Monday, March 26, 2012
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McChrystal’s keynote brings end to Academic Festival
Volume 86 Issue 20
Choice Awards Nominations of staff and faculty begin for annual service recognition. Page 4
News
Lost research CU Biology Dept. is recovering after years of research were lost due to storms. Page 2
Crossroads
A&E
Photo by Elijah Morlett
Saving lives CU’s Department of Military Science teams up with the Okla. Blood Institute. Page 8
Sports
Tennis Men and Women’s tennis teams continue their spring season with wins and losses. Page 6
Sharing wisdom from the frontline: Gen. (Ret.) Stanley A. McChrystal speaks to students, faculty and guests at the Aggie Gymnasium on March 15. Gen. McChrystal is the last of the five major speakers that Cameron University invited for the triennial Academic Festival.
by Elijah Morlett Editor-in-Chief
Cameron University’s seventh triennial Academic Festival, “Afghanistan: Its Complexities and Relevance,” concluded on March 15 as General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal came to speak with students, faculty and the community. McChrystal is the former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and the former leader of Joint Special Operations Command. His leadership of JSOC is credited with the capture of Suddam Hussein in December 2003 and the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, in June 2006. Cameron University President Cindy Ross said that the university was honored to present the internationally recognized speaker for the festival. “This year’s Academic Festival has been extremely successful thanks to the speakers who have shared their extensive knowledge about Afghanistan,” she said.
During the presentation, McChrystal went into the several aspects of the history and culture of Afghanistan to explain the situation there today. “Afghans think in terms of relationships, and sometimes I am not sure we do,” McChrystal said. “We think in terms of the world…but cities do not have opinions, continents do not have passions—people do. What people think is ultimately what matters.” He went on to talk about the issue of trust with the Afghans and Americans. “They do not trust us, and we do not trust them,” McChrystal said. “We tried, I would argue, too much to go around the Afghan people.” He also said, as Americans, we tend to look for a direct and quick way to solve things. However, that causes problems when forming the relationships in Afghanistan.
See ACADEMIC FESTIVAL Page 3
Local Rock Lawton-area artists strive to make it big in the local music scene. Page 7
Voices
Kony 2012 Invisible Children’s social media campaign shines light on media literacy. Page 5
House passes bipartisan job creation bill by Colin DuRant Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
Working towards a goal: From left to right, Rep. Nan Hayworth, House Speaker John Boehner, Ward Williston Oil Co. President Laurie Cunnington and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor walk on Capitol Hill as they arrive for a news conference to discuss the JOBS Act. The purpose of the bill is to aid the unemployment problems of the United States.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Referendum 3606, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act on Mar. 8. The House Majority Leader, Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA), reported that the legislation passed with a 390-23 majority in a bipartisan effort to stimulate job growth in the United States. Representative Cantor talked about the bipartisan and cooperative nature of the bill in a statement on Mar. 9. “The JOBS Act has the support of President Obama and the entrepreneurs and small business owners who know what it takes to start a business from the ground up,” said Representative Cantor. House Speaker John Boehner (ROH) praised the passage of the bill in the House and expressed hope that the Senate would pass the bill. “Senate Democrats should take immediate action on the JOBS Act,
and the rest of our jobs plan,” said Congressman Boehner The Washington Post reported that Senate Majority Leader Harry. M Reid (D-NV) plans to take the lead in continuing in this legislation’s progress in the Senate, but expressed a desire to combine elements of the bill with the transportation jobs legislation. The New York Times reported that White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage explained that the White House supports the JOBS act. Brundage said, “Today’s vote shows that both sides should be able to find common ground on this issue, and the President urges them to pass a bill and bring it to his desk without delay.” The bill received criticism from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly mocked the bill as a jobs-bill lite in press conference on Mar. 8 before the vote.
See JOBS Page 3
Business Research Center holds local forum by Tyler Boydston Staff Writer
The Bill W. Burgess, Jr. Business Research Center held a business forum at 1 p.m. March 7 at the CETES Conference Center to discuss the issues of banking in the nation and the state, looking at the past, present and future of the banking industry. According to Dr. Syed Ahmed, Director of the Business Research Center and forum host, the presentation featured speakers from the local banking community. “The forum was well-attended,” Dr. Ahmed said. We had several members of the community banks in attendance.” Dr. Ahmed explained that while previous business forums dealt with issues such as health insurance, budget or shortage, this semester’s issue was banking.
“The speakers spoke very well on the bank regulations and how, instead of helping, they are impeding the loan market and financial market, raising the cost to the banks, which is ultimately passed on to the consumers,” Dr. Ahmed said. “If this trend continues, small banks will find it very hard to survive.” According to Dr. Ahmed, banking was chosen as this semester’s topic because of its importance to students and the community. “I chose the topic this semester because it is a critical issue to the public,” Dr. Ahmed said. “Usually I want to bring forums on major public issues, budget issues or banking reforms; things that have public importance.” Dr. Ahmed said that the business forum also helped to address the cause of some recent economic problems.
“As a result of the fault of some investments and big banks, everyone is paying a price,” Dr. Ahmed said. The business forum’s keynote speaker this semester was John Davis, President of the Fort Sill National Bank, who presented his thoughts on where the banking industry is currently. According to Davis, the current economy is comparable to a train when it comes to the effects seen throughout the banking industry. “Economy is kind of a big train with a bunch of cars,” Davis said. “If you do anything within your car, it doesn’t change the train that much; Try to get it to stop or go faster, though, and you affect the whole train.”
See BUSINESS Page 3