Blog 8 Media

 Mackenzie Stoops said she likes driving her Jeep because she feels safe in it.

Mackenzie Stoops watching her favorite show, 90210, with her dog Nelle. Stoops said Nelle always watches movies with her before the fall asleep. 

Blog 8

Parent’s jobs always affect their child’s lives, but for this high school student her dad’s job is her life.

Mackenzie Stoops is a sophomore at Norman High. Her father is OU head football coach Bob Stoops.

“My life is organized around football,” Stoops said. “Our family vacations depend on how the season goes and what bowl we get into. The last three years we've been in Arizona on new year’s, I’m ready to go somewhere else.”

Even though the Stoops family is well known around Norman, Mackenzie said her family isn’t that different from anyone else’s.

“My dad comes to as many of my brothers’ games as he can,” Stoops said. “I don’t play any sports but it’s fun going to those games with my parents.”

Stoops turned 16 over the summer and she said her favorite present was her red Jeep Wrangler.

“I guess you could say my parents are protective,” Stoops said. “They literally bought me a tank for my birthday.”

Stoops’ boyfriend, Austin Earley, is also a sophomore at Norman North and said he was very intimidated by Coach Stoops the first time they met.

“I’ve always been scared about coming to Mackenzie’s house,” Earley said. “I grew up an OU can and I always wanted to meet Bob but this wasn't how I imagined it. I’m just glad I’m not an OSU or Texas fan. That would make coming over here pretty awkward.”

Stoops said she was nervous to introduce her parents to Austin, but not nearly as nervous as he was to meet them.

“The first time I ever met her parents was when we were friends in 6 grade,” Earley said.
“Bob was even scarier when I was a foot shorter.”

“My football memories start at OU,” Stoops said. “I can’t even remember when my dad was coaching for Florida. I guess you could say I’ve grown up being an OU girl.”

Stoops said that this season has been one of her favorites now that her uncle Mike is coaching for OU.

“He’s not as scary as he looks on TV,” Stoops said. “It’s been really fun having my cousins around and I know that my dad really likes having him there.”

Stoops said that she has gotten used to the spotlight being on her dad and seeing her family in the media.

“One time I walked into 7’11 and I heard two guys talk about how Bob Stoops was moving,” Stoops said. “I thought they meant out of town so I went up and asked them about it and found out that my parents had just bought the land. It’s weird hearing things that other people know about what my family is doing.”

Blog 7 -- Flu Season

With the cold weather settling in and finals getting closer, the physical effects of stress and late night studying are catching up with students.

“Of course I would get sick the weekend before a big test,” OU junior Faye Womack said. “My professor emailed the power points and notes from lecture to review, but studying at home in bed alone isn’t the same as being in class and going to the review sessions.”

Monday morning Womack said she went into Goddard Health Center to get medicine for a cough that was keeping her up at night and left being diagnosed with the flu.

“Besides the occasional allergy or a bad cough I don’t get sick very often,” Womack said. “At the beginning of last week I started feeling weak and didn’t want to get out of bed. I should’ve realized I was sick when I lost my appetite.”

According to webmd.com, flu season begins in the Fall and lasts through the Spring. Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and often start with the abrupt onset of fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough and body aches.

“I’ve had two appointments at Goddard this week and both times the waiting room was pretty full,” Womack said. “One of my friends I went to the football game with and hung out with Saturday night was there. Hopefully I didn’t get her sick we were sharing things all weekend.”

Womack said her roommate, Camille Sanders, has been avoiding her since she mentioned she wasn’t feeling well.

“I’ve been trying not to go in her room and I won’t drink after her,” Sanders said. “I’d be screwed if I got sick before finals.”

“I feel like getting sick goes along with being young,” Sanders said. “Students focus on school so you don’t pay attention to your health as much as you should.”

Womack said her doctor was worried about her infecting other students so she excused her from class for the rest of the week.

“I hate thinking about how much I’m going to miss this week,” Womack said. “I think getting sick came from a combination of cold weather and long nights. I’m never going to forget to get a flu shot again. Laying in bed all day makes me feel like I’m wasting so much time.”

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Goddard Health Center is promoting flu awareness by handing out hand sanitizers and first aid kits in the South Oval. Flu shots at Goddard are free for students with a valid ID and $25 for all others.

Blog 7 -- Flu Season Video

Blog 6 Video--Ashley Stephens

Blog 6--Ashley Stephens

Until she graduates in May, multitasking has become a way of life for this OU senior as she balances 15 hours of class with a fulltime job.

“My schedule is crazy but I love it,” Ashley Stephens said. “It definitely isn’t easy but I keep reminding myself that all the hours and work I’m putting in now are going to pay off in May when I graduate.”

Stephens is studying accounting and finance at Price College of Business and is an assistant coach for the Chesapeake Swim Club.

“I was swam for ASU for three years then transferred to OU because of a coaching change,” Stephens said. “I stopped swimming because I wanted to focus on school. I’m graduating in May, it’s hard not to worry about getting a job.”

After she graduates, Stephens said she is planning on moving to Seattle, Wash. to work for her dad at Costco’s corporate headquarters.  

“My dad is the Senior VP of Pharmacy for Costco,” Stephens said. “I won’t be working directly for him but I’m applying for jobs in the corporate headquarters.”

Stephens said that while she enjoys coaching, the time commitment and salary are making her question whether or not the job is worth keeping.

“Monday, Wednesday and Saturday I leave my apartment at 5:15 for 6a.m. practice,” Stephens said. “Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I leave straight from class at 2:15. This Tuesday I didn’t get home until 8:30, went straight to the library and didn’t leave until 2a.m. All nighters are normal for me now.”

The Chesapeake Swim Team practices at the OCC Aquatic Center in Oklahoma City. Stephens said she spends over an hour driving to and from practice each day.

One of Stephen’s swimmers, Jessi Hildebrand, said that she really appreciates how much time Stephens spends with them, as she is the only coach available for morning practices.

Another OU senior, Steven Pelitere, is balancing 12 hours of school with his 30-hour workweek as a bartender at Chimy’s on Campus Corner. Since Chimy’s opened in April, Pelitere has worked his way up from checking IDs at the door to training as a manager.

“It’s all about time management, my school and work schedules fit together like puzzle pieces,” Pelitere said. “When I’m not in school I’m working. My boss adjusted my schedule so I could attend office hours every week and still make it to work.”

Because of their ability to efficiently manage time, Stephens and Pelitere both said they are leaving OU feeling confident they will find jobs upon graduation.