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, February 4, 2008Monday, February 4, 2008 Volume 82 Issue 2

News

A&E

Sports

Voices

Members of the Student Government Members of the Student Government Association resumed their activities last week Association resumed their activities last week with the first meeting of the spring semester. with the first meeting of the spring semester. Students targeted the football poll and the Students targeted the football poll and the new legislation concerning the construction of new legislation concerning the construction of sidewalks on certain areas on campus.sidewalks on certain areas on campus.

SGA President Jeff Wozencraft presented SGA President Jeff Wozencraft presented the results of the football poll that occurred the results of the football poll that occurred in the end of the fall semester. The poll voiced in the end of the fall semester. The poll voiced students’ opinions about reinstating varsity students’ opinions about reinstating varsity football at Cameron. The results showed that football at Cameron. The results showed that students are willing to bring football back, but students are willing to bring football back, but do not agree with the increase in the fees to do not agree with the increase in the fees to support the sport.support the sport.

Also, the margin of error for the poll Also, the margin of error for the poll and the differences in the gathering of the and the differences in the gathering of the results brought up possible questions about results brought up possible questions about the accuracy of the outcome. According to the accuracy of the outcome. According to President Wozencraft, specific parts of the poll President Wozencraft, specific parts of the poll still raise some problems.still raise some problems.

“There’s a lot of errors within the poll “There’s a lot of errors within the poll results,” Wozencraft said. “It looks like they results,” Wozencraft said. “It looks like they want football, but they don’t want to sacrifice want football, but they don’t want to sacrifice for it.”for it.”

The poll results made clear students are The poll results made clear students are not in favor of raising the current fees. Eight not in favor of raising the current fees. Eight

Football, sidewalks on agenda for fi rst spring SGA meetingBy Bira VidalCollegian Staff

percent of those who percent of those who participated agreed to participated agreed to pay up to sixteen dollars pay up to sixteen dollars more per credit hour to more per credit hour to support football. On support football. On the other hand, twenty the other hand, twenty percent stated that percent stated that students should incur no students should incur no increase in fees.increase in fees.

Eighty-three percent Eighty-three percent of the participants stated of the participants stated they want football to they want football to come back to Cameron. come back to Cameron. Only eight percent Only eight percent were against reinstating were against reinstating football.football.

The legislation will be tabled until the end of The legislation will be tabled until the end of the semester. Adam Gutierrez, representative the semester. Adam Gutierrez, representative from Mu Phi Epsilon, wrote the football poll from Mu Phi Epsilon, wrote the football poll legislation in the fall semester. Gutierrez will legislation in the fall semester. Gutierrez will present a legislation proposing reinstating present a legislation proposing reinstating football on April 14. He will write the football on April 14. He will write the legislation based on the results of the poll.legislation based on the results of the poll.

After discussing the results of the poll, After discussing the results of the poll, students started the first legislation of the students started the first legislation of the semester. School of Liberal Arts Senator semester. School of Liberal Arts Senator Bonnie Emert wrote the legislation that targets Bonnie Emert wrote the legislation that targets the lack of sidewalks in the Cameron Village.the lack of sidewalks in the Cameron Village.Currently, sidewalks at the Village only connect Currently, sidewalks at the Village only connect

some of the buildings and do some of the buildings and do not lead all buildings to the not lead all buildings to the parking north of the Village. parking north of the Village. The lack of sidewalks forces The lack of sidewalks forces students to walk in the grass if students to walk in the grass if their vehicle in parked there.their vehicle in parked there.

The legislation also states The legislation also states that in case of rain, students that in case of rain, students have to walk a long distance have to walk a long distance along existing sidewalks along existing sidewalks and streets to reach their and streets to reach their classrooms. Those who do classrooms. Those who do not walk the long way have not walk the long way have to plod through the wet grass to plod through the wet grass and mud. Sidewalks would and mud. Sidewalks would

facilitate village residents’ access to the north facilitate village residents’ access to the north parking lot and to other buildings.parking lot and to other buildings.

Students asked Senator Emert if the Students asked Senator Emert if the legislation would apply to all the areas on legislation would apply to all the areas on campus lacking sidewalks, such as south of the campus lacking sidewalks, such as south of the Student Activities Building next to the parking Student Activities Building next to the parking lot. Senator Emert responded the original lot. Senator Emert responded the original legislation does not consider all the areas on legislation does not consider all the areas on campus due to the budget implications.campus due to the budget implications.

“There’s a lot of errors within the poll results.It looks like they want football, but they don’t want to sacrifi ce for it.”

— Jeff WozencraftSGA President

See SGAPage 2

By Kelley BurtCollegian Staff

“College students are notoriously strapped for cash. Whether a student is 19 or 49, the best advice I could give to anyone about their taxes is to just fi le a return,”

General Manager for Liberty Tax Service in Lawton, Chris Vajgrt said. “Many young people don’t realize they can fi le a return if their parents claim them as dependents. Others think they don’t have to because they didn’t make enough money.”

Th e Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Web site reported that billions of

dollars in federal tax refunds go unclaimed each year. In the

cases where returns are not fi led, the law provides

most taxpayers a three-year window of opportunity

to fi le for a refund. After three years, if no return is fi led to claim the refund, the money

becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.

Th is is money that many students could

have had in their pockets.Carol Claiborne, Interim

Director of Financial Assistance at Cameron, doesn’t understand why anybody wouldn’t want to fi le a tax return.

“Many people don’t think they need to, but if you don’t fi le, you can’t get anything back. If you don’t get anything back, then you may owe the IRS money and that could get someone in serious trouble.”

In addition to the potential for a tax refund, Claiborne said income tax fi ling has a bearing on the fi nancial aid process.

“On the FAFSA paperwork there is a section that asks whether or not a qualifying

student has fi led or will fi le their tax return for the previous year. If a student has not fi led a

return, the fi nancial aid report will be slowed because the processor will question why they haven’t fi led.” A delay in reports may then delay fi nancial aid disbursement to include student loans and some scholarships.

In addition to fi ling federal income tax returns, Vajgert urges students to complete their state returns as

well. “If the new economic stimulus package is

passed by Congress, qualifying taxpayers will receive checks from the federal government in June. Individuals will receive $600 and couples who fi led jointly will receive $1,200. Th e only way someone can qualify to receive the money is to fi le a tax return.”

TAXES: Filing is highest priority

“Many people don’t think they need to, but if you don’t fi le, you can’t get anything back.”

—Carol ClaiborneInterim Director

of Finacial Assistance

See TAXPage 2

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

With hotel reservations lost and a computer system crashing in the middle of competition, two Cameron University students persevered and still came out on top.

Department of Technology seniors and computer information majors, Christi Cummings and Paulo Garza represented CU in the Database Design Competition at the annual Region 3 Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) Conference at the Texas State University—San Marcos in

By Alexis Del CielloCollegian Staff

CU students compete in database design late October, both receiving honorable mention awards in database design.

Cummings and Garza reported with 24 other teams to participate in the Database and Design competition. Overall, more than 140 college students competed during the Region 3 conference.

Cummings said: “Paul and I reported to the room for our competition at 1 p.m. We had four hours to complete the assigned task. Th e fi rst was to build an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) for a database. [According to about.com, an ERD “is a specialized graphic that illustrates the

interrelationships between entities in a database.”] Two hours into it, the program we were using crashed and we lost all of our work. When we got the computer back up and running we quickly reassembled our ERD and sent it in.”

See DATABASEPage 2

Alumni Relations gets a new director.

SEE PAGE 3

The academy denies ‘Beowulf’ its due credit

SEE PAGE 5

CU alumni takes steps toward furthering his education.

SEE PAGE 4

Aggie basketball outplays Northeastern State.

SEE PAGE 7

News2 February 4, 2008

Though Cameron does not currently offer income tax filing assistance to the general student population, some help is available for international students.For more information contact Marcella Gustafson, International Student Advisor Coordinator, at

591.8019 or stop by her office at 15 N. Shepler.

For non-international students, the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov, provides information on how and where people can file. Local tax service offices are also available for assistance.

Vajgrt said: “The best way to make sure someone is getting back everything they are entitled to is to talk to a professional. Liberty Tax Service offers free estimates for preparation fees and encourages anyone with questions about their taxes to call them at

581.1040. Leigh Shelton, Criminal Justice

Sophomore, is really looking forward to filing her taxes this year.

“I can’t wait to get my refund back. I went to a tax preparation service last year and they were very friendly and quick. My return was e-filed and the money was directly deposited into my bank account. This year I’m going to use my refund for spring break.”

This is the second year Shelton will be filing. She advises students to make sure they take their time to fill out their return correctly.

TAX continued from page 1

“A refund can also help with buying books for summer classes or paying back student loans,” she said.

After reviving the crashed computer and reassembling their ERD, Cummings and Garza were not fi nished.

Cummings said: “Once the [ERD] was in, they handed us an [additional] ERD that we had to code in SQL to create tables in a database software.” (According to the online “Glossary of GIS Terms, SQL is “Structured Query Language. A syntax for defi ning and manipulating data from a relational database.”) “Th en we had

to create queries. A query is a way of manipulating the data in order to only see information requested [by the user].”

Attending an AITP competition gives students an opportunity to use the skills learned in the classroom, see new technology and meet potential employers. Garza said it also presents job opportunities for technology students attending competition and creates “more exposure for Cameron’s

Technology Department.”Th e light on the monitor

shined brighter when Cummings came across a company with job opportunities.

Aside from many events there were also conferences taking place. “Some of the conferences were Security, Microsoft and Vista,” Cummings said. “In conjunction with the conferences they have tables set up for companies that are recruiting and vendors with their latest product.” One of those

companies was ARGO Data. “Th ey were recruiting so I handed them my resumé and had an on-the-spot interview with them. Th at interview led to a second interview which led to a job with them when I graduate this year.”

Cummings will create user interfaces for banks and lending institutions.

Not only did Cummings establish future employment, but she now knows this is what she is supposed to be doing upon

completing her degree.“It is a great thing being my

fi rst time placing. It just solidifi es the education I am receiving. I can apply it (knowledge learned) in the real world,” Cummings said.

With the success of Cummings and Garza, both are waiting for funding and approval to attend nationals in Memphis, TN March 27-29.

ARGO Data will be at CU on April 1 to recruit students for employment.

DATABASE continued from page 1

By Doris HajewskiMCT Campus

Candidate mask sales could predict next president

A New Berlin, Wis., costume retailer is aiming to unmask the identity of the next president ahead of the election, based on its sales of likenesses the candidates’ faces.Buycostumes.com, the largest online costume retailer in the U.S., has predicted accurately the outcomes of the 2000 and 2004 elections by tracking sales of masks of the candidates, founder Jalem Getz said.Th is year, Getz saw an opportunity

to generate publicity and sales early by selling 99-cent likenesses of eight primary candidates and reporting on the sales volume every week, from now until the general election in November.

“Th e more popular the mask, the more likely the candidate would win,” Getz said.

Th e company on Tuesday started selling paper facemasks of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul. Th e fi rst popularity rankings will be released

in seven days. (Edwards and Giuliani have since dropped out of the race.)

Getz is promoting the masks with news releases and emails to people who have shopped with Buycostumes.com. In addition, he’s contacting the campaigns in hopes of selling the inexpensive masks to supporters

of the candidates.“We think this is a

new form of bumper sticker,” Getz said.

In the two previous presidential election years, his company’s sales

of the candidate masks were small.

Th ose masks were made of more lifelike

vinyl and were priced in the $15 to $20 range.

Buycostumes still off ers vinyl masks

of Hillary Clinton and President Bush.

Getz expects to sell a lot more of the cheaper, 99-cent paper masks.

Political junkies will be able to upload a widget from the Buycostumes.com site to any other Web site or blog. Th e widget will track sales of the masks in real time, collectively or by state.

Buycostumes.com has been a division of Liberty Media, a publicly traded company based in Englewood, Colo., since 2006. Th e company has about 100 year-round employees.

MCT Campus

News 3February 4, 2008

New director of Alumni Relations receives warm welcomeBy Bira VidalCollegian Staff

Th e Offi ce of Alumni Relations opened its doors to a new director in the fall of 2007. Cameron University chose Jennifer Bowen as the new Director of Alumni Relations on Nov. 12.

Th e addition brought a fresh point of view and new experiences to the offi ce of Alumni Relations according to Vice President for University Advancement Albert Johnson.

“We are proud to welcome Jennifer Bowen to Cameron University and excited about the experience and enthusiasm she brings to the Offi ce of Alumni Relations,” Johnson said.

Bowen was extremely involved in the community before coming to CU. She worked for the American Cancer Society as a community specialist and for the Wichita

Mountains March of Dimes as the Lawton Division Director.

As for volunteer activities in the community, Bowen has assisted the Junior League of Lawton, the Citizens for Progress Committee, Lawton Public Schools Bond Steering Committee and the Lawton Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet Committee.

Th e experience gained in those non-profi t organizations helped guide Bowen when choosing Cameron’s Alumni offi ce as the next step in her career path. She explained her work has been constantly related to people and helping them.

“I am excited to join the Cameron staff ,” Bowen said. “Th e foundation for an excellent alumni relations program is in place, and I look forward to working with the alumni to develop new programs and partnerships within the university and the community.”

Bowen revealed the best aspects

of working as the Director of Alumni Relations are related to the timing of her arrival on campus with the Centennial Celebration.

“Th e best [characteristic of Cameron] is the solid foundation that is already in place. Th e second thing would be the excitement of Cameron. It’s been an exciting time to be part of the university,” Bowen said.

Bowen will play a signifi cant role in the upcoming Centennial Celebration. She will be investing a great deal of

time collecting historical records, photographs and data from the current University archives and maintaining that archive for years to come.

“It is my goal to provide opportunities for all Cameron University alumni, students and friends to remain connected to Cameron throughout their lives,” Bowen said.

Th e support from those recently graduated is fundamental to the Alumni program according to Bowen. She says the Alumni Offi ce currently faces two minor challenges.

“Keeping the momentum of all the offi ce has done and engaging those newly graduated to work with [Cameron’s] Alumni,” Bowen said. “[Th at’s] one of the things we do; we are trying to work on capturing them, working with ‘How can we help you further your career?’”

Th e donations that come to the Alumni Relations offi ce are used for diff erent purposes. Bowen says the contribution from Cameron’s Alumni help support a variety of projects.

“Th e money is used to recruit new members, provide scholarship for students, [produce] the Cameron magazine and alumni merchandise,” Bowen said. “We donated $15,000 for the new Student Activities Complex.”

As a new director, Bowen already perceives the needs of the University relating to Alumni interaction. Her goal as Alumni Coordinator is to bring the Alumni Association members close home at CU and make the foundation of the University’s Alumni Relations even more solid.

“Th e stronger the University, the stronger the value of the degree is. [It makes] your degree become even more valuable,” Bowen said.

Looking at the past: Jennifer Bowen displays pictures in the Alumni Relations offi ce.

Photo by Bira Vidal

Voices4 February 4, 2008

Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief - Jessica LaneNews Editor - Josh RouseAssistant News Editor: Jim HorinekCopy Editor - Laura BatuleA&E Editor - Amanda HerreraSports Editor - Kareem GuisteVariety Editor - Bira VidalAssistant Editor - David R. Bublitz

Newsroom Staff Ads Manager - Kelley BurtCartoonist - Th omas PruittFinancial Offi cer - Susan HillStaff Writers - David L. Bublitz, Chris Allison, Alexis Del Ciello, Erik Hurley, John Robertson, Jacob Russell, Jenifer Biles, Donnale Mann

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

Newswriting StudentsJenifer Biles and Donnale Mann

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 collegian@cameron.edu, 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.

COLLEGIAN

Founded in 1926veritas sempiterna

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

Continue making long term goalsWhen I graduated from

Cameron’s English department in December 2006, I found my mind clouded by indecision.

For many years, my single goal has been to complete my Bachelor’s degree. Having accomplished that task, I found I was once again at a crossroads. Where do I go? What do I do? Life after undergraduate school seemed so far away. Being in the midst of papers, portfolios, and exams, it also seemed very elusive.

Near the end of my senior year, I had taken steps to ensure that I would have some options after my time at Cameron. But to be honest, I didn’t feel like I was done learning. I wanted to pull a little bit more out of myself before I stepped

outside the academic world, out “there.”

It was at about that time when I spoke with Julie Hensley, the Director of the Cameron Creative Writing Department, and she asked me if I had considered graduate school.

Graduate college had been in the back of my mind prior to my conversation with Julie. As a matter of fact, I had even done a paper for Capstone researching diff erent graduate colleges around the United States, but for some reason, I hadn’t, until then, truly explored graduate school as a real option.

I think this was mainly due to a sense of atrophy that

had taken grip during my senior year. Most college students jokingly dub this “senioritis,”

but I think it bears noting that such an affl iction is very real

and ubiquitous. Something about

closing another chapter of one’s life and striking

out into not so familiar, new territory can freeze people in

place. My father, in his military way, referred to this as a “failure to launch” and that’s not far from the truth.

I think that the only way to really break through this petrifi ed state is to once again develop a long-term goal. I know that many of us keep consistent long-term goals in mind. And I did know that I was in pursuit of success, but the fact is, that the future is uncertain and goals evolve over time.

It’s not a bad idea to stop moving forward from time to time and look around and make sure you’re going in the direction you want to go.

After speaking with my peers, professors and family (and after much quiet contemplation) I ultimately decided to pursue a career teaching creative writing to college students. What that is going to mean is several more years in school (a defi nite plus), and I knew I had to get started on applying right away.

I’ve learned a lot of things in the past year about pursuing education after undergraduate school. For those of you who plan to get a graduate degree, I issue this warning: Be prepared to work hard and spend money.

Applying, in itself, is no small thing. Although not every program is going to require the same things, most of the schools I applied to required an application, application fee (usually around 30 to 50 dollars), a creative portfolio consisting of 30 to 50 pages of creative work, a slew of fi nancial aid paperwork, GRE test scores, letters of recommendation, a resume, and a personal refl ection or statement of purpose.

It takes time to get all these materials together. Traditional graduate schools only accept applications once a year, so it is wise to start getting the materials together as quickly as possible. Start early, preferably while you’re still a junior; you’ll be thankful you did.

Probably the most challenging aspect of applying to graduate school is the waiting. I try to keep myself busy (I’ve been pursuing

a second Bachelor’s in the mean time), but ultimately I can’t help feeling anxious. It’s almost a foxhole feeling – small and

completely aware that my destiny is in the hands of those members of a graduate school admissions committee. And to rationalize, I almost have to say, “What will be, will be.” I guess it’s like that with life sometimes. You have to grip your rifl e, chamber a round and embrace

life in the queue – life in the in-between spots – and, when the incoming pours down, hope you’ve prepared yourself adequately enough to weather it and push forward.

David R. Bublitz

Take responsibility

A few days ago the Country Music Television (CMT) network aired clips from last year’s Country Music Awards (CMA) show. I was prompted by Carrie Underwood’s thank you speech to think about the concept of responsibility.

She was only one recipient out of dozens of artists who took home awards that evening. Each recipient followed the one before in the trend of thanking everyone who helped make him or her the winner of their given category.

I believe that Underwood, however, was the most sincere. She made me feel she honestly was not responsible for her accomplishments as a singer.

Many people would say this display was a true act of humility and would respect her for it. I think it’s just another example of how too many people don’t take responsibility for their own actions. The rub, however, is that if she did thank herself for her own hard work she might have been booed offstage and surely would have hurt her career.

The trend to thank other people in our lives for helping us accomplish personal goals, in

addition to professional ones, is well received and commonly displayed.

Similarly, when someone does something bad or falls through on a goal, responsibility is again often attributed to someone or something other than the person who committed the act.

My 19-year-old brother was arrested a couple of weeks ago on drug charges and will likely not be released from jail for several years. This was a horrible shock to my

family and me. What was even more shocking

to me though, was how my family reacted to his arrest.

At first, my mother refused to believe he could have committed the crimes for which he was being charged. Then, she blamed my dad for not disciplining him enough as a child, his schools for not trying harder to teach him the right way to behave, his friends for their bad inf luence and then the police for arresting her son.

My dad blames my mother, my

grandparents blame both my parents and my brother blames anyone he can think of to blame, excluding himself.

No one seems to see things from my point of view. What my brother did, he did to himself. His choices created the situation he is in today and now he has to pay the consequences. I know that he is young and everyone makes mistakes. It’s not the fact that what he has done is a mistake, it’s that no one I’ve talked to about the situation has held him responsible for his actions.

My inner conf lict is revealed, however, when I think about the other side of the argument. Carry Underwood surely could not have made herself a hit singer if she didn’t have all the writers, producers, managers, fans, etc. contributing to her success. Would my little brother

be in a better place now if other people could have inf luenced him differently?

I don’t really know where the thin, grey line lies when it comes to responsibility. Murderers may possibly get out of a life sentence if their lawyer can convince a jury the person is not guilty because of mental defect. “My client is not responsible for killing that man because she has Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder,” one lawyer could say.

“The movie could never have been a hit without all the writers on the show,” one actor might express.

I think that every act someone commits has been inf luenced by something or someone else at sometime. The main responsibility, however, belongs solely to the individual who committed it.

Attribution isn’t just for the humble

Kelley Burt

A&E 5February 4, 2008

semester with two new shows. “We are also producing two new

shows this year to be broadcast exclusively on YouTube,” Dr. Jenkins said. “One is called “Film Geek” and the other is “CU in the Kitchen.”

“Film Geek” will be produced once a week on Monday afternoons and “CU in the Kitchen” will be produced all at once. For “CU in the Kitchen,” we are going to work with Cameron’s Th eater Department to build a kitchen set which we will use to shoot all the shows at once over one day. We will then put one episode a week on YouTube.”

Th e idea behind broadcasting the 2 new CUTV programs on You Tube was the brainchild of Jenkins and communications sophomore Kyle Luetters.

“Last semester my friends and I got started putting together some shows that we wanted to put onto the Internet,” Luetters said. “After we started doing that, we showed some of them to Dr. Jenkins, which is where

he got the idea to put CUTV shows onto YouTube.”

According to Dr. Jenkins, Luetters will be instrumental

in the success of CUTV’s Internet television project since he is going to be responsible for making sure the shows get produced and posted on YouTube. Luetters will register a

new YouTube account called “CU Internet Television” and upload the 2 shows onto that site.

“Film Geek” will be a 5-minute movie review show hosted by Luetters that will present commentary

and ratings of movies that are popular with Cameron students. It

will feature a unique rating scale and be produced with assistance

Oscar Corner:

‘Beowulf ’ receives undeserving snub by Academy By Chris AllisonCollegian Staff

After seeing Robert Zemickis’s motion-capture animation epic “Beowulf,” I have one accolade to bestow upon it: Oscar winner.

Th is is a ground-breaking fi lm that shows to what extent motion-capture technology can be taken. Based on one of the oldest poems ever told, “Beowulf ” is about the epic battle between the warrior Beowulf and the monster Grendel and his mother.

Grendel, a highly deformed Crispin Glover, terrorizes the royal mead hall of a Danish king. King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) off ers half his riches to anyone who can slay Grendel. Enter Beowulf (Ray Winstone), a Geat (people from Sweden), who has become a legend around the known world.

Beowulf off ers to slay Grendel without any armor or weapons, the logic being that since no sword can penetrate Grendel, and Grendel wears no clothes, then Beowulf should fi ght him on equal ground. Th is invokes some funny Austin Powers-esque sight gags during his fi ght, where objects in the foreground hide Beowulf ’s groin area.

Th e epic battle is over about 30 to 45 minutes into the movie. In actuality, this sets up the decades-long psychological warfare raging between Beowulf and Grendel’s angry and seductive mother (closely resembling Angelina Jolie). Th en the story takes a 180 turn and transforms into a tale of lust, the lust for power, fame and sex.

Th is departure from the poem is a very unique twist to the tale, although many would say the original poem is better. Th is movie provides a deep narrative that stays long after the credits roll. It also has the best dragon fi ght ever caught on fi lm, which is easy, considering how terrible other movies with dragons are (minus the “Harry Potter” fi lms of course). Th is dragon battle sets a high bar for “Th e Hobbit” to reach, when that movie is hopefully made.

While the “Beowulf ” animation is impressive, some of the animated characters look similar to “Shrek” characters. As I said before, Angelina Jolie’s animated character looks the closest to the real-life person, while Ray Winstone’s Beowulf is farthest from his real-life counterpart. Th ey used a body double for the obese British actor.

Th is fi lm is also ground-breaking in the 3-D department. Th is is the fi rst time I have been to a 3-D movie where the 3-D does not get in the way of the fi lm. Th e main problem with this fi lm is that future viewing on DVD will be without the benefi t of 3-D. After my experience of seeing it in 3-D, I do not think it will have the same impression in just plain 2-D.

Unfortunately, the Academy criminally chose to ignore this movie and “Th e Simpsons Movie” in favor of yet another penguin movie (“Surf ’s Up”). A similar movie, “300” was also shut out, yet Razzie nominee “Norbit” managed to sneak away with an Oscar nomination.

If you are ever near an IMAX 3-D movie house, I suggest that you ignore the snub by the Academy Awards, and go see “Beowulf.” It’s easily one of the best fi lms of 2007.

Reporter rating: 4 out of 4 points

Cameron students to celebrate Chinese New YearBy Brandi O’ DanielCollegian Staff

On Friday, Feb. 8, Cameron students can join the International Club celebrating the Chinese New Year and ringing in the Year of the Rat.

Th e Asian Club and International Club are co-hosting the event at 7 p.m. in the Baptist Student Union to introduce a form of the Asian culture that may be unfamiliar to many CU students.

Jingshu Zhao, Computer Science major and junior, helped organized the event with several other members of the International and Asian Clubs. She said the event will be very interesting and informative for Cameron students and allow them to experience an entirely new culture while having fun and getting to know other students.

Zhao said, “Th is event can give students a clear picture of what the Chinese New Year is, what they do and how they celebrate the New Year.”

For the past three years the International Club has helped sponsor the celebration, which was created by one of Cameron’s Fullbright Scholars, April He, who taught Mandarin at Cameron.

Th is year’s event will include games, prizes, performances and food to allow students the experience of the Chinese culture. Zhao said that all the games will be related to the Chinese culture in some fashion.

“I planned to have some interesting games and performances to show the Chinese culture,” Zhao said. “In the games, students have to use chopsticks and Chinese brush pens to fi nish the task.”

Th e New Year’s celebration will combine some of the elements similar to those in China and show the diversity and cultural importance of the Chinese holiday.

Th e Chinese tradition is celebrated throughout the Asian community including China’s neighboring countries Korea, Nepal, Japan and Vietnam among many others. Events for the holiday consist of visiting friends and families also known as “new-year visits”, adorning new clothes and giving red packets to young children to symbolize good luck.

Much like the New Year students are most familiar with, the Chinese New Year is celebrated with festivities such as entertainers and fi reworks that help to usher in the New Year.

Zhao and the other members of the International Club hope that students will come to know and appreciate one of the most celebrated and well know holidays of the Chinese community.

Marcella Gustafson, International Students Admissions Counselor and Adviser to the International Club, said that events such as these gives students the chance to understand each other and their cultures.

Gustafson said: “China is a huge country and very populated. By understanding a little more about their culture and celebrations, we can learn more about the people. We learn to build friendships. When these students go back to their country, hopefully, we can continue our friendships. Th ey will also share what they have learned about American culture when they return. In a sense, it brings China and its traditions to Cameron.”

While the Chinese New Year celebration is one of the club’s biggest events, student can also become involved with the clubs other events.

Finance major and senior, Sonila Abdula, joined the club in the fall of 2006 and is now the club’s SGA representative. She said that the International Club participates in many events throughout the year to involve national and international students.

“We participate in welcoming the international students, Diversity Day and through the year we have games and presentations on diff erent countries like Algeria, Albania and Canada,” Abdula said.

Aside from its Cameron involvement, the club also works within the Lawton community to reach out to them and teach them about the culture and lifestyle of other countries.

Gustafson said, “In the past, club members have helped with Habitat for Humanity and sent students to schools and club meetings to talk about their country.

All CU students are encouraged to participate in the International Club’s events and are welcome to join. Any interested students who would like to join the club may contact the International Offi ce or attend one of their meetings posted around campus. Dues for the club are $5 each semester and all events are free for students.

To learn more about the club and their activities please contact the International Offi ce or Marcella Gustafson at 581.8019.

MCT Campus

CUTV is getting a new look and adding two new programs in an extreme makeover this semester for the station. According to Dr. Matt Jenkins, Associate Professor in Cameron’s Communication Department and faculty advisor for CUTV, the set makeover was over due.

“We have not had a new set for 12 years, since before I came to Cameron,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Our old set was donated to CUTV from KSWO, here in Lawton, and we felt it was time to get a new set. We were fortunate to hire a private contractor, named Scott Hoff man, to build us the beautiful new set that is now under construction.”

Th e new set will include a large news desk with a glass block and stone front, a new curtain back drop and new carpeting. According to Dr. Jenkins, the set will be used for more

CUTV rolls on new sets, future contentBy David L. BublitzCollegian Staff

than news settings. “We asked that it be so designed

that it would have a high level of versatility to it so we could use it for other things,” he said. “Th e desk is on wheels so we can pull the desk away to create an interview set without too much trouble. Th e idea is to be able to provide a variety of shows with this one set including “Th is Week in Student Government” which is our show covering the SGA, a Th ursday morning newscast called “Top of the Hour,” and our Friday afternoon news show called “CUTV News.”

All current CUTV shows are designed, produced, crewed, anchored and edited by Cameron students. CUTV is a closed circuit television channel which broadcasts exclusively to television monitors on Cameron on Channel 11.

To go along with the set makeover, CUTV is expanding its programming and its media vehicle to the Internet this

from a fi lm review writer from the Lawton Constitution and Carmike Th eaters.

“CU in the Kitchen” will be a cooking show hosted by communications student Holley Wood. It will feature Cameron faculty as guests who come on, talk about and prepare their favorite dish. According to Dr. Jenkins, “CU in the Kitchen” is really designed to learn about Cameron University professors.

“We know that You Tube is very popular for younger people, so we want to use that to promote our university program,” Jenkins said.

Luetters believes that the Communications Department at Cameron provides a superior education for broadcasting students than larger universities do because Cameron students immediately receive hands-on experience with all aspects of the broadcasting career fi eld.

“While large universities like OU or Kansas State do have amazing facilities, their students do not get to touch a piece of equipment until they are at least a senior,” Luetters said. “And even then, they probably have to

be a graduate assistant before they can work on the show.

Here at Cameron, I was down in the studio running cameras and pulling tapes and stuff like that on their shows as a freshman. What we want to try to show prospective students is they will not have to sit and wait in a classroom for four years before they get to touch the equipment. Here, the faculty just tosses you right in right away.”

Th e fi rst episode of “Film Geek” will be available on YouTube in mid-February and “CU in the Kitchen” will air beginning in late March this semester. Jenkins is also working with the faculty adviser for the “Cameron Collegian,” Dr. Christopher Keller, to provide a link to both shows on the university newspaper’s upcoming convergent media project.

Complete information about Cameron’s communication department and CUTV can be found on Cameron’s Internet web site which provides current contact information for all academic departments and links to all department project, faculty and staff Web sites.

Photo by David L. Bublitz

And then there was light: Public relations sophomore Amanda Finch hangs lighting up on one of the CUTV sets. CUTV received a new set and is rolling out new programming to complement it.

A&E6 February 4, 2008

Tuesday will mark the third month of the “Hollywood Hissy Fit.” You probably know it better as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

“Lost” only has eight episodes before a serious cliff hanger. “24” was completely canceled for the year. “Moonlight” is facing cancellation and the striking parties are still at an impasse: writers want more money; studios don’t want to give it to them.

Th ere’s a lot of technical language to wade through when reading about the strike. Th e writers want revenue from Internet and DVD releases and the studios claim those revenues can’t be determined right now.

Let’s dissect the current Hollywood mantra.“You can’t have a great show without the writers.” I guess

that would be true, except, the best show of the year is working without writers. “American Gladiators” came back onto the scene after more than a decade and immediately became the must-watch show.

How do you explain that WGA? “You can’t have a good show without a director.” Yet, the Director’s Guild easily worked out

a deal. “You can’t have a good show without performers.” “American Gladiators” has a director and

performers, but it doesn’t need writers. You see, that’s where the WGA got into trouble. Th e guild thought it could go on strike and

the studios and public would immediately bend to its will and all demands would be met. Check again. Th e WGA is still playing the role of a screaming child outside every major studio while the

ratings for “American Gladiators” soar and proven favorites like “Survivor” and “Th e Biggest Loser” enjoy the highest ratings they’ve had in years.

So where does that leave the writers? Well, I still love my “Lost” and I’ll watch the fi rst eight episodes. But who’s to blame when

that show goes off the air? You could say the studios are to blame for not giving the writers what they “deserve.” Or,

you can say the writers are to blame for going on strike. I personally lean toward the latter. Th e Director’s Guild had similar demands and agreed upon a contract six days after

negotiations began. Th e writers’ strike is at three months and counting. A lot of great television has been lost throughout this strike. But let’s face it, when do most

of us have time to watch television? I am going to classes or working. If anything, it’s helping a lot of us catch up on television shows and movies we’ve wanted to watch for months.

I have over 30 hours worth of programming on my DVR. And that’s after the antiquated piece of technological equipment went “Skynet” on me and developed a mind of its own and deleted a bunch of stuff .

Th e only thing that will really irritate me about this strike is the premature “Lost” cliff hanger. But, I have “American Gladiators” to watch. Trust me, if you haven’t seen it, watch it. You get to see trash-talking contestants go up against muscle-bound freak shows. It’s kind of like World Wrestling Entertainment, except it’s not scripted. You even get Hulk Hogan thrown in there for good measure. And besides, there’s always Crush to look forward to. For you ladies, there’s the hairy, smelly Wolf, if you like that sort of thing.

I remember the fi rst episode of WWE Raw that took place after the writer’s strike started. D-Generation X, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, come out to the ring making jokes and Michaels said, “Who writes this stuff ?” Triple H replies, “Who knows, they’re all on strike.”

It’s sad when you have professional wrestlers making jokes about the writer’s strike. But that’s all this has become: one big joke. It should have ended a long time ago. Right now, both sides are acting like those two kids you see in kindergarten saying “mine!” and tugging on a toy.

Th e strike has gone beyond money. Th e WGA has already lost more money than it would have gained if all of its demands were met. Now, it’s all about pride. And pride could very well be the end of it.

So where does that leave the struggling writers whose faces you won’t see on the six o’clock news? I look on CNN and Hollywood Reporter and see Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Kirsten Bell and other big stars. I know a respectable writer named Gary Whitta who belongs to the WGA. Were it not for pictures of him and his friends striking, I never would have seen him anywhere. Th ese are the people who are hurting the most from this. Th e WGA’s pride is hurting them the most.

Until it’s over, there’s plenty of reality television to watch. And that’s going to be the ultimate winner of this strike. Reality television was on the brink of dying, and now it’s been resurrected like Bill Clinton’s standings in the public opinion polls.

If nothing else, stick it to the writers and buy the DVD sets of your favorite shows. I know I will. “Star Trek: Th e Next Generation” here I come.

WGA battle: WGA battle: Writers struggle to find a Writers struggle to find a happy ending to strikehappy ending to strike

Joshua Rouse

Sports 7February 4, 2008

A late free throw gave the Aggie men’s basketball team (3-15, 1-2 LSC North) the point they needed to knock off the Northeastern State RiverHawks (8-10, 2-2) for their fi rst conference win of the season. Th e teams battled back and forth in a game that was extremely suspenseful. Th e Aggies took the lead for the fi nal time with only a second left on the clock and won the game 78-77.

“Obviously it’s great to win,” Head Coach Maurice Leitzke said. “We have been in 10 games that have been so close. In those games we only lost by an average of fi ve points so it’s great to win one of these close ones. Our kids never gave up and they played every possession all the way through.”

Cameron went into halftime with a 40-36 lead but was outscored in the second half 41-38.

Th e Aggies were down by 2 points with 22 seconds left in the game, but a key lay-up by sophomore guard Greg Morgan tied the game at 76. Morgan was called for a foul with 5 seconds left sending NSU’s Steve Neal to the foul line. Neal hit only one of his free throws, but it looked as if the RiverHawks would win it 77-76.

On the next possession, Morgan attempted to win the game with a buzzer-beater but was fouled by Neal. Th at put Morgan at the charity stripe with just one second left on the clock. Morgan came up huge in the clutch as he hit both of his free throws giving Cameron the lead, and eventually the win, 78-77. NSU was not able to get a shot off and lost their tenth game of the season.

“Morgan hit two huge free throws, and he made the play before that to tie it up,” Coach Leitzke said. “He had a very impressive game and made our last

four points.”Both teams shot very well

from the fi eld with Cameron fi nishing with an impressive 50.8 percent shooting percentage and Northeastern State a 48.5 percent. CU was out-rebounded 32-28 but was able to out-shoot NSU 59-56. Additionally, the Aggies turned the ball over 8 times and committed only 13 personal fouls, while the RiverHawks recorded 9 turnovers and were whistled for 14 fouls.

“It’s huge to win on the road in conference play,” Coach Leitzke said. “It is just a great win. It really shows the character of our kids to battle and hang in there throughout.”

Morgan fi nished the game with 18 points on 7-14 shooting. He also recorded 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and a team-high 7 assists. Morgan never left the court during the game as he played in all 40 minutes.

Junior guard Dave Smith also fi nished the game with 18 points, scoring them on 6-11 shooting including 3-4 from three-point range. He also recorded a steal and 6 assists in 38 minutes of play.

“Morgan was extremely solid and had a very good game. He was a good catalyst for us,” Coach Leitzke said. “Dave Smith had a really outstanding game too. All nine guys played tonight and each had very important minutes. Leslie (Malone) also had another good game, but the minutes by all nine guys were extremely valuable.”

Malone recorded 14 points in the game on 6-14 shooting. He also recorded 2 assists, 2 blocks, and a team-high 6 rebounds. Malone played in 26 minutes against NSU.

Cameron’s next game is at home in Aggie Gym this Wednesday, feb. 4 at 8:00pm. Th e Aggies will host Texas A&M Commerce on

By Craig MartinSports Information Offi cer

CU Aggies pull back one with late free throws

that day. Th e team will continue to try their best to give more than a good performance in order to get a pick in the Lone Star Conference cut.

Photo courtesy of CU Online

Star player: Sophomore guard Greg Morgan scored the last four points in that victory against Northeastern State.

Being perfect during extended period is stressful

Perfection, if performed in one-of-a-kind, lightning-strike fashion, can be relaxing and fun. It is, some say, almost an out-of-body experience.

During the long haul _ for the course of a season _ perfection is not nearly as easy as it might look. Especially for those sitting in the director’s chair.

“It’s nerve-wracking,” Anson Dorrance says.

Dorrance is the women’s soccer coach at the University of North Carolina and a former coach of the U.S. women’s national team. At UNC, he heads a program that has 19 national championships and, among them, fi ve teams that didn’t lose or tie a game en route to a title.

Ever stressed yet rarely attained, being perfect always ought to be embraced, Dorrance said. In fact, in his mind, being near-perfect ought to be celebrated as well.

Th at’s where anxiety comes in.“Th e reason it’s nerve-wracking

is because athletics are fraught with all sorts of peril, and in athletics the best team doesn’t always win,” he said. “You’re afraid of bad luck; you’re afraid of the other team’s good luck. Th ere are so many uncontrollable factors.”

For these reasons and others, Dorrance is pulling for the New England Patriots, who are a victory in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII during the New York Giants from becoming the NFL’s fi rst perfect team in 35 years.

A win Sunday by the Patriots in Glendale, Ariz., would allow them to be the only team to run the table under the league’s current 16-game schedule and playoff format. Th e 1972 Miami Dolphins fi nished 17-0 after beating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

Ever respectful and often boring, at least when it comes to addressing publicly the next task

at hand, the Patriots probably are wrestling with an array of emotions behind the scenes, Dorrance suspects.

“When you go undefeated this long (in a season), there’s this internal fear that you’re going to be judged on this last game, which very well could be a loss,” he said. “So you go into that last game with a certain amount of trepidation. You’re very excited about the potential for a great legacy for a wonderful team, but you’re also very cognizant of the very real possibility of being beaten.”

Perfection comes in many forms, from an aria to a play to the latest work from a plastic surgeon. Th e diff erence for sports, though, is the score. It’s kept. So is a record. And those are how athletes are measured:

Don Larsen throwing a perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series. Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci scoring a perfect 10 in the 1976 Summer Games.

Warren Morris of Orlando and John Napoli stroking the only perfect scores —18s— in professional Putt-Putt.

During the course of his two decades on the PBA Tour, Norm Duke has rung up 57 300 games. He also holds the tour’s record for consecutive perfect games (three). In 1996, he threw 36 strikes in a row one day in New Brunswick, N.J., the only time that has ever been done on tour.

“I think what most athletes are proud of is playing the game

mentally better than most,” said Duke, 43, a Clermont, Fla., resident who has 24 tour titles and is fourth in career earnings.

“When in a game at that level and you’re winning, what most of us are doing is playing mentally. We’re trying to get around without a bad game, trying to eliminate disaster. And to really capture the moment when we’re on a roll. You want to get it going, and when you’ve got it going you try to keep it going.”

For Jason Oglesby, perfection came one spring day in 1996. Never before and never since, at least on a baseball diamond, but once was enough to give him something for his resume.

“It was a lifetime highlight,” he said. “It was the highlight of my high school career.”

Oglesby, a left-handed pitcher for Deltona High, Fla., beat 10th-ranked Jacksonville Sandalwood 2-0 by throwing a perfect game. Seven innings, 21 up, 21 down. Oglesby struck out 15 hitters and got six other outs on ground balls.

No Sandalwood batter hit a ball to the outfi eld.

“I didn’t feel any pressure,” said Oglesby, 29, now a DeLand fi refi ghter. “How can I describe it? It was a weird feeling. You hear athletes talk about being in t̀he zone,’ and that’s what it was for me. It was me and the catcher, that’s all I was seeing. Th e hitter was up there, but he wasn’t a factor. Th at’s what kind of game I was having.

“I hit all my spots. My curveball was breaking better than it ever did before. My change-up was perfect. It was just one of those days.”

In fact, for most of the day, Oglesby, then a junior, didn’t even realize what he was in the middle of. After fi ve innings, though, he went back to the dugout and teammates “started acting a little funny,” he said. “Th en I realized, holy cow, I’ve got a perfect game going.”

Even then he experienced no anxiety, despite having parents and cousins in the stands in Jacksonville. He said he had faith in his ability and his teammates to help him out.

And the next time he took the mound?

“It’s still in your mind,” he said. “You think, `Wow, I’m coming off this perfect game.’ But then you just go out and pitch your game. Try to get another win.”

To some, such as Dorrance, Sunday’s Super Bowl sets up as a classic tragedy-in-waiting. Th at’s not the ending he wants to see, however.

He wants the Patriots to join the fraternity.

“Th ey only are glorifi ed if they win,” he said. “But even if they lose, what they’ve done is extraordinary, an amazing achievement. Which is why people like me who have been there always root for teams like the Patriots. I want to see them fi nish the task, but I also want them to be rewarded for their excellence.”

By Alan SchmadtkeMCT Campus

Patriotic: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) jokes around with teammates Logan Mankins (70) and Dan Koppen (67) after answering questions during Super Bowl Media Day for Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Tuesday, January 29, 2008.

MCT Campus

Variety8 February 4, 2008

Cameron University: Cameron University: Changing Lives forChanging Lives for

100 Years100 YearsThe PastThe Past

The PresentThe Present

The FutureThe Future

Photos by Bira VidalPhotos by Bira VidalPhoto courtesy of Library ArchivesPhoto courtesy of Library Archives

Photo Collage by Bira VidalPhoto Collage by Bira Vidal

Old Administration

Building

King HallKing Hall

Whitehurst Hall

Center for Emerging

Technology and Entrepreneurial

Studies Phase II

The Bentley Gardens

New

School of Business

Cameron Village Center for Emerging

Technology and

Entrepreneurial Studies