Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Gajewski says it’s OK Maxwell isn’t at OSU
‘My only disappointment for Kelly is that she went to OU
Braden Bush Sports Editor
pitcher to its biggest rival. Gajewski went from upset and angry with the decision to disappointed, but he’s putting it behind him and accepting that it’s OK Maxwell isn’t part of the program anymore. “I didn’t feel like that at fi rst. I’ll just be very honest. I was upset like most of you guys were upset,” Gajewski told the crowd. Then Gajewski spoke frankly. “But if you don’t want to be here, go away. I don’t want you here if you don’t want to be here and wear this logo and represent this school.” Times are different. The world is smaller. Players know everybody on other teams, many are friends with opponents, and the rivalry component of college sports has lost some of its fierceness. The transfer portal normalizes transferring within a conference and even between longtime rivals, which was once unheard of.
It’s OK that Kelly Maxwell doesn’t play at OSU anymore. That was the message OSU softball coach Kenny Gajewski’s delivered Thursday night to those in attendance at “A Night With OSU” in Oklahoma City. Maxwell spent five seasons as a pitcher for the Cowgirls and sits near the top of almost every statistical category at OSU Now she’s the enemy, aka, a Sooner. Maxwell transferred to three-time defending national champion Oklahoma in July – a worst-case scenario for many See Gajewski Gajewski on on page 3 OSU fans, losing the program’s ace See 4
File Photo Kelly Maxwell transferred to OU in July after five seasons with the Cowgirls, where she was the ace pitcher.
Some cities pushing for rent control Robbie Sequeira Staff Reporter
and the state’s largest at more than a million residents — capped annual rent increases at 6%. With rents In Massachusetts, soaring since the Boston Mayor Michelle COVID-19 pandemic Wu and the City tightened the housing Council are struggling supply, more local to push legislation governments are that would exempt the considering rent city from the state’s control to keep 30-year-old rent increases in check control ban. and, ideally, protect And in Seattle, struggling tenants the City Council in whose incomes haven’t July debated a rent kept pace. control proposal; but At the same at an Aug. 1 meeting time, some states are — amid chants of enacting measures to “housing is a human prohibit cities from right” — the proposal adopting rent control, failed on a 6-2 vote. a policy that has long The bill would divided economists and have created a trigger housing experts. law that would go into Some policy effect in the event that analysts say Washington state’s 42restrictions exacerbate year ban on local rent the housing crunch control is overturned. by keeping tenants Council member in place longer than Kshama Sawant, the they’d otherwise stay. bill’s main sponsor, And some research said during the vote has raised questions that the bill was about whether the necessary to prompt true beneficiaries the state legislature to are renters with low repeal the law. incomes or those with Housing high incomes. shortages Rent regulation In 2020, policies — known as Montgomery County rent control or rent responded to the stabilization — dictate pandemic by passing how often and by an emergency rent how much a landlord control act that capped can increase rents. annual rent increases More than 200 local at 4%. When regular governments have a rent increases resumed rent control policy in in August 2022, rents place, according to the in the county — where National Apartment 40% of residents are Association, an renters — skyrocketed industry group. and more people were More local evicted, said Natali governments are Fani-Gonzalez, a working to join the list. Democratic member Late last of the Montgomery month, Maryland’s County council who Montgomery County introduced the rent — one of three control measure. Maryland counties to adopt rent control ordinances this year See Rent on page 6
Courtesy of OSU Ron Jones of Film Solutions SRQ installs Feather Friendly window tint at Noble Research Center at Oklahoma State University on
OSU making efforts to protect wildlife on campus Jaycee Hampton Assistant News & Lifestyle Editor
issue, we began intensive research here at OSU, identifying characteristics of buildings and their surroundings that lead to high numbers of collisions, as Following the completion well as identifying particular of a $118,000 project, Oklahoma times of the year when we State University is now one of the see more of these collisions first major research universities in happening,” said Dr. Scott Loss. the U.S. to prioritize the reduction It is estimated that windows of bird-window collisions. are the largest source of bird “Advancing on past research collisions in North America. on the bird-window collision More than 300 species are
affected annually, as up to a billion birds are killed. The Noble Research Center and the Gallagher-Iba Arena were determined to be the two most dangerous buildings on campus for bird collisions after Corey Riding, a former graduate student, conducted collision surveys at 17 OSU buildings from April 2015 to Oct. 2017. See Wildlife on page 5