COLLEGIAN THE CA M ERON U N I V ER SIT Y
Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926
Monday, January 23, 2006
News
‘A day on, not a day off ’ By Kenny Scarle Collegian Staff
Ag department works to safeguard vulnerable rangelands from threat of fire. PLEASE SEE PAGE 2
A&E
Reviewer hails Crowe film as memorable comedy: funny and romantic. PLEASE SEE PAGE 6
Sports
“Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” The words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. resounded in the University Theatre, as the images of the March on Washington were displayed for all to see. Jan. 16 marked the 20th anniversary of the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, 38 years following his death. Americans across the country celebrated by honoring the life and work of King and his legacy of tolerance, peace, and equality by meeting community needs and making the holiday, “A day on, not a day off.” As racial diversity continues to be a vital component of campus structure, Cameron University commemorated this event with the 2006 Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Julian Bond, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Chairman, was selected as keynote speaker at an afternoon informal discussion, a question and answer panel and the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet. Bond has been an activist for civil rights for more than 40 years and is a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He became involved with the struggle for equality in 1960, as part of a “sit-in” protest against
segregated lunch counters. “After going to jail for the protest and my eventual release,” Bond said, “I received a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. inviting us to a meeting at Raleigh, North Carolina. We came and found ourselves surrounded by about 300 other young people from black southern colleges who also were engaged in sit in demonstrations.” This led to the forming of a new group called the Temporary Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or the SNCC. “Temporary,” Bond said, “because we thought this stuff would be over just like that. We dropped that ‘temporary’ pretty quickly.” During his early years with the SNCC, Bond was able to learn from King, as a student in his class and as a role model. “He struck me as a man who was always optimistic, hopeful for change and believed the best in people even against all evidence,” Bond said. “He believed things would improve, could improve, should improve, had to improve, if enough people put their minds and hearts to it.” Bond has held elected office in the Georgia House of Representatives, worked as a commentator on America’s Black Forum and served as Chairman of the Board of the NAACP, the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States.
Please see BOND, page 2
Collegian Staff
PLEASE SEE PAGE 7
Next Issue Scientists and detectives: working together to solve structures. Office: Nance-Boyer 2060 Phone: 580•581•2261 E-mail us at : collegian@cameron.edu First Copy Free - $.25 for each additional copy Contents © The Collegian 2006
Graphic compiled by Kenny Scarle
Just dance: CU in Good Health hosts gala By Jessica Lane
Aggies gain new volleyball coach who looks to start the program from the ground up.
Volume 78 Issue 14
The greatly anticipated Festival Gala will be taking place Jan. 28 as part of Cameron’s academic festival which occurs Contributed Graphic every three years. The event will be hosted by President Cindy Ross and her husband Dale Ross. Sally Soelle, the festival coordinator, said that the gala has sold out every year it has been sponsored and has always had great success. “About 500 individuals attended the last gala and didn’t want to leave at the end of the evening,” Soelle said. The event will take place at the Fort Sill Officers Club, now the Patriot Club, in the ballroom. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with social hour and hors d’oeuvres. A professional photographer will also be available at this time. At 7:15 p.m. a buffet dinner will be served. Guests will be offered a variety of food choices including:
steamship round of beef, boneless chicken breast, vegetarian rice pilaf, fresh vegetables, salad, mixed breads, dessert, coffee, and tea. Dancing will follow at 8:00 p.m. to the music of “Souled Out,” a band that plays a wide range of music according to Soelle. “Souled Out is a very versatile band we acquire through an agency in Norman. They play virtually all music including rock, jazz, blues, big band music, and western. They are very popular in this region and our audiences have enjoyed them so much they have requested we bring them back,” Soelle said. Jennifer Elbert, assistant to the dean of the School of Liberal Arts, stated that the band usually begins with big band music and transitions to more contemporary styles as the evening progresses. She said they also take requests. “One of the things I enjoy is watching the students laugh at their professors dancing,” Elbert said. Attire for the gala is formal/semi-formal, but it is not necessary to rent a tux or gown. “A nice dress or a jacket and tie with dress
slacks is adequate, though there will be guests in formal black tie,” Elbert said. In addition, a van service will be provided that will travel between campus and the gala throughout the evening as needed. Tickets are $12 per couple, but according to Soelle, it is not necessary to be a couple in the traditional sense to buy a pair of tickets. Students, faculty and staff may bring friends or family members by purchasing their tickets. Tickets are available through Elbert in Music Room 123 or by calling 581.5506. Elbert said that those who have reserved tickets but have not yet paid for them should do so. She also urged students who are interested in attending to purchase tickets soon because the Festival Gala tickets will only be sold through Jan. 24. Soelle was excited about how the gala brings together the Cameron family. “The gala is one of very few events on campus for which we dress up a bit and socialize as a campus community — faculty, staff, and students. I invite all Cameron students to come out to this festive event,” Soelle said.
Cameron prepares for centennial celebration By Collegian Staff
Cameron University will mark its centennial with plans to go into the next 100 years doing what it did for the first 100: change students’ lives. Last week President Cindy Ross announced a landmark campaign, “Cameron University: Changing Lives for 100 Years,” which will mark the university’s anniversary during the 2008-2009 academic year. Those plans include spotlighting CU’s history and laying the foundation for another century of providing quality education to students. That foundation carries an $8.5 million price tag, which is the largest campaign in the
university’s history, a goal that is, Ross said, “ambitious and very challenging.” At the time of the announcement, Ross revealed that the campaign already had $5,825,141 in commitments. Two-thirds of the goal had already been met at the launching of the campaign, thanks to those who have “stepped forward and embraced the vision,” she said. The largest portion of those funds – $6.5 million – is to be put toward the building of a 35,000-square-foot Student Activities Complex. This multi-purpose complex will include a student union, food services, community spaces and other student services. Other features may include a student dining area, study lounges, a game room, meeting rooms and a large ballroom.
“Cameron students are the focus of the Changing Lives campaign,” Ross said. “The construction of a new Student Activities Complex continues our effort to create the complete collegiate experience for our students. This complex will provide CU students with a learning and recreational space unmatched by other regional universities.” Another focus of the campaign is to add $650,000 to an already outstanding endowed faculty program, which has more endowed faculty positions than any other regional university in the state.
Please see CENTENNIAL, page 5