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InsideDecember 11, 2006This Week Hoildays not about money, editorial, p. 2. Christmas good time to volunteer, p. 8. Pro-Am swim meet at OCCC, sports, p. 12. College Republicans vow return, p. 14.Oklahoma City Community CollegePIONEERwww.occc.edu/pioneerData Center movewill shut down allnetwork systemsOld Man WinterBy David MillerEditorFaculty and students will temMost OCCC computerporarily be lost in cyberspace asservices will be unavailablethe college’s Data Center moves to newDec. 22 through Jan. 2:quarters and installs updated hardcollege e-mail system ware. Most college computer servicesInternet access Datatel will be unavailable from noon, Friday,MineOnline WebCT Dec. 22, until Jan. 2, when the DataNetwork services — local andCenter completes its move into thewide area networks WI-FIRobert P. Todd Science, Engineeringand Math Center, said James Riha, Information and Instructional Technology Services chief technology officer.During that time, Riha said, the college e-mail system, Internet access, Datatel, MineOnline and WebCT will be out of service. Networkservices such as WI-FI, and the local and wide area networks, also willbe unavailable.“The only thing that will be working during this break period is voicemail,” he said.As of noon, Dec. 22, Riha said, college computers will be functional,but anything connected to a network device or to the wireless network— such as network printers — will no longer work because all networkwiring connections will have been severed.What this means, Riha said, is students will have a limited time period in which to check their grades online for the fall semester.“Grades will be processed through the student information system,and then students will have access to their grades online from Thursday morning through noon on Friday, the 22nd,” Riha said.Riha explained the full effect the shutdownSee “Move,” page 16will have on students.Integrated e-mail systemcrucial, says college bursarBy Drew HamptonNews Writing StudentWhilethecollege’s newintegrated e-mail andMine Online servicewas intended primarily as a convenienceto students, OCCCBursar Brandi Henson anticipates it alsowill be highly usefulfor her office to communicate critical financial information tostudents who mightnot otherwise bereachable.“If we send you astatement (by regularmail) and it comesback to us as undeliverable, now we canlook you up and findyour student e-mailaccount,” she said.Henson said her office can then send ane-mail to the student,saying the U.S. mailcame back to the college and letting thestudent know the nextpayment is due.Before the e-mailsystem was in place,Henson said, the Bursar’s Office was forcedPhoto by Carrie CronkSophomore Graphic Communications major Phillip Grimes takes timebefore his afternoon class to build a snowman on campus Dec. 4. Anarctic front the previous week brought several inches of ice and snow,causing the campus to close Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.to hang on to undeliverable statements andfinancial aid checks inthe hope that the student would come inand ask why it hadnever been deliveredby the postal service.“We need to get wordout to students thatthey’ve got these e-mail accounts andthat they should beusing them,” Hensonsaid. “They are receiving communicationsfrom the college inthose accounts, nodoubt.”Henson said thatwhile the system behind these messagesis currently incapableof listing how much isdue and when for eachstudent, the Bursar’sOffice is working toconvert their recordsinto the system andhopefully change thisin the future.See “e-mail,” page 16
2 PIONEER Dec. 11, 2006Editorial and OpinionEditorialChristmasequalsmaterialism“There are some things money can’t buy. ForChristmas, there’s MasterCard.”Most Americans pay lip service to shunningmaterialism, but readily indulge in it in the nameof the holiday spirit.The aftermath of holiday spending binges leavesmany consumers feeling guilty.Should they have spent less on often unnecessary gifts and more on credit card bills, savingsaccounts or student loan payments?According to the Credit Union National Association, many shoppers plan to spend less on giftsthis holiday season.However, notes CUNA, many people will spendmore than they intended. The resulting “financialhangover” is one with which many are familiar.The incidence of people spending beyond theirmeans, especially between Thanksgiving and NewYear’s, has increased in recent years.Is it because credit cards make it so simple?Is it because we really are so susceptible to thewiles of advertising executives (“A diamond is forever.” Translation: “If you really loved her, you’dbe willing to finance this rock.”)?Is it because we crave escape from reality somuch we can’t resist a pile of presents?Or is it harmless, all in good fun, and all part ofthe true “spirit of Christmas?”It is important to analyze the reasons so manyof us overspend. What satisfaction do the latestholiday toys really provide?Lots, some would say. That Xbox 360 will provide hours of entertainment. That brand-new SUVwill afford its owner invaluable driving pleasure.That new kitchen/office/workshop gadget will simplify life in ways one can’t yet even fathom.Perhaps.There’s nothing wrong with wanting to showerloved ones with tokens of appreciation, no harmin enjoying the holiday season’s opportunities toshare with and surprise our fellow humans.In the context of high debt levels, however, onehas to question where to draw the proverbial line.This holiday season, people should consider whatmotivates them to buy what they buy.Is it because they think gifts will be truly appreciated by the recipients, and because the gifts arewithin their budgets?Or, are they simply getting caught up in the materialistic frenzy that tends to grip even the sanestmen, women and children when the carols, salesand constant advertising reminders invade malls,superstores and media airwaves?—Amanda BittleStaff WriterCollege president sendsholiday wish to studentsTo the Editor:Holiday Greetings toOCCC Students:As the fall semester nearsits end, we look forward tothe upcoming holidays andthe break between semesters. I want to extend toeach of you, our students,my best wishes for a wonderful, safe, and restful holiday season.To those of you who havecompleted your immediateeducational goals at OCCCand are moving on in yourcareer or to another college,I wish you great success inyour future.And, I hope to see youback someday, perhaps asa returning student, certainly as an alumnus, or tosimply drop by to keep intouch with your OCCC instructors, staff, and friends.“The gift of learning is one we give toourselves and one that no one canever take away.”—Paul SechristOCCC PresidentTo those who will be returning to OCCC in the newyear ahead, I look forwardto welcoming you back forthe spring semester. I alsowish you success as youcontinue your educationaljourney with us. The gift oflearning is one we give toourselves and one that noone can ever take away.May your holidays be filledwith joy, and may the newyear bring you peace andhappiness.—Paul SechristOCCC PresidentThe Pioneer staff wishes youa pleasant and meaningfulholiday season and aspectacularly- festive New Year!Vol. 35 No. 16David Miller.EditorJohn Savage.Staff WriterPhillip Hemphill.Staff WriterRachel Carlton.Staff WriterAmanda Bittle.Staff WriterValerie Jobe.Staff WriterScott D’Amico.Online EditorMike Ferak.WebmasterCarrie Cronk.PhotographerTim Cronk.Ad ManagerRichard Hall.Lab AssistantRonna Austin.Lab DirectorSue Hinton.Faculty AdviserThe PIONEER is a publication of Oklahoma City Community College through theDivision of Arts and Humanities. It is published weeklyduring the fall and spring semesters and the eight-weeksummer session.All opinions expressed arethose of the author and do notnecessarily represent those ofthe publisher.The PIONEER welcomes letters to the editor and encourages the use of this publication as a community forum.All letters must include theauthor’s name, address,phone number and signature.However, the PIONEER willwithhold the name if the request is made in writing. ThePIONEER has the right to editall letters and submissionsfor length, libel and obscenity.Letters to the editor can bedelivered to the PIONEER office, mailed to: Pioneer Editor,7777 S. May, Oklahoma City,Oklahoma 73159 or faxed to(405) 682-7843.Letters may also be e-mailedto editor@occc.edu. A phonenumber for verification mustbe included.The PIONEER can be accessed on the Internet at:www.occc.edu/pioneer.
Dec. 11, 2006 PIONEER 3Comments and ReviewsLibrary staff offers optionsfor second floor assistanceTo the Editor:I would like to respond toDobry Priboy’s recent letterconcerning staff on the second floor of the Library. The librarians and I havehad in-depth discussionsabout this in the past.Because of staffing andinconsistent activity on thesecond floor, it did not seemfeasible to place a staffmember on the second floorpermanently. Also, with a librarian sta-tioned on the second floor,it would disrupt the quietstudy environment we tryto maintain.So, a call phone wasplaced on a column in thecenter of the second floor. When the phone is pickedup, it automatically callsdown to the Library Assistance Desk.A librarian will answerand provide help while onthe phone, or will come tothe second floor in person.It’s very common practicefor the librarians to assistpatrons in locating materials and they are alwayshappy to do so.If anyone has any difficulty locating materials orhas any questions while onthe second floor, please donot hesitate to pick up thephone and request assistance.—Barbara KingLibrary ServicesDirectorBacteria growing out of thepetri dish in the science areaTo the Editor:I am a student here atOCCC and I feel that it ispart of my duty as a student to work to improve ourshared campus.There is a specific ideathat I feel I should sharewith your readers and theadministration in order tobetter our campus.You are probably aware ofthe flooding that occurswith the slightest bit of rainin the science adjunct areaof the Main Building.My math class is held inthis part of the building,and I feel this leaking andflooding could become alarge problem to myself andfellow students.Not only does it lookcheap and disgusting, butit is growing mold and otherallergenic spores and bacteria.There are several students, as well as myself,who suffer severe reactionsto the things growing in thecarpet. We suffer from painful, stopped up noses, watery, puffy, itchy eyes, andthe inevitable sneezing anddiscomfort.I do have an idea that willhopefully help rid this partof the school of the ongoing problem.My idea is to install tileflooring into this part of thebuilding.The tile does not have tobe anything fancy, justsomething that will enablethe staff and the studentsto clean up the flooding inan easier and more sanitary fashion.I do not doubt the students and administrationat this school desire tomake the campus look better, and I am confident thatthis idea will better all parties it concerns.Please take this into consideration, if not for thenicer look of the school,then for the students’ andadministration’s health.Thank you very much foryour time.—Lauren AdamsOCCC StudentCampus securityalienates studentsTo the Editor:There is a problem withcampus security.They need to learn how torelate to the students more.One thing I think thewhole campus would agreewith me on is the fact thatcampus security looksdown on the students likewe’re criminals It is unbelievable to methese men can look downon us when we are the onesgoing to school trying tobetter ourselves, and theyare the ones who have chosen to be [security guards].My solution is that campus security people shouldhave to go to class tohelp them better understand and relate to the students.By them attending a classonce a month it should opentheir eyes to the fact that weare not criminals, [that] weare just college studentstrying to eek by on whatwe’ve been given.Between working twojobs, going to school anddoing homework, the lastthing I need on my mind isthe campus security.Something definitelyneeds to be done.—Chad LamberthOCCC StudentQ: When will the bookstore have the book buyback?A: The book buyback will be Dec. 11 through Dec.16. The hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday throughThursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. tonoon Saturday.—Brenda ReinkeBookstore DirectorQ: Who makes the decision for the school to beclosed, and what does it take to close the school?A: Donna Nance, our vice president for Businessand Finance, makes the decision based on what ishappening, and that is because she has her sourcesfrom the Physical Plant and Safety and Security toinform her of any situation or event. She also hasspotters on the roads checking the situation herewith our parking lots.—Pat BerryhillInstitutional Advancement Executive DirectorQ: Why aren’t there enough parking spaces in themain parking lot between the library and ChildDevelopment Center?A: The school works on a 5- to 8-year strategicplan for its construction projects, and building anew parking lot would need to be an official part ofthat strategic plan. Also, parking spaces have beenadded to Lot A twice.—Gary PhillipsBuilding and Campus Services SupervisorQ: Why isn’t there a smoking area within theschool?A: To build a smoking area inside would be ofgreat cost to the school. The smoking area wouldhave to be completely redesigned so it could beclosed off from the rest of the school’s offices,classrooms and public areas. It also would have tobe well-ventilated.—Gary PhillipsBuilding and Campus Services SupervisorQ: Can a person in a position of authority at OCCChire someone he or she is romantically involved with?A: The college uses an employment process thatinvolves several individuals in the hiring of any newstaff member. The individuals involved in the process include, in many cases, an interview committee, the position supervisor, the dean or directorover the area, the President Cabinet member, human resources, and the president of the college.These efforts are designed to help ensure we makegood hiring decisions that are in the best interestof college.—Larry RobertsonSenior Human Resources Specialist
Dec. 11, 2006 PIONEER 4Comments and ReviewsCollege leaders share holiday music“‘Remembering Christmas’ byDanny Wright is my pick. DannyWright is an exceptional pianistwho adds his improvisations toclassic Christmas music. Thismusic works as backgroundmusic for a party or for justrelaxing with a cup of hot cider.”—Paul SechristOCCC President“Mannheim Steamrollerwould be my favorite. Itmakes me feel good andgets me in the holidayspirit.”—Brenda HarrisonAcademic AffairsAssociate Vice President“[The Ally McBeal Christmasalbum is] just a nice selection ofChristmas songs. Some of themare non-traditional Christmassongs, and I like that.”—Susan VanSchuyverArts and Humanities Dean“[Bing Crosby’sChristmas music]sounds like Christmasought to.”—Max SimmonsScience and MathematicsDean‘Wah-Wah’ DVD may make renters cryA dysfunctional family isat the center of the Britishfilm “Wah-Wah,” which wasrecently released on DVD.It’s 1969, and the BritishCompton family live inSwaziland, Africa.When Lauren (MirandaRichardson, “Sleepy Hollow”) and Harry Compton(Gabriel Byr ne, “VanityFair,” “The Usual Suspects”) get divorced, their12-year-old son Ralph (ZacFox) takes it upon himselfto go to boarding school inorder to avoid the chaos.To make it apparent thata considerable amount oftime has passed since heleft for school, a new actor,Nicholas Hoult (“About aBoy”) is brought in to portray 14-year-old Ralph after he returns home.When Ralph retur ns,things are no less chaoticthan when he left. He nowhas a new American stepmother, Ruby (Emily Watson, “Tim Burton’s CorpseBride”), who seems to bethe only responsible adultpresent in Ralph’s life.At first glance, the movieseems as though it mightbe a coming-of-age storywith heart. However, “WahWah” is as boring as amovie can get. Although themovie is only an hour and45 minutes, it feels muchlonger.The story fails to progressbecause each scene contains the same content ofthe last: the drunken fatherapologizing, the selfishmother being intolerable,and the frustrated son tornbetween parents.Unfortunately, the DVDcontent doesn’t fare muchbetter in the entertainmentdepartment. The disc hasvirtually no special features.Of course, subtitles areoffered, as are preview trailers for other movies, butthat is all.Neither the movie, nor theDVD, is worth the time orenergy it would take todrive to the video store.“Wah-Wah” is rated R forlanguage and brief sexuality.Rating: D —Rachel CarltonStaff Writer‘Nativity Story’ dark, yet still family friendlyMany Christians living inthe Bible Belt just might besurprised by the new film,“The Nativity Story.”The film, showing thebirth of Jesus, follows apath similar to that of “ThePassion of the Christ.”The film is not directed byMel Gibson, but rather byCatherine Hardwicke,known for her teenage films“Thirteen” and “Lords ofDogtown.”“Nativity” shows a 13year-old Mary who is forcedinto marriage with an olderJoseph, an image quite different from what Sundayschool teachers relay.Keisha Castle-Hughes(“Whale Rider”) portraysMary, the woman chosen togive birth to Jesus.Castle-Hughes gives a superb performance that isgeared toward teenagersand young adults.Starring opposite ofCastle-Hughes as Joseph isrelatively unknown actorOscar Isaac.The start of the film is actually the end of the story.The opening scenes showthe murdering of youngmale infants and toddlers,ordered by Herrod to eliminate future rivals for histhrone.Flash back a year earlierand the countdown begins.To understand the opening scenes, audience members will have to watch therest of the movie, whichdoes explain the strangebeginning.The film doesn’t stray toomuch from the plot and willhave viewers’ eyes glued tothe screen with images oflandscapes and a culturemuch different from ourstoday.The film isn’t all serious,though.The three wise men givea bit of comic relief thatcomes out of nowhere.Although unexpected, itis a plus.The score of the film iscrafted into the movie soperfectly it will go relativelyunnoticed.Finally, the filming isdone so that moviegoerswon’t have to strain theireyes or have harsh shadows and angles thrown atthem.Overall, the film is onethat pleases and a perfectChristmas film for the family, once the beginning haspassed.Rating: A—Phillip HemphillStaff Writer
Dec. 11, 2006 PIONEER 5Testing Center plans to toss out pens, paperBy Spencer Livingston-GaineyNews Writing StudentOCCC plans to replace penciland-paper tests in the Testing Center with electronic versions by2009. The practice of taking testselectronically is known as e-testing.Jim Ellis, Testing and Assessment director, is in charge of theprocess.He informed the Faculty Association of the plans Nov. 28.The transition from the currentsystem to electronic testing wouldcost somewhere around 300,000,Ellis said.The costs would include 80 newcomputers, along with chairs,desks and the re-wiring of the Testing Center.The College is in the process ofseeking a grant to secure the funding for the new equipment.The growing number of studentsattending OCCC, as well as the efficiency of having the tests on computers, are factors in the decisionto implement e-testing.Students would know how wellthey scored on a test right aftertaking it, Ellis said.Also, the professor would haveinstant access to the test for theirfiles.Ellis said he wants the e-testingprocess to be as easily understoodas possible, so people who are nottechnology-savvy will not feel alienated.“I am not a technical person, soI need to understand each step asit goes along.” Ellis said.Students’ reactions to the newtesting process wer
Mine Online service was intended prima-rily as a convenience to students, OCCC Bursar Brandi Hen-son anticipates it also will be highly useful for her office to com-municate critical fi-nancial information to students who might not otherwise be reachable. “If we send you a statement (by regular mail) and it comes back to us as undeliv-erable .
