Theater costs rise for OCCC

Downey Contracting began construction recently on OCCC’s new 1,000-seat theater, which is being built inside the “U” formed by Phase 1 of the Visual and Performing Arts Center.

Some of the existing interior glass windows in the VPAC will be replaced with sheetrock for the next two years.

Students taking classes in the VPAC now will be dealing with bleed-through construction noise for months to come. However, by replacing the glass with sheetrock, noise should be minimal, said Superintendent Al Forehand, a nine-year veteran with the company.

One student said he could live with the noise.

“The construction doesn’t really bother me,” said Keelan Layden, computer science major. “Except for the fact my truck gets covered in dust if I park near the VPAC.”

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Unique ‘Winds’ blow into Bruce Owen Theater

Using an oboe, a clarinet, a French horn, a bassoon, and a flute, the Imani Winds quintet delivered an energetic performance at the Bruce Owen Theater last month. This Grammy-nominated group used their vibrant playing and cross-genre style to keep the crowd clapping. They ended the night to a standing ovation.

The concert was part of the Cultural Art Series on campus.

The Imani Winds have been working together for 15 years, performing music ranging from classical to modern music. The audience noticed the way they all effortlessly conducted themselves and fed off of each other’s energy. Throughout the years, the Imani Winds have released five albums, including their Grammy-nominated record “The Classical Underground” in 2006.

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Linguistics flair for November

Poetry readings, Latin dance lessons, a presentation about the Arabic language, and a Japanese cultural workshop are among the activities scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1, in the World Languages and Cultures Center on the second floor of the Main building.

Coordinator Chiaki Troutman said this will be the third annual Modern Languages Festival, which aspires to raise awareness of languages and cultures. The festival will be a come-and-go affair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“I am nervous but very excited,” Troutman said.

“This festival is a really great opportunity for students to experience.”

In previous years, more than 100 students have attended the festival. Troutman said it is open to the general student body, is geared towards language learners, and is completely free.

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Today’s Brown Bag to serve up advice on identity theft

Student Life and Oklahoma Money Matters are hosting a Brown Bag luncheon on the prevention of identity theft at 12:30 today in CU1.

Service Learning and Student Life Programs Coordinator Jill Lindblad said that we live in a society where identity theft can run rampant, and it’s very easy to get your identity stolen.

Brown Bag luncheons are hosted every week by Student Life in the College Union rooms.

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African storyteller visits OCCC

The spotlights in OCCC’s General Dining Area fell on Al Bostick, African storyteller Oct. 12 as part of the Arts and Humanities Week.

While much of the usual hustle and bustle of the lunch hour remained, students, faculty and staff members paused for the hour to be enthralled by Bostick’s energetic show.

He brought to the stage with him a collection of West African instruments and stories from that region, but sprinkled into his presentation moments from his own life, and tying everything together with a theme of learning.

To illustrate the theme, he shared a story from Langston Hughes, a fable about a mosquito, a song, and a series of anecdotes about his grandmother’s lessons to him.

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One-up! Gamer Guild hosts inaugural session

Gamer Guild members slew orcs and threw for touchdowns in their inaugural session Saturday, Oct. 17, in the college union on OCCC’s campus. There were 18 people in attendance that heard about it through campus promotion.

Gamer Guild sponsor Karolyn Chowning, director of TRiO grant programs, said the purpose of the group is to get together to play and discuss games, all kinds of games, including video, board, card, pen-and-paper games. An important element is gathering in a group setting.

“The Gamer Guild is an organization for game education,” Chowning said. “We know you’ve got your own friends you play your own kind of games with, but you want to be a part of the Gamer Guild to learn about new, different kinds of games.”

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Business boot camps to be held on campus tomorrow

There are a variety of free workshops available for business majors this semester at OCCC. The workshops are separated into two programs, the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp and the Investment Boot Camp.

The Center for International Business is providing workshops such as these for students interested in learning more about business practices.

The next workshop available is the Investment Boot Camp is coming up from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, in Room 2R0 in the Business Lab.

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Student leaders learn lessons

The Leadership Council members used role-playing to practice how to deal with conflict situations at the last meeting in September.

Mental health counselor Jenna Howard taught the student leaders how to assess a situation in which another person might be at risk of harm, be that physical, emotional or mental.

Howard offered techniques to help directly, indirectly or in a group environment.

For example, one could help directly by introducing oneself directly to the individual that may be causing the situation to escalate. Indirect action could involve calling the local police, or by calling upon the people around the scene to help. A group environment would ideally be the optimal situation, for groups can overpower individuals.

“Is someone at risk of harm? Consider all possible options. Do I intervene? Is this safe for me?” Howard said these are questions a concerned bystander should ask before intervening in a crisis.

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Native writers to visit OCCC

Two Native American writers will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in the Bruce Owen Theater as part of Humanities Week. The event is free and open to the public.

Osage author Charles H. Red Corn wrote the novel “A Pipe for February,” which is being taught this semester in English Professor Michael Snyder’s Native American Literature class.

Phillip Carroll Morgan, of Choctaw-Chickasaw descent, wrote a collection of poems called “The Fork-in-the-Road Indian Poetry Store,” which won the Native Writers Circle of the Americas First Book Award for Poetry in 2002.

Both authors were invited to speak by Snyder, who said he first met Red Corn at the “I lo’n shka” dances that take place in June in Gray Horse in Osage County.

Red Corn will be visiting Snyder’s class on Wednesday morning, Oct. 12, to talk about his novel .

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