The Cameron Collegian - March 27th, 2023

Red River Career Expo

From 3 p.m. on March 9, in the Aggie Rec Center, Cameron’s Office of Student Development hosted the Red River Career Expo, which featured over 50 employers.

The career fair had booths for the employees along with places for onthe-spot interviews to take place.

The event was free to the public and featured a diverse selection of employers, such as the Carrollton Police Department, Turner Falls Park, Apache Casino and Lawton Public Schools.

Paycom campus recruiter for operations Brianne Biddle said career fairs like the one hosted by Cameron are great opportunities to recruit new talent for the company.

“I coordinate all the logistics surrounding career fairs, resume reviews, mock interviews, all things students,” Biddle said. “(I) just love getting to interact with students. I’ve seen a lot of technical people, which is great for our company. Some individuals that are looking for just entry-level roles, which is what I recruit for.”

Senior business administration Caleb Moseley said he attended the career fair because three of the employers present were Fort Sill employers.

“The main job I was looking for was MICC (Mission and Installation Contracting Command,” Moseley said. “Even though I was in direct contact with MICC, I managed to talk with other employers, and they’re giving me honest feedback off my resume.”

Moseley said he thought the event was beneficial and well put together.

“It’s very organized,” Moseley said. “I believe, in all honesty, Cameron should have more events like this.”

Director of Student Development

Jennifer Pruchnicki said their office generally begins planning the expo the summer before and works closely with event vendors and employers to plan ahead.

“A week or two before the Expo, we really try to work hard to get students ready for the Expo,” Pruchnicki said. “We host workshops on resume writing, interview tips, how to navigate a career fair and network.”

Southwest Medical Center (SWMC) recruiter Jill Wright has worked at the SWMC for almost two years and said she wanted to participate in the event to help find more potential

By Brittney Payette

employees to fill some of the many open positions at the SWMC.

“All nursing positions, from RNs all the way to scrub techs to MHTs to CNAs, and then, of course, there’s front desk jobs as well as engineering,” Wright said.

Wright said people interested in working for the SWMC could go to their website at swmconline.com and go to the career tab.

“The benefits are fantastic at Southwestern,” Wright said. “As well as reimbursement for up to five thousand a year.”

The SWMC also offers internships and job shadowing.

Wright said the SWMC is a great place to work and that they were glad they were able to participate in the career expo.

“We’ve had a wonderful turnout here at the career fair,” Wright said.

Pruchnicki said the Office of Student Development holds two main career fairs - the Opportunity Fair in the Fall and the Red River Expo in the Spring.

“We really encourage students to attend these events, she said.

Managing Editor

“It’s a lot easier to have a bunch of employers under one roof versus having to contact each and every one of them yourself.”

Additionally, Pruchnicki said she was excited the office was able to host an in-person career fair again, which they had not done in two years.

“While a virtual platform has some benefits, you just can’t replicate the feel or energy of an in-person networking opportunity," she said.

Pruchnicki also said she is happy they are able to help students prepare for their careers.

“We’d love to hear back from students about how Career Services has helped them in their career development.”

Another event the Office of Student Development hosts is the Inclusion & Leadership Summit, which Pruchnicki said they would release more information about soon.

For more information about future events, contact the Office of Student Development at hirecameronaggies@cameron.edu.

Photos by Brittney Payette

Graphic by Brittney Payette

Military Science: Spring awards ceremony

LaShea DeSelle Staff Writer

At 9:30 a.m., March 10, in the McCasland Ballroom, the Military Science Department hosted the Military Science Spring Awards Ceremony (MSSPAC) .

The MSSPAC commenced with drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and recognized exceptional student achievements for the year.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Brian Hayes presented ribbons, certificates, leadership and cash awards, and scholarships.

These awards and scholarships may go towards tuition, housing or simply anything students may need during their journeys through college.

Recruiting operations officer Jeff Klosterman said the award ceremony is a fantastic opportunity to recognize cadets for their dilligence.

“Our goal is one hundred percent of students eligible are submitted for scholarships,” Klosterman said. “Along with cadets graduating debt-free from student loans.”

Klosterman spoke about the paid summer camp located in Fort Knox, Kentucky that is “A requirement they (students)have to pass between junior and senior year” then “Then a final class in MSIV officership.”

Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) is a group of college or university-based officer programs; all fulltime bachelor’s and master’s degree seeking students

are encouraged to join the program.

Hayes has spent the last 26 years in service and is a professor of an officership course at Cameron University which teaches leadership skills, military culture and physical training that is offered to senior level MSIV.

“This course prepares students to serve in the Army as a commissioned officer,” he said. “(It) concentrates on tactical formation and leadership.”

Hayes has been chairman of the Military Science Department since 2022.

“It has been amazing working with these cadets,” Hayes said, “and it is the highlight of my career.”

Other paths to officership besides ROTC are Officer Candidate School (OCS), which is a 12 - week field training and leadership program; the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, which has an academic program core consisting of 31 courses; or directly commissioning as a doctor, lawyer, nurse or chaplain.

Students associated with the ROTC program have a

variety of careers to apply for such as second lieutenant in air defense artillery, an officer of armor, chemical corps, engineering, field artillery, infantry, military police, military intelligence, finance, or army medical department (AMEDD), etc.

Cadet Joseph Hillard has spent the last 3 1/2 years in the ROTC program, he is a direct example of success for the program and has plans after finishing.

“I will be a field artillery officer and will go to Fort Sill for initial training,” Hillard said.

Hillard has a full ride scholarship which pays for tuition, books, room and board, and includes a stipend.

“I have enjoyed my time and learned a lot about the Army as it has set me up for a career,” he said.

Spring commissioning in May will promote MSIV cadets Hillard, Destinie Belle, Karribein Boateng, Sherrie Taylor, John Young, and many others to Second Lieutenant. For more information about the ROTC program, call 1-888-550-ARMY or go online to armyrotc.com.

Campus safety at CU

“Those are the tactics we use and our officers train on that every year, as well as most law enforcement throughout the nation.”

On the evening of Feb. 13, an armed gunman, Anthony Dwayne McRae, 43, walked into Michigan State University and opened fire on a classroom full of students. Three students were killed and five were critically injured. Police and security teams spent the next three hours looking for the suspect.

At 11:35 p.m., police received a call about a person matching the description of the shooter. When officers approached McRae at 11:49 p.m., he then committed suicide.

According to a February 2023 article in the Washington Post, there have been 366 school shootings since 1999 with over 388,000 students affected. The statistic, alarming as it may be, does not account for mass shootings outside of the school systems.

With shootings topping the headlines on an almost weekly basis, many question what is being done to increase safety on campuses such as Cameron University. What actions should students take in the event of an emergency?

John DeBoard serves as the Director of Public Safety and also the Chief of Police for Cameron University. In our discussions about Michigan State and other mass shootings, DeBoard said that procedures began changing after the Columbine shooting in 1999.

In the pre-Columbine era, police would dispatch special weapons units and establish a perimeter. He said the situation would many times result in a standoff as the goal of the perpetrator was not to commit suicide or gain notoriety.

“They were there for a purpose and were planning on getting away,” DeBoard said.

Unfortunately, times have changed and the main goal for contemporary perpetrators is notoriety or to commit suicide, so police tactics have changed drastically.

“The tactics that law enforcement use now are immediate insertion and seek out the shooter,” DeBoard said. “You’ve got to stop what is taking place. You have to seek out the perpetrator and try neutralize the threat, whatever the fashion.

DeBoard went on to speak about what students could do in order to be prepared in the event of a shooter situation.

He said the best thing to do is to be prepared in advance. Using a simple Google search, there are numerous online resources and training videos that are available for students and faculty as well as Cameron University’s Online Preparedness Guide located on the CU website. The videos go through active shooter scenarios and provide insights for students in the event of an emergency.

DeBoard said that one of the best things that a person can do is to pay attention to their surroundings, whether on campus, at a store or a bank. Too many times, people are absorbed in their phones or some other device and are not paying attention to what is going on around them.

“If you are going to the store, pay attention to what you are going to the store for, and pay attention to what is around you,” DeBoard said. “When you first pull into a parking lot, look around. Don’t be a victim of a robbery or a carjacking. If you see something that doesn’t look right, don’t park there.”

DeBoard said that the same goes for the campus and he encourages anyone who sees something suspicious or out of place to go ahead and call the campus police. DeBoard said that sometimes calls are received daily and that the campus police are more than willing to check out the reports to keep everyone safe.

While there are no perfect solutions to an active shooter situation, DeBoard said that students should exercise the “run, hide, fight” options.

“If you see something and you can get away from it, get away from it and try to alert the authorities,” DeBoard said. “That’s the first thing you should do.”

The second option is to hide.

“If you find yourself trapped in a situation, try to hide,” DeBoard said.

Finding a hiding spot, even barricading yourself and others inside a classroom may be a good option.

If the shooter has a hard time entering, they may choose to leave and go on to another location.

The third option is to fight. If you are trapped in

a situation with the shooter, your only option may be to fight the assailant. Pick up anything that can be used as a weapon and try to defend yourself. DeBoard said that this is no doubt the hardest decision to make, but your life and the lives of others may depend on it.

“Some people freeze up in a panic situation.” DeBoard said. “We are all different people, and you don’t really know how you’re going to react until that kind of thing happens.”

DeBoard said the emergency call boxes on campus have been removed. He said that the call boxes came to campus just after cell phones became available and that no one ever used them for any emergency at all.

“Almost everyone has a cell phone now, and the call boxes just weren’t practical, not to mention, they were very costly to maintain,” DeBoard said.

Cameron student and dorm resident Allie Ozuna said she generally feels pretty safe living on campus, especially because of the card access requirements for the dorms.

However, she said there was an event that took place where an outsider had gained access to one of the buildings through an unlocked door and attempted to gain access to the cafeteria and a donation box.

Ozuna said that after an event occurs, her Resident Advisor will give instructions to students about procedures.

“When getting on an elevator with someone suspicious, we were told to have them swipe their access card to make sure they belong there,” Ozuna said. “We were also told not to open doors for someone that knocks and wants in, because they may not be a student.”

In today’s world, students and faculty have to be prepared to deal with emergencies. Knowing what to look for and what to do could make all the difference in an active shooter or an intruder situation.

Cameron University provides an Emergency Preparedness Guide that can be viewed by visiting the Cameron University Website under Campus Safety and Health.

Emergency situations can be reported by calling the Office of Public Safety at 580-581-2911.

Scott Smith Voices Editor

Photo by Janet Williams

Bringing back a tradition

THE CAMERON HOODING CEREMONY

Courtney McEunn Student Life Editor

Graduating at the college level is a big accomplishment for anybody. For master’s or doctoral students, it’s an even bigger accomplishment.

Before COVID-19, students graduating with a master’s degree were able to go through a traditional Hooding Ceremony, where a member of the faculty places the hood over the head of the student graduating.

This ceremony is meant to commemorate their success in their degree. It has become a tradition that colleges perform to honor their higher-level graduating students.

When COVID-19 hit, it changed the way we held public gatherings, including graduation.

The first year, graduation was virtual.

The next two years, the graduating class was split up to avoid the gathering of large crowds.

Along with these new regulations, the Hooding Ceremony for graduate students had been abandoned to avoid close contact in the midst of the pandemic.

This year, Cameron University is finally going back to normal by having one single, in-person graduation ceremony.

However, the university has decided that the traditional Hooding Ceremony will still be abandoned for the 2023 Commencement. This decision has resulted in many questions and reactions, especially by students graduating with their master’s degrees.

If all other COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, why is the Hooding Ceremony any different?

Graduate students have presented their concerns to the faculty and President. Students offered suggestions that would fit within regulations while still giving them a special moment while receiving their diploma.

Numerous students who are part of the Master of Science in Behavioral Science department have put together a document voicing their discontent and offering suggestions for President McArthur, in hopes that they will be able to experience this significant milestone at this year’s graduation ceremony.

One of the suggestions is to have the Hooding Ceremony on stage while walking across to receive their diploma.

Normally at the graduation ceremony, students of all departments and degree types are mixed together, but this document asks for the master’s students to be set aside and have their own part in the graduation, so that they can be recognized for their hard work and be hooded as they walk.

As an undergraduate student preparing to continue my education at the graduate level, I agree with the concerns and frustrations that have come from the lack of the Hooding Ceremony.

Receiving a master’s degree is an honor that not everybody can say they achieved. It requires a lot of time, effort and mental drive.

While it is understandable for this tradition to be put on hold because of the recent pandemic, it is unfair for the university to continue to host events and celebrations that were also canceled or made virtual while still decline to have a Hooding Ceremony to honor the students who have achieved this level of education and work.

As said in the document written by and on behalf of the graduate students of Cameron University: “We have all worked hard to finish our graduate programs and earn the right to call ourselves Cameron Alumni and we believe that the best way that the university could return our gratitude would be to honor us in a manner that is reflective of the work that we put in while earning out degrees as part of our Commencement.”

NOTES OF OKLAHOMA

On the evening of March 9, the Cameron University Concert Band and the 77th Army Band performed at the University Theatre.

The performance, titled “Oklahoma Connections,” showcased pieces either composed by native Oklahomans or pieces about Oklahoma. Those features ranged from Garth Brooks to selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma.”

The intention of all of the selections was to have those in attendance imagine Oklahoma in their minds. It was a celebration of artists and composers from the state so the imagery it conjured was meant to reflect the state itself.

The evening began with a piece composed by Earl Irons titled “Mount Scott Overture.” The piece conjured images of the open prairie in a time before the land was tamed. One could imagine a lone rider and their horse slowly making their way across the terrain with Mt. Scott as the backdrop.

The tempo and melody slowed as if the sun were setting on the rider, bringing images of a red and purple sunset. The tempo slowed as if the sun were dipping below the horizon. One could almost hear the coyote howling at the moon as the melody became tranquil and almost hypnotic.

Then suddenly the tempo increased as though the sun were rising again and came to a crescendo as the sun rose above the grasslands with a brilliant raise of light dancing out to bring forth a new day.

Warrant Officer Martin Johnston shared conducting duties with Dr. Lucas Kaspar. Johnston spoke about what it means to perform pieces with such a strong local

connection.

“We always want to play concerts with meaning,” Johnston said. “It would be a waste of an opportunity to not give tribute to the amazing talent, skill and amazing people that are from the great state of Oklahoma.”

A member of the 77th Army Band, Justin McCall also created a piece that was featured during the performance. Being that McCall was a tuba player, the piece relied heavily on brass instruments.

One could imagine the piece being played during a main street parade in a small town in rural Oklahoma. The streets lined with spectators on both sides cheering on the band as they marched through the town.

Jeremiah Phillips was a member of the 77th Army Band during his time in the Army and now plays with the Cameron University Concert Band.

Phillips spoke about what it meant to be a part of this concert.

“The whole program is specifically for Oklahoma,” Phillips said. “I have never been in a performance like that. It’s a lot of really good music. There is a mix of traditional classic music. Some of it sounds like spaghetti western music, which I love.”

Another featured artist was Louis Ballard. Ballard is

known as “The father of Native American composition.” Ballard’s piece felt like controlled chaos. It evoked the feeling that something ominous was lurking just around the corner. Its haunting tones sent literal chills down spines.

The event concluded with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma,” much to the delight of the crowd. Many in attendance clapped along with the beat. The audience gave a standing ovation as the final notes were played.

The music department has several more events scheduled for this semester and all are encouraged to attend.

“Make it out to a show,” Phillips said. “Music has such a positive effect. It is a lot of fun and it is a nice break for people.”

FORMULA 1: RACING INTO A NEW SEASON

Jaci Hernandez Staff Writer

Things are dramatic as ever in the new season of “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” The fifth season hit Netflix on Feb. 24, 2023.

The Formula 1 documentary first came to Netflix in 2019, and it seems that over the seasons it has become more popular on the streaming service.

The documentary is about the Formula 1 team principals, teams, individual drivers and all of the behindthe-scenes and on track drama that goes on between them.

I didn’t even know what Formula 1 was before watching this show, much less how rich of a sport it was. The teams in Formula 1 include Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari. When I watched the first episode of

this show, I was hooked on the drama and the second-hand adrenaline.

When watching the show, the audience becomes a spectator and starts to root for the team or driver that they want to win. In the end though, there can only be one team and driver that wins the championship.

Seasons one through four have been the same in terms of drama and winning teams, but season five was completely different.

Season five covers the 2022 season of Formula 1 and the rules changed this year.

This year the teams all had a budget cap when it came to building their race car, and this was definitely a big deal and a game changer.

This makes a difference, because in the past without a cap on how much they can spend, the richer teams always had the money to make the best car.

This means that teams like Mercedes and Red Bull Racing have always been at the front of the races winning, while lesser wealthy teams like Williams and Haas F1 Team were always stuck in the back never having a chance.

These new rule changes made the season more interesting to watch.

There was a learning curve to the new cars this season which meant that there were also more crashes.

One of my favorite things to watch this season was the increased rivalry between the team principal of Red Bull Racing and Mercedes. These two have been going at it since season one, but the frustrations seemed to be really boiling over this season.

I love to watch the relationships between the drivers and the teams. The relationships are constantly shifting because of what is happening and drivers going to different teams

throughout the years.

You get to know the people from the teams and you grow to love some of them and you grow to not love some of the others.

Two of my favorite people from the show are the driver Daniel Riccardo and the team principal of the Haas F1 Team, Guenther Steiner.

If anyone is looking to get into a new show, I definitely recommend watching “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” Even if people aren’t really a fan of racing, it’s still fun to watch.

This show isn’t about watching fast cars go around and around on a track; it’s about everything leading up to it and afterwards and the relationships that are formed. So, in my opinion everyone should check out this show at least once.

Rating: 5 / 5

The band played on: Members of the CU Concert Band and 77th Army Band celebrated Oklahoma in their latest concert on March 9. They played for Cameron students, faculty and the general public.

Photos by Neal Kirmer

Neal Kirmer Staff Writer

PAC PRESENTS: 2000s Trivia Night

Kemar Noel Staff Writer

At 6 p.m., on March 2, the Cameron University Programming Activities Council (PAC) hosted a 2000s-themed Pop Culture Trivia event in the McCasland Ballroom.

The winner for the night was Malia Hardy, a CU student. Alexandra Moya, a Biology major and junior, was in charge of the event.

The event had music to complement trivia questions, and many people showed up to see how their knowledge fared.

Moya planned night well and even threw some participants for a loop with some of the questions.

PAC has hosted trivia events before and used past experiences to their advantage this year to make this event even better.

“Last year we did a Disney trivia that didn’t go so well,” Moya said. “I think we just wanted to try it out again to see if the theme was the issue. This year we brought out Air Pods as rewards instead of just gift cards, so maybe that is what brought so many people this time around.”

The event lasted for about two hours. There was a total of six different rounds with nine questions each. Each round differed thematically with questions testing knowledge from the early to late 2000s.

The trivia questions related to reality TV, breakups, award winners, and other categories.

Participants could play alone or with a small group of people but in the end, all the points would be tallied up together. If participants played with a group they would only get one paper, so everyone would be at fault if they lost.

Mikel Weatherspoon, a strategic communications major, participated in the event with a group of his friends. He was very confident in his ability to answer questions correctly and, hopefully, win the contest.

“I am really big on 2000s culture being that I came up in the 2000s,” Weatherspoon said, “but I definitely wish there were move movie-related questions since I shine in that area.”

Jadence Black was the host for Trivia Night. She went above and beyond to keep the audience engaged and made sure they were having fun.

tonight,” Moya said. “Even when the audience was a little ‘dry,’ she was able to keep going and powered through and that is exactly what a host needs.”

According to the PAC students, Trivia Night was a huge success. They were excited to see so many people show up.

Many participants said that they look forward to another trivia night. PAC hosts multiple events and promotes them with posters on campus and on their social media accounts.

For more information about upcoming PAC events, visit their Instagram @pac_cu or email the Office of Campus Life campuslife@cameron.edu.

Photos by Brittney Payette

Photo by Kemar Noel

Aggie women’s basketball

Head Coach Jeff Mahoney enjoyed a solid season in his first year leading the Cameron women’s basketball team. Given the late start to the recruiting cycle, and keeping the majority of the team together through the transfer portal, he navigated his first offseason as well as possible. It was clear that the Aggies were able to adjust to his coaching style quickly and held strong through an extremely competitive campaign. The Aggies put aside their “live by the three, die by the three” offensive mentality and were able to bring out a more wellrounded offensive attack. The Aggie women found a way to become less one-dimensional on offense but struggled to score as much as the previous season dropping from the second ranked offense to 14th in LSC, only putting up 61.3 points per game while also allowing a 14th ranked 67.1 PPG to conference opponents. The defense would be the biggest thing holding back the Aggies success this season much like the year prior as a lack of size and aggression in the post and paint areas has hindered this team from reaching its full potential. The Aggies experienced back to back first round exits from the Lonestar Conference playoffs the past two seasons, this year falling to Angelo State in a 70-62 heartbreaker to end out the season. If all goes according to plan Mahoney should be able to keep most of this year’s roster intact and find a way to regain their offensive consistency while also continuing to improve a defense that this year allowed five less points per game then the 2021 season. Alena Wilson cemented herself as a key member of this roster through her dynamic play all year. Wilson led the Aggies in both scoring (10.9 PPG) and rebounds per game (8.2) in her first year with the black-and-gold squad. Two returning players proved to both take massive jumps in their playing ability under Mahoney. Korie Allensworth and Karley Miller showed off their sharpshooting skills all year as they both made drastic improvements to their play on the court. Katie King, another important piece of last year’s squad, continued her sharp play on defense averaging a team leading 2.3 steals per game while also putting up 10 points and 3.8 assists a game. Based on watching this team it is clear Mahoney needs to find a way to get more of his bench players involved in the rotations to make up for the lack of physicality in the backcourt. Looking ahead to the upcoming recruiting cycle, the Aggies need to be focused on finding more depth in the post and trying to find some bigger players to defend the basket. With another year of experience the Aggies should be able to improve their late game situations and have a better overall understand of how to manage a LSC schedule. Cameron only won four games away from the Aggie Gym this year, but with the roster improving and getting more mature, they should be able to improve on the road. Overall, Mahoney had a successful first season as the Aggie bench boss and has a solid staff built around him, highlighted by defensive specialist Jamie Bonnarens, but how Cameron handles the ever-evolving transfer portal and recruiting process will determine their fate for next season.