TH E CA M ERON UNI V ERSIT Y Monday, April 4, 2011

Volume 85 Issue 17

Informing Cameron Since 1926

Academic Commons announced By Jim Horinek and Rachel Engel Managing Editor

News Editor

Cameron students, faculty and staff converge for the announcement of the new Academic Commons, an academic hub for Communication students, on April 1 in the McCasland Ballroom. Work will begin on the Academic Commons this summer. The facility, which will be housed in the building that was previously the Clarence Davis Student Union, is designed to benefit all students, with computer labs, classrooms and a tutoring center. However, the main purpose of the Academic Commons is to provide members of Cameron’s journalism program with a common work area in an effort to converge print and broadcast media coverage on campus. With the help of a retrofitted food court area and several other upgrades, the new Academic Commons will play home to Cameron’s convergent journalism program. Photo by Jim Horinek Dr. Christopher Keller, Associate Professor of Quiet on the set: President Ross and Senior R/TV student Michael Faggett announced the Communication and adviser to the Cameron Collegian and plans for the new Academic Commons in the appropriate format of a mock news conference. AggieCentral, said it is really anybody’s guess what the future of journalism will look like, but that most professionals and academia believe converging technologies will be central to whatever reporting looks like 20 years from now. “Both the news industry and the professors studying the news industry are working through the impact of Web 2.0 technologies and mobile media toolsets,” Dr. Keller said. “As technology changes, so too does the media message that technology carries. The media we use are changing the way we report information. No more can there be just a print journalist or just a broadcast journalist. We have to converge to survive.” At Cameron, the idea of converging media has been on the minds of those in charge of managing and structuring the curriculum of journalism students for quite some time now. A few years ago, discussions began about changing the current curriculum and course structures to ref lect the changes that are taking place in the way in which news is gathered, packaged and disseminated. Currently, students who participate in the production of CUTV are separated from those students who take part in the production of the Collegian. This separation is the result of both classroom location and curriculum. However, the creation of the Academic Commons solves the issue of separation.

See COMMONS Page 2

CU ROTC program named third best in nation By Brittany Wolfe Staff Writer

Cameron University’s Army ROTC program has been awarded by The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America organization as the third best ROTC program in the nation. According to Lt. Col. Rod Boles, Chair of Cameron University’s Military Science Department, the OFPA chose the CU’s ROTC program among 272 university ROTC programs in the nation. The Comanche Battalion has about 98 cadets, both male and female, who come from about 22 different states. The program has a mix between active duty soldiers who are attending CU as well as the traditional college students. “We are very honored that the Cameron University Army ROTC program has recently been selected as the national third place winner of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America Outstanding Army ROTC Unit award,” Lt. Col. Boles said. “For our program to be selected for the first time as

third out of 272 in the nation is outstanding.” According to Lt. Col. Boles, the OFPA selected the top ROTC programs based on training, performance, GPA, scores against

other cadets, achievement of various exercises and the standard recruiting and achievement mission to commission the finest men and women to become Army officers in the future. The scores against

other cadets were received during a leadership course between the cadets’ junior and senior years at Fort Lewis, Washington. CU being close to an Army post has helped the program utilize

the facilities and equipment they may need on Fort Sill. This has helped the cadets receive frequent training and hands-on experiences throughout their time in the program. On Fridays the cadets utilize Fort Sill by attending a leadership lab. “I believe being close to Fort Sill has helped our cadets receive the best training and hands-on experiences,” Boles said. “Some university’s ROTC programs have to drive hours to the closest post to receive the hands on training. We are very lucky to have an Army post so close.” According to Lt. Col. Boles, a few factors attribute to the success of the ROTC program. The faculty and staff in the ROTC department have been outstanding and helpful towards the cadets. The administration at CU has been supportive of the program in a huge way and having a strong partnership with Fort Sill has

See ROTC Page 2

News

A&E

Sports

Opinion

Changes are made to CU’s housing application.

BCM members volunteer during spring break.

Men’s golf team gears up for season.

NY Times puts end to free online version.

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News

April 4, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

CU housing application changes By Michael Faggett Sports Editor

The Office of Student Housing is undergoing numerous changes, both in its application process for incoming and returning residents and in new housing opportunities. According to Director of Housing Charlie Parker, incoming students desiring to live on campus will now have to fill out both a housing application and contract, a process which he said will help both student housing and its residents. “For new applicants, it will be a shorter application process,” Parker said. “We separated application and contract, so they are not the same anymore. The application is simply basic information. Once we assign a resident a room, they then will be mailed a contract.”

Parker said the reasoning behind the split in application and contact was to eliminate confusion in explaining contract options to residents. “Now residents can have a housing application on record 365 days a year,” Parker said. “They won’t have to necessarily wait on the new housing rates to fill out an application.” While incoming students will have to fill out both the application and the contract, the process for returning residents is somewhat easier and more convenient. Housing will host a “Status Week,” from March 30-April 6. According to Parker, during these days, current residents will visit the McMahon Center and talk with housing staff about their housing status for the next academic year. Parker said “Status Week”

provides residents with three options: residents can return and stay in the same location, residents can return but seek a different location or residents can cancel their application and check out. “One of the goals is to help residents know exactly where they will be in the fall,” Parker said. “It also allows us to start on paperwork for those who won’t return in the fall and expedite the check-out process for them.” “Status Week,” according to Parker, will happen every semester. In addition to those two benefits, Parker also said “status week” could essentially help housing give room assignments at a faster, more efficient rate. Since returning residents will already be assigned a room, the new application and contract process helps Housing assign incoming

Photo by Kelsey Carter

Getting ready: Taylor Hutton, an incoming freshman from Lawton High, receives help with her Cameron Village housing application for the 2011-2012 school year from Housing Department secretary Linda Kendall. students quicker than it normally has. While last year’s application was solely online, Parker said the new contract will be on paper, allowing residents to receive a hard copy of the contract. “With a paper contract, residents will actually sign their contract and be able to sit and read the terms of their contract,” Parker said. “In essence, it helps students better understand the terms of the contract they are signing.” The leases on the contract, according to Parker, are also being adapted. Students who look to live on campus for the entire year can now agree to an academic year lease. Residents of the Cameron Village will have an opportunity to either sign a lease for the entire academic year or a 12-month agreement, which Parker said will last from August until July. “An applicant for the Village

can’t come in the month of January and say they want a 12-month lease, because we are in the middle of the lease’s timeframe,” Parker said. “So there are the same number of options, but it is easier for residents to see which lease applies to them.” The Shepler Center and Cameron Village are the two options of housing for residents, but the North Shepler tower will soon have a new addition. “The sixth floor of North Shepler had been gutted of its built-in storage space prior to it becoming office spaces,” Parker said. “Now that we have the floor back, students can expect new, movable furniture, which allows residents to customize their own room. In addition to that, since the goal of that floor will be to make it all single rooms, we will put in a full-sized bed opposed to two twin-sized beds from previous single rooms.”

ROTC continued from page 1

very helpful in the program’s success as well. “Our student cadets deserve all the credit for the outstanding job they have performed in order to receive this type of award,” Boles said. “We are very thankful for the support we receive from Cameron as a whole.” Anyone who is interested in joining CU’s Army ROTC program can contact the military science department for more information or can stop by the department located in Burch Hall. “Anyone who joins the ROTC program in the future will truly be part of an outstanding leadership program,” Boles said.

COMMONS continued from page 1

Solutions on page 4.

“With the creation of this new Convergence Journalism complex in the Academic Commons, the Radio and Television side of our program will be brought together, physically, with the Print Journalism side,” Dr. Keller said. “We are going to be able to work as a single news body and produce content that is both digital and print-based, video as well as text. It is truly remarkable.” Michael Faggett has been a part of the journalism program at Cameron since he started here as a freshman. As a continual member of the CUTV cast and a Collegian editor, he understands the need for a converged approach to teaching journalism at CU. Faggett took part in the event on April 1 that was held to showcase the potential a converged journalism program can offer CU students. A mock news conference was created in the McCasland Ballroom of the McMahon Centennial Complex, and more than 150 people attended to see the unveiling of the Academic Commons fundraising campaign. “The event shows Cameron is making innovations academically,” Faggett said. “Not only are we introducing a new building, but we’re introducing a new academic opportunity on campus.” President Cindy Ross, who joined Faggett in presenting the new age of news media to the attendees of the Academic Commons unveiling, feels that the new student area will be extremely beneficial to students for many different reasons. “The Academic Commons is an important next step in continuing to be the University of Choice,” President Ross said. “When complete, the Academic Commons will join the McMahon Centennial Complex, University Library and McMahon Fine Arts Complex to form a core of centrally located buildings with extended hours of operation to better serve our students and the community.”

Opinion

April 4, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

NY Times online no longer free

The best things in life are free. Well, they used to be, anyway. On March 28, the New York Times rolled out a new pay wall, forcing readers of the Times website, as well as its mobile and tablet applications, to either purchase a monthly pay plan, or

Rachel Engel News Editor

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

be satisfied reading only the top headlines. The pay plans start at $15 for access to the website and mobile application, then $20 for the website and tablet application access, and finally peak at $35 for access to all three. As a journalist, I understand this move; as newspaper circulations continue to plummet, it was either eat or be eaten for the Times. The pay wall has the potential to remedy that situation. And, the monthly fees are not the only options for casual readers: the first 20 articles are free, and any Times link shared on social networking sites are fair game, as are links found through search engines. However, the problem for me came when I tried to find the best option to fit my reading habits. I read 20 Times articles over the course of two days, so

not purchasing a plan is not an option. Doing a little research, though, I found that if you are in an area that supports daily delivery of the Times, for only $29.60 a month, you receive a tangible copy of the paper daily, as well as unlimited access to the website and any mobile or table application. Back up. So, if I want to be able to read articles using my iPhone and iPad application, I have to pay $35 for the “premium” package. But, if I’m lucky enough to live in an area that supports daily delivery of the paper itself (which I do not, at the moment), I can have complete access to everything, as well as a keepsake, for a savings of $6. Something seems a bit off. I understand the thought process, I really do. Either bolster sales of the newspaper, or pay a

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higher price for online content; I get it. But, to go from content being completely free to paying a higher price than even a normal subscription, doesn’t make much sense. I will most likely purchase the lowest subscription plan for now, until I move to an area that supports daily delivery, but I can’t vouch for the rest of the public. Internet news has always been free, and judging by the most recent reviews on the Apple Application Store for the Times mobile application, people aren’t happy being asked, suddenly, to pay for it. If it succeeds, it could mean the rest of the online news industry would eventually move to some form of a pay wall. If it fails, it would only mean more bad news for an industry struggling to find itself in a technology-driven world. Only time will tell.

Editorial Staff

Managing Editor - Jim Horinek News Editor - Rachel Engel A&E Editor - Megan Bristow Sports Editor - Michael Faggett Variety Editor - Rashmi Thapaliya Copy Editor - Dianne Riddles Aggie Central Editors- Rachel Engel, Michael Faggett

Newsroom Staff

Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Amanda Cantu, Ashleigh Fletcher, Amber Spurlin, Brittany Wolfe, Tahira Carter, Brandon Thompson, Elijah Morlett, Jessica Goodman, Rebecca Craft Circulation Managers - Thomas Smith, Matt Thompson Advertising Manager - Jim Horinek Interns - Manal Elhak, Oluwatoyin “Teewhy” Dojutelegan

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 Edmond Sun via the Duncan Banner.

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 or at www. aggiecentral.com.

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.

Sad tales from my fatherland The fact that I am of African descent many times come with its own perks. From childhood, we have been taught to develop thick skins against a lot of social oppressions. This education usually does not come from our parents sitting us down and telling us, “You should never question the government!” Rather it comes from us seeing the obvious. Many of us grew up seeing the rich getting richer and the poor… well. To many African youths like me, politics is the name and “politricking” is the game— the game in which nepotism plays a large role. One need not ask how sure these allegations are, the office holders themselves boast about these appointments openly. All across Africa, similar tales abound. The reasons are similar, “Who can punish these public office holders? They run the country.” If not for a few truly democratic countries in Africa, the word “democracy” would have ceased to exist. Democracy should be the government of the people, for the people and by the people; it is not so in many African countries. In these countries, it is the government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. African history is filled with tyrannical, selfish and out right crazy leaders like Idi Amin of Uganda, who declared himself as “His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular.” This knowledge of tyrannical leaders brings us to the present day issue of the various civil unrests in Africa in a space of months. First, it was the Ivorian presidency tussle and then the Tunisian revolution, followed by the Egyptian revolution. Now the people of Libya are seeking to remove the dictator,

Moammar Gadhafi. It is obvious that to a lot of African leaders, power is sweet and those who get to that position refuse to relinquish it. In 2010, Laurent Gbagbo, after 10 years of ruling Ivory Coast, refused to hand over power to the winner of the presidential elections after his loss. He instead decided to use military force to scare citizens into accepting him as president. The United Nations, African Union and other world powers are behind the official president, Alassane Outtara and they are ready to force out the illegitimate president. With the problems in Ivory Coast still ongoing, the Tunisian revolution comes into play. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted after a 28 day revolution in which the citizens protested the infringement of their freedom of speech and all other political rights, poor living conditions, food inflation, corruption and the high unemployment rate. After mildly violent protests, the Prime Minister resigned and fled to Saudi Arabia ending his 23 year reign. Coming right after this was the Egyptian revolution in which the protesters took cue from their African neighbors and took to the streets protesting the reign of their president, Hosni Mubarak. The grievances of these Egyptian protesters were mostly legal and political based. They included acts of police brutality, the lack of free elections in the country and the infringements on their freedom of speech. They also complained about high unemployment rates, uncontrollable corruption and food prices inflation among other things. This has the same trend as the Tunisian revolution. The protesters demanded an end to Mubarak’s 30 years rule, a responsive non-military government, freedom and justice. Mubarak was ousted in just 18 days. After the successful demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyans decided it was their turn for a change. The revolution, which started Feb. 15, has challenged the 42 year rule of Gadhafi, the longest reign of any political leader. The revolt is still ongoing and a no-fly zone was declared on Libyan airspace after lots of calls from nations who were concerned about this tyrannical African leader’s murder of his own citizens. The end to this revolution is not in sight and the death tolls for these African uprisings are too ridiculous to believe. One question I ask myself is, “If these leaders really cared about their citizens, why do they make them suffer so much?” But the unique fact about these Africans is that in spite of these issues, suffering and struggles, they all seem to be saying in the voice of Gloria Gaynor “I will survive!”

Teewhy

Staff Writer

A&E

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April 4, 2011

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BCM gives help in South Padre during Spring Break By Ashleigh Fletcher Collegian Staff

The Cameron University Baptist Campus Ministry, like many college students in our area, loaded up and headed to South Padre Island for a week of madness. These students, however, were not there to party. The BCM took 17 students and two adult drivers with an all work and no play attitude. The group traveled 13 hours to the island to participate in a program called Beach Reach Ministry. Beach Reach is a religious program that has been on the island every Spring Break for the last 31 years. Beach Reach serves as a religious support and free taxi to those spring breakers who might need the extra help. Nicole Jordan, CU Senior and English major, described the free rides. “Through Beach Reach, we offered free rides to spring breakers in our 15 passenger vans,” Jordan said. “We basically squeezed in as many as we could in an effort to keep them safe and protect them from the crazy island drivers.” The BCM passed out cards at their arrival with a phone number so anyone on the island had the opportunity for a free ride. Rhiannon Barnett, CU Junior and International Language major, participated in Beach Reach and explained the techniques they often used. “If things slowed down we often used a technique called fishing,” Barnett said. “When we would go fishing, we would drive around in our vans, nicknamed Super-van and Bat-van, and ask people if they wanted a ride or needed any help.” Barnett also discussed a principal called ACT, which the group used to get spring breakers talking. “We used the ACT principal to get spring breakers talking,” Barnett said. “The goals of ACT is to A, ask; C, connect; and T, turn the conversation to God. We found this principal really helpful and encountered very few people who wanted to avoid talking.” The BCM and Beach Reach also offered free breakfasts, Saturday baptisms, and a prayer room. Prayer room was a prayer request service in which spring breakers could Tweet, via Twitter or text message, their problems and Beach Reachers would in turn pray for them. Katelyn Craft, Children’s Director at Western Hills Church, accompanied the BCM to South Padre Island and spent time working in the prayer room. “The prayer room was rotated in four hour shifts. Anyone could Tweet requests to be prayed for and anyone with access to the Internet could reach the Twitter account and pray,” Craft said. “I first thought the prayer room was going to be a challenge and was not sure if I would be able to pray for such an extended amount of time, but once we got started the time flew by,” she said. “I owe it all to God; it was a really awesome experience.” Craft was amazed by the love and spiritual variety she became acquainted with while in South Padre. “It was awesome to see such faith and spiritual variety,” Craft said. If given the opportunity, I would definitely go next year.”

Photos courtesy of BCM

Working vacation: A group of students and members of the Baptist Campus Ministry traveled to South Padre over Spring Break and while there gave free transport to party goers in order to keep them safe.

Beauty of Wildlife Refuge Creative Transcends Age By Dianne Riddles

Writing

Corner

Look for more Creative Writing in the next issue.

Copy Editor

The backdrop of my adolescent summers in the early 1970’s was the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. In those days, the Refuge was for the most part wide, open and accessible to anyone who cared to venture there. The beauty of the Refuge, with its vivid and varied colors of nature, remains timeless and offers me solace when the burden of the adult pressures in my daily life becomes overbearing. I have many treasured memories of lazy summer days spent there with my friends that fill my heart and soul with peace and tranquility. I had the best friends that a teenager could ever hope to have, and we shared our innermost hopes and dreams for the future with each other while we lingered in the warmth of the sun. Not one of us had a clue about or could possibly have imagined the obstacles and pressures that lie ahead in the adult world that would belong to us soon enough. We were living life by the drop and savoring the taste of each one. To this very day, these memories have sustained me and kept my spirit free. These days, I return to the Refuge when I am in need of relief that I can only find there. The total serenity that awaits me fills my soul with warmth that can only come from the memories of the carefree summer days that I shared with my friends at our favorite place. We knew this place only by the name, Forty-Foot Hole. We never knew why or how this beautiful place got that name, and we never knew how deep the hole actually was, because we never knew anyone who actually touched the bottom. When I hike back to that beautiful place, indulge myself, and let my mind escape to that time, I can visualize the memories in my mind’s eye like snapshots of days gone by. I see my friends and me sliding down the smooth rocks of the waterfall in our worn and frayed Levi cutoffs. I can almost hear the music coming from the radio that we carried up the long hike as it echoes off the boulders that surround the waterfall. Sometimes, when the memories flood my spirit, I can actually hear the sounds of my friends’ laughter and their voices calling to me as we splash and play in the icy cold water. I always feel compelled by some unknown impulse to sit on that same old rock where my first love gave me my first kiss. I often wonder if other people make this same sojourn searching and hoping to find that same inner peace in their soul. By far, the most serene memory of my time spent at Forty-Foot Hole is one that I can physically relive, and sometimes do. When the weight of life shackles my spirit with chains of anxiety and disappointment and I feel a sense of urgency with just taking a deep breath, I know that it is time to seek out the solitude that my spirit desperately craves and that only Forty-Foot Hole can satisfy. Not too long ago, I made that long hike and climbed those huge boulders back to that time and place hoping to experience the same solitude that I felt when I was a teenager. I wanted to dive into that old swimming hole again and I wanted to see that beautiful image of coming back to the surface once more; I wanted to set my spirit free again. When I reached the boulder that overlooks Forty-Foot Hole, I stood in nature’s silence at the top of that boulder and I felt something that I had never felt as a kid; the feeling was bittersweet. I could see myself as I was 35 years ago when I had not a care in the world. I made my way to the top of the cliff and across the loose rocks and cactus to the boulder where my first love and I spent many idle afternoons learning about love, dreaming about our life together and even naming our future children. The notion that these things might not happen never occurred to us. As I sat there, I realized the purity and innocence of that love and it brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. I anxiously moved to the ledge that I had jumped from so many times before and I felt exhilarated as I dove from the top of that huge rock and sliced into the cold water below, hoping to achieve as much depth as possible. The plunge into the Hole is exciting but plummeting into an icy cold and chillingly silent void of darkness is not what draws me to this mystical place. The overwhelming enchantment and fascination of this ritual is not for the thrill of the descent, but rather, for the breathtaking beauty of the deliberate and slow float back to the surface. Amazingly, the water is as crystal-clear as it is icy cold and looking up toward the surface is nothing short of magical and awe inspiring. This wondrous show of nature invokes the desire to linger as long as humanly possible. The pitch-black darkness is interrupted and split by one solitary shaft of light that is created by the sun shining into the Hole between the boulders at the surface. This vivid sight is so beautiful and tranquil that mere words are incapable of describing its hypnotic and breathtaking majesty. Indeed, my spirit is rejuvenated. The Refuge holds many memories of my teenage summers that are full of reckless abandon and as much fun as I could have possibly endured. In retrospect, I am quite fortunate that I lived through those years without any permanent scars on my physical body or on my moral character. I was not a bad kid, but I did push the limits with every chance that came my way. Although the repercussions of living those years the way I did, made my adult life slightly more difficult than it might have been otherwise, I do not regret even one of the risks or chances that I took. I was full of life and life was full of my free spirit.

Sports

April 4, 2011

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Men’s golf starts spring season By Amanda Cantu Staff Writer

The Aggie men’s golf team has placed in the top five at both events in which they have competed so far during the spring season. The team’s latest results came at the Midwestern State Invitational where the men took fifth and shot 912 (303-303-306). Oklahoma Christian grabbed the top spot with a combined score of 892. Senior Jason Timmis was the Aggie leader and shot 226 (73-78-75), which earned him a tie for 14 th place. Trey Lawson placed in a tie

for 17th after recording a 227 (77-73-77). Sophomore Austin Weaver (76-74-78, 228) also had an outstanding tournament, finishing in a tie for 22 nd . Men’s golf coach Jerry Hrnciar was delighted with Weaver’s performance. “Austin played good golf. He had three bad holes, but other than that he played extremely good golf,” Hrnciar said. Overall, Hrnciar was pleased with the team’s results, but said he thinks the men did not play their best. “We led the tournament in birdies, which is great, but, we need to play a little bit better.

We got off to a bad start, but fought hard to come back, and we did well to come back. We just shouldn’t have gotten into a hole in the first place,” Hrnciar said. Earlier in the season, the men took part in the St. Edward’s Invitational in Austin, Texas. CU finished fourth in the event and shot a combined 909 (306-304-299). Timmis once again led the Aggies. The Stoke-on-Trent, England native played three impressive rounds of golf and finished in third place with 216 (72-73-71). The men’s coach was happy with Timmis’ results. “Jason almost always plays well, and this tournament was no different; he played very well,” Hrnciar said. CU’s Brady Porter also had a great finish. The sophomore tied for 16 th by shooting 226 (74-77-75). Lawson (79-83-74, 236) played three good rounds of golf for the Aggies as well and finished the tournament in a tie for 43rd . Hrnciar said that he was pleased with the men’s performance. “I’m happy because we placed fourth after playing against the No. 3, No. 8 and No. 18 teams in the country, and we beat the No. 4 team in the country,” Hrnciar said. “That’s good for our regional ranking.” Hrnciar believes his team is in a good position for regional, but he acknowledged that the men do not have much room for error. “Regionally, we’re in good shape, but we can’t afford a

Photos courtesy of Kyle Neaves

Fore!: Senior Jason Timmis tees off on a shot at a tournament. Timmis has played well this spring, highlighted by a third place finish at the St. Edward’s Invitational in Austin, Texas. The Aggies overall have finished in the top five at both tournaments in which they have competed. The men look to return to the NCAA Division Two regional tournament and make the NCAA national tournament. slip-up. There are really good teams in our region, including the third and fourth teams in the nation. But, right now we’re in good position,” Hrnciar said. The men’s coach also said the men have to make fewer errors in order to remain competitive. “We have got to learn to quit making so many mistakes. We have to relax, and then the mistakes won’t be

so prevalent,” Hrnciar said. In terms of the team’s mindset going into their next tournament, Hrnciar said it is simple. “We just have to play within our ability and make fewer mistakes,” he said. The men will next participate in the Dallas Baptist University Patriot Intercollegiate Tournament March 27-29 in Dallas.

Basketball earns postseason awards By Brandon Thompson Staff Writer

Basketball season has ended for the CU men and women, but with the close of this season also has come many honors for both teams. Head women’s basketball coach Tom Webb said he is pleased with the effort of his team this season and despite a few bumps in the road, the Lady Aggies were able to progress as a team. “I’m pleased with our growth and development during the season,” Webb said. “Sabelle got hurt in the middle of the season and that hurt our playoff run.” According to Webb, Sabelle Diata, a forward from Senegal, played an intricate role in the success of the CU

women throughout the season. Diata received the Lone Star Conference Newcomer of the Year and First Team AllConference. “This is the second year in a row we have had LSC New Comer of the Year,” Webb said. Along with Diata’s honors, the Lady Aggies received two LSC All-League Honorable Mentions. Josie Stewart, senior guard from Wyoming, and Alexis Williams, sophomore guard from Texas, both received LSC All-League Honorable Mention. The awards received by the CU women bring about much hope for next season according to Webb. “The progress of the Lady Aggies has been good, but we still need to reach the next piece

of the puzzle, which is making the conference tournament and then the NCAA tournament,” Webb said. The Lady Aggies were not the only CU team to bring home individual hardware this season. The CU men also received several post-season honors. The men’s basketball head coach Wade Alexander said he was pleased with awards his players received. Desmond Henry, a freshman from Texas, received the LSC Freshman of the Year for his outstanding play throughout the season. “Desmond did a good job of getting stuff done in the course of the conference games.He rebounded well and scored a few baskets against some of those teams,” Alexander said. “He started a majority of games and there are not many freshmen in the conference that are able to do that, so that is how he was able to receive the award.” Two other team members joined Henry in receiving LSC honors. Venicius Telo, freshman forward from Brazil, and Nathan Murray, senior forward from Texas, both received LSC All-League Honorable Mention. Alexander said he felt like the awards received by his players directly correlated to the team’s ability to win on the hardwood. “You don’t get many awards if you don’t make the playoffs,” Alexander said. Alexander said that he hopes his team will use the success of this year as motivation to improve over the offseason and build off it. “This is the best record we have had at Cameron in 21 years, Alexander said. “So hopefully we can take this and carry it over into next season and be hungrier.”

Photo by Jim Horinek

Crunch time: Vinicius Telo (25), Nate Murray (24) and Milt Garner (12) all earned Lone Star Conference recognition for their play on the court. Telo and Murray earned honorable mention all-conference, while Garner earned a spot on the first team all-conference. Both Aggie basketball teams earned numerous conference honors.

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Variety

April 4, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

Colors. Water. Fun. This is how one can describe Holi, the festival of colors. Holi is celebrated in Nepal, India and Srilanka and in different parts of countries like the United Kingdom and United States with large Hindu populations. Holi was celebrated by Nepalese students at Cameron on March 27. The celebration was organized by Cameron University Nepalese Association (CUNA). The CUNA members invited their friends and anyone interested from Cameron to play the festival of colors with them. The chilly and windy weather of the day did not stop the students and faculty who were gathered in front of Fitness Center to paint each other with colors and pour water on each other. There are more than one myth about how the Holi celebration started. One of the popular myths is about an evil King Hiranyakashipu. He wanted people to worship him as a god. However, his son Prahlad was the devotee of Lord Vishnu, one who is believed to preserve life in the universe. Despite his father’s order, Prahlad did not stop worshipping Lord Vishnu. The king then tried to kill his son using various techniques which did not work. Finally, he asked his sister Holika, who had been granted a boon to be immune to fire, to help him kill the young boy. Holika agreed and sat on burning fire with Prahlad on her lap. Holika was burned to ashes and the young boy had no trace of burning because of his complete submission to god. This started the festival of Holi to celebrate the victory of “good” over “evil.” Holi is also celebrated as a festival that marks the beginning of the Spring season. The colors are the symbol of joy and friendship. This is the day when people unite and share love with each other forgetting the disputes between them.

Everyone joins in: Friends spray each other with water while playing Holi. The use of water hoses and other items such as water balloons is a common part of the Holi celebration.

Anyone hungry?: The participants of the annual Holi celebration program prepare to eat after playing Holi. Participants in the celebration take part in a communal practice of spreading colorful dyes on each other.

Page Design by Rashmi Thapaliya Photos Courtesy of CUNA and Office of Public Affairs