Tag: student life

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‘Twas the Week Before Finals

Dead week means different things for different people. Some students just have a few finals to study for, while others are scrambling to finish final projects and essays. Though finals still loom ahead, we made it through dead week, and classes are officially over. 

Online finals are becoming the new normal, but some in-person finals are back. Celeste Douglas, a sophomore from Texas, gave her study tips and habits for finals week.

“I really didn’t have finals last year cause COVID,” she explained. She said in many ways, she still feels like a freshman. However, she knows what study techniques work best for her.

“I like to make flashcards, and then I try to at least have a few study sessions with friends in classes, and then reviewing notes and rewriting my notes in colors.”

Celeste’s best study tip is to make your own study guides. She also likes to make sure she takes breaks between studying for each class.

“I’ll just take thirty minutes and go for a walk or go to the gym or eat some ice cream.”

Rewarding and taking care of yourself are important parts of a successful finals week.

Though not everyone is going home for the entire break, the prospect of going home after this week is the light at the end of the tunnel for many students. 

“I definitely miss my family and my animals, and I’m ready to see my best friend from back home,” Celeste said.

Whether the semester has flown by or dragged slowly, we have almost reached the end. Merry finals to all, and to all a good break!

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Kaitlyn at Cross

An important part of the freshman housing experience is made possible by resident assistants. As my peers and I are beginning to look at housing options for our sophomore year, many are choosing to apply for positions as RAs. Today I talked to Kaitlyn Reichenberger, my RA for freshman year. 

Kaitlyn is a sophomore from Dallas, Texas. Her life on campus includes studying psychology, organizing Campus Activities Council’s Film Series, and working as an RA in Cross. As with many students, becoming an RA was a good option for Kaitlyn to pay for housing.

“I was working as a room and board student,” Kaitlyn explained, recounting her freshman experience. “I worked in Headington Hall, and I hated it.”

Becoming an RA was a better option than working a scheduled job in housing and food. 

Kaitlyn’s interactions with her RA as a freshman also contributed to her decision. 

“I had a good relationship with my RA,” she said. “I learned how to do my job and not be up in everyone’s business.”

Katilyn felt equipped for the position thanks to some of her other freshman experiences as well.

“Just dealing with a lot of issues,” she said. “My roommate complained to me, and I would be like, ‘oh, you should do this’.”

The position matches up with her personality, too.

A self-described “helper”, Katilyn loves her role as an RA.

“I take care of people. I’m a big sister. My siblings, I’m like their mother, and it’s fun to have that here too.”

Kaitlyn is happy living without a roommate. She likes having her own space. The people on our floor make her job more enjoyable as well.

“Our floor is the calmest floor in Cross,” she reported.

One downside to the job is dealing with parents. 

“I get calls at the desk all the time from parents.”

Sometimes this is over things as small as a mom worrying that it’s already eleven o’clock in the morning and her son still hasn’t texted her back.

“Either that or having to deal with loud people,” Kaitlyn added. Luckily that does not happen too often on our floor. 

Another fulfilling part of the job is the connections Kaitlyn has made with other RAs.

“There’s some people in Cross staff that I have a great relationship with…it’s nice having friends that you work with.”

The girls on Cross 4A are definitely lucky to have such a friendly upperclassman looking out for us!

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SGA Elections

It’s election day! On campus, this means the two-day long Student Government Association elections. Today we are voting for student body president and college representatives. This blog has featured several SGA voices already who spoke specifically over free speech. This week, I spoke with Aiden Dodd, a freshman running for University College representative. Many people, especially freshmen, are completely unaware of SGA, much less the elections going on today and tomorrow. Aiden was happy to share some background.

“SGA is the union for the students – basically the advocate to the higher-ups of the university for the students.”

For those who do not think elections affect them very much, Aiden was able to clarify the impact the SGA has on undergraduate students.

“Elections are a big deal,” he emphasized. “You need someone who’s not afraid to stand up to the people in charge.”

Additionally, Aiden pointed out the influence the students elected will have.

“A rule I make now could still be affecting [you],” Aiden explained. For freshmen on campus, the policies put into place this year could potentially affect them for three more years. 

On top of that, some of the fees every student pays go to SGA.

“You’re paying $115.75 for it per semester,” Aiden reported.

Since Aiden is running in the election, he has been campaigning. This has included everything from making graphics and posters, taking headshots for the candidate pamphlet, and, of course, talking to his potential constituents. 

“I have big ideas and see the changes that need to be made for the university to thrive,” Aiden told me. 

Aiden has received positive feedback as he has gone through the process of encouraging his peers to vote. 

“They are excited after I explain it to them.”

Across the country, it is election day. At the University of Oklahoma, we are lucky to have our own elections as well. If students take advantage of opportunities to keep up with campus events and elections, they can learn to uphold their civil responsibility in life beyond college. 

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Campus Costumes

Throughout this Halloween week, each day there have been more and more costume sightings around campus. Whether it is dressing up with friends or wearing a costume to a club meeting, there are many opportunities to show off creativity and personality. 

With a football game the day before Halloween, it was no surprise to see costumes sprinkled in among the fan attire at the stadium today. Joseph Matthews, the hotdog sitting in the row behind me, gave me the rundown of his costume experience. 

Joseph decided to show off his costume at the game today because he wanted a chance to be on tv. 

“I felt like it was going to get me on ABC, and I heard about Fan of the Game,” he explained. “I’m going for that…get those air pods, that’s what I heard.”

While he did not get fan of the game, his school spirit was evident. 

You may be wondering what inspired Joseph to dress up in a hotdog suit. It was a matter of fate.

“I won the costume at church and had no other option.”

Last-minute Halloween costumes can still be the best, however. Joseph claims he has not seen any costumes on campus that tops his hotdog suit. He has even worn it to Chick-fil-A and Braums. However, he does admit that it is not the best costume he has ever worn. 

“I was dressed up as Phantom of the Opera when I was in third grade with my sister,” he told me. 

I have to agree that would make a better costume than a hotdog. 

Who knows what other free costumes Joseph might have been willing to wear. He does, however, draw the line for one thing: he would never dress up as an OSU fan. Seeing that the OU football game is where he chose to wear his costume, this is probably for the best. 

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Welcome Back to Tornado Alley

Sunday night after the OU/Texas game, Oklahoma decided to welcome us back to Norman with some wild weather. After a rush to beat the storms to campus and a mad scramble to claim a spot in the parking garage, a bona fide tornado warning was issued for Cleveland County. There is a little rain, a lot of lightning, and a few hundred freshmen gathered in the black box theater on the first floor of Cross A. 

Before the warning had officially been issued, I stepped outside to take a look at the sky, as any good Oklahoman would. Lucy D’Braunstin stood beside me admiring the purple bolts flashing across the sky.

Lucy is from Orange County in southern California, so this is her first tornado experience. I asked her what she knows about tornados.

“Just that they are really windy, they involve lightning, and you typically have to shelter.”

Somewhat correct. I really love the way tornadoes work – the perfect combination of warm and cold fronts, humidity, and good old Oklahoma wind. But Lucy knows all she needs for surviving Oklahoma weather. When people started sending messages about taking shelter in the GroupMe, Lucy followed the crowd and did not have to worry. 

“I feel fine now just cause everyone else seems fine.” 

She certainly does not look nervous. 

“I think I feel fine cause I can’t see it,” she admitted. We are back inside the black box, and more students are starting to trickle in. 

I asked Lucy about her thoughts on storm chasing, and she told me she has no interest in that.

“I think it’s cool and brave of [people], but that would not be me. I think lightning is pretty, but it’s the thunder…it scares me.”

While we were talking, everyone’s phone alarms started going off. We were officially in a warning. Lucy looked around, then we just looked at each other and laughed. The whole situation is surprisingly calm. 

Next Lucy told me how tornado warnings compare to the severe weather she is used to in California. Earthquakes are the main threat from her home town. 

“I enjoy that there are [tornado] warnings. There’s sort of warnings for earthquakes,” she explains, but it is not the same. I pulled up the radar for her to look at. That’s one thing I like about tornadoes; you can see where they are going and when they are gone. 

The threat of tornadoes died down before the 8:30 end time of the official warning. All that remained was a severe thunderstorm warning and a flood watch. My car is safe in the parking garage, so I am not worried. Lucy and I both hung out in the black box a little longer after the warning ended. People are slowly trickling out, but mostly happy to sit around with blankets and laptops with Netflix and NFL football showing on the room’s two tvs. 

I did not expect to be taking shelter at college until the spring, but Oklahoma likes to keep us on our toes. Here’s to an exciting end to an even more exciting weekend. Wherever you are, stay safe and stay dry! And maybe go rewatch a few more highlights from OU’s comeback victory over the Texas longhorns.

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The Rufneks and the Red River Showdown!

It’s that time of year again – Texas Hate Week! The iconic Red River Showdown is just around the corner. Thousands of fans are preparing to make the journey to Dallas, Texas to cheer the Sooners to another victory against the Longhorns. 

It sort of feels like any other week, but campus is getting ready for the rivalry. Many professors have canceled classes for Friday. Just to the west of the library, a group of ten or so Rufneks and Lil’ Sis are standing guard over the freshly-painted list of all the years we have beat Texas. 

It’s a favorite tradition of the group.

“Sunday night before every OU/Texas since 1983…Rufneks paint it…then the Lil’ Sis come and fix it up Monday.”

It’s Monday afternoon, and the paint is already dry, but the group is still watching over their masterpiece. The chairs are not enough to protect it – this is the route some of the vending trucks take. One Rufnek told me about the year they had the battle with a Coca-Cola truck to keep it from driving over the sign before the game. 

Not all the Rufneks will be on the field on Saturday, but for the ones who are, it will be a highlight of their career. However, driving the schooner is not without responsibility. One of the guys told me it is both exciting and stressful. 

“The drivers get to sleep with the ponies,” they explained. “At the fairgrounds, they have this barn where they keep a bunch of animals…we keep Boomer and Sonner in a stable near them.”

The most important part, however, is standing guard all night to make sure the Texas fans don’t try anything. 

The University of Texas has its own version of the Rufneks called the Silver Spurs. They are the official caretakers of Bevo the longhorn. In keeping with the OU/Texas spirit, there is a long-standing rivalry between the Rufneks and the Spurs. 

“The presidents of each club have a bet going on. Whoever loses has to get their head shaved by the other team’s president. And they get $1500 to the charity of their choice.”

In the past, there have been other pranks as well. 

“Before any of us were here, twenty or thirty years ago, Rufneks would mess with the lock on Bevo’s trailer.”

The group talked over each other trying to recount the tale, but I got the just of the story.

“They would lock Beevo out of his own trailer.”

Another favorite Rufnek tradition is taking the home field advantage down to Dallas. Even though the stadium is halfway between Austin and Norman, it is still deep in the heart of Texas. In years when Texas wins, the site does not exactly feel neutral. To balance this out, the Rufneks like to bring some of Norman with them to the game.

“The home game before Texas, we take empty shotgun shells and put grass from our football field in them.” The Rufneks bring these shells to the Cotton Bowl to give the Sooners the “home field advantage”. 

The other important Sooner advantage comes from the fans. I asked the Rufneks what our team needs from fans this year.

“The good old classic Texas and Oklahoma rivalry support,” they replied. “OU fans to be themselves, long story short.”

Whether you’re watching from Norman or traveling to Dallas, cheer loud, be yourself, and get ready for some Sooner Magic!

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Boomer Biker

Kaylee Wimberly does not have to walk thirty minutes across campus as many freshmen do. Instead, she rides her bike. From bike lanes to bike lockers, Kaylee told me all about having a bike on campus.

Kaylee did not originally bring her bike to campus, but after a few twenty-five minute hikes in the hundred-degree weather, Kaylee had her mom bring one of her bikes down to Norman. Luckily she left the orange one at home. 

Since she had already been on campus for a couple of weeks, Kaylee was well aware of how often bike theft occurs on campus. 

“I was so stressed I literally talked to a police officer,” Kaylee recounted. 

When he told her she might as well take her bike back home, it did not reassure her very much. So far, though, Kaylee’s bike has stayed safe and sound.

“I got a bike locker, and it makes me feel more secure.” 

What exactly is a bike locker?

“Those green dingy looking things outside the residence halls. It does not feel secure, but this is better than having it out tied to a rack.”

When we made it over to the bike lockers, the dismantled bike on the rack nearby could attest to this. 

Before she could get her bike locker, Kaylee had to register her bike.

“I had to know so much info about my bike. Serial number, color, brand, model, size of the wheels…”

So there is a learning curve to having a bike on campus. Another example of this is when Kaylee could not find a bike rack for her class in Wagner Hall.

“I tied it to a tree a couple times. Then I realized that was illegal.”

Luckily, her bike did not get picked up by the police, and now she just ties it to the rack at the union. 

Kaylee has not had any dangerous incidents on her bike yet. When she first started riding around campus, she was scared of running over people. Now, she admits, she has become a little ruthless. People shouldn’t walk in the bike lane. Luckily, when it comes to the scooters and skateboards she shares the bike lane with, everyone is pretty respectful. 

However, the closest calls Kaylee has had on her bike have been with the infamous campus squirrels. They are even worse than confused freshmen when it comes to getting out of the way. 

“One time this squirrel actually got closer to me. I’m slowing down, and he just keeps coming.”

Kaylee brought her bike to campus for practical purposes, but biking has become a hobby as well. 

“In the evenings, if I’ve been out for a while, I could just ride straight back to the dorm, but no. It’s nice to just cruise around the south oval.”

All in all, Kaylee’s campus biking experience has been a good one. 

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Dining at Cross

One of my friends likes to call the freshman housing at Cross Village “the downtown” of campus. At the bottom of a couple of the buildings, you can find restaurants, a coffee shop, and even a grocery store. The dining options in Cross are mostly staffed by students. I talked with my friend who works there, Mikayla Barabasz, to get an idea of what it is like to work for OU Housing and Food. 

Mikayla works eighteen hours a week at the restaurants in Cross. These include Credo Kitchen, Glow Kitchen, Milkflower Gelateria, The Hive, and Basic Knead. How often each of these is open depends on how many student staff members are available to work. 

“I don’t even know,” Mikayla said when I asked about the restaurants’ hours. “Credo is always open, and Glow…it’s whenever we have workers. It changes every time I go to work. Now I’m used to working at all the places.”

It sometimes gets annoying as a student never knowing what dining options will actually be open, but it seems like it would be worse as an employee. I asked Mikayla what she thought of it. 

“At the beginning, it was kind of weird,” she told me. She never knew where she was going to work on any given day. 

“But I made friends that way,” she explained. “The people I work with always just talk. There’s never a dull moment.”

Mikayla did not, however, have any experience in food service before coming to college. 

“My counselor sent out an email, so I applied for it.” 

It pays for her food and housing.

“[It’s] not bad,” she told me. It’s all about trying to balance a routine to make time for homework. Most college students can relate to this.  

Overall, Mikayla has had a good experience, and whenever I see her she is making the Cross restaurants a good experience for customers. She always has a smile on her face. She enjoys making others smile too. Milkflower gelato is her favorite place to work of all the restaurants. 

“People seem happier when they get gelato. It makes people’s days.”

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Coffee Shop Review with Aubrey

College students are known for being sleep deprived. Hence, the large number of coffee shops on and around campus. Starbucks is easy and reliable, but variety is the spice of life. Norman certainly has a variety of coffee shops.

Aubrey McNeil is well versed in the art of exploring coffee shops. She came to OU from the Tulsa area. Back home, trying new coffee shops was a weekly pastime.

“I have this friend named Ari. She was already a coffee addict, and I wasn’t yet. So that was our one thing to do every week.”

Here in Norman, Aubrey has already become a regular at several of the coffeehouses that surround OU.

“I came to campus hoping only to drink coffee once a week or twice a week. During Camp Crimson, we ended up staying up til one o’clock or two o’clock every day, and coffee was the only thing that could help me function the next day. Now I drink coffee once a day. I hope to never be more than once a day. If I’m desperate I get a double shot of espresso.”

We love caffeine.

Today Aubrey visited Not Your Average Joe for the first time, and she agreed to share her experience for this blog’s first Coffee Shop Review.

Though the coffee shop is not even a block away from the dorms, it’s tucked away just enough to feel like a hidden gem. From what she’d heard, Aubrey knew she could expect a great atmosphere – one of the most important parts of the coffee shop experience. She was not disappointed.

The kindness of the employees was one highlight of the experience.

“I came in here this morning, and we just started talking about random stuff.” Aubrey told me. It is important to her to find a spot that feels welcoming and comfortable.

“Since we’re not at home, it’s good to find any place that feels homey”

The music and the decor helped to make the experience, too. The quiet acoustic songs made it feel like a “feel good movie”. The walls, chairs, and light fixtures were all painted cheerful primary colors.

“i think the colors add to the energy. This is somewhere i might go when I’m really tired. It just seems like an energizing place.”

What more could you ask for?

Of course, the most important part of a coffee shop is the coffee.

“I got a Turtle Frappuccino,” Aubrey reported. Chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut syrups, an almond milk substitute, and homemade whipped cream on top. The perfect treat. To complete the perfection, the cup was decorated with a friendly doodle. Aubrey smiled as she showed it off.

“I love it when they write cute little notes on my cup. It makes my day.”

The menu includes all the classic drinks, as well as unique ones like an horchata latte made with rice milk and cinnamon. The “Drink that Must Not be Named” even contains magic, according to the menu. You can also order everything from smoothies to baked goods to sandwiches to ice cream.

Aubrey is certain she’ll be back.

“I’ll probably try a fall special…I love seasonal drinks.”

And there will certainly be more Coffee Shop Reviews to come!

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The First OU Football Game

Last Saturday, we had a surprise home game. It’s football time in Oklahoma! The student section was a completely different experience than attending games as a kid. Listening to the band, singing the alma mater, and cheering on the players made college finally seem real. I live here. I belong here. I am part of this.

For some of my friends, this was more than their first time in the student section. It was their first time attending a game in Gaylord Memorial Stadium.

I talked to Sam Flowers and Reese Pokluda to get an idea of how game day on a college campus compared to their previous football experiences.

Sam grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. Her high school did not even have a football team.

“I would go to the other school’s football games”, she explained, but that was the extent of her football exposure. Still, Sam had high expectations for Sooner football, and Saturday’s game did not disappoint.

For Reese, the game could not live up to expectations. Reese is from Texas. When we met up to talk about his first college football game, he was decked out in full Dallas Cowboys attire.

“I don’t care about college football,” he told me. “That’s just how it is. After you go to an NFL game, you’re just unimpressed by a college game.”

I have never been to an NFL game myself, so Reese explained the difference to me.

“The music is louder,” he said. “The atmosphere is very different. But also just watching, the game is so much better in the NFL.”

Reese is more into the sport itself than football traditions like singing along with the band, doing the cheers, or standing up in the student section for hours on end.

For Sam, though, The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band and the energy of the student section were the highlights of the day.

“Being a student here then going and sitting in the student section definitely felt like i was part of the game,” she said. “The heat was the worse part. The only reason why I left.”

The heat did not stop Reese from staying for the entire game. This is a matter of principle that I respect, though I will admit to leaving before the fourth quarter ended. Reese filled me in on what I missed.

“It did get exciting at the end, but it shouldn’t have.”

That was just the first game. We are ready for Saturday, even if Reese claims he is only coming back because he gets in free as a student athlete. The energy in Norman is building, and it is once again time to cheer on our Sooners. That leaves only one thing left to say…

Boomer!