Collegian T he Cameron University
CAMERON S t a t e B u d g e t www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, October 1, 2018
By Mason Orso
Volume 99 Issue 4
ALLOCATIONS
McArthur explained that Cameron mandatory fees have increased by nine University compensates for the dollars per credit hour (4.4 percent), Staff Writer reduction in state funding in two ways: with nonresident increasing by 12 the first is reduction dollars per credit Cameron University (CU) is in personnel costs, and hour (2.3 percent). experiencing a reduction in state fund the second is increased “My goal over McArthur said allocations for 2018, though it is less tuition and fees. CU students could severe than in years past. the next two “There are fewer also expect to see To adjust for the allocations—and Cameron employees now fewer classes offered years is to prepare for the future—Cameron is then there was five years implementing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 from the recent stabilize us — ago,” he said. “Cameron reduction, since the budget. is still the least expensive lack of funds hits in to get us to According to the Cameron university option in the multiple places. governing board, “the FY 2019 budget a predictable state, but it’s been up in “The number ref lects CU’s commitment to increasing of faculty and staff and improving student success and enrollment so that the last five years.” The recent budget affects Cameron student learning inside and outside we can plan deduction also inf luences students too,” he the classroom while continuing to be enrollment and retention said. “Rather than an engaged partner with common and our budget rates for Cameron. having the choice career technology education, business, accordingly.” Vice President of of a daytime class, industry, civic and government Enrollment Management a nighttime class organizations.” and Student Success or an online class, CU President John McArthur said — Jerrett Phillips Jerrett Phillips said they only have one the accumulative state reduction since Vice President there are different ways choice. That’s a 2014 is slightly more than five and a Enrollment Management of looking at enrollment big impact on our quarter of a million dollars. and Student Success predictions—one method students for some “Our reduction from a state is looking at high school allocation this year is about $101,000,” majors.” and college The reduction he said. “That’s been the smallest graduation rates. amount is less severe than it has been reduction we’ve had in the last five “If the graduation rates in in previous years, but McArthur said it years.” the local high schools decline still does not negate the side effects. University expenditures for 2018 or the college population “It’s a lesser amount,” he said, have increased by $208,469, primarily within that group declines, “and we had the opportunity to see due to more demand for scholarship, then we have an issue,” he said. it coming, so it was not much of a tuition waiver support and health Phillips said another factor surprise. However, we could plan for it insurance increases. in enrollment is the presence of more [in advance].” The reduction from the state affects the Ft. Sill army base. As the state funding reduction students in the form of increased continues to fall, tuition and fees, and McArthur said Cameron is doing everything possible to state revenue will also drop, impacting many help with that. universities across the “I don’t think the student’s impact was dramatic,” he said. “Tuition did go state. McArthur said these up, but it was not really because of the sorts of changes could have downturn, it was more because of the long-term effects. increased student financial aid. “Less tax revenue is “Over the course of the last five years, I think the impact of students has coming in, so the state has less money to spend; been increased cost.” I think that’s been a big Beginning in the fall semester, inf luence,” he said. resident undergraduate tuition and
What’s inside
“We’ve had a strong relationship with Ft. Sill for many years and have had huge enrollment by soldiers and family of soldiers,” he said. “The base makes changes to the duration of life cycles for the soldiers. This impacts their choice to choose Cameron as their education source.” Phillips also said that one of the goals of the university is to keep the cost of attendance as low as possible for current and future students. “My goal over the next two years is to stabilize us; to get us to a predictable enrollment so that we can plan our budget accordingly,” he said. “To do that we have to be more strategic in where our enrollment comes from.” The number of students taking online courses has increased by 16 percent this year. Both McArthur and Phillips said online enrollment is most likely the future of the university, with plenty of options for students both current and future.
Photo and graphic by Drue Watkins
‘Wake and Bake’ drug awareness
Why we need “West Wing” today
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“Super Smash Bros. Tournament” Page 5
News
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October 1, 2018
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CU drug awareness Photos by Stacie Larsen
Talking truth: At 4:20 p.m., on Sept. 20, in the housing great room, Cameron’s South Shepler Resident Assistants hosted a Wake and Bake event featuring Associate Professor of Psycholgy Dr. Thom Balmer, who discussed the effects of using marijuana, as well as alcohol, caffeine, sugar and other drugs. Attending CU students participated in the discussion by asking questions and interacting with one another.
Let’s Talk About It
Oklahoma Destiny Garcia Copy Editor
Beginning summer 2018, the Lawton Arts and Humanities Council presented their “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma” discussion. Each discussion revolved around the theme “The Journey Inward: Women’s Autobiography.” Oklahoma Humanities provided books, services and other materials. The Inasmuch Foundation and Kirkpatrick Family Fund funded the series through grants. According to okhumanities.org, the mission of Oklahoma Humanities is to strengthen communities by helping Oklahomans learn about the human experience, understand new perspectives and participate knowledgeably in civic life. “As the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, we strive to stimulate discussion, encourage new perspectives, and to actively engage people in the humanities disciplines, such as history, literature, philosophy and ethics,” the website said. A flyer released by Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma said “Scholars hold the discussions at 6 p.m. every third Thursday of each month in the CU Library. Each scholar opens the program, brings the book to
life and provokes the group’s curiosity with insights and questions to spark discussion.” Upcoming events include “My Life” by Isadora Duncan with Dr. Judy Neale on Oct. 18 and “Blackberry Winter” by Margaret Mead with Dr. William Carney on Nov. 15. Associate Professor and Director of English Composition Dr. William Carney said he has been involved with the “Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma” projects for four years and has three goals for his upcoming discussion. “One, I want people to keep coming back,” he said. “I want them to get excited about the book that they just read, so much so, that they are willing to read the next book in the series, or the next time that we have a ‘Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma.’ “The other thing, I believe reading, though it’s an individual act, is something that we do communally; that we do to make sense out of text, and I like when people have the opportunity to meet and talk about what they read, to check out their understanding with the way other people see it. “And I guess finally, I think it’s just a good social evening. It’s nice to see people talking with folks they might not have met before.”
Carney said he is most excited for his chance to talk about Margaret Meads autobiography. “She’s someone who’s always fascinated me,” he said. “I know that a lot of her insights, I don’t want to say have been proven wrong, but her insights seem kind-of bound to a certain place and a certain time and anthropology has certainly developed since then. “She’s a trailblazer. She’s a female anthropologist who went off and lived among people in the south pacific and I just thought that was marvelous. It’s a fascinating book, and I’m excited about doing it.” Carney said that these discussions are important for both men and women at Cameron University. “We tend to see texts as something men do,” he said. “We talk about authors as if they’re predominantly male, and they’re not. It’s good to not only see that there’s a whole corpus of women’s literature and women’s autobiography, but to hear how women write and to hear stories about women who have done great things—that can never hurt.” Before each discussion from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 - 5 p.m., the Arts and Humanities Division Office had books available for pickup at 801 NW Ferris (west entrance of McMahon Memorial Auditorium). For more information, call the Arts and Humanities Division office at 580-581-3470 or 581-3471.
Sports
October 1, 2018
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Sunday’s Sunday Sundaes Cameron University’s Women’s Basketball hosts ice cream social David Perkins
season. Head Women’s Basketball coach Staff Writer Emma Andrews said she hopes they The Cameron women’s basketball can continue hold the meet and greet team hosted Sunday Sundaes, anin the future. all-you-can-eat ice cream social and “Well this is our first time doing fundraiser, on Sept. 23 in the Aggie this,” she said. “We are hoping that Gym. as the years go on we can get more The players served up ice cream and and more people involved. We have toppings to students, family, friends, so many great young athletes on our fans and boosters. team and we want to get them to know This was the first ever Sunday the people and each other and all Sundae ice cream social for Cameron’s the people across campus, including woman’s basketball. boosters and all those people who put The teams scheduled the event just in a lot of time, effort and money into prior to the start of the new basketball our programs.”
Cameron University senior and forward for the women’s basketball team Lejha Smith said she thinks this event will help bridge the gap between players and fans. “I think it’s cool because a lot of people come to the ball games, but they may not know the players or they may have never interacted with them before,” she said. “So this year we are doing a lot of different things to give us the chance to interact with our supporters and fans. Because we need them. We need them in the stands. Because we need to see familiar faces.”
Though the event is a fundraiser, Smith said it was more so about building a sense of community. “It starts with basketball, but it is way bigger than that,” she said. “I am glad we are doing this this year.” Andrews echoed her player’s sentiment. “Because in the end it’s not just about basketball,” Andrews said, “it’s about those relationships that you build.” For more infomation about Cameron women’s basketball contact Sports Information Director Kenton Means.
Women’s golf receives academic awards Katie Livingston Sports Editor
On Sept. 24, the Cameron University women’s golf team recieved an award for being the women’s team with the highest grade point average. The team’s collective GPA is a 3.6, a number that women’s golf coach Christi Williams said players have worked hard to achieve. “I have a team of nine, and they’re all selfmotivated,” she said. “I don’t have to force them to study. They get upset when they don’t make a great exam grade. There’s a desire there to do well and it shows in the classroom.” Not only has the team recieved local awards, they’ve also been nationally recognized for their academic achievements. On July 11, the team recieved the Women’s Golf Coaches’ Association All-Scholar GPA Award for holding the 20th highest GPA in the nation for Division II women’s golf.
The rankings are calculated based on GPA and hours taken over the course of each player’s academic carrier. According to Williams, these achievements didn’t come about by accident. “They’re motivated,” she said. “They do study hall, and we do grade checks. So if someone is struggling with a class, we up our study hall hours. We’re hoping that hopefully we get those classes to As and Bs.” The team doesn’t only excel collectively, but also individually. Tennis player Allison Duffin is a standing two time Academic All-American, an award she earned on the basis of both golfing skill and academic achievement. For Duffin, doing well in class is a priority. She said any awards that come as a result of it are simply byproducts of hard work. “I honestly don’t do it for the awards,” she said. “But it makes me happy when I get them because I feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile and is paying off.” As a first generation college student, Duffin said
she puts a personal importance on education. “I’m doing this for myself,” she said. “I’m the only person from my family who has attended college, so it means everything to me to give it my all while I’m here.” Duffin said she believes that the women’s golf team has a shared sense of the importance of academics. “Me and a few other girls got academics awards,” she said. “Other people see that and they’re like ‘hey I want that too.’ Now we have a 3.7 for the whole team. That’s 20th in the nation for all of DII schools.” Because tournaments are held during the school week on Mondays and Tuesdays, players often have to bring school work with them in order to keep up with their studies. Duffin said that the scheduling can make things difficult. “It’s hard,” she said. “I’m not going to sit here and say that its ben easy because it’s not. We’re gone a lot of days. So we know we have to stay on top of it.” According to Williams, the players make it work. “They’re doing homework all the time on the road,” Williams said. “I had several golfers with tests when they got back, and they were studying when they weren’t playing golf.” Williams was proud of her players and their commitment to excellence both on and off the field. According to her, it’s been an incredible year academically. “We have to play great golf,” she said, “but be even better students at the end of the day.”
Correction:
Photos by Krista Pylant
In Volume 99, Issue 3, on the Sports page, The Cameron Collegian incorrectly spelled Eva Castiglioni’s name. The correct spelling is Eva Castiglioni. The Collegian deeply regrets this error.
Voices
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October 1, 2018
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Why “The West Wing” matters Payton Williams
But then I saw, “The West Wing”, and suddenly I realized just how Voices Editor powerful words could be. @YoureSoVanya How they could hurt, how they could heal and how they could be used to Over the last few months, a rumor change the way we see something, no has been circulating that Aaron Sorkin’s matter how simple. “The West Wing” might be returning to How words could move mountains T.V. with only the faintest weight of breath. There are many reasons to be excited More important than all these things, for this news. though, I learned how much words, wit “The West Wing” was a critical and humor could change the life of a darling that won 27 Emmy awards. It lonely kid in high school and send him had spectacular acting, spectacular off into a bigger and brighter world than writing, spectacular direction, the one he looked at before. spectacular everything. It’s an Because, after all, “The West Wing” entertaining, witty show that’s easy to was a political show, about the senior get lost in. staff of the White House, and the But, for me, the excitement runs a importance and humanity of the office little deeper than that. of the President of the United States. When I first found “The West But it was also about how politics Wing”, or rather, when it found me, it could be used to make the world a better could not have been better timing. place. I was young, nerdy and super into And today, it almost feels like a relic politics. of a time when the world was so hopeful, I don’t imagine anyone would have that people were maybe, just maybe, trouble believing that, in high school, willing to believe in a world where that isn’t much of a recipe for having government could be a tool for good. friends. My favorite character in the show, I also loved acting and writing. I Communications Director Toby Ziegler, was obsessed with finding an ability to expressed this idea directly in a speech communicate ideas in a way that might from an episode in the show’s first actually make a difference to people. season. To communicate in a way that made “We have to say what we feel.” Ziegler someone think and feel something. said, “That government, no matter what My inability to communicate it’s failures in the past, or in times to my thoughts to people, or to really come, for that matter, government can communicate at all, was really be a place where people come together. frustrating to me. I’m sure it was, and A place where no one gets left behind. still is, for many people. No one gets left behind.” About Us
Ziegler delivers this speech to the fictional president in the show, Josiah Bartlet, and try as I might, I can’t express the admiration he inspires in the show. He inspired this admiration not only in the other characters in the show, but in me. Josiah Bartlet, or “Jed” as he is referred to throughout the show, is portrayed by Martin Sheen, so it is no surprise that the resulting character possesses a charm virtually unmatched in all of T.V. history. But more than that, he possesses all the charm necessary of a president. That’s the key to the show and the reason why it’s so important to me that it come back to T.V. There has never been a time in this country when we needed “The West Wing” more than now. “The West Wing” depicted a White House of grace and intelligence, a place where debate was fostered, people were cherished, and mistakes were human, rather than necessarily malicious. Did “The West Wing” depict its characters as f lawless? Certainly not. All of them were f lawed, and often they were unsuccessful in doing what they felt needed to be done. Often, they were even depicted as smug or selfrighteous. But not once, even with all their f laws, were they shown as chasing anything other than altruistic goals. Not once were these fictional politicians shown to do something they didn’t at least believe would aid this
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The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Lawton Constitution. The first issue is provided for free. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.
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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.
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country and the people in it. Sometimes a character might stray from the beaten path a bit, lose sight of the goal and play the game of politics with too much abandon, or not enough, but the show would always be careful to show them being brought back to the light. The show was always careful to show us the battle to stay moral, even as ethical lines became blurred. The show even didn’t shy away from showing just how blurry those lines could get, but all the while never losing sight of what was the right thing to do. And while the right thing to do often proved intangible, as it is in real life, there was never the slightest impression that the characters in the show weren’t looking for it, and weren’t looking out for the country or, as I imagined, us. Even if no one ever knew, they were looking out for us. Politicians. Looking out for us. Today, that feels more like a fantasy than it ever did before. And maybe that’s why we need it back. We need “The West Wing” to return to T.V. to remind us that hope is not so terrible or so foolish or far away. We need “The West Wing” because, in this age of political cowardice and obfuscation, it is important to remember that hope is what built this country and its political systems, and that it is only hope that can save us. After all, if the show is only a fantasy, that’s because we have lost the imagination to make it a reality. Letters Policy
Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length. Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks. All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification. Letters can be sent by regular mail, by e-mail to aggiecentral@ cameron.edu or they may be dropped off at our office - Academic Commons 101 or at www.aggiecentral.com.
A&E
October 1, 2018
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Destiny Garcia
Copy Editor @destinygarciaNY YouTube influencer Gabbie Hanna hit the iTunes charts holding #1 for her debut song “Honestly”, released Aug. 15, 2018. “Honestly” has charted in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia. This was not unexpected after her debut back in Sept. 6, 2017 of “Out Loud” which was #5 on the iTunes charts in the same countries as “Honestly.” Gabbie Hanna was originally not a primary vocal artist, but rather was known for her successful YouTube channel that exceeds 6 million subscribers to date. “Honestly” was inspired by a pathological liar ex-boyfriend she exposed in her YouTube channel in July 2018. Hanna uses her passion for poetry when it comes to her music. We get to indulge her emotions and thoughts through her single “Honestly”. The only thing she did differently this time around was that she put it to music. What makes Hanna’s songs so intriguing and soul catching is the truth within her lyrics. The experience she describes in “Honestly” is truth and her audience can relate to her story in different perspectives. One of the lyrics reads, “Got me second guessin’ everything you say / Thinkin’ that I know you, but you’re really a stranger / Doin’ what you gotta do to get your way / You’re reckless and selfish and you can’t help it.” She never directly refers to her ex who inspired the song, which opens up
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Influencer hits #1 on iTunes
these lyrics to a variety of consumer to me. I’m feeling homicidal, you better experiences. run and try and hide. Ooh, I was livin’ in It is likely that nearly everyone has denial. Through all this time you had me experienced someone who has dwindled riled up.” their trust to the point of their own selfIt’s nothing less than obvious in doubt. this verse that her muse was anger and The song is applicable to everyone in exploitation, which is rightfully due in some way, shape or form. accordance with my conscience. “Honestly” was not the only hit this We should also acknowledge that she August by Hanna. indulged in homicidal thoughts. Her encore to “Honestly” that This was of course implied released Aug. 15 was #3 on the iTunes sarcastically, an exaggeration. charts in the United Kingdom, United In a generational age where women States, Canada and Australia. are so persistently demanding and The encore shared the melody behind fighting for the vocalization of the female “Honestly” but has a more explicit vibe. I found that encore had a rawness compared to “Honestly”. “Honestly” is the girl you take home to grandma for Thanksgiving and encore is what you sing in the car with your dog or cat after your boyfriend sleeps with your best friend. “Encore” is full of anger, and it is clearly an outlet for the deeper thoughts that confined Gabbie Hanna’s mind. The intro verse of “Encore” reads, “Cross my heart and hope to die you never cross my f**king mind. Do you know what your little lies do? You know what I had to fight through. Nothing that you say is mildly true.” Listeners might infer that this is the height of her disliking of Mr. Ex, which is widely mistaken. The song continues, “You act like such a f**king child. Who Courtesy photo are you now? You’re so hostile
voice, yet it is continually suppressed as seen in the current hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Professor Christine Blasey Ford. Hanna is using the outlet she has built through her fan base and credibility to take part in this movement of speaking out upon the reality of our misogynistic world. Some may perceive “Honestly” and encore as another girly-rant one hit wonder, but I think she expressed her emotions proudly, surpassing the common fear of being ridiculed for speaking her truth.
Cameron’s CAIG: Smashing the competition Samuel Brewer
order to set up a doubleelimination tournament Staff Writer bracket. The Cameron Players then faced off Association of Interaction in one-on-one battles, in Gaming hosted a climbing the ranks gaming tournament at in order to win the 7 p.m., Sept. 20, in the tournament. McMahon Centennial The grand prize for Complex. winning the tournament CAIG invited both was a $10 Wal-Mart gift members and interested card. Complementary newcomers alike to packs of ramen noodles compete. were also handed out to Super Smash Brothers, each competitor. a fighting game from The winner of the Nintendo. tournament was The event began with Gabrial Caron, a number of free-for-all who only matches in which four recently players competed against joined each other, in
CAIG. Gabrial spoke about joining CAIG and making new friends, finding fellowship amongst the competitors and the draw of what gaming can do to make new friends. “I think that if they [CAIG] keep making these events that draw people, people will f lock to them and find some sort of kinship with other people there,” he said. “People that kind of go to these events a lot of times are – I don’t want to say
‘outcasts’ because not all of them are – they’re more like introverted. And when they come to these events, they can maybe find a place to be themselves.” Gabrial said there are other types of events that he would like to see CAIG host. “I think it’d be cool to see them do a fundraiser tournament,” he said. “Or just fundraising gaming events in general. You don’t have to pay to enter, but it’s strictly by donations, things like that. I think it would be actually kind of cool just to see them out there doing community work.” Vice President of CAIG Justin Griffith, talked about how the organization is a free, non-restrictive enviroment, where people can socialize with others who are interested in the same things. “We just want people to come out and have fun,” he said. “We do try to give away some prize to the top person, it’s usually nothing big. To me, it [CAIG] is just a place where I can go and meet people that have similar interests that I do.
It is mostly just a social organization is all it is. ” Griffith said CAIG is a great place to meet new people and make new friends. “We really don’t have a list of a set of standards that you have to adhere to outside of any sort of Cameron policy,” he said. “The real reason I do it is just to meet people, stuff like that. Griffith said he plans to host more events and fundraiser for the organization in the future. “It may or may not be tournaments. It may just be something more relaxing than that,” he said. “Last spring we held a fundraiser and raised $700 in total, most of that went to the Cameron Foundation.” The events will take place later in the semester. The group meets from 6 - 8 p.m., every Tuesday in the Wichita room in For more information, contact Corey Sanders at 580-581-590 or visit the CAIG Facebook page.
Tribune news service
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Student Life
October 1, 2018
www.aggiecentral.com
with Justin Rose Madison Lyda
Student Life Editor @maddilinee
As part of the Communication department’s journalism program, “CUTV” is the university’s personal closed circuit television network which runs on Channel 11 and produces student-led content
campus wide, providing students the opportunity to host, direct or work on a show of their own. The shows give students on-the-job training and experience that can be use in future careers and other opportunities postgraduation. CUTV runs three shows weekly; “CU News”, “Film Geek” and
“Game Time”. CU News broadcasts on-campus information and coverage over recent events and news. “Film Geek provides insight into the latest Hollywood news and reviews for box office features. “Game Time” is a student-run sports show covering news pertaining to sporting events that take place at or around the Cameron campus. In addition to these shows, CUTV also offers experienced students who have taken a television studio class the opportunity to develop and produce their own shows to be broadcasted on the network. This semester, CUTV has taken on a new show which has proved unique to the network’s productions in past years. Making its debut for the fall semester, “For the Record” is a political talk show hosted by Journalism and Media Production major senior Justin Rose. The show touches on recent local and national political events and policy issue. “I first got into politics during the 2016 election,” Rose said. “During the 2012 election, I remember
thinking ‘my vote won’t matter, so why should I.’ It wasn’t until 2016 when I saw passionate politicians like Bernie Sanders running for office, although I didn’t always agree with his beliefs, this one stuck out to me. Hearing him preach about the importance of voting and basing a huge part of his campaign around it is when I realized the importance of my vote or politics at all.” This finding helped renew his faith in politics. Rose set out to make a difference. This led to the creation of “For the Record” a platform he wants to use to inform students and surrounding community members of their options by giving them an outlet to explore politics without fearing being misled. “I choose to talk about prevalent topics on a local and national scale whether it be something such as State Bill 788 or taking a knee during the national anthem,” he said. “I want people to be informed. I want them to have the information needed to make a decision or to be confident in voicing their opinions on the matter as well.” As Oklahoma
approaches state election day on Nov. 6, Rose is taking the time from each episode to sit down with different candidates running for different positions in the election, offering his audience perspective from all the parties running for state office. “I do what I can to refrain from bias,” he said. “I research the candidate’s websites, I speak to citizens in the opposite party and ask what they want to know or hear from the candidate. I try to put myself into their mindset, so I don’t come across as attacking. I want to know what they have to say just as much as anyone else.” In recent episodes, Rose interviewed Comanche County democratic chair Michael Coucke about the future of the democratic party and what their party platform stands for. In addition, Rose also interviewed District 32 democratic nominee for state senate Jacobi Crowley and District 62 republican nominee John Montgomery running for reelection in the House of Representatives where he discussed their campaign, beliefs and incentives they can bring to the community if they are to win. “My show is important because it shows that people of different viewpoints can have discussions on topics of policy and politics and not get into a shouting match,” he said. “I think that’s what we need to get back
to in the country, normal and civil conversations about things important to all of us.” Rose feels as if too much information about policy and candidates are circulated on the internet from unreliable sources that claim to have all the facts. As a result, many individuals receive the wrong information or take a position on topics without proper information. “I want the show to give information and affirmation to people so that they feel confident to form their own opinions,” he said. “Nowadays, people aren’t getting their information from reliable sources; I really want my show to be somewhere they can go and expect details on issues they’re hearing about.” Rose is excited to see where the rest of the show will take him. With his passion for politics and bettering the political education of others in the community, Rose hopes the show will open doors for him by helping him get into graduate school for political science and, one day, his run for state office. “I always think back when I was a kid and would look at old pictures of parents to see what they were like when they were my age,” he said. “I want to give my future kids something different than what I saw. I want them to see me making a difference and that difference starts with this show.”
Residence Hall Association:
Open Mic Night
Jackson Miller Staff Writer
The Cameron Residence Hall Association (RHA) hosted its first Open Mic Night this semester at 8 p.m., Sept. 19, in the Mezzanine
Graphics and photos by Madison Lyda
Lobby of the Shepler Center. RHA President and senior Communication major Kristopher Mayfield said he has been a member of RHA since the beginning of his sophomore year. “The reason I joined the RHA is because I was very interested in being a residential Assistant,” he said. “And the RHA events are as fun as most of the events that the R.A. does, so I figured I could just spread my time between the two.” Freshman Biology major Jessica Parnell performed her own rendition of John Legend’s hit song “All of Me.” Parnell said she was open to the idea of performing in front of an audience. “I know that I have talent, so I want to show it off,” she said. “And I feel that this is the perfect place to show off what I have. “It’s a really great atmosphere to have everyone come out and do these certain events. It brings the school together and allows people to make new friends.”
The participants did not need to audition for Open Mic Night. Although there were students who planned to perform when they arrived at the event, some students decided to perform after they saw how comfortable everyone else was.
Cambron Alsbrook performed Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” “I don’t really listen to a lot of Elvis,” he said, “but that song really stuck out to me because I heard it a lot growing up.” Alsbrook also said, as a child, he would exclusively sing to his family members out of fear of being taunted by his peers. Open Mic Night helped him become more open to singing in front of other people. “I kind of gained more confidence,” he said. “I just decided to push myself.” For more information on future RHA events or how to get involved, students can contact the organization directly at housing@cameron. edu.
“It brings the school together and allows people to make new friends.” Jessica Parnell