Collegian T he Cameron University
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Monday, February 10, 2014
Volume 90 Issue 3
The LOVE Issue: Whether it is the love for one’s self (see Casey Brown’s take on the single life on page 5) or the love for a significant other (see Love is... on page 4) or simply the love of a little healthy competition (see Sadie Jones’ coverage of Miss Black CU on page 7) - The Collegian has it covered.
Photo by Kaylee Jones
Cameron politics: SGA sets sights for spring 2014 semester
Kaitlyn Stockton
said. “Now, I am shooting for around 12. We started Copy Editor to try to develop a hashtag, but it didn’t take off, so if On Jan. 27, Cameron we can get that going, that’d University’s Student be awesome.” Government Association Currently, five pieces brainstormed ideas for its of legislation have passed final legislation for the through the body. 2013-2014 school year. The first bill, proposed In these sessions, representatives and senators by SGA Vice President Hannah Smart, will allow take ideas they have heard from their constituents and CU students to apply and pay for graduation present them to the SGA online rather than travel body. across campus to both the SGA President Kevin registrars’ and cashiers’ Stieb said his goal for the offices. school year was to see the “I have to apply to body pass 10 pieces of legislation; however, he now graduation right now, and the ATM was down when foresees even more. I went to go get my money. “We are on track,” he
At the time, I thought ‘Man, I really wish this was online,’” Stieb said. “I think it would benefit students a lot because if I could have done it online, I would already be done.” Before Mary Fallin’s executive order, Stieb authored legislation to allow students to smoke e-cigarettes at a specific distance from doors on campus. At the time, no legislation was proposed, and Stieb believed his actions would encourage others to write their own bills on the subject. “My biggest concern was we needed to get the
SGA Legislation 2013 - 2014
*Passed means the legislation passed the SGA body. Once it passes, it is sent as a memo to President McArthur who makes amendments to the text.
student’s voice out there. Sometimes the student’s voice on issues like that isn’t heard,” he said. “We needed to get something out there in case the administration took it upon themselves to change the policy. They would have at least known our opinion on the matter.” CU students will soon see the results of one SGA’s legislation on campus. University President John McArthur recently endorsed the body’s bill to create a parking space for the SGA member of the month.
10/14/2013 – 313001 Call for Online Application for Graduation Smart Passed – Memo Sent 10/21/2013 – 313002 Ratification OSGA Constitution Cavin Passed – Ratified 10/28/2013 – 313003 Change Evaluation Forms Stieb Floor – Memo Sent 11/4/2013 – 313004 E-Cig Policy Stieb Floor – Failed 11/18/2013 – 313005 Parking Spot for SGA Member of the Month High Floor – Passed 11/24/2013 – 313006 Toilet Seat Covers Meek Floor – Passed
See SGA page 2
Trending topics: Superbowl Sunday
Insight to the perspective of fast food workers during one of the biggest sporting events of the year Charlene Belew Sports Editor
Super Bowl Sunday is the equivalent of Black Friday for the fast food industry. Last year, when the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens went head to head, Pizza Hut, my current place of employment, felt the harsh reality of how much football means to our society. The customers piled into the restaurant with angry-faces, anxious to get home to see the halftime show, or even worse, the game in its entirety. With customers flooding into the store, the sound of the phone ringing nonstop and deliveries piling up, it was apparent that there was no way we could keep up. I watched customers grow impatient with the fact that our ovens were taking so long to bake about 400 pizzas, let alone about 1,300 wings. As a shift leader, I could feel the entire crew starting to lose their cool. They worked frantically over 480-degree ovens for minimum wage – ridiculous and unfair, especially over a football game. Customers started cursing and threatening riots in our lobby. It was then I realized that I never wanted to experience another Super Bowl at Pizza Hut while I was on the management team. Since January, I have been freaking out about the amounts of
Bill Nye and Ken Hamm at Creation Museum
Inside this issue: Page 2
isn’t such a bad thing. I guess what it really comes down to is this: people who are working in situations like this have to be in the right mindset. They have to be prepared, dedicated and know how to keep a cool head, even in the toughest of times. However, for anyone who has never experienced the struggles of working in the food industry, whether it is as a cook, a manager, a waiter or even a delivery driver, there should always be some sympathy and empathy shown, to everyone, customers and employees alike. It’s important to realize that our employees have to show professionalism. Sometimes it’s easier to do that when customers are more understanding. In all honesty, if it hadn’t been for both of these things on Feb. 2, I’m not so sure if the day would have gone as smoothly. In fact, I’m almost certain that it would have turned into a chaotic conundrum. At Pizza Hut, we try our best to provide hungry people with awesome food. I know that our crew isn’t perfect, but we made it through the biggest day of the year for us. Our building is still intact, our crew is still intact and customers seemed more patient and happier this year. That’s all that I could’ve asked for. Maybe it just takes a snow day to have people, both in the store and in the home, realize that football is great, but patience is greater.
stress that could come with the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos battling it out on the field. Between laying out floor plans and trying to figure out how we could prepare enough product for the big day, our workers spent enormous amounts of effort to get us prepared, and even then, being prepared seemed like a joke. It didn’t help when I woke up on Feb. 2 to see that Lawton had turned into a winter wonderland. Considering that our store closed almost four hours early due to the inclement weather, we still managed to make about $5,000, and in retrospect, it went very smoothly — almost so smoothly that it was unnerving. In previous years, we’ve had customers ordering at least a week in advance for Super Bowl. This year, we were slightly concerned that almost 95 percent of the orders were placed the day of the game. With roads being slick, a rough day was unavoidable. Although it seems like the worst was expected Super Bowl Sunday ultimately turned out to be in our favor. After experiencing Super Bowl XLVIII, my perception — on the busiest day of the year for the food industry — has changed tremendously. Maybe last year was just a bad year for us, or for everybody. After this year though, and a rather long 13 hour shift, I decided that sometimes being busy and working through difficult times
CU welcomes new livestock judging team
Page 3
Graphic by Kaylee Jones & MCT Campus
Hoop Dancing with Kevin Locke
Page 7
Aggies victorious against ECU
Page 8
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News
February 10, 2014
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Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham: Who won?
Photo courtesy of MCT Campus
Evolution vs. Creationism: Bill Nye gets a picture with a fan. Bill Nye, the ‘science guy,’ and Ken Ham, a ‘Young Earth’ Creationist spoke at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY.
Jacob Jardel
CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis, against Bill Nye, a scientist known for his work on an eponymous science show. Staff Editor The debate hinged on the key question of whether A famed science guy and a noted creationist scientist came creationist theory is a viable option to explain the making of the universe. While Ham’s point of view was based heavily together to debate their points of view at 6 p.m. on Feb. 4. Hosted by CNN’s Tom Foreman at the Creation Museum in Biblical account, Nye’s centered on current evolutionary theory. in Petersburg, KY, the debate pitted Ken Ham, president/
Foreman opened the debate by introducing the two debaters to the crowd before each speaker provided opening statements. Ham, who had won the coin toss and elected to speak first, addressed the schism between current creationism and modern viewpoints of science, noting that there doesn’t have to be a schism. Using anecdotes from various scientist who believe in creationist theory, Ham concluded that terms like “science” and the like have been redefined to fit more nonreligious viewpoints. “Science has been hijacked by secularists,” he said. After Ham’s opening statement, Nye started his, addressing the Biblical account of Noah’s Ark and debating the plausibility of such an occurrence. He also turned to fossil research to show how the layers of rock with no fossil crossover disprove flood-related accounts. He concluded his opening statement with a request to the audience to not stray away from what he considers scientific advancement. “If we continue to eschew science,” Nye said, “we are not going to continue to move forward.” After Nye’s opening statement, each debater received up to 30 minutes to make his point about the validity of creationist views, starting with Ham’s defense of the viewpoint. Ham proposed there does not need to be a differentiation between creationists and scientists by way of video anecdotes from various prominent scientists. Throughout his argument and the rest of the debate, he emphasized the difference between observable and historical sciences. On the other side of the table, Nye posed that rock layers and fossil records disprove not only the plausibility of accounts regarding the ark but also the concept of a young age for the universe. One of the main points he tried to make during the debate was the basic concept common throughout sciences, which he felt that creationism lacked. “What we want in science,” he said, “is the ability to predict.” Using this premise, he encouraged scientists to find things that either prove or disprove what scientists observe in the world as they see it today. In the rebuttal stage, Nye said: “When we find an idea that doesn’t work, we throw it away. Bring it on.” Overall, both scientists defended their topics with running themes, such as Nye’s drive toward finding what is predictable and Ham’s search for answers using Scriptural evidence. Whether the themes were right or wrong, both debaters left with a more enlightened opinion on their opponent’s viewpoint.
CU donation celebration Tyler Boydston Staff Writer
Cameron University was recently the recipient of $50,000 from the Helen W. Holliday Foundation in Lawton. The foundation began donating to Cameron in 1988 and has given the school almost $520,000 in its 26 years of donations. Vice President of University Advancement Albert Johnson said the money from the donation will go toward scholarships and helping more students in their endeavors to continue their education. “There’s actually a scholarship in her name, and that’s where the money goes,” Johnson said. “It is designed to assist students in bettering their lives. There’s a local flavor to it. This most recent gift, the trustees of the foundation allowed us to use those funds as we deemed most appropriate as long as it’s related to scholarships.” The Helen W. Holliday Foundation was founded in 1974, two years after Holliday’s passing, and was created to improve educational opportunities within the Lawton-Fort Sill community. According to Johnson, the Helen Holliday scholarship at Cameron is one of many endowed scholarships, which students can attained by completing the general scholarship application. “Any student attending Cameron University can go to the Cameron webpage, and there is a general scholarship application form that they can fill out, and what we’ll do is take that and apply their name against other scholarships on campus,” Johnson said. “In the case of a student who would like to identify a specific scholarship, they can go again to the website, and there is a listing of endowed scholarships. They can scroll down, and next to each endowed scholarship, there is a short description of what that scholarship is.
Photo by Tyler Boydston
Supporting students: CU Junior Communication major Bradley Johnson looks over scholarship applications on the Cameron website. The Helen W. Holliday Foundation in Lawton has donated almost $520,000 in its 26 years of donations. Cameron University currently has 63 endowed scholarships from different foundations and individuals. Johnson said endowed scholarships must contain a minimum of $10,000 in order for the benefits to continue through the years. “We provide scholarships off of the revenue of the interest that comes from those endowments, so they are permanently a part of Cameron University,” Johnson said. “The higher the scholarship, the more revenue comes in from that scholarship, and we can give out more to
students. The beauty of that is we do have donors that contribute to the base of that scholarship each year.” Donations in the form of scholarships can be less than $10,000; however, they will not be lasting. “Some don’t have an endowment of $10,000 or more. Some have less than that, but they want to have an impact on students, and so they will give money that they know will be gone as soon as it’s given out to students,” Johnson explained. According to Johnson, gifts like the Helen W.
Holliday Foundation’s $50,000 donation to the university have helped make Cameron a more affordable destination for college students. “Because of gifts like that, it allows students to come here. It’s one of the reasons Cameron University is so affordable. It’s one of the reasons why 64 percent of our graduates in 2013 graduated with no debt,” Johnson said. “It is because of private donations that allow us to provide our students with scholarship opportunities that allow them to continue their education.”
SGA continued from page 1 Stieb said he hopes the award will encourage members to participate in meetings and write legislation. “Sometimes people do a lot for this school, and they don’t get recognition,” he said. “If someone could get something out of it, it would be nice for them. It’s a sense of reward.” For the spring semester, senators and representatives suggested such topics as allowing students to wear cultural items as graduation regalia to finding alternatives to the library’s current system for discarding books.
Sergeant at Arms Colten Kennedy proposed more GRE testing at CU. Kennedy plans to co-author legislation to prevent CU students from having to travel to take the exam. “The GRE is only offered once a year in November. It is not that serviceable for students,” Kennedy said. “We would like to see Cameron offer the GRE five times a year for students who are furthering their careers through higher education.” Programming Activities Council Representative Nikki Kirk suggested many ideas during the session and volunteered to co-
author two pieces of legislation. Kirk proposed a bill for the Aggie Rec Center to maintain consistent hours. “Personally, I use the rec center a lot, and it conflicts with my workout schedule to have inconsistent hours on the weekends,” Kirk said. The sophomore also agreed to assist in writing legislation for a possible dead week before finals. “Finals week is a stressful time for most students,” she said. “I feel like dead week would be very helpful.”
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February 10, 2014
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Students of the Caribbean Alliance Misty Neal
Photos by Misty Neal
Newswriting Student Cameron University’s Students of the Caribbean Alliance held a general meeting on Jan. 31 in the McMahon Centennial Complex. The organization welcomed new members and discussed future club events and fundraisers for the Spring 2014 semester. The room was filled with music as President of SOCA Eloise Herbert welcomed members to the meeting. “The mission for the club for the spring semester is to beef up awareness for SOCA on CU campus and to encourage new membership,” Herbert said. The club currently has roughly 40 members that participate in SOCA events to include social cookouts, textbook exchanges and fundraisers for different charities within the CU campus and Lawton community. “The role of SOCA is to act as an outlet to help Caribbean students to transition smoothly into the CU community and to act as a home away from home,” Herbert said. “SOCA is here to help Caribbean students with a support system and to lead by example.” The theme of SOCA is “Working together is progress. Staying together is success,” Herbert said. “The goal for the spring semester is to let everyone feel the presence of SOCA on campus through fundraisers and activities and to expand SOCA to another level with new membership.” SOCA’s adviser Vinetta Stanton said: “We are here to provide guidance and growth in the club through activities. This is essential to the continued success of SOCA and welcoming members of other ethnicities is encouraged to promote growth in SOCA.” Stanton said students do not have to be Caribbean to join the SOCA club. The club promotes public awareness of the Caribbean and its people to promote a positive image. Gilron Charles, SOCA’s Public Relations Officer, said the organization helped him adapted when he first arrived at Cameron. His participation in the club enabled him to meet students of different backgrounds. “SOCA helped me to meet new people by incorporating interactions with other students and traveling to other
SOCA: Eloise Herbert, Senior Communication Major (top) gathers the attention of the group. The Students of the Caribbean Alliance (bottom) prepared for their meeting in which they discussed this semester’s plans. universities,” Charles said. “Cameron was quiet and did not have a lot to do, and SOCA helped bring inter-club interactions that led to friendships.” Future activities for SOCA members include CU
Homecoming, a trip to Oklahoma City for ice-skating on Feb. 15 and Dine-in-the-Dark on Feb. 28. SOCA’s meetings are held the last Friday of each month. Everyone is invited to attend.
Livestock judging:
The A-Team Agriculture style Casey Brown Copy Editor
In January 2013, after a thirty-year absence, Cameron University’s Agriculture Department reinstated the Livestock Judging Team. Presently, the team is in the early phases of starting the program over. The department recruited Justin Rogers, Livestock Judging Coordinator and Coach, to build the team from scratch. Livestock judging consists of evaluating breeding and market animals from different species — cattle, hogs, sheep and goats — depending on the competition. The 15 students participating on the team are currently enrolled in an evaluation course that Rogers teaches. “I found out that some of the students I had worked with in FFA on judging and stuff over the years were here on campus, and I asked them to get in the class, and they have,” Rogers said. To recruit members, Rogers took a versatile approach. “I started teaching the evaluation class, and that kind of sparked some things,” he said. “I had three or four transfer kids from junior colleges, and then I have some in-house kids who found out about it from the department.” Rogers said the competition season runs 11 months long, from December to November. The team will be ready to compete starting in January 2015.
Any student can become a member of the judging team. Rogers said there is not an agriculture requirement for the team. Rogers has been involved in livestock judging since age nine, he said. To Rogers, the benefits of the team and the agriculture program are vast. One of the benefits is it prepares students for the job market. “Livestock judging is probably one event in students’ college careers or their extracurricular activities where they have an opportunity to develop life skills probably second to none in terms of decision making, in terms of livestock evaluation, the decision making that goes along with that evaluation and the oral communication skills in terms of learning to defend themselves,” he said. Another benefit is that it helps students develop skills in working with a team since livestock judging teams consist of multiple members. “One of the things that this teaches…is the ability to follow through with a commitment from a team standpoint”. Former students of Rogers currently work in various fields including sales, farming and ranching, marketing, banking, pharmaceuticals, genetics, the food industry and others. “The sky is the limit because of that person learning those oral communication skills,” he said. Rogers said the best part of the job is the challenge that comes with working with students who are constantly practicing and competing throughout the year. “It is a challenge,” Rogers said. “I love a new challenge. I have always wanted to get back into coaching collegiately. I really enjoy seeing students set goals and progress through their year by learning to challenge themselves. I really enjoy seeing them accomplish their goals.”
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Trending
“We never stop growing as an individual. That goes along with our relationships as well. What we have to keep in mind is that we make the decision to grow apart. We always have the option to grow together.” On growing together Stephanie Belter CU graduate - married one year
“Do not just spend your life looking for love because usually you look in the wrong places. I found Ryan when I had decided I was not interested in having a boyfriend.” On looking for love Hannah Smart CU student - engaged
“I love Charlie for his sense of “Self-love means humor, his kindness and intelligence. understanding that you deserve He continues to captivate me and I love nothing less than what you give. If you learning new things about him. Words give 110 percent, you should receive 110 cannot express how much I love him. He percent. Self-love is having the confidence to makes me want to be better person.” follow your heart, and the patience to reach your On qualities they love potential. It’s treating yourself right and expecting Sarah Brewer the best from yourself because make no mistake, CU graduate - engaged love is a verb.” On loving one’s self Tiffany Martinez CU graduate - in a committed relationship
Love is...
“My love for him after our little girl is so much more than I could imagine it would be. He gave me her. The greatest gift I could’ve ever received and he did it.” On love & motherhood Shailah Whiteman CU student - married 2 years
February 10, 2014
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Current and former CU students share their love stories and weigh in on what it means to love one’s self and to love another.
“During the ceremony I think it really hits you, ‘holy cow I’m marrying my best friend and this is for forever.’ And even though you say you won’t, you’ll tear up and your voice will shake because you’re so happy you just can’t contain yourself.” On the wedding day Mandy Ralston CU graduate - newlywed of 1 month
“ “To me, being single doesn’t mean that I avoid dating, or the Courtesy of MCT Campus prospect of going out with someone, it means I haven’t made any claims about “Sometimes we play silly prank games on exclusivity or romance. I may have a date with each other that the world never sees and we “I a prospective partner. It is as likely that I will laugh like we are 11 years old. Like the dryer “I proposed to can’t help but go out with platonic friends. Maybe I will traipse sheet, we randomly hide it in each others clothes, her out in the middle of chuckle when I remember around my house in a really attractive outfit and wallet, hat, lunchbox ...“ nowhere with a slideshow shown trying to leave campus and he treat myself to my favorite food. The real point is, On keeping the love alive on a big, blank canvas powered by remembers that he needed to turn I’ll be spending Valentine’s how I want.” Sandra O’brien Brandon Thompson’s truck. She said in a paper (we were both cutting class On Valentine’s Day plans CU student - married for 16 years at this point) so he hurries up to Nance yes and of course, the truck battery died. Brenna Welch Boyer, walks up to the professor, hands in Then the cops showed up. And that’s how CU graduate - happily single our adventure began.” his paper, waves at his friends in the back On the proposal row and struts out of the classroom.” Matt Thompson On the first time they met CU graduate - married three Katrina Thompson years CU graduate - married nearly 3 years
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Voices
February 10, 2014
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Valentine’s day: lessons of love Satisfaction in singularity
According to the Internet, the average age of a first marriage for a woman is 27. I am 27, and there is no wedding in my near future. I don’t even have a plant – let alone anything that requires more emotional commitment than that. I do, however, have a career. I’m okay with that. I’m more than okay with that actually because it is all part of the plan. I am making a conscious decision to not get married and have children until later. I guess other women are making this choice as well, but during this time of year, I don’t see that. I see happy couples celebrating their love on Valentine’s Day. I am happy to join in on the celebration of love, but as Carrie Bradshaw points out in an episode of “Sex and the City,” there is no holiday for single women who choose to be single. Where is the love for us? The love for us must come from each other. The celebration of being single that is equal to the celebration of love must be in our actions, our confidence and in the words we use to choose to use toward each other. Have you ever been to a restaurant by yourself? Did the host or hostess ask, “Just the one?” Just? So, I don’t have a family of my own, but I do have a career. The myth is that the two are mutually exclusive. The myth is that being careeroriented excludes being family-oriented and vice versa. That simply isn’t true. I know plenty of women who are both familyoriented and careeroriented. I also know plenty of women who choose one or the other. The point is, we can choose whichever path we want to take. One of my best friends and I like to think that all women can be trailblazers. We live in a time when the definition of what makes a “real woman” is in flux. We all have the unique opportunity and privilege to be trailblazers – the unique opportunity to question the amount of choices offered to us by the gender norms and societal conventions that
Couples and commercialism
are associated with being a woman. However, that freedom comes with a price. It is overwhelming to think that I can make my own way. It is overwhelming to think that an entire world of possibilities is open to me. I can also blaze my own trail despite the fact that I’m a “single” woman. I don’t fit into the mold of the “norm” because I’m single and childless at 27. It is even stranger because I am here by choice. That just throws a lot of people for a loop. One of the many things that we are told is that there is no such thing as a superwoman who has a family and a career, or that if there is such a thing it is a bad thing, negative. We are told we can’t have it all. Maybe what we could have is a more realistic view of what a life with “having it all” looks like. I don’t know what “having it all” looks like, or should look like, but I do know that it is more fun for each of us to blaze our own trails. Society has told me all sorts of things throughout my life, but whether I listen and cave to the pressure or not is up to me. No one told me that at first. I only heard what I was supposed to be doing: settling down, raising a family and making a home. I was told I only had one option. I didn’t listen. I asked my own questions about what women are supposed to be doing, and when I didn’t like the answers I made my own way. I can choose to be reminded of what I am not doing each year on Valentine’s Day, or I can choose to celebrate the many choices that women have in love. I choose the latter.
I stood outside in the cold on Feb. 14, 2013, waiting in a long line outside of the Carmike Cinema in Lawton, the line outside going halfway through the parking lot, people shivering and huddling up together, and, despite how uncomfortably cold I was, I knew why I was waiting there. It was Valentine’s Day, and I was waiting outside to see “Warm Bodies” with my girlfriend of a few months at the time, the wonderful Claudia. It was a part of our big Valentine’s plans for the evening. We eventually saw the movie, but that wasn’t the main part of the day, of course. The main theme of the day was our love for one another, something we should celebrate every day. While Valentine’s Day is a primarily business-fueled holiday for stores to make more money (and Wal-Mart certainly made money off me last year), I’ve realized that the point of the day is something that we should instead think about the rest of the year. This isn’t something that I thought up out of nowhere, though. From the year of my birth until 2008, I spent Valentine’s Day as a single man. I didn’t have to spend money on anyone else, and the day didn’t mean much to me at all. My family got gifts for each other on Valentine’s Day, and I was taught that the holiday was to celebrate your love for your fellow man and family members. Then in 2009, I spent the day with a significant other, and I came to the
realization that all people in relationships have to come to on a day such as that: I needed to buy her a present. I did (though I can’t remember what it was, so it obviously wasn’t that great), and the day went on to be rather uneventful. After that, I spent 2010 to 2012 single. 2013 would be the second Valentine’s Day with a significant other that I would have, and I knew I had to do it right. I went to Wal-Mart and bought her a movie that I knew she wanted to own. I took her out to dinner, and then we went to the movies. She got me a gift as well, and it was great. Herein lies my problem with the holiday, though: it doesn’t seem to be about the love you have for your significant other or your family, the way my parents taught me it was, but it’s more about the gifts. It’s commercialized, and it always has been, but during my single days, I had no way in which to really notice it. I could see it in the stores, but how was I to know that people actually went out and bought Reese’s cups in the shapes of hearts? Now, I’m that person who just so happens to buy those, and I realize there is a problem. Just like other holidays, stores market to us, and we buy into it all. Of course, Halloween is commercialized because we have to buy candy from somewhere, and of course, Christmas has become commercialized because everyone loves presents, but can we try our best to not make Valentine’s Day a commercialized holiday, despite the fact that is pretty much all it really is? I ask that we spend Valentine’s Day as a day to recognize and appreciate our loved ones. We don’t need to go out to the movies each year or spend money on extravagant gifts, but instead, we should just spend quality time with the people closest to us, learn more about them. Maybe this year we all sit at home and just watch TV and show the stores just how we feel. Maybe this year, we learn to love one another.
Tyler Boydston
Casey Brown Copy Editor
Staff Writer
Tweet to @CaseyBrown_CU
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 free of charge. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.
Our Views 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.
THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY
COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna
Editorial Staff Managing Editor - Kaylee Jones Asst. Managing Editor - Kali Robinson A&E Editor - Sadie Jones Sports Editor - Charlene Belew Copy Editors - Kaitlyn Stockton, Casey Brown Aggie Central Editor- Jack McGuire Archivist - Jack McGuire
Newsroom Staff Financial Officer - Susan Hill Circulation Manager - Kaylee Jones Advertising Managers - Kaylee Jones, Charlene Belew Faculty Adviser - Mr. David Bublitz
Letters Policy Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length. Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks. All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification. Letters can be sent by regular mail, by e-mail to aggiecentral@cameron. edu or they may be dropped off at our office - Academic Commons 101 or at www.aggiecentral.com.
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A&E
February 10, 2014
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Student’s raw art displayed in show Kaitlyn Stockton
and finds beauty in items and ideals that others may Copy Editor believe odd. Katie Swan is one of “Most people may CU’s first students to ever stop at the skulls and say, be featured in a RAWartists ‘That’s just morbid,’ but I show. draw most of my influence At 8p.m. Jan. 30, the Fine from festivals such as Dia Arts major displayed her de los Muertos and the artwork in the organization’s subjects of spiritualism and showcase titled PIXELS at shamanism,” Swan said. the Vanguard in Tulsa. The artist was invited to “It was the biggest the exhibition through the gathering of artists – both director of the show. fine and performance – that “The only criteria for has ever been held in Tulsa,” entering was that the Swan said. “The show was showcase director enjoyed meant for artists to sell their the art,” Swan said. “I was works and get their names overjoyed and extremely out into the world.” nervous at the same time Swan said she has been when I discovered I was an artist for as long as going to be in the show.” she can remember. A fan Swan said she relished on linocuts, her artwork the opportunity to be features intricate designs she surrounded by various types carves herself. of artists including jewelers, “My favorite medium belly dancers and musicians. is linocut printmaking, “The show went well literally carving into since it was pretty neat to linoleum, covering the piece see the other artists and in ink and putting it on performers,” she said. paper.” Swan said she sees great Inspired by life, magic things in store for her. She and nature, Swan said her currently has art displayed art is spiritual in concept in The Emotion and Energy
Photo by Katie Swan
Inspired beauty: Katie Swan is the first CU student to ever be featured in the RAWartists show, located in Tulsa. The artshow took place on Jan. 30. Swan describes her art is inspired by life, magic and nature. Some of Swan’s pieces are for sale in Oklahoma City. She is also in the process of beginning her own art business. of Color galleries and plans to only enter more. “I already have art for sale in a shop in Oklahoma
City, and I’m in the works of making my art a business.” However, while she hopes to find success, the
artist also enjoys seeing her creations impact others and make differences in the lives of individuals.
“My favorite thing about being an artist is simply making people happy with my art,” Swan said.
Concert series: The Equinox Trio
Carson Stringham
fourth piece was a feather left behind in the grass after Staff Writer the bird has flown away. The The Equinox Trio recently piece brought back a solemn filled Cameron University’s tone to the evening, painting McCutcheon Recital Hall a picture of agony over beauty with music. lost and appreciation for what The concert, which was is left behind. open to the Cameron and Finally, the last song of the Lawton communities, was collection was a playful tune, held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. which told the story of an 4. Dr. Gregory Hoepfner, ancient redwood tree falling a Professor in the CU in the forest before a crowd Department of Music, invited of onlookers. This poem was the group – comprised of written about an actual event Ann Homann Mottl on oboe, that happened during the Equinox Trio:Jeanine York-Garesché (clarinet) and Donita Bauer (bassoon) and Jeanine York-Garesché on winter solstice. Ann Homann (oboe) perform for the New Music Festival Concert Series on Feb. 4. clarinet and Donita Bauer After the Trio completed on bassoon –as part of the his collection, the audience When the doors to the commissioned from Hoepfner The first piece was a New Music Festival Concert recital hall opened, it did especially for the event. solemn tune based on a prairie applauded as the group asked Series. Hoepfner to stand and be Hoepfner said the inspiration hill covered in wildflowers. not take long for every Hoepfner said: “I met recognized. seat in the hall to be filled. for each song came from a The second was a livelier Jeanine at a reception for The next part of the group of haikus written by After an introduction by thematic tune which another CU Music Professor Hoepfner, the Equinox his wife after a trip they took portrayed a praying mantis on program featured the French Dr. Hyunsoon Whang. composer Eugene Bozza. together. Trio entered the hall, took the hunt; the music allowed We were chatting, and she His “Suite Breve en trio, “I wanted to write pieces their places and began their the audience to hear the happened to mention her Op. 67” is a collection of program with a haunting that would take turns praying mantis as it stalked, ensemble and how they liked piece titled “Windjammer” highlighting each of the three and ultimately seized, its prey. four short pieces: “Allegro to do more contemporary Moderato,” “Allegro Vivo,” players,” he said. “They would by contemporary composer The third piece, based music. I asked if she and her “Adagio Espressivo,” and all still be playing together, Mary Jane Leach. on the close observation of group would like to come “Final-Allegro Vivo.” Overall, but one of the instruments The trio then performed an autumn leaf in mid color perform at Cameron, and she “Solstice Songs,” a the collection was comprised would take a more prominent change. said they would.” of lively music which collection of five short pieces role in the music.” The inspiration for the Photo by Carson Stringham
Students crack murder mystery case Kaley Patterson Staff Writer
At 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the MCC, CU students channeled their inner Sherlock Holmes to solve a staged murder mystery. Instead of prowling the streets of London, students were placed in the tropical
setting of “Margaritaland”. PAC and Student Activities Specialist Megan Canfield put on the night of murder and speculation. Students received a packet that included their new identity, a biography of their character, Monopoly money and a list of objectives to begin the game.
Throughout the night the students questioned each other about who killed the bartender. Some made silent accusations while others shouted theirs to tell the whole world. Little did they know that the killer was sitting silently by the pool for most of the night. Toward the end of
the evening, the detective released the evidence of the murder for everyone to evaluate. The characters reveled their belief of “whodunnit” by closed valet. The majority of the votes proved wrong when the detective said it was the lifeguard who killed the innocent bartender.
Photo by Kaley Patterson
Whodunnit: A PAC member plays the character of the “innocent bartender” for the evening of the Murder Mystery Party. Attendees spent the evening questioning, searching and voting for who they believed to be the murderer. Murder in Margaritaland took place at 8 p.m. Jan. 28 in the MCC Ballroom.
allowed the trio to dazzle the audience just before the brief intermission. As the lights dimmed a second time in the recital hall, music lovers were treated to more entertainment by two different composers. The Equinox Trio opened the second half of their performance with a collection of works titled “Trio d’Anches,” written by Rudolf Escher. The collection contained four pieces: “Pastoale-Largo,” “Rondeau-Moderato; Vivace,” “Fugue-Allegro deciso” and “Pastorale-Lento.” The four pieces were fun and whimsical, elevating the atmosphere in the hall. The trio finished the concert with Henri Tomasi’s “Concert Champetre” which consisted of five separate songs. The songs – “Overture,” “Minuetto,” “Bourree,” “Nocturne” and “Tambourin” – made up a musical sandwich of solemn tunes juxtaposed between a lively opening and closing.
7 A&E Student with a vision crowned the new Miss Black CU February 10, 2014
www.aggiecentral.com
Sadie Jones
want to try it. “At Lee, they have an event A&E Editor called ‘The Parade of the Favorites’ where girls come out At 7 p.m. Feb. 1 in the and compete — representing Cameron University Theatre, different clubs and societies on six contestants lined the campus,” Olurotimi said. “It stage as they competed in was the first time a black lady the annual Miss Black CU won and that inspired me to pageant. Cameron University do it. I didn’t get to compete Psychology major and junior because my stay there was short Oluwakemi “Kemmy” lived.” Olurotimi left the theatre When she came to crowned as the new 2014 Miss Cameron, she noticed all of Black CU. the posters around campus If there is one thing for Miss Black CU. After Olurotimi learned from the Miss Black CU Pageant, it was asking a friend about the show, Olurotimi sought out to expect the unexpected. opportunities to be involved in Originally from Nigeria, the 2013 pageant. Olurotimi left her familiarity “I competed in the pageant behind as she began her last year, and it was very education at Lee University stressful. I promoted a platform located in Cleveland, TN. titled ‘Internal Wellness’— After she completed her better health through food. It freshman year at Lee, she really did not go as I wanted transferred to Cameron it to go,” she said. “I did not University. place at all last year — but that “Cameron was my parents’ night at the pageant, I promised request,” Olurotimi said. “But myself that I would do it again.” my best friend that I grew Olurotimi began preparing up with was also here. It’s for the 2014 pageant with impossible to be in a strange a determined outlook. She land and not have something decided her platform was going you’re familiar with, so when to be something important my parents requested that I to her — something that she come here, I agreed and went could identify with. along with it.” “My platform this year is Olurotimi does not describe called ‘Keep Calm and Don’t herself as a “pageant girl.” Stress,’” Olurotimi said. “The However, when she attended basic idea of this platform is Lee, she realized she might
Photo by Ebony Society
New Crowning: Second time contestant Oluwakemi Olurotimi, was named Miss Black CU 2014. The pageant took place at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 in the CU Theatre. educating people on the issue of stress and exposing them to different stress management techniques. “It isn’t just something that I’m doing for the sake of the pageant — it’s my personal platform. It relates to me as an individual.
Stress management is something Olurotimi can identify with, especially in light of the pageant. Although she has not started promoting her platform around the CU campus, she continues to practice methods of stress management on her own.
“When people that I know come to me for advice, what I tell them is you have to put up little stop signs at some point in your life where you pause and think about how far you’ve come,” Olurotimi said. “When I get stressed I stop and look around me, breathe, and then I become very grateful for the moment that I’m in. “The basic key to stress management is understanding that every moment you have is a gift, and you should make the best of it.” Olurotimi said she plans to promote her platform on campus throughout her year as Miss Black CU. She plans to hold a seminar on March 27. “My seminar is going to feature some of my psychology and biology professors as well as the Cameron Student Wellness Center,” Olurotimi said. “Some of the contestants also have very powerful platforms promoting health and fitness, and I really want to use that to benefit the CU community. I want to use what we have here on campus to promote my platform all year around.” While preparing for the pageant, Olurotimi said there was much stress involved; however, there were also several aspects she enjoyed. “There was a lot of hard
work, commitment, stress and constructive criticisms throughout the pageant processes,” Olurotimi said. “The pageant got me out of my comfort zone — but the whole experience has been a surprise to me. I never realized how comfortable and confident I could be with myself. It was really a labor of the mind, but overall my favorite part of the pageant was being able to have that sisterhood with all of the contestants, you really don’t realize that you’re competing against them until the night of the pageant. “My favorite segment of the pageant was my talent. I recited a poem titled ‘What if I’m a Black Woman.’ The author decided to remain anonymous — I don’t understand why someone who could write something so beautiful would not want to be recognized — but it’s a very powerful poem.” Olurotimi’s pageant experience does not end at Cameron University. She will compete in the Miss Oklahoma US Ambassador competition next year, and if she wins, she will compete at the national level. Until then, Olurotimi said she looks forward to representing Cameron throughout her year as Miss Black CU.
Heritage revealed through music and dance Maurice Buckner Staff Writer
At 7:30 p.m., Jan. 27, at the Cameron Theatre, patrons learned about love and equality through Native American Hoop Dance. American Indian Kevin Locke, representing the Lakota and Anishinabe tribes of North and South Dakota, came to Cameron University to entertain, teach and reemphasize the message of unity through hoops. Locke danced with 28 hoops painted four colors—red, black, white and yellow, representing four winds, four seasons and four races. Locke himself was just as bright and diverse; he acted as an artist, teacher, interpreter, musician, motivational speaker and comedian. One of his jokes consisted of how different tribes in the Dakota’s all have a different name for coffee—his tribe calls it Starbucks. Once he loosened up the crowd, the main event began. He played from four flutes varying in length from one to four feet. When the lights went down, Locke began dancing to the sound of a beating drum. He scooped up six hoops from the stage floor. He began to twirl. When he made his third revolution, he presented his first image, a flower. His next image was a butterfly, followed by a bird.
Photos by Maurice Buckner
Tribal diversity: Kevin Locke represented the tribes of North and South Dakota with a hoop dance. He used 28 hoops and each hoop was a symbol for something different. Locke’s creations became elaborate when he added more hoops, creating a star, the solar system and a bald eagle spanning the length and width of his body. He danced for fifteen minuets producing one creation after another. Toward the end of his performance Locke made three key items. The first was a globe, representing all nations of people coming together as one and having a place in society. He removed a hoop; the globe collapsed indicating what would happen when races stopped working together. From there he built a ladder, enunciating that society
needs to continue to climb to the top of life’s ladder. Last, he created the wings of an eagle articulating that society should never go back down the ladder. Locke has been hoop dancing for 57 years and performing the dance for 40 years. He said the dance is a way of communicating with higher spirits. “It’s like a choreographed prayer,” Locke said. “Instead of using words you’re expressing it through dance. All the different designs/elements are signs of life. That we could be like them, that’s the prayer.” He likened the meaning of his dance to Martin Luther
King’s vision, that a world can be created where everyone has a place and that dreams live well beyond their dreamer. “Our ancestors…those people that went on before us all had a dream, a vision and a prayer. Even though they’re gone, that lives on. We can realize the prayer on their behalf,” Locke said. At the end of his performance, Locke invited audience members to undergo a lesson in hoop dancing. Senior Psychology major Jennifer Stringham was present along with her husband and children. She watched as her husband took to the stage to try his hand at hoop dancing.
More than hoop dancing: Locke displays another talent as he plays the flute as part of his performance. “It was adorable to watch him give it a try,” Stringham said. “He did really well. The kids even enjoyed it.” Stringham said Locke’s performance was an eye opener, something that she really was not expecting. “What stood out to me were the stories he told between performing,” she said. “The story he told while hoop dancing was amazing.
Soaring like an eagle, the links connecting everyone together— it was so creative. I assumed it was just music and dancing. I appreciated the lesson.” Over the years, Locke said he has learned how to account for various learning styles and makes sure to incorporate them into his performance. He ended with, “without communication, nothing can be accomplished.”
Art Guild shows some love for Valentine’s Day Photos by Charlene Belew
Made with love: Personally designed Valentine’s Day cards will be on sale Feb. 11-13 in the MCC and Nance Boyer Hall to help support the senior art students.
8
Sports
February 10, 2014
www.aggiecentral.com
Cameron baseball:
Starting the season with a sweep
Charlene Belew
and better and the other teams will too.” Sports Editor The second inning saw Cameron’s baseball team the first of the scoring when led off the season with a freshman designated hitter doubleheader sweep on Feb. 1 Cody Knight drove in senior against East Central University first baseman Brad Blumer on a in Ada, Okla. single up the middle. The Aggies opened the Cameron’s Aggies did not season with a 2-1 win against score again until the sixth the ECU Tigers during the first inning, when sophomore match up. In the second game, Jordan Climpson singled to the Cameron finished with a 7-1 left field, allowing senior second win. baseman Kas Sanders to score. In the first game against East Central drove in their ECU, senior Tobin Mateychick lone run off of Mateychick in gave Cameron the win by the bottom of the sixth, but the holding the Tigers to one run Aggies held on to the win with and three hits. Junior Josh the help of a one-hit seventh Nielson threw a scoreless inning from Nielson. seventh to pick up a save. In the second game of the Head baseball coach Todd doubleheader, senior pitcher Holland said that it was all of Drew Reidt brought in the the small things that helped win for the Black and Gold by them earn the win in the first allowing one run on seven hits matchup. in six innings. “We pitched really well, we Holland said that their got timely hits when we needed consistency into the second hits, just kind of did the little game is what helped the team things right,” Holland said. bring in the doubleheader “We played really good defense. sweep. Early in the season that’s what “We just got, again, more usually wins. It usually takes timely hits,” Holland said. 20-25 at bats to get really in the “Every time we had a runner swing of things as far as hitters on second base with two outs, go, you’ll see as the more we 90 percent of the time we got a play, our hitting will get better hit and scored the run. You’re
going to win a lot of games Courtesy of Sports Information when you’re doing that. We didn’t give up a hit to them offensively until there were two outs so it was not an impact hit.” Cameron’s men had their first score of the second game in the first inning, when junior shortstop Codey McElroy scored on a fielder’s choice. The Aggies scored 3 runs in the third. The first run came when Climpson singled to left, scoring Sanders. Garrett Schaede, junior third baseman, tripled to right center, allowing Climpson and Blumer to score. In the fourth inning, junior catcher Tyler Palmer scored on a passed ball by the ECU catcher, bringing the score to 5-0. By the fifth, Cameron had 7-0 against the Tigers. Schaede reached second base on an error, allowing Mateychick to score. Finally, Schaede scored CU’s last score on a passed ball. The ECU Tigers scored their only run in the sixth inning. Sophomore and pitcher Ryan Daspin held off the opposing team in the seventh. Cameron will be facing Out of the park: Senior first baseman Brad Blumer steps up to homeplate Northwest Missouri State in CU’s matchup against East Central University. Blumer brought in one double University on Feb. 14-15 at the and two runs on Feb. 1, in Ada, Okla in the doubleheader tournament. McCord Field.
Softball has slow start, strong finish Courtesy of Sports Information
Courtesy of Sports Information
Charlene Belew Sports Editor
Cameron’s softball team kicked off their season at the Henderson State Festival on Feb. 1 in Arkadelphia, Ark. By the end of the Festival, the Aggies managed to drop their first two games against Ouachita Baptist (3-6) and Henderson State (6-10), but they came back strong in the final match against Delta State (6-4). Head softball coach Rodney DeLong said that although they lost the first two games of the festival, he still believes that they have a strong team. “We didn’t play really well, but I felt like we beat a really good team in our third game,” DeLong said. “We [have] a few adjustments we’ll have to make, but I think we have a good team.” During the first game against Ouachita Baptist, the Black and Gold fell with a score of 3-6, despite leading going to the bottom of the seventh. Ouachita had an early 2-0 lead in the second. Cameron came back in the fifth inning, pulling the score to a two-run tie. Freshman left fielder Breezy McComas hit a homerun, bringing junior center fielder Misty Dooley in to score with her. In the seventh, junior designated hitter Tara Martini pulled a double, allowing sophomore pinch runner Makenzie Burk to score. However, the Tigers took home the win after four more runs. In the second game against the Henderson State Reddies, CU softball saw another loss, 6-10, after tying the game 4-4, heading into the bottom of the third. HSU scored one run in the first and three in the second before Cameron pulled out a four-run third inning. Sophomore first baseman Sonora Zukerman doubled, driving Martini and sophomore second baseman Macy McKay in for the score. Later in the third, junior third baseman
Emily Nix hit a homerun, bringing Zukerman into home with her. The Reddies pulled ahead in the bottom of the third. They carried on into the fourth, bringing the score to 4-10. The Lady Aggies scored once in the top of the fifth when Martini hit another homerun. In the sixth, sophomore pinch runner Samantha Rousey scored off of Martini’s sacrifice hit. This brought the final score to 6-10. In the third game against Delta State, Cameron brought in a win with a score of 6-4. The Black and Gold started with a strong lead and were able to hold off a late rally by the Lady Statesman. In the top of the first, McComas scored off of Zukerman’s groundout to first. Nix also hit a single, allowing Dooley a score. The Lady Aggies continued their lead in the second when freshman right fielder Kolbee Gray scored because of McComas’s walk to first. Sophomore shortstop Carly Allerheiligen scored off of Dooley’s single. Finally, Martini brought McKay into score. DSU pulled out one score in the bottom of the second. Cameron scored again in the top of the fifth, when Allerheiligen drove Nix home. This brought the score to 6-1. The Lady Statesman rallied in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, but it still was not enough to take the win from Cameron. DeLong said that he believes that the team will continue to get better and that provides the motivation for them to get better. “[You’ve] got to play every game. You’ve got to be prepared for every game,” DeLong said. “We beat the best team there, we probably lost to the worst team there, [but] we’re good enough to beat anybody.” The softball team will face Rogers State University on Feb. 11 at the McMahon Field and Athletics Center.