Pioneer 2008 10 20

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

www.occc.edu/pioneer

• Racism appears everywhere, editorial, p. 2.• Abilities awareness explored, p. 7.• Basketball teams meet, sports, p. 8.• Passport folder worth money, clubs, p. 10.

This WeekInside

October 20, 2008

Vol. 37 No. 10

By Dillon HartStaff Writer

OCCC’s annual Halloween Carnival willtake place on Halloween night for the firsttime in five years.

OCCC will hold the festival from 6 to 8p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in the OCCC CollegeUnion, said Student Life Assistant MarcyRoll.

Roll said she expects the carnival to bebigger than ever.

“It’s always been pretty big,” she said.“I think last year we had around 1,500people.

“It seems to me that it gets bigger everyyear. And this year, it’s actually on Hal-loween night.”

Roll said the carnival will have plenty ofactivities for kids and adults, such as adeejay, carnival booths, and lots of candy.

Various student clubs and organizationswill set up many other activities.

Roll said student clubs receive applica-tions to select from a list of events.

“Applications are sent out to the clubs,and then they can say what they’d like todo. It’s a service project for them.”

Preparation

Photo by Kenny HilburnChelsea Nguyen, left, and Quyen Le, both pre-pharmacy majors, study together for a

test. OCCC provides many relaxing areas where students can have quiet space to cramfor tests or just to relax and get away from the day’s stresses. The college also housesnumerous learning labs for those who need help with writing, math, science and more.

Halloween party Oct. 31

By Christa StewartNews Writing Student

The turmoil on Wall Street has caught up with some students of OCCC.“The downturn in the national economy is making it

more difficult than ever for students to pay their bursarbills,” said Bursar Brandi Henson.

Henson said about 2,900 students failed to pay theirbursar bill on time in October. She encourages all stu-dents to take steps now to be sure they don’t get caughtin a financial tailspin.

With the fluctuating state of the economy, college stu-dents are becoming increasingly aware of the value of

the dollar. With growingworries about gas prices,tuition rates and the highcost of books, many stu-dents are becoming muchmore careful about budget-ing and about the activitiesin which they engage.

“People aren’t just jump-ing in the car to take a drivearound town anymore,”Henson said. “This is a time

when people, especially students, need to start livingbelow their means.”

Some OCCC students have been paying closer atten-tion to their finances.

“With commuting to school and the state of oureconomy, I really have to pay attention to small things Iwasn’t as attentive to before,” said student Kristin Harperof Norman. “It affects how I plan trips to school for thingssuch as office hours and where I drive outside of com-muting to class.

“I try to avoid driving for things such as shopping, too,if I am already at home. I try to plan grocery shoppingaround my schedule so I don’t have to make other trips.”

For many OCCC students, the fact that the school hasthe lowest tuition and fee rates in the area, and enjoys acentral location in the city, helps cut their expenses. Inaddition, one-third of the student population is takingadvantage of the OCCC payment plan, which allows themto spread out their tuition payments throughout the se-mester.

Henson said she encourages students to pay off morethan the required amount for monthly payments. By do-ing so, she said, students can reduce the 2 percent fi-nance charge that is added to each month’s payment.

In addition, making paymentson time can help students avoid

Studentsfeel effectsof economy

See “Economy,” page 9

The price of admission for children is $1.Parents can attend for free.

Parents and kids are advised to enterthe building through Entry 6 in ParkingLot D.

Roll can be reached by phone at 405-682-1611, ext. 7792, or by e-mail [email protected].

Staff Writer Dillon Hart can be reachedat [email protected].

“This is a timewhen people,

especiallystudents, need tostart living below

their means.”—Brandi Henson

Bursar

2 • PIONEER • October 20, 2008

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

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

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

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

Letters to the editor can bedelivered to the PIONEER of-fice, mailed to: Pioneer Editor,7777 S. May, Oklahoma City,Oklahoma 73159 or faxed to405-682-7843.

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

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

Vol. 37 No. 10Matt Montgomery..................EditorMatt Bishop...................Staff WriterDillon Hart......................Staff WriterDaniel Martin................StaffWriterCameron Buchholtz......Staff WriterBartees Cox..................Staff WriterGreg Shepherd.............Staff WriterCynthia Praefke...........Ad ManagerBrian Stansberry..........WebmasterStephen Sossamon...Online EditorLuke Carter...................WorkstudyChris Lusk...............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorSue Hinton...............Faculty Adviser

Professor speaks on reactionsRacism

still lingersSadly enough, the issue of racism still plagues

a nation that has fought hard for equal opportu-nity throughout its history.

Racism may be an easy way to express frustra-tion or anger toward an individual but is not theright thing to do.

Many people don’t know why racist remarks maycome out of their mouths.

One reason is simply because they’ve heard itfrom others.

And although this country has come a long wayon this issue, it hasn’t been solved entirely.

Traditionally, when people think of racism, it isaimed toward African-Americans.

However, racism can be aimed toward Hispan-ics, Asians, Middle Easterners, Caucasians or oth-ers.

I was recently a victim of several racial slursduring a trip to Wal-Mart. I’ve always been taughtthe color of one’s skin doesn’t matter, only char-acter matters.

I thought I understood why racism was so bad,but couldn’t exactly relate to it until I was the vic-tim.

It really wasn’t pleasant, and to be frank, it wasabsolutely ridiculous.

Yes, racism is an issue that will always bearound. Many people’s solution to it may be assimple as saying, “just get over it.”

However, a simple resolution cannot be the an-swer to such a complex problem.

With Oklahoma City being one of the most di-verse cities in the U.S., it’s important to be famil-iar with the different cultures that surround useveryday in life.

At OCCC, there are organizations that studentscan take part in to become more familiar with thosefrom different cultures.

These organizations include the InternationalStudent Association, the Hispanic Organizationto Promote Education, Black Student Associationand Native American club.

These organizations are open for anyone to par-ticipate in many activities to help better their com-munities.

At the same time, one can learn more about thepeople within the organization and make newfriends.

The World Languages and Cultures Center is agreat place to learn more about different cultures.

Although racism will never be completely washedaway, becoming more familiar with certain cus-toms and traditions can enable us to look pastcolor and discover what comes from inside.

—Matt BishopStaff Writer

To the editor:In anticipation of the

OCCC production of “In theBlood,” I thought it mightbe informative to present aportion of the play in orderto raise awareness of theexistence of the theater pro-gram at OCCC.

To do so, I selected ascene where a street cornerpreacher is confronted bythe mother of his illegiti-mate child.

In the play, the preacheris described as “preachingto no one in particular.”

We staged it in the openstairs of the Main Buildingto attract interested on-lookers. I did not anticipatethe conflict that resulted.

Angry teachers, studentsand on-lookers weighed inwith accusations, threatsand vulgarities. What wasbehind this?

According to the Pioneerreport, those who objectedseemed to object to the re-ligious nature of the mono-logue but there was nomention of God, Jesus,Mohammed or any otherdeity that I know of.

The character speaks ofpulling one’s self up by thebootstraps and taking con-

trol of one’s own destiny.I suspect that what actu-

ally happened is thosepeople heard what theythought was religiouspontification and stoppedlistening.

In effect, they didn’t hearwhat was being said or howit was being said.

At no time did anyone askwhat was going on. All any-one seemed certain of istheir comfortable and insu-lar life was being violatedand someone had to pay.

It has been suggestedthat all of this might havebeen avoided if the scenewere done out of the ear-shot of those who were of-fended.

But isn’t that what wewant to do with everythingthat makes us uncomfort-able?

“I don’t mind homosexu-als, I just don’t want to seethem kiss.” “I don’t mindthe homeless, as long asthey stay out of my neigh-borhood.” “I don’t mindsomeone who thinks differ-ently than me, as long as Idon’t have to hear about it.”

Isn’t college a place wecome to hear other pointsof view, and engage in dis-

cussion and debate?If we want to learn with-

out distraction, there is al-ways the library.

However, education ismessy, loud, uncomfort-able and sometimes hap-pens outside the class-room.

—Brent NoelTheater Professor

October 20, 2008 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

‘Quarantine’ sickens viewerswith extreme camera angles

If the movie doesn’t makeyou sick to your stomach,the camera-work will.

“Quarantine” is another“infected” movie, directedby John Erick Dowdle (“ThePughkeepsie Tapes”) withcamera shots similar tofilms “Cloverfield” and “TheBlair Witch Project.”

In “Quarantine,” newsanchor Angela Vidal (Jen-nifer Carpenter) and hercameraman Scott Percival(Steve Harris) are assignedto shadow the Los AngelesFire Department during thenight shift.

While Vidal is restlesslywaiting at the fire station,the fire alarm is set off on acall to a small apartmentbuilding.

When everyone arrives onthe scene, there are alreadypolicemen in the buildingresponding to the bloodcurdling yells reported bywitnesses.

Soon after, they all real-ize they are in the middleof a quarantine.

They all find out thewoman who was screaming

was infected with an un-known virus they pre-sumed was a bad case ofrabies.

When the quarantine islifted, however, the onlything remaining is the vid-eotape as the movie endson a sour note.

The film had a good ideaof taking the thoughts of agroup of people confined ina dark space with no wayout. But it fell short.

The lone problem:“Cloverfield”-style camerawork.

Although the cameraseemed more realistic thanthe improbable battery lifeof that the camera inCloverfield had, the con-stant unsteadiness of thecamera created a nauseousenvironment for moviego-ers.

The random flickering ofthe camera’s light and ur-gency presented by the ac-tors also added to the nau-sea.

Vidal and Percival’s act-ing was weak in the begin-ning but slowly progressed

to somewhat believable.The infected people were

portrayed pretty well, notlike mindless drones, butwith actual emotion andintensity.

“Quarantine” serves upthe gore and blood and isnot for the squimish.

Overall, the idea is great.The way the movie wasfilmed, however, put a hugedent in its entertainmentvalue.

Rating: C-—Stephen Sossamon

Staff Writer

Q: Are there are any plans for OCCC to help theparking situation on campus, such as a parking ga-rage?

A: The college is bringing 478 new parking spaceswith a project being completed in lots D, E and Fon the west side of campus. A parking garage hasbeen considered, but there are no plans for oneyet.

The new spaces in lots D, E and F should solveparking problems.

—J.B. MesserPhysical Plant Director

Q: Why do we have the painted buffalo down onthe first floor of the Main Building?

A: P. B. Odom III, of P. B. Odom ConstructionInc., bought the buffalo from the Spirit of the Buf-falo art project, which is headed by the Nature Con-servancy of Oklahoma.

Odom thought that OCCC would be a good homefor the buffalo where it wouldn’t be weathered orvandalized.

—Pat BerryhillExecutive Director of

Institutional Advancement

Q: I received a Debit Card from the college in themail. What is this?

A: As an OCCC student, you will receive a newOCCC Debit Card. It’s very important that you hangon to your card because that’s how you will re-ceive any financial aid or school refunds that mightbe coming your way.

—OCCC Website

Metal, hardcore andpunk fans can breathe asigh of relief. Haste TheDay’s “Dreamer” is here.

“Dreamer” is the fourthfull-length album HasteThe Day has released.

Coming on the heels of“Pressure The Hinges,” theband’s third full-length, thematuration of lead vocalistStephen Keech has becomeevident.

The shakiness in hisvoice from “Pressure TheHinges” could not be foundin “Dreamer” as Keech hasfilled the shoes of formerlead vocalist Jimmy Ryan.

The album kicked off ina brutal manner with “68,”featuring a more clean-sounding scream fromKeech.

The band then showcasestheir dynamic vocals in“Madman,” with Keech,guitarist and vocalistBrennan Chaulk, bassistand vocalist Mike Murphyand even drummer DevinChaulk.

“Haunting” is a chillingtrack with hardcore punk-styled vocals mixed withsome clean singing fromKeech. The track burstsinto the second verse witha gritty guitar riff whileKeech screams “We’ll killthe parasite that lingers inour skin. The loss of appe-tite, but you got what youwanted.”

The album then slows toa more melodic side in “Re-solve.” Don’t let the rollingdouble bass pedal fool you.

This isn’t a very heavy song.“An Adult Tree” presents

a softer side of the band inthe intro then bursts intobeautiful chaos.

“Babylon” and “InvokeReform,” the next twotracks, are arguably theheaviest on the album.Both pack a pretty power-ful punch, but I found my-self more intrigued by “In-voke Reform,” with its in-fectious beat and heavychorus.

The album then takes aninteresting turn in the me-tallic rock track “Sons of AFallen Nation,” which isanother track showcasingthe vocal variety the bandhas to offer.

The band then decides toslow down into the calming

atmosphere of “Labyrinth,”even though the message ofthe song is that of givingup.

Then comes the epic“Porcelain.” The band cametogether in fashionableform for what should havebeen the album’s finale.And what a grand one itwould have been.

“Porcelain” shows manyoff beats, crazy rhythms,ridiculous guitar riffs andscreeching and howling vo-cals. These elements leavethe listener begging formore.

The album ends on a softnote with an acoustic remixof “Autumn,” which firstappeared on their extendedplay “That They May KnowYou.”

The over-all sound of theband hasn’t changed awhole lot, but old and newfans alike should find thisalbum sticking in theirheads for weeks.

Any fan of metal,hardcore or punk shouldfind this album enjoyable.

Rating: A—Stephen Sossamon

Staff Writer

‘Dreamer’ ignites listeners


Election Coverage ’08

By Kenny HilburnStaff Writer

With just two weeks to goin the presidential race,OCCC’s political scienceprofessors are racing to getstudents prepared.

“Students, like all otherAmerican voters, have thepotential to affect the broadoutlines of policy deci-sions,” said political science

professor John Hughes.Many professors have in-

tegrated discussions orclass projects pertaining tothe upcoming election intotheir classes.

Political Science profes-sor Dana Glencross is lec-turing about important is-sues that pertain to stu-dents, and she is also lec-turing on why it is impor-tant to vote.

Professor Rick Vollmerhas assigned his studentsto study either Sen. JohnMcCain or Sen. BarackObama, and then reportover their stances on im-portant issues.

“My idea is that we can

Professors encourage student voters to participate

Final face-off for candidatesBy Cameron BuchholtzStaff Writer

The final 2008 presiden-tial debate took place Oct.15 in Hempstead, N.Y.

With just two weeks un-til the election and Sen.Barack Obama leading inthe polls, Sen. JohnMcCain went on the offen-sive for most of the debate.

The economy was a hottopic, with McCain ques-tioning Obama’s economicproposals and claimingthey would lead to tax in-creases for many Ameri-cans.

“Why would you want toraise anybody’s taxes rightnow?” McCain asked.

Obama responded bysaying his tax increaseswould only be for the topfive percent of earners andaccused McCain’s propos-als of giving tax breaks tooil and gas companies.

The economic discussionmade a national celebrityout of Ohio resident JoeWurzelbacher, a plumberwho confronted Obamaabout his tax policies at arecent rally. The two can-didates referred to “Joe thePlumber” over two dozentimes throughout theevening.

McCain also attackedObama about off-shore

drilling, his ties to thefounder of the radical1960s activist groupWeather Underground, Wil-liam Ayers, and ACORN, aliberal activist group thatObama represented in avoting rights lawsuit in the1990s.

McCain also sought todistance himself from theBush Administration. “I amnot President Bush,”McCain said. “If you wantedto run against PresidentBush, you should have runfour years ago.”

Obama responded bysaying “on the core eco-nomic issues that matter tothe American people, youhave been a vigorous sup-porter of President Bush.”

OCCC student BlakeBurns expressed his dis-couragement with Mc-Cain’s performance.

“McCain seemed to bejust attacking Obama justfor the sake of trying torattle him,” Burns said. “Inmy opinion, Obama stayedcalm and collected. Henever took his focus off theimportant issues.”

Other students pointed toMcCain’s sarcastic remarksconcerning Obama’s elo-quence as distraction.

“McCain got too petty,”said Jessica Shandis, aMcCain supporter. “It

doesn’t make him look goodwhen he’s spending histime attacking Obama’sspeaking abilities ratherthan talk about the key is-sues. It was a victory forObama, unfortunately.”

Not all students agreed,however.

Freshman Jeremy Dobbssaid he began watching thedebate as an undecidedvoter, but at the conclusionhe committed to McCain.

“He is by far best suitedto lead,” Dobbs said. “Heshowed real urgency andcomposure [at the debate].”

Burns disagreed, sayingObama displayed superiorcomposure when BobSchieffer, the debate mod-erator, questioned the can-didates on the negative re-marks and ads that eachhas aimed at the other.

“McCain seemed like hewanted to focus on thepunches being thrown be-tween the campaigns whileObama kept trying to movethe dialogue past the ‘hurtfeelings’ of the two candi-dates and focus on what isimportant to the Americanpeople,” Burns said.

“I liked when Obama saidhe didn’t mind if peoplecontinued to attack him forthe next three weeks, butthat he was going to focuson the real issues at stake.”

International students on theimportance of the election to

them and their home countries

“The election is super importantand I wish I could vote. I hearpeople talking about it all the time.It’s going to be an important thing inmy future and as an internationalstudent. Everyone is always talkingabout it, my boss is Russian and isalways talking about it. Everyone isnervous, in a way.”

—Daniel Vargas, Mexico

“Right now, I’m not interestedabout that. The people back homehaven’t talked too much about it.”

—Kim Gihjum, South Korea

“I haven’t been really keeping upwith the election, but I think it’s

important for the people.”—Tuyen Doan, Vietnam

provide information on thecandidates,” Vollmer said.“Then the students can de-cide.”

Many of the political sci-ence professors also havebeen stressing the impor-tantance of student in-volvement.

Hughes said college stu-dents have been brandedamong the worst ofAmerica’s voters. “Collegestudents potentially repre-sent the single largest un-organized political interestgroup in America,” he said.

Because political scienceis a required class for allstudents, the professorsare able lecture about the

election to a large percent-age of students. They hopeto see more student in-volvement in the presiden-tial race as a result of theirefforts.

But the real question is,how involved are students?

"Students are involved inthe process ... but when itcomes to voting, there is adisconnect,” said Vollmer.

Most of the political sci-ence professors seem to feelthe same way. They all saidthat the upcoming electioncould be one of the mostimportant elections theyhave ever seen.

Hughes said youngpeople are substantially

under-represented in thepolls.

“Students could have anextremely large influenceon the election,” he said.“However, if the past is pro-logue, they’ll probably onlyhave a minor or moderateimpact on the results.”

Hughes urged all stu-dents to educate them-selves on the candidatesand to excerise their rightto vote.

“Your vote is your voice,”he said.

“Your vote is your voice.”—John Hughes

Political Science Professor

The 2008 presiden-tial elections areTuesday, Nov. 4

Have you educatedyourself?


No more leeway in Test Center policyBy Alison TravisNews Writing Student

From this point on, theTest Center is adhering toa campus policy that hasbeen in effect since last fall,but hasn’t been fully en-forced.

No student will be al-lowed to test in the TestCenter without a validOCCC photo ID — no moreexceptions, said Testingand Assessment DirectorJim Ellis.

“No college ID, no test,”he said. “Taking any col-lege-related academic examwill require a current col-lege ID.”

Required student IDswent into effect last yearbut 10 months later, Ellissaid, the Test Center is stillhaving problems with stu-dents making the excuse of“my ID is not with me.”

“One of the reasons forflexibility in the past policywas to allow time for stu-dents to get used to it andsecure the IDs,” he said.

“It will be quite a changefrom the way things usedto be.”

Students can get a stu-dent ID at the Records andGraduation Services coun-ter located in the MainBuilding, Ellis said.

The first ID is free. Eachsuccessive ID costs $10.

Ellis said students needto understand the impor-tance of getting an ID priorto needing one to take atest.

“The Records counter isopen for standard hours ofoperation … and covermore than the standardwork week,” Ellis said.

“Those who claim thatthey are unable to get to therecords counter duringtheir open hours will needto arrange to get there.”

He said all the excuses ofthe past will no longerwork. Ellis said those in-clude “I left [my ID] in mybackpack in my car.” “Myboyfriend carries all of mythings,” “I had it my pocketlast night but changedjeans this morning.”

He said all students, eventhose who register online,have to be on campus atsome point and should ar-range to get a student ID

during that time.Ellis said the standard

(Records counter) hours areMonday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.;Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.;and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5p.m.

“Coming to school with-out your student ID is likegoing to work without yourtools,” Ellis said.

He said the ID is requiredfor a number of reasons.

One is to cut down on theincidents of cheating thecenter has experienced inthe past.

Another is because thecenter’s database requiresa scan of the ID to allowtest-taking to even begin.

When an ID is scanned tolog a student in to take anexam, a photo of the stu-dent, along with a classschedule, appears on theTest Center computerscreen,” Ellis said.

Testing Center staff thenenter the test number,

which starts the test andrecords the information inthe Test Center database.

In addition to bringing anID, students need some-thing to write with and acalculator, if needed. Stu-dents also need to know theexact class and test num-ber of the test being taken.

The Testing Center doesnot allow any possessionswhile taking a test, Ellissaid. Students are given alocker to put their belong-ings in.

The Testing Center is lo-cated in room 1F4 in the

Main Building and is openMonday through Saturdayduring the fall and springsemesters.

Hours are Mondaythrough Thursday, 8 a.m.to 9:30 p.m.; and Fridayand Saturday 8 a.m. to 5p.m.

“Enforcing [the policy]will mean that persons willbe turned away therebycreating hard feelings andirritation, and anger andfrustration,” Ellis said.

“It still will be done. TheTest Center staff is doing itsjob.”


By Christa StewartNews Writing Student

Drawing both laughs andgasps from the crowd ofmore than 100 in the col-lege union Oct. 9, mediacritic Jennifer Poznershowed clips from broad-casts ranging from Satur-day Night Live to MSNBCduring her lecture entitled“Race, Gender and theMedia in the 2008 Elec-tions.”

Broadcast commentatorand founder of Women inMedia and News, Poznersaid she is committed tomaking a difference whenit comes to ridding the me-dia of gender and race ste-reotypes.␣

“Accurate, diverse newsand entertainment mediaare essential to a vibrantdemocracy and an in-formed public,” Pozner saidon her website — www.wimnonline.org.

Pozner said media playsan important role in shap-ing the public’s perceptionsof candidates and politicalparties in this electionyear.␣ She believes race andgender biases can be det-rimental to the electorate.

“Fluff isn’t what we needfrom journalists to makeinformed decisions,” shesaid.␣ ␣ ␣

Throughout her lecture,Pozner pointed to blatantsexism in media coverageabout Hillary Clinton andSarah Palin, racismagainst Barack Obama,and the intersection of sex-ism and racism relative toMichelle Obama.

Pozner said she is disap-pointed by the fact that themedia pits women andpeople of color against eachother.

“The media has long fa-vored white men as strong,able leaders by treatingthem as race and genderneutral,” she said. “Every-one else is treated as out-siders.”

Pozner blamed the media

for “bogging blacks andwhites down with stereo-types and double-stan-dards.”

Pozner described the me-dia coverage surroundingHillary Clinton as an ex-ample.

Rather than pointing to

her leadership abilities, orthe lack thereof, Poznersaid the media was moreconcerned with Clinton’sfashion, weight, wrinkles,cleavage, PMS, moodswings and even her voice,demeaning her laugh asthe Clinton “cackle.”

She said when describingSarah Palin, the media re-ferred to her sexual desir-ability.

The media describedPalin as a romantic pros-pect for her running mate,John McCain, and malevoters alike, rather thanaddressing her as a viablepolitical prospect, she said.

Palin is constantly beingdescribed primarily on thebasis of her appearanceand sexual appeal ratherthan her abilities as aleader of America, Poznersaid.

She voiced concerns thatthe impressionable votingpublic hears too little aboutthe candidates’ actualpolicy or positions thatcould affect them.␣ Instead,Pozner said, there is a “fo-cus on frivolous and

gendered details.”Pozner would prefer the

media “focus on helping usdecide who to vote for andwho would be the bestchoice for the country,”rather than meaninglessand inconsequential minu-tia.␣

Pozner claimsthat gender andsexism in the me-dia and in politicsis not new.␣ It’s anage-old problemthat the media doesnot talk about theexpertise ofwomen.␣ The mes-sage is clearly “la-dies first, leaderssecond.” ␣ On onehand, women can-didates are ex-pected to be femi-nine and lady-like;on the other hand,they are expectedto be as tough as

their male counterparts.Pozner indicated that

many commentators havevoiced concerns aboutBarack Obama getting afree ride in the media, say-ing that journalists lovehim and are trying to help

him win the election.On the other hand, a fre-

quently asked question is:“Are we ready for an Afri-can American president?”␣

Viewers and listeners willnote that this question ismost often posed by whitenewscasters, Pozner said,reflecting the position thatwhite males are the normand the standard for lead-ership in America.

In contrast, no one ques-tions whether JohnMcCain would representthe entire nation as presi-dent of the U.S.

Pozner said it is unfair tomake people of color andwomen have to prove them-selves as humans who willrepresent all of America in-stead of just the identitygroups they are associatedwith.

Pozner discussed theunique problem Michelle

Media critic demonstrates gender,racial bias in ’08 election coverage

Brooke SingletaryNews Writing Student

OCCC’s first jazz concertof the year will be held at7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct.23 in the college theater,said Michael Boyle, musicprofessor. Admission isfree.

Boyle said the two sepa-rate bands are made up ofstudents. One band prac-tices on Tuesday nightsand the other band prac-tices on Wednesday nights.

The bands will play mu-sic made famous by FrankSinatra, Ella Fitzgerald,Talking Heads, RayCharles, and modern rock

band Cake.The bands pick out differ-

ent pieces so that they don’tplay the same music, Boylesaid.

Boyle said some veteranband members are back fora second and even thirdyear. Geneva Bryant is athird year band member,while Lee Williams and JonLoveless are second yearband members, just toname a few.

There are also some newfaces this year. The bandshave new drummers andbass players. David Traxler,one of the newest drum-mers, is in the Tuesday andWed-nesday night bands.

“I encourage people tocome out and listen to usplay and have fun,” Traxlersaid.

Ben Harrison is in theTuesday night jazz band.He plays the trombone andhas been in the jazz bandfor the past two years.

“I think it’s going to be agreat concert,” Harrisonsaid. “We practice veryhard.”

Boyle encouraged all stu-dents to take the opportu-nity to support their fellowstudents by attending.

For more information onthe OCCC jazz bands, visittheir MySpace page www.myspace.com/otripjazz.

OCCC jazz musicians to holdconcert, free admission to all

Obama poses alongside herhusband. While Ivy Leagueeducated and an attorneyby trade, Michelle Obamais simply referred to as“pretty” and “lady-like inappearance.”

Plus, the media errs onthe side of the negative,Pozner said. Commenta-tors often portray MichelleObama’s “angry blackwoman” traits when theyrefer to her as “Mrs. Griev-ance” and “Obama’s BabyMama.”

“Who cares about all ofthe fluff?” Pozner asked.

At the end of her presen-tation, Pozner encouragedthe audience of prospectivevoters to focus on the in-formation needed in orderto make informed deci-sions, rather than concen-trate on the inappropriatebiases and stereotypes fu-eled by the media.

Photo courtesy of www.webujournal.com

“The media has long favored white men asstrong, able leaders by treating them as race andgender neutral. Everyone else is treated as out-siders.”

—Jennifer PoznerMedia critic


On Oct. 15 the Ability Awareness Fair edu-cated people on some of the challenges

of pursuing education while being disabled. “We want to educate people on some of the

struggles of disabled students,” said MichaelHendricks, Empowered Students and Individu-als president. One of the avenues that ESI usedto teach students was an array of activities put-ting them in a disabled person’s shoes.

One of the activities was a set of cones thathad to be navigated while in a wheelchair,Hendricks said. Another was a course that re-quired people to be blindfolded before theycould attempt to get to the end.

Student Life was also there cosponsoring theevent to help promote student awareness,Hendricks said.

TRiO was at the fair also, with tables set upthat showed some of the equipment used tohelp students learn more efficiently.

“We don’t want to discourage people bypreaching this at them,” Hendricks said. “Wejust want to educate and inform people on whatschool is like for students with disabilities.”

For more information on ESI or Student Lifeactivities, e-mail ESI sponsor Jenna Howardat [email protected].

Ability Awareness Fair teachesunderstanding for disabilities

Allison Mullins, business major, sings to a lunchtime crowd during the AbilityAwareness Fair. Mullins, who overcame severe dyslexia as a child, has beensinging for about eight years and she aspires to share her talent so that peoplewill be encouraged to follow their dreams, and believe in themselves.

Younes Amini, pre-engineering major, steers his way through the wheelchaircourse in the College Union during the Ability Awareness Fair. The fair pro-vided students with activities to teach them a few of the difficulties physicallydisabled people experiences in daily life. Serena McNair, sociol-

ogy major, makes herway through the blindfoldcourse at the AbilityAwareness Fair. TheAbility Awareness Fairgave students the oppor-tunity to experience thedifficulties that disabledstudents face in every-day life.

Photos byKenny Hilburn

Text byBartees Cox


Sports

UPCOMING

OCCCINTRAMURALS

EVENTS

• Oct. 20: OCCC Chance clubbasketball team scheduled toplay Southwestern Christian Uni-versity at 7 p.m. in Bethany.

• Oct 24-26: The OCCC AquaticCenter will host the ChesapeakeHalloween Invitational swimmeet. For more information onAquatic Center events, callAquatic and Safety Training Spe-cialist James Hensley at 682-1611, ext. 7662.

• Oct. 24: Intramural basketballgames scheduled for 1:30 p.m.;OCCC1 vs. Zilla and Pretty Boyzvs. ReMix.

• Oct. 25: Intramural basketballgames scheduled for 1:30 p.m.;Short Bus vs. ReMix and Spar-tans vs. Geek Squad.

• Oct. 31: Intramural basketballgames scheduled for 1:30 p.m.;Pretty Boyz vs. ReMix and GeekSquad vs. OCCC1.

• Nov. 1: Intramural basketballgames scheduled for 1:30 p.m.;Zilla vs. Spartans and Short Busvs. OCCC1.

• Nov. 2: OCCC club soccerplays the University of Okla-homa-Colsa at 11 a.m. inEdmond.

• Nov. 4: OCCC Chance clubbasketball team scheduled toplay Southwestern Christian Uni-versity at 7 p.m. in Bethany.

• Nov. 8: OCCC club soccerplays Arkansas University at 3p.m. in Tulsa.

• Nov. 8: Team meeting sched-uled for OCCC Chance club bas-ketball team at noon in theWellness Center gym.

• Nov. 9: OCCC club soccerplays Oklahoma State Universityat 3 p.m. at Rose State Collegein Midwest City.

Photo by Kenny Hilburn

Zilla foward Edward Winslett,(middle) and Short Bus guardJoshua Vanover, (left) tie up the ballduring the first half of the 66-44 winfor the Short Bus in week two ofintramural basketball, Oct. 10.

The Short Bus (2-1) challengedthe Geek Squad (1-0) in week threeof Intramural basketball on Oct. 17.

Also, Zilla (0-4) played OCCC1(0-1) on Oct. 17. Results were notavailable at press time.

Students interested in playingIntramural basketball can still signup.

Intramural basketball is free, butstudents must have a valid studentID to play.

For more informational aboutIntramural basketball, callRecreation and Fitness SpecialistEric Watson at 405-682-1611, ext.7786.

By Matt BishopStaff Writer

The Short Bus came back froma week one victory with momen-tum rolling as they defeated Zilla66-44 on Oct. 10.

The Bus opened up a 16-2 leadwithin the first six minutes of thefirst half.

Todd Holmes joined the Bus inweek two, contributing 24 pointsto the win.

Joshua Vanover only counted forfour of the Bus’s 66 points, buthelped maintain a level headamongst his team.

During halftime, Vanover told histeam to stay focused, despite hav-ing a 33-16 point lead.

“We aren’t going to goof aroundthis half,” he said. “[This team] isn’tlike that. We need to keep playinghard.”

During the beginning of the sec-ond half, three missed lay-ups byHolmes allowed Zilla to creep back,closing the gap to seven points at35-28.

The Bus called a timeout andVanover reiterated to his guys tostay focused.

The Bus remained calm andstarted pulling away the rest of thegame.

Frustration set in as Zilla re-sorted to alternative ways to makea run.

“Y’all need to start calling faircalls,” Zilla forward Donald Worthsaid to one of the referees.

Moments later, after firing a 3-pointer, Worth appeared to falldown in an attempt to get a foulcalled on the shot.

The referees called no foul andWorth laid on the court for severalminutes holding an injured ankle.

Khaelin Russell picked up theslack for Zilla, scoring a double-double, with 18 points and 10 as-sists.

Anthony Carter scored 12 pointsfor The Bus, including a block and

Intramural Power Rankings

1-0

2-1

2-1

1-0

2-1

0-4

0-1

Spartans

Pretty Boyz

Short Bus

Geek Squad

ReMix

Zilla

OCCC1

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

RANK TEAM RECORD

behind-the-back assist to DeJuanSmith, who capped off the gamewith a tomahawk-jam. Smithscored 10 points.

Jeremy Phillips also contributed11 points to the Short Bus victory.

In other action, the Pretty Boyzgot back on track with a 93-69 winover Remix in the 1:30 p.m. ses-sion.

During the 2:30 p.m. session, arematch was set up between thePretty Boyz and Short Bus. ThePretty Boyz avenged their previousloss with an 85-77 win over theShort Bus.

Also, ReMix beat Zilla 65-64.Staff Writer Matt Bishop can be

reached at [email protected].

Want to know why theSpartans are on top ofthe Power Rankings?

Listen to our podcastwith the Pioneer Online

for in-depth sportsstories at


Bus cruises toward second winThen, team falls short in rematch with Pretty Boyz


By Jessica HensleyNews Writing Student

Injuries on campus canrange from scrapes andcuts to the occasional seri-ous emergency.

When an injury requiresimmediate attention, theOCCC security officers areprepared to help as first re-sponders, said KeithBourque, Campus Safetyand Security coordinator.

Jesse Dages found thisout when he suffered amedical emergency in theAquatic Center recently.

A seasoned athlete, clubswimmer and swim in-structor, Dages is not un-familiar with poolside inju-ries.

During a strenuousworkout recently, Dagessuffered an over-exertionattack.

“I knew I was in trouble

Campus security trained for medical responseswhen I couldn’t bend myknees,” Dages said.

He said the college life-guards sat him down awayfrom the side of the pooland called for emergencyhelp.

“In under two minutes,security was on the scene,and in five, the fire depart-ment and other emergencyvehicles were, too,” Dagessaid.

The security officer ad-

ministrated oxygen to Da-ges until the fire depart-ment arrived.

“When an emergency isreported, security immedi-ately dispatches first re-sponders to the scene,”Bourque said.

“EMSA (the EmergencyMedical Services Authority)is also called as is the Okla-homa City Fire depart-ment,” he said.

Security officers areequipped to handle manymedical emergencies,Bourque said.

“We have oxygen. We havean AED (automated exter-

nal defibrillator) as well asbasic first aid.

“We do not dispensemedication. As far as chestpain patients, trauma pa-tients and the like, we canevaluate and treat and thenhand them over to the para-medics.”

All security officers areFirst Responder Certifiedand are required to updatetheir training at least everytwo years, Bourque said.

Because of the First re-sponse team’s efforts,Dages said, he was able togo back to his workout anddrive home safely.

Economic issues have studentsrethinking where they spend money “Economy,”Cont. from page 1

$20 late charges that canbegin to add up if they gounpaid.

“A lot of students don’twant to have to paythroughout the entire se-mester so they get on thepayment plan but are pay-ing their bills in full as soonas they can,” Henson said.“More people are also look-ing for and receiving finan-cial aid.”

Students are feeling theheavy burden financesplace on their shoulders.

“The economy really isaffecting everyone,” saidstudent Colton Roberts. “Itis especially hard on thestudents who are payingtheir own way throughschool.”

Harper, a working stu-dent, agrees.

“I think college studentsare affected by the economymore than people wouldassume.”

Thus, it seems, studentsshould take the initiative tocut their spending and seek

out additional fundingsources, many of which donot require repayment.

Linda Sapp, Recruitmentand Admissions prospec-tive student services assis-tant, said she is ready tohelp students find financialassistance through av-enues such as departmenttuition waivers and a vari-ety of scholarship sources.

On the wall, near themain entrance, Sapp regu-larly posts applications fora variety of programs andscholarships that can offerassistance to many stu-dents.

She said she is availableby appointment to talk withstudents about scholarshipopportunities.

Sapp said the opportuni-ties range from scholar-ships for the full-time work-ing student, to student vet-erans, to any student en-rolled in 6 credit hours ormore.

All students should com-plete the Free Applicationfor Federal Student Aid(FAFSA), Sapp said.

Low-income students

may qualify for grants, shesaid.

Pell Grants target low-in-come students typicallywith family incomes under$50,000. This year, stu-dents receiving Pell Grantswill receive approximately$4,700 that does not haveto be repaid, Sapp said.

“There really is somethingfor everyone. New opportu-nities arise every day for anassortment of OCCC stu-dents. Not a lot of the manyeligible young people areaware of these avenuesthey can take that couldhelp them greatly.”

Henson said it is thesesimple acts, such as com-pleting scholarship applica-tions or paying a bursar billon time, that can help stu-dents reduce the financialburdens placed on themevery day.

“It’s the little things thatwe are all having to do tocontend with the economy.”

The Pioneer Onlineoffers its readers

•Online-exclusive stories•Access to Pioneer archives

as far back as 1998•Links which provide readers with

even more valuable information


This HUGEspace could be

yours forONLY

$24a week!!!

Call fordetails!

682-1611,ext. 7674


HighlightsPsychology/Sociology club meeting

The Psychology/Sociology club will meet from noon to 1 p.m.on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in room 3K3 of the Main Building. Formore information, contact Isela Perez at 405-519-6222.

UCO Campus TourThe OCCC Transfer Center is taking students to the Uni-

versity of Central Oklahoma. Students will receive a campustour, information on application deadlines and transferring.Limited space is available. The tour dates for UCO are Oct.21 and Nov. 13. Call Kim Lusk at 405-682-7566 for moreinformation or to reserve a spot.

College Poets and Writers meetingThe College Poets and Writers will meet from 1 to 1:50

p.m. on Wednesdays, in room 1C3 in the Arts and Humani-ties area. For more information, contact Chris Verschage at405-682-1611, ext. 7140.

Native American club meetingsThe Native American Student Association will hold its club

meetings from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. every Tuesday in room2N7 of the Main Building. NASA is an excellent place forNative Americans to meet other Native Americans and cre-ate lifelong friendships. For more information, contact NASApublicity officer Paul Varela at 405-313-2076.

WLCC offering tutoringThe World Languages and Cultures Center is now offering

U.S. History and Government tutoring for international students.Non-English speaking college students needing help in thoseareas are encouraged to sign up. For more information, contactthe World Languages and Cultures Center at 405-682-7560.

Frybread saleThe Native American Student Association will host a frybread

sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the CollegeUnion counter. For more information, please contact Paul Varelaat 405-313-2076.

Dance classes starting upThe Community Outreach and Education program will host

several dance classes for the fall semester. There will be two-step shuffle and west coast swing classes from 7:30 to 8:30p.m. on Thursdays, beginning Oct. 16, in the OCCC aerobicsroom. Also, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., the program will offer ball-room dancing, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. country and western danc-ing and from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., swing dancing every Monday,beginning Oct. 20, also in the OCCC aerobics room. For moreinformation, visit www.occc.edu/coe.

Fall writing workshopThere will be a writing workshop entitled “Recognizing Rheto-

ric” at noon Monday, Nov. 10, in room 2F3 of Arts and Humani-ties. Workshops usually last about 45 minutes. For more infor-mation, contact Communications Lab assistant Nick Webb at405-682-1611, ext. 7678, or visit www.occc.edu/commlab.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries meetingThe Baptist Collegiate Ministries meets at noon Mondays in

the theater lobby and at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays in room 3N0of the Main Building. The BCM offers Christian fellowship and afree lunch to all who attend. Everyone is welcome. For moreinformation, contact BCM director Mike Barnett at 405-323-0583.

Passport to add involvementfor various student activitiesBy Michael HendricksNews Writing Student

The college has designeda new program to increasestudent participation inevents around campus,and give students thechance to win a $250 giftcertificate to the OCCCbook store. This program isentitled OCCC Passport.

Passport gives studentsan incentive to attend dif-ferent events put on by thestudent service officesaround campus, saidDebra Vaughn, director ofCareer and Employmentservices.

“This program is open toall students, but targeted tostudents with 20 or morecredit hours because it willhelp them succeed in theircollege career.”

When a student picks upa passport from StudentLife, it contains sections forthe different events takingplace around campus.

Students can get their

Raising funds

passports stamped by thestaff by attending theseevents.

These events includeStudent Life Brown Bagworkshops, employmentworkshops, confirming amajor, transfer fairs andvisiting the Test Center.

“There is no cost, lots offun and a lot of good work-shops,” Vaughn said.

This program was a teameffort, said Darin Behara,director of Student Life.

Jace Henley, theater ma-jor, has not been to a lot ofevents on campus.

“I would participate inthe program,” Henley said.“I feel that this programwould appeal to any stu-dent who had trouble af-fording textbooks.”

However, not all studentsfeel the same about thepassport program.

“I feel that the passportprogram is a waste of theschool’s money which canbe used for something bet-ter,” Psychology major Isela

Perez said. “I really don’tthink that very many stu-dents will take advantage ofit.”

Perez has attended someof the Student Servicesevents.

In order to become eli-gible to win the gift certifi-cate, a student must go tofour events and get theirpassport stamped.

There must be fourstamps with at least twocolors.

The colors represent thedifferent offices.

The completed passportmust be turned in by Dec.1 to the office of StudentLife. The drawing will takeplace during the first weekof December.

All students who com-plete their passports havean equal chance to win. Thepassport program will startfresh in the spring semes-ter.

For more information,contact Student Life at 405-682-7523.

Photo by Kenny Hilburn

Sophomore Jesse James purchases some baked goods from Future Alumni Networktreasurer Becky Connett. FAN held a bake sale outside of the Student Union Oct. 15 toraise money for trips and activities.

Highlights are due by 5 p.m. each Tuesday forpublication in the next issue of the Pioneer.

Students can submit any club event or other func-tion to the Highlights section.


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 [email protected]

Class ifi eds

FOR SALE: 2000 DodgeCarivan.Viper alarm, remote start,new tires and transmission. Tintedwindows. Power windows anddoors. 150k miles. In great shape.$2,500. Call: 405-310-3850.

FOR SALE: ’00 ChevroletCamaro. ABS, A/C, bucket seats,CD, rear defrost, tinted glass.Very good condition. Black. V6,25MPG, XM ready. $6,000 nego-tiable. Call Steve 405-417-7999,E-mail: [email protected].

FOR SALE: 1997 Honda Ac-cord, V6, Black, 4 door. $4,000,OBO. Contact: 918-361-8277.

FOR SALE: 1996 ChevyBlazer 4x4. Great condtion. Looksand runs excellent. 2 door, pw/pl.Asking $3,000 OBO. Call Lana at405-436-0400.

NEW BOOTS FOR SALE:Size 13.5 D.Belleville Intermedi-ate cold/wet weather. Leatherupper, Vibram soles, Goretex,new in the box. Two pairs oflliners. Retail price is $180. Willsell for $75. Call:405-816-5824.

DO YOU THINK YOU CANWRITE? You do not have to be aprofessional writer to write a goodstory or poem. The AbsoluteOCCCs literary publication, is ac-cepting submissions for the 2009edition. Submission forms can befound in the Arts and HumanitiesOffice. The deadline for entry isDec. 1. For information, contact:c r a n d o l p h @ o c c c . e d u ;M M c c a u l e y @ o c c c . e d u ;[email protected]. Copies of the2008 Absolute can be purchasedin the OCCC bookstore.

FOR SALE Across the street from OCCC.Two bedroom updated home.Storage building in back yard. $87,000. Open house everySunday 2 to 4 p.m. Call Deby

at 405-414-8742 .

YOU DESERVE TO LIVE ALIFE OF LUXURY AT

Minutes from the OCCCcampus. Call today and

mention this ad to receive$200 off at move in with

your student ID.405-717-0594.

NEED SOME DOUGH?Big Sky Bread Company

is looking for an ener-getic, reliable person to

help customers,slice bread

and bag granola.Apply in person at

6606 N. Western Ave.

FOR SALEOne bedroom condo.

Totally renovated with newtile, stove, refrigerator,

dishwasher and laminatefloors.Gated community.All appliances stay with

full offer of $35,000.Call: 405-431-9001

FOR SALE: Solid oak ovaldining table with four chairs. Ex-cellent condition. $250. Call: 405-632-7175.

GROUP BAND NEEDED:Film a music video. We will filmthe group on location and possi-bly in a studio. My classmate andI will direct and edit. The groupwill provide the music and talent.If you are interesting, talented andwant a video to get your music outthere, email me at:[email protected]

IT PAYS TOADVERTISE INTHE PIONEERCALL 682-1611,

ext. 7674,or

[email protected] RATES AND

DEADLINESAsk for Cynthia

DIGITAL CAMERA FORSALE: Sony CD Mavica MVC-CD400 4.OMP. Has official Sonymini bag, larger camcorder-stylebag, power supply/battery char-ger, USB cable, spare battery, onemini CD-RW, and several miniCD-Rs. Can write both CD-R andCD-RW media. $250. Call Drewat 405-745-3266 e-mail: [email protected]

FOR SALE: New Logitech VXRevolution cordless mouse. $35.Opened box Archos GMini 4GbMP3, WMA player and pictureviewer. $70. Compaq laptop 15.4”Intel Pent. $440. Call for informa-tion: 501-442-8260. [email protected].

Place a personal classifed adIt’s FREE to OCCC

students & [email protected]


Stolenitems topreportsBy Stephen SossamonStaff Writer

Lost, missing and stolenitems highlighted recentcrime.

On Oct. 10, security of-ficers Brandon Wheeler andTanya Vroenen found threeinsulin syringes in the leftexit lane of May Avenuewhile returning to campus,according to a report.

Vroenen said all of the sy-ringes were used and hadbeen recapped.

Wheeler reported he andVroenen took the syringesback to the Safety and Se-curity office where pictureswere taken and then dis-posed of them.

On Oct. 9, security officerWilliam Busby took a a re-port on a clock with a built-in thermometer, missingfrom the library’s fourthfloor.

Cooperative Alliance Pro-grams clerical assistantJackie Maxwell said theclock was on her desk ear-lier in the day, before sheleft for lunch at noon. Shesaid when she returnedaround 1 p.m., the clockwas nowhere to be found.

The clock still has notbeen found and is valuedat $15, according to the re-port.

On Oct. 2, music profes-sor Michael Boyle reporteda piano bench missing.

Boyle said the last he sawthe piano bench was inroom 1E5.

He said he looked allaround the theater, and inseveral other rooms aroundthe area, but didn’t locatethe bench.

Boyle said the bench hasa leather black seat, a woodbase that is painted blackwith brass knobs on eitherside to adjust the width.

Staff Writer StephenSossamon can be reachedat [email protected].

Documents

Pioneer 2008 10 20