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Articles by Chase Congleton
Oxford House for women and children opens in Stillwater
The Oxford House Pioneer Lane lies off the corner of Washington Street and appears to be like any other house in the neighborhood. There’s a well-maintained lawn, a spacious driveway and a porch that welcomes all who visit. Inside the home lies cozy furniture and state-of-the-art appliances donated by members of the Stillwater community. The well-lit rooms are furnished with fresh linens providing an invitational atmosphere.
Oxford House for women and children opens in Stillwater
The Oxford House Pioneer Lane lies off the corner of Washington Street and appears to be like any other house in the neighborhood. There’s a well-maintained lawn, a spacious driveway and a porch that welcomes all who visit. Inside the home lies cozy furniture and state-of-the-art appliances donated by members of the Stillwater community. The well-lit rooms are furnished with fresh linens providing an invitational atmosphere.
OSU Museum of Art opens Doel Reed retrospective exhibit
Oklahoma State University’s Museum of Art opened an exhibit Tuesday dedicated to the work of Doel Reed. Patrons can walk through the gallery and read quotes, anecdotes and facts about Reed's work. Chase Congleton Vicky Berry is the founding director of the OSU Museum of Art since the museum’s opening in January 2013. Berry said the museum started working on this exhibit in 2015.
Hargis leaves lasting legacy as presidential tenure comes to a close
Burns Hargis ended his 13-year tenure as President of Oklahoma State University on Wednesday. Burns Hargis, right, president of Oklahoma State University, and his wife Ann Hargis wave to the crowd during the Oklahoma State University Sea of Orange Homecoming parade Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017 in Stillwater. News Press file photo Hargis didn’t come from academia, but used his business background to raise funds through a capital campaign that ultimately transformed the university.
GENERATION Z: Pride and Prejudice
As a gay man in Oklahoma, it’s hard to live here and not feel isolated. Most of the representation I see in media is made from people on the coasts that have a larger gay community than what’s here. It took me so many years of my youth to come to terms with the fact that I was gay. The fear of being outed and the paranoia that everyone is talking about you is something so many young gay people feel.
GENERATION Z: Pride and Prejudice
As a gay man in Oklahoma, it’s hard to live here and not feel isolated. Most of the representation I see in media is made from people on the coasts that have a larger gay community than what’s here. It took me so many years of my youth to come to terms with the fact that I was gay. The fear of being outed and the paranoia that everyone is talking about you is something so many young gay people feel.
Payne County Pride hosts family-friendly Pride festival in the park
Jun. 25—On the end of Couch Park, people of all ages gathered under a pavilion that was full of rainbow-themed merchandise and outdoor activities. At one of the crafting tables is Trisha Iyonsi with her two children Toju and Esha. She and her children consider themselves allies for the LGBTQ+ community. "For me, it's really important that my kids are inclusive of all people and that they're accepting of everyone from a young age," Iyonsi said. "We are a different ethnic group ...
Historic Black town in Oklahoma swaps white dolls at Juneteenth celebration
LANGSTON, Oklahoma – In the far corner of the market at Langston’s Juneteenth celebration, 8-year-old Layliana Carruthers worked a doll swap booth with a presence and confidence beyond her few years and small stature. She had a purpose: helping Black children like herself trade in white dolls for dolls that looked more like them. It’s important “for Black girls to have Black Barbie dolls,” she said.
Historic Black town in Oklahoma swaps white dolls at Juneteenth celebration
LANGSTON, Oklahoma – In the far corner of the market at Langston’s Juneteenth celebration, 8-year-old Layliana Carruthers worked a doll swap booth with a presence and confidence beyond her few years and small stature. She had a purpose: helping Black children like herself trade in white dolls for dolls that looked more like them. It’s important “for Black girls to have Black Barbie dolls,” she said.
Pride in the Park: Payne County Pride returns with family-friendly festival
Jun. 19—Payne County Pride is hosting Pride in the Park on Tuesday. The event will be held at Shelter #1 at Couch Park from 6-8 p.m. While the organization is having a small event this next week, it hopes to have a larger event in the fall. Cassie Herndon has been the organization's vice-president since 2019 and she was available for a Q&A about the upcoming event. What's going? What events do you all have planned for the evening?
A Q&A with two Stillwater-based drag performers Original
Olivia Beth Lycan and Ami Rhetto are two Stillwater-based drag performers who have performed at various clubs and bars across the state. Last weekend, they did shows at Stonewall Tavern and College Bar in front of Stillwater crowds. Lycan and Rhetto were available for a Q&A about their experiences with drag. How did you get into drag? How long have you been doing drag? Olivia Beth Lycan: I got into drag after I saw my first drag show at a 16+ club.
Historic Black town swaps white dolls at Juneteenth celebration Original
LANGSTON – In the far corner of the market at Langston’s Juneteenth celebration, 8-year-old Layliana Carruthers worked a doll swap booth with a presence and confidence beyond her few years and small stature. She had a purpose, helping Black children like herself trade in white dolls for dolls that looked more like them. It’s important “for Black girls to have Black Barbie dolls,” she said. Chase Congleton/Stillwater News Press Layliana Carruthers poses with a doll she traded for at the booth.
Comic illustrator Aaron Polk leads virtual workshop at Stillwater Public Library
Jun. 8—Renowned cartoonist and illustrator Aaron Polk is hosting an online workshop program with the Stillwater Public Library. Polk is teaching children and teenagers the fundamentals of comic book creation hosted through a Zoom link. The program for kids in grades 1-5 is held on Tuesday while the program for teenagers in grades 6-12 is held on Wednesday. Polk's work includes "Dog Man" by Dav Pilkey, "Hawking" by Jim Ottaviani and "InvestiGATORS" by John Green.
Stillwater's Wade Lopp competes on American Ninja Warrior
A Stillwater resident worked his way up from training in a local gym to competing in a nationally televised entertainment show. Wade Lopp recently competed on the latest season of “American Ninja Warrior,” qualifying for the semi-finals during his run for the show. Lopp spent the past several years training for ninja competitions. Coming from a gymnastics background, Lopp said his interest in participating on “American Ninja Warrior” started after he and his trainer Lauren Lewis watched the show.
Stillwater's Wade Lopp competes on American Ninja Warrior
Jun. 5—A Stillwater resident worked his way up from training in a local gym to competing in a nationally televised entertainment show. Wade Lopp recently competed on the latest season of "American Ninja Warrior," qualifying for the semi-finals during his run for the show. Lopp spent the past several years training for ninja competitions.
Langston committee honors fallen on Memorial Day
The Langston Community Veterans Appreciations Committee hosted a Memorial Day tribute Monday. Originally intended to be held at the Wm Conrad Veterans Memorial Gardens, the ceremony was moved inside the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church because of the rain. The ceremony took place on the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and was led primarily by Eran Harrill, who has served 13 years in the Oklahoma National Guard.
What your autumn shoe says about you
With autumn finally showing its colors, it is safe to say people are adjusting their fashion choices to the weather. Shoes are the staple to each person’s outfit; to get to know someone else in a better light, you need to step in his or her shoes. Therefore, a lot can be said about a person based on what shoe he or she wears this coming season. Doc Martens Let’s be honest with ourselves, this was the first shoe that came to your mind when you thought of autumn.
Behind the microphone: What an OSU radio play entails
Since the announcement that Oklahoma State University’s theatre department would host radio plays, those involved in those productions knew they would chart in challenging territory. The theatre department’s production of “War of the Worlds” is the first of its kind at the university. Never before has a radio play been hosted at OSU, let alone during a pandemic that’s affecting the performing arts industry.
COVID resurrects the radio stars
For some performing arts students, the national lockdown on theaters would bring fear for the future. However, for theatre major Olive Payne, she’s excited for the innovation that’s happening in her department. The theatre department of Oklahoma State University not only decided to use radio plays instead of traditional staged plays for the fall semester, but it also localized one of the play’s to be relatable to Stillwater audiences.
Fall fashion tips
With this past week’s weather dipping into cooler temperatures, it’s safe to say that summer is ending and autumn is approaching. Fashion for the first several weeks of the campus is pretty simple, as most students often opt for simple t-shirts and shorts. However, as the temperatures change, wearing short sleeves begins to be a bad idea. Students across campus will need to adapt to the quick weather changes.
Here are 4 shows that are easy to binge while quarantining
College students, now more than ever, have the perfect time to watch lots of content on the streaming service of their choice. If you’re going to Oklahoma State University during a pandemic, it’s safe to say that you will have to enter into quarantine either because you have COVID-19 or you were exposed to someone who had the virus.
How to build the perfect music playlist
College is officially in full-swing here at Oklahoma State University and many students across campus have begun wearing headphones during his or her day-to-day routine. Students use music as background noise when they are walking to class or studying for a tough exam. For that reason, it is good to learn how to build a playlist for a variety of moods. Building a playlist is a form of art in itself. By sequencing several songs together, a collage of tunes is created.
What your face mask says about you
Face masks invaded the world of fashion in 2020 and Americans have used it as a way to express their individuality. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans struggled to adapt to mask mandates. American culture has never had the urgency to wear face masks in public places until this year. Thankfully, many vendors and stores started carrying a wide variety of masks for people to use face masks as a unique way to express himself or herself.
BTS releases explosive new single "Dynamite"
South Korean boy band BTS explores disco-pop elements on its new song “Dynamite,” which is its first song recorded entirely in English. Since the group’s debut into the K-pop market in 2013, BTS’s music slowly grew in popularity, becoming an underdog story in the K-pop industry. Formed under its company Big Hit Entertainment, BTS experienced humble beginnings before its global superstardom.
Parker McCollum, headliner for Weedstock, tests positive for coronavirus
Country singer Parker McCollum announced in a tweet Wednesday evening that he tested positive for coronavirus. McCollum was scheduled to perform at Weedstock as the headliner for Friday’s show, but now he said he will self-quarantine at his ranch for 14 days. McCollum also canceled his Thursday show in Manhattan, Kansas. “After realizing this morning that I could not taste or smell anything at breakfast, I went to get tested for covid,” McCollum said in a tweet.
Victoria Monet unleashes her prowess on new musical project Jaguar
Singer-songwriter Victoria Monet released part one of her debut studio album “Jaguar,” and she’s ready for her turn in the spotlight. Few may recognize Monet’s name, but many will know her sound if they have listened to R&B and pop acts from the past five years. Her list of writing credits includes Nas, Fifth Harmony, Chloe x Halle and Ariana Grande. However, it was Monet’s writing credits for Ariana Grande’s “Thank U Next” and “7 Rings” that ignited Monet’s career trajectory.
McKnight Center postpones performances until January 2021
The McKnight Center announced the suspension of performances for the fall semester until the following January due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several fall performances were rescheduled, but other events had to be canceled with hopes of them taking place in future seasons because of artist availability. Mark A. Blakeman, the Marilynn and Carl Thoma executive director, sent the announcement in an email Monday morning.
OSU student starts petition to voice opposition against Weedstock
An Oklahoma State University student started a petition Tuesday morning to help let the Stillwater voice opposition against Weedstock. Courtney Andrews, who is a senior majoring in biosystems and agricultural engineering, started the petition on Change.org. Andrews grew up in Stillwater, and she said the decisions students make will affect those who are living in the town.
Concerns regarding Stillwater music festival continue to increase
Stillwater mayor Will Joyce spent the last several months expanding mandatory COVID-19 guidelines for the city of Stillwater, but now he faces his biggest challenge yet: Weedstock. “I don’t think it's time to move back to crowded music festivals at this point,” Mayor Joyce said. “There’s a reason why you’re not seeing those virtually anywhere else.” The Tumbleweed’s first annual Weedstock begins next week and concerns about the music festival being held during a pandemic have been growing.
Taylor Swift releases career-defining new album “Folklore”
In the past decade, Taylor Swift’s career as a mainstream pop artist has allowed her to achieve numerous accolades as well as selling millions of records. In fact, barring her 2019 album “Lover,” each of Swift’s albums has sold more than one million copies in their first week. Swift’s promotional period for her albums has almost become predictable. Often times, she’ll release a lead single with a music video that same week.
Fiona Apple makes a bold and triumphant return with her new album
Fiona Apple made her long-awaited return to the music industry with her fifth studio album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters.” In the album, Apple’s songwriting is as bold and brash as her previous four critically acclaimed albums. This is Apple’s first album since her 2012 album “The Idler Wheel…,” which garnered her continued praise for her experimentation on songs such as “Hot Knife” and “Every Single Night.” Apple’s past works all follow a sonic similarity of melancholiness.
The Weeknd tops charts with new album “After Hours”
The Weeknd released his first studio album in over three years and reclaimed the throne he left vacant for several years. After the release of his third studio album “Starboy,” Abel Tesfaye took a short hiatus after experiencing a bit of overexposure. Aside from the short promotional period for his 2018 EP “My Dear Melancholy,” Tesfaye had remained primarily low-key and only gave an occasional feature appearance on songs. The Weeknd, without a doubt, is one of the top acts of the 2010s.
The Weeknd returns to the top of the charts with new album “After Hours”
The Weeknd released his first studio album in over three years and reclaimed the throne he left vacant for several years. After the release of his third studio album “Starboy,” Abel Tesfaye took a short hiatus after experiencing a bit of overexposure. Aside from the short promotional period for his 2018 EP “My Dear Melancholy,” Tesfaye had remained primarily low-key and only gave an occasional feature appearance on songs. The Weeknd, without a doubt, is one of the top acts of the 2010s.
Megan Thee Stallion makes an explosion with new EP “Suga”
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion released her new extended play “Suga” after a heated battle between her and her label. Meg’s label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, delayed the release of her EP after the rapper attempted to renegotiate her contract with the label. Because of her label freezing her upcoming releases, Meg started the hashtag “#FreeTheeStallion” to raise awareness of her issues and clarified that she did not understand some of the verbiages when she first signed the contract.
Oklahoma Innocence Project speaks about wrongful convictions
De’Marchoe Carpenter and Vicki Behenna spoke at Oklahoma State University about wrongful conviction and exoneration on Thursday night at Murray 035. Carpenter spent 22 years of his life in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Since being exonerated of his sentence on May 9, 2016, he has dedicated much of his time speaking about wrongful convictions and spreading awareness about the issue.
Tame Impala makes long-awaited comeback with new album “The Slow Rush”
Since the release of “Currents” in 2015, Kevin Parker’s psychedelic pop/rock music project has expanded its fanbase, reaching more hip-hop and pop music fandoms. The band achieved such prominence in media that other mainstream artists such as Rihanna and Arctic Monkeys started covering Parker’s music. In between working on Tame Impala’s projects, Parker dived more into producing for popular artists.
Hardly Working - Justin Bieber's "Changes"
The Daily O's Chase Congleton sits down with Justin Powell, Creatives Director, to discuss Justin Bieber's newest album, "Changes."
Justin Bieber “Changes” for the worse on mediocre new album
Since the turn of the last decade, Justin Bieber has been the bonafide household name for teen-pop stardom. From the release of his debut album “My World 2.0,” several other labels attempted to capitalize on his success by producing many imitators such as Cody Simpson and Austin Mahone. As Bieber grew up, so did his sound; his 2013 compilation album “Journals” showed the artist experiment with a fresh R&B sound. Bieber’s 2015 album “Purpose” highlighted his vocals with EDM instrumentals.
Kesha rediscovers her original path in new album “High Road”
The last decade of Kesha’s career has been anything but a breeze. Since 2014, Kesha has been in a series of lawsuits with her former producer, Dr. Luke, who she accuses of physically, emotionally and sexually abusing her for several years. Alongside abuse allegations, Kesha also said Dr. Luke had complete control over her career and image. After the lawsuits were filed, Sony Music agreed to allow Kesha to work with other producers for her album.
Mac Miller finds hope in the midst of darkness in new posthumous album “Circles”
Earlier this month, Mac Miller’s family announced Miller was working on a new album called “Circles” before his death. Originally intended to be a companion album to Miller’s 2018 album “Swimming,” producer Jon Brion decided to finish the album based on conversations he had with Miller prior to his untimely death. Brion said “Swimming” and “Circles” were the first two installments of an intended trilogy of albums.
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