pioneer 2007 08 20

12
IONEER P Oklahoma City Community College www.occc.edu/pioneer • Meet with advisers early, editorial, p. 2. Campus labs offer help, services, p. 7. Bowling added to fall lineup, sports, p. 8. Club fair set upcoming, clubs, p. 10. This Week I nside August 20, 2007 Vol. 36 No. 1 Summer science Parking woes likely to end in a few weeks Remains identified as those of missing student Jake Casey, 15, uses a self-fashioned clinometer to measure the height of the OCCC flagpole during an indirect measurements lab for the summer math, astronomy and science-tech class taught by college math and physics teachers. Eighth- and ninth-grade students from area schools spent July 23 through 27 learning techniques, theories and their application in various fields of study. Photo by Jay Rocamontes See “Kawase,page 12 By Carrie Cronk Editor A t the start of the semester, many students experience frustra- tions caused by the limited number of available parking spaces on campus. This occurs when students are most numerous on cam- pus. Besides attending classes, they also are buying books and chang- ing schedules, putting pressure on campus parking lots. J. B. Messer, Physical Plant director, said there are 2,800 total park- ing spaces on the main campus. Of those, 233 are reserved for staff and faculty, 85 are handicap spaces and 25 are assigned as other, he said, leaving about 2,450 spaces for students and visitors. And when those are full, something has to give. Traditionally, parking lots A and C fill up faster than other lots on campus. Campus Safety and Security Director Ike Sloas said students should look for available parking in lots D and E, as they routinely have more openings than parking lots A and C. In the past, when spaces filled up in the park- ing lots, the grassy area across Faculty Circle See “Parking,page 12 By Carrie Cronk Editor T he remains of a woman discov- ered in April at Camp Kickapoo in rural south Oklahoma City are indeed those of missing OCCC inter- national student May- uko Kawase, the Okla- homa City Police De- partment announced Aug. 16. Kawase, who was 21 at the time of her dis- appearance, was re- ported missing Aug. 27, 2001, after her mother, who lives in Japan, had been un- able to reach her for several days. A press release from the Oklahoma City Police Department re- ported the findings. “The OCPD Homi- cide Unit received word from an indepen- dent lab in Texas … that the DNA samples were a match and the human remains found in April were in fact Mayuko Kawase,” the report stated. State Medical Exam- iner Chief Investigator Kevin Rowland said the DNA testing proce- dure used was mito- chondrial DNA testing and was completed out of state. “You have to use mi- tochondrial testing when you’re trying to compare skeletal re- mains to living rela- tives to determine pa- ternity,” Rowland said. “What the DNA test- ing says is that these remains are an off- spring of these peo- ple.” He said testing was done on samples from Kawase’s mother, fa- ther and sister, and then compared to test results from the re- mains. The remains are still being examined and a cause of death should be released Aug. 17, Rowland said. OCPD Assistant Public Information Of- ficer, Sgt. Paco Bal- derrama, said the po- lice have some leads and suspects, but would not comment further about the on- going investigation. “We don’t have enough information to charge anybody,” he said. Balderrama said the missing person and homicide case have “The announcement that the human remains discovered at Camp Kickapoo are those of missing student Mayuko Kawase rekindles the sadness we have felt when we first learned of her disappearance. While this confirmation does answer some questions, her death is a profound tragedy. We express our heartfelt sympathy to her family in Japan and to her friends she made in Oklahoma and here at OCCC.” —Paul Sechrist OCCC President

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Page 1: Pioneer 2007 08 20

IONEERPOklahoma City Community College

www.occc.edu/pioneer

• Meet with advisers early, editorial, p. 2.• Campus labs offer help, services, p. 7.• Bowling added to fall lineup, sports, p. 8.• Club fair set upcoming, clubs, p. 10.

This WeekInside August 20, 2007

Vol. 36 No. 1

Summer scienceParking woeslikely to endin a few weeks

Remains identified asthose of missing student

Jake Casey, 15, uses a self-fashioned clinometer to measure the heightof the OCCC flagpole during an indirect measurements lab for the summermath, astronomy and science-tech class taught by college math andphysics teachers. Eighth- and ninth-grade students from area schoolsspent July 23 through 27 learning techniques, theories and their applicationin various fields of study.

Photo by Jay Rocamontes

See “Kawase,” page 12

By Carrie CronkEditor

At the start of the semester, many students experience frustra- tions caused by the limited number of available parking spaces

on campus. This occurs when students are most numerous on cam-pus. Besides attending classes, they also are buying books and chang-ing schedules, putting pressure on campus parking lots.

J. B. Messer, Physical Plant director, said there are 2,800 total park-ing spaces on the main campus.

Of those, 233 are reserved for staff and faculty, 85 are handicap spacesand 25 are assigned as other, he said, leaving about 2,450 spaces forstudents and visitors. And when those are full, something has to give.

Traditionally, parking lots A and C fill up faster than other lots oncampus. Campus Safety and Security Director Ike Sloas said studentsshould look for available parking in lots D and E, as they routinely havemore openings than parking lots A and C.

In the past, when spaces filled up in the park-ing lots, the grassy area across Faculty Circle See “Parking,” page 12

By Carrie CronkEditor

The remains of awoman discov-

ered in April at CampKickapoo in ruralsouth Oklahoma Cityare indeed those ofmissing OCCC inter-national student May-uko Kawase, the Okla-homa City Police De-partment announcedAug. 16.

Kawase, who was 21at the time of her dis-appearance, was re-ported missing Aug.27, 2001, after hermother, who lives inJapan, had been un-able to reach her forseveral days.

A press release from

the Oklahoma CityPolice Department re-ported the findings.

“The OCPD Homi-cide Unit receivedword from an indepen-dent lab in Texas …that the DNA sampleswere a match and thehuman remains foundin April were in fact

Mayuko Kawase,” thereport stated.

State Medical Exam-iner Chief InvestigatorKevin Rowland saidthe DNA testing proce-dure used was mito-chondrial DNA testingand was completedout of state.

“You have to use mi-

tochondrial testingwhen you’re trying tocompare skeletal re-mains to living rela-tives to determine pa-ternity,” Rowlandsaid.

“What the DNA test-ing says is that theseremains are an off-spring of these peo-ple.”

He said testing wasdone on samples from

Kawase’s mother, fa-ther and sister, andthen compared to testresults from the re-mains.

The remains are stillbeing examined and acause of death shouldbe released Aug. 17,Rowland said.

OCPD AssistantPublic Information Of-ficer, Sgt. Paco Bal-derrama, said the po-

lice have some leadsand suspects, butwould not commentfurther about the on-going investigation.

“We don’t haveenough information tocharge anybody,” hesaid.

Balderrama said themissing person andhomicide case have

“The announcement that the humanremains discovered at Camp Kickapoo arethose of missing student Mayuko Kawaserekindles the sadness we have felt whenwe first learned of her disappearance.While this confirmation does answer somequestions, her death is a profound tragedy.We express our heartfelt sympathy to herfamily in Japan and to her friends she madein Oklahoma and here at OCCC.”

—Paul SechristOCCC President

Page 2: Pioneer 2007 08 20

2 • PIONEER • August 20, 2007

Editorial and OpinionEditorial

Vol. 36 No. 1Carrie Cronk...........................EditorMatthew Bishop............Staff WriterYvonne Oberly...............Staff WriterSabrina Prosser...Contributing WriterJay Rocamontes......PhotographerTim Cronk...................Ad ManagerMike Ferak....................WebmasterRichard Hall.............Lab AssistantRonna Austin.............Lab DirectorSue Hinton..............Faculty Adviser

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

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

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

Recent graduate gives thanks

Earning a college degree can be tricky, especiallyfor students who plan to transfer their associatedegree to a bachelor’s program.

With the start of the fall semester, many studentsrefer to the college catalog or meet with advisers tocheck their degree requirements and to help themchoose the right classes for their OCCC degree.

Many students don’t realize they should also bechecking degree requirements for the universitythey plan to attend after graduating or transfer-ring from OCCC.

Many universities and colleges have transferguides which list what OCCC courses will transferto their institution, and what the course equiva-lent is there.

Often a degree program at one college will havedifferent course requirements than another school,or the course may be an upper-level course at asenior institution.

For instance, OCCC offers Photoshop I andPhotoshop II, which are 1000- and 2000-levelcourses respectively. At the University of CentralOklahoma, Photoshop is a 4000 level course andis only available for students in certain majors.

Aside from the transfer issues, there also areconcerns with a student obtaining too many cred-its to qualify for financial aid.

After a student at OCCC attempts, not completes,more than 90 credit hours, they must apply forcontinued eligibility to be considered for furtherfinancial aid, and there is no guarantee they willreceive that aid.

Most Oklahoma colleges and universities calcu-late the maximum number of credit hours a stu-dent can attempt and qualify for financial aid bymultiplying the required number of credit hoursfor the degree by 1.5.

In addition to the course credit transferring andthe financial aid qualification issues, studentsshould also be aware that at many four-year col-leges and universities there is a minimum numberof credit hours that must be completed at a seniorinstitution, and a certain number of those mustbe completed at the degree-granting institution.

The University of Oklahoma requires studentsto complete at least 30 credit hours on their cam-pus for graduation. UCO requires 60 credit hoursto be completed for the degree at senior level insti-tutions, 40 of those being in upper-division levelcourses. Thirty of the credit hours must be com-pleted at UCO. On top of these, UCO has severalother credit hour requirements for majors andminors alike.

Students should meet with a transfer adviser atthe university they plan to transfer to, so their tran-sition will be smooth and they will be well on theirway to completing their bachelor’s degree whenthey finish at OCCC.

—Carrie CronkEditor

Get advised,for your sake

To the Editor:I am a recent graduate of

OCCC and would like tosend my heartfelt apprecia-tion to all the faculty, ad-ministration, staff and stu-dents at OCCC who helpedto make my time at the col-lege a great experience.

I would like to take a mo-ment to say thank you tosome special people whoseinfluence will stay with methroughout my lifetime.

I would like to thankDavid Palkovich, VijayRamachandran, MartyLudlum, Markus Smith,Ralph DeCardenas, LisaAdkins, and LeAnn Hall fortheir support and help assponsors for clubs I partici-pated in.

I would like to thank LizLargent, Darin Behara,Karlen Grayson, and theStudent Life staff for theirencouragement, help, sup-port and guidance with thestudents and the clubs.

To Debra Vaughn and theentire Career Services staff,thank you for your helpwith many club endeavorsand bringing in speakersfor numerous club events.

To my many professors,including Mary Punches,Michael Punches, JohnEhrhardt, Germain Pichop,Myra Decker, Kayla Fessler,I’d like to thank you for giv-ing me the encouragementto go farther and providingme with a professionalclassroom experience.

I would like to thank GaryTucker, Mary Candler,Jerry Steward, John Boydand President Paul Sechristfor providing me with theopportunity to serve onnumerous committees.

To Carlos Robinson,thank you for your supportand friendship, as well asall the help you providedwhile you were chairman ofthe Leadership Council.

I would also like to thankJulie Young and the ac-counting lab staff for theirassistance, and also thestaffs of financial aid, themath lab, the Pioneer, thedivisions of Business andMath and Science, and alsoeveryone in PresidentSechrist’s office.

I would like to thank ev-eryone else that was part ofmy educational experience

at OCCC, and all the stu-dents that I have cultivatedrelationships with.

From a student whomyou have influenced great-ly, a million thanks forhelping me become who Iam today, for teaching methe importance of never giv-ing up on my dreams, andfor preparing me to proceedinto my future.

—Dustin A FisherOCCC graduate

Contact the editor @

[email protected]

Page 3: Pioneer 2007 08 20

August 20, 2007 • PIONEER • 3

Comments and Reviews

The fall semester signals the beginning of a newacademic year. To those returning students, wel-come back. To our new students, let me be one ofthe first to extend a warm welcome.

Your choice to further your education and earn acollege degree is one of the most powerful and life-changing decisions you will ever make. A college de-gree has never been as important for your financialsecurity as it is today.

OCCC is a world-class college. And, because ofthe high quality and low cost, OCCC is often thefirst choice when selecting colleges. Whether youare here to eventually transfer to another college orbegin your career, the faculty and staff at OCCC arededicated to seeing you achieve your dreams.

You have noticed that there is a great deal of con-struction on campus. The new Health ProfessionsCenter and Arts Education Center will open nextsummer. The new outdoor arts and performance sitewill be ready in time for the annual Arts FestivalOklahoma over Labor Day Weekend. These new ven-ues are part of OCCC’s commitment to complimentthe finest faculty and staff with the finest facilitiesthat together provide for an exceptional collegiateexperience.

Welcome and have a great semester at OCCC.—Paul Sechrist

OCCC President

Ten years after she beganwriting about a certain boywizard from London, J.K.Rowling’s “Harry Potter”saga comes to a climacticend in “Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows.”

As the book opens, themagical world is at war withthe sinister dark wizardLord Voldemort — and thewar is not going well.

Harry and his compan-ions Ron Weasley andHermione Granger are anx-ious to begin their searchfor Voldemort’s horcruxes,artifacts into which the wiz-ard stored fragments of hissoul in an attempt at im-mortality.

After the anti-VoldemortOrder of the Phoenix sufferscasualties while evacuatingHarry and his estrangedfamily from their house inLondon, the trio is per-suaded to remain in hidinguntil after the wedding ofRon’s brother.

When the dark wizardlaunches a nearly bloodlesscoup against the Ministry ofMagic, however, Harry andhis friends are branded ascriminals — and are huntedby both Ministry officialsand Voldemort’s Death

After 20 years as the longest run-ning television sitcom ever,America’s most dysfunctional car-toon family finally arrives on thebig screen.

“The Simpsons Movie,” releasedJuly 27, packs a punch full ofparody, hilarity and hot diggity fun.

Laced full of satirical humor thatmakes fun of everyone, “TheSimpsons Movie” never stops withwitty jokes about environmental-ists, politicians, Hollywood actorsand Middle America families.

In the film, Arnold Schwarz-enegger is the U.S. president andhe has ordered a glass dome beplaced over Springfield, theSimpsons’ hometown, because thecity has gotten␣ so polluted thatmutated animals were found.

The pollution is the result ofHomer dumping waste into thetown’s lake, most of which belongs

‘Potter’ saga triumphantly ends

Don’t have a cow — ‘Simpsons’ was worth the 20-year wait

Eater minions.From the very beginning,

Rowling manages to make“The Deathly Hallows”stand out from its prede-cessors.

While the book still opensat the home of Harry’s less-than-pleasant aunt anduncle, it quickly departsfrom the formula estab-lished in the other novels.

Instead of heading to themagical Hogwarts acad-emy, Harry and his friendshave dropped out to carryout the wishes of the lateheadmaster Dumbledore:destroy the last ofVoldemort’s horcruxes sothat the Dark Lord can fi-nally be killed.

More notable than thechange in formula is thechange in tone.

With the onset of Vol-demort’s fascist new order,Harry and other rebels areunable to act openly forfear of reprisal againstfriends and family.

In addition, troubling se-crets about Dumbledore’spast are unearthed, forcingmany to question the mo-tives of the late headmas-ter.

More unsettling still is

the sense that no charac-ter is safe.

After the events of theopening chapter, it seemsall too possible that not ev-eryone will make it to theend of the book.

Rowling does an admi-rable job of bringing theseries to a close.

The final chapters, filledwith plot twists and moreaction than the rest of theseries combined, pits Harryand Voldemort against oneanother in an epic battle atHogwarts itself… and noquestions are left unan-swered.

At 759 pages long, “HarryPotter and the Deathly Hal-

lows” is fairly hefty for asupposed children’s book— but kids are far from theonly audience that will en-

joy it.Rating: A+

—Drew HamptonContributing Writer

to his adopted pig, which he callsSpider-Pig (he renames it HarryPlopper later in the film).

The city becomes enraged at theSimpsons, forcing Homer to talkMarge into taking the family andescaping far away... to Alaska.

Meanwhile, Bart empathizes withNed Flanders and begins to take acloser look at how good of a fatherHomer truly is.␣

Lisa falls in love with Colin, anIrish boy who shares her interestin saving the environment.

Grandpa Simpson becomes pos-sessed by a demon and Margestores useful items inside her hair.

Much more␣ of the TV show’s typi-cal elements are found in the film.

Written by 11 of the show’s bestwriters, “The Simpsons Movie” isnearly 90 minutes long, but feelslike an extended version of a half-hour episode. That’s a good thing.

The production crew manages tofit just about every trademarkSimpsons experience into the film,from catchphrases and one-liners,to places and characters.␣

In a scene␣ where all of Spring-field’s citizens form an angrymob␣ to march toward␣ Homer’shouse, the camera pans over ev-ery single character that has evermade a reoccurring appearance onthe show, from Ralph Wiggum andGroundskeeper Willie, to HankScorpio and the Comic Book Guy.

The show’s creator, Matt Groen-ing, said he tried to include all 320supporting characters into the film.

Whether or not all of them madeit onscreen isn’t clear, but the at-tempt to do it to␣ please the show’sloyal fans is commendable.

It is clever features like this in“The Simpsons Movie” that makesthe film␣ worthwhile for anyone who

even watched a few episodes, letalone someone who watched theseries for years.

That the film incorporates freshnovelties while fitting (but notcramming) most of the famous el-ements that made “The Simpsons”the longest running␣ TV sitcom everis feels satisfying.

Rating: A—Eric Nguyen

Contributing Writer

Get it offyour chest.

Immortalize yourcomplaints or

thoughts. E-mailyour letters to

[email protected].

Page 4: Pioneer 2007 08 20

4 • PIONEER • August 20, 2007

Irate swim referee arrested after altercationBy Matt BishopStaff Writer

A man was arrested ear-lier this month on chargesof destruction of property inthe OCCC Aquatic Center.

On Aug. 11, Bret Lackey,41, was arrested for break-ing a hand-held radio. Theincident began while hewas volunteering as a ref-eree at the YMCA SwimMeet on campus.

Referee Kathleen Dubea,41, had asked another ref-eree to walk with Lackeybecause, she said, he hadmade some bad calls.

When Lackey found outthat Dubea had sent an-other referee to supervise,he went on a tirade, Dubeasaid.

She said when Lackeyapproached her, he startedyelling, eventually throwinga $50 Motorola radio at her.

“The radio didn’t hit me,but it landed on the pooldeck and broke intopieces,” Dubea said.

Spectators looked on inshock as Lackey expressedhis emotions, she said.

“YMCA teaches respect,caring, and honesty,”Dubea said. “He certainlydidn’t express any of thoseactions in front of all thosekids.”

After security officerswere called, Lackey left thepool area and headed intothe bleachers but, accord-ing to the report fromOCCC’s Department ofPublic Safety, he was notseen after that.

Security Sgt. Kevin Tip-ton arrived on the sceneand learned Lackey drovea green Chevrolet Subur-ban. Tipton then alertedother campus officersabout the situation, ac-cording to the report.

Officer Dennis Sheltonfound a man fitting Lack-ey’s description in a greenSuburban at the intersec-tion of Regents Boulevardand Faculty Circle.

Shelton escorted the manto Tipton at the AquaticCenter where Lackey ac-knowledged what he haddone and apologized, ac-cording to the report.

Dubea said she stillwanted to press charges onLackey.

Oklahoma City Police De-partment sent Sgt. DonnyKidd to arrest the man.

Lackey was arrested andtaken to the Oklahoma CityPolice Department forbooking for destruction ofproperty.

Tipton said Lackey hadbeen arrested on a previous

count for injuring a child.Lackey, from Muskogee,

also had brought a young-ster to the swim meet. Thechild was taken into thecare of other adults.

In another matter, therewas an incident of a per-

son going to homes andfraudulently soliciting do-nations for an OCCC Book-store fundraiser.

According to the book-store, they are not solicit-ing donations.

A woman called the book-

store regarding the personsoliciting and was told bybookstore employee JonRobertson that they werenot soliciting funds.

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

•It Pays to advertise

in the PIONEER•

Page 5: Pioneer 2007 08 20

August 20, 2007 • PIONEER • 5

OCCC Coffee Shop open for business

Photo by Jay RocamontesBryan Nixon teaches future OCCC Coffee Shop employees

the fine art of manufacturing cappuccino foam. Opening forbusiness for the fall semester, the new coffee shop is run byCarson’s Market Fresh Cafe employees and feature Starbucksbrand coffee. Nixon is the South Central Texas OklahomaAccount Services Representative for Starbucks.

Student idea evolvesinto on-campus store

By Jay RocamontesStaff Writer

By popular demand, theOCCC Coffee Shop is nowthe newest addition to stu-dent life on campus.

The kiosk offers a multi-tude of classic Starbuckssignature hot or iced es-presso coffees or blendedbeverages.

Various coffee alterna-tives such as hot or coldTazo teas, hot chocolate,spiced cider and an all-newline of bottled beveragesalso are offered.

OCCC food service pro-viders Carson’s MarketFresh Café staffs the kioskand prepares the majorityof items sold.

“Not being a licensed

Starbucks kiosk keepsCarson’s from using trade-marked drink names suchas the popular frappuccinoline,” said College UnionGeneral Manager CorrineAguilar.

“However, the service andproduct will be much thesame.”

Aguilar said, for now, thekiosk will open from 7 a.m.to 8 p.m. Monday throughFriday and 7 a.m. to 10a.m. on Saturdays.

“Shop hours of operationwill be geared more towardsstudent convenience thanof the college union.

“Hours may be subject tochange pending staffingand the student enrollmentof both evening and week-end courses,” she said.

While a soft opening washeld on Aug. 6 to refine theskills of coffee shop employ-ees, the grand opening forthe fall semester will beAug. 20.

Student focus groups, ledby independent businessconsultants brought in bythe college, illustrated thefavorable opinion studentshad for an on-campus cof-fee shop, serving Starbucksbrand coffees.

Made fresh daily fooditems such as premiumsalads, deli wraps, sand-wiches, fresh cut fruit,breakfast quiche and asoup of the day will also beavailable.

Cookies, pastries andcakes will be brought infrom in an outside sourcethat has yet to be deter-mined.

Radiology-techniciansophomore Hillary Moe-singer said it’s a good idea.

“[It] will be an excellentaddition for when theweather gets cold; I enjoyhaving coffee or hot choco-late in the morning.”

Bio-chem major LilyHerrera agrees.

“It will be nice to get cof-fee or snacks in the eveningto help you stay awakewhile you study.”

After numerous informaldiscussions with students,OCCC President PaulSechrist found excellentreason to fully support andfund the addition.

“The coffee shop will beproviding previously un-available services to all stu-dents, including those at-tending evening classes,”he said.

The $71,500 project wasfunded through a contin-gency reserve used for thereplacement of broken or

damaged school property.“Its an awful-lot of money

they spent on the placewhen they could be doingother things with it,” OCCCstudent Jared Merz said.

An informal poll of stu-dent interviewed illustrated9/10 students believe theOCCC Coffee Shop was agood idea and will bring insteady profits for years tocome.

Staff Writer Jay Roc-amontes can be reached [email protected].

“The coffee shopwill be providing

previously unavailableservices to all

students, includingthose attending

evening classes.”—Paul Sechrist

OCCC President

By Jay RocamontesStaff Writer

In January 2006, the campus coffee shop got its startas the brainchild of International Business major andCarson Foods employee Murod Mamatov, or D.J., devel-oped an innovative idea that ultimately changed the OCCCcampus.

“As a class project in Introduction to Business, D.J.developed a very professional and well thought-out pre-sentation proposing the idea of an independent, on-cam-pus cyber café called the OKCCC coffee shop,” Adminis-trator of Extended Services Jack Kraettli said.

Mamatov’s proposal suggested that a centrally locatedcoffee shop would maintain profitability and promote thesocialization of students and faculty in a non-formal en-vironment, Kraettli said.

He said the presentation started a breeze of supportand enthusiasm that swept through the class overcom-ing the students and the professor.

This firm boost in confidence motivated Mamatov torefine his presentation and deliver it to the former OCCCfood vendor, Seller’s Café.

The apparently costly project, originally deterred advo-cates, and narrowed the road DJ traveled to make thisdream a reality.

With Kraettli’s help, Mamatov’s presentation made itinto the hands of Acting Associate Vice-President for Com-munity Development Gary Davidson, who then presentedthe proposal to college administrators.

Assistant Directors of Finance Linda McMurtry andBrenda Carpenter saw definite potential in Mamatov’sproposal and deemed the project a positive and worth-while revenue opportunity for the school, Davidson said.

The support of college administrators and the formalrecommendations of two directors of finance helped tosolidify President Paul Sechrist’s decision to approve theproject and allocate funds.

“Students are an excellent source of ideas and shouldfeel very comfortable making suggestions,” Sechrist said.

“Students suggesting ideas for enhancing the OCCCexperience should submit [those] via the suggestion boxeslocated throughout campus or by talking to the StudentLeadership Council,” Sechrist said.

Staff Writer Jay Rocamontes can be reached [email protected].

Contact the editor!!!Contact the editor!!!Contact the editor!!!Contact the editor!!!Contact the [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]

Page 6: Pioneer 2007 08 20

6 • PIONEER • August 20, 2007

Love them, hate them, but rate your professors onlineWebsite allows students to critique professors

YOU & A FRIEND ARE INVITEDTO A SPECIAL SCREENING*

Thursday, August 30, 2007 9 p.m.Harkins Bricktown 16

OPENS NATIONWIDE AUGUST 31

*Supplies are limited. Complimentary passes are available in

the Pioneer office 2M6 MB on a first-come, first-serve basis.

One admit-two pass per person with a valid OCCC ID

and proof of age.

By Eric NguyenContributing Writer

OCCC students are turn-ing the tables on their in-structors with RateMyProfessors.com, a websitethat lets the pupil do thegrading.

The site, which includes

a database of more than500 OCCC professors, al-lows students to post a re-view rating on the perfor-mance of instructors,based on easiness, helpful-ness and clarity.

Students also can ratewhether the instructors are“hot” or not.

Instructors receive anoverall rating with 0 beingthe lowest and 5 being thehighest.

Smiley faces are giventhose who rate above a 4,an indifferent face for thoseranked between a 3 and 4,and a sad face for a rank-ing below 3.

Students also can postcomments about their ex-periences with professorswithout being registeredusers.

Physical education majorLauren McGinley said sheenrolled in a biology classinstead of a geographyclass at Missouri State Uni-versity in the spring afterreading negative commentsabout a professor.

“I looked up a teacherwith a smiley face insteadand enrolled in [theprofessor’s] class,”McGinley said.

The site provides a use-ful source for students, shesaid. “[The ratings] seemedto be accurate.”

English professor PamelaStout said she has visitedthe site and looked at herratings.

Stout currently receivesan “overall quality” rating of4.4 out of 43 submissions.

She thinks the site’s rat-ing criteria is too limitedand the site doesn’t alwaysattract complete studentinput.

“[RateMyProfessors.com]attracts the students whoare passionate, one way oranother,” Stout said.

“Maybe [some students]have gotten a grade theydidn’t feel good about andgo to the site [to post a com-ment].”

History professor RayMcCullar said he agreesthat students only rate pro-fessors they either like ordon’t like, but says moststudents tend to be fair intheir comments.

“Students are decent andreasonable people and Ithink they give [professors]the benefit of the doubt,”McCullar said.

On the site, he has a 4.6overall quality score out of

59 ratings.While most comments

started with words such as“Awesome” and “Amazing,”one user posted a commenton McCullar’s page stating,“I had a bad experiencewith this teacher after an-swering a question heasked.

“I guess I got the questionwrong, but he humiliatedme in front of the entireclass to the point I was intears,” the user said.

McCullar said he wasn’taware this happened at thetime and said he takes intoconsideration all commentshe reads on the site — goodor bad — as an indicator ofwhat he is doing right andwhat he could do better.

Comments on RateMyProfessors.com are submit-ted anonymously.

Stout cautions studentsnot to take the teacherevaluations there too seri-ously because, she said,not every student in a classregisters with the website topost ratings.

Math professor JayMalmstrom said he hasbeen to the site to look atprofessors’ ratings, andagrees with Stout, sayingsince the site depends onstudents to voluntarilysubmit ratings, it isn’t a re-liable site to determine aninstructor’s performance.

“There’s really no controlto who gets on there … [sothe ratings] can be manipu-lated,” Malmstrom said.

“I can get on there myselfand leave a rating 3 or 4times … and artificiallyboost results up or drive itdown.”

Stout said the college ad-ministers its own kind ofteacher evaluation with theStudent Input on Instruc-tion forms given to stu-

dents near the end of eachsemester.

“The SIIs are more of atrue representation [ofteacher evaluation] be-cause everybody fills thoseout,” Stout said.

The SII forms are volun-tary as well, but Malm-strom said most, if not allof his students, completethe forms in class.

McCullar said he doesn’tthink there is much differ-ence between RateMyProfessors.com and the SIIforms given by OCCC.

Both essentially serve thesame result, he said, whichis students grading profes-sors, not necessarily on jobperformance, but onwhether or not they likethem.

“That’s not to say there’snot such a thing as a validlow rating,” McCullar said.“If you have 50 studentsand 40 say [a professor]doesn’t seem to care whathappens in class, that’sprobably right.

“That is simply becausemost people are reasonableand fair, and most peoplewould be really reluctant tosay that unless it’s thetruth.”

Science education majorSamantha Hammon said agood instructor knows thematerial they are teaching,teaches it well and takestime out of class to helpstudents.

RateMyProfessors.com isa good tool to get a feelingfor what an instructormight be like, she said.

“I’ve enrolled in classesbecause of it,” she said.[The ratings] have somemerit, but some of them arejust from people who areblowing off steam. You haveto take in all the comments,not just one or two.”

OCCC profs on RateMyProfessors.com includes...

Richard Anglin, psychologyMelinda Barr, history

Gary Dominguez, graphic artsRick Lippert, communications

Mary Punches, EnglishRon Staton, music

Page 7: Pioneer 2007 08 20

August 20, 2007 • PIONEER • 7

Get to know the many labs on campusOCCC has more than a handful of labs geared toward

students and specific areas of study.Labs ranging from communications to biology are available

to students with help on lab projects, homework and for thosewith general questions.

The labs are found in the buildings where that subject istaught most. For instance, any science lab can be found in theRobert P. Todd Science, Engineering and Math Center. TheCommunications Lab is in the Main Building since it’s a gen-eral lab to help students across all majors.

Each lab has different operating hours but all are staffed bycurrent and former students as tutors and lab assistants.

For more information on any given lab, refer to the photocaptions on this page.

Photos and textby Jay Rocamontes

Top: Math student Clayton Earlywine works on homeworkin the OCCC Math Lab. There, textbooks, instructional DVDs,computer learning programs, answer keys and aknowledgeable horde of math tutors are available for use byOCCC students. Math Lab hours are 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.Mondays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fridaysand Saturdays.

Lab Assistant Ross Kiddie eagerly helps sophomore Martha Velasco with zoologyhomework in the Bio-Science Center. Students can get help with homework by usingmodels and various hands-on equipment in the lab. Computers and video equipment arealso available for online or computer-based labs. Fall Bio-Science Lab hours are 9 a.m.to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Left: Communication Lab tutor Yousef Kazemi helpssophomore Ann Hovda revise a summer assignment.Students can visit the lab for word processing, learning toproofread, and assistance with revisions in grammar,spelling, and composition of papers. Fall CommunicationsLab hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays throughThursdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, and 10:30 a.m. to2:30 p.m. Saturdays.

Page 8: Pioneer 2007 08 20

8 • PIONEER • August 20, 2007

Sports

UPCOMING

OCCCINTRAMURALS

EVENTS

•Aug. 20: Registration for fallintramurals begins. Fall seme-ster’s intramural sports list in-cludes basketball, bench press-ing, flag football, soccer, tabletennis and bowling.

For more information, contactCommunity Health and Recre-ation Specialist Eric Watson at405-682-1611, ext. 7786.

•Aug. 28: A meeting for thoseinterested in joining OCCC’s clubsoccer team will be held at 7 p.m.in room 1C1B, near the Recre-ation and Community Servicesoffice.

The cost for joining the clubsoccer team is $35 per semes-ter.

Time for fall cleaning

Lifeguard Brandon Booth scrubs algae from the OCCC Aquatic Center pool during the week-long locker roomrenovations that took place Aug. 13 to 17. The Wellness Center gym, pool, locker rooms and Recreation CommunityServices office were all closed for the installation of new lockers and mirrors. Regular fall hours of operation willresume Aug. 20. For more information regarding fall fitness enrollment or Wellness Center hours, call RecreationCommunity Services at 405-682-7860.

Photo by Jay Rocamontes

Fall adds bowling to the mix

Stay updated! Visit thePioneer Online oftenfor news from yourcollege community.Visit www.occc.edu/

pioneer today.

Have a greatsports story youwant to share?

Know an athletethe Pioneer

should talk to?Contact Matt at405-682-1611,

ext. 7440 orby e-mail at

[email protected].

By Matt CabanContributing Writer

OCCC students can look forwardto a full slate of intramural andclub sports this fall, said EricWatson, Community Health andRecreation specialist.

Sports will include basketball,bench press, flag football, soccer,table tennis and a new addition,bowling.

“We’re doing a bowling tourna-ment this fall,” he said. “We’re set-ting up a thing with the HolidayLanes 44.”

Watson said the bowling tourna-ment will have a fee unlike otherintramurals, which are free to cur-rently enrolled students.

“[It is] a fee for $10 that includesshoe rental and a drink from theconcession stand,” he said.

Watson said the idea to host asport off campus isn’t new.

“When I originally came herethere was intramural pool at a [lo-

cal] pool hall,” he said.Watson said he would like to have

more off-campus events in the fu-ture.

As for the present, open registra-tion for all fall intramurals startsMonday, Aug. 20, he said.

Watson said participants mustbe current students. He said stu-dents can register in the Recreationand Community Services Office.

Watson also said any studentwho registers for an intramuralsport must provide current contactinformation to complete their reg-istration.

Participants also should pick upa copy of the revised intramuralhandbook, he said. It is availableat the Wellness Center, RCS officeand online at www.occc.edu/rcs.

Watson said the most notablechange to the rulebook is the ad-dition of a sportsmanship grade forall intramural teams.

“All teams must have at least aC average to be in the playoffs,” he

said. “This is to hold [players] ac-countable during activities.”

He said the sportsmanship gradebegan because there have been afew incidents of unsportsmanlikeconduct in past semesters.

Other sports and programs willbe offered this fall alongside theintramurals, Watson said. He saidboth club soccer and the Fall-into-Fitness program will return.

“We had Fall-into-Fitness back in2005,” he said. “It is a self-pacedfitness program.”

Meanwhile, club soccer returnsafter going dormant in the springsemester, Watson said.

He said there will be a meetingfor those who want to play clubsoccer at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 28,in 1C1B.

The cost for club soccer is $35per player. The club soccer teamplays teams from other Oklahomacolleges. For more information,contact Watson at 405-682-1611,ext. 7786.

Classified ads are free tostudents, faculty andstaff. Visit the Pioneer

office on the second floorof the Main Building or

call Tim at 405-682-1611,ext. 7674 for more

information.

Page 9: Pioneer 2007 08 20

August 20, 2007 • PIONEER • 9

New on-campus site to host Arts Festival OklahomaBy Brittany LegakoNews Writing Student

Arts Festival Oklahoma israpidly approaching. Theannual festival, to be heldLabor Day weekend onOCCC’s campus, will in-clude arts, crafts, an areafor children and food ven-dors.

Beginning Aug. 31 andending Sept. 3, the festivalwill be held at a new loca-tion, which was con-structed solely for theevent.

The festival site is locatedon the northwest side of theMain Building.

The new site was devel-oped after the previous sitewas earmarked as the lo-cation for the Arts Educa-tion Center, which cur-rently is being built.

Gary Phillips, Buildingand Campus supervisor,said the new area will help

keep those in attendancedry, in the event of rainfall.

He said the festival isopen to the public. There isa $3 parking fee and park-ing is available on the cam-pus lots.

Hours for the arts festi-val is 3 to 9 p.m. on Friday,Aug. 31, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.on Saturday, Sept. 1, 10a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday,Sept. 2 and 10 a.m. to 5p.m. on Monday, Sept. 3.

Nursing student BeccaOberfield said she enjoysattending the arts festivalfor the atmosphere it deliv-ers.

“I love going to the artsfestival. I like the culturethat it brings, and the foodis always a plus, too,”Oberfield said.

The new festival locationwill house two 60-feet by90-feet tents, and three 60-foot by 150-foot tent,Phillips said.

One of the smaller tentswill be designated as anarea for children to createarts and crafts, fingerpainting and a giant sandpit.

The other smaller tentwill be designated for artsand crafts for adults,Phillips said.

The three larger tents willinclude two artist tents andone crafts tent that will in-clude clothing, jewelry andyarned crafts.

Magic performances andlive entertainment also willfill the festival.

Parking lot C will house14 food vendors. Phillips

www.occc.edu/pioneer

said the vendors will servefood ranging from burgersto ice cream, and Indiantacos to shaved ice.

Arts Festival Oklahoma issponsored by OCCC, SouthOklahoma City Chamber ofCommerce, Women of theSouth and the South Okla-homa City Arts Association.

Page 10: Pioneer 2007 08 20

10 • PIONEER • August 20, 2007

Photo by LaWanda LaVarnway

HighlightsOpen audition for OCCC play

Auditions for Director Mikie Park’s interpretation of ShirleyLauro’s “A Piece of My Heart” will be held at 6 p.m. Wednes-day, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m., in the OCCC theater foyer. Audi-tions will consist of one male and six female roles chosenfrom a cold reading from the script. Rehearsals will beMonday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, and Satur-day afternoons starting after Labor Day. For more informa-tion, contact director Mikie Park at 405-476-6668, or at [email protected].

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 www.kellyengineering.com.

OCCC chamber singers auditionsAuditions for the OCCC performing choir will be Mon-

day, Aug. 20, and Tuesday, Aug. 21, in room 1D4B. A sign-up sheet can be found outside Professor Ron Staton’s of-fice for securing audition times. Tuition Fee waivers will beavailable for members of this choir. For more information,contact Ron Staton at 405-682-1611, ext. 7249, [email protected].

Jazz ensemble auditionsOCCC Jazz ensemble auditions will be held from 5 to 8

p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, and Wednesday Aug. 22, in room1C5. Regular rehearsals will be Tuesday and Wednesdaynights. At least two concerts will be held during the fall.Guitar, bass, drums, piano, trumpet, trombone, saxaphoneand vocals welcome.

Clubs make the difference

OCCC student organization and club representatives attended a Student Life sponsored leadership retreat held at Roman Nose State Park Aug. 10through 12. Club leaders learned the fundamentals of maintaining and developing successful student organizations while simultaneously creating valuablefriendships and contacts for the upcoming semester.

By Drew HamptonContributing Writer

As the fall semester be-gins and new studentsflood the college, studentclubs and organizationsthat lay dormant in thesummer will become active.

TLC Chair Chris Stewartsaid students could benefitfrom joining a club in anumber of ways, includinggaining leadership skills,meeting professionals, andlearning to network.

“I cannot express howimportant networking is,”Stewart said.

“You could be meetingyour next boss, or the per-son who could get you yournext job.”

Even if finding a job isn’ta student’s top priority,Stewart said, club mem-bers would still be meetingfriends and faculty mem-bers that could help themin a variety of ways.

In addition, StudentClubs and OrganizationsAssistant Karlen Graysonsaid individual clubs mightbe able to offer more imme-diate benefits, such as pos-sible scholarship opportu-nities and an increased

chance to impress potentialemployers.

“By being active in a clubor organization, it doesshow … that they are lead-ers and team players,which will enhance theirrésumé,” she said.

Grayson said there areclose to 36 active clubs andorganizations currently oncampus, categorized intofour general types:

•Honor societies such asPhi Theta Kappa and PsiBeta.

•Departmental clubssuch as the Business Pro-fessionals of America andPsychology Sociology Club.

•Special interest organi-zations like the CollegeDemocrats and HispanicOrganization to PromoteEducation.

•Religious organizationssuch as Chi Alpha Chris-tian Fellowship and BaptistCollegiate Ministries.

While club membershipis currently down, Stewartsaid he is optimistic.

He said a significantnumber of incoming stu-dents had already ex-pressed interest in campusorganizations.

Stewart and Grayson said

there are several ways stu-dents interested in campusclubs can find more infor-mation, mostly centeredaround the Student Life of-fice.

“At Student Life, we havemailboxes for the variousclubs,” Grayson said. “

[Students] can leave mes-sages in the club mail-boxes, or they can pick upa club brochure [with con-tact information].”

Grayson also suggestedstudents routinely checkthe club boards postedacross campus, which areregularly updated with con-tact information, meetingdates and events for indi-vidual clubs.

“Normally, the studentsdon’t start posting club ac-tivities until August, be-cause we can’t actuallyschedule (events) until wefind out exactly how muchspace is available and whatis available,” she said.

Stewart said he would en-courage students to get in-volved in clubs or organi-zations to enhance theireducational experience.

“You can learn so much,”he said. “It can do greatthings.

Moving forward

Page 11: Pioneer 2007 08 20

August 20, 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.

NOW HIRING: Servers,Bussers, Host Staff, & Bartend-ers. Apply at Shogun Steakhouseon N.W. 122nd & May in the NorthPark Mall after 5:30 p.m. any dayor call 749-0120.

FOR SALE: Three-year-oldLudwig Doetsch violin with soft-side case. In excellent condition.Kid graduated. A real buy at$1,500. Contact 405-306-3290 or405-306-1396.

FOR SALE: Colt Match TargetAR-15 with a detachable flarelauncher. Includes original fore-grip and magazine. Asking $1,200.Call 405-760-4251.

CARPOOL NEEDED: I amlooking for someone who couldgive me rides from Norman (OUcampus) to OCCC and fromOCCC to Norman as well. I wouldmake an arrangement. Call me at405-361-1930 or e-mail me [email protected].

Class ifi eds

ROOMMATE WANTED: Ma-ture female part-time student andfull-time educator wants to shareapartment near OCCC duringschool week. Non-smoker, non-drinker. Please call 405-255-7752and leave message or [email protected].

ROOMMATE WANTED: Forthe Fall/07 and if possible Spring/08. To share a 3 bedroom, 1 bathhouse with a male friend and I.Two minutes away from OCCC.Quiet and clean environment forstudies. $220 a month for rent.Bills shared among 3 of us, about$150 for internet, light, water,trash, and gas. We are both stu-dents at OCCC. Room is avail-

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

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

Oklahoma Air National Guard5624 Air Guard Dr.Oklahoma City, OK 73179-1067

100% COLLEGE TUITION WAIVER

$$$$ MONEY FOR COLLEGE $$$$

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

e-mail: [email protected]

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

FREE KITTENS: Free to a goodhome. Fifteen-week-old kittens.Please call 405-812-1112.

FREE TO GOOD HOME: Full-blood black Labrador Retriever.Male, 2 years old. Very gentlewith children, loves to play, veryintelligent. Needs a family that willgive him the attention he needsand deserves. Please call 405-324-4056 after 6 p.m. or [email protected].

FOR SALE: ’03 Kia Rio Sedan.Blue exterior, charcoal gray inte-rior. 4-door, auto trans., tintedpower windows, anti-lock. Neat &clean interior. A/C & heating, CD/AM/FM, clean engine & new bat-tery. 77k miles. Great condition.Asking $5,000 negotiable. Leavemessage at 405-210-2219. [email protected] forpics or more info.

FOR SALE: ’95 Infinti J30V6.170k miles, dark green, CD/cassette, A/C, power windows/lock/seat, seat warmer, sunroof,leather. Very clean, runs great.Asking for $2,500 O.B.O. Call 713-858-9902.

FOR SALE: ’94 Ford Taurus.164k miles, Sable, cruise control,auto, A/C, power windows/locks/seats. $1,800 O.B. O. Great Con-dition overseas. [email protected].

FOR SALE: Microfiber sofa andlove seat made by Ashley. Mochacolor. One owner, good condition.Asking $300 O.B.O. Contact 405-682-1611, ext. 7377 or [email protected].

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

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 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. If you are interested in learning more about

this fun and interesting course, check out www.occc.edu/acoakley.

Zio’s Italian Kitchen2035 S. Meridian

Now Hiring 12 ServersApply in person Monday

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

FOR SALE: Apple Macbook.13” display/2.0/2X512/80/SDwhite. Warranty through 06/28/09. Includes Microsoft Office soft-ware. Apple Ipod 30 GB (black).All original paperwork & boxes.$1,200 for both O.B.O. Call Kali at405-650-3802 or e-mail [email protected].

able August 13. If interested con-tact Ethel at 405-361-0251.

It’s easyeasyeasyeasyeasy to

PioneerFax your ads to405-682-7843

or e-mail ads [email protected].

advertise in the

Page 12: Pioneer 2007 08 20

12 • PIONEER • August 20, 2007

Students encouraged to park in less popular lots D and E

from the Arts and Hu-manities building was usedfor overflow parking.

That area is no longeravailable as the Arts Festi-val Oklahoma site was re-located there with the startof construction for the ArtsEducation Center.

Sloas said the overflowparking this year would bemoved to the grassy fieldjust south of the AquaticCenter, located near park-ing lot E.

“In lot E there’s a curb cutwhere you can drive uponto the curb and driveonto the field.”

Sloas said if the overflowparking area is neededSafety and Security wouldhave people directing traf-fic in that area.

Sloas said he recom-mends students arrive 10to 15 minutes early untilafter the first few weeks ofthe semester, when parkingareas tend to have more

space.Although a parking lot

was constructed in the artsfestival area, it will not beavailable for use until aweek after Labor Day week-end, Messer said.

“We’ll still have a lot ofwork going on in that area,so we won’t be utilizing thatarea for parking until afterthe arts festival is com-pleted,” he said.

The 68 spaces in that lotwill not be available for stu-dent use as the lot will beneeded for arts festival ven-dors as they arrive the weekbefore the festival.

Construction in other ar-eas should have minimalimpact on parking avail-ability, Messer said.

In addition to the con-struction site traffic, accessto Arts and Humanitiesbuilding Entry 5 will beavailable only from parkinglot C.

Messer said access wouldnot be available from lot Duntil the walkway to thenew Arts Education Center

is completed.Limited parking availabil-

ity is only one worry for stu-dents, staff and faculty inthe parking lots. Theft alsois a concern.

Sloas said drivers shouldlock their car doors andlock valuables in theirtrunks, glove compart-ments or consoles.

He added everyoneshould be aware of what’sgoing on around them andknow the location of theemergency call boxes.

Call boxes are located onthe plaza and also on thelettered light poles locatedin each parking lot.

“If [students] see any-thing (suspicious) or needour help, they can pushthose call boxes and talkdirectly to us,” he said.

In addition to the callboxes, there also are secu-rity cameras located in ev-ery parking lot now.

“We have all the lots cov-ered and they record 24hours a day, seven days aweek,” Sloas said.

“I try and park near automotive...there are usually open spaces,

and it is close to the building. It’sgreat for hot days or when it’s

raining.”—Trent Steward

Psychology major

“I take a lot of morning classesand i just try and get here earlyto find a good parking place.Just make sure to keep you eyespeeled and be aware of yoursurroundings if you takeevening classes and get outlate.”

—Nicki WeedBusiness Sophomore

“I try to park by the building thatis has the majority of my

classes. Sometimes I use thelibrary parking lot and just walk

through the library to the MainBuilding. It’s convenient and

there are always ample parkingspaces.”

—Chris ScottPsychology Sophomore

“I usually park west of thelibrary in parking lot C, [be-cause] it is close to my classesand there are always availableparking spaces. It’s nice not tohave a far walk when you aretired after a long day.”

—Laura BrinkmanOCCC Student

Veterans shareparking secrets

Photos by Jay Rocamontes

The cameras are pro-grammed to zoom in on thecall boxes when someonecalls security from one.

Sloas said he stronglydiscourages anyone fromapproaching any suspi-cious person or activity.

“Please use the call boxes(to) call us when stuff’s go-ing on in the parking lotbecause we can zoom invery quickly and find outwhat’s going on, whereyou’re at and what’s hap-pening to you,” Sloas said.

In addition to safety con-cerns, Sloas said Safetyand Security officers would

be issuing citations forparking lot and traffic vio-lations.

“The first couple of weekswe’re concentrating on thefires lanes, faculty parkingspaces, handicapped (park-ing), and double parking,”Sloas said.

Information about trafficand parking policies andfines can be found in thestudent handbook, in theSafety and Security Office,or online at www.occc.edu/Security.

Editor Carrie Cronk canbe reached at [email protected].

Missing student’s remains identified Aug. 15 “Kawase,”Cont. from page 1

“Parking,”Cont. from page 1

both remained open sinceKawase’s disappearancewas first reported.

Phyllis Switzer, daughterof Kawase’s host family,said her family learned theremains were Kawase’swhen a news station calledher mother for an interview.

Switzer met Kawasewhen she was an interna-tional student at the Uni-versity of Central Okla-homa.

Switzer and her motherdecided to each sponsor in-ternational students whenUCO’s program was in needof host families.

Switzer said Kawase waslike a little sister to her andthat Kawase was close toher host family.

“She loved my kids,”Switzer said.

“She loved to listen tothem play.”

She said Kawase also en-joyed listening to heryounger son play guitar for

her.Kawase was a

sweet, innocentand trusting youngwoman, Switzersaid.

“She always hadsuch an innocenceabout her.

“She would trustanybody and every-body, it didn’t matter whoit was, and I tried to tell heryou just can’t trust every-body.”

Switzer said Kawase oftentold her host mother whenshe was going out withfriends, but didn’t mentionwho the friends were.

“When [Mayuko] came upmissing, her mom said(Mayuko told her) she wasgoing to go to the bookstorewith a friend but (that she)never did say who thefriend was,” Switzer said.

Kawase’s professors havealso expressed their sad-ness at her death.

Learning Skills ProfessorCarlotta Hill said Kawasewas a sweet girl who had

made closefriendships inher class.

“She was awonderful stu-dent, and herloss is great …she could havecontributed tre-mendously to so-ciety, and she al-

ready had, because she(had) made friends.”

Learning Skills ProfessorLinda Robinett said Kawasewas a quiet and intelligentstudent.

“She was such a greatstudent and so sweet,”Robinett said.

“She got along so wellwith everybody … shedidn’t know anybody atfirst but she was so nicethat others just includedher and she had such goodfriends in the class.

“She was a nice girl.”Kawase’s family lives in

Japan.Editor Carrie Cronk can

be reached at [email protected].

Mayuko Kawase