Just a days ago, U.S Rep. Jim Moran, a Democrat from Virginia, introduced legislation that would prevent members of Congress and the President of the U.S. from receiving pay in the event of the federal government shutting down.

To the Editor:

Legislators have a responsibility to ensure state supported classroom instruction is factual so, concerning evolution, with the fossil record lacking phylum-level transitional forms, and understanding how this relates to Darwin’s theory, we must fully educate using all confirmed scientific discoveries.

To the Editor:

There is a movement to allow concealed carry weapons in campuses. The reasoning behind it is well intentioned.

It really stems from the recent spate of school shootings; and the idea behind it can be typified as a ‘sheepdog’ or ‘antibody’ defense.

With no one knowing who is armed and not, when a shooter does go onto campus, there might be someone armed to stop him before the time [of] the organized police response.

To the Editor:

So, there I was sitting in class, trying to get an education, when the girl who had been sitting in front of me asks if she can use my notes to study for a test.

Why, you say, did she not have notes of her own? Was she not in the same class as I? Did she not hear the same lecture? The answer is…NO!!!

While I was busily attempting to inhale every bit of knowledge in order to learn something and to get a decent grade, she was reading her Face book and answering e-mail.

The Office of Academic Advising has been busy this semester with more than 4,000 student visits within the first few weeks prior to and after the semester started.

Now that the spring 2011 semester is in full swing, it is a good time to come in and visit with an Academic Advisor.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association website, nearly 10 million females and 1 million males struggle with eating disorders every day

Over the past week, OCCC has observed National Eating Disorder Awareness Week with free screenings, an informative panel and a brown bag lunch.

Although these events, and others like them around the nation, raise awareness of various eating disorders, there is not enough attention paid to the underlying cause.

To the Editor:

State Rep. Kern and State Sen. Breechen have recently introduced legislation (HB 1551, SB 554, respectively), addressing the methods and philosophy of teaching “controversial’’ scientific topics including evolution and global warming.

Breechen’s bill in particular contains specific curricular adoptions lifted directly from the Texas state science standards adopted there in 2009.

To the Editor:

The President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching is presented during the spring of each year to a full-time faculty member who exemplifies teaching excellence. The office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs administers the process of receiving nominees and developing recommendations to the President.

To be considered for this award a faculty member may be nominated by a fellow faculty member, by a current or former student, or by a staff member.

Nominees will be asked to complete a reference sheet supplying personal and professional information.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the decision was made to shut down the college at 5 p.m. due to incoming winter weather.

The issue is, the winter weather didn’t materialize until much later that night.