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

Monday, April 6, 2009

News

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Acclaimed Aggies: CU’s finest By Megan Mefford and Community Relations

Professor awarded Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters fellowship. SEE PAGE 2

A&E

Music festival features Keith Kirchoff.

Volume 83 Issue 20

Cameron University has selected CU alumni Dr. Sanjit Bhattacharya, Dr. Andrea Montgomery and Dr. Jamie Polk as Acclaimed Aggies for the Spring 2009 semester. Posters of each selected alumni featuring highlights of their achievements since graduating from CU are currently displayed on campus. Recognition of Acclaimed Aggies was initiated in Fall 2005 to demonstrate the accomplishments of CU graduates to the student body. President Cindy Ross said that she believes successful alumni deserve to be recognized and will inspire current Cameron students. “We are proud of our students, and that includes alumni,” President Ross said. “The outstanding accomplishments of Sanjit, Andrea and Jamie are deserving of recognition. Their success stories will inspire and remind students of the powerful impact of a Cameron degree.”

Dr. Jamie Polk earned her Master of Elementary Education degree in 1995, at the same time teaching sixth grade at Westwood Renaissance Academy in Lawton. During that time, she also mentored intern

SEE PAGE 7

Sports A PLUS scholar at Cameron, Dr. Sanjit Bhattacharya established a real estate building and development company while earning his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Bhattacharya, who continues to oversee his

students from Cameron. As principal of Lawton’s Cleveland Elementary School, a post she has held since August 2004, Polk is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe environment, increasing student achievement and hiring and maintaining quality teachers. Polk has not left the classroom altogether. She earned a doctorate in Educational Administration and Curriculum Supervision (EACS) from the University of Oklahoma in May 2006 and holds a National Board Certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist. In addition to her career in elementary school administration, she is also an adjunct instructor for CU’s Department of Education. Dedicated to providing the best possible education to her students in Lawton, Polk is committed to improving education nationally through her volunteer service. She serves as Chair of the National Association of Alpha Kappa Sorority’s Connections Program and is the Southwest Regional Director for Gamma State – Oklahoma, the state chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, which promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. Polk is also a member of Phi Delta Kappa International and the President of the Lawton Association of Elementary School Principals. real estate holdings, diversified in 2006 by entering the field of oil and gas exploration, despite the risks involved. Today, he heads a rapidly growing company with drilling operations in five states. In addition to his business endeavors, Bhattacharya sets aside time to give back both to his community and to his alma mater. He is a longtime advocate of the Boys Scouts of Lawton, the Lawton Food Bank and the Salvation Army. He also shares his philanthropy through the Lily Foundation, which supports education for low income children in India. He supports the internship program in the School of Business, awarding two internships to date. Additionally, his generosity has established the Bhattacharya Endowed Lectureship for Excellence in Research, which will advance the quality of research as well as creative and scholarly activity at Cameron University and in southwest Oklahoma.

See ACCLAIMED Page 3

CETES hosts Emergency Operations Center Collegian Staff

Aggie Baseball loses man to injury but is still going strong. SEE PAGE 9

Voices

The new CETES Conference Center is host to two critical services for the city of Lawton and the state of Oklahoma. Daryl Morgan, the City of Lawton Emergency Communication Director, said the CETES Conference Center provides a secure facility for

planning in emergency situations. The Emergency Operations Center is utilized when a crisis situation arises that will last longer than three to four hours and will require more manpower than the Lawton Police and Fire Departments can provide. Morgan added that, in emergency situations, many people from state and local

Freshman phenom pitches perfection

Choice Awards to honor outstanding faculty, staff Collegian Staff

Collegian Staff When Freshman softball Pitcher Carrie Harvey struck out the final batter against the Missouri Southern Lions, she knew she had just accomplished something special. “I was nervous the last two innings because I’ve always ended up walking someone or they would get one hit,” Harvey said. “I was just hoping not to blow the game on the last pitch.” The Burkburnett, Texas native has been on the precipice of a perfect game many times, but has always come up just short. This is her first year with the Aggies softball team, and she already leads the team with a 1.74 ERA. She played other sports while in high school, but decided to settle on softball her senior year.

SEE PAGE 5

See EOC Page 2

By Joshua Rouse

By Joshua Rouse

Newspapers are running out of ink.

governments are involved in planning the emergency response. They all need work space and the CETES Conference Center can provide that.

See PITCHER Page 8

Entering into the second century, Cameron University wants to recognize the faculty and staff that helped change lives for more than 100 years. A new award program called “Cameron Choice” was created this year to give those on campus a voice to nominate an employee who has helped them. Jamie Glover, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, said the idea came up because students and other faculty members continued to comment to the administration about the wonderful job employees were doing. “Some of them do it just

because it’s the right thing to do,” Glover said. “But we want to be sure as an institution we recognize the individuals who do a good job at what they do and are really working to help propel the university in our goal to become the university of choice, the partner of choice, the location of choice and provide the college experience of choice for students and the community in this area.” There are four categories a person can be nominated for: College Experience of Choice, Location of Choice, Partner of Choice and University of Choice.

See CHOICE Page 2

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News

April 6, 2009

Glover said a general e-mail was sent to all faculty, staff and students with detailed explanations of the awards and how someone can cast a vote. “The nomination forms are available in the Office of Community Relations or at the Cameron Web site,” Glover said. “The form asks for the person they’re nominating and a description of why they feel this person is deserving of the award.” The forms can be picked up at the Office of Community Relations or printed off the Web site at any time. They must be received by noon April 17. Any full-time faculty or staff member who has been at Cameron for at least a year can be nominated. After the deadline, Glover said the Executive Council will review the applications and make selections for those who will receive the awards. The winners will be nominated at the Retirement and Services Awards Banquet on April 23. Glover said it is important that the student body gets involved in the awards process because

they work hand-in-hand with faculty and staff every day. “Our mission as a university is to change students’ lives,” Glover said. “While it would be meaningful for a recipient to be nominated by a fellow staff member, often it’s more rewarding to know they’ve touched the life of a student in a unique way. We certainly want student input on what our staff and faculty are doing really well.” A campus-wide e-mail will be sent out following the awards ceremony announcing the winners. Glover said this is something that she thinks the university will continue to do for many years to come. The award program is part of Plan 2013, but Glover feels it’s important to recognize those who do great things for the university and its members. “Cameron, throughout its history, has been known for providing a personal experience to our students,” she said. “It’s the people who work here who provide those experiences and we just want to recognize those wonderful individuals.”

Of Choice

University

CHOICE continued from page 1

EOC continued from page 1 “It’s a good concept to have our backup center at the CETES building because of the facilities they can provide,” Morgan said. The Emergency Operations Center is currently located in the basement of the county courthouse but will be relocating to a new facility at the Great Plains Technology Center in the near future.

The Emergency Operation Center located in the CETES Conference Center would be used if the Great Plains Technology Center site was no

longer functional. The CETES Conference Center also hosts a data disaster recovery system for OneNet. OneNet is Oklahoma’s telecommunications and information network for education and government. According to the OneNet Web site, the OneNet system is a comprehensive network that is the only one of its kind in the country. OneNet is not owned by the state of Oklahoma, but rather a partnership among

telecommunications companies, equipment manufacturers and service providers that is led by the state. OneNet got its start in 1992 when Oklahoma voters approved a statewide capital bond issue that would make available $14 million to establish a statewide communications network. CU has an existing OneNet hub that is located in the Administration building. This equipment was moved to the new CETES Conference Center location over Spring Break. Morgan said if the use of the back-up facility in the CETES Conference Center was required it could be fully functional within three to four hours. The goal is to reduce the stand-up time to one to two hours by the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Photos by Jim Horinek

Professor awarded fellowship by OAB Community Relations

See page 4 for solutions.

Assistant professor of Communication Steve Adams has been named the Lisa John Faculty Fellow for summer 2009 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters’ Education Foundation. During his fellowship, Adams will spend a month working in the newsroom at KWTV in Oklahoma City. He will be recognized at the OAB Student Day Luncheon on April 17 during the OAB annual meeting in Tulsa. “Steve Adams’ broadcast knowledge is an asset to Cameron’s radio and television students,” said Tony Allison, Chair of Communication Department. “This fellowship will allow him to further develop his knowledge base and will ultimately benefit our broadcast students.” Adams has been a member of the CU faculty since 1987. He is also the play-by-play announcer for Lawton Eisenhower football. He currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association. This is the second time Adams has received the Lisa John Faculty Fellowship. The OAB Education Foundation awards one Lisa John Faculty Fellowship annually to a faculty member from an Oklahoma college or university. The fellowship provides an opportunity for faculty members at Oklahoma’s broadcast schools to update their skills and develop closer relationships with radio and television broadcasters.

April 6, 2009

News

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ACCLAIMED continued from page 1

Dr. Andrea Montgomery earned a B.S. in Biology from CU in 2000 and continued her higher education at the University of Oklahoma College Of Dentistry, where she earned her D.D.S. degree. Dr. Montgomery is a former PLUS scholar at Cameron University and said that being a part of the PLUS program really helped her as a student. “I know being a PLUS scholar helped me. It taught me leadership skills and just how to be a well-rounded person,” Dr. Montgomery said. Dr. Montgomery was also a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, Biology Club, Chemistry Club and was honored with the title of Homecoming Queen in 1998. “I took a lot from being involved in campus life,” Dr. Montgomery said. Dr. Montgomery said one of the things she remembers and appreciates the most of Cameron was the relationship she was able to have with her professors. “They were always there to help me out, they were always there when we needed anything,” Dr. Montgomery said. “It was like a family, especially in the Science Department.” Dr. Montgomery said that going to Cameron became an advantage when

she went on to OU’s College of Dentistry. “I think I had an advantage compared to others for the simple fact that all of my instructors were professors, not teaching assistants. I felt like I got a very, very good education at Cameron,” Dr. Montgomery said. Soon after she graduated from the University of Oklahoma, the Lawton native joined her father, Dr. Patrick Montgomery, as a partner at Family Dentistry. The Oklahoma Dental Association lauded her dedication to the field of dentistry in July 2008, when Montgomery was named the Young Dentist of the Year. Montgomery, a member of CU’s Alumni Association Board of Directors, is an active member of the Lawton-Fort Sill community. She serves as president of the Comanche County Dental Society, as Secretary/Treasurer of the South Central Dental Society and is a member of the Junior League of Lawton. While her dental practice and community service bring a sense of satisfaction and achievement to Montgomery, she’s proudest of yet another accomplishment – being a mother to her son, Luke.

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News

April 6, 2009

Professor publishes latest in book series By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Dr. George Stanley could be Cameron University’s very own expert on the childhoods of famous Americans. The Professor of Foreign Languages recently published the two latest books in the “Childhood of Famous Americans” series. His Frederick Douglass book marked the 10th edition in the series, and his book on Coretta Scott King was the 11th. Looking back at his childhood, Dr. Stanley never thought he would get to contribute to one of his favorite series, which began as early as 1927. “I used to love reading these when I was a kid,” Dr. Stanley said. “They were written for a younger audience, but I would always go to the library and check a bunch out because I like reading biographies and learning about people.” Dr. Stanley said he was once embarrassed by a librarian at his school because she asked him in front of his classmates if the books were meant for a younger reader. At the time, he didn’t care because the books were entertaining to him. “If only I had known then that I would be writing books in this series,” Dr. Stanley said. “I don’t know what I would have told her.” Each book is written for a reader between 8 and 12 years-old.

They follow the childhood of famous Americans before they became famous. Everything in the book is based in fact and backed up by months of research, though there are parts that have to be fictionalized. “We have no way of knowing what they said when they were young,” Dr. Stanley said. “So, we have to fictionalize the dialogue. But everything else in there is historically accurate.” Dr. Stanley is continuing his work on the Simon and Schuster series. His latest subject remains a mystery because the book can’t be published until after the subject is dead. He ran into a similar situation when he was writing a book on Pope John Paul II for a similar series. The day after he finished the manuscript and announced it, Pope John Paul II died. “I’m not going to make that mistake again,” Dr. Stanley said. “This subject will be under wraps. I don’t to be known as Dr. Death again.” But “Childhood of Famous Americans” isn’t the only sort of thing that Dr. Stanley is working on. He’s taking a more serious tone with his latest work, “Night Fires,” which is about a young boy who moves in next door to a Klu-Klux Klan leader. The inspiration came from a series of non-fiction books that he was working on in 2004. “I was doing a history of America for this series and I noticed how the KKK kept coming up throughout history,” Dr. Stanley said. “I somehow stumbled across the KKK’s presence in Lawton and it was the inspiration behind this story.” “Night Fires” will be the most serious book Dr. Stanley has ever published. He said he’s not sure how people will react to it since he’s always been someone who writes light-hearted material. However, he hopes to return to his fun nature with a possible series about a dog who has to find its way home to his owners after they moved across the country. He was approached to write some chapters for the series and hopes to hear back soon on them. “I’ve always been a fan of talking animal stories but I’ve never had the opportunity to write one,” Dr. Stanley said. “This time, I hope to get that opportunity. It will be a return to the humorous work that I love to do.” Both the Coretta Scott King and Frederick Douglass editions of “Childhood of Famous Americans” are available now. “Night Fires” will be available in June.

Courtesy Photos

Office of Public Safety plays many roles on campus Collegian Staff

them home or let them into a classroom. The Cameron University John DeBoard, Director of Office of Public Safety does the Office of Public Safety, said more than write tickets; they the services the officers perform provide many valuable services most often for students are to students. unlocking and jumpstarting By calling 581.2911, students cars. can ask for an officer to come “Those two services we help with car trouble, escort perform almost daily and the requests increase during testing times,” DeBoard. Cameron police officers will also perform courtesy escorts for students. When a student is across campus Courtesy of Cameron.edu from their dorm or car,

on, in an emergency situation campus police will escort them a student’s family member can to their destination safely. call the Office of Public Safety Campus police officers can and have a message relayed to also be requested by faculty that student. members Other for stand-by “We’ve saved emergency services. A students thousands of messages stand-by is an can also officer who stays dollars by not having for in the parking to call and pay for an originate all students lot to make sure off-campus service to from the a class is able Office of to safely leave assist them.” Public school. — John DeBoard Safety and “The standby service is Director of the Office be delivered most often the of Public Safety through ConnectEd used when a service. professor has a small class that The other main services offered to student meets late at night,” DeBoard are unlocking classroom doors said. and issuing temporary handicap Another service offered by permits. the Office of Public Safety is emergency message delivery. A student who leaves their cell phone or keys in a classroom Since most classes do not allow students to have cell phones can call the Office of Public

Safety and the officers can come unlock the classroom to help the student retrieve their belongings. Also, a student who is injured and needs to park closer to the buildings for a short amount of time can be issued a temporary Cameron-use only handicap-parking permit. These temporary handicap permits require a doctor’s note and are only valid on the CU campus. All of these services are provided to all Cameron students free of charge and, in the end, can save students money. “We’ve saved students thousands of dollars by not having to call and pay for an offcampus service to assist them,” DeBoard said. All of the services offered to students are listed on the CU Office of Public Safety Web site at www.cameron.edu/ops.

One man band wows at Housing Talent Show By Rashmi Thapaliya Collegian Staff Jarod Grice was the winner of the Housing Talent Show held on Tuesday, March 31, in the Centennial Ballroom. The participants of the

show were made up of several students with various talents in music and monologue. First to perform was Keaton Lamle and Corbin Adams, who rocked the room with their hiphop song. Second to hit the f loor was a one-man band composed of Grice, who is a Senior Political Science MCT Campus major. Grice is a multitalented one-man band with his performance of vocals, guitar and harmonica. Third to come on the stage was Tabetha Kautzman, an English Education major. She performed a dramatic monologue of

the prose work “Here She Lies.” The guest artist for the show was Steve Means who performed a song by Oasis. Leigh Shelton, a Criminal Justice Junior, was the next to show her talent. She sang “25 Reasons” by Nivea. Shelton was followed by an a capella performance by Michael Webb. Webb sang “Better Days” by The New Kids On the Block. Webb is a Freshman at Cameron who is majoring in Business Management. Ashley Cermak also performed an a capella version of “One Man Ticket” by Leann Rimes. The second runners-up for the show were Lamle and Adams. The first runner-up was Tabetha Kautzman. Grice said that the outcome of the competition came as a shock to him. “It was great,” Grice said. “I was surprised with the result.” Grice said that he had been practicing this for five years,

and it takes a lot of skill to be able to sing, play guitar and harmonica at the same time. The performer also writes his own songs. The winner, first-runner up and the second runners-up were awarded $100, $50 and $25 respectively. The judges for the show were Director of Student Housing Casey Case and students Stephanie Johnson and Maranda Bice. Case said that all the participants were good and it was tough to pick the top three. “The winner, Jarod Grice was my favorite because one has to put in a lot of effort to be able to put two musical instruments and vocals together singlehandedly,” Case said. During the show the prizes were distributed to members of the audience. The show was made more interesting by including the audience in different games, and free snacks and drinks were provided.

Voices

April 6, 2009

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Age of newspapers is coming to an end is something about holding that For newspapers, the lyrics of fresh newspaper in your hands. the Bob Dylan song, “The Times Feeling the coarseness of the paper, Thy Are a-Changing,” ring more seeing the true black of ink and and more true everyday. Digital technology is dealing the deathblow experiencing the portability of the paper gets me every time the latest to a once proud industry. issue of the Collegian shows up in Across the country, several newspapers are shutting their doors. our office each week. I know you’re probably thinking These closures are not limited to I’m crazy. I’d go along with that just the small and unrecognized papers. Several notable publications statement. Why would anyone with access to the Internet and all its like the Rocky Mountain News in wonders want to sit down and read Denver and the Post-Intelligencer in Seattle are stopping their presses a boring series of stories printed on thin paper? and closing their The answer to doors. The Postthis question lies in Intelligencer will a trip I took this continue on as past summer. an online-only Photo of My friend’s publication. Kyle Luetters family owns All of our a cabin up in news is moving to come mountains of to the Internet. Thursday Colorado. The Everything nearest town is we relied on 30 minutes away papers for: via a network news, weather, of winding and sports, etc. can twisting dirt now be more roads. Out there, ably found on we had no cell service, no the information super-highway. television, nothing. Our only We now have access to all of this link to civilization? A landline information at our fingertips. telephone with static reception. News, as it unfolds, is shown to us We were out there for a week in a dramatic matter right on our computer or cell phone screens. We and had jammed quite a bit into our stay. One night, after are wired 24/7 to our news. we had nearly had gotten As a digital editor, I should love lost in Pike National Forest all of the convergence and wealth (another story for another time) I of information. I should be glad had a night when I could do what I to go to a paperless news system wished. I saw the newspapers that and have all of our information we had been twisting to burn in the available in a digital form. I should fireplace. An interesting front-page be experiencing this euphoria but headline caught my eye. Before I I’m not. knew it, I found myself immersed I am actually saddened to in stories from 1988, the year I was see papers close their doors. born. I spent most of our remaining While I am a digital guru, there

time at the cabin reading old newspapers. I was drawn to the historical side of it. I was reading a document that reported the news from 20 years ago. This document itself was 20 years old; it was a piece of history itself. I was reminded that links for news stories on the web are usually gone within a matter of weeks. Besides, what is an Internet news story but bits of HTML code? There’s

no physical copy, nothing real that I could hold in my hands. It was through this experience that I became a newspaper reader. Up until that time, I would’ve never touched one. I would get every bit of news I needed from the Internet. With so many papers shutting down and printing no more, the sobering reality hit me that in five years, we may no longer have these great passports of history. I remember my mom saving the paper the day important events such as 9/11 or the Oklahoma City bombing happened. These were real pieces of history. A website will never replace the feeling of seeing that headline right in front of you. You’ll

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Kyle Luetters

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.

MCT Campus

Student finds historic Scottish castle straight out of the movies

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.

O

nce or twice a semester, Swansea University’s travel shop plans weekend excursions for students, and recently I was able to trek with a school group to Edinburgh, Scotland. After spending only three days there, I realized what a great and truly unique city it is, and it seemed as though the more I explored the more the city seemed to expand. Edinburgh Castle was the first place I went, and those video games and movies everyone has seen with castles that sit atop a hill on the edge of a precipice, well, this is one of those. According to edinburghcastle. gov.uk, the hill and cliff-side the castle sits on was first created 340 million years ago by volcanic activity. Archaeologists date the first human occupation on the castle rock to 900 B.C.E. Much of the castle was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries, and the castle itself has been burned, rebuilt and usurped several times. While walking on the grounds of this massive fortress I stumbled upon cannons, chapels, museums, turrets and grand views of the landscape below. An interesting scene from the castle is the Royal Mile, which is one of the city’s oldest roads and gets its name because it stretches from the castle to Holyrood Palace, where the queen stays when she visits, and is, as one could probably guess, about a mile in length. But venturing slightly off the Royal Mile allowed me to indulged in what was definitely

never get the sense of age and time because you can’t feel the wear and tear of a website. It’s not a physical thing you can touch. Odds are, the stories we read today will be gone in a month, lost somewhere in the vastness of cyberspace. I know that it’s not the most practical way to do business anymore. I knew the costs are high and the reward is low. I know all the negatives, but having that copy of history is well worth the price of printing. It’s our way of preserving our story. It happened in our time. We should cherish these documents. Our faculty adviser asked us if we think that we should continue a print publication in five years. Here’s one vote for yes.

Letters Policy Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length. Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks. All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification. Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to collegian@ cameron.edu, or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060.

Our Views

Photo by Lauren Bennett

my nerdiest expedition of the weekend, The Elephant House. Harry Potter fans get ready: this is the cafe where J.K. Rowling sat and wrote much of the first book on napkins. It is a quiet little place, but its windows do look over a very beautiful area, including the George Heriot’s School, which served as the inspiration for Hogwarts. But as much as I like Harry Potter, I think my favorite part of the trip was taking the three-hour-long walking tour. It was led by a Scot, and she took us around and explained the most historical and mythical aspects of the city—from castles, Scottish tradition and the inaccuracies of

Lauren Bennett

“Braveheart” to hauntings, witch hunts and body snatching. One of my favorite stories was that of an unassuming heart shape in the cobblestone, sitting along the Royal Mile, which turned out to be the dirtiest square foot in all of Edinburgh. The Heart of Midlothian seems to have many legends surrounding it, but I am going with the one the guide told. It was placed in front of the entrance to the Tolbooth Jail in the 15th century to make it seem friendlier, but as prisoners walked by they began spitting on it, and that soon became a tradition that holds today. Even though the jail is gone, the spitting remains, now, mainly as a sign of good luck. It seems to be a popular charm as well, because while watching people walk by it, or, in the case of tourists, on it, most did spit, and that night as I was walking along the Royal Mile, I came upon the

heart, took a quick look around and contributed. But to see these areas and have their histories given to me made much more of an impact than my wandering of the city, superficially and unknowingly snapping pictures of Edinburgh’s past. My impression of the intertwining tradition, history and folklore and that Scottish pride being announced through bagpipes, kilts and clans makes Edinburgh a city in a definite need of a second visit. And yes I did try haggis; it was quite good. The texture was a bit strange, but hey, it’s the insides of a sheep wrapped in its own stomach, so I am not quite sure what I was expecting, but if given the chance I do recommend trying it, and two really interesting subjects to look up are the Stone of Destiny and Maggie Dickson (the person, not the pub, though that could be a worthwhile venture as well).

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.

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A&E

April 6, 2009

Fashion show expands cultural frontiers By Solitaire Merrill Collegian Staff Cultural music, native dances, flowing fabrics, striking poses and elaborate ensembles were set to entertain on March 28. The International Club sponsored the second annual fashion show in the Cameron University Theatre. Their goal was to raise money for the International Club scholarship fund and to educate people about traditional and modern garb from different places around the world. Eclectic, engaging and dramatic was the theme for the evening. The various countries’ apparel took the audience to different beaches and times all over the world. There were elaborate batik fabrics, vibrant saris and theatrical, startling collections. The majority of the fashions

premier element in this set. presented were sent from the corresponding countries, The models wore colorful batik wraps, skirts, tops and and a few pieces were provided by the students’ accessories that transported own wardrobes. the audience to a sandy warm beach. In addition to stunning, memorable The bright hues and simple clothing, there were several designs were different dances appealing. Refreshingly, performed by the international the models came in all club students, each shapes and size, representing their native countries. and the audience had an opportunity The opening routine was an African to see how batik Drum Dance, which wear flatters many different frames. transitioned nicely into the first segment Following the “Islands of the of clothing. Sun” portion, was “Islands in the Sun,” was a collection a presentation on African wear called of beach-wear from “The Mother Land.” the Caribbean and Grenada. Batik These designs were Photos by Solitaire Merrill from Cote d’Ivoire, fabric was the

Ethiopia and Nigeria and had unusual materials like Nigerian “top cloth” for special occasions and Mali “mud cloth.” The brilliant colors did not end there. The Nepalese International Club students performed a group dance followed by a cultural dance. The “Sugga Vybez,” or Nigerian burlap designs, followed the Nepalese exhibition and infused the show with intensity. Models dressed in black performed a

tribal dance with burlap cloth tied around their waists that emphasized their rhythmic motions. The show reached its conclusion with a collection from show organizer, Merita Tyrell-Mitchell, called “Disturbia.” She wanted to contrast the light-hearted collections with models dressed in all types of black clothing as a reminder that life around the world is not always like the brochures depict. “Even though people might consider exotic places to be paradise, there is always a dark side to life that cannot be ignored,” Tyrell-Mitchell said. Marcella Gustafson, International Students Admissions Coordinator, said the show’s profit translates roughly into two more International Club scholarships.

‘House M.D.’ hosts remedy for TV season By Kyle Luetters Collegian Staff Who says there’s nothing good on television? While I’ll be the first to admit that the selection isn’t what it used to be, several shows have slowly been catching my eye. Perhaps I’m just behind the curve a bit when it comes to TV shows. I usually tend to discover them through iTunes, since my TV mostly gets used for Xbox rather than watching television. I’ve discovered many shows this way and one of the few gems to be seen is “House M.D.” The show airs at 7 p.m. Mondays on Fox. “House M.D.” tells the story of a brilliant yet very cynical doctor and his diagnostic team

in fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. The lead character, portrayed by Hugh Laurie, is Dr. Gregory House, and he specializes in abnormal cases. He has a team comprised of three young doctors who are essentially House’s liaisons to patients and run the many tests he orders to determine what’s wrong with the patient. Part of this is necessitated by a handicap that was inflicted on House before the series began. A leg infarction in his right leg has left him with a limp that requires the use of a cane. Maybe due to this, as well as his normal demeanor, House is a very cynical, almost sociopathic character. This presents a dynamic and radical character for

a hospital setting. Hugh Laurie is fantastic in this role. He pulls off the role with the proper doses of smartaleck yet has the range to show the rare emotional moments House displays. The character really comes alive through Laurie’s demeanor and worn face. A viewer can tell that this man is deeply gifted but very conflicted and shaken at his core. The supporting cast also provides another great level to this multi layered show. Lisa Edelstein portrays Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the hospital’s administrator and constant foil to House. Cuddy spends most of her time attempting to control the uncontrollable. Dr. James Wilson, portrayed,

by Robert Sean Leonard, has the medical dramas. The sight of blood is normally when I turn distinction of being House’s only the television off, and I friend. Wilson, the Oncology could never get all of the specialist, is there to serve as doctor drama that House’s conscience. surrounded Wilson is “ER.” really the voice However, in House’s ear that with this appears to ground and show, I’ve keep him somewhat aware opened of the human emotions up to this going on at the hospital. It’s a genre. The thankless role but Leonard character of pulls off the quiet and House is worth thoughtful Dr. watching by itself. Wilson. Given the fact that House’s he’s a brilliant diagnostic team MCT Campus doctor at a wellhas changed twice to-do hospital during the run of the show. The with a great cast series began with a team of three of supporters only doctors. But during the season further enhances four finale, all either quit or were the product on the fired. screen. For season five, a group of 40 The term “must see TV” applicants is narrowed down to a new team by House. Both teams has become lost in a barrage of online screenings and digital are representative of several downloads, but with “House medical backgrounds that would M.D.” Fox has breathed new take too much space to describe. life into this phrase. I’m normally not the fan of

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Film Society closes semester with ‘How Green Was My Valley’ By Katie Batule Collegian Staff The Cameron Magic Lantern Film Society is opening the eyes of students to the power and beauty of classic films. On Friday, the Magic Lantern Society will be showing the 1941 John Ford classic “How Green Was My Valley.” This melodrama was adapted from Richard Lewellyn’s bestselling novel about a close-knit, Welsh coal mining family who endures many ups and downs throughout the turn of the century, socio-economic way of life. The family begins to disintegrate through the trials and setbacks of unemployment, stress, unionization and family tragedies. The movie portrays domestic life, harsh treatment in schools, unrequited love and two young men who travel to America in hopes of finding a fortune. In 1990, “How Green Was My Valley” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.

Walker. The movie stars Oprah industrialized world. “Modern So far this semester, the Film Winfrey as a black female in Times” was deemed culturally Society has shown four classic Georgia in the 1930s. The movie significant by the Library of films. The first, “Metropolis” depicts her role in American Congress in 1989, and selected is a 1927 silent science fiction social culture during that time in for preservation in the United film directed by Fritz Lang set history. States National Film Registry. in a futuristic urban dystopia The latest film that gathered The current president of the and examines a common science Cameron moviegoers was Film Society, Lauren Bennett, is fiction theme of the day: the satisfied with the turnouts to the social crisis between workers and “Modern Times,” a 1936 comedy film starring Charlie Chaplin in classic-style movie nights. owners in capitalism. his final silent film appearance. “As a movie lover, I think The second film, which ran He plays a man who is struggling it’s great that there is a society in February, was “Moonstruck,” to survive in the modern, on campus that focuses on the starring Cher. This movie classics and is about a not just Brooklyn the recent bookkeeper releases,” in her late 30s Bennett said. named Loretta The Castroni. movie nights The movie appeal to captures her students loss and hope and guests to be happily who love married once older movies again. with positive Also in messages. February, “I also the society think it’s showed “The great that Color Purple”, it has a movie based MCT Campus become a on the 1983 night where Past time: The Magic Lantern Society introduces students to Pulitzer students are Prize-winning famous classical movies. (Clockwise from top left) ‘Moonstruck,’ book by Alice ‘The Color Purple,’ ‘Metropolis’ and ‘How Green Was My Valley.’ able to come

and participate,” Bennett said. The Magic Lantern Film Society is in its twenty-sixth season at Cameron University. The Magic Lantern Film Society was founded by Cameron History Professor Mark Stegmaier and Cameron English and Foreign Language Professor Marilyn Beaney in 1982. The first two showings they featured were two 16 mm films. The Magic Lantern Film Society was named after a theater called the Magic Lantern in Santa Barbara, California. Projection equipment was also nicknamed magic lanterns in the early days of filming. In order for a film to be chosen by the Magic Lantern Film Society, it must be a “classic” film. The films are considered classic if they were released at least ten years ago and have received critical acclaim. All of the showings are free of charge and open to the public. The Film Society accepts any donations as well. The Magic Lantern Film Society encourages students and faculty to e-mail Dr. John Morris with any suggestions of films they would like to see.

New music festival brings talented pianist to CU By John Robertson Collegian Staff Sonorous tones pierced the night sky on March 30 as Keith Kirchoff performed at Cameron’s New Music Festival. Kirchoff, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Oregon, is an internationally renowned pianist, composer and recipient of illustrious awards such as the 2005 John Cage Award and winner of the 2006 Steinway Competition. An adherent of modernism in music, Kirchoff ’s own style is

an experimental affair in finding beauty in a chaotic soundscape. Kirchoff kicked off the evening with one of his own works, “Hymns,” which began a procession of minor chords that segued into an old colonial piece called “Autumn.” Kirchoff ’s own work bookended “Autumn,” juxtaposing its traditional sound and structure with Kirchoff ’s own experimental brand of harmonic evasion, discordant notes and deep minor chords. Kirchoff said that “Hymns” was the first piece he ever composed on his own and, ironically, was immediately put on the back burner for a while. “‘Hymns’ was the first piece I wrote myself as a result of being incredibly frustrated that there weren’t many pieces of this genre I could play by myself,” Kirchoff said. “It’s funny that, when it was done, I’d created a piece so complex that even I couldn’t play it yet, and

Courtesy photo

I kind of threw it in a file cabinet until I could catch up with myself.” Kirchoff then played a work called “Soundpiece No. 5,” by John J. Becker, who Kirchoff said is one of history’s greatest forgotten composers. “Charles Ives, another modernist composer, believed that Becker’s work was the ‘music of the future’,” Kirchoff said. Becker’s “Soundpiece No. 5” takes modernist experimentation to a whole new level, and explores the use of the piano as a percussive instrument. Dissonant trills, rises and falls in minor chords and a slow tempo were all accentuated by the slapping style that Kirchoff used to bring short staccato notes out of the piano. At times, it almost seemed that Kirchoff was bending the piano’s normally rich tones to his will to create polytonal and tinny sounds that shone an interesting light on how many ways there are to play an instrument. After intermission, Kirchoff began playing pieces from Franz Liszt’s “In memoriam: Richard Wagner.” Kirchoff said that Liszt, a virtuoso composer and pianist, wrote the piece after having a dream that Wagner had died. Next on the program were excerpts from Helmut Lachenmann’s “Ein Kinderspiel.” Lachenmann, a modernist German composer,

uses sustained tones to add new complexities to his music. “What you need to pay attention to is what’s happening between notes,” Kirchoff said. Once Kirchoff began, Lachenmann’s use of dissonant chords and a sustained vibration of the piano wires added a new level to the sound one normally expects from the piano. Between notes, wires would hum and vibrate, and the sounds they produced would stack on top of each other and build to a crescendo along with the songs. The final piece of the evening was “The Adventures of Norby,” a conceptual piece that Kirchoff wrote in 2007. “The Adventures of Norby” is based on a fictional character created by Isaac Asimov for a series of children’s books. Kirchoff said that the idea is that the song thematically captures what he would imagine one of Norby’s adventures sounds like. Before beginning, Kirchoff placed a microphone into his piano that would allow the resonance of the piano’s notes to compete against a pre-recorded track of strange sounds like horns, percussion breaks and robotic beeps. Played in unison and with perfect timing, Kirchoff ’s piano and the track worked together flawlessly, and it felt more like the piano was actually forcing

the track to respond to Kirchoff ’s labored notes. As before, Kirchoff played some notes with a less than traditional style. Kirchoff plucked the piano strings himself, slapped the inside of the piano and even slammed the keyboard lid once. This rich cornucopia of sound combined with the recording to create a dense tapestry of music that, with closed eyes, many audience members used to imagine their own adventure for Norby, complete with soundtrack. After the performance and a standing ovation, Kirchoff said that he enjoyed his time at Cameron. “I had an absolute pleasure being here and talking to some of the students this afternoon,” Kirchoff said. “This was a wonderful evening.”

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PITCHER continued from page 1 “I felt so great when I threw that final pitch. Coach Watson jumped out of the dugout and it was a dream come true.” — Carrie Harvey CU Freshman Pitcher

“I’ve been playing it all of my life and I wanted to focus on that going into college,” Harvey said. She came to Cameron by way of her pitching coach, who scheduled her an interview with the athletic department. She tried out for the team and is now the starting pitcher. Harvey said her perfect game on March 18 was the culmination of everything she’s worked for. Beth Watson, the head softball coach, said so many things had to come together for Harvey’s perfect game. The other players had to play well on defense, Harvey had to understand the batters she was facing, and, most importantly, she had to keep her composure on the mound. “Any time one of your pitchers gets a perfect game, it’s something special,” Watson said. “I know she’s been so close so many times. But to do this as a Freshman is simply amazing.” Part of Harvey’s inspiration comes from her father, Lee Harvey. He made his daughter a deal that he would pay her $10 for every batter she struck out if she could throw more than six strikeouts in a game. He said he made the arrangement to boost her confidence going into her first collegiate games. “In high school, she would give us between 12 and 16 strikeouts a game,” Mr. Harvey said. “So when she started playing for Cameron, I called her and asked how many strikeouts she would get a game. That’s when she went off on me.” Mr. Harvey said his daughter told him that collegiate play was different and there was no way

he could expect the same kinds of stats she got while playing in high school. Harvey told her father she would be lucky to get six strikeouts in a three-game weekend, but Mr. Harvey pulled a trump card on his daughter. “I told her that her lunch money depended on her giving me strikeouts,” Mr. Harvey said. “But she was holding out on me. The first game she played cost me a hundred-dollar bill. It’s amazing how shopping money can motivate her.” Harvey’s father was in the stands the day his daughter pitched the perfect game. Sitting in the stands was almost as nerve racking as being out there on the field. Mr. Harvey had seen his daughter come just short so many times and felt really bad for her, but he was confident she would finally accomplish her goal. “Sitting in the stands, you get let down when one person gets a hit on her in the last inning,” Mr. Harvey said. “But you realize that it’s the last inning and she’s been perfect so far and you really begin to hope. That game ended up costing me $250, but it was worth every penny of it.” Some times, Harvey hears her father cheering for the other team when they’re up to bat against her. She knows it’s all in good fun and he only does it to motivate her. But she said he does a good job of it each game that he comes to. “If it’s the last inning and I’ve thrown six strikeouts, he’ll yell for them,” Harvey said. “But I know he really wants me to do well. I’ve collected around $1,000 off him already, so we’re both doing great.”

Face of determination: Freshman star Pitcher Carrie Harvey enters her wind-up against Missouri Southern. Harvey has been playing softball her entire life and has come into her own at Cameron during her first year on the team.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Success: Harvey shows her enthusiasm as she slips another strike past a batter. Until recently, Harvey had come close to, but never actually pitched a perfect game. However, much to the delight of the Aggie fans as well as her father, she accomplished a flawless victory on March 18.

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Aggies on track for postseason By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff Cameron baseball is fighting for the number one spot in the Lone Star Conference. After winning seven games in a row, injury does not seem to be slowing the team down. Junior Third Basemen Jake Forsythe is out for the season. Forsythe suffered a broken arm after being struck with a pitch in a four-game series against ECU. He is one half of the Australian offensive presence recruited from Redlands Community College. Thomas Dicker, the other half of the Aussie duo, along with Nate Arevalo and Clint Powell have boosted the Aggies winning streak without their starting third basemen in the lineup. Dicker, Arevalo and Powell lead the team in RBI and homeruns. Dicker and Arevalo are tied for homeruns with nine and Aravalo leads in the RBI category with 52. Clint Powell has been magnificent for CU lately, earning him the Aggie of the Week award. After struggling at the beginning of the season,

Powell has pulled it all together when his team needs him the most. “I never really thought too much about the idea of trying to put the team on my shoulders. I just go out and play,” Powell said. “I don’t try to carry everybody, I just try to take care of myself. You pick people up when they need it, and you wait for them to do the same for you.” Not only has Clint Powell been great from the plate, getting nine hits and ten RBI in four games, but he has also been able to fill in at other positions on the field. Powell is known as a catcher, but he is now rotating from second to third base. “I’ve always been able to play just about anywhere, but it’s been the last few weeks that we have really needed it,” Powell said. “People are getting hurt and going down. I don’t mind having to fill in.” The Aggies are only one game behind the number one team in the LSC, Abilene Christian. CU plays three games against ACU in the third week of April. The team has dominated just

Photos by Bennett Dewan

about every opponent in the last month except Eastern New Mexico. Cameron split 3-1 against Northeastern and UCO, and won every meeting with ECU and Missouri Science and Technology. “We went up to Eastern New Mexico and swept them the first day. We came back the second

day and got beat twice,” said Head Coach Tom Holland. “The first day we ended up scoring 31 runs and on the next day we scored eight. You just have to stay hooked up for the whole series, and hopefully with all things considered, it works out.” This weekend the Aggie Baseball Team will be playing

at home against the West Texas A&M Buffaloes. The CU Athletic Department is offering a free hamburger and hot dog cookout to all those who attend on Saturday. The cookout is planned to honor the 1961 Junior College Rose Bowl Championship Football Team at Cameron University.

Athletic Trainer keeps athletes going

By Jim Horinek Collegian Staff For well over a year Michelle Warner has handled, and in many cases been witness to, everything from cuts and scrapes to torn ligaments and broken bones. Warner is the CU Athletic Trainer and as part of her job she literally works hands on with all of Cameron’s athletes. Warner is present at every Cameron home game. In the event that there is more than one home game taking place at one time, she divides her time between them. During games it is Warner’s job to deal with any injuries that the student athletes may incur and decide what the best

course of action is. “During a game if someone gets hurt then the first thing I do is determine the severity of the injury,” Warner said. “Then that will dictate whether or not they are able to continue playing.” Warner has a personal policy that she utilizes when determining if an athlete should continue playing. “My personal belief is that if the injury is not going to damage the student any further, and they are able to tolerate the pain, then I will let them play,” Warner said. “However, if it is going to cause them more harm then I will not let the student continue.” The duties of the Athletic Trainer extend well beyond

game-time. “I teach classes in the mornings and then, starting about noon, I am in the training room,” Warner said. “During that time we get the students ready for practices, and we get water out to the fields. We do treatments or rehabs that need to be done. Also, if someone gets hurt then I will evaluate them at that time.” Warner said that her duties also include making doctors appointments and dealing with insurance companies. Furthermore, she keeps active records on all of the approximately 140 student athletes. These records include things like physicals and medical records and logs of any injuries that have occurred. Warner is trained in performing many different types of treatments and utilizes many of them during her time in the training room. “Treatment is going to be the therapeutic modalities like heat, ice, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, massage and traction,” Warner said. “A lot of times I will also tape athletes up before a game or practice.” Although the treatment aspect of her job is crucial, Warner would much rather take a preventative approach. “Prevention of injury is one of my primary things because it is easier to help someone if they are not hurt,” Warner said. The workload of the Athletic Trainer is not totally carried by one person. In order to handle the large number of athletes, Warner has some help. “I have an assistant and I have three students,” Warner said. “They help with the treatments, rehabs, evaluations

and some of the paperwork as well as getting everything set up for games.” Warner is always looking for students who are interested in helping out. Anyone who is interested should inquire in the CU Athletic Department located in South Shepler. “I have an application for student assistants, and they don’t have to be experienced because I will teach them what I need them to know,” Warner said. “It is a job for people who

like helping people and are willing to put in the hours.” Warner holds that the best part of her job as CU’s Athletic Trainer is helping student athletes return to competition. “I recently worked with an athlete and I did all of his post surgery rehab,” Warner said. “It was an amazing feeling to watch him get back on the court and do a slam-dunk in the middle of a game. I am just glad to be able to be a part of that.”

Photos by Jim Horinek

The athlete’s secret weapons: (Top Left) Cameron Athletic Trainer Michelle Warner checks Aggie First Basemen Blake Watson for a concussion after a collision during practice. (Above) Before games and practices Warner walks players through treatments and assisted stretching exercises for players like Outfielder Kelly Lentz.

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CU Softball has winning mentality By Saman Samii Collegian Staff The Aggie softball team continues to play well this season. With many recent wins, the team remains hopeful to finish the season in a strong fashion. The Aggies currently sit on a 24-16 record for the season. Head Coach Beth Watson said she is proud of how the women are playing and that a lot of the team’s success can be attributed to its ability to make up for weak spots that change from game to game. “Our success is a combination of pitching, batting and our defense,” Watson said. “At times when we do not bat well, we pitch well instead and vice versa.” March was a good month for the Aggies. The women managed to win the majority of their home

games and did exceptionally well on the road, which is the key to a successful season. Watson said she is excited about how the season has gone so far and hopes to finish strong. “We have had many bright spots and are at times playing spectacularly,” Watson said. “The key for us now is to continue playing well and keep working hard in every game.” The highlight game of the season came back in March when the Aggies beat #5 nationally ranked Savage Storm of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Watson said this was a big win for the talented CU softball team. “That win gave us a lot of confidence,” Watson said. “I was very proud of how we played that day.”

Another big contributor to the Aggies success so far has been the Seniors on the team. “My seniors have done a great job of getting the whole team to refocus,” Watson said. “Every win is an important one and I am truly proud of the seniors for being such great leaders. It is spectacular to see as a coach.” The team is mentally strong as well, which helped the team pull through some strenuous doubleheaders. Bouncing back from losses has also been a major part in their success. The Aggies routinely play a tough and tight schedule, and the month of April is no exception, but the remainder of the season looks promising, with the team currently in good position to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Championship tournament which

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Keep your eye on the ball: Senior Shortstop Megan Young snags a one-hop grounder. Young and the Aggies have gotten the job done on both the basepaths and in the field. starts on May 1. Watson said if the women continue to play hard great things will come their way. “Our goal is to make it to the Lone Star Conference

Championship tournament and to create some damage there,” Watson said. “I remain positive and truly believe we will reach many of our goals if we play tough.”

Boren’s batting flourishing in Senior season By Jacob Russell Collegian Staff

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Cameron’s softball team is well into a successful season at 24-16, and continuing to add to the win column thanks in part to great hitting. As a team, the Aggies are batting just short of .300 with 27 combined home runs. Their power production had been coming from a consistent slugger in the line-up. Some seniors set goals to attend all of their classes or maintain a certain GPA, but senior firstbasemen/ catcher, Jenna Boren, has different goals for herself. “I set a goal for myself to bat over .400 for the season,” Boren said. “So far, I think that I’ve been doing a pretty good job at that. It gives me something to shoot for.” Pretty good job is an understatement, as Boren is boasting a .418 average while knocking out 12 homeruns and

totaling 33 runs batted in. In honor of her recent success at the plate, Boren recently received honors as the Lone Star Conference Performer of the week, an accolade that Boren has been looking forward to receiving. “It’s amazing,” Boren said. “I have been trying for three seasons to get this honor. It’s nice to get noticed when you go out there and try to contribute and show up to play.” Boren is the second Aggie to receive recognition from the Lone Star Conference, joining pitcher Carrie Harvey, who got the honor for her outstanding pitching. For Boren, hitting has fallen into place this season. She has a simple approach to hitting. “My goal when I come up to the plate is to move the runners over or get on base any way possible,” Boren said. “I never go up there thinking about hitting a home run or looking

to hit one. I just watch the ball and try to make contact.” Being her last season at Cameron, Boren has been able to focus on what needs to get done. “It’s a little different when it is your senior year,” Boren said. “I just feel relaxed; it’s my senior year so we have nothing to lose. You know what is expected of you, so you can go out there and put it all on the line.” As the season begins to wind down, the anticipation begins. The Aggies have placed themselves in a tie for third place in the Lone Star Conference North. With one month left of the schedule, the Aggies have to keep the foot on the gas to help attain the team goals that were set at the beginning of the year. “I am really looking forward to the conference tournament,” said Boren. “After that, it’s off to regionals. There is still a lot to look forward to left in the season.”

Powell propels Aggies with power By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff Senior Clint Powell has been the go-to utility player for the Aggie Baseball Team. His versatility on the field has allowed the Aggies to compete with Abilene Christian for the number one spot in the conference. For that reason, Powell has been named the “Aggie of the Week.” Powell grew up in Elgin, Oklahoma. Baseball soon became his favorite hobby. “Growing up in a small town, there’s not much to do,” said Powell. “Usually during the summer, my brother and I would just go to the ball fields to play catch or practice hitting.” Clint’s younger brother, Keith, also plays for the Cameron Baseball Team. They have both played at Odessa Junior College and returned home to play for CU. Clint Powell made it clear that there is no better place to play than where he grew up. “My parents live 30 minutes away plus this is where I’ve always been,” Powell said. “Why not come back? People come out to watch and they are already familiar with our team.” The Powell brothers have spent their entire lives playing baseball with each other. Even at the collegiate level, the brothers have only spent two seasons apart. They let one another know what they are doing wrong and help perfect their game on the field. Keith Powell mentioned that his brother’s excellent play has carried the team past some of the devastating injuries. “Early in the year, he was struggling bad,” said Keith. “This streak he’s on is good for his confidence and it benefits the whole team.”

Powell has filled in at four different positions this season. Originally he is a catcher and pitcher, but he has stepped in to play second and third base whenever the team needs him to. “I try not to think too much about what I’m doing as much as what the team is doing,” said Clint. “If we’re winning I’m happy. I usually just do my part to help everyone else out. The bond and history that the Powell brothers possess helps their team become a unit. Other baseball teams sometimes form their own groups based on the positions they play. Clint and Keith both agree that the team is a family. Powell is a Health and Physical Education major with a minor in Criminal Justice. He says after he graduates, he still wants to be part of the Aggie baseball team. Clint hopes to become the graduate assistant next year and plans to get a masters degree in Sports Administration. “I wouldn’t mind coaching college baseball in the future,” Powell said. Clint leads the team in slugging percentage and is third in RBI and homeruns. His defensive play has also been impressive after gaining only one error in four starts.

Photo by Bennett Dewan