Pioneer 2006 07 17

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

• North Korea needs lesson, editorial, p. 2.• Lifeguards make a splash at games, p. 7.• Golfers aim far at summer camp, p. 8.• Film students, take note, p. 10.

July 17, 2006This Week

Inside

Fun in the sun…

Photo by John Savage

Enrollment isdown, diversityon the increase

Personal websites cansend wrong messageBy Holly JonesEditor␣

Years ago, a firm handshake usedto be enough to seal an employ-

ment agreement. These days, some em-ployers want signed contracts while oth-ers even go as far as to conduct back-ground checks that include doing aname search online.

As a result, millions of Americans arepotentially being judged by the accounts

they have at www.MySpace.com andwww.facebook.com, said OCCC CareerSpecialist Debra Vaughn.

All of these websites offer people theopportunity to display their personaltastes and individual character — thingspotential employers might find helpfulin hiring someone.

Some employers might enjoy a websitethat is creatively done, Vaughn said,

See “Websites,” page 12

By Holly JonesEditor

OCCC has seen a steady decline in summer enrollmentin the last few years but no one is really surprised.

Employment is up, said Stu Harvey, Strategic Planning di-rector, and a good economy means fewer people going to col-lege. There is a silver lining, he said.

“The rate of decrease is down, which is good thing,” Harveysaid. “On the credit hour side, it only decreased by one per-cent which we’re hoping shows that it is bottoming out.”

According to the latest numbers, enrollment is down by2.7 percent this summer compared to last summer semes-ter. In 2005, enrollment dropped 3.1 percent from the previ-ous year.

Roughly 5,767 students enrolled in 2005, whereas this se-mester OCCC has 5,606 enrolled, according to the enroll-ment statistics by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness ofOCCC

“Enrollment fluctuates, that is the nature of it,” said OCCCPresident Paul Sechrist. “In Oklahoma, when you have strongemployment, adults generally don’t take as many hours, be-cause they are working.”

Sechrist said high school graduates are declining as well.“The number of graduates from high schools in Oklahoma

is forecast to decline, slightly, for the next few years, thenpick up after that,” Sechrist said.

“This forecast is based on the number of students attend-ing school, which is a function of the number of school agechildren in the state.”

In the meantime, Harvey said, the college is seeing an in-crease among the different cultures represented at OCCC.

African American student enrollment, which had been levelat around 8 percent the past three summer semesters, is upto 9.2 percent this year.

Asian student enrollment also is up this semester from lastsummer’s 7.7 percent to 8.3 percent.

Native American and Hispanic student numbers have in-creased as well although not by as much. Native Americanenrollment is up by .1 percent while Hispanic enrollmentnumbers are up by .2 percent.

Caucasian student enrollment is the only group that expe-rienced a decrease this semester, going from 61.9 percentlast summer to 61.2 percent this summer, according to en-rollment statistics by the Office of Institutional Effectivenessof OCCC.

African-American populationexperiences highest increase with 1.2%

White Water Bay Employees Chris Hillian and Clay Sutton rush to complete theirleg of the aquatic rescue relay competition during the 21st Annual Lifeguard Gamesheld July 7 at White Water Bay. OCCC was represented by three teams, two seniorlifeguard teams and a junior lifeguard team. The college’s Recreation and CommunityServices Department sponsored the event. (For more pictures and a complete story,see page 7.)

See “Enrollment,” page 12

2 • PIONEER • July 17, 2006

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

Vol. 34 No. 39Holly Jones..........................EditorEric Nguyen.................Staff WriterJohn Savage................Staff WriterDavid Miller..................Staff WriterRachel Carlton.............Staff WriterMack Burke..................Staff WriterCarrie Cronk.............PhotographerLavanya Jaganathan...Ad ManagerJeremy Frias..............Online EditorRichard Hall.............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorSue Hinton............Faculty Adviser

The PIONEER is a publica-tion of Oklahoma City Com-munity College through theDivision of Arts and Humani-ties. It is published weeklyduring the fall and spring se-mesters and the eight-weeksummer session.

All opinions expressed arethose of the author and do notnecessarily represent those ofthe publisher.

The PIONEER welcomes let-ters to the editor and encour-ages the use of this publica-tion as a community forum.All letters must include theauthor’s name, address,phone number and signature.However, the PIONEER willwithhold the name if the re-quest is made in writing. ThePIONEER has the right to editall letters and submissions forlength, libel and obscenity.

Letters to the editor can bedelivered to the PIONEER of-fice, mailed to: Pioneer Editor,7777 S. May, Oklahoma City,Oklahoma 73159 or faxed to(405) 682-7843.

Letters may also be e-mailedto [email protected]. A phonenumber for verification mustbe included.

The PIONEER can be ac-cessed on the Internet at:www.occc.edu/pioneer.

Nursing program offersfair shake to applicantsLearn from Cuba

North Korea has been generating a lot of noiseby launching a Taepodong-2 missile, along withsix other rockets, July 4.

The situation is similar to the Cuban Missile Cri-sis of 1962 when the Soviet Union placed missilesin Cuba and aimed them at the United States.

The Taepodong-2 is a three-staged ballistic mis-sile North Korea has been developing since 1987.A ballistic missile is controlled during flight in vari-ous stages, and was developed by Nazi Germanyduring World War II.

The missile launched on July 4 was only in theair for 35 to 40 seconds before falling harmlesslyinto the ocean.

The missile was directed to fly over Japan, whileanother rocket was aimed at an area close to Ha-waii.

In response, President George W. Bush said hewants to rally world opinion before taking actionto stop North Korea’s nuclear testing program.

However, in a Washington Post article, the presi-dent also said, “The problem with diplomacy, ittakes a while to get something done. If you’re act-ing alone, you can move quickly.”

While the president prefers a deliberate answer,a quick move by the United States and its allieswould be more effective, just as former PresidentJohn F. Kennedy handled Cuba in 1962.

To ensure North Korea’s nuclear weapons pro-gram doesn’t get on its feet, a quick and effectivequarantine of the country must take place by theU.S and its allies.

America and its allies will risk more if they don’t,especially with North Korea’s interests of nuclearproliferation shared by Pakistan and Iran.

North Korea claims its missile programs violateno international laws because they are in placeonly to strengthen self-defense.

However, the fact that North Korea is interestedin creating a nuclear program three years after itbacked out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treatyshould make the U.S. even more suspicious.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuba also usedthe excuse that the missiles it had were tostrengthen self-defense.

That didn’t stop Kennedy from organizing a meet-ing with the National Security Council and devis-ing a Naval blockade of Cuba in October 1962.

In November 1962, the Soviet Union removedthe missiles from Cuba, ending any potential threatto the U.S.

Exactly why two Communist nations collabo-rated to install missiles aimed at U.S. soil wasn’tclear until 1992, when it was discovered the Sovi-ets planned to use the missiles if the U.S. invadedCuba.

Exactly why North Korea launched a missileaimed toward Hawaii, and has missiles capable ofreaching Alaska, currently is unclear. But it won’tmatter if the U.S. takes quick action against NorthKorea.

—Eric NguyenStaff Writer

To The editor:The [letter] concerning

“Minorities being slightedin nursing program admis-sion” captured my atten-tion. I have worked with thenursing program at OCCCsince 1993-94, and thereare some things about theprogram that impress mewhen it comes to the ad-mission process.

The first thing that makesan impression on me is theabsence of the interviewprocess. Since there is nointerview process, the op-portunity for a student tobe eliminated based on raceis virtually non-existent.

The second thing that Ilike about the nursing pro-gram admission process isthat everyone who appliesis given the same opportu-nity — to acquire as manypreference points as theycan.

The third thing that I amimpressed with is that theNursing Admissions Com-mittee is a separate entityfrom the Health ProfessionsDivision. That committeemakes recommendationsand decisions concerningthe admissions criteria forall of the Health ProfessionsPrograms (which definitely

includes nursing).Finally, I must mention

the number of studentswho are advised throughthe Office of Advisementand Career Services prob-ably make up a large per-cent of the students whoare admitted into the Nurs-ing Program each semester.

Do we really want to be-gin gathering racial demo-graphics concerning cul-tural populations who ap-ply for the nursing or otherHealth Professions pro-grams?

Do we really want to ini-tiate a quota system on theadmissions for the Nursingor Health Professions pro-grams? At this point I feelthat this process would bemore biased.

I am a black female whotakes an extremely strongstance for fairness andequality. I have not seen thenursing program or otherapplication programs atOCCC slight studentsbased on cultural ethnicity.

I would like to encouragethe writer of the [letter] tomake an appointment withme and we will closely ex-amine how to maximizehis/her preference pointsand look at every option

available at this institutionto become a registerednurse. I respect your rightto privacy so please do notidentify yourself as thewriter of the article.

—Claire D. EcholsStudent Development

Counselor

July 17, 2006 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

‘Life of Pi’ gives fresh spin on the meaning of life

Two’s a crowd but three is ‘Dupree’Sometimes guests can

wear out their welcomeand the end result can bedownright hilarious. Al-though it usually ends ingrief, the new summermovie “You, Me and Du-pree” will have viewers institches.

The film, written by MikeLeSieur and directed byAnthony and Joe Russoshows what can happenwhen best man RandyDupree [Owen Wilson]stays with newlyweds Carl[Matt Dillon] and MollyPeterson [Kate Hudson].

Things take a turn forthe worse after the wed-ding as Dupree loses hisjob and finds himselfsleeping on a cot in the lo-cal bar.

Carl tries to be a goodfriend by allowing Dupreeto stay with them for ashort stint.

This causes tension be-tween the newlyweds andsome funny scenes withDupree.

In one scene, Carl andMolly are leaving for workin the early hours of themorning to find Dupreeface down, naked on thecouch.

Author Yann Martel wrotethis novel to quench histhirst for writing a diverseand exclusive non-fiction.

Hence, the birth of “Lifeof Pi,” a brilliant award-winning and internationalbest-selling novel based ona real-life chronicle that willmake readers believe inGod and value life.

“Life of Pi” might havebeen introduced to the lit-erary world about five yearsago, but it is still worth giv-ing a good dust off, as thisnovel revitalizes readerseach time reading it.

The novel is about PiscineMolitor Patel (Pi), who isnamed after a swimmingpool in Paris.

Pi is the 16-year-old son

With a healthy increase in state appropriations tohigher education and a modest increase in tuition,the financial situation for OCCC is very positive forthe upcoming year. This is good news for our stu-dents.

The significant increase in state support for youreducation allowed us to limit tuition increases to thelowest increase in recent years. At $73 per credithour, OCCC will remain one of the least expensivecolleges in the state of Oklahoma and significantlyless than community colleges in neighboring states.

I also believe that in choosing to attend OCCC, youhave selected one of the best options for college inthe state of Oklahoma.

Just because it is the least expensive, we makesure that you have one of the highest quality learn-ing experiences anywhere in this state.

From the moment you step on our campus, I hopeyou see our commitment to quality service and ex-cellence in the classroom. All of us at OCCC want tosee you succeed in achieving your educational goalwith us.

I want to thank the Legislature, the Oklahoma StateRegents for Higher Education, and the OCCC Boardof Regents, for recognizing that Oklahoma’s futurerests with a continued strong investment in the stu-dents at OCCC.

This positive investment will ensure that OCCC willcontinue to provide excellence — your future is tooimportant to strive for anything less.

Have a great summer semester at OCCC.—Paul Sechrist

OCCC President

of a zookeeper, who prac-tices Hinduism, Christian-ity and Islam, and is a veg-etarian.

The first few chapters de-scribe how Pi faces thechallenge of teaching peo-ple to pronounce his nameproperly, which is a joke tomany.

His parents decide to im-migrate to Canada fromIndia, and board a Japa-nese cargo ship togetherwith some of their zoo ani-mals, but the ship sinksand Pi loses his family.

Before the ship sinks, thecrew throws out a lifeboatfor the survivors.

The survivors onboardwith Pi are Richard Parker(a 450-pound Bengal tiger),

an injured zebra, a hungryhyena and Orange Juice(an orangutan).

Miraculously, after 227days, Pi survives the Pacific

Ocean with Parker and theytouch land in Mexico.

“Life of Pi” is a rousingadventure and inspira-tional novel that serves asa turning point for one tolook at life from outside thebox.

Martel is gifted with thetalent of writing rich, de-scriptive details, and add-ing vital depth to the story.

It feels as though readersare sailing through the ad-venture with Pi.

Martel also includessome amusing moments inhis novel that really makesthe reading captivating.

To some, life is aboutmaking the right decisionto survive with strengthfrom God’s guidance.

With the series of worldevents going on, “Life of Pi”rouses us to examinewhether or not we are mak-ing the right decisions.

The novel reminds usthat appreciating and livinglife to the fullest are wisedecisions to make, as life isshort.

At the completion of thenovel, “Life of Pi” reallygives a fresh meaning tolife, in addition to a newdrive of energy and deter-mination to survive ourvery own Pacific Ocean(life), Parker (challenges)and reach the destinationof success.Rating: 5/5

—Lavanya JaganathanStaff Writer

Whether it’s invitingstrippers over for collegefootball game night or set-ting the couch on fire,Dupree plays a lovable bigdummy.

Carl has to lay down thelaw with Dupree and casthim out of his house onlyto find him later sitting inthe rain with nowhere to go.

The acting in this moviewas nicely executed withplenty of humor and amus-ing scenes.

Hudson did an excellentjob of playing Molly al-though her role was noth-ing mesmerizing.

Dillon and Wilson stolethe show and fit their rolesperfectly.

Compared to some of theother films Wilson hasacted in, this one compareswith “Starsky and Hutch”and “Meet the Parents.”

Seth Rogen, who hasbeen in other comedies like“The 40 Year-Old Virgin,”played a small role but wasa nice supporting charac-ter. His role was limited,but had classic scenes.

This film could easily bethe funniest movie of thesummer and one you willnot want to miss.

Ditch the third wheel andgo watch “You, Me andDupree” today.

Rating: A—John Savage

Staff Writer

Comments and Reviews4 • PIONEER • July 17, 2006

Swashbuckling fun to be had in ‘Pirates’

Ever found yourself thinking,“there’s got to be some better mu-sic out there?”

I’m here to tell you there is.If you’re tired of stagnant,

straight-from-the-mold tunes, thenyou might be ready for the inspiredstylings of the Grateful Dead’s twodisc live CD, “Live in Europe ’72.”

Combining rock, jazz, bluegrass,blues and folk, this album charac-terizes the Dead’s style. They tookthe bones of American music andbrought them to life with innova-tive combinations.

“China Cat Sunflower” is anamazing tonal tapestry and my fa-vorite song on the album. Themelody sticks to your mental fab-ric like Velcro and endears you tothe band. Lyrical references,

stretching from Jack Kerouac toLewis Carroll’s “Through the Look-ing Glass,” add color to the auralmasterpiece.

One of many highlights on thefirst disc is “Brown Eyed Woman,”a popular tune for virgin Dead fansto tune into. Jerry Garcia’s noo-dling guitar licks and emotionally-penetrating vocals make “BrownEyed Woman” a close runner-upfor the best of disc one.

The equally potent second discshowcases some of the GratefulDead’s whimsy and wit. “Mr.Charlie” is a narrative tune, whichhas received variable interpretationover the years.

Like many Dead songs, “Mr.Charlie” features obscure lyricalallusions, thanks to the song-writ-

Grateful Dead’s live album an American classic

Shiver me timbers! Jack Spar-row, played by Johnny Depp, isback in the highly-anticipated “Pi-rates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’sChest.”

In this sequel to 2003’s “Piratesof the Caribbean: The Curse of theBlack Pearl,” Will Turner (OrlandoBloom) and his bride-to-be Eliza-beth Swann (Keira Knightly) areonce again thrust into CaptainJack’s world.

As a consequence of helping Jackescape the gallows, Will and Eliza-beth are arrested on their weddingday. To avoid death, Will makes adeal to find Jack and retrieve hisfamously-broken compass.

Jack, however, is having a crisisof his own, owing a blood debt to

ing talents of lyricist RobertHunter.

Timeless southern classics like“Sugar Magnolia” and “TennesseeJed” round out the second disc ofwhat has to be considered one ofthe best live albums of all time.

Upon his passing, Garcia was re-garded by-former President BillClinton as “an American icon.”

Over 30 years, Garcia and theGrateful Dead have treated fans tomore than a thousand shows, en-dured several lineup changes andremained grateful to the fans thatembraced their music.

“Live in Europe ’72” is a divingboard for those ready to take theleap of faith into amazing music.

—Mack BurkeStaff Writer

the legendary captain of the Fly-ing Dutchman Davy Jones (BillNighy), and Jones has come to col-lect.

Jack’s only hope is to find thechest that contains Jones’ beatingheart and make a trade for his free-dom. Unfortunately for Will, onlyJack’s compass will lead the wayto the chest.

With a running time of approxi-mately two and a half hours, themovie seems to fly by with numer-ous action scenes.

One of the best action scenes in-volves a three-way sword fight be-tween Jack, Will and returningcharacter Commodore Norrington(Jack Davenport) on a giant wheelrolling through the jungle.

Throughout the film, there aremany plotlines and back-stories tokeep up with, which may prove dif-ficult if the viewer is not payingclose attention.

With a solid mix of action, com-edy, drama and romance, themovie is a must-see.

Although “Dead Man’s Chest” isnot as good as the original, (few se-quels are) it is a high-quality moviethat can hold its own.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: DeadMan’s Chest” is rated PG-13 for in-tense sequences of adventure vio-lence, including frightening im-ages.

Rating: A-—Rachel Carlton

Staff Writer

A “Firecracker” was launched July 4 but thisone can’t be found at any fireworks stand.

Directed by Steve Balderson, the DVD release“Firecracker” is based on actual events in whicha resident of a small Kansas town suddenlydisappears.

Mike Patton (vocalist for Faith No More,Fantomas, Tomahawk) portrays David White,an overbearing alcoholic who keeps his motherand brother emotionally captive.

His mother Eleanor, portrayed by Karen Black(House of 1,000 Corpses) is a passive Chris-tian fanatic living in denial by thinking her fam-ily life is free of problems.

Black is a little unconvincing playing the partof a Christian fanatic because she doesn’t ex-press true sincerity when she’s praying.

Given his fame as a musician, most reviews

for this film focus on Patton’s acting ability,but the performance that stands out is JakKendall’s role as Jimmy White, David’s youngerbrother.

Kendall convincingly captures Jimmy’s emo-tional frustration due to his brother’s control-ling nature.

Jimmy dreams of escape and eventually getsthe courage to act on his dreams.

The plot is relatively unoriginal because it’sa typical murder mystery. But the film’s ap-peal lies within its Southern Gothic strange-ness, ominous background music and con-stantly unsettling atmosphere. Many of thefilm’s messages are conveyed through symbol-ism and lingering camera shots.

However, the film isn’t without flaws. Oneaspect of the plot revolves around a girl who

lives in a field, stares at a tree with blue bottleshanging from its branches, and claims the landis screaming at her.

She apparently has psychic powers andknows a crime has been committed. This as-pect of the plot seems to have been includedonly for the sake of its paranormal element,not because it is vital to the story.

The special features on the DVD are minimalwhich consist of the film trailer and director’scommentary. The DVD is presented in DolbyDigital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surroundand a widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

The DVD is unrated due to language, violence,some nudity and disturbing scenes.

Rating: B —David Miller

Staff Writer

Indie film ‘Firecracker’ offers ominous tale of trust


By Mack BurkeStaff Writer

A Spanish professor whogrew up in Oklahoma willreturn this fall to teach full-time at OCCC.

Trilingual Professor Gin-nett Rollins will teach threebeginning-level Spanishcourses beginning in Au-gust and a conversationalSpanish course in Octoberfor the Fall semester.

Rollins applied for the po-sition in March after spend-ing six years as an assis-tant Spanish professor atAsbury College in Wilmore,Ky.

In an e-mail interview,Rollins said it was hard toleave Kentucky where shesaid she enjoyed a highlevel of interaction with her

students.Rollins said she was origi-

nally drawn to Kentuckyafter meeting friends in theNavy.

“The people of Kentuckyare as warm and friendly asOkies and Texans,” Rollinssaid. ␣ ␣ ␣

As hard as it was for herto leave Kentucky, Rollinssaid, she has good reasonsfor wanting to come backto Oklahoma.

“I grew up in OKC, andmost of my family lives inor around Oklahoma City,”she said.

“I sought a position atOCCC in order to be withmy father, who suffers fromParkinson’s disease andheart disease,” she said. “Iwant to help my sister carefor our aging father.”

Rollins studied at five dif-ferent universities, includ-ing the University of Okla-homa, Texas Tech Univer-sity and other universitiesoutside of the UnitedStates.

She worked for nine years

as a Special Duty Crypto-logic Officer until she washonorably discharged as alieutenant in 1989.

The former Naval lieuten-ant described her dawningfascination for language.

“I believe that I have hadan inclination toward lan-guage learning since Iheard the Beatles’ ballad‘Michelle’ in the early ’60sand watched Westernssprinkled with Spanishwords,” Rollins said.

Ginnett Rollins

She originally wanted tostudy French, but shelearned Spanish first.

Rollins said she likes tofocus on finding differentways to teach the language.

“I try to help each studentgain the confidence anddesire to do his or her bestin Spanish, even thoughlanguage study may not behis or her cup of tea.”

Staff Writer Mack Burkecan be reached at [email protected].

“I sought a position at OCCC in order to bewith my father, who suffers from Parkinson’sdisease and heart disease. I want to help my

sister care for our aging father.”—Ginnett Rollins

Spanish Professor

Bursar’s Office adds furniture, strengthens lookBy Edgar Otero-ChaparroNews Writing Student

Students will have new chairs tosit in while waiting to pay forclasses in the Bursar’s Office.

On Monday, July 10, theBursar’s office received its first setof furniture since its creation inApril 2002.

The upgrade is part of thecollege’s effort to strengthen itsprofessional image, said GaryLombard, Human Resources andSupport Services vice president.

“We want the office environmentto reflect the same level of excel-lence that the students can expectin the customer service they receivein the Bursar’s Office,” Lombardsaid.

The approximately $11,000 pur-chase furnished the entire office’ssix spaces with dark cherry wooddesks, computer desks, filing cabi-nets, bookshelves, and black andteal waiting area chairs, BursarBrandi Henson said.

The furniture was placed July 10while the staff continued working.

“It was business as usual,”Henson said.

Because the office receives suchheavy student traffic and performsmany internal departmental func-tions for the college, Henson said,“It is important that we try to makeit comfortable and nice for anyone.”

Henson, who has worked at the

college for 16 years and has beenthe Bursar since 2002, said theoffice never had new furniture.

Discarded furniture from otherremodeled areas was what the of-fice began with, Henson said.

“We went through the trailers fullof basically trashy discarded fur-niture and found the desks thatweren’t wobbly and chairs thatweren’t broke,” Henson said. “Justwhatever we could to get by.”

She said the Bursar’s Office nolonger has to manage using cabi-nets that did not lock and drawersthat did not open all the way.

She said one employee who hasbeen working in the office for threeyears worked at a table withoutdrawers. She now has a new deskwith drawers.

Henson said she made the re-quest for the new furniture afterseeing how much new furniturewould cost and looking to see whatother departments had.

Lombard, who approved the re-quest, said funds for the purchasewere pulled from various areas heis accountable for.

No student fees were used, hesaid.

Henson said some of the fundsused were left over from last year’sbudget to hire temporary officeemployees.

Since the funds were for thosesalaries and not all expended at theend of last year, a request was

needed to move the funds over forpurchasing, she said.

“We were all perfectly under-standing if we were not able to doit and knew that was a possibil-ity,” Henson said. “I’m thrilled todeath that we were able to get this

approved.”Henson said the staff also was

pleased to have the new furniture.“It’s fantastic. Hopefully the stu-

dents will be satisfied, not just us,”said Ralph deCardenas, studentaccounts coordinator.

Photo by Carrie Cronk

New furniture was moved into the Bursar’s Office July 10. The new desks,filing cabinets and chairs replace ones that weren’t working properly.

Oklahoman returns to teach at college


Proposal would reduce math for pre-ed majorsBy Madison WithersNews Writing Student

Starting this fall, newpre-education majors mayneed only six credit hoursof math to earn their asso-ciate degree if a proposal byMultidivisional ProgramsDirector Bertha Wise is ap-proved.

This may make it easierfor students who want to beteachers to graduate, andmay increase the numberof program graduates.

Wise said she believesthis proposal will mostlikely pass.

“If there had been any

question or problem wewould have heard by now,”Wise said.

Each university has dif-ferent courses they requirein order to graduate.

Wise said the new pro-gram allows students tochoose math courses ap-propriate for their univer-sity of choice.

The Pre-Education Pro-gram has always required12 credit hours of math toprepare students for trans-ferring into educationalprograms at universities,Wise said.

She said the problemwith this requirement is

OCCC cannot offer enoughcourses to satisfy the dif-ferent requirements at uni-versities such as the Uni-versity of Oklahoma, theUniversity of Central Okla-homa, and the University ofSciences and Arts of Okla-homa.

This causes many stu-dents to forgo the educationdegree and pursue otheroptions, she said.

“[Students] often changedto diversified studies tograduate,” Wise said.

Over the years, Wise said,there has been a trendwhere pre-education ma-jors have taken their math

courses at universities andtransferred the credits backto OCCC. Not transferringthe credits would result inbeing unable to receive adegree.

Student DevelopmentCounselor Mary Turnersaid one of the reasonsWise initiated the programwas because it was confus-ing for students.

“Not many (students)

“Not many (students) were able to get throughthe program successfully.”

—Mary TurnerStudent Development Counselor

were able to get through theprogram successfully,”Turner said.

Wise said pre-educationmajors who declared theirmajor prior to this year alsocan benefit from thechange.

She said students canask to be placed under thenew requirements by re-questing to be put underthe 2007 catalog.

By Shu NakaoNews Writing Student

A student’s car was bro-ken into last week and herstereo stolen, according toSafety and Security inci-dent reports.

Student Jenny Mathesreported to Safety and Se-

Parking lot woes plagued students last weekcurity that her ChevroletCavalier was broken intoand her JVC brand CD ste-reo was missing.

According to the report,Mathes parked her car inparking lot A about 2 p.m.and returned around 4:30p.m. to find one of the pas-senger-side windows bus-

ted in.Scott Stetson, campus

security officer, said a chop-shop ring was broken upthree months ago and ve-hicle theft has dropped dra-matically but that doesn’tmean vigilance has ceased.

According to another in-cident report, recent park-ing lot renovations damageda student’s vehicle lastweek, when a piece of pave-ment filler came loose and

scratched her vehicle.Student Kery Olea re-

ported property damage toher car July 6, after park-ing in parking lot A.

According to the report,Olea parked her 1999Honda Accord in a newly-sealed and patched park-ing spot. A piece of thepatching, embedded withrocks, stuck to her tire, andsubsequently left scratchesand tar marks as shebacked out.

Olea said there were nocaution signs indicating afreshly-paved patch nearwhere she parked.

Jay Boyle, A-Tech Pavingproject manager and theparking pavement contrac-tor, said this is the firstcase reported of a piece ofpavement filler coming looseand damaging a car.

Damage estimates werenot available at press time,but Boyle said his companywill take care of the dam-age.

Boyle said the high heatof the day must have soft-ened the rubber-like mate-rial used to fill cracks in thepavement, and caused it tostick to the student’s tire.

Place an ad inthe Pioneer!

For moreinformation,call 405-682-

1611, ext.7674 or e-mail

[email protected].


Lifeguards hitthe bay to playcollege gamesBy John SavageStaff Writer

The college’s three lifeguard teams fellshort of taking first place at this year’s

Lifeguard Games July 7.Held at White Water Bay and sponsored by

OCCC, 17 senior and 13 junior lifeguard teamswent head-to-head in various events during thegame’s 21st annual competition.

The college had two senior teams, the Fan-tastic 4+2 and Supermen Featuring Women,that placed 11th and 13th respectively.

OCCC’s junior team, Lazy Boy and the Rock-ing Recliners, placed 12th in the event.

More than 150 junior and senior guards gath-ered to showcase their skills for judges andspectators at the OCCC-sponsored event.

The games started with the Iron Guard chal-lenge, in which guards made their way throughan obstacle course. The lifeguard with the besttime won.

Another event was Spinal Injury Manage-ment, which involved guards transporting aninjured victim to safety.

After safely moving the victim, guards movedon to a Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitationdummy and performed CPR in front of a judge.The judges looked for technique, skill, speedand precision when judging the events.

One of the junior guards who participated wasCasey Alexander, 12.

“It’s been pretty fun and I will probably makeit back next year,” Alexander said.

Katie Schwartz, 12, said there were severalrules the guards had to watch for so they donot get penalized.

“You can’t run or otherwise [judges] wouldtake away points, and when you go up the stairsyou have to hit every step,” Schwartz said.

Another one of the events was the Swim-Tow-Rescue.

It involved inner tubes and rescuing drown-ing victims in the wave pool.

Senior guard Chris Heasley was competingin one leg of the competition.

“I jumped in and took the appropriate ap-proach [toward the drowning victim],” Heasleysaid.

Heasley said the drill is judged on how wellthe rescuer controls the victim and uses thecorrect safety procedure to pull victims to theside of the pool.

Another activity in the wave pool was RescueRelay, which called for teams to use an entrytechnique known as beach entry to rescue adrowning victim.

The team then had to move the victim to thesandy area and go through various drills,checking vital signs and performing other ma-neuvers like arm slings, CPR and checking forhead trauma.

(Left) OCCC senior lifeguards participatedin the Lifeguard Games held at White WaterBay July 7. From left are: Tracy Lister,Jesse Dages, Ryoichi Dowling, JacindaCummins, Ryan Stewart, Natasha Myers,Cody Spaulding, Ian Hoffman, LaurenPatrick, Chris Cavin and Shaina Cummins.

(Right) Lifeguards Chris Ullsmith andCameron Shear race to find bits of

water hose buried in the sand during thePick-up-sticks competition.

Photo by LaWanda LaVarnway

Photo by Carrrie Cronk

OCCC lifeguard Shaina Cummins pulls her teammate Tracy Lister from the pool during a competition atthe 21st annual Lifeguard Games hosted by the OCCC Recreation and Community Services Office July 7at White Water Bay.

Photo by LaWanda LaVarnway


Sports

Golfers swing for the green at summer camp

•July 24-28: Ages 9 to 11, andages 12 to 14 will have a chanceto learn the game of chess. Reg-istration and payment must bemade by the previous Thursday.Camp is from 8 a.m. to noon,Monday through Friday. The costis $60. For more information,contact Community Educationand Health Coordinator JackPerkins at 405-682-1611, ext.7205.

•July 31-Aug 4: Care and Pre-vention of Athletic Injuries will behaving a two credit hour courseand is designed to provide thephysical education teacher,coach and athletic training stu-dent with an introduction to theprevention, recognition and treat-ment for common athletic inju-ries. Experience will be gained inbasic taping skills. The class isfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday. Non-OCCC stu-dents must pay a $25 registra-tion fee. Per credit hour cost is$73 and must be enrolledthrough admissions.

•Aug 1-31: Time to hit the matand work on the problematic ar-eas of your body. Pilates willlengthen, invigorate and ener-gize your body. Most exercisesare done on the mat with empha-sis on body alignment. Pilates isa great way to work the abdomi-nal areas. Class is four weeksand for OCCC students it cost$20 for non students the cost is$60.

•Aug 8-29: Learn to relax andstretch your stresses away.Hatha Yoga will be taught onTuesdays and can help you feelbetter, look better, and performbetter. Gain elasticity, strength,flexibility, firmness and build selfreliance and inner peace thisclass is four weeks and the costis $60. Registration can be madethrough admissions.

For more informationon sport camps, visit

www.occc.edu/rcs


Darcy Dean, 12, and Madison Burch, 12, practice their swing during the golfcamp session July 11. The golf camp for 12 to 14 year olds ran July 10 to 14.The campers also had a chance to practice on Oklahoma State University’sOklahoma City campus par three golf course.

•Got sportsnews? Give

John theheads up at

405-682-1611, ext.

7440•

By John SavageStaff Writer

Familiar faces were swinging theirons at this year’s golf summercamp at OCCC.

Coach Fred Bost, from WesternHeights Junior High School, wasback this summer for his sixth yearof coaching at the OCCC golf camp.

Bost said he was pleased aboutthis year’s campers and what heexpects to be one of the best campsthat he has been involved with.

“This group (of campers) is themost advanced group I have hadyet in six years, and I’m verypleased,” Bost said.

Golf camp ran from Monday toFriday. Each camper needed tobring his or her own clubs butmany of the practice balls wereprovided.

Several campers repeated fromlast year.

Aidan Couture has attended thegolf camp for three consecutiveyears and enjoys the drills thatBost prepares for the golfers.

“I have played [golf] with mygrandmother and my cousins,”Couture said.

He said he looked forward toplaying on the Oklahoma StateUniversity Oklahoma City campusgolf course and maybe even hittinga hole-in-one.

“Hmm, maybe, maybe not,”Couture said.

Another player who knew his wayaround the greens was NickPallotta.

Pallotta, returning for his secondyear, said he hopes this year’scamp will help him with his game.

“[OCCC campers] have beendoing some pitching and chipping,and it’s been pretty fun,” Pallottasaid.

He said he had been hitting thelinks before the camp started withhis father.

“We had the father-son golftournament, and we got first place,Pallotta said. “Me and my dadplayed best ball and we shot fiveunder.”

He said he has been playing a lotof golf this summer with his dadand they have been hitting the golfcourse about two times a week.

Pallotta said some areas of hisgame need improvements when itcomes to shots around the greens

using his wedges and chips.“It’s pretty much my short game,”

Pallotta said.Another golfer who was back for

more chips and putts at this year’scamp was José Gambarelli.

“I am playing golf this year so Iwanted to train so, that way, Icould go out with my dad,” Gambarelli said.

“I have actually beaten him.”Bost said the campers would be

learning some of the basics ofputting, chipping, mid-irons anddriving drills. At the end of theweek they will have a smalltournament at OSU/OKC.

This year’s camp had an averageof two girls and six boys, com-parable to last year’s camp.Golfers, ages 9 to 11, will begincamp July 17.

For more information, callCoordinator of Community Edu-cation and Health Jack Perkins at

405-682-1611, ext. 7205, or call405-682-1611, ext, 7860, or visitvisitvwww.occc.edu/rcs.

Staff Writer John Savage can bereached at [email protected].

“We had a father-son golf tournament, and we got firstplace. Me and my dad played best ball and we shot five

under.”—Nick Pallota

OCCC Golf Camper

UPCOMING OCCC

INTRAMURALSEVENTS


Theater department loses professor to promotionBy Henry BentonNews Writing Student

Students who havesigned up for classes withTheater Professor RuthCharnay may see a differ-ent person lead the class.

Charnay was promoted toan administrative post andwill likely not be teachingher regular classes this fall.

This has left the collegescrambling to fill her vacantpost by August.

Charnay is traveling andwas unavailable for com-ment.

She will serve in a newposition on campus as

Sweet summer rain

Heavy storms with high winds and torrential rainfall hit the college duringthe afternoon of July 10. Several people were caught unaware by theweather, although some came prepared with umbrellas.


By Carrie CronkStaff Writer

An OCCC staff member is run-ning for a seat in the ChickasawNation Tribal Legislature.

Career Guidance office CareerSpecialist Debra Vaughn said sheis running for Seat One in thePontotoc District for the tribe.

She is running against incum-bent Holly Easterling and chal-lenger Heath Allison.

“This is my first run [foroffice],” Vaughn said.

“I want to help theChick-asaw people andthe communities they livein.”

Vaughn said, if elect-ed,she will work to improvehealth care, education,employment and willwork to protect tribal sov-ereignty and to preservethe history and culture of theChickasaw people.

She said she plans to help im-prove education by working to in-crease the funding for scholarshipprograms available through thetribe, as well as other programsavailable through public schools inthe communities that fall withintribal boundaries.

Vaughn said the tribe is currentlyenjoying economic prosperity.Much of the tribe’s economy is fu-eled by gaming initiatives but theyalso are expanding into other busi-

Ruth Charnay

Staff memberto run for office

ness ventures including Bedre’Fine Chocolates, located in PaulsValley, two radio stations and theChickasaw Times newspaper.

Vaughn said she hopes to helpexpand the tribe’s businesses andbring more diversity to both.

She said tribal sovereignty issuesalso affect economic developmentand said she will work to preservethe tribe’s history and culture.

“It’s a big challenge, the languagepart, because for many years you

were punished if youspoke your tribal lan-guage,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn said there areno term limits and termslast for three years.There are elections heldannually to fill openspots.

Chickasaw voters willvote by mail. Ballots willbe counted on Aug. 22

with the results being announcedthat afternoon.

Vaughn said the ballots aremailed because some citizens liveoutside the 13 counties that com-prise the Chickasaw nation.

Vaughn hasn’t expressed inten-tions to run for office in the futurebut said anything is a possible.

“If I can serve, and something ap-pears or becomes available ... Iwould consider it,” she said.

Staff Writer Carrie Cronk can bereached at [email protected].

Debra Vaughn

chair of thenewly-formedCommunica-tions and Artsdepartment.

Susan Van-Schuyver, Artsand Humani-ties dean, saidthe theater de-partment is notvery active dur-ing the summer, so the im-pact of this move won’ttruly be felt until the fall.

The dean seems optimis-tic in her efforts to fill theposition, “Miracles happen.We’re hoping for the best,”VanSchuyver said. The hir-

ing period forpublic schoolsusually begins inMarch and mostvacancies arefilled by earlyMay.

“So much of lifeis timing,” Van-Schuyver said af-ter describing theopening.

The deadline to apply forthe position is July 21.Van-Schuyver said shehopes to fill the vacancy byAug. 14.

If this position isn’t filledby August the most likelysituation will be to hire

more adjuncts to directsome of the plays next year.An adjunct is a part-timeemployee hired by the col-lege to teach and directwithin the department.

VanSchuyver said shedoesn’t foresee Charnay’spromotion as a potentialproblem for theater stu-dents.

The theater department

usually puts on four playsa year, two directed by thetheater professor and twoby the adjuncts.

Matt Boggs, OCCC stu-dent, said he looks forwardto next years productions.

“I really enjoyed lastsemester’s plays, Boggssaid. “I’ll be interested tosee how the new leadershipchanges the department.”

“I really enjoyed last semester’s plays. I’ll beinterested to see how the new leadership

changes the department.”—Matt Boggs

OCCC Student

10 • PIONEER • July 17, 2006

HighlightsGrandparents raising grandchildren workshop

The Child Development Center and Lab School willpresent a free workshop on grandparents raising grand-children. The workshop will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m., July19, at the South Oklahoma City Chamber of CommerceConference Room, 701 S.W. 74th Street. For more infor-mation, contact CDCLS Lab Supervisor Lee Ann Nurdinat 405-682-1611, ext. 7423.

College representatives to be at Transfer CenterStop by the red panel at the bottom of the stairs in the

main foyer to meet with college representatives and planyour future. University of Central Oklahoma rep availablefrom 8 a.m. to noon, Monday, July 17; St. Gregory’s, 9a.m. to noon, and University of Oklahoma, 10 a.m. to 1p.m., Tuesday, July 18; Oklahoma City University, 11 a.m.to 2 p.m., and Regis University (Denver) 2 to 6 p.m.,Wednesday, July 19; and Langston University, 10 a.m. to2 p.m., Thursday, July 20.

Psychology/Sociology Club having fund-raiserThe Psychology/Sociology Club will have a snow cone

and lemonade stand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 18 and21, near the main entrance of the Main Building. For moreinformation, contact Club President Laurie Thornton at 405-420-3492.

Crossroads Cathedral Car and Motorcycle ShowThe Second Annual Crossroads Cathedral Car and

Motorcycle Show will occur from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 29,at the Crossroads Cathedral, 8901 S. Shields, in OklahomaCity. All show vehicles are welcome. There’s an entry feeof $15 with three top prizes. For more information, contactBrandon at 405-634-1495, ext.150.

William P. Willis scholarship availableThe $2,000 William P. Willis scholarship is available in

the office of Recruitment and Admissions. Applicants mustbe an Oklahoma resident, a full-time student for the falland spring semesters with an income less than $32,000per year. Deadline for the scholarship is Aug. 4.

Baptist club to attend retreat in New MexicoStudents from the United States and Canada will meet

Aug. 5 through 11 at the Glorieta Large Conference Cen-ter near Santa Fe, N.M. The cost is $225. A $50 deposit isrequired. The cost includes travel, registration, food andlodging. For more information, contact Sponsor MikeBarnett at the Baptist Collegiate Ministries office at 405-323-0583.

Absolute 2007 now accepting submissionsSubmissions are being accepted for the 2007 Absolute

publication. OCCC’s journal of literature, art and photog-raphy is published annually each spring. Submissionsshould be sent to the Arts and Humanities division office.For more information, contact English Professor ClayRandolph at [email protected].

STEP program taking requests for student workersThe STEP program assists students in finding work-study

and non-work-study campus jobs. If funds are availableand you need a student to work in your department, submita request via People Admin-istration. Students can applyfor jobs online at www.occcjobs.com. For more information,contact Human Resources Specialist Karen Schmidt at405-682-1611, ext. 7398.

Tulsa film company holds contest


Retreat paperwork

By David MillerStaff Writer

Dust off your movie cam-eras OCCC film students,it’s time for the First AnnualVideo Communications In-corporated Short Film Con-test.

Tulsa-based home videocompany, VCI Entertain-ment is conducting a state-wide short film contest forsemi-pros and amateurs.

There is no entry fee andfilms can revolve aroundthe following genres: docu-mentary, horror, fantasy,sci-fi, animation and action.

The judges, who will con-sist of film critics and VCIemployees, will judge en-tries based on content, per-formance, originality andcinematography, accordingto competition rules.

Once all the entries havebeen received, judges willpick five entries as winners.

Films should be kept atan R rating or below, pref-erably with no nudity orexcessive violence due tothe possibility of other win-

ning entries being familyfilms or documentaries.

“We’re open with [filmcontent], but some of themovies we’ve got in are puregore,” said VCI Public Re-lations director Chris Rowe.

Exceptions may be al-lowed on a case-by-casebasis as determined byVCI, according to the com-petition rules.

The winning films will besold as a compilation DVDon the VCI website as wellas major Internet retailerssuch as www.amazon.comand www.target.com, Rowesaid.

“It’s an opportunity forwinners to be noticed,”Rowe said. “Maybe get theirfoot in the door.”

Entries are to be indepen-dently produced, with nocopyrighted material usedwithout written consent,which includes music andpreviously released scripts.

If consent of copyrighteditems is obtained, a copy ofthe consent form must beincluded along with thefilmmaker’s entry, accord-

ing to official rules.The cost of a short film

can vary, depending onwho acts in the film and theamount of special effects.

“You can make a shortfilm for as little as $30 to$40 or up to a couple thou-sand dollars,” said Mike“Sarge” Tate, OCCC filmequipment manager.

The format for entries canbe VHS, DVD, DVD-R orCD-ROM.

OCCC has editing facili-ties open to any film stu-dent.

“We’ve got an Avid Lab inthe upstairs library,” Tatesaid.

The deadline for entries isSept. 30 with the winnersbeing announced the fol-lowing week.

For complete rules andan application, go to www.vcientertainment.com orcontact Rowe at [email protected] with“short film contest” as thee-mail subject.

Staff Writer David Millercan be reached at [email protected].

Environmental Club President Jessica Austin fills out a registration form for the StudentLeadership Retreat, which will be held from Aug. 11 to 13 at the Quartz Mountain Lodge inLone Wolf, Okla.

July 17, 2006 • PIONEER • 11

Class ifi eds

FOR SALE: 2004 dark grayChrysler Sebring. CD player,power everything, tinted windows,alloys. 68k miles, warranty 3 moreyears. Beautiful car, 29 mpg.$13,000 OBO. Call Bryttney 364-8905.

FOR SALE: 1999 VW GLSPassat. Loaded, 1.8L Turbo en-gine, tan leather interior, darkgreen exterior, heated seats,tiptronic transmission, tint, sunroof, 6-disc changer, non-smoker,and well maintained. Great car for$9,000. Please call 473-0129.

FOR SALE: 1995 Mercury Vil-lager van. 208,000 miles. Runsbut needs some work. Body andinterior are in good shape. Asking$1,000 OBO. Please call 229-3810 for more info.

FOR SALE: 1995 Nissan 300ZX, 2+2, green, automatic.102,500 mi. Features include: tint,alarm, CD player, keyless entry.$6,800 OBO. Call 624-2412 formore info.

FOR SALE: 1994 Cadillac Se-ville SLS. Emerald green, whiteleather, 120K miles. $1,500 firm.Call Scott 314-4935.

FOR SALE: 1991 Ford 4-doorCrown Victoria. A/C, power steer-ing, good transmission, great en-gine. Body has damage and needswork. Asking $900. Please callMike at 603-5263.

Pioneer Classified Advertisingis free to all currently enrolledOCCC students and employeesfor any personal classified ad.Ads must be submitted in writ-ing with IDs supplied or workarea and college extension in-cluded. Deadline for advertis-ing is 5 p.m., Tuesday prior tothe publication date. For moreinformation, call 405-682-1611,ext. 7674, or fax 405-682-7843.

FREE: Two 4-year-old outdoorbrother dogs. 1/2 Springer Span-iel and 1/2 English Setter. Healthy,well-trained, friendly and all-weather adaptable. Please call749-9979.

FOR SALE: Two adorable 12-week-old male kittens. Handraised, litter trained, first set ofshots and neutered. Beautifulone-year-old female, Siamesemix, spayed and all shots. $50each. Needs good home. Pleasecall 503-7619.

FOR SALE: 3 silver metal/frosted glass end tables, $150.3 silver metal/glass desk with 4separate matching file cabinets,$150. For pictures and info [email protected].

FOR SALE: Large 9-drawerwood dresser w/ mirror. Old but ingood shape. $50 OBO. Very largeexecutive desk, 4 drawers solidwood, good shape. $50 OBO. CallLaurie 420-3492.

FOR SALE: Sofa, Beige w/ flo-ral. Very sturdy, $80. Two endtables, dark finish, $50. Diningroom table, $30. Please callDeborah 685-6555 after 6 p.m.

FOR SALE: BIO 1314 A & P I(Human Anatomy & PhysiologyStudy Guide, 6th Ed.) brand new/never used $30. BUS 1323 Mathfor Business Careers (Contem-porary Math for Business & Con-sumers w/cd, 4th Ed.) brand new/never used $50. FIN 1013 Per-sonal Finance (Personal Financew/cd, 7th Ed.) like new/ used once$90 OBO. REL 1113 Real EstatePrinciples (Modern Real EstatePractice, 16th Ed.) like new/ usedonce $30. Contact Amy at 820-6263 or 682-1611, ext. 7770.

FOR SALE: Presario Compaq266x notebook model 1235. Word2003, internet ready. Very goodcondition. $200 OBO. Please callEric at 682-1611, ext. 7786 or326-0868.

FOR SALE: Dell Inspiron 6000laptop with Intel Centrino and HPAll-in-one printer/scanner/copier.$750 OBO. Call 650-3802 forspecs.

HOUSE FOR RENT: Shadow-lake Addition, off Pennsylvania,between S.W. 89th and S.W.104th. 3 bedroom, 1 3/4 baths, 2-car garage. For more information,please call 822-1717.

FOR SALE: Women’s size-7white gold diamond engagementring. Princess cut w/ diamond ac-cents, asking $500. Size 13/14black prom dress $30, size 11/12red prom dress with black sheermaterial over it so it appears deepred, beading all over $75. Size 10seashell pink wedding dress withlace and beading $100. CallKristina 250-8919 or e-mail forpictures at [email protected].

FOR SALE: His & hers wed-ding/engagement set. Hers:Round 1/3 carat diamond solitaireset in white gold w/ yellow goldaccents and matching white goldband, recently appraised $750.Selling with men’s white gold band,(heavy in weight). Asking $425 forall. E-mail [email protected] more info and pictures or call694-9243.

FOR SALE: Sparkling 5 prin-cess cut diamonds in white goldring. Appraised at $6,135. Asking$1,500. For pictures and moreinfo e-mail [email protected].

FOR SALE: Looking for some-one to take over “At the Beach”contract. 1 1/2 years left includesall beds & mystic tan. Unlimitedtans. If interested please call 850-1240 and leave a message.

FOR SALE: Snow-Cone stand.New paint, new counter tops, haseverything except ice shaver.Ready to plug in and go. Asking$1,200. Please call 301-0031 formore info.

FOR SALE: GE Nautilus Dish-washer, black, 2 cycle, like new$100. Call 794-2078 for more de-tails.

FOR SALE: 18” Halo BlastChrome wheels. 4 wheels, 3 tires.5 bolt pattern. $600 OBO. Pleasecall 921-2691.

FOR SALE: Klipsch RF-3II floorstanding loud speakers, $700 forpair (includes Monster SpeakerCables). Klipsch RC-3II centerspeaker, $230 (includes MonsterSpeaker Cables). 12 cu. ft. Frigidaire chest freezer, $150. Futon(black) $50. Call 680-7513 or 550-4866.

FOR SALE: Two Direct TV Sat-ellite Receivers w/ remotes andone Direct TV Satelite Dish, sell-ing all three as a set. All about twoyears old and in good workingcondition. $75 OBO. Call Laurie420-3492.

FOR SALE: A stackable wash-er and dryer. Not new. Asking$200. Please call 949-0974 formore info.

WANT TO BUY: Used electricgolf cart in excellent running con-dition. Please call 692-0177.

LICENSEDCHRISTIAN

HOME DAY CAREDHS approved,

11 years experience,meals included,lots of TLC and

references available.Please call

405-740-5535. Monday through

Friday,7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

IT PAY$ TOADVERTI$E

IN THEPIONEER!

I T ’ S F R E E ! ! !I T ’ S F R E E ! ! !

All currently enrolledOCCC students and

employees: place yourclassified ad in the

Pioneer.It’s FREE!

Act now by calling405-682-1611,

ext. 7674, fax us at

405-682-7843or e-mail

[email protected].

12 • PIONEER • July 17, 2006

while others are more inter-ested in the content.

The fact that potentialemployers are looking forany indicators to a person’scharacter hasn’t escapedformer student ChristinaTran’s attention.

“I had been hearing thatfuture employers were us-ing MySpace, Facebookand [other personal sites] todo research on potentialemployees, so I went aheadand wrote a very short let-ter addressed to potentialemployers on MySpace.”

Tran said it was meant tobe both funny and seriousat the same time.

“I also took this as anopportunity to say that Iwould make a perfect em-ployee,” she said.

“Honestly, I just thoughtit was another way to grabmy potential employers’ at-tention.”

Vaughn said, currently,the trend to check personalwebspaces seem to bemainly affecting the eastand west coasts but trendsdo spread.

Lindsey McMurray, Hu-man Resources Specialistfor Nextep, said her com-

pany might eventually go inthat direction.

“We run a [Social Secu-rity number] verification,criminal records check anda [Department of Motor Ve-hicles] prior check,” Mc-Murray said.

“We have never beenasked to do a backgroundcheck on MySpace orFacebook.

“It came up in a meetinglast week that we might ifa company asks us to.”

Loree McMahan, recruit-ment manager for IntegrisHealth, said her companyoften goes to these web-sites, and said while it isnot an official part of theirhiring process, people stillneed to be aware of howthey represent themselves.

“It is an open record forall individuals,” she said. “Itis human nature not to for-get what we see.

“People need to be care-ful of what they share withthe public.”

Other area employers,including OCCC, say theyhaven’t gone in that direc-tion and don’t have anyimmediate plans to.

Instead, many metro em-ployers look more intocriminal background ra-ther than what is on theInternet.

Gary Lombard, vice presi-dent for Human Resourcesand Support Services, saidOCCC goes through theOklahoma State Bureau ofInvestigations for back-ground checks and is ex-panding through a third

Students should think about employers when designing sites

Latest enrollment numbers show slight summer semester decrease

“I’m glad to see more mi-nority students enrolling atthe college,” said LaurieThornton, psychology ma-jor. “It proves that ourschool promotes diversityand welcomes everyonewith open arms, no mattertheir background or race.”

The median age hasdropped from 25 in 2003 to22 in 2005, mainly, Harveysaid, because OCCC hasseen an increase in concur-rently-enrolled students —those who are simulta-neously enrolled in bothhigh school and collegecourses.

One thing that has re-

“Enrollment,”Cont. from page 1

“Websites,”Cont. from page 1

mained fairly steady overthe years is the female tomale ratio, Harvey said.

“The female to male ratio

has been pretty level for thelast few years at about 60percent female to 40 per-cent male,” Harvey said.

Sechrist is encouraged bythe diversity he sees.

“We want to make surewe are serving all the stu-

dents who want to comehere,” he said.

Editor Holly Jones can bereached at [email protected].

LEGEND: 1 - African American, 2 - Asian, 3 - Caucasian, 4 - Hispanic, 5 - Native American, 6 - NativeHawaiian/Pacific Islander, 7 - Other/Unknown

party.He said the college has no

plans to go through theInternet as a source.

Tran was asked if shewould ever hire someonebased on their personalwebsite.

“I would use [the] site asa resource but not solelydepend on it,” she said.

“From my own experi-ence, words and picturescan only say so much.”␣

Editor Holly Jones can bereached at [email protected].

Pictured is a screenshot of MySpace, a community-based website dedicated to peer-to-peernetworking. Employers sometimes use websites like MySpace and Facebook to researchpossible future employees before hiring them. Depending on the company’s needs, employerswill base opinions of future employees off the person’s web page content.

Documents

Pioneer 2006 07 17