The Cameron University Collegian: February 15, 2010

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

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Monday, February 15, 2010

News

Volume 84 Issue 14

McMahon Centennial Complex MCC enters last phases of construction

By Rashmi Thapaliya Collegian Staff

Student Services holds indoor marathon.

SEE PAGE 4

Photos by Jim Horinek

End in sight: The exterior of the McMahon Centennial Complex stands in near completion and has for several weeks. Now, the interior is entering the final leg of construction.

A&E

Insider view: The entryway of the east door of the MCC gets finishing touches.

Homecoming 2010: Cruise on Home SEE PAGE 6

Finish coat: A worker wipes excess wood stain from the wood beams on the ceiling of the ballroom.

SEE PAGE 8

Voices

By Jim Horinek Collegian Staff

Photo by Jim Horinek

Giving back: English Professor Dr. John Morris gave his summer teaching salary to fund a professional writing endowment.

Collegian Staff

SEE PAGE 5

At many universities it is common to find professors who are dedicated to the educational process and go above and beyond their job description. However, returning the money earned from that job is not as common. Despite that fact, after teaching during the 2009 summer session, English professor Dr. John Morris did just that. Dr. Morris wrote a check for $7,500 and donated it to Cameron to start an endowed lectureship in professional writing.

“I want to make it possible to have enrichment experiences beyond the curriculum and that is really what I have in mind,” Dr. Morris said. “You know, I first got the idea for this a few years ago. I did a similar thing when I taught for the summer, I donated my salary to begin a poetry prize.”

Furthering his gift to the university, Dr. Morris will also be donating his summer salary from the 2011 summer term to add to the endowment. That will bring his total donation for the endowment to $12,500, which will then be matched by the McCasland Foundation. With these funds he intends for Cameron to bring in more guest lecturers and improve the educational experiences for students interested in writing.

Dr. Morris became acquainted with the impact that a guest lecturer can have during his time as an undergraduate student.

“I remember the first creative writing course that I took, I was introduced to a lot of writers who I had never heard of before, but whose work I ended up loving.

See MORRIS Page 2

Enrollment continues to see record growth

By Rashmi Thapaliya

Religion should be left out of current military action.

See MAC Page 10

Morris donates summer salary for endowment

Sports

Cross country coach breaks 100-mile Guinness world record.

After the opening of the Business Building and Bentley Gardens, Cameron students have the opening of yet another new building to look forward to. The McMahon Centennial Complex, which will serve as the new student activities complex, is a two-story building under construction with a goal of opening March 22.

On the ground floor of the Centennial Complex is a game room, vending machines, bookstore, coffee shop, food court, art gallery and One Stop Shop. Vice President of Business and Finance Glen Pinkston said that March 1 is the goal for the completion of substantial construction. The furniture will be moved in March 8, and Sodexo food services will start shifting to the new building on March 15. The MCC, as it is being called, is scheduled to be dedicated on April 8.

“The design of the McMahon Centennial Complex will house the things that are in the Student Union,” Pinkston said. “But it will be much more spacious with many additional facilities.”

The new food court will feature the same food service options as were in the Student Union.

However, the Aggie Grill and Campus Brew will be moved to the MCC. As an added convenience for students, the Aggie Grill and Campus Brew will be separated from the food court so that they can hold longer hours than the rest of the food court. Another improvement will be a considerable increase in the dining space. This increase will allow many more students, faculty and staff to eat in the Mac at the same time.

The One Stop Shop, which is currently housed in Shepler, will also be moved to the new building, as will the bookstore and post office. Pinkston said that the new area for the bookstore is about the same in comparison to the one currently in use. However, he added that it will be laid out and designed more functionally. Adding to the features of the first floor, the area near the east entrance of the Mac will house an art gallery of student work.

Enrollment at Cameron University for the spring 2010 semester continued the record growth experienced during the fall 2009 semester, when CU posted the largest enrollment increase of any university in Oklahoma. Preliminary information for the spring semester indicates an increase of more than 13 percent in the number of students enrolled when compared to spring 2009, demonstrating Cameron’s status as the “University of Choice” for Southwest Oklahoma, President Cindy Ross said.

“It is rewarding to see Cameron University’s enrollment growth continue,”

President Ross said. “Our goal is to provide students a top-quality education at an affordable cost, and the continuing enrollment increase is a sign that we are meeting that goal.”

The number of new freshmen has increased by about 14 percent and graduate student enrollment is up more than 13 percent as well. In addition, projections indicate that about 60 percent of the student body is enrolled full-time, which represents a significant increase in the number of full-time students than the university has historically experienced.

See ENROLLMENT Page 2

Graphic by Jim Horinek

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News

February 15, 2010

MORRIS continued from page 1 I remember that one of the things that was really important to me during that course was a book of poetry by Marge Piercy,” Dr. Morris said.

Coincidentally, Dr. Morris went to visit his sister, who was attending another school. and, on his arrival, he found that Piercy happened to be appearing on campus. He quickly jumped at the opportunity to meet the author. From that chance meeting, Dr. Morris came to understand the impact that a lecturer can have on students.

“Getting to meet someone who has written a work, and is still alive and writing, is sort of like being able to meet a rock star,” Dr. Morris said. “That is the kind of impact that it can have, especially at a school like Cameron because, when we bring someone in, we intend for the students to have a very large opportunity to have access to the guest.”

According to Dr. Morris, the guest lecturers that his endowment will bring

offer many things that are very valuable.

“A lot of the benefits are intangible and can be seen as the kind of intellectual excitement that is created by having someone who has written work on campus.

It gives students an opportunity to meet and interact with writers,” Dr. Morris said. “If you are trying to figure out how to write a poem, short story or essay, meeting someone who has done it is invaluable and is an amazing thing.”

With his dedication to the students and Cameron it is understandable that Dr. Morris donates not only his time but also his money to improve the educational experience at CU. He considers this to be a small price to give for the job that he loves so dearly. Although, Dr. Morris, can often be heard saying that he does not yet know what he wants to be when he grows up; in truth he figured that out many years ago.

“I joke in my classes and say ‘I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,’ but I actually do and I’m already doing it,” he said.

“I joke in my classes and say ‘I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,’ but I actually do and I’m already doing it.”

— Dr. John Morris English Professor

ENROLLMENT continued from page 1 “We are delighted to see the growth in full-time student enrollment,” Ross said. “This, combined with the increase in the number of students living on campus, shows that students are choosing Cameron for a full collegiate experience.”

Associate Vice President

of Enrollment Management Jamie Glover said that Cameron University is continuing to be a university of choice for the students of Southwest Oklahoma and for quite a few students from Oklahoma City. Glover said that once the students enroll

at Cameron, the university has the obligation to see that the students continue their education at the institution.

“Once the students get enrolled in the university, they experience a personalized study environment with their professors.” Glover said. “We

are careful that, though the students’ enrollment goes up, we still maintain the small class size to provide a more personalized environment to the students.”

Nigerian student Chidi Ewelike is a Freshman majoring in Computer

Solutions on page 6.

Information Systems. He described his first college experience in the United States as new and interesting.

“The education system here is quite new to me,” Ewelike said. “Most of my general education classes are the size of about 30 students.”

Glover said that the university has added some sections in the general education classes to meet the demand of the incoming students. The sections are fuller than the past and there is an average of 19 students per professor, though the ratio may vary according to the nature of the classes, she said.

“We have a diverse class schedule because our university also has a significant number non-traditional students enrolled like adults, returning students, people who are unemployed and want to change their field and people with jobs,” Glover said. “We offer a variety of night and online classes to meet the need of a diverse group of students.

Another area of significant growth is visible in the number of military and military dependent students. More than 800 military, military dependent and National Guard students are enrolled this semester, an increase of about 38 percent.

The enrollment trend extends beyond Cameron’s Lawton campus. Enrollment at Cameron UniversityDuncan continues to grow, with a projected student credithour growth of more than 30 percent and headcount growth of more than 20 percent.

In addition, the number of student credit hours in online classes is up more than 30 percent for the spring 2010 semester.

President Ross attributes Cameron’s continuing enrollment growth to a number of factors.

“Cameron is the secondmost affordable university in the state,” she said. “In addition, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual ‘Best Colleges’ edition, Cameron ranks second in the nation in students graduating with the lowest debt load.

Not only did we avoid tuition increases this academic year, we significantly increased the amount of financial assistance available to our students. I’m proud to say that approximately 68 percent of Cameron students graduate with no debt at all. Cameron’s financial initiatives coupled with the quality of educational programs offered at Cameron are just a few of the factors that make Cameron University the ‘University of Choice’ in Southwest Oklahoma.”

February 15, 2010

News

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February 15, 2010

Student Services holds February Marathon Challenge

By Rashmi Thapaliya Collegian Staff The Student Service Counseling Center at Cameron University is sponsoring the February Marathon Challenge, which will be held starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 and ending at 5 p.m.

Feb. 28 in the Fitness Center.

The fitness center marathon will be open for students, faculty members and staff of the university. Deanice Shegog, Mental Health Counselor of Student Services, said that as a healthy mind and a healthy body go side by side, people should be physically sound for a good mental condition.

“I hope that this marathon

challenge will help the people who want a healthy life,” Shegog said. “People will be able to develop a habit of working out each day through this.”

Participants can use the elliptical trainer, treadmill or inside track to complete 26 miles during the month of February. The challenge is open throughout the month of February. Participants are registered any day during the month.

If anyone wants to participate in the challenge, he or she should register in the Fitness Center and track his or her mileage and time on an index card located at the front desk. The participant who accumulates 26 miles in

the fastest time for their age and gender category is declared a winner while the participant who accumulates the most miles for their age and gender category will be declared a winner as well.

There is no limitation on the miles the competitors can cover, as the distance covered during the marathon can go over 26 miles.

The age categories for the competition are 17-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 5054, 55-59 and 60 and over.

Shegog said that since it is the month of February, it will be easier for people to take part in an indoor marathon rather than an outdoor activity.

“We are also coming up with

a surprise in April,” Shegog said.

“The upcoming activity will be held outdoors.”

Shegog said that Oklahoma ranks terribly in health condition, as the rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease in the state rank higher than normal.

She added that freshmen gain about ten pounds of weight during their first year of college, and that is why the Student Service Counseling Center is trying to help students by organizing competitions like the marathon.

Anyone who wants to be a part of the challenge may go to the Fitness Center or contact Deanice Shegog at 581-2244 or North Shepler Room 324.

MCT Campus

Voices

February 15, 2010

5

Religion has no place in current military action “Kill ‘Em All” is the title of a Metallica album, not a legitimate mantra to build a twisted sense of morality on.

This statement seems like it would be obvious, and to do it in writing appears to be incredibly obtuse, but some recent interactions and one particular news story lead me to believe that this is not accepted by all.

It all started about three weeks ago. I was running/ asthmatically wheezing on a treadmill when I noticed the person on the exercise bike in front of me wearing a graphic-tee that read, “Kill them all; let God sort them out.”

I then realized the shirt featured a unit name, deployment date and locations of deployment in Iraq. Dazed by the general ignorance of the shirt, I stopped running on a moving treadmill and stumbled off the speeding track onto the floor. To commemorate your deployment, a t-shirt is appropriate. So is a shirt that honors a fellow soldier, especially one who died in combat. That being said, is a t-shirt that openly states a

sociopathic, racist and faith-based war against a group of people that are being hunted for being violent based on a fundamentalist religious belief system appropriate? I hope not.

Do the ends justify the means? Should anyone be openly advocating for genocide?

Freedom of speech may protect individuals, which is a right that I hope is not infringed upon, but that freedom does not apply to a governmental entity like the military. The separation of church and state is one of the foundations of this country.

This was enacted because of the long history of European powers fighting seemingly endless religious wars where atrocities were committed in the name of the deity.

I was pretty wound up by the first shirt, but I had just come to terms with the fact that this was an isolated incident of ignorance when I had another sighting.

This shirt read, “The only one who can forgive a terrorist is God; it’s our job to arrange the meeting.” Although shirt

Bennett Dewan

no. 2 was an improvement over the first one, mainly because it didn’t call for the eradication of all people speaking Arabic, it still called upon Western religious superiority.

The Judeo-Christian traditions have already fought a series of anti-Muslim wars; they were called the Crusades.

One of the incantations of the “Holy Wars” involved use of child soldiers, and another turned into a slaughter of Christians by looting and pillaging other Christians. Clearly this is the type of imagery we should call upon when referencing modern foreign policy.

The sightings of these shirts could very well be considered isolated incidents, but the emergence of a story about a faith-based weapon paraphernalia manufacturer hiding references to Biblical scriptures on the sights sold to the U.S. Military makes it seem like this is a disturbing trend.

Trijicom, based in Michigan, is the exclusive gun-sight manufacturer and distributor for the U.S. Marines. Hidden within a visible inscription is letters and numbers corresponding to a book, chapter and verse in the Bible. One such inscription reads, “JN8:12” for John 8:12, “When Jesus spoke again to the people he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows

me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This certainly sounds like proselytizing, which is banned by the Geneva Convention’s International Law of Land Warfare. The situation also feels like a huge blow to U.S. relations with the Arab world. Islamic fundamentalists have claimed for years that the U.S. supports a religious culture war against Islamic nations, and now there seems to be some evidence that a few citizens want just that.

Anytime warfare becomes about moral, cultural or ideological superiority, nothing is gained but oppression. It is an obligation of all citizens to prevent this.

‘Star Trek Online’ opens new world for long-time gamer

MCT Campus

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Rachel Engel Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - Justin Cliburn Back Page Editor - Monica Garner Digital Editors - Kyle Luetters and Michael Faggett

Newsroom Staff

Ever since “World of Warcraft” hit the stage six years ago, the video game industry has never been the same, for better or worse.

The idea of a game where, literally, millions of people are interacting with each other on a daily basis is strikingly ironic, considering the standard stereotype of a gamer is someone sitting alone in their parents’ basement playing all the time.

Granted, it takes hundreds of hours to grind one’s way through the ranks of MMORPGs like “World of Warcraft,” but that’s beside the point. The genre has hit a completely new audience of gamers and has become a resounding success.

I, on the other hand, have tried to avoid this pitfall in every way possible. I’ve been gaming for more than 20 years, and I’ve never considered anything like “World of Warcraft” remotely fun, or engaging. At least, that’s what I always tried to tell myself. I’ve cut my teeth on everything from the Atari 2600, to the NES, all the way up to the modern console and PC games. If there’s a game out there, I can play it. But these MMOs were a strange new beast that I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with.

There used to be more people like me — more people who played games for hours on end, looking for the secret to finally overcoming that tough encounter, or solving that last puzzle, or taking down the final boss. We are fewer now than ever before, despite gaming taking on such a widespread appeal. So it would make sense for me to at least try something like “World of Warcraft.”

To the contrary, I’ve watched many friends of mine get sucked into the game, to the point where they almost become the stereotypical person playing for hours on end. I didn’t want that to happen to me.

So I have succeeded over the past several years in avoiding MMOs. I admit; I was tempted. I love Robert E. Howard’s

“Conan” stories and almost jumped into Funcom’s “Age of Conan,” but I didn’t have a computer powerful enough to run it at the time. “EVE” always looked tempting, but it was complicated beyond belief. I have a dozen people pestering me to get on “World of Warcraft,” but I have avoided temptation. And then Cryptic had to come along and hit me where it hurt: “Star Trek.”

If there is one thing I absolutely love in this world, it’s “Star Trek.” I own every series and movie, have seen every episode and have many memorized. I actually scare myself at times — if only knowing “Trek” lore was worth anything. But when I discovered Cryptic was working on “Star Trek Online,” where one could captain his or her own Constitution-class cruiser, and visit some of the most iconic moments in “Star Trek” like the City on the Edge of Forever, duel with the dreaded Doomsday Machine and fight armies of Gorn like the great Captain Kirk valiantly did, I was sold. In fact, it was one of the main reasons I invested in a gaming computer.

I now find myself facing a conundrum. I have discovered the magic of MMOs, and now I can’t pull myself away from it. Granted, it took a heavy dose of “Star Trek” to get me involved, but that’s beside the point. I’m already a senior officer in one of the largest fleets in the game. I invest way more hours than I should, and have found myself trying to battle it out against the last Klingon Warbird instead of studying for that Biology test this week. I’ve lost more hours of sleep scanning planets and looking for alien artifacts than I have playing “Halo 2” multiplayer.

So what is it about MMOs that are so fascinating? I can’t even figure it out. There’s nothing remotely spectacular about them. The combat isn’t that great. The graphics aren’t really that impressive, and the MCT Campus lag is horrible at times.

But there’s something about entering a starbase orbiting Earth and seeing hundreds of other people running around.

Though, instead of each character being controlled by an AI process programmed into the game, there are actually real people in control of them. It’s fascinating at first. I spent much of the first night I was online in the “Star Trek Online” beta just running around and interacting with other people, even if that included kicking one of them in the back of the head with my level-4 Vulcan.

As a gamer of two decades, I didn’t think there would be much left that would amaze me.

The Wii came and went with tacked on motion controls. “Crysis” still impresses me with its lifelike graphics, but they are only graphics. How many times can one play the same “Halo” game? But “Star Trek Online,” and MMOs in general, have truly opened a new gaming landscape for me, and I’m impressed. So I say sorry to all of you “World of Warcraft” fanatics that I’ve made fun of over the years. I may not have been WoW’d, but I’m close enough.

Joshua Rouse

Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Rashmi Thapaliya, Amanda Finch, Alyssa Knerr, Tori Strecker, Tatiana Isis and Amanda Phillips.

Circulation Manager - Matthew Penick

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.

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 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

February 15, 2010

Homecoming activities set sail

By Alyssa Knerr Collegian Staff Homecoming is an American tradition of inviting parents, students, donors and alumni to campus for a celebration highlighted by a sporting activity. Cameron University honors that tradition every year by holding events every day for a week leading up to Cameron’s crowning of a Homecoming King and Queen at halftime of the men’s basketball game.

This year, Cameron’s Homecoming theme will be “Cruising on Home.” The Programming Activities Council, also known as PAC, is already hard at work planning and organizing the event.

Amanda Harris is a junior and has been with PAC for three years. She will be chairing the Homecoming dance and is excited about the energy brought to the table.

“Homecoming is one of our big events, and it is something that we definitely want to celebrate,” Harris said.

“Having it a week long lets us show our Aggie spirit, and, hopefully, we will keep it going throughout the year, not just for the week.”

Another PAC member is sophomore Jessica Kirk, who was making posters for Homecoming week. She is not chairing any of the events, but she plans on being present at

each of them.

“I usually try to make a poster every time I come in,” Kirk said. “We make posters, hang up posters, really anything you have time to volunteer to do. I am not chairing any of the events but I definitely will be at them and helping out with whatever needs to be helped.”

This year, PAC has booked some new faces for Cameron to watch, such as comedian Roy Wood Jr. and a musical performance by Plastic Musik.

Jordan Scriber is a sophomore this year; however, this will be his first time helping PAC with Homecoming. Scriber will be taking pictures at each event and is excited about the performance of Plastic Musik so she can see how Cameron’s campus will handle their act.

“My favorite events are usually the two big events,” Scriber said. “In this instance it would be the comedian, Roy Wood Jr., and the music performance of Plastic Musik, mainly, because I went to Naca and saw them in person already. So, I do know how talented they are and how much fun everybody will have.

I am really looking forward to seeing how Cameron is going to react.”

Before the King and Queen are announced, students will compete in the “#1 Aggie Fans Contest”, consisting of

three competitive events for homecoming nominees. The first is the “Window Painting Contest” where contestants are to use the theme, a cruise and display some art on a window.

Students will be able to see each one at different places and judging will be held at 4 p.m.

Feb. 16.

The next role for each King and Queen nominee will be the banner contest, where a banner will be painted, theme-related and judged. At the basketball game, people will get to see the efforts of all entrants, as they will be hung in the Aggie Gym for all to see.

The final event is a building decoration contest, where nominees will be assigned a hallway and are to decorate it using the theme. While the decorating at Cameron is going on, there will be other events students can attend for free.

Monday – Comedian Roy Wood Jr. will be seen at 9:00 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Shepler Ballroom, in between North and South Shepler. Kirk says it is a lot of fun and people get really excited about seeing the comedians.

“I really like when we have the comedians come on, and we usually have them every Homecoming week,” Kirk said.

Amanda Finch is one of the co-chairs of the PAC and oversees the entire week of Homecoming. Finch expressed excitement over the outcome

MCT Campus

of last year’s attendance to the comedian.

“The last two comedians that we had, we had over 200 people trying to get into the Ballroom,” she said. “So, right when we open the doors at 9:00, they fill up and we shut them once we get to full capacity, since we can’t let anyone else in.

So, we are predicting that it will be the same way for this comedian.”

Tuesday – The next day is when the Homecoming King and Queen candidates will be introduced to Cameron students. Later in the evening, the musical performance of Plastic Musik will open at 8:00 p.m. Feb. 16 at Cameron’s Fitness Center.

Finch says the musical performance will draw a greater number of people, but only because of the location.

“Plastic Musik, the band, will be Tuesday at the Fitness Center, so we will be able to hold a lot more people than the comedian event but we do predict that there will be about 200 to 250 people there,” Finch said.

Wednesday – From 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 17 at the Student Activities Building there will be free pizza for everyone. Voting for Homecoming King and Queen will occur from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.; so, students can swing by the building, get free pizza and vote.

“We always have about 400 people come to the pizza lunch over the two hours,” Finch said. “For voting, I am not sure of the numbers but I am sure we will have a lot more people voting this year than last because we have so many more people on campus and more people living on campus.”

Thursday – Voting will continue from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. as it will be the last day for students to choose their King and Queen. That evening, the Homecoming dance will be held at 9:00 p.m.

Feb. 18 in the Ballroom. The title for the dance, “Club Aggie Oasis,” references the dances

and parties that take place on cruise ships.

Amanda Harris is excited mostly about the Homecoming dance. The events throughout Homecoming week differ every year, but the homecoming dance remains, she said.

“I really like chairing the dance,” Harris said.

“I am not a huge dancer myself, but I like to plan the event and come up with the themes, decorations and center pieces. All of that type of stuff is fun to me.”

This year the attire is more of a night scene affair.

“This year it is more causal with a club scene theme, but we still predict that a lot of people will come,” Finch said. “Our dances are really fun and about 200 or 300 people.”

Friday – Near the end of the week, students go to a bonfire and pep rally at 8:30 p.m.

Feb. 19 in the South Village parking lot for the women and men’s basketball game the next day.

Saturday – A tailgate will begin at 12:00 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Bentley Gardens to start the most eventful day of Homecoming week, which Finch says is the whole reason for the week.

“My favorite events are the games and the tailgate before because everyone is so excited.

Come out to the game, see who was crowned and see if we win,” Finch said. “So, the excitement is really high and plus all the other events of the week lead up to that event.”

The women’s game starts at 2:00 p.m. Then the men’s game starts at 4:00 p.m. but during halftime everyone gets to see the coronation and find out who are Cameron’s King and Queen.

Everyone who comes out to the game gets a free shirt supporting CU. If a person would like a shirt affiliated with Homecoming week, they are available in the Student Activities Building. The theme, “Cruising on Home,” is printed on the front and the itinerary of the full week is on the back.

A&E

February 15, 2010

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Diggs named Miss Black CU

By Rachel Engel Collegian Staff Only halfway through her freshman year at Cameron University and freshman Nicole Diggs is already representing the university as the newly crowned Miss Black CU 2010.

Diggs was chosen out of five contestants after being judged on business wear, evening wear, a question-and-answer portion, and a private interview at the pageant on Feb. 6 After the initial shock of winning the title wore off, the 19-year-old Early Childhood Education major was humbled by the honor.

“When I won, I was honestly in shock. It still amazes me everyday that I have been given the title of Miss Black CU,” Diggs said. “I feel like this title has given me more responsibility, but in a good way. The next step is the Miss Black Oklahoma pageant on Aug. 5.”

Preparation for the pageant began in the fall of 2009, starting with a tea put on by the Ebony Society.

“Before I realized it, we had been doing all this work since the beginning of October, and I was sitting at my table getting ready and said, ‘Oh my gosh guys, it’s almost over,’” Diggs said. “I was more upset about it being over than wondering who was going to win.”

Not being a native of Lawton, Diggs said she is hoping to make the university proud as

she continues on the pageant circuit, and hopes to learn more about Cameron and Lawton in preparation for potential interview questions.

In addition to representing Cameron University in the Miss Black Oklahoma pageant this summer, Diggs also received a tuition waiver for up to 18 hours of classes a semester for the next three years for winning. After losing her father to colon cancer in October of 2008, the stability the scholarship brings her family in helping pay for her tuition was welcomed, Diggs said.

“The scholarship really helped my mother financially because we lost my dad,” she said. “It really helped to be able to say, ’Hey, mom, you don’t have to worry about tuition for the next few years.’”

Diggs chose to run her pageant platform on the issue of speech and language pathology after seeing the difficulties her oneyear-old nephew had after being born with hearing loss.

“He was born with ninety percent hearing loss,” Diggs said.

“At his young age it’s improving slowly, and it made us realize that he’s going to need more attention just being able to understand where he’s coming from and his feelings. “ Diggs said she began looking up information about hearing loss and diagnosis online and talking to friends who were required to take speech classes as children.

“Speech and language pathology is the study of speech

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Crowning moment: Freshman Nicole Diggs is crowned the 2010 Miss Black Cameron University as other contestants rush to congratulate her on Feb. 6. Diggs, an Early Childhood Education major, ran on the platform of speech and language pathology.

and hearing disorders and their diagnosis, and it’s a way to help those who have hearing and vocal loss communicate with others besides sign language,” Diggs said.

“Sign language is a part of it, but it also helps people understand that they can use sounds to help learn their vowels where they can start pronouncing words and still learn to read. It helps them connect with friends, family and business partners on another level.”

Diggs plans on working with the Oklahoma Speech-LanguageHearing Association through volunteering for events and fundraisers, and wants to help

those who live with hearing or vocal loss.

“I hope to be able to work with students and people my age that have hearing and vocal disabilities,” Diggs said. “I want to make it known that all ages can help with hearing disorders and spread the word about speech and language pathology and how important it really is.”

Diggs is a native of Glenpool, a suburb outside Tulsa, and said she chose to attend Cameron for its affordable tuition and small-town charm.

“I kind of just fell in love with [Cameron],” Diggs said.

“The minute we got here I felt comfortable, and I turned and asked my mom what she thought.

She said she could really see me being here. That was a big note for me, having mom’s approval.”

Looking back, Diggs feels the decision to compete in the pageant was the right choice.

“I would definitely recommend this pageant to other women on campus,” Diggs said, “because it is truly a great opportunity to meet others, form a sisterhood, learn about yourself, gain confidence, knowledge and become a better person overall.”

Cameron, Lawton celebrate Black History Month

By Amanda Finch Collegian Staff Every year, February marks the remembrance of important people and events in the history of African Americans by recognizing and celebrating Black History Month.

Cameron University’s Office of Student Development is a part of the Black History Month planning committee with LawtonFort Sill, which met throughout the fall semester to discuss and coordinate different events that are scheduled to take place both on campus and in the community

this month.

On Feb. 6, Cameron University and the Ebony Society presented the 31st Annual Dr. Valree Wynn Miss Black CU Pageant in the Theatre. On Feb. 5, Hannibal Johnson was on campus to speak about diversity issues. Student Development has hosted several speakers for Black History Month over the past few years, and this year the CU Library received grant money from the Oklahoma Humanities Council to bring Johnson to campus.

Director of Student Development Dr. Jennifer Pruchnicki says that for Cameron

events, the committee welcomes suggestions from the campus community and often works with multicultural organizations in planning events throughout the academic year.

“We were excited to partner with them for this presentation,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “Providing multicultural events for the campus community is important because it keeps the flow of dialogue open about diversity issues. It provides opportunities to learn from each other, and as we learn and become more educated, we grow as individuals and hopefully become better citizens.”

In past Black History Month celebrations, Cameron has hosted guest speakers such as The Honorable David B. Lewis, Rep. T.W. Shannon and Dr. Marco Columbus. They have each brought different topics and perspectives to the table.

This year, the Black History Month planning committee is hosting events such as the NAACP Birthday Celebration, the Omega/Delta Valentine’s Ball, a citywide revival, African American Teen Conferences and more. Dr. Pruchnicki encourages students and campus organizations to get involved in

the celebration and events.

“Student organizations interested in planning cultural events should definitely work with their advisers and Student Development to coordinate,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “The best ideas often come from our students.

We like to present and help with events that students are excited about.”

For a complete list of Black History Month events, students can request the Black Heritage Month calendar by contacting Dr. Pruchnicki in Student Development at: jpruchni@ cameron.edu.

monster — to Hell. Obviously, Dante fights through thousands of Hell’s minions just to get to the gates of Hell and save his beloved.

And all of that is just the intro.

I spent half the game trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this guy can slaughter thousands of enemies, take down bosses that are bigger than any Lawton building, can kill Death himself and yet gets killed by a lone soldier who stabbed him in the back. And it is only after that that Dante became this crazed warrior.

Nothing is explained in the game. It literally moves from one crazy moment to the next, as if Michael Bay had handled the editing — removing all of the story, but leaving the female exploitation and random action moments.

There’s no reasoning behind any of it. Dante just wants to get his woman back, and he’s going to travel through some of the most disturbing locales to be shown in a video game. It’s somewhat ironic that “Dante’s Inferno” has absolutely no story, considering it’s based on one of the most important literary works of all time.

However, if you can check your

brain at the door, the game is actually, somehow, fun. It plays almost exactly like “God of War,” with Dante using Death’s bone scythe to maim, dismember and kill anything that gets in his way. He uses the cross, — yes, the actual cross — as a ranged weapon that can shoot beams to kill anything they’re aimed at.

Visceral Games has never been a bastion of originality in the industry. The best game the development house ever released was 2008’s “Dead Space.” While it was extremely impressive, it liberally mimicked “Resident Evil 4” in many ways. But while “Dead Space” was an improvement over the games it mirrored, “Dante’s Inferno” doesn’t come as close.

It’s a fun clone, but subpar when compared to “God of War.” And with the third entry into Sony Santa Monica’s series coming next month, a possible “Dante’s Inferno” purchase might be postponed until an inevitable price drop.

“Dante’s Inferno” is not necessarily a bad game. But it’s obvious the name was attached to a generic game for sales purposes only. I may have never read the literary work, but I doubt Dante has a duel with Death and cuts him in half with his own weapon.

I thought the game was fairly enjoyable, except for the gratuitous full-frontal necro-nudity. But I draw the line at Katie Vick.

‘Inferno’ adaptation tests decency boundaries Ridiculous and video games have always gone together well.

By the basic values of games, they have to be fun, and usually that involves playing as a character that’s, somehow, more powerful than most other things in his or her universe. So ridiculous things are bound to happen. But ridiculous hit a completely new level when Electronic Arts announced “Dante’s Inferno.”

No, the video game publishing giant didn’t decide to republish the book — they went beyond anything so ridiculous. Somehow, some way, EA and Visceral Games actually made an adaptation of one of the greatest works of literature ever written. Granted,

I’m somewhat ashamed to admit I have never completely read all the way through the 1/3 of “The Divine Comedy.” So when I first heard about the game, I had my reservations, but figured it couldn’t be that bad. It’s about a man traveling through the nine circles of Hell. That sounds like most people’s daily lives, as well as some video games.

Then, the game actually came out, and I played it. I still don’t know what I experienced. It is quite possibly one of the most ridiculous, insane, out of control, unnecessary and just plain odd games I have ever played in my 20 years as a gamer. I liken it to going through a carnival funhouse with demonic looking

clowns. Only, there are no clowns, so the game isn’t nearly as scary. But it’s just as messed up.

Of course, gamers play the role of Dante, a crusader under the command of Richard the Lion Heart, who invades Acre in an attempt to recover a priceless religious artifact. Dante, a seemingly skilled soldier (he would have to be since he slaughters 50 to 100 soldiers by himself just in the opening) gets stabbed in the back by a lone warrior. I was waiting for the guy to yell “oh my god, you n00b” after he stabbed him.

Death (yes, the Grim Reaper sporting his black cape and bone scythe) shows up to personally take Dante to hell. But obviously, Dante is no ordinary man. He literally kills Death — with his own weapon. I didn’t know Death could actually die. Isn’t that somewhat counter-productive?

Dante then returns home, finds his beloved Beatrice dead in all of her full-frontal nude glory. Then her ghost, in all its full-frontal nude glory, is taken by Satan — who looks a lot like the “LOST” smoke

Joshua Rouse

MCT Campus

8

Sports

February 15, 2010

Glasgow puts in work to win at CU

By Tori Strecker Collegian Staff

Boom-shaka-laka: Kallan Glasgow leaps for a throwdown against Southeastern in front of the home-town crowd.

Glasgow leads the team in steals; his defense often results in quick transition baskets.

As the 2009-2010 season is winding down for the Cameron University men’s basketball team, so is the career of a longtime Aggie.

Kallan Glasgow is a 6’2” forward from Apache and has worn the Aggie uniform for five years. In May 2009, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and is working towards a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. He will end his collegiate basketball career this season.

According to Glasgow, his time at Cameron has been rewarding to say the least, but the path was not a part of his original plans.

“When I graduated from high school, I enrolled at Cameron University looking to pursue an academic career only,” Glasgow said. “I did this because the school was close to home and very cost efficient, but the thought of playing collegiate basketball constantly stayed in my mind. I just didn’t know how to get the team interested in me.”

After attending Cameron for two years, Glasgow was finally convinced to attend a try-out for the men’s basketball team.

At that time, he was offered a walk-on position, and, two years later, he earned a basketball scholarship.

Making the adjustment from full-time student to full-time student and basketball player

came fairly easy, just as the strives to bring more to the team motivation did, Glasgow said. than just great numbers. Leading “Balancing by example is a my school personal quality work and he tries to “Through Through my hard basketball portray on and work ethic, I try never posed off the court, he to provide a good a threat to said. me,” Glasgow “Through example for my said. “I stayed teammates to follow follow.” my hard work dedicated to ethic, I try to succeeding — Kallan Glasgow provide a good on and off example for my Men’s Basketball teammates to the court and everything follow,” Glasgow worked out said. “No matter just fine in how practice or both areas.” a game is going, I always try to According to Glasgow, he has work as hard as I possibly can enjoyed his years at CU and, even and I hope the underclassmen though the team has encountered notice this and continue to work a few unexpected roadblocks, hard as well. I also try to be vocal he still has high hopes for the and encourage my teammates to remainder of the season. get better.”

“If you look at our overall Good players, coaches and record this year, many people educators have surrounded would say the season is going Glasgow during his time at downhill,” Glasgow said.

Cameron University, and it “However, I have personally is that combination that has enjoyed the later part of our allowed him to flourish and season just as much as last year become the person he is today. when we were making our run at “I feel privileged to still be the conference tournament.” playing basketball at this point “The team may not be winning in my life,” Glasgow said. “I feel conference games as desired, but that I am a good student who we are continuing to work hard has always been motivated by and stay positive,” he said. competition, and Cameron has “This particular group of guys given me the opportunity to gives 100 percent at all times, succeed in ways I never thought and as a leader you cannot ask for possible.” much more than that,” Glasgow Glasgow plans to complete said. “This has allowed us to be graduate school in May 2011 and in every single game and give then pursue a career with the our fans an enjoyable basketball government as a budget analylist season so far.” or teach high school math and According to Glasgow, he coach.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Lucky 13: Guard/Forward Kallan Glasgow puts in a twohanded layup off of and inbounds steal in the Aggie Gym. Glasgow has worn the traditionally unlucky no. 13 for the last three seasons, with stellar results.

Aguero, friends run Guinness record 100 miles

By Amanda Phillips Collegian Staff For most people, New Year’s Eve conjures thoughts of partying with friends and family, sipping champagne and kissing someone special at midnight. However, Cross Country Coach Matt Aguero and team member Josh Stewart are not most people.

Aguero, Stewart and eight of their friends celebrated New Year’s Eve 2009 by breaking the Guinness world record for the fastest 100-mile relay. The 10 runners, all between the ages of 23 and 29, completed the run in 8:19:53, shattering the previous record by more than 17 minutes. Though the team battled freezing temperatures, each mile they ran averaged an impressive 4:59.

The event was held at the Ada High School track. Since all 10 men previously ran for East Central University in the past, Ada seemed to be the most natural location.

According to Aguero, the team’s original strategy was for each man to run 10 miles.

However, when the team was faced with minor obstacles on the day of the race, some slight adjustments had to be made to the team’s approach, which Aguero admitted made him a little nervous.

“Everyone was supposed to run 10 miles, but we had some injuries, so everyone ended up running somewhere between

seven and 13 miles,” Aguero said. “Once some guys started getting injured, I started getting a little nervous, but it all turned out OK in the end.”

After the team finished the relay, they all celebrated on the track.

“We were all pretty excited when we finished. We all highfived and had some sparkling grape juice to celebrate,” Aguero said. “We also had t-shirts made to celebrate the occasion.”

Aguero said that there was a lot more to setting the Guinness world record than just running some laps around a track. The team was required to have two skilled timers on hand at the event, along with two witnesses who had to sign off on each lap. The team also had to have the entire 100-mile run captured on video. Aguero was quick to acknowledge how critical the assistance was from those who helped.

“A lot of people helped us,” Aguero said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

The hard work did not stop once the relay was completed.

After the group of men finished the run, they had to compile a highlight tape to send to the people at Guinness. Guiness is still in the process of reviewing the videotaped coverage of the relay and is keeping the team updated on their progress via email. Aguero said that he is not sure if his team’s record will make it into Guinness’s book once it is officially approved

because not all records do, but he is hopeful. After all, it was seeing the former record in the book that inspired him to break it.

“I was f lipping through the book at my friend’s house about five years ago, and I saw that record and thought, ‘Hey, I could break that,’” Aguero said.

Aguero also said that this was not his first time to break the world record.

“Some guys and I had actually broken the record before, but the videotapes were damaged, so we weren’t able to send them in,” Aguero said.

The previous record, which was held by a track club from London, stood only for a few years. Aguero said he does not know how long his record will stand, but that he has no plans to try to break his own record anytime soon.

“The relay was fun, but it was hard, and it’s hard to get 10 guys together who are all in shape at the same time,” Aguero said. “If our record is broken, then I might think about trying to break it again, but I don’t have any plans right now.”

Though Aguero said that it is pretty exciting to hold a world record, he still manages to remain pretty humble about the whole thing.

“It’s pretty cool to have a world record, especially a cool one and not something weird like the world record for the longest hair or toenails,” Aguero said.

Eye of the tiger: Cross Country Running Coach Matt Aguero keeps in peak physical shape by running around the areas neighboring CU. Aguero won the pedometer competition on campus for logging the most steps while training for his historic run.

Editor’s Note: A correction is in order concerning the Feb. 8 issue. The story entitled, “Men’s Basketball looks to its leadership,” was credited to the wrong staff writer. The story was written by Amanda Phillips.

- Bennett Dewan Sports Editor Cameron Collegian

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Fast and steady wins the race: Matt Aguero warms up outdoors during one of this winter’s many cold spells.

Aguero and his team ran 100 miles averaging five-minute miles in near freezing temperatures.

Sports

February 15, 2010

9

New duo looks to net tennis titles

By Amanda Phillips Collegian Staff The Cameron women’s tennis team has a new doubles pair playing at the #1 position for the spring season. Freshmen Amanda Moberg and Julia Puckhaber have gladly accepted the challenge of representing the Aggies at the top spot.

Swedish native Amanda Moberg made her first appearance as an Aggie during the team’s fall season. The Swede is playing at the #1 position in singles, in addition to doubles, and she has racked up some impressive victories in her short time at Cameron.

The newcomer captured the Lone Star Conference title in singles and doubles and has a 7-1 record for the fall season.

Her only loss came in the semifi nal match of the ITA regional tournament.

Moberg attributes some of her on-court success to the variety of her game.

“I like to slice and add in some drop shots. I like to do whatever I can to vary my game, and I always try to play my best because I hate losing,” Moberg said.

Women’s tennis coach James Helvey agreed with Moberg’s analysis of her game.

Helvey said Moberg’s style of play encompasses many characteristics.

“Amanda is an all-court player. She’s mentally strong and uses a lot of strategy in her game,” Helvey said. “She likes to beat you with her mind.”

Moberg also said the competition she faces here is much different than in Sweden.

“The competition here is a lot tougher,” Moberg said. “The girls I play against aren’t here to make friends.”

Julia Puckhaber, who hails from Bremen, Germany, makes up the other half of the doubles team. Though Puckhaber has only been at Cameron for just over a month, she feels right at home with her teammates and coaches.

“Everyone on the team is so nice and helpful. The coaches are really nice too,” Puckhaber said.

Puckhaber describes her style of play as aggressive and said she likes to infl ict damage with her forehand. Helvey values Puckhaber’s game and said she has many essential qualities that make her a critical member of the team.

“Julia is very consistent. She has good strokes and strikes the ball very well. Mentally, she appears to be very strong and mature,” Helvey said.

As a doubles pair, Moberg and Puckhaber share an oncourt chemistry that flatters each other’s strengths.

“We play really well together,” Moberg said. “Julia

has a strong serve and plays well from the baseline, and we’re both strong at the net, so we can poach a lot.”

Helvey agreed that the women are a good match and said he has high expectations for them this season.

“Amanda and Julia are a good complement, and it just gets better every time they play. They are both very serious, and they both hit the ball very hard and have great anticipation,” Helvey said. “I see them doing very well this season. They are very capable of winning every match they play in the region, and they have everything it takes to achieve being number one in the region.”

Though the pair has only been playing together for a short time, they said they had no problem adapting to each other on the court.

“It was easy getting used to playing with each other,” Puckhaber said. “Amanda pushed me, so that helped.”

Moberg and Puckhaber both said they are confident about the spring season.

“I feel really good about the season. We have a really good team, and I think we have a good chance to do well in conference,” Moberg said. “I’m just going to go out there and try to win as many matches as possible.”

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Heart and soul: Amanda Moberg (left) and Julia Puckhaber (right) combine to make up the first position for Cameron Women’s doubles.

Helvey expects success

By Michael Faggett Collegian Staff Men’s tennis has competed in the NCAA National Championships for the last 14 years. Head coach James Helvey plans to extend that streak to 15 with this semester’s team.

“Overall, we look good,” Helvey said. “We have lots of talent, and it looks to be an exciting season.”

National sources notice the talent Hevley talks about. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranked twentieth in the nation among division two schools.

Helvey returns four starters from last season. Seniors Diego Troiano and Carlos Viscarra, junior Jeff Sasser and sophomore Thomas Peixoto return for another semester after a solid fall season. Troiano, Viscarra and Sasser advanced to the Lone Star Conference finals last semester.

The team also fared well at the ITA Regional Championships as well.

“We are here to win,” Helvey said.

The returners lead a team that features five freshmen, two of which will start their college careers this semester.

Manuel Barroetavena, Mateus Vasconcelos and Jorge Gerosi all played for Helvey last season.

Newcomers Santiago Romero and Nicolas Clerc join the team this season.

“We knew what the troops looked like heading into battle,” Helvey said. “These guys are talented.”

Helvey said he credits his team leaders for helping the freshmen adjust to college play.

“Those guys stepped up and helped our younger players,” Helvey said. “The seniors helped them understand the expectations we have as a team.”

Helvey said he also credits his leaders for helping the newcomers adjust to college life at Cameron.

Four of the five freshmen (Barroetavena, Romero, Gerosi

and Clerc) come from Argentina.

Vasconcelos hails from Brazil.

“It has been an interesting transition for them,” Helvey said.

“College life is an experience and they are handling it well.”

In addition to handling college life, the newcomers, as well as the overall team, will handle early tests of tough competition. The team begins its season on the road for all of the month of February. They will compete against Dallas Baptist University, UT-Arlington, SMU, Arkansas-Ft. Smith and Oklahoma Baptist University before hosting Southwest Baptist University in March.

“We call it ‘creative scheduling’,” Hevley said. “We have to pace our schedule.

Everybody is good now, so it gets tougher every year.”

With no pre-season or exhibition matches available to prepare the team, Helvey said he schedules opponents like the aforementioned schools in order to prep the team for both conference play and a run at the NCAA Championships.

“The season gets tougher with each match,” Helvey said. “We do not have the luxury of a preseason or exhibition season.”

Not having that luxury forces the freshmen to play more aggressively earlier in the season than later.

According to Helvey, that is a lesson he attempts to teach to his new players on the team.

“It is super competitive with the teams we play, so it is very difficult to recover from losses,” Helvey said. “It is a wake up for some of them, but I tell them straight up, you have to compete.”

Given the talent and leadership on the team, Helvey said he believes this group will compete hard and post another winning season.

“For the 17 years I have been here, we have had a winning season 17 times,” Helvey said.

“We do not plan on breaking that streak now.”

MCT Campus

Saints super, not saintly The Saints are Super Bowl champions, and deservedly so.

The team outplayed their competition on the football field and should be applauded for it, but that is where the accolades should stop.

Throughout the Super Bowl, and the two weeks leading up to it, the main theme associated with the New Orleans Saints was that the team had saved the city and the region from a postHurricane Katrina depression and single-handedly was the symbol for the city’s recovery.

This city saviors sentiment was echoed by sports broadcasters throughout the game and only intensified after the Saints victory gave it a perfect angle for the front page of every major newspaper in America.

There was just one simple issue: the Saints are not the soul of the city. The city survived in spite of the Saints and despite what the NFL wants the story to be. The Saints must be superior both on and off the field, they even play in the Superdome.

During Katrina, 24,000 residents, most of whom were unable to flee the impending storm, were taken to the Superdome to ride out the natural disaster. As the levees broke and New Orleans found itself under water, the people taking refuge in the 72,000 seat stadium found themselves without food, water and proper sanitation for over five days. This horrific treatment of some of the poorest people of the city led

many journalists including columnist David Zirin to call the temporary shelter the “terrordome.”

In the wake of one of the most destructive hurricanes in history, many of the city’s essential buildings, such as schools, nurseries, hospitals and grocery stores, remained closed. While the people of New Orleans were trapped in a seemingly inescapable horror waiting for aid to arrive to the ciy’s nearly 300-year-old infrastructure, the Superdome was quietly repaired at a cost of just over $185 million, $94 million of which came from FEMA. Worse yet, this reconstruction was done before any repair of the failed levees that virtually destroyed the Ninth Ward.

All this was done to ensure that the Saints would not have to be displaced for longer than the 2005 season, which the team split between San Antonio’s Alamodome and LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

When the team did make their return to the Superdome, analysts lauded the team and the fans for embodying the reemerging spirit of the “Big Easy.”

There were, however, a few obvious flaws to this reasoning then, just as there was on Super Bowl Sunday. The fans in the stands, and the franchise as a whole, are not good

Bennett Dewan

representations of the city.

The game was preceded by a concert performed for ticket holders. Rather than drawing on the immense talent pool of New Orleans natives, or at least harkening back to the jazz/big band music the region helped create, the franchise chose to go a different route and cater to a far more suburban audience.

Headlining the triumphant return of the Saints were Green Day, who were formed in Berkley Cal., and U2, from 4,350 miles east of “‘Nola.”

New Orleans’ population is currently over two-thirds African American, yet around 90 percent of the ticket holders are caucasion.

By booking two rock bands, the organization clearly sent a message as to the demographic they and the NFL would like to appeal to.

The per capita income for the city before the hurricane was just over $17,000 a year. Katrina did not help the revenue flow either.

Yet in light of this fact, the Saints have continued to raise ticket prices every season, eliminating the vast majority of the citizens who were most affected by the storm . . . and who the team is supposedly lifting.

The cheapest tickets this past season were $300 per seat for a minimum of 10 games. That is not chump change for any of the million or so residents hovering near the poverty line due to the tremendous toll of the rising waters, which was not covered by home insurance policies.

Analysts are paid to entertain and give commentary to make the experience better for the audience.

They are not hired to openly exaggerate the merits of a franchise, much to the delight of the NFL, to the largest viewership of any event in history at the expense of truth.

10

Variety

February 15, 2010

Groundbreaking: Old Kim helps to break ground on the McMahon Centennial Complex in March of 2008.

MCC continued from page 1 A unique feature that will be housed in the new complex is a 50-year time capsule. The items to be placed within the capsule are still being collected.

The second f loor of the complex will house a 400 seat ballroom, catering preparation area for banquets, a boardroom area for luncheons and meetings, and offices for student organizations such as PAC and SGA. The balcony looking out over the Bentley Gardens gives a unique and beautiful setting for students, faculty, staff and special events.

Lots of small details and added facilities differentiate the building from its predecessor.

The large ballroom has three partitions in it so that the room can be divided into up to three smaller rooms according to the nature of the program or banquet. Since the room can be divided into three rooms, there are three different projectors in the room to make it easier for a variety of programs to be conducted at the same time. There are three double doors in the room so that people can come and go conveniently. The balcony, which is just outside the ballroom, will also have a seating area so that banquet or event attendees can sit outdoors and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The balcony is fully powered to allow for outside events, such as live bands.

PAC and SGA have spacious offices and share a common workroom with other student organizations in the campus. The workroom contains lockers for all “It is going to be fair University clubs to store items. According to Pinkston, as evidence of the thought that went into the design of for everyone as the the MCC, there is an area in the organization workroom building is located that is not carpeted to make cleaning easier. This area in the middle of is intended to offer an area for clubs to create the many painted signs and f lyers that hang throughout the campus. the campus and is The design of the building’s architecture is in line with going to be more recent CU construction projects like CETES and the spacious.”

Business Building. Furthermore, the interior design is planned out so that there will be visual unity between the — Kristine Babes new campus facilities.

According to Pinkston, all the furniture in the building Lambino will be new and was chosen or designed for the spaces that Nursing sophomore they are to be placed. The interior accent colors, which include yellow, black and brown, give a unique identity to the interior. Overall, the entire interior is lavishly finished with things like granite f looring, bold wood beams and molding and unique lighting systems.

Since the MCC is supposed to be the new and improved Student Union, students are curious about the progress and design of the building.

Kristine Babes Lambino is a sophomore Nursing major and said that she is excited about the MCC. “It is going to be fair for everyone as the building is located in the middle of the campus and is going to be more spacious,” Lambino said. “I usually visit the Student Union to get my food and hope that the new food court will include more sections of food, including the international taste.”

Debria Schuler is a 57-year-old Education junior and non-traditional student. She said that she rarely hangs out in the current Student Union but sometimes goes there to get food.

“I am excited about the new Student Union and really hope that they have some soul food there,” Schuler said.

The goal of the McMahon Centennial Complex is for it to be a hub for student, faculty and staff members. The numerous features and facilities within the complex will make it a useful and welcomed addition to campus.

Bookstop: This unfinished section of the MCC will house the campus bookstore once the building is operational.

Clear as glass: The west entrance to the MCC faces the Science Complex. Very soon, this entrance will be welcoming students, faculty and staff to the new complex.

Walled-in: With the foundation poured, work begins on the walls of the MCC. During this time, workers were also forming up the elevator shaft.

Framing: With all of the framing completed, workers begin sheeting the exterior of the building and installing roof.

September ‘09: The exterior of the complex nears completion. Soon after this photo was taken, the major work on the interior began.

Making the cut: This worker makes cuts on a piece of wood that will be used to finish off the main stairway.

Have a ball: Large enough to seat 400 this room will be the ballroom. There are already several different community events scheduled to be held in the ballroom.

Photos by Jim Horinek

Page design by Monica Garner