Pioneer 2007 07 09

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

www.occc.edu/pioneer

• Lottery failed education, editorial, p. 2.• Summer jobs still exist, p. 7.• Wet weather dampens fun, sports, p. 8.• GSA joins parade, clubs, p. 10.

This WeekInside July 9, 2007

Vol. 35 No. 38

Student camaraderie

Photo by Jay Rocamontes

OCCC merit-based raisesaverage 4.5 %

Sushi may be part of fall menuBy Kelsey NorthcuttNews Writing Student

Health-conscious stu-dents may have

healthier eating options atthe Student Union this fall.

Corrine Aguilar, generalmanager of Carson’s Cater-ing and Food Concepts,said with more peoplewatching what they eatthese days, the StudentUnion staff also decided totry a healthier approach.

“We’re going to be testing[the menu additions] thesecond week in July,”Aguilar said. “If it works,we’ll start in the fall.”

Some of the new choiceson the menu will be stir-fry

veggies, Asian-themeditems, and more baked andbroiled foods, Aguilar said.

“[Other places are] doinga lot of Asian food, a lot ofSushi,” she said. “We mayincorporate some of that.”

Aguilar said she willmake healthier optionsmenu based on studentfeedback, menu books, andsurveys from variousschools.

“We try to keep up withother universities and col-leges and do what they do,see what they say,” shesaid.

“We try to go with thetrend in different loca-tions.”

Aguilar said the choices

will be additions to thehealthy salads and pastatosses already available.

Nursing Students JenniJimerson and Diana Busjraeat at the Student Unionevery day and said it is indesperate need of change.

“[The union] needs morehealthier options,” Jimer-son said.

Busjra agrees.“They need more cooked

food, maybe an Asian orMexican section.”

It’s not certain if the newmenu could create higherprices.

“I don’t know right now ifthe prices will go up,”Aguilar said. “I can’t reallysay.”

By Eric NguyenEditor

OCCC employees who performed well during thelast fiscal year are being compensated with up to

a 3 percent salary increase.All employees who received a raise also received a $750

stipend, bringing the total average salary increase to 4.5percent for fiscal year 2007-’08, according to this year’sStaffing Plan.

OCCC President Paul Sechrist said the combination ofa percentage raise combined with an across-the-boardamount added, “… resulted in pay raises that we believewere equitable, fair, and resulted in an average increasethat was affordable given the anticipated financial re-sources.”

Employee raises are “merit-based,” he said, “whichmeans that the employee’s performance is a factor indetermining the amount of the increase for each em-ployee.”

Performance adjustments are based on employee per-formance appraisals by supervisors, Sechrist said, andrange from no raise to a 3 percent pay raise.

Employees who “did not meet job requirements” or “par-tially met job requirements” did not get a pay raise, whileemployees who “met job requirements” saw a 2 percentincrease.

Those who “exceeded job re-

Percentage determined by gas prices,cost of living, available revenue

College’s salaries varyfrom two to six figuresBy Eric NguyenEditor

When merit-based raises were given this year,OCCC President Paul Sechrist received a 3.3 per-

cent salary increase raising his salary from $207,036 forfiscal year 2007-’08 to $215,033.

Sechrist has earned salary increases on an average of$8,457 since he accepted the position in May 2006.

Academic Affairs Vice President Felix Aquino, withOCCC since January, will make $114,960 in fiscal year2007-’08.

The average salary of a dean at

Chemical engineering major Chase Ainsworth enjoys time outside between rain showerswith pre-pharmacy major Kenna Rogers and premed major Jessica Pugh. Localweathermen said Oklahoma received a statewide average of 9.15 inches of rain in June,shattering the usual average of 4.25 inches. Oklahoma is 10.5 inches above normal inprecipitation for the year, and rain is expected to continue until the middle of next week.

See “Salary,” page 12

See “Pay,” page 12

2 • PIONEER • July 9, 2007

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

Vol. 35 No. 38Eric Nguyen..........................EditorMatt Caban...................Staff WriterCarrie Cronk.................Staff WriterDrew Hampton..............Staff WriterJay Rocamontes......PhotographerTim Cronk...................Ad ManagerTrish Arnold....Circulation ManagerRichard Hall.............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorMark Schneberger....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 submissionsfor length, libel and obscen-ity.

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.

State lotterystill a bad idea

To the Editor:The July 2 editorial titled

"Financial Aid process frus-trating" was rather unfairand unkind in its tone to-ward a lot of hard-working,caring advisers in the fi-nancial aid office (officiallyknown as the Student Fi-nancial Support Services).

As a faculty member, Ioccasionally get questionsfrom students about theirfinancial aid, and I am notable to answer those ques-tions; however, when I con-tact any of a number of ad-visors, I always get assis-tance even if it is no morethan to tell me that the stu-dent will have to go to seethe Financial Aid office.

I know it is frustratingand seems rather over-whelming when it comes tosorting through the bureau-cracy of grants, loans, andother forms of assistance,and it is dealing with moneywhich is always a sore spotfor most people.

No one ever seems to haveenough to cover all the re-quirements of daily living,but give the folks in theFinancial Aid office a break— they do try to help stu-dents.

I've seen students whoshow up behaving in allsorts of ways too. Someshout. Some cry. Some

threaten. And some just donot listen to anything thatthe advisor may be trying totell them.

They just know they didnot get a check issued andwhere are they going to getthe money to pay their elec-tric bill. I know how it is tostruggle and worry aboutwhere enough money is go-ing to come from, but thingsdo get better. One learnshow to be more frugal inhandling what money thereis so that the necessitiesare taken care of and theextras wait.

The advisors in the Stu-dent Financial Support Ser-vices office are human.They do care about studentsuccess.

Their job is a tough onesometimes because thebureaucracy of financial aidis complex and demanding.

The federal governmentdictates what can and can-not be done, what is re-quired to be submitted in acertain form, and what astudent does and does notqualify for.

Perhaps, if enough stu-dents wrote to their repre-sentatives in Congress andto the white house, some-thing might be done tochange the system.

It's similar to the tax code,which everyone complains

about but does nothingabout though.

Also, keep in mind thatexcept for those who arereceiving benefits throughthe G.I. Bill, the govern-ment is assisting studentsin getting an education, notgiving away money whichwould make it an entitle-ment. Entitlement is anoverrated assumption thatone should get somethingfor nothing.

—Bertha WiseEnglish Professor

Criticism of advisers unfair

In 2005, lawmakers had pledged to use lotteryfunds to pay for construction projects at OCCC andother Oklahoma colleges and universities.

When the lottery generated lower-than-expectedfunds, State Regents cut $6 million from its Junepayments to colleges and universities, including a$185,000 reduction to OCCC.

Since its start-up nearly two years ago, the Okla-homa Lottery has been little more than a burden-some, underachieving program.

Depending on lottery funds to pay for educationprojects is unpredictable at best, and the depen-dence pushes colleges and universities into debtat worst.

Lobbied by Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry as a sav-ior to state education, lawmakers projected edu-cation would receive $300 million in lottery fundseach year, or 30 percent of total revenue. That wasa lofty goal, but one that seemed reasonable whentickets sold Oct. 12, 2005.

But one year after it started, revenue projectionsdwindled to $86 million, more than 70 percentshort of the original goal.

Since the Legislature already appropriated moneyto state education based on what the lottery wasprojected to generate, schools were asked to makelarge cuts to cover the shortfall.

This put schools and education programs in abind and scrambling to readjust budgets.

In December 2006, lawmakers were toldOklahoma’s Promise, a program that pays tuitionfor students who maintain good grades and stayout of trouble, was losing money for the spring ’07semester. Oklahoma’s Promise also is funded bylottery revenue.

As a result, colleges across the state are raisingtuition this summer by an average of 8.6 percent,partially to cover the lottery shortfall.

Clearly, a solution must be found to do away thewoes caused by the idea of earmarking money fromthe Oklahoma lottery for state education.

Since lottery revenue is so unstable, lawmakersshould wait until the end of the fiscal year to givemoney to colleges, instead of appropriating fundsbased on guesses. This is Rep. Joe Dorman’s (D-Rush Springs) plan.

Oklahoma Lottery Commission Director JamesScroggins advises the state to raise the percentageof total lottery revenue for prize earnings.

Scroggins said this would entice more people toplay the lottery, driving up revenue.

But Scroggins’ idea also is counterintuitive, sincethe lottery was supposed to help education, andincreasing lottery funds for prize money meanseducation funding would decrease.

Whatever the solution, the result must be a stableand reliable source if it is supposed to help educa-tion. Otherwise, just do away with the lottery.

—Eric NguyenEditor

July 9, 2007 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

“He had come like a thief in the night. And oneby one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewedhalls of their revel, and died each in the despair-ing posture of his fall.”

—From “Masque of the Red Death”by Edgar Allan Poe

I used to hurry home at the end of the day so thatI could watch the news.

It felt good to relax in front of the TV while I caughtup on the events of the day. I don’t do that any more.Instead of making me feel like a good citizen, in-formed and capable of discussing the world with mypeers, it now just makes me feel scared.

Today’s news stories seem to have become whatthe B-grade horror movies of yesterday were: talesof the macabre.

Whether we’re trying to make sense of the annihi-lation of millions by a madman bent on worlddomination, of the forced suicides of hundreds ofloyal followers by a man who would be god, or ofdozens of innocent students by a tragically dis-turbed classmate, the conclusion is always the same:Senseless acts are senseless.

Exercising caution and prudence in our dailyendeavors is always advisable, but it won’t eliminatethe bad things that happen in the world.

When we are bombarded by news of bad thingshappening, our emotional circuitry can get over-loaded and make us feel stressed. Stress and anxietycan overwhelm us.

When we feel out of control, it’s much easier todevelop habits and engage in behaviors that actuallywork against us as we grapple with the fear that badthings might happen.

We don’t sleep as well, we eat the wrong things, wedrink, we smoke, and we put ourselves at greaterrisk.

As anxiety tightens its hold on us, we may find thatour relationships suffer. So, too, will our studies.

Thankfully, there are healthy ways of coping withanxiety. If you’re sensitive and reactive to all the badnews, turn it off, literally.

It’s easy to become mesmerized by the sights andsounds of ugliness that fly across the air waves andcyberspace. Know how much you can tolerate, andthen use your power button to shut the rest off.

If you still feel uneasy, look for ways to adjust yourlifestyle and practice stress relief activities. Severalwebsites offer self-help strategies. One especiallygood one is www.helpguide.org.

Our counselor can also work with you if you feel asthough you need to talk about events in your life orhow you’re feeling, or if you think you need morethan you can do for yourself. We in Student SupportServices want you to live a happy and productive life.Stop by if you need us.

—Mary TurnerLearning Support Specialist

Questions? Comments? Send it to [email protected] or dropit off at the Pioneer office on the second floor of the Main

Building. A phone number must be included for verification.

Roll out and see thisJust in time for the July

4th holiday, “Transformers”was revitalized from the 80sand brought into movie the-aters across the country.

Director Michael Bay(“Pearl Harbor” and “Arma-geddon”) stays true to thememories of many Genera-tion-Xers who were fans ofthe toys and cartoon.

The movie reacquaintsfans with the transformingalien robot races, theAutobots and the De-cepticons.

The Decepticons havetraveled to Earth in searchof the All Spark, a cubewhich possesses the cre-ative energy from theirplanet Cybertron, and willstop at nothing to find it.

The Autobots have cometo Earth to stop the Decep-ticons from finding the AllSpark and using it to turnhuman technology againsthumans.

While on Earth, the ro-botic aliens have disguisedthemselves as new andconcept model vehicles wecommonly see today.

Minor changes Bay madeinclude Bumblebee being aCamaro rather than aVolkswagen Beetle, and heuses the first names of Ron“Sparkplug” (father) andSam “Spike” (son) Wit-wicky.

Other than the minor dif-ferences, the movie doesremain authentic to thecartoon.

One of the charactervoiceovers helps to main-tain that authenticity.

The voice of the Autobotleader Optimus Prime isPeter Cullen, the same ac-tor who performed thevoices of Ironhide andOptimus Prime, as well asmany other characters inthe cartoon series.

The sound effects for the

robots when they trans-form also is very similar tothe sounds used in the car-toon, if not more realistic.

The special effects teamhas designed exceptionalgraphics that are highlyaccurate to how the Trans-formers moved, fought,spoke and so on.

The movie is not all ac-tion and special effects,though. Throughout thefilm are many philosophi-cal issues that arise for thecharacters.

Predominantly throughthe film is the issue of thecost of freedom. The mes-sage of life and freedom re-quire sacrifice is abundantthroughout the film, whichmakes the timing of the re-lease more than appropri-ate.

The end of the movieleaves the audience withthe sense of a pending se-quel, which Bay has re-cently announced that asecond “Transformers” is intalks, and is intended to bereleased in 2009.

Generation-Xers whogrew up as hardcore“Transformers” fans will bepleased with this movie. Ithas been made with greatcare and attention to detail,and has maintained thequalities so many fansloved about cartoon series.

Rating: A+—Carrie Cronk

Staff Writer

Comments and Reviews4 • PIONEER • July 9, 2007

‘Ratatouille’ cooks upfine theatrical feast

Serial killer mockumentary caters to horror buffs

License to dread

“Behind the Mask: TheRise of Leslie Vernon” hadan extremely limited theat-rical release last year, butthat shouldn’t scare awayhorror film junkies from theDVD released June 26.

In “Behind the Mask: TheRise of Leslie Vernon,” aman who goes by the moni-ker Leslie Vernon gives atrio of documentary filmstudents admittance to hislife as he attempts to be-come the next great serialkiller.

The film has an enticingstory that pays homage to

the horror films of past witha hint of Wes Craven-in-spired flavor. It’s funny,well thoughtout and, some-times, a psychologicalcreeper.

Think of it as “The BlairWitch Project” meets“Scream.” A plain, yetfunny, guy methodicallychooses his victims, stud-ies them and then chore-ographers their deaths.

The acting is well done,especially by Nathan Basel(“The District”), who playedVernon, and Angela Goe-thals (“24”), who plays Tay-

lor Gentry, one of the film-makers.

Basel is believable as asomewhat sadistic yet com-pletely charming and funnypsycho. Basel also can turnon his serious side in an in-stant and, likewise, has aknack for turning serioussituations into hilariousones.

The screenplay warrantsserious recognition. Thewriting is funny, smart andis reminiscent of Craven’s“The People Under theStairs” and “The LastHouse on the Left.”

“Behind the Mask” is adecent watch on the smallscreen. The image qualityis crisp, the sound is vi-brant and the extras aremodest.

The extras include amaking-of, some clips fromthe casting call, and de-leted and extended scenes.

The best extra feature isthe making-of. It puts afresh perspective on thefilm from the viewpoint ofits director as well as thecast members. It’s lengthy,too, so there’s a lot of in-formation to be enjoyed.

The deleted scenes aren’tanything to die for and,unless viewers are inter-ested in the art of horrorfilm acting, the casting callextra flies under the radar.

With the advent of the $1-per-night Red Box, it isn’ta bad idea to make “Behindthe Mask: The Rise of LeslieVernon” part of dinner-and-a-movie night. And,snatch it up if you ever findit in a $10 bargain bin at alocal store.

Rating: B—Richard Hall

Contributing Writer

While anyone can cook, only the cre-ative can become great.

Such is the mantra of a rat namedRemy (Patton Oswalt) who enjoys thefiner aspects of food.

However, this view isn’t shared by hisfather, Django (Brian Dennehy).

Through a series of events, Remywinds up at an upscale restaurant inParis.

Eventually, he joins forces with therestaurant’s garbage boy and wannabecook, Linguini (Lou Romano) to becomea great chef.

The pair goes through a number ofadventures in their quest including achase through the kitchen and otherfood-related hijinks.

This serves as the basis for a storyabout friendship, family and loyalty.

Both of the leading characters haverealistic and necessary obstacles toovercome in this tale of two rats whojust want to fit in.

Although this is a film right out of thePixar mold, it does have some uniqueattributes.

To start with, many of its laughs comefrom physical comedy between Linguiniand Remy.

After all, the duo can only work in thekitchen with Remy the rat as the mas-ter and Linguini his sidekick.

Filmmakers Brad Bird and JanPinkava use the physical comedy aspectwell.

The film also differs from its Pixarbrethren with an advanced look in ani-

mated sets and props.Paris seems to pop off the screen in

vivid and imaginative colors.Plus, the food at Remy’s restaurant

looks deliciously real.It serves as the perfect contrast to the

disgustingly, realistic garbage enjoyedby Remy’s family.

“Ratatouille” is the latest of Pixar’striumphs that should have both kidsand adults feeling satisfied.

“Ratatouille” runs 110 minutes andis rated G. It opened in theaters June29.

Rating: A—Matt Caban

Staff Writer

Director Ken Kwapis’ newromantic comedy, “Licenseto Wed,” staring MandyMoore, Robin Williams andJohn Krasinski falls shortof anything close to enjoy-able.

Robin Williams plays acleverly intrusive ReverendFrank, who is willing totake extreme measures toensure longevity of mar-riage for every couple heweds.

Every couple that planstheir wedding in ReverendFrank’s church has to gothrough his intensive mar-riage preparation coursedesigned to challenge thestrength of their commit-ment.

Constant criticism, mari-tial homework and strictrules add to the unbearablenature of this out of theordinary program.

The potential is there fora decent romantic comedy,but the production com-

pany’s exploitation of everyenjoyable scene for use inthe trailer gives the audi-ence an eerie feeling of déjàvu.

The overplayed televisiontrailers essentially show-case each and every comi-cal event in the entiremovie.

Ultimately, the effective-ness of each scene is dra-matically diminished be-cause the trailers give it allaway.

It’s disappointing towatch a new movie thatloses its enjoyment be-cause it feels like oneyou’ve already seen.

Overall, the movie is pre-dictable and dull. The mostenjoyable part is seeingMoore out of her elementand looking goofy in a pairof oversized-reading glass-es.

Rating: D—Jay Rocamontes

Staff Writer


Egged car, stolen gun highlight crime

By Drew HamptonStaff Writer

On July 1, another re-source was added to theLibrary’s collection ofonline research databases.

The service, called Coun-tryWatch, is a subscription-based database that pro-vides students, faculty andstaff with detailed informa-tion and news from nationsaround the globe, LibraryServices Director BarbaraKing said.

Unlike the library’s otherdatabases, which give stu-dents and faculty access tonewspaper, magazine andjournal articles online, King

During the evening hours on June 25, Campus Safety and Security Officer Jacob Roby speakswith students after their car was vandalized earlier that evening in parking lot A.


Library adds international web resource

By Matt CabanStaff Writer

Two cases of car vandal-ism were among the crimesreported on campus fromJune 14 through July 1.

Two vehicles were vandal-ized June 25, acccording toSafety and Security OfficerJacob Roby.

Roby said the first ve-hicle, a Geo Tracker, ownedby Brittany Black, was sur-rounded by eggshells andcovered in egg.

According to the report,witness Carol Williamsonsaid she saw three whitefemales exit a white four-door sedan and throw eggsat the Tracker. She saidthey left heading east.

Recent OCCC graduateJill Macon-Escalera saidfour eggs hit her vehicle, aChevrolet Avalanche thatwas parked two parkingspaces away.

The incident was turnedover to the Oklahoma CityPolice Department.

A second car vandalismcase involving a Scion xAfrom parking lot E was re-ported by Officer JohnHughes Jr. June 18.

According to Hughes, thevehicle’s owner, Informa-tion Technology AdjunctProfessor Akram Taghavi,was notified.

“They smashed the win-dow, but they didn’t actu-ally get into the car,”Taghavi said.

“Supposedly, [Hughes]didn’t see anybody, but if[whoever broke the win-dow] saw anybody theyprobably ran off,” she said.

Taghavi said the windowreplacement cost about$200.

A different kind of vandal-ism was reported by Ser-geant Larry Lundy June 26near Entry 6.

Lundy said a witness toldhim Brendan Walker, the12-year-old grandson ofNursing Professor TerriWalker, had broken a win-dow in the area.

He said Brendan told himhe was on campus with hisgrandmother, got boredand threw rocks at a tree.

Lundy said he gave in-structions to Terri to haveBrendan’s mother, ShelbyWalker, contact the collegeto settle the matter.

He said the window re-

placement cost is $650.Another crime was re-

ported by former securityofficer Shane Palmer June14 in Newcastle.

Palmer reported the theftof his OCCC duty weapon,a .40 caliber Glock pistol,while on his way to OCCC.

Palmer left the weapon,its carrying case and threeclips between the seats ofhis Newcastle Police De-partment patrol car.

He had stopped at aLove’s store, according to

the report.Palmer returned to the

vehicle and the weapon wasmissing.

According to the report,Palmer’s seatbelt hung inthe door and did not allowit to close all the way.

Palmer then reported theincident to Newcastle Po-lice.

Additionally, the gun caseand magazines were en-tered into the NationalCrime Information Centerdatabase.

An automotive hit andrun was reported June 27in parking lot B.

According to a crime re-port filed by Officer BrianGilbert, student Brock Bill-ings returned from class tofind damage to the driver’sside taillight of his Chev-rolet Camaro.

Billings refused to file areport with police, Gilbertsaid.

On July 1, ABM Contrac-tor Jerri Lewis reported anemployee losing control ofa carpet machine and dam-aging a window at thetransportation technologybuilding.

Replacing the window willcost $450, according to thereport.

Staff Writer Matt Cabancan be reached at [email protected].

said, CountryWatch has adifferent focus.

“[The service] has somecurrent events and ar -ticles,” she said, “but thenit has statistical data, en-vironmental information,economic information …just any kind of informa-tion that you would wantabout every country in theworld.”

The site’s most notablefeature, “Country Review,”allows users to select a na-tion from a list to displayinformation about.

The site then displays amap of the nation, its cur-rent time, vital statistics,and a currency converter,

as well as links to recentnews articles about thecountry, King said.

Another feature is Coun-tryWatch Data, which pro-vides tools for comparing awide range of statisticaldata from one or more na-tions.

For example, one couldcompare the coal consump-tion and population densityof Andorra and Sri Lankaover the past 10 years.

While students may findthese features useful in re-searching topics for class,professors have access toanother set of resourcesincluding country-specificlesson plans and quizzes

from the site.“It’s everything you’d ever

want (to know about acountry),” King said, “downto (statistics on) zinc min-ing production.”

King said CountryWatchis relatively inexpensive tosubscribe to. The collegewill pay less than $2,000per year for the service, asopposed to other databasesthat scale their subscrip-tion cost with the size of thecollege, she said.

“It’s very, very reason-able,” she said. “As we’vegrown, [some of our sub-scriptions] have gottenmore expensive.”

King said she was skep-

tical at first about payingfor the service since muchof the information it pro-vided could be easily foundin various other sourcesoffered at the Library, butchanged her mind after aninter-office trial.

“I don’t know that I’veseen anything that puts itall together in one placewhere you can access it[this easily],” she said.

To access CountryWatch,visit the Library’s website atwww.occc.edu/library andclick on the featured re-source link.

Staff Writer Drew Hamp-ton can be reached at [email protected].


Safe room planned for child lab schoolBy Matt CabanStaff Writer

The Child Development Centerand Lab School will receive a$100,000 tornado safe room dur-ing the 2008 fiscal year, which be-gan July 1. The room measuresnearly 29 feet wide and 17 feetdeep.

CDCLS Director Mary McCoysaid the addition of a permanentsafe room will be better foreveryone’s safety.

“It’d be safer than being in thebathrooms in the center of thebuilding,” she said.

McCoy said the safe room will beon the south side of the buildingin part of the playground. The saferoom will have two bathrooms.

Currently those at the centerhave to evacuate to the Main Build-ing during severe weather, said ArtBode, retired vice president forBusiness and Finance.

“So by providing a safe room outthere, it allows two things,” he said.

“If we don’t have enough warn-ing, they have a place right therewhere they can go.

“Secondly, anytime you take chil-dren … to a different location thenit gets very hard to keep those kids


The Child Development Center and Lab School could be the new home foran underground safe room in the future. The room is planned to shelter up to48 students, 15 employees and six lab students in the event of a tornado warning.The safe room is set to be installed on the south side of the building, near theplayground.

Film and video studentsgetting new tools of tradeBy Yvonne OberlyNews Writing Student

The college’s Film and Video Pro-duction program will get $105,000worth of additional equipment forthe fall thanks to work done by twofaculty members.

Journalism Professor Sue Hintonand Adjunct Professor Rick Lippertsubmitted a proposal for a grantthat was recently approved by TheEthics and Excellence in Journal-ism Foundation.

This grant will provide five highdefinition video camera packageswhich include a video camera, tri-pod, microphone and audio sup-port for the Video Production class.The equipment will be used by stu-dents in the Broadcast News labto be taught by Lippert this fall.

Hinton wrote the grant to helpprepare students for the changingindustry, which is shifting towardhigh definition video. She said she

together and moving in the samedirection.”

McCoy said there are up to 48children, 15 employees and six labstudents in the building during anaverage day.

She said they practice tornadodrills monthly.

“The other times when [thestorm] is not immediate we get inthe two bathrooms in the center ofthe building,” she said. “That’s alot of people in two bathrooms.”

McCoy said she has tried to geta safe room built before in her fouryears at OCCC.

Bode said the funding will comefrom Section 13 Offset Budget ofthe fiscal year 2008 budget.

He said this fund is used for con-struction, maintenance and im-

provements and is funded by stateallocations and carry over from theprevious fiscal year. He said theproject was approved at the Boardof Regents meeting June 18.

Physical Plant Director J.B.Messer said Triad Design Grouphas already drawn plans.

He said it will be built during thenext school year, but no start datehas yet been set.

“We will open it to bid [for con-tractors] once we have the money,”Messer said.

Staff Writer Matt Caban can bereached at [email protected].

“The other times when [thestorm] is not immediate weget in the two bathrooms in

the center of the building.That’s a lot of people in two

bathrooms.”—Mary McCoy

Child Developement Centerand Lab School

couldn’t have written the grantwithout help from Lippert.

Lippert said he is proud of thework he and Hinton did and thebenefit it will have for the college.

“The broadcast world is in expan-sion mode,” she said. “The indus-try itself is involved by being moretechnology, Internet and computerbased.

“Ink on paper is leaving and weare seeing a shift in the industrythat our video [journalism] stu-dents need to adjust to.”

Lippert and Hinton want the stu-dents to be able to become skilledin using the equipment before it be-comes industry standard.

Three years ago, the same Foun-dation provided OCCC a grant thatpaid for approximately $100,000 incomputers, monitors and every-thing needed to create a high-classediting suite.

The college since has purchased10 editing suites, Hinton said. Save time, fax your ad! 405-682-7843


Where you work...

“Working at [Orr Family Farms inOklahoma City] involves a lot ofhard work. The people you work

with are fun and friendly; theowners always have on a smile.”

—Alison MoruskaSmall Business Management

Sophomore

“[Old Navy] is an all right place towork for college students becauseyou can work a variety [ofschedules] tailored to yourschedule. It’s a relatively simplejob, in a relaxed environment withpretty good pay.”

—Michael CooperChemical Engineering Junior

at the University of Oklahoma

“Working at UPS is very hardwork that takes time to get used to,

but the pay, benefits and tuitionreimbursement more than make up

for the demanding physical aspectsof the job. It’s great for college

students who need to work duringthe evenings or late at night.”

—Ryan WinterSophomore

“It’s pretty easy to get a job [atHarry’s American Sports Grill inMustang]. I enjoy it because it’supbeat and the money is good. It’sjust a typical waitress job in a smalltown.”

—Linda WilliamsSophomore

“It’s OK making minimum wageas a cashier [at Chili’s] becausethey are very flexible with yourschedule. It’s really easy for youngpeople to get a job there. They arealways hiring.”

—Sheba ThomasPharmacy Sophomore

Summer jobs can still befound around metro areaBy Carrie CronkStaff Writer

With the cost of many summeractivities and the increase in pricesat the pump, many students haveobtained summer employment.

For those still searching, manymetro area employers still havesummer positions available.

Many restaurants have a varietyof spots for students during thesummer.

Cody Bratcher, General Managerof the Sonic Drive-in located atS.W. 89th Street and May Avenuesaid he often hires OCCC students.

“We have quite a few [OCCC stu-dents] at a time ... we have threeor four [employed] at the moment,”he said.

Bratcher said his restaurant hasa position open for a cook, with upto 40 hours available per week ata pay rate of $6 per hour.

He said anyone interested in ap-plying for the position should comeby the restaurant to fill out an ap-plication.

Zio’s Italian Kitchen, located at2035 S. Meridian, is another localrestaraunt with job openings.

Sabrina Moeller, assistant man-ager, said many restaurant em-ployees are college students. Theyhave positions available for waitstaff, hosts and bussers, she said.

Moeller said the wages at Zio’sare comparable to other restau-rants, with wait staff earning $2.13per hour plus tips, and hosts andbussers also earning a set wageand being tipped out.

Moeller said waitstaff employeeshave the opportunity to earn $300to $400 per week, if not more.

Those interested in any positionat Zio’s may apply in person from2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday throughThursday and should come pre-pared to be interviewed immedi-ately.

For those looking for a changeof scenery in food service, the Okla-homa City Zoo has positions intheir food and beverage depart-ment.

Candice Rennels, public rela-tions associate, said the wages forthose positions start at minimumwage. Interested parties can apply9 a.m. to 5 p.m. any day of theweek at the front entrance of thepark.

For those more interested in

summertime fun, White Water Baystill has a variety of positions avail-able.

David Riddles, operations man-ager, said the park has openingsranging from 20 to 45 hours perweek.

Most the park’s positions have astarting wage of $5.75 per hour,and the wages for lifeguards startat $6 to $6.50 per hour.

Anyone interested in a summerposition at White Water Bay canget more information by calling405-943-0392.

For those students looking for aposition located closer to campus,the OCCC Aquatics Center is hir-ing lifeguards, swimming instruc-tors and a part-time secretary.

Roxanna Butler, Aquatics andSafety Training coordinator, saidlifeguard and swimming instructorpositions are 10 to 15 hours perweek, and the secretary position is10 hours per week.

She said starting wages for life-guards are $7 per hour, with thewages for the other positions start-ing at $7.50 per hour.

Butler said lifeguards must becertified.

Stephanie Scott, Aquatics andSafety Training specialist, said theAquatic Center is offering theAmerican Red Cross event Opera-tion Life Saving to persons whoapplied for lifeguard positions.

She said the program offers life-guard training “at a greatly re-duced cost.”

Butler said individuals interestedcan apply for the positions atwww.occcjobs.edu.

Part-time jobs also can besearched for by visiting www.groovejobs.com and searching bycity and state.

Students also can check the em-ployment section of the Pioneerclassified ads for other area sum-mer employment opportunities.

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

“We have quite a few[OCCC students] at a time ...

we have three or four[employed] at the moment.”

—Cody BratcherSonic Drive-in General

Manager


Sports

UPCOMING

OCCCINTRAMURALS

EVENTS

• July 16-20: Hoops are happen-ing at the Recreation and Com-munity Services coed basketballsummer sports camp. The 6-to9-year-old camp runs 8 a.m. tonoon Monday through Friday atthe Wellness Center gym.

Camp costs $65 and includesa T-shirt. Payment and registra-tion are due Thursday, July 12 tothe RCS office. For more infor-mation, contact the RCS office at405-682- 7860.

• July 16-20: Children ages 10to 11 can learn the basics of golfat the RCS golf camp. Camp reg-istration and a $65 camp pay-ment are due Thursday, July 12to the RCS office.

Cost includes a camp T-shirt.For more information, contact theRCS office at 405-682-7860.

•July 16-20: Tennis summersports camp is held Mondaythrough Friday from 8 a.m. tonoon. The camp is for girls ages12 to 14. Cost is $65 and in-cludes a camp T-shirt.

Registration and payment isdue Thursday, July 12 at the RCSoffice. For more information, con-tact RCS Director Traci Wheelerat 405-682-1611, ext. 7280.

•July 23-27: After a summerchock full of outdoor, the finalRCS summer sports camp ischess. The camp is held 8 a.m.to noon Monday through Friday.It is geared toward the specificskill level of each camper.

It costs $65 and includes acamp T-shirt. Payment and reg-istration is due Thursday, July 19at the RCS office. For more in-formation, contact the RCS officeat 405-682-7860.


With the U.S. Youth Soccer Southern Region III Championships in town visiting team from Birmingham, Ala.United Soccer Association used the OCCC soccer fields to practice before the opening ceremonies held in theFord Center. Teams from 12 states came to Oklahoma City to play in the week-long tournament held at SouthLakes Soccer Complex for a chance to advance to the National Championship held in July.

Last-second dive

Heavy rains disrupt campsBy Matt CabanStaff Writer

The state’s recent string of wetweather has forced parts of tworecent OCCC summer sportscamps to be held indoors.

Community Education andHealth Specialist Eric Watson saidparts of both the June 18 throughJune 22 football and June 25through June 29 soccer campswere moved into the Wellness Cen-ter gym.

“Anytime it sprinkles we’ll bringeveryone in,” Watson said.

“The gym is set up for the campsjust in case we need it,” he said.

Watson said the gym is closedeach day during the time thecamps are in session.

“Our morning people come inand use the gym for about twohours,” he said.

“Then, we close it down until 5p.m.”

Watson said the gym closure forsummer camps does not affectOCCC students.

“They know the gym is shut down

[at those times] anyway,” he said.Watson said Wellness Center at-

tendants tell the students whenthey come to the area.

National Weather Service Fore-caster Daryl Williams said rainfallis measured for Oklahoma City atthe Will Rogers World Airport.

He said there was rainfall for 17consecutive days from June 13 to29 in the area of Will Rogers WorldAirport.

Williams said Oklahoma City re-ceived about 9.34 inches of rain inthat time.

“We’ve had more rainy days thannon-rainy days this month,” hesaid.

Williams said the amount of rain-fall may vary from one part of thecity to another.

“It could be more and it could beless,” he said. “It varies especiallywith thunderstorms.”

Williams said the rainwater doesaffect playing fields in time.

“Basically [the ground] getssaturated at some point and [thewater] won’t get absorbed anymore,and you get all run off in outlying

areas,” he said.Williams said at this point things

get worse.“Once [the ground] gets satu-

rated it takes just a little more tomake it a quagmire.”

Watson said Recreation andCommunity Services does not havea plan to combat playing fieldsflooding.

Watson said when there is morethan an inch of rain on the fields,they need at least one day to dry.

“When you get over an inch ofrain, it’s flooded,” he said.

“Usually they clear themselvesout, but when you get a rain likeyou did last week there’s nothingyou can do.”

Staff Writer Matt Caban can bereached at [email protected].

Have a great sportsstory for the Pioneer?Call Staff Writer Matt

Caban at 405-682-1611,ext. 7675 or e-mail

[email protected].

Stay updated! Visit thePioneer Online oftenfor news from yourcollege community.Visit www.occc.edu/

pioneer today.


Rain delays landscaping around sign

College adviser leavesjob, stays with college


On July 2, the landscaping around the OCCC electronic sign on the corner of S.W. 74th Streetand May Avenue remains unfinished. Rain delayed the completion of the $12,000 project, whichwill consist of a concrete flowerbed and professional landscaping.

By Brittany LegakoNews Writing Student

Despite the non-stoprain, the college is complet-ing a new landscapingproject to beautify the cam-pus at the corner of MayAvenue and S.W. 74thStreet.

Building and CampusSupervisor Gary Phillipssaid the new project con-sists of a concrete footingaround the lighted elec-tronic scrolling OCCC sign.

The footing will surrounda flowerbed filled with greenshrubbery and groundcover plants.

The project will cost$12,000 to complete, withthe money coming from thecollege’s budget for land-scaping and grounds,Phillips said.

The project was plannedto take a week but has be-come a three-week projectbecause of the rain, andwill be completed once the

“I saw her several times go above and beyondto help students.”

—Liz LargentDean of Student Development

rain subsides and the areadries, said Phillips.

OCCC nursing student

By Elliot JonesNews Writing Student

Sue Oates, a longtimeadviser and part-time pro-fessor at the college, has lefther advising position totake a job as a tutoring con-sultant for three companiesin Oklahoma City andTexas.

Oates said she has beenwith the OCCC staff off andon for 13 years, seven ofwhich were spent workingin the college’s advisementoffice.

Oates also spent manyyears teaching develop-mental Math and StudySkills at the college.

“I love it here ... I believein the students here,” shesaid. “I believe collegemakes an everlasting dif-ference in their lives.”

Although Oates will beleaving the advising office,

she said she would remainat the college to teachclasses part-time.

Becca Oberfield, who alsoattends Palm Beach Atlan-tic in Florida said, “This is

my first time to attend O-trip so almost everythingcaught my eye.

“However the landscap-ing got my attention, whichis good not only for poten-tial students, but to givepride to current studentsas well,” she said.

Phillips said some of theconcrete for the footing ofthe flowerbed was laid lastWednesday during a breakfrom the rain, but the fol-lowing day black plastichad to be put on top to keepthe footing dry.

Even though the rain setthe project back, Phillipssaid he remains positiveabout the project.

“Nothing has been frus-trating,” he said, “but it isexciting the campus is be-coming more eye-appeal-ing.”

R&R Construction is lay-ing the concrete footing forthe flowerbed, and Tru-Green LandCare, the samecompany that maintainsthe grounds, is responsiblefor the landscaping, Phil-lips said.

Sue Oates

“I am very excited for[Oates] and her new oppor-tunities,” Liz Largent, Deanof Student Developmentsaid.

“She cared very deeply formany students, I saw herseveral times go above andbeyond to help students,”Largent said.

Oates has been marriedfor 37 years and has onedaughter, Carri Beck. Bothhusband Charles and Carriteach at OCCC.

Oates said she will missstudents coming to the ad-vising office to see her. Shesaid she enjoyed helpingstudents to get on track intheir college career.

By Amy CrosthwaitNews Writing Student

OCCC offers three programs for nursing students,each with its own entrance requirements and appli-cation deadlines.

Claire D. Echols, Academic Advising coordinatorfor Health Professions, recommends students inter-ested in nursing begin by “starting with a strategyfor getting into the program.”

Echols also suggested keeping grade point aver-ages at their highest.

“Students must learn good critical thinking skills,”she said.

The number of students accepted into the programhas increased to 230 to 250 students each year dueto a heightened interest, Assistant Director andNursing professor Debbie Myers said.

Myers said the college still can not accept all ofthe students qualified for the programs because ofthe limited available space for classes.

Myers said the college is collaborating with the Uni-versity of Oklahoma in a program to allow nursingstudents to stay an extra year at OCCC.

Juniors will be allowed to take classes at OCCCand study the OU nursing curriculum before trans-ferring their senior year to the OU Health and Sci-ences Center, she said.

Nursing programbecomes popular



HighlightsFall tuition waivers available

Department tuition waivers for the 2007 fall semester areavailable to students in the Financial Aid office. Waiversand academic histories must be submitted to Financial Aidno later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1. For more informa-tion, contact the Financial Aid office at 405-682-7527.

Engineering scholarship offeredKelly Engineering Resources is accepting entries for its

fifth annual Future Engineers Scholarship Program. Sopho-more and junior-level college students can apply by sub-mitting an essay on a designated engineering topic for achance at the $5,000 scholarship. Applications are due Oct.1. For more information, contact Amy Grundman at 248-224-5630, or visit the organization’s website at www.kellyengineering.com.

Frontier City and White Water Bay tickets availableConsignment tickets to Frontier City and White Water

Bay are now available for purchase in the OCCC Book-store. Tickets are $19 for a one-day pass and $65.01 for aseason pass. Also available are one-day passes to SixFlags at $28 each. For more information, contact BrendaReinke, bookstore director, at 405-682-1611, ext. 7242.

All Highlights are due by 5 p.m. Tuesday in room2M6 on the second floor of the Main Building.

Gay Straight Alliance celebrates

Psychology major andpeer mentor Phillip Akendonates blood during the“Dive in to Give” blooddrive held June 27 in theCollege Union. Those whoparticipated in theOklahoma Blood Institutedrive were given T-shirts,visors and sunshades fortheir contribution to thestate’s dwindling bloodsupply.

Jennifer Beattie,Oklahoma Blood Instituteblood programsconsultant, said thissummer’s drive iscomparable to pastsummer drives. A total of22 people donated, whichresulted in 22 pints beingdrawn.

“We appreciate [thestudents] coming in to theblood drive,” Beattie said.“They helped us getthrough the Fourth ofJuly.”

Visit www.occc.edu/pioneer

By Morgan RayNews Writing Student

On June 16 and 17,OCCC’s Gay Straight Alli-ance club participated inthe Gay Pride Festival ofOklahoma for the first time.

Neill Spurgin, club presi-dent, said the parade wasa way of celebrating a gen-eration that came out of op-pression, one that is “moreopen.”

He said the parade, cel-ebrating its 20th year, in-volved participants frombusinesses and school or-ganization to families andfriends. Spurgin said hisson, who is 20, marched atthe parade with his girl-friend.

Spurgin said 145 boothswere set up during the pa-rade and includes groupssuch as Oklahoma Depart-ment of Mental Health andSubstance Abuse, Okla-homa Gay Rodeo Associa-

Pump it up

tion, Planned Parenthoodand the Gay Alliance forTolerance and Equality.

OKC Pride Inc., who puton the parade, includes 10board members, includingCo-Chairman Paul Thomp-son and Co-ChairwomanGloria Moore.

Spurgin said the GayStraight Alliance meets at4:15 p.m. the second andfourth Wednesday of everymonth. The group also hasT-shirts and fliers inform-ing others about the group.

The club has more com-munity involvement plansfor the fall semester.

“I want to try and createa summit that brings theinformation and truth out,”Spurgin said.

“I want to try and create a summit that bringsthe information and truth out.”

—Neill SpurgeonOCCC Gay Straight Alliance Club President

He said the club, whichis less than a year old, isabout equality and under-standing.

“The main goal for me isthat I want people to be whothey truly are.”

For more informationabout the Gay Straight Al-liance club, e-mail Spurginat [email protected].

Have clubnews?

Share it withthe Pioneer!

Call 405-682-1611, ext. 7410

or e-mailStaffWriter2@

occc.edu.


Pioneer Classified Advertisingis free to all enrolled OCCC stu-dents and employees for anypersonal classified ad. Adsmust be submitted in writingwith IDs supplied or work areaand 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.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHINGFAST-PACED AND EXCITING?Trappers Fish Camp is now hiringexperienced waitstaff. We haveone of the largest per person guestcheck averages on Reno rangingfrom $17-$24 per person. Applyin person @ 4300 West Reno inOKC from either 9-11 a.m. or 2-4p.m., 7 days a week.

PART TIME CASHIER: SouthOKC Auto Dealership. Evenings3-6:30, Sat. 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.Call 631-4444 or fax applicationto 632-3597.

TRADE WANTED: Yamaha 12string guitar FG-410-12. Will tradefor 6-string OBO. Call 670-9060.

THREE LOVELY WEDDINGGOWNS FOR SALE! One is satin,and two are off the shoulder. Allhave tags. Call Janis at 635-0656in the evening. $50 each.

FOR SALE: Three-year-oldLudwig Doetsch violin with soft-side case. In excellent condition.Kid graduated. A real buy at$1,500. Contact 306-3290 or 306-1396.

FOR SALE: Amana side-by-side refrigerator with ice and wa-ter in the door. Very clean, ivory incolor, measures 3’ w x 5’9” h.Asking $400. Call 794-3025 or e-mail [email protected].

Class ifi eds

ROOMMATE NEEDED: (IM-MEDIATELY) To share $320 rentper month. Nice habits. Contact:[email protected].

FOR RENT: Big home, niceneighborhood. 5 minutes fromOCCC, 20 minutes from OU onSW 102nd street. You only pay$300 for everything: furnished liv-ing, dining & kitchen, high-speedinternet & cable, washer & dryer.It’s best for an international stu-dent or someone with a part timejob. Call: 405-822-5651.

TEXTBOOK FOR SALE: I havean introductory & intermediateAlgebra book, 3rd edition for sale.Great condition! 206-4125.

Tim Tanner Air Nat ional Guard Repres entat ive Air Nat ional Guard Repres entat ive Air Nat ional Guard Repres entat ive Air Nat ional Guard Repres entat ive Air Nat ional Guard Repres entat ive

Oklahoma Air National Guard5624 Air Guard Dr.Oklahoma City, OK 73179-1067

100% COLLEGE TUITION WAIVER

$$$$ MONEY FOR COLLEGE $$$$

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Office (405) 686-5215Toll Free (800) 528-2231Cell (405) 517-3409

e-mail: [email protected]

Zio’s Italian Kitchen2035 S. Meridian

Now Hiring 12 ServersApply in person Monday

thru Thursday 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

AFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEFURNITURE

REFINISHINGRay Russell: 601-6076

Classified Ads up to 7 lines are free to OCCCstudents and employees unless business related.

FOR SALE: 4 POD ComputerTable. Just like the ones in theComputer Center. Great for gam-ing! Asking $200 OBO. E-mail [email protected].

Put your energy, enthusiasm& quest for success behind

one of the hottest nutritional &sports performance productlines available in the U.S.

Be in business for yourself.Live the lifestyle you want.Get on the fast track nowfor an incredible future.

Small Investment.Call 405-703-0522 or

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As a member of theAir National Guard

you will enjoy the benefitof attending state funded

colleges & vocational training100% tuition free.

Prior and non-prior service.Call 405-703-0522 or

e-mail [email protected].

Advertise in thePIONEER ONLINE!

Our online edition gets anaverage of 180 hits a day!

Call 405-682-1611, ext. 7674or e-mail [email protected]

for details.

IT PAYS TOADVERTISE INTHE PIONEER

The Pioneer acceptsCREDIT CARDS! Call

405-682-1611, ext. 7674 ore-mail [email protected]

for details.

You could advertisehere for $16 a weeklocal rate or $20 aweek national rate.

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Do you want to ...learn to speak and write Chinese?

Have you ever wanted to travel to the Great Wall?Have you ever considered working in China?

OCCC is offering Intro. to Chinese this Fall on Tues. & Thur. from11:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. If you are interested in learning more aboutthis fun and interesting course, check out www.occc.edu/acoakley.

Classified ad ratesLocal: $8 per column inch

(seven lines per column inch)National: $10 per column inch

Ads up to 7 lines arefree to students,

faculty and staff unlessbusiness related.

E-mail your ads [email protected] or

visit the Pioneer offices(2M6) to submit an ad.


“Salary,”Cont. from page 1

quirements” or had a “sig-nificant accomplishment”received a 2.5 percent in-crease.

A 3 percent increase inpay went to those who “ex-ceeded job requirements”and had a “significant ac-complishment.”

The equation used to de-termine how large salaryincreases can be is basedon several factors, Sechristsaid.

“Cost of living increasesare one factor in determin-ing raises,” he said in an e-mail. Gas prices, housing

OCCC was $54,152 in 1997and $64,362 in 2002.

OCCC deans will see an

and how much moneyOCCC receives from thestate also are factors.

“Available revenue in-creases each year are a sig-nificant factor in determin-ing if raises can be given atall,” Sechrist said.

He said state appropria-tions are the largest sourceof that revenue.

The 4.5 percent increaseis consistent with the aver-age rate for the past fiveyears.

Records show salary in-creases from fiscal years2001-’02 to 2006-’07 werearound 4.5 to 4.9 percent.

There were no pay raisesin 2002-’03 and 2003-’04

OCCC employees receive raises based on performance appraisals

Student worker salaries increase less than $3 an hour in 10-year period “Pay,”Cont. from page 1

average pay raises from$74,048 to $75,810 this fis-cal year.

The dean to see the high-est total increase is SpecialInitiatives Dean Susan

because of low state alloca-tions, according to StaffingPlans from those years.

Career Transitions Em-ployment Specialist CraigHitchcock said while thesalary adjustment could bebetter, “it’s not bad consid-ering the economy in Okla-homa right now. Any in-crease is better than none.”

Math Professor CharlesNunley said he would haveliked a larger raise.

“We all feel [the pay raise]could be better. We all wantas much as we can get, butI think overall, it’s a reason-able amount.”

Employee salaries andcollege budget plans from

VanSchuyver. She will re-ceive a salary increase from$79,878 to $92,295, mak-ing her the college’s high-est paid dean.

VanSchuyver has been

employed at OCCC since1990.

Safety and Security Di-rector Ike Sloas, hired inJanuary 2005, will see apay raise from $68,543 to$74,749 in fiscal year2007-’08.

Safety and Security Coor-dinator Keith Bourque’ssalary will increase from$40,803 to $44,838.Bourque was hired in Oc-tober 1992 as a Safety andSecurity officer.

OCCC Campus Safetyand Security armed officersmade an average of$21,533 in fiscal year2006-’07. This year, theywill earn an average of$23,511.

Part-time professors,whose salaries will increasefrom $590 to $615 percredit hour this fiscal year,have experienced a 27 per-cent pay raise since 1997.

Student employees are

seeing pay raises as well.Students making $7 perhour will increase to $7.25,and those making $7.50per hour will make $7.75providing they’ve been em-ployed at OCCC for 12months.

In 2002, student employ-ees at the college earned$6.50 and $7, compared to1997, when studentsearned $5 and $5.25.

In fiscal year 2007-’08,$35,891,800 of OCCC’s to-tal budget of $48,064,462is directed toward salaries,wages and benefits.

Employee salaries fromthe annual Staffing Planand an overview of the col-lege budget is public infor-mation that can be ob-tained by an Open Recordsrequest, available inOCCC’s Public Relationsoffice.

Editor Eric Nguyen can bereached at [email protected].

After employees are evaluated by their supervisors,those evaluations are used to determine pay raises.

The merit-based raises are givenusing the following criteria.

Did not meet job requirements: 0% increase

Partially met job requirements: 0% increase

Met job requirements: 2% increase + $750

Exceeded job requirements or significantaccomplishment: 2.5% increase + $750

Exceeded job requirements and significantaccomplishment: 3% increase + $750

all years are available to thepublic through OCCC’sMarketing and Public Rela-tions Department under

the Oklahoma Open Re-cords Act.

Editor Eric Nguyen can bereached at [email protected].

CorrectionIn the June 25 issue of the Pioneer, in thestory, “OCCC President to see $7,900 pay

raise,” a word omission indicated incorrectinformation regarding Paul Sechrist’s

salary. Sechrist does not receive additionalallowances for entertainment, housing or a

car. All of his business expensesare paid by him from his salary.

We regret the omission.

Documents

Pioneer 2007 07 09