Friday, October 6, 2023
Game day pushes Pokes out of parking Kennedy Thomason tweaks made every two or three years. News & Lifestyle Emily Phillips, a Editor freshman living in the
Jaycee Hampton Desdefano (right) moved to the U.S. from Italy to play volleyball but still seeks mental health resources based in Italy.
Fighting your own battles
Oklahoma collegiate athletes lean on team for support Bella Casey News and Lifestyle Assistant Editor
“Nowadays, you know, there’s so many different factors for these poor student athletes,” said Lexis Vizarelis, director of goalkeeping and technical director for Oklahoma Energy Football Club. “And what they’re going Michela Desdefano is territhrough is a changing environfied to stop playing volleyball. ment.” “I feel like (volleyball is) Desdefano’s mental state what I am,” Desdefano said. strained when she began playing Volleyball became an allcollege volleyball. consuming entity in Desdefano’s She said she has not meshed life once she began playing for with every teammate she played Oklahoma City University. She with, coaches took her for granted realized that she had to rely on herself. The mental health resourc- and an angry athletic director es she needed were not available to turned his back on her after she entered the transfer portal. her in Oklahoma. But Desdefano is committed Oklahoma collegiate athletes to volleyball. She moved across the like Desdefano rely on each other for mental support throughout the world for it. Three years ago, Desdefano season rather than seeking out moved from Italy to the U.S. to mental health resources. play collegiate volleyball. She
spoke no English and knew no one in the U.S. All she had was volleyball. Desdefano started playing volleyball when she was 8. With the support of her parents, she flourished as a player in an athletic environment different from what her American teammates experienced. In Italy, volleyball is a club sport and not played in schools. She said teachers disapproved of her commitment to sports, and her life felt divided. But she kept playing. At college, Desdefano and the sport she played blurred into one as volleyball consumed her sense of self. “I’m learning that I’m so much more, but you have to think, I played the same sport since I was 8,” Desdefano said. See Battles on 6A
A weekday game can mean the triumph of canceled classes or the defeat of dragging yourself across campus at 1:30 p.m. Ahead of today’s football game, OSU students, faculty and staff were forced to prepare for the influx of visitors. By 3 p.m. today they must vacate most parking lots surrounding Boone Pickens Stadium, as well as some residential lots. Steve Spradling, director of parking and transportation services, said it is business as usual for a weekday home football game. “It’s just a matter of trying to balance things out to accommodate the guests to campus, and this is something that we started 14-15 years ago,” Spradling said. When the first weekday game was introduced to the Cowboy’s football schedule, Spradling said the provost’s office put together a plan. Parking and transportation services still adhere to it, with
Commons will have to hunt for a new parking spot. Phillips said she was aware of the fluctuating parking guidelines when she purchased her residential parking pass, but that does not change the difficulty to accommodate it. All cars in the Commons parking lot had to be relocated by 3 p.m. yesterday so tailgaters who reserved spots could use them today. Although this is a recurring inconvenience for students, Phillips said making arrangements to move her car ahead of today’s game adds an extra layer of difficulty. “I would move on Wednesday to the soccer field because I’m not driving around for two hours to find a parking spot because these RV people have to come park their RV,” Phillips said. “It’s like, I understand they’re ticket holders and donate a lot of money, but it’s like, there’s hundreds of cars that you’re misplacing that to begin with have nowhere to go.” For Phillips, planning ahead is crucial. See Parking on 4A
Alexis Higgins Most of the parking lots surrounding Boone Pickens Stadium had to be vacated ahead of today’s game.
New dining hall hours announced Raynee Howell Staff Reporter University Dining Services updated its hours for the fall semester. UDS sent a survey to the student body at the end of the spring semester. It found that operating hours were one of the major concerns. The efforts to extend hours, starting in this semester, were made to benefit students. Vedda Hsu, the director of UDS, explained the reason for expanding operation hours. “Due to the crowding and many lines, this helps students looking for more options,” Hsu said. The new operating hours have impacted the Student Union. Because of overcrowding, places such as Chickfil-A, Chophouse Taqueria and Shake Smart have expanded their hours. Chick-fil-A is now open until 7 p.m. Chophouse Taqueria is also open
What’s Inside
two hours longer and will now close at 5 p.m. Shake Smart, a hotspot for protein shakes and fruit bowls, now opens earlier and closes later. The updated hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. With the increase in student population, Hsu said it is important to continue to develop dining services. “With more new students comes more new dining concepts,” Hsu said. Last year, there were 28 dining operations, and this year UDS has added two more. Union Plaza Grill is one of the new additions, located in the Union Plaza. Open Monday-Thursday at 11 a.m. while supplies last. Barkin’ Brews, a new coffee shop in McElroy Hall, opened two weeks ago. The hours are 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Payton Little Dining options near the dorms University dining services has extended hours for some of its options. have also extended their hours, much to “It does allow more students to eat late-night crammers, it will be great to the relief of on-campus residents. on (campus) instead of off (campus),” have some brain food.” Grace Baldwin, OSU freshman, Baldwin said. “I feel it’ll leave some expresses said she has mixed feelings more tempted to use all their funds about the new hours. See Dining hall on 7A before the end of the year, but for those
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