Opportunities for Oklahoma High Schoolers Interested in the Film Industry
By: Madison Judiscak, Eisenhower High School If you are a high school student in Oklahoma who is interested in the film industry, this video is for you! …
2026 Lawton Stories View 2026 Lawton Academy
LCT Production of ‘Oliver!’ Begins
By: Hunter Borden, Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences Lawton Community Theatre is doing a production of “Oliver!” to close out their 73rd season this weekend and the next. The theatre is doing a production of “Oliver!” June 12-14 and June 18-21, performances will be held at the John Denney …
The Cost of Open Transfers: Funding, Programs and Stability
By Aria Brown, Eisenhower High School Open transfer has become a growing topic of discussion among students, parents, teachers, and state leaders across Oklahoma, including the governor and the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA). But what exactly is open transfer, and how does it affect schools? Oklahoma’s open transfer …
Summer Feeding Programs Help Fill the Gap in Oklahoma
By Leanna Slack, Eisenhower High School Summer feeding has been an important part of Lawton Public Schools for several years, helping ensure that children in the community have access to nutritious meals while school is out of session. In recent years the program expanded its services to provide both breakfast …
Review of Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria in Lawton
By Sam Roberts, Eisenhower High School …
Hometown Festivals
By: Brianna Salas, Eisenhower High School In this video, we dive into the 3 major events in Lawton, Oklahoma. Come with me as I explain each event. …
More Than Volleyball: How Danlynn Silva Is Bringing the Spirit of Hawaii to Cameron University
By Sam Roberts Eisenhower High School, Lawton The sound of a packed volleyball arena, the warmth of a welcoming community, and the values of love and respect have shaped Danlynn Silva’s life for as long as she can remember. Now, as the new head volleyball coach at Cameron University, Silva …
2026 Lawton Q&As View All 2026 Lawton Q&As
Q&A with Madison Judiscak
Madison will be a junior at Eisenhower High School this fall. Q: Tell us a little about what you enjoy doing with your time. A: I enjoy drawing and crafting. I really love cruising on my long board and skating too. I also play a lot of Fortnite and Stardew …
Q&A with Brianna Salas
Brianna will be a sophomore at Eisenhower High School this fall. Q: Tell us a little about what you enjoy doing with your time. A: I enjoy singing with my free time, music is my biggest passion and is a big part of my life. Q: What type of stories …
Q&A with Hunter Borden
Hunter will be a freshman at Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences this fall. Q: Tell us a little about what you enjoy doing with your time. A: In my free time I like to listen to music and sing, read, not cool and studious reading, I like comic books, …
Q&A with Leanna Slack
Leanna will be a sophomore at Eisenhower High School this fall. Q: Tell us a little about what you enjoy doing with your time. A: I enjoy hanging out with my friends and shopping. Q: What type of stories do you want to tell with your journalism or media work? …
Q&A with Sam Roberts
Sam will be a sophomore at Eisenhower High School this fall. Q: Tell us a little about what you enjoy doing with your time. A: I love music, playing music, listening to music and creating it. Or I play video games and dance Q: What type of stories do you …
Q&A with Aria Brown
Aria Brown will be a senior at Eisenhower High School this fall. Q: Tell us a little about what you enjoy doing with your time? A: I love taking pictures, and my favorite types of photography are portraits, sports portraits, and action shots. I also enjoy playing volleyball and tennis. …
2023 Stories View All 2023 Stories
Lights, Camera, Impact: The Influence of Mental Health Portrayals, As Seen Through Media
By Lucas Jackson In today’s world, media like movies and television can often affect people’s perception of reality. So when filmmakers and show-runners attempt to tackle the complex topic of mental health conditions & issues, it’s important to get those depictions just right. This provides an opportunity to break down many …
As food insecurity rises in Norman, pantries aim to fill the void
By Thalia Henry, Lawton MacArthur High School As certain effects of the pandemic start to subside, people around the nation are still facing financial burden and food insecurity. Despite this, local food pantries are continuing to try and aid those in need, including the OU Food Pantry and another called …
In the three years since the pandemic, a lot has changed, including college
By Jensen McKey, Epic Charter Schools Students, educators, and professionals alike are coming to terms with the lasting effects of the pandemic on their studies, work and lives. Before the pandemic, 62% of college students had never been enrolled in a virtual class. Then, in March 2020, many colleges around the country …
2023 Archive View All 2023 Archives
Lights, Camera, Impact: The Influence of Mental Health Portrayals, As Seen Through Media
By Lucas Jackson In today’s world, media like movies and television can often affect people’s perception of reality. So when filmmakers and show-runners attempt to tackle the complex topic of mental health conditions & issues, it’s important to get those depictions just right. This provides an opportunity to break down many …
The dream house of a role model
By Madisson Cameron, Mustang High School The pink world of Mattel is all anyone can think about with the new live action Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie. However, the nature of the doll has been controversial since it first debuted in 1959. There are hundreds of arguments for both sides, most …
Review: Barbie really can do anything
By Rylie Lockerman As the highly anticipated live action Barbie awaits its release to theaters, we fortunately were fed a piece of what the movie experience will be like with the soundtrack. I made no hesitation to dissect and replay the songs. 9 to 5 Dolly Parton Much like Barbie, …
Spill the coffee beans
By Hannah Joo and Becca Jolly We hate coffee. On our journey to becoming coffee lovers, we decided to go to Starbucks. We asked the barista to make us a drink that coffee haters would like. She gave us a brown sugar, oat milk iced blonde espresso. Starting off with …
2022 Archive View All 2022 Archives
Before and after February 24 2022: My Whole Life Changed
By Karolina Yaschenko What has changed in my life since Feb. 24, 2022? I don’t want to think back, even in my mind. My name is Karolina Yashchenko, and I am a Ukrainian. I believe you already have a rough idea of my country, because in the last few months, …
‘Fleeing to survive:’ starting life over in a foreign country
By Sofiіa Korol On Feb. 24, at 4 a.m., Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For five months now, missile attacks on military and civilian infrastructure have been taking place every day across the country. Martial law has been declared in Ukraine. Due to constant shelling, civilians are hiding in …
Best mascara
By Thalia Henry, MacArthur High school Although there are countless mascaras on the market right now, whether they are ranging from volume mascaras to length mascara, I would like to talk about my favorite one right now. Telescopic by L’Oréal, is not only an affordable mascara but it has many …
2021 Archive View All 2021 Archives
Russian Students Answer Local Students’ Questions
This year for the first time OIDJ virtually hosted two Russian students as participants, Milana Khaikhan and Ekaterina “Kate” Kitova, both of Taganrog. Despite an eight-hour time difference that kept them working late into the night, these students learned from the OIDJ instructors, connected with the Oklahoma students and produced …
Pet Adoption Photo Essay
OIDJ student photographer Jason McDaniel shares the stories of many animals up for adoption in Norman. Currently many shelters are at capacity due to people returning pets they acquired during the 2020 quarantine. …
The power of Normanites and their contributions to homelessness
By Olivia Abdalla Holland Hall High School Originally started by a Methodist church and established in 1983, Food and Shelter of Norman began as a way for congregation members to reach out to their community and assist those who needed their help. The church’s way of helping the Norman community …
Animal shelters overwhelmed as pandemic adopters return pets as normalcy returns
By Jensen McKey Epic Charter Schools When the pandemic hit in 2020, many people started working from home, and they adopted pets to pass the time. Animal adoption shelters like Second Chance Animal Sanctuary in Norman saw adoption rates soar. However, as people began returning to work, they found they …
2020 Archive View All 2020 Archives
A note to our readers: OIDJ 2020 virtual workshop
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the normal in-person weeklong OIDJ workshop at Gaylord College shifted to a one-day virtual event conducted via Zoom. From the OIDJ directors, Yvette Walker and Melanie Wilderman COVID-19 changed so many planned events starting in March, and the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism …
Students discuss trends in media use during pandemic
Story by Silas Bales, Highland Park High School—Dallas, Texas The media has been a prevailing part of the world for years, and with the rise a global pandemic, the use of technology has been pushed to the forefront. Information about anything and everything can be accessed at any time through …
Students, educators weigh in on plans for 2020-21 academic year during COVID-19
Story by Miranda Renteria In the spring, COVID-19 took many by surprise with its impact closing down businesses, suspending travel, and making most schools switch to virtual learning for the rest of the year. With school already underway at some schools and universities and rapidly approaching for others, many changes …
SAT, ACT testing poses challenges for high schoolers amid ongoing pandemic
Story by Bailey Coyle The coronavirus has introduced many challenges to high school seniorsgraduating in spring 2021 when it comes to applying to college. The biggestchallenge may be the inability to take standardized testing. Testing centers for SAT and ACT closed in March and left the class of 2021unable to …
2019 Archive View All 2019 Archives
A message to our readers: choosing mental health as theme for 2019 coverage
The numbers aren’t pretty: About one in four Oklahomans will experience a mental illness, while only one in three of those residents will get the services they need to be well. Three times as many people die by suicide than by homicides each year in our state. Oklahoma had the …
Seasonal Depression
By Gigi Robertson …
Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism celebrates 15th year
By Silas Bales It is the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism, the program the students have been attending this week. The students have been writing, working and learning all about the journalism world in a short week filled to the brim with workshops, tours and …
Stress can knock athletes off their games
By Kiami Whitfield College is a stressful time for everyone. Being away from home, finding a job and adjusting to a new atmosphere can be extremely difficult. However, this stress can be elevated especially among student athletes. In fact, 80 percent of college students say they frequently experience daily stress, according …
2018 Archives View All 2018 Archive
Sooner Ally helps foster understanding, support
Once a high school teacher, now an OU graduate assistant, Qwantis Bradley quickly realized times are much different now than they were when she was in school. Through research and trying different teachings, she said she’s taking the Sooner Ally campus training course to help further her understanding of LGBTQ+ …
Late OU football player’s legacy lives on in Camp Claphans
An annual camp named for a former OU football player occurred this week in Norman to give children with special needs a unique outdoor experience. The J.D. McCarty Center’s Camp Claphans aims to provide a fun-filled summer camp adventure for children with developmental disabilities. …
Habitat for Humanity ReStores community in Cleveland County
A row of couches stretches from the front of the entrance toward the back. Home paints are against the wall. Shelves of books, movies and music are behind the cash register. This is no ordinary store. The money earned here feeds back into the community, helping families move into homes …
GrowU program challenges OU players to think of community beyond football
Growing up in Fresno, California, Caleb Kelly had a mentor who showed him football as a path to a safe life. Now at the University of Oklahoma, the junior linebacker has a mentoring program that shows football players paths to being successful men after they leave the game. …
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At 40th anniversary, Norman’s Safety Town rolling strong
As it celebrates its 40th anniversary, Safety Town is helping the Norman community in ways its founders never could have envisioned. “We have noticed that children are now playing backseat drivers, telling their parents to get off their phones or telling them not to speed up through a yellow light,” …
Community’s farm market remains viable option to consumers
While it may be convenient to buy an apple from the local Walmart, where does the apple came from? And where is the money is going? More than likely, the apple is not locally grown, and the money spent on buying the apple isn’t invested back into the community. Charles …
Residential Colleges offer a clean slate to create community at OU
It’s rare in life that you get a clean slate to make new traditions, develop communities and decide the future. In fall 2017, students at The University of Oklahoma will do just that in Headington and Dunham colleges. …
Norman’s last used bookstore to close in July
The Book Stall, the last used bookstore in Norman, is closing in July after 44 years because of declining sales. While its closing date is undecided, owner Susan Townly and manager Rick Hall said they will be shutting the doors after they liquidate their remaining inventory. …