The University Press November 29, 2018

From Radio to Ducks

See inside

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 95, No. 11 November 29, 2018

A CALL TO CARE Hamza addresses Syrian crisis in Distinguished Faculty Lecture Tiana Johnson UP contributor

UP photo by Cade Smith

M.K. Hamza, professor of clinical mental health counseling, presents the Distinguished Faculty Lecture, “When the World Stopped Caring,” Tuesday, in the University Theatre.

M.K Hamza, professor of clinical mental health counseling, presented “When the World Stopped Caring,” the 2018 Lamar University Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Tuesday, in the University Theatre. The lecture aims to bring attention to the ongoing crisis in Syria, and the effects of Human Devastation Syndrome, especially on children.

During the lecture, volunteers from the Syrian American Medical Foundation connected through video conferencing and told stories of their time in Syria and how it changed the way they view the world.

“This topic is probably the hardest topic for me to talk about, Hamza said, but we decided those that whoever wanted to help should tell the story.

“All the cave hospitals (in Syria) were destroyed by Russian and Iranian Air Force, they

DIFFERENT ‘SPECTRUM’ Senior Thesis exhibit to open, Friday

were able to locate and penetrate them even though they were eight meters underground.

It’s not a war, it’s genocide. People have been slaughtered, killed and destroyed for what they believe in, their ideologies, and for who they are.”

South African doctor Roseanne Simmons said that in some parts of Syria, people are so hungry they eat leaves and eventually starve to death.

“In Syria, my eyes were opened to unfathomable evil and, in my opinion, unprecedented suffering,” Simmons said “Their bakeries and homes are bombed relentlessly, and they are pummeled with chemical weapons and can escape nowhere. These are things that Syrians have been through. It makes previous wars look tame.

“Sadly the comfort the Syrians were looking for was not forthcoming. A friend of mine said to See HAMZA page 3

VITA seeks volunteers for tax assistants Cade Smith UP staff writer

Nazarie Manning UP contributor

The Lamar University department of arts will present “Spectrum,” the fall 2018 senior thesis show, beginning Friday in the Dishman Art Museum.

The exhibition begins with a reception, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Dishman Art Museum.

Graphic designer James Holt said his collection is called “Creepshow,” inspired by 1980s movie nostalgia.

“I have aspirations to one day do opening credits for different movies,” he said. “I’m working with cinemographs that will basically be movie posters, inspired by an ’80s horror flick.”

Graphic designer Christina Cabrera said she was inspired by her baby “He was born in January, so basically my ideas completely changed,” she said. “Before I found out I was pregnant, I was going to do something completely different. It was just going to be a brand, and then it became a brand with fashion, now — something dealing with clothing. My title’s name is ‘Zander,’ my baby’s name.”

Becca Jo Stephens said her inspiration has always been myths for her thesis, “Unsettled.”

“I have drawn from my own nightmares to produce my thesis, and how your personal life will affect your dreams,” she said. “I didn’t want to just do all types of dreams — I wanted to stick with the horror and dark aspect of dreams.”

learned about color and the infra-

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is looking for student volunteers for their 2019 tax preparation sites at the Neighborhood Resource Center and the Catholic Charities in Beaumont. The VITA program helps students file their returns.

“We are looking for a variety of volunteers to help us prepare taxes for those who need assistance,” Jon Korejwa, Lamar VITA director of training and operations, said. “One of the positions we need filled are screeners, who determine what type of assistance the taxpayer needs and confirm the necessary documents to complete their tax returns. Tax law certification is not required to fulfill this position.”

Along with needing screeners, VITA also needs greeters who will create a comfortable environment for visitors, Korejwa said.

“We need tax preparers who will need to be certified in tax law training,” he said.

“They also need to be able to use the necessary software to do the taxes. We also could use some IT support as well to help things run smoothly.”

Korejwa said that there is no deadline to sign up to be a VITA volunteer, however, certification for tax season has to be completed before February.

“People can sign up as a volunteer overall, then I can contact them,” he said. “We need all the help we can get.”

VITA is sanctioned by the Internal Revenue Service and has been in existence for

See SPECTRUM page 2

See VITA page 2

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

Cristina Cabrera, graphic design senior from Port Arthur, setting up her display for baby clothing brand ‘Zander’ in the Dishman Art Museum, Monday. Her exhibit’s main piece is centered on her custom Mexican heritage piece which snaps closed like all of the pieces in her collection.

Edgar Sanchez said he has been doodling and drawing since he was a child.

“When I came here as a freshman, I

Hamza, Delgado named 2019 Beck Fellows Abigail Pennington UP contributor

Cesar Delgado, of Port Arthur, and Omar Hamza, of Port Neches, were named the recipients of the 2019 David J. Beck Fellowship in a ceremony, Nov. 19, in Gray Library.

The fellowship provides a full academic scholarship that covers all expenses for one year — including campus housing — and up to $10,000 in funding for summer projects, internships and international study.

Beck Fellowships are awarded each calendar year

and replaces all other LU scholarships.

Delgado, an English major and communications minor, will use the fellowship money to travel to Tijuana, Mexico, and spend four weeks interviewing former servicemen residing at the Deported Veterans Support house — an organization that helps veterans become self-sufficient — for an oral history report.

Delgado was inspired to do an oral history project after reading the life story of Hector Barrios, a Vietnam veteran who was deported to Mexico in the 1990s.

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

The project will have two phases — a completed project within the next academic year, and a long-term completion of a book that covers the lives of deported veterans since 1990.

Hamza, double majoring in chemistry and biochemistry with a minor in biology with a concentration in premedical studies, will use the fellowship money to travel to Al-Zaatari Camp in Jordan, where more than 80,000 Syrian refugees reside.

To prepare for the trip, Hamza will spend one to two weeks shadowing Dr. Hend Azahry, a mental health re-

UP photo by Noah Dawlearn

From the right, Omar Hamza, Cesar Delgado, Hannah Rumsey and Kyle Delk, the 2019 Beck Fellowship and the Presidential Fellowship finalists attend the award ceremony on the eighth floor of Gray Library, Nov. 19.

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE

Thursday, November 29, 2018 University Press Page 2

VITA

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness."

—Helen Keller

NOTICE

The University Press can be read online at www.lamaruniversitypress.com.

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

CALENDAR

from page 1

more than 40 years.

“This will be our 10th year of operation in Beaumont,” Korejwa said. “It is a free-ofcost program that provides free tax filing services to residents and non-residents with income under $54,000.”

In 2018, VITA prepared 540 returns system-wide, including 65 foreign student returns.

“We help students with their form 8843 to maintain their exempt status and be able to file the form 1040-NR (non-

SPECTRUM

resident),” Korejwa said. “The 8843-form return will be prepared with the student and reviewed by another VITA person, electronically filed with the IRS — then the form is mailed and refunds can be expected in eight to 10 days if direct deposit is available.”

Korejwa emphasized that the service is available for all Lamar students.

“I encourage any student to join the VITA program, as it could be a résumé builder — since volunteering for VITA,

several students have gotten jobs because they listed VITA on their résumés,” he said.

“Working as a VITA volunteer strengthens interpersonal skills, financial methods, tax law and software training that are transferable into many employment opportunities. In addition, students can help the program in community awareness, which is getting in front of organizations such as city council which would be a good role for a political science major.”

The Neighborhood Resource Center, located at 2850 Gulf Street in Beaumont, will open Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. and will remain open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Catholic Charities, located at 2780 Eastex Freeway, will open Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. and will remain open on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

To volunteer for VITA, call 409-840-6900, or email jkorejwa@gmail.com.

these paper shapes has been really fulfilling as a project.”

Cabrera said her thesis pushed her out of her comfort zone.

“What I liked most about my project was that I never sewed or made clothes by myself before — made clothes just from a piece of cloth and make something out of it — and that was pretty badass,” she said. “Basically, I learned something completely new and I turned out to really be good at it. My clothing actually came out pretty good.”

Andy Ramos’ thesis is titled “Madhouse.”

“My inspiration is an alter

ego, this reflection of mine that’s battling inside this mad house — he’s gone mental,” he said. “I had to become these characters, so overnight, at two or three in the morning, I had to pretend I was these characters, walk around like them, eat like them and to become like them.”

The thesis is the culmination of four years of study and is a semester-long project.

“I think thesis, in general, is a combination of taking everything that you know and putting all together — and watch it unravel and reveal itself, like how much you learn in college in art school,” Holt

said. “We take all the skills that these teachers have taught us, and this is basically to prove the test that we learned. I think the most interesting thing is, when it’s complete, to see how successful we have become, how ready we are for the world.”

Stephens said her favorite part of thesis was creating photo montages.

“The environment is combined of different elements that don’t normally go together,” she said. “It’s exciting to create something not normally there.”

“Spectrum” will be on display through Dec. 15.

BECK FELLOW

from page 1

searcher at Michigan State University and member of the Syrian American Medical Society. Hamza will spend another one to two weeks shadowing Dr. Richard Mollica, a psychiatrist and director of the trauma center at Harvard University.

Once Hamza arrives in Jordan, he will do a series of interviews with refugees and physicians to draw conclusions about symptoms and how they correlate with human devastation syndrome

and physician burnout.

For refugees, Hamza will focus on aspects of HDS, specifically rebuilding social support and reestablishing patterns of normalcy. For physicians, Hamza will focus on the physical and emotional toll of continually treating people in crisis situations.

Presidential Fellowships were awarded to Kyle Delk of Port Neches, and Hannah Rumsey of Lumberton.

The 2018 Beck Fellows, Sakurah Fisher and David

Quispe, gave presentations on their research during the event.

To apply for the David J. Beck Fellowship, one must be a full-time LU student in any major — in good academic standing — with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

Fellows are selected by the strength of their application, including a résumé, two letters of recommendation, a proposed project budget, a letter of support from the

proposed project manager and a personal essay explaining how the fellowship would help one achieve personal and professional goals.

Students who are interested in applying for the fellowship must have their application packet completed and submitted to the Office of the Associate Provost, located in 310 Reaud Building, by Oct. 1 each year.

For more information, visit lamar.edu/beckfellowships or call 880-8400.

Egg Nog and Traditional Carols Across Cultures

Cypress I, Setzer Student Center

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Nov. 29

Staff Awards Ceremony Eighth floor, Gray Library 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

from page 1

structure of typography, and I got it with a bang and designed my own typeface,” he said. “(I) used it through color and action and op art. I just had a whole bunch of fun messing with the typeface, and I think it came out pretty well.”

Rebecca Broussard’s thesis, “Melon Soda,” draws on music merchandise.

“I created a band around this idea, the genre of future base, went from there and made a bunch of merchandise,” she said. “My favorite has been dealing with paper illustration and set making, just creating an entire set with

Nov. 29

Nov. 29

Wind Ensemble/

Symphonic Band Concert University Theatre 7:30 p.m.to 9 p.m.

Nov. 30

Senior Thesis Exhibition Dishman Art Museum 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nov. 30

Handel’s Messiah Concert

St. Anthony Cathedral 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dec. 3

Day of Saxophone with

guest artist BEATboX SAX and Derek Brown

Rothwell Recital Hall 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dec. 6

President’s Holiday Party Eighth floor, Gray Library 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, November 29, 2018

Page 3

Deaf actors workshop to begin, today Vy Nguyen UP staff writer

The department of communication and media will host a workshop on the history of deaf actors and crew in film and cinema, today, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., in 129 Communications Building.

American Sign Language majors, Reagan Brooks and Hannah Poynor, and American Sign Language Advocacy major, Erica Haase, will lead the workshop.

“It is incredibly important to know about the history of deaf representation to be able to see how it can improve,” Brooks said in an email interview.

The student-led workshop is geared towards communication and film majors because it is relevant to their career, she said.

“The three main topics for the workshop include the history of deaf representation in film and cinema, the importance of captioning and why deaf roles must be played by deaf actors,” she said.

Amber Marchut, assistant professor of deaf studies and deaf education, said the workshop will cover deaf stereotypes in cinema, and how they are gradually changing.

“Historically, deaf people in media were portrayed as being infantile, victims, mentally challenged and naïve,” she said. “This was reinforced by the concept that deaf people would experience a better quality of life as a hearing individual.”

HAMZA

Reagan Brooks, left, and Erica Haase, right, and Amber Marchut, deaf studies and deaf education assistant professor, middle, converse in ASL, in the Communications Building, Nov. 19.

UP photo by Vy Nguyen

Marchut said the deaf community don’t usually hold on to this perspective.

“We perceive ourselves as human beings with a hearing difference — we realize that our lives may be challenging, but not more than for many other people,” she said. “This is changing in that deaf people are now presented in a more positive way, including Nyle DiMarco and other celebrities, but this brings up a concern of fetishizing deaf people or seeing them as a novelty.”

Brooks said the workshop started as a group assignment from the advocacy services for the deaf and hard of hearing

class, taught by Marchut.

“We narrowed it down to focus on film due to the lack of proper representation in film and cinema,” Brooks said. “The biggest historical film that included a deaf main character was played by deaf actress, Marlee Matlin, in ‘Children of a Lesser God’ in 1986.

“Since then, some deaf roles have gone to deaf actors, such as Millicent Simmonds in ‘A Quiet Place’ and CJ Jones in ‘Baby Driver.’”

Marchut said that they will also discuss the idea that deaf roles should be cast with deaf actors instead of hearing actors.

“The first reason is to provide deaf people with employment and career opportunities as many struggle in the media industry,” she said. “The second reason is that a deaf person will act the deaf character with more authenticity than a hearing person.”

Brooks said that most deaf roles are cast with hearing actors.

“When hearing actors play deaf roles, the perspectives of the deaf community are not shown,” she said.

The goal of the workshop is to educate film majors about the importance of proper representation in the deaf community, Brooks said.

“Deaf actors must portray deaf roles because they can relate best to the character,” she said.

“They are not acting as a deaf person, as they are acting as the character instead.”

Brooks said the workshop will be beneficial to anyone planning to work in the film industry. “(They) may work in filmmaking, producing, writing, directing and crew,” she said. “It is important that they are knowledgeable of the importance of casting deaf actors for deaf roles, and how to ensure everyone has language access.”

For more information, call 880-8153.

are a large number of children that die.

“One child witnessed her entire family being killed. Her dad was taken by Iranian militants and they simply slaughtered him.

Her mom was raped repeatedly until she passed. The next day, the militants took her to school and ridiculed the teachers and the teaching. The militants hit her and her friends in the back of the head. A male teacher came to her rescue, and simply what they did was tie his neck with two ropes and kept pulling and pulling until he died. There was a female teacher that came in the classroom to come rescue the children. They took the teacher, poured gas on her, and burned her alive.”

As a result of the conflict, millions of children are not being educated, Hamza said.

Connecticut physician Ammar Traboulsi, SAM vice

chair, told a story of visiting a group of children in Jordan.

“A ten year old girl stayed in the room. When I asked her what grade she was in she said, ‘They don’t have a chair for me in the school but my mom is buying me a chair, so hopefully I will be in school soon.’ I cried,” Traboulsi said.

Hamza said it is the children who are losing the most.

“One girl drew a picture of a casket and said she couldn’t wait to die,” he said, “The children talk about their love for Syria, how they miss their parents and their friends that have been killed. Can you imagine your child living like this? The children have a negative self-complex, a continuous sense of an ever present threat, and worst of all, dissociation. We see a detachment from reality, not as a loss, but as, ‘I know what’s going on but I am not going to face it.’”

In her introduction, Dorothy Sisk, of LU’s department of teacher education, said Hamza developed identified devastation syndrome to build awareness of what’s going on in Syria. It is primarily looking at the complex interactions and problems that come along with being a refugee.

“The human devastation syndrome is way beyond post traumatic stress disorder — HSD is like PTSD on steroids,” Hamza said. “Usually, in PTSD, you are exposed to a traumatic event and then you have time to cope. But we are talking about eight years repeated, systematic, repetitive injuries. The ones who receive the most psychological injuries are the children.”

Hamza said how one deals with trauma depends on how one makes sense of the events, how one perceives them, and how one determines them.

“Three areas in the brain are

impacted by childhood trauma,” Hhe said, “Those areas of the brain that consolidate and create memory, make decisions and create fears. When we talk about PTSD, we have gone over every problem, plus. We realize that the new trauma is severe, repeated, accumulative, and causes significant psychological injuries and a multitude of disorders.”

Hamza said we all have our owns tool of how we want to advocate for humanity.

“We are all sisters, brothers, mothers, aunts and uncles of humanity,” he said. “We are connected under one race— humanity. If you kill one human, or ten or a hundred thousand, does it really matter when humanity is being destroyed?

Hamza said one refugee asked him, “If you have one percent chance of survival would you escape? That’s what we are doing.”

from page 1

me, ‘We Syrians have been killed twice first by the war that is happening in our country and second by the silence of the world.’”

It was a war on stomachs — it is hell on earth, Hamza said.

“There was an area which hosted about 160,000 Palestinian Syrians for over three years,” he said.

“They were bombarded with every weapon you can think of, and after that they were denied food. The people would boil grass and eat cats. This war can break humanity and humans.”

There were 198 chemical weapons — including sarin and chlorine gas — attacks between 2011 and 2017, Hamza said.

“The chemical attacks are incredible,” he said. “The sarin is twenty times more deadly than cyanide. The chlorine is not as deadly, but within minutes you will not be able to breathe and if not treated you will die. A lot of people try to run away, but there

English and Modern Languages 2019 course offerings Spring 2019 Ethics & Literature

ENGL 2300.01 (classroom) - Mr. Jesse Doiron The course invites students to meet victims and criminals in literature and life by way of selected readings and guest presentations sharing real-life experiences. The selected presentation and literature will provide context and perspectives through which we can evaluate ethical decisions.

ENGL 2300.02 (classroom) - Gretchen Johnson This course will explore the ethical questions posed by American writers who challenged the status quo. Race, religion, gender, and goverment and how ideas about morality have shifted over time in the literature of our country.

ENGL 2300.03 (classroom) - Dr. Adam Nemmers Making and Spending Money: All of us would like to make money; some of us want to make lots of it; few will succeed... Regardless, we must make decisions every day abou what to do with our money. This course will explore the ethics of making and spending money through a study of relevant literature: The Richest Man in Babylon, Happy Money, What Money Can’t Buy...

Spring 2019 Literature Courses

ENGL 3324 (classroom) AMERICAN LITERATURE After 1865 - Dr. Loges The development of American literature from the era of exploration and colonization through the Romantic period.

ENGL 3340 (online) MYTHOLOGY - Dr. Smith Mythologies of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Norse people and other cultures.

ENGL 3360 (classroom) THE SHORT STORY - Gretchen Johnson The technique of the short story; its historical development; study and analysis of great short stories.

ENGL 3380 (classroom) THE ENGLISH NOVEL - Dr. Smith The tradition of the British novel, eighteenth century to the present.

ENGL 3384 (classroom) BRITISH LITERATURE AFTER 1800 - Dr. Bradley The development of British Literature from the Romantic period to the contemporary era.

ENGL 4317/5317 (classroom) MODERN DRAMA - Dr. Joffe Dramatic trends and representative plays from Ibsen to the present.

ENGL 4329/5329 (classroom) MODERN AMERICAN LITERATURE - Dr. Nemers Major American writers of the 20th century.

ENGL 4334/5334 (classroom) CRIT STUDY AMERICAN GOTHIC - Dr. Daigrepont The development of the Gothic mode in American literature with special attention to authors such as Charles Brockden Brown, Edgar Allan Poe...

Page 4

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Holiday Fun Guide Classic Events Christmas Candelight Tour When: December 7 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Where: John J French House 3025 French Road Cost: $5

Christmas in Boomtown

Family Events

When: December 8 Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Spindletop Gladys City/Boomtown 5550 Jimmy Simmons Blvd Cost: Free with three canned goods

Gingerbread House Workshop

When: December 13 Time: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: The Chambers House 2240 Calder Avenue Cost:Free

Christmas at the Station

Vintage Christmas

Eggnog Open House

When: December 13 Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: McFaddin-Ward House Visitor Center 1906 Calder Avenue Cost: Free

When: December 1 Time: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where: Art Museum of Southeast Texas 500 Main St. Cost: $40-70 When: December 1 Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Fire Museum of Texas 400 Walnut Cost: Free

Holiday Photo Opportunity When: December 2 Time: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where: McFaddin-Ward House 1906 Calder Avenue Cost: Free

Christmas Tree Lighting When: December 5 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Event Centre 700 Crockett Street Cost: Free

Children’s Holiday Party

Classic Movie Nights All movies are held at the Jefferson Theatre, 345 Fannin Street in downtown Beaumont. Doors open at 6 p.m., showtime starts at 7:30 p.m. Cost $5.

When: December 6 Time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Texas Energy Museum 600 Main St. Cost: Free

Holiday Theatre & Music

“Elf” November 30

“Home for the Holidays”

Scrooge the Musical

“Home Alone” December 21

Every Christmas Story

Tracy Byrd X-mas Special

When: December 2 Time: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Julie Rogers Theatre 765 Pearl Street Cost: $25 adults, $15 students and seniors

“Polar Express” December 7

“It’s a Wonderful Life” December 28

When: December 7, 8, 13 & 15 Time: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 15 matinee at 2 p.m.

Where: Beaumont Community Players 4155 Laurel Avenue Cost: $12 child, $21 Senior/Students,$23 adults

When: December 6, 8, 9 , 14, 15, 16 Time: 7:30 p.m., 8, 9 & 16 matinee at 2 p.m.

Where: Beaumont Community Players 4155 Laurel Avenue Cost: $12 child, $21 senior/students, $23 adults When: December 22 Time: 7 p.m.

Where: Jefferson Theatre 345 Fannin Street Cost: $25-$50

REGISTER TODAY! • COMM 4396 • SPRING 2019

Sports Writing

• Know the stats about your favorite team?

• Do you know who’ll make the playoffs?

• Do you enjoy the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat?

Course includes: features, game coverage, column writing and analysis, personality profiles, data journalism and much more.

Prerequisite includes Freshman Composition or COMM 1373

Perfect for Journalism, Broadcast, Public Relations, Advertising, English and Kinesiology majors Instructor: Stephan Malick, UP faculty co-adviser • smalick@lamar.edu

EDITORIAL

5 UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, November 29, 2018

FIGHTING MISINFORMATION Being a journalist in the ‘fake news’ era

Be a journalist, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.

I’ve wanted to become a reporter since I was old enough to read a newspaper — I started reading in preschool. My parents used to laugh when I’d stand next to the pecan tree in our backyard and hum the opening theme and recite, “This is ‘20/20’ with Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters,” with a six-year-old’s enthusiasm.

Before the advent of the internet in the early 90s, I admired reporters because I wanted to be where they were, where history was happening, not just read about it later.

But the way that we consume and process news is very different now than it was in my childhood, and that change shows no signs of stopping.

Journalists face challenges — some new challenges, some old but in a new way.

People calling headlines that they don't like "fake news" wasn't a problem when journalists were trusted to report facts accurately.

I recently asked someone who was alive during Watergate if Nixon's supporters called news

Commentary

Eleanor Skelton UP contributor

that didn't fit their agenda fake.

They said no, they didn't really.

In the digital age, misinformation spreads even faster than before. Trolls on sites such as 4chan.org create manipulated images during tragedies, like mass shootings, and tweet them, hoping news outlets will be fooled. I went to a journalism conference last year at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., where Al Tompkins from the Poynter Institute held a whole session dedicated to just fighting misinformation.

Tompkins showed us how to reverse search images to verify their authenticity. The same goes for quotes and stories. Reporters also need to look at the source site to see how valid the website is.

Journalists need to be verifiably accurate in an age when even the slightest misstep gives fodder to those who cry, “liberal media” and “fake news.”

Newsrooms are even facing terror threats.

A gunman killed five people at The Capital newspaper in Maryland, June 28, after a long history of threats. The FBI charged a man from California on Aug. 30 with threatening to kill Boston Globe employees, calling them, "The enemy of the people" — a statement often used by President Donald Trump to describe the media. Another man ran his pickup truck into Fox 4 in Dallas, Sept. 5, spewing paper fliers expressing his rage over a 2012 fatal police shooting.

Someone called the TV station where I work part time a few weeks ago and said if we didn’t take a story down from the website, “You will feel the wrath bright and early tomorrow morning.” Two years ago, I was threat-

ened by several women when taking photos outside a courtroom.

They showed up at the newspaper’s office later that afternoon and demanded their photos not be printed.

While journalists in America are safer than in other countries around the world — the recent murder of Saudi reporter Jamal Khashoggi is just the latest in a number of murders and abductions abroad — the climate is becoming more and more hostile.

It’s not just intimidation and “fake news” accusations being thrown at journalists. Shifting economics has been hurting media for some time. While journalism is still strong nationally, local journalism resources are being eroded. Christopher B. Daly, a reporter and professor at Boston University, in a Washington Post column, wrote in July, “Without coverage at local and state level, misconduct will thrive.”

Yet, newspapers continue to make cuts. David Beard, a contributing editor at the Poynter Institute, tweeted on Sept. 28, “Stone cold: 1. Publisher gets staff together 2. Says there's an email out to those he's fired 3. Staff checks phones. 4. Meeting disintegrates. Today, at Oklahoma's largest paper.”

Ironically, as more people are becoming interested in the business of journalism — colleges are reporting increases in journalism majors — the “business” of journalism is suffering as media outlets seek to monetize their content.

So, why do it? Despite politicians claims to the contrary, journalists simply want to report — to inform, to educate and, yes, to entertain. The business may be

changing — the modern journalist needs to be reporter, photographer, videographer and social media brand maker. They may be full time or part time or freelance,

but they are conscientious and honest.

Oh, and yes, it is fun — just like they said.

UP graphic by Olivia Malick

Marching band more than just performance

When people see marching bands, they see them at football games performing at halftime.

Most people see the band as a performance group only. What they don’t see is the many hours of practice and preparation that goes into putting on a show.

Commentary

Chris Harmon UP contributor

Marching band is more than a performance. Marching band is a sport.

Take marching’s top tier league, Drum Corps International, for example. It’s best described as a professional marching band. However, there is a difference between marching band and drum corps. Drum corps does not utilize woodwind instruments such as the flute, clarinet or saxophone.

Drum corps are independent groups and aren’t affiliated with particular schools, but represent some of the best musicians in the world.

Much like other sports, in DCI there is competition. The season starts with auditions in early November and lasting through the end of January or early February.

At spring training, members move in to a housing site where they will live for the next six weeks. Usually these housing

UPeditorial Stay safe, get ready for spring Editor..........................................Cassandra Jenkins Managing Editor...............................Olivia Malick Photo Editor...................................Noah Dawlearn Staff....................................Cade Smith, Vy Nguyen, ................... Rachel Hellums, Abigail Pennington, Morgan Collier, Tiana Johnson, Nazarie Manning, ...Claire Robertson, Chris Harmon, Jason Hebner, Eleanor Skelton, Kennedy Smith, Jorge Gutierrez Business Manager .............................Eloisa Lopez Advertising Assistant...................................An Vo Advisors Andy Coughlan and Stephan Malick Member of Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

sites are gyms or dorms. Once moved in, they get straight to work by starting to learn the show they will perform at Worlds. Spring training schedules are typically from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day including physical training, visual practice and music rehearsals.

Once spring training is over, the competition season begins.

With almost the same schedule as spring training, a performance and travel are now included in the mix. The competing corps will travel the nation to perform in college and NFL stadiums in front large crowds. This season lasts from July until August.

The hard work all pays off and comes to an end at world championships. All the corps will compete over a three-day period to decide who is in the top 12 and who is DCI world champion.

The DCI World Championships take place annually at

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. Semifinals include the top 25. Finals include the top 12.

The placements are announced at the end of finals in one big ceremony. At the end, whoever is in first place, gets the championship and puts on an encore performance. The DCI world championships were broadcasted live in 2005. Nowadays, the entire season of competitions are livestreamed on www.FloMarching.com.

There are also students, as well as professors at Lamar that have history with this. Eric Shannon, Lamar director of athletic bands, marched in a corps known as The Cavaliers and continued his drum corps career by teaching at The Cavaliers three years after he marched.

Many members of the Lamar Band — Showcase of Southeast Texas — also have drum corps experience, including Houston

With 11 days left in the fall semester, 2019 is just around the corner. Christmas lights are being strung, Christmas trees are being decorated and menorahs are being set out. After a semester of hard work, the month-long break will be very welcome.

But, with all of the holiday vacations and parties, it’s important to remember to stay safe. The holiday season is the busiest time of the year, people are often out and about in strange new places or in a constant frenzy to get things done on time. So, remember to be aware of the surroundings at all times, whether it’s walking, shopping or driving. Be careful on the road when the weather is bad — especially when it’s dark. Never drink and drive, it isn’t

Letters Policy

sophomore Justin Mondragon, who marched with the Bluecoats and earned a third place at finals this past summer.

All of these performances are available on YouTube.

Drum corps is a sport that is not recognized by a lot of people, but it should be.

I see people argue and debate online whether drum corps are athletic events — they are — and the students participating need to be recognized for their efforts, not denigrated.

Drum corps demands similar physicality and athleticism as other sports. Of course, it is not the same as football or basketball and baseball, as those sports are physically demanding in their own way. Much like those other sports, drum corps demands physicality in its own way. I hope in the coming years, Drum corps will get the recognition it deserves.

worth the risk.

Also, be careful when setting up decorations — make sure ladders are well secured and avoid safety hazards.

Don’t leave space heaters on, they cause onethird of all winter house fires and 80 percent of all winter heating fire deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Same goes for Christmas trees that are left plugged in all day and night.

Get plenty of rest before the spring semester begins and the cycle starts all over again.

To those graduating in December, congratulations and good luck on whatever endeavor is next.

See the rest of you in the spring.

Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 10055, Beaumont, TX 77710, or drop letters off at our office in 202 Carl Parker Building. The writer’s name, address, telephone number and ID number must accompany each letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel.

Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP student management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject will not be published. Poetry and religious debates will not be published.

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 6

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

‘It’s never too late’ Parents in college balance two kinds of stress Rachel Hellums UP contributor

Going to college can be difficult, but going to college with kids can be absolute chaos.

Imagine balancing not only a full load of classes, but parenthood amid all the stress. However, Lamar students with children are finding a way to do what they need to do to get a degree.

“I got tired of how limited the job pool was without a college degree,” Dakota Parker, Orange freshman, said. “So, I

decided to take a leap into the unknown and try to balance all these insane schedules.”

Sometimes, it’s about timing.

Denise Cassady, Friendswood senior, has a three-year-old son.

“I was in college from 20112014 and took a four-year break to have Dom,” she said. “I was only a year away from finishing my degree. It seemed silly to do all that work and not finish.”

Busy college and work schedules can influence parenting, too. Parker has a six-yearold daughter.

“I don’t get much time with

her considering I work full time and go to school full time,” he said. “It also doesn’t help that I’m divorced, so I don’t live with my daughter. I see her maybe two to three times a week for half the day, then she goes back to stay with her mother.”

Cassaday said she works her class schedule around her parenting responsibilities.

“I block my classes as close together as possible, so that I can be efficient with my time on campus and present for my child when I’m home,” she said.

But having children hasn’t dampened the film maker’s aspirations.

“I want to become a screenwriter,” Cassaday said. “Feature length screenwriters are typically freelance, so it’s a good fit.”

Parker is also an aspiring screenwriter.

“I’ve always enjoyed any piece of fiction I could get my hands on to watch, read, breakdown or study,” he said. “My dream developed into wanting to write and tell stories that people could enjoy. I want to build worlds that people can lose themselves in, and write characters that can speak to the human experience.”

Parker tries to involve his daughter in his projects, which he said enhances the experience.

“I get to share with her what I learn, and it fascinates her,” he said. “I get to take her to film shoots, and she loves to help with anything she can get her hands on. She’s even starred in one of my student projects. She was so enthusiastic to get to act that she could barely follow direction and just wanted to get on screen as soon as possible.”

Cassaday said she already had experience balancing a hectic schedule with children.

“Prior to having my child, I

Courtesy photos

Parker, below, said he wishes he could spend more time with his daughter who is six. Cassady, above, said that she is glad that she can show her three-year-old son, Dominic, the importance of a college education.

was a nighttime nanny for four kids — three were under the age of five,” she said. “Their mother was a bartender, so I stayed at their house from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Once the kids went to bed, I had free study time.”

Parker said being a parent makes it difficult to really experience being a student.

“No time, no sleep, no student-related activities,” he said.

“Any free time that I get I want to devote to her, homework, or sleep. I almost feel guilty sometimes, chasing a dream and knowing that if I can’t succeed in pulling it off, I’ll have wasted thousands of dollars and made providing for our family and providing for her future even

harder.”

Despite the hardships, college is an experience Parker and Cassaday hope to share with their kids one day.

“The positive thing is showing my son at an early age how important college is and how to work hard and persevere,” Cassaday said.

It’s never too late to go back, Parker said.

“While it’s hard, and you will find yourself stressed and strained, getting an education is worth it,” he said. “Being a parent is one of the greatest joys in my life, and regardless of how stressed, tired and overworked I am, her smile makes everything worth it.”

Fantastic fantasy gameplay ‘Deltarune’ outshines predecessor ‘Undertale’ REVIEW Jason Hebner UP contributor

“In this universe, your choices don’t matter.”

This statement is made in “Deltarune” right after you make your character and have it subsequently tossed into the garbage. It is the in-universe successor to the popular 2015 game “Undertale.”

“Deltarune,” developed

by Toby Fox, is a top-down RPG about pacifism and friends or brutality and enemies. This shares a lot in common with the first game, “Undertale.” Unlike it though, in this world your choices have little to no effect, and that’s not a bad thing.

In addition to the gameplay, there are plenty of things to like about this game.

It has a fantastic soundtrack that rivals that of its predecessor, as well as the pixel art graphics, made by the lovely Temmie — the graphic artist that has a fan following of her own — haven’t drastically changed, but are noticeably improved with more detailed sprites and more complex animations.

The gameplay has been tweaked, too, as a response from the fans of “Undertale.” A run button has been included and an option has been included for auto-run as well. The writing is sweet, charming, funny, and relatable and it gives the same warm feeling that “Undertale” had given to players and char-

acters within the storyline.

I highly encourage playing “Undertale” first — it’s available on many more platforms like Nintendo Switch, PS4, PSVita and PC — it teaches players that their actions have consequences and that everyone they talk to has a story to tell that progresses the game forward.

“Deltarune” is different and changes that gameplay dynamic because players learn that sometimes their actions don’t always have the outcome they’re trying for.

This might not be the most cheerful resolution, but the best way to put it, is for as much as we do to change the world with voting, recycling, protesting, etc. we need to stop and realize that we don’t need to ponder over every small decision we make, because sometimes they just don’t matter.

With a society that pressures one to be wary of every single decision they make, this game challenges that sometimes we just need to have some faith and leap before we look.

The game teaches this with a surprising bait-andswitch when it gives players a menu in which to customize their character, then throws it away without a second thought and gives you a pre-made character.

In the bigger picture, the player’s choices didn’t matter. It presents this again when the player is given their first decision and it is immediately ig-

UP graphic by Shelia Mullen

Art depicting two of the main characters of “Deltarune,” the hot headed Susie, left, and fluffy prince Ralsei.

nored with the line, “Don’t even say something, I’ve already made up my mind.”

This is great, because this is already true. You, yourself, cannot change the world, but you can inspire thousands to try. Nobody by themselves is going to stop war, stop pollution, cure cancer or even just do something as small as clean up your local county.

It takes a team to do so and it takes determination to make it happen.

“Undertale” taught

players that every conversation is meaningful and can have an impact on both parties. It mirrors this perfectly with its gameplay, giving players an opportunity to talk it out passively with opponents, one-onone, and leave the fight with both parties unharmed.

“Deltarune” is different, as the game focuses on teamwork. The puzzles require teamwork, the combat requires teamwork as players need to balance at-

tack and defense in the team, and some opponents require collaboration with other teams to move the game forward.

Though “Deltarune” has a different combat system, this game shares a common element with “Undertale” in that sparing your opponents is important.

This game is unique as players can complete the whole game without killing a single opponent — or have a bloodbath if that’s what they so desire.

Just as “Deltarune’s” title is an anagram of “Undertale,” so is the gameplay an anagram of “Undertale’s” world. The same characters, in-world, combat, but rearranged into a new meaning.

“Deltarune” has only one chapter in current release, but it’s definitely worth your playing time.

“Undertale” is available at www.steam.com for $15.99 and “Deltarune” is available at www.delta rune.com and is free.

7

HOLIDAY

UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, November 29, 2018

CHRISTMAS BEGINNINGS

UP graphic by Scarlett Blanchard

Holiday traditions incorporate religious, secular Claire Robertson UP contributor

The Christmas season in America begins before October ends. Public spaces decorate with red and green and play Christmas music, retailers push sales for gifts, restaurants and cafés roll out limited edition holiday flavors and families travel to see each other.

While there will always be Christmas trees in malls across America, the ways families celebrate Christmas varies. For some, it is a personal and religious experience that is enhanced by participating in shared rituals like opening presents on Christmas morning or reading Bible passages. Families cling to these traditions and their symbolic meaning related to their faith.

Reverend Jamey Seaton, 33, is the administrative assistant of The Apostolic Church of Beaumont and an ordained minister of the United Apostolic Church International. He has a degree in theology and will complete his master’s in executive leadership and hospitality/ tourism in 2019. He is also a husband and a father of two young children, and he is preparing for the holiday season with his family.

“In our personal home, we do have a Christmas tree set up,” he said. “It does have lights on it, it does have ornaments hanging from it, we do have a wreath hanging at the door and a ‘Merry Christmas’ sign hanging inside our house, with other Christmas décor throughout the living room area and kitchen.”

Deacon Anthony McFarland, 31, is also preparing for the Christmas season as a seminary student of St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. Although currently serving at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Mont Belvieu, McFarland will be ordained at St. Anthony’s Cathedral Basilica in Beaumont in 2019.

In his childhood home, McFarland said his family took care to decorate for the holiday.

“There are plenty of nativities, wreaths, garlands,” he said. “All of that symbolic tension that is present in the beauty of a Christmas tree comes through Christ who died on a tree — a cross made of wood — but the evergreen represents the new life that comes from him.”

McFarland described Catholicism as a faith, but also a way of living and said the Catholic calendar marks the beginning of the Christmas season on Dec. 25 and continues for two to three weeks. The start of the season is Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. “Christmas doesn’t always fall on a Sunday, so (my family) stuck to the tradition of going to Midnight Mass,” he said.

“For centuries, this has been offered — the idea being that in the night, in the darkness, Christ was born.

“The masses are bigger than normal because of what is believed to have happened at that time. We don’t have a birth certificate that says baby Jesus was born at such-and-such time, but it was in the night.”

There are also Christmas morning masses, normally, at each parish there are two or three, maybe four or five masses just for Christmas day, McFarland said.

“But life can be hard enough and we don’t have to endure the torture of waking up early to go mass, so we chose to do midnight and sleep in the next day,” he said, laughing.

Seaton and his family participate in traditional holiday rituals, like decorating a tree, making charitable donations and visiting family. A normal Christmas morning includes opening presents, but the Seatons are diverting from this tradition.

“This year, we are actually not doing gifts,” he said. “We are starting a new tradition with our family, and that is we are going to be creating memories instead of giving gifts. We are going to be taking a trip and doing a week-long family vacation. So, in a way, that is a gift, but it’s not going to be something like a toy.”

Even though Seaton’s children will not be tearing into boxes Christmas morning, they will probably hear stories about Santa Claus just the same.

“We do talk about Santa Claus, but my kids, even at ages five and three, know and understand the holiday season is not about him — we know, and they know, what it’s about,” he said.

That is not to say that Santa Claus has no religious importance, McFarland said.

“Santa Claus is called ‘St. Nick’ for a reason,” he said. “Between the third and fourth century, there was a bishop in Turkey who was St. Nicholas of Myra. He was known for giving gifts to the poor and needy, and that continued after his death.

His feast day is Dec. 19th, and people celebrate him by leaving a shoe outside the door. He would come by and leave candy or a bag of goodies in the shoe for when you wake up. His feast day was morphed into the fat, jolly guy in the North Pole, but older depictions of Santa Claus are of a bishop.”

The Santa Claus myth is just one example of a religious symbol evolving to be more commercialized over time, but McFarland still focuses on what he believes to be the purpose of Christmas.

In the midst of reindeer and holly, the religious aspect of Christmas is not lost on the Seatons.

“In simplistic terms, we view it as a re-

DID YOU KNOW?

• The first nativity scene was created by St. Francis of Assisi. With permission from the pope, he set up a manger scene with hay and live farm animals in a cave in Italy. He preached to the villagers there about “the babe of Bethlehem,” and supposedly, the hay at the scene was used to miraculously cure cattle diseases.

• In 1931, Haddon Sundblom was commissioned by Coca Cola to paint Santa Claus. Inspired by the poem, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and the work of political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, Sundblom created the iconic image of a fat and jolly Santa Clause in a lush red suit. Prior to this campaign, Santa Claus had been depicted as a tall and skinny bishop or elf. ligious holiday,” Seaton said. “It’s not the recorded date of (Jesus’) birth, but that’s when we celebrate it. “(Christmas) comes from that whole idea of winter solstice. The days were shorter and the nights seemed to be longer, so people would fellowship more and be together more.

“The Christians adopted it, and it became something we took in, and said, ‘We’ll start celebrating the 25th of December as the day that (Jesus) arrived.’”

There is a season of Advent in the Catholic calendar which is the four weeks before Christmas day. This time is consecrated to prepare for the coming of Jesus.

“Christ is coming at the nativity, but also his second coming at the end of time and, on a personal level, he comes into our hearts daily,” McFarland said.

During Christmas mass, Catholics give special honor to the virgin birth during a phrase in the Nicene creed.

“There is a line that says Jesus was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,” McFarland said. “That line is honored with kneeling, silent prayer, and then rising and continuing with the creed.”

In the church, there are simple Christmas decorations.

“There is (a nativity scene) at the church, normally just one, usually in the sanctuary,” McFarland said. “There are lightly-decorated Christmas trees, nothing like what you would see in a mall, and wreaths, garlands and poinsettias.

“Red is a Christmas color for a reason.

It is the color of blood. It keeps the season focused on the greater mystery that is afoot — more than Christmas lists and the fat guy with presents.”

Seaton and his family have fully embraced the Christian traditions of Christmas.

“We do the Christmas story every Christmas morning,” Seaton said. “We read it from the book of Luke and discuss what happened with Mary, Joseph, the birth of Jesus, and the witnessing of the shepherds and the wise men. That is a tradition we do, no matter where we are, every Christmas.”

The purpose of celebrating Christmas is the family time spent together, Seaton said.

“But it is also all about Jesus Christ,” he said. “You can read about it in the four Gospels — Mary was not married, but was giving birth to Jesus who the Bible declares, ‘That which is in you is of the Holy Ghost.’ So, Jesus was born and came to the world to save people from their sins, and that is what the Christian doctrine is all based upon.

“It’s a great reminder of the real reason we are even here. If it’s true about the pagan traditions during the winter solstice, if they noticed something changing in nature, I think it’s a great idea for us to look at it and think, ‘If something changed there, then something can change here in us, individually.’ They stayed alive because they stayed together.”

The purpose of Christmas is recalling Christ’s nativity, McFarland said.

“He was born among us as the Word made flesh, as God incarnate,” he said.

“This changed history and man’s relationship with God. He was Christ and died for our sins as an adult — all that is encompassed in this itty-bitty baby in the manger.”

Page 8

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Holiday Gift Guide Foodie fun

When it comes to finding a gift for everyone on your list this holiday season, we’ve got you covered while staying on a budget.

Sports fanatics Houston Texans navy lockup pullover hoodie www.fansedge.com $59.99

If you’re looking for a gift to give the sports fan on your list, consider an item that they can wear or use while boasting their favorite team. Tumblers are useful for keeping beverages and can be found customized with your gift receiver’s preferred team.

Fanatics.com has a variety of customized items dedicated to all sports teams and offers great deals on their site for customers.

Another safe gift would be a sports hoodie, allowing the receiver to represent their team while also staying warm.

Considering that most sports fans like to attend games, a cooler with separate compartments for cold and hot items, such as the messenger cooler found on the Major League Baseball’s site will definitely come in handy while sitting in the stands.

Foodies are avid in keeping up with the latest food trends. An option for the foodie on your list includes a bagel and cream cheese kit from farmsteady.com that allows them to create their own custom bagel.

Instead of sticking to regular cookbooks, another unique gift for a foodie is the Italian cookbook “Eataly,” which includes 300 contemporary recipes.

If one of your foodie friends are known to have a sweet tooth, consider purchasing a DIY chocolate truffles kit. The kit includes instructions, a thermometer and all the ingredients needed to create up to 36 truffles. $26.24 Houston Rockets 24 oz. draft tumbler www.fanatics.com

$21.99 Houston Astros Coleman team logo messenger cooler www.mlbshop.com

$34.95

Make your own chocolate truffles kit www.uncommongoods.com

Story package by Kennedy Smith• Layout by Olivia Malick

Wellness expert $33.96 Eataly: Contemporary Italian cooking www.amazon.com

The one friend who talks about the importance of self-care and checking your chakras will appreciate gifts that resonate and promote wellness. A gift that shows a great deal of thought is the birthstone mineral soap, which comes in all 12 birthstones. Each soap is in the shape of the assigned birthstone and has a specific scent. For example, someone born in October with the birthstone of opal will indulge in the scent of apple and jasmine.

Another gift promoting wellness is a tea set from Kusmi Tea. The gift set includes six herbal teas and an infuser spoon. An additional gift to consider is a mindfulness book with engaging, thought-provoking entries that will challenge the reader for an entire year. $20 Birthstone mineral soaps www.uncommongoods.com

$9.37

$25

Everything bagel & cream cheese kit www.farmsteady.com

Beauty guru

$37.90 Wellness teas gift set www.us-en.kusmitea.com

Price varie

$18 Prada Candy Bears miniature perfume www.ulta.com

s by amou nt placed on card Sephora gif t card Sephora sto res

$12 Salted caramel & macadamia beauty bag www.ulta.com

Film buff

Daily mindfulness: 365 days of present, calm, exquisite living book www.barnesandnoble.com

Instead of old-fashioned popcorn bags, buying a microwave safe glass popcorn popper for the film buff on your list will help them have a more convenient snacking experience during movie night at home.

Aspiring filmmakers will find “How to Make a Movie in 10 Easy Lessons” useful, as it includes tips and tricks for bringing their idea to the big screen.

Another gift that you can’t go wrong with for a film buff is a movie poster. Visit www.allposters.com to find the movie poster that the film buff has been waiting to hang on their wall.

For the beauty guru on your list, get a makeup bag with an eye-catching design. It will spice up the collection of makeup bags they may already have or become their ultimate favorite.

Consider a seasonal themed gift such as the Prada Candy limited-edition ornament found on ulta.com. In the ornament is a sampler size of the Prada Candy perfume. Beauty gurus are known to test many products and give a review, so the sampler size Prada perfume will serve in determining whether they like or dislike the scent.

If you’re not exactly sure what to get the beauty guru on your list, a gift card is always safe.

Purchasing a gift card from Sephora or any beauty store will allow the beauty guru to buy something of their choice, preventing any discontentedness.

Techie

Gifts for the techie include items that are timeless, keep them productive and show their personality. A gift to consider for the techie is an Apple Watch band. Although they may have one or two bands already, having multiples to switch out every now and then won’t hurt.

The Google mini smart speaker is one of the essentials a techie should have, especially if they are busy. It comes with an assistant that provides news, plays music and manages daily tasks in a compact size.

If your techie likes music, consider getting them a bluetooth turntable which allows them to stream their playlist from their phones in a fun, retro manner.

9

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, November 29, 2018

BIGGER STRONGER FASTER

UP graphic by Cassandra Jenkins

LU football ends season with first FCS playoff Cassandra Jenkins UP editor

The Lamar University 2018 football squad will officially go down in history.

The team finished one of the most thrilling seasons since its conception after turning around from a 0-3 deficit in the Southland Conference to defeating rival McNeese State and nationally ranked Sam Houston State, securing a winning season since the program was reinstated in 2010 and earning their first playoff bid in history.

“I think the first thing I need to do is take some time and say what a great honor it is to work with a group of kids like this,” head coach Mike Schultz said.

“It was absolutely great. We had a vision that they bought into and they believed in.

They worked their tails off for the vision and I just can’t say enough about them and how hard they worked for this.”

Schultz said the first group he wanted to acknowledge in making a winning season possible are the seniors. Names like Darrel Colbert Jr., Chaston Brooks, Dewan Thompson Jr., Brandon Dabney, Davon Jernigan, Tyler Rios, Dorian Gaston, Lane Taylor, Rodney Randle Jr., Dedrick Garner and Garrett Bowry will be etched in the LU books as some of the most notable seniors to play the game for Lamar.

“When you get a bunch of kids that believe in a vision and you put a plan with it — great things will happen,” Schultz said.

“Fortunately, we had some good things happen to us this year.”

Lamar started out their season slow, losing back-to-back-to-back SLC games, hope and many of their fans with it — but one blocked goal and a winning play changed all that.

After falling to Northwestern State by a single point, followed by losses to Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls by more than a touchdown, the impending game against Incarnate Word looked bleak, but the team wasn’t ready to give up on their season just yet. They rallied with every-

Dewan Thompson Jr. thing they had to miraculously overcome the visiting UIW Cardinals, 27-21, after a blocked kick led to a touchdown return for the victory.

“I feel like everybody wants to go back to the blocked kick against Incarnate Word,” Schultz said. “But I don’t know if you can pick out just one play that turned it around. Was that a great play? Yeah, it was a great play. Lane Taylor did a great job blocking it and Caleb Abroms did a great job scooping it up and making the touchdown, but do you want to chalk it all up to one play? I don’t think so.

“It wasn’t just one point, it was a change of attitude and a change of culture that got us to where we were. When did that culture start changing? I’d like to think it changed two years ago around this time when I got the job and I’d like to think it started then.”

The Cardinals never looked back after defeating Incarnate Word as they went on a six-game winning streak to finish the season 6-3 in conference and 7-5 overall.

After the end of the conference season, the squad earned their first appearance in an FCS playoff game. Unfortunately, that is where their miraculous season ended after they fell to Northern Iowa in the final

minutes of the game, 13-16.

“I’ve watched the (playoff) film,” Schultz said. “We still got beat, but we had our opportunities to win the game.

“We didn’t capitalize on those opportunities and we didn’t make the plays we needed to make. When you have those opportunities you can’t get inside the red zone and put the ball on the ground. You can’t put your kicker in that kind of situation where the game rests on his shoulders. We should have punched the ball in and that goes back to a team loss, and even though we had a lot of wins this year, this was a team loss.”

Schultz said despite losing in the first round of playoffs, he is proud of his team

and the effort they gave throughout the whole season.

“First thing I told them was how proud I was of them,” he said. “I know things didn’t go our way, but one thing I do feel very strong about is how hard our kids fought — they scratched, they held on, they played hard. I will say this, I don’t think we left anything on the field at Northern Iowa at their home stadium. I think our kids gave everything they’ve got and fought until the very end.”

Schultz said he will now turn his main focus to making sure the seniors finish the year and walk across the stage, after that he will turn his attention towards recruiting and a brand new year.

Vincent-Beck field gets makeover Jorge Gutierrez UP contributor

The Lamar University baseball team finalized a contract to install new artificial grass to the entire field. Turf installations are scheduled to finish Jan. 15.

“The change from when I first started playing here is pretty significant,” Justin Eckols, former Lamar baseball player and current volunteer assistant, said. “The turf is in bad shape and it doesn’t play the same anymore. As one of the guys responsible for maintaining the field and keeping it in good condition, it was good to hear about the renovation because it was about time we got an upgrade.”

The coaching staff and players have been practicing at neighboring Port NechesGroves high school in the fall in order to be ready for the new installation. Even though the size of the field is different, the high school’s turf is good preparation for what the Cardinals are

going to face in the spring.

“Being able to practice here is great because it prepares us for what our field is going to play like,” Noah Sills, Hawaii senior, said. “Our infielders will get used to fielding ground balls off the turf, and the mound is going to be the same so pitchers will not need to make adjustments because the conditions will be the same. The only thing that will change is the location of the field.”

Another benefit of having a turf field, according to assistant coach Scott Hatten, is the fact that practices and games are not going to have to be cancelled or postponed because of inclement weather. The $1 million investment not only improves the playing surfaces, but also helps with recruiting potential future cardinals.

“One of the biggest advantages of having turf is probably going to have to be recruiting,” Hatten said. “When players come down and see how good it looks and how well it plays, they

UP photo by Cassandra Jenkins

The LU baseball field, Vincent-Beck, is under construction as the field receives new turf, Tuesday. The renovations began in October and will be finished before the start of the 2019 baseball season. are going to want to come play here, because of the additional time we will have to develop them outdoors and not have to worry about inclement weather getting the dirt wet or decreas-

ing playability. Those problems will not happen with the new turf.”

The team’s season opener is scheduled for Feb. 15, a month after the turf is installed.

Tickets can be purchased on the Lamar University website or at Vincent-Beck stadium before game time. Students are able to get in for free if they show a valid student ID.

Page 10

Thursday, November 29, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS