The Cameron Collegian - April 11th, 2022

Collegian T he Cameron University

www.aggiecentral.com

Monday, April 11, 2022

Volume 106 Issue 4

Homecoming Dance: Photos by Brittney Payette

Into the Aggieverse

Cam Alsbrook and Brittney Payette

At 9 p.m. on March 31 in the McMahon Centennial Complex’s McCasland Ballroom, the Programming Activities Council (PAC) hosted Cameron’s Homecoming Dance.

The event included a DJ, cookies and beverages; the dance served as a closure to the homecoming events of late February, with the theme of “Into the Aggieverse.”

Junior Animal Science major Alexaundrea Ozuna said that the event was really fun, and she liked the idea of the theme.

“It was a really cool concept and made for good advertisement,” Ozuna said. “I also really liked how the shirts came out – and the events leading up to homecoming [dance].”

PAC President Makenna Hill said she was happy about this year’s lineup of homecoming events.

“I looked forward to planning Homecoming events for the students on campus,” Hill said. “It is very important to PAC for students to have fun while in school and opportunities to meet new people.”

Coordinator of Campus Life Daniel McFadden said that PAC learned some lessons throughout the course of setting up Homecoming events.

“We originally thought everything was set and all good to go; but then the ice storm hit, and we had to rearrange a few of our events,” McFadden said. “However, we were able to learn how to be flexible and still put on great events that the students seemed to love.”

PAC initially scheduled the Homecoming Dance to occur on Feb. 24 but it ended up being March 31 due to harsh winter weather.

Hill said Pac has learned to be adaptable when planning events.

“I didn’t think too much about the events being rescheduled because it is important to be adaptable, since

it is almost impossible for things to happen exactly as planned,” Hill said.

“I will say I think it worked out even better than I could’ve hoped for.”

As a result, the Cameron community saw a unique chance to relax and have fun as the semester approached its conclusion.

Journalism and Media Production senior Isabel Rosales said that she enjoyed having a night to dance with her sorority sisters.

“With so many things being pushed back for COVID or weather, it put a lot of people behind in classes,” Rosales said. “So it’s been stressful these last couple of weeks. It was great to have a carefree night to dress up and dance my worries away.”

Many students attended the Homecoming Dance.

Throughout the course of the night, the ballroom doors were open to the balcony, where attendees could feel the cool spring wind rush in to counter the carefree partying inside.

Freshman Criminal Justice major Makayla Cohee said they attended

the Homecoming Dance to see friends after finishing her work for the day.

“I had a great time getting dressed up and dancing with my friends for a few hours,” Cohee said.

Cohee said that the dance was an enjoyable way to end the night after she got done with school and work.

“The Macarena was probably my favorite song that was played because everyone who was there danced to this song,” Cohee said. “It was a fun time to see everyone dancing at the same time to such a simple song.”

Hill said it was nice seeing the community come together for all the homecoming events.

Hill enjoyed seeing people on campus attending the Homecoming events.

“I really like to see people getting involved and having a good time.”

Hill said.

For more information on future PAC events, visit PAC’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ PacCameronU.

What’s Inside Wild West: The Searchers Movie

Bark Side of the Moon: Stigmatized Pitbulls

Pour Myself a Cup of Ambition: 9 to 5 Musical

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News

April 11, 2022

www.aggiecentral.com

Photos by Brittney Payette

Movie Magic: The Magic Lantern Film Society hosted Dr. Sara Spurgeon to discuss the portrayal of race and gender in the 1956 film, “The Searchers.” Everyone was welcome to come and see the movie, which was loosely based on the life of Cynthia Ann Parker and her brother.

‘The Searchers’

Westerns in a different direction Brittney Payette Managing Editor

At 6:30 p.m. on March 25, in the McCasland Ballroom, Cameron’s Magic Lantern Film Society hosted guest speaker Dr. Sara Spurgeon discussed how the issues of race and gender in the 1956 film ‘The Searchers’ were depicted, along with their relevance today.

Dr. John Morris, the faculty advisor for Magic Lantern, introduced Spurgeon before the screening of the movie.

“One of the reasons I wanted to have a lecture about “The Searchers” is that it’s based on the novel, which is also based on the history of this area, Texas and Oklahoma,” Morris said.

Spurgeon is a published author of scholarly and fiction writings, and she edited the anthology ‘Cormac McCarthy.’

Spurgeon is an English professor at Texas Tech University, where she teaches literature of the American West and Southwest.

“Recently, I’ve been teaching a class on Native American Sci-Fi, both at the undergraduate and graduate

levels,” Spurgeon said. “I’ve always sort of liked Sci-Fi and the historic connections between science fiction and westerns. They’re sometimes called sibling genres.”

Spurgeon said that she was very lucky that she was able to be mentored by Annette Kolodny.

The latter was one of the founding foremothers of feminist theory and eco-critical theory as scholarly areas.

“She was a force of nature, all on her own, and was an amazing mentor to have,” Spurgeon said. “Annette Kolodny was an inspirational figure for me.”

Spurgeon said that “The Searchers” was loosely based on the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who, along with her brother, was taken by the Comanche tribe. There, she

grew up, married, and had children. “We still talk about Westerns because the issues that they bring up are still ones that struggle with as a country,” Spurgeon said.

“Why do we still watch The Searchers? Because Ford takes that cliched story that we think

back in time.

“As a genre steeped in history, Westerns are frequently a fantasy version of the past that reflects what people wanted the past to look like in the 1950s.”

Freshman business major Alyssa Martinez is the Vice-

we’re going to see and turns it into something unexpectedly dark and complicated.”

Spurgeon said that Westerns allowed people to project current controversial issues such as race and gender in a more comfortable way because they could have it set

President for the Magic Lantern Film Society at Cameron, and she was at the screening for “The Searchers.”

“We get to see another point-of-view and like you get to see how this man who would normally be like the white savior, is kind of also

the villain in the story,” Martinez said. “He is an antihero. Before it was cool.”

For more information about Magic Lantern and any of their upcoming events, please visit the website at https://www. cameron.edu/magiclantern/ about.

Movie Brief John Ford directed the film, which was based on the same name novel that Alan LeMay wrote.

In the classic Western, Confederate American Civil war veteran Ethan Edwards and his nephew Martin Pawley journeyed for five years to find Ethan’s niece and Martin’s sister, Debbie.

A Comanche tribe took Debbie at nine when the tribe killed her family and burned down their ranch.

However, as the duo embarks on this journey, Ethan’s intentions are questioned- does he want to save Debbie or kill her? Is Debbie still the same girl they knew before the Comanche tribe took her?

The film starred John Wayne as Ethan, Natalie Wood as Debbie, and Jeffrey Hunter as Martin.

CU BUSINESS: Energy Forum Jackson Miller Staff Writer

On March 23, Cameron University’s Business Department hosted a seminar in the Ross Hall Auditorium which focused on renewable energy, its uses, as well as the various unknown problems of utilizing it.

The seminar kicked off at 4:30 p.m. with keynote speaker Dr. Travis Roach, who is the chair of the Department of Economics and Director of the Central Policy Institute at the University of Central Oklahoma.

In his lecture, Roach addressed how much energy is used based on the demand for coal, natural gas, solar energy and other sources.

The speaker who

came up next was Matthew Newman, an advocate for sustainable energy and is a current advisor to Oklahoma Department of Energy Secretary Kenneth Wagner.

Since Newman is a former employee in the natural gas industry and has a history in the energy sector as an advisor, Newman came to the event to talk about the future of hydrogen fuel and natural gas.

One of the big projects related to the field that Newman came to discuss was hydrogen hubs, which is technology that will utilize natural gas (hydrogen fuel) to reduce carbon emissions that cause climate change.

Creating a clean natural gas is a process

that involves other clean energies as well.

“You can use solar and wind energy in this process through electrolysis to separate the gasses to get clean hydrogen,” Newman said.

Newman also talked about a new technology known as carbon capture, which uses machines to take carbon dioxide out of the air and turn it into something else that prevents it from trapping heat in the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas.

“We have the capacity to sequester 22 trillion tons of carbon dioxide underground,” Newman said. “This gas is easy to capture; it is just a matter of building the logistics to bring it underground.”

The next speaker was

Russell Philpott, one of the founders of Precise Building Performance LLC, which specializes in helping businesses lower utility costs.

Philpott mainly discussed the high demand for solar energy and the public’s misunderstanding regarding the energy source — mainly regarding the cost efficiency of some panels compared to others.

“I see a lot of projects come across my desk,” Philpott said. “and roughly ninety percent of the equipment installed is the same.”

This means that most of them run at the same wattage and efficiency standard.

“It’s like going shopping for a car, and every dealership sold Toyotas,” Philpott added.

Dr. Syed Ahmed, Director of the Bill Burgess Jr. Research center and Professor of Economics, hosted the event.

Ahmed said that the purpose of the event was to educate the public about the different energy options that are out there.

“We are trying to familiarize people with all the different renewable and nonrenewable energy options that are available,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed also wanted to address how world events can affect the prices of gas and other forms of energy, such as the case of the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“If you look at the current crisis we are facing with Ukraine,”

Ahmed said, “with the high cost of current energies here, I think it is very important to explore this topic for economic and environmental reasons.”

Although there may be skepticism about renewable energy in Oklahoma with the oil and gas industry, Ahmed adds that it is still worth the effort to educate people on the subject.

“I don’t think it is too late to educate people on the subject,” Ahmed said. “We must be able to educate people early on about the topic before they go off to university.”

For more information about upcoming seminars hosted by the Business Department, call 580-581-2842, or email the department at business@cameron.edu.

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Voices

April 11, 2022

www.aggiecentral.com

Don’t bully me!

Jashua Orndorff Staff Writer

Pets have always been a staple of human society.

There are a variety of animals that people have grown to appreciate over time.

Whether it be cats, hamsters, birds or fish, pets have been there to provide us comfort in our day-to-day lives.

Dogs, in particular, have been “man’s best friend” for centuries.

However, certain dog breeds carry stigma created by media attention.

These misconceptions have festered over the years as a result of misguided perceptions.

These stigma continue to affect how society treats various breeds of dogs and their owners.

With mass media covering events only for specific dog breeds, the stigma continues to develop with each passing day.

No other breed has been subject to as much prejudice as the pit bull.

The term “pit bull” technically should only be used for the American Pit Bull Terrier but is often used for other similar looking breeds such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier.

Pit bulls gained negative attention in

the 1980s when dog fighting became a popular subject to cover in the media.

Because many media outlets only report on stories involving pit bull violence, as opposed to all dog violence, pit bulls have gained the reputation of being violent dogs.

Subsequently, ownership of several breeds that simply look like the American Pit Bull Terrier has become restricted in certain areas.

Researchers such as Sociologist Genevieve Minter have conducted studies in regard to the reputation and how the legislation behind pit bulls have developed.

According to Minter and her study “From Deviant Symbol to Cultural Icon? Understanding Pit Bull Stigma,” in 2018 several cities have established laws in regards to breed specific regulation.

In 2018, “39 countries, 43 U.S. states, and 900 U.S. cities had some form of breed specific legislation, laws that include restrictions of ‘pit bull type dogs,’” Minter said. “From muzzling and microchipping to complete bans and euthanasia.”

In recent years, several individuals have taken initiative toward creating a better image for dog breeds, such as pit bulls, who have been affected by negative perceptions.

Many people have voiced their With this, pets and other animals, opinions online. Using media hubs, like the pit bull, who have been organizations and groups have curated subjected to mistreatment and stigma brands that aim to change the harsh are getting the help they deserve. perspective placed on pit bulls and other breeds.

Campaigns, such as the “Not A Bully” campaign, have made waves striving toward positivity as a result of the drive toward uplifting the negative stigma.

The “Not A Bully” campaign mission statement centers around providing homes for pit bulls and other bully breeds while also changing their overall public perception.

These types of efforts have Tribune News Service allowed for a shift in the awareness Thank you for being a friend: Pit bulls as more and can be very sociable dogs. Pit bulls, specifically more individuals Staffordshire Bull Terriers, tend to be very good advocate against with children, and, in recent years, have been pit bull restrictions/ referred to as “nanny dogs.” prejudice.

It’s the leash you could do!

Alison Malawey Voices Editor

Tribune News Service

It’s ruff out there! As an owner, you are not able to control the environment around you. It’s important for your pet’s safety and the safety of those around you to leash your pet.

About Us

The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available twenty Mondays during the year. It is printed by the Lawton Constitution. The first issue is provided for free. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.

Our Views

The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author.

The unsigned editorial under the heading “Voices” 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.

I never considered animal leash laws to be serious laws until someone I follow on Instagram, Asha Leo (@ashaleo), was bit while protecting her dog, Pirate (@piratepitbull), from an unleashed dog and nearly lost her finger.

Leo became a huge advocate for the Pit Bull breed after adopting Pirate at an adoption event several years ago.

In the middle of 2021, Leo was out for a walk in a leashonly park with her dog when they were attacked by an offleash dog who’s owner was too far away to help. Leo’s finger was bit while she was trying to protect her dog.

A month later, she had emergency surgery to remove

infected parts of the bone in her finger.

She spent the next six weeks attached to a pump which administered antibiotics directly into her blood stream.

Now, nearly a year later, she is still in physical therapy for her hand.

No matter how well behaved your dog is, you never know how they will react to other dogs.

Aggression is not the only reason for leash laws. In the past year, I’ve witnessed two dogs dying in the street from being struck by vehicles.

Pet owners who allow their animals to run around offleash risk their animals being injured or killed. Furthermore, there are a lot of cattle in town, and by state law, “any person may lawfully kill a dog who is chasing that person’s

Letters Policy

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Staff

Managing Editor - Cambron Alsbrook Managing Editor - Brittney Payette Voices Editor - Alison Malawey A & E Editor - Ashlin Penn Student Life Editor - Ryan Martin Sports Editor - Jimm Alley Copy Editor - Brittney Payette

Newsroom Staff

Staff Writers - Jackson Miller, Blake Moren, Jashua Orndorff, Rylan Stiles, Ka’Tavia West Photographers - Ka’Tavia West Financial Officer - Susan Hill Faculty Adviser - Prof. David Bublitz

livestock.”

Letting your pets run free is not just dangerous, it can be expensive.

According to the City of Lawton’s Animal Welfare FAQs webpage, any animal not confined or under physical control with a leash is considered “to be running at large.”

Any animal that is found “running at large” within the city will be impounded, and the owner is fined at least $100.

State law requires that should an animal injure someone, “the owner or owners of any dog shall be liable for damages to the full amount of any damages sustained.”

Regardless of how friendly you think your dog is or how well you think it listens, the only safe place for your animal to be off leash is at home.

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. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification.

Letters can be sent by mail, by e-mail to aggiecentral@ cameron.edu or they may be dropped off to the Academic Commons 101.

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A&E

April 11, 2022

RNING U T www.aggiecentral.com

D E R

Tribune News Service

By Blake Moren Staff Writer

This film review contains some spoilers.

Ever since I was a child, I have seen almost every Pixar film, and I love most of them. Even if “Turning Red” may not be the best Pixar film, it’s one of the best films in the Pixar library of films.

It is also one of the boldest films Pixar has ever made. Most Pixar films have high-quality animation and creative story-telling, and “Turning Red” is no exception.

The animation in this film is absolutely stunning to look at. While the film itself is pretty darn funny, the animation makes the film even funnier with how energetic it is. The musical score itself is also amazing.

The voice acting in this film is also consistently excellent. Every actor and actress is perfectly cast in this film.

Rosalie Chiang, who voices the main character Mei, does an absolutely fantastic job in this film. Mei’s mother Ming, is voiced by Sandra Oh and is outstanding in this film. Most Marvel fans know Wai Ching Ho as Madame Gao from “Daredevil,” she also does

a fantastic job in this film as Mei’s grandmother. S James Hong, who voices Mei’s neighbor Mr. Gao, is also great in this film. Like I said before, all of the actors and actresses do a phenomenal job in this film.

Ming is among the best antagonists in a Pixar film, and Sandra Oh does a fantastic job voicing the character. The moment during the last half of the film when Mei and Ming realize that they are more alike than they think is compelling.

When Ming tells Mei that she is “sick of being perfect,” it is among the most emotional and moving moments I’ve ever seen in a Pixar film. I genuinely cried during that moment.

While the concept of a controlling and overbearing parent is not new to Pixar films, this film approaches this topic differently from how “Finding Nemo” approached this subject. In “Finding Nemo,” Marlin was trying to shield Nemo from every possible danger imaginable due to understandable reasons, but the way he goes about protecting Nemo is way too overprotective and a bit irrational. The same could be said for Ming. However, Ming is only slightly less controlling than Marlin was, but not by much.

They are both parents who love their only child but are both too overprotective of them. Their reasons are both somewhat understandable. Marlin lost his wife and all but one of his babies, who grew up with a foreshortened fin. This makes Marlin’s actions understandable but still irrational.

Ming’s family has a history of turning into giant red pandas if they have a strong emotional response to something. Like Marlin, Ming’s actions are somewhat understandable but still a bit irrational. With all of this being said, the character development in this film is among the best I’ve ever seen in a Pixar film.

Most of the characters in this film are likable, especially Mei’s group of friends.

I also thought it was extremely bold to address periods in a Pixar film. Talking about menstruation is something I would never expect an animated film to include, especially one made by Disney or Pixar, but ultimately, this is a good thing. It shows that Disney and Pixar are willing to address mature and sensitive topics with all the sensitivity and thoughtfulness it deserves. In this sense, “Turning Red” is a coming-of-age story, and a pretty good one at that.

As with “Coco,” I really enjoyed seeing a film with a culture that I’m not familiar with. I’m always open to learning about other cultures. As with “Shang-Chi,” I find the inclusion of Chinese culture and various other cultures gives the film more depth and realism.

However, I do have some criticisms.

I am not really a huge fan of some of the character designs. Additionally, throughout watching the film, I felt like some of the humor was a bit childish and annoying. While the film is very funny at times, some jokes don’t land in my opinion. Some scenes are also kind of cringe-worthy, and whether or not this is intentional is somewhat subjective and debatable.

Just for the record, I am a white guy in my late 20s, so I’m probably not part of the demographic that the film is aiming for. Usually, Pixar films have a universal appeal that, well, appeals to all ages, and this film just doesn’t quite have that same appeal. This is not really that big of an issue, but again, it’s just my silly opinion.

Overall, this film is a solid but imperfect addition to the Pixar library.

My Rating: 3.9 /5

Trinity Langan: Sophomore

Communication and JRMP Favorite Artist: Chris Renzema Favorite Genre(s): Spanish Instrumentals, Ska, Christian Music, Country Streaming Platform Preference: Spotify

Macie Carter: Freshman Undecided

Favorite Artist: Zach Bryan Favorite Genre(s): Country Streaming Platform Preference: Spotify

Asia Hurt: Freshman

Psychology and Criminal Justice

Favorite Artist: Lil Nas X Favorite Genre(s): Old School Disney Music Streaming Platform Preference: Apple Music

Chester “Tony” Porter Ijurnaie Fields-Robinson Junior

Sophomore

Favorite Artist: Rivers Cuomo Favorite Genre(s): 90s Alt Rock, Ska, Punk Streaming Platform Preference: YouTube Music

Favorite Artist: NF Favorite Genre(s): Christian Music

Accounting & Educational Studies

Animal Science

Streaming Platform Preference:

YouTube Music

JoJo Turnpaugh

Ryne Messick

Criminal Justice

Chemistry with Health Concentration

Senior

Favorite Artist: Kaylee Hammack Favorite Genre(s): Country Streaming Platform Preference: Spotify

Sophomore

Favorite Artist: Ariana Grande, Britney Spears Favorite Genre(s): Pop, Rap, Country, Pop Rock Streaming Platform Preference:

Apple Music

5

Student Life

April 11, 2022

www.aggiecentral.com

Cameron Theatre presents ‘9 to 5’

The musical Brittney Payette Managing Editor

Cameron’s Department of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts closed its theatre season with the musical comedy “9 to 5.”

The play is based on the 1980 hit film of the same name.

Country music star Dolly Parton wrote the music, and lyrics.

The musical comedy itself is about three secretaries who decide to get revenge on their misogynistic and arrogant boss.

The performance is scheduled at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 21-24 in the University Theatre.

The cast consists of Araia Heathcott as Violet Newstead, Heather Martin as Doralee Rhodes, and Shalyn Bowles as Judy Bernly. The antagonist of the piece, Franklin Hart Jr., is played by Byron Phillips.

Also in the cast is Professor Shaun Calix as Joe, Dakota Weeks as Dwayne, Victor Quinones as Josh/Doctor, Angel Frasier as Missy/Candy Striper, Grace Norbury as Maria, Curtis Myers as Dick, and MacEwan Sanders as Tinsworthy/ Orderly. Additionally, they are joined by Carmen Head, Alvarado as Kathy; Trinity Logan as Margaret; and Cole Nowlin as Bob/Detective.

Nina Pebeahsy is the Stage Manager for the production, and her assistant is Aubrey Waxler. Sidni Blalock is the properties designer and Jaeden Smith, Wardrobe. Francis Waweru, Nairobi is the running crew and Maliah Davis is the light board operator. Also joining the crew are Richard Johns, fly crew, and Jericho Carmona, follow spot operator.

Associate Professor Eric Abbott is the costume and makeup designer, who is assisted by Aubrey Waxler.

Assistant Professor Ben Williams is the scenic and lighting designer, along with lighting design assistant is Carmen Head. Joey Roberts is the sound designer. Professor Scott Richard Klein is the director.

To reserve tickets or to get more information, call the Cameron Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (580) 581-2346.

Photos by Cam Alsbrook

Interviewing an Aggie of Tomorrow

Ka’Tavia West

Ryan Martin

Student Life Editor At the end of each academic year, Cameron University recognizes two junior and two senior students for the “Outstanding Aggies of Tomorrow” award, and one of this year’s winners is Senior Ka’Tavia West.

This award is earned by students who excel in the classroom and represent the University in an impactful way.

The awards reception is typically during homecoming week — however, due to inclement weather earlier in the semester — there was not a formal ceremony.

As the former Black Student Association President and recently

Photo by Cam Alsbrook

crowned 2022 Cameron Monarch, West is no stranger to the limelight.

Despite her awards, she always looks to help everyone around her, leading by example and with a little pinch of positivity.

West said hard work will always get people to the places they need to be.

“There will be many tests along the journey, but always remain persistent,” West said.

“Be present, not just physically but mentally.

Enjoy every moment – because the reward in the end will mean so much more. We have a lot of life to live, so live it to the fullest and work

hard.”

West said school can be difficult at certain points during college, but she believes in her ability to conquer anything she puts her mind to.

“I’ve hit many road blocks through my leadership opportunities here at Cameron University, but I never gave up,” West said.

I’m a firm believer in the phrase “Nothing is impossible,” and it’s true. In my eyes, there is always a way for me to succeed and just continue to amaze myself with all the things I do,” West said.

With less than a month until graduation, West said she is trying to take

the journey in and enjoy the last few weeks she has on campus; she also said she is counting down the days until graduation.

“I’ve worked so hard and busted my butt to be here, and its all coming together,” West said.

“I have a countdown actually – I have 29 days till graduation, and I’m giving this last semester all I got left. Graduation is going to be a great moment for sure.”

West’s drive to remain persistent and offer support to others are just a few of the reasons why she won the award in the first place.

To her though, it’s just another day to improve and keep getting better.

6

Sports

April 11, 2022

www.aggiecentral.com

AGGIE ATHLETICS FEATURE With Spirit Team’s Savannah Layeski Jimm Alley Sports Editor

Savannah Layeski is a freshman studying sports and exercise science and is a Cameron Aggies dance team member.

Layeski was initially doing gymnastics, but after almost ten years, she decided it was time to pursue something different.

“I started dancing my freshman year (of high school),” Layeski said.

“All of my friends were doing it before, and they said it’s fun, and I still wanted to do something that was athletic.”

Layeski started her dance career at Sherri’s Dance Center, and although she was not on the dance team in high school, she was on the golf team all four years.

She even made it to state in her Senior year.

On the Cameron campus, Layeski is a member of the Circle K program and is a PLUS scholar.

Layeski has a busy schedule between her obligations with the dance team and her class schedule.

She has a lot on her plate between practices, weight sessions, and coming up with new routines, but she has not let the hectic workload get in the way of her progress as a student.

After her time at many things she enjoys the connections she has Cameron, Layeski hopes about being a Cameron made along the way. to continue “My favorite her education part of dance “My favorite part of elsewhere team is meeting and focus on dance team is meeting new people and becoming a making new new people and making friends,” Layeski chiropractor.

“I plan said. “I’ve always new friends.” to move to liked cheering Dallas,” on people ever Layeski said.

- Savannah Layeski since I was on “I want to Sports and Exercise pride line in high go to Parker Freshman school.”

University.”

Layeski Layeski also has some big said that she has been athlete, but the thing she goals for herself and going to a chiropractor loves about it most is a lot of motivation to since she was very young.

“I have gone since I was a baby,” Layeski said. “I had really bad ear infections, and my mom took me to the doctor. I would have had to have surgery, but they ended up taking me to the chiropractor, and I haven’t had an ear infection since. I’d like to help other people the way they have helped me.”

Layeski even has an internship at Aaragon Chiropractic to help her reach her career goals and gain valuable experience while still an undergraduate student.

Layeski practically does everything besides the adjustments, including ultrasounds, learning how to use some of the equipment, and helping patients prepare for their appointments.

Layeski mentioned

accomplish them.

Balancing a full schedule of courses with being an athlete and trying to advance one’s career simultaneously is no easy task, but Layeski seems to be handling the pressure well.

Layeski is just one of the many young athletes at Cameron with a bright future, and she is an excellent example of what makes the Aggie student body truly special.

Commitment,

intelligence, and determination are the qualities that make an Aggie athlete great, and Layeski exhibits all of these traits.

She continues to strive on the right path to success and achieve all of the goals she is setting out to do.

If you want to find more information on the Cameron Aggies dance team and all other Cameron athletics, please visit cameronaggies.com

Dancing Queen: Freshman sports and exercise science major Savannah Layeski started dancing in high school. As a member of Cameron’s dance team Layeski balances her studies with her work as a Cameron athlete.

Photos by Jimm Alley