The WatchDawg
SWOSU@Sayre Newsletter Swosu@SayreFebruary 18, 2016
The Watchdawg Goes Online for Blind Persons
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By Terry Ford, Watchdawg Faculty Sponsor
This month’s issue of the Sayre campus newsletter is special. It is being produced in a manner so that blind or visually impaired persons can “read” it online.
This technology involves a “screen reader,” a powerful software program designed to work with a speech synthesizer to im-prove the productivity for visually impaired students, as well as the casual user. Basically, it creates a talking computer that not only reads the text, but also explains pictures and clip art in the newspaper.
It is the goal of the campus to meet all guidelines of the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Blind students should be able to enjoy all the news and events on the college website, swosu.edu.
“Even though it is not mandated as of yet, SWOSU wants to put it into practice already,” states Michael Brinkley, the campus Network Administrator. Because we are creating the newspaper in Microsoft Word now, instead of Microsoft Publisher, it may look a bit different than designs that we previously had, but we hope that even the visually impaired can now enjoy the school news, too!
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“Valentine Aftermath” Enjoyed by All
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Students, faculty and staff enjoyed the sunny day and the deliciously smoky scent of hamburgers grilling outdoors, as the SGA served up meats and treats Monday, Feb. 15th.
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Above, Serving up the meal are Benny Luckler and Nancy Sanders. At left, a line forms for cheeseburgers. Photos by Danny Trevino.
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Blood Donor Challenge Set for March 2
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Sayre-area residents are urged to take the Blood Donor Challenge with Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) and SWOSU, Sayre Campus, according to Instructor Michele Ervin.
A blood drive is being held Wednesday, Mar. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This gives those who have never saved lives through blood donation the chance to step up and help local patients.
Healthy adults can typically give, and they will receive Blood Donor Challenge T-shirts at the Sayre college administration office.
“Only 10 percent of those eligible to give actually donate blood at least annually,” said John Armitage, M.D., president and CEO, Oklahoma Blood Institute. “We challenge those who don’t give regularly to overcome their excuses. Many who have taken the ‘challenge’ say they can’t believe how easy and gratifying it is to donate blood.”
Donors will receive a free t-shirt.
All blood provided to patients in area hospitals is given by donors with Oklahoma Blood Institute, and each donation can save as many as three patients’ lives. Some 154 hospitals across the state rely on OBI donors exclusively.
Donors wishing to make an international impact, as well as a local one, can support Global Blood Fund (GBF).It is a charity aimed at ending severe blood shortages in countries where 200,000 die each year simply due to a lack of safe blood. By giving up their T-shirts, donors enable OBI to financially contribute to GBF to make training, supplies, and technology available for their struggling blood centers.
Call 877-340-8777 or visit obi.org for an appointment to donate. Walk-ins are welcome.
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Valentine Aftermath, cont’d
(Continued from page 1)
Cupcakes in very color of the rainbow were available, supplied by the Methodist Women’s organization.
The members of the Student Government Association also bagged up candies, tied with ribbons, to give out for free.
The SGA members are Eric Garcia, Aaron Clark, Nate Carr, DanielEssary. SGA sponsors are Kathy Baker and Nancy Sanders.
Clint Cook enjoys two before Speech Class.
Early “D” and “F”
Reports Being
E-mailed Soon
As part of SWOSU’s ongoing commitment to help students, your instructors will be mailing an early report to students who currently have a “D” or “F” average.
It is hoped that this early warning will notify students before it is too late. If you receive such an e-mail, please talk to your instructor, your advisor, or the counselor about ways to improve your performance.
SWOSU instructors previously mailed these late in the term, but realized that didn’t give students enough time to make adjustments, so they now come earlier in the semester.
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Are You Ready for May 2016 Graduation?
Students who plan to graduate in May of 2016 should have already completed a Degree Check and filled out an online Application for Graduation. Submissions for online applications for graduation were due on February 1, 2016. If you were planning to graduate in May of 2016 and did not get this done, you need to consult with a faculty member in the Registrar’s office.
Here are a few things that May 2016 Graduates need to know:
1.Registar Terry Billey states: “We will have our 'First Ever' Graduation Fairfor the Sayre campus, in the Bulldog Alley (student lounge) from 10:00-1:00 on Wednesday, February 24th. All students who plan to graduate this spring or summer will need to go by and visit with the representatives from Jostens to order caps & gowns. Caps & gowns are included in student fees, so there's no charge for those, but graduates can also order announcements and other items at the student's expense.”
2.The Graduation Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 6, 2016, and it begins at 7:00 P.M.
3.Sayre Public Schools Auditorium is the place at which the Graduation Ceremony will take place. It is the round building one block north of the SWOSU Campus.
4.Jostens will be sending information to all graduating students via email regarding ordering graduation gowns online. If you miss the Sayre campus “Graduation Fair,” you may choose to pick up a graduation gown from the book store in Weatherford instead of ordering the graduation gown online, but they won’t be available for pickup at Weatherford until the end of February.
5.The cost of the graduation gowns is paid for by SWOSU.
6.A variety of sizes of graduation gowns is available for you to choose from.
Now you know the date, time, and place of the May 2016 Graduation Ceremony, so be sure to check your student webmail for information about graduation.
A Commencement Reception for grads, friends and family will be held on campus after the Graduation Ceremony. Details of the reception will be shared closer to the date of graduation.
Meet the Staff: Bill Swartwood
There are three kinds of mathematicians: Those who can count, those who
don’t, and then there is Mr. Swartwood!
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By Danny Trevino
Bill Swartwood
Bill Swartwood, a SWOSU math professor, was born in Cheyenne, Oklahoma, in 1957.
He is married to Toni Widener. His wife of 40 years is the vice president and loan officer at the Security State Bank in Cheyenne. Bill graduated high school in Cheyenne, attained an Associates in Science at SWOSU Sayre, a Bachelors in Mathematics Education in Weatherford, and finally his Master’s in Education from Weatherford.
Bill has five siblings: a sister and four brothers—one of which is his identical twin. Bill proudly said he is the elder by 30 minutes and is known to joke that he is the better looking one.
He is also the father of two amazing children. His son, Brady Swartwood, works at Culver Electric in Elk City as an electrician, and his daughter followed along his footsteps and became a math teacher. She currently teaches at Cheyenne and has also taught in Elk City and Fargo.
Bill Swartwood is a very well rounded and modest individual. He claims to be the more conservative of the twins. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, and gained a love for the great outdoors. When he was teaching at Cheyenne, he applied for a competitive science project funded by the National Science Foundation called the NASA Education Workshop for Math and Science Teachers, a prestigious event at the time.
Bill and Toni
Throughout his life he has held many jobs, including working in construction, farming, as a national forest service laborer, and as a surveyor for the Soil Conservation Service. He admits that there are days when his grandad’s quote, “The more I’m around people, the better I like my dog” has significant meaning. To add to that, he also loves dogs and has two Yorkies: Molly 4, Mazzy 7.
Twins: Can you spot the real Bill?
Bill Swartwood taught at Sayre Junior High, Reydon High School, and Cheyenne High School for an accumulated time of 17 years and has been at SWOSU Sayre for 18 years. During his time in the area public schools, he also drove a bus and was a certified school bus driver trainer. Being an avid golfer, he jokes, “Your worst day in golf is better than any other day in your life.”
He plays guitar and plays music inspired by his favorite bands, such as The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, and Fire House.
If you’re around Mr. Swartwood for long, you’re bound to enjoy his sense of humor. His repertoire of math jokes really adds up! He is also known around campus for being extremely punctual—actually early to work each day. He is very well-read and politically savvy.
When it comes to mathematicians, Bill Swartwood is one that really counts! We’re lucky to have him at SWOSU.
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WHO’S WHO?
MEET JEFF HUDDLESTON
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By Katina Nichols
Meet a fellow Bulldog who is a published author: Jeff Huddleston. Jeff has lived in Sayre all of his life and is married to April Huddleston. Jeff is a fourth-generation carpenter and has been in business for twenty-two years. He played guitar in a hard rock/heavy-metal band until he was in his mid-twenties and then started playing in church and with a Christian rock band in his late thirties. Jeff was saved when he was nineteen years old. He and his wife April are members of the First Baptist Church in Sayre.
How did you begin writing?
“I’ve always been a writer. I liked writing in school, I wrote poems and short stories, things like that. About five years ago, I got on Facebook and people would ask me a lot of biblical questions like, ‘What happens to babies when they die’ I began to answer some of those questions in a paragraph or two, and then I thought, “There’s more that I could say about that,” and so I would expand it into a 2-3 page note, then I would post it on Facebook. About two years ago, I realized that I had about 300 notes, and I went through them and picked out about 50 of the best and put them together in a book called God Logic Observations: Christianity & the
Jewish Roots of the Faith. The first half deals with Christian Doctrine, Dogmatics, Apologetics: just basic theology. It startsoff very slow; if you don’t know a lot about the Christian Faith, the first ten chapters bring you up to speed.In the last half of the book, I really concentrate on the Jewish Roots of the Faith. I cover all of the Seven Feasts of the Lord, from the angle of Jesus Christ fulfilling those feasts and how he is going to fulfill them in the future.
SWOSU student Jeff Huddleston and wife, April, of Sayre
“I recommend that you read the forward and the preface because they build up everything to show where we are going to go in the book, and in the last part of the book I conclude with something for you to think about.
How many books have you written?
“Five. Most of them are pretty technical. They’re made specifically for teaching.”
Which book is your favorite?
“God Logic is my favorite; it’s my baby.”
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way?
“If there is one human being that has had more influence over me in the last couple of years, it’s Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I love the man, I love his principles and ethics. I’ve read through the Bonhoeffer biography by Eric Metaxas a couple of times, and I have it on audio, so I’m on my third time through listening to it. It keeps me focused and reminds me of what my mission in life is.
“If there is another man that I greatly admire, it’s R.C. Sproul. He’s one of the premier theologians of our generation.
“He approaches things from a very philosophic and scientific way. He has a doctorate in theology as well, so he approaches things from the other side of the argument. I used his book Everyone’s a Theologian as a reference in the first few chapters of God Logic where I’m just putting down the basics of faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer also wrote a book called The Cost of Discipleship, which is a great book. Those books have really influenced me.”
Will you have a new book coming out soon?
“I’m writing a novel. I have the first three chapters written, but it is taking a (Continued on page 6)
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HUDDLESTON, continued
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lot of research. The book will take a look at the history of Christianity from right before Christ, the time of Christ, and maybe, those first few centuries of the early Church; and it will do so from the perspective of people who are not considered the ‘famous’ people of Church history.
“For example, Mason of Cyprus, he’s only mentioned once. He’s an early disciple from Cyprus. You can kind of piece some information together from Acts 21:16. Of course, I have to take some liberties and fill in the blanks, but I start him off hanging out with Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
So he’s telling his story from before Christ and as he starts to follow Christ; and he’s not in the inner circle, but I want you to see it from perspective of the average person watching these events unfurl.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
“That I get a little deep, but its
constructive criticism.”
What has been the best compliment?
“That what I write about is thorough.”
If you want to purchase Jeff’s books, you can find them at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Eagle Christian Books and Gifts here in Sayre, and from the publisher at:
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Rock Hounds Will Enjoy Display “From Core to Crust”
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Whether you consider yourself a rock hound or pebble puppy or future geologist, you’ll love the new display in Mackey Hall, created by Kurtis Clark, and sponsored by Terry Ford and Tommye Davis. To learn more, enroll in Mrs. Davis’s Physical Geology on MWF at noon in the Fall.!
The display features rocks found in the core (metamorphic and igneous) and in the crust (sedimentary).
Some of the rocks come from Mrs. Davis’s geology class and some from Mrs. Ford’s personal collection.
“Kurtis has done a beautiful job displaying them,” said Ford. “He has included the country of origin on my favorites, along with info on the hardness, luster, specific gravity and composition! He is very creative and thorough.” Clark is a work-study for Mrs. Kim Zachary, computer instructor. He has worked on many of the display areas in Mackey Hall.
“This building was a originally, a dormitory, and it has these strange corners where drawers and closets still exist that were once a part of dorm rooms,” explains Ford. “So we instructors in Mackey Hall have taken it upon ourselves to create displays of interest (we hope!) in these areas, as well as the lighted display case that was going to be thrown out. This semester, I wanted to do one on rocks, because my husband and I have always loved collecting them on our travels, and now we enjoy learning more about gems and ‘double verses single termination’ from the show Prospectors!“
Mrs. Ford is proud of Kurtis Clark’s rock display. Photo by Kurtis Clark.
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The Lizzy Borden Chronicles
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Entertainment News, by Daniel Essary
At first I thought it would be a story about Elisabeth Bathory, a serial killer countess form Hungary, but I was wrong. Completely and wonderfully wrong. I think if it were a story about Bathory, it wouldn't be as exciting. The personality of Lizzy is fully open to explore. She is a complete psychopath. Nothing is missing in her personality. She is cruel, remorseless, a great liar, incredibly seductive, and a master manipulator. Lizzie takes pleasure in watching someone suffer.
This is Christina Ricci's best performance, in my opinion. Ricci is known for playing the morbidly precocious Wednesday in The Addams Family movies as a child. She has also starred in Sleepy Hollow (alongside Johnny Depp) and Monster (with Charlize Theron.) She was in box office hits Casper, Then and Now, and won a Golden Globe for Don Roos’ The Opposite of Sex. Her childlike face gives a great contrast to the character's level of cruelty. Her acts of violence are highly calculated and carefully executed.
“If you want blood, this is what you are looking for,” says SWOSU student Teresa D. Sanders.
Look no further. Season 1 premiered February 2, 2016. Enjoy!
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I am currently watching Season 1 myself ,and I find the crime drama style for this series to be very enjoyable. It’s certainly a show to have you on the edge of your seat —a nail biter. I highly recommend it. By Daniel L. Essary