The Cameron Collegian, September 25, 2023

ACTS game night On another level:

Brittney Payette Managing Editor

From 7-10 p.m. in the McCasland ballroom in the McMahon Centennial Complex, the Association of Computing and Technology Students (ACTS) hosted a game night.

The game night included online games such as Mario Kart, WII games, board games, pizza, drinks and more.

Sophomore Computer Science major Kaitlyn Kair joined the ACTS in September of last year.

“There was a lot of cool stuff going on,” Kair said. “I felt like I didn’t get out enough and I just wanted to be a part of it, so I thought a leadership position in ACTS would’ve benefited me.”

Kair said the officers in the club are really good about sharing their responsibilities. She also said one of their primary goals for the organization is to prepare students for the workforce.

“To network, to socialize, to be really involved in the campus, that’s just sort of, like, what we pride ourselves on,” Kair said. “We do a lot of like, networking stuff … In the Spring, we’re planning on doing some Linkedin stuff, to get people prepared.”

She said the organization participates in other events as well, such as Halloween events and the Organization Fair on campus.

“It’s just really a mix-mash of things,” Kair said. “As long as it’s getting students talking to each other, getting us prepared for our convention, or getting students ready for the workplace.”

She said the club members are hoping for a great year.

“It’s been really amazing with a lot of the people coming out to a lot of our events so far,” Kair said. “I’m just really excited.”

Kair said students who are interested in joining the club should attend one of their meetings and get an application from one of the officers

What’s Inside

or their faculty advisor.

Senior Instructor Harry W. Kimberling is the ACTS advisor. He said he became the club’s advisor in 2018 and that the club used to be called Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP). However, when that company was bought out, their organization received a cease-and-desist letter from the new owners that said they could no longer use the AITP name.

“We had to start everything from scratch,” Kimberling said. “Which was a good thing cause, you know, if you start everything from scratch, you can make it what you want.”

He said he wanted to become the advisor so he could interact with the students.

“I want to see these students do better than I ever did in college,” he said. “Have more fun, socialize, network. Not fall into the trap of society where it is today where everybody’s staying in their own little bubble and not interacting. And, they need their soft skills.”

Senior Information Technology and Cyber Security major Lance Wallace made and sold baked goods

at the game night to help fundraise for the ACTS. He baked peanut butter cookies, puppy chow and chocolate popcorn.

“They needed fundraising,” Wallace said. “I like to bake, so, I said I can bake some stuff and bring it in and they said ‘great, we’ll do that.’”

“It aligns with my major,” Wallace said. “They have regional and national competitions that they participate in and I thought that would help my career … We have our regional competition coming up in October, Springfield, Missouri for that and then our national competition is in Shreveport, Louisiana in April, I organization to go to the competitions as

Computer Science and Information Technology major Belinda Foley said she helped to build from the ground up club did not survive COVID-19 and had to rebrand because her and the other that they wanted prepare students Technology and its related fields. “We want to give them everything can learn in their

college experience,” Foley said. “At the end, just (be able to) say ‘okay, I’m ready to go into the workforce. I know how to interview for an IT job, I know how to talk the IT language.”

Foley said the ACTS spent a lot of last year determining what did and did not work for helping the students learn skills outside of the classroom.

“Learning outside of actual classes is hard,” she said. “You’re tired, you don’t want to do extra stuff if you don’t have to. So, we do things like this once a month. So, we do something fun, to get everybody together.”

Foley said the ACTS has two meetings per month, every other Monday.

“In those meetings we do presentations,” she said. “We do one presentation where it’s like, particular to the competitions that we go to and then one presentation is like a fun, informative presentation. So, like, last Monday, we did a presentation on Ethical Hacking.”

She said she believes that it is important for students to enjoy themselves while gaining knowledge.

“We try to do informative and fun things,” Foley said. “I feel like that’s the most effective (way) because these people do want to learn, and it’s hard to learn outside of a classroom environment, where you don’t know anybody and you feel awkward.”

She said that the club goes to two competitions each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The competitions take place as a part of the U. S. Information Technology Collegiate Conference and there is a regional competition and a national competition. There are team and individual competitions.

“Regional - it happens in fall and national happens in spring,” Foley said. “Regional is a smaller competition … The regionals, there’s ten, I believe ten sets of competitions and they’re all related to IT.”

For more information about the ACTS organization, contact Kimberling at hkimberl@cameron. edu.

Photo and graphic by Brittney Payette

Elizabeth Hansen

Student Support Services

Hannah Owens Staff Writer

In an important development for Cameron University, the Student Support Services (SSS) program has welcomed a new director, marking a pivotal moment for the college’s

dedication to fostering student achievement. Offering a wide range of services, including academic advising, tutoring, mentor services and much more, SSS plays a vital role in helping students overcome challenges and achieve their educational goals.

in higher education, she is wellprepared to improve and advance the SSS program. Hansen graduated from the University of Maine with both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Education. Her background makes her wellequipped to achieve the goals she

here but also challenging them to do a campus job or get involved in a student organization,” Hansen said, “Or those type of things- just so they’re really feeling like they’re getting the full college experience that they want.”

Hansen is still acclimating to Texas/Oklahoma life, particularly the weather. She grew up in Maine and has lived in Georgia and Washington state which is a very different climate than Oklahoma. Moving halfway across the country during the peak of summer heat, she had just established herself in her new job when a massive hailstorm swept through Lawton, Oklahoma.

Hansen said, “I feel like I’ve earned my stripes because my car has a bunch of hail dents, and I’m like ‘See, I’m a local, I’ve been She mentioned that she has also encountered Ole Kim and is eagerly looking forward to discovering more about campus traditions. Hansen aims to experience most aspects of campus like attending a play or concert in the university theater and going to a sports game.

As Hansen takes charge, she hopes this change will make a positive impact not only on the program but also on all students across

with SSS specifically stood out just because I really love working with students, you know? That’s what all my background has been.”

The SSS program has been a cornerstone of the institution’s

students can come to for anything. And just knowing that we will always be in your corner- we’re gonna help you find your community here.”

With sixteen years of experience

program and integrating the program across campus. She also wants to encourage those in the program to become active on campus in other ways. “We want them to get connected

For more information about SSS email studentsupportservices@ cameron.edu or email Hansen directly at ehansen@cameron.edu. To stay up to date with Student Support Services, follow their Facebook account or check out the website, cameron.edu/sss.

Correction:

In Vol. 109, Issue 3, the Cameron Collegian incorrectly reported the current academic festival as “VII.” The current academic festival is “XII.”

The Collegian deeply regrets this error.

Correction:

In Vol. 109, Issue 3, the Cameron Collegian incorrectly reported the student session of the Michele Borba event took place in the University Theatre. The student session actually took place in the Ross Hall Johnson auditorium.

The Collegian deeply regrets this error.

Photos by Hannah Owens

THE COVID CLASS HOW THE PANDEMIC

When the world stopped, I was getting a burrito.

A junior in high school, I remember my classmates joked about COVID-19 affecting other countries in 8th-period history and posted memes all over Instagram. I remember the day perfectly, sitting at a stop sign on Chestnut Avenue, Duncan High School’s spring break was extended by two weeks.

Two very long weeks.

While many high school students missed out on the second semester and all the frills and thrills of the high school experience: prom, plays, concerts, sporting events, pep rallies and even graduation, other students missed out on gaining very important technical skills.

Understanding the basics of formatting an email and an essay are important parts both in and out of an academic setting and many college freshmen seem to have missed out on their lessons during their freshman year of high school. Now, many students seem to be falling behind and lacking the proper tools to prepare them for higher education and possible job opportunities.

In an article for the Des Moines Register, education beat reporter Samantha Hernandez said the class of 2023 has really struggled.

“I feel like most of us feel stuck in our freshman selves and that we are not ready to move on,” she said, “and we are kind of just forced to.”

To understand how the pandemic affected the class of 2023, I spoke with Communication, English and Foreign Languages Associate Professor and

Director of Composition Dr. Carie Schneider about her experience with first-year students. Schneider began teaching in 2006 and became a professor at Cameron University in 2018. Through the years she has seen many stages of students, however, Schneider said the past two years she has seen a lot of freshmen coming into college with less preparation due to remote learning.

“They might be coming in just as prepared in terms of knowledge, but a lot of it, they don’t have the same level of practice of working with groups or communicating with others,” Schneider said, “especially if they were the generation of folks that ended up doing all of their high school or at least a big chunk of their high school, you know, fully remote on Chromebooks without any interaction.”

Schneider also said how she believes the pandemic put many students behind, forcing them to play catch up not only academically, but also professionally.

“I think that’s really gonna have an impact on people’s college experience because they’re hustling so hard to catch up on what they missed that they’re maybe not able to participate as much in student life or other organizations, and I think it also puts people behind in terms of trying to find a job because they’re also already behind,” Schneider said.

College puts an emphasis on being able to communicate with your peers and professors to better prepare you for the future. Due to a lack of group assignments and projects during the pandemic, many students missed out on developing their communication skills which could possibly affect their communication skills in the future.

Schneider emphasized the importance of communicating with your professors and how many of her students in recent years seem more hesitant.

“I have definitely seen that there are people who are afraid to reach out and so I think that does impact being able to have a close relationship with your professors where you can ask them for help, feel comfortable reaching out to them,” Schneider said. “And if you don’t feel comfortable reaching out and making those connections with your professors; how are you going to feel comfortable reaching out and making connections with future employers?”

The pandemic completely rocked the world, and economic and political instability have made being a college student not only more difficult but more stressful for many. No longer are fresh-faced students coming in with the same or similar skill sets as previous classes. Faculty can no longer assume that everyone learned the same thing in high school.

“I think a lot of faculty need to be more prepared and more aware of the experience that our students have gone through in the past few years and be more understanding,” Schneider said. “Professors can’t expect students coming in in 2023 and 2024 to have the same skill set or experience that students coming in in 2019 had.”

The past few years of Cameron have been shaky for post-pandemic students, many are attempting to gain their bearings in a new environment, especially for the students who spent most of their high school experience balancing virtual and traditional classes.

However, my biggest tip for incoming freshmen: turn on your auto caps.

Ask an Aggie

What do you like about Cameron University?

“I

- Kymbre’ Muse

funding

advance

and

faculty,

content

Ryn Swinson Copy Editor

“This is my very first semester, and I’m loving the way it’s going so far- I’ve met some really nice people and I’ve decided to go to the Rec Center with friends more often.”

- Samantha Polichetti

love how I’ve gotten so far in my degree that I know what to expect, and Cameron had become more of a community to

Teenage mutant ninja turtles (TMNT) have been in the media since the 90s in the form of comics, animated shows and live-action films.

TMNT is a story about mutant turtle brothers who fight crime in New York under a mutant rat mentor “Splinter.” The story has changed how it is structured in each medium, but the premise stays the same with their origin story.

This year, TMNT made it to the big screen again, but this time, with an animated movie.

Even though TMNT is very beloved, the series has struggled in theatres with its previous releases to make any sort of big impact.

“TMNT Mutant Mayhem” has its own flavor, is very children-friendly and did pretty well at the box office grossing 162 million with a 70 million budget.

In this movie, we are introduced to the turtles, through a flash-back that takes place 15 years prior to when events in the movie are taking place.

Created in a lab, the turtles escape into the New City sewer system, where they meet their adoptive father and mentor, Splinter.

The present-day story revolves around the turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael dealing with teenage struggles manifested as supernatural conflict.

The turtles are clueless about the

meaningful.

The turtles have never met humans directly before, so the first contact they make with April is what leads them to believe that they will be accepted no matter what.

They try to recreate the same acceptance they get with April on a larger scale.

After a series of events, the turtles come into contact with other mutants.

The new mutants are made from the same “ooze” that the professor used to make the turtles. The problem is that the same mutants had a completely different upbringing and think that the eradication of the human species is the only way to truly fit in with the world.

The turtles are, of course, not on board with the idea and conflict breaks out. There were some noticeable changes to the TMNT universe, like Splinter no longer being a martial arts genius who taught his sons all he knows. Splinter is now a NYC sewer rat who stumbles across the turtles and teaches them

April is also a character with meaning – in this film, she seems integral to the story and isn’t just there to be there.

One drawback with her character is that they keep using her as an unnecessary love interest for the turtles. This film also lacks a lot of the combat that the previous films had, but there is an appropriate trade-off with compelling storytelling.

The movie is created for adolescents; the turtles were even voiced by teen voice actors.

While people compare it to “Rise” and call it inferior in animation and storytelling, it is still a great watch and is one of the better adaptations of the series in the last decade.

Writers definitely made great changes to the story regarding the turtles when compared to other movie counterparts.

The turtles in this movie have dreams and aspirations and act like actual teenagers.

The movie’s sound design, animation (reminiscent of the Miles Morales SpiderVerse movies), color and dialogue are creative and well-done.

There is a second film that is confirmed and is currently in the works that will hopefully be released sometime next year.

I rate this film a 7/10 to anyone willing to give the movie a shot.

‘After’ Series Reaches Final Chapter

This review contains spoilers for the Movie adaptations of the “After” series.

The “After” series has come to an end with the recent film “After Everything the Final Chapter.” There are a total of five movies in this series of films, and it is amazing how they even managed to continue being green-lit after the first movie.

Anna Todd wrote the original Harry Styles fan fiction that inspired the films. I, for one, have not read any of the books, so maybe the adaptation was poor, but the whole story was a bit strange.

The Wattpad version of the series came out in 2013, and Wattpad, after holding a bidding war managed to secure a six-figure deal with S&S.

The print version of the “After” series was officially released in October of 2014. The original story was published when Styles was around the age of 19 which raises some concerns because he was still very new to adulthood. The morality of the series even being published is a question in itself.

These films follow the story of Hardin Scott and Tessa Young and their very toxic relationship that spans the course of the series. The relationship has no depth or character to it and is filled to the brim with insufferable characters used to push the already suffering plot.

The “After” movies introduce various

conflicts throughout the films to build tension and expose the trauma held by the two main characters. Tessa is a sad and lost person in need of fun and adventure and sees that in Hardin. On the other hand, Hardin is not only emotionally unavailable, but also angry, aggressive, toxic, and very inconsiderate to people around him.

The first movie starts with Tessa and Hardin as college students. They meet in her dorm room where Hardin is very disrespectful and leaves. On the same day, Tessa makes her way to a party where she ends up playing truth or dare. Tessa, after being dared to kiss Hardin, rejects him and leaves. This wounds Hardin’s fragile ego and pride, so he makes a bet with their friends to make Tessa fall in love with him. This movie showed exactly why Tessa and Hardin shouldn’t be together within the first half of the movie, but there were four more installments after this one.

After the events that take place in the first movie, Tessa changes her major and becomes an intern at a publishing agency. At the publishing agency, she makes a bunch of mistakes and blunders because of her involvement with Hardin and goes back to him after drunk-dialing him at a work event. They get back

together, and the toxicity continues; whenever Hardin is angry he gets violent and breaks things. Hardin’s violence is a trend throughout the movie that only shows some improvement when he is away from Tessa and admits himself to a support group.

At one point Tessa was able to essentially get herself a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and threw it all away for Hardin, who spirals out of control and resorts to either alcohol or violence after every fight with Tessa.

Each movie has somewhat the same formula fight, breakup, intercourse, and repeat. New characters introduced function only as plot devices to help push the story along, and there is nothing redeeming about the two main characters. It is crazy for me to say that the best film is the fourth one because, even though the plot was all over the place, cthe main characters were the best version of themselves when they were apart.

The last film “After Everything the Final Chapter” is a Hardin stand-alone film that focuses on him and his messed up life before he makes up with Tessa again. Then there is a time skip, and we don’t get to see Tessa having the one thing she was told she would never have: kids. The only positive to this movie was its ending.

Somehow after all this conflict, Tessa and Hardin were able to settle down and start a family. Tessa and Hardin are one of the worst movie couples I have ever seen, and it is actually mind-boggling as to why these films even have a following.

Due to its poor writing, characters, acting, and overall composition, I rate this film series a solid 2/10 and would not recommend it to anyone.

Kemar Noel A&E Editor

Kemar Noel A&E Editor

Donut worry, be happy! Sofia Adams and Shekinah Weary, concurrent students from Geronimo high school, wait for their free donuts.

Donut Giveaway

with 100% chance of sprinkles

Kaley Muse Student Life Editor

From 9 – 11 a.m. on Sept. 19 in the parking lot outside of Eugene D. McMahon Library, the Office of Events and Activities held a free mini donut giveaway. Jimmy’s Bag of Donuts, a local food truck business, was giving out the mini donuts.

Cameron students and faculty could choose from any of the donut flavors and toppings that the vendor had to offer. This was anywhere from the regular flavors like glaze, strawberry or chocolate to more uncommon flavors like cinnamon roll, cinnamon toast crunch, and chocolate, caramel sea salt.

To get donuts, students had to scan a QR code, fill out a Google form, and show their student ID.

Cameron students paid for the free giveaway with the student activity fees in their billing every semester.

Director of the Office of Events and Activities

Leslie Cothren said the events are a way for students to see their activity fees in action and it usually gets a good turnout.

This giveaway is one of many events that take place on campus throughout the fall and spring semesters by the Office of Events and Activities, formerly known as the Office of Student Life.

“We do free giveaways once a month. So, there will be three throughout the semester, but this is the only donut one. I like to give people options,” Cothren said.

Many students waited in line before class in the overcast weather to snag some free, warm, donuts.

One of these students was Sofia Adams, a concurrent Cameron student and senior at Geronimo High School.

Adams waited in the long line for a specific reason.

“I like donuts, and I like free things,” she said.

The next events that the Office of Events and Activities will be holding will be throughout the month of October.

“We will do some online things, but our next in-person event is probable, we’re thinking about probably a student organization fair in October and another giveaway later in October. Free swag,” Cothren said.

For more information about events on campus

follow the Office of Events and Activities on their Facebook @CU EventsActivities and Instagram @ cueventsandactivities.

For more information about Jimmy’s Bag of Donuts follow their Facebook Jimmy’s Bag of Donuts and Lisa’s Coffee n Cream or call (580) 351-4554.

Silhouettes

by Kathryn

By Ramona Villegas Sports Editor

From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sept. 13, in the McMahon Centennial Complex (MCC) lobby, the Programming Activities Council (PAC) hosted Kathryn K. Flocken to make paper portrait silhouettes for students at Cameron University.

PAC is an organization that helps to come up with ideas and execute those ideas with the money that students’ activity fees provide.

Freshman Samantha Polichetti had decided to go to the silhouettes event because she had seen flyers for the event, especially the ones in front

of the Sciences Complex and Nance Boyer.

“I figured since it is through our activities fee I might as well go,” Polichetti said.

The event lasted for quite a while, but for Polichetti the whole process was about 5 minutes maximum. She would recommend future PAC events for anyone who is considering going.

“It was fun, it was quick,” Polichetti said, “I liked seeing the results.”

There have been many PAC events so far this semester. Some events in the past consist of craft night, comedy night, air plant giveaways, and bingo.

Flocken started to create

paper portraits in 1989 after working alongside different silhouette artists.

According to her website, PaperPortraits, Flocken’s work appeared in several magazines and on national television. She has also published a book “Silhouettes: Rediscovering the Lost Art.” For more information on Flocken, visit her website https://www.paperportraits.com

The next PAC event will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 27, in the MCCasland Ballroom in the MCC called “Clayful Creations.”

For more information, PAC meets 6: 15 p.m. Mondays in the Buddy Green Room in the McMahon Centennial Complex or email PAC@cameron.edu.

Photos and graphics by Kaley Muse

49ers climb to 3-0 with home-opening rout of Giants

Cam Inman Tribune Content Agency

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Scoring

30 points and winning before a stadium packed with 49ers fans is the NFL’s most impressive early-season trend.

Thursday night’s extra element: this 30-12 victory over the New York Giants came in the 49ers’ home opener, following expected road wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers (30-7) and the Los Angeles Rams (30-23).

The 49ers, in christening their 10th year at Levi’s Stadium, started their three-game homestand before yet another crowd clad of 49ers Faithful donning red jerseys.

Ultimately, the 49ers want to play here for a Super Bowl berth on Jan. 28 as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and every victory along the way is imperative. Next on their to-do list are the Arizona Cardinals (0-2) and then a playoff rematch with the Dallas Cowboys (20).

This marked the 49ers’ 13th consecutive regular-season victory, and among those admiring the 49ers dominate in their 1994 throwback jerseys were NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and 49ers’ alumni Jerry Rice, Joe Staley, Alex Smith and Richard Sherman, the latter serving as a Prime Video analyst.

With No. 1 receiver Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder) missing his first game since 2020, the 49ers offense had more than enough weapons, led by NFL rushing leader Christian McCaffrey (85 rushing yards, touchdown), professional tackle breaker Deebo Samuel (129 receiving yards, touchdown), and perennial prime-time star George Kittle (90 receiving yards).

Brock Purdy was a bit scattershot (25-of-37) but he surpassed 300 yards (310 yards) for the first time in his eight regular-season starts (all wins). He still hasn’t had a pass intercepted this season.

Not to be forgotten is rookie kicker Jake Moody, who made three field-goal attempts for the third straight game.

In terms of injury scares, Samuel

required a medical-tent evaluation after a fourth-quarter, 19-yard reception, and then he returned that same drive for a 27-yard touchdown catch that made it 30-12. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw hobbled

roughness penalty on Leonard Williams’ hit on Purdy. Earlier on that drive, McCaffrey had a 12-yard, thirdand-1 run behind blocks from Kittle and Charlie Woerner.

(on third-and-13). Left tackle Trent Williams’ blocks were key on those plays.

prize, after Deebo Samuel’s 40-yard, tackle-breaking reception and a pair of third-down penalties against the Giants.

Locked in a 3-3 battle, the 49ers pulled away with second-quarter touchdowns from rookie Ronnie Bell (a 9-yard touchdown on his first NFL catch) and McCaffrey (a 4-yard run, giving him a touchdown run in each game this season).

Setting up McCaffrey’s touchdown was a third-down, unnecessary

Third-down conversions kept alive the 49ers’ first touchdown drive, appropriately ending with Ronnie Bell’s 9-yard, third-and-5 scoring grab on Purdy’s pass to the front left pylon. Bell’s first career touchdown, on his first catch, put the 49ers ahead 10-3, 7:49 before halftime. Earlier thirdand-long conversions on that drive: Deebo Samuel’s 30-yard catch-andrun (on third-and-15) and Christian McCaffrey’s 17-yard catch-and-run

As twilight nearly engulfed the field in shadows, Bosa stepped into the spotlight for via a field goal, a 28-yarder from Moody in his Levi’s Stadium debut. (Disclosure: Moody did make a walk-off field goal in last month’s preseason win against Denver. This kick made him 7-of-7 in regularseason action to officially start his career.)

The 49ers’ shutout bid was gone after the Giants’ opening possession, with Graham Gano making a 44-yard field goal to tie the score at 3, with just 3:18 left in the first quarter.

Freshman quarterback Dante Moore works to make UCLA a national power

LOS ANGELES — Dante Moore saw the family mantra more than he heard it. His father heading out the door for long days at the Ford plant where he worked as an engineer. Bartending at Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers games. Mowing lawns as part of another side job. Somehow still finding time to coach youth teams and make every one of Dante’s games.

On the move from sunrise to nightfall, and often beyond, Otha Moore Sr. didn’t have to say it for his son to feel it.

Hard work is undefeated.

Dante lived that motto himself, the quarterback running extra laps after youth football games while observers laughed. As a high school freshman, he met with a quarterback guru the mornings before games. The next morning, he’d rise early for another workout. His coach told him he had to slow down or he’d wear out his arm.

Doing everything he could to be the best was all the kid knew.

“I told him, ‘If you work just like the next man, you’re going to be the same as the next man,’” Otha said. “‘If you work harder than the next man, you’re going to be better.’”

Two high school state championships later, Dante has brought that same relentlessness to UCLA in his attempt to forge a similar arc. After beating out a veteran counterpart to become the starter, he’s quickly emerged as one of the country’s most electric true freshmen.

Seven touchdown passes in basically 1 1/2 games of playing time have cemented his standing as the guy for the No. 22 Bruins (3-0) heading into a Saturday showdown on the road against No. 11 Utah (3-0).

Coaches joke that Moore lives in the practice facility, in before sunup and out

after sundown. Moore just nods, knowing this is what it’s going to take to spark a new dawn for a team that hasn’t been to a major bowl game in a quarter of a century.

Hard work is undefeated.

The lovefest is growing for a player whose three touchdown passes in his first start, against San Diego State earlier this month, tied the school record for a true freshman in any game held by Cade McNown and Josh Rosen.

After throwing for two more touchdowns last weekend in a 59-7 rout of North Carolina Central, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Moore found himself amid a joyous, leaping mass of teammates in the locker room. His free-sprouting hair glistening with droplets of celebratory water sprayed into the air, Moore also soaked in the fight song. Never mind that he still needed to learn the words.

“I don’t know it yet,” Moore said, “so I’m just in the middle, just vibing off everybody’s energy, just having a great time.”

Not wanting the early season adrenaline rush to end, Moore has researched every nuance of his next opponent in a quest for the slightest edge against the two-time defending Pac-12 champion.

Even down to the capacity of Rice-Eccles Stadium.

“Fifty-four thousand fans — I looked it up, that’s what they have,” Moore said. “I know it’s going to be 54,000 fans in there, so that’s why at practice (Tuesday) it was crazy, shouting noises and stuff like that, but I just like how everything is getting us ready.”

As another family mantra goes, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

“Thank you, appreciate that,” Moore told Michigan coaches when they extended a scholarship offer a month after he turned 13.

That night, Moore asked his dad what “an offer” meant. Once the meaning sunk in, Moore cried.

All the toil had been worthwhile.

Tribune Content Agency

Tribune Content Agency