The Cameron University Collegian: January 28, 2008

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

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Monday, January 28, 2008

Volume 82 Issue 1

News

By Laura Batule Collegian Staff

Super Tuesday looms ahead.

SEE PAGE 3

A&E

Cloverfield frightens with realism.

SEE PAGE 9

Sports

When the winter weather forecast includes hazardous conditions such as freezing rain or snow, students and faculty who are familiar with the Cameron University inclement weather policy are more likely to make informed travel decisions before venturing off to class.

The student handbook outlines the newly revised (Nov. 2007) weather policy of the university as well as a list of media sources where commuter students can find updates on school closings, delays and event cancellations.

“The student handbook states that students and faculty are encouraged to discuss the Photo by David R. Bublitz issue of inclement weather at Winter hazards: Snow, Snow now, ow sleet and d ice combine c bine for fo forr se serious serio serii s problems rroblems blems bl d during rin i the th ccold ld winter int iinter tter months mont onths t of o the beginning of the semester Oklahoma Okl Oklahoma. klahoma hhoma oma P oma.

Proper er knowledge kn k led l dgee off winter iinter t weather weath eather t could c save lives when the weather turns bad. ba bad when they discuss the attendance policy,” Jamie sleeping bag, extra warm clothing to include Glover, Director be assembled a hat, socks, mittens, non-perishable snacks, Updated announcements will be of Community for the home several bottles of water, jumper cables, a distributed through the following Relations said. “We and automobile. f lashlight with batteries, and a brightly colored broadcast media outlets ask the faculty to Home kits should cloth, to tie to the antenna., if stranded. be lenient in their include: first aid The CU Office of Institutional Research attendance policy kit and essential and Assessment Web site reports student Radio: and they are very medications; enrollment from 56 Okla. counties. In the KCCU (Lawton-Fort Sill, 89.3 and 102.9; understanding in battery-powered event of inclement winter weather, students are Wichita Falls, 88.7; Ardmore, 90.3; Altus, those extreme cases.”

NOAA weather encouraged to use their best judgment before 90.1; Duncan, 89.3; Weatherford-Clinton-Elk “Student safety radio, f lashlight coming to the university.

City, 89.1; Chickasha, 100.1) is our first and and extra batteries; “We have students driving in from all over Television: foremost concern, canned food and the state so weather conditions in Lawton may KSWO (Channel 7, Lawton) but as a public higher can opener; bottled not be the same as Duncan, Oklahoma City, KFDX (Channel 3, Wichita Falls) education institution, water (at least one and Elgin,” Glover said. “When the weather is we must balance KAUZ (Channel 6, Wichita Falls) gallon per person bad, we always encourage students and faculty student safety and per day for at least KFOR (Channel 4, Oklahoma City) to take their own situation into account.” responsibility to three days); extra Students and faculty will find updates on the KWTV (Channel 9, Oklahoma City) our commitment clothing, including Cameron University home page via the Campus KOCO (Channel 5, Oklahoma City). to be open as much boots, mittens and Notices link located at the bottom of the page. as possible,” Glover a hat.

A message will be sent to each Cameron said. “Those administrators who determine if Thee Oklahoma Department of Emergency University student, faculty and staff eclasses will be canceled or delayed, start their Management Web site recommends a mail account, as well as all telephone and preparation early, and monitor the weather very winter storm kit be assembled and kept in e-mail contacts listed for each individual in closely.” the automobile. Items should include: a MyCU through the University’s Emergency cell phone, windshield scraper, blankets or Communication System.

Thirty year-old discovery leads to Black History Month exhibit

By David L. Bublitz Collegian Staff

CU tennis steps up to the net and begins new season.

SEE PAGE 6

Voices

Photo courtesy of the “Composed Portraits: Defining African American Citizenship,” Exhibit

Uncovered history: While cleaning out their attic, James and Wilma Julian discovered more than cobwebs. The Julians found over 1,300 glass-plate negatives. Some of the negatives have been developed into photographs and are being featured in a temporary exhibit at the Museum of the Great Plains.

In 1974, as James and Wilma Julian cleaned out the attic of their new home at 1114 G Ave. in Lawton, they discovered 1,315 glass-plate negatives and a local historical controversy concerning Lawton’s postCivil War African American community.

Large-scale photographs developed from a selection of these historic negatives are featured in a new, temporary exhibit, “Composed Portraits: Defining African American Citizenship,” in celebration of Black History Month at The Museum of the Great Plains.

The exhibition, which opens on Feb. 2, was developed as

a cooperative effort between the staff of the Museum of the Great Plains and Cameron University Associate Professor Sarah Janda, Ph.D. The exhibit is comprised of 30 striking photographs that depict local African Americans taken at the McCoy Studio in the early 20th century.

Captions provided by Dr. Janda accompany the photographs providing historical context between the subjects in the photos and the social conditions in which they lived.

According to Dr. Janda, a disparity exits between the social implications displayed by the photographs and the everyday social realities under which African Americans existed during the time period.

“Looking at all the images in the collection, every person is dressed very nicely and fashionably,” Dr. Janda said.

“But during the time period, African Americans existed in a second-class status which was well below the poverty line in many cases, and they were severely discriminated against.

Looking at the photographs of the African Americans from the collection, there are few differences in the fashions and the props when compared to photographs of the white people from the collection.

SEE EXHIBIT PAGE 4

Cameron University Web site receives facelift

By Jim Horinek Collegian Staff

RU disturbing others by texting in class?

SEE PAGE 5

Cameron’s online presence has recently seen a drastic change.

In September, Cameron went live with its new version of www.cameron.edu. The new Web site, which had been under construction for almost a year, was redesigned and reengineered to make it more modern and accessible.

According to the Director of Community Relations, Jamie Glover, this is a change that has been in the works for some time.

“Since I started at Cameron one of the things that I would hear from people is ‘when are we going to update our Web site?’” Glover said. “So, we looked at a lot of things and it just came down to the decision that it is time to change it. It is time to be modern and up with the times.”

In the design of the Web site, an outside source was utilized.

“We looked for outside expertise on this.

We wanted someone to take a look at our site and look at the navigability and make a recommendation on how we can improve that,” Glover said. “We ended up contracting with a

firm out of Tulsa to look at those issues and help with the design components.”

According to Glover the update of the Web site was very necessary.

“It is the first face of the university so we really needed to commit the resources and the time to making it represent what Cameron really is,” She said.

SEE WEB SITE PAGE 2

News

2

January 28, 2008

WEB SITE continued from page 1 “That was the overriding goal, to make it more “We went to a center screen mode, which allows navigable and make the page to be viewed on a it a true marketing lot of different screen sizes “I feel like we have completed step tool that actually and resolutions,” Glover one, we are modern and navigable. Step represents the said. “Of course there is quality of institution two is going to be to make our site more the cosmetic side. We we really are.” wanted something that interactive.”

The contracted was fresh and modern that firm and Cameron would appeal to a younger — Jamie Glover audience, but still classy worked hand in hand throughout the Director of Community Relations enough and collegiate process of the Web enough to appeal to our site redesign. alumni and those who “When we dealt have been loyal to the with the firm they were given access to our logos and institution for many years.” our official school colors and site. But any actual Although many changes have already been information that went on the site was done in house,” made, there are still many things that Cameron is Glover said. “The actual implementation process was considering to further to modernization process. done in house. They provided the design and all of “I feel like we have completed step one, we are the code that we needed to implement the site on our modern and navigable. Step two is going to be to side.” make our site more interactive,” Glover said. “I There were many changes made to the Web site. would like to, and am in the process of putting Some the changes are apparent and others are more together virtual campus tours that I would like to subtle. have online by the fall if not in the spring.” www.cameron.edu

Community band prepares for spring concert

By Chris Allison Collegian Staff The Cameron University/ Lawton Community Band and the Cameron University/Lawton Civic Chorale will perform their spring concert at 3 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 3, in the Cameron University Theatre.

Both organizations are made up of volunteer members from the faculty and students at Cameron and various members of the community.

Dr. Jim Lambert, Professor of Music, directs the band. The Cameron University/Lawton

Community Band has performed each fall and spring since 1976.

In the spring, the band is joined in concert by the Lawton Civic Chorale, and is conducted by Dr. Lambert’s wife, Doris Lambert.

The first January rehearsal was attended by 40 people ranging from ages 14 to 70.

At least three CU faculty members participate in the band. Cameron Chemistry Professor, Dr. Gary Buckley plays trombone; Interim Dean of Science and Technology, Dr. Karla Oty plays French horn; Adjunct American Popular Music Teacher, Bruce Detweiler plays

alto saxophone.

“The band performance permits Cameron students and faculty to get to know people who are in the community who are performing band instruments,” Dr. Lambert said. “They get to come on the Cameron campus and perform in the Cameron Theatre. By doing that, particularly if they are in junior high and high school, it enables them to become engaged in Cameron University.”

The Cameron University/ Lawton Civic Chorale will perform first, with the theme of “Fabulous February-the Shortest

Month with the Most Holidays.”

“Doris Lambert has chosen music that celebrates Black History Month, the beginning of Lent, and Valentine’s Day,” Dr. Lambert said. “President’s Day will be celebrated with “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

“The band’s portion of the concert is less thematic,” Lambert continued. “It will present John Williams’ “Midway March,” Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas,” a composition by Michael Sweeny celebrating the heritage of the exploration of the Hudson River. There will also be an excerpt from Vaughan Williams’ “Greensleeves” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.

For the highlight of the evening, the band and the chorale will combine singing the anthems of various military services to include: The Caisson Song, The Marines’ Hymn, The Navy Hymn

and The Air Force Song.

Dr. Lambert, who has been at Cameron for 32 years, is an experienced music reviewer for “The Instrumentalist” journal published in Chicago, Ill. He enjoys selecting compositions that have never been performed before. Dr. Lambert’s wife prefers standard compositions. Both of them bring years of experience to the selection process.

They realize that the music has to fit the ensemble. This is especially true for a voluntary group since both conductors never know who will show up for rehearsal.

The band and the chorale will each perform for about 30 minutes. Admission to the concert is $6 for adults and $4 for students and military. For further information, please call the Cameron University Department of Music at 580.581.2440.

News

January 28, 2008

3

The race is becoming clear ‘Super Tuesday’ primaries could decide party nominations

By Dave Helling MCT Campus Feb. 5 will be the biggest presidential primary day in American history.

More than 70 million registered voters in 24 states will choose more than 2,700 Democratic and Republican convention delegates on Super Tuesday, almost 10 times more than in all the primaries and caucuses so far. Before they do, they’ll be bombarded by TV ads, phone banks, campaign appearances and surrogates for at least eight major candidates, and by nonstop polling, punditry and predictions.

“Super” seems inadequate, so it’s been dubbed Tsunami Tuesday.

So surely, on back-to-normal Wednesday, we’ll know who the two major presidential nominees are?

Maybe.

“No one has ever seen anything like this,” said Jack Oliver, a top adviser to the Bush-Cheney campaigns in 2000 and 2004. “I just don’t know that we’ll know the ultimate winners the next day.

“It’s way, way too early (to know),” said Bill Lacy, former Sen. Fred Thompson’s campaign manager and a veteran of former Kansas Republican Sen. Bob Dole’s campaigns. He said it was “plausible” that candidates in one or both parties could fight for the nomination for months, well into the summer.

“We’re in uncharted territory,” said Burdett Loomis, a University of Kansas political science professor.

The first Super Tuesday, in 1988, was designed to give Southern states a bigger role in picking presidential nominees. But both parties quickly grew accustomed to the idea of multi-

state primaries and caucuses as a way to settle nominating contests early, end intraparty bickering and save cash for the big battle in the fall.

Deciding the nomination quickly was part of the rationale for this year’s voting behemoth, too. But it may have grown bigger and more complicated than anyone anticipated, yielding confusing results.

“This year’s Super Tuesday is an accident,” said Barbara Norrander, a political science professor at the University of Arizona and the author of a book on the early history of Super Tuesday. “It’s all the states trying to be first.”

“It’s way too big and way too early,” said Woody Overton, who ran Bill Clinton’s Missouri campaign in 1992 and now supports Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. “It’s just outrageous.”

Tsunami Tuesday is also breathtakingly complicated.

Virtually all 24 states have adopted detailed and different rules for awarding delegates. The rules are so dense, in fact, that few observers agree on how many convention delegates will be picked that day.

The best estimate: 1,029 Republican delegates pledged to specific candidates and 1,678 pledged Democratic delegates.

That’s just more than 40 percent of all the delegates in each party. If a candidate could carry them all, he or she almost certainly would lock up the nomination.There’s an outside chance that will happen.

“If somebody gets hot, and starts to run the table, it could be over,” Lacy said, adding that results in Nevada, South Carolina and Florida could provide enough momentum.

But few analysts expect those contests to be definitive.

“There’s no reason to think that there will be some automatic consensus,” Loomis said.

Results could be even more muddled because of the way each party assigns delegates. For the most part, Democrats will allocate delegates proportionately, based on primary votes for candidates who meet a 15 percent “viability” threshold. Republicans, in many cases, prefer a “winner-take-all” system.

But in a field with four or five viable candidates, winner-take-all could leave each major Republican candidate with a claim to the nomination after Super Tuesday.

Each candidate could win, say, four states and their delegates.

The result? Deadlock.

In a two- or three-person race such as the Democrats’, proportional allocation means that candidates will win some delegates in virtually every state, raising the possibility of a tie, or at least an unsettled race, after Super Tuesday.

If there’s no final decision on Super Tuesday, operatives in both parties said, attention would turn to the primaries in Texas and Ohio on March 4, in Pennsylvania on April 22 and in other states.

Each campaign also would increase its efforts to land uncommitted delegates, trying to reach the conclusion that Super Tuesday promised but failed to deliver. About 150 Republican delegates, national committee members and state chairs, are officially uncommitted, although some already may have endorsed candidates. They might face pressure to announce or change their votes in the weeks after Super Tuesday.

Q. Can I register to vote in the Oklahoma Primary?

A. No, it’s too late to register to vote in time for the primary. However, there is still time to register to vote in the general elections this November. Just contact the County Election Board in the county you are living in.

Q. I live on campus, but I’m registered to vote in another county. Can I vote in Comanche County?

A. No, you can only vote in the county you are registered in. You can request an absentee ballot by sending a written request to the County Election Board in the county you are registered in. Otherwise, you will need to register in Comanche County.

Q. I’m registered as a Democrat. Can I vote for Republican candidates?

A. No, Oklahoma is a “closed primary” state. Only registered voters of a political party may vote to select their party’s nominees.

Q. If I have no party affiliation, can I vote in the primaries?

A. No, only registered voters of a political party may vote for their party’s nominations.

Q. Can I vote early?

A. Yes, you can vote at the County Election Board office in the county you are registered in from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday and Friday before all elections for state and federal elections.

Q. If I don’t vote in the primaries, can I vote in the general election?

A. Yes. Q. What is the phone number for my county’s election board office?

A. You can visit the Web site, http://www.ok.gov/~elections/cebinfo.html, and find your county’s telephone number and mailing address. Comanche County’s telephone number is 580.353.1880.

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

Jockeying for political gain: (Above) Democratic candidates John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama spar in a televised debate.

(Below) Republican candidates gather on stage after a televised debate to shake hands before continuing their campaigns.

Democrats have set aside almost 800 convention votes for “super” delegates, party leaders who, for the most part, aren’t bound by primary or caucus decisions. Of those, about 200 already have promised to back specific candidates, although they could change their minds if Super Tuesday leaves the nomination open.

At the moment, according to the

Real Clear Politics Web site, Clinton is thought to have 163 super delegates to Obama’s 99 and Edwards’ 32, but those are hardly carved in stone.

“There would be tremendous pressure for someone to concede, or for a deal to be made, well before the convention,” Loomis said. “And maybe the late primary states actually have some clout for once, ironically.”

News

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January 28, 2008

EXHIBIT continued from page 1 “So, the representation of African Americans in these images stands in stark contrast to the historical evidence that we have as to what was going on during the period.”

Dr. Janda attributes the depiction of so many seemingly affluent African Americans in this collection to the common practice of photographers who would lend expensive clothing and props for their customers to use while their pictures were taken.

While the practice of providing high priced clothing and props to customers was common, it was not common during the 19th and early 20th century to allow African Americans, Native Americans, and whites to use the same props, the same clothing, or even the same photography studio due to the segregation laws.

“One of the interesting things about the collection is there are a lot of different pictures that depict white people, Native Americans and African Americans using the same setting and using the same props, which is rare for the period because of segregation laws,” Dr. Janda said.

“So in looking at those pictures, one thing that is common to all sorts of people who go to photography studios is that they borrow clothing and they borrow all sorts of props to the extent that you can not tell in the images what belongs to someone and what does not.”

According to Dr. Janda, some photographs in the collection depict the same coat worn by different people in different images including a few photographs that show different women of different races wearing the same furs.

“It is nearly impossible to know what clothing was borrowed without an inventory of the things in the studio’s collection,” Dr. Janda said. “But, we do know that

borrowing clothing and props was commonly done and that many people were not photographed in their own clothes.”

The fact that in the early 20th century, a photo studio in Lawton existed that allowed people of all races to come in and use the same clothes, the same props, and receive the same services represents an opposition to the strict segregation laws, possibly generating a social controversy.

“If one knew nothing about American history,” Dr. Janda said, “and he or she compared the photographs depicting African Americans with those depicting white people from this collection, he or she would have absolutely no idea of the kind of racism that was so prevalent in American society.”

Dr. Janda sums up the social controversy portrayed by the existence of these historic photographs in one part of the exhibit’s narrative that she authored.

“Ultimately, these photographs represent the hopes and dreams of people whose everyday experience lacked the easy gentility conveyed in their portrait,” Dr. Janda said.

“They lived under rigid segregation in a society that would not easily or willingly grant them the rights guaranteed in the constitutional amendments following the Civil War. And yet, they found a way to create a historical record of their efforts to become full participants in American society.”

The photographer at the center of this social controversy was Ogle H. McCoy. According to Deborah Anna Baroff, Head Curator for the Museum of the Great Plains, McCoy was a second-generation photographer in Lawton who attended Cameron College around 1910, but left before graduating to work in the family studio.

“Ogle McCoy operated a photo

studio in downtown Lawton between 1913 and 1914, Baroff said.

“The photographs in the collection may have been taken in that studio during that two year period. In 1921, McCoy built the house at 1114 G Ave. where the glass plate negatives were discovered.”

The use of glass-plate negatives was a common method of producing photographs in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The negatives themselves are very fragile, thin panes of glass that have the photographic image on them.

“Unlike the film negatives that we grew up with, McCoy used glass plate negatives which were common in the period,” Baroff said. “He would spread the glass plate with emulsion, expose it when he took a portrait in his studio, and then go into his darkroom and develop the image.”

James and Wilma Julian donated the 1,315 glass-plate negatives that make up the McCoy collection to the Museum of the Great Plains in 1975. The museum staff created large scale photographs from these early-era negatives by simply scanning the actual glass plate and saving the image to their computer.

The museum staff then worked with the photos and generated the prints for the exhibit using Adobe Photoshop and a large-scale photo printer.

According to Baroff, McCoy wrote names on some of the glassplate negatives, but the names of the African Americans depicted in the exhibit are not known.

“We would like anybody who recognizes anyone in the photographs to please let us know,” Baroff said. “It would be very interesting to discover if any

descendants of those African Americans shown in the exhibit remain in the Lawton area.”

The “Composed Portraits: Defining African American Citizenship” exhibition will run at the Museum of the Great Plains from Feb. 2 through March 23, 2008. There is no charge for the exhibit reception, which runs from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2. The reception is an opportunity for residents to visit the museum and speak to the museum curators and Dr. Janda about the exhibit. Food and refreshments will be provided at the reception.

The public can visit all the exhibits in the museum Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for a small admission fee.

Lawton-Ft. Sill residents can view all the museum exhibits for free on Sundays between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Voices

January 28, 2008

5

Get the message:

OMG, PLZ QUIT TEXTING IN CLASS

MCT Campus

0n nearly every professor’s syllabus, you’ll find a cell phone policy. Some instructors don’t permit cell phones unless there is an emergency, some ask students to put the phone on vibrate or mute. This semester, I received a syllabus that acknowledged a more recent annoyance—texting in class.

The instructor stated that students caught texting in class would be counted absent for the day. I think that’s a fitting penalty. After all, if a student is lost in Textland, are they really there?

Kind of like the tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it.

To be clear, I think cell phones in class are fine for emergencies, especially since there are Cameron students with children or others they care for.

Emergency texting should fit in the same category as emergency calls.

I think the most polite conduct would be to excuse oneself to the hallway and keep it brief. Telling the professor what’s

up would be a nice touch. But when I see other students who are spending the whole class period texting away, it really pushes my buttons.

I’ve heard people say that it’s not distracting because it’s quiet.

In that case, why not let a few mimes in the class to entertain those who are bored with the lecture? Hey, they’re quiet.

Personally, I find it very distracting when someone is texting in front of me or out of the corner of my eye. I can only imagine how texting makes professors feel.

Instructors are human. They know that you aren’t always enthralled with their lectures.

But I have seen texting going on in classes with amazing professors. I can imagine the uproar that would occur if a professor text messaged while a student was giving a speech.

Few students would raise their hand and say, “You are boring me. I don’t want to listen to you.” Texting sends the same message. And don’t think you’re

oh so sneaky because you do it under the desk, behind a book or worse, “the look over the shoulder ninja tactic.” It is obvious, painfully so. It’s like when babies close their eyes and think they have disappeared.

“But they never say anything,” a student might protest. I think some professors have just given up or they don’t want to police the class. And at the college level, they really shouldn’t have to. Although handcuffing frequent texters wouldn’t be a bad idea.

If you’re so bored in class, why are you there? Nobody is making you go to college. Yes, I’ve heard my share of boring lectures and I’ve had my days when I wanted to be anywhere else but in class.

If you must occupy yourself without paying attention, try

daydreaming. With enough practice, you’ll be able to smile and nod at appropriate moments while being far removed from the actual situation.

Believe it or not, one of my high school English teachers taught me this. This is a valuable skill.

Practice it.

Better yet, try practicing your ability to listen when someone is boring you. This is an even more valuable skill.

Boring people have things to say too.

If all else fails, try taking notes. You might learn something.

Jessica Lane

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Do something different this year ...

Go vote.

How many times have we heard that on the news or been told to go vote by friends or family? One year, I had a complete stranger come up to me on the street and ask me if I was going to vote. After looking around for Jay Leno or some other “Candid Camera” gimmick television show that seems to be the wave of the future, I answered “yes” and went about my business.

Aside from the complete awkwardness of a strange man in an expensive suit quizzing me on the spot, it made me stop and think.

With the Oklahoma presidential primaries only a week away, voting has never been more important. We have a wide variety of candidates to choose from. We have a former New York City mayor who took charge and lead the city in the

aftermath of 9/11. We have a Mormon and a Baptist minister as well as a former Vietnam prisoner of war who, although seen as a rebel by many Republicans, is still an off the charts conservative. And that’s only a partial cast of the remaining characters on the Republican ticket.

The Democrats have every base covered this year with Barack Obama, who could be the first African-American president and Hillary Clinton, who could be the first female president. Ironically, Democrats even have “the minority” covered: John Edwards, a rich, white male, is the only one of his kind in the running for the Democratic nomination.

It was during this time in the 2004 election that we saw the fall of Howard Dean and his infamous (Yeeaaaa!) speech and the rise of the flip-flopping John Kerry.

Could we see a dramatic downfall like that this year?

Rudy Gulliani has already fallen from first to last and John McCain has clawed his way back up the ranks. So who knows what could happen.

MCT Campus I have no

Josh Rouse

VOTE!

idea which candidate I’m going to vote for.

I’d have an easier time trying to wrap my brain around quantum physics in comparison to my current conundrum of who to vote for.

Every candidate seems to have his or her pros and cons, unlike years past when there was a clear frontrunner.

The important message I convey is that I’m actually going to go vote this year.

I’m sure some people my age are still licking their wounds after voting our current president into the White House for a second term.

But that does not mean you should not vote this year. If nothing else, look at it as a way to atone for your previous mistakes. This time, make sure that when you vote, you make an informed choice. We are college students and critical thinkers.

Be critical. Think.

There are 301,000,000 people living in the United States. That’s not counting the millions of illegal immigrants that are coming into the country. But, like the current government, let’s ignore them for the time being.

The U.S. Census Bureau, the people who send you those annoying surveys every 10 years, reported 125 million people voted in the 2004 presidential election. That total is an estimated 64 percent of all eligible voters.

According to the Federal Election Commission, only 122 million people voted. Either way, those are disturbing numbers.

Only 47 percent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 25 actually cast their ballots. Why?

What is so important in your lives that you cannot use your lunch hour to go vote? Are long lines at backed up polling stations your excuse?

How long have you waited in line for a drink at Starbucks?

Look at it this way: if you take the time, effort and energy to cast your vote, you actually have a right to complain about who won.

Nothing irritates me more than someone who complains all the time about how the president is horrible or how they wanted the other guy in the Oval Office, but didn’t bother to exercise their right to vote. Ok, you’re complaining about something that you could have prevented, but didn’t. Why? I’ve heard people say, “My vote doesn’t count.” Barring a few dangling chads, every vote counts.

Has it ever been reported that an election was decided by one vote?

Never. Even so, you’re actively partaking in a civil service. Trying not to be cliche here, President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

The best thing you can do is cast your vote. Even if the man or woman you voted for doesn’t win, at least you can say you voted. It may not yield any rewards beyond selfsatisfaction, but you’re doing the right thing.

Go out and vote on Feb. 5. And go vote this November. Send a clear message to the candidates that we are going to do our best to make sure we get it right this time.

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Jessica Lane News Editor - Josh Rouse Assistant News Editor: Jim Horinek Copy Editor - Laura Batule A&E Editor - Amanda Herrera Sports Editor - Kareem Guiste Variety Editor - Bira Vidal Assistant Editor - David R. Bublitz

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kelley Burt Cartoonist - Thomas Pruitt Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - David L. Bublitz, Chris Allison, Alexis Del Ciello, Erik Hurley, John Robertson, Jacob Russell, Jenifer Biles, Donnale Mann

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

Newswriting Students Jenifer Biles and Donnale Mann

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.

Sports

6

January 28, 2008

Photo courtesy James Helvey

Ready to serve: Members of the 2006-2007 Cameron University aggie squad are all smiles. This year’s team has a few new faces and will be looking to seal the nationals trophy.

Aggie tennis prepares for season of aces

By Alexis Del Ciello Collegian Staff Having just finished a successful fall season, the Cameron University men and women’s tennis teams are ranked 12th and 23rd, respectively, and are gearing up for a much anticipated spring season.

Professor of Health and Physical Education and CU’s head men’s and women’s tennis coach, James Helvey said: “We mainly do individual tournaments in the fall season. We did training just like we do in the spring. We had a great fall; that sets us up for the spring.”

CU’s men and women’s tennis teams finished the 2006-2007 season nationally ranked: men with a 21-7 and women with an 18-8 winning record.

“Women were 36th in the nation and men were 22nd in the nation out of 200 schools in the NCAA’s Division II,” Helvey said. “Both teams had a great year and made it to the national tournament.”

During CU’s centennial year, things look even brighter in southwest Okla. with four returning men’s players and five returning women’s players.

“Both teams are very good this year. Things were good last year, but this year I think we are a step better,” Helvey said. “I think a lot of sports programs create goals that many times are a little farfetched, but this year the goals we are setting are obtainable. But, it is not going to be easy; it will not be a freebee season.”

As both teams begin a fresh, new season practicing and training, winning conference and regional titles are in the back of player’s

minds.

The key word expressed and planned by Helvey to keep players focused on this season’s goals is “commitment.” Helvey explained that if they work hard and stay focused; with personal commitment the team will pull together and they can all achieve [this year’s goals].”

“I take things seriously,” Helvey said. “I constantly drill into my kids that my biggest fear in life is to be average. To be able to be in this country, to have so many opportunities and if all I can obtain is average, well, that means I’m not working hard enough. I try to get each of my players to think that way. Don’t settle. Don’t give a half effort. Give more than that.”

A 15-year veteran coach at CU with 15 winning seasons under his belt, Helvey and the CU tennis teams are no strangers to titles, hard work and are ready to play.

Helvey said: “A final goal for this season is to have both teams finish in the top 20 in NCAA’s Division II and at least one of those teams in the top 10. We are ready to play and ready to get after it.”

The 2007-2008 CU men’s season kicks off at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14, at the University of Texas-Arlington. The first men’s home game is at 9 a.m., Feb. 29, against Southwest Baptist University.

The women kick off their season with an away game at 1 p.m. on Feb. 18, in Okla. City against Southern Nazarene University. Their first home game is at 2 p.m. on March 1, where they will again play Southern Nazarene University.

Both teams can be seen in action at home at 1 p.m. on March 7, against Collin County College.

Aggie Men fall short in LSC debut

By Craig Martin Sports Information Officer Lone Star Conference North Division play opened up this afternoon as the Cameron Aggie men’s basketball team (2-14, 0-1 LSC) fell to a stout University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos squad (13-4, 2-0 LSC) on the road. The final score was 112-90 in favor of UCO, but the game was much closer than the final score may indicate. The game was televised to a national audience by the NCAA and CSTV. The webcast was available free of charge via the ncaasports.com website.

“We played really hard, but UCO shot the ball extremely well,” Head Coach Maurice Leitzke said. “They were clicking

on all cylinders, but the thing of it is, we were playing well too. We were physically worn down and they just outplayed us. They had a better night than us.”

Cameron held the lead brief ly at the beginning of the first half, but Central Oklahoma regained the lead and held onto it for the rest of the game. The score at halftime had UCO winning by the score 57-36, but Cameron battled back and was only outscored 55-54 in the second half.

Despite losing by 22 points, the Aggies shot a very impressive 50.0% from the field. Central Oklahoma shot 51.4% in the game, including a 70.0% shooting percentage in the first half. The

Aggies were out-rebounded 47-32, and were out-shot 74-62.

The teams had similar turnover numbers as CU finished with 23 turnovers and UCO finished with 17.

Five Broncho players finished the game with double-digit scoring numbers, while only two Aggies did the same. UCO’s Sam Belt set a new Broncho career record with 215 career three-point baskets.

“We were playing pretty well early on, but then Leslie Malone picked up his third foul,” Coach Leitzke said. “It was hard for us to pick it up with him not on the f loor and it really hurt us. Greg Morgan and Dave Smith played

really well for us in the game.”

Malone, a junior forward, finished the game with 8 points on 4-6 shooting. He also recorded 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Malone fouled out after playing just 15 minutes in the game.

Sophomore guard Greg Morgan threw down an outstanding 30 points on 10-14 shooting. He also recorded 3 rebounds, 3 assist, and a block in a team-high 35 minutes. Morgan’s 30 points were a team and personal game-high.

Junior guard Dave Smith also had an impressive game as he finished with 15 points on 4-13 shooting. Additionally, Smith chipped in 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 29 minutes.

Although he played only 8 minutes in the game, junior

forward Terrance Welch was able to contribute 9 points on 3-8 shooting. He also recorded 3 rebounds.

“This was a good starting point for LSC play from the standpoint that it’s a great wake up call about what conference play is all about,” Coach Leitzke said. “The level of intensity increases and the level of physicality goes up two levels.

It’s a good eye opener and it will be good to try and get a win at home.”

The Aggies return home this week to host the Tigers of East Central University on Wednesday, January 23. The teams tip off at 8 p.m. in the Aggie Gym on the Cameron University campus.

CU takes on a field of only LSC North Division squads for the rest of the season.

January 28, 2008

Sports

7

A&E

8

Students, professor show movies:

By David R. Bublitz Collegian Staff

S

everal students and faculty from Cameron University took part in the 2008 Trail Dance Film Festival in an effort to fulfill the festival’s objectives “to encourage originality, creativity and promote the film industry in Oklahoma.”

According to a Southwest Association of Film press release, “The Trail Dance Film Festival is an independent film contest in which filmmakers can submit work from any genre.” A three-day event, the festival featured film screenings, seminars, panel discussions and an awards show. At the awards show, honored filmmakers arrived via a red carpet entrance and received Golden Drover Awards.

Three major submissions came out of CU this year: “The Last Dive,” a short science fiction film, “North of Austin, West of Nashville; Red Dirt Music,” a documentary and “Machete Massacre,” a short horror movie.

“The Last Dive” is about a skipper who wakes to find himself alone and under fire on a sunken submarine. The movie, which stars Bradley Wynn and Kim Williams, was written and directed by Associate Professor of Communications Dr. Matt Jenkins.

At Trail Dance, it won for “Best Sci-Fi film” and was nominated for “Best Actor: Bradley Wynn.”

“The Last Dive” also won first place for “Suspense/Thriller Short” at The Indie Gathering Film Festival and an honorable mention at the Berkeley Video and Film Festival amongst other honors. While enthusiastic about the success of “The Last Dive,” Dr. Jenkins said it is just about at the end of its run and that he highly anticipates

working on his next film.

The feature-length “North of Austin, West of Nashville: Red Dirt Music” featured several Red Dirt artists including Cross Canadian Ragweed, Red Dirt Rangers, Amy Hughes and the Dirty Seven and Wade Bowen.

“The film is a kind of introduction to the Red Dirt Scene and the viewers get to know the personalities of the artists a little bit,” Director and Cameron Radio/ Television major Dan Hyde said.

In addition to Hyde, CU students Brooke Whitely, Cecilio Romeriz, Kyle Cabelka, and Kyle Weatherly played instrumental roles in the creation and production of the film. “North of Austin, West of Nashville: Red Dirt Music” was nominated at Trail Dance for “Best Oklahoma Documentary.”

The third CU submission, “Machete Massacre,” was written, directed and edited by radio/ television major Lacey Trogden.

Dr. Jenkins said: “Lacey’s first film, “Murder on Turnpike Road’” got into six out of eight of the festivals in which it was submitted.

She’s become well-known for her work in the horror genre.”

“Machete Massacre” is Trogden’s third horror film and stars Elise Moore, Jessica Moore and Roby Pettit.

Several of the Cameron Trail Dance attendees were pleased with the outcome of the festival and the material they submitted.

“I was very happy with the size of the audience,” Dr. Jenkins said. “I hope the films will do well in future festivals.”

Cameron student attendees were happy to have a chance to direct and produce their own work.

“It’s good that Cameron affords us the opportunity to shoot and produce,” Hyde said. “This gives us

Collegian Staff Cameron student Anthony Foreman is the founder of the Trail Dance Film Festival.

Foreman’s passion for filmmaking, along with his desire to bring tourism to Duncan, inspired him to create the event. This year’s turnout was more than 500 people on the first day.

The event has been a hit with the community and filmmakers alike.

“All of the filmmakers have been really pleased with the festival, ranking us in at least their top three favorite festivals nationwide,” Foreman said.

“Everyone that comes enjoys the films, meeting the filmmakers and has shown an appreciation for the support of the arts.”

Trail Dance 2008

real life experience.”

For more information on the 2008 festival, contact Dr. Jenkins by E-mail at djenkins.cameron.edu For more information on Trial Dance, contact Southwest Association of Film President Anthony Foreman at anthony@trialdancefilmfestival. com.

North of Austin West of Nashville: Red Dirt Music Right, CU students: Dan Hyde, Brooke Whitely, Cecilio Romeriz, Kyle Cabelka, and Kyle Weatherly played instrumental roles in the creation and production of the film, which was nominated at Trail Dance for “Best Oklahoma Documentary.”

Machete Massacre Below, The film was written, directed and edited by Radio/ Television major Lacey Trogden.

Festival: Brainchild of CU student

By Erik Hurley

January 28, 2008

One of this year’s big drawing points was a special book signing with Bill Kurtis, the voice of A&E’s awardwinning “Investigative Reports” and “Cold Case Files” shows.

“Mr. Kurtis’s participation added to the excitement and growth of the festival by bringing people that may not have been to a film festival before,” he said.

Foreman said the festival is still making some adjustments for upcoming renewals of the event.

“We are considering a Children’s Fest,” Foreman said.

“We would show independent films geared towards elementary to middle school aged youth that would take place the first afternoon of the festival.”

Foreman is not only the film festival’s founder, but he also runs a business while attending college. He credits his family and friends for the support needed to be successful at all three.

The Last Dive: Below, The film was directed by Associate Professor of Communications Dr. Matt Jenkins. At Trail Dance, it won for “Best Sci-Fi film” and was nominated for “Best Actor: Bradley Wynn.”

“The Last Dive” also won first place for “Suspense/ Thriller Short” at The Indie Gathering Film Festival and an honorable mention at the Berkeley Video and Film Festival among other honors.

A&E

January 28, 2008

9

America’s new monster movie:

‘Cloverfield ’ delivers where ‘Godzilla’ couldn’t

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff The Japanese may have “Godzilla,” but Americans have a new monster icon to worship and a fear that needs no name.

“Cloverfield” is a shoe-in for best movie of the year, which says a lot, considering the year only began four weeks ago.

Yes, people, it’s that good.

Don’t be fooled by the first 25 to 30 minutes, which is nothing more than a group of 20-something yuppies partying with their friend, Rob. It looks like a party where people show up for the free beer and food with an idiot manning a hand-held camera. Therein lies the secret of “Cloverfield.” The fi lm style elevates what could be an average monster mash into the first must-see movie in the past six months.

Just when you’re getting bored with the dumb jokes and the “hesaid-she-said-high- school-who’ssleeping-with-who” talk, things really begin to pick up. From the initial explosion, which was seen in the teaser trailer attached to “Transformers,” “Cloverfield” grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go until the fi nal credits roll.

Everything throughout the fi lm is seen through the eyes, or the lens, of “Hud,” who gets tasked with fi lming Rob’s going away party. Rob took a job working for the Slusho! company in Japan, which may or may not have had a hand in the birth or discovery of

the monster.

After the monster’s initial attack and decapitation of Lady Liberty, Rob decides he has to go back into the center of Manhattan to rescue his apparent love interest.

The events of the movie take place within a seven-hour period and offer many thrilling scenes, including one that brings back MCT Campus eerie memories of 9/11. You will Documenting disaster: Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and Beth (Odette Yustman) videotape their experience as New York get up close and City is attacked by a monster in the film “Cloverfield.” personal with story monster attacked your city? the monster on many occasions. scares you more than any silicone “Cloverfield” is meaningful. With Would you be willing to risk the However, “Cloverfield” is about an each minute a memorable one, the implant-fi lled teen slasher fi lm. lives of your friends and family to event, and not a monster.

Watching the movie is like movie wouldn’t have been hurt by rescue the person you love? How The creature itself is only in watching a terrorist attack on an additional 10 to 20 minutes. much are you willing to do for a handful of scenes and many of the news. Comparisons have There are very intense actionlove? those scenes only show parts of been made to “The Blair Witch fi lled scenes that will make your Make no mistake, there is a it. These brief glimpses add more Project.”

Both fi lms are fi lmed head explode, ala “Scanners.” giant monster in “Cloverfield.” tension and fear to a thrill-ride with handcams, but that’s where After the action subsides, the fi lm There is a lot of stuff blown up and that will keep your heart beating the comparisons end. slows to a more methodical pace long after you’ve left the theater.

Where “Blair Witch” attempted destroyed, but it’s not your typical that reveals more of the characters. monster fi lm.

The down side of “Cloverfield” to frighten people with a faux Every scene fi nds the viewer with “Cloverfield” sends a deep, is the length and the pace. The documentary style, “Cloverfield” a heightened sense of alert, panic, meaningful message that movie’s advertised reel time is a doesn’t try to do anything. fear and belief that what you’re “Godzilla” could never deliver. slim 90 minutes, but it only runs It succeeds in its purpose: to seeing on the screen is actually for 80. While many movies are entertain. But it also brings happening.

Reporter rating: 3 out of 4 points lengthened with artificial fi ller about many “what if ” questions.

Because of that heightened that has no purpose, every scene in sense of realism, “Cloverfield” What would happen if a 30-

Dr. Thomas Labé to perform ‘Piano Visions’ in Duncan

By John Robertson Collegian Staff Courtesy Photo

Things to do at CU If you would like your campus event printed in “Things to do at CU” e-mail information to collegian@cameron.edu.

Jan 29 - Tuesday Pursuits and Pizza: 9 p.m. at Cameron Campus Ministries. 500 SW 27th. For more information, call 357.7226.

Jan. 30 - T-shirt swap: 5:30 p.m. in the Aggie Gym. For more information, call PAC at 581.8086.

Jan 31 -Free lunch: 12 - 1 p.m. at Cameron Campus Ministries. 500 SW 27th.

For more information, call 357.7226.

“Piano Visions,” a solo piano recital performed by Cameron University’s Dr. Thomas Labé, will be held in conjunction with an exhibition hosted by the Cameron University Department of Art at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Simmons Center in Duncan.

Dr. Labé, an award winning, internationally acclaimed pianist and a Professor in CU’s Department of Music, has performed at such venues as New York’s Carnegie Hall, Germany’s Staatstheatre Darmstadt and Mexico’s International Piano Festival Monterry. In addition, he is a member of The Recording Academy, which is responsible for nominations and voting for the Grammy Awards. His students have won local and regional awards, and the Music Appreciation course he teaches often times has a waiting list. Dr. Labé has even personally examined the original manuscripts of Robert Schumann and J.S. Bach.

As a recording artist, Dr. Labé’s performances can be found on iTunes, Amazon.com and the Naxos Music Library, in addition to classical music stations all over the world.

Dr. Labé, despite all his accomplishments, sees himself not as the focal point of the evening, but as a translator capable of conveying the music’s power to listeners.

“Recitals are all about the audience, not the performer, ” Dr. Labé said. “In a sense, the pianist is a very important middleman who brings what he has discovered in the music of another composer to the performance.”

Dr. Labé, who hopes for a strong student turnout, said that getting college aged students to break their habits and experience new things is a bit of a struggle, but the live performance nature of the event makes things much more interesting.

“One of the many reasons to go to college is to be exposed to things you might not otherwise encounter,” he said. “I’ve taught many sections of Music Appreciation and one of the biggest challenges is that students are so enculturated to the pop song, a simple lyric expressed in a short repetitive structure, that listening to something longer, sometimes a lot longer, without any words poses a unique challenge. Somehow a live performance makes all that go down easier, much more so than listening to a CD or an iPod.” In his spare time, Dr. Labé enjoys horseback riding and gourmet cooking, which he likens to the musical process.

“Interestingly, a friend of mine once pointed out to me the connection between cooking and playing a musical instrument,” Dr. Labé said. “There’s the food preparation (or piano practice) and then when the meal is served, voila, the performance!”

The musical program consists of Robert Schumann’s “Arabesque, Op. 18,” Frederic Chopin’s “Polonaise in E-Flat Minor, Op. 26, No. 2, Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55, No. 1, Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 17” and “No. 4 Polonaise in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 44,” Cesar Franck’s “Prelude, Fugue and Variation, Op. 18, Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este” and “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, S. 244/2” from Franz Liszt’s “Années de Pèlerinage: Troisième Année.”

Art Department Chair Edna McMillan will introduce the artists, whose work will be on display at a reception following the concert.

Admission is free to CU students with CU ID (limit one free ticket per student), $6 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under, senior citizens and military. Tickets are available at the Simmons Center in Duncan. For further information, please call 580.581.5506 or the Simmons Center at 580.252.2900.

Feb. 1 - T. Labe Faculty Piano Recital: 7 p.m. at the Duncan Simmons Center.

For more information, call 581.2440.

Feb. 2 - “Miss Black CU” pageant: 6 p.m. in the University Theatre. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Feb. 3 - Cameron/Lawton Community Band: 3 p.m. in the University Theatre.

For more information, call 581.2440.

Quote of the Week “Make the most of your regrets. . . To regret deeply is to live afresh.”

-Henry David Thoreau-

Variety

10

January 28, 2008

Bands rock out the battlefield in PAC’s Battle of the Bands Brandi O’Daniel Collegian Staff On January 18, Cameron’s Programming Activities Council (PAC) ended Welcome Week with the 2008 Battle of the Bands.

PAC started the week off with “RyanHood,” a music group from Arizona, and a movie night followed by a luncheon in the Student Activities Building. The week concluded with the main event, the Battle of the Bands held in the CU Theatre Friday at 8 p.m. The concert featured the five finalists that had made it into the show after being picked from PAC members last semester.

Ann Morris, Multimedia junior and PAC co-chair, said PAC used specific criteria throughout an arduous process that narrowed the bands down to five.

“At least one member in the band has to be a CU student.”

Morris said: “At one of the PAC meetings, we listen to 45 seconds of the first two songs on the bands EP’s. None of the voters know who the bands are; they just listen and rank them according to our specifications.”

Morris explained that Battle of the Bands is an annual event that continues to receive more student support each year.

Morris said: “Battle of the Bands occurs once a year every January. This is the fourth Battle of the Bands. The students really seem to enjoy it and it draws

Rocking out at CU: “The Green Hysteria” (above) plays for Cameron students as one of the five bands that participated in the 2008 “Battle of the Bands.” “The Mourning Fall” took home the title of best rock band.

a different crowd than the other events. Also, it draws interest into Cameron from the community.”

Another reason PAC continues to host the concert is the unique blend of music it brings to the stage Morris explained, as well as bringing added attention to Cameron.

“I really enjoy seeing people participate in Cameron events in general,” said Morris. “Hopefully one day the local music in Lawton will look forward to our competition.”

Morris added: “I love supporting local music and this is a great

Stuck like a tatoo: Students compete to find the best tatoo of the night.

opportunity to promote Cameron as well. I love seeing people coming together to have a good time, especially at Cameron.”

The bands that made it into Friday night’s program included: “C-Note and the Ballers, The Green Hysteria, The BCM Band, The No Good No Names” and “The Mourning Fall.” Students were also able to look forward to the music and dance competitions between the set up of each band. Participants competed for prizes awarded from the PAC hosts.

At the completion of the concert, the winner, and crowd’s favorite was

awarded to “The Mourning Fall.”

The band was presented with a check for $350 to be divided among all band members.

Throughout the concert, four anonymous judges evaluated the bands and awarded points based on crowd participation, stage presence, energy and sportsmanship.

While “The Mourning Fall” was announced the winner, every participating band brought their own style of music to the stage and generated enthusiasm within the audience.

Education major and senior, Claudia Medrano said that of all

the band performances, “The Green Hysteria” was one of her favorites of the show.

Medrano said: “All the bands were great in their own way, but the one that I thought was absolutely amazing was “Green Hysteria.” They knew how to work the crowd and get everyone off their seats. I would definitely love to go to another one of their shows.”

Of all the Battle of the Bands in the past, Medrano thought this particular competition was the best in showcasing the diversity of music at Cameron and within the community.

“It was a lot more entertaining this time around,” Medrano said.

“There were actually bands with different styles, not just plain rock, and I liked the diversity.

It’s definitely a positive and entertaining way to spend time with friends.”

CU students can look forward to many PAC sponsored events throughout the semester from comedians and movies to concerts, food and games. All events are free to CU students.

Upcoming events include game night on January 22 and a tailgate party and t-shirt swap before the big game on January 30. For a more information on PAC events or a complete list of the semesters activities call 581.2953 or visit their Web site at www.cameron.edu/pac.

Photos by Bira Vidal Photo collage by Bira Vidal