The Cameron University Collegian: April 14, 2008

COLLEGIAN THE CA M ERON U N I V ER SIT Y

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Monday, April 14, 2008

Variety

Tuition insurance for students Proposed house bill could freeze college costs for career

By John Robertson Collegian Staff

Theatre department closes curtain on season with ‘Nine.’

Volume 82 Issue 11

Starting in the coming fall semester, college students around the state of Oklahoma will have another option for planning out their college fees.

House Bill 2103, passed last year, will supply a new form of payment plan for first-time college students. The new bill supplies an optional flatrate payment plan that takes some of the guesswork out of preparing for college.

Glen Pinkston, the Vice President of Business and Finance for Cameron University’s Business Office, said that the legislature wanted to provide an incentive for first-time students by allowing them to essentially lock their tuition prices.

“The legislature got tired of what they saw to

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A&E

be unpredictable tuition increases,” Pinkston said. ”It’s like an insurance plan that protects against future hikes in tuition.”

The plan works by setting a guaranteed rate that will not rise regardless of any future increases in the cost of tuition. This rate, determined at the time of a first-time student’s enrollment incorporates estimates of future state funding for each particular campus, the Peer Regional Average and the resulting compilation of tuition fees in the region, will stay constant throughout the student’s college tenure. The initial rate starts off a bit higher than normal tuition, and then evens out as semesters pass, with no payment being higher than the first.

“It’s an insurance policy,” Pinkston said. “You pay a premium up-front for predictability in cost.”

However, the program comes with some strict guidelines. CU students choosing the flat-rate program must complete at least 12 credit hours worth of courses each semester excluding the summer semester. If a student on the program takes a semester off, they are removed from the program and are subject to normal tuition fees.

Additionally, if a student only takes 12 credit hours and is forced to withdraw from a class, they no longer meet the program guidelines.

Students who fall ill or are otherwise unable to come to class and complete the courses are not protected either, although exceptions are made for those who are called into military service.

Finally, students who make use of the program as a freshman at one college and transfer to another will find themselves paying normal tuition fees as well.

See TUITION Page 2

Regional high school students gather at Cameron for first agriculture competition

By Kerry Myers Collegian Staff

Famed author to share story of racial tension.

SEE PAGE 7

Sports Photo by Jim Horinek

Space needed: The CU herbarium has several specimen cabinets that are full to the brim. Now, thanks to a grant, the collection will be experiencing growth.

At 8 a.m. on April 9, Cameron University hosted the first event of the annual Agriculture Interscholastic Competitions.

President Cindy Ross welcomed high school students from across the state at the Cameron University football stadium.

Contestants were judged at various locations throughout campus that included: welding,

a variety of farm shop tests, the agriculture mechanical shop, farm business management and meat judging.

Field crops/agronomy/seeds identification competitions were held on the second f loor of S. Shepler.

The Floriculture Career Development Event was held in the CU Mezzanine. A total of eight students from each school may participate in the f loriculture event. Contests for the f loriculture event include a general knowledge test,

identification, and judging.

The general knowledge portion of the test consisted of 40 questions taken from the Oklahoma Agricultural Education Horticulture curriculum.

The identification portion of the competition requires students to identify 40 specimens from the f loriculture identification list.

See COMPETITION Page 2

Herbarium expansion sealed with new grant

By Brandi O’Daniel Collegian Staff

Soccer club kicks off with a win.

Cameron University’s Department of Biological Sciences recently received grant funding from the National Science Foundation to support CU’s herbarium.

The Cameron University Herbarium is currently under the direction of Dr. Michael Dunn, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

See HERBARIUM Page 2

SEE PAGE 5

Voices

SGA holds elections, plans for upcoming semester

By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff

Applause for the Office of Public Safety.

SEE PAGE 3

Future farmers face-off: Cameron recently held its annual Agriculture Interscholastic Competition. During the competition high school students competed in events that included welding and meat judging.

The Student Government Association chose its new leadership after student elections held on April 1 and 2 in the Reading Room at the Student Union determined the executive officers and senators for the 2008-2009 academic year.

According to the recent changes of the elections rules, the Reading Room was selected as the new location for SGA elections from the spring semester on. The influx of students was the main reason for the change. The modification had the approval of the SGA members and was added to the current constitution under the election rules.

The constitution was also part of the election.

Cameron students had the opportunity to approve the SGA constitution and all the modifications made during the past two semesters.

For Student Government President, Jessica Daoang won over Robert Sharp. Daoang currently

holds the position of Treasurer. And according to her, next year will be all about Cameron students.

“I’m in this position because I want to make students the main focal point of SGA in the next academic year,” Daoang said. “It’s so important that we represent each and every one and also get other people that are not involved in Student Government this year.”

Sergeant of Arms Daniel Brown was also elected the new Treasurer for Student Government. Daniel Brown campaigned against Tammy Anderson and will be entering his third year in SGA. “I want to help with the financial aspect, and let everyone know more often about how we stand with finances. I just want to make changes through Student Government and I want to see everything work out for the best. I can already see it happening,” Brown said.

Brown plans to make regular presentations over the state of the SGA budget during his time in office.

“At the beginning of the school year I plan on bringing the SGA’s budget to the floor and having it approved by Student Government so that everybody knows what is going on from the get-go,” Brown said.

Between Vice Presidential candidates Megan Mefford and Tobias Kuhn the race was tight. On April 2, both candidates tallied almost the same number of votes. Due to this fact a run off election was held.

The election for Vice President took place on April 7 and 8. The results for the elections declared Megan Mefford as the new SGA Vice President.

This upcoming year will be of major importance to the Student Government due to the Centennial Celebration.

See ELECTION Page 2

News

2 HERBARIUM continued from page 1 Dr. Dunn applied for the grant in 2005 and received funding in 2007 to support the incorporation of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge (WMWR) specimens.

Dunn received $36,157 in grant money to increase the storage capacity and upgrade the already existing CU herbarium and provide advanced technology to enter the plant collections into a computer data base.

“The funds will buy new herbarium cabinets, a computer to electronically ‘data base’ the collections, and summer salary for two students and myself to do work,” Dr. Dunn said.

The CU herbarium was built in the 1960’s, however it was not until 2005 that WMWR approached Dr. Dunn about adopting nearly 2000 specimens. The plant species donated to Cameron contains varieties of species collected between 1907 and 1970 and traces the rare vegetation back through the southwestern region.

“The herbarium was created in the 1960’s to document the flora of southwestern Oklahoma, and in 2005 I was approached by the management of WMWR to adopt their almost 2000 specimen collection of preserved plants,” Dr. Dunn said. “They asked me to take care of them because they don’t have the resources to properly curate them and make them available to researchers. And because they came as a permanent loan, The Refuge maintains ownership and knows they are well curated and protected and are guaranteed access for all interested parties.”

The herbarium houses collections from not only those on permanent loans from The Refuge, but also those collected throughout the years from Dr. Dunn during his summer research trips.

Dr. Dunn said: “The herbarium is primarily a repository for the flora of southwestern Oklahoma, but we have specimens from all over the country.

Last summer I collected in Michigan, and the summer before I collected in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Colorado. With the addition of the WMWR collections, we now have almost 10,000 specimens.”

Dr. Dunn added that students in the Biology

April 14, 2008

ELECTION continued from page 1 Department also contribute to the collections by going with him during the summer to do field work and collecting plant species that they find while surveying the Oklahoma region.

“Students and I continue to collect in southwestern Oklahoma, and I collect every year, whenever I am doing field work in the summer. I would estimate that we gain between 100 and 200 specimens in a normal year,” Dr. Dunn said.

According to Dr. Dunn the restoration of the herbarium and the addition of the new specimens are important learning tools for the students in the Biology Department, in particular those in the Botany field. The herbarium supports many of the core classes within the department such as, General and Principles of Biology, Botany, Zoology, Plant Taxonomy, Ecology and Evolution. As well as benefiting the departmental students, the herbarium is also an important asset to the community.

The restoration and cataloging of the plant specimens will be carried out over the course of next two years with the funding extending into the end of February 2010.

Dr. Dunn added that the completion of the updated herbarium will create a better learning environment for CU students and be another great way to allow the community to benefit from the growing campus.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Cameron students to be actively engaged in developing and applying techniques they are studying in the classroom,” Dr. Dunn said. ”The project will also be a great benefit to the community. For the first time ever, date from the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge herbarium will be electronically available for both Refuge managers and the statewide scientific community.”

For more information on Cameron University’s herbarium contact Dr. Michael Dunn at 581- 2287 or michaeld@cameron.edu.

TUITION continued from page 1 There’s an odd quality of gambling to the program. If tuition prices don’t go up, any extra money that the student paid during their early semesters is wasted. The pay-off is that if tuition prices skyrocket, students on the plan will still be paying the same rate that they were before the cost increase. Like any insurance plan, the benefits may not readily show themselves.

“It’s a lot like car insurance,” Pinkston said. “I’ve known people who have paid their insurance all their lives and never had to issue a claim to reap the rewards from it. Students could benefit from this, or they might not. It depends on so many factors that it’s difficult to definitively tell someone that they should or shouldn’t use it.”

For students who crave reliability and err on the side of caution, the plan could be a comforting idea, especially for freshmen who have a good idea of where they want to go to college.

“I think it’s geared for students who perhaps don’t know where they want to go but know what they want to do,” Pinkston said. “It’s an incentive for traditional students; students just graduating from high school and looking to jump into college.”

The program, despite its hit-or-miss nature, grants a certain reliability that first-time college students can levy against unpredictable tuition fees, Pinkston said.

“It may not cover room and board, but it makes a large portion of the cost of a degree manageable and constant,” Pinkston said. “It allows students to know exactly what they’re going to be paying each semester. It’s simply another option for new students to consider when enrolling.”

“One priority for SGA is the Centennial year. It’s very important that all of us, especially Student Government representatives, are part of the Centennial celebration,” Daoang said. “It’s going to make more students see that this is a better school environment and that we are growing.”

And as the end of the semester approaches, new plans are being made for next year. Future president Daoang expressed the desire to have more students involved in Student

Government and university policymaking.

“A lot of people don’t know that Student Government Association even exist on campus, so it’s important that we also get that out there, market it and get them involved, so that we can have diversity and represent all,” Daoang said. “There are some organizations that are not represented, and it’s very important that they know we are here so they become a part of Student Government.”

COMPETITION continued from page 1 The judging portion of the contest consisted of three classes with four specimens per class; students are allowed to use the specimen of their choice such as cut flowers, foliage plants, bedding plants, and hanging baskets.

The second session of the Interscholastic Competition (the speech competition) will be held at 1:00 p.m. on April 22 at various locations across the Cameron campus.

Speeches will be presented in the following areas: 8th grade agriculture exploration, animal science (which discusses careers in banking), feed manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, real estate, food processing, research, public relation and management and sales of livestock. Other areas of speeches will include plant science, natural science, the judging of the Future Farmers of America Creed, agribusiness, 9th grade FFA opportunities, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade general agriculture, agriscience, agriculture policy, and a quiz bowl.

Land, range, and pasture evaluation and judging will be held at a site out of town. All awards will be given out the

day of the speech competition.

Cameron University hosts some 500 high school students annually from all points across the state, representing nearly 70 schools. Dr. Leon Fischer, chair of the Agricultural Department, is deeply involved with the Interscholastic Competition each year. Dr. Fischer believes that the Interscholastic Competitions held each year help junior high and high school students develop responsibility and a sense of independence.

“One of the best things about the competitions is that the students have to make decisions on their own,” said Dr. Fischer. “They have to be able to defend their stand orally using critical thinking skills.”

These competitions help students prepare for statewide competitions held later on in the year. It also provides students a chance to visit the CU campus and become acquainted with the facilities and opportunities for their future education. The competition may also serve as a great recruiting tool for Cameron’s Agriculture Department.

Voices

April 14, 2008

3

Ric Flair throws in the towel after 30 years To be the man, you have to beat the man.

For more than 30 years, Ric Flair has been “the man” in professional wrestling. But all great things, even something as great as Flair’s career, eventually has to come to an end.

That’s why Monday, March 31, 2008 will always be remembered as one of the greatest days in history for anyone who ever grew up watching professional wrestling as a child.

Whether you knew him as the Nature Boy or “the dirtiest player in the game,” Flair was always the limousineriding, jet-flying son-of-a-gun that could steal kisses from all the women and take them for a ride on Space Mountain. He was a pioneer, a champion of champions and one of the greatest legends ever to step into the ring.

Flair turned in his high-dollar robes and wrestling gear this past Monday for his official retirement, after 36 years in the business. His retirement will always go down as one of the most emotional events a wrestling fan has ever witnessed.

We’ve all grown up watching Ric Flair pulling out all the stops to win a match. The 16-time World Champion always had a plan in mind when he went out to the ring.

Whether in the NWA, WCW or

WWE, Flair went to the top and brought the fans along with him.

Everyone knows the business is scripted. Winners are already chosen before the matches begin and the majority of each match is planned out between the two wrestlers before they ever step foot in the ring. Even though the whole business is scripted, it takes a special wrestler to put on a show. No one could put on a show in the ring like Flair could.

From the time his music played and he came walking out in his elegant robe, until the final bell sounded, you knew you were going to see a great match.

Flair never had the muscles like Hulk Hogan or the flashiness of Shawn Michaels, but no one could match his in-ring charisma.

And no one ever will. That was what made Flair so great.

If you follow the WWE, you know that Flair was given an ultimatum that he must win every match he’s involved in and he would have to retire after his first loss. The true story was Flair was ready to retire. He walked out on the WWE once and was gone for an extended period of time before working a deal with Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the WWE, to come back for one last run. There couldn’t

have been a better send-off for Flair than what he received on Wrestlemania weekend.

Flair and his long-time friend “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels wrestled in a oneon-one match at Wrestlemania XXIV in Orlando. As a wrestling fan, it was one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen. Even in his old age, Flair put on one fantastic match for everyone to watch.

In the end, Flair lost, but it was to be expected.

Wrestlemania is the biggest event in professional wrestling and it was the perfect place for Flair to finally retire after his illustrious career.

The following night on Raw, every wrestler on the WWE roster came out to the ring to congratulate Flair on his achievements. Flair’s old stable, the Four Horsemen, was lead out to the ring by HHH. Some of his old friends like Batista, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and “The Man of a Thousand Holds” Dean Malenko greeted Flair in the ring with hugs and tears.

The best moment of the whole night was when Edge, the most hated heel in the company, lead out all of

ensure that students needing medical assistance receive it in the most efficient and timely way possible.

John DeBoard, head of the Department of Cameron Public Safety proudly explained that the officers in his department wear two hats, in that they are trained as first responders as well as first aid. DeBoard further informed me that while the Lawton police are trained to respond and wait for the arrival of the ambulance and paramedics.

Cameron officers are trained to administer first aid if necessary.

Safety is a concern for many. Self-defense classes teach students not only how to defend themselves in the event of a physical attack, but also how to avoid dangerous situations. Call boxes on campus enable students to contact the office of public safety.

Last year, a notification system was set up so that students would be immediately notified in the

event of an emergency. These are only a few examples of safety measures currently being employed at Cameron.

A recent bill (HB 2513) that was passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is now in the state senate, will, if passed will allow certain students to carry concealed weapons on an Oklahoma college campus. The one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech nightmare recently passed and a nation relived how it mourned the deaths of 32 students and prayed for the survivors of that tragic day. The memory of shocked and bewildered students, some who openly wept, while others stood in stunned silence at vigils and memorial services as they tried to absorb and make sense of the deaths of their innocent classmates and faculty, remain ingrained in our minds.

Oklahoma lawmakers should be more concerned about funding programs that offer medical assistance to Americans suffering with mental illness. Oklahoma lawmakers should be more concerned with the technical

Josh Rouse

MCT Campus

the wrestlers to give Flair the proper send-off. Storylines were thrown out the window, feuds were ignored and the wrestling world paused for a moment to honor the legendary career of the greatest wrestler alive.

As someone who grew up watching Flair, I don’t know how it’ll be possible to watch wrestling knowing that its greatest contributor is no longer around. The deaths of wrestling-greats Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit were hard, but Flair has done so much for the business that it’ll never be the same without him.

It may have been time for Flair to hang up his boots, but it was still hard to watch. And his final sendoff on Raw will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in wrestling

Office of Public Safety puts students first Theodore Roosevelt said, “Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” In the past two months, I have twice witnessed the Cameron University public safety team demonstrate that when a student needed medical assistance, they do in fact “work hard at work worth doing.”

Last month, I called 911 to request an ambulance on behalf of a student.

Within minutes of having made the call and provided the name of the building and room number, a member of the Cameron public safety team raced into the room where we were waiting. Obviously winded from the effort to get to the student as quickly as possible, the officer still radioed other officers on duty to give them an update on the situation and location.

The paramedics quickly arrived, further assessed their patient’s medical status and then transported the student to the hospital.

I witnessed the actions of the Cameron officers for a second time, that I saw first hand the well rehearsed, well executed response of the public safety team. The first time, I only witnessed one member of the team, this time I was able to see how the team works together to

Laura Batule

MCT Campus

disconnects that interfere with and have hobbled a national computerized database that would warn authorities when someone with a criminal past or history of mental illness tries to purchase a weapon. Oklahoma lawmakers should be visionaries looking for answers that will embrace technology to prevent crime rather than go back to a time that included gunslingers, posses and vigilantes.

These are public servants paid by their constituents to represent them.

Contact them and let them know how you feel about the very possibility of this bill passing into law. Visit www. lsb.state.ok.us/ and click on “find your legislators” and give them much needed feedback on this pending legislation.

We know that the Office of Public Safety will continue to train for emergency situations. There is the possibility that soon, an occasional glimpse of a concealed weapon will no longer raise an immediate red flag, but instead will find students wondering if that person has a permission slip from our lawmakers to carry a loaded weapon to English class.

In the meantime, it is important to recognize those members of our society who choose to assist, defend and protect others. The Office of Public Safety deserves a “gold star” for its dedicated service to the students and faculty at Cameron University.

Students should feel empowered knowing that there are dedicated members of the Public Safety team, who, in the event of any emergency, will put students first and do whatever is necessary to keep them safe.

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Jessica Lane News Editor - Josh Rouse Assistant News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Amanda Herrera Sports Editor - Kareem Guiste Variety Editor - Bira Vidal Assistant Editor - David R. Bublitz Copy Editor - Laura Batule

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kelley Burt Cartoonist - Thomas Pruitt Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Chris Allison, John Robertson, Alexis DelCiello, Kerry Meyers, Brandi O’Daniel, Ashley Wilkerson

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

Newswriting Students Jenifer Biles, Donnale Mann

About Us The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Letters Policy Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.

The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length. Letters should be no more than 250 words.

Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks.

All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used.

Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification.

Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu, or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060.

Our Views The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author.

The unsigned editorial under the heading “Our Voice” represents the opinion of the majority of the editorial board.

The opinions expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily represent those of Cameron University or the state of Oklahoma.

Our student media are designated public forums, and free from censorship and advance approval of content.

Because content and funding are unrelated, and because the role of adviser does not include advance review of content, student media are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves. Administrators, faculty, staff or other agents shall not consider the student media’s content when making decisions regarding the media’s funding or faculty adviser.

Sports

4

April 14, 2008

Baseball gets facelift from McMahon Foundation

Photo by Laura Batule

Agggies Score: New baseball scoreboard reveals thank you note to sponcors of new facilities.

By Laura Batule Collegian Staff The head coach of the men’s baseball team, Todd Holland, has experienced first hand, how

the generosity of the McMahon Foundation and the successful Cameron University “Changing Lives” campaign is improving the quality of life for current and future Aggie sluggers.

“The McMahon Foundation made some great improvements to our playing field,” Holland said.

“We have a new scoreboard, outfield fence and a cover for the infield, a tarp that is actually required now in

the Lone Star League. Many teams travel quite a distance to play us and the tarp allows us to cover the field before it rains so when the rain stops, we can still play on the field.

This way the team has not wasted time and money and traveled here for nothing.”

Coaching is not just about working with the team on the current roster, it also includes scouting and recruiting new players to constantly insure the success of future Aggie squads. The new baseball locker room is going to facilitate the annual search for new skilled players.

“A facility like this club house is a great recruiting tool for our team and the university,” Holland said. “It will bring talented players to Cameron. They see that the university cares about them and the program and it wants to do everything possible for us to be successful.”

The locker room has individual open lockers each with a smaller, secure locker for players to secure their valuables during practice and games. There is also a laundry facility on site to expedite the cleaning of practice and game uniforms.

“Until now we have used the old washer and dryer up in the stadium locker room,” Holland said. “On the inside of one of the lockers, we found a football schedule from 1985. I don’t think much has changed in there since then. It’s great to have our own machines in the new club house.”

Kim Vinson, Associate Athletic Director at Cameron University explained that the improvements to the baseball facilities came from two sources, one being the wellknown, philanthropic McMahon Foundation.

“The McMahon Foundation gave us a donation and with that, we were able to purchase the new scoreboard, replace our outfield fence and get a tarp to put over the

field on rain days or when we know it is going to rain, in order for us to continue to get competition in,” Vinson said.

Another source of financial support came from monies raised through the thriving “Changing Lives” campaign.

“We have had some improvements to the press box, we have removed the old concession stand and upgraded the men’s restroom facility and added women’s restroom facilities and an umpires’ locker room,” Vinson said.

“In addition to all that, we built the locker room for the men’s baseball team. Those were institutional projects.”

To celebrate the new facilities and thank all those who made the projects possible, the baseball team is having a barbeque at 3:30 p.m. before the game on April 15 at McCord Field.

“It’s a dedication of our scoreboard and our fence” Vinson said. We want to show our appreciation to the McMahon Foundation for their contributions and what we have been able to do.

Since the locker room is ready and open, we are going to be offering tours through that new facility as well. We’re going to have a cookout and feed anybody who comes down there.”

Everyone is invited to attend the barbeque, show their Aggie pride and support not only the baseball team, but the softball team as well.

The women have a double header at 1:00 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Cameron Field against the University of Central Oklahoma.

The softball crowd and the teams can come over as well,” Vinson said.

“It is going to be a big cookout for anyone who wants to come down and take part. We really want to honor and recognize the McMahon Foundation for what they have done, and primarily what we have been able to do with our baseball facility.”

Photo by Laura Batule

Smooth and green: Assistant Coach Art Gonzales helps keep the grass at the McClord Field in pristine condition for the Aggie sluggers.

Sports

April 14, 2008

5

Photo by Bennet Dewan

The winning squad: A few members of the Cameron Soccer Club pose for a photo after winning their game against MSU 3-2. The club holds pick-up games every weekend.

Soccer creates a new tradition at Cameron

By Kareem Guiste Collegian Staff In a quest to continue the soccer tradition from most of their homelands, the Cameron Soccer Club, comprised of a wide variety of cultures as far as Nigeria, the Caribbean and Jordan, was inaugurated this year through the Department of Student Activities.

The club, which is advised by Maxwell Kwenda, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology shared his views on the newly formed organization.

“This is the first year that we have

had a soccer club on campus. The club is grateful for the support it has received from the Cameron University community especially in allowing us to use the stadium,” said Dr. Kwenda.

To date, the club has had two friendly matches against two teams.

The first match against a team formed by a few military personnel ended with the CU soccer team losing 2-1 to the army boys, and the second, a more exciting thriller, ended in favor of the CU squad 3-2 against an MSU club team.

The most recent match up against MSU, sponsored by CU’s Department of Student Housing,

proved to be very successful and much more exciting than the previous match. The competition managed to attract at least 100 fans to the Cameron University Stadium.

After the first 45 min. period of the 90 min. battle, the CU boys saw themselves lagging with MSU leading two goals to one. However it was Ugo Ubaj, an international student from Nigeria who gave started the Cameron the edge in the first 15 min. of play. A ball which was played neatly from the left half from a striker landed almost perfectly on Ubaj’s boot, and with enough strength and

Photo by Bennet Dewan

A thunderous strike: Cameron Soccer Club’s mid fielder Ugo Ubaj takes a shot on goal and scores against MSU Soccer Club. The clubs are planning to meet on April 19, 2008 at the CU Stadium for leg two.

placement, put MSU on the back foot. The game played on with good sportsmanship, good spirit and the majority of fans were very entertaining, as they chanted old soccer tunes, like “ oleh oleh oleh”.

With that high velocity from the fans and the panache from players’ quality, the Cameron Stadium had gone silent after MSU equalized with a similar run of form on the other end of the pitch. That followed with another goal to MSU after a warranted penalty was awarded after a threatening tackle in the eighteen. Though the call breathed speculation it passed over as the whistle blew to signal the half. Cameron one, MSU two.

Momentum was built as the screaming crowd brought increased energy and drive and the Cameron club team began the attack.

Simple, but neat passes dazzled their opponents under the shining stadium lights and the CU boys seemed determined to dissect MSU’s defense. With play getting more intense as pressure mounted, CU then got the chance to equalize from a similar enough tackle in MSU’s 18. Without hesitation, Matt Fountain stepped up and put the ball away in command style, to bring CU level just 20 min. into the second half.

As time on the game clock dwindled toward the end of regulation play and injury time already added, CU’s team kept on strong, with simple but critical plays. Then it came. The edge CU was waiting for. From a through

pass from the midfield, Kwame Aigbekum finished it up with great precision and put CU up 3-2. Although they were already overwhelmed by fatigue; the Cameron players were jubilant after the final whistle sounded the end of a very exciting thriller.

Austin Andre, vice-captain of the CU squad thought that the game brought about a more unified Cameron squad.

“After playing this match against MSU on Saturday, I saw a unified and determined Cameron Soccer Club looking for exposure and someone who would believe in them to further develop the club, in its quest to achieve university and community wide recognition,” said Andre.

With at least two more games on the schedule for the Cameron Soccer Club this semester, advisor to the organization, Maxwell Kwenda says that he was very excited to have had the opportunity to host MSU. “We are delighted to have hosted MSU over the past weekend and appreciate those who came to cheer the team on a windy and chilly night,” said Dr. Kwenda. “The goals of the club are in line with those of any on-campus organization in seeking a broad spectrum of participants in order to advance the mission of the University as we approach CU’s second century. The club welcomes all to participate in this global sport – all genders, all ages, all majors, and all levels of fitness.

Cheerleading holds tryouts for 2008-2009 season

By Ashley Wilkerson Collegian Staff

The 2008-2009 Aggie Cheerleading tryouts are just around the corner. Registration for tryouts will be at 10 a.m. and tryouts will begin at 11 a.m. on April 19 in the Cameron University Fitness Center.

Interested applicants can pick up a cheerleading information packet at the Aggie Athletic office, or can access it online at goaggies. cameron.edu. The packet will consist of numerous forms and guidelines for the tryouts and program. These forms must be completed and returned on the official day of tryouts. Applicants are also encouraged to attend an informational meeting at 6:00 p.m.

on April 14 on the 5th floor of S. Shepler. The meeting will answer questions about tryouts, next year’s squad requirements and more.

Those who attend are not obligated to try out.

Each candidate trying out will need to wear a white t-shirt, black shorts, athletic shoes, and hair pulled back in a ponytail if necessary. Tryouts will be judged on an individual basis, and will include six categories in which the candidate will be scored: Jumps (height, technique, and execution), Dance/Chant (rhythm, coordination, precision, and timing), Cheer (motions, voice, projection, facials, and incorporation), Running Tumbling, Standing Tumbling, and Overall Impression. During

the tryout, the candidate will be asked to perform three cheerleading jumps, including one toe touch, as well as one standing tumbling pass and one running tumbling pass. A cheer or chant of the candidate’s choice will then be performed. Routines may include a current school mascot and colors or the Cameron Aggie theme can be incorporated. Creativity is encouraged.

The Aggie Fight Song routine will be performed by each candidate. The music and choreography is included in the cheerleading information packet.

The tryout will then be concluded, and short questions may be asked.

The judges then choose 10-12 candidates for the 2008-2009 squad. Those that are chosen must

be positive role models for the university and maintain a positive and professional appearance. The Aggie Cheerleaders will perform at games, as well as make appearances at other Cameron sporting events and campus activities.

Requirements for Aggie Cheerleaders will include: weekly practices 2-3 times per week, attendance at all volleyball and basketball games, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and attend summer camp.

This summers cheerleading camp will be held July 19-22 at Texas State University. A team building camp will also take place prior to summer camp and will be held in Lawton from July 14-18.

The Aggie Cheerleading Squad is headed by Coach Robin Martin.

Martin is a native of Colleyville,

Texas and came to Cameron University directly from the University of Oklahoma. She was a cheerleader at Colleyville Heritage High School, and was captain of the squad that placed 5th at the 2002 National Cheerleading Association Championships.

Martin hopes to elevate Aggie Cheerleading, and bring them to an elite level.

“Last year we improved an average amount. I hope to have a few more girls on next year’s squad and be even bigger and better,” Martin said.

Tryouts are open to anyone that is interested. For additional information or questions, contact Martin at 581- 7926, or romartin@cameron.edu.

A&E

6

April 14, 2008

Mermagen and Whang reunite on CU stage

By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff Musical harmony can emerge in different forms. The combination of two or more instruments can add the little, special significance to a song and turn the melody into a great masterpiece. When two long lost friends decide to combine their talents and instruments, there is significant greatness.

On April 6, the Cameron University Lecture and Concert series presented the musical reunion of cellist Michael Mermagen and pianist Hyunsoon Whang at the Cameron University Theatre. The accomplished musicians first met at the esteemed Julliard School of Music.

“We went to school together and we played together,” said Dr. Whang, a music professor at Cameron since 1993. “It’s really exciting to play with him and see him again.”

At the Julliard School, Dr. Whang and Mermagen were good friends, but once graduation came, they departed and lost contact until last summer.

“We didn’t keep in touch, so I was really happy when he contacted me,” Dr. Whang said.

“Last summer I was playing in St. Louis and he came to my concert.

Then we reconnected.”

The feeling was mutual for Mermagen in St. Louis when he saw Dr. Whang. They exchanged e-mails and when Dr. Whang asked about playing at Cameron, he did not hesitate.

“It’s a bit of a reunion, a musical reunion,” Mermagen said.

“Hopefully, it’s the beginning of some musical collaboration.”

The recital was part of Cameron University’s Lectures and Concert Series hosted by the Department of Music. Dr. Whang received support when pitching for the possible concert.

“I did the proposal to the Lectures and Concerts Series and they sponsored it,” Dr. Whang said. “We were talking through e-mail and when the proposal got accepted we picked our favorite songs.”

The recital was composed of pieces from J.S. Bach, Oliver Messiaen, Debussy and Frederic Chopin. Mermagen opened the concert introducing songs from Bach and Messiaen and Dr. Whang shortly joined him through Debussy and Chopin.

“It’s all great music; it’s quite a diverse program,” Mermagen said.

The diverse pieces were characteristic of the chamber music style. This type of music is specific for a small setting.

“Chamber music is for a small group of people, played by small groups,” Dr. Whang said.

The concert attracted both Cameron students and Lawton residents. The concert was free to the public and the main purpose of the music was to entertain, but also create awareness and music appreciation.

“Our job is to give people pleasure and to enhance their lives,” Dr. Whang said.

According to Mermagen, people who do not have daily contact with music can appreciate it anyway. The admiration for music can be reached through understanding the meaning of the piece.

“The appreciation comes from not only the study, but also from the repetition,” Mermagen said.

“The more I play the music; it just gets better and better. And it goes deep, and emotional.”

As both musicians contributed to each piece, those present were able to enjoy the fusion of great talent. The recital was Dr. Whang’s last performance of the semester at Cameron.

Photo by Bira Vidal

Collaboration of skill: Cellist Michael Mermagen and pianist Hyunsoon Whang converge musical talents at the Cameron University Theatre on April 6.

‘Horton’ movie presents message of acceptance

By Chris Allison Collegian Staff “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

That is the theme and reoccurring phrase spoken in a new film adaptation of a Dr. Suess children’s book, “Horton Hears a Who!” Theodor S. Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Suess) has had a few of his children’s books adapted to both 30 minute cartoon television specials and film.

Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” was adapted to the Ron Howard directed live-action film, “The Grinch.” Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” was also adapted to a liveaction make-up heavy film. While I enjoyed “The Grinch” somewhat, I thought “The Cat in the Hat” was an atrocious piece of garbage that disrespected Suess greatly. The less said about “Cat” the better.

Dr. Suess’ new film adaptation is a computer animated film. Dr. Suess’ worlds are so whimsical and bizarre that it makes me wonder why film makers did not try the

computer animated approach in the earlier films.

Horton, voiced by “Grinch” alumni Jim Carrey, is an elephant who lives in the Jungle of Nool.

One day while splashing in a pool, Horton hears a tiny scream coming from a small dust particle. Horton manages to find a clover for the particle to land on.

Horton discovers that the dust particle is home to a city called Whoville. Its mayor, voiced by Steve Carell of “The Office,” is getting ready for the Who-centennial.

But for some reason, he seems to have only a figurehead role and is undermined by a council of elders.

The mayor has a loving wife (SNL’s Amy Poehler) and 96 daughters. He talks with each of his children for 12 seconds at breakfast in a humorous scene. The mayor also has a quiet son, who has an emo look to him, named Jojo. Jojo does not share his father’s wish to succeed him as mayor.

The mayor is the only one that hears Horton and he is hesitant to relay this news to others for fear of

MCT Campus

Who-centennial: Whooville mayor, voiced by Steve Carell of “The Office,” is getting ready for the Who-centennial. Unfortunately, he has only a figurehead role and is undermined by a council of elders. being perceived as crazy. The mayor cannot even convince the council to postpone the Who-centennial celebration because of danger.

Any slight movement of the speck destabilizes Whoville.

Horton also has trouble convincing his fellow animals that there are people living on the speck. A kangaroo, voiced by Carol Burnett, insists that Horton stop telling everyone lies and that he is corrupting the youth of Whoville.

Even the kangaroo’s “pouch schooled” son is influenced by Horton’s determination to protect the clover from danger.

Horton decides to travel to the

top of Mt. Nool to place the speck on a flower. There he hopes it will be safe from outside intrusion. Along the way, Horton is attacked by a vulture hired by the kangaroo.

Whether Horton safely delivers Whoville to the top of Mt. Nool or convinces everyone that Whoville exists or whether the mayor convinces everyone in Whoville of the danger they are in, I will leave for the viewer to find out.

This was a surprisingly entertaining film. I enjoyed it as much as “The Grinch.” The main problem, which was a problem for the previous live-action films, is that the film sometimes feels

stretched. The film makers add several sequences to stretch the thin material of the children’s book to an 88 minute film. One weird 2-D animated sequence added shows Horton acting like a Kung Fu warrior while protecting the clover.

Dr. Seuss’ children’s books have enough “story” to fill a 30 minute cartoon at best. It’s not uncommon that film makers add sequences and subplots to create a full length feature adaptation.

Despite the stretched feeling of it and the fact that it is not as polished as the Pixar animated movies, “Horton” is still a funny and delightful film.

Legendary film actor dies at age 83

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff

Charlton Heston

After battling a planet of apes, fleeing the Israelites from Egypt and finding out the secret ingredient to Soylent Green, the “Omega Man,” Charlton Heston, finally succumed to his ripe age.

The last fight of his life came against Alzheimers, the dehibilitating diseases that has toppled even presidents. But Heston left a legacy through his movies and off-screen actions so that he will never be forgotten.

Heston was an enigma of modern Hollywood. He was an actor who was not afraid to speak his mind

and he let his political stances be known to the world. For five years, he was the president and spokesman for the National Rifle Association.

He received a rifle in 2000 and proclaimed: “from my cold, dead hands.”

He was also one of the few faces of Hollywood during the 1960s civil rights movement, marching in support of the cause. In a time when tensions ran high between blacks and whites, Heston held steadfast to his beliefs.

His life’s greatest achievements were on the silver screen where he tackled roles as grand as Moses in “The Ten Commandments” and as small as one-eyed Spencer Trilby in “True Lies.”

Heston won an Oscar for Best Actor his role as Judah Ben-Hur in “Ben-Hur.” The movie went on to win the most Oscars for its time and still holds the all-time record at 11.

Heston’s portrayals varied greatly across the more than 100 roles in his career. He played the astronaut Taylor who was trapped on a planet run by sentient simians in “Planet of the Apes.” He also starred alongside fellow “Ten Commandments” Edward G. Robinson in “Soylent Green.”

The movie, which was ultimately Robinson’s last role, followed a future society where food was scarce and Soylent Green became the primary nutrition source.

Heston didn’t win any Oscars for

the role, but it still has one of the best endings of all-time.

In the end, Heston will be missed by all. He was a great actor and easily one of the most prolific men ever to grace Hollywood.

A&E

April 14, 2008

7

Oklahoma native tells Oklahoma story

By Josh Rouse Collegian Staff The Tulsa Race Riots will be brought back to life in vivid detail at 2 p.m. Friday at the library reading room.

Award-winning author Rilla Askew, a native of the San Bois Mountains of Southeastern Oklahoma, will read from her book, “Fire in Beulah.” According to Askew’s official Web site, www. rillaaskew.com, the novel centers around a relationship between an oilman’s wife and her maid. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the tensions between blacks and whites leading up to the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, when whites burned the city’s Greenwood community.

Dr. Judy Neale, organizer of the reading, said Askew has served as a visiting professor of creative writing

at the University of Oklahoma.

Along with her professor position, Askew has traveled across the state, reading different excerpts from her work.

“I heard Askew speak at the public library and I contacted the Oklahoma Department of libraries to see if I could get her to come to read at Cameron,” Dr. Neale said.

“She agreed to come for a very small amount of money, which has been a benefit to us here.”

Much of Askew’s writing is contained in the historical fiction genre. Dr. Neale said Askew has a talent of combining entertaining stories with important historic events.

“The stories that she tells are engaging and actually help educate people on some of these major events that happened in our state’s past.”

Askew has become an awardwinning author since graduating from The University of Tulsa in 1980. She later went on to Brooklyn College to study creative writing and received her MFA in 1989. Her first novel, “The Mercy Seat,” was nominated for a Faulkner Award and received the Oklahoma Book Award and Western Heritage Award in 1998.

“Fire in Belauh” received the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation and the Meyers Book Award from the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights.

“We’re extremely happy and honored to have Askew come read here at Cameron,” Dr. Neale said.

“We want more Oklahoma authors to come in and speak and she has a lot of great stories about our past.”

Rilla Askew

Percussion Ensemble drums up great performance

By Jessica Lane Collegian Staff

Photo by Jessica Lane

Belting it out: Guest soprano, Doris Lambert, sings the vocals of Villa-Lobos’ composition “Bachinanas Brasilieras” in Portuguese.

It was originally composed for cello. The version performed by the CU Percussion Ensemble was arranged by Cameron University alumnus, Stacy Loggins, to be performed on marimba.

The Cameron University Percussion Ensemble presented its spring semester concert at 8 p.m. on April 4 in the Cameron University Theatre.

The festival hosted two guest artists, Mark Ford, professor at the University of North Texas on marimba and CU alumnus, John Simon, on drum set. Dr. James Lambert, professor of Music at Cameron University, conducted the spring concert for the 32nd year since he has been at teaching at Cameron.

A large backdrop behind the ensemble glowed various colors throughout the concert, possibly indicating different moods for each piece of music. However, the CU Percussion Ensemble performed with such passion that the music glowed beyond the hues behind them. The performance opened with Lynn Glassock’s “Factions.” The lively composition served as an introduction to the excellent timing of the student percussionists who were all involved in the performance. Next, Japanese composer Minuro Miki’s, “Marimba Spiritual” was presented, featuring Grant Johnson, Tony Bertram, Jeremy Toombs and Gareth Jester. The quartet was inspired by a famine in Africa in the 1980s.The music started

slowly on the marimba as a requiem to the dead. The music builds to a lively crescendo, meant to serve as a resurrection.

Following was “Bachianas Brasilieras,” a composition by Brazilian composer, Villa-Lobos. The music was originally composed for cello, but CU alumnus, Stacy Loggins, has arranged the piece for marimba, featuring Bertram, Eric Vandergrift and Johnson. Guest soprano, Doris Lambert, sang the Portuguese lyrics above the melancholy marimbas.

Drama and theatre was a definite undertone of the concert, especially the performance of Ford’s “AftaStuba” and “Head Talk.” “AftaStuba” featured three percussionists, Bertram, Vandergrift, and Johnson on one marimba. The composition by Ford took advantage of the crowded scenario and the performers used comical choreographing. For example, one performer would get squeezed out between the other percussionists and would have to find a way to rejoin the group.

“Head Talk,” featuring Toombs, Jarrod LaRoche, Jason Dozier, Bertram and Johnson, was even more theatrical. Five percussionists sat in a semicircle, communicating by beating on their drumheads. The dramatic situation seemed to be five drummers trying to make music together. The performance was humorous and had the magic spontaneity of good theatre.

For the next phase of the concert, Ford performed solo compositions on marimba. The first was “Pontis,” piece written by Da Jeong Choi, one of his previous students. Ford composed the second composition, “The Green

Road,” for another of his students, I-Jen Fang. She asked him to write her a piece of music as payment for proofreading a book he had written.

“The Green Road” is meant to evoke the pathway where Ford would visit his grandfather.

The third phase of the concert featured Simon on drum set. He led the ensemble in “Concerto for Drumset” by John beck, “With Joy in His Heart,” by David Mancini and the funky “Soul-Ar Eclipse” by Tom Morgan. He shared his limelight with Dozier and Bertram, also on drum sets. The three would communicate back and forth through their drums and seemingly off-the-cuff dialog, much to the delight of the audience.

Lambert said that he likes to bring back CU alumni to mentor current CU Music students. He said the chemistry between guests Simon and Ford worked well with the student percussionists.

Current members of the Spring, 2008, CU Percussion Ensemble include percussionists Bertram, a Music major from Lawton High, Vandergrift, Music major from Lawton MacArthur, LaRoche, a Music major from Lawton High, Jester, a Music major from Cache, Toombs, a Music major from Lawton High, Johnson, a Music major from MacArthur High School, Klay Reece, a Music major from Lawton High, Dozier, a Music major from Lawton High, Kevyn Reece, a Music major from Lawton High, Clint Williams, a Music major from Lawton Eisenhower, Tim Narofsky, a Music minor from Altus, and Dustin Ray, aMusic minor from Elgin.

Variety

8

April 14, 2008

Final Production “Nine” closes curtains for theater season

At nine: Young Guido (George Porter) realizes life will be a non-stop musical performance since he is nine.

Guido Contini grew up dreaming of becoming a successful film director, but life showed to be much more hard on him than he expected. After a failed reputation in the film industry, Guido decides to take another turn in life and produce his next

masterpiece. However, the single most important element is lacking, courage to face another possible failure.

This is the story line in “Nine,” Cameron Theater department’s last production of the season. “Nine” reveals more than the professional

At forty: Guido (Richard Johnson) finds himself surrounded by all the women in his life some years down the road. struggle of an ordinary man, it reveals the general concerns about growing up and acting one’s proper age, instead of nine.

Also, “Nine” explores the worlds inside Guido’s head. It creates pathways to imagination and possibilities never before

considered. Especially related to the opposite sex.

“Nine” will open at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Apr. 17, carrying more performances on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Apr. 20. Cameron students with a Cameron ID can enter free.

Support from mom: Guido (Richard Johnson) hugs his mother (Vy Brown) and shares the scene with Olga Von Sturm (right, Mandi Bongiorno) and Heidi Von Sturm (left, Sabrina Harrell).

Two men among women: The cast of “Nine” displays a variety of talent from current Cameron students to alumni. (Left to right: Leah Mazur, Jennifer Castricone, Richard Johnson, Shemika Phillips, George Porter, Vy Brown, Mandi Bongiorno and Sabrina Harrell).

Behind the scenes: Much of the play “Nine” happens behind the stage where a crew takes care of the spotlights, manages the wardrobe and operates the sound mix and microphones.

Photos by Bira Vidal Photo Collage by Bira Vidal