COLLEGIAN THE CA M ERON U N I V ER SIT Y
News
CU in Italy. SEE PAGE 3
A&E
Volume 84 Issue 19
Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926
Monday, March 29, 2010
Alumnus competes for funding and dangerous, about them, and I thought ‘that is a perfect metaphor for what I want my journal to be,’ because I want the featured work to be a little dangerous and a little beautiful at the same time.” After completing his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Simpson decided to make use of the Pepsi Refresh Project. As a result, Simpson is vying with thousands of others in the nation for a piece of the funding pie that Pepsi is offering to individuals who hope to find funding for all types of projects. The Refresh “I don’t want to start Jeff Simpson Project is a philanthropic my project and just program from Pepsi that be another online is using an online voting process to allow the public journal. I want to to determine which projects come out and be get funded. something great.” Wanting to produce something more than a — Jeff Simpson simple blog-based run of the mill production, Pepsi Refresh Simpson realized that Project participant the Refresh Project was ideal for his goal. “I was trying to figure out how to find the money to fund the journal. There By Jim Horinek are journals that use blog templates and that is not that great of a Collegian Staff formula,” Simpson said. “I don’t want to start my project and just be another online journal. I want to come out and be something great.” Anyone who has been bitten by a fiddleback spider will tell you With the Refresh Project in mind, Simpson went to work that it has a bite that is something that you never forget. That is spreading the word about his idea and doing all that he could to rack exactly what Cameron alumnus, former Collegian editor and Creative up as many votes as possible. With voting nearing an end he is still Writing major Jeff Simpson had in mind when he came up with the pushing heavily to make sure that he gets a piece of the Pepsi project. idea to create an online literary and art journal. Simpson says that the reason that his project deserves funding is “When I was a senior at Cameron I lived in a house that was because of the importance of journals. He feels that journals give the infested with fiddlebacks. I used to kill six or more of them a day. reader a window into the big questions in life. That really made me get a level of respect for them,” Simpson said. With that respect in mind it made sense to him what he should name his journal. See FIDDLEBACK “If you kill something often enough, you develop a respect for Page 2 it, at least I did,” Simpson said. “There is something beautiful,
Go to www.refresheverything.org to vote for Jeff’s chance to fund Fiddleback.
CU Concert and Community Bands unite. SEE PAGE 7
Sports
Faculty-in-Residence program Dr. Walton to screen documentary ‘Food Inc.’ By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff
Aggie Baseball dominates the diamond. SEE PAGE 6
Voices
Dr. Justin Walton could make Cameron students question where their next meal comes from with his latest Faculty-in-Residence event. “This is my second event this semester,” he said. “I’ll be screening ‘Food, Inc.,’ which is a documentary that examines corporate farming in the United States and focuses on industrial food production practices that could have unhealthy consequences.” The 2008 film, which tied for fourth place as best documentary at the 35th Seattle International Film Festival, garnered extensive controversy among farmers, corporations and the government when it was released. The film examines corporate control over
MCT Campus
Problem foods: The documentary “Food Inc.” details the many health issues that are associated with the way that certain food products are handled and produced in the U.S. The documentary will be screened Thursday in the McMahon Center.
Collegian Staff
SEE PAGE 4
See FOOD Inc. Page 2
Brad Henry scholarship offers opportunity to study abroad By Joshua Rouse
Health legislation not helpful.
the food industry and how that has worked against the consumer in unhealthy ways. Dr. Walton said the aim of the screening is to encourage healthier eating by students, both on campus and at home. “As President Ross has outlined, one of our goals at Cameron University is promoting better health and fitness for our students,” he said. “It was my goal from the very beginning to incorporate a health-related issue into my Facultyin-Residence programming. Health and fitness is determined by a variety of factors – certainly by what we eat – but also by the choices we make.”
Courtesy Photo
When in Wales: Brandon Jackiewicz envelops himself in British and Welsh culture while studying abroad thanks to the Brad Henry Scholarship.
Brandon Jackiewicz always wanted to travel overseas. The Criminal Justice senior thought it would be an interesting experience to become the foreigner – the one with the funny accent that felt like a fish out of water. But he never thought he would make it any time soon, until his boss told him about the Brad Henry Scholarship. “I was at work when she passed along an e-mail from Jennifer Holland, the Dean of Students, who was looking for individuals interested in studying abroad,” Jackiewicz said. “I was really skeptical about it. I didn’t know much about it, and I put
in for it, not expecting to get chosen.” Several weeks later, Jackiewicz received a call from Dr. Von Underwood, the Dean of Liberal Arts, congratulating him on being the 2009 recipient of the Brad Henry Scholarship. While Jackiewicz was honored, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. “The first thought that popped into my head was ‘where is Wales?’” he said, “I met with Brad Henry after that, and then it was off to Wales.” Jackiewicz worked as an intern with Alan Cairns, a member of the National Welsh Assembly Government. He said the experience wasn’t a traditional internship. While he did his fair share of taking phone calls and
running papers back and forth, there was a much more hands-on approach to his role with Cairns. “A meeting would come up, and he needed me to write a question and send it to the First Minister,” Jackiewicz said. “When Chamber time started, I would listen to the national news, and I’d hear my question – my words – coming out of his mouth. I wrote that. It was exciting in the sense that I was getting to make a difference. I wasn’t just walking behind someone writing down what they do. It was a real job.”
See WALES Page 2
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News
March 29, 2010
WALES continued from page 1 For a young American who couldn’t find Wales on a map, Jackiewicz fit in well with his new Welsh companions. He lived in an apartment with another Oklahoma intern and became friends with his neighbor, who gave him advice on how to fit in with his new surroundings. Jackiewicz also became good friends with some of the people from his work, and some of the local law enforcement. “The independent study I did for Cameron was a Criminal Justice study over their law enforcement,” Jackiewicz said. “I got to speak with the police officers there, and they are wonderful officers. They actually gave me a real bobby hat that they
wore. I thought it was a nice gift.” Jackiewicz turned 21 three days before he left, so his age wasn’t a problem when his new law enforcement friends invited him out for a Christmas party. He said it wasn’t uncommon to be invited to the pub, or out to dinner, by co-workers and friends each evening after work. In Wales, a casual drink is nothing to turn down. “They bought me drinks from time to time,” he said. “But when they ask, they’re expecting you to say yes. One or two would be fine for me, but they would often drink quite a bit more. It was their culture, though.” Jackiewicz lived a fairly
independent life during his three months in Wales. He woke up every morning and went to work around 9 a.m., and was off by 5 p.m. He said his apartment wasn’t fancy but was nice and cozy, even though it was on the third floor, without elevator service. “I had to walk all three flights of stairs with groceries,” he said. “That wasn’t fun, but I loved every minute of it.” Jackiewicz attended classes at the Swansea University, which was a radical departure from traditional college life in America. He said the professor gave out the majority of the assignments during the first several classes, then the students
Courtesy photo
On the job training: Criminal Justice major Brandon Jackiewicz and his law enforcement friends gather around the bobbie hat they presented to him as a gift. were expected to work on them for the remaining time. But he said some of the most interesting parts of his time in Europe was the travelling. “It was so cheap to travel between the countries,” he said. “There was a 10-day recess for my assembly member, Alan. He told us he wouldn’t be there, and there was no reason for us to stick around. A couple of the interns said they were going to Central Europe, so I decided to tag along. We hit the big cities, the capitals, like Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, the Vatican and loved every bit of it.” Before his trip, Jackiewicz believed he would one day travel abroad, but never saw himself doing it any time soon due to money and other constraints. But the Brad Henry Scholarship paid for everything, including his room, his flight to and from Wales and most of his furnishings while staying in the United Kingdom. The only thing he had to pay for was the food. “In essence, you’re paying to eat, and that’s it,” he said. “The
scholarship takes care of the rest.” Now, Jackiewicz has a new understanding and love for Wales. He said he learned so much more about the country while living there than he could reading out of a book. He now hopes other students will take advantage of the wonderful opportunity and apply for the Brad Henry Scholarship. “I’d recommend it to everyone,” he said. “I would definitely try for it. We’ve really been pushing for students to apply. Cameron wants to put people out there. I wasn’t ready for it. But the more I got into it – hands-on, the more I loved it. It wasn’t the typical college experience. It was relaxing.” An information session for the Henry Scholars Program will be held from 12:30 until 1:45 p.m. today in Music Room 133. For those who cannot attend the session, but are interested in applying, contact the Office of the Dean of the School of Liberal arts by e-mail at sla@cameron.edu, or by phone at 581.2491.
FOOD Inc. continued from page 1 Dr. Walton believes “Food, Inc.” is a thoughtprovoking film that will certainly divide students who view it. But, no matter what students’ views are of the film, he said it certainly promotes healthy debate and discussion. He hopes the movie will help students become more critical consumers of what they eat and buy at grocery stores. It certainly changed how he viewed some foods. “I admit, I’ve adjusted some of my eating habits after seeing the film,” he said. “There is no way to generalize, but I hope the audience thinks about the substance of the movie. If you enjoyed ‘Super Size Me,’ you’ll want to see this one too.” The screening will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday in the McMahon Center. Dr. Maxwell Kwenda, from the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, will be on-hand to analyze the film and lead a discussion following the screening. This is Dr. Walton’s first year as Faculty-inResidence and has an interesting time coming up with activities for Cameron students. In general, he said he has been very pleased with the turnout at his events. He said he hopes students will come watch “Food, Inc.” due to the impact it can have on their everyday lives. “We have so much going on on campus, and I know students have to make some difficult choices by what they want to attend,” Dr. Walton said. “This is a very active campus, and I’m glad our students are taking advantage of these opportunities. It’s been a very enriching experience.”
FIDDLEBACK continued from page 1
See page 3 for solutions.
“Viewing good work in a journal seems to surround the ontological question of what it is to be human. This is essentially the value of literature and art and therefore the value of a journal,” Simpson said. Despite the common thread of literature that is associated with a journal, Simpson’s production will feature more than just the written word. “Each bi-monthly issue will feature a small sampling of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. But also in every issue I am going to feature a musician and an artist,” Simpson said. Perhaps one of the main goals of the publication is to feature work from individuals who would be overlooked by the mainstream journals. “The idea is that the content of Fiddleback should challenge mainstream notions. I want to promote writers and artists who I think are producing incredible work a chance to be seen and read,” Simpson said. Clearly spoken like a Creative Writing major, Simpson has an eloquent explanation for the type of work he wants his publication to feature. “I want fearless, visceral writing, art and music. I want things that pack a punch. Gripping work. Things that demand your attention,” Simpson said. Though he is a strong contender in the running for Pepsi funding he can still use all the votes he can get. Consequently, he hopes that everyone will visit www.refresheverything.com and vote for his project. However, the voting ends March 31, so those who want to help Simpson out should do so soon.
March 29, 2010
CU in Italy:
News
3
Students and faculty spend spring break overseas By Justin Cliburn Collegian Staff While MTV set up cameras in various tropical locales to chronicle spring break through countless shots of college students enjoying a break from anything academic, 25 members of the Cameron community spent their spring break admiring the art and history of Italy. The trip, organized by Dr. Melody Huckaby and the Law and Politics and History clubs, focused on the artistic, religious and political history of Italy and how it shaped western culture. The journey lasted 10 days and consisted of a mix of Cameron faculty, students, former students and family. Travelers left Cameron at 10 a.m. Thursday for the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and flew into Paris,
France early Friday morning. From there, travelers spent a day seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph and the Notre Dame Cathedral before stepping onto a night train to Milan, Italy. Once in Milan, travelers were immediately impressed with what Italy had to offer, if not for its history, then at least for its innovation. “As we were walking up the Metro stairs to see the Duomo, we kept hearing piano scales,” said Deanne Caples. “After more and more people walked up and down the stairs, we realized that the steps played music. It was quite impressive.” In Milan, the group saw two main sites: the Duomo and the Castello Sforzesco, or Sforza Castle.
— ITALY See page 8
Photos courtesy of Deanne Caples
Classy canoe: No trip to Venice would be complete without a gondola ride.
Between landmarks: The best sites in Venice are not always in Frommers.
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Voices
March 29, 2010
Recent healthcare reform law not the answer As Democrats pat themselves on the back and pass the champagne bottles around to celebrate the passage of the new healthcare “overhaul,” I’m shaking my head. There is one thing almost all Americans could agree on — the current state of the nation’s healthcare system is in shambles. That’s why I adamantly supported then Sen. Barack Obama when he was running for president, because one of the big things he was pushing was healthcare reform. Sure, every presidential candidate talks about it and says they’ll do their best to change it. But it never gets done. Something was different about Obama, though. Jump ahead 14 months, and the government passed healthcare “reform,” but I don’t see why everyone is celebrating so much. Medicare is going to be cut $500 billion to help pay for the $940 billion package. No one is saying how that’s going to affect senior citizens on Medicare, like my grandfather. The law will increase the amount of reimbursements to practitioners, which is excellent. More often than not, the reason many medical professionals don’t treat patients with Medicare is because of the low reimbursements. But what worries me is the lack of any clarity on how it’s going to affect the everyday
person living on Medicare. Are co-payments going to go up? Are monthly premiums going to go up? I also don’t understand the logic of fining people who don’t have healthcare coverage. At the present time, I don’t. But I’m among around 35 million Americans who don’t have it. Will I get it due to this bill? Perhaps, and judging by the new requirements, I’ll have to. But the reason I don’t have coverage is because I can’t afford it. I have a professional job and work as managing editor of the Collegian, but when it comes down to it, I’m still the stereotypical poor college student. I could sign up for healthcare coverage from work, and probably a quarter of my paycheck would be gone each week before I even see it. That’s a lot of money. It’s not like I don’t want healthcare coverage, it’s just that I can’t afford it. Judging by a lot of talking heads over the course of the past couple weeks, it seems like many members of Congress think Americans refused to get healthcare coverage. I completely understand the cost that the government has to handle due to people without healthcare coverage going to the hospital and not being able to pay. But why fine them in the long run? By 2016,
people will have to pay $695, or 2 percent of their annual income, if they don’t have “adequate” healthcare coverage. Adequate is a pretty broad term. And there are a lot of people I know of personally, including myself, who make too much money to get on Medicaid or any low income healthcare plans, but don’t make enough money to be able to afford other options. Even with all of the things this new law is doing, right and wrong, that is always going to be a problem. I have a serious problem with the government telling me I have to have healthcare coverage or I’m going to be fined. This law just seems like a convoluted mess that was forced out the door to cement the Democratic Party’s legacy. Sure, it has some good parts, like removing restrictions for preexisting conditions, but there are so many other things that are wrong with it, and I’m not even holding the conservative flag saying it’s too much government control. If the government wanted to exert itself, it should have figured out a way to limit the premiums and the underhanded loopholes that insurance companies have exploited for generations. But
no, this behemoth of a law, that I doubt anyone has read, doesn’t do that. Obama complained time and time again that it’s been debated for a year and nothing was done. What’s wrong with that? Something this big, this substantial, needs to be discussed at length. I’m disappointed that the Democrats were willing to use procedural tricks to get it passed because they couldn’t get the votes they needed. I’m even more disappointed by reports that some representatives were wooed by late minute additions to the bill to help their districts. Rep. Bart Gordon initially said he would vote no but was swayed when Democrats threw in a provision that would give Tennessee hospitals an additional $99 million in Medicare payments to pay for low income individuals. It’s a novel thought, but it amounts to a bribe. What about what the American people wanted? A CNN poll conducted on March 21, the day the bill passed, showed 59 percent of Americans were against the bill. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed 48 percent of Americans opposed it, while 36 percent supported it. Several other polls showed similar numbers. The American people did not want this
Joshua Rouse
Cameron librarians respond to ‘Books should be preserved, not cast aside’ areas such as the health sciences are removed at the request of faculty members out of concern for student learning and books showing evidence of mold growth are replaced in order to maintain a physical environment conducive to human health. The author writes “…these educators [Cameron University faculty members] have had to go to the recycling center, on their own time, to track down these valued texts.” Professors have access to the world’s book collection via Cameron Library’s physical and electronic book resources and via reciprocal borrowing agreements that enable Cameron library staff members to borrow books from other libraries on behalf of professors. There is therefore no reason on the part of professors conversant with library resources and access procedures to spend “their own time” sorting through recycle center materials in search of written information. The sentence that describes “destruction of physical text”
THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY
COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Rachel Engel Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - Justin Cliburn Back Page Editor - Monica Garner Digital Editors - Kyle Luetters and Michael Faggett
Newsroom Staff
Letter to the Editor Cameron Univeristy librarians are pleased that “Collegian” writer Bennett Dewan views university libraries as access points for “information deemed vital to a truly well rounded education.” They wish, however, to reply to misleading and inaccurate information provided in his March 8 article entitled “Books should be preserved, not cast aside.” Mr. Dewan states that the librarians remove books in order to “make room for technology” and that space created by such removal will be used to “create… new rows of computers for student use.” Plans to add such computers are nonexistent. “It would be less outrageous if the books deemed outdated or old were being removed to make room for new books,” he writes. The need to create space to house the 3,000 to 4,000 new books added to the collection each year is a factor relevant to the library’s de-selection program. Also relevant are the facts that superseded materials in
bill. We want healthcare reform, but we did not want this. It’s been run through the mill several times, and has been hacked up, edited, proofed and updated over the past year. Why not start completely anew? It’s too early to tell for certain whether, in the long run, it will be a good thing or bad thing, for the country. It’s also too early to tell what effect this will have on the Democratic Party’s control in Congress, which it has enjoyed over the past several years. November will be an interesting month. But in the meantime, most Americans, including myself, will sit baffled by what this law even entails and what it truly means for us.
as “censorship through apathy, the snuffing out of ideas without the forethought to see it as such” implies that Cameron librarian collection development activities are forms of censorship, undertaken without attention to professional guidelines. Book removal does not constitute the “snuffing out of ideas,” as withdrawn books remain available, either in the form of newer printings at Cameron Library or in other libraries. Cameron librarians withdraw materials according to preestablished guidelines, similar to guidelines used at libraries across the United States. These guidelines are designed to ensure continued access to materials. Mr. Dewan writes: “[Librarians] are supposed to cherish the fact that books contain intellectual value far superior to any currency. Apparently not everyone shares this sentiment, as the library at Cameron University has been actively purging itself of texts for some time now.”
Librarians work diligently to fulfill the library’s mission by preserving and making information available. The article’s concluding paragraph suggests that its author may be concerned that Cameron librarians withdraw any book having a publication date of 1960 or earlier. Cameron Library holds 34,269 books having such publication dates and has access to millions of books published fifty or more years ago via participation in Online Computer Library Center’s WorldCat program. Information regarding Library mission, goals, objectives, policies, usage, plans and evaluation/assessment activities is available at www.cameron.edu/ library. The librarians welcome Mr. Dewan’s continued interest in Cameron Library and regret the fact that his article was based on misleading information. — Cameron University Librarians
Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Rashmi Thapaliya, Amanda Finch, Alyssa Knerr, Tori Strecker, Tatiana Isis and Amanda Phillips. Circulation Manager - Matthew Penick
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 Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.
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 or e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu, or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060.
Our Views The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author. The unsigned editorial under the heading “Our Voice” 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.
Sports
March 29, 2010
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Winter weather, rain storms rewrite schedules By Michael Faggett Collegian Staff Cameron’s spring sports teams have faced tough conference rivals, regional opponents and nationally ranked teams. This semester, they added Mother Nature to the list. The ice storm, snow and other inclement weather have taken its toll on the teams and their schedules. “It’s Mother Nature,” tennis coach James Helvey said. “Either we have to fight it or hold out until better weather comes.” Most of the spring sports teams experienced both cancellations and changes in their playing schedules this semester. Softball cancelled three series and re-scheduled tournaments because of inclement weather. Women’s tennis saw its fourmatch trip to Colorado cut to two matches because Denver received 10 inches of snow during the trip. Men’s golf dealt with rain delays at the Red River Intercollegiate Tournament earlier this semester. Baseball has had its share of schedule shuffling as well. According to baseball coach Todd Holland, the team has
frequented the use of its tarp this season because of the mixed weather. “We laid the tarp down once last year,” Holland said. “This year we tarped the field nine times already, and we are only halfway through the season.” Most of the teams are at the midway point of their schedules, which makes the cancellations and changes somewhat disappointing. “We were pretty disappointed,” Helvey said in reference to the snow in Denver. “It was a letdown for us because we swept our first two opponents but then had to sit and watch the snow fall.” Holland shared in Helvey’s disappointment. “It is hard getting into a consistent playing schedule because we might be playing for three days then be off for seven days,” Holland said. “In a nutshell, it sucks.” The inconsistent playing schedule, Holland said, makes each game the team can play more vital. “Every game becomes more valuable now,” Holland said. “A loss can really hurt you this time of the year.”
Understanding the importance of the games, Aggie sports have responded with some positive results. Helvey said both of the tennis teams benefit from the mixed weather since they play in various regions and climates across the country. Men’s tennis holds a 12-4 record on the season while the women stand at 7-2. “It gives us an advantage,” Helvey said. “Because we are in this region, we learn to play in different types of weather.” For Holland and the baseball squad, the weather provided some advantages as well. “We didn’t get a spring break,” Holland said. “Our break was playing ball.” The team used that break to play some of its best ball of the season. The team has won 12 of its last 15 games, a hot streak that helped them move to first place in the Lone Star Conference. During that 15 game stretch, the baseball squad played 10 games in six days. Holland said the weather gave his team some rest and relaxation. “We played 10 games in six days,” Holland said. “Now, it gives us a little break to rest and relax.”
Photo by Bennett Dewan
Sign of the season: The stop sign directly outside of the Aggie Gym sits encased in ice. Due to repeated cold stretches, ice, snow and rain many CU sports have had to reschedule or cancel games.
Armchair Aggie a graceless Cheerleader A while ago I set out to play every sport Cameron offered and, in my last two tries, I went home with a bruised hip and no skin on my hands. I was determined to do better this time, but after attempting Cheerleading, I had a sore neck and a severely bruised ego. While many people may view cheerleading as little more than memorizing catchy phrases to be regurgitated in unison, I was never under the belief that my ability to replicate what I have heard would help me do what Cameron’s Cheerleaders do on a regular basis. Walking into the LXA gym where the Cheerleaders train is intimidating all in itself. The warehouse, located in the old industrial park in Lawton, goes from a brightly colored waiting room into an expansive room, shaped like Nebraska which features no windows and is loaded with padded areas. An optimist would look at this room and think that this warehouse is padded for the enjoyment of the people who use it. I saw the padding and wondered how dangerous the activities were considering the precautions. The cheer squad was already entrenched in practice upon my arrival. The girls acknowledged me with smiles, but looked nervous for my general welfare. That may have been because the cheerleaders resemble gymnasts, and I resemble a refrigerator with a lunch box set on top. Head coach Robin Martin detailed what it takes to be a good cheerleader and how she prepares her squad for
games and competitions. The squad was busily readying their routine for their inaugural trip to Nationals. Coach Martin enumerated the dangers involved in the sport. She said that cheerleading sends more athletes to the hospital per year that any other sport amongst high school age groups. As if by some sort of divination, the moving pyramid a stunt group was building failed and a cheerleader came tumbling down. One of the spotters, much to the relief of all the witnesses caught the plummeting pyramid peak. Unfortunately, Freshman Melissa Solis also caught an elbow to the face. She went from, in less than a second, holding up a formation to the proud owner of a dime sized gash in her lip that required stitches. Nothing makes you more excited to participate in an event than the looming possibility of your face looking significantly different than when you started; yet I took the plunge. I started out by learning how to do the specific jumps that the cheerleaders do during games at the Aggie Gym. It became quite obvious that flexibility was not my strong suit. The second thing I learned was that when performing a straddle jump, legs parallel to the ground in opposite directions, the reason for pointing your toes toward the ceiling is that it keeps you from pulling your hip flexors or groin. After officially retiring from jumps of any kind and sporting a brand new limp, it was my turn the tumble. With the help of a spotter, and plenty of reassuring encouragement from Martin and the other cheerleaders, I gained the courage necessary to leap, or so I thought. The first
Bennett Dewan
attempt was simply me falling backwards, too psyched out to commit to going inverted. The second attempt I managed to leap and get my legs all the way over my head just in time for gravity to step in and wreck any semblance of gracefulness. If landing directly on my head, and then folding in on myself like an accordion, had been my undoing, the thing to go through my mind would have been my own shinbone. After a few more attempts, one of which looked close enough to a real backhand spring if you squinted, I threw in the towel. A few moments were needed before the next event so I could collect my thoughts and check to see if my pupils were dilated, then it was back to work building pyramids. I was partnered with a spotting team and trained on how to safely lift Amber Spurlin. Lifting comes naturally to me. Where else do size, strength and no coordination converge? I was settling into lifts and basket tosses and found I was excelling when one of the cheerleaders told me it was my turn to be lifted. I could see the headlines, “Man falls to death, crushes entire cheer squad.” But, the squad was sure they were up to the task, and I had agreed to try all parts of being a cheerleader. It took two-thirds of the squad to hoist me over their heads, slowly and unsteadily I rose towards the ceiling until I got the hang of standing so rigidly. It is pretty obvious to me why people are in Cheerleading now, you feel pretty good about yourself when other people are carrying you around. If I was on the squad I would make these girls carry me to class like this. Just when I was trying to work out the practicality of pyramid style travel, the team put me down. My cheerleading experience was over and I even got to take home a few things, like a new appreciation for the difficulty of cheerleading and a swollen spinal chord.
Boosters always on ‘Rhode’ for away games By Tatiana Isis Collegian Staff
Photo by Bennett Dewan
Providing a home away from home: The Rhodes, Von and Betty, present Lyndie NeVille on Senior night at Aggie Gym. The couple travels to all the away games during the season to provide support.
All great musicians have groupies, all great celebrities have fans and all great sports teams have roadies. The CU Aggies women’s basketball team has their very own roadies. Von and Betty Rhode have been following Aggie sports since the fall of 1990 but didn’t begin their official roadie trips until 2000. Their interest in Cameron sports began when a friend of theirs had a son who played golf at Cameron. They started going to quite a few of the golf tournaments, and the rest is history. The couple, Betty, who is a retired elementary school teacher, and Von, who is a retired Civil Servant, have been married for 42 years. “It keeps us young,” Von said. “Most of these kids are a long way from home and seeing us there means a lot to them.” The couple enjoys all Cameron sports but is the most involved in women’s basketball. “We enjoy college basketball,”
Von said. “We like college athletics, and we like the direction that Cameron as a whole is going in.” Von and Betty have followed the women’s basketball team all the way from Oklahoma City to Fort Myers, Fla. From driving long distances to flying across the country, they follow the team as often as they can. “We drive two to three hours sometimes to see a two hour game and then drive back,” said Betty, who added that they’ve started buying books on tape in order to help the time pass. “Some of the road trips are a little hard on you,” Betty said. Yet they continue to follow the team wherever they go. “We sit right behind the stands when we can,” she said. The couple has developed a good relationship with the women’s basketball coaches, head coach Tom Webb and assistant coach Steve Lowe. “I always contact coach Lowe before trips and ask him where they are staying,” Betty said, who tries to stay in the same hotel as the teams when travelling. The couple even tries to attend dinners with the team when they can. The couple is part of the
Cameron Gold Club. As members, they have the opportunity for fellowship with members of the Cameron coaching staff. Betty and Von donated funds to women’s volleyball and men’s basketball this year but donate most of their funds to the women’s basketball team. “For us, it’s rewarding,” Von said. “We get as much out of it as we put into it.” Over the years, Betty and Von have managed to make life long friendships with some of the athletes. “It’s rewarding when you see the kids in a setting other than basketball games,” said Betty, who says that a former women’s basketball player once came up to her and thanked her for always being there for the team. Things like that are what make being Cameron roadies even more rewarding. People are always asking, “are the Roadies here?” when attending Cameron games, but as the basketball season has ended for the Cameron Aggies, the Roadies are off duty until the next season. In the meantime, the couple will continue to attend home games for various other sports at Cameron.
6
Sports
March 8, 2010
CU Softball team begins to come together
Photos by Bennett Dewan
Fundamentals first: Drew Wright (left) makes a throw to beat the runner from third base. Ashton McBride (right) throws a fastball for a called strike three. The Aggies have balanced solid defense with power numbers at the plate.
By Tori Strecker Collegian Staff As the second half of the calendar semester begins at Cameron University, so does the most important part of the 2010 season for the CU softball team. Over spring break the Lady Aggies began conference play, facing Southeastern Oklahoma State in a doubleheader at Cameron Field. The day resulted in a split, with CU taking the first game 3-1 and
SOSU winning the second battle 4-3. According to coach Beth Watson, the team performed well defensively but saw unfortunate breakdowns at the plate. “I feel like we played good enough to win both games, but the second one was just a back and forth struggle,” Watson said. “We put ourselves in the position to certainly get both of the wins, but we did not get quite enough hits when it mattered.”
Watson said she attributes this weakness to the continuous weather delays the team has faced in the season thus far. “When you do not have a steady string of games and are not consistent in your playing, then the offensive aspect of the game really suffers,” Watson said. “Hitting is very repetitive, and there is only so much you can simulate in practice with live pitching, so when you do not see it you cannot get into a groove.”
Despite this minor lapse at the plate, the freshmen members of the squad continue to maintain their offensive statistics. According to the record books, Watson’s top three hitters are newcomers Drew Wright, Leslie Martini and Amanda Karth. “The underclassmen continue to have good at bats and continue to understand their plan each time they go up to the plate,” Watson said. “This is a testament to their skill level; they are a very talented group.” In addition to having a consistent
offensive performance from her recruiting class, Watson said her upperclassmen are finally finding their way at the plate as well. In recent games, seniors Callie Schlatter and Micah Lierly have both produced home runs in clutch situations. Schlatter earned her bomb in the sixth inning against SOSU, while Lierly won the game against Abilene Christian with hers. “The upperclassmen are beginning to have better at bats,” Watson said. “We have gotten some really key moments out of them, and, if we could just get some more games in, then that will just make us better.” As the Lady Aggies continue to progress through their schedule, the pressure to win is becoming intense. With more conference games approaching, Watson said she is worried about the lack of game time experience her team has. “We have just begun working through conference play,” Watson said. “This is the most important part of our season, and I wish we had more games and more experience under our belt. When you step onto the field in conference, you need to win, but the lack of innings has hindered our development as far as team chemistry and team concepts.” Setting the uneasy feelings aside, Watson has confidence in her athletes and knows what kind of leadership it will take for every piece of the puzzle to finally fall into place. “I always stress that the tone of the game starts in the circle with our pitchers,” Watson said. “If they come out ready to go and energetic then it will filter down to everyone else. If this team brings the right frame of mind and the right approach to each game, then they can play with anybody.”
CU Baseball plays through break By Amanda Phillips Collegian Staff Spring break was no break for the Cameron baseball team. The men spent the break competing in matchups against four different teams and earned a 7-3 record for the week. In the first series, CU faced the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Bronchos. Cameron first played a two game series against UCO on March 13 at the Bronchos’ home field in Edmond. The Aggie men decisively defeated the Bronchos in both games, posting victories of 6-2 and 10-8, respectively. The Aggies continued to take it to UCO the following day when they played another two game series against the Bronchos, but this time at Cameron’s McCord Field. The black and gold took the first game 8-3. First baseman Blake Watson was the biggest hitter of the game with three hits, while P.J. Ortega drove in three runs, giving him the highest number of RBI for the game. In the second game of the day, CU issued the Bronchos yet another crushing defeat, recording an impressive 10-1 win. Ricky Cramer showed complete control on the mound. Not only did Cramer only give up one run, but he also threw six strikeouts. Watson again hit big for the Aggies, hammering out three hits and driving in four runs. Baseball coach Todd Holland was pleased with his team’s level of play against UCO. “Our pitching was really good. We had a chance and stayed in every game,” Holland said. Holland also acknowledged that he was confident in his team’s ability to clench another series victory over the Bronchos on the second day of play after his team’s performance on the first day. “I knew we would win playing at our home field,” Holland said. “I was really excited.” The Aggies next traveled to Arkansas to compete in a set of doubleheaders against two teams. In the first series, Cameron faced the Lions of the University of Arkansas-Ft. Smith, and CU opened the doubleheader with a 6-2 win. Junior left fielder Tyler Berg showed off his hitting talent in the game. Berg had three hits and drove in over half of the team’s runs. Holland was happy with Berg’s performance at the plate. “That was really Tyler’s first chance to play this season, and he played really well,” Holland said. The Aggies were not able to maintain their momentum in the second game of the day, however, and were defeated by the Lions 9-8 after a hard-fought game. CU faced Arkansas Tech in their next match up, and the Cameron men suffered tough defeats in both games of the series, losing 10-3 and 9-8, respectively. Holland attributes the team’s three losses to a couple
of factors. “We had some bad pitching and hitting at times, but playing eight games in four days is a lot, and it can really take a toll on a team,” Holland said. Cameron suffered two one-point margin losses during their time in Arkansas, which Holland acknowledged was a tough reality to face. “Those losses were really hard,” Holland said. “They were tough to swallow, but we competed and went out there and had a good time. That’s all you can ask for.” The Aggies ended their spring break with a pair of home victories over the Tigers of East Central University (ECU). CU crushed the Tigers in the first game with an 8-3 win. Cramer once again dominated from the mound and threw a solid seven strikeouts. Holland said he was very pleased with the level of Cramer’s pitching in the ECU match up. “Cramer was pitching on a short day’s rest, and he did a great job,” Holland said. Nate Valdez and Tomas Dicker’s strong hitting in the game was also key. Valdez and Dicker drove in two runs apiece. In the second game of the series, the Aggies dominated ECU, defeating the Tigers 15-3(7). Cameron had a lot of big hitters in the second match up, but senior Codi Harshman led the team in RBI with a total of four. Holland was happy with how well his team hit during both games of the series. “Hitting was really good, and it was very timely. We got the right hits at the right times,” Holland said. Cameron was scheduled to play a second doubleheader against ECU on March 20 at the Tigers’ home field, but the game was cancelled due to weather conditions.
Photos by Bennett Dewan
Dominating through defense: Ricky Cramer (top) throws a pitch during his complete game victory over UCO. Dominic Gamboa (below) fields a sharp ground ball from second base.
A&E
March 29, 2010
7
Local bands to perform together By Rachel Engel Collegian Staff The Cameron University Concert Band will perform with the Eisenhower High School Band at 7:30 p.m. on March 30 in the CU Theatre. It will be the second time a local band has been asked by the Music Department to play at their early spring concert; last year, the MacArthur High School Band accepted the department’s invitation. Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Roy Couch will conduct the CU Concert Band during the performance and said that the collaboration effort between the university and community emphasizes the importance of the arts. “It gets the locals on campus,” Dr. Couch said. “It lets them see what we’re doing here and to see our facilities. It gets the local high schools here to give them a chance to perform on a different stage, for a different crowd. Sometimes that excites them about attending Cameron as a Music major or just attending Cameron in general.” The Eisenhower Band, conducted by Joel Haas, will
take the stage first, performing “Southern Star” by David Gorham, “Tournament” by Stephen Bulla and “Dancing Reeds” by S.D. Eisch. The CU Concert Band will then perform six more pieces, each chosen specifically for their practicality in wind bands or for their complexity. “I try to mix the literature based on several factors,” Dr. Couch said. “First, the level of the band at this point. We’re a very young band, predominantly Freshmen. I cannot overwhelm them with overly-technical literature. At the same time, I want to move them forward in their development as musicians.” The receptiveness of the audience is also a major factor in deciding what pieces to perform, Dr. Couch said. “We want to move the musicians to a level that’s appropriate for college wind bands, but basically we just want people to come hear us,” he said. “The whole point is to perform and communicate something musically to an audience. That’s what I emphasize in rehearsals, ‘What is this music about? What are we trying to say with it?’”
The joint venture between the two bands is a recruitment opportunity for CU, Dr. Couch said, and is in addition to his promotion of Cameron throughout the southwest region of Oklahoma. “My Courtesy Photo outreach Sound the trumpets: Members of the Cameron University Concert Band efforts go way come together during the fall 2009 Honors Convocation. beyond just inviting bands,” and in performances, non-music performance with members of the he said. “I visit not only the local majors are always welcome, Dr. U.S. Army Band from Fort Sill. high schools; I go regional. I visit, Couch said. “It’s a really good opportunity listen to a rehearsal, and the band “My expectations for the Music for the kids, because they’re sitting directors have been very receptive.” Recruitment of band members majors are for them to be leaders,” next to people who are basically he said, “because this is their professional musicians,” Dr. is not restricted to solely Music chosen fi eld of study, but we have Couch said. “They get paid to play, majors, Dr. Couch said. a fair amount of non-music majors and most of them have graduate “When I first got here two in the band, and I welcome them.” degrees and advanced schooling.” years ago, my impression was Th e collaborative eff ort with Tickets for Tuesday’s that there was a pretty good band the Eisenhower High School performance will be sold at the walking around campus,” he said. Band is the first of two spring University Theater and are $6 for “They’re just not all coming to concerts for the CU Concert adults, $4 for seniors, military and band practice.” Band, the second taking place students, and admission is free for Though Music majors will have in late April as an integrated CU students with a student ID. more of a frontal role in classes
gone through a contentious divorce, Bloyd sees a chance for revenge when he learns his next job is to locate and escort his exwife, Nicole Hurley, played by Jennifer Aniston, to jail after she skipped out on her court date for assault on a police officer. After breaking in to Hurley’s apartment, Bloyd purposely covers her floor with mud from his shoes, cleans her toilet with her toothbrush and relaxes on her bed, intentionally wiping the cheese dust from a bag of chips on her white bed sheets as he waits to whisk her to jail. Aniston plays a journalist, and as she is hunting for details on a possible murder cover-up, she stumbles onto a crime-inthe-making. Throughout the movie she attempts to hunt down clues to fi nd the real story, all the while on the run from Bloyd, determined not to let him take her to jail. As the movie plays out, Bloyd and Hurley are reminded of the qualities in each other that led
them to end their relationship, as well as the qualities that initially attracted them to one another. Most of the movie is spent watching Aniston escape from Bloyd’s clutches, only for him to catch up to her five minutes later. Insults fly between the two, and then once again she is off, leaving the audience shifting restlessly in their seats, waiting for the rest of the story to follow the long, drawn-out game of chase. For whatever reason, onscreen chemistry between Butler and Aniston was lacking throughout the fi lm, which made should-have-been touching scenes feel lifeless and forced; Barack Obama and Glenn Beck have better chemistry. The plot seemed to be pieced together without any real forethought as to how each scene would connect with the next, as if the writers were making the story up as they went along. There are various
‘The Bounty Hunter’ falls short of expectations By Rachel Engel Collegian Staff The transition from seeing Gerard Butler play a crazed widower hell-bent on destroying what he considered a broken judicial system in “Law Abiding Citizen,” to a cynical and somewhat annoying cop-turnedbounty-hunter in his latest movie, “The Bounty Hunter,” was painful and, at times, boring. As well planned and meticulous in detail as “Law Abiding Citizen” was, “The Bounty Hunter” is the complete opposite. Directed by Andy Tennant, who also directed “It Takes Two,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Fools Rush In,” “The Bounty Hunter” is a typical romantic-comedy that girls hate to love and guys love to hate. Butler plays Milo Bloyd, an ex-police officer who pays the bills by tracking down criminals who jump bail. Having recently
MCT Campus
In custody: Gerard Butler plays a bounty hunter determined to bring his ex-wife to jail after she skipped bail in ‘The Bounty Hunter.’ plot holes throughout the fi lm, as well as characters that are introduced, but then never returned to. Despite all the attempts at humor between Aniston and Butler, the only true comic relief in the fi lm comes from Stewart, a colleague of Hurley’s at the newspaper they work at, played
by Jason Sudeikis, a current cast member of Saturday Night Live. Sudeikis makes use of each line of dialogue given to him and is the one high point in the fi lm. Though “The Bounty Hunter” was not the worst romantic-comedy this reviewer has ever seen, it certainly wasn’t the best.
‘God of War III:’ few changes, same satisfaction By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff Kratos is a man in serious need of anger management treatment. You think you have a temper problem? The Ghost of Sparta killed his wife and daughter in a fit of rage; so he killed Ares, the god of war, to avenge them; killed the sisters of fate and is now on a quest to kill every god of Olympus. Why? Because he is one angry man. Sony’s “God of War” series has featured some of the most brutal gameplay imaginable since it debuted in 2005. Kratos uses his Blades of Chaos, Blades of Athena and the Blades of Exile to dispatch enemies in some gruesome ways, including MCT Campus ripping their
eyes out, dismembering them and even gutting them. These are not games for the faint of heart. Sony Santa Monica had their work cut out for them as they brought an end to the epic trilogy, which has featured so much deity murdering that it’s almost sacrilegious. At the end of “God of War II,” Kratos was scaling Mount Olympus with the help of the titans to bring an end to his illegitimate father, Zeus. Kratos is a man with some family issues.
Perhaps he needs a hug. “God of War III” picks up at the cliff hanger with the gods mounting their defense against the titans. With such an epic beginning, it’s almost hard to imagine the game could keep the same tempo throughout, but it somehow does. The story is primarily filled with the same anger and rage that personified the first two games. Kratos shouts almost all the time. But, has a little more personality than before, even joking with the banished god Hephestus. The story really picks up toward the end and offers a fitting conclusion to the bloody tale. Sony Santa Monica held true to the age-old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There are very few gambles made with the gameplay. Even though Kratos has new weapons, the Blades of Exile, they act exactly like the rest of the series. The swords are attached to chains that he can swing around and defeat enemies with in disturbing ways. As the campaign progresses, he picks up additional weapons, which often act similar to the blades. However, unlike in the previous games where the additional weapons were
all but useless, these offer a change of pace and can be used to dispatch certain enemies easier than the blades. Players can also switch weapons in the middle of a combo, chaining together some very impressive attacks. The scale is truly breathtaking. The game opens with Kratos literally fighting on Gaia, the mother titan. Gaia and her brethren are so big that Kratos is a tiny, insignificant speck on her side. The titan gameplay really creates some unique encounters and is something that’s never before been seen in games. With such scale, the graphics and animation had to suffer, no? Actually, “God of War III” continues the same tradition of pushing Sony hardware to its limits. The game mostly runs at 60 FPS, but shudders from time to time in heavy combat. Still, these are some of the most impressive visuals on consoles to date. Kratos has been updated and looks extremely impressive, especially when he’s covered in the blood of his enemies. Every time he mutilates an Olympian guard or mythological creature, the blood from the victim splashes all over him in
impressive detail. It’s the small details that matter in “God of War III,” and Sony Santa Monica sure paid attention. It’s tough to say where the final game in the trilogy stacks up against its predecessors. There aren’t as many puzzles as previous games, which is good if you prefer the straight-up action. The story is weak for the first three-quarters of the game, featuring Kratos mainly fighting his way through an endless number of enemies and murdering an endless number of gods. But toward the end, it really begins to start surprising. In essence, the one strike against “God of War III” is that it’s more of the same. The formula has hardly been tweaked, but it still manages to be one of the most impressive action games ever. Sony Santa Monica saw no reason to mess with an award-winning structure, and this reviewer agrees. At the end of the game, you’ll be wishing there were still more Greek gods to slay. “God of War III” is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and is available exclusively on the Playstation 3.
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Variety
March 29, 2010
Continued from page 3
Saving the best for last: The Colosseum was one of the last sites the group visited.
A country within a country: Vatican City was the third country the group toured.
“The Duomo in Milan took 500 years to build and seats 40,000 people,” Dr. Huckaby, Assistant Professor of Political Science said. “It has 3,400 statuettes carved into the façade and is truly amazing.” After gazing at the wonder of Milan for barely a day, the group traveled to Venice by train, where they stayed the night in a hostel on the Grand Canal. Venice is often listed as one of the world’s most romantic cities and Caples agreed. “Venice was so beautiful. That day was my favorite of the trip because my boyfriend proposed to me in St. Mark’s Square,” she said. “My favorite city overall, though, was Florence. It was just amazing.” Many in the group agreed and seemed to enjoy Florence more than any other Italian city. “There is just so much history in Florence,” Dr. Huckaby said. “You have Michelangelo’s ‘David,’ Machiavelli’s office, the Uffizi and it’s where the Renaissance was started.” Bryan Nies, a senior History major, was also most impressed by Florence, where the group stayed for four days and three nights. “Seeing Michelangelo’s ‘La Pieta’ at the Cathedral Museum in Florence was by far my favorite moment of the trip,” Nies said. “Florence was
my favorite city, and Rome was my least favorite. I thought it smelled like pork and sadness.” Not everyone agreed with Nies’ assessment of Rome, as senior Radio and Television Broadcasting major Alyssa Knerr loved all that Rome had to offer. “My favorite city was Rome because there was so much to see and do – the Colosseum; the Forum; the Trevi Fountains are just a start,” Knerr said. “The Vatican is located there and you’re able to visit another country within a city. It was just amazing.” The trip was not without its pitfalls, as plans did not always come together as everyone hoped due to outside circumstances. “Our train from Florence to Rome by way of Pisa was delayed because we hit a horse,” Dr. Huckaby said. “Everyone had to get off the train and get onto another one that was already crowded.” News of the horse’s demise spread through word of mouth from car to car as travelers asked what had happened. “A couple in the first car said they felt a thud and started smelling barbeque,” Nies said. “That’s how we found out. I thought, ‘it looks like Eeyore finally did it.’” The trip was the second one in as many years for the members of the Law and Politics and History clubs, as they traveled to Greece last spring break.
Return to Rome: Travelers threw coins into the Trevi Fountain, which, according to Roman folklore, ensures each person a return trip to Rome.
Lean on me: Caitlin McElroy, Carter Fanning and Rachel Rothner pose while waiting outside Florence’s San Lorenzo Basilica.
Meet you at the Neptune: Florence’s central fountain was a popular meeting spot while in the Tuscan city.
Photos courtesy of Deanne Caples Page Design by Monica Garner
Eco-friendly transit: CU travelers take a romantic gondola ride while in Venice.
Under the Tuscan sun: The Florence Cathedral was a favorite of the trip.