The Cameron University Colelgian: April 9 Edition

Monday, April 9, 2012

Crossroads

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$1,000,000

Volume 86 Issue 22

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McMahon gives gift for new athletics complex

by Elijah Morlett Editor in Chief

Legal Help The Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma offers free help to qualifying citizens.

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News

Class Gift An interdepartmental project wants to help the graduating class leave their mark.

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Sports

Photo by Elijah Morlett

The big surprise: Cameron University President Cindy Ross announces the plans for the McMahon Field and Athletics Center that will begin construction this year. The project is estimated to cost $1.84 million and is expected to be ready by Spring 2013.

NBA Thunder loses backto-back games for the second time this season.

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McMahon Field Athletics Center AND

Cameron University President Cindy Ross announced that the McMahon Foundation gave $1 million to Cameron Athletics, the largest donation in the department’s history and the fourth-largest gift of any kind in the school’s history.

The gift will be used to begin construction of the McMahon Field and Athletics Center, a new softball complex that includes dressing and locker rooms, a press box, a concession facility, restrooms, covered bleachers, an indoor practice facility and a new weight room for all CU athletes.

“Some students choose their university based on the athletics program,” Ross said. “We know that athletics is central to providing students the complete college experience. We know that athletics provides a university an identity, that it creates tradition and that it provides a common bond for students and also a tie between the community and the university.”

The total cost for the project is estimated at $1.84 million. It is expected to be ready for the Aggie softball team by Spring 2013.

“That team will finally be getting the facility they deserve,” Ross said.

Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Jackson said that the new complex gives the team what they need to compete in the Lone Star Conference. The current field does not have restroom facilities for fans or players, a press box or dressing rooms for the teams.

“It means so much, not just to the softball and baseball teams, but to the whole Athletic Department,” Jackson said. “It’s going to instill so much pride into that program. This softball field and complex will be the absolute best in the Lone Star Conference.”

According to Jackson, the gift will give a recruiting edge to the university.

See McMAHON Page 2

Theatre Production Cameron’s Theatre Department brings the musical Grease to the local limelight.

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Sports

Softball The ladies of Aggie softball play a series against Texas A&MKingsville.

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News

New Horror Movie A Communication professor begins filming The Secret of Sarah Pennington.

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Student Government to hold runoff elections

by Amanda Goemmer Newswriting Student

Cameron University’s Student Government Association will have a second election to determine next year’s SGA President, as none of the candidates received over 50 percent of the votes during the spring election.

Current SGA President Cody Gardner said that two of the initial three presidential candidates, Colton Kennedy and Teewhy Dojutelegan, will be competing for the position once more.

Candidate Kevin Stieb will be out of the final race.

Dojutelegan, a junior Communication major, received 137 votes to claim 45 percent of the total, while Kennedy, a senior History and Mathematics major, received 125 votes for 41 percent.

Stieb ended his campaign with 13 percent of the total with 40 votes.

The runoff election will take place on Tuesday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 11, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. in McMahon Centennial Complex.

Students intending to cast their vote are required bring their Cameron I.D. card with them.

According to Gardner, the runoff is the result of an SGA policy regarding the number of candidates who are competing for office and the number of votes that each of those candidates receives. Majority is considered 50 percent plus one.

“Next week we will have an SGA president because they will win by majority,” Gardner said.

According to Gardner, the candidates are able to use the time they have before the days of the runoff to campaign.

Each SGA presidential hopeful has his own goals and motives for running for the position.

Dojutelegan said that, if elected, he hopes to change the way the student body interacts with the SGA and CU faculty.

See ELECTIONS Page 2

Photos by Elijah Morlett

The last race: Student Government Association Presidential Candidates Colton Kennedy, left, and Teewhy Dojutelegan speak to members of SGA about their campaign. The two candidates will be running in a runoff election to decide who will become next year’s student government president.

State bill aims to award nationally certified teachers

by Colin DuRant Staff Writer

The Oklahoma House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee for Education approved Senate Bill 1879 on April 2, which awards Oklahoma Educators that have received National Board Certification a $5,000 pay stipend for the 2013 school year as well as the next 10 school years.

The bill, which the Oklahoma Senate has already passed, will now move on to the primary Appropriations Committee, then put before the House. The Associated Press reported that the subcommittee originally defeated the legislation on March 26 due to concerns about a “performance-

pay system” within the bill.

Oklahoma Representative Ann Coody of Lawton, a former educator, co-authored the bill with Senator John W. Ford of Bartlesville. After the initial defeat, Coody rewrote language within the bill, which went on to meet the approval of the education subcommittee 10-1.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Representative Coody said she felt the legislation upheld a commitment to Oklahoma educators who received the certification.

“It keeps a promise to them,” Coody said. “We need to guarantee our teachers that they are going to get what was promised.”

The National Board Certification comes from the National Board for Professional Teaching

Standards (NBPTS), a non-profit organization.

According to their website, the NBPTS offers 25 certificate areas in which teachers can receive certification through an intensive process involving examinations and portfolios.

Nationally Board Certified English Teacher Jennifer Keller said the certification process enhanced her teaching and she believes anyone who goes through it will come out with a teaching edge.

See EDUCATION Page 2

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2012 senior gift campaign kicks off

By Tyler Boydston Staff Writer

The offices of Development and Alumni Relations have partnered together for the Class of 2012 Gift Campaign, aiming to give back to Cameron University.

According to Director of Alumni Relations Jennifer McGrail, the class campaign, which began in 2006, is a way for the graduating class to give back to the university. This year, money donated from the campaign will be going toward improvements to Cameron Park.

“Since 2006, every year the class has selected a different item to give back,” McGrail said. “They’ve done campus beautification, they’ve made a donation to the McMahon Centennial Complex, they’re doing some improvements to Cameron Park this year, south of the Cameron Exchange. It’s one of the last areas of campus left untouched.”

According to McGrail, the campaign is a way for students to give back to the university, like alumni and donors who contribute to the campus.

“Since such a large number of our students depend on financial aid and scholarships, a lot of those are funded by our former alumni,” McGrail said.

“Then also with all the different changes going on around campus throughout the years, the largest percent of the funding has come from alumni and donors who have given to the university.

This is a way for the graduating classes to contribute back and leave a lasting impression on Cameron.”

Beginning with the 2011 school year, McGrail explained, the Alumni Association joined forces with the Office of Development to give a joint gift.

“Last year was the first year that the alumni association partnered with the foundation and the development office to give a joint gift, so not only do our graduates have the opportunity to give back to Cameron, but also to join the alumni association as well,” McGrail said. “This is to help the class campaign and to build the alumni association, and well as show that once you graduate, the Cameron experience isn’t over.”

According to McGrail, there are many ways for the word of the gift campaign to reach students, and more than one way of giving back.

“We give several opportunities for them to give back,” McGrail said. “We send out e-mails, set up tables at the McMahon Centennial Complex and try to talk to as many student groups as we can. We also set up tents at graduation so that they can give their gifts that day, or for parents or grandparents to come in.”

This year’s gift, McGrail explained, is extended from last year’s gifts to the park as well.

“There are so many different opportunities for people to donate,” McGrail said. “The seniors captured on to last year’s class, too, and decided that to make the biggest impact

Elections continued from page 1 “I want to bring what I call grass-root governance, which basically means I want to be able to come to you as a student and ask ‘hey, what do you want done in your school?’” he said. “You are the students, you should have a voice on campus.”

Kennedy said that he hopes to use his potential position in the SGA to cater to the needs of the campus population.

“I see the student government as a tool to serve both the student body and the faculty and staff on campus,” he said.

“I would like to facilitate that operation through hard work and commitment.”

Other SGA positions that were run for included those of vice president and treasurer, as well as various senator

Photo by Elijah Morlett

Giving back to CU: This year, the senior class of 2012 will make improvements to the Cameron Park. Since 2006, graduating seniors have given back to CU in different ways. on Cameron Park, they can go ahead and donate to that again, because you find that when putting different amounts of money together, you can make an even greater impact on the landscaping.”

According to McGrail, the class campaign serves multiple functions, including the strengthening of CU as a whole.

“We want a student’s relationship with Cameron to be a life-long experience, because

positions.

Sophomore Chas Holbrook and junior Chemistry major Seth Geiger will be next year’s Vice President and Treasurer, getting 269 votes and 268 votes respectively. Both candidates ran unopposed.

Students also voted on an amendment to the SGA constitution that would allow votes to be casted online beginning in the Fall 2012 semester.

The bill, written by graduate student Elijah Morlett, passed with 229 students voting yes and 75 opposing.

All newly elected SGA officers will be officially sworn in at CU’s award ceremony at the MCC’s McCasland Ballroom at 6:30 p.m. on April 19.

as students, you benefited while you were here, and the stronger Cameron University is, the stronger your degree is and the more valuable it becomes,” McGrail said.

According to Director of Development and University Advancement Athena Jarvis, the money donated from students to the class campaign serves another purpose as well.

“It’s $35 that they donate, which gives to the class campaign

and for the first year in the Alumni Association,” Jarvis said.

“This year, we are able to give gifts for the first 100 students who apply.”

According to Jarvis, students pick the senior class gift in the fall semester by the students.

“The gift donation is picked at the beginning of the fall term, where the students have a bit of a focus group to pick it out,” Jarvis said.

McMahon continued from page 1

“This is going to entice them, the good softball players, to come to Cameron to get their education,” he said. “Let’s face it, we use athletics as a means to help them get their education. We want to graduate them and want them to be good students and good citizens.”

Jackson also said that the current weight room in the Aggie Gymnasium will be moved into the new complex.

The McMahon Foundation has supported the university since 1963.

With this gift, the foundation’s total donations rose to just under $16 million.

“The McMahon foundation has provided a lot of money in student scholarships, in total almost $2.8

million,” Ross said.

Other gifts include $4 million, the largest donation in CU’s history, for the McMahon Centennial Complex, $1.25 million for the McMahon Center at Cameron Village, and $1 million for the Academic Commons.

The McMahon Field and Athletics Center adds to the $60 million in construction that the university has had over the past nine years.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the new complex be at 1 p.m. on April 17 at the construction site, located across 38th Street from McCord Field to coincide with the last home game for the softball team.

Education continued from page 1 school psychologists and “This process requires you to think about your teaching in a way you never have before,” Keller said. “It makes you remember that you’re not teaching en masse. You’re teaching to individuals.”

The rewritten bill makes it restrictive for non-certified educators to get into the program and receive the stipend.

According to the bill, only those teachers who have obtained certification, been selected for the Education Leadership Oklahoma program or submitted an application for National Board certification prior to June 30, 2010 will be guaranteed the $5,000.

Representative Coody told the Associated Press that those newly certified may be eligible for a reduced stipend eventually, but those changes have yet to be determined.

“We can’t sustain $5,000 a year,” Coody said. “We have to see what we can do.”

The bill estimates the total cost of the program as being $14,845,700 for the 2013 school year, a figure that also includes the bonuses for nationally certified

audiologists.

According to numbers from the Department of Education’s Digest of Education Statistics, an annually released report, as of the 2009-2010 school year Oklahoma ranks 48th in the nation for estimated average salary of teachers in public elementary or secondary schools, falling $11,000 below the national average.

According The Oklahoman, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi removed the National Board Certified Teacher stipend from the state education budget for fiscal year 2012 in June 2011.

When questioned about the cuts by News on 6 in Tulsa, Barresi defended her decisions about which budget cuts needed to made.

“It’s an issue of the fiscal reality of this state,” Barresi said. “I remember sitting in this room and talking to staff members and I said, ‘This is the decision point. Is this going to be about funding children and education programs for them and direct impact in the classroom?

Photo courtesy of AP exchange

Reward for certification: Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin is in the process of passing a bill that would pay stipends to certified teachers.

Or is this going to be about making adults happy?”

Keller said state officials emphasized during National Board training that the bonuses would only be available if the money was in the budget, but she felt that the move showed the state didn’t place value on the work she and other Nationally Board Certified teachers had done.

“I’m here for my students one way or another,” Keller said. “With or without the money, I’ll still be here in the classroom for my kids.”

For the lost fiscal year 2012 bonuses, the Oklahoma Senate, House and Governor passed Senate Bill 1959 in March that retroactively restored the bonus for Nationally Board Certified Oklahoma teachers. Certified

educators will receive a $5,000 pay stipend as part of a larger emergency funding package.

In an official statement, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said the bill was both urgent and necessary.

“Today’s supplemental funding measures will help to ensure the state of Oklahoma is keeping its commitment to our teachers,” Fallin said.

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April 9, 2012

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CU professor producing horror movie

By Tiffany Martinez News Producer

Professor of Communication Dr. Matt Jenkins is producing his first horror film, which is due for completion in August of 2012.

The movie, “The Secret of Sarah Pennington” was shot at several locations on the CU campus and around the state.

According to Dr. Jenkins, the film features both CU staff and students.

“We have filmed at the Aggie Gym, the Communications Building, the Cameron Police Department, and the chemistry lab,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Over 30 current and former student appear as extras in the film” Individuals outside of the Cameron Community, Dr. Jenkins also explained, are making appearances in the film.

“This movie stars Skipper Bivens of ‘Hillbilly Handfishin’’ as a police detective,” Dr. Jenkins said. “It also stars Lawton actor Jed Fox, as well as Pat Bishow of Amusement Films.”

Dr. Jenkins said he is thankful for all of the support he has received during the production of the film.

“I really appreciate all the help I have received in making this movie,” Dr. Jenkins said. “People have really responded and given me great amounts of help.”

Although this is the first horror film Dr. Jenkins has produced, he has high hopes for it.

“The actors have all done wonderfully,” he said. “My favorite part in the creation of this movie has been seeing how all the locations worked and knowing that the actors picked were definitely the right choices.”

Twenty-one-year-old, Amanda Sosa was ecstatic to have been chosen for a role in “The Secret of Sarah Pennington.”

“This was my first acting role and I was able to gain firsthand experience on how crucial time management can be in film making,” Sosa said. “I also learned that a certain physical

Photo by Tiffany Martinez

Take one... Action: Cast for the horror movie, “The Secret of Sarah Pennington,” wait on the director’s commands. Dr. Jenkins, Professor of Communication, is producing this movie. action at a certain time can make all the difference.”

She also said that working with Dr. Jenkins has been a pleasurable experience.

“I was very comfortable working the producer. He was

patient, yet assertive. He knew exactly what he wanted and followed that vision relentlessly,” Sosa said.

The production team plans on entering the movie into a number of film festivals upon completion,

Dr. Jenkins explained.

“We hope to essentially generate a buzz for further distribution,” Dr. Jenkins said.

Updates for the film can be found at “The Secret of Sarah Pennington” Facebook page.

Local activists gather to share stories of inspiration

By Sarah Brewer Staff Writer

Local artists and political activists gathered at the Acoustic Rock Coffee House (ARCH) for an evening of live music, poetry and storytelling on March 31.

The Progressive Showcase hosted Donna Bebo, the Democratic candidate from Fletcher, Oklahoma, who is vying against Republican Tom Cole for the seat in the Fourth District U.S. House Of Representatives.

Whereas Cole already has millions of dollars to spend on his campaign and continues to earn more money through events like lavish dinners that charge by the plate, Bebo said that she opted instead to accept donations and earn support from voters at functions that better fit her progressive constituents.

Bebo said that people power her campaign strategy; although she can’t outspend Cole, she plans to outwork him.

“In this election, we are running solely on volunteers,” Bebo said. “We are not accepting any PAC money because the only people we want to serve are you.”

Bebo went on to explain that the idea to host a campaign event at the ARCH was conceived after considering the interests of her constituents and supporters.

“We were talking about possible campaign events, and we wanted to do something that would be accessible to everybody, supports local businesses and get the progressives in the community together,” Bebo said.

According to Bebo, the ARCH will not only be the closest venue when she establishes her office next door this summer, but will also provide the best setting for such an event and the overall message of her campaign.

“One of the themes of the campaign is Share Your

Photo by Sarah Brewer

Challenge accepted: Donna Bebo speaks at a gathering at the Acoustic Rock Coffee House. Bebo is running against Republican Tom Cole for Fourth District seat in the US House.

Voice,” Bebo said. “We wanted have an event where everyone could come and be heard, so we wanted to make the admission free and have an open mic session at the

end of the showcase so people could get the chance to share their stories.”

Bebo finds that people and their stories are essential to any campaign.

“I feel very strongly that every single person has a story, and some the stories I have heard have been heartbreaking and some have been very inspiring,” Bebo said. “To me, that is the most important part of my campaign. It’s not necessarily what I get up and say, but it is the things that I hear that inspire me,” Bebo explained how these stories inspire her campaign and her speeches.

“I’ll find myself, I’ll write a speech, and I’ll think that I’m all ready and know exactly what I want to say.” Bebo said. “But then I’ll go somewhere, and someone will tell me, ‘this is what happened in my life, and this is how it affected me.”

The artists who performed at the ARCH also inspired Bebo.

Performers comprising the line-up for the evening included Michael Anthony Woods, Michael Webber and His Enablers, storyteller Sam Michaels, Mannie the Poet, and Deron Twohatchet with Teri McGrath.

Woods, a veteran and a guitarist who covered Bob Dylan’s “The Times They are A-Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” shared a story about meeting a veteran who had served during the Vietnam War and was opposed the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to Woods, the veteran was certain that Bebo was the candidate who will best represent him in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I’m not too sure about this invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I think these guys have it all wrong. I think when the election comes up I’m going to vote for her. I’m a registered Republican, but think I’m going to vote for that gal from Fletcher,’” Woods said.

Cohabitation: A popular trend among couples

By Teewhy Dojutelegan News Editor

A trend that is becoming very popular with people, young and old alike, is cohabitation.

Cohabitation refers to a living arrangement where two unmarried people live together and have an intimate longterm relationship that is usually sexual or emotional.

Demi Ditmore, a sophomore majoring in Nursing, said cohabitation is good for someone who wants to learn about his or her partner.

“It is a good idea,” she said. “It helps you learn about your significant other.

You know their faults and how to deal with them.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey in 2007, there were more than 12 million unmarried partners living together in over 6 million households.

According to Ditmore, apart from knowing your partner, cohabitation also has other advantages.

“There are other benefits in cohabitation apart from getting to know your partner,” she said. “You many times get support that you don’t get from other people.”

Kerri Stevens, an adjunct instructor at Cameron University, recently discussed cohabitation in her Family Relations class.

According to Stevens, cohabitation could be favorable.

“Cohabitation could be beneficial,” she

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

Trial before marriage: Pamela Reigel and Dax Flyger, who have been together for two and half years, walk their dog, Lou, around their neighborhood. Cohabitation is gradually becoming a trend among couples. said. “Oftentimes it is not so much about learning about the other person as the financial issues. Cohabiting couples get to share bills and generally save more money

living together rather than separately.”

Stevens discussed some problems that cohabiting people may face including asset sharing.

“The risks of losing your assets in the case of a break up are definitely high,” she said. “There is no legal bonds or agreements on how assets should be shared.”

Stevens disagreed with the notion of cohabitation citing that her upbringing did not permit it.

“It is not the way I was raised,” she said. “It is not the way to start.”

She stressed the fact that that was her personal opinion about it.

“Although I do not agree with it, I do not shove my beliefs down people’s throats,” she said. “ I like to hear the debates in class and learn new things.”

Of the over 20 students in her class, none of them were against cohabitation, although a few voiced their opinions about encouraging it.

Ditmore said rushing into such arrangements are risky.

“Jumping into it [cohabitation] is dangerous,” she said. “You cannot go live with a guy who you’ve only known for a week. What if it doesn’t work out?”

A National Center for Health Statistics conducted study, using the data from the National Survey of Family Growth in 2002, showed that cohabiting couples have the same likelihood of staying together as those who did not cohabit.

The study however showed that couples who were engaged before cohabiting had a higher chance of staying together.

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CU English Professor authors book

by Leah Chaffins Staff Writer

Dr. Bayard Godsave, Assistant Professor in the Cameron English Department, has released a novel length short story collection called “Lesser Apocalypse.”

Of the many things that could provide inspiration for an artistic work, it was the Cold War’s social climate and a fiction contest that formed the roots from which the stories in Dr. Godsave’s “Lesser Apocalypse” drew life.

Dr. Godsave said that he had written many things while working on the stories in the collection; he went on to explain that the theme was not intentional, but rather something he noticed after the fact.

“I was not necessarily thinking of them as a collection as I was writing them; I wrote a bunch of other stories during that time period that are not in this collection,” he said. “I happened to notice that all of these stories seemed mildly apocalyptic.”

The Cold War and the movies of that period affected Dr. Godsave as a child, and like many authors of that era, these fears are reflected in his written art.

“I grew up with Reagan

and Gorbachev on the cover of Time Magazine every week,” Dr. Godsave said. “I remember being about 9 or 10 years old and people were talking about how Nostradamus predicted these things, the end of the world, and all the while I am watching movies like Red Dawn and The Day After, and as a kid it really freaked me out. I did not have the faculties to understand that the rhetoric between Reagan and the Soviet Union was just that; I took things so literally, like this is going to happen and there is no stopping it.”

The stories finally came together in the collective form when Dr. Godsave entered a fiction contest, and that was when the theme revealed itself.

“About a year and a half ago, there was a writing contest for fiction manuscripts that were a hundred pages or less, and that was what prompted me to make this particular collection,” Dr. Godsave said. “There was this theme running through these stories and it made sense to put them together as a collection.”

Dr. Godsave said that the collection placed in the competition and was soon picked up for publication.

“The collection ended up being a finalist for that, and I ended up sending the collection out to publishers,” Dr. Godsave said. “Queensferry picked up the

Image courtesy of Deep Sea Studios

collection pretty quickly.”

Dr. Godsave said that the stories are not all about the end of the world, and that sometimes the apocalypse in the story is more about the individual

experience of certain characters.

“There is one story that is post-nuclear war France,” Dr. Godsave said. “Another is about a kid who is so freaked out by what he is seeing on the news

that he wants a gas mask for his birthday and at the same time it is a center piece around his parent’s divorce so it is more of a personal apocalypse.”

Some of the stories, he went on to explain, were reflections of his childhood emotions working themselves out.

“The story about the kid who wants the gas mask has a lot of my own childhood fears in that,” Dr. Godsave said. “It was not necessarily a reflection of my parent’s marriage as it was a reflection of what was going on inside of me.”

Dr. Godsave said that besides the lengthier stories, the collection also contains some shorter vignettes.

“The collection contains five stories and four vignettes,” Dr. Godsave said. “The vignettes range from three to five pages and the stories are a bit longer. It is a compact collection.”

The vignettes, Dr. Godsave said, are interlaced with the stories. He also introduced two characters from the vignettes and their relationship to both each other and the collection.

“The vignettes between each of the stories takes place in this weird, post-apocalyptic landscape where these two guys just want to kill each other, and we really do not know why,” Dr. Godsave said.

CU Theatre Production Preview: Grease

by Megan Bell Staff Writer

The Cameron University Theatre Department will be performing the musical production “Grease” April 19-22 in the University Theatre.

Director Scott Richard Klein said that he was excited to do “Grease”. He said that the story is very captivating: a love story about a boy from the wrong side of the tracks falling in love with a goody-good girl and how they finally get together along the course of their senior year in 1959.

Eric Abbott, the Costume designer for the productions at Cameron, explained that the musical is slightly different from the movie and will be a pleasant surprise to all who go see it.

“A lot of the songs in the movie do not exist in the play; they were rewritten to focus more on the two lovebirds John Travolta (Danny) and Olivia Newton John (Sandy),” Abbott said. “The original musical is not just about those two people, because all the other characters are just as important. It is going to be a lot of fun.”

Abbott further explained that the play and the movie have a

tonal difference that audiences might not expect.

“There will be songs the audience knows like ‘Summer Lovin’’ and ‘We Go Together’ that were put in the movie from the original play,” he said. “It is definitely a little more grown up than most people think. It is not the kids movie that you see.”

Klein said that he decided to keep all the original songs from the musical, except All Choked Up, which was not that popular.

Keeping the flow of the story, he was able to acquire the rights to the better-known song from the movie, “You’re the One That I Want” and weave it into his version of Grease.

Abbott designed the productions and costumes, as well as supervised student designs. Theatre majors, nonmajors, and volunteers made the costumes under the direction of Abbott. Two student designers were chosen for Grease: Brandi Goldsmith for hair design and Alex Huff for make up design.

According to Abbott, the costumes will reflect the outfits of the era, similar to a 1950s television show where things are a little too perfect, but not quite cartoony.

Musical Director Greg

Photo courtesy of Eric Abbott

Grease Cast: (left) Amanda Richey, Brandon Landersm Mark DeYesso and Brandi Goldsmith (Right top to bottom) Daniel Billings, Tara Gill, Jay Diaz, Leah Mazur, Haley Loller and Alex Huff.

Hoepfner taught the actors the music and songs while also conducting the band. He said he is thrilled with the unique musical portion of Grease.

“I really like the choreography we have going, it is real exciting, real powerful. I like the musicians we are using now too,” Hoepfner said. “It is basically a rock band: guitar, bass, drums, and piano. They are really good musicians with the good rock and roll music and fun choreography.”

Klein, along with Hoepfner and Choreographer Emily South, was in charge of the casting for Cameron’s production of “Grease.” He said that they were looking to cast people that were suitable for the roles, focusing on singing, dancing and acting ability. The cast was chosen specifically and Klein said he is very happy with their decisions and anxious to see the audience’s responses.

“I am always excited to see the audience’s reaction to

everything. When they view the show, I sometimes spend more time watching them than I do watching the play,” he said. “I like to see if all the jokes we put in are working and if they can hear everything okay.”

Cameron students wishing to see “Grease” can receive one free admission with their CU ID. The charge for non-Cameron students ages 18 and over is $18 and for people under the age of 18, military, or senior citizens is $12.

Local Christian band is “Unrestrained”

Photo courtesy of Megan Bristow

Rocking Faith: Unrestrained performing at the “Fields of Faith” during Fall 2011 at CU.

by Fern Cepeda Staff Writer

A small worship concert took place Friday, Mar. 30 at Dayspring Community Church as a new local Christian band, Unrestrained, shared their music.

Gami Ortiz, guitarist and

lead singer, wrote the first song performed, “Overwhelm Me.” He sang his heart out and smiled throughout the performance.

When the song ended he introduced himself and his band members.

“We are Unrestrained. All of us have been up here playing for Dayspring as part of the

Worship Band,” Ortiz said.

“We collaborate in writing and sharing the music that God has given us.”

Ortiz encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to the music. As the beat filled the room, people could be seen standing up and swaying to the music. There was a lot of

clapping, smiling and raising hands in the air.

A group of children danced in a corner of the room, laughing and clapping. They made a circle and held each other’s hands while the songs were playing.

Once the music stopped, the kids waited anxiously for another song to dance to.

Unrestrained didn’t just play their own songs, they also played songs that they love.

The band played a lot of worship songs that audience members could sing to. A projector with the lyrics written out to their songs allowed everyone to sing if they wanted to join in. One song, “Everything to Me,” got a strong reaction out of the audience.

Mikalah Hunter, acoustic guitar and vocals, wrote the song “Everything to Me.” Several members of the audience closed

their eyes and listened to the sounds coming from the stage.

Hands were in the air and tears streamed down some faces.

Ortiz explained a little about each of the songs they played, and how God led them to those songs.

“These songs kind of tell a story, as God lead us as a group to give up more of ourselves to him,” he said. “Our album we have released is called ‘More of You,’ so as we ask for more from God at the same time we are giving more of ourselves to him.”

Ortiz said that it took about six months to complete the “More of You” album, which was released in February of this year. Unrestrained will be performing again at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 6 at the Word Alive Church, located at 2202 Southwest A Avenue.

6

Sports

April 9, 2012

www.aggiecentral.com

CU Tennis sees mixed results

by Colin DuRant Staff Writer

Cameron Aggie men’s and women’s Tennis began the final stretch of the spring season with the Aggie men falling to Oklahoma Christian on the road in Edmond on March 29, 4-5, and the women defeating the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm of Bethany, Oklahoma, on the home courts on April 4, 8-1.

The men started off strong in Edmond with Mateus Campos and Nicolai Ferrigno defeating the Eagles at the No. 1 doubles position 8-5. Duje Janjic and Dean Wiegelt also picked up a win at the No. 3 position to give Cameron an early 2-1 lead in the match.

The Aggies struggled in singles play, however, with No. 1 seeded Thomas Peixoto falling to Bruno Tiberti 6-4, 6-4. Janjic and Ferrigno both defeated their opponents at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots respectively, but Cameron fell at the No. 4, 5, and 6 positions, allowing OCU to clinch the victory.

Janjic secured his win in a decisive 6-4, 6-2 victory against #8 ranked Martin Poboril. Janjic said he felt especially happy about the win after defeating such a tough opponent.

“Last Thursday I played probably one of my best matches in my whole career,” Janjic said. The win places Janjic at a 17-6 record for the year so far in singles.

The loss puts the Aggie men at a record of 13-7 on the season with a current rank of 22 nationally for Men’s Division II Tennis. Peixoto and Janjic currently carry national singles rankings for D-II of 38 and 46.

Looking back at the season so far, Duje Janjic said he felt like the men have really come together and have a real chance of success in the postseason.

“I was really scared because we had four or five new guys, but we’ve done

really well and actually have a chance to go to regionals or nationals,” Janjic said.

The women secured a win against Southern Nazarene on April 4 at the Streich-Henry Tennis Complex, 8-1.

The women began the match ahead with a win from Amanda Moberg and Sara Londono at the No. 1 doubles position, 8-3. Additionally, Julia Puckhaber and Antonia Moberg also defeated their Crimson Storm opponents at the No. 3 doubles position 8-2.

The Lady Aggies managed a sweep in singles play, only dropping one set in the entire match. Both Julia Puckhaber and Elvira Sholles won their matches with only one game dropped: Puckhaber at the No. 2 slot 6-1, 6-0 and Sholles at the No. 4 position 6-0, 6-1.

The win places the Lady Aggie’s record at 17-2 for the season so far with a rank of 20 in the nation for women’s Division II tennis. Junior Julia Puckhaber is currently ranked 28 in the nation for singles for the Division II women.

Coach James Helvey said he’s very pleased with how his teams have been playing so far this season.

“Everything’s coming together really well,” Helvey said. “Girls are playing really well and men are really coming together as a team.”

Looking towards the end of the season and the Lone Star Conference and NCAA tournaments, Helvey believes his teams have the right formula this year.

“I’ve had many teams peak too soon, but what I like about my two teams right now, they’re starting to really get it together right when we want to play really well,” said Helvey.

As of press time, the women will have played a busy home weekend facing St. Mary’s University and Tarleton State on April 6, followed by Oklahoma Christian on April 7.

Photo by Matthew Berberea

Leading the way: Amanda Moberg smashes a backhand on April 4 against Southern Nazarene. Moberg picked up a victory in the number one doubles position as well as the top spot in singles to help the Aggies win the match.

Softball wins one in Kingsville

by Miranda Raines Staff Writer

The Cameron Aggie Softball team played the ladies of Texas A&M-Kingsville in a three series game that started Friday, March 30 with a doubleheader, and ended with the final game on Saturday, April 1.

After losing the first game Friday 7-6, the Aggies came back in game two with a 7-4 win.

Head Coach Beth Watson was proud of her team’s ability to fight back and get a win in the doubleheader Friday.

“I like how our team continues to fight, no matter the situation,” Coach Watson said. “We didn’t win game one, but we fought to the end. It was nice to get the victory in game two, and we needed that after some tough losses earlier this week and today.”

Cameron (14-21, 5-9) had a promising start to game one scoring first as freshman Misty Dooley scored on a single to centerfield from fellow freshman, Tara Martini. Kingsville (1420, 3-11) responded with a run on CU starter junior Cheyenne Brown.

The Aggies came back in the second inning to take the lead again as junior Amanda Karth scored on an illegal pitch.

However, the Javelinas were able to pick up three hits, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second taking a 4-2 lead.

Up until the fourth inning the score remained the same. Dooley continued to be a key player leading the inning off with a walk, and a score on a big double to centerfield fence by junior Drew Wright.

The game continued to go back and forth, with Kingsville leading 6-3, fueling Cameron to make the comeback.

Martini started a two-out rally in the final frame with a double to right field, while junior Sonia Foutch followed with a single, scoring Martini and cutting the lead to 6-4. Next up Karth followed with a big hit to put

Photo by Tory Brouwer

Swinging for the fences: Megan Bell swings at a pitch on April 5 against Abilene Christian University at Cameron Field. Bell helped the Aggies come away with a victory in Kingsville. the tying run on base for CU. Freshman Tiffany Freeman then hit a double deep to left field, giving Foutch and Karth the chance to score putting the game at 6-6.

The extra frame was led with a single from Dooley, however Cameron was unable to comeback and the Javelinas were able to seal the 7-6 victory with a hit to left field.

In game two, sophomore Kelsey Hebert took the circle and picked up her fourth victory of the season. Although she allowed 14 hits, Hebert made big pitches at the right time and limited the Javelinas to four runs.

Coach Watson is proud of the progress Hebert and Foutch are making.

“Kelsey (Hebert) is improving every time she gets in the circle,” Coach Watson said. “And Sonia called a great game behind the plate. They worked really well together.”

The third inning of game two was where Cameron unleashed the fight to win, scoring all seven of its runs with two outs during the frame.

Junior, Leah Trousdale led the Aggies with a single to left field and moved to second once freshman Micah Foutch was hit by a pitch and moved to first.

Drew Wright hit an RBI single to left field, scoring Trousdale and moved Foutch to second.

Next up Martini loaded the bases with a single up the middle, and with the help of Karth’s RBI walk brought in the second run of the inning.

Following Karth, Sonia Foutch was also hit by a pitch, giving her the free base and RBI, keeping the bases loaded.

Freshman, Tiffany Freeman doubled to clear the bases and picked up three big RBI and junior Megan Bell picked up the final RBI, scoring Freeman. After the run scored, Bell was thrown

out while advancing to second base.

The Black and Gold’s hard hitting third inning was too much for the Javelinas to overcome.

Kingsville struggled over the next five innings to score only four runs and fell 7-4, ending day one of the series.

The next day Cameron was unable to obtain the series victory, coming up just short in the rubber game 5-4 against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

This game was one the team really needed said Coach Watson.

“This was a game we needed,” Coach Watson said. “We had the chances … we just didn’t make the most of the opportunities.”

Hebert pitched the final two innings, allowing only one hit and no runs, the loss drops her record to 7-11 for the season.

Cameron (14-22, 5-10) started the game’s scoring in the second inning. Karth scored off Freeman’s double to left field. The Javelinas (15-20, 4-11) then took a 2-1 lead going into the third inning.

In the top of the third Cameron took the lead 3-2, with Dooley leading the inning with a single and scored on a wild pitch.

Sonia Foutch knocked in a run, scoring her sister Micah Foutch on a double to right field.

Kingsville took the lead back in the bottom of the third 5-3.

Sonia Foutch picked up another RBI for the game in the fifth inning, doubling to left field allowing Wright to score, putting the game at 5-4 where it stayed till the end.

The team played well, but was unable to get over the hump when it was needed Coach Watson explained.

“We played well defensively, we just couldn’t get the big hit when we needed it,” Coach Watson said. “Each conference game we play is getting more and more important.”

For more information on Cameron’s softball team, interested parties can visit www. cameronaggies.com.

7

Sports

April 9, 2012

www.aggiecentral.com

Aggies unable to cage Cardinals from CU Sports Information

Cameron’s baseball team hit a rough patch this past , dropping three out of four to conference foes Incarnate Word. After dropping the opener 5-2, the Aggies split the doubleheader Saturday, winning game one 7-3, before losing game two 6-3. The teams concluded Sunday, with the Cardinals taking the game 14-9 in a slugfest.

“This was an important series for us,” said Head Coach Todd Holland. “I told our men that. These guys (UIW) will be somewhere around us at the end of the season, and now they have the tiebreaker. But, you know, hopefully it doesn’t come down to that.”

The Cardinals (11-12, 6-6) scored early and often in Sunday’s final game, jumping ahead 4-0 in the first inning, chasing CU (1717, 5-7) starter Jordan Watson in the process.

UIW continued its attack in the second inning, picking up three runs on five hits off reliever Wade Myatt. Incarnate Word scored another run in the third off CU’s Cody Hudson to take an 8-0 lead into the fourth inning, when Cameron’s bats finally came alive.

Andy Garcia led off the inning with a single to center field. After a Kevin Waukau pop-out, Brad Blumer shot a single between first and second, forcing an errant late throw to advance both he and Andy Garcia. Benshell Garcia then blasted a two-run double off the wall in left center to put Cameron on the board, 8-2. Thomas Galvin capped off the inning with a single, scoring Benshell Garcia.

The Aggies were outscored

Photo by Brandon Neris

Pitching a gem: James Rhodes delivers a pitch earlier this season againt ENMU. Rhodes pitched a complete game March 31 for the Aggie’s lone victory against Incarnate Word.

6-2 over the next three innings, setting up a tough 14-5 ballgame.

Nick Smith and Andy Garcia each picked up RBI doubles in the 8th inning to cut the score to 14-7. Taylor Lyons picked up two RBI off his own on a double in the 9th, but the Aggies failed to score anymore runs, losing the game 14-9.

“At the end of the game we really started hitting the ball better,” Holland said. “We started driving the ball and hitting it solid. I’ve been trying to get them to do that all season. Hopefully this is something that will continue to happen.”

James Rhodes took the mound for Cameron in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader,

tossing seven strong innings for the 7-3 victory. Rhodes pitched the complete game, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

UIW jumped ahead early, picking up a run in the top of the first off Rhodes.

But Cameron responded as Taylor Lyons came in to score on an Andy Garcia single to tie the game at one at the end of the first.

Rhodes breezed through the second inning and set the table for a big CU inning. Nick Smith led off the inning with a single, but traded places with Tyler Cox on a fielder’s choice. Benshell Garcia and Kevin Lum followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Lyons picked up an

RBI with a fielder’s choice to the shortstop for Cameron’s first run of the inning. Josh Dawson followed with a two-run double to left and came around to score on a double by Blumer.

Dawson hit a two-run single in the seventh inning for Cameron’s final runs in the game. Dawson finished the game with four RBI in CU’s 7-3 victory.

The Aggies got the action started in game two, picking up a run in the first inning as Blumer doubled to center field, scoring Lyons.

The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, as UIW finally got to CU starter Clay Vanderlaan. Vanderlaan pitched 5.1 innings, allowing only four

hits and two runs to keep the Aggies in the game. He did not factor in the decision.

CU continued to trail 2-1 heading into the final inning, but the game was far from over.

Cameron continued to grind, eventually getting the tying run on second base. Waukau then stepped up and delivered a single up the middle, tying the game.

CU had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but failed to pick up another hit, leaving the bases loaded.

Incarnate Word finally pushed runs across the plate in the top of the 10th inning. The Cardinals picked up four hits and took advantage of a Cameron error to score four runs in the inning and take a 6-2 lead.

Cameron was able to score one run in the home half, but the Aggies fell short in their comeback bid, stranding two runners on base, to lose 6-3.

“Some days our pitching is great, on others our offense looks good, but we have yet to have them both clicking at the same time,” Holland said. “The worst part is that we played like this at home. When you aren’t scoring it puts a lot of pressure on the pitchers. It’s a constant push and shove.”

Cameron will travel 10 hours to Kingsville Texas to take on 2nd place Texas A&M-Kingsville (197, 8-4). The Aggies are currently sitting in 6th place in the conference. The teams will play four games over three days, with the first game coming at 1 p.m. on Thursday.

“They have two really good pitchers, so this should be interesting,” Holland said. “We need to be ready to play.”

Thunder hit bump in the road

OKC drops back-to-back games for only second time this season

by Matthew Berberea Sports Editor

After winning six straight games against some of the top competition the NBA has to offer, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

The Thunder had been hot as of late winning against the LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers. Their winning streak came to an end when the Memphis Grizzlies came to town and knocked off the West division leaders with a final score of 94-88.

The Thunder came into the game looking to tie the Bulls for the best record in the NBA. Having beaten the Grizzlies three times already this season, Memphis would not go down easy a fourth time.

The game was close from the opening tip through the first quarter as the score was 22-21 in favor of OKC after the first frame.

The second quarter saw five lead changes and more back and forth and OKC went into the locker room with a slight 44-42 lead.

As the number two scoring team in the NBA, the Thunder rely heavily on fast break opportunities created by turnovers. In the first half, the Grizzlies held OKC to no fast break points. Thunder forward Kevin Durant said that Memphis limited turnovers and controlled the game slowing OKC down on offense.

“They didn’t turn the ball over.

A lot of people think we just get the ball out and run. Our fastbreak points usually come off of us playing defense and tonight they took care of the ball a little better,” Durant said. “We missed some in transition as well but, all in all, they did a great job.”

The second half started the same as the first with neither team able to pull away. With just over six minutes left in the third quarter Memphis guard Jeremy Pargo drove to the hoop for a layup giving the Grizzlies a seven point lead, the largest in the game.

Once again the Thunder came back with jump shots from Serge Ibaka as well as a three-pointer from Durant bringing the score to 60-58 with 3:06 to go in the third.

That was the closest the Thunder would get as the Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth quarter and ultimately sealed the win on a three from guard O.J. Mayo with under a minute remaining.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the second and fifth leading scorers in the NBA respectively, were held to 40 combined points, well below their season average of 52.

Durant said that anytime you play a team four times it is tough to win them all.

“It’s always like this,” Durant said. “This is our fourth time playing these guys. It’s tough to beat a team four times in a row.

They came out and made plays and you’ve got to give credit to those guys. They played hard.”

The loss marked only the fifth time all season the Thunder have come up short at home.

Two nights later the Thunder travelled to Miami to face the second place team in the East on April 4.

Just over a week earlier the Thunder defeated the Heat at home in a lopsided 103-87 game.

OKC had a much more difficult time finding rhythm against Miami on its home court as the Heat secured a 98-93 win.

Similar to the game against Memphis, neither team was able to pull away in the first quarter as it came to an end with OKC up

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

Not getting the bounces: Russell Westbrook (left) battles with Dwayne Wade (right) for a loose ball on Apr. 4. The Thunder fell to the Heat with a final score of 98-93. two points, 23-21.

The first five minutes of the second quarter was a different story as the Thunder jumped to an 11 point lead behind threepointers from guards Daequan Cook and sixth man of the year candidate James Harden.

All-star guard Russell Westbrook also got going, scoring eight straight points building the Thunder lead to 41-32 with just under six minutes to play in the half.

The game began to take a turn as Thunder center Kendrick Perkins was charged with a technical foul and just moments later Westbrook was charged with a flagrant one for a hard foul on LeBron James.

James said the foul was “a scary play…a dangerous play,” and cooler heads prevailed despite the rough play.

Those fouls proved to be the spark the Heat needed as they closed out the second half on top 50-49.

The second half saw much of the same as the physical play continued and the Heat were able

to maintain a slim lead.

Miami led the entire third quarter but the Thunder kept the game within single digits throughout.

Entering the fourth quarter OKC found themselves down by seven but quickly regained the lead for the first time since the second quarter on two free throws from Nick Collison.

The Heat came right back to take the lead and from there neither team led by more than three points until the final 12 seconds.

Down 96-93 with 16 seconds to play Kevin Durant missed a game-tying three-pointer sealing the Thunder’s fate.

Dwayne Wade went on to make two more free throws and the Heat secured the 98-93 win.

Thunder Head Coach Scot Brooks said that the game was hard fought and physical from the start and both teams seemed up to the challenge.

“It was a physical game,” Brooks said. “I like that. I’m sure they like it. Neither team backed down.”

8

Crossroads

April 9, 2012

www.aggiecentral.com

Family Promise of Lawton gives hope in the community

Image courtesy of Family Promise

By Dianne Riddles Crossroads Editor

Family Promise of Lawton, Inc. (FPOL) is dedicated to assisting homeless families in the Lawton community in finding the stability they need in the acquiring housing, employment or financial independence.

FPOL is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the National Family Promise program headquartered in Summit, N.J., which is a nation-wide program consisting of 173 affiliates.

According to Executive Director Sarah Head, FPOL opened in October 2010 with a clear mission of assisting homeless children and their families in achieving and sustaining economic independence and lasting selfreliance.

“Whatever causes a

person to become homeless is irrelevant; the person still needs some help,” Head said. “I work in this industry because the need is so great and there needs to be a solution, a community solution; we all need to help each other.”

To accomplish the FPOL mission, volunteers from approximately 12 area churches provide temporary housing, meals and related support for up to four families on a weekly basis.

According to Head, FPOL is different as a shelter in that they only take families.

“We are one of the few shelters in town that only take in families; you must have a child either age 18 or under or you have to be pregnant to come into our program,” she said. “We are unique in that we do not take individuals.”

Head said that during the first five months of the 2011-

2012 school year, Lawton Public Schools (LPS) identified 179 homeless school age children in the LPS, which was a 22 percent increase from 2010 when LPS documented 140 homeless students.

She also said that the statistics do not accurately reflect the total homeless population of children in Lawton, because 20 percent of all homeless school age children do not attend school.

Instead of using a standard shelter facility, FPOL collaborates with local church congregations to provide shelter for homeless children and their families.

The congregations provide overnight lodging, converting Sunday school classrooms or a fellowship hall into private or semi-private bedrooms for each family.

“We do not talk to them about religion, and we do not

require them to attend services; we are not a faith organization; we are a community organization,” Head said. “We just found that churches have a lot of extra space that they do not use and we are simply putting that space to good use.”

Every day, volunteers provide a home-cooked dinner, sacked lunches and breakfast, as well as access to shower and laundry facilities.

A congregation hosts guests from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. for one week. On Sundays, volunteers help the guests move to the next host congregation.

FPOL provides the homeless families with a Family Center, which functions as a home base during their stay where they can shower, change, search for employment and meet with their caseworker to discuss selfsufficiency plans.

FPOL also provides transportation to and from

the Family Center and host congregations every day.

Head said that all donations are accepted; however, the three items that are in highest demand are baby wipes, toilet tissue and LATS bus passes.

Other continually needed items include cleaning supplies and various personal hygiene products. Gift cards from grocery stores, drug stores and gas stations are also useful when there is a specific need such as medicine for a sick guest or pajamas for a child.

Anyone seeking information about volunteering with FPOL may call 580.699.2821 or send an email to director@ familypromiseoflawton.org.

Monetary donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 142, Lawton, Okla. 73502.

More information about FPOL services and donations is available at www. familypromiseoflawton.org.

Photo courtesy of Family Promise of Lawton

Image courtesy of Family Promise

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Executive Director Sarah Head: Head stays busy meeting the needs of the homeless in Lawton. Family Promise began serving Lawton homeless in October 2010.

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Legal Aid Services helps those in need

By Dianne Riddles Crossroads Editor

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc., (LASO) is a 501c3 non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance to eligible low-income persons and senior citizens who are experiencing civil legal issues.

LASO has 21 law offices located throughout Oklahoma, providing clients in every county access to the offered services.

According to Managing Attorney Kade McClure, who has been at the Lawton office for over 35 years, LASO seeks to ensure the basic needs for clients: freedom from harm and violence; income maintenance for survival; access to housing; freedom from hunger; and access to health care.

“Our priorities are to first ensure the safety of our clients and then work to secure food, housing and a source of income,” McClure said.

LASO provides these services without fees for eligible clients. The client’s income, assets and family size, among other factors, determine client eligibility.

According to McClure, LASO has been able to help a few Cameron students in the past.

“We have helped students with issues such as recovering security deposits and landlord repairs,” he said.

McClure explained that landlord/tenant disputes and evictions are instances in which a student might need help.

“We have economic guidelines that are based on poverty,” McClure said. “Sometimes a student who requires legal assistance qualifies for our services after figuring the student’s PELL and what the student spent on books and tuition.”

LASO does not assist with criminal defenses or provide representation for incarcerated individuals. Additionally, because demand exceeds the capacity of the staff, most cases must meet a condition of immediate severity.

McClure said that the biggest demand for LASO is family law, especially cases involving domestic violence. Children are the biggest

benefactors, as LASO strives to stabilize their families through the issues of custody, child support and divorce.

“Family law is a big area—adoption, custody, child support, guardianship—but the priority in all of our family law is protection from domestic violence,” McClure said. “However, we do not say that you have to be abused to be eligible for our services.”

McClure explained one Oklahoma state law that helps protect children from violence.

“If your children are abused by your spouse and you know about it, it is possible that the state can file an action against you for neglect or abuse of your children and take both you and your spouse to court,” said McClure. “That is, if you knew about it and did not protect your children.”

In 2008, 230 private attorneys handled at least one LASO case. In that same year, LASO staff and pro bono attorneys closed 20,212 statewide cases that touched the lives of 35,187 people, including 15,324 children.

Additionally, LASO represents elderly people who are seeking social security or other public benefits, and helps elderly people resolve issues of guardianship. The group also helps individuals faced with losing their housing through mortgage foreclosures. LASO assists individuals with cases involving Medicare and Medicaid, and helps them receive the entitlements for which they qualify.

According to McClure, to handle the demand many private Oklahoma attorneys volunteer their time and expertise to LASO. Some private attorneys teach in LASO clinics; however, most often, the attorneys advise clients and help them fill out legal forms; they also take on simple cases for full representation.

McClure encouraged anyone wanting to make a donation to do so through the United Way. “We are a United Way Agency and it really does take a team effort,” McClure said. “Marie Detty, the Women’s Shelter, the Lawton Community Food Bank— it takes a lot of agencies working as a team to take care of a community; we are really lucky to have such a great United Way.” Anyone under age 60 requiring LASO services would first call 1.888.534.5243 and anyone age 60 or over would call 1.855.488.6814 to qualify.

More information about LASO and eligibility or how to make donations is available at www.legalaidok.org.

Photo by Dianne Riddles

Managing Attorney Kade McClure: McClure mainly works cases in family law with the priority being to ensure the safety of the clients. McClure said that he has practiced law at the Lawton LASO office for over 35 years.