Friday, July 26, 2024
Oklahoma State makes debut in ‘Twisters’ movie
Hayden Alexander Staff Reporter
Tribune News Service The United States’ Simone Biles practices on the balance beam during women’s gymnastics training ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
‘Simone Biles: Rising’: A look at the recordbreaking Olympian’s journey to Paris Raynee Howell Staff Reporter Review Simone Biles has climbed to the top of podiums since her international debut at the World Artistic Gymnastics
Championship in 2013. But her rise to the top has not come without falls. Biles, who won the all-around in the 2016 Rio Olympics and helped lead the USA team to gold, had a very different experience in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The video of her attempting an
Amanar, one of the most difficult vaults in women’s gymnastics, went viral sparking conversations about mental health in the world of professional sports. Netflix’s new docuseries, released before the games’ start Friday, started with the same vault, which caused
Biles to pull out of the team final. The look of pure terror in Biles’ eyes as she experienced the “twisties,” a term used by gymnasts to describe the disconnect between mind and body, showed a small glimpse into the way she was feeling. See Biles on page 3
Bennett is no stranger to working with different organizations; this time was no different. “I’m used to working with all different kinds of agencies, so it was a little bit different than normal but kind of the same,” Bennett said. Instructors transported the rigs to the filming locations and remained to help wherever they could during the shoots. “We took the trucks to and from, and we remained on set,” Bennett said. “If they needed to move, we moved; if they had questions about what a fire truck should be doing, we answered them.” Filming took place from midnight to 7 a.m., but the long nights equaled screen time for the trucks. The rigs are in several scenes throughout the film. “They were in quite a few scenes,” Bennett said. “I know the first town that got hit before the rodeo, and you see the front of one of the engines in the daylight. So there are several scenes, including the rodeo.” The SAG-AFTRA Writers Strike struck up in Hollywood during filming, and production had to stop. Production resumed after the strike ended, but OSU-OKC only had one working fire truck.
“Twisters” is a hit worldwide, but the film is more than just another movie for Oklahomans. Production filmed all over the state, teaming up with Prairie Surf Studios in Oklahoma City, Channel 4, Oklahoma Storm Chasers and several other Oklahoma organizations to produce the movie. Stillwater is featured in the film as the location for a rodeo Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler Owens (Glenn Powell) attend, but Oklahoma State makes its mark on the film in a more subtle way. First responders are present in any good disaster movie. This time, the fire trucks in “Twisters” are courtesy of the Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City Fire Protection Department. The partnership started after production noticed the trucks during their initial location scouting. “The production crew was in town doing their pre-site checkout, and they drove past our campus and saw the fire trucks,” Program Director Joe Bennett said. “So they tracked down my number and See ‘Twisters’ on page 4 contacted me.”
Tulsan ‘Bachelorette’ contestant chooses his dreams over dream girl Raynee Howell Staff Reporter
Erb had been waiting for the opportunity to start training for over a year. It left him with a choice to make, between Tran and his childhood dreams. Review Erb needed validation from Tran that he was Note: This article one of the top contendcontains spoilers. ers for her love. His last chance to make an Contestants most impression was during often leave the “Bachthe second group date elorette” stage with no with fellow contestants rose and a broken heart; Hakeem, Jeremy and Aaron Erb chose this fate Austin. of his own accord. The four contestants Aaron Erb, a 29-year- arrived at a race track. old aerospace engineer A pink race car zoomed from Tulsa, is the twin around the track before brother of Noah Erb, revealing the “Bachelorwho was a contestant on ette” was in the car. Tran both the “Bachelorette” announced each of the and “Bachelor in Paramen would be driving a dise.” Noah Erb found race car during the date. his match on the seventh Erb hesitantly admitseason of BIP. ted he was the only one Aaron Erb hoped to who had ever driven follow in his brother’s “stick” or manual. At that footsteps with the new moment, he seemed to “Bachelorette” Jenn Tran, be the top contender for but in the third episode winning the challenge. which aired Monday, Whoever completed a lap Erb received a call from in the fastest time would his Air Force superviwin. sor about an opening in fighter pilot training. See Dreams on page 2
Tribune News Service Jenn Tran, this season’s Bachelorette, ended her relationship with Tulsan contestant Aaron Erb.