THE C A MERON UNIV ERSIT Y
Collegian
Monday, September 12, 2011
w w w. a g g ie c e nt r a l .c om
Academic Festival highlights “The Kite Runner” By Megan Bristow Managing Editor
With a formal greeting by Cameron University President Cindy Ross and 21-year-old Accounting senior Barkley Kirk, Dr. Khaled Hosseini took the CU theater stage at 7:30 p.m. on August 30, 2011, to kick-off Cameron’s 7th Academic Festival: “Afghanistan: Its Complexities and Relevance.” Previous to taking the stage, Dr. Hosseini hosted a question-and-answer session with both students and faculty. A discussion with President Cindy Ross centered around his life, books and his native country as well as a formal question and answer session with the audience unfolded. Having spent a large part of his life in his hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan and writing two books, “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” Dr. Hosseini was able to introduce participants to the heart of Afghanistan that may not always be seen on television coverage of the war there He said that even though the country was very poor while he was growing up it was still a wonderful place to grow up. “It was very peaceful and very beautiful. I am very conscious though of the fact that even then Afghanistan suffered extreme poverty,” he said. By paying attention to Dr. Hosseini’s book, “The
Kite Runner,” readers can gain a sense of life in Afghanistan and how that life changed as the country fell to the hands of Al-Qaeda. Personal experiences inspired his writings during this change from peaceful Afghanistan to war-stricken Afghanistan. Dr. Hosseini went to the same school, liked to write short stories, lived in the same neighborhood, and flew kites as the main character in the novel is known to do. “There are bits and pieces of me all over the pages even though the order of events and the portrayal of the characters is all fiction,” he said. According to Dr. Hosseini, much of the idyllic society that was once found in Afghanistan has been destroyed by years of war. During a visit to Kabul in 2003, Dr. Hosseini personally witnessed the devastation of the war. A second visit in 2007 displayed a dramatic improvement in the rebuilding of the city but recent years have reintroduced some of the damage by the reorganization of the Taliban. Although some lasting changes have been made, Dr. Hosseini fears that many of the freedoms that Afghan citizens are beginning to enjoy will eventually evaporate. Dr. Hosseini stated that this would certainly be a great tragedy when reflecting on the heavy price that has been paid and the better quality of life that would be possible for them. These freedoms include freedom of press, more humane treatment of women
Volume 86 Issue 1
Informing Cameron Since 1926 Aggie News Freedom from smoking
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Aggie A&E Foam dance party
Courtesy CU Public Relations Office
Inside “The Kite Runner”: Dr. Khaled Hosseini reads a passage from his international best-seller. The event formed part of Cameron’s 7th Academic Festival, Afghanistan: Its complexities and relevance.
and advancing technology such as social media.
See KITE RUNNER Page 2
Campus construction to continue until fall 2012
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Aggie Sports Former Aggie makes it big
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CrossRoads Lawton fights cancer
Courtesy of President Cindy Ross
Courtesy CU Public Relations Office
Rennovations: Plans for the improved east side of campus are quickly becoming a reality. Construction began during the summer and is expected to continue until the fall of next year.
By Tahira Carter News Editor
Cameron University students, faculty and staff who were away for the summer returned this fall to find the east side of campus undergoing a makeover. The construction began during the summer months and is currently nearing completion. To facilitate the landscaping changes, a section of the University Drive was closed and a new, slightly detoured route was provided for drivers. Cameron University
President Cindy Ross expressed her satisfaction with the project and the reasons behind its elaboration. “It is something that I have wanted to do ever since we constructed Cameron Village,” President Ross said. “This will give the students who live in the village easy and safe access to the main part of campus.” The extension of the gardens was expected to be completed before the beginning of the fall semester but the high temperatures experienced during the months of June and July
made construction delays unavoidable. As a result, students – especially Cameron Village residents – have had to take a few more steps as they made their way to and from classes. Senior Interdisciplinary Studies major Stephanie Belter appreciated the aesthetic and practical benefits of the change, but commented on the inconvenience of on-going construction during the semester. “I think it is awesome. It is really pretty,” Belter said. “I think the fact that they closed off part of University
Drive is better because it is safer, but having the construction done now is not the best idea.” Students uncomfortable with the nuisances of midsemester construction may need to boost their tolerance: while construction on the Gardens will be completed soon, the east side of campus will still be a hard hat zone. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Academic Commons is scheduled to take place on Sept. 15. “We are very excited to transform the old Student Union and turn it into the Academic Commons,” President Ross said. “The project will cost a little over $4 million, half of which is being provided by private donors who have been so generous to Cameron University.”
See CONSTRUCTION
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Aggie Voices Remembering 9/11
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