April 12, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 14

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o\\, Gooe GRieF, TEXAS TECH MED CCHOOL... IT'S THE Zisy CENTURY, ALREApy! OF THEIR CHARACTER — MLK, \96? comics.com EMAIL: [email protected] 9 ANDKew! AAmee _ Me Minimum wage, maximum exposure If you want good help, you have to pay them well but if ‘you want good pay, you have to be good help.” - Angela Thompson cellence that I wrote a letter for high-paying positions at to the company to commend acompany I do work for, and Recently I spent a week- them. As I drove home that recently recruited one from Christy Russell, right, of Elk City portrays Veta Louise end evening shopping ina Simmons In “Harvey,” playing today through Sunday evening, I couldn’t help com- arestaurant in another state. clothing store downtown paring my experiences with ‘You never know who may be at the Southwest Playhouse in Clinton. In this scene, she talks with Ashley Underwood of Clinton, who plays whereI live. I was tired from the entry level employees of watching you and observing shopping and the already the various establishments I your excellence, or lack of it. her niece, Myrtle Mae Simmons. Staff photo by Don slow cashier stopped nu- had visited. Another very important Munsch. merous times while ringing Ifyou work at ajob for reason to have maximum ‘up my purchases to casu- minimum wage like you motivation though you are By Don Munsch ally converse with another don’t care about your work, only making minimum wage Editor employee who was stand- chances are you will be is because you can take pride GlyndaLomax ing idly behind the counter, making minimum wage for in knowing you gave 100% as though I were not even awhile to come. But if you and that makes you feel good employer. Basil Weatherly did not If you are working for have to think long about there. I walked out of that worka minimum wage or about yourself. You earned. minimum wage or in an entry what he enjoys most about store feeling as though they entry level job like you're every penny you are being starring in Southwest did not value my business being paid twice that amount paid, and that is something to level job, realize that your at all. From there I decided like the employees at Arby’s be very proud of. My friend employer hired you because Playhouse’s rendition of to pick up some groceries at and United, you will find that Ramona Cox says, “I may not he or she believed you would “Harvey,” which contin- United. At United, the young doors open to you as your be the best, but I'll give you be agood employee, had the uesits run today through man bagging my groceries work ethics become known. my best!” You can respect right attitude and skill set for Sunday. accidentally dropped a pack- You can receive a lot more yourself and you will earn the the job and would be an asset Munsch “What I enjoy about all age containing taco shells. from a job than just money. respect of others. You may to his or her organization. plays — the camaraderie,” Though I hadn’t even noticed The key is to practice excel- think no one notices when you ‘Also remember your next he said. he dropped them, he was so lence, no matter how minimal go the extra mile, but some- employer will ask your cur- Weatherly plays Dr. William R. Chumley in the play, and concerned they might be bro- your duties may seem. one is always watching. They rent employer what kind ken, he walked all the way to Minimum wage often do notice and it does make a of employee you were. You he and fellow Elk City resident Christy Russell, who plays the other side of the store and means maximum exposure. difference. It makes a differ- should leave every job in Veta Louise Simmons, chatted for a few minutes about the brought back a new box. I was Maximum exposure to the ence to the employees around such a way that you have no production on media night on April 3. so impressed by his consci- public, to people who hire em- you, to your employer, to the need to fear what your former On that night, the performers did essentially a dress entiousness, I called the store ployees for other businesses company you work for and employer will say about you rehearsal at the Clinton-based theater. “Harvey” centers on afterI left and commented that pay more than minimum to the employees who work when he or she is called upon an affable middle-aged man whose best friend is a tall rabbit on him to the manager on wage. To managers of other the shift that follows yours to give a reference about your ~atall invisible rabbit- and explores his sister and niece’s duty. After my trip to United, companies that notice when when you have done all your job performance. attempts to have him placed in a mental sanitarium for being I decided to go through the someone goes above and work with excellence. As an an embarrassment to the family, drive-through at Arby’s for beyond in their job and want employee, you represent your “Give the world the best Weatherly has been acting since he was 13. Russell also fast food. I was attended at to hire those people to work employer to the world and you have and the best will is a longtime stage veteran, doing her first play at the Red Arby’s by a young person who for their own companies. I oc- how customers view you is come back to you.” ~ Mad- ‘was such an example of ex- casionally recruit employees often how they will view your eline Bridges Carpet Community Theatre in Elk City back in 1989. “One of the first shows I saw at Red Carpet was ‘Harvey,’ as an audience member,” she said. “And I loved it, and so when they decided to do that show here, I just wanted to bea part of it.” She will continue to act, explaining she “fell madly, deeply in love” with performing when she did her first play back in Participation in the U.S. Census is a Civic Duty the 1980s. Ican share the two performers’ enjoyment of being in a theatrical production, and I can especially identify with the experience of finding camaraderie while acting in a play. ‘Two years ago, I starred as the bailiff in a production of For the Chill ‘to support health initiatives. big cities can be hard for sur- “Twelve Angry Men” produced at the local theater in the In 2016, Community Health veyors to penetrate. If either town whereI used to live and work. That play was performed Centers (CHC) served more of these accurately describe in a stage configuration called “in the round,” in which the than 25 million patients in ur- your household, please take audience's seats were set up in a square around the principal By Oklahoma Institute for is so important, community ban and rural locations. CHC extra care to be responsiveto Child Advocacy CEO Joe groups and local government are often the only source of survey requests. action, which was a jury deliberation room table. ‘The production allowed me to showcase my acting chops Dorman associations are working to care available to low-income patients and are playing an Allof us should remember, raise awareness about the increasingly important role there is nothing partisan or In just under one year from importance of participation. agenda-driven about taking - of which I have little. Very little. Still, it was fun to be in providing treatment for involved in the production, and the director made an effort to today, the U.S. Census Bureau Our coalition, Count Me IN people caught up in the opioid an accurate headcount of our coach me on my blocking-movements on stage - and lines. will be contacting Oklaho- Oklahoma, continues to grow epidemic. population. We all want prop- My character needed to have a sublime, commanding pres- mans - via phone, internet, and includes the Oklahoma erly funded roads, schools, mail and in-person surveys Institute for Child Advocacy, Naturally, the government and health care programs, —to seek their participation in the Oklahoma Municipal ence in his interactions with the jurors, something I learned does not provide assistance as I went about the two-weekend production. [I joined the League, the Association of or grants for people it doesn’t and all of that hinges, in part, production late and did not do the normal several weeks of the 2020 U.S. Census. The re- County Commissioners of know exist, so it’s very impor- on the results of the U.S. sults are secure and confiden- Oklahoma, Oklahoma Policy tant we get accurate figures. Census. Please do your part! rehearsals.] tial, and it is vital that every Institute and the Oklahoma Getting accurate results Learn more at www.census. What I enjoyed most was the time back stage, when cast Oklahoman who is contacted Center for Nonprofits. can be hard. College-aged gov. members laughed and told stories. Some of the loudest participate. OICA is involved because young adults are notoriously Finally, I would like to laughs came at my expense, such as when folks laughed Nationally, the results will census results will directly tricky to count, because they remind readers of our upcom- when I missed a cue in a scene in one show and the actor had be used to determine how to impact children. U.S. Census often assume incorrectly ing Child Advocacy Day, distribute over $675 billion data influences the distribu- that they are being reported hosted in partnership with to say his line louder because of it, or how I inadvertently in resources to states and tion of almost $16 billion for by their parents. If they are Let's Fix This, on May 8 at the showed my shadow on the jury room door in one scene. communities. It is also used Title I grants that help local living on campus on April 1 of Oklahoma State Capitol. We That's the essence ofthese kind of experiences: What peo- by communities to plan for educational agencies serve next year, however, they are will start the day with advo- ple often remember most from their time spent in any type a variety of resident needs, more than 24 million students responsible for representing cacy training before meeting including new roads, schools in low-income families and themselves. of school organization, sports team, troupe or community, and emergency services. communities. It also helps Both rural and urban areas with lawmakers. Please be church or civic group is the time behind the scenes. It’s that The results determine how direct more than $12 billion also come with unique chal- sure to register at OICA.org. time before the curtain goes up or the first pitch is thrown or many U.S. representatives for special education grants, lenges. As a former Rush If you represent a non-profit the group finishes a community project, when people are get- each state is allotted. Busi- along with funds for the Head Springs representative, I interested in hosting a booth, nesses also use the data when Start school lunch program can attest to the difficulty of please email me at jdorman@ ting to know one another and share stories and laughs. making decisions on where to and grants for improving trying to canvas a rural neigh- oica.org, Itis sure to be a It’s the time when something called camaraderie is being locate. teacher quality. borhood on foot. Similarly, fun and important day for all formed, and it’s something that can bond people forever. Because an accurate census Census data is also used large apartment complexes in participants!