The Cameron University Collegian: April 20, 2009

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

Monday, April 20, 2009

News

Volume 83 Issue 22

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

English Honor Society

Celebrates Achievments

By John Robertson Collegian Staff On April 4, the Department of English and Foreign Languages and Sigma Tau Delta recognized outstanding English majors at the annual English Awards Banquet in the Shepler Ballroom.

Dr. Margery Kingsley, chair of the Department of English and Foreign Languages, kicked off the banquet with a welcome to attendees before handing the microphone to Dr. William Carney, a faculty sponsor and Director of Composition.

After a brief introduction, Dr. Carney welcomed the Sigma Tau Delta President, Joan Gabelmann, who named this year’s Sigma initiates and welcomed them with a candle ceremony.

After dinner, Leah Ellis, recipient of the 2008-2009 Leigh Holmes Creative Nonfiction Scholarship Award read aloud from her awardwinning piece, “Mustard Seed Confession.”

School of Business holds Centennial Week.

SEE PAGE 4

See HONOR Page 2

Proud recipient: Dr. Margery Kingsley presents Tracy Haught with the Matt P. Haag Creative Writing Scholarship Award.

A&E

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Induction: During the banquet, 18 new members were inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society. The inductees took part in a candle lighting ceremony as part of their initiation.

Housing sponsors Earth Week.

Student adjusts to life after accident

SEE PAGE 8 By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff

Sports

Women’s tennis steps up to the line.

The long road to recovery has begun for Cameron Senior Jacob Collinsworth after he was ejected from his pickup last month outside of Cache.

Jacob was driving on Bishop Road, west of Cache, on March 27 when he lost control of his pickup. An investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol could not conclude the cause of the accident, but emergency personnel on the scene believed Jacob was ejected and his pickup flipped over the top of him and landed on its driver side in the intersection. He was taken to Comanche County Memorial Hospital but was later moved to the OU Medical Center in Norman with spinal injuries.

His wife, Erica, said his recovery will be a slow process.

“When he got to OU, they did all kinds of things to him,” Erica said. “He fractured a prominent piece in his neck, which leaves him really sore. He also fractured the T6 and T7 [vertebra], so they had to go in and put rods in there to prevent any further injury to his spinal cord.”

The injury has presently left him paralyzed. Erica said doctors aren’t sure whether the paralysis will be permanent or not. Jacob reported having feeling in the paralyzed areas, which is a good sign. Erica said the doctors told her that his injury is “incomplete,” which doesn’t rule out the potential of walking in the future.

“There are two kinds of spinal cord injuries: incomplete and complete,” Erica said. “His

Photo courtesy of Erica Collinsworth

is incomplete, which is great. I thought that was a step in the right direction.”

Jacob, a self-employed oil field operator, has aspirations of walking again. He is supposed to

enter rehabilitation as soon as his vitals level out.

See ACCIDENT Page 2

What to do when you receive your OneCard

SEE PAGE 6

Community Relations

Voices

Once you’ve received your Aggie OneCard, what’s the next step? Simple. Go to www.aggieonecard.com, enter your 16-digit card number in the boxes provided, and click “Go.” Registering your card is easy – and important. In order to receive any refund from Cameron University, you’ll need the Aggie OneCard.

Follow the simple instructions to authenticate your card, then create your Web site login and password. The next few screens will allow you to choose the refund method that works best for you. The options are: 1) Easy Refund, a direct deposit to the OneAccount, a no-minimum balance, no monthly fee, FDIC-insured checking account provided by Higher One. This method will provide instant access to funds.

2) ACH transfer to an existing bank account of your choice. Utilizing ACH transfer requires two to three business days before your refund is available to you.

3) Paper check, which requires seven to ten business days.

Report from Abroad: Paris SEE PAGE 5

aggieonecard.com

The Aggie OneCard is a debit card, not a credit card. By choosing “Easy Refund,” you’ll enjoy additional benefits through your OneAccount, including the ability to transfer money to or from your OneAccount by email, the ability to use the HigherOne ATM located in South Shepler with no fee, the ability to receive notifications when funds have been deposited into your account, and much more.

For more information about the Aggie OneCard, go to www.aggieonecard. com, or contact the CU Cashier’s office.

2

News

April 20, 2009

HONOR continued from page 1 Megan Brodish, a Senior English major, said that Writing Scholarship Award once before, said that hearing Ellis read her story was something she enjoyed. these ceremonies are important because they shine “Listening to how she emphasized parts of her story recognition on deserving writers and help build and how the story’s tone and voice confidence. played out with her reading was “It’s an honor to receive these awards,” “It’s an honor to receive incredible to hear,” Brodish said.

Haught said. “It’s encouraging, and these awards. It’s Tracy Haught, another helps with confidence as a writer. Being encouraging, and helps attendee and the recipient of the with confidence as a writer. recognized in your department and Matt P. Haag Creative Writing among your peers is great.”

Being recognized in your Scholarship Award, said that Ellis’ Brodish said that these banquets help reading had an effect on the story department and among your bring together people who are perhaps not peers is great.” itself. focused on the exact same thing but share “Listening to Leah was — Tracy Haught similar goals. powerful,” Haught said.

“It helps instill a sense of community,” Matt P. Hagg After Ellis’ reading, English Brodish said.

Creative Writing majors from all the various After the awards, the faculty and Scholarship Winner niches of the department attendees stood to recognize the were recognized for talent and graduating Seniors. Haught, a Senior creativity. Among the awards handed out for the evening herself, said that the banquet was a nice way to end the were the OCTE Geraldine Burns Award, the Lawton semester and served a valuable purpose.

Shakespeare Club Award, the Matt P. Haag Creative “These things produce a sense of camaraderie,” Writing Scholarship Award, the Leigh Holmes Prize Haught said. “Between students and faculty, it just for Creative Nonfiction, the John G. Morris Poetry sort of brings everyone together, and it feels good to Prize and the appointment of AWP Nominees. see classmates that you’ve got a lot of classes with get Haught, who has won the Matt P. Haag Creative recognized for their abilities.”

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Sigma Tau Delta 2009: (Above) The new members of Sigma Tau Delta were inducted into the society during the banquet.

The brains of the operation: Faculty members of the of English Department.

ACCIDENT continued from page 1 Doctors had planned to move him to rehab a week ago, but the plans had to be put on hold after his blood sugar and sodium became unbalanced.

“He’s having problems keeping the sodium and blood sugar under control and that forced the doctors to send him back to ICU,” Erica said. “Once he gets to rehab, he’ll be there eight weeks, and then they’ll know more about his progression and whether he’s getting better or not.”

The Collinsworths are no strangers to bad vehicle accidents.

Erica’s first husband was killed in a vehicle accident five years ago. The stepfather of Jacobs’ two sons was

killed in a vehicle accident several years ago when they were in the vehicle. When Erica and Jacob married, they had a combined four children and recently had their fifth child. This latest tragedy has been weighing heavily on the family.

“His daughters seem to be doing really good. They’re worried about him, but they’ve gotten to see him a couple times,” Erica said.

“For my children, this brings a lot of emotions back in terms of them losing their father. Now, we have this combined family and this happens and their father is probably going to be paralyzed. It’s not a good feeling.”

The Collinsworths now have to worry about how they’re going to pay for their medical bills. They don’t have any health insurance and the bills are mounting. The OU Medical Center offers a charity, which will pay for a portion of the bills, but they still have to pay the remainder.

“We’re both healthy people and we didn’t think anything like this would happen,” Erica said. “No one expects something like this to happen.”

Both Erica and Jacob are students at Cameron. Jacob had planned to graduate this semester with an Associate’s Degree in Science. Those plans

have been put on hold for the near future. Erica splits her time between working as a nurse with Halliburton and going to visit Jacob in the hospital. While she said things look grim right now, she’s just glad that he’s alive.

“My first husband passed away, I had to stay pretty strong.

It makes me the kind of a person where I’m pretty tough,” Erica said. “I just try to take care of the business and the family. I’ve broken down a couple times when I think about him being paralyzed, but I just get better knowing he’s alive.”

To cope with the medical bills, Erica and Jacob’s family has

set up a Care Account at Arvest bank under the name of “Jacob Collinsworth.” Erica said her family has really helped create a great support group, which has helped her a lot. She hopes donations will help her family financially because she’s worried about just paying the month’s bills.

“We’re worried about the medical bills, but we’re not even sure how we’re going to survive by paying the bills and such,” Erica said. “We would really appreciate any help we could get. It’s been a tough time.”

If you are interested in donating, contact any Arvest bank location.

Photo by Jim Horinek

Student to participate in OU research program Collegian Staff

See page 4 for solutions.

Caitlyn Riedmann, a third-year Cameron Aggie, will be heading to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center this summer to participate in an undergraduate research program for students considering science research as a career.

Riedmann applied for the program, called IDeA (Institutional Development Award) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Summer Research Program for Undergraduate Students with 90 other students. Of those 90, only 50 made the final cut.

The INBRE Summer Research Program’s goal is to expose undergraduate students to the world of biomedical research and encourage them to pursue careers in the fields of science and technology.

Riedmann will be paired up with a mentor that matches her own personal goals.

“We get paired up with mentors that are in specific fields; mine is a Ph.D. that specializes in immunology at OU Health Sciences Center,” Riedmann said.

Riedmann will be paid for the experience she said and is really excited about working at the OU Health Sciences Center, but that she did not get here alone.

“Associate Professor Dr. Carla Guthridge, my advisor, encouraged me to apply for the program,” Riedmann said.

Riedmann, a Biology major, said that when she began at CU, she had no intention of becoming a part of the science field.

“I actually started out as a Criminal Justice major, and then later switched to Political Science,” Riedmann said. “Later I switched to Biology, and I think this is the one I am going to stick with.”

Riedmann is a PLUS scholar, and enjoys being involved on Cameron’s campus and in the community.

A Baptist Collegiate Ministry member, Reidmann said that PLUS activities got her involved in campus life and volunteer work.

“I like the PLUS program, it got me out volunteering, which is something I did in high school,” Riedmann said.

April 20, 2009

News

3

4 News Business School celebrates Centennial Week April 20, 2009

By Pamela Vaughan Collegian Staff Throughout the spring semester, Cameron University has been celebrating its 100-year existence by recognizing each school with its own special “Centennial Week” and this week belongs to the School of Business.

Dr. Oris Odom II, Dean of the School of Business, pointed to the efforts of several of his faculty members for the week’s plans.

“Dr. Shawn Carraher, Professor of Management, came up with the idea for the Millionaire Mentor’s Forums,” Odom said. “It began last year when he had several of the speakers in his classroom. He just took what they had to offer and built on it.”

The Millionaire Mentor’s Forums kicks off the event on Tuesday with Joel Staib and Jerry Marlar hosting a public forum in the new CETES Conference Center. The Forum runs from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and is the first of two events open to the general public.

Staib and Marlar are expected to speak about today’s business world from their unique perspectives. Staib is a retired president from Dynergy Corporation’s Energy Trading and Marketing Division and Marlar is the former president of Sulzer Biologics and Sulzer Orthopedics. In addition, a reception will be held on Tuesday for Staib and Tom Beck, the President of Synergos Solution LLC and partner in Vantage Alliance on.

The Millionaire’s Mentor Forum closes on Wednesday from 2 until 3 p.m. when Beck and Mike Zserdin, President of Risk Mitigation consultants (RMC), will hold a final public presentation. Dr.

Odom said that Wednesday night would also hold a few more events for the week.

“On Wednesday evening, Dr. Soylu, Assistant Professor of Management, has organized a banquet that will allow the Society of Human Resource Management to fulfill its requirements to be officially recognized by its national chapter,” Dean Odom said. “He has asked Billy Taylor, Plant Manager of Goodyear Tires to be the keynote speaker.”

The banquet begins at 7 p.m. in the Shepler Center Ballroom. Reservations are required.

Dr. Syed Amed, Director of Business Research Center and Professor of Economics, has also developed a business forum for the Centennial Week.

“Continuing to Build Oklahoma’s Economy in Times of Uncertainty” will take place from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the CETES Conference Room.

Headlining the forum will be Secretary of Commerce & Tourism Natalie Shirley. Secretary Shirley will highlight the agency’s efforts to increase the quantity and quality of jobs throughout Oklahoma. Joining her on will be Dana Davis, President and CEO of the Lawton/Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce; Lyle Roggow, President of the Duncan Economic Development Foundation and Larry Thomas, Mayor of Elgin and Immediate Past President of the Oklahoma Municipal League.

The final day will see the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) host its annual awards dinner.

Special guests and honorees will be State Regent Bill Burgess and Dr. Sylvia Burgess, CU’s Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, both of whom will receive Champion of Free Enterprise Awards during the banquet.

Photo by Jim Horinek

Nearing completion: The new Business Building is in the final stages of construction and will soon be welcoming the faculty, staff and students of the School of Business.

Graphic courtesy of Community Relations

Student Development offers career services

By Jorie Palmer Collegian Staff

Cameron University students have access to tools needed to enter the workforce. Career Services provides programs designed to help students decide their future careers and be successful in those fields.

Director of Student Development Dr. Jennifer Pruchnicki said the goal of Career Services is to assist students during every leg of their career journey.

First semester students and undecided majors can participate

in a self-assessment program,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “This assessment will allow students to learn more about personal skills and the careers that fit those abilities.

The students can explore these career paths further through the Exploring Majors series.”

Juniors and Seniors can benefit from online job listings. Student Development Specialist Chase Massie said the job listings are very extensive with detailed information about job duties.

Many times, the projected salary is also included. Massie said over 100 jobs are listed including international openings.

“Undergraduates who need a part time job should also look at the list,” Massie said. “Some of the jobs only require a high school diploma.”

Students can access the listings on College Central by visiting the Student Development page at the Cameron Web site.

Once there, students may click the collegecentral.com box to begin registration.

Career Services also hosts the Red River Career Expo to allow students to meet different employers. Companies and Organizations from across the country attend the career fair.

Once students narrow their job search and send in resumes, they may be called for an interview. Career Services offers a program called Optimal Resume, where a student can set up a practice interview. To take advantage of this tool, students need a web cam. If a student does not have a personal web cam, he or she may use the computer in the Career Resource Center in the Student Development Office.

Massie said the advantage of the web cam is self-evaluation.

“Students can choose the questions they are asked and see what they look like as they interview,” Massie said.

In addition, students may ask questions about the interview process such as what to wear, when to arrive and what to ask.

Dr. Pruchnicki said Optimal Resume is a great way for

students to see what they need to work on.

“There are so many options with the online program, so I think it prepares our students for almost every interview situation,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “We try to help students answer difficult questions, and the program offers tips and suggestions if the student gets stuck.”

Career Services wants students to realize it is never too early to begin thinking about a career.

“Your freshman year is a great time to start working on your resume,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “If you get an award or participate in a club, you should write it down because it could be difficult to recall past accomplishments during the last semester of your Senior year.”

Furthermore, Dr. Pruchnicki said the job market is not easy to enter due to the economy.

Therefore, students should actively pursue their goals.

“The perfect job is probably out there, but it is not going to magically fall into your lap,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “Students are going to have to put forth effort in order to succeed. Let us help.”

Voices

April 20, 2009

5

Easter Break gives travelling student opportunity to see Europe Instead of a Spring Break we are given an Easter Break, and it’s one month long.

Most of the British students simply go home during this time, but many, especially those whose home is across an ocean, take this time for travel. That was my plan as well.

Because of the ease of travel within Europe, looking at options becomes somewhat overwhelming. As someone who

didn’t grow up with trains, I’m still somewhat clueless when it comes to finding exactly which rail I would need and how much it would cost.

The rail websites never were all that helpful. I would suggest just going to the nearest station and seeing what information they have.

The surprising thing is that f lying seemed to be the cheaper and definitely faster way to go.

Photo by Lauren Bennett

There are several budget airlines f lying throughout Europe: Ryanair, EasyJet and Vueling, for instance. The two girls I went with found our f light from Bristol to Paris for £30, taxes included, on EasyJet. Ryanair is also very cheap, however the people I know who went with them faced additional charges once they got to the check-in counter at the airport.

Once the f light or rail ticket is purchased it is time to figure out where to stay. Web sites for hostels all seem to offer the same deals, but in my experience the two best have been www. hostelworld.com and www. lonelyplanet.com.

However, for the hotel in Paris we booked through the university’s travel shop, and after our stay at the Bervic Hotel, we really wished that we had gone through one of the hostel websites, where we could have read reviews of the place first.

For our time traveling, we decided to go to Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. Our first stop was Paris.

We took the train from Swansea to the airport in Bristol, which is about an hour away.

Bristol’s airport is somewhat bigger than Lawton’s but is still very navigable and seemed to serve only the cheaper airlines.

As we boarded our EasyJet f light, what I noticed is that there was no first class and no assigned seats, so we got to sit wherever we wanted, or since we were some of the last on, wherever we could.

Our f light to Paris was about an hour, and we arrived at the Charles de Gaulle Airport that night.

Upon arriving we realized that we had no idea where to go, so we went to the information booth. Apparently to get into the city itself, one must take the Metro, and it’s about an hour’s ride from the airport to one of Paris’ central stations.

After walking, it felt like, halfway through the airport, we found ourselves at the Metro ticket counter. The vendor we asked started laughing, told us to walk on through, and pointed out of the ticket office.

We walked out thinking that he just did not want to deal with us, but after we asked someone

Lauren Bennett

Student gets first-hand view of Greek life When I started my college career at Cameron University, I knew that I would receive a good classroom education by qualified educators.

What I did not expect was that I would pursue an education in my chosen field, Political Science, over oceans and in foreign lands.

During Spring Break, members of the Law and Politics and History Clubs achieved their nearly year-long plan of traveling to Greece to see the birthplace of modern democracy.

The planning and funding of the trip were sources of stress over the past two semesters, but the experiences we shared in Greece were well worth it all.

The CU students and I, accompanied by faculty sponsor and Law and Politics Club Adviser Dr. Melody Huckaby, arrived in Athens late in the evening on March 17 and ate dinner in the rooftop restaurant atop the Hotel Stanley, complete with a view of the Acropolis lit up at night. The following morning, we boarded a bus and left for ancient Corinth.

The ruins of ancient Corinth were surrounded by grape vineyards and history and provided our first taste of what life was like in ancient Greece. After walking through Corinth in awe, we again boarded the bus and rode to Delphi, home of the Oracle.

In antiquity, the Oracle was a source of mystic advice, but today we know that it was the site of natural gas springs. It is amazing now to think of how much advice was given

by women who were having completely natural reactions to toxic fumes, but the mystique of the place remains in-tact.

After a funfilled evening in Delphi, the tour bus took everyone to the location of the Battle of Thermopylae, the site where approximately 300 Spartan soldiers fought off a much larger Persian.

What was most interesting about the battlefield was the plaque that explained the significance of the battle, as the official numbers given for the Persian forces by the Greek historians or tourism officials was a disputed 1.7 million. Modern historians put the numbers at 200,000 or less.

Kalambaka was the next city on our trip, as it is located just below the famous Monasteries of Meteora. Everyone on the trip was able to enter multiple stillfunctioning monasteries built high atop mountainous rock formations during the Byzantine era.

The last two days in Greece were

else, we were informed that the workers had actually just gone on strike. So when he said, “Walk on through.” Well, that is exactly what he meant.

So I must say, “Merci for the free Metro ride, French station workers.”

Climbing the stairs out of the station our hotel was near, I really did not feel too safe because it was dark, and there was no one around. The area certainly did not look like website presented it—especially at night.

Stay tuned for the second part in the next edition...

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Bira Vidal Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - John Robertson Digital Editor - Kyle Luetters Circulation Manager - Katie Batule

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kerry Myers Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Raven Weiss, Monica Garner, Justin Cliburn, Jeramy Eidson, Megan Mefford, Cecilio Ramirez, Nicole Roames, Melissa Rogers, Jacob Russell, Saman Samii, Rashmi Thapaliya, Pamela Vaughan, Lauren Bennett, Solitaire Merrill and Jory Palmer.

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

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.

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Courtesy Photo

spent back in Athens and the Hotel Stanley.

While there, CU students visited the National Archaeological Museum, the ancient Agora, the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus on their own and without the tour guide we had come to know so well.

When we

think of the philosophers and earliest politicians of ancient Athens, each of us creates a different vision in our heads of what their lives must have been like.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in this trip, however, we now know exactly what the theater at the base of the Acropolis was like as the Greek tragedies were played. We know how impressive and imposing the Parthenon was, and we know exactly how tiring it was to walk to the top of the Acropolis.

For the History and Law and Politics Clubs, not many locations could have been more germane.

When the journey was first suggested, I doubted the viability of such a trip with the financial and administrative constraints that it would present. After making it happen, I am incredibly thankful for the experience and every challenge was well worth it.

I hope that, in the future, other CU student groups can identify the ideal location for an academic trip related to their trip and similarly “make it happen.” Now is the time to discuss possible adventures and start the process of planning and financing the next CU trip of a lifetime.

Justin Cliburn

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.

6

Sports

April 20, 2009

Leadoff hitter Lyons finds home with CU baseball

By Jeramy Eidson Collegian Staff Junior and Aggie baseball Outfielder Alex Lyons is having a phenomenal season.

The Salt Lake City native is a transfer student from the University of San Francisco.

Pressure has to be monumental for an athlete, who is being brought in to fill in roster spots, to transfer to another school.

“Coming to a new school, you

feel pressure. Winning turns that pressure into momentum.

Momentum takes the pressure away,” Lyons said.

Coming from a bigger school to a smaller school, Lyons has high expectations for the Cameron baseball program this season.

“I feel it would be big for Cameron to go to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament this year,” Lyons said.

Last season Cameron fell just short of the Lone Star Conference

Championship which would have sent them to the Regional tournament.

Cameron has six games left on their regular season schedule before heading into the LSC Tournament.

The Aggies currently hold a 34-12 record and an LSC record of 25-11.

Cameron is currently ranked 21 in the nation and second behind Abilene Christian in the LSC. Lyons has had a solid season batting lead-off for the Aggies. He leads the team in at-bats with 187 and is batting .332 for his season average. He is second on the team with 62 hits and shares the lead with Chris Caves in stolen bases with 10.

Lyons has also scored 52 runs on the season, second to Josh Barnett’s 67.

Not only is Lyons’ batting impressive, his defensive play has been top-notch . Alex has played in all 46 games this season and has only commited 2 errors.

For a team that is known mostly for its explosive swagger at the plate, two errors in 46 games prevents other teams from being able to extend inning and score more runs.

Despite consistent batting statistics and the near-flawless defensive play, Lyons still feels there’s room for improvement for himself and the team as a whole.

“Ask anyone on the team and they’ll say the same thing, there’s always room for improvement, whether it be batting, baserunning or fielding,” Lyons said.

The Aggies are currently on a hot streak. In their last 16 games, the black and gold have only suffered three loses. The momentum leading into the LSC tournament may garner to a berth in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.

The April 17-19 match-up against Abilene Christian will be monumental, as it will determine the seeding for the Lone Star Conference Tournament. The games will feature the number one and two teams in the conference with only a week before the season comes to a close. The Aggies will play the series at home where they have won 20 out of 25 games this season.

If the tremendous play from the Aggie seniors and transfer Outfielder Alex Lyons continues and the black and gold can continue to be the offensive juggernaut that they have been in the regular season, Cameron may see its first ever LSC Championship, regional berth and quite possibly a chance to compete in the College World Series.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Women’s tennis team on comeback trail

By Saman Samii Collegian Staff The Aggie Women’s Tennis team has had a rather tough season. After some recent key victories, the team is looking ahead and feels confident in making it to post season.

The Aggie’s routinely play one of the toughest schedules in the nation and their record has proved the fact. They currently sit on a 10-11 record, as of their loss on Apr. 14 against University of Central Oklahoma (UCO).

Assistant Coach Agustin Criado said the women have played tough even though they lost some close matches.

“The girls have played well this season even though I feel we could have won many of our matches that went 4-5,” Criado said. “We need to stay positive at all times and continue playing tough tennis. That is what great teams do.”

The team has a couple of impressive victories under their belt this season. Back in March, the Aggies beat the Tigers of

East Central University 6-3 in an important Lone Star Conference match. In addition, just recently, the Aggies beat Oklahoma Christian University Eagles in a nail biter, 5-4. This particular win was crucial since the Aggies lost against the Eagles back in February. Criado said he is proud of how the women have bounced back from tough losses this season.

“I am proud to see that the girls can refocus after harsh losses,” Criado said. “It is hard to keep playing after you lose a match 5-4, but the girls have done a great job of keeping their heads up this season.”

The Aggies are currently ranked as the 45th best team in the nation and still have some of the season left to improve that ranking. The team has had a long season and with a few key victories in their upcoming matches, their record and ranking can only progress. Criado said he remains optimistic to finish the season strong.

“Our goal is to make to the national tournament and to cause

some serious damage there,” Criado said. “If all the girls play up to their potential then we should be able to reach our goal.

We have been working hard on and off the court and making it to nationals is not something that is too far out of our reach.”

The remainder of the season is looking promising. The women will mainly be on the road to play some important matches in preparation for the Lone Star Conference Tournament, hosted

by Midwestern State University on April 23-25, in Wichita Falls.

Criado said he feels confident about the remainder of the season.

“We need to finish our season strong,” Criado said. “Basically everything before this has been a preparation for the upcoming weeks. A great team always performs well in the end of the season and that is what we need to do. I remain positive and truly believe we can finish strong.”

The Aggies last home match will be on April 21 against the Cougars of Collin College at the CU tennis courts.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Baseball team lifted by ‘thunder from down under’

By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff Most people do not realize the background on some of the international players in the athletic program at Cameron University.

These players have to become accustomed to the style of play in the United States as well as the Lone Star Conference.

Junior Shortstop Tom Dicker has been an effective force in the baseball team’s lineup all year long.

Statistically, he is second best

on the team in most categories including runs scored, homeruns and RBIs. His skills on the field are excellent, but his journey is the most interesting.

Dicker is from Victoria, Australia and was picked up

by Coach Todd Holland from Redlands Community College.

Growing up playing baseball in Australia is structured differently from the United States. Schools do not have baseball teams as part of an athletic program, so Dicker spent his time in an adult

league. At Cameron, he has the opportunity to play against athletes his own age and with his same skill set.

“Playing in the Lone Star Conference and NCAA is competitive, plus there is a lot more teams,” Dicker said. “Your school pride is always on the line.”

Obviously the climate and area is a little bit different from Australia in most places that Aggie Baseball travels. Dicker says his biggest adjustment was the transition from wooden to metal bats.

Former teammate at Redlands and fellow Australian Jake Forsythe made their transition to the area smoother.

Both players have been some of the big playmakers in games for the Aggie team, consistently being productive at the plate.

Unfortunately, Forsythe is

out for the rest of the season due to a broken arm. Tom Dicker continues to use his recent play and momentum to keep the Aggies ahead of Angelo State in the conference.

“Our guys have been able to step up since Jake’s injury,” said Dicker. “If someone has an offgame, everyone is able to cover for them as well.”

Dicker fits in well to the hardhitting offense that the Aggies offer. He says it’s a comfortable feeling being in this year’s lineup.

“It’s great hitting with this roster. There is always somebody in front of you and after you,” Dicker said.

This weekend is by far the most important series of the year for the Aggie baseball team.

For weeks, CU has been trailing Abilene Christian for the number one spot in the conference. With three games scheduled for the series on McCord Field, the team has a chance to break the school record for wins in a season and the opportunity to be the number one seed in the LSC. “We know they are going to get wins. ACU is a good team,” Dicker said. “Our team goes for three or four wins every series to try and top them. This week will decide the top team in the conference.”

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Sports

April 20, 2009

7

Young’s maturity, leadership lift softball team

By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff Aggie Softball will fi nish strong this season with several Senior power hitters on the team. Th is strong offensive lineup is making it easy for CU to stay at number three in the Lone Star Conference.

Head Softball Coach Beth Watson says that good hitting allows the pitchers to get relaxed in certain phases of the game. The defense is able to play better when the offense is successful.

“We like to take control of the game early,” Watson said.

“Our hitters are our game changers and they can change the outcome with one swing.

With that threat, we know we are capable of anything.”

Young, Jenna Boren and Shareena Pulse are the three

players leading in hits, RBI and homeruns. Opponent’s pitchers never have an easy time with the pressure Young, Boren and Pulse unleash following each other in that order on the roster. Although Young is third in homers, she leads the team in hits and puts herself on base the majority of the time. Th is increases the chances of Boren or Pulse hitting in more runs.

“Hitting is contagious,” Young said. “At the plate, I know I have good people behind me. I know it gives us more opportunities.”

Young played softball in Lawton at MacArthur High School. She said that since her time there, she’s been able to mold into a power hitter.

“In high school, I wasn’t much of a power hitter,” Young said. “Now, I’m on the best team I’ve ever played on and we have a

lot of potential.”

Young and Watson both agree that this year’s team can play with anyone. Last series, the Aggies faced their rival UCO in Edmond with hopes of sweeping the Bronchos to take the number two spot in the conference. CU came up short to split the series, losing the fi rst game 4-3 and winning the second 6-3.

“If the players understand what they’re doing, it makes it easier for us to go with what we’re comfortable with,” Watson said.

Cameron softball has a chance to redeem themselves against the Oklahoma City University Stars in their next double-header. The Aggies lost both games against the Stars at home back in Febuary. Th is time, Oklahoma City will have the home field advantage.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

McGrath continues legacy of success

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff For one Aggie golfer, playing for Cameron is a family matter.

“I’ve been playing golf for a little more than 15 years,” said Art Junior Kass McGrath “My dad got me into golfing. He just gave me a club and took me out the course.

My sister and dad both played here and that was my main reason for coming to Cameron.”

In her 15-year career, McGrath has competed in more than 400 tournaments. She’s helped the women’s golf team succeed this year and hopes to continue contributing through her senior year. While Cameron may be her home now, she only arrived a year ago.

“This is my fourth college, so I’ve been transferring a lot,” she said.

“I’ve had to sit out a lot and I had to red-shirt the first semester I was here.”

McGrath’s family has a history in Cameron’s golf program with both her sister, Janelle, and her father, Harry Bailey, playing before.

She said some people are quick to make the comparisons between she and her sister, but McGrath said they are two completely players on the course.

“My sister helped the team win

the conference her year,” McGrath said. “And Janelle has always been great competition and we’ve always had rivalries, but I don’t like to compare myself to her. We are different golfers with two different styles that we play.”

Head Coach Rick Goodwin said the comparisons may be unfair, but he thinks the chemistry between the two girls has helped McGrath.

“It’s really hard for girls to find someone to play with,” Goodwin said. “They don’t hang around a golf course like the boys do. Growing up, they always had someone to play with and that was really beneficial to them.”

One of the attributes Goodwin likes about McGrath the most is her ability to play at a high level without any supervision. He said he can leave her on the course with no coaching and she will still play solid.

“They know what they’re doing for the most part,” he said. “At this level, they have to be there or they can’t compete. And that’s what we’re talking about. We want to get players in here to compete.”

McGrath isn’t sure whether she’s going to pursue a future in professional golf after she graduates. She said it will all

depend on how hard she wants to push herself and whether she truly wants it. In the mean time, she’s focusing on graduating and becoming a teacher.

“I would like to teach art and one day coach golf,” she said. “I definitely want to pursue something in the art field and teaching.”

McGrath and the women’s golf team now set their sights on the Lone Star Conference Championship today through Wednesday. McGrath is nursing a sore back along with other players who are injured. But McGrath’s injury has been with her for the past eight years.

“I was dropped in cheerleading and it’s been bad ever since,” she said. “It flairs up from time to time” Other players on the team are feeling the sting of injury and Goodwin is taking that into consideration headed to the Lone Star Conference Championship.

He said the best thing for McGrath and the other players is plenty of rest.

“We just want to rest up and stay healthy and be ready to go,” Goodwin said. “At the end of the year, we play a lot of golf and a lot of the tournaments fall in a row. So instead of intense practices, we just want to stay healthy.”

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Caves becoming constant home run threat

By Jacob Russell Collegian Staff

Photo by Bennett Dewan

The Aggie baseball team is winding down one of its most successful seasons in Cameron history.

As the season comes to a close and the play-offs appear on the horizon, the Aggies have had no trouble keeping up the intensity on the field. This is due in large part to the Aggies’ ability to find a new slugger to shine in the spotlight, at home and even on the road.

Against USAO and Texas A&M Kingsville, Senior Outfielder and Catcher, Chris Caves, stepped up and had an amazing weekend that kept the Aggies in the hunt for a first place finish in the Lone Star Conference.

Caves was named the Aggie of the Week after his offensive explosion helped the Aggies win the Battle of I-44 in Chickasha.

It is an honor that Caves wants to share with his team.

“It’s a greataccomplishment, you know? I mean I just had a great week,” Caves said. “But I’m not a ‘me’ guy. The best thing about it is that we were able to go win three games over the weekend.”

Although it is his first acknowledgment of the season, Caves’ performance is not

new to the Aggies. With 12 homeruns, Caves is tied for second on the team in four base hits. He is batting .317 on the season and is third on the team with 47 RBI’s. For Caves personally, however, the hot streak could not have come at a better time.

“It was great for my confidence,” Caves said. “I had been struggling with my hitting, and I needed that to really find my groove at the plate and start to feel good as we head into the end of the season.”

As with any struggle perseverence is a necessity; and that’s exactly what Caves did.

“I really worked hard on my mechanics,” Caves said. “I knew it was something that I could work through. I just had to figure it all out, relax and have fun.”

Now that Caves has his swing figured out, he continues to look forward to his goal of progressing in the post-season.

“I want to do everything I can for these guys,” Caves said.

“We have such a great group of guys this season, and our goal is to make some noise in the playoffs. Hopefully I can keep my bat going and help out.”

What many might not know about Chris Caves is that he is a double-threat, and what some

would consider a two-sport athlete.

Before Caves came to Lawton to play baseball at Cameron University, he found success on the dance f loor as a national champion ballroom dancer, an accolade that has also helped him to transition from catcher, a position he had played for 15 years, to the outfield.

“It is a great thing for me.

It helped to make the switch from catcher to the outfield a lot easier,” Caves said. “With dancing, footwork is very important. It is the same way in the outfield with your footwork on a ball hit in your direction.”

Caves also said that the dancing experience has helped him with his coaches.

“I feel that a can take instruction better than I used to be able to,” Caves said. “It has really helped me here and I think it is something that the coaches have noticed.”

After another home game this weekend, the Aggies will only have three games remaining on the season.

The last home game of the season will take place at 2 p.m. on April 28 at McCord Field as the Aggies square off against the 20-7 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers, whom they beat earlier in the season 16-11.

8

A&E

April 20, 2009

MCT Campus

Earth Day to grow green awareness at CU

By Nicole Roames Collegian Staff The Cameron University Student Housing Association (SHA) is sponsoring Earth Week April 20 through 25.

Jordi Mullor, a graduate assistant for Student Housing, said the department wanted to plan for more than just Earth Day. “We wanted to raise awareness of the environment, poverty and health issues among Cameron students,” Mullor said.

Monday, April 20, is One Day. SHA has set up a concert to start at 7 p.m. on the Cameron Village lawn and will be signing people up for One. One is the world’s biggest antipoverty organization.

Tuesday, April 21, is Just 4 Kids day. SHA has arranged for students from nearby Cleveland Elementary to visit the Cameron campus.

CU students will be serving food, and Mullor added that any student can come volunteer for Just for Kids day. It starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Village courtyard.

Also on April 21, SHA is collecting donations for the Salvation Army.

The drop-off for donations will be on the Cameron Village lawn.

Donations will be collected until 4:30 p.m.

“It’s a good time to start cleaning out your dorm rooms and donating stuff instead of throwing it away,” Mullor said.

Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day. In keeping with the meaning of Earth Day, SHA is collecting recyclables from all the departments on campus.

SHA members will visit the different departments throughout the day on Wednesday

to collect paper, plastic and aluminum.

Later in the day, SHA will take a group of students to see the movie “Earth.” SHA is covering the cost for students and has room for 50 attendees.

“Earth” is a movie from Disney Nature films that brings attention to the environment.

The group will leave the McMahon Center at 6 p.m.

On Thursday, April 23, is the Go Green Party. It will be held on the Cameron Village volleyball court at 8 p.m. The party will have a luau theme.

The Go Green Party requires recyclables as the admission fee.

“We want everyone to bring two plastic bottles or aluminum cans to recycle,” Mullor said.

“They are easy to carry, and everyone has them around.”

Friday, April 24, is Green Mile Day. SHA is sponsoring a Green Mile run/walk.

The purpose of a Green Mile run is to walk or run a mile in support of different organizations.

The organizations that runners

Graphics courtesy of Student Housing

can support at CU are the World Wildlife Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and the Susan G. Koman foundation.

The sign-in for the Green Mile is at the McMahon Center starting at 5 p.m.

“Our goal is to raise money through donations for these organizations,” Mullor said.

Movie invests in ecological theme

By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff As part of Earth Day, Disney Nature will start screening the movie “Earth” on April 22.

The studio brings to the big screen the lives of three animal families around the world, and how they are involved with the surrounding environment.

Famous for its breathtaking cinematography, the movie captures the spirit of the wild through the lives of families of elephants, polar bears and whales, each trying to survive in their

MCT Campus

respective habitats.

Told in a documentary style, the movie features James Earl Jones as the narrator. Through the narrative, the audience will experience the variations in the environment.

The variations ultimately present the need for humankind to be held responsible for the care of the planet and the different animals.

From the same team that brought forth “Planet Earth,” the movie “Earth” will also take the audience through many habitats and world environments.

As one of the first documentaries from Disney Nature, “Earth” is said to be leading to a variety of documentaries about the lives of different animals around the planet.

As an Emmy-awardwinning film collection and

ecological inf luence, “Planet Earth” started the movement that set new grounds for documentaries with nature as its main theme. The main characters from both franchises are animals that struggle for survival and adaptation in different environments.

The movie “Earth” explores not only the world of humans, but also illuminates the world experienced by the other living creatures on the planet.

A&E

April 20, 2009

9

‘Beauty and the Beast’ to close theater season

By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff It all started like many other love stories; a young girl unhappy with her life, an enchanted prince searching for true love and a curse that transformed all human life around one of the main characters.

The remarkable story about a beauty and a beast goes beyond most known fairy tales. It demonstrates how love can be the ultimate carrier of humane and divine redemption and how good, regardless of how it is physically presented, can triumph over the most attractive evil.

The 1991 animated movie “The Beauty and the Beast,” now a Broadway play, will be the this semester’s last production from Cameron’s Theater Department. The musical that has demonstrated a successful life-span comes to Cameron University with the innovative vision from Theater students, faculty and volunteers from the community.

According to Scott Richard Klein, Professor and Chair of the Theater Department and the musical’s director, the decision for the selection of the musical came from its appeal to the public and the possibility of exploring new territory for the students.

“We were looking for something comfortable, but we wanted to do something fairly new,” Klein said. “[The play] appealed to me, and I was happy to catch on something new. It

went through the committee [composed of] Theater arts faculty and Dr. [Gregory] Hoepfner, since he is the professor responsible for the music.”

The musical starts in a small town in the countryside of France. A beautiful and intelligent young woman named Belle and her inventor father Maurice have moved to the small village to improve their lives, but the townsfolk consider Maurice a lunatic for his creative inventions.

Klein states that the main plot lines in the Broadway musical and the animated movie

are strongly similar, and that the characters retain similar personalities.

“The plot on Broadway is the same from the original movie [and] the music is almost the same,” Klein said. “I haven’t done a lot of comparisons with the movie.”

After perfecting his first invention, Maurice takes off to sell it in a bigger town. Belle stays and hopes that the invention will change their lives. Belle, who has a love of books, dreams that she will find the love of her life and that together they will find happiness.

Meanwhile, Gaston, the town’s most handsome and crude hunter, decides that Belle will make a perfect wife for him because he believes her beauty matches his own.

But Belle’s plans take an unexpected turn when her father goes missing. The horse that carried Maurice comes back solo, propelling Belle to go search for her father. It leads her to a darkened castle that, at first, seems to be abandoned.

Belle enters the castle and for her surprise, she discovers that enchanted objects inhabit locale.

Upon finding Maurice, she

Photo by Bira Vidal

In the Beast’s domain: The Beast (Jereme Cobb) scares Belle (Anjelika Ramsdell) and the enchanted objects in one of his temper outbursts. The stage musical “The Beauty and the Beast” is the final production from the Theater Department to close the 2008-2009 season.

comes in contact with the master of the kingdom; a figure feared even by the enchanted servants: the Beast. In that moment, their story starts to unravel.

According to Klein, the Broadway adaptation of the animated movie did not receive positive reviews when its first production came to the public.

“When it first opened on Broadway, the critics hated it,” Klein said. “They thought that Walt Disney would take over.”

As for the monetary investment in the production, the musical proved to be a revelation.

The amount of money spent did not surpass the expected budget, and with the aid from the Richard P. Brittingham Musical Theatre Endowed Lectureship, the Theater Department was able to provide all the props used in the original Broadway production.

“The royalties are actually cheaper [and] it’s pleasantly surprising,” Klein said. “The design team [has] been budgeting for the whole year.”

But the financial planning and critical undervaluation of the original Broadway show could not overshadow the love that transformed the lives of all the characters, and ultimately evil, personified as the character of Gaston, is defeated through the power of true love.

Showtime will be April 23 through 25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 2 p.m. For more information on ticket sale, please contact the Box-Office at 580.581.2478.

Author shares life, talents at Cameron

By Kerry Myers

and second novel, “Notes from a Writer’s Book of Cures and Collegian Staff Spells.”

On April 10, 2009, author Douglas is currently the and poet Marcia Douglas Associate Chair for Creative graced students and faculty Writing and an Associate with her magical presence.

Professor in the Department Marcia Douglas was born of English at the University in England to of Colorado in Jamaican parents Boulder. and was raised Douglas drew in Kingston, her inspiration Jamaica, a place for this novel to which she from childhood refers to as recollections “the edge of the of squatters world.” Her who lived in writings are the Kingston firmly rooted in cemetery. the traditions Douglas says she of the Island can remember and many of the these families characters she Marcia Douglas with their speaks of in her clotheslines ran novels are loosely based around above the tombstones, living people she knew growing up in and singing with the dead.

Jamaica.

“Notes from a Writer’s Book Douglas is the author of Cures and Spells”’ main of three published works: character is a Jamaican writer “Madam Fate,” a novel; named Flamingo. Throughout “Electricity Comes to Cocoa her writings and drawings, her Bottom,” a collection of poetry life becomes intertwined with and “Notes from a Writer’s the fictional characters that she Book of Cures and Spells,” a has created. novel. Her works have also Flamingo creates drawings, appeared in various anthologies clippings, and photographs and international journals of Jamaican soul dolls, one such as the “Oxford Book of representing each character, Caribbean Verse,” “Whispers which are featured in the back From Under the Cotton Tree of the novel. The dolls are made Root” and many more. from pods, moss, twigs, island Douglas came to Cameron to seeds, and whatever else one present and read from her latest might use.

The novel is composed of many characters, composing an entire family known as the Donovan family. Violent deaths throughout the novel lead to the separation and reconnection within the family.

A relatively important character by the name of Carmen suggests that, “This is a novel set at the crossroads between the living and the dead—and the cemetery literally becomes a refuge of the orphaned children—between the harsh realities of the violence which spills over from an election campaign and a world where dreams, spirit possession and women who become snails are just as real.”

Flamingo’s fictional characters are very real in this novel. There is a girl by the name of Dahlia who is growing up in Trenchtown in the ghettos of Kingston, her strikingly beautiful one-eyed

sister, Alva, who dreams of one day living in New York to be a famous designer, and their brother Paul, who comes to be known as “Made in China” throughout the novel.

A Jamaican-Chinese shop owner, Mrs. Ying and a Rastafarian Madonna are just a few of the characters that make it all seem very real.

After the family is separated due to heavy immigration and Jamaica’s political situation at the time, it is Alva who solicits the assistance of the author to bring the fictional family back together.

In this novel, storytelling “serves as a metaphor for healing and the ability to tell a story is an act of magic.”

This book is available for purchase at the Cameron Bookstore. A portion of the proceeds from the book goes towards assisting Balmagie Primary, an innercity school located in Kingston, Jamaica.

Courtesy Photos

10

Variety

April 20, 2009

Hear the roar: The Beast (center), played by Jereme Cobb, shows his fury at Lumiere (Chris Jefferson, on the left) and Cogsworth (Elijah Ramirez, on the right). The cast of ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ has been putting the final touches for the opening night on April 23. Showtimes will be at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. for Sunday.

Musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to astonish audiences with exceptional cast It’s the tale as old as time. The beautiful damsel finds love in the most unexpected place, in the heart of a terrifying beast. The musical “The Beauty and the Beast” will close Cameron’s Theater Department Spring season. The play will have the participation of a number of Cameron students and volunteers from the community. The play will open on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. and will run until April 26 at 2 p.m. For more information on tickets, please contact the Theater Box Office at 581.2478.

Uplifting words: The Wardrobe (Neila Ettienne) gives some encouraging words to Belle (Anjelika Ramsdell).

Finding true love: The Beast (Jereme Cobb) dances with Belle, and hopes that she can break the enchantment.

Here is the plan: Lumiere and Cogsworth come up with a plan to unite Belle and the Beast.

Be my guest: Belle searches for her missing father, while Lumiere and Cogsworth watch her.

Getting ready for the ball: The Wardrobe, Mrs. Potts (Sabrina Harrel, on the far left) and Babette (Christan Gillis, on the far right) show Belle her gown for the ball.

Photos by Bira Vidal Photo Collage by Bira Vidal