OCCC’s jazz bands will be performing “Precious,” a single from Esperanza Spalding’s latest album, in a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the Bruce Owen Theater on campus, said David Traxler, jazz band drummer. Spalding is this year’s Grammy Award Winner for best new artist.

Traxler said he and other jazz fans were surprised when Spalding won the Grammy because she is not as popular as Justin Bieber, who also was nominated for the same award. It is unusual for a jazz musician to receive such recognition.

“Precious” will be one of many tunes on tap for the night of soulful jazz and rhythm-and-blues music, Traxler said.

OCCC Security officers were kept busy the last two weeks handling everything from solicitors on campus to damage from the recent high winds.

At 5:37 p.m. April 19, Officer Brandon Wheeler responded to a report of a man soliciting in the plaza.

When approached, Martin Grey, 24, gave a church ID card to Wheeler and told the officer it was the only identification he had on him. Grey was escorted to the security office and Oklahoma City Police were called.

Another class of nursing students has earned their associate degrees and will receive their ceremonial pins May 12.

The nursing pinning ceremony is a milestone for the 42 nursing students and is the next step toward their careers, said Nursing professor and Assistant Program Director Terri Walker.

During the ceremony, faculty will speak about the importance of this landmark and welcome the graduates into the nursing profession, Walker said.

The OCCC Board of Regents has added two members — Devery R. Youngblood and Tony J. Tyler.

With the U.S. and Oklahoma state flags as a backdrop, Youngblood was sworn in Monday, April 18, in the Al Snipes board room.

Brittany Williams, veterinary medicine major who opposes guns on campus, can rest easy for now since Senate Bill 858 — “The Firearm Owner Privacy Act,” that would permit citizens with concealed carry licenses in Oklahoma to bring concealed weapons onto college campuses — is now dead, at least until the next legislative session.

The bill passed the Oklahoma Senate 44-4 but was never heard by a House committee, according to the Oklahoma State webserver.

Williams said, in particular, she fears the possible actions of irrational thinkers and heroes should the bill eventually pass.

The President’s Cabinet voted to approve changes to “Procedure 4030: Student Appeal of a Grade” at a meeting April 11. Academic Affairs Vice President Felix Aquino said the change will take effect immediately, although earlier reports said changes would likely not take place before fall.

“Part of the issue was that new policies go into the student handbook, and the student handbook has to be printed.”

The new appeals process now allows for a committee to make the final determination in changing a final grade that a student disagrees with, whereas the former process gave the professor who gave the grade the final say.

OCCC Safety and Security Sgt. Larry Lundy, 58, died Saturday, April 23, following an emergency procedure at Integris Southwest Medical Center.

Lundy worked at OCCC for 17 years, said Human Resources Assistant Jo Burris.

English Professor Bertha Wise said she first met Lundy not as a security officer, but as a student.

“I first got to know Larry when I took over teaching a literature class from a colleague who was too ill to continue,” Wise said.

“We began studying poetry right when I took over, and Larry was a little bit negative about that. He didn’t think anyone needed to study poetry.

“I listened to his comments about old, dead, stuffy poets … and I assured him I would make it as enjoyable as possible,” she said.

“After four weeks of reading, writing, and discussing poetry, he admitted that my choice of poems and poets were ‘not so bad’ and he thought maybe I’d like to read something.”

Choral composer Joseph Martin will work with OCCC’s three choruses on campus before they perform some of his music in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, May 6, at the Wilmont Baptist Church, 6400 S. Santa Fe in Oklahoma City.

Martin is a music industry professional based in Austin, Texas, whose work includes both sacred and secular themes, according to his web site www.martin88.com.

Martin’s pieces on the program include “The Awakening” and “The Invitation,” said music Professor Ron Staton, who directs OCCC’s choral music program.

OCCC’s jazz bands will be performing “Precious,” a single from Esperanza Spalding’s latest album, in their concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the Bruce Owen Theater on campus, said David Traxler, jazz band drummer. Spalding is this year’s Grammy Award Winner for best new artist.

Traxler said he and other jazz fans were surprised when Spalding won the Grammy because she is not as popular as Justin Bieber, who also was nominated for the same award. It is unusual for a jazz musician to receive such recognition.

OCCC Emergency Medical Sciences students learned the value of communicating with the State Legislature this semester.

A bill that would have replaced some EMS workers on ambulance crews failed to win legislative approval this session after the students voiced their concerns to lawmakers in March.

About 50 OCCC students went to the state Capitol to speak to lawmakers about House Bill 1419, which would have allowed a registered nurse to replace an EMS worker on a two-person ambulance team.