He’s a wild and crazy guy on film and stage, but Steve Martin is taking his love for bluegrass music to seriously new heights. Anyone who watched A Capitol Fourth, the Independence Day celebration broadcast from Washington, D.C., on PBS last month, understands that Martin – best known for Saturday Night Live, outrageous comedy films (The Jerk), stand-up comedy in an assortment of wacky headgear – has long moved past stand-up days in a white suit. One thing he has held onto, however, is his banjo. His album, Rare Bird Alert, once again asserts Martin’s abiding interest in American bluegrass music. When he plays the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Aug. 24 with the Steep Canyon Rangers, the prolific actor, comic, author and Grammy Award-winning musician will be in fine form. Let’s hope that also includes a generous helping of laughs on the side. www.tulsapac.com
Simple Treasures
These days, everyone is keeping an eye on gold futures. It wasn’t any different more than 500 years ago when inhabitants of the Americas wanted to establish wealth and advertise it with the precious metal.
To Capture the Sun: Gold of Ancient Panama, currently on exhibit at Gilcrease Museum, tells a story of a long ago culture, economy and mindset through a collection of more than 250 gold objects.
The museum’s collection, from the Gran Coclé culture of Panama, includes effigy pendants, pectorals, cuffs, bands, ear rods as well as vessels and other ceramics. With this assembly of pieces, visitors can begin to understand how metallurgy affected life in the Western Hemisphere.
The symbolic significance of adornment pieces comes through in details revealing the rituals and belief systems of the people of Panama before the arrival of European ships and the obliteration that followed.
The exhibit contains pieces from 750-900 AD. Visitors will get a look at the methods – such as wax casting – used to create gold and copper alloys that became signature processes to the region and to a people who looked at the products of these works as more than just currency. In the shapes of birds, monkeys, seahorses and other organisms of the natural world, these pieces represented a way for the wearer to connect to the natural and cosmic force of the universe.
To Capture the Sun runs through Jan. 15. Gilcrease Museum is scheduled to display a number of other special exhibits through the end of the year, including its Collectors’ Reserve American Art Exhibit and Sale.
For more information about the Panamanian gold exhibit or other details of Gilcrease, go online at www.gilcrease.org.
East Coast Style
With its dark red hues, intimate setting and unpretentious food and service, Rococo Restaurant and Fine Wine has carved a niche in the Shepherd Historic District as a neighborhood favorite.
Previously owned by a purported Italian gangster, the restaurant used to be Tony’s Italian Specialties, a well-known Oklahoma City landmark. As homage to Tony, Chef Bruce Rinehart re-invented the Italian restaurant into Rococo: East Coast fine dining with gangster flair.
After only three months of business, Rococo received much acclaim – with good reason. As a professional chef for more than 30 years, Rinehart has orchestrated 15 restaurant openings for two top-flight restaurant groups in Boston.
In fall 2003, he came to Oklahoma specifically with the intention of opening an East Coast-style restaurant.
Now in full swing, chef owned and operated Rococo has established itself in OKC in two locations with a menu featuring Italian, French and Asian influences. With more than 25 starters to choose from, Rinehart recommends the “cookies,” or savory, bite-sized appetizers: for instance, Nancy’s Cookies, smoked salmon rosettes with horseradish cream, diced red onion and capers.
Guests are reminded to pair cookies with wine from Rococo’s incredible selection.
“I’m really proud of our wine selection,” says Executive Chef Don Duncan.
“We use local purveyors to get the best wines. We listen to our guests and pick what they want.”
Keeping with their traditions, Rococo also serves pasta in house-made pomodoro, alfredo or olive oil sauces, with chicken, seafood and veggies.
But as Rinehart reminds guests, “We serve the freshest fish shipped from New England. We’re definitely more than just Italian.”
The best-selling seafood dish is, without question, the crab cake.
“We try to be humble, but we have the best damn crab cake you’ll ever have,” Rinehart says with a smile. Accompanied by a subtle Thai red chili cream sauce, the jumbo lump crab cake is a must for any newcomer to Rococo.
Last but not least, the international chop house fare is the cream of the crop. You can choose the pan-roasted or grilled ribeye steak, the roast rack of Colorado lamb or pan-roasted stuffed pork chop among a host of others.
“Our menu just goes to show that we don’t cut corners here. We do it one hundred percent, or we don’t do it all,” Duncan says.
And on Sundays, Rococo serves up an incredible brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Rococo recently opened a second location, the aptly named Rococo Northpark, in Northpark Mall in Oklahoma City. 2824 N. Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City. www.rococo-restaurant.com
Learning The Ropes
John Tyler Hammons captured headlines across the country in 2008 when he made the improbable leap from college dorm room to city hall. At the age of 19, the Muskogee teen became one of the youngest mayors in the country with a landslide victory in his hometown.
While Hammons may have initially wooed some voters with his unique personal story and beaming smile, he quickly proved he’s no fluke.
“I thought we elected him as a novelty, but that whole idea went away the more I worked with him and got to know him,” Muskogee Councilmember Bob Coburn says.
“He’s good for Muskogee, and he’s done a great job for us.”
The young mayor got right to work with an ambitious first-term agenda that included efforts to improve public health and increase transparency in city government. Voters agreed with those moves and handed the mayor another big election night victory last year, as he defeated Coburn.
And things have only gotten better for Hammons in the second term. He has continued to grow as a leader in the community, while shifting his efforts towards growing the local economy and mulling his next move.
“I have not yet made up my mind if I’ll seek a third term,” Hammons says. “I do greatly enjoy this, but I’ll have to talk to my advisors.”
Hammons knew he had a lot to learn when he took office in May 2008 and quickly found a mentor in Vice-Mayor Robert Perkins Sr. The veteran councilmember, who coached Hammons’ father in pee wee football, was quick to lend a hand to the young mayor.
“He supported me, and I learned from his wisdom,” Hammons says. “He’s a great leader in our community, and I enjoyed getting to know him. And obviously with that 50-year difference in our ages, it was a unique opportunity for him to learn about my generation and for me to learn about his.”
Along with the ins and outs of city hall, Hammons learned the importance of time management and building alliances within the community.
“Because I was new and fresh and really had no ties to previous administrations, business leaders and community leaders, I had to build those ties very quickly,” Hammons says.
Hammons says his interest in political office was sparked by an assistant principal at Muskogee High School who shared with him a news story about an 18-year-old that was elected in Michigan. The administrator then told Hammons that would be him one day.
“I thought he was crazy at first, but ever since he said that I took more of an interest in politics,” Hammons says.
Hammons believed a run for elected office was in his future, but that day came earlier than expected when incumbent mayor Wren Stratton announced she would not seek re-election in 2008.
“When I was at OU my freshman year I had other things on my mind,” Hammons said. “I was trying to find a major, trying to find new friends, girls obviously and then I saw this news headline and thought, maybe this was the time.”
Although his political future is uncertain, Hammons has drawn a clear path for his education. He plans to finish his undergraduate degree at OU-Tulsa and return to Norman to pursue a joint Master of Business Administration/Law degree. After law school, Hammons, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, says he would like to return to eastern Oklahoma and work for the tribe.
Making Everything Count
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention; intern architect Adam McGaughey ran with that idea for the design of his own Tulsa apartment.
When he made the move from Stillwater to Tulsa to join the architectural team at Cyntergy AEC, he came across apartments converted from a 1924 newspaper warehouse.
“I was drawn to the north-facing windows that gave indirect light, and how open it was. Everything opens onto itself,” McGaughey says.
“I tried to work with that. A smaller place means that practicality was a major issue, and you have to create a modular design with things that could have multiple uses.”
McGaughey used a blend of creativity and ingenuity to make the most of every inch of the 989 square-foot residence. Using a blend of stock cabinetry from big box retail stores and his own ideas, he’s modified, if not altogether created, many of the pieces in his apartment.
For example, the unit in the living area which houses his television system and extra storage is a blend of linear cabinets from an office supply retailer that were hung on the wall with standard handmade wood boxes covered with Masonite board and painted a shade of orange.
“It creates a built-in look without it actually being permanent,” he explains, adding that the television can be covered with a painting, his own to be exact, with a track system he devised.
Another one of his creations is the coffee table in the sitting area, which features a fire-pit.
“It’s mortar that was poured into forms, then placed on cabinet legs that were originally meant for the cabinets that are under the windows,” he explains.
“The fireplace itself is a modified version of an ethanol fireplace that is found at many high-end modern furniture stores. It’s a thick glass vase found at Target with a metal container placed in the middle.”
Along with his own creations, McGaughey’s furniture selection features many mid-century designs mixed with either vintage or vintage-designed pieces. McGaughey is particularly drawn to Mid-Century style.
“The dining table is a ‘50s Craft & Associates piece I found at a vintage store in Tulsa, and the chairs around the table are new, but based on a vintage design from Charles Eames,” he says.
The concrete flooring flows throughout the apartment, but in order to create a sense of space in the living, dining and sitting areas, McGaughey used a pattern of recycled carpet pieces from Flor to complement the overall color palette of neutral tones with pops of bright color.
The main area is a large, open room, so McGaughey employed the use of strategic lighting, such as the three flat-pack flower-like fixtures that define each of those spaces. With the overall lighting, his approach was to create a warmth and light in all areas. To achieve this, he used a found antique chandelier featured on the floor in the living area as well as other unique lamps.
The entryway and kitchen feature chalkboard paint that McGaughey makes use of regularly.
“I write grocery lists, ideas, everything on the wall. It’s constantly evolving and changing,” he says. “I can even do a pattern that looks a lot like wallpaper.”
Ever the artist, many of McGaughey’s paintings are featured throughout the rooms. The patterned wall treatment in the bedroom is yet another facet of McGaughey’s artistic talents.
“You can’t follow trends,” he says about designing for a smaller space. “In a large space, a lot of times you can try something out, and it can blend with other stuff, but in a small space you really have to edit yourself.”
It’s that element of pressure, to make everything count, that McGaughey finds invigorating.
“You’re constantly editing yourself. It pushes you to be creative. I think that’s why I like it so much.”
Here and Now
Oklahoma State University football star Justin Blackmon doesn’t worry about the past and doesn’t spend too much time thinking about what the future might hold, either.
For a 21-year-old athlete who has the world by the tail, that’s not easy to do. But Blackmon says he takes one day at a time and doesn’t get overwhelmed at what “might happen” in his future.
“I just do my work, practice hard, make sure I pass all my classes and take whatever comes,” says the Ardmore native. “People keep saying this is going to happen, or I might win this award, or I’ll be a superstar in the NFL someday. But I can’t get caught up in any of that, and none of that talk about what might happen really matters – until it happens.”
The 2010 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the red-shirt junior was also honored with the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver. He currently holds the NCAA record for the most consecutive games gaining 100 yards or more receiving (he had 100 yards in all 12 games the Cowboys played in 2010). He was the first wide receiver ever to be honored as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
As a final jewel in his 2010 crown, Blackmon was named to the College Football All-America team. That’s a bevvy of accomplishments for someone who’s just a third-year sophomore, with two more years of eligibility.
“People are always asking if last year was as good as it could get,” Blackmon says. “And it was good. But it wasn’t great because we didn’t win the Big 12 championship and we didn’t play for a national title.
“If we had won those and my stats had been what they were, then it would have been a great year,” he adds. “But I felt there were a lot of things unfinished last year, and I want to work hard to help change that this next season.”
Although it’s hard to overlook his 1,600 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns during the regular season last year, Blackmon says all those things are “in the past.” He talks about his accomplishments and his abilities humbly and answers every question thrown at him with courtesy and patience.
“I’ve been blessed so much,” he says, referring to his record-setting season in 2010 and the football career he’s enjoyed so far. “We’ve got an incredible team, and we’ve got who I think is the best quarterback in the country in Brandon Weeden.
threw the ball all over the field didn’t hurt any, either.”
“If it wasn’t for my teammates and a quarterback like Brandon, I wouldn’t have caught a single ball last year. All the awards and recognition are nice, but it’s not a one-man game, and our coaches remind us of that all the time.”
Highly recruited out of Plainview High School, Blackmon could have gone just about anywhere to play football. He says he chose Oklahoma State for a number of reasons.
“The people here were great to me when I made my visit,” he says. “And I loved the coaches and it’s in state, so that means my family and friends can be at all the games.
“The fact that they had a high-powered offense and threw the ball all over the field didn’t hurt any, either,” he adds, and laughs.
Proud to be playing football in his home state, Blackmon says he loves to be on the football field and know that he’s got family and friends in the stands cheering him on. Despite the incredible success he and the Cowboys enjoyed in 2010, Blackmon came back to Stillwater this summer to work out even harder in preparation for the upcoming season.
Even though most experts agree that Blackmon has a tremendous NFL career ahead of him, the 21-year-old is not in a hurry to play on Sundays.
“If that happens, it would be great,” Blackmon says. “I won’t lie to you. But there are an awful lot of things that I have to take care of one at a time before that ever gets here – if it ever gets here.
“I’d love to play professional football, and I think I could compete and it would be a great challenge and a tremendous opportunity. But I’ve got a lot of unfinished business at Oklahoma State, and that’s the focus of all my attention right now.”
Schoolhouse Blues
Oklahoma consistently ranks near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil expenditures and teacher salaries. And in light of the state legislature’s cuts to K-12 funding for fiscal year 2012, those numbers aren’t looking any brighter in the near future. As the need to support Oklahoma’s students becomes increasingly important, accomplishing the task has never been more difficult for public schools.
The latest round of cuts – some 4.1 percent – is leading to desperation on the parts of the state’s beleaguered school districts as they struggle to stay afloat while still providing – and improving – educational opportunities
for their students.
Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Karl Springer puts it bluntly.
“Cuts over the last three years have been horrendous,” he says. “The sky’s not falling, but boy, it’s cloudy.”
For Springer’s district, the state’s budget demands translate to somewhere between $3.8 million and $4.1 million in cuts for the upcoming fiscal year. This, in a district where 91 percent of pupils are on the free lunch program, almost 2,000 are homeless and the student population size is increasing as rapidly as funds are dwindling.
“We have to give students the support and services they need, because their futures and abilities to be successful are unknowable,” Springer says. “We’ve got to recognize that we have future doctors, architects and attorneys, and we need to do what we can to help them be successful.”
The district has undertaken some drastic and creative measures to weather the storm.
“We looked at every aspect of our operation,” Springer says. “We asked, ‘Is this something we absolutely have to do?’ If the answer was no, we stopped doing it.”
Last year, this translated to $11 million in cuts for the district, including teaching positions – initially around 100, although some 30 positions were added back as soon as possible – employee furloughs, slashing energy and overhead maintenance costs, and the sale of buildings owned by the district. According to Springer, $10 million of those cuts will continue for next year – but it is still not enough.
“Public education is in crisis in our state,” concurs Springer’s colleague, Tulsa Public Schools superintendent Keith Ballard.
Ballard’s district was forced to cut 225 teaching positions last fall, and recently announced a $4.2 million reduction in Tulsa’s special education budget, including $2.3 million in employee position cuts, $1.3 million in contracts with outside mental health service providers and $600,000 in supplies, travel and professional development.
“Previous budget cuts by the state would have impacted special education services earlier,” Ballard says, “but we had been able to fill the gap by using federal stimulus dollars. But those dollars are gone now, and this is the result, which puts us in a difficult position. Of course, we will remain in compliance with the district and federal legal requirements.”
While the community is howling at this latest manifestation of Tulsa Public Schools’ ongoing budget woes, Ballard and Springer both call for Oklahoma citizens to take action.
“I would recommend that anybody who takes issue with these cuts needs to contact their state legislator,” Ballard says. “If we had the $5 million that the state put into the voucher system, that would have paid for these programs we are having to cut. Don’t blame the schools.”
While such initiatives as Project Schoolhouse, a massive realignment and reimagining of Tulsa’s individual districts, are set to save Tulsa Public Schools some $5 million, the benefits of the program will not be recognized for at least another year. In the meantime, Ballard says, the school district has a financial shortfall of more than $6 million for which to account. And while he sticks by his commitment to protect teaching positions in the coming fiscal year, he does not rule out the possibility of attrition and other losses.
But, while to say the districts are stretched thin would be a massive understatement, neither Tulsa nor Oklahoma City Public Schools are taking the crisis lying down. Both superintendents are determined to move beyond the mere survival of their districts; they are still making plans to provide a better education for the students who rely upon them.
nation in per-pupil expenditures and teacher salaries.
“It’s so important that we recognize that we need to improve our students’ quality of education,” Springer says.
One of the ways Oklahoma City Public Schools plans to accomplish this is through the adoption of a continuous learning calendar, which, among other changes, will see district schools opening for classes Aug. 1 – about three weeks sooner than most districts.
“The continuous learning calendar will provide new opportunities for students to attend school early and for more student remediation,” Springer says.
In addition, Oklahoma City will welcome 54 teachers from Teach for America to the district, and add 30 new pre-kindergarten teachers.
“We’ve truly tried to stretch every nickel we have to provide quality education for our children and for it to be better every year,” Springer says.
Ballard, too, has been busy, guiding Project Schoolhouse from theory into reality and making big plans for the future of his district and its students.
In the meantime, both superintendents are steering their ships through some very stormy seas.
“The class sizes we had last year – and the year coming up – are unacceptably large,” Springer says. “But we can’t hire more teachers to achieve an educational program optimum. The legislature needs to understand that this is what small government looks like. There is something wrong with having to have such large class sizes. The most important aspect of this state’s future is the kids that go to public schools.”
Springer also touts the need for financial relief for Oklahoma’s overburdened teachers.
“We’ve got to make it so people who teach are paid a salary that commands some respect. Salaries simply aren’t high enough, and people who take on this job because they love children place an economic burden on themselves and their families,” he says.
Ballard emphasizes the role the public can play in drawing attention to public schools’ challenges.
“Education is in crisis, and if parents and community members don’t voice their dissatisfaction, it may be too late to turn the tide,” he says.
“We at TPS are doing everything in our power to ‘right the ship’ – from Project Schoolhouse, to Teacher-Leader Effectiveness that you will be hearing more about as we begin to communicate this important initiative. Now it’s up to citizens to tell our legislators that public education needs to be our number one priority. To do anything less is to do a disservice to our children and future generations.”
Not Just Cost-cutting
In the wake of recent cuts to state funding for K-12 public education, Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard had a vision called Project Schoolhouse. The initiative is expected to save Tulsa Public Schools approximately $5 million annually and includes the realignment and consolidation of the city’s individual school districts and the closing of several schools. But there is much more to the project than saving a buck.
“For me, it became a very personal mission to restore equity in education to a system that has been rife with inequities,” Ballard says. “Now, by leveraging student numbers more efficiently, we will be able to restore programming like art, music, physical education and other curriculum that had slowly been chipped away at a number of schools. This is great news for children who have not had the benefit of an expanded curriculum. Additionally, I believe the restructuring of grade configuration will better serve TPS students.”
The project calls for the closure of 14 buildings, 13 of which are schools. Nine facilities – Bryant, Gilcrease, Hamilton, Houston, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Nimitz, Phillips and Rogers – will be repurposed, with students redistributed to other schools. One facility at Monroe will be reopened as a school. Ballard has worked closely with parents and other members of the Tulsa community during the changes. He says they have been very supportive and recognize the need for change.
“Project Schoolhouse has always been about providing a quality learning experience for every student,” he says. “It’s about allocating our resources equitably and meeting a high educational standard. Our goal is to make every neighborhood school of a consistently high quality so parents will feel comfortable sending their children there.”
A+ High Marks
While the state’s public education system may be facing dark times, some Oklahoma schools are receiving national recognition for the quality of education they offer. Both the Classen School of Advanced Studies in Oklahoma City and Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa recently were named to the top 100 of Newsweek’s “America’s Best High Schools” list. Both schools are funded by their respective districts and consistently receive honors for their programs, teachers and students.
Valerie Harris, principal at Classen SAS, attributes her school’s success to exceptional teachers, parental involvement, motivated students and close attention to school data.
“We encourage staff to be creative and innovative and to think out of the box,” Harris says. “If something does not work, we will evaluate it, adjust and try again.”
“The secrets to our success are the teachers, students, parents and the community,” says James Furch, Booker T. Washington principal.
He cites the numerous honors students receive – including more than $15 million in scholarship funds recently received by a senior class of less than 300 pupils – as evidence of the school’s exceptional results.
Building upon the school’s already impressive reputation, Harris plans to keep Classen’s programs growing apace with its future.
“We never want to become stagnant,” she says. “We are always looking and searching for ways to improve.”
Make It Work For You
Every week over the course of the economic downturn, it seems media has reported another story about college graduates either out of work or working in less lucrative fields than for which they studied. Still other stories have reported on graduates struggling to pay back debt accumulated over the course of their education.
But forearmed with a strategy and awareness, students can still get the education they need and can afford, and put themselves in the best position for the career they want.
Early Start
It’s never too early to start planning for the education one wants, and these days high schools have vastly more resources to help in the process than they did years ago.
“A lot of times we don’t start the process when they’re seniors,” says veteran Broken Arrow High School counselor Jo Trigalet.
“We know them, we see them as sophomores and get it going. By the time students are in their senior year, they’ve had a chance to develop some of their interests and we discuss them.”
Trigalet says that students have different perspectives when they begin considering their educational and career ambitions. Some know that they want to go to college and even exactly where. Others know what career interests them but don’t know the specific education track necessary. Some know what they want to do, but are unsure of where to go to school because they know they can’t easily afford it.
But post-high school isn’t always about going off to a four-year college or even going to college at all. Instead, community college and vocational/trade schools might be the right choice.
“We use a lot of online resources, which are terrific and which start with very basic questions about what a student wants – about how they want to live their lives,” Trigalet says.
Students are asked some very basic questions to start.
“When you get up in the morning, do you want to go to work inside or outside; work with people or work with things?” Trigalet cites as examples.
Using the online resources, students continue answering questions about their preferences and interests, which then hones down suggested fields of study and employment. Afterward, additional resources help counselors working with students explore options on how to acquire the education and training needed for the career that they want. Also considered is the return on investment – how much the appropriate education might cost, particularly in terms of debt, compared with earning expectations. Variables such as cost of living relative to the part of the country a student wants to live in and scaled income expectations are even considered.
“There are a lot more resources available now than there were in the past,” Trigalet says.
Students who do enter college these days appear to be better prepared than in the past, and there are advantages to that.
“In my opinion, more students today are coming in with ideas of what they want to do,” says Jason Jessie, Northeastern State University interim assistant executive director of Enrollment Management.
“They might not end up doing it, but they at least have it narrowed down to one or two things.”
The advantage is that some study programs require students to begin preliminary coursework in year one.
“Students who want to study music, for example, have to hit the ground running,” Jessie says.
Chris Campbell, Oklahoma State University assistant director of University Academic Studies, also cites business and engineering as education/career paths that require an early start on core classes.
“Some students might end up (pursuing their major) already behind; but most majors aren’t quite that crazy,” Campbell says. “We try to find out what a student has thought about in terms of a career and I’m then going to look at the possibility with the most restrictive degree program first. Later we look at a student’s strengths and weaknesses, discuss what kind of work environment they want, etc. Our goal is by the end of the first semester with undecided students, to try to identify two or three ways they may end up going and then look at the degree sheets to see what they need to do.”
The Big Decision
The biggest decision a student makes is his major. It dictates both a course of study and, later, career. While some students will arrive on campus with their own personal courses already in mind and perhaps having been helped along the way by high school and college recruitment/admissions staff, many others are not.
Academic and career advisors work closely with students throughout the school experience, helping them make decisions, and then charting out the course to the degree and eventual career they want. This is a highly personalized process and incorporates terrific online and university resources. Campus advisors say there is no set time for when a student needs to have a decision made. It depends entirely on the chosen academic and career track desired, although there are clearly advantages to making the “right” decision as early as possible to make sure a student is as well prepared as possible to graduate and then begin to build a career or continue with advanced education.
“Most 18-year-olds don’t know what they want to do,” says Pam Ehlers, director of Career Services at Oklahoma State University.
Handily, some things a student can do to help decide his personal path also benefit him in pursuing a career.
“They should get involved,” Ehlers says. “They benefit from going to work. Regardless of major, they learn skills that employers want – soft skills and interpersonal skills. Parents often say they don’t want their kid to work in the first semester. I think they should. Students who work in school do better academically.”
Getting involved in campus and community and working also help students determine what interests them.
Students who don’t decide on a path through school to a chosen career until their senior year are at a disadvantage, says Gayle Anderson, Northeastern State University coordinator of Career Services.
“We tell students that they need to start before they have their degrees,” Anderson says. “Ninety-eight percent of students that come to our office have graduated or are in their final semester. They come here for resume review and assistance, and to register for job announcements. But some employers require an internship and others are looking for experience.”
Anderson says that certain tracks have specific needs. Aspiring accountants need to maintain a high GPA for example to be considered by many major employers, while criminal justice majors must make sure to be drug-free for at least two years.
“Students need to watch their credit, which many employers check these days,” she says. “They also need to keep their electronic social footprint clean. Students need to think about these things now rather than make it hard for them to be employed by their dream employer. A lot of students don’t think about these things. They just want to have a good time, which can hurt them.”
Footing The Bill
Requests for financial aid, and for increased amounts, have risen in recent years, according to faculty at Oklahoma universities and colleges. Meanwhile many recent graduates find themselves saddled with debt that is impossible to deal with in today’s work environment and economy.
Meanwhile, federal funding could be drying up.
“While the Federal Pell Grant remained at 2010-2011 levels for 2011-2012, we are concerned about Pell Grant funding in the future,” says Matt Hamilton, vice president and registrar of Enrollment and Student Financial Services at the University of Oklahoma.
“Though nothing is final yet, both sides of the aisle in Congress have proposals that cut Pell Grant spending which would impact our neediest students. These potential cuts are in addition to the fact that Academic Competiveness Grants and Smart Grants have been discontinued.”
Oklahoma State University senior director of Scholarships and Financial Aid Charles Bruce agrees diminishing federal funding is a challenge, but that Oklahoma hasn’t cut state programs.
“We’ve been able to maintain a fairly significant tuition waiver program and we have had more scholarship money to award,” Bruce says.
Some universities are also adopting innovations to help students identify and apply for aid.
“The Sooner Heritage and Common OU Scholarship Application is a new online application for the 2011-2012 academic year,” Hamilton says. “By filling out the one application, students are actually applying for thousands of scholarships awarded by the University of Oklahoma.”
Hamilton also says that OU’s Financial Education & Counseling Center (FEd) was established to provide OU students free information about managing their finances and the resources they will need to graduate with as little debt as possible. It is difficult to leave college without taking on student loan debt.
“The FEd helps students create a plan so that they can budget their finances and contemplate whether or how much debt to incur,” says Hamilton.
Today, more than ever before, university faculty works with students to examine carefully the return on their education investment – how much debt is appropriate or manageable relative to the earning potential of the career the student is pursuing.
“It is absolutely discussed today,” Bruce says. “Five years ago, it wasn’t. Some institutions are asking parents of students if they can even afford to attend the school; and other times it’s obvious looking at the financials.”
Jessie agrees that the cost of an education is more a factor today than it previously was.
“Students need to ask, ‘If I want this career, do I rack up a lot of debt to do it,’” he says. “That’s something even we as a university have begun to question.”
Although some counseling resources may cite specific numbers or a formula to determine return on investment, it too should be a factor to consider on an individual basis, but with financial prudence. After all, advisors point out, to many employers a degree is a pre-requisite but it doesn’t matter what the degree is in. Others cite the long-term earning potential differential.
But clearly, education expense – primarily loans – is a serious factor for students as they plan their major and career path.
“At what point does the cost of a degree exceed (the return on the investment) – it has to be considered,” Jessie says.
Few expect the economic and job landscape to change dramatically anytime soon, meaning such financial factors will continue to be significant in students’ decision making.
“You just hope the dream is possible,” Bruce says. “These are people’s dreams.”
Education for the Working Adult
Students seeking degrees of all types are a more diverse group than in the past and this includes many full-time employed adults working either to complete their initial degree or an additional or graduate degree.
Fortunately, there are also more alternative options for working students today in Oklahoma.
“Working students who wish to pursue a graduate degree will find a broad array of programs adapted to their needs,” says Janis M. Paul, University of Oklahoma associate dean of the Graduate College.
“Many on-campus programs, such as those in the Colleges of Business and Education, serve working professionals as their core population, and their degree requirements are designed to accommodate the schedules and needs of their students.
“The College of Liberal Studies offers graduate programs in online, self-paced, and on-site formats, providing flexible delivery options designed for working adults.”
Generally, universities have greatly expanded their offerings to students with full-time jobs and other responsibilities that make the traditional college experience impossible.
Northeastern State University, for example, just opened its College of Extended Learning at its Broken Arrow campus last year.
“Its really intended for students who are finishing degrees or who are working on advanced degrees,” says Jason Jessie, NSU interim assistant executive director, Enrollment Management.
Oklahoma institutions include information on working student programs on their websites and include a range of options from night and weekend classes to accelerated study and online coursework.
The Advanced Degree Option
It’s routine for graduate studies programs to see increased student participation during hard economic times, as some student opt to delay fully investing in the job market and others bank on that advanced degree eventually increasing employability and earning potential.
But pursuing that advanced degree isn’t necessary or even necessarily beneficial for everyone.
“Interest in grad school always increases when the job market decreases and students can’t find a job and don’t want to leave school,” says Pam Ehlers, director of Career Services at Oklahoma State University.
“We do talk about it and want students to consider the additional debt they will take on. Even with a master’s degree, with no real work experience, people are going to have a hard time finding a job. Many times students with a master’s will only be as marketable as if they had a BA.”
In other cases, a master’s degree might not pay off right away, Ehlers says, but it would after five years work experience.
“We discuss looking at a ratio – will grad school lead to enough additional earning potential to compensate for the new debt,” says Chris Campbell, OSU assistant director of University Academic Services.
“Each case has to be evaluated on an individual basis.”
The most important consideration is whether or not an advanced degree is necessary for a student’s chosen career path.
“For many students, pursuing a graduate degree is a desire rather than a necessity,” says Janis M. Paul, University of Oklahoma associate dean of the Graduate College.
“For others, a graduate degree may be necessary for particular professions or career tracks. Students can determine whether a graduate degree is required by investigating the profession they are planning to enter. In addition, individual graduate programs can often inform potential students what educational credentials might be required for a particular area.
“For example, if a student wants to pursue research and teaching in higher education, a graduate degree is usually required, and many business careers require a master’s degree in business administration.”
But even an advanced degree isn’t sufficient to land someone a job in certain fields, even if it’s considered a pre-requisite.
“If you’re looking at an MBA and have no experience in work, you’re not very marketable,” Ehlers says.
Many times students have to address the issue of just that – work – when considering grad school. Employed students or those with a solid offer on the table, or already working, have to look at the nature of the position and their own goals, the experts say.
“If I were giving advice I’d ask what kind of job it is, because I don’t see dramatic improvement coming anytime soon in the job market,” says Campbell. “You might want to go get some experience and make some money.”
Ehlers feels similarly.
“You’ve got the (four-year) degree; you’ll be able to go back to it,” she says. “In this tough job market it might be best to keep a job. See where it goes. Times will change.”
Still the ultimate decision should be based on an individual’s specific goals.
“You should evaluate your career objectives,” says Paul. “If you are currently working, sometimes pursuing a graduate degree offers clear financial rewards or broader opportunities.”
Listen Up
Think hearing loss is only for old people? According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, nearly one in five American teenagers has some hearing loss, a sharp increase from just 15 years ago.
“The incidence of hearing loss has increased,” says Dr. Jerry Puckett, an otolaryngologist with Saint Francis Health System.
“Noise exposure due to music, construction, military service and some treatments and medications can all impact your hearing. These factors increase the need for hearing health care for old and young people.”
Many experts believe portable stereo devices play a significant role in the hearing loss increase among teens. When you consider the fact that 60 percent of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are hearing impaired, it makes sense to point to loud music as a culprit. Hearing loss is usually gradual and cumulative, and today’s teenagers may be risking impaired hearing in their 40s and 50s, rather than in their 60s or 70s.
“Continuous sound at harmful levels (above 85 decibels) can damage hair cells in the ear and the auditory nerve,” says Dr. Ashley Estep, a family physician with St. John Sapulpa.
“Very few people understand the dangers of noise exposure from headphones and ear buds,” concurs Erin Buchanan, an audiologist with Saint Francis.
are hearing impaired.
Sometimes, hearing loss signals a more serious medical condition.
“Rarely, hearing loss can be a symptom of multiple sclerosis,” says Estep. “Sudden hearing loss can be a presenting symptom of chronic myelogenous leukemia.”
Hearing loss can also be hereditary, passing from one generation to the next.
“When you have a family history of hearing loss, it’s important to have a yearly hearing test,” adds Puckett.
All our experts recommend buying good quality earplugs and wearing them whenever you’ll be exposed to loud noises.
They also emphasize the need for regular hearing checks.
“Yearly testing can identify hearing loss at an early stage and allow the patient to seek assistance,” concludes Buchanan. “The earlier hearing loss is detected, the better for the patient.”
Protect Your Hearing
Once your hearing is gone, there is no way to get it back, and the best remedy for hearing loss is prevention. Experts offer these tips:
• Always wear ear plugs (foam, silicone or pre-molded) when mowing the lawn, operating power tools or shooting firearms.
• Never turn an iPod or MP3 player above 50 percent volume.
• Stay at least 10 feet away from on-stage monitors or amplifiers.
• Never use one sound to drown out another.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to any loud noises.
Carrying The Torch
Some children want to be astronauts, firemen or doctors. Some girls aspire to grow up and become the first female president of the United States. All Olivia Duhon ever wanted to do was sing.
“Ever since I can remember, singing was the only thing that I knew I was meant to do,” she says.
Since her first solo performance at the age of eight – in front of a crowd of about 1,000 people, no less – Duhon’s star has been fixed. Sixteen years later, the Tulsa singer’s sultry stylings have won her a devoted fan base along with the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame Legacy Tribute Award, presented to a rising Oklahoma jazz performer each year.
Duhon was humbled when she learned of the award.
“To be alongside the names and likes of the musicians I admire and aspire to be, that, in itself, is such an encouragement,” she says. “Especially in this day and age where pop, rock and country seem to be the end-all, be-all of popular music, and the jazz genre is seemingly for the older crowd. It’s refreshing to see my generation appreciate and applaud the honest efforts of young musicians in jazz music.
“Receiving this award was just an affirmation that my passionate hard work is actually worth something and that it connects with other individuals.”
Duhon attributes her jazz roots to the musicals of Rogers and Hammerstein and Gershwin’s An American in Paris, which led her through the first steps of what was to become a long love affair with music.
“Through those songs, I discovered such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Anita O’Day and Billie Holiday,” Duhon says. “I made a connection with that music and it spoke to me in a way I can’t explain. I’ll never forget the time that I listened to one of Ella’s live recordings. I seriously had that album on repeat for six months straight. Her raw and genuine interpretation of the songs seared into my brain and I couldn’t stop listening.”
And Oklahoma audiences can’t stop listening to Duhon. With a new album due out in late summer and performances lined up in venues throughout the state, at 24, she seems to be living every singer’s dream.
