The Cameron University Collegian: February 9, 2009

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

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Monday, February 9, 2009

News

Students and faculty give time to fix up The Boys and Girls Club.

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A&E

Theater Department prepares to raise curtains on “My Children, My Africa.”

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Sports

CU holdsCenntennial Ball

Toasting 100 years: President Ross and Mathematical Science Department Chair Dr. Karla Oty toast to Cameron’s first century of changing lives.

By Raven Weiss Collegian Staff Turning a gym into an environment fit for a Centennial Ball is no easy task. The first formal ball at Cameron University was held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the CU Fitness Center.

The ball, a black tie event, was a very formal affair and included a well-presented meal catered

by Sodexho and entertainment provided by the band Souled Out. The basketball court of the Fitness Center was decorated in black and gold with candles and freshly cut f lowers in clear vases as centerpieces at every table.

The basketball court was covered with a dark colored carpet, and an intricate web of black and gold, lanterns were hung from the second f loor ceiling and also from the guardrails around the track. The lighting came mostly from lanterns and the small rings of candles around each centerpiece at the dining tables.

Upon entering, the guests were able to leave their coats and purses at the door to be hung while they chose a table to be seated at for the dinner. Some of the menu items included pork roulade, chicken marsala, garlic and herb parmesan pasta, lentil and rice pilaf, ratatouille, Mediterranean vegetables and sun dried tomato

Collegian Staff

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Voices

rolls as well as fresh fruit tart and chocolate cake.

Levi Pettijohn, a CU student, said that he has attended several CU events where food was served and that it has always been good, but the menu for the Centennial Ball was very surprising.

“I was really impressed by the meal we were served this evening. It was definitely the best one I’ve had at a Cameron event,” he said.

“I appreciated the formal atmosphere of the evening,” CU student Taylor Brunwald said.

“It was a welcome difference from the other more casual dances hosted by Cameron. It was also refreshing to be able Photos by Jim Horinek to enjoy the evening Souled Out: The band Souled Out brings music not only with fellow to the special occasion. students, but faculty members I usually only see in class.”

Other than the ball, there have been other centennial activities. One of these centennial celebrations was the hanging of photographs taken on campus from the past 100 years. Students and faculty alike can admire the photos in almost every building on campus.

Amy Kruscavage said that, as a student, being a part of the Cameron centennial this past school year has been an exciting journey.

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Dressed to impress: Womens’ Hall Director Krystle McCorgary and Senior Ann Morris arrive at the ball dressed for an elegant evening.

Students paint mural at local elementary

By Joshua Rouse

Aggie of the week: Men’s Basketball Guard Dave Smith.

Volume 83 Issue 14

A group of Elementary Education majors caught a glimpse of their future as teachers when they volunteered to paint the walls of Andrew Jackson Elementary School’s auditorium.

Lorinda Rogers, the Faculty Adviser for the Student Oklahoma Education Association (SOEA), recruited the students and other volunteers to donate their time to improving the local elementary school. Rogers said the project was the product of a lot of hard work from the organization’s president, Elementary Education Senior Sandy Butler.

“She knew Mrs. Brees, the school principal here, from doing some of her training here,” Rogers said. “She ran into the school

secretary while doing her hair and everything was organized from there.”

The organization typically chooses a school each year and volunteers to do handiwork around the property. Rogers said each project depends on the organization’s president for that year, and that Butler has been “gung-ho” about volunteer work ever since the fall semester started. At the time, they just needed to find a school in need of help.

“Originally, Mrs. Brees just wanted to see if we could paint over a globe they had on one of the walls,” Rogers said. “No one could figure out what the globe was doing there.”

Photo courtesy of Michael D. Pope and the Lawton Constitution

See MURAL Page 2

A splash of color: SOEA students bring some life to the wall of an auditorium at Andrew Jackson Elementary School.

Wintery weather gets in way of classes

Student studies abroad in Wales.

SEE PAGE 5

Photos by Jim Horinek

Snow day: A Physical Facilities worker clears a sidewalk at CU. Two weeks ago icy weather settled in on Cameron causing the university to close for two full days.

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News

February 9, 2009

CU students, faculty take part in MLK Day of Service

By Megan Mefford Collegian Staff On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Cameron University participated in a day of service at The Boys and Girls Club, transforming the facility in five short hours.

Dean of Student Services Jennifer Holland helped coordinate the event and said she was planning for about 175 volunteers, but more people turned out than expected.

“I was planning for about 175 volunteers, and we had 275 show up to work that day, including faculty, staff, students and community members,” Dean Holland said. “I was just amazed at the turnout.”

The entire facility received a makeover, inside and out, Dean Holland said. The volunteers cleaned, painted, decorated and repaired all throughout the club.

“In the game room they sanded and painted the benches, touched up the murals and worked on the game tables, which we are going to finish later,” Dean Holland said. “We cleaned and organized the computer lab, and then we had some of our students who are computer savvy go in and clean off the hard drives, helping the computers function better.”

Adding color: CU student Amanda Sims takes paint to a wall at The Boys and Girls Club turning it from white to green.

“We totally redid the homework room; we created a teen room out of a storage area,” Dean Holland said.

But the work that was done that day did not stop there.

“The fitness center was not usable because all of the equipment was just in there not put together, and we created a usable fitness center,” Dean Holland said. “We put all of the equipment together and put it in an organized fashion.”

According to Dean Holland, the men’s and women’s locker rooms and girls’ and staff ’s bathrooms were also painted, a storage room with a washer and dryer was painted and organized and the washer and dryer was fixed so they could be used.

The gym received a facelift, including new paint, clean bleachers, on top and underneath, and a cleaned storage closet.

The art room was not left out either.

“There was not even enough workspace available for the kids to do their art projects, so it was painted, cleaned and organized so it could be functional,” Dean Holland said. “The kitchen was also scrubbed until it was spotless.”

The work was not limited to the inside though. There was yard work and landscaping that was done. The storage shed was cleaned out and a soccer goal was put together.

“It was really a group effort to really transform that facility in five hours,” Dean Holland said.

The money for this project came from two sources: a $1,000 grant and a promise from the Salvation Army, who agreed to match that $1,000 with their own donation. The children that attend the club all loved the changes made, the Program Director of The Boys and Girls Club, Robin Monroe, said.

With screams and giggles, three young girls made it quite clear that they loved everything about the new homework room and all that was in it.

“I love the Hannah Montana pillows,” one young girl said. “I love the furry purple chairs, they are so fun to sit and read in,” another said.

Dean Holland said that she was touched by amount of help they were able to provide for The Boys and Girls Club.

“It was such a remarkable day. I was amazed by the turnout. I was thrilled that students, the entire time, wanted more projects, more to do; and a lot of the people just started noticing things that needed to be done and would do them,” Dean Holland said. “That’s the true spirit of volunteerism.”

Photos courtesy of Student Services

Minding the details: CU students Whitney Harstad and Maggie Wright put the finishing touches on a mural at The Boys and Girls Club.

Shedding light on the situation: A community volunteer from the Redline Riders repairs the lighting in one of the rooms at The Boys and Girls Club.

MURAL continued from page 1

See page 4 for solutions.

Rogers said the walls looked bland and the globe seemed completely random. Butler saw the wall and decided to do more than just paint over the globe. Last September, SOEA began raising money to buy paint supplies and other items they would need. Many items were left over from previous volunteer projects.

During the first week of class, the students gathered together at Jackson Elementary School with volunteers they had recruited and began preparing the auditorium. The volunteers repainted the other walls in the room so they didn’t look so dull. When the time came to paint over the globe, the volunteers had a different idea.

“I knew from the start that I wanted to do something more than paint over that globe,” Butler said. “I always have big dreams and have been told I’m sometimes overambitious.” Finally, the father of one of the volunteers drew a mural of children playing outside with an airplane flying overhead and a trailing banner that said “Jackson Elementary School.” Since the auditorium was used for physical education as well as band and other arts classes, other children were in the mural playing instruments. Everyone agreed the mural would encompass the active nature of the auditorium and would be a fine alternative to the globe.

“We came up here and began outlining the design on the wall,” Rogers said. “After that was complete, all we had to do was paint.”

Around 20 volunteers showed up to help out over the course of three days. Rogers spent the majority of the week recruiting volunteers to help out. She said she wasn’t looking for someone who was artistically inclined. All she needed were people that could remember their elementary school education.

“I just needed people to paint in between the lines,” Rogers said.

“Everything was traced on the wall, so they just had to color them in like a coloring book.”

Beckie Singer, an Elementary Education Senior, showed up at the school around 8:30 a.m. that morning and began her volunteer work.

She said the perfect way to pass the time was to pretend things are going faster than what they were.

“Every once in a while, I stop and look at the mural and see how much work has been done,” she said. “That way I think we’re getting closer to being completed. I don’t think about how much work we have left to do.”

Singer saw the mural as more than a painting to cover up a globe.

She looked forward to the students’ reactions when they came to class the next week and saw the globe was gone and a new mural was in its place.

“It’s important to volunteer because it lets the kids know there’s someone that cares about them,” Singer said. “If they know someone cares, they’ll care more about themselves.”

Even though it was the first week of classes, the students gave up their study time to help out. Both Butler and Rogers agreed volunteer work carried more benefits than the thought of helping out the next generation.

“Volunteering like this is important because many of us are future teachers and it just goes to show that as a teacher, your work is never done when you leave at the end of the day,” Butler said. “As a student, when the bell rings, you go home for the day. But you can’t do that as a teacher. And this helps all of us realize that.”

February 9, 2009

News

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News

February 9, 2009

Daffodil Days program aids American Cancer Society

By Pamela Vaughan Collegian Staff Recently, Cameron was awarded a grant courtesy of the work of Jennifer Holland, Dean of Student Services, which resulted in two new employees on campus.

Jennifer Luckenbill joined Academic Affairs on Dec. 29, 2008 and Jennifer Williamson started in Student Activities on Jan. 5, 2009. Ms. Luckenbill comes to Cameron with a Bachelors degree from Oklahoma City University and a Master’s from the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland. Ms. Williamson

is a graduate of Louisiana State University – Shreveport.

Since the beginning of the semester the pair have been meeting with campus groups to pass on information about ways to fulfill their community service projects.

“Most clubs on campus have community service as part of their mission statement and we try to locate companies and organizations in need of volunteers,” Luckenbill said.

Volunteers are the lifeline of the American Cancer Society, whose mission statement includes the words, “nationwide,

community-based, voluntary health organization.” Enter yet another Jennifer, Jennifer Redman of the American Cancer Society.

After meeting with Dean Holland, Ms. Redman was directed to Luckenbill and Williamson to spread the word about the yearly Daffodil Days campaign.

Williamson said that the program was appealing because of the subject matter and the relative ease of implementation.

“It is an easy project for the clubs. Everyone knows about cancer and wants to do what they can to help,” Williamson said.

Many students and faculty of

Cameron University are aware of the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life that is held each summer around the nation. Many, however, are not aware of the older fundraising event known as Daffodil Days.

Thirty-five years ago the Society created this event to aid in raising funds and as a means to promote hope. Daffodils are known as the first flower of spring. They push their yellow blooms up from the frigid ground in late February or early March to signify that winter is about over and spring is on its way. Cancer patients face something similar: the fight begins

with diagnosis and continues through some dark, cold days of treatment, but the end brings a joy much akin to a bright yellow daffodil on a late winter day. The battle has been won, and the clear dazzling days of summer lie ahead.

But daffodils also represent hope to non-patients; hope that one day there will be an answer to this dreaded disease. The flowers that are provided to each donor express the opportunity to aid in this fight through research, education, advocacy and service, which just happen to be the cornerstones of the mission of the American Cancer Society.

PR Student Society takes part in true hands-on experience

By Justin Cliburn Collegian Staff Well over 2000 years ago, Sophocles declared that, “One must learn by doing the thing. For though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try.” The members of CU’s Public Relations Student Society (PRSS) have taken that old adage to heart and are gaining experience and knowledge through doing.

Although the organization has been on campus for a relatively short amount of time, much has been accomplished as the club eyes their goals for the new year.

“The club was started in the fall of 2007, so this is our first full year on campus,” Nicole Roames said. “In that time, we have created an in-house PR firm working for the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, increased our membership to over 20 members and had multiple guest speakers and webinars.”

Roames, a 30-year-old Public Relations major, was elected as the club president in the fall of 2008 and is excited for what the organization plans to accomplish in the new year.

“We are currently working on receiving our national affiliation with the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which will be an incredible

achievement for Cameron.”

Roames said. “It is very unusual for a regional university such as Cameron to have a nationally affiliated PRSSA chapter.”

The club’s faculty advisor, Dr. Paul Crandon, shares Roames’ enthusiasm for the Spring semester and beyond.

“We plan to run this organization like a professional PR firm. We currently have enough funding to hold one webinar a semester and are looking to appoint a PRSS chair to help expedite the process of receiving national affiliation,” Dr. Crandon said. “What these students have accomplished with their PR work for the Cavs and the progress they’ve made on becoming nationally affiliated, I’m incredibly proud.”

One step along the path to affiliation includes sending one or more student representatives to New Orleans for the PRSSA’s national assembly March 26 through 29.

“We will send at least one student to the national assembly. The hotel and food

will be taken care of by the PRSSA, and the increased interest in but the department will provide the the field, we are lobbying to add up to six new PR courses in the flight for the student or students Communications department,” attending. It will be a major step toward finding out what it will take Roames said. “An extra six courses in the discipline combined with the to become nationally affiliated,” opportunity to Dr. Crandon gain academic said. credit for While the “The PRSSA is the organization largest pre-professional working PR for the Cavs should continues organization in the make the PR to keep its field a satisfying collective eyes nation, and that is the on the goal status we are aspiring to one for future CU students.” of national reach this year.”

While many affiliation, students may the members — Nicole Roames have not yet have kept an eye on CU PRSS President heard of PRSS, the work of the how they club has been can continue visible around to enrich Lawton for months. Through the academic experience of future their in-house PR firm, Aggie Public Relations majors. imPRessions, members of PRSS “With the success of PRSS

have acted as a key partner in the public relations efforts of the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, Lawton’s own Continental Basketball Association franchise. Roames hopes that the experience will give CU’s PRSS an edge when it comes to affiliation and recruiting.

“You do not have to be a Communications or Public Relations major to be a member of PRSS, and the experience is invaluable,” Roames said.

“The PRSSA is the largest preprofessional organization in the nation, and that is the status we are aspiring to reach this year.”

Students interested in joining CU’s PRSS club may contact Dr. Crandon at pcrandon@ cameron.edu or Nicole Roames at nr120385@cameron.edu. Meetings are held at 2:00 p.m. on every other Wednesday in the McMahon Center conference room.

Voices

February 9, 2009

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Student expands horizons in Wales

Photo by Lauren Bennett

Lauren Bennett is a Cameron University Senior who is spending the spring semester in Wales. Check the Collegian every other week to see a new report from her global studies.

Upon telling people I will be studying abroad at Swansea University in Wales, their response is usually: “Where?”

Wales, one of the United Kingdom’s four ‘states,’ sits west of England, and Swansea is Wales’ second-most populous city. The city is located on Wales’ western coast—meaning—it rains. A lot. That is where I am until June 24.

Now, I was always a little disappointed that Cameron did not have any semester study abroad programs. I have participated in the month-long British Studies Program, but a month is really only enough time to just settle in. So when I received the e-mail about

Swansea, I’m not going to lie, I jumped on the furniture Tom Cruise style (but without the extra crazy.)

Cameron and several regional Oklahoma universities are working in conjunction with Swansea’s American Studies Exchange Department. With the Oklahoma schools’ new programs comes an opportunity for scholarship. These new programs and scholarships are where the many thanks to the Oklahoma Board of Regents for Higher Education, Dr. Don Davis and Governor Brad Henry lay.

The Governor Brad Henry International Scholarship Award was established this past year to provide funds for 10 students to study abroad at Swansea. I am lucky enough to have been chosen as one of those students.

So on Jan. 6, my dad and I landed at Heathrow Airport in London. My dad came, not

only to make my mom more comfortable about me leaving, but to help me get settled in (and to carry what wouldn’t fit into my bags.)

We spent a few days in London sightseeing, cavorting, lamenting the exchange rates, you know, tourist stuff. And on Friday we ventured into Swansea. It is a three-hour train trip, and along the way I saw The Simpsons Party Bus parked in a yard. Yeah, those Simpsons, so I knew this to be an auspicious beginning.

However, when we arrived at the Hendrefoelan Student Village, we seemed to be stepping into a ghost town of sorts with many of the buildings empty and very few cars around. This was when I was thankful for my parental supervision and having flown in a few days early.

Because as we arrived as so did many other American students: fatigued, confused, dehydrated and hauling way too much luggage.

I got my keys and headed to the flat (that’s British speak for apartment.) Hendrefoelan houses around 1600 students and is two miles off of campus, so the bus stops there every 10 minutes on school days to shuttle students.

The flats are somewhat like Cameron’s Student Village, but each flat is a corridor with seven bedroom doors leading to the communal kitchen and bathroom. Each of the buildings has around six to eight flats. But unlike Cameron’s Village, these

Courtesy Photo

flats are co-ed, have no resident supervisors, and the middle of the village is home to a student pub called Woody’s.

Within the next 24 hours, that ghost town became a minimetropolis as all of the students came back from break. And I met my flat-mates: three are from the University of North Carolina: Carly, Kati, and Alexis; then there’s a Brit: Aimee, an Aussie: Maddie, and a girl from China: Daisy. They are all very nice and seemingly—which relieved much of my stress.

If you just have to know more—you know you’re at least a little curious—I have a blog at http://lebennett.webs.com, which will have more frequent updates.

Bailouts in danger of falling on slippery slope Bailout seems to be the word of the year in politics.

Last year, the government not only decided to bailout numerous financial institutions that had cooked books for years to fabricate profits, it also bailed out the failing automakers.

In economic downturns with gas prices reaching $4 a gallon, sport utility vehicles and large pickups that need stepladders are not viable.

But the automakers tried to push them down peoples’ throats to the point where it was no longer feasible to buy one. And then, when people stopped buying them and decided to save their money, the automakers went crawling to Congress looking for more

bailouts.

Last week, President Barack Obama announced he wanted to cap the salaries of executives of companies needing bailouts.

He wants to limit their salaries to $500,000 a year.

Personally, I think it’s a great idea in one aspect. How can an executive justify getting six and seven-digit figure salaries a year when the workers that make them the money are given pink slips daily? There are not enough face-palms in the world to describe my feeling on that.

But the thing I worry about is how much power our government is gaining with these bailouts.

Obama is doing some great things for the country already, even if he’s only been in the office for a few short weeks. But I begin to cringe when I hear the government telling

Joshua Rouse

companies how much they can pay their salaries if they accept government assistance. I also cringed when many Congressional leaders proposed the idea of a “car czar,” which could tell automakers what vehicles they should manufacture and what alternative fuel sources they should look into.

Our government is bordering on getting too much power. Granted, I’m not an economist. I try to avoid all economic news. My grandfather loves to tell me how many people get laid off each week like it’s some kind of tally. I feel sorry for these people, but I have enough things to worry about. And every day I go to work, I worry about finding a letter in my desk saying I’ve been laid off.

These are truly dark times.

But I think the country will ultimately be better for it. A lot of the problems that the country is involved in are from our own shortsightedness. It was sparked by the housing crisis when people that should not have been buying homes were able to pick out any home they wanted and pay for it with a mortgage footed by a bank that

already had problems of its own.

Everything has been compounding on us for years until the foundation finally cracked and the Humpty Dumpty that is our economy had a great fall. Now can Obama and all of his men put Humpty Dumpty together again?

Perhaps he can. And perhaps these bailouts are better for the country. But as an average person, when I turn on the 6 p.m. news and I hear the anchors talk about how half of that $700 billion has been spent and no one knows why, I begin to worry. I also begin to worry when our government starts telling businesses how to run their corporations.

Having stipulations for payments is one thing. I’m all for that. I don’t believe in handing out free money to someone or a company without having strings attached. And I’m certainly not a fan of executives earning millions of dollars while people are on the street looking for jobs. But I worry about the slippery slope we’re on and how far it will go.

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Bira Vidal Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - John Robertson

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kerry Myers Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Raven Weiss, Monica Garner, Greg Boxell, Justin Cliburn, Jeramy Eidson, Megan Mefford, Cecilio RamirezCobes, Nicole Roames, Melissa Rogers, Jacob Russell, Saman Samii, Rashmi Thapaliya, Pamela Vaughan, Lauren Bennett, Solitaire Merrill and Jory Palmer.

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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Sports

February 9, 2009

Cameron Athletics ‘Aggie of the Week’

By Saman Samii Collegian Staff The Aggie Men’s Basketball season has gone well so far thanks in part to the efforts of Cameron basketball star Dave Smith.

With a couple of outstanding performances this season already, the remainder of the year looks promising for Smith and his teammates.

Smith, born and raised in Plainview, Texas, is quite an astonishing basketball player. For the past two years, Smith has been one of the key players to watch for the Aggies. Before attending Cameron University, Smith played for San Jose City College. The 22year-old guard describes himself as having an unselfish attitude.

“I portray myself as a team player,” Smith said. “The most important thing is to win as a team and to have good chemistry between your teammates.”

The Aggie Men’s Basketball team has had problems establishing themselves as a strong force in the Lone Star Conference in past years. With the addition of new

players and coaches, it is already clear that the team has greatly improved. Cameron Head Coach Wade Alexander said that he is very pleased with the way Smith has performed so far this season, especially with his scoring touch.

“Dave is just what we need right now,” Wade said. “He is excellent at shooting and makes a lot of points for us. He also understands the game well which is very important.”

Smith has been a big contributor for the Men’s Basketball team. The current record for the Aggies is 8-11 with a 3-3 record in the Lone Star Conference North. Although things could have started better, Wade said that he will stay positive for the rest of the season.

“We have had a couple of small setbacks and injuries, but the guys are doing well so far,” Wade said.

“We have to continue working hard and stay positive.”

Prior to Smith’s College career, the 5’10 Cameron star played basketball and football at Plainview High School. Although Smith was a talented two sport athlete he felt that he more on the court.

“I played both basketball and football in high school,” Smith said.

“I was always better at basketball so I decided to give it a shot in college.”

One of the main reasons why the Aggie Men’s Basketball team is doing better this year is the new coaching staff. Smith said that the practices are different and the atmosphere of the team has significantly improved from last year.

“We play harder and work harder every day,” Smith said.

“Our results are based on a team performance rather than individual performances. I think the new coaching staff was a good move.”

Smith is currently in his Senior year at Cameron and is majoring in Physical Education. In the future, he aspires to be a basketball coach.

With the second half of the season underway, Smith said that he and his teammates will continue to stay positive.

“You always want to finish a season strong as a team and I think we will reach that goal if we keep working hard and show heart like we always do,” Smith said.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Can’t touch this: CU Guard Dave Smith draws a foul and hits the acrobatic fade-away jumper against Northeastern State. Smith’s offense has sparked the Aggies attack all season.

Aggie fans overjoyed by school’s first ‘Blackout’

By Jeramy Eidson Collegian Staff

Photo by Bennett Dewan

The Noisemakers: The CU student section applauds a basket by the Aggies during the “Blackout” game. It is CU tradition for the student section to cheer from the rail separating the court from the bleachers during the final half of home games.

The Cameron Aggies hosted the first ever “Blackout” game on Jan. 21 as they faced the Texas A&M Commerce Lions, an in-conference rival.

Cameron hosted the event in hopes of increasing student attendance at the game. The first 1000 fans to go to the game were given a “Cameron Blackout” shirt.

The “Blackout” was a success as the Aggie Gym housed more CU fans than it had all season. However, the outcome of both games wasn’t what the Aggies had in mind.

The men lost a game in which they were leading the majority of. Mistake after mistake, the Aggies watched their lead slip away.

Costly turnovers, missed free throws and fastbreak points given up to the Lions were the main factors in the loss. Late in the first half the Lions took the lead and maintained it for most of the second half.

The Aggies committed 21 fouls to go along with the twelve turnovers and ten missed free throws.

Senior Dave Smith led the Aggies with 22 points, 8 assists and forty minutes played. Smith never left the court.

Fellow Senior Chad Allan scored 16 points on 6 of 7 shooting and snagged 5 rebounds in 38 minutes of play while Mekaile Reed finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds in only 24 minutes.

Collectively, the Aggies shot an impressive 50% from the field, out-shooting the Lions who shot 49.1%.

The women’s turnout wasn’t what the fans wanted to see either.

The TAMU-C women’s team seemed to be too fast for the Lady Aggies. The first half was somewhat close, but in the second half the Lions began to pull away with their lighting-fast offense.

Just like in the men’s game, the women committed too many penalties and turnovers. With all the fouls committed, the Aggies sent the Lions to the free throw line 30 times, 23 of which were successful. The Aggies, however, did out-rebound the Lions, 51-47.

Tera Tremayne led the Aggies with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Amber Schroer also contributed recording a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Megan Atkins did her part as well with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

The “Blackout” was a success in that it increased attendance, but the losses were hard to swallow. Losing is a bad thing, but losing to an in-conference team is worse.

Hopefully the “Blackout” game will entice students to attend games more often. Maybe more themes like the “Blackout” will bring in more fans.

“It was the most crowded I’ve ever the Aggie Gym,” Miles Pocowatchit, a Sophomore at Cameron, said. “I wouldn’t mind seeing more themes for the basketball games to try to increase attendance. I also liked that they gave out free shirts to the fans. They should do something like this for every home game.”

“I thought the ‘Black-Out’ theme was really cool,” Sophomore Britney Ballard said. “I liked the beads and all the free candy.”

Maybe the next CU home game will have a huge turnout and the fans will get to cheer the Aggies and Lady Aggies to a victory.

Aggie Basketball enters home stretch

By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff The Aggie Men’s Basketball team continues to battle in the Lone Star Conference after suffering defeats to some of the top teams.

The Aggies faced both UCO and Texas A&M Commerce, which are two of the three teams with better conference records than Cameron, excluding Southwestern Oklahoma. The “Cameron Blackout” game against the Commerce Lions ended with a final score of 74-64. CU managed to stay in the game and even led in the first half. The team made half of their six three-point attempts, while the Lions shot just as many with an average of zero percent.

In the second half, Dave Smith threw an alley-oop pass to Jamaar Burke. Burke was unable to finish, and this seemed to be the turning point in this game. After the play, it was a three-point contest for the Texas A&M Commerce Lions.

The University of Central Oklahoma is currently dominating the LSC North Division. With eight wins in a row, the UCO Bronchos are at number one with a record of 5-0.

Students got a chance to “Roll with the Aggies” to Edmond,

Okla. for the annual rival matchup between the two teams. UCO showed exactly why they’re ranked third in the nation with a 90-75 win over Cameron University.

Senior Guard Dave Smith’s 20 points and perfect percentage from the foul line was not enough against the only undefeated team in the Lone Star Conference.

Only one other Aggie player finished with double figures, and that was Senior Guard/Forward Mekaile Reed. Reed scored 18 points on 6-11 shooting. His post-up game and power allows him to get inside the paint and enables him to turn and shoot on his defender. After entering the season late, Reed began as the sixth man role player. Now, Reed has been starting the majority of the time and has scored doubledigits in the last four games.

A recent home win was highliughted by Senior Forward Terrance Welch. Three of his five total points at a home game against the Northeastern State Riverhawks were the most important. The game was even with a score of 48-48 with three seconds left on the clock. Welch grabbed a steal with limited time and immediately went for a threepoint play, when the Aggies only needed one to win. Two defenders

jumped to attempt to block the ball, leading to three free-throw attempts for Terrance Welch.

The big man nailed all three and then stopped the next inbounds play for the Hawks with only 0.6 seconds remaining. This home win was big for the Aggie men’s team considering Northeastern State was placed right behind them in the LSC standings with a 2-3 record.

After so many tough Lone Star Conference match-ups, Cameron is getting a break from conference play. The first of two non-conference games was a success against Dallas Christian University. Scoring-machine Dave Smith dropped 28 points on the Crusaders with a game-high six assists. Abilene Christian will be making the trip up to Lawton on Feb. 7 for the Aggies’ final nonconference game.

Three more conference games will be held at the Aggie Gym for the remainder of the season including Southwestern Oklahoma State, Central Oklahoma and East Central Oklahoma. A total of six conference games are left for the Aggie men. These will determine whether or not this year’s team can become a true playoff competitor.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Let it out: Senior Forward Greg Boxell yells in jubilation while teammates celebrate after the Aggies defeated the Northeastern State Riverhawks by three points. The final basket came with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game.

Sports 7 Lawton/ Fort Sill Cavalry season abruptly shortened February 9, 2009

By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff Lawton Fort Sill Cavalry owners, employees and fans are all enduring some heartache this week. The Continental Basketball Association announced that it has abbreviated the remainder of the season due to financial difficulties.

Last season the Cavalry won the CBA championship in their first season at Lawton/ Fort Sill.

This season a chance at another CBA title was well in sight, but the schedule was cut short due to low-ticket sales and continuing problems with the economy.

The owners of the organization are currently working on several

options for season ticket holders and will be contacting each of them individually. Fans were looking forward to a whole season but will now be missing out on at least six games. The Cameron University Athletic Department is offering free admission to any home basketball games for all Cavalry season ticket holders. Presenting season ticket identification or tickets will get fans in to Aggie Gym for free.

Many individuals were involved with the Cavs’ organization, but what’s next for them? Players are now looking for contracts with other leagues outside of the United States. Center Shawn Daniels, who has been on several

CBA championship teams, already has a contract to play in the Philippines. After a spectacular winning season last year, several players were picked up to play on international teams.

No other players from this season have announced their future plans in basketball.

The Lawton Fort Sill Cavalry was quite a name in the Lawton community. Aggie Impressions is a student-run public relations firm at Cameron that helped establish this name with fans and local businesses. Nicole Roames is the president of the Public Relations Student Society at CU as well as a part of Aggie Impressions.

“The end of the season came as

a surprise,” Roames said. “There were some questions during the season’s opening because the fifth team in the CBA closed down before the season started.”

Roames said that Aggie Impressions will continue to work with the Cavs and hope for a comeback next year. The PR organization also plans to help organize the Special Olympics this year and the Lawton Philharmonic.

“We appreciate the support from all the local businesses, that’s something we worked on all year.

They put up signs on game days, and some are still up, helping build spirit for the upcoming playoffs,” Roames said.

Due to the conclusion of the CBA regular season, a three-game series will be held this week to determine a 2008-2009 champion.

The series is between the two top teams in the league standings: the Lawton Fort Sill Cavalry and the Albany Patroons. All games will be played in Albany on Feb. 5 through 7. Lawton fans still have a chance to watch each of the games from the CBA Finals at a local watch party being presented at Brady’s Glass on “B” Avenue.

The Cavalry’s owners are planning to meet with the Continental Basketball Association this weekend about bringing back the league and the teams for a 2009-2010 season.

Quarterback Kurt Warner played his way into Canton

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Every time a star player begins to ponder retirement, sports pundits, talking heads and armchair quarterbacks begin the age-old debate of whether he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

After falling just short of winning it all again, due to the slip of strong safety Aaron Francisco, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has pulled a Brett Favre and is thinking about retirement. Ever since the aging quarterback went to Arizona after a brief stint with the New York Giants and six years with the St. Louis Rams, everyone figured he was washed up and would only prepare the next generation of mediocrity for the Cardinals.

Then, USC golden boy Matt Leinart was drafted in 2006 and some foolishly thought the overrated kid could take the NFL’s worst franchise to the big game.

Who would have thought that not only would the Cardinals actually be in the Super Bowl more than two years later, but it would be with old, washed-up mentor Warner at the helm?

When people mention elite quarterbacks, there’s always a few certain names that come up: the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady, the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning, the New York Jets’ Brett

Favre, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger and the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees. Aside from Favre, the one thing that binds all of those players together is their consistency.

Perhaps it’s because Warner is “past his prime” and “washed up,” but no one considers him to be an elite quarterback anymore.

The man has gone to the Super Bowl three times. He helped the St. Louis Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999. Sure, they were the “greatest show on turf” back then, but Warner was chosen as the Super Bowl MVP. He then helped his team go again two years later and they barely lost to a little team called the New England Patriots.

There’s no shame in losing to them, unless Matt Cassell was playing as the quarterback.

Warner then helped kick-start the hapless, floundering Arizona Cardinals. He was second in the league in pass yardage, only behind Drew “Madden Ball” Brees. Sure, Warner had plenty of help with God-incarnate Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston.

How many teams in the history of the NFL have had three wide receivers with more than 1,000 yards? Not any other quarterback can put those numbers up.

Just look at Marc Bulger down in St. Louis. He took over the Rams after Warner was unceremoniously given the boot.

What has the team done since

then? In one of the consistently worst divisions in football, the NFC West, the Rams have struggled and nearly drowned in their own mediocrity over the past five years.

A team of high school kids could win more games than Bulger and the Rams.

Warner is a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP. He should have won this year’s MVP award over Peyton Manning. Anyone that can jump-start the Arizona Cardinals and take them to the Super Bowl deserves some credit.

It might be too early right now to say Warner definitely deserves to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his name deserves mentioning, even if he doesn’t retire. He’s not like the Manning brothers who could pick and choose where they wanted to play football and have the entire spotlight on them. He’s not like Tom Brady who has a coach to cheat for him. He’s a walk-on quarterback from NFL Europe who was given a chance and he made the best of it.

Roethlisberger will be hailed as the hero of Super Bowl XLIII, but the real hero was Warner. He showed that an old quarterback can still play the game with the best of them and made a serious statement for his Hall of Fame chances. There’s not a quarterback that ultimately deserves to be in the Hall of Fame at some point more than Warner.

Photo Courtest MCT Campus

NHL All Star Game goes down to the wire

Photo Courtesy MCT Campus

By Bennett Dewan Collegian Staff In the United States, sports have become a part of the collective consciousness of the average American. The logos are recognizable, as are the superstars, at least the superstars of the big three sports, baseball, basketball and football. As many sports fans as there are in the US, there seems to be only enough room for these three major sports in the heart of fans, while all others are relegated to the outside looking in. The National Hockey League has been close at times to national acceptance, but has never been able to become a household staple.

With the conclusion of an exciting All Star weekend January 24 through 25 in

Montreal, perhaps it is time for America to take another look at the sport that has traditionally been “Canada’s game.”

The weekend opened with the NHL Super Skills Competition that was comprised of the fastest skater, breakaway, accuracy, shootout and hardest shot challenges. The event is planned to be a fun way for the fans to see the players compete head to head in a more relaxed environment.

The events went by one after another without much for surprises until the breakaway challenge, a competition that stressed creativity with one skater bearing down on the goalie for 30 seconds trying to score in the most outlandish ways to garner fans votes. Skater after skater unleashed every trick they could come up with.

The go-to-move was lifting the puck off the ice on the blade of the stick and throwing it at the goal like a catapult. That was until Alexander Ovechkin, the league’s reigning MVP, made the competition his own. While other skaters tried to take as many shots as they could in their thirty seconds Ovechkin went for substance. He first donned a fishing hat and sunglasses, then stopped for a Gatorade break and bore down on the goalie, juggling the puck between two sticks. The result was inevitable as the NHL powerhouse loomed over the helpless goaltender and slammed the puck into the back of the net with ease. The fan outpouring was immediate and overwhelming as Ovechkin dominated the fan voting and the competition.

Next up on the docket was the hardest shot, where each competitor took two attempts at shooting in front of a radar gun.

Each competitor seemed to be one-upping the previous person as the speeds continuously rose until one competitor remained, Boston Bruins 6’9” defender Zdeno Chara. The towering no.

33 from Slovakia reared back and took his first shot, 103 mph.

Chara was in second place with only one shot remaining, he adjusted his skating stride for more speed and unleashed his second shot like it came out of a cannon. The radar read 105.4 mph, the fastest anyone has ever hit a hockey puck on record. At

that speed it is hard to believe that goalies have to throw themselves in front of that hard rubber disk.

The event that seemed to be the most about intimidation actually ended up doing the most good. Chara had, before the event, asked all the competitors in the hardest shot to pledge $1,000 to the charity of the winner’s choosing. All six shooters agreed.

The NHL and NHL Players Association as well as the six teams represented all decided to match the contributions of the players. In all, $24,000 was donated to the Right To Play International, a non-profit group that seeks to introduce sports as a way to improve the lives of underprivileged youth around the world. The NHL community has shown that although on the ice the players fiercely battle, hit and fight, off the ice they truly are model athletes.

And then there was an All Star Game. The next night featured all anyone could ever ask from one game. There was selfless play, creative passes, highlight goals and athletic saves. The highlight goal of the game came when Pittsburgh Penguin’s star Evgeni Malkin faked a shot to the left then shot the puck between his legs into the back of the net.

The beauty of All Star Games is the ability of the players to celebrate all of the great things about their sport. In this case, it was athleticism, grace, creativity and speed.

The goaltenders faced over 100 shots in the entire game, nearly double that of an average contest. So it came as no surprise that at the end of regulation that both the Eastern and Western Conference teams had scored 11 goals each.

The game moved into the tensest part of any sporting event, sudden death overtime.

The teams battled for the five minutes, and a handful of goals were nearly scored by both the West and the East, but time expired with no more scoring and the All Star Game for just the second time ever went to a shootout.

One on one, skater versus goalie, offense against defense to determine the game, one shot to be the hero, high stakes hockey.

In an All Star Game, the goalies never have a chance. They get pummeled with shots all game long and players never defend anyone. So, it was all too fitting that the game would end on a goal by the league’s scoring leader and the Breakaway Challenge champion from the night before.

Ovechkin skated, quickly faked to the left, then the right and unleashed a shot. He then turned and skated away without watching the puck trickle into the net. He already knew: game over.

In an era where athletes are often overpaid but often underplayed, the NHL All Star Game connects with fans because it showcases athletes who exude class and enjoy the game.

8 A&E Play ‘My Children, My Africa’ shows racial tolerance February 9, 2009

By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff Some people believe that separation is the answer, while some people believe that tolerance is the only way out of the daily racial hatred humans live in.

The balance between these two opposite view points about racial interactions is the topic that propels the Theater department’s latest play “My Children, My Africa,” which is scheduled to open its curtains from Feb. 12 until the 15 at the University Theater.

And as the play takes part in the social responsibility and racial awareness of black and white relations, so does the Theatre department at Cameron University. The department brings forth the play as a demonstration of how deep

human talents run in each one of the characters, no matter what racial group they fit in.

According to Theater Professor Dr. David Fennema, the play brings out fundamental topics concerning the distinctions between individuals from different races.

“I hope there will be an awareness of the suffering brought by Apartheid and segregation, and the importance of cross-cultural and cross-racial interactions, together with the awareness and perceptions of the other races and other ways of living,” Dr. Fennema said.

The play “My Children, My Africa” came from the talented playwright Athol Fugard and it was based on his experiences in his home country of South Africa during the Apartheid. Fugard described the interactions between whites and

blacks through segregation.

The play starts at a regular school in South Africa in the 80s. Students constantly experience the separation of racial groups everywhere they go and the tension over the Apartheid system is palpable.

“The play deals with a 1984 student riot in South Africa,” Dr. Fennema said.

“Basically, Photo by Bira Vidal the play deals with the Interacting through differences: Thami problems of Apartheid and Mbikwana (Chris Jefferson) debates with Isabel Dyson (Leah Mazur) about the Apartheid the problems that Apartheid system in South Africa. Both students have created. It also the help of teacher Anela Myalatya (Richard focuses on the Johnson). student riots.” blacks and whites and he sees A modest teacher in the opportunity when the country school, known by the students sees challenge for advancement. as Mr. Anela Myalatya, believes When some of the school’s in cooperation between races brightest students are impelled for a better South Africa and to participate in an English world. His views about human competition, Mr. Myalatya potential cross the line of

fi nds that the school has a viable chance in winning the competition only if two of his best students pair to compete side by side.

However, these two students do not belong in the same racial group.

One of these students is Thami Mbikwana, a black student who has the potential to compete and the ambition to win. He is determined to overcome all obstacles brought by the Apartheid through his talents. The other student is Isabel Dyson, a passionate schoolgirl from a segregated school who believes that the competition is something she is enthusiastic about.

Through the interactions between Thami Mbikwana and Isabel Dyson and the risks of the competition, an unusual friendship is created. And with the help from Mr. M, they see that integration between the two groups is more than possible, it is real.

Chris Jefferson will play the part of Thami, while Leah Mazur will perform as Isabel.

Richard Johnson will fi ll the spot of the teacher Mr. M. Show times from Feb. 12 to 14 are at 7:30 p.m. and on Feb. 15 the show time is at 2 p.m.

For more information about ticket availability please contact the box office in the Theater Department at 581.2346.

BALL continued from page 1 “It is pretty cool. Someday I can tell my kids that I got to see the CU Centennial. There are a lot of changes happening on campus that will be talked about for a long time, and we are here for it,” Kruscavage said.

Student Michael Faggett said that being on campus during the centennial year has been a wonderful experience, and it is great to see where the school has been and where it is headed.

“Outside the construction there is a lot of growth on campus right now. It’s a good time to be at Cameron. I really look forward to seeing what the next few years will hold here,” Faggett said.

The Centennial celebration can also be as exciting for faculty members as it can for students, said Chemistry and Physics Professor Dr. Gary Buckley.

“It is a very exciting time for Cameron, not only to be celebrating 100 years, but I have also noticed a higher enrollment rate and I think the student life is more active than it ever has been,” Dr. Buckley said. “I have really enjoyed the Centennial activities I have been able to attend, and I am definitely looking forward to the Centennial speakers that will be visiting the

campus.”

CU student Jenyann Roig was also in attendance at the Centennial Ball. She not only said she enjoyed the centennial activities on campus, but helping out with the live coverage on election night in November and covering the inauguration in January.

“I believe President Ross is doing a great job,” said Roig. “Celebrating the 100 years that Cameron University has been providing higher education to its students is a big deal. It was really exciting for me because the major changes this past school year weren’t just on campus, they were nationwide, and I was able to be a part of it.”

On the dance floor: Sports Information Director Craig Martin and his wife Robin, a Student Activities Specialist, step on the dance floor as part of the night’s festivities.

Auditions for children 14 and younger will be held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14.

Auditions are open to anyone.

For more information please call 581.2346.

A&E 9 Miss Black CU pageant opens Black History month February 9, 2009

By Jorie Palmer

in the Cameron University Theatre.

Collegian Staff Ebony Society President The Ebony Society hosted Leigh Shelton said the its 30th annual Dr. Valree pageant is held every year on Wynn Miss Black CU the first Saturday in February Pageant at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 to kick off Black History Month.

Shelton said this year’s pageant was especially important because Dr. Valree Wynn is scheduled to attend and speak.

Dr. Wynn is the founder of the Ebony Society and the pageant.

“As the first African American professor at Cameron, Wynn saw the lack of scholarship money for African American women,” Shelton said. “As an Photo by Bira Vidal answer to the Stage presence: Former Miss Black CU problem, Dr. Taylor Thompson sings during the 2008 Wynn created edition of the pageant.

the pageant and directed it for nine years. In 1985 it was named after her.”

Shelton said in addition to Dr. Wynn’s appearance, the Ebony Society worked to get all 29 past pageant winners at the event.

“We want this year’s pageant to be special because we have accomplished a lot this year,” Shelton said. “It is our 30th annual Miss Black CU pageant, and the first African American President was inaugurated in January.”

Shelton said the candidates were chosen in August.

During the previous Spring Semester, students were given the chance to sign up. Shelton said anyone who wanted to participate was encouraged to do so. Applicants must be single Cameron students with at least a 2.75 GPA. Shelton said the candidates could not be married because the scholarship is designed to help an independent woman better herself.

The five students competing for the title of Miss Black CU 2009 were Candice Lewis, Shanice Biggins, Jade Carter, Kacie Burris, and Constina McIntyre.

Shelton said these girls began preparing for the pageant early last semester.

Former Miss Black CU Taylor Thompson said being in a pageant helps contestants grow through goal setting and a sense of accomplishment.

“People who consider pageants demeaning to women do not understand everything that goes into them,” Thompson said.

“Candidates are judged more on the personal interview, knowledge, and presentation than looks. I learned a lot as Miss Black CU.” Miss Black CU is divided into sections including a morning interview, an introductory speech, an evening wear competition, and the on-stage question.

Shelton said awards were given for the winner, the first and second runner-up, Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic. There was also a Community Service Award, a Business Woman Award, and the Director’s Award.

Thompson said the winner of Miss Black CU will able to visit schools,

perform at various events throughout the year and make appearances.

“Being queen was really fun,” Thompson said. “If I could keep my title another year I would, but I am excited, because this is such a great group of girls.”

Shelton said that before the Dr. Valree Wynn Miss Black CU Pageant, a luncheon was given in Wynn’s honor.

The Ebony Society invited Cameron faculty and staff along with community members to hear Wynn speak at the luncheon.

Shelton said the Ebony Society plans to host one program a week during Black History Month, and that all Cameron students are invited to take part.

“Everyone is invited to our club and our events,” Shelton said. “We believe it is important to learn about all ethnicities and cultures.”

Valentine’s Day offers opportunistic love escapades

By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff As quoted over the decades by a flock of lovebirds and their respective comrades, love is in the air everywhere you look around this week with the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Even though many couples have decided what to do, some may be still wondering what to do to bring the love to the air on Feb. 14.

Just like a consistent part of the Valentine’s holiday, the entertainment industry has already been working on this day that proves to people that a little can still mean “I love you.”

Of course little is the best route taken this year. With economy plunging everywhere, this holiday will go through not only the fire of passion, but also in the fire of low spend.

Old options such as flowers and chocolate have stepped aside for more creative choices this year.

But the problem is how to reach that creative outburst before the day comes. The choices are many if any nervous tension is in the air instead of love.

Most people are attracted to food, and that is the plain reality. Cooking may be the biggest surprise for Valentine’s Day. A homemade meal or a nice trip to restaurant may fill in

the lack of options for the date.

It is good to remember that the demand for restaurant reservations increase during this day, so a good home cooked meal becomes the best option.

It will demonstrate how much important the other person is.

Some candles may light the passion, but a good soundtrack may spark flames. Albums released in the past months have proven to follow the basic notion that love suppresses any of life’s hardships.

Keyshia Cole’s newest album “A Different Me” brings a tender and smooth Keyshia that sets the mood for any dinner.

Track such as “You Complete Me” and “This Is Us” may the last complementation the dinner with candle lights lacks.

Another option for the love soundtrack is the latest album from Beyonce “Am I … Sasha Fierce,” which brings a set of slow songs like “Halo” and “Disappear.” The album has its share of romanticism.

If a dinner is not part of the night’s plan, a movie may be the thing missing. Summer blockbuster “Sex and the City” can be the option to start or close the night. Viewed by many as a chick flick, “Sex and the City” brings enough love lessons to a variety of couples becoming one of this year’s best romantic releases. The love is certainly a

major label for the four friends. entertainment or gastronomy No matter what the plans Following “Sex and the City” realms, couples still can finds are, love must be the main release, “Fireproof ” bases its many different programs for reason for the holiday. When romantic line at the difficulties Valentine’s Day. A visit to the love is present during the day, of relationships and the nearest park or lake, a picnic any event will become a special overcoming of those problems. right out in the yard, a jog event. A special action toward The movie focuses on the together, or just spending time someone loved is the most complications of married life together may be the difference important goal for Saturday. and how it consumes couples. from the all the regular days.

But love overcomes all complications after all.

From the movie “Fireproof ” came “Love Dare,” a book with a love inspirational story that guides the main character throughout his fallouts in love and marriage. The book “Love MCT Campus Dare” became a must read The ladies from the city: Carrie Bradshaw leads Charlotte York, Miranda for all couples Hobbes and Samantha Jones in the movie spinoff of the hit TV show that interested in focuses on relationships, friendships and love. learning how to maintain a healthy relationship with their significant others.

But outside the

10

Variety

February 9, 2009

The great debaters: Thami Mbikwana (played by Theater major Chris Jefferson) explains his arguments to caucasian schoolgirl Isabel Dyson (played by Theater major Leah Mazur). Both students learn that through tolerance, racial segregation would become extinct in South Africa. The moderator of the debate is a humble school teacher called Mr. M by his students, but known to people as Mr. Anela Myalatya (played by Richard Johnson).

Play ‘My Children, My Africa’ debates the impact of the Apartheid in South African society

The necessary push: Mr. M (on the right) pushes Mbikwana (on the left) towards a better future for his life and for South Africa.

The good news: Isabel Dyson (Mazur) receives good news from Mr. M (Johnson) concerning her participation in the English competition together with Mbikwana (Jefferson).

Argumentation: Isabel Dyson (Mazur) argues with Mbikwana (Jefferson) about the Apartheid system and how the competition can unite the two segregated races.

Fight differences: Through student riots, the two students come to the conclusion that interaction and knowledge is the best weapon against Apartheid.

Photos by Bira Vidal Photo collage by Bira Vidal