In a significant development for the Cameron University community, the Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University, appointed Jeri Askins as the new interim president.
A Duncan native, Askins will step into the role during a critical time of transition. Her appointment follows the recent resignation of former President John McArthur, who served the institution for two decades.
Chair of the Board of Regents Eric Stevenson spoke highly of Askins in a press release issued by Cameron University.
“Jari Askins is highly regarded –and rightfully so – for her service to Oklahoma,” Stevenson said. “She is a judge, a native of southwest Oklahoma, and is familiar with Cameron and its operation. The Board feels CU will be in extremely capable hands while we conduct the search for the university’s next president.”
McArthur announced his decision to step down earlier this year. His departure, while anticipated, left the university community grappling with uncertainty about its future direction.
Askin’s appointment as interim president aims to provide stability and continuity during this transition period while the newly appointed hiring committee embarks on a search for the university's next permanent leader.
Askins graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and worked with her sorority after graduation until deciding to enter law school. She earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law launching her into local politics.
She served as a special district judge, chair and executive director of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board and deputy general counsel to Gov. David Walters.
Askins has over four decades of public service experience, including roles as Oklahoma's lieutenant governor, a 12-year tenure in the state legislature as Democratic minority leader, and her last position before starting at Cameron
as Administrative Director of the Courts. Askins most recently served as Associate Provost for External Relations at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for three years, where she played an integral part in opening the Stephenson Cancer Center.
Despite no history as an educator, Askins feels her education and previous roles in public service provide her with a wealth of experience.
“It helps when you're serving a population, and to me this is still service,” Askins said. “I'm not a teacher, but if I can help make sure that the faculty and staff here have the resources to help the students be the best they can be, then we're impacting the next
generation.”
While Askins appointment has been met with optimism, the university faces several challenges that will require immediate attention. Chief among these is the ongoing budgetary constraints and the necessity of filling vacant positions on faculty and staff.
". . . look how far we've come, how much further can we go?"
— Jari Askins
Interim President
said. “Making sure those were already budgeted positions for fiscal year 25 and to make sure if we do fill a position that we already had money allocated for it.” Askins had her first real opportunity to see and interact with the student body at the annual Block Party held the Sunday before classes started, calling it a highlight of her experience so far.
Askins acknowledges these challenges and is working with the administration to remedy them.
“In the last five weeks or so, we've spent a lot of time trying to assist staff and faculty with vacant positions we have and giving authorization to hire,” Askins
“I enjoy people and I've always enjoyed college students,” Askins said. “Being out of office — what I missed the most was the interaction I used to have with high school students or college students.”
Reflecting on the university's progress, Askins emphasized the importance of building on past achievements to shape the future.
“I don't think you can create new vision or move forward if you don't have a solid past,” Askins said. “So I would hope that the academic strength that President McArthur really brought to the campus and worked so hard to support can be a point from which we can look and say, okay, look how far we've come, how much farther can we go?”
As Askins assumes the role of interim president, the university community is entering a new chapter, one marked by both challenges and opportunities. While the search for a new president continues, Askins’ leadership is expected to provide the stability and vision needed to guide the institution forward. The hope is the role will be permanently filled by the 2025-2026 academic year.
In the meantime, Askins is focused on ensuring that the university remains a vibrant and dynamic institution, one that is well-prepared to meet the evolving needs of its students, faculty and staff.
"I hope that members of the campus community feel like I listened and that I engaged,” Askins said. “Regardless of the length of time that I'm here, that I did what I could to help move the mission of Cameron forward.”
The university community now looks to the future with anticipation, eager to see how Askins’ leadership will shape the institution during this critical time.
Photos by Hannah Owens
2 Campus Closet Reopens
Alyssa Martinez News Editor
From 12:30-4
p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays, in room 113 of the Shepler Mezzanine, the Cameron University Campus Closet is open to provide students with clothing, school, hygiene supplies and more – free of charge.
The closet is run by the Student Alumni
Association (SAA), Student Enrichment Center (SEC) and Upward Bound (UB), with ongoing support from Student Support Services (SSS).
During Spring 2024, the closet moved from its previous location in South Shepler to its new location in the Shepler Mezzanine, leaving a lot of piles of clothing to organize.
Over the summer,
Health and wellness on campus
Alyssa Martinez News Editor
Cameron University students will have two options for receiving health and wellness services on the Lawton Campus this fall semester. Students can use the Student Wellness Center (SWC), which has a new director, and the Lawton Mobile Wellness Clinic, a community resource that will be located on the main campus once a month.
The SWC is a clinic that provides mental and physical health and wellness services.
Located on the 1st floor of the North Shepler tower, in room 101. The SWC is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students who are enrolled in at least three credit hours on the main Lawton Campus or
via Zoom or other online classes are entitled to receive wellness services.
All students pay a $50 wellness fee every semester.
The new director of the SWC, Tessa Craig, is an alumna of Cameron University.
Craig graduated with both a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing as well as a Master of Science degree in Behavioral Sciences. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a Licensed Chemical Dependency counselor. She spent much of her career learning skills to serve the needs of various people.
Craig’s responsibility is to ensure that the mission of the SWC is fulfilled. As stated on the SWCs
website, the mission is to “provide services that enhance the physical and mental health of Cameron University students.”
Services provided currently are over-the-counter medication, selftest kits for flu and COVID-19, blood glucose monitoring, behavioral counseling and referrals and more. More services will be provided when the SWC gets an official medical provider.
Currently, the SWC is looking to hire a nurse practitioner who will come in several times a week to offer more physical care. The nurse will be contracted through Southwestern Medical Center.
In the meantime, with services that the SWC cannot provide, Craig will do her best to point the students in the right direction.
“If there is something we can’t help with, then we can definitely get the student to where they need to be with resources and referrals,” Craig said.
One of those resources includes the Mobile Wellness Unit, a service provided once a month by the Comanche County Health Department. From 12 - 4 p.m. on every fourth Tuesday, the unit will
At the unit, a nurse will provide wellness services and health screenings at no cost to the individual in most cases. Services
provided include health exams, family planning services, pregnancy tests, vaccines, blood lead screening tests, COVID-19 and Flu testing and vaccinations and much more. The only services that may come at a cost would be family planning services, which are provided at a sliding scale depending on income.
To use the Wellness Unit, all a student has to do is bring a photo ID card and sign the paperwork. There is no cost or eligibility factor to use the services, especially if the student may not have the means to pay for a primary care visit.
Nurse Practitioner for the Unit, Jennifer England said the services are there for anyone who may need them, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
England said, “A lot of it is really no cost at all. If they have any questions about fees or any of that, they can come and ask us and we are happy to go over whatever potential cost they might need.”
Both the SWC and the Mobile Wellness Unit offer a variety of options for wellness on campus.
The goal for later in the year is to offer more to students if they use the resources that are available to them.
For more information about the resources available, please contact the Student Wellness Center by phone at 580-581-6725 or email StudentWellness@cameron.edu.
By Amelia Lozano Voices Editor
When your eye is trained to spot mistakes on a page, it’s hard not to notice them everywhere.
I realized this recently while watching the film “Bad Education”
These things seem small to anyone else, but I have been so deeply entrenched in proper newspaper layout and formatting that I couldn’t help my disgust and shock. (At least the movie was great. A perfect five out of five in my book.)
It happened again not long after.
We had to pause the movie for several minutes just to critique what we were seeing.
This sparked the discussion: why don’t people notice these seemingly basic mistakes?
For one thing, it would be a lie to say that every newspaper is free of
like leaving too much space for the headline is just egregious.
Surely someone would have noticed this mistake? Surely somebody out there has seen a newspaper before?
Clearly not, if those examples are any indication. I would think that it was a more obvious mistake.
So if not a given, what’s the problem?
Maybe it’s a matter of print stories fading out of popularity. Maybe people just don’t care to maintain that
Suspension of belief is not a new concept in film and
We are expected to take these imperfections as truth, like how we accept “movie science” as fact rather than
There are plenty of scientists who have criticized movie logic in the past — like: how could there be sound in space? — so I see now how it can be frustrating to enjoy a film or TV show when you’re faced with blinding
Unfortunately, now that I’m hyper aware of newspaperrelated mistakes, I can’t watch anything remotely to do with journalism without being critical of it. Perhaps that’s more an indication of my own neuroses than an actual issue, but it is what it
I am forever doomed to question journalistic ethics and layout design,
Ask an Aggie
What are you watching/reading?
“I am currently rewatching ‘9-1-1’ on ABC, I love my little firefighter show. And then I am reading ‘The Oleander Sword’ by Tasha Siri, a lesbian fantasy novel.” - Ciera Terry
This review will contain major spoilers for “Twisters” (2024).
As the summer of 2024 comes to a close and we reflect on what movie was most popular, “Twisters” always comes out on top whether that be because of the movies use of CGI/special effects, soundtrack, or Glenn Powell’s Wrangler jeans.
By Kaley Muse A&E Editor
Completely filmed and set in central Oklahoma, “Twisters” follows Kate Carter (Daisy EdgarJones) a few years after a tragedy forces her to leave storm chasing for New York until Javi (Anthony Ramos), a friend from her past, enlists her help trying out new tornado mapping technology.
Along the way, Kate and Javi meet Tyler Owens (Glenn Powell), the leader of the Tornado Wranglers.
With Tyler and his team’s help, Kate is able to retry a failed experiment and finally work through her friends’ deaths.
There were many things about “Twisters” that I enjoyed like the crazy cool special effects that made the tornadoes the team encountered look ultra realistic and the fact that Lawton got two mentions: once audibly by Kate’s mom and the other visually on a weather forecast while the characters are at a diner.
Though as a native Oklahoman, there were many things that had me shaking my head and don’t even get me started about Daisy Edgar-Jones’s “midwestern accent,” or we’ll be here all day.
First, the soundtrack of the movie was almost entirely country music.
The only song that wasn’t was at the very beginning of the film.
If you know me, you know I cannot stand country music. Ever.
If country has zero haters, I’m dead.
With that being said, the type of country music written for the movie had me moving and grooving the whole time.
The movie even had a song by my girl Lainey Wilson, so I was even more of a fan after that.
The thing that took me out of the story was not the music, but the frequency of the tornadoes.
The movie made it seem like Oklahoma has tornadoes every single day in some part of the state.
While Oklahoma is a hot bed of tornado activity in the spring months, most of the storms don’t turn into full-fledged tornadoes.
With the frequency of the tornadoes came the very unrealistic storm chasing scenes where the characters are quite literally in the middle of a tornado because of Tyler’s Ram truck that was fully equipped with rods that drill into the ground.
The high winds and debris that tornadoes bring with them are entirely too dangerous for any human to withstand, even if they were in a truck and drilled two feet into the ground. Despite all of the unrealistic aspects, I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie and its ability to capture the helpfulness of the human spirit.
There were three or four scenes that depicted Kate and her friends helping people after a tornado had decimated their town or to get to safety.
Kate’s experiment that she works the entire movie on is the something that would basically dissolve a tornado to stop its path of destruction.
Another huge aspect of the movie that I loved was the fact that the romance was put on the back burner.
As in the original “Twister,” the two main characters fall in love with each other, but there is not one kiss throughout the entire movie, because that’s not, ultimately, what the movie was about. All in all, “Twisters” was a fun, action-packed movie that loves on the sooner state and the crazy weather phenomenon that we’ve all grown up with.
It’s good to see Oklahoma get a little bit of recognition even if it is just the tornadoes. 7/10.
Photos courtesy of Twisters-movie.com Graphics by Kaley Muse
Resource Room
by
CEFL helps provide food access to students
Cierra Terry Student Life Editor
In Nance Boyer Room 2009, the Department of Communication, English and Foreign Languages (CEFL) has a resource room with options for food including oatmeal, granola bars, tuna and hygiene products such as deodorant, shampoo, feminine hygiene products and more.
Freshman Rachel Nunn said the resource room can help provide students access to food if they don’t have a meal plan.
“I think it needs to be something that more people should be aware about, especially freshman,” Nunn said.
Associate Professor Leah Chaffins helped get the resource room started.
“The faculty of the CEFL department give to it,” Chaffins said. “Anything we can think of, we put it there.”
The resource room has been available for about two years.
“We sat down one day and said ‘what if we just put food in a room and let it walk out?’ Some items last longer than other items but normally those who are contributing to the room are probably spending about $30 a month on products,” Chaffins said.
Chaffins said the resource room has already provided help to students on campus.
“One time I had a student from another country whose financial aid
was tied up,” Chaffins said. “They didn’t have any food and were looking at getting removed from their home,” Chaffins said. “At this point, we’re not even talking about school books, we’re talking about a young person who is here from another country who had done everything right but, because of factors beyond their control, were now looking at asking themselves ‘where do I sleep tonight?’”
Students can walk in freely without having to identify themselves.
“What we didn’t want was to have a space where students had to sign in and sign out for the products. We just wanted a room where a student can either go sit in there and study or they can go sit in there and take the items they need,” Chaffins said.
“There doesn’t need to be attention drawn to a person that’s already struggling. They already feel like eyes are on them most of the time, so having that bit of anonymity seems to be helpful.”
Students who are struggling with resources sometimes have a difficult time prioritizing school.
“It’s hard for students who are having food instability or having living situation instability to focus on their schoolwork,” Chaffins said, “so if we are able to alleviate some of that stress that means our students are hopefully able to perform better.”
For more information email Chaffins at lellis@cameron.edu.
VISITING WRITER SERIES: WALLACE MOORE
Ryn Swinson Copy Editor
At 7 p.m. on Aug. 30 in Nance Boyer 2005, the Department of Communication, English and Foreign Languages (CEFL) hosted poet and storyteller Wallace Moore as part of the CU Visiting Writers Series.
The event provides the community an opportunity to interact with writers on a more personal level.
CEFL Associate Professor Leah Chaffins oversees the Visiting Writers Series. She invites four writers each academic year to present their work to students and the general public.
“I think it’s very important for our students who were interested in creative writing to actually see authors in their natural environment,” Chaffins said, “which is in front of an audience reading their work.”
She also considers how students can benefit from visiting writers.
“When I first learned of Wallace Moore, it was a lot to do with his oral
storytelling abilities,” Chaffins said.
“I have brought in a lot of artists who read their work, and Wallace Moore had work to read, but he was also an oral storyteller, and I thought that was important to bring to our students.”
Strategic Communication major and creative writing student Gina Welborn attended
the event.
“I value how the department brings in writers, authors, poets who are outside what I would normally read,” Welborn said. “This allows me to experience different cultures and expand my knowledge.”
Welborn also thought Moore was an exceptional performer.
“Wallace Moore is
an excellent resource for studying the skill of oral presentation,” she said.
Moore read samples from his books “Ebony Horse Soldier,” “Ebony Shadows on the Trail” and “Hoof Prints on the Canadian.”
Attendees could purchase copies of his work, and after the reading, Moore stayed to chat, answer questions and
sign books.
Moore thinks events like Visiting Writers are great for campuses.
“The situation is, I understand, that there is a small audience that’s interested in what I’m doing,” Moore said.
“And I don’t get disappointed. I enjoy regurgitating a poem or a story that I put together and sharing it with
someone else.”
A retired U.S. Army master sergeant, Moore is also a historian and a reenactor. He is cofounder of Barkingwater Productions, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Western history, specifically contributions by African Americas. Moore’s experiences prove useful to his writing.
“I have started to specialize in the history made by African Americans and Native Americans, not so much because I have a message, I’m gonna get on my soapbox about it, but because their stories are often not told,” he said.
“I sometimes tell fictional stories that I make up, and other times I tell the stories of men and women who made history but were passed over by the mainstream media.” The Visiting Writers series will continue with Patricia Bassel on Dec. 6, Constance Squires on Feb. 28 and Mike Swain’s date is to be announced.
For more information email Chaffins at lellis@ cameron.edu.
Photos
Ramona Villegas
Photo by Ryn Swinson
Prints of the prairie: Wallace Moore (right) signs books while Maricia Peppel (left) helps event attendees make purchases. Moore was the first author to visit Cameron as part of the Cameron Visiting Writers Series.
Ramona Villegas Staff Writer
From 5-6 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Aggie Rec Center mat room, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club meets, with Dana Winters as the advisor and instructor.
Winters has been practicing jiu jitsu on and off for the last 15 years, with ten consecutive years under her belt, and she wants to continue learning and growing as a student too.
“I think especially some people may get to a certain place in their life where they’re like, I no longer want to be a student,” Winters said. “I think whenever that happens, we kind of fester. You stop progressing as a person. You stop progressing socially, mentally, emotionally— you become stagnant. And jiu jitsu is one of those things where I always feel challenged. I am always trying to learn and get better.”
Winters finds several aspects of jiu jitsu beneficial, having gained confidence, empowerment, lifelong friendships and being a part of a supportive community.
“I wanted to be able to bring that to not just students at Cameron but also faculty and staff,” Winters said. “While the class is great because, of course, students are
enrolling in it, the club is great because we are also able to reach faculty, staff and some alumni.”
Junior Sports and Exercise Science
major Jesus Rojo is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club President.
During his four years of service in the U.S. Army, Rojo encountered a form of martial arts known as “combatives.” This experience sparked his interest, so after completing his enlistment, Rojo actively sought an outlet for his newfound passion.
Rojo discovered both a fulfilling activity and a supportive community within jiu jitsu.
“In 2022, I started under Professor Virgil Allen here at Dreadnought gym in Lawton,” Rojo said. “So, in jiu jitsu, you start off as a white belt, as you gain experience you get promoted to like different belts. You eventually go from white to blue, purple to brown, then black. Dana is a brown belt herself, and I’m a purple belt.”
One of the club’s primary goals is to increase physical competency, whether on or off campus, which is important to the club’s advisor.
“To essentially keep our campus safe, right? Through having people able to carry themselves in a different way and be able to fend off an attacker,” Winters said. “Again, we are also promoting self-defense.”
Safety is a priority for any physical activity, and jiu jitsu is no exception, so the club takes certain precautions. Rojo explained their protocol and teaching techniques.
“Try to be as fair and firm as you can be so they can learn properly,” Rojo said. “Cause, at the end of the day, its still a martial art. And I want them to get the best out of it, you know? We actually encourage for people that are not experienced to join—we believe that we provide enough instruction that we can teach just about anyone.”
For more information, email Dana Winters, at dwinters@cameron.edu or visit their Facebook page at Cameron University Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club.
Matthew Hasley Sports Editor
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has quickly transformed from a niche sport to a global sensation, capturing millions of fans around the world and inspiring a new generation of athletes everywhere.
Once viewed as a brutal spectacle, MMA has evolved into a highly technical and regulated sport, merging disciplines such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), freestyle wrestling, Muay Thai and boxing. This evolution of the sport has
pairing fighters of different disciplines in a no-holdsbarred tournament. Over the years, the sport has evolved with guidelines, improved safety protocols and strategic marketing efforts.
MMA has millions of fans worldwide, with top organizations like UFC, Bellator and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) hosting sold-out events around the globe.
UFC President Dana White said that his fighters will travel for their fans.
“I’m willing to go anywhere
solidifying MMA’s place in mainstream sports culture.
The heart of MMA is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), a martial art focused on ground fighting and submission holds. BJJ gained widespread recognition in the early days of MMA, largely to Royce Gracie, who dominated the first UFC tournaments with his superior grappling skills.
Today, BJJ remains a cornerstone of MMA training, with fighters across all weight classes working to master its techniques and gain a competitive edge. The sport’s
productive.
“Brazilian Jiujitsu has positively impacted my life by just being able to give me something to do instead of me just being lazy,” Hermosillo said. “MMA and BJJ are both very close contact sports which I do not think you get from most other sports at Cameron.”
Students can now take BJJ classes and even have the opportunity to meet athletes like former world master’s champion Carlos Machado, who came to campus in Spring 2024. Machado discussed the correlation of BJJ and mental
Johnny Hendricks, Mark Munoz and Don Frye have all competed in major organizations such as the UFC, Bellator or PFL.
As the sport continues to evolve, so too will the landscape of combat sports education, reflecting MMA’s ongoing influence on both a global and local scale. More than just a trend in combat sports; it’s a cultural movement that has reshaped the way we think about fitness, competition and self-defense.
At Cameron University, this influence is evident, as students and faculty alike embrace the
