C LLEGIAN THE CA M ERON U N I V ER SIT Y
Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926
Monday, October 27, 2008
Events TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE On Nov. 18, stand-up comedian/actor B.J. Novak will be performing on campus. Tickets are available to students at Student Activities, Community Relations, One Stop Shop and Cashier. Tickets will be made available to the general public on Nov. 5.
A&E
Cameron Art: Forty years and counting.
Volume 83 Issue 8
Bradley: ‘Impossible is possible’ By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Do the impossible and do the impossible well. James Bradley, author of The New York Times best-seller Flags of our Fathers hammered that point home Tuesday night at the Cameron University Theatre. In front of a packed house of Cameron students, veterans and men and women of all ages, Bradley delivered a speech telling everyone that the impossible is always possible. “The geniuses said it was impossible to get boys on Iwo Jima,” Bradley said. “And after the deaths of 6,824 of those boys, the impossible became possible.” Bradley’s first book, Flags of our Fathers, told the story of the six men who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima and who were immortalized by one photograph taking by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. His father, John Bradley, was one of the six men who raised the flag and one of the three survivors who made it back home. “When I look at the photo, it brings up doing the impossible to me,” he said. Being a son of one of the six men who raised the American flag in the most reproduced photo of all time, Bradley knew very little about what happened on that island in February 1945. Everything he knew about the battle came from reading up on it in textbooks and encyclopedias. Even his mother, who was married to the man for more than 40 years, never knew what happened. “Everything that my mother knows today she learned from me,” Bradley said. “After Dad died, we were going through some of his stuff and found a box of letters that Dad wrote while he was deployed.” Those letters inspired Bradley to seek out other survivors and family members of Iwo Jima veterans. After years of researching and calling these families, Bradley was faced with telling a story to the world for the first time. But because it was such a pivotal event in the nation’s history, he was overwhelmed. “I originally thought about writing a book, but I wasn’t a writer and I immediately dismissed that. I was thinking I was dead before I even started,” he said. “But I came back to it. And I thought about it. And I knew that this picture was going to be on the cover of the book. So I had to write a really good book.” Bradley was determined to write a New York Times best-seller. He called his mother and told her his idea. Bradley said she told him in a nice way that perhaps some of the people in her neighborhood would buy the book.
Photo by Jim Horinek
The storyteller: James Bradley is the author of the New York Times Best Seller Flags of Our Fathers. Bradley spoke at CU on Oct. 21. The story: John Bradley, James Bradley’s father, returns home as a hero. John Bradley was one of the men who raised the flag during the battle of Iwo Jima.
See BRADLEY Page 2
SEE PAGE 9
MCT Campus
CU Forensics opens season at good pace
Sports
Office of Community Relations
Photo courtesy of Daniel Schabot
CU Women’s Golf is a force to be reckoned with. SEE PAGE 6
The team: (Left to right; back to front) Pierre Liburd, Jordan Scribner, Jordan Howell, Jacob Pahcheka, Bhupendra Acharya, Javon Southwell, Lamod McFadden, Tabetha Kautzman.
Cameron University’s forensics team gained valuable experience in two recent tournaments under the guidance of Daniel Schabot, CU Director of Forensics. On Oct. 10, Schabot and an eight-member debate team traveled to Bethel College in North Newton, Kan. for the Sunflower-Sooner Swing tournament, where seven of the team members attended their first college tournament. The CU team competed against more than 20 colleges, including the University of Nebraska and the University of Oklahoma. Freshman Communications major Tabetha Kautzman of Marlow and her partner, freshman
psychology major Jordan Howell of Lawton, finished with a 3-2 record in Parliamentary debate. Although they failed to advance to the elimination stage of the tournament on a tie breaker, Kautzman stated that the “debate was an amazing experience.” Communications majors Jacob Pahcheka of Walters and Lamod McFadden of Phoenix, Ariz., also competed. Pahcheka believes that “his life experience helps give him an edge against younger teams.” According to Schabot, Cameron has one of the most diverse teams in the country.
See FORENSICS Page 2
The Foam Arts Courtyard
Voices
SEE PAGE 5
The costume conundrum.
On the night of Oct. 21 an unknown person put soap in the water of the Fine Arts Courtyard Fountain. Although the action resulted in a large mess, several students were able to make light of the situation.
In the mix: On the night of the incident Criminal Justice junior Daniel Brown got completely foamed.
A college moment: Justin Payne, Pre-Nursing sophomore, and freshman Biology major Brock Cowen emerse themselves in the “foament.”
Kicks: Once the group of CU students realized what they found, shoes went flying as they made their way into the foam. Photos by Jim Horinek
2
News
October 27, 2008
BRADLEY continued from page 1
But she didn’t think he would ever achieve his goal of topping the New York Times best-seller list. His brother’s reaction was the same. “I told him my idea while we were going up a ski lift,” he said. “Mark, my brother, got up there and looked at me and said ‘it’s not going to happen’ and took off.” Bradley wasn’t going to give up in the face of impossibility. He called more than 50 literary agents before he found one that would support him. And after the book was completed, he spent 25 months trying to find a publisher that would be interested. Bradley recalled some of the responses
to laughs in the crowd. ”Publisher number nine was one of my favorite responses,” he said. “They said ‘no one is interested in what these old men are crying to you about.’” Flags of our Fathers was published in 2000. Bradley said he was a liar when it was first released. It debuted in second place on The New York Times best-seller list. “It came out in the middle of the period they counted in,” he said. “But the next week it was out, it took the top spot.” Bradley’s speech lasted between 45 and 50 minutes and was followed by a question-and-answer session. The author fielded questions ranging from his opinion on the Clint Eastwood adaptation of his book to the controversy surrounding the Rosenthal photo and if it was staged. “I think staged is insulting to the men in the photo,” he said. “The great thing about this photo, the reason why it became so famous, is because it wasn’t staged.” Afterwards, Bradley held a book signing in the Theatre auditorium where dozens of people packed in elbow-to-elbow to speak to the man one-on-one. But there was one special man in attendance that Bradley wanted to honor. “This man’s name is Gunner Johnson and he is a true hero of the battle of Iwo Jima,” Bradley said. Johnson stood aside shaking his head, trying to say he wasn’t a hero, while the auditorium was filled with the sound of clapping. While many people in the audience had personal ties to the men who fought for the 5-mile-wide Pacific island, Johnson was there 63 years ago. He said Bradley’s speech was inspirational, even if it brought up bad memories. “He was a very good speaker and I enjoyed every bit of it,” Johnson said. “I knew what he was talking about. I remembered everything he said so vividly.” While Bradley used World War II, and more specifically, Iwo Jima, for inspiration, his message carried a profound meaning for members of the audience in the 21st century. “When you have an idea and you think that you can’t do it, just write it on a piece of paper and stick it in your pocket,” he said. “And pull it out some day and look at it. You will believe you can still do it.”
Photos courtesy of Community Relations
Honored guest President Ross speaks with Gunner Johnson, who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima 63 years ago. Bradley made a point to recognize Johnson for his role as one of the heroes of the battle.
FORENSICS continued from page 1 St. Kitts & Nevis natives Javon Southwell and Pierre Liburd, both sophomore Business Administration majors, used knowledge of their home country to their advantage during their debate. When affirming the resolution “This House should adopt the Kyoto Protocol,” they proposed a plan whereby the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis would adopt the accord, dumbfounding their opponents with this approach. Freshman Communications major Jordan Scribner of Tulsa tied for seventh place in persuasive speaking in her first college tournament. Sophomore Computer Science major Bhupendra Acharya of Katmandu, Nepal, who has won a national speaking competition in his native country, experienced a first with his debut United States collegiate tournament. Acharya commented that his “first speech tournament in the USA was completely different” from contests in Nepal. “I’m proud of this young team,” Schabot said following the debut foray of the semester. “It was a tough weekend competitively but the team is ready to come back fighting.” And so they did, as the team earned a third place finish at the Ozark Fall Classic tournament hosted by John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. on Oct. 18-19. The team also took third place in the individual speaking events sweepstakes. More than 15 colleges and universities competed at this regional tournament,
See page 4 for solutions.
including Northeastern State University, the University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa. Cameron’s young debaters continued to improve, as Kautzman and Howell finished as semi-finalists in novice parliamentary debate with a 4-2 record in preliminary rounds before losing to Southwest Baptist University. Southwell and Liburd finished fifth in the same division with a 3-3 record. Pahcheka and McFadden finished with a 1-5 record in the varsity division. In public debate, sophomore Communications major Michael Faggett, a Dallas native, finished as a quarterfinalist in the varsity division, amassing a 4-2 record before being eliminated. Acharya finished with a 2-4 record in the novice division. In individual events, freshman Alex Wozencraft of Mannford took top honors in prose interpretation, adding a first place trophy to the national high school championship he won last spring. Other CU team members who placed in individual events were Faggett, second place in extemporaneous speaking and sixth in impromptu speaking; Scribner, fourth in persuasive speaking; Kautzman, fifth in extemporaneous speaking; Pahcheka, sixth in persuasive speaking; and Acharya, fifth in informative speaking. In early November, Cameron’s forensics team will travel to Tyler, Texas for a tournament sponsored by the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association.
October 27, 2008
News
3
News
4
October 27, 2008
CU’s pre-nursing sees effects of nurse shortage By Alexis Del Ciello Collegian Staff At times it seems as though we live in a life of shortages. We suffer from a shortage of cash flow to combat rising gas prices and a shortage of hours in the day to work and study, but for the shortage of nurses in nursing programs, there is no cure but only dressing to help heal the wound. Following 2004 Oklahoma nursing data released during a 2006 Board of Regents meeting, Cameron University, The University of Oklahoma and Western Oklahoma State University took action to combat a shortage of over 1,000 Registered Nurses in the state of Oklahoma. “When they did a study there was a shortage just in the state of Oklahoma of RNs [Registered Nurses] only, only hospitals; that’s not talking about nursing homes or clinics strictly hospitals of 1,129 RNs,” Allied Health and Interdisciplinary Studies Coordinator Debbie Crossland said. To help cure a shortage of RNs, CU applied for a grant through the Oklahoma Board of Regents to increase student pre-nursing space on campus.
“Two years ago Cameron had a grant approved through the Board of Regents to increase the students from OU from 41 to 71. The classroom space has increased and we do have more students in there. We have plenty of students,” Crossland said Though classroom and clinical space have been increased, a shortage of RNs is still present due to a transient population, burnout and a shortage of instructors. “The shortage is still there,” Crossland said. “We have a lot of students that go to school here and then they move out of the area because we have a lot of military students. Also, there is a high burnout rate in the hospitals because they have to work long hours and lots of shifts. The big drawback though, in the shortage of nurses, is that we have plenty of qualified students, but there is not enough clinical space and there are not enough instructors.” CU pre-nursing has done its part to help ensure an abundance of RNs in the state and students for the nursing programs at OU and WOSU, but clinical space and instructors are the limiting factors. “We are pre-nursing so we feed into the University of Oklahoma
MCT Campus
Crucial role: Nurses are a very important part of the healthcare system. However, in Oklahoma there is a shortage of nurses. The pre-nursing program at Cameron has seen the effects of this shortage and is playing a role in treating the issue. Bachelors of Science and Nursing and Western Oklahoma State College,” Crossland said. “It is up to them really. We have done a grant with OU and increased our room here up to 71. Halliburton and Duncan Regional Hospital went together to build a new center in Duncan. So, some of
the students are attending over there now. It is a fabulous center. The problem is getting enough instructors and clinical space. The physical examination of CU, OU, and WOSU’s prenursing/ nursing student numbers and data will tell if the outbreak of RN shortages is being treated in
Oklahoma. Crossland said the nursing programs in the state are getting ready to do a new study to be presented next year to the Board of Regents. CU is aiding the research process by fi lling out prenursing data on CU’s pre-nursing program.
Student Development offers career services to students By Valerie Pennington Collegian Staff Part of the appeal of attending a university is the promise of a career in a field that one finds exciting. Although the knowledge one garners through classes is extremely important, obtaining a job in a career that exercises that information can be difficult. Cameron University students are fortunate to have a program at their
disposal that will help them on many levels, Career Services. The Office of Student Development is located at 314 North Shepler and is generally open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Programs are extended not only to current CU students but to CU alumni as well. Cathy Billings has been the Student Development Specialist since March of 2008. She hopes to continue increasing awareness of the services that are available to students and alumni. “I have been working to expand the visibility of Career Services on campus, and since March there has been a great increase of students participating in our program,” Billings said. The purpose of the Career Services department has not been fully made aware to the student population. Some of the
services provided are aptitude testing, resume building and mock interviewing. “We are here to help students develop career planning from the beginning of their college education through finding their first job,” Billings said. “I provide students with opportunities to gain all preemployment skills to make them competitive in the job market.” Billings desires to shed light on the department by being available at a variety of events and times. Bringing potential employers to campus and researching the different career areas are some of the tasks that Billings tackles on a regular basis. “We have been hosting work shops and job fairs to help increase our visibility,” Billings said. Although the traditional student is able to utilize these programs because they are on campus during the times that the events are taking place, Billings is willing to work around the non-traditional students schedules to make sure they have equal opportunities. “I realize that not all students are able to attend these functions so I have made myself available via telephone, e-mail and even set up appointments after hours if necessary,” Billings said. There are also convenient online services. College Central Network (www.cameron.edu/
studentdevelopment) and http:// www.optimalresume.com are two services that allow students and CU alumni to post a resume and apply for jobs. Potential employers list positions and browse through the resumes in hopes of making a connection. John Spessard, graduated in May of 2008 with a degree in Electronic Engineering, contacted Billings the last semester of his academic career. He got help creating a resume and preparing for interviews. “Cathy was very helpful in teaching me how to write a resume that would get noticed,” Spessard said. “She also gave me pointers on the do’s and don’ts at job fairs and interviews.” Spessard wished that he would have known more about the programs a little earlier in his educational career. The pointers he received helped boost his confidence and he thinks most employers are looking for that particular trait. “I now believe that it is never too early to start using Career Services,” Spessard said. “The confidence level that I gained from the mock interview process, I think, gave me the edge in obtaining my current position.” For more information about Career Services students can contact Cathy Billings via e-mail at cbillings@cameron.edu or call the office at 581.2209.
Voices
October 27, 2008
5
Halloween costume conundrum Halloween is all about cheap candy and expensive costumes. Unfortunately, most college students are in a place where they cannot afford a $30 Winnie the Pooh costume made primarily of poorly dyed felt and a trashy looking plastic mask that looks like a bottle of honey. With costumes still being an expectation for get-togethers on Halloween, college students are faced with three decisions: budget, costume creativity and time spent creating the outfit. There are always the old fallback costumes that invariably were worn by 18 kids on every street because they thought they were going to be the only pirate in history. A great option, if one is into the classics, is dressing as a ghost. One sheet and two holes makes for an unmistakable but unoriginal costume. If sentimental, a student can add multiple holes to the sheet as go as Charlie Brown dressed as a ghost. If destroying bedding isn’t in the budget or creativity is more appealing, there are many more costume ideas for everyone. The first thing to do when it comes to costume design is to take note of the available materials. A dorm room full of pizza boxes, a red polo shirt and some black pants quickly becomes a pizza delivery costume. Trash becomes treasure in four seconds. Look for cardboard. An abundance of seemingly useless boxes can become the ultimate building material. A large rectangular piece of cardboard can be made into a cell phone or an iPod. Have a really big piece of cardboard? Make it a 90s cell phone. If the piece is misshapen, make an iPod anyway, because between now and Halloween an iPod will probably be released in that shape since a new and improved model is released every three days. If cardboard is nowhere to be found, there are still options. Find white pants and a white t-shirt then paint a yellow circle on the chest and go to events as a fried egg. On the other hand, black pants and a black shirt with a white circle with a #8 label makes a solid 8-ball costume. Still not creative enough? Want to explain the costume to everyone you meet? Then cover both arms with brown furry fabric. The costume is the second amendment, the right to bear arms. Not quite over the top yet? Dress as a Beverly Hillbilly and spend the night walking slowly and erratically like a zombie. Tell everyone you’re Dead Clampett. These costume ideas are great as long as there is a little planning and time to see them through. Some people will inevitably still need a costume after learning of an event five minutes before it happens. This is the time to grab a sharpie and get creative. A lightning bolt scar creates an incognito Harry Potter. No glasses; tell everyone that magic fixed your eyesight. Some classy clothes and some sharpie sideburns create a Martin Van Buren costume. With a construction paper top hat and a robust marker-beard, any man is instantly transformed into Abraham Lincoln. Any lady, through the same steps, can be a Babe-ra-ham Lincoln. The ultimate go-to costume at the last second requires a Hawaiian shirt and a squiggly mustache. What is more tubular than going to a costume party as Tom Selleck from Magnum P.I.? Still no costume? There is always messed up hair, a Cameron shirt and a wild look in your eyes. Go as an Aggie during finals week.
Bennett Dewan
Halloween is upon us, and once again the greatest inequality surrounding any of the major holidays has reared its ugly head. I’m not sure if it’s simply how it’s meant to be or if there is a sinister plot behind all of it, but it’s nearly impossible to find a good Halloween costume for a man unless you’re willing to spend incredible amounts of cash. Men try to be original instead, but they still come up short as no one at the party “gets” that the refrigerator box they painted red and blue is supposed to be Optimus Prime. Instead, you spend the rest of the night lamenting that you look like the world’s most colorful hobo, you can’t even sit in any of the chairs, someone spilled their drink on you and when you weren’t paying attention someone thought you were an garbage can. Generally speaking, costume shops aren’t of any help either. Their selection caters mostly to little kids who are too young or too stupid to know that they look ridiculous, and for some reason the adult male costumes are exactly the same as the children’s costumes but bigger and more lame. As a 10-year-old that Incredible Hulk costume might look awesome, but no one wants to see a grown man in neon green body paint and a children’s sized pair of shredded Levi’s. No, seriously. No one. Even animals or film characters just end up looking THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY goofy. You came as the Wolfman, but it looks like you were hit by four cars on your way to the party, your colored contacts keep sliding around on your eye making you look Founded in 1926 like a serial killer and you just shut your tail in the door. veritas sempiterna By the end of the night, you’ll be weeping right along with Optimus Prime in a lonely corner of the house. The cruel twist is that I’m almost certain that the same can’t be said for female costumes. I’m almost positive that it’s impossible to screw up a woman’s costume unless you’re working with costumes completely out of the realm of belief for your body. Come as a bee or a fairy, and people will trip over themselves to tell you that your costume looks pretty nice. It doesn’t end there though. The most insidious of female Halloween costumes has to be that they can just Editorial Board slap the word “sexy” onto any costume and it works. Sally Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek came as a sexy teacher’s aide, Nora is a sexy lawyer and A&E Editor - Bira Vidal Jennifer borrowed a hypodermic needle and came as a sexy Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - John Robertson Euthanasia Technician. Compliments abound, and below the din you can still just barely hear Optimus Prime and Newsroom Staff the Wolfman sobbing. Ads Manager - Kerry Myers Financial Officer - Susan Hill It’s not that I begrudge women this sort of thing, but Staff Writers - Alexis Del Ciello, Raven when compared to the awful things that men have to Weiss, Valerie Pennington, Monica Garner wear, it just seems cruel. If I see another “Kissing Booth” costume, I’m going to lose it. I’ve seen awful costumes; Faculty Adviser costumes that I’m pretty sure in some cultures could Dr. Christopher Keller be misinterpreted as the manifestation of death itself. Newswriting Students Oversized Bart Simpsons with leering crazy eyes, greasy Brooke Adams, Aduke Adesida, Kathryn pizza costumes, vaguely banana shaped Elvis Presleys Batule, Brandy Belew, Lauren Bennett, Greg Boxell, Taylor Brunwald, Justin and cheesy superhero costumes are the sort of thing that Cliburn, Jeramy Eidson, Monica Garner, nightmares are made of. Anna Hataway, Jennifer Knapp, Kyle Luetters, Diana Lujan, Megan Mefford, There’s really no way around it. Male costumes stink. Solitaire Merrill, Mary Oliver, Kyndle They stink out loud. Unless you’re willing to drop some Palmer, Nicole Roames, Chelsea Robertson, Melissa Rodgers, Saman crazy bank on a costume, there’s a huge chance that you’re Meagan Searcy, Rashmi Thapaliya, going to end up in an awkward fitting costume designed for Samii, Raven Weiss, Brooke Whiteley, Nikki someone younger than you. Perhaps it means that grown Yowell men shouldn’t be dressing up like Captain America, or About Us maybe it means that the industry needs to realize that even The official student newspaper of grown men want to dress up on Halloween and not look Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday like someone took a pipe wrench to a sack of potatoes. I’m during the year. It is printed by the Times going with the latter. Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.
John Robertson
COLLEGIAN
Letters Policy
Heroes can come from ordinary places What is a hero? We’ve all had our childhood heroes, whether they are celebrities, cartoon or movie characters or something ripped out of the pages of our favorite comic books. Sometimes, a hero is a man in a bright, colorful spandex suit who saves the innocent and upholds truth, justice and all that jazz. Or sometimes, he is the unassuming man you pass by on the street on the way to the grocery store. John Bradley was a hero. But you would never believe it looking at him. The man ran through destruction and bloodshed under a hailstorm of bullets to save the life of a fallen soldier. He earned the Navy Cross, the secondhighest military honor, for his acts of bravery during the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. And you know what he did with that medal? He gave it to his grandson, who stuffed it in a Crayola box. It wasn’t that John Bradley was not honored by the commendation. He just did not think he was a hero. He was doing his job as a medic during an intense battle. A soldier had fallen and it was his duty to do everything in his power to save that man. When I was growing up, I heard kids say their heroes were their moms and dads, their brothers and sisters or some fantasy character thought up by a writer sitting at a desk in Jersey with too much coffee and not enough sleep. My mom was dead, I never knew
my dad, I had no brothers or sisters and while cartoons and comic books were entertaining, they were still only stories. My grandfather was my hero in one sense. But he was only a man. He was a truck driver working a grueling 12-hour day. Being a young boy at the time, I never understood the true impact of that sacrifice. My grandfather used to tell me stories of his brother, Bud, who was a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne. Bud died fighting Germans behind enemy lines on D-Day. Bud was my larger-than-life hero, but he wasn’t the only one. It may sound cliché, but to me, soldiers were my heroes. Even at such a young age, I understood these men put their lives on the line each and every day, even if I didn’t understand what could possess someone to do that. I always thought they had to be larger-than-life if they would leave their families and friends behind and go to some place on the other side of the world and fight and die for something they believed in. As I grew up, I was fascinated by tales of heroism and battle throughout history. Even when I was too young to do so, I would read books about World War II and watch those old blackand-white movies with John Wayne, Henry Fonda and other famous actors. I stood in line with my grandfather to see Saving Private Ryan on its opening weekend. They were violent, but they
were fascinating. Years later, I’m all grown up and have moved beyond such a childhood fascination. But when I heard James Bradley, the best-selling author of Flags of our Fathers, Fathers, was going to speak at Cameron, I felt like a kid again. James is John Bradley’s son. John was one of the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima in Joe Rosenthal’s famous photo. Flags of our Fathers is one of my favorite books of this decade and Clint Eastwood’s adaptation should have won the Best Picture Oscar that year. So here I was, one month ago, learning that the author of one of my favorite books was coming to Cameron. I was lucky enough to sit down and talk to the man on two separate occasions before his speech on doing the impossible. He wasn’t what I had originally envisioned. I pictured this larger-than-life author who was so sure of himself and knew the pages he touched would be gold. What I found was a down-to-earth man who fell into the fame and fortune of being a successful author. Mr. Bradley never had aspirations of being a best-selling writer. All he wanted to do was learn the truth behind his
father’s experience in World War II. After all, the man is in the most reproduced photo of all time and is a Navy Cross recipient. When Mr. Bradley spoke at the Cameron Theatre, I was saddened to see hardly any Cameron students there. The majority of the audience was professors and predominate members of the community. I was hoping more people would take the opportunity to listen to Mr. Bradley. Still, I was in awe while sitting there and listening to the man speak about the experiences he had learning the reason behind his father’s silence and how he channeled that into doing the impossible. He didn’t say anything particularly new or groundbreaking. He didn’t blow the socks off the audience with revelations. Instead, he used the tale of one of the bloodiest battles in American history and told everyone in attendance that nothing is impossible. John Bradley was a hero to the country when Rosenthal’s photo was published in papers nationwide. He was a hero to his son, even in his silence. And just like Bud is my hero for his sacrifice, James Bradley is my hero for doing the impossible and telling a forgotten tale of the men who died on Iwo Jima.
Joshua Rouse
Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length. Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks. All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification. Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu, or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060.
Our Views The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author. The unsigned editorial under the heading “Our Voice” represents the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. The opinions expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily represent those of Cameron University or the state of Oklahoma. Our student media are designated public forums, and free from censorship and advance approval of content. Because content and funding are unrelated, and because the role of adviser does not include advance review of content, student media are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves. Administrators, faculty, staff or other agents shall not consider the student media’s content when making decisions regarding the media’s funding or faculty adviser.
Sports
6
October 27, 2008
Women’s golf team way above par By Bennett Dewan Collegian Staff
Photos by Bennett Dewan
Cool under pressure: Kass McGrath (above) watches her tee shot during the Oklahoma Intercollegiate for Women golf tournament at the Territory Golf Course in Duncan. McGrath shot a 76 and a 75 which placed her seventh in the individual tournament. Renee Breeze (bottom) is the captain and lone senior on the squad. As the team enters its mid-season break, Breeze has already shown herself to be an excellent leader and a standout on the course.
An athletic program can take years to mature into a winning and unified team. Many athletic programs can take over a decade to become competitive in their respective sport. Although no one would blame them for not having it together in just their fourth year of play, the Cameron University Women’s Golf Team has high expectations and scores of talent as the team heads into the break between the fall and spring seasons. The Aggies are currently ranked 26th in the country riding high on the play of some key role players under solid leadership and tutelage of Coach Rick Goodwin. The CU golfers aren’t just leading on the on the golf course, to the delight of Goodwin, they are also getting it done in the classroom. “A lot of kids from the program have been All American Scholars. And our G.P.A was the highest in the department last year,” Goodwin said. “They are here to go to school, so academics are a big part of what we do.” With academic excellence taken care of by scholarly athletes, Goodwin has been able to scout out the competition. In just four years Goodwin has witnessed an evolution in the quality of the play of the Lone Star Conference teams. “You have got to have four or five strong players to be competitive. The league has gotten a lot tougher,” Goodwin said. “We are getting more and more competitive.” Toughness has been a sought after commodity amongst the Aggie golfers. This has spurred a regimented weight lifting and calisthenics program led by Junior Marrik Wooten. The weight regimen is designed to add distance to each shot hit by a CU player. “We do a lot of strength training to make sure the girls are good off of the tee. The ball definitely gets up there, these girls can really put some weight in the air,” Goodwin said. “The hard work in the gym has paid off, we can see it.” Goodwin points to focused training and consistent scores turned in by the girls on the team as the primary reason for CU being a more tournament ready team. The elevated play of those individuals has not gone unnoticed. “Kass McGrath, who is a Junior transfer from Paradise Valley Community College is ranked 15th in the region and 45th in the country,” Goodwin said. Right behind McGrath in the rankings is the lone
senior and unquestionable leader on the team. “Renee Breeze, from Lawton, is ranked 19th in the region and 53rd in the country,” Goodwin said.” Breeze, the team captain, is the last remaining member of the inaugural squad from four years ago. She has grown and matured along with the program and has gradually worked her way into a leadership role. “I feel it is my job to make sure that the team is practicing. You can’t just take a week off from golf and then go back, you have to do something golf related every day,” Breeze said. “I feel like it is my job to make sure the team understands that.” After a season that did not live up to expectations last year, everything seems to be falling into line for the Aggies to be serious contenders come spring. “Last year we weren’t mentally stable enough to finish 18 holes as a team, but this year we are and we’re finishing stronger,” Breeze said. The ability to close out matches and play consistently will be vital as the Aggies push towards the top of the rankings. Goodwin has his sights set on qualifying his team for postseason play. “We’re ranked 10th in the region and the top 9 teams go to the regional championships, so we are fighting our way up the ladder,” Goodwin said. In order to get to his promised land, Goodwin will have to rely on his solitary senior Breeze to lead the Aggies to victory. Breeze has f lourished in the role as an unconventional leader who is fun and playful off the course and provides quiet strength on it. “I like to lead by example, I don’t really like to be the iron fist,” Breeze said. “I want to show them that they need to take golf seriously. When you are all friends it is hard to go in and be mean to them, but they all get it, we’re here to work.” Work is not the only thing the Aggies do together. Breeze describes the team as more of a family atmosphere than a group of competitors. “We all get along really well. It is hard to hard to get 6 girls together and to have everyone like each other. We like to see each other succeed more than trying to beat each other.” As CU golf has matured into a well-rounded team and the first half of the season has come to a close Goodwin and the Aggies are excited to make their run towards the postseason in the second half of the season, but do so knowing that every tournament closes a chapter in the fantastic career of Breeze. “We need to make a push, so that we can reward our senior. We need to do this for her,” Goodwin said. “So she can go out in a blaze of glory.”
NASCAR season enters final turn
MCT Campus
By Kyle Luetters Collegian Staff NASCAR’s 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup has barely passed the halfway point but has already produced a lot of excitement and drama. With only ten races to battle it out for a season long championship, 12 teams and drivers have been pushed to their limits for the past six weekends. The Sylvania 300 kicked off the chase action in Loudon, New Hampshire. Then point’s leader Kyle Busch started the day on the pole after qualifying was rained out. Busch’s troubles seem to start right as the green flag flew. A busted suspension component made the #18 M&M’s Toyota very hard to drive. During a lengthy caution, Busch’s team tried to rectify the problem by replacing the
part. The car still leaned to right as it had been doing for most of the race and Busch eventually wound up 34th. Another chaser, Dale Earnhardt Jr., led a good portion of the race but faded later on. This opened the door for Greg Biffle who wound up winning his first race since Oct. of 2007. Biffle took the lead late and held off teammate Carl Edwards and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson Next up on the chase schedule was the Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA at the Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. Busch’s bad luck followed him to Dover as he blew an engine early into the race. Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon won the pole for the event but was no match for the Roush Fenway Racing trio of Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth. Biffle passed Kenseth
with four laps to go to lock up his second straight victory. The Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kans. was the site of the third race in the Chase. Johnson and his Lowes Chevy Impala was on the pole. Johnson and Edwards were the class of the field as the duked it out for the better part of the 400 mile race. In the closing laps, Edwards and Johnson were running near identical laps times. Edwards moved up to a higher line and began to close in on Johnson. Going in to turn three on the last lap, Edwards drove his Office Depot Ford in deep and prayed it would stick. This wasn’t the case as his car slid up in front of Johnson’s and hit the wall. Johnson went on to win the race. The Talladega Super speedway hosted round four of the chase and was, considered to be by many, the
wild card race in the ten-race chase. Travis Kvapil led the field to the green in the Amp Energy 500. The race appeared to be heading into the hands of Biffle once again but a late race bump from Edwards triggered a nine-car pile up. When the green flag waved again, Chaser Tony Stewart held off three drivers from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to score his first victory since August of 2007. Race five was at the Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N. C., and despite a dominating effort from Johnson, Jeff Burton managed to stretch his fuel to last and won the Bank of America 500. Johnson faded to fourth after being passed for the lead with 22 laps to go. Burton also left Charlotte second in points after starting the race in fourth place in the points. The short track of Martinsville
in Va. was the next challenge for the chasers. Johnson and his Lowe’s Chevy was the class of the field all day while many other chasers had problems. Johnson left with the victory in the TUMS Quik Pak 500 and a 149-point lead. There are only four races left in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Atlanta Motor speedway in Atlanta, Ga. hosts the Pep Boys Auto 500 on October 26, 2008. The Dickies 500 from the Texas Motor speedway in Dallas is the host of the 8th race. It’s then off to the deserts of Phoenix, Ariz. and the Phoenix International Raceway for the Checker -O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil. The chase and the season conclude on November 16 with the Ford 400 from the Homestead-Miami Speedway. All of the final races will be broadcast live on ABC.
Sports
October 27, 2008
7
CU running team sprints towards finish line By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Pre-season tragedy and a mono infection have not stopped the Cameron cross-country team from beginning a succesful season and winning its first meet in school history. “We’ve had a rough time with things this year,” said head coach Matt Aguero. “But the guys have stepped up and have run well.” The 4 year-old program earned its first win in September at the Midwestern State University Mustang Relays in Wichita Falls. They followed the victory up with a second place finish at the Tiger Chase at East Central University. The program is young, but Aguero said success is starting to build. “It’s always great to be succesful this young,” he said. “But really, in four years, you’re starting to have upper classmen and guys that have been in the system for a while and that definitely helps.” In August, the team was hit hard with news that crosscountry runner Julius Kosgei was killed in a two-vehicle accident in Columbus, Neb. In a press release, Aguero said Kosgei was
improving and expected to have a big year. “Julius had already improved a ton and was looking great,” he said. “I actually talked to him a day before (the accident) and he said he was in the best shape of his life.” Kosgei was an emotional leader for the team both on the course and off. In the press release, Aguero said he would dedicate the season to the fallen runner. So far, Aguero said the season is going well, but Kosgei’s presence has been missed greatly. But he commended the runners and their perseverence through the tragedy “Any athletic team is a tight knit group. Basically, at the college level, you train together, you live together in the dorms in a tight area. So your whole life is spent with that other person,” Aguero said. “So you get to know each other kind of on a deeper level than you know for a regular student. They were tight when this tragedy occured and they leaned on each other for support and it brought them closer together.” Many runners have stepped up in place of Kosgei and have become leaders of the team. However, a mono infection struck
three of the team’s top seven runners. According to the Center of Disease Control, mono can cause fever, muscle soreness and severe fatigue. Aguero was told the disease could last between one week and six months. The severity of the infection in his runners is unknown, but two are opted out of the Lone Star Conference Championship in Kingsville, Tex., while one participated. “We hoped to place well at the conference,” Aguero said. “But we understand it would be hard with two of our top guys out.” While it might seem as if this has been a turbulent season for the cross-country team, Aguero said injuries and aff lictions are normal and part of the sport. The team was ranked regionally for the first time in its existence. Aguero now looks to the regional NCAA South Central Regional Championship on Nov. 8 in San Antonio, Texas. “The main problems have been the mono, but it hasn’t dampered the season,” Aguero said. “Our guys have really stepped up and fought through it. Every year we have problems with different injuries. But these are things that we can work through.
Meet the Aggies
7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the AGGIE GYM Meet the Mens and Womens Basketball Teams
Free Admission
Free Food 3 Point Contest Judged Slam Dunk Contest Two Shots for $500
One fan will shoot for $10,000
A&E
8
October 27, 2008
Diversity Day plays its cultural drums By Bira Vidal Collegian Staff On Oct. 24, Cameron Park played host to the annual Diversity Day, which merged various cultural backgrounds into one grand multicultural celebration and gave students the opportunity to expand their horizons. The event’s theme brought Ole Kim to the center stage as the carrier of diversity through learning. The theme reflects the ideal from Student Development and various student organizations for this year’s celebration. Dr. Jennifer Pruchnicki, Director of Student Development, explained that the Lawton and Cameron communities also play important roles in sharing the different cultural backgrounds enriching students’ lives in and outside the classrooms. “Diversity Day is a day about unity, a day where the community can come together and share in the rich cultures found right here,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “Lawton is a very diverse town and CU certainly reflects that. It is so exciting to have an event where we can celebrate the many backgrounds that make us such a wonderful campus.” Some of the organizations that participated in the event were the International Club, Students of the Caribbean Alliance, Cameron American Indian Student Association, Asian Club and Latin Alliance. Each special interest club had the opportunity to showcase part of their history and traditions and set a display with typical cuisine and personal items. “Like last year, we [had] a day of celebration so that all of the multicultural groups on campus [had] an opportunity to experience the different cultures through table displays, performances, and food samples,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “We feel that the campus community [enjoyed] taking part in a day of celebration that highlights not only differences in our cultures but also the many similarities we all share, especially on a college campus.” Following the Lawton-wide International Festival, Diversity Day helped bring different parts of students’ lives and experiences to Cameron University, as stated by Student Development Specialist Cathy Billings. “Events like Diversity Day and the International Festival give all of us the opportunity to expand and deepen our cultural knowledge about the people with which we live, work and attend school,” Billings said. “Learning about the culture, beliefs and traditions of others is an ongoing
Graphic by Bira Vidal
And the beat goes on: Students from the Cameron American Indian Student Association perform the Drum for the community during the 2007 Diversity Day celebration. process and Diversity Day is a fun way to bring the world a little closer.” As with most events this year, Diversity Day had its connection to the Centennial Celebration. The relation between CU and diverse cultural organizations on campus has been providing students experiences from the nation and the world alongside Cameron’s history. “Diversity is an issue that has and will continue to be a topic of conversation and provide opportunities for education,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “As we celebrate our Centennial year at CU, we are excited to continue in the rich tradition of providing a forum like Diversity Day for others to participate.” According to Finance senior Sonila Abdulla, an international student from Albania, Diversity Day helps students understand other cultures around Cameron and respect each other’s individuality.
“Diversity day is the time when we embrace other cultures in many aspects and appreciate each other’s background differences,” Abdulla said. “Still, we are part of the same community at Cameron, and each of us is identified with this day.” The annual SOCArnival followed the festivity of Diversity Day. The parade gave students the chance to present the culture from the diverse islands of the Caribbean. The carnival took Cameron’s main streets and brought some of the world-known celebration to CU’s campus. As students stopped by Cameron Park to appreciate diversity and cultural exchange, CU acknowledged the presence of different ethnicities and nations. Diversity Day has played an essential role at Cameron’s history through the exchange of cultures and traditions, and helped to highlight CU’s multicultural qualities.
Dave Alexander Band fuses country with CU’s Jazz Ensemble By Kerry Myers Collegian Staff The Dave Alexander Band will be headlining the 28th Annual Cameron University Jazz Fusion as part of this year’s Centennial Celebration. The critically acclaimed western
swing band will join the CU/Lawton Community Jazz Ensemble at 8 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Cameron University Theatre and then again at 8 p.m. on Oct. 31 at the Simmons Center in Duncan. John Moots, a CU Professor of Music, will be directing the concert. Moots has been directing the
Cameron University Jazz Fusion concert since its start in 1980. Dr. Jim Horner, a former Economics professor who directed the event with Moots until eight years ago, approached Moots with the idea, and the community has made the concert a success year after year. Moots explained that the concert has a very broad appeal to the audience in Southwest Oklahoma. The Cameron University Jazz ensemble, composed of musicians of different ages and professions from around the area, will accompany The Dave Alexander Band. The band itself has been named Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists and was recently inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame. Alexander’s music exemplifies the western swing tunes that were at the height of their popularity in the 1930s and 1940s combined with modern country music. The talented performer has been on
stage with some of the biggest names in country music, such as George Strait, Toby Keith and LeAnn Rimes. Dave Alexander is a three time Grammy nominee and is one of the nation’s top selling western artists. The Dave Alexander Band’s members include guitar legend Tommy Nash, formerly of the Dixie Chicks, three time World Champion Randy “Snuff y” Elmore on fiddle, and five-time Grammy Award-winner Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar. Moots said that the concert is a wonderful opportunity for the music students at Cameron University. “The concerts allow the students and ensembles to be around professionals and it gives them the chance to play with professional musicians,” Moots said. “It is an inspiring musical experience.” The Dave Alexander Band will be making guest appearances on campus in the days prior to
the concert, providing a musical weekend for the community. The band will appear in Moots’ various classes on Oct. 29 and 30 and will also be available for individual coaching and lessons. For more information, students should contact Moots. The concert is free to all Cameron faculty, staff and students. General admission is $10. Tickets for the Lawton concert are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the CU’s Administration Building, and tickets for the Duncan concert are available at the Simmons Center Box Office. Moots added that none of this would have been possible without help from several foundations that support all of Cameron’s concerts. “The generous funding of the Oklahoma Arts Council and the CU Lectures and Concerts Committee really makes all of these concerts come together,” Moots said. “Without them, these things wouldn’t happen.”
A&E
October 27, 2008
9
Exhibit showcases 40 years of CU Art program By Katie Batule Collegian Staff The Cameron Art Department was founded in 1968 and now, 40 years later, will be graced with the artwork of 53 outstanding alumni and students. Cameron University will be holding the Forty Years and Counting alumni art exhibition on Nov. 1, 2008. The forty-year mark just so happened to land on Cameron’s centennial year and it will be another addition to the Centennial Celebration. According to Art Department Chair Edna McMillan, the Centennial Celebration made a natural connection with the idea of Forty Years and Counting. The Art Department and Lectures and Concerts Committee will be funding the exhibit, which will feature at least one artist from each graduation year since 1968. The prestigious event will feature alumni who are now established artists and educators. Saturday’s events will begin at noon in the Shepler Ballroom with the unveiling of a painting by Jack Bryan, a former faculty member and chairman of 33 years. Bryan will be donating the painting to the school. Shortly after, guests will enjoy a luncheon and prepare for the exhibition. Following the unveiling of the centennial gift and presentation luncheon will be an Alumni Art Exhibition that will begin at 7 p.m. in the Art Department gallery. McMillan and other members of the Art Department faculty carefully chose select members from each graduating class from the past forty years to display their extraordinary art works at this years exhibit. “It’s going to be like a 40 year reunion,” McMillan said. Faculty member Benson Warren, one of those
who participated in choosing the artists, has been at Cameron for 35 years and has seen the shining stars that have passed through the Art programs. Each artist was chosen based on special achievements and outstanding work. According to McMillan, the artwork will range from oil paintings to prints, mixed media, bronzed sculpture and drawings. “They will be from highly realistic to highly abstract.” McMillan said, “The full gamut.” Senior and Graphic Design major Ann Morris is currently constructing a 30 page catalog which will show off each artist’s name, work and a short biography. The catalog will be given to the guest alumni and student artists. The Art Department is also holding workshops from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5. The first is “Rags, Brushes, and Imagination: An Exploration in Creativity,” a painting workshop taught by Jack Bryan. Bryan will have instruction on acrylic f luid paint media. Participants will include community members and current Cameron students. This workshop will be on Nov. 2, 3 and 5 for Liberal Arts week. The second workshop will be held by visiting alumni and printmaker John Hitchcock. The “Convergence Print Media: Indigenous Perspectives from North America” workshop will teach printmaking and will be presented to students who are enrolled in the Advanced Printmaking class. Hitchcock will be holding this workshop prior to the Alumni Exhibition as well as after. It will run Oct. 29 and 30 and again on Nov. 3 and 4. The workshops will be funded by Dr. Clodus R. Smith, the Pauline Smith Endowed Lectureship and John Hitchcock, the participating artist from the Kiowa Tribe. For more information contact Edna McMillan.
Graphic courtesy of Community Relations
Payne movie adaptation a pain to watch
By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff When the people a man needs get taken away from him, he can never go back to who he was before. Gamers all know the tragic story of Detective Max Payne. He was the tragic figure who’s wife and child were murdered in cold blood by drug junkies. The story, which originated in the 2001 release Max Payne, is probably one of the more interesting and moving stories of video games. The game was inspired by crime noir movies like Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon while pulling elements from graphic novels. Remedy Entertainment, the developer behind the game, combined these elements and crafted a superbly entertaining cinematic tale in video game form. It played like an interactive movie down to the plot twists, wonderful story and great voice acting. Seven years after the game’s release, it would seem like a sure bet that the 20th Century Fox release Max Payne, would live up to the cinematic standard of its video game inspiration. After all, the game borrowed so many things from noir movies, how hard could it be to make a living, breathing adaptation?
Obviously, it was pretty hard. John Moore, most famous for Behind Enemy Lines, an underrated war movie starring Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman, took the reins of the adaptation and recruited Mark Wahlberg to star as the haunted detective. Wahlberg’s acting chops have been up and down lately. He starred in the criminally underrated Shooter, but followed it up with The MCT Campus Happening. Moore did the best he could with the look and feel of the movie. There are scenes ripped straight out of the video game and it looks so beautiful. The cinematography, while not awardwinning, is simply remarkable. It’s like a feast for the eyes. I could sit and watch the movie again just to stare at the wonderful vision the movie had. But that’s about all it’s good for. Wahlberg said he never heard of the game and never really played it. Instead, he had his assistant, who is a “hardcore gamer,” play the game and tell him what he should do with the character. And that shows through. Wahlberg’s performance is stereotypical, uninspired and flag-out boring. Nothing of the Max Payne video game character is channeled through his performance. Wahlberg phoned in during the entire movie. His heart just wasn’t in it. Through the whole film, he just looked like some pretty-boy Dirty Harry wannabe with a bad haircut. Mila Kunis, who is a horrible actress in her own right, probably did a better job than Wahlberg. Kunis played the beautiful, yet deadly, Mona Sax. The character was first seen in Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. And just like
the movie version of Payne, Kunis’ performance channels nothing of her video game character. She’s sexy and gets to shoot some people, but that’s about all there is to her. The characters, aside from Payne’s good buddy, B.B., who is played by Beau Bridges, are about as deep as a wading pool. There’s no reason for them to do anything in the movie aside from some flawed sense of revenge. I remember a movie that was similar to this. It was called The Punisher and it actually had a storyline. The story of Max Payne is too convoluted and confusing for its own good. Somehow, the script writers managed to craft a story that was not only shallow, but confusing. Certain scenes look like they were stolen from the cutting room floor of Constantine. Strange winged creatures, later referred to as Valkyries, fly around the movie when people die. They eventually turn up with the city on fire and Payne holding his head screaming. They not only look corny, but they’re never in the game and they are completely unnecessary. I’m a big fan of the video game and the only thing the stories have in common is the death of Payne’s family and his partner. The Valkyr drug is lifted from the game, but isn’t handled with finesse in the movie like it was in the game. Not to mention, the Norse mythology references that were subtle in the game, are used to beat the viewer over the head so many times that I wanted to punch someone in the face with Thor’s hammer.
The one thing that baffled me through my entire time watching the film is the lack of blood. Make no mistake about it, like the game the movie is based on, Max Payne has a lot of action and there are a lot of people shot and killed. But when you shoot someone with a shotgun when they’re standing at arm’s length, internal organs will come flying out the back. At the very least, there will be some kind of blood spray. But not in this movie. I know Moore wanted a PG-13 movie so that the widest amount of people could come see it. But here is a newsflash: only gamers and action junkies are going to go see a movie based off a video game that has you shooting a lot of people. I’ll admit it, we are a bloodthirsty lot, and when we see people get shot, we want to see blood. The bullet time sequences that made the game so famous are lifted and used in certain scenes of the movie. One scene shows Payne jumping back, firing his shotgun while a guy above him shoots
an automatic rifle. There was at least five to 10 seconds that just showed Payne floating in mid air, chambering a shell. I thought the projector had jammed at first. I wanted to like the movie. I played both games at release and, at one point, owned two copies of Max Payne. I even went into the theater with the mentality that this was a PG-13 adaptation and there would be shortcomings. But I didn’t think there would be this many shortcomings. I’m sure that when the “gamer’s cut” comes out on DVD, perhaps some of the graphic elements of the film will be included. At least then, it will be watchable for the action. Until then, there’s really no reason to watch Max Payne. Gamers, who are fans of the game, are going to be disappointed by its lack of continuality. Action junkies are going to be disappointed by the flashy action scenes with no blood. And casual moviegoers are going to hate the shallow nature and horrible acting. It’s just not a good movie.
10
O
nly the dead survive. Electronic Arts’ latest adventure, Dead Space Space,, sets the standard for all survival-horror games for the rest of this gaming generation. Those are strong words, but spend one hour playing through any section of Dead Space and you will not only be scared out of your wits, but you will be craving more. In the distant future, Earth’s resources have run out and humanity is forced to find other means of getting basic minerals. The U.S.G. Ishimura was created as the first “planet cracker.” Its mission is to destroy planets across the galaxy and harvest the minerals from the debris. The Ishimura is on a routine mission when all communication is lost and its crew disappears. Enter Isaac Clarke; a systems engineer dispatched along with a handful of others to ascertain the reason for the communications blackout. But Isaac has his own agenda. He received a message before taking off from a woman on the Ishimura. Something was not right about the message and Isaac fears for her life. After crash landing on the Ishimura in a very impressive opening cinematic, Isaac is soon separated from the rest
of his group and must traverse the desolate ship, alone, to discover the secret behind the deaths of thousands of people and the strange appearance of grotesque monsters, later dubbed “necromorphs.” Dead Space is a third-person shooter in the same vein as Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War War.. There is no traditional heads-up display that could take you out of immersion. Instead, everything the player needs to know is visible on Isaac’s rig or in holographic displays that are projected in front of him. The game relies heavily on atmosphere. Unlike many horror games that use shock value, there is always an impending sense of dread as you walk around the abandoned Ishimura. There will be long stretches of time where you will never encounter the enemy. You can hear them crawling around in the vents. You can hear the screams of survivors as they’re discovered by the necromorphs. You can hear the sound of Isaac’s beating heart and heavy breathing as he tries to achieve his latest objective. All of these elements just add to the feeling that you might not make it out alive. Dead Space is not an action game. It’s a very atmospheric experience with some of the best sound design in gaming yet. And if you have a ESRB rating: M for Mature digital surround sound system, PLAY TIME: 15 hours the experience becomes even NO. OF PLAYERS: 1 more surreal. You will hear SYSTEMS: Xbox 360 ($59.99), Playstation 3 everything on a ($59.99), P.C. ($49.99) whole new level. You will feel like FINAL THOUGHTS: Dead Space is one of you really are the most frightening experiences in modern on the Ishimura gaming. It’s a breath-taking venture through just by the darkness and dispair and is certainly not for sound alone. the faint of heart. With excellent visuals and Dead Space is haunting sound design, the game fires on all not an actioncylinders to not only scare you, but to haunt shooter. You your dreams even after you have completed the will not run up games and watched the final credits. and down the corridors with guns blazing like
Dead Space
Variety
October 27, 2008
in Doom Doom.. If you do that, you’ll soon run out of ammo and will literally be torn into small pieces by the necromorphs. And then they will stand over your body staring at you, laughing at your ignorance. Dead Space must be taken one step at a time. Enemies will jump out of ducts at any time and start MCT Campus attacking you. Meet the necromorph: The standard enemy of Dead Space is a formidable enemy And unlike with supreme agility and deadly attacks. These creatures are mutated crew members games like and will be your ultimate downfall if you are not careful. Resident Evil or Doom,, shooting Doom creatures and one very nasty boss. scattered across the ship where these monsters in the head will do The gore is a major factor in the you can use power nodes to nothing to them. You have to use game. Just about any body part can improve the accuracy, power or your weapons to dismember them. be destroyed. When you stumble other attributes of your weapons In fact, the entire game is centered across dead human bodies, you can and your suit. You will need these around “strategic dismemberment.” curb stomp them and break their upgrades later in the game as you Take one of their limbs off and the arms and legs off, ensuring that fight disturbing creatures that will necromorphs will continue coming they will not become infected and literally haunt your dreams. at you. Take another one off and attack you later. But the gore can There are claims made about they’ll usually die, but not always. easily cross the fine line between how scary games and movies A lot of times, the necromorphs over-the-top fun and grotesque. are. With Halloween on the will play dead, waiting for you to Dead Space is broken up into horizon, you will be hard-pressed come by. And when you do, they’ll chapters, which have individual to find any experience that is jump up and attack you from objectives that correspond with as disturbing and addictive as behind. You have to be on your the story. Your first job is to get Dead Space Space.. You may be scared, toes at all times. the ship back online and running. your pulse quickened and sweat However, not every necromorph Later, you’ll have to restart the pouring off your face, but you will is the same. There are different engines, save it from asteroids still want to continue. classes from your standard drones and move it out of a planet’s Dead Space is not only one of with four arms and two legs. These gravitational pull. the most beautiful games yet, it’s will spit grotesque liquids that can While the whole game is set sound design is unrivaled. Forget burn through your suit. They’re on the ship, there is an impressive Resident Evil Evil,, this is the game also maneuverable and highly variety of setpieces throughout. that will truly strike fear into the powerful. But consider this, they’re At certain moments, you’ll have to player. Not even Fort Frolic in the most common and weakest go outside the ship into a vacuum Bioshock can come close to the enemy you’ll face. to fetch items or repair vital atmosphere and the stomachYou will come across some of components. While outside, you turning nature of Dead Space. Space. the most disturbing creatures can get a good look at the planet It’s certainly not for the faint of yet seen in modern gaming. At after it’s been cracked and the heart. But if you can stomach the one area in the game, you will see star in the far distance. You’ll see brutal gore and are up for a truly infected infants that will leap from asteroids careening through space frightening experience, make sure wall to wall and latch themselves and striking the ship. It really hits not to pass on Dead Space Space.. Just onto you with tentacles. The easiest home how small and helpless you make sure you still have a lamp way to kill them is to curb stomp are. on while you’re playing. them. Yes, you will curb stomp Being an engineer, Isaac babies in this game. Later, there knows a little about improving will be larger and more powerful the makeshift weapons he uses in the game. There are workbenches
Review by Joshua Rouse
MCT Campus
Open wide: The plasma cutter is your friend. Use it to dismember necromorphs in disturbing, brutal ways.
