NEWS

Community Day puts spotlight on OTC

Christine Temple
News-Leader

The community got a glimpse into what students do every day at Ozarks Technical Community College on Saturday.

Students sold flowers grown in the campus greenhouse, welded broken items, demonstrated a homemade hovercraft and took vital signs as part of the fifth annual Community Day.

"It's really just sort of a way for OTC to open its doors and let people find out what it's all about and a way to give back to the community," said Mark Miller, OTC director of communications. The event drew more than 300 people.

New this year was a morning 5K run/walk. Money from registration fees went to support the school's scholarship fund. Miller said there were 58 participants.

Chris Boardman, a second-year welding student at OTC, put the legs back on an aluminum chair that was broken. Customers who needed items welded were asked to donate $10 to the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks.

Boardman said Community Day was to "raise awareness of what we do here and support a good cause."

Cady Goble helped run the plant sale. The second-year student offered advice to customers about the flowers and vegetable plants sold.

"We have plants for everybody," she said. "For people who can't even grow plants."

The proceeds from the sale benefit members of the Professional Landcare Network student club to travel to local and national competitions and conferences on landscaping. Goble is the club's president.

Goble said Community Day had a great turnout and was a good way to "showcase the different programs we offer."

A manikin from OTC's Simulation Center was on display in another booth. The life-size manikin breathes, blinks and has a pulse.

Michelle Howard, center director, said people had mixed reactions on the lifelike dummy. "You get, 'This is really neat and a neat way to educate' and 'OK, I'm freaked out by this guy.'"

Several people came by the manikin to listen to its heartbeat.

Howard said OTC owns eight manikins and they are a great substitute for live patients while students are learning.

"(Our students) make a mistake on this guy, I can turn him off and turn him back on," she said.

A group of 10 students passed out toothbrushes and toothpaste.

OTC dental assistant program student Lindsay Anderson said she passed out information on the discounted dental services offered at the OTC Dental Hygiene Clinic.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the clinic offers dental cleanings, X-rays, exams and sealants to those in the community without insurance.

Anderson said students perform the exams with three supervising instructors and a dentist. The clinic sees about four patients a week.

Several kids rode a homemade hovercraft operated by Jared Durden, an adjunct physics instructor at OTC, and science students.

The hovercraft, in the shape of a disc and equipped with a seat and unicorn head, operates with a two-horsepower shop vac motor that can lift more than 200 pounds.

"We are creating interactive science displays and fun toys to be displayed in public forums to promote a science-based discourse out in the community," Durden said in news release. "Not everyone is a scientist, and this gives the community a chance to see science in action instead of just in theory."