pioneer 2004 11 15

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

• Don’t blame game-makers, editorial, p. 2.• Crawdads make home on campus, p. 8.• Poof! Student makes magic, p. 10.• Thanksgiving approaching, p. 11.

November 15, 2004This Week

Inside

See “Collections,” page 16

Get back in the water: Workers check out work that was done on the college swimmingpool recently as they prepare to install a bulkhead. The bulkhead is the movable partition in the poolthat defines the length of the lanes during competitions. Renovations on the pool are finished andthe pool has been reopened.

Photo by Ann Lushbough

Everybodypays for pastdue tuition

College awarded $70K grant

By Caroline TingEditor

Each year, students end up owing thousands ofdollars to the college in unpaid tuition.

College Bursar Brandi Johnson said when studentsfail to make tuition fee payments, it hurts everyone.

“[The college] has based its budgets on the enroll-ments of students and tu-ition fees charged to stu-dents,” she said.

“When (students don’tpay), it obviously decreasesthe college’s cash flow.”

Past-due payments re-sult in the Bursar’s Officeplacing a hold on studentaccounts, which can hurtthe college’s enrollment.

“When a student reachesa point that the hold is on[the account], they can’tenroll in classes,” Johnsonsaid. “[This means] there’sa student that the collegedoesn’t have.”

The students also will not be able to get transcripts,official grades or add or drop classes from the cur-rent semester, Johnson said.

The total number of accounts turned over to col-lections increased from 1,100 to 1,727 between 1998and 2002, according to the OKCCC collections his-tory. The total dollar amount for the past-due ac-counts in those years went from $353,278.74 to$692,430.10. In 2002-03 the total amount decreasedslightly to $557,024.12.

Johnson said because tuition and fees have in-creased steadily in the past few years, it is logicalthat the total dollar amount for the past-due balancesalso increased.

In addition, the number of accounts does not rep-resent the number of students, said RalphdeCardenas, Bursar’s Office employee.

Students can be counted more than once, if theyenroll in different terms during one semester, Johnsonsaid.

Students owe thousands of dollars


OKCCC is one among 10 colleges anduniversities in Oklahoma to receive

Brain Gain improvement grants totalingnearly $750,000 from the Oklahoma StateRegents for Higher Education, according toa news release.

The college has been awarded $70,000from the grants.

The purpose of Brain Gain grants is to“help increase retention and graduationrates and degrees earned across the state,”the press release said.

OKCCC President Bob Todd is pleased withthe funding.

“I think [the grant] will give us additionalsupport to work on retention of our studentsand assisting students, making sure thatthey complete their programs,” Todd said.

The $70,000 grant would be used predomi-nantly to provide additional resources in thebasic education areas of math, reading andwriting as well as others, Todd said.

Todd said the basic assumption is that theprogram would work best for those who areable to read, write and use a computer.

Todd said he very much believes in thepremises of Brain Gain — “economic devel-opment in the state of Oklahoma is directlyrelated to the number of college graduatesin the state.”

“Therefore, if you want to increase thenumber of college graduates in the state,then the way to do that is increase gradua-tion at the colleges.”

Colleges and universities in the state re-sponded favorably to the state regents’ ideaof providing support through Brain Gain,Todd said.

A total of 21 proposals were submitted tothe OSRHE, he said.

Then, Todd said, the state regents hadindividuals from outside of the state reviewall the proposals to “ensure a greater levelof objectivity and knowledgeable review.”

The grants given to the 10 institutionsrange from $22,200 to $105,134, accord-ing to the news release.

OKCCC may not be able to do everythingwith $70,000, Todd said, but the fundingwill have a significant impact on the pro-cess. “I’m very pleased with the potential toexpand the programs and to have had oth-ers look at what we say we plan to do.”

Editor Caroline T ing can be [email protected].

“[The college] hasbased its budgets

on the enrollmentsof students and

tuition fees chargedto students. When

(students don’tpay), it obviously

decreases thecollege’s cash

flow.”—Brandi Johnson

OKCCC Bursar

2 • PIONEER • November 15, 2004

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

PIONEERVol. 33 No. 13

Caroline Ting..................EditorChristiana Kostura....Staff WriterMatt Caban............Staff WriterShawn Bryant........Staff WriterRichard Hall...........Staff WriterAnn Lushbough....PhotographerDavid Kilcrease......Ad ManagerMelissa Guice.....Online EditorRonna 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 in person to the PIO-NEER office, mailed to: Pio-neer Editor, 7777 S. May,Oklahoma City, Oklahoma73159 or faxed to 682-7568.

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

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

Parents, set theboundaries

Dr. Prestamo will be missedTo the editor:

I just wanted to publiclysay thank you to Dr.Manuel Prestamo for hisyears of service to OKCCCand the community, espe-cially in regard to his dedi-cation in providing diverseopportunities to enjoy andlearn from the many cul-tural events held over thepast several years.

If you are a student whohas had a special visitor inone of your classes becausethat visitor had been in-vited to perform with the

Cultural Awareness Series,you have Dr. Prestamo tothank. If you are a mem-ber of the community whoenjoyed an evening of mu-sic, song, dance or theateras part of the CulturalAwareness Series, you haveDr. Prestamo to thank.

From the Moscow BoysChoir, the Salzburg Mari-onette Theatre, the LittleAngels from Korea, to BradRichter from Enid, EdgarCruz from Oklahoma Cityand many, many others,our college community has

To the editor:It won’t be long and we

all will be thinking aboutand dealing with winterconditions.

The college administra-tion strives to make college-closing and classes-called-off decisions by 5 a.m. formorning classes and by 2p.m. for afternoon andevening classes, dependingon the weather circum-stances.

been enriched by the diver-sity of cultures, local andglobal, brought to us by Dr.Prestamo.

Dr. Manuel Prestamo willbe greatly missed by manypeople at OKCCC and inthe Oklahoma City area.Best wishes and kind re-gards.

—Bertha WiseEnglish Professor

Students need to listen tothe following local televisionstations: KFOR 4, KOCO 5,KWTV 9 and FOX 25.

Radio stations to tune inare: KTOK 1000 AM andKOMA 92.5 FM. The collegewebsite (http://okccc.edu/) also will post collegeclosings, delays, etc.

—Pat BerryhillExecutive Director of

InstitutionalAdvancement

Prepare for the weather

With “Halo 2” and the “Grand Theft Auto” seriesbreaking records in sales, it is apparent that vio-lent video games are growing ever more popular.Gone are the simpler times when running, jumpingand spitting fireballs could be found enjoyable.

Now, games contain realistic weapons and intensereal-life situations. Some say these types of gamesare unsuitable for children.

According to a study on video game violence andpublic policy conducted by Dr. David Walsh, 79 per-cent of American children play computer or videogames on a regular basis. Children ages 7 to 17play for an average of eight hours a week.

With all of the time spent playing video games, itis understandable that some people want a littlecontrol over what types of games children can gettheir hands on. This is the purpose of the Enter-tainment Software Rating Board, to place ratingson the covers of all video games.

According to the ESRB website, there are five dif-ferent ratings for video games.

EC – means the game is suitable for early child-hood ages 3 and older.

E – suitable for everyone ages 6 and over.T – suitable for teenagers ages 13 and older.M – suitable for mature audiences 17 years of age

or older.AO – suitable for adults only.The ratings are placed on all video games sold in

stores. Some stores require a valid driver’s licenseproving a buyer’s age before a mature-rated videogame can be bought.

The ratings system is a fair and suitable way tolimit a child’s access to violent video games.

Another argument concerning video game violenceis that by playing violent video games, children arebecoming more violent.

According to a study posted on www.apa.org/,students who played more violent video games injunior high school engaged in more aggressive be-havior.

This could be due to the fact that more aggressivechildren choose more violent video games. It is un-fair, however, to place the blame entirely on the videogame industry.

While the ratings system may be satisfactory forgrandparents who can’t bring themselves to playthe games, parents should still take the time toscreen video games before allowing their childrento play the games.

It wouldn’t hurt to sit down and actually play thegame with children and explain to them what isand isn’t acceptable behavior.

Thousands of children played “Super Mario Broth-ers” for years, and never went out in the front yardto eat mushrooms before chasing after a giantdragon. Parents need to take responsibility for rais-ing their children and not leave it up to video games.

—Shawn BryantStaff Writer

November 15, 2004 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews‘Jones’ returns to success

She’s back… and betterthan ever. Bridget Jones(Renée Zellweger) returnsfor a second movie, “BridgetJones: The Edge of Rea-son.”

Women of all ages en-joyed a sneak preview of thefilm on Nov. 4 at QuailSprings Mall. Even a coupleof soft-hearted guysshowed up. O.K., O.K.,their girls were draggingthem in.

In this sequel to “BridgetJones’ Diary,” the storypicks up where it left off.Jones is dating Mark Darcy(Colin Firth). Although sheabsolutely adores him, shebegins having doubts abouttheir relationship.

Jones’ job as a journalistsends her to Thailand towork with her co-workerand former lover DanielCleaver (Hugh Grant).

After some exciting twistsand turns land Jones in aThai prison, the laughs

come more frequently.There is a surprise in who

comes to her rescue.Many characters from the

first movie reappear in thesequel. These charactersalone are enough reason togo see the film.

If you liked the first film,you would love the sequel.

So ladies, go cry, laughand smile at all of Jones’mistakes and you will seeyour life’s not so compli-cated after all.

And, guys, it’s worth sit-ting through to make yourgirl happy. Hey, you mighteven find yourself laughing,too.

—Christiana KosturaStaff Writer

The many sides of humannature are visible in BillyCorgan’s poetry. Whether itbe anger, malicious intent,compassion or heartache,Corgan speaks of it fromf i r s t - h a n de x p e r i e n c e s ,making his firstpoetry book“Blinking WithFists” an estimableexperience on itsown.

Gaining muchrenown for his rolein the SmashingPumpkins, Corganhas hung up hisguitar and shifted hisattention toward publishedwork. While “Blinking WithFists” may be his first runat published poetry, he isno stranger to words.

Having already grasped atremendous amount ofrespect for his lyrics with

the Smashing Pumpkins,Corgan’s wit, charm andpersonality truly presentthemselves in his book.

Through 96 pages, Cor-gan reveals himself in so

many ways,that even avidfans will bea w e s t r u c k .From sincerelydeep andmeaningful, tobrash andhopeful, Corganliterally undoeshis stitches andpours himselfinto his book.

The most revealing poemis “The Poetry of My Heart.”It picks apart every singlethought Corgan conjures,leaving the readers with asense of nostalgia and asmile on their faces.

Aside from his use of aromantic tone, imagery has

always been Corgan’sstrong point. He wields hisability to make the readershear, see, breathe and feelevery poem he inks ontopaper.

Although the ingredientsfor a winning piece of workare there, some of thepoems are a tad too aureateand overambitious.

This nudges the readersto reread certain lineswhich, in the end, seem atad frivolous in relation tothe entire piece.

“Blinking With Fists” isan amazing first helping inits own right. It embodieseverything a memorablefirst poetry book shouldhave. Even if Corgan is noT.S. Eliot or Walt Whitman,he will, nevertheless, haveyou captivated by histhoughts and his pen.

—Richard HallStaff Writer

‘Blinking With Fists’ is a heavy hitter

Q: What was that loud siren noise coming from thesecond floor of the main building all last week?

A: The college was having new audible and visualdevices installed on the fire alarms.

—Keith BourqueCampus Safety and Security Coordinator

Q: Ramps from both parking lots A and G meet up onthe roof area next to the second floor of the mainbuilding. However, the entrance is not handicap ac-cessible. Can the college make this entrance handi-cap accessible?

A: The ramps going to the roof do not meet ADArequirements. The college is currently planning theaddition of the second floor of the Science, Engi-neering and Math Center. At that time, the accessi-bility of the ramps and entries will be addressed.

—J.B. MesserPhysical Plant Director

Q: Why is it that only News Writing I students canwrite stories for the Pioneer unless it’s a letter to theeditor?

A: The Pioneer is a training lab for students in thejournalism and broadcasting program. Our newsreporters are enrolled in the News Writing I class orwould have had some background in basic newsreporting.

—Sue HintonJournalism Professor and Pioneer Adviser

Q: Why does Rose State have a basketball team butnot OKCCC?

A: It is up to the president of the college and at thistime it just doesn’t fit into OKCCC’s plan. Right nowOKCCC is more concerned with becoming academi-cally sound.

—Eric WatsonCommunity Education and Health Specialist

Quote of the Week:“The man without a purpose is like a ship

without a rudder — a waif, a nothing,a no man.”

—Thomas Carlyle

Have a question aboutOKCCC that you don’t have

the answer for?We can help you!

Give us the question andwe will find the answer

for you.e-mail: [email protected]


Comments and Reviews

“You Already Take MeThere,” “Poparazzi” and “IDare You To Move.”

This album features theoriginal version of theband’s current hit “DareYou To Move.”

It is a great song in eitherform, but this version lacksthe intensity of the 2003version.

The set’s final song, “Liv-ing Is Simple,” does thebest job of summing up theband’s beliefs and sound.

If you want to rock andsing along. “The EarlyYears: 1997-2000” is foryou.

—Matthew CabanStaff Writer

“GTA: San Andreas,” the latest installment of the“Grand Theft Auto” series, hit stands Oct. 29.

This time around the main character is CJ, whomust return to San Andreas to attend his mother’sfuneral.

Upon his arrival, CJ is picked up by two crookedcops, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Penn.The cops frame CJ for a murder, rob him and drophim off in the neighborhood of a rival gang. CJ hasno choice but to join his old crew and revert to thelifestyle he tried to escape.

“San Andreas” is without question the best videogame ever to be released on the Playstation 2 con-sole. The game play is similar to that of the earlier“GTA” games with a few new features.

CJ can now duck and roll while locked onto anenemy, in addition to being able to use combo at-tacks. A few of the glitches in the old “GTA” gamesalso have been corrected.

“San Andreas” moves much quicker than earliertitles. Players do not have to wait for the game toload as they enter a different city as in the past.This is truly an incredible feat, since the size of “SanAndreas” is actually six times larger than “GrandTheft Auto: Vice City.”

Other new additions include four-person drive byshootings, the ability to rob houses, as well as theability to customize the appearance of your charac-ter. There also are new vehicles and weapons at yourdisposal. This is basically a continuation of the ear-lier titles with enough new stuff to keep you inter-ested.

If you follow the “GTA” series, then this is a must-have. If not, then you should at least try this one tosee what everyone is talking about.

—Shawn BryantStaff Writer

To the editor:A note to nonsmokers:If you live with a smoker,

or are close friends withone, don’t nag about theirsmoking habit!

You can make noiseabout their smoking in thehouse or near you, becausetheir second hand smokehurts you, but don’t nagthem to quit.

There’s a big difference.Just three times a year,

you can ask your loved onebriefly to quit smoking in

very loving warm tones.Surround your requestwith honest compliments.

Nonsmokers should treatsmokers with respect andwork their way throughthem.

If you are a smoker andyour loved ones are naggingyou, don’t fall into the oldtrap of hurting them bycontinuing to smoke out ofyour anger toward them.Instead, let them know howyou feel.

Smokers — you can do it.

If you have tried to quitsmoking and failed before,take comfort in the fact thatmost smokers fail severaltimes before quitting suc-cessfully.

Your past failures are nota lesson that you are un-able to quit. Instead, viewthem as part of the normaljourney toward becoming anonsmoker.

—Dorothy Ackon-Mensah

Vice President ofService Phi Theta Kappa

Nagging smokers is a no-no

When a band or musicianarrives in the mainstream,their concerts are suddenlyfilled with a new slew offans, the bandwagon types.

Many of these only knowthe lyrics to the band’s cur-rent hits.

“Switchfoot” has soldnearly two million copies ofits 2003 album “The Beau-tiful Letdown.” Their suc-cess is due in part to twotop 10 hits, “Meant To Live”and “Dare You To Move.”

An effort was made tohelp the bandwagon typescatch up to long-time fans.They did so by releasing thethree albums as one pack-age. “The Early Years:1997-2000” is a three CDset that retails for $17.97and sells for less at somestores.

The music is a refreshingmix of rock, pop and spiri-tuality. Each of the set’s 32songs offers something dif-ferent. The best part aboutlistening to each of the CDsis hearing the growth of theband.

While the sound may notbe as full because the bandwas a trio during “The Early

Years,” they stillmade beautiful mu-sic. “The Legend OfChin” is their 1997debut and displaysthe work of a bandfresh out of highschool. Its secondtrack, “Chem 6A,”jumped out as a fa-vorite.

With lyrics stu-dents can relate tosuch as “I don’twanna/Read thebook/I’ll watch the movie,”the band is likable.

Other highlights of “TheLegend of Chin” include“Underwater” and “You.”

The band’s second album“New Way To Be Human” isoverall stronger and morecomplete.

The title track and “I TurnEverything Over” are thebest examples of rock onthe album.

However, it is the band’ssofter songs “Let That BeEnough” and “Only Hope”that complete the album.

The third album in the setis Switchfoot’s 2000 release“Learning to Breathe.”Standout songs include:

The newly-released Gillette M3 Power razor [a Mach 3innovation] is not exactly all it is cracked up to be.

The Gillette Company advertises its new razor to “en-able gentle micro-pulses to stimulate hair up and awayfrom the skin, so in just one power stroke, you can get acloser and more thorough shave.”

However, this wasn’t the case when I shaved with thefirst micro-powered shaving system from Gillette.

Even though I was disappointed with the razor, it wasdefinitely more enjoyable than its predecessor, the Mach3.

Unfortunately, this new hygiene device does require atriple A battery, but it is shower friendly.

A key factor to consider before purchasing this item isprice. Although I experienced a more enjoyable shave, itwas not worth $14.99.

In fact, I honestly could not tell you if I received a closershave. Hope for the best, but expect the worst if you areplanning on buying the new Gillette M3 Power razor.

—David KilcreaseStaff Writer

‘GTA’ worth a look

Hope for the best fromGillette M3 Power razor

‘Switchfoot’ a mix of rock and pop

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By Dustin HuntNews Writing I Student

Award-winning guitaristsEdgar Cruz and RubenRomero will perform at 7p.m. Nov. 30 in the collegetheater. The cost is $15 forgeneral admission and $10for students and seniors.

Born and raised in Okla-homa City, Cruz␣ found hislove for the guitar, he said,through rock ‘n’ roll.

As Cruz found his pas-sion for music from musicitself, New Mexico nativeRomero was born with themusical note and beganstudying guitar at the ageof 2.␣

Star guitarists to entertain college

Ruben Romero

Edgar Cruz

IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE PIONEER

MineOnline, e-mail, online courses, the library system,campus web pages, online class bulletin boards and chatrooms will be unaccessible during an upgrade procedureNov. 26 and 27.

Access to those services will be unavailable due to anelectrical service upgrade, said John Richardson, directorof Computer Systems Development.

He said a new uninterruptible power supply will beinstalled in the computer room during the Thanksgivingbreak.

The current uninterruptible power supply is at least15 years old and needs updating, Richardson said.

“An uninterruptible power supply is important,”Richardson said, “because it allows all of the equipmentattached to it to continue running for 20 to 40 minuteseven after a power outage.”

He said the college’s current uninterruptible powersupply has reached its capacity and problems have beenoccurring due to its age.

“The college needs a new piece of equipment that willmeet its needs,” Richardson said.

He said the new uninterruptible power supply will havedouble the capacity of the current one.

Richardson said the dates chosen were the best daysavailable to perform the upgrade.

“We want to get the electrical service upgrade done asquickly as possible without interrupting the college orstudents,” he said.

Richardson said professors are aware of the upgradeand an e-mail will be sent out to students with OKCCCe-mail addresses letting them know of the procedure.

Staff Writer Richard Hall can be reached [email protected].

College networkdown during break

Cruz’s love develop-ed␣ while playing Mexicanbass for␣ his father,␣ who hasbeen entertaining restau-rant customers for more

than four decades, whileRomero continued hisstudies of the flaménco gui-tar style in Spain.

When Cruz graduatedfrom Oklahoma City Uni-versity in 1986, he had al-ready mastered the artof␣ classical guitar.

It was then Cruz decidedto combine classical skillsand elements of popular

music into his own stylethat only he can manipu-late.

Cruz␣ has been namedOklahoma’s Best Perform-ing Artist on Acoustic Gui-tar three years in a row. Hehas 12␣ albums which in-clude styles of jazz, rockand mariachi.␣

To date, Romero has re-corded 17 albums and isdistinguished as one of theprimary innovators of the“Santa Fe Sound.”

Cruz performs more than200 shows per year. He fre-quently travels around theworld, performing in coun-tries of Europe and Asia.

Both musicians are high-ly regarded as two of thebest performers of thistime.

At the performance, theartists will play excerptsfrom two of their collabo-rated albums.

By Richard HallStaff Writer

Heatherlyn GasperNews Writing I Student

History professor Dr.Sheetz-Nguyen and herstudents took a walk downhistory lane Nov. 6 at theOklahoma City Museum ofArts. They viewed some ofFrance’s art masterpieces.

The Oklahoma City Mu-seum of Arts is one of sixmuseums to host the ex-hibit, “Nineteenth to Twen-tieth Century French Paint-ings: Millet to Matisse.”

The art comes from itshome museum in Scotland.

History student BeverlyWinn was a first-time visi-tor to the Museum of Arts.She and her mother tookthe opportunity for a freetrip to the museum. Theysaid they both enjoyed theinformative and educa-tional tour.

Sheetz-Nguyen’s stu-dents also had the oppor-tunity to earn extra credit.

“It’s an easy A and theycan use it to make up for abad grade,” she said.

Students visit French art exhibit“It’s a wonderful oppor-

tunity.”Western Civilizations stu-

dent Michael Stiltner didn’tgo just for the grade. Hewas open to the experience.

“It’s been very realisticand enlightening to learnwho did what, how itstarted and how the paint-ings evolved,” Stiltner said.

Tour guide Silvia Smallsaid museums are a visualwalk through history.

The Museum of Artsholds at least 64 pieces inits art collections that datefrom approximately 1830 to1930.

“When you think of mu-seums, you expect to seeolder art, but it is more of amodern museum,” saidGwen George, a Survey ofWomen’s History student.

“I enjoyed the tour but itdid not compare to the Sur-vey of Rome course I tookin the summer withSheetz-Nguyen.”

Also a first-time visitor,George O’Shields said hisfavorite painting was “ThePortrait of Alexander Reid”by Vincent Van Gogh.

“It was very tranquil andwasn’t as busy as the otherpaintings,” O’Shields said.

Sheetz-Nguyen’s stu-dents learned that art workholds its own significantplace in history.

“I truly believe that thearts are just as importantto the study of history andliterature as are the ac-counts of great wars andtechnological achieve-ments,” Sheetz-Nguyensaid.

“I will continue to encour-age student visits to artmuseums in the future byusing the carrot of extracredit to sweeten the attrac-tion.”

These masterpieces willbe on display at the Mu-seum of Arts through Dec.5.

Individual admission tothe OKC Museum of Arts is$7 for adults and $5 forstudents and seniors. Chil-dren 5 and younger, andmuseum members are free.

The Museum of Arts islocated at 415 Couch Drivein downtown OklahomaCity.



There are a few moresteps to go through beforeOKCCC sells $10 million inrevenue bonds for buildinga Science, Engineering andMath Center.

The SEM Center is a partof the college’s Vision of theFuture plan approved bythe college regents in Oc-tober 2003. Other parts ofthe plan include building aPerforming Arts Center andexpanding the health sci-ences center.

In the upcoming Board ofRegents meeting on Nov.15, the regents will be

asked for a recommenda-tion to approve two resolu-tions discussed in the Com-mittee of the Whole meet-ing Nov. 8, said Art Bode,vice president for Businessand Finance.

The resolutions listed inthe Nov. 8 meeting agendaare to authorize the issu-ance of revenue bonds, andthe sale of revenue bondson a negotiated basis.

There are two ways to sellthe revenue bonds, Bodesaid. One is competitive bidand the other is negotiatedbasis.

In a competitive bid, Bodesaid, one would sell bondson a certain day and thenreceive bids with interestrates at the end of the day.

“(The bond seller would)have no choice except sell-ing [the bond] to the lowestinterest rate,” Bode said.

“This may or may not bethe best deal.”

If selling bonds on nego-tiated basis, he said, theseller is selling the bonds toan underwriter who willthen take the bonds andresell them.

Particularly with publicbonds in Oklahoma, Bodesaid, there are tax benefitsto people in the state whobuy state-issued bonds.

Through the underwriternegotiating with the peoplewho will eventually buy thebonds, the method is a bet-ter opportunity for the col-lege to get a better deal, as

opposed to competitive bid,Bode said.

If the board approves theresolutions on Nov. 15, anumber of actions wouldthen be taken by others inthe state of Oklahoma,Bode said.

On Nov. 18 the Okla-homa Bond OversightCommission would beasked to approve the issu-ance of the revenue bonds,and then the State Regentsfor Higher Education wouldbe asked for the same ap-proval on Dec. 9.

After that, Bode said, thebonds would be sold. Thetentative dates are Dec. 13or 14. Then, the collegewould have to wait for 30days.

“There is a required 30-day period during whichsomeone could challengethe legality of the bonds orhow they were sold and soon,” Bode said.

At the end of the 30-dayperiod, Bode said, the At-torney General of the stateof Oklahoma would ap-prove the sale of the rev-enue bonds around Jan.21.

On Jan. 26 or 27 thebond issue would beclosed, Bode said. The col-lege would then receive theproceeds of the bond issue,the $10 million, so con-struction could begin.

Editor Caroline Ting canbe reached at [email protected].

OKCCC to sell $10 million in revenue bonds

Film industry prosto speak on campus

Freshman Justin Mahaffay, 23, stands in front of the N6088F aircraft with Assistant Aviationprofessor and pilot Carl Gull on Oct. 30 at Wiley Post Airport.

Mahaffay entered a free drawing during the Aviation Awareness Educational Week Oct.4 to 8. The Norman resident was selected as the winner for an aircraft ride. The flightlasted about 30 minutes.

Gull teaches aviation at OKCCC as a faculty member from Southeastern OklahomaState University. SOSU now offers a bachelor's degree in aviation through OKCCC, andaviation students can stay right here on the OKCCC campus to finish their degrees in twoyears after completing their associate degrees.

For more information on the aviation program at OKCCC, contact Valerie Lemon at 682-1611, ext. 7195 or by e-mail at [email protected].

To learn more about SOSU’s aviation program, log on to www.aviation.sosu.edu.

Aviation Fair winner takes flight

Photo by Melissa Guice

By Shanna LarsonNews Writing I Student

A grant awarded to OKCCC’s Film Department will funda series of guest speakers. Professor Fritz Kiersch of thefilm department said the money is going to be used tobring in leaders in the movie industry to work with filmstudents.

The students will get to sit in on a class taught by theguest, see a presentation of the guest’s work, and join aquestion and answer session open to the public.

“We’ll invite a number of different ‘Hollywood caliber’and working professionals to come here,” Kiersch said.

The series will give students a chance to discuss ca-reers and opportunities with some of the film industry’smost prominent people.

Students will choose who comes to lecture by votingon names from a list and by offering suggestions of theirown.

They will have a variety of lecturers to choose fromincluding directors, cinematographers, production de-signers and special effects engineers.

Robert Altman, director of the M*A*S*H series, and PaulThomas Anderson, director of “Magnolia” and “BoogieNights” are two possible guest speakers. The producerof “The Godfather,” Albert S. Ruddy, also is a possiblechoice.

The series will have at least one lecture this semesterand up to three in the spring. Kiersch said he hopes tohave a speaker for the week of Dec. 1, and has alreadybegun talks with a possible guest speaker.

The Kirkpatrick Foundation gave the $28,000 grant tothe film department. Once the lectures are scheduled,the Cinemateque Society will be in charge of the promo-tions for each event.


By Kelly CarenderNews Writing I Student

More than one millionjobs will be available overthe next 10 years to stu-dents in the computer field,said Al Heitkamper,OKCCC Director of CyberSecurity.

Computer Science stu-dents choosing to special-ize in Cyber Security willhave more skills to offerprospective employers Heit-kamper said.

“Finding a job in informa-tion technology is a gamethat often comes down tohow many tools (skills orknowledge) you have to of-fer,” Heitkamper said. “Thereal value of the program isthat the individual will bemore marketable in manyareas of information tech-nology.”

The college’s Cyber Secu-

Many computer jobs still in demandrity program is already inplace.

“Teaching began inspring ’04 when I taught anonline section of Principlesof Information Assurance,”Heitkamper said.

Due to a shortage in en-rollment, classes were notoffered in the fall.

Four courses are avail-able for the spring semes-ter.

These include two sec-tions of Principles of Infor-mation Assurance, one sec-tion of Secure E-Com-merce, and one section ofNetwork and OperatingSystem Security.

Two additional courseswill be offered in the fall ‘05semester. These include asection of Enterprise Secu-rity along with a section ofCyber Forensics.

The Cyber Security pro-gram offers three educa-tional credentials. Studentscan obtain an Associate in

Science degree if they planto transfer to a four-yearinstitution or an Associatein Applied Science degree ifthey’re interested in focus-ing on skills required toobtain employment imme-diately upon graduation.

The college also offers aCertificate of Mastery forthose wanting to updatetheir work skills or simplylearn the core concepts ofcyber security.

Classes will be held in acomputer lab on the secondfloor of the library, Heit-kamper said. Since thecourses require the use ofspecial hardware, software,and various operating sys-tems, classes will be con-nected to a network sepa-

rate from the college net-work.

“A career in ComputerScience looks exceptionally

By Kelly CarenderNews Writing I Student

Students enrolled in theCyber Security Programcan look forward to moregroup interaction and fewerlectures.

“These will not be courseswhere students listen tolectures and take tests,”said Al Heit-kamper, CyberSecurity director.

“Students willfind the courseschallenging andwill need to beable to work to-gether and solveproblems.”

Cyber Securityis defined by itscreator, Dr. Su-jeet Shenoi, asthe study of com-puter systems, their flawsand techniques to protectthem.

Heitkamper said, in orderto deal with society’s prob-lems, we must be able totrust the foundation thatprovides solutions.

Heitkamper stressed theimportance of cyber secu-rity.

“It is probably the mostimportant issue societyfaces because all are af-fected by technology,”Heitkamper said

Steve Barslou, Informa-tion Technology dean, saidsociety must protect infor-mation.

“Businesses and indi-viduals have invested little,

if any funds, into securingsystems,” said Barslou.

Heitkamper, former Deanof the Information Technol-ogy Department at OKCCC,left the position to becomedirector of the Cyber Secu-rity program.

He is spending this yeardoing graduate studies inCyber Security at the Uni-versity of Tulsa. He is setto graduate in May ’05.

Heitkamperplans to returnto OKCCC thissummer to be-gin managingthe program.

Heitkamperhas worked atOKCCC for fiveyears and hasworked in infor-mation technol-ogy for morethan 30 years.

“I had severalopportunities to pursuecyber security,” Heit-kamper said.

“When the most recentone presented itself, I real-ized that it was somethingI needed to take a seriouslook at.”

He has been involved inOKCCC’s cyber securityprogram from the begin-ning.

He participated in writingthe request for OKCCC’s($450,000) portion of the $3million grant Oklahoma re-ceived to support the pro-gram.

Heitkamper said afterspending the past weeks atTU, he is convinced of theprogram’s importance.

Cyber securityvital career field

Great American Smokeout Nov. 18 “It is probablythe most

important issuesociety faces

because all areaffected by

technology.”—Al Heitkamper

Cyber SecurityDirector

bright,” said Heitkamper.“Ignore naysayers who saycomputer careers aredead.”

“Finding a job in information technology is a game that often comesdown to how many tools (skills or knowledge) you have to offer.”

—Al HeitkamperCyber Security Program Director

By Graham RennelsNews Writing I Student

Trying to quit smoking can be one ofthe hardest things a person can do. Buton Nov. 18 people across the United Statescan take their first step to quitting theharmful habit.

The Great American Smokeout, whichbegan in 1977, will be celebrated onThursday, Nov. 18.

The Great American Smokeout’s mottois “helping cigarette smokers quit for one

day, in hopes they will quit forever.”Kellen Carter, psychology major is will-

ing to quit for one day but said she won’tmake any promises beyond that.

“I’ll give it a try because I’ve wanted toquit for a long time,” Carter said.

Statistics show that smoking directlycauses lung cancer, and may also lead toillnesses in adults and children who aresubject to second-hand smoke.

Travis Brassfield, another smoker, is aStudio Art sophomore at OKCCC.

“I think the Great American Smokeoutis a great idea, but I probably won’t quitbecause I’m a social smoker and I’ll prob-

ably be partying that night,”Brassfield said.

According to the Smoke-out’s website, smokers whofeel they can’t quit may justrealize they can kick thehabit if they can get througha 24-hour period without acigarette.

For more helpful tips onquitting smoking visit www.cancer.org or call 1-866-PITCH-EM, the dstate’s toll-free hotline.

Smokers are encouraged toput down their cigarettes forone day during the GreatAmerican Smokeout Nov. 18.Photo by Ann Lushbough


Crawdads make home in campus pond


By William F.George Jr.

News Writing IStudent

The newly-com-pleted campus pondpresents a pastoralsetting on a misty fallmorning. One is likelyto see people out for aleisurely stroll, dogschasing each otherdown the walkingpaths and, in theflumes and drainagechannels, a prehis-toric parade of sorts.Crawdads. Lots ofcrawdads. Big craw-dads.

Chris Snow, Physi-cal Plant assistant di-rector, said he hadseen as many as 30crawdads at one timemoving around thepond. They aremuddy-brown and sixto eight inches long,he said.

“They are the biggestcrawdads I have everseen,” he said.

Dr. Liz Bergey of theOklahoma BiologicalSurvey said the mostcommon of the 28 spe-cies of crawdadsfound in Oklahoma isorconectes nias.

It also is the mostlikely species to befound in the campus

pond.Bergey said this spe-

cies is “big and longlived,” with an averagelife span of four toeight years.

Crawdads (alsoknown as crawfish,crayfish and mud-bugs), molt or shed,their shells often whenthey are young, Ber-gey said. As they getolder, this process isdetermined by watertemperature and foodsupply.

Bergey said craw-dads are particularlyactive this time of yearbecause, unlike otherspecies, they breed infall, winter and veryearly spring.

Gary Phillips, build-ing and Campus Ser-vices supervisor, saidthe 7-acre pond occu-pies a space where twonatural storm waterdrainage canals met.

He said not onlydoes the pond providea tremendous serviceby retaining stormwater runoff, it alsoprovides habitats for awide variety of species.

“There are egrets outthere, big blue herons,ducks and geese,”Phillips said.

The storm drainagesystem also acts as aconduit for moving dif-ferent species from

place to place.“Everything that is

in the pond now iscoming from thedrainage areas thatfeed into it,” said J.B.Messer, Physical Plantdirector.

The pond is not fedby a creek, so the fishand other aquatic lifeincluding the craw-dads, must come fromthe drainage system,Messer said.

Nationwide, craw-dads are the secondmost endangeredgroup of freshwaterinvertebrates next tofreshwater mussels,Bergey said.

Bergey also is on thezoology faculty at theUniversity of Okla-homa.

“Their [crawdads]numbers are smalland prone to distur-bance,” she said.“Freshwater systemsare highly affected byhumans.”

Disturbances tofreshwater systemsthat threaten craw-dads include con-struction projects, de-struction of habitatand crayfish introduc-tion.

Crayfish introduc-tion is when non-na-tive crawdads are in-troduced into a fresh-water ecosystem.

Nope, they’re not lobsters. Crawdads are running amok at OKCCC’s pond.The crawdads spotted at the pond are said to measure as long as six to eightinches and have been spotted in groups as large as 30. “They are the biggestcrawdads I have ever seen,” said Chris Snow, Physical Plant assistant director.

Questions? Comments?Concerns? Story ideas?

Contact the Editor!Call 682-1611, ext. 7409, or e-mail

[email protected]!

Looking for textbooks?Need to sell textbooks?

Place a classified ad in thePioneer! Classified ads are FREE

to students and faculty! CallDave at 682-1611, ext. 7674,or e-mail [email protected].


South Oklahoma City has a brand new park witha pond that lies on 18 acres of land on theOKCCC campus. The college held a Retention

Pond Dedication on Nov. 10.The pond project, approved by the OKCCC Board of

Regents in October 2002, to be used for storm waterdrainage. The pond also includes additional landscap-ing of fountains, and jogging and walking trails.

Many special guests were recognized at the dedicationceremony. Oklahoma State Sen. Debbe Leftwich (District44), City Council Ward 5 Councilman Jerry Foshee andPaul Brum, director of Public Works with the City ofOklahoma City attended.

OKCCC Board of Regents Chairman Dr. David Casper,along with regents Alice Musser and Ed Chappell, alsoparticipated in the ceremony.

“It’s a very exciting day for OKCCC,” Casper said in hisdedication speech.

“We’re celebrating the city and the college’s collabora-tive efforts (on the retention pond project).”

The project was done in partnership with the OKCCCFoundation and the city of Oklahoma City, Todd said atthe ceremony.

Community members who attended the dedicationseemed to like the idea of having a new park area in theirarea and neighborhood.

“(The pond) is very beautiful and very needed,” saidElaine Lyons, South Oklahoma City Chamber of Com-merce president. “It really adds to the quality of life here,”she said.

Leftwich also commented on the new addition to thearea.

“It’s attractive. People love it,” she said.Todd said he is excited to see people walking and jog-

ging by the pond when the weather permits.“It is a tremendous addition to this community,” Todd

said.The pond cost about $1.2 million, most of it funded by

the city.Editor Caroline Ting can be reached at [email protected].

OKCCC pond ready for community

Text by Caroline TingPhotos by Ann Lushbough

OKCCC’s pond and park were dedicated Nov. 10 to celebrate its completion. The park offers jogging and walkingtrails and landscaping of fountains on its 18 acres of land. In this photograph, taken at sunset, the light reflects off thepond surface and surrounds the fountain.

OKCCC President Bob Todd and Paul Brum, director of Public Works with the City ofOklahoma City, celebrate the pond and park dedication. The retention/detention pond projectwas approved by the OKCCC Board of Regents in October 2002.

Oklahoma City Council Ward 5Councilman Jerry Foshee speaks at

the pond dedication.

Oklahoma State Sen. Debbe Leftwich andState Rep. Richard Morrissette stand out of the

spotlight for a change. The pair attended the pondand park dedication Nov. 10 along side many

other special guests.



Student magician sees his future in cardsBy Jill Hembree

News Writing I Student

“Magic is in the hands,”said Yu Da Kim, a profes-sional magician andOKCCC student. He said hebelieves he has the magictouch that will turn his tal-ent into gold.

But before he does, Kimsaid he plans to earn hisdegree in elementary edu-cation, so he’ll have themeans to earn a steadypaycheck.

Kim, 21, began practicingmagic three years ago whenhe was reunited with a pro-fessional magician who alsowas his best childhoodfriend.

Kim said he performedhis first acts at his highschool, BishopMcGuinness, during his se-nior year. He said he re-ceived a standing ovationfrom his peers and stu-dents at his school wereconstantly asking him toperform.

“I even had a teacher whoalways started off our classby asking me to do a magictrick,” Kim said.

Since then, Kim said, hehas become one of Okla-homa’s best magicians.

Kim competes annuallyin Oklahoma’s Close-upCompetition where Okla-homa’s most talented ma-gicians come together toperform their own personalacts. Kim performs stuntsof levitation, manipulationand card tricks.

Although Kim has per-formed on stage, he prefersclose-up acts.

“Close-up magic is morepersonal because you caninteract with the audience

more,” Kim said. “It’s alsomore challenging.

“When it’s stage magic, aperson could completelymess up something and theaudience would neverknow. When I’m perform-ing close-up, if my pinky isslightly off when I’m ma-nipulating the cards, thewhole trick is ruined.”

Although Kim said hedefinitely plans on makinga career out of performingmagic, he plans to revisithis homeland country ofKorea. “My grandfatherdied in the Korean War tosave our family,” he said. “Itwas then that all of our for-tune was gone.

“I promised him I wouldbecome successful andtake care of our family.”

While in Korea, Kim said,he plans to teach Englishusing his elementary edu-cation degree.

“I want to change theworld,” Kim said. “I want tobe an inspiration to peopleand influence them totravel and see the world.”

Kim said he plans to re-turn to the United States topursue his career in magicafter his visit to Korea.

“I’m a very simple per-son,” Kim said. “All I needin life are my hands.

“My hands are going tomake me millions of dollarssomeday.”

Yu Da Kim is a professional magician and OKCCC student. He said he believes he has themagic touch that will turn his talent into gold. Kim, 21, began practicing magic three years ago.

“I want to changethe world. I want to be

an inspiration topeople and influence

them to travel and seethe world.”

—Yu Da KimOKCCC Student and

Professional Magician

Voice youropinion.

It’s FREEWrite the editor [email protected]


Turkey Hotline

Students makeplans for fall break

Fall break building hours—Wednesday, Nov. 24: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.—

—Thursday, (Thanksgiving), Nov. 25: CLOSED——Friday through Sunday, Nov. 26 through 28: CLOSED—

Regular building hours will resume Monday, Nov. 29—Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.—

—Saturday: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.——Sunday: closed—

Employees needing access at times other thanthose listed above should contact Safety and Security at 7747.There are NO classes Tuesday, Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 28

• USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline(888) 674-6854 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday.Closed weekends and holidays, except Thanksgiving Day. Specialhours of operation on Thanksgiving are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., CST.

• Guidelines for Sending Food Gifts to U.S. MilitaryFind out what you can safely send to those in the military. Furtherquestions may be directed to USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline’s toll-free number 1-888-674-6854; Washington D.C. area (202) 720-3333.The toll-free number for the hearing impaired (TTY) is 1-800-256-7072.

• Reynolds Turkey Tips Line(800) 745-4000 Open through Dec. 31, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Butterball Turkey Talk Line(800) BUTTERBALL (800-288-8373) Available Nov. 8 through Dec.25, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6p.m. CST; Thanksgiving Day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST; Nov. 24 to Dec.25, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.

• Honeysuckle White(800) 810-6325 Recorded answers to frequently-asked turkey prepa-ration questions.

• Foster Farms(800) 255-7227. Live operators answer questions 24 hours a day Nov.21 through Dec. 2. The rest of the year, hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.CST, Monday through Friday.

• Perdue Chicken(800) 473-7383. Available weekdays year ’round (except the day af-ter Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m CST. Thanks-giving week: Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, Nov. 27, 8a.m. to 8 p.m. CST, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m CST.

• Shady Brook Farms Dial-A-Chef(888) 723-4468. Available 24-hours, 7 days-a-week, automated mes-sages by famous chefs and winemakers through Jan. 1.

• Empire Kosher(800) 367-4734. Year ’round Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30p.m. CST; Fridays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m CST. Closed on Jewish and secu-lar holidays.

• Land O’ Lakes Holiday Bakeline(800) 782-9606 Available through Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m, CST,7 days a week.

• Betty Crocker(888) ASK-BETTY (888-275-2388) Open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. week-days; staffed year-round.

• Campbell’s Soups Holiday Leftovers Hotline(888) 453-3868 Open the day after Thanksgiving through Dec. 31 forquestions on leftovers.

• Fleischmann's Yeast Baker's Help Line(800) 777-4959 Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., year ’round advice forbread bakers.

• Nestlé Toll House Baking Information Line(800) 637-8537. Year ’round baking help and recipes, from 10 a.m. to6 p.m.

• Ocean Spray(800) 662-3263. Staffed year ’round, weekdays (open ThanksgivingDay; but not Christmas Day, New Year's Day and other major holi-days) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., CST.

—Source: http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blhelp5.htm

“I’m going toTexas to spendtime with myfamily.”

—GriseldaSerrano

sophomorenursing major

“I’m havinga family

reunion.”—Mabel

Hernandezfreshmanbusiness

administrationmajor

“I’m gettingtogether withmy boyfriend’sfamily.”

—MaricruzMartinez

freshmanundecided

major

“...go toGrandma’s...and have a bigcook-out.”

—NarishaJackson

freshmancomputer

design major

“I think I’ll beat drill that

week. I’m inthe National

Guard.”—Kyle Palmer

freshmanpolitical

science major

“I’m probablygoing tosleep...”—David

Stottlemyresophomore

businessmanagement

major

“I might go ona road trip to

Mt. Scott and gohiking.”

—MichaelBergstrasser

sophomoreundecided major

“I’m gonna gosnowboarding.”

—Colt Leonardsophomore

history major


EVENTS

•Nov. 17: Swim meet atthe OKCCC AquaticCenter. Check with theAquatic Center fortimes.

INTRAMURALS

•Nov. 16: Volleyballleague continues.Games will be held onTuesday from 2 to 5p.m. in the OKCCCgymnasium.

•Nov. 18 : 3-on-3basketball leaguecontinues. Games willbe held in the OKCCCgymnasium Thursdaysfrom 2 to 5 p.m.

YOUTH

•April 7 : Sign-updeadline for T-ball. Theseason will start May 3,ends June 10 and is forchildren ages 4 to 7.

Contact Eric Watson at682-1611, ext. 7786 formore information onOKCCC’s sportsprograms.

Do you have an OKCCC-related sports event you

want to put in thecalendar? Contact SportsReporter Shawn Bryant at

682-1611, ext. 7440,or e-mail

[email protected] submissions must be in

no later than 5 p.m.Tuesday for inclusion in

the next issue.

Volleyball intramural trash talk

By Erin SanchezNews Writing I Student

For students wanting tolearn how to ice-skate, theCollege for Kids program atOKCCC started a partner-ship with the Blazers IceHockey Arena.

The Blazers are a profes-sional Oklahoma ice-hockey team. The arena islocated at 8000 S I-35 Ser-vice road.

Jack Perkins Coordina-tor of Community Educa-tion and Health, has takenover the responsibility oflooking after the partner-

Learn to swim at the Aquatic Center

Ice-skate at Blazer’s arena

By Christiana KosturaStaff Writer

A heated competition be-tween two volleyball teamstook place on Nov. 9 in theOKCCC gymnasium.

The Social ScienceSpikers won two out ofthree unofficial gamesagainst the Baptist Colle-giate Ministries in an intra-mural volleyball tourna-ment.

A team from the PhysicalPlant signed up to play, butdidn’t show.

“Men in Blue didn’t showbecause they knew they’dget beat by the SocialSpikers,” said Martha

Jeff Carlisle, Thomas Jones, Martha George and ChuckCarselowey of the Social Science Spikers prepare to take onthe Baptist Collegiate Ministries in a volleyball match-up.

Photo by Christiana Kostura

By Jennifer ThorleyNews Writing I Student

OKCCC has one of thestate’s largest Learn-to-Swim programs, saidStephanie Scott, aquaticsand safety training special-ist.

The Learn-to-Swim Pro-gram is designed to helpswimmers of all ages andabilities develop theirswimming and water safetyskills, according to theAmerican Red Crosswebsite, www.redcross.org.

The program is intendedto go through six levels witheach becoming more diffi-cult than the last.

Since the program isavailable year round, it al-lows swimmers progress tonew levels at their ownpace.

All ages are welcome toattend starting as young as18 months with a parentpresent, Scott said.

Students can use theAquatic Center for free witha current student ID Scottsaid. Student discountsalso are offered some of theprograms.

The swim program is heldon Tuesday and Thursdayevenings as well as Satur-day afternoons.

The Tuesday and Thurs-day classes are $30 foreight classes. The Saturdayclasses run five minuteslonger and cost $19 for fourlessons.

“This is a very affordableprogram,” Scott said.

Scholarships for theLearn-to-Swim program

are given out each semes-ter. Scholarship requestsmay be completed in theOffice of Recreation andCommunity Services. SeeScott for more information.

The teachers are all wa-ter safety certified, Scottsaid. Aides can be in thewater helping, but must gothrough some training toobtain this title.

Students are alwaysneeded as volunteers and

aides for swim events andprograms. Many studentswork part-time at theAquatic Center or gothrough the training pro-grams to become certifiedlifeguards, Scott said.

For information on theLearn-to-Swim program orother programs offered bythe Aquatic Center, contactthe Office of Recreation andCommunity Services at682-7860.

George, psychology profes-sor.

Teammate Chuck Carse-lowey, sociology professoragreed with George.

“The intimidation factorwas too great,” Carseloweysaid.

Both teams said they en-joyed the game.

“I’m just glad we get toplay,” said BCM memberCristal Pursley.

Eric Watson, CommunityEducation and Health spe-cialist, said the event wentwell and that he hopes toplan more of these types ofevents in the future.

Senior Staff WriterChristiana Kostura can bereached at [email protected].

ship.The partnership with the

arena started less than twoyears ago and allows stu-dents to take ice skatinglessons at the arena. SinceOKCCC does not have thefacilities to teach ice skat-ing, students sign upthrough OKCCC, but at-tend the classes the arenaalready offers.

This way it is possible fora single OKCCC student tojoin an arena class, thoughthey will not receive collegecredit.

“[College for Kids] giveskids the opportunity to dothings,” Perkins said.

Ice skating is not the only

class offered in a partner-ship.

The program also haspartnerships with TroyCheatwoods Family MartialArts in Oklahoma City andBart Connor’s GymnasticsAcademy in Norman.

These partnerships workthe same way as the part-nership with the Blazersarena.

This program allows stu-dents from age 5 and up totake the classes at theBlazer’s arena at a dis-counted price.

Students can sign up forthese classes like any othercourse: online, over thephone or in person.

UPCOMING

Sports


Students can test their international IQBy Richard Hall

Staff Writer

OKCCC students will beable to test their global IQduring International Edu-cation Week.

Two quizzes will be of-fered in the Testing Centerfrom Monday, Nov. 15 toFriday, Nov. 19.

John Hughes, politicalscience professor, is orga-nizing the event with thehelp of Jim Ellis, Testingand Assessment director.

Hughes said the quizzeswill have 30 multiple-choice questions in threeareas: continents, coun-tries and cultures.

“The quizzes are to testone’s knowledge of interna-tional geography and cur-rent events,” Hughes said.

The questions were writ-ten by the U.S. Departmentof Education, the U.S. De-partment of State and theNational Geographic Soci-ety.

Hughes said this is thesecond year OKCCC hasoffered the quizzes. “Therewas a good turnout lastyear for the quizzes. We

hope to have a better turn-out this year.”

Hughes said studentsshould take the quizzes tosee how much they knowabout the topics. “You canalso impress people withhow much you know, andthat’s a plus.”

Ellis agrees. “It’s good to

see what people think ofglobal concerns.”

Jon Horinek, coordinatorof Community Engagementfor Student Life, is involvedwith many of the plannedevents for IEW.

“International EducationWeek can help broaden stu-dents’ horizons,” he said.

Prizes will be given awayto students who score ex-ceptionally well, Hughessaid. Those include gift cer-tificates to Don Pablo’s,

CSI class on scheduleBy Shawn Bryant

Staff Writer

With television shows such as CSI becoming popular,the demand for a degree in such areas is on the rise.Melanie Williams, Training Center receptionist, said thecenter will offer a non-credit course in basic crime sceneinvestigations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18,and Friday, Nov. 19, on the fourth floor of the library.

The cost of the course is $169 and covers the textbookand lab supplies, Williams said. The course will be taughtby Doug Parker of the Oklahoma City Police Departmentand will be a mixture of classroom and hands-on activi-ties, Williams said.

“I believe they will go out and look at car tracks, mudtracks, footprints, and do fingerprints.”

Williams said no prerequisites are required to enroll.The course is approved for 16 hours of Cleet certificationand students will receive a certificate upon completion.

Staff Writer Shawn Bryant can be reached [email protected].

Pizza House and ChanHong Chinese restaurant.

Staff Writer Richard Hallcan be reached at [email protected].


HighlightsIndian taco and fry bread sale

The Native American Student Association will be sellingIndian tacos and fry bread from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. onThursday, Nov. 18, in the college union. Fry bread is $2and Indian tacos are $5 each. Indian tacos come with adrink. The sale is a fund-raiser for the club’s trip to theGathering of Nations, from April 28 to 30, at the Universityof New Mexico. For more information contact Kristi Fieldsat 682-7550.

Great American Smokeout on campusPhi Theta Kappa is teaming with the American Cancer

Society to bring the Great American Smokeout to OKCCCon Thursday, Nov. 18. The Great American Smokeout is aday of encouraging people to give up tobacco products,commit to living a healthier life and take advantage ofcessation support services the American Cancer Societyoffers. For more information contact Richard Rouillard at682-1611, ext. 7389.

Final Employment Services drawingThis is the last month of the Employment Services

drawing for a $50 gift certificate from Wal-Mart. To enterthe drawing, upload your résumé to the OKCCC StudentEmployment website before Nov. 30. The web address iswww.collegecentral.com/okccc. For help with a résumécontact Employment Services at 682-7519.

Scholarship available in Enrollment ManagementThe $1,000 George and Donna Nigh Scholarship is now

available in the Enrollment Management office. If you arean Oklahoma resident, have a 3.2 grade point average orbetter, are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours, and pursuinga degree leading to a career in public service, please comeby the Enrollment Management office and pick up anapplication. The deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 24. For moreinformation contact Linda Sapp at 682-7580.

Business Professionals of America MeetingThe Business Professionals of America will be holding

a meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 29, in room2R5 of the main building. The club will be voting for officersand planning for the spring semester. For more informationcontact Vijayan Ramachandran at 682-1611, ext. 7220,Joe Ramsey at 682-1611, ext. 7454, or Summer Medlinat 748-7468.

Sophomore Eder Mata plays the Xbox game, “Halo.” Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Chi Alphaand Alpha Omega teamed up to play “Halo” on Nov. 8 in the college union.

Organizations band together to play ‘Halo’ on the eve of ‘Halo 2’ releaseClubs bid farewell to video game


By Matthew CabanStaff Writer

Today’s video games al-low players to give theircharacters names such as:John Kerry, Legolas, RalphNader and Bush.

These were just a few ofthe names used by partici-pants at the “Farewell 2Halo” party on Nov. 8 in CU3.

The people responsiblefor the comical aliases andfun were Baptist CollegiateMinistries, Chi Alpha andAlpha Omega memberswho wanted to celebratethe release of “Halo 2” byplaying “Halo.”

“Halo” is a science fictionaction game that takesplace on an alien planetand has sold more than 5million copies to date, ac-cording to www.xbox.com.

The website said “Halo 2”exceeded 1.5 million pre-orders three weeks beforeits Nov. 9 release.

“This is a new outreachtool,” BCM member BortierManison said. “Most peoplewould not come to [one ofour meetings], but here wecan invite them to church.”

The party drew studentswho are not members of anyof the clubs.

“I have visited BCM meet-ings before, but now I willregularly attend,” saidfreshman engineering majorKris Stowers.

“I enjoyed having fun ona common ground. It’s agreat time to meet newfriends.”

Stowers said he lovesplaying “Halo.” He was notalone in his sentiments.

Sophomore web designmajor Chris Whitman saidhe plays “Halo” often.

BCM member CristalPursley said she broughther younger brotherGerome to the party and heloved it.

The party also was apractice for “Halo 2,”Manison said.

“I play online and have to

type what I want to say,but here I can just say it,”said sophomore websitedesign major JasonHamilton.

“I’m new to ‘Halo’ andneed more practice,” fresh-man engineering majorBryan Huffman said. “I amglad for this.”

Manison said the clubsmight hold “Halo 2” tour-naments as early as De-cember.

Manison said if theclubs host tournaments inthe future, he is going topromote it heavily.

“We are doing this to letpeople know that we arehere.”

Manison said 16 peoplecould play “Halo” simulta-neous at the party.

He said the clubs gath-ered four Xbox game sys-tems, 16 controllers, fourtelevisions, a projector anda large projection screen.

Staff Writer/Club Re-porter Matthew Caban canbe reached at [email protected].

Christian club to host outing in Norman

By Jay NorthNews Writing I Student

Christians on Campusis continuing their tradi-tion of college outings atnoon on Saturday, Nov.20, at Rock Creek YouthCamp in Norman.

The event will beginwith a discussion on theBook of Genesis, saidChristians on Campusstaff member Brian Tal-

ent.“Our goal is to help

people build solid rela-tionships with God, whilethey are in college,” Tal-ent said.

Christians on Campusholds Bible study at noonevery Monday in CU7.

Talent said the cost ofthe fall college outing is $5and transportation can beprovided.

For more informationcontact Talent at 414-4084.


Class ifi eds

FOR SALE: ’02 Dodge QuadCab. Line-X bedliner, 31K miles,20 in. chrome wheels, 3 step nerfbars, custom stripes. In excellentcondition. Call 802-8558 for moreinfo.

FOR SALE: ’00 Nissan Fron-tier King Cab XE, 44,500 miles, 4cyl., auto, bed liner and rear slid-ing glass window, $9,000. Call378-8051.

FOR SALE: ’99 Toyota Camry.Auto, 95K miles, leather, sunroof,alarm and new timing belt. Runsand drives great with good gasmileage, $8,100 OBO. Call 921-9278.

FOR SALE: ’99 Dodge 3/4 tontruck. Diesel, 4WD, 90K miles,auto, SWB, white/gray, SLT, ex-tended cab and have maintenancerecords. Call 306-4781.

FOR SALE: ’98 Nissan Sentra,4door, 4cyl., 64K miles, $4,500OBO. Call 613-5990.

FOR SALE: ’98 Nissan Fron-tier XE, 4 cylinder, automatic,power steering, driver and pas-senger airbags, garage kept, 57Kmiles, excellent condition, $7,200OBO. Call 524-9429 after 5:30p.m.

FOR SALE: ’96 Isuzu Rodeo.Red, 5spd., dependable, newclutch and brakes, CD player, coldA/C, 119K miles and runs great.$3,200 OBO. Call 227-4562.

FOR SALE: ’95 ChevroletBlazer. Well maintained, 4 door, 4W.D., teal green, gray interior, A/C, 159K miles, asking $3,800. Call485-4521 or 370-1400.

FOR SALE: ’95 Toyota 4 Run-ner. Auto, 126K miles, sun roof,all power, new brakes and newmotor. Call 306-4781.

FOR SALE: ’94 Ford Probe.Blue, 88K miles, 2 door, auto, CDplayer and looks and runs great.$2,800 OBO. Call 249-4111.

FOR SALE: ’94 Mazda Pro-tege. Exterior is white and it is infair condition; $1,700. Call 378-3647 after 6 p.m.

FOR SALE: ’94 Ford CrownVictoria. Well maintained, 107Kmiles, beige; $3,300. Call 682-1611 ext. 7795 or 364-0924 after6 p.m.

FOR SALE: ’93 Chevy Astroextended van. Burgundy, tint, CD

ROOMMATE NEEDED:Roommate needed ASAP toshare a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment.Situated on NW 47 & Penn (nearPenn Square Mall); $250/monthlyplus bills. Call David at 924-8542.

FOR RENT: Great 1-bedroomduplex. Close to campus, waterand trash paid; $395/month. Call919-0685 and leave message.

NEED FEMALE ROOMMATE:3-bedroom brick home located inthe south Moore, north Normanarea. All bills paid, includes cableand Internet; $450/month. Or 2female roommates; $300/montheach. Leave message at 206-0234.

ROOMMATE WANTED: Look-ing for female or male roommateinterested in living at SpringfieldApartments in Norman. Rent in-cludes gas, water and trash; $205a month. Electricity is around $35a month and cable is optional. In-house puppy (being house bro-ken). Call Patricia or Jeff at 323-7128 and leave message.

RESPONSIBLE ROOMMATEWANTED: Room for rent approx.1 mi. from OU. May require a co-signer for lease and toleration ofmy nice pit bull. Includes cable,phone and Internet. $265/mo. and

Pioneer Classified Advertisingis free to all currently enrolledOKCCC students and employ-ees for any personal classifiedad. Ads must be submitted inwriting with IDs supplied orwork area and college exten-sion included. Deadline for ad-vertising is 5 p.m. Tuesdayprior to the publication date.Call 682-1611, ext. 7674 formore information.

FOR SALE: S&M dirtbike withprofile 3PC, PhatJack 48h, pitchforks and slam bars. Goodcondition. $275 OBO. Call 818-0083.

FOR SALE: Assorted sizes ofceramic tile. Three medium-sizeRubbermaid tubs full. $30; Largebox of assorted power strips, $20.Call 818-0083.

BASS GUITAR FOR SALE:Dean Edge 4. Near mint con-dition. Powder silver basswoodbody, 2 active soap bar pickups,maple & walnut neck, 24 fretrosewood fretboard with abalonedot inlays. Strap, straplocks &hard case included. Asking $300.Call Andy at 573-0170 or 919-4696 and leave message.

FOR SALE: 14 foot trampolinefor sale, $75 OBO. Call Lindsayat 745-4620.

FOR SALE: Matching light tanWhirlpool Super Capacity washerand gas dryer. Both work great.$200 for set or $125 each. CallMichelle at 470-2773.

FOR SALE: Sony micro cas-sette recorder, model # M-100 MCMic’n Micro, with cassettes, brandnew and never been used, boughtfrom bookstore; $45. Call 366-6009 and leave message.

FREE: Video games, elec-tronics and much more. [email protected] formore info.

FOR SALE: Dryer for sale ingood condition, runs perfect; $50.Call 485-2166.

FOR SALE: 2 RockfordFosgate 12” subwoofers in a QLogix Bandpass Box, with a 200wx 2 Infinity 102a Amp. Willsacrifice for $150 OBO. Call 388-3913.

FOR SALE: T-Mobile cellphones. Nokia 3390 and MotorolaT193. Each phone comes withinstruction booklet, charger andbattery. Must have own SIM card.

Do you like good pay, greatbenefits, consistent pay raises,

weekly pay checks andweekends off?

Do you like to stayin good shape?

If yes, then a Loader/Unloader jobmay be for you.

Visit www.upsjobs.com or call1-888-WORKUPS. EOE

UPS PART-TIME JOB

player, running boards and wellcared for, $3.000. Call 863-6066.

FOR SALE: ’92 Isuzu Rodeo.Exterior is a metallic sand colorand it is in fair condition; $1,700.Call 378-3647 after 6 p.m.

FOR SALE: ’90 Ford F-150XLT. Newly replaced battery, al-ternator, drive shaft and tires. Verymechanically sound. Will sell for$2,800. Call 990-2590.

FOR SALE: ’78 Datsun 280Z2+2 and a ‘79 Datsun 280ZX. Bothare project/parts cars and are be-ing sold very cheap. Call 388-5939 for more info.

half the bills. Call Cara at 701-5958 and leave message.

FOR SALE: Baby bed, lightnatural wood with hunter greenhighlight on headboard and foo-tboard. Excellent condition. Needsmattress. $25; Baby swing, playsmusic. Purchased brand new.Used approximately 5 hours. $35.Will take $50 for both. Call 818-0083.

FOR SALE: 3 in 1 deal, babybed/ day bed/ full size bed. Pre-mium mattress, like new beddingset and all in excellent condition.Paid over $600, will sell for $275OBO. Call David or Stacey at 408-5295.

Both in perfect condition; $20each. Call Heather at 314-4430.

WANTED: 4’ X 8’ enclosedutility trailer. Call 682-1611 ext.7641 during the day and 681-3618 during evenings andweekends.

FOR SALE: Weight Benchwith weights, $20. Satellite dish,$10. Wooden coffee table (white),$10. Infant car seat/strollercombo, $75. Kodak 2.0 mpcamera, $40. Call Kim at 414-7070.

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED:The University of OklahomaHealth Sciences Center researchteam needs participants between

the ages of 18 and 30, who havea parent with or without a historyof an alcohol or drug problem.Qualified participants will becompensated for their time. Tosee if you qualify or to learn moreabout the study, please call 552-4303. The University of Oklahomais an equal opportunity institution.

LICENSED CHRISTIANHOME DAY CARE: DHSapproved, 11 years experience,meals included, lots of TLC andreferences available. Please call740-5535. M-F, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

BOOKS FOR SALE: Practic-ing College Learning Strategies,$20. West’s Legal Environment ofBusiness, $75. Modern Real Es-tate Practices, $40. Call 366-6009and leave message.


Winning trio...

Left: Testing Centeremployee Sheena Longtook first place as ascarecrow. First-placeprize was a seasonpass to the OKCRepertoire Theatre.

Above: SophomoreValerie Jobe tooksecond place asDorothy from the

Wizard of Oz.She won a giftcertificate toSophabella’sChicago Bar

& Grill.

Photos courtesy of Ace Burke

Right: Businessmajor Gil Lopez took

third place in thecostume contest. Hewon a gift certificateto Boomerang Grill.

Unpaid tuition occursfor many reasons

“Collections,”Cont. from page 1

The Society ofPerforming Artists held

a costume contestduring the Halloweenholiday. Winners are:

Each year the collegebudgets a certain amountfrom student fees in itsEducational and GeneralOperating Budget, Johnsonsaid.

For the past five years,the percentage of uncol-lectibles, based on theamount of budgeted stu-dent fees, are: 1998-99, 6percent; 1999-2000, 7 per-cent; 2000-01, 8 percent;2001-02, 9 percent and2002-03, 6 percent.

Johnson said she’s sur-prised to see the percent-age of uncollectibles hasbeen so steady. On a hope-ful note, 2002-03 is lowerthan the previous year.

“Hopefully, we’re actuallystarting to come back downin the number of unpaidaccounts,” Johnson said.

With 2001-02 being thehighest year in uncollec-tibles, the switch from theold payment policy to thecurrent payment plancould be one factor for thehike, Johnson said.

“It takes a while for every-one to get used to thechange,” Johnson said.

The policy change oc-curred in fall 2000, saidPam Baker, enrollment fi-nance assistant.

Students used to pay $20to enter the extensionagreement, which allowedthem to make two pay-ments on accounts,deCardenas said.

If students missed thefirst payment, deCardenassaid, they were droppedfrom current classes andstill owed tuition.

Students who missed thesecond payment weredropped from both currentclasses and future enroll-ment, if they had alreadyenrolled for the followingsemester, he said.

Like today’s paymentplan no extension agree-ment was offered for inter-sessions and fast trackclasses, Johnson said.

Johnson said she reviewsevery past-due account,and she has noticed atrend.

“A high number of stu-dents who entered into apayment plan do not pay,”Johnson said.

Other uncollectible ac-counts also could be theresult of returned checksand loss of eligibility for fi-nancial aid, Johnson said.

OKCCC President BobTodd commented on thestudents who leave theirbills unpaid.

In a broader sense, thecollege has provided ser-vices to those who did notmake payments, he said.

To some degree, unpaidtuition and fees can affectthe college’s capacity toserve students, Todd said.

“It’s not a major problem,but it is something thatbusinesses of any size havegot to address, monitor andattempt to find ways to re-duce,” Todd said.

The Bursar’s Office gen-erally gives students about30 days to make arrange-ments for any unpaidamounts on their accounts,Johnson said.

Students who paid $25 toget on a payment plan mustpay their fees before the lastpayment due date, or thebalance will be turned overto a collection agency afterthe 30-day period after thefinal due date, Johnsonsaid.

The college offers pay-ment plans for those en-rolled in 16-week, early 8-week and late 8-week se-mesters.

“Each one of those is con-sidered as a separate pay-ment plan,” Johnson said.

Students on a monthlypayment plan should notmake payments online, be-cause their accounts willnot be credited correctly,Johnson said.

In case students did payonline for a current pay-ment plan they’re in,Johnson said, they must letthe Bursar’s Office know,so they can correct theproblem.

With past due balances oraccounts that have beenturned over to collectionagency, Johnson said theaccount holders can eitherpay online if they have aMineOnline ID, or pay thecollection agency.

Johnson said she reviewsweb payments on a dailybasis, but it would still bea good idea for people toinform the Bursar’s Officeafter they have made a pay-ment online for past duebalances.

She encourages studentswith questions concerningtheir accounts to visit theBursar’s Office on the firstfloor of the main building,call 682-1611, ext. 7825, ore-mail [email protected].

She also recommendsstudents read all the infor-mation they’re given for alldeadlines for payments,refunds and withdrawals.

Editor Caroline Ting canbe reached at [email protected].

pioneer 2004 11 15

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