Collegian T he Cameron University
www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, September 14, 2026
Angelica Martinez
Managing Editor There is little debate that artificial intelligence (AI) is causing significant shifts across nearly every sector of society. Conversations with the average person can generate a wide range of perspectives, from those who believe AI is one of the most beneficial developments of the century to those who view it as one of the most detrimental. This academic year, Cameron University will explore these differing perspectives and examine AI’s role across various aspects of society through its 13th triennial Academic Festival, “Being Human in the Age of AI.” The festival provides an opportunity for students, faculty and members of the community to engage with complex questions surrounding AI and consider what it means to remain human in an increasingly technological world. The festival will feature six presenters with diverse expertise in AI and related fields, along with multiple supplemental events throughout the academic year. Festival speakers include Tai Phan, the first Chief Artificial Intelligence and Technology Officer for the State of Oklahoma; Brad Carson, president of Americans for Responsible Innovation; Angus Fletcher, a researcher and author whose work focuses heavily on the psychological effects of technology and human creativity in the age of AI; Paul Scharre, executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security; Brian Christian, a computer scientist and author who explores the implications of computing and AI; and Roman Yampolskiy, a leading expert in AI safety, security and cybersecurity. Current supplemental events include a presentation on the politics of AI by
keynote speaker Dr. David Searcy, assistant professor of political science at Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Magic Lantern Film Society screenings of “The Imitation Game” and “Her”; and a Student Research and Creative Works Conference featuring keynote speaker Dr. Krista Ratliff, CEO of the Lawton Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation and FISTA Innovation Park. Faculty and staff members collaborated on the academic festival’s topic selection and development. Sarah Janda, a Cameron professor of history, served as chair of the topic selection committee and currently chairs the overall festival committee. The motivation for Academic Festival topics is to address issues that are most relevant to societal changes and movements at the time. Previous Academic Festivals have explored topics such as mental health across generations,
American identities and globalization. Janda recognizes the importance of examining this topic of AI’s impact on humanization. “We couldn't find one [topic] that was more relevant to people's lives, whether it's things in their personal lives, or their jobs, how education is changing and being challenged than AI,” Janda said. “And so that's why we wanted the focus
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Volume 115 Issue 2
to not be so much on exclusively a celebration able to talk about those artificial intelligence, but of AI. positive benefits.” on people, and how we “I understood that One of the major navigate these changes.” seeing the word ‘festival’ goals for the festival is to The festivals are not made some think that it help others understand only targeted the full scope toward a student of AI, including “I hope we come away audience. While its potential speakers will tend with an ability to find some advantages and optimism around the to have sessions potential harms. earlier in the day Cameron ways that we can use circulated to allow President Shane AI while really doubling CU students to Hunt said the down on celebrating have their own university wanted time to take in to intentionally humanity at the same information and address both time.” ask questions, perspectives - Dr. Sarah Janda surrounding later in the day there is usually CU Professor AI through the a community of History festival. presentation open “I think to all who would there are a lot of like to attend. was a celebration,” Janda things about artificial “We always try to pick said. “And so this has intelligence that are things that will appeal just been an academic incredibly exciting to to students, but also our festival, regardless of folks, and I think there broader community,” topic … we've done are a lot of things about Janda said. “What will it since 1991. It's not artificial intelligence FISTA be interested in? a celebration, it is an that are terrifying to What will Fort Sill be examination … I think people,” Hunt said. interested in? How can we want to have space “And I think we wanted we help with economic for all different kinds of to be intentional about development concerns ideas around this. We addressing those and for the city of Lawton or want people who see a discussing those as a Duncan … what kinds campus community, as of speakers can a southwest Oklahoma we bring in community — for how to appeal to we want to utilize that these wider to provide the brightest future for all of us.” Janda also emphasized the importance of maintaining conversations about the effects AI could have on human creativity and skills. “Will AI assistance help us cure cancer someday? I don't know, but we'd all feel good about that if it happened,” Janda said. “But we also want to keep open those conversations about human creativity, human skill. What if we
audiences?” It may not come as a surprise that there is often hesitation when it comes to topics involving AI. A particular concern came from those who, when seeing the word “festival,” believed that the events would be
lot of excitement around opportunities that AI will bring for them to grow their business, for them to be more precise in a particular skill that they have. We want to be
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and held within our own minds.” Hunt points out the importance of maintaining humanity in an increasingly technological world is what made the festival's theme particularly meaningful to him. “People are worried about computers that can think like human beings,” Hunt said. “I'm way more worried about human beings who try to think like computers. The things that make life worth living. The beautiful things in your life with your family, with your friends, with your faith. Those are things that artificial intelligence can't provide.” Janda hopes that audience members for the Academic Festival are able to walk away with a broader understanding of AI and humanity than when they walked in with. “I hope we all come away feeling like we're less overwhelmed by the topic that we can have discussions,” Janda said. “I hope we come away with an ability to find some optimism around the ways that we can use AI while really doubling down on celebrating humanity at the same time.” For more information about the Academic Festival, including speaker and supplemental event dates, festival ticket ordering, event funding, and information about previous Academic Festivals, visit the Cameron University website. For direct questions, comments, or concerns, please contact the Office of Public Affairs by phone at (580) 581-2211. Graphics by Angelica Martinez
have no knowledge that we have developed and curated
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News
Jake Thomas News Editor
At 6 p.m., Sept. 1, in Cameron University McCasland Ballroom, the psychology department hosted “The New Drug Reality Forum,” an event that discussed addiction, emerging drugs and the growing risks and concerns that are associated with several different substances. The event brought together local organizations and vendors involved in addiction recovery and education, along with guest speakers from the toxicology lab Aegis, who discussed the science of addiction, precautionary measures and the dangers of increasingly common counterfeit and synthetic drugs. Casey Frye-Davies, an assistant professor of psychology at Cameron, opened the event with a presentation explaining addiction and some of the factors that can contribute to addictive behavior. Frye-Davies said the event began with an idea from the Comanche Nation, who approached Cameron about collaborating on the program. The Comanche Nation was also involved in bringing organizations to the event such as local addictionsupport and recovery services. Frye-Davies said social connections can serve an important role in substance use, particularly among adolescents and young adults. “As you get into adolescence, your parents have less of an influence and your peer group has more of an influence,” he said. Frye-Davies also discussed how addiction is not limited to substances. Certain behaviors can become compulsive when they begin negatively affecting a person’s daily life.
Something as simple as videogames, or as seemingly healthy as exercise, can both have the potential to become problematic when someone loses the ability to control their behavior or continues it despite negative consequences. Frye-Davies said susceptibility to addiction can also be affected by genetics and impulsivity. Adolescents and young adults can be particularly vulnerable because areas of the brain responsible for impulse control are still developing. “When you have that genetic susceptibility, you’re just always going to have to be careful and monitor your use of everything,” he said. According to Frye-Davies, determining whether someone has an addiction involves looking at how the behavior or substance affects their life. Two important indicators are whether the behavior is causing problems in a person’s daily life and whether a person has attempted to stop the behavior but has been unable to do so. The second portion of the event focused on emerging drugs and the dangers of counterfeit substances. Dayton Craig, a toxicology consultant with Aegis, discussed the growing presence of counterfeit pills and synthetic substances. Craig said illicit manufacturers can make pills that look nearly identical to legitimate prescription medications while containing different substances. One of the concerns Craig emphasized was that people may unknowingly consume a counterfeit pill after receiving it from someone they trust. “The problem is,” he said. “You dont know where I got it, and then I don’t know where that person got it — and thats the big picture that no one thinks
September 14, 2026 www.aggiecentral.com
about.” Craig said he believes the illicit drug supply will continue to change as manufacturers develop new substances designed to evade existing detection methods. For college students, Craig said the issue can be particularly relevant because young adults may be more likely to experiment with substances. Craig described college-age students as being in a curious and experimental stage of life, where factors such as parties, friends and general curiosity can influence decisions about substance use. The event emphasized education and prevention as important tools for addressing addiction. Craig said traditional drug testing may not identify every emerging substance, making awareness and more comprehensive testing increasingly important. For students who are concerned about their own substance use or that of someone they know, the speakers called attention to the importance of seeking help rather than ignoring the problem. Addiction can affect people across different ages and backgrounds, and understanding how the environment is changing can aid individuals in making more informed decisions.
Photos by Jake Thomas
Education and prevention: (From left to right) Aegis Science Corporation representatives Dayton Craig and Bryan Burrel spoke to the Cameron community about the new age of drug addiction.
Local Support: Assistant Professor Casey Frye-Davies presented a forum on addiciton and the psychological reasoning behind it.
At 7:30 p.m., Sept. 11, Cameron University hosted Academic Festival XIII speaker Brad Carson at the Simmons Center in Duncan, Oklahoma. Carson, a former Oklahoma congressman, spoke about the Ethical Use of AI and about how the use of AI in labor is beneficial to productivity but its capabilities to give the correct information are extremely limited.
Academic Festival Events SEPT. 17: What distinguishes us from AI OCT. 29:
AI and Warfare
JAN. 26: What AI teaches us about being alive MARCH 2: AI Safety and Security Located at The Johnson Auditorium For more coverage over the Academic Festival, look for our next issue! More information and scheduling can be found at www.cameron.edu/festival Photos by Rachel Nunn
Graphics by Jake Thomas
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Voices
September 14, 2026 www.aggiecentral.com
Are you safe online?
Graphic by Fabiola Perez-Aponte
Gabriela Villaseñor Staff Writer
University can be very time consuming. Between studying, exams, assignments and everyday responsibilities, so internet safety can be easily overlooked. For students, faculty and staff one email or one small link can compromise your account and put your information at risk of others. From phishing emails to weak passwords and what we share on social media, small habits can make a difference in protecting ourselves and the community. Phishing emails are messages that trick recipients into sending personal information. Cameron University has a dedicated section
about phishing on the website which provides the definitions as well as the key characteristics of identifying these types of emails. The first things people should analyze when identifying these emails are the tone and message because phishing emails often contain threats or create a sense of urgency. Fraudulent links about passwords or account termination can impersonate a legitimate website and trick users into giving their passwords away. Look out for emails with attachments, which may contain malware, a software designed with malicious intent. Phishing emails also tend to include vague greetings because they send emails to multiple people at once.
They may also contain poor grammar and spelling. Interim IT Director Scott Putney said, “We will never ask you for your password.” So if a student or faculty member has provided any sensitive information, it’s imperative to change password account immediately through Aggie Reset, a website designed to reset your password. Putney also welcomes students to forward any suspicious emails to support@cameron.edu or reach out to the help desk phone at 580-581-2454. ITS investigates reports and sends updates about the incident. ITS does not request any sensitive information like social security number
or medical history, but they will ask reasonable question to confirm one’s identity. One of the reports Putney mentioned was a threat actor who impersonated former president McArthur and told an employee to go to Target to purchase $500 gift cards. Fortunately, the employee found it strange and reported it. Cameron has made tools that prevent spam and phishing. One of the reasons students and employees still might be getting spam emails is because the sender or threat actor has obtained someone’s password and logged onto their account to collect more information. What these phishing emails are looking for is an account with administrative access so that they can install some sort of malware. Malware like, spyware and viruses. At this time Scott Putney said that they have been currently working on a four-year project to implement multi-factor
authentication service to Blackboard and AggieAccess making it harder for malicious senders to gain access to compromised accounts. Multi-factor authentication requires something in addition to a password — like a verification code or security questions. Since technology is developing more and more, it’s also important for students and faculty members to stay informed of internet security. Internet safety does not stop at just recognizing phishing; it goes beyond that. On the Cameron University website, ITS specifies that a password should be at least eight characters in length and should not contain names of family, friends or pets or any personal information. Changing a password whenever it expires helps keep accounts secure. There are many scams on social media that can take advantage of a lack of internet security awareness by
Correction:
In Vol. 115, Issue 1, the “Cameron Collegian” incorrectly attributed the story “Academic Festival Series: Being Human in the Age of AI” to one author. The byline should have read “Rachel Nuun and Devlin Calley.” Also, in the article “A Bubbling Business,” the “Cameron Collegian” incorrectly spelled Michael Gonzalez’s last name. The Collegian deeply regrets these errors. About Us
COLLEGIAN
Our Views
Managing Editors - Angelica Martinez News Editor - Jake Thomas Voices Editor - Jaley Melton-Wiley A & E Editor - Makayla Flenoury Sports Editor - Matthew Hasley Community Outreach Editor - Fabiola Perez-Aponte Student Life Editor - Rachel Nunn Copy Editor - Rachel Nunn Digital Content Editor - Steven Utter
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.
Letters Policy
THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY
The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available twenty Mondays during the year. It is printed by the Lawton Constitution. The first issue is provided for free. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.
Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna
Editorial Staff
Newsroom Staff
Staff Writers - Steven Utter, Michael Evans, Alex Weaver, Daniel Zikan, Devlin Calley Photographers - Jones Baskett, Sean Greenwood, Billy Shane Peterson Graphic Design - Fabiola Perez-Aponte Faculty Adviser - Prof. David Bublitz
manipulating people into scams, and as Putney said, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Everyone should be careful what personal information they post on social media because anyone can gather information and guess your password, or even your security questions. It’s essential for students to be cautious on applications like Groupme, Discord, Instagram or other social platforms. An important habit for students, faculty and staff is to recognize what to do after something goes wrong. Victims may be embarrassed to report that they clicked a suspicious link and entered their password into a fake website. However, waiting to report the issue can give an attacker more time to access and control an account. Reporting the incident as soon as possible gives ITS an opportunity to investigate and help protect the account. Cameron has several tools that prevent internet threats, but as technology evolves, there are always security issues to work through. The Cameron University website said, “the human factor remains the weakest link in the chain, making it an ongoing challenge to fully prevent phishing attacks.”
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. All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification. Letters can be e-mailed to aggiecentral@cameron.edu.
Accessibility
The Cameron Collegian is dedicated to ensuring all journalistic content is accessible to all readers. For access to PDF copies of The Cameron Collegian, contact Adviser David Bublitz at dbublitz@cameron.edu.
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A&E
September 14, 2026 www.aggiecentral.com
Batman: Knightfall Graphic by Jami Melton-Wiley
Angelica Martinez Managing Editor
Warner Bros. Animation released “Batman: Knightfall” digitally Aug. 25, followed by a physical release Sept. 8. The animated film adapts the 1990s comic book storyline published by DC Comics and is the first movie in the Knightfall trilogy. “Gotham City needs Batman” is not an unfamiliar phrase to anyone who has spent time interacting with the Batman mythos. The formula is familiar: Gotham is in distress, the GCPD is unable to handle the situation and Batman swoops in, using his detective skills, gadgets and brute strength to save the day. While that formula can sound cookie-cutter at first, Batman’s rogues gallery and relationships with his allies give each story a different way to challenge him. “Batman: Knightfall” does an incredible job of taking everything Batman fans know and love about the hero and dialing it up to 100. Growing up, my entire family was made up of Batman fans. The first celebrities I ever met were Batman actors Kevin Conroy and Adam West. I would sit in my brother’s room for hours watching him try to beat whatever “Batman: Arkham” game had come out that year. For me, between all the gadgets, punches and Bat-Signals, Batman is at his best when he is at his most human, even when wearing the mask. The movie opens with human traffickers realizing there is something lurking in the shadows. They immediately assume Batman has caught their operation. The shadowed figure reveals himself as Azrael (Pablo Schreiber) and quickly establishes how different he is from Batman by brutally cutting off one trafficker’s arms, shoving
a flaming sword through two others and setting another man’s face on fire. Before Azrael can kill another trafficker begging for mercy, Batman (Anson Mount) appears and engages him in a fight. Batman repeatedly stops Azrael from killing the traffickers until one runs into the road in a panic and is struck by a truck. Azrael then has a complete personality shift, as if a possession has been lifted. He drops to his knees in horror, pleading, “Not again,” to himself. He removes his mask, looks up at Batman and sobs, “You have to help me.” This scene serves as a beautiful introduction to the themes of the film. It is dark, gloomy and riddled with guilt. The movie then introduces the leading antagonist, Bane, voiced by Michael Mando. The soon-to-be threatening force of nature starts off as a skinny boy in a remote prison with his mother. The boy, voiced by Noah Mendes and whose name is never stated in either the film or the mainline comics, fantasizes about ruling Gotham after seeing the city in a magazine. After the death of his mother, the child viciously beats a pedophilic janitor to death. The warden has the boy apprehended and calls him a “bane to all that is holy.” As punishment, the boy is thrown into a pit that sporadically fills with water, with only rats for company. The little boy eventually becomes the hulking man Batman fans know and fear through years of training in the pit. He is then experimented on with a venom that transforms him into a giant, terrifying figure. After killing the experimenters and the warden, he names himself “Bane” and escapes. I was unfamiliar with Bane’s backstory before watching this movie, but as I watched, I felt a strong amount
of sympathy for the little boy who was made into a monster by his situation. Shortly after showing his origin, the film depicts Bane breaking into Arkham Asylum and releasing many of Batman’s major villains as part of his plan to “break” Batman. The rest of the movie follows Bruce’s struggle to maintain himself as he works for days without rest to apprehend the villains causing havoc in Gotham. For Bruce, Batman’s role in Gotham will always come first, above his relationships and even his own health. The current Robin, Tim Drake (Jack Giffin), and Bruce’s butler, Alfred (Simon Templeman), encourage him to rest. Bruce, however, stands firm. “I can’t give [the Arkham escapees] a break. Not now.” That is until his exhaustion causes him to nearly beat a serial killer to death. He only stops when Renee Montoya (Jessica Camacho), a GCPD detective, shouts at him to stop. Although Batman is known for his merciless approach to crime-fighting, he is not known for being unnecessarily cruel. One of the most enduring elements of Batman’s character is his “no-kill” rule. My favorite Batman mythos dilemma is the struggle with how easy it would be to kill the villains of Gotham. A prime example comes from “Under the Red Hood,” where Bruce admits that if he were to kill someone like the Joker, he knows he would not be able to stop. “But if I do that, if I allow myself to go down into that place … I’ll never come back,” Bruce says in the comic. Knightfall’s scene with Bruce almost killing the serial killer shows how easy it would be for him to cross that line while demonstrating how poor his exhausted mental state has become. His exhaustion causes his body to take over, nearly breaking one of his highest
guiding principles. Another fantastic element of this scene is the similarity between Bruce and Jean Paul, the man behind the vigilante Azrael. Once Jean Paul realizes what he has done, he is overcome with guilt. He eventually gets Bruce’s help in deprogramming the brainwashing that led to his violence. Both Jean Paul and Bruce are unwilling participants in their own brutality. That contrasts nicely with Bane, who is a very willing participant in his own violence. The rest of the movie does not lack violence or psychological struggles for the Bat. I will refrain from revealing more major plot points and highly suggest that anyone interested in the darker themes of Batman storylines experience the movie themselves. Tim Drake has always been my personal favorite Robin in the comics, and I rarely get the chance to see him accurately adapted. This film perfectly captures what makes Tim unique as a Robin. He is Batman’s main supporter, besides Alfred, but he is constantly pushed away. In classic Tim Drake fashion, he uses his own cleverness to carry out his plans rather than simply waiting for Bruce’s approval. The voice acting is another strong point of the film. A particularly impressive moment for me was the voice work from the actors playing the human traffickers at the beginning of the film. Their pleas for their lives felt surprisingly authentic. Mount does a fantastic job as Batman, while Griffin captures Tim’s cockiness perfectly. Overall, I loved the film and feel that it captures the darker side of the Batman mythos exceptionally well. The upcoming parts of the trilogy are “Knightquest,” expected to be released later in 2026, and “KnightsEnd,” expected in early 2027.
The Vampire Lestat Review Makayla Flenoury A&E Editor
The “Interview with the Vampire” story continued in the new show “The Vampire Lestat,” as a huge fan, I was super exicted to see how “The Vampire Lestat” explored profound themes and how the story changes through Lestat’s perspective. The show premiered on AMC+ on June 7 and aired weekly, with the final episode on July 19. While “The Vampire Lestat” and “Interview with the Vampire” are separate shows, “The Vampire Lestat” is really like season 3. It is not a show you can watch without watching “Interview with the Vampire” first. You will be missing A LOT of context. Unfortunately, I cannot provide that for you unless you’d like a ten-page-long review (even though I would LOVE to talk about it). “The Vampire Lestat” is a change of pace from the first show. “Interview with the Vampire” is set in the 1970s and told from Louis de Pointe du Lac’s (Jacob Anderson) perspective. “The Vampire Lestat” is set in 2025 and told from Lestat de Lioncourt’s (Sam Reid) perspective. They have very contrasting narration styles. It was quite jarring, actually. There are multiple, interconnecting storylines present throughout the show, so it’s hard to summarize exactly what is going on. We learn more about Lestat’s backstory, introducing us to his vampire mother, Gabriella (Jennifer Ehle). She is his biological mother, whom Lestat turned (but also groomed him… we’ll get to that). We watch Lestat and Louis’s romance blossom again, and a new blossoming romance between Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) and Armand (Assad Zaman). Then there’s Louis’s story and his everlasting grief from Claudia’s (Delainey Hayles) death. He meets a girl who looks exactly like her, Regina (also Delainey Hayles). He starts paying her to pretend to be Claudia. Armand is attempting redemption, but when that fails,
he turns to revenge against Lestat and Louis. Other storylines include, Lestat’s rock star journey. The ghost of Claudia’s burning rage and agonizing afterlife. That still doesn’t cover it, but it’s the important parts. The foundation of what makes “Interview with the Vampire” great is the incredibly heartbreaking story, well-developed characters, and its layers of heavy themes throughout the story. In the previous show, the focus was on systemic oppression, toxic codependency, and the unreliability of memory. “The Vampire Lestat” shifts focus to trauma, identity, unhealthy coping and, of course, toxic codependency. There was some debate online about whether “The Vampire Lestat” fit within the “Interview with the Vampire” universe. Of course it does. The shows are set in contrasting decades. Lestat does not share the same flowery and poetic narration as Louis. He’s chaotic and brazen. The cohesive nature of “Interview with the Vampire” does not follow Lestat anywhere. On top of that, everyone in the show is an unreliable narrator. Their completely different narration styles add to the fact that we don’t know the true story. We even get
Courtesy photo
Claudia’s version of events, and it is drastically different from everything the audience believed - to the point where the viewers don’t believe her. “The Vampire Lestat” is a great continuation of the “Interview with the Vampire” story. It held the same essence of what makes their story great. I think the viewers were expecting the same poetic narration and the same historical feel. The point of the show was for them to be different, as Louis and Lestat are. “Interview with a Vampire” excelled in hard-hitting twists, while “The Vampire Lestat” excelled with dramatic storylines and diving deeper into the characters. I do prefer “Interview with the Vampire”, though I still think “The Vampire Lestat” is fantastic, so I would give it 4/5 stars.
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Student Life
September 14, 2026 www.aggiecentral.com
AXEL: CAMERON’S NEWEST ADDITION Jaley Melton-Wiley Voices Editor
At 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, the Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences hosted a naming celebration for the newly acquired cow skeleton, Axel, in Cameron University’s Science Complex. The Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences recently received the new addition to the Eastern hallway area of the Science Complex, where the fully assembled bovine skeleton will be displayed indefinitely. The Agricultural department acquired this marvel of animal biology through an Innovative Instructional Grant. The addition of the cow skeleton held great significance to the Science Complex and to Cameron University as a whole. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, Cameron originally started out as one of six agricultural district high schools in 1908. From there, the institution grew to gain the opportunity for junior college status in 1927. The very roots of Cameron rely on this heritage of agriculture, and
it is carried on through the Agricultural department and their education on the care and handling of livestock. Professor of Animal Science Destiny Wahweah said that she intends to use the skeleton to improve the agriculture students’ educational experience in the classroom. “This particular skeleton, I acquired for [the study of bones] … and we’re going to use it to talk about different bone structure in our different breed,” Wahweah said. Students selected the name of the skeleton, Axel, via a voting process. Students of each agriculture class had the opportunity to select a Cameron University-themed name to add to a ballot, and students and employees were able to vote on the name throughout the last week of August until noon on Sept. 1 before the naming celebration. Students chose from several names, including CU Bones, Axel, Dr. Bones, Cam and Professor Ruminance. Ultimately, Axel came out as the victor for the name, a nod to
Photo by Jones Baskett
Cameron’s signature pickaxe featured around campus. Axel will continue to live in the Eastern wing of the Science Complex and will be available for viewing for any Cameron student. Wahweah said that she encourages any student to reach out to her if they have any questions about animal welfare or the agriculture program.
AΦ ALPHA PHI SORORITY AND
“We are all really excited for the growth of the [Agricultural] program,” Wahweah said. “Even if they’re not an agriculture student, and they need to know more about animal welfare … they can reach out to me. I love to talk about animal welfare … and just to help students become better caretakers of their animals.”
KΣ
KAPPA SIGMA FRATERNITY
Alex Weaver Staff Writer
From Aug. 24 to Sept. 4, Alpha Phi sorority and Kappa Sigma fraternity hosted rush week with events taking place throughout the weeks. Alpha Phi Alpha Phi hosted their rush from Aug. 24-28. Alpha Phi President Josephine Gugliemetti said around 20 students rushed Alpha Phi. “It was a lot,” she said. “That’s the most we’ve had in a while. It was a really big accomplishment. We haven’t had that many girls since,
like, 2018. So, it was really information or questions, great.” follow @cameronalphaphi Gugliemetti said, “We also on Instagram. If students had bid day, which was really want to join, contact @ fun.” cameronalphaphi. Bid day is the final day Kappa Sigma of rush week, when all the Kappa Sigma hosted their potential new members meet rush from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4. in the MCC Ballroom and The fraternity hosted receive their bid. A bid is an events like bingo night, invitation to join the sorority a volleyball watch party, or fraternity. info night, jambalaya night Gugliemetti said, “We had and a cornhole tournament multiple different girls show at Southwest Oklahoma up. It’s mostly girls that we brewing. reached out to or we saw Courtesy Photos them at the block party.” For more
There were over 60 people at the bingo night, and students who attended won prizes such as three Braum’s gift cards, a Brita water filter, a $50 Texas Roadhouse gift card, and a Shai GilgeousAlexander jersey. Kappa Sigma also had an info night in the Shepler Ballroom where students could share a meal and learn what the fraternity is all about. Kappa Sigma hosted
RUSH
their bid day on Sept. 4 at Southwest Oklahoma Brewing. The fraternity partnered with Southwest Oklahoma brewing to host a cornhole tournament. The winners of the tournament were Philipp David and Noe Chretien, who won Southwest Oklahoma brewing merch. For more information or questions, follow @cukappa_ sigma on Instagram. If students want to join, contact @cukappa_sigma.
AASA BRINGS CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
Gabriela Villaseñor Staff Writer
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Sept. 1, the Asian American Student Association (AASA) hosted a fundraiser out of the Cameron Science Complex with Thai tea and mango sticky rice available for students. As students entered the complex, the sweet smell of Thai cuisine could be noticed near the entrance. The event gave students the opportunity to grab a snack in between classes while also donating to the student organization that hosted this event. AASA is a relatively new student organization that began during the spring semester. The organization aims to create a community where students can learn and share culture with one another. Association president Makayla Estep said the fundraiser was intended to raise money for future events hosted by the organization. Estep described the organization’s purpose as an opportunity to “spread culture and to come together as a community”. Estep discussed a possible future collaboration with other organizations, the Health Professions
Society and Pre-dental club, to host a cafe theme with iced coffee. Estep hopes to host the event at the end of September. Estep also clarified that students do not have to be Asian to join AASA. “Everybody’s welcome,” she said. “Come join, experience the culture, share the culture.” During the fundraiser, students could watched as club members served the food before students took their meals with them. The serving process was quick and easy allowing customers to receive their food without a long wait. The fundraiser took place on the same day as the association’s first meeting of the semester. The meeting started at 5:30 p.m. in the MCC Buddy Green Room 213 and included free chicken and pork barbecue. As the semester progresses, the association plans to create opportunities for students to gather and become involved in campus activities through events and collaborations with other student organizations
to connect with one another and get involved in campus life. Students who are interested in learning more about AASA can visit the organization’s Instagram account, @cameronaasa.
Graphic by Fabiola Perez-Aponte
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Sports
Matthew Hasley Sports Editor
Have you ever sat back and thought about your university’s sports history? I get that we focus more on our sports teams’ current outings and records, but a peek into the sports history of our university may surprise you. So, where to begin? The Cameron Univeristy sports website at cameronaggies.com contains a wealth of information about the history of Aggie sports. In 1909, the start of Cameron sports began with football. Back when Cameron was an agricultural secondary school, they added a junior-college studies in 1927, where the history of Cameron sports took off. Two years later, in 1929, Cameron’s football started an incredible run of winning conference championships all the way through 1933. That’s five years in a row! From the 1930s to the 1960s, Cameron had what we could call the “golden era” of sports for our university. The football team took home nine conference championships, three bowl championships and four NJCAA national titles. The men’s basketball team managed to grab eight conference championships for themselves. Longtime University of Kansas coach Ted Owens won two of those championships while at Cameron. Owens coached our Cameron men’s basketball team from 1956-1960 before moving to Kansas. During his time as an Aggie, Owens won 93 games and lost only 24. In 1958, Owens led the Aggies to a No. 1 national ranking, and Cameron became the first undefeated team to enter the national tournament. Owens is so decorated as a coach that the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame selected him for induction earlier this year. He will officially be enshrined in October, and the beginnings of that coaching career started right here at Cameron. In 1958, our baseball team made their way to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) title game and won, while the rifle team set their sights on 1961 and targeted the NJCAA championship for themselves. The Aggie spirit didn’t stop there as the 1961 football team went undefeated at 11-0. They capped off their year by winning the Junior Rose Bowl against Bakersfield College in front of 49,000 fans, and I’m sure there were plenty of Aggies there that day. That is quite an amazing accomplishment for our university. I don’t think I’ve ever thought about what our sports history truly entails. In the spring of 2025, I worked for the athletics department. Before basketball games, we would meet upstairs where the Hall of Fame pictures rested against the walls of the room. I can remember sitting there looking over the names on those photos, curious about what the people in them accomplished or what stories
Photos by Angelica Martinez
they might have to tell. Sometimes it can be hard to get some of us students motivated for sporting events. I think most of us can attest to that at times. But perhaps we are missing out on a key aspect of what our college represents — the history of Aggie Nation. Cameron became a four-year institution in 1966 and began offering baccalaureate coursework in 1968. From there and into the 1980s, football won a pair of bowl championships in 1970 and 1980. The team also took home the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship in 1987. Men’s basketball had a great year in 1980, winning the NAIA title after Keith Kimble threw down a dunk in the final 35 seconds. They defeated the NAIA’s topranked team, Alabama State, 84-77. Our men’s golf team bounced back from a complete falter in 1982, when they led the national championship tournament through two rounds before dropping the ball over the next 36 holes and finishing in third place. In 1983, Coach Jerry Hrnciar wanted to make sure that did not happen again. But going into the season, the men’s golf team had lost two-time All-American Cliff Pierce to a transfer and another starter who left Cameron. However, Coach Hrnciar’s recruiting ability put gold on display in their 1983 NAIA championship victory. He brought in two junior college All-Americans, Freddy Wisdom and Jesse Trevino, to join the team that remained. But one of the most interesting stories I found while digging into our sports history has to be about a man named James “Bimbo” Herron. Herron was an incredible track and field athlete, taking home both the 1974 and 1975 NAIA national decathlon championships. He almost took home the 1976 championship as well, but he was nursing a hamstring injury. Herron still finished as runner-up despite the injury, which is quite a feat. I’m sure most athletes know what it feels like when you need to compete despite being injured. Not only was Herron a national champion in track and field, but he also played football from 1973-1975. In 1974, he managed to catch the ball 24 times for 504 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He also led the Oklahoma Collegiate Conference that year in punt returns. Our volleyball team began setting the bar high in 1977, 1978 and 1979 with conference championship wins before adding a regional championship in 1980. The women’s tennis team started its competitive run during this era as well, winning the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) conference championship in 1979 and 1980. They also won regional championships in 1986 and 1987, sending them to nationals. That run started when Cameron hired Coach Joe Jones in 1976. Jones started the Cameron women’s tennis program in 1977 and would go on to post a 306-
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100 record over his 23 years of coaching. Jones left behind one of the most impressive coaching resumes to grace Cameron Athletics. Starting in 1991, not only did he have the team nationally ranked every year through his final season in 1999, but also he coached the team to the NCAA tournament every year except for 1992. In 1988, Cameron became an NCAA member and entered the Lone Star Conference (LSC). A few years later, the Council of Presidents accepted Cameron’s withdrawal from the LSC after the university made one of the most significant decisions in its athletic history: the discontinuation of football following the 1992 season. Cameron eventually rejoined the LSC in 1996 and has been in the conference ever since. As we inch closer to our current sports history, the 2000s provided Aggie golf and tennis fans with plenty to cheer for. The men’s golf team had regional wins in 2006 and 2007 and found success at the conference championships in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014-2016. Their most recent triumph came last spring when they brought home gold again for the 12th time, making Cameron the current holder of the most LSC championships in men’s golf history. Men’s tennis shined in regionals during the 2000s and beyond, winning 10 championships from 2008 to 2023. They also brought six conference championships back to the university during that stretch. Women’s tennis picked back up in 2011, winning five regional championships in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2022 and 2023. The program also put together another impressive conference run, winning titles in 2016, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Women’s golf also took home the LSC championship in 2007. Aggie volleyball made some noise in the LSC, winning the North Division championship five times between 1999 and 2006. The women’s basketball team did the same in 2002, and our Lady Aggies softball team captured the South-Central Regional championship in 2019. Now, we are all caught up to today. Keep in mind, our university has been through many changes in the more than 100 years it has been an institution. Moving from Cameron State School of Agriculture to Cameron University, our university has seen its fair share of changes to its institutional identity. The same can be said for our Aggie athletics. We are much more than a small Division II university. At different moments in time, we have been a junior-college football and basketball power, a national championship baseball school, an NAIA champion in golf, basketball and football, while also establishing a strong Division II presence in tennis and golf. The result is a sports history that is much richer than I would have thought.