COLLEGIAN Informing Cameron Since 1926

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

Monday, September 13, 2010 Volume 85 Issue 1

Campus bookstore unveils Rent-A-Text programBy Rachel EngelNews Editorand Nicole GrzeckiNewswriting Student

Cameron University has found another way to combat the down economy and the rising cost of higher education this semester with the new Rent-A-Text program at the campus bookstore.

CU Bookstore Manager Debby Brown says that nearly

35 percent of the available textbooks now have the option to be rented, and student feedback has been positive.

“� ere are a lot of things we’d like to see rented at this time, but we can’t because they’re older titles,” Brown said. “But for those students who can rent, they’ve been very positive towards it, and they’re appreciative that it is saving them some money.”

� e Rent-A-Text program

was piloted in seven eFollett stores last fall to fi gure out what worked and what didn’t, and then expanded in the spring.

“� e program was so well received, and the economy was still recovering, so rather than phasing it in, which was the original intent, they just went ahead with the full roll out this semester to any school that opted in,” Brown said. “We’ve been doing intense training this summer and trying to get

the word out to our students so they can make the wisest choice on whether or not to rent.”

Students now have a number of choices when it comes to how they purchase, receive and return their textbooks, much of which can be done off campus through the Cameron Bookstore website. Students can enroll in the Rent-A-Text program, rent the books and have them shipped to their home, as well as purchase and rent textbooks from the campus bookstore.

Rental textbooks are available across the board for all class rankings through the Master level, but because professors are in control of the books they require, not all textbooks can be rented.

“� e goal is to have as much textbook rental as possible,” Brown said. “But, for instance, our math textbooks from the beginning class all the way up to College Algebra, none of those are rentable because they’re all older editions. Now when those fade away and the department is forced into adopting another text, if they go with a straight book as we have now, they’ll probably be rentable.”

Public Aff airs garners design awardsThe Cameron University

brand is only as good as it is advertised, a fact that was proven over the summer as the Office of Public Affairs won six advertising awards at the Oklahoma College Public Relations Association (OCPRA) summer conference.

Cameron’s Office of Public Affairs earned second place in the logo design/graphic identity category for the logo used for the recently built CU Wellness Center. They also won five honorable mentions in the categories of small brochure, bright idea, cover design and poster design.

Senior Director of Public Affairs Josh Lehman said his office felt honored to win the awards.

“We were fortunate enough to win the awards,” Lehman said. “Any time we can get CU on the map, it is a good thing.”

The Office of Public Affairs faced competition as

By Michael FaggettA&E Editor

the entire state entered more than 450 projects in the areas of writing, graphic design, marketing, audio, video and multimedia.

Lehman said Cameron’s submitted projects made the attempt to showcase campus life.

“We entered a wide variety of promo pieces,” Lehman said. “We wanted those pieces to display the student experience at Cameron.”

Lehman also said the credit for the awards’ goes to the design staff in the office of Public Affairs, graphic designers and Cameron alumni Melanie Barfield and

Ann Morris.“All credit goes to our

design staff,” Lehman said. “They help us do a great job of promoting the CU brand.”

The winning projects included: a small brochure of the campus tree tour, a cover design for both the Holiday Tree Lighting Invitation and the Holiday

Tree Lighting Card, a poster design for music Professor Hyunsoon Whang’s piano recital and other projects.

“We entered a wide variety of promo pieces. We wanted those pieces to display the student experience at Cameron”

— Josh Lehman Senior Director of

Public Affairs

See AWARDSPage 2

Graphic Design by Melanie Barfi eld

Graphic Design by Ann Morris

See TEXTBOOKSPage 2 Courtesy CU Public Relations

MCT Campus

News A&E Sports Opinion

Volleyball team prepares for the season.

SEE PAGE 6

Cameron chosen as ‘Military Friendly’.

SEE PAGE 2

Students participate in Biggest Loser competition.

SEE PAGE 5

The mosque near Ground Zero breeds controversy.

SEE PAGE 4

News2 September 13, 2010www.aggiecentral.com

TEXTBOOKS continued from page 1

AWARDS continued from page 1

Cameron declared ‘Military Friendly’By Taylor BrunwaldCopy Editor

G.I. Jobs magazine names Cameron in 2011 list

MCT Campus

Lehman said Barfield and Morris’ familiarity with Cameron help with advertising the CU brand.

“Both of them have a strong passion for the university,” Lehman said. “They take pride in their work and in promoting our brand. They are extremely talented individuals.”

In addition to the projects selected for recognition at OCPRA, Barfield and Morris also contributed in designing material for the opening of the McMahon Centennial Complex, the School of Business and the Bentley Gardens.

Lehman said the Office of Public Affairs looks to continue improving its work in promoting Cameron.

“We are looking for new and innovative ways to endorse Cameron,” Lehman said. “We want to enhance what we do and are exploring new opportunities.”

Cameron University has been selected by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School for 2011, which puts CU in the top 15 percent of 7,000 colleges that were surveyed.

“Cameron University has more than 100 years of experience in tailoring services to meet the needs of a diverse student population, including a significant number of those in the military and veteran community,” President Cindy Ross said. “We are proud of our commitment to serve those who serve our country

and to provide educational opportunities to service members and their families, and we are pleased to have our efforts recognized as a Military Friendly School.”

Twelve percent of the over 6,000 students currently attending Cameron are either active duty military or military dependents. Jamie Glover, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, anticipates that this distinction will be a positive factor for future enrollment.

“As our soldiers consider their options for higher education, we are certain that this honor will help narrow their choices,” Glover said.

“It is another positive attribute to consider when selecting a school.”

The school will receive a commemorative plaque that will be prominently displayed on campus, she said.

Cameron offers many benefits for active duty military students and military dependents, such as in-state tuition and an

education office on Fort Sill since 1989.

CU is also a member of the Service Members Opportunity College, which cooperates with other member colleges in helping service members and their families in completing their degrees when stationed elsewhere.

Glover also said that Cameron is involved with the Yellow Ribbon Program, which allows those benefiting from the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend cost-free.

Another recent program initiated by the university is Freedom to Learn, which provides laptop computers to those active duty military members enrolled in at least six online credit hours

at Cameron. According to Glover, laptops have been sent to places such as Louisiana, New York and Iraq.

“Cameron offers unique language and cultural training to soldiers, on an as-need basis,” Glover said. “We also have the top ROTC program in our region.”

The ROTC program at Cameron has been recognized on multiple occasions with the MacArthur Award, and over 750 officers have been commissioned through the program.

“By choosing Cameron, a military-affiliated student is choosing a university that understands their needs and appreciates the sacrifices that they make for our country,” Glover said.

Solutions on page 3

Rental texts are subject to the same privileges and restrictions as a purchased text upon buy-back.

“Students can highlight and write margin notes [in rented textbooks],” Brown said. “But if you drop it in the bathtub because you fell asleep reading it, or your dog ate it, then that’s a problem.”

Students like freshman Jordan Gray are taking advantage of the program.

“I rented one textbook this semester, and it saved me about $60,” he said. “I like it because it’s cheaper and you don’t have to buy the whole book. You can just rent it, and it’s easier that way instead of buying the book and wasting your money.”

Before renting their textbooks, students must sign a rental agreement, which says they’ll bring the textbook back by the end of the semester, and for late returns there is a f lat rate fee of 10 percent of the selling price of the book, Brown said.

For the first semester, Brown feels the Rent-A-Text program has been well received, but suspects it’s only a matter of time before textbooks go digital.

“[The Rent-A-Text program] will probably be a stop-gap measure as people move forward to eBooks, which as a book person I hate to see, but that’s the way technology is going,” she said. “It’s all changing and evolving. I think there will always be hard textbooks, but I think it’s rolling more towards the digital format.”

News 3September 13, 2010www.aggiecentral.com

Budget cuts result in tuition increaseThis summer, Cameron

University’s governing board approved an annual budget of nearly $48 million for fiscal year 2011, down nearly $2 million from two years ago. The difference resulted in a tuition increase of 5.5 percent for the 2010-2011 academic school year.

This increase translates into an additional $7.50 per credit hour, or a total increase of $90 per semester for full time students enrolled in 12 hours.

CU President Cindy Ross feels that the university is doing what it can to keep the effects of the down economy off the shoulders of its students.

“We work hard to make Cameron University affordable, and as a result, tuition has only raised an average of 2.75 percent over the last two years,” President Ross said. “We are also increasing resident tuition waivers, and have dramatically increased the amount of private scholarships we offer by 37 percent over the last two years.”

Though only a small increase in tuition, CU has put in place a number of financial aid options over the last year to assist students in

By Rachel EngelNews Editor

paying for their education, as well as lift the burden high-priced textbooks can create. In addition, Cameron recently laid out its second five-year plan, which includes renovating a number of buildings on campus for use in major areas of study.

Last year the university introduced “CU $upports You,” a seven-part comprehensive financial assistance initiative designed to aid students in their search for an affordable education at Cameron. One of the initiative’s most popular components was the use of $200,00 worth of textbooks that were made available to students at the campus library, including the required texts for all general education classes, as well as books for the most popular courses.

President Ross was encouraged by the amount of interest the textbook program generated.

“It’s interesting that one out of every three circulations was out of that program,” she said. “I was very pleased with the frequency that students used it.”

As a supplement to the textbook program at the library, CU also implemented a textbook rental program this semester at the Cameron Bookstore, which presents students with the option of

renting their texts instead of purchasing.

Another component of CU $upports You is the addition of a tuition payment plan, which allows students to break up their tuition payment in monthly installments over the semester. According to President Ross, three hundred students took advantage of the new payment option.

As a result of the down economy and what President Ross believes is the quality and affordable education Cameron is able to offer, enrollment increased 14 percent per semester during the 2009-10 school year, the largest enrollment growth of any college in the state.

In “Plan 2013: Choices for the Second Century,” a number of renovations over a five-year period are planned to generate interest and increase participation in several areas of concentration.

A forensics laboratory will be constructed to provide hands-on experience for students majoring in Criminal Justice, and plans are being finalized for the Academic Commons, a new convergence journalism media center that will combine journalism, television and web components in one area. A simulation-training laboratory will open during the fall semester for the Department of Computing

and Technology to assist students in learning design and programming concepts.

Last year U.S. News and World Report ranked Cameron second in the nation out of 572 universities whose students graduate with the lowest amount of debt, and with the increased

number of programs, scholarships and tuition waivers, President Ross hopes students will continue to make Cameron their university of choice.

“When you look back at the last five years and you see the progress we’ve made in terms of the quality of education we’re providing students, you become encouraged,” she said.

MCT Campus

Opinion4 September 13, 2010

Editorial StaffManaging Editor - Jim HorinekNews Editor - Rachel EngelA&E Editor - Michael FaggettSports Editor - Amanda CantuVariety Editor - Rashmi ThapaliyaCopy Editor - Taylor BrunwaldAggie Central Editor - Kyle Luetters, Michael Faggett, Rachel Engel, Ron Phillips

Newsroom StaffFinancial Officer - Susan HillStaff Writers - Alyssa Knerr, Dianne Riddles, Elizabeth Nagel, Jessica Goodman, Rebecca CraftCirculation Manager - Clayton GouldAdvertising Manager - Jim Horinek

Newswriting StudentsMegan Bristow, Shaniqua Brown, Jarred Burk, Maria Cepeda Pilataxi, Ashley Del Ciello, Terry Dixon, Ippi Elliott, Ashleigh Fletcher, Chaney Gibson, Nicole Grzecki, Amanda Harris, Tiffany Martinez, Elijah Morlett, Ronald Phillips, Ishia Saltibus, Amber Spurlin, Brandon Thompson, Ricardo Thompson, Ricky Warren, Jeffrey Williams, Brittany Wolfe, Lana Ochilien

Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Keller

About UsThe official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Edmond Sun via the Duncan Banner. Letters Policy

Letters to the editor will be printed in the order in which they are received and on a space available basis.

The 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 first and last names, classification and major. No nicknames will be used. Letters from people outside the Cameron community should include name, address and phone number for verification.

Letters can be sent by regular mail or e-mail to collegian@cameron.edu, or they may be dropped off at our office - Nance Boyer 2060.

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

COLLEGIANFounded in 1926

veritas sempiterna

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITY

By Rachel EngelNews Editor

All the major news networks have covered it. Politicians, news anchors and scholars have debated it. It has been a source of tension between Americans from both sides of the aisle for weeks.

It’s the dreaded issue of the “mosque at Ground Zero.”

Except, it’s not at Ground Zero. And it’s not a mosque. And it should not be a heated issue, because according to the Constitution of the United States, it’s not an issue at all.

The “mosque,” which is officially titled Park 51 because of its location in New York City,

to practice freely in the United States.

Many of those opposed to the center feel that constructing a mosque a mere two blocks away from the site of the Sept. 11

tragedy is in bad taste and should not be allowed, but most do not realize that there is already a mosque four blocks from Ground Zero that has been in existence since 1970.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a point when he asked

how large should a no-mosque zone be around Ground Zero. Where will it end? Should the city not allow mosques at all? Should those already established be torn down?

By allowing one religion to

Rachel Engel

Mosque at Ground Zero controversy Not question of opinion but one of Constitutional freedom

is two blocks away from the north side of Ground Zero and is actually a plan for a community center, modeled after a Jewish Y close to the proposed build site, and would be open to all New Yorkers, not just those exclusive to the Islamic faith. Plans for the center also include a library, a culinary school and a fitness area, in addition to the mosque that is expected to occupy the top two floors of the building.

Regardless of whether the structure is to be considered a mosque or a community center, prohibiting its construction is a violation of the First Amendment, which prohibits making any law that respects the establishment of religion, and allows all faiths

become discriminated against, the country opens the door for others to be discriminated against as well and in larger ways.

The 19 Muslim extremists that carried out the events on Sept. 11 are just that—extremists. They are not an accurate cross-section of the millions who follow the Islamic faith, and their actions should not be used as justification for preventing Muslim Americans

the freedoms that are afforded to all citizens of the United States.

The U.S. was founded on the principles of free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of expression. Those behind the project are simply practicing those rights. Protestors to the mosque are exercising their right to freedom of speech; beyond that, they have no power to infringe on someone else’s right.

MCT Campus

The controversy over a proposed mosque near ground zero in Lower Manhattan preoccupies an increasing number of Americans, who now are hearing rhetorical bigotry more disgraceful and dangerous than anything admitted to our national conversation for decades.

According to a Rasmussen poll published Monday, 85 percent of the country’s voters say they are following stories about the controversy, a 35 percent increase over the level of interest the survey found last month. Nearly 6 in 10 voters say they are “following the story very closely.”

Some of this may have a bit to do with the season: August is a notoriously slow month for news, and lacking a natural disaster or missing blonde to obsess over, the cable networks and commentators who fuel the 24-hour news cycle have made the proposed Islamic center and mosque the centerpiece in their overheated echo chamber. Still, even allowing for the timing, it’s clear that this controversy has tapped a troubling vein of popular suspicion and unease concerning Muslim-Americans and their beliefs.

Unhappy history tells us that this is dangerous territory, and the willingness of some to exploit it is one of this affair’s sorriest aspects. Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, for example, has compared those who support the mosque’s construction to Nazis, who “don’t have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust museum in Washington.” A Republican National Committee member from Iowa insists that President Obama is a Muslim. (If so, what the devil was all that Jeremiah Wright stuff about?) Evangelist Franklin Graham tells CNN that the president carries “the seed of Islam” _ whatever that is.

One of the most distressing things is how rapidly this controversy has shifted from an ostensibly principled objection - the center’s backers have a legal and constitutional right to build on the site, but it is “insensitive” to do so - to a blanket objection to Islam in America. Such a slide was entirely predictable, because the minute you impute collective responsibility for 9/11 to U.S. Muslims, generalized

By Tim RuttenLos Angeles Times (MCT Campus)

Mosque issue makes evident the danger of American unease for Muslim Americans

expressions of bigotry are rendered licit. Thus, we have organized campaigns opposing the construction of mosques in places as distant from ground zero as Wisconsin, Tennessee and Kentucky. In Santa Clara, Calif., a group objects to a mosque adding a minaret, while in Temecula, Calif., Pastor Bill Rench argues that his Muslim neighbors ought not be allowed to build a mosque on a site adjoining his Calvary Baptist Church.

Of all the dangerous nonsense being batted about, nothing quite tops a recent piece in the National Review Online in which Nina Shea, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, argues that the mosque has provoked “a heated debate” about the “limits” of religious freedom “in the age of Islamist terrorism.” The federal government, she alleges, has a right to “defend itself ” against those “promoting radical ideas in the context of Islam.” To that end, “shutting down a particular religious establishment - or preventing it from being built - does not constitute barring a religion as a whole. It could all depend on what the building is used for ... (and) the impact of the preaching and instruction that takes place there.”

Let’s get this straight: The government is going to get into the business of evaluating what’s going to be taught in a house of worship before issuing a building permit? Once a mosque, church or synagogue is constructed, government agents are going to enter, monitor the preaching and, if they deem it a threat to somebody’s notion of security, shut the place down? (The smoke rising from such an event would issue from the ruin of the First Amendment.)

Moreover, why stop with mosques? In Gainesville, Fla., the Dove World Church wants to burn hundreds of copies of the Quran. Some of us regard book-burning as a threat to the Constitution. Let’s shut them down. In Pensacola, Fla., Baptist pastor Chuck Baldwin teaches his flock that Abraham Lincoln was a tyrant, that nullification and secession are valid concepts and that we need a second revolution. These are the ideas that provoked the Confederate treason and Civil War. Shut him down. (We’re not going to do either of those things because if the First Amendment means anything, it’s that some people have a right to spout idiocy and others have a right to listen - or not.)

We do need to stop, take a deep collective breath and pull back from the edge. The abyss on the other side is dark and deep.

www.aggiecentral.com

A&E 5September 13, 2010www.aggiecentral.com

Wellness Center hosts Aggie Biggest LoserBy Rashmi � apaliyaVariety Editor

Students soak up fun at annual Foam DanceBy Jim HorinekManaging Editor

The Cameron Wellness Center is taking a step forward in helping students and faculty on campus achieve their physical and mental health goals through the Aggie Biggest Loser competition. Deanice Shegog, Mental Health Counselor at Cameron, said that Aggie Biggest Loser is a competition to see who can become the healthiest competitor. “Being healthy is not just related to losing weight, but is more about the improvement of the habits of eating, exercise

and other factors,” Shegog said. During the three months of the competition, which will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 14 and end on the first Friday of December, the participants will be following a workout designed by kinesiologists Tom Webb and Michelle Werner. The competitors will be involved in a five day a week schedule where they will do structured workouts planned by Webb and Werner, take part in group counseling once a week, meet the dietitians once a week, and weigh once a week.

Shegog said that the

competitors’ schedule have been worked around their class schedules. Three faculty/staff members and nine students are participating in the competition. Shegog said that the participants went through various steps before they were chosen. The first criterion was that each participant had to be at least 70 pounds overweight. Then, they had to fill out a basic information application with an essay on why they wanted to be a part of the competition. After that, they went through a physical examination conducted in the Wellness Center to make sure that they did not have any

health complications. Shegog said that the idea

about the program came from the

TV program “The Biggest Loser,” but

there are several differences between

the inspiration and the campus competition.

She said that the levels of obesity in Oklahoma and on campus also inf luenced the idea for this competition. “It is overwhelming to change a lifestyle,” Shegog said, “It is about giving them choices and helping them develop the habits and they have a lot of accountability on themselves.” Since the competition is taking place on campus, Shegog

believes that it will help develop healthy habits among other students and faculty/staff members who are not participating. She said that the participants’ positive changes will be difficult to ignore; she also believes that others will wonder about the competition and that may change their habits too. At the end of the competition, a student and a

faculty/staff member will be announced as winners. Shegog said that the award for the winner will be kept secret, although she is certain that it will be a good surprise for the winners.

“This is a pilot program for us,” Shegog said, “If this proves to be successful, then we plan to continue it. We want to give students, faculty and staff every opportunity to be healthy.”

“This is a pilot program for us. If this proves to be succesful, then we plan to continue it. We want to give students, faculty and staff every opportunity to be healthy.”

— Deanice ShegogMental Health Counselor

It may be messy, and it may be unusual but it sure is a hit on campus. For the fi fth consecutive year, the Foam Dance has come to campus. Hundreds of students and guests from both Cameron and the surrounding areas fl ocked to the Fine Arts Courtyard last � ursday to dance in what to some might seem like an unusual medium: foam.

With the help of a couple of large foam making machines the sunken courtyard went from simple concrete to a foam fi lled area fi t for a party. Add a DJ playing the latest in pop music, and a few classic favorites, and it becomes one of the most popular Programming Activities Council (PAC) events of the year.

Ever since the Foam Dance became a tradition at Cameron the numbers in attendance have risen steadily. A fall semester regular event this years Foam Dance was originally scheduled for Sept. 2 but because of a heavy rainstorm it was rescheduled. Despite that setback, the foam-loving crowd was not deterred. � is year the event topped out at 1500 in attendance. � at is a record for the event and securely positions the event as a “can’t miss” for many CU and area students.

Student Activities Director Zeak Naifeh has been at Cameron for all fi ve foam dances and he commented this year that the event has become more than simply an event that PAC puts on.

“� e Foam Dance has gotten so popular that it has become a tradition at Cameron,” Naifeh said.

See FOAM DANCEPage 8

Multicolor crowd: The stage lights cast over the dancers in several different colors. The record crowd piled into the Fine Arts Courtyard to get in on the fi fth annual Foam Dance.

Foam maker: With the help of high density foam mix and a blower machine the Fine Arts Courtyard quickly becomes a whole different place.

Photos by Jim Horinek

Sports6 September 13, 2010www.aggiecentral.com

By Michael FaggettA&E Editor

Cameron’s volleyball team opened the 2010 season on a bittersweet note.

The team finished 1-3 at the Christian Brothers Tournament in Memphis over the Labor Day weekend but left the tournament with a good outlook on the season.

Head Coach Brianne Lowe said the tournament showed the team’s potential to have a solid

and middle blocker. In addition to some of the

returners making adjustments, according to Lowe, the recruits have also faired well in adjusting to Cameron and the team’s style of play.

“All are doing a good job adjusting to a different coaching style than what they are accustomed to,” Lowe said. “We have good players who will do well in the conference. It’s just a matter of getting the team to gel.”

Part of getting the team to gel rests on the health of junior Malyssa Acton. Acton played well early in the season but suffered a torn ACL and MCL, injuries which ended her season.

Lowe said Acton has significantly recovered from her injuries.

“She’s looking good,” Lowe said. “Usually players who come off of that type of injury are more reserved, but Malyssa is not second guessing herself. She is not hesitant and has been going all out.”

With Acton’s return along with four matches under the team’s belt, Lowe expects the team to be more versatile on offense after a sluggish start at the Christian Brothers tournament.

“We just need to vary up our shot selection on offense,” Lowe said. “I expect our offense to be more dynamic and not as predictable as we play more matches.”

A more dynamic approach offensively is one of the numerous expectations this team carries.

Although preseason polls predicted the Aggies to finish 11th in the conference, according to Lowe, the team believes it has the talent and drive to make the Lone Star Conference playoff tournament this season.

“We are not just looking to squeak in, but be at the top of the conference,” Lowe said. “This team definitely has the potential to get in the conference tournament.”

Cross country team races to good startBy Amanda CantuSports Editor

Volleyball team opens season on roadseason.

“I hope the ladies take away the glimpses of greatness that we saw,” Lowe said in reference to the tournament. “The talent and potential is there; we just have to maintain.”

Maintaining consistency will be a time-consuming hurdle for the team; they started the season with eight new players on the roster and only six returners, some who had limited playing time last year.

Lowe said she looked for

versatility with the recruiting class she brought in.

“I was looking for players who could play multiple positions,” Lowe said. “After Malyssa [Acton] went down last year, we became more one-dimensional at some of the positions.”

Lowe has used some of that versatility already. Junior Addie Lawson, who usually plays as an outside hitter, has seen time as a libero. Senior Valerie Ogle has also seen time as both setter

Practice makes perfect: Members of the Aggie volleyball team come together after a practice session. The squad is looking to bring more dimensionality on the court this season.

Photo by Tony Black

because there really are not that many of them,” he said. “We like running against Division I schools though so we can see how we stack up.”

The overall goal for the team this season is to make it to Nationals, which Aguero admits will be no easy task.

“I would like the team to get to the national championship. Only two teams from the region can make it, so it will be tough, but this is the best team we have ever had,” he said.

The Aggie runners will next compete at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree on Sept. 25 in Stillwater.

Photos by Casey Kreger

And they’re off: Freshman Tyler Nelson (right) and Senior Mohamed Khelalfa (bottom), who placed seventh in the race, compete in the Midwestern State Mustang Stampede. The team has a mix of old and new faces this season and are training hard everyday to reach their goal of making it to the National Championship.

Cameron’s cross country team began its season on Sept. 2 with a fifth place finish at the Midwestern State Mustang Stampede.

Senior Mohamed Khelalfa was the top placing Aggie at the 6k race, finishing seventh overall with a time of 19:23. Freshman Eli Hernandez was the next-fastest CU runner coming in 18th place in a time of 19:53, and senior Juan Ruiz rounded out Cameron’s top three, placing 33rd in the race and finishing in 20:26.

Cross country coach Matt Aguero said he always enjoys the first race of the season because it allows him to see where is team really is performance-wise.

“You never really know where anyone is until the first race, and you never really know where other teams are either, so it’s good to see how everyone performs,” Aguero said.

He also said this year’s cross country squad is the largest Cameron has ever seen. There are 14 men on the team, over half of which are underclassmen. Aguero acknowledged that, with such a young team, some adjustments have to be made.

“I think one of the biggest adjustments for some of the younger players is just getting used to running 8k and 10k races, because in high school they generally only run 5k races,” Aguero said.

The team has been training hard to help the newcomers make the transition from high school to college racing and so the team can best prepare themselves for the rigors of the fall season.

“We have been hitting it pretty hard; we really just jumped right in. The guys had to run on their own a lot over the summer, and now they are running anywhere from 40

to 100 miles a week,” Aguero said.

However, because the men spend so much of their time running, they have little time to work on conditioning.

“We are doing minimal conditioning – only two or three times a week for about 20 minutes a season,” Aguero said. “If a guy is running 100 miles per week, that is about two hours a day, so there is not that much time left for conditioning.”

So far, Aguero is happy with what he is seeing from his runners and hopes it will be a good predictor for what the season has in store. He is especially pleased with the form of Julius Korir, Khelalfa and Ruiz – all returning upperclassmen.

“Julius was an All-American last year, and Mohamed was All-Conference. They are both looking good. Juan, and all of the returners, are looking amazing right now,” Aguero said.

He is also pleased with what he is seeing from the CU newcomers.

“The new guys are looking really good,” Aguero said. “They are stepping in and replacing some of the guys from last year.”

Another addition to the team this year is the new Graduate Assistant (GA), former team member Casey Kreger. Aguero said he is glad to have Kreger step into the role of GA and thinks he is filling the post well.

“Casey is doing a great job. He really lightens the load so I can focus more on coaching,” Aguero said.

Aguero said he and his team are looking forward to competing in all of their races this season, but are particularly looking forward to those in which they will compete against Division I schools.

“We are looking forward to all of our races this season

Sports 7September 13, 2010www.aggiecentral.com

By Amanda CantuSports Editor

Men’s golf looking to fair well in fall

Women’s golf team starting new eraBy Amanda CantuSports Editor

“We generally play the course pretty well,” Hrnciar said. “It is a good course, and it is a fair course. All our top competition will be there as well.”

The men’s golf coach also said that the first tournament of the year will provide some insight into the rest of the season.

“The first tournament of the year allows us to see how well we stack up against the other teams, and the season’s last tournament shows us how much progress we have made,” Hrnciar said.

This season, Hrnciar plans to concentrate on certain aspects of the game more than last season in an attempt to produce better tournament results.

“This year I am placing more emphasis on fairways and greens. Our previous experience at tournaments has shown how important that is. We have to get it in the fairway first so we can have an opportunity to score,” Hrnciar said.

Hrnciar admitted that this season would not be easy and said that some of the toughest teams in the nation are within CU’s own conference. But Hrnciar has a strategy for how his men can best succeed.

“In my opinion, we have the number one and two teams in the nation in our conference with UCO and Abilene,” Hrnciar said. “If we stay as

close to those two teams as we can in the fall we can see which players are capable of what so we can lay out a plan to close the gap in the spring.”

At the end of the season, Hrnciar hopes that all his players will have made some improvement to their games.

“I hope we play better at the last tournament than the first.

With the start of a new school year comes the beginning of a new golf season for the Aggie men’s golf team.

Only three golfers who played last year are returning this season – Garrett Smith, Jason Timmis and Kregg Wood – and six new men have been added to the squad. Men’s golf coach Jerry Hrnciar said that the new players bring some experience to the team, but he also acknowledged that he will be leaning heavily on those who are returning and expects them to do well.

In addition to the team’s new players, the squad has gained a new Graduate Assistant this year as well. Former Aggie standout Peter Svajlen will be filling the post, and Hrnciar said that he expects a lot from Svajlen.

“Peter has a wealth of experience, and he will be able to relate that experience to the men on the team, which will be very beneficial for them,” Hrnciar said.

The Black and Gold kick off their season Sept. 12-14 at the Coody/West Texas Intercollegiate Tournament, which will be played at the Diamondback Golf Course in Abilene. Hrnciar said the course is one he is looking forward to playing and one at which his team feels comfortable.

Cameron’s women’s golf season is officially underway, and this year’s squad has been bolstered by the addition of four new freshmen golfers: Candice Swartz, Lindsey Alexander, Aleesha Holden and Lindsey Green.

Women’s golf coach Rick Goodwin is excited about what the new women bring to the team and said that, with the

exception of Green, all of the new women have experience in Junior League events. Goodwin said that the Junior Leagues set up their courses more like college courses, so the practice the women gained from playing in those events will be very beneficial to the team this season.

“These girls bring tournament experience, and that experience level is huge. That’s what makes the difference,” Goodwin said. “They are all

really hard workers, and I am really excited to have them.”

Goodwin also has a new Graduate Assistant this year in former team member Marrik Wooten, and the golf coach is happy to have her helping out.

“Marrik brings leadership and is going to help get the young members of the team up and going. She is a great girl and really helps a lot,” Goodwin said.

Since the team lost four women at the end last season, this year’s squad is relatively young, making Wooten’s guidance critical. Leadership from the team’s lone senior Megan Whan will be essential as well. However, Goodwin acknowledged that he is looking forward to what his group of golfers has to offer this season.

“The girls that left were the nucleus, so we are really starting a new era,” Goodwin said.

The Aggie women are starting the season ranked 45 in the nation in Division II schools and will kick off their season Sept. 13-14 at the Drury Invitational in Branson. Though the women have never played the course before, Goodwin said he is anxious to begin play.

“I have never seen the course in Branson, but I know it is a good course,” Goodwin said. “It is the first tournament of the year, and it will be a good opportunity for everyone to get rid of their nervousness. It will be tough, and it will be demanding, but everyone is ready to play.”

One of the tournaments Goodwin is most looking forward to during the fall season is the Broncho Masters hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) at the Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City.

“We have played really well at Lincoln Park and set a school record there last year,” Goodwin said. “We are looking forward to going to a place where we feel comfortable.”

For Goodwin, the potential to perform well at the UCO hosted tournament would be

one step toward reaching the goals he and his team have set this season.

“We want to shoot below 300, and I think that is a good target goal. Ultimately though, our goal is to make Regionals and Nationals,” Goodwin said.

In order to reach their regional and national ambitions, the team will need to work on improving their ranking.

“We need to be in the top 25 to make Regionals, so we need to get better. We need to beat some teams and score better,” Goodwin said.

The team is physically readying themselves for the season by practicing their

golf games everyday as well as completing conditioning workouts at least two days a week. The golfers are also examining their equipment to make sure no changes are needed.

“This is the time of year we look at equipment. We look at everything - balls, clubs - everything,” Goodwin said.

In addition to training and practicing, Goodwin is helping to prepare his team mentally as well.

“I always remind them that every shot counts,” Goodwin said. “If they make every shot count then they have a real chance to win.”

We can measure our success by how well we finish up,” Hrnciar said.

However, the men’s golf coach also made it clear that he does not want golf to be the main concentration of his players. He emphasized that he wants schoolwork to be the team’s number one focus, and has implemented some rules to

help ensure his men keep their priorities in order.

“The way I see it, you come to college to get an education, and golf is just a good experience,” Hrnciar said. “I have a three “G”s rule: grades, golf and girls, and I make it very clear to my team that they are to keep it in that order.”

Getting into the swing of things: Senior Jason Timmis competes in last year’s Regional Tournament. As Timmis is a returning player this season, golf coach Jerry Hrnciar has high expectations of him.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Puttering around: Senior Megan Whan works on her golf game in a tournament last season. As the only team’s only senior, Whan brings leadership to the squad.

Photo by Bennett Dewan

Variety8 September 13, 2010

Although the Foam Dance is definitely one of the most popular of the many PAC events it is not nearly the only event that student-driven PAC put on for both newly incoming and returning students. Already this year several different events, which make up what is called Welcome Week have been held. The idea behind Welcome Week is to offer a whole week of events to new and returning students so that they can both have things to do and an opportunity to socialize and meet new people. This years Welcome Week events included a pep rally and pool party, free pizza day and comedian magician Derek Hughes.

While the most popular of the PAC events has passed there are still many more on the schedule for both this semester and the next.

Coming Sept. 14 will be a screening of the film “Robin Hood” starring Russell Crowe. The event will be held at 9 p.m. in the MCC Ballroom.

FOAM DANCE continued from page 5

Huge turnout: The fifth annual Foam Dance had a record turnout with 1,500 people in attendance. The Foam Dance has become more than just an event; it is now a tradition.

Dance line: A group of dance attendees dressed in like clothes make their way through the crowd in time to the music.

Foam time: Several students crowd together to get near the quickly forming pile of foam.

www.aggiecentral.com

Photos by Jim Horinek