Pioneer 2007 06 25

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

www.occc.edu/pioneer

• Testing Center overused, editorial, p. 2.• SEM Center dedicated by Todd family, p. 6.• OCCC locker rooms upgraded, sports, p. 8.• Leadership retreat held, clubs, p. 10.

This WeekInside June 25, 2007

Vol. 35 No. 36

Summer science

Photo by Jay Rocamontes

Regents approve6.8% tuition hike

Putnam City North High School senior Chelsea Baker injectsdye into transparent gel inside an electrophoresis chamber.Regional government grants funded a molecular biology camp— held in the OCCC Biotechnology Lab — to teach local highschool students the synthesis of DNA and the fundamentalsof biotech research.

OCCC president tosee $7,900 pay raise

GED student arrestedfor first-degree murderBy Eric NguyenStaff Writer

An OCCC GED student was arrested Friday, June 8, on first-degree murder charges.

Oklahoma City Police arrested Michael Anthony Willoughby,17, on suspicion of shooting his stepmother in northwestOklahoma City, according to the police report.

Clay Willoughby, his father, called Oklahoma City police5:43 p.m. on June 7 from his house to report his son, wifeand Ford F-150 pick-up truck missing, according to the re-port.

Logan County officials locatedthe truck, with matching tag See “Willoughby,” page 12

By Eric NguyenEditor

For the fifth time in as many years,tuition will increase at OCCC.

OCCC’s Board of Regents approved a6.8 and 6.9 percent tuition increase forin-state and out-of-state students, andthe budget for fiscal year 2008, at theJune 18 meeting.

“I’m very pleased that [the Regents]agreed with the budget and the plansthat the college and administration andstaff laid out,” said Art Bode, consult-ant for the fiscal year ’08 and retiredvice president for Business and Finance.

Starting this fall, in-state students willpay $78 per credit hour, including tu-ition and fees. Out-of-state studentsmust pay $208 per credit hour.

In-state tuition has risen $17, and out-

of-state tuition has risen $79 in the pastfive years, including fiscal year ‘08.

Regents also approved pay raises forcollege employees.

Full-time employees will receive up toa 4.5 percent salary increase. Adjunctprofessors’ pay will increase from $590to $615 per credit hour.

Student employees’ pay will increaseas well, said Senior Human ResourcesSpecialist Larry Robertson.

He said student employees who haveworked at the college the previous 12consecutive months will receive an in-crease from $7.50 to $7.75, Robertsonsaid.

Those who have worked at the collegefor less than 12 consecutive months willsee an increase from $7 to $7.25.

The proposalto increase tu- See “Budget,” page 12


OCCC President Paul Se-christ is getting a

$7,997 pay raise beginningJuly 1, the start of fiscal year2008.

The OCCC Board of Regentsapproved the salary increasefrom $207,036 to $215,033 ata meeting June 18 at the sametime they approved re-hiringhim for fiscal year 2009.

The increase is a 3.3 percent raise,said Janice Phillips, executive adminis-trative assistant to the president.

Regents said they considered the sala-ries of other presidents at peer institu-tions and determined the raise based onthe college’s Compensation and BenefitsPlan which addresses budget principlesof maintaining competitive salaries andrewarding employee performance.

Also considered in the plan are cost-of-living changes and salary increases

based on performance.Several college employees

said the raise is well de-served, including Special Ini-tiatives Dean Susan Van-Schuyver and Health LabCoordinator Lloyd Kingsbury.

“Having worked for thestate for many years, I’m al-ways glad to see somebodyget a raise,” Kingsbury said.“I think he is doing a greatjob.”

VanSchuyver said the raiseis appropriate with Sechrist’s positionat the college.

“[OCCC] is the fifth largest public in-stitution of higher learning in Okla-homa, and our president should be com-pensated accordingly,” she said.

VanSchuyver said Sechrist has a com-mitment to developing new programsthat provide more opportunities for stu-dents, such as learning communities forthe fall se-mester and

President PaulSechrist

See “Sechrist,” page 12

2 • PIONEER • June 25, 2007

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

Vol. 35 No. 36Eric Nguyen..........................EditorMatt Caban...................Staff WriterCarrie Cronk.................Staff WriterDrew Hampton..............Staff WriterShavon Bowman..........Staff WriterJay Rocamontes......PhotographerTim Cronk...................Ad ManagerTrish Arnold....Circulation ManagerRichard Hall.............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorMark Schneberger....Faculty Adviser

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep testsinside class

Prof says assistance is OK

The Test Center is a part of the college most stu-dents know well. It is a useful tool, allowing pro-fessors an alternative to giving tests in class whenthey desperately need the time to present newmaterial.

Likewise, it gives students the opportunity to takesuch exams out of class within a set time frame,which can be more convenient.

At the same time, however, it should not be usedas a dumping ground for exams that professorssimply don’t want to present in class.

What likely began as an occasional backup op-tion for busy professors has become something ofa necessity for most — after attending two years ofOCCC courses, one student said that less than one-fourth of his professors gave any of their tests inclass.

This might not be an issue for most major uni-versities since students at such schools usuallyhave the option of living on campus.

OCCC, however, is a community college with noon-campus housing; virtually all of its studentscommute, many from distant parts of the city andbeyond.

It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that many ofthese students begrudge the extra time and fuelspent driving between the college and home to takea test that might instead have been given in class.

While professors and many students seem to findthe system convenient, more than one student hascomplained quietly (or not so quietly) about beingforced to spend the extra time on campus.

In another example, one student taking a courselast semester had a particularly unhappy brushwith the Test Center.

Despite being present, prepared and on time ev-ery day the class met, circumstances prevented thestudent from arriving on time to take an exam inthe center.

Despite this being one of only five exams in thecourse, the professor had a strict no-retake policywhich, in conjunction with the missed exam, sig-nificantly affected the student’s final grade.

While neither the professor nor the Test Centerwere at fault, this occurrence does illustrate howthe current policy (official or otherwise) can putstudents in a difficult situation. Problems like theones mentioned might not exist if these exams weregiven in class.

The explanation for why so many professors areusing the center like this could be any number ofthings. Professors may be overworked or lazy, orsimply taking advantage of the opportunity for ex-tra teaching time in class. Regardless, somethingneeds to change.

Barring extraordinary circumstances, keep thetests in the classroom.

—Drew HamptonStaff Writer

To the Editor:I read with interest the

editorial column for [theJune 18 Pioneer issue] tosee what might be going onrelated to college transferissues.

As the coordinator of themulti-divisional programs,which include Pre-Educa-tion, Liberal Studies, andDiversified Studies, I seeplenty of students, mostwho are planning to trans-fer to one of the four-yearcolleges or universities.

In most cases, the stu-dents I visit with have al-ready been to see one ... ofthe advisors ..., and theyare seeking additional ad-vice related to their coursechoices. Many of them havea faculty advisor assignedto them, but they have notbothered to seek that fac-ulty member out.

Something I did not seementioned in the editorial... was the faculty advisorto whom a student shouldor can go for assistance andguidance. Faculty are re-quired ... to advise students,primarily majors in the spe-cific discipline in which afaculty member teaches.Most faculty enjoy workingwith individual students ...faculty often know more

about the specific programs... than do the advisors whoare most knowledgeableabout general educationand general transfer issues.

Self-reliance ... being in-dependent is good, self-ad-visement can get a studentinto trouble, if one is notpaying attention. Finding afaculty member to act asone's academic advisor isadvantageous ....

Faculty advisors can serveas good reference for ob-taining scholarships andawards. If someone does nothave a faculty advisor, [heor she] can request one beassigned to them; however,the next step is often up tothe student to make con-tact with the faculty per-son. Depending on the ...division, a student may re-ceive a letter that notifiesthem of who to contact.

Don't wait until there isan emergency ... make anappointment with the fac-ulty person. Allow time tovisit and ask ... questions.If that faculty member doesnot seem helpful, ask an-other teacher if [he or she]would be willing to [help].Checking in with a facultyadvisor well in advance ofenrolling is important too.

Keep in mind the Advi-

sors help ... people every-day, but students are theirown biggest help. Theyshould go to their ... trans-fer college/university andvisit around, ask questionsand pick up any paperworkor checklists. Just take thatnext step and use all of theresources available.

—Bertha WiseEnglish Professor

June 25, 2007 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

Q: What does it take to repair roof leaks?A:[First step is to] get reports filed. [Second step is][Physical Plant] investigates the reports to makesure there is a leak and to see what the problem is.[Third step is] a record is placed about the leak.[Fourth step is] after discovering the problem, [Physi-cal Plant] corrects the problem areas.

—J.B. MesserPhysical Plant Director

Q: How can students change their major?A: They need to come down to the Advisementdepartment ... and tell [an adviser] what they wantto change their major to and have a photo ID ready.We send out a request to the division officer for afaculty adviser and notify students by mail [whenthe request is accepted].

—Elsa GonzalesAdvisement Support Assistant

Q: Why are intramural sports so limited?A: We choose our intramurals based on which onesare popular on other campuses. They’re the onesthat have participation and a consistent following.

We try new ones that we think students will like orthat have a cultural tie. But if there’s not enoughparticipation for an intramural then it will be can-celed. We’re hoping to get more students input bystarting a new student club called Club Rec. It willhelp us find out what intramurals students want tosee.

—Traci WheelerRecreation and Community

Services Director

Q: Will the Wellness Center get new equipment?A: [The Wellness Center] just got a new Smithmachine and weight tree which were installed thisweek.

—Traci WheelerRecreation and Community Services Director

Nightmarish weddingsdon’t normally have black-outs caused by cosmic be-ings, but this isn’t your av-erage bad wedding.

Reed Richards and SusanStorm experienced thiskind of nightmarish wed-ding in 20th Century Fox’smovie “Fantastic Four: Riseof the Silver Surfer.”

Director Tim Story hasmanaged to make an actionfilm that is entertaining,funny and still suitable foryoung viewers.

The movie reacquaintsthe audience with the ce-lebrity lives of Marvel Com-ics’ Fantastic Four: Rich-ards (Ioan Gruffudd),Storm (Jessica Alba), John-ny Storm (Chris Evans) andBen Grimm (MichaelChiklis).

The foursome has ad-justed to the constant bar-rage of press coverage, un-til the press and an inter-stellar force interruptsReed’s and Storm’s wed-ding.

Johnny goes after theflashy wedding crasher,and is the first to encoun-ter the cosmically disrup-tive Silver Surfer, afterwhich Johnny’s powers be-come unstable.

During the team’s nextencounter with the SilverSurfer they learn the Earth

‘Surfer’ a ‘Fantastic’ film

is in imminent danger fromGalactus, a cosmic entitywho devours planets.

The team also discoversGalactus is drawn to thesurfer’s board, which isnow in the possession oftheir arch-nemesis VictorVon Doom.

As with other superheromovies, special effects arein abundance throughoutthe film.

The computer-generatedliquid metal appearance ofthe surfer while he ismelded with his board isthe most noticeable of thefilm’s special effects.

Others include the vari-ous effects for the four-some, such as Sue’s invis-ibility, Johnny’s human

torch effects, and Reed’snever -ending ability tostretch and mold himself.

Galactus’ appearancemay be a sore point for thecomic book purists as thecomic books portrayed himas a human-like form.

Average moviegoersmight find the film’s depic-tion of Galactus to be a de-cent one, if not intriguing,as it certainly leaves muchto the imagination of theviewer.

“Fantastic Four: Rise ofthe Silver Surfer” is a funnyand enjoyable film thatwould be good for a familyouting.

Rating: A—Carrie Cronk

Staff Writer

Fantasy author TerryGoodkind is one of thoserarely gifted writers whosefirst novels “The Sword ofTruth” series, rocketed intothe bestseller bracket.

More than twenty millioncopies of the 10 books inthe series to date have nowbeen sold.

The eleventh and finalbook to the series is due forrelease in November.

With the series conclu-sion this fall, taking an-other look at the novel thatbegan it all in 1994,“Wizard’s First Rule,”seems like a good idea.

The book is available in

an 820-page paperbackversion from Tor priced at$7.99.

The story begins with thehero Richard. Richard is awoodsman, a guide for trav-elers in the wild areas of theWestland.

During his wanderings inthe woods, Richard beginsto interact with the oddthings from the east. Sud-denly, he is reluctantlyforced into the larger worldand its problems.

Richard learns he is des-tined to be The Seeker ofTruth and is presented withthe Sword of Truth.

In exploring exactly what

a Seeker of Truth does andwhat it means to be aSeeker, Goodkind exploresa philosophy that reflectsthe problems and values ofthe real world.

A complex objectivist viewof reality is outlined as theplot progresses.

The characters war with-in themselves and againsteach other, weighing per-sonal desires against dutyand common good.

In Goodkind’s fictionalworld, human suffering canbe attributed to a failure toacknowledge truth and anattempt to impose lies uponthe reality of the world.

It is in capturing thisstruggle to do the rightthing that exists in allpeople that Goodkind’swriting shows its specialflair.

All of his characters, fromvillains to heroes, operateon differing well-developedbelief systems.

This ingredient is some-thing the reader can at

least comprehend, if notidentify with the beliefs ofthe characters.

As the good guys believethey are doing the rightthing, so do the bad guys.

It is up to the Seeker ofTruth and the reader to de-termine which side is in theright, if either.

—Tim CronkStaff Writer

Fantasy author delves deep

Read the Pioneer Online atwww.occc.edu/pioneer


By Matt CabanStaff Writer

Student dropout preven-tion was the hot topic of anaudio conference June 19in CU 3.

Neal Raisman, 59, presi-dent of Academic Maps, acompany that helps col-leges and universities withstudent retention and cus-tomer service, spoke to acrowd of about 40 to 50 fac-ulty and staff members wholistened to Raisman’s viewson providing customer ser-vice in an academic envi-ronment.

Raisman said collegesand universities lose a thirdof their students annually.However, he said, many in-

Student dropouts need attention, preventionstitutions ignore the prob-lem.

“This is one bad businessmodel,” he said.

“People don’t realize thatretention is just as impor-tant as admissions.”

Arts and HumanitiesDean Susan VanSchuyverattended the conference.She said most academicsdon’t like the idea of cus-tomer service in education.

“It’s a good way to de-scribe what we do,” shesaid.

Raisman said studentsleave campus for one ofthree major reasons: indif-ference, problems with pro-fessors or staff, and unhap-piness.

“Most students want to go

to Cheers University,” hesaid. “It’s the school whereeverybody knows yourname, and they’re glad youcame.”

Raisman said an un-happy staff will take outfrustration on students.

“If the staff isn’t happy,they will take it out on thestudents,” he said.

Raisman said these is-sues are easy to solve.

“People need to be recog-nized for their hard workand effort,” he said.

Raisman also said thesekind of problems can hurtcampus morale and ulti-mately push people away.He said low morale isn’t inthe best interest of eitherstudents or the college.

“You owe it to the stu-dent[s] to help them gradu-ate,” he said. “Otherwise,they will leave your collegeand go somewhere else.”

Raisman said collegesand universities spendabout $5,000 to bring onestudent to campus.

He said this number in-cludes various student ser-vices, payroll and othercosts that allow the cam-pus to operate.

VanSchuyver said Rais-

man offered practical andspecific tips during the au-dio conference.

“Those are the things Ilook for at a conference,”she said.

She said the goal of OCCCis to treat students well.

“We want to treat themwith kindness and respect,but we can always im-prove,” she said.

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

By Shavon BowmanStaff Writer

The Oklahoma Film Insti-tute will be at OCCC July 9to 27 to offer training foraspiring filmmakers.

Participants in the work-shops will have the oppor-tunity to create, produce,and edit their own films,said Film and Video Pro-duction Professor GregMellott.

Film Institute to provide training for filmmakers“The true film experience

is to have the pressure ofgetting a project done,” hesaid.

Mellot said training willbe offered in three phases:a pre-production course, aproduction course, and apost-production course.

In the pre-productioncourse, participants willlearn how to create a bud-get for the production sothe filmmaker knows the

film’s budget.During the production

course, filmmakers willlearn how to direct and cre-ate an original film using ascript created by RickWalker, a disc jockey fromKATT radio.

In the post-productioncourse, participants willedit their films to comple-tion.

Mellot said he considersthe upcoming workshops

great résumé builders.By allowing the partici-

pants to create their ownfilms with well-known film-makers such as GrayFrederickson and RickWalker, participants willhave reels for their portfo-lios that will stand out in acrowd of other filmmakers,Mellot said.

The minimum age to at-tend the workshops is 16.

Each course costs $500,

with a registration fee of$100. All fees must be paidby July 2.

For more information onthe Oklahoma Film Insti-tute, contact Mellott at 405-682-1611, ext. 7793, or e-mail gmellott@occc. edu, orcontact the department of-fice at 405-682-1611, ext.7100.

Staff Writer Shavon Bow-man can be reached [email protected].


OCCC students will ben-efit from the college’s up-coming participation to im-prove student perfor -mance.

In July, the college kicksoff its first year with Achiev-ing the Dream, a nationalprogram that helps com-munity colleges developplans to improve studentperformance, said OCCCPresident Paul Sechrist.

Felix Aquino, AcademicAffairs vice president, said,“ATD is a very exciting op-portunity for OCCC, dove-tailing very neatly with ourother student success ini-tiatives.”

Achieving the Dream will

College joins student initiative programprovide technical assis-tants and program coachesto help OCCC, said BenHardcastle, communica-tion director for the Okla-homa State Regents forHigher Education.

The program coachesconsist of a best practicescoach and a data coach,Aquino said.

A best practice coach willhelp determine whetherOCCC’s policies and prac-tices have been helping orhindering students, ac-cording to the program’swebsite, www.achievingthedream.org.

A data coach gathers in-formation about OCCC’sstudent completion rates,semester-to-semester re-tention rates and gradua-

tion rates, according to thewebsite.

“[The coaches] will workwith our staff to devisestrategies that work best for[the college],” Aquino said.

The ultimate decision toput those strategies intoaction is up to the college,Aquino said.

OCCC administratorsalso will meet with othercommunity college admin-istrators across the coun-try who are participating inAchieving the Dream,Sechrist said.

“[The program] providesthe college with experts andconnections with othercommunity colleges whohave the same focus.”

Other Oklahoma commu-nity colleges joining Achiev-

ing the Dream are RoseState College in MidwestCity and Tulsa CommunityCollege said Phil Moss, Aca-demic Affairs vice chancel-lor for the Oklahoma StateRegents for Higher Educa-tion.

The colleges will partici-pate in the program for fiveyears starting in July,Sechrist said.

The cost for OCCC to par-ticipate is $80,800 for thefirst year, declining eachyear afterward, he said.

The fee is being paidthrough funds the collegereceives from state alloca-tions, Sechrist said.

After five years in Achiev-ing the Dream, OCCC willhave the option of renew-ing its participation,Hardcastle said.

There are 58 other com-munity colleges in eightstates taking part inAchieving the Dream,which started in 2004.

Editor Eric Nguyen can bereached at [email protected].

“[Achieving the Dream] is a very excitingopportunity for OCCC, dovetailing very neatly

with other student success initiatives.”—Felix Aquino

Academics Affairs Vice President

“You owe it to the student[s] to help themgraduate ... otherwise they will leave your

college and go somewhere else.”—Neal Raisman

Academic Maps President



Theft and vandalismhighlighted campus crimeJune 11 to 14.

Three incidents of motorvehicle larceny were re-ported June 11, 12 and 14.

Desiree Hendrick re-ported a theft from her1997 Honda Civic June 11to Campus Safety and Se-curity Officer Jacob Roby inparking lot G.

She said a bag of pedi-cure supplies worth $50and a $120 faceplate for hercar stereo were stolen frominside the vehicle. Hendrickhad been in class when theitems were stolen.

“The pedicure supplieswere in an old bag and theymight have thought it wasa purse, but they left mytextbooks and my purse,”she said.

“I was really baffled bythe pedicure supplies beingstolen because not every-one knows what they looklike.”

Sophomore paramedicstudent Carey Legett re-ported a Dell Latitude C600laptop valued at $750 sto-len from his Ford F-150June 12 in parking lot A,east of the Main Building.

Legett said he noticed thelaptop missing after finish-ing his night class.

“It was ripped off itsmount and one of the clipswas bent over,” he said.“They didn’t grab its powersupply or the GPS that wasattached to it.”

Legett said he used thelaptop and GPS to find ad-dresses while working as avolunteer paramedic inTexas.

Legett said he filed a re-port with the OklahomaCity Police Department.

“I was told not to expectit to be found,” he said.

The third of three theftsfrom motor vehicles cameJune 14 when AlejandroPadilla said his LincolnTowncar was burglarized inparking lot E, near theHealth Technology Center.

Padilla, a dishwasher atCarson’s Catering, said his


To mark Oklahoma’s100th birthday, a coursetypically offered only in thesummer is instead beingoffered this fall semester.

Only offered once a year,“Oklahoma: Land of theRed Man” is a general edu-cation course about thehistory of Oklahoma.

The course covers prehis-toric to present-day Okla-homa and explores suchvaried subjects as prehis-toric bison and NativeAmerican immigrants, said

Ron Gray, OCCC historyprofessor who is teachingthe class.

“We’re not going to leaveany stone unturned,” hesaid.

“[Students will] gain abetter appreciation of Okla-homa history and how itrelates to the big picture,American history, and evenoutside of America.”

Forty seats are availablefor the course.

The class is offered Tues-days and Thursdays from1:30 to 4 p.m.

The course is based pri-marily on class discussion,

meaning there will be nolectures or written tests,Gray said.

If the course proves suc-cessful in the fall, Graysaid, he may decide toschedule the course in thefall next year as well.

He said it all depends on“wherever we can get ourgreatest audience.

“The more students wehave, the more points ofview that we can draw fromto make the discussionsmore interesting.”


History class scheduledfor Oklahoma Centennial

Motor vehicle larcenies mark crimes

By Brian HodgesNews Writing Student

In the aftermath of theVirginia Tech Universityshooting, OCCC is prepar-ing faculty and staff for thepossibility of a studentdeath.

Academic Advising ho-sted the free webinar “Col-lege Student Death: Guid-ance for a Caring Campus”June 13 in room 2N3 on thesecond floor of the mainbuilding.

A webinar is a seminarthat is given over theInternet so more people canattend.

Academic Advising Direc-tor E. J. Warren said herdepartment hosted thewebinar because the officeis involved with students’lives.

“We hosted this because

we really care,” she said. “Itmatters, and students mat-ter.”

The webinar is designedto give colleges and univer-sities a plan of action forhow to interact with familyand the campus commu-nity after a student’s death.

Approximately 20 staffand faculty from numerouscollege offices attended thewebinar, which was open tothe college community.

Student Support ServicesCounselor Kari Workmanattended the webinar andsaid it was informative.

“[The webinar] just madeyou think of the institu-tional response and how tofocus on how to deal with[a student’s death] beforethe fact instead of after it,”Workman said.

Rosa Cintron, Educa-tional Research, Leader-

ship, and Technology asso-ciate professor for the Uni-versity of Central Floridawas one of the webinar’spresenters.

The presenters empha-sized that while collegesshould not anticipate thedeath of a student, theyshould be prepared for it.

An estimated 7,000 to25,000 college students dienationwide each year,Cintron said.

The webinar emphasizedthe necessity of a writtenpolicy to deal with thedeath of a student.

Warren said knowing howto handle a student’s death“is not only important here,it’s important everywhere.”

OCCC’s Emergency Re-sponse Plan is availableonline at the school’swebsite, www.occc.edu/Security/CIMP.pdf.

driver’s side front windowwas broken and his stereomissing.

He said the Pioneer ste-reo was worth $80, whilethe window cost $300 toreplace.

A case of theft and van-dalism was reported byOklahoma Roofing Super-visor Gary Renner June 13.

Renner said his crewcame to work to find ap-proximately $595 worth ofequipment and tools miss-ing from the Main BuildingRoof work area.

He said the stolen itemsincluded an 18-volt DeWalthammer drill, a Bostichelectric grinder, a 16-ouncedaw hammer, a 100-footlength of 3/4 inch rope, twofive-in-one scraper tools, autility broom and a five-gal-lon bucket of sealant paint.

Renner said the crew alsofound some fresh graffiti intheir work area.

“It was painted on thewalls with the sealant we[were] using, and westarted to work and foundthe tools gone,” he said.

“It said ICP, which issome kind of rock group Iguess, and there was a lotof profanity.”

Renner said sealant paintis used for air conditioningunits and is difficult toscrape off.

He said there are only twoways to access the roof: aninterior access point and anexterior ladder.

“I don’t know how theygot up, but I’ve never seenit at a college like this,” hesaid.

Two non-injury auto ac-cidents were reported oncampus June 11 and 12.

According to an incidentreport filed by Safety andSecurity Officer LarryLundy, an employee ofCarson’s Catering, DeannaMcGowen, backed herBuick Century into aPontiac Firebird owned byStephanie Weathers June11 in parking lot E, nearthe Health Technology Cen-ter.

Lundy said in his reportthe Firebird had damage toits driver’s-side rear door,

quarter panel and rearbumper. No damage toMcGowen’s vehicle was re-ported.

Amy Duangvilay also re-ported an auto accidentJune 12 in parking lot A,east of the Main Building.

According to a report filed

by Safety and Security Of-ficer Scott Shelton, Duan-gvilay returned to her carin the afternoon and foundscratch marks across thefront bumper and damageto the hood.

Shelton reported thedamage kept the hood from

opening and a plastic partwas lying on the driver’sside floor, but he also saidDuangvilay was able todrive the vehicle off cam-pus.


Webinar discusses studentdeath, how staff can prepare


Former president honored at dedication

An assortment of photos displayed on the wall across from the Biological Sciences Center document former PresidentRobert Todd’s service to the college.

Right: MargeTodd, wife ofRobert Todd,

speaksabout Todd’scommitment

to highereducation and

the college.

Text byDrew Hampton

Photos byCarrie Cronk

Before a foyer packed withstudents, faculty and fam-ily members June 19,

OCCC President Paul Sechrist un-veiled the plaques dedicating thenew Science, Engineering and Math(SEM) Center to former college Presi-dent Robert P. Todd.

The dedication began with an in-troduction from Sechrist welcomingthose present.

Marge Todd, the widow of Toddspoke in appreciation of the collegeand the new facilities. His son, BrianTodd, also spoke.

At the end of the ceremony,Sechrist and the Todds unveiled theplaques honoring the late president,which, along with portraits, coveredmost of the wall opposite the newBiological Science Center.

Recent OCCC graduate CarlosRobinson said it was an honor toattend the ceremony, and saidevents like the dedication show thecollege’s passion for education andeducators.

“They do [things like this] for acause,” he said. “They do it from theheart, not from necessity.”

Brian Todd said he had a greattime at the event, especially talkingto his father’s old friends.

“[The college] is like a second home… it’s a great place to be,” he said.

A video tribute of Todd’s life wasplayed in nearby room 2C4 of theSEM Center. Guided tours of thenew facilities also were given.

Sechrist said he thought the cer-emony was a wonderful tribute toTodd.

“[Todd’s] focus on students wasvery clear,” he said. “He would behonored.”

After OCCC Board of Regents Sec-retary James White gave the invo-cation, guest speakers includingBoard of Regents Chairwoman AliceMusser, Academic Affairs Vice Presi-dent Felix Aquino, Science andMathematics Dean Max Simmons,engineering student Henry Davisand Oklahoma State Regents forHigher Education Chancellor GlenJohnson all spoke in turn of the fa-cility, of honoring Todd, and ofthanking the students whose feesmade the state-of-the art facilitiespossible.

Staff Writer Drew Hampton can bereached at [email protected].

Left: Brian Todd,Robert Todd’s son,speaks about his father’scareer and dedication tothe college and Science,Engineering andMathematics Centerduring the dedicationceremony.

Robert Todd’s family and President Paul Sechrist unveilthe dedication plaques during the Robert P. Todd Science,Engineering and Mathematics building dedication.


Legallycelebratethis July 4


Fireworks are a major part of July 4 celebra-tions, but they continue to be subject tochanging laws and restrictions, said Robert

Doke, Oklahoma state fire marshal.Doke said laws regarding class C or consumer-

grade fireworks are enforced on a city-by-city basis.Fire department and fire marshal officials in cities

across the metro said their municipalities have re-strictions on fireworks within their city limits.

The sale, purchase or use of fireworks is prohib-ited in Oklahoma City and many nearby areas suchas Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Moore, Norman,Shawnee and Yukon.

“In several of your metro communities [buying ordischarging fireworks] are banned,” he said.

Doke said, prior to 2006, it was illegal to buy fire-works from one area and bring them to a city wherethey are banned.

“Law enforcement would stop your vehicle and seizeyour fireworks or charge you a fine,” he said.

This was altered due to a change in state law, saidJeff Lindsay, Moore fire marshal.

“The law allows you to transport fireworks as longas they are in the original packaging,” he said.

There are other state laws governing the use offireworks, Doke said.

“Bottle or stick rockets have been banned in Okla-homa since 1981 because their embers would fallonto roofs and start fires,” he said.

Doke said there are state limits about where fire-works can be discharged.

“It’s illegal to discharge fireworks within 500 feetof churches, crops, school or places where fireworksare stored or sold,” he said.

“Also, it is unlawful to throw lit fireworks out of avehicle or at a group of people.”

Doke also said it is illegal to sell fireworks to chil-dren under the age of 12 unless they are accompa-nied by an adult.

However, the sale, purchase and discharge of fire-works are legal within the city limits of Mustang.

Mustang Fire Chief Carl Hickman said fireworksmay only be discharged from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. June27 to July 3, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4.

Hickman said anyone who sets off fireworks out-side of these times is subject to a citation.

Mustang Police Captain Willard James said thereis an $84 fine for discharging fireworks outside ofthose hours.

“But we give people the opportunity to correct itthemselves,” he said.

For more information, contact the Oklahoma StateFire Marshal’s office at 405-522-5005 or your localfire department.

Staff Writer Matt Caban can be reached [email protected].

List of metro July 4 goings-onsJuly 4 celebrations and

events are coming and itseems every town in Okla-homa has somethingplanned. Below is a list ofpopular metro area hap-penings.

• An Independence DayFireworks Spectacularwill conclude the July 4Redhawks baseball game.The game begins at 7:05p.m. Ticket prices rangefrom $6 to $15. For moreinformation or to buy tick-ets, visit www.oklahomaredhawks.com.

• LibertyFest in Edmondis a week-long celebrationfrom June 28 to July 4.Each day caters to a differ-ent event. For informationon specific events, visitwww.liberty fest.com.

• The Old Town Associa-tion Old Town Car and

Motorcycle Show isWednesday, July 4, at BuckThomas Park in Moore.Admission is free but ve-hicle registration is $10, ifchoosing to showcase a ve-hicle. Registration begins at1 p.m. The show begins at2 p.m. and the awards cer-emony is at 4:30 p.m.

• The infamous TuttleIce Cream Festival beginsat 9 a.m. Wednesday, July4, at Scrock Park. It endswith fireworks at 9:45 p.m.Events include ice creamcone decorating, prizedrawings, food vendors, $1ice cream scoops, an icecream eating contest andmore.

• From 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.Wednesday, July 4, YukonCity Park will host Free-dom Fest at ChisholmTrail Gazebo. The park islocated at 2200 S. Holly

and additional celebratingwill go on at Chisholm TrailPark, 500 W. Vandament.

Activities include a carshow, parade, craft tents,petting zoo, games, swim-ming, food and fireworksshow.

The Oklahoma City Phil-harmonic will perform. Ad-mission is free.

For more information,contact Jan Scott at 354-1895.

Freedom Fest is hostedby the Yukon Chamber ofCongress.

• The 32nd annualNorman Day 4th of JulyCelebration will be held at1 p.m. at Reaves Park.Events include the second-annual hot dog eating con-test, pony rides, free water-melon, door prizes, theJohn Arnold Band and fire-works display.

Firework safety importantBy Drew HamptonStaff Writer

With the July 4 holi-day close at hand,

many will celebrate bylighting fireworks.

While launching the oftencolorful explosives is a holi-day tradition in many ar-eas, fireworks are prohib-ited in most Oklahoma cit-ies because of the potentialdangers involved.

Chief Kellie Lee, Okla-homa City Fire Departmentassistant fire marshal , saidOklahoma City has ordi-nances specifically prohib-iting the use of fireworkswithin city limits.

“... We recommend at-tending a supervised pro-fessional display,” she said.

Lee urges those who in-sist on firing their ownmunitions outside the citylimits to:

•Use common sensewhen selecting a launchsite — make sure the im-mediate area lacks grass,trees, vehicles or buildingsbefore lighting fireworks.

•Make sure an adult su-pervises all activities whenchildren are present.

•Follow all directions in-cluded with the fireworksyou plan to launch.

•Use only one device at atime and step back to a safedistance after lighting it.

•Point or throw fireworksaway from other people,structures and vehicles.

•Never attempt to relightor repair a dud.

•Soak all used fireworksin a bucket of water andhave a connected waterhose readily available.

•Call 911 if a fire startsand move to safety.

Lee said failure to com-ply with these guidelines

regularly result in injury,most often first- and sec-ond-degree burns to thehands and eyes.

Other common injuriesinclude burned arms, legs,feet and chest. There havealso been instances of haircatching fire after an acci-dent, and more severe in-juries can result.

For additional informa-tion, visit the NationalCouncil of Fireworks Safetywebsite at www.fireworksafety.com.

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

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia


Sports

UPCOMING

OCCCINTRAMURALS

EVENTS

• June 25-29: Athletes ages 6 to11 hit the pitch at OCCC’s sum-mer soccer camp. The campteaches the basics of the otherfootball. Camp runs 8 a.m. tonoon Monday through Friday atthe OCCC soccer field on thesoutheast corner of campus nearMay Avenue. Cost is $65 and in-cludes a camp T-shirt. For moreinformation, contact Recreationand Community Services Direc-tor Traci Wheeler at 405-682-1611, ext. 7280.

• July 2-6: RCS summer sportscamps take a short break for theIndependence Day holiday. TheRCS office will be closed Wed-nesday, July 4, in observance ofthe holiday. It will reopen for nor-mal business hours at 8 a.m.Thursday, July 5. For more infor-mation, contact the RCS office at405-682-1611, ext. 7860.

• July 9-13: RCS summer sportscamps return from a short vaca-tion with the golf camp for camp-ers ages 12 to 14. Campers hitthe greens 8 a.m. to noon, Mon-day through Friday. The cost ofthe camp is $65 and includes aT-shirt. Registration and paymentare due by Thursday, July 5. Formore information, contact RCSDirector Traci Wheeler at 405-682-1611, ext. 7280.

• July 9-13: Athletes ages 10 to11 can serve it up at the RCS ten-nis summer sports camp. Camp-ers will learn the basics of tennis8 a.m. to noon Monday throughFriday. The cost of the camp is$65 and includes a T-shirt. Eachcamper’s payment and registra-tion are due by Thursday, July 5to the RCS office. For more in-formation, contact RCS DirectorTraci Wheeler at 405-682-1611,ext. 7280.


General Studies freshman Richard Beavers works out in the OCCC Wellness Center gym. The gym is free to allOCCC students, faculty and staff with a valid OCCC ID. Single-day passes for non students are available for $6while six-month passes are $40.

Locker room renovations continues

Workin’ out


The Recreation and CommunityService men’s and women’s lockerrooms are undergoing a $157,000facelift, RCS Director TraciWheeler. She said the funds camefrom her department’s fiscal year2007 budget.

The top expenses were for newlockers ($40,000), shower poles($22,682.50) and ceramic floor tile($21,500), Physical Plant DirectorJ.B. Messer said.

“The locker rooms were in ter-rible shape,” Wheeler said. “Theywere desperate for a change.”

She said it is the first renovationof the locker rooms since theyopened in 1991 after constructionof the Health Technology Center.

Wheeler said the project also in-cludes new fixtures, lighting andpaint for both locker rooms.

“They’re cleaner and upgradedwith modern technology,” she said.

Wheeler said the lockers will havea new look.

“It’s called a Z-door or halflocker,” she said. “It has space toone side to hang your clothing anda lip on the other for shower stuff.”

Wheeler said the switch wasmade because the full lockers arenot compact and wasted space.

“It will be a better locker system,”she said.

Wheeler said 140 lockers werepurchased, so there will be 70 inthe locker rooms.

Wheeler said most have to berented, but each room will have 12lockers for day use.

“They’ll have to bring their ownlocks to use them,” she said.

“If there are items in those lock-ers at the end of each evening, wewill cut off the lock and confiscateeverything inside.”

Wheeler said this will offer a de-gree of control to help prevent theft.

Messer said renovation work be-gan April 23.

He said the lockers have not beendelivered because there was aproblem with the first set of bids.

“Those lockers weren’t to ourspecifications, so that’s why theyare late,” he said.

Messer said the Physical Planthandled some of the touch-upwork and the initial demolitionwork.

“The other work was handled bya group of 18 contractors and ven-dors,” he said.

Wheeler said she hopes the newlook will leave an impression onlocker room users.

“I hope they respect it and wedon’t have a lot of damage sixmonths from now,” she said.

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

Have a sports story toshare? Share it withMatt. Call 405-682-

1611, ext. 7675.


By Carrie CronkStaff Writer

Recently, 18 members ofOklahoma City’s Hispaniccommunity between theages of 18 and 35 gradu-ated from OCCC’s RobertoClemente Course in theHumanities held at theLatino Community Devel-opment Center.

The 24-week program,which was held Sept. 26,2006, through April 19,2007, consisted of humani-ties courses in literature,philosophy, writing andAmerican history.

Gloria Cárdenas Barton,Admissions and Registrardean, who served as projectdirector, said the primarygoal of the ClementeCourse is to help impover-ished people better them-selves and their communi-ties by providing them theopportunity to study thehumanities.

“When [the college] firstdecided to do this course …we thought it would begood to work with anunderserved population …that we’d like to make a dif-ference in [through] educa-tion,” she said. “That, at thetime, was the Hispaniccommunity.”

Cárdenas Barton saidboth times the college heldclass, enrollment was openonly to the Hispanics who

Program assists area Hispanic students

By Drew HamptonStaff Writer

With a $60,000 grantfrom the Kilpatrick Foun-dation and the work ofOCCC students, Film andVideo Production ProfessorGreg Mellott presented ashort documentary June10 at the Stage Center indowntown Oklahoma Cityto kick off the OKC ArtsSpectacular concert.

The documentary wasfilmed and produced en-tirely by OCCC students,who also helped edit thefilm’s script, Mellott said.

The documentary, a 10-minute-long film titled “In

had not attended college,and were committed to at-tending class and complet-ing the coursework.

She said the students’“English skills are better …[and] their self-confidencelevels are higher than theywere” before they began theprogram.

To help students with thefinancial accessibility, alleducational materials, in-cluding books and instruc-tion, were provided at nocost to the students. Freechild care was made avail-able upon request, accord-ing to the course applica-tion form.

Cárdenas Barton said theprogram’s funding camefrom the Oklahoma Hu-manities Foundation, theInasmuch Foundation, and

the Oklahoma City Com-munity Foundation.

She said the program wasvery successful as 18 of 24students successfully com-pleted the coursework andearned a certificate ofcompletion as well as ninehours of college credit.

Clemente course studentBeatriz Meyer said she en-rolled in the program tohelp her determine if shewould do well in college.

“I had never attended col-lege, and this was an op-portunity to get nine credithours towards a collegeeducation,” she said.

“Thanks to the program Irealized that college mightnot be as scary as I oncethought.”

Daniel De La Rosa said heenrolled in the program to

Film professor, students create documentaryTheir Own Words,” featuresstudents and teachers fromunique “Oklahoma A+” artschools explaining theirviews about the future ofeducation in Oklahoma.

“In [these] schools, youuse art in every singlecourse that is taught,”Mellott said. “You use artin math, you use it in sci-ence, you use it in history,and it makes everythingcome alive for the stu-dents.”

To get the footage heneeded, Mellott said he sentstudent crews to film andinterview students fromthese schools over thecourse of several weeks last

semester.“We [filmed] the teachers,

the students, and whateverthe art was — from paint-ing to acting to drumline toconcert,” he said.

“It was a good workingexperience for the students… and when we put all of[their material] together, wehad hours worth of film.”

Because “In Their OwnWords” was intended toshowcase the studentsrather than the institu-tions, the film professorchose not to add any sortof narration or music to thefilm. Instead, he let thoseinterviewed set the tone.

“We just opened with the

question, ‘What do youguys think of the future ofOklahoma?,’” Mellott said.

“We took everything [they]said that was interestingand laid it all out … andasked ourselves what wasthe best story told entirelyin [the students’] ownwords.”

The result, he said, wasa collection of student in-terviews that showed apositive view of Oklahoma’sart education system andits future.

“On the national level,there is no film like this,”he said. “It’s an inspiringway to look at teaching.”

Mellott said he thought

the initial screening was asuccess.

“We screened it, and itwent over well with the au-dience,” he said. “They werelaughing and applaudingeven while it was going on.”

With the positive reac-tion, he said the film will beshown on OETA, the state’spublic television station.

As a nod to both his stu-dents and the message ofthe film itself, Mellott said,the credits listed those whoworked on the project be-fore naming himself as di-rector.

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

start working toward a col-lege degree.

“I wanted to start doingsomething,” De La Rosasaid. “Taking the classeswas preparation.”

Meyer said she has en-rolled in two classes atOCCC for the fall semesterand De La Rosa said he isalso enrolled in classes atOCCC.

Cárdenas Barton said thecourse was broken intoeight-week instructionalblocks, with classes meet-ing for 90 minutes twiceweekly.

Oklahoma City Universitylaw Professor Blue Clarkand OCCC learning skillsProfessors Mark Schne-berger and Stephen Mor-row, and OCCC EnglishProfessor Richard Rouillard

taught the classes Mondayand Wednesday nights.

Morrow said he enjoyedhis experience teachingwith the program.

“I loved working with thestudents … being out in thecommunity … and I hopethe college will continue theprogram,” he said.

Morrow said he “learnedthat education does countin peoples’ lives and thatthere are lots of … people… willing to work hard tomake their lives better.”

Cárdenas Barton saidthis was the second timethe college had participatedin the program, the firstbeing fall 2004 to spring2005.

She said Dr. Jerry Van-natta, former University ofOklahoma Health ScienceCenter dean and OCUboard member, was instru-mental in bringing the pro-gram to Oklahoma.

“Dr. Vannatta was in itagain as the … assistantdirector, but the collegeserved as the primarysource for the faculty andthe curriculum.”

Cárdenas Barton said thecollege has already begunto receive calls from com-munity members askingwhen the course will beheld again.

Staff Writer Carrie Cronkcan be reached at [email protected].

Photo provided by Cordell JordanStudents of the Roberto Clemente Course in the Humanities pose for a graduation photograph

May 30 at the Latino Community Development Agency in Oklahoma City.

10 • PIONEER • June 25, 2007


HighlightsJean and Ralph Gamel Scholarship offered

The Jean and Ralph Gamel Scholarship is now accept-ing applications for fall 2007. To be considered, studentsmust submit the entry form with a summary of their edu-cational goals and future desires. The recipient will receiveup to $1,000 per semester for tuition, fees, and books. Ap-plications must be returned to the Foundation or Recruit-ment office no later than 5 p.m. Friday, June 29. For moreinformation, contact Pat Berryhill, executive director of in-stitutional advancement, at 405-682-1661, ext. 7591.

Fall tuition waivers availableDepartment tuition waivers for the 2007 fall semester

are available to students in the Financial Aid office. Waiv-ers and academic histories must be submitted to FinancialAid no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1. For more in-formation, contact the Financial Aid office at 405-682-7527.

Engineering scholarship offeredKelly Engineering Resources is accepting entries for its

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

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

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

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

Dive in to give at OCCC

Student Emergency Medical Technology Association Members Joey Reidy, ShandelleMeyes and Clancy Upshaw administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation while transporting amock patient. Members meet monthly during the fall and spring semesters.


The Oklahoma Blood In-stitute will be at OCCCWednesday, June 27 for asummer blood drive.

Donors will receive buyone, get one free tickets toeither White Water Bay orFrontier City and free “Divein to Give” T-shirts.

The T-shirts range in sizefrom small to 3X-large, giv-ing each donor the oppor-tunity to find their size.

While there, interesteddonors will have the oppor-tunity for a free cholesterolscreening.

Due to an increased needfor blood during the sum-mer months, summer do-nations are always needed,said Jennifer Beattie, blooddrive coordinator.

The reason for the in-creased need, Beattie said,is because “blood usage isup ... but [the OklahomaBlood Institute] doesn’thave as many people com-ing in to donate.”

Visit the Pioneer Online for breakingnews at www.occc.edu/pioneer

In it to save lives

To further complicate thesituation, Beattie said, theOCCC blood drive will be aone-day affair instead of thetwo-day occurrence givenin prior blood drives.

Since many people areout of town during summermonths, there will be lesspeople available to donatethis time, Beattie said.

It is vital to rememberthat those who can donateshould, she said.

Many students on cam-pus think donating blood isa good thing to do.

Philip Aken, psychologysophomore, has alreadydonated more than a gal-lon of blood.

During the spring semes-ter, Aken received a pin inrecognition of his dona-tions. He said he plans to

donate again in the upcom-ing drive.

”It’s nice to be able to givesomething back,” he said.

Caitlin Trail, a Latin Clas-sics sophomore at the Uni-versity of Oklahoma andcurrent OCCC student,said “it’s great if you can[donate]. I think everybodythat can should.”

Charles McDermott, anenvironmental sciencesfreshman at OU and cur-rent OCCC student, saiddonating blood “makes mefeel good to be giving some-thing back ...”

The drive is from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. in room CU3.

For more information,visit www.obi.org.


“Blood usage is up … but [the Oklahoma BloodInstitute] doesn’t have as many people coming

in to donate.”—Jennifer Beattie

Blood Drive Coordinator

June 25, 2007 • PIONEER • 11

Pioneer Classified Advertisingis free to all enrolled OCCC stu-dents and employees for anypersonal classified ad. Adsmust be submitted in writingwith IDs supplied or work areaand college extension in-cluded. Deadline for advertis-ing is 5 p.m. Tuesday prior tothe publication date. For moreinformation, call 405-682-1611,ext. 7674, or fax 405-682-7843.

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

FOR SALE: ’02 Mercury SableGS. Maroon, 4-door, 107K. Ev-erything works perfect, great con-dition. $5,500. Call 201-7215.

FOR SALE: ’96 Camaro. Black,V-6 Automatic, Engine in greatshape. Some minor cosmeticproblems with interior. Asking$2,000 or trade for good truck.Contact me at 405-863-5822.

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

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

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

FOR SALE: Used TX Instru-ment TI-83 plus calc. In good cond.$50. If interested, call 600-8605.

FOR SALE: Four 16” wheels.Black with a chrome lip. I only hadthem on my car for a month, thendecided I wanted to go bigger.They still look brand new. CallTiffany at 476-7318 for price or e-mail at [email protected].

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

Class ifi eds

ROOMMATE WANTED: I-240& Walker. Furnished living, dining& kitchen. High-speed Internet &cable, washer & dryer. Rent is$350 + utilities (approx. $150-$200). Includes 2 bedrooms10’x10’ & 1 bathroom. Bedroomcan be furnished if needed. In-quiries call 405-615-9603.

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

SUMMER ROOM FOR RENT:College student, female. Beauti-ful home, furnished. Gated com-munity 20 min. from OCCC. $395.Ask for Barbara: 405-485-3382.

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

ROOMMATE NEEDED: Toshare a 1 bedroom apartment with1 closet in Bethany. Rent is $175a month + 1/2 bills. Good habitsand responsible. Contact Cesar405-802-7946.

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

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

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Zio’s Italian Kitchen2035 S. Meridian

Now Hiring 12 ServersApply in person Monday

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

AFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEAFFORDABLEFURNITURE

REFINISHINGRay Russell: 601-6076

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

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

FOR SALE: 5-piece vintagecherry colored bed suite. Includesfull-size bed frame, end table, desk/vanity, dresser, and armoire! Funrefurnishing project! $175 OBO.Contact Laura at 397-5272.

FOR SALE: White 3-piece bed-room suite. Great for a young girl.Includes desk, dresser, 2 hutches,& full-size bed frame! $150 OBO.Contact Laura at 397-5272.

FOR SALE: Light Blue clothcouch/sofa bed, recliner chair &love seat that reclines! $200 OBO.Great condition! Contact Laura at397-5272.

FOR SALE: Two toddler beds:house bed for girls, boy’s race carbed. $50 each. Call 476-2460.

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

Advertise in thePIONEER ONLINE!Our online edition gets anaverage of 180 hits a day!

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

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

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

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

See your ads and read theclassifieds, breaking newsand extra features in the

Pioneer Online atwww.occc.edu/pioneer.

12 • PIONEER • June 25, 2007

numbers, along PennsylvaniaAvenue and Simmons Road andcalled Oklahoma City police, saidLogan County Sheriff RandyRichardson.

According to the report, LoganCounty officers found Michaelaround 500 yards south of thetruck.

Officers then took Michael, who wasarmed with a gun, into custody, accord-ing to the report. Several weapons alsowere found in the truck.

Oklahoma City police arrived thereafterand, from information given by Michael,then located Pauline Willoughby’s bodynear a tree at N. Pennsylvania and Sor-ghum Mill Road, according to the report.

Pauline, 35, also was an OCCC student,graduating in 1999 with a degree in Oc-cupational Therapy Assistance, accordingto Records and Graduation Services.

A source close to the family said Paulinehad raised Michael from the age of 2.

Clay and Michael Willoughby were tak-ing an OCCC general education develop-ment class together this summer on Mon-day and Wednesday evenings, but had notbeen to class since June 6, said classmate

Daniel De La Rosa.De La Rosa said he had seen

the father and son in class twicebut not since the June 8 arrest.

The class learned about the ar-rest on June 13 when the pro-fessor said she saw the news ontelevision, De La Rosa said.

“[The news] came as a shockto us all,” he said.

There are around 12 to 13people in the class and everyone

talked to each other, De La Rosa said.He said when the professor asked stu-

dents what they struggled with most aboutacademics, Michael did not initially an-swer, but eventually said he struggled withmathematics.

He said Willoughby tended to mind hisown business in class and stayed quiet.

Michael joined other classmates tosmoke and hang out during class breaks,De La Rosa said.

“He didn’t look or sound like a personwho would [commit murder].”

Willoughby is being held without bondat the Oklahoma County jail, county offi-cials said.

A preliminary hearing is set for June 29at the Oklahoma County Courthouse.

Editor Eric Nguyen can be reached [email protected].

“Willoughby,”Cont. from page 1

MichaelWilloughby

Student, 17, being held on murder charges

ition, as well as an approvalfor the college budget, willbe sent to the OklahomaState Regents for HigherEducation, OCCC Presi-dent Paul Sechrist said.

State Regents are ex-pected to approve tuitionand fees for all colleges onJune 28, said AmberCoulter, OSRHE communi-cations coordinator.

Included in the 2008Staffing Plan are five newfull-time faculty positions,which are four nursing pro-fessors and a computeraided technology professor,nine new exempt staff po-sitions and six new non-ex-empt staff positions.

Non-exempt positions re-ceive compensation forovertime and exempt posi-tions do not, said LindaMcMurtry, Finance direc-tor.

Also approved during themeeting was the Section 13Offset Budget, which in-cludes state allocatedfunds of about $2.5 millionto be used for construction,maintenance and repairs,

Bode said.The Offset Budget in-

cludes $1 million to befunded on the theater por-tion of the Arts EducationCenter Phase Two project,Bode said.

Also funded from the Off-set Budget is $500,000 forfurniture and equipmentfor the Health Professionsand Education Center andthe Arts Education Center,Bode said.

Campus improvementsand repairs also will befunded from the OffsetBudget, totaling $447,442,he said.

“Over the last few yearswe’ve done a significantamount of roof repairs,”Bode said. “That’ll be con-tinued as needed.”

Toward the end of themeeting, Regents went intoexecutive session to dis-cuss giving OCCC Presi-dent Paul Sechrist a raise.

Regents unanimouslyvoted to give Sechrist a 3.3percent salary increase.Regents also approved tore-hire Sechrist for the2009 fiscal year.


College budget planto add new positionsOCCC graduate, 35, dies “Budget,”Cont. from page 1

College presidentapproved for 3% raise

a new course called Suc-cess in College and Life.

“Dr. Sechrist has accom-plished some significantthings in the past year.”

Some students, like Busi-ness Sophomore RikiWamsley, believe the raiseis justified because of a fewfactors.

“Cost of living is going up,everything is going up, soeverybody should make atleast 3 percent or more,”Wamsley said.

Other students, likesophomore Ashley Griggs,believe Sechrist’s raise isjustified based on his per-formance at the college.

“From my understand-ing, [Sechrist] keeps the

college running as smooth-ly as he can,” Griggs said.

Gary Lombard, vice presi-dent for Human Resourcesand Student Services, saidincluded in Sechrist’s sal-ary are business expenses.

Sechrist pays for college-related items, such as pro-viding food for meetings,Lombard said.

“Those expenses comeout of his pocket,” he said.

Sechrist said he does re-ceive allowances for enter-tainment, housing or a car.

He said the business ex-penses are considered anormal part of an OCCCpresident’s duties.


“Sechrist,”Cont. from page 1


OCCC graduate Pau-line Willoughby will beremembered best as anice person, said OTAProgram Director TomKraft.

Willoughby, 35, a 1999occupational therapy as-sistant graduate, diedJune 7.

Her stepson, MichaelAnthony Willoughby, 17,a current OCCC GEDstudent, was arrestedJune 8 in connectionwith her death.

Kraft said Pauline wasa person who could lightup a room.

“[She] was always smil-ing,” he said. “She wasvery enthusiastic andvery bright.”

Pauline graduatedfrom Westmoore HighSchool where she wasinvolved in DECA andCivil Air Patrol. She at-tended Life Church inOklahoma City.

Kraft said, after gradua-tion at OCCC, she went towork as an occupationaltherapy assistant.

“Pauline had a way of get-ting patients she workedwith to do things just be-cause of who she was andwhat she was all about.

“She was a very caringperson, a very nice personand very approachable.”

Kraft said Pauline was amember of the Student Oc-cupational Therapy Assis-tant club.

“She was involved inplanning our events.”

Health Lab CoordinatorLloyd Kingsbury remem-bered a visit from Paulineearlier this year.

“She was traveling as anOTA and loving it,” he said.“She was a sweet kid. Verylovable and outgoing.”

Kingsbury said hisdaughter, Shelly May, wasa close friend and OCCCclassmate of Pauline.

“I put her in touch withmy daughter when she vis-ited,” he said.

Kingsbury said shewas very personable.

“I’ve got a picture … ofher graduating class andshe’s just got a real con-tagious smile.”

Kraft said her deathcame as a surprise.

“We really lost some-thing here in the city.”

She was preceeded indeath by her grand-mother, Jettie Dobbins;grandfather, Eddie T.Buie and nephew, DavidDale Cope.

Survivors include herhusband, Clay Willough-by of the home; her mo-ther, Ann Weldon of Ok-lahoma City; her father,Dale Dobbins of Okla-homa City; her grand-mother, Pearl Buie ofOklahoma City; two sis-ters, Karla Dobbins andGaylynn McClure of Ok-lahoma City; and onebrother, David McClureof Oklahoma City.


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