Collegian T he Cameron University
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Monday, April 12, 2021
Volume 104 Issue 4
Photo by Cam Alsbrook
Shots all around: Allied Health Science Junior Kendyl Payne receives a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, administered by Resident Nurse Kathy Sanford. Students could make walk-in appointments as of event day. Students, faculty and staff can schedule an appointment to receive a vaccine on Thursday, April 15. Walk-in appointments are also being accepted then.
COVID(-19) operation:
Vaccination day at Cameron Cam Alsbrook Managing Editor
From 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on March 24, students, staff and faculty were able to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Aggie Recreation Center. The distribution was available thanks to the Comanche County Health department’s partnership with Cameron, with Cameron serving as a host site. People attending the event received the Pfizer vaccine due to availability. Attendees entered the Aggie Recreation Center, submitted paperwork for the Pfizer vaccine. After being given the shot, people received a record card, which details the date of the shot, as well as the date when the second shot of the vaccine is due. Art Sophomore Raymund Anongos said that he was super glad to get the Pfizer shot. “I’m part of the few percent that hasn’t gotten COVID[-19],” Anongos said. “So I figured, ‘why not improve my chances of not getting it?’” Anongos said in comparison to their flu shot experience, the COVID-19 vaccine was not different. Anongos also said he is glad that the vaccine is becoming more available to the public over time. “I feel everyone should get it just to be safe,” Anongos said. “Also, I think it’s funny people think the vaccines have chips in
them.” Students went to the Aggie Rec Center either by themselves or with a couple friends as a friend-activity. Vaccines were stored in coolers, taken out and warmed by hand prior to injection at one of the tables in the row of tables used. Journalism and Media Production Junior Amaya Stevenson said she was excited to get the vaccine. “I felt like it was me doing my part to aid in keeping everyone healthy,” Stevenson said. “I mostly just mentally prepared myself for the sheer pain I would feel from the needle itself.” Stevenson said afterward that the vaccine did not really hurt during the injection. Stevenson was one of the students who went to get vaccinated with her friends as a group; her group of friends had decided to go to get vaccinated together prior to the campus announcement for support. Stevenson said that it took time for her to be open to getting a vaccine injection, but having the influenza shot in the past helped in the decision process.
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“I was hesitant with the COVID[-19] vaccine at first because of how quickly it came out and was produced,” Stevenson said. “But after doing some research on my own, I realized it was safe.” People stayed at the site for 15 minutes post-shot, to ensure that they did not have any reactions that would warrant a hospital visit. On April 6, Cameron students, faculty and staff got information about the second event, which is scheduled for 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on April 14. The email gave studemts a guide for navigating the sign-up
process through the oklahoma. gov website. The guide asks for students to complete the COVID-19 questionnaire, but also states that walk-in appointments are available on the day of the event. Dean of Students Zeak Naifeh included reminders in the email of what students should bring with them to their vaccine appointments. “The Comanche County Health Department will be administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines,” Naifeh said. “Please note that you will not be able to choose which vaccine will be administered at your
appointment if this is your first dose (second doses will match your first dose). “You will be told at the time of your appointment which vaccine is being administered.” At the follow-up event, people receiving a first dose can choose between Moderna or Pfizer, but those who are going for a second dose from March 24 will need to take the Pfizer shot. For information the upcoming second vaccine clinic day, inquiring parties can email Naifeh at znaifeh@cameron. edu.
What’s Inside Why neutering/ spaying helps
Boyer amd Whang Musical Duo
Succs to not have Succulents
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News
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April 12, 2021
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WITH
ESPORTS COACH JOHN CUNNINGHAM something I’ve always loved to do has become something that you can make a living at in today’s world. I’ve been interested in gaming my entire life. Esports, really just the last 4-5 years because how quickly its grown in that amount of time. Have your taste in games changed since you started [playing]? I would say yes. We all have particular games we love to play when we started and that over time and with how huge the gaming world is now, I have grown to love many different game types. Which are your favorite esports to watch? How would you explain how the game is played? My favorite esports to watch right now is Rocket League. To explain, it is because it takes two of my favorite types of games and puts them together all into one game! Simply, because I love sports games and the competitive nature of them as much as I love car and driving games. With Rocket League, they are both together in one game. What was your first game that you remember? The very first video game I have ever played was Space Invaders on Atari 2600. Cameron Pickaxes Coach John Cunningham has coached the team since it’s inception in 2019. Recently, the League division accomplished becoming the state’s top team -- reflecting good communication and effort. How long have you been interested in esports? I have been fascinated with the fact that
What qualities does being a coach require? This is a very big question, because I am a single coach with no assistants or anything, and the coach’s roles for an esports team or any traditional sport for that matter require multiple roles. You must be able to do multiple jobs such as being a head coach, strategic coach, recruiter, as well as a sports psychologist. The Coach is required to record matches, watch them back and keep up
to date with each game in question. Make notes and arrange scrims. Not to mention be able to communicate with the team as well as leagues and other teams their current esports team is playing that week. The coach is responsible for every aspect relating to the performance within a team. This is why practice is so critical for players to need to show up. How do you study gameplay? I watch extensive hours of gameplay footage on Twitch Streams and YouTube videos of professional players that compete at a high level because it will help show you what is the best strategies and practices you will need to work on in order to improve. What do you expect of your players? For our players that want to be a part of an esports team and be successful, I expect our players to be committed to the team and give 110 percent every week to get better as a team and perform at a high level. I have noticed that some people just want to be a part of something and figure esports is a good place to be, but at the same time, I am in search of the best of the best and expect my team members to feel the same way and want to do what it takes to become great and win. What events for the esports divisions are coming up after this week? Currently, we have GG Leagues playoffs starting for our League of Legends team this week on [April 5] Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Also, our Rocket League team will be competing in two different games in the PlayVS league we are enrolled in. I will be looking to get our Super Smash Bros team in some competitions or scrims this week as well.
The Theory of Relativity: Theatre photocall A non-hypothetical cast: The Cameron Department of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts will be showing “The Theory of Relativity” from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m., from April 15 - 18. The production revolves around finding connections amid differences. Photos by Shianne Taylor
April 12, 2021
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Voices
EUTHANASIA www.aggiecentral.com
The number one cause of death in dogs and cats
Photos by Alison Malawey
Please don’t litter; spay and neuter: Euthanasia is the number one cause of death in dogs and cats. The National Organization to End Pet Overpopulation created the Animal Birth Control Clinic as a way for people to have access to high-quality, low cost basic care for their pets. By getting your pets fixed, you prevent the death of would-be puppies and kittens.
Alison Malawey Voices Editor
“Kitten season” sounds like something adorable, but in actuality, it’s the time of the year when stray cats have babies. Usually around the warmest times of the year, kitten season can begin in early spring and run through late fall. During this time, literally thousands of homeless kittens are born. It starts off small. In the spring, people start to bring handfuls of kittens to shelters, but in the summertime, it can be kitten overload. In an interview with Best Friend magazine, Dana McCrory, president and CEO of Central Oklahoma Humane Society, said there have been days when up to 100 kittens are brought through their doors. What happens to the kittens that aren’t brought to shelters? They continue to wonder the streets and make new kittens. A female cat can get pregnant as young as six months old, and their pregnancies last for about two months. Unneutered strays can create cat colonies which are groups of cats that share the same food source and territory. There are some people who advocate for “trap, neuter, release,” or TNR, programs instead of euthanizing. Groups of like minded people trap cats from colonies, spay or neuter them, and then release them back out into the world once they’ve recovered. They do this under the belief that it will help dwindle the population of pet overpopulation. In 2004, Mark C. Anderson published a study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that showed a spay/neuter rate as high as 88% of the feral cat population would be needed to merely stabilize population growth. Anything less, the cat population would continue to increase. It was concluded through the study that euthanasia is more effective than TNR at controlling feral cat populations. The Humane Society of the United States reports that 3 million pets are euthanized in shelters each year, and of those euthanized, approximately 2.4 million are healthy and treatable and could have been adopted into new homes. The easiest way for people to help is to spay and neuter their own pets. The National Organization to End Pet About Us
The official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available twenty Mondays during the year. It is printed by the Lawton Constitution. The first issue is provided for free. Each subsequent issue is $1.50.
Our Views
The opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author. The unsigned editorial under the heading “Voices” represents the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. The opinions expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily represent those of Cameron University or the state of Oklahoma. Our student media are designated public forums, and free from censorship and advance approval of content. Because content and funding are unrelated, and because the role of adviser does not include advance review of content, student media are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves. Administrators, faculty, staff or other agents shall not consider the student media’s content when making decisions regarding the media’s funding or faculty adviser.
Overpopulation (NOPO) created Animal Birth Control (ABC) Clinic of Lawton in May 1985 as a way to offer a high-quality, low-cost neuter and spaying for pets, as well as vaccinations. For those who think they don’t have the money to get their animals fixed, the ABC Clinic is a great solution. Should your animals ever get out un-neutered, they could end up pregnant by a stray or another neighborhood animal that hasn’t been fixed that runs loose. Should your pet get picked up by Animal Control and not be fixed, you could be fined by the city. The cost of the fines could be more expensive than getting your pet fixed at the ABC Clinic. I recently adopted two cats that had been living underneath the house behind mine. I was able to get both animals fixed, vaccinated, dewormed and treated for flea/tick prevention all at the ABC Clinic. As a full-time student who works part time at
the mall, there’s no way I could have done that for two cats at another clinic. Despite the evidence against TNR programs, I think they help improve the quality of life of stray cats. I could never bring myself to get an animal euthanized simply because there wasn’t enough space for it. Should they get picked up by Animal Control and euthanized later, at least, if they’d been neutered, I’ve helped save the would-be lives that would have come from that one stray. The Humane Society reports that 6-8 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year which is down from 13 million in 1973. Perhaps it’s from TNR programs. Perhaps it’s from pet owners making sure their pets are fixed. Maybe it’s a bit of both. If you need to get your pets fixed but have been putting it off because you feel you can’t afford it, I recommend setting up an appointment at the ABC clinic by calling (580) 355-6985 or stopping by 85 NE 20th St., Lawton, Oklahoma.
You gotta be kitten me: Female cats can start having kittens around six months of age and can breed up to five times a year. That equals hundreds of cats in kill shelters every year. Letters Policy
THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY
COLLEGIAN Founded in 1926 veritas sempiterna
Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.
Editorial Staff
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.
Managing Editor - Cam Alsbrook A&E Editor - Alison Malawey Voices Editor - Alison Malawey Student Life Editor - Brittney Payette Sports Editor - Jimm Alley Copy Editor - Brittney Payette
Newsroom Staff
Staff Writers - Makenna Hill, Shianne Taylor Financial Officer - Susan Hill Faculty Adviser - Prof. David Bublitz
All letters from students should include first and last names, classification and major. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification. Letters can be sent by mail, by e-mail to aggiecentral@ cameron.edu or they may be dropped off to the Academic Commons 101.
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A&E
April 12, 2021
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Make a joyful noise: Guest artists, April Golliver-Mohiuddin (mezzo-soprano), and Megan Barth Argo (piano) perform their new music program, “Through the Eyes of a Child,” to the audience in McCutcheon Recital Hall. The program has special meaning to both performers.
‘Through the Eyes of a Child’
Cameron University’s annual New Music Festival Alison Malawey A&E Editor
At 7:30 p.m., on April 1, in the McCutcheon Recital Hall, Cameron University’s Music Department held their annual New Music Festival. Guest artists, April Golliver-Mohiuddin (mezzosoprano), and Megan Barth Argo (piano) chose the theme of the festival this year, “Through the Eyes of a Child.” The duo started out with “A Slumber Song of Madonna” by composer Samuel Barber, followed by “Songs to the Moon – Part 1: Fairy tales for the children” by composer Jake Heggie. After a short pause, the two continued with “Canciones Para Niños” by composer Xavier Montsalvatge, and then
ended the evening with an arrangement prepared by Barth Argo titled “Rainbow Medley.” Golliver-Mohiuddin is a voice professor in the Greenwood School of Music at Oklahoma State University. She is also a long-time friend of Cameron associate professor of music Christian Morren. When Morren and music professor Greg Hoepfner were planning the event, they reached out to GolliverMohiuddin for help finding someone to perform contemporary music. Golliver-Mohiuddin said, “Greg reached out to me and asked if I knew anyone that might want to be a part of a new music concert, and I had just finished a new music program. So, I said I would love to be considered.” The New Music Festival is an annual music event put
together by the Department of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts. Hoepfner explained it as “basically a concert that is exclusively modern, classical music, in other words, classical music that has been written since, I like to say, 1960 and later. That doesn’t really sound contemporary, but in the classical world, it is.” When it came down to choosing Golliver-Mohiuddin as a guest for the festival, for Hoepfner, it was a simple choice. “She has a reputation for being a very gifted, contemporary classical vocalist/performer and that’s actually rarer than you might think,” Hoepfner said. “Most people do sing the old classic standards from Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, but to sing contemporary music can be quite challenging because of
the complexities, rhythms, and tonality. It’s very different and challenging.” Before the concert, Golliver-Mohiuddin taught a masterclass for vocal students of the music department. Golliver-Mohiuddin said she chose the theme for the program after losing a child to a miscarriage. “I’d gone to fertility doctors, tried different fertility treatments, and was unable to conceive,” she said. “I would go and try to sing and, because singing is so much a part of my soul, I would break into tears. “I decided that I needed to come up with a way to basically cleanse my soul from the sadness that I was dealing with in wanting children and for some reason not being able to have children. “I put together this program, ‘Through the Eyes
of a Child.’ So, everything deals with children. “The other really nice thing is that my pianist, at the time we were planning this program, was actually pregnant, and she had a baby girl like two weeks before the recital. “I was dealing with the sorrows of not having children. While, together, we were in a joyful mode as she was going through her pregnancy. It just seemed appropriate to do a program focused on children.” Golliver-Mohiuddin explained that she and her husband have recently applied to foster/adopt a child and things seem to be going well. For more information about events held by the Department of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts, you can call (580) 581-2346 or visit cameron.edu/art-music-andtheatre/events.
Photos by Alison Malawey
Just keep breathing: Guest performer, April Golliver-Mohiuddin, works with Music Education junior Rachel McCurrey on her breathing techniques during a masterclass before Golliver’s performance. Golliver-Mohiuddin tells the student, “Air is free, so take as much as you need.”
April 12, 2021
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Student Life
Talithia Williams Brittney Payette Student Life Editor
At 3 p.m. on March 25, the final guest speaker for Cameron University’s Academic Festival XI “Connections: Information Transfer Between People” was STEM advocate Talithia Williams, who spoke over Zoom. Williams has a PhD in Statistics from Rice University and is an associate professor for mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Williams encourages women and minorities to be involved in STEM. “We really try to make sure that the diversity of our faculty represents the diversity of our students,” Williams said. “we want our students to be able to see themselves as mathematicians.” She spent three summers at NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory. In 2015, she won the Mathematical Association of America’s Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching. Williams also cohosted a PBS series called Nova Wonders. The 6-part series explored a variety of questions, such as can we build a brain or what are animals saying. Additionally, she is the author of “Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematic”. The book describes the influence of women in the realm of mathematics in the past and present. Williams has given a Ted Talk called “Own Your Body’s Data”, in which she explains how mathematics can help people view the world in a different way and how math can help to change the world. Williams said that her Advanced Placement Calculus teacher in high school encouraged her to major in mathematics when she went to college. “I didn’t know any other black women who were mathematicians,” Williams said. “It seemed like a foreign concept, that I could be a mathematician. That really stuck with me.” She said that she really fell in love with statistics when she took Biostatistics as an elective. In the class, they were looking at data on women who smoked while pregnant. The data found that women that smoked while pregnant had shorter pregnancies and the babies had lower birth weights. They concluded that smoking caused babies to have a lower birth weight. She was surprised to find out that tobacco companies hired lawyers to refute the research.
Math as easy as pi
“That was the moment when I said, ‘oh my gosh, look at the information that you can get from data, and look how powerful this information is,’” Williams said. Williams said that Harvey Mudd College hosts an annual conference on campus for girls and their families from the community. They focus on fostering excitement for STEM.
people think about her. “I was so consumed with sort of presenting this image, right, thinking that somehow that image is going to shield me from certain behavior, and it wasn’t,” Williams said. “For me, I really had to say like this is who I am… If this doesn’t work in this environment, then I need to find an environment that it is going to work with.” Williams is also a mother to three boys, and she said that she wants her sons to be caring, to think for themselves, and to be good people. “I really want them to be honest, god-fearing, loving people,” Williams said. “The priority is in how they treat each other, how we love each other as a family, and how they love other people.” Currently, Williams said that she is working on hosting a new show with PBS called “From Zero to Infinity”. The show is going to discuss things such as the origins of numbers. More information about Talithia Williams' book can be found at https://www.talithiawilliams.com/. Her book, “Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics”, can be purchased on Amazon.
They also ask local female STEM professionals to go to the conference and talk about how they view science and to serve as mentors for the girls. Williams also discussed how she experienced imposter syndrome when she was at Rice University because of the community not treating her as someone who belonged there. “I still have it today,” said Williams. “It doesn’t just go away when you become ‘successful’”. Cameron University’s Director of Events Management Carey Monroe asked Williams about how to combat people’s ideas of what a person should look like. In a previous job, Monroe said that she was judged based on how she looked rather than how well she actually performed her job. “I’m curious about your best advice for how to battle against perception when you’re trying to do your job,” Monroe said. “I made a lot of effort to learn what my rights are, and kind of where that line is.” Williams said that she had to learn to prioritize her own well being because no one else would. She also had to figure out how to not care about what other Photos by Makenna Hill
Wassup Succa?
Cameron University’s Programming Activities Council (PAC) hosted “Wassup Succa” at 1 p.m. on March 30 in the McMahon Centennial Complex. Students participated in a grab-and-go event in which they were able to choose a succulent from an available variety. Then, students received a small silver pail for their plants. Attendees picked up succulents during the first hour of the event. PAC hosts events for students on campus that range from grab-and-go events such as this one to virtual concerts for homecoming. For more information about joining PAC email pac@cameron.edu for more information.
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Sports
April 12, 2021
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Photos by: Jimm Alley
Going the distance with Cameron Track team’s Mark Medina Jimm Alley Sports Editor
Cameron University track and field runner Mark Medina has a lovehate relationship with running. “I love to joke and say I hate running, but I think everyone hates running,” Medina said. He said running helps him to relieve stress, and it is good exercise. “I enjoy it as a way to work things out from the week. It definitely gives me time to think and be by myself.” Medina grew up in the small town of Sapulpa near the Tulsa area. In his freshman year of high school, he decided that he did not want to play soccer anymore and wanted to find something new. His mother convinced him to try sprinting. “Awful idea,” Medina said, “I was very bad at sprinting, but the next year, I tried mid-distance, and I did pretty well in that.” Medina found success in high
school after making the switch from sprinting to distance running and was the only member of his team to make state in his senior year. Medina came to Cameron shortly after they had begun their track and field program. “I was talking to the cross country coach here,” Medina said. “They recently got a men’s and women’s track program, so they were expanding a lot.” Medina decided to accept the scholarship offered by Cameron because he believed that the opportunity to move to a new place would be best for him. Medina experienced a lot of personal development since joining the Cameron track team. In his time at CU, he has bested his personal records multiple times and competed in his first marathon, which he won after accidentally going two miles off the course. “One of the arrow signs to turn around was knocked over,” Medina said, “so I kept running two miles past the sign, and then I noticed I
hadn’t seen anyone for a while. So I turned around and the sign was put back up.” After realizing the mistake, they allowed Medina to recalculate the numbers to adjust for the lost time. Medina discovered after this that he had won the marathon, but they had already given out the first place plaque. The 26 mile marathon did take a toll on Medina’s body. “Afterwards, I couldn’t walk properly,” Medina said. “That is not a joke when a lot of people say you need to prepare especially for marathons, they don’t mean it so you can run well they mean it so that you can walk afterwards.” Medina is a former Criminal Justice major, but is now a Pre-Law student hoping to attend law school after he graduates from Cameron. He has aspirations of becoming a corporate lawyer but is also interested in working in civil law. Additionally, Medina is the Grand Treasurer for the Kappa Sigma
fraternity. “I handle the money,” Medina said, “collecting dues, collecting fundraising payments and managing money we use for events.” Medina is also a resident assistant in North Shepler, the male campus dorms . “For me it’s a very fun job,” Medina said. “I get to meet a lot of diverse people and I get to have a lot of interactions with the students and residents on campus, so I have gotten to explore a lot of the diversity here at Cameron.” Medina has grown not only as a runner but also as a student, person, and leader in his time at Cameron. The future looks bright for another one of Cameron’s athletes and Medina looks to be ready to take that next step after graduation. Medina hopes to be another additon to Cameron’s already vst alumni network. Hopefully Medina can use his experiences from his time at Cameron to steer him in the direction of success.