The Cameron University Collegian: January 25, 2010

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

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Monday, January 25, 2010

Volume 84 Issue 12

New student portal to go online in February

Variety

By Jim Horinek Collegian Staff

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, photos and full story.

SEE PAGE 8

A&E

Coming to a computer near you in February is Aggie Access, Cameron’s new online one stop portal, for students, faculty and staff.

This system has been nearly a year in the making and is part of a campus-wide computer system update that is being done in stages.

Aggie Access is being deployed as an eventual replacement for MyCU. However, MyCU is nothing compared to what Aggie Access can do. With the incorporation of unique features like channels, groups and message boards the system promises to blow MyCU out of the water.

Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management believes that students are going to enjoy the new system. She said that Cameron wants this system to be something that people access daily.

“We absolutely want people to go to this everyday, for this to be the place where faculty staff and students go to find out what is going on because really they should be able to get to almost anything through this portal,” she said.

The system gives users channels that are specific to certain roles.

For example, the student portal will have a campus announcements channel that functions as a source for information about campus events taking place in the near future. Another feature for students will be a campus life channel that will house things like a picture of the week and give students easy access to information about campus life events.

Once the system comes online there will be a link on the CU Web site and the login will be the same as MyCU or campus email.

One of the greatest improvements that the portal system will offer is a very streamlined financial aid tool. However, these functions will not be fully active until the fall semester. For now, students will still go to MyCU for information about the spring and summer semesters. Once the Aggie Access system takes full effect, the financial aid tools will do several things to cut the hassle out of dealing with college finances.

See ACCESS Page 2

Images courtesy of Public Affairs

One stop for everything CU: The Aggie Access student portal offers features that are centered toward students. Some of the features include a Campus Life channel and group function.

Fully customizable: The new system will offer channels that students, faculty and staff can customize to fit their needs.

Class of 2010 pools resources for gift “Book of Eli” a positive addition to a struggling genre.

SEE PAGE 5

Sports

By Amanda Finch Collegian Staff The tradition of each graduating class giving back to the university will continue this year with the Class of 2010 “Time to Move Forward, Time to Give Back,” gift campaign.

This year, the Cameron University graduating class is raising funds for two initiatives: first, to purchase a clock which will be hung in the McMahon Centennial Complex; and, second, to raise funds for student

scholarships. According to Student Government President Daniel Brown, both of these are exciting ways for the Class of 2010 to leave its legacy at Cameron.

“I think that, as seniors graduating, it is important to give back to Cameron in any way we can because Cameron has given each one of us a priceless quality education,” Brown said.

Donating to the Class of 2010 Campaign gives graduates the opportunity to set an example for

future students and show future Aggies that they valued their educational experience at Cameron.

The campaign is asking each graduate to donate a gift of $20.10 or more. With almost 1,000 students expected to graduate the campaign could raise $10,000 or more, which would far exceed any donations

by any class in the 100 years of Cameron’s existence. Director of Development Hillary Ashton encourages seniors to participate by donating at any level.

“We want graduating

See 2010 Page 2

CU Basketball enters season’s second half.

SEE PAGE 7

Voices

Photo courtesy of Public Affairs

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Panel discussion, banquet highlight day of remembrance

By Rashmi Thapaliya and Jim Horinek Collegian Staff

Key to a good Christmas is being alone.

SEE PAGE 4

Photo by Jim Horinek

Keynote: As part of the 26th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, Kweisi Mfume was on campus as the keynote speaker.

Cameron Campus Ministry and Cameron University held several events as part of the 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration on Jan. 18.

To begin the day of remembrance of the civil rights leader a panel discussion was held. The program started with the welcome speech by Dr. Willie Smith of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee.

After, President Ross welcomed everyone to the program by stating that despite the many wins in the way of equality between the races there is still much more that has yet to be accomplished. She explained that a lower percentage of African American children go to school than their white counterparts. There are gaps that exist between African Americans and

whites within society, and Cameron is dedicated to exploring and fixing those gaps, President Ross said.

“We have jobs to do and Cameron University is committed to bridging those gaps providing quality education,” she said.

Elizabeth Jung, a senior Studio Art major and the overall winner of the Cameron Campus Ministry and Cameron University MLK scholarship contest, described her winning art piece during the panel discussion. Jung drew Martin Luther King, Jr. looking up dreaming of justice.

Leigh Shelton, President of Cameron University Ebony Society, introduced the keynote speaker for the day: Kweisi Mfume, civil rights activist and political leader.

See MLK Page 8

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News

January 25, 2010

ACCESS continued from page 1 According to Glover, some of the features will include easily accessible information so that a student can tell easily what their account situation is. There will also be a notification system that will cut the wait time of dealing with letters through the mail.

Perhaps one of the most exciting features of the Aggie Access system is that it will allow any student or student group to apply for the creation of a channel.

“There will be a process for more channels to be developed,” Glover said. “If a club wanted a channel and they didn’t have

one, they could request one.

Then we would help them set up the channel and they could administer it.”

To add to the features that will help students interact and socialize is the group function.

“Within the portal, a student organization or a department on campus could form a group,” Glover said.

“So this would allow them to create a group where they could collaborate online. Students or faculty can send and receive announcements, utilize message boards and hold chats within the group.”

Although the new system has a lot of tools for students, there are also other aspects of the portal system that are for faculty and staff. More specifically, faculty and staff will have their own portal home page that gives them access to things that are pertinent to them.

“For faculty, it will centralize a lot of the things that they will need,” Glover said. “Like registration tools, where they will look up and register students. We have also pulled things like University forms and common links that faculty go to and pulled those into the portal,

where they can access them easily.”

When the system comes online in February, it will have many features but Glover explained that it is a work in progress and the more students, faculty and staff utilize it, the

more useful it will become.

“We’ve tried to put as much into this as we can, but it is coming out with much room for expansion; there are so many ideas for channels that we have probably not thought of or things like that,” Glover said.

Photo courtesy of Public Affairs

2010 continued from page 1

Photo courtesy of Public Affairs

Solutions on page 6.

seniors to get involved in their class campaign and we welcome any and all donations.

Those who do give a gift of $20.10 or more will receive a Class of 2010 Campaign T-Shirt as a gift,” Ashton said.

Ashton has worked on three previous class campaigns, each of which raised approximately $1,000. The Class of 2007 graduates made a contribution to the McMahon Complex, the Class of 2008 graduates purchased a bench for the Bentley Gardens and the Class of 2009 graduates donated money towards displaying the legend of Ole Kim on campus. The bench purchased for the Bentley Gardens by the Class of 2007 will be officially dedicated on Feb. 20 during a Homecoming event this year. Each campaign has had a different focus, which is decided by the Class Campaign Steering Committee each year.

“The role of the committee is to organize a fundraising campaign to allow for the purchase of a gift at the end of the school year. This is a way for the graduating class to give back to CU and have their class be recognized for years to come,” Ashton said.

Juniors and seniors are selected to serve on the steering committee through an application process. Brown is currently serving on the committee along with several other students and helped come up with the campaign theme and gift.

“We wanted to pick something that would relate to graduating students,” Brown said. “We chose a clock because it symbolizes that our time here is up; it’s time to move on and give back.”

The 49-inch wrought iron black and gold clock will be placed in the McMahon Centennial Complex food court in time for the building’s opening in late spring of this year.

Those wishing to donate to the Class of 2010 Campaign and receive their Class Campaign T-shirt or help volunteer on the campaign committee can call or visit the Office of Development in the Administration Building.

January 25, 2010

News

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Voices

January 25, 2010

Profane acronyms continue evolution of our language

WTF? Three letter acronyms have invaded our lives since the advent of the Internet, and they’ve only become more popular with the texting generation. Even the most technologically illiterate know what most of them mean.

“LOL,” “SMH” and “ASL” are as much a part of our daily vernacular as the phrases they simplify. But how could such a threeletter acronym become so offensive?

Roger Ebert, one of the most respected and iconic writers in my industry, used “WTF” in his recent review over “The Book of Eli.” “It grips your attention, and then at the end throws in several WTF! moments, which are a bonus. They make everything in the

entire movie impossible and incomprehensible — but, hey, WTF,” Ebert writes.

After seeing the movie myself, that’s about the best way to describe the events that happen.

And most people will probably utter the three words that the acronym stands for. But certain publications have come under fire for publishing the review and the three-letter acronym. My question is why?

Profanity is nothing new in our society.

Even movies with the PG rating, which advises parental guidance, have profanity. Our children hear it from their parents, they hear it from television and radio and they hear it from each other in schools. Are they irreparably damaged by hearing these “dirty words?”

One thing is obvious: it’s not the meaning behind the world that gets people so up in arms — it’s the word itself. The hit science-fiction television show “Battlestar Galactica” replaces “f---,” and other colorful profane words with “frack.” Anyone can put two and two together and understand the correlation. The characters in “Battlestar Galactica” speak English, though they come from another planet clear across the galaxy. There are slight variations in their vernacular, the most noticeable being their use of profanity. But no one complained when Starbuck constantly yelled “frack you!”

Certain profane words have had their meanings twisted over time. The most common, “bitch,” was originally used to refer to a dog. I’ve spoken to dog breeders for stories and they speak of their bitches with much love and affection. It was jarring at first, but they mean no harm; they just use the word in its proper context. That word finds itself in a publication, uncensored, no matter what the context, and people are going to get upset. So once again, I ask why.

It often feels like we have to censor ourselves when we speak, or write, in my case. I cannot think of a single time I’ve ever used an Internet/ texting acronym in any story I’ve written, whether it be for a publication or my private writing.

But, in a way, I admire Ebert for using it in his review of “The Book of Eli” because, not only does it correctly describe the feeling of the moments he’s describing, but it shows that the man is not as out of touch as many people believe.

It’s not like the man was just throwing profanity out left and right to get hits on a Web site or more people to look at his story. If anything, the use of the “WTF” acronym could be detrimental, because more people are up in arms over it than the actual content of the review. I liken it to people getting upset over the score a movie or video game receives from a reviewer, rather than the content of the actual piece the person writes.

Joshua Rouse

Being alone is key to great Christmas Well, my Christmas break started off like any other. First of all, I was completely elated about the fact that I was going to have basically three weeks where I did not have to work on an issue of this newspaper or go to classes. Secondly, it was almost Christmas, which means presents and family gatherings and all of those fun things.

Okay, so the second part, the one about family and presents is not entirely true. In fact, it’s totally false. I am a pretty solitary person, and I enjoy my peace and quiet as well as the freedom to do whatever I choose and not have to conform to a family schedule of events for the holidays. On top of that, I haven’t enjoyed unwrapping presents from under the tree since I figured out that you never really get quite what you want, and it’s much easier to just have your dad put a little money in your bank account.

Another plus with this system is that, for the most part, it keeps me from having to buy any presents. Because my parents and brother are much like me and excited that I accept money, they don’t have to buy any gifts. As a result, they don’t ask for gifts either.

So it appeared that everything would be pretty laid back for my holidays. I would be able to do what I wanted for the most part and only have to endure a small amount

of family time on Christmas day. But the nice part is that, thanks to no presents, the family time doesn’t involve that awkward time when you unwrap a gift and have to pretend to be excited that you got a new ice scraper for your car.

Well, up until the 24th I did as little as possible. I enjoyed the money my dad had put in my bank account and sat on the couch for the most part. Everything was going great until I got a call from my dad with some news that is quite rare in this part of Oklahoma: it’s going to snow. Not only is it going to snow, its going to SNOW. I mean, in my entire life, the most snow I have ever seen on the ground in this area is no more than around eight inches.

In any case, I didn’t pay much mind to the ensuing weather report because never have I seen snow of the amount that it would cause anything but minor problems on the roads.

So, while I am watching Hulu in the Collegian Office in Nance Boyer, the winter weather hits on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. It was obvious that this storm was something totally different from what I, and probably most people in this area, are used to: a fact that became blisteringly clear when I attempted to go back to my apartment in the Village and walked out into a near white-out blizzard.

Now, me being the man that I am, I was not all that phased by the weather and was sure that it would not cause me to not be able to drive. I mean, after all, I do fancy myself a skilled driver.

Whether or not that is actually true is probably another story. So despite the weather, I make my way through a two-foot deep drift of snow to my car. I pry the door open and hop in. Turn the key, throw it in reverse and it moves no problem. At this point I was pretty sure I was golden. However, when I went to go forward I was rudely awakened as my front end was quickly embedded up to the grill in snow.

Apparently my driving skills weren’t good enough to get me out of that one, so I abandoned my car and ended up traipsing through the bitter cold wind and snow across campus to the Village.

Once I finally made it back to my apartment and defrosted my face, it began to become clear that my plans for the holidays might change a bit. I realized that I would probably be spending Christmas completely alone.

As it turns out, I did end up spending Christmas alone because it snowed even worse in Duncan where my parents live and they were more stuck than I was. In fact, not only did I spend Christmas alone, I spent the next three days alone and stuck because my car was still in the parking lot of Nance Boyer lodged in a snow bank.

So you might be saying, ‘oh how sad; he spent Christmas alone.’

Well let me tell you that I do not need sympathy because the fact of the matter is that thanks to no human interaction, other than talking to myself, blu-ray movies and hot pockets this was the best Christmas I have ever had.

Jim Horinek

A messy post-Christmas season

Photo courtesy of Michael D. Pope/Lawton-Constitution

Bless this mess: After a Christmas blizzard blew through the area, the Cameron Stadium slope was the perfect place for impromptu sledding. However, after the snow melted, no one bothered to clean up the mess they left. Since Cameron is so gracious to allow people to use the hill for sledding and other activities, please make sure to clean up any mess that is left. It reflects poorly on the community otherwise.

Profanity has its place in our society. You can’t go anywhere or read just about anything without coming across it. It’s only the natural evolution of our writing that we begin to embrace more acronyms. Though, I typically find the use of an acronym in a professional published piece more offensive than the profanity it might stand for. But just like the meaning behind “bitch” has changed over the years, could not the meaning behind “WTF” change? Who’s to say it doesn’t stand for “worse than failure?” It is all in what we infer. But it’s obvious many people are more concerned about the word, or acronym, rather than the actual meaning behind it.

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Rachel Engel Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - Justin Cliburn Back Page Editor - Monica Garner Digital Editors - Kyle Luetters and Michael Faggett

Newsroom Staff Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Jeramy Edison, Saman Samii, Megan Carothers, Andrew Osbourne, Rashmi Thapaliya, Jacob Russell, Melissa Rogers, Amanda Finch, Alyssa Knerr, Tori Strecker, Tatiana Isis and Amanda Phillips.

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

About Us The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Letters Policy Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.

The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length.

Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks.

All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification.

Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu, or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060.

Our Views The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author.

The unsigned editorial under the heading “Our Voice” represents the opinion of the majority of the editorial board.

The opinions expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily represent those of Cameron University or the state of Oklahoma.

Our student media are designated public forums, and free from censorship and advance approval of content. Because content and funding are unrelated, and because the role of adviser does not include advance review of content, student media are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves. Administrators, faculty, staff or other agents shall not consider the student media’s content when making decisions regarding the media’s funding or faculty adviser.

A&E

January 25, 2010

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‘Almost, Maine’ opens spring Theatre season

By Alyssa Knerr

the epilogue, giving closure to the play.

“These vignettes, each skit, have their own titles,” Klein said. “The play is an episodic type structure with Characters came to life during auditions for the thing tying it together being the town, Almost, Cameron’s new play “Almost and, of course, falling in and out Maine,” opening at 7:30 p.m. Feb. of love.”

“It made me laugh out 18, 19 and 20 with a matinee This show is usually set for loud. When I have that at 2 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Studio a cast of four; however, Klein Theater. The play is set in the sort of visceral response, I wanted to expand the cast to give mythical town of Almost in the students the opportunity know it is usually a show I more state of Maine with a series of on stage. need to do.” vignettes of people falling in “I went from a cast of four to and out of love on one night in a cast of eight,” Klein said. “The February. play multiple characters.

— Scott Richard Klein students Scott Richard Klein, Chair So, instead of just having one Chair, Theatre Arts person, say, play four or five of the Theater Arts Department at Cameron University, will be Department different characters, I have two directing “Almost Maine.” He felt people playing the number.” moved by the stories within the The cast on stage includes play, which is one reason the director chose “Almost Josh Fortney, Brett Jolly, Leah Mazur, Christopher Maine”.

Jefferson, Gordon Tahquechi, Hannah Brock, “When I was reading the play I was drawn to what Stephanie Hesse and Bryan West. was happening,” Klein said. “Even though I grew up Even though the play is late for Valentine’s Day, in Minnesota, a lot of the things that the characters do Klein says this is a show for all loved ones to see were things I did in my youth, such as ice skating on a together. pond, going snowmobiling and that sort of thing.”

“We’re a little late for Valentine’s Day, but we’re Another reason the play was chosen is the humor close,” he said. “We needed a little more rehearsal time found throughout the play. so we had to open later. Couples though, will laugh “It made me laugh out loud,” he said. “When I have and see themselves in the show.” that sort of visceral response, I know it is usually a The show is free for Cameron students with a valid show I need to do.” student I.D. Non-Cameron students, senior citizens In “Almost Maine,” there are 11 skits within the and military can get in for $10. Admissions is $12 for play, including the prologue, setting up the play, and adults.

Collegian Staff

Faith-based ‘Eli’ breaths new life into desolate genre

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff

MCT Campus

Follow the path: Denzel Washington plays Eli, a traveling prophet in The Hughes Brothers’ ‘Book of Eli.’

The apocalypse is nothing new for moviegoers.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the world end on the big screen. It’s almost to the point where I think Hollywood has some sort of death wish.

But the latest entry in the evergrowing genre, “The Book of Eli,” takes it in a new direction that is quite interesting.

Denzel Washington plays Eli, a drifter and wanderer reminiscent of the man with no name in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western trilogy. Eli carries with him the last Bible on Earth after a massive World War III literally tears a hole in the sky. Those who did not get underground immediately were, at worst, killed and, at best, blinded and scarred. All Bibles were burned after the war because it was believed religion caused the war. Eli is on a mission to deliver the last Bible to a place where it can be safely used.

The story is very minimalist and relies on conversations between the characters to f lesh out what truly happened. The

“f lash,” as it’s called, was so far back that most people don’t remember it. Those that do don’t want to speak of it. The world has been turned into a wasteland, and the survivors scrounge for what they can.

Gary Whitta, the screenwriter, crafts an excellent story of faith in the face of uncertainty.

While the book itself is the Bible, it’s a metaphor for all religions.

The Hughes Brothers, off their first feature since “From Hell,” bring the post apocalyptic world to life in a manner that’s never been seen before. The bleached out cinematography is reminiscent of “Terminator: Salvation,” but the visuals have an identity of their own. The action scenes are brutal and are choreographed with precision.

Washington does his best role as Washington and is serviceable in the role of the traveler. Mila Kunis plays a teenage girl who becomes attached to Eli and wants to learn from him. But it’s Gary Oldman who steals the show once again. He goes back to his roots of playing a villain without morals or any sense of

humanity and wants the Bible to control the people of his little town. His performance is more tempered than his role in “Leon,” but he still manages to portray a heartless person better than almost anyone in Hollywood.

The final twist of the movie is absurd, but makes sense in some surreal way. It comes completely out of left field and will have you scratching your head for a while. But the movie perseveres in spite of it.

If anything, certain aspects of the movie make sense looking back in hindsight, but the twist brings up many more questions than it answers.

“The Book of Eli” carries a message of having faith, no matter what happens. Some may be disconcerted by the Bible, but the religious parallels are kept to a minimum. The real star of the film is the world itself and the atmosphere that is created by the sheer amount of hopelessness. It’s certainly a new take on the apocalypse and is something that should be watched, if for nothing else, than to reward a step in a new direction for a genre that is fast becoming stale.

Real-life parents took ‘Extraordinary Measures’ Harrison Ford, Brendan Frasier bring medical drama to big screen

By Joseph V. Amodio MCT Campus There’s nothing more heartwrenching for parents than a sick child who can’t get well.

Sterile hospital hallways, beeping heart monitors, doctors’ grim looks. Dramatic stuff — and Hollywood knows it.

The subject has fueled films like “Lorenzo’s Oil” and “First Do No Harm.” Now comes “Extraordinary Measures,” based on the true story of a New Jersey family, out Friday.

The film stars Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell as parents whose children are diagnosed with a fatal disease, and who enlist a quirky scientist (Harrison Ford) to fight the pharmaceutical industry for a cure.

“I wasn’t looking to take on the health-care debate,” says director Tom Vaughan. “My aim was to tell a moving story.”

“Measures,” while trying to be fair to all sides, also capitalizes on consumers’ growing frustration with the

MCT Campus

Discovering the cure: Dr. Robert Stonehill (Ford) and John Crowley (Frasier) work together to find a cure to a mysterious disease in ‘Extraordinary Measures.’ profit-minded, seemingly capricious decisions of drug companies.

“It’s a classic Hollywood tale — the underdog vs. the bureaucracy,” says Dr.

Mark P. Atlas, head of the childhood brain and spinalcord tumor program at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park. “And this bureaucracy is one almost

everyone has had to interface with.”

And for sick children, the fight for adequate care may be toughest.

“There’s no money in

pediatrics,” says Atlas, noting adults get sick in greater numbers than kids, driving Big Pharma to create umpteen drugs for heart disease, erectile dysfunction and other profitable ills, but few for rare children’s maladies.

In this film, however, the family fights back.

“He just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Fraser says of John Crowley, the real-life dad portrayed in the film. Crowley was told there was no cure for his children’s ailment — Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder altering sugar metabolism.

So Crowley took a huge risk — quitting his job and racing to raise $100 million to create a new drug before it was too late.

If politicians don’t solve the health- care crisis soon, expect more of these medical David and Goliath films at a multiplex near you.

“You ask yourself: What would I do in that situation?” says director Vaughan. “I think every parent hopes they could do what Crowley did.”

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Sports

January 25, 2010

Resolution problem: Hip Hop solution It’s 2010, a new decade, which means it is time once again for “New Year’s Resolutions.”

The buzzwords already this year have been “health and wellness.”

Millions of Americans have set the goal to lose weight and tone-up this year, and, statistically, that means that hundreds of Cameron students have made the same pledge. Many gym-goers find that they lose the motivation to keep going week after week. The saving grace may be a brand new playlist comprised of songs from the last decade. Hip Hop is here to save the day.

WarmupStretching and Jogging or Light Weights Jay Electronica-

Exhibition A (Transformations): Electronica is the Hip Hop Howard Hughes, as the hardcore fans await his first album after his mashups have appeared on the internet.

The steady beat and lyrical flow should provide a little motivation to get up and get moving.

Lupe FiascoSuperstar: Sometimes it takes hearing over and over again that you are “a superstar” to motivate yourself to workout on days you are tired or achy.

Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.- Runnin’ (Dying to Live): How do you get two rap legends who died in the 90’s onto a list involving music from the last decade? This mashup was produced in 2003 for the Tupac documentary, that’s how.

Bennett Dewan

Eminem- Lose Yourself: The perfect beginning to any cardio routine. A song about overcoming an obstacle, like maybe an intense workout.

Workout- Circuit Training (Intense Lifts or Running with minimal rest) Common- Universal Mind Control (UMC): Common creates a fun throwback sound that is packed full of old school energy with new era subject matter.

50 Cent- In Da Club: In a genre that is only 30 years old, a hit from seven years ago may seem like a bit of a relic but there is something about the rhythm of this song that lends itself to running.

Raekwon- House of Flying Daggers: It is hard to deny the legacy of the Wu Tang Clan. It is even harder to deny the awesomeness of a rap song about a samurai fight.

OutKast- B.O.B.: Andre 3000 and Big Boi may have left rap to focus on film,

but this may be the song that captures their legacy and helps push you in your workout.

Jay-Z – Heart of the City: The aggression of the lyrical style in this song is uncharacteristic of Jay-Z, that is exactly why it may be the best song to add towards the end of your playlist for a boost.

T.I. - What You Know: If you thought T.I.’s best songs came from his most recent album you are sorely mistaken, and now you know.

Mos Def- Life In Marvelous Times: Mos Def made his triumphant return to rap and pushed the envelope as to what mainstream sound can be in this new decade.

Common- A Dream: Motivation can come in many different forms; in this case it manifests sitself in inspiration.

Jay Z- Empire State of Mind: This is the song equivalent of the scene in the first “Rocky” movie where Stallone ends his workout by celebrating at the top of the steps with his arms raised.

K’naan- Wavin Flag:

K’naan may not be a big name in the U.S. yet but he will be when the FIFA World Cup kicks off this June. This song will be everywhere, and you can say, “I liked it before he was famous.”

Cool Down- Light Jog/ Walk and Stretching Kanye West- Can’t Tell Me Nothing: While the world may still be angry at Mr. West over his MTV Video Music Awards upstaging of Taylor Swift, it is hard to deny his talent for producing interesting music.

Talib Kweli- NY Weather Report: Kweli is one of the most lyrically conscientious rappers there is in the mainstream. It’s easy to wind down from hard work while listening to Kweli’s rhymes.

Jay ElectronicaExhibit C: This song has everything: soothing beat, intense lyrics and an instrumental final minute and a half to calm you back to your resting heart beat.

McGwire steroid admission suprises no one In 1998, people around the world tuned into baseball as St. Louis Cardinals hitter Mark McGwire and Chicago Cubs hitter Sammy Sosa strived to do what seemed impossible: break Roger Maris’ single-season homerun record of 61, which had stood for 37 years.

Much like an NFL team striving to go undefeated through the entire season and win the Super Bowl, Maris’ record seemed untouchable.

After all, Maris was the first to break the Great Bambino, Babe Ruth’s, singleseason homerun record, and that was a feat unto itself.

But flash forward 37 years, and McGwire stuns the world, finishing the season with 70 home runs. Accusations have been made for years that McGwire used steroids during that run. After all, it seemed impossible that someone could hit the ball so hard, so often.

McGwire always denied it and

eventually, the whole matter was swept under the rug.

The MLB was only four years removed from a strike that destroyed attendance and any interest in baseball. What better way to bring people back to the sport than a drive to see one of its most prestigious records broken?

It was in the MLB’s best interest to ignore any accusations of steroids.

But here we are, more than a decade later and McGwire finally admits to the world that he used steroids.

Much like Pete Rose, the cat was out of the bag long before he ever came out and admitted he did wrong. And much like the world has moved on and forgotten his since-broken record, the world has moved on and forgotten the since-broken man.

Steroids are still lingering in professional sports, especially baseball. Would Maris’ record still be standing had McGwire

Joshua Rouse

not used steroids? Barry Bonds broke it only a couple years later, but he’s still defending himself against accusations of steroids. Ken Griffey Jr. has come close several times, including the shortened ’94 season. So it’s hard to say. One thing is for certain — the record is definitely tainted.

But why should that matter to the MLB? They got butts in the seats and tickets sold. Ratings went up and baseball is finally back to its glory days. McGwire has even come out of retirement to become a batting coach for his former team.

The man had talent. Steroids or not, it takes a great player to even come close to the home run record.

But what can he really teach the players? It’s like Michael Jordan trying to teach a person how to play basketball as well as he did.

Granted, McGwire is no Jordan, but this seems more like a publicity stunt for McGwire to get back in the limelight and to try to put his past behind him. He’s always going to be known as that guy who broke the homerun record but had to use steroids to do it. What’s the first thing he’s going to each his hitters – use steroids?

Perhaps McGwire will help his team continue their winning ways. In a sport as dominated by offense as baseball is, perhaps this is what the sport needs. McGwire’s defensive play was never anything to write home about, so maybe he can teach his players a thing or two.

Until then, his “return” just reeks of a publicity stunt and one last gasp attempt of a disgraced former player trying to stay in the limelight – much like Rose appearing on WWF Monday Night Raw.

Courtesy MCT Campus

Inflation is no longer only an economic term: Mark McGwire, seen here in his rookie and record breaking-seasons, recently admitted to steroid use during his storied career.

Sports

January 25, 2010

7

Aggies rebound from injuries

By Amanda Phillips Collegian Staff With more than half of the Lone Star Conference division games left to play, the Aggie women’s basketball team is continuing to work hard and maintain a positive outlook for the remainder of the season.

The women are shooting to win the Lone Star Conference championship, and, to achieve that goal, they must rack up more division wins. According to women’s coach Tom Webb, the team must make some adjustments to certain aspects of their game in order to accomplish that goal. Webb said the key to strengthening the squad is teamwork.

“We have to continue to grow as a team,” Webb said.

“Sometimes there is too much one-on-one and not enough team.”

Webb said there are other factors that must be improved upon as well.

“We have to make better decisions with the basketball, and we need to have more continuity,” Webb said.

The women’s coach also said that the team needs to keep doing what it does well, and the players need to utilize their strengths.

“We have good perimeter play and good guards. We shoot well, and we rebound well at times too,” Webb said.

The Aggie women have some stiff competition ahead of them. Webb named the University of Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State

and Southeastern Oklahoma State as the toughest upcoming opponents, but he said he thinks his team can match up well.

“If we play hard, we will be fine. We just can’t take a possession off,” Webb said.

To beat these teams, the women will have to work hard in practice as well.

“To win these games we have to practice hard consistently – everyday,” Webb said.

Webb said the team is developing a stronger work ethic with each day.

“The team is learning how to work hard every day. We have a young team, and how hard you have to work at this level is new to freshmen,” Webb said.

The women’s coach acknowledged that team leaders are critical assets for any team, but they become especially important with a young team, of which half the players are freshmen.

Webb said that Amber Schroer, the team’s rebound leader; Josie Stewart, the team’s top scorer; Lyndie NeVille and Tera Tremayne have filled the roles as team leaders and have done a great job of keeping the team motivated.

“Amber, Josie, Lyndie and Tera have done a really good job as team leaders,” Webb said.

The four leaders have proved invaluable in helping the team members overcome the injuries they have been faced with this season. Webb acknowledged that the injuries

have had an impact on the team, but he continues to have a positive outlook.

“We have had six injuries this season, and four of those injured have been post players, which has killed our depth inside,” Webb said. “But that’s the way life goes.”

The Aggie women have a respectable home game record.

Webb attributes the team’s success to the comforts and familiarity of home.

“When we play at home, the girls get to sleep in their own beds, the day-of-game stuff is similar to a regular practice and the team is familiar with the gym,” Webb said.

Webb said that fan support has also been a big factor in the team’s home game achievements.

“The energy from the fans helps a lot,” Webb said. “It’s a lot easier to keep your head up when people are supporting you.”

Webb and men’s coach Wade Alexander have introduced new methods of increasing community support this season.

“We have day-of-game ads running on three local radio stations, and we have been speaking to different service groups in the community as well,” Webb said.

As with any team sport, support at home is a key factor.

The hometown fans can often become the sixth player on the court.

The Aggie women can next be seen in action on Jan. 27 at the Aggie Gym.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Tough drive, hard foul: No. 1 Junior Guard Josie Stewart is fouled hard as she drives to the rim in the game against Northeastern State. Stewart is currently playing wearing a reinforced plastic mask to protect her face as she recovers from an orbital bone fracture sustained earlier this season. Besides Stewart, the Aggies have been banged up this season with four post players going down to injuries.

Men’s Basketball takes flight against LSC

By Michael Faggett Collegian Staff The Cameron University men’s basketball team began the 2009-10 season playing good defense, rebounding and taking care of the basketball.

The team will need to continue to do those same things as it heads into the bulk of their Lone Star Conference North Division schedule.

“Our defense has been pretty good,” head coach Wade Alexander said.

Statistics verify Alexander’s claim. The Aggies rank first in rebounds (41 per game), third in the conference in scoring

defense (59.6 points per game) and holds opponents under 40 percent shooting per game.

“We want to rebound, play good defense and take care of the ball,” Alexander said. “If we do those things, we will be in most games.”

Besides playing solid defense, the Aggies take care of the basketball. The team averages only 11 turnovers per games, which leads the conference.

The team has also used a balanced offensive attack, despite a recent shooting slump.

“We are getting good looks, but we just are not making them,” Alexander said. “We make

Look mom, one handed: Junior Guard Dernodo Eiland shoots a tough one handed runner in the lane over a Riverhawks defender. Eiland has been one of the most productive new recruits for the Aggies this season shooting 34 percent from the 3 point line. Only Jacquez Williams has made more 3 point shots on the season than Eiland. The Aggies have shot 33 percent from beyond the arc this season while holding opposing teams to 28 percent.

them in practice but are not making them in games.”

Guards Milton Garner, Jacquez Williams and Dernodo Eiland all average double figures in scoring, but Garner’s play has been arguably the biggest surprise this season.

Garner, a sophomore from Kansas City, averages 14 points per contest and leads the team in scoring. He also averages five rebounds per game and has scored 20 or more points four times so far this season.

Alexander said Garner’s recent play in games helped him become a go-to player for the team.

“At times, he struggles being ‘the man’,” Alexander said in reference to Garner’s play.

“Teams are really doubling him, but he’s figuring it out. Milt’s doing a really good job.”

Heading into division play in the conference, the team looks to rely on Garner’s emergence as a go-to player, defense and a balanced offensive attack in order to head to the conference tournament for the second consecutive year.

Unlike last season, when the team lost players mid-season, the Aggies start divisional play relatively healthy. Outside of losing forward Vinicius Telo (torn Achilles) for the season, the roster has endured some nagging injuries and remains intact.

The team started division play against tough opponents in Northeastern State, Texas A&M-Commerce and the University of Central Oklahoma. All three opponents have won 10-plus games so far this season.

Alexander said the games against those teams serve as a learning process for the team.

“We are learning,” Alexander said. “The first few games are tough, but they get easier afterwards.”

The Aggies will face the top

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Posterized: 6’6” Junior Forward Nathan Murray finishes an alley-oop over two falling Northwestern State players.

Murray has provided a spark to the Aggies with his above the rim play. Murray, along with Senior Jamaar Burke and Junior Terry Dawson, provide length and athleticism on both ends of the court making a dynamic roster of forwards for coach Alexander. two offenses in the conference during their division schedule, as East Central University and UCO both average over 90 points per game.

“Their five starters average double digits in scoring,” Alexander said referring to UCO’s offense. “So, we are going to have a tough time defending them and have a lot to watch for.”

With Cameron, UCO, Northeastern State and East Central already posting 10-plus wins prior to division play, the fight for the North division title in the conference should develop into an interesting one.

“Our conference is tough,” Alexander said. “We are going to play hard, and hopefully we continue our conference playoff streak.”

8

Variety

January 25, 2010

Photos by Jim Horinek

Chasing the dream: Kweisi Mfume speaks to a full house during the banquet. Mfume emphasized that, despite many victories, there is still work to be done in achieving King’s dream.

MLK continued from page 1 Mfume was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986, where he served for 10 years. Also, he served as the President and CEO of the NAACP for nine years and is credited with greatly benefitting the organization.

He currently holds several positions including, Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees, the Morgan State University Board of Regents and the National Advisory Council of Boy Scouts of America.

Mfume started his speech with a note of thanks to Shelton, President Ross and others present at the celebration. He then asked everyone in the room to hold hands with a person sitting next to them and repeat some words of sisterhood and brotherhood while looking into each other’s eyes. He went on to remind the guests that it is up to them to change the world.

“Governments come and go, but we stay and it is our duty to do for ourselves instead of hoping for someone else to solve our problems,” Mfume said.

He also said that the notion of activism does not come only after the age of 30. It can start young, like with Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. King, who began their active participation in changing the world when they were very young. He encouraged the students to start thinking outside the box, as the future is in front of them.

Mfume mentioned that, even after years of civil rights successes, the issue of race still dominates life.

Today, haves have more and have nots have nothing at all, while family, school, church and the military are all under attack, he said.

“If we could get an opportunity to talk to Dr. King today, he would remind us that we are not the perfect nation,” Mfume said. “We still have the unfulfilled mission of feeding the hungry, teaching the children and other issues.”

He further mentioned that society is waiting for young people to take the responsibility of running this complex world.

After the address of the keynote speaker, Dr. Smith introduced the panel speakers: Kweisi Mfume; Dr. Jonathan Odo, Chair of Criminal Justice and Sociology and The Honorable David B. Lewis, of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

The panel speakers answered questions from audience members, and Dr. Smith concluded the celebration with a note of thanks for everyone attending the celebration.

With the close of the panel portion of the celebration the next event in store was the banquet.

The banquet, which boasted a live band and a multicourse meal, spotlighted the legacy of Dr. King and featured several guest speakers. On the list of speakers were Rep. T.W. Shannon R-Lawton, Bishop Robert Hayes of the Oklahoma United Methodist Annual Conference and Lt. Governor Jari Askins, as well as others.

The keynote address brought Kweisi Mfume to the stage again to address the audience

and as he explained, “take a step back, measure our progress and see where we have to go from here.”

“The University was kind enough to invite me here and it is very important to me because of what Dr. King meant to the nation,” Mfume said. “So my job here today is to, in working with the University, try to convey and put into context his life, to talk about and highlight the things that were challenges and that remain today and to provide some sense of how to deal with the challenges that are before us.”

Mfume opened his speech with a look at the atmosphere that always surrounds the time running up to the third Monday in January.

“All you see as we approach Martin Luther King Day are the clips of his speeches and the celluloid images on the screen of what it looked like that day on the march in Washington,” Mfume said. “We have to force ourselves to remember that it did not end there for Dr. King, in many respects that was just the beginning.”

He went on to explain that though many strides have been made in the attempt to make King’s dream a reality, there is still much left to do.

“Make no mistake about the efforts that we have made over the last four decades, we should never deny them and we should always celebrate them,” Mfume said. “Yet, despite the changes, it is still undeniable that too many people in our great society still to this day live in poverty. And that the amount of disparity in the communities across this great nation has grown; it has not decreased.”

According to Mfume, the celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day should be used to ensure that we always remember who King was and what he stood for.

“As we gather to commemorate Dr. King tonight, let us commemorate the passion that he had for justice.

Let us remember that Dr. King ought not be sanitized, he ought not be something that children only witness in museums and look at fondly as years go by,” Mfume said. “He ought to be more than that black and white celluloid, because Dr. King was not always revered.

He was hunted by the FBI, . . . he was defied by those who he made feel uncomfortable . . . and he said to our government, ‘I will not go away until we become the land that we ought to be, until we live up to the true meaning of our creed.’”

In closing, Mfume told the audience that in order to see King’s dream through to completion we must continue to address the inequalities and disparities that exist in our society so that we will show to future generations that the dream is viable and can be attained.

“So that this generation and future generations . . . will look back on us, and this day, and this community and this diverse gathering and let them be able to see that we did not flinch, we did not waiver, we did not shirk our responsibility to face the issues of social injustice,” Mfume said.

Discussion: As part of the celebration, a panel discussion is held. Panelists included Mfume, Dr. Jonathan Odo and The Honorable David B. Lewis.

Special guest: Lt. Governor Jari Askins addresses the audience about uplifting humanity through everything that we do.

Book signing: Mfume autographs a copy of his book “No Free Ride” for one of the panel attendees.

CU, community ‘Make it a day on not a day off’ As part of the 15th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Cameron and the community came together and converged upon several different community organizations to offer their help through volunteerism. This year over 400 Cameron students, faculty and staff as well as community members of all kinds took part in the event. According to Dean of Students Service Jennifer Page design by Monica Garner

Holland, the outpouring of volunteers this year was outstanding.

“We had over 400 volunteers at 16 different project sites. In just five hours, our teams were able to make significant impacts in each location,” Holland said.

“I am so impressed with our campus and community. Our volunteers came from all walks of life, all ages and lots of different organizations.”

Photos by Amanda Finch