The Cameron University Collegian: February 7, 2005

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

Monday, February 7, 2005

News

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Computer science student brings international honor society to CU

By Anna Politano Managing Editor

Get a little help crunching numbers this tax season.

PLEASE SEE PAGE 5

A&E

Gabriel Vidal is no spectator; he goes the extra mile. The computer science junior brought the first computing sciences honor society to Cameron University.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) is the first and only international honor society in the field of computing sciences, according to Feridoon Moinian, mathematical sciences associate professor and future adviser of the organization.

Although they had been under the wings of Pi Mu Epsilon, the mathematical honor society, Vidal saw a need for Cameron computer science majors to have their own society. Vidal’s interest in the society came about accidentally, when he hit UPE’s Web site in a computer competition held last fall at Cameron.

“I was looking for sample problems, and I typed a line at Google that led me to UPE’s Web site,” Vidal said. “I started reading about it, and I realized that our campus did not have a chapter.”

Another reason Vidal wanted to establish the society was because there are only two universities in Oklahoma with a UPE chapter. The institutions are Oklahoma University and Oklahoma City University.

“I noticed that we would be the gamma chapter for Oklahoma,” he said. “When I saw the possibility of having it here I decided to work on it and have it done before my graduation.”

Vidal contacted UPE’s headquarters and executive council in order to learn what was required to establish a chapter at Cameron. According to Vidal, the requirements were a copy of a proposed chapter constitution and by-laws, the latest catalog expert of the Cameron computing science curricula, a description of the Cameron computing lab facilities, a summary of the courses offered by the department in the last two years, and a curriculum vitae of all the faculty department members.

Vidal wasted no time and began working on

Please see SOCIETY, Page 5

By Angela Gradoz Features Editor

PLEASE SEE PAGE 6

Sports

PLEASE SEE PAGE 9

Voices

Photo by Sarah Warren

A year of representation: Miss Black CU 2005 Lisa Eddy and her escort, Zane Bassue, smile for the camera immediately following Saturday’s pageant. Eddy will represent Cameron at a number of functions throughout the year.

Eddy crowned

By Sarah Warren Staff Writer

Columnist expounds on the age of independence, especially concerning financial aid.

PLEASE SEE PAGE 2

Office: Nance Boyer 2060 Phone: 580•581•2261 E-mail us at : collegian@cameron.edu First Copy Free - $.25 for each additional copy Contents © The Collegian 2004

Photo by Staff

Regents approve rates for Cameron Village

Reviewers rate two flicks. Napoleon Dynamite on video and Meet the Fockers in theaters.

Reporter profiles senior point guard, Justin Harris, whose love of basketball bloomed early.

Volume 78 Issue 16

The Ebony Society hosted its 26th annual Dr. Valree Wynn Miss Black CU Pageant Saturday in the Cameron Theatre. This year’s winner is Lisa Eddy, communication junior. First runner up and Miss Congeniality is Chyvonne Taylor, nursing freshman; second runner up is Ashley Austin, biology freshman; and the third runner up is Denea Wright-Lester, psychology freshman.

Eddy is an international student from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and is involved with the Ebony Society, Cameron Broadcast Club and Students of the Caribbean Alliance. Eddy is also the recent recipient of a Broadcast Education Association (BEA) scholarship.

Surrounded by loved ones congratulating her and young girls lining up to greet her, Eddy was busy giving autographs. Not many words came from her except that she wanted a good picture with people close to her to send back home.

One option for Miss Black CU winners is running in the Miss Black Oklahoma pageant. Eddy does not plan to enter that pageant, but would like to be a representative for Cameron University.

“I’m not entering Miss Black Oklahoma, but if Cameron would like, I would be interested in being an ambassador,” Eddy said.

The theme for this year’s pageant was “Faces of Time.” Contestants in the pageant were judged in five different segments, including: personal interview, ambassadorial wear, talent, eveningwear and lastly, the question and answer segment.

Judges for the evening all have played a role in either the Cameron or Lawton communities.

The judges were Teresa Jensen, Charlene Glover-Johnson, Cheryl Monts, Reginald Ramey and Emily South. During the ambassadorial wear segment, contestants chose influential African Americans

Please see PAGEANT, page 4

At a monthly meeting held Jan.25 in Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Board of Regents, which oversees Cameron University, University of Oklahoma and Rogers State University, approved housing rates for CU Village.

A four-bedroom, two-bath apartment will cost $450 a month for each student who signs a nine-month contract. Students opting for a 12-month lease for the same size apartment will pay $385 per month, at a savings of $65.

For a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment the cost will be $525 a month for each student signing a nine-month lease. Students signing a 12-month lease for the same size apartment will pay $460 a month, which again is a savings of $65.

“Our prices are extremely competitive when compared to other apartment complexes in town,” said Glen Pinkston, Vice President of Business and Finance.

“However, simple pricing cannot show the true value of living in Cameron Village. Cameron Village’s apartments are brand new, state of the art facilities, as opposed to units that are several decades old and have held many former tenants. Living on campus offers students the convenience of walking to class.”

The rates will also cover a number of costs. According to Pinkston, utilities such as electricity, water, sewage, trash and local phone service, as well as cable and Internet access will be covered.

In addition, the soon to be completed 9,000-foot McMahon Learning Center, named in honor of the McMahon Foundation, will be available to tenants. The McMahon Foundation has supported Cameron for 40 years and in March 2004 made the largest cash donation in

Cameron’s 97-year history, $1.25 million, to construct the center.

The 24-hour learning center will be open seven days a week and will house a computer lab, seminar room, library, classroom, televisions, pool and pingpong tables and a game center.

“The McMahon Center is the crown jewel of the CU Village,” President Cindy Ross said. “The facility’s inviting design will provide a venue that will meet both the educational and social needs of our students. I look forward to seeing students studying and laughing and enjoying themselves in the center next fall.”

While Pinkston is confident that an overwhelming number of students will elect to live in CU Village, current Shepler residents will be given first priority.

“Once Cameron Village contracts are available, which is expected to be in February, current Shepler residents will be given priority for a few weeks,” Pinkston said. “After that, contracts accompanied by a deposit will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.”

Once students have obtained a contract they will be billed just as they were in Shepler Towers. According to Pinkston, students will be required to submit a $200 security deposit with their housing contract that will be refunded at the end of the lease, assuming there are no damages. The first month’s rent will be due at move-in. The following months rent will be due on the 15th.

After obtaining information from various in-town entities, Pinkston believes that there will be a number of CU Village applicants.

“I think the students will respond to the idea of living in a state-of-the-art facility, especially considering the number of advantages Cameron Village offers compared to off-campus living,” he said.

Photo by Scott Pratt

New digs: With progress on Cameron Village nearing completion, the coordinating of applicants for apartments has begun. Rates for 2- or 4bedroom residences were recently approved by regents.

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Do you plan on going to the Homecoming Week activities?

Brandon Trueblood Biology freshman “No. I have to work.”

Chance Ballard Music freshman “No, because I am working to further my intellectual learning capacity.”

Voices

February 7, 2005

Editor celebrates Groundhog Day By dawnʼs early light, the groundhog they call Punxsutawney Phil cast a shadow across the small patch of land he has come to know as home.

The groundhog has spoken: six more weeks of winter are still to come. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Feb. 2 was Groundhog Day. While it is not a national holiday or an excuse for children to take off from school, Groundhog Day is still a fun day for all those who wish winter to be gone and for those who enjoy looking at groundhogs.

Phil and his ancestors are no truth seers however. According to the Stormfax Almanac, the groundhogs have been correct only 39 percent of the time. Groundhogs are not meant to be weathermen or they would be on the nightly news at six; however, they have been known to see their shadow on the birth dates of many famous people. Actor-model Farrah Fawcett was born on Groundhog Day in 1947, the day of the first newspaper photo of the Groundhog Club at Gobblerʼs Knob. Country superstar Garth Brooks was also born on Groundhog Day in 1962, when the groundhog saw his shadow.

In its concept, Groundhog Day is nothing new. It originated from a European tradition known as Candlemanʼs Day. The Germans who brought the tradition here believed that on Feb. 2 if the sun came out it meant six more weeks of winter.

According to the Stormfax Almanac, the earliest reference to groundhogs being involved in this tradition is in a storekeeperʼs diary, now kept at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College.

The Feb. 4, 1841 entry from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morrisʼ diary reads, “Last

Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”

In 1993, Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell made a movie called Groundhog Day in which a TV weatherman covering the Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pa. kept re-living the same Groundhog Day over and over. Each time he woke up he went through the same exact series of events. He decided to take advantage of it, wooing women and even trying to commit suicide in many different ways.

In 1992, Murray showed up at the festivities in Pennsylvania to study for his role. Columbia Pictures, the distributor of the movie, decided the area around Jefferson County was too small for the movie. Instead, they moved production to Woodstock, Ill. Woodstock did not have the same scenic backdrop as Punxsutawney, but the movie was still a big success.

Due to the success of the movie, in 1997 there were 35,000 people on hand in Punxsutawney to see if Phil spotted his shadow. The day was cold and overcast. The groundhog walked out of his mansion, took one big look at the sky and then looked back down to Earth. There was no shadow; the fifth time in ten years he had not seen it.

Groundhog Day has been recreated across the United States.

In North Carolina, there is a groundhog called General Lee. While he hardly ever agrees with Phil, he has yet to reach the stardom Phil has received.

Groundhog Day is a fun and interesting holiday enriched in American history. It has pushed the groundhog passed its humble beginnings to annual stardom. In true American fashion, Groundhog Day is nothing more than a rags to riches Cinderella story of one of the worldʼs most common animals.

Graphic by Leah Hicks

—Josh Rouse, Sports Editor

Twenty-three: Age of independency Keely Maroon Psychology freshman “If I get someone to go with me then Iʼd like to go to the dance.”

Chris Wait Criminal Justice freshman “Yeah, I plan on going so that I can get out of the house.”

KRT Campus

David Bingham Physical edu. freshman “Iʼll go to support my school.”

COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? SUGGESTIONS? Contact us at collegian@cameron.edu or visit our Web site at www.cameron.edu/collegian

Quote of the Week Lindsey Doty Elementary edu. freshman “I really did not know it was going on.”

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

“He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.”

—Proverbs 10:5 Editorial Board Managing Editor - Anna Politano News Editor - Lisa Snider Copy Editor - Kathleen Kelly A&E Editor - Angela Sanders Sports Editor - Joshua Rouse Features Editor - Angela Gradoz Graphic Artist - Leah Hicks Newsroom Staff Business Manager - Rosana Navas Cartoonists - Thomas Pruitt David Brandsetter Financial Officer - Susan Hill Photographer - Scott Pratt Faculty Adviser Christopher Keller

Everyone always says you should not live with your parents forever. I used to agree with this statement. I now say, though, that you might as well, at least until you reach 23, the age of complete independence.

Twenty-three, you may say, is not a special age. However, according to the federal government, unless you can answer yes to at least one of seven specific questions, 23 is the age at which you are completely independent. Never mind the fact that you can legally smoke tobacco at age 18 and drink alcohol at 21.

The government thinks that we are independent enough to make the choice to participate in these activities, yet we are not independent in the most basic sense of the word until 23.

When you fill out your FASFA, take a look at the section on income. There are seven questions listed to help you determine whether or not you are dependent. If you cannot answer yes to at least one of the following questions, regardless of whether or not you live Angela Sanders with them, you must include one or both of your parents’ income.

1. Were you born before Jan. 1, 1982?

2. Will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program?

3. Are you married?

4. Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?

5. Do you have dependents other than your children who receive more than half of their support from you?

6. Are both of your parents deceased or were you a ward of the courts?

7. Are you a veteran of the Armed Forces?

Who is the federal government to decide upon whether or not my father actually contributes to my bills and tuition? They do not care that his paycheck every week is eaten up by cigarettes and my 15-year-old shopaholic sister’s expenses. All they know is that he makes just enough for me to qualify for a loan that won’t even cover my tuition or books.

Don’t even think about trying to cheat and put a different address or the wrong income down, either. Two out of three years that I have filled out a FASFA, I have been audited by the federal government, even though my information was all correct. When you are audited, you are required to submit tax documents for yourself and the parent whose income you listed on your FASFA. And, folks, when it comes time to file my tax return for the year, who gets my lifetime learning credit for getting a loan to pay for my tuition? It sure won’t be me. On the contrary, my dad will get the $1,500 or more credit. Despite the fact that I will be the one paying the money back when I graduate, he gets the tax break for it just because I live with him.

I don’t feel like it is fair to base my financial assistance on my parents’ income when I am responsible and independent enough to have a job, pay my taxes and file my own tax return.

And I don’t know about anyone else, but I plan to be out of college by the time that I am 23, and have a good enough job to pay for college myself if I want to come back.

Angela is a journalism senior from Lawton. She is also the A&E Editor of The Collegian. Send comments to collegian@cameron.edu

Staff Writers Laura Brady, Christina Frye, Jennifer Hardy, Dawn Holt, Kari Lewis, Justin Liszeski, Ian Mitchell, Petulah Olibert, Scott Pratt, Sonya Ray, Lauren Slate, Sarah Warren 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 via mail or e-mail/ 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.

News

February 7, 2005

Open House acquaints library patrons with facilities, services

By Ian Mitchell Staff Writer Cameron library’s Collection Services held an open house last Tuesday to highlight their responsibilities and to introduce students to some new facilities on the library’s Web site.

According to Head of Collection Services M. Afzal, the open house was also held to encourage students to be more comfortable with the services offered by the library and to feel free to ask questions and seek information.

“We want to encourage students to come to us and ask questions about anything to do with the services we offer,” he said. “We want them to know that our department is open to them so they

will more likely come in to seek information about our collections.”

Afzal said he thought it was a good date to hold an open house because around this time in the semester, many professors give assignments that require some library research on the student’s part. His hope was that students would gain a better appreciation for the library’s collections and feel more comfortable using it.

According to Afzal, the department works hard to ensure that readers have equal access to library resources, be able to track the use of online databases both on and off campus, handle any problems users may encounter while using this database and actively seek ways to shorten the time needed to acquire information.

Afzal also acknowledged the efforts of student-workers toward accomplishing the department’s goals. He praised them for working diligently to meet the expectations of the library’s patrons and

in maintaining the collections.

Afzal said the library’s collections include books, serials, microfilm, microfiche, videotapes and databases. The department has the responsibility for maintaining and updating these collections, and for conducting inter-library loans.

Also, they manage areas of the library’s Web site that are specifically tied to services the department offers.

Some of these online services are an option for suggesting titles to be purchased, one for requesting inter-library loans and a facility for renewing checked out books.

“To suggest a title for purchase, a student can log on to the library’s Web site and fill out a simple form.

The student must provide the title, author, publisher and other related information,” Afzal said. “If a student can not find the full text of an article in the online database, he or she can click on the link provided with the search results to request an inter-library loan. Title, publisher and author information must also be provided.”

According to Access Services Librarian Wensheng Wang, students can also renew checked out books before they are overdue.

“A student must enter his or her name, ID number and CamSIS password. Any checked out

Photo by Ian Mitchell

Hands on: M. Afzal instructs Dr. T.K. Bhattacharya, business professor, on how to use the new system for renewing book check-out. The library database is available for many different library services.

Student body unaware of lost and found services

By Petulah Olibert

and car keys. Luckily, they never made it to the lost and found, she said, as she always retrieved them, only moStaff Writer ments later, in the same spot she had left them.

Campus Police Officer Lonnie Mills’ suspicions that Finance Junior Karim Sifflet was another student Cameron University’s Lost and Found Department surprised at the revelation of the university’s Lost and remains overlooked among the majority of students has Found Department. A student of Cameron University been confirmed. for almost two years, Sifflet said he was unaware of such According to Mills, hardly any students know the a service. whereabouts, or even the existence, of Cameron Univer“I never knew there was a lost and found on campus. sity’s Lost and Found Department. Mills has been workI think it’s a very good idea because I’m sure people lose ing as a campus officer for three years now in addition or forget valuable stuff all the time,” he said. “It’s good to to manning the Lost and Found Department, and in all know that there is a possibility that one’s lost possessions those years, the proportion of students who come in to can be regained.” claim lost items are few compared to the large number of Sifflet confessed to never having lost or forgotten items lost on a daily basis. anything since having enrolled at Cameron.

Mills voiced his opinion that the Lost and Found Public Relations Senior Antonia Edward is one of the Department seems to have become a lost amenity among few students aware of the existence of a lost and found. the daily bustle of university activity.

She attributes the general lack of “I have so much stuff here that’s knowledge about the service to the lost daily. A few times, a couple “People lose stuff like car fact that the majority of students are people might come in to claim it, but not actively involved in campus life. keys, remote controls, mostly, it all just stays here and piles “Cameron is a commuters college. cameras, jewelry, cellular People drive in and out of here all the up,” Mills said. “People lose stuff like telephones ...” car keys, remote controls, cameras, time. Not many remain on campus jewelry, cellular telephones and even — Officer Lonnie Mills for very long after attending classes more important stuff like text books or get involved in many of the activi— which are very expensive — eye ties,” Edwards said. “I was not aware glasses, cash and entire book bags. It of the Lost and Found Department until I began work stays here indefinitely and no one comes to claim it.” study in South Shepler and I became more aware of the Not surprisingly, a brief on-campus survey easily various departments the building housed.” proved Mills’ theory true. Out of the 10 students quesTo claim an item at the Lost and Found Department, tioned, only one knew that a Lost and Found DepartMills said that a student has to give an apt description of ment was even in operation on campus. The others the item lost. For more expensive and valuable items, the seemed surprised at the revelation. claimant should come ready to provide adequate identiBusiness Freshman Tamika George had once wonfication. dered whether a lost and found existed on campus.

The Lost and Found Department is located in Room Nevertheless, she was happy to know there was one in 100 in the Office of Public Safety, South Shepler, operation since she was one of those guilty of frequent opposite the laundromat. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. carelessness, having forgotten articles like her mobile daily.

books will then be listed,” Wang said. “Any books that must be returned in less than 10 days but are not yet overdue can be renewed.

If a book is overdue, however, the student must come in to the library to have it renewed.”

In addition to highlighting their services, they also display detailed statistics about collections over the past 10 years. Afzal highlighted some of these figures.

“The Books by Subject chart categorizes the collections and shows the areas where one may consider us strong and those one may consider weak,” he said. ”From the information can be seen that the social sciences and literature categories have the largest number of titles.

According to Afzal, the interlibrary loan statistics show a relatively steady trend of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 items borrowed and about 1,500 to 2,500 items lent to other libraries. Our total number of volumes last school year was 262,835.

Also on display was the department’s organizational chart. It showed the line of authority starting from Library Director Sherry Young and ending with those immediately subordinate to Afzal.

These subordinate positions cover the areas of acquisitions, cataloging, serials and processing.

According to Kathy Gray, cataloging assistant, she is responsible for keeping database records of and labeling all the newly acquired books and for withdrawing records of old materials from their database. She said she also informs the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) of these changes.

Additionally, the covers of newly acquired paperbacks are reinforced when necessary.

Juanita Adams heads up Acquisitions. According to Adams, her main responsibility is acquiring books, CDs, DVDs, videos and reference materials. When stu-

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dents or faculty request volumes, Adams searches various Web sites for the best prices. Once a volume has been ordered and shipped, she ensures that it is indeed the actual item ordered prior to passing it on to Cataloging Librarian Cathy Blackman. According to Adams, Blackman then reviews the volume and passes it on to Gray who begins the cataloging process.

Blackman’s other responsibilities include collection development, which is selecting of new books and deselecting outdated ones, supervising the cataloging process, answering reference questions and teaching library instruction classes.

Kim Smith is in charge of the serials section. She is responsible for the acquisition of and processing of new serials, checking in new arrivals of print, microfilm, reference and newly bound serials. She also tracks missing volumes of serials, processes incoming mail and assists in curriculum processing.

Shalla Orndorff heads the processing section. Her responsibilities include curriculum processing, binding of books, serials, newspapers and theses, maintaining shelving and shelf reading, splicing of microfilms, listing duplicate or unwanted materials with the Duplicate Exchange Union, and maintaining the second floor information office.

Afzal also indicated that he was the main point of contact for professors who wish to have the library order reference materials for their classes. He wants professors to take more advantage of this opportunity to ultimately improve the collections.

“I would like to meet with more faculty members to collaborate on improving the existing collections with titles that they recommend,” he said.

Afzal can be reached by calling 581.2961 or by sending an e-mail to mafzal@cameron.edu.

SGA Note s There will be no SGA meeting on Feb. 14.

The agenda for tonight’s meeting, held in the Sciences Complex, Room 100, will include the Second Reading of the Statement of Support 105014.

Visit www.cameron.edu/sga/legislation to view the SGA Special Election vote summary on passed constitutional amendment bills.

The Special Election will be included with the Homecoming King and Queen vote on CamSIS and in the SAB. Response to the petition signature drive has been strong. Check next week’s SGA box for the final total number of signatures.

News

4

Crisis

Quarter

By Ana Veciana-Suarez KRT Newswire MIAMI — Like many young adults, Dani Coll wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life once she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. So she moved to a small town in Montana and worked at an art gallery and a restaurant for about a year. Then she went to San Francisco, where she tended bar and took some science courses at San Francisco State University.

When she hit 25 earlier this year, though, something clicked. “I was too far away from my family and my roots and everyone I knew,” she says. She moved back into her childhood home in Miami.

“It’s not glamorous, but it’s rent-free,” she explains with a laugh. Not to mention that it allows her the wherewithal

to return to school — this time at Florida International University for a graduate degree in school psychology.

Dani Coll’s circuitous path is not uncommon among 20-somethings. Or early 30-somethings. As they leave school and enter the reality of the job market, many find that life as an adult is not what they bargained for. Some job-hop in hopes of finding their dream; others postpone marriage and kids; many move back in with their parents because they can’t afford a place of their own.

TOUGH TRANSITION Almost all examine their lives

and ask themselves some soulsearching questions: What do I really want? What if I made a mistake in my career? Why does life seem so boring? And the granddaddy of all questions: Is this all there is?

“That transition between young adulthood and adulthood is rough,” says writer Alexandra Robbins. “On the one hand, it’s great to have a wealth of options, but on the other there’s a lot of pressure to make the right decision.”

Robbins has put a name to the doubts and fears of today’s young adults: the quarterlife crisis. She first wrote about this post-adolescent angst three years ago, when she herself was staying up at night

worrying and wondering. That book, “Quarterlife Crisis,” became a New York Times bestseller. Now she’s written another book, “Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis: Advice From Twenty somethings Who Have Been There and Survived.” (Perigree Books, $14.95) Robbins says the 20s “have become more of a transition period than an endgame. Our generation is facing core identity issues that our parents didn’t face until their 40s or 50s” because, decades ago, the script of life was often determined by strict societal norms.

IDENTIFYING CRISIS Quarterlife crisis symptoms may be familiar: You feel lost and confused. You can’t make up your mind. You constantly compare yourself to others. You realize adulthood is not what you expected — but a lot of work and limited play.

Alexandra de la Asuncion, associate general counsel of Bank Atlantic, is successful by all tra-

February 7, 2005

ditional measures. At 29, she has a full-time job she likes, her own place on Miami Beach, and she is engaged to be married. But she still recognizes the gap between what a student imagines life is like and what it truly turns out to be.

“You think of law as something out of `Ally McBeal,’ something very glamorous,” she says. “But law is very detailed, and it ties you down to your desk.”

Not to mention, she adds, that you don’t get summers off or Christmas break and that projects don’t stop at the end of the semester. “With the hours you keep, everybody is very busy,” she says.

“I’ve lost touch with a lot of my friends. You begin to drift apart.”

COUNTING ON PARENTS Even after finding jobs young adults discover

that they need improved job skills or more education. And so, more than at any other time in recent history, parents are being asked to provide some kind of economic support for their young adult children, either through college tuition, living expenses or other occasional assistance.

Researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research estimate that nearly one-quarter of the cost of raising children is incurred after they reach 17. And nearly two-thirds of adults in their early 20s receive economic support from parents, while about 40 percent still receive help in their late 20s.

Monica Medina, 28, works full-time and rents a townhouse in Kendall, Fla., with her 6-yearold daughter, Maraya. For years she ignored her mother’s pleas to finish her college education

Campus Round-up CU students offered an opportunity to study in London A series of information sessions begins this Thursday for students interested in earning six hours of credit this summer. The British Studies Program offers more than 20 courses in a variety of different subjects, and the courses are taught in London. The information sessions are from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, 17, and 24 in the Student Activities Building. For more information, call Dr. Underwood at 581.2328.

Black History Month presentations At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, the performance piece “The Color Orange” will be presented in the Shepler Mezzanine. “The Color Orange” is a fun, vibrant new way to look at race, racism and the way we get along. Through hip-hop, theater and sheer mayhem actors Mohammed Bilal and Josh “Boac” Goldstein enliven the 10 steps toward the path of cross-cultural communication. Admission is free.

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, Student Development will present a showing of the film Partners of the Heart. The film, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, tells the story of Vivian Thomas and Alfred Blalock, whose discoveries saved the lives of thousands of children born with a deadly heart defect.

Thomas, a 19-year-old high school graduate whose color barred him from being treated in many hospitals, embarked on a 34-year partnership with Blalock, a white surgeon. Their success ushered in a new era of cardiac medicine and launched modern heart surgery.

Pre-order your Valentine bouquet From 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 7 and 11, in the Student Union, members of the Criminal Justice Association will take orders for Valentine’s Day bouquets. With each bouquet cards and candy will be included. Payment is due upon placing the order.

— until she discovered she needed the schooling to find better employment. About a year ago, she enrolled in night classes at Miami Dade College to get her degree in business. Her mother is helping out.

“I definitely should’ve listened to her and stuck it out,” she says now. “But now I’m going somewhere. I can see myself in 10 years owning my house, having a stable home, having some financial security.”

Free of past societal constraints, supported both economically and morally by parents, more young adults are comfortable with taking a step back to try to figure out what they really want out of life. Johnny Regan, 43, founded Vision-Miami.com when he saw many of his younger friends searching for meaning in their work. His company hosts weekly

networking events to spark people’s imagination about what they can do with their lives.

“This is happening earlier than other generations,” Regan says.

“They’re finding out sooner rather than later that this whole materialism thing is not satisfying. They want quality of life. They want to love what they do.”

Those were the reasons David Jacobson, 33, gave up a lucrative big-league advertising job to return home to Miami and set up his own ad agency in Coconut Grove, Fla. He never questions his decision.

His best friend, for instance, has a huge salary, a big house and a great wife — but he’s tied down to his job in a big agency on the West Coast.

“Maybe I’m not making the big bucks, but I love what I’m doing,” he says. “So many people I know

question what they’re doing. I don’t speak for an entire generation, but I think many of us are searching to fulfill our lives without being dependent on a corporation or one job.”

STEPPING BACK Fulfillment seems to be the buzzword of this generation.

They want an opportunity for self-exploration and development, for finding the right situation — both at work and at home — that will make it worth their while.

For some, achievement may come with a twist.

Richard de la Rosa of Pembroke Pines, Fla., shucked his accounting career in April 2003, took a pay cut and joined the family business, Miami Prestige of Hialeah. A smattering of people questioned why he had put in all that time and effort in his education — Georgetown for undergraduate, followed by a CPA designation, then an M.B.A. — to take over a small company that manufactures boat cushions.

“The people who said this just saw it as a money issue, but there are other benefits they can’t imagine,” he explains. “I see more of my family. I get to work with my mom and dad. And at the end of the day, I’m extremely grateful for my life. I didn’t want to wake up one day and say, `I should’ve done that; I could’ve done that.’”

PAGEANT Continued from page 1 they would imitate for the judges. Ashley Austin represented Muhammad Ali; Denea Wright-Lester represented Aretha Franklin; Chyvonne Taylor imitated Josephine Baker; and Lisa Eddy represented Sydney Potier.

Although there were some technical difficulties with the microphones, the talent segment went on. Ashley Austin was the first to perform. She sang a song entitled “Impossible.” That was followed by a worship dance performed by Denea Wright-Lester. Lisa Eddy performed a dramatic piece entitled “Different Faces of Women,” and Chyvonne Taylor sang “Angel of Mine” by Monica.

During the question and answer segment, contestants were able to choose the judge who would ask them their question. The questions ranged from politics to self-confidence. Eddy was asked by what she hoped to accomplish in five years as an aspiring journalist. Eddy said she wants to return home.

“I plan to return home to St. Kitts and own my own media company,” Eddy said.

Through all the flashing bulbs, hugs and young girls wanting autographs, Eddy said that as 2005 Miss Black CU, her role to the Lawton and Cameron community is to be a role model.

“I think I am a role model to young black women,” Eddy said. “I advise young black women to go for their dreams.”

News

February 7, 2005

5

Volunteers to ease taxing time For 2005, Cameron joins forces with the Great Plains Improvement Program to offer filing assistance to those who qualify

By Kari Lewis Staff Writer Everyone seems to dread this time of year. Chaos fi lls the atmosphere as deadlines and fi ling become a chore. April 15 is every taxpayer’s nightmare. However, it is only a couple of months away.

To make this time less stressful, Cameron students have joined with community volunteers to open a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site. The Cameron Great Plains Improvement Foundation (GPIF), coordinated by the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center (OSBDC), will offer free tax preparation for low- to moderate-income families.

Business coordinator for OSBDC and coordinator for the VITA site, John D. Veal Jr., explained the two simple requirements.

“Anyone who makes $36,000 or less and does not itemize their tax return is eligible for this service,” Veal said. “Because we only do basic, simple returns, we cannot do returns that include stock transactions, business income and other complicated items.”

Traditionally, Cameron has operated one of the Lawton VITA sites. However, for this tax season, the university joined

efforts with the community agency at the Internal Revenue Service’s request.

John A. Bachelor III, assistant professor of accounting and supervisor of the students working the site, explained the establishment of this union.

“This year the IRS made a nationwide effort to coordinate serving communities in the most efficient way,” Bachelor said. “The IRS approached the Lawton VITA sites and asked us to consider the most efficient way possible to serve the community.

The partnership between Cameron and GPIF was born out of those discussions.”

Bachelor said the benefits of working at the VITA site far outweigh the effort employed.

“First and foremost, the students have the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve served the community in a way that saved money for those who needed it most,” Bachelor said. “This process also gives students a unique qualification that is attractive to prospective employers. The hands-on experience the students get while preparing actual tax returns will be a definite advantage for them when they seek employment.”

There are 16 accounting students currently enrolled in Cameron’s VITA class, along with former CU students now volunteering. Students enrolled in the class will receive one credit hour for their advance training and work.

These students aren’t just fi lling out forms, however. They must complete an Individual Income Tax course, take three IRS volunteer certification tests

and complete six hours of IRS tax software training. Students find the experience useful.

“This class allows me to apply the tax training I have had in various tax classes at Cameron,” accounting senior Chris Bishop said. “After learning the theory of tax law and tax accounting, it’s great to see how real-life tax work is done.”

Those who wish to have their taxes prepared at the CUGPIF VITA site should bring the following items: photo identification, Social

Security cards and birth dates for primary, secondary and dependents on the tax return, wage and earning statements from all employers, interest and dividend statements from banks, a copy of last year’s federal and state returns if available, account numbers for direct deposit, amounts paid for daycare and the daycare provider’s identifying number.

The CU-GPIF site operates from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays until April 12.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning March 5 the site will offer weekend hours on Saturdays. It is located on the second floor of the GPIF office at 2nd SE Lee Blvd.

For more information, contact GPIF at 353.2364.

KRT Campus

SOCIETY Continued from Page 1

Comments? collegian@cameron.edu

Oklahoma with a computing honor these requirements. He gathered society. the information needed, talked to With the approval of Cameron’s professors about gathering their reapplication, a $750 fee is required sumes, and organized the necessary to cover various expenses related data, which was sent to the UPE to the formation of a new chapter, headquarters by the mathematical including the cost of a large UPE sciences department. symbol, various UPE memorabilia, “I was the middle man. I gathered and travel expenses for the UPE all the information from different council member who will serve as sources in the university, and I just the presiding officer for the charter put it all together,” he said. “I found ceremony, according to the UPE apout about it, saw the need [for it] to plication form. be done, and I tried to help the proKarla Oty, chair of the mathfessors to establish this society.” ematical sciences department, has Ali Orooji, UPE’s international sent a letter to President Cindy Ross president, commended Vidal for his in order to explore funding possibiliefforts on pursuing the society’s esties to officially establish the honor tablishment at Cameron. society on campus.

“It’s always nice to see students The charter ceremony is schedwho take the initiative and the lead uled for April 16, and Dr. Bob Rogto reach higher for themselves and gio, member of people around the UPE Executhem,” Orooji “Establishing a new tive Council, will said. be present during Associate Pro- chapter will make the first ceremony fessor Moinian Cameron a recognized to induct the thinks no differand respected institute chapter and charently of Vidal’s in computing sciences.” ter the university. efforts and leadThe departership. ment will be “Gabriel was — Associate Professor inviting eligible absolutely instruFeridoon Moinian majors to become mental in bringa part of the ing the honor sosociety. According to Moinian, beciety to our campus,” he said. “With coming a member of UPE will add no help from others, he did all the to a student’s college memories and required paper work, and as a result increase leadership skills. of his perseverance and dedication, “College life should be more than we could be approved to establish just attending classes, and taking the third chapter of the UPE in the exams,” Moinian said. “Getting state of Oklahoma.” involved in an honor society such Moinian believes the society will as UPE gives students a chance to bring benefits to computer science complete their college experience majors as well as recognition to the and carry new skills and pleasant computer science degree at Cammemories into the real world.” eron.

Vidal is happy the honor society “Establishing a new chapter will was approved, and believes the somake Cameron a recognized and ciety will enhance the image of the respected institute in computing computer science program. sciences,” he said. “Our computer “This will enhance our departscience majors will benefit from a ment, honor our students who have variety of educational experiences worked hard, and promote our that the chapter will provide.” program because we went through a On Jan. 21, Vidal and Moinian series of evaluations to be approved received a letter from UPE represenby the national headquarters,” Vidal tatives stating that Cameron Unisaid. “We have the capabilities of versity had been approved to have a expanding our program. This orgaUPE chapter. nization will make us stronger.”

This accomplishment makes Cameron the third university in

A&E

6

February 7, 2005

Local band brings alternative sound

By Dawn Holt Staff Writer Tucked away in a remote room in the back of a house, with technical equipment scattered around and instruments waiting to be played, is the practice studio for a local band.

Mourning Star is an alternative band with four members. Jordan Herrera, a concurrent student at Cameron, is the lead vocalist and lead guitarist, Sarah Warren, sophomore journalism major, plays bass guitar, and Lawton High senior Beau Hodges is the drummer. Erik Mitchell, Lawton High senior, is rhythm guitarist.

The band brings a sense of alternative and rock combined.

“We try and mix things up,” Herrera said, “but our music is a combination of alternative and rock.”

The band performs their own music with the lyrics written by Herrera.

According to Herrera, he writes music about every three months and fi nds his inspiration through life experiences.

Mourning Star has performed in the local area at the Railhead Saloon, the Asylum, the Cosmic Grind and at shows sponsored by various organizations. The band tries to takes advantage of every opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.

“It is fun to perform live and entertain the audience,” Hodges said. “Performing just seems natural for the band.”

According to band members, they are not always the only ones performing in front of a live audience. Audience members try to get on stage; in one instance, a customer pole danced with the microphone stand.

Herrera and Hodges started the band, which originally had three band members. The bassist quit and Warren was asked to join three years ago.

“I always wanted to be in a

Courtesy Photo

Rock on: Members of Mourning Star participate in a ‘pre-gig’ ritual. L-R: Erik Mitchell, Beau Hodges, Sarah Warren, Jordan Herrera. band,” Warren said. “I just asked Jordan if I could hear his band play one day and then, before I knew it, I was their new bassist.”

Each member brings his or her own experience to the band. All the members are self-taught on the instrument they play.

The only members with

‘Napoleon Dynamite’ out on DVD for viewing pleasure

By Kathy Kelly Copy Editor With the conclusion of the 11th annual Sundance Film Festival Jan. 28, and a whole new crop of fi lms to anticipate viewing in the not-too-distant future, now is a good time to look back on one of the surprise hits from Sundance, 2004.

Napoleon Dynamite is an independent fi lm released by Fox Searchlight Pictures in June 2004, now available for home viewing on DVD. The husband-wife team of Jared and Jerusha Hess, ages 24 and 23, wrote the screenplay.

According to information found at http://www.rottentomatoes. com, the fi lm won the 2004 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival award for Best Feature Film.

Set in a small town that could be Anywhere, USA (actually, Jared Hess’ hometown of Preston, Idaho), the fi lm documents the mundane existence of the main character, high school senior Napoleon Dynamite.

Napoleon (Jon Heder) lives with his grandma and his 30-yearold unemployed brother, Kip (Aaron Ruell), in a modest ranch style rambler. Kip spends his days surfing chat rooms on the information freeway, looking for love.

Napoleon spends his days just trying to survive.

He hasn’t yet come to terms with his body; he’s tall, but slouches along in an ape-like ambling motion. Napoleon’s choice of footwear is limited to vintage Michael Jackson moon boots. He wears them every day and with every outfit. He prefers not to look at those with whom he is speaking. Eyes closed and head averted, he vainly attempts to shut out the horrors of the high school hell that nerds and geeks everywhere have endured.

Napoleon also employs an arsenal of sighs that every teen, former teen and parent of a teen can relate to.

Courtesy Photo

Impress no one: Jon Heder’s character spends the movie ‘just trying to survive.’

When Napoleon’s grandma is injured and hospitalized during a weekend trip with friends, Uncle Rico (Jon Gries) comes in to supervise the Dynamite household. He carries with him his own set of baggage, dreaming of his glory days in the ‘80s when he played high school football. He sells plastic ware, among other things, door to door. Napoleon is mortified by his uncle.

In school, Napoleon is slammed against his locker and verbally abused on a regular basis.

He dishes out insults to the best of his ability (limited though they are), but accepts the beatings pretty much as routine. Things take a turn for the better when he meets the new kid, Pedro (Efren Ramirez). Pedro is a step up the scale in terms of confidence. He always has a back-up plan. When things don’t pan out for him (his first choice for the school dance turns him down flat) he has his alternate choice, Deb (Tina Majorino), waiting in the wings.

Deb, having waited in vain for Napoleon to ask her out, has her own back-up plan (Pedro).

The dance scene is predictable – Napoleon is ditched by his date, and Cyndi Lauper’s overused

“Time After Time” provides the mood music, but it’s the way the scene is photographed and acted out that makes this fi lm so touching. Nothing is overdone.

What keeps this fi lm from sinking into the depths of maudlin emotion is Jon Heder’s performance. His Napoleon is so totally believable that the viewer laughs not at him, but in response to the events in his life, which strike a chord of recognition within us.

The fi lm is full of funny moments, including the opening credits displayed on trays of the generic food so familiar to, and so despised by, public school students since the school cafeteria was invented. By the way, don’t stop the fi lm when the credits start rolling at the end; there’s a surprise for those willing to wait.

The DVD includes a couple of bonus scenes that shouldn’t have been left out. The thrift shop scene, when Napoleon snags an awesome brown suit to wear to the dance – and you will not want to miss seeing how Napoleon earns the money to pay for the suit – is poignant, yet laugh-outloud funny. The kickball scene was my favorite; the look on Napoleon’s face when he decks the bully with a limp-handed slap is funny, but funnier still is watching Napoleon turn tail and run.

This isn’t an over the top action fi lm or Revenge of the Nerds vehicle. This is a simple and often sweet fi lm about what it takes to survive the everyday ups and downs of life. And maybe the message at the end is that life is a lot sweeter when you travel through it with friends.

Napoleon offers Pedro some advice at a critical moment in his life: “Pedro, just listen to your heart. That’s what I do.” That line sums up the reason this fi lm has done so well ... it’s full of heart.

Watch it with someone you love.

Overall Grade: A

traditional musical backgrounds are Herrera and Hodges.

Hodges played percussion in school for eight years and started playing drum sets five years ago.

Herrera started singing four years ago and was encouraged to sing for the band by Hodges.

According to Herrera, he

cannot remember a time when he wasn’t interested in music. He learned to play the violin fi fteen years ago through the inspiration of his older brother, who also plays.

According to Warren, the members all have different schedules. They work, go to school or have other extracurricular activities they participate in. The only opportunity the band has to practice is the night before and the day of a performance.

Although Mourning Star’s experiences in the Lawton area have been good, they plan to stay together and relocate to Ohio.

According to Hodges, who will be attending a recording college in Dayton, the band wants to open a recording studio there. The other members plan to follow, but will attend different universities in the area.

“We just want to have fun, perform and get an education,” Hodges said.

Homecoming Week Events Monday Free BBQ – Student Activities Building – 11 a.m.

Tuesday Movie Night – “The Grudge” – Student Activities Building – 7 & 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday & Wednesday Homecoming King and Queen elections – Vote on Camsis or in the Student Activities Building Wednesday Antique Photos – Student Union – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Thursday Free hot chocolate – Student Union Patio - 9 a.m.

Pep Rally – Aggie Gym – Noon - Free food & tons of prizes!

Games – 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned during the half time of the boys’ game Friday Homecoming Semi-Formal Dance – Shepler Mezzanine – 9 p.m.

A&E

February 7, 2005

7

Labe presents piano recital

By Christina Frye Staff Writer From Annees de Pelerinage, Annee-Suisse, S. 160 to the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, S.244, Thomas Labe, associate professor in the department of music and theatre arts at Cameron University, guided his audience through the pieces composed by Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886).

Labe, a career soloist, recording artist, scholar and educator, chose the writings of Liszt because he viewed them as a challenge. Labe had previously mastered the first two books of Liszt’s Annees de Pelerinage, “Years of Pilgrimage,” and wanted to pull all three books together for the recital he played at the CU Theatre on Feb. 3.

Labe said that Auz cypres de la Villa d’Este was his favorite selection

from the recital. He said that the piece was written about the amazing Villa d’Este, water fountains located in Tivoli, that were created before electricity, and to this day, continue to run solely on gravity.

“It is a very effective and beautiful piece,” Labe said. “A person can see the fountains when they listen to the piece.”

Labe, like Liszt, showed his first interest in playing the piano when he was only 12- years-old. Born and raised in Connecticut, Labe was inspired to begin playing the piano after watching several great pianists play at Carnegie Hall.

“After listening to Alicia De Laroccha, I decided that I wanted to play the piano,” he said.

Labe has played in North America, France, Germany and Switzerland, and was singled out

by The New York Times at his

debut at Carnegie Hall as “the most interesting among the week’s debutantes.” He was awarded First Prize in the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition, First Prize in the Ima Hogg/ Houston Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition and has released several compact disc recordings.

Labe’s talent does not end at playing the piano; he is also an instructor. One of his students, Captain Kurt Krauss, from HHB, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, enjoys studying with Labe.

“He’s great, he gives good, quality instruction; and I am looking forward to my future lessons with him,” Krauss said.

For information on future recitals, or lessons, contact the Department of Music and Theatre Arts at 581.2431.

‘Fockers’ provides writer, audience with laughter

Lawtonian calls for second look at city Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Overall Grade: A

Repeat after me: Thomas Labe, associate professor and career soloist, performs a piano recital for the Cameron and Lawton communities.The recital was held last Thursday.

By Jennifer Hardy

By Laura Brady Director Jay Roach once again keeps audiences laughing with the presentation of Meet the Fockers.

The sequel to Meet the Parents has been in theaters since late December, and left me nodding my head in disbelief and also slapping my knees silly.

The talented cast includes Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoff man, Ben Stiller, Barbara Streisand, Blythe Danner and Teri Polo.

The plot entails a young engaged couple Pam (Polo) and Greg (Stiller) who get their parents together a few months before their wedding. Greg nervously plans out every detail of the trip, only to be usurped by Pam’s domineering ex-CIA father (DeNiro).

Not only has Pam’s father purchased an RV, insisting they’ll be driving Courtesy Photo from New York Repeat after me: Jack Byrnes teaches his City to the grandson sign language for his favorite CIA Focker’s home in phrase in this Meet the Parents sequel.

Miami, but he’s bringing along his perfect baby grandson.

When they finally arrive at the Focker’s house, Greg’s parents, Bernie and Roz (Hoff man and Streisand), turn out to be sexaddicted hippies and not at all what the Byrnes (DeNiro and Danner) had expected.

With one pitfall after the next, the film takes the concept of awkward in-law experiences to new heights, leaving no stone unturned, from stories about past sexual experiences to detailed discussions of current ones.

What’s worse, the Fockers are teaching the baby curse words and weaning him on rum to the shock of his overprotective grandparents. Every conversation is totally inappropriate and downright embarrassing, and it kept me braced for the next disaster.

Along the way, all six cast members turn in top notch performances, with Hoff man, Streisand and Stiller leading the charge in true Focker spirit.

The movie is rated PG-13 for sexual language and humor and has a run-time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. I give it my seal of approval.

Photo by Christina Frye

Courtesy Photos

Photo by Jennifer Hardy

Sights to see: Lawton provides access to wonderful scenery and wildlife in its surrounding areas. From top to bottom: one of the many waterfalls in the wildlife refuge, a prairie dog, atomic annie on post, a bison in the refuge and the Mattie Beal Home in Lawton.

If you would like to place a classified ad in The Collegian, please call 581.2261 or stop

by Nance Boyer Room 2260

When I first sat down to write this story, my thoughts were all over the place. Attractions of Lawton.

Could this really be made into a story? Then, my thoughts began to fall into place.

Having been born and raised here, I do have a hard time putting the word “attraction” next to the word Lawton.

However, I understand attraction doesn’t necessarily mean bright lights and fancy things. The definition of attraction is to appeal to the emotions.

And with that in mind, Lawton’s history can definitely appeal.

One of Lawton’s attractions is the Mattie Beal Home. The name was selected from Mattie Beal herself when her name was drawn in the 1901 Oklahoma Territory Land Lottery.

The home is a 14-room Greek Revival style mansion, sitting on 160 acres of land. This house is located on the south side of the city.

Just north of Lawton is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which offers a view of buffalo, elk, deer and longhorn cattle.

The tallest mountain to sit on the refuge is Mt. Scott. The peak reaches 2,464 feet above sea level, and you may travel to the top on a 3-mile paved road. Both the refuge and Mt. Scott are very neat places and highly recommended.

Also nearby the refuge is The Holy City of the Wichitas. This site is famous for the annual Easter Pageant. The Holy City has structures replicating the ancient City of Jerusalem.

How could I talk about the attractions of Lawton and not bring up Fort Sill. Founded in 1869 by General Philip Sheridan, Fort Sill became the home of the U.S. Field and Artillery Training Center and School in 1911.

According to the Lawton Chamber

of Commerce, today the number of troops assigned to Fort Sill is around 19,000 annually.

One reason why I enjoy living in Lawton so much is because of the diversity. Lawton/Fort Sill is recognized nationally as one of the most culturally diversified communities in the United States.

Yes, a lot of that is contributed by the post. And that’s okay, because I don’t believe Lawton would be what it is today without Fort Sill. It is continually growing, Lawton must grow. Which means more shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

Cameron University is also located in Lawton. Home of the Aggies, Cameron is under the Oklahoma Board of Regents.

Cameron offers many different kinds of undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Besides the rich history this city has, Lawton also offers many employment opportunities.

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Bar S, and Lawton Public Schools are some of Lawton’s major employers.

After naming all of that and Lawton still doesn’t have your interest, keep in mind that Lawton is only about an hour away from Oklahoma City and 3 hours away from Dallas.

So if you are into the big city living without actually having to live there, this is a perfect place.

Being a true Lawtonian, I love this place. I grew up through the public schools here and then chose Cameron as the university where I wanted to receive a degree.

Many people come through this city and think it’s the worse place ever. Everyone can agree that yes, it may not compare to other cities.

Yes, it may lack in certain aspects.

However, if people would just give Lawton a chance and see what it really offers, whether it’s related to the city’s history, job opportunities, getting an education, or even trying to find a hang out place on a Friday night, people will see that Lawton is not the dullest.

A&E Briefs Sponsors needed Characters for “Annie Get Your Gun” need cowboy hats, boots or western shirts. If you would like to donate, contact Marilyn Ragan by Feb. 15 at 581.2815.

Film Showing The Magic Lantern Society will be showing “Brief Encounter” at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Student Activities Building.

Sports

8

February 7, 2005

Aggie Basketball falls to Southwestern Oklahoma in LSC play Sports Information/Staff With their loss to 22nd ranked Southwestern Oklahoma on Feb. 1, with a score of 68-62, the Aggies basketball team has fallen to 0-5 in Lone Star Conference play.

The Aggies are still searching for the elusive win in the Lone Star Conference after losing to East Central, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State. Going into the conference play, the Aggies were ranked as high as fifth in the NCAA Division II standings. Since then, there has been no end to the downhill skid.

Coach Mantle’s Aggies led at halftime with a score of 32-21.

But it was the small things that kept the Aggies from victory.

A missed shot here, a missed rebound there or a bad pass. The Aggies could not quite hold their lead going into the second half.

Junior center Arthur Trousdell made a jumper with 1:39 left in the game, pulling the Aggies within three points. But Southwestern answered back with a 2-point shot and made two of its three free throws with six seconds left in the game.

Trousdell led all players in the game with 25 points and Eric Moore added an additional 13 for the Aggies.

After that, Cameron shot one for five throughout the final five minutes of the game, securing the Southwestern victory.

Southwestern’s Lee Kirkpatrick led the Bulldogs with 20 points. Lonnie Cooks added 15 point and last week’s Co-LSC North Player of the Week, Jamaal Shell, finished the game with 14. Southwestern

shot 53.6 percent from the field in the second half.

Cameron jumped out to an early 12-5 lead in the first half with solid shooting. The Aggies continued their shooting with Moore’s 3-point shot. The Aggies were 4-for-4 in the first half from the 3-point zone.

With less than 14 minutes left in the half, the Aggies pulled to a 19-13 lead. The lead grew to eight points when Marcus Girtmon shot a lay-up.

Southwestern tied the game with an unanswered 8-point run, making the score 21-21.

The Aggies lost the lead with a 3-pointer by Southwestern player Ike Smith that made the score 24-21 at the 6:27 mark.

Cameron took the lead back in the second half on a jumper by Trousdell.

Southwestern came back and took command with a 15-5 run capped off by a Kirkpatrick rebound and putback with 14:29 left to play in the game.

The Aggies rallied on back-toback buckets by Trousdell to put the game into its sixth tie at 4848 near the eleven-minute mark.

The Bulldogs were not going down without a fight. This time, they came back with a vengeance and built a 13-3 run to construct their biggest lead of the game at 61-51.

Sean Ormsby got the Aggies within seven with a 3-point shot with less than six minutes to play. But after that, the Aggies converted only one field goal in the rest of the game.

The Cameron Aggies entered the Lone Star Conference play with a 12-3 record and were favored to have a strong showing this year.

Photo by Rusty Riddle

Flagging them in: Junior Arthur Trousdell rallies against Abilene Christian. The Aggies won against Abilene1 Christian 103-93.

FCA unnoticed organization on campus

By Sonya Ray Staff Writer The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has touched the lives of athletes, coaches and all they influence since 1954.

According to the Web site, FCA is the largest interdenominational school-based Christian sports organization in America.

FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.

FCA has been on Cameron University’s campus for over 20 years, with membership figures high early 80’s when the campus had a football team, to now becoming virtually nonexistent.

Students have not been expressing as much interest in the organization as they have in the past. Joel Dering is the huddle coach for Cameron University.

He has been involved in the program since1982, starting when he was an undergraduate in Nebraska. When he joined the CU faculty in fall 1987, he continued to participate in the organization.

“I provide university staff representation and I am very involved in the leadership of what is happening in the huddle, and more often the student-athletes themselves are the ones that are really running the show and I just

Follow the Aggie sports action at http://goaggies. cameron.edu

sit back and have fun,” he said.

Student-athletes, coaches and all those they influence are eligible to join the organization. Students who participate in FCA will be able to experience numerous activities at the huddle meetings.

Huddles consist of singing, bible study, guest speakers, outreach trips and athletic activities.

FCA also hosts a series of camps throughout the state.

FCA is a supplement, not a replacement for church organizations.

“We’ve got the shell of the organization in place, we just need students to stand up and say, ‘Hey, this is what we want to keep having at Cameron,’” Dering said.

FCA is strong within the community, but because of a lack in support from students it is weak on campus. The organization is here to help students’ faith grow stronger.

“All they have to do is raise their hand and say, ‘Here we are, let’s go,’ and everything is in place to support them. All of the structure and the organization’s constitution is there and on fi le with student activities,” he said.

“Everybody is in the starting gate, waiting on the kids to say go.”

Those interested in joining the organization on campus are encouraged to contact Joel Dering at 248.9314 or joeld@cameron. edu.

Sports

February 7, 2005

9

Harris gains his own identity with Cameron University basketball

By Sonya Ray Staff Writer When he was 5-years-old, Justin Harris sat on the curb watching older children display their basketball skills.

After being the child who watched, he decided that he wanted to be the child who played. His determination and positive outlook landed him a spot on the Cameron University Men’s basketball team this season.

Harris grew up in Mesquite, TX, as the second to the youngest child in a family of five.

He started playing basketball for a local boy’s club when he was 5. He attended North Mesquite High School, participating in basketball, football and baseball.

After leading the metroplex in scoring during 1999, he decided to pursue a career in basketball.

In 2000, he attended Temple Junior College in Temple, TX. It was at Temple that Harris remembers his most successful game.

“My first junior college game I got hurt and twisted my ankle during the first half,” he said.

“When I came back in the second half, I scored 12 points to help us win the game.”

Harris describes his father as the reason why he continues to play basketball and practice so hard.

“When I first started junior college, I wasn’t playing much and I wanted to quit. My father wouldn’t let me, he told me to practice more,” he said. “I started to practice and workout more. I learned the more work I put in, the more I got out of it.”

In 2001, he went on to attend Clarendon Junior College in

Clarendon, TX. It was at Clarendon that he and his longtime friend Mike Wallace were able to play as teammates for the first time.

Harris describes Wallace, who also plays for Cameron University, as a colleague on the team.

“I like playing with Mike because I already know how he plays and he knows how I play and he helps me out,” Harris said.

In 2003, after attending junior college, he spent a year at East Central Oklahoma in Ada, OK. He was inf luenced by Wallace to attend Cameron University. In 2004, he joined Cameron as the starting point guard.

“I like playing for Cameron because of Coach Mantle. He lets us play basketball. He lets us have our own identity,” he said.

The 6’0 senior’s identity has been established this season, shooting 82.4 percent from the free throw line, a total of 40 rebounds and contributing to his team with 45 assists.

The Aggies have a season record of 12-3 and are currently 0-5 in Lone Star Conference North Division play.

Coach Garrette Mantle is the head coach for the CU Men’s basketball team. Mantle describes Harris as a true asset to the team.

“Justin is a real blessing for our team,” he said. “He came to us having only one year left, he has had an outstanding attitude this year.”

Harris’ degree currently focuses on secondary education.

He plans to teach middle or high school English and coach basketball, football, or baseball. He then plans to go

Photo by Rusty Riddle

Timing is everything: Senior guard Justin Harris looks for an open man in a recent game against Abilene Christian. into the administrative side as a principal and later become a superintendent.

“I want to become a superintendent because they make good money,” he said.

Cameron softball season around corner for players, Aggie fans

By Sonya Ray

Harris has made numerous contributions to the success of his team. Although they seem to be struggling in the Lone Star Conference North Division play, there is still hope that the team

will pull out a win.

“We’ve got a good team,” he said. “We have had a good season; we are just struggling right now in the conference.”

Email us at collegian@cameron.edu

Staff Writer The Lady Aggies softball season is on its way. During the 2003-2004 season, the Lady Aggies finished 9-34 with a rattling 4-20 in the LSC North Division play.

Coach Gladys Crawford returns for her ninth season as CU’s head coach.

Crawford graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma, (UCO), in 1996. At UCO, she was the first female to have her jersey retired. She ended her collegiate career with a 77-27 record, 0.43 run average and posted 12 career no-hitters. In 2003, she guided the Lady Aggies to the LSC championships, where they finished second in the LSC North Division.

For the 2004—2005 season, there will be four returning CU players.

The first is junior Jessica Hutton from Choctaw. Hutton finished with a batting average of 23.6 percent and had an on base percentage of 25.3.

Hutton will join Nicole Fleming who finished with a 20 percent batting average last season. Fleming is a senior from Yukon. Last season, she had 22.2 slugging percent and seven runs batted in.

Rounding it out are seniors Kelly Holden, from Aurora, Colo., and Lindsay Williams, from Lawton. The Lady Aggies

Flying high now

Photo by Rusty Riddle

This is a definite strike: Kathy Holden seen here pitching in a game last season. added seven additional players to their roster this season. They include: Melinda Farrow, Jen Morse, Kristi Maxwell, Vanessa Rodriguez, Casey Seabolt, Bridgette Davis and Stephanie

Bour.

The season began Saturday, with the Aggies traveling to Denton, Texas to battle it out with Texas Women’s University.

They will play their first home game against Abilene Christian University on Feb. 9.

KRT Campus

The smallest things matter: Paul Bradley hangs Super Bowl XXXIX banners on lightpoles in Jacksonville.

The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots faced off for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

The Back Page

10

February 7, 2005

Brothers collaborate in design business

By Lauren Slate

ceeds from any products sold under the Moniker name will be donated to a charity. He encourages other students to check out Give.org to look up the facts about different charitable organizations.

Many people may be unaware of urban art’s presence in Lawton. If so, one may want obIn addition to donating to world organizations, company goals are to reach more people serve the designs of fine arts junior, Mike Lee, and his brother, Chris. with their products and move on to bigger projects such as creating logos, web designs, and Moniker, the collaborative project they started in late 2003, meshes the organic essence designing clothing for other people and companies. of Mike’s fine arts work and the mechanical effects of Chris’s computer graphics. Accord“I’d like to do a bigger project and for our work to be recognized,” Mike said. ing to Mike, their designs are not like anything anyone has seen before. The Lee brothers Thus far, they have completed two projects in addition to the products they are creatwanted to have products for themselves and for their peers that are into the urban style, uning now. Their first collaboration was for the Tidal Waves of Altus, a youth swim program derground art scene that is brought to life on their T-shirts and buttons. which Mike helped coach. The Lee brothers designed a logo for the program’s T-shirts, free “We’d like to be a part of that scene and we’d like others to be aware of [it],” Mike said. of charge.

Moniker just printed their first T-shirt design taken from Mike’s painting based on RusTheir second endeavor was designing the CD layout for Courier, a band from Oklahoma sian art and tied in with Chris’ graphic designs and Russian lettering, fusing the two styles City signed with Sonic Blitz Records. The layout boasts art from one of Mike’s paintings together. The T-shirts are on sale for $12 each. Half of the proceeds from each purchase in watercolors and is layered with Chris’ computer graphics. The owner of Sonic Blitz also will be donated to UNICEF in Mike’s name. For asked Chris to design band T-shirts. Both the T-shirt and finished CD layout can be viewed him, the most important part about selling their at www.insertemotion.com. products is giving internationally and being a With these experiences under the company’s belt, to include the production of their new world citizen.

T-shirts and buttons, Moniker may be making progress, but Mike said the company would “Even if people didn’t want to buy a grow a lot faster if he and his brother did not have such full schedules. shirt, I’d take donations because that’s “We haven’t done a good job with promotion due to lack of funds and lack of time,” Mike the most important part for me,” Mike said. “Chris graduates in May and I work two jobs and go to school.” said.

The Lee brothers may have busy schedules, but they manage to keep Moniker going by According to Mike, independently coming up with designs. Although Mike attends Cameron University and half the proChris is finishing school at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), they find that by means of a computer they can send their designs back in forth, combine them and then fine tune the design so that it best represents both of their talents.

Mike uses a digital camera and a scanner to send his business partner his paintings and drawings. Chris then layers his brother’s art with his own graphic designs and formats the finished product for computer design to be transferred to a print.

Once the design is formatted it is sent off and printed by Munster Merch, the company through which they order their T-shirts and have different Moniker logo buttons pressed.

Moniker will be printing new T-shirts with their second design of choice in about two weeks. Pre-orders for T-shirts may be made by contacting Mike at 581.3133 or by e-mail at mikeanywhere@hotmail.com.

Buttons are available for 50 cents each. Inquiries about Moniker’s mission statement, future projects and portfolios can also be perused at www. moniker.tk.

According to Mike, he and his brother want to build their portfolio and show that they can work together. There is no question that Mike wants to keep the company between brothers but he is not averse to more people getting involved with their project.

However, if Moniker does not grow into a bigger company, they will Photo by Lauren Slate still be creating their own art and designs.

Artist at work: Fine arts junior Mike Lee works on a design for a jacket. Lee and his brother Chris “Chris will always be involved in graphic design and I will be getting my have joined forces and talents to produce original work and promote the giving spirit by donating half the master’s in fine arts and will hopefully teach,” Mike said. “But it’s our fun proceeds to international charities. to get to work together.”

Staff Writer

ACROSS 1 Branch of the Amazon 5 Mary __ Lincoln 9 Character flaw 14 Actor Sharif 15 Grimm creature 16 Mile High Center architect 17 Bear’s hangout 18 Thick piece 19 Fertilizer ingredient 20 What the meteorolo gist was?

23 Prospector’s pay dirt 24 Woodland deity 25 Balance 27 Remote station 30 Obstacle 33 In the past 36 Calf front 37 Dodge 38 Wee one 40 Enjoy!

42 Pays to play 43 Protective spray 44 Entry charge 45 Actress Arlene 46 Hangs around 49 “__ Madigan” 51 “Full House” star Bob 55 Bird’s beak 57 What the tired kangaroo was?

60 Malkovich fi lm 62 Wash-basin partner 63 Musical tag 64 Soulful Hayes 65 Actress Rowlands 66 Abu Dhabi leader 67 Leave alone 68 Throws in 69 Meets a bet

DOWN 1 Metro terminus?

2 Maytag rival 3 John or Bonnie 4 Dry gulch 5 Nonsense!

6 Eyeball rudely 7 Gets inspiration from 8 Red entries 9 Discovers 10 Pal of Pierre 11 What the tobacco lover was?

12 Lascivious look 13 Become weary 21 Depends on 22 Journalist Hentoff 26 __ of Dogs 28 Vietnamese Nobelist, Le Duc __ 29 Cherry stone 31 For two, in music 32 Dancer Kelly 33 Somewhat 34 Ms. Lollobrigida 35 What the musician was?

37 Very 39 Scream 40 Kepi or shako 41 Hotshot 43 Made cat calls 46 Lucy of “Charlie’s Angels” 47 Sandinista leader 48 Tasty toppings 50 Give tongue to 52 Pithy saying 53 “Frasier” pooch 54 Russian rulers 55 First name in astronauts 56 Other 58 __ off (repel) 59 Lingerie pieces 61 Grab

Want to learn how to defend yourself ?

Mr. David Scott of the Southwest Institute of Martial Arts will demonstrate techniques at The Lawton Public Library Meeting room For more information call Dory at 581-3450