University Press February 21, 2019

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 95, No. 16 February 21, 2019

‘Collage’ to merge musical styles Morgan Collier UP contributor

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

Noah Carter, Kountze freshman, plays his bass trombone before class, Monday, in the Jimmy Simmons Music Building. Carter will play in the Wind Ensemble in preparation for the Music Collage Fundraiser set for Tuesday.

From opera to jazz, students and faculty of the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music will present the Collage Music Fundraiser Concert, Tuesday, in the University Theatre — admission is $25.

“This fundraiser is designed to assist students with their studies at Lamar and improve their overall experience,” Brian Shook, department chair and associate professor of music, said. “The funds can be used for scholarships, improvement of resources, guest artists, etc.”

Performances will feature 10 ensembles from the department’s large ensembles, small chamber groups, and a variety of students and faculty members.

“It’s basically a show and tell of the music arts programs,” Maesey Arnett, senior percussionist, said.

Audience members will get a taste of a wide variety of music styles, Shook said.

“My favorite piece we are playing is ‘Belly Dance’ from symphonic suite, because it has a lot of percussion stuff in it and it’s fast and fun,” Arnett said.

Arnett said the wind ensemble and the choir will also perform together.

“I’m looking forward to the choir piece, because we don’t often get to perform with them, so this will be an interesting experience for a beautiful piece,” she said.

Shook said the bands have been practicing since last semester, and the planSee MUSIC page 2

— BLACK HISTORY MONTH —

Port Arthur mayor accepts challenges, successes in life Eleanor Skelton UP contributor

LU event to spotlight academia Tiana Johnson UP contributor

When Derrick Freeman was elected mayor of Port Arthur, his home town, it was the culmination of years of hard work inspired by his father’s dying words.

“Derrick, I have taken you as far as I can,” his father said, before he died from cancer in 2006. “You gotta take it the rest of the way.”

Freeman succeeded Deloris Prince, who was the city’s first black female mayor, to be the first black man to hold the office. He said Black History Month is an important reminder of his history.

“Black history for me is just a reminder of how strong my ancestors were,” he said. “I grew up with a blondhaired, blue-eyed

Celebrating Academic Excellence will spotlight the academic success of Lamar’s African American students. This event will be held on Feb. 22, at the MCM Eleganté Hotel from 7 p.m to 9 p.m.

This event will be the first of its kind.

“One of the things we want to do, is highlight the positive contribution of our black African American students and we strongly believe this is a program that can do this,” Imelda Wicks, executive director of diversity, inclusive excel-

See BLACK HISTORY page 4

white woman as my mother and my father was black in the 70s, so my experience is a little different.”

Interracial marriage wasn’t legal in Texas until 1967. His mother and father married about eight years later.

“You could tell how taboo it was then,” he said. “Growing up in Port Arthur, I got to experience both sides. There was only one skateboard ramp in the city, and it happened to be across the street from my house. I was the only black kid that could skateboard in the neighborhood — doing stuff that a lot of times, black kids weren’t doing.”

Black History Month is a constant reminder that Freeman has to carry the baton, he said.

“My ancestors were so strong, strong enough to get me here,” he said. “A lot of times, folks ask how I’m able to handle some of the pressures that come with being the mayor of Port Arthur. I just have so many people that believed in me, so many people before me that were much stronger, that I don’t want to let them down.

“I get up every day thinking about them and the sacrifices that they made. My father worked 35 years in the refinery. It was, ‘I did this so you don’t have to.’”

Freeman’s father came from Louisiana, and his grandfa-

ther grew up off a dirt road on a sharecropper farm.

“To say that my grandfather’s grandson is the mayor of Port Arthur is something that my family is proud of,” he said. “It’s a testament to their endurance, their strength, their perseverance, their patience.

“They set the stage for me. And, hopefully, I’ll be able to leave a legacy for folks that come after me.

You don’t want to be me, be better than me, I’m not doing this so someone can be the next Derrick Freeman — I’m doing this so someone can be the next you.”

Freeman has been in office for almost three years. Port Arthur has term limits, so if he is re-elected in May, his second term would be his last. With five years from city council, he’s already been in municipal government for eight years.

“I’m a Port Arthur guy, born and bred,” he said.

The Port Arthur-native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1994. After high school, he went to Lamar University as well as University of Texas at El Paso and Liberty University. He married his high school sweetheart, also from Port Arthur, and together they have five children.

“I started (in office) when my kids didn’t have any teeth, now they’re in junior high,” he said.

The 42-year-old mayor said he has learned from other city councilors.

See MAYOR page 2

BCP to present ‘Disaster’ Feb. 22-March 9 Vy Nguyen UP staff writer

Beaumont Community Players will present the musical, “Disaster,” Feb. 22 to March 9 in the Betty Greenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

The musical, written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, directed by Donny Avery will sail the audience away on New York’s gambling casino and disco nightclub cruise filled with unforgettable ‘70s hits and unavoidable natural disasters.

“I’m attracted to a lot of shows that have a lot of silly

humor,” Avery said. “You have that on top of the music that people know, and I think that’s going to be a huge attraction for the show.”

Avery said ‘Disaster,’ the musical is a parody based off of classic disaster films from the 1970s like “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Airport,” “The Towering Inferno” and “Piranha.”

“These big, dramatic, huge disaster films about big earthquakes, tsunamis, tidal waves or infernos,” he said. “This sort of combines all of those elements and put it into a musical.”

Avery said that the cast

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is introduced as the boat set sail from New York’s pier in the first act.

“We have ten leads, which is great, since everyone gets great little parts and even the ensembles are fantastic because they get to do so much,” he said. “In the second act, they first encounter an earthquake, a tidal wave, rats, sharks, fire and all of these things in a hilarious way.”

The whole dynamic of the cast throughout the story combined with the music and its humor, sets See DISASTER page 8

UP photo by Abigail Pennington

The cast of Beaumont Community Players’ “Disaster: The Musical” rehearse at the Betty Greenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

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INSIDE

QUOTE OF THE DAY “Freedom is never really won, you earn it in every generation.”

Thursday, February 21, 2019 University Press

MAYOR

from page 1

“As a youngster, what I’ve learned is that I have to do the basics first. I’ve had to earn folks’ respect. Once I’ve earned their respect, then they’re more open to listen to creative ideas.

“There are folks on council, some of the older generation, that were constant soldiers and troopers during some of the Civil Rights and Jim Crow-era segregation that happened in Port Arthur,” he said. “Now that we’re a minority-majority city, it’s like we’re fighting ourselves.

“I still try to pull from their knowledge and the experiences that they’ve had to move our city forward. It’s been good in the city of Port Arthur, but we have a long way to go. We have a lot of work to do.”

Freeman said part of his vision for Port Arthur is downtown revitalization.

“I’ve seen other downtowns in different areas around the nation,” he said.

“The way they turned the corner and revitalized was with the art community. The downtown area becomes a cove where folks come and feed off each other’s artistic

MUSIC

—Coretta Scott King

Page 2

abilities, and grow the downtown area.

“Hopefully, somebody sees something in Port Arthur downtown and wants to do something with it. That would be awesome.”

The downtown structures are still standing strong after several major hurricanes, he said.

“These buildings have very strong bones,” he said. “It’s just a matter of someone coming in and seeing the value in the buildings and turning it around.

“The EDC building used to be a savings and loan bank that we totally got redone,” he said. “They found murals from the 1920s when they started pulling back walls, so it’s extremely beautiful.”

The builders chose to keep the original vault door in the conference room, Freeman said, keeping a little bit of history.

Freeman said he has loved having artists paint the seawall. He wants to bring more art to Port Arthur.

Naming a street for Janis Joplin is another dream.

“There’s a big resurgence right now with the older crowd, even with the young

from page 1

ning for the event is year-long. It is a time to see so many students perform in a variety of styles and ensembles.

“It is literally a cross-section of everything we do here in terms of performance — every ensemble and area will be highlighted,” he said. “This also provides us with the opportunity to celebrate the many talents of our students.”

For more information, visit lamar.edu/music, or call 8808144.

folks, too — they’re starting to discover Janis Joplin,” he said. “She doesn’t even have a street in Port Arthur and there’s Joplin streets in other cities. But the one she grew up in, we don’t have that.

“We’ll see. We have so many streets to fix, like regular streets with potholes, before I say let’s get a Janis Joplin Street.”

One of his first initiatives after he was elected in 2016 was rebranding the city logo, which had been the same for more than 40 years. The city paid for a new logo, but Freeman faced criticism when nothing else in the city had changed.

“That was one of the things I learned as a young man, that there are certain things that I have to do first before I put the new,” he said.

“They just kept throwing that old analogy, ‘You’re trying to put lipstick on a pig.’”

But after Hurricane Harvey hit, the city’s focus shifted, he said.

“That really focused our efforts from logos and colors of uniforms,” he said. “We’d fight over what color should the public works uniform be, and all our infrastructure and

drainage was failing, all the streets failing. Now after the storm, council leaders, elected officials, administration — everybody’s pretty much on the same page.”

Freeman said the community came together during Harvey.

“I got rescued from my home,” he said. “When the boat pulled up, the city manager at the time was in the boat and he said, ‘You don’t want to lock your door?’ And I’m like, ‘I mean, there’s three-and-a-half feet of water in there.’

“Times like that, I knew that everybody was affected.

I was proud. People were actually trying to help each other, neighbors talking to neighbors that had never talked before. It was a good thing.”

While Harvey’s floodwaters brought new challenges, Freeman said he still looks to the future with hope. His heritage is one of the things he said he draws on for encouragement.

“Black history is a vast history, it’s a long history,” he said. “I learn something new every day that gives me pride and strength to move forward and do better.”

‘Meet the Firms’ set for Tuesday Nazarie Manning UP contributor

Lamar University’s Office of Career and Professional Development will host “Meet the Firms,” for accounting students seeking internships and professional work opportunities, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday.

The event, which is limited to accounting majors, will be held in the Setzer Student Center Live Oak Ballroom.

Students should wear professional

dress and bring copies of their résumés.

Firms scheduled to attend include Audit Division-Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Audit, BDO USA LLP; Becker Professional Education-Becker CPA Review Houston; Deloitte; Edgar, Kiker & Cross; OCI Beaumont; Rand Group, LLC; Wathen, DeShong & Juncker, LLP; and Weinstein Spira & Company, P.C. For more information, email athomas21@lamar.edu, or visit www.lamar.edu/careers.

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Advertising rates can be found on the site, along with practically all information that a person might be looking for.

CALENDAR

Feb. 21

Lamar History Day Setzer Student Center 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Feb. 21

SGA Undergraduate Research Panel Setzer Student Center, 120 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 21

Annual Brass Festival Rothwell Recital Hall 6 p.m.

Feb. 22

LU softball vs. Rhode Island LU Softball Complex 5 p.m.

Feb. 22

LU baseball vs. Central Michigan Vincent- Beck Stadium 6 p.m.

Feb. 22

Distinguished Alumni Awards Eighth floor, Gray Library 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 23

LU Baseball vs. Prairie View Vincent-Beck Stadium 4 p.m.

Feb. 26

Collage Music Fundraiser Concert University Theatre 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Feb. 27

LU basketball vs. Houston Baptist Montagne Center 7 p.m.

OPINION

3 UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, February 21, 2019

THE GAME OUTSIDE THE GAME

While I’m not a sports person, there are quite a few things that revolve around the topic of sports that I find fascinating — like whether football negatively impacts the long-term mental and physical health of its players or why we engross ourselves in daily sports watching.

These are the types of topics that interest a non-sports fan.

The only sport I’ve ever shown interest in is football, and it’s not the sport itself that I find intriguing. The darker side of football is what fascinates me.

For example, the infamous O.J. Simpson case that kickstarted the Kardashians’ career and had the whole nation debating whether “The Juice” did or did not kill his wife and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

The case primarily focused on why he did what he did, how he

Commentary

Vy Nguyen UP staff writer

did it, or whether he is guilty or not. However, they never considered what led him do what he did until Dr. Bennet Omalu, the neuropathologist who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy, stepped in the picture.

“CTE is believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. It has been found mostly in athletes who play contact sports, such as football,” according to an article written by ESPN news. “Multiple NFL players – including Frank Gifford and Junior Seau – have been diagnosed with CTE after their deaths.”

Omalu said in an ESPN news article that he never diagnosed Simpson personally, but he is willing to bet his medical license that Simpson suffered from CTE as the running back for Buffalo Bills endured many blunt force traumas to his brain over the course of his career.

Unfortunately, CTE can’t be properly diagnosed until after death through an examination of brain tissue. Omalu said that he can identify CTE behavioral symptoms that include explosive, impulsive behavior, impaired judgement, criminality and mood disorders.

CTE does not lead to criminal behaviors, but it can invoke lifealtering damages to a person.

O.J. Simpson is not the only victim as many other cases have developed across the nation that resulted from football-related injuries.

“I think because of our intox-

UPeditorial See something, say something “See something, say something,” is an old adage that’s used time and time again to persuade people to speak up and step in when they see something going on that isn’t right.

We’d all like to think we’d be heroic in tough situations and stop the bad guy from doing something horrible, but the reality is that it isn’t always easy to step in.

Fortunately, on campus, we have the Lamar University Police Department which handles all crimes on campus as well as offering safety precautions for students, faculty and staff.

If you are involved in or see any incidents on campus that you feel uneasy about, contact the LUPD office at 880-8307, which is open 24/7.

“If (an incident) happened off campus but in Beaumont, it would be better to go directly to the Beaumont Police Department because we would be a third-party, but we are here to help in any way we can,” LUPD Sergeant Jarrod Samford said. “We are here because we care about the students, faculty and staff of Lamar. Our job is to make sure everyone is safe. There is no judgement here.”

The institutions on campus are here to keep everyone safe — utilize them when necessary.

It can be hard and intimidating to speak up about certain things, but it is worth it if it means that it won’t happen again.

We would want someone to speak up for us, so we should do the same. Don’t assume that someone else will make the call because more often than not, they’re thinking the same thing.

“See something, say something,” may be trite, but we all have a part to play in keeping Lamar as safe as possible.

Editor..........................................Cassandra Jenkins Managing Editor...............................Olivia Malick Photo Editor......................................Noah Dawlearn Staff ............ Cade Smith, Sierra Kondos, Vy Nguyen, ......................Abigail Pennington, Rachel Hellums, .............................Eleanor Skelton, Morgan Collier, ...........................Tiana Johnson, Nazarie Manning, .....................................................................................

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ication with football, we are in some type of delusional denial, but that is how serious this is,” Omalu said.

The O.J. Simpson case makes me wonder why people, like myself, are willing to watch such a barbaric sport for entertainment.

There are a million reasons why people enjoy sports, but Daniel Wann, a leading sportsfan psychologist, narrows most of it down to eight different motivations.

Wann said that people like sports because it’s exciting, it boosts their self-esteem, they bet money on it, their friends or family likes sports, it’s a beautiful concept, it’s a way for emotional self-expression, it’s an escape from reality and it’s a sense of belonging and connectivity to the rest of the world.

“There is no single answer to why people watch sports, because the answer doesn’t lie in the game, it lies inside the individual,” Eric Simons, editorial director at Bay Nature magazine, said. “So, it’s complicated in the same ways all of our relationships are complicated.”

Everyone has their own reasons for watching sports, and everyone’s perspectives, most often, are the same.

These are the types of sports topics that fascinate the nonsports fan, because they focus on the game outside of the game, the bigger picture.

I may not know how the game is played, but there’s more to sports than the score.

UP graphic by Vy Nguyen

Partying for a non-partier

I don’t drink. I don’t smoke and I rarely ever party.

As a 22-year-old college student, I can’t avoid second-hand smoke and picking up drunk friends after a wild night on the town. While I don’t mind hanging around those friends who do drink and smoke, it can be extremely hard to not feel like an outsider around those that do.

At some point, most of my friends will gather around outside with a cigarette in one hand and a beer bottle in the other, and while I do my best to join the circle so I can be a part of the conversation, I always end up drifting quietly away at some point.

I wouldn’t say I’m an introvert exactly, I am a journalist after all, but I wouldn’t classify myself as a normal party-going young adult who stays out after 2 a.m. every weekend, either. In fact, I stayed out past midnight twice in a row this weekend, without drinking, and I’m still recovering.

So, you might be asking yourself, what the hell does she do for fun? Well, I will tell you — I like to dance, go to concerts, travel and enjoy nature.

One of my favorite things to do as a non-smoking, non-drinking adult is dance — I love it in fact.

I’m not by any means necessary considered good at it, but that’s beside the point. Usually drinking and dancing go hand-in-hand, but just being able to lose myself in a song, singing and dancing, with or without someone, is what I call a good time. I’ve even learned to two-step alongside the usual dances like the Cupid Shuffle and

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Cotton Eyed Joe. Dance halls in Houston, like Stampede Houston, Wild West or Big Texas, are supreme country dance halls that always play great country, and music with some other genres thrown in, and most are nonsmoking inside or on the dance floor. I even make it a point to try to go to concerts every few months to just enjoy the music and atmosphere.

I also enjoy traveling. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to travel the world, and now, earning my own income, I have started that journey. Last month was the first time I had travelled out of Texas in almost 10 years. I spent three days in Florida walking up and down the boulevard, going on a safari in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, seeing the castle and watching shows in Magic Kingdom, visiting weird museums and eating a lot of food. I was on vacation for my birthday and I didn’t have a single drink the entire time — it was one of the best weekends of my life.

In two weeks, I’ll be visiting Las Vegas for a weekend for my girlfriend’s birthday and we plan on watching shows like Cirque du Soleil, walking down the strip and doing a lot of sightseeing vs. getting blackout drunk and not remembering the whole experience.

When I’m broke, and traveling is out of the question, one of my other favorite things is to just be outside enjoying nature. Whether that means taking a hike, going for a swim or just walking around a city, it is always enjoyable to get some fresh air and roam around

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with no destination in mind.

For example, instead of spending a lot of money on a fancy dinner inside with way too many people eating and drinking for Valentine’s day, we opted to buy some cheap bikes and spent the afternoon riding around Tyrell Park, with a picnic and ice cream afterwards. There are always new places to see and nature never disappoints — it’s also free and most natural parks are non-smoking and drinking.

So, while it may seem dull to be sober all the time as a young adult — it’s not. It’s easy to feel peer pressure nowadays to do what everyone else is doing just to fit in with friends, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.

If you aren’t a drinking, smoking, partying-type person, like me, just remember that there are other ways to have fun — be a partier of life.

Commentary

Cassie Jenkins UP editor The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the University Press student management as determined by the UP Student Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the University Press student management. Student opinions are not necessarily those of the university administration. ©University Press 2018

Page 4

BLACK HISTORY

Thursday, February 21, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

from page 1

Keynote Speakers: Celebrating Academic Excellence

Fred R. Vernon II lence, and training said. “We are very excited, it is a good opportunity to really highlight the amazing job that our students are doing here.”

Over 200 students have been recognized and will be receiving an award.

“We have identified over 200 students who have excelled academically, and most of them are on the Dean’s and President’s list,” Wicks said. “We are expecting approximately over 300 people in attendance.”

This event will not only highlight their success, it will also talk about the struggles African American students faced to get this far.

“Of course, there are a lot of struggles in their journey,” Wicks said. “We have asked the students that will be recognized to send us a paragraph and a photo of themselves, and of the person that was key in motivating them to excel academically, to reach for excellence, as that’s the name of the program.”

Recipients were also asked to bring and submit phots of family.

“We have over 60-70 students submit their photos,” Wicks said. “We have pictures of grandparents, mom, dads, brothers, sisters, and uncles. We have a whole army of people that have been instrumental in encouraging our students who are underserved and underrepresented to push forward, get an education, and excel.”

Lamar University is already diverse she said, but this event will take the next step in also making it inclusive.

“We know we are a diverse institution, the numbers show we are very diverse,” Wicks said. “But now I think we are ready to move forward to the next step. We need

Kristeen Reynolds Lakeisha Fontenot Ronnie Turner Jr. to create an inclusive environment where people celebrate who they are, and where people are proud of who they are.”

The students receiving this award were chosen from running a query of academic records.

“We have 15,000 students and 18 percent are black African American students, we don’t know students by name,” Wicks said. “We depend a lot on the database of the institution. We run a query to tell us the students who are excelling academically.

That’s what we are following.”

Four special keynote speakers will share information of their personal journey.

“They graduated from Lamar university and now they are successful professionals — a lawyer, teacher, accountant, and an entrepreneur,” Wicks said. “They will talk of their journey here at Lamar University, the light at the end of the tunnel, what are they doing, how were they able to accomplish that, and encourage our students that it’s all worth it.”

A website connected to the event is currently available.

“We have a website that has listed all the names of the students that will be recognized,” Wicks said. “After the event, we will be posting photos of the reception and students receiving their award, and we are also putting together a video.”

This award can be used by students later when applying for jobs and other organizations.

“That’s the reason why we created the website and we are putting their names there,” Wicks said. “So, as they move forward to get jobs and a company is googling their name, they can see so-and-so con-

nected academic excellence at Lamar University.”

The hope for this event is that it only grows as it moves forward.

“We really want this just to be the beginning,” Wicks said. “As we move forward, we really want to recognize the student leaders who are the shakers and movers of Lamar University.”

Closing remarks for students will be given

by Orange senior Tristen Anding, who is also receiving an award.

“I plan on giving a call to action,” Anding said. “Going here was great, we’re celebrating, keep celebrating, keep pursuing excellence, here’s a call to be united and visible.”

This program will show that African Americans are doing a good job as well, Anding said.

“It’s great that you have recognized what we had to go through to get some of the same stuff that other people were almost given,” Anding said. “I think this will

‘“We have students who are making history, and will be part of history. That’s the whole concept of this.

— Imelda Wicks

go a long way to show that African Americans are here, and we are doing it to.”

Anding is honored that this is being done to recognize African Americans pursuing an education.

“I think it is important because it’s great that they have things that say let’s celebrate what people have done academically,” Anding said. “But, I think it’s very important that we focus on African American communities because we have different challenges, we have different stories, and we have different background that some other people may have not experienced.”

Anding hopes those receiving this award will encourage others to pursue it as well.

“It’ll be great to encourage people to keep doing what they are doing, and that this is not all for nothing,” Anding said. “I think moving forward, those who are being recognized will encourage other African American people that they can do the same thing.”

The goal of this event is move Lamar into becoming a more inclusive institution.

“A student’s race, a student’s color, a student’s gender, a student’s sexual orientation and a student’s religious beliefs should not be an obstacle, but rather something that will help them excel,” Wicks said. “I think that we are making history at Lamar. We have students who are making history and will be part of history. That’s the whole concept of this.”

This event was RSVP and is already at maximum capacity. visit For more information, www.lamar.edu/diversity or email GlobalDiversity@Lamar.edu.

5

FEATURE

UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, February 21, 2019

‘Monster only at home’ Domestic violence victims forced to suffer in silence Olivia Malick UP managing editor

Thirty-one years after leaving her childhood home, C. Brennan still feels the physical and psychological trauma left behind by her father, an alcoholic who tormented her, her mother and her siblings.

“He was someone who was beloved by his family, and respected socially and in his career,” Brennan, now 51, said in an email interview. “He was a monster only at home. His behavior was sometimes intimidating in public but not in any way comparable to his behavior at home.”

Brennan, who grew up in Southeast Texas but now lives in New Mexico, said that although her father did not physically abuse his children, he psychologically harassed and shamed them while maligning their mother, whom he also physically and sexually abused.

“The physical and sexual abuse was perpetuated without any attempt to hide it from his children,” she said. “He began beating my mother almost as soon as they were married, so my entire childhood was punctuated by the sounds of his guttural abuse and my mother’s terrified screams.

“The sounds of his fist pummeling her flesh and her body being thrown into walls were the earliest things I remember — that and my mother’s face being swollen from punches and eyes almost swollen shut from crying.

“As the children of an alcoholic, my siblings and I were expected to hide all traces of his alcoholism and abuse, so that we lived a sort of schizophrenic experience.”

Source: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence When Brennan and her siblings reached out to their grandparents, their stories were not believed.

“I do not remember a time that I did not recognize (that) what my father was doing was not right,” she said. “At the ages of two and three, my sister and I described my father knocking my mother, pregnant with my brother, down the stairs and kicking her in the stomach.

“We also described certain sexual acts we should not have seen. The people we told did nothing. No one ever intervened.”

Brennan’s story is not uncommon. In the United States,

Know the Signs of Domestic Violence • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • • •

Tells you that you can never do anything right Shows extreme jealousy of your friends and time spent away Keeps you or discourages you from seeing friends or family members Insults, demeans or shames you with putdowns Controls every penny spent in the household Takes your money or refuses to give you money for necessary expenses Looks at you or acts in ways that scare you Controls who you see, where you go, or what you do Prevents you from making your own decisions Tells you that you are a bad parent , or threatens to harm or take away your children Prevents you from working or attending school Destroys your property or threatens to hurt or kill your pets Intimidates you with guns, knives or other weapons Threatens suicide if you leave them Pressures you to have sex when you don’t want to or do things sexually that you’re not comfortable with Pulling your hair, punching, slapping, kicking, biting or choking you Forbidding you from eating or sleeping Preventing you from calling the police or seeking medical attention Abandoning you in unfamiliar places Driving recklessly or dangerously when you are in the car with them Forcing you to use drugs or alcohol (especially if you’ve had a substance abuse problem in the past)

Source: The National Domestic Violence Hotline

an average of 20 people experience intimate partner physical violence every minute, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This equates to more than 10 million victims annually.

“The reason that people are abusive is because they want power and they want to maintain power,” Marie Murray, assistant director for health education services at the Lamar University Student Health Center, said. “The reason that this happens is because it’s kind of in our nature to want control over certain situations.

“There’s a lot of different things. You have people who are abusers because they were abused themselves, and so now they want power back in their lives that they didn’t have before. Then you just have people who their personality type is just that they want power and control.”

Brennan said that her father grew up in a loving environment, but that he, too, experienced trauma in his childhood. “(He spent) 18 months in a Shriner’s hospital,” she said.

“We don’t know everything that happened to him then, but he was deeply misogynistic, deeply wounded and extremely selfish in relationships.

“He was narcissistic and probably had sociopathic tendencies. None of that was ever addressed. My grandmother carried the guilt and shame of that unspoken thing that happened. My father was also molested by a scout leader when he was a boy. So, perhaps every abuser has a similar story.”

Emotional abuse leaves a scar, too

Physical abuse can be seen on the outside, which leads people to believe that domestic violence only consists of hitting and kicking, etc., but Murray said that emotional abuse is just as common and can have the same lasting effects. “(There are) a lot of warning signs for emotional abuse,” she said. “Somebody can be really intense or jealous — these things don’t always lead to physical abuse, but they can.

“Manipulation is a big one, because someone can manipulate someone else without ever having to raise a hand against them. A lot of times, for women who are abused, the abuser might use their children as a way to manipulate them — it may never be that they harm them, but are constantly under the threat of harm or taking them away.”

Murray said that often times, when abusive relationships occur and the victim is an immigrant, the threat of deportation is used as means of manipulation.

“Isolation is another (warning sign),” she said. “By keeping people isolated from their friends and family, that physical isolation can lead to mental isolation.

“Sometimes in a victim, you’ll see a dramatic shift in their personality — someone who used to be happy and bubbly might become very withdrawn, and they’re not open to telling people anything because they’re afraid or their abuser made them feel worthless and that they shouldn’t confide in anybody.”

Kaleb Dixon, Lamar State College-Orange alumnus, was in an emotionally abusive relationship for six months, which he said left him depressed and feeling worthless.

“I was at work one evening and I met this girl who was sitting alone, and I approached her and we were talking about our interests — the way relationships typically start,” Dixon, 22, said. “We took it kind of fast and we ended up living together after just a few months. Looking back, it wasn’t the best decision on my part, but she wasn’t very familiar with the area because she was from a different state and I wanted to show her around.”

Dixon said people don’t always understand that it’s difficult to predict which relationships will become abusive — that it’s more of a gradual realization.

“It took me a while to really pick up on the signs of abuse in my relationship,” he said.

“Being a man made it a little bit more difficult for me to understand the tell-tale signs of stuff like that, because I think that a lot of times men are expected to be the provider, to be the person who provides emotional support to those who need it. So there wasn’t really an opportunity for me to voice my concern when I wasn’t feeling great, or if I didn’t understand something or if I was having a bad day — there was no comfort there, it was just like, ‘Well, why don’t you care about me?’”

Eventually, Dixon left the relationship, but only temporarily.

“A few weeks later, I get a text message from her phone and her mom texted me with a couple of pictures and told me (my ex) had been in a car accident,” he said. “I didn’t know if she was going to make it, and I took a step back and decided that I’d go back and take care of her.

“I slowly but surely moved back into the apartment and took care of her while she was still being super mean to me, and that was probably the hardest experience I’ve ever had to deal with, taking care of someone that didn’t really want me there, they just wanted attention.”

Dixon said the abuse was

UP infographic by Olivia Malick

physical at times, and about a month after his girlfriend’s car accident, he left for good.

LUPD Sergeant Jarrod Samford said that men are less likely to report abuse because of the notion that men aren’t supposed to be the victims of these situations.

“They’re afraid to be judged and it’s this whole other level of judgement, so it’s a psychological battle that they’re going through to come forward,” he said. “Violence is violence, no matter which side of the equation you are on.”

Reach out for help

Both LUPD and the Student Health Center have steps in place to assist students who may be victims of domestic violence or suspect that their friend or family member is suffering.

“For someone who might be trying to leave an abusive relationship or has come to the realization that they are in one, they can come to the Student Health Center and seek help,” Murray said. “There are counselors here, a confidential source for someone to talk to — they may not be ready to leave their relationship yet, but they can come in and talk and know that it’s going to be confidential between them and the counselors.”

Murray said that statistically, everybody is bound to know somebody that’s affected in some way, shape or form by domestic violence. She said that people need to take the initial step of helping those in abusive situations, but that holding themselves accountable by following through is the second step to stopping abusive relationships.

“We all say, ‘Oh yeah, we’d be the person to step in,’ but then we don’t,” she said.

Samford said LUPD is on campus to assist students in anyway they can.

“A healthy relationship should not hurt. No matter how bad things are, they will get worse as long as you allow it to continue.

“We are here because we care about the students, faculty and staff of Lamar. Our job is to make sure everyone is safe.

There is no judgement here.”

Next week, The Aftermath — the impact of domestic violence on its victims.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-7993224, or visit their website at www.thehotline.org for more information.

Students can make appointments at the health center by calling 880-8466, emailing dept_healthcenter@lamar.edu, or by visiting www.lamar.edu/

Page 6

Thursday, February 21, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

MLK Community Service Award Scholarship application due tomorrow

The Office of Global Diversity and Inclusive Excellence will recognize outstanding Lamar University students who carry on Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream through inclusiveness and service to Lamar and the greater community.

Application deadline is tomorrow.

To apply or for more information, visit orgsync.com8255 4/forms/345927.

Gray Library extends Sunday hours

The Mary and John Gray Library has added three hours to its Sunday operation schedule.

The library is now open from 1 p.m. to 1:45 a.m.

The building will be secured with a Campus Security Officer from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Shuttle services will run from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For more information, ccontact the library at 880-7264.

SGA officer applicatiions open until March 4

The Student Government Association is now accepting officer applications for the 2019-20 academic year.

Open positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Senior Class Senator, Junior Class Senator and Sophomore Class Senator.

The applications close, March 4.

To apply, visit lamar.edu/sga.

Financial aid warns of Facebook scam

The Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid has received multiple calls concerning a Facebook post regarding student loan forgiveness.

The post comes from Future Prosperity and states that

UPcampus briefs Lamar has released a new student loan forgiveness program.

This post is a scam. Lamar does not have the ability to forgive student loans.

For questions regarding student loan forgiveness, contact your student loan service provider.

For more information, contact OSFA at 880-8450

Coffee connection

Inspirational Woman Award nominations due March 15

The Office of Global Diversity and Inclusive Excellence presenting the Inspirational Woman Award to a student, faculty, staff or alumnus whose actions or professional practices exemplify diversity and inclusive excellence by making significant contributions to the growth and success of women at Lamar University.

Award nominees should be individuals who actively promote, women’s growth and is an active role model for women at Lamar, actively promote Lamar’s core values and mission, and works to improve the position of women on campus through advocacy and education.

Students may nominate themselves, other students, faculty or staff members, or alumnus.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m., March 15.

To nominate an individual, visit www.lamar.edu/inspiratio nalwomanaward.

Music department to host brass festival, today through Saturday

The Fourth Annual Lamar University Brass Festival will begin today and end Saturday.

The Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music presents trumpet artist Mark Hughes of the Houston Symphony, horn artist Mollie Pate of the Louisiana Philharmonic, trom-

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

Brea Marshall, Houston senior, left, Melissa Dufort, Houston senior, middle, Joshua Thomas, Friendswood senior, right, enjoy coffee during the cold weather in Starbucks, Gray Library, yesterday.

bone artist Matt Jefferson of the Manaical Four, and euphonium artist Dave Solis of the Salvation Army Band. The guest conduct is Tami Goss.

There will be three concerts, one on each day, that feature a variety of music and instruments. There will be masterclasses prior to each of the concerts.

All performances are free due to a grant from the Edaren Foundation.

For more information, including locations and times, visit www.lamar.edu/music.

Tourism expert to speak at College of Business, March 7

Juan Luis Nicolau, J. Williard and Alice S. Marriot professor of revenue management at the Virginia Tech Pam-

plin College of Business, will speak about his research on tourism, March 7.

The student lecture will take place at 12:30 p.m. in 114 Galloway and the faculty lecture will take place in 127 Galloway.

LUPD building rennovation to begin Monday

The LUPD building’s repair and renovation project, located between the Carl Parker Building and the Communications Building on campus will affect pedestrian and vehicle traffic during construction.

Construction fencing will be placed tomorrow around the building.

Parking in this area will be limited. Use caution when in this area and follow the construction signage posted.

For more information, con-

tact the office of planning & construction at 880-7085.

LU Shuttle service route expanded

The free LU Shuttle is available to take students to and from various spots around campus including: - Cardinal Village Residence Halls - Setzer Student Center - Mary and John Gray Library - The Village At Lamar - Natalie Street Apartments - University Drive Apartments - Mid-County Walmart - Family Dollar - Cash Saver Supermarket - Central Mall See the shuttle schedule and more at www.lamar.edu/police/shuttle.

Compiled by Olivia Malick

The Department of Communications and Media & the 2019 Summer Film Project are hosting a Mardi Gras-themed short film challenge open to all Lamar University, LIT, LSCPA, LSCO, and McNeese University students.

Dates to Remember: 1.) Launch Meeting and Team Registration: Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. in Room 127 Comm. Bldg.

2.) Online Submissions are due Sunday, March 3 at 8 p.m.

3.) Screening will take place Thursday, March 7, at 6 p.m. in Room 127 Comm. Bldg.

For more information visit: https://spark.adobe.com/page/LJ51pb2oD7jNz/

Circulation • Advertising • Marketing

Are you a qualified work study student?

Come join our team!

Apply using our website at: lamaruniversitypress.com Come by our location: 202 Carl Parker Building Call: 409-880-8102

7

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, February 21, 2019

Cards defeat No. 1 Sam Houston, 75-72 Cade Smith UP staff writer

The Lamar Cardinals basketball team defeated No. 1 Southland Conferenceseeded Sam Houston State University Bearkats, 75-72, Saturday in the Montagne Center. The win marks the 1000th victory in program history.

“We are very excited to get this win,” LU head coach Tic Price said. “We knew it would be a tough game. They wouldn’t quit even though we were up at halftime.

You don’t become 12-0 and quit in games.

They got pretty physical in the second half.

“Our players were excited to play in front of former players and coaches and then to play for our 1000th victory was really special for us.”

Junior guard, Nick Garth, was a key player scoring 21 points, and made all nine of his free throw attempts.

The Cardinals shot 20-of-48 (.417) from the field and included five 3-pointers. The Cardinals also improved on their free-throws, shooting 30-of-38 (.789) attempts.

“We made our free throws again,” Price said. “It’s been an area we have been working on and I am just glad that it is paying off. ” Freshman guard, Davion Buster, came off the bench and scored 16 points for the Cardinals and was 7-for-13 in field goal attempts.

“We’ve seen his progression since he first got here,” Price said. “It was a transition for him from high school to Division 1 basketball. We always knew he could shoot the basketball but now he is running the team, he is a floor general. He forces teams to guard him because he is an offensive threat. He is a rhythm shooter, he can knock down the threes when we need them.”

On the downside, the Cardinals were outrebounded by the Bearkats, 36-60, and 13-5 in second-chance points. The Cardinals made up for it by forcing 17 turnovers converting them for 25 points.

The first half of the game started off slow for both teams as Lamar held the Bearkats to just 26 points. It wasn’t until the 8-minute mark that both teams scored over 10 points.

The Cardinals ended the first half with a 15-point edge, 41-26, going into the locker room.

“There was good defense by both teams in the first half,” Price said. “Both teams know each other, we scout each other and know each of the opposing players. It was just a matter of being in the right place defensively.”

In the second half, the Bearkats gave the Cardinals a fight trimming down their lead to 10, five minutes into the second half.

However, throughout most of the second half the Bearkats would only get as close as two points away from the Cardinals. In the final minute of the game the Bearkats pulled within one when Marcus Harris hit a 3-point sinker. The Cards would respond when Garth made a three of his own.

“That was a big shot,” Garth said. “I had to take it for my teammates because we wanted this win bad. I just had my teammates confidence to have me shoot it – I shot it with confidence.”

Sam Houston responded to Garth’s 3pointer when Albert Almanza made a three of his own to cut the lead back to one with just three seconds left. However, the Cardinals made their free throws to secure the victory.

The Cardinals are now 14-12 (7-6 SLC) and return to action, Saturday, as they will travel to take on the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. in San Antonio.

UP photo by Cade Smith

Junior forward, Christian Barrett, prepares to score during a matchup against Sam Houston State, Saturday in the Montagne Center. The men’s team ended SHSU’s undefeated season.

Lady Cardinals squeak past SHSU, 81-76 Cade Smith UP staff writer

The Lady Cards basketball team defeated the Sam Houston State University Bearkats, 81-76 in the Montagne Center, Saturday, making them 19-5 overall and 12-1 in Southland Conference play. With the win the Cardinals have extended their home court win streak to 39 games.

“Obviously we knew we were going to play a really good team,” head coach Robin Harmony said. “Last time we played them at their place it was a 10point game. They have gotten better but we hung in there and found a way to win.”

The Lady Cards shot 41.3 percent ( 31of-75) from the field, 42.9 percent (6-of14) from 3-point range and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free-throw line. LU also forced Sam Houston into 19 turnovers.

“Hats off to our kids to get the W and they never gave up,” Harmony said. “We were up by 10 twice and they made a run back at us. We kept our composure and did what we needed to do to get the dub.”

The Bearkats led 28-21 after the first quarter, before LU came back and took the lead 44-42 at halftime.

“In that heat of the moment we wanted to make sure that we did take good shots,” Harmony said. “She (Umaja Collins) had a really nice put back and I held my breath as everyone else did in the gym. We also wanted to make sure we kept the ball in the right hands.”

The Cardinals came back at halftime over the next three minutes of the quarter to grow their lead by five, 49-44, after a Chastadie Barrs layup. Following the layup, the Cards extended the lead by 12 points, 58-46, after a layup by Miya

Cardinals break records in Saturday matchups

UP photo by Cade Smith

LU senior, Chastadie Barrs, leads her team in a play during the Lady Cardinals, 81-76, win over Sam Houston State, Saturday, in the Montagne Center. With the win the Lady Cards secure their 39th win in a row at home.

Crump. The Bearkats battled back with a layup from La’Sha Hayes to trail by four, 60-56.

The Cards would keep the momentum going ending the third quarter, 68-61 after a Jadyn Pimentel layup.

In the fourth quarter, the Bearkats would tie the game at 74 after a 3-pointer from Jaylonn Walker. On the next possession, Collins grabbed an offensive rebound and put Lamar ahead, 76-74.

After the Collins rebound LU did not falter and came away with the victory over

Kinard hit two threepointers in the contest and is tied for the most threes in LU school history with 204.

Sam Houston State.

The Lady Cardinals were led by five players in double-figures, Crump with 22 points, Moe Kinard with 17 points, Pimentel with 15 points, Barrs with 13 points, and Collins with 12 points.

Barrs also broke the LU career assists mark with 657, a record that was previously held by Ramona Jones at 653.

Along with the record, Barrs also recorded six steals and now has 600 career steals making her 25 away from setting the career NCAA steals mark.

In the third quarter of the contest, Lamar's Barr set the LU career assists mark. She has 657 in her career.

“It’s big for me,” Barrs said. “I am really excited, I trust my teammates to make the shots down and pass me the ball. It’s a big thing for me and it’s an accolade that I will cherish at my time at Lamar. I am happy for me and my team, the main thing is that we got the win today.”

The Cardinals will return to action, Wednesday, when they host the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals in the Montagne Center. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

With the win Saturday, coach Robin Harmony has now won 110 games in her career at LU, the second most all-time.

Cardinals pushed past previously undefeated Sam Houston State for their 1,000th win in program history.

Page 8

Thursday, February 21, 2019 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

PFLAG’s ‘Rocky Horror’ show seeks actors Rachel Hellums UP contributor

Auditions for a shadow cast production of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be held Sunday, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at The Art Studio, Inc., 720 Franklin St. in Beaumont.

Beaumont’s rendition of the show started as a passion project for Jacqueline Hays, president of Parents and Families for Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG) Beaumont.

“I was in Portland (Ore.) three springs ago for an English professors conference, and I went to the longest-running shadow cast theater there and saw it.” she said. “So when I came back, I was like, ‘We have to do this.’ It took about two years, but we got it together.”

Anyone is welcome to audition, no matter their experience level, Hays said.

“We had a mix of people with no theater experience, people with lots of theater experience and then people could dance but couldn’t sing, you know, so all different socio-economic classes, races, genders and sexualities,” she said.

There are plenty of stage crew opportunities for volunteers who do not want to be on stage.

DISASTER

“Even if you don’t want to try out for a character or are just a fan, we have plenty of work for you to do behind the scenes.”

Hays said.

Audition videos are available on the PFLAG Facebook page.

“We have posted audition pieces of the film (that) we’ll actually show when you come and audition — you’re not going to do it blindly, either,” Hays said. “It will be just like if you’re performing it live — you don’t have to just stand up there and there’s no singing. You’re going to be pantomiming. Practice those and come in.

Everybody should know how to do the ‘Time Warp,’ which is the lead song for the movie.”

The production is a fundraiser for PFLAG and local LGBTQ events like Pride UP file photo by Noah Dawlearn Fest, the Coming Out Ball, as well as lobbying in congress, and PFLAG’s education Yotzin Zamrano played Riff-Raff, left, and Jill Waldrep played Magenta in last year’s shadow cast production newsletter. The organization is completely of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” run by volunteers.

Hays said she hopes everyone will find resonates with us is, ‘Don’t dream it, be it,’ “PFLAG Beaumont is a 501c3, so that means we are not-for-profit,” Hays said. something that inspires them to be them- and we really want people to be able to come out and express themselves.”

“Everybody on the board is volunteers. So selves.

“I think when you watch (the film), esFor more information and for the audiif you come and volunteer for this event, or if you come audition, this is a time com- pecially people viewing it for the first time, tion videos, visit facebook.com/pflagbeaumitment. We’re committing our time to do it’s like there’s some part in there that res- mont. Auditions will be held at 720 onates with you,” she said, “But what really Franklin St. it as well.”

from page 1

“Disaster” apart from other musicals, Avery said.

“You get to meet all of these people, and you know their backstories,” he said.

“I think having that many people on stage at the same time with different story lines flows very well.”

Sister Mary Downey (Jessica McGlothin), a nun with a gambling problem relapses back to her old ways on the cruise.

McGlothin said that she can relate to Sister Mary because her character is very judgmental.

“It’s kind of funny being that she’s a nun, and you’re not supposed to be that way,” she said. “It’s made me realized how I can be judgmental in real life, and it’s pointing out that to me and made me rethink about some of my judgmental ways.”

Marianne Wilson (Evan Bradford), a reporter for the New York Times waiting to catch a big scoop to kickstart her career.

“She (Wilson) is this really strong and a feminist person, but she also has all of these insecurities that she tries so hard not to let anyone see,” Bradford said.

“She’s trying to live out her ideal while also struggling with feeling like she’s not living up to that ideal as well.”

Bradford said she loves how funny the production is, and it can put her in the best mood.

“We’ve heard these jokes so many times at this point, and yet, still, every rehearsal we’re on the floor laughing,” she said.

The songs help move the plot forward, Bradford said.

“There are several times that you only get a snippet of a song because it’s relevant to what’s happening, but you don’t need the whole song to get the point across really quickly,” she said. “That helps the pacing of the show with comedy and everything, it’s all about timing, and you need it to move quickly.

“When you’re in a disaster, you don’t

have time to sit around and wonder what to do and so having those short, little snippets of songs mixed in with the full songs really helps move it along.”

Avery said that there are songs like ‘I Will Survive,’ ‘Knock On Wood,’ ‘I Am Woman,’ ‘Don’t Cry Out Loud’ and ‘Hot Stuff’ that are cleverly woven into the show.

“There’s a scene where the chef of the ship is talking to the owner about how the chef can’t make hot food because the gas burners weren’t working, so the owner is telling the chef that they can’t just serve cold food, and that they need ‘hot stuff.’”

Avery said that he had to be creative with certain aspects of the production.

“The script is fun because you can sort of interpret things how you’d like, and you don’t have to do everything exactly how it says,” he said. “There are certain scenes where it’s like, ‘oh, this is supposed to happened’ and ‘this is how they did it on Broadway,’ but we don’t have those capabilities here in Beaumont, so

we have to improvise and come up with creative solutions to present that the same way, but in our own way.”

One thing Avery wants his audience to take away from this production is laughter, he said.

“We live in a weird time right now and when people come to places, like the theater, they are looking for an escape from whatever day they’re having,” he said.

“They’re going to come in here for a couple of hours, and they’ll just laugh.”

You want theater to open up people’s minds and their hearts for them to enjoy themselves.”

Show times are 7:30 p.m., tomorrow and Saturday, March 1, 7, 8 and 9 with a 2 p.m. matinee March 2.

Tickets are $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and students, and $12 for children.

BCP is located at 4155 Laurel in Beaumont. more information, visit For www.Beaumontcommunity players.com, or call 833-4664.