Issuu

Gift Rapping | A Family Tradition of Art

DECEMBER 17 Vol. 14 Number 10

Merry & Bright

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2017

FEATURES

Publisher

Okie Icon Media

Managing Editor

David Dinsmore

Advertising Sales

Brad Carter

Creative Direction

Kelsey Walker & Fawn Wilson Olivarez

Cover Photo

8 A Family Tradition of Art, Helping Others

11 Gift Rapping: Hip-Hop Entertainer Gives Back Through Stocking Drives 15

Look Locally for Gift Ideas

22 ’Tis the Season for Cold and Flu 24 New Court Reporter Course Looks to Set Students on Fast-Track 29 Future Tense: Finding a Voice

18 DEPARTMENTS 6 KEEP THE CHANGE 6 NUTRITION 101 20 SONIC CONTEST 21 SHAWNEE HISTORY 30 ART GUIDE

Writers

Andrea Beck

Emily Day

David Dinsmore

Ann McDonald

Angela Rowland

Thresa Swadley

18 SEFF Plans Christmas Events for Kids from Ages 1 to 92

David Dinsmore

Distribution

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by direct mail to 25,000 homes and

businesses.

PO Box 1365 Shawnee, OK 74802 E-mail: info@shawneeoutlook.com

To Advertise call Brad at (405) 445-3033. Volume 14, Number 10 Shawnee Outlook is a publication of Okie Icon Media. © 2017 Okie Icon Media Articles and advertisements in Shawnee Outlook do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Okie Icon Media. Okie Icon Media does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by Shawnee Outlook does not constitute endorsement of products, services, political candidates/parties or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service that is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Shawnee Outlook assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

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KEEP THE CHANGE

Eating Out on a Budget It’s a hectic time of year – a time that’s most tempting to abandon meal planning and just opt for dinner out. There are ways to do so while still not breaking the budget. • Use gift cards. This time of year, especially, many restaurants offer special deals on their gift cards – such as an extra $5 if you spend $25 on a gift card. Obviously, you can use these types of deals to grab a great gift for someone, but you can also take advantage to treat yourself. If you have a club-store membership, you could also find restaurant gift cards there – typically at prices such as $50 of gift cards for $40. Picking up cards for a restaurant you’d usually eat at can help shave a little off your total out-ofpocket spending. • Sign up for emails. Most restaurants have email lists you can sign up for. Some offer coupons upon signup, so definitely look into it before you’re thinking of going somewhere specific. If you stay on the list, you may receive periodic emails with coupons. Some restaurants offer more of these than others. If you’re not getting any deals in your inbox, you can easily unsubscribe. • Earn points online. There are many websites that give you the opportunity to earn points to redeem for gift cards. Some like Coke Rewards or Kellogg’s Family Rewards are linked to purchasing specific products, but some – such as Swagbucks or MyPoints – offer points for things like searching the internet or simply opening an email. MyPoints sends out multiple emails each day and offers points simply for clicking through email offers, and if you choose to take advantage of the offers, you’ll earn points even faster. You’ll need to save up a bit, but you’ll appreciate the rewards you’re earning.

If you’d like to read more about my frugal journey, scan the QR code to visit my blog on the topic!

Angela Rowland is an OBU graduate and a stay-at-home mother of four. She enjoys finding new ways to stretch the paycheck and even posts some of her favorite tips and deals on her blog (steadfaststeward.blogspot.com)

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NUTRITION 101

Have a Holiday Health List – and Check It Twice It is officially my favorite time of year, featuring all of the Christmas lights, family get-togethers, ugly sweater parties and watching the kids open presents. Of course, with all of that comes all the holiday food. Holidays are about traditions, memories past and present, but remember, eating well is not about perfection. We are human, so perfection is impossible. Just like anything in life, preparation is key. Staying healthy during the holidays takes preparation as well. Remind yourself of your goals by having them posted somewhere. Post them on the refrigerator, in your car, on your desk or the bathroom mirror. During the busy holiday season, it can be easy to forget about your goals, but little reminders can go a long way. Enjoy activities with others. Get a football game going in the backyard, play hide and seek, have a scavenger hunt or simply take the family on a walk around the neighborhood. When cooking, get everyone involved. Some of my best holiday memories are baking in the kitchen with my Mema and my aunts. So give yourself some slack and don’t beat yourself up when enjoying a sugar cookie you decorated with the kids. Try some cooking swaps like using unsweetened applesauce instead of oil for baking breads. Another great thing about this time of year are all the volunteer opportunities. From homeless shelters to food pantries, bell-ringing to toy drives, there are many great ways to use your time during the holidays. Don’t forget to rest. Sleep will help fight cravings. Enjoy making your memories this season. It can be easy to skip over a meal because of all the busynesswith being busy. Try this veggie wrap for a quick lunch to keep you going.

Veggie Wrap Don’t let the holidays keep you from a healthy lunch. It might seem convenient to just grab something fried and quick while you are out shopping and enjoying the season, but thiswrap will give you the energy you need to keep going and won’t take too much of your time. Ingredients: Spinach and herb tortilla 2 Tbsp hummus, flavor of choice ¼ cup broccoli slaw ½ cup sliced cucumber

¼ cup chickpeas ¼ sliced avocado Spinach leaves Ground black pepper

Directions: Spread the hummus evenly over the middle of the tortilla. Place the remaining ingredients in the tortilla and fold to eat. Makes: 1 wrap; 1 serving Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 275 Total Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 618mg Dietary Fiber: 19g Protein: 10.5g

Saturated Fat: 2g Total Carbohydrates: 39g

Nutrition 101 Tip: If you get too busy and skip lunch, you may find it even harder to pass up every temptation during this season. If you skip lunch, when you get hungry – you are going to be really hungry. I picked a tortilla that has only 50 calories but 11g of fiber. This tortilla helps the meal be filling, provide energy but not be such a heavy meal. Vegetables don’t always find their way into our diet. It takes a conscious effort to make vegetables a part of our lifestyle. Lunches like this make it easy to enjoy your veggies. Merry Christmas and I hope you focus on the reason for the season.

Andrea Beck, a Registered Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer, received her Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics from UCO in Edmond. She offers her nutrition consulting services, personal training and strongHER workouts through Anytime Fitness Shawnee. Andrea offers personalized meal plans and workout plans. Andrea specializes in weight loss, running, childhood obesity, pregnancy health and diabetes. Andrea is an active member of Junior Service League and her church, Life Church. For nutrition or exercise questions, you can contact Andrea at andrea.beck@anytimefitness.com

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A Family Tradition of Art, Helping Others Meredith Bailey, Lisa Vernon and Susan Beth Wilhelm are artists familiar to those who frequent Shawnee art galleries and shows. Even though Wilhelm and Vernon are sisters – and Bailey is Vernon’s daughter – they have each developed their individual artistic style reflecting their personalities and life experiences. Vernon and Wilhelm grew up in Virginia and were taught art from childhood by their grandmother and father. The sisters’ artistic styles are different with Wilhelm crediting their father as being an early influence and Vernon comparing her style to being more like their grandmother’s. When the sisters were in elementary school, their parents opened a framing shop that also carried art supplies. The sisters said they spent afternoons after school and summers in the shop passing the time by creating their own art and selling some of it there. For both Wilhelm and Vernon, art has been secondary to their careers. Wilhelm studied mechanical engineering and used her artistic skills to design HVAC, geothermal and potable water systems for naval shipyards and commercial buildings. Vernon worked as a chemist and then returned to school for a degree in nursing 10 years ago. Both sisters used their art as an outlet from the daily stresses of life while working and raising families. Like her mom and aunt, Bailey said her mother and her grandfather influenced her early artistic efforts. “I tried to paint like the two of them and painted with oils,” Bailey said. “During that time, I did a lot of paintings of women, similar to the style of the Russian artist, Itzchak Tarkay.” Continuing in the family tradition, Bailey went to school to be a physical therapist, but during her senior year of college she took painting classes that she credits as helping define the artist she is today. She describes her style as abstract and fun. “Some of my favorite paintings are from my Splatter Paint Series,” Bailey said. “It is less intimidating to throw paint on a canvas and then work from 8

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Lisa Vernon, Meredith Bailey and Susan Beth Wilhelm – who painted the piece behind the group – have passed along a family tradition of using art as stress relief, means of expression and a way to benefit others. Photo by Thresa Swadley

that instead of a blank canvas.” Bailey has continued the family tradition of passing art to the next generation by having her toddler participate in some of the painting she does in her home studio. All three women have used art not only as stress relief in their own lives but also to help others. Wilhelm said she credits her interest in batiks from working with at-risk youth and children. “I was working with children who

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had never owned a box of crayons and would never be able to fathom working with watercolors,” Wilhelm said. “I needed to come up with something that they could do.” Once Wilhelm saw what the children were creating with crayons, she said she became interested in incorporating them into her own artwork. As a physical therapist, Bailey said she uses art as a topic of conversation with her patients, and she hangs art in her clinic to give patients something

By Thresa Swadley

to focus on besides the pain that they are experiencing. Art is also an activity that she suggests to patients who need a distraction during their recovery period. For many years, Vernon used pencil and oil paint as her main media, but a few years ago she began to work with watercolors. She has also begun to focus on smaller pieces, such as the hand-painted Christmas cards she creates for family and friends. “I have learned to love creating smaller pieces that can be completed in a couple of hours,” Vernon said. Vernon is also accomplished in fiber arts and frequently donates handmade hats, blankets and other items to local charities. Completing the family circle, Wilhelm and Vernon’s father Virgil Haywood moved to Shawnee several years ago and was also engaged in the Shawnee art scene for a few years, the sisters said. Several pieces of his art are displayed in the fine arts office and drawing room of Raley Chapel at Oklahoma Baptist University. He is also known for the stained glass pieces that he donated to be auctioned at several benefits in the area. One can see and purchase works by all three artists at the Arts@317. Wilhelm is scheduled to have a show at Elevated Grounds Coffee Shop in December and has pieces in the gift shop at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. Wilhelm and Bailey also have websites where one can purchase their art or request custom pieces.

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Gift Rapping: Hip-Hop Entertainer Gives Back Through Stocking Drives Locally, in Tulsa Like many holiday traditions, Loud Nation Music’s stocking drive started out as a family affair, and for the most part it still is. Michael Brendan – founder of the entertainment group as well as the owner of MC Flooring – said his father got the ball rolling in gathering a few stockings and gifts for local kids who might otherwise not get anything from Christmas. At the time he started this, Brendan’s father was behind bars. In the years since, Brendan has mostly teamed up with his brother, Wes Brendan, to continue this tradition and use the influence and contacts he has through Loud Nation to get the word out to any would-be donors and recipients, he said. “If I’m out here doing stuff in this community, why not give back,” Brendan said. The stockings given as well as the gifts inside them come mostly from Brendan’s own income, though he does have people contact him to donate items to be given to children and others in need at Christmas, he said. The types of products he asks for from interested donors are things like hygiene products and small unwrapped toys. Brendan uses shows he organizes through Loud Nation as a way to get the word out about the stocking drive, making announcements from the stage to audience members about these efforts and asking if they know anyone who might need a gift or

By David Dinsmore

Norman-based hip-hop artist J-Cynical performs at Brickhouse Saloon in November as part of a show hosted by Loud Nation Music, whose founder Michael Brendan organizes an annual stocking drive with his family to help local underserved kids. Photo by David Dinsmore

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might be interested in providing some, he said. This platform gives him a way of reaching out, but he never makes a big demand for anything. The drive is something he does with his family as a way to pass on to his kids and other younger family members the importance of sharing one’s blessings with others who are not as fortunate. “It’s showing a new generation that it’s better to give this time of year,” Brendan said. “A lot of younger people are more self-focused now.” The stocking drive is not meant to become a big national movement, but it does make a difference in some local kids’ lives. That’s something to which he can relate, having spent parts of his childhood with a single parent in underprivileged neighborhoods. Brendan said the smallest gifts can make a difference, and now that he is in a position to provide those he tries to reach out as much as he can. The number of kids his family reaches varies from year to year, Brendan said. The most they’ve given away has been 75 stockings in a single year – utilizing the help of local schools to distribute them – and then there was last year where a death in the family caused them to have to miss the chance to organize the drive. Still, Brendan looks forward to this time of year when he can take the resources he’s able to put together and go shopping for the stockings and items to put in them, he said. On top of practical things like hygiene products and treats like candy, Brendan tries to make sure each stocking gets a significant toy for the recipient to enjoy. His family and he then organize the bounty and begin stuffing stock-

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ings ahead of the Dec. 23 giveaway day. One year, that date happened to be the same day that his mom was flying in from North Carolina to visit for Christmas. Brendan said he picked her up from the airport just in time to join in on handing out the stockings. Though their family had their struggles financially, his mom always demonstrated a generous spirit and loved the chance to give back to the community with her son. “That’s where this all comes from … from her heart,” Brendan said. “We just have fun with it.” This year, Brendan is teaming up with Tulsa-based hip-hop artist, Unknown Kapriest, and other area acts to put on a first-ever HoodstocK show on Dec. 8 in Tulsa as a way to help raise resources and awareness to help that city’s homeless. “This platform makes you the loudest voice in the building,” said Unknown Kapriest, who participated in a November show at Brickhouse Saloon in Shawnee organized by Loud Nation. “As long as you’re saying something positive, people will listen.” The idea for his HoodstocK show came from the love associated with its namesake – the original Woodstock event of 1969, the Tulsa rapper said. The “Hood” part of the name is meant to evoke images of the homeless living in people’s neighborhoods who could use some love during the holidays. “The whole show is about them,” Unknown Kapriest said. For more information about Loud Nation’s local stocking drive, contact Brendan via facebook.com/michaelbrendan24.

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Look Locally for Gift Ideas The holiday season is approaching, which means shopping for friends and family. Finding that perfect gift can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Forget about internet shopping or fighting the holiday crowds in chain stores. Instead of purchasing this year’s hot item that will be forgotten a few weeks after Christmas, consider searching for a memorable gift from local small businesses or consider gifts made here in Shawnee. Visit Shawnee loves to promote locally made, authentic and unique shopping ideas to visitors. Here are a few of our favorites:

Homemade Goods at St. Gregory’s Abbey

Perhaps one of the most surprising places to find locally made gifts is at the St. Gregory’s Abbey. The monks at the abbey pride themselves on their homemade products including soap, honey and jam. These items can be found at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art gift shop, Benedict Street Marketplace or they can be directly purchased from the monks at the abbey. Note: Even though St. Gregory’s University is shutting down in December, the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art and the abbey will still be open and operating as normal.

Baked Goods from Local Bakeries Baked treats are always a good op-

FOR GOD SO LOVED HE GAVE

tion for gift ideas, and they are even sweeter when they come from a local bakery. Who doesn’t love fudge – especially when it comes from House of Flowers? They make their own fudge right in the shop and boast more than 20 flavors, including chocolate walnut, chocolate peanut butter, raspberry cream, buttered pecan and more. DC Cake Appeal also offers an array of baked goods including cookies, brownies and cupcakes. You can order a dozen of your favorite treats for your next holiday party. Elevated Grounds – a new coffee shop in town – also offers some amazing baked goods including cinnamon rolls, coffee cake and pie. Bonus: gift cards to local coffee shops always make great presents.

Locally Made Items from Crows Market on Main Crows Market on Main carries a variety of homemade goodies including salsa, honey, tea and jelly. Among the various flavors is pepper jelly commonly used to make a great holiday treat, Gone in 60 Seconds Dip. The jelly itself makes a wonderful gift, but you could also whip up a

Submitted by Visit Shawnee

batch of the dip for a holiday party or gathering. GONE IN 60 SECONDS DIP: 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup chopped green onions ½ cup cream cheese ½ cup red pepper jelly Combine all ingredients except the pepper jelly and chill. Spoon the red pepper jelly over the mixture just before serving.

Native American gifts from Citizen Potawatomi Gift Shop or Absentee Shawnee Gift Shop Visitors often ask us where they can purchase Native American gifts, and Shawnee is fortunate to have two gift shops – the Citizen Potawatomi gift shop and the Absentee Shawnee gift shop. Both offer a selection of beautiful, handcrafted Na-

tive American gifts. Note: The Citizen Potawatomi Cultural Heritage Center might be closed for renovations, but you can still stop by the gift shop located inside.

Pecans from Benson Park Pecans or Valley View Pecan Co. Nuts also make a great gift, and two stores in Shawnee offer you many options for the holiday season. Benson Park Pecans offers a variety of treats that make great stockingstuffers, including different varieties of pecans, chocolate covered pecans, pecan oil and – new this year – gift tins. Valley View Pecan Co. sells several types of pecans in one, three or five pound bags. They also sell walnuts, almonds and peanuts. For more information on all these locations and other locally owned businesses in Shawnee, visit our website VisitShawnee.com.

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Okay, it’s a deal, but you’re making a bad bargain. The exchange was made and the boy went away happy with AJ Gordon was a great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. in which sparrows fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, Son, where did you get those birds? The boy replied, I The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit trapped them out in the field. and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ’s coming to seek and to save the lost - paying for them with His own What are you going to do with them? I’m going to play precious blood. That boy told me the birds were not songwith them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat sters, said Gordon, but when I released them and they we have at home. winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were When Gordon offered to buy them to give as a gift, the lad singing, Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed! responded, Mister, you don’t want them, they’re just little WILL OUR GIFTS BRING SONGS OF REDEMPTION? old wild birds and can’t sing very well. Gordon replied, I’ll give you $2 for the cage and the birds.

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SEFF Plans Christmas Events for Kids from Ages 1 to 92

by David Dinsmore

Families gathered to take in the experience of the tree lighting ceremony during SEFF’s event Nov. 17. Photos by David Dinsmore

Six-year-old Clara Underwood held the hand of her brother, three-year-old Michael Underwood, as they crossed Main Street. They – along with four-year-old Jack Brisson – had their eyes on only one object. “We’re excited to see the Christmas tree,” Michael Underwood said. The three tiny tots came to Celebration of Life Memorial Park with a contingent of grown-ups – Alicia Brisson, Becky Brown, Chris Lawrence and Linsay Underwood – to watch the third-annual Christmas tree lighting event hosted by Safe Events for Families, which integrated the ceremony into its monthly Block pARTy event on a warm Friday evening less than a week from Thanksgiving Day. While the kids came down to see the lights, the adults wanted to experience the start of the holiday season with neighbors they might not otherwise get to know, said Linsay Underwood, who heard about the event on Facebook. Throughout the year it becomes easy to overlook the faces of fellow community members, but holiday events in the city can help bring people together who might not otherwise say hello as they pass in the grocery store. “It makes me feel like we have a community,” Linsay Underwood said of events like the tree lighting. 18

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Helping foster that feeling is one of the biggest motivators for SEFF’s members, who put together the tree lighting event along with the Christmas parade at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 along Main Street, said Ed Bolt, community coordinator for the group. “It’s really important for the community to have shared experiences like that,” Bolt said. “It’s something where everyone comes together and has fun.” The holiday events cap off a busy time for SEFF. The group works throughout the year to organize events like Boo on Bell around Halloween and the Christmas parade, but the timing of the two celebrations makes the last few months of the year a bit hectic, Bolt said. In fact, SEFF was working with those who were already interested in participating in the 2018 Christmas parade while putting the finishing touches on this year’s festivities. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,” Bolt said. The timing of this year’s parade made it easy to pick the theme. Falling on the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it seemed appropriate to encourage parade participants to make this year a patriotic Christmas theme. Bolt said while it was not going to be a military parade, SEFF wanted to make sure to reach out and invite all veterans to come take part in the parade as part of a collective grand marshal honor.

SEFF coordinated more than 100 entries to join the participating veterans in the parade as the event again expanded as it has during the last few years, Bolt said. Those who have been a part of it before look for ways to outdo themselves – and perhaps some of their other parade-mates – by broadening their efforts each year. “It feels like the floats get bigger and bigger every year,” Bolt said. Bolt has attended the parade both as a spectator and an organizer, and each role comes with its own set of standards for enjoyment. When he went with his family to watch the parade before joining SEFF, he was focused on spending time with them taking in the sights and sounds. As planners, Bolt said SEFF members’ priority is for other families to revel in a safe environment to get the most out of their parade experience, which means organizers must pay attention to the little details that help eliminate potential hazards like spectators crossing dangerously into the parade’s path. Still, Bolt and his fellow SEFF members do spend some time taking in the event during the evening. “As a grandparent, I love watching how the children respond when they see the parade,” Bolt said. “I love seeing how excited they get.”

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SHAWNEE HISTORY

50 Years Ago, Hospital Complex Was Just What the Doctors Ordered This month, the St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital complex turns 50 years old, but the city’s medical history extends beyond the facility currently housed at 1102 W. MacArthur St. Early citizens in Shawnee had several physicians to attend their ills and injuries, and there is mention of “hospitals” – one in a house on North Bell Avenue and another on the northeast corner of Broadway Avenue and Farrall Street. City fathers saw the need for a modern medical facility, and by 1912, Shawnee Municipal Hospital – also known as “City Hospital” – was constructed at 134 S. Center St. In 1927, Drs. Robert M. Anderson, Frank L. Carson and John E. Hughes combined their practices and built the ACH Clinic and Hospital immediately west of the Aldridge Hotel on 9th Street. In 1948, Dr. George Baxter bought the offices of chiropractor Dr. Ruth Payton located in a private home at 624 N. Broadway. Two years later, he built a hospital immediately south of the clinic. Then in the late-1950s, Dr. Jerold Kethley purchased the property and renamed it Broadway Clinic and Hospital. City Hospital closed in 1950 when Mission Hill Hospital was built to replace it. In the mid-1960s, the doctors at the Broadway and ACH hospitals – headed by Kethley and Dr. Roy Kelly – chose to combine their two facilities and build a modern medical complex. The other physicians involved were Drs. James Loudon, Tony Puckett, A.C. Gauchat, Jake Jones Jr., Frank Howard, A.M. Bell, John Hayes and John Gardner. Shawnee Medical Center hosted an open house on Dec. 4, 1967 at its new MacArthur Street address, and the doctors began seeing patients the next day. The building housed both a clinic and hospital – the three-story hospital on the east end and the clinic on

This aerial view shows the location now housing St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital and St. Anthony Physicians Shawnee as it was in 1968 just after the establishment of Shawnee Medical Center.

Photo submitted

the west with a basement featuring an employee cafeteria. The hospital had an up-to-date obstetrics department, surgical ward and emergency room. The clinic and hospital were separated by a waiting area and were connected by a hallway so medical personnel could access their patients. Over the years, the two were separated as both grew, and new departments were added. In 1986, a major upgrade was made with an expansion of the emergency department, intensive care unit and a cancer center. In the clinic, the staff continued to grow as did new sections of care. The affiliation has changed over the years as well. It’s been Shawnee Regional, Unity North and is now owned by St. Anthony’s. There are now 27 doctors on staff. One never knows when they will be part of a historical event. This author was a clerk in the ACH Clinic in 1967 while my husband was overseas with the army. The place was familiar to our family as my brother had been born there. My sister and I had arrived at the old City Hospital, and we were all patients of the ACH doctors. Employees were anxious to make the big move. It was a bit sad to leave

the iconic ACH – the place of so many memories for so many families – but

by Ann McDonald

the prospect of working in the spacious and modern SMC Clinic and Hospital was exciting. The first weekend of December, dozens of people helped with the move from the two old hospitals/clinics. My job was to haul the ACH clinic patient’s charts from the old place to their new home. Volunteers loaded my 1966 Ford Mustang with boxes of charts and off I went. Once there, we placed them on one shelf in the file room, and employees from the Broadway Clinic put theirs on the shelf below. Over time, when a patient was seen by a doctor and the chart returned to the file room, we put them together. Before long, the charts, the doctors, the employees and the patients all became one.

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ST. ANTHONY SHAWNEE HOSPITAL

’Tis the Season for Cold and Flu Influenza vaccination is the As temperatures get best prevention measure cooler and the holiday seaavailable against the flu. son approaches, ‘tis the “If you have not already season for cold and flu. This received the flu vaccinatime of year is usually when tion, the sooner the better,” we start seeing people getSoutherland said. “It is ting sick with runny noses, never too late to get a flu cough and congestion. Kim Southerland vaccination.” “As the temperature It is important to remember that it drops, more people are staying inside and when one person is sick, it can takes up to two weeks after receiving quickly spread to others,” said Kim the flu vaccine before the body can Southerland, infection preventionist protect against the flu, Southerland said. By getting a flu vaccine for yourat St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital. Both the cold and the flu are viral self and your entire family every seainfections of the respiratory tract, son, you can help prevent flu-related which includes the nose, throat, air- illnesses, missed school, work and ways and lungs. Symptoms of the two even more serious flu-related complican be similar, but there are some cations. Practicing good hand hygiene differences. Cold symptoms usually come on gradually and can include a can also have a big impact in staysore throat, cough, congestion and a ing healthy this season, Southerland runny nose, Southerland said. A cold said. It’s the simplest and most effeccan last for a week or longer, especial- tive way to help prevent the spread of ly in children, the elderly and those in germs. The Centers for Disease Control poor health. Influenza symptoms usually come and Prevention recommend the folon suddenly and can include a fever lowing steps for hand hygiene when greater than 100 degrees Fahren- using soap and water: • Wash your hands with running heit, chills, body and muscle aches, water and soap. headache, cough, sore throat, runny • Rub your hands together for at or stuffy nose and extreme tiredness, least 20 seconds. Southerland said. Sometimes people • Pay special attention to your might even have some nausea, vomwrists, the backs of your hands, iting and diarrhea. Influenza illness between your fingers and under can last anywhere from one to two your fingernails. weeks or longer. • Leave the water running while you To confirm a diagnosis of flu, your dry your hands on a paper towel. doctor will swab your nose for the vi• Use the paper towel as a barrus. Generally, flu can be treated with rier between the faucet and your rest, fluids and over-the-counter medclean hands when you turn off the ication targeting the symptoms. In water. some cases, antiviral medications are If soap and water are not available, given to lessen the severity of illness. Southerland said these antiviral med- use alcohol-based hand sanitizers by ications are most effective if started saturating your hands with the product within two days of symptom onset. and rubbing your hands together until Please be aware that antibiotics are dry, Southerland said. It is a good idea to always have an alcohol-based hand not effective against the flu virus. Southerland strongly suggested sanitizer available when needed in a that everyone get a flu vaccination. purse, car, pocket, etc. 22

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This program is a proud affliate of the Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting, Inc. www.mkcourtreporting.com

Take a ringside seat to history! Gordon Cooper Technology Center announces our new

Court Reporter Program This program will prepare students for licensure as an Oklahoma Certified Shorthand Reporter (CSR). Reporters are in high demand in Oklahoma and across the nation as official court reporters, freelancers, closed captioners, and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) reporters. The Department of Labor has projected more than 5,000 vacancies nationwide in the next five years.

This class includes a combination of hands-on machine shorthand practicum, theory, professional reporting practices, internships, live and recorded video, guest speakers, and real world scenarios. This is an intensive two-year plus vocational program, ideal candidates should be proficient in English, like to read, have strong concentration and listening skills, and have few outside distractions or additional obligations. Class begins January 2018. For more information, call 405.273.7493 and ask for Joni or Fran or email jonis@gctech.edu.

www.gctech.edu

www.shawneeoutlook.com

New Court Reporter Course Looks to Set Students on Fast-Track For court reporters – and other professionals who use stenography – speed and accuracy is the name of the game. These were also the principles employed by officials at Gordon Cooper Technology in designing a new two-year course that will start in January with the aim of filling a looming employment gap in the field of court reporting. According to information from the National Court Reporters Association, there will be an estimated 5,500 new positions available in the United States in the next three to five years needing people with certified and qualified skill sets. Meanwhile – a little closer to home – only five current members of the Oklahoma Court Reporters Association are under the age of 40, illustrating an age gap in the field that will have an impact on the number of people ready to enter the field as a career. These facts came to the attention of Gordon Cooper officials at the end of summer, and they quickly launched feasibility studies looking at the possibility of establishing a program that could help meet this need, said Fran Topping, management development coordinator and certified program planner with Gordon Cooper. A normal cycle for establishing a new program can take a couple of years, but when looking at the resources available to create a court reporting course as well as the need it will serve to have students ready to fill employment gaps, course designers at Gordon Cooper found it to be an easy decision to add the course to its catalog – even if the process to do so quickly would add significantly to their workload. “We’ll give up some sleep and be focused on this, but it’s been pretty exciting,” Topping said. “We determined, ‘yes, we can make this happen.’” Pottawatomie County court reporter Kit Vickery did not start out looking at court reporting as her career path, but after earning her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma, she said she was not happy about the job prospects in front of her at the time. She remembered her father – Kiowa County District Judge Paul Braun – talking about how hard it was to find court reporters even at that time. Vickery enrolled in a court reporting school in Norman and became certified in 1991. During the last two and a half decades, Vickery has continued honing her skills to improve her speed and accuracy, she said. The constant challenge to get better allows dedicated court reporters to increase their earning potential as well as build their reputation in the field. “You never achieve perfection, but you’re always 24

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Mastering stenography and writing machines like this one can be like learning a new language and musical instrument at the same time. In January, Gordon Cooper Technology Center will offer a new two-year court reporting course to teach these skills. Photo by David Dinsmore

working on it,” Vickery said. In her time as a court reporter, Vickery said she has not found a more helpful source for improving her speed and clarity than through the programs and concepts presented by Mark Kislingbury, who has held the Guinness World Record for fastest court reporter. That was why she was glad to hear that Gordon Cooper was using his methods as the basis for its new course. “He is the Michael Jordan of court reporting if there was such a thing,” Topping said. The new program aims to produce students able to pass national and state certification standards, Topping said. One of the reasons for the gap between current and future opportunities and the number of workers ready to seize them comes from the challenge of learning the skill set to the point of becoming certified. Statistics show close to an 85 percent drop-out rate in court reporting courses nationwide, which has led to a decrease in available training programs like the one Gordon Cooper will start next month. Kislingbury’s program, however, has only a 40 percent drop-out rate. “That would sound horrible in any other circumstances, but when you compare it to the national (average) it’s less than 50 percent,” Topping said. “His strategies work.” To help overcome the national average level of attrition, Gordon Cooper’s program will spend the first six months on theory to help familiarize students with the courtroom environment, the concepts behind shorthand used by stenographers and other fundamental knowledge, Topping said. After that, students will turn the bulk of their attention

by David Dinsmore

on the most crucial aspect of certification – speed. The national standard for certification requires court reporters to be able to record 225 words per minute with a high degree of accuracy using a stenotype machine. “Court reporting is like learning a second language and learning a musical instrument at the same time,” Topping said. “If you’re going to be a virtuoso pianist, you are not going to get there by doing it 30 minutes per day.” As such, the Gordon Cooper program requires more than the standard amount of lab time featured in other programs, during which students will type away on the provided machines to build up their speed, Topping said. The payoff for such dedication and hard work required by a court reporting course can be quantified from a financial standpoint. Looking at available wage information, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show a 2016 median income of $51,320 for court reporters nationally with those in Oklahoma bringing in a mean wage of around $51,020 in the same year. Top percentage earners command income levels in the six-figure range. There are also options within the field that can make the job fit the preferences and personality of those who earn their certification, Vickery said. Some like working directly for the court system, which comes with the stability of having a specific schedule and office from which to work. These positions also typically offer benefits and other perks. Others find it more appealing to work freelance, which might require them to bring their equipment and skills to lawyers offices and other settings all around the state or beyond. The earning potential per job is higher with this type of work compared to working within the governmental structure, but it often requires freelancers to find their own sources of benefits like health insurance and retirement plans. Beyond court reporting, the skills learned in such training programs can also apply in the fields of closed captioning – which can be done from home – as well as webcast transcription and other real-time stenography settings, Topping said. “You aren’t just stuck with a salary … you have the opportunity to make more money,” Vickery said. “If you do good work, the work will come to you.” For more information about Gordon Cooper’s new court reporting course, call 405-273-7493 or email jonis@gctech.edu. Classes begin Jan. 22, 2018. No enrollment deadline had been set at time of publication.

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Future Tense: Finding a Voice Each month during the school year, “Future Tense” will feature student writers sharing something they enjoy about the community – whether they are temporary visitors at Oklahoma Baptist University or lifelong residents. As a high school student in Shawnee, I could not be more thankful for the countless opportunities I am provided within our community. My passion is music, and I have been blessed with so many ways to share and develop my musical abilities around the city. I am a sophomore at Shawnee High School and am involved in the mixed choir, women’s’ choir and show choir. Each group performs and competes, and we have already traveled to a competition in Ada this year, earning all superior ratings. I was likewise blessed to receive a superior rating on my solo as well. I also had the chance to audition and be selected for both the All-District and All-State choirs, giving me opportunities to grow as a singer, meet others with the same talent and passion as me from all around the state and earn college scholarships. I am thankful beyond words for the choir program at the high school and what it means to me and especially for our director, Justin Lee, who makes it all possible. As you can probably tell, I love to sing. I have had the opportunity to sing the national anthem at basketball games, wrestling matches and even at the International Finals Youth Rodeo last summer at the fairgrounds here in Shawnee. I also had the chance to sing at the talent show during Boo on Bell this October.

DEC

Emily Day has enjoyed getting to sing at events like the talent show during this year’s Boo on Bell weekend in October. Photo courtesy of Ed Bolt

Over the past several months, I was involved in “The Voice” competition sponsored by United Way of Pottawatomie County. Each singer or group represented a nonprofit organization. I represented American Red Cross.

Bethel Acres Tag Agency

by Emily Day

The auditions were video recorded and were released on Facebook a few at a time over the span of almost two months. Every dollar donated to the video – and therefore to the non-profit organization – was equivalent to a vote. I made it to the top four and performed in a live finale show in November. The competition helped nonprofit organizations in ways unimaginable. I am so thankful to have been a part of this and most importantly to have been able to raise money for the American Red Cross. I am also heavily involved in music at Immanuel Baptist Church here in Shawnee. I lead worship every Wednesday night in the youth group with our youth band. I lead worship on Sunday mornings sometimes as well and am a member of the youth choir. I’ve been on mission trips with my church to Nebraska, Arizona, Colorado and South Dakota. We recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of our church, and I was blessed to help lead worship for

our celebration service held at OBU’s Raley Chapel. I could not be more thankful for my church family and the community, friendships, love and encouragement it brings, along with the opportunities to travel and share the gospel through leading worship. I have a calling to worship ministry, and I love using my gift and passion to glorify the Lord and lead others in doing so any chance I get. To say the least, I am one busy girl, but I love it. There is nothing I would rather do than do what I love, with the people I love, in this town that I love. My activities are mostly focused on music, but there are so many cool opportunities here in Shawnee for high school students and people of all ages. I encourage everyone to get involved in something. As humans we all strive to be a part of something bigger than us, and Shawnee is a great place to find that. Emily Day is a 10th grade student at Shawnee High School.

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ART GUIDE

December Arts Events St. Gregory’s choral group, Schola, will present its final concert at 5 p.m. on Dec. 3 in the Abbey Church. The program, “Advent Lessons and Carols,” is free and open to the public. First Baptist Church will present two programs during the advent season. The children’s choirs will sing on Dec. 3 and the adult choir will lead a service on Dec. 10. Both events will be at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary. Information: 405-275-6111.

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Shawnee Middle School choirs will present their Christmas Concert on Dec. 5 and the Shawnee High School choirs will give their concert on Dec. 19. Both programs will be at 7 p.m. in the high school’s Performing Arts and Athletic Center. The concerts are free and open to the public.

Call today to schedule your appointment!

Tecumseh Public Library will present “Viva GLART: Grow a Learner through Art” from 9-10 a.m. on Dec. 7. The bilingual program is for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Information: http://pioneer.libnet. info/event/173689. Shawnee Public Library will present a holiday movie matinee from 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 9. The movie is appropriate for all ages and will include theater popcorn and concession treats. Information: http://pioneer.libnet. info/event/385076. Immanuel Baptist Church will present “All is Well” at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Dec. 10. The program will include choral and contemporary music and will feature the adult, youth and children’s choirs. Information: 405273-2105.

SHAWNEE HARRAH SEMINOLE TECUMSEH 2506 N. Harrison 20926C SE 29th St 2309B N Milt Phillips 503 N Broadway Shawnee, OK 74804 Harrah, OK 73045 Seminole, OK 74868 Tecumseh, OK 74873 405.214.0300 405.391.2300 405.303.2050 405.598.2899

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The After School Art Reception at Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art will be

held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14. Information: www.mgmoa.org. Looking for unique holiday gifts? Support local artists and shop at the art galleries and stores on Main Street. Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art will host its Community Art Day from 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 16. Admission is free for the come-and-go activity. Information: www.mgmoa. org. Support the Shawnee High School Senior theater showcase, “Marry Me,” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16 in the high school’s Performing Arts and Athletic Center. The show is directed by Sabrina Bartley and Annika Stephens. There will be a bake sale preceding the show to raise money for Project Graduation. St. Paul’s Methodist Church will have a Christmas Ring and Sing featuring its choir and handbells during the 10:45 a.m. worship service on Dec. 17. Information: www. shawneestpauls.com. University Baptist Church will present a program of Christmas songs at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17. The service will include the adult and children’s choirs. Information: 405275-1990. Emmanuel Episcopal Church will have its annual carol singing at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 24 with the midnight service beginning at 11 p.m. Information: 405-273-1374. Firelake Grand Casino will host comedian, Rodney Carrington, at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 29. Tickets: www. grandshawnee.com.

Thresa Swadley is a freelance cellist/teacher who has been active in the Shawnee Arts Community for 20 years. She is a member of the OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra and is a Suzuki-certified cello teacher. Please contact her if you know of an upcoming arts event. Email: tswadley@sbcglobal.net.

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Every Saturday in December

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