The Cameron University Collegian: February 28, 2011

TH E CA M ERON UNI V ERSIT Y Monday, February 28, 2011

Volume 85 Issue 14

Informing Cameron Since 1926

Homecoming couple crowned

By Amber Spurlin Staff Writer

New Cameron royalty was crowned last Saturday, Feb. 26 at CU’s Super Homecoming during halftime of the men’s basketball game. The Aggie Ambassador representatives A.J. Adenuga, who won king, and Oluwatoyese Oyewole, who won queen, took the crowns.

Every year during Homecoming, CU crowns a new king and queen from a group of students nominated by their respective organizations.

This year there were 12 king and queen candidates running for the crown, a slightly larger number than last year, Zeak Naifeh, Director of Student Activities, said.

Oyewole and Adengua said they were honored to have been chosen by their peers.

“I’m very excited that I won and am able to represent the Aggie Ambassadors of Cameron University,” Oyewole said.

Kareem Dover, a king candidate, and queen candidate Turq-l Dijon of the Students of the Caribbean Alliance won first runner-up and said that it was an honor to represent SOCA because they wanted to let people know about their organization.

See HOMECOMING Page 5

“And the winner is...” : The Aggie Ambassador representatives A.J. Adenuga won king and Oluwatoyese Oyewole won queen in this year’s Super Homecoming.

Photos by Jim Horinek

Faculty, students mourn professor’s passing

By Rebecca Craft Staff Writer

Cameron students, faculty and staff are mourning the loss of Foreign Language professor Dr. George Stanley, who passed away Feb. 7.

A man of numerous talents, Dr. Stanley taught over 30 foreign languages at Cameron, including several African and Middle Eastern languages. He was an avid writer and author, with over 100 book publications to his name, many of which were written for children. Dr. Matt Jenkins, Communications professor and close friend of the Stanley family, remembers him as someone always engaged in a project.

“I was always interested and excited to hear what he was doing,” Dr. Jenkins said. “He was someone who was always doing something. He really was a Renaissance Man.” As a former Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Stanley enriched those around him with his vast travel experience and cultural knowledge.

“He was so well read and so well traveled, and I think that’s one of the things that made us fast friends,” English professor Dr. William Carney said. “He had traveled more than I had, and I think that I had traveled enough that we could talk about various places around

the world. He knew quite a bit and was always willing to impart that knowledge. He never went out of his way to make it seem like he was a know-it-all, but, if he was questioned, he could speak at great lengths.”

Dr. Stanley’s boundless supply of energy made a lasting impression on his colleagues. As Dr. Carney recalled Dr. Stanley was a man who rarely slowed down.

“I can still picture him carrying a box of class supplies, handouts, extra textbooks or extra pencils down the hall like it was no big deal,” Dr. Carney said. “Around George, you never wanted to complain on a day that you were feeling badly. He would be sympathetic.

He would say ‘Oh yeah, there’s days that I don’t feel good either,’ but he made you feel bad for being so wimpy because he was older than you and had a lot more apparent energy than anyone around here.”

Dr. Stanley also ensured that a great deal of his abundant energy was invested in his students.

“He was always very personable,” senior Stacey Woods said. “In my first Arabic class,

See STANLEY Page 2

Photo courtesy of Public Affairs

News

A&E

Sports

Opinion

Winter weather causes flood in Shepler tower.

International recognition given to CU artist.

2011 Hall of Fame class inducted.

Egyptian speaks on current affairs in country.

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News

February 28, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

High enrollment trend continues

By Rebecca Craft Staff Writer

With the new year, Cameron has experienced immense growth in the number of freshmen enrolled. However, the students’ faces are not the only thing new. To accommodate the increasing number of students, leaders at Cameron are making plans to bring several changes to the campus.

According to a Cameron press release, Cameron’s total enrollment has increased more than 14 percent since 2009, with a 17 percent increase in the number of freshman enrolled since the spring 2010 semester. This jump in the size of the student body has prompted Cameron officials to make adjustments this year in the number of faculty available to teach the general education courses.

“Last year, because we have seen an increase in freshmen and sophomores, we added six new faculty lines at the instructor level,” Dr. John McArthur, Vice President of Academic Affairs, said. “Those are the type of faculty that primarily teach freshmen and sophomores. We’ve put those in the disciplines where

we expect to see the most growth: Psychology, Communications, English, Mathematics and other types of courses that freshmen will take.”

Adding new instructors and faculty is not the only concern in academics when it comes to accommodating the growing number of students. Vice President McArthur noted that Cameron is “We’re going to start also making plans to increase renovation of the old the amount of classroom student union and the space available.

“We’re going to start Academic Commons renovation of the old student union and the to refurbish those four academic commons to classrooms, which I think refurbish those four will help a lot. We’re also classrooms, which looking at a project to I think will help a provide more classroom lot,” Vice President McArthur said. “That space in Duncan because will include building we have so much growth more classrooms for at our campus there.” communications. We’re also looking at a project to provide more classroom space in — Dr. John McArthur Duncan Vice President because of Academic Affairs we have so much growth at our campus there.”

With the increase also in the number of full-time students attending Cameron, officials have been considering how to increase the amount of housing space on hand.

“At the current moment, our plan for the summer is to recapture the sixth f loor of North Shepler, and we’ll renovate that space in order to open it up for fall 2011,” Jennifer Holland, Vice President for Student Services, said. “That will give us a whole additional f loor space. We have done some renovations and changes on room assignments and on how many single rooms we have and how many double rooms we have. We’re trying to streamline our assignment process so that we’re able to maximize the number of students living on campus.”

Currently, there have been several services that have been added to the campus. According to Vice President Holland, the Student Wellness Center, which opened in the fall of 2010, has received an additional counselor this semester because of student demand. Cameron also opened the doors to its latest student service, the Academic Advisement Center.

The center is intended specifically to advise freshmen and sophomores who are undecided in a major or who may have academic deficiencies.

“Students will go through the academic advisement center for enrollment rather than mass advising on campus,” Dean Holland said. “Students can expect a longer advisement appointment so that we’re really able to provide them with the quality advisement that they need.”

However, Cameron’s draw for some students may be more than just the classroom space, housing environment or available student services. For freshman Nursing major Karli Boothe, Cameron’s appeal is centered on the experiences she has had with the people on campus.

“I like how friendly everyone is, especially the teachers and the staff,” Boothe said.

“They’re really willing to talk to you and get to know you as an individual rather than just a number.”

STANLEY continued from page 1

Solutions on page 3

there were several students. Within two weeks, he knew who I was. He took a real interest in each student and showed an interest in learning more about us.”

His students were not the only ones who experienced his enthusiasm and attention. According to Dr. Jenkins, Dr. Stanley was the kind of man who always had time for a friend to stop by his office.

“He would just stop what he was doing, and we’d sit down and talk, sometimes for two or three hours,” Dr. Jenkins said. “We would talk about all sorts of things.

He would pull something out and talk about what was going on in a certain country, something that he was studying, or a book that he was working on. We would talk about campus kinds of things. He always had the best advice. It was an extremely comfortable situation.

I think those will be the fondest memories of the one on one interactions that I had with him. I really valued his opinion and the advice he gave. He really was a sound and reasoned individual.”

After almost 41 years of teaching at Cameron, Dr. Stanley and his knowledge, energy, and compassion will be greatly missed by his colleagues and students.

“One thing I always wanted to ask him was what language he thought in, like in his daily activities, conversations, and even dreams,” Woods said. “I feel like a source of abundant knowledge is gone that I didn’t take advantage of, but I’m very thankful for the time that I did have with him.”

News

February 28, 2011

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Sub-zero wind chills cause flood

By Manal Elhak Collegian Intern

Photos by Michael Faggett

Water damage: A flood on the first floor of the South Shepler tower resulted from freezing temperatures which caused water pipes to burst in the area.

The second of two frigid storms that struck the area in recent weeks caused f lood damage at the South Shepler building. As a result of near-zero degree storm temperatures, pipes froze and burst near the information desk on the first f loor around four p.m. on Feb. 3.

Glen Pinkston, Vice President for Business and Finance, said that frozen sprinkler pipes in the suppression system ruptured, f looding the first f loor.

“I believe that we South Shepler was built in 1967 and insulation that would normally keep the handled it fairly pipes from freezing became soaked due to quickly. Everything leaks in the aging system. was cleared by Friday At the time of the rupture, not many residents were present. About 30-40 night; the carpet just students were in the mezzanine area and needed to dry. We put 50-100 residents were in their rooms. dehumidifiers in the Students in their rooms were allowed to remain there. Due to approximately six Public Safety Office to inches of water in the elevator shafts, the elevators were shut down for about an hour. get the moisture out of People trying to use the elevators had to use the carpet.” the stairs instead or wait until the water was removed.

— Glen Pinkston The carpet of the public safety office was Vice President soaked and building services had to steam for Business and Finance clean and dry it. Simplex-Grinnell repaired the pipelines on Saturday. Because so many businesses and schools were experiencing water pipe issues, Simplex Grinnell was not able to pressurize the system until Monday.

“I believe that we handled it fairly quickly. Everything was cleared by Friday night,” Pinkston said. “The carpet just needed to dry. We put dehumidifiers in the Public Safety office to get the moisture out of the carpet.”

Ninth f loor resident and ROTC student, Beatrice Finnegan expressed thanks for the completed repairs.

“I’m just happy that they got it fixed and I’m glad I didn’t have to stay at the fitness center,” Finnegan said. “I was also worried about how I was going to get my uniform for my ROTC lab the next morning.”

Pinkston said that he does not expect any more severe weather this winter, but that to avoid any recurrence of the incident workers heated the breezeway in North Shepler and added new insulation to the pipes in both buildings.

Wellness Center seeks volunteers for fundraiser

By Brittany Wolfe Staff Writer

Cameron University’s Fitness and Wellness Center is currently seeking students, faculty and staff to join the Race for the Cure fundraising team. Race for the Cure is a fundraiser designed to raise money to donate to various races in the fall.

Deanice Shegog, Director of the Student Wellness Center, said anyone who is interested would need to sign a commitment contract and pay a sign-up fee of $10.

The contract insures those who are involved in the fundraiser will attend all the fundraising events, will raise the amount of money needed to be raised individually and will participate in the races.

Participants will also receive a T-shirt to wear at the races and fundraising events.

“Everyone will have a certain amount of money they will have to raise on their own apart from the fundraising events,” Shegog said. “We are hoping each participant can raise at least a thousand dollars individually.”

There will be a variety of fundraising events on campus and in the community. In the summer there will be a carwash, and in June the team will raise money by having a fundraising race called the Aggies Axe Out Cancer Race.

There will be a $25 entry fee for those who are interested in participating in the fundraising race.

“There will be a place set up for people from the community or on campus who would like to donate money,” Shegog said. “We’re wanting to have a fundraiser event at least every two months.”

All the money raised from

the fundraisers will be donated to each race the team attends in the fall. Team members will have to pay their own entry fee to each race. The different races are a 5k, 10k and a half marathon and will be held in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Wichita Falls.

“We’re hoping to get sponsors that can help pay for gas and even help pay for the team member’s entry fees to all the races,” Shegog said. “Once the money is donated to the races, they will keep about 25 percent and then donate the rest to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.”

According to Shegog, team members who do not want to run in the races can walk.

There will also be different training sessions setup for team members who would like help to prepare for each race.

“We will have different training sessions to help team

members prep for the 5k, the 10k and the half-marathon,” Shegog said.

Shegog also said that anyone who is interested in being a team member could visit the Student Wellness Center or the Fitness Center,

sign the contract and pay the sign-up fee. Anyone who is interested in donating can contact Shegog at 581.6725.

“I’m hoping we get 50 or more team members to sign up and start raising money as soon as possible,” Shegog said.

Greek life changes image

By Elijah Morlett Staff Writer

Fraternities and sororities around the country are pushing to change the way society views social Greek organizations.

With negative stereotypes sometimes associated with fraternities and sororities, several organizations are taking steps that begin before new member initiation.

Traditionally, before a student becomes an official member of a Greek organization the student must go through a process before initiation. Commonly, this process is regarded as “pledging.”

While some organizations continue to call new members “pledges,” other organizations have adopted other terms such as “associate” or “candidate” to keep away from the negative connotations associated with pledge.

Several social Greek organizations have adopted more student-focused new member programs.

Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, is one organization that has recently adopted a new system for new members known as Path of Principles. The program encourages study times, exercising and goal setting.

Tommy Smith, the president of Cameron’s Gamma Rho chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma, said the program offers a guide so that brothers can connect on a national level.

“Through the program, every person seeking membership into the fraternity shares a bond,” Smith said. “With other fraternities without a national program, some values could be lost with chapters being so different.”

The national website describes the Path of Principles as a “Lifelong Member Development Program” that encourages involvement even after a student’s undergraduate degree is complete.

Alpha Phi International

Fraternity, a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, has adopted similar practices. Natasha Campbell, the president of the Theta Rho chapter at CU, says their New Member Education program provides a firm foundation for their chapter.

“We teach the new members the history of Alpha Phi locally and nationally,” Campbell said.

“The program creates stronger bonds between the girls and longer lasting members.”

Both organizations also share a similar goal in losing the Greek-associated stereotype of hazing members. The two presidents have stated that their chapters are against hazing.

“Our potential new members are not hazed and are not forced to do any activities,” Campbell said. “We do not feel that potential new members must ‘earn’ their positions in the sorority through hazing activities and demonstrating that type of ‘respect’ for the initiated members.”

Opinion

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February 28, 2011

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Egyptian citizen reacts to revolution

Prospects of freedom in Middle Eastern country refreshing change

Manal Elhak Collegian Intern THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Staff

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

Newsroom Staff

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

Faculty Adviser

Dr. Christopher Keller

About Us

The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Edmond Sun via the Duncan Banner.

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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.

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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.

A few weeks ago I saw on the news that Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s 30-year ruler, had finally stepped down and relinquished all power as a result of extensive civil protests in the country. My family had been glued to the TV for weeks watching the dramatic developments unfold. Now, finally, freedom was in the air.

Mubarak had been in power 12 years longer than I have been alive. For many years he had a strangle hold on all phases of Egyptian governance. In effect, he had been Egypt’s sole dictator since 1981. Inspired by recent events in Tunisia, whose dictator was overthrown in January after massive protests, the Egyptian population forced Mubarak to step down after 18 days of civil unrest and turmoil.

Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with tears of joy as Mubarak gave his final speech announcing his resignation. My family members both here in the U.S. and in Egypt rejoiced. Never before have I experienced life without Mubarak. Never before have I dared to dream that my country might turn into some form of democracy. Now, however, Mubarak is gone and democracy is one step closer.

I’m especially proud of the way my adopted country, the

United States, responded to the events in Egypt. President Obama spoke out in favor of freedom and an end to tyranny, encouraging a peaceful transition to a representative government.

“Today belongs to the people of Egypt,” President Obama said. “Clearly, nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day.”

Especially meaningful to me throughout the past weeks has been the role of the social media in addition to traditional TV network news. An Egyptian Google executive, Wael Ghonim, who was arrested and held for 11 days before being released by police, became a hero to the protesters. This was truly a digital as well as a social revolution.

I passed many hours chatting with people around the world on Facebook. I signed various petitions online and forwarded them on to others. I watched events unfold on YouTube. I even followed the story on various Twitter pages.

The amazing thing for me is seeing how the seeds of freedom are beginning to take root in the Middle East. Not only in Tunisia and Egypt, but also in Yemen, Libya and Bahrain. Just as many people never expected the fall of the Soviet Union in the late 1980’s, so too have few expected

MCT Campus

Revolution: Flag-waving Egyptians celebrate in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, the day after President Hosni Mubarak resigned following 18 days of protests. the chances for freedom to ring so loudly in the Middle East. To me, Mubarak’s dictatorship was a fact of life. It was not something I ever expected to end after several weeks of protests began.

As a direct result of events in Tunisia and Egypt, Libya’s leader, Omar Kaddafi, is under siege by thousands of demonstrators and is desperately clinging to power.

The current protests in Yemen are the largest in that country’s history. In addition, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Jordan, Bahrain,

Iraq and Algeria to participate in an international Day of Rage. Protesters in Bahrain are pressuring the king to make more concessions toward freedom.

Freedom is breaking out all over.

As Joe Peyronnin, contributor to the “Huffington Post,” wrote on the date of Mubarak’s resignation, “Isis is the ancient Egyptian goddess of motherhood, healing and magic. The people of Egypt will no doubt welcome her help as they begin to build their future. Meanwhile, rejoice Egypt, rejoice!”

Black History Month needs revamping As the month of March approaches on the schedule, I look back to reflect on February and its recognition of being Black History Month.

Wait, February was Black History Month?

Before hearing the cries and critiques of the communal civil rights leaders, please hear me out.

The programs, both at Cameron and in the Lawton community, were well organized and properly planned. Many of the programs highlighted facts and figures in black history in an elegant light For example, Wallace C. Moore’s oration of the history of Henry Flipper at the Great Plains Technology Center was certainly one. However, the whole notion of Black History Month itself appears to be more of tidbit reminders of “big” black history as opposed to the recognition of the plethora of contributions African-Americans made in conjunction with America’s overall history.

Granted, the stories of old must continue to be taught and shared with incoming generations, but conversely, most generations know the rudiments of black history. The stories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Booker T. Washington and other prominent figures are well known throughout the country. Youth and adults around the U.S. continue to read, recite, portray and relay the stories of the known figures of black history in churches, community events and other forums.

Because of this, it appears more and more people become desensitized to these stories, thus making Black History Month both a predictable and insipid time of the year.

There needs to be a shift of the focus on Black History Month.

While the accomplishments of the aforementioned figures are engraved in the annals of history we should localize black history and search for the treasures of black history we have on our own campuses, communities and towns.

To an extent, Cameron does this well with Dr. Valree Wynn and

the Miss Black CU Pageant. The efforts of Dr. Wynn still resonate across the recent past and this campus. Even with Dr. Wynn’s valiant array of work, I’m confident there are more stories of Cameron black history that can be told, which is why the focus of Black History Month should shift to a more local approach.

We should find the tales of those individuals who helped better the living conditions for African-Americans and people of color in the Lawton/Ft. Sill community. The stories of those figures that made strides for African-Americans in Oklahoma need to be wellresearched and told, so future generations can see the depth and power of local black history.

In finding these local legends, it can then be shown that black history is not a stand-alone history, but rather a history intertwined with the course of U.S. history.

We all know the efforts of Dr. King led to the passage of several pieces of legislation, which resulted in equal rights for people of color. His efforts and the passage of those bills cannot be separated from the overall scheme of black history. Just like they cannot be separated, black history and U.S. history cannot be fully divided from each other. Both are deeply connected. Showing the connection between the two histories only enhances the celebration of Black History Month and shows the studying of black history is, in turn, the studying of an ethnicity’s role in progressing the development of this country.

Critics will argue many different reasons for opposition to my proposal. One argument is that the short length of the month of February makes it difficult to accomplish the goals of my idea.

To those critics, I say what better opportunity than to accept the challenge that limited time presents to voraciously research our history and tell the stories in that limited time frame. It does not matter about the time we have to tell the stories. What matters is the time we take to tell the stories, and tell them correctly.

Michael Faggett Sports Editor

A&E

February 28, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

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Phi Sigma Iota hosts food fest

By Tahira Carter Staff Writer

On March 1, the north foyer of the Nance Boyer building will be busier than usual as the Cameron University’s Phi Sigma Iota organization hosts its Winter Food Fest. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature ethnic dishes from a variety of countries.

The Food Fest is a recurring event that is organized by the Phi Sigma Iota members in an effort to share some of the cultural diversity that the group enjoys with the Cameron community. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to come together and learn about different cultures through food and the interaction with international students on campus.

Photo by Tahira Carter

The advisor of the Phi Sigma Iota Organization, Dr. Teresa Lubrano, explained that part of the charm of the Food Fest is that the specific dishes are not known until the day of the event. Food expectations are always high, however. Foods from countries as diverse as Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Puerto Rico, India and China have been featured in previous years.

“The organization members are the ones that donate the food and we accept donations only,” Dr. Lubrano said.

“There is no fixed price on anything, so everyone gets a chance to have something to eat.”

Although there are no set prices on the available dishes, the organization will be accepting donations during the event.

“We use the money that we generate from the food fest right back into scholarships for the honor society members,” Dr. Lubrano said.

Participation in the Food Fest is not limited to members of the Phi Sigma Iota Organization, however. Anyone who is interested in the event is encouraged to take part.

The vice president of the Phi Sigma Iota Honor Society, Jutta Carter, talked about the benefits of offering different cultural experiences to the students, especially those that may not have been directly exposed to other cultures because of their geographical location.

“The United States is not a number one fan of foreign language education and this is natural because, coast to coast, the same language is spoken,” Carter said. “A person would have to travel quite far to hear any other language, unlike Europe where you travel a couple of hours and you meet something else. I think it is very important to have an organization that helps you establish connections to foreign languages, to that world and to that art.”

CU student featured among international artists

By Megan Bristow A&E Editor

Carol Cunningham, a 22-year-old Cameron University senior, has been accepted into the 26th Annual International Art Exhibition, a juried competition hosted and organized by the University of Texas at Tyler.

Cunningham is currently working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and her specialty is watercolor mixed media. She coupled these talents with watercolor and ink to create her piece, ‘2010’ that was accepted into the exhibition.

The British Petroleum oil spill last year inspired her artwork. Cunningham said she saw it on the news and decided to paint about the event.

“My thought was to document the incident and bring light to the tragedy suffered by the animals below the ocean’s surface,” Cunningham said.

One aspect of Cunningham’s artwork that viewers may find interesting is the way that she incorporates her personal interests into her work. For example, she places an antique and an animal in every piece that she creates.

“I love zoos, and I like antiques too. So I try to put an antique and an animal in each piece,” Cunningham said.

Photos courtesy of Carol Cunningham

2010: Carol Cunninham’s watercolor will be featured in the UTTyler Meadows Gallery. Cunningham was inspired by the BP Oil Spill.

In her work, an octopus and an antique goblet based on her great-grandpa’s glass that she said he used to drink iced tea from are prominently located in the forefront of the piece.

Cunningham also tries to focus her art on political

and social themes that she sees trending around her. She said that one issue which has specifically interested her is the gluttony in America.

The 26th Annual International Art Exhibition in Tyler was Cunningham’s first art

show outside of Cameron events in which she was accepted.

Cunningham said that her professor handed out a flyer in class and told the students to apply. She explained that she had not realized the importance of the exhibit until everyone emphasized that it was an international exhibit.

Only 17 of the 252 pieces submitted were accepted. Artist Cotter Luppi is the judge of the show. The exhibition will be displayed until March 4 in the Meadows Gallery of the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center at UT. Cunningham is a graduate of Elgin High School where she mastered her high school curriculum one year early and then attended CU. She had planned to major in psychology, but after a few psychology courses she reverted to and remains with her love of art. During her first year at CU, Cunningham also competed on the CU tennis team.

Outside of school, she enjoys quilting, crafts and tennis. Cunningham also has experimented with a craft called batiking, which is a specialized form of dying fabric that involves using wax to create artistic designs on the fabric.

“Batiking is where you take wax, and you press it against the fabric. You then dye the fabric,

and iron the wax out of the fabric,” Cunningham said. It leaves the area that had the wax free of the dye.”

Cunningham will receive her degree from CU in May. After graduation, she plans to attend Texas Tech University earn a master’s degree in painting and photography. She would like to continue her artistic pursuits after completing her degree by becoming a children’s book illustrator and feature stories of her own imagination. She has also contemplated teaching art at the collegiate level.

Young artist: This is Cunningham’s first exhibition outside of Cameron activities. Cunningham graduated from Elgin High School and will graduate from Cameron in May.

Homecoming continued from page 1

“Homecoming 2011 was a great experience,” Dover said, “We wanted to make a name for ourselves and show that SOCA is a popular organization. I feel like we did that.”

Besides the coronation of the king and queen, Homecoming brought with it a full week of festivities for the Cameron community. The Programming Activities Council organized the “Super Homecoming” theme and planned activities for each night of Homecoming week, Naifeh said.

According to Naifeh, PAC teamed up with the Alumni Association to bring back and create some Homecoming traditions. He said that they brought back the bonfire pep-rally Friday night before the Homecoming game and gave out Cameron T-shirts at the game.

“Over the last few years we have tried to do a couple of new traditions,” Naifeh said. “We brought back the bonfire pep-rally on the Friday night before the game as well as handing out Cameron shirts at the basketball games to try to add some spirit and enthusiasm.”

Monday’s Homecoming event was a hypnotist, followed by a comedian on Tuesday

and free pizza and voting for king and queen on Wednesday. Thursday was the Homecoming dance held in the McMahon Centennial Complex ballroom.

Naifeh said that PAC teamed up with the Alumni Association and the Athletic Department for Friday and Saturday’s activities.

The first of these activities was the bonfire on Friday followed by the second annual Aggie Family Fun Run walk held Saturday Morning at 8 a.m. and a tailgate party at 12:30 p.m.

Jennifer Bowen, Director of Alumni Relations, said the Alumni Association always has a busy weekend for Homecoming and looks forward to it.

“Homecoming is one of our favorite times of the year,” Bowen said. “We have a very busy week of activities that we plan for the Cameron community, alumni and students alike.”

Bowen said that the Alumni Association’s portion of Homecoming started Thursday night with their Retired Faculty and Staff Breakfast, followed by many other activities Friday night and Saturday morning and ended with a dinner for the 1961 Rose Bowl team Saturday night.

Photo by Jim Horinek

Super trophies: With a Homecoming theme of superheros this years winner and runners-up received superhero related trophies.

Sports

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February 28, 2011

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Men’s basketball heads to Bartlesville Team makes second playoff stint in the last three years

By Michael Faggett Sports Editor

The word “turnover” could be one used to describe the men’s basketball 2010-11 regular season. The Aggies went from an 0-12 record in the Lone Star Conference to fighting for the second seed in the north division of the conference.

For the second time in head coach Wade Alexander’s threeyear tenure at Cameron, the Aggies head to the conference playoffs.

“It feels great. We had our mishaps last year that led to us in going to 0-12 in conference,” Alexander said. “So after last year’s season, it feels good to

head back to the playoffs.”

The push towards the playoffs resulted from the play of a young, deep roster.

In 2008-09 the team relied on a host of seasoned seniors to snap an 11-year playoff drought.

This year’s squad features a mixture of underclassmen and veteran players who contributed down the stretch.

Alexander said the play of freshmen Jonathan Patino, Desmond Henry and others have helped the team.

“This time of the year, we try to have all of our players ready to play. If a guy is hurt or in foul trouble, the players on the bench are ready to contribute.” Alexander said.

“The guys play their role, and it gives our scorers an opportunity to take shots and have confidence in taking those shots.”

Guards Milt Garner and Dylan Gilliam have been two players whom have scored well during the conference schedule.

Garner leads the team in scoring this season averaging nearly 15 points per game, shoots 38 percent from 3-point range and has been a consistent threat for the Aggies.

“He’s been solid for us,” Alexander said. “Milt won’t force the shot, he will take shots in the f low of the offense.”

While Alexander said Garner is more of a f luid scorer, he said Gilliam is more of an aggressive scorer.

Gilliam, who played on the 2008-09 team but left mid-semester due to personal reasons, has averaged over 10 points per game and done well from behind the arc in the 13 games he has played since returning to the team.

“Gilliam’s play was much needed. We were lacking guard play and was playing [Vinicius] Telo at guard,” Alexander said. “With Dylan, it gives us a guard threat, moves Telo to his natural position and solidifies our team overall.”

Telo, a 6-foot-8-inch forward, has recently battled injuries through the season but has remained another consistent threat for the team averaging 13 points per game.

According to Alexander, Telo played his best game of the season on the road against Northeastern on Feb. 23.

That game was Telo’s first game back from a back injury, and he posted 12 points and

Photos by Jim Horinek

Up and in: Sophomore forward Vinicius Telo charges the hoop in an attempt to bring the Aggies closer to victory.

Despite the team’s efforts they were unable to topple the Broncos in the Feb. 26 Homecoming game. seven rebounds and made a dive over a rail into the stands for a loose ball that impressed Alexander.

“That speaks of his efforts and his desire to win games,” Alexander said. “He was willing to risk a potential season-ending injury for one possession that might help us win a game.”

With the play of Telo, Garner, and Gilliam; the contributions of Patino, Henry and Trevor Smith; along with the senior leadership of forwards Nate Murray and

Terry Dawson, Alexander said he feels this team could make its mark at the Lone Star Conference tournament.

“This team doesn’t feel scared when playing certain opponents. We have the potential to play well in the playoffs,” Alexander said.

“This team feels like they are one of the best teams, and they will get the chance to prove it in the playoffs.”

The Lone Star Conference men’s basketball tournament will be held in Bartesville. The games start on March 3.

Women’s basketball ends season on bittersweet note

By Michael Faggett Sports Editor

Women’s basketball ends the 2010-11 on a bittersweet note: the team did not make the Lone Star Conference tournament but did see an increase in wins this season and has potential to be a top-conference team next season.

According to Head Coach Tom Webb, the team is disappointed about not making the playoffs but looks forward to next season.

“As a whole, we’re excited about our future,” Webb said.

“It hurts that we aren’t in the

playoffs, but the hurt shows our team cares about getting to the tournament.”

Part of the hurt comes from losing guard Josie Stewart and forward Jessica Priest to graduation.

According to Webb, Stewart, in only two years at Cameron, is one of the top-ten all-time scorers and rebounders in Cameron women’s basketball history.

In conjunction with making the top-ten list in scoring and rebounding, Webb said Stewart has also rewritten Cameron’s history books in three point shooting.

Over her career, Stewart has made more three pointers than any other player who has suited up for Cameron women’s basketball.

Webb said the team will miss both players and their effort on the court.

“If Josie and Jessica are the two players you lose, you lose a lot,” Webb said. “But with this team we have we also return a ton. We return a bunch of players who have experience and can put the ball in the basket, so as a whole it’s shown we are moving forward. It has been a good growth year for us.”

Part of that growth came with the additions of Sabelle Diata, Nicole Pendarvis, Ali Brown and Lacy Reinke as well as the improved play of Alexis Williams and Sharna Hoosier.

Diata, a native of Senegal, provided a spark this season, similar to what Josie Stewart did in 2009-10. Diata led the team in both scoring and rebounding averaging nearly 16 points and 10 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-1-inch forward also led the team in doubledoubles and led the conference in blocks and blocks per game.

“Sabelle is very gifted,” Webb said. “When you see her warm up, you can tell she is a great player. She’s been a great piece to this puzzle.”

The team’s puzzle also includes sophomore Alexis Williams, who improved in points per game and minutes per game from her freshman year. Webb said he was pleased with Williams’ development this year.

“Offensively, she’s been consistent this year,” Webb said. Her ability to shoot the basketball has been very good.

Photos by Jim Horinek

Airborn: Guard Nicole Pendarvis goes airborn for two points in the Homecoming game against Central Oklahoma.

The game ended in defeat and the end of the season for the team.

Alexis can create her shots both on and off the dribble and comes off screens and shoots well too. For her to be an allAmerican type of player, she has to improve defensively and improve on the glass.”

Webb said in addition to Diata’s return and Williams’ continued progress, he expects much from freshmen Ali Brown and Lacy Reinke, both of whom saw significant time on the floor and made contributions to the team this season.

“The number one goal for [Brown and Reinke] this offseason is to get them stronger. That will help them in rebounding, defense and even offensively,” Webb said. “They

also have to refine their games offensively. If they can do that, then they can have a similar type of growth year next season that Alexis had this year.”

Heading into the offseason, Webb said he will look for the team to work on perimeter shooting, ball control and would even like to increase the pace offensively.

“At times when we lost, we turned the ball over a bit too much. So we have to take care of the ball better,” Webb said.

“If we can improve that and our outside shooting, it solidifies our guard play and our team as a whole. We will just continue to push, continue to pray and continue to have patience.”

Sports

February 28, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

7

Athletics inducts new HOF class

By Amanda Cantu Staff Writer

A new class of athletes was inducted into the Cameron University Athletics Hall of Fame over the homecoming weekend.

The five members of the Class of 2011 were the fourth group to receive the distinguished honor.

Cameron’s Director of Athletics, Jim Jackson, said the Hall of Fame is something very special.

“The Hall of Fame gives us a chance to capture the history of Cameron athletics, which, as far as we can tell, dates back to 1915.”

Jackson said.

That span of nearly a century gives Jackson cause to believe that the strength of the Hall of Fame will continue for years to come.

“So many people have been involved with Aggie athletics that we can sustain the quality of the

individuals inducted for years,” Jackson said. “So many men and women are deserving that the five of this year’s class are just as good as the first class and the second class and the third class.”

The first inductee of the evening was Erica Consen. Consen was the first tennis player to enter the Hall of Fame.

As a two-time NCAA AllAmerican and a participant in the NCAA National Tournament, Consen had a stellar career as an Aggie.

The tennis standout attended Cameron from 1994-1998.

During her first year, she was ranked 14th in the Midwest Region and had a 14-3 record.

As a sophomore, she was 21st in the region in singles and fifth in doubles. In the fall of that year, she reached the ITA Regional Championship finals and ended the season with a 25-6 record.

She climbed to third in the region as a junior and finished the year with a 24-6 record.

In her senior year, Consen was 14th in the Rolex Rankings and 20th in the NCAA polls. She closed out her final season as an Aggie with a 12-5 record, making her overall record at CU 75-20.

The next inductee was Simmie Hill.

Hill was a member of the Aggie men’s basketball team from 1966-1967. During that time, he led CU to a 27-4 record and a third place finish at the NCJAA national tournament.

Hill was a prolific shooter, making 53 percent of his field goals and 68 percent of his free throws. He also averaged just over 11 rebounds per game.

Hill later played four years in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

Robert “Bob” Kelley was the next athlete to receive induction honors.

Kelley wore a Black and Gold jersey for the 1961 Aggie football team and helped lead the squad to the National JUCO Championship.

During the 1961 season, Kelley was the team rushing leader with 712 yards. He earned First Team All-Oklahoma Conference Team honors and was also named an AllAmerican First Team Halfback by the Helms Athletic Foundation.

Ed Marshall was the next athlete to be paid tribute.

Like Kelley, Marshall was a football player. He played for CU from 1967-1971.

Marshall is Cameron’s all-time leading receiver. He led the team in scoring his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Marshall caught a total of 113 passes for 2,448 yards and 29 touchdowns

Photos by Jim Horinek

20111 HOF Class: Jeremy Wagner, Ed Marshall, Bob Kelly, Erica Consen and Simmie Hill (not pictured) were the 2011 inductees into the CU Athletics Hall of Fame. from 1968-1971.

Jackson said he was thrilled Though Marshall’s first love about all of the members of the was football, he was a member of latest Hall of Fame class. the 1971 Aggie basketball team “All five excite me,” Jackson as well. said. “We had our first ever tennis After leaving Cameron, player inducted; we had arguably Marshall went on to play three the best basketball player to ever seasons in the NFL. play here in Simmie Hill; Bob The final member inducted from the Class of 2011 was Jeremy Kelley was a member of the 1961 National Championship football Wagner. team; we had our all-time leading Wagner was an outstanding receiver for football with Ed player for the CU baseball team Marshall; and we had the best from 1996-1999. hitter ever to play for Cameron.

He holds numerous Aggie baseball records including number That’s really cool. That’s quality.”

Nominations are currently of At Bats (646), RBIs (191), Hits (251), Triples (15), Homeruns (30) being accepted for future Hall of Fame inductees. Nominations and Total Bases (426). can be made online at During his senior season, cameronaggies.com or by calling Wagner led his team in At Bats, or visiting the CU Athletic Hits, Doubles, Triples, Home Department. The deadline for Runs and RBIs and boasted the nominations for the Class of 2012 team’s highest batting average is Oct. 1. (.438).

‘61 title team returns to reminisce, celebrate

By Brandon Thompson Staff Writer

In the course of 50 years, many things happen: children are born, loved ones pass on, careers are built and more things are forgotten than remembered. For the 1961 Cameron Aggie football team, one moment stays clear in their minds: the Junior College National Championship.

According to athletic director Jim Jackson, homecoming at Cameron is a celebrated week of events students look forward to throughout the year, but this year, a group of men, most of whom are over the age of 70 now, will use homecoming to reflect on past accomplishments and share stories

with friends they have not seen in decades.

The 1961 National Champion CU football team, known then as the Cameron Agricultural College, was honored at half time of the women’s homecoming game.

Close to thirty members of the team, along with families of some deceased players, represented a diverse group of men who won the national title 50 years ago. Jackson said some players from the team flew in from across the country while others flew in from Canada.

“There are about four or five local Lawton guys that played on that team still living here,” Jackson said. “The rest are living in places like Chicago, Wisconsin, Washington, Pennsylvania and Canada.”

After the game, players and family members were invited to a banquet held in the McMahon Centennial Complex. An informal setting, the banquet allowed players to share stories about their experiences while playing football for CU. Jackson served as master of ceremonies for the event and said he thought the banquet allowed the players an opportunity to reminisce with old friends and share memorable stories.

The stories from the players recounted their experience in the Junior College National Championship game played at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Dec. 9, 1961.

According to the Junior Rose Bowl program from that game, Cameron Agricultural College was a hard-hitting team loaded with talent. The talent included players like 2011 Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and All-American Bob Kelley, who often played on both sides of the ball in critical situations.

Kelley was described in the Junior Rose Bowl press information book as a deceptive, tireless runner, earning him the title of one of the greatest freshman running backs in Cameron’s history.

According to the aforementioned program, CU’s team played the 1961 title game in front of a crowd reaching close to 40,000 fans. Fans attending the game could enter for $2 and buy their own box seats for $3.50. The Aggies won by a score of 28-20.

Members of the 1961 team who have not returned to campus in several years will see several changes.

Ironically, in 1961, Cameron Agricultural School had just built the new student union at a cost of $250,000. At the time, Cameron was considered a rapidly growing junior college.

Although the campus they visit now is different, when listening to the 1961 national championship

team speaks of their experience, one can tell these former players still consider Cameron home.

Jackson said events like this are important for the school, and honoring the players during homecoming is a great way to show the university’s appreciation for their efforts.

8

Variety

February 28, 2011

www.aggiecentral.com

Your eyes are getting heavy: Audience watches with curiosity and amusement as student volunteers were hypnotized by comedy hypnotist Dan Lornitis. In all, 16 students were picked to volunteer during the event. They were then asked to imagine and react to different situations while under hypnosis. Lornitis was on campus on Monday, Feb. 21.

Laughter is good medicine: Comedian BT gets the crowd rolling with his stand-up comedy on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The evening was lively and fun with his interactive approach to his performance.

Bonfire: Cameron students, faculty and staff came together for the bonfire and pep rally on the south lawn of Cameron Village on Friday, Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. During the event student organizations that won different Super Homecoming competitions were awarded.

Everybody on the dance floor: Students dressed up as their favorite superheroes while participating in the Super Homecoming dance held on Thursday, Feb. 24 at MCC ballroom.

Page Design by Rashmi Thapaliya Photos courtesy of Office of Public Affairs and Ishia Saltibus Graphics courtesy of Office of Public Affairs