Collegian T he Cameron University
www.aggiecentral.com
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Angelica Martinez
Managing Editor Since taking the helm at Cameron University 15 months ago, President Shane Hunt has brought noticeable energy to campus and an increasing presence in the LawtonFort Sill community. During his first year as president, Hunt established himself as a familiar face at university events, where he can often be seen greeting students with a fist bump. Those who have heard him speak at campus events have likely heard his iconic, “It’s a great day to be an Aggie” cheer. He has also made Cameron a regular focus of his public outreach through the CU Today – The Aggie Experience podcast, interviews with KSWO and editorials in The Lawton Constitution. That momentum shows no signs of slowing. This summer, Hunt focused on conversations about Cameron’s role in the economic development of Southwest Oklahoma. He met with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, FISTA and the Lawton Economic Development Corporation to discuss opportunities for the university and its
students. “I spent a lot of time this summer working with companies to bring more jobs and opportunities to Lawton,” Hunt said. “Every time you see these ribbon cuttings or these groundbreakings and they say, ‘We’re going to add 135 new jobs,’ or ‘We're going to add 300 new jobs,’ those are direct opportunities for Cameron students.” The university’s first engineering bachelor’s degree program is now in full swing, providing more routes into the workforce for Cameron graduates. “Between all the different levels of our mechanical engineering program, we have 40 students in that this fall which is incredible,” Hunt said. “We had companies lining up with the desire to hire them for internships.” While engineering has the ball rolling, Cameron continues to expand other academic opportunities. Throughout the summer, university officials worked to develop educational pathways to jobs as occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs). The new programs are on the agenda for approval at an
upcoming Board of Regents meeting. “That came directly out of conversations with healthcare providers who are saying we need more OTAs and PTAs,” Hunt said. “We are preparing our students and partnering with those organizations to make sure that while our students are at Cameron, they’re getting hands-on opportunities.” As Hunt enters his second year as president, he has a deeper understanding of the work students put into their education and how Southwest Oklahoma will benefit from it. “We’ve got students right now doing research, doing projects, doing internships with companies across Southwest Oklahoma and I think that prepares them to hit the ground running in the workforce,” Hunt said. “It also lets us tap into our partners' knowledge and expertise
Volume 115 Issue 1
Photos by Angelica Martinez
of where those fields are and where they’re going, to make sure that we’re giving the most relevant education possible to our students.” Hunt also has several announcements planned for the upcoming academic year, including the 2030 Strategic Plan, “Go for Gold.” “It’s really built around six pillars that we want to drive the bright future of the university,” Hunt said. “Those pillars range from what we want to do with academic programs, what we want to do to support our faculty and staff, how we amplify and enliven the on-campus experience for our students, how we support our athletic programs and how they go forward and how we make opportunities here at Cameron more affordable and more accessible for more people. We will be rolling that out next month and we’re really excited.” Apart from expanding academic pathways and the strategic plan, Hunt is excited about the many new faces on campus. “Our freshman class is up well over nine percent from what it was last year,” Hunt said. “It looks
like we will have the most students at Cameron since the pandemic.” As Hunt begins his second year, his vision for Cameron has grown. “I’m dreaming even bigger than I was in year one,” Hunt said. “I think I also learned just the exceptional nature of our faculty and staff to say that we can bring things that people couldn’t have imagined at Cameron a generation ago. That we got a team in place that can make those things a reality.” That positive perspective is shared by Karin Bailey, executive assistant to the president. “I am just riding on his enthusiasm, and it is bringing out the enthusiasm that I have and want to contribute to making Cameron a better place,” Bailey said. “I’m excited for the carrot that is dangled a little bit in front of us, that we can see that there is potential there. Students are coming out of their shells, and they’re starting to interact more with one another. They’re starting to interact more with us as employees too.” Bailey credits Hunt’s contagious energy
as part of the reason for increased student engagement. Hunt’s strong confidence has grown even stronger. “The things were were able to do last year, to have the largest research investment in the history of the university, to have the first named school school in the history of the university, to have the bachelor's degree in engineering for the first time in history, to have one of our best fundraising years in a very, very long time, it made me feel like we’re making very positive traction and it gives me comfort and confidence as we go into year two,” Hunt said. “I think this is gonna be just the best year ever.” Developments on campus show no signs of slowing, much to the excitement of Cameron leaders. “Last year was amazing, this year is going to be even better,” Hunt said. “The future of Cameron has never been brighter than it is right now and we are so excited for the students that we have, that we get to serve.”
OBSESSION FILM REVIEW Makayla Flenoury A&E Editor
On May 15, the indie horror film “Obsession” premiered in theaters. “Obsession” was a groundbreaking film, bringing a new experience and message to psychological horror. Simply talking about the movie is not enough. It’s one of those films you must watch to get the experience and to fully understand just how amazing it really is. “Obsession” checks all the boxes. The development, production, acting, and theme all make this an incredible film. The film’s director Curry Barker and his creative partner, Cooper Tomlinson, started making short films
What’s Inside
on their comedy Youtube channel, "That's a Bad Idea." One of those was the award-winning short film, “The Chair”. Tea Shop Productions Manager and Producer James Harris stumbled upon the film and reached out to Barker about adapting “The Chair” into a longer film. Instead, Barker saw a chance to pitch a new idea, "Obsession", and secured backing of $750,000 from Capstone Studios. I think the pair’s capabilities deserve praise for how amazing the movie is on a lower budget. It’s hard to summarize this movie in a couple of paragraphs because everything in it is important. Every detail is intentional and adds another layer of depth to the plot. From the characters' personalities to the
The Crossword Returns Page 3
“Aladdin” scene playing on the TV in the background. There’s enough for the plot to be its own column (but I’ll spare you). I was nervous about this film based on the trailer, but after watching it, I am obsessed (lol). I feared the movie would paint women as crazy and obsessive, but it turned out to be the opposite of what I expected. Yes, the main female role became exactly that, and I’m sure many people only saw it that way, but it was so much more than that. "Obsession" follows Bear (Michael Johnston) and Nikki (Inde Navarrette) in a horrifying “love” story that spirals into a darkness no one knows how to escape. Bear and Nikki are friends with two others, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and
Sarah (Megan Lawless), who are just as bad as Bear- let’s be honest. The four planned on having another night out, like normal, oblivious to the fact this would be their last normal night. Before they all met up, Bear learned that Nikki’s crystal necklace broke and went to a shop to buy her a new one. While there, he realized he didn’t know much about Nikki’s interest in crystals and ended up not buying one. He stumbled upon the One Wish Willow instead; the shopkeeper explained that any wish you make would come true, but you only get one. Of course, he was skeptical but bought one anyway.
See OBSESSION Page 4
Brand New Day Review
About that Fizzness
Page 4
Page 6