Pokes PodCAS

In recognition of Black History Month, OSU graduate student Jade Dudley sat down with fellow student Azariah Lang to talk about Black History Month, OSU’s Center for Africana Studies, Stand United and more, giving insights into Black and multicultural students' experiences here on campus. This episode of the Pokes PodCAS — the official podcast of OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences — was recorded in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Feb. 14, 2024, by Keith Mattix. It was edited and mixed by Jason Wallace.

In just three and a half years at OSU, David Steichen has accomplished quite a bit. All of his accolades have led him to be named the College of Arts and Sciences Orange Gown Graduate for fall 2023 undergraduate commencement. David has blended his passions for medicine and sustainability to leave a legacy of research, a new club and a garden that gives back. Hosted by Erin Weaver, CAS Communications Coordinator. This episode was recorded on Nov. 13, 2023, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, by Keith Mattix. Edited and mixed by Jason Wallace.

College of Arts and Sciences faculty members are bringing the classroom to inmates at the Payne County Jail. Thanks to a CAS Community Engagement Grant and in a collaboration with Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, Drs. Kathryn Weinland, Melissa Mills and Eric Howerton are volunteering their time to prepare inmates for the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) to earn high school diplomas. In this episode, the professors share how they got started, what they have been doing and what the future holds for this initiative. You can read more about the partnership at https://okla.st/hiset-news

No Oklahoma State Football game day would be complete without the Cowboy Marching Band. They lead the team into Boone Pickens Stadium, entertain the crowd at halftime and hype up fans and athletes alike in between plays. In this episode of the Pokes PodCAS, we talk with 2022-23 Cowboy Marching Band director Dr. Phil Vallejo and two members of the band, Alleyn Campbell and Rosalyn Hodge, who also happen to be College of Arts and Sciences students. Phil, Alleyn and Rosalyn give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it’s like to be part of the Cowboy Marching Band, from auditions to rehearsals to taking the field. Follow the band on Instagram @ostatecmb. Keep up with the College of Arts and Sciences @okstatecas. And check out the Greenwood School of Music @okstatemusic. This episode was hosted by Elizabeth Gosney, CAS marketing and communications manager. It was edited and mixed by Jason Wallace.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Harsha and Kaitlyn Taylor have been selected as Orange Gown Graduates for the May 2023 OSU commencement ceremonies. Harsha, a triple major in geospatial information systems, geography and Spanish, will be wearing the orange gown at the College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony. Taylor, a double major in animal science and political science, will wear the orange gown at the Ferguson College of Agriculture commencement ceremony. If you lost count, that’s five majors between the two of them. Recipients of this honor wear a bright orange robe — only worn by one person from each college at commencement — to acknowledge achievements they made as Oklahoma State University undergraduates. CAS communications coordinator Erin Milek and CAS student intern Allie Putman sat down with both Harsha and Taylor in the latest episode of the Pokes PodCAS. Check out the episode to hear about their OSU experiences and their plans for the future, including a big move to D.C. and becoming the first Space Force Second Lieutenant commissioned from OSU.

On this episode of the Pokes PodCAS, we sit down with Dr. Tommy Poole, associate professor and director of jazz studies at OSU, and OSU students Kyle Fisher and Aidan Evano. We packed a lot into our conversation, including a discussion of the OSU Jazz Orchestra (Kyle and Aidan are members, Dr. Poole is the director), the orchestra’s 2021 album Room 118, a not-so-successful trip to Orlando, Dr. Poole’s connection to Rosemary Clooney, and that all important question: What do you say to someone who doesn’t like jazz? Thanks to OSU grad and composer Dylan Shadoan for the use of his song “Dubious Dachshund” in this episode. You can listen to it and the entire Room 118 album here. Watch and listen to the OSU Jazz Orchestra on their YouTube channel and catch them live on April 8 at LowDown in Tulsa and April 9-10 at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts in Stillwater. (This episode was recorded in January 2023.)

Ever wondered what it’s like to deep sea dive, going miles below the ocean surface to collect micro fossils at the sea floor? Boone Pickens School of Geology professor Dr. Ashley Burkett gives us her firsthand experience of doing just that, including *ahem* how they use the bathroom down there. (“Down there” meaning aboard the Alvin, a deep-sea submersible owned by the U.S. Navy.) An expert in the single-celled organism foraminifera, Dr. Burkett gives us a rundown of her research with enough zeal to convince anyone and everyone to go into the field of geology. She also tells us about her Story of Dinosaurs course, where students combine creativity and the scientific method — and critique Jurassic Park.