The Cameron University Collegian: October 6, 2008.

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 October 6, 2008Monday October 6, 2008 Volume 83 Issue 6

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A&E

Sports

Voices

It truly is a small world after all.When Dr. Keith Vitense lost his high school ring in 1976, he

had given up on ever finding it again. But thanks to the diligent work of a good samaritan in California, Dr. Vitense’s ring was returned to him after more than three decades.

“I just couldn’t stop smiling when I found out someone had found it,”the Physical Science professor said. “I was thinking about all of the things that had happened to me since I had lost it and how much my life had changed.”

The ring disappeared while Dr. Vitense was on leave from the Air Force and was visiting family in California. His uncle was a member of an Elk ’s Lodge, which was holding a pancake breakfast one day.

Dr. Vitense said that during the breakfast, he was showing his cousin a trick and the ring kept getting in the way. He took it off and set it on the table beside him to finish the trick. When he turned around to pick it up, the ring was gone.

“I kept hitting it on everything and it was just getting in my way,” Dr. Vitense said. “When it was gone, I began searching everywhere. And I went through an entire dumpster’s worth of trash, at a pancake breakfast, trying to find that ring and I never found it.”

Dr. Vitense assumed he would never see it again. Over the years, he heard stories about people discovering long lost class rings and wedding rings. He thought those stories were “neat,” but he knew it would never happen to him.

“I knew I would never have my ring returned to me because it was in a landfill somewhere,” Dr. Vitense said.

During the beginning of the semester, Dr. Vitense was teach-ing a class when he received a phone call from his mother. After his class, he called his mom back. Dr. Vitense said she was on her way to a meeting, but told him that she thought his class ring had been located. It was in the principal ’s office of his old high school in Groton, S.D.

“Apparently, they had been trying to get hold of me for a year,” Dr. Vitense said.

By Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

Professor fi nds long l st ring

See RINGPage 2

Photos courtesy of Michael D. Pope/The Lawton-Constitution

What goes around comes around: Physical Science professor Keith Vitense lost his high school class ring in 1976 and found it in 2008.

Cameron offers student counseling servicesBy Alexis Del CielloCollegian Staff

Convocation honors students, professors

Th e 2008-2009 academic calendar at Cameron is a year of many fi rsts and new beginnings.

CU is beginning its next century, adding new buildings to the campus and welcoming new faculty and staff — but success does not stop at the curb of a remodeled campus.

CU began a new student service on Sept. 29 known as student counseling. Th e program aims to help CU students deal with the stress of college life.

“It is a new initiative this year,” Dean of Student Services Jennifer Holland said. “We know that tudents have needs and that life happens while they’re trying to be college students. We want to make sure we are meeting all of our

students’ needs and counseling is one of the areas that we think is important.”

As part of the student counseling services, students will have the opportunity to receive individual and group counseling from CU counselor and adjunct professor Deanice Shegog.

“Individual and group counseling is off ered for any diagnosable disorder,” Shegog said. “It will be short-term services for mental health conditions. Th e outcome of services may consist of resolution of the problem, stabilization, or referral to long-term care for severe disorders.

See COUNSELINGPage 4

Photo by Jim Horinek

Here to help: Deanice Shegog (left) is a new addition to Cameron as part of the free counseling service offered by Student Services. Students who qualify can receive free counseling due to issues such as stress or relationship issues.

By Kyle LuettersCollegian Staff

A warm, fall morning and dozens of colorful fl ags were the backdrop as Cameron University’s Centennial convocation took place in the courtyard of the fi ne arts complex on Sept. 26.

Faculty donned their traditional academic regalia as they joined distinguished guests, parents and friends in celebrating the academic achievements of students.

Th e event began at 10 a.m. with members of Cameron’s ROTC program presenting the colors for the ceremony. Sophomore Sabrina Harrell led everyone in singing the national anthem.

Dr. Cindy Ross opened the ceremony with

a speech about the past, present and future of Cameron. President Ross spoke of how Cameron started out as a high school with only 60 students and fi ve faculty members. Today, Cameron has over 5,500 students with 169 faculty members. Classes in mechanical engineering and agriculture used to be some of the only off erings at Cameron. Today, over 50 degree programs at three diff erent levels are off ered

Once President Ross had fi nished with the opening address, she turned the podium over to Vice President of Academic Aff airs Dr. John McArthur, who gave a call to convocation to offi cially begin the ceremony. Student Government President Jessica Daoang then proceeded to recognize the student body’s

academic achievements. Daoang called for the members of each of the university’s honor societies and scholarship winners to stand and be recognized.

Sanjit Bhattacharya, a 2000 graduate, was then introduced. Bhattacharya used his Bachelors degree in Business Administration to start his own companies in the construction and natural gas exploration sectors. Bhattacharya talked of the importance of taking “calculated risks” and seizing opportunities when they present themselves.

See CONVOCATIONPage 4

Aggie cheerleaders bring spirit for the black and gold.

SEE PAGE 7

It is time for party lines to be broken.

SEE PAGE 5

The ups and downs of Christian Bale.

SEE PAGE 8

Game Review:Hell’s Highway truly is the Band of Brothers of video games.

SEE PAGE 10

News2 October 6, 2008

See page 4 for solutions.

Jeff Denny, the good samaritan, said his grandfather was the person who had initially discovered the ring.

Denny doesn’t know how his grandfather came into possession of it. He could only guess, thinking his father was at the same pancake dinner and thought someone had left the ring while they were washing their hands.

“I’ve wondered how my grandfather could somehow get the ring and that’s the only thing I’ve ever been able to come up with,” Denny said.

After his grandfather died, Denny inherited the ring. His grandfather was from South Dakota, so he thought the ring had something to do with him. But Dr. Vitense’s initials, KRV, were etched into the inside of the band. Denny began searching

RING continued from page 1

on the Internet and discovered Groton High School.

“I looked for a year trying to find the place,” he said. “I called the high school and they had a real tough time getting in touch with anyone related to the doctor.”

Dr. Vitense was finally notified after a friend of his parents, who worked in the Groton High School principal ’s office, heard about the missing ring. She called Dr. Vitense’s mother, who then called him.

“With my initials on there, I was the only one with those three letters in that area,” Dr. Vitense said. “But the office didn’t have my contact information. After I joined the Air Force, I hadn’t been back.”

Dr. Vitense called Groton High School and was able to get in touch with Denny, thus completing the chain of events that brought his ring back home. But, as Paul Harvey said, there was more to the story.

“There was a 12-hour period of frustration there when I couldn’t get hold of the gentleman who had my ring,” Dr. Vitense said. “When we finally connected, I believed him immediately, and unreasonably so.”

Denny said he and Dr. Vitense talked on the phone for around 45 minutes the first time. They worked out the arrangements to mail the ring to Oklahoma and the plan was set. But Denny said Dr. Vitense called back shortly after, because he had forgotten one important piece of information.

“He was so excited that someone had found the ring that he forgot to give me his address to send it to him,” Denny said. “And he called back a third time saying that when he was in the Bay Area, he was going to treat me and my wife to a steak dinner.”

A lot of things have changed in Dr. Vitense’s life since he lost his ring. In the 32 years since that pancake breakfast, he was discharged from the Air Force, he met and married his wife, graduated college, earned his Ph.D. and came to work as a professor at Cameron University, where he has worked for more

than 20 years. “When I received the ring, I

showed my wife because she had never seen it before,” Dr. Vitense said. “But my priorities have changed now. She would rather have me wear my wedding ring than wear my class ring.”

The ring is too small for him to wear without having to force it on his ring finger. Dr. Vitense said he plans on sending it off to get resized so he can wear it occasionally. Even though it is too small now, he said he keeps it close, but he does not plan on losing it again.

“I keep it in my drawer here in my office and I’ve become a lot better at keeping track of stuff,” Dr. Vitense said.

Denny was glad when he heard Dr. Vitense received his ring. He understood the frustration of losing something important. He lost his class ring in 1981. The funny thing about the whole situation, Denny said, is the similarities between the two class rings.

“It’s crazy because the stone color and the style of the ring are exactly the same as the one that I had and lost,” he said. “When I first saw that ring, I thought someone had finally found mine.”

It would be easy for Denny to keep the ring and pretend that it was his own, even with the initials etched on the inside. But he said he was raised to never lie, cheat or steal and he knew there was someone out there that wanted it back.

“It never crossed my mind to keep it,” he said. “I just thought it was the right thing to do and it was another man’s possession.”

While Dr. Vitense never thought he would find his ring, Denny still holds onto a thin hope that his own class ring will be returned to him in a similar fashion.

“I thought ‘maybe for the slightest chance, I could take care of this and the nice guy series will come back and help me,’” he said. “You pay it forward and reap what you sow. Somewhere out there, my ring is waiting to come back to me. But this wasn’t mine.”

Dr. Vitense said he is still in amazement of the whole series of events. There were so many things that could go wrong or change and he would never have seen the ring again. But it now rests comfortably inside his desk in his office.

“I remember dreading the phone call because I thought he was going to tell me that he had taken it to some jeweler and had it melted down,” he said. “But he didn’t. This small world stuff amazes me. It truly is a small world after all.”

“This small world stuff amazes me. It truly is a small world after all.”

— Dr. Keith VitensePhysical Science Professor

News 3October 6, 2008

News4 October 6, 2008

Upward Bound Program offers helping hand to vetsBy Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

Holland said that while the new service is open to all CU students that need help, students must meet guidelines and make appointments.

“If students are not sure they meet the requirements, please call. Each appointment will be about an hour. Th ey will need to fi ll out some paperwork, but the counseling is totally free,” Holland said. “We have tried to make it fl exible to meet everyone’s needs. If it is an emergency or after hours we will make sure they get the help they need. In an emergency a student would always need to call the Offi ce of Public Safety at 581.2911.”

Th ough long-term care is not the intention of CU’s student counseling services, immediate attention will be given to students needing assistance through diffi cult times and daily stress. Shegog said the intent is to help students through smaller adjustments.

Before the Student Services

COUNSELING continued from page 1

counseling program began, CU initiated an Early Alert system to increase student safety. Early Alert requests concerning a student’s noticeable stressors and requests for students that would benefi t or are in need of counseling services will be forwarded to Shegog.

Holland said, “A component of Early Alert is the care request. Faculty and staff can go into MyCU and submit a request if they have a concern for a student’s mental health or emotional well-being. Th e care request basically means ‘hey this student may need some intervention,’ or may need some services that Student Services can

provide.” “We did some training over the summer

on how to recognize symptoms of distress with each of the faculty members at their

departmental meetings in August,” Holland said.

CU is not the fi rst university to implement student counseling, but the benefi ts of off ering the service will provide an invaluable student resource.

“I think this is going to move Cameron forward because most universities already have this program

in place,” Shegog said. “I think it could cut down on a lot of problems that the university may have with students.”

Holland also believes that the program off ers a great resource for Cameron.

“We encounter students all of the time who are experiencing life issues. It is things that are happening in their family, maybe with their marriage; maybe it is involving money, or other stressors,” Holland said. “After the Virginia Tech incident a lot of universities spent time evaluating ‘how prepared are we to help students who are dealing with mental illness? How prepared are we to help students that are going through these issues?’.”

“Our intent is so that students can be successful while they’re Cameron University students,” Holland said.

Student counseling is off ered from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in North Shepler room 324. Students are urged to call 581.2244 or visit to make an appointment. Students need to be enrolled in at least six graduate or undergraduate hours to qualify.

“Our intent is so that students can be successful while they’re Cameron University students.”

— Jennifer HollandDean of Student Services

Area military veterans are getting a second chance in the fi ght for a college education.

Th e Veterans Upward Bound Program was created to help vets who forsook their education for military service. After serving for at least 180 consecutive days, they can apply to their local Upward Bound program for tutoring and other assistance.

“When a veteran fi rst comes into our offi ce, we sit them down and explain our program in detail to them,” said Rochelle Kamont,

an academic counselor with the local program. “We can help them through the admissions process by paying their admission fees, helping to fi ll out their paperwork and helping them choose a school that fi ts best with their degree plan and what they want to do with their career.”

Th e biggest aspect of the Upward Bound Program is the remediation off ered Kamont and other counselors. Returning to school after serving in the military can be a daunting task, Kamont acknowledged, and she wants to help them transition from military life back into civilian life as easily as possible.

“Th ere’s not a lot of civilian practical applications for things like fi eld artillery training and close-quarters combat,” she said. “A lot of

our veterans haven’t been to school in 35 years. Th eir math skills are down, language has changed subtly and there are a host of other things that they have a hard time grasping.”

William Shane served in the Army for 16 years before being medically discharged. He worked for the City of Lawton for a number of years before his disabilities posed a hindrance. Looking ahead at his life, Shane decided to go back to school.

“I decided I wanted to go back, and I looked at my veterans benefi ts. I applied through the Department of Veterans Aff airs for vocational rehabilitation, and I was accepted and approved for training,” he said.

Shane originally heard about the Veterans Upward Bound Program through his vocational and rehabilitation counselor, Deborah

Potts. She sent Shane to the third fl oor of South Shepler at Cameron University where he fi lled out the paperwork and was accepted into the program.

“After I was accepted, they’ve trained and helped me prepare,” he said. “I had never turned on a computer before in my life until Jan. 3. Th ey keep telling me ‘welcome to the 21st century.’”

Shane has used the program to help him enroll as a full-time student at Cameron University. He began taking classes during the second eight weeks period during the spring semester. He also took a class during the summer, but this is the fi rst time he has ever been a full time student. Going back to school has been a lot of hard work, but Shane credits Kamont and the counselors with

helping him through it. “Right now, I’m taking basic

studies. Due to being out of school for so long, I had to take the remedial classes because I had forgotten so much,” he said.

Shane hasn’t declared a major yet, but he plans on majoring in sociology. He said he wanted to use what he’s learned to help other veterans like him fi nd their place in society.

“I’ve talked to other veterans I know, and I’ve told them they should look into this program because it can help them get their education if they want it,” he said. “Th e area veterans need to know this service is available to them.”

Kamont said potential candidates must meet criteria before they can be considered for the Veterans Upward Bound Program. Th e candidate must have served in active duty for at least 180 consecutive days. Th ey must be classifi ed as low income and as fi rst-generation students.

“Veterans don’t have to meet all the requirements to be accepted,” she said. “But they need to have served at least the six-month period and they need to either be low income or be a fi rst-generation student. Even if their parents went to school after they moved out, the veterans can still be considered fi rst-generation.”

CONVOCATION continued from page 1

The Cameron Band and Centennial Choir performed ‘The Last Words of David.” Miranda Josey, a senior chemistry major, introduced Kay Morris as the next alumni speaker. Morris graduated in 2004 with a Bachelors degree in Chemistry. She began her research career at Cameron and has since taken to Texas A & M University where she is currently working on a doctorate. Morris talked about all of the positive experiences she had while at Cameron

The third and final alumni speaker was Representative T.W. Shannon. Rep. Shannon graduated in the fall of 2000 with a Bachelors degree in Communication, and spoke about how college is about building relationships. He provided a humorous example. Upon seeing the woman he knew he would marry, he interrupted Dr. Matt Jenkins class the next day just to find out the young woman’s name.

Once Rep. Shannon had finished his speech, President Ross took the podium for the last time. She thanked those who attended and the speakers. The Centennial Choir then sang the schools alma mater, “Cameron Pride.” Once the alma mater was finished, the call was given to the ROTC to retire the colors. The students and faculty then recessed as the band played, “With Trumpets and Drums.”

Many students commented on how enjoyable the event was. “I really liked it. It was one of the best one’s I’ve been to,” junior Daniel Brown said. “The speakers were great and one even threw some humor into his speech.”

Photos by Jim Horinek

Honored guest: President Ross speaks with Rep. T.W. Shannon. Rep. Shannon was one of the guest speakers at Convocation.

It begins: Dr. John McArthur, Vice President for Academic Affairs, gave the call to convocation and offi cially began the ceremony.

Voices 5October 6, 2008

Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief - Joshua RouseNews Editor - Jim HorinekA&E Editor - Bira VidalSports Editor - Bennett DewanCopy Editor - John Robertson

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kerry MyersFinancial Offi cer - Susan HillVideo Editor - Kyle LuettersStaff Writers - Alexis Del Ciello. Valerie Pennington

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

Newswriting StudentsBrooke Adams, Aduke Adesida, Kathryn Batule, Brandy Belew, Lauren Bennett, Greg Boxell, Taylor Brunwald, Justin Cliburn, Jeramy Eidson, Monica Garner, Anna Hataway, Kyle Luetters, Diana Lujan, Megan Meff ord, Solitaire Merrill, Mary Oliver, Kyndle Palmer, Nicole Roames, Chelsea Robertson, Melissa Rodgers, Saman Samii, Meagan Searcy, Rashmi Th apaliya, Raven Weiss, Brooke Whiteley, Nikki Yowell

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.

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THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

With the presidential election looming on the horizon and the Republicans and Democrats scrambling to gather as much support as possible, I can’t help but feel that American voters are increasingly being left behind in their own political system.

For the last few election cycles, the American voter has been repeatedly attacked and ridiculed. Both parties have taken part in a scorched-earth campaign that has left voters unhappy and the two political platforms further apart than ever before.

First, those in power attacked the voters with a rallying call for patriotism. Th ose in disagreement with current policy regarding the War on Terror suddenly found their worth as an American called into question. Doubting the truth behind the motivation for the push for war in Iraq or the veracity of our honorable intentions in the Middle East meant that you didn’t support the troops. No, it was even darker than that. Faltering faith

Republican vs. Democrat = American vs. AmericanTime has come for public to think beyond party lines

in the righteous crusade to bring vengeance upon those who would harm us

meant that you weren’t only guilty of not supporting the troops; you were aligned against them. You didn’t respect their sacrifi ce and you belittled their morals. Not wearing a fl ag pin became a moral outrage, and Americans tripped over each

other attempting to be the loudest voice in a tidal wave of jingoistic fanaticism.

Th e true outrage, of course, was that our own leaders were passing the buck. It wasn’t our soldiers we

lost faith in; it was our

leaders and their intentions, and instead of recognizing that

Americans were unhappy with the direction the country was going, a sea of fi st-pumping war hawks successfully placed the blame on a lack of support from the American people and in the process victimized the men and women they had sent overseas to begin with by using them as political pawns.

With voters dazed, our elected offi cials followed up with an attack on higher learning. Don’t be mistaken; when the term “ivory tower liberal” is thrown around, the jab isn’t aimed solely at the Ivy League. College students are taught to think for themselves and to make logical conclusions, and apparently this is a liability that politicians can’t aff ord.

Th ey’re looking for single-issue

voters. Th ey’re looking for voters who

will vote just as their mom and dad did out of a sense of loyalty,

voters who want to be on the winning

side and voters who can be riled up easily by

hyperbole. When this

particularly vile charge is levied, it’s the college crowd

that shoulders the indictment. Informed and conscientious voters are an order of magnitude

more diffi cult to sway than the loyalist bases of either political party, and the last thing either side wants is the possibility of a massive

swing vote population capable of defying even their most powerful pandering techniques.

I suppose that the question then becomes a matter of how we let it get this far. When did we become Democrats and Republicans rather than Americans? I certainly don’t identify myself as a Democrat in everyday conversation, nor do I sign it next to my name on envelopes. I don’t vote for the candidate I agree with; I vote for the candidate who agrees with me. When I think of patriotism, I don’t immediately think of the physical bureaucratic implementation of our government but rather the ideals that it was founded upon.

Democrat or Republican, it’s

high time that American voters demanded the respect that they deserve. With the two parties becoming increasingly separated by core beliefs, it’s important that we start thinking critically about the damage that an “us versus them” mentality can do and remember that our politicians are to serve our interests and not their own. Otherwise, we’ll increasingly fi nd ourselves removed from a political system that supposedly hinges upon our own needs and instead fi nd ourselves slaves to the desires of a select few acting in their own interest.

John Robertson

Forget Gallup.Forget TIME/CNN.Forget Nielson.If you want a truthful, accurate

prediction of this year’s general election (which is in one month, so get out and register to vote) look no further than Xbox Live.

Microsoft partnered with Rock the Vote in August to help get the word out about the general election in November. Seeing as most young people are too lazy or too uninformed to go vote, Microsoft and Rock the Vote wanted to lend a helping hand.

Advertisements were placed on the Xbox LIVE dashboard that promoted the Rock the Vote initiative and advised people to download new gamerpics for either Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin. Th e gamerpics, which are free and appear on the user’s gamercard, show their support for their favored candidate.

Out of the 86 friends I have on my friends list, I would say more than 20 actually downloaded them, including myself.

A month after the gamerpics went live, Microsoft tallied the number of players who downloaded the individual pictures and participated in online polls through the service. As of Sept. 22, 43 percent of participating Xbox LIVE gamers plan to vote for Obama/Biden, while 31 percent plan to vote for McCain/Palin.

Th is is great. Gamers, who are traditionally between the ages of 18 and 35, are actually participating in political discussion. It doesn’t matter who chose Obama/Biden or who chose McCain/Palin; the one thing that matters is that people actually voted even if it was an online unscientifi c poll. Our age group always has the lowest amount of voters turn out on Election Day. When I turned 18, I thought it was an honor to vote. Th ough, after voting for Bush/Cheney, I

Gamers can be good citizens toosometimes wonder if that was the right decision or not. But hey, at least I can complain about that instead of feeling like I didn’t do enough.

Gamers seem to get an even worse rap from the modern public. We are seen as violent kids who do nothing but sit for hours in front of televisions and stare at a screen until our eyes start to bleed. All of this while shouting every kind of obscene vulgarity and cuss word that you could conceive of. Well, judging from my experience on Halo 3 as early as last night, that last part is mostly true.

But I give credit to Microsoft and the Rock the Vote initiative for trying to get more gamers to actively think about politics. We can only be sucked into our virtual worlds for so long before we’re pulled back out into

the real world. And let’s face it, going to work or going to class isn’t as glamorous as saving the galaxy from the Flood, fi nding a terrorist possessed by his arm or even jumping on defenseless talking mushrooms.

And judging by the news right now,

things aren’t going to get any better any time soon. So instead of sitting around the house complaining about how President Bush ruined the country and how we’re in the next Great Depression because of him, go out and actively change the country. Sure, we all know Oklahoma is going to go McCain/Palin this year, but that doesn’t mean your vote won’t count for something if you vote

Obama/Biden. What’s your alternative? You put

your headset back on, go back to playing your game and beating up on defenseless mushrooms or shooting aliens in the head while talking trash.

It’s not like you’d really miss that much time from playing your game either. It takes like fi ve minutes to vote and then you’re done, and they give you this cool sticker to put on your lapel.

Or here’s one way to look at it. If you’re an Obama/Biden supporter and you saw the Xbox LIVE poll results, go vote to try to make that margin of defeat even larger. And if you’re a McCain/Palin supporter, go vote to try to overtake the Obama/Biden totals.

Th ere’s always some excuse not to vote. After all, in one month, the next commander-in-chief of our country will be chosen. Do you really want to be stuck with another President Bush just because you didn’t vote?

Joshua Rouse

Sports6 October 6, 2008

CU athletics bring in slew of new facesBy Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

Th e future looks bright for Cameron athletics.

Jim Jackson, the Cameron Athletic Director, has worked since the spring to hire new coaches for four Aggie sports programs. In his four-year tenure, Jackson said this is the best coaching staff he’s seen.

“I believe we have assembled the best coaching staff that we’ve had in my tenure here, but maybe of all time at Cameron,” he said. “We are so far ahead of last year in all of our programs.”

For the Aggie Volleyball program, a new coach is nothing new. In the past four years, the team has had four diff erent coaches and four diff erent coaching philosophies. Success hasn’t been a program for the volleyball team, but consistency has.

“We hired a guy named Dominic Yoder from Michigan and we went 25 and 4 that year,” Jackson said. “We won the North with the same team as the previous year with a couple of added players. But after that year, another team off ered him an extra $15,000 in Michigan in the same conference he was in before. So he went there and I can’t fault him for that.”

Jackson’s next coaching acquisition, John Haroun, took the Aggies to the semi-fi nals of the Lone Star North Conference tournament the following year, but personal problems forced him to leave.

“We qualifi ed for the playoff s and upset the number three team in the conference,” Jackson said. “We thought that was pretty good. But after that, John came in and had a family medical emergency in California.”

Th e one thing the Aggie

Volleyball program needed was consistency. Jackson believes he has found a coach that can off er that combined with a winning formula.

“I thought we had two pretty good coaches there, but I am delighted that we have found Brianne Smedley,” he said. “Brianne has everything we were looking for and is the right person for our volleyball program.”

For Smedley, a Texas native, the chance to return to her home region infl uenced her decision to come to Cameron. She has adjusted well to the change of scenery and has goals set for not only this year, but for the future of the volleyball program.

“As a team, we set goals and the girls obviously want to break the .500 barrier,” Smedley said. “Last year, they fell just short under it. So you know, in the back of my mind, I have an idea where I want to fi nish.”

Ultimately, Smedley said she wants to bring consistency to a team with winning potential.

“Really, with this team, I’m their fourth coach in as many years, and I’m trying to create some stability in the program.”

Th e team has come together well since Smedley was brought on as head coach. Smedley said there has been little confl ict and the team has taken to her new coaching philosophy. But with a team that has gone through so many changes in recent years, she plans to take some changes slowly.

“Coming in like this, a few things you look to change quickly,” Smedley said. “Obviously, I come in with an off ensive system and a defensive system and the way I want the girls to follow rules. You have to jump on those things quickly. But you don’t want to change every single thing that every person is doing in the fi rst week because it’s

mass chaos.”Th e team has started off the

season with a 9-7 record and has won their last three games.

While the volleyball team is off to a winning start, Jackson said all eyes are looking at this year’s men’s and women’s basketball programs. Last season, the basketball was the only program not to make it to the post-season. Jackson hired former East Central University assistant basketball coach Wade Alexander as the new head coach for the men’s basketball team. Tom Webb, the former associate head women’s basketball coach at Eastern Washington University, was hired as the women’s basketball head coach.

Making it to the playoff s this season would be a great improvement for either team, but Jackson said he wouldn’t be disappointed if that didn’t happen.

“We need a foundation in our programs so that we can sustain that success year after year,” he said. “We’re looking at them to put in a program and build a foundation. Our expectations are high, but they’re realistic. And whether they qualify for the post-season or not, we can tell whether they’re doing things right. If they’re putting the pieces in place that will ensure our success year after year, that’s all you can ask for.”

Neither basketball team has held a practice this season yet, but Jackson sees good things coming from the program in the near future. He said he was impressed by the way the coaches are handling the student athletes and preparing for the new season.

“You can sense the success there with those programs and I’m delighted about it,” he said.

Jackson addressed the last coaching vacancy in June when

he hired Beth Watson as the new softball team manager. Watson came to Cameron from the University of Central Florida where she was the assistant coach for that university’s softball program. In a statement on June 26, Jackson said Watson was a good fi t for Cameron softball.

“She is someone who sees the vision that CU and our department has, and she will be an excellent fi t,” he said. “Beth is a team player and I am ecstatic at what she is bringing to our program.”

Th e softball team made it to the playoff s last year, so Jackson is counting on Watson to build off the previous year’s success.

“Th e foundation is already there and she just needs to put her touch on it and put her arms around the program and take it further,” Jackson said. “She’s taking over a team on the upswing.”

With the addition of the four new coaches, Jackson said this is an exciting period for Cameron athletics.

“Cameron is a good place to be right now,” he said. “We are on the upswing of athletics and we can go so much further.”

New kids on the block: CU’s four new faces in the athletic department: (pictured from the top) Volleyball coach Brianne Smedley, Softball coach Beth Watson, Men’s Basketball coach Wade Alexander and Women’s Basketball coach Tom Webb. With the new coaches bringing their own style of play, the Aggie faithful are hoping for signifi cant athletic success this season.

Australian sport rumbles into CU By Alexis Del CielloCollegian Staff

A tradition dating before the 11th century is making its way to Cameron University.

A game where rules weren’t written and widely accepted until the late 19th century and standing still until a pig’s bladder encased in leather went airborne was normal.

Th ough some rules and game day equipment have changed, the game is not yet popular in southwest Oklahoma, but may be on the rise. Th e CU Rugby Club needs more participation to become an offi cial university rugby team in the Texas Rugby Union. Th e CU Rugby has less than half the participation needed.

“Currently we do not have a collegiate schedule,” Dr. Jason Buschman, local surgeon, CU rugby club sponsor and former six-team rugby player said. “You have to have enough people to do that. You need 15 to play and we have six.”

Even though the roster has room to grow, CU Rugby takes the fi eld twice each week to gear up for matches.

“We practice Tuesdays and Th ursdays at 5 p.m. in the open fi eld next to Cameron Village,” Buschman said. “You would be playing teams from other

universities, not teams amongst the university itself.” Buschman said the roster is open to all CU students and

both males and females. “Th ere are male teams and there are female teams, but

there is not a coed team,” Buschman said. “Currently, we do not have any females playing. It can be any CU student, part-time, full-time, night student or graduate student.”

Th ough CU rugby has not seen match time yet, the club provides an opportunity to take advantage of the college experience.

“One thing it gives students is camaraderie, the ability to travel and compete against other schools such as OU, OSU and SMU [Southern Methodist University] in Dallas, and the fi tness side of things,” Buschman said. “It just adds a dimension. All the Ivy League

schools and major universities all play rugby. It adds a dimension of collegiate experience.”

Once CU Rugby gains interest, CU rugby will play in the same union as Midwestern State in Wichita Falls and SMU in Dallas.

Buschman said, “It is an exciting sport that adds an exciting experience to the university, easy to learn, safe and fun to play.”

Photos Courtesy MCT Campus

Look ma, no pads: Members of the Rugby Union play in a decisive match in Sydney, Australia. There are currently Cameron students participating in pickup rugby games at 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday outside the Cameron Village.

Photos courtesy of CU Online

“One thing it gives students is camaraderie, the ability to travel and compete against other schools such as OU, OSU and SMU...”

— Dr. Jason Buschman

Sports 7October 6, 2008

Cheerleaders leap into another seasonBy Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

The rejuvenated Cameron University cheerleading squad is ready to give a dose of black and gold school spirit at an Aggie sporting event near you.

Robin Martin, head cheerleading coach, said the program has grown leaps and bounds since she was hired as a head coach more than a year-and-a-half ago. After a year of inexperience and getting adjusted to the job, Martin has helped improve the cheerleading program, and she’s not done yet.

“The program is a lot better than when I first visited here and took the job of head coach,” Martin said. “We want cheerleading to be the number-one sport on campus and I think we’re well on our way to doing

that,” Martin said.This year’s squad, which is

comprised of 10 girls, has helped put excitement back in school spirit. Go to any home Aggie Volleyball game and you’ll see them courtside cheering on their team. Martin said this year’s squad fills the gymnasium with excitement better than the previous year’s squad could do.

“We have a small gym, so 10 girls really fill it nicely,” she said. “That’s something we couldn’t do last year when we only had five girls.”

For the first time in many years, the cheerleading squad was able to attend cheerleading camp over the off-season. And while their primary duties are keeping up the school spirit at the athletic events, Martin said there is more to being an Aggie cheerleader than attending the games. The

squad volunteered for the Lawton-Fort Sill Youth Day of Caring in September.

“They wanted us to volunteer, but really they wanted us to perform,” she said. “And we did a cheer and tried to wake the people up. But the girls did a great job that day.”

The squad has also been requested for numerous festivities across Southwest Oklahoma. This year, Martin said they are going to perform at homecoming ceremonies in Temple and Rush Springs. Since Cameron University doesn’t have a football team, Martin said this will give the team a chance to perform at a football game.

“Last year we went to Temple and that was our first event that we had gone to like that,” she said. “They called us out there and it was the greatest team bonding

experience we’ve had.”The squad has undergone a

lot of changes since Martin came on as head coach. She said things were slow moving during her first year, because she wasn’t sure of herself.

“The first year wasn’t as successful as I wanted it to be,” she said. “It was my first year out of college and so I had to transition from being an adult in college to being an adult in the real world.”

All of that is behind her now. Martin has taken a proactive stance in building school spirit around campus. She has begun hanging banners across campus on gamedays for all Aggie sporting events. Since she started hanging the banners, Martin said more people are coming to the games.

“It gets an additional 30 or 40 people to the games each time,”

she said. “The chief complaint I’ve heard from people is they don’t know when the games are. I’m trying to change that.”

Martin is happy with the changes the cheerleading squad has gone through this year. She wanted to let people know they were on campus. Last year, Martin said many people didn’t know about her or the cheerleaders, but that has changed. While she has future aspirations, she said things are great the way they are now.

“I would love for the team to compete, but that would be a huge challenge and take a lot of work organizing,” Martin said. “I just want the girls to enjoy their year, enjoy being a cheerleader and take pride in what they do. They shouldn’t do it because they have to, they should do it because they want to. And that’s where we’re at right now.

Senior cheerleader brings the noise

By Jim Horinek Collegian Staff

“C-A-M-E-R-O-N AGGIES.”Th is chant can be heard resounding

off the walls of the Aggie Gym during every sporting event as the CU Cheerleaders bring on the spirit with their performances.

Th ough the cheerleading team is under the direction of a new coach, there is one member who has been with the team for much longer. Miranda Josey, a chemistry senior, is

in her fourth year as a CU cheerleader. However, Josey’s career in cheerleading began well before she donned the black and gold.

“I was a cheerleader for seven years before I came to Cameron. I began cheering in eighth grade and also did fi ve years of All-Star,” Josey said.

According to Josey, All-Star is a form of cheerleading in which many diff erent cheerleading teams come together and compete.

Hailing from Elgin, Josey was fi rst attracted to Cameron because of its

location. “I liked that Cameron was close to

my home,” Josey said. “I love my family and I wanted to be near them.”

Unlike many entering freshman, Josey came to Cameron with a plan for her career. She plans to enter medical school after completing her degree.

“I want to be a doctor and I actually just applied for medical school. Although I know that I want to be a doctor I am not sure what I want my specialty to be,” Josey said. “I am leaving my options open because a lot

of people who enter residency and have a closed mind will miss out on something that they really like to do.”

According to Josey, the cheerleaders play a very important role at Cameron.

“I think that we bring school spirit and enthusiasm to the games,” she said. “We try to recruit the people to come to the games and support athletics. We try to get them excited about sports.”

Josey credits the cheerleading program as a great benefi t to her college experience.

“I really think that the friendships and the teamwork are a very benefi cial part of cheerleading. I am a part of a team and you have to learn to sacrifi ce and give and take. Th ose things are important life lessons,” Josey said.

For Josey, cheerleading off ers a creative outlet and a way to make a diff erence.

“I think my favorite thing is the fact that I am a leader among the student

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Kicking it into gear: Senior CU cheerleader, Miranda Josey (pictured center), leads the squad in drills during practice. Josey, a chemistry major, hopes to be off to medical school next spring.

body,” Josey said. “Cheerleading is kind of an outlet for my enthusiasm. Th e program also allows me to give back to the community through service.”

As part of giving back, the team recently spent a Saturday doing volunteer work as part of the Lawton-Fort Sill United Way Youth Day of Caring.

According to the head cheerleading coach Robin Martin, Josey is an integral part of the CU cheerleading

team. “Miranda is one of my strongest

leaders and she is probably the most spirited out of a group of 10 girls,” Martin said. “On top of that, she is also one of the most dedicated. I can always count on her.”

Josey will be graduating in the spring and hopes to move on to medical school.

According to Martin, as the only graduating senior, Josey will be missed. However, Martin and the rest of the squad are looking forward to welcoming new faces to the team.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

“I think that we bring school spirit and enthusiasm to the games. We try to recruit the people to come to the games and support athletics. We try to get them excited about sports.”

— Miranda JoseyCU Cheerleader

A&E8 October 6, 2008

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Bale’s ascension to fame does not equal successBy Bennett DewanCollegian Staff

One hit movie can create fame, but it doesn’t make a career.

Christian Bale is the newest of the second tier Hollywood stars to be praised by movie critics as “the next big thing.” Th e problem is that the critics generally have no more knowledge than anyone else when they select the next “it” person. Most of the anointed next stars quickly fade into self-imposed mediocrity.

After the release of the hit biopic Ray, Jamie Foxx was touted as the future of the movie industry. Th e hype became even bigger when Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He then followed up all of his success with the movie Stealth, which I’m sure made the academy want to take his Oscar back.

Th en there’s Halle Berry who, after winning an Academy Award for a heart-wrenching role, starred in Catwoman which was voted worst fi lm of the year.

Th e champion of high expectations and lame results is Colin Farrell. After a rather surprising supporting role in the blockbuster Minority Report

Farrell’s stock was on the rise due to his performance and over the top personality. Just two years later he became the proud owner of one of the most listless,

disorganized and boring performances in movie history in Alexander. It was actually painful to watch an actor fall so far so fast.

Mediocre actors receiving stellar reviews for one movie is nothing new, but none of these actors have been able to sustain any sort of long term career momentum.

Bale creates a very good adaptation of

Batman, but that doesn’t mean he’s talented. He is a cog put into a hit movie-making machine. Th at machine could have made country music star Willie Nelson look like a competent Batman. Take away all of the CGI, all of the explosions and all of the stunt double laden action scenes and you are left with a few poorly acted clips of an uncomfortably awkward Bruce Wayne, and a Batman who sounds like a cross between a chainsaw and a grizzly bear.

Th e Dark Knight was

a good movie. In fact, it was a great movie, but little of that has anything to do with the eff ort of Bale directly. Th e movie was driven by the incredible portrayal of the Joker by former Academy Award Nominee Heath Ledger in his fi nal completed work. Th e movie also features Academy Award stalwarts Michael Caine (six nominations, two wins) and Morgan Freeman (four nominations, one win) who give mammoth performances in their brief screen time. Aaron Eckhart, Golden Globe Nominee for Th ank You For Smoking, rounded out the all star cast that shielded attention away from the weak performance of Bale.

To be a true superstar an actor needs to be able to make their character interesting to the audience without any gimmicks or special eff ects to distract from the acting. Can you imagine Bale in

Cast Away? It would be two hours of nothing but awkward dialogue where Bale would be trying to intimidate a beach volleyball.

Th e biggest successes of Bale’s career have always been collaborative eff orts with much

bigger stars that draw crowds

at theaters. In Th e

Prestige, Hugh Jackman received the

majority of the pre-release hype and billing, while

musician David Bowie garnered the accolades for his supporting role after the premiere. In 3:10 to Yuma Bale is again overshadowed by fellow headliner Russell Crowe. I am beginning to sense a theme here. All of the big movies Bale has appeared in star someone else.

With the Batman movies, Bale has carved out his own little niche, but someday soon he will look to venture into his own big budget movies that don’t allow him to hide

behind the mask. When this happens, his career will mirror one of two paths: the Mark Hamill approach or that of Macauley Culkin. Hamill, better known to the rest of the world as Luke

Skywalker, became so recognized as his character from the original Star Wars franchise that he couldn’t transition into other fi lms. People kept wondering why Luke Skywalker was playing a cop and not patrolling space a long time ago in a galaxy far away. Macauley Culkin, on the other hand, starred in the wildly successful Home Alone franchise but was given so much promotional propaganda that public opinion quickly soured and no one could stand to see him in another fi lm for nearly a decade. Bale seems to be walking the line between committing a Culkin and being the next Hamill. He could easily become overexposed now that Th e Dark Knight has been so successful, but it looks like Bale has already cemented his fate as the guy who plays Batman.

Ultimately, it looks as though Bale will end up making a slew of new Batman movies until he has surpassed Sylvester Stallone in the pure number of unnecessary sequels he has produced. Th ough some of them may be tolerable, I hope the series does not continue until Batman has a pacemaker on his tool belt.

Th e role of Batman did not make Michael Keaton or Val Kilmer mega stars either, and if anything it tarnished the career of George Clooney. Th e Batman franchise is fun and I am glad to see it revitalized, but as for its star, if his goal is to be mentioned with the likes of the elite actors and the super famous then you can call him Christian Fail.

Bale much more than just one hit wonderBy Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

Christian Bale could be considered one of the most enigmatic actors in Hollywood at the moment.

Th e man has starred in just about every genre one could think of and has been popular in just about every movie he’s made. Bale reminds me of Tom Hanks when he fi rst started off his career with atrocities like Splash and Big. Th ey put him on the map, but they didn’t make him a star. Th at didn’t come until later in his career with Th e Bonfi re of the Vanities and A League of their Own.

Except, unlike Hanks, Bale

started his career off with a bang with the criminally-underrated Empire of the Sun. Bale could be considered the only child actor that

actually matured beyond his young age and became a successful actor. Don’t even try to mention Kirsten Dunst who’s only claim to fame is three overrated Spider-Man fi lms.

Th e great thing about Bale’s acting is how he blends into the fi lm. When you watch a lot of actors, you see the larger-than-life personality. When you see Bale, you see the character that he’s portraying and

nothing more.Th e fi rst time I actually

recognized Bale in a movie was when I saw Equilibrium. If you haven’t seen this movie, you need to. Bale plays Cleric John Preston, the right-hand of the government in a future society where emotion has been outlawed and suppressed with chemicals. Th e role required

Bale to be cold and emotionless and he nailed it perfectly. Now, you could say any actor can play a stoic-faced killer and I would probably agree. But the great thing about the movie and Bale’s performance is how he experiences emotion for the fi rst time later in the fi lm. Preston, through Bale’s great performance, matures from the emotional level of a child to a full-grown man.

If Bale is only a one-hit wonder, then I would hate to imagine what some people think about other actors in Hollywood. Jack Nicholson is considered to be one of the best actors alive right now. He’s made a career out of playing himself in all of his roles. Even his portrayal of Th e Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman was Nicholson in makeup. Th ough, he did do a better job than Heath Ledger.

Sure, Bale might have that hard-edged look and persona of Bruce Wayne from Batman Begins

and Th e Dark Knight, but he’s done so many other roles that it’s criminal to say that’s all he can do. Did anyone see Th e Machinist or American Psycho? Both were Oscar-worthy performances from Bale and were about as far from the Bruce Wayne persona as he could get.

Sure, in American Psycho he played a rich playboy yuppie, much like the Bruce Wayne character, but it was so much deeper than the two-dimensional “my parents were killed so I want revenge” character of the Nolan-verse. He was a killer, but the level of comedy and depth to the character was portrayed through Bale’s acting perfectly. I’ve gone back and read the novel since seeing the movie and all I can hear in my head when reading the character’s narration is Bale’s voice.

I fi nd it laughable to think someone doesn’t think Bale can command a movie on his own. He stole the show in American Psycho, he stole the show in Equilibrium and I would say he stole the show in Th e Prestige.

I’ll admit that Hugh Jackman did a great job in Th e Prestige, but Bale’s character, Alfred Borden, was the one with the depth and the confl icted emotions. Jackman’s character, Angier, was more obsessed with revenge and power, which is a role that has been done ever since fi lm fi rst became popular. Bale commanded every scene he was in and it shows in the movie. Without him, Th e Prestige wouldn’t have been nearly as good.

No one is going to argue that Bale’s most notable performance was in the Batman franchise. In fact, it’s been suggested that he

could go the way of Mark Hamill and just be known as Bruce Wayne for the rest of his career. But considering he’s starred in around 40 roles in his career and only two of them were as Bruce Wayne/Batman, I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening.

Hamill was a relative unknown before Star Wars. And let’s be honest, as decent as the Nolan-verse Batman movies were, they will never command the pop culture following that Star Wars does.

I like to think that Bale will follow Harrison Ford more than Hammill. Ford went from Han

Solo to playing Indiana Jones, which became one of the

greatest fi lm franchises of all time.

Bale is already lined up to star in a trilogy of Terminator fi lms as John Connor. Th at

series has the potential to be another break-out performance and will be something diff erent for Bale to tackle.

I’m not going to say Bale is going to be the greatest actor to ever grace the silver screen. And it’s true, one hit movie does not make a career, but Bale has an impressive resume of movies already completed and many more on the horizon.

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

Psyched up: Christian Bale presents his dark side as the serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

A&E 9October 6, 2008

CU Library celebrates Oklahoman womenBy Bira VidalCollegian Staff

As part of the Centennial Celebration, the Cameron University Library hosted Celebrating Women, an Oklahoman author’s presentation narrating the lives and times of great Oklahoma women.

Th e event, funded with the assistance of the Lecture and Concerts Event, gave Cameron students the opportunity to attend a presentation that featured Glenda Carlile on Oct. 2. Carlile is an author and director of the Oklahoma Center for the Book.

Th e presentation highlighted the art of storytelling from Carlile’s perspective. As she progressed throughout the narration, she fully interacted with the audience. Some of her work pieces are Buckskin, Calico, and Lace; Astronauts, Athletes and Ambassadors: Oklahoma Women from 1950 to 2007; and Petticoats, Politics, and Pirouettes.

“As the director of the Oklahoma Center for the Book and as an author on books about Oklahoma Women, I am delighted to see a program on Oklahoma women,” Carlile said. “Women have been very important in our state as pioneers, ambassadors, writers [and even] civil rights advocates.”

Th e presentation collected Carlile’s experiences in the literary world, her knowledge on Oklahoma writers and their legacy in the state.

“In Oklahoma we have had marvelous writers who have infl uenced the character of the state from Angie Debo to current writers Rilla Askew and Billie Letts who still write about Oklahoma only in fi ctional works such as Rilla’s books Fire in Beulah and Harpsong,” Carlile said.

According to Dr. Sherry Young, director for CU’s Library, the presentation was made possible with the aid of Dr. Judy Neale and the sponsorship of the CU Library.

“In the spring semester, Dr. Judy Neale conceived

the idea. She then prepared and fi led a proposal to the Lectures and Concert Committee,” Dr. Young said. “Th e Committee provided funds for the event.”

Carlile’s literary contribution to CU students served as prime example of support for Oklahoman history and heritage. It also gave students insight into the signifi cance of women in all aspects of society as Cameron walks to its next 100 years,

“Mrs. Glenda Carlile [shared] stories of various individuals – from a pioneer to an astronaut,” Dr. Neale said. “Th ese stories [provided] inspiration for our students.”

Th e second part of the celebration came as a panel discussion. Th e discussion featured Cameron former faculty members that shared their previous experiences at CU. Some members were Dr. Mary Allen, Dr. Karen McKellips, Dr. Margie McMahan and Dr. Josephine Rayburn.

“Th e panel revealed the contributions women have made to our institution,” Dr. Neale said.

According to Carlile, Oklahoma has seen a great deal of extraordinary women who not only helped to write the state history but also defy societal preconceptions.

“We have been so fortunate to have wonderful women role models. Oklahoma has many inspirational women,” Carlile said. “Some of the women are Kate Barnard, Elva Ferguson, Perle Mesta, Jean Kirkpatrick, Augusta Metcalf, Angie Debo, Clara Luper, Mazola McKerson, Shannon Miller, Bertha Teague, Shannon Lucid, Jerri Cobb and Wilma Mankiller.”

Th e Celebrating Women event is part of the CU Library academic calendar, which will bring two future exhibits, Indian Education in Southwest Oklahoma: Yesterday and Today and All Black Towns of Oklahoma. Th e All Black Towns of Oklahoma exhibit will take place during the spring semester and will feature CU Assistant Professor Dr. Russell Graves with a public lecture about the subject.

P.R.I.D.E. respects, encourages diversity on campusBy Solitaire MerrillNewswriting Student

There are students attending classes at Cameron University that simply feel like they do not fit in.

There are people on campus that may have been discriminated against for their religious beliefs or the color of their skin.

There are scholars here that have been called names because they are different. There is also a place for these students and all who support them to go. Cameron P.R.I.D.E.

P.R.I.D.E stands for People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality. Taylor Brunwald, President of P.R.I.D.E., maintains that it is important for any student who has encountered racism, prejudice, or discrimination to feel welcome at P.R.I.D.E.

Traditionally, P.R.I.D.E is a support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (G.L.B.T.) issues. However, the members of P.R.I.D.E at Cameron hope to include a broad range of students in their club.

This new shift of focus has been brought about by a desire for a cohesive, inclusive support

network for all students on campus.

“We do not want people to be offended or intimidated by our group so we are moving from a strictly G.L.B.T focus to a mission that is more about social advocacy,” Brunwald said. “This includes all people who have faced discrimination and prejudice.”

Anyone can come and support P.R.I.D.E. Students do not have to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. Members just have to be willing to fight the prevailing paradigms of discrimination and prejudice that so many students face for a variety of reasons.

Evidence of this inclusivity can be seen at the P.R.I.D.E. meetings. You will find that most of the students at the meetings are straight. However, they feel P.R.I.D.E. is important because they have faced discrimination themselves or supported friends or family members that have.

Brunwald defined the goals for Cameron P.R.I.D.E this year. P.R.I.D.E has been somewhat

dormant in years past, but this year Brunwald hopes to keep the club current and active.

The group members also want to build some momentum for fund raising and community outreach. A successful year for them would include supporting any students that need help with P.R.I.D.E issues and becoming better known and accepted as a useful support service.

According to the mission statement posted on their Web site (myspace.com/cameron_pride), the P.R.I.D.E. campaign has two major premises. The first is that people

should be proud of who and what they are.

Secondly, qualities like individuality, diversity and equality are important.

They hope to foster these values by offering safe,

harassment-free zones to

socialize in. They also believe that it is important to increase awareness about the vastly diverse Cameron campus.

It is important that all students have a voice and a place where they can be with their friends and feel accepted, a special place where there is no tension, no name-calling and no need to explain their relationships. P.R.I.D.E. can offer that.

“We are trying to be sensitive to the needs of the community

and its members,” Brunwald said. “Having a forum for these experiences is what P.R.I.D.E. is about.”

Consequently, these members hope to make a tangible difference around Cameron.

Students who want to involved in P.R.I.D.E. can attend the meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. These meetings are held in the Student Activities Building at 4:30 p.m.

P.R.I.D.E. officers are President Taylor Brunwald, Vice President Rachel Dyer, Secretary Cody Fisher, Treasurer Katharina Wakefield, Treasurer and SGA representative Jacki Fore.

The faculty advisor for Cameron P.R.I.D.E. is Jim Joplin. Meeting and P.R.I.D.E. information can also be found on their myspace.com Web page.

Take comfort in your differences. Take P.R.I.D.E. in yourself. Join today.

Step BrothersStep BrothersPAC Movie NightPAC Movie Night

9 p.m. Tuesday9 p.m. TuesdaySAB lawnSAB lawn

Honorees: “Celebrating Women” shows statewide heritage through the perspective of different Oklahoman women.

Graphic by Bira Vidal

Graphic by Bira Vidal

Cameron UniversityCameron University2008 Talent Show2008 Talent Show

Applications are ready at the SABApplications are ready at the SAB

For more information contactFor more information contactStudent Activities at 581-2217Student Activities at 581-2217

Variety10 October 6, 2008

AAs General William s General William Tecumseh Sherman once Tecumseh Sherman once

said, “War is Hell.” said, “War is Hell.” Nearly 150 years after the Nearly 150 years after the

Union destroyed Atlanta in the Union destroyed Atlanta in the Civil War, war has become a Civil War, war has become a game. Adults and children alike sit game. Adults and children alike sit down in front of televisions with down in front of televisions with controllers in-hand and wage war controllers in-hand and wage war across diff erent time periods, both across diff erent time periods, both past and future, with little or no past and future, with little or no consequence.consequence.

World War II has become the World War II has become the favorite time period for the setting favorite time period for the setting of fi rst-person shooters. I’ve lost of fi rst-person shooters. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve count of how many times I’ve stormed the beaches of Normandy. stormed the beaches of Normandy. I’ve killed so many Nazis that I’ve killed so many Nazis that they should pin the Congressional they should pin the Congressional Medal of Honor on me, and while Medal of Honor on me, and while many of the famous WWII games many of the famous WWII games like like Medal of HonorMedal of Honor and and Call of Call of DutyDuty were fun, they were tame, were fun, they were tame, watered-down and dare I say watered-down and dare I say neutered visions of what the second neutered visions of what the second World War was really like. World War was really like.

In contrast, In contrast, Brothers in Arms: Brothers in Arms: Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway doesn’t pull any doesn’t pull any punches. It shows the true nature punches. It shows the true nature of WWII as best as can be done of WWII as best as can be done through a video game, even if it is through a video game, even if it is disturbing.disturbing.

Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway is the third is the third chapter in Gearbox’s chapter in Gearbox’s Brothers in Brothers in Arms Arms series and it puts you right series and it puts you right back in the shoes of Sgt. Matt back in the shoes of Sgt. Matt Baker and his ragtag group of Baker and his ragtag group of soldiers in the 101soldiers in the 101stst Airborne Airborne Division. Unlike most WWII Division. Unlike most WWII shooters or even video games in shooters or even video games in general, general, Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway is story- is story-driven with numerous cutscenes driven with numerous cutscenes that dig deeper into the story that dig deeper into the story beyond “Look! Germans! Shoot!”beyond “Look! Germans! Shoot!”

For those who have never played For those who have never played a a Brothers in ArmsBrothers in Arms game before, game before, there’s an opening cinematic that there’s an opening cinematic that sounds more like a daytime soap sounds more like a daytime soap opera that begins with “previously opera that begins with “previously on on Brothers in ArmsBrothers in Arms.” While the .” While the attempt at familiarizing new attempt at familiarizing new players with the story of the players with the story of the previous two games is noble, previous two games is noble, without any kind of context the without any kind of context the random cutscenes have no real random cutscenes have no real continuity. Th e cinematic isn’t continuity. Th e cinematic isn’t needed. Th ere’s enough character needed. Th ere’s enough character development to keep the story development to keep the story interesting throughout the game. interesting throughout the game.

Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway takes place takes place during Operation Market Garden, during Operation Market Garden, the Allied attempt to have the the Allied attempt to have the war ended by Christmas. It was war ended by Christmas. It was

the largest Airborne operation in the largest Airborne operation in the military’s history. Th e allies were the military’s history. Th e allies were to liberate Holland and push their to liberate Holland and push their way into Germany to bring a swift way into Germany to bring a swift conclusion to the war. History shows conclusion to the war. History shows Market Garden was one of the worst Market Garden was one of the worst blunders in American military history. blunders in American military history.

For the purposes of this game, For the purposes of this game, you’re a beat-down sergeant trying to you’re a beat-down sergeant trying to keep himself and his men alive, and keep himself and his men alive, and while the story of while the story of Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway is its is its greatest strength, it’s also the game’s greatest strength, it’s also the game’s greatest weakness.greatest weakness.

A lot of the story-telling is heavy-A lot of the story-telling is heavy-handed. Yes, war is Hell. Everyone handed. Yes, war is Hell. Everyone knows that. But the game continues knows that. But the game continues to beat you over the head with how to beat you over the head with how badly the soldiers have taken the battle badly the soldiers have taken the battle and how badly they want to go home. and how badly they want to go home. Sometimes it pulls on your heart-Sometimes it pulls on your heart-strings a little too much, like when strings a little too much, like when you have to rescue a kid from what you have to rescue a kid from what seems like half of the German army. seems like half of the German army. It’s defi nitely darker than the standard It’s defi nitely darker than the standard WWII game aff air but it could be too WWII game aff air but it could be too dark for many people.dark for many people.

Just because the game’s story is Just because the game’s story is its greatest its greatest drawing drawing card doesn’t card doesn’t mean the mean the gameplay gameplay isn’t up isn’t up to par. to par. Gearbox Gearbox has had two has had two previous previous games to games to polish up polish up the the Brothers Brothers in Arms in Arms formula, formula, and it and it shows. Th e shows. Th e shooting shooting mechanics mechanics are smooth are smooth and and intuitive. intuitive. Unlike other shooters, Unlike other shooters, Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway relies more on squad mechanics. It’s relies more on squad mechanics. It’s not as tactical as games like not as tactical as games like Ghost Ghost ReconRecon or or Rainbow 6Rainbow 6, but you have to , but you have to keep your squads alive if you really keep your squads alive if you really want to have a smooth time during the want to have a smooth time during the campaign. campaign.

Each mission gives you a diff erent Each mission gives you a diff erent set of teams to command. You have set of teams to command. You have the assault team, which is your the assault team, which is your standard group of soldiers with standard group of soldiers with infantry weapons; the MG team, infantry weapons; the MG team, which carries an MG-42 machine which carries an MG-42 machine gun to lay down suppressing fi re; the gun to lay down suppressing fi re; the

bazooka team, bazooka team, which carries which carries a powerful a powerful bazooka bazooka to destroy to destroy emplacements emplacements and the and the base of fi re base of fi re team, which team, which uses heavier uses heavier infantry infantry weapons. weapons.

How you How you use these use these teams is teams is

entirely up to you. You can entirely up to you. You can order them to suppress a order them to suppress a squad of Germans while squad of Germans while you fl ank around behind you fl ank around behind them, or you can have your them, or you can have your teams lob grenades into an teams lob grenades into an emplacement or you can emplacement or you can order them to fl ank while order them to fl ank while you draw the enemy fi re. you draw the enemy fi re. Th e options are endless, Th e options are endless, but you do need to use but you do need to use them, otherwise you will them, otherwise you will die quickly. And there’s die quickly. And there’s nothing like the feeling nothing like the feeling of fl anking a squad of of fl anking a squad of Germans and taking them Germans and taking them out with your Th ompson out with your Th ompson machine gun. machine gun.

As with most squad-As with most squad-based shooters, your based shooters, your squad-mates are a bunch of squad-mates are a bunch of morons. You tell them to take cover morons. You tell them to take cover behind a wall in the middle of a large behind a wall in the middle of a large fi re-fi ght and, instead of taking the fi re-fi ght and, instead of taking the safest route , the character will go safest route , the character will go through the line of fi re to get to their through the line of fi re to get to their newly assigned position. It becomes newly assigned position. It becomes

so annoying, so annoying, that you will that you will want to put want to put a bullet in a bullet in their heads their heads just because just because they are so they are so stupid. At stupid. At least the least the Germans Germans will fl ank will fl ank you or turn you or turn tail and run tail and run if you get if you get the jump on the jump on them. Your them. Your squad-mates squad-mates will stand will stand there and there and ask, “why ask, “why aren’t we aren’t we moving?”moving?”

Th ere’s a new cover system in Th ere’s a new cover system in Hell’s Hell’s HighwayHighway that will keep your head out that will keep your head out of the line of fi re if used properly. If of the line of fi re if used properly. If you get near any solid, fl at object, you you get near any solid, fl at object, you can press the left bumper button and can press the left bumper button and go into a third-person view, kind of go into a third-person view, kind of like like Rainbow 6: VegasRainbow 6: Vegas. When fi ghting . When fi ghting three or four squads of Germans in an three or four squads of Germans in an open area, you’ll wonder how you ever open area, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without a cover system. survived without a cover system.

Th e controls can be overwhelming Th e controls can be overwhelming in the beginning. You’ll send your in the beginning. You’ll send your soldiers off to get killed and you’ll fi nd soldiers off to get killed and you’ll fi nd yourself fl anked and killed numerous yourself fl anked and killed numerous times, but you will soon get the hang times, but you will soon get the hang of it. Also, Gearbox has added a of it. Also, Gearbox has added a “Training” option that will help you “Training” option that will help you hit the ground running with diff erent hit the ground running with diff erent popup boxes that walk you through popup boxes that walk you through the basics of the gameplay.the basics of the gameplay.

Sooner, rather than later, you will Sooner, rather than later, you will be popping headshots and placing be popping headshots and placing grenades perfectly. In fact, after a grenades perfectly. In fact, after a while, the game becomes a cakewalk. while, the game becomes a cakewalk. Th at is why Gearbox added the Th at is why Gearbox added the “Authentic” game mode. After you “Authentic” game mode. After you complete the game on one of the complete the game on one of the two starting diffi culties, you can go two starting diffi culties, you can go through the game again without through the game again without

crosshairs or any other identifying crosshairs or any other identifying markers that helped you out during markers that helped you out during your previous playthrough. It gives your previous playthrough. It gives fans an added challenge to an already fans an added challenge to an already fun game.fun game.

Th e health system isn’t as Th e health system isn’t as punishing as the previous games. punishing as the previous games. Instead of hunting for medpacks Instead of hunting for medpacks to heal, there is a to heal, there is a HaloHalo-style health -style health system. If you get shot, the screen will system. If you get shot, the screen will turn red and you need to fi nd cover. turn red and you need to fi nd cover. You will heal quickly, but during You will heal quickly, but during this time you can be killed by two or this time you can be killed by two or three bullets. Just because your health three bullets. Just because your health recharges doesn’t mean you can turn recharges doesn’t mean you can turn into the WWII equivalent of Rambo. into the WWII equivalent of Rambo.

Graphically, the game is impressive, Graphically, the game is impressive, but it isn’t mind-blowing. It runs on but it isn’t mind-blowing. It runs on the Unreal 3 engine, and like other the Unreal 3 engine, and like other games on the engine, there is some games on the engine, there is some very bad texture pop-in. Beautiful very bad texture pop-in. Beautiful cinematics are sometimes ruined by cinematics are sometimes ruined by areas that look horribly blurry before areas that look horribly blurry before the textures load. Furthermore, even the textures load. Furthermore, even with the install on the Playstation 3, with the install on the Playstation 3, the textures don’t load any faster. the textures don’t load any faster.

Th e character models look Th e character models look impressive, as would be expected from impressive, as would be expected from a UE3 game. But the lip -synching a UE3 game. But the lip -synching during cutscenes leaves a lot to be during cutscenes leaves a lot to be desired and can even pull you out of desired and can even pull you out of the moment. the moment.

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s HighwayBrothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway is probably the most authentic is probably the most authentic WWII experience you can get on WWII experience you can get on a video game console. Th e game a video game console. Th e game carries a Mature rating from the carries a Mature rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Not only is there a lot of bad Board. Not only is there a lot of bad language, as you would language, as you would expect from a group of expect from a group of soldiers during WWII, soldiers during WWII, there is an insane amount of there is an insane amount of blood and gore. blood and gore.

Th e game also has Th e game also has “kill cam” moments that “kill cam” moments that emphasize the brutal nature emphasize the brutal nature of the war. Land a headshot of the war. Land a headshot properly, throw a grenade properly, throw a grenade in the right spot or shoot in the right spot or shoot a group of the enemy with a group of the enemy with a tank shell and the game a tank shell and the game will zoom in on their bodies will zoom in on their bodies and slow down so you can and slow down so you can see the resulting carnage. see the resulting carnage. Th ink the infamous head Th ink the infamous head exploding scene in exploding scene in ScannersScanners, ,

only over the course of 25 to 30 only over the course of 25 to 30 times in a playthrough. It almost times in a playthrough. It almost becomes too grotesque after a while, becomes too grotesque after a while, but there is an option to turn off the but there is an option to turn off the kill cams as well as the gore and the kill cams as well as the gore and the language. language.

Th ere is also a multiplayer Th ere is also a multiplayer component to the game developed component to the game developed by a team from Rockstar Studios. by a team from Rockstar Studios. While it supports up to 20 players While it supports up to 20 players in a similar style to the campaign, in a similar style to the campaign, the graphics are downgraded and the graphics are downgraded and there are a lot of bugs. Th e game there are a lot of bugs. Th e game constantly lags no matter how constantly lags no matter how great your connection is. Th e great your connection is. Th e hit detection is worse than hit detection is worse than Halo Halo 33, and that’s bad. For all intents , and that’s bad. For all intents and purposes, and purposes, Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway is a is a single-player game. If you want a single-player game. If you want a multiplayer WWII game, look up multiplayer WWII game, look up Call of Duty 2Call of Duty 2. .

Like the previous entries in Like the previous entries in the the Brothers in ArmsBrothers in Arms series, series, Hell’s Hell’s HighwayHighway is not for everyone. Th e is not for everyone. Th e gameplay is slow and methodically gameplay is slow and methodically paced. Th ere’s no running and paced. Th ere’s no running and gunning. You have a sprint button, gunning. You have a sprint button, but it’s only there to move from but it’s only there to move from cover to cover. cover to cover.

Th ere are no John Wayne Th ere are no John Wayne moments in moments in Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway. It’s . It’s a dark, gritty game that’s almost a dark, gritty game that’s almost depressing. depressing. Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway is the is the Band of Brothers Band of Brothers of video games, and of video games, and with high production values and with high production values and some of the most refi ned gameplay some of the most refi ned gameplay of squad-based shooters, it’s a game of squad-based shooters, it’s a game you should really look into if you’re you should really look into if you’re a WWII shooter fan. a WWII shooter fan.

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Duck and cover: Duck and cover: With the latest installment of the With the latest installment of the Brothers in ArmsBrothers in Arms series, series, Gearbox added a cover system similar to Gearbox added a cover system similar to Rainbow 6: VegasRainbow 6: Vegas. With the push of a . With the push of a button, you’ll stick to any solid cover near you and go into third-person mode to button, you’ll stick to any solid cover near you and go into third-person mode to keep your head out of the line of fi re.keep your head out of the line of fi re.

Heads up:Heads up: Hell’s HighwayHell’s Highway offers the most realistic offers the most realistic WWII experience in video games with visceral action WWII experience in video games with visceral action and visuals. and visuals.

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BROTHERS IN ARMS: BROTHERS IN ARMS: HELL’S HIGHWAYHELL’S HIGHWAY

ESRB rating:ESRB rating: M for MatureM for Mature

PLAY TIME:PLAY TIME: 8 to 10 hours8 to 10 hoursNO. OF PLAYERS:NO. OF PLAYERS: 1 to 201 to 20SYSTEMS:SYSTEMS: Xbox 360 ($59.99), Xbox 360 ($59.99), Playstation 3 ($59.99), P.C. ($49.99)Playstation 3 ($59.99), P.C. ($49.99)

FINAL THOUGHTS: FINAL THOUGHTS: This game This game is not for the squeamish. It’s the most is not for the squeamish. It’s the most realistic WWII game yet, complete with realistic WWII game yet, complete with gore and language. If you can make it gore and language. If you can make it past that, you’re sure to enjoy a great past that, you’re sure to enjoy a great experience with refi ned gameplay, solid experience with refi ned gameplay, solid visuals and a surprisingly touching visuals and a surprisingly touching story.story.