far from home.
“(We love) just giving them parental support that they just do not have,” Haines said.
Just like the parents poured into the students, the students
uplifted the parents. Kids walked by with big smiles on their faces and were encouraged to enjoy a free snack on their way to class.
The tables were filled with a variety of snacks, including cookies, fruit snacks and beef jerky. The parents wanted to make sure that every student found something they enjoyed.
“Their smiles (bring me here),” Weidner said. “And knowing that they enjoy a free snack from someone.” Snacks weren’t the only things the parents were giving
out, as they were also giving students physical support, offering up comforting hugs. Some parents hope that receiving that physical touch can help them as they finish out the semester.
“A lot of them just do not have that physical touch, and that’s why it’s the free hug,” Haines said. “A lot of them don’t get that and they’re needing that, especially in today’s society. They are desperate for that, and we’re here to give that.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Pete’s Pet Posse dog provides support at event meant to bring comfort to students.
Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Students grab free snacks during Hugs from Home event Monday.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
An Oklahoma State mom hugs a student who confided in her at the Hug from Home event at Edmon Low Library on Monday.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
An OSU mom holds a “Hugs from Home” sign welcoming students to come to her.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
OSU students enjoy the Hugs from Home event.
Continued from 1
Pepper-Woodworth said the sight of the students supporting the victims almost made her cry.
“To be able to do that, especially at such a young age… I give them so much credit for doing that and trying to put a stop for him to hurt others in the future.” PepperWoodworth said.
It was concerning to parents that Butler walked the halls among his victims and other girls for as long as he did, Pepper-Woodworth said.
Stillwater Police Department released a statement Oct. 23 confirming Butler does not attend school in person and is not permitted on school property or at any school events. SHS would not comment on Butler’s attendance in person at the school citing an educational privacy law.
“It could have just easily been one of my children,” Pepper-Woodworth said. “My daughter’s a senior, same grade, same age. I kind of felt a pull that I needed to do something and back the families and the victims and try to pull the communities together to do the same thing so that they don’t feel alone.”
Many arrived at the courthouse with signs and their voice, speaking out against rape culture and Butler’s sentencing. Chants included “No means no,” “We demand justice” and “Stop protecting rapists.”
Brittaney Ward, a parent with children in the school district, held a sign with the song lyrics, “AK-47, assault rifles and a glock, all more protected than a woman yelling stop.” In place of the word woman, Ward marked it out and wrote girls to represent Butler’s victims.
“We would have way more fight, and I believe our justice system would have cared more, if this was about gun rights or something and not these girls protecting their own body,” Ward said.
Pepper-Woodworth’s intention for the protest was to stand up for the victims, but also to raise awareness for what’s going on behind the doors of the Payne County Courthouse, she said. A few signs and chants were directed at the district attorney and the judge, calling for their resignation.
The District Attorney’s office, led by Laura Thomas, made a deal with the defense for Butler to be charged as a youthful offender. Special Judge Susan Worthington approved the deal Aug. 25, and Butler pleaded no contest to all charges. The Office of Juvenile Affairs presented a plan for rehabilitation that gave Butler 150 hours of community service,
a curfew, no social media and counseling until his 19th birthday instead of a 78-year sentence. Worthington approved the plan.
The O’Colly called Thomas and Worthington multiple times for comment. Upon each call, the phone lines were busy and there was no option to leave a voicemail.
Each party was contacted via email and did not respond in time for publication.
For some, the sentencing was not a surprise. Tori Grey, a Stillwater resident and survivor of sexual abuse, said she has seen this time and time again.
“Unfortunately, I am not surprised by this at all, and there is a long, long history of sexual abuse survivors not having justice,” Grey said. “That’s rape culture that we don’t believe women, we don’t believe girls. And not just women and girls are sexual abuse survivors. It happens to men too, and they are ridiculed when they speak out.”
Republican state representatives in the Oklahoma Legislature Justin Humphrey and Molly Jenkins attended the protest. Mandy Reed, an Oklahoma advocate for children and families, criticized other elected officials who have
stand down… that they need to go or there needs to be an appeal on this matter,” Ward said.
Yvonne Sweeney, the mother of one of Butler’s victims, said she doesn’t think anything is going to change in her daughter’s case. But she said the protest showed her daughter that people care about what happened to her.
“We’ve just had a really hard year,” Sweeney said. “I’m just glad we have support because it didn’t go well for us.”
Ward said she and several other parents of students attending Stillwater schools took off work to attend the protest. She said she wanted to stand up for the victims, but on a personal level, she was protesting an issue that affected her personally. A similar situation happened to her daughter while attending a Stillwater school.
“My daughter was a victim of abuse when she was going to Stillwater Middle School,” Ward said. “The abuser actually tried to use the court system against my daughter as a form of abuse, and they immediately removed her from school… They said she could come back after it proved that this was someone actually doing something to harm her, but I never
“I don’t want any other girl to sit quietly and take it. These court systems only support men; they don’t care about women… Just a message to any other women, don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t be afraid to take action.”
not joined the fight in support of victims across Oklahoma. She encouraged everyone to stand together as she said court systems have not protected children.
Reed said Butler needed jail time. The O’Colly called Butler’s legal representation, attorney Derek Chance, multiple times for comment, left a voicemail and did not receive a call back before publication.
“Letting him (Butler) out on the street, letting him homeschool, he’ll fade and go off into the night, his record erased, and guess what? He’ll move to another state and go to college and there will be another girl. They don’t stop,” she said.
Others voiced their support on the matter through the signing of a pre-petition to bring a grand jury to Payne County to investigate the court system.
“I hope the individuals in the court system who let this happen realize that we’re not going to
Students arrived and joined in chanting as passing cars and trucks showed their support by honking.
Olivia, who asked for her last name to be withheld, is a junior at Stillwater High School. She said she felt disgusted when she heard the court’s decision, and that they failed to protect the students, which is why she started planning to walk out over a week ago, with her mother’s permission.
“I put my stuff down and I walked out during lunch,” Olivia said.
Students who knew the defendant growing up also participated in the walkout to attend the protest after hearing the court’s decision to grant Butler youthful offender status, which resulted in him receiving a rehabilitation plan and no jail time.
Student Joseph Vance said he was struck so hard by this as he knew him personally. He said the victims deserve justice, though he couldn’t believe what happened at first.
“He was always my classmate, he was always a guy I would try to do projects with and stuff and just to see somebody like that hurts me deeply,” Vance said. “I tried to get as many people to come as possible. I’ve tried to spread the word as much as I could and we’re just trying to say, ‘This is wrong and we want what’s right.’”
Thomas said there was a lot of students at the protest who are outraged, but that many more students would have been in attendance had it not been for the absences they would receive for missing classes because they were participating in the walkout.
An email sent to SHS parents said the school supports students’ First Amendment rights, but their responsibility is to ensure that self-expression does not disrupt the educational environment.
“As such, while it is a student’s right to express themselves, we want families to be aware that an absence to participate in any outside event, on this day or another, will be treated under board policy as an unexcused absence for any classes missed, and may impact students’ ability to participate in SHS’s semester test exemption policy,” the email stated. “We are not sharing this information to be punitive, nor to encourage or discourage participation, but to ensure every family understands the academic and extracurricular consequences of this choice.”
Tyler Bridges, Stillwater Public Schools superintendent signed off on the email. Thomas said the lack of support from the school made the walkout harder to do.
“If I was here all day, that would count as missing four classes,” Thomas said. “I would probably get closed off from campus if missed a little bit more, so I have to get back at some point.”
Barry Fuxa, Stillwater Public Schools PR & communications coordinator, said the school condemns sexual assault and violence in all its forms.
“We are proud of the students who chose to exercise their rights today by protesting, just as we are proud of all students, staff, and community members who contact their representatives and work through other channels to create the positive change they hope to see,” Fuxa said. “Our thoughts, prayers, and hopes for justice are with the victims in our community and everywhere.”
Veronica Camunnos, a parent of a Stillwater High School student, said she felt the superintendent should be ashamed for basically saying, “Go exercise your rights, but if you do its going to affect your attendance.”
“We don’t say that whenever we give kids days out for athletic events or they’re off for the first two hours, because the game went until 1 or 2 a.m,” Camunnos said. “Only when its right and we’re trying to make a right out of a wrong, then they want to bring out the legalities.”
brought her back to school here, so I can’t believe we (SPS) let him (Butler) keep going (to school).”
Ward was not the only one with a personal story. Samantha Cantrell, 16, was on the front lines of the protest with her mother sitting a few feet back with tears in her eyes. Both mother and daughter have experienced sexual abuse.
Samantha Cantrell said her abuser did not receive any jail time from Worthington when she went through the Payne County Court System. The protest gave her an opportunity to speak out in support of the victims who also did not get the outcome they hoped for.
“I don’t want any other girl to sit quietly and take it,” Cantrell said. “These court systems only support men; they don’t care about women… Just a message to any other women, don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t be afraid to take action.”
Fuxa said the school fully supported a parent or guardian’s decision to check their student out of school but could not grant an excused absence because of school policy. Fuxa said the email to families was intended to provide awareness and clarify the safety policies.
“Our primary concern is student safety,” Fuxa said. “Any student who leaves campus without authorization must, under policy, be marked with an unexcused absence, as we cannot verify their safety or whereabouts. We would much rather a parent authorize this absence so they are aware of their child’s location.”
Student Chloe Gonzalez said she tried not to make it a big deal, but it still sucks as they’re trying to make a big movement, and they’re still going to be counted as absent.
Students Trinity Parker and Gonzalez stood together and said they would not be going back to school until the next day after doing the walkout as they want to continue to be involved in the protest to see all the people fighting for the freedom of other women.
“We’re trying to make our school safer and they’re punishing us for making it safer,” student Trinity Parker said.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Protester yells passionately at a man who was questioning the protest’s purpose at the Payne County Courthouse on Wednesday.
SAMANTHA CANTRELL | STILLWATER RESIDENT
Local protest against rape case outcome
Payton Little, The O’Colly
A protestor holds up two signs at protest against Jesse Butler’s youthful offender status. Special Judge Susan Worthington granted him the status after the District Attorney made a deal with the defense.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly
Justin Humphrey, R-19 representative, delivers remarks outside of the Payne County Courthouse.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Officers guard the doors of the Payne County Courthouse during a protest of rape case sentencing.
Chance Marick, The O’Colly Iraq War veteran joins local protest to speak out against injustice.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Tori Grey, a Stillwater resident and survivor of sexual abuse, attends protest at Payne County Courthouse to speak out against Jesse Butler’s sentencing.
Lennon Arrington, The O’Colly
The community of Stillwater gathered at the courthouse to rally against the sentencing of convicted rapist Jesse Butler.
OSU Sovereign Nations to celebrate Native American heritage, history this month
The Center for Sovereign Nations at Oklahoma State is hosting a series of student-led campus events in November to spotlight indigenous heritage in the state during Native American Heritage Month.
Beginning Nov. 1, the center will oversee community-engaged events including lunches with traditional foods, native-themed bingo and an event with Pete’s Pet Posse, OSU’s canine-assisted therapy program. All events are free and open to the public.
“Native American Heritage, tribal sovereignty, culture, all the things that are embodied in that — that’s what we do 24/7, 365 days of the year,” said Sky Rogers, interim CSN director and Choctaw citizen. “Native American Heritage Month is when the rest of the world kind of puts a spotlight on it.”
Rogers said it’s an important time for the center to get the chance to invite people to participate and be educated on indigenous culture.
NASA, the Native American Student Association, is hosting events for Native American Heritage month as well.
“NASA is an organization here on campus that focuses and promotes Tribal cultures, sovereignty and connection to those,” said Chenoa Turtle, CSN student leader and
EVENTS:
president of NASA. “Anyone is able to be a member within NASA, and we are really just a group of people who love to talk about our culture and it’s a way for students to kind of reconnect to some things they would usually see back home.”
“All the resources, all the events we host are intended to be open to all the OSU students,” said Krysha Green, head of outreaching engagement and Choctaw citizen. “We want other people to learn about our culture.”
Rogers said November serves as a time for light to be shed on how each Native culture has evolved and grown. Green also said they follow the “seventh-generation principle” by acknowledging the fact that all they do now will impact someone generations later.
The center is doing a month-long photo scavenger hunt event where students can attend events and use a list from social media or at events attended on the list and submit photos of themselves at any event to potentially win a prize.
“It can be a time to reflect on the sacrifices that have been made to get us where we are today,” Rogers said.
“My hope for the center is that we continue educating about sovereignty, we continue serving students and we continue being a place that Tribal Nations can come in and meet with their students to do whatever they need to do.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
‘Nobody Wants This’ will go down in Netflix rom-com history
REPORTER
Netflix delivered a highly anticipated second season of “Nobody Wants This” to our living rooms Oct. 24.
Created by Erin Foster, “Nobody Wants This” is a romantic comedy about a couple navigating their life through wild family dynamics and religion. The leading couple Joanne, played by Kristen Bell and Noah, played by Adam Brody, meet at a friend’s dinner and start falling in love.
OSU NASA 54th Annual Contest Powwow
Nov. 8 from 1-11 p.m. at Payne Country Expo Center, McVey Arena
Honoring Heritage, Building Futures with the Choctaw Nation
Nov. 12 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Life Sciences East
Native American Heritage Month Bingo
Nov. 14 from 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at Life Sciences East
Dog Treats and Sweets with AIIP
Nov. 17 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at Life Sciences East
The problem: Noah is a Rabbi and Joanne is a relationship podcaster who is not Jewish. Season one shows them falling in love, meeting each other’s friends and family and figuring out how to start a relationship. It is also filled with hilarious one-liners and fantastic music.
Season one also showcases common issues of starting new relationships as adults and dealing with family baggage, lacing together serious topics and funny firsts gracefully.
Season two was highly anticipated, but did not meet the expectations set on it by fans. It kept to the plot well following Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simmons) and Joanne’s sister Morgan (Justine Lupe) and their friendship as “loser siblings.” It also brings back The Matzah Ballers, the rec basketball team that Noah and his friends are on, breaking up scenes with the ladies talking and joking in the bleachers of games.
The family dynamics also come to light more with Joanne’s family being different from the normal nuclear family as her divorced parents try to get back in their daughter’s lives through family activities. And Noah’s family teaching Joanne the basics of Judaism, convincing her that she should convert through the traditions and the “fun parts of religion.”
Noah’s mother Bina holds a hatred of Joanne because she is not Jewish, and it causes a promotion not to be offered to Noah. Bina spends the season trying to break them up and
cause problems, failing in the end as their relationship grows stronger over the season.
The music in season two was as good as season one. Role Model and Chris Stapleton were featured, but it also has spectacular songs from musicians such as Kasey Musgraves, FINNEAS, Ella Langley and more. There were some downsides to season two though.
Most of the important plot points happen in the last two episodes. Each episode is filled with fantastic writing and character development, but the big details all get brought up at the end instead of through the whole season. It also held some ethical conversation about modern religion and conversion but doesn’t answer any questions about if Joanne is willing to convert until the final episode with a dramatic final scene that, on it’s own, should live in the rom-com hall of fame.
The banter of both seasons flow well, staying consistent and hilarious. Not only with the main cast but also with the supporting roles and extras when they are active in scenes. Every person in the show has the attitude of wanting to be there and be a part of something lighthearted and hilarious. Funny fast-paced shows are getting harder to find in this era of television, so having a binge-watchable show is a great thing for entering the fall. It breaks up the current 45-minute drama-filled shows that cover almost every current streaming platform.
“Nobody Wants This” is a top 10 show on Netflix for both seasons and will live in the lists of amazing Netflix originals forever.
This week, season three got officially announced. What season three should hold is Joanne navigating her faith, Noah’s job, new lessons in long term relationships, winning over each other’s family and maybe a Matzah Ballers championship win? Overall, “Nobody Wants This” is an amazing show with tons of laughout-loud jokes and adorable romantic moments sealing the deal.
news.ed@ocolly.com
Courtesy Pexels
Season 2 of “Nobody Wants This” was released on Netflix on Oct. 24.
Kaitlyn Robertson STAFF
Courtesy Center of Sovereign Nations
Some OSU students at the Center of Sovereign Nations encourage students to come out to events throughout the month to learn about the culture.
Caleson Coon STAFF REPORTER
Lifestyle
Stillwater students explore culture in Japanese sister city
What began as a pen-pal exchange in 1989 has grown into a friendship that shines light on global understanding.
After a 14-year pause, the Stillwater–Kameoka Sister Cities program is thriving again. This year, seven students and three teachers traveled to Kameoka, Japan, for a 10-day cultural exchange built entirely on local fundraising and volunteer effort.
“I believe this gives the students the opportunity to see how big the world really is,” said Jake Ehrlich, a Stillwater Middle School teacher who helped organize the trip. “We live in a society that allows information to be at our fingertips; however, learning about Japan through a computer isn’t nearly as impactful as being there. Nothing can replace the ability of experiencing something in person.”
Unlike many school trips, the Sister Cities delegation receives no funding from Stillwater Public Schools. Every dollar is raised by the teachers who organize it.
“All of the money was raised through grants, requests from businesses and hosting our first school dance,” Ehrlich said.
Ehrlich, along with fellow teachers Matt Elliott and Katie Genevro, coordinated the effort. They secured airline tickets, managed communication with Japanese officials, designed student uniforms and organized gifts for Stillwater’s sister city.
“I also established our booster club and 501(c) (3) this year,” Ehrlich said. “Katie and Matt were pivotal in creating our presentations and preparing students for the trip. I also had assistance from a couple of parents from our last delegation that are acting as board president and treasurer.”
Behind each international exchange is nearly a year of planning. Students apply, write essays and complete interviews before being chosen by a committee of Sister Cities volunteers.
“From there, we start training the students,” Ehrlich said. “We meet every Friday for at least one semester, teaching them presentations, etiquette and a little of the Japanese language.”
Teachers also commit to two years in the program to ensure continuity.
Once abroad, Stillwater students stay with Japanese host families. Each day mirrors a Japanese school schedule with additional cultural events such as visiting the mayor, exploring monuments and attending
local performances.
Alaina Petro, one of the students selected, was shocked when she made the delegation but soon realized how life-changing the trip would be.
“We spent our first night in Tokyo, then woke up super early and took the bullet train to Kyoto,” Petro said. “The train was amazing, it traveled at 170 miles an hour.”
She said her host family made her feel instantly welcome.
said. “It was different but in a good way, we tried on kimonos and gave presentations about life as a Stillwater middle schooler. Everyone was so friendly and curious about us; we laughed a lot, especially when the kids teased me about my chopstick skills.”
Jose, a student whose last name is being withheld for privacy reasons, described the trip as simply unforgettable.
“The reception at the school was amazing, students filled the gym, and we sat on stage
“Going to school was another favorite part. It was different but in a good way, we tried on kimonos and gave presentations about life as a Stillwater middle schooler. Everyone was so friendly and curious about us; we laughed a lot, especially when the kids teased me about my chopstick skills.”
ALAINA PETRO | STILLWATER MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT
“They ran up and gave me big hugs,” Petro said. “We got to meet the mayor and school superintendent. I was nervous at first, but once we started talking, I loved it.”
During the trip, Petro visited the Cup Noodles Museum, tried Kendo fighting, attended a sports festival and stayed up late swapping American and Japanese candy with her host sisters.
“Going to school was another favorite part,” Petro
while my classmate gave a speech,” Jose said. “They even organized a world record attempt for the fastest high five chain, though none of us succeeded”
There, he joined school clubs and tried different cultural activities. It was a sad farewell, with many of the students shedding tears. Showing a testament to how much this trip meant to them.
“Once-in-a-lifetime experiences really are just
that,” Jose said. “I’m so grateful I got to live through it. I’d go back in a heartbeat.”
Ethan Fischer, another member of the delegation, said his favorite moments came from daily school life.
“My time in Japan was amazing,” Fischer said. “I had a lot of fun at the school hanging out with all the kids and teachers. I joined the soccer club, and it was so much fun.”
Fischer said he made a close friend from the soccer team and spent time exploring Kyoto with his host family.
“We went to the Pokémon Center, the Nintendo store and then to the aquarium,” Fischer said. “We saw huge salamanders, sharks and stingrays. It was probably one of the coolest trips I will ever take.”
He also noticed differences in daily routines that surprised him.
“Most schools in Kameoka don’t have cafeterias,” Fischer said. “All the kids bring their lunches from home.”
For Ehrlich, the value of the Sister Cities program goes far beyond sightseeing.
“We need to do more,” Ehrlich said. “Not only do we need to understand the differences in other cultures, we need to also understand the similarities. The world is not as big as people make it out to be, just witnessing the pride they take in what they do makes me think we have a lot to learn.”
He said the students’ age makes the timing ideal.
“They’re young enough to be wowed by the experience but
old enough to understand its impact,” Ehrlich said.
The Sister Cities partnership between Stillwater and Kameoka began in 1989 and evolved into in-person visits for students and teachers. Financial strain halted travel in 2010, and while talks resumed in 2020, COVID-19 delayed plans until 2023. Now that trips have resumed, both cities are eager to maintain the connection. Stillwater has hosted Japanese delegations in return, matching the same number of students and teachers.
“It’s a manageable number, but it’s always a financial stress,” Ehrlich said. “I’d love to see the community rise up and embrace them more, to show them the greatness of Stillwater, and what we have to offer.”
Ehrlich said Japan’s example offers perspective for Americans.
“Everyone takes such a sense of pride in their day and what they can accomplish for others,” Ehrlich said. “Everyone is so polite and respectful. I’m sure they have their issues as well, but they set a good example of what others can do to respect what they have and take care of it and others.”
As Stillwater prepares to welcome Kameoka’s delegation next year, Ehrlich plans to continue coordinating and training the next group of travelers.
“It’s a special relationship that can’t really be explained,” Ehrlich said. “It has to be experienced.”
news.ed@ocolly.com
Alivia Weddle STAFF REPORTER
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Stillwater students visited Kameoka, Japan, to explore different historical monuments. The above photo is of the Oomoto church.
Friday, November 7, 2025
THREE-PEAT
Musau makes history with third straight Big 12 title
Three races. Three titles. One name etched in cross-country history.
Oklahoma State’s Brian Musau captured his third straight Big 12 Championship on Oct. 31 in Lawrence, Kansas, becoming the second runner in conference history to reach such a feat. Alongside Musau, the
OSU XC team won the Big 12 Championship capturing its fifth conference title in the last six years.
Winning the conference championship was once a surprise for the Cowboys and Musau; now, it’s an expectation.
“The first year, I didn’t expect it,” Musau said. “The second year I had to confirm it, so for the (third year), I had to make it
Cowgirl basketball hosts Langston
something to remember for the rest of my life.”
Musau’s conference championship adds one more trophy to an already-full trophy case for the junior runner. Musau is the 2025 national champion, a two-time indoor national champion, a two-time indoor Big 12 Champion and a three-time Big 12 Champion.
See MUSAU on page 4B
Four wildcard names for
Parker Gerl CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The market for college football head coaches is getting more crowded by the week.
Auburn shunned Hugh Freeze on Sunday, making it nine Power Four schools with openings. Top programs, like LSU and Florida, are searching for a coach, along with mid-tier schools like Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech.
As the demand for coaches increases, OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg may have to net a wider candidate pool. Coaches he didn’t expect to pursue in September, when he fired Mike Gundy, could become involved in the search soon. These cycles are constant and will only get more crowded, too.
Weiberg implied in September that the search will be wide, though even he may not have expected this much competition on the coaching market in early November.
“(Having ties to OSU) can be a factor, I think, as it is probably at any school,” Weiberg said. “It’s not the only factor. We’ve had a lot of success here with our alums — Coach (Gundy) obviously being one of the best examples of that — but we’ve also had a lot of success here with non-alums. And so we will be looking for the best person for the job regardless of that.”
Andon Freitas, The O’Colly
The Oklahoma State Cowgirl bench celebrates during OSU’s game against Langston on Thursday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
D.A. Varelal, Tribune News Service Miami’s Shannon Dawson (right) has become a top offensive coordinator and could see head coach interest.
Connor Fuxa STAFF REPORTER
Connor Fuxa, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State’s Brian Musau is the second runner in Big 12 history to win three straight conference titles.
OSU preparing for Texas A&M’s ‘unique,’ fast-paced style of play
has posed a lot of problems for a lot of people. It should be a very fun and entertaining and exciting game.”
It only took one half of basketball for coach Steve Lutz to bring a fiery speech into the locker room.
On Tuesday, Oklahoma State opened its season with a 95-71 win against Oral Roberts, but its first-half defense was not up to par with Lutz’s standard. Too many easy baskets and a lack of force and effort on the defensive interior allowed the Golden Eagles to be within four at halftime.
“Coach Lutz came in and gave us a good pep talk and he got on us,” OSU forward Christian Coleman said.
The Cowboys responded to Lutz’s pep talk by limiting ORU to 22.2% shooting in the second-half, the catalyst in picking up the seasonopening blowout win.
On Sunday, though, OSU faces a bigger challenge. The Cowboys will host Texas A&M and first-year Aggies coach Bucky McMillan, who brings a one-of-a-kind style of play wherever he goes. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN2. McMillan’s style has been coined “Bucky Ball” among college basketball fans and media. His teams play fast, shoot lots of 3-point shots and deploy a full-court press throughout games. It’s chaotic, but it tires opponents out and forces them into poor decisions.
McMillan spent the previous four years at Samford, where his Bulldogs forced 16.1 turnovers per game and ranked No. 13 nationally in scoring offense last season. Now he will try to make “Bucky Ball” translate to the SEC.
OSU guards such as Jaylen Curry, Vyctorius Miller and Kanye Clary will have to prepare for consistent defensive pressure and stop Texas A&M from mucking up the Cowboys’ offense.
“They play a unique style of basketball,” Lutz said. “One which
Sunday’s game sets up as a potential offensive back-and-forth. Lutz shares a similar philosophy to McMillan in wanting to play fast, and OSU had 85 offensive possessions on Tuesday, whereas the NCAA average typically is about 70.
Nonetheless, it’s an early test against a Power Four team for Lutz’s new-look squad. The Cowboys hope to take the things they did well Tuesday into the weekend.
“This is what you’re doing it for,” Lutz said. “Like, let’s tee it up on Sunday afternoon and let’s see how we do and see how they do. Let’s pack (Gallagher-Iba Arena) and make it a great atmosphere and just continue to build on what we did the other night in the second-half against Oral Roberts.”
The Cowboys also hope to have a couple of key players return Sunday. Lutz said Thursday that guard Isaiah Coleman, who missed the ORU game due to a violation of team rules, will be available against the Aggies.
Guard Anthony Roy (groin) and forward Lefteris Mantzoukas (personal) are game-time decisions after missing Tuesday’s game.
Roy averaged 25.7 points in 11 games last season at Green Bay and scored 28 in OSU’s exhibition win against Auburn. Coleman averaged 15.6 points at Seton Hall last season. They project to be two of OSU’s top scorers this season.
“At this point in the year, you’ve got to go out and out-compete Texas A&M,” Lutz said. “And you’ve got to take care of the basketball. If you do those two things, you’re gonna probably put yourself in a pretty good position.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Timmer, Heard leading Cowgirls
Through two games, Oklahoma State has felt the presence of Haleigh Timmer.
The South Dakota State transfer has been a standout for the No. 22 Cowgirls early this season, propelling OSU to multiple victories so far.
In the Cowgirls’ season opener against New Orleans on Monday, Timmer stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 18 points with five rebounds and six assists. She also recorded four steals.
On Wednesday, Timmer’s play on both ends helped the Cowgirls roll over East Texas A&M. She drew a charge that forced an ETAMU turnover and sparked a 15-0 OSU run in the second quarter, as the Cowgirls went on to win 97-59.
“I think in games when things aren’t going well, you just need one play to bust it open and shift the momentum,” OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said. “That was a huge momentum shift for us, I’ve just been proud of (Timmer’s) leadership on both ends of the floor.”
Timer scored the Cowgirls’ first nine points on Wednesday knocking down her first three 3-point shots. She led OSU with 22 points and went 6 of 7 on 3s.
“I think we practice how we play,” Timmer said. “Whoever’s open gets the shot. Fortunately, I had a lot of open looks tonight.”
While Timmer has delivered on the offensive end, Stailee Heard has led with aggression early this season. Heard started the season with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. On Wednesday, her play improved, as she scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards.
“I think that’s something that Stailee is really great at,” Hoyt said. “I was really proud of Stailee… I loved who she was just from an aggressive standpoint, and I think that she makes everyone around her better and more confident when she’s aggressive like that.”
While the Cowgirls were able to pull away Wednesday, they only led by four after the first period. They turned the ball over five times in the first 10 minutes of play and shied away from their aggressive defense, leading to multiple easy positions and points in the post for ETAMU.
Although OSU has multiple blowout wins this season, Hoyt said she believes her team has yet to play a game it wants to play and still has lots of improving to do.
“I don’t think we were the team that we really wanted to be,” Hoyt said Wednesday. “I know that might sound a little crazy because of the score, but ultimately, I just think that all of us on the team feel like we’ve got to be better.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Trey Creel, The O’Colly
Haleigh Timmer made three straight 3-point shots Wednesday against ETAMU.
Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER
Jose Brito, The O’Colly
OSU guard Jaylen Curry (left) and coach Steve Lutz will have their biggest test yet on Sunday against Texas A&M, which looks to force several turnovers.
OSU, Stanford set for Top 20 clash
Year 2 of the David Taylor era is on the horizon.
No. 5 Oklahoma State begins its season at 7 p.m. Friday against No. 19 Stanford (0-1) at Gallagher-Iba Arena in a Top 20 showdown.
“We get the opportunity to wrestle again,” Taylor said. “It’s pretty fun wrestling at Gallagher, and it’s been a really good offseason. There really is no offseason, I guess — just noncollision season — and now we’re back at it. Really looking forward to it.”
The Cowboys enter the dual having won 25 straight home openers, a streak dating back to 1999. In their last 10, OSU has dominated, winning by an average score of 31.8 to 6.2.
Carter Young and Zack Ryder are among the projected Cowboy starters for Friday’s dual, according to the OSU athletics website.
Taylor said his message to the team is simple: bring energy and excitement back to the mat.
“We’re going to have 10 guys out there wrestle hard, and that’s what we’re looking forward to,” Taylor said. “We really told them that this week. We just said, ‘Hey, you want to
wrestle this weekend? Let’s train with some enthusiasm. Let’s see who has a smile on their face and who’s looking forward to the opportunity to go and compete,’ and that’s part of it. That’s what we want.”
The dual marks the fourth meeting between the two programs since 2016, with OSU holding a 3-0 record and outscoring Stanford by a combined 95-16 margin. Friday’s matchup will also be the third to take place inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
While the Cowboys prepare to open their season, Stanford already has one dual under its belt — a 19-12 loss at Utah Valley last week against a Big 12 counterpart of OSU.
Even after the season-opening setback, Taylor said the Cardinal remain a strong early test.
“Stanford’s got a really good team,” Taylor said. “They’re really good. I wouldn’t want it any other way for this opportunity, for this team to get up there and wrestle a tough team right off the bat, and that’s what we’re going to see.
“You’re going to see a lot of opportunities for our guys to wrestle maybe people they’ve faced in the past. It’s going to be great. We have 10 opportunities to go out and compete.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
PROJECTED STARTERS
125: No. 2 Troy Spratley vs. Edwin Sierra or Adam Mattin
133: No. 8 Richard Figueroa or Ronnie Ramirez vs. No. 6 Tyler Knox
141: Sergio Vega or Carter Young vs. Jack Consiglio
149: No. 2 Casey Swiderski vs. No. 18 Aden Valencia
157: No. 15 Teague Travis or Landon Robideau vs. No. 4 Daniel Cardenas
165: LaDarion Lockett vs. No. 4 Hunter Garvin
174: No. 17 Alex Facundo vs. Collin Guffey
184: No. 4 Zack Ryder vs. Abraham Wojcikiewicz
197: No. 10 Cody Merrill or Benjamin Mower vs. Angelo Posada or Brokton Borelli
HWT: No. 9 Konner Doucet vs. Jackson Mankowski
Spratley top tone-setter for Cowboy wrestling
Wertzberger STAFF REPORTER
As Oklahoma State wrestling prepares to launch its 2025-26 campaign, coach David Taylor wants Gallagher-Iba Arena to feel more electric than ever.
Friday’s dual against No. 19 Stanford will be Taylor’s second season opener inside GIA since taking over the program. Taylor said creating a memorable atmosphere has been a top priority, not just for the fans, but also for his wrestlers.
“You don’t get this anywhere else,” Taylor said. “College wrestling is special because of what it brings, and wrestling at Oklahoma State is at the top of that list. We’re anticipating a great crowd to get our season started. We want to make wrestling a special thing.”
The Cowboys quickly became a must-see attraction last season, as OSU set a new home attendance record. The average of 7,597 fans per dual eclipsed the previous mark by nearly 30%, a reflection of the energy surrounding the program since Taylor rose over.
“We only get seven home matches a year, and we want it to be special,” Taylor said. “I’m always throwing ideas at them of things we can do. It’s pretty fun.”
Taylor said OSU will continue to elevate the experience this year, with new production elements designed to make every dual feel like a showcase.
“We made a big step up last year and are making it more of an event this year,” Taylor said. “We want fans to come in and enjoy what they’re watching.”
Younger lineup with something to prove
While the Cowboys open the season ranked No. 5 nationally, Taylor acknowledged this year’s roster skews younger than the veteran squad he inherited last season. Nearly half the team was in high school a year ago, making early-season preparation as much
about adjustment as it was about competition.
“We just make sure we’re communicating — probably overcommunicating — with them,” Taylor said. “We told them, ‘We want to set you up for success, not failure.’”
Still, Taylor said the group has shown strong chemistry and motivation during preseason workouts.
“It’s a fun group to be around,” Taylor said. “They’re pretty talented, skilled and starting to put things together quickly. It’s a long season, but I know a lot of guys are hungry to get out there and wrestle.”
Swiderski, Ryder and Spratley the tone-setters
Before the season begins, two Cowboys — Casey Swiderski and Zack Ryder — gave Taylor an early glimpse of the team’s intensity. Both competed last week at the NWCA All-Star Classic, where Taylor said they impressed despite facing elite competition.
“I thought it was really good,” Taylor said. “Casey (Swiderski) hadn’t wrestled since the NCAA Tournament a year and a half ago, and I thought he looked really good. With Zack (Ryder), I don’t know how many freshmen get to wrestle an allstar match, and he wrestled well.”
Taylor also pointed to Troy Spratley, last season’s NCAA finalist at 125 pounds, as a model of consistency and leadership.
“Troy (Spratley) is definitely one of those guys,” Taylor said. “The energy that he brings every day and how he trains — that’s a way younger kids can look toward.”
As OSU opens the season against Stanford, Taylor said his message to the team is simple: compete hard, stay focused and let the results take care of themselves.
“We expect to go out and wrestle hard and score points,” Taylor said. “Let’s not get caught up in the excitement — let’s just stay focused on getting better.”
Charles White, The O’Colly OSU coach David Taylor said Troy Spratley has set a good example for the team.
Weston
Payton Little, The O’Colly David Taylor is looking to build off a strong first season coaching OSU wrestling.
OSU football has bye week to build off QB Flores’ best game
As Oklahoma State football rests during its bye week, the leader of the Cowboys’ offense has a new confidence.
On Saturday, quarterback Zane Flores returned from an upper-body injury against Kansas after missing the previous three games and delivered his career-best game in a 38-21 loss.
Flores completed 22-of-28 passes against the Jayhawks, a career-high 78.5% completion rate. He also tossed a careerhigh 235 passing yards with his first two touchdown passes.
Completing his first touchdown pass was something Flores said was a mental roadblock for him, and that he felt a relief when he found the endzone.
“It was huge getting that out of my head,” Flores said.
Flores has shown improvements as the season
has progressed and took his biggest step forward against KU. The redshirt freshman led OSU to its first opening drive touchdown since its season opener against UT Martin.
Despite the fact that the Cowboys dropped their eightconsecutive game, the offense was able to sustain drives, move the ball down the field with ease and have four drives with more than 10 plays, something it had lacked for the majority of the season.
Showing promise against KU is a building stone for the Cowboys’ offense as they prepare for their final three games of the season during the bye week before hosting Kansas State on Nov. 14.
“I think it was huge confidence wise,” Flores said.
“Especially as an offensive unit. There were so many guys that were able to make plays. (Receivers) were making catches, the O-line and running backs (also) played well.”
The KU game served as a big stepping stone for Flores and the Cowboys’ offense. OSU interim coach Doug Meacham said the
quarterback position is one where progression is made over time, and that Flores was able to slow the game down against the Jayhawks.
his team’s track record was overlooked and used that as fuel.
While winning has come in bunches for him, it’s still no easy task, as hundreds of runners have chased the same prizes.
“Everyone wants to win the Big 12,” Musau said. “It is not something I’m going to take for granted. I had to fight hard for this, so when I finished and I crossed the line, I felt like I accomplished something.”
With all the winning Musau has done in his career, one may think that high-pressure moments don’t faze him anymore. That, however, isn’t the case with the decorated champion.
Musau said he still has prerace jitters, and he may be the most nervous runner on the team before that gun fires to start the race.
“I will shake more than anyone on the team (before the race),” Musau said. “I am always the one encouraging people, but you can find me (in our tent) alone just shaking, playing like calm music to concentrate. I’m always nervous, but whenever I get that feeling, I always know I’m ready to race.”
Coming into the race, the Cowboys were the No. 2 team in the nation and in the conference, behind only Iowa State. OSU coach Dave Smith felt
“They must have forgotten who we are,” Smith said. “We had a down year last year, but we’re still here. I told my team, ‘Let’s remind everybody that we’re still around’… And I think it’s kind of the theme that show that we’re still a threat.”
A threat would be an understatement, as the Cowboys had a near-historical performance at the Big 12 Championships. They won the race with a team score of 20 points, the secondlowest score of all-time, only behind the 2010 Oklahoma State team that scored 19 and went on to win the national championship.
The low score of 20 points came from five OSU runners placing inside the top seven. Behind Musau’s first-place finish, Adisu Guadia finished 1.5 seconds behind him to place second. Denis Kipngetich placed fourth, Fouad Messaoudi and Ryan Schoppe rounded out the bunch in sixth and seventh place.
“We only had two (runners) in the top 10 in the Big 12 rankings, so it’s like they forgot who we are, so we came to remind them that we are Oklahoma State,” Musau said.
Smith said that having a star like Musau on the team pushes the other runners to succeed as well.
“I think when you have a guy like that up front… a guy that will
do the heavy lifting, the rest of you guys just (have) to do their jobs and we’ll be OK,” Smith said. “It takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the team. And I think (our) guys ran really well today, but they know they don’t have to run for the win. They got (Brian and Denis Kipngetich) up there taking care of that for them.”
The next step for OSU is the national title. For Musau, he will walk in as the reigning champion, but for the Cowboys, they are looking to regain the title they won in 2023.
“The Big 12 Championship is just the first step,” Smith said. “We’ve got to get through the region and then the national meet. That’s the big prize, and we’ve had our eyes on that the entire year.”
This year, Smith has dialed back workouts to the level of the 2023 season, trusting his team’s preparation to preserve their energy for the long haul.
Even after winning the Big 12 title and scoring the secondlowest score of all time in the process, Smith believes his team isn’t at its peak. It’s chasing plenty more.
“We haven’t even gotten to our top form yet,” Smith said. “If that is true, there is a very good chance in a month’s time, XC could be bringing home national championship number 55 back to OSU.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
“At quarterback, anytime you keep playing, you get better,” Meacham said. “... I think Zane handled it pretty well having been out (with injury) for a while.”
Saturday also marked Flores’ first game running the offense with Kevin Johns as the playcaller. Johns has served as the Cowboys quarterbacks coach all season, and took over play-calling duties prior to OSU’s game against Cincinnati on Oct. 18.
Throughout the season, Flores and Johns have spent countless hours working together, building a relationship over time. Flores says Johns has played a critical role in his development.
“We meet for several hours everyday,” Flores said. “He knows what I’m thinking (and) I know what he’s thinking. (Having that connection) helps a lot.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Ryder tabbed Big 12 Wrestler of the Week
Parker Gerl CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Oklahoma State 184-pound wrestler Zack Ryder earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors after a thrilling victory over Maryland’s Jaxon Smith, the conference announced Wednesday.
Ryder, in his first action with the Cowboys, earned a major decision over Smith at the NWCA All-Star Classic and collected the lone bonuspoint victory of the event. Smith had only given up bonus points twice in his career before Ryder picked up the win.
“I don’t know how many freshmen in the history of wrestling get a chance to wrestle an all-star match,” OSU coach David Taylor said. “(Ryder was) excited to step up for that opportunity, and I thought he wrestled well. (Smith) is pretty talented (and a) pretty tough kid to wrestle.”
The award is Ryder’s first Big 12 honor of his career after earning one Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor after an 8-0 performance last season at Penn State. His performance at the AllStar Classic helped OSU solidify its place as the fifth-ranked team in the NWCA Coaches Poll this week.
Ryder also earned a top-five ranking in the 184-pound division and could be in the OSU lineup Friday when the Cowboys open their season against Stanford at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Gallagher-Iba Arena
TV: ESPN+ RADIO: Hot 93.7 KSPI-FM SERIES: 3-0, OSU
LAST MEETING: 2023: 25-9, OSU
Connor Fuxa, The O’Colly
Coach Dave Smith said having a star runner like Brian Musau has helped the rest of the team ease into their roles.
Cayden Cox STAFF REPORTER
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Zane Flores threw his first two career touchdown passes on Saturday.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Oklahoma State running back Rodney Fields Jr. tries to break a tackle.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State interim coach Doug Meacham walks along the sidelines.
Trey Creel, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State safety Parker Robertson attempts to tackle an offensive player.
Payton Little, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State and KU prepare for a play at the line of scrimmage.
Connor Fuxa, The O’Colly
Oklahoma State’s offense huddles up before a play during the Cowboys’ game against Kansas.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Landyn Cleveland and Jacobi Oliphhant high-five.
Payton Little, The O’Colly Oklahoma State interim defensive coordinator Clint Bowen embraces defensive tackle Aden Kelley.
Connor Fuxa, The O’Colly Linebacker Chandavian Bradley prays before kickoff.
Zac Robinson, Collin Klein, Eric Morris and Jim Knowles are names constantly floated. But if the Cowboys have to go in a different direction, here are some potential dark-horse candidates they could consider.
Shannon Dawson, Miami offensive coordinator
Dawson has drawn head coach interest in recent years, but it still might be fair to say he’s been overlooked.
Last season, his Hurricanes offense averaged an NCAAbest 43.9 points per game and helped quarterback Cam Ward become the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Miami’s offense has taken a step back this season, averaging 32.3, but has still scored more than 40 points three times.
Dawson, 48, has never been a head coach. He was previously Houston’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and has been on staff at Kentucky, West Virginia and Southern Miss.
Ra’Shaad Samples, Oregon running backs coach
Becoming a Power Four head coach would be a big jump for Samples, but the 30-year-old is quickly rising in the coaching realm.
Samples — known as a highlevel recruiter — was hired at SMU in 2019 as an offensive assistant and was promoted to running backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2020. In 2021, he was promoted to assistant head coach. After his stint at SMU, he coached running backs for the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona State.
Now, Samples is in his second season with Oregon and has its rushing attack at ninthbest in the country. Last season, multiple reports said Samples was a finalist for the Sam
Houston job So, he’s received head coach interest before.
A bonus for the Cowboys? Samples’ college career began at OSU as a wide receiver before transferring to Houston. So, he has some familiarity with Stillwater.
Jason Eck, New Mexico coach Eck is in his first season coaching the Lobos, but has quickly found his footing in Albuquerque.
CheckouttheOriginalHideaway!
UNM is 6-3 and ended a near decade-long bowl game drought on Saturday with a win against UNLV after being projected to finish secondworst in the Mountain West Conference.
Eck is 32-16 as a head coach and has never finished a season with fewer than six wins. He’s never been on staff at a Power Four school outside of his years as a graduate assistant, though he could get a shot in the near future.
SINCE 1957,
230 S. Knoblock St. Stillwater, OK 74074 Stop in for fresh Fried Mushrooms or Pizza made to your liking!
Kane Wommack, Alabama defensive coordinator
Two seasons ago, Wommack was the coach at South Alabama, which came into Stillwater and pulled a 33-7 upset over a No. 16-ranked OSU team. Now, Wommack is on Kalen DeBoer’s staff at Alabama, leading a defense that’s in the top 25 nationally in yards allowed per game and has helped the Crimson Tide start 7-1.
There’s a lot to like with
Wommack. He has a 10-win season as a head coach, he’s been on staff at multiple Power Four schools and he’s familiar with the region, as he was born in Missouri and played collegiately at Arkansas.
Taking over OSU would be a big challenge for anybody, but Wommack’s defensive leadership could help the Cowboys reset.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Courtesy Riley Reiske, The Crimson White Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack could return being a head coach in the near future.
Sports
The o’colly sports picks
Dear John,
An Open Letter to Singer-Songwriter John Fullbright
On October 18, I had the pleasure of seeing you and your band perform at Block 34 in Stillwater. The performance was exceptional. Your songwriting, delivery, and the artistry of your band are unforgettable. You have a rare talent. You will be remembered as one of Oklahoma’s great storytellers.
That’s why I write—not to diminish your art, but to thoughtfully engage with the message it conveys. Your music, like much of what might be called poetic progressivism, reflects themes of political progressivism. Both, it seems, confront a deep contradiction.
Contemporary progressives start with a bold claim: there is no universal truth about what matters that applies to everyone. As a result, each individual must determine these issues for themselves—“find your own truth,” we’re told. But this leads to a circular problem: how can we even define truth in such a context? We understand what universal truth means, but what is truth without a fixed point of reference? It’s like using a compass without magnetic north to guide the needle.
Yet, paradoxically, progressives make broad declarations—prescribing pronouns, policies, and preferred leaders—as if the absolute truth they once rejected has reemerged. They make the very kind of universal statements they previously declared impossible.
In contrast, those who oppose progressivism start with a different view: truth is absolute, accessible, and worth pursuing. They, unlike progressives, can justify discussing principles that apply to everyone—building genuine dialogue on a shared foundation.
Without a discoverable truth to ground them, progressives—when consistent—are left adrift in self-reference. Sensitive folks among them tend to feel cornered and overwhelmed. You seem to recognize this in the haunting themes your songs evoke. Yet these motifs, no matter how artfully rendered, risk leaving listeners stranded—victims of a world where lasting hope evaporates and only temporary relief is found in fleeting romance or the numbing effects of drink and drugs. The pain in your music is real, but it offers no humane resolution.
So, I offer a suggestion: what if your extraordinary gift for storytelling could be harnessed to point toward a vision of truth that transcends the self and our fragmented society?
What if your music could go beyond the selfpity and self-medication you sing about, and instead point toward a shared reality we can truly understand and discuss?
Your style is captivating. Your reflections on Oklahoma’s heritage and the hopes and burdens of life are compelling. However, style and sentiment alone cannot carry the weight of life’s most profound questions. If, as you sing, “the walls have all fallen,” the outcome is rubble—not reform and freedom.
Let’s try something different in public discourse—something that can genuinely lead to progress. Oklahoma and America are eager for this kind of conversation, and your voice could help steer it.
Sincerely,
Pastor B obby Garringer
Parker Gerl
Weston Wertzberger
Sam Mitchell
Luke Mazza
Cayden Cox
Sam Khan Jr.
Have you made a final four?
Yes, of course, it’s been 86 years.
