Two Stillwater High graduates share the college decisions that landed them close to home at OSU .
I t ’ s game day in Stillwater , and the OSU Marching Band is warming up outside the stadium . Bellowing low notes from the sousaphones bounce off the large brick buildings making it hard to pinpoint the originating location of the sound . Henry Ramsay ’ s third-floor dorm room looks south over Hall of Fame Avenue with a view of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the northeast side of Gallagher-Iba Arena / Boone Pickens Stadium . Henry has his window open , enjoying the fresh air and sounds of campus preparing for the big game .
He ’ s only been on campus for a month , and so far , he is enjoying Bennett Hall , the university ’ s oldest dormitory . Constructed in 1949 , Bennett Hall was considered one of the largest residence halls in the southeast at the time . It houses over 1,000 students . Due to its proximity to sports facilities , most residents are athletes .
“ It ’ s been great so far ,” Henry said . “ Last night , I went to an ice cream social downstairs , and that was pretty fun . Met some of the other people living here .”
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I ’ ve been walking and biking . Everything I need , all my food and everything is pretty much right within like a mile or so of me ,” Anna said . “ I really enjoy my meal plan card . It ’ s like a huge gift card for all the different restaurants on campus . My favorite is a sandwich place at the ( student ) union .
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Henry isn ’ t an athlete , nor is his sister Anna , who , by pure chance , also resides in Bennett Hall . Anna is also part of the Class of 2026 , which holds the record for first-time freshman enrollment , according to OSU , at 4,668-plus students .
Growing up in Stillwater , Anna wasn ’ t so sure how it was going to feel living on campus .
“ I really like it . It feels completely different from the Stillwater that I knew growing up . That was something I was worried about , was that it was gonna feel not new ,” Anna said . “ It was like a switch , that it felt different , and I think it has something to do with the fact that I ’ m not driving everywhere .”
In places like Stillwater , the Oklahoma State University campus is an urban oasis in the rural plains of small-town America . Students that don ’ t come from highly walkable communities quickly notice a campus designed to elicit a sense of place and belonging . Helping new students feel that campus is their new home away from home .
“ I ’ ve been walking and biking . Everything I need , all my food and everything is pretty much right within like a mile or so of me ,” Anna said . “ I really enjoy my meal plan card . It ’ s like a huge gift card for all the different restaurants on campus . My favorite is a sandwich place at the ( student ) union .”
Henry has found his longboard to be the most advantageous form of transportation , allowing him to glide to class while catching some Pokémon on his iPhone . He was also pleasantly surprised by the quality and selection of dining options on campus .
“ I thought the food was gonna be a lot worse ,” Henry said . “ There ’ s this place called the 405 Deli – its menu is done by chef Amanda , who I work with at North Dining ... she ’ s really talented . They ’ ve got sandwiches named after streets in Stillwater , like Monroe and Perkins .”
For anyone that who Henry and Anna ’ s mom Sarah Ramsay , it ’ s no surprise that they both have an appreciation for great food . Both kids spent some of their high school years working in Sarah ’ s restaurant , Good Little Eater , a unique eatery in town .
“( Henry ) knew like right off the bat , he had a lot
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