The Cameron University Collegian: October 12, 2009

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

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Monday, October 12, 2009

News

Volume 84 Issue 7

LPS looks to citizens for funding Half-cent sales tax increase, bond issue goes to voters Tuesday

By Jim Horinek Collegian Staff

Technology Department holds first robotics course.

SEE PAGE 4

A&E

‘Oklahoma Review’ hits 10-year mark.

SEE PAGE 6

Tuesday, voters will be presented with two proposals that, if passed, will go toward Lawton Public Schools (LPS) district-wide projects to update and improve many aspects of the school system.

According to the Keep Improving District Schools Web site, “Lawton is experiencing unprecedented growth and it is putting stress on its schools’ transportation system, buildings and teaching technology.”

The proposals are designed to address the issues that the increases in student population and general decline of buildings and equipment have caused for the LPS system.

The money will be raised through a half-cent sales tax increase and a bond issue that would authorize LPS to issue $37.3 million in bonds. From this money, there is a large list of planned improvements.

One of the improvements involves the transportation systems used by LPS and another promises to construct new classrooms at many different schools within the LPS system.

Hossein Moini is a member of the Lawton Education Advancement Project (LEAP) for kids, which is a committee that has helped to identify the best ways to use the money and will oversee the spending of the funds that the initiatives would bring.

Moini sees a definite need for the improvements that will be possible if the proposals pass.

“We have not paid for the needs of Lawton Public Schools for a long time. What I mean by that is, in 2004 we passed a bond issue, which was great,” Moini said. “But the time before the 2004 bond issue, the last time Lawton passed a bond issue was 21 years before that.”

The growth of Lawton has been cited as one of the causes for the needs for improvements and expansion.

According to Moini, the Base Realingment and Closure Commission (BRAC) plays a large role in the reason that the proposals need to be passed.

How LPS plans to spend the funds Security: To reduce outside threats to students, security would be enhanced by installing fencing, gates and automated emergency door locking systems.

Technology: Funds generated through the proposals will be used to upgrade computer labs at all levels of the school district with new equipment and software.

Transportation: Two-thirds of LPS school buses are more than 15 years old — and many are more than 30 years old.

With the proposal, LPS will replace 50 buses.

Other Projects: • Classroom Additions • Access for Disabled • Athletic Facilities • Performance Sites • Music

See VOTE Page 2

Photo courtesy of K.I.D.S.

Student life on campus continues to see growth

Sports

By Rashmi Thapaliya Collegian Staff

Photo by Jim Horinek

Women’s basketball ready to hit the court.

Housing: Events like the Barn Dance are a major part of student life on campus.

With many events going on at Cameron, student life on campus has grown quite a bit, and the high enrollment this semester has made the campus much busier.

Dean of Student Services Jennifer Holland said that a significant growth in enrollment has had a great impact on the students’ activities. She said that there are 543 students living on campus now in comparison to 220 students in 2005, when the Cameron Village was just built.

“There are more people, which causes the more active life,”

Shegog, a licensed student counselor has been helping the students at Cameron since last year. Shegog helps students during the transition period from high school to college, helping them manage test anxiety and work on time management.

Holland said the university is also planning to establish a wellness clinic on campus by the fall of 2010. There will be a nurse practitioner helping the students with their minor health problems.

See LIFE Page 2

CU adjusts to budget cuts, prepares for possibility of more

SEE PAGE 8

By Megan Carothers

Voices

Letterman brings hypocrisy to light.

SEE PAGE 5

Holland said. “There are also about 90 student organizations active at Cameron now.”

Holland said that Student Services wants to make sure that the resources are available to the student organizations so that they can grow more. She is excited about the great variety of organizations on campus, which has brought a lot of diversity.

“The majority of students at Cameron are from Lawton, and it is exciting to see that students from 45 countries and 50 states together make a diverse community learning about each other at Cameron,” Holland said.

Holland said that Deanice

Photo by Jim Horinek

that money a challenge.

“We wanted to move forward on Collegian Staff our goals in Plan 2013, but yet we After starting the current knew we needed to be conservative fiscal year with a $956,726 (4.14 and prudent in our budgeting,” percent) state budget cut, Cameron President Ross said. “In addition to University has received its second that, we knew that there monthly 5 percent was some likelihood that state budget cut — an we would have additional additional loss for the “We will move heaven budget cuts. So when university totaling and earth not to impact developing the budget, $186,000 for the first students, and we will not we did include a number two months this fiscal of new initiatives, but compromise academic year. most of them involved Furthermore, quality. We will take all one-time money, not State Treasurer Scott recurring money.” other measures before Meacham advised President Ross said that additional budget we do that.” that there are several reductions are likely, ways that Cameron — Dr. Cindy Ross has adjusted to the Cameron University President Cindy Ross CU President most recent budget said. cuts, which are effective CU was fortunate immediately. to receive just over $1.7 million in federal stimulus money, President Ross said, but that See BUDGET money cannot be used for recurring Page 4 expenses, which made budgeting

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News

October 12, 2009

VOTE continued from page 1 “Due to BRAC, Lawton - Fort Sill is going to end up with an additional 10,000 people and all indications are that there will be somewhere between 1,200 to 1,500 students that will come as the family members of these 10,000 people,” Moini said.

He explained that, as part of the BRAC implementation, Lawton has to do its part to prepare and accommodate those new students.

“We have said all along that, if BRAC happens, then we will take care of the soldiers and their family members, and we still have every intention of making that happen,” Moini said. “Part of the reason for passing this bond issue is that we have to take care of the family members of the soldiers.”

According to the LEAP Committee, the improvements and updates that will be possible if the proposals pass will benefit Lawton as a whole in many different ways.

“In any community, the quality of the public

school system is vital to the strength and prosperity of the entire community,” Jennifer Holland, LEAP Committee member, said. “In Lawton, it is no different. It is important that students have access to bright, spacious classrooms that are conducive for learning, as well as updated technology and instructional materials.”

Moini said that he understands how some people could have apprehensions about voting for an increase in taxes.

“I don’t want to pay any more taxes either, and my children are nearly done with the public schools. But I know the value of that school system, and I think that everyone else does,” Moini said. “We know what happens to the kids who go to school and get a good education. Then the ones that were not taken care of, we have to take care of them later. We need to pay to upgrade our schools.”

The LEAP Committee foresees possible benefits

for Cameron from the passage of the proposals.

“Obviously, better academic preparation and more opportunities for personal growth also means students who are better prepared for the university experience,” Holland said.

Moini wants people to understand that LPS currently does a great job educating its students, but he believes that there are always room for improvements.

“We have a great group of teachers and administrators and we graduate bunches of good kids from LPS,” Moini said. “But should we stop here and not do any improvements and not take it to the next level? Well that would just be stupid.”

Moini believes that Lawton’s citizens understand the need for the funds for LPS, and that they will pass the proposals in order to benefit Lawton and its youth.

“I think that, at the end of the day, people will do the right thing in voting for the kids,” Moini said.

Flu shots on campus: 167 individuals receive flu shot

Photos by Jim Horinek

Long line: The line to get a free flu shot was so long that it flooded out into the lobby of the CETES Conference Center.

Flu free: Senior Biology major Caitlyn Riedmann gets her flu shot.

On Oct. 6, the Comanche County Health Department came to campus and gave out free flu shots to Cameron students, faculty and staff. There was a very large turnout for the event.

So much so that some people were not able to get their shot because of a limited supply.

LIFE continued from page 1

Photo by Jim Horinek

PAC: The Foam Dance has become one of the largest student life events on campus.

See page 4 for solutions.

“Since a couple of years ago, we are more concerned on keeping the students we have,” Holland said. “CU succeed series workshops are all part of our effort to help students.”

Student Housing holds about 35-40 programs each semester. Director of Student Housing Casey Case said that during 2005 there was less student life in general on campus.

“Now there are more activities which are wellattended,” Case said. “ It took a lot of effort to get the students to attend the programs.”

Case clarified that the main reason for the significant growth in the participation of students is the number of students living on campus. He also said that, with a lot of construction of going on, students will have a new center to hang out with one another — the McMahon Centennial Complex.

“We also have a new one credit hour course, ‘Intro to University Life,’ which helps the incoming freshmen gain knowledge on different aspects of campus life,” Case said.

Elijah Marlet, the Resident Assistant for freshmen is a junior at Cameron. Marlet said that his job is to make sure that freshmen have someone to go to when they have problems.

“We have a lot of activities going on every month including game nights, dances, cookouts, educational events, travel, paintball and others,” Marlet said. “Many new construction projects like the garden, new school of business and student union are all adding up to the growth of student life at Cameron.”

Elizabeth Jung, a senior majoring in Graphic Design, is in her fourth year at Cameron. She said that her life as a student here has been busy as she has attended concerts, piano recitals, museum trips and an art exhibition in Duncan as well as other programs during her four years at Cameron.

“I attend such programs to learn and be more creative since they are helpful for my major,” Jung said. “I would not say I am very excited but still I am curious to see how the garden will appear after the construction before I graduate.”

Sweta Shrestha is a junior at Cameron from Nepal with a major in Chemistry. Shrestha said that the campus has become more beautiful and the environment has become better since she got here in the fall of 2008.

“Particularly the significant growth in the number of students this semester proves that Cameron is heading toward success,” Shrestha said.

October 12, 2009

News

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4 News Technology Department holds first robotics course October 12, 2009

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Cameron’s technology department is turning sciencefiction into reality.

Dr. Pedro A. Diaz-Gomez came up with an idea last year to hold a yearly robotics seminar course because he wanted to teach a class that would introduce students to the topic. Dr. Gomez said the administration was behind him, as long as he could come up with the money and enough interest from the student body.

“I got a report from the department chair and one of the deans who were both behind me,” he said. “The only hurdle was to get a grant to fund the project.”

Dr. Gomez applied for two grants, but was turned down both times. He was on the verge of becoming disheartened when he made one last-ditch effort for a grant. Dr. Gomez teamed up with the Great Plains Technology Center to apply for the Perkins Grant. He said he was shocked to hear that his proposal had been accepted.

“Since we applied for so many grants, it was easy to just send a new letter out,” Dr. Gomez said. “You change a few things here and there and you’re ready to go. We were awarded with a little more than $11,000, which helped us get going.”

perfect for what Dr. Gomez needed for his students. After all of the items were brought together, Dr. Gomez divided up the class of 11 students into groups and instructed them on their goal: build a working robot that could overcome obstacles.

“I have a lecture about building the Photos by Jim Horinek robots and the The arena: Dr. Pedro A. Diaz-Gomez science behind demonstrates the obstacle course that is used it,” he said. “The as part of his robotics course. design of the robots is all on The grant money was used to the students. I’ve had them ask me buy Lego kits that contained all of what they should do and I say ‘I the moving parts students would don’t know.’” need to construct their robots.

Once the robot is designed Each kit cost more than $300 but and constructed, it must be contained everything needed for programmed. A robot body is no building and design. good without instructions to tell it “I never knew Legos were that what to do. The students plugged expensive,” Dr. Gomez said. the robots into computers and used The “brain” of each robot had C programming to tell the robot to be purchased separately. The what to do. brain was designed by the Maryland “We have two three-minute trials Institute of Technology and was where the robot has to overcome a

series of obstacles,” Dr. Gomez said.

“The robot might have to navigate around blocks, or traverse this area.

In some, it has to seek out light.

And they have to have these sensors on them to know what’s in front of them, otherwise they will just keep hitting a wall.”

Dr. Gomez said he was surprised by the enthusiasm from the students. He’s already had several students asking if the class would be offered during the spring semester.

Classes had to be submitted before Dr. Gomez knew if the robotics course would be a success. However, he fully intends to offer it again next fall.

“I wanted to do this to attract new students to Cameron and our department,” Dr. Gomez said. “We want new students here with new ideas that can help us continue to grow. It’s a great tool to help recruit high school students.”

When he first proposed the idea of a robotics course where students would learn how to build a robot, Dr. Gomez said some of the administration was a little hesitant. The class isn’t taught in a traditional

manner. Instead of reading out of books and watching slideshow presentations, the students work hands-on and build robots.

“They were asking me where are the books — the Powerpoint presentations?” Dr. Gomez said, “It’s not a class that can be taught like that.”

Dr. Gomez hopes other students will find interest in the class. These robots might not be the ones seen in summer blockbuster movies or read about in books from Isaac Asimov, but Dr. Gomez said everyone has to start somewhere.

“I’m glad the students are really enjoying it, and I’m surprised by some of the things they’re trying,” he said. “Motivation for them is a key thing. We send robots to the moon and other places. We have robots everywhere, and this is something they can go into for a career.”

cuts, President Ross said that protecting the academic branch of Cameron University is priority.

“Whenever we have budget cuts, I always work hard to protect the academic side of the institution,” President Ross said.

“Every component and every department at the university is important, but we always try and guard the quality of the learning experience that the students receive.”

President Ross said that Cameron’s enrollment increase this year brought in additional revenue that will be helpful in mitigating additional state budget cuts.

The State of Oklahoma also

has the Rainy Day Fund, which holds approximately $600 million. President Ross said that she hoped, if further cuts happen, the legislature will dip into that fund to provide some relief to higher education, as well as other state agencies.

Cameron University’s priority is its students President Ross said. Keeping the budget cuts from affecting the students and their learning experience is Cameron’s number one goal if state budget reductions continue.

“We will move heaven and earth not to impact students, and we will not compromise academic quality,” President Ross said.

“We will take all other measures before we do that.”

BUDGET continued from page 1 “We plan to delay a couple of one-time initiatives that we had in this year’s budget, which includes hiring an architect to design a building for a science laboratory for CU Duncan, and another one, we had hoped to open a wellness center for

students in the spring semester, and we are going to delay that until the fall,” President Ross said.

“We took some other actions as it related to freezing any new position, requiring a memo of justification for the affected

positions, academic positions always have priority, and then looking more closely at travel and prioritizing student travel.”

In addition, President Ross said that department chairs and administrators have been asked to revise their current fiscal year budget in preparation for further budget cuts, but she hopes that the plans do not have to be implemented.

“I also have recently asked the department chairs and deans in the academic departments in our schools to look at how they would accommodate a two percent reduction and our nonacademic administrators a three percent reduction.”

In the event of any budget

Four-day week takes getting used to

By Hannah Muirhead Newswriting Student Cameron University switched from a five-day class week to a fourday class week this semester. Instead of having Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes for an hour, those classes have been moved to Monday and Wednesday classes for one hour and 15 minutes.

Cameron student Kayce Williams, a 20-year-old sophomore, is majoring in Elementary Education. Even though the semester is nearly half over, she said the new schedule is something that she still has to get used to.

“I had a five-year plan set out for all of my classes,” Williams said.

“When the new schedule came out, a lot of the classes I had been planning to take this semester were

all offered on the same day at the same time.”

Also, Williams does not like the new schedule for the long class periods. However, some times when there is a harder subject being taught or a group project being worked on in class, the longer class time is helpful, she said.

While Williams is having a hard time adjusting, Cameron student Ryan Sawyers is having no problem with his new three-day weekends.

This 21-year-old sophomore, majoring in Business Finance, has been using his newly free Fridays to his advantage.

“I like having one day to get all of my errands done,” Sawyers said. “Also, I am from out of town.

When I go home for the weekends, I don’t have to drive back Friday night because I’ve been in class all day. I can drive home during the afternoon and spend more time with my family.”

Sawyers uses his free day for things other than school, but one professor thinks this day should be used for studying. Dr. Melody Huckaby, Assistant Professor of History and Government, believes this free Friday is deceiving to the students.

“Having a full day makes the students think they have more time to work, so they are picking up

more hours,” Dr. Huckaby said. “In reality, they are going to school for the same amount of hours and need the same amount of hours to study.”

Though Dr. Huckaby has a different opinion of how Fridays should be spent than Sawyers, she agrees with Williams about time in class.

“If you have a difficult concept, it doesn’t get lost,” Dr. Huckaby said.

“Also, every class has administration at the beginning with taking roll, passing back papers and things along those lines. With more time in class, we have more time to talk about the subject for that day after all those duties are over.”

While some professors have been affected by the change, others have had no schedule changes.

Dr. Matt Jenkins, Professor of Communications, has a lot of lab time in his classes so his regular class time has not been affected, he said.

Though it hasn’t changed his schedule much, Dr. Jenkins feels that this change is a good one for Cameron.

“I feel that the administration put this schedule in place to benefit commuters,” Dr. Jenkins said.

“Students only have to travel to campus four times a week and they are here for longer periods of time so they are interacting with other students more.”

He feels that by having a fourday week, students are staying on campus more and really getting into the campus life.

“Commuters now have an extra day, if they want to travel to campus, to get into extracurricular activities with the school,” Dr. Jenkins said.

“This schedule change is helping create a campus community for the students.”

Voices

October 12, 2009

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Letterman’s apology brings to light hypocrisy A

n interesting headline on a story posted on the “USA Today” Web site last Tuesday caught my eye. “’We’re a nation of hypocrites,’ when it comes to stars and scandal.” The story was about the recent spat over David Letterman and his offcamera sexual antics over the past several years and how the American people have glossed over it and have automatically forgiven him.

It’s a rather interesting point of view, but one that isn’t entirely incorrect. Ever since Letterman came out on his show two weeks ago and admitted to the world that he had affairs with women in his office, no one has really condemned him. I remember when Bill Clinton came out and admitted he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, it was the biggest news of the time and people were calling for his resignation.

Granted, one man is an overthe-hill late-night comedian, while the other was an over-thehill President of the United States. But is that the only difference in these two cases?

What does an extramarital affair have to do with one’s job? Letterman’s jokes haven’t been funny for years and his jokes aren’t going to get any better since he’s admitted this. It’s not like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders and he can be funny again. He hasn’t been funny for years. Clinton, on the other hand, was still doing a decent job as president at the time and

continued to do so, up until he left office after his two terms were over. The revelation of the affair had no bearing on his job performance.

The big difference in this whole scenario is one person was a celebrity and one was a politician.

For some ridiculous reason, the American public holds its politicians to a higher moral standard and idolizes its celebrities as demigods.

Celebrities can do no wrong while a politician looking at a woman in the wrong way is cause for trouble. There are still people condemning John Edwards for having an affair. More people are up in arms over the South Carolina governor having an illicit affair than over the fact

Joshua Rouse

that he lied about where he was on government funds for several days. Where are our priorities?

I’ve heard people call Letterman a hero for what he did. So a person is a hero for cheating on their spouse and then admitting it to the entire world? Going onto a national television show and openly admitting one had an affair is about the worst thing one can do. Affairs are personal ordeals don’t need to be dragged into the public spotlight. Imagine what Letterman’s wife was thinking when she heard this.

But yes, Letterman is a real American hero because he told the world he had an affair, rather than be blackmailed.

Cue the radio melody.

Affairs are nothing new in the public spotlight. Just about every celebrity couple has gone through an affair at some point.

Brad cheated on Jennifer with Angelina. Tom cheated on Nicole with about any woman he could find. Bruce cheated on Demi. These things are

nothing new.

Yet, no one has a problem with it. Granted, I’m not going to allow a person’s private life to affect my enjoyment of their product, one way or another.

But I think it’s a little ridiculous when one person is lambasted in the public eye for cheating while another person is MCT Campus hailed as a hero.

It just goes to reinforce Americans’ unhealthy obsession with celebrities. The American people care more about the ongoing saga of Jon and Kate plus the eight kids that made them famous. Why is this a popular show? Why are they getting paid millions of dollars to sit on television and talk about how hard it is to raise eight kids? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of families across America that have just as many, if not more, kids and could use the money a lot better than a silicon-implanted woman and her philandering husband.

Where are the children in all of this? This whole affair has turned into he-said-she-said about who’s right, who’s wrong and who’s trying to take all the money? People are mad about Jon going out with another woman while Kate makes the talk show circuit complaining about how horrible of a husband Jon is. This is all ignoring the fact that Kate is

Importance of local elections underestimated

supposed to be taking care of the children, but is too busy trying to keep the plastic and makeup from melting under the hot lights of a talk show sound stage. But Jon was seen with another woman, despite the pair already admitting a divorce was in the works. He’s the bad one here. They both should be ashamed of themselves, and the American people should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to egg this saga on and lapping up every bit of it.

Coming back to that headline on the “USA Today” Web site, America is a nation of hypocrites when it comes to its celebrities, and it is saddening.

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 Brad Franks, Amanda Finch, Michael Faggett, Codye Watson, Rachel Engel, Amanda Phillips, Gabe Crawford, Alyssa Knerr, Nicole Grzecki, 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

As you wake up to your alarm clock in the morning, you go about your morning routine. For every person that routine varies. For some, it involves coffee and the newspaper while for others it involves a shower and “Good Morning America.”

However, everyday there are certain things that are somewhat universal for most people in the community. For example, on trash day nearly everyone in town will add putting the cart out to their morning routine. Furthermore, anyone who drives to work or school can add dealing with the troublesome and often frustrating timed stoplights to their routine.

Trash day and the traffic control systems are a few of the many things that at first glance can seem out of our control. But what we seem to have forgotten is that if we took the time to go to the polls for local elections we can have a say about issues such as these.

According to the text “Governing States and Localities,” voting in local elections tends to be pushed to the back burner and viewed as something that is not as important as national elections. This fact is obvious when you consider that on average the turn out to local elections is half or less than half of the number who turn out for presidential elections. The percentage of people who actually

Jim Horinek

MCT Campus

vote in local elections has been shown to be as low as 3 to 12 percent of the local voting population. Plainly, this means that a relatively small group of people, who take to the time vote, make the decisions for all of the individuals who do not take the time to make it to the polls. As a result, it becomes much more likely that laws and decisions will be made that only represent the interests of a small group of the people who live in an area. This fact opens the door to the scary idea that a special interest group, who is interested in the passage of a local measure or election of a certain individual to public office, can get their way by simply persuading less than 10 percent of the local voters toward their agenda.

The idea that a small group can make the decisions the community at large is completely against the principles of our democratic system. Sadly, due to the lackluster performance of voters in local elections this minority rule is often the norm.

It is past time for the people of this nation to take more control of how their government runs. Voting for many people is something that they only do in large state or national elections when in fact it should be something that is done on a regular basis. If you are willing to let others make the decisions that affect how you go about your daily life, then don’t vote. If you are comfortable with not having any control over what you pay in property or sales taxes, then sit at home and let the polls take care of themselves. But if you want to have a say in the way your local government is run, then take to the polls.

I for one am a fan of having control over the things that go on in my community. Some might say that I am a control freak. But I view myself as a member of a democratic society. Therefore, my desire for control is simply a function of my duty as a citizen of this country.

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.

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A&E

October 12, 2009

Top Halloween films for holiday season

By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff The air begins to turn cooler, pumpkins show up in stores and a strange man who looks like he escaped from a Tim Burton film walks pass the door every night. It must be Halloween time.

The best part of Halloween isn’t the costumes, or the candy that may or may not be laced with drugs or the annoying kids banging on the front door for all hours of the night — it’s the chance to break out some horrible movies to watch without feeling guilty. Of course, any selfrespecting movie fan has to watch the gambit of classic Hammer pictures like “Frankenstein,” “The Wolf Man” and “The Mummy,” but what about more modern films?

Let’s face it, in today’s world, getting someone to watch a horror movie that doesn’t involve Barbie-looking teenagers with breast implants trying to have sex in a place where they know mass murders have taken place is not popular with many fans, unless it’s called “Saw.” In that case, let’s have the token sequel that’s been rehashed since “Saw II” and let’s see how many disgusting ways we can kill a person this time.

If you’re like me, you want something a little better this Halloween. Perhaps some “Evil Dead?” You can’t go wrong with Bruce Campbell, no matter what he’s in. How about something a little more family friend — say “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad?” The headless horseman is always a classic. If you’re having trouble deciding, here are an assortment of 10 Halloween movies that can help you block out the children beating on your door.

10. “Hocus Pocus:” Ok, most of these movies aren’t that great, and neither is “Hocus Pocus,” but it’s a fun movie. Three witches are resurrected in modern-day Salem and renew their quest for immortality. The only things stopping them are some teenagers and a talking cat.

It sounds bad, and it

MCT Campus

actually is, but it’s a classic film that can be enjoyable if you’re in the Halloween mood.

9. “Van Helsing:” Before you start hissing and throwing tomatoes, hear me out. “Van Helsing” was meant to be an homage to the classic Hammer productions of the 1930s.

It was campy, over-the-top and poorly acted. That sounds like most movies released in Hollywood these days anyway. Besides, in what other movie, other than “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,” can you have Frankenstein’s monster, the wolf man and Dracula in one movie?

Add in a stunning Kate Beckinsale for the guys and a rugged Hugh Jackman for the ladies, and you have the perfect guilty pleasure Halloween film.

8. “Ernest Scared Stupid:” Ernest was a guilty pleasure of mine growing up as a kid. Most children loved Pee-Wee; well, I loved Ernest and this movie was one of my favorites. The dimwitted Ernest unleashes a troll and has to get him back before he creates even more havoc. It’s another one of those dumb movies that can be watched without feeling guilty during the Halloween season.

7. “The Mist:” Granted, this movie has nothing to do with

Halloween whatsoever, but that doesn’t mean it won’t creep you out and cause at least one sleepless night. A strange mist encompasses a town while people start dying in very gruesome ways whenever they venture out. Stephen King’s hopeless tale is haunting, disturbing and perfect for Halloween. It’s possibly the best adaptation of his work since “The Shawshank Redemption,” and it just happens to be directed by the same guy.

6. “Young Frankenstein:” This is Mel Brooks at his finest.

Forget “Spaceballs;” this is the premier spoof movie. There’s not much to say except it’s vintage Gene Wilder spoofing an iconic horror/Halloween classic. “Young Frankenstein” is, handedly, one of the must-see movies this Halloween.

5. “Sleepy Hollow:” Traditionally, I’m not a fan of Tim Burton outside his definitive “Batman” vision, but it’s hard to avoid “Sleepy Hollow” this time of the year.

It’s bloody, it’s intriguing and it has Christina Ricci and Johnny Depp before they were really big stars.

Not to mention, Christopher Walken gives one of his best performances of his career as the

horseman. It’s a brutal retelling of the legend of Sleepy Hollow when the headless horseman rides, killing anyone on his path to get his head back.

4. “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown:” I’m a sucker for anything with the Peanuts gang and this could be the definitive family Halloween film. Charlie Brown sits with his friend Linus in the pumpkin patch waiting on the great pumpkin to arrive while the rest of the gang celebrates Halloween the old-fashioned way. You don’t have a heart if you don’t like Charlie Brown and Snoopy and this is, quite possibly, the best of the trio of Peanuts holiday films.

3. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula:” Forget “Batman Begins” or “The Dark Knight,” this is the movie that cemented Gary Oldman as one of the greatest actors of our time. His performance of Dracula is haunting and tragic, at the same time. Keanu Reeves manages to be less annoying than he’s ever been, even though he has a contrived British accent.

Frances Ford Coppola brought Dracula to life like no other director has ever done. Ignore the “Twilight” garbage; if you want a definitive vampire film, look no further.

2. “A Disney Halloween:” This will be almost impossible to find, unless you were fortunate enough to own it on VHS or DVD. Mickie, Minnie, Donald and his three nephews and the rest of the gang partake in several Halloween-

inspired tales. Lock the doors, close the blinds, grab some popcorn and enjoy classic animation before it turned into soulless CGI. This is the best family Halloween experience one can have. It’s a shame it’s so hard to find these days.

1. “Halloween”/”Halloween 2:” This is probably a copout answer, but who didn’t see it coming? It’s named after the holiday, it’s not like there were many other choices for the top film(s). It might be cheating to have two films at the top, but John Carpenter did such a fantastic job filming the movies where they were back-toback that you can’t discuss one without the other. Before Freddy, before Jason, before Rob Zombie, there was Carpenter and Michael Myers. Forget all of the airheaded audience-insulting teen slasher film tripe that fills theaters today; this was the original and the best teen slashing film of all time. Sorry Wes Craven, “Scream” compares about as favorably to “Halloween” as Carpenter’s “The Thing” pales in comparison to the classic “The Thing From Outer Space.”

However, Carpenter was on his toes with this one. It manages to avoid most of the pitfalls of sexy teenagers obviously ignoring common sense to have sex in dangerous places. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a disturbing role as Michael Myers’ sister, trying to stay alive as her brother goes on a murderous rampage. The movies need no introduction. Make sure not to substitute it with a viewing of the Zombie remakes.

The only thing they’re fit for is an episode on “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”

Granted, there are dozens of films missing from this list, including “The Thing From Outer Space” or “Poltergeist,” but it’s hard to go wrong with this selection. Watch these films and weep when you discover what Hollywood calls horror now: buckets of blood and guts combined with useless nude shots of teenagers having wild sex.

MCT Campus

‘Oklahoma Review’ reaches 10-year milestone University Department of English and is run in its Newswriting Student entirety by students. It is published once each semester The Oklahoma Review, an and is only available online. electronic literary magazine, “This is a student run will soon embark on a production,” Dr. significant milestone, reaching Hodgson its 10th said. “The birthday this students December.

“We will continue to solicit, Established publish good quality select, edit in the spring literary fiction, poetry, and put of 2003, The Oklahoma and nonfiction without a together the material, Review political agenda and for and it has features nothing more than the been this poems and both pleasure of reading, and I way since its inception.” fiction and hope that this will carry The nonfiction us on.” magazine work from will accept national and international — Dr. John Hodgson anything writers.

Associate Professor of written in English, According English provided to Associate that it Professor is good of English quality Dr. John work, Dr. Hodgson said.

Hodgson, the main goal of the Submissions are open to any magazine is to make quality serious writer working in literature available to the English. public.

According to Dr. Hodgson, a “Our motto is that we have no particular agenda other than call for submissions is sent out to promote the reading of good twice a year, but the majority of the entries are a result of the literature,” Dr. Hodgson said. magazine’s good reputation and “So we base our decisions on word of mouth. that.”

“We are very selective The magazine is produced with what we publish in the through the Cameron

By Tori Strecker

magazine, and that is one of the reasons for our reputation,” Dr. Hodgson said. “We try to encourage writers whose work we reject, instead of sending them a form rejection letter. If a particular piece has merit and might be publishable, then we try to work with the writer and give positive feedback.”

Having the liberty to do this is one of the many advantages of having a group making decisions rather than one individual, Dr. Hodgson said.

“We constantly get a steady trickle of submissions from all over the world, so obviously we can’t publish everything,” Dr. Hodgson said. “But by taking the time to give the writers good feedback, we are not just developing a good literary magazine, but we are being good citizens of the literary community as well.”

Another reason for the magazine’s good reputation came three years ago.

According to Dr. Hodgson, there were two great pieces of fortune that bumped the magazine up in the literary world. One of which was a mention on “Writers Almanac” on National Public Radio. “ ‘Writer’s Almanac’ showcases a different author during each show, and one day they happened to feature a writer we had just published,”

Dr. Hodgson said. “Then, as people began to Google her name, The Oklahoma Review popped up in the results.”

The second great piece of fortune came from Milda Devoe and her retrospective of 9/11.

“She wrote an amazing piece, and we happened to be the first magazine to publish it,” Dr. Hodgson said. “It was a huge success, and in an interview on CBS radio, Devoe talked the magazine up causing other writers to hear our name.”

The magazine has seen much success thus far, and Dr. Hodgson is optimistic about its future.

“We have built this magazine up and kept it going for 10 years now, and as we learn, I think it gets better every semester,” Dr. Hodgson said. “The reputation will continue as long as we remain selective about the content and continue to be good citizens.”

The upcoming anniversary

Courtesy of Oklahoma Review

is significant in many ways; however, Dr. Hodgson believes that this is just another step in the right direction.

“In December readers will see volume 10 issue two of The Oklahoma Review, marking our 10 th year,” Dr. Hodgson said.

“But I feel that as long as we are doing what we should be doing, then the number shouldn’t matter. We will continue to publish good quality literary fiction, poetry and nonfiction without a political agenda and for nothing more than the pleasure of reading, and I hope that this will carry us on.”

For more information about The Oklahoma Review, students can contact Dr. John Hodgson at 581.2934.

A&E

October 12, 2009

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Local author receives accolades story of a boy who loses his father and looks to another man as a Collegian Staff father-figure is something many After five years of writing, people can relate to. Dr. Stanley Dr. George Stanley unveiled his said he wanted to make sure this latest novel this summer. appealed to a broad audience.

“Night Fires” tells the story “It’s a book that gets to the of a young boy in 1920s Lawton point immediately,” he said. “And who moves in next door to a this is the type of book that will Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux garner a lot of attention.”

Klan. The boy grows attached to Dr. Stanley spent more the man, a prominent senator, than five years writing “Night and discovers some of his darkest Fires.” The editing process was secrets. Dr. Stanley said the long and complicated because 1920s were his long-time a dark time editor became Check out the in Lawton’s Vice President history and of the Simon Collegian’s the book and Schuster review of ‘Night treads into publishing gray areas. company. Her Fires’ next “It’s a little obligations as month controversial, vice president but it’s a story often interrupted that needs editing time, to be told,” he said. “There are which drew the process out racial aspects to it that might be longer. offensive. They use the ‘n-word’ “The hardest thing we ran throughout, but that’s how into was the boy’s acceptance of Klansmen talked in those days.” the KKK. It was hard for her to The book contains 192 pages think he could find something and was written for a middle good about the clan,” Dr. Stanley school audience but can be said. “And it’s not about finding enjoyed by people of all ages. The good in the clan, but the boy’s

By Joshua Rouse

naivety toward them. So you had to find that right balance to make it believable for children.”

Ultimately, “Night Fires” was the last book she worked on before retiring. Dr. Stanley spoke to his agent and they agreed it was a fitting swan song for her.

“I knew she wanted to get it right before we published it,” Dr. Stanley said. “It really was a great note to end her career on. Everything went right with it, especially the cover. It really grabs the reader’s attention.”

The book was finally published on June 23. Ever since then, Dr. Stanley has been holding book signing sessions and monitoring reviews on major sites. He said he was taken back by the public’s response. He knew it would be a book that would have wide appeal, but he didn’t know it would be so well-received.

“Ever since June and July, it’s been a real ride,” he said.

“I’ve looked forward to it for so many years that it’s hard to believe it’s come and gone. I had a book signing at the Cameron Bookstore and so many people showed up. They nearly sold out

of all their copies. I’ve already got two great reviews from Kirkus and the [Southeastern Oklahoma State University] School Library Journal.”

Dr. Stanley has seen a large show of support from the blogging community. Ever since “Night Fires” was published, he’s been receiving reviews on several major Web sites from bloggers praising the work.

“It had just come out and the buzz was beginning to build and I started seeing all these blogs that were talking about it,” he said. “I didn’t even know there that many bloggers out there.”

“Night Fires” has been a labor of love for Dr. Stanley for the past five years, but now he’s moving on. He said he’s beginning work on a new comedy book about the Red Scare during

the 1950s. He’s also continuing his work on the “Childhood of Famous Americans” series.

The latest entry, “Ted Kennedy: America’s Prince,” will hit bookstore shelves in March.

“Night Fires” is available at local bookstores and online at www. amazon.com and other book dealers.

Student Activities to host annual Halloween carnival

By Monica Garner Collegian Staff Cameron University has big plans this year to make Halloween a fun, safe and family-friendly celebration for all.

The Student Activities Department is hosting their annual Halloween Carnival at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 in the Fitness Center. There have been big plans to make this year’s carnival bigger and better than other Halloween Carnivals in the past.

The Halloween Carnival is usually held in the Shepler Ballroom; however, this year

it will be held in the Fitness Center. “We are going to be able to cater to so many more kids and families,” said Student Activities Specialist Robin Martin.

Because of the larger venue, a magic castle moon-bounce will be an added feature for children. The moonbounce will be in the middle of the Fitness Center and is the biggest main attraction at the carnival. There will also be a stage added for the annual costume contest.

The participants of the costume contest will be judged for first, second and third prizes

MCT Campus

and everyone involved will receive a participation ribbon.

Many of Cameron’s organizations are involved in the Halloween Carnival with numerous booths and activities for those attending.

Among the organizations participating are SGA, Art Guild, PRSS, International Club, Ebony Society, Biology Club, Chemistry Club and many others.

“The whole campus is involved and students will get a chance to really have fun with their organizations,” Martin said.

The activities planned by the various clubs and organizations

will include a fishing booth, face painting, pick a pumpkin, mystery bowl, beanbag toss and prizes, stickers and bags full of candy.

All of the organizations on campus are encouraged to participate. The deadline to register for a booth at the carnival is Oct. 20.

The Halloween Carnival will be open to all Cameron faculty, staff, students and their families.

“It will be a safe place for students and their families to come and get good candy, good junk food and listen to good music,” Martin said. “Your teeth are going to be rotten and that’s our goal.”

Spears ‘Circus’ performance in Tulsa marks comeback

By Gabriel Crawford Newswriting Student There are only two types of entertainers in this world: the ones that are amazing and Britney Spears.

On Sept. 15, the queen of pop herself graced the BOK Center in Tulsa with her presence.

Spears performed, along with her many dancers and musicians, her highly anticipated world tour, “The Circus Starring Britney Spears.”

The show consisted of 16 songs. The concert set list had many older songs from her previous albums, but not very many of her huge hits.

This was a shocking surprise at first, but once one sees the show everything fits perfectly together. The only huge hits she performed was “ . . . Baby One More Time,” “Toxic,” “Piece of Me” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.” The show was conceived around a circus theme to go with her newest studio release, “Circus.” The concert was broken up into four segments.

Each theme came with a new set of costumes, stage props and style.

The first segment of the show consisted of a general circus theme with Spears as the ringleader and the dancers dressed as bizarre performers and animals. From there, we go into the “House of Fun (Anything Goes)” segment. This portion of the show included magic tricks, a Bollywood style version of “Me Against the Music” and a human whack-amole, of which Spears was the player.

The next sequence led into the “Freakshow/ Peepshow.”

This was the most sexuallycharged part of the show consisting of songs titled “Get Naked” and “Breathe on Me” and very seductive costumes and dances came along with these songs.

The last segment was the “Electro Circ.” The songs during this segment were very fun, almost techno and were accompanied by different versions of some older hits.

The stage production of the show was astounding. There were a total of three stages, one giant ring and two smaller rings joined at both ends.

There were many special effects throughout the whole show.

Effects from smoke bellowing from the bottom of the stage, fire and sparks accompanied the production as no effects were off limits.

During “I’m a Slave 4 U,” fire bellowed from beneath the stage around the center ring while Spears was dangling in a giant basket above it.

The most amazing effect was at the conclusion of the show. She closed the show with her latest number one hit, “Womanizer.” When the song was over, a large hail of sparks and fire came down on the stage with her in the middle as the sparks lit up the entire arena. There were more effects scattered throughout the show, but these were the best. It really made one think about what a superstar she must be to be able to do all of this around her single name.

This show was really centered

on Spears as an artist and not necessarily what would be a predictable Spears performance. This was seen in the music and song choices.

One would think that she would perform all her previous hits like “Oops! . . . I Did it Again,” “Stronger” and “Crazy,” among many more, but instead she opted for other songs from the albums that have gone less noticed.

Perhaps Spears’ most interesting number was when she took on Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.” She had a large part in the creation of the theme, costumes and dances, as she worked alongside three others for the conception of the show and worked hand and hand with the costume designs.

Overall, I would rate the show a 4 out of 5. The performances of the songs were great. From the singing, to dancing, to the costumes, everything was perfect. The only serious factor lacking in the concert was the connection between Spears and the audience. It’s not that she didn’t make plenty of gestures towards the audience; it is just that she never stopped to talk to the audience but once during the two-hour show (of which she just said “Are you having fun Tulsa?”). I felt that she should have stopped a little bit more to just talk, crack a few jokes and connect with everybody on a more personal level.

As everyone on Earth knows, Spears has gone through some

MCT Campus

Stage bow: Pop icon Britney Spears performed at the BOK Center in Tulsa on Sept. 15, one of the many stops on her word tour, “The Circus Starring Britney Spears,” in which Spears performed a number of songs centered around the concept of a circus. major problems these past couple years. From losing her kids, to shaving her head and that dreadful performance of “Gimme More” on the Video Music Awards in 2007, Spears’ life has been far from easy. It seemed that many questioned if she would be able to rise from the public ruin to regain her status as a pop icon. With this

concert tour, she has done just that. Not only has she regained her pop-star status, but she has also proven to some that she is indeed the Queen of Pop. When society thought Spears was down for the count, she returned full force. She has proven that life has not gotten the best of her and society still wants a piece of her.

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Sports

October 12, 2009

Photo by Bennett Dewan

New Lawton landmark: The 2009-2010 Cameron University Women’s Basketball team wave to cars driving by during a photoshoot on top of CU signage on the corner of 38th and Gore. The team has added 11 new players through the recruitment process in hopes of replacing the teams leading scorer and rebounder from a season ago.

Women’s Basketball retooled, ready for season

By Jacob Russell Collegian Staff Last season, the women’s basketball team fought hard under first year head coach Tom Webb on their way to a disappointing record of six wins and 21 losses. Despite the record, the team played many of the games very close and showed a lot of resiliency throughout the year.

Now in his second season, Webb has lost his leading scorer to eligibility and his leading rebounder to the Cameron volleyball team.

He is left with only three returning players. Senior guard Tera Tremayne played in all 27 games last season, starting in 24, and averaged just under 11 points a game.

Also back are senior Caeti Radley, who saw time in 20 games, and junior Constance Rundles, who started in 14 games for the Aggies.

Despite the lack of numbers coming back, Webb looks to experienced and incoming players alike to bring leadership.

“First off, I don’t believe in captains. Everyone has an equal part,” Webb said. “They are all very good leaders who go out there with great enthusiasm. They all know what they want from each other.”

The aforementioned incoming players are a large and talented recruiting class, including four JUCO transfers and seven freshmen.

“We are very excited about the recruits, but it’s early,” Webb

said. “They are all great kids and also great teammates, which really helps.”

Many of the new players will be in the early rotation due to a severe lack of depth, and all have a chance to make the starting line-up. Webb is always looking for one of his players to step up; he makes sure that no line-up is set in stone just yet.

“Everyone gets equal opportunity,” Webb said. “They are the ones who decide who plays by the way they workout in the weight room and on the court and also take care of business in the classroom.”

Webb said it is very important for the players to get better everyday, individually and as a team. They have to practice hard in

every phase from weights to cardio to practice like it is a real game situation. In order to continually get better and practice like you mean it, you have to keep your focus on what you are doing at that moment, he said.

“You can circle a date or mark one you are looking forward to, but we won’t,” Webb said. “You can’t get better that way. You can’t look ahead at all.”

The message has reached the team, and they have embraced it. The work ethic of the Aggies on and off the court has been very evident to the coach.

“We are going to be better this year. We are more skilled; we pass better, better execution,” Webb said. “These girls are tough, and

they all show a lot of self-discipline.

You need that to continually get better.”

Despite injecting his roster with eleven new additions, every year Webb and his team share a common goal.

“It’s the same thing every year.

We want to make it to the Lone Star Conference tournament and eventually the championships,” Webb said.

“It takes time to build a program, but, with the recruits we brought in, it is a realistic goal.”

The Aggie women begin their practice for the upcoming season Thursday. The season begins Nov. 7, with an exhibition game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in Tulsa.

Men’s Tennis plays critical tournament

By Saman Samii Collegian Staff The Cameron Aggie men’s tennis team traveled to Abilene, Texas on Oct. 2 to participate in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional championship tournament. After a couple of injuries and setbacks, the Aggies were able to finish the tournament with two players in the Sweet 16 of the singles draw and a doubles team in the Elite Eight.

Cameron competes in the South-Central region of the tournament, which is described as one of the toughest sections in the nation. The ITA-Regional tournament is by far the most important team and individual tournament for the fall season.

The tournament consists of 64 players in the singles draw and 32 teams in the doubles draw.

Cameron contributed with six players for this year’s tournament and was represented by: Thomas Peixoto, Diego Troiano, Daniel Bonamigo, Jorge Gerosi, Manuel Barroetavena and Jeff Sasser.

“The men’s ITA-Regional tournament has always been known for being very deep and strong,” Head Coach James Helvey said. “This year’s draw was not a different story.”

The tournament started early on Oct. 2. Sophomore Peixoto was first on court and quickly dismissed Brandon Finerty of Southwest Baptist University (SBU) in his first round match in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

Freshman Gerosi also started the tournament in a strong fashion and dominated St. Mary’s

University’s Nestor Moreno to book a place in the second round.

Gerosi captured the match by the score of 6-0, 6-2.

Senior Troiano used his experiences from competing at a collegiate level and rapidly placed himself in the second round of the tournament.

Troiano defeated Tyler Welch of SBU by the score of 6-2, 6-2. Bonamigo, Sasser and Barroetavena competed well in their first round singles matches but were all unable to capture a win.

“The guys played and represented us well,” Helvey said.

“This was good experience for our new guys. We have to continue working hard and the results will come.”

After only a couple hours of rest, the men were in action again. Peixoto kept momentum high and showed tremendous commitment and desire as he won his second round match in a third set tiebreak over Abilene Christian University’s (ACU) Brett Proctor.

Peixoto lost the first set but fought his way back into the match to place himself in the Sweet 16 of the tournament. The final score was 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Gerosi had a similar second round match. After long rallies throughout three tough sets, the freshman rolled his ankle when chasing a ball. In addition to this incident, Gerosi suffered severe leg cramps but still managed to win the match in a third set tiebreak over East Central University’s Sam Moore. The final score was 6-7, 6-4, 10-7.

“Jorge showed tremendous

commitment out there and that says a lot about him,” Helvey said.

“He is unfortunately injured now and needs to recover and heal.”

Unluckily, Troiano had to see his singles tournament come to an end in the round of 32 when he lost to a strong Jose Arizpe of the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW). The match was well played and entertaining, but, in the end, Arizpe proved to be the stronger player. The final score was 6-4, 7-5.

The next morning, Gerosi took on ACU’s John Strahl.

Gerosi was never able to fully recover from his ankle injury, and Strahl was able to win the match in straight sets. Final score was 6-2, 7-5. Peixoto suffered a similar situation in his round of 16’s match.

After losing the first set to St. Edward’s University’s Brett Powers, Peixoto was up 4-1 in the second set when he too rolled his ankle. Although he was in pain, the talented CU player continued to play but could not refocus and lost in a second set tiebreak. The final score was 6-4, 7-6.

In doubles, the duo of Troiano and Peixoto won their first two matches in decisive fashion to place themselves in the Elite Eight. In their quarterfinal match, the CU team took on MSU’s number one doubles team.

In a very well-played match, Peixoto and Troiano did not convert on the key points, which were crucial to the outcome of the match. The MSU team won the match by the score of 6-4, 7-6. Although Cameron has had better results in this particular tournament in previous seasons, Helvey remains positive and optimistic for the future.

“Overall, I am pleased with the results of this weekend,” Helvey said. “We are still in the process of rebuilding this team from our success in previous years, and I think we are off to a good start. Both the returning and new guys played well, but we have a lot of work ahead of us to get ready for the our spring season.”

Photos by Bennett Dewan

The three musketeers: Daniel Bonamigo (top), Thomas Peixoto (middle) and Diego Troiano hustle to make plays during their home debut this season at the CU Tennis Complex. During the Regional Championship Tournament, Troiano advanced to the round of 32 in singles, while moved on to the sweet 16 but was hampered by an ankle injury in his final match.

Sports

October 12, 2009

9

International Aggie athletes

Students from abroad find second home at CU

By Saman Samii Collegian Staff Thousands of miles away from home, international student-athletes travel across the world to attend Cameron University. At Cameron, they must learn to adjust themselves in order to have a successful academic and athletic career.

Being a freshman in college means tons of paperwork, but what most people do not realize is the amount of work and requirements our international student-athletes need to meet prior to arriving in this country.

Whether it is to learn the English language from scratch or learn how to get accustomed and familiarized with the American culture, the road can be tough at times. Leaving your country where you have all your friends and family is not the easiest task in life, but the opportunities that are provided when they arrive inspires and motivates them.

Cameron University Athletic Director Jim Jackson said he is amazed with how well the international student-athletes represent the Aggies, both on the court/field and in the classrooms.

“I admire the international student-athletes at our school, and they bring a lot to our department,” Jackson said.

“Not only do they perform well in their sports, they are also great ambassadors for

Cameron.”

The CU international student community currently includes 254 students from 44 different countries. Twentythree of them represent Aggie athletics.

For most of our international student-athletes on campus, being in Lawton is a life changing experience.

A new life is started in America thanks to the athletic scholarships they have received.

Not only are they joining Cameron athletics, but they are also uniting with all the other foreign students across campus and the United States.

They are now joining a new community in a completely different country.

Many of the students will have the opportunity to live the dream of being a studentathlete at an American university, a dream most of them never could have imagined years ago. Jackson said he is glad that Cameron University is able to provide such opportunities for international student-athletes.

“To travel across the world and to get the opportunity to study and perform your sport at a collegiate level is exciting,” Jackson said. “Opportunities like these don’t come everyday.”

Whether it is the coaches, staff, previous student-athletes, current student athletes, the administration or the facilities, international student-athletes have been coming to Cameron

University for many years.

They will continue to do so with the support that Cameron gives them, the opportunities for success that are provided and the welcoming nature of the people in the Aggie athletic department.

Representing Cameron and being a member of the Aggie family is something that they will be proud of for the rest of their lives. Jackson said it is a learning experience for both parts.

“I believe that our American student-athletes learn a lot from the international athletes,” Jackson said.

“However, I think the international student-athletes learn just as much from we Americans. It is a completely different lifestyle for them, and it is interesting to see how well they balance school and athletics.”

Uniting people from all over the world at an academic institution will create a tremendous amount of relationships, especially on an athletic team. Years down the road, student-athletes at Cameron will remember their teammates, whether they came from Oklahoma or Europe.

“I think it is a positive that we have so many international athletes,” Jackson said.

“Both our American and international students will create relationships that they will have for the rest of their lives. That is exciting to see.”

Photos by Bennett Dewan

The melting pot: Julius Korir (top) and Tom Dicker (bottom) are two of Cameron’s standout athletes that happen to be from outside the U.S. Korir is originally from Kenya while Dicker came to the U.S. from Australia by way of Redlands Community College.

Armchair Aggie takes on Volleyball There is something in the collective unconscious that makes people inflate their belief in their own athletic ability. Many of the people that I told about playing against the volleyball team felt that they could compete on the same level as the Cameron athletes, I can now say with certainty that any claims like that are ridiculous. The reason that volleyball looks easy when the team plays it is that the players are so immensely talented that they make complex and wildly athletic plays look simple.

I started my week of volleyball training by watching a practice to scrutinize the players, positioning and how to properly hit the ball.

What I took away from the experience is that these ladies cover the court incredibly well. They move as a unit and if one person gets out of position it messes with the flow of the game. Watching drills I was terrified that I would get out of position and put myself or someone else at a greater risk of injury.

After the practice, Assistant Coach Shawn Darling had me demonstrate the way I would hit a spike, bump, set and serve and then showed me the correct way to hit the ball. I was surprised by the difficulty I had getting the timing of the spikes down. It looks easy right? Just jump and hit the ball. The problem is, as it often is, in the details. As a hitter I am expected to make constant runs from the back of the court to the net

for spike opportunities, if I am going too fast, too slow, jump too early or too high I am inevitably going to be swinging at air.

Coach Darling was incredible; she broke down technical aspects of the game while simplifying it for a guy whose knowledge of actually playing the sport was ‘don’t let the ball hit the ground on your side of the net. ‘ I was already under the impression that volleyball was a fairly involved sport before attending a practice that was supposed to ease my mind. After leaving the gym, with a volleyball in hand on loan from the team to practice with, I was much more nervous than when I started.

I got started immediately, working on improving my cardio by running intervals. The game, from what I had gathered, is a combination of short sprints and constant movement, like a 5k with intermittent 100 meter dashes. Each evening, I made my wife stand in our driveway and spike the ball at me from about 15 feet away to work on my reaction time and handling

of the blistering shots I was sure I would have to handle from the teams outside hitters. After almost an hour of practice every night, I was controlling my bumps on around 65 percent of the spikes hit at me.

Nowhere near professional quality, but it was a vast improvement over day one.

Game day finally arrived, and I strolled into the gym trying to look casual and not like I was about to take the athletic beating of a lifetime.

Head Coach Brianne Smedley called her team together and explained that the game would be 4-on-4, as opposed to the regular six per side, which meant more court to cover for each player. A player would sub out for each side after every point except for me, I would be playing every serve.

The teams were sorted and I had the luck of being put on a team with former multiple time LSC Player of the Week Laura Ellerbrock and First Team All Conference Outside Hitter Lindsay Paziuk. Although I was the team’s weak link, my confidence was somewhat bolstered by the fact that the rest of my squad was stacked with talent.

Bennett Dewan

Looking across the net at Defensive Stopper Joanie Dubberly before the first serve, she had the most evil grin on her face and I knew immediately that she would be serving to my team’s defensive liability: me. Never in the history of the world has a group of nicer, softerspoken and genuinely hospitable people ever seemed so intimidating, as the collection of athletes lined up on the other side of the net from me.

With the first serve, Dubberly hit what I can only describe as a knuckle ball because it changed directions six times in under a second. Needless to say I mistimed the ball and sent it sailing in the opposite direction. The girls on the other team did a cheer.

Jelia Janssen brought me up to date on the official Cameron volleyball cheers, and I was ready for another serve.

Luckily for me, my team recognized my bumping weaknesses and stepped in to fill the void by playing the serves in a defensive scheme meant to protect the back left side of the court, which is coincidentally where I was positioned.

As I settled into the game, I began to gain a greater understanding of the sheer athletic prowess and skill possessed by everyone else on the court.

Ellerbrock, my team’s Setter, moved fluidly under the ball and ran the offense with ease.

After a dig from Paziuk,

Ellerbrock placed a perfect set that seemed to hang in mid-air. I elevated and spiked the ball cleanly past the defenders.

In my moment of glory, I forgot the celebration cheer entirely.

My jubilation was cut short a moment later by a Nikita Abbott spike that may have reached the speed required to travel back in time.

I tried to react in time, but the ball hit me square in the chest.

Two plays later, a dig attempt was played towards the court side railing, being a competitive guy, I laid out for it. I made contact with the ball, I couldn’t save it, the floor made contact with my rib cage and fortunately all my bones stayed where they belong.

Settling into a rhythm with Ellerbrock our set and spike combo began to produce results as I gained confidence in my hitting abilities, actually scoring on occasion.

When the game ended, I had tallied a few more kills, two successful bumps and a set that went in the right direction.

The sports cliche goes, “the great players make the players around them better,” the athletes on the volleyball team proved this to be true, because I would not have scored a point without their elevated play.

I wasn’t sure I could respect the talent of these athletes any more than I did before this game, but their play demands more.

“Run For Your Life”

Benefitting the American Cancer Society

Sat. Nov. 7th at Elmer Thomas Park Registration 8:30 a.m. -9:30 a.m.

Race 10:00 a.m.

Start and Finish at East Pavilion Open to all fitness levels Register at Anytime Fitness in Lawton or at http://www.wix.com/anytimefitnesslawton/anytime-fitness-5k Pre- Register before Oct. 31 The Race will feature Championship Timing

10

Variety

October 12, 2009