The Cameron University Collegian: April 4, 2011

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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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