pioneer 2008 01 21

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

www.occc.edu/pioneer

• MineOnline helpful service, editorial, p. 2.• Mayor urges city to lose weight, p. 7.• Aquatic Center offers variety, sports, p. 8.• Club and Organizations Fair, clubs, p. 10.

This WeekInside January 21, 2007

Vol. 36 No. 18

By Cynthia PraefkeStaff Writer

Those who eat inCarson’s Market

Fresh Café, betterknown to its patronsas the student union,will pay more for theirfood starting Jan. 21.

Increases will aver-age about 6 percent.

“We waited as longas we could, but wehad no choice,” saidCorrine Aguilar, gen-eral manager. “Thelast price increase wasin fall of 2006.”

Costs rose moreduring the first six

months of 2007, thanin the entire previousyear, and the trend iscontinuing, she said

“The cost of redmeat, poultry, eggsand milk went up 6.2per cent in 2007.”

Aguilar said the costof eggs, for instance,went from $11 percase to $22 during thepast year, and certainmeat and cheeseprices were raised $24per case.

Gas prices go up,Aguilar said, and so dothe products madewith petroleum distil-lates, such as the

plastic gloves used infood preparation, andthe foam cups fordrinks. It all entersinto the cost of themenu items.

“The union is a con-venience for many atthe school, so we wantto be sure to offerquality food at compa-rable prices,” she said.“We feel our prices arecompetitive.”

Students wereasked what theythought about theprice increase.

Ryan Crow, second-

State health cardoffered to residents

Lunch just got more costly

Very r-i-i-ce

Students Tammie Mallow, Erik Murray and Jorge Marzola have theirnames written on rice during a Student Life sponsored event planned towelcome students during the first week of classes. Hogwild Entertainmentprovided the fun.

Photo by Amber McBride

See “Food,” page 12

Oklahoma Drug Card programallows for discounts at pharmacies statewide

By Chris LuskEditor

Twenty eight percent of collegestudents are uninsured, ac-

cording to a recent Aetna poll.With the launch of the new Okla-

homa Drug Card program, 28 per-cent of Oklahoma’s college stu-dents now have access to more af-fordable prescription medications.

Under the program, any Okla-homa resident may sign up onlineand print off acard that willprovide instantsavings on pre-scription drugsat 687 pharma-cies statewide,said Joe Willard,state programdirector.

The card isfree. There areno age or income restrictions andthere is no lengthy paperwork tofill out, Willard said.

Card users are expected to saveas much as 75 percent on medica-tions, while the average savings areprojected around 35 percent, hesaid.

There are two different cardsavailable on the website, the Free-dom plan and the Spirit plan. Bothoffer a wide variety of discountsand various locations, Willard said.

“We strongly encourage everyoneto sign up for both plans,” he said.“Each card has a different use. TheFreedom plan is used at larger cor-poration pharmacies such asWalgreen and CVS. The Spirit planis used at locally owned pharma-cies.”

Majority of prescription medica-tions are available for discount.Users can find the eligible medica-tions and participating pharmacieslisted on the program’s website,Willard said.

“Even if you have insurance, a

drug may be cheaper with the DrugCard than your insurance,” Willardsaid. “Just bring both cards withyou when you visit the pharmacy.

“Your pharmacist can look up theprice for your medications underboth cards and that way you re-ceive the best price.”

With pharmaceutical companiespaying millions of dollars in the re-search and development of pre-scription medication, the assump-tion is that there must be a catch

to the program.But Willard

said the phar-m a c e u t i c a lcompanies arefunding the pro-gram in order tosell their prod-ucts.

“Lots of peopleask me [what’sthe catch],”

Willard said. “Truth is, there is nocatch. The drug companies are justunder lots of pressure to sell theirproducts.”

Many times, when people receivea prescription that costs too muchthey go without filling it, Willardsaid.

“Approximately two-thirds ofpeople who see a doctor leave witha prescription,” he said. “If thoseprescriptions are going unfilledthen no one is making money.”

Willard said the drug companiesare operating under the mindsetthat some money is better than nomoney.

Oklahoma is the 23rd state tobegin its own prescription cardprogram sponsored by United Net-works of America, a provider of nu-merous health care products basedout of Baton Rouge, La., he said.

“Oklahoma has a huge need forthe prescription card program,”Willard said. “We have one of thehighest unin-sured popu- See “Card,” page 12

“Lots of people ask me[what’s the catch]. Truth is,there is no catch. The drug

companies are just underlots of pressure to sell their

products.”—Joe Willard

State Programn Director

2 • PIONEER • January 21, 2008

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

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.

Vol. 36 No. 18Chris Lusk..............................EditorMatthew Bishop............Staff WriterScott Glidewell.............Staff WriterStephen Sossamon......Staff WriterYvonne Oberly...............Staff WriterTony Tsoodle...............Staff WriterAmanda McCrutchen....Staff WriterCynthia Praefke............Staff WriterAmber McBride.......PhotographerCynthia Praefke...........Ad ManagerBrian Stansberry..........WebmasterJamie Laleff....Circulation ManagerRichard Hall.............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorSue Hinton...............Faculty Adviser

College offers trip toEurope for college creditAvoid the line,

and get online To the editor:The world is rapidly be-

coming more global andour students need to bea part of that future.

OCCC is offering a tripto Italy and Greece thissummer. Students havethe opportunity to spend10 days in Rome andAthens, two of the mosttreasured cities in Eu-rope.

We are offering the op-portunity not only totravel to these exotic lo-cales but also to earncollege credit as well.

We will have anotherorientation meeting forall students who are in-

terested on Jan. 30 atnoon at Pho 89 Restau-rant (SW 89 & Penn). Ifany student is interestedin the trip but cannot at-tend the Jan. 30 meet-ing, they need to see Pro-fessor Ludlum in 2R3 assoon as possible.

The deadline to regis-ter for this life-changingtrip is Feb. 9, so do notmiss out.

Check out my web site( w w w . o c c c . e d u /mludlum) for more de-tails.

Do not get left behind.Plan on touring Italy andGreece this summer andearning college credit.

As I was walking around campus the weekbefore classes started, I realized how manypeople were standing in lines such as regis-tration, enrollment, bookstore, financial aid,bursar’s office and the line for student IDs.

The lines weren’t as bad earlier that week,but as the first day of classes approached, ev-erybody started rushing to get enrolled inthose last minute classes.

The only problem is finding availability forthose classes. I enrolled early in December,but I quickly learned that it was not earlyenough to get into every class I wanted.

Now the Enrollment office is full all day longat every table and it is virtually impossible toget placed in all the classes you want, let alonethe required ones.

There is a faster alternative to those linger-ing l ines, that is Mine Online on www.occc.edu.

When enrolling on MineOnline, you can seewhat classes have availability, which differsfrom the enrollment office where you may notknow exactly if a class you are signing up foris available or not.

If you’re not a first semester student this isthe best alternative.

MineOnline also can be used to pay tuitionwhich can save much time from standing inthe dreaded line at the bursars office.

Students have access to the internet throughthe hundreds of computers on the first andthird floor of the library and also near the wel-come center in the Main Building.

For the first several weeks of school, thesedifferent areas will be full of students and sav-ing time is essential.

Once classes have started, it can put an evenbigger bind on when students can get thesethings done because the time becomes tighter.

Books will still have to be purchased insidethe bookstore, and the new student ID lineswill take a few minutes, as well as FinancialAid, but anything to save time is key.

To avoid the long lines, you must do the ob-vious, which everybody knows is to show upto school early.

The more students that show up to schoolthroughout the day for classes will increasethe wait in the lines.

Just remember to get everything you needdone early.

Once this is over, you can get the real startto the semester. Good luck to everyone!

–Matt BishopSenior Staff Writer

Comments? Opinions?Let us know!

E-mail us at [email protected] call 405-682-1611,

ext. 7409.

This trip will broadenstudents understandingof the world.

–Marty LudlumBusiness/Economics

Professor

www.occc.edu/pioneer

January 21, 2008 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

‘Orphanage’ falls short

Welcome students!The Career and Employment Services office is

ready to assist you with decisions leading to the ca-reer field you will enter; the college major you willdeclare; and with your current and future job searchgoals.

We can provide tools and information that willmake these very important choices a much easierand fact-based process.

For example, many students want to know whatthe fastest growing occupations are projected to behere in Oklahoma.

To answer that question we provide data from theOklahoma Employment Security Commission andtheir employment projections through the year 2014.

Of those projections the following programs areoffered through OCCC.

Oklahoma’s Fastest Growing Occupations RequiringPost-Secondary Training or an Associate Degree

Occupational Title Employment Growth Rate

Physical Therapist AssistantsPreschool Teachers, Except Special EducationEmergency Medical Technicians and ParamedicsOccupational Therapist AssistantsDiagnostic Medical SonographersRegistered NursesRespiratory TherapistsSurgical TechnologistsMedical Records and Health Information TechsMedical TranscriptionistsMedical and Clinical Laboratory TechniciansDesktop Publishers

Oklahoma’s Top Ten Fastest Growing OccupationsBachelor’s Degree or Higher

1. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts

2. Environmental Engineers3. Physician Assistants4. Computer Software Engineers, Applications5. Database Administrators6. Network and Computer Systems Administrators7. Museum Technicians and Conservators8. Financial Examiners9. Curators10. Athletic Trainers

Please visit our offices located in the Main Building,First Floor Advising area or phone for an appointmentat 405-682-7519. Website: www.occc.edu/es

–Debra D. VaughnDirector of Career andEmployment Services

37.69%32.83%28.86%26.92%26.68%25.80%23.67%23.04%21.52%20.72%20.01%18.82%

52.14%44.51%39.96%38.37%35.79%35.23%34.95%34.83%32.91%31.91%

Have something to say? Let your voice be heard.Have something to say? Let your voice be heard.Have something to say? Let your voice be heard.Have something to say? Let your voice be heard.Have something to say? Let your voice be heard.e-mail us at [email protected] us at [email protected] us at [email protected] us at [email protected] us at [email protected]

There’s almost nothingcreepier than a horrorstory involving children.There’s also nothing worsethan seeing a promisinghorror film fall victim to itsown plot holes and medio-cre devices.

“The Orphanage” is thestory of Laura (BelénRueda), her husbandCarlos (Fernando Cayo)and son Simón (RogerPrincep) as they move intoa new home, one that usedto be an orphanage for sickand disabled children.

Laura, who spent a num-ber of her childhood yearsin the orphanage, hasdreams of reopening thedoors to a new generationof children. But, that allgets thrown out the win-dow when Simón goesmissing.

The happenings leadingup to her son’s disappear-ance are intriguing: Simónhas a number of imaginaryfriends that he plays gameswith, games that Lauragets drawn into. Each gameseems to reveal clues to thehistory of the house andonce Simón disappears,Laura’s search for moreclues sends her on a per-sonal horrifying journey.

The f i lm’s strongestpoint is its atmosphere,and the sense of uneasi-ness it sends to audi-ences. However, that feel-ing of something runningdown one’s spine is quick-ly taking away by all of theho-hum horror f i lmclichés

For starters, loudnoises, doors flying openand dark rooms aren’tmuch scary these days. Ithink it’s safe to say theaverage horror fan’ssenses have grown im-mune to these techniques.Also, old houses that sitin a high-wind area andalso have predominantlywooden floors will tend tobend and creek. But, theworst part about this isnone of these attemptsever fully put viewers on

the edge of their seats.Secondly, the film’s flow

gets interrupted repeatedlywith unimpressive andstagnant b-roll footage,most of which are simpleshots of the outside of thehouse. The house itselfisn’t scary. In fact, it looksquite lovely and inviting.But, even then, the falsesense of security the filmtries to portray never reallytakes hold. In the end, amoviegoer would be muchmore likely to get annoyedwith the house than becomescared of it.

Some key plot elementsalso take a hit when thescenes are thought out moreclosely. For instance, duringthe orphanage’s grand re-opening, Simón tells Lauraabout a new imaginaryfriend named Tómas. Simónbegs Laura to let him showher Tómas’ “little house.”When Laura declines the of-fer, Simón gets upset.

Later, we see a small boyin the front yard wearing asack over his head (thathas colorful facial fea-tures, such as a mouth,painted on it ) and awhistle around his neck.The film leads us to be-lieve that this child is ei-ther Simón or Tómas, andwe know it could beTómas because of drawingSimón has done of a hisfriends.

While Laura is lookingfor Simón in the house,she encounters the cos-tumed boy. Thinking it’s

her son, she reaches outto remove the sack fromhis head, but is thenshoved into a bathroom,her hand crushed in thedoor, and she finally getsloose only to fall into thebathtub. The child thenpresses the bathroomdoor’s key against the win-dow on the door, tauntingLaura.

Now, why would Simóndo that to his mother? Be-cause he’s mad shewouldn’t go see Tómas’house? It doesn’t makesense, just as it doesn’tmake sense that Lauracould see Tómas because,later in the film, a psychicmedium tells her onlythose close to death cansee the dead. That’s a sig-nificant problem with theplot, because it’s the eventthat jumpstarts Laura’ssearch for her son.

While not remarkable,the acting in “The Orphan-age” is believable. Laura’sdesperation to find her sonafter he’s been missing fornine months is quite a jar-ring thing to see on film,mostly because of thelengths she goes for herson. Princep as Simón doesa solid job for a young ac-tor, even if he’s only in one-third of the film.

Don’t discredit “The Or-phanage” for its faults,though. In a small way,it’s a smart horror filmthat does its best at be-ing different, offering adecent 90 minutes of en-tertainment. No doubtpeople will catch the filmbecause Guillermo delToro (of “Pan’s Labyrinth”fame) was one of its pro-ducers. But don’t expectquite the grandiose story,the beautiful storytellingor the impressive imageryfound in “Pan’s Laby-rinth.” “The Orphanage”is its own story, with itsown flaws and ownstrengths.

Rating: C—Richard Hall

Contributing Writer


Propane heater causes false alarmBy Stephen SossamonStaff Writer

A propane heater left onto keep a construction areafrom freezing created alarmThursday evening, Jan. 10,

when a security officerthought he saw flames inthe unfinished portion ofthe Health professionsBuilding.

Security Officer JacobRoby reported that he saw

what he thought wereflames inside the building,which is under construc-tion on the southwest sideof campus.

Shortly after noticing theflame about 8:30 p.m.,

Roby notified the dis-patcher to send an extraofficer to assist with thesearch.

Officer Kevin Tipton ar-rived and helped Roby withthe search of the interiorpart of the building whileOfficer David Shriver andOfficer Johnathan Walkersearched the outside.

They discovered a pro-pane heater purposely lefton by the contractors, tomake sure the room tem-perature stayed abovefreezing, according to thereport.

Earlier in the day, at 9:53a.m., Officer Keith Thomp-son arrived to lot D VIPparking to take a stolen ste-reo report from RodrigoCarrillo, a Wynn Construc-tion worker.

Carrillo said he parkedhis silver Chevrolet S-10 at7 a.m. and returned at 9a.m. to notice his Sony CDplayer and some CDs weremissing, worth $150.

“As far as I know, the CD

player and CDs haven’tbeen recovered,” Thompsonsaid.

With no signs of a break-in, Thompson asked Car-rillo how someone couldhave gained access to theinside of the truck, to whichCarrillo stated that hedidn’t lock his doors.

“He didn’t give me a rea-son as to why his doorswere unlocked,” Thompsonsaid.

“The windows were darktinted so you couldn’t reallysee much.”

Thompson then notifiedCarrillo to keep his vehiclesecure and then took pic-tures where the missingitems once were in the ve-hicle.

“There were quite a fewpeople around, since it wasa construction area, and[Carrillo] told me the vehiclehad been parked there fora while,” Thompson said.

Staff Writer StephenSossamon can be reachedat [email protected].

By Brian StansberryStaff Writer

The Pioneer has receiveda $1,000 grant from TheOklahoman to print in colorfor several issues thisspring.

The Pioneer has had pastissues in color, but it waspaid for by an advertiserwho paid extra for a colordisplay ad, said Sue Hin-ton, faculty adviser to thePioneer.

Joe Hight, the profes-sional representative of theStudent Newspaper Advi-sory Board, and Director ofInformation and Develop-ment for The Oklahoman,requested the grant on be-half of the Pioneer.

Hinton also has re-quested funding to printthe Pioneer in color buthasn’t been able to get thefunding through the bud-geting process, Hinton said.

“[When we’ve had color,the Pioneer would] put thecolor on the front page,”Hinton said.

“One of the things I’veobserved is on weeks thatwe have color pictures,more students pick up thepaper. We want it to be at-tractive to them.”

Hight suggested the Pio-neer make it a priority tobegin printing in color,Hinton said. “He told usthat modern papers areprinted in color, not 100percent color, but it iscolor.”

The grant will only lastthe spring semester, butshe hopes it will add eyeappeal to the Pioneer,Hinton said.

“Everybody agrees thatcolor would be nice and ev-erybody wants color, butthen when you’re trying tobalance a budget, it tendsto fall off the table.

“What we’re all hoping isthat maybe it will be an-other element of persuasionthat will allow us to getcolor printing for next year.”

Staff Writer Brian Stans-berry can be reached [email protected].

Grant brings somecolor to the Pioneer


Opening Day considered a successOCCC’s Opening Day was filled with students and

families alike. said Jon Horinek, Student Life Pro-grams and Service Learning coordinator. He saidabout 350 people attended.

Opening Day booths had information about newprograms such computer technology, as well as in-formation about medical fields.

There was plenty of free food and fun to go around.Student Life also offered students tour of the cam-pus.

Chris Stewart, from Student Life said, “We try tohelp students with anything that pertains to them tohelp make them more successful.”

Daniel Steward, game design major, said, “Iwouldn’t have been able to find my classes withoutthe tour.”

New students were surprised by the wide variety ofprograms and services offered by OCCC.

Mark Guin, game design major, said he enjoyedOpening Day.

“It’s pretty awesome, and a lot different then whenI had my first take on OCCC,” Guin said.

(Top right) Computer Aided-TechnologyProfessor Akram Taghavi-Burris helps new

student Mark Guin get information over gamedesign. Game design is one of the newest

programs offered at OCCC. College facultyand staff were available to help students find

their classes. They also gave informationabout college courses and programs.

(Bottom left) Nursing Professor CindyWillams helps a student on Opening Day get

information over the nursing program.Opening Day was held on campus Jan. 12.About 350 people showed up for the event.

(Bottom right) Chris Stewart (right) fromStudent Life helps out student Daniel

Steward on his tour through the school to findhis classes

Photos and textby Amber McBride


By Stephen SossamonOnline Editor

The shooting incident atVirginia Tech that killed 33people in April of 2007 hasprompted many people toask just how safe schoolcampuses are.

“It gave us a cause to re-think what we do,” said IkeSloas, director of CampusSafety and Security atOCCC.

“In fact, just before theincident at Virginia Tech,”Sloas said, “Safety and Se-curity had received newtools and equipment to helpofficers improve safety oncampus.

“We got new trucks, newcameras, and new uni-forms,” he said.

“Since we’ve gotten thenew equipment, we’ve seena decrease in crime.”

The trucks came with amobile Wi-Fi connection to

become a mobile wirelessnetwork, surveillance cam-eras have been installed invarious areas around thecampus, and officer uni-forms have been updatedfor a more professionallook, Sloas said.

Sloas said staffing alsohas increased, which helpswith having enough man-power to work effectively.

“At any one time, thereare two officers on the out-side, in trucks, and two onthe inside patrolling thecampus,” he said.

All officers have had atleast 40 hours of training,including live firearms

Director says new equipment equals safer campus

training, fire training andCPR training.

Also, a new computersystem, called IPAccelerate,will be installed to the cam-pus system soon.

Coordinator of CampusSafety and Security KeithBourque said IPAcceleratewould eventually be able tosend emergency messagesin the form of text messagesto students who sign up forthe added feature.

This new safety toolwould cost the college$45,000, Sloas sai.d.

The Safety and Securityteam is actively looking forways to improve the safety

of the campus, Sloas said.He said knowing the pro-

cedures in case of an emer-gency is vital in better in-suring everyone’s safety.

“The of ficers do thatthrough training,” Sloassaid.

“The emergency postersposted in classrooms helpthe students and faculty.”

Sloas believes the Vir-ginia Tech incident helpedreinforce what was alreadygoing on safety and secu-rity-wise.

“We are prepared andtrained in case of a crisis,”he said.

“We plan with the Okla-homa City Police Depart-ment and send out massnotifications of emergen-cies.”

Sloas said the issue of acrisis occurring has beentalked about, planned, andtrained for, with the OCPDplaying a huge part if the

situation ever arises.“I feel safe here,” Sloas

said.Several students agreed

with Sloas.“I feel safe here because

we have a lot of equipmentand officers walkingaround,” said premed ma-jor David Pappoe.

Game design major EdenMcCorcle and nursing ma-jors Bryce Shores and TaraStevenson all said they feelsafe too.

“I’ve never not felt safe,”McCorcle said.

“It’s because of the callboxes and all of the secu-rity officers here.”

Sloas believes even newstudents should feel safe ifthey know what to do.

“Read our proceduresand be familiar with them,”he said.

Online Editor StephenSossamon can be reachedat [email protected].

“We are prepared and trained in case of acrisis. We plan with the Oklahoma City Police

Department and send out mass notifications ofemergencies.”

—Ike SloasOCCC Campus Safety and Security Director


The city is going on a dietBy Amanda McCutchenStaff Writer

This year Mayor MickCornett wants OklahomaCityans to lose a millionpounds. “No other city hasever been put on a diet,”Cornett said.

“The message of this obe-sity initiative is that we’vegot to watch what we eat.Exercise is part of it… butyou’re not really going totake on obesity unless youacknowledge that we eattoo much and don’t eat theright foods,” Cornett said.

The challenge created bythe mayor is called, “ThisCity is Going On A Diet!”

Oklahoma City is rankednumber 15 of America’s fat-test cities, according to thelatest survey in Men’s Fit-

And OCCC is lending a handness magazine.

“People select food forpsychological meaning, andcomfort food tends to belower in nutrition,” saidLinda Cowan, nursing pro-fessor at OCCC.

“It is better to eat slowlyand concentrate on whatyou are eating,” Cowansaid. “When you eat whiledoing other things, you losetrack of all that is going intoyour mouth.”

In order to help assist cityresidents who want to par-ticipate, the mayor has awebsite called www.thiscityisgoingonadiet.com. Thewebsite provides informa-tion about health and ex-ercise, as well as upcomingexercise events in the city.

At this website citizenscan become a part of the

mayor’s program. Individu-als, families, corporations,churches, sports teamsand community groups areall welcome.

‘It is easier to lose weightwhen doing it with otherpeople,” said Cornett.

Cornett has been count-ing the calories and has al-ready lost 37 pounds.

“I am sticking to a smallmeal plan and avoidingbreads and high caloriefoods,” Cornett said.

OCCC’s Coordinator ofRisk Management LisaVaughan said she signedup on Jan. 4, and estab-lished a group number forthe college.

“If students and facultywant to be a part of the cu-mulated weight loss here atthe college, they can enter

OCCC1 in the group num-ber box provided when theyare filling out their registra-tion,” Vaughan said.

Registration is free andthe website will help citi-zens connect with citizensto stay focused.

Students and faculty atOCCC have easy access toworkout facilities as well asfitness classes, said EricWatson, recreation special-ist for Recreation and Com-munity Service.

“Lots of students use thewellness center. We offersomething the studentsand community can get in-volved in,” Watson said.

“Sign-up for intramuralsports is always open. Stu-dents just need a valid IDto participate,” Watsonsaid.

“The Wellness Center isfree for students as long asthey are enrolled in the cur-rent semester,” said SamHamidi, Wellness Centeremployee and OCCC stu-dent.

Hamidi has been workingat the Wellness Center foreight months. He saidWednesday nights are re-ally busy in the gymnasiumbecause pick-up volleyballand basketball games areplayed that night.

Fitness classes are alsoavailable at OCCC. Cardioboot camp, body sculpting,core training, hatha yoga,and Pilates are just someof the classes offered.Classes cost between $20and $55. Most classes cost$20 for current OCCC stu-dents.

By Matt BishopStaff Writer

Have you ever wanted totake a course that teacheshow to maintain a healthylifestyle?

If so, OCCC’s TotalWellness course is just foryou. Adjunct ProfessorKimberly Davis teaches thecourse.

Davis said the class fo-cuses on five aspects ofhealth: physical, mental,emotional, social and spiri-tual.

“We developed the classso that it would focus onwellness as a whole,” Davissaid. “We exercise in all fiveaspects because each oneis as equally important asthe other.”

Having mental stress canaffect the physical state ofhealth, and eventually theother aspects, Davis said.

She said Oklahomaranks 47th in overall healththroughout the nation. Shealso said there has been ahigh increase in weightproblems among the youth.

“I took a hard look at ev-

Class helps students stay fiterything when I started see-ing kids developing Type IIdiabetes, which is the typethat forms because ofweight problems,” Davissaid.

A goal of the program isto educate the younger ageranges, then for the youthto encourage older peopleto stay fit, Davis said.

She developed ProjectYou, which is a field studyin the class that focuses onthe individual. It monitorsbody fat percentage,weight, hip and waist ratio,and exercise progress.

“There’s a one-rep maxtest and a sit-up and push-up test where they can geta baseline health of wherethey are.”

Davis said students areevaluated every threeweeks for progress.

Many students achievedsuccess with the program.Davis said in the fall shehad two students changetheir smoking habits.

One of those smoked apack a day and one studentcut back to just smokingone pack of cigarettes a

day.One woman dropped four

percentage points in bodyfat while another lost 14pounds.

Also, one woman startedgoing back to church andanother developed betterrelations with her husband,Davis said.

The woman was afraid tospeak up to her husband,but the program enabledher to communicate better.

“I totally complimentthese kids and respectwhat my last class did as awhole because they decidedto make the change.

“I was proud as an in-structor, but my part wasvery small in it.”

The class is offered as aPhysical Education andHealth credit.

The class is held 10 to10:50 a.m., Tuesdays andThursdays, and studentscan receive two credithours for taking the course.

Davis said she encour-ages anybody to come,whether they are over -weight or underweight, tallor short, young or old.

Top 25 fattest citiesCity Last year’s rank

1. Las Vegas2. San Antonio3. Miami4. Mesa, Ariz.5. Los Angeles6. Houston7. Dallas8. El Paso9. Detroit10. San Jose11. Long Beach12. Memphis13. Chicago14. Arlington, Texas15. Oklahoma City16. Indianapolis17. Forth Worth18. New York19. Fresno, Calif.20. Wichita, Kansas21. San Diego22. Phoenix23. Jacksonville, Fla.24. Kansas City25. Cleveland

21214103548

1524761

221711132522192115249

18—Source: Men’s Fitness magazine


Sports

UPCOMING

OCCCINTRAMURALS

EVENTS

•Feb. 5: Intramural Basketballwill tip-off its regular season. Formore information about signingup, contact Recreation andSports specialist Eric Watson at405-682-1611, ext. 7786.

•Feb. 9: Registration for PowerVolleyball League ends. This isa competitive league open for allmen and women ages 18 and up.The league starts on Feb. 19 andgames will be held on Mondays.The league fee is $200 per team.For more information about howto sign up, contact Recreationand Sports specialist EricWatson at 405-682-1611, ext.7786.

•Feb. 13: The Free Throw HotShot Basketball Contest will beheld inside the Wellness CenterGymnasium. For informationabout signing up, contact Recre-ation and Sports specialist EricWatson at 405-682-1611, ext.7786.

•Feb. 18-22: Intramural BilliardsTournament will be held in theWellness Center Gymnasium.For information about how to signup, contact Recreation andSports specialist Eric Watson at405-682-1611, ext. 7786.

•Feb. 20: The 3-point and SpotShooting Hot Shot Basketballcontest will be held inside theWellness Center Gymnasium.For information about how to signup, contact Recreation andSports specialist Eric Watson at405-682-1611, ext. 7786.

•Feb. 23: Registration for Men’sSpring Basketball League ends.This basketball league is open toall men ages 18 and up. Gamedays are on Thursdays and theleague cost is $230 per team. Formore information about how tosign up, contact Recreation andSports specialist Eric Watson at405-682-1611, ext. 7786.


Time for Tennis

Aquatic center provides fun

Student Abraham Liongco enjoys a game of table tennis during the first week of class. The tables are availableinside the Wellness Center Gymnasium. The Wellness Center is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30p.m. and on Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

By Matt BishopSenior Staff Writer

OCCC’s Aquatic Center offersone of the biggest swimming poolsin the state of Oklahoma.

The Olympic sized pool was builtin 1989 for the Olympic FestivalGames that were held in OklahomaCity.

The pool offers many activities forstudents and non-students to takepart in.

Rita Manning, Recreation andCommunity Services assistant,said open swim times are availableto anybody who would like to usethe facility.

All students with a current stu-dent ID can use the Aquatic Cen-ter for free.

The prices for non-students are$6 for adults, $4 for children un-der the age of 16, and $2.75 forsenior citizens age 60 and older,Manning said.

There are also punch cards thatwill give the visitor 20 visits. Adultcards are $40, and seniors are $30.

The open swim includes waterpolo, volleyball and basketball,Manning said.

She said all the equipment forthose activities are present at thepool and available for anyone.

There may also be an intramuralleague for the water sports includedin the spring intramural schedule,she said.

Manning said the Aquatic Centeroffers classes such as water aero-bics and SCUBA practices where

students can learn SCUBA in the18-foot diving well.

The classes are available to any-body interested in joining.

Students with current studentIDs can join the classes for a re-duced price of $20.

The Aquatic Center will also beholding several swim meetsthroughout the semester includ-ing the Mountain West Champi-onships, NCAA Zone Diving Meetand the Chesapeake Tri-meet.

The swim meets are not open forOCCC students unless they aresigned up through the club spon-soring the meet.

Most of the swim meets have freeentry to watch and students arewelcome to come enjoy the show,Manning said.

www.occc.edu/rcs

From open swim to water aerobic classes OCCC has it all


Child care offered to evening studentsBy Yvonne OberlyStaff Writer

Evening childcare will beavailable for OCCC stu-dents beginning Feb. 4 atthe Child DevelopmentCenter and Lab School oncampus.

Mary McCoy, Child De-velopment Center and LabSchool director, said thepilot program will be knownas the Reservation Room.

OCCC has completed re-search and found eveningchildcare is needed by stu-dents with young children,McCoy said.

“We know there are many

parents who want to fur-ther their education, andwe want to make certainchildcare is not a barrier toearning a college degree atOCCC,” she said.

Positive feedback wasgiven by some students.

“I think it’s a good thing,”said medical office assis-tant major Lequisa Will-iams. “There are a lot ofsingle moms out there andto have your child in thesame facility as you whileyou’re in class is great.

Psychology major Cas-sandra Watson agrees.

“I think it’s neat that thecollege is trying to help stu-dents with evening child-care to help them get aneducation,” she said. “And,if anything happens, you’reright there.”

The evening childcare willbe available Mondays,Wednesdays and Thurs-days, from 5:15 to 8:15p.m. for children ages 3 to7, with space for 15 kidsper evening, McCoy said.

“The number of childrenallowed per evening canpossibly change since weare just testing the watersright now,” McCoy said.

“If we get a lot of calls inresponse to the program,we may increase the num-ber of kids allowed …”

Some students weren’ttoo happy about the agelimits for evening childcare.

“What about studentswho have infants,” saidsurgical technician majorJosie Jackson.

“It’s much harder to findbabysitters for infants.They should have a babyroom available.”

Surgical technician majorShalon Wilbanks wonderedabout older children who

still aren’t at an age to beleft home alone.

“What if you have a childthat is 8, 9, or 10? You can’tjust leave them at home ….The age rate should be fromsix-weeks-old to 11 or 12.”

In addition to childcare,the program will offer acurriculum designed tomeet the children’s needs,plus an evening snack,McCoy said.

The center is located onthe southeast side of cam-pus, off Faculty Circle, fac-ing May Ave.

Cost for the childcare isexpected to be about $10per evening.

“For most students, thecost of evening childcare isbased on a sliding scale,making available a reducedrate for Pell-Grant eligibleparents,” McCoy said.

One student said the pro-gram should be free.

“They should have thechildcare for the parentsand the children, not forthe money,” premed majorTabitha Tayoor said.

Requirements for eveningchildcare is that the parentor guardian must be anOCCC student enrolled inevening classes, who needschildcare for a minimum ofthree scheduled hours perweek, McCoy said.

Parents also will need tomake a reservation.

“A $15 non-refundableenrollment fee is due oneweek after your child’splacement in the programis offered,” McCoy said.

For more information,contact CDCLS SupervisorLeeAnn Townsend at 405-682-7561.

Staff Writer YvonneOberly can be reached [email protected].


Child Development Centerand Lab School TeacherAssistant Sarah McElvanyreads a book to JocelynPerez, 4, and Riley White, 4.

Scarlets Mid-WinterRenaissance Festival

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Jan. 26 and 27Farmers Market and Events Center311 S. Klein Ave. Downtown OKC

During the festival — from 2:30 until 6 p.m. —author Jamie Laleff will hold a book signing

for her premier novel“Winter With the Cliff Dwellers.”For more information, visit www.scarletfest.com.


HighlightsCareer and Employment Power Workshops

OCCC Career and Employment Services is hosting a seriesof workshops this semester designed to help OCCC studentsmake the transition from school to the workforce. Workshop top-ics in January include “Career Exploration through Discover”Jan. 22 and “Job Search through OCCC Job Board” Jan. 29. Allworkshops will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. on Tues-days in Main Building Room 1F6. For additional informationplease contact Career and Employment Services at 405-682-7519 or e-mail at [email protected].

New Transfer Tour DatesThis semester the OCCC Transfer Center will offer tours to

OU, UCO, SNU, USAO and OKCU. Tour Dates: OU College ofJournalism, Tuesday, Feb. 5; OU, Wednesday, Feb. 6 and Tues-day, March 4; OKCU, Tuesday, Feb. 12; UCO, Friday, Feb. 15and Tuesday, March 11; SNU, Monday, Feb. 18; USAO, Friday,March 7. Tours are designed to answer questions and make thetransition to the next school easier. There is limited space avail-able for each tour. For more information or to reserve a spotcontact Leslie Jones at 405-682-7567 or email [email protected]

Upcoming Cultural Arts Series PerformanceThe renowned woodwind trio Allegresse will perform at 7 p.m.Jan. 29 at OCCC. Tickets are $17 for students, seniors, facultyand staff. The trio also is offering an educational lecture titled"Discovering the Joy of Music" at 11 a.m. on Jan. 29. Ticketscan be purchased by calling the CAS ticket office at 682-7579or by going online at www.occc.edu/cas

Attention Business StudentsAll business students are invited to attend an informational pro-gram from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, in theCollege Union. Tinker AFB is hosting the event to inform stu-dents of their internship program.

Help Support Our Pathways StudentsPathways Middle College High School is selling Blue and Gold

sausage, bacon and chicken to support yearbook publicationand senior class events. Sausage is $5.50 for a 2.5 lb package,bacon is $13 for a 3.5 lb package and chicken is $16 for a 5 lbpackage. Blue and Gold products can be purchased in Room3L6 in the Main Building.

Contribute to the Jones High School Rebuilding EffortOn Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 the Pathways Senior Class and National

Junior Honor Society will sponsor a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. in the cafeteria. All proceeds will be given directly to JonesHigh School.

27 Students Receive Scholarship The following students were chosen as recipients of a $200

scholarship by the Faculty Association Scholarship Committee:Jenny Atteberry, Debra Barnett, Moses Barrie, Lisa Blaha,Christopher Box, Dayshawn Burns, Galaxia Canada, ReginaCobb, Kendra Cooper, Ryan Crow, Jessica Dodson, TaquoyahEmery, Paula Gullion, Austin Johnson, Kara Martin, Lyle Nelson,Darren Norman, Leslie Norrid, Frank Odame, Andree Ortiz, KevinRobertson, Dorris Seaman, William Ringo, Eduardo Rodriguez,Jay Sheldon, Kathryn Taylor and Coleen Vache. The funds wereraised by the association at its Arts Festival Coke booth and atthe all-faculty garage sale. For information about FacultyAssociation Scholarships, contact Librarian Linda Boatright at405-682-1611, ext. 7468, or Professor Susan Mann at ext. 7211.

All Highlights are due Tuesday by 5 p.m. for inclusion in thenext issue. Highlight forms can be picked up in the Pioneeroffice, located on the second floor of the Main Building,across from the elevator.

Chris Stewart from the Office of Student Life explains the purpose of Trio Student SupportServices to a group of new students. The Trio office is located across from the OCCCTheater.


A helping hand

By Scott GlidewellStaff Writer

College isn’t just aboutgoing to class, doing home-work and taking tests. It’salso a great opportunity tomeet new people and de-velop skills for later in life.

Student Life DirectorDarin Behara said partici-pation in student clubs andorganizations is beneficialbecause it gives students achance to meet new peopleand develop leadershipskills that will serve themwhen they make the tran-sition into the workforcelater in life.

Behara said there also isa direct correlation betweena student’s involvement inextracurricular activitiesand student success in col-lege and life.

“One of the things weknow about student suc-cess in college is that themore they are connected tothe college, the more theyare engaged in what is go-ing on at the college, thehigher their grade point av-erages are, and therefore,the more successful theyare.”

From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. onJan. 23 and Jan. 24, theOffice of Student Life willhost the Student Club and

Joining student clubsboth fun and beneficial

Organization Fair in theCollege Union.

The fair is a great oppor-tunity for students to meetwith current members andsponsors of all of OCCC’sclubs, Behara said. Eachclub will have an informa-tion booth set up to explainthe benefits of joining theirclub and what their pur-pose is on campus.

Behara said the fair is awonderful event for theclubs because it allowsthem the chance to recruitnew members and get alittle publicity as well.

Joing a student club ororganization can be fun, hesaid, but also looks good oncollege applications andscholarship applicationswhen it is time to transferto a four-year institution.

Behara said studentsshould join a couple clubsbecause joining clubs al-lows them to put member-

January Brown BagLunch Schedule

Study SkillsTues. Jan. 22nd - CU2 -

12:30Wed. Jan. 23rd - CU1 - noon

Term PapersWed. Jan. 30th - CU1 - noon

Thurs. Jan. 31st - CU2 -12:30

Drop by and enter to win a$500 Wal-Mart gift card.

ship in those clubs on theirStudent Activities And Rec-ognition Transcript, and agood activities transcriptwill give students a com-petitive edge on scholar-ship applications and jobapplications.

Staff Writer Scott Glide-well can be reached [email protected].

“One of the things we know about studentsuccess in college, is that the more they are

connected to the college the more they areengaged in what is going on at the college, the

higher their grade point averages are, andtherefore, the more successful they are.”

—Darin BeharaStudent Life Director


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.

FOR SALE: Three-year-oldLudwig Doetsch violin with soft-side case. In excellent condition.A real buy at $1,500. 405-306-3290 or 405-306-1396.

ATTN. SCRAPBOOKERS:Sizzux Die Cut Machine, SizzletsConverter, “Girls are Wierd” al-phabet set, 16 Misc. Sizzlets incase, 3 misc. Sizzux dies. Over$300 worth of equip.All for $150.Call Barbara at 405-226-4004.

FOR SALE: Lady Trek CruiserBicycle. Red, Heavy duty, new inbox. $150. Call 405-677-3714.

FOR SALE: One used Lifestyle300 multi-action rowing machine.Smooth rowing action. Call 405-326-8134.

Class ifi eds

FOR SALE: ’05 50cc YamahaZuma. Blue, less than 100 miles,garage kept, recently tagged.Great for quick trips to the store,or running errands around town.Approx. 60-65 miles per gallon. Iam wanting a smaller scooter, butneed to sell this one first. Asking$1,500. Call Tammy Davis 405-524-9429 or 405-210-7438.

FOR SALE: ’00 Nissan Fron-tier. White, 5 speed manual trans.A/C, hard-top bed cover, new tires.Looks good & runs great! Asking$1,700. For information call 405-222-1954. Ask for Allen.

FOR SALE: ’93 GMC extendedcab pickup. PW, PDL, AM/FM CDplayer, chrome mags, nerf bar.198,000 miles. New transmissionw/8000 miles, New crate motor2003 w/ ~ 60,000 miles. All docu-mentation. $4,875. Call Terri at405-413-1058. Leave message.

NANNY NEEDED: Seekingtrustworthy, dependable nannyservice or live-in nanny to care forand love my 2-year-old son. Cre-dentials, references and back-ground check a must. Call Chrisat 405-473-1267.

FOR SALE: 61-keyboardCasio. Like new, 137 tones, 100rhythms, and more w/stand. $95Call Ray at 405-485-3382.

FOR SALE: Pair of ParadigmReference bi-polar home theater

.

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

QUIZNOSSW 104th and WesternNow hiring all positions

Flexible ScheduleCall 405-692-1118

TEXTBOOK FOR SALE: I havean introductory & intermediateAlgebra book, 3rd edition, for sale.Great condition! 405-206-4125.

TEXTBOOKS FOR SALE: Introto Sociology $45 and Living withDemocracy $45. Please call Terri@405-413-1058

FOR SALE: Fundamental Ac-counting Principles, 18thedition,set of 2 books. $75. Call405-387-3629.

CITY OF EDMONDSummer positions@

Pelican Bay Aquatic Center:Asst. Pool mgr,

Cafe Mgrs,Cafe Staff/Cashiers,

Lifeguard Staff, Water Safety Instructors.

Golf Course,Arcadia Lake, Parks &

Recreation jobs also open.Job info line 405-359-4648

www.edmondok.comApply at 100 E First, Rm106

Parish Secretary needed atTrinity Luthern Church, 57thand S. May, OKC. 12 hrs perweek: commitment to Christ, com-puter skills, organized. Call 405-685-3432. Leave your name andcall-back number.

ACCOUNTING, BUSINESS, &FINANCE MAJORS: Taxpreparers wanted for upcomingtax season. Generous compen-sation to motivated & knowledge-able preparers interested in at-tracting clients. Experience pre-ferred but will train. Bi-lingualspeakers also needed. Office lo-cated in Oklahoma City. Please

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

$$$$ MONEY FOR COLLEGE $$$$

CO

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

e-mail: [email protected]

for pair-cost new was $1,200.Check website at www.paradigm.com for further information aboutquality of speakers. Call Christyat 405-401-1254.

FOR SALE: SprintPCS PalmTreo 650 smartphone. Perfectcondition & works very well. Noscratches or scrapes. $150. E-mail shelovezlaw @yahoo.com orcall 405-210-2219 for pictures,ESN clearance number &discription. Serious replies only.

*****Fax your ads

405-682-7843 ore-mail to

[email protected]: Cynthia

See your ads andclassifieds and read the

Pioneer Online atwww.occc.edu/pioneer.

For details & ratescontact Cynthia at

405-682-1611, ext. 7674, or e-mail

[email protected]

ADVERTISE ONLINEwith the PIONEER!

IT PAYS TOADVERTISE INTHE PIONEER

speakers. Approx. 4’ tall, blackfinish, in excellent condition. $500

The Pioneer accepts CREDIT

CARDS!

Call Cynthia for details

405-682-1611, ext. 7674

call Harvey at Banner Tax Ser-vice: 405-491-9991. Leave msg.

$7.50/HR-NO SELLING!DO PHONE SURVEYS INSTEAD.Idealfor students.Permanent PART-TIME. Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm, Sat 10a.m.-7p.m. Ask for Jane 405-525-3412.


New drug card offers reduced prescription prices to state residents

year business major, said,“I didn’t really notice.”

Justine Horsch, first se-mester, premed studentwas at the salad bar. Shesaid she has no problemwith the price increase.

Jeff Cosby, chef and food

lation rates in the country,well above the national av-erage.”

A few students have al-ready caught wind of theprogram and have alreadysigned up for both cards.

English major MelaniePotts recently signed upherself and her daughterfor the cards after seeing areport on the news.

“I have insurance, but itdoesn’t cover all of themedications me and mydaughter take,” Potts said.“The card was extremelyeasy to sign up for.

“All I had to do was enter

our first and last namesthen hit submit and print.

“I just signed up for theprogram a couple of daysago so I have not had thechance to use them, but itsounds like a wonderfulprogram that will reallyhelp out the state.”

Some local pharmacieswarn that users should becautious when using thedrug card.

Denise Dunn, a pharma-cist at Ridgecrest Phar-macy, warned that becausethe program is just begin-ning, a lot of information isnot known yet. She saidstudents should doublecheck that they are receiv-ing an actual discount.

“We’ve seen discountcards in the past that tookthe discount off of thewholesale price of thedrugs,” Dunn said.

Dunn said that some-times the discountedwholesale price doesn’tbeat the cash price.

“The problem with this istypically pharmacists selltheir drugs at a cash pricewhich is already reducedfrom the wholesale price.

“If you’re using a 15 per-cent discount card whichdiscounts the wholesaleprice, and your pharmacyhas a cash price of 20 per-cent less than the whole-sale, you are losing money,”she said.

Willard said this concernhad been raised, but saidthe discount would bebased off the customary,usual cash price of localpharmacies.

“Just as with personalinsurance plans, have thepharmacy check theprices,” Willard said.“Whether you get a betterdeal through your insur-ance, the drug card, or thepharmacy, the whole goalis to bring more affordablemedication to Oklaho-mans.”

Dunn echoed these state-ments and said checking allprices is the safest way to

ensure users receive thebest price.

While Dunn warned stu-dents to be careful, she didexpress hope in theprogram’s success.

“I do hope this drug cardturns out to be legit be-cause it would be a tremen-dous help,” Dunn said.

“Hopefully as time goeson we will start to see realsavings on prescriptionmedication purchases fromthe uninsured.

“I guess we will wait andsee.”

Editor Chris Lusk can bereached at [email protected].

“Card,”Cont. from page 1

Food price increase effective starting Jan. 21 “Food,”Cont. from page 1

manager, said another rea-son for the price increaseis so Carson’s can continueto offer a variety of freshfoods to keep things inter-esting.

“We prepare specialsdaily, but in order to pro-vide these options, ourprices have to cover the in-creasing costs.

“Our customers needchoices so they don’t getbored with the same foodevery day,” he said.

Aguilar said the café, costpermitting, plans to offerother items such as Asianfood and sushi.

Staff Writer CynthiaPraefke can be reached [email protected].

pioneer 2008 01 21

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