The Cameron Collegian - February 13th, 2023

Check

out the

Cameron Library

Cameron University's Eugene D. McMahon Library has undergone several changes in the past few years, with the University renovating, changing and upgrading the library.

Junior Business Administration major D’nae Turner has worked at the CU library for about two years and said she does several different things as the circulation desk assistant.

“I check out items for students, help them find books, reshelve,” she said.

Turner also said that she wishes that more people knew about what the CU library offers.

“They (the students) have access to check out cameras and digital equipment,” she said. “I feel like they’ve made some pretty good additions, like the coffee shop. I feel like not enough people utilize the library’s resources.

Circulation Supervisor and Cameron alumnus Brandon Barnes said he has worked at the library for a couple of years.

face-to-face than the other jobs I’ve had.”

Additionally, Barnes said there are a few things he wished people realized about the CU library.

“We do have plenty of resources, not just the databases,” he said. “We did recently rearrange the stacks upstairs, but there is tens of thousands of books

said. “Then, you just let us know and show us, then you can check it out from the library for two hours. There are similar restrictions on stuff like headphones and calculators and stuff.”

Barnes said the library is a great place to study and that he hopes more people will come and take advantage of the resources it offers for Cameron students.

“We often have a lot of people around midterms and finals,” he said. “Be sure to make some time to get what you need. It’s first come, first served for a lot of that stuff. But, we have a lot of places to study.”

Students can make reservations for rooms and study carrels in advance, but you are not supposed to reserve the same space day after day out of respect for other

The CU library also has tutors who generally come in for a couple of hours around 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Students can go in and ask the tutors questions they have.

The library is open from 7:30 to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 10 p.m. on

For more information about the library and its resources, email the librarians at ask@ cameron.libanswers.com, call the circulation desk at (580) 581-2956 or call the reference librarian at

Brittney Payette Managing Editor

Photos by Brittney Payette

Mind blowing Mind meddler

Neal Kirmer Staff Writer

Wizard? Witch? Entertainer?

At 7 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the McCasland Ballroom in the MCC, Cameron University’s Programming Acitivities Council (PAC) hosted mind meddler, mentalist and comedian Troy Peters.

Peters wowed the crowd with his ability to seemingly read the thoughts of those in attendance.

He accurately read the thoughts of those selected to participate, which included knowing what word from a book the attendee was reading, or what type of animal they were thinking of.

Peters is also billed as a mentalist. Those who practice mentalism demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities, such as the ability to guess when an audience member is thinking of a horse or the color red (more on the color red later).

Those who are adept at mentalism use the power of suggestion and

the ability to read body language to predict what people are thinking.

The performance by Peters was a showcase in the abilities of mentalists. Peters began the show by correctly identifying three things that audience members were thinking of, well almost correctly.

He correctly guessed that one audience member was thinking of a horse and that another was thinking of broccoli.

When Peters asked a third participant to think of a number, he was slightly off in his guess on what number the audience member was thinking of; however, several other people in the audience had the same number that Peters predicted in their heads it was just that their brain waves were louder than the participants. That is the power of suggestion. Mentalists are not actual mind readers or psychics. They use the power of suggestion, along with the body language and mannerisms of those they are “reading” to predict

the outcome of the questions asked.

At the end of his show, Peters asked a volunteer to color in a drawing however they saw fit. Peters correctly predicted that the volunteer would give the drawing a red shirt, yellow tie, green shorts and so on.

Peters was so sure in his prediction that he was wearing that exact outfit under his stage clothes, and revealed the attire to much laughter from the crowd. Even those in attendance had picked out these colors in that specific order.

Even for those who understand how this is done, knowing the how does not take away from the experience.

Cameron University student Marshall Sadler not only enjoyed the performance but also participated as a volunteer.

“I really enjoyed the show. I thought that it was really cool how he incorporated our free choices in his act,” Sadler said.

PAC hosted the event as part of a week-long list of activities for

homecoming week.

PAC is dedicated to enhancing the college experience for those attending Cameron.

Jadance Black, a Cameron student who was involved in bringing Peters to campus, looks forward to bringing similar acts to Lawton.

“We focus on what people like to go to. We try to mix it up and get everybody something that they would like. We do novelties, crafts and shows like we saw tonight.” Black said.

As for the Mind Meddler himself, Peters said that he would love to come back to Cameron and perform again.

“I am really impressed with your campus,” Peters said. “[Cameron] Has very unique and interesting students. Tonight, was a small but energetic crowd, who were really into the show.”

For more information about events hosted by PAC, follow their social media accounts on Instagram (pac_ cu) and Facebook (PacCameronU).

CU Homecoming week: Duncan edition

Cameron University’s Duncan Campus celebrated Homecoming week with several events from Feb. 6 - 9.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 6, CU Duncan kicked off the celebrations with a free hot dog station. Students were able to make their own hotdogs for lunch and were provided toppings as well as lemonade and other drinks.

Students and staff also made Valentine’s Day cards for the residents at Chisholm Trail Assisted Living. The cards will be delivered to the assisted

Director, Susan Camp. The workshop called, Mindset Matters: Study Smarter, Not Harder was the focus of Camp’s Workshop.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 8, students were provided with a charcuterie-style sandwich spread for lunch and were invited to graze away on the delicious assortment of sandwich makings.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. students also were able to make their own beaded keychains with supplied items.

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Feb. 9, students were able to choose from several varieties of cookies and

Scott Smith Staff Writer

Photos by Neal Kirmer

Photos by Scott Smith

Valentine’s Day For the love of CHOCOLATE

such as love letters.

It’s that time of year again: Feb. 14 marks the arrival of Valentine’s Day across various parts of the world, and of course, you can’t mention Valentine’s Day without thinking about chocolate.

The practice of giving and receiving chocolate has become so normalized, it feels like it’s always been a part of Valentine’s Day celebrations. However, the holiday was created to honor Saint Valentine, so how did chocolate of all things manage to become a tradition? There are many answers to that question.

We are all familiar with the pretty boxes of chocolates adorning the shelf as soon as the New Year celebrations end each year, and there is one person can be credited with the creation of the iconic heart-shaped box of chocolates.

While giving gifts to loved ones was a common practice for many years prior to the 1800s, Valentine’s Day became a commercialized ordeal during the Victorian Era when Richard Cadbury created “eating chocolates” from the cocoa butter that was left over from making “drinking chocolate.”

Cadbury packaged these chocolates into heart-shaped boxes that he designed himself using symbols that were already associated with Valentine’s Day.

Drawings of Cupid and roses adorned the boxes, making them a popular choice among those looking for gifts for their lovers— Smithsonian Magazine revealed that these gorgeous boxes were used to store mementos

Correction:

Since then, boxes of chocolate have come a long way and now contain multiple flavors, fillings and box designs to suit almost anyone’s tastes.

There is also a scientific reason why chocolate is such a good gift. Like everything on Earth, chocolate is made from certain chemical compounds that contribute to how amazing it is.

According to chocolate retailer Bar & Cocoa, one chemical in particular, phenylethylamine, is what makes us happy when we eat chocolate. Well, aside from chocolate’s delicious flavor, of course.

Phenylethylamine essentially encourages the brain to produce more serotonin, which is typically known as the “happy hormone.” This burst of serotonin makes us perk up whenever we have chocolate, making it the perfect snack to combat negative feelings.

Chocolate also contains caffeine, and caffeine is a stimulant, making chocolate an effective energy booster. These benefits in addition to chocolate’s great taste make it quite the appealing snack.

Perhaps the real reason why chocolate

In Vol. 108, Issue 1, the “Cameron Collegian” incorrectly named Karley Miller in a sports photo. The figure in the photo on the left side of the page should have been labelled “Korie Allensworth.”

The Collegian deeply regrets this error.

makes a great gift is because of how accessible it is. It can be found in any grocery store, convenience store, and even here on campus!

Chocolate is also inexpensive, so you don’t have to break your bank for a gift. In addition to its cheap price, chocolate is versatile, and can be used to make other things such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate cake, ice cream, hot cocoa, and more.

Most importantly, chocolate is almost universally well-received.

Even though there are those who may dislike one type of chocolate, they may like another type since each brand is different and there are multiple flavors available for anyone.

Chocolate may not be the healthiest option, but when consumed in moderation it makes for a lovely treat. It’s no wonder that chocolate became the gift of choice for Valentine’s Day. It is delicious, not very nutritious, and can make people happy, so enjoy your Valentine’s Day with some chocolate, Aggies.

Skylar Teddington Staff Writer

the dangers of the internet ‘Missing’

By Kemar Noel Staff Writer

This review contains spoilers.

“Missing” is among the many movies to come out in the past several years that has aspects of social media and the internet as a driving force.

This film is directed by Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick. It stars Tim Griffin, Ava Zaria Lee, Nia Long, Storm Reid, Amy Landecker and Ken Leung. The lead of the movie is Storm Reid, who plays 18-year-old June.

This movie went under my radar for a while and only had minimal advertising. Kicking off the year with a banger is hard to do when competing with films like “Puss in Boots” and “Avatar,” but they still tried their best.

I love films where teens are left on their own to solve a problem or conflict given to them, so this film was right up my alley. Unfortunately, the actors were given a mediocre story at best to follow throughout the movie.

The movie starts off with a scene from June’s past: a video made of June as a child with her dad, who has passed away. The video was edited and saved in a file for June to watch when she is older.

June’s mom is searching for a new start and chooses Los Angeles. I personally thought this was a great start for this movie. It didn’t show too much but made us wonder why she was moving so suddenly after the “death” of her husband. It added a sense of curiosity to the movie that made me excited about what would happen next, but I was

very disappointed.

The movie was very predictable and lost its flare just as quickly as it got it. The exposition was filled with June spending her emergency funds to have fun and party when her mom and her boyfriend “Kevin,” were on a trip. It emphasized greatly how much she missed her father and how unappreciative she was of her mother, so she lost both.

June’s mother and Kevin go missing on the trip, which sends June into a spiral looking for them, learning and studying their last public appearance. June starts to uncover the truth about what really happened to her mother by password cracking into various social media accounts owned by the two.

She then goes through their social media accounts to find clues about their disappearance. This is how she eventually finds out that her mother never made it out of the country and her boyfriend staged the whole disappearance with another woman.

Secrets continue to unravel and the sloppy execution of the movie made it really easy to decipher who the “kidnapper” was halfway through the movie.

The guy who was in charge of Kevin’s rehabilitation group was mentioned once and never again. The leader of this group was also never shown unlike everyone else even though we heard his voice.

This made me skeptical and I was right to follow my instincts, because not only was he the one who kidnapped June’s mother, but he was also her father. The film ends with his death and June watching their story be retold in a Netflix show.

The film had a ton of early potential but failed to deliver. The film became predictable and boring halfway through, and by the end I was wondering where it went wrong.

The themes in this film are abundant and numerous. There is of course the first one: not everything you see online is real. June’s mom was easily fooled by some guy online who was dishonest with her enough that after he admitted to committing past felonies she should have stopped giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Another message was that passwords should be changed and alternate between different accounts. It was way too easy for June to access Kevin’s account. It is shown multiple times that the internet, while sometimes secure, can also be very insecure if you don’t know what you are doing.

There are many other praiseworthy themes and messages scattered in the film like familial bonds and not opening the door to strangers.

It seems like the directors tried to include too many differnet things within the alloted time frame of the movie. There are too many characters, which hinders the audiences’ ability to better understand and relate to those characters. We know what the characters are doing, but not why they are doing it, and this is another major gripe I had with this movie.

This movie had some pretty decent actors who tried their best to make the movie great, but there is only so much you can do with a mediocre script.

While factoring in the overall thematic value and story of this film I rate “Missing” a solid 5 out of 10.

FOR THE LOVE OF LOVE: ROM-COMS AND WHERE TO STREAM

By Victoria White A&E Editor

For years, the romantic comedy (or rom-com) has served as a genre for many adoring fans.

In this list, I will catalog classics from “Singin’ in the Rain” to brand-new offerings like “Shotgun Wedding,” as well as include a guide on where they can be streamed.

AppleTV+:

The Proposal (2009)

Amazon Prime: Marry Me (2022)

I Want You Back (2022) Shotgun Wedding (2023)

Disney+: Splash (1984)

Princess Bride (1987) 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Paramount+: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

The Lost City (2022)

Hulu:

Love, Simon (2018) Happiest Season (2020)

HBOMax:

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

Overboard (1987)

When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

The Wedding Singer (1998)

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Showtime:

The Birdcage (1996)

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

The Holiday (2006)

Begin Again (2014)

Peacock:

13 Going on 30 (2004)

50 First Dates (2004)

Easy A (2010)

Warm Bodies (2013)

Netflix:

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

STARZ: How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

Picture Me Caricature

Courtney McEunn Student Life Editor

From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on Feb. 6, the Cameron Programming Activities Council (PAC) kicked off Cameron University’s 2023 Homecoming week with a “Picture Me Caricature” event.

A caricature is a picture or drawing that takes a person’s most striking characteristics and exaggerates them for a comic or grotesque effect. PAC invited local caricaturist artist Amy Chandler to set up in the lobby of the McMahon Centennial Complex (MCC) and encouraged students to stop by and get their portraits drawn.

Chandler made the photos by hand and in person in the MCC lobby. Students could get singles, doubles, or group drawings and take a physical copy home with them. Each art piece was free and took approximately 5-10 minutes so everyone would be able to get a photo in a timely manner either before, between, or after their classes.

CU junior Alec Santos was able to get his caricature done between his classes with a fellow student. While waiting in line, Santos was able to see

other students being drawn and watch the artist at work live and in person.

“At first, the line was super long— like out the door—but they were actually pretty fast,” Santos said.

“It was super cool seeing other students perceived in a different way than in real life, more so like a comic book, and it was really cool seeing myself perceived in a different way as well.”

PAC freshman Caryn Stringham works with Campus Life to help organize and see all of the different events put on throughout the semester and during Homecoming week.

“Along with campus life, PAC plans a lot of different events for homecoming week,” Stringham said. “It creates a lot of opportunities for (students) to be involved on campus, to get excited about Homecoming and just be involved in that way.”

Stringham also got her own caricature made by Chandler. While most caricatures focus on noticeable features with the subjects, Stringham took note of the fact that the artist also included small details about people, even though she produced so many drawings so quickly.

“I’ve never had, personally, a caricature done before,” Stringham said, “so I think it

was really fun and unique to have a caricature artist on campus. I really like how the artist focused so much on smaller details because the thing with caricatures, is that you kind of exaggerate noticeable features. The pair of earrings that I was wearing were drawn into there, so I thought it was fun to see the small details in my drawing as well as everybody else’s.”

CU Campus Life and PAC are

constantly trying new and creative ways to engage students with events, giveaways and more. Homecoming is packed full with many fun activities and events to promot student involvemnt.

For more information about upcoming PAC events, contact the office of campus life: campuslife@cameron. edu. Students can also contact the artist, Amy Chandler, through her website www.ChandlerStudio.org.

CU Kappa Sigma

Rush Week

game to cheer on the team and show off their school spirit.

Friday was aside for a private dinner with some of the men that the fraternity recruited over the course of the week.

Dylan Griggs, President of Kappa Sigma, not only enjoys the presence of his fraternity on campus and seeing all the new recruited members, but he also prides himself with being able to share what Kappa Sigma is truly about.

Joshua Brown, Rush Chair for the fraternity, has been working hard to ensure that Kappa Sigma is successful in their recruitment week by planning and organizing the events. Brown has also strived to make sure other students can get involved as well.

“I’m just excited to see the future of Greek life on campus,” Brown said. “Especially since campus is opening up more.”

Kappa Sigma’s bowling night was open to more than just potential new members. They also encouraged other students and friends to join them, free of charge.

The fraternity also made one of their events at a CU basketball game, so they can socialize with other students all while supporting Cameron athletics.

From Feb. 6-10, the Cameron University Kappa Sigma fraternity hosted their Spring 2023 rush week. During the week, the fraternity held many different events each night and invited potential new members to come hang out and meet the men in the fraternity.

On Monday, Kappa Sigma hosted craft night, where potentially new and current members got together and painted shirts, tote bags, hats and other items.

Tuesday, they hosted game night where they brought both board games and video games to play and bond with anyone who wanted to show up.

Wednesday, the men went to the bowling alley and invited both potential new members and other students around campus to come.

Thursday, the group attended the CU basketball

“Kappa Sigma—to me personally—has all of our men embodying our four pillars which are fellowship, leadership, scholarship and service,” Griggs said. “We do a lot of community service events around the community.”

For Griggs, it’s important not only to build their organization and their presence on campus, but also to grow as a brotherhood and as friends on a more personal level.

“I think it says something more whenever you have a common interest and goal,” Griggs said, “such as trying to do better in school, volunteering for the community or just a brotherhood hang out event. Just getting to get closer with all of these guys and watch them grow throughout their college experience.”

Another common goal that Kappa Sigma has is to be more involved at CU as a whole, rather than just within their organization or within Greek life on campus.

While Kappa Sigma is one of the larger organizations at Cameron, the fraternity is still considered a colony, waiting for their chance to charter their fraternity which will allow them to be recognized as an official chapter of Kappa Sigma.

For more information about the Kappa Sigma colony at Cameron University, email Joshua Brown at joshuabrown2018@gmail.com.

Photos by Courtney McEunn

Courtney McEunn Student Life Editor

Get crafty! Thomas Richards shows off his tote bag that he designed during Kappa Sigma’s craft night.

Say Cheese! Nicholas Sasseen and Ethan Weaver pose for the camera while waiting for their turn to bowl.

Be creative! Ben Vossen designed a T-Shirt at Kappa Sigma’s craft night.

Photos by Alec Santos

Aggie Baseball Season Preview

Rylan Stiles Staff Writer

The Cameron Aggies get set for the 2023 baseball season after being tabbed 12th in the Lone Star Conference Preseason poll, looking to improve from their 14-34 campaign a season ago.

The Aggies hope the fourth year under skipper Kyle Williams will bring the most success as the squad returns some of their best hurlers from a year ago, with a flurry of offensive product returning to the fold for the Black-and-Gold.

CU will see their season get underway on Friday, Feb. 3, in Lubbock, Texas, against the Lubbock Christian Chaps and stretch through April 30 for their season finale at McCord Field against the St. Mary’s Rattlers.

Their season will include 12 Lone Star Conference four-game series and a homeand-home mid-week set with Southwestern Oklahoma State as the only non-conference foe

Williams, a slick-fielding middle infielder who can get on base, will set the table for the team boosting a .311 batting average, a .387 onbase percentage, .559 slugging percentage to the tune of a team-high nine home runs, a triple, and 15 doubles.

Jayce Clem provides the pop in the middle of the order, with four home runs a year ago, 13 doubles, and a .484 slugging percentage. Clem also hit for an over .300 average — something only he and Williams accomplished as returns from last year’s squad (minimum 100 at-bats).

“Jayce [Clem] and Beau [Williams] are both steady in the lineup and potentially top players in the conference.”

CU coach Kyle Williams said, “They are both big-time leaders as well. They have helped bring our young guys along this fall.”

On the bump, the Aggies get a lot of surprise production back this season.

Their ace, Drew Henderson, who

Witt Jr in High School, now looks to dominate the Lone Star conference after turning in the best ERA on the team and being the only member of the Aggies with a sub-five ERA a season ago (minimum ten innings pitched).

A season ago, Henderson was still returning from an injury; now fully healthy, Henderson is set to lead the Black-and-Gold.

Clayton McClenan and Marcos Feria each return to Williams’ squad this season and offer high upset for CU.

Feria flashed no-hit stuff against Eastern New Mexico last season, going four innings of two-hit baseball with just one walk in a seven-game tilt, and did the same against Texas A&M International in his final appearance of 2022 turning in 3.2 innings of work with just one hit allowed, no walks and a jaw-dropping eight strikeouts.

McClenan made a great impression against the Greyhounds, too, with three innings of one-hit ball as a successor to one of his best outings that came the weekend before against West Texas A&M, where the Keller, Tex. native dealt

allowing just three hits, one run and striking out three.

Former Aggie hurler and current Geronimo High School Head Baseball coach Michael Womack said he thinks the team is headed in the right direction.

“... being around McClenan and Drew [Henderson] last year, they have the stuff to compete in this league,” he said.

Williams said this squad is built to win in a multitude of ways.

“We are built to score a lot of runs ... We can run and hit for average while still having power throughout the lineup,” he said.

The Aggies’ changes did not stop on the field; they introduced a new pitching coach over the Fall.

Cooper Harris comes to CU following a season as an assistant coach at Vernon College, where he held the same title.

Harris was an All-Region selection at NOC-Enid and

Lone Star Conference rivals West Texas A&M from 20192021.

In 2020, the new pitching tutor held opposing batters to just a .143 average.

“Coach Harris is a really passionate young coach. He does a really good job with the pitchers, getting them ready and making them better. On top of that, he connects with all the players well because he sees things closer to their view,” Williams said.

Cameron will be tested early and often in the volatile Lone Star Conference, first up being the Chaps of Lubbock Christian, who were pegged for fourth in the conference and feature NCBWA preseason all-region infielder Eduardo Acosta and star hurler Marcos Escalera.

That series gets underway at 4 p.m., on Friday, Feb. 3, in Lubbock.

The Aggies make their home debut with the first pitch slated for 3 p.m.,

BASKETBALL

Photos by Jimm Alley