Collegian T he Cameron University
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Monday, November 6, 2017
Volume 97 Issue 7
CU ranked 25th in least debt Drue Watkins Copy Editor
According to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges of 2018, Cameron University is ranked 15th in the category of Least Debt in the west region and 25th among all 441 regional universities surveyed nationwide. In addition, the Online MBA program also received recognition at a ranking of 145 out of 255 university programs. Out of all 2016 Cameron graduates who acquired a bachelor’s degree, only 37 percent incurred debt; that’s the second-lowest percentage in the west region and sixth lowest among all regional universities in the United States. The national average of students graduating with debt at regional universities is more than 71 percent, putting Cameron in the top 1.5 percent for the fewest students graduating with debt. President John McArthur said that Cameron is beyond proud of the recognition and of the benefits it promotes for the university. “The students are our main priority, and they always will be,” he said. “Low cost creates a high level of support and helps promote growth. We want our students to see prices as predictable.” Two years ago, 45 percent of Cameron graduates sustained debt, but the percentage continues to decline. A growing number of financial aid opportunities like scholarship funds and lower tuition costs help decrease debt. McArthur said that affordability continues to be one of the biggest concerns Cameron hopes to address pushing forward. “Students
need to feel secure and more at ease,” he said. “By keeping expenses reasonable and more affordable, we maintain our student body; less costs means more student retention. At the end of the day, our ultimate goal as educators is to keep students in classrooms.” One of the most popular introductions that Cameron has made for students watching their
“Low cost creates a high level of support and helps promote growth.”
*Data from National Center for Education Statistics
John McArthur
President of Cameron University expenses is Degree Works—an online software program that helps future and current students evaluate upcoming classes, enroll and adjust student schedules accordingly. It also promotes a tracking system that allows a student to follow the steps to their graduation. The recognition of Cameron’s MBA program is the first time the program has received a ranking in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges report in university history. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and evaluated in five different categories: student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology. McArthur said that the availability of online resources is an excellent way for students to continue their educations while balancing them with their busy daily lives. “The online environment allows students and staff to accomplish more,” he said. “One in five classes are now online, and we want to continue to appeal to a wide range of students. Our older students are still a large niche in our enrollment, and their ability to level out their schooling with an online course here and there allows for more flexibility.”
What’s inside Cameron Halloween Carnival
Kristi Smith debuts art collection
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Aggie Madness Page 6
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News
November 6, 2017
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Young Professionals at CU
Professional leadership: (Top left:) Young Professionals of Lawton (YPL) Board Member Frank Myers welcomes attendees as they fill out raffle tickets. (Top right:) Viridian Coffee owner and panelist Shay Hayes makes a cup of fresh roasted Viridian coffee for a guest. (Bottom:) (from left to right) Hayes, UPS store owner Yvonne Landmark, City National Bank Chief Operating Officer Jason Hensley and JAMARK owner Mark Rodriguez sit on YPL’s “Why Lawton?” panel. YPL hosted the mentorship discussion panel comprised of local leaders at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 in the Johnson Auditorium in Ross Hall. Photos by Edward Muñiz
Visiting Writer Series: Janine Joseph growing up as an immigrant in the United States. In 1991, Joseph’s family moved to Southern California, and she felt confused about her label as an immigrant—a status she shared with Mexican immigrants in the area. Before reading “Between Chou and the Butterfly,” Joseph said the poem drew on language from immigration paperwork and L.A. Times articles about Mexican immigrants. Identity and immigration: Poet and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at “It was a really OSU Janine Joseph reads a selection from her award-winning collection “Driving confusing time without a License.” Joseph spoke at the Department of English and Foreign for me because Languages Visiting Writer Series at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27 in the Wichita Room. I understood myself to be Writing at Oklahoma State someone who was undocumented,” Cheyenne Cole University Janine Joseph read poetry she said. Managing Editor and essays, including selections from “And yet all of the stories I was @cheyenneccole her collection “Driving without a reading involved people who were License.” The Department of English and undocumented but coming up from The collection is a 2014 Kundiman South America or coming up from Foreign Languages continued the Poetry Prize winner and a finalist for Mexico. … At a certain point, I really Visiting Writer Series at 7 p.m. on the 2017 Oklahoma Book Award. It Oct. 27 in the Wichita Room. had to just write myself out of the was inspired by Joseph’s experience Assistant Professor of Creative desert.” Photo by Cheyenne Cole
She also said the poem originally began with an epigraph, which is excerpted from the Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou’s book “Zhuangzi.” However, her editor removed it. “I literally wrote it [the epigraph] in pencil into this book,” she said. “I really can’t let it go. … The epigraph itself is the source of the title of this poem, which is maybe why I love it so much.” The epigraph reads “He does not know whether he is Chou who dreams he is a butterfly or a butterfly who dreams he is Chou. Between Chou and the butterfly, there was necessarily a dividing. Just this is what is meant by the transformation of things.” Joseph said “Driving without a License” started as a summer project right after she graduated from high school as a way to gain a sense of control. “Pretty much anything in the arts,” she said, “you don’t need anyone’s permission to do, right? You don’t need to show anyone your social security number. You don’t need to make copies of your driver’s license. You can make art.” For Joseph, revision is an important part of the writing process. She said she recently completed a poem she worked on and revised for seven years. “That was an early fear of mine,” she said, “that I would write a draft and that it was completely pure and completely perfect in that particular state, but there’s a lot of magic that
happens in revision.” Senior English and business major Zoie Timothy is a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society that co-sponsors the Visiting Writer Series. She immigrated to the United States from Dominica in 2011. Timothy said she is currently in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, so she related to Joseph’s writing on a personal level. “I thought the way she addressed the naturalization process was really interesting because I’m going through it right now,” she said. “And she’s right. It’s really terrible and tedious.” Timothy said it is important to hear the perspectives of people like Joseph because it helps the general public better understand the struggles immigrants face in the U.S. “The more people like her write about their experiences and talk about it,” she said, “the more humanized immigrants will be and the better the debate will be.” Joseph is currently working on her second collection, which is about her U.S. naturalization and how a recent car accident affected her. “It took me a while to remember what I did,” she said, “but I did remember that I was a poet, and it was all I needed to keep going.” “Driving without a License” is available on Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble. For more information about the Visiting Writer Series, contact the Department of English and Foreign Languages at (580) 581-2272.
November 6, 2017
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Student Life
CU celebrates Halloween Robert King A&E Editor @wckdrjtk
For the month of October, Cameron Programming Activities Council (PAC) partnered with Student Housing and campus clubs and organizations to celebrate the holiday season with the annual Halloween Carnival and a haunted house.
Halloween Carnival
Photos by Stacie Larsen
Spooky!: (Above:) 5-year-old Elijah Archey throws a pie. (Middle:) 5-year-old Kandyce Milller colors during the annual Halloween Carnival. (Below:) CU students and members of the Lawton community attend the inaugural haunted house hosted by Student Housing and PAC.
The Cameron University Programming Activities Council (PAC) hosted its annual Halloween Carnival from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the Aggie Rec Center. The Halloween Carnival is a chance for Cameron University to reach out to the local community, with hundreds of people attending each year. In 2016, around 700 people attended. Senior English Education major and PAC President Kylie Erricson said that she expected the same number of people to attend this year. “It’s usually a really big event where non-traditional students at Cameron bring their friends and family,” she said. “We usually get a big turnout and it’s one of the biggest events that PAC hosts.” Clubs and organizations at Cameron like Greek Life, Biological Sciences and CU Engineers had the opportunity to set up booths at the carnival. PAC oversaw the setup of the Halloween Carnival and co-sponsored it with each campus organization. In total, 33 organizations participated this year. PAC and Greek Life adviser Aron Crouse said that almost every organization at Cameron set up a table. “There were two that backed out at the end,” he said, “and one or two that
couldn’t put a table together, so they helped other organizations or helped PAC.” Each campus group with a booth had games, prizes or crafting activities and plenty of candy to give out. There was also a bouncy house for children. Organization members set their booths up on carpet mats in a rectangular pattern on the basketball court of the Rec Center to allow attendees to walk from table to table in an orderly fashion. Each organization came prepared with Halloween-themed activities and games, bringing awareness to their clubs. Erricson said that she liked the opportunity to get active with the local community. “It’s just a big carnival that kids and families can come to,” she said. “College students can come too. Usually they give prizes. It’s a way for PAC and Cameron to reach out to the community.” Aggie Mascot Ole Kim walked around the carnival greeting everyone and stopping to take pictures. Crouse said he loves how the activities allowed the campus to get involved with the community and impact local children. “I think it was fantastic,” he said, “and it opens me up to the reasons why PAC does it. It’s fantastic to see that from both sides.”
Haunted House
Student Housing and PAC hosted the inaugural haunted house from 8-10 p.m. on Oct. 30. The haunted house occupied all three floors of housing. Members of both organizations dressed up as Disney characters for the event. Some of the characters included Scary Poppins, Mad Hatter, Snow White and Hercules. For more information about PAC, visit www.cameron.edu/pac.
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Voices
November 6, 2017
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STOPPING
the trend of Hollywood sexual violence Earlier this month, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was finally called out for what he is: a sexual predator. I say “finally” because, frankly, people have known what Harvey Weinstein is for many years, and most of them didn’t do anything about it. There are many reasons why no one spoke up; some of them understandable, and some of them craven, but there is one that must be talked about in greater detail, because it often goes ignored in cases of sexual assault and rape. The simple truth about sexual assault and rape is that, for the people who commit these acts, it is not about sex, so much as it is about power. Harvey Weinstein had power. He knew he could get away with it and — for many years — he did. There are many people like Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood, people who are so powerful and well respected that they begin to think of themselves more as gods than people. They believe they can get away with anything and, as evidence seems to show, they can. It says something about us as a people that we allow people like Weinstein to get so much power. In the end, we see him for what he is, but it took many years, and there are still many powerful people in Hollywood who we have essentially forgiven for being predators. People like Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Bryan Singer, to name just a few. Very likely, there are many more Hollywood artists and producers whose predatory natures have not yet been discovered — and very likely will be just as summarily ignored by the public once they are discovered. People still openly joke about Roman Polanski and Woody Allen, as if the fact that they were both implicated in high-profile pedophilia cases was just some sort of amusing character quirk. What does it say about us that we allow these people to have this kind of power? Actress Ashley Judd was one of the first people to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Judd’s story details how Weinstein invited her to a breakfast meeting; however, when she arrived, she was sent up to Weinstein’s room, where Weinstein was waiting in a bathrobe. He asked Judd if he could give her a massage, or if she could watch him shower. Even in that moment, Judd’s first thought was, “How do I get out of this room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?” Without alienating Harvey Weinstein. This is the degree of power Harvey Weinstein had in Hollywood. He could sexually harass someone, and the victim wouldn’t be able to fight back because they feared for their job. Show business is tricky in terms of psychology. Many performers don’t just think of it as their job, but as the key element of their entire lives, and the sum
total of their dreams. Harvey Weinstein knew this, and he used that knowledge to render women powerless. Let’s not forget that this Harvey Weinstein issue, and the issue of sexual harassment as a whole, is about power. Harvey Weinstein wanted to show his power over these actresses. Harvey Weinstein knew he could get away with the horrible things he did. How did he know it? Because we gave him this power. We gave him our money and exercised our almost unlimited ability to look the other way, not just for him, but for many powerful people in Hollywood. We condone him because we like his product. We do the same for Roman Polanski and Woody Allen. For far longer than we should have, we did the same for Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein. Artists are given a special place in society, and popular artists are nearly untouchable. The people who consume and love their art start almost to believe they know them. They feel like friends in some distant way. Artists are allowed this special place in society because art helps us through hard times. Art supports us, and experiencing art gives us an emotional release. This is what makes a powerful artist different from other types of powerful people, like a corporate CEO or a politician. People identify with artists, so people feel inclined to give artists the benefit of the doubt when it comes to accusations of sexual assault. People might even feel more inclined to defend those artists. What the Harvey Weinstein scandal should teach us more than anything is that we must truly scrutinize the people responsible for popular art in this country. For a long time, it has felt as though people in the arts have been completely untouchable when it comes to accusations of violence. Over these last few weeks, that has changed. Victims are speaking up, and where their stories were once buried or discredited outright, now they are being treated with the seriousness they deserve. Take for instance actress and musician Courtney Love. In 2005, she spoke to Natasha Leggero at a red carpet event. Leggero asked Love for advice on a young girl moving to Hollywood, and Love’s reply was telling. “I’ll get libeled if I say it,” Love said. “If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, don’t go.” That was in 2005. It’s been an open secret in Hollywood for more than a decade, and we’ve only gotten around to correcting the problem now. So let’s make up for it. Let’s have no more half measures, no more looking the other way when someone does something unspeakably awful simply because we like their work. No one is above reproach, and no one gets a free pass from punishment simply because they’re too powerful to be fought. After all, these people have impossible power because we gave it to them, and we can take it away from them. All we need is the will to do it.
Payton Williams Voices Editor
@YoureSoVanya
About Us
The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Lawton Constitution. The first issue is provided for free. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.
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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 “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.
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Managing Editors - Cheyenne Cole and Stacie Larsen A&E Editor - Robert King Sports Editor - Krista Pylant Student Life Editor - Sarae Ticeahkie Voices Editor - Payton Williams Copy Editors - Otis Roby and Drue Watkins Aggie Central Editor - Jeff Larson Social Media Editor - Kerry Schoonaert
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Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Miranda Fritts, Madison Lyda, David Perkins Circulation Manager - Cheyenne Cole Advertising Manager - Cheyenne Cole Faculty Adviser - Mr. David Bublitz
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November 6, 2017
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A&E
Cameron Percussion performs fall concert Robert King
Schools. “They’re intrigued,” he A&E Editor said, “and we sell out the @wckdrjtk theatre every semester. It The Cameron University enriches their education. Percussion Ensemble We have the opportunity to (CUPE) performed at 7:30 share the music with them.” p.m. on Oct. 26 in the The children’s concert University Theatre. features pop music and The concert featured an abridged version of the the CU Classic Percussion evening concert. Ensemble, the CU Drumline The CU Drumline and the Pan Express, which opened the evening concert is the official steel drum with “Cameron Cadence ensemble of Cameron Series” and “Summer University. Drummin,” which were both All three of the led by Senior Percussion performing groups have been major Gus Echols. conducted for 42 years (83 The CU Classic consecutive semesters) by Percussion Ensemble the Director of Percussion performed “Teamwork” and Studies at Cameron, Dr. “Concerto for Solo Marimba James Lambert. & Percussion Ensemble.” Lambert has 35 These two compositions percussion graduates showcased Echols playing teaching or performing the solo marimba. throughout the United Throughout the rest of States. the concert, the ensemble Before the big evening conducted other sets of concert, CUPE held a tunes such as “Bolero” children’s concert at 10 a.m. and the classic “Over for local public schools. the Rainbow” from “The Lambert said that it Wizard of Oz,” with Echols is important for music playing solo xylophone and programs at Cameron to be marimba. involved with Lawton Public The concert ended with
the Pan Express playing “And I love her” along with “Mo Java.” CUPE features six percussion majors and nine non-percussion majors. Echols said that he got into percussion during the fifth grade, and he knew that it was what he wanted to do. “I always wanted to be a rock drummer,” he said, “and so in sixth grade I tried out to be a percussionist, made it, and ever since then I’ve been in percussion.” Senior Vocal Performance major Lorenzo Butler said that he joined the ensemble to practice rhythm and reading sheet music. “I wasn’t a very good sight reader,” he said. “One of the things I knew I was lacking was a lot of stuff dealing with rhythm and trying to read music. So, I talked to Dr. Lambert about taking lessons or doing something to help me get a better feel for the rhythm and music.” The next concert for the percussion ensemble will be on March 27, featuring guest composer and percussion soloist, Dr. Joshua D. Smith.
Photos by Doris Lambert
Cameron University Percussion Ensemble: (Above:) The Cameron University Pan Express plays some pop hits in the University Theatre foyer before the 7:30 p.m. concert on Oct. 26. (Below:) The 2017-18 CU Percussion Ensemble poses for photos outside of the music department buildings.
Smith presents paintings in CU Sciences Complex pieces got accepted into a competitive exhibition at Southwestern Oklahoma Student Life Editor State University in Weatherford. @SylviaSpeaks Painting professor Monika Linehan and Art professor Katherine LiontasSenior painting major Kristi Smith publicly presented her solo art Warren helped mentor and guide exhibition on Oct. 12 in the Cameron Smith, who gained inspiration from the professors’ studio art classes. Sciences Complex. The exhibition Smith said that Linehan and will last until Nov. 5. One half of the exhibition features Liontas-Warren did so much for her Smith’s senior thesis project, and the artistic capabilities and future career. “They have such a passion and drive other half will be presented in Spring to create work that makes me want 2018. to be the same as Smith them,” Smith said. said that the As Smith’s ideas behind “It’s about the love and senior year her feminism appreciation you have for approaches, she art pieces said that life revolved oneself, and trying to be after college has around more accepting of who you constantly been on womanhood are and what you like.” her mind. Photos by Emily Lepien and body “With my positivity. - Kristi Smith Body of work: (Above:) Artist Kristi Smith displays her paintings “Nude Female 2” decision to go off “It’s about and (below, top:) “Sitting Woman” and (below, bottom:) “Posing Woman.” to grad school,” the love and appreciation you have for oneself,” she she said, “I knew that it would be said, “and trying to be more accepting extremely different from undergrad. It would be more rigorous and that’s of who you are and what you like.” The ideas for Smith’s senior thesis kind of when I said to myself ‘Okay, I can’t goof around anymore.’ I really began last spring semester during a need to get serious about this.” water coloring class. Smith has applied to colleges in She said she got the idea around Iowa, Massachusetts, Texas and the time Donald Trump got elected Colorado. as president, with the event triggering After her years at Cameron and the feminism concept. with her future plans to attend grad Smith did not have much school, Smith decided that she wants interaction with painting during to pursue the career of being an art high school, despite taking some art professor. classes. Smith said that she wants to be “I was never that serious about it,” able to teach other people who are Smith said. “I didn’t become serious about my artistic and academic career interested in art, too. “I really want to be able to teach until this year.” future artists,” she said, “and be able Smith has also entered pieces of her artwork to different universities in to help them grow artistically and intellectually. The same way my Oklahoma. professors have taught me.” Two semesters ago, one of the
Sarae Ticeahkie
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AGGIE
Sports
November 6, 2017
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MADNESS Off to a flying start: Aggie forward Jalen Nicholas goes for a dunk at Aggie Madness on Oct. 16 in the Aggie Gym. The annual event showcased the CU men’s and women’s basketball teams ahead of their season tipoffs.
Photo by Krista Pylant