Hey y’all and welcome back to TEEN SCENE this month my BSF Bree and I are going to tell you some things we are anxious, excited, or nervous about going into Freshman year at Enid High. Let’s go!!
This month will be the start of my journey attending Enid High school. I am incredibly excited and I have many other feelings rushing inside. I remember my older brother getting ready for his freshman year and I can’t stop thinking about it finally being my turn!! The main thing I am excited for is meeting new people and Cross Country. I also get to sleep in 30 minutes later because school starts later than middle schools did so I’m looking forward to that as well. I’m really nervous about my classes because I’ve heard that they are very difficult. Trying hard in cross country practices to hopefully make the Varsity team makes me nervous as well. I’m anxious to see all my classes and meet my teacher. Enid High is SOOOOO much bigger than my middle school so it’ll be a HUGE change in scenery along with a major increase of students.
As for Bree, she is coming from a different, and bigger middle school than I am since she went to Waller and I went to Emerson. She is excited about high school sports, like volleyball and soccer and wants to try and make varsity too! She’s really fast and a really good athlete so I think she has a good shot! She also says she is excited about dress-up days during spirit week, making new friends and finally being able to tell people she’s a high schooler! She’s nervous about not having any of her current friends in any of her classes, that her classes will be too far apart and she will be late to class! She’s also nervous about having too much work or missing assignments, but I believe in her!
A new school can definitely be scary, but we gotta do it to be successful in life. This will be my 5th school, and I’ve ended up loving every one.
Thank you to all of our readers who read this month’s teen scene article, we hope you enjoyed!! What are/were you anxious or excited about before your first day of High School? Let us know at tweensceneenid@gmail.com Also if you have any comments, questions, and ideas for upcoming articles email us there as well!! See you next month!!
Happy August folks! By the time this reaches you, I hope we have had some relief from both the drought and the heat. I read a report that June 10-July 11 was the driest month we’ve had since the dirty thirties. My yard proves that to be accurate.
Regardless, enough with the downtrodden talk; let’s talk fishing! I’ve recently taken a trip to the most gorgeous lake on Earth, Table Rock Lake where my folks reside. My father, son (Micah), and I loaded up on with a local guide seeking out these prehistoric creatures. These freshwater fish aren’t native to Table Rock but are stocked annually. While certainly odd looking, these fish are said to date back over 125 million years. Their snout resembles a “paddle” hence the name. The paddle can extend up to one-third of the body length of the fish. Studies show paddlefish can live upwards of thirty years or more, which is significantly longer than most freshwater fish. An average paddlefish weighs approximately 60 pounds, yet can grow to be over 100 pounds. Remarkably, these giant fish don’t eat meat. They survive on zooplankton. When zooplankton are detected, the paddlefish swims through the swarm with its giant mouth wide open. The water rushes through the gills, essentially filtering out the zooplankton for its meal.
Since plankton is all these fish eat, they are caught in unconventional fishing methods. In rivers during spawning season, an angler typically stands on a riverbank casting a large weight and giant hook across the river. The angler then pulls and reals across the water, hoping to snag a beast. In lakes, fishermen also snag the fish, by either trolling and using side finder locators to locate fish on the bottom and then basically drive their boat over the fish hoping to hook one. Another method is using a “livescope” which also locates fish on the bottom. After positioning the vessel close to the bottom-dwelling fish, the angler casts over the fish (again with a large weight and treble hook) and lets it sink to the bottom. Using a jerking motion, the hopes are to again snag the fish. Once snagged, these giant fish put up quite the fight.
If five hours to Table Rock Lake is too far to travel (in MO there is a limited Spoonbill season), then Keystone Lake (just an hour away) is another terrific lake to catch one of these dinosaurs most people spend a lifetime without seeing (or tasting). In fact, Keystone has set the world record (twice) in the last couple of years for the largest Paddlefish (164 lbs!). Remember that when you are skiing there!
We live in a culture of immediate gratification. Binge-watching a series on a weekend is a far cry from the days of heading to Hastings or Blockbuster in hopes they still had a DVD left of the movie I wanted to watch!
Often this expectation of immediate results seeps into all areas of our lives, specifically with digital and social media marketing. We hope that within a month or two, we’ll see a significant rise in leads and sales after posting a few updates on social media or running a quick Google ad.
The reality is: digital marketing is like exercise – it’s all about slow, steady consistent work. The main result of social media marketing is brand recognition. Brand recognition leads to sales with slow, steady and consistent work.
Recently, in preparation for a presentation, I found a study that broke down the life cycle of digital marketing (socialmediatoday.com). When applied to my clients, this life cycle fits to a T! I’ve put my twist on it, and I believe you can bank on this results timeline for your digital marketing efforts.
Here are the five stages in the digital marketing life cycle:
SET UP (0-3 Months)
This stage is key, and one that we often expect to take just a couple of days. In reality, obtaining (or designing) logos, creating pages, perfecting descriptions, and establishing a consistent look for graphics…takes up to three months.
Sometimes simply obtaining access to existing pages can take a few weeks. “Wait, Alyssa ran the page in 2019… I bet she has the password. Let me text her and get back to you.”
Creating a strategy, getting in the swing with a consistent posting schedule, and establishing client communication can take a few weeks. Eventually, you’ll hit your social media and online advertising stride, and it will all start to feel like second nature/another part of your daily routine.
TRACTION (4-9 Months)
This is one of my favorite stages! Of course, converting leads into clients is the best, but this is a fun and encouraging season.
In the traction phase, you will:
Transform touchpoints to conversation points
Gain traction on social media sites
Integrate mobile with social media
Gain responses to call to action
Place on search engines
Gain new sales/members
Gain initial thought leadership interactions
Build member satisfaction/feedback
Increase customer service
This season is great because a lot of your traffic will come from existing, happy customers who are thrilled to connect with you online. These customers might share testimonials (ask them to if they haven’t!), or comment and tag friends on social media, leading to some new followers who are intrigued and interested in your brand.
POSITIONING (10-15 Months)
This season is one that’s often expected to happen at 0-3 months, but it’s worth the patient, consistent work to get here.
In the positioning season, you’ll:
Convert conversation points to conversion points
Gain positions on search engines
Gain thought leadership interactions
Gain new sales revenue
Develop brand loyalty
This is when your new chatty online friends start to turn into customers. Once members, they become integral in sharing their positive experiences online, leading to new touchpoints, which turn to conversations, which eventually turn into conversions (more new customers).
EXPANSION (16-27+ Months)
This is the season where you become a subject matter expert.
In the expansion season, you’ll:
Stabilize position on search engines
Establish some recognition as a thought leader
Gain brand power
Gain consistent stream of revenue
By this season, you’ll find that you’re in stride, running a steady marathon instead of a 5k, and working toward engaging your existing, now quite large, online audience. Again, this engagement starts with touchpoints, turns to conversations, and then conversations (sales!).
VIRAL GROWTH (Future)
This is the season when you expand networks exponentially through fan/follower networks and social communities. Often, people start by wanting to go viral, simply trying to gain as many followers as possible…You simply can’t go viral without going through the first four seasons!
I encourage you to enjoy the ride, keep on jogging, and you’ll catch your stride. Keep in mind that each of these seasons can be a bit shorter or longer, depending on your specific situation. With dedicated engagement and consistent marketing communication, however, I believe this timeline is tried and true.
Interested in a digital marketing consultation? Visit wordygirl.com.
Gardening. While Webster’s dictionary may define gardening as “an act, activity or pastime of planning and cultivating gardens,” another possible definition could be “an emotional spectrum immersion from total joy and serenity to abject despair and frustration.” At gardening’s most innocuous definition it could also be defined as “a natural diversion from regular life.” Whatever definition you may ascribe to, gardening for all of us has foundational points to which we all must adhere. Sunlight, soil, air, and water. As long as these four elements are present in the proper combination our plants will grow. The key is the proper combination.
Garfield County is very fortunate to have the OSU Extension Office right here in Enid. The Extension Office is a physical destination, a wonderful grouping of wise people, and an amazing horticultural resource at our fingertips. It is the best place to turn for Oklahoma-specific information on gardening. As a division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources of Oklahoma State University, the OSU Extension Office is there for you every step of the way in your gardening life to help solve some of gardening life’s mysteries, help you through the hard times and even provide a social network from the ground – up.
The Extension Office has both online and hard copy fact sheets available to help a gardener plan, prepare, plant, nurture, diagnose, treat, and harvest the best of gardening. The information presented in every sheet has been well-researched, thoroughly tested, and personally experienced by scientists, everyday gardeners, and farmers. From testing your soil to ensure quality nutritional support for your garden to identifying and eradicating garden pests and weeds, the Extension Office provides hands-on resources and scientific testing that you may not have available in your garden shed. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a shed, a centrifuge, or a mass spectrograph to identify the chemical compounds in my soil.
Groups such as 4-H, Master Gardeners, and the Home and Community Education Groups organized by the Extension Office provide social and educational opportunities on-site at 316 E. Oxford near the fairgrounds and various outreach places around the county for all ages and interests. Three of the best human resources at the Extension Office are Jessica Nickels the 4-H Educator, Joy Rhodes the Family and Consumer Coordinator, and our gardening guru and Extension Director, Rick Nelson. If he doesn’t know the answer, he knows the person who will. Stop by the Extension Office to meet these folks and take a walk through the Demonstration Gardens during any season.
Through the educational resources and support of the OSU Extension Office, everything is at your fingertips to balance your soil, sun, air, and water in the proper proportions. A social network is available to share in your joys and sorrows of gardening (and provide info on where to get rid of those 25 extra zucchini). But best of all, it encompasses the whole of gardening, whether gardening is a diversion from daily life, or “act, activity or pastime of planning and cultivating gardens.”
Next month: Fall Gardening – planning, planting, and harvesting
Enid High Boy and Girls Cross Country are welcoming new coaches, and several new runners to this years squad. Nevertheless, new Boys coach, Justin DeClerck has high expectations for the squads. “Even though I am new as Cross Country Head Coach, this is my 7th year coaching running, after time spent as the middle school Cross Country coach and Enid High Long Distance Track Coach,” he says. Because of his experience around the middle school and high school distance program he is very familiar with who he expects to be part of the team this year. “As far as the boys go, I expect that we will be fairly young. We have a trio of Sophomores, Blake Jensen, Camryn Gantt and Carson Nault who will be returning, and they were all good runners last year. We also have a Junior, Lucas Martinez, who is part of the group I have some decent expectations for.”
Coach DeClerck is very happy with the participation of his team during Summer Pride the last few weeks, and with those that have been doing some running on their own. “We are just doing some easy runs for the summer, to establish that base for when we start actual practice. Some of the younger runners, especially those coming up from middle school, will be a little challenged with the increase from 2 miles to a 5k (3.2 miles), but they will get there. After practice starts we will be doing a few runs in the heat to get the kids used to it, but they will definitely be fine, he said.
Currently the team has 8 scheduled meets, not including the conference, regional and state meets. Coach DeClerck’s goal is to make the State tournament, which would mean finishing in the top 7 at the Regional meet. “We hold each other to a high standard,” DeClerck says, “we try to be each other’s support system. If we are going to make state, it’s going to take some real work. We do have the ability, we just need to have the dedication, practice, effort and attitude to really excel this year.”
Girls Coach Mark Johnson has similar thoughts about the upcoming year, “I am really excited to coach these girls and build this program. These young ladies bring great personality, character, and work ethic. We, too, have a lofty goal of qualifying for the state tournament. It is a challenging goal, for sure, as we have not qualified for state in many years, but if we do a good job training the girls we have, and recruit other good athletes, we have a shot, if not this year, then hopefully soon. I am especially excited about 4 girls in particular, Seniors Sarah Bonebrake, Abigail Pogenpole and Brionna Clayton and Junior Loren Simpson. They will give us some experience as we break in some of our younger runners, like Sophia Faulk coming up from Middle School,” says Coach Johnson.
As the cross country teams train on trails near OBA all the way to NOC, they really do “run this town!”
Enid Plainsmen/Pacer Pride of the Plains is Proudly Presented by Slater Mechanical!
At age 82, Jim Harris still drives his car to work at Baker Harris Hopkins Insurance nearly every day unless he is riding on a tractor at the farm.
Anyone who visits his office will notice his hobbies and interests. Pictures of his wife Peggy, his daughters Renee, Leslie, and Paige along with his grandchildren line the walls.
Memorabilia from Oklahoma State University serves as reminders of his involvement in football and basketball as both a Cowboy player starting in 1958 and leading to his being a lifelong fan. Jim’s love of “the game” steered him into coaching men and women’s basketball and football starting in 1966. His ladies’ volleyball team produced two State Championship titles at Kremlin-Hillsdale High School.
After establishing an insurance business in 1978, he has served his clients while also volunteering at KHS as an assistant to several head football coaches. He enjoys watching young men mature and succeed in the ‘’greatest game ever.” He took pride in countless hours of mowing and grooming the football field and says, “It needs to be grass, not weeds. I notice!”
A “Semper Fi” logo hangs in his office and illustrates his pride in serving his country as a Marine. In 1963 He graduated from Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. While stationed there, he traveled up and down the East coast playing basketball, but that fun ended when he was sent to Vietnam for a year to protect a MASH unit.
Jim is often found exercising at the YMCA, and for years he was a regular player with the noon basketball group. That led him to travel across the United States and Canada with the Oklahoma Senior Olympics basketball team. For over two decades, he graduated from one age bracket to the next. After a broken foot in Houston and a “small” heart attack in Minneapolis, he retired from competition, but he has never lost his desire to be his best.
Pictures of his dogs on point speak of his passion for quail hunting with friends during the winter months. He says that watching his dogs work a field brings him true joy for the sport.
Jim still enjoys boating and water sports and is happy that he can still ski at his age. He awaits every lake season to see if he is good to go for one more year. Jim often states, “When you think of me, I hope you don’t think of insurance, but when you think of insurance, I hope you think of me.” He expects to remain active and “stay in the business of working with people” for a long time. Jim Harris is a true “Local Legend”
Local Legends is proudly presented by Humphrey and Guarantee Abstract Company!
Wow, has it been hot! Since it will be August when you read this, I doubt we have had any respite from the heat, but hopefully we have had a little rain (spoiler alert, we did!). This month’s cover story highlights three area superintendents. They have all been a part of the Enid community for some time, so I am sure you will recognize their faces, but hopefully you will learn a bit more about who they are, where they have come from and what their general educational philosophies are. The three districts highlighted are very different, but after reading their stories, I am sure you will agree that what they have in common is being led by people that love kids. Stay cool!
April 23rd, 1635 A.D. — Boston, Massachusetts established the first public school in America. Created in the shadow of the Free Grammar School of Boston, England, the Boston Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts was a boys-only college preparatory. Serving as a secondary school in English settlements of The New World, it was led by Puritanical Settler and Schoolmaster Philemon Pormont. The name does easily suggest one of the areas of study, but the Bostin Latin School taught young men attending daily lessons in both Latin and Greek, while focusing on the humanities. While we have come a long way from that first school, our area schools still have many common elements, some new faces this year, but the same smiling children excited for their first day. With that in mind, we got to know three area superintendents while preparing for the new school year.
Chisholm Public School Superintendent – Dr. Dudley Darrow
True born-and-bred-football-playing-Oklahoman, Dudley Darrow was born in April of 1978 to two teacher parents in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Moving to his eventual hometown of Shattuck, he graduated from SHS in 1997. He played high school football, followed by some time at NAIA at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, where he considered himself a “role player” as a tight end. “I adore football, I revere it. I would play it to death if I could. I love the team concept of eleven guys doing their job—doing their job effectively—and, the product it produces.” His time on the field gave him a euphoric sense of comradery, but it was the level of commitment and preparation needed to win championships that re-affirmed the values and principles he maintained throughout most of his life. “We won a national championship in 1999 [at NWOSU]. Getting to be a part of that was special, but the hard work that goes into it—all of those weights you lift, all those sprints and running—to be able to go out and be successful with your teammates that have experienced that with you, it’s just awesome. It wasn’t just Saturdays. You had to train all year for those 10, 11, 12 Saturdays. That’s why I love football.”
Dudley received his undergraduate degree from NWOSU in 2002, before marrying his college sweetheart, Megan Dippel who is a Dentist at Dental Arts in Downtown Enid. They have two children who will be attending Chisholm in the fall. He earned a Master’s degree from UCO in 2005. Feeling happy with his positions as football coach and math teacher for Enid High for over a decade, Dudley was surprised when Enid High School Head Principal, Jim Beierschmitt, approached him about becoming the new Assistant Principal for EHS. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Darrow’s rigid work ethic as a football coach, in conjunction with his affable personality as a high school math teacher and family man, was about to open his career to a whole new trajectory.
His career in EHS administration wasn’t always as calm and collected as Dudley’s demeanor might suggest. Mentioning the importance of supporting his teaching staff during the teacher walkout of 2018, Dr. Darrow shares his experience demonstrating at the Oklahoma capitol alongside his fellow teaching colleagues, and how they repaid this honor when covid-19 created difficulties for him as principal. As proctors were needed for ACT testing, teachers volunteered at the drop of a hat for their leader who always did the same for them. The struggles changed over time, as he advanced from teacher & coach to Assistant Principal, to Head Principal, to Assistant Superintendent. Albeit, the goal always remained the same: practice what you preach, stay consistent and always work hard. The same life philosophies that brought him success on the football field actively framed his leadership style; and, his successes in moving up the administrative ladder are indicative of the quality of conviction he holds for his own values. “Sometimes…when you’re a coach and a teacher, you can see it immediately—that day, or in that week. You get in leadership, such as principal or assistant superintendent, or this new role [as CPS Superintendent], you implement policies and procedures and you don’t see the benefits for a while—it just takes time, you’ve got to build it.” Some of his proudest moments at Enid High are bringing secure vestibules to ensure a more locked-down facility, as well as adjustments to the bell & lunch schedules. All of this success led to Dudley tackling the objectives and adversity plaguing his final years at EPS during the Covid pandemic. “It was so hard to get traction. It was difficult to take three steps forward and two steps back for a while…but, we got through it. June 18th, it was a Thursday night. Probably my proudest moment as High school principal was getting those kids graduated.
In May 2022, the same month he received the offer from Chisholm Public Schools, he graduated from OSU with a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Although the new frontier of North Enid seemed like a daunting new reality at first, Darrow’s pragmatic mind decided to grab life by the horns (natch) and move his family towards this new opportunity. With his son entering 9th grade and his daughter entering 5th grade in the upcoming school year, the establishment of their family’s identity within a new culture at Chisholm initially felt light-years away—especially from the comforts of being Plainsmen for 17 years. Ultimately, he decided to leave Enid Public Schools, to expand his educational pasture. With an easier-than-expected transition over the summer so far, The Darrows quickly found a welcoming home among the Longhorns. “Loyalty is a big thing to me, so I want people to know I’m 100% invested.”
On being asked who influenced him, Darrow said, “My mom and dad, being educators, instilled a lot of respect in me. My parents were also devout Christians, and I try to emulate that, as well. I think being a good Christian person, like my parents, and an educator, are very much parallel.” Donny and Carol Darrow joined Dudley in May 2022 to watch their son receive his doctoral degree from OSU, “It was very fulfilling for my parents to be educators and to see their son continue it…how much my coaches meant to me, and trying to emulate that for somebody else. That’s really what I got into education for—the teaching and coaching aspect. I had no idea they would move my way up, but God puts you where he wants you.”
You don’t need to walk down the hall and tell everyone you’re the boss. They’ll know,” Dudley says with a chuckle. “I had a student contact me about a reference for a job in Maryland; and, it’s just really good to have that feeling—that people remember you…You form relationships; and, ultimately, it’s extremely fulfilling.”
Enid Public Schools Superintendent – Dr. Darrell Floyd
At the beginning of the sixties in November of 1961, Dr. Darrell Floyd was born to Dean and Nancy Floyd in Andrews, Texas. Although Andrews is around the Odessa/Midland area, his father was born in Cement, Oklahoma, where he grew up until beginning work as a roughneck, driller, and toolpusher in the oilfields of West Texas. His mother, Nancy, worked in Andrews Independent School district (where she was recently recognized for 50 years of service) in school cafeterias around Andrews. Darrell shares two children, Tyler and Brittany, with his ex-wife, Dr. Cheryl Floyd.
He attended Andrews ISD for his primary and secondary education, before receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in 1985 from Texas Tech University. Among his favorite activities as a child were participating in sports, music, and furthering his academics. Education was always an important aspect of Darrell’s life, and he attributes this love to four specific teachers/coaches within his academic career. Now in her 80s, 1st-grade teacher, Mrs. Cleta Garms, who still receives an email from Dr. Floyd every year on her birthday in August. Along with Mrs. Garms, his 7th-grade coach Jim Evans, senior honors English Teacher Mrs. Dorothy Davis, and his varsity head baseball, Joe Ray Halsey all left impressions that would help graft his future philosophies in education as an administrator. Active with athletics and band through his student-tenure at Andrews ISD, his most special memory from high school was a band trip to perform at Disneyland in California.
Initially starting as a teacher and coach, and foreseeing this as his ultimate career path, Dr. Floyd was taken out of the classroom and brought into the administration office by several supervisors who saw something special in him. As a teacher and baseball coach in Odessa, Texas during the period of the famed book-turned-movie-turned-tv series, “Friday Night Lights”, he references actively living in the same vicinity to finish his master’s degree and administrative certification. In 1990, he completed his Master’s degree from the University of Texas-Permian Basin, with his Doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce being awarded in 1995. From there, he moved to Waco, Texas for a position as Middle School Assistant Principal; followed by, Junior High Principal at Pewitt CISD in Omaha-Naples, Texas; then, proceeding to High School Principal in Queen City, Texas (near Texarkana) and Castleberry ISD (NW Ft. Worth). Becoming Superintendent was a new jump in expectations, but Darrell was more than ready to learn his way to the top. He became Superintendent in Linden, Texas from 1997-2000, and described the experiences he encountered as simply learning lessons. Darrell states, “My first year as superintendent, I was very green. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But I asked a lot of questions, absorbed everything I could, made mistakes, and learned from them.” Following his “green years” in Linden, he moved to Stephenville, Texas with his newly acquired sense of self-assurance from his years of practical knowledge and training. Being in school leadership for Stephenville from 2000-2014, his skills increased, and he was beginning to find his own administrative philosophy, “Over the years, I became a good planner, organizer, motivator, coordinator, and evaluator. Each of those skills, combined with the three Non-Negotiables that I live by as an administrator, have served me well,” he notes. “My three Non-Negotiables are: 1) always keep the students’ best interest at heart at all times, 2) be professional at all times, and 3) as problems arise, follow the chain of command in solving those problems.”
Chosen as Dr. Shawn Hime’s replacement for EPS in 2014, Dr. Floyd brought his tenets of Non-Negotiables to Enid, where they would become a part of the Plainsmen philosophy. “I just finished my 8th year here in Enid, and I can honestly say that EPS has some of the hardest working faculty/staff members that I have ever worked with.” Enid has seen a boom in early childhood programs over the past decade, and Dr. Floyd has supported that growth from the start, by placing trust and guidance into those who are assets to EPS, “Enid Public Schools has been a leader in the field of early childhood education for many years. Folks like long-time school board member Willa Jo Fowler and Early Childhood Director Christine “Chris” Smith have led the way. Our partnership with the community, businesses, benefactors/donors, and parents have all greatly benefitted students…and will continue to do so for many years.”
Through his eight years with EPS, his leadership helped local students and staff navigate the rough waters of Covid’s unexpected storms, and Floyd became integral in finding talent within the hiring pool of EPS to promote within Enid Schools’ chain of command, “their work ethic and expertise constantly amaze me, and I thank them all for doing what is best for kids daily…Covid was something that none of us had ever been through or dealt with. I just finished my 36th year in education, and nothing I had done had fully prepared me for dealing with Covid.” In 2021, the school board for EPS unanimously voted to extend Dr. Floyd’s contract for an additional three years through the Year 2024. Although the unprecedented battle with Covid-19 brought on times of questioning and uncertainty for us all—especially for public school educators and administrators—it also brought opportunities to rise above. Dr. Floyd finishes, “I’d like to say a great big THANK YOU to all of our community members, voters, and taxpayers for so generously supporting our efforts to improve facilities and educational programs for students districtwide…I am honored to serve as the Superintendent of Enid Public Schools”
Andrew “Andy” Wilkins was born in Mustang, OK, and graduated from Mustang High in 1999. Enjoying basketball and the general nature of competition, he found a way to continue the game from high school into college, where he attended and played at Oklahoma Baptist University. During his college years in Shawnee, he began a job as a youth pastor, where he eventually met his wife, Sarah, through the church. While she was attending OU and he was attending OBU, they found love with one another in their shared relationship with God. Sarah grew up in McLoud, OK, and coinciding with Andy’s schooling experience in Mustang, easy options for a Christian education weren’t really available. The revelation Andy had, while attending Oklahoma Baptist University, revolutionized his ideas of incorporating Christian ideals and scripture into the classroom.
Eager about his newly acquired career path, and feeling confident about his purpose in life, he sought to complete his Master’s Degree in Christian Education from Dallas Seminary. Upon graduating from seminary school, the Wilkins moved to Enid, OK 14 years ago to work at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Sarah does part-time ministry work at Emmanuel, as well as being a mother and caregiver to their three daughters, Remey (8th grade at OBA), Miriam (5th grade at Emmanuel), and Damaris (2nd grade at Emmanuel). In his free time, he spends the day at Emmanuel Baptist with the children’s ministry and youth ministry, as well as leadership coaching. His family became the new owners of a fixer-upper in Indian Hills recently, and he enjoys the time spent making this new house into their home.
After experiencing the personal benefits of Christian education, he quickly found himself becoming a conduit for providing this experience to as many students as possible. Growing up in Mustang and McLoud Public Schools, Andy and his wife feel thankful their children will have a Christian Education—one they both would have enthusiastically accepted in their youth. Andy said, “Really understanding how our Christian faith influences all of our life, and not just part of our life. A big turning point for me was our faith is not just a part of us. The bible teaches that our faith becomes integrated into all of us, and is the most important thing for all of us—for each part of us…I became really convicted and convinced to do education as a believer. It’s the truth of God, who he is, and what he said about his creation. He gets to define what is good, and true, praiseworthy, and important. He gets to define who we are as his creation.”
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many other districts were racing to figure out the best solutions to a novel problem, students and faculty at OBA found themselves spacing out a lot more to retain a level of normalcy. Serving approximately 250 students, the conditions around OBA offered a much different experience from public schools. Though following CDC guidelines and monitoring the ever-sliding scale around Covid safety, the small number of students enrolled made it easier to fight outbreaks of the illness, “Here at OBA, we are blessed with a lot of square footage. The generations prior invested in great facilities, so the biggest key to our success in moving school along at a regular pace over the last two years, was we could spread everyone out—where everyone was 6 feet apart, which they said was the safest thing to do.”
This fall 2022, OBA is launching new academic services to cater to even more students within the local Enid community. The new academic service, called Discovery Academic Support Programs, includes Cognitive Therapy for students with learning differences in a therapy specifically coined as “discovery therapy.” “Instead of an educational-outcome-focus, it’s more of a focus of ‘how do we get the brain to actually develop’ in those with learning differences,” he explained. Some of the current staff are receiving specialized training for these additional support programs, with Mr. Wilkins’ anticipating providing more resources to even more people, especially those with learning differences. Hosting a fast-paced and rigorous college preparatory curriculum, Senior ACT Scores have been in the top 10 for the State of Oklahoma in 2020 and 2021. Hoping to expand their outreach on who will be able to benefit from the educational options provided, and all on the same Trojan campus, OBA is proud to host a wide spectrum of diverse socio-economic backgrounds. With many financial options and scholarships available, he reiterates the accessibility of admission to Oklahoma Bible Academy for anyone interested in a faith-based education for grades 6-12.
Andy Wilkins gleams with pride, as he describes the philosophy of the 3 stools he’s tried to incorporate into Oklahoma Bible Academy’s philosophical daily practices, “Three stools…There are three legs to a stool when raising a child: home, church, and school. If all are united in what they’re teaching, then the kid will have a good foundation to stand on.” The importance of integrating religious beliefs into the class curriculum means more to Mr. Wilkins than the worldly knowledge students gain from studying textbooks, and this philosophy brings an equal focus between home life, church life, and school life. “We have a lot of tools we can use because of our faith. We rest in God’s control; we can talk about that. We can pray with our students. We can talk about how our faith provides us strength and encouragement that comes from God, not from the things changing in the world.” Since state tax dollars are not used in funding the operations of private schools, the implementation of religious scripture, symbolism and prayer in the classroom is common. State-approved academic curriculums manage to level out an even playing field in terms of educational standards, but private school students are continually reinforced with the importance of their faith throughout daily life. Andy has made efforts to conceptualize within OBA’s culture how Christian beliefs should influence all aspects of life, every day of the week—not just on Sunday. The experience of an educational environment among other devout Christians, while at OBU, gave Mr. Wilkins a renewed love for his religion. His original love for Christ became his life’s work and passion; and, from this passion, he forged existential goals into providing Christian Education among fellow brethren. Having known the two worlds of public and private education himself, he feels honored to uphold his religious beliefs in an academic capacity, “The social dynamic when there’s a unity of ultimate beliefs and ultimate truths…it can help the social community work out well.”
Author: Jack E. Davis Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
Your first thought may be that an entire 400-page book about the history of a single animal couldn’t be anything other than tedious and dull. But author Jack E. Davis, past winner of the Pulitzer Prize, proves otherwise in The Bald Eagle, released in March. Davis discusses the different biological facts of the eagle – its diet, habitat, etc – but more importantly, he explores what the bald eagle has meant in the cultural history of America over the years. It’s been revered and idolized, and at the same time vilified and scorned.
For each main topic of the book, Davis starts with a broad lens before gradually zooming in to focus on the eagle. For example, Davis opens by talking about coats of arms and their importance in the Revolutionary War Era. With that context established, he then describes the process by which, after many other failed designs, the bald eagle came to be on the new nation’s Great Seal. The book moves on through history, contrasting how Native Americans treated the eagle with how Manifest Destiny led to its hunting and deforestation. The last large section of the book – its most moving – is when Davis discusses the use of the pesticide DDT in the mid-20th century, and how it very nearly brought bald eagles to extinction.
The one complaint about this book is that it seems a little disorganized, especially in the beginning. Some of the tangents don’t seem to be connected to the main thread and feel instead like they have just been dropped in. But overall the book is really quite interesting. Davis very clearly did a lot of research, and he presents it well. The writing is lively – at times, almost jovial – and very readable and accessible. So, whether you’ve been following the new eaglet born at the National Arboretum or you’re in the patriotic mood after celebrating July 4th, you can read a fascinating book on an iconic symbol of America.
Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of The Bald Eagle today!
Author: Casie Bazay Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
Not Our Summer is the debut Young Adult novel by Casie Bazay, released in 2021. The author actually lives in Northeast Oklahoma, and that region, along with Northwest Arkansas, is where the story is based. The book alternates perspectives between the two main characters, with a third voice interjecting from time to time. Not Our Summer is the tale of a family feud, mixed with once-in-a-lifetime trips and an unforgettable summer.
KJ and Becka are cousins who despise one another, ever since a rift between their mothers fractured the whole family. After their grandfather dies though, in order for all four to receive their inheritance, the two cousins must complete five tasks together over the course of their summer vacation. They set out to ride mules down into the Grand Canyon, hike in Yellowstone, whitewater raft in South Carolina, scuba dive in Key West, and participate in a hometown rodeo. As they go on these adventures, they find that their sky-high walls are slowing starting to come down. When they receive shocking news, though, the real reason behind the tasks, their new friendship is quickly put to the test.
The writing in Not Our Summer can feel quite clunky at times; it lacks that beautiful, descriptive flow. But the overall plot is fun, the trips are envious, and there are some good messages to take away. Maybe readers aren’t dealing with a life-changing inheritance like the characters, but they can still relate to all the emotions and difficulties of that coming-of-age phase of life. The book comes in at only 280 pages, so it is very accessible – it would make for a quick, pleasant summertime read!
Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of Not Our Summer today!
