IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

• Disasters create opportunity, editorial, p. 2.• July 4th a time for safe holiday fun, p. 7.• OCCC Kids Camp in full swing, p. 8.• Church receives help through HOPE, p. 10.

June 26, 2006This Week

Inside

High-five diveCollege hopes tocommunicate betterthrough OCCC e-mail

Photo by Carrie Cronk

Kimberly Davis of the Lubbock Dive Club performs a dive from the 1-meter springboard during the 2006 Region VIII Diving ChampionshipsJune 16. Davis placed 12th in the event held in the OCCC Aquatic Center.

By John SavageStaff Writer

Most people believe e-mail has become an integral

and efficient way to keep in touchthese days. OCCC officials agree.

As a result, come fall, everyOCCC student will be assigned ane-mail account through the col-lege, said Chief Technology OfficerJim Riha.

Riha said students won’t be re-quired to do anything to get theaccount — it will automatically beassigned.

He said the move is designed tohelp college officials and professorsreach students more effectively.

In a recent President’s AdvisoryCouncil meeting, President PaulSechrist said the move will helpstudents be better informed.

“We will push information out tostudents using the e-mail system,”

he said, “and hopefully, improvecommunications and information,and students can communicatewith us efficiently.”

Sechrist said the current systemallows students to use either a col-lege e-mail account, a personalaccount or just provide a phonenumber and, as a result, it’s oftendifficult to reach students.

Sechrist said if college officialshave one e-mail address to usewhen contacting a student, the col-lege will be better able to send re-minders when college paperworkis due including financial aid in-formation, and due dates.

Riha said the system also will en-able the college to cut back on massmailing memos through the postalservice, and allow the college tosend those memos to studentsmore effectively via e-mail.

Come fall, students will automaticallybe assigned an occc.edu e-mail address

Loan consolidationdeadline June 30

See “e-mail,” page 12

By Eric NguyenStaff Writer

Students wantingto save money

by consolidating theirstudent loans face aJune 30 deadline.

On Saturday, July1, interest rates formost student loanswill increase by 2 per-cent.

Students can con-solidate their loans atthe lower rate, even ifthey are still in school

and plan to take outmore loans.

Students who havemultiple lending pro-grams can merge theirloans into one pay-ment plan, said WayneSparks, early assis-tant manager for theOklahoma Guaran-teed Student LoanProgram.

He said studentswho want to consoli-date loans should con-tact their lender tofind out options for

consolidation.There are both ben-

efits and drawbacks tostudent loan consoli-dation.

The main benefit isstudents have onlyone lender to worryabout instead of sev-eral, Sparks said.

In addition, consoli-dation companies alsohelp students by re-ducing their bills toone each month, aswell as giving studentsan extended payment

period of 10 to 30years, he said.

Consolidation com-panies also give stu-dents a fixed interestrate, Sparks said.

Sparks said a draw-back of loan consoli-dation is that studentspossibly could losebenefits such as for-giveness programs,which is when the fed-eral government can-

cels an education loanfor students who meetthe criteria of doingvolunteer work or mili-tary service.

In addition, he said,students could end uppaying more becausethe extended paymentplan could result inmore interest.

On June 13, Con-gress repealed thesingle-holder rule for

student loans, accord-ing to Rick Edington,operations and clientdirector for OklahomaGuaranteed StudentLoan Program. Thatrule forced loan hold-ers with one lender toconsolidate onlythrough that lender.

“Now, students arenot required to use

See “Loans,” page 12

2 • PIONEER • June 26, 2006

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

Vol. 34 No. 36Holly Jones..........................EditorEric Nguyen.................Staff WriterJohn Savage................Staff WriterDavid Miller..................Staff WriterRachel Carlton.............Staff WriterJeremy Frias..............Online EditorCarrie Cronk.............PhotographerLavanya Jaganathan...Ad ManagerRichard Hall.............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorSue Hinton............Faculty Adviser

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

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

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

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

Letters may also be e-mailedto editor@occc.edu. A phonenumber for verification mustbe included.

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

Protect yourself from thehazards of the summer heatDisaster aid

spent frivolously To the Editor:High temperatures may

be here to stay, at least forthe rest of the summer.

To be on the safe side,local citizens should beginto take precautions to pro-tect their health againstheat-related illnesses thatmay cause heat stroke ordeath.

To reduce the potentialfor health hazards, theOklahoma City-CountyHealth Department offersthe following heat safetytips:

•Reduce your activitylevel and seek a cooler en-vironment. Plan strenuousoutdoor activities for coolerparts of the day.

•If outdoors, don’t forgetto use a sunscreen andtake frequent breaks.

•Never leave anyone in aclosed, parked vehicle dur-ing hot weather.

•Drink plenty of fluidssuch as water, fruit andvegetable juices. Avoid bev-erages that contain alcohol,caffeine or large amounts ofsugar.

•Eat more frequently butmake sure meals are wellbalanced and light. Avoidhot foods and heavy meals.

When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck theGulf Coast last August, thousands of people wereleft homeless.

It was the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency to the rescue, providing financial assistanceand housing for the hurricane victims.

Unfortunately, scam artists and greedy victimshave seized upon the taxpayers’ generosities fortheir own benefit.

U.S. Government Accountability Office auditorshave discovered some of the federal aid FEMA pro-vided for shelter, food, clothes and other necessi-ties, were instead spent on jewelry, pornography,vacations, divorce lawyer fees and even a sexchange operation.

Fraud and misspent funds total a $600 millionto $1.4 billion loss, according to the GAO.

Not only has the FEMA money been spent onfrivolous things, but some people also are takingadvantage of housing subsidies.

People who did not lose their homes, or did notsuffer any property damage, are filing claims us-ing the addresses of cemeteries, post offices andopen fields in order to receive money for housing.

Even more disturbing are the people who arestaying in hotels on FEMA’s dime, but also receiv-ing checks for house rent.

If average people are able to scam FEMA, then itshould be no surprise that approximately 1,000prisoners along the Gulf Coast also are taking ad-vantage of the mass confusion, applying for andreceiving fraudulent payments.

FEMA’s reputation is quickly taking a nose-dive.The organization is under extreme scrutiny for nottaking the time to carefully screen the hurricanevictims to confirm their place of residence andmake sure Social Security numbers were accu-rate.

With FEMA’s shortcomings and mistakes out inthe open, the agency is working to change its poli-cies.

However, FEMA concedes that in order to helpthese people, assistance needed to be sent quickly.

Taking such thorough information could be dif-ficult if their homes, as well as their paperwork,were destroyed or lost during the disaster.

Still, the damage has been done.Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, perfectly

summed up the situation in a Los Angeles Timesarticle. “This is an insult to the victims of Katrinaand Rita. The ultimate victim is the American tax-payer.”

With massive disasters like Hurricanes Katrinaand Rita, federal aid is important and possibly life-saving for the victims.

Sadly, there will always be people out there will-ing and able to take advantage of the situation.

In these cases, it is up to the federal aid agen-cies to sift these people out and get assistance tothe real victims. Unfortunately, it was a task FEMAwas not up to.

—Rachel CarltonStaff Writer

•Wear lightweight andlight-colored clothing to re-flect heat and sunlight.This allows your body tomaintain normal tempera-tures.

•Cool the body by takingcool baths or showers. Ap-ply wet towels, or weardamp clothing.

•Avoid bundling babies inheavy blankets or heavyclothing.

•Keep air circulatingthrough the use of air con-ditioners, fans or open win-dow. Air circulation is im-portant because it carriesheat away from the body.

•If you take medications,ask your physician if theyare likely to interfere withyour ability to sweat.

•Ask a physician or phar-macist about the effects ofsun and heat exposure iftaking prescription medica-tions such as diuretics, an-tihistamines, mood-alter-ing or antispasmodicdrugs.

•Stay indoors in an air-conditioned environmentas much as possible unlessyour heat tolerance is wellestablished. If air condi-tioning is not available, pullshades over windows and

use fans to cool rooms.Open windows on oppositesides of a room for crossventilation.

•Check frequently on illor elderly friends, relativesand neighbors who mayneed help.—Oklahoma City-County

Health Department

June 26, 2006 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

Downey Jr. and Kilmer classic duo

Oklahoma meets Animal Planet

Q: Why is the Test Center not opened on the week-ends during the summer? It is during the spring andfall semesters.

A: The entire building is closed on the weekend inthe summer and [the Test Center] has tried severaldifferent ways to work around that, but we can’t. Inorder to be open during the summer, we would haveto have a full staff working and students are not go-ing to come in on Saturdays during the summeranyway.

—Jim EllisTesting and Assessment Services Director

Q: Why are there so few pay phones available foruse?

A: Those are actually contracted out by AT&T andare being removed due to loss of revenue, due to cellphones.

—Dave AndersonTelecommunications Director

Q: Why is there not someone in the Math Lab at alltimes to help students?

A: There are hours posted on the window in the labthat list each tutor’s specialty of math. Students cancall for available times. Typically, Friday is not anissue.

—Chris SmithMath Lab Tutor

Q: When will the Graphics Communication departmentget a new chair or division?

A: We’re interviewing for the position right now. Weshould have a new one by the fall semester.

—Susan VanSchuyverArts and Humanities Dean

Q: Why is it that graduates are not able to pick uptheir diplomas until two months after walking acrossthe stage?

A: Walking across the stage is part of the commence-ment ceremony. The student does not earn the de-gree until all classes are completed, grades posted,and degrees are cleared. Grades must be posted priorto clearing degrees.

Once grades are posted, staff in the graduation of-fice then go through all graduation applications toensure that all requirements are met. After process-ing all applications, diplomas are then printed bystaff in the office.

Once the diplomas are printed, postcards are sentto all graduates to inform them that the diplomasare available to be picked up. The total process doestake several weeks. We have customarily chosen theJuly 15 date to provide ample time to complete thetotal process.

—Barbara GowdyAdmissions and Graduation Director

“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”is the sharp story of a thiefwho staggers onto a cast-ing session for a moviewhile running from thepolice, and gets himself arole in a Hollywood movie.

Released on DVD June13, the film is directed byrookie Shane Black, whofuses a hip detective story,slick narrative backdropsand eclectic humor rightout of “Pulp Fiction” for anice debut.

Robert Downey Jr. playsHarry Lockhart, the thiefwho’s thrown into themovie role of a private in-vestigator.

Since he is inexperi-enced as an actor, Harry’sagent hires a real privatedetective (a deadpan, gaycop named “Gay Perry,”played by Val Kilmer) toteach him how to be a cop.

During the practice ses-sions, Harry and Perrystumble upon a real-lifemurder that eventuallyturns into a multiple mur-der mystery.

Ultimately, the murdersbecome connected, andHarry and Perry’s connec-tion to them produce an

More than 10,000 spec-tators, not counting theanimals, came to MitchPark in Edmond on Fa-ther’s Day weekend to seewhat all the commotionwas about.

Animal Planet came toOklahoma on a tour thattravels to 13 different cit-ies around the UnitedStates.

The tour started in Knox-ville, Tenn. and has trav-eled to Raleigh, N. C.; Aus-tin, Texas, and Miami. Theexpo will travel to Boston,Los Angeles and other cit-ies across the UnitedStates.

The network brought indifferent types of animals toteach people about the im-portance of animals to ourenvironment. The networkbrought along a Europeanowl, an alligator, native to

array of laughs and cleverwittiness between the un-expectedly good on screenteam of Kilmer and DowneyJr.

Black, who is actually aveteran writer from “TheLast Boy Scout” and “LastAction Hero,” also usesquick, jolting camera workand an array of colorfulcharacters to make anAmerican version of GuyRitchie’s “Lock, Stock andTwo Smoking Barrels.”

Robert Downey Jr.,amidst a career with sev-eral run-ins with the law,has been churning outquiet, surprisingly goodroles.

He was a sidekick of Ed-ward R. Murrow in “GoodNight, and Good Luck,” ahopeless publisher in“Wonder Boys” and isslated to play Edgar AllenPoe in 2007 for “Poe.”

He’s good again in “KissKiss, Bang Bang.”

The DVD’s video qualityis very good and cleanlydone for the contemporaryfeel of the film-making.

The sound is presented inDolby Digital 5.1 and view-ers may be surprised athow much action the filmoffers along with thelaughs.

“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” ison-target with its content,delivering clip after clip ofhumor, blindsided by quickaction.

The DVD’s only negativesare the fairly limitedamount of extras (gag-reel,trailer and audio commen-tary by the director), andthat the movie may appearover the top at times withsexual vulgarity and vio-lence, losing some of itsfun.Grade: B+

—Eric NguyenStaff Writer

southern Oklahoma, andother animals of interest.

The main attractionswere on the main stage thatheld all-day assortments offun contests, a Frisbee dogexhibition, Bug House andDiscovery High DefinitionTheater Dome.

The Frisbee Dog exhibi-tion was the most fascinat-ing because the host notonly allowed his dogs tocatch a Frisbee and showoff all their jumps, but alsotaught the audience how toteach their dogs to catch aFrisbee.

The Bug House allowedpeople to get really close tospiders, butterflies andother creatures.

Discovery High DefinitionTheater Dome was theloudest event. the theaterdisplayed upcoming showsfor the fall season, the the-

ater displayed images in vi-brant colors and magnifi-cent harmony in 5.1 digi-tal surround sound.

Although the show onlylasted 11 minutes, thedome also was the mostcrowded since it featuredair conditioning inside.

Pet owners were able toget tags for their pets andcheck out the Pet Den thathoused local animalsawaiting adoption.

Most enjoyable were allthe animals that peoplebrought to the event. Notonly was every breed of dogat the expo, but also ferrets,a Shetland pony and vari-ous house pets.

It was great to see a free,family event that incorpo-rated animals and the en-vironment.

—Holly JonesStaff Writer

Comments and Reviews4 • PIONEER • June 26, 2006

Sometimes, things may look bet-ter than they are. That’s what canbe said about Ubisoft’s new game“Far Cry Instincts Predator.”

The new Xbox 360 game appearsto have all the appealing elementsthat gamers would want: in-depthstory, large multi-player mode anda map editor.

The development team at Ubisoftalso added the original Xbox ver-sion of the game, along with thenew game, as a packaged offer.Sounds like a steal, right?

It ends up being more like a rob-bery. This game is about as freshas a week-old opened can of dogfood.

“Far Cry” has several problems.At first glance, it would appear tobe a clone of “Halo.”

The targeting system is similarand the vehicles have been addedfor a fragging good time.

But the mechanics are faulty andthe vehicles feel like you are driv-ing broken shopping carts.

However, the game does includea variety, from all-terrain vehicles,to armored pickup trucks, hover-crafts and flying gliders.

Even though the game’s develop-ment team have the right ideas fora good game, they just couldn’texecute it in “Far Cry.”

‘Far Cry’ from being a good video game

Ubisoft is a master of the first-person shooter, but this game failsin most aspects of the first-personshooter genre.

The game’s graphics are the onlything done right. Lush jungles lookand feel right on, and there is anice amount of shading to show-case mountains and trees.

But, the controls are lacklusterand will have players screaming,“But, I hit him!” more than once

while playing the game.The game’s weapons have ter-

rible range and are inconsistentwith most of the other Ubisoftgames.

The game’s map editor allowsplayers to create their own play-grounds to take online and usedto battle other users.

All this allows for is a hodgepodge of trees and some bunkers,and other weak constructions to sit

on a half empty map with the samebad controls.

Overall, this game is about as funas skinning your knees on somehot concrete.

So, if shoddy controls and weakmaps are your thing, then pick up“Far Cry.” Don’t say I didn’t warnyou.

Rating: 2/5—John Savage

Staff Writer

Fans of the World Cupgoing on in Germany cannow participate in the ac-tion with their favoriteteams by playing the offi-cially-licensed FIFA gameon Sony PlayStation Por-table.

In this game you decidewho is going to be FIFAWorld Cup 2006 champion,as you control and manageyour own team.

Electronic Art’s “2006FIFA World Cup” includesthe necessary features forplayers to be World Cupchampions. It has all 32participating teams, as wellas the 12 stadiums, fromBerlin to Frankfurt.

Gamers can choose eitherto play against the com-puter or against anotherPSP gamer through thegame sharing mode.

Electronic Art’s ‘World Cup’ scores with fans

Game options in “FIFAWorld Cup” include thetypical EA menu selections.The options include quickmatch, practice sessionand penalty shoot-out, aswell as global challengescenarios.

In-game options includeroster adjustments and afull list of tactical forma-tions.

Although the PSP screenis very small compared tothe traditional console, thevisuals are very crisp andclear.

However, the details ofthe players are almost un-recognizable because of thesize of the PSP screen,which is 4.3 inches.

Graphically, the colorcontrast is also quite dark,

even when the brightnessis adjusted to its brightestlevel.

The controls and tacticsof the game are easy anddo not take long to figureout, even for the first-timePSP users.

Gamers can choose touse the PSP system’s ana-log control or the direc-tional buttons to controlthe players.

Controlling and maneu-vering the ball never getsfrustrating.

The camera angles of thegame also are done well,giving the user differentpoints of view from cornerkicks, free kicks and pen-alty kicks.

The sound system is trulymagnificent, with thesounds of the crowd cheer-ing. It feels like you are

playing in a real stadiumenvironment.

The selection of teams isalso excellent, and theplayer’s capabilities in thegame are very close to thereal-life athlete’s ability.

Receiving a yellow card ora red card is very common,even in this game. Refereesare very strict, just like inthe live, ongoing World Cupmatches.

Although “2006 FIFAWorld Cup” needs minorimprovement on the visionclarity and screen bright-ness, the folks at EA havedone a good job with sta-dium structure and theeasy-to-learn controls.

“World Cup” really fits thesoccer fan’s needs well.

Rating: 4/5—Lavanya Jaganathan

Staff Writer

June 26, 2006 • PIONEER • 5

By Mack BurkeStaff Writer

External campus phonecalls and digital extensionscame to a silent halt on theafternoon of June 9.

For about three hours,the college went withouttelephone service.

Telecommunications Di-rector David Anderson saidhe identified an aging com-puter as the source of theproblem.

Campus operators pickedup on the problem about3:40 p.m., at which timethey alerted security.

Kevin Tipton, CampusSafety and Security officer,notified Anderson aboutthe problem.

Anderson quickly rem-

By Jeremy FriasStaff Writer

Advising and Career Ser-vices will begin an 11-week“Career Power in 25 Min-utes!” series of workshopsWednesday, Sept. 13.

The workshops were cre-ated “to communicate in-formation that helps stu-dents in their career andemployment endeavors,”said Debra Vaughn, Stu-dent Development careerspecialist.

The 25-minute work-shops are for anyone of anyage and background, whe-ther just starting to plan acareer, changing careers al-together or just needinghelp finding a job.

College phone system gets dead tone

Classes offer information on starting career

edied the problem, and thephone service was fully re-stored by about 5 p.m thatsame day.

Anderson said the systemis designed to switch be-tween two computers in theevent of a failure. The prob-lem occurred when the pri-mary computer would notrelinquish service to thesecondary machine.

It’s called a redundantfailover system, but essen-tially, “the failover failed,”Anderson said.

The college has an equip-ment and hardware main-tenance contract withAT&T in the event of sucha failure.

AT&T usually has a two-hour response time but insome cases they have to or-

der a part, Anderson said.AT&T shipped a new

computer overnight andthe replacement was fin-ished by 11 a.m. June 10.Phones were fully opera-tional during the switch-over.

“That’s the first phonenetwork [computer] I’vehad to replace since I tookthe job three years ago,”Anderson said.

He said the computer wasmade around 1994, so itwas just about time to re-tire it.

Shipping and receivingclerk Lanita Haynes saidher area wasn’t too af-fected.

“It held us up just a littlebit,” Haynes said.

It wasn’t as big a problem

as it could have been be-cause it happened so closeto the end of the day, shesaid.

Not all outside lines weredown, however.

The 60 security phoneson campus were still opera-tional, Anderson said.

Security was well awareof the problem so there wasno danger, Anderson said.

“I don’t foresee this to bea recurring problem,”Anderson said. “The com-puter we replaced died of

old age. Now, we have anew one in its place.”

He said college officialsare doing the best they canto keep everything runningsmoothly.

“Voice, data and com-puter technology are allmerging under the [infor-mation technology] ban-ner,” Anderson said.

“That’s exciting and chal-lenging.”

Staff Writer Mack Burkecan be reached at StaffWriter3@occc.edu.

“Voice, data and computer technologyare all merging under the [information

technology] banner.”—David Anderson

Telecommunications Director

The workshops will be atnoon on Wednesdays, Sept.13 through Nov. 29, inroom 1F6, in the Testingand Assessment area.

The scheduling of theworkshops will give stu-dents a cushion at the be-ginning and end of the se-mester for settling into theirschedules and finals,Vaughn said.

“Students are welcome tobring lunch, snack, eat andtalk with each other,”Vaughn said. “And therewill always be time takenfor discussion.”

The workshops will covera wide range of topics, fromresearching jobs and rés-umé building to work eth-ics and stress manage-

ment, Vaughn said.Jackie Hoffman, pharma-

cology major, also workspart-time and said shewould like to attend theworkshop.

“I want to take on asmuch as I can, and I tendto overload myself, so defi-nitely the stress manage-ment [workshop] for me.”

The subjects that will bediscussed are not new toOCCC.

“These services are al-ready offered here every-day,” Vaughn said.

She said the workshopseries was created to makethose services more acces-sible, as well as enhancewhat is already offeredthrough Advising and Ca-

reer Services.Attendees will be given

self-assessment surveys tohelp them identify theirstrengths and weakness, aswell as show them whattypes of careers they aresuited for.

“I think [the workshop se-ries] is wonderful,” saidJanine Kelley, a nursingstudent who also workspart-time.

She said she plans to at-tend at least a few of the

“[The workshops were created] tocommunicate information that helps students

in their career and employment endeavors.” —Debra Vaughn

Development Career Specialist

“Career Power in 25 Minutes!”

workshops.At the end of the series,

there will be a drawing fora $250 gift certificate to thecampus bookstore.

Each time students at-tend a workshop theirnames will be entered intothe drawing.

For more information,contact Vaughn at 405-682-1611, ext. 7362.

Staff Writer Jeremy Friascan be reached at OnlineEditor@occc.edu.

• An 11-week workshop series presentedby Advising and Career Services

• Starts Wednesday, Sept. 13, and takesplace in room 1F6 in the Main Building

every Wednesday until Nov. 29• For those planning a career, changing

careers or needing help finding one• Bring lunch and snacks

6 • PIONEER • June 26, 2006

Fish tanks add color, ambiance to campusBy Carrie CronkStaff Writer

Disney can stop lookingfor Nemo — the bright or-ange clownfish has beenfound in OCCC’s biotech-nology lab.

The OCCC Science Cen-ter is home to five 55-gal-lon aquariums and one 20-gallon aquarium containinga large variety of sealife.

Biotechnology Coordina-tor Donald Bell cares for thefour larger tanks and the20-gallon tank.

Bell said the tanks allowstudents to see first-handwhat the live specimenslook like.

Some of the tanks displayfresh-water fish while oth-ers display salt-waterspecimens.

Specimens on exhibit inthe South Pacific salt-wa-ter tank in the biotechnol-ogy lab include two bright

Photo by Carrie Cronk

A clownfish, yellow tang and cleaner shrimp are a few of thespecies in the saltwater aquarium located near entry 12.

red-and-white striped clea-ner shrimp, brightly col-ored clownfish, damselfish,two specimens of coral, ayellow tang, and green andpink sea anemones.

Sea snails and theshrimp help to keep thetank clean and two engi-neer gobies keep the sand

moving in the tank.The fish are fed a cul-

tured live phytoplanktonextract, as many are filterfeeders. Cyclops, which isa food of microorganismsthat is mashed into a formsimilar to a Popsicle andprovides protein to the fish.

Bell said he changes

specimens and aquariumsperiodically.

The fresh-water tank willsoon be redesigned.

“The fresh-water [tank inthe hall] I’m going to totallychange it out to put a dif-ferent kind of fish in it, soit looks different,” Bell said.

Bell said he would possi-bly replace the existing fishwith angelfish.

The fish that occupy thetank now are going to bemoved to Putnam City HighSchool.

When the tanks arechanged, Bell said he eithertakes the fish home ortrades them with someone.

The specimens on displayhave been purchased by

By Holly JonesEditor

OCCC President Paul Sechrist announced last weekthat the search would continue for the provost/vice presi-dent for Academic Affairs position.

“... I made the decision to not offer a contract to thefinalist for the provost/vice president for Academic Af-fairs ... We will be re-advertising for the position,” Sechristsaid in an e-mail.

Sechrist said the role is vital to the college.“We want to continue that leadership role. This indi-

vidual in this position plays a real important part of that.”Jane Carney, former

chair of the Faculty Asso-ciation, said 31 candidatesapplied for the position butnone met the college’sneeds.

The job description in-cludes requirements rang-ing from holding a doctor-ate to having a successfulrecord as a faculty member.

The description alsostates applicants need to becommitted to student success and understanding diver-sity in academic disciplines.

Gary Lombard, Human Resources vice president, saidthe college advertised in the Chronicle for High Educa-tion, the Sunday Oklahoman and on the college website.

Lombard said Sechrist sent letters to various collegepresidents and vice presidents urging them to apply orto submit nominations.

The search committee was made up of 13 individualsthat represented the institution, division deans, facultyand professional staff.

“While we all would like to have the position filled, it isnot essential that it be filled immediately,” Carney said.

Editor Holly Jones can be reached at editor@occc.edu.

Bell, the Science Center, orhave been donated by ei-ther the Reef Shop or bypeople who no longer hadthe proper facilities to carefor the fish.

“Since I’ve put the aquari-ums on this end of thebuilding, we get a lot ofpeople who walk down justto look at them,” Bell said.

When construction onthe Robert P. Todd Science,Engineering and Math Cen-ter is completed, Bell saidhe hopes the college canobtain a new larger tankthat would allow for aneven nicer display.

Staff Writer Carrie Cronkcan be reached at PioneerPhotog@occc.edu.

New courses to be offered in fall

College continuessearch for new provost

“While we all wouldlike to have the

position filled, it is notessential that it be

filled immediately.”—Jane CarneyFormer Faculty

Association Chair

By Eric NguyenStaff Writer

OCCC students with freetime during lunch hours orin the evening can takenon-traditional coursessuch as Yoga for Lunch orBallroom Dancing.

The Downtown CollegeConsortium is offering 19credit courses and 22 non-credit courses for the fallsemester.

The Downtown College isan alliance of five institu-tions where all classes aretransferable. The partici-pating colleges are OCCC,Oklahoma State University— Oklahoma City,Redlands Community Col-lege, Rose State College andthe University of CentralOklahoma.

The Downtown Collegeoffers credit courses in the16-week format and one 8-week format. Classes meetmostly in the evenings orduring lunch hours forworking adults and collegestudents in the OklahomaCity area, said Jimmie SueBaker, consortium secre-tary.

The class scheduling isdesigned to tend to theneeds of non-traditionalstudents, Baker said.

Among the credit coursesavailable in the fall are In-ternational Business Com-munication, Writing PopFiction, Identity Theft, andHeroes/Heroines in theBible.

Non-credit courses in-clude Yoga for Lunch, Ball-room Dancing and StockInvestment Strategies, ac-cording to the website,www.downtowncollege.com.

Other classes currently indevelopment are Wine Ap-preciation, EmergencySpanish for Law Enforce-ment, and Life-SavingCommunication With TheElderly.

“Lower-division classes,which are classes studentsfrom OCCC would be most

interested in, are currently$86 per credit hour,” Bakersaid.

Non-credit classes rangein price from $10 to $200,she said.

Financial aid for consor-tium classes is available forstudents who are eligible inone of the five member col-leges, Baker said.

Textbooks for classes atthe consortium also areavailable at the five col-leges.

The Downtown College islocated on the fourth floorof the Ronald J. NorickDowntown Library at 300Park Ave. in OklahomaCity.

For more information,visit the website or call 405-232-3382.

Staff Writer Eric Nguyencan be reached at SeniorWriter@occc.edu.

“Lower-division classes, which are classesstudents from OCCC would be most

interested in, are currently$86 per hour.”

—Jimmie Sue BakerConsortium Secretary

June 26, 2006 • PIONEER • 7

Mark yourcalendar — July4 events planned

Moore:Moore’s second annual Art in the Park celebration

will take place from noon to 10 p.m., July 3, andfrom 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 4 at Buck ThomasPark.

The event will offer examples of fine art, specialtycrafts, children’s activities, musical entertainmentand fireworks. Booth space is available for fund-raising.

For more information on how to claim a booth,call 405-793-5090. For general information, call405-793-5018.

Moore’s Old Town Car and Motorcycle Show isreturning for its third annual event from 2 to 4:30p.m., July 4, at Buck Thomas Park.

Vehicle registration is at 1 p.m. Show-goers canexpect to see vintage cars and motorcycles in afamily atmosphere.

For more information, call 405-912-7912.

Oklahoma City:The 16th Annual Bricktown Fourth of July

Celebration will take place July 3 and 4 at Sheridanand Oklahoma Avenue in Bricktown. Gates open at5 p.m. on July 3 and 11 a.m. on July 4.

Admission is free. The celebration will includenightly fireworks displays, live music from local actslike the Mike Hosty Duo, food and canal boat rides.

There also will be a childrens’ area complete withinflatable games, interactive rides, caricature artistsand face painting.

The Zoo Amphitheater will open its doors at 3p.m. on July 4 for the Independence Day Jam.

Featured musical acts include Taj Mahal, KellerWilliams and Kang from the String Cheese Incident.Headliner Bob Weir, formerly of the Grateful Dead,also will perform.

General admission tickets are available onwww.ticketmaster.com for $35. Express ticketsallowing early entry cost $40 and V.I.P. boxed seatsare $75.

Fireworks safety a mustBy Rachel CarltonStaff Writer

The Fourth of July is fastapproaching. This meansbright, colorful and noisyfireworks will be sold inbulk.

However, practicing safe-ty is as important as hav-ing fun.

Ken Pontius, assistantfire marshal for the MooreFire Department, saidburns to the hands andface are the most commoninjuries.

“You can lose fingers, youcan be blinded and you canget first-, second-, or third-degree burns,” Pontiussaid.

Pontius said the severityof the injury is determinedby the size of the explosivedevice and the age of a per-son.

For instance, if a fireworkgoes off in a grown man’shand, it may cause lessdamage than if it goes offin a child’s hand, Pontiussaid.

Use of fireworks over thepast 25 years has grownaccording to the AmericanPyrotechnics Association.

Firework use in 2004reached 236 millionpounds.

That number is up sig-nificantly from 29 million in1976.

Although consumption isup, fireworks-related inju-ries are down.

There has been an 89.3percent decrease per100,000 pounds accordingto the APA web-site.

However, just becauseinjuries have declined overthe years does not meanthey don’t happen.

The Oklahoma State De-partment of Health InjuryPrevention Service’s web-site states backyard fire-works such as bottle rock-ets, Roman candles, foun-tains and sparklers causedtwo-thirds of fireworks-re-lated injuries.

Holly McGinness, Busi-ness freshman, said fire-works have never injuredher, but her brother hasbeen hurt due to careless-ness.

“He was goofing off withbottle rockets and he gotburned on his hand,” Mc-Ginness said.

Junior Isaac Rey, 20, saidhe doesn’t take many safetyprecautions when shootingoff bottle rockets, but saidhe tries to remain some-what careful.

“I won’t shoot them off ifit’s dry outside and I won’tpoint them at anyone’sface,” he said.

The National Council onFirework Safety website of-fers some helpful tips tostay safe when using fire-works:

•Always follow label di-rections

•Use outdoors only•Always have water

handy•Never re-light a “dud”

firework•Never give fireworks to

small children•Dispose of fireworks by

properly soaking them inwater then disposing of

them in your trashcan•Buy from reliable sellersAlthough there are nu-

merous firework stands inOklahoma, a law passed in1991 bans fireworks inmost cities.

Pontius said these fire-work stands are out of mu-nicipal jurisdiction.

People drive out to thesestands, buy the fireworks,and drive back into city lim-its, he said.

Oklahoma law specifi-cally prohibits all fireworkswithin city limits while fed-eral law bans M-80’s,Cherry Bombs and SilverSalutes.

To find out if shootingfireworks is legal in yourcity, Pontius advises callingthe city fire department.

Pontius said the closestcity he knows of whereshooting fireworks is legalis Mustang.

If people are caughtshooting fireworks in illegalareas, the police can inter-vene.

“The person will havetheir fireworks confiscatedand can be fined,” Pontiussaid.

“I recognize people wantto celebrate and theyshould, but do so at a pro-fessional [firework] dis-play,” said Kellie Lee, assis-tant fire marshal for theOklahoma City Fire Depart-ment.

For more informationabout safety, visit the NCFSat www.fireworksafety.com.

Staff Writer Rachel Carl-ton can be reached at Staff-Write3@occc.edu.

A good old barbecue is often the most popu-lar way to celebrate our nation’s independence,but there are other ways that include the greatoutdoors.

Many state parks offer activities that are funfor all ages.

Green Leaf State Park, located just off High-way 10 near Braggs, is offering canoe races,boat and wagon rides, a campfire program, afireworks display and much more. This eventwill go from June 30 through July 4. For moreinformation, e-mail Greenleafcabins@oklahomaparks.com

Head out to Tenkiller State Park, near Vian

There’s more to July 4 than just fireworks and BBQon Highway 100, July 1, to participate in a fun-filled weekend at the Driftwood Nature Center.The park will offer watermelon feasts, hayrides,games, fireworks display and a box turtle rally.For more information, e-mail tenkillercabins@otrd.state.ok.us.

Robbers Cave State Park, near Wilburton,offers a spectacular fireworks display overCarlton Lake and a day filled with summer fun.The best campsite might not be outside butinside the charming Belle Starr View Lodge orone of the many cabins at the park. For moreinformation, e-mail robberscave@oklahomaparks.com.

If the Fourth of July weekend is not longenough, check out Christmas in July, July 7and 8 at Foss State Park. Events include alighted boat parade, decorated camper contest,arts, crafts, flea market and more. For moreinformation, e-mail fossstatepark@otrd.state.ok.us.

Have a fun and safetime celebrating this

year’s July 4!

8 • PIONEER • June 26, 2006

Sports

Punt, pass and kick at campUPCOMING

OCCCINTRAMURALS

•June 26-30: Co-ed soccer campwill be held on campus. The campis for children, ages 6 to 11, inter-ested in basic rules and fundamen-tals of soccer. Registration andpayment must be made by the pre-vious Thursday. Camp is held 8a.m. to noon, Monday through Fri-day. The cost for the camp is $60and includes a camp T-shirt. Formore information, call CommunityEducation and Health CoordinatorJack Perkins at 405-682-1611, ext.7205.

•July 10-14: Golfers will have achance to swing the clubs atOCCC golf camp. The camp is forchildren, ages 12 to 14, interestedin learning skills and drills of golf.Registration and payment must bemade by the previous Thursday.Camp is from 8 a.m. to noon, Mon-day through Friday. The cost forthe camp is $60 and includes acamp T-shirt. For more informationcontact Community Education andHealth Coordinator Jack Perkins at405-682-1611, ext. 7205.

•July 10-14: OCCC tennis sum-mer camp for ages 9 to 11, will beheld at OCCC again this summer.The camp is for children interestedin the game of tennis. Registrationand payment must be made by theprevious Thursday. Camp is from8 a.m. to noon, Monday throughFriday. The cost for the camp is$60 and includes a camp T-shirt.For more information contact Com-munity Education and Health Co-ordinator Jack Perkins at 405-682-1611, ext. 7205.

•July 17-21: Junior golfers, ages9 to 11, will have a chance to shootthe greens at OCCC’s summer golfcamp. The camp is for childreninterested in learning skills anddrills of golf. Registration and pay-ment must be made by the previ-ous Thursday. Camp is from 8 a.m.to noon, Monday through Friday.The cost for the camp is $60 andincludes a camp T-shirt. For moreinformation contact CommunityEducation and Health CoordinatorJack Perkins at 405-682-1611, ext.7205.

Photo by Carrie CronkA football camp participant prepares to make a pass during a play on the

while another youth on the opposing team attempts to tag him during a game ofSooner ball. The youths are enrolled in the football sports camp that was heldbetween June 19 and 23. Sooner ball pitted players against each other.

By John SavageStaff Writer

Tackling dummies fell like domi-noes as the kids in summer foot-ball camp lined up for some hard-hitting action on campus.

More than 30 campers attendedthe football camp June 19 to 23.Campers learned the ins and outsof football, and practiced drills.

Some campers have been to thecamp before while others came forthe first time.

Lane Williams, 8, was a new-comer to the football camp but itis not his first apperance at OCCCyouth camps.

“It’s pretty cool,” Williams said.“I was in the basketball camp lastweek.”

Williams said his favorite sportis soccer and that he looks forwardto that camp as well.

“I’m going to be in the soccercamp next week,” Williams said.

Another veteran to the sportscamps is Kyle Poindexter, 13. Heattended the baseball camp lastweek and is tackling football campthis week.

“I been here for about four yearsdoing these [sport camps],”Poindexter said.

“We’ve been doing sooner ball. It’severybody against everybody.”

Both Williams and Poindextersaid they plan on being back nextyear.

Coach Scott Hunter made surethe campers learned some drillsthat will help them later on in thesport.

“We’re doing all kinds of drills forall positions offensively and defen-sively,” Hunter said.

“We have it broken down ... de-fensive-wise, we have defensiveline, linebackers, and secondary.Offensively, we are going to do run-ning backs, quarterbacks, offen-sive line and wide receivers.”

Hunter said he wants to teachthe campers all the basics. Workethic is one of the things hestresses.

“The thing I’m pushing with themis getting to finish drills … workon finishing the drill and going ev-

By John SavageStaff Writer

Would your teenager know whatto do in case of an emergency?OCCC has a new camp this sum-mer that will teach campers, ages12 to 14, what to do in case a firebreaks out or a tornado touchesdown.

The purpose of this disastercamp is to prepare children tohandle worst-case scenarios.

Community Education andHealth Coordinator Jack Perkinsstarted the camp and believes itwill be an engaging way to teach

erywhere they are supposed to goat a high rate of speed.”

By the time the week has ended,he expects to see some improve-ment from when the campers firststarted, Hunter said.

He said, later in the week, theywould scrimmage each other andplay seven on seven.

For more information on all othersports camp activities, call Com-munity Education and Health Co-ordinator Jack Perkins at 405-682-1611, ext. 7205.

Staff Writer John Savage can bereached at StaffWriter2@occc.edu.

kids about dangers that can hap-pen in everyday life.

Perkins said, that living in Okla-homa tornado’s and other dangerscan happen.

“[We want to] really try to put thecamper in kind of a crisis mode.”

He said, dangers happen everyday and it’s important to showways of dealing with certain situa-tions.

“Nobody thinks it’s going to hap-pen to them,” Perkins said. “It’s anew thing that we haven’t donebefore.”

Perkins said he wants to put thecampers in situations where they

will have to use their judgment onwhat they should do in case ofemergencies.

“You have to think. You have toreact. You have to figure out whatyou’re going to do,” Perkins said.“And I just thought that was a goodway to teach some safety issues.”

He said the class is not originalbut he feels it is unusual.

“There is not a bunch of them outthere,” Perkins said.

For more information on summercamps contact Perkins at 405-682-1611, ext. 7205.

Staff Writer John Savage can bereached at StaffWriter2@occc.edu.

Disaster camp prepares youth

June 26, 2006 • PIONEER • 9

Marketing and public relations assistant ready to retire

Students enrolled in theMusical Theatre Camp

perform the “March of theArmy Ants” during their

musical production of JohnJacobson’s “Bugz” June 16.

The camp was held in theOCCC Theater.

By David MillerStaff Writer

Six different presidentshave led the college duringKaren Smith’s 27-year ca-reer at OCCC.

The Marketing and Pub-lic Relations assistant willretire July 7, taking withher nearly three decades ofcollege history.

“She knows everythingthere is to know about thecollege,” Marketing andPublic Relations DirectorPaula Gower said.

“She has a wealth of in-formation and history.”

Media Relations Coordi-nator Jessica Martinez-Brooks agreed.

“Karen knows everythingthat goes on at the college,”she said. “Her experience

and her knowledge havebeen very beneficial to ourdepartment.”

When Smith’s retirementbegins July 8, she said, sheplans to go into familymode.

“I want to spend morequality time with my fam-ily and grandkids.”

She also plans to workpart-time at her daughter’sbusiness.

On a personal level,Smith expressed sadnessabout leaving her co-work-ers.

“People I work with in themarketing department allhave a really close bond,”Smith said. “I will missthem a lot.”

Gower expressed mixedemotions regarding Smith’sretirement.

“We’re very happy she hasa chance to retire andspend time with her familybut sad because we’ll missher,” Gower said.

Smith began her employ-ment with OCCC in 1979,

working part-time as aclerk/typist in the businessdivision, which was thencalled the Institute of Busi-ness Management.

From August 1984 toJuly 1985, she worked atemporary position in theDevelopment FoundationOffice before becoming afull-time employee in Au-gust 1985.

She then began workingat her current position asan assistant in the Market-ing and Public RelationsOffice, where she hasworked with seven super-visors.

Her job description var-ies in that she might be typ-ing up standard supplyrequisition forms and pur-chase orders to editing vari-ous media stories that

come through her office.“I’ve always enjoyed

working in the PR officebecause of the variety ofopportunities with mediastories,” Smith said. “Eachday could be a new adven-ture.”

“You don’t know what toexpect.”

Smith also assisted in ed-iting the college catalog,class schedule, press re-leases, the personnel direc-tory and the weekly em-ployee newsletter.

A retirement reception isscheduled from 2 to 4 p.m.Thursday, June 29, in theOklahoma Room of the col-lege union near the cafete-ria.

Staff Writer David Millercan be reached at StaffWriter1@occc.edu.

Karen Smith

By Carrie CronkStaff Writer

The OCCC Theaterswarmed with bugs of alltypes June 16 when theMusical Theatre Camp forages 6 to 8, performed themusical “Bugz.”

The children, under theguidance of Teacher TracySkinner, spent the weeklearning and practicinglines, songs and choreogra-phy for the play, as well asdesigning the sets.

The characters in the playconsisted of a variety of in-sects including ladybugs,army ants, butterflies, anda stinkbug. Costumes foreach character were uniqueas the children providedtheir own and were allowedto add their own personalflare to the design.

The costumes did con-form to each type of char-acter. Army ants wore cam-ouflage, the ladybugs worered and black, and the but-terflies had colorful wings.

The most unique cos-tume was the stinkbug’s,which consisted of a blackleotard with toy cheese,onions and garlic hangingfrom a harness.

A few of the songs the

children performed were“March of the Army Ants,”“Things Change,” “Be aLady,” “Going on a Picnic”and “Firefly.”

The sets the children de-signed consisted of piecesof artwork the students hadcreated depicting not onlyinsects but also a picnicscene and food.

One noteable scene in-cluded a military-styledsong and dance number bythe army ants, duringwhich they sang “March ofthe Army Ants.” The juniorperformers also put to-gether a song and dancenumber with the butterfliesand the stinkbug to thesong “Things Change.”

Skinner said there wereseveral repeat enrollees, in-cluding five or six studentsparticipating for their sec-ond year and one studentreturning for a third year.

Skinner said the MusicalTheatre Academy for 10-to15-year-olds would beheld over a two-week periodfrom July 17 to July 28.

Students will learn theBroadway Junior produc-tion of Annie, a “simplerversion designed for kidsand young teens.”

“Annie” will be performed

Kids get a little buggy in college theater

Photos by Carrie Cronk

TheLadybugs ofthe MusicalTheatreCampperform “Bea Lady”during theirproduction of“Bugz.” Thestudentsprovided theirowncostumesmaking for auniqueensemble ofinsects.

at 5 p.m., Thursday, July27, and again at 10:30a.m., Friday, July 28, in theCollege Theater.

Staff Writer Carrie Cronkcan be reached at PioneerPhotog@occc.edu.

10 • PIONEER • June 26, 2006

HighlightsGrandparents Raising Grandchildren Workshops

The Child Development Center and Lab School willpresent five free workshops on grandparents raising grand-children. The workshops will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,June 28, July 12 and 19. The workshops will be held atthe South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Confer-ence Room. Several guest speakers will cover topics suchas parenting skills, communication, reference and referralagencies, and other issues that “Grandfamilies” face. Formore information, contact Child Development Center andLab School Supervisor Lee Ann Nurdin at 405-682-1611,ext. 7423.

Pathways for the Future offers college creditsPathways for the Future is offering a way for eighth

through twelfth graders to earn college credit while still injunior high or high school. Pathways is a college prepara-tory school, located on the OCCC campus. The programstarted in January 2001 and assists Oklahoma City stu-dents to further their opportunities for college. Pathwaysis currently taking applications for eighth grade students.An interview is required with both the parents and thestudent(s). Applications must be postmarked by June 30.For more information, contact Pathways Principal CarolBrogan at 405-682-7840.

Speed learning classes offeredThe Training Center is offering a basic course in speed

learning. Speed learning is a new system designed for theprocessing of information. Classes are taught exclusivelyon the OCCC campus. Speed learning classes will be heldfrom 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 13 and Aug. 10. For moreinformation or to enroll, call the Training Center at 405-682-7562 or visit www.occc.edu/trainingcenter.

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

Aug. 5 through 11 at the Glorieta Large Conference Cen-ter near Santa Fe, N.M. The event includes practical livingseminars, spiritual encouragement, sports and hiking. Thecost to attend is $225. A $50 deposit is required due tolimited space. The cost includes travel, registration, foodand lodging. For more information, contact sponsor MikeBarnett at the Baptist Collegiate Ministries office at 405-323-0583.

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

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

Campus club works for churchBy David MillerStaff Writer

Members of the HispanicOrganization to PromoteEducation endured theearly summer heat to raisemoney for a good cause.

They worked all day andinto the evening at the Par-ish Festival on Sunday,June 11, at the SacredHeart Church, 2706 S.Shartel.

The Parish Festival is anannual event at someCatholic churches to cel-ebrate the Hispanic heri-tage and to raise money forgeneral church funds.

HOPE members soldnachos at the event, whichalso included music, gamesand festivities.

The HOPE organization isone of the more active clubson campus this summer.

Approximately $800 wasraised for the church fromthe nachos sale alone.

Sacred Heart memberand HOPE Public RelationsCoordinator Susana Her-nandez worked the event asdid Raquel Carranco,Yolanda Esquivel, CorinaGarcia, Betty Lopez and

All highlights due by 5 p.m. on Tuesdaysfor inclusion in the next issue. The Pioneer office is

located on the second floor of the Main Buildingjust outside the elevator .

Is your club club active thissummer? Do you have any

summer plans?If so, let the Pioneer know!

E-mail StaffWriter1@occc.eduor call 405-682-1611, ext. 7410.

Photo by Carrie Cronk

Omar Lozano.“Every year, Catholic

churches have this event,”Hernandez said.

Considering the tempera-tures were in the upper90s, the turnout washigher than the HOPEmembers anticipated.

“There were a lot ofpeople, especially after theMexican soccer teamplayed in the World Cupgames,” said Carranco.

In addition to nachos,numerous other authenticMexican foods were sold,including tacos, tortillas,Mexican sandwiches, Gor-ditas and corn-on-the-cob.

They also served fruitcocktails with hot chili pow-der and a lemon slice, aswell as a dessert drinkcalled “Aqua de Horchata,”which translates into“drink of rice.”

The drink consists ofwashed rice, water or milk,and cinnamon and sugar,according to the websitewww.wikipedia.org.

For entertainment theyhad live music, clowns andballoons for children.Dancers performed an au-thentic cultural Aztec

Photography Club Vice President Alan Chan discusses various methods of digital photoediting with Club Sponsor LaWanda LaVarnway. The Photography Club is making plans fora photo shoot day trip sometime this summer.

Strike a pose

dance known as “LosMatachines.”

The traditional religiousdance originated as the act-ing out of the battle be-tween Christianity and pa-ganism, according to theHandbook of Texas Online.

The Spanish brought theritual to the New World.Modern versions have in-corporated Mexican, Indianand American religioussymbols, including the Vir-gin Mary.

The dance is done in aseries of scenes and cantake an entire day to com-plete.

Carranco was to attendanother Parish Festival thispast Sunday, June 25, atLittle Flower CatholicChurch, 1125 S. Walker,Oklahoma City.

To find out more aboutthe Parish Festival, contactRaquel Carranco at 405-682-7553.

For more information onthe HOPE organization,contact Club PresidentGuillermo Gonzalez at 405-410-2165.

Staff Writer David Millercan be reached at StaffWriter1@occc.edu.

June 26, 2006 • PIONEER • 11

Class ifi eds

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

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

FOR SALE: 1995 Mercury Vil-lager van. 208,000 miles. Runsbut needs some work. Body andinterior are in good shape. Doesnot use oil. Asking $1,500 OBO.Please call 229-3810 for moreinfo.

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

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

FOR SALE: 1991 Honda CivicDX, 4 door, 4 cy, 5 speed, 187Kmiles.Runs but needs a little work.Must sell, going on a vacation.Best offer takes it. Call Scott 314-4935.

FOR SALE: 1991 NissanMaxima. V6 auto, all power,sunroof, 10-disc CD player,leather seats, excellent condition,

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

FREE: Two 4-year-old outdoorbrother dogs. 1/2 Springer Span-iel and 1/2 English Setter.Healthy, well-trained, friendlyand all-weather adaptable.Please call 749-9979.

FREE: Two precious kittensto good home. Almost 3 monthsold; both are brown tabby & whitemixed. One female & one male.Playful kittens, good with people& dogs. All eating dry cat food &litter box trained. Too cute tomiss - come see. Call 682-1611,ext. 7822, or 378-3647, or e-mailckrosp@yahoo.com.

FOR SALE: 3 silver metal/frosted glass end tables, $150.3 silver metal/glass desk with 4separate matching file cabinets,$150. For pictures and info e-mailjarrodwilmoth@yahoo.com.

FOR SALE: Wood coffee tablew/ inlay design. Used 6 mo., paid$250, asking for $150. Wood/glass coffee table & matching endtable. $50/pair. Boys 6 pc. woodbedroom set. Headboard, mirror,chest of drawers, desk, hutch &chair. $350. Please call 642-4320.

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

adult owned, garaged. 217K miles.$3000 OBO. Call 229-9943.

FOR SALE: 1986 Nissan 300ZX. Great motor & transmission,t-tops, V6, 2 door. Great gas mile-age, auto, student owned, femaledriven. $1,400. Call 474-3611.

FOR SALE: BIO 1314 A & P I(Human Anatomy & PhysiologyStudy Guide, 6th Ed.) brand new/never used $30. BUS 1323 Mathfor Business Careers (Contem-porary Math for Business & Con-sumers w/cd, 4th Ed.) brand new/never used $50. FIN 1013 Per-sonal Finance (Personal Financew/cd, 7th Ed.) like new/ used once$100 OBO. REL 1113 Real Es-tate Principles (Modern Real Es-tate Practice, 16th Ed.) like new/used once $30. Contact Amy at820-6263 or 682-161, ext. 7770.

FOR SALE: Presario Compaq266x notebook model 1235. Word2003, internet ready. Very goodcondition. $200 OBO. Please callEric at ext. 7786 or 326-0868.

LICENSEDCHRISTIAN

HOME DAY CAREDHS approved,

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405-740-5535. Monday through

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

PIONEERPIONEERPIONEERPIONEERPIONEERNon-business classified adsNon-business classified adsNon-business classified adsNon-business classified adsNon-business classified ads

are FREE to students, faculty andare FREE to students, faculty andare FREE to students, faculty andare FREE to students, faculty andare FREE to students, faculty andstaff. Come by the Pioneer (2M6)staff. Come by the Pioneer (2M6)staff. Come by the Pioneer (2M6)staff. Come by the Pioneer (2M6)staff. Come by the Pioneer (2M6)

and fill out a classified formand fill out a classified formand fill out a classified formand fill out a classified formand fill out a classified formby 5 p.m. Tuesdays.by 5 p.m. Tuesdays.by 5 p.m. Tuesdays.by 5 p.m. Tuesdays.by 5 p.m. Tuesdays.

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CLASSIFIED ORCLASSIFIED ORCLASSIFIED ORCLASSIFIED ORCLASSIFIED ORDISPLAY ADS TODISPLAY ADS TODISPLAY ADS TODISPLAY ADS TODISPLAY ADS TO405-682-7843405-682-7843405-682-7843405-682-7843405-682-7843

Looking for a DAY CARE?2 Star home day care available in

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DHS certified,flexible hours.

Please call405-692-6243 for more info.

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

FOR SALE: His & hers Wed-ding/Engagement set. Hers:Round 1/3 carat diamond solitaireset in white gold w/ yellow goldaccents and matching white gold

band, recently appraised $750.Selling with men’s white gold band,(heavy in weight). Asking $425 forall. E-mail atctracy@yahoo.comfor more info and pictures or call694-9243.

FOR SALE: Sparkling 5 prin-cess cut diamonds in white goldring. Appraised at $6,135. Asking$1,500. For pictures and moreinfo e-mail jarrodwilmoth@yahoo.com.

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

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adman@occc.edu

12 • PIONEER • June 26, 2006

“We will be able to do alot more specialized com-munications,” he said.

Students who alreadyhave an OCCC account willcontinue to use that, Rihasaid. New students or stu-dents who, in the past,elected to not have an e-mail account through thecollege, will be assigned anaccount.

However, Riha said, stu-

dents aren’t confined tousing only the OCCC ac-count name. He said stu-dents can forward their e-mail from the college sys-tem to a personal e-mailaccount.

According to http://po.occc.edu, students us-ing other e-mail softwaresuch as Outlook, OutlookExpress or Mozilla Thun-derbird will need to set theincoming and outgoing e-mail server names to po.occc.edu to forward the

mail.Students won’t be al-

lowed to choose the OCCCaccount name they are as-signed. Riha said the col-lege will assign a user namewith a consistent occc.edudomain name.

“We will be able to con-trol the naming conven-tion,” he said. “It’s exactlyusing the same system wehave now. [We’re just] go-ing to use it a little differ-ently.”

Some students wondered

if they would be able to re-ceive grades through the e-mail account but Riha saidthere are no plans to dothat at this time.

Students have mixedopinions when it comes tohaving a registered schoole-mail account.

Kendra Edwards, biologysophomore, said she’s finewith the change. “I have somany e-mail [accounts], soone more doesn’t reallymatter. “

Trish Wright, premedsophomore, said she isn’tfond of the idea. “I wouldn’twant to have to use a re-

“e-mail,”Cont. from page 1

College to begin assigning e-mail accounts to all students this fall

quired one. I would ratheruse my own personal one.”

Riha said there will be nocost to the school or thestudent for the e-mail ac-counts.

Riha reminds studentswho have existing okccc.edu accounts that afterJuly 1, e-mail sent to thoseaddresses will be bouncedback to the sender. The e-mail addresses are nowunder the domain name ofoccc.edu, with no ‘k,’ hesaid.

Staff Writer John Savagecan be reached at StaffWriter2@occc.edu.

“We will push information out to studentsusing the e-mail system, and hopefully,

improve communications and information, andstudents can communicate with us efficiently.”

—Paul SechristOCCC President

Student loan consolidation canhave both benefits and drawbacks

only one consolidationcompany,” Edington said.

“Students now have theability to shop lenders.”

“The bottom line for [con-solidating loans] is to get alower interest rate,” saidLarry Hollingsworth, Okla-homa Student Loan Au-thority vice president.

When interest rates arerising, as they have been for

“Loans,”Cont. from page 1

the past several years, con-solidating at a fixed ratemay be beneficial. But,when rates are falling, itmay be better not to con-solidate.

Sparks said a websitehelping students and par-ents with financial plan-ning is located at www.mapping-your-future.org.According to the website,students can consolidateloans even if they are stillin college.

Ultimately, Sparks said,it is up to students to findout about benefits anddrawbacks of consolidatingloans.

“Students need to go outthere and see what is bestfor them,” Sparks said.

“Your lender is always agreat place to go to find outwhether you should con-solidate your loans or not.”

Staff Writer Eric Nguyencan be reached at SeniorWriter@occc.edu.

Steps to take to consolidate your student loans(all paperwork must be completed by June 30)

Step 1: Select which loans you want to consolidate.

Step 2: Think about what loan consolidation might mean to your defermentoptions, cancellation options and other benefits like interest rate discounts. Contactthe holder of your loan to get help in determining these things.

Step 3: If consolidation is right for you, contact the lender to begin the process.If you are still in college and are eligible for in-school consolidation, make sure toapply before leaving college.

Step 4: When filling out a consolidation application, include complete addressinformation, include two references and sign the promissory note.

Step 5: If you have further questions about loan documents and the consolidationprocess, do not hesitate to contact your lender.

—courtesy of http://Studentaid.ed.gov

Place a personal classifed adIt’s FREE to OCCC

students & employees!ADMAN@occc.edu

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