Collegian T he Cameron University
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Monday, September 23, 2019
Volume 101 Issue 2 Photos by Caitlin Anders
The community speaks: Congressman Daniel Pae (left) speaks with an area business owner at a Q&A hosted at Cameron University. Community members in attendance discussed a wide array of topics with the congressman over coffee.
Coffee and Conversation
with Congressman Daniel Pae
Payton Williams
community. Pae, who took office last year, Managing Editor spoke in his opening remarks about @YoureSoVanya the importance of communication and cooperation, and how it has helped him On Thursday, Sept. 12, the CU Black see a lot of success in his short time in Students association hosted a Q&A office. event with State Representative Daniel “Because I had interned twice Pae in the McCasland Ballroom of the at the capital before, I knew the McMahon Centennial Complex. legislative process already,” Pae said. Pae, the representative for Oklahoma “And so I could use my time to focus District 62 at the State House of on relationship building. All of the Representatives, began the event with bills I have authored have passed on a very brief introductory speech before a bipartisan basis, and I credit my opening the floor to questions from the willingness to cooperate with my colleagues with that.” Pae also spoke in his opening remarks about his attempts to stay involved in his district, especially noting the time he has spent volunteering as a substitute teacher at Lawton Public Schools. “It was very important to me to get to know what’s going on in the classroom myself, as opposed to reading about it,” Pae said. “I wanted to take the initiative to meet with teachers and staff, and get their perspective.” Pae also touched upon two subjects he wanted particularly to discuss,
What’s Inside
CU Opportunity Fair Page 2
subjects that he stated interested him: Renewable energy’s future in the state of Oklahoma, and prison reform, subjects which most of the questions in the room in some way related to, once the floor was opened for questions. When the floor was opened, however, the first question was not related to either subject. One attendee challenged Pae on Pae’s recent bill relating to raising the speed limit on the Lawton-adjacent part of I-44. “You proposed a bill, that seems about to pass,” the man said, “to raise the speed limit to 80 miles an hour on the highway. What are you gonna do next time when people are now gonna go 85 miles an hour? Or 90? Or 100?” Pae was not taken aback by this line of questioning, even as the man drew attention to Pae’s approval rating. “There are a lot of different polls and rankings out there,” Pae said. “I only focus on trying to do what is best for my constituents.” The level headed, non-combative demeanor that Pae established in answering this first question remained throughout the hour-long Q&A session, where subjects ranged from prison reform, Medicaid expansion and the future of the legalization of marijuana this state. One particular answer that Pae gave during the Q&A proved very effective in grabbing the interest of the room. During the series of questions presented to Pae by the audience on the subject of prison reform, a man in the audience stood up and changed the subject, talking about the issue of suicide prevention and awareness. The man mentioned the high suicide rate in Oklahoma, and Pae connected it with something unexpected. “We also have the second highest uninsured rate in the country,” Pae said. “And healthcare is not a partisan
issue to me. All of you, regardless of political party, get sick. Funding is important, and part of the discussion on that will be about funding for mental health.” Pae said he finds the idea of partisan politics ridiculous. “I am who I am, and I’m nontraditional in a lot of ways as a representative,” Pae said, “and I think that has a lot to do with my age.” Pae, who is a young representative, also expanded a bit on what he meant about his age informing his politics. “People in our generation are a lot more progressive by and large, I think,” Pae said. Pae’s positions on the policies he’d come to discuss established seemed to support this, especially in his opposition to the private prison business, which was at the heart of his discussion of prison reform. “For private prisons, their goal is to maximize profits,” Pae said. “And so the more people incarcerated, the more profit you can make, and that is a concern I have.” He also spoke about renewable energy, and Governor Kevin Stitt’s plan to make Oklahoma a top ten solar energy state in the coming years. “I think that’s entirely possible,” Pae said. “Not immediately, certainly, but within my lifetime, I believe it will happen. Pae spoke about the importance of relationship building, and of crossing party lines, and on that subject, when questioned on whether or not there was a place for anger in politics, Pae spoke about the importance of temperament in his work in the State House. “I’ve always found that, in life, when you act out of anger or raw emotion, things don’t tend to go well,” Pae said. “If you take a deep breath, take a step back, and reflect on what’s happening, you can make better rational decisions.”
Wellness Center
Runners take first
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News
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Aggies for Hire
September 23, 2019 www.aggiecentral.com
CU Opportunity Fair
She found and signed up for a sixweek tax training course, which is beneficial to her field, and she was excited to have made some connections with local banks. “Because my major is accounting,” Mansfield said, “I’m definitely interested in anything the banks had. One of the banks did say that they do hire seniors, so that’s me. “They were all super friendly and super helpful pointing me in the right direction. Even if my major didn’t really have anything pertaining to them, they still told me Photo by Bryan Araujo what opportunities Making Connections: Cameron students discuss work opportunities with potential employers at Cameron’s third annual could pop-up kind-of related to CU Opportunity Fair. The fair took place from 2-4 p.m., Sept. 10, in the McCasland Ballroom. accounting.” Crowds of people moved from table to table Mansfield left the event satisfied and plans on Bryan Araujo looking for a chance to talk to each other. attending future opportunity fairs. Staff Writer Companies and organizations at every table Career Services is a subsidiary of the Office of Cameron University career services held their pushed their individual brands with everything Student Development. third annual CU Opportunity Fair from 2-4 p.m., from banners and brochures, to free pens and other They host career-building events throughout the Sept. 10, in the McCasland Ballroom. freebies. year. Some of their workshops have included topics The purpose of this event was to connect students Viridian coffee even handed out free iced coffees such as resume building, applying for jobs and and alumni with local companies looking for to draw people in. preparing for job fairs. employees, interns and volunteers. People from the Just like any student looking for the next step For more information about Career Services, Lawton community were also welcome to attend the after college, accounting senior Kendra Mansfield contact Merrifield at The Office of Student event. attended the event for networking with the Development in North Shepler, room 314, or call Some of this year’s participating companies expectation of finding businesses looking for interns. 580-581-2209. included: the American Cancer Society, Arvest Bank, Chick-fil-A, City of Lawton, Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, Goodwill, Home Depot, KSWO Photo by Television Company, McDonalds, the USMC and Katie Hall Viridian Coffee. Communication Junior Jose Olivo came to the event to scout for internship opportunities. “I graduate next year,” Olivo said, “[I wanted to see] the opportunities that are ahead of me.” Student Career Services set up a table to guide students and mediate between employers and attendees. Career Services Coordinator Paula S. Merrifield said today was a special day for her office. “This is for students to come and not just get hired,” Merrifield said, “but to also gain experience, internships, volunteer hours, whatever they need to become more marketable for when they graduate.” Merrifield said students benefit by attending events like these by building networking skills, forming partnerships, making connections and learning to work through interview anxiety. “Whether you’re looking for a job or not, we tend to lack some of our career readiness skills,” Merrifield said. “So it’s about getting out there and maybe even just listening to how somebody else is doing it.”
Lasting generations: Cameron begins new Legacy Admissions Program Kimb Frey
Non-resident students who qualify for the Legacy Program do not get the Copy Editor housing waiver, but they do receive a On July 8, the Cameron University waiver that makes up for the difference Office of Admissions, in conjunction from in-state and out-of-state costs, with the Office of Alumni Relations, essentially giving out-of-state legacy unveiled a new program for the students in-state tuition. children of Cameron University Patterson, who spearheaded the Alumni called the Legacy Admissions Legacy Admissions Program, also Program. said that this program will hopefully Cameron is waiving the application contribute to an increase in enrollment fee for children and grandchildren of for the university. alumni who have graduated with any “We’re always wanting to grow the degree, from an associates and beyond. Cameron family,” Patterson said, “and Oklahoma residents also receive we think that this is a fantastic way to a double-room housing waiver, and honor our alumni family members, but non-residents receive a waiver which also our current Cameron family and allows them to pay in-state tuition. our future Cameron family members.” These benefits are available to To ensure that the word gets out, undergraduate students who are the Cameron Office of Public Affairs already enrolled in classes, but sent out press releases to several news they can only be applied to future outlets and is working with the Office semesters—not toward reimbursement of Alumni Relations. of previous fees and tuition. “We’re really excited about this According to Graduate Admissions program,” Patterson said. “Cameron is Counselor Kaley Patterson, recipients a gem, here, in southwest Oklahoma, of the housing waivers are able to and we are so excited to bring forth the put the amount of their double-room legacy admissions program to not only waiver toward a single room in the honor our alumni but our alumni’s Shepler Center or toward an apartment children and grandchildren and so that in Cameron Village. they can become a part of the Cameron
family.” Students have already started using the program, with legacy students coming from as far afield as Canada and from as close as a few blocks down the road. Hannah Copeland is a student whose mother graduated from Cameron with a degree in Elementary Education, so when she heard from a friend about the Legacy Admissions program, she jumped on it. “I am paying for my college,” Copeland said. “With this scholarship, I will be able to put what I would’ve paid for my room to my tuition.” She enrolled as a freshman at Cameron last
summer to study Psychology. For more information about the Legacy Admissions Program, contact the Office of Admissions at 580-5812289 or visit the admissions page on the Cameron University website at www.cameron.edu/admissions. Photo by Bryan Araujo
Voices
September 23, 2019 www.aggiecentral.com
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The Pollution Paradox Tr i bu Ag ne C e n on c y ten
t
the last straw is not plastic
Amanda King
Voices Editor @theamandaking
In addition to the stimulating social game of violently debating politics and religion, Americans tend to enjoy sporadically finding an environmental issue to rage over for a short but intense period. Recently, this imminent environmental concern has been the use of plastic straws. By recent, I refer to this past summer when every major social media platform had users on a crusade to convince followers to buy their reusable metal straws. If you are like me and don’t really use plastic straws often enough to justify the risk in ordering from a random influencer on Instagram—or are maybe just smart enough not to—you probably just scrolled past these silly advertisements, even the ones that included their own portable carrying case! By far, however, the most enthusiastic commonality between every advertisement I saw was the tagline: “Save the Turtles!” So while I was seeing dozens of these ads every day, it occurred to me that we have much larger ecological catastrophes looming. Why then was it straws that were trending? What about the unassuming and often necessary cylindrical tube was suddenly so bad that we as a society needed to immediately rush to grab our credit cards and order some reusable straw? I assumed the answer simply had something to About Us
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.
Our Views
The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author. The unsigned editorial under the heading “Voices” represents the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. The opinions expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily represent those of Cameron University or the state of Oklahoma. Our student media are designated public forums, and free from censorship and advance approval of content. Because content and funding are unrelated, and because the role of adviser does not include advance review of content, student media are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves. Administrators, faculty, staff or other agents shall not consider the student media’s content when making decisions regarding the media’s funding or faculty adviser.
pollution found in oceans. Given that this is not by any means a majority of and definitely not the most dangerous type of garbage to make its way to the world’s oceans, I think it is safe to say that refusing a straw from your waiter the next time you go out to eat won’t save anyone. The obvious environmental problem is not the use of plastic straws, or even plastic in general—it’s how they are disposed of. Waste disposal methods vary across different countries, and even different areas of the U.S. require certain considerations. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s archive, what little percentage of our do with the garbage that is reusable gets recycled, while plastic element. everything else either goes to landfills—which often After all, even drains into oceans—or is subject to combustion— Starbucks was now which entails an entirely new set of brutal, lethal against the use of impacts to our atmosphere. straws, choosing to ditch And that’s just America. Other countries their plastic straws in favor have even worse disposal methods: China, for of lids (lids made of even more example, has little to no processes in place for plastic than the straws so riddle me garbage disposal. Revealed in a CNBC Original that). documentary, trash is either littered all over the But this didn’t really explain the correlation streets or loaded into trucks that dump just outside between plastic straws and dead turtles. the city of Beijing—and commonly are looted. The involvement of turtles in the anti-straw But all hope isn’t lost yet: Sweden has developed movement traces back to a single video filmed a waste-to-energy solution for garbage wherein it by marine biologist Christine Figgener and her is burned to power electricity and heating, while research team. The video, showing a graphic straw the remaining ash is recycled into metals used for extraction from a turtle’s nose, is understandably construction. This method has become so effective, heartbreaking to watch. in fact, that Sweden now has to import trash from And though it took three years for it to go viral, neighboring European countries, as per “The New by God did it explode among America’s population. York Times.” So we, as Americans, did what we have been trained While it’s great that everyone wants to eliminate by social media platforms to do: we demanded a plastic straws to prevent further harm to animals change. and the environment, there are more effective This demand was aimed at large corporations— ways to protect our Earth. Figgener herself some of which rose to meet the public outrage, like has made it clear that she never intended the aforementioned Starbucks. Elsewhere, Seattle the video she made to become the be-allbecame the first city to ban plastic straws completely, end-all motivation for environmental and most restaurants in the U.S began instructing improvement. In fact, she even calls wait staff to withhold straws unless specifically asked it “a good place to start fighting for by customers. ocean waste.” While the new anti-plastic straw movement is I’m still not entirely behind clearly an environmental positive, I can’t help but the anti-plastic movement, as I wonder how much the use of plastic straws is really don’t see the elimination of all hurting our planet. plastic materials realistically Think about it: what harm is it really to drink feasible. liquid through a plastic tube? But even I can admit that The answer is none because simply using a straw this plastic straw craze has isn’t the real issue. It’s where that straw goes after opened the door for a more you’re done using it. A metal straw could get stuck in-depth conversation about inside a turtle’s nose just as easily as a plastic one if our waste disposal system—a you throw it into the ocean! necessary discussion if we want the The United States alone produces approximately planet to survive us. more than 260 million tons of trash each year, about So the next time someone tries to 13 percent of which is plastic waste. Even Figgener shame you for using a plastic straw, wisely admits that plastic straws make up around four remind them of the bigger environmental percent of the nine million tons of annual plastic problems plaguing our Earth. THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY
COLLEGIAN
Letters Policy
Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna
Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.
Editorial Staff
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.
Managing Editor - Payton Williams A&E Editor - Lea Killian Sports Editor - David Perkins Voices Editor - Amanda King Copy Editor - Kim Frey Assistant Editors - Cambron Alsbrook, Adrianna Finch Social Media Editor - Abby Gonzalez Photographers - Katie Hall, Stacie Larsen, Cierra Walters
Newsroom Staff
Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Bryan Araujo, Katie Hall, Isaiah Hernandez, Haylee Key, Xavier McClure, Isabel Rosales-Aparicio Circulation Manager - Payton Williams Faculty Adviser - Prof. David Bublitz
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.
Student Life
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September 23, 2019 www.aggiecentral.com
Photo by Cam Alsbrook
Step into office: Student Wellness Center Administrative Assistant Brittany Johnson gets ready to meet students and schedule appointments. The center offers counseling, light therapy, medical services and referrals for psychology offices across Lawton.
In Health and Wellness Cam Alsbrook Assistant Editor
Cameron University’s Student Wellness Center has been a staple on campus for helping students get through each semester. The center provides one-on-one counseling and access to a licensed medical provider. Director of the Student Wellness Center Dr. Jill Melrose said that the center partners with Southwest Oklahoma Family Medicine Clinic for medical services, and Head and Head for vision care discounts. The in-office counseling sessions are set up on an appointment basis for students, and its thirty-five dollar cost
Student Wellness Center
is included in students’ tuition. Counseling sessions typically last for an hour, and finding the time to speak with a counselor, working toward solutions to life’s problems and addressing health issues is beneficial for students. The Student Wellness Center welcomed Dr. Kathryn Nichols, who started on Sept. 23, to work alongside current part-time mental health counselor Dr. Jonnie Judah. Judah and Nichols are both licensed professional counselors, and both are Cameron University alumni. The wellness center works with students to keep a positive attitude when it comes to working on assignments.
“One of the things that we work on with students is not allowing negative self-thoughts to talk you out of doing your best,” Melrose said, “We believe that mindfulness, gratitude and positive self-talk will help you change your brain and be happier.” Melrose recommends that students come in three times a week for light therapy. “If you need some sunshine come in and use our Blue Light in the lobby,” Melrose said. “Research shows that twenty minutes three times a week will help keep Seasonal Affective Disorder—the winter blues—away.” Light therapy is accomplished by sitting in front of a blue light
lamp for twenty minutes, which helps the body get the sunlight it needs to have to stay healthy. They also host flu shot drives during the fall and spring semesters, so people can stay safe during flu season. The event, “Flu Shots and Lollipops,” will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 8-9. The Student Wellness Center will also offer gloves with the onset of colder weather and free food during finals. Melrose said her involvement in the life of Cameron students is the best part of her job as director of the Wellness Center. “The best part about working with the Student Wellness Center is literally watching
students grow into adults from Freshman year to graduation,” Melrose said. “It is always an amazing process to watch.” Student Wellness Center Administrative Assistant Brittany Johnson said her favorite part of the job is working directly with students. “Sometimes we see them at their highs, sometimes we see them at their lows,” Johnson said. “But what’s gratifying to know is that they are all working hard to become a better version of themselves and that is encouraging to see every single day.” Working with the diverse student population on campus means working toward understanding the
problems they face— which requires a deep understanding and empathy for their needs. As a result, students have impacted Melrose by providing insight into their challenges and experiences throughout their interactions. “Working with students is challenging,” Melrose said, “and you have to stay informed about the world, their world, and the challenges that they face … I love that.” The Student Wellness Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday for students to seek help and ask questions. For more information, students can reach the office desk at 581-6725.
One on one:
Getting ahead in the “Game” Xavier McClure Staff Writer
At 3:30 p.m., Sept. 12, in the Academic Commons, JRMP seniors Cole Lehr and Johann Tate host “Game Time” a Cameron sports show that focuses on news and events. The duo first came to host Game Time through the advice of several CUTV members. For the past year the hosts have juggled both basketball and Game Time. As seniors, they plan to dedicate more time and resources to the sports show. Tate said that the extra time is key to producing a better show. “To be able to put a little bit of our energy into the show now that were not splitting it with hours of basketball,” Tate said, “we’re able to do other things. Also put some time into editing to try to make it as crisp as we can.” While Lehr and Tate have been the hosts of Game
Time, they have made changes to the show such as finding ways to be more efficient as well as being able to make the show entertaining. Tate said having two hosts instead of one helps with the production and allows them to cover multiple stories at once. “Before us it was just really a one-man-show,” Tate said, “so he [Lehr] would have to go out and have to shoot things by himself. With us we’re able to split up and take one camera to basketball and another to tennis, so were able to get a lot more done.” Lehr said that in addition to making the show more efficient and effective, they also plan on making the show feel more natural and freeflowing. “This semester we’re doing a lot more improvisation,” Lehr said, “just kind of talking about what we know more than just scripting it out, it’s a little more natural.” With their first episode of Game Time filmed on Sept. 5, the duo have enjoyed
making the show and the new implementations that they have been trying. Both Lehr and Tate enjoy hosting Game Time not only to inform their viewers but to also give viewers an opportunity to experience Cameron sports without being at the game. This gives the audience exposure to athletes, whether from an interview or highlighting their various achievements. The hosts looked at other schools media programs around the country and took note of how they promoted their student athletes on social media and their student-run shows. Lehr and Tate hope to have that same effect using Game Time as their platform, as both played basketball for the past two years and understand how important social media is to promote the various student athletes around Cameron. The duo also encourage and accept feedback on their show--either positive or
Photo by: Xavier McClure
Game Time Duo: Cole Lehr (Left) and Johann Tate (right) Bring the sports to students through “Game Time.” negative--to help the show move in the right direction. “Just the fact that people around campus come up to us and be like ‘hey we’ve seen your show’ that means a lot,” Tate said. “Any feedback is good, doesn’t matter if they came up to us and said, ‘hey we think you can do this better’ you know anything helps.” The duo admitted that hosting Game Time is an outlet for how they felt on various sports topics and may lead to future job
opportunities. “You get a chance to put your face on the camera and talk and say the things you want to say,” Lehr said, “You never know, it might lead to something.” As for the future of the show, both Lehr and Tate want Game Time to be something that people search for, rather than accidently coming across it. “That’s my ultimate goal for it,” Lehr said, “is to make it so good people want to watch it.”
A&E
September 23, 2019 www.aggiecentral.com
In 1997, Reed Hastings and Mark Randolph founded Netflix. What began as a business idea to profit from video rentals via mail eventually completely transformed television and cinema as we know it. One could argue that Netflix has not only forged a new path in the industry but also changed the landscape entirely. Now with hundreds of popular shows and movies, Netflix has connected the world in wonderful ways. As a culture, we are able to experience new content from around the world. This creates unity and encourages conversation among us all. Additionally, creators have more opportunities to share their work now than when they had to fight for a good time slot on cable television. This gives viewers more options that were not available before because of network limitations, strict censorship rules and, of course, commercials.It is also wildly less expensive.
While the benefits of streaming services like Netflix are truly remarkable, a troubling pattern has appeared. When new seasons of “Stranger Things” or “Black Mirror” premiere, people camp out in their living rooms, binging the entire season in a single night. They wake up the next day and have at least a month of quality memes to look forward to. Afterward, fans cannot expect a new season for at least another year. During that time, viewers continue to burn through series after series, never taking the time to fully appreciate what they have just watched. Many of us in our technologically advanced society have grown dependent on the instant gratification of social media and streaming services. We scroll, click, read, watch, laugh and repeat. We do this for hours, days, at a time. It is a maze we cannot, or refuse to, escape. On cable television, networks release new episodes
of their shows one week at a time. While many viewers find this unbearable, it certainly has benefits. This pattern can keep each show on television for up to six months out of the year, creating weekly suspense and allowing viewers to contemplate each episode in its entirety. In the space between episodes, a relationship forms. This is where the magic of television truly resides. In 1993, the first episode of “Friends” premiered. For ten years, the world watched six unforgettable characters traverse life in New York. Fans were there from the moment Rachel Green stumbled into Central Perk in her wedding dress to the moment she got off the plane. Fifteen years after its final episode in 2004, “Friends” is still one of the most popular shows in the world. The show has been streaming on Netflix for the last five years, no doubt extending its popularity, but these questions still arise. If “Friends” was a Netflix
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original would it have stood the ability to binge would be the test of time? Would viewers mad and unhelpful; however, have if Netflix dedicated chose to “Netflix originals themselves release to a show episodes currently streaming like this of some are powerful, wellfor almost of their written, versatile works twenty-five bigger years if it titles on of art. Undoubtedly, was treated a weekly many of them have as shows basis, as impacted our society opposed are today? This to all at in groundbreaking, cannot yet once, innovative ways. be proven. we may But are we truly The Netflix rediscover originals the magic enjoying them?” currently that lies in - Lea Killian the space streaming A&E Editor between are powerful, each wellepisode— written, versatile works of art. reigniting our familiar sense of Undoubtedly, many of them wonder and anticipation. have impacted our society in If we hope to preserve the groundbreaking, innovative legacy of our favorite television ways. But are we truly enjoying shows for future generations them? Or are we only waiting to enjoy as we have, then we for the next big thing? must recognize the dark side of A solution could be simple. binge culture and be willing to To completely rid the world of change it.
Kevin Haggenmiller:
New host, new plans for ‘Film Geek’ Isabel Rosales-Aparicio Staff Writer
Produced, directed and managed by Journalism and Media Production (JRMP) students in the Communication, English and Foreign Languages (CEFL) Department since 2012, “Film Geek” has highlighted a wide variety of movierelated content. The show has had many hosts and directors throughout the years, and CEFL Professor Matt Jenkins has taught and supervised those student producers. Cameron Senior Caitlin Anders hosted “Film Geek” last year. Under Anders’ leadership, “Film Geek” showcased many popular movies and shows, such as “Avengers:
Endgame,” “Stranger Things,” “Bumblebee” and “Game of Thrones.” JRMP senior Kevin Haggenmiller is the current the host of “Film Geek.” He has worked on the show for the three previous semesters as a crew member, co-host and now as the main host. Junior Jacob Smith is now directing the show for a second year and is excited for this year’s program. Smith and Haggenmiller both want the show to be different than previous seasons. “It gets me excited as the director,” Smith said. “I love seeing how we can use the TV studio in different creative ways.” In previous semesters, “Film Geek” consisted of movie review content, commentary, movie or show trailers and
the occasional special guest. In spring 2019, Anders invited Vaska Theater owner Justin Hackney to the show to talk about how new management saved the Vaska, and Hackney invited JRMP students to use the theater to show student films. Haggenmiller’s intention for this year’s show is to provide a wider scope on multi-media professionalism in Oklahoma. For his first episode, Haggenmiller invited Youtube personality Hunter Hobbs to discuss Hobbs’ career and how he finds work in Oklahoma. Haggenmiller is hoping to bring in more guests throughout the semester to give viewers new perspectives on cinema. Haggenmiller also hopes that JRMP
students will choose to become more involved in the show’s production and encourages all students with a love of television and movies to participate. “It’s only episode one,” Haggenmiller said, “so I’m kind-of hoping for the best. But I hope to get a lot of discussion.” Additionally, Haggenmiller intends to host game and trivia segments in the show throughout the semester in which guests will be able to win tickets to various movies. New episodes of “Film Geek” are available online at aggiecentral.com. If students would like to join and work as a crew member, shows are taped at 3 p.m., every Monday, in the TV Studio Production Lab, room 110, in the Academic Commons.
Can you hear me now: (Left) Kevin Haggenmiller works with James Rowbottom in preparation for an episode of “Film Geek.” Photo by Isabel Rosales-Aparicio
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Sports
September 23, 2019 www.aggiecentral.com
Cross country takes first
Aggie duels
Photos by David Perkins
David Perkins
said he thinks this year’s team is a stronger team as Sports Editor a whole. Early morning, Sept. “I think we will get 13 at the Big Green even better towards the Soccer Complex in end of the year,” Ramirez Lawton, the Cameron said. “This year we are men and women’s cross even closer together country teams placed competitively. So, we first respectively in their are closing up the gaps only hometown meet of and scoring closer in the the season. race.” Amidst mud and Coach Zach Johnson drizzle, sophomore Alma is feeling good about his Duran of the women’s team at this point. cross country team and “[We have] nine really senior James Majenge of good guys and everybody the men’s team led the wants to get better right Aggies to victory. now,” Johnson said. Duran led the “It’s been different women’s team to a first every meet. If someone place finish for their first has a bad win of the season. It also day, someone marks the first ever win else steps for the new woman’s up.” cross country program Last since it started in 2018. season was This is the second a landmark straight win for Majenge year for the and the men’s team this men’s team; season. they earned The men’s team has 3rd place in retained the leaders they the NCAA had last season, and they Lone Star are striving to improve conference in as a team this year. November. Everybody on the The cross country teams is Lone Star working on tightening up Conference their performance. is widely Senior cross country known as runner Celso Ramirez one of the
toughest conferences in the nation for track and cross country, a fact that is present the minds of Johnson and his team. “Our region is absolutely brutal in cross country,” Johnson said. “Traditionally, almost all of the at-large bids in the NCAA come from our conference. There’s a lot of years where three out of the top five schools in nationals come from the south-central region.” The focus of the cross country team is unanimous: Everybody wants to get better. The accomplishments of last
season are part of what drives them as well as the highly competitive nature of the Lone Star Conference. “The goal this year is to be better,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we can step up and be 2nd and at least compete for a spot at nationals.” The runners feel they set a high standard the previous season. Majenge said doing even better this year is something to
strive for. “We have to maintain, and we still want to get better,” Majenge said. “This season is going to be a rough one, but I feel that we are all ready and prepared.” Both teams will have a busy month in October. Their next meet will be on Oct. 5 at the
Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, followed by a meet in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on Oct. 12 before the Lone Star Championships in Silver City, New Mexico, on Oct. 26. For more information about Cameron cross country, visit cameronaggies.com.