November 20, 2014

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The Newspaper of Lamar University Vol. 91, No. 12

Thursday, November 20, 2014

FOOD DRIVE

GET TO KNOW YOUR CHEF

AIMS TO EXCEED 2,014 DONATIONS MICHAEL UNDERHILL UP CONTRIBUTOR

UP Elizabeth Grimm

Flames and smoke rise up as new executive chef Stephen Gary pours seasoning over burgers in the Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall, Nov. 13.

STEPHEN GARY AIMS TO FLIP CULINARY EXPECTATIONS AT LAMAR ELIZABETH GRIMM UP STAFF WRITER Chef Stephen Gary flips a burger on the grill, and steam and flames rise up in response. The chef smiles as the perfectly cooked meat sizzles on the hot plate, the smell wafting up enticingly as students line up for lunch.

Gary is Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall’s new executive chef, and he plans to flip patrons’ expectations and bring a vision of freshness and quality to campus.

“I think the move in culinary trends is definitely brighter, vibrant, fresher — smaller batches rather than large cooking — just to keep it very unique and very intimate,” he says.

Gary started cooking by accident when his mother took a job as a waitress after his parents divorced.

“She took a job as a waitress and came home and said, ‘Hey, you’re 15 years old, you’re going to need a car sometime soon. The guys are looking for help in the kitchen if you want a job,’” he says. “You know, just washing dishes and all that kinds of stuff. I might have washed dishes for

about a month before they pulled me on the line and started getting me cooking and helping out.

I graduated from high school, and didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but just kept on it, and said, ‘You know, I really like what I do here. This is a lot of fun — I really enjoy working with food and talking with the guests and doing this and that.’”

Gary says he grew up in a large Italian family with his grandmother to guide him in cooking.

“She had her seven children and then all the grandchildren and the friends — everybody was over at the house on Sunday,” he says. “She was making three different types of pastas, and she had sauce going and this and that going. The spot of oldest grandchild kind of has its privileges sometimes, because I got to hang out in the kitchen with my grandmother and taste the first meatball out of the pot and you get the end of the bread — silly little things.

“But I was always with her and hanging out in the kitchen, one way or the other. Trying to watch and see what she was doing and help.”

Gary worked for Disney at the California

Turkey Trot unites runners on holiday BEKAH WELLS UP CONTRIBUTOR The Sea Rim Striders and the City of Beaumont Event Center will host the 23rd annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, beginning at 8 a.m. at the center on Crockett Street.

Registration for the 10k run is $35. Registration for the 5k is $25, and children can register for the KidsK for $5.

“This is our big fundraising event for the year,” Greg Ingram, Sea Rim Striders vice president, said. “What we get from the Turkey Trot basically finances ever ything else we do for the year.”

The group donates to races, as well as donating to the Food Bank and Lamar scholarships.

“Basically, everything we do for the year, Turkey Trot finances it for us.” Ingram said.

People of all shapes, sizes,

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ages and backgrounds are invited to attend, he said.

“There are no qualifications, no one will ever say you are too old, or too slow or too fat,” Ingram said. “We are a ver y encouraging group and we reach out to as many groups as we can to grow it, because it’s more about fitness and a way of life, and it’s a great group of people.

“I think that’s what keeps most people from making the decision to come out — they are afraid of being the very last person out there or that they will look silly in spandex. But it’s a ver y supportive group and you’re never really going to have any of that, so it’s very conducive for growing.”

The race has significantly grown in numbers over the past few years, and has become increasingly popular in the surSee TROT, page 2

Grill for two years.

“That’s probably still the best restaurant I’ve worked at or worked for,” he says. “Everything was instilled in us to do the right things for the right reasons. We changed the menu daily, and we would do 1,000 people every single night — it was just that busy. It was a lot of fun.”

The restaurant brought in fresh products, something that stuck with him throughout his career. Gary says the restaurant was an educational experience.

“The chef would have us on the line every single day at five o’clock and teach us something about food or a menu item we were doing,” he says. “The restaurant manager would come by and teach us about wine and beverages, and why we pair things together the way we do. It wasn’t just a job — it was educational. It really stays with me today.”

There was also a lot of room for creativity, he says.

“We had chefs who would develop menus, but we could always suggest,” he says. “It was

Lamar University Office of Student Organization Services kicked off its 18th Annual Food Drive, Oct. 31. The organization is accepting donations through Dec. 5, and all donations go to the South East Texas Food Bank.

“We’re really excited,” Valarie Daniels, director of student organization services, said. “We’ve made our goal every year and even doubled it last year.”

This year’s goal is 2,014 donations.

Last year’s goal was 2,013, though they actually received 4,325 nonperishable food items.

“It’s just amazing how much the community is willing to come together and give for others,” Daniels said. “This really is a giving community.”

Daniels said the organizations compete to see who can get the most donations.

“It’s actually gotten kind of competitive in recent years,” she said. “We recognize both the student organization and the university department that donates the most to the Food Drive at the annual ‘Toast to Leadership’ in the spring.”

Last year, the winners for most donated goods were the IT department and the Lamar Honors Society, having brought in more than half of the total goods collected. “We get a lot of competitors, most of them student organizations,” Daniels said, “We’re looking forward to another great year, and we’ll see if we can’t double our goal again” Susan Detweiler, a volunteer at the South East Texas Food Bank and coordinator for the food drive’s donations, said Lamar’s donations have really added up over the years, and the food drive is also a good way for students to learn about the food bank as many of the volunteers are Lamar students.

“The food bank services around 130 agencies over eight counties in Texas, and we’re always needing more workers,” she said. “It’s funny to think how a donation from a Lamar student could end up feeding a needy family two or three counties away,” Detweiler said. “I have high hopes for this year’s food drive and look forward to the Lamar students’ contributions.

Donations may be sent to 212 Setzer Student Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information, call 880-8739.

See CHEF, page 3

Farmers Market brings fresh produce to Beaumont Saturdays HOPE ALEXANDER UP CONTRIBUTOR People looking for local home-grown foods need look no further than the Beaumont Famers Market, held Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Beaumont Athletic Complex on College Street.

The market is a place for the community to meet and support local farmers and businesses.

“It’s absolutely free to get in, children are welcome, and some people even bring their dogs,” board member Becki Stedman said. “The best thing to do is to bring your own reusable bags or your own shopping carts, because I guarantee once you get there, you’re going to load up on stuff.”

Stedman said one of the market’s goals is to contribute to the local economy by re-directing shoppers’ dollars to the local growers.

Visitors can expect locallygrown produce, goat milk products, grass-fed beef, coffee, locally baked breads, entertainment and more, According to the Beaumont Convention and Bureau website. Vendors who develop their own items and crafts are eligible to participate.

Shari Cribbs of Beau-tanicals said she sells all natural, handmade bath products with no chemicals.

“We also include goats’ milk from our farm,” she said. “We raise goats and we have some products with goats’ milk and lavender, which is really good and moisturizing for your skin.

We have lotions and sugar scrubs, foaming hand soaps and shower gels. A little bit goes a long way — it is pretty concentrated stuff.”

Cribbs said she also uses products from sheep.

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

See MARKET, page 2

UP Megan White

Chloe Cribbs, of Beau-tanicals, sets her stall at the Beaumont Farmers Market Nov. 15.

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE Thursday, November 20, 2014 University Press

Continued from page 1 “We have felted soap covered from the wool of our sheep,” she said. “The felted soap is like soap and a washcloth wrapped in one. You use them together, and after the soap is gone you can cut it open and put smaller bar inside, or you can do really creative things with it. One lady got the wool and braided a felted bracelet out of it — it was really cool.”

Cribbs said she has been at the Farmer’s Market since it started five years ago.

Livingston’s Shirley and David Brackin have participated in the market for three years and specialize in Asian vegetables.

“Throughout the year we have different things, but right now we have the fall vegetables,” David

Continued from page 1 rounding communities, Ingram said.

Gary Brice, Lamar instructor of mathematics, has competed in the Turkey Trot for the past eight years.

“It’s a celebration event really,” he said. “It started out at Terrell Park and they maybe had 100 people out there on a good day, and now they have thousands of people. It’s a great race to do for fun if you want to, or the highly competitive people enjoy it, also.”

Each year brings out new competitors both from out of town and from the surrounding communities, Ingram said.

“There are no cash prizes, but there are age group awards for the top three and it’s pretty competitive,” he said. In the past few years, we have actually seen so much growth because of the holiday, with many people coming into town just to compete in the race, so it’s nice to see so many new people at the event. There are also three or four local running groups that have friendly competition between each other”.

Over the past few years, more and more groups have made it a tradition to join in the race to enjoy the casual celebration, Ingram said.

Brice said that people show up just to enjoy the festivities, many pushing

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Page 2

MARKET •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

TROT •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

QUOTE OF THE DAY

said. “We have mustard greens, Chinese bok choy leaves — specifically an Asian leaf — and we have an Asian pumpkin. We also have a pie we made, a pumpkin pie, made with these Asian pumpkins. A green eggplant or ampalaya is an Asian vegetable, a bitter melon, and the dish you cook it with gives what you’re cooking a bitter flavor. It also has a natural plant insulin in it that helps with your blood sugar levels — helps lower and stabilize it.

“We have okra that (Shirley) brought here from the Philippines. They call it the ‘Lady Finger’ because it is slick with no pines. We just mix them together with the regular, standard-type okra, we have a few of them growing. We also offer sweet potato leaves off of a white sweet potato. You can cook them, sauté them, like you eat spinach, or you can eat them raw. Some people buy them and make smoothies with them.”

Shirley Brackin hails from the Philippines and

strollers or walking dogs.

“So it’s something for everyone, it really is,” he said. “You can actually see the family units out there — some of them wear the same shirt — and some businesses even provide shirts for their employees and they’re all out there as a group, so it’s a celebration.”

Michelle Butler, Beaumont sophomore, said her family has made it part of their Thanksgiving tradition since 2011.

“My cousins come in from out of town, and my mother’s siblings all get together and we meet up wherever it is held that year,” she said. “No matter if we walk, run or take it seriously like my dad and sprint the whole way, my entire family participates.”

“It is such a great feeling, seeing us all in the same place, supporting each other the whole way through the run.

When we finish, we wait by the finish line and cheer on our other family members as they run through.”

Assistant professor of engineering Tracy Benson said the Turkey Trot has a “hometown” feel.

“You get to work up an appetite just before indulging in all that Thanksgiving has to offer,” he said. “If it’s not the start of ever yone’s holiday season, it should be.”

To register, visit www.beaumontcvb.com/events/sports-events/?action=display&eventid=6162.-

does the farming. The couple said that she brought some of the seeds over with her when she left, and she had some of the seeds sent over at later times.

Bubba Smith, an in house-farmer, offers special produce and baked goods.

“Here I have an apple walnut bread, and a banana pudding cake with pistachio icing,” he said. “I have plants, too. Cholesterol spinach lowers your cholesterol, it’s an herb sliced vegetable. You can put it on your sandwiches, in a salad like you do lettuce, or you can even cook it like you do spinach on the stove.”

Volunteer opportunities are available to people who would like to help set up and take down the market. Two to four volunteer photographers are also needed.

To apply to be a vendor or to volunteer, email texasbfm@gmail.com, or visit beaumontfarmersmarket.org.

CALENDAR November 21 Lamar Opera Theatre Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Fall Dance Concert University Theatre 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

November 22 Fall Dance Concert University Theatre 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Lamar Opera Theatre Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

November 23 Lamar Opera Theatre Rothwell Recital Hall 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

November 27-28 Thanksgiving Holiday

December 3 Last Class Day

December 4 Final Examinations Begin

December 10 Winter Mini 2014 non-payment purge after 5 p.m.

December 11 Winter Mini session begins All final grades are due by 1:00 p.m.

December 13 Fall Commencement Ceremonies

Courtesy Photo

Participants weathered the cold during last year’s Turkey Trot.

To submit a listing, click on the calendar link at lamaruniversitypress.com

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University Press

CHEF •••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 wide open to, ‘What if we did it like this chef?’ Or, ‘Can I do it like this instead?’ Or, ‘Hey, how about this, can we set it up like this?’ Everyone still had a say in the experiences we had.

I was 21 or 22 coming through this restaurant and it’s like everybody had a say, everybody was on equal ground.

“It was about 20 to 24 of us every single night. All of us were type A. We all wanted the best things — we wanted to do the right things for the food. It was such a great experience.”

Gary says he has drawn ideas from every place he has worked, and will bring new and fresh techniques to the Dining Hall. People don’t want to have to ask when something was made, so let’s have someone cooking out in front of them, have someone really taking care of the food, he says.

“Today, for example, I just took a couple chicken breasts, and it’s as easy as dropping it in this great fresh brine that I made this morning for an hour,” he says. “It just completely changes the makeup of the food. It keeps that juice in there — it makes it a heck of a lot more moist. And everyone’s like, ‘It’s not just a dried out chicken breast, it actually tastes like something.’ That simple little trick that you learn along the way will make all of the difference.”

Gary says that there are different methods that can be used to keep the nutrient value in the food.

“More dry-heat cooking methods — grilling, roasting — keeps those nutrients and keeps all the good value of the vegetable in, rather than throwing things in a steamer, or throwing in a pot, or making stews and risottos where the nutrients stay in the dish,” he says.

“Everybody is conscious about carbs and fat contents and proteins and grams of this and that — they’re all over the place these days. I think we will definitely look for that and see what we can do to make tose a little bit better.”

The idea is to keep the core foods that are available to students at the Dining Hall, Gary says, but also to add a more enticing appeal.

“I think we will look ahead to

doing more, ‘Wow! kind of specials’ or, ‘Hey, today we’re going to do a special thing over here and it’s not going to be listed anywhere,’” he says. “You’re just going to have to come in and find out. Send out a blast on your social media one way or another, ‘Hey, there’s something over here at the Dining Hall. You have to come and try it. It’s only available for the next couple of hours.’

“After the first couple times, I think people get that. I think everybody — students, children, adults, people who know about restaurants and (people who) don’t — they get stagnant after a while if you see the same things day in, day out. I think we can really breathe some new life. We’ll still have the core things that everybody likes and everybody asks for and is used to. But maybe a couple of surprise things here and there is a good thing.”

Gary says he’s happy to be at Lamar and that he wants students to feel as though they can approach him and to be able to know their chef.

“I guess, most importantly, I want the students to realize that they’ll see me,” he says. “I like to be very visible. I like to walk through the dining room — I like to hang out on stations. I’m not some guy that’s going to be in the back just in my office all day. If you see me walking around campus just stop me and say, ‘Hey, I tried this the other day and really liked it’ or, ‘Hey, I had this and it really wasn’t the greatest.’

“I love taking the good with the bad. Nobody is ever going to hit 100 percent every single time, every single day. Some people have different tastes. I love great spicy food and buffalo flare and creole, and there are a lot of people that don’t.

On some of those days, you’re going to miss those couple of people, but you’ll get them back later on with something different. I’m extremely approachable. If somebody needs something, if they’ve got dietary concerns or allergies, I’m very used to addressing those concerns.”

Gary says that his door is always open and that one need only to look for the white coat and the tall hat.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

PEOP LE

Passion for Transformation “Seeing my body transform is why I became so passionate about what I do,” Alyssa Conway says. Between working out her clients and managing her classes, Alyssa has discovered a passion for competitive bodybuilding, winning her most recent competition. She has trained more than 40 students at the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center since becoming a certified personal trainer. She hopes to become a professional bikini bodybuilder soon.

“Since placing first, I now qualify for nationals where I can compete for the chance to win my pro card,” the Beaumont senior says. Training for the shows takes lots of dedication and hard work. “It is a 12-20 week training process, de-

ALYSSA CONWAY

pending on how my body is looking, and each month consists of a different diet.” Alyssa says. “I might start with red meat for the first month, which includes seven meals a day to build up muscle, then start leaning down with a veggiebased diet closer to the show.” The shows give her not only a physical goal but also a mental goal to work toward. “I used to be a very shy person, and these shows have brought me out of my comfort zone and made me more comfortable around people.” An exercise science major, minoring in nutrition, Alyssa hopes to become a nutritionist.

Text and photo by Michelle Burdett

Art in the Dark

UP Elizabeth Grimm New executive chef Stephen Gary scoops up salad with tongs and tosses it onto a plate at lunchtime in the Dining Hall, Nov 13.

Page 3

Eric Adams, photography lab technician at the Lamar University photography darkroom, says that in an age of digital technology, “old-fashioned” film still has a place.

“The art of the darkroom is fading away and Lamar is rare in that beginning students can immediately work in the darkroom,” he says. For those learning photography, the film method is the best place to start learning because it slows the learning process down, Eric says. “In just two short years, I went from only knowing how to operate a point-and-shoot camera to operating one of the best dark-

ERIC ADAMS rooms in the state and I’ve had one solo show in my hometown of Silsbee. “He also spearheaded the creation of the first gallery in the art department, SOL, which is a great opportunity for students to show their work and learn how to develop a portfolio. Eric practically lives at the darkroom, he says, fulfilling many hours and helping students working in the darkroom develop their photographs. Despite living life in the dark, Eric shines a spotlight on a skill set that still has a place in the arts.

Text and photo by Michael Reed

For more people, check out UPbeat magazine inserted in this issue.

Study abroad aims to create global experience for all ALLISON COVINGTON UP CONTRIBUTOR Lamar University offers many different study abroad trips throughout the school year to China, Italy, France, Ecuador, England, Jordan and Spain.

“Study abroad is a vital part of LU’s mission to educate a diverse student body and prepare them for leadership and lifelong learning in a multicultural world,” Norma Zarzosa, study abroad coordinator, said.

Lamar students are not limited to staying in Beaumont for their education.

The university is promoting its study abroad program which includes trips that can range from two weeks to an entire semester.

“Faculty-led programs to Belize for marine biology/tropical forest ecology, China for business, Italy for art and history and Spain for Language and Culture

continue to be popular choices among students,” Joseph Nordgren, associate dean of arts and sciences, said in an email interview.

Going to another country costs more than the typical three-hour course.

Study Abroad Grants are meant to supplement this extra cost, which includes The International Education Fund Grant (IEFG).

“Approximately eight years ago, students levied upon themselves a $2 per long semester and $1 per summer term study abroad fee,” Nordgren said. “This fee typically generates $50,000 per year, which is dispersed among students who participated in study abroad activities that lead to academic credit and apply to the student’s degree plan.”

Anyone who enrolls in a study abroad course is assured a minimum amount from the IEFG that is determined by the cost of the trip and the

number of students enrolled in programs at that time. Students can also apply for other Study Abroad scholarships, such as the Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellowship, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship or Boren Scholarships.

Students should start preparing to enroll nine to 12 months in advance. Applications should be turned in the term prior to the semester in which the applicant plans to study abroad. Applicants need to apply for an IEFG, have a valid passport, and a GPA of 2.0 or higher as an undergraduate, and 3.0 as a graduate student.

“President (Kenneth) Evans is keenly interested in increasing faculty and student participation in study abroad,” Nordgren said. “Efforts to expand study abroad began In September of 2013 and will continue into the foreseeable future”

Approximately 80 students participated in the program throughout the 2014 spring and summer.

“Summer programs typically bring 10-15 students per faculty member,” Jeffrey Palis, director of study abroad, said.

“Programs are largely first-come, firstserved, though I don’t think any Lamar programs are in danger of filling up beyond capacity. With, I hope, an increased demand for study abroad programs on the horizon, it will become more important for students to select their program and sign-up ahead of time.”

Palis said study abroad involves more than just sitting in a class room in another country.

“Cultural interactions could include studying alongside students from the host countries, lectures or academic visits to local sites related to the course curriculum, language study, and home

stays,” he said. “Students should be challenged to get out of their comfort zones as much as possible and engage with the local people, language, foods and culture.”

Zarzosa said that students who have taken advantage of study abroad opportunities are always willing to share their experiences.

“It is very helpful (for prospective students) to talk to the students who have taken courses overseas, their experiences might help understand the cultural similarities and differences that you could come across,” Zarzosa said.

Students can download forms and find more information at http://artssciences.lamar.edu/studyabroad.

For more information, email jpalis@lamar.edu, joe.nordgren@lamar. edu, or nlzarzosa@lamar.edu.

Page 4 Thursday, November 20, 2014

University Press

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EDITORIAL Editor Lauren Van Gerven 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.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Learning (Life) Lessons

UP EDITORIAL

HOLIDAYS A TIME FOR GIVING NOT JUST RECEIVING The holidays are nearing and we all have one thing on our minds — relaxing.

After a busy semester, all we want to do is sit around, eat tons of delicious food and maybe visit with some family. It’s an understandable thing.

We’re all stressed out with finals coming up, and when they are over, we are all excited to be able sit around and do absolutely nothing.

But, instead of basking in the commercialism that the holidays have turned into, maybe we should get out and actually do something.

Go out and volunteer somewhere. Use that gym membership that one hasn’t used all semester. Really enjoy the time one is able to spend with one’s family.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the commercialism of the holidays. There are so many commercials on TV about this holiday special and that generic holiday movie. There are sales galore — we should just ignore the absolute craziness that is Black Friday.

Do something that matters. Do something that will change one’s or someone else’s life for the better. Make the little kid down the road who has nothing smile by getting them a small toy. Make an elder live a little again by visiting the local retirement home and just letting them tell you their stories. One may learn something from them.

If one doesn’t know where to go to volunteer, there are many websites that can be searched to find volunteer options in the area. There is volunteermatch.org, peopleservingpeople.org, and unitedway.org — and that is just to name a few.

In Southeast Texas alone, one can volunteer at the SouthEast Texas Food Bank, the Christus Health Foundation, and at the multitude of animal shelters.

Don’t think it’s worth it? It is.

It’s good for you. Volunteering reduces stress.

It saves resources. One can gain professional experience. It brings people together. It promotes personal growth and self-esteem. It strengthens the community. It encourages civic responsibility.

It makes a difference.

There are plenty of opportunities. There are no excuses.

We challenge everyone to make a difference this holiday season.

UNIVERSITY PRESS A THIRTEEN-TIME ASSOCIATED PRESS MANAGING EDITORS AWARD WINNER

The Newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology ©University Press 2014

Editor ................................Lauren Van Gerven Managing Editor .......................Kristen Stuck Sports Editor ..........................Grant Crawford Web Editor ..............................Melissa Conley Staff .............Desmond Pickens, Lainie Harris, .............Mallory Matt, Brandianne Hinton, .....................Mason Malmay, Molly Porter, ....................Coty Davis, Elizabeth Grimm, .........Jared McClelland, Lane Fortenberry, .................Michelle Burdett, Eddie McGill, ...............Mario Carmona, Jennifer Yacuta, ....................Kenya Manuel, Medron White Advertising .............................Melissa Conley Office Manager ..................Jac’Quor Williams

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UP illustration Desmond Pickens

Getting grades only part of college education Compared to this time last year, my focus on school has done a complete 180.

Last year, I still didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I chose to major in journalism. I just assumed, “Oh, I’m good at writing, this will be no problem.” However, I was wrong.

There is so much more than just writCOMMENTARY ing that goes along with being a journalist.

Believe it or not, you actually have to work by at it.

I’m more focused in my classes this semester, and it’s because I finally get it. I get what it takes to be successful. Not only do I ventory at a hardware store. Like many stuget it, now, I find myself wanting to do my dents, I have to work full-time to make ends work. I mean ask yourself, “is this the ca- meet.

Seven credit hours may be what I’m reer you want?” I guess I just didn’t want it earning, but I’m at school more than 12 bad enough before.

My priorities in life have changed over hours a week. But my newly-found devotion the past year, and I think I’m ready to take and drive makes it worth it. I find myself my next step. Finishing my college degree wanting to be here, wanting to write. I actually feel like I can be depended on to deliver means so much more to me now.

I messed around in classes before be- a story worth reading, as opposed to last cause I didn’t care about finishing school, year, when it was all about doing just and I honestly wasn’t ready to grow up — enough to earn a grade for the assignment.

I have matured. meaning I wasn’t ready for the future. I was The life of working full time and atcomfortable doing the bare minimum. I focused on relationships, work and managing tending college can be stressful, but at the my time around partying. Graduating from end of the day, the hard work we put in to achieve success in school leads to what we college was the last thing on my mind.

My work now, compared to what I did came to college for in the first place — to get a degree for the career we’ve always last year, shows a tremendous change.

I’m taking seven credit hours this se- wanted.

Times get hard, and I often feel like I mester, and work 40 hours a week doing in-

Lainie Harris

have no life, because when I’m not at school, I’m at work, and when I’m not at work, I’m doing homework.

Fortunately, I am able to set my schedule to work around my classes. That is a big help, and a luxury I know most students do not get to enjoy. However, it still leaves me with no time to party.

I began college in fall 2010 and expected to be graduated by now. All my friends are, so why aren’t I? Well this is why. I wasn’t focused and I didn’t want it bad enough. I was so caught up in the now that I didn’t think about my future. I just always expected I would be taken care of, that it didn’t matter how well I did in college because my mom would take care of me. I will live with her forever, or my husband will take care of me.

But in reality, if I want to be successful in my career as a news broadcaster/journalist I have to focus on me. Not relationships, not a having a family of my own, but myself.

Those things will come.

And when they do, I hope I will be able to take the lessons I have learned over the past year and apply them to those things.

It’s not just about getting a grade — it’s about doing things right.

Lainie Harris is a UP Contributor

‘THANKS’ FOR NOTHING Big retail stores opening on holiday hurts families It’s that time of year again.

The time of year when you gather with family and friends to eat until you’re so stuffed the only thing you can do is nap.

Everyone is staying warm by the fire and enjoying themselves while watching the Thanksgiving games.

However, that’s not the scenario for retail employees — we’re already at work.

It used to be very manageable. I would enjoy my whole Thanksgiving holiday, like everyone else, then get some rest and head to work at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. I didn’t mind at all as long as I as able to enjoy my holiday.

My grandfather has cancer. He goes through harsh chemotherapy treamtments that bring him down and make him weak.

No one knows exactly how much time he has left. My grandmother isn’t in the best condition either after multiple surgeries.

Do you know what I have to miss? I have to miss most of my Thanksgiving holiday because retailers want to cut down our time we get to spend with loved ones.

Who knows how many more Thanksgiving dinners I’ll be able to share with them. Who knows how many more times I’ll be able to sit on the couch and spend time with my grandfather watching the games.

Our families aren’t going to be around forever, so we need to be able to make the most of the times we are able to spend to-

COMMENTARY

by

Lane Fortenberry

gether.

Lamar student and retail employee Phil Fountain shares similar frustrations.

“Thanksgiving is one of the few times in the year when I get to see my family,” he says. “With retail stores opening early on Thanksgiving, I miss the chance to actually spend time with the people I care about.”

Now, most retail employees are heading to work at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, then close and open back up at 6 a.m. on Friday. This is supposedly good because, “It gives people time to shop on Thanksgiving and the employees have time to rest some on Black Friday before coming back to work.”

Are you kidding me?

Each year, in a competitive world, once one store decides to open up earlier than last year, all the other stores follow.

This isn’t caring about the employees, this is caring about every way to beat the

competition and bring in the most dollars.

I question the people camping outside the stores weeks and days before Black Friday even begins. They are part of the reason stores continue to open up earlier and earlier every year. Companies know that a majority of the customers will do almost anything to save a few extra bucks on that big screen TV or laptop.

I’ve been working in retail going on four years now, I know how customers are and how much they care. This problem isn’t going to get better. Big box stores are going to keep opening up earlier and earlier to stay on top of the competition and they will win, because the customer will continue to shop no matter what the circumstances are.

I like shopping on Black Friday, but I’m not going to go crazy and take away time from being with my family and friends to go fight people to save a little money.

Where do we go from here corporate America?

Who knows. Maybe next year stores will open up at noon on Thanksgiving, giving employees little time to enjoy their holiday.

Or maybe they’ll have some respect for employees and open up on Black Friday, just like the name suggests.

Lane Fortenberry is a UP Contributor

Page 6 Thursday, November 20, 2014

University Press

Angel Tree programs helps children of incarcerated with gifts LAINIE HARRIS UP CONTRIBUTOR Angel Tree is a program of Prison Fellowship that reaches out to children whose parents are incarcerated. This program allows children to receive gifts from those parents.

Lamar senior Thira Simon is the Angel Tree Program Area Coordinator through Triumph Church in Beaumont. She has been a part of the program since 2006. She was assistant coordinator until 2012, then she became the area coordinator.

“We provide gifts and events for children whose parents are incarcerated,” Simon said. “We provide entertainment for them, we give them food to help carry them through the winter break — lots of gifts, we give them bicycles, lots of toys.

“Children that are a part of Angel Tree have parents, or a parent, who is incarcerated and want to have their child receive a gift for Christmas from them.”

The prison fellowship visits the prisons and the parents fill out a form for the children to receive gifts. The names of the children are written on angels, which are hung on Christmas trees at different church locations.

Donors take the angels and buy gifts for the children.

“The whole point of it is, they get gifts, but they don’t get gifts from us — they get gifts from their parents,” Simon said. “You know a lot of them don’t get to see their parents and they already miss them during the year, but at Christmas it’s a big deal, because they don’t get to see them and they don’t get a gift from them, and a lot of times those kids feel forgotten.

“They have a lot of shame attached to them because, you know, they go to school and they can’t say, “Well, mom helped me with this project,” because mom’s in jail. Who wants to say my mom’s in jail? And if they do they’re made fun of.”

Triumph Angel Tree will host a Christmas ceremony for the children at 10:30 a.m., Dec. 6, at Triumph Church in Beaumont. During the ceremony, each child will be called by name, as well as their parent’s name, to be acknowledged and receive their gifts.

“We call them up by their parent’s

Courtesy Photo

name that’s incarcerated and we make a big deal of it, to kind of take away some of that shame,” Simon said.

Simon added that she is a giver by nature and that’s what drew her to the program.

“I’m a penny pincher, so I knew I could get a bunch of angels off that tree and I could give those kids gifts, and that really was my motivation,” she said. “And as I began to do it year after year, I started to do research on it —

and I didn’t know I was researching, I was just trying to see what was going on. At that point my heart became broken for these children, because they’re constantly talking about how they’re affected. The funny thing is, that my whole family is ridden with people who have been to prison, and I never really thought about it, to tell you the truth. I just thought, “Whatever, they’re crazy, they didn’t have any business doing that. That’s just how I thought about it.

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And this is a clincher — my own daughter’s father has been in prison since before she was born.

“I never knew that she had issues about his incarceration, and even doing angel tree, I still didn’t get it. Somebody else at my church pointed out to me, ‘Isn’t your child an angel tree child?’ she said. ‘I was like who?’ ‘You know, who,” she said, “And I never even thought about it.’”

Simon’s sister-in-law shared that

she had received Angel Tree gifts from her mother when she was a child.

“It just blew me away,” Simon said, “She said that was the only time she really realized that her mom cared.”

Simon was a panelist at the Jack Brooks Conference this year which dealt with reintegration of the incarcerated. She remembers a story one of the other panelists told about a nine-yearold boy who was in his third term in a juvenile unit.

“The man said, ‘Why do you keep coming here? What are you doing?’

The little boy told him that this is the only place he’ll get Christmas,” she said. “You don’t really think that it would have a huge impact, but it does.”

Apart from Triumph Church, Angel Trees are also located at Church on the Rock North, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Faith Outreach Church, Greater Works of Faith Worship Center, and Family Help Systems around Beaumont, and as well as in Rosenberg, Rio Grande Valley, Jasper, Saratoga and Needville.

“I’m a coordinator at Triumph church, but I’m also an area coordinator in this region, and what I do is I get other churches to pick up other children who have not been sponsored by a certain time,” Simon said.

Triumph Angel Tree usually sponsors 100 children, but this year the church is sponsoring 300 children.

Simon said they started with 25 children in 2006. This is also the first year to have more than just local cities involved.

The Dec. 6 ceremony will be more than just a simple gift exchange, Simon said.

“When they come, we are going to have entertainment, we are going to decorate and we are going to feed them,” she said, “It is Christmas and Thanksgiving all rolled up in one — there is going to be just about every kind of meat you can imagine.

“Then we’ll have volunteers to help serve it. We serve (the children and caregivers) — there is so much food it’s unthinkable. I mean, they could eat five times, and there will still be more.”

To donate, visit Facebook page at Triumphchurchangeltree.

For more information, email thira@triumphchurch.com, or call 2843832.

University Press Thursday, November 20, 2014

Page 7

INNOCENCE UNSHACKLED Innocent man’s release from life-sentence in prison MALLORY MATT UP STAFF WRITER Twenty-four years and seven months of uncomfortable clothes, bad food, bad company and never seeing anything but concrete walls. Twentyfour years and seven months he glared from behind bars, angry that the world could be so cruel to an innocent man.

Michael Morton, at the age of 32, went to prison for murdering his wife, Christine, a crime for which he was exonerated nearly three decades later.

“I went to prison March 4, 1987,” Michael says. “I was released Oct. 4, 2011. It was exactly 24 years and seven months to the day — I remember it 24/7.”

A bloodied bandana was found behind the house after the crime had been committed. More than two decades after he was convicted, lawyers at the Innocence Project in Austin fought to have the bandana tested for DNA. It contained Christine Morton’s blood and hair, and the DNA of another man — a convicted felon named Mark Alan Norwood, who was subsequently convicted of Christine’s murder in 2013, a conviction upheld by an appeals court on Aug. 15.

“We found out that I got convicted because of suppressed evidence,” Michael says. “The prosecutor in my case had become a state district judge when I was in prison. A very special Texas inquiry was held and, at the end of it all, he was removed from the bench. He lost his law license, was forced into retirement, he had a $500 fine, 500 hours of community service and they give him a ten-day jail sentence. It was the first time, as far as I know, that a prosecutor has done jail time for suppressing evidence in a murder case.”

The Innocence Project was able to file a Texas Open Records Request in order to retrieve the suppressed evidence.

“The sheriff was no longer living when I got out,” Michael says. “I really don’t know why he held the files.”

For more than twenty years, the

sheriff and district attorney’s files for 1986 and 1987 sat in storage.

“When the files were retrieved, what they found was very surprising,” Michael says. “There were a few main things. The first one is a police report that says that my neighbors had said that they’d seen a green van come up and park by my house, and a man would get out and walk around. In short, he was kind of, like, ‘casing the place.’

“The other piece of information was the police department saw that my wife’s credit card was being used in San Antonio — after her death. It was never followed up on. The last and most important piece of evidence was what has been called the ‘monster transcripts.’ Those are transcripts of a phone conversation between the chief investigator of the case and my mother-in-law. She said that when my son was talking to her, he described witnessing the murder. He described where the guy left and what window he used to get out of. Nobody ever knew about that. I had even taken my son to a child psychologist because I was very concerned about what he had been through. I knew he had been in the house but I didn’t know if he had seen anything. There was nothing. But the reason that the things he told my mother-in-law were given so much weight was because he described certain things at the scene.

The thing that made all of this so bad was that he was asked if his daddy was there and he said, ‘No sir.’ And that’s what got me. When those files were uncovered, everybody freaked out because no one had ever seen that stuff outside of the sheriff’s office. It was a clear violation of the law.”

Michael’s son Eric, who was three years old at the time of the murder, described the intruder as a ‘monster’ who had attacked his mother.

“My mother-in-law believed I was innocent at the beginning, but in the transcript, she tells that the investigator spent several minutes explaining that I was probably wearing my scuba stuff, like my wetsuit and my tank, my mask — all that kind of stuff,” Michael

Courtesy photo Michael Morton

Michael Morton enjoys a moment with his granddaughter after being released from prison after 24 years for or a crime he didn’t commit.

says. “It was just really crazy. He was trying to convince her otherwise. And as the trial went on, people kept telling her again and again that I was the guy.”

The case is the subject of a documentary “An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story.” Michael was in Beaumont in October to give a lecture on his experience at St. Anthony’s Cathedral Basilica.

In Michael’s speeches and in his documentary, he explains, “I am you.”

“One of the reasons that I believe what happened to me resonates with so many people is because I was average,” he says. “Me and my wife both had careers and a mortgage, and a son, and a house in the suburbs — a corner lot with a dog. It hits people because they think, ‘Here’s this incredibly normal person and it could’ve happened to me.’ If it happened to me, it could’ve happened to anybody. When you come up against the criminal justice system and you have no record, you don’t know how the system works. Innocent people think that if you just tell the truth then you’ve got nothing to fear from the police, and that if you just stick to it that the system will work, it’ll all come to light and everything will be fine. You’re at their mercy in a way.

You don’t know the rules. That’s how it goes.”

The typical thought is that prison is supposed to be about rehabilitation, Michael says.

“I don’t know who said that,” he says. “The prisoners are given handbooks of all the regulations and there’s a little comment in there about that. I didn’t really see any of the state’s efforts working too well. The rehabilitation efforts were either done by the prisoners themselves, for themselves, and through the faithCourtesy photo by Jorge Sanhueza Lyon based programs. Everything is pretty Michael Morton spent 24 years in prison after being falsly accused of the murdering his wife. He much a book.”

The differences Michael sees in was released in 2011.

Lady Cards host toy drive Dec. 4 MALLORY MATT UP STAFF WRITER The Lady Cardinal’s basketball team will host a toy drive before their game against Hudson-Tillotson, Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m., at the Montagne Center.

In return for donating a new toy, students will receive free chicken from Raising Cane’s.

“We’re tr ying to add more interactive components to all of the basketball games,” Kiet Le, Associate Director of Student Activities and Civic Engagement, said. “We figured that Raising Cane’s was a popular choice for students, especially because it’s all the way across town, so bringing it to them would make it easier. We’re hoping that the students will stay there for the game and cheer on the ladies’ basketball team.”

The assistant coach reached out to Le and asked if Lamar Ser vices would be interested in sponsoring an event before the game in order to increase attendance.

“So, we’re working with the ladies basketball team and CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates.

It’s an organization that I’ve worked with previously. We’re collecting toys for them to give to any of the children that fall under their umbrella.”

CASA is an organization that trains volunteers who are each assigned to help one child or set of siblings who have entered the foster care system. The volunteers focus on giving that child or sibling group the individualized advocacy and attention.

Le hopes to get more students involved with the Lamar basketball teams with this fundraiser, he says.

For more information about the toy drive, call 880-2395.

For more information about CASA, visit texascasa.org.

himself from the 32-year-old man he was when he went to prison and the 57-year-old man he was when he was released are all positive.

“The gravity of my life is different,” he says. “I’ve changed my outlook, my perspective, the things I want to do, the things I don’t want to do. I don’t really have any negative things now.

Michael says he is a little more aware of people around him.

“When I go some place, I know when someone is eyeballing this or that,” he says. “It’s not a conscious effort, it’s something you develop in prison. I see those guys and sometimes the people that I’m with won’t see it. But almost everything that has changed about me since I’ve gotten out of prison has been positive. It’s given me a fantastic appreciation for life.”

Eric and Michael have built a good relationship since his release from prison.

“My son and I are very good right now,” he says. “At first, as you could imagine, it was difficult for him. All these new things are coming out and coming up again. He was getting contacted by strangers, lawyers and such, and his world was turning upside down because something that he thought was fundamental had to be reinterpreted — everything he thought he knew about his mom and dad. That was kind of tough, because you spend all of your life thinking somebody is a really bad character.

You have all these people telling you, ‘He did this,’ and ‘He did that,’ and then all of the sudden someone tells you, ‘Oh, by the way, none of that’s true.’ I think he’s done what I would’ve done. He’s had to change a lot of his thinking and look at a lot of people in a different light. I admire how he’s done it.”

Michael says that people approach him seeking forgiveness for

animosity they had toward him.

“It’s an odd thing because I’ve met some people who have all come to me in tears, wanting my forgiveness — and I realize that I don’t know who these people are,” he says. “The most recent one was this guy that had dated my late wife back when they were in high school. He had hated me for years. He had all of this animosity inside of him for me for a couple of decades just to find out he was wrong.

It really affects people.

“It affects me, too. I try to reassure them and say, ‘Of course, forget it, don’t sweat it,’ and it’s tough on them. It’s a very unusual position for me especially because they want forgiveness from me — I don’t feel like I’ve been harmed in any way by them.

It’s an odd sort of responsibility — to have this obligation of me to try to make them feel better. All I can say is, ‘No hard feelings. Go on and live your life.’ It’s odd.”

It may sound like a cliché, but Michael says he appreciates the little things that come with freedom.

“One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to get a cup of coffee, take my new wife, Cynthia, by the hand and walk out on the deck,” he says. “The sun’s coming up, birds are starting to rouse, squirrels are hopping in the trees and the fish are jumping in the lake. It’s just simple, beautiful, wonderful little things like that that I appreciate.

“I really appreciate clothes that fit and are comfortable, food that tastes good, and good company. I love being around good and decent people. It’s really a nice change, but it’s also what keeps me going. It makes me want to get up in the morning.”

“An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story” is now on Netflix and his autobiography, “Getting Life: An Innocent Man’s 25-Year Journey from Prison to Peace,” is available on Amazon.com.

Business college creates new endowed scholarship

Memorial Scholarship in Nursing established

The Lamar University Foundation has announced an endowed scholarship has been established for the College of Business. The Michael Jay Gammill Presidential Scholarship in Business will provide funding for outstanding students to further their studies at Lamar.

“I am delighted to have Michael Gammill’s name associated with the College of Business,” said Henr y Venta, dean of the College of Business. “The scholarship reduces the burden on the students and provides funds necessar y for success. It is vital to assure students complete their college education and to provide them resources to do so.”

A lifelong resident of Beaumont, Gammill graduated from Lamar with a business degree in marketing. Gammill began his career working for Ingersoll Rand as a salesman and later, a distributor. He co-founded Associated Tool Specialties Company in 1976 and Gammill Pneumatics in 2005.

Gammill often worked several jobs while maintaining his studies while attending Lamar. His wife and their three daughters established the scholarship in his honor to be awarded to students striving for a valuable education.

“Mr. Gammill seems to embody the spirit of hard work and dedication that is characteristic of many of our working students,” said Venta. “The motivation of the family in establishing the scholarship to support students that may have the responsibility to support a family while going to school, fits ver y well with the population of students that the College of Business ser ves.”

For more information about establishing an endowed scholarship, contact the Lamar University Foundation at 8802117.

The Lamar University Foundation has announced an endowed scholarship has been established for the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Dolores Jones Memorial Scholarship in Nursing will provide funding for outstanding students to further their studies at Lamar.

“I am truly excited about this scholarship,” said Brenda Nichols, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “I am a nurse by education and was lucky to have received scholarships while in college. This scholarship will provide a great deal of financial aid for students by helping supplement expenses that are not included in the tuition costs such as medical instruments.”

A caregiver with a passion for nursing, Dolores Jones earned her RN degree in the same year she married her husband of 52 years, Jack W. Jones. Her nursing and educational positions ranged from visiting nurse, head nurse, industrial nurse and nursing instructor. While working at Lamar, she held the title of instructor in the LVN nursing program, director of vocational nursing, family nurse practitioner for the Lamar Student Health Center and director of the Student Health Center until retiring in 1994.

For more information about establishing an endowed scholarship, contact the Lamar University Foundation at 880-2117.

Page 8 Thursday, November 20, 2014

University Press

a L

a s B k e r t a b a m

ll

2014-2015 Good Luck Cards $ Lady Cards on your Upcoming games

SPORTS UP SPORTS BRIEFS Women’s Basketball The Lady Cardinals lost to Oklahoma University, 100-73, in a nonconference game, Tuesday, in Norman, Okla.

Senior Dominique Edwards had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and collected her 13th career double-double.

Lamar returns home to host UTSA in the Montagne Center, Tuesday.

Tipoff is at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.LamarCardinals. com, or from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Montagne Center ticket office, or by calling 880-1715. Tickets will also be available one hour prior to game time.

Women’s Golf Marion Benzekri has signed a National Letter of Intent to play golf for Lamar. The announcement was made

by LU coaching staff, Tuesday.

A native of Aix-En Provence, France, Benzekri has won more than 10 tournaments during her career.

Benzekri enters college coming off wins at the French amateur stroke play, and French Junior Championships stroke play tournaments.

The Lady Cardinals return to action Feb. 15, at the Delta Gamma Challenge in New Braunfels.

Volleyball Head coach Alan Edwards announced the signing of Aijahnae Springs, Ivette Dim and Tomar Thomas to the program for the 2015 season.

“We’re really excited to have all three of the ladies we signed,” Edwards said. “With this class I think our team gets a little higher volleyball IQ, we get a little more athleticism and more experienced volleyball players.”

9 Thursday, November 20, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

LU CLINCHES WINNING SEASON RONNIE JONES JR. EARNS SLC DEFENSIVE POW IN 31-20 SENIOR NIGHT WIN OVER INCARNATE WORD GRANT CRAWFORD UP SPORTS EDITOR @GrantLamarUP The Lamar Football team won their final home game, Saturday, defeating Incarnate Word 31-20.

Lamar’s victory moved them to 7-4 (4-3 SLC), and clinched their first winning season since 1979.

Head coach Ray Woodard said he was proud of the victory.

“It’s a big win for our program,” he said. “It was a very tough win. My hat’s off to Incarnate Word. I knew they were going to play us hard. We had to fight for it, but that’s OK. To be honest with you, I’d rather have it like that — that we had to go out and fight for it.”

Saturday’s game ser ved as senior day for Lamar’s players.

“There were so many reasons to get this win tonight, but I really wanted this for the seniors, because they’ve done so much for us,” Woodard said.

“I wanted all of them to do something special in the game, and walk off the field knowing they’re winners. I’m very proud and happy for them, and I’m looking for ward to coaching them for one more week.”

Senior Mark Roberts became the first Lamar receiver in school history to have a 1,000-yard season receiving, recording 124 yards and one 78-yard touchdown.

“We wish we could pass it more,” Woodard said. “We have some ver y talented and explosive players at the receiver position, and we have an experienced quarterback. Offensively, I think we can throw and catch with anybody.”

Quarterback Caleb Berr y completed 17-33 passes, for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

“I enjoyed it,” Berry said. “I would have enjoyed it more if we would have scored a lot more points, but I’m extremely proud of my guys. I’ve enjoyed playing with them for the five years I’ve been here.

I was not spot on today. I had a horrible game, but I have a bunch of guys around me to pick me up.”

The Cardinals held Incarnate Word to 300 yards of offense. LU sophomore Omar Tebo

Photos courtesy of LU media relations

LU’s Ronnie Jones Jr., above, sacks the QB and forces a fumble during Lamar’s 30-21 victory over Incarnate Word at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Saturday. recorded a fumble recovery, and sophomore Lloyd Julian grabbed his first interception of the season.

“I enjoyed it a lot, watching the defense out there and playing hard,” Berr y said. “Sometimes you take for granted that you have a pretty good defense out there. They held out for four quarters. I’m extremely proud to say I have that kind of defense on my team.”

Junior Ronnie Jones Jr. led the Lamar defense with 12 total tackles, including two sacks. He also forced the fumble Lamar recovered in the first quarter. The linebacker was named College Sports Madness Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

“I just wanted to have a big game for the seniors,” Jones said. “All I cared about was doing what I could to help send those guys out with a win. Our offense is so explosive, so it’s nice to know that we can be there to lift them up when things aren’t going their way.”

The Cardinals finished with 422 yards of offense. Kade Harrington carried the ball 25 times for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Woodard said he was happy the team closed out the game by running out the clock.

“Offensively, we throw the football,” he said.

“Our passing sets up our run, though. We knew we

had to do mix it up. They’ve been a good defensive football team all year. You could tell they were a physical team on both sides.”

Lamar will travel to McNeese State, Saturday, to try and tie the school record for wins in a season.

McNeese is now 6-4 (4-3 SLC), and have lost their last two games to Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana.

“After their last two losses, they’ll be good and angr y by the time we get over there Saturday,” Woodard said. “I’m ver y proud of what we’ve accomplished, but our season is definitely not over. It will be a good ball game.”

A Lamar victor y would mark the most wins since 1974, and could put them in playoff contention.

“We know it’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Jones said. “We know that McNeese is a great team, but we’re going to go out there and fight.”

The game against McNeese is set to kickoff at 6 p.m., in Lake Charles, La. “We’ve come close to beating them, but we know that’s not going to get it done,” Woodard said.

“We have tremendous respect for their coaches and their players. We know how talented they are, but we’re going to put in a good week and we’re going to get after it.”

Cardinal hoops wins home opener COTY DAVIS UP CONTRIBUTOR Lamar men’s basketball team won their home opener, Sunday, as they defeated LSU-Alexandria, 78-75, in the Montagne Center.

Forward Tyran de Lattibeaudiere racked up a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while guard Anthony Holliday added 17 points, which helped the Cardinals bounce back after Friday’s 93-54 loss to the ninth-ranked SMU Mustangs.

Even though Lamar came out

with the victory, head coach Tic Price was not pleased with the way his team played.

“We did not play up to our full potential,” he said. “In my opinion, we played very soft, and I felt like those kids from LSU-Alexandria played their hearts out. However, at the end of the day we got the win, but I did not like how we won.”

From the start of the first half, it was clear that the Generals were trying their best to steal a victory and spoil the Cardinals’ home opener.

LU was out shot by 45.8 percent to 40.7 percent from the field, and 33

UP Coty Davis

Senior Tyran de Lattibeaudiere, above, goes up for a dunk during the 78-75 victory against LSU-Alexandria in the Montagne Center, Saturday.

percent to 30 percent from beyond the arc.

However, despite their poor shooting performance, it would be the Cardinals’ defense that kept them one step ahead of the Generals.

Lamar forced 21 turnovers and outrebounded the Generals, 40-38.

“We forced 21 turnovers, which is right around our magic number we would like to average for the season,” Price said. “I felt that we had a pretty good night with our trap defense and man rotations, and even though we barely won the rebound battle, it still played a factor to why we won the game.”

After leading 37-26 at halftime, the intensity of the game picked up, and Lamar were in a tough battle.

Things were not helped when they lost their second leading scorer, Anthony Holliday, to a right leg injury midway through the second half.

The Generals were on a roll, hitting every basketball down the stretch, until a technical foul called on guard Darius Johnson put LU guard Marcus Owens on the line. With the Cardinals up 76-73 with 19.4 seconds left to play, Owens drained both free throws to seal the deal for Lamar.

Lattibeaudiere, who had 17 of his 26 points in the second half, said his first game in the Montagne Center would be one he will never forget.

“I was very excited to play my first game here at Lamar,” Lattibeaudiere said. “It’s an honor to play for Lamar because they gave me the chance to play Division 1 basketball, and I really do appreciate the opportunity they have given me.”

As Lamar looks forward to facing Texas-State in San Marcos, Wednesday, Price said they must make some major adjustments.

“We have to win the effort area, and defensively, we must hold our opponents to no more than 37-40 percent from the field,” he said. “We have to win the battle of the boards by a larger margin, and just be more physical and aggressive in our overall play.”

Results from last night’s game were unavailable at press time.

David Smith

Yamelis Ortiz

Pat Foster

SMITH, ORTIZ, FOSTER INDUCTED INTO ATHLETICS HALL OF HONOR A legendary coach, a pitching ace and a former Olympian were inducted into the Lamar Hall of Honor this week. Pat Foster, David Smith and Yamelis Ortiz were enshrined during Lamar’s regular-season finale against Incarnate Word, Saturday.

“It is our privilege to add these three individuals into our Hall of Honor,” Jason Henderson, LU director of athletics, said.

“They exemplify success at the highest level of their respective fields. Due to their hard work, they helped build a tradition of success, which Lamar is known for, future athletes can strive to achieve.”

The 1984 Southland Conference Coach of the Year, Foster won better than 73 percent of his games during his time with the Cardinals. His teams posted 20 wins five times during his tenure, including a 26-5 campaign in 1983-84. Foster guided Lamar to the postseason every year, including two trips to the NCAA Championships, and three Southland Conference titles. The Cardinals advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships both times under Foster. He left Lamar as the school’s second all-time winningest coach with 134 wins, and a 49-19 (.721) mark in Southland Conference games.

Foster’s players reaped the benefits of his coaching as well. He produced 15 AllSouthland selections, including seven first-team players, two SLC Players of the Year, two league newcomers of the year and one All-American.

Ortiz, who ran for the Cardinals from 1995 through the 2000 season, won three

straight 400-meter hurdle titles at the 1996, 1997 and 1998 Sun Belt Outdoor Championships. She qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 400-meter hurdles in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and ran on the 1,600-meter relay team that won the event at the 1998 Sun Belt Championships.

In addition to her success as a Lady Cardinal, she competed in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia as a member of the Puerto Rico 4x400-meter relay squad. Ortiz was one of two former Lamar athletes named to the SBC 30th Anniversary team in March.

At 6’4,” 200 pounds, Smith was an intimidating presence on the mound for Lamar. He is the school’s all-time leader in wins and complete games. Smith guided the Cardinals to the Southland Conference title in 1979 and 1981. He enters the Hall of Honor with an impressive list of credentials, some of which remain at the top of the LU records books. In 1979, Smith set the Lamar record for ERA (1.05), and followed that up by setting records for innings pitched (123) and consecutive wins (12) the next season. His 12 victories in 1980 also tied the LU singleseason record for wins.

A former All-SLC selection, Smith left Lamar as one of the school’s all-time leaders in winning percentage, shutouts, ERA and innings pitched, but his single-best performance might have come during his sophomore year. Smith pitched a no-hitter to guide Lamar to a 4-1 victory over Louisville that season.

Page 10 Thursday, November 20, 2014

University Press

Man Up Lamar hosts food drive through tomorrow RASHAMIR A SIMS UP CONTRIBUTOR Man Up Lamar will host a Thanksgiving food drive through Friday. The drive will begin at 2 p.m. in the Setzer Student Center. “When we were coming up with events to do, I thought it would be a great idea to hold a Thanksgiving drive, Man Up president Kerr y Washington, said. “Our personal goal is to put a smile on ever y family that comes through the door.�

Participants may bring canned and boxed foods, including flour, sugar, corn meal/corn muffin mix, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, canned gravy/gravy packets, creamed soup, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, yams, marshmallows, canned fruit, canned pie filling, pie crust mix, canned pumpkin, canned evaporated milk, Jell-O and pudding mixes.

The items will be donated to underprivileged families, Sunday. “This drive is focused on leaving no families hungr y during this season,� Washington said. “Man Up believes that Thanksgiving is a holiday where we not only give thanks for what we have, but also allows families to be together during the holidays.�

This is Man Up’s first Thanksgiving drive. “Food is scarce in many people’s families,� member Michael Townsend said. (I) have a full plate to eat on Thanksgiving and I believe that Man Up can give full plates to those who need them, too.�

— WORLD VIEW —

In addition to giving out Thanksgiving meals, Man Up will also help families get Christmas Trees. The organization has teamed with Schroader Christmas Tree Farm to donate trees to the families who receive a Thanksgiving box. “We are honored to have teamed up with Schroader Tree Farm, because not only are we giving back to families for Thanksgiving, but also for Christmas,� member Grant Hill said. “I feel that it is a doublewin situation for the organization and for the families as well.�

Washington said he enjoys doing community outreach, especially during the major holidays. “The holidays are about being with families and living out the holiday spirit,� he said. “I feel that anything we do during this holiday season is a major uplift for underprivileged families. I have helped in many food drives and it is always pleasant to hand somebody something that they didn’t have before and watch that glow they get. It is just a great feeling to me.�

Man Up is seeking volunteers to help assemble the food boxes, set up the event, and ser ve patrons who come to the drive. “Students of Lamar are also a part of the Beaumont community, and as a community we should act as a family,� member Chad Smith said. “Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, and I feel as if giving back is doing just that.�

For information, call 512586-1050.

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Kelly Erasmus, Cape Town, South Africa freshman What is the most common misconception about your home countr y?

First, people hear my accent and try to guess that I am from England or Australia. That is always what comes up first. We have a very original accent, which I like. But then they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand why I am white. I had a guy ask that once. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like the movie â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mean Girls,â&#x20AC;? they ask, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why are you white?â&#x20AC;? And then they think we have animals walking in the streets everywhere. I have never actually seen a lion or an elephant up close in real life.

They always think that it is like a safari, but it is very normal.

What would you like people to know about your home countr y?

Probably, just how nice it is, because people think it is like a big third world country that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t got anything to offer. It is beautiful, and we have the best beaches and beautiful landmarks â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we have Table Mountain in Cape Town. It is very scenic and green, and the weather is amazing. I live about 30 minutes from the beach, but I have friends who live on the beach, which is just great. The water is always cold but

the weather does not get cold, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice.

What is a big cultural dif ference between the U.S. and your home countr y?

There are many things. The holidays and the days you celebrate â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there are so many. There are so many fun holidays or days that celebrate something. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Halloween or Thanksgiving, so that is a little weird. Any day can be a holiday in America. We only have Christmas and Easter, maybe a few other small ones.

It is not like anything over here, though. I have picked up that everyone here is really friendly. At home, there are not a lot of people who walk around with smiles and say something.

You meet people here and they friend you, they will talk to you. We have 11 languages. I am not sure what they all are, but I know there are 11. It is safer (in the U.S.) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Oh my word, it is safer.

(In South Africa) I live in a security complex, which is a completely gated complex. It has electric fencing, and big walls and alarms. Here, you leave things unlocked, but you cannot leave

anything unlocked in South Africa. It is not that bad, but it is not that safe.

Where I live is more safe than most of the country, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good thing.

But, it is nice being here and being able to walk around campus and in the streets. It is a good place.

What would you like people in your home countr y to know about the U.S.?

Everything about the college life, mainly the football games and all the sports game we go watch. There are a lot of things that go on around campus.

I love the college life. (In South Africa) they go to classes and the colleges are very different. They do not know about the Greek life, and all the sororities and fraternities. They ask me all about that. Sports are not big in college, not at all actually. We play sports, but we have field hockey and rugby.

People already know about America, but Americans donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to know anything about any other country, if they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t traveled. We know America from all the movies, so that is the perception of America. It is all similar, but very different at the same time.

World View is an ongoing series that aims to spotlight the international diversity that adds to Lamar Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich culture.

Compiled by Mason Malmay

TODAY is the last issue of the University Press for the fall semester.

The next issue of the University Press will be Thursday, Jan. 29.

Advertising and Editorial deadlines are noon, Monday, Jan 26.

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