The Cameron University Collegian: February 25, 2009

COLLEGIAN THE CA M ERON U N I V ER SIT Y

Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

News

Carden, Johnson crowned By Kyle Luetters Collegian Staff

Math professor publishes 17th math textbook. SEE PAGE 2

A&E

Volume 83 Issue 16

Homecoming week was capped off by an exciting and eventful coronation ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 20. During halftime of the men’s basketball game against the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos, all of the king and queen candidates were introduced to those in attendance. Once every candidate had made their way to the center of the court, PAC co-chair Ryan Faucett was set to announce the winners. Second runners-up were and Julianne Moini and Kyle Moore. First runners-up were Mary Adkinson and Daniel Brown. The moment of truth came as the king and queen were about to be announced. Faucett announced that Brett Carden had been selected as the 2009 Homecoming King. Carden is a Senior at Cameron majoring in General Business and was representing Sigma Alpha Omega. Carden also plans to

get his Masters at Cameron as well. When he is not in the classroom, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also attends church weekly and is active in Fusion. He loves being in the outdoors and playing sports. He can often be found on his family’s ranch hunting and fishing. Carden currently works at Farmers Insurance and Equinox Oil and Gas. Once graduated, he plans to take over Farmers Insurance. On the topic of the actual race for the crown, Carden said it was one of the fiercest and most heavily contested he had ever seen. “Everyone that ran was wellknown around campus and part of at least one organization, if not many,” Carden said. “There was a lot of competition this year.” Carden also said he was very surprised to hear his name called for king. “I felt that everyone who ran had a really good chance of winning and that everyone was

Photo by Bennett Dewan

King & Queen: Senior Brett Carden and Junior Stephanie Johnson become CU royalty. deserving to win,” Carden said. He went on further to describe his emotions when his name was called. “ I was happy to win and represent Cameron University.” Once the king had been announced, all eyes turned to the remaining queen candidates. Faucett then read the name of Stephanie Johnson. Johnson was

representing the Ebony Society. She is Junior majoring in Nursing. She is originally from Chickasha and graduated from Chickasha High School in 2005.

SEE CROWNING Page 3

Homecoming concert rocks house By Bennett Dewan Collegian Staff The lights of the Cameron Theater fell, and the crowd stirred, uneasy, not knowing what was to come. Spectators, few having heard the music of or even the name Natalie Stovall before, prognosticated about all the possible outcomes that may lie before them. Would the concert be a preview of the next country starlet before she sells millions of albums and collects a mantle full of Grammy’s, or was this going to be another struggling artist with all of the emotional hangups of stardom without a fully realized talent? The answer was both quick and emphatic. It came in the form of a petite and energetic, youthful blonde who wore a smile that displayed her comfort on stage, like she was born to perform. “This is what I have always wanted to do,” Stovall said. “As a kid I dreamed of this. There were only two movies I used to watch ‘Cinderella’ and ‘The Making of Thriller.’” Stovall carried with her the instrument that her grandmother had introduced her to at a very young age, the fiddle; this one was the color of pristine ivory and shone in the spotlights.

Percussion Ensemble geared up for busy spring schedule. SEE PAGE 7

Sports Photo by Bennett Dewan

True performer: Musician Natalie Stovall adds personal touches to her music during her concert at CU.

SEE CONCERT Page 7

MCT Campus

Aggies spar with UCO By Bennett Dewan

Athletic department taking precautions to prevent the risk of staph infections. SEE PAGE 9

Voices

Stimulus package is necessary evil. SEE PAGE 6

throughout the offense in the first half. Red shirt Freshman Gabby Walk Collegian Staff was able to cut through the lane In Cameron’s annual Homecoming repeatedly but was met with heavy games, the Aggie men’s and women’s resitance from the UCO forwards, basketball teams were unable to yet she continually broke down the secure key home victories against perimeter defenders. the University of Central Oklahoma Turnovers and missed shots changed Bronchos. the outcome Energized of the game by the largest in the crowd of the second half season, the as the no. CU women’s 17 ranked team (6-19, Bronchos 1-11 LSC pulled away North) for good. rushed out CU was to an early kept in the lead over the contest nationally by their ranked UCO tenacious Bronchos rebounding (21-4, 11-1 effort, LSC North). ending the Photo by Bennett Dewan Sophomore game with Air time: Forward Terrance Welch drives Guard 46 total for in for a layup during the second half of the Whitney the game game. Null started The the game hitting her first few shots Aggies continued to fight and made it a including a three pointer from a few game until the very end which was just steps behind the line as the Aggies what Head Coach Tom Webb wanted appeared to be game for the important most. contest. Senior Point Guard Kristi Taylor was able to control the game by slowing SEE CU vs. UCO down the pace of the run-and-shoot Page 10 style of UCO and distributing the ball

Photo by Jim Horinek

Political pundit talks current affairs By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff

Conservative political columnist George Will had biting criticism for modern politics, Washington and the recent stimulus bill while speaking at the Cameron University Theatre. “We are in danger of repeating failed policies and learning there is no education in the second kick of a mule,” Will said. “We’re not always governed by the brightest crayola in the box.” Will spoke to a packed house at the theatre Thursday night as part of the university’s centennial celebration. Tickets for the event were all given out within days of being available. Many students weren’t able to get tickets, but Will spoke at a short meet-andgreet for students only. One student asked a question about the blogosphere and how the media has evolved in the past decade. “It would be a problem for Democracy if people listened to the blogosphere,” Will said. “Today, people define news on their own terms and get it on their own time.”

SEE WILL Page 2

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News

February 25, 2009

CU Math professor publishes Business professors another in long line of textbooks publish new volumes By Melissa Rogers Collegian Staff Cameron University is honored to announce the recent publication of a Mathematical textbook written by CU professor Dr. Ioannis K. Argyros titled “Convergence and Applications of Newton-Type Iterations.” The book was released by the renowned New York company SpringerVerlag Publishing. This book explores brand-new concepts which will help those in the field of Mathematical Sciences solve equations. Former CU students Irene Corriette and Sabina Sadou assisted Dr. Argyros in this mathematical accomplishment by producing the numerical results in certain introductory chapter exercises. Dr. Argyros hails from Athens, Greece, where he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Athens, Greece in 1979 and then served in the Greek Army until 1982. Dr. Argyros then moved to the United States where he attended the coincidentally located University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. where he completed not only his masters but his doctorate in an impressive two years. Dr. Argyros has taught at Cameron since the fall of 1990. He has since published 17 math related books and monographs and has served on the editorial board for 21 mathematical journals. He is also the creator and editor of the Southwest Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics. In addition he has written over 600 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Argyros, who takes part in the President’s Action Commission on Student Retention, said that

Community Relations “It’s a great opportunity and very important to advertise for our school. Future students as well as those presently attending need to be aware of the accomplished professors our school has to offer before considering bigger named universities.” — Dr. Ioannis K. Argyros Mathematics Professor the motivation for publishing comes from his desire to attract students to the CU campus. “It’s a great opportunity and very important to advertise for our school,” Dr. Argyros said. “Future students as well as those presently attending need to be aware of the accomplished professors our school has to offer before considering bigger named universities.” Dr. Argyros has received a long list of recognition nationally as well as abroad. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award in Mathematics in 2001 by the International Biological Centre in Cambridge, England. He also received the “Distinguished Research Award” from the Southwest Oklahoma Advanced Technology Association in 2001.

Cameron University’s Shawn Carraher, Ph.D., Professor of Management; Virginia Brewczynski, Endowed Chair in Management and Dr. Ali Soylu, Assistant Professor of Management, have authored new volumes in their respective fields of expertise. Dr. Carraher has co-authored a new textbook called “Global Entrepreneurship.” The 350-page volume explains the principles that come from entrepreneurship, international business, crosscultural management, strategy, exporting, international education, international economics, environmental concerns and leadership. Carraher wrote the textbook with Dianne H.B. Welsh, Ph.D. and Charles A. Hayes, Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Published by Kendall Hunt Publishing, “Global Entrepreneurship” focuses on practical applications rather than on statistical surveys and empirical research. The chapters were chosen based upon a detailed study undertaken by the International Entrepreneurship Division of the U.S. Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship as to what educators in the areas of international and global entrepreneurship believe should be included in such a course. The book is organized into four sections that explain global and international entrepreneurship. The first section is comprised of introductory chapters which are designed to provide the reader with a broad overview of the topic and how the material can/should be used. The second section includes more specialized and focused topics on specific aspects of international and global entrepreneurship. The third section includes area studies on Latin America, Eastern Europe and China. The final section includes a case study focusing on directing selling worldwide. Dr. Soylu, who does research on work stress, foreign workers and expatriates, is the author of “Causes and Consequences of Work Stress: A Comparison of Foreign and American Workers in the United States,” which has been released by VDM Verlag, a worldwide publisher of academic research. The 144-page volume examines the impact of foreign worker status on workplace stress. Over the last few years, a considerable amount of public concern and empirical research has been devoted to the issue of job-related stress both within the United States and globally. Foreign employees with temporary visas are subject to considerable uncertainty about the length and conditions of their stay in the host country, which is likely to contribute to stress. A model is proposed to represent the workplace experience of foreign employees in comparison to that of permanent residents and U.S. citizens. It is hypothesized that the effect of foreign status on stress is mediated by six factors: residential insecurity, job insecurity, local network ties, level of empowerment, role ambiguity and perceived discrimination. Stress, in turn, reduces job satisfaction, increases negative feelings, and produces physical illness symptoms. It is also proposed that foreign status intensifies these relationships and that collectivist values make foreign employees more subject to stress.

WILL continued from page 1 Will was not fond of the government’s recent pro-active stance in helping failing companies. “If they’re too big to fail, they need to be broken up so the smaller ones can fail,” Will said. He believes the ultimate problem with modern politics is how the government is trying to please every conceivable group. “The government is creating a nation of entitlement,” Will said. “People rely on the government for everything today.” Will believes the current economic crisis is only being made worse by the continuing retirement of baby boomers. With more strain being put on Medicare and Social Security by upcoming retirees, Will said the government is running into even more problems. His solution to the problem, which he said was “simple,” is to raise the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare. But other companies and unions, including United Auto Workers, are making the problem worse. “Many Americans are in their 60s and 70s and are working to support the retirement of people in their 40s,” Will said. “With the UAW, you work for 30 years and you can retire. People who start working at 18 can retire when they’re 48 and live off the system.” After speaking for nearly an hour, Will fielded questions from the audience. One attendee asked about the war on terrorism and if America had a defined enemy. Will said Al Qaeda was nothing more than a “howl against the modern world.” Another audience member asked about Will’s opinion of the George W. Bush presidency in five years. Will has been known in recent years for his harsh criticism of the Bush administration, but the political pundit shocked some audience members. “In five years, if there is a full democracy with multiple parties sustaining itself in Iraq, then Bush will be vindicated,” Will said. “Right now, I think a harsh opinion of the Bush presidency is a little tentative. There needs to be an asterisk there for the time being.”

See page 4 for solutions.

News

February 25, 2009

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Paint the Town Black and Gold By Justin Cliburn Collegian Staff As Cameron University celebrates its second century, one group of CU students is inviting the rest of Lawton to join in the celebratory spirit in a number of ways. Paint the Town Black and Gold is a grassroots effort being led by CU students Megan Mefford, Julianne Moini and Daniel Brown. It was started by the Student Government Association as a way to raise community awareness and support of Cameron University off-campus. By flying a CU flag, offering student discounts for those enrolled at CU, distributing athletic schedules and selling CU merchandise, local businesses are showing that CU spirit exists beyond the borders of the CU campus. “It has been a wonderful program,” Megan Mefford, a 20-year-old Public Relations major, said. “What started as us calling businesses individually and asking for support has really grown into something larger as more and more businesses want to become involved.” “Some businesses have asked what else they can do to further show their support, and others have taken to calling us before we can call them,” Mefford said. The students are proud of their university and believe it is time for the community to display the pride they have in CU. Julianne Moini, a Junior Organizational Leadership major, sees the program as an opportunity for the community to show their pride as well. “We have an amazing university,” Moini said. “We want to give everyone in the community an opportunity to show their Cameron pride,

whether they’re an alumnus, member of the faculty, student or community member.” Daniel Brown, a CU Junior and Criminal Justice major, is more practical in his support of the program, is hoping to show first-time Lawton residents and potential CU students that Cameron is a school that Lawton is proud to have. “When people come to Lawton for the first time, they need to know that the community supports this university,” Brown said. Dean of Student Services Jennifer Holland reiterated that the goals of Paint the Town Black and Gold are to increase visibility of CU throughout the community, encourage and enhance support of and involvement in the activities of CU and to promote Aggie spirit among faculty, staff, students, alumni and the Lawton/Fort Sill community. Holland, however, was quick to point out that the program did not originate among the faculty or administration but is a testament to the student body at CU. “This really is a student-led effort, and I cannot be more proud of them,” Holland said. “It was their idea and they are the ones seeing it through.” While the initiative can be beneficial to CU’s public image, it is equally satisfying for the individuals doing the legwork to see the fruits of their labor. “We want to see Aggie Spirit on display throughout Lawton,” Mefford said. “It makes me feel good to see businesses show their support of Cameron.” For more information on how to participate in Paint the Town Black and Gold, students may contact Jennifer Holland, Dean of Student Services, at 581.2244.

Graphic by Jim Horinek

Many different events held throughout homecoming week By Nicole Roames Collegian Staff Friday, Feb. 20 was the homecoming bonfire and pep rally. While the bonfire was not able to be lit, a large crowd of over 200 Cameron students and faculty showed up to cheer for the basketball teams and homecoming king and queen candidates. The men’s and women’s basketball teams, the cheerleaders, the pep band, the homecoming candidates and Ole Kim all joined in the festivities. Chad Allan, a Guard on the Aggies men’s basketball team, said the entire team showed up to take part in the pep rally. “It’s good to see everyone out here. It’s nice to see other students out to support us like we support them,” Allan said. The coaches from the men’s and women’s basketball teams spoke during the pep rally and several of the senior players took turns at the

Photos by Bennett Dewan

mike. All of the speakers thanked the students that came to the pep rally for coming. Wade Alexander, Head Coach of the men’s basketball team, also talked about the historic run the men are making and encouraged students to come and watch the last two Aggie Basketball games and see if the team can make the play-offs. Amanda Finch, the PAC cochair, was happy with turnout.

Aggie pride: (Left) Freshman Kanesha Edwards is unveiled as the student behind the Ole’ Kim mask. (Above) A CU cheerleader pumps up the crowd during the homecoming pep rally.

“We brought the pep rally back last year and are going to continue holding the pep rally and bonfire for many years,” Finch said. Finch added that the pep rally was the last chance to see the homecoming king and queen candidates introduced before the crowning at Saturday’s homecoming game. Jennifer Knapp, a candidate for homecoming queen, thought

the pep rally was a fun idea but had hoped they homecoming committee would move it inside. “It’s really cold out here. If the bonfire had been lit it would have provided some warmth. Now, it’s just cold,” Knapp said. Jennifer Holland, Dean of Student Services said a last minute decision by the fire marshal prevented Cameron from holding the bonfire portion of the event.

“It was the wind that did it,” Holland said. Through Dean Holland, Cameron was going to be able to proceed with the bonfire even though Comanche County is under a burn ban, but the windy conditions prevailed and the bonfire was cancelled a few hours before the event began. Near the end of the evening, the CU cheerleaders performed a skit using the homecoming theme of building for the future to unveil Ole Kim’s identity. Ole Kim was unmasked as Kanesha Edwards, a Freshman Math Major. PAC co-chair Ryan Faucett announced at the bonfire the winners of several of the PAC sponsored homecoming contests. The winner of the banner contest was the Multimedia Design Club. Student Government Association won the building decoration contest. The windowpainting contest was won by the International Club.

CROWNING continued from page 1

Runners up: Junior Daniel Brown and Junior Mary Adkinson came in second place in the voting. She came straight to Cameron upon graduation. On campus, she is Vice President of the Ebony Society and is involved with Student Support Services and the Student Housing Association. When she’s not studying or participating with the organizations of which she’s involved in, she works as a Tele-counselor in Enrollment. Johnson plans to graduate from Cameron in May with an Associates Degree in interdisciplinary studies. She plans to continue her studies in Nursing at Western Oklahoma State College. One day, she wants to get married and have a family. “Having my peers cheer for me was the best part,” Johnson.

Second runners up: Senior Kyle Moore and Junior Julianne Moini received third place. The new King and Queen were given their sashes by the outgoing king and queen, Bira Vidal and Sonila Abdula. Once presented with their sashes, the two were announced to the crowd at the Aggie Gym as the Homecoming royalty for 2009. The coronation ceremony was the final event in a week filled with activities. The week started off with Natalie Stovall in concert on Monday night. Tuesday night saw the Homecoming Dance and the introduction of the candidates in the Shepler Ballroom. The actual voting took place on both Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday evening saw award winning author and syndicated political columnist George Will speak in the Cameron Theatre. The Athletic Hall of Fame held their inductions ceremony on Friday evening. A bonfire was held later that night at the field house. Saturday was a day for a tailgate party and the basketball teams to take on the Bronchos of UCO. This homecoming was a part of Cameron’s on-going Centennial celebration this year.

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News

February 25, 2009

Career Expo promising opportunity for current job seekers By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff With harsh economic conditions making it tough to find a job, the 12th Annual Red River Career Expo offers a glimpse of hope for area job seekers. “Nearly 100 companies from our state and across the country will meet with attendees to talk about employment opportunities with their companies,” said Dr. Jennifer Pruchnicki, Director of Student Development. The expo will begin at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Fitness Center and is open to the public. Pruchnicki said anyone looking for a job is invited to attend. However, the national recession has hurt many venders that were in attendance last year. Many companies that were looking for potential employees have had to cut back and some weren’t able to attend. “Several recruiters who have participated in the past are not able to attend this year due to the budget cuts and lack of available positions,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “The economy has really hit a lot of businesses hard all over the country.” Recruiters in attendance will be looking for

future employees in many fields including healthcare, engineering, business and information technology. Even in a bad economy, Pruchnicki said the expo could be the best opportunity to find a job. “These recruiters are telling us that even with the job market being what it is right now,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “Here are some opportunities and jobs that are available and we’re ready to hire people.” Interested attendants should come prepared to go through the application process at the expo. Dr. Pruchnicki said recruiters are looking for qualified candidates who are ready to work as soon as possible and could hire someone at the expo. “We recommend job seekers treat the expo as professionally as possible,” Dr. Pruchnicki said. “This means dressing professionally and coming with an updated resume and a great attitude. Meeting recruiters is like having an on the job interview some times.” Dr. Pruchnicki said a lot of hard work is going to be involved in finding a job in today’s job market, but this year’s expo is the perfect place to start looking. “An Expo gives you a chance to see what jobs are available right now and it’s a great chance to network with recruiters,” Dr. Pruchnicki said.

Photo courtesy of Student Development

Career Expo 2008: Interested job-seekers attend the 2008 Red River Career Expo at Cameron University. The 2009 Expo will begin on Thursday.

Financial assistance workshops help students with aid questions By Rashmi Thapaliya Collegian Staff Cameron University’s Office of Financial Assistance will host three financial aid workshops to help college-bound students and their parents complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and learn more about higher education financial assistance. The first workshops took place on Feb. 17 and 21. One more is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. on March 7 in the CU Library. The workshops are free, but space is limited. Interested students and parents are encouraged to reserve their spot by calling 581.2293.

Carol Claiborne, CU’s Interim Director of Financial Assistance, said that the workshops are just another part of Cameron’s duty to help students further their education. “Cameron University is committed to helping students and families find the resources they need to afford higher education,” Claiborne said. Counselors will be on hand to provide one-to-one assistance in filling out the FAFSA online and to discuss all types of federal and state aid scholarships. Attendees must bring 2008 income information. Federal tax returns and W-2 forms are encouraged to bring in the

workshop. FAFSA forms are available for free on www.fafsa.ed.gov. The application forms are available to fill on Jan. 1 of each year. The deadline is June 30. Once the students complete and submit the FAFSA, the federal professors will review the application and they will be notified if they qualify for the financial aid. Financial Aid is granted in the forms of grants, fee-waivers, workstudies and loans. Loans are either federal or private. The students are not required to be admitted to any college at the time of filling the application form. But the students should be admitted and registered while receiving the financial aid.

Claiborne said that this is the first time CU has ever organized a workshop for helping the student and parents filling out the FAFSA on campus. “We get a lot of questions from students and parents about FAFSA, so we will be organizing the workshops to answer their questions,” Claiborne said. “The instructors at the workshops will be helping the students by signing them up in the internet and completing the process of the application.” Claiborne also said that Cameron had already organized such workshop off campus this year. “We organized a workshop on Feb. 5, at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center, and one at Duncan High School on Feb. 16,” Claiborne said. To be eligible to fill out the

FAFSA, the applicant must have a high school diploma, General Education Development (or equivalency), or have passed an independently administered “Ability to Benefit” test approved by the U.S. Department of Education, must be enrolled in eligible program of study, must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen and must submit all forms and documents required by the Financial Aid office. International students are not eligible to fill the FAFSA, but they are eligible to fill out the financial aid applications at iefa.org. Additional information regarding financial assistance is available online at CU’s Financial Aid TV webpage, http://cameron. financialaidtv.com, which provides brief, informational videos about all aspects of financial assistance, ranging from basics, the application process, and grant programs, eligibility, FAFSA and much more. There is no charge to view any of the video content, but a flash player is required for viewing and can be downloaded free of charge.

Voices 5 Nintendo’s latest achievement revolutionizes exercise February 25, 2009

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t’s that time of year again. It’s time to get back in shape from hibernating all winter. Instead of making the commute to the gym or jogging outside in the cool weather, Nintendo offers a new, technological way of working out — the Wii Fit. The Wii Fit is no replacement for the gym or a hardcore workout, but it’s a fantastic tool for those just wanting to shed a few pounds or work on improving balance and coordination. The Wii Fit is a game that can be purchased for the Wii gaming system. It comes with a balance board that contains a two dimensional grid which uses four sensors that measure pressure within fractions of pounds. It is basically the same technology is used in bathroom scales. The first thing that the Wii Fit request that you do is take a “body test” to determine your BMI and your “Wii Fit Age,” which is measured by combining the player’s weight, age, and

center of balance. The player is then assigned a Wii Mii, which is an avatar representing your character so that a number of people can have different profiles. Critics have argued that the BMI measurements are not always completely accurate, but it is measured the same way that we would if we did not have any modern tools for doing so. The game simply uses your age, weight, and height to get a rough estimate of your BMI. From there, the Wii Fit will let you know if you are underweight, overweight, or normal, and then will assist you in setting a goal for gaining, losing or maintaining weight. It seems a little silly to let a video game determine whether or not you are “normal” or not, but the game does provide a good estimate of what kind of shape you are in. The Wii Fit keeps a calendar of your workouts and will remind you if you have missed a couple of days. The Wii Fit game is separated out into 4 different areas of workouts: aerobics, yoga, strength training and balance and regular play unlocks more games for each category. In addition, the games are more challenging than one might think. The balance games include obstacles where you have to shift your weight from left to right to hit soccer balls with your head (and miss the cleats being tossed at

your character’s head) and a game titled “Penguin Slide” where your Wii Mii character is a penguin sliding back and forth on a piece of ice and the goal is to catch fish that are being tossed in the air. Some of my favorites are the snowboarding and skiing games where the game also requires the player to shift their weight on the board to complete obstacles. The aerobics portion of the game includes games like hulahoop where the player stands on the board and swings their hips in a large circular motion, making the Mii hula-hoop super fast. The player must shift their weight from left to right in order to catch hulahoops being tossed to them. You can even take a light jog through a virtual park or do a simple step aerobics class. The strength training included with this game should not be underestimated. When done correctly, these exercises can help you build muscle and will assist you in being able to do more than one or two push ups. The plank challenge is my favorite of the

strength training portion. The player is required to put their hands on the board and hold a push-up position for a number of seconds while the player competes with their virtual trainer. It’s simple—whoever holds it the longest wins. The Yoga section of the game is the only reason I purchased the game. I have been practicing Yoga regularly for over a year now, and I saw the Wii Fit as something I could do at home when I wasn’t in Yoga class to help improve my balance and posture. Most people are hesitant to try Yoga because they may think that it is boring or that it’s just for girls. The Wii Fit introduces the most basic yoga postures in this game such as tree, where you are required to stand on one leg with one foot to the knee, measures your balance. Warrior Pose is a type of lunge where equal weight must be pushing into the back and front leg, and the Wii balance board measures these postures quite well. However, I was a little disappointed when I put in all of that time on my Wii Fit to unlock all of the Yoga postures only to learn that the more difficult poses

Kerry Myers

Need advice? Ask Dear Aggie talk to me about their fears, hopes and dreams, politics and about anything else. I would like to make it clear that I am not a licensed doctor or mental health professional. I am simply a fellow classmate you may have seen or may even be friends with. My hope for this column is that I might combine my passions for writing and helping people into creative outlet. I highly encourage the people who write to me take what I say into consideration and to understand that I am merely giving them an unbiased and truly honest response. I will not reveal who I am or who the people are that write to me. Hopefully within the next issue of the Collegian or perhaps the next one after that, I can start publishing some of the questions I receive and my responses to them. I will not submit anything to be printed unless I have a signed consent form in confidential files kept within my home, and nowhere else. The forms will be available in the Collegian office on the

Dear Aggie I am Dear Aggie, a free service sponsored by the Cameron Collegian and available to Cameron and the surrounding communities. If there is something you just can’t bring yourself to ask a friend or a family member, I am here to help you out. Originally, my accounts and screen names were made with the alias, “Ask An Aggie.” For publication purposes in the Collegian, I will be known as Dear Aggie. My Myspace and Facebook accounts are checked frequently, and as more interest is generated I will be available on AIM daily. My hope for this program is that students can

second f loor of Nance Boyer and available to whomever wishes to see the answer to their question in the newspaper. You may choose an alias to be known by if you do not wish for the public or me to know your identity and, as I stated earlier, everything is to be approved by the individual asking the question. This form is to ensure both you and the Collegian staff are aware that you give permission for the agreed upon information to be printed. I’ll bet at this point in the article you are asking yourself why someone would make up anonymous online accounts to supposedly help people, am I right? Ever since I can remember, I have enjoyed listening to people and helping them with their problems. I also enjoy good debates and conversation about various subjects and am good at listening. If you just need someone to hear you out or a metaphorical shoulder to cry on, I am here. I am not the least bit interested in secretly knowing gossip about people and telling everyone I know who is talking to me about what. What is said between

me and whoever asks for my help will remain completely confidential. The anonymity of this whole program is what I think would help my readers open up to the idea of coming to me for advice. There are some discussions that you just can’t bring yourself to have with a parent or best friend or significant other. Usually with someone you know personally, they will tell you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear. I find this to be rather frustrating, as it can lead to mediocre advice that sometimes gives you the result completely opposite to what you originally wanted. The advice services of Dear Aggie are officially available now, folks. I can be found on Facebook, MySpace, AIM/ AOL with the user name Ask An Aggie and through email at AskAnAggie@Cameron. edu Write your questions or concerns to me and within a timely manner you can see your question and my response in print in the Cameron Collegian. I will be writing the Dear Aggie column weekly, so if you need anything do not hesitate to contact me.

didn’t require the balance board, therefore not being able to measure how well you are doing something. I can honestly say that is my only complaint about the game. I hope that in the future Nintendo will make the game more advanced, perhaps making a mat that has sensors in it to measure exercises that require you to lie down. The bottom line is that the Wii Fit is a great tool for anyone at any age to get in better shape. My 10-year-old nephew and my grandmother have both played this game with me, which proves that it can make working out entertaining for all ages. It doesn’t beat hitting the gym, but it’s better than staying on the couch for the rest of the winter.

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief - Joshua Rouse News Editor - Jim Horinek A&E Editor - Bira Vidal Sports Editor - Bennett Dewan Copy Editor - John Robertson

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kerry Myers Financial Officer - Susan Hill Staff Writers - Raven Weiss, Monica Garner, Justin Cliburn, Jeramy Eidson, Megan Mefford, Cecilio Ramirez, Nicole Roames, Melissa Rogers, Jacob Russell, Saman Samii, Rashmi Thapaliya, Pamela Vaughan, Lauren Bennett, Solitaire Merrill and Jory Palmer.

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.

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Voices

February 25, 2009

Cameron student discovers different type of school in Wales After we arrived in Swansea on Jan. 9, we were given a few days to adapt and sleep before our orientation and pre-sessional class began. Most of the American students enrolled in a two-week-long class called “British Culture and Politics from 1945,” which focused on exactly what one would think. We were catapulted through over 60 years of Britain’s economic, political and cultural history while always mindful of its relationships with foreign countries. This was a little dizzying to say the least. However, in my classes I do feel much more prepared when past events and figures are mentioned — plus, I’m in on many more Monty Python jokes. During this course, I started to see some of the basic differences in the UK’s university structure versus the American system. For example, we were broken up

into six different groups of around 10 people each, and twice a week we had dialogues with one of the instructors about some specific aspect of Britain: either film, music or its healthcare policies. These are called tutorials and, as we were reminded many times, are compulsory. Many classes have the two components of lecture and the tutorial. However, those who were not enrolled in our class had signed up to intern at different businesses around Swansea. One of my roommates, in fact, interned at a newspaper and wrote several articles for them — including getting tickets and reporting on a

rugby game. But no matter the two-week path a student took, both ended in a research paper. My 2500 word essay on Thatcherism and Britain’s Heritage Cinema ended up being the main component of one of my weekends here. These papers directly conflicted with what one of American Studies Coordinators told us. “Don’t worry about your school work yet. Take these next couple of weeks to just settle in,” she said. Perhaps, the lecturer should have been present at our orientation to hear what we students soon took as out mantra.

Lauren Bennett

We all seemed to get through the papers, though. The process for turning essays in is also, shall I say, foreign. Instead of us just handing them into the instructor the last class period, we submitted them online, which would check for plagiarism, and then we submitted the hard copy to the department’s main office and received an essay receipt showing when and that our essay was turned in. So, in case a paper is misplaced and accused of not being in, the student has proof to show it was. This is a good thing because both of my classes will be evaluated by essay. The two classes, or modules, that I am taking are Primetime Writers: Television Drama and Invention of Cinema. They are both really interesting, and I am thoroughly enjoying them. I was surprised that I would only be taking two classes, but 50 credits is a full-time student. Our pre-

sessional was worth 10, and these two are each 20, so there it is. The scheduling is also quite strange. I have my Primetime Writers class for two hours on Monday with a two-hour break and then a screening of a show. On Tuesday, I have my Cinema class from 2 to 3 p.m. and on Thursday from 11 to noon. That’s it. There is a big emphasis on independent study where much of the work is done by the student outside of class. I am finding that I have a lot of free time, which is nice, but I always have to recheck my schedule because of the little time I spend inside the classroom and double-check the classroom I am about to go into. After recounting some of my experiences and what has been going on over the past month, I now can write in present tense because I am sitting in the university’s library finishing this article. Until next time. - Lauren

Stimulus bill necessary evil for long-term recovery The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Feb. 17. Although the stimulus package is a necessary evil, other less costly alternatives are being ignored by policymakers. The idea behind the stimulus package is to provide a “timely, targeted and temporary” boost to the American economy. The package will be funded through an increase in the already massive amount of national debt, which will have to be repaid with interest. Currently, the United States’ debt to output ratio is approximately 81.3 percent compared with its all-time high of 121 percent following World War Two. Some insist the U.S. can continue to add to its debt without ramifications, citing the Japanese government as an example of other countries that have done so. However, this argument is not sound because the Japanese personal savings rate is much higher than the U.S. rate. The impact of continuously adding to the national debt is a potentially dramatic increase in interest rates, which would aggravate the situation further because this higher interest rate will be assessed on future budget deficits. The package has funds allocated to infrastructure spending as well. This has often been considered an effective way for the government to boost the economy. The United States Department of Transportation estimates that each $1 billion in federal highway investment will generate 47,500 jobs. Given the $30 billion committed to these projects, approximately 1.4 million jobs will be created, which could stimulate the economy, but at least $700 billion of the $787 billion stimulus MCT Campus

Jorie Palmer

package is a waste of money as it does not contribute to economic stimulus. Some of the funded programs may be worth while, but they should be part of separate legislation. Furthermore, the government has unused weapons in its arsenal that would combat the economic crisis without costing taxpayer money. For instance, Nobel Prize winner Harry Markowitz put forth an excellent plan to solve a bulk of the economic issues that arise from incomplete information regarding mortgage backed securities. These issues have been large contributors to our economic situation because they create problems when financial institutions attempt to value their investment portfolios. The $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that was passed at the end of last year proposed buying bad assets from banks, but complications arose from the pricing of those assets and the program has failed as a result. Markowitz’s plan would be beneficial since it would provide the information necessary to accurately value these mortgage-backed securities. There is also a possibility that the mark-to-market accounting rule could be suspended. Mark-to-market forces financial institutions to write down the value of their assets if that value declines. This causes financial institutions to recognize massive losses on their financial statements even if those losses are overstated. These securities are difficult to value because of their complexity, and accounting rules call for conservative estimates of the value of assets. The assets could be written down below their real value. Suspending mark-to-market would keep many financial institutions solvent and allow them to lend. Another potentially viable suggestion is allowing troubled firms to convert some of their debt into equity, replacing interest payments to debt-holders with an ownership interest in their company. Considering these other available alternatives, Congress is making a mistake in its haste to enact a stimulus package which entails massive spending without certainty of proportional benefits.

Heinous cat beating raises questions of Internet identity privacy Internet Justice Force, assemble. Wait, what? The Internet is a wonderful thing, but it also has its less obvious dark side. On the Internet, anyone can be anything they want to be. You’re an unattractive woman who wants to be the next Angelina Jolie? Just spend a few minutes with Photoshop, upload the picture to the next fl avorof-the-month social Web site and boom, you’re a sex-kitten. Want to be a woman to get cyber sex? Just forge a

few little details on your profi le and that pitiful little bald man sitting in front of the computer in his underwear is now a sexy woman looking for some cheap Internet sex. But this secret identity goes way beyond that. Internet users can be bigots, racists, sexists or any fourletter word and no one will ever know. You could also be Officer xX Hot Stuff Xx and turn into the Internet Justice Force. Casein-point,

you have no doubt seen the sad, pitiful display by Kenny Glenn beating his poor, defenseless cat. Thankfully, the cat is going to be fi ne, but that didn’t satisfy the Internet Justice Force. Within hours of the video being posted on YouTube, the popular Web site 4chan had the kid’s personal information, his phone number, address, etc. and posted it on the Web for everyone to read. There were even talks of people getting together and driving here to Lawton to kidnap his mother. Granted, I don’t think the mother of this kid deserves any sympathy either. I really have

a hard time believing this kid was raised in a decent home if he’s picking up his cat and beating it senseless while fi lming it, not to mention uploading it to YouTube and bragging about it. There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe what I really have to say about him. Plenty of those don’t belong in this paper either. But it worries me that random people on the Internet are taking it upon themselves to take the law into their own hands. I really doubt most of them can or will do anything about it, though They’re random posters on Internet message

Joshua Rouse

boards who are enraged, and rightfully so. However, you know there are people out there who are only crazy enough, but dumb enough to actually follow through with their statements. Does the kid deserve the fl ack he’s getting on the Internet? I don’t know. What he did was reprehensible. I’ll admit that and I’m not even a cat lover, but there are people who take things too far. Getting on the Internet and hunting down private information like phone numbers and addresses is scary. I would hate to think that if I were to ever do anything that could enrage the Internet fanboys that they could simply spend 10 minutes and discover my life’s story. Who are Internet fanboys, myself included, to look this stuff up and publish it for everyone else to see? It’s almost as scary as an eighthgrade kid beating his cat.

A&E 7 Music Department has big plans in store for season February 25, 2009

at 8 p.m. on Apr. 28 in the CU personnel and senior citizens. “The pre Theatre. Admission is the same Admission to the Oklahoma concert will as listed above. Percussion Festival in Norman feature a full The Cameron University is free to all. set of steel Choir is holding a concert at drums,” Dr. A New Music Concert will 8 p.m. on Apr. 30 at the CU be held at 8 p.m. Mar. 30 at Lambert said. Theatre. This concert will “We have had a the McCutcheon Recital Hall combine the CU Choir with the lot of fun with at Cameron. This concert will Cameron Centennial Choir. The feature music by Messiaen, the drums, CU Choir, conducted by Dr. and they add a Becker, Lachenmann, and Mr. Earl Logan, will be performing really unique Kirchoff. Mr. Kirchoff won the the Brahms Requiem. The 2006 Steinway Society Piano sound to every Cameron Centennial Choir, piece we use Competition, the 2005 John conducted by Mrs. Doris Cage Award, the Silver Lake them for.” Lambert, will perform International Piano Concerto Admission Schubert’s Little Mass in G to this concert Competition, the Saint Paul Major. Admission is the same as Piano Teachers Association as well as the listed above. Competition and the St. Cloud pre-concert is Photos courtesy of Music Department The Whang-Jiang-Whang Symphony Orchestra Young free. Keeping the beat steady: The CU Percussion Ensemble members pose Trio Concert is scheduled for 3 Artist Competition. Admission Th e CUPE for the ‘08-09 Music Department’s concert line-up. p.m. May 3 at the CU Theatre. will be holding to this concert is free to all in The event is sponsored by the attendance. a concert at 8 p.m. on March and senior citizens. By Raven Weiss Cameron Lectures and Concerts Dr. Hyunsoon Whang will 27 at the Simmons Center Dr. Jim Lambert said that Collegian Staff Committee. be performing at 8 p.m. on Apr. in Duncan and performing he is looking forward to the The final concert lined up The Cameron University 3 at the Simmons Center in in concert at the Oklahoma line up of concerts hosted by for the Spring 2009 semester is Department of Music has a busy the Department of Music this Percussion Festival at 8 a.m. Duncan. The concert is free to the CU Commencement at the schedule this semester. The CU CU students with a valid ID on March 28 in Norman. semester. CU Stadium. The pre-ceremony choir kicked off the semester card, $6 for adults and $4 for Admission is free for CU “I am very excited to see music will be provided by the with a performance Feb. 3, and students without ID, military students with a valid ID card what our students, faculty CU Band/Choir/Percussion the Cameron Band and Lawton and senior citizens. at the Simmons Center, while and Lawton community are Ensemble. Th is year’s guest Community Band are picking up presenting,” Dr. Lambert said. adult tickets are $6 and $4 for The 77th Army Band will be speaker is Al Roker. speed with their first combined joining the CU Concert Band students without ID, military “We have a very talented group concert of the semester at 3 p.m. of musicians, in both the choir on Feb. 22 in the CU Theatre. and band.” At 8 p.m. on Feb. 24, the Lambert also said he was Cameron Civic Symphony especially looking forward to is holding a concert at the the 33rd Annual Jazz Festival at McCutcheon Recital Hall. 8 p.m. on March 12, also being This concert will be conducted held at the CU Theatre. This Kirsten Underwood and will be year’s festival will be featuring showcasing various compositions Dave and Genie Zoller. The by Leroy Anderson, Michael festival is being sponsored by Praetorius, Mozart and Handel. CU Lectures and Concerts and Faculty member Thomas is free to CU students with valid Labe is a Professor of Music at student ID card. CU and will be performing a The Cameron University solo concert at 8 p.m. on March Percussion Ensemble, also 5. The solo performance will be known on campus as CUPE, will held at the CU Theatre. It is free be holding a concert at 8 p.m. of admission to CU students on Mar. 26 in the CU Theatre. with their Cameron ID card, $6 Lambert said there will be a prePerfect harmony: The Community Band Choir struts their stuff. The Choir will perform in for adults and $4 for students concert held in the lobby of the a large number of events this semester. without ID, military personnel CU Theatre.

Movie franchise loses horror edge By Monica Garner Collegian Staff When the 13th falls on a Friday, it gives moviegoers the perfect opportunity to watch a scary movie. What better time to open another installment to the classic 1980s slasher-film, “Friday the 13th.” Although it shares the same name, “Friday the 13th” falls short of a remake and is more like another sequel. It does, however, follow the same classic 80s horror movie formula of sex, murder and lots of blood. The visitors to Camp Crystal Lake can be seen gathered around a campfire sharing the history of the secluded summer camp. Flashbacks show the decapitation of a mother who began killing the camp counselors whom she believed responsible the death of her son, Jason. Twenty years later, as if summoned from a trance, Jason Voorhees is back and wreaking havoc upon campers in order to avenge his mother’s death. As the story unfolds, Jason captures a teenage girl, who looks much like his mother and holds her in an underground tunnel. “Friday the 13th,” released by New Line Cinema, lives up to the expectations of horror fans everywhere. Although the script leaves

much to be desired, stuntman Derek Mears proves to be both daunting and menacing as Jason. There are moments of unnecessary nudity including a scene of topless waterskiing and an essentially pornographic sex scene. However, the classic formula of “have sex and die a gruesome death” holds true. “Friday the 13th,” resurrected by “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” duo Michael Bay and Marcus Nispel, update the immortal story with more elaborate slayings and a killer score to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. It proved to be a bloody Valentine’s Day as “Friday the 13th” took the number one spot for President’s Day weekend. “Friday the 13th” is preceded by 10 other installments, including one collaboration with Freddy Krueger of “Nightmare on Elm Street.” The story of Jason Voorhees has stretched past the visions of imagination, throwing him to the bottom of Crystal Lake at least four times, into hell and even into outer space. However, the newest installment of Jason’s story proves that even tired stories can be given new life when given to the right people to recreate them.

MCT Campus

Welcome back to Crystal Lake: “Friday the 13th” brings Jason (played by Derek Mears) back with new victims such as Clay Miller (played by Jared Padalecki).

CONCERT continued from page 1

From the very beginning of the show it was clear that this would not be a run-of-the-mill performance. Stovall’s voice rose and fell with each of her original songs energy, traversing octaves with relative ease. Her powerful voice easily filled the CU Theatre, but she wasn’t always as good at the performance aspect of music. “I’ve calmed down a lot,” Stovall said. “I used to try too hard to make the audience feel everything that I feel, but now I can settle myself down and just enjoy every moment.” Although Stovall is primarily a country singer, she has roots in all genres of music. “I grew up listening to the radio. I’m a big mish-mash of everything, rock, r&b, soul and of course country,” Stovall said. As the musical numbers progressed, and the vigor of the stage show became fervent, the crowd began to pulse with excitement. In one mad rush, the spectators, and newly devoted Stovall fans, traversed the theater to the foot of the stage with the same fanaticism of teenagers during the Beatles heyday. The incredible showing of support further inspired the efforts of the band to continue their onstage performance. “The fans at Cameron were incredible,” Stovall said. “They would clap and cheer for songs that I knew they didn’t know. It was unbelievable.” Fans continued to hoot and holler as Stovall’s guitarist, Miguel, played solo after solo combining the sound of Santana with the theatrics of Hendrix. Miguel at one point even took a move straight out of the king of psychedelic rock’s playbook when he did an entire part of a jam session behind his back. Such antics are important to the Stovall experience. “I have always loved anyone who put on a great live show,” Stovall said. “I think about that when I go to perform.” The largest ovation of the night was saved for the daringly re-imagined version of Charlie Daniel’s classic, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Stovall and her fiddle took center stage and provided a stirring performance that gave CU students a truly special Homecoming memory. Stovall has gone from being an extra in country star Joe Nichol’s “What’s A Guy Gotta Do,” music video to having a record all of her own. With their talent and knack for stunning performances Stovall and her band seem destined for the big time, and when that happens some CU alumni will be able to say that they knew Stovall’s brand of music that she calls “Peace, love, fiddle,” before the world did.

A&E

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February 25, 2009

Art Guild disperses secrets in Post Secret event By Megan Mefford Collegian Staff Cameron University’s Art Guild is sponsoring Post Secret Cameron, an event that publicly posts anonymous postcards. Students can send in personal secrets on postcards that will be displayed in the Student Activities Building. “People will send the Art Guild their secrets, and we will display all the ones we receive,” Ciera Shibi, President of the Art Guild, said. The idea for Post Secret Cameron came from Frank Warren’s own Post Secret, Shibi said. Warren’s Post Secret is a blog that displays weekly postcards of people’s secrets. “Post Secret began as a blog and was created by Frank Warren, and basically what people do is, all over the country, they send him secrets on postcards,” Shibi said. “They mail it to his house, and he picks twenty or thirty postcards to show every week. Every Sunday morning he posts that week’s secrets.” Shibi said that Frank Warren has been touring campuses all over talking about Post Secret, and it has become extremely popular. The interest in Post Secret sparked the idea that

would become Post Secret Cameron. “It has become a huge thing, and he has been touring campuses everywhere, talking about his Post Secret,” Shibi said. “We all really liked that at the Art Department, so we decided we wanted to do a Post Secret just for Cameron.” The Art Guild will display the postcards from Post Secret Cameron on a wall in the Student Activities Building for at least a month starting on March 5. “We have a wall in the Student Activities Building that we are going to take everything down, and they will be displayed there,” Shibi said. “The first day they will be displayed is Mar. 5 at the Art Guild’s Film Festival.” “Before the Film Festival starts is when people will be able to look at the display,” Shibi said. “And it will

be up for at least a month after that.” The Art Guild is an organization on campus that wants Cameron to have a thriving arts scene, and Post Secret Cameron is a way for students to show their creativity, Shibi said. “What we want to do is just to get the arts out to the campus,

the cultural arts in general,” Shibi said. “That’s our goal with the Film Festival and also with Post Secret Cameron.” Shibi said that the postcards are sometimes surprisingly well decorated and show just how creative the process can be. “The postcards are very artistic,” Shibi said. “A lot of people paint on them, draw on them; they are very creative. And that is a way for us to instill in the Cameron students that you don’t have to be an Art major to be creative or to express yourself in that way. It is a way to get everyone involved in that.” If a student is wondering why they might want to share a secret with all of Cameron, Shibi said that there are many reasons. “I think Graphic Courtesy of the Art Guild getting it off

your chest is one thing,” Shibi said. “The act of confession, but no one knows who you are, is another. It is kind of liberating if you walked into the Student Activities Building, and you saw your secret up there, and everyone else is reading it, but they don’t know it is you. It is kind of a safe way to express that.” Shibi added that the real draw of the event is that it can show people just how similar they are. “But also, I think, when people start to read the secrets, they may see a secret up there say ‘I could have written that secret,’” Shibi said. “I think people make connections that way and realize that even though a lot of times we see each other as different, we are really more alike than we think we are.” If a student is unfamiliar with the Post Secret experience, they can go to the web site www. postsecret.blogspot.com to see the weekly postcards with secrets. Also, if students are interested in participating in Post Secret Cameron, they can drop off their postcard in a lockbox in the Student Activities Building or mail it to the Art Department. Students have until Mar. 2 to get their post cards in to the Art Guild.

PAC to screen bloody action with ‘Twilight’ By Katie Batule Collegian Staff On Thursday, Feb. 26, PAC will be hosting Movie Night in the Cameron Ballroom. The movie starts at 9 p.m. and is open to Cameron students and guests. The movie shown will be “Twilight,” the romantic fantasy starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Cameron’s movie nights feature movies that are not yet out on DVD, so this is another chance to catch the movie before it’s released to the masses. PACs co-chair Amanda Finch is excited about mixing up the movie style for Cameron students and guests. “The book series has a huge fan base and we are excited to bring out a different kind of crowd to one of our events,” Finch said. Twilight grossed $35.7

million on its opening day and introduced the immortal heartthrob Edward Cullen and teen-queen Bella Swan. Twilight was directed by Catherine Hardwicke and is based upon the novel written by Stephenie Meyer. The movie stars Kristin Stewart who plays Bella Swan, a 17-year-old who moves from Phoenix, Ariz. to a small town called Forks in Washington to live with her father. Bella begins her junior year of high school and happens upon Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, one of the five high school age vampires that reside in Forks. Edward is physically 17, but Bella soon finds out that he is actually 108. Edward’s family is made up of six other vampires, his adoptive mother and father and his four brothers and sisters. The parents are Carlisle, a local Forks doctor, and Esme. Edward’s brothers

are Jasper and Emmett and his sisters are Alice and Rosalie. The family of vampires consider themselves “vegetarians” because they live among humans and only feed on the blood of animals. From super strength to telepathy or seeing into the future, each vampire has a gift and they are all extremely attractive. In the beginning Edward and Bella have a rocky go at a friendship, due to the fact that Edward is very attracted to Bella’s scent and he can’t seem to read her. After he learns to control himself around Bella their friendship soon turns into a fairytale style romance. Edward’s family opens up to Bella, with the exception of Rosalie, who disagrees with Bella learning the family’s true identities. At one point in the movie, Bella is even invited to a vampire-style baseball game that the vampires play for fun.

MCT Campus

To kiss and to hold: Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) shares a romantic scene with Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) while dancing at the prom. During the game, three nomadic vampires, who turn out to be non-vegetarian, happen upon the family and Bella. The leader of these three “bad” vampires is James, a vampire who takes great pride for his skill in tracking prey. He sees how protective Edward is of Bella and he decides to chase her. The family is forced to flee in different directions and the hunt is on. Bella is taken to her hometown in Phoenix and a battle ensues between Edward and James. During the fight James bites Bella and Edward is forced to decide whether he will

let her change into a vampire or take his chances sucking the venom from her blood. PAC is expecting a great turnout for the event. “We show about three or four movies a semester, all of which have already been in theatres but are not yet on DVD, and since the movie did so well we are expecting a lot of people to show up,” Finch said. The movie is a companion to the first book of the four book series. It is best understood if you have previously read the books. The soundtrack was released Nov. 4, 2008. The DVD release is set for March 21.

Sports 9 Most dangerous thing in sports no longer other team February 25, 2009

CU Athletic Trainers protect from microscopic killer By Jacob Russell Collegian Staff Staphylococcus infections, more commonly known as staph infections, are a major concern in every athletic field. What starts as a little bump or scratch can ultimately become a fatal bacterial infection if not treated properly. The infection starts out as dormant bacteria that thrive in warm moist places, thus the constant threat in athletics. The threat does not stop with the infection itself, it can get worse. The staph infection can spread and become a more intense case called MRSA. MRSA is a strain of staph that has developed a resistance to a broad range of antibiotics used to treat the infection. Without the right treatment, MRSA could be fatal. Although there are two strains we focus on, Cameron University’s Head Athletic Trainer, Michelle Warner, knows you have to fight them both the same way. “MRSA and staph spread the same way,” she said. “They lay and wait for a chance to get you. They are very opportunistic.” Warner has only been here on campus for a short time and, fortunately, has only treated on case. “I am in my second year here

and so far have only seen one outbreak,” said Warner. “It was a one time thing that an athlete brought here. It was not contracted here.” For Cameron’s athletic training department, preventing these infections is broken down into two very closely followed steps. “First and foremost we have to keep out facilities sanitized,” Warner said. “That includes sanitizing the places the athletes use the most; things like the showers, hot tubs, training tables. We have to make sure that we are bleaching every towel that comes in contact with a player.” Warner said that the next step is to keeping staph risk low is to keep a watchful eye on players. “Second, we have to be very over zealous with any potential case; if a player has a weird bump, or a scratch that they aren’t sure about,” Warner said. “A lot of people commonly mistake the first signs, the bump or bumps, as ingrown hairs. When these are brought to our attention we have to make sure that we are taking care of these injuries and preventing any possible infection.” Warner said there is no set cleaner or rules to follow when it comes to fighting the infection. “There is nothing I use for a specific purpose,” Warner said.

“You just have to use the cleaners as intended and pay attention to detail. Make sure that you are cleaning your tables after you have athletes on them. Also, make sure that you are cleaning any surface or material that has come in contact with a bodily fluid. Should students be worried about contracting a staph infection on Cameron’s campus? Probably not, but there are steps that can be taken to lessen the chances of contracting the often painful bacterial infection. Staph infections are debilitating or deadly infections that can develop in many places and situations. There are things that can be done to improve the chances of never having to deal with staph. One, make sure to bathe regularly, especially after a work-out or any other strenuous activity. Two, bleach the towels used after every workout. If any clothes or sweat rags are used make sure that they are washed with bleach to kill any bacteria that may be on them. Three, take care of any wound, no matter the size, and make sure that it is given the proper treatment and disinfectant.

Graphic courtesy MCT Campus

Small but mighty: Staph infections can go from harmless bacteria to fatal infections without warning. The amount of contact and exertion required make almost all sports teams especially susceptable to Staphylococcus outbreaks. Six players for the Cleveland Browns including star Tight End Kellen Winslow twice have been infected with staph. New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady was also diagnosed with a staph infection after the incision place for his season ending knee surgery became overrun with bacteria.

CU softball team on road again By Jeramy Eidson Collegian Staff The Cameron softball team has started off their season with a 2-5 record with new head coach Beth Watson. Th is is Watson’s first year as an Aggie and her twenty-first year overall. Watson’s coaching experience includes seven years at the University of Central

Florida. She also coached at the University of Southern Indiana were she coached a number fourteen ranked team. Watson’s team boasts five seniors: Right Fielder Shareena Pulse, First Baseman Jenna Boren, Short Stop Megan Young, Th ird Baseman Chelsea Jordan and Right-Handed Pitcher Jazell Guzman who have all returned to the lineup.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Although Cameron is not ranked nationally, the team still boasts have a very potent offense. Last season the Aggies hit 87 home runs obliterating their own record of 65, which was set the previous season. Five Aggies fi nished the season with doubledigit home runs. Shareena Pulse tied the record for most homeruns in a single season with 19. During the last season, the Aggies’ Achilles heel was their defense. Coach Watson wants to improve the defensive play of her team, yet maintain their offensive swagger. “I would say we’re defi nitely an offensively powerful team. I’d like to improve our defense though,” Watson said. The pre-season polls for the LSC listed Cameron as ranked fourth after posting a 35-30 record last season and fi nishing fourth in the LSC. Senior Megan Young was co-named LSC North’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Th is new season will test the character of the Aggies. Th is season, the team only hosts nine home games. It will be hard to maintain a winning record with all the traveling the Aggies will do. Coach Watson has the team playing with one overall purpose in mind. “We should be able to compete with our division,” Watson said. “Our goal for this season is to make it to the conference tournament. I’ll need my seniors to be leaders in order to get there.” Seniors won’t be the only players Watson will call upon to step up. Stand-out Freshman Carrie Harvey threw ten strikeouts against Incarnate Word in a losing effort at the Saint Mary’s Tournament in San Antonio, Texas. Players like Harvey will be counted on to make an immediate and lasting impact on the team. The Lady Aggies will be traveling to a tournament in Hot Springs, Ark. before returning

to Lawton for two home games. After that, they won’t have another home game for 16 days. After March 18th ’s home game against Missouri Southern, Cameron won’t host another home game until April Fools Day. During this time, the black and gold will participate in the LSC Crossover in Durant, OK. Cameron will close out the season at home against the University of Central Oklahoma after a three game road trip to Southwestern Oklahoma State, the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. With the Aggies facing such a rough schedule, it will be hard to post a great record. Having to travel 4,800 miles worth of away games is strenuous to any collegiate athlete. The team that bolstered the high-powered offense that set school and conference records last season have their eyes on this year’s Lone Star Conference Tournament.

Aggie tennis team looks to slam competition By Saman Samii Collegian Staff The Cameron Aggie men’s tennis team started their spring season this past weekend with a five-match road-trip to Dallas, Texas, and things are looking promising after the outcome of this weekend. The Aggie men are currently nationally ranked at #6 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Division II rankings. The first match of the season was on Feb.11 against the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University (SMU). SMU is ranked at #46 in the ITA’s Division I ranking and played tough tennis against the talented CU team. The final score was 7-2 with every match being extremely close. CU’s first victory came at the #2 doubles match where seniors, Cristian Easton and Saman Samii won 8-1. The second victory of the day came at the #3 singles match where Samii beat SMU’s Bryan Griffin, 6-3 and 6-4. The Cameron Men’s Tennis Assistant Coach,

Ignacio Murgier said he was pleased with the way the season started even though they lost their opening match. “This was our first match of the season and it was against a very strong Division I team,” Murgier said. “I am happy with the way we played and fought to begin the season and if we would have played them a little later in the season, I believe the result would have been different.” On Feb.12 and 13, Cameron took on four strong Texas teams. The Aggie men defeated the Patriots of Dallas Baptist University (DBU), 9-0 in decisive fashion and the Apaches of Tyler Junior College (TJC), 5-4, in a very close and well-played match. Against TJC, Junior, Diego Troiano clinched the match at the #3 singles match after beating TJC’s, Mwalimu Phiri, 11-9 in a third set tiebreaker. Cameron also took on Laredo Community College Palominos (LCC) and the University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks. Cameron lost both matches 6-3 against these two

tough teams but fought very well. CU consistently plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation, and this weekend proved that fact. LCC is the top-ranked junior college in the nation in the ITA’s NJCAA Junior/Community College Rankings. TJC is ranked as the second best team in the nation in the same poll. Murgier said he was impressed with how well the men are playing and will keep in mind that this past weekend’s matches was the first sign of competition for them since October last year. “We started our season by taking on five very strong teams,” Murgier said. “We showed them that we are here to stay as a top team and I think after seeing what I saw this weekend, only improvement will come for us.” Out of all five matches that were played during the trip, the match against DBU was the only one that counted since they are the only NCAA Division II team. Last year, Cameron had their by far best season ever in CU history. Murgier said this year

could turn out to be the same, if not even better. “We have been working very hard this off-season and in the beginning of the spring season,” Murgier said. “Playing strong teams is good for us. It will prepare and motivate us to have a great

season like last year. Other teams fear playing us, and that is exactly how we want it. We will have to continue working hard so that we can achieve our goals.” The first home match for the Aggie men is on Mar.7 against the Rattlers of St. Mary’s University.

Courtesy MCT Campus

Sports

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February 25, 2009

Aggies fall to UCO in division dogfight CU teams lose leads to top LSC team

CU vs. UCO continued from page 1 “Our kids did a great job of battling but UCO was too good for us,” Webb said. “We had a strong night under the boards and I’m glad that our team played hard throughout the game.” When the final horn sounded the scoreboard read UCO 62, CU 47 the hard fought game ended just out of reach of the Aggies. The men’s team (12-13, 5-5) fell to the no. nine Bronchos (22-3, 9-1 LSC North) 85-62. Although the end score may make the game appear to have been a one sided affair, the contest was far closer than the end result. The Aggies jumped out to an early lead spurned on by the near capacity crowd and traded leads with UCO for much of the first half. CU benefited from an improved defensive scheme and the energetic and self less efforts of the players. Eventually the Aggies were worn down by the persistent attack of a UCO team that utilized its deep bench to keep fresh legs on the court at all times. This was not a luxury that Head Coach Wade Alexander was able to have for this game. “We played hard, they just ran so many players at us that it wore us out eventually,” Alexander said. Junior Forward Jamaar Burke was visibly slowed by residual problems from a knee injury earlier in the season, which kept the usually high f lying postman grounded for much of the game. Another key injury was to Senior Forward Greg Boxell who went down to an undisclosed leg injury in the second half of the game and was unable to return to action. The game was nearly catastrophic for the Aggies and provided a few tense moments for the CU faithful when the first half ended with a collision. The ball was inbounded to Kallan Glasgow with less than 10 seconds left on the clock. He caught the pass just past the half court line, pivoted and was met by a leaping Bronchos player, shoulder to head. Glasgow went down hard, legs splayed, and was writhing on the ground in pain. The gym erupted in boos, and calls for a f lagrant foul, but none was awarded. Although Glasgow was unable to shoot his free throws after the play, he did come back to start the second half, a true testament to his toughness. At the half, UCO was clinging to a four point lead, 38-34. The second half proved to be the downfall of the Aggies as the game became more physical. Although the game will go down in the record books as a loss there were many positive points in the contest for the Aggies to build on. The play of 6’7”, 240 pound Senior Forward Terrance Welch was one of the highlights of the game. Welch took it upon himself to contribute in whatever way he could which included bring the ball up the court and utilizing his surprising ball handling skills, which included a sharp crossover, and driving to the basket for

a layup. Welch’s biggest play came from using good technique to block out an incoming UCO defender, he timed a missed shot, collected the ball mid-air and slammed it home with twohands. Although both teams were not able to secure the upsets against two highly ranked opponents, both teams showed the ability to considerably slow the powerhouses of the division.

Men’s Basketball (12-13, 5-5) vs. UCO 85-62 Southeastern Oklahoma State Feb. 25 East Central University Feb. 28 at CU 4:00 p.m. Final game of the season Women’s Team (6-19, 1-11) vs. UCO 62-47 Southeastern Oklahoma State Feb. 25 East Central University Feb. 28 at CU 2:00 p.m. Final game of the season Senior night

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Sports

February 25, 2009

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CU coaching staff commited to excellence By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff A head coach of an athletic team usually takes the blame for wins and losses. Assistant coaches are appointed to help them every step of the way. This includes the recruiting process and daily activities. Athletic Director Jim Jackson said an assistant coach has the toughest job of all. “An assistant coach is not the head coach, so they have to have the dynamics of gaining respect from their players,” said Jackson. “Without these dynamics, relationships with the players could be disastrous.” Head coaches normally have the final decision in selecting an assistant along with the department’s approval. Candidates need experience and good sports specific knowledge. “Loyalty is very important when searching for an assistant coach,” said Jackson. “We always search for someone who wants to be a head coach and possesses the ability to be a good recruiter and representative.”

Jim Jackson also stated that being an assistant coach requires a work ethic that is unquestionable. Both of Cameron’s basketball teams have assistants that have gained the respect of their coaches and players because of their work ethic. Nate Gamet is the assistant coach for the Aggie men and was hand-selected by Coach Wade Alexander. Gamet started late in the season but has been a great addition to the team. “We were fortunate to get somebody that good at such short notice,” Alexander said. Coach Gamet spent five years at Northwest Missouri State as a manager and graduate assistant. “In the program I was at, we were successful,” said Gamet. “ The guys see the rings and they respect it.” The 26-year-old assistant coach is just a few years older than most of his players. “I’m up early with them running, trying to get them going,” Gamet said. “I’m here to help them with life, not just basketball.” Steve Lowe has also gained respect and attention for assisting

Coach Tom Webb with the women’s team. Lowe coached for four years at the high school level and also spent another four years as a head coach in junior college. “Coach Webb has given me lots of say in daily planning and game planning,” Lowe said. “I’m learning the four year level. It’s much easier to build relationships with four years rather than two in junior college.” Lowe says the respect factor is all about relationships with the players and discipline. He uses an open door policy in order to know what’s going on with the team. “The head coach is usually the bad cop, so the players rely on me to be the good cop. You don’t want to be the buddy, but you do want respect,” said Lowe. Both assistant coaches have been a major boost to the basketball program at Cameron University. The Aggie women have already won more games than last year, and the men are fighting for fourth place in the conference to make it to Bartlesville. As far as recruiting goes, both assistant coaches say it’s all about shaking hands and mending fences with coaches.

Photos courtesy Craig Martin

A big piece of the puzzle: Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach Nate Gamet (left) and Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Steve Lowe are an integral part of the day-to-day operations of their respective teams. Coach Gamet regularly runs with his players in order to keep them motivated to stay in playing shape throughout the season. Coach Lowe is relied on to help prepare and institute game plans. Both coaches are also relied on for their in game expertise and one-on-one coaching of players. When it comes time for recruiting these two Assistant Coaches will be right beside their counterparts trying to field the best teams they can for the Aggies.

Volleyball players step onto court for different sport By Joshua Rouse Collegian Staff

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Here they come to save the day: Senior Forward Whitney Long (pictured above) battles for position before grabbing a rebound between two defenders. Long played Middle Blocker, a position that calls for a strong vertical leap and quick reflexes, for the Volleyball team before joining CU Basketball halfway through the season. Senior Guard Haley Hatch (pictured left) drives for a tough shot over a defender for her first basket as an Aggie. Hatch played Libero, a defensive position that requires athleticism and quickness, this season for the Volleyball team. Both Hatch and Long played high school basketball and have the attributes needed to transition to the college game.

A string of season-ending injuries has forced Cameron’s women’s Basketball coach Tom Webb to recruit a pair of volleyball players to bolster their ailing bench. “The injuries have been hard, but they’ve both come in and done a great job,” Webb said. “They’ve worked hard and it’s really helped the team.” After C.C. Rundles injured her ACL, Webb approached Seniors Haley Hatch and Whitney Long to play for the women’s basketball team. He said the idea has always been on the backburner, but when injuries started mounting, there was no other choice. “Some people were interested and when we got low in numbers, we had to try it,” Webb said. “But they’ve both been a real plus for us. They’ve brought increased energy in practice and there’s a newness and freshness to them that’s helped the team.” Both Hatch and Long said moving from volleyball to basketball wasn’t easy. Aside from the fundamental differences between the two

games, Hatch said increased stamina is needed to run and up down the court constantly over the course of a game. “Playing the game is definitely harder than it appears looking up in the stands,” Hatch said. “The conditioning is a lot different from volleyball. There’s much more running involved.” The two played basketball in high school, so they just needed to call on their old knowledge of the game. The hardest part about joining the team was meeting the other players and trying to learn the playbook in a short amount of time. Long said they were approached the week after they returned from Christmas break and they were dressed and ready to play that Saturday. “It’s been really different trying to get back into the swing of things after not playing for a couple of years,” Long said. “It wasn’t hard to adapt, but we had to catch up. We had less than a week to get all of the plays and we were cramming the plays like we were cramming for a test.” Even with the adversity, both Long and Hatch love playing for their new team. This

season’s results haven’t been what the coaching staff was expecting, but the duo agreed that it brings the team closer together. “They have a good thing going here and it will be exciting to see where it goes,” Long said. “Watching from the stands, you think you could do it. When the team faces adversity you think they should overcome it. But being out there on the court is a different thing.” Webb said bringing Hatch and Long onto the team was a seamless transition. The season has been anything but simple and easy, but he said being able to rely on a pair of Senior athletes to come in and immediately pick up the game has really been a benefit to the team. “We want to be a team that’s up and down and f lies around the court and we haven’t been able to do that this year. We’ve had to play more half-court basketball,” Webb said. “But (Hatch and Long) are seniors and they’ve been around and know how to compete at this level. Any time you can find kids that can compete, it really helps. And they’ve helped us.”

Cameron Men’s Basketball fight for playoff spot By Cecilio Ramirez Collegian Staff This year’s Aggie Men’s Basketball team will go down in history as one of the best. The Aggies have now won four Lone Star Conference North Division Games after their redemption game against the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs. This is the third time in CU’s history that the men’s team accomplished such an achievement. Cameron’s team has never been able to make it to the Lone Star Conference playoffs. Head Coach Wade Alexander said there is still a chance to do that if the Aggies continue to play hard. “Our team has already beaten some tough teams. The players know what they have to do to get it done for the remainder of the season,” Alexander said. “We just have to keep playing as hard as we can. Hopefully things will go our way.” Cameron beat Southwestern, who is still the second best team in the north division. CU also fought hard against the best team in the conference, UCO, who is

a nationally ranked team. Both of these teams will be facing each other one more time for Cameron University’s Homecoming. Assistant Coach Nate Gamet says he’s trying not to put too much pressure on the team so they can be ready to execute to the best of their ability. “I already told the guys that they exceeded the team from last year after their fourth conference win,” Gamet said. “Now its time to pull together and step up. We can either be the guys that made it to the play-offs, or the guys that didn’t make it.” Before homecoming, the Aggie Men’s Basketball team has to face Northeastern State University. This game gives the team an opportunity at a tiebreaker. Right now, the Aggies are in fifth place in the LSC North Division, just one win behind Northeastern State. If CU can pull off the win, they move up to a record of 5-4, dropping NSU down to 5-5. Northeastern State has already upset the University of Central Oklahoma. Athletic Director Jim Jackson says that this year’s Aggie squad

fights harder in conference play than any previous CU teams. “When it comes to talent and depth, we are not as good as we have been in the past,” said Jackson. “But, the hustle and heart is the greatest I’ve seen in my four years at Cameron.” Jackson went on to compare the team’s hustle and desire to former Major League Baseball Player Pete Rose. Although he wasn’t the most talented player in the league, he gave fans everything he had. “If we don’t make it to the playoffs, it won’t be because of effort,” Jackson said. The road to Bartlesville, Okla. continues as teams continue to battle for the top four spots in the conference. Four conference games still remain for Cameron University in the final weeks of February. The final game of the season will be held at Aggie Gym against East Central University beginning at 4 p.m. For those who cant make it to the game, there also will be a live camera switch broadcast presented by CUTV on the Aggie Video Network at goaggies.cameron.edu.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Just taking a walk in the clouds: Junior Forward Jamaar Burke skies for a two handed alley-oop from Guard Dave Smith. The Aggies, who have already set a school record for most divisional wins, are currently fighting for the final playoff spot in the Lone Star Conference.

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Variety

February 25, 2009

Review by Joshua Rouse There was a time when playing video games meant something more than the stereotypical albino sitting in his parents’ basement with a can of soda and a bag of cheese puffs. The late 80s and 90s were the glory days of the arcades when people would gather in bars, pool halls, bowling alleys and just about anywhere else that had enough space to stick an arcade cabinet. The rooms were smoky and were usually filled with the smell of half-burned pizza, beer and a combination of body odor and grease. No doubt, anyone venturing into these destined halls stumbled across a “Street Fighter II” arcade at least some point in their lives. The hallowed game was possibly the best fighting game ever made up to that point. But just like the arcades that made it

unforgettable, “Street Fighter II” began to fade into obscurity. Fabled developer Capcom began rehashing the series with new updates to the fighting engine that seemed more like quick cashins on the title rather than true improvements. Since the release of “Street Fighter II” in 1991, the series has seen numerous updated versions and a failed sequel, “Street Fighter III.” It has taken Capcom 18 years to finally release a worthy sequel. “Street Fighter IV” debuted in the arcades last year, but after nearly a year of play testing in the wild, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 finally have the definitive version of the modern classic fighter. Let’s get this out of the way: do not play “Street Fighter IV” for the story. If you like interesting stories in your games, you’ve found the

MCT Campus

Around we go: Abel grabs Guile and uses his tornado toss to spin him around and do extra damage. Guile is one of 13 returning characters from ‘Street Fighter II. ‘ Abel, along with C. Viper and El Fuerte, are all new to the ‘Street Fighter’ universe.

wrong franchise. The story is told in anime shorts before and after t he arcade mode, but there’s not enough to intice anyone to learn more about the universe. “Street Fighter IV” is all about the gameplay. The game plays just like the previous itineration in the series. The game is played from a 2D point of view. Each character has a list of unique moves like Guile’s “Sonic Boom” or Ken and Ryu’s famous “Hadoken.” Each move is fairly simple to pull off with a simple twist of the joystick and press of one of the face buttons. After chaining enough moves together, you will fill up your EX bar at the bottom of the screen and then you can unleash super moves and combos. These are more powerful and can deal out some wicked damage. The most powerful of the moves in the game are ultras, which can be used after literally getting beat down. The more you get hurt, the more your revenge meter fills up at the bottom of the screen. After it’s filled, you can unleash an ultra combo that will easily take more than half of the opponent’s life. Like other traditional fighting games, the 16 characters on the roster have different fighting styles and tiers. Zangief is the highest rated fighter on the game. He has to be close to an opponent to do damage, but if you get near him, he can use painful grapples that will K.O. you within a matter of seconds. Ken and Ryu are still the standard two vanilla characters that almost everyone else in the game are built off of. There’s nothing flashy about their moves and they are the easiest to use for beginners. But you’ll soon want to graduate from them to other, more powerful characters to feel out your best playing style. The graphics have taken a new twist in “Street Fighter IV.” Whereas previous games relied on hand-drawn and animated 2D characters, the upgraded versions in this game are fully rendered in 3D. The traditional, and somewhat childish, anime style that was used in the previous games has been thrown out the window for some menacing, albeit comically

exaggerated, characters. They now look as tough as they fight. Capcom took the look of the game in a new direction while still keeping with tradition. The game uses a new style that looks like it’s a living, breathing painting. Many of the unique character moves take advantage of this new art style with seizure-inducing light shows. Many fighting games rely on their distinct engines and gameplay to keep gamers coming back. “Street Fighter IV” has one of the best fight systems in a game yet, but the game’s features really set it apart from every other game. The game’s arcade mode can be completed in as little as 20 minutes and could take as long as hours. The final boss, Seth, is an exercise in futility unless you know what you’re doing. Capcom still hasn’t moved past the simple “give the boss more health and more powerful moves” method of developing fighting games. Seth not only looks like a generic ripoff of Dr. Manhattan, but takes the most powerful moves from the other characters and unleashes them with even more power. The product is an insanely annoying boss that’s borderline cheap and hard to handle. You might want to stop and take a breather after the first hour if you haven’t beaten him yet. A number of the characters still need to be balanced out. Zangief is too powerful and can grab you and use a pile driver while you’re still recovering on the ground from the last hit. C.Viper is almost useless against Seth and other powerful characters because of her quickness and low durability. She’s more of a hit-and-run character, but is very weak if she’s ever caught. Akuma’s fireballs can be abused easily and spammed so that even the most skilled

player will have trouble dodging them. Still, with as much work has been put into the game, a simple patch to balance out the issues isn’t out of the question. The online mode for “Street Fighter IV” is the best yet for a fighting game. A game like “Street Fighter” takes skill and timing to pull off the combos and moves that need to be done to win the game. Even the most subtle lag and latency can throw you off, but Capcom has done a good job of eliminating that problem. There are still the occasional drops in connection and laggy games, but it’s a rare sight. For anyone wanting to replicate that old arcade feel, “Street Fighter IV” is your best bet. “Street Fighter IV” is, handsdown, the best fighting game ever made. If you’re a fighting fan, there’s no reason not to try the new “Street Fighter.” Even if you’re not a fighting fan, the game is still fun and easy to pick up. In fact, “Street Fighter IV” is probably the easiest fighting game to date to pick up and play, but is the hardest game to master. There’s enough content here to keep you coming back for a long time, just like its predecessors.

Street Fighter IV is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. A standard edition is available on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for $59.99 and a collector’s edition is $79.99.