January 5, 2015

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The Newspaper of Lamar University Vol. 91, No. 13

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Black history month events to begin Monday ELIZABETH GRIMM UP STAFF WRITER Black History month is an opportunity to not only learn about oppression, but also to take a look at history and understand how far people have come in their journey to equality.

Lamar University’s Multicultural Programming will host a series of events, beginning Monday, that will teach students and faculty about historical events and facts that are often unnoted.

A cake cutting will be held in the Setzer Student Center Arbor, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday.

That same day, a Drum Circle Café will take place at the Setzer Student Center Ballroom at 7 p.m.

Vernice Monroe, special assistant to the president for university multicultural enhancement, said multicultural programming has worked with student organizations to plan events for the month.

“For instance, it’s the planning committee doing the cake cutting,” she said. “We’ve been working on this since November, and the Drum Café is sponsored by LamarAlive!”

The Black Student Association will conduct a walk, Feb. 11.

“It’s kind of like a memory walk — they will recreate little historical stations across campus that reflect historical events that are a part of the black history,” Monroe said. “As you stop at each station,

LU CONFERS 1,355 DEGREES

they’re going to explain and give some historical facts.”

During the month-long celebration, participants will be able to collect 20 cards with facts about African American history.

“The cards, I’ve shown those around and everyone said, ‘That’s a great idea. Like a card collection,’” Monroe said. “The students have been very creative. It has taken us a lot of time because you have to work with each student organization, but it really has gotten students involved in putting on programs, and how much work it takes to put on a quality program for an audience.”

On Feb. 12, Man-Up will transform the Science Auditorium with a Black Jeopardy event.

Thomas Franklin Freeman will present a lecture, Feb. 17, in the University Theatre.

“It’s called ‘Living Legends: Evening With Dr. Franklin Freeman,’” Monroe said. “He was a part of the great debaters and the movie was based upon him with Denzel Washington playing him.”

Sigma Gamma Rho will sponsor a panel discussion Feb. 18, and Cardinal Village will host “Who Am I?” on Feb. 19.

“You know, the take off with Jimmy Kimmel, and Letterman does it, where you have the cameraman and you stop and ask people questions,” Monroe said. “When I presented it to (LU President) Dr. Evans, he said, ‘I don’t want it edited. I

want you to film just what they say and their looks.’

You know, a lot of people don’t know these facts of history. He laughed and said, ‘Vernice, we may have to edit it.’

“It’ll be, what’s the importance of Plessy v. Ferguson? Everybody should know that. People don’t know their history. So, they’ll be filming it and they’ll get the students’ answers — they can ask faculty, students or anyone. The night of the program, they’re going to show the videotape (with) everybody’s answers, and then they’re going to give you the answers and talk about those events. We thought that would be fun.”

On Feb. 24, Kappa Alpha Psi and the African Student Association at LamarAlive! will present “Night at the Museum.” They will transform the Setzer Student Center Ballroom into a museum with historical figures.

Monroe said the series of events will conclude with a “Motown Tribute,” Feb. 28, organized by the Black Student Association.

Monroe said multicultural enhancement’s series of monthly celebrations are important.

“We started off with Hispanic Heritage Month, then we did International Students Awareness Month — these are nationally recognized months — Black History month, and then in March we’ll have Women’s History month, and then Pride Month,” she said. “They’re important because, his-

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See HISTORY, page 4

Writing Center prepared to help with all facets of assignments KRISTEN STUCK UP MANAGING EDITOR @kristenstuck

GRADUATION

See GRADUATION, page 4

torically, the contributions of women, Hispanics (and) other groups have not found their way into the mainstream textbooks.

“Students do not know of the history — they know of certain events — but they do not have a real understanding of the contributions of all Americans. If I asked anyone to give me two important people or just talk about two important people, how much could they give me about the history? For instance, if I said, who is George Washington Carver?

‘KEEPERS OF KNOWLEDGE’

DURING FALL Lamar University conferred 1,355 degrees during fall commencement exercises, Dec. 13. George L. Mehaffy, vice president for academic leadership and change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., was the keynote speaker.

This was the first time Lamar inaugurated a two-phase commencement format.

The first, termed the University Commencement Ceremony, was open to all degree candidates, their guests, the faculty and staff. It included all traditional commencement activities except the actual distribution of diplomas.

The University Commencement Ceremony included an address by Penny Finch, a master of education major from Prosser, Wash. Finch was specially selected as the student commencement speaker. During this ceremony, President Evans awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters degree to three LU alumni and/or supporters — Regina Rogers, Hermann Ortega and Will Crenshaw.

During the second ceremony, termed the College Conferment Ceremony, graduating students’ names were called and diplomas were distributed at a ceremony hosted by the college associated with the students’ various majors.

Along with undergraduates, both masters and doctoral students attended the ceremony at their disciplinary college.

Guests, faculty and staff are invited to these ceremonies.

Each disciplinary college hosted a ceremony and a variety of commencement activities, including speakers.

Graduates hailed from 13 countries, 27 states outside Texas and 283 cities and towns in Texas. Lamar awarded 1,355 degrees to 1,352 graduation candidates — 35 for doctorates; 761 for master’s degrees and 559 for bachelor’s degrees. Doctorates included 20 in educational leadership, seven doctor of engineering, and four doctor of education in deaf studies and four doctor of philosophy in chemical engineering.

Two students earned two bachelor’s degrees; one with a Bachelor of Business Administration in management and a Bachelor of Business Administration in human resource management. The other earned Bachelor of Science degrees in computer science and mathematics. One student earned two master’s degrees, a Master

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UP Kristen Stuck

Jennifer Ravey, director of The Writing Center, along with tutor Luke Meyer, Cuero sophomore, and Alaina Bray, assistant Writing Center director sit in the new Writing Center in Morris Hall.

Whether it’s an essay, a lab report, or a résumé, every student needs help with writing at some point in their college career. The new Writing Center in Morris Hall makes getting help even easier.

“We opened in August, when we opened the main Writing Center again, and it has been excellent,” Jennifer Ravey, director of The Writing Center said, “It’s been really successful.

We’ve got some great tutors over there. Hopefully, people will take advantage of it. They did last semester.

“I expected some lag time, I thought, ‘Oh, maybe for a month nobody will stop by.’ It was never like that. We are very, very excited about that.”

Ravey said her goal is to work with at least 10 percent of students on campus.

“We see a lot of students every semester,” she said. “This past semester, we had over 1,800 appointments, which is excellent — that is the highest fall appointment count we have had.

But, that is 1,800 appointments where we saw almost 1,000 students, so some of those students are coming multiple times. We’re on a campus of 14,000 students.

We’re not seeing 10 percent of the students — part of that is commute, but also making people aware.”

Ravey wants students to know that they can come into The Writing Center at any point in the writing process.

“If you get an assignment and you have no idea where to begin, that is a great time to come and see us,” she said. “We encourage students to bring the

actual assignment or notes with them, because otherwise we are working blind and it’s really difficult to do that. They can come in at the beginning of a writing assignment, they can come in once they have got something written, or they can come in at the end. The only thing we ask is that students have an idea of what they want to work on.”

Ravey said that The Writing Center doesn’t just help students with assignments or even just assignments for school.

“We work on résumés, we work on personal statements, anything like that,” she said.

“The Career and Testing Center does résumé critiques, but they don’t help students create résumés. That is something specifically that we get a lot of requests for.”

Students can have 30 minute- or hour-long sessions with a tutor. They also offer online tutoring through FaceTime or Skype, with hour-long sessions for students who are off campus.

“One of the things that faculty asks us a lot about is reading assignments,” Ravey said. “They give their students a reading assignment and the students have a really hard time responding to it, so they will ask us, ‘Can my students go to them to get help with their reading assignments?’

If it’s reading, if it’s writing — anything like that — come and see us.”

The Writing Center also works closely with faculty members all over campus.

“For faculty, at the beginning of the semester we always encourage class visits,” she said.

“Basically, I come in for five minutes, I hand out bookmarks and See WRITE, page 2

LU online program ranked among the best Lamar University online programs have been recognized among the best in the nation by the 2015 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings, according to a press release from the national magazine. Lamar ranked in the top 25 percent of schools nationwide for the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and Best Online Graduate Education Program. Prospective students can use the rankings to gauge program quality and use the searchable directory to explore additional informa-

tion on such factors as tuition, program offerings and other online services.

“These national rankings are a testament to the quality of curriculum, staff and the delivery of our online course offerings,” said Paula Nichols, executive director, Lamar University Division of Distance Education. “More students are choosing online course options out of convenience and it is our goal to provide the same quality educational experience to our online students that we provide in the classroom.”

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More than 1,200 distance education degree bachelor’s programs have been cataloged in the usnews.com searchable directory, and all programs more than one year old with at least 10 students enrolled were ranked. The four criteria used to rank the online bachelor’s programs included student services and technology, faculty credentials and training, peer reputation and student engagement.

For the 2015 edition of the Best Online Graduate Education Programs

rankings, U.S. News ranked schools based on five general categories: student engagement, student services and technology, faculty credentials and training, admissions selectivity and peer reputation. Collectively, Lamar ranked higher than the University of Oklahoma, Georgia State University, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech and Rutgers in the two categories.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are published annually.

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INSIDE Thursday, January 29, 2015 University Press

WRITE •••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 I tell their students where we are located and what we do, because there are always new students here. That is a really difficult part of our job — letting them know what we do, spreading the word — so we do class visits.”

Ravey said that a problem with basic English classes is that they can’t teach each style of writing that different departments require.

“You have people in there from all different majors,” she said. “There is no way you can possibly teach them all every style of writing. The problem is that they get into their major, say biology or chemistry, and they have to write a lab report, and they have no idea how to do it. Unfortunately, at least for right now, the different disciplines aren’t teaching their students how to do that.”

The Writing Center offers tutoring for every style of writing and also offers to help faculty teach them to their students.

“We go in, we develop lessons and we go into the class room and teach them for the faculty member,” Ravey said. “To me, that is a really useful benefit of the writing center.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

NOTICE

“Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.”

— Fran Lebowitz

Page 2

Very often they focus on formats — APA, APSA, Chicago — things like that. But, we have also been in the business department teaching lessons on how to write a business e-mail. It can be anything like that that is writing oriented that the professor just has never had to teach, and so that is a whole lot of work for them to have to create a lesson.”

The Writing Center staff can also stop in on classes so they know exactly what a professor requires for their assignment.

“We’ll stop in, listen to the assignment instructions, get a copy of the assignment, and then we have first-hand knowledge of what that assignment is,” Ravey said. “We are open to whatever, and that’s another part of it.

“I’ve had people contact me and say, ‘Hey, my students have to prepare for a certification exam, and the verbal part, I don’t know how to teach them that. Can you come and do that?’

In some ways, it is a catch-all. That is a huge advantage to us. We are able to go into the classroom, (and) they are able to have somebody come in when they either don’t know how to teach it or they just don’t have the time to.”

In addition to tutoring and class lessons, the center also offers workshops for students.

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.

Check out the student handbook at: http://students.lamar.edu/student-handbook.html To download a pdf of the campus safety brochure, visit http://students.lamar.edu/campus-safety/index.html “We usually do those around the middle of the semester,” she said. “We usually have one on résumé writing because that is a big topic. We also do them usually on basic essay formats. I do one that is kind of a catch-all that I just call, ‘Your Writing Questions Answered.’ Whatever the students come up with, I do mini lessons on those.

“Those are more student oriented than faculty oriented, but we will go and do them in class as well.”

Ravey wants students to know that no one has every style of writing memorized.

“There are handbooks and manuals for each one,” she said. “The reason they are called handbooks and manuals is because you need to actually physically look at them. You can’t just say, ‘This is how you cite a book in APA.’ That is not how it works.

“The tutors like to joke that they act as the keepers of the knowledge, because people come in and are like, ‘Oh, you know APA really well’ — not necessarily, but we know how to look for the answers. My goal as director is to help students understand that. The tutors don’t know everything. They will help you come up with the right answers, but you have to be willing to look for them.”

Ravey said that everyone needs

The Writing Center and that no one should be nervous to come in.

“Everyone has areas where they feel they are weak,” she said. “The people that we have here, yes, they are excellent writing tutors, but some of them, if they go into a math class, they are not going to have a clue.

“Understand that everyone has areas in which they are uncomfortable, but if you take that first step, I promise that we are not scary. Nobody here is wearing glasses and jackets with leather elbow patches — that’s not what we are like over here.

I think some people think that. We try to be as laid back as possible. Honestly, our tutors tutor one another.

This is what college is about.

“I like to say that an intelligent person is not someone who knows everything, it’s someone who knows where to go to find help. I genuinely believe that. If you know that this is available to you, then why not take advantage of it?

“I don’t think anybody should be afraid or too nervous to come in here because everybody needs help at some point.”

For more information, or to make appointments for tutoring, visit lamar.edu/writingcenter or face book.com/lamaruniversitywc.

Opens Doors to host gay awareness event, Saturday In collaboration with AltBmt. com, Gay Professionals of Beaumont, Beaumont Pride and Lamar Allies, the SETX Open Doors Coming Out Support Group will host a LGB — Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual — awareness event at the Logon Café, Saturday, at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Facilitators of Open Doors hope to use the event as an opportunity to open dialogue with area residents on what the coming out process looks like for LGB people and discuss how friends and family of those individuals can provide support during the process.

“Open Doors facilitators are ex-

cited to offer this opportunity to the SETX community,” Lisa Black, licensed professional counselor and Open Doors facilitator, said. “Hiding one’s sexual identity, often referred to as living in the closet, can lead to suicide, depression, substance use, adand high-risk sexual diction behaviors. lesbian, gay or bisexual.”

Black cites the suicide prevention organization Trevor Project, which states that LGB youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, and LGB youths who come from rejecting families are 8.4 times more likely to have attempted suicide than those who come from more accept-

ing families.

“Our goal is to help prevent those issues by creating a safe, healthy space in which these individuals can work through the difficult process of telling family and friends that they are gay,” Black said.

A first for Beaumont, the support group is based on Michelangelo Signorile’s book, “Outing Yourself: How to Come Out as Lesbian or Gay to Your Family, Friends, and Coworkers” and originates from the Montrose Center of Houston.

“The coming out program covers the various steps in the coming out process, but it also allows participants the opportunity to recognize that

these experiences are common in our community,” Black said. “Open Doors facilitators focus on making the best choices for you as a queer person, as well as learning to cope with religious intolerance, family rejection, internalized homophobia and, perhaps most importantly, how to love one’s most authentic self.”

Group sessions are led by Black, Sandra Wilson and volunteer group facilitators.

Individuals interested in participating in the program may contact the Open Doors help line at 617-1660 or email at Opendoorssetx@gmail. com.

The Logon Café is located at 3805 Calder Ave.

CALENDAR January 29 Lamar Alive! Think Fast Gameshow Setzer Student Center Ballroom 7 p.m.

January 31 Alumni Night @ the Basketball Game Montagne Center 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs.Abilene Christian Montagne Center 4 p.m.

Basketball vs.Abilene Christian Montagne Center 6 p.m.

Tennis vs. Seminole State Thompson Family Tennis Center 10 a.m.

February 2 Intro to Spanish SBDC Seminar 130 Galloway Business 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

QuickBooks for Beginners SBDC Seminar 113 Galloway Business 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

LamarAlive! Drum Cafe Setzer Student Center Ballroom 6 p.m.

February 3 Business Start-Up Checklist Seminar 114 Galloway Business 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

February 5 Wind Ensemble Concert Julie Rogers Theatre for the Performing Arts 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Lamar Alive! Hunger Banquet Setzer Student Center Ballroom 5 p.m.

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

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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, January 29, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

IN-FLIGHT FRIGHT CHANCE OF DEATH: 1 IN 11 MILLION

DEATHS PER MILLION PASSENGER MILES: O.O1

UP EDITORIAL

RESOLUTIONS

CHANCES OF SURVIVING A PLANE CRASH: 95.7%

FATALITIES IN 2014: 994

PASSENGER FLIGHT CRASHES IN 2014: 8

MORE THAN WEEK-LONG COMMITMENT The first month of 2015 is almost behind us. The fresh feel of the new year is gone, and for many, New Year’s resolutions have disappeared along with it.

Approximately 40 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but only eight percent go on to achieve their goals.

Let’s face it, that’s pathetic. Have we really evolved into a nation with such little willpower? Or does the problem lie elsewhere? Some may argue that the whole Jan. 1 resolutions thing is a little artificial, and that one is only ready to make a change when one is truly 100 percent committed to a goal, not just because Jan. 1 sounds like a good day for a fresh start.

Of course, one needs to be fully committed to the change at hand, and there is no point in making resolutions just to make resolutions. There has to be a real motivation behind it.

One of the reasons people find it hard to achieve their New Year’s goals is that many resolutions are too generic. Some of the most popular resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more, spend less money or get better grades. These are all great goals, but what do they really mean?

Take “weight loss” for example, technically, if one loses half a pound, one has lost weight. Mission accomplished? Probably not. This is why it is important to set specific goals.

It becomes much easier to spend less money if one has a planned-out budget for specific expenses, instead of simply trying to spend less.

If one has a hard time keeping up with schedules and budgets, we live in a time where we can find a smartphone app for almost everything. App stores are filled with applications such as “Achieve it,” “Healthy Habits,” “Goals Achiever,” and many more.

Once resolutions have been broken the tendency is to shrug and say, “Oh, well, I’ll try again in 11 months.”

But every day is a chance to make a positive change. Set specific goals and maybe find a resolution partner who shares your goals — encourage each other and keep each other on track.

A good plan means greater chance of success — whether in the classroom, on the scales, or in the pocketbook.

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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, .....................Mason Malmay, Molly Porter, ....................Coty Davis, Elizabeth Grimm, .................................... Lane Fortenberry, .......................................Michelle Burdett Advertising .............................Melissa Conley Office Manager ..................Jac’Quor Williams

www.lamaruniversitypress.com 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 200 Setzer Student Center.

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.

chance of death: 1 in 6,700

chance of death: 1 in 3.7million

passenger deaths/million passenger miles: 0.72 deaths in the U.S. in 2014: more than 35,000 UP illustration Lauren Van Gerven

2014 air disasters brings back memories of scary flight In the Chinese zodiac, 2014 was the year of the horse.

However, to many people around the world, 2014 will be remembered as the year of the plane crash.

In a normal year, it is exceptional to see even one major air disaster. In 2014, we saw three. It started in March with MH370, the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing that disappeared into thin air, followed by MH17 in July, the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down over the Ukraine, and most recently QZ8501, the Air Asia flight from Surabaya to Singapore that vanished from the radar a few days before New Year.

As a native of Belgium, whose parents lived in Indonesia for several years, both MH17 and QZ8501 hit close to home. Multiple times I’ve taken the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on my way to Indonesia. Even more often, I’ve flown with Air Asia.

In a part of the world where many small budget airlines are on the black list — a list of high-risk airlines that are often not allowed to land at major international airports — Air Asia has always been my first choice, even after my own near-death experience.

In July 2013, I was traveling from Surabaya to Bali when something went wrong on my Air Asia flight. After a quick trip to the American embassy in Surabaya, my mom and I were heading home to Bali.

It was around 9 p.m., when after a delay of about an hour-and-a-half, we boarded for the short 50-minute flight. It wasn’t long after takeoff that we realized something wasn’t right. For such a short flight, it was taking suspiciously long for the crew to turn on the cabin lights. As we sat on the second row, we had a clear view of the head flight attendant being called into the cockpit several minutes after takeoff.

At this point, I didn’t think much of it.

It took a while for the lights to come on, and the pilot wants to chat with the flight attendant. There was nothing peculiar about it. My mom, on the other hand, felt like something was wrong and kept a close eye on the situation.

After more than five minutes, the flight attendant exited the cockpit looking about five shades paler than when she’d entered. Although she was pale, she was calm and composed as she picked up the in-flight phone and ordered all the crew members to the front of the plane. The crew gathered next to the emergency exit, formed a circle and held a meeting. At the end of the briefing, the head flight attendant attached a small pin to each crewmember’s uniform (a small ritual to bring good luck from the spirits).

About 10 minutes later, around the

COMMENTARY

by

Lauren Van Gerven

time we were supposed to start descending, the pilot made the dreaded announcement. First in Indonesian, then in poor English: “We are having technical problems, I cannot land, we have to stay at this altitude, but I’ve been trained for situations like this. Please follow the instructions of the stewards.”

Trust me, these are words one hopes never to hear. At this point, time started to pass slowly, but I still didn’t realize how serious the situation was.

We flew on for about 15 minutes without any further information until suddenly the pilot announced: “Prepare for landing.”

I could see the Bali coastline in the distance, but suddenly the plane started to tilt sideways. My mom asked if I could see the lights of the boats that are usually visible before reaching Bali. We were so tilted, that the only lights I saw out of my window were stars.

Finally I saw the landing strip in the distance. We approached the airport, but I could feel that we were still too high to land. Seconds before we were supposed to touch down, the plane pulled up. We zoomed over a row of houses as the plane started to climb again.

No announcement, nothing.

The cabin remained dark as we set off for a second try. At this point, I felt really scared. We had failed to land once, and who knew if we would succeed the next time?

As we gained height, the huge tilts returned. We flew for at least another 15 minutes, making a big circle to reposition with the airstrip — later on we heard that we had also gone so far out to sea to dump excess kerosene, to decrease the chances of explosion in case we crashed.

Still no announcement, but at this point, the captain had turned on the emergency lights.

I remember thinking, “So, this is what the infamous reflective strips on the aisles look like, the ones they always talk about before takeoff.”

The cabin was quiet, not a single passenger said a word. As the captain prepared his second attempt to land, something unnatural happened. The plane went completely silent. It wasn’t just the

passengers that weren’t making any noise — it was the plane as well. In 15-second intervals, all engine sounds would stop, then return. Our pilot was gliding us into Denpasar airport.

At this point, I was literally shaking in my chair. The closer we got to the airport, the more I started thinking that we were actually going to crash, and that we all might die. Bali’s airport, luckily, has a long runway, but it is built entirely in the sea. If a plane lands too early, or overshoots the runway, passengers find themselves in the Bali Sea. On top of this, I had been in an accident 10 days earlier, in which I had broken a leg, so if we ended up in the sea, I couldn’t exactly jump out of my seat and run for the nearest emergency exit.

It was time for the second attempt. I shivered some more and held my mom’s hand tightly as we started descending. Not a single other plane was on the runway or in motion as we approached the airport.

This time we were low enough, and wheels touched the tarmac. Relief. We’d touched ground, but we knew ver y well that on the other end of the runway was water, so not a single person let out a sound of relief just yet.

The plane wasn’t breaking like normal. We slid a little around the runway, but somehow came to a stop right before the end. The entire cabin burst out in applause.

An army of firemen and policemen awaited us on the runway, fully equipped for an emergency situation.

As the last person off the flight — due to my broken leg — I heard from the crew that the plane had experienced severe problems with the hydraulic system, and that we had been ver y fortunate to have had a skilled pilot and clear weather. If there had been even a little wind or rain, we would have never made it.

Once I got over the shock of almost being in a plane crash, I looked at some statistics and came to the conclusion that I should be able to take ever y single Air Asia flight for the next couple of years without a single worry. Sadly, for the passengers on Air Asia QZ8501 — as well as those on both Malaysian Airlines flights — statistics help make predictions, but they are not facts.

But do not fear. It is comforting to know that when flying in North America and Europe, odds of dying in a plane crash are 11 million to one. The odds of dying in a car crash are one in 6,700.

Feel better?

Lauren Van Gerven is UP Editor

Page 4 Thursday, January 29, 2015

University Press

Hands-on experience

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ABOUT LAMAR NURSING PROGRAM

GRADUATION ••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 of Science in computer science and Master of Business Administration. The master’s candidates include 620 students who earned degrees in education as part of Lamar’s online education program.

George L. Mehaffy serves as the Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) in Washington, D.C., a higher education association representing 420 public colleges and universities and their 3.8 million students. His division is responsible for developing and managing programs for member institutions in areas such as organizational change, civic engagement, leadership development, undergraduate education, technology, international education and teacher education.

He works closely with university presidents and chief academic officers on a variety of national initiatives.

Continued from page 1 Someone should say to me immediately, born into slavery in 1864 in Missouri. He went on to become the first African American to be admitted to the Iowa State Agricultural College.

Goes on to become a renowned botanist and inventor. The peanut butter that you eat and love is credited to George Washington Carter.”

Due to oppression, contributions that are made through history are not often well-documented or even put in textbooks, Monroe said, adding that Black History Month was started by Carter G. Woodson.

“He found at the beginning of the 20th century (that) he couldn’t find any textbooks that had mention of African Americans or their contributions,” she said. “Everyone in the United States who eats peanut butter should know the name of George Washington Carver, but they don’t. That’s a part of what history is. Bringing the awareness of the contributions of all Americans to what we call this magnificent United States.”

If people’s contributions are hidden, then their self-worth will be diminished, Monroe said.

“I think what Woodson was saying, in

OUTREACH PROGRAM INFORMS

During the winter break, several Lamar University Texas Nursing Students’Association members participated in the “Breakthrough to Nursing” outreach project, in which they taught sixth, seventh, and eight graders from St. Mary Catholic School and West Orange-Stark Middle School about the nursing program in a fun and interactive way.

“The project aimed to break the traditional view of who can become a nurse and promote awareness about the diverse job opportunities available in nursing,” Shelby Harmon, LUTNSA president, said.

In total, more than 500 students participated in the project.

HISTORY ••••••••••••••••••••••••

essence, by being the father of black history, is as long as contributions of people are hidden — and especially if they have been denied human rights — everyone thinks that they have been nothing or they are of no worth,” she said. “If you look at individuals who are part of oppressed groups, they begin to see — not knowing their history — that they are not of worth. And so, it’s a matter of being proud (and) increasing one’s self-esteem to understand.

“As I tell my students, there’s no (reason) for you not to succeed. If you know your history, you see that many African Americans (that) were in slavery accomplished things.

Those who were nearly free accomplished things. Even in the mist of segregation, denied the right to vote. You have to believe that it is possible. The history says it is possible.

Look at these historical figures, these historical events. We are not free from racial prejudice and bias, sexism and homophobia, but we are moving. We are moving toward what we think America should be.”

Monroe said she is excited about the events and to see what the outcome will be.

“When you see the finished product, you’re just like a parent,” she said. “You’re just so excited — so proud of them.”

For more information, contact Cynthia Parra at 880-8216.

Amie Lynn Bean Memorial Scholarship established Courtesy photos

Each year, his division organizes a number of conferences, including two national conferences each year for AASCU chief academic officers. He has directed a series of innovative projects, including international programs with China and Liberia; a technology transformation annual conference with EDUCAUSE and the University of Central Florida; and two major national studies of student success.

In 2003, Mehaffy launched the American Democracy Project, a civic engagement initiative involving 240 colleges and universities, in partnership with The New York Times. Most recently, he organized the Red Balloon Project, a national initiative to transform undergraduate education. Before coming to AASCU, he had more than twenty years of teaching and administrative experience in higher education in Texas, New Mexico, and California. In addition to his work in higher education, he served for 33 years in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, retiring as a Captain (0-6) in 2000.

For a full list of graduates, visit www.lamaruniveristypress.com

The Lamar University Foundation has established a new endowed scholarship in the name of Amie Lynn Bean. The Amie Lynn Bean Memorial Scholarship will benefit undergraduate students majoring in nursing, part of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“This scholarship will help ease the cost and allow the students to concentrate more on attending class and making excellent grades,” said Cindy Stinson, interim chair of the JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing.

“This will help them become better nurses.”

Amie Lynn Bean was the daughter of Raymon and Jackie Bean, Lamar alumni. The Beans attended Lamar from 1956 to 1960; Raymon was a member of Sigma Nu and Jackie was a member of Alpha Delta Pi, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration.

Amie Lynn Bean, who grew up in Alvin, attended Texas A&M University, where she specialized in health care. As a senior, she was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia. She died in 1991 at the age of 24. The Beans want Amie Lynn to always be remembered and hope this scholarship will pave the way for a caring and dedicated student to achieve their

goals of serving others and helping those in need.

The JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing offers Bachelor of Science in nursing degrees and Master of Science in nursing degrees, both of which are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The BSN program is also fully approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.

Stinson emphasizes that, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the United States is experiencing a nursing shortage. Further, the 2013 Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections cites registered nursing as one of the fastest growing professions.

“The JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing is very honored to have this opportunity to help meet the needs of the nursing shortage,” Stinson said.

For more information about the JoAnne Gay Dishman Department of Nursing, contact Cindy Stinson at cynthia.stinson@lamar.edu.

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

SUPER BOWL

5 Thursday, January 29, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

UP graphic by Grant Crawford

SCANDAL DRAWS ATTENTION AWAY FROM BIGGEST GAME OF THE SEASON GRANT CRAWFORD UP SPORTS EDITOR @GrantLamarUP Normally, at this time of year, football fans are discussing and bantering about the Super Bowl, this year between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. But with the big game scheduled for Sunday, talk centers around only one of the combatants — the Boston franchise.

The morning after the AFC Championship game against the Colts, accusations of underinflated balls spread throughout the media. Now popularly termed “Deflategate,” this scandal could put a serious damper on the legacy of the Patriots’ player-coach duo, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Both have pleaded ignorance of the situation, which has led many to speculate on the legitimacy of the team’s success over the past decade.

Brady said, during a press conference Jan. 22, that he did not alter the balls in any way. He said the balls he looked at before the game were perfect.

However, when officials checked the balls at half time, they found that 11 of

the 12 balls used by the Pats were underinflated by two pounds of air pressure per square inch. During a radio interview in 2011, Brady even said he prefers a deflated ball.

This is not the first time the Patriots have been accused of cheating. Belichick took heat from the media in 2007, when New England was found guilty of videotaping their opponent’s hand signals.

The accusations will surely change some people’s view on the Patriots, but Lamar wide receiver Reggie Begelton’s opinion is unchanged.

“I can’t stand the Patriots, but shoot, I can’t knock that they win games,” he said. “The refs signed off on it, so I can’t really just blame the Patriots. If I could get away with a couple of PSI below regulation, I would. As long as it isn’t flat, we’re good.”

Begelton said that playing with a deflated ball is much easier, especially in the rain.

“Hard balls hurt,” he said. “Like getting hit in the face with a baseball, instead of a wiffle ball.”

Begelton said that he thinks the officials just didn’t check the pressure when they aired it. Either way, it is not

Big Game Trivia Quiz 1. Who was the MVP of last year’s Super Bowl?

2. In 2012, who defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI? 3. What year did the Patriots reach their first Super Bowl?

4. Who was the head coach of the Seahawks when they played in their first Super Bowl in 2006?

5. What is the Patriots’ fight song?

6. Who currently plays for the Patriots, but was on the Seahawks team last season?

7. What were the New England Patriots known as, from February to March of 1971?

8. Who is the Seahawks all-time leading receiver?

9. Who holds Seattle’s franchise record for most passing yards?

10. Who was the QB of the first Patriots Super Bowl team?

worth the fuss.

“Of course, people will try and find excuses,” he said.. “Maybe it is true, maybe it isn’t. Football is football. Something like steroids is an entirely different subject, but underinflated balls?

Come on now, leave them alone.”

While many believe there is no scandal, others approach Brady’s response to the allegations with skepticism.

Directly after Brady’s press conference, retired NFL quarterback Mark Brunell said on “NFL Live” that he did not believe what the three-time Super Bowl champion had to say.

“Those balls were deflated,” Brunell said. “Somebody had to do it.

And I don’t believe there is an equipment manager in the NFL that would, on his own initiative, deflate a ball without the starting quarterback’s approval.

It just doesn’t add up to me.”

Hall of Fame coach and TV color man John Madden told The Sports Xchange last week that any decision to alter a ball would have to come from the quarterback. He said it would have to be Brady’s idea.

Some news outlets have reported that the Indianapolis Colts were suspi-

cious of ball deflation after a regular-season game against the Patriots in November. However, the fact that it did not make news then only confirms Begelton’s suspicions.

“The media is making money off of a story out of this because (the Patriots) are going to the Super Bowl,” he said.

“If it was a regular season game, I bet we wouldn’t have heard anything about it.”

Once again, people have begun to call on the NFL to take responsibility.

League officials are conducting an investigation, but have said that there is no timeline, as long as the right decision is made.

Begelton said that the fault lies with the league in general.

“It could have been easily prevented,” he said. “They could have a personal ball guy that is in charge of all the balls before a game.”

The league has already decided to bring in the Chicago Bears’ equipment manager for the Super Bowl.

“If it’s such a big deal, then they need to make a rule that everyone uses the same ball,” Begelton said. “Simple.”

Even if someone did intentionally let air out, Begelton said it is highly un-

likely that it would have changed the outcome of the AFC Championship game. The final score was, after all, 45-7 in New England’s favor.

“The defense scored points as well,” he said. “So did the Patriots’ defense cheat, too?”

New England’s cornerback Brandon Browner defended his team via twitter, Jan. 20.

“For my 2cents (LeGarrette) Blount scored 3 rushing touchdowns,” Browner wrote. “He could’ve carried a beach ball. Also doesn’t hurt we only gave up 7 points #inflatethis.”

It is likely that the NFL will wait until after the Super Bowl before announcing any punishments.

What has yet to be seen is if this scandal will forever define the legacy of Tom Brady and the Patriots. There are plenty of occasions where people have bent the rules to reach the top. But if the league finds that the line was crossed, what then?

Begelton said he thinks the Patriots, while cooperating with investigation, should just keep quiet.

“They did the right thing,” he said.

“Everyone tries to cheat the system if they can. That’s life.”

Seahawks’ road to glory starts with ‘Legion of Boom’ Based on the results of my predictions for last year’s Super Bowl, you’re probably safe betting against whatever I have to say this time. The only thing I know for sure, is that a game will never play out the way you think it will.

With that being said, here’s my best shot at analyzing the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England “Deflatriots.”

For Super Bowl XLIX — that’s 49 for those of you not versed in the intricacies of Roman numerals — we’ll get to see the same defense as last year’s champions. In 2013, the Seahawks had the highest-ranked defense in the league, and they defeated the Broncos in a blowout victory, 43-8. That year, the Broncos had, arguably, the best ofMarshawn fensive season of Lynch all time. Peyton Manning set the single season record for the most passing touchdowns and yards, but the Seahawks picked Manning off twice.

This year Richard Sherman and “The

COMMENTARY

by

Grant Crawford

Legion of Boom” will go up against another all-time great, Tom Brady. The Patriots finished their season at 12-4. Brady finished with the 10th-most passing yards this year. That’s more than 1,300 fewer yards than Manning finished with last season. I know Brady is known as California Cool, but I don’t think he’ll be able to cool off the Seattle defense.

History has shown us that when it comes to big games, defense is more critical than offense.

Every time the No. 1 offense has gone up against the No. 1 defense in the Super Bowl, the defense has prevailed.

With Sherman being easily the best cornerback in the NFL, many teams aren’t even willing to throw to the right side of the field. For those reasons alone I favor Seattle.

Seattle is not just potent on one side of the ball.

There is another factor I haven’t mentioned yet, and his name is “Beast Mode.” Running back Marshawn Lynch ran for 157 yards in the NFC championship against the Packers. The Patriots are

going to have to stop him from having a big night.

When he can productively run the ball, it allows the Seahawk’s offense to shred the defense with play-action calls. And now that quarterback Russell Wilson is back on the big stage, I’m confident that he can be error-free. It isn’t just luck that brings him to his second Super Bowl in only his third year in pro ball.

It is even more imperative that the Pats can run the ball themselves. A repeat of LeGarrette Blount’s 148 rushing yards in the AFC championship game against the Colts would be most helpful. New England is going to need as many weapons as they can get. Seattle’s defense is simply too good to not run the ball. Running the football allows teams to open the playbook. Without a run game, Brady will have a difficult time getting the ball where he needs to.

The main factor in who will win Super Bowl XLIX, may end up being the Patriots’ offensive line.

They’ve done a great job at protecting Brady when he drops back this season, but they’ll have to do it all for them to win this game — pass blocking and run blocking. Quarterbacks cannot be rushed when playing against Seattle, or they will force a turnover.

Unless the Patriots can win the battle up front, I expect to see Seattle taking home the Lombardi Trophy once again.

Seahawks 28, Patriots 17.

Grant Crawford is UP Sports Editor

Page 6 Thursday, January 29, 2015

University Press

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a s B k e r t a b a m

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2014-2015 G ood Luck Cards $ Lady Cards on your Upcoming games

SPORTS

7 Thursday, January 29, 2015

UNIVERSITY PRESS

LU FALLS TO STEPHEN F. AUSTIN ANTHONY HOLLIDAY LIMITED IN FIRST HALF, SCORES 25 IN SECOND DURING 82-65 LOSS GRANT CRAWFORD UP SPORTS EDITOR @GrantLamarUP Lamar’s men’s basketball team were defeated by Stephen F. Austin, Monday, in the Montagne Center, 8265. LU is now 10-10 overall (4-4 SLC).

The Lumberjacks’ victory takes them to 17-3 on the season (7-0 SLC).

“The reason we played as bad as we did, is because we played a very good team,” head coach Tic Price said. “Tonight we found out what it takes to be a champion in an NCAA

team. We ran into a buzz saw — a team that is ver y, ver y good defensively, and they execute really well.”

The Cardinals were held to 23 points in the first half, and went into the locker room down 16.

Senior Anthony Holliday said that poor first halfs have been the story of the season.

“It’s a focus issue,” he said.

“We’re not that good to come out in the second half and try to get a lead back.”

LU allowed 22 points off of 15 turnovers in the first half.

“I’ve played against (SFA) for two years now, and they deny the ball,” Holliday said. “They pressure the ball, and get into you. They get away with a lot of hand checking, but that’s just basketball. That’s what they do.

We expected it. We saw it on the tape.

“Coach was saying it all yesterday, and we didn’t rise to the occasion. We weren’t tough enough to handle that.”

Price said that Lamar is still a work in progress, and that he expects his team to learn from this experience.

“We just did not do a good job of handling pressure,” he said. “I think their defensive pressure is about as good as anybody we’ve seen all year.

They grab, they hold — and it depends on the officials, too. They can do it against some teams (and) the officials will call it, and sometimes they don’t call it. But, at the end of the day we need to show a little more mental toughness, and composure.”

Due to early foul trouble, Holliday played only four minutes in the first half, with zero points. “(Price) wanted to keep me from getting that third foul,” Holliday said.

“I just picked up two chippy fouls — I believe a charge and a reach-in early in the game — so he sat me down.”

Price said he never lets players stay in after two fouls in the first half and risk them getting a third as they end up playing soft in the second half, because they’re afraid to get the fourth.

LU media relations

LU’s Anthony Holliday, 1, attempts a mid-range shot during the 82-65 loss to SFA in the Montagne Center, Monday. Head coach Tic Price, right, shouts at the officials for not making a traveling call on SFA.

CAMPUS SPORTS ROUNDUP

“That’s a coaching decision,” he said. “That’s what I always do, and if I had to do it again, I would do it the same way.”

Holliday returned in the second half to score 25 points, hitting 3-5 from the behind the arc. He also worked his way to the free throw line, shooting 10-12.

“I let the game come to me,” he said. “It’s team basketball, but if we’re down, then I feel I have to be aggressive. In the first, I kind of see what the defense is giving me, and then I go from there — but when my team is down I feel the need to step up.”

Coming off of a close loss to Houston Baptist University Saturday, the Cards only had one day to prepare for the No. 1-ranked team in the conference. a team that reached the NCAA tournament last year, knocking off Virginia Commonwealth.

Holliday said that the lack of preparation had nothing to do with the final score.

“They’re no different from us,” he said. “We just didn’t play hard, and they did.”

Price said he thought the quick turnaround was too much for his players.

“To play a team like this, you almost need a week to even get prepared,” he said. “We got pretty beat up inside, Saturday, and then we had to come back and play another good team that’s very physical.”

In the second half, Lamar was able to cut their deficit to 11 with 9:35 remaining. After a SFA timeout, the Lumberjacks went on a 10-1 run, and eventually led by 22 at one point.

“All I ask is that our guys give effort, and tonight they didn’t,” Price said. “Tonight’s probably the first night since I’ve been the coach this season, that I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t have more fight in them.”

Lamar will return to the Montagne Center, Saturday, to face Abilene Christian University. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.

UP Grant Crawford

LADY CARDS PREPARE FOR SAM HOUSTON STATE

The following is a recap of campus sports announcements from the winter break.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS A total of 79 student-athletes from Lamar’s fall sports have been named to the 2014 Southland Conference Commissioner’s List, including 18 with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages, announced league officials January 15. The sports included on the honor roll are football, men’s and women’s cross country, soccer and volleyball.

To be nominated for the Commissioner’s List, student-athletes must record a 3.0 grade-point average during the semester when their respective sport is in season, and be eligible to play during that season.

“The most obvious aspect of collegiate athletics is winning, but every one of our coaches will tell you that graduation is the most important goal in a student-athlete’s career,” LU Director of Athletics Jason Henderson said. “A student-athlete’s primary goal is to graduate, and athletics is the avenue through which they help achieve that goal. This recognition is proof of what can happen with hard work.”

FOOTBALL — Lamar University has agreed to terms on a new three-year contract for head coach Ray Woodard, announced, Dec. 4.

— The team has signed two transfer quarterbacks since the end of the season, Carson Earp from Navarro College, and Joe Mindo from Stephen F. Austin. LU also aquired transfer linebacker Cameron Hampton, from the University of Texas. He was rated No. 57 in the nation coming out of high school. “We are very excited about the addition of Cameron,” Woodard said. “He was a highly recruited player coming out of high school. He brings good size and speed to the position, and should push for playing time immediately.”

— Senior Rex Dausin and sophomore Robert Mitchell will not return for the 2015 season.

Dausin had one year of eligibility remaining, while Mitchell had three years.

— Senior receiver Mark Roberts has been named to the 2014 FCS All-America team. Roberts received third-team recognition, and was the only Southland Conference receiver named to the three-team squad. It is the second All-America squad that Roberts has been named to this season.

BASEBALL — The LU baseball team has started practice for the 2015 season. Big Red finished last season with a 31-25 record, and will look to claim a 30win record for a third-straight season, the first time since 2008-2010 season.

— Head coach Jim Gilligan is just two wins shy of the 1,300 mark. He would be only the 21st NCAA Division I head coach to reach that milestone, and one of only six active coaches to claim the mark.

— This season, the Cards return 19 student-athletes from 2014 league tournament team, and 13 of those are seniors. “We have a lot of new players coming in, but we have a lot of good ones coming back,” Gilligan said. “I don't think we have a team that I'll have to worry about, I really like this team, and feel like they could be special.”

— Lamar opens the season Valentine's Day weekend with the Cardinal Classic, which includes the Cards, New Mexico State and Illinois.

but they were able to get through and pull out a win.”

— Lamar returns to the courts Feb. 8, when it hosts a double-header with Alcorn State at the Thompson Family Tennis Courts.

SOFTBALL — The Lamar University softball team is picked to finish in seventh place in the Southland Conference in polls of both the conference’s coaches and sports information directors. “I believe we are a better team than that, but we have to prove it on the field,” Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. “We weren’t one of the six teams to go to the tournament last season, so I understand why were picked to finish seventh.”

— Lamar opens its season February 6, with the first two of five games at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala.

TRACK MEN’S TENNIS — Lamar’s Nikita Lis was named as the Southland Conference player of the week, Jan. 20. Lis was 30 combined in individual singles and doubles matches, and was tied in the fourth match before it was called and went unfinished. He was key to the Cardinals taking down 66th-ranked LouisianaLafayette on Saturday, and holding tough against No. 45 LSU. “Nik had a really strong weekend against some very tough opponents,” head coach Scott Shankles said. “He was very smart and aggressive this weekend, which has me very excited about him.”

— Lamar returns to the courts Saturday, when it hosts Seminole State at the Thompson Family Tennis Center. The starting time is 10 a.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS — The Lamar women’s tennis team earned its first win of the 2015 season, Sunday, when it dominated in-state rival Prairie View A&M, 6-1, in nonconference action. “I am very pleased with our performance today,” head coach David Wong said.

“We had to fight through some adversity, but that can happen when you have a young team. We have to work the nerves a little better, but you do that by playing matches like today.” The Lady Cards (1-2) jumped out to a hot start winning every match and claiming the doubles point over PVAMU (0-2). “Our doubles were solid all around today,” Wong said.

“Our top spot felt a little pressure during its play,

— The Lamar men’s and women’s track and field teams competed Saturday at the UAB Green and Gold Invite hosted at the Birmingham CrossPlex Arena in their efforts to simulate the Southland Conference Championships. “I thought we were able to get people to experience what it’s like to compete in back-to-back days,” head coach Trey Clark said. “We performed well on a 24-hour recovery period, and I am very pleased with that accomplishment.”

Both Verity Ockenden and Evelyn Chavez were able to claim first place finishes on Saturday, Ockenden in the 800-meter run with a 2:12.41 time, and Chavez on a 5:01.11 mark in the mile run.

Jared Benford finished second place in the long jump, first time in the event this season, on a 22’-8.0” distance. He then turned around and helped the 4x4 team grab third place with a 3:35.20 time. His jump was good enough for seventh on the SLC long jump list, and the 4x4 moved up to ninth.

The women finished Saturday’s competition in ninth place overall, seventh among Division I program. The men were 12th overall.

Both teams will be back in action, Jan. 30, to take part in two, two-day events. The split squad weekend will have some athletes at the Houston Invitational, while others will be at the UW Invitational held in Seattle, Wash.

The Lamar Lady Cardinals take their two-game road winning streak to Huntsville, at 6:30 p.m. tonight, for a Southland Conference women’s basketball game against Sam Houston State.

The Lady Cardinals (9-10 overall, 6-2 Southland) are 3-1 in conference road games this season. Lamar enters the week in second place in the conference, a game behind league-leading Northwestern State.

Sam Houston State (5-13, 4-4) is in seventh place. The Bearkats have won two in a row, including a 65-64 upset win over Stephen F. Austin, Saturday.

“We know Thursday will be a tough test,” JaMeisha Edwards Lamar coach Robin Harmony said. “Sam Houston State is playing better basketball lately. They are going to have a lot of confidence after that win over SFA.” LU is coming off of a 80-64 victory against HBU Saturday. The win over HBU was Lamar’s first victory of the season when trailing at halftime. The Lady Cardinals outscored the Huskies 48-29 after intermission, as four players scored in double figures.

Senior Dominique Edwards became the 12th player in program history to score at least 1,000 career points.

As a team, the Lady Cardinals are fourth in the nation in steals, averaging 12.1 per game. The Lady Cardinals are first in the conference in turnover margin with a plus-3.79 a game.

Guard JaMeisha Edwards leads Lamar in scoring at 13.7 points per game, including 16.3 points per contest in Southland action. Dominique Edwards averages 12.9 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per outing.

Big Game Trivia Answers From page 5 1. Malcolm Smith 2. New York 3. 1986 4. Mike Holmgren 5. I’m Shipping Up to Boston

6. Brandon Browner 7. Bay State Patriots 8. Steve Largent 9. Matt Hasselbeck 10. Tony Eason

Compiled by Grant Crawford

Page 8 Thursday, January 29, 2015

University Press

Divergent Theater to host Valentine’s dinner theater at Beaumont Club, Feb. 13-14 Divergent Theater will present a Valentine’s show, Feb. 13 and 14, hosted by the Beaumont Club. Patrons will dine on a specially prepared meal by Chef Rodney while listening to live music. This will be followed by a series of short plays directed by local theater veterans Adonia Placette, DeeDee Howell, Andy Coughlan and Ramona Young.

Dinner begins at 7 p.m. A premium package, including romantic extras and stage side seating, is available for $90 a person. Standard tickets are $75 each.

Tickets are available at www.divergenttheater.com, or at the Beaumont Club, located at 590 Orleans, MondayFriday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Young, Divergent Theater’s artistic director, says that the event promises to be a romantic evening for couples.

“These plays are smart and funny with a twist on the normal romantic fare,” she says. “Couples will be pampered from start to finish and Chef Rodney has promised a great meal before the show.”

Each of the plays has a different theme on what it takes to have a relationship.

“Having a relationship is not always easy and these pieces reflect that — but always with a humorous touch,” Young says. “And we have assembled an amazing group of directors and actors. It is so important that Beaumont’s theater scene, which is strong, continues to offer a diverse selection of work, not only for audiences but also for actors and directors. This show is an exciting chance for people to see fresh work with local talent.

“But most of all, romance is the order of the day, and what better way to spend an evening with a loved one than with dinner and a show.”

For information, visit www.divergenttheater.com, or visit their Facebook page.

— WORLD VIEW —

Hiroki Watanabe,Aizuwakamatsu, Japan, Economics professor What is the most common misconception about your home country?

Well, we do not eat sushi every day. Not everyone is a samurai or a monk. Most of the ideas people get are from anime, but that’s not exactly where I am from. That does not represent everything. We are not a part of China. The first two or three years I got asked, “Are you from China or Korea?”

I got that a lot. It took some time to realize that most people do not even know where Japan is. Which is surprising, because I was born and raised there, so my world is there.

I thought it was known, but most people just don’t know that. But it makes sense, because I did not even know where Beaumont, Texas was.

What would you like people to know about your home country?

One thing I definitely notice is when people try to bow to me. I don’t do that. We don’t do that. Nobody does that. I don’t know where they get that. I still sometimes get that, but I gently tell them we do not do it. Other than that, the surprising thing is ac-

tually the opposite of what you’d expect me to say. People are not that different. We eat.

We go to school. We work. I stay more focused on the similarities than the differences. Language can be different, but at the end of the day, we are not that different.

What is a big cultural difference between the U.S. and your home country?

It’s hard to say because I have been here since 2005, so I have become accommodated and adjusted to the environment.

The food is different. I love ramen noodles (but) that cup thing you get from the supermarket is completely different from what you will get in Japan. They put so much thought into it. It is a delicacy, in a sense. It’s just very different here. The language can be (a difference), especially with the techniques I learned in Japan. They did not work at all. Texas is its own thing — the whole country is pretty diverse. I used to live in Minnesota and Missouri. It is a large country and the diversity associated with it can be really massive and overwhelming sometimes. But at the end of the day we are all

people, so I do not see real fundamental differences. But when it comes to the surface things, like language, they can be quite different. One thing I notice is that when people do not know much about my culture, they usually really respect where I am from and they do not try to pretend to know. They ask questions and try really hard not to offend me. And that is actually the thing that surprises me.

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

Like I said before, they respect culture a lot more than I expected, which is quite different from what I heard on the news. For example, we think of America as something muscular and very arms raised, but when I came here, I realized people are more sensitive than what is represented. That is a shocking thing I realized. I still sometimes get caught off guard by the things I learned in Japan. I would say fear not, people are not as scary as they appear on the TV. At the end of the day, you have to realize we are just people.

World View is an ongoing series that aims to spotlight the international diversity that adds to Lamar University’s rich culture.

Compiled by Mason Malmay