The Cameron University Collegian: November 23, 2009

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

Monday, November 23, 2009

News

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Volume 84 Issue 11

Aggie Mile

Healthier CU in second century

Bentley Gardens turns parking lot into focal point.

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A&E

Courtesy of Public Affairs

By Megan Carothers Collegian Staff Cameron University now has a designated walking path for the CU family and surrounding community to enjoy while traveling across

Top 12 Holiday movies.

SEE PAGE 12

Sports

CU Baseball player signs key contract.

SEE PAGE 9

Voices

different than any other type of marker on the CU campus.

“They are wooden posts with a little walker on them and then arrows pointing which way walkers should go, and, of course, they also have the title, the ‘Aggie Mile,’ as well,” Glover said.

Glover said at certain points along the trail, the markers provide additional information.

See MILE Page 2

By Gabe Crawford Newswriting Student The 1970s were nearly three decades ago, and it was a different world in many ways. Not only were there only three channels on TV, but also laying out a newspaper was done very differently.

One of the editors of “The Collegian” in the ’70s was Debbie Darnell, although back then she was known as Debbie Mahaffey.

She served on “The Collegian” and “Wichita,” the no longer printed CU yearbook, staffs for years while obtaining her degree in English Education.

“While being on the newspaper and yearbook staff in college, my love for writing and creating pages became a step towards achieving a minor in journalism,” Darnell said. “I love to write, and this gave me the opportunity to achieve that.”

The organization of “The Collegian” staff was different than it is today. Each person was assigned a beat. With the beat system, each staff member would have one campus department to cover for each issue. A classroom set up with equipment was used as the office for the publications. In this environment, the staff became one big family.

Not only was the organization of the staff different, the equipment they used varied drastically from that used today.

They did not have computers to type, layout pages, send email, import pictures or research topics. Instead the layout process was done on lighted grids, and all pictures were developed in a dark room. The typing was done on electric typewriters and staff members had to turn in a hard copy of every article.

Conversely, today’s “Collegian” editors can send the completed issue to press via the Internet, while, during Darnell’s time,

Courtesy of CU Archives

Paper on paper: This is an issue of the ‘Collegian’ from March 1970. Debbie Darnell was a member of the Collegian staff in the ’70s. editors had to drive to Frederick to deliver the completed pages to the printer.

Today, Darnell is teaching at Cache High School. Even after teaching for 37 years, she still looks back on her time at Cameron and as a “Collegian” staff member fondly.

See EDITOR Page 2

Renowned graphic designer speaks on campus Collegian Staff

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Photo by Jim Horinek

Mile Marker: The Aggie Mile is marked throughout campus with posts that show the route.

1970s ‘Collegian’ editor still drawing upon lessons learned in newsroom

By Bennett Dewan

Thanksgiving in the service.

campus.

The walking path, named the “Aggie Mile,” meanders approximately one mile throughout the Cameron campus.

The “Aggie Mile” was developed as a part of

Cameron’s second century initiatives, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Jamie Glover said.

“As Cameron University entered its second century, one of the initiatives we launched was to have a ‘Healthier CU in Century II.’ So obvious things come to mind when you think about becoming healthy, like smoking cessation, healthy eating and, of course, exercise,” Glover said. “Working on a university campus, we have a wonderful place where we can walk and jog and be on campus, and we love to have people on campus, so, as part of that initiative, we routed a one mile walking trail on campus.”

With the recent changes on campus, Glover said that Cameron University is a perfect place to enjoy a walk.

“If you have walked across campus recently, you will have noticed that we have added some beautiful garden areas,” Glover said. “And it really is a tranquil place to walk.”

The trail offers scenic views of the Bentley Gardens, the Charles S. Graybill Courtyard and Cameron Park.

Wooden markers with copper tops and arrows guide walkers along the trail and are

Sometimes an artist can transcend their genre or medium and stand out amongst the thousands of their peers for creating something particularly awe-inspiring. Even more rarely does an artist stand at the pinnacle of their respective art and stay there for most of their career while continuing to progress stylistically.

The latter is a good description of the praise that has been piled on award-winning graphic designer D.J. Stout.

Rarely are students able to listen to a lecture by, question and even share current projects with someone who has enjoyed as much critical success in their field, but when the CU Art Department hosted Stout on Nov. 19, aspiring

graphic designers and curious community members alike were given this exceptional chance.

Stout spent much of the morning in the CU Graphic Design Lab watching presentations on student-created product branding and packaging designs.

Stout had nothing but praise for the presentations of the students and the caliber of work being done at Cameron.

“I’m very impressed with the work on display here,” Stout said.

“The designs are as good, or in some cases better, than those being produced in some of the big schools like Texas Tech and the University of Texas.”

See DESIGN Page 2

Photo by Jim Horinek

Experienced words: D.J. Stout speaks of his work with Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on their logo and marketing design.

Stout brought his expertise and experience to CU and spoke to Art students and members of the community.

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News

November 23, 2009

DESIGN continued from page 1 University in Virginia. There I worked for the campus magazine and newspaper, ‘The Breeze’.”

After graduating from Texas Tech in 1981, Stout said he was lucky enough to find a job he was happy with in only a few weeks Photo by Jim Horinek while many of his classmates Stories from the field: Stout spoke of his struggled for experiences as a graphic designer and what goes into the development and presentation of well over half a year. a design scheme.

While the economic recession has made Stout knows good design as he many students nervous about the has been working in the industry viability of their specific degrees professionally for 28 years. Even in a depressed job market, Stout before taking his first job, he had remains confident in the need for already developed his skill set in a competent designers. journalistic setting.

“I feel like the available jobs are “I started at the campus expanding with all the technology newspaper when I went to Texas avenues that can be explored,” Stout Tech,” Stout said. “I did a couple of said. “I have a colleague, Lisa, who comic strips for the paper. Before just had an article written about her that, I was at James Madison

MILE continued from page 1 “At the half mile mark, it is actually marked that you have reached the half mile point to kind of give people some encouragement that, ‘You’re half way there, keep going’,” Glover said.

The start and finish of the trail are both between the Fitness Center and the Shepler Center.

“So you go full circle, winding through campus, and then end up back at that same location,” Glover said.

Glover said she hoped that the CU family is not the only one to take advantage of the new trail.

“While I certainly hope that our faculty, staff and students take advantage of the opportunity to be healthy with the convenience of a walking trail like this, I also hope that the community will focus on Cameron as a location of choice for their exercise as well,” she said.

in ‘Fast Company,’ that works as an information architect. She sees herself as a designer, but she creates interfaces and interactive, innovative marquees. There are so many design opportunities available outside of the advertisement and corporate molds,” Stout said.

Stout has been tapped as the voice for the design world for national publications like “USA Today” and has mused on the state of the industry. He was particularly taken with the graphic that caught the attention of the American public as well as the world last year, Shepard Fairey’s red and blue posters featuring Barack Obama adorned with slogans like “hope” and “change.”

“I remember seeing the Obama poster on a wall and thinking, ‘my god I love that,’ and wanting to tear it down and keep it,” he said. “It is such an effective use of poster; you don’t see posters much anymore out there being effective.”

Fairey’s celebrated design did not go without controversy as he was accused of copyright infringement.

Fairey, after months of denial, recently admitted that his posters were unauthorized reappropriations

Graphic courtesy of Pentagram

Got design: These covers are some of the work that D.J. Stout has done in his 28 years in the graphic design field. of an AP wire image. This idea of “Brandalism,” or image or idea borrowing as the basis of new work is becoming a prevalent theme in the design world.

“The current web-culture is so used to getting free imagery and free music, there is sort of this mindset that everything should be free.

That is sort of a youthful mindset, because you can get almost anything online,” Stout said, “but I do believe that Fairey created something new out of an image that was, in its original form, unspectacular.”

From an apolitical standpoint, Stout felt that the last Presidential campaign was well-managed from an artistic eye.

“Obama was the graphic

designer’s president. Obama was insightful enough to hire somebody to create a really good identity,” Stout said. “The ‘O,’ and how he used it was really brilliant because most political candidates are terrible with branding.”

Whether he is critiquing the work of his peers, designing logos for a national audience or creating a companies’ new magazine layout, Stout maintains an excellence that makes his work more than just images and text.

“I always try and make something that has an idea behind it, as opposed to something that just looks good,” Stout said. “I like for it to look good and communicate a concept — an intelligent design.”

EDITOR continued from page 1 “Working on the newspaper and yearbook staff in college gave me recognition on campus and quite a few benefits,” Darnell said. “It was an extremely good time, and with this experience, I have been able to use these skills during my teaching career and my students have benefited from them.”

Darnell currently teaches Drama/Speech, Creative Writing and Yearbook and is the librarian for Cache High School. She sponsors many clubs including Drama and Student Council. She feels that working on the yearbook and “Collegian” staff at Cameron greatly enhanced her teaching career.

“By being on the yearbook staff in college, you were also a member of the newspaper staff,” she said. “Maybe that is why in my teaching career, I was the adviser for our school newspaper for about 15 years, but finally had to give it up when I became the yearbook adviser.”

Every year since Darnell obtained the yearbook adviser position, she has had to

See page 4 for solutions.

increase the number of pages in the publication.

Last year she was able to introduce the district to their first all-color yearbook. Many times, her students have gone on to “Writing receive honorable mentions in the for a college Taylor Yearbook Company’s “Yearbook Yearbook.” newspaper, or any To this day, Darnell still looks back newspaper, gives at many of her writings and articles you a great feeling to. Recently, she went through some of the old “Collegian” issues on microfilm of satisfaction and in hard copy at the CU Library. when you see She came to realize that being on staff your story in continues to bring her great pride.

“Writing for a college newspaper, or print, especially if any newspaper gives you a great feeling you have a byline.” of satisfaction when you see your story in print, especially if you have a byline,” — Debbie Darnell said. “You feel like you have Darnell, done a good job and are worthy of being printed. Not every story is printable, but Former if yours ignites interest to someone, then Collegian Editor you have achieved your goal.”

News

November 23, 2009

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Bentley Gardens construction turns barren lot to lush focal point

From lot to pond: In a matter of weeks, the once North Shepler parking lot quickly was replaced by a landscaped pond and walking paths.

Keynote Speaker: Then SGA President Jessica Daong speaks during the groundbreaking of the Bentley Gardens.

Breaking ground: Jeff Wozencraft and Ole Kim ride in and move the first soil in the construction of the Garden.

Focal point: Flanking the quickly developing pond, a striking steel gazebo was built.

Completion: With the pond filled and running and the gazebo completed, the Garden was finished with dozens of large trees and a multitude of flowers.

Photos by Jim Horinek

Small details: The Garden is filled with flowers and decorative structures, like the functional yet elegant light poles.

4 News Aggie Access to be new computer portal system November 23, 2009

provides all of the information that was in myCU, but it also provides so much more.”

It is Glover’s hope that students, faculty and staff will spend much of their day in the Aggie Access system doing all kinds of different business.

Aggie Access’ setup is role-based Graphic courtesy of Public Affairs Glover said, so One stop portal: In the spring, the new one stop computer portal system what CU users will have available Aggie Access will be unveiled. will differ by their role on campus. for students to be aware of the

By Megan Carothers All users will have a home tab and coming change and hopes that Collegian Staff from there it is personalized by students will be excited with all their roles on campus. Students will Cameron University students, of the additional possibilities that have a student tab; employees will faculty and staff can expect a new Aggie Access will offer. have an employee tab. computer portal system, planned to “Whenever we switch things to Users may personalize their own be up and running in late January.

Aggie Access, hopefully students Aggie Access by adding or deleting The new computer portal system will start to know when we make tabs, Glover said. Some tabs will be is called Aggie Access and will more that change, ‘oh yeah, that’s the locked, however. than replace the current system, old myCU, only better’,” Glover The home tab will have vital myCU, Associate Vice President said. “I don’t feel like it is really information for Cameron users and for Enrollment Management Jamie fair to compare Aggie Access to will be able to be personalized for Glover said. myCU, though, because it is so Glover said that it is important very different in what it provides. It the user’s needs as well.

On each tab will be individual channels, “I don’t feel like it is containing different types really fair to compare of information. The home tab will contain channels, Aggie Access to myCU, including campus alerts, though, because it is so which will offer information very different in what it on campus closures and similar announcements, provides. It provides all of campus activities and the information that was in personal announcements. myCU, but it also provides Some channels may be removed, and users can add so much more.” channels that interest them — Jamie Glover from a list of Aggie channels.

To cut down on emails Associate Vice President for to students, faculty and Enrollment Managment staff, Aggie Access will contain much of the general campus information that logged into their email by the single CU members need to know so emails in those instances will not be sign-in feature.

The group link is an interesting necessary. feature, Glover said.

Students will have a “my info” “Group studio is an internal tab that will contain financial collaboration tool,” Glover said. information, personal contact “For instance, when a student information, class grades and organization wants to have a group schedules, Glover said. page that is for internal students, A Facebook tab will be made available to interested users, as well. so it’s not out there on the web for Links at the top of Aggie Access everyone to see, where you can chat, you can list your members, you will include email, calendar and can keep a calendar and a message groups. For users to access their board and add files to the page; you email, they just have to click the can do all those kinds of things and link, Glover said. By logging onto manage that within this group.”

Aggie Access, they are already

Effects of economic slump less noticeable at CU

By Alyssa Knerr Collegian Staff According to the Corporation of Enterprise and Development, Oklahoma’s financial stability from the economy is ranked 45th in the number of low income families, which is much worse than the effects Cameron University has felt.

The Corporation of Enterprise and Development said Oklahoma received a “C” and needs work to help families achieve financial security. However, the Dean of Business, Dr. Buddy Odom, said the effects of these financial problems present as much at Cameron University.

“To some extent, whatever goes on in the state affects the university but at the current time Cameron is experiencing a record enrollment,” Dr. Odom said. “That is primarily due to the overall state of the economy historically and the bad economic times where

university enrollments increase.”

Even though economic activities within the state do have a direct impact on schools, Dr. Odom said the economy brings downfall as well as success to the university.

“The enrollment is up and that is a positive,” he said. “But the financial status of the state obviously is what affects the state funding for the university.”

The economy’s financial trouble has a tremendous effect on all schools who receive funding from the government. Despite the breakdown of this economy, Dr. Odom said the coming years will be improved.

“We will be in a better position next year because of the higher enrollment this year,” Dr. Odom said. “In general, the way higher education gets funded, you are funded in part based upon your enrollment. Since our enrollment is high this year, it should be reflected in higher appropriations

next year.”

The construction of the McMahon Centennial Complex, the Bentley Gardens and the newly constructed business building show that CU is not feeling the heat like Oklahoma is in financial woes.

“The construction is going right along,” Dr. Odom said.

The higher number of oncampus residents also reflects CU’s financial stability.

“The number of student rooms is up this fall from last year,” Dr. Odom said. “The previous year, the school of business was temporarily housed on the seventh floor of North Shepler and this semester the seventh floor is student apartments.”

Be that as it may, graduate Katie Duff y, who majored in Organizational Leadership and minored in Communications, said Cameron did not brace her to handle money in an economic decline.

“The worst part about going to school during the decline is I was not prepared for what it was going to be like when I got out of school,” Duff y said. “I was kind of oblivious to what was going on because I was living off of student loans, credit cards and things like that. So it was not good to be going to school during the economic decline.”

Current students at CU know each penny needs to be watched and senior Danielle Sager, a Political Science major, knows this all too well.

“Going to school during the recession does not necessarily make for hard financial times, but it is hard when they [the university] only offer the class you need during the day,” Sager said. “So, you can’t get a better paying

job because the better paying jobs are the ones that are the regular nine to five shifts.”

The benefit from enrolling more students this year than ever before and the construction on campus show Cameron’s gain from the economy. However, students are showing less spirit about the financial stability and consider it to be more of a burden than thanks.

Groundhog Day slated for 2010 ‘Take An Aggie To Work’ job shadow program

By Rashmi Thapaliya Collegian Staff Cameron University is looking for local employers to participate

in the Second Annual “Take An Aggie To Work” job shadow program, slated for Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, 2010. Through the job shadow experience, students will have the opportunity to spend a half-day in a relevant work setting in order to observe and ask questions.

As a “shadow,” students learn more about job requirements, employer expectations and professionalism.

In turn, the program gives job shadow sponsors an opportunity to meet and mentor CU’s talented students.

Chase Massie, Student

Development Specialist, said that the job-shadowing event is an opportunity for the students to find out if they will be satisfied with their job when they finish their studies.

“Students would not have to spend four or five years in college just to find out later that the profession is not for them,” Massie said. “They would at least get a hint of what they will be going to do after college.”

Last year, 15 students participated in the job-shadowing event. The participants were from

different fields of study, including medicine, graphic design and business administration. Massie said that this year they are hoping to at least double the participation of students compared to last year.

“Last year, for our first ‘Take An Aggie To Work’ day, we had a tremendous response from employers in Lawton, Duncan and other communities in Southwest Oklahoma, and we’re confident that even more companies will want to participate this year,” Massie said. “’Take An Aggie To Work’ is a wonderful opportunity for professionals who are passionate about their chosen profession to mentor students who may be looking for guidance in determining their own career path.”

The students who are interested in participating should fill out a form indicating the top five jobs they would like to shadow. The Office of Student Development will ww

then try to match the students with one of the jobs listed. Massie said that each student will be matched with an employer. He said that a week before the actual shadowing event, the university is organizing “Me and My Shadow.” This is an opportunity for the employers and the students to meet each other.

CU is offering community employers a unique opportunity to help students experience an up-close look at a day in the life of a professional. Companies who are interested in hosting students – either individually or in groups of two or three – for this half-day learning experience are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Development at 581-2209 for more information. Cameron students who are interested in participating in the program should contact the Office of Student Development no later than Nov. 24.

Cameron Campus Ministry and Cameron are offering a $300 scholarship For the best overall representation of the impact Dr. Martin Luther King’s message and actions in regard to your life today.

Entries are being accepted in three categories: Poetry, Art and Essay (essay length should be 1000 to 1250 words). The contest is open to students in 9-12th grades in the Lawton Public Schools and students enrolled at Cameron University.

Awards will be given for each category and a $300 scholarship will be for best overall entry in both the high school and college age groups.

Deadline is Dec. 18, 2009 at noon For information call CCM 357.7226 or email director@ccmcenter.org

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November 23, 2009

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CU NAMI organization to hold fundraiser to benefit children

By Rachel Engel Collegian Staff The National Alliance for Mental Illness’ organization on campus, “Caring Aggies,” will hold a hot dog fundraiser on Dec. 10 in the main lobby of Nance Boyer to raise money and purchase toys for the children housed at Southwest Behavioral Health.

Student Services Counselor and NAMI “Caring Aggies” sponsor Deanice Shegog says the group hopes to raise enough money to purchase gifts for approximately 10-15 children between the ages of 12 and 18.

“Not all of the children at Southwest Behavioral Health have parents,” Shegog said. “A lot of Department of Human Services children go there through their foster parents or group homes.”

The group will leave the

gifts with the caregivers at Southwest Behavioral Health and will not be able to interact with the children, but the kids will be aware that “Caring Aggies” donated the gifts, Shegog said.

“We have no business knowing who is at the facility, which is in keeping with the kids’ confidentiality,” she said.

President of NAMI “Caring Aggies” Heath Kuykendall says the hardest part is having enough funds to provide the type of mental health support the organization would like and has asked for donations for the hot dog fundraiser from Bar-S and Sam’s Club.

“The main thing is to keep

going with fundraising,” Kuykendall said. “We can’t do anything without funds.”

NAMI “Caring Aggies” became an official student organization at the beginning of the semester and hosted a guest speaker during Mental Health Awareness week in October, Shegog said.

“Several communities have organizations and Lawton’s NAMI group is Lawton ‘Caring Families’,” Shegog said. “We thought it would be great to have an advocacy organization

on campus for mental health, and we modeled it after the Lawton organization because we are affiliated with MCT Campus them.”

According to Shegog, the group aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of mental illness, as well as become a voice for those who cannot defend themselves.

“We want to advocate for getting rid of the negative stigma associated with mental illness,” Shegog said. “As an advocacy group, we want to educate people and assist those who may be suffering but don’t know where to go to get the help they need.”

The overall view of mental illness is skewed in large part by the way it is portrayed in films

and on television, Shegog said.

“I really feel that people are afraid of mental illness,” she said. “When you think ‘Oh, that person is mentally ill’, we think about what see on television. It’s extremely rare that someone has schizophrenia and is violent.”

Shegog says that the organization is not really a support group, but more of a support network, and hopes to educate the Cameron community on mental disorders.

“Next semester we hope to start handing out educational brochures on mental illness,” she said. “People don’t realize that one in four people in the United States suffer from some type of mental illness, or have at one time or another. The more we can educate people about what a disorder is and what the symptoms look like, the faster they can realize when it’s time to get help.”

Finals Schedule

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Voices

November 23, 2009

Meaning of Christmas changes over time Every year, the Holiday season seems to start earlier. We hear terms like “Christmas in July,” and we hear those around us talking about when they are starting their shopping for the year. Halloween kicks off the accelerated march towards the holiday that’s near the end of the year. Thanksgiving is almost forgotten amidst the rampant Christmas displays and the commercials promoting the films that were made to celebrate the holiday.

Growing up, my first concern was the presents that Christmas brought. I remember being a huge Hot Wheels fan, so many of my holiday breaks were spent assembling the latest plastic structures with the Hot Wheels logo on it. I was in heaven. I had everything I wanted, which, I’m sad to say, was little cars and trucks. Nothing else in the world mattered to me. I would play with my new toys Christmas morning and then pack up in the car for the hour and a half drive to Grandma’s house.

My love for Hot Wheels waned as I grew older and electronics moved to the forefront.

Super Nintendoes and Xboxes replaced the little cars and plastic structures. One thing that hadn’t changed was my perception of the holiday. I simply viewed it as a time to update my arsenal of material items.

Sure, there was this talk of it being a time to come together and whatnot, but I lived at home and saw everyone on a daily basis. If anything, I wanted to be away from the family and the togetherness to enjoy my gifts more.

My thoughts and perceptions on the holiday changed drastically in the fall of 2007.

I had finally left the nest and moved six hours away — to Cameron University. That first semester was a very trying time. I was in a new city, a new element and

Kyle Luetters

alone for the most part. Of course, I knew a few people but I didn’t have any real friends. I had been home for Fall Break and Thanksgiving but had spent a majority of my time with friends and seeing old teachers.

Right before I was due to come home for the break, I had purchased my biggest toy of all, a new pickup.

I was immensely proud of this accomplishment and couldn’t wait to get home. That pickup, however, never made it home. About an hour and a half into my journey, I blacked out and the shiny new pickup drifted into a ditch. Luckily, I was unharmed, but the pickup was totaled. The tow truck driver dropped me off at a Subway in Hobart with nothing but my cell phone and 20 dollars. My dad, mom and sister sped down to come get me as night fell and the Subway was close to closing up. After four hours, they finally got to me, and we rode home.

Without my own vehicle, I was limited in where I could go and what I could do. I had to rely on my parents and sister to get to work and to go shopping.

I really began to reconnect with my family, as I hadn’t really talked to them since I left. We eventually arrived at Christmas Eve and my mom showed me the bow she had intended to put on the hood of my new pickup.

What struck me next wasn’t how bad I felt that I had destroyed the pickup, but how grateful I was that she had cared enough to do that for me.

For once, I began to truly understand what others had been talking about. I began to understand the true meaning of the season. I had learned that the people who are around you and the sense of togetherness far outweigh any little Hot Wheels car or Xbox game.

The holidays are about spending that time with loved ones and friends. It’s something that we lose touch of more and more as we get busier and busier. That same Christmas, our family started a tradition that has come to mean a lot to me. Every time that my mom, dad and little sister are home, we sit down and play a game of cards. It’s nothing real big or extravagant, just a simple game of cards. We sit around the kitchen table and play cards for hours on end, talking, cracking jokes and just generally being a family.

In years past, I’ve had some very long wish lists. Electronic gadgets, new shoes or gift cards were the norm. This year, I have just one item: a new set of cards.

Thanksgiving a welcome escape for former deployed soldier Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It seems so genuine to me, unlike the holidays that are viewed as an excuse to receive gifts, party or miss work. I do not usually look forward to holidays, and I often roll my eyes at holiday displays. Thanksgiving, though, is different. Perhaps it was how my parents treated it that made me appreciate it so much, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Thanksgiving for me has always started with my mother only allowing 13 kernels of corn on our plate. Some holiday legend claimed that 13 kernels a day was the ration the Pilgrims had to sustain themselves with in order to survive the fall and winter after the first Thanksgiving. After reading about it, my mother fell in love with the practice.

Looking at those 13 kernels

sitting alone on the periphery of my enormous plate, I gained an appreciation for just how much the Pilgrims struggled, persevered and, most of all, appreciated what little they did have. Eating the 13 kernels often left a contemplative emptiness in my belly. After we finished the original portion, we were welcome to eat more.

But the point was made, and it has stuck with me since.

In my short military career, I have spent Thanksgiving at Fort Sill; Yakima Training Center, Wash. and Camp Virginia, Kuwait. None of those places would be my first choice to spend the holiday, but, again, it gave me an opportunity to think of how lucky I was. The year I spent in Baghdad, Iraq, 2006, was both the best and worst of my life. And Thanksgiving 2006 was, fittingly, the best and worst holiday of my life.

Camp Virginia is nothing more than a series of buildings, surrounded by sand berms and guard towers, in the middle of the Kuwaiti wasteland.

There is no cultural consolation prize to being housed there; it’s not high on anyone’s “to visit” list.

But it was that vastness and emptiness that gave us all a chance to ref lect on how lucky we really were in November 2006.

We had just left Baghdad, where mundane, every day tasks like grocery shopping are life threatening. No one

trusts anyone, and everyone is a target. Death and destruction are an unavoidable part of life, and children like the ones I befriended grow up in it.

As I ref lected on how lucky I was to have left that place, all I could think about was my friend Ali and the millions of children like him. I thought of how bad they had it — and how positively Ali, Hidar and Ahmed seemed to accept and handle it. They were still thankful for their families, for their friends and for their lives.

They were a true example of perseverance, and it made me

Justin Cliburn

so grateful that my brother and I never had to grow up in their world.

The afternoon of Nov. 23, 2006, our commander shared a few words with us before we had a very well intentioned but lackluster Thanksgiving meal at the Camp Virginia chow hall.

Most importantly, he pointed out that we were still alive and healthy. That was not what we had expected a year before, and we were grateful for it.

After lunch and a couple of hours of preparation, we played a very spirited game of f lag football. It was 11 on 11, with a full offensive and defensive line. We had made it that far without serious injury, but we tried our best to get one before we left, as the grudge match lasted three hours and involved plenty of cheap shots and goodnatured trash talk.

Even as I was in the midst of it, I realized the importance of that Thanksgiving and pondered what it all meant. It would not be long until I would be home, but, at least that day, that wasn’t what I was thinking about. My friends still in Iraq, those who were native to the country and those were like me, were heavy on my mind as I enjoyed a day devoid of helicopters, gunfire, mortars, explosions and frustrating hours outside the wire. I hoped then and I hope today that my friends in uniform there will come home safe and sound as well. And I hope every day that real change will happen, so that Ali and others like him will be able to grow up enjoying the same sense of security that I did. They are grand wishes, I know, but if there is any time to be optimistic, it’s during my favorite holiday.

I hope this holiday season finds you remembering all that you have, as I remember Nov. 23, 2006 – the best and worst Thanksgiving of my life.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, everywhere.

Voices

November 23, 2009

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We were not warned More fiction than fact in 2012, other conspiracy theories People love a good tale of disaster and despair. Why else would we be so fascinated by movies like “2012” or “Armageddon?”

Neither movie is particularly high in quality, but they managed to get people into theaters and discussion going around the water cooler the next day.

Ten years ago, the big talk was about how a giant asteroid, meteor or some other cosmic body would eventually crash into Earth and humanity would go the way of the dinosaur. At one point, it was even thought an actual planet would destroy the world.

They called that movie “When Worlds Collide” — very poetic.

The latest fascination, thanks in part to destruction maestro Roland Emmerich, is the end of the Mayan calendar on Dec. 21, 2012. According to popular belief, “something” is going to happen on or around that day.

The significance of the date comes from the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, which was used by the Mayan people.

It starts on a specific date and runs in cycles. Right now, we are in the 13th cycle, which will end on the winter solstice of 2012.

There’s no real information, one way or another, that points to a specific event happening on that date. David Morrison, a NASA engineer, had to go create an entire Web page on

the NASA site to address the concerns around the date.

There has been talk of everything from solar fl ares cooking the Earth (thanks Nicolas Cage), to the poles reversing and causing massive losses of atmosphere to aliens invading on that specific day (thanks Fox Mulder). But this has not been the fi rst time people have predicted the end of the world on a specific date. Nostradamus threw his predictions out there, the Mayans have supposedly predicted their end of times and the Bible has its own version.

The Maya seem to be the ones getting all of the attention at the moment. But where did the actual connection come from? The calendar ends, just like the last 12 cycles have.

We’re still here. Or are we

living in the Matrix? Does the world end every so often with people being chosen to rebuild it again? Please don’t tell me the Wachowskis were right all along.

There was a poll on Scifi.com in 2006 which almost all of the voters believed there would be some sort of Armageddon.

I would say the odds are higher of we committing our own “end of the world” scenario compared to a cosmic body striking the planet or some religious prediction coming to fruition. We’ve been on the brink several times throughout the cold war and even in today’s world.

With all of the nuclear weapons stockpiled, the toxic waste stored and who knows how many other contagions, weapons and pollution that we’ve created, it’s amazing we haven’t destroyed ourselves yet. What’s even more amazing is we haven’t created a Godzilla that rises every so often and destroys our cities.

Humanity screwing up and someone hitting the wrong button and destroying ourselves

is certainly more plausible than a group of people predicting a date thousands of years into the future when something was going to happen.

But, people are fascinated with the unknown and everyone loves a good conspiracy theory.

I also blame cable television like The History Channel, which is supposed to talk about history, but shows constant conspiracy theories about aliens invading, crystal skull hunting and the lady in the lake. The last time I turned on The History Channel, they had a special about searching for mysterious crystal skulls that would be the only way to stop the alien invasion from culminating on Dec. 21, 2012. It’s like someone took every conspiracy theory that’s become popular in the past 10 years thanks to pop culture, and combined them into one massive convoluted ratings grabber.

I can’t say for certain if something is going to happen on Dec. 21, 2012. I can’t say for certain if we’ll even be alive long enough for this column to make it to the presses. Believing these conspiracy theories is like taking a look at the supermarket tabloids and reading about the latest adventures of Batboy.

But why worry about it? If

Joshua Rouse

there’s something that’s going to happen on such a large scale, is worrying really going to prevent it? I never have understood that.

Besides, we already know there are aliens on Earth — they have their secret base in Antarctica. They’re communicating with the zombies who are living on the dark side of the moon, who are working with the mole men to take over the planet on Dec. 21, 2012. You heard it here fi rst folks.

Make sure to grab your mallets for some serious whacka-mole.

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Rachel Engel Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - Justin Cliburn Back Page Editor - Monica Garner Digital Editor - Kyle Luetters Circulation Manager - Matthew Penick

Newsroom Staff Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Jeramy Edison, Saman Samii, Megan Carothers, Andrew Osbourne, Rashmi Thapaliya, Jacob Russell, Melissa Rogers.

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

Newswriting Students

Thank you for what you do Support staff are unsung heroes of CU Often some of the most impressive and important things are unappreciated. At Cameron there are many things to be impressed with — the recent construction, the increase in student population or perhaps the visiting dignitaries and lecturers. However, one of the most impressive yet underappreciated aspects of Cameron has been functioning for the entirety of Cameron’s existence. This extraordinary act, this under-appreciated system, is that of our support staff.

Perhaps something can be said about the fact that often the best running systems are those, which you do not often notice. This is due in part to the system being so effective it rarely needs to be fixed or reformed. These characteristics are present in the individuals who make up Cameron’s Physical Facility workers, Information Technology staff and the other members of the Cameron family that keep us running smoothly and seamlessly day in and day out. Their work is evident all around campus.

One shining example of the unsung heroes of CU are the Physical Facilities workers who maintain the grounds. These individuals are charged with the upkeep of the entire campus.

They water the hundreds of trees, mow the grass, pick the weeds, clip the hedges and plant f lowers. These are just a few of the more prominent tasks that fall to these workers. Their handiwork can be seen throughout campus in the immaculate gardens and shrubs.

I challenge you to find an area of this campus that is not receiving their attention.

Another group of workers who take their job to heart are also a part of the Physical Facilities crew. The carpenters, painters, plumbers, and engineers can be seen all day, everyday and sometimes on the weekends maintaining and repairing anything that needs attention.

There are also a very large group of custodians who clean up after us on a daily basis. Some of the things that these individuals, some of whom work during the day and some at night, are tasked with are picking up our messes, taking out our trash, and tending to the restrooms. The custodians often rarely come in contact with the students, faculty and staff, who they are serving. However, they do not let this fact diminish the quality of their work.

Many people may not realize that the group of workers in Physical Facilities is responsible for the upkeep of the entire campus. Evidence of their importance is the fact that they are often booked weeks in advance for projects around campus. These individuals not only do their jobs well, but they take pride in what they are doing for Cameron University.

These people are truly part of the Cameron family.

Finally, a small team of Information Technology Services (ITS) employees step in when we mess up. Anytime there is a computer or technology problem anywhere on campus, it is these individuals who answer the call. They fix our computers when we open the wrong email or have network issues. The ITS workers help to maintain Cameron from a technological standpoint.

The behind-the-scenes workers of Cameron University are a group of truly dedicated people who deserve our thanks. It is the fact that they come to work every day and do their jobs extremely well without the expectation of a thank you that makes them so special. They are sometimes underappreciated, but they are a highly essential part of that which makes Cameron so great.

I send out my thanks to the people who keep us going, to the men and women who work their hardest to ensure that everything on campus runs smoothly and looks its best.

I want the individuals of our support staff to know that I and the rest of campus appreciate everything and that we could not do it without you. I want you all to know that you are an integral part of the Cameron family.

Jim Horinek

Brad Franks, Amanda Finch, Michael Faggett, Codye Watson, Rachel Engel, Amanda Phillips, Gabe Crawford, Alyssa Knerr, Anjana Prasain, Tammy Anderson, Hannah Muirhead, Tori Strecker, Taylor Thompson, Ifeoma Osanife, Anthony Foreman, Jessica Martinez, Jennifer Knapp, Tanesha Wilson, Stacy Hill, Aduke Adesida.

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.

8

Sports

November 23, 2009

Aggies face daunting preseason foes

Photo by Bennett Dewan

By Jeramy Eidson Collegian Staff The Lady Aggies started exhibition play Nov. 7 against the University of Tulsa, losing 81-54. The girls, despite losing by 27 and being a very small team, put up a good fight.

“It’s a growth process. A lot of good can come out of Saturday,” coach Tom Webb said.

Even with their lack of size, the Lady Aggies were barely out-rebounded.

Offensively, the Aggies kept their possessions alive with eight rebounds. On the defensive end, the Aggies snagged 35 rebounds. Tulsa

came away with 51 rebounds, 20 of which were offensive boards. The Aggies must take away as many offensive boards as they can, eliminating second scoring opportunities against upcoming opponent Texas Christian University.

“Rebounding shows toughness. I think we can do better. I’m not going to use our size as an excuse,” Webb said. “However, we are getting Amber Schroer back. We’ve got to be more aggressive attacking the rim.”

Texas Christian, a Division-I program, has grabbed national attention with their women’s basketball team. According to the

Associated Press poll, they received seven votes in the top 25.

Last season, Webb felt he had made a soft preseason schedule for his squad and therefore, they were not prepared for the regular season. This season, Webb went with the opposite approach and scheduled two tough opponents, hoping to give his players a good look at college basketball against some tough competition.

Against Tulsa, the Aggies were a low 2-21 in threepointers but Webb is not going to change his strategy.

They will continue to play the way he feels his squad is

best suited to play.

“Missed threes are something that we can correct with continued practice. Tulsa did a good job of using their size and speed to contest almost all of our shots,” Webb said.

The Aggies, despite forcing many turnovers, turned the ball over many times as well.

Webb feels that the players need to be more focused, cut down on the traveling violations and make better passes to maintain possession.

“There is no substitute for going up against a different team in their home gym. Intrasquad scrimmages can only prepare you so much,” Webb

said.

One aspect of the Aggie women’s basketball team that seemed impressive was their ability to get to the free-throw line and make shots. They did, however, send Tulsa to the line quite a few times, an area of their game that needs to be trimmed as well.

The Aggies are getting familiar with their new squad, with only three returning players from 2008. The Aggies will travel to TCU in hopes to overcome their size and inexperience and persevere against a tough Division-I team. The Aggies will began regular season play on Nov. 17 against Newman University.

Men’s Basketball season almost here

By Saman Samii Collegian Staff

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Doin’ work: Senior Guard/ Forward Kallan Glasgow drives in for a layup last season at the Aggie Gym. Glasgow will be expected to provide leadership on a team with 12 new recruits.

The Cameron Aggie men’s basketball season is just around the corner. This year’s basketball team is looking promising and, with a summer full of recruiting for the men, the sky could be the limit for their success in the 2009-2010 season.

The 2008-2009 men’s basketball season was one for the history books. After a general lack of success for the CU basketball team in recent seasons, the Aggies are looking strong for the upcoming one.

Last year, the men’s team surprised everyone when they made it to the Lone Star Conference tournament for the first time in 11 seasons. This year’s team could continue that success.

The men’s team added 12 new players for this season.

With momentum high from last year’s success, head coach Wade Alexander feels confident the new players will make a great impact on the team.

“We have a good mix of guys,” Alexander said. “We added a lot of height and strength to our team, and the new guys are really talented. If we can get the guys to play as a team, we can do really well this season.”

With the new recruits, the Aggie men’s basketball team is already a stronger unit than last year’s team. The goal is to make it to the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament.

However, Alexander looks at success in a unique way.

“Our goal is to play hard every game,” Alexander said. “If you play tough every game, the results will come. We need to continue to work hard on and off the basketball court.”

One notable signee for the men this year is former Texas Christian University (TCU) player Dernodo Eiland. The 6’6” shooting guard is known for his shooting abilities and is looking to help CU to another strong season.

“Dernodo is a great shooter, and he will definitely be a strong player in the Lone Star Conference this year,”

Alexander said.

Another key player to keep an eye on is Nathan Murray from Fort Worth, Texas. The 6’6” forward is a transfer from Navarro Junior College (NJC) in Texas. At NJC, Murray led his team to a Region XIV tournament championship and a berth in the NJCAA national tournament.

“Nathan is another player that is a proven winner,” Alexander said. “He played for a great high school and won a lot of games as well as a state championship there. Then he helped Navarro to get to the junior college tournament in a very tough Texas league, by winning their region no less.”

Just recently, the LSC released their preseason power rankings where Cameron was ranked as the third-best team in the North Division. Looking to defend their rankings and to climb higher in the polls, the Aggies will start their 2009-2010 basketball season on Nov. 19 when they travel to Goodwell, Okla. to take on Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

Holland’s team begins LSC title defense

By Jacob Russell Collegian Staff The Cameron Aggie baseball team and head coach Todd Holland are coming off a season in which the team set a record for most wins in a season with an overall record of 42 wins and 15 losses and won the Lone Star Conference regular season title.

After the success of last season and the fact that there may be as many as eight seniors starting for the Aggies, it is strange to hear Holland say he does not know what to expect out of this year’s squad.

“The rain killed our fall practice time. We only made it on the field for 15 of the 24 practices we are allowed,” he said.

“If you combine that with the players we lost from last year’s team, we really are not sure who we can utilize where.”

Holland also emphasized that, although he has not seen his team much, that does not mean he is worried.

“In the long run, baseball is 90 percent fundamentals,” Holland said. “You catch pop-

ups, grounders, throw to the right inning? This year we may have to base. It is all about repetition, get creative. Who knows, maybe and we have the talent. We just defense will be our strength.” need the reps, and we will get Last season, defensively, those in the the Aggies committed spring.”

Last season, 96 errors as a “Last year, we didn’t fundamentals team, a solid run much, because were less number, but of our power. Why important, and one that can be improved upon the offense took run yourself out of a center stage, this season. big inning? This year as the Aggies The we may have to get pounded their recruiting way through their creative, who knows battle in the Star schedule last may be defense will be Lone season compiling Conference our strength.” is a fierce 102 home runs and 129 doubles. competition.

— Todd Holland As a team, Baseball Head Coach andCoaches teams are they batted a shade under .350, looking for the one player who an average that is good no matter what league you can swing the momentum of the play in. This season is probably team. going to look a little different to Holland has always been a fans who watched last year’s team. great recruiter and once again has “Well we can tell that we are gone out and brought in players going to have a lot of speed, which who can add to this team. opens a lot of things up,” Holland “It’s so hard to put out names said. “Last year, we didn’t run because of our lack of reps on the field,” he said. “I can tell you that much, because of our power.

Why run yourself out of a big we are excited about the talent

on this team and are just looking forward to seeing how well they can gel with our returning players.”

Holland knows the importance of a team with good chemistry, as he accredits that to last season’s great team play.

“We weren’t the best talent last year, but we played better than anyone as a team,” Holland said. “That is very important, especially in our conference because we really don’t know which teams are going to be strong. There have been some changes all around us. We just need to focus on getting the best team on the field.”

The Aggies have a little over two months to continue practices, but even those are cut by both Thanksgiving and Christmas before they open the 2010 season on the road in Ft. Smith, Ark. against the university of Arkansas Ft. Smith, a game that Holland is looking forward to.

“I just want to play,” he said. “I know my players do too. We will be working to get better until this game and continue that through the season.”

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Charlie hustle: Outfielder Alex Lyons takes a Pete Rosestyle slide into third base during a home game at McCord Field.

The Aggies, who lost a majority of their big bats last season, will be forced to find a new offensive identity this season.

Sports

November 23, 2009

9

Barnett moves on to rookie league

By Jacob Russell Collegian Staff Beginning in elementary school, it is every athlete’s goal to go pro in their sport of choice, but few see that dream come true. However, one Cameron University baseball player has taken the next step towards accomplishing that lofty goal.

Senior Josh Barnett finished up his career at CU hitting .375 with 19 home runs, 82 RBIs and a .458 on-base percentage in two years for the Aggies.

Defensively, he committed only four errors in his 109 games for the Aggies.

These numbers, combined with the tools Barnett has displayed earned him the honor of being invited to the Frontier League fall try-out/work-out in Florida over the summer.

There, he impressed coaches from many teams, especially the coaches from the Southern Illinois Miners out of Marion, Illinois.

The Miners stated in a press release that they were impressed with his power and ability to get on base, as well as his speed and consistent play in the outfield.

Eventually, the Miners offered Barnett a contract, and he signed to play baseball in the Frontier Rookie League.

The contract eased the mind of Barnett early in the waiting period.

“It was honestly just a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders,” Barnett said. “I worked out all summer long and

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Signed, sealed and he delivers: Two year Aggie Outfielder Josh Barnett hits one of his 19 career homeruns at McCord Field last season. Barnett was recently the first of the ‘09 graduating class to be signed a contract with a semi-pro team. Barnett will be suiting up for the Southern Illinois Miners of the Frontier Rookie League next season.

Barnett batted .375 and drove in 82 runs in his two season career as an Aggie. His talent was not limited to the batters box as he only committing four errors in the field in 109 appearances for Cameron. played fall ball to stay in shape.

I am really excited to play baseball and extend my career further for myself.”

When Barnett contacted Cameron head coach Todd Holland with the news, it was almost what he expected to

hear.

“You know, from the second I saw Josh play, I wanted him here at Cameron,” Holland said. “He possesses all five of the tools that make a complete player. He keeps working harder to improve his game and

succeed at the next level. It’s not a surprise he got signed, and they just got themselves a ball player.”

Barnett credits his time here at Cameron and time spent in Lawton with helping him find his passion to play ball at an

increased level of competition.

“Well, right before I came here, I was really not happy with baseball,” Barnett said. “But I came to Lawton and enjoyed it. I had great teammates and coaches that made me want to play even more. Plus, living in Lawton, it was easy to stay out of trouble and focus on baseball.”

Transferring from the University of Texas-San Antonio to Cameron University was a major jump in the speed and intensity of the game.

Now, his jump from college to a professional team will be his largest yet.

“The Frontier League is not affiliated with any Major League teams,” Barnett said.

“It is a rookie league whose players are picked up and signed through the amateur draft.

The level of play however is equivalent to low double-A, good single-A baseball.”

The Miners open up their season on May 20, a game that Barnett is expecting to play in.

“Well they only have one outfielder returning,” Barnett said. “When they signed me, they hinted towards the fact that they are looking for me to produce early, and I have to be in the lineup to do that.”

No matter what happens, Barnett is embracing the opportunity and soaking up all of the knowledge he can to improve his game.

“I just love the game,” he said. “When I am done playing, I want to coach. I always want it to be a part of my life.”

Armchair Aggie attempts Softball Baseball and Softball, for whatever reason, conjure up the dreams of young men and women of becoming a legend by hitting colossal home runs.

I was not under that kind of self-delusion when I took the field to play against the Cameron Softball team.

Having watched this team play last season, the talent displayed by these athletes was undeniable.

The only question was, how badly would they make me look?

Head Coach Beth Watson talked me through some of the fundamental differences between Softball and Baseball, their were surprisingly few.

The day started with light batting practice, which consisted of hitting a ball off of a tee. This procedure only gave me false hope as to my chances of doing well in the batters box. Sedentary tees don’t throw fastballs.

Graduate Assistant Megan Young, an excellent hitter from last seasons team, threw me some warm up pitches and gave me all the insight she thought I needed into what to look for in the batters box.

Throughout batting practice players kept sneaking glances at my batting stance and swing trying to figure out how I would do later. I began to feel like they had little to no faith in me as well, but at least they continued to be upbeat and courteous.

After sufficiently warming up I took left field to see what kind of defense I could muster against a live batter.

The first couple of pop-ups were right to me, easy outs. The next couple of hits were big line drive and I was impressed with myself that I made a running play on two or three of them.

I was starting to fancy myself as the next softball Willie Mays when Coach Watson said it was my turn to bat.

Graduate Assistant Chelsey Jordan threw a handful of pitches to me while the team’s no. 1 ace warmed up.

Even though Jordan made her career as an Aggie at third base, and she probably was throwing more for accuracy than speed, the fact that I was able to drive her pitches into the outfield gave me just enough confidence to hang myself with.

Onto the field strode Sophomore pitching phenom Carrie Harvey.

Harvey threw a perfect game last season against a very game Missouri Southern team, so she had earned every accolade she had earned.

In reality Harvey is around 5’7” and is always wearing the most genuine ear-to ear smile, but when you are standing in the batters box you are facing the mystique built up by her 19 wins, 22 complete games and 174 strikeouts last season.

So in my eyes as I dug my feet in and tapped the bat on the plate I was facing a steely-eyed 7’5” pitcher who threw so hard the cover of the ball might fall off.

I looked to Catcher Callie Schlatter for reassurance, asking her if I had any chance of getting a hit. She just laughed; I can read between the lines, her thought was not a chance.

Harvey reared back and threw her first pitch. The ball settled into a cruising speed roughly the same as a fighter jet.

With the mound on a Softball field being roughly 40 feet away from the plate, the ball reaches the catchers mitt in no time.

I did the math, Harvey throws her fastball at a little over 94 feet per second.

That means the ball reaches the plate in 0.43 seconds which is just over twice the amount of time it takes to blink.

I swung and missed miserably, nearly spinning around due to my momentum.

The thought dawned on me that if I was going to get on base against a pitcher like this I would have to “accidentally” step into a fastball. Then it occurred to me that it might feel like walking into oncoming traffic.

On the next pitch I fouled off a fastball over the visiting dugout.

I realized immediately that my lack of batting gloves was going to be a huge problem.

I was able to fight off the next three pitches by fouling them straight back, the last of which hit the handle of the bat.

The reverberation of the hit made my hands feel like I was juggling a bonfire. My left palm bruised instantly, my right hand lost a dime sized piece of flesh and gained an eraser sized blister for my thumb.

A pretty impressive four pitches from Harvey ruined my hands.

Before the Softball match I had studied the batting stances of nine baseball players from the 80’s and 90’s.

During the next 30 or so pitches I unleashed all the stances and swings I could remember.

Harvey faced me channeling the likes of Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas, Andres Galarraga, Gary Sheffield and Wade Boggs and repeatedly struck me out.

Harvey can now claim to be the first Aggie to strike out an All-Century team of All Stars.

As Harvey got more and more warmed-up the fastballs sped up.

The pitches, which actually climb as they approach the plate, even tail away from a right handed hitter.

So each time I thought I was going to have a shot at a hit, the ball tailed away from my bat and all I hit was air.

During his reign as Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Joe Louis became so dominant that he beat all the contenders in his weight class. Louis’ promoters then had to find boxers from all walks of life to challenge the champ knowing they would lose. Journalists called these overmatched boxers the “bum of the month club.”

Until I played against the Cameron Softball team, and faced it’s no.1 pitcher, I never understood this label, but now I feel I may have earned club membership.

Bennett Dewan

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Slammin’ Swede: Freshman Amanda Moberg hits a return shot in a doubles match. Moberg is currently ranked 35 nationally in singles.

Tennis team rankings: Moberg era begins

By Saman Samii Collegian Staff The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) just recently released their National NCAA Division 2 fall rankings where both the Aggie tennis teams are within the 50 best teams in the nation. The Aggie men’s team is currently ranked at number 20 while the women stand at number 45 in the nation.

“I feel that we are in a good position right now, but I also feel that we definitely have better teams that what the rankings say,” head coach James Helvey said. “We definitely have the talent in both teams, and I feel that we will improve as the spring semester goes.”

Freshman and top women’s player Amanda Moberg of Sweden is currently ranked at number 35 in the nation in singles. Moberg had an outstanding fall season as she reached the semifinals of the ITA South Central Regional tournament and won both the singles and doubles title at the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Championship tournament.

On the men’s side, sophomore

Thomas Peixoto and senior Diego Troiano, both from Brazil, are nationally ranked at number 29 in doubles. The duo recorded some big wins in the fall season, which earned them a national ranking.

The women are looking strong for the upcoming 2010 season.

Spring is just around the corner, and Helvey has already signed two new high caliber players, one from Russia and one from Germany, to add to the already strong Aggie women’s team.

The men’s team is in a rebuilding stage. After losing three strong seniors from last year, the Aggie men will have their hands full in the spring. The Aggies did show throughout the fall season that they have one of the most talented teams in the LSC and Helvey said he feels confident for the spring.

“I was pleased with how the fall season went,” Helvey said. “I feel confident and look forward to another great Aggie tennis spring season. We have been working hard in the offseason, and I think our players are ready to compete.”

Both Cameron tennis teams will start their spring season in early February of next year.

10

Sports

November 23, 2009

Schroer double-dips on CU sports

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Just like Bo Jackson: (above) Senior Center Amber Schroer puts in a layup last season. (right) Schroer, who is also a Senior Blocker, tips the ball over the net. Schroer is playing both Basketball and Volleyball for the first time in both 2009 seasons.

As the volleyball season comes to a close and the basketball season begins, Cameron’s only two-sport athlete begins the second half of her playing year.

Amber Schroer tried out for the volleyball team in the spring after she wanted a break from basketball.

She was accepted on the team and played well throughout the season. She said it began rough, but she soon remembered the intricacies of the game.

“I played volleyball in high school, but this was the first time I ever played in college,” Schroer said. “I was able to catch onto some things and it turned out well at the end of the season. I was able to get the hang of the game again.”

Schroer tried out for the volleyball team because she wanted to try something different. Volleyball was her main sport in high school, so it seemed like a good idea, even though she hadn’t played on the college level before.

After she made the decision, she had no aspirations of playing basketball again this season.

“It turns out I decided to play basketball again,” she said. ”I’m at the point where I’m having fun.”

Schroer worried about moving from volleyball to basketball. While they’re both very active sports, she said the conditioning is completely different. However, she was able to make the transition between the two sports easier than she originally thought.

“It hasn’t been quite as bad as I thought it would be,” Schroer said. “The conditioning factor is what worried me. Playing basketball probably helped me get into volleyball, just because of the conditioning of basketball and the jumping ability. Now I’m trying to catch back up on basketball.”

Schroer doesn’t know which sport she prefers the most. She said prefers the active nature of both sports but couldn’t really pick between one or the other. Instead, she just tries her hardest to have fun at both.

“They’re two completely different sports, and I like both of them in their own ways,” Schroer said. “And there are some things about each sport that I don’t like as much.”

This will be the last year Schroer plays for the Cameron women’s basketball team. The medical technology senior will graduate in the fall of 2010.

She wants to have one last great year for the team as a senior, but still can look forward to volleyball again in the fall.

“I’m just trying to do what

I can with the time I have left,” she said. “I get to play volleyball one more year, which I’m excited about. But this is my last year of basketball.”

Right now, Schroer said she doesn’t regret the decision to come back and play basketball again. She’s kept good conditioning, which has allowed her to play both sports

without as much wear and tear on the body. She admits it has been hard to go straight from volleyball to basketball, but if she had to make the decision again, Schroer said she’d do it all over again.

“I’m at the point right now I don’t regret it,” she said. “I’m having fun.”

Korir running season of his life

By Jeramy Eidson Collegian Staff The Cameron University men’s cross country team recently competed in the NCAA South Central Regional. Cameron, having its best year yet in its short history, entered the race at the bottom of the chain.

With strong finishes by senior Josh Stewart, junior Mohamed Khelalfa and sophomore Julius Korir, the Aggies finished in fifth place, above previously higher ranked teams. The Aggies were very pleased with their finish, having also finished five spots in front of the Lone Star Conference champions: Abilene Christian University.

“I feel grateful. We didn’t believe coach Aguero when he told

us fifth place. I was thinking ninth or 10th. It was amazing,” Korir said.

In the midst of Cameron University’s best ever finish at the NCAA South Central Regional, Cameron’s top runner, Korir, finished fourth overall and was selected to represent CU in the NCAA National Championships.

Josh Stewart almost qualified for the All-Region team, slightly missing out by placing 18th in the race.

“Josh almost qualified for the All-Region team. He did really well for his final collegiate race,” coach Matt Aguero said.

Mohamed Khelalfa finished in 38th place.

“Mohamed did well but I was hoping that he might have a shot at a top 20 finish. I knew our top

three would run well because they have consistently all year,” Aguero said.

Korir has finished above most of the competition all season, finishing first for CU in every race.

“There was no doubt in my mind that I could do it. I keep improving,” Korir said.

All season long, Korir, Stewart and Khelalfa have competed against each other, finishing as the top three for CU in practically every race. The three, however, are not competing with each other, but are striving to encourage each other to push through the pain of running and endure the race.

“I don’t feel as if I have to compete with Josh and Mohamed.

During training we help each other,” Korir said.

Korir will be competing in the

NCAA National Championships on Nov. 21 in Evansville, Ind. where he will be running without Stewart and Khelalfa. However, if he finishes in the top 40, he will be classified as an All-American.

Cameron would feel honored if Korir came home an All-American, as would his teammates and Aguero.

Khelalfa feels that Korir will definitely come home with AllAmerican status.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll do it,” Khelalfa said.

While Korir is competing in the National Championships, his teammates will begin offseason training. Hopefully, when Korir begins his offseason training, he will be doing so as an AllAmerican.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Built for distance: Sophomore Julius Korir runs his way to an individual win earlier this season.

Aggies bolster squad with big Brazilian forward

By Amanda Phillips Newswriting Student Cameron has a lot to be excited about this basketball season with the addition of Vinicius Telo to the men’s team.

Telo, a 6’8” sophomore and a native of São Paulo, Brazil, will be playing guard and forward for the Aggies this season.

Telo said he has been enjoying his time at Cameron, but that there are a lot of adjustments he has had to get used to since he has been in the U.S., the most difficult being learning English.

However, he said that being around his English-speaking teammates has helped him with his language proficiency.

“Learning English was a hard transition for me, but I think I have become a lot better since I have been in the U.S.,” Telo said.

The Aggie newcomer also said it is difficult being away from his family and friends in Brazil.

“I miss my family and friends and going to the beach,” Telo said.

However, he finds some comfort in being able to speak to his family about once a week.

Telo also had to make adjustments in his game when he

came to the U.S. “In Brazil, we use the FIBA rules when we play, but here we don’t,” Telo said. “The rules here aren’t that hard to adjust to though, because the differences aren’t that big.”

Telo’s collegiate experience started at Eastern Arizona College.

He had some friends from Brazil who played for EAC, and they encouraged him to become a member of the team. He sent in videos of himself on the court to EAC’s coach. The coach was impressed and soon Telo was playing for his first basketball team in the U.S. He later transferred to Oklahoma City University, which is where he played last year. Telo said that Cameron men’s basketball coach Wade Alexander watched him play at OCU and recognized his talent. Alexander then recruited him to play for CU. Telo said that Cameron had the qualities he was looking for and is glad he made the choice to become an Aggie.

“I knew that Cameron had a good basketball program, and I knew that coach Alexander was a good coach, so I decided to play for Cameron. I like it here, so I’m happy I made that decision,” Telo said.

Telo’s been playing basketball

Photos by Bennett Dewan

I want to be like Mike: Sophomore Vinicius Telo throws down a dunk in the Aggie Madness event, which was fans’ first glimpse of the highly touted recruit. since he was 14 and attributes much of his initial interest in the sport to his size.

“I just kept growing and growing, and everyone kept telling me I should play basketball, so I did,” Telo said.

He also said he was influenced

by one of the game’s greatest players — Michael Jordan.

“When I was younger, I used to watch Michael Jordan play in the NBA on TV, and I wanted to be just like him,” Telo said. “He’s the greatest player ever.”

Telo said that basketball is not as

popular in Brazil as it is in the U.S. “Everybody in Brazil likes soccer. Not many people are interested in basketball. There are basketball leagues in Brazil, but they aren’t very strong,” Telo said.

There are no school-sponsored sports in Brazil either, he said.

Those who are interested in participating in a sport join independent leagues, and there are leagues for different age groups.

During Telo’s high school years, he won an impressive four state championships and two national championships.

Telo hopes the success he had in Brazil will continue at Cameron and has high expectations for the season.

“We have a really good team and great coaches. I expect to win,” Telo said.

When the 6’8” Sociology major is not on the court, he can probably be found studying in his dorm.

“It’s important to be focused because if you don’t make good grades you can’t play, and I want to be on the court all the time,” Telo said.

Telo will be making his home debut at CU’s first game of the season in the Aggie Gym on Nov. 27.

A&E

November 23, 2009

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Team Africa wins Iron Chef: Cameron

By Joyce McMillar Newswriting Student Cameron’s third annual Iron Chef, held in the Shepler Ballroom on Nov. 12, was an evening filled with unique foods, pretzels and an enthusiastic audience.

The event, composed of two teams and six students, was centered on incorporating pretzels into an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Pretzels, the “secret ingredient” of the event, were also given as a snack to the audience members.

Each team had only one hour to prep ingredients for their courses and one hour to prepare all the courses.

Sodexo, the contractor that Cameron uses for most oncampus food services, donated all of the ingredients provided for the contestants.

Three judges deliberated three factors including: presentation; creativity; and overall taste. Judge David Ghrayyeb, General Manager of Sodexo and chef for nine years,

said that variety and new ideas were key factors in his judging.

“Ultimately, I’m judging on taste but I really want the teams to incorporate the secret ingredient,” Ghrayyeb said.

Similarly, Judge Frank Myers, coordinator for perspective Student Services was focused on the taste of each course as well. “I want to see dishes that look magnificent but taste even better,” Myers said.

Team Caribbean Flavor and Team Africa were relatively equal; however, team Africa won the competition by only four points. Each member of team Africa received a $30 gift card from Wal-Mart and team Caribbean Flavor received $15 gift cards from Wal-Mart.

Emmanuel Okewl, a 19year-old Medical Technology major and member of Team Africa, feels that his mother provided inspiration in his love of cooking.

“My mother was a chef for Rolls Royce in England, and she has always been my

inspiration to cook,” Okewl said.

Team Africa believed that the entrée was the strongest dish of the evening. Arioua Odigia, an 18-year-old Nursing major, believed that their entrée, a chicken breast breaded with pretzels and spices, was definitely the standout dish of the evening.

“The ingredients we used were awesome. The sauce was a mix between the mustard and cheddar that was really great,” Odigia said.

The judges, however, were impressed by the use of the pretzels. Myers believed the deciding factor was actually being able to taste the pretzels in each course.

“For me, it was the use of the pretzels and if I could tell if the pretzels were used in the dishes. Every dish had great taste, so it came down to the incorporation of the pretzels,” Myers said.

Judge Corey Medley Guerra said that the best dish of the evening was the salt fish balls

Photo courtesy of Krystle McCorgary

Made fresh: Javee Morris of Team Africa wins the third annual Iron Chef: Cameron event by four points on Nov. 12 using the secret ingredient, pretzels, in each of its three dishes. appetizer, made with a mixture of salt, cod, mashed potatoes and various spices, created by Team Caribbean.

“I enjoyed the salt fish balls the most, but Africa did a better job of using the pretzels in every dish,” Guerra said.

Many audience members went away winners because of various prices given throughout the night. Included in the

Globetrotting fun: The ‘Modern Warfare 2’ campaign takes the player across the world, including Rio De Janeiro.

prizes were two blenders and two toaster ovens that were given away through a raff le drawing.

In addition, trivia questions were asked throughout the night and audience members who answered the questions correctly chose from prizes such as cookie cutters, cookbooks and cooking utensils.

MCT Campus

‘Modern Warfare 2’ is ‘Wrath of Khan’ of video games

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff From the time it was announced, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” was destined to not only become the best selling game of the year, but of all time. The real question was whether the game would live up to its massive hype. We’ve already had several games in the past several years that failed to live up to the standards that fans have set, including “Halo 3” and “Spore.” So it’s a welcome relief that “Modern Warfare 2” not only lives up to the hype but surpasses it in many ways.

Ever since the series stepped into more contemporary grounds with “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare,” the focus has been on the multiplayer aspect of the game, while the single player campaign often felt like an afterthought.

The first “Modern Warfare” campaign was enjoyable, and had an interesting plot, but felt flat in many areas. Enemy clown car spawning and grenade spam could make even the most levelheaded and skilled gamer throw their controller out of utter contempt. Those problems are gone in “Modern Warfare 2.”

This time, the difficulty is still there, but deaths don’t feel as cheap.

Enemies don’t spam grenades like

players online do. Gone are the clown car spawns and endless waves of enemies until the player reaches an invisible checkpoint. There will be moments in the campaign where it feels like there is a never-ending onslaught of enemies coming at you, but eventually you will kill them all and be able to move forward.

The enemy A.I. has been tremendously improved with “Modern Warfare 2.” Enemies will flank, take cover and will even go prone and play dead to get the upper hand against you. After five games of the same gameplay repackaged, it’s refreshing to see the “Call of Duty” series finally get proper enemy A.I. and more modern gameplay designs, including a more open path. Instead of the faux corridor crawling areas that plagued its predecessors, “Modern Warfare 2” features significantly more open areas than before. Too many enemies in one area for you to tackle? Simple take another path or sneak around them. For a game that prides itself on pure intense action, there are several places where the player can opt to avoid conflict instead of taking it head-on. These levels are similar to “Ghillies in the Myst” from “Modern Warfare,” where

Capt. Price had to sneak through an area without raising any alarms.

“Call of Duty” isn’t “Splinter Cell,” and you’re not Sam Fisher, but the variety is welcome.

No doubt, most people will buy “Modern Warfare 2” for the multiplayer, but the campaign is something that shouldn’t be cast aside so easily. It is, hands-down, the most engaging, intense and fun campaign seen in a “Call of Duty” game to date. If you thought the storyline in the first game was overthe-top, there are so many twists and turns that you’ll be so confused as to who is your friend and who is your enemy that you’ll want to shoot every person you find, friend or foe. Infinity Ward obviously took a page out of the Michael Bay book of sequels and just threw everything they could into the game.

Five years after the events of “Modern Warfare,” Capt.

“Soap” MacTavish is a leader of Task Force 141, a multi-national commando group similar to the British S.A.S. from the first game.

“Modern Warfare 2” centers on the events caused by a new terrorist, Mackerov, who is attempting to bring chaos to the world. After an initial training skirmish in Afghanistan, players are faced with the ultimate moral dilemma

MCT Campus

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas: Vehicles are a new addition in the campaign for Infinity Ward. An intense snowmobile chase kicks the campaign off with a bang.

when one of the multitudes of playable characters joins Mackerov’s terrorist organization and begins unleashing an unnerving attack.

The player can participate or opt out at the beginning of the game.

The decision won’t affect the storyline or completion statistics, but the attack is gut-wrenching and often disturbing, even for a video game. The attack sparks a literal World War III with an invasion of the United States.

The one drawback of the campaign is its brief length. A skilled player can beat the game in less than six hours. While it’s a little on the short side, there’s no artificial filler. It’s a non-stop action ride from the front until the credits roll at the end. This is the first game that has truly captured that summer blockbuster action feel. And, much like summer blockbusters, the plot is completely ridiculous. Instead of traditional cut scenes, the story is told through briefing screens, similar to the first “Modern Warfare,” and character dialogue. This can lead to some of the confusion as to what’s going on, but at least it doesn’t get in the way of the action.

Obviously, the multiplayer is where the meat of the game is and it doesn’t disappoint. Many of the downright useless perks from the first game, like eavesdrops, are gone. Many of the other perks are now unlockables for weapons.

Deep impact is gone, but a weapon attachment can give bullets more penetration against walls and structures. New perks have been added, including one that allows you to remain completely invisible to thermal scopes and targeting computers used on predator missiles and the AC-130. The multiplayer feels more balanced and now there’s no one weapon that’s perfect in all situations. The M16 with red dot scope is not going to dominate on this game.

Customizable kill streaks are the largest improvement to the multiplayer. Instead of having the standard UAV, air strike and helicopter trio, players can now

unlock kill streak bonuses as they progress through the ranks. Players can call in remote-controlled predator missiles that can be dropped on anyone’s head if they’re out in the open. If you’re good enough, you can take control of an AC-130 like in “Modern Warfare” or completely end the match with a tactical nuke strike. Players will need to coordinate with their teams for many of the bonuses to work properly. Everyone is excited to try the new bonuses and have forsaken UAVs, which are almost essential for airstrikes and other attacks.

There is no traditional cooperative campaign in “Modern Warfare 2.” Instead, a new mode called Spec Ops has been added.

The third “Modern Warfare 2” game mode is similar to the “Mile High” level at the end of “Modern Warfare.” Up to two players can partake in more than two dozen missions that break the mold of the standard “Call of Duty” gameplay.

The missions start out simply by holding off several waves of enemies until extraction, but get much more complicated later. Players are graded on their performance by finishing time or what difficulty they play on. The new star grade will keep players coming back to shave seconds off their time or to tackle a challenge on Veteran instead of Normal.

It’s too early to tell whether “Modern Warfare 2” will live up to the immense hype that built in its pre-release months. The campaign is the best experience yet, although it’s too short and confusing. But the same groundbreaking multiplayer from “Modern Warfare” is back.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, Infinity Ward stuck with what worked and built upon it. Spec Ops adds even more replay value with a friend, making the whole package hard to pass up. This is truly the “Wrath of Khan” of video games and is the must-have title for every gamer this year. If you haven’t bought it already, do so or put it at the top of your Christmas list to Santa Clause.

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A&E

November 23, 2009

Seasonal classics bring holiday cheer

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Tis the season to sit around the house with a cup of cocoa and watch movies.

Classes will soon be let out, and in-laws will begin flooding in. What better way to celebrate the Christmas season then barricading yourself in your house and checking out some great holiday fi lms that can only be seen once a year? Th is is one of the few times when you can watch “A Christmas Carol” and not feel depressed that it’s not Christmas yet. TBS will, no doubt, have their wretching 24hour marathon of the horribly overrated “A Christmas Story.”

If you want to waste another year on that tripe, TBS is your place to watch. But if you want some quality holiday fi lms, here is a list of the 12 best movies to watch while you wait on Santa Clause to come and the relatives to leave.

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “The Santa Clause.” Before Tim Allen became unfunny, he actually starred in one of the few holiday cashin movies that was pleasant to watch.

After he kills Santa

Clause by accident, Scott Calvin assumes the role of Santa Clause when he puts on the suit. Don’t waste your time on the two sequels; the original is the only one worth watching.

Hilarious “Home Improvement” style antics abound, and Allen makes a surprisingly good Santa.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “The Polar Express.”

The motion capture used by Robert Zemeckis is still creepy.

Hello uncanny valley. But this adaptation of the popular children’s book still brings me back to much simpler days when I still believed in ole Saint Nick.

Tom Hanks does a good job in several roles and the movie provides great eye candy. If you have children, it’s one movie they can enjoy year after year, even when they eventually get creeped out by the odd looking characters.

On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “Miracle on 34th Street.”

The original, not the remake, is an overlooked classic that shouldn’t be missed. It brings to light the turmoil every child goes through when they fi nd out Santa isn’t real.

Though, this mysterious stranger looks like Santa, talks like Santa, smells like Santa, so he must be Santa?

It’s truly one of the must-see holiday fi lms.

On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “Gremlins.”

A dog gets strung up with Christmas lights, how can that not be in the

spirit of the holidays? You have to love a movie that literally pioneered a new rating in the Motion Picture Association of America’s ratings system.

They’re funny, they’re festive and they have a penchant for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” “Gremlins” is one of those movies that will stand the test of time and can be watched any time during the year; it’s just a little more special during the holidays. Just make sure to keep it in the dark, don’t get it wet and make sure not to feed it after midnight.

On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “Scrooged.” Before Bill Murray became boring and un-funny, he was one of the best comedians around. He gave us classics like “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day,” but his classic retelling of “A Christmas Carol” has always been overrated. He plays a TV executive who gets visited by the three ghosts of Christmas and must atone for everything he’s done in his life.

You have to love a movie when the Ghost of Christmas Past is a taxi cab driver. It may not be the superior version of Charles Dickens’ classic, but it’s up there with the best.

On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “White Christmas.” Th is movie gave us the most popular Christmas song ever. How can it not be put on the list? It is one of the few movies Bing Crosby starred in, and he did such a great job that it’ll always be remembered as a timeless classic.

On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “Die Hard.” You can’t get a much better Christmas celebration than wise-cracking John McClane taking out terrorists

in a high rise. There’s no snow, there’s no Santa Clause, but there’s plenty of Bruce Willis in a wife-beater. It takes place during a Christmas party, so that’s Christmas enough.

Besides, do you really need an excuse to watch one of the best modern action fi lms?

On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “A Muppet Christmas Carol”/”A Christmas Carol”/”Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” Take your pick of versions for this beloved classic. I prefer the Muppets, George C. Scott and Mickie and the gang for my holiday sampling. Each one offers a different view on the story, but they’re all classics. I grew up watching Scrooge McDuck yell at Mickie and try to cheat him out of Christmas.

I went to the theater to see the Muppets give their wacky take on it. And I fi nally saw my fi rst traditional adaptation with George C. Scott, which is still the superior traditional version.

The story is still the same, but you can watch all three and still not be bored.

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

I almost teared up the very fi rst time the townspeople began singing outside the Grinch’s lair.

It’s so bait and switch, but “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is still a great fi lm to watch and enjoy, but beware; it can be sad.

Avoid the live action version like the plague. Ron Howard, what were you thinking?

On the 3rd day of Christmas

my true love gave to me: “A Charlie Brown Christmas”/”It’s Christmastime Charlie Brown”/”I Want a Dog for Christmas Charlie Brown.” It wouldn’t be a holiday without a beloved “Peanuts” classic. All three are wonderful classic fi lms that make me wish someone else could take up the mantle and bring the dimwitted child and his crazy beagle back.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer”/”Frosty the Snowman.” Wood animation movies are works of art, and it’s a shame that art died. Both of these movies are must-watch this holiday season. If you miss their annual CBS showings, buy them on DVD. Movies like these make me wish Christmas lasted longer.

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” When a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.

James Stewart was one of the fi nest actors ever to grace the screen, and this is perhaps one of the best movies he ever made.

He plays a man who makes too many mistakes during the Great Depression and nearly kills himself, but gets a helping hand from an angel who’s trying to get his wings. It may be shown a lot during this time of the year, but it’s such a great movie that you can watch it over and over again. There are so many quotable lines and memorable moments that you’’ll spend the entire year reciting them until it’s Christmas again.

‘V’ reboot brings scifi back to television in style

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff “Must-see” television isn’t exactly easy to come by these days. Between the hours of brain cell depriving reality television and horrible sitcoms that are still trying to capture the magic of “Seinfeld,” television hasn’t been very watchable lately.

When ABC announced it was rebooting the classic sciencefiction series “V,” it was not a good day. The original miniseries was one of those bastions of science-fiction television that should never be touched. It was great the way it was when it originally aired.

Thankfully, someone knew what they were doing when they started from scratch and decided to bring the sexy lizards back. With an all-star cast of stars ranging from “Lost” to “Smallville” to “Firefly,” “V” offers a new hope for science-fiction fans who have been left in the cold.

The initial premise of the show is fairly straight forward: aliens arrive on Earth with the promise of peace and advanced technologies to share with humanity. However, their underlying motives aren’t as humanitarian.

The show has only been on the air for three episodes, but it has

already garnered a solid audience, and for good reason. The first two episodes were extremely fast paced, almost to the point of going too fast. New characters and subplots were introduced, which wound up creating a convoluted mess.

There’s the FBI agent and her son, the Catholic priest, the news anchor and the businessman, as well as an assortment of other supporting characters. By the third episode, the show has begun to slow down and settle into a more methodical pace.

Unlike “Lost,” “V” has not taken several episodes to explain one plot point. Instead, it keeps the flow of the story going, striking a

careful balance between episodic and serial narration styles.

The special effects are impressive for television standards. The giant spaceships that hover over the major cities of the world are intricately detailed, but some of the scenes inside the ships are not as impressive.

While many of the initial arrival scenes are ripped straight from “Independence Day,” the whole package is fresh.

Much like its predecessor, “V” takes real-world events and adapts them to fit in the series’ universe. Chad, the news anchor, is forced to decide between his journalistic ethics and the story of a lifetime as the exclusive

media contact for Anna and the rest of the visitors. One of the underlying plot points thus far is whether the visitors will be granted access to American soil as legal aliens, paralleling the plight of many immigrants trying to come into the United States.

It’s too early to say whether “V” is going to be a surefire hit, or the next “Lost.” But right now, the writers have shown they can craft an interesting plot arc and balance it with fast-moving episodes each week. For any science-fiction fans, this is one television show that shouldn’t be missed, at least for now.

“V” airs weekly at 7 p.m. on ABC.

Theatre presents Euripides Iphigenia at Aulis

Bryan West as Agamemnon and Neila K. Ettienne as Klytaimnestra

Chris Jefferson as Menelaos and Bryan West as Agamamnon

A&E

November 23, 2009

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Christmas tradition continues

For some people, it is the first cup of eggnog; for others, it is the hanging of the Christmas lights or the trimming of the tree. For me, Christmas truly begins after having watched eight different versions of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol.”

That may seem redundant, but as a family tradition that I have come to love, there is nothing that compares.

Sure, we watch other classic Christmas movies, such as “A Christmas Story”, “National Lampoon’s: A Christmas Vacation” and “Bad Santa.”

Well, dad watches that; mom is not much of a fan. But the season is never complete without Ebenezer Scrooge.

I’m not quite sure how the tradition got started, but I do remember resenting Dickens as a teenager for the torture he put me through after watching eight versions of the classic story with very little derivation from the basic plot.

It seemed ridiculous to have to sit through essentially the same movie and listen to a language I did not understand and did not care to decipher. Why was I wasting perfectly good vacation days from school for this? Can we say, “Bah, humbug?”

Somewhere along the line though, my feelings toward this tradition changed, and now I feel like a Scrooge connoisseur, comparing and

Rachel Engel

contrasting George C. Scott to Patrick Stewart (a very close race) or Albert Finney to Kelsey Grammar (Finney, hands down). For weeks after Christmas I walk around singing, “Father Christmas, Father Christmas . . . “ and repeating the phrase, “Then they should do it, and decrease the surplus population.” It’s kind of grim for a tale that is supposed to have a happy ending, but it’s my favorite line.

Yes, the story is old, but the moral of the story can still be applied, even if you don’t plan on buying a large goose for the family of a kid with a permanent crutch that probably could have been treated with modern medicine. The basic theme of kindness towards others is and should always be universal and should not be tied to the guilty feeling you get when passing the red Salvation Army kettle after spending $500 at Best Buy. However, I should correct myself and say that we don’t always watch all eight versions.

The black and white 1938 f lick we usually bypass. The three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future were one step up from white sheets with eye-holes, and it’s not a family favorite. My dad usually bails on the Finney rendition because of the multiple song and dance sequences involved since he has an incredible distaste for all musicals, from Annie to Xanadu. My mom is partial to the Alastair Sim version, but my sister and I find that one to be a tad slow moving. Pretty much the only one we agree on is the Scott version, and it’s usually the first one we watch each year.

Since the different versions span from 1938 to 1999, one of the most interesting things I notice is how special effects have evolved over the years.

In the older versions, you’re left wondering how people actually bought that Scrooge was talking to a ghost without having to really use their imagination; in the newer versions, you’re wondering if he

was talking to an actual spirit.

As with all classic stories, remakes come every few years, and each new take on the story tries to set itself apart from its predecessors with creepier images of Scrooge’s dead partner, Marley, or a more sickly-looking Tiny Tim. I’m always sad to see Christmas come to an end, because along with the ornaments, the music boxes and the tree, the movies go back in to hibernation and wait another long year to be enjoyed.

As a family, we have wonderful moments all year long, but there is something very special about watching Ebenezer Scrooge learn his lesson with my family again and again and again. Of all the family moments my parents have shared with me, this will be one of my favorite traditions I carry on to my own family.

When my teenagers shoot daggers at me from the couch, I will just smile, because eventually, they’ll come to love Scrooge too.

Despite action, special effects, ‘2012’ falls short

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff “2012” is quite possibly the happiest disaster movie of all time.

The world is destroyed.

Billions of people are dead.

Civilization as we know it is gone forever, yet it still manages to keep an upbeat tone.

Director Roland Emmerich certainly knows how to take even the most somber situations and turn them into something positive. There are so many similarities that “2012” almost plays out like a spinoff of his previous disaster film, “The Day After Tomorrow.”

Emmerich is a maestro of destructive set pieces. Love him or hate him, the man knows how to blow things up. He’s made a career out of it with movies like “Independence Day” and “Godzilla,” but he still hasn’t figured out how to piece each action piece together with a well-thought out, meaningful human interest. Instead, moviegoers are left with some groundbreaking special effects, plenty of action and a serious lack of human connection.

“2012” has no soul, which is the best way to put it. There

are several groups of people caught in this destructive force that somehow coincides with the end of the Mayan calendar. Jackson Curtis tries to reconnect with his divorced wife and kids before the whole west coast falls into the ocean.

Meanwhile, Adrian Helmsley struggles with his conscience and his estranged father, as an adviser to the president and one of the original people who discover the world will end.

The characters are as twodimensional as a piece of paper.

Children’s book characters have more depth than these people.

The real star, obviously, is the special effects and the destruction. The destruction scenes are some of the most impressive looking pieces of film ever to come out of Hollywood. Too bad for a movie that clocks in at well over 150 minutes, they’re few and far in between. The problem with these scenes is that the people involved are so dimwitted, so stupid, that immersion is completely lost. A small airplane f lies through a huge fissure opening in Los Angeles while trains, automobiles and other planes fall all around them. Instead of f lying up

above everything, they continue generic disaster film with entire premise of the movie, and to f ly right through it all. Sure, hardly any connection to the it fails miserably. it looks really cool and jaws Mayan calendar, which ends Regardless, “2012” is exactly dropped all over the audience, on Dec. 21, 2012. In fact, what it sets out to be: a fullbut the suspension of belief is the Mayan calendar is only blown end of the world disaster just too much. mentioned maybe four times film. Despite it’s heavy-handed, Belief is something that has in the entire film. The only borderline preaching, moral to be put on the shelf so much connection to the date is the ending, there is enough eye in this movie that common fact that the end of the world candy to distract from the sense collects dust. “2012” is begins some time in 2012, but extremely overlong running so over the top it puts “The no specific date is ever given. time. The destruction is great Day After Tomorrow” to A newscaster speaks brief ly while it lasts, but you’ll find shame. The science behind about how the Maya predicted yourself wanting to see more the entire event is laughable the end of the world on the volcanoes explode and more at best. Supposedly, the sun specific date, which has already earthquakes tear holes in the sends out so much radiation been disproven by Maya earth instead of John Cusack that the Earth’s core begins descendants and people with hamming his way through a to melt, causing the crust to common sense. But that’s the dull script with Amanda Peet. shift, which causes earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, tsunamis and a bunch of other eye candy. Somehow, paranoid nutjob Woody Harrelson, a radio station operator living in the woods, knows the entire plan before anyone. The whole hook of the movie is supposed to be that the MCT Campus Maya predicted this.

May day: A plane flies through a crumbling city in the dooms day film “2012,” a “2012” is a film based on the Mayan prediction that the world will end that year.

‘A Christmas Carol:’ Same story, fresh approach

By Rachel Engel

haunting the earth.

Scrooge is shown as old, Collegian Staff wrinkly and cursed with pointed bones and an extreme Going into this movie, one pointed chin, reminiscent of might be wary of the prospect Jay Leno. Scrooge’s business of Jim Carrey taking on the partner, Jacob Marley is a role of Ebenezer Scrooge in bit more terrifying than his the Charles Dickens classic predecessors and uses the full “A Christmas Carol”, after extent of the theater’s sound seeing the disaster of a job system when attempting he did in the adaptation of to frighten Scrooge into Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch submission. The Ghost of Stole Christmas.” Luckily for Christmas Past is an effeminate movie-goers, the latest remake man in the shape of a candle with the f lame as his head, and while speaking, the f lame moves from side to side as if f lickering in the wind.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is a large, seemingly Irish man with a f lowing red robe, and laughs at the sight of Scrooge’s MCT Campus embarrassment on Bah humbug: Jim Carrey stars in the animated remake of Charles Dick- their journey as they ens’ “A Christmas Carol,” playing not only Ebenzer Scrooge, but the ghost look into the lives of of his deceased partner, Jacob Marley , and the voices for the Ghosts of those he has made Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. bleak. The movie takes on a darker of Dickens’ Christmas staple is above and beyond what this reviewer expected.

Writer and director of the film Robert Zemeckis allowed the movie to follow the traditional storyline of “A Christmas Carol,” where Scrooge is depicted as a miser, frugal with his money and time, and is haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come in an attempt to save his soul from an afterlife of

tone during the last spirit to haunt Scrooge, as expected, when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, characterized by a figure that closely resembles the Grim Reaper, reveals to Scrooge that unless he changes his ways, the future holds a very dishonorable death.

In addition to voicing Scrooge, Carrey also lends his voice to Marley, as well as the three spirits that haunt Scrooge. As recognizable as Carrey’s normal speaking voice is, viewers won’t realize Carrey is voicing multiple roles, or even involved in the film at all because of how he disguises himself.

The real surprise is how closely the movie mimics the original Dickens tale, not only following the original plot laid out by Dickens, but also in the dialogue. Despite being released by Walt Disney Pictures, Zemeckis does not cater to the younger audience, but mostly uses phrases wordfor-word from the original writing, which might make it hard for children to understand the full extent of the story; however, the look of the film

will keep their attention, even if the language doesn’t.

The movie was released in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D, and the experience of a performance capture film has improved immensely since Zemeckis’ attempts with “The Polar Express” in 2004 and “Beowulf ” in 2007. Despite an inordinate amount of scenes that followed Scrooge attached to one of the spirits f lying through the air, the use of 3D in the film is more artistic, and succeeds in giving the viewer the feeling of actually being involved in a conversation or action scene.

Thanks to the realistic look of the falling snow and the eerily life-like expressions ref lected on the faces of the characters, “A Christmas Carol” is able to rise above average animated movies into an entire category all its own.

Though a bit darker in some places than most parents would expect a movie released by Walt Disney Pictures, Zemeckis’ “A Christmas Carol” is a wonderful start to the holiday season.

Bah humbug, indeed.

14

Variety

November 23, 2009

The holidays are quickly approaching and the fall semester will soon be over. With the holidays come decorations, music, food and family. The holiday season means that for the common student there is an increase in free time. For those seeking something to do with their free time in the Lawton area there are many options available.

Cameron University treelighting ceremony will be held on Thursday, Dec. 3 at the McMahon Center from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Disney’s “A Christmas Carol,” starring Jim Carrey, opened on Nov. 6 in 3-D. Rated PG for scary sequences and images. This is a film that may scare young children.

“Invictus,” starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, opens on Dec. 11. This film tells the story of Nelson Mandela after the fall of apartheid in South Africa and how he rallied with the 1995 South African Rugby team to reunite the country. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Holiday in the Park opens Nov. 21 and will be open until Dec. 31.

Located in Elmer Thomas Park, off of Ferris and 3rd street.

Chickasha Festival of Light opens Nov. 24 and will be open until Dec. 31. Located in Shannon Springs Park, Chickasha, Okla. The Festival of Light is open from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

“Avatar,” starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, opens on Dec. 18. This film is the highly anticipated epic by James Cameron that is ultimately a love story. The plot features a human who falls in love with an alien princess while attempting to acquire a valuable resource from her planet. This film is not yet rated.

The 17th Annual Altus Christmas in the Park opens Nov. 21 and will be open until Dec. 31.

Located in Altus City Park.

“Nine,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz, opens Dec. 18. It is a theatrical adaptation of the stage musical about a struggling director who tries to find harmony in his life as he juggles relationships between his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent and his mother. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking.

“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” starring Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell, releases Dec. 25. It is Ledger’s last film, about a man who is granted the gift of immortality who owns a traveling show called the Imaginarium which allows its audience to choose between brightness and joy, darkness and gloom. Rated PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking.

“Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, releases on Dec. 25. This is the story of super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Dr. Watson, who try to stop an occultist from destroying England. This film is not yet rated.

Another form of entertainment students can look into on their holiday vacation is the live music offered in many locations in the area.

Scooters is the most popular place to find Country music played.

Although there is no live music here, there is a large dance floor and bar and is frequented by a large population of young people from Lawton and the surrounding areas.

Rinie’s Wine Bar offers a quieter atmosphere and features a house band. Live band music can also be found at the Medicine Park Winery.

CrossRhoades Tavern offers many different genres of live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. In CrossRhoades, there is everything from Blues and Country to Hip Hop and Metal played. They also offer karaoke every Sunday and Tuesday nights.

The Railhead Saloon is a venue where live Metal is usually played.

Live performances can be seen every Friday and Saturday nights.

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