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 22, 2010 Volume 84 Issue 15

News

A&E

Sports

Voices

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By Amanda FinchCollegian Staff

Students targeted in fi nancial aid scams

Th e university has been notifi ed of a fi nancial aid scam targeted at Cameron students.

Students received offi cial-looking letters addressed from the “College Financial Advisory” asking for personal information and urging them to pay to apply for fi nancial aid. Th e mailings

are actually from a private business that charges money for information that is otherwise available online for free.

Th e letter requests that enrolled students send in a student aid profi le form and a specifi ed fee in the envelope provided in order to evaluate the student and determine their fi nancial need. Th e university does not have any relationship

with the “College Financial Advisory” and strongly recommends that students not send personal information.

When CU Financial Aid Assistant Director Chris Crandon was informed of the scam, she met with Dean of Student Services Jennifer Holland to decide the appropriate course of action.

“When the university

becomes aware of issues that might negatively impact students, we have a responsibility to make students aware of the issue and off er helpful information,” Dean Holland said.

See SCAMPage 2

Homecoming 20102010

Homecoming games bring big crowds

Cruise On Home

Spring break is only weeks away and 19 Cameron students are spending the holiday in Italy this year.

Th e trip is the second school trip in the past two years that the Law and Politics and History clubs have organized.

Last year, 15 students and family members went to the cradle of western civilization, Greece, after a senior History major proposed the idea.

Group of students prepare for trip to ItalyBy Tatiana IsisCollegian Staff

See ITALYPage 2

PRIDE offers friendship and acceptance.

SEE PAGE 4

By Rachel EngelCollegian Staff

After a week full of activities, the 2010 “Cruise on Home” homecoming events were capped off by the crowning of the homecoming king and queen during halftime of the men’s basketball game against the East Central Tigers.

As the homecoming court fi led onto the fl oor, Programming Activities Council co-chairs Amanda Finch and Ryan Faucett introduced each of the nominees, as well as the outgoing 2009 homecoming king and queen, Brett Carden and Stephanie Johnson.Th e second runner up for homecoming king this year was senior Criminal Justice major Daniel Brown, who represented the Student Government Association.

Brown was also nominated last year and came in fi rst runner up.“It was nice to be nominated again,” Brown said. “It was cool that

the Student Government Association felt we were good enough to go for it again.”

With graduation coming soon, this was Brown’s last nomination to the homecoming court.

See HOMECOMING Page 10

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Photo by Bennett Dewan

Royalty: Seniors Miracle Akinwale and Amina Fix are the 2010 CU Homecoming King and Queen. Akinwale and Fix were chosen by the student body from amongst the many different candidates.

Renowned author Anis Shivani visits campus.

SEE PAGE 8

Cheerleading team qualifi es for nationals.

SEE PAGE 6

Obama leaves something to bedesired.

SEE PAGE 5

By Bennett DewanCollegian Staff

Th e 2010 Cameron University homecoming basketball games were a tale of two half ’s for both teams, unfortunately for the Aggies, only one of the teams was able to come out with a victory against Lone Star Conference rival East Central University Tigers.

Th e fi rst game to tip-off was the women’s contest. Th e Aggies entered the contest with a record of 7-17 and 3-8 in the LSC; the Tigers were 12-12 and 4-7 in LSC play.

Cameron Point Guard Luv Rattler was truly the story of the game, commanding the ball much of the game. Rattler led all players in scoring with 30 points on the night going 7-14 from the fl oor and a perfect 13-13 from the free-throw line. Although Rattler fi lled up the stat sheet by hitting big shots down the stretch, second-year Head Coach Tom Webb was more excited by Rattler’s focus on the fundamentals than her off ensive output.

“I’m more proud of her for her rebounds and her assists,” Webb said. “She had nine rebounds and seven assists, and those things should not be forgotten. She also controlled the tempo and controlled the game the way a good Point Guard should.”

Th e Aggies controlled the game from early on and led at halftime 42-29.

When play resumed the Aggies continued their run of dominance in the second half as Coach Webb pushed his team to not let up and lose control of the game. Up 22 points with eight minutes to go, Webb, upset with a missed defensive assignment, called timeout to re-energize his team.

See GAME Page 6

MCT Campus

Photos by Bennett Dewan

The dish and the deuce: No. 33 Milton Garner (above) lays the ball in for two against ECU. Point Guard Luv Rattler (below) dishes the ball off to a cutting teammate during the fi rst half of the Aggies 14-point victory over the Tigers.

News2 February 22, 2010

SCAM continued from page 1

Upon further investigation, Crandon discovered that other colleges and universities had experienced the same scam. Crandon sent an email to all students informing them of the scam and warning them to be careful with all personal information.

Th e email recommended that students never send confi dential information to anyone until it is confi rmed that it is a legitimate request. Students should also be aware of a message’s source and identify if the fi nancial aid off er is coming from a college or university, a national organization or a business. Crandon says it is easy to spot fi nancial aid scams such as this one.

“Students can recognize a false scholarship or fi nancial aid organization if it asks for money to apply because you should never have to pay money to get a scholarship,” Crandon said. “Always look for a .gov or .edu to verify a legitimate organization.”

If in doubt about a scholarship or fi nancial aid source, students should check fi rst by contacting the Financial Aid offi ce to inquire further.

“Th ere are many free reputable scholarship searches students can look to such as fastweb.com and fi naide.org,” Crandon said.

Th e Financial Aid offi ce also helps with scholarship searches and all internal Cameron University and Foundation scholarships can be found at www.cameron.edu/fi nancial_aid.

ITALY continued from page 1

Th e trip began as an idea that former student Kyle Lewis had when he decided to take a trip to Greece his senior year. He ultimately decided that to explore taking it as an educational school trip.

He got together with Dr. Huckaby, and they made it happen.

Th is year, Dr. Huckaby and her students decided to make the trip to Italy.

“I spent some time in Italy,” Dr. Huckaby said, who has been to Italy three times and feels comfortable taking her students there now.

Th ere are a myriad of reasons for students to want to visit Italy, but

Dr. Huckaby can narrow it down to one.

“To look at the David, everyone has to look at the David,” she said.

Th e group will leave on March 11 and fl y to Paris, where they will then begin their journey to Italy; returning on March 21.

Th e 11-day trip is longer than the

six-day trip to Greece last year, not to mention $400 cheaper. Th e trip, including air fare, hotels, breakfast, transfers and metro passes and six tours will cost travelers $1,700.

Included are trips on the TGV, France’s high-speed rail service, which will take the group to Milan.

Th ere, they will spend a night at the Regency Hotel and leave the next morning on a double-decker bus tour of Milan.

Th ey will tour the city and visit cathedrals and later board a train to Venice, where they will spend the night at a hostel.

“Hostels are very low-rate rooming houses,” Dr. Huckaby said, who highly encourages people to keep an open mind about using hostels while traveling.

Next on their trip, they will leave for the train station to tour Tuscany, where they will visit the Sienna and the Pisa among other sites, and then be off to Florence where they will

spend the night at the Grand Hotel Adriatico.

In Florence they will enjoy an art tour, politics tour and religion tour and spend free time visiting the city.

After spending three days in Florence they will head to Rome.

“You can’t go to Rome and not see the Vatican,” Dr. Huckaby said, who will be taking the group on a tour of the Vatican and the Colosseum.

After two days in Rome, they will board a train for a day trip to Naples and Pompeii to return back to Rome that night.

Th e next day the group will board their return fl ight to the U.S.

Dr. Huckaby hopes that her group will become “more comfortable” traveling overseas and will learn to “not be scared and improvise” in their travels.

“One person has never been on a plane,” Dr. Huckaby said. “I want students to know how easy it is to see the world.”

On whether there will be a trip next year, Dr. Huckaby isn’t sure, but says her next destination will be to South America because it is her fi eld of expertise.

Dr. Huckaby also hopes to make next year’s trip part of a workshop class that will allow students to receive college credits for the trip.

See page 6 for solutions.

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

News 3February 22, 2010

News4 February 22, 2010

People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality (PRIDE) is an active student organization at Cameron University. PRIDE has been active on campus for 11 years.

Th e president of the club, Taylor Brunwald, a junior Journalism major, said that it is his second year as president of the club. According to Brunwald, the club was originally established as an alliance for gay and lesbian students on campus, but now the club has changed its mission statement to represent all walks of life on campus. Brunwald said the club is a safe place for individuals who are looking for friendship and acceptance. He

PRIDE offers place for friendship, acceptanceBy Rashmi Th apaliyaCollegian Staff

added that the club is also for those who may feel left behind or be in need of support.

“People must be proud of who they are regardless of their walks of life,” Brunwald said. “PRIDE is here to promote diversity on campus.”

Th e club is involved in various activities throughout the semester. Recently, PRIDE held a “Double Feature Picture Show” movie night. At the event they screened two pageant comedies, “Drop Dead Gorgeous” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” It also held a “mini-pageant” between the two fi lms.

Th e club also organized a candlelight vigil on World Aids Day in honor of Matthew Shepard.

Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming and was beaten to death on Oct. 12, 1998 by individuals who disagreed with his homosexual lifestyle.

“Cameron University is a very gay-friendly campus. I have never had a problem with my professors, friends or co-workers,” Brunwald said. “People of the Lawton community may have a problem if I walk hand in hand with my boyfriend, but I feel safe on the campus.”

Th e club members meet at 6 p.m., every Friday in the McMahon

Center. Th ere are currently 15 members in the club, the largest number of members the club has ever had. According to Brunwald, the club is for everyone at Cameron, and there is no need for a person to be gay or lesbian to be a member of the club. He said that on the fi rst Friday of every month, the club has what they call the “padded room,” a meeting where members focus on supporting each other with things like homework, classes, projects and other personal problems.

“We want to emphasize that PRIDE is a social club where we help each other, laugh together and cry together,” Brunwald said. “We still focus on the issues of gays and lesbians because no one else on campus does.”

Brunwald talked about PRIDE’s upcoming activities in which they are planning to organize an inter-faith dialogue and panel discussion in which speakers from various religions will share their beliefs. Th e club is planning on inviting people from the Christian, Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish faiths, as well as atheists. Brunwald said that the speakers can be either faith community leaders or just normal people with diff erent beliefs.

Th e executive board members of the club are: Ryan Foutz, the vice-president; Melissa Delgado, secretary; Phuc Nguyen, treasurer; Ashley Cernak, SGA representative and Jared Beverley, public relations offi cer. Th e adviser of the club is Jim Joplin.

Voices 5February 22, 2010

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

Newsroom Staff Financial Offi cer - Susan HillStaff Writers - Rashmi Th apaliya, Amanda Finch, Alyssa Knerr, Tori Strecker, Tatiana Isis and Amanda Phillips.Circulation Manager - Matthew Penick

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

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

Letters PolicyLetters to the editor will be

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

Th e Collegian reserves the right to edit all letters for content and length. Letters should be no more than 250 words. Letters from individual authors will be published only once every four weeks.

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

Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to 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.

Our student media are designated public forums, and free from censorship and advance approval of content. Because content and funding are unrelated, and because the role of adviser does not include advance review of content, student media are free to develop editorial policies and news coverage with the understanding that students and student organizations speak only for themselves. Administrators, faculty, staff or other agents shall not consider the student media’s content when making decisions regarding the media’s funding or faculty adviser.

COLLEGIAN

Founded in 1926veritas sempiterna

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

Th ink back to grade school for just a moment, remember when you were sent home with a report card? Most of the time, the card was sealed neatly in a manila envelope and placed in your bag. A good report card resulted in candy or some other form of positive reinforcement. A bad report card usually resulted in something far less pleasant. In college, we don’t get those occasional status reports. Out in the real world, some get them; some don’t. One sector that rarely seems to get a serious report card is the government. Sure, we see cable channels such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News tear into members from both political parties, but honestly, does that ever really do any good? Or do we get the same government, re-hashed over and over?

A year ago, President Obama was in the midst of his fi rst 100 days in offi ce. Hopes were high, along with approval ratings (59 percent is doing pretty well, just ask George W. Bush.) Th e country was facing huge economic problems but the optimism outweighed the fear. “Yes We Can” almost became the country’s mantra.

Flash-forward a year. Hopes and optimism are waning (his approval ratings have fallen to 46 percent.) Th e country is showing some signs of turnaround. Th e stock market is doing better, and credit is starting to thaw. However, more problems loom on the horizon. A great deal

Kyle Luetters

Where will it end? Mounting defi cit, Middle East crises holding current president back

of commercial properties are still on the market and are rapidly falling in value. Once great shopping malls, the very epitome of American consumer might, sit empty. I recently was in a mall in Oklahoma City that looked more like the set of a horror fi lm than

a bright symbol of consumerism. Healthcare reform has stalled out and appears to be a hindrance more than a benefi t.

Th e situations in Afghanistan and Iraq look pretty much the same as last year, save for a proposed troop increase in Afghanistan. Does anyone know what our strategy is in Afghanistan? Can it be defi ned in one sentence? I know I’ve never planned a war, but I have been a part of some large operations. In each instance, there was clear and executable plan that could be defi ned in one sentence or less.

While we debate this, the President presented a budget that will see us operate at a federal defi cit of $1.6 trillion. Th is is a record defi cit for this country, yet we are told that it will go down over the next 10 years. Th is supposedly will happen by ending the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich and the freezing of some federal spending for three years. I don’t claim to be a math whiz (far from it actually), but it seems to me that somewhere, the numbers don’t add up. How can we shrink the defi cit if we continue to practice this administration’s fi scal policy, which is to throw money at the problem until the situation

MCT Campus

fi xes itself? We spent almost $1 trillion in economic stimulus money to fi x the economy. Some of the programs were not too bad (T.A.R.P and Cash for Clunkers). Overall though, the government just sent out the cash, and we are seeing little return on our investment. Meanwhile, we continue to toss money into the Middle East black hole (a.k.a. the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq) with little end in sight. Th e War on Terrorism is this generation’s Vietnam; we are stuck with it until we just throw up our hands, cut our losses and realize we were in over our heads.

If you take away the war and the large stimulus spending, the country wouldn’t be in as bad of shape. However, the argument can also be made that we could possibly be in another depression. I will go along with that. My whole argument is that the funds we are spending aren’t netting us enough improvement on our investment. Th ink of the stimulus money. If the government really wanted to turn the economy around quickly, they would have used the money themselves and started massive public works programs like President Franklin Roosevelt did during the depression. Instead, they choose to set up the funds in a confusing way, but with a promise that the private sector would be able to claim the money. According to government documents, the

application process and wait period is at least six months.

It is unfair to solely blame the president for the mess that we are in. Most of the blame can be placed with Congress, but that is another article for another time. However, President Obama has made numerous promises to us, such as keeping health care debates open to the public and to fi x the economy in a timely fashion. So far, the debates have taken place behind closed doors, and the economy is still on life support. Not to mention our government seems to be pulling money out of thin air when it comes to their spending habits.

Overall, I would have to give the President a C in history (he has paid attention to some of what history tells us); an A for communication (you have to admit, the guy can give a speech) and an F when it comes to Math (I would love to see the rationale and balance sheet for this fi scal policy.) With two of those grades not looking so good, maybe it is time for something my dad calls, “tough love.”

Woods ‘scandal’ a product of sensational journalism As a reporter,

I understand this constant need to break the next big story. Both major Lawton news agencies are constantly trying to one-up each other, or jump the gun on a story before the other catches wind of it. It’s a brutal line of work.

When the story broke of Tiger Woods crashing his SUV on Th anksgiving weekend, it instantly became a media feeding frenzy. What happened? Was his wife mad at him? Was he on drugs at the time? Th ere were so many questions. And eventually, questions turned into rumors and rumors turned into reported facts, until no one knew what the truth really was.

We now live in a world where anyone and everyone can be a journalist, which somewhat disturbs me. I’ve gone to college for a long time to do what I do. I’m

not perfect, but I feel more qualifi ed to report on a story than some monkey sitting in front of a computer with a bag of Cheetos and posting on a blog about how the world is coming to an end. Yet, there’s a good chance that

that Cheeto-loving monkey will get more views than a story published in the morning paper.

Th is competition for an ever-shrinking market of “professional” journalism institutions is creating an unhealthy competition not unlike that of the 1920s. Th ere was a movie released several years back called “15 Minutes” that focused on two terrorists’ attempts to become famous in America. Kelsey Grammar’s character, a television “ journalist,” uttered one of the best lines in recent memory: “if it bleeds, it leads.” Th at ultimately

sums up what has happened to our fi eld. Sensation sells. And what better sensation is there than the world’s best golfer, a squeaky clean stand-up guy who is a role model for millions, turning out to be just another man.

Th ere are so many rumors out about Woods, that no one knows the truth other than Tiger himself. Who knows how many women he actually slept with, and how many came out just to get their 15 minutes. For a while, it was like a race to see which news agency could fi nd the next woman he had an aff air with. And to what end?

I’m fl abbergasted by the prospect of people being surprised that a grown man had an aff air with another woman. How many times has this happened in the history of the human race? Betrayal is a common thread. Th e world’s most prominent religion is built upon betrayal. So we should be surprised that Woods, a person who has never tried to say he was an upstanding man, betrayed his wife?

Th e man plays golf, and he plays it well. When it’s all said and done, he will probably beat Jack

Nicklaus’ Major record. And I say good for Tiger. I’m not a fan of the man because he’s a model citizen, or he looks good on the side of a Wheatie’s box, or he does a mean Gillette commercial. I’m a fan of the man because he’s the best golfer that has played the game in generations.

It’s ironic that I write this, and just below this story, the weekly editorial cartoon is poking fun at Woods. But it would be the same situation for any other “celebrity” in the public eye. A.J. Hammer once said on “Showbiz Tonight” that when people become celebrities, they relinquish any rights they have to privacy. I don’t necessarily agree, but it’s hard to argue against that notion. Woods was in the public eye, and he messed up.

But whereas this was a family matter, that should be settled internally with him and his wife, it was blown into a national controversy that often garnered more coverage than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Th e economy took a backseat to “Tiger Watch” or “Tigergate,” the latter of which I just fi nd purely ridiculous.

He’s not even the fi rst sports fi gure to cheat on his wife. Granted, he’s the most popular to ever get caught in the act, but let’s not act like this is something that’s completely uncommon.

But it all goes back to that insatiable desire for the media to break that next big story. Th en from there, everyone copies the next agency because no one wants to be left in the dust.

One station might have a panel debating the merits of the aff air, so another station brings on one of the alleged mistresses. A third agency trumps them both by bringing on two mistresses. It’s insulting. Meanwhile, Joe Blogger Monkey pecks at his keyboard and millions tune in.

It’s days like these that make me embarrassed for some members in my fi eld.

Joshua Rouse

Sports6 February 22, 2010

Cheer squad qualifi es for NationalsBy Tatiana IsisCollegian Staff

Looking much more like a member of the squad than the cheer coach, Coach Robin Martin encouraged her team to get up and cheer, or at least practice, at early morning cheer practice in the Fitness Center.

The young coach, who has only been at Cameron for three cheer seasons, has managed to lead the team all the way to Nationals this year.

“They haven’t been to Nationals since 93,” Martin said.

In order to qualify, the Cameron Aggie Cheerleaders spent two months putting together an audition tape of their basic stunts. A week later they had been accepted and are now going to the NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship. The Nationals are being held in Daytona, Florida, from April 7 - 11 at the Band Shell/Ocean

Center, a big change of scenery for the Lawton squad.

“The stage will be on the beach, with the ocean as a backdrop,” Martin said.

With thousands of people in attendance last year, the girls

seem ready to perform in front of a big crowd.

“We’re not going

just to go; we

are only going because

we know we can win,” said Martin,

confident that her squad can take home the

trophy.“We came a really long way,”

said Sociology major and cheer squad co-captain Jamie Bayne.

She and Jordan Jones, Public Relations major and co-captain as well, are the only two who made it from last year’s cheer squad. All other members are freshmen, all of them from

Oklahoma and most of them high school cheerleaders before

coming to Cameron.

The squad practices three times

a week and cheers at least two games a week.

They cheer for every

sports team at Cameron and are even set to show support at the March 30 tennis match on campus.

Their trademark move? The fist pump, of course.

Long before it was made popular by MTV’s Jersey Shore, Martin brought it to life during last summer’s Cheer Camp.

“It was 106 degree weather in San Marcos,” and the solution to cheering her squad up, Martin said.

This isn’t the new squad’s only claim to fame. Last fall one of the cheerleaders, Melissa Solis, was named Cheerleader of the Week in Sports Illustrated.

Solis had a pictorial taken on campus and was featured on the SI Web site. Since then, Martin has received dozens of inquiries for next season.

“I sent out over 40 cheerleading packets,” said Martin, who plans on having a team of at least 20 next season.

Unfortunately, the publicity that the SI feature brought was not able to bring translate into more fundraising success.

The squad has set about on a new effort for financial assistance. To help the team in its fundraising effort, supporters can purchase a two-year ESPN Magazine subscription from any one of the 13 members of the squad or from Martin herself. The subscription only costs $40 with $30 going directly to the cheer squad.

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Spirit is not for the faint of heart: Freshman Amber Spurlin (above) leads the Aggie fans in a cheer with the help of her spotters at a home basketball game this season. Taylor Cudd (right) performs a straddle from a basket-toss for the hometown spectators in the Aggie Gym. Spurlin and Cudd are two of 10 freshmen to join the revamped squad that is headed to Nationals.

Aggie sports have accompanimentBy Michael FaggettCollegian Staff

A consistent fan of Aggie sports typically sees three things at a home game: two teams playing for a win; Ole Kim attempting to pump up the crowd and the Pick Axe Band performing during the games.

Th e history of Cameron University’s athletics and Ole Kim are well known and easily researchable, but that is not the case with the Pick Axe Band.

Music Assistant Professor Dr. Roy Couch, the band’s director, said the band embodies a group of students who share a love for music.

“Th e band derives from the concert band here on campus,” Dr. Couch said. “Th e band consists of both [music] majors and non-majors who show an interest in music.”

Dr. Couch has directed the band for the last two years, which is the same amount of time he has taught on campus. According to Couch, prior to him joining the Music Department, the band included members of the community who wanted to play.

Couch changed the band to exclusively involve Cameron students.

“[Th e Pick Axe Band] is a good way to interact with students,” Dr. Couch said.

Th at interaction includes members enrolling in a class specifi cally for the band.

Couch said the class meets for eight weeks during both spring

and fall semesters.Couch also said that the class

is scheduled simultaneously during the basketball and volleyball seasons.

“It is the closest thing we have to a marching band here, so we try to schedule the class during the same time as basketball and volleyball,” Couch said.

In addition to home games, the Pick Axe Band plays at pep rallies, student orientations and other university-related functions.

Similar to a marching band, the Pick Axe Band plays band tunes: tunes fans can recognize throughout the game, according to Couch.

Couch said he selects the music and uses the library, catalogs, online sources, fellow band directors and other venues to pick the music for the band.

“We try to play new music as the seasons progress,” Couch said.

Freshman music major Dermonte Adams plays saxophone in the Pick Axe Band. He said he has enjoyed his experience as a band member.

“As a freshman, I am both privileged and excited to be on a college pep band,” Adams said. “It has always been one of my dreams to play sax for a college team, and here I am getting paid for something I

would pay to do.”Adams also said he feels

a bond with the band as they continually play at home games.

“It feels great to be in the band; it is like a mini family to me,” Adams said.

Th e band, according to Couch, receives great support from the Athletic Department.

“Th e Athletic Department is very supportive, which is unusual for some bands,” Couch said.

Th at support includes paying for the band’s t-shirts, the music the band renders during home games and a small stipend for band members.

“We really appreciate Jim Jackson and the Athletic Department,” Couch said. “Th ere probably would not be a Pick Axe Band without them.”

Adams said the band gets support from the athletic department as well as the players.

“Both players and staff compliment and thank us for playing at the game,” Adams said.

Students who are interested in joining the Pick Axe Band can contact Dr. Couch either in his offi ce or online at rcouch@cameron.edu.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Bringing the brass hardware: The Cameron Pick Axe Band plays the ‘Theme from Rocky,’ during a timeout in a game against the University of Central Oklahoma.

“We just want to keep getting better and we pride ourselves on playing every possession. Sometimes when you get up big, and you haven’t experienced that a ton, you lose focus. We just didn’t want to lose focus,” Webb said.

Coach Webb’s team never faltered down the stretch, due to their aggressive play, great shooting and dominant performance on both the off ensive and defensive glass. Senior Tera Tremayne, playing in her last homecoming game at Aggie Gymnasium, led the team with 14 rebounds, three of which were on the off ensive end.

As the horn sounded, and the near-capacity crowd cheered on the victorious Aggies, the scoreboard read Cameron 80, East Central 66. With the win the Aggies took sole possession of fi fth place in the LSC North and kept their playoff hopes alive.

With the largest attendance of the season Coach Webb was thrilled to give the “Aggie Faithful” a victory and hopes that continued success for his team will translate into a full cheering section in future games as well.

“Th is crowd was awesome, this campus is amazing. If we get this team going like we want to,” Web said, “we could have this Gym like this every night.”

Th e men’s game tipped off just 20 minutes after the women’s team walked out of Aggie Gym with a 14-point victory. Th e Aggies, playing with a shortened seven-man bench, were outsized throughout the game by a much taller and longer ECU team. Head Coach Wade Alexander new that his team would be at an athletic disadvantage from the very beginning.

“Th ey are just a lot bigger than us and a lot quicker than us. Th ey shot threes really well, it made it tough for us to stay in our zone as they just killed us from behind the line.”

Th e game was mainly decided from behind the three-point line, as both teams combined for 78

attempts from behind-the-arc.Cameron, spurred on by a

loud hometown crowd, jumped out to a lead early in the game off of their stellar outside shooting. Th e team shot almost 47 percent from the three-point line and 42.9 percent from the fi eld in the fi rst half. Th e Aggies went into the locker room down by eight, not because of losing the battles in the post, but because the Tigers’ outside shooting heated up in the latter part of the fi rst stanza.

Th e main reason for Cameron’s defensive lock-down inside was post presence Jamaar Burke. Th e Toronto native led the game with two blocks and altered many others. Burke also had arguably the highlight of the game when he took a lob-pass from Freshman Paul Jewell and threw down a one-handed alley-oop.

Burke was not the only player to make a big impact for the Aggies.

Nikola Vukadinovic led the Aggies in both scoring and three pointers made. Vukadinovic had 29 points for the game, with only fi ve of his points not coming from behind the three-point line. Coach Alexander has been working with Vukadinovic, who is starting as a true-Freshman, on making the Guard a solid all-around player.

“Niko is fi guring things out slowly. Off ensively he’s just about got it, defensively he still needs to catch up a little bit to really get there,” Alexander said.

Despite Vukadinovic’s off ensive explosion and 22 points from Jacquez Williams, the Aggies were never able to close the gap. In the second half, the Aggies were unable to repeat their prior shooting success and were playing catch-up for the remainder of regulation. Despite a few comeback attempts by CU, the team fell to the Tigers by a fi nal score of 91-81.

Th e last buzzer brought about, not only the culmination of the game, but also signaled the end of homecoming festivities for another year.

GAMES continued from page 1

Sports 7February 22, 2010

Delayed season start does not hamper Aggies

By Amanda PhillipsCollegian Staff

For many, the start of baseball season marks the beginning of spring and warmer weather. Th is year, though, the sport has not been an accurate indicator of the weather to come, as the Cameron Aggie baseball team’s schedule has been marred by cancellations, with the fi rst fi ve games being rescheduled due to winter weather conditions. However, the team fi nally kicked off their season on Feb. 12 and 13 with

a pair of double headers against Angelo State in San Angelo, TX.

Th e no. 28 ranked Aggies won three of the four games they played against the no. 18 Rams. Th e team won the fi rst game of the weekend 8-4 and took the second game 8-7 after two extra innings. Angelo State came back to capture the fi rst game on the second day of the series 19-9, but Cameron dominated the second game, winning 20-6.

Baseball coach Todd Holland said he was very pleased with the way his team performed

against the Rams.“We played really well for our

fi rst weekend. We played with good intensity and just kept chipping away and got the job done,” Holland said.

Holland said the team’s eagerness to play was a contributing factor to the team’s victories.

“Th e guys hadn’t even seen grass at our fi eld before they played, so they were just excited to see a fi eld and play,” Holland said.

Pitching was a huge aspect of Cameron’s success in their fi rst games of the season. Senior Keith Powell and Sophomore Justin Watley pitched impressive games in the fi rst two match ups, and both earned a perfect 0.00 ERA. Powell also threw a respectable three strikeouts. Holland said he was really happy with Powell ’s performance.

“Keith just shut Angelo down. It was amazing,” Holland said. “He just dominated.”

Sophomore Logan Grimes pitched the fi nal winning game and earned an 8.10 ERA, though Holland said the ERA is not an accurate refl ection of how well Grimes pitched in the fourth game.

“Logan gave up some fl iers

Women’s basketball picking up momentumBy Tatiana IsisCollegian Staff

With a big win on Feb. 10 against the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers, the Cameron Womens Basketball team appeared destined to make the playoff s.

“It was a good game,” said head coach Tom Webb, who says his team was at the free-throw line more than the Texas team.

Senior post Amber Schroer played a great game, with 10 of her 14 points coming during the second half alone.

Leading the Aggies in scoring was Junior Guard Josie Stewart, who put up 16 on 6-14 shooting. Luv Rattler and Alexis Williams also scored double-digit points with 14 and 10 points respectively.

While Rattler led the team in assists with seven total, Senior Guard Tera Tremayne posted yet another double-digit rebounding performance with a game-high 11 boards.

Th e Aggies had won three out of four games in the Lone Star Conference North Division with the 69-62 defeat of Texas

Woman’s and were ready for their Feb. 13 game against the Central Oklahoma Bronchos, who won the season’s earlier matchup 89-69.

Webb had previously stated that the team needed to be more physical in their game against UCO because “they killed us inside last time,” but the game ended in a disappointing loss, which put CU back at three games out of playoff contention with four games to go.

“Th ey were more physical. We were a step behind, a step slow,” said Webb, who recalls that the opposing team players were “older, Juniors and Seniors,” and had more experience.

Th e Aggies were down 40-30 at halftime, with Junior Guard Josie Stewart leading the team in scoring with a game-high 23 points on 6-15 shooting. Alexis Williams and Luv Rattler were also double-digit scorers, with 12 and 11 points respectively.

But the 87-66 loss to UCO isn’t discouraging. Webb says his team is ready for the next four games and, potentially, the playoff s.

“If you assess your whole life on one day, then you’re in big trouble,” Webb said.

“We’re all fi ghting for fi fth right now. “We have to play hard, take care of ourselves.”

Webb said his team is excited about the Homecoming game but, with a new team of ladies, it feels like the program has been “reborn.”

“None of them have experienced it before,” Webb said. “It’s more learning than it is anything else; we’re very excited. Everything as a whole is working, progressing.”

“A lot of people are tapering down, but we have to be more aggressive,” said Webb, who jokingly told his team “if you don’t bring excitement to practice, I will run the excitement out of you.”

Th e Aggies have four more games to qualify for the playoff s and will be playing Southeastern Oklahoma State, East Central University, Northeastern State and Texas A&M-Commerce within the next two weeks to make it to the Lone Star Conference Championships in Bartlesville.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Just like Kareem, the skyhook: Freshman Guard Alexis Williams shoots a one-handed hook-shot inside the key.

After delay, Softball season underwayBy Tori Strecker Collegian Staff

The 2010 Cameron University softball team kicked off their season at the St. Mary’s Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.

The Aggies ended the weekend with a 2-3 record, defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville 8-1 and Texas-Permian Basin 4-1, while falling to Tarleton State 4-1, no. 22 West Texas A&M 13-0 and Eastern New Mexico 8-4.

The team has seen several weather delays thus far, and head coach Beth Watson said she is glad to finally get the season underway.

“It was good to finally get on the field and play some other competition besides ourselves,” Watson said. “It gave us a good indicator of where we are and what we need to be focusing on.”

According to Watson, the tournament exposed a number of things, both good and bad.

“Overall, I was fairly pleased with our play,” Watson said. “There were several bright spots but there were also some not-so-good spots as well. We made some mistakes that were surprising, but hopefully we will get those ironed out and be ready to get back out there and play.”

While the Aggies didn’t quite begin their season as they had hoped, Watson said there are a number of factors to take into consideration.

“I think the rough start can be blamed, in part, to first game jitters,” Watson said. “We have several new faces and it may take some time for everybody to get a feel for each other’s game face. The plus side is that we have those games under our belt now, and we can move on.”

This season’s roster does in fact contain six freshmen and, according to Watson, this proved to be beneficial at the team’s first showing.

“Our freshman did a really

great job at this tournament,” Watson said. “It may not show in their statistics but just their poise and approach to the game were both really positive things for us.”

Freshman outfielder Amanda Karth put up big numbers and dominated at the plate. She led Watson’s offensive attack, ending the tournament with a .429 batting average and landing her first collegiate home run.

Despite a rocky start for the Aggies, Watson isn’t wasting any time. She, along with her coaching staff, is working to motivate and prepare the team for future games.

“After the tournament at St. Mary’s, the team’s overall goal shifted,” Watson said. “We began to focus on the details of the game such as throwing to targets, hitting cutoffs, moving runners and putting pressure on the opponent’s defense. These are all intangible qualities that have the potential to change the complexion of the

game, so it is important that we do them correctly.”

As an athlete, losing is never easy, especially at the collegiate level. However, the Aggies seem to do a good job at pushing through and refocusing in the midst of bad games, Watson said.

“The team does a pretty good job at bouncing back after a bad performance,” Watson said. “The athletes do spend some time ref lecting, but overall we have proven to be pretty resilient.”

Watson believes she has a talented group of athletes and, because the season is still young, fighting back should not be a problem.

“We have had a couple of good talks and done a few team building exercises, and I feel like we are ready to get back out on the field. When you are on a rollercoaster, as we have been, all you really want to do is get back out there, play some more games and be consistent, which is exactly what we will do.”

Photo by Bennett Dewan

So fresh, but not clean: Senior Left Fielder Alex “the Lion” Lyons slides safely into third-base last season at McCord Field.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

and some bleeders, but he really had a dominating performance,” Holland said. “His ERA is deceiving.”

Considering that the weather has forced the team to practice under poor conditions, Holland said he was very impressed with the entire pitching staff .

“I didn’t really know what to expect from the pitching staff . Because of the weather, they had just been pitching on carpet and hadn’t been on a mound in two weeks before we played, but they came out and took care of business,” Holland said.

Pitching was not the only stellar aspect of the Aggies’ performance against Angelo State. Th e team showed off its’ hitting talent as well. Senior outfi elder Alex Lyons had a big weekend at the plate, scoring nine runs, driving in 10 and earning a .526 batting average. Holland was very happy with Lyons’ level of play.

“Alex really stepped up,” Holland said. “He squared everything up and really just picked up where he fi nished last year.”

Senior Codi Harshman, also an outfi elder, equaled Lyons’ batting average of .526 and had seven RBI’s, the second highest of the team. Harshman put up

numbers with which Holland was more than pleased.

“Codi was huge over the weekend. Not only was he one of our best defensive outfi elders, but he had quality at bats,” Holland said. “He stepped up in big-time situations.”

Holland said that he was really impressed with the team’s hitting as a whole.

“We squared up well, and we were barreling balls. I kept seeing Angelo running to the fence to pick up balls,” Holland said. “We always came up with that big hit when we needed it.”

Overall, Holland said he was pleased with the men’s performance as a team.

“Th ey all played well together as a team. Th ere were no I-guys. Th ey all gelled together well,” Holland said.

Th ough Cameron played well in the season’s fi rst match up, Holland said that because the team missed out on the fi rst few scheduled games, and with weather threatening to push back more games, he still is not sure what to expect for the year.

“It’s hard to say this early what the season is going to be like,” Holland said. “We’re just going to try to play as many games and win as many games as we can.”

Pumped up: Sophomore Carrie Harvey reacts to a strikeout during a home game last season.

A&E8 February 22, 2010

‘Anatolia’ author visits CameronBy Bennett DewanCollegian Staff

It takes years of study, research and dutiful publication to be considered an expert in a field. It is rare to be so labeled by one’s peers in one area of study; it is even more rare to be deemed an expert in multiple disciplines.

Anis Shivani is one of the latter few that has been able to garner respect and acclaim in many academic avenues. Shivani is a published poet, short story writer, book critic and media scholar, as well as a burgeoning novelist.

When Shivani came to Cameron University as a part of the “Visiting Writers Series,” he read from his published compilation of short stories “Anatolia,” and shared extensively from his vast literary and worldly knowledge.

Not following the traditional route to literary success, Shivani received his Ivy League education in a discipline far from English studies.

“At Harvard I studied and got my degree in Economics,” Shivani said.

Coming into a field based in the liberal arts from a math-based system may seem like an oddity, but Shivani recommends a similar path for young writers.

“Don’t get a degree in literature,” Shivani said. “I say that half-jokingly. Many of the great writers of the past, and even today if you look at their backgrounds, they were carpenters, lawyers, engineers

and physicians. It almost helps to have done something else, to have some life experience to draw upon.”

Shivani has drawn on his vast experience as a researcher for the National Bureau of Economic Research, and his work covering the World Trade Organization, terrorism and

globalization to construct believable stories that are not like many of the derivative mainstream works being produced.

In “Anatolia,” which was published last November, Shivani harkened back to an

older style to tell the stories of relatable characters in various cultures and settings.

“My book tells stories in a very straight forward, old-fashioned, narrative way. I don’t do any postmodern tricks,” Shivani said. “I don’t do any pyrotechnics or metafiction.”

Within the stories, Shivani seeks to break from fashionable trends in American fiction. In most popular stories, he feels the author is presenting a morbid sense of everyday life.

“My book tells stories in a very straight forward, old-fashioned, narrative way. I don’t do any postmodern tricks. I don’t do any pyrotechnics or metafi ction.”

— Anis ShivaniAuthor

“These novels give you a real perverted and twisted sense of what people are all about. They are addicted, dysfunctional and ultimate nihilists. Their Grandma is dying of Alzheimer’s or cancer and they are just grieving and grieving.”

With the stagnation of the U.S. literary voice, large publishers have inundated the market with very similar authors presenting similar ideas.

Shivani, as a member of the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC), keeps a close watch over the trends in the publishing industry. He has watched the literary malaise give birth to a movement among smaller publishers who are making in-roads into the mainstream with new authors from different cultural backgrounds.

“There are writers out there in, other parts of the world, that are pushing the publishing industry. I do not think that the publishers are looking out for those people; they are just bubbling up from below. They are just so good, they can no longer be ignored,” Shivani said.

Technology is often credited as the genesis for globalization. The Internet has provided “a voice for the voiceless,” in many cases, but Shivani is quick to point out f laws with

the Internet in its current amalgamation.

“The internet is not doing anywhere near what it needs to be doing. The blogosphere is not really getting it. It is trivial and passionate, but there is not solid work being produced there. They have to catch up; someone has to fill the gaps,” Shivani said.

As many critics are lamenting the substitution of the physical text for the digital medium, Shivani does not believe that hard copies will be a thing of the past. He has written extensively on the death of print-publication, including a detailed essay for the NBCC, and is adamant that the industry has declared its own demise prematurely.

Although print was itself a technological innovation when moveable type was introduced in 1440, Shivani does not believe that the digital product is superior to the printed word.

“I do not buy in to the doom-and-gloom stuff surrounding books and the Kindle,” he said. “Nothing can replace the book. Some publishers may go out of business, which may be good in the end, but what will emerge will be something stronger, a renaissance of the book.”

Pen to paper: Author, poet, and media scholar Anis Shivani made an appearance at Cameron University as part of the Visiting Writers Series on Feb. 12. Shivani read from his book, “Anatolia”, a compilation of short stories. He also signed copies of the book for students during the event.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Photo courtesy of Anis Shivani

Family ties: Anis Shivani and his wife pose next to the Cameron seal inside of the CETES expansion.

Courtesy Photo

A&E 9February 22, 2010

‘Almost Maine’ completely perfect

For the past two semesters, enrollment at Cameron University has been growing rapidly, which has had a similar eff ect on CU’s Greek Life. Head Cheerleading Coach and Student Activities Specialist Greek Adviser Robin Martin says the growth on campus has made a huge impact on the Greek system.

By Alyssa KnerrCollegian Staff

“Absolutely the enrollment has been phenomenal,” Martin said. “Just the beautifi cation of campus has helped Greek enrollment also. I mean, it always does. Th ey had a great spring rush recruitment just now, so I defi nitely believe it has.”

Right now on campus, there are three sororities and three fraternities. Martin says the campus has grown considerably in size and students since she started working here.

“Since I have been here we have added a few more [Greek societies] to campus and there are a few more in the process of getting recognized on campus,” she said.

In the past, some societies chose to remain in the background of but are now starting to become more involved on campus.

“Th e Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority has always been here but they are starting to do more within the Greek system,” Martin said. “Th ey used to be very private, so now they are

starting to attend our meetings, which are really fun.”

Th e two other sororities on campus are Alpha Phi and Sigma Alpha Omega.

“We have two female groups that are doing really good too,” she said. “Cameron has the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and then the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, who are also trying to establish themselves on campus.”

For the fraternities at Cameron, students have the choice to pick Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Lambda Chi or Sigma Tau Gamma.

“Th e ones that we have right now that are applying and doing really great are the Sigma Rhomeos and the Mu Alpha Chis,” Martin said.

Th e numbers within each society are increasing as well. In each group there are about 10 to 20 people, which Martin said is a pretty big group.

“When you take away the houses and away all of those traditional things when you think of Greeks, we have a very small space for them, but they

keep a great enrollment,” she said. “Of course, our goal is 30 so we would love to have that come fall, but, like I said, they are building and doing a really good job.”

Mu Alpha Chi will be out this semester but the other fraternity is still recruiting and saying they are a member of CU’s campus, she said. Mu Alpha Chi is an example of gaining a chapter on campus.

“What they have to do is go through a process,” Martin said. “Th ey have a national offi ce and then we have Cameron’s system. Th ey have to be approved through their national offi ce to see if they are allowed to have a chapter of a sorority or fraternity at Cameron University.”

To start an organization there has to be at least 7 members and an adviser. Although, unlike an art club or broadcasting club,

where you can start doing what you wanted in the fi rst place, Cameron has to approve the organization, then they have to get in contact with the national offi ce.

“Th en it becomes where they say certain parts become extremely private, and it is just a very long process,” Martin said. “Th ere is a lot of tradition and a lot of stuff that they have to make sure goes on.”

As CU’s Greek life adds new members and new organizations, the increase in enrollment shows the student population has not only helped Cameron, but has helped more women and men to fi nd a family in the Greek system.

Higher campus enrollment extends to Greek life

Whoever wins, gamers may be disappointed with Sega’s “Alien vs. Predator.”

Th e 1999 PC classic, of the same name, became a gaming cult classic. It pitted the quick, menacing Alien against the stealthy, deadly Predator with pitiful human Marines trapped in the middle. Much like its predecessor, the 2010 update features three separate campaigns that allow the player to take control of each species. So with three separate campaigns, and the multiplayer suite that made the game famous, what could go wrong?

Th e problem with “Alien vs. Predator” is not that the game is necessarily bad, but it’s just not as good as other fi rst-person shooters. In a world where “Modern Warfare” and “Halo” are household names, with streamlined gameplay, it’s hard to go back to the 2000 standard of shooters. Medpacks, weapon drops and map design all harken back to a simpler day of slaughtering pitiful fools online. However, if playing like it’s 1999 is right up your alley, then “Alien vs.

Predator” is something to take a look at.

Each campaign lasts between two to three hours. Th ey are fairly short, but the three of them together add up to a solid game. Charles Bishop Weyland (voiced by Lance Henrickson) returns in what seems like his third or fourth iteration in this universe. Luckily, the game pretty much ignores the two “Alien vs. Predator” movies, which did more harm than good for the license. Th ere is hardly any story to the campaigns. As a Marine, you’re just trying to survive an onslaught of Aliens and Predators. As the Predator, you’re having fun stalking pathetic humans and the more challenging Alien. And as the famous Xenomorph, you’re crawling all over walls and ceilings so much that you don’t know which way is up. But stabbing people through the chest with your tail, or eviscerating their heads with your second mouth is always satisfying.

Th e multiplayer suite is a little lacking but manages to get the job done with the promise of additional maps in the future. Each map is tailored to a specifi c species, but each playable race is balanced so well that not one creature has an advantage on any

By Joshua RouseCollegian Staff

map. You’ll have to change your play style when you switch from the Marine to either the Predator or Alien. But a talented player should be able to master all three of the races, which off ers the most fun.

Th e graphics are suffi cient; however, they are not, as a whole, very impressive. Th e lighting used during the Marine campaign is very impressive, especially on a PC with DirectX11 hardware. Th e console graphics are average and fairly bland. Both the PC and console versions suff er from an oversaturation of brown and black, but it fi ts the universe well. Th e entire game drips with atmosphere and feels like an Alien or Predator experience, more so than either of the two recent movies.

From two franchises that spawned two governors and helped jumpstart the career of the most successful director in Hollywood, one would expect tender love and care when developing anything related to the project. “Alien vs. Predator” may not carry the weight that its predecessors did a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun. It’s an old-school game with some old-school mechanics that might deter some newer gamers. Don’t join a match in

“Alien vs. Predator” and expect to play like in “Call of Duty.” But to those who remember fragging

each other on the original game, you won’t have time to bleed, and everyone will hear you scream.

New ‘Alien vs. Predator‘ falls short of predecessors

By Rachel EngelCollegian Staff

Alien invasion: The latest update to “Alien vs. Predator” lacks the gameplay that previous versions boasted, but the special effects have improved dramatically.

MCT Campus

Th e week after Valentine’s Day was the perfect time to premiere the Cameron University Department of Th eatre Arts production of John Cariani’s ‘Almost Maine,’ a play composed of nine sketches, each allowing a glimpse into the lives of the people who live in the fi ctional “almost town” of Almost,

Maine.Directed by Scott Richard Klein,

all of the scenes centered on the theme of love, or lost love.

In the opening scene titled ‘Pete’s Front Yard’, Pete, played by Josh Fortney, and Ginette, played by Brett Jolly, profess their love for each other on a wooden park bench. However, Pete unknowingly pushes Ginette away by telling her that even though logically they are the closest to each other they could be, technically they are the farthest they

could be, claiming that one would have to walk all the way around the world to get back to the

other person. Pete is left sitting bewildered on the bench as Ginette walks away.

Leah Mazur plays Glory in the next

scene titled ‘Her Heart,’ and is discovered standing in

the front yard of East, played by Christopher Jeff erson. When East questions why she is in his yard, Glory explains that she is paying respects to her husband as he uses the Northern Lights as a torch to fi nd his way to heaven. Clutching a

velvet drawstring bag, which she claims holds the pieces

of her broken heart, a direct result of her husband leaving her for someone else. Glory is astonished when East kisses her unexpectedly. Mazur plays the part wonderfully, with dramatic facial expressions and a sarcastic hint to her voice that sent giggles throughout the audience. Th e scene ends with East literally attempting to put Glory’s broken heart back together.

In ‘Sad and Glad’, Gordon Tahquechi plays Jimmy, a man yearning for his ex-girlfriend, Sandrine, played by Hannah Brock, at the local bar called Th e Moose Paddy in Almost, Maine. After bumping into Sandrine at the bar, and realizing she is on her honeymoon, Jimmy tells Sandrine he is “glad she was found” by someone. Th e waitress, played by Mazur, continues to interrupt the two by letting them know that the house special is free drinks if you are sad. Sandrine leaves after discovering a botched

tattoo attempt on Jimmy’s arm, depicting a misspelling of the word ‘villain’ as ‘villian’. However, Mazur comes back and introduces herself as Villian, to which Jimmy replied, “I’m glad I found you.”

Th e following scene entitled ‘Th is Hurts,’ featured Stephanie

Hesse playing Marvalyn, a woman ironing her laundry at Ma Dudley’s Boarding House. While putting up her ironing board, she accidentally

hits Steve, played by Bryan West in the head. He asked her if it hurt, because he can’t feel pain, and if it did hurt, he needed to write ‘ironing board’ down in the list of things that can hurt him. Finding him sweet, Marvalyn kisses him, and suddenly, he’s able to feel pain.

One of the most memorable sketches was a scene titled “Getting It Back.” Mazur plays Gail, a woman on the verge of leaving her long-time boyfriend Lendall, played by Tahquechi, because of his silent refusal to marry her. In the middle

of the night, she shows up at his door, and demands that he return all the love she’s given him. She then proceeds to bring in bag after bag full of his love, in a sense, “giving his love back.” Bewildered, he retrieves a small red pouch, claiming it was all the love she gave him. Confused, and certain she had given him more, she opens the pouch to examine her returned love, and inside is an engagement ring. Gail is speechless, and Lendall explains that she had given him so much love, he had run out of places to put it. Th e scene ends with the couple embracing and her admiring her ring behind his back.

Th e set design was over the top for the production and an obvious amount of work had gone into it, with a backdrop of painted fi r trees in the shape of a semi-circle, mimicking that of a snow globe. Th e fl oor and wooden platforms were painted a combination of white and light blue, with purple specks to give the eff ect of piled snow.

With the caliber of acting and the careful planning of turning the set into a winter wonderland, reminiscent of typical New England winters, ‘Almost Maine’ was a successful start to the 2010 production year.

“Mazur plays the part wonderfully, with dramatic facial expressions and a sarcastic hint to her voice that sent giggles throughout the audience.”

Variety10 February 22, 2010

“It’s a little sad knowing this is my last time to run for anything

like this, with only a few months until the end of school,” he said.

Junior Biology and Chemistry major Sadikshya Bhandari was

the second runner up for homecoming queen and represented the

Chemistry Club.Representing Criminal Justice, the fi rst runners up for

homecoming king and queen were seniors Timothy Myers and

Alexis Garner.Faucett and Finch then announced senior Miracle Akinwale as

the 2010 homecoming king. Akinwale is an international student

from Nigeria, and represented Student Housing in the nominations.

An Electronics Engineering major, Akinwale plans to go to graduate

school upon leaving Cameron, and eventually work for an oil

company. When he is not in class, he is working in student housing,

working with computers or hanging out with friends.

“It was surprising,” he said of his win. “I was very excited.”

When Akinwale was announced as the homecoming king, the

crowd erupted in cheers, leaving Finch waiting for an opportunity

to announce the queen. After a few minutes, the audience died

down enough for her to speak, proclaiming Amina Fix as the 2010

homecoming queen.“It was surprising,” Fix said. “Th ere were so many candidates, and

we really wanted to win it together.” Fix also represented Student Housing, and is a junior Biology

major. After graduating from Cameron, she plans to either go on to

medical school or pursue a master’s in forensic science. In her spare

time she enjoys paintball, playing piano and spending time with her

friends and family. Before the crowning of the king and queen, the Criminal Justice

Department was named the No. 1 Aggie Fan competition winner.

Th roughout the week, departments and organizations participated

in a number of diff erent spirit contests, including window painting,

creating banners and building decorations. Th e coronation ceremony ended a week long celebration of school

pride. Activities began on Monday, Feb. 15 with comedian Roy

Wood Jr., followed by a performance on Tuesday, Feb. 16 by Plastic

Musik. Voting for king and queen took place on Wednesday, Feb. 17

and Th ursday, Feb. 18. Th ursday evening brought the Homecoming

Dance to the Shepler Ballroom. On Friday, Feb. 19, a bonfi re was

held in the South Village Parking Lot, and a Tailgate Party at noon

on Saturday, Feb. 20 was the offi cial lead up to both homecoming

games against the ECU Tigers.

HOMECOMING continued from page 1

Homecoming Memories

2010

Photos by Bennett Dewan

Page Design by Monica Garner