The Cameron University Collegian: August 31, 209

COLLEGIAN Informing the Cameron Family Since 1926

T H E C A M E R O N U N I V E R S I T Y

Monday, August 31, 2009 Volume 84 Issue 1

News

A&E

Sports

Voices

Cameron’s faculty-in-residence project has taken a new turn this year as Communications Assistant professor Dr. Justin Walton assumes the role of live-in professor on campus.

Dr. Walton is the third professor to live in the McMahon Center, following Dr. John Bachelor and Dr. Paul Crandon. While the semester has only begun, Dr. Walton said he can already tell it’s going to be a fascinating experience.

“I really thought this would be an interesting time to live on campus, with all of the changes that are taking place,” Dr. Walton said. “We have so many new buildings popping up. Th e landscape of the campus is changing. We have so many new students coming to Cameron, and coming off our centennial celebration, I think it’s a very exciting time to be here and to work at Cameron and live on campus.”

Dr. Walton fi nds his new surroundings fascinating. He lives inside the McMahon Center and is right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Cameron Village. He said the prospect might sound hectic, but he thrives there.

Th ere are certain statutes and responsibilities expected of the faculty-in-residence. In addition to his standard offi ce hours, Dr. Walton has to maintain three offi ce hours a week in the McMahon Center. He said he has an open door policy during those times when students can come by and discuss their experiences on campus or come to him with any problems they might have in relation to the university.

New faculty-in-residence welcomed

By Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

Dr. Justin Walton brings new ideas, goals to program

Emergency communication system to be tested Thursday

Business Building gets fi nishing touches

All Cameron University students are urged to update their contact information on MyCU no later than Sept. 1 in preparation for a test of the Emergency Communication System. Th e ECS test will occur at 2 p.m. Th ursday. Th is system is used to notify students of campus closures and other emergencies which impact campus life.

“Cameron takes pride in its ability to notify students of emergency situations and campus closures,” said Jamie Glover, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. “In order for the system to be eff ective, we must have current contact information on fi le for every student. Otherwise, students will not receive these crucial emergency notifi cations.”

Messages will be sent via phone, e-mail and text message. Students needing to confi rm or update their contact information should take the following steps:

1. Log into MyCU at https://mycu.cameron.edu 2. Click on the ‘My Info’ tab 3. Click on the ‘Update Personal Info’ tab and enter contact information. 4. To receive a text message, please enter the number where it should be received into the space for

alternate phone 2. Th e university will not be responsible for any charges incurred for receiving the text message.

Important Delivery Notes: • When receiving an emergency message from Cameron, the caller ID will display 580.581.2200. • For e-mail, the message will be from [email protected]. • When listening to a message, please be aware that background noise will cause the system to

“stop and start.” It is calibrated very delicately to determine whether a person or an answering machine has picked up the phone, and background noise may aff ect the delivery. If possible, move to a quiet area, or press the “mute” button.

• If any part of the message was missed, please stay on the line and press star to hear the message again.

Students who have diffi culty updating their contact information can contact Margot Gregory at 581.2338 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Students urged to update contact information on MyCU

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See WALTON Page 2

“Every night, something is going on and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to pop my head out and get involved with students and the different types of campus events.”

— Dr. Justin WaltonFaculty -in-residence

Photo by Jim Horinek

Working from home: Communications Assistant Professor Dr. Justin Walton gives senior Music major Leah Bennett some assistance with her course work. Dr. Walton lives on campus as part of the faculty-in-residence program.

CU $upports You program aims to give students relief from the costs of college.

SEE PAGE 2

CU cheerleader named as ‘Sports Illustrated’ Cheerleader of the Week.

SEE PAGE 6

Health Care Reform a necessary but tricky subject.

SEE PAGE 4

‘District 9’ a smart, fun sci-fi fi lm.

SEE PAGE 5

Open Doors: Shortly before the semester commenced the Business Building was completed and ready to hold its fi rst classes.

State of the Art: The classrooms in the Business Building are fully equipped with the latest instructional technology.

Auditorium: The new building houses a 114 seat auditorium that can function as a location for many different events.

MeetingAreas:There are many seating areas throughout the building that will allow students to interact with their professors.

Photos by Jim Horinek

ECSTest 9/3/09

Graphic by Jim Horinek

News2 August 31, 2009

“Th ey can come by and talk about academic advice, career issues or if they need any assistance for things on campus,” he said. “I’m sort of a faculty resource that’s available in the residence on campus.”

Dr. Walton is also preparing several activities throughout the course of the fall and spring semesters. He has a tentative event planned for Sept. 29 and hopes Oklahoma State Representative John Doorman from Rush Springs will come to speak to students about public service and the importance of volunteerism in a democratic society. Dr. Walton, a “Star Trek” fan, also has a tentative plan to take students where no man has gone before.

“I want to do a ‘Star Trek’ night, where we discuss the issues of time travel and give students the opportunity to dress up as their favorite ‘Star Trek’ character when I screen the movie,” he said. “I’m also going to be sharing some of the responsibilities during Diversity Week. I’ll show the movie ‘Crash,’ and lead a discussion on that particular movie. Granted, all of these things are still tentative at the moment, but they’re things I would like to do and have planned.”

Dr. Walton was offi cially chosen for the position of faculty-in-residence after the previous faculty member moved out during the spring. When the position fi rst opened, he said he was interested by the idea, but he wasn’t sure. He consulted his fellow faculty members and friends, many of whom told him it would be a unique and fun opportunity. He said he just has to maintain the balance between work and home.

“Because I’m living on campus, I sometimes fi nd it hard to separate work and my personal life,” Dr. Walton said. “I’m doing the best I can to leave my work in the offi ce and walk home at night with very few things tucked under my arm.”

Even fi nding it hard to separate professional and personal life at times, Dr. Walton said he still enjoys the feeling of walking to class every morning from his home in the McMahon Center.

“I get a chance to meet with faculty, students and staff every morning. Th at’s been a real joy. It’s been very nice interacting with people over in the village,” he said. “I decided I would only move in if I could make a contribution to campus through this role. I felt like I could do some good, and I certainly hope I can.”

See page 7 for solutions.

WALTON continued from page 1

CU $upports You program aims to curb fi nancial woes

Th is summer, Cameron University launched “CU $upports You,” a comprehensive fi nancial assistance program aimed at helping students cover the cost of tuition, as well as alleviating the stress of fi nancial woes that emerge during the school year.

Th e program consists of seven components designed to help keep the cost of a degree aff ordable through increased scholarships, veteran programs and payment plans. Th e fi nancial assistance initiative, in conjunction with unchanged tuition rates, has allowed Cameron to stay competitive as a public state university.

“By freezing tuition and fee rates for the coming academic year, Cameron will remain the second-most aff ordable university in Oklahoma,” President Cindy Ross said. “Still, we realized the need to take additional steps to assist our students as they face the economic realities of higher education. We established “CU $upports You” to help alleviate some of the costs associated with a college degree and to help students reach their goal of a college education.”

One of the largest portions of the fi nancial initiative is the increased amount of available scholarships including $1.5 billion in resident tuition waivers, over $300,000 in CU Foundation scholarships and $200,000 in university scholarships.

“CU is a low cost institution, but we can’t depend on that solely,” said Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Jamie Glover. “Almost 72 percent of our students receive aid and that tells us two things: one, that our students have fi nancial need; and two, that we’re committed to fi nding aid to help our students.”

Another notable component of the program is the new tuition payment plan, allowing students to pay their bill through installments during the semester.

“Paying for tuition in one lump sum is not always feasible for students and creates anxiety,” Glover said, “which is why we’re allowing them to set up a payment plan divided into

By Rachel EngelCollegian Staff

four equal monthly payments. Students will be expected to pay by the 15th of each month to prevent them from being put on hold.”

Th e rising cost of textbooks is another concern of students after tuition, and CU has allocated $200,000 under the “CU $upports You” program towards purchasing copies of general education and the most popular courses’ textbooks, which are being made available in the library for student use.

Veterans will also benefi t under the initiative through the “Yellow Ribbon” program, and military spouses are eligible for assistance through the Military Spouse Career Advancement Financial Assistance Program in which spouses of active duty military personnel are eligible to receive up to $6,000 to pursue a “portable career”.

“Cameron now participates in the ‘Yellow Ribbon’ program,” Glover said, “and we are committed to helping 50 veterans bridge the gap between what the Post 9/11 GI Bill pays for and the cost of attendance, up to $2,484. We needed to take an active role in assisting military families and

this will help to facilitate that.”

Cameron will also be working closely with state and local labor departments to assist displaced workers through education and retraining benefi ts.

“Th ere is a lot of federal

help for displaced workers,” Glover said, “Cameron is working closely with the Association of South Central Oklahoma Government, area Workforce Development Offi ces and the Oklahoma Employment and Securities Commission to identify resources that will help them take the right steps to retrain and go down a new career path.”

Th e emergency loan option is also considered a part of the new program, although this is not a new development.

“Th e ‘Emergency Loan’ program has been around for a number of years,” Glover said. “We’re just reiterating that it’s there for students to use. In the course of a semester accidents happen, whether it’s medical bills or car repairs. A short-term loan can help students get through situations fi nancially without having to consider dropping out of school.”

Above all, the “CU $upports You” program has one goal in mind—to help eliminate fi nancial stress from the college equation.

“Students are the heart of Cameron’s commitment,” President Ross said. “We want them to know that we are here to assist them outside of the classroom as well as inside as they pursue a college degree.”

Students can fi nd out more information about the “CU $upports You” program at http://www.cameron.edu/cusupportsyou.

Cameron.edu

News 3August 31, 2009

Voices4 August 31, 2009

Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief - Joshua RouseNews Editor - Jim HorinekA&E Editor - Rachel Engel Sports Editor - Bennett DewanCopy Editor - Justin CliburnBack Page Editor - Monica GarnerDigital Editor - Kyle Luetters

Newsroom Staff Financial Offi cer - Susan HillStaff Writers - Jeramy Edison, Saman Samii, Megan Carothers, Andrew Osbourne, Rashmi Th apaliya, Jacob Russell.

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

About UsTh e offi cial student newspaper of Cameron University, Th e Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Letters PolicyLetters to the editor will be

printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.

Th e 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 fi rst and last names, classifi cation and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verifi cation.

Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to [email protected], or they may be dropped off at our offi ce - Nance Boyer 2060.

Our Views Th e opinions expressed in Th e Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author. Th e unsigned editorial under the heading “Our Voice” represents the opinion of the majority of the editorial board. Th e opinions expressed in Th e 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.

COLLEGIAN

Founded in 1926veritas sempiterna

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

An exchange this week between Rep. Barney Frank and a Massachusetts woman during a town hall meeting summed up the health care “debate” thus far. After the woman compared the health care reform bill to a “Nazi” program, Rep. Frank chastised the woman for displaying a picture of the president made to look like Adolf Hitler before praising the First Amendment for allowing the woman to do so.

Th e amount of venom and misinformation that have shaped the nation’s collective discussion on health care reform is astounding. While the health care reform proposal presented by President Obama is not perfect, it has real worth in the dialogue that invokes and the goal towards which it is working. If we take the opportunity to have the dialogue and work towards the goal together.

I have heard a multitude of

Joshua Rouse

Justin Cliburn

One way or another, America needs healthcare reformreasons for not supporting health care reform, and some are well-reasoned, if highly ideological. Other reasons, however, lead me to believe that the average American either does not know about the dire need for reform, or doesn’t care. It should be noted here that I am lucky to work

for a unionized Fortune 500 company like

UPS that off ers great

health insurance at a

decent price through our union. Th is is not

about me, however; this is about the common good.

For one, it can be universally agreed upon that we live in a diverse economy

with great chasms between rich and poor. What this

means is that there are also great chasms between good jobs and bad jobs. Put simply, many of those uninsured Americans

cannot “ just get a better job,” as I have heard mentioned as a possible solution to the blight of the uninsured. Furthermore, those low- to mid-level jobs that do provide health insurance have seen the cost of premiums

rise 119% over the last decade. How much longer will those employers be able to aff ord to off er health insurance to their employees?

Th e talk of “Nazi programs” and the Hitler references are no doubt tied to the incorrect assumption that the president’s plan calls for one integrated national health care system. On the one hand, the “public option” is one of public health insurance. Th ose insured would still see private physicians. On the other hand, however, what is so wrong with free healthcare for all? While I wait for the collective screams of “Not like Canada!” to die down, I would like to mention that Canadian citizens live longer and have a better quality of life rating than Americans using their so-called terrible health care system.

Exploring the public insurance option once again, I had lunch with a US Senator

while in Baghdad in 2006. Th en, he did two things that surprised me. First of all, he told me how much he liked and respected Senator Barack Obama. Secondly, he spoke of the need for a universal catastrophic

health insurance program that would cover unexpected and catastrophic injuries and illnesses. After speaking of his aversion to a fully public system, he added, “. . . but no should go bankrupt because they broke their leg.” Th e Senator? Ultra-conservative Tom Coburn of our great state.

Exactly one year later, my brother was struck on his motorcycle, shattering his knee and breaking his leg in six places. Luckily, my brother worked for a company that paid well and off ered health insurance. Unluckily, however, he had just started his new job and his

health insurance had not yet gone into eff ect. Two years later, there’s still a hole in his leg and he’s bankrupt after breaking his leg. How prophetic, Sen. Coburn.

All of this can be avoided, though, with one thing: comprehensive health insurance reform. When private insurance companies insure everyone and do not praise employees for dropping ill customers who have paid their premiums for years (look up the practice of rescission), I will no longer beat the drum of a public option. Stock prices and shareholders will always win out over the good of the customer, however, so, in the meantime, I’d rather trust

Health care reform.It’s become such a hot-button topic that the mere mention of it can spark

riots and seemingly lower the I.Q. of anyone caught in a debate over it. Th ere are so many misgivings, false messages and lies being spread about, it almost reminds me of a presidential election. How long before we start quoting Swift Boat Seniors as credible sources against reform?

I think that’s the problem we’ve ultimately run into with this, though. Who really knows the truth behind President Obama’s health care reform proposal? An hour-long search on “credible” news sites like CNN and MSNBC yield confl icting reports. And people say we should forsake our glorious newspapers for the Internet, but that’s a diff erent topic altogether.

Th e truth is, I, as a supposedly informed voter, can’t fi gure out what’s going on with this. I don’t know how much it’s going to cost. I don’t know how it’s going to be implemented. I don’t know what sacrifi ces are going to have to be made. And let’s face it, sacrifi ces will have to be made if something this ambitious is going to be implemented. Modern healthcare, if you could even call it that, is so broken and corrupt, it will take nothing short of a scorched earth approach to implement something that’s credible. I don’t know; I’ve always been of the persuasion that healthcare should be free. We supposedly want to give people so many opportunities to create better lives for themselves, yet doctors hold out their hands for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for simple offi ce visits and procedures. After all, I guess they have to come up with enough money to maintain the Cadillac they drive or to fund that trip to the Bahamas they planned on taking later in the month. Obviously, I don’t have a high opinion of doctors. I’ve had nothing but bad luck with them my entire life. But that’s beside the point.

I’m all in favor of health care reform. It’s something that this country seriously needs. But, like a typical American, I just point at the problem and say it needs to be fi xed, without any real solution of my own. But that doesn’t mean I can, or do, support Obama’s approach at the moment. Frankly, I don’t know enough about it to really form an intelligent opinion on it. But, it’s not like they’ve really gone out of their way to inform people of what the new proposal entails. You have one camp that seemingly fi ghts against it at all costs, citing death-panels, multi-billion dollar cuts in Medicare and other gotcha scare tactics. I wonder how long before they start accusing health care supporters of being communists.

It’s not like the other side is any better though. I keep hearing Democrats say we need reform and the Republicans are against it. Frankly, I haven’t heard a single person, Republican or Democrat, say that we don’t need healthcare reform. Anyone who’s visited the doctor in the past year, or has looked at health care premiums from their job, knows there needs to be something done. But why support something that very few people have an informed opinion on? I’m not going to support something just because the president says to. Th e last time we did that, we ended up in a war that we’re fi nally pulling ourselves out of, six years later.

From my point of view this seems more like Obama trying to cram

More thought, patience needed for healthcare reformthrough something as quick as he can to cement his legacy. We all know how well that’s worked in the past. Bush Sr. gave us the fi rst Gulf War, Clinton gave us Monica, Bush Jr. picked up where his dad left off and gave us a new Gulf War and Obama is trying to give us half-hearted healthcare reform. It’s like the rite of passage for a president. At some point in their political career, they have to do something so off -the-wall absurd that they’ll be talked about for generations to come. It worked for Nixon.

Th is is something that needs to be done, but can this be something we want our lawmakers deciding on in weeks? Obama actually wanted this bill done by August at one point. Th en he wants it done by October. Now, he just wants it done as soon as possible. He parrots the same song and dance

about how Americans need this while he works on his golf swing with Tiger Woods and takes expensive trips on Air Force One with the family.

I voted for Obama because I wanted something diff erent. No party should maintain complete control over the country for too long. Th e Democrats had eight years of Clinton and the Republicans had eight years of Bush. I cringe at quoting campaign taglines that were cooked up by some public relations hack on too much caff eine, but we needed change. I just think that change is being pointed in the wrong direction at the moment.

Th ere are too many other things going on right now that require more pressing attention. Th at little forgotten war in Afghanistan is escalating and it hardly gets any coverage on the six o’clock news. You have to fl ip through the pages of your local newspaper

just to fi nd a mere mention of it. Th e economy is still on fragile ground at the moment. One day we hear good news about how the economy is recovering; the next day, we hear bad news about how it’s stalled. I read a report from the Associated Press that the national defi cit could top $9 trillion in the next 10 years. Th at’s a lot of money, too much money, if you ask me.

And where is the talk about this? Relegated behind pictures of Obama and family on the beach lounging and war stories of how health care reform will either save the country or send it into ruin. I’m not saying there doesn’t need to be something done. I just have to take a look at my grandfather’s medical bills for cancer surgery to see there needs to be something done. In an idealistic world, lifesaving procedures shouldn’t cost the patient anything. Th en again, doctors would actually be somewhat competent and willing to help a person, rather than rush through something so they can catch the next fl ight to the Caribbean.

As far as healthcare reform goes, this is something that needs to be examined carefully. Everyone needs to stop pushing this bill, which many haven’t even read themselves, and just discuss this without proposals. First, examine what needs to be fi xed. Second, look at how we got where we are. Th en, come up with proposals on how to pull ourselves out of it. Pushing some bill through that no one has read or understands isn’t going to get us anywhere. Th e last time Congress did that, we ended up with the Patriot Act, and boy was that a piece of work.

MCT Campus

A&E 5August 31, 2009

Every so often, there is a movie that comes out of nowhere and takes you by surprise with smart, back-to-basics fi lmmaking.

“District 9” rose out of the ashes of the proposed “Halo” adaptation spearheaded by a partnership between South African director Neil Blomkamp and “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson. After the production fell apart, the pair decided to move forward with a full-length adaptation of Blomkamp’s short “Alive in Joeburg.” It’s hard to say how a Blomkamp-directed “Halo” fi lm would have turned out, but this reviewer is more than content with what could be this generation’s “Blade Runner.”

“District 9” takes the science-fi ction genre, which has become stale over the past decade, and turns it on its head. Blomkamp combines the frantic pace of documentary-style fi lms like “Cloverfi eld” and “[REC]” with a sci-fi atmosphere worthy of Ridley Scott. While it might look like a rehash of “Alien Nation,” “District 9” takes only the broadest prospect of alien refugees and makes it into a work of art.

Th e fi lm starts out as a documentary produced by the Multi-National United company, which has been tasked by the

world governments to handle a situation in which aliens have arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. Th e alien mothership arrived 20 years prior to the events of the fi lm. Since then, the Prawns, as they were called by humans, have lived in a slum, called District 9, on the edge of the city. At the beginning of the fi lm, the MNU is trying to move the Prawns to a new site, called District 10. Ultimately, the MNU is only after the weapons technology the Prawns possess but can no longer use. Instead, throughout the majority of the fi lm, the Prawns trade their technology to Nigerian terrorists for cat food, which they have become addicted to.

“District 9” centers around Wikus, a naive fi eld operative with the MNU, who is tasked with leading the relocation force. Many of Wikus’ actions are deplorable and unnerving as he lies to the Prawns, cheats them out of their homes and even burns their eggs, comparing the popping sound of the baby Prawns dying to popcorn.

While the fi lm takes place in South Africa, and parallels can easily be drawn between the plight of the Prawns and apartheid, the events are just as relatable to Americans. Th e forced removal of the Prawns is eerily similar to the forced removal and exploitation of American Indians by the United States government. Offi cial signs

plastered across Johannesburg saying “humans only” with crude signs of Prawns, harken back to the days of Jim Crowe and segregation. Th ere is a signifi cant lack of subtlety, but the message doesn’t beat the viewer over the head.

Th e second half of the fi lm takes a decidedly diff erent turn as Wikus is exposed to a chemical that begins to change him. He fi nally discovers the true motives of the MNU and joins one of the Prawns, Christopher, in an attempt to reverse the changes his body goes through and to rescue the aliens. After the transformation begins, the fi lm ditches its faux documentary style and goes for an all-out action feel.

Th e transition can be jarring at fi rst. Th e fi lm goes from personal interviews with MNU offi cials, and fi eld tape showing Wikus registering the aliens, to a full-blown action movie with people being, literally, blown apart by alien weaponry and killed by fl ying pigs.

“District 9” nearly slips into a pool of generic science-fi ction action fi lms by the second half. It is saved by its consistent focus on the characters, rather than the action, which admittedly, is extremely intense and gratifying, bordering on guilty pleasure for a movie that attempts to shed modern conventions of fi lmmaking.

‘District 9’ provides intelligent, entertaining sci-fi By Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

Th e special eff ects are nothing short of Oscar-worthy. Th e Prawns convey just as much emotion as the human actors. Christopher and his son are just as sympathetic as Wikus, if not more so. Wikus, while doing the right thing for the Prawns, is still driven by self-preservation. Christopher just wants to free his people and save his son.

In other movies, it would seem impossible to relate to a computer-generated character, but the Prawns are diff erent. Th e emotion doesn’t just stem from the excellent use of CG, but from how they are portrayed. Th e Prawn dialogue is completely alien, consisting of clicks and other odd noises, which can be hard to relate to, but between the subtitles, the mannerisms and the facial

expression, it’s easy to understand the plight of the Prawns. Th ere hasn’t been an alien performance on the silver screen illicit this much sympathy since E.T. told Elliot he wanted to go home.

“District 9” isn’t a movie everyone will like. Its documentary fi lm style might turn off some viewers, and the lack of any action until the end might bore others, but Blomkamp’s fi rst directorial outing is truly a masterpiece. Th e transition from documentary to action fi lm is sudden and awkward, but it’s the only fault the movie has and is overshadowed by the focus on the characters fi rst and foremost. It’s safe to say “District 9” is not only the defi nitive science-fi ction experience of the year, but one of the best fi lms to be released in recent memory.

MCT Campus

‘Star Trek,’ ‘Up’ summer fl icks hit with moviegoersBy Kyle LuettersCollegian Staff

What do fast cars, terminators, balloons, comic book characters and toys all have in common? Th ey were all a part of the summer movie season for 2009. With Hollywood on track to have one of its best years ever, the summer slate of moves did not disappoint.

Comic book hero Wolverine kicked off the summer with “X-men Origins: Wolverine.” Th e fi lm, starring Hugh Jackman, was the fi rst in a series of origin movies for Marvel Comics and their X-men franchise after three ensemble movies. Jackman tries admirably to carry the movie himself, but, with a lack of supporting cast and compelling story, the movie falls victim to many of the same problems that plagued “X-Men: Th e Last Stand”. Another issue for the fi lm was that a DVD quality version was leaked online and downloaded 4.5 million times before it’s release. Even with the leaked version and poor critical reception, “Wolverine” managed to haul in over $180 million.

Th e sci fi classic “Star Trek” was next on Hollywood’s list. With “Lost” and “Fringe” producer J.J. Abrams in the director’s chair and unknown actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, expectations were high. Th e movie was a critical and commercial hit, as it became the fi rst movie to cross the $200 million threshold for 2009. Th e movie was praised for its special eff ects work as well as a cameo from Leonard Nimoy, Spock from the original “Star Trek” series.

Th e next few weeks brought to the box offi ce “Angels and Demons,” “Night at the

Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian” and “Terminator: Salvation.” All of these movies were a part of an established movie franchise.

“Night at the Museum” managed to become a surprise hit of the summer, while “Terminator Salvation” and “Angels and Demons” disappointed.

Many in the media and the fi lm industry were pleasantly

surprised with the last May release, “Up.” Th e latest from Disney and Pixar tells the tale of one man’s quest for peace and quiet that is taken to an extreme. When urban construction threatens his home of many years, Carl Fredrickson lives out the last wish of his diseased wife, which was

fl oating amongst mountains. With strong word of mouth and critical reception, “Up” raked in $288 million throughout the summer.

“Land of the Lost,” ‘‘Th e Taking of Pelham 123” and “Year One” fi lled in the summer schedule until one of the biggest releases of the summer transformed the box offi ce. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” blasted it’s way into theaters on June 26. Early reviews by critics completely panned the movie but that did not deter movie-goers as they helped lift “Revenge of the Fallen” to the largest Wednesday opening in fi lm history. While many found the movie enjoyable, detractors pointed to the lackluster story, poor acting and off ensive characters as elements that brought the fi lm down.

Th e July 4 weekend brought “Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” and “Public Enemies” to theaters. Both movies performed modestly and received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Th e latest from Sacha Baren Cohen, “Bruno”, debuted to lackluster reviews and dismal box offi ce results on July 10.

“Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” was released on July 15. Th e Potter franchise, which has become the top grossing franchise in movie history ahead of “Star Wars” and the “James Bond” movies, has taken a darker turn with the past three fi lms. Th is seems to be agreeing with moviegoers as the fi lm broke records for pre-sold tickets, single day gross and fi ve day gross in movie history.

“Funny People” and “Th e Ugly Truth” brought Hollywood some comedic relief as “GI Joe: Rise of Cobra” began the rally to the end of the summer.

Th e high budget action fl ick with Channing Tatum, Denis Quaid and Sienna Miller was the fi rst in a series of movies about the famed toy line from Hasbro. Critics were not allowed to prescreen the movie and gave mixed reviews. Th is did not stop the fi lm from becoming number one in its opening weekend.

Rounding out the summer

season was a fi lm of unknowns. “District 9” brought an unknown cast and director to the forefront with excellent reviews and box offi ce numbers. Th e movie about aliens in South Africa seemed to strike a chord with many moviegoers. “District 9” became a late summer hit following its buzz at Comic-Con, earning $37 million its opening weekend.

With the strong slate of movies for the summer season, Hollywood is inching closer to breaking the 2007 record of $4.2 billion in revenues.

Captain’s Log: James T. Kirk played by Chris Pine as the Captain of the Starship Enterprise.

Extraterriestrials abroad: Humans interact with aliens in the summer’s action fl ick, District 9.

MCT Campus

Sports6 August 31, 2009

The Cameron cheerleading squad has something new to cheer about this year.

Biology freshman Megan Solis is officially the first NCAA Division II cheerleader to be featured as the Cheerleader of the Week on the “Sports Illustrated” Web site. Robin Martin, the cheerleading squad coach, said the credit has to go to Craig Martin, Cameron’s Sports Information Director.

“He reads ‘Sports Illustrated’ and those magazines all the time and he thought we should submit our cheerleading squad picture for consideration,” Robin Martin said. “We decided to send in the team photo and a couple names of the girls that we thought would be good. A day later, we got a request for some more shots of Megan [Solis.]”

By the next week, pictures of Solis, posing in front of Cameron’s centennial birthday cake in her cheerleading uniform, and a fact sheet about her were posted on the Web site, which averages millions of hits a month. Solis was featured as the Cheerleader of the Week from Aug. 13 until Aug. 20.

Solis fi rst Division II cheerleader to grace ‘SI’ siteBy Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

While she didn’t appear in the actual magazine, Robin Martin hopes to see her in there at the end of the year.

“At the end of the year, they usually have a huge picture spread of all the different cheerleaders of the week from the year,” she said. “We hope Megan is featured somewhere in that.”

Solis didn’t even know her coach was submitting her name for the weekly honor. When she found out, Solis said she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“It was such a shock,” she said. “There wasn’t anything going through my mind except ‘wow.’”

Solis only looked at the Web site once. She said she stared at the pictures for a substantial amount of time, but didn’t go back to it later. She let all of her friends know through social networking Web sites (MySpace and Facebook) but it wasn’t until her parents heard the news that everyone she knew found out.

“I made sure I had it everywhere I could think of,” Solis said. “But then my parents got hold of it and they went from there.”

Solis, who has been in cheerleading since she was in the eighth grade, said this was easily

Photos by Bennett DewanPhotos by Bennett Dewan

the biggest honor she’s received. A week after she was featured on the site, Solis still feels honored and amazed. She said it is kind of awkward knowing her photo and information were up on an international site, but she had no complaints.

“It’s really cool when people know you and you don’t know who they are,” she said. “It’s an honor to be the first Division II cheerleader featured there. Maybe they’ll finally realize Division I schools aren’t the only ones who have talent to get on the site.”

Robin Martin feels the same way. She hopes more people will begin to realize Division II athletes have the same talent as their more famous competitors.

“This is a huge deal for Cameron and for Division II schools in general,” she said. “Division II always has this reputation that they’re less talented or they don’t have the looks that it takes for Division

I. That’s not true at all and this just goes to prove that point.”

Looking ahead, both Robin Martin and Solis see this as a great way to start the new year. Robin Martin said for the first time in her three-year tenure at Cameron, she feels like she finally has the perfect squad.

“This is what I’ve worked so long for,” she said. “I wanted us to be popular and we’ve finally achieved that. Cheering isn’t all about the glitz and the glamour, like some may think. There’s a lot of hard work involved and I’m really anxious to see our

cheerleading squad this year. What a great way to start off the year.”

Solis hopes her week of fame on the Internet will help the cheerleading squad this year. She said she’s ready for the new year and is determined to help make the squad a more cohesive unit.

“We’re a young squad right now,” she said. “That’s the one thing going against us. But we’re ready and I just want to make sure I get better and help out.”

CU Illustrated: Freshman cheerleader and Biology major Megan Solis was honored as the fi rst Division II cheerleader to be featured as the Sports Illustrated Cheerleader of the week.

Sports 7August 31, 2009

CU coaches bring strong recruiting classBy Saman SamiiCollegian Staff

Th e Cameron Aggie athletic season is just around the corner.

Both of the basketball teams are looking promising and with a summer full of recruiting for both the men and women, the sky could be the limit for their success in the 2009-2010 season.

Th e 2008-2009 athletic season was one for the history books. After a lack of success for both teams in their previous seasons, the Aggies are looking strong for this upcoming one. Last year, the men surprised everyone when they made it to the Lone Star Conference tournament for the fi rst time in 11 seasons. Th is year’s team could continue that success.

Th e men’s team added 12 new high caliber players for this season. With momentum at a high level from last year’s success, Coach Wade Alexander

feels confi dent the new players will make a great impact for the team.

“We have a good mix of guys,” Alexander said. “We added a lot of height and strength to our team and the new guys are really talented. If we can get the guys to play as a team, we can do really well this season.”

With the new recruits, the Aggie men’s basketball team is already a stronger unit than last year’s team. Th e goal is to make it to the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament. However, Coach Alexander looks at success in a unique way.

“Our goal is to play hard every game,” Alexander said. “If you play tough every game, the results will come. We need to continue to work hard on and off the basketball court.”

Th e Aggie women’s basketball team set their sight for a great season. Last season was a tough ride, but this year’s team could be unstoppable. Th e women added 11 new recruits to their team. Coach Tom Webb said he is excited about his new players.

“I think our new players will help contribute to a great season,” Webb said. “We need to play and work hard at all times. If we can do that, I think we will have a very successful season.”

Both teams will start their season in November. With expectations and hopes at a high level, Cameron Athletic Director Jim Jackson said he is looking forward to a great Aggie basketball season.

“I am excited for both of our basketball teams,” Jackson said. “I feel confi dent that both teams will perform well this season. We did add many new players and I really feel that they will have a great impact on our teams. I am confi dent that when we take the fl oor in November, we will do extremely well.”

Cameron University is known for their great athletic history, and many thanks go to the coaching staff s. Jackson said he is very pleased with the basketball coaches.

“We are fortunate to have such good coaches,” Jackson said. “I am proud of all our players and coaches. Th is year could be something special.”

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Men’s Basketball: Coach Wade Alexander is confi dent that his new recruits will bring positive things to the team.

Women’s Basketball: Coach Tom Webb added 11 new recruites to his team this year and is lookng forward to a good season.

Voices8 August 31, 2009

Cameron University kicked off the school year with its annual Fall Concert featuring Grammy-nominated Emerson Drive on Friday, Aug. 21 in the Cameron Stadium.

Johnny Cooper, who opened for Emerson Drive, played his set in front of the setting sun, giving the audience a brilliant display of color while listening to his interesting interpretation of blues-infl uenced pop rock.

Near the end of his set, Cooper performed “Devil Woman,” which sounded noticeably similar to Th e Guess Who’s “American Woman.”

Emerson Drive, who had just arrived in Lawton after a 37-hour journey from Seattle, pumped up the crowd with roaring riff s and thunderous vocals. Brad Mates’ dominating stage presence gave those attending reason to pay attention to him throughout the entire concert.

His hearty voice was undeniably country. However, it had a certain quality that drew the attention of even those who were just there because it was something to do on a Friday night.

Emerson Drive performed a good mixture of slow ballads and upbeat melodies. Each tune evoking the appropriate emotions they were conveying at the time.

Th ey played a timeline from their fi rst hits to their more recent recordings. Th e audience sang along to such songs as “She’s Th at Kind of Beautiful,” “Countrifi ed Soul” and “Fishing in the Dark.”

Many of the songs performed showed off the extreme talent of fi ddler David Pichette. His abilities fl oored spectators as he sawed away at his strings in “I Love Th is Road” and covers of Don Hendley’s “Boys of Summer” and the classic “Th e Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

With the overall talent Emerson Drive exudes, there is no wonder they have been nominated for a Grammy, one of the highest honors presented in music.

Th e perfect ending to the evening was the brilliant fi reworks display, courtesy of Cameron University and President Cindy Ross. Worthy of an Independence Day celebration, the fi reworks exploding in the air demonstrated to all of Lawton that Cameron University was beginning this school year with a bang.

Photo story by Monica Garner

Photos by Jim Horinek

Going out with a bang: After Emerson Drive made their fi nal bows the sky became the stage as the night was concluded with fi reworks.

Frontman: Emerson Drive lead singer Brad Mates delivers moving vocals.

Keyboard: Emerson Drive member Dale Wallace mans the keyboard.

Guitar: Lead guitar for Emerson Drive is played by Danick Dupelle.

Fiddle: David Pichette offers up his skill as fi ddler for Emerson Drive.

Drums: Mike Melancon sets the beat as drummer for Emerson Drive.

Ft. Sill 400: Approximately 400 soldiers from Fort Sill attend the concert and are greeted by President Ross.

Johnny Boy: Johnny Cooper provides vocals and guitar to his performance.

Bass: Cody Shaw plays bass for Johnny Cooper.

Guitar: Lead guitar for Johnny Cooper is played by Ben Shaw.

Drums: Nick Ghanbarl is on the drums for Johnny Cooper.