www.aggiecentral.comMonday, December 8, 2014 Volume 91 Issue 11

The Cameron UniversiTy

CollegianHoliday cheer unites Aggies, locals

Aggies and Southwest Oklahoma residents gathered on Dec. 1 - 2 for Cameron University’s annual Christmas tree lightings.

CU-Duncan led the Christmas cheer with the first of the two CU tree lightings. From 6-8 p.m. each night, Lawtonians, Duncanites and Aggies alike gathered for two social evenings, complete with cookie decorating, horse drawn carriages and Ole Kim himself.

Both events featured Christmas music, a background to the happy chatter that filled the early part of the evening.

Lawton and Duncan both featured cookie-decorating stations for children of all ages, and in turn, almost 800 perfectly cut ginger bread girls and boys were used between the two nights.

Deborah Wilson, a Sodexo employee who has headed the cookie table for seven years, helped children decorate their

gingerbread people with sugar frosting, coconut shreds, M&M’s and a variety of other sugary treats.

“They love this,” Wilson said about the girls and boys surrounding the table. “This is the best part of the deal – these cookies.”

Attendees also roasted

marshmallows to make their own s’mores and made Christmas-themed paper crafts.

Both trees lit at about 6:30 p.m. each night. In both instances, University President John McArthur, flanked by Ole Kim in a Santa hat, gathered children

to aid in the lighting of the tree.

McArthur instructed the children in both groups to face the North Pole – Santa’s home – grab their ears and say “Santa Claus!” on the count of three. The trees magically lit, and both audiences cheered at the

sight.After Lawton’s lighting,

the CU Centennial Singers charmed the crowd with several Christmas tunes and carols. At both holiday events, people lined up to ride the horse-drawn carriages. Two were seen at the main campus, while

one entertained the Duncan crowd. Others helped themselves to the mountain of goodies provided at the gathering, including cereal treats, brownies, cookies and

What’s insideFilm Geek host says goodbyePage 7

The ultimate Christmas gift guide

Page 9

Lady Aggies win first

season gamePage 11

Charlene BelewManaging Editor

@cbelew15

The Board of Regents overseeing Cameron University approved Zeak Naifeh as Dean of Students Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014.

Naifeh, currently serving as the Director of Campus Life, will officially take the role as the successor to former Vice President Jennifer Holland on Jan. 2, 2015, just before the spring semester begins.

An Aggie since June 2006, Naifeh began his career at CU as the Director of Student Activities. With his former title, he was in charge of the Aggie Rec Center and the McMahon Centennial Complex.

His new position will require administration and leadership of the Office of Student Services, according to a press release. Naifeh will work with leaders of the Black and Gold to ensure a positive environment for Aggie students, both in and out of the classroom.

According to a press release, Naifeh’s areas of oversight will include “campus housing, student activities, student government, student organizations, judicial affairs related to student conduct, student development, disability services, the Aggie Rec Center and the Student Wellness Center.”

All of these components will play into the larger goal of providing the student population with a safe, comfortable campus.

University President John McArthur said in a press release that Naifeh was

hand-selected from the national search to continue impacting Cameron University and the surrounding community.

“Zeak Naifeh has played a significant role in ensuring that Cameron students enjoy a complete collegiate experience,” McArthur said. An extensive national search for the Dean of Students resulted in a tremendous response for the opening.After consideration of several qualified applicants, Zeak Naifeh was selected for the position.”

“In his expanded role at Cameron University, he will continue to be a tremendous asset for our students as

Naifeh named Dean of StudentsCharlene BelewManaging Editor

@cbelew15

When page and screen collide

Photo courtesy of Zeak Naifeh

Photo by Vicky Smith

Lawton, Duncan and Garland Smith Public Libraries feature modern technology, including digital entertainment, online databases and internet education.

In libraries once composed soley of paperback books upon wooden shelves, area libraries strive to integrate technology.

Located at 110 SW. Fourth St. in Lawton, the Lawton Public Library brings together all Lawtonians.

Sydney Perry, a reference librarian, said the library serves to comfort and entertain people who are homeless.

“They can come in here when it’s cold and rainy and have a place to be,” she said, “[and] use the computers.”

She said the key draw of the library is the computer lab “for either people whose printer isn’t working or don’t have a computer.”

Despite the popularity of technological devices, including kindles and iPads, Perry said some people still check out paper and hardback books.

“Some people prefer the

old fashioned kind of books that you just open and read,” she said. “They’re not interested in the eBooks or anything.”

The Duncan Public Library, located at 2211 U.S. Highway 81 in Duncan, caters to people worldwide through online databases.

Jan Cole, director of the Duncan Public Library, said “people in India, people in Hawaii [and] people in China all have cards,” so they have access to the databases.

The databases offered

Vicky SmithCopy Editor

@pinkwritinglady

See NAIFEHPage 4

See LIGHTSPage 4

See LIBRARYPage 4

This edition of The Cameron Collegian provides an in-depth technology spin on most stories, and other technology based feature pieces. Flip to pages 9 and 10 for a special technology section that includes the ultimate Christmas guide, the evolution of technology and two reviews over the new movie “Mockingjay.” All content can be found online at www.aggiecentral.com.

In a previous issue, the Layar application was used to provide more online media to print readers via a smart device. The Collegian staff will resume using Layar when the spring semester begins.

Send your feedback to us on Twitter @AggieCentral.

The Collegian technology issue

Lighting up the season: University President John McArthur (right) joins Ole Kim and four children to light the tree at CU-Duncan. During the process, McArthur told children to face the North Pole, grab their ears and say “Santa Claus!” on the count of three. The tree lit.

Photo by Charlene Belew

Voices2 December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

COLLEGIANFounded in 1926

veritas sempiterna

THE CAMERON UNIVERSITYAbout UsThe official student newspaper of Cameron University, The Cameron

Collegian is available each Monday during the year. It is printed by the Lawton Constitution. The first issue is provided for free. Each subsequent

issue is $1.50.

Editorial StaffManaging Editor - Charlene Belew

Asst. Managing Editor - Jacob JardelA&E Editor - Kaley PattersonSports Editor - Krista Pylant

Student Life Editor - Casey BrownCopy Editor - Vicky Smith

Aggie Central Editor- Jereme Cobb

Newsroom Staff Financial Officer - Susan Hill

Staff Writers - Marie Bagwell, Kristen Bass Circulation Manager - Charlene Belew

Advertising Managers - Kaylee Jones, Charlene Belew

Faculty Adviser - Mr. David Bublitz

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, by e-mail to aggiecentral@cameron.edu or they may be dropped off at our office - Academic Commons 101 or

at www.aggiecentral.com.

Our ViewsThe opinions expressed in The Collegian pages or personal columns are those of the signed author.

The unsigned editorial under the heading “Voices” 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.

Casey BrownStudent Life Editor@CaseyBrown_CU

Blurring lines between news and adsSince the beginning

of the newspaper crisis around the turn of this century, print media has been searching for more and more ways to get the attention of readers and increase revenue.

Since the early 1900s, advertising dollars have been the number one source of income for print media.

While many newspapers have ceased publications since 2000, several other newspapers survived the crisis by moving online and finding innovations, such as convergent journalism, catchier headlines and new types of content.

The newest trend in grabbing reader’s attention is “native advertising” or “sponsor content.” For more on this phenomena and what John Oliver of “Last Week Tonight” has to say about it, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_F5GxCwizc.

If you read the last issue of the Collegian (Volume 91, Issue 10), you saw the full-page editorial on the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

Based on the size of that spread, you might guess that here, in the Collegian, we take journalistic ethics very seriously. Once a week, when we sit down to have our editorial meetings, we often spend part of those meetings discussing topical ethical events. Every issue, we strive to make our paper as objective as possible. In our journalism and media courses, we spend

hours reading about and discussing ethics. That is, ethics are a part of our everyday lives here at the Collegian.

With that culture as a part of my life as a journalist, you might imagine that my reaction to the news of “native advertising” was a turning stomach. It is obviously an ethically bankrupt practice.

In “The Vanishing Newspaper,” written in 2006, Philip Meyer stresses that newspapers would

eventually get into more hot water than less by focusing on profit margins. Prophetic?

Of course, a newspaper company has to make enough money to stay in print and pay their writers. However, ethics must be a part of every single decision that takes place in a newsroom.

We consider the impact of our stories, the phrasing of our headlines and even our quote attributions each week. In fact, it is to the point that we have had lengthy discussion

on the difference between

he or she “said” and he or she “intoned.” The conclusion is that anything other than “said” is editorializing. Every detail, from what stories we choose to print, to “said” versus “intoned,” involves thoughtful consideration of journalistic ethics.

Every publication is different, of course. Regardless, using any ethical compass, “native advertising” is clearly wrong. It is wrong to the point of being negligent and

harmful. Keep in mind that absolutes in any field are rare.

Some of you may be wondering why this article is in the first person and riddled with opinion. You may question what sort of ethics I am employing while writing this. However, keep in mind that this is an editorial. So, the point of it is to discuss my opinion. This is the section of the newspaper where we get to sound off. This is the section of the newspaper where we have the opportunity to be intentionally subjective rather than objective. It should be easy to tell the difference between hard news, editorials and advertisements.

The publications that employ “native advertising” blur those lines for profit. They might make a lot of money, they may attract new advertisers and they might get more readers doing it, but it will not be worth it.

If you watched the video from the link above, you saw Meredith Levien of The New York Times Co. and Joseph A. Ripp of Time Inc. defending “native advertising.”

Our duty as members of the fourth estate is to act as watchdogs; we are meant to protect readers, not confuse, exploit and harm them.

Dear Levien and Ripp, if you care at all about your readers or ethics or your duty, stop what you are doing immediately.

Happy holidays from the Cameron Collegian staff

Wrapping up: This is the last edition of the semester. The editorial staff would like to wish everyone happy holidays. We will be back next semester with the first issue hitting stands on Feb. 2. (From left) Vicky Smith, Kaley Patterson, Jereme Cobb, Charlene Belew, Jacob Jardel, Krista Pylant, Casey Brown and Adviser David Bublitz.

What are you reading?: This screenshot of a New York Times article for “Orange is the New Black” is one example of native advertising. The headline makes the story appear to be about women’s prisons, but the content of the story advertises the Netflix original series - a practice that crosses a number of ethical boundaries.

Photo by Jeff Larson

Voices 3December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver said the topic of net neutrality is boring “even by CSPAN’s standards.”

Numerous YouTubers, talk show hosts and news reporters have opined on the topic.

So, what exactly is net neutrality?

In short, the principle behind net neutrality is that all data is equal and has to be treated as such – from cat videos to Netf lix movies to that last research article you need for the paper to make length. In essence, net neutrality is the Internet in its current state, for the most part.

Herein lies the problem: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has endorsed legislation for a two-tiered system of Internet in which Internet service providers (ISP), such as Comcast, can charge companies like Netf lix a premium to stream their service faster and more reliably.

It doesn’t sound too bad until you realize that a practice such as this can debilitate the small startup whose data is, theoretically, on an equal playing field as the bigger company’s data. It gets worse when you realize that an ISP could use this tactic to get more money out of a company, bottlenecking the company’s speeds until the ISP gets its payment.

It gets even worse when you realize Comcast and Netf lix already went through this struggle earlier in 2014, when Netf lix folded to Comcast’s

demands in order to see its stream speeds return to status quo.

The rally cries against these practices and for net neutrality come from both activists and corporations. Like Oliver said, it’s as if

Lex Luthor went to Superman’s apartment so that he could team up against the guy in Apartment 3B.

In this analogy, regardless of who’s Superman and who’s Luthor, the guy in Apartment 3B is the highly

monopolized conglomerate of ISPs.

You see, throughout the nation, there are only a handful of ISPs, such as Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner. While this should mean competition among them that stirs the economy, most of the population has access to two or fewer providers that essentially divvy up regions and avoid encroaching on each other’s territory. This practice eerily models a monopoly.

At last check, the law kind of frowns upon those. The public does, too.

Yet it gets difficult when the only company who has spent more money on lobbying than Comcast is military contractor Northrup Grumman. Plus, Tom Wheeler, former cable interest lobbyist, is now the head of FCC.

In short, Comcast and cable have the government in tow. Meanwhile, the American people pay more for Internet download speeds that compete with Estonia’s.

If legislation for a two-tiered system comes to pass, the average consumer may not be able to watch “Orange is the New Black”

or “House of Cards” on Netf lix because Comcast throttles its speeds in favor of, for example, Xfinity.

You could search for an alternative on Google, but those speeds are down. You now have to use some unheard of search engine or, worse, Bing. Even then, ads on those pages are ubiquitous.

But you can browse ad-free on high speeds using Friggle or whatever

Comcast’s hypothetical search engine is.

It sounds dystopian, for sure. It may be a bit extreme of an argument. Who knows what companies will do if they have the option to bottleneck speeds? What really matters, though, is not what the companies may or may not do.

What really matters is that all data is equal and should be treated as such.

This principle is the

tenet on which many Internet companies were established. Without it, megalithic sites and corporations would squash any chances of a startup – not out of want, but out of the need to keep their data speeds running at the status quo. The only benefits go to ISPs.

So speak up. Talk to your senators and representatives to keep our bandwidths wide. Tell your government

you want to be able to binge watch “How I Met Your Mother” while you stay up until 4 a.m. working on a research paper due in mere hours without speeds slowing to a crawl.

Most of all, truly believe that all data is created and should be treated equally. After all, who judges whether one site is more worthy than another?

Let’s not make the answer ISPs.

Neutral net: all data created equal

Jacob JardelAssistant Managing Editor

@JJardel_Writing

Jereme CobbAggie Central Editor

@JeremeCobb

Spending time with family away from the screen

Technology can be a great tool. It’s a great way to quickly access information to learn about a vast number of topics. It allows us to do tasks much quicker, gives us more access to resources and helps us communicate with people from around the globe.

However, technology has its downsides.

Imagine you’re having a movie night with your friends. You laugh, eat a lot of food and drink way too much soda - but not a word is spoken. The entire night,

you and your friends have been messaging back and forth on social media and text messaging apps.

While technology can be very useful, there comes a point when technology cheats us of meaningful experiences.

Now, imagine parents at their children’s graduation. They are sitting in the front row and filming the ceremony to document that moment forever. But at the end of the night, someone asks two of the parents, “Did you see

the lady who walked before your son trip as she walked off stage? I felt bad for her.”

The parents had no idea what happened because they were so focused on the camera screen that they missed everything else. They didn’t have the full experience that others in the audience had.

An experience isn’t just taking in what we see and hear. It’s getting the butterf lies in your stomach from excitement. It’s smelling the popcorn in a movie and feeling the seats vibrate from

the sound explosions. It’s taking note of the tiny details that you’d never see in a viewfinder.

In short, an experience is being a human and living in the moment.

When we do want to be able to live in the moment, it can be difficult to do when we have to hold large cameras or other technology. While thinner and lighter devices help, wearable technology, while expensive, is a good alternative.

Wearable technology such as Google Glass has made it easy for people to record what they see without attaching themselves to a viewfinder. If we are being honest, though, the videos and pictures we take are really memory aids that help remind us of the good experiences we had. They aren’t the memories in and of themselves.

When the experience is over, you go home and share the videos on social media and then message friends about them. While chatting, your friend becomes upset, thinking you’re bragging. But you’re really just trying to share your experience with them. The messages just get lost in tech translation.

No matter how hard we try or want to think it, technology, like everything else, is not perfect.

Technology has come a long way, but it still doesn’t have a way to fully express emotion in text.

Even services like Skype can still suffer from low internet speeds. Calls can help give emotional cues better than text, but nothing compares to face-to-face interaction.

Personally, I love using technology. But it still can’t compare to the real experience of sitting beside a loved one or friend on a cold winter night, sharing a couple of s’mores by

a fire and having a heart-to-heart talk about the good times past, present and future.

Technology can certainly aid us in many ways, especially when it is not possible to be with friends and family in person. As with anything, though, moderation is key. Otherwise, you not only risk becoming addicted to technology, but you also risk cheating yourself and those around you of a memory that could have lasted a lifetime.

This holiday season, I hope everyone has some great experiences with loved ones, and I look forward to seeing the posts on Facebook. Personally, I’ll be catching up on a lot of movie watching and video game playing.

But be sure to save some time for card games and s’mores by the fire with the people around you.

Tribune News Service

Tech it out: “Game Time” co-producer Makenzie Burk watches a YouTube video, scrolls through messages on her iPhone and prepares to use Google on an iPad while flanked with numerous forms of other media. With the copious amounts of technology on tap, consumers need a reminder to take time away from their screens to focus on family and loved ones to avoid overload.

Photo by Jacob Jardel

News4 December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

THE CAMERON COLLEGIANis taking applications for the Spring 2015 semester

Pick up applications at Academic Commons 105 or aggiecentral.com/about/careers and return to AC 105 by Friday, Dec. 20, 2014. For more information, call

581- 2997 or email aggiecentral@cameron.edu.

Staff and editorial positions open.Students of all disciplines welcome.

Resume required.Portfolio recommended.

Inc. 5000 growth company needs you

well as the community,” McArthur said.

Naifeh felt a mix of emotions upon hearing he would become Dean of Students, but two in particular stood out.

“My initial reaction was both excitement of starting a new venture [and] the normal

stresses of ‘what will the transition mean for students and staff,’” Naifeh said. “The promotion means the ability to continue to serve students in a different capacity.

“It also means being able to further grow and develop to be the

best,” he said.While the new position

was a sweet conclusion for Naifeh this semester, Holland’s

departure left most of campus, including Naifeh, with a bittersweet taste when she said her goodbyes.

“Jennifer hired me way back in 2006, and I never thought she would be leaving Cameron. It came as a surprise to me, but I was very happy for her and her family,” he said.

In regard to the position change, Naifeh said that students can expect the same as when Holland held office.

“While [personnel] may change, the dedication to Cameron students will not change,” Naifeh said.

NAIFEH continued from page 1

LIGHTS continued from page 1

popcorn.McArthur said both holiday events help establish unity

between the university and surrounding communities.“Cameron’s part of Lawton,” McArthur said, “and we want

to celebrate with our neighbors from nearby neighborhoods [and] the children of our students and our employees. It’s a special evening.

“My favorite events are the academic events, like Convocation and Commencement, but this is a favorite for a different reason – because it’s one of the few events that

is open to the whole community. It’s a great event for that reason.”

Senior Director for Public Affairs Josh Lehman said the annual festivities provide an opportunity to say “thank you” to Aggie supporters.

“It’s a great way to kick off the season with fellowship, food and fun for the whole family,” Lehman said. “It’s coming to the end of the fall semester, but it kicks off the holiday season. It’s right in between Thanksgiving and Christmas; it’s crisp in the air here – it’s just a good night for everybody.”

CU Public Affairs

Photos by Charlene Belew and Jacob Jardel

include Brain Fuse, Mango Languages, Britannica for Kids, Gale Virtual Reference Library, EBSCO Host, AR Book Finder, America’s News, Free Permit Practice Tests, Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and Fold 3.

Cole said Brain Fuse tutors people in academics.

Individuals from pre-k to adulthood “can get one-to-one tutoring between specific hours,” she said.

Mango Language includes over 60 foreign languages.

“You can do translations,” Cole said. “You can watch foreign films. You can work your way up in a language through two levels.”

Cole said the Virtual Reference Library has over 50 reference books.

“They’re online textbooks you can access,”

she said, “and we’re getting ready to add 900 more after the first of the year, and they’re all up to date … 2010 forward.”

She said The Duncan Banner is listed on America’s News.

The news database “has over 1,500 newspapers across the United States,” she said. “You can look for trending topics ... They’re archived every day.”

Fold 3, which presents military records and primary source scans, is useful for history classes, Cole said.

Garland Smith Public Library, which opened on Nov. 1 at the new location of 702 W. Main St. in Marlow, offers services that help people become more tech savvy.

Patty Ellsworth, a technology librarian, said she will teach computer classes, starting

in January. “We focus a lot on the

elderly because that’s the bulk,” she said. “They come in, and they don’t know how to use the internet. They don’t know how to search to sign up for the healthcare initiative.”

On Tuesday and Thursday nights, Ellsworth provides technology assistance.

“People can come in,” she said, “and if they have a kindle

or an iPad … or they don’t know how to put numbers in their phone, they can call and schedule a one-on-one appointment.”

Ellsworth said there are many people in Marlow who don’t have internet access in their homes.

“We also offer free Wi-Fi, 24/7, like even when the library’s not open,” she said. “They can come sit out front and still get access without passwords.

“You don’t have to have a library card to access the internet – that’s for anyone, so if any emergency personnel or anything … happened, everyone knows they can come to the library and get on the internet.”

For more information about the libraries, call 580-581-3450 for Lawton, 580-255-0636 for Duncan and 580-658-5354 for Garland Smith, or visit the libraries’ websites.

LIBRARY continued from page 1

Anyone in Southwestern Oklahoma who is looking to start a business can come to Cameron University’s Center for Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CETES).

The CETES building acts as a technology incubator, offering entrepreneurs an office space to host their business services and support their success and growth.

Arun Tilak, director of CETES, said that if people have business ideas, then the staff at CETES will help them start their

business plans. The first things a future entrepreneur needs are a furnished office space, computer, telephone, fax machine, scanner and copy machine.

The term “incubate” comes from the thought of a baby in an incubator, where they develop and wait until they are mature before they become exposed to the world. CETES acts in the same way – ensuring a business gets all it needs before standing on its own.

If people want to open a retail store, Tilak said help is available, but CETES does not offer office space.

Tilak said CETES’s purpose is to “help local business grow.”

The staff of CETES help businesses by introducing them to the technologies of simulations, game design and robotics, connecting them with other entities, providing them conference rooms and walking them through the internship process.

“Businesses should and can use interns,” Tilak said, “and that’s not cheap labor, but it’s affordable. It’s a win-win for both because the student learns to apply what the student has learned in class to the business.”

For more information about CETES and how to start a business, call 580-581-5447, or visit www.cetes.org.

CETES: promoting tech and business since 2005

Jump starts: The CETES building, located on the west end of Cameron’s campus, has been incubating business and technology since its establishment in 2005.

Kristen BassStaff Writer

CU Public Affairs

Photos by Vicky Smith

Student Life 5December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

Vicky SmithCopy Editor

@pinkwritinglady

Helpful or harmful?: A review of apps for studentsCasey Brown

andMarie Bagwell

Collegian Staff

There’s an app for almost everything, including going to school.

With apps like iCameron and SchoolWay, students, parents and alumni have easy access to basic information.

These reference apps allow users to look up information about school breaks, office hours of teachers and emergency information, such as severe weather and school closings.

Conversely, with the invention of smartphones and applications, the way homework gets completed, for some, has been changed.

Enter the era of smart phone homework applications such as PhotoMath, HwPic, Wolfram Alpha, Homework Helper and Slader.

Both types of apps built for students.

Reference AppsiCameron consists

information for the Cameron community, including a staff directory, Blackboard, AggieAccess, campus map an event calendar, emergency information, and general information about campus locations and services. The app is free to download on Apple and Android devices.

In the Google Play Store, i Cameron has an overall rating of 4.0 stars out of 5, from 31 reviewers.

SchoolWay is also

a free app with access to school updates and information, safety notifications and alerts, club and organization updates, athletic schedules, staff directory and teacher updates.

It is likewise free to download on Apple and Android devices. SchoolWay additionally has a web app. It includes information about over 30 schools in the Lawton Public Schools system, as well as many schools in the surrounding communities.

Homework AppsThere are memes on

social media that say, “respect your parents. They made it through high school without Google.”

However, Google is no longer the go-to tool for homework assistance.

Students can now snap a picture of a problem or enter it into a homework application. The answer will be sent back to them.

The majority of these applications are free, with a couple of them only charging for particular questions.

Time magazine recently released the article, “5 Apps That Can Do Your Homework Much Faster Than You,” which covers five of the popular homework apps, including PhotoMath, HwPic, Wolfram Alpha, Homework Helper and Slader.

The question the homework apps raise is whether the use of these

apps is dishonest.A crowdsourcing app,

Homework Helper gives e-coins to members who answer questions; the e-coins can then be used to purchase electronics, such as laptops and cell phones.

According to the Time article, a staff member of Homework Helper said the app is essentially a form of cheating.

Baillie Neal, a CU junior English major, said she believes all homework apps smudge the line of integrity.

“I was raised better,” she said. “My conscience would

Founded in 2010, Instagram is a community of more than 200 million people who share more than 60 million photos every day.

People who live in all corners of the world use Instagram for their own unique purposes.

According to its online profile, “Instagram has become the home for visual storytelling for everyone from celebrities, newsrooms and brands, to teens, musicians and people with a creative passion.”

Cameron sophomore Rebecca Hong, who majors in public relations, is one young woman who unleashes her passion for creativity on an Instagram account for all followers to see.

When Hong downloaded

the popular app in 2011, she was unaware of the inf luence it would have on her life.

“I think I got it [Instagram] because I didn’t know what it was,” Hong said, “and I like staying updated with apps … then I started to like it.”

Hong, motivated by her new camera and other Instagram users, decided to take up photography as a hobby last summer.

“I started following these artistic accounts that post aesthetically pleasing photos,” she said, “and I’m like, ‘Wow! That’s really pretty! I didn’t know you could do that with your phone,’ so then I started doing that, and that’s when I got into it [photography].”

Hong said Instagram users can learn from one another’s photos.

“There’s so many creative people on Instagram,” she

said. “You can ask them for advice. You just get a lot of inspiration from them … and just understand what style you want for your photos.”

In particular, Hong follows Darling magazine.

“This [account] is so cool,” she said, “– creativity, and they’re embracing it.”

Hong hopes to encourage other people through the photos she posts.

“Right now,” she said, “[my account] it’s more geared towards, I guess, the Christian community because I talk about faith and my walk with God a lot … I’m really open about it on my Instagram.

“I just want to show them the little things I enjoy in life – just showing that joy I have for life and maybe hoping that it goes to them, like they feel that joy too.”

Although Hong takes photos for fun, she would

like to build a photography business that could serve as a side job.

“Ever since this summer,” she said, “I’ve been wanting to build a portfolio, so I asked my friends to take their photos for free, so I could build it because nobody’s going to pay because I don’t even have any experience yet.”

Since word of her photos has circulated, Hong said people are now offering compensation for her photography services.

When Hong has a vision, whether it’s her own or someone else’s, she wants to reveal it through a visual image.

“When you have an idea,” she said, “you want to make it come to life. Before a photo shoot, I like to see what I want: what kind of mood I want – what kind of poses … I just look at a photo, and I’m like, ‘I want

this,’ [but] when someone pays me … I want whatever idea they have to come to life.”

Hong’s photos feature everything from tiny trinkets to wide landscapes to silhouettes of her friends.

Hong featured one of her best friends, junior biology major Lyrics Goins, in two of her photo shoots.

Goins said she doesn’t usually like being in the spotlight, but she knew her friend wanted some photography experience.

“I knew that she had a lot of potential,” Goins said, “ and she just kept saying that she didn’t have any practice, so I was like, ‘I know – you can practice on me. Everyone will see how great they are, and then they’ll ask you to take pictures with them.’”

In one photo, Goins said she was surprised the girl in the picture was even her.

“There was one particular one where I just thought I looked so fierce,” she said, “like something completely unlike me, but it was good. It was really good.”

Goins said she could see Hong as a photographer in the future who captures a person inside the world of nature, “even if there’s a person just standing” in the middle of an open atmosphere.

According to Goins, Hong’s photos have a recurring theme: they each send a powerful message.

“They seem like they have a story behind it,” Goins said, “but it’s really just one picture.”

To see Hong’s photos or to book a photo shoot with her, visit her Instagram account, rebeccahong, or contact her online on her personal website at rebeccahong.com.

Graphic by Casey BrownPhotos by Rebecca Hong

Google Play Store kill me.”Neal said if she were to

use a homework app, she would be cheating herself out of the knowledge.

“I wouldn’t know anything for test days,” Neal said. “I would be complicating it further for me.”

Neal says that she understands that some people are in courses that don’t interest them or are just obstacles. Despite reasoning, Neal said “that’s cheating to me … either you do it or you don’t do it.”

Time, Inc.

Student Life6 December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

SGA weekly

Kaley PattersonA&E Editor

@KaleyKayPatt

Kent State study:Heavy phone usage leads to stressed college studentsTribune News Service

CU Winter Dance draws a crowd

Shaking it: CU students danced the night away at 9 p.m. on Dec. 4 in the MCC Ballroom. PAC hosted the annual Winter Dance - complete with decorations, drinks and snacks - while a DJ spinned songs that got most of the crowd dancing.

Photos by Casey Brown

The Cameron University Student Government Association tabled their last legislation of the semester, Resolution: 3114005, at the last meeting of the semester on Dec. 1.

Author Parliamentarian Zakariya Rajpari presented the bill to the governing body at the Nov. 17 meeting.

Resolution: 3114005 called for an increase of monetary support to Greek societies by request.

The bill outlined the success of the Greek communities on the Cameron campus and suggested that increased funding would enable fraternities to be more beneficial to current and future members, as well as to the Cameron and Lawton communities.

The legislation should have gone into final reading, questioning and voting at the SGA meeting on Nov. 24, but Rajpari was not in attendance.

On Dec. 1, Rajpari was not present to move Resolution: 3114005 along.

Vice President Nikki Kirk made a motion to table the legislation till fall semester of 2020.

The governing body approved the motion. The resolution will not be looked at again for another six years.

The CU SGA will reconvene in Jan. 2015 after the spring semester begins.

AKRON, Ohio - Frittering away hours on your smartphone playing games and using social media may seem like harmless fun.

But a new Kent State University study suggests it’s actually making you more uptight and stressed out, not to mention it’s keeping you from other rewarding activities.

Kent State researchers studied the cellphone habits, personalities and daily leisure activities of more than 450 college students, concluding that many need to disconnect more frequently from their phones.

“It’s just so critical for parents to encourage and teach their kids to approach their free time a little more creatively,” said Andrew Lepp, co-author of the study and an associate professor in Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services.

He and fellow Kent State researchers Jian Li and Jacob Barkley and graduate student Saba Salehi-Esfahani determined that heavy cellphone users - those using their phones about 10 hours a day - don’t have much of a personality outside their phones, are more prone to boredom and don’t have the social skills to entertain themselves with other activities.

About 25 percent of the students averaged more than 10 hours on their phones.

Those individuals are missing out on other experiences, Lepp said.

The results mirror studies done in the 1970s and 1980s on people who watched too much television, Lepp said.

The Kent State study, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, follows similar university research released last year that showed college students who use their cellphones

too much have lower grades and are more unhappy with their lives.

But some University of Akron students said their smartphones are handy while killing time between classes and useful for schoolwork.

“If I have free time, I always look at my phone because there’s so much stuff you can do on your phone,” Liz Merillat, 24, of Wooster, Ohio, said Tuesday inside the Polsky Building in downtown Akron.

She added that she has no trouble unplugging from it.

UA student London Curry, 17, of Akron said it depends on the individual whether it’s a problem. He has noticed some friends tuning him out during conversations so they can check their phones.

“That’s when you can say you’re on the phone too much,” he said.

To read the full study, go to: tinyurl.com/kyqk2cl.

A&E 7December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

Binge-watching Netflix

Marie BagwellStaff Writer

According the Netflix website, online streaming of Netflix first launched in 2007, which was two years before Netflix reached a total of 4.2 million viewers. Now, seven years later, Netflix has over 50 million members around the world.

Some people stream Netflix using their video game consoles or laptops. Other streamers use Internet connected televisions or streaming players.

Netflix has revolutionized the way television is watched.

Netflix introduced a new term to the world: binge-watching. If one types “binge” in the Google search bar, the two word suggestion “watching Netflix” will appear below. After pressing the enter key, one will discover several recommended shows to see while on a “binge-watch.”

The Netflix original series have turned into massive binge-watching hits, earning 31 primetime Emmy nominations in 2013, according to the Netflix website.

“House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black”

are the two television shows that brought Netflix their Emmy nominations and wins.

Other campus favorite shows to binge include BBC’s “Sherlock,” AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” and FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.”

Tiffany Watson, a political science major, said she enjoys watching “House of Cards” because it appeals to politics in a unique way.

“It’s kind of an extreme version of what our political system is,” Watson said.

Watson said the main character of “House of Cards,” Frank Underwood,

is her favorite because he narrates into the camera, making him sound as if “he is actually talking to you personally.”

Watson also enjoys “The Walking Dead” for its zombie aspect, as well as the survival techniques and protective relationships among its characters.

She said her favorite character is Carol because of her development throughout the show.

“You see such a big transition from a weak housewife, abused housewife to complete badass,” Watson said.

Watson said “Orange is the New Black” follows women who are placed into the prison system and who must learn how to cope with their situations.

“It’s how they form their own little groups and inner-circles and families,” she said.

Ultimately, the show appeals to her through its political realm.

Korin Sanda, a nursing major, is also a Netflix-watcher. She likes to watch “House of Cards,” as well “Damages,” “The L Word,” “Breaking Bad,” “Arrested Development” and “Dexter.”

According to the Internet

Movie Database, “Dexter” is about a police forensics expert in Miami who brings his own form of justice to criminals who have escaped proper justice. His form of justice is killing those who escaped justice.

Netflix offers eight seasons, all 96 episodes, of “Dexter,” and Netflix original “House of Cards” has two seasons, all 26 episodes, or chapters as they are referred to on Netflix, to binge-watch.

Netflix offers thousands of other television shows to meet the binge-watching needs of every viewer.

Photos by Kaley Patterson

Final curtain call for Film Geek host

Over the past three semesters, Film Geek has given Cameron Aggies the ins-and-outs of the best movies hitting the big screen.

Ashli Mathiews, the producer and host of Cameron’s television show “Film Geek” said goodbye to her viewers, cast and set during her last episode on Nov. 20, 2014, after providing weekly top-notch

reviews, celebrity news and guest interviews.

Her last episode of “Film Geek” featured a review of “Dumb and Dumber To” and a set filled with mixed emotions. While the entirety of those involved were excited for the final episode, Mathiews could not help but shed a tear or two as her time came to an end.

“This show meant a lot to me,” Mathiews said. “I’ve put a lot of hard work into it. [Director] Jereme [Cobb] and I had great times. There

were a couple of times that we disagreed … but in the end I couldn’t have asked for a better director. I really appreciate all of his help.”

During her last episode, she broke her traditional style. Usually, she begins the episode with celebrity and television news, shows the trailer for the day and then begins her interview with a guest.

This time, she began the episode with the trailer for “Dumb and Dumber To” and followed it with a review

and an interview with “Film Geek” guest Justin Winters. To wrap up her final episode of “Film Geek, “ Mathiews interviewed Dr. Matt Jenkins, her mentor and favorite professor.

Jenkins said Mathiews did a nice job when she took it upon herself to develop the show technically.

“She changed the whole look and feel of the show,” Jenkins said. “The other thing that she did that I really liked a lot was that she had guests from [the communication department] every week. She did everything that you would do for a TV show … and I think that’s a great experience.”

After about 100 hours of work throughout this semester and 34 total episodes from the beginning of her “Film Geek” career, Mathiews said she hopes the person who succeeds her will dedicate him or herself

whole-heartedly.“I just wish that somebody

will pour their heart into the show like I did and make it even better,” Mathiews said. “I have made sure that ‘Film Geek’ is first and foremost, at all times, before anything. I made sure ‘Film Geek’ was done, and done on time, and that everything was ready.”

Mathiews discovered her love for RTV during one of her first classes with Jenkins and eventually began working behind the scenes on “Film Geek” when former CU student Britany Pyfer ran the set. After Pyfer’s graduation, Mathiews stepped up to the plate and brought a new sense of style to the TV show.

She transformed the original show, which was complete with puppet reenactments, to a more technologically based show that featured trailers, guest interviews, computer graphics and green screen.

“I’ve looked at shows from day one,” Mathiews said, “and I’ve looked at shows from now, and I’m like, ‘Wow, there’s a big difference.’ [The final episode] was emotional. This is something that I have worked on for a year and half now.

“I want this to be my baby show, and one day, eventually I would like to do a bigger show. I’m glad I have this as a guide and some way to show people what I’ve done and how I’ve progressed.”

Cobb said one of the highlights of the show was working so closely with Mathiews and watching her develop into a new character each and every week.

“[It] has been a very neat experience for me,” Cobb said. “Watching this show evolve, along with all the other CUTV shows, gives me a sense of pride in the work that we do and makes me excited to see what we can do in the future.”

Charlene BelewManaging Editor

@cbelew15

Photos by Charlene Belew

A&E8 December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

Larimer-Conley showcased in Science Complex Gallery

Kaley PattersonA&E Editor

@KaleyKayPatt

Julie Larimer-Conley walked around the Cameron University Science Complex enthusiastically. She gazed at her collection of art and pointed at each piece as if she was painting it all over again, stroke-by-stroke. This was the first time a gallery had featured her creations.

Larimer-Conley considers herself an “artist/student.” Last semester, Larimer-Conley started her adventure as a learner at Cameron, but her journey as an artist

began long ago.“I’m taking classes to

improve my craft,” Larimer-Conley said. “I love art, and I have been an artist all my life … I believe it was something I was born to do. I asked my mother just the other day when I first started drawing, and she said, ‘Well, before you started primary school.’”

The exhibit in the Science Complex features 20 works produced by Larimer-Conley. Conley said she created a few of the pieces years ago and some of them while at Cameron.

“I wanted to show that I have been doing this for

most of my life,” she said. “Here [the Science Complex exhibit], it spans from ’84 to present, and most of the work has been within the last couple of years.”

A couple of Larimer-Conley’s pieces list prices for onlookers who are interested in purchasing them.

“In my adult life,” Larimer-Conley said, “I have been mainly a free-lance artist. I’ve done a lot of commissioned portraits and just worked a lot on my own. But it wasn’t until my husband, who is the dean of the biology department, and I moved here that I had the

opportunity to take some art classes. So, I checked it out, and it has been amazing; I’m hooked.”

Larimer-Conley described each of her pieces as if she knew it personally and had known it all her life – its past, present and future intertwined. She depicted the process of creating each one – how she created it, where she was, who she was with, when she was inspired and what it meant.

Some of her pieces are of the horses from her father’s ranch in Kansas. Larimer-Conley said equines were some of her first subjects,

and they continue to be her favorite. However, her recent fascination is with the nature right out her back door.

“Since I’ve moved here,” Larimer-Conley said, “I’ve got inspired by the Wichita Mountains. There’s something magical about the mountains; there really is.”

Professor Katherine Liontas-Warren introduced Larimer-Conley to plein air painting. They both venture out to the mountains with their art tools in tow in search of a subject to paint outdoors.

“I take my [supplies] usually to the mountains or somewhere in Medicine Park,” Larimer-Conley said. “That’s where I draw a lot of my drawings… My love right now is to be outdoors and paint. That is the most beautiful area. It just is, like I said, it’s like magic.

“When I sit down with my easel and my paint, it’s just, ah, it’s something you feel. I get inspired more by what I feel. If I see something

that inspires me and I feel it, then I’m definitely going to do a lot better at putting it on paper.”

Larimer-Conley hopes to showcase her art in other galleries across Oklahoma, but it’s fulfilling to her to have her art featured on Cameron campus.

“It’s very humbling, very humbling to me,” she said. “It’s just very exciting.”

‘A Better Tomorrow’ close, but missed for Wu-TangJacob Jardel

Assistant Managing Editor@JJardel_Writing

Nearly 21 years after the release of their groundbreaking debut album, Wu-Tang Clan proves with “A Better Tomorrow” that they are still no one to mess with.

That said, the Wu’s first full-Clan album in seven years falls just short of the years of hype leading up to it.

In 2010, members Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon released “Wu-Massacre,” a collaboration that all three felt was a rushed effort, but Meth told MTV that the release was not an effort to save the group. Instead, he voiced his wishes to get back with the group for an LP.

Then, early in 2014, Wu-Tang revealed the release of “A Better Tomorrow,” as well as “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” a 31-song studio album recorded in secret. However, the group released one physical copy of the LP, which currently resides in Morocco in a handcrafted silver and nickel box that is going at a current rate of $5 million.

As for “A Better Tomorrow,” news surrounding the album circulated around group discord, mostly pertaining to group conflict and feelings of a rushed product.

However, Wu-Tang’s

founding father and producer RZA unveiled the Boombot Rex 20th Anniversary Wu-Tang Edition before the release of the album. The device was a collaborative project with the company Boombotix that featured eight tracks, most of which are on the new album.

Furthermore, the album art for “A Better Tomorrow” also works as an animated gif image. Landmarks from across the world, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, all comprise a skyline as swirling clouds form the Wu-Tang logo before the album name appears in black letters on top of the logo.

Overall, “A Better Tomorrow” had quite

the buzz inside and outside of the hip-hop community, with the various technological integrations, including the gif cover and the Boombot Rex. This hype did a good job of building up excitement for the album, and it was cool to see the group collaborate to get things done.

However, the album itself does not quite live up to this hype.

That’s not to say “A Better Tomorrow” is a horrible album. It’s far from it. But do not go in expecting the next “Enter the 36 Chambers” or something of that caliber.

The leadoff track for the album, “Ruckus in B Minor,” does bring a bit of a modern spin to the “Chambers”

sound. The track starts with a vocal-synth intro that leads into a sample from late member Ol’ Dirty Bastard on top of booming bass and a high-mid combo reminiscent of the sound that brought the Wu-Tang Clan to the front.

The track gets you thinking that Wu-Tang is, as Meth raps in the hook, “still number one.”

However, the rest of the tracks fall into three categories: prime cuts of music, noble efforts that do not live up to potential and attempts that you either forget or would rather forget.

Two other songs fall into the first category. “Ron O’Neal” and the album’s title track were both pre-

released songs that truly show what the Wu can do. Smooth sounds and samples, paired with expert lyricism throughout, both verse and hook.

“Ron O’Neal” does well to combine the bass and keys emphasis of the old school with modern guitar and horns. Nathaniel ’s smooth hook provides a fitting juxtaposition to gravely verses from Ghostface Killah that meld together superbly with the sound.

The track “A Better Tomorrow” picks up where “Ron O’Neal” left off. However, it takes the street chronicle subject matter in a different direction both musically and contextually, with samples from Harold

Melvin & the Blue Notes’ 1975 hit “Wake Up Everybody” and lyrics that motivate listeners to achieve that better tomorrow.

The songs that fell just short of potential comprise about 40 percent of the album, particularly pre-release “Keep Watch.” As a solo track, it excels with a rhythmic amalgam of old- and new-school R&B.

When put in context of the rest of the album, though, it works as a supporting track with no overt flaws or outstanding strengths.

The remaining 40 percent of the 15-track album are songs that veer into the forgettable range. A four-song stretch from “Miracle” to “Necklace” plagues itself with repetitive hooks, forced-sounding lyrics, copious unused instrumental space and disjointed sounds.

Overall, “A Better Tomorrow” is a well-done hip-hop album that pays homage to various sources of inspiration for the Wu-Tang Clan, while giving its members a chance to verbally flex as a group again. The sound synthesizes classic and modern sounds, and the album’s best verses properly showcase the Wu’s lyrical prowess.

However, with the associated hype and the pedigree of the group, the record falls short of expectations, resulting in an above-average record worth listening to.

A&E SHORTS‘Handel’s Messia’

‘Handel’s Messia’ will be co-sponsored by the Lawton Schubert Music Club, Fort Sill’s New Post Chapel and the Cameron University Department of Music from 8-10 p.m. on Dec. 13 in the McMahon Auditorium. Admission is free.

‘The Game’s Afoot!’The Lawton Community Theatre will perform “The Game’s Afoot!” on Dec. 11-14. Call the LCT box office for more information, 580-335-1600.

34th Annual Living Christmas TreeThe First Baptist Church of Lawton-Ft. Sill will perform the 34th Annual Living Christmas Tree, “My Heart Longs for Christmas,” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12 and at 6 p.m. on Dec. 13-14. There will be a special matinee performance for military personnel at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 Admission is free and childcare will be provided. Donations of non-perishable food items are accepted for community food baskets. For more information, call 580-353-1770.

Photos by Kaley Patterson

Photo by Kaley Patterson

Technology 9December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

Even for those who haven’t read the books, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” is a great movie.

Surely, there is an extra level of depth that accompanies the movie experience if a viewer previously read the book. However, there is a lot through which to dig with the movie as is.

To avoid heavy spoilers, Katniss’ actions throughout the book and movie series gain her adoration from the non-entitled masses and a spot at the head of potential revolution.

Fair warning – what follows may contain spoilers both minor and major. Read with caution.

“Mockingjay, Part 1” picks up after Katniss and her crew wreak havoc during the 75th Hunger Games depicted in “Catching Fire.” Katniss wakes up in what remains of District 13, the former site of the quelled revolution that started the games.

She meets with former game maker Plutarch Heavensbee and District President Alma Coin and, after heated discussion and much cajoling, agrees to be the symbol of the new revolution – the Mockingjay.

Meanwhile, in the Capitol, President Coriolanus Snow holds other tributes hostage – particularly Peeta Mellark, joint winner of the 74th games and Katniss’ perceived love interest. Snow has used Peeta as the face of his efforts to quell any revolution.

Throughout the movie, the chess match between Snow

and the revolution provides an ebb and flow that viewers feel on a cerebral level. When Katniss makes one move, Snow either anticipates and counters it or trips up from the rug pulled out from under him.

Yet, there are also moments in which the back and forth is more visceral. Viewers and on-screen revolutionaries rally around Mockingjay symbols to attempt to dismantle the regime. When the Capitol responds, viewers – on screen and off – feel the pit in their stomachs.

This tug of war between the revolt and the regime provides for a number of intense moments throughout the film, though it takes a bit of build to get there.

The beginning of the film features numerous scenes of Katniss debating with Coin and Heavensbee, as she explores the aftermath of violence in her home district and slowly gets the feel of being the Mockingjay. The scenes are not only emotional exposition, but they are also slowly paced in comparison.

Regardless, Jennifer Lawrence does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Katniss’ fire against the regime. She shines as a reluctant lead that finds her fuel in the injustices against fellow humans, and her emotions shine through in a number of scenes

in which her loved ones are in jeopardy.The supporting cast also steps up their game throughout

the movie. Julianne Moore is a near perfect cast for Coin, while Donald Sutherland evokes everyone’s ire as Snow. Natalie Dormer also did well in the debut of “The Hunger Games” as

Cressida, the revolution’s propaganda film director.Elizabeth Banks, Liam Hemsworth, Phillip Seymour

Hoffman, Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson all reprise their roles well. Hutcherson’s performance of a torn and tortured Peeta stands out in a way that hits viewers in the gut.

Visually, the movie is stunning – even in standard movie definitions. The cinematographers excellently

capture the ethos of the movie, from Katniss’ first shots as reluctant revolutionary leader to the intense, final

scenes with Peeta.Though the use of shaky-cam can be a bit overwhelming

to those not expecting it, the technique works in context of the scenes. The only other complaint involves dizzying shots and overtly dark lighting in a stairwell scene; however, again, the choices work well in context.

The one aspect of the movie that grips the most is the music – particularly the film score. James Newton Howard’s score does a fantastic job of evoking the emotions of scenes both jovial and tragic.

Overall, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1,” may not be a perfect movie or a perfect adaptation of a novel. However, with gripping music, excellent cinematography and fantastic acting from marquee names, the movie is well worth a watch or two.

This review contains film and book spoilers.

Overall, the film is a success. As far as book adaptations go, the film is successful because it focuses on the main conflict of the growing rebellion throughout the entire two hours.

Additionally, the performances from the cast are impressive. Jenifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Clafin, Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman all nail it.

One of the most memorable and interesting aspects of the film is Katniss Everdeen’s evolution into the

Mockingjay.The scenes in which she

interacts with citizens and decides to do her part in the rebellion are poignant and touching. Audiences around the world likely shed many tears when she walks into the hospital and sees the wounded and dying citizens of District 8. The scene in which Katniss commits to being the Mockingjay, speaking out over the ashes of the hospital after the Capitol bombed it, is chill educing.

Many people have argued that in the first and second films, Peeta stole the show. In this film, Finnick, played by Sam Claflin, is a background character with quite a bit of screen time and a beautiful performance during his main scene. Perhaps this time it was

Finnick who steals the show. That isn’t to say that Jennifer

Lawrence’s performance as Katniss Everdeen is anything less than great, but there is only so much Lawrence can do with a character as poorly written as Katniss. She is not the most likely choice for the protagonist in the books, which translates to some degree to the films. However, Lawrence improves on the inconsistencies and pointless hesitations of the Katniss Everdeen in print.

Peeta’s and Finnick’s stories are much more compelling than Katniss’, in the books and the films.

Despite the film’s length, it is faced-paced and does not drag on. In fact, an audience rarely has time to catch their breath, between all the fighting, violence and tension.

The most remarkable aspect of the film is the number of breathtaking shots. Toward

The Collegian tech and gaming gift guide

Jacob Jardeland

Jereme CobbCollegian Staff

Casey BrownStudent Life Editor@CaseyBrown_CU

Jacob JardelAssistant Managing Editor

@JJardel_Writing

‘Mockingjay’ well done on screen and on page

With the holiday season coming up and stores stocking up their best wares, it can be tough to determine what to get for your friends and family – or even for yourself.

For gamers, the decision can be a bit tougher because of the influx of titles, both new and old, from which to choose. For tech lovers, deciding what gadgets are worth the time and money

is nowhere near as easy as finding them.

While this buying guide is not the comprehensive end-all-be-all list of things to buy, it can help alleviate some of the stressors when buying for this holiday season. All listed prices are before tax.

•PNY Metal USB drive ($10-$30). This small-yet-sturdy little drive is the perfect size for key chains.

•Google Chromecast ($25-$35). Google’s content streaming device gives users fast content loading speeds at a lower price, but it requires a mobile devices or laptop to play content.

•Kingston Digital MobileLite Wireless Flash Reader ($35-$59). The reader allows users to plug in USB drives and SD cards to access content using the Kingston app on your Android or iOS device. Plus, it can recharge devices on the go.

•The Jabra Clipper and Jabra Play ($30-$60). These Bluetooth audio receivers allow users to listen to music or take calls. Users can use their own headphones and can take calls using the built-in mic.

•Roku 3 ($99). This version of the streaming device has best reviews and content out of all other contenders on the market. It has the widest selection of channels in its price range and includes a headphone jack on the remote.

•Kindle Fire HD 6 Tablet ($99). The six-inch tablet runs Amazon’s Fire OS 4 and has the Amazon app store. This well-priced tablet offers solid performance and access to the Kindle Lending Library

•Jawbone JamBox ($100-$150). These high-end speakers offer sturdy construction and great size combined with solid audio quality in a portable design.

•The Pebble and the Pebble Steel Watch ($99-$199). These watches offer users a good introduction into smart watches. With battery lives of up to seven days on one charge and waterproof capabilities up to 50 meter, both items do a lot for a small

price. For gamers who need

something on which to play games, there are various consoles.

•Sony PlayStation 4 ($399.99) aims to expand the gaming community with the inclusion of apps, a built-in “Share” button on the DualShock 4, the numerous capabilities of PlayStation Plus and Remote Play from Sony’s handheld console, the PS Vita ($199.99).

•Sony PlayStation TV ($99.99) can work as a second console that streams games and acts as a remote play so that the whole family can join in on the gaming experience.

•Xbox One (standalone console ($349.99), with Kinect Device ($449.99). While Kinect gives players a chance to use their bodies as controllers, gamers do not need it to experience the system, marketed as an all-in-one media device with game capabilities. Like the PlayStation, the Xbox One comes in a variety of bundle packs for the holiday season.

•Nintendo Wii U (Deluxe Console, $299.99), 3DS ($169.99 - $199.99) and 2DS ($129.99). The trio of Nintendo consoles feature remote play and a robust variety of games that can keep gamers of all ages looking at screens large and small.

For those who have the consoles they want, this season offers numerous games ($59.99 on console, $39.99 on handheld).

•Grand Theft Auto V. The newest iteration of the open-world sandbox games made its way onto the current generation consoles, offering a great story and a great accompanying soundtrack.

•Far Cry 4. This first-person action game continues the legacy of the highly acclaimed and established series across the consoles. The island backdrop to the great story makes this game one to watch for.

•Dragon Age Inquisition. The fantasy role playing game adds new depth to the already-deep world of Dragon Age. From gameplay to orchestration, the game gives fans hours of entertainment.

•Destiny. One of the most acclaimed shooters of the year, this game puts RPG twists into the shooter world, giving the genre’s heavy hitters a run for their money.

•Super Smash Bros. The fourth iteration of Nintendo’s flagship brawler comes complete with features old and new and a unique experience for both the Wii U and the 3DS.

•Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby. The Pokémon series continues with a modernization of Generation III for the 3DS, packed with new features that provide a unique experience for the new system.

the end of the film, a crew goes to rescue Peeta from the Capitol. As they descend into the building, a beautiful, wide-angle shot shows five people suspended from the ceiling as they climb down. The camera stays with them for a few extra seconds, which really highlights the amount of danger they are in. That one shot paired with the extra seconds of film time ramp up the tension.

Speaking of tension, “Mockingjay, Part One” does a great job of setting up the tension that will come in Part Two. Book readers know how the story concludes and can only guess that fourth and final film will bring as an adequate finale.

For example, the many shots of the citizens of District 13 who listen to President Coin speak set up the juxtaposition of her leadership versus President Snow’s leadership.

The books effectively send the message that the Capitol might not be the only enemy of peace.

When the District 13 citizens listen attentively to President Coin addressing them, they often look like lemmings or robots. They infrequently become animated, but when they do, they resemble the hungry crowds of the Capitol during the first two films. The citizens of the Capitol watch as children are put into the arena of the Hunger Games, while the citizens of District 13 watch as President Coin manipulates Katniss, also a child.

This mirroring of images

gives viewers

the clue that some of the

major themes of the novel will

translate onto the screen during Part Two.

Overall, as far as adaptations go, the first three films of “The Hunger Games” have done something that adaptations rarely can: improve the books.

The movie-goer’s view

The reader’s view

Tribune News Service

Tribune News Service

Tribune News Service

Technology10 December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

“I am looking forward to

some sort of smart phone

with hologram capablities.”

Dr. Tony WholersDirector of Academic

Enrichment

“The first technology I owned was my Sony Walkman from the 1980s. Perhaps I’d like a device that could stop time so I can get things done. Or a time a machine that can take me back to the 80s where I could

listen to my Walkman.”Jennifer Pruchnicki

Director of Student Development

“I hope that the future will present a

jetpack.”Karla Rucobo

English and Foreign Languages

Department Secretary

“I think the future will bring a way to hook humans up to the computers to download

knowledge from the Internet or other sources.”

Ryan FloodCoach and Athletic Trainer

“I believe the first technological item I ever

owned, at age six and in the first grade, was a pencil.”

Dr. John MorrisEnglish Professor

“I remember having a casette player with a microphone. I really hope that in the future, we have

those microwaves from the first Spy Kids movie where you put in a packet and out pops a

cheeseburger.”Megan Canfield

Student Activities Specialist

“I remember getting an Atari 2600 gaming system in 1980 ... That seemed

pretty futuristic at the time. I’m rooting for more advanced medical

technology.” Dr. Lance Janda

Professor and ChairDepartment of History and Government

“The first technology I owned was a crystal radio set my brother brought

me for Christmas. Today, my iPhone is the most advanced thing I use.”

Steve AdamsCommunication Professor

“My first electronic, that I remember, was a game

called Electronic Quarterback from Coleco. Is there a

piece of technology that can kill the internet? If the internet is the

future, I’m already bored by it.”

George McCormick

English Professor

“I’d love to have one of those things from the old StarTrek series that create food and

drink ... you can sign me up for an ID chip that would consolidate all of the various cards that

I have to carry in my little finger.”Dr. Marge Kingsley

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs

“Though I love technology and it is so helpful, time saving, etc. I just

wonder what it means for our future.”

Teddy WorthingtonAdjunct Faculty

“At age 12, I discovered my father’s 8mm movie camera squirreled away in the back of the hall closet. After figuring out it needed a roll of film, I relentlessly nagged my mother to

purchase a roll.”Dr. Matt Jenkins

Communication Professor

“The first real form of technology I owned was a clock, fire-engine red and emblazoned on its face with a

rooster. When the alarm went off, the rooster crowed. [But I’m] still waiting

for a toaster that works.”Ellis Hooley

Assistant Director of the Center for Writers

“When I was a little kid, like 3, I had this Fisher Price tape recorder boombox that I would carry around

listening to tapes and singing.”Dr. Edris Montalvo

Assistant Professor of Geography

Technology: the past, the present and the future

The long awaited iPhone 6 has finally graced the world with its larger-than-life presence. Well, it has been out for some time now; I just finally got my small hands on it.

I received my first Apple product when I was in middle school. I started off with the iPod Nano and never upgraded products until I acquired the iPhone 4S two years ago. I skipped out on the iPhone 5, 5S and 5C because I wasn’t due for an upgrade, but I finally earned an upgrade two months after the iPhone 6 came out this year.

Just to clarify: no, it does not bend, and no, you cannot charge it in the microwave – don’t believe everything on the Internet, people.

When I first saw my new phone, I said, “Oh, my gosh. It’s huge.” The iPhone 6 is as big as my hand, and I’ve even had to resort to texting with two thumbs because if I hold the phone in one hand, it’s almost unbalanced. I’m not saying the humongous size is bad; I actually really like it. I think if I would’ve had the iPhone 5 prior to receiving the iPhone 6, then the size adjustment wouldn’t have been that

surprising. The greatest thing about the

bigger size is I feel like I can actually see the contents on my phone. Scrolling through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram is more appealing. Pictures and videos look much clearer, too, but if you have small hands like me, then taking selfies just got more difficult.

Another huge adjustment was the lock button. On the one hand, all previous iPhones, iPods and iPads have the lock button located on the top right corner of the device. The iPhone 6, on the other hand, has the lock button located off to the side on the right. What is this, an Android? I sometimes catch myself uncontrollably pressing the top right of my phone desperately trying to lock it. This change has also made it difficult to take screen shots. A slight relocation of one button has caused me to make some huge adjustments.

I’m a music junkie, and with my last iPhone, the Shazam app never worked properly. Now with the iPhone 6, I can ask Siri what song is playing, then she’ll listen to it and tell me what song it is. This feature may be new with iOS 8, but I just discovered it when I got the

iPhone 6, and I think it’s awesome.A cool app that came on my

new phone is the Tips app. Every time there’s a new update, this app will give you tips and tricks about the new features on the phone that came with the latest update. This has been very helpful because I’d never updated my old phone to iOS 8. The app has given me tons of tips on how to use a lot of helpful features on my phone.

There’s one important thing to buy if you’re thinking about getting the iPhone 6: get a case. iPhones are delicate. I tragically learned that with my last phone. The one day I removed my case from my phone was the day I dropped it, which not only shattered the front screen but also my heart. There’s nothing more unappealing to the eye than a busted up glass phone screen.

I had an Otterbox for my last phone, and I loved it so much that I got one for my iPhone 6. Like all millennials, I did various online research on my case before I bought it. I first looked at the Otterbox Commuter series for the iPhone 6 because that was the model I previously had. I read reviews over it on Amazon and Otterbox’s website; they were awful. I learned

from those who have purchased the case that the dimensions were off. I found this was a true factor for many cases that were made for the iPhone 6. I ended up buying the Otterbox Symmetry series for the iPhone 6. It has great reviews, comes in stylish colors, looks sleek, isn’t bulky and fits my phone perfectly. My advice: don’t go cheap on a case.

I haven’t had any problems with the iPhone 6 itself. I’ve been very satisfied with my upgrade. However, one major problem I had ( and it wasn’t with the phone) was that all of my contacts were not properly backed up to the iCloud, so I had to manually enter all of my

iPhone 6 proves a sizeable upgradeKaley Patterson

A&E Editor@KaleyKayPatt

contacts. If you’re thinking about upgrading, then make sure all of your content is backed up to the iCloud. Other than that, if you can upgrade, do it.

Graphic by Charlene Belew

Graphics by Charlene Belew

Sports 11December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

Lady Aggies capture first season winKrista Pylant

Sports Editor@KristaPylant8

The Cameron women’s basketball team experienced their first win of the season on Nov. 28 at the West Texas A&M Lady Buff Invite in Canyon, Texas.

The Lady Aggies broke their four game losing streak by defeating Harding University 76-70 on the first day of the invite to bring their season record to 1-4.

Two weeks prior, the Black and Gold fell to number eight Harding in a 115-84 loss but got revenge on the Lady Buffs to snap their undefeated start to the season.

Cameron women’s head coach, Tom Webb, said the Lady Aggies’ short memory regarding the previous loss to Harding served them well going into their second match-up with the Lady Buffs.

“We just explained to the kids not to worry about wins and losses,” Webb said in a press release. “We need to play each possession and not take any possession off. When we played them [Harding] a couple of weeks ago, we were banged up and playing girls in different positions that they weren’t used to.

“We also didn’t rebound and fly up the court very well last time, but we did those things today ... I’m proud of the girls and their effort to get the win today.”

Junior Brandi Leal led the offensive attack for CU with a season high 21 points off of 6-12 shooting on the floor.

Senior Jazzmine Robinson added 18 points and eight defensive rebounds to pair with Senior Jade Herl, who had another double-figure game with 14 points and knocked down four three pointers.

Harding led the entire first period to go into halftime with a 44-38 advantage and held an eight point advantage

three minutes into the second half until Robinson scored five unanswered points for CU and Leal hit a three pointer to tie the game at the 16 minute marker.

Both teams traded points, and the lead, until Herl and Robinson hit back-to-back three pointers that allowed the Aggies to retake the advantage with 3:37 remaining. The

Lady Aggies never looked back and went on to win 76-70.

Cameron took to the court the following day for a match-up with Truman State University, but five points proved to be the difference in an 80-75 loss for the Black and Gold.

The loss pushed Cameron back to a 1-5 record overall while Truman State goes to

4-2 for the season.Even though the Lady

Aggies lost the game, Robinson obtained an individual accomplishment by scoring a career-high 31 points and went 11-19 from the field in the battle against the Bulldogs.

Following her strong performance in the weekend’s contests where she averaged

24.5 points in both contests, Robinson was named to the PAK-A-SAK West Texas Lady Buff Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team.

Robinson and the Lady Aggies return to their home court at 2 p.m. on Dec. 6 for a game against Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the Aggie Gym.

CU Men struggle on road

Krista PylantSports Editor

@KristaPylant8

After a solid 3-0 start to the season, the CU men’s basketball team is now experiencing some road woes that began Nov. 25 with a 66-64 loss to Arkansas Tech University.

The close road struggles continued for the Cameron men in the Drury Classic Tournament held Nov. 28-29 in Springfield, Mo.

The Aggies fell short to the number four ranked Drury University 78-71 and the following day, lost a 96-95 heartbreaker in overtime to East Central University

(ECU).On the Dec. 1 episode of

Game Time, senior guard Desmond Henry said that the three game losing streak was an eye opener and a humbling experience.

“It was a tough stretch,” Henry said. “I’m glad that our guys can learn something from it. Those teams that we played are all pretty good.

“It’s just that we couldn’t capitalize in the clutch, and turnovers and missed free throws can hurt us down the stretch. All we can do is learn from it and move forward.”

On Nov. 28, the Aggies went to work against the Drury Panthers who led a strong offensive attack in

the first half of the game to lead 43-24.

The Black and Gold headed to the locker room trailing by 19 points at the half but managed to pull even with the Panthers; however, CU would later fall 78-71 for their second loss in a row.

Junior Jamaal Brantley led the Aggies in points, scoring 21 to pair with junior Deondre Ray’s 18 points of the night.

Next, CU took on ECU for another non-conference match-up on Nov. 29. At the half, the Aggies held a 52-48 advantage, but turnovers in the second half would cost Cameron with 14 committed that led to 13 points for East Central.

With 45 seconds remaining, Cameron led by seven points following a layup

by CU’s Tank Mayberry to give the Black and Gold an 85-78 lead. However, ECU responded by scoring six unanswered points to trail CU by one with 12 seconds remaining.

Bruce Barron put up a point for the Aggies from the line, but a turnover and Aggie fouls allowed a pair of ECU free throws to take the game to overtime.

The Aggies fell short to the Tigers in overtime to fall by one for the loss.

The Cameron men will return to action against Oklahoma Christian University at 3 p.m. on Dec. 6 in Oklahoma City.

Photo courtesy of Mike Mazzo

Photo courtesy of UAA Athletics

Driving the lane: Guard Jazzmine Robinson handles the ball during a game from the 2013-2014 season. Robinson was named to the PAK-A-SAK West Texas Lady Buff Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team, and the Lady Aggies notched their first win of the 2014-2015 season.

Sports12 December 8, 2014www.aggiecentral.com

Jacob JardelAssistant Managing Editor

@JJardel_Writing

Keep your head up: technology and concussions

One of the running concerns in the world of sports medicine is the treatment of concussions, especially among student athletes.

Throughout the years, doctors have studied the effects of concussions on many former athletes - particularly football players – to see the long-term effects of the injury. The National Football League, for example, has put in numerous efforts to prevent these head injuries.

After news hit of the suicide-related death of former Ohio State player Kosta Karageorge, concussions turned into a more vital concern.

According to the Cameron head athletic trainer, Andrew Batista, Cameron’s lack of football does set the university apart from others regarding the prevalence of concussions.

“We do have occasional issues with basketball, baseball and softball,” he said, “but overall, we are very lucky compared to other universities.”

Regardless, Batista says that Cameron’s athletic program has taken strides in the direction of proper care for Aggie athletes who have sustained concussions. More specifically,

the treatment has become more symptom-based.

“What this means is that instead of initial evaluation defining timetables and grades,” Batista said, “it has been determined that symptoms, such as headache, stomachache, trouble focusing, etc., have been

added to the evaluation and treatment process. The biggest addition to the treatment process is the incorporation of stress reduction to the treatment process.”

To help identify and treat concussions in student athletes, the Cameron sports teams have

a variety of technology at their disposal. Batista said the main program the university uses is the Pearson Concussion Vital Signs, which trainers and team doctors can review.

“This is an online detection testing that uses such tests as the Stroop test, Shifting Attention Test, etc.,” Batista said, “that have been used for years to understand several different parts of the brain functioning.”

Other tests available to study concussions include the Standard Assessment of Concussion and Impact tests to observe brain function. Furthermore, the Balance Error Scoring System test is a universally-available test for balance, kinesthesia and proprioception.

On top of the technology available at CU, the Aggie athletic trainers have access to Anne McClure’s Physical Therapy Solutions in Lawton,

which helps with other medical needs. According to Batista, the clinic has been an invaluable resource.

“We have been very lucky to have a good relationship with Anne and her clinic,” he said, “which has cutting edge technology.”

Outside of the technology realm, much of the treatment for concussed Cameron athletes translates into the classroom. Dr. Keith Vitense, faculty athletic adviser, has led the way in advocating proper classroom-based assistance for athletes with concussions.

“Professors in all departments at the school have also been great in allowing for accommodations in this area as well,” Batista said. “The stress of concentrating exams, quizzes, homework or just maintenance studying can actually be grating on a healing brain.”

The main aim for Batista

and the other trainers is to help the brain completely rest, even if it means giving up cell phone use, television viewing and other modern technological amenities. Though rough for the athletes, Batista feels this aspect is vital to healing.

“Ideally,” he said, “we have them sleeping and drinking tons of water after we clear life-threatening injury.”

Regardless of whether the healing aid comes from the classroom or from tech, Batista believes the key to the progress the nation has made in concussion treatment comes from understanding the injury, from initial trauma to long-term effects.

“It is due to this that we are better able to deal with the injury and

prevent or minimize long-term effects to the student-athlete,” he said, “as well as the short term.”Furthermore, Batista

said that this understanding has brought insight that helps trainers treat players both technologically and psychologically.

“It has helped us [athletic trainers] not lose sleep at night,” he said, “– being able to be reassured that we are doing everything in our power to put the student athlete in a position where they will succeed, and that the entire support system … [is] on-board with the treatment plan and [understands] how serious and long-lasting these injuries can be.”

For Batista, the knowledge available now is only the beginning of where trainers and technology can take treatment.

“I see this understanding only growing,” he said, “[as well as] our ability to minimize the effects of this injury to very safe levels.”

Aggie runner qualifies for nationals

Running down a dream: Senior Cross Country captain Thomas Toth races to the front of the field during the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 22 in Denver, Colo. Toth’s 32:26 ninth place finish at the 10,000 meter regional earned him a bid in the NCAA Division II National Championship race set to begin on Dec. 6 in Louisville, Ky. He is the first Aggie runner since 2009 to advance to the national meet. By finishing in the top 25, Toth also earned All-United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association South Central Region honors. As a team, the Aggies placed 13th overall in the 20 team field.

Tribune News Service

Tribune News Service

Photo courtesy of Andy Schlichting

Stable body, stable mind: In both photos, Cervifit creator Alan Phillipson, (left), and football player Rodney Lamar, (right), demonstrate the use of the Cervifit concussion-prevention device. The Cervifit is one of many concussion prevention technologies developed to help reduce head injuries.