Monday, March 26, 2012

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News

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

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March 26, 2012

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Recent power failure reminds of past losses By James Meeks and Teewhy Dojutelegan

This past New Year’s Eve, strong winds caused not only power outages in parts of Lawton. The Biology Department was one of the areas affected instigating 20 years of research to be loss as well $100,000 of student-use samples and supplies. The power outage was overlooked since there were back-up generators in the Biology Department. Dr. Gary Buckley, Interim Dean of Science and Technology, is in charge of the recovery effort as well as looking into ways of notifying a faculty member in the event that such occurrence happens again. According to Dr. Buckley, the Biology and Agriculture Departments lost the most amount of samples. Dr. Buckley explained that the power surges faced during New Years Eve caused a spike in the generators. “There was a large power surge in Lawton; we have those freezers and coolers on generators,” Dr. Buckley said. “The generators kicked in and worked fine, but somehow the transition to the back-up got cut and the cold boxes warmed up. It went unnoticed for about two days.” According to Dr. Buckley, the samples in the freezers must be kept at a certain temperature. When the generators failed, the temperature began to rise, and the contents got spoiled.

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

Knowledge through research: Sami Fakhouri harvests nano particles in the DeSimone Laboratory. The Biology Department recently lost valuable samples due to a New Year’s Eve power outage and an electrical glitch. With no one in their offices celebrating the New Year and the recently-tested back-up generators in place, none of the staff expected any problems. Dr. Buckley said the School of Science is considering ways in which faculty can

be notified in the event of another failure. “We’re looking into different ways into notifying faculty when things happen,” Dr. Buckley said. Dr. Buckley explained that although a loss like this one is a rare occurrence, it can still happen and preparations must be

made to prevent another such instance. Dr. Carla Guthridge, Chair of the Biology Department, stated that a monetary value cannot be placed on the amount of time put into the various researches. Dr. Guthridge also said that the Biology Department ordered replacement supplies to restart the research and to keep classes going; however, the data, though still intact, will not be compatible with the these samples. For the professors who lost research materials, Dr. Guthridge said most samples would have to be recollected. “They have to regenerate the samples or go back out and harvest,” Dr. Guthridge said. “I think for the majority of professors’ work is recoverable.” Dr. Guthridge expressed relief, though, that the loss did not disrupt the flow of classes at the beginning of the semester. “I was a little worried coming into this that it was going to be hard to hit the semester with samples lost, even for classes, but the response was so quick I don’t think we missed a beat with classes at all,” Dr. Guthridge said. Dr. Buckley and Dr. Guthridge are looking into ways to prevent the loss of samples so that such amounts of research and student-use samples are not lost in the future. Last week, the School of Science had an opportunity to test their back-up systems when campus electricity went out. According to Dr. Buckley, the backup systems worked perfectly.

Cameron offers horsemanship class By Sarah Holloway Staff Writer

Horse riding is a hobby that some Cameron University students enjoy. Other students wishing to join in the passion, though, have the opportunity to take a class that revolves around learning to ride and take care of horses. The class is a fairly new course that the Department of Agriculture is developing and is known as General Horsemanship. Dr. Frank White, assistant professor in the Department of Agriculture, said the class is open to any interested student wanting to take the course. “There are no requirements or prerequisites for the General Horsemanship course,” he said. “I have students who have never ridden a horse before and students who have a lot of riding experience. I think each student has learned from the course so far.” According to Dr. White, along with learning to ride, the class also covers subjects such as equine nutrition and reproduction. “The class will cover basic riding and equine management including nutrition, reproduction, management and basic riding skills,” he said. “Students are required to catch, tie, saddle and ride different horses. Each student is matched with a horse appropriate for their skill level.”

Dr. White explained that the General Horsemanship class also takes field trips that are relevant to the material covered in class, to help the students better understand the equine industry. The students also learn how to apply the material to a real-life situation. “We also take tours of equine industries in the area. We just took a tour of an equine embryo transfer company in Oklahoma and discussed the application of this technology to the equine industry,” Dr. White said. The horsemanship class meets every Friday at the livestock arena located at the CU school farm. Kelsy Haslam, a senior Animal Science major, enjoyed the fact that she had the opportunity to take a class that revolved around doing something that she truly enjoyed. “I liked taking the horsemanship class because it allowed me to ride horses even while I was at school,” she said. “The semester I took the class I was always busy with work, so it gave me the opportunity to ride even with my busy schedule.” Students who wish to learn more about horses and the equine industry, Dr. White explained, are encouraged to enroll in the horsemanship course. “We strongly encourage all students, including non-Agriculture majors, to enroll in the course,” Dr. White said.

Photo by Kelsey Carter

To ride or not to ride?: Students listen to instructions on horseback riding. The General Horsemanship class is one of the Physical Education classes offered at CU. “Any student who wants to learn more about horses, learn to ride or improve their riding skills is invited. “ Senior Animal Science majors Elaine Harder and David Williams help Dr. White teach the class, as they help train the students with the proper techniques and handling of the horses. Harder explained the appeal and importance of the class.

“I think this class has really helped the students gain a broader perspective of horsemanship, since it covers different breeds and types of riding,” Harder said. “We get time in the saddle and the classroom, and get to go on cool trips. “ For more information about the General Horsemanship course, students can contact the Department of Agriculture at 580.581.2275.

Library not just another quiet place By Alex Rosa-Figueroa Copy Editor

While some students know that a library is a safe-haven for searching, checking out and reading books, the Cameron University Library offers many more services for students looking to enhance their education. The Cameron University Library, located between Nance Boyer and Howell Hall, is a haven not just for books, but also history. Resting in the Library are the Cameron Archives, a collection of materials relating to Cameron’s history. According to Dr. Sherry Young, the director of the Library, in the archives students can look through Wichita yearbooks, administrative reports, press releases and photographs of college life. The archives also contain items of special interest, such as the original copy of the diploma given to one of the first students to graduate from Cameron. Dr. Young said that the items are kept chemically inert in order to preserve them over the years. “We try to make sure those documents will be saved,” she said. The University Archives are available to students during business hours of the library, though students unable to conduct their research on campus may find the Cameron website’s Ask a Librarian service just as

helpful. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, students can chat with a librarian for assistance using the Library’s databases. While the online librarians lack access to the Cameron Archives, they can assist students through the rest of the Library’s selection and the university’s online resources. According to Dr. Young, these librarian sessions generally last for 14 minutes, and the wait averages at about two minutes. She also said that the service is helpful for students and faculty alike. “From January through September, the librarians assisted about 150 students and faculty members,” she said. In addition to Ask a Librarian, there are many other online services available to students, such as the Interlibrary Loan (ILL). While students can use ILL to request a text or article from another campus or library, students can also have the information delivered directly to their computers. Another feature available on the library’s website is the Films on Demand service, where Students can watch streaming scholarly videos at their leisure. Dr. Young said that the Library is striving to allow students to keep themselves informed in any way they can, whether it be physically or over the Internet. “We want to keep up with all the changes in

information delivery,” she said. In that spirit, the Library also has four Kindle E-readers for students to checkout and use. Students can check out a Kindle for 14 days, and can even request specific titles to be downloaded. According to Dr. Young, the service is popular —students may have to put their names on a Kindle waiting list— but cautioned that the E-readers be returned on time in order to avoid monetary consequences. “Overdue Kindles are subject to fines, and if a person were to lose a Kindle, he or she would need to pay a replacement fee,” she said. All the advancement in technology does not mean that students cannot get the same amount of help when in the Library itself, though. Students finding themselves stumped on research can go to the first floor circulation desk and ask a reference librarian for assistance. Dr. Young stressed the importance of just asking the librarians for help. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she said. “We don’t think questions are silly.” The Cameron University Library is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 to 6:00 p.m. Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays and 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, students can call 580.581.2957

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March 26, 2012

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CU Saturday offers glimpse of campus life By Teewhy Dojutelegan News Editor

Prospective students had the opportunity of experiencing campus life on March 10, when Cameron University hosted the annual CU Saturday event. The event is held every spring semester to welcome incoming students and their parents, and to introduce them to both the campus and the available resources it offers. Frank Myers, the Associate Director of Enrollment Management, said that CU Saturday is geared towards high school seniors who are getting ready for college. “CU Saturday is our preview day, which is geared towards seniors, but everyone is welcome,” he said. “They get to learn about financial aid, scholarships and other information.” This event affords both parents and students the opportunity to meet and interact with current students, staff and faculty of the institution and learn about academic programs and the admission process. Myers said CU Saturday is the day Cameron shows prospective students what is offered. “Students have a lot of questions about where they want to go to college,” he said. “This is the day we can show them all we offer.” The event, which started promptly at 9:30 a.m., featured three speakers: CU President Cindy Ross, Vice President for Student Activities Jennifer Holland and the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Jamie Glover. The speakers discussed various issues pertinent to prospective students and issues to be faced as freshmen. Issues that were discussed include: Financial Aid, Housing and co-curricular activities. There was also a student panel that answered any other questions the prospective students had. The panel included: Senior Communications major and CU Student Government President Cody Gardner; junior Theatre Arts major Brandi Goldsmith; sophomore Nursing major and ROTC member Chas Holbrook; and Music Education freshman Cole Hart. Gardner explained that joining social organizations provides a lot of opportunities to do new things.

Photo courtesy of Zeak Naifeh

Ready for college: Monica Cassara listens during a freshman Algebra class at Archbishop Mitty High School. Cameron University recently hosted prospective students at the Spring Preview Day known as CU Saturday. “I think it is important to become involved, because it provides for more opportunities,” she said. “I am a dues-paying member of the CU Nigerian Student Association, and through that organization I learned about a culture and tried new food that I would not have had I not been involved.” She also said she decided to come to CU because she had many people willing to help her when she came on a visit to the campus. “I decided to come look at the campus, and while I was here I must have looked very lost, because four or five people asked if they could help me,” she said. “That was when I decided; I wanted to come to a place that had people like that attending.” The opening session finished at 11 a.m. and students and parents were ushered to the browsing fair in the Fitness Center, where various academic departments and student organizations had booths meant to provide information about specific courses and organizations. According to Myers, all academic departments,

ACADEMIC FESTIVAL continued from page 1 “When you kill a Taliban soldier, you kill somebody’s son, or somebody’s brother or somebody’s father, and that has an effect,” he said. “That does not mean you do not have to do that, because sometimes you have to. This does mean you cannot go around the people because they determine who wins and loses.” Another topic that was brought up is unmanned warfare, which is the use of drones, missiles and other aspects of war that does not involve direct human contact. “I support the capability of us doing that, but only when it counts,” he said. “Unmanned strikes create frustration in these countries that do not have the ability to do the same.” McChrystal said that modern technology in today’s warfare has created an environment where war can begin without much thought into it. “If war is too easy, then it is too easy,” he said. “If a nation can create havoc on someone else without putting itself at risk, the danger is that the decision will be too easy to make. You do not want that decision to be so easy.” Finally, one of the last aspects he

spoke of was the future of Afghanistan after foreign forces leave. “If we stay until 2014 along the line that President Obama has outlined and the Afghan forces continue to grow, they will have the ability to protect themselves,” McChrystal said. “The great danger is that they will be end up not united, in which they will break into civil war.” This Academic Festival was dedicated to the memory of Dr. George Edward Stanley, a distinguished member of Cameron University’s faculty for 41 years. Stanley, a Professor of African and MiddleEastern Languages and Linguistics, died February 2011. Stanley was involved in the initial planning efforts of the festival. President Ross said that the year-long event was something that he wanted to be a part of. “The purpose of the Academic Festival—to delve deep into study and exploration of a topic of interest and intrigue—is just the type of adventure Dr. Stanley enjoyed,” President Ross said.

support staff and about 10 student organizations were present at the browsing fair. The school was open, and students had the opportunity to see everything they were interested in. Students, parents and guests who wanted to go on a tour were then shown the campus. The Aggie Ambassadors, a group of students who are trained in enrollment management, provided these tours. According to Hailey Harris, Aggie Ambassador president, most people wanted to see the types of housing options that CU offered. According to Harris, this year’s CU Saturday was a success, with more students attending than the previous year. She also said since the event is voluntary, students who attend have considered Cameron University as a college choice. “Events like these are completely voluntary for the students,” she said. “We know that they have already considered going to college and are excited to hear about all the opportunities we have to offer at Cameron.”

JOBS continued from page 1 Reuters reports that Representative Pelosi said, “While this little package is, I think, viewed positively, it is not any substitute for the jobs bill that we need.” The act passed the day before the Department of Labor released the unemployment report for February 2012. According to the report, 227,00 news jobs were created in the month of February. Despite the job growth, the unemployment rate in the United States remains at 8.3 percent. Analysts speculate that this number remains unchanged because job growth has encouraged unemployed people who had previously given up searching for work to rejoin the job hunt. President Barack Obama praised the growth at a March 9 speech at a Rolls-Royce manufacturing facility in Petersburg, Virginia. “Day by day, we’re creating new jobs, but we can’t stop there, not until everybody who’s out there pounding the pavement, sending out their resumes has a chance to land one of those jobs,” President Obama said. Response from economists to the February report has been largely positive, as Steven Blitz, chief economist of ITG Investment Research, said in the New York

Times. “There is no real cloud in the silver lining of this morning’s jobs report,” Blitz said. Economic recovery remains a slow grind, however, and many analysts, such as Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute, speculate it may be years before the unemployment rate reaches prerecession levels. “We have 5.3 million fewer jobs now than we did before the recession started,” Shierholz said. “Even at the quite strong average growth rate of the last three months, it would take roughly five years to get back to full employment in the labor market.” The latest state-specific Department of Labor report from Dec. 2011 shows that Oklahoma’s unemployment falls below the national unemployment rate at 6.3 percent. In an interview with The Oklahoman, Bob Funk, Chairman and CEO of Oklahoma-based Express Employment Professionals, talked about improved employer confidence as being a factor in job recovery. “Because businesses have already restored the hours of existing workers, they are more likely to add new workers to meet additional demand,” Funk said.

BUSINESS continued from page 1

Photo by Elijah Morlett

Learning a culture: General (Ret.) Stanley A. McChrystal shares information he has learned from his time in Afghanistan with students on March 15. His keynote concluded Cameron University’s seventh Academic Festival.

According to Davis, the ties between the federal government and the banking industry puts consumers on a list to be checked during bank transactions. “When you open an account at the bank, we check it against a list,” Davis said. “If you’re on the list, we have to notify the federal government. If you withdraw a large amount or apply for a mortgage loan, we have to tell the federal government about that, too.” Davis also gave details on the economic drop that began in 2007, using the housing market as an example. “A piece of the housing market went away,” Davis said. “People who want to sell homes, can’t sell homes. A good chunk of the market lost financing with that.” Davis also used his time to explain bank examiners and the difference between bank examiners for small banks and examiners at larger banks. “We have bank examiners in place about every eighteen months,” Davis said. “They come in, they visit us, look at our operations and make sure we’re doing everything right.

Big banks have examiners in place every day of the year, 365 days a year. Bank examiners are always at some part of those banks.” Davis’s presentation was followed by Bill Wilson, the Senior Vice President of BancFirst Lawton and Ron Martin, Executive Vice President and Loan Manager for Arvest Bank in the southwest Oklahoma region. The three were later asked questions by members of the audience.

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University begins nominations for Choice Awards by Colin DuRant Staff Writer

The nomination process for the Cameron University Choice Awards began this month in preparation for this year’s Service Recognition Reception and Dinner on April 17. The annual awards, which began in 2009, are given in four different categories related to Cameron University’s “Plan 2013: Choices for the Second Century.” Vice President for Business and Finance Glen Pinkston is the official spokesperson for the Cameron Choice Awards. Vice President Pinkston said the awards play an important bridge between Plan 2013 and the things happening on campus. “It reinforces that our five-year strategic plan wasn’t just a paper exercise,” Vice President Pinkston said. “It’s something that has guided our decisions.” The awards are given in four different categories, each specifically tied to a different outlined goal. Award recipients will be honored at the reception on April 17 with a plaque and $500 stipend. Any staff or faculty member who has been employed at least a year at Cameron is eligible for nomination, with the exception of members of the Executive Council. Vice President Pinkston said that students have an important role both in Plan 2013 goals being met on campus and the staff and faculty involved in fulfilling those goals. “Students can help us recognize the people that they see making this happen,” Vice President Pinkston said. The first award available is “The College Experience of Choice Award,” tied to goal two of Plan 2013. Guidance from Cameron’s Executive Council on the award says it will go toward recognizing the nominee who has made contributions toward making the Cameron University atmosphere the College Experience of Choice.

Previous recipients of this award have been Marcella Gustafson, International Students Admissions Coordinator in 2011, Deanice Shegog, Student Services Counselor in 2010 and Zeak Neifeh, Director of Student Activities in 2009. The next award reflects goal three of Plan 2013 in making Cameron University the “Location of Choice.” The award, “The Location of Choice Award,” will be awarded to the staff or faculty member who has made outstanding contributions toward making Cameron University a choice location for community and regional events. In past years, winners of this award have been Terry Hacker, Carpentry foreman in 2011, cowinners Jenn Abel, Staff Assistant to the Director of Special Events, and Dr. Leon Fischer, Professor and Chair of the Department of Agriculture in 2010, and cowinners John French, Grounds Foreman, and Dr. Anton Wohlers, Assistant Professor of History and Government in 2009. The third award is “The Partner of Choice Award” which relates to goal four of Plan 2013 and the nominee who has expanded Cameron’s partnerships with the community and Oklahoma area. Winners of this award have been Dr. Courtney Glazer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Education in 2011, Dr. James Lambert, Professor and Chair of the Music Department in 2010, and co-winners Don Aguilar, Associate Professor and Chair, Multi-Media Design, and Arun Tilak, Assistant Director of the Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies in 2009. The final award available for nomination is “The University of Choice Award” for the staff or faculty member who has forwarded Cameron’s first goal of Plan 2013, making Cameron the University of Choice.

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Past winners have included Ron Gaines, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences in 2011, Dr. Margery Kingsley, Professor and Chair of the Department of English and Foreign Languages in 2010, and Dr. Carla Guthridge, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences was the inaugural winner in 2009. Mr. Gaines spoke about winning the award, how much of a surprise it was for him and how the awards play into the overall mission of Cameron.

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“It’s nice to be recognized by your peers as a good instructor,” Gaines said. “It’s nice that they’ve got these awards that target specific goals for the university and that they recognize specific individuals working towards those goals.” Vice President Pinkston stressed the importance of putting care into the nomination process in order to increase the nominee’s chances of winning the award. “Take the time to write a good recommendation,” Vice President

Pinkston said. “Take the time to gather your facts about what that person has done.” Any Cameron student or employee may submit nominees for any of the awards, and forms for nominations can be found online at http://www.cameron. edu/forms. Nominations must be turned into the Human Resources department in the Administration Building by 12:00 P.M. on March 29.

Young Lawton artists showcase work by Sarah Brewer Staff Writer

Young artists who participated in the 2012 Spring semester Children’s Art Studio exhibited their finished creations March 12 in the lobby of the McMahon Memorial Auditorium. The Children’s Art Studio is a bi-annual, five-week program that exposes students to art in a variety of media and teaches them color theory and vocabulary used when describing the structure and design of a finished piece. This semester, students hand built clay color wheels and crafted papier-mâché fish and sea animals. A journal of notes accompanied each of the students’ projects. The projects were displayed in front of renowned Lawtonian artists’ artwork, placing student work alongside the professionals. One table in the auditorium

was set aside to show families how their artist completed his or her project. With help from teachers, students looked at photographs for inspiration, sketched their designs and then assembled and painted their finished pieces. Teachers who volunteered in the program, like Krista Clavone, gave students step-bystep instruction to students. Clavon teaches Fourth Grade at Ridgecrest Elementary School, and she worked with the same age group during the program. Clavon found her experience working with the third and fourth graders rewarding, and was pleased to see how their finished pieces were the result of their willingness to learn and express creativity. “They are really energetic about their art. They love to just do anything, and they’re not concerned with specifics,” Clavone said. “They just go at

it and do what they want to, and it turns out pretty good. They really have a good eye for it.” Clavone went on to discuss how the limited number of art teachers currently working in the Lawton Public School system reduces the amount of art students learn in the classroom. “We actually have an art teacher in our school, but I think there’s only two or three out there [working in LPS]. So they [the students] don’t get this in our schools. One of the only places they can get this is through this program,” Clavon said. “If they [the students] do get any art, it is usually something they have to do on their own, or they’re lucky to have one of the two or three teachers working in the school teaching art,” Clavon said. According to Clavon, students and parents should not

be deterred from signing up for the program because of its cost. “There are grants and financial help available out there, so the kids can still come,” Clavon said. First-time students, including 11-year-old Patsy, were introduced to crafting and the fine arts during the program. “This was my first time doing the program, and I might do it again next time later on this year,” Patsy said. Patsy was eager to participate and begin the program, and was glad that it kept her busy with making art. “I thought we would spend all day going over rules, but we got right to work on the clay and papier-mâché,” she said. “It was so much fun.” Nine-year-old Micheal liked that the program included some of the media he had wanted to work with. “I was thinking that we would work on drawings and

sculptures, and we did,” he said. Micheal’s family attended the reception and took several photographs of him standing with his younger brother and holding his red-and-blue papier-mâché fish. “Watching Michael’s imagination take form and come to life was a wonderful learning experience for all of us,” Michael’s father said. The City of Lawton, the Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, the Lawton Public Schools, the McMahon Auditorium Authority, the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts sponsored by the program. To learn more about the Child’s Art Studio, or to register a child for the fall 2012 semester, contact the Arts and Humanities Division at either 581.3470, 581.3471 or lahc@ cityof.lawton.ok.us.

Oklahoma Dems criticize Fallin for skipping Obama OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Democrats are criticizing Republican Gov. Mary Fallin and other GOP leaders for failing to welcome President Barack Obama during his visit to Oklahoma. Oklahoma City Democratic Rep. Mike Shelton says the governor’s failure to meet with Obama is “insulting to the president and an embarrassment to the state.” In an open letter to Obama on Friday, Tulsa County Democratic Party Vice

Chairman Michael Whelan says the failure of the governor or any other state leader to meet with Obama was “heartbreaking to see.” Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz says the governor was in Puerto Rico for a family trip that had been scheduled for months and had only a few days’ notice of the president’s visit. He says her missing the president “was not meant as a snub in any way.”

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

The political divide: Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin addresses a Republican watch party in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma Democrats are criticizing the state’s GOP leaders for not welcoming President Obama during his visit.

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Today’s top news shows decline in awareness

by Tyler Boydston Staff Writer

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief - Elijah Morlett Asst. Managing Editor - Aaron Gill News Editor - Teewhy Dojutelegan Crossroads Editor - Dianne Riddles A&E Editor - James Meeks Sports Editor - Matt Berberea Copy Editor - Alex Rosa-Figueroa Aggie Central Editors - Aaron Gill, Mitch Watson Archivist - Mitch Watson

Newsroom Staff

Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Megan Bell, Sarah Brewer, Tyler Boydston, Kelsey Carter, Fern Cepeda, Leah Chaffins, Colin DuRant, Rachel Engel, Angela Goode, Jessica Goodman, Sarah Holloway, Tiffany Martinez, Lizzy Owoyemi, Miranda Raines Circulation Manager - Matt Thompson Advertising Manager - Elijah Morlett Photographer - Kelsey Carter

Newswriting Students

Valera Ainsworth, Adrian Alexander, Amanda Goemmer

Faculty Adviser

Dr. Christopher Keller

About Us

The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Edmond Sun via the Duncan Banner. The first issue is provided free of charge. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.

I heard some rather big news this past week: Snooki from “The Jersey Shore” is pregnant. Then, as I took the news in, I realized something: I really do not care. It is not that I do not care about Snooki; I am sure that she’s very proud to be a mother, and I’m sure her fans as a whole are excited for her. I just think that, as a society, our priorities are completely out of whack. Watching and reading the news on a daily basis, I have noticed that a lot of the spotlight is put on entertainment and celebrities — not the politics and events that could change or forever shape our lives. I recently ran across an image on the Internet that at once made me laugh and cry, and it caused me to write this more than anything else. After the recent break-up of Katy Perry and Russell Brand, there was a news story written about Perry “unfollowing” Brand on Twitter. The image was A screen capture of that news story, and over the article was typed, “R.I.P. Journalism.” My first reaction to the image was to laugh, because I realized that news had gotten so desperate for attention that some people were willing to grab at straws for a story. After that, though, I started to realize just how many people had probably read that story and taken an invested interest in it — how many people were genuinely might have been heartbroken about this twittering drama. It was not just that one particular instance, either. I started to think back on every other time I had seen celebrity news talked about compared to the amount of political news discussed. With the upcoming Presidential election, one would expect that coverage would be everywhere. Rightfully so, CNN, Fox

Our Views

The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author. The unsigned editorial under the heading “Aggie Voices” 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.

An odd era for news: Katy Perry performs at the HP Pavillion in San Jose. News of Perry’s divorce and other celebrity stories end up being top news for citizens. News and most major news outlets are discussing the race. Unfortunately, when Whitney Houston died in February, news of the election seemed to stop for three days as everyone focused on the singer’s death. While I’m not belittling her death in any way, I find it odd that for a number of days people were talking more about her death than the election that can and will change the way we live. Even Facebook is not safe from our celebrity worship. While I occasionally see posts about politics or current events, it seems that I run across them less and less; they are intellectual islands in a sea of popular culture. Even at school, discussions seem to lean more towards entertainment than news. I know that politics and religion are often subjects that people try to avoid, but in times like these, I think we need to bring the potentially awkward conversations out instead of

going on about what happened last week on “The Jersey Shore.” All this ranting leads me to a specific point: we as a society need to be educated on what is happening in our world. Even if we are just watching “The Daily Show” to get our news, it is better than taking in nothing at all. We need to understand what we are watching and reading, especially when news is involved. We need to understand the facts of the situations so we know what to do with them. Finally, we need to be active. I’ve heard countless people say that they do not like voting because they feel their votes do not matter. This “feeling” could not be farther from the truth if it tried; every vote matters, and it shows that we at least care about the future of our country and where we are heading. Being educated and knowing the candidates of the upcoming election will help with the big decision.

While I have spent a great deal of time talking about how we do not care about the importance of news that can affect us, I must admit that I have seen quite a bit of interest in politics lately on the internet, though most of it has been negative. Rick Perry’s campaign advertisement from December received a lot of negative publicity, but at the same time provided more attention to the campaign as a whole. I have to give the Internet credit when it is due, and thankfully it is managing to get information out there quicker than it used to be. The only problem is that we have to be willing to search it out, and search out the right kind of information. In the end, though, if more of us vote for a President this November and spend less time worrying about who we plan on voting for in “American Idol,” maybe we can make things better in the world.

Campaign shines light on media literacy

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, by e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060 or at www. aggiecentral.com.

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

by Kelsey Carter Staff Writer

At this point, I am certain that much of the Cameron University population has become familiar with the Kony 2012 video and campaign, and perhaps my response is untimely and outdated, but based on the enormous amount of both critique and support I’m willing to count on continued relevancy. For those who have not been graced with waves of Facebook video shares, here is a brief synopsis: Kony 2012 is a video that Invisible Children, Inc. launched to YouTube in order to raise awareness of Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The overall purpose of the video is to gain support in stopping Kony via arrest and to gain financial support for groundwork in Central and Eastern Africa. So, what’s the issue? Is this not just a typical Invisible Children “Lets save the world, particularly underdeveloped areas” attempt? Well, the issue rests differently with different people. While the matter is a non-issue for many supporters, for the group of individuals refusing to back both Invisible Children and President

Obama’s October 2011 decision to send troops to Uganda, it is an issue of misinformation. I’ve come across several articles criticizing the Kony 2012 video for a perceived attempt at gaining support from ill-informed youth and middle-aged people starving for a new trend to tweet about. The simplicity of the video raises concerns that several supporters seem to just glance over. Invisible Children’s critics are asking pointed questions, such as where the raised funds are really going or how this movement could possibly positively affect Foreign Policy. With all of this negative attention, one might ask: what the video is doing right? And to that I must reply simply: what it’s doing right is getting attention. Sure, you can call it the bandwagon effect — as a negative comment on my Facebook did — but there is nothing wrong with using the technology right in front of us to our advantage. I find it difficult to believe that Invisible Children founder and video creator Jason Russell, who has been gaining a large following since the organization’s creation in 2005, does not know what he is doing. The video is gaining attention; it is creating awareness and getting the right words into people’s mouths. Sure, the video is the kind of simple, watery activism that does not fully inform an audience, but Russell is stopping no one from digging deeper. The problem starts when readers see what is popular and take a surface level dive into content with no intention of further research. I’m not saying that I think it is right to deceive an audience; I’m not even saying that was the video’s purpose. What I am saying, though, is that Russell may very well have played on the use of

media and media literacy — or lack thereof — to create a desired effect. I think it is fair to understand that the complexity of the LRA and the extent in which Invisible Children is trying to help will not fit in a 30-minute video. Kony 2012 may have been the organization’s plan to gain interest, creating a compelling story in an eloquent, artistic way so that those interested would read on; or maybe it was part of the plan to use a simply understood, powerful documentary to create a blind following. Whatever the reasoning, the video acquired over 75 million views with in the first week of it being live. In my opinion, I think it is brilliant campaigning to use a medium so relevant to the

demographic that Invisible Children is looking to get support from; whether positive or negative, people are talking about the issues. This is a 26-year-old war, and people are only now becoming aware of it. Sure, a criticizing Facebook comment was angry with all this, but when has awareness been innately evil? And the medium through which this message is traveling is certainly making the situation relevant to our culture. Chris Blattman of Yale had his own opinion on the matter, which fit the spirit of the Kony 2012 movement. “For all its weaknesses, Invisible Children has been more effective than any of us at raising awareness,” Blattman wrote, “and they may get us closest to the least worst action we can take.”

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

A different kind of campaign: Posters are being prepared for Invisible Children’s newest endeavor. The advocacy’s recent social media blitz has raised both awareness and controversy.

6

Sports

March 26, 2012

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CU Tennis wins on road, falls at home by Colin DuRant Staff Writer

The Cameron Tennis teams continued their spring season on the road with matches in Maryville, Missouri and Topeka and Wichita, Kansas. The men and women’s team entered their road trip with strong spring records so far: 4-2 for the men and 4-1 for the women. Both teams opened up on March 8 against the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and both the Aggie teams secured victories with the women winning a decisive 7-1 match and the men securing a close 5-4 decision. The ladies started strong with both the No. 2 doubles team of Sara Londono and Florencia Tornero and the No. 3 team of Elvira Sholles and Antonia Moberg securing victories. The No. 1 pair of Julia Puckhaber and Amanda Moberg dropped their doubles match 8-2 in what would be the women’s only loss of the day. In singles play, Cameron swept Northwest Missouri with no sets dropped. Sholles made a particularly strong showing in the No. 4 slot winning her match 6-0, 6-1. The men’s match started off 1-2 for the Aggies with only Gonzalo Garzon and Jorge Gerosi picking up a doubles victory in the No. 3 position. The men turned it around in singles however, only losing two matches with Thomas Peixoto, Duje Janjic, Nicolai Ferrigno and Jorge Gerosi all achieving wins at the No. 1, 2, 3 and 6 spots respectively. This singles performance allowed the men to secure the victory 5-4. The men and women continued their Missouri trip the next day as both teams took on the Drury University Panthers on March 9, with the women pulling through with a 5-3 victory and the men ending with a close 6-3 defeat. The only doubles victory for the women came from the No. 3 team of Sholles and Moberg, but the women made up ground to secure the win with Puckhaber winning

Photo by Matthew Berberea

Bringing her A game: Julia Puckhaber smashes a forehand against nationally-ranked opponent Micah Hermsdorf on March 15. Puckhaber went on to win the match but the Aggies fell 1-8 to the number six ranked ACU Wildcats. 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2, Londono winning 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3, Sholles winning 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4 and Moberg winning 6-0, 6-1 in the No. 6 position. The men only found a doubles win in the No. 2 position from Ferrigno and Campos. With momentum in Drury’s court, the Aggies were unable to come back in singles play with only Janjic and Gerosi managing three set wins at No. 2 and No. 6. On March 10, the Aggies continued their road trip into Kansas taking on both Washburn and Newman Universities. The day ended with a 2-0 record for the both the men’s and women’s teams as they played well on the road. Against Washburn, the women swept their opponents 9-0. They continued their success later in the day defeating Newman

with a final score of 8-0. The men mirrored the result of the women and only dropped one game against Washburn, securing the victory 8-1. Cameron managed a sweep against Newman on the men’s side winning 9-0. Cameron returned home the next week to take on Abilene Christian March 15, at Streich-Henry Tennis Complex. Both teams fell to the nationally-ranked Wildcats with the men losing in a tight 4-5 match and the women in a 1-8 defeat. The Cameron men took an early lead in doubles play, securing two wins from Peixoto and Garzon playing at the No. 2 position and Janjic and Lencioni playing at No. 3. However, the men fell in all but two singles matches to allow the Wildcats to take the win. The Aggie’s women failed to find a

win in the doubles arena with all three Cameron pairs succumbing to Abilene Christian. For singles, despite tough matches from the women, only Puckhaber secured a win at the No. 2 position against Micah Hermsdorf. Head men’s and women’s tennis coach James Helvey said he was proud of Puckhaber’s performance. “Julia played really well,” said Coach Helvey. “Hermsdorf is a tough player and one of the top players in the nation, so Julia’s win over her is going to help her ranking.” Overall, Coach Helvey’s focus is on the remaining matches of the season. “Now we have to put the matches behind us,” said Coach Helvey. “We have a week of tennis ahead of us, so that has to be where our focus is now.”

Cameron golf spring semester recap from CU Sports Information Men’s Golf opened its spring season Feb. 19 with match-play against the University of Kansas at the Territory in Duncan, Okla., as both teams fought gusting winds, cold air and rain for nine hours of golf. The Aggies got the best of the Jayhawks in the individual matches, winning six out of 10, but fell 5-0 in a round of best-ball matches. Cameron did its best to pull the victory in best-ball, pushing three of the five matches to the final hole, but fell just short of sweeping the day’s events. Despite the loss, Coach Jerry Hrnciar said he was impressed with how his team played, citing their ability to fight the conditions and compete against their opponents. “We played some good golf in the morning after a shaky start,” Coach Hrnciar said. “Garrett (Smith), Kregg (Wood), Austin (Weaver) and Bobby (Good) played particularly well in the conditions. In the afternoon, the rain, wind and cold caused us to get off to another bad start, but we battled back and gave them (KU) a run for their money. I was encouraged by our play and I hope this will prepare us for bad weather play, and for our first tournament in Austin.” Cameron’s men’s golf team battled windy conditions on day 3 of the St. Edward’s Invitational on March 6 in Austin and failed

to maintain its pace, shooting a 322 for a total of 945 (+81). The score was 11 strokes higher than its round two score and dropped the Aggies four spots for the tournament into 14th place. “It was windy; that was the biggest thing,” Coach Hrnciar said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’m usually a good judge of what team we have. We have a better team than we showed in this tournament. We didn’t help ourselves regionally. Now, we will have to see how it all shapes out.” Brady Porter was the only Aggie to improve his position from day one, shooting a 76 in the final round to finish with a 230 (+14). His total tied him for 16th place overall in the tournament. Trey Lawson shot an 82 on day to drop from 23rd to a tie for 42nd, with a total of 236 (+20). Kregg Wood finished in a tie for 56th with an 82 for a 239 (+23). Garrett Smith totaled a 245 (+29) with a final round of 85. Michael Kelly rounded out the Aggies with a 246 (+30) after an 82 on today’s 18. “There were particular holes that collectively, we played horribly,” Coach Hrnciar said. “It was unbelievable. There were four holes each day that we just stunk up. The rest we played decent. For example, on four holes today we were +8, +8, +7 and +6. That makes it difficult.” Nova Southeastern University won the tournament with an 883 (+19), followed by Barry, 888

(+24) and St. Edward’s, 900 (+36). Daniel Stapff (Barry) ran away with the individual title with a 207 (-9), six shots better than Ben Taylor (Nova), 213 (-3). “If you look at teams like Nova Southeast and the guy from Barry, it’s hard to figure how they shoot what they did with the way the course is set up,” the coach said. “You have to hand it to players with that kind of ability.” The tournament was played on the par-72, 6909-yard course at the Grey Rock Golf Club in Austin, Texas. Cameron’s Men’s Golf Team made a statement March 20 at the MSU Invitational, finishing in 3rd place with a 300, two shots out of first place. “I thought we were really ready to play … that translated to us doing a good job today,” Coach Hrnciar said. “We got off to a really good start but struggled on the final four or five holes. We played those final holes at +12, and we were only two shots off 1st place. We were should have had it.” Trey Lawson paced the Aggies with a 73 (+2) to tie for third place. Garrett Smith was next with a 74 (+3) to tie for ninth place, followed by Kregg Wood with a 75 (+4) in a tie for 17th place. Brady Porter and Austin Weaver each shot a 78 (+7) to tie for 39th place. “The course played very difficult today,” Coach Hrnciar said. “With the pin placements where they were, and the way the wind was blowing … it was difficult.” The finish for Cameron will also go a long way for the Aggies in regional play, as CU defeated a number of regional opponents. “It certainly helped us a lot,” Coach Hrnciar said. “We beat all but one of the 10 regional teams in this tournament.” Next week, the team will travel to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to participate in the North Alabama Classic being played at the Fighting Joe Golf Club. Women’s Golf started their spring season Feb. 25 in Austin and finished the St. Edward’s

Invitational in 7th place after a final round 329, pushing its overall score to 659. The score was nine shots off a top-three finish and 53 strokes behind tournament winner Tarleton State. Head Coach Rick Goodwin said that while his team showed improvement throughout the tournament they still have some work to do. “It’s better than yesterday but still not where we want to be,” Coach Goodwin said. “We got delayed from the rain, and then fog became a bit of an issue.” Jacqueline Strickland led the Aggies, finishing in 15th place with an overall 161 (+19). Lindsey Alexander was next in line in 24th with a 164 (+22). Aleesha Hold finished in 28th place with a 165 (+23), followed by Candice Swartz in 50th with a 171 (+30) and Johnna Holden with a 174 (+33). Shelby Anderson finished in 78th place as an individual with a 181 (+40). “We are off next week … it’s time to start pushing and really get better,” Coach Goodwin said. “We have a score goal set of 320. We need to hit that to be competitive.” The next stop for the women’s team was March 13 in Pottsboro, Texas for the Lion Invitational. Cameron’s Women’s Golf Team improved its day one score by 15 strokes Tuesday, posting a final round 327, en route to a 9th place finish with a 670. Lindsey Alexander posted a 75 (+3) on the day to help pull the team’s cumulative score up. “Somebody (Alexander) stepped up today,” Coach Goodwin said. “That’s what I’ve been saying all along. If you have one kid step up you can live with a couple bad scores. Lindsey (Alexander) had three or four birdies. That set the tone for her.” Alexander finished with a total score of 163 to tie for 15th place with fellow CU golfer, Jaqueline Strickland, who finished with a final round 80 (+8). Aleesha Holden shot an 86 (+14) on the day to finish in a tie for 42nd with a

total score of 170. Candice Swartz also posted an 86 (+14) for a 174, tied for 55th. Johnna Holden improved her first day score by five strokes with a final round 90 (+18), tying for 87th place with a 185. “I’m sure a lot of teams played better today … we were one of them,” Coach Goodwin said. “We accomplished our goal. Lindsey really stepped up, and that was the difference. We are pleased that we improved. We want to do that every time we come out.” Tarleton State took home the tournament title with a 631, followed by West Texas A&M (636) and Central Oklahoma (644). Arkansas Tech’s Rebecka Surtevall shot a 151 (+7) to take the individual title. Following the Lion Invitational, the women’s golf team traveled to Wichita Falls on March 20 for the MSU Invitational at the Champions Course at Weeks Park G.C. Cameron impressed at the MSU Invitational, finishing in 8th place with a 317. Lindsey Alexander picked up AllTournament team honors with a 73 (+1), tying for 5th place overall. Due to rain on day one, the tournament was limited to one 18-hole round. “Lindsey’s play was huge,” Coach Goodwin said. “She played a really good round of golf. It helped us a lot. As a team, we are getting better. We are young, but we are improving each time out. We aren’t where we want to be, but we have come a long way.” Following Alexander was Jaqueline Strickland in a tie for 18th with a 77 (+5) and Aleesha Holden in a tie for 35th with an 80 (+8). Candice Swartz tied for 72nd place with an 87 (+15) and Johnna Holden shot a 90 (+18) to finish in a tie for 80th. Playing as an individual, Cameron’s Shelby Anderson shot an 83 (+11) to tie for 55th. Next up for Cameron will be a tournament in Las Vegas, taking place Monday and Tuesday of this week.

7

A&E

March 26, 2012

www.aggiecentral.com

CU Fashion Show brings unique styles

Photo by James Meeks

by Lizzy Owoyemi Staff Writer

The fashion show organized to raise funds for the Cameron University international

students’ book scholarship was held at 7:30 on Saturday, March 10 at the University theatre. The theme of the show was “CU@ Fashion Week 2012.” The show began with a display of fashion creativity from MacArthur Middle School students. The deisigns on display included: Courtney O’Brien’s “Abstract Fire”; Stephen Maddox’s “The Sixth Element”; Matthew Underwood, Tyrese Miller and Deborah McNally’s ‘”Paris Jewel”; Gabby Howard and Taylor’s “Firefly”; Ashley Rivera’s “Fire Fantasy”; E’Lexus Merriweather’s “Smoke & Fire”; Matthew Underwood and Tyrese Miller’s “Orbit”; Alicia Lopez’s “Spring”; and Deborah McNally and Chyna Jackson’s “Heaven and Earth.” Ashley Rivera, eighth grade student from MacArthur Middle School said she got the inspiration for her design from her art teacher, Deborah McNally. “I got the inspiration of my design from my art teacher by trying to put together fire and smoke,” Rivera said. “I felt fire was unique, and that flames would give more meaning to the design.” The hostess of the show, Eloise Herbert, a sophomore Communications major, welcomed the audience to the show and explained how CU has made huge strides in its effort

to develop cultural diversity on campus. Herbert also explained how CU has increased its international student population tremendously since the 1990s, growing from less than 20 to over 200. The show was composed of various segments during which the models displayed various designs with different styles. These segments included Caribbean Gardens, Colors of Dynasty, Classique Retro, Economy of Style, Urban Limited and Super Bass Black dress. After every segment, there was a raffle drawing, and anyone whose ticket was picked was given a prize. Eloise gave a vote of thanks to everyone who contributed to the event, and also gave a brief description of every design. In the Caribbean Gardens segment, the models displayed various batik kaftan designs that exhibited nature’s paradise. This segment showed the audience of how relaxing the islands can be once the blazing sun has disappeared. With the Color of Dynasty, Eloise gave a brief history about the spirit of Ole Kim. In this segment, the models wore the Cameron t-shirt in different styles in order to exhibit the school’s pride. Merita Tyrell-Mitchell, coordinator of the show and

one of the models, played a role in the transformation of the t-shirts. Tyrell-Mitchell explained that her inspirations were for her love for her university, Cameron’s colors and Ole Kim. “I am fascinated by the way Ole Kim can evolve into different characters.” Tyrell-Mitchell said. The Classique Retro segment was about time travel. This segment featured fashion of a retro era, showing off vintage clothing, fads and slang. Classique Retro told the story of the ever changing and evolving world of fashion. The models recreated the fashions of the past, recalling a time when retro mini-dresses were the talk of the town. The Economy of Style was about spending less on looking good. The segment focused on making sensible style purchases for everyday reality, and showed how a small budget should not stifle one’s style. The two final segments were the Urban Limited, Tahira Simmons’ designs, and the Super Bass Black dress. According to Eloise, the show was a success. With brief history before every segment, the audience had the opportunity to learn few things about the different aspects of fashion. “The background information was informative and entertaining, because people

Photo by James Meeks

learned about what fashion is all about,” Eloise said. “I think the show was successful and gave everyone a great appreciation of international culture.”

Lawton bands struggle to bring the local scene by Miranda Raines Staff Writer

Dead By First Light, Handguns and Debauchery and The Jarod Grice Band are just a few of the local acts that are trying to make a name for themselves among the many bands that make up the Lawton music scene. Peter Skulski, the bass guitarist for Handguns and Debauchery, said that current members of the band have all been involved in local music prior to their current positions, and they each bring their experiences to the band. “Every member has been in different bands that have all played locally over the past four years,” Skulski said. “As Handguns and Debauchery, we have played locally for about a year now. We have started to play shows outside of Lawton, in places such as Oklahoma City, Altus and Dallas.” Several members of the bands are veteran musicians, and no stranger to the less than glamorous lifestyle they have taken on. Matt Shreve is one of two guitarists in Dead By First Light, a band that has been a local presence since 2007, give or take a few lineup changes. “Dead By First Light was formed in 2007 from the former

Photo by Kelsey Carter

Setting the bass line: Caleb Ellis, Psychology major and bassist of ‘The Jarod Grice Band’ members of a band called Ashes of Innocence,” Shreve said. “I actually was not a part of the line up until 2009, when one of the band’s guitarists left. There have been a couple different line ups — one even included three guitarists — but we are satisfied with the five piece we have now.” Both Skulski and Shreve agree that the want for local music is there, but the venues are lacking in the Lawton area. Shreve explained that crowds exist in flux, but if there were

more options for venues the following would be stronger. “The following in the local scene comes and goes. Sometimes there will be a really strong scene with a ton of kids who come to shows, and then there are years when the scene kind of dies,” Shreve said. “Right now the crowds are great. The only problem is that a lot of the supporters who want to come out and see your band are underage, and there are virtually no all ages’ venues in Lawton to

play.” Skulski gave a similar response, stating that although they have support, they want to help build a stronger scene for music locally. “We receive support from friends, establishments and some media, however everybody in the band agrees that the local music scene is not really there,” Skulski said. “There are local bands just like us that are striving to improve the scene here in Lawton.”

Photo by Kelsey Carter

Rocking the crowd: Jared Grice, frontman of ‘The Jared Grice Band’ performing a guitar solo during the concert

Because the local music scene is somewhat lacking, the bands have to take a step further on building a name for themselves. The bands are working on improving online presence, advertising, merchandising and making quality recordings available to the fans. While the bands are thankful for the fans that do come and show their support, they are always on the lookout for new ways of being heard. The Jarod Grice Band has been playing for about a year now, but the band is exploring places like Oklahoma City in order to find more venues and fans of the indie rock genre. Caleb Ellis, Senior Psychology major and bassist for The Jarod Grice Band, feels that the availability of more venues locally would improve the music following. “There is a decent following for local bands in Lawton; however, I think local music here is underappreciated compared to other cities,” Ellis said. “There are fewer opportunities and places to play. If there were more venues in Lawton, I think it would benefit local music greatly.” All of the bands praise their fans and hope to let the music be heard. Skulski and the members of Handguns want fans to know that every little bit counts. “Without the support from the fans we would be nowhere, and we owe them everything,” Skulski said. “Being in a band is not what you would expect, and we work very hard for everything we have accomplished.” Behind the fans and merchandise, Shreve explained, what is truly important is the music. “We play the kind of music we love, with all of the passion and intensity we can muster. We believe in our music, and that’s what sets us apart,” Shreve said. “There are some great bands in Lawton who feel the same way about their music, and when you have a community of musicians who all care about their music, then the scene is that much better for it. And right now the local scene is the strongest I have experienced in years.”

8

Crossroads

March 26, 2012

www.aggiecentral.com

Military Science teams with OBI by Dianne Riddles

to the Salvation Army during Christmas and ring bells to help raise money.” The George D. Keathley Boles said that there is an Department of Military Science abundance of volunteerism on will host a blood drive from 9 the Cameron campus. a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, “We just have wonderful April 18 in Burch Hall. students that volunteer their According to Department time all the time,” Boles Chair and Professor of Military said. “For example, civic Science Lieutenant Colonel organizations in town asked us Rod Boles, the blood drive in to provide Color Guard at some April is one of two blood drives functions, and we do.” the department hosts every According to Boles, year. Lawton and Fort Sill share a “ To be a United States community spirit. Army Officer, you have to be “We value community well-rounded; you have to because we are all on the same have a great partnership not team,” Boles said. “You know, only with the military but they call it Lawton/Fort Sill with the community as well for a reason, and we recognize and we believe that part of that.” being well-rounded is being Boles said that the blood part of the community,” Boles drives are successful due to said. “One of the ways we have the volunteerism on the CU decided that we can give back is campus. through giving blood, so twice “Diane Crage, our a year, once per semester, we department secretary, is coordinate with the Oklahoma an integral part of the Blood Institute for the blood coordination in helping with drive.” the Oklahoma Blood Institute,” Boles said that the Boles said. “She really has Oklahoma Blood Institute done a great job and I really (OBI) will be set up in Burch appreciate all of her efforts and Hall for four or five hours and support in putting this thing anyone is welcome to donate. together” “It is a good way for us Mary Spannagel, the Senior to give back; not only Army Blood Program Consultant for ROTC or Military Science, but the Oklahoma Blood Institute, anyone on or off campus can is also a major player in this come here to donate blood,” event. Boles said. “It is just a great Spannagel said that she feels opportunity to give back.” privileged to work for OBI, and According to Boles, the that her primary responsibility department also participates in is to ensure that there are other community activities. enough volunteer donors in “We had a food drive at Comanche County to supply Christmas that was wonderful; the hospitals. when we had the big ice storm, “Every two seconds someone a bunch of our students and uses blood; sometimes it is a staff picked up limbs to help chemo patient, sometimes it is beautify the campus,” Boles an accident victim or it might said. “We have also had folks go even be one of our soldiers who

Crossroads Editor

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

needs blood,” Spannagel said. “ The only place we can get these blood donations is from volunteer blood donors.” According to Spannagel, Cameron University ROTC has been a supportive partner of the volunteer blood donor program for many years. “ Twice a year they take time out of their studies to host blood drives,” she said. “What better way to make a difference than donating blood to save lives?” The entire blood donation process only takes about one hour. Spannagel said that although all blood types are needed, those with O-negative type

blood are especially encouraged to donate. Appointments to donate blood at Burch Hall can be made by contacting Diane

Crage at 580.581.2340 or dcrage@cameron.edu; however, walk-ins are also welcome. Every blood donor will receive a free t-shirt and snack.

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CU student hopes to make skating rink reality by Fern Cepeda Staff Writer

It can be difficult to find something to do in Lawton that both parents and children can enjoy together. One Cameron student, though, is trying her hardest to open up a skating rink for the community to enjoy and bring back the love of roller-skating. Jennifer Strobl, a 32-yearold senior in Sport and Fitness Management, has been working on plans with Arun

Tilak, Director of Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CETES), in order to open a skating rink. Strobl hopes to open the skating rink within the next three years. Strobl explained that she has participated in two serious meetings regarding a rink opening, and will continue for as long as necessary. “Tilak helped me make connections, establish

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

relationships and helped me with my business plan,” she said. “He connected me with business people of Lawton who can help make the skating rink a reality.” Strobl’s primary focus is giving the kids something to do. She believes a skating rink will promote fitness and will be environmentally friendly, in addition to being a place for a family to come and be safe and cool. Strobl also believes that if a skating rink were to open up in Lawton, the facility could be used in many ways. There could be opportunities to start an indoor hockey team, a physical education course through Cameron or rent the facility to Roller Derby teams for practice or events. Strobl said that skating has been a part of her life for a long time. “Skating is a passion. I grew up skating and worked for the skating rink in Lawton for seven years,” she said. “Before it closed in 2004, I worked at the snack bar, f loor guard and helped at the front desk. I also helped with and promoted Christian Skate Night.” Strobl explained that, over the course of a phone call, she began to work with the manager from the skate park in Norman to organize a new Christian Skate Night. “The manager from Norman called me to kick off Christian Skate Night,” she said. “He said to go ahead and start it off during spring break.” After the phone call, she immediately started reaching out to Churches in the Norman area. She also began promoting through Facebook in order to convince people to attend the event. Strobl attended the Winter

Jam Concert in Oklahoma City, and will be giving away autographed items from bands such as Sanctus Real, Kari Jobe, Skillet and B429. Strobl will also be giving her testimony that night. Christian Skate Night will be giving Strobl a dollar back for each paid admission to help pay for her missions trip to Shell, Ecuador. They will also remain in contact for future help in promoting and fundraising a skating rink in Lawton.

Strobl maintains that her primary goal, in addition to helping to fund the rink, is giving attendees a fun night. “Support a current Cameron student, and have a fun night listening to your favorite Christian music,” Strobl said. Christian Skate Night will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20. Admission will be $6 to get in and $4 to rent inline or speed skates. Skaters may also bring their own skates.

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus