The Cameron University Collegian: September 26, 2011

Monday, September 26, 2011

Volume 86 Issue 3

CU Celebrates Constitution Day

By Tiffany Martinez Staff Writer

Faculty and students gathered at the CETES Conference Center on Monday, Sept. 15, to observe Constitution Day on campus.

The annual event featured a panel of three speakers: Rick Tepker, Ph.D., Ass. Dean of the University of Oklahoma Law School; Peter Gade, Ph.D., of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma; and Christopher Keller, Ph.D., of the Department of Communication at Cameron University.

Constitution Day pamphlets and small booklets, which contained the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, were placed on the chairs in the conference center for audience members to keep.

Students jotted notes as the speakers each took their turn on the podium sharing studies, facts, findings and opinions.

Approximately 50 people attended the two-hour event.

Those that participated left with more than an education on the

United States Constitution and rights of the First Amendment, however. Different perspectives and recurring themes in social and mass communication also merged into the event. The speakers discussed just how vital laws have become in our mediaengulfed world.

Dr. Tepker, the first speaker, presented a lecture entitled: “Is Ignorance Governing Knowledge About the American Constitution?: The Failings of American Mass Media.”

“I hoped to send a message that citizens should care about their Constitution and should study its’ history so they can sort out claims of various politicians and other public figures to figure out the truth for themselves,” Tepker said.

Dr. Jeffrey Metzger, of the Political Science department at CU, has been a vital part of Constitution Day for the past three years. He is in charge of organizing and inviting presenters to the event.

“We had great speakers and a great discussion at the event this year,” Metzger said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Informing Cameron Since 1926 Aggie News Part-Time Job Fair

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Aggie A&E Nigerian Independence

Courtesy constitutionday.com

Founding Father: George Washington is still honored as the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and the first President of the U.S. Washington was among those studied at CU’s Constitution Day this year.

Dr. Metzger said that the observance of Constitution Day began with educational facilities shortly after the Sept.

11 attacks, when the U.S. Department of Education made observation of this day a requirement each year for any educational facility that still wished to receive federal

funding.

Constitution Day is now an essential day of the year for any school in America and rightfully so, according to panelist, Dr.Gade.

See CONSTITUTION Page 2

Page 5

Aggie Sports Golf team places sixth

Off-campus accident sparks new incentive

By Tahira Carter

said that the whole situation still feels surreal.

“This is not the first time that we have walked each other home,” News Editor Kanu said. “I feel like I am dreaming.”

The recent unfortunate accident has stirred great interest in Four Cameron University students were involved in an accident CU’s escort services. However, Vice President of Student Services at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, Sept. 14, as Jennifer Holland explained the details of the escort service that is they were returning to campus after escorting a fellow student available for students. home. Two of the students were struck by an oncoming car as they “The Escort Service started a long time ago and the goal of this approached the intersection of Southwest University Drive and service was to provide students Southwest Elsie Hamm. with the opportunity to have Rebecca Aremu, a freshman safe passage across campus,” and business administration Vice President Holland said. major, was one of the four CU “Out of being kind, that service students involved in the incident broadened. Students would and witnessed the actual impact request a ride just off-campus of the car. and so officers started providing “We were walking a friend rides just off-campus. They home, down to Woodgate, and were doing this as a courtesy, then while coming back we transportation is not a service crossed the street,” she said. that the university provides.”

“We were already about five or She said that requent seven steps across and the next requests to the public safety thing I saw was a car just bash officers for off-campus courtesy my friends,” Aremu said. transportation presented a Aremu and her colleague security issue for the campus.

Demilade Adencasa, Computer Photos by Tahira Carter “When an officer leaves Information Systems major, campus to take a student, were fortunate to have escaped Public Safety: The escort services of Cameron’s Office of the impact. The other two Public Safety are defined. The stipulated boundaries for the service they are unable to protect the environment that we say we were broadneded to facilitate students but later recoiled due to students involved were not as are going to protect,” Vice unforseen complications. lucky.

President Holland said. “Their Freshmen Business responsibility is to make sure that the boundaries of our campus Administration major Evelyn Kanu and Biology major Stella are protected.”

Osunkwo, were transported by ambulance to Comanche County The administration decided to return to the original intent Memorial Hospital for treatment of their injuries. for the escort service, which is limited to on-campus student Osunkwo sustained injuries to her spine and remained in the assistance. hospital for five days.

Although the discontinuance of this courtesy service did not After being released on Thursday, Kanu returned to the hospital affect students such as Rebecca Aremu and Evelyn Kanu, who said Sunday morning complaining of severe pain in her shoulder and they were not even aware it existed, alternatives are being explored foot. Further examination revealed that Kanu had suffered a for those students who have come to rely on the nightly courtesy broken collarbone and a broken ankle in the accident. transportation.

Kanu said that the ordeal was a frightening and painful experience.

“It’s scary to see my bone out like this,” Kanu said. “It’s hurting See NEW INCENTIVE and I don’t feel any effects from the medication.”

Page 2 Kanu could not remember many details from the accident but

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CrossRoads Adventure Race

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Aggie Voices Different learning style

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For additional news and features, check out Aggiecentral.com

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Aggie News

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

Fair gives students glimpse of Job market

By Ishia Saltibus News Editor

With tuition and living expenses continuing to increase, the search for work brought a large number of students to the fourth annual PartTime Job Fair hosted by Cameron University’s Career Services, a division of the Office of Student Development.

The fair took place on Sept. 14, in the McCasland Ballroom in the McMahon Centennial Complex and linked students with traditional jobs and work-study positions both on and off campus.

Thirty-two registered businesses were on site to recruit and hire CU students who met the part-time needs. Fort Sill National Bank, Dillard’s, Sam’s Club and Pizza Hut were just a few of the off-campus employers in attendance, while on campus employers included the Office of Alumni Relations and Student Services.

Career Services Coordinator Jacob Johnson said that the job fair is an opportunity for CU students to find a part-time job.

“It’s a chance for students to come in and browse a lot of opportunities within one short period of time to find a part-time job,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said that the job fair provides a positive situation for students concerned about time and f lexibility.

“Having so many companies in one location could save students a lot of time trying to search for jobs,” Johnson said. “These companies are aware that school is priority to the students and are willing to work around their class schedules, as schedules change every semester.”

Freshman Nursing major Karina Bradley attended the job fair with an open mind looking for a job to make some extra money.

“I found the fair to be very helpful,” Bradley said. “I did not know there were so many companies hiring. I applied to two companies,

Photos by Ishia Saltibus

Job Fair: Excited students line up at the McCasland Ballroom to find a part-time job. For the past four years, thousand of students have been helped to find part-time jobs with connections made by the fair.

the hospital and a cashier position at Sam’s Club.”

Job-seeking students were not the only ones in attendance at the job fair; some were there to volunteer and lend support.

Junior Communications major Britany Pyfer was there to volunteer her services.

Crosswords

“I am here to help out with the job fair,” Pyfer said. “As a PLUS Scholar recipient, I have to do 16 hours of community service per semester, so I chose to help with the job fair.”

Johnson said he is happy with this year’s turnout and the feedback he has received from the previous job fairs.

“I known of one company

CONSTITUTION continued from page 1

Across

1 Dinner wear for the highchair set 5 Talisman 11 Spoil 14 Working without __ 15 Next to 16 Sam Adams product 17 Invasive airline inconvenience 19 Groovy relative?

20 One with an office couch, maybe 21 Untrustworthy 23 __ garden 24 A/C measure 26 Durante’s “__ Dinka Doo” 27 Wood-dressing tool 29 Uncomfortable airline inconvenience 33 President when Texas was annexed 35 With 1-Down, discoverer of cave treasure 36 Island ring 37 Salon polish target 39 Flippable card file 43 Mag. edition 44 Father’s Day mo. in Australia 45 Congenial 46 Wearying airline inconvenience 51 Lawn strip 52 Moonfish 53 Lumberjack’s tool 54 Subj. with x’s 56 Faraway 59 Paid no attention to 63 Roam (about) 64 Excruciating airline inconvenience (the last straw!)

66 Due-in hr.

67 One way to share 68 Clickable image 69 Not optional: Abbr.

70 French film festival site 71 “__ la vie” Down 1 See 35-Across

which hired four people from last year’s job fair and I think we will have some positive outcome from this year’s as well,” Johnson said.

The Career Resource Center provides many other resources to students beyond hosting job fairs. It provides Walk-in Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. where students receive assistance in preparing resumes, honing interview skills, learning what to wear and completing selfassessment programs designed to assist them in their career exploration.

For more information on career services offered by CU, contact the Office of Student Development at 580.581.2209 or visit the Career Resource Center located in North Shepler, Room 311.

“I don’t think you can overestimate the importance of students knowing why our freedoms exist and the basis for them,” Dr.Gade said.

Constitution Day served as the first meeting of the academic year of the Cameron University Political Science Forum. The CU School of Liberal Arts, the Department of History and Government, and the Lawton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) sponsored the event. DAR generously provided refreshments and punch for those in attendance immediately following the event.

NEW INCENTIVE continued from page 1

2 Part of, as a plot 3 Awe 4 Panache 5 Basics 6 Spaghetti go-with 7 Mil. branch 8 Connection 9 Barbara who played a genie 10 Giga- x 1,000 11 Oceanic 12 State with the Big Dipper on its flag 13 Papa Smurf ’s headgear 18 Pop music’s ‘N__ 22 Sight 25 “More than I need to know!”

27 Suited 28 Scooby-__ 30 Mrs. Gorbachev 31 Skip church, in a way?

32 Sci-fi’s Lester __ Rey 34 Jumping chess piece 38 Comm. for the hearing-impaired 39 Military day starter 40 Shame 41 Green prefix 42 Struck (out) of the text

44 Red or White team 46 Inn resident 47 Morphine, e.g.

48 Where YHOO stock is traded 49 China’s Sun

50 Pealed 55 Spock’s forte 57 Baldwin of “30 Rock” 58 Bright star 60 Dolls’ dates 61 They may not be quiet on the set

62 Small body-shop job 65 Former Opry network

Solution on Page 5

Members of The Union, which is a new organization on campus, have begun to draft a new piece of legislature that would strive to provide safer means of after-hours travel for students.

Senior Public Relations major, Simone Graves is one of the founding members of the organization and commented on the key points of the new legislative proposal.

“It’s going to be called the Transportation Legislation and it will basically be proposing a solution to the fact that there are not enough options for people who commute to and from school,” Graves said.

“This is going to be open to students, faculty and staff. We’re talking about doing a bike rental system, a 24-hour cab service and a free shuttle to residential areas,” Graves said.

The final decisions about the proposal rest in the hands of the administrative body, however.

“The administration can either choose to use all of them, or one of them or two of them or they can choose to do none and just make their own new thing. We’re just trying to get it out there and say something,” Graves said.

Oct. 3 is the expected date for the new piece of legislation to hit the f loor.

For ALL your campus news

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

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Aggie News

Education in cyberspace security

By Elijah Morlett

Assistant Managing Editor

Photo by Elijah Morlett

Halting Hackers: Guest speaker Benjamin Carlson talks about the ongoing trends with cybersecurity. Carlson has served as a soldier in the Oklahoma Military Department.

On Sept. 15, Cameron’s Department of Computing and Technology hosted a seminar about cyber security that focused on balancing technology, educating users and making policies to provide maximum information technology.

The department brought in guest speaker Benjamin Carlson, a Computer Network Defense Team member for the State of Oklahoma Military Department, to explain some of the history and ongoing trends with cyber security.

“Computer viruses and bugs have been written about and discussed for over 30 years,” Carlson said.

“Most users do not understand how unsafe and insecure the Internet is.”

In addition to serving in the Oklahoma Military Department as a soldier, Carlson also works for CGI Federal as a radar software engineer and has worked as a computer scientist for the United States Navy at the China Lake Naval Weapons Research Lab. Also discussed was the onset of new technology in the work environment. While the technology is present to make jobs easier, Carlson says that venturing quickly into the new systems can become risky.

“People rush into new technology before it’s ready,” Carlson said. “For example, cloud computing is the newest thing right now. While companies say it is safe, new issues can arise soon.”

According to Carlson, a balance in policy and user-education is necessary in organizations. Overemphasis on policy may lead users to abuse the

system more, while education may prove to be more preventative.

“There’s more focus on new technology and less on user education and user compliance,” he said.

User education emphasizes the practice of using the Internet cautiously and safely, knowing what to avoid and what may be harmful.

“User education needs to be applied at home as well as work,” he said. “Employees may not know that they could be bringing computer bugs from their home.”

According to the information at the seminar, policies must match education. Carlson said that policies should not cause too many issues with employees and policies should be discussed with IT staff and managers.

“Unrealistic, impotent or conflicting policies should not be implemented,” he said. “This will generally cause users to ignore all policies.”

While organizations should plan for implementing cyber security protocols, Carlson said that there is no completely protective security.

“Organizations need to plan as though security will be breached,” Carlson said. “There will never be perfect security. Companies must have a solid plan for dealing with incidents, for they will occur.”

Even though the seminar primarily focused on the IT aspects of organizations, Carlson said that these standards should reflect in the daily lives of all Internet users, including students.

“Students need to be careful and thoughtful about running into things online,” Carlson said. “Identity theft is still a major issue, so don’t treat the Internet as a playground. You can easily lose a lot of money or damage your reputation.”

Baseball legend hits home run once more at CU

By Tahira Carter News Editor

Cameron University came to life with a visit from one of baseball history’s biggest stars, Leroy “Satchel” Paige at 7 p.m. on Sept.

12, in the McCasland Ballroom.

Actor and playwright Cedric Liqueur presented the life and accomplishments of the legendary baseball star in a 90-minute solo presentation that captured the attention of the audience.

High energy, quirky mannerisms and musical selections played on an antique record player set the groundwork for an evening that proved to be both educational and entertaining.

Athletics Director Jim Jackson saw the advertisement for Cedric Liqueur’s show and, in an effort to connect the worlds of sports and academics, took advantage of the opportunity to have Liqueur present at Cameron.

“We try to educate beyond the playing field,” Jackson said. “I know that most of our studentathletes had never heard of Satchel Paige. He was around at a time when blacks were not allowed to play in the Major Leagues and he was there when they broke the color barrier.”

Leroy Paige went become one of the first African-Americans to play for the Major Leagues and the first of the Negro League Stars

to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

With the impact that Paige made on history, it was only natural that the Athletics Department teamed with the History Department to plan the elaboration of the event.

“Jim Jackson, the Athletic Director, contacted me and mentioned that he wanted to emphasize to the athletes – students first and athletes second – that what they do in the classroom is important too,” Chair of the History and Government Department Dr. Lance Janda said.

“Jackson did most of the heavy lifting but we publicized it with students and talked about what had to be done and I hope that this will be the first of a lot of activities like this.”

Dr. Janda was among the audience members that thoroughly enjoyed Cedric Liqueur’s presentation of the athlete.

“It was a wonderful activity,” Dr. Janda said. “A lot of people appreciate stories and they appreciate learning things in a more evocative way than just reading a book or hearing a professor lecture about it.”

Sophomore Psychology major Alexis Smith also said that the actor did a great job of personifying the baseball legend.

“I enjoyed the event and the

Photo by Brandon Neris

Inside “Satchel”: Actor Cedric Liqueur delivers performance on legendary baseball star Leroy “Satchel” Paige. The 90-minute presentation connected the world of sports and academics. actor seemed like he was there the entire time that Satchel lived. It was a very amazing portrayal of a great athlete,” Smith said.

Cedric Liqueur chose to portray Leroy Paige because of his deep interest in the man that “Satchel” was behind the fame. “I really wanted to find out who he was outside of baseball. What made him laugh, what made him cry, who he really admired,” Liqueur

said.

Conversations with Paige’s daughter, Linda Shelby Paige, in addition to the information published in the athlete’s two autobiographies helped Liqueur gain the inside information that he needed to ‘become’ the legend onstage.

The play debuted in February of this year at the Tennessee Tech University and Liqueur said that

the material has changed a little with each performance because of the feedback that he receives at his shows.

“My opening shot was a very small group with maybe 30 people there and I have learned from that performance. Each performance I learn more about him by talking to people who knew him so I’m always changing it,” Liqueur said.

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Aggie Voices

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

A different style of learning Fast approaching due date encourages new rules for study

Rachel Engel Staff Writer

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Staff

Managing Editor -Megan Bristow Asst. Managing Editor-Elijah Morlett News Editors - Tahira Carter, Ishia Saltibus Crossroads Editor-Ashleigh Fletcher A&E Editor - Rashmi Thapiliya Sports Editor - Aaron Gill Variety Editor - Staff Copy Editor - Dianne Riddles Aggie Central Editors- Elijah Morlett, Mitch Watson, Kyle Bush

Newsroom Staff

Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Tiffany Martinez, Teewhy Dojutelegan, Sarah Szabo, James Meeks, Amber Spurlin, Brandon Thompson, Brenna Welch Circulation Manager - Matt Thompson Advertising Manager -Megan Bristow Photographer-Kelsey Carter

October is going to be a busy month for me. I have a 15-page paper due for one class, an oral presentation that needs to be delivered for another, several photography projects to complete, and I have to give birth on the fifth.

Talk about a packed schedule.

I planned it this way, of course. After five years of marriage, my husband and I were ready to have a baby, and due to some family history of fertility complications, didn’t want to wait until I graduated.

As it turns out, my body is very receptive to having things attach and grow inside of it, so here I am, nine months pregnant, taking a full course load, and waiting to graduate in May. It’s been interesting, being pregnant and taking classes, even though they are online.

For one thing, over the months, my stomach keeps moving me further and further away from the keyboard on my desktop computer, and laptops are out of the question, as I no longer have an actual lap. It’s there, somewhere, I hope.

Also, instead of solely focusing on schoolwork as I have for the last three years, my mind is full of worries of if

Faculty Adviser

Dr. Christopher Keller

About Us

The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Edmond Sun via the Duncan Banner.

Letters Policy

Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.

The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length.

Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks.

All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification.

Letters can be sent by regular mail, by e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060 or at www. aggiecentral.com.

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The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author.

The unsigned editorial under the heading “Aggie 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.

moment to myself for the next 18 years, so take advantage.

The other half is warning that I will regret not using this uninterrupted time to get ahead in my classes. It’s time to be a grown-up (yikes) and do the responsible, parental-like thing.

Rule number two: You can sleep when you’re dead. So what if in the very near future, I will be subjected to what can only be described as torturous twohour naps that are supposed to masquerade as sleep? Education is a top priority and this baby is part of a life dream. Both are torturous at times, but for the most part are extremely gratifying. Again, I can sleep when I’m dead.

Rule number three: Always take a jacket; you never know when you’re going to be cold. Just something my grandmother always said, and I wanted to pass it along.

I sometimes feel like I wanted to see how crazy I could make myself by taking a full

load of classes, and caring for a newborn at the same time, and other times I feel extremely accomplished and productive for continuing on with life as if this is just what you do. I think reality falls somewhere in between.

So, in the next two weeks when I’m close to falling asleep on my computer and drooling into my keyboard, or when I’m holding a bottle for her and at the same time attempting to type a stimulating research paper on the patterns of verbal aggressiveness, I will do my best to remember my rules, put on a jacket, and keep going.

I look forward to meeting you, Sydney Marie. We’re going to enjoy this semester together.

Graphic courtesy of MCT Campus

A sign of change, an end of an age

Newswriting Students

James Meeks, Aaron Gill, Nicole Bucher, Cody Gardner, Scott Haney, Kelsey Carter, Teewhy Dojutelegan, Adrian Alexander, Megan Bell, Tyler Boydston, Leah Ellis, Troy Flewellen, Angela Goode, Simone Graves, Jack A. McGuire, Cassidy Morgan, Markita Nash, Lizzie Oluwabukunmi, Miranda Raines, Dianne Riddles, Alexander RosaFigueroa, Thomas Smith, Lindsey Yeahquo

I have everything ready for the baby: Does she have enough clothes (enough to not have to repeat an outfit for the next four years, my husband tells me)? Did I install the car seat correctly?

It’s a nice change of pace after having random APA style rules and chemistry formulas rolling through your mind, but baby worries are a little scarier.

My plan is to have all of my major papers and projects completed before she arrives, so that the sleep deprivation will only make it difficult to finish the smaller assignments, and won’t mess with the bigger ones.

However, this strategy conflicts with the way I’ve been running my school life for the last 22 years, which is to procrastinate until I can procrastinate no more.

I suppose it’s time to start instilling some rules in myself, so that when I try to lay down the same rules for her down the road, I don’t feel like too much of a hypocrite.

Rule number one: Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today. Instead of killing time watching obscure movies on Netflix, perhaps I could do something productive. One half of my brain is telling me that these next few weeks could be the last time I have a spare

Megan Bristow Managing Editor

Last week, I received an email that normally I would have sent straight to the trash folder without even a second glance. However, on this particular day, I opened it accidentally. The headline “Going out of business: The final week” caught my eye. It even caused me to visit the company’s website.

I soon founded myself perusing through books, magazines, and CDs. My mind continued to dream of the endless possibilities of the new worlds I could explore through these new media paths.

However, the realization that class would be starting soon interrupted my paradise.

I closed the website, an action that also signified saying goodbye to a business. I was left only with the flood of memories of my childhood, trips to the mall and the discovery of new avenues of learning and adventure.

I had textbooks to read, lectures to listen to, and

notebooks to fill with notes but oh how it made me long to run to the bookstore and pick out an interesting new story to read. I would have gone back home, curled up under the blankets and lost myself in the characters’ world. The biting reality of the current situation came back, however, and so I said goodbye to an old friend without even a farewell gift of a return to the activities that had consumed so much of my time and pleasure in years past.

As for the unveiling of the company that I am talking about, I am referring to Borders Bookstores who by the time of this publication will have closed its doors for the final time.

Not only does this business closure represent an end of a pastime but it also indicates an introduction to the continuation of the changing times of technology.

For now, the online portion of Borders Bookstores will remain open for business.

However, the company is in the liquidation process so the future of the website is uknown.

The days are gone when readers made a trip to the local bookstore to read the latest best-selling novel. Today, the same book is available online, by download on your tablet or mobile reader or even to your smart phone.

My speculations on this event include questions as to why other bookstores are prospering while this one is

closing. Perhaps it was because book distributors like the online store of Amazon or Barnes and Noble released their digital reader much earlier than Borders.

However, with the introduction of the tablet and other such devices that make reading books on-the-go so easy it is difficult to decipher whether the individual store’s reading devices such as the Nook will make that much of a lasting difference.

It reminds me of the scenario presented in the movie, “You’ve Got Mail.” Aside from the heartwarming romance in the movie, Meg Ryan portrays a small bookstore owner struggling to save her store to the industry leader Fox Books.

Only in today’s scenario, the industry leaders are falling prey to the internet takeover.

Even though I will fondly remember my trips to Borders,

I also know that it would be hard for me to trade the convenience of downloading an e-book or using iBooks to read new content for these memories.

While the need for reading material, will always exist the form in which shoppers get it will continue to change as technology progresses. Some companies may be able to stay afloat by keeping up with current trends.

As for Borders, it looks like their doors will continue to close. Only the future will determine whether consumers will support retail chain stores similar to Borders such as Barnes and Noble and let them survive amidst the Fox Books of technology.

Graphic courtesy of www.borders.com

Closing It’s Doors: The Borders website has been advertising special deals to online shoppers since they began the liquidation process. Borders Bookstores closed over 200 of its stores after declaring bankruptcy in February.

Aggie A&E 5 Aggie Showstoppers: Getting ready to hit the floor

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

By Rashmi Thapaliya A&E Editor

With the fall semester rolling on in full swing, the student organizations on campus have started to gear up. Aggie Showstoppers is one of them.

Aggie Showstoppers is a student organization on campus and its area of focus is dance.

There are two different parts of the organization, which include a committee and a dance team. The committee serves as the backbone for the dance team, which is the face of the organization.

Sarah Mann, a freshman majoring in Business Administration is the president of the club.

Mann said that the committee takes part in planning different activities like the fundraisers, parties, and plans for the dance team.

“The members of the dance team need to focus on the practices and performances at different events,” Mann said.

“That is why the committee takes part in the planning and other activities of the organization.”

The organization performs

during half-time shows, Pep rallies, and at other events on campus. Mann said that she is willing to make the team more diverse by its performances on different types of music such as rock, classic, hip-hop, and others. She said that the team is now trying to take part in the Diversity Day. “We are trying to get the dance team situated for the Diversity Day,” Mann said. “We need to get the team ready now.”

Aggie Showstoppers is holding the tryouts where the judges will choose the team members for the upcoming year. The judges will be the club adviser, Saundra Mitrovich; the Academic Adviser of Open Doors; and the two previous captains of the Aggie Showstoppers dance team.

Mann said that everyone who wants to be in the team should take part in the tryouts.

“Everyone should go through this process,” Mann said.

“Though I am the president of the club, I will have to be selected by the judges through tryouts to be in the dance team.”

Mann said that she is looking for ten to twelve members on the team. She said that this year’s team would be new.

Photo by Rashmi Thapaliya

Dance Routine: Aggie Showstoppers Coach, Shanice Biggins shows the dance steps for tryouts to the participants. Students interested in being a part of the dance team should go through tryouts before they are selected for the team.

“In our first meeting we had 22 people show up,” Mann said.

“Among them only one had been a member of the team last year.”

Mann said that with its participation in the upcoming Diversity Day, the club wants to let everyone know that it is still here.

“We need to do planning for the upcoming programs of the club,” Mann said. “We are waiting for the dance team to be set and ready to go.”

This is the fourth year of Aggie Showstoppers on campus.

The club is hoping to have a dance team ready by September.

Mann said that the club should do more advertising around campus and should get more involved in different events on campus.

“We want the dance team to participate in more events on campus,” Mann said. “If possible, it would be great to take part in competitions too.”

The newly elected club board members are Vice President Kimberly Steel who is a freshman majoring in Criminal Justice; Secretary Jasmine Cassidy who is a freshman majoring in Nursing; Treasurer Taikeria Copeland who is a freshman majoring in Psychology; and SGA Representative Tina Jones who is a freshman majoring in Public relations and Advertising.

Independence Day celebration with Nigerian students

By Teewhy Dojutelegan Staff Writer

Cameron University has a huge international student population, making it a home to diversity. The CU Nigerian Students Association (CUNSA) is the organization that caters to the well-being of Nigerians on campus, as well as promoting their culture.

Yvette Unoarumhi, a senior Biology major, is the Vice President of the CUNSA this year. She stated the mission of the organization is to highlight the country’s culture.

“The mission of the organization is to promote Nigerian cultures,” Unoarumhi said. “We also aim to help each other adapt to the new environment and culture we have been thrust in.”

Nigeria gained independence from colonial Britain on Oct. 1, 1960, after years of turmoil and advocacy for freedom. Since then, the country has been growing stronger becoming a continental leader. Nigeria is

called the Giant of Africa based on the leadership roles she takes and her position as an emerging economy.

For the past two years, the CUNSA has celebrated Nigerian Independence Day at Cameron. The event has attracted many members of the Cameron and Lawton community who came to learn about cultures different from them as well as taste dishes from the other side of the world.

Unoarumhi said that the Independence Day celebration signifies a celebration of liberty.

“It is the celebration of our freedom and the struggles of our founding fathers to gain independence,” Unoarumhi said.

This year, the theme of the celebration will be Exploring Cultures. The carefully picked theme will help enlighten other people about the similarities and differences in aspects of their culture such as dress, marriage and social ethics with the American way of life.

The celebration will be dedicated to the memory of Dr. George Stanley, Professor of

African and Middle-Eastern Languages and Linguistics who died earlier this year. Dr. Stanley was a big supporter of the CUNSA and taught various Nigerian languages at Cameron.

The event will feature an introduction to Nigeria, comedy and a fashion show where students will showcase different styles of traditional dresses. The public will also have a chance to try different Nigerian dishes at the end of the program.

The event will be at 6 p.m. on Oct. 1, in the Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CETES) Conference Center.

The prices of the tickets are $5 for students and $10 for faculty and staff.

Besides showcasing culture through the Independence Day celebration, Nigerians on campus have been integral parts of the student life on campus with some of them actively being involved in campus organizations and others taking leadership roles in other areas.

Oluwatosin Adegbamigbe, a senior computer and

Photo by Teewhy Dojutelegan

Happy Independence Day: Students enjoy Nigerian cuisine during the Independence Day celebration. Nigeria became an independent country on Oct.1, 1960. information systems major is the Student Government Association representative for the CUNSA. He said that the organization has plans to introduce legislation, which will benefit all students on campus and help Nigerian students understand the importance of diversity.

“We are in the process of writing legislation that will improve diversity relations on

campus,” Adegbamigbe said.

“Diversity has been used as a synonym for strange for too long. We aim to change that by helping people realize what it is truly about.”

Jonathan Sanchez, a Business Administration freshman thinks the Nigerian students are fun to be with.

“I hang with the Nigerian students all the time,” he said.

“They are my good friends.”

A Year of Masterpieces

CU Theatre announces the upcoming theatre season

By Amber Lindsay Staff Writer

The Cameron University Theatre Arts Department announced the upcoming theatre season, “A Year of Masterpieces.”

According to Professor of Theatre Arts Dr. David Fennema, the season will feature four plays, which have gained critical esteem in the theatre world.

Dr. Fennema said the season would begin on the weekend of Oct. 6-9, with Arthur Bicknell’s “Masterpieces,” the first of two shows that Dr. Fennema will be directing.

According to Dr. Fennema, “Masterpieces” is a reconstruction of the life of Branwell Bronte and his sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne. The sisters wrote many successful books including “Jayne Eyre” and “Wuthering Heights,” although the play focuses predominantly on their less successful brother.

Dr. Fennema said that the father of the Bronte family focused all of his resources toward the success of his son, Branwell, who failed at being an artist, a railroad worker and a tutor. Dr. Fennema also said that the rumors had it that Branwell

had a relationship with the lady of the house of whom he was tutoring.

“The father’s whole life was built around Branwell who went to London to be an artist and failed, then worked for the railroad and failed at that,” Dr. Fennema said. “He finally became a tutor, but supposedly had a relationship with the wife of the family that he was tutoring for which brought him disgrace. He never completely recovered and developed problems with drugs and

alcohol.”

According to Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Eric Abbott, the second play in the season’s line-up, entitled “The Great Game: Afghanistan,” will take place during Nov. 17-20.

Abbott said that the play consists of five one-act plays and focuses on the troubles in Afghanistan over the past 100 years, beginning with the British occupation and ending with the current NATO campaign.

The third play, according to Dr. Fennema, will be the second

Courtesy of Theatre Arts

More to watch this season: Actors performed during the play, “A Year with Frog and Toad” last season. This season the theatre will feature four plays in “A Year of Masterpieces.”

that he will direct. He said the play, “Tartuffe” by Moliere, will be presented during Feb. 1619, and is a French farce about a minor cleric of the Catholic Church named Tartuffe who is really a scoundrel.

Dr. Fennema said that Tartuffe is taken in by a wealthy man who treats him kindly, but that throughout the play the minor cleric tries to seduce the man’s wife, swindle his house away from him, and disrupt the marriage of the man’s daughter.

According to Abbot, the musical, “Grease” will end the season on the dates April 19-22.

He went on to say that the play predates the movie by five years and is a bit different from what audiences will be used to seeing.

“Our final show will be the musical “Grease” which predates

the movie by nearly five years and is a loving parody of life in the 1950s,” Abbot said.

Dr. Fennema encourages all students to take advantage of the free tickets available to them, saying that he would not want anyone to miss the great season they have planned.

“One of the things that people need to be aware of is that all of our tickets for students are free,” Dr. Fennema said. “Hopefully they will come see the show because it’s a wonderful season that we have planned this year.”

Each play will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $10 for military, senior citizens and Cameron faculty and staff, $12 for all other adults and free to students with a valid CU ID.

6

Aggie Sports

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

Volleyball team is making some noise

By Aaron Gill Sports Editor

The Aggie volleyball team has been putting in some serious work throughout the first part of their season and Coach Doug Tabbert has helped in leading the lady Aggies to their current standing in the Lone Star Conference.

The Aggies went on the road throughout Texas for a few days recently, hunting for some victories. Stopping in Kingsville and San Antonio, the Aggies went 1 for 2 in their victory hunt.

Coach Tabbert was not very pleased with how the Aggies played on Sept. 15, against Texas A&M Kingsville. The Aggies lost three matches and went back on the road.

“It was just not a good performance by us,” Tabbert said, “we really struggled in just about every facet and just could not really get anything going.”

All that changed as the Aggies hit the road for a match on Sept. 17 against Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Tabbert was much more pleased with this performance, as the Aggies ended up winning three games to one.

“We bounced back really well,” Tabbert, said, “I was very pleased with how we responded to that.”

Coach Tabbert was excited to see how everything that happened on Thursday had turned around by Saturday.

“All the things we did not do very well on Thursday we did very well on Saturday,” Tabbert said.

Photo courtesy of Sports Information

Sets up, spike it: In a recent match at Aggie Gymnasium, sophomore Jenna Risoli sets the ball into the air for an Aggie kill. The volleyball team went one for two while on the road in Texas earlier this month.

The Aggies had completely changed the way they played the game and it worked out to their advantage as they pulled out the win against the Cardinals.

“Our serving game was much better,” Tabbert said, “ we have got offensive production from more players

and we were much more competitive.”

Coach Tabbert although pleased with how the Aggies have been playing is out to prove that the Aggies are a team to be reckoned with in the conference.

“I’m a little guarded because when I look at the teams that

are ahead of us in the standings and we have only played one match against those teams,” Tabbert said. “Clearly we are exceeding the expectations the other conference coaches had voted us into in the preseason poll.”

Coach Tabbert is excited about how the new additions to

the Aggie volleyball team have been playing so far this season.

“Kelle Carver has responded really well and has played very well against Incarnate Word,” Tabbert said. “Julisa Ocasio is more veteran than new comer and she has done a lot more than what we had expected from her.”

The Aggies still have many matches left to play throughout the next couple of months.

Coach Tabbert is ready to see just how his Aggies can better last year’s performance as far as a win/loss record. The conference play has only just begun and the Aggies have something to prove to the other schools that voted them last in preseason polls.

“My expectations are that we can compete with schools in the conference,” Tabbert said.

The Aggies will be putting in some hard hours on the court as they are just slightly over a quarter of the way done with their season.

Coach Tabbert and his lady Aggies can certainly prove to everyone on campus that they are a team that is here to show everyone they can be a program that people will respect and want to come out and support.

“I want to show everyone that we are a quality volleyball program,” Tabbert said.

The Aggies still have a few home games left in which the students and community can help in creating a winning environment by showing their support for the team.

For volleyball statistics and schedule information visit www.cameronaggies.com

Aggie men finish sixth in first match

By Brandon Thompson Staff Writer

The Cameron Aggie golf team teed off the 2011 fall season at the Coody/ West Texas Intercollegiate Tournament. The Aggies had strong performances throughout the week, but fell short finishing in sixth place.

Head coach Jerry Hrnciar said that his Aggies had high expectations going into the tournament and started out with solid qualifying scores.

“We had great qualifying going into it,” Hrnciar said. “I think our expectations were to do a little better than we did.”

Though this tournament marked the beginning of a season for the Aggies, Hrnciar joked that this is no excuse for his team to be rusty.

“It was our first tournament, but it was the first tournament for everybody,” Hrnciar said. “So that’s really not a good excuse.”

The tournament boasted a great field of competition.

Coach Hrnciar said that he thought the best two teams in the country were there.

“What I consider the number one and number two team in the nation were there,” Hrnciar said. “The National Player of the Year is back for Abilene and Brady was only about three strokes behind him.”

Brady Porter, a junior, led the Aggies in the tournament and finished third in the individual rankings.

Porter opened the tournament with a 66.

According to Hrnciar, that was not quite enough to lift the Aggies to a top three finish.

Hrnciar said his Aggies are close to where they need to be to make a run in the rankings.

“We are close, we have lots of depth,” Hrnciar said. “We

Photo courtesy of Sports Information

Quiet on the course: The Cameron Aggies men’s golf team has their swing in full effect. The Aggies made a trip down to Texas earlier this month where the placed sixth in the Coody/West Texas Intercollegiate at the Diamondback G.C. are so consistent; we just never really had a hot round other than Brady’s 66.”

Hrnciar said that the Aggies had problems finding the green the first day of the tournament. The second day, Hrnciar said the Aggies had a few breakdowns that cost them.

“The second day we had some swing breakdowns and we made some big numbers on about six different occasions that cost us,” Hrnciar said. “It

was the difference between being a legitimate third and sixth.”

According to Hrnciar, the four unplayable lies, three hazards and one out of bounds ball was another factor in the Aggies finishing sixth instead of third.

Hrnciar said that the Aggies did not help themselves in the rankings this week, but he said he thinks the team can turn it around.

“We didn’t help ourselves

ranking wise, but the only important ranking is the last one of the year,” Hrnciar said.

Hrnciar said that his team planned to finish the season in the top ten. He said that if the Aggies are able to accomplish this they have a chance to win a championship.

“My goal is to be in the top ten,” Hrnciar said, “if we do that we have a chance to win a National Championship.”

According to Hrnciar, the Aggies have more than just a

sixth place finish to take away from this tournament. Hrnciar said that he thought there were some good rounds for his men to build on going into the rest of the season.

“Our goal right now is to keep getting better and better,” Hrnciar said. “We had some solid performances, but they could be a little better; if we work on those this week I think we can carry it on the rest of the year.”

Aggie Sports

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

7

Lady Aggies start fall season in Texas

By Brandon Thompson Staff Writer

The Lady Aggie golf team began the fall tournament season at the Southwest Classic in Arlington, Texas.

The Lady Aggies suffered a couple of rough rounds, but women’s golf Head Coach Rick Goodwin is hopeful that the Aggies will make some improvements.

“I’m not real happy with the results,” Goodwin said. “We finished seventh out of nine teams.”

According to Coach Goodwin, the Aggies need to make improvements quickly in order to set themselves up for regional play in the spring.

“You have to get off to a good start to be competitive,” Goodwin said. “We want to make improvements every tournament during the fall; that should set us up for our championship segment in the spring.”

The Aggies troubles in the Southwest Classic can be attributed to inconsistent play and missing fairways according to Goodwin.

“It’s all about scoring and we have to be able to keep it in play and score,” Goodwin said. “At the golf course we just played at, there is a lot of trouble on every hole and a lot of native areas that you can’t play out of so there were a lot of penalty shots; those are things we are correcting.”

Goodwin said that the game of golf could be frustrating at times and requires a lot of hard work and self-discipline. He said that the girls on his team are willing to work to improve.

Goodwin noted that the

Photo courtesy of Sports Information

What an approach shot: The Aggie women’s golf team will be hitting the course hard after their first tournament. The Lady Aggies had a rough time in The Southwest Classic in Arlington, Texas, where they finished with a combined team score of 321 which placed them seventh of nine teams. loss of Kylee Johnson, last year’s number one, has taken a toll on the team ability to score.

“My number one player from last year, Kylee Johnson, is still recovering from knee surgery,” Goodwin said.

Goodwin said that at this point in the season his team is still searching for their unique identity and once found, the team would improve.

“Right now we are just trying to establish who we are,” Goodwin said. “We are going to build our way up.”

The Lady Aggies have two more tournaments before they finish the season at Ft. Sill. In that time, they will have the opportunity to build

on a couple of the good rounds scored at the Southwest Classic.

Goodwin explained that there were opportunities for the Aggies to place higher if they had been more consistent.

According to Goodwin, the players know what they need to do to make the team successful.

“The girls need to play better,” Goodwin said. “They know that.”

Goodwin said that the girls would soon have another chance to go to the Dallas area and win. According to Goodwin, they will return to Dallas to play at a different tournament in a few weeks.

“In a few weeks we will go back down there and play at another golf course in Dallas,” Goodwin said.

The shortfall season will soon be over and the Aggies are looking ahead to the grueling six-tournament schedule of the spring.

If the Aggies can make the adjustments needed and recover from the injuries, the spring could be an exciting time for the young squad.

Photo by Kelsey Carter

You got it, you got it: In their first match, the Aggie men put on quite a show. Doubles partners (left to right) Nicolai Ferrigno and Mateus Campos returned an opposing serve.

Tennis teams pull off two solid wins against Cowley

By Aaron Gill Sports Editor

The Cameron University tennis team has taken the court for their fall season. Both the men and women are lead by Head Coach James Helvey who is in his 18th year as the men’s coach and his 12th as the women’s coach.

The Aggies hit the road for Oklahoma City on Sept. 14, for a match against Cowley College in which both the men and women emerged victorious. Helvey is pleased with just how well his Aggies have done already this season.

“We had a good win on both sides,” Helvey said, “we are looking forward to just getting back on the court.”

The Aggies fall season has been a scorcher, literally. Helvey explained how the heat has taken a toll on practice schedules and when the team can actually hit the court.

“At the beginning of the year we had a thermometer on the court that read about 120 degrees Fahrenheit,” Helvey said.

However, Helvey is not one to make excuses.

He has had his Aggies hard at work and it showed in their first match.

On the men’s side of the court, the only loss was dubbed to senior Thomas Peixoto. Cowley’s number 1 player, Zack Evenden in a 2-set match, losing 6-1 and 6-4, defeated Peixoto.

The Aggie men did see eight other wins to greatly counteract the one loss. The Aggies saw

most of their wins from the doubles teams as they made a clean sweep going three for three against Cowley.

The women had a similar day in terms of doubles matches. Sweeping all three wins from the court, the women would also go on to win eight matches and only lose one. Sophomore Florencia Toreno had a tough 3-set match in which she emerged victorious after an amazing comeback in the last two sets making a comeback from a 3-6 loss in the first set, Toreno won her last two sets 6-4 and 6-4.

The Aggies have played some good tennis so far this season and Helvey is excited to see just how his teams will do in coming matches.

“Every year I love to see the growth,” Helvey said, “I’m constantly talking about reaching that next point of what are we going to do this year that we did not do last year.”

The Aggies are currently in the off-season and have only a few days this semester in which they can practice and compete. Helvey has made sure that his Aggies are within those guidelines for play in the fall.

“Per the NCAA we only get a forty-five day window in which we have twenty-four to practice and compete,” Helvey said.

The bulk of the Aggies competition days are concentrated to the month of September with only two matches in October. Helvey is looking forward to how his teams will shape up for the spring season and he is optimistic for big wins.

Photo by Kelsey Carter

Home field advantage: In a recent match the women Aggies show off their skills on the tennis court. Antonia Moberg (above) served the ball in a singles match.

“My goal every year is to win that national title,” Helvey said.

In the last four years, Helvey has seen some big wins on both the conference and regional levels of play.

“The men have won the conference title twice and the regional title once,” Helvey said, “and this past year the women won the regional title.”

The Aggies still have a few matches this fall and Helvey is whipping his teams into shape so that they will be ready for their spring season. Both teams will be competing in the ITA Men’s and Women’s Regional Championship in Springfield, Mo., from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.

8

CROSSROADS

September 26, 2011 www.aggiecentral.com

Plant a row to feed community

By Leah Ellis

Newswriting Student The local chapter of the Plant a Row Campaign has provided fresh produce to the local food bank.

The vegetables grown in the Community Garden supplemented the items the Food Bank provided to local families in need of assistance this summer. It is also a demonstration of what can be achieved when multiple organizations collaborate on a common goal.

The Cameron University group Moms and Dads on Campus began looking for a way to use the Community Garden to help locally. The decision was made to begin a campus chapter for Plant a Row and word spread to other organizations that offered their support and services. The 580 Roller Girls helped prepare the garden by pulling weeds, and setting the rows. Sigma Tau Delta volunteers offered a day of labor, and The Native American Club worked weekends watering, pulling weeds and harvesting vegetables.

Teri McGrath, advisor for Moms and Dads on Campus, says that using Facebook as a means of mass communication was a great tool. On more than one occasion, the garden needed extra help with weeding and watering. McGrath posted the need for assistance and received answers from many willing volunteers.

She said that gardening is a lot of work and that it was a great experience for the participants.

There were several picnics held and the support from the community was encouraging. For one of the picnics, Sonic sent out the Cherry Limeade mascot and cherry limeades. There is a “Hoedown” in the works as the project finale for this season and it will be open to the public. McGrath hopes that interested members of the community and anyone who wishes to volunteer for the next growing season will come out and enjoy the entertainment and discuss the goals and information for the next growing season.

“Next year we are going to emphasize education and community out-reach. We would like to help people with their gardens at home. We will need the support of more Cameron organizations and more volunteers,” McGrath said.

Volunteers were the backbone for this project.

They came out to water the plants and pick the harvest despite this summer’s record heat wave. Caring for the plants in such hot conditions was no easy feat. While the squash and okra were great producers, the efforts of the volunteers were no help for the tomatoes. The volunteers worked in shifts, morning and evening, watering the plants.

Dawn Bona, an Instructor for the English Department, was one of the many volunteers who spent time in the heat working in the garden. Bona decided it was a great opportunity to teach her twin sons more about gardening and the rewards of giving back to the community.

“My children were very excited to know that they were helping to provide food for needy families, and they felt a sense of worth and accomplishment as a result of their work,” Bona said.

Bona’s family would often wait until the heat of the day subsided in the evening to come out and water the plants.

The Bonas weeded, planted and helped the garden in any way they could. The experience was a positive one for Bona and her children, she said. She is looking forward to being involved again next year although she hopes the heat will not be the issue that it was this year. Bona and her sons are only a few of the many volunteers who worked hard to make the campaign a success. Bona said her role was very small compared to what she received in the knowledge that she was helping Moms and Dads on Campus make a difference for local families and The Food Bank.

The Lawton Food Bank has expressed their appreciation for the ability to share fresh produce to struggling local families by helping the group in a couple of important ways. They have provided a shed for the storage of the donated garden tools until next year’s work begins.

McGrath says they are also helping spread the call for volunteers. With the current economy, more families have been seeking the assistance of the Food Bank, which is supported through the donations of local citizens. The vegetables provided by Plant a Row Campaign this summer helped meet the needs of these families and provided a rewarding experience for those involved.

Photo by Ashleigh Fletcher

First Pick: A volunteer picks and gathers part of the Summer harvest. Much of the food grown over the Summer was donated to the Lawton Food Bank

Photo by Leah Ellis

Green Thumbs: Ole Kim takes a break to pose with some of the children helping with Plant a Row. The Campus chapter for Plant a Row was founded by CU club Moms and Dads On Campus.

Lawton to host adventure race

By Brenna Welch Staff Writer

Lake Elmer Thomas Recreational Area, with the help of Fort Sill Family and M.W.R will host Run Amok, a multiple obstacle race, on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Lawton has seen mud runs, a simular race, which included red dirt and obstacles.

However, Run Amok is the first race that encourages teamwork before competition.

The race is an adventure race. At 2.25 miles, the course is just under 5k in length.

However, what the course lacks in length, the race makes up for in adventure. While most of the obstacles are secret, the race will include a mud pit.

Race Coordinator Cara Bell said that the race is perfect for anyone looking for a step up from a 5k. Bell also explained that those who have never participated in a race before should not be wary.

Bell said that Run Amok is a great way to kick-start a

fitness routine.

The race will start at 10 a.m. and will end with a celebration featuring the Red Bull Wings Team at the Red Bull tent with free Bar-S hot dogs for race participants while Z94’s Music Machine will provide music for the end of race celebration.

Bell said that she hopes the race will be the beginning of a new activity for many Lawton area families.

“The race is a great way to spend a Saturday, getting dirty and then having a party,” Bell said.

The Fort Sill MWR website says that participants should expect to get dirty within the first 30 seconds.

Run Amok aims to help participants develop valuable characteristics such as teamwork, camaraderie, fitness and self-confidence.

The race is about getting dirty and working hard but it is challenging and fun at the same time. Although obstacle races are increasing in popularity and availability,

adventure races, like Run Amok rarely make it to Oklahoma.

Obstacle races are increasing in popularity and availability. Wipeout, a television show, took obstacle courses to a new level. The intention of obstacle races is to take participants out of their comfort zone, and require them to defy their limitations.

These types of races often emphasize teamwork first and downplay competition.

While this is the first time that the race will be at LETRA, Fort Sill Family and M.W.R. are looking to make the race an annual event.

Bell explained that based on

participation and feedback on end-of-race surveys, the Run Amok may change over the years.

Fort Sill Family and M.W.R. are encouraging everyone, military or civilian, preteen age and up to participate.

“We keep adding more and more participants everyday,” Bell said.

Registration began on

Aug. 15, and will remain open until the day of the race.

Pre-registration is available online at www.sillmwr.com.

Pre-registration cost is $25 in advance but on the day of race, the cost will increase by $10.

Registration and packet pickup will begin at 9 a.m. on race day at LETRA Lodge.

Persons interested in more information regarding registration or the Run Amok event can call 580.442.0675.

Graphics Courtesy of Cara Bell