The Cameron University Collegian: March 10, 2008

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

Monday, March 10, 2008

News

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Volume 82 Issue 7

Student safety top priority after recent school shootings in nation with the things that they [CLASS Task Force] were asking,” DeBoard said.

Collegian Staff One of the security measures that Cameron Increased patrols, safety towers, security has recently taken is the installment of a security cameras and the Emergency Notification System; camera system. This system fits in with some it is evident that campus safety has become one of of the requirements called for by the CLASS the top priorities at Cameron.

Report.

In light of several recent incidents on “The cameras have helped us immensely. university campuses Surprisingly not many throughout campuses had these the nation, it is types of devices. They “I have added more of what we understandable that call directed patrols, rather than just weren’t specifically campus safety is a named in this CLASS sending a police officer out and saying concern. Over the report but I have here is the campus, patrol it. They past few years there had experience thus have been many far communicating are given instructions in their day improvements made with other as to particular areas that we want at Cameron in order universities to make the campus heightened patrol.” and we are a safer environment.

— John DeBoard a little bit As a reaction Director of the Office of Public Safety ahead of the to the events such curve as far as the as the Virgina equipment that we do Tech incident, have and the ability the Campus Life and Security Task Force to search and manipulate the cameras,” DeBoard recommended that a study be done over the said. safety of college and technical school campuses in Another improvement that Cameron has made Oklahoma. as a part of campus safety is increased patrols by The CLASS Task Force compiled a very large the campus police officers. amount of information about the safety of higher “I have added more of what we call directed education in Oklahoma. From that data they have patrols, rather than just sending a police officer created a report that highlights the safety issues out and saying here is the campus, patrol it. They on Oklahoma campuses that are being dealt with are given instructions in their day as to particular or need to be dealt with. areas that we want heightened patrol,” DeBoard According to John DeBoard, Director of the said.

Office of Public Safety, Cameron has already addressed many of the issues that the CLASS report covers.

See SAFETY “I think it is easy to say that Cameron had almost 100 percent participation or compliance Page 2

By Jim Horinek

Speech and Debate team continues to rack up wins.

SEE PAGE 3

A&E

CU Jazz Ensemble welcomes Synergy.

Computing and Technology students prepare Buggy for race

SEE PAGE 7

By Ashley Wilkerson Collegian Staff

Sports

Photo by Ashley Wilkerson

Work in progress: The Computing and Technology Department’s Moonbuggy awaits deployment. The students from the department are getting hands on experience building their entry in the annual Great Moonbuggy Race.

At the end of a rough season Aggie Basketball looks to next year.

SEE PAGE 5

Voices

Spring Break fun does not have to be connected to a long trip.

SEE PAGE 4

Career opportunities in Information Technology are continually expanding as companies become more global.

In 2006, departments from Computer Science (CS), Technology, and Management Information Systems (MIS) merged to house what is now the Computing and Technology Department. The department supports academic programs at the Associate

and Baccalaureate levels, such as CIS, Computer Science, Electronic Engineering Technology and Engineering Design Technology.

Dr. Johnny Carroll graduated from the University of North Texas with a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has been the department chair of Cameron’s Computing and Technology Department since his arrival in 2006.

See TECHNOLOGY Page 3

Student government expresses concern over proposed concealed weapon bill

By Kerry Myers Collegian Staff Guns on campus was the central topic of discussion at the March 3 SGA meeting.

Rep. Don Armes (R. District 63) supports the bill, which would allow anyone over the age of 21, who has a concealed weapon permit, to carry a gun onto campus in the state of Oklahoma.

John DeBoard, Director of the Office of Public Safety, was on-hand at the SGA meeting to answer any questions that students had about the bill.

President Cindy Ross and the Office of Public Safety agree the bill would not be in the best interest of the university.

President Ross sent a letter to the state senators asking them not to pass the legislation. In her letter, President Ross pointed out the strides Cameron has made for public safety in the past five

years by installing call boxes and enhancing campus lighting.

“The proposed amendments to House Bill 2513 will work against this progress, make our campus less safe and put our students, faculty, staff and visitors at a greater risk,” her letter stated.

She also stressed the solution is not more guns and “allowing presence of concealed weapons will be a severe detriment to our efforts made to simultaneously prepare for and prevent such crisis situations.”

The SGA unanimously voted to send a letter to the local state senator expressing Cameron’s concern on the behalf of students.

Cameron students could soon have information at their fingertips across campus.

The SGA deliberated and tabled proposed legislation to install information kiosks across campus. These kiosks will be regulated and updated by the Public Relations Student Society.

The kiosks are designed as foursided bulletin stands and will be used to broadcast information to everyone on campus.

SGA recognizes the need for directions for visitors to all of the offices and buildings and special opportunities available.

Each kiosk will have a side with a digital scrolling board displaying all of the current and upcoming events on campus. The kiosks should be completed by May 2009.

SGA also discussed a change in the dining policy. The policy presented stated that many students live on campus and do not have a personal mode of transportation to leave campus.

University students should have the opportunity to purchase a meal plan that includes every meal served on campus. The meal plan pricing will be set by Cameron University. However, the legislation will not take affect until Fall 2009.

Photo by Brandi O’Daniel

Prep work: A group of Aggie Ambassadors practice their skits for the upcoming series of Gold Rush orientation sessions. The Ambassadors are also in charge of giving campus tours to prospective students throughout the year.

Ambassadors play key role

By Brandi O’Daniel Collegian Staff Every year the smiling, friendly faces of the Aggie Ambassadors greet incoming students to Cameron University.

Diversity is one of the key elements of this program that consists of 16 students from various departments and majors, who have different interests within the campus and community.

See AMBASSADORS Page 2

News

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March 10, 2008

Retired Cameron professor honored by LAHC

By Ashley Wilkerson Collegian Staff Since 1971, the City of Lawton and the Lawton Arts and Humanities Council has recognized those individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the cultural life of our community.

The recognition is given in the form of six award categories: The Roma Clift Montgomery Citizen of the Arts, The Roma Clift Montgomery Citizen of the Humanities, Educator in the Arts, Educator in the Humanities, Business/Organization in the Arts and Humanities and Artist of the Year. Dr. Ralph Blodgett, a retired Cameron University history professor was recently awarded the Roma Clift Montgomery Citizen of the Humanities Award.

Dr. Blodgett joined the faculty at

Cameron University in 1972 having completed his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Colorado. Dr. Blodgett served in the Department of History as an assistant professor, associate professor, professor and as chair of the Department of History.

“I met Dr. Blodgett in the summer of ‘72. I was in the History Department and someone came in and said a guy needed help unloading his U-Haul. It was a typical, ‘warm’ Oklahoma summer day,” said Dr. Lynn Musslewhite, Cameron University Professor of History (19712001).

Dr. Musslewhite nominated Dr. Blodgett for the Roma Clift Montgomery Citizen of the Humanities Award “I hope my admiration for Dr. Blodgett came through in the

nomination. I admire Dr. Blodgett and all that he contributed to Cameron University. As the chair of the History Department, Dr. Blodgett was well recognized, conscientious and an excellent chair,” Dr. Musslewhite said.

In the nomination, Dr. Musslewhite lauded Dr. Blodgett, who as chair of the Department of History, brought his penchant for meticulous organization to his responsibilities, and that during his tenure as chair, the department became one of the strongest on campus.

“Recognizing that he was such a competent administrator, Dr. Davis appointed him as the first chair for the graduate program,” Dr. Musslewhite said.

Dr. Lance Janda, Cameron University Interim Associate

Vice President of Enrollment Management, explained that the graduate program started with a humble beginning in 1988, but the fall 2007 semester boasted 397 graduates.

Under his guidance as Dean for four years, the graduate school won accreditation from the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. After the graduate sSchool was functioning successfully, Dr. Blodgett returned to the faculty of the Department of History, teaching until his retirement in 2006.

Since his retirement Dr. Blodgett has been very active in a number of humanities activities. For the past several months he has been involved in a project of historical research and writing in support of the expansion project at the Museum of the Great Plains.

“The exhibit is based on

transportation, and will start with horse and buggy, up to airplanes. This is a very interesting project that turned out to be bigger than expected. It is a work in progress,” said Dr. Blodgett.

Dr. Blodgett’s skills as a historian and teacher equipped him to provide text for the exhibits, which will be both interesting and informative.

The new section of The Museum of the Great Plains will make a major contribution to the presentation of humanities materials concerning Southwest Oklahoma. Dr. Blodgett also serves as the chair of the board of the Lawton Heritage Association.

Under his leadership, the association has continued to make progress on the recently renovated Mattie Beal Home.

“I hope to continue to be an active leader in promoting humanities in the Lawton community,” Dr. Blodgett said.

campus such as, campus safety and living, financial aid and the different clubs and organizations Cameron offers.

Monie said the Aggie Ambassador program is essential for the university and the students “Incoming students benefit because we help them understand a lot of things they need to know about Cameron before they start,” Monie said. “I think the program is helpful to Cameron because it promotes our school. It is students talking about the school and I think that helps since we are actually attending.”

Freshman and transfer students interested in attending Cameron are able to get a fresh perspective by hearing first hand experiences from

the ambassadors. Curtis said that it is important for the ambassadors to be friendly and personable.

“I think that the Aggies offer a younger face,” Curtis said.

“Students relate more to someone closer to their age and someone that they feel more comfortable with.”

Since Cameron is a nontraditional school, older students and parents of students often attend the orientations. In addition to having faculty there to answer any questions, the ambassadors work and interact well with the diversity of the student body.

“I think we teach them to be personable and engage students,” Curtis said. “They relate to them and draw them into Cameron. They can give them fun facts so it’s not a

boring and mundane tour showing them the different buildings.”

The program welcomes new ambassadors every year. These new members bring fresh, new insight and ideas to the program. Cameron interviews potential ambassadors every year that display leadership qualities, enthusiasm and will be a positive role model for students.

“We look for active individuals that participate in different activities so they can tell students what’s going on campus,” Curtis said. “They are the face of Cameron.”

For more information about the program or becoming an Aggie Ambassador, visit www.cameron. edu/ambassadors or contact Frank Myers at 581.5496.

AMBASSADORS continued from page 1 Erika Curtis, Cameron Admissions Counselor, said that while new students are initially greeted by the ambassadors at Cameron’s Gold Rush, the ambassadors work throughout the year and assist at a number of events as the “face of Cameron.”

“They are there to assist. They do campus tours, assist at preview day, senior enrollment and freshman orientation,” Curtis said.

The Aggie Ambassadors participate in events all over campus. However, their main event is the freshman orientation, also known as the CU Gold Rush.

They are responsible for planning, implementing and conducting freshman orientation every year to make the transition from high

school to college easier for new students, as well as get them excited about their college career.

Julianne Monie, a Multi-Media sophomore, has been a member of the Aggie Ambassador program for the past two years.

“We give tours of the campus to students interested in attending Cameron or just anyone who needs one,” Monie said. “We also plan out the freshmen orientation program and usually do skits to explain a lot of the information to them about being college students on Cameron’s campus.”

The skits are created and performed by the ambassadors at every orientation. The ambassadors design the skits to depict different scenarios relevant to activities on

SAFETY continued from page 1 According to DeBoard most of the dangers on the Cameron campus come from outside sources.

“Our biggest risk here on campus is not from the people coming here to seek knowledge or work. It is people from the outside who come across campus and that is one of our major focuses for directed patrolling,” he said.

DeBoard explained that some of the security issues that arise on campus are a result of individuals, from the Taliaferro Mental Health Facility, who traverse the campus.

Despite problems that could result from Taliaferro there are also benefits to Cameron’s location near the facility. Being near the facility gives Cameron an edge in the treatment of security issues relating to mental health problems.

“That is where Taliaferro comes as a benefit to us because we have quick access to those services that are state run not private. So we can get someone help very quickly,” DeBoard said.

One of the most recent advances that Cameron has made to campus safety is the Emergency Notification System.

According to Jamie Glover, the Director of Community Relations, notification system was installed as a safety measure that would allow Cameron to contact its population in the event of an emergency. The system is a further addition to the list of measures being taken on campus to ensure safety. However, Glover gave light to other security features such as the installation of storm sirens, the gated parking and key card access at the Cameron Village and the coded elevators in the Shepler Center.

In DeBoard’s opinion President Ross made much of the advances in campus safety possible.

“A lot of this can be attributed directly to President Ross. She has had a focus on the quality of life for people on campus and as such she has had a focus on security as well,” DeBoard said.

DeBoard explained that of the many things addressed in the CLASS report it was a pleasant surprise that Cameron scored as well as it did.

“We can be proud to a certain extent that we performed well or that we compare well with some of the numbers that are in the report and that we are already addressing some of the concerns that are brought up in this report. But at the same time there is always room for improvement and we need to stay ahead of the curve,” DeBoard said.

With the improvements that have already been made and the dedication to further improvements the argument can easily be made that Cameron is and will stay one of the safest campuses around.

March 10, 2008

News

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Technology continued from page 1 Prior to integrate coming to programs “‘SolidWorks’ is quickly Cameron that are University, essential to becoming an industry Dr. Carroll classroom standard in the mechanical was the learning. field. Any student that Department The CADD develops a good working Head of (Computer the Applied Aided knowledge of ‘SolidWorks’ Technology Drafting makes a great catch for an Department at Design) employer upon graduation.”

Rogers State program University in uses various Claremore, — Mike Selstad types of Okla. engineering CADD Instructor software “Currently I am interested to include in computer game development and distance “SolidWorks,” one of the current online content delivery,” Dr. Carroll versions being utilized. said. “‘SolidWorks’ is a newer product As existing technologies improve, which can create three dimensional the Computing and Technology modeling capabilities and incorporate Department is doing its best to better material textures which help

3-D models look more realistic,” CADD instructor Mike Selstad said. “‘SolidWorks’ is quickly becoming an industry standard in the mechanical field. Any student that develops a good working knowledge of ‘SolidWorks’ makes a great catch for an employer upon graduation.”

The Technology Program also provides an opportunity for students to participate in hands on, real life situations.

For the past 10 years Cameron students have participated in The Great Moonbuggy Race, and are gearing up to attend this year’s 15th annual race which takes place April 4-5, in Huntsville, Ala. at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Students are required to design a vehicle that addresses a number of engineering problems similar to those faced by the original Moonbuggy team.

“The software program ‘SolidWorks’ was used to create the Moonbuggy, and it also allowed the design students to conduct strength tests and bending analysis tests on the 3-D model,” Selstad said.

Each Moonbuggy is human powered, and carries two students, one male and one female. Rockell Clement, a senior Marketing major, explained her experience as a Moonbuggy passenger.

“I participated in the 2007 competition as a second rider, the team needed one more female in order to participate. It was fun, I would do it again. It was a good experience,” Clement said.

The Great Moonbuggy Race course winds around rockets, other space vehicles and is scattered with miscellaneous lunar-like obstacles.

The course terrain consists of craters, lava rocks, inclines and lunar

soil. The competition begins when the vehicle is tested for the 4 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet volume constraint.

The passengers then carry out the assembly process and are inspected for proper safety measures. The passengers ready themselves by wearing the appropriate protection gear.

“Basically we are imitating astronauts,” Clement said. “The passengers will receive a signal to start and the team must traverse the entire course. The winning teams are those with the shortest total times in assembling their Moonbuggies, and traversing the terrain course.”

Dr. Carroll explained that almost every challenge we face in our dayto-day world is turning to computing and technology for solutions.

“Our students are having great success in finding job opportunities after college,” Dr. Carroll said.

Speech, debate team continues successful 2008 season

By Kelley Burt Collegian Staff Cameron University’s Forensics team has been busy this semester battling other students from around the country in several, intense speech and debate tournaments.

The most recent competition was the OKIE Round-up State College and University tournament Feb. 22 and 23. Bethany Beck, Communication senior, and Michael Faggett, Communication freshman, finished as semifinalists in Parliamentary and roped in the first and second place positions in overall debate.

Stacy Easley, Political Science freshman, and Dyrud Lionel, Business junior, took fifth in Parliamentary and Jacob Pahcheka, Communication sophomore, finished fifth in International Public Debate Association (IPDA).

In addition to the debate section awards, CU brought home several individual speaking honors. Beck received first place in impromptu speaking, third in programmed oral interpretation, third in extemporaneous speaking and fifth in informative speaking.

Faggett brought home five individual awards placing second in persuasive speaking, fourth in informative speaking, fourth in extemporaneous speaking, fifth in communication analysis and sixth in impromptu speaking.

Pahcheka received sixth place in the after dinner speaking portion of the tournament.

Although a CU team member could not capture the first place title for best overall speaker in the state, Beck finished second all-around and Faggett came in a close third.

In addition to the enjoyment she receives from placing in the tournament rounds, Beck appreciates the opportunity to go head-to-head in friendly competition.

“Forensics is a very unique activity where lifelong friendships can develop between competitors. You would never see two football teams hug each other after a game and go out to dinner together,” she said.

In addition to the tournament awards, Faggett met his final requirements to qualify as one of two representatives from Oklahoma to compete in the Interstate Oratorical Association National Tournament. Scheduled for April 24-26 at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, this tournament dates back to 1872 as the oldest intercollegiate speaking contest in the United States.

At the beginning of the semester, CU attended the Lubbock or Leave it Swing Tournament hosted by Texas Tech University and West Texas A & M University. Held on Jan. 25-27, CU was one of ten colleges and universities to compete.

“A swing tournament is like two tournaments in one. The first is usually held on Friday and Saturday while the second takes place on Sunday,” Beck said.

She and Faggett finished the first tournament with a three win, three loss record in Parliamentary debate. In the individual speaking portion Fagget placed fourth in impromptu while Beck took fifth.

The second tournament gave CU the opportunity to rank well as an entire team, winning the second place overall award.

Faggett greatly contributed to this achievement by placing second as the overall speaker for the whole tournament. He finished second in persuasive speaking, second in extemporaneous speaking and sixth in informative speaking.

Beck also helped the team with a fourth place finish in informative speaking.

After the Lubbock Swing, CU went to Norman Feb. 8-10 for another two tournaments at the University of Oklahoma. More prestigious in the forensics community, this annual event attracted fifteen schools to participate.

Beck said that when more schools attend the tournaments more sections of speech or debate rounds are added. “The more sections, the harder it is to get into finals.”

Although the large number of teams added to the intensity of the competitions, Beck and Faggett made quarterfinals in Parliamentary debate and CU finished as the second place overall school in the first competition.

For individual events, Faggett took home second in extemporaneous speaking while Beck finished third in informative speaking and sixth in extemporaneous.

During the second half of the tournament CU finished fourth overall.

Beck came in third with a partner from Oklahoma University in improvisational acting, fourth in extemporaneous speaking, and fifth in informative speaking.

Voices

4

March 10, 2008

Just relax: stress happens to everyone Stress may be the single most, all-encompassing word that describes the life of a college student.

Managing stress might be the most significant and far-reaching objective of our entire lives.

What is stress? According to Webster, and for the sake of argument, stress is an overload of physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension; a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the

MCT Campus

normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.

Stress can happen anywhere in relation to almost any situation depending on the person faced with the stressor.

Agoraphobics feel anxious or fearful in crowds of people. Being in that kind of a situation could be very stressful to a person with that condition. I, on the other hand, love large groups of people and feel very comfortable with lots of people around and am not stressed by that kind of environment.

It would be logical to imply that people who are afraid of crowds will tend to stay away from them. People who stress out about taking tests in school or worry about what their boss at work is going to think about their performance have to resort to other ways of dealing with the stress.

When students feels the pressure of having to juggle school, work, a social life and family commitments, what do they do? Any number of coping mechanisms can be listed to answer this. Some use depressants such as alcohol or drugs to suppress

the intensity of stress and attempt to unwind. Others take mechanisms too far and become shopoholics, overeaters, gamblers or addicted to video games.

I find it comical that the day a big exam is to be given or a large project is due, is also the day that 60 percent of the people in the class get the flu. They could be legitimately sick because stress suppresses the immune system, but all too often this is just another way to delay what is expected to be an unfavorable outcome.

People learn from an early age that if you touch a hot pan you’re going to get burned.

Just like how we learn to use potholders as a way to deal with picking up hot pans, we all have to learn how to buffer a stressful situation.

The fight or flight mechanism

evolved in human history as a way for people to get the extra adrenaline rush it takes to defend their food against thieves or run fast from a predator in the jungle.

Fortunately, as civilized people, we don’t have to fight the other animals to survive, however, the mechanism manifests itself in response to other situations we face in our daily lives.

It’s all about perception.

Many medical studies indicate that stress contributes significantly to the development of cancer, heart disease and general poor health all over the world.

We don’t have to be afraid of tests, bad grades, social situations or performances at work. So, what we should be doing, instead of stressing out about the potential for something bad to happen, is to reevaluate the situation. A test is

Kelley Burt

the opportunity to boost a grade, an awkward social situation is the opportunity to improve personal flexibility and a bad review at work could be the jumping off point to starting a new career.

Granted, we can’t always be positive or ignore all bad stuff.

What we can do, however, is take take a step back and breathe. More can accomplish more with a clear, relaxed mind than with a chaotic one.

So take a couple of hours and play World of Warcraft, volunteer at your church, take a nap after lunch, drink a glass of wine, manage your time and just get over it. It will all work out.

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Spring out of the box You don’t have to leave OK for Spring Break fun It seems like I am always hearing people complain that there is nothing fun to do in Oklahoma, that we live in a boring state with no great attractions. I beg to differ. Our great state has plenty of hidden treasures. You simply have to look for them.

The spring is a fantastic time to get out and explore what Oklahoma has to offer. What better opportunity than spring break than to get out of your box and explore something different?

What you will find during your trip planning is that there are many places to go that are affordable or cost nothing at all.

The International Photography Hall of Fame inside the Omniplex in Oklahoma City currently has Pulitzer Prize Award winning photographs on display until March 31.

Cost is $9.50 to enter the Omniplex and $3 for the photography exhibit.

Don’t worry about wasting the $9.50. The Omniplex isn’t just for kids anymore. They are currently running an exhibit about the human body called, “Our Body: The Universe Within.” The exhibit uses actual human bodies to educate about the major body systems.

If you want to stay more local, there are many events happening in the Lawton area during the Spring Break holiday. Plus, if you feel like you don’t know where to start looking for a place to visit, the travelok. com website has information about events in every part of the state.

For the cowboys and cowgirls out there, Stephens County Fair and Expo Center will be holding its Two Bulls Challenge Bull Bash on March 21-22 in Duncan, which is a PBR sanctioned event.

If you are a music lover and enjoy outdoor festivals, you should check out the Dyson Bluegrass Festival March 20-22. The festival will be hosting more than ten bands and will be held in Sayre Oklahoma, which isn’t too far away.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Stitches in Time Quilt Show will be held at the Cedar School House in Weatherford on March 15. Admission to this event is free.

If you are looking for something more local to do, check out the Prince of Peace Passion Play at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Holy City on March 22. There is nothing like a visit to the Wichita Mountains when the weather is nice. It is easy to forget that we live so close to so much natural beauty.

The object of the game should be to get out and go somewhere that you wouldn’t normally visit, and to discover Oklahoma’s hidden destinations. All it takes is a little research, and you will be on the road before you know it. And next time someone says there isn’t anything to do in Oklahoma, you can say, “that’s what you think.”

Kerry Myers

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

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kelley Burt Cartoonist - Thomas Pruitt Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Chris Allison, John Robertson, Alexis DelCiello, Kerry Meyers, Brandi O’Daniel, Ashley Wilkerson

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

Newswriting Students Jenifer Biles, 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.

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.

Sports

March 10, 2008

5

Season ends, Coaches step out

By Kareem Guiste Collegian Staff

expect to see them giving more next season as well.”

While the women’s team is heading in a new direction with the resignation of its head coach and assistant coach, the men’s team headed by Coach Maurice Leitzke improved their overall record with a 4-8 finish in the Lone Star Conference this year, as opposed to last year’s 3-9 record.

Coach Leitzke, who has been at the helm of the Aggie men’s squad for the last two seasons has continued to boost the confidence of the team to create its own buoyancy.

“We are a very young team; these are the great pains of a very young team,” Leitzke said.

“Everybody else on this team is new.

Greg (Mercer) and Maurice (Cubit) were the only players we could even consider to use as a base to build from. It was the only base we had.”

Looking ahead to next season, Coach Leitzke has no doubt about next season’s squad and said that he is confident that they will continue to improve with the combination of the returning players and their ever improving skills that he plans to continue to develop.

“We did not have anything to build on last year, but this year (next season) we have a lot to build on,” Leitzke said. “We have more home games to start of with, and now it is going to be better for us. Clearly it was very tough this season, as we started on the road for the first seven games.”

As the team now thinks back about its past undertakings, there are positive feelings and success stories pushing their way to the surface of what on paper, does not appear to be a successful or satisfying season. With every negative there are positives and Leitzke hailed his players for their performances.

“Sure we have had a really good successful recruitment team,” coach Leitzke said. “Leslie Malone has done well, leading in block shots,

leading in points and leading in rebounds, for an all round performance. Greg Morgan, is also way up there in the conference for steals and assists. Dave Smith for his 3-point shooting average and Chad Allan has come in as an instrumental guy on the floor for this team, though it does not show on the game stats, but he has been encouraging.”

With team bonding not an issue for the second year coach and his freshman class, the efforts displayed night after night deserved commendation, despite their performance recorded at the box.

According to Coach Leitzke, the Cameron Aggie men, “are a lot of fun” and therefore there is strength within the unit. The team, which has not won the number of games it would have loved to, has shown toughness the on court and made known to all in attendance, the true spirit of the Aggie pride.

There is always next season.

For Coach Leitzke, it is back to the drawing board as usual, hoping to paint himself a masterpiece that can hopefully snatch an early bid for Lone Star grandeur. “ Next season scheduling is going to be a big thing for us, and that is one thing we have already changed for next season, with more home games early on,” Leitzke said.

“The guys have understood what the competition level is, and with the addition of three more players, we will building from within. We must say goodbye to those who have helped us, to Greg and Maurice, they have done well.”

According to the Aggie coach, every team loses seniors and it always poses difficulties when those who have given their best must say farewell.

To the seniors Williams, Martinuzi, Mercer and Cubit, who have graced the Aggie gym in their white and black for the last time, Cameron is thankful for your heartfelt contributions.

Calling it a day: Coach Kevin Hackerott, head bowed as he walks out of court. Coach Hackerott and his assistant coach Andrew Belsky both resigned last Tuesday, Mar. 4.

It was a season which garnered very few wins but one which showed a lot of heart.

Sadly, another Cameron University basketball season closed with the failure of the women and men’s teams to qualify to compete in the Lone Star Conference Championship basketball tournament.

The men’s coach, Kevin Hackerott, who has since resigned his post after a disappointing 4-23 record in the regular season, and Maurice Leitzke, who coached his team to a slightly better 6-21 record, both expressed their disappointment in the performance of the Aggie squads, but still maintain high respect for their players.

Coach Hackerott attributed several causes of the Aggie women’s poor performance in the Lone Star Conference tournament.

“A lack of scoring and a lack of depth, as well as players being pushed to the max with a lot of playing minutes created some of the problems we faced,” Hackerott said.

“Immediately out of the gate this hurt us, we lost two players, one to disciplinary problems and one who we lost to injury, and clearly we just did not have all that it took to take advantage.”

However despite the ills that plagued the Aggie squad, Coach Hackerott did not fail to give the girls credit for the hard work that they had put in this season and commended them on the discipline and toughness they displayed.

“When you have a tough season, like we had, the girls maintained good mind sets, and strong bodies,” Coach Hackerott said. “They have shown up and given their best effort, we have been a little short handed, but clearly there is experience, due to more playing time than normal that most of them received. So that was a good thing as well.” Before calling it a day as head coach of the women’s basketball team, Coach Hackerott maintained that every new year brings more good things to a program and therefore expects a lot from the Cameron squad next season. Though he will not be at the helm at CU, he has said that there will be no doubt be a flow of new kids coming into the basketball program at CU. “Every new year brings excitement, large number of new kids in and I am excited about the team that will be returning,” Hackerott said. “All these girls including Jasmin Parr, Megan Atkins, Kristi Taylor and Haley Dunn have played good games and I

Hold on there: Senior guard Tiffany Williams watches in dismay as the referee makes a call. The team will lose a few seniors this season, including Williams, Merissa Martinuzzi and Sarah Moore.

out of the girls, and we just tried to deal with getting through that.

On the first day of the event, fierce winds and freezing temperatures made play almost unbearable. Winds on Monday were so strong they would constantly blow over the golfer’s bags.

The start of the second round was delayed an hour and a half due to a frost that had blanketed each of the greens.

The University of Texas won the event with an overall team score of 649 (331-318). Kristen Davenport of Southwestern University was awarded the individual title after shooting a two-round score of 157

(79-78). A mere 8 shots separated Cameron from the 11th place team, Dallas Baptist University.

Ninety-one golfers competed in this year’s SEU Invitational.

“The girls hung in there, but we made a real weak finish and kind of ran out of gas at the end,” Coach Goodwin said.

“It was two very long days, but the weather was a whole lot better today.”

Sophomore Marrik Wooten had the best finish for the Aggie women, recording a two-round score of 171 (86-85). She also led the team

after Monday’s first round and finished the tournament in a tie for 26th place overall. Additionally, Wooten recorded the fourth-most pars with 16 in all.

Junior Renee Breeze was Cameron’s other golfer to finish in the top 50, as she tied for 30th place overall. She was just a stroke behind Wooten and finished with a two-round score was 172 (89-83).

A mere ten strokes separated Cameron’s final three finishers, as sophomore Anna Hataway shot a 182 (91-91), freshman Tori McCollom recorded a 188 (97-91), and freshman Blaze Petty scored a 192 (99-93). The trio finished in a tie for 58th place, 70th place, and a tie for 77th place, respectively.

Freshman Megan Whan competed as an individual medalist in the tournament and finished in

Photo by Kareem Guiste

Photo by Bennet Dewan

CU golf takes 12th in Austin

By Craig Martin Sports Information Director Competing in the annual St. Edward’s University Invitational, the Cameron women’s golf team battled poor weather and a talented field to take 12th place out of 17 schools. The Aggies finished round one in 11th place overall and slipped to 12th after today’s second and final round. CU finished with a total team score of 713 (363-350) and showed considerable improvement in the second round. Every Aggie golfer cut strokes off of their first round score today.

“We did much better on the second day,” Head Coach Rick Goodwin said. “I’m happy with our improvements, although we threw away a lot of shots around the greens. The first day took a lot

74th place. Her two-round score was 190 (99-91).

“When we come back we’ve got to hit the books and we are trying to get better as we go,” Coach Goodwin said. “We picked up quite a few shots today, and if we can learn to pick up shots in the next few tournaments we will learn to play and get better. That’s what we hope to accomplish.”

The Cameron women’s golf team travels to Thackerville, Oklahoma, this weekend to compete in the Red River Intercollegiate tournament hosted by East Central University. The tournament will be played at the WinStar Golf Club and will be a preview of the Lone Star Conference Championship tournament. The LSC Championship will also be played at the WinStar G.C. from April 21-22.

A&E

6

March 10, 2008

Spring Break nearing, students make plans Story and photos by Alexis DelCiello MCT Campus

W

ith the pocketbook a little tight after final tuition payments, not much is left for making big plans for Spring Break. Some of us can get creative with the few pennies left, while others of us need a little help searching for ways to spend five days without class.

Here is a schedule that will keep you going, without realizing you are staying home for spring break: Monday, Wake up late to recover from last weekend’s daylight savings time change. Eat breakfast at 2 p.m. and watch all the daytime shows you miss during class. Then, get bored and realize you need out of the house. Cabin fever is starting to set in. Stop whining and get a group of friends together, pack your marshmallows, tent, favorite card games, and head to a camping spot in the Wichita Mountains. (You can say you went camping over spring break.)

Tuesday, unwind from camping and start “spring cleaning.” Your room is looking like a disaster area. Throw away all the stuff you had left over from last year’s spring break and this semester’s late night cram sessions. Maybe go to work, after all you stayed home to start saving for next semester.

Wednesday, invite friends over for a karaoke/game night or rent the list of movies you wanted to see. It is cheaper to rent and stay home with friends and play games you already own.

Thursday, volunteer in the community or at church. This year spring break lands on the week of Easter. If you have a need for sports and thrill, try a hang gliding lesson for under $100 in Chattanooga, Oklahoma. For information about Oklahoma hang gliding, visit www.sky2glide.com, or call 580.695.8131 or 580.354.0390.

Friday, get back into gear for less than two months of class and next week’s after-spring

Christi Cummings Computer Information senior

“Spring break = a week of fun, adventure, excitement and NO SCHOOL! Yay! I am super excited! My plans are never set in stone. There are, however, multiple activities that I will most likely dabble in—going to a Toby Mac/ Jeremy Camp concert at Six Flags, shopping in Dallas, sleeping, and working.”

“I accepted a job in Richardson, Texas, with ARGO data. So, I will spend my Spring Break looking for a house there, plus studying for my return test in Biology. This is not to mention all the other wonderful class projects that I get to enjoy working on during that time, yeah right.”

David Smith, Instructor, Management Information Systems Master of Science, “This spring break I’ll continue Systems Management the renovation of my farm house; I’ll help my wife with her garden; I’ll work cows, ride horses and play with the grand kids. I won’t turn on a computer!”

David Nixon Multimedia Design junior

Tammy Anderson Journalism freshman

“I am going to New Orleans to be able to help in the relief effort for the hurricane disaster area.

A group of us are going from the BCM [Baptist Collegiate Ministries].”

Entertainment in abundance during Spring Break

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Next week, many students will trade in their notebooks and study guides for sunny beaches and cocktails.

Spring break is a time to unwind and have a little fun. But what about those students who are stuck at home? Never fear, there’s always something to do, even in Lawton.

After the smash-hit “Cloverfield,” the theaters have been barren, with a lack of quality movies. Last Friday, “10,000 B.C.” returned Roland Emmerich to his former glory of “Independence Day.” The movie is light on story and certainly light on any sort of historical accuracy, but it more than makes up for it with spectacular special effects and some great action set pieces. “10,000 B.C.” was released in theaters on March 7, so there’s plenty of time to catch it in theaters during Spring Break.

British bombshell Rhona Mitra is gracing the American cinema once

again. Neil Marshall, who burst onto the scene with the fantastic horror film “The Descent,” directs Mitra in a 21st century version of “Mad Max” meets “Escape from New York.” In 2008, a pandemic starts in Scotland, the United Kingdom walls off the area and declares it a “hot zone.” But, the virus breaks out years later and an elite team is sent back in to the hot zone to find a cure.

Did you spend too much time with family and in-laws during Christmas break and miss out on some of the great movies that were released during the cold winter months? Hollywood is finally releasing the films on DVD, and not too soon.

“I Am Legend” hits DVD right in the middle of Spring Break on March 18. The movie will be available in Blu-Ray and a two-disc DVD set. Both will be packed with extra features on the making of the movie, the inspiration for the novel and a darker ending for all of us who

hated how producers butchered it.

For those happy few video gamers who still enjoy movies, “Hitman” releases Tuesday on two-disc DVD. Timothy Olyphant, best known for “Deadwood,” stars at Agent 47, the famous assassin bred and trained to kill. The movie veers away from the plot of some of the games, but still manages to provide good explosions and lots of action. Isn’t that the point of an action movie?

Gamers need not fear. If you’re still licking your wounds from the latest video game adaptations, why not play the games themselves?

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” released last Sunday for the Nintendo Wii. If you’re one of the lucky few who was able to find a Wii, you’ll probably enjoy beating plenty of annoying Nintendo characters. The game is probably as rare as the Nintendo Wii itself, but you can still find it with a little effort. Besides, don’t lie, you know you’ve always wanted to hit Pikachu with a fireball.

Thanks to modern gaming

innovations and revolutions, you can take your gaming machines on the go these days. Even if you want to go to sunny beaches and drink cocktails, take your Playstation Portable with you and slay all manners of creatures and naked women in the name of Ares in “God of War: Chains of Olympus.”

The game features graphics that are very comparable to the console versions of the “God of War” series and it still features the same brutality of its console cousins.

Fear not, there’s plenty of entertainment to hold you over through the long week, away from those notebooks and study guides.

They’ll be calling

your name when you return, ready to expand your knowledge with truth.

MCT Campus

March 10, 2008

A&E

7

Cameron to jazz it up with Synergy Brass Quintet

By Chris Allison Collegian Staff

An evening of jazz: Above, The Cameron University Jazz Ensemble and the Cameron/Lawton Community Jazz Ensemble will perform their 32nd annual Spring Jazz Festival Thursday. Below, The Synergy Brass Quintet will join the ensembles as the musical guests of the evening.

Music is in the air as CU gears up for a jazzy week.

The Cameron University Jazz Ensemble and the Cameron/ Lawton Community Jazz Ensemble will perform their 32 nd Annual Spring Jazz Festival at 8 p.m. on Thursday, at the University Theatre and feature a guest performance by the Synergy Brass Quintet.

Synergy was founded in 1996 and is a traveling performance group committed to all styles of music. Bobby Thorpe (trumpet) and Chris O’Hara (trumpet) founded the quintet while they were roommates at the Boston Conservatory. Their goal is to make music fun. Music Professor and founder of the Jazzfest, John Moots commented on their approach to showmanship.

“They will not sit down in chairs and come out in tuxedoes and tails,” Moots said. “They will go out in the audience and play,” Moots said.

Joining O’Hara and Thorpe are Bo Clifton (trombone), Jonathan Hurrell (horn) and Jesse Chavez (tuba). The group averages nearly 300 engagements a year. They see themselves as far more than master entertainers.

When not performing concerts, their greatest passion is giving time to education. They have presented musical programs to over 500 public schools.

The March 13 concert will integrate performances

by Thorpe and Clifton into the Lawton Community and Cameron University Jazz ensemble programs. Numbers included in the presentation are, “Basie’s Back in Town” and Dizzy Gillespie’s, “A Night in Tunisia.”

Bruce Detweiler will be featured on saxophone in the ballad, “Misty.”

Cameron University’s Jazz Ensemble will present excerpts from “West Side Story” featuring Tony Bertram on drums, Randy Neal on trombone and Sarah Goedicke on alto sax. April Abraham will perform vocals on two other numbers and Nate Franklin, Randy Neal and Adam Gutierrez will perform solos during a composition called, “The Slug.”

Cameron’s Jazz Ensemble will also feature a rock piece called, “The Jazz Police.” This number will feature Clay Commings on guitar, Korynne Gonzales and Jimmy Jones on piano, Caleb Marlin and Joel Paolin on bass and Tony Bertram on drums.

The Cameron/Lawton Community Jazz Ensemble features several Cameron alumni: Henry Adcock (trombone), Monty Booker (drums) and Brian Francis (trumpet), commuting from Wichita Falls. Bruce Detweiler (alto sax) is a Cameron adjunct music instructor.

The concert is free thanks to funding from the Cameron Lectures and Concerts Committee. Past Jazz festivals have included the Count Basie Band (1982), Dave Mancini (1993,1996), the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (2001) and the Glenn Miller Orchestra (2005). This year’s concert features three Count Basie compositions.

Music Professor John Moots has been at Cameron since 1974 and orchestrated the first Spring Jazz Festival in 1976. For Moots, this annual event has been a dream come true.

“The purpose of the Jazzfest was to bring jazz to southwest Oklahoma, particularly big band jazz,” Moots said. “This will be an opportunity for people to hear a big band. It really gives the students a chance to work with professionals and have a very enthusiastic audience to play for.”

Weekly Horoscopes Aries (March 21-April 19) This week is a 7. A Financial opportunity is just around the corner. Be prepared!

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This week is a 7. Spring break is almost here. Hang in there, you will return to school rejuvenated.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) This week is a 9. You are on a roll. Everyone around you is envious. If you’re single, you won’t be for long.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) This week is an 8 Your optimism can be your finest attribute this week. If you feel you have something negative to say, don’t. You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) This week is a 7. Sometimes you feel as though no one listens to you. That’s not true. Step back and take notice. You have more attention than you may realize.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) This week is a 6. Make sure you play by the rules this week. Someone may take notice of lazy shortcuts.

Enjoy doing something you love this week. You deserve it.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) This week is a 9. You are working hard and everyone around you knows it. Keep up the good work and you will soon be rewarded for all of your efforts.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) This week is an 8. Don’t get hung up on things of the past. Move on to brighter and better things. As soon as you do, life will seem easier.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) This week is a 7. A relaxing evening at home with a loved one will do the trick this week. You may enjoy breaking out a board game and taking a trip down memory lane.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) This week is a 9. Spring is just around the corner and now is the time to start your spring cleaning. If you get a head start, you will get everything done.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) This week is a 7.

Everything happens for a reason. This week you will find out the reasons.

You will meet someone who makes you feel relaxed.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) This week is an 8. No one can read your thoughts. If something is truly bothering you, should address it. It might make you feel better. You need to let the petty things go however.

Variety

8

March 10, 2008

Spring Break 101:

How to get the best out of your free time S pring is just around the corner and students are already getting ready for that long break called Spring Break.

In the middle of so many papers to write and classes to catch up, you can get overwhelmed by the lack of free quality time you are planning to have during Spring Break.

This break is the perfect time

for you to recharge your mental batteries that have been exhausted since the last week of February.

So, there is still hope. Just sit back and enjoy because once the break is here you have no excuse not to have fun.

I handpicked some of my favorite places and activities

throughout these years (during Spring Breaks) and put them together on this page.

Below are some suggestions for you to follow, or not, for your Spring Break.

In the end, it does not matter if you followed them, but that you got through the break and now you are ready to finish the semester strong.

The Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge is a great option for those who like to be in contact with nature. The Refuge is just about 15 minutes from Lawton. It has a large area of mountains and hills, displaying the best of vegetation and wildlife in southwest Oklahoma.

HIGHLIGHT: Going to the top of Mount Scott and looking over Lawton, Medicine Park and surroundings.

Oklahoma City may be a good opportunity to enjoy Spring Break if you want to get out of town. The OKC downtown has many different events going on.

HIGHLIGHT: The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman is just 20 minutes away from OKC downtown. It has a variety of expositions and a special event called Spring Break Escape. The museum also features a life sized mammoth.

For many, Spring Break can also stand for Road Trip. If you are looking to get really away, you can opt for two hot spots. Dallas is just three hours away from Lawton and is the biggest city in the region. But if you are shooting for somewhere further than Dallas, you can choose Hodgenville, Ky., Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace.

The trip might take a few hours, but it is definitely worth it.

HIGHLIGHTS: Anywhere in downtown Dallas, the fast-paced lifestyle is just overwhelming. Hodgenville has a lot of Lincoln’s childhood history, but is far from Lawton.

Spring Break can be enjoyed without spending money at all if you have a short budget. Try to concentrate on your friends and family by spending more time with them. You can also try to get out more and exercise.

HIGHLIGHT: Find a sport’s buddy this week and challenge him or her to a tennis match, Cameron has tennis courts as well as Kids’ Zone on 38th St.

But if you want to follow the national tradition of Spring Break, you would most likely go to the coast and enjoy yourself. Above is a picture of Salvador, Brazil. The odds are that you would not go to Brazil for Spring Break, but the feeling of spending the break lying on the beach can warm anyone’s thoughts.

HIGHLIGHT: If you can, spend Spring Break on any beach, international or national. It might be a luxury, but after all, we all need some dream Spring Break to think about.

Photos by Bira & Gabriel Vidal Photo Collage by Bira Vidal