Collegian T he Cameron University
www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, March 10, 2014
Volume 90 Issue 7
A measure of student engagement Kaylee Jones
640 campuses nationwide. The results of the survey Managing Editor are intended to show colleges How engaged do Cameron and universities how well University students feel? they have been engaging their Finding the answer to that students and the areas in question is the goal of the which they can improve. Only National Survey of Student selected freshmen and seniors Engagement (NSSE), a survey are qualified to participate in that, according to NSSE’s the survey. website, is conducted across Karla Oty, Director
CU Rocks Homecoming
of Cameron’s Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accountability, is responsible for coordinating with NSSE to collect the data before reporting back to Student Services. “The cost of the survey is paid by the student assessment fee,” Oty
explained. “We use [NSSE] input to see how we are doing and to guide future changes, so[student] input is important.” According to Oty, the total cost for the survey is approximately $3,825. Oty coordinated with NSSE to administer the survey in the spring of 2008
and 2011. In 2011, 25% of invited freshmen responded; 35% of invited seniors responded. “We currently have an 11% response rate, and we would like a 30% response rate,” Oty said of the survey currently underway. Vice President of Student Services, Jennifer Holland,
stated Cameron’s reasons for originally participating in the survey. “Universities have really started – and this is a good thing – to feel pressure to be able to prove that what we say we do, we do, and prove how well we do it,” Holland said.
See NSSE page 2
Photos by Kali Robinson
Kali Robinson
Assistant Managing Editor Aggies rocked the campus Saturday, March 1 with traditions new and old during 2014 homecoming. “CU Rocks” themed homecoming week began Feb. 24, and ended March 1. From 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Homecoming Hub in McMahon Centennial Complex Lobby, students gave tours to homecoming goers. For the first year also, there was a one-stop shop for campus tours, with homecoming details and information on events. At 9 a.m. on Saturday, the Aggie Family Fun Run began. Students could register at the McMahon Centennial Complex Lobby with parents and children. Participants walked, jogged and even strolled the mile to kick off the morning. For Men’s Tennis, 9 a.m. signified the beginning of a game against Ouachita Baptist in the Streich-Henry Tennis Complex. The Aggies later played East Central at 2 p.m. Burch Hall hosted an Army ROTC Reunion at 10:30 a.m. The George D. Keathley Department of Military Science held this event to reunite former members of the Comanche Battalion, Cameron’s award-winning Army ROTC unit. The Class of 1964, CUAA Award Winners, alumni and community members gathered for the Aggie Family Coffee at 11 a.m. in the McMahon Centennial Complex, to reflect on memories at CU. Students attended the Aggie Family & Friends Awards Lunch at noon in the McCasland Ballroom of the McMahon Centennial Complex. The Aggie family came together to present the Class of 1964 with their Golden Associate Medallions, followed by the presentation of the Cameron University Alumni Association Alumni Awards. The Aggies had new traditions, like the golf cart parade. Students from each campus organization decorated a golf cart and drove it from the MCC to the front of Cynthia S. Ross Hall. Students waited there with cookies and banners to wave. Rocking and rolling with the Aggies: (Top) CU Homecoming attendees hold up flyers that read “Break Fans filled the stands for the baseball doubleheader vs. the Mustangs.” The flyer was created by the Collegian in support of the Aggies against MSU. (Bottom left) Ole Angelo State in McCord Field. Kim attends Cameron’s 2014 Chuckwagon Cookoff and Tailgate Party at 2 p.m. on March 1. (Bottom right) Lyndel Monrose and Karin Clashing-O’Reilly, both representing Students of the Carribean Alliance, pose for pictures after being crowned Homecoming King and Queen for 2014. See HOMECOMING page 2
Cameron Debate team dominates state competition Kaley Patterson Staff Writer
On Feb. 21, the Cameron University Forensics team traveled to Oklahoma City University to compete against 17 schools from four different states in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Forensics Association Tournament. Director of Forensics Sarah Collins said, in the past, the competition had only been open to universities in the state of Oklahoma. However, in the last three or four years, the tournament opened up to other states to allow more schools to compete in order for a competition to count. Collins said this year’s tournament had the largest number of schools. Students from Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Kansas entered the competition. “We competed in all the different individual events,” Collins said. “The team had an incredible weekend.” According to Collins, the Cameron team received State Champion in two Sweepstakes categories. State Champion
Inside this issue:
means a team or individual received first place. Sweepstakes categories consider how all the students on the team performed compared to other teams. Cameron won first in Debate Sweepstakes and Combined Sweepstakes, which are individual events and debate combined. Cameron also won Tournament Champion in Overall Sweepstakes, beating out the University of Oklahoma, Wiley College and Kansas Wesleyan University. Collins said many CU students won State Champion in their individual events: freshman Danny McQuarters in the Lincoln Douglas debate, senior Skylar Williams in Impromptu Speaking, freshman Curry Coleman in Dramatic Interpretation and freshman Johnathan Good in After Dinner Speaking. Good also earned State Champion in Duo Interpretation along with freshman Savanna Sanders. Junior Katelynn Wright received State Champion for Informative Speaker, placed sixth in Extemporaneous Speaking and won second in Pentathon (Individual Student Sweepstakes).
Twitter helps to connect University
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“It’s a very, very young team,” Collins said. “For them to be able to do that, it was a very successful weekend.” Many other Cameron teams found success. The team of junior Steven Haber and freshman Savannah Price made it to the elite eight round in Parliamentary Debate. Haber and Price are both in their first year of college competition. Price was named fifth place speaker in Parliamentary Debate. The team of junior Zakariya Rajpari and Williams made it to the final four round in the same category. “I just do [debate] because I love the activity,” Rajpari said. “That’s why I do the camp in the summer. That’s why I coach high school teams. I just really like debate, and I like what it’s done for me and my career and education.” Rajpari also reached the elite eight round in the Lincoln Douglas Debate along with first semester competitor sophomore Diana Reyes. In the same debate, junior Nick Pasternak took fourth place speaker, and freshman Amber Smith received sixth place. Sophomore Kynzie Pierce traveled
Ukraine in international spotlight
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Cameron art celebrated at national level
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with the team and contributed to the team’s Sweepstakes awards. Collins said this time last year, there were only three students on the team. This year, 14 students represented Cameron, the majority of them in their first or second year of college competition. “To win first in the state is a huge accomplishment for this group and a testament to their hard work and dedication in the last several weeks,” Collins said. “We’ve worked incredibly hard preparing for the state tournament, and it paid off. I couldn’t be more proud of them.” Over spring break, the Cameron Forensics team will travel for 12 days straight to compete at two more competitions. Their first stop will be Hutchinson, Kan. for JV Nationals, where students who are in their first or second year of competition will compete. Four of Cameron’s students will participate. The team’s second stop will be in Indianapolis, Ind. for the Phi Kappa Delta National Tournament, where the entire Cameron Forensics team will compete.
Who run the world? Aggies.
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