By Zoe Petersen and Citlali Vazquez-Perez Oklahoma City Community College professor, department chair, and adviser to the Pioneer Markus Zindelo had been a journalist for 17 years and a professor

What if I told you that every day for the rest of your life, you would be in intense physical pain? For people like me, that is not a hypothetical,

By Oliver Kramp, Student Writer After decades of slow speeds and malfunctions, the elevator in the Arts and Humanities building is finally being upgraded this year. Faculty and staff who

By Jasmine Harris, Student Writer Those who visited campus recently may have noticed a colorful addition to the sidewalk in front of the main building: chalk drawings.  The chalk drawings

The cast of Theatre Professor Don Russell’s adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express” killed it April 27. The play was absolutely outstanding and one that would fit in well

With the weather beginning to warm up and COVID starting to dissipate, the OCCC Detention Pond walking trail, located on the northeast side of the campus is a place where

A video game tournament, in which participants raced in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, was hosted by OCCC’s Office of Student Life. The tournament was held in the theater of the

Welcome to the light and shadow of deeper spring. If we think about it, what is more earthy and  planety, than light and shadow?  We revolve, rotate, rotate, revolve, and

Hundreds of OCCC students have shown they are outstanding scholars and were named to the Vice President’s Honor Roll for their work in spring semester 2020. The Pioneer congratulates them

Many have been anxiously waiting for the green light to chuck their collection of masks into a time capsule and block out the memory of them entirely until their children’s

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges he faced regarding the murder of George Floyd on April 20. Chauvin was convicted for second-degree murder,

Hundreds of OCCC students have shown they are outstanding scholars and were named to the Vice President’s Honor Roll for their work in fall semester 2020. The Pioneer congratulates them

By AARON COPELAND, Student Writer While cash-strapped students are stuck facing the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic, staff members at Oklahoma City Community College are finding ways to

Just days after his reporters were notified that they had won state journalism awards for their controversial coverage of the college administration’ harassment and discrimination, Vice President for Academic Affairs

By Edmund Rocks Students who want to read literary artistry created by follow students should download the OCCC Absolute. The Absolute, the college’s literary journal, contains anything from poetry to

By Kaitlyn Jackson The OCCC Visual Art Department is continuing to allow students to be creative this spring while staying safe, Jeremy Fineman, program chairman and professor of art said.

Oklahoma City Community College’s graduating class of 2021 should probably start their hunt for that perfect pair of boots (you know, the ones that were made for walkin’) because that

OCCC Adjunct Professor Nyla Khan presents ways to help students in an educational setting who have experienced trauma, including trauma inflicted by living in conflict zones. As we see watch

OCCC Students who have shone in comparison with their peers will be honored for their achievements next month.  The 2021 Student Awards Ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. May 7, 

April 16 OCCC will once again be hosting a COVID-19 vaccination pod from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the dining area of the main building.  No registration is required.

By Dominic Bonocore With the appearance of COVID-19, the United States has seen almost all large gatherings, including trips to the theater being put to a halt. However, one OCCC

El 16 de Abril, OCCC volverá a albergar una cápsula de vacunaciónpara COVID-19 de las 9 a.m. a las 5 p.m. en el comedor del edificio principal. No será necesario

Earlier this year OCCC agreed to be the authorizer of Santa Fe South charter schools starting July 1, but college administration may have not expected Oklahoma City Public Schools board

Imagine walking into a room and seeing your boss. Then, imagine your boss standing up and slapping you as hard as he can in the right ear. The strike is

Like many others, I have grown up playing the “Call of Duty” games.  For many who feared the “Call of Duty” franchise had been falling into mediocrity as of late,

Students come to OCCC with many different experiences and goals for success. Hagan Hunter is one such student who came to the college with the dream of making films. He

The search for a new OCCC college president is off to a slow start, but the OCCC Board of Regents is still moving forward to put together plans for hiring

Whomever is chosen as the next OCCC president may be scrutinized more during their annual job review, if the OCCC Regents get their way. The administrator chosen may be grilled

As COVID-19 numbers continued to rise throughout the United States, crimes and acts of hate towards Asians and Asian-Americans have also risen.  Early during the pandemic, many politicians such as

An OCCC employee many say is incredibly helpful, kind and a true champion of students was awarded the Staff Recognition Award this month by the Faculty Association. Alexa Mashlan, assistant

Hundreds of employees and their family members came back to OCCC’s main campus to get a shot in the arm of the Moderna COVID vaccine as the college hosted a

Toward the end of February, certain qualifying OCCC students received an email regarding a monetary grant due to additional federal funding that college received. The grant was directed to be

Like for many people around the world, 2020 was rough going for 33-year-old Sarah Everard. Everard is originally from York, but lived in Brixton, South London. However, recently things seemed

OCCC is debuting a new software called Ally that will work to make online learning more accessible to students who need certain accommodations. Such accommodations can be for students with

The following students achieved the President’s Honor Roll in Fall 2020. To earn this honor, students must earn a 4.0 GPA in that semester. The Pioneer wishes to congratulate all

If OCCC upper administration is wondering how faculty feel about the work they’ve done this academic year, they might be all smiles this week. The Faculty Association, in an almost

In the isolating haze of online classes and Zoom-manufactured camaraderie, Oklahoma City Community College may soon start to see its first glimpse of sobering light at the end of this

Like the free jazz of John Coltrane or Miles Davis? “Malcolm & Marie” is a film that runs free and refuses or easily defined. It is elusive and difficult to

By now it is common knowledge that COVID-19 has forced many on-campus events, including most classes, to go online. Most recently, OCCC’s Student Life’s semesterly club fair was added to

Estar separado de la familia no es fácil. Puede ser bastante aterrador, especialmente cuando esa separación ocurre en un lugar desconocido, donde se habla un idioma desconocido, y cuando esa

By Collin Carpenter As of now OCCC students are not required to get vaccinated before returning to in-person classes for this upcoming fall semester and there has been no official

Following the recent extreme cold and snow that shut down OCCC for over a week, the Facilities Management department and Campus Police were recognized by the OCCC Board of Regents

College is a time to encounter new ideas, explore dreams, and find a great career that satisfies financial needs and purpose in life.  At OCCC there is an opportunity to

By Makayla Hackett OCCC students are some of the only higher education learners in the metro who are still required to have most of their courses online this semester, and

The Vice President of Academic Affairs was chosen last week, but many people may not know how many or who was in the running.  After interviewing many candidates from a

To Dwell in the Oasis of the Human Spirit Welcome to the early March light of Sunlight and Shadow.   As winter persists, I am still feeling much of the dark

For the first time in college history, OCCC will be the sponsor for an area charter school district. The OCCC Board of Regents, in regular session Jan. 25, approved a

OCCC’s Wellness Center in the department for Recreation and Fitness remains open for use to all students, faculty and staff.  The restrictions placed on the center due to COVID will

Students in select courses at Oklahoma City Community College have another “new normal” to adjust to, as some are required to have webcams adorn their computers, and vision tracking software

For the first time in OCCC history, the college conducted a live-stream forum to help select the vice president of Academic Affairs.  Held for under two hours Feb. 19, six

OCCC’s search for a new Vice President of Academic Affairs came to a halt Feb. 24 with the selection of Dean of Health Professions Vincent Bridges.  The Vice President of

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the month of February winning three of their last five games. This young Thunder squad is still learning the ways around the game with some

OCCC students who are wanting to make a change in higher education for themselves or others are encouraged to make their voices heard, March 9. by participating in the 2021

A former OCCC administrator and Pioneer editor could become the first female city council member for Oklahoma City’s Ward 3  after besting all candidates for the seat in the Feb.

OCCC was closed 7 times in 2 weeks because of winter weather, which included ice, historically-low temperatures and wind-chill factors as well as nearly a foot of snow. Also factoring

I enjoy video games; I might even say that I’m a gamer. So, one night, when my mom asked me if I had heard about the “GameStop stock situation. I

Not everyone experiences the physical symptoms of COVID-19, but many are still feeling struggles of the pandemic. Because of this, the counselors on staff at OCCC are urging students to

After the college spent nearly $800,000 on remodeling the former president Jerry Steward’s office, OCCC is seeking bids for more renovations of the space totaling an additional $69,000.  A joint

Despite the rush to transition OCCC classes into a nearly 100% 8-week course format, OCCC will be cutting back on that push and offering more 16-week classes for the upcoming

OCCC’s search for a new Vice President of Academic Affairs came to conclusion Feb. 24 with the selection of Dean of Health Professions Vincent Bridges as the top candidate.  After

I have a very good high school friend from my past.  We both have college degrees and have pursued our own professions.   We have a large geographic divide between

Enrollment for OCCC is suffering the effects of COVID-19 and of all of the necessary safety precautions such as online learning according to data from the college. Active spring enrollment

The work environment is said to be improving at Oklahoma City Community College as faculty and staff continue to seek change from the administration.     Though some believe there are still

Think this week has been wild? There have been even wilder events this week in OCCC history. In 1979… SOCJC (now OCCC) started offering free tutoring and became the only

For almost two hours Friday OCCC staff and faculty were able to do something not done for more than 20 years–witness a forum featuring candidates for a vice president position

I turned 18 in March 2019, and with that I was given the right to do things that I hadn’t been legally able to do before then, such as smoke

As many changes have occurred to how students learn, tuition and fees at OCCC have remained the same as before Covid-19. To clear up any potential confusion or concern about

BY PIONEER STAFF REPORTS — Tuesday morning the state reached Energy Emergency level 3, and OG&E instituted rolling blackouts which were affecting residents in the state and in the metro.

It has been nearly one year since OCCC transitioned to mostly online classes because of the spread of COVID-19.    The second half of spring semester 2020 was completed completely online,

OCCC students may have to save their online work more often and bundle up inside their homes throughout this weekend. Due to high levels of energy usage with limited wind

Welcome to sunlight and shadow thinking. With the new year, the new Washington Administration, and the same crucial fight against COVID, I am thinking about the phenomena of change in

OCCC Student Life is launching a Leadership Series next week., Kristi Fields, coordinator of Student Life said today. The first session is Learning to Lead Through Fear with Kendra Alcala.

OCCC Social Sciences administrator John Castree has been at OCCC since July 1, 2020– during what is being called the college’s strangest year by many– and he said he’s impressed

The United States has always had a complicated relationship with immigrants and immigration, whether legal or illegal. For years, immigrants have been arrested on the border of Mexico and the

Los Estados Unidos siempre ha tenido una relación complicada con los inmigrantes y la inmigración, sea legal o ilegal. Durante años, los inmigrantes han sido arrestados en la frontera de

With many students taking classes from home, a lot of them don’t know that the Test Center shut down for out-of-class testing May 18 and will not provide any more

OCCC employees are still waiting for the college to make good on it’s promise from administration last fall to publicly celebrate employees of the year and other award winning staff

The college has seen a lot of changes in its almost 50 years of history, and  you might have been part of them. Here’s what happened this week in history

By Trevor Kay, correspondent ——- A cause for celebration and positivity has occurred at OCCC, perhaps going without the proper recognition. As only the third person from OCCC to do

For some, this was their best year to date. For others, the end of this sketchy roller coaster could not come soon enough. No matter where the OCCC community stands,

By Professor Stephen Morrow —– Welcome to more sunlight and shadow-to gratitude and challenge-to simply good things and to shadow things that bring hard choices our way. Happy Holidays! The

An on-campus session dedicated to listening to faculty and staff concerns briefly turned into a referendum on Provost Jeremy Thomas’ trustworthiness Nov. 6, with a faculty member stating he might

When toddlers do wrong and hurt others at school, their parents often tell them to stop and to quickly apologize as a way to show social responsibility and build bonds.

OCCC faculty and staff who predicted that Provost Jeremy Thomas would serve as college president after the retirement of outgoing President Jerry Steward had their beliefs validated Dec. 14. In

OCCC Provost Jeremy Thomas may have more to be thankful for this upcoming holiday. During the closing moments of a regular OCCC Board of Regents meeting,Nov. 13, Thomas’ salary was

Do you want to impress your neighbors or family this holiday season? Pick up your holiday food at Whipped Bakery Café in War Acres before you head to the feast.

OCCC won’t be rushing to install a new president; the new presidentmay come from outside of Oklahoma, and all stakeholders will have a say inthe process, the OCCC Board of

At least two drug makers are expecting to make their version of a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus available for use before the next presidential term starts, and OCCC may

Trying to find something to keep you entertained at home in the midst of a quarantine? The video game development company, Nintendo, has the perfect solution. On March 20, 2020,

After conducting a community-wide survey of students, faculty and staff, OCCC announced Oct. 30 that most classes will be online for the spring 2021 semester. “Based on the continued rise

It has been over one year since OCCC announced that almost all classes offered would switch from a 16-week format to an 8-week format. This meant that instead of students

When teenage drivers get pulled over for driving offenses, parents and loved ones don’t often celebrate. But the parents were all smiles Oct. 24 when their young drivers were stopped

STEPHEN MORROW Columnist— Welcome to our shared sunlight and shadow. So many of us struggling with lost jobs and business opportunity. So many of us tired out from our on-going

Markus Smith, political science professor at Oklahoma City Community College dropped another video on his Facebook page Recently in which he discussed in detail some of his experiences with what

Despite COVID-19 and long wait times, Oklahoma residents and students chose to vote in person at the Keith Leftwitch Memorial Library polling station Tuesday in the 2020 election. The library

Despite OCCC’s usual club diversity, the campus’ limited operations affected club and student turnout for the Oct. 20-23 club fair.

By Hope Dawson COVID-19 has prevented most in-person learning at OCCC, and canceled multiple community events.  However, the OCCC Theatre program is determined to bring more culture to campus and

What is being called a historic and devastating ice storm closed the college at 10 a.m. Monday, and forced many students, professors and staff to go without power and internet

Students looking for an enjoyable classical concert event to attend may want to check out the Monteiro Duo Oct. 29 as the pianist and flautist take the stage at the

The only remaining members of the OCCC Executive Leadership Team held a listening session Friday in the Visual and Performing Arts building. Topics addressed included the vast sums of taxpayer

To the Editor:From January 2007 until July 2015 I was honored and privileged to serve as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Oklahoma City Community College. It was the best

OCCC administration announced yesterday that Greg Gardner requested to, and will be stepping down from his role of Executive Vice President at Oklahoma City Community College and from the college’s

There are shapeshifters who lurk near Shawnee, Okla., and they’ve been seen for over a century.             There is also a ghostly woman in the town who wears a white dress and

Executive Vice President Greg Gardner is one of the administrators named in the survey.

Students can win this prize package Oct. 19-22 at the Student Life Welcome Back Event in OCCC’s Main Building.

While on break between terms, at least one person claiming to be a faculty member was working on special project. They were sending out a survey to colleagues about the

OCCC’s Student Life has been busy lately in setting up October events for all students and the campus community to participate in. They include a Drive-In Movie Night, a Welcome

The OCCC Faculty Association released its resolution to the OCCC Board of Regents firmly asking that more be done to raise the morale of faculty and staff at OCCC and

The Pioneer Oct. 2 issue hits the stands today. It’s full of compelling stories and strong editorial content. CLICK HERE to read it here first.

When COVID-19 forced Oklahoma City Community College to close its campus temporarily and to move all classes online, students, faculty and staff had been concerned for student success. But OCCC

In these mid-term assignment Podcasts, The Boys, ( journalism majors Kyle Batt, Dennis Baumann and Candido Garcia) share OCCC student views about wearing masks in the age of COVID, marijuana

In the recent months, curve ball after curve ball have been thrown at the world, leaving people everywhere with no choice but to adapt to the “New Normal.” In its

If you’ve ever wondered how your pay compares with your colleagues, you can find that out– if they are a state employee and if you know where to look. Individuals

The OCCC Faculty Association met Sept. 22 and voted unanimously to make their voices heard about low morale on campus, how they want the next president chosen, and how the

OCCC Political Science Professor Markus Smith released a second video of allegations against OCCC administration yesterday saying “the floodgates” have opened and many other faculty and staff have reached out to him

Do you want a healthy body? Some say it is important to exercise. Do you want everybody to be healthy? Exercise your right to vote and help. Everybody’s vote matters

The President’s office — that he doesn’t work out of — cost hundreds of thousands of taxpayers dollars to improve for “safety”

Students needing help with academic success will continue to have options, even after OCCC has closed the Learning Support office.  The Learning Support office gave advice to students about studying