February 27, 2014

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

The Newspaper of Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology Thursday, February 27, 2014

Vol. 90, No. 18

‘Preachers’ test free speech limits

UP Josh Aych

An unidentified student exchanges words with Brother Matt, a traveling evangelist, in the Quad, Feb. 20. The student tried to rip apart a sign after Brother Matt called his girlfriend a “whore.”

LUPD RESPONDS, STUDENTS DISPERSE AFTER ALTERCATION CHELSEA HENDERSON UP EDITOR Two traveling evangelists, identified only as Brother Matt and Brother Chris, were in the Quad on the Lamar University campus, Feb. 20, to spread

their message. However, the content and manner of their sermonizing provoked strong reactions from students.

Brother Matt got into several shouting matches with students, after singling women out as “whores,” “whoremongers” and “jezebels,” while Brother

‘BIG RED MANIA’ TO KICK OFF MONDAY LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER The week leading up to Lamar’s last home basketball game of the season is traditionally known as “Big Red Mania.”

It’s a week packed with on-campus events considered to be the “signature spring series of events,” Michael Wilkinson, associate director of student activities and civic engagement, said.

This year’s schedule includes new events, such as a salsa night, “Lamar’s Got Talent,” and the “Color Remix Party,” while honoring the traditional events.

“We have a lot of new things,” Wilkinson said. “But, we also have a lot of traditions that have been part of the week in the past. Those include the crawfish boil, that’s been there every year, the cheesecake cutting and Tshirt exchange — that’s a yearly thing — and of course Food Fest — that’s been going on for years and years.”

The events start on Monday with the cheesecake cutting and T-shirt exchange in the Setzer Student Center Arbor, 1-2 p.m.

Salsa night will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Setzer Student Center Ballroom.

On Tuesday, there will be a crawfish boil, featuring a live band, in the Setzer Student Center Circle Drive, 11a.m.-1p.m., followed by the “Lamar’s Got Talent” showcase, 7-9 p.m., See MANIA, page 2

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

Chris singled out “girly men and manly women” — calling those he identified as gays and lesbians sinners.

Three bystanders took particular exception to Brother Matt’s message, and one student swiped Brother Chris’ straw hat off of his head — dangling it

in front of him before finally throwing it on the ground.

“These men feed off the crowd,” LUPD Lt. Kipp Runkle said. “They know the line they can’t cross and try to push it, and push it to get a reaction from the students. If the students wouldn’t en-

gage them, they wouldn’t have an audience to perform for, and they would leave.”

Teresa Simpson, interim director of student development and leadership, See SPEECH, page 2

LU credit hours set spring record KRISTEN STUCK UP STAFF WRITER Spring semester credit hours reached an all-time spring record with 146,394 credit hours being taken this semester, up 3.3 percent from last spring, and reached the second highest head count for spring semester with 13,489 students, up 3.2 percent from last spring.

“Most of our growth occurred in the College of Engineering, at least percentage wise,” Kevin Smith, LU senior associate provost, said. “We believe that a lot of it had to do with scholarship programs that we put in place and an increase in international students.

“Those two factors helped this

spring’s engineering enrollment go way above where they were, but we also saw a nice increase in education due to some online programs that we have. These are at the graduate level.”

The College of Engineering grew by 23.9 percent and the College of Education and Human De-

velopment grew by 7.7 percent.

The College of Business also grew by 4.8 percent, while the other colleges saw a drop in enrollment.

“It’s important to remember that we have tightened admission requirements at the university,” Smith said. “Last fall we were bragging that we had enrolled the academically best freshman class in the history of the university and, by tightening enrollment admission standards, you typically reduce enrollment, but we’ve seen some increases and we’re happy that, even with tightened freshman enrollment we were able to grow.”

International students were up in enrollment by 38.7 percent.

Lamar recruits its international students several ways, including word

of mouth, ESL programs, and athletics.

“When our current international students thrive and when they have a good experience they go home and they tell their friends and family members about Lamar University,” Smith said. “It’s interesting because you can find large numbers of international students from the same town or village. It may be a small town that you’ve never heard of, but we’ll have 20, 30, 40 students.

“The second way we attract students is through our ESL, or English as a second language programs. We work with some groups in the state of Texas that provide See LU, page 2

LIT ENROLLMENT INCREASES 7.6 PERCENT JESSICA LANE UP CONTRIBUTOR LIT enrollment is up 7.6 percent over last spring. The institute currently has 2,893 students enrolled, 205 students more than spring 2013.

Convenience and career-oriented courses continue to set LIT apart from the competition, Beth Bryant Miller, director of public information and marketing, said.

“Our graduates are our best recommendation,” she said in an email interview. “Many employers only hire LIT graduates. Our students know that a degree from LIT makes them employable. They are

educated to do specialized, muchneeded jobs.”

Miller said LIT understands that a student’s life can’t always revolve around school.

“Lamar Institute of Technology has worked diligently to make sure our students can attend school and also work or take care of their families,” she said. “To that point, LIT has increased its offerings for online courses, making it possible for students to attend classes when it works with their schedules. Our health information technology program, in which it is possible to complete all courses online — clinicals have to be done in person, of course — has increased

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in enrollment.

“Also, in order to help our students who have other responsibilities outside of LIT, we offer different opportunities to start college during each semester. We offer several entry points during the long semester, making it possible for students to get some developmental and basic courses out of the way by going during two eightweek sessions. That makes it easier for them to start on their major courses in the summer or fall.”

Miller said LIT’s growth is partially due to the Southeast Texas job market.

“The predicted growth of industry in Southeast Texas also has

contributed to the increase in LIT’s enrollment this semester,” she said.

“Several of our programs which will graduate students who will work in industry have increased enrollment — computer drafting technology, instrumentation technology, industrial mechanics and welding techSee LIT, page 2

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE Thursday, February 27, 2014 University Press

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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

Page 2

rights have been violated.

“That’s why (the evangelists) started taking their cameras out,” Lt. Runkle said. “Some of the students reported that the men yelled, ‘Get the camera! Get the camera!’ after the crowd started to respond.”

“As officers, we’re between a rock a hard place,” Sgt. Dahl said.

“We want to keep the peace,” Lt. Runkle continued. “When we arrived at the scene, we had the men yelling on one side and the students yelling on the other. It’s our job to make sure that no one’s rights are being violated.

“We can’t tell the students not to listen, and we can’t tell guests to leave….”

“As long as they’re not violating or breaking the law,” Sgt. Dahl interjected.

Three students exchanged heated words with Brother Matt before appearing to make physical contact with either Brother Matt or his sign.

The last student that responded physically took exception to Brother Matt calling his girlfriend a “whore.”

Sgt. Dahl said the words the men were shouting at the crowd are not defined in the Texas Penal Code of Disorderly Conduct as curse words. “‘Whoremonger’ is not a curse word,” he said. “Is it derogatory? Yeah.

But it’s not a curse word.”

Because the men did not engage in disorderly conduct, they were appropriately using their free speech rights, Dahl said.

No charges were filed against the

three students that scuffled with Brother Matt, or against the student who teased Brother Chris. All four students left the scene before the police arrived, and neither Brother Matt nor Brother Chris brought it up to the officers.

“We never want events like this to turn violent,” Lt. Runkle said. “The men did not mention those incidences to us, and no complaints were filed.

“But violence is never the answer.

We have to be able to control our actions. At times, it’s difficult, but that’s what we have to do.”

As of press time, Wednesday, Brother Chris was back in the Quad, preaching peacefully to a gathering of students, without Brother Matt.

The Color Remix Party will take place Wednesday, 9 p.m. to midnight, at the Ty Terrell Track.

“We’ve talked to a lot of student organizations and different students around campus, and some of the new events come from what the student body said they wanted — the color party is a good example of this,” Wilkinson said. “It’s a spinoff of all the color runs that go on. You get the best part of it — the paint and the fun — and we’ll have a DJ and music for the party, drinks and activities. Come prepared to get messy, and wear old shirts that you don’t care about getting paint on.”

Thursday features two daytime events with Food Fest taking place in the Setzer Student Center, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and a Study Abroad Fair, 11 a.m.-

1p.m., in the Circle Drive.

“There will be a showcase of the study-abroad programs that (different departments) have going on this summer,” Wilkinson said. “They will be outside at the circle drive location, right when you walk out of the Setzer Center.

“That will be going on while Food Fest is taking place, so there’s going to be a lot of traffic and it’s going to be hectic that day. There are going to be a lot of students in the Setzer Center that day, but that’s what we want.”

“Big Red Mania” will conclude in the Montage Center when the basketball teams face Southeastern Louisiana. The Lady Cards start at 5.30 p.m. followed by the men at 7.30 p.m.

For more information, call 8802395.

“Our faculty members spend time going above and beyond the responsibilities of the classroom encouraging and helping their students,” she said.

“They will make sure that when the semester is over in May, their students are focused on their goals and have plans to return in the fall and continue with their degrees. We also have a very involved mentorship program, where faculty and staff volunteer time to help guide students through their first se-

mester in college. These relationships often continue during the student’s time at LIT.” Miller said that LIT is always interested in input from the community on the needs from business and industry to help in the implementation of new programs and courses.

The eight-week Spring 3 semester begins March 5.

For more information, email bb miller1@lit.edu.

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

English instruction and these students who don’t quite have the English skills necessary to thrive come and work on their English first, and as part of that we recruit.

“One final way we recruit international students is through athletics. People don’t think about that, but if you look at diversity of segments of our population, you won’t find any more diverse geographically than athletics. You can go through the sports rosters and find students from literally every corner of the globe.”

Due to the added scholarships and online graduate level education classes, graduate student enrollment increased by 34.1 percent.

The increase in enrollment and all-time high numbers are good figures for Lamar, Smith said.

“The bottom line is we are very pleased with our spring enrollment,” he said. “Growing at a rate of more than two percent is always healthy.

“You don’t want to grow so fast that you don’t have the academic resources to support the growth, but certainly you don’t want to experience a drop in enrollment because our funding is tied to it.

“Our university enrollment goals are two percent a year, so we exceeded that.”

said that every college campus has a designated free speech area where messages may be voiced.

“The Quad is our campus area for freedom of speech,” she said. “A permit is not required for that area. Our guests are all entitled to free speech in the Quad.”

LUPD Sgt. Dewayne Dahl said that traveling evangelists, like Brother Matt and Brother Chris, often try to incite a reaction from the students, or to provoke law enforcement officers to tell them to leave, so that they can say their

in the SSC Ballroom. “‘Lamar’s Got Talent’ is a series of events that’s based on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ ‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice’ — it’s a spinoff of all of those shows put into one,” Wilkinson said. “Last Tuesday was our open mic event which served as the auditions. The top eight selected that evening will perform in a showoff on Tuesday. There, our top two will be selected and they will perform at halftime at the men’s basketball game, March 6. The winner will be selected based off audience applause.

First place will win $400, second place will receive $100.”

Wednesday’s events start with “Beach Or Busted,” an educational but fun event that focuses on the prevention of injuries.

“It’s a partnership between all of the local police departments, the Texas department of public safety and Texas Highway Patrol, called the Injury Prevention and Education Coalition of Southeast Texas,” Wilkinson said.

“They are showcasing what they do, in the sense that they will be showing our students, ‘This is what to do, or what not to do, when driving a vehicle.’ They will also be showcasing their individual departments.

“We’re making it fun. There will be music and food, and a dunking booth where students will be able to dunk cops. It’s an educational piece, but it’s something that’s entertaining.”

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about a year to complete. There has been an increase in enrollment in some of those programs, particularly in the department of technology.”

LIT’s most popular programs range from Homeland Security to Instrumentation Technology.

“Process operating technology remains a popular program,” Miller said.

“This semester, we have more than 520 students enrolled in that program. Instrumentation technology has more

than 280 students. LIT has 140 students who are in the pre-radiologic technology program, more than 100 students in the management development program, and more than 50 in the emergency medical services and homeland security programs, respectively.

“Medical jobs are always needed, and interest in homeland security remains high.”

Miller said LIT’s main focus is on its students.

nology, to name some.”

LIT also gives students the option to graduate and start careers sooner, Miller said.

“LIT offers certificates of completion for several of our programs,” she said. “These certificate programs take

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.

“…We should show life neither as it is nor as it ought to be, but as we see it in our dreams.”

— Anton Chekhov

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T N E D U T S R A Y M T L LA U C A F AN D N O I T A I C E R P P A

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FEATURES

Thursday, February 27, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

NOMINEES: BEST ACTRESS

Judi Dench “Philomena”

Amy Adams “American Hustle” Cate Blanchett “Blue Jasmine”

Sandra Bullock “Gravity”

Meryl Streep “August: Osage Country”

NOMINEES: BEST ACTOR

Matthew McConaughey “Dallas Buyers Club”

Leonardo DiCaprio “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Christian Bale “American Hustle”

Chiwetel Ejiofor “12 Years a Slave”

Bruce Dern “Nebraska” GRAPHICS BY WILLIAM JONES AND DESMOND PICKENS LAYOUT BY CHELSEA HENDERSON

86th Academy Awards set for Sunday LANE FORTENBERRY UP CONTRIBUTOR The stars align among the red carpet, paving the way to the most prestigious night in the movie business. It’s an actor’s dream to be nominated for an Oscar and a lifetime accomplishment to win the award. However, most of us will be enjoying the show from the comfort of our couches.

The 86th Academy Awards will be held Sunday. You can catch the show on ABC. The big talk is always around the top three categories. The Best Picture award is handed out at the end of the ceremonies and the nominees are “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Gravity,” “Her,” “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “12 Years a Slave” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Lamar University adjunct instructor of film Clinton Rawls said he tends to look at the nominees he thinks will win, rather than focusing on Best Picture.

“I believe ‘Her’ will win best screenplay and ‘Gravity’ will likely win best special effects,” he said. “I think they’ll share the love and give ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ best adapted screenplay. You kind of start to chip off other awards the movies can win. But overall, the films that really impressed me a lot on a technical and storytelling level was ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘12 Years a Slave’ on a dramatic level.”

On a personal level, Rawls said enjoyed “American Hustle” because it was a fun, character-driven movie.

“I really loved the ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ it moved so quickly, even though it was three hours long, and it didn’t feel like a movie that a 70-year-old man would make,” he said (the movie was directed by Martin Scorcese). “‘12 Years a Slave’ had some terrific performances. Rarely do

I lose myself in a movie because I always know I’m watching a movie, but I really got sucked into that one.”

Rawls said “Her” raised some interesting questions.

“For days I was thinking about it,” he said.

“The idea of a man falling in love with an artificial being has been done, even in Greek mythology, but it had an interesting take on today’s world and how that would go over.”

However, film student Hayden Gilbert has a slightly different outlook.

“Honestly, it’s a toss up between ‘Gravity’ and ‘12 Years a Slave,’ but I think ‘12 Years a Slave’ will win out because it’s been the favorite in previous races,” he said. “‘Gravity’ just set the bar for how movies can be made in the future. It combined blockbuster and art house in the same film. The special effects enhanced it and it’s a promising look at where films can go.”

The nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role are Christian Bale (“American Hustle”), Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) and Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club).”

Rawls said he thinks McConaughey will win the award.

“He’s been electric,” he said. “For years, he got by with his looks and his charm, and he’s been knocking it out of the park. Matthew squandered around in his career and now he’s shocked people. I’ve never seen Leonardo DiCaprio do comedy before and he went all out for that role.

He went so far in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ to absurd levels.”

Gilbert is also confident McConaughey will win.

“Just based on the previous races, he’s been the heavy favorite,” he said.

The nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role are Amy Adams (“American Hustle”), Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”), Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”), Judi Dench (“Philomena”) and Meryl Streep (“August: Osage County”).

Rawls said Blanchett is the favorite for the award.

“She really went to some strange places,” he said. “It’s really Woody Allen’s take on ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ Sandra Bullock deserves a lot of credit for basically being a one-woman show.”

Gilbert also believes Blanchett will win the Oscar.

“That’s also a one-women show and people have been praising it because of her performance — however, I want Sandra Bullock to win,” he said.

Rawls said that there were several good films that missed out on nominations.

“I really enjoyed ‘The Place Beyond the Pines,’” he said. “I loved ‘Pain and Gain,’ it was not what I expected. It was this very excessive take on the American Dream. Who better to be excessive than Michael Bay? ‘Only God Forgives’ was very interesting, but it doesn’t always make sense. ‘Prisoners ‘was very good, I liked Hugh Jackman because of all the anger from the Wolverine movies he had, but no bad guys to take it out on.”

Rawls paused as he reflected on the diversity of the movies he has seen.

“Wow, those are really different movies, I have varied tastes,” he said. “I love cinema and I love films that go all the way. I appreciate passion when I watch a movie, and so I can watch something as trashy and over the top as ‘Pain and Gain’ and something as subdued as ‘Prisoners,’ and walk away really loving both of them because I enjoy passion. I love everything as long as it’s not boring and half-assed.”

Gilbert said he was disappointed at the Coen brother’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” failed to garner any major nominations.

“It was one of my favorite movies from last year — it’s almost criminal it only got nominated for two small categories,” he said. “I really liked ‘The Conjuring,’ it was my favorite mainstream horror movie of last year. ‘Only God Forgives’ was great if you liked ‘Drive,’ but don’t think it’s the same guy. It almost has no story — you watch it for the symbolism and the cinematogrophy.”

Rawls said his favorite categories are the top five on the night.

“What I look for is probably Best Director,” he said. “I like to look for the artistry. You can tell when the Academy is tied. I don’t take the awards too seriously, but I think it’s great that there’s a night to celebrate movies.”

Gilbert has similar thoughts.

“My favorite category would normally be Best Director, but I like the Best Cinematography category,” he said. “I follow directors more than I do actors. Sometimes that’s more important to me than Best Picture.”

Gilbert said he would like to see the Academy introduce an award for Best Independent Feature so it could spotlight more of those films.

“I wish they would split it up by genre more like the Golden Globes,” he said. “In the future, I’d like to see Best Drama, Best Action, etc. It would show some more love to other movies.“ Rawls said he would like to see a stunt category.

“Let a stuntman get an Oscar — why not give one to the person risking their life?” he said.

“I’d love to see a Best Voice Oscar, because Scarlett Johansson would definitely win with her voice in ‘Her.’ “I say celebrate movies all the way.”

Page 4 Thursday, February 27, 2014

University Press

New LU book club to read ‘A Visitation of Spirits’ JESSICA LANE UP CONTRIBUTOR The English department is launching a new on-campus book club with two meetings scheduled for April. The meetings are free and open to anyone.

Sara Anderson, visiting assistant professor of African-American literature, will lead the meetings.

The club’s first selection is, “A Visitation of Spirits,” by Randall Kenan.

“I think it’s important for schools like Lamar to make connections between students and faculty, but also the community, so I wanted to design a project that did that,” she said. “I also wanted to choose a book that gave minority communities a chance to be more visible on campus.

“I see it as an opportunity to strengthen connections within the community. I also see it as an opportunity for students to read something that isn’t necessarily taught at Lamar. I want to give people the chance to broaden their horizons a little bit.”

“A Visitation of Spirits” is Kenen’s first book, but it’s beautifully written, Anderson said.

“I feel like if we’re going to spend the time analyzing and celebrating something, it should be

beautiful,” she said. “But I also wanted to choose something contemporary to show people that there are people still creating really good art.”

Anderson said the book centers on the experiences of a young black man growing up in North Carolina. The character comes of age in a Southern, religious family as a gay person, so he has multiple, intersecting challenges that he has to face, and try to resolve.

“I definitely think this book would appeal to anybody who’s had to experience not just the process of coming of age, but also that intersection of multiple cultures and problems at once,” she said. “There’s just a broad audience for this book.”

Anderson said that her own experiences with exclusion prompted her career path.

“I’m interested not only in African-American literature, but in any literature that describes a minority experience,” she said. “I definitely have a very personal connection to it. I also think that, because I studied contemporary literature, I just gravitate toward African-American literature. Writers of color have been producing the most exciting art of the second half of the 20th century, and I want to promote that and make sure everybody has a chance to experience these representations.

“I’m happy to be at Lamar mainly because of

UPCOMING NEWS Symphony of Southeast Texas to present ‘To Jupiter... and Beyond,’ March 1 The Symphony of Southeast Texas will present “To Jupiter… and Beyond” on March 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre, with the third concert in its Classics Series this season. The evening features Mozart’s “Jupiter Symphony” as a reflection of past greatness and then looks toward the future with guest cellist Gabriel Cabezas.

“Mozart’s last symphony, his 41st, also known as the ‘Jupiter Symphony,’ is a revolutionary piece of music composed way ahead of its time,” a release states. “Some have said that the Jupiter sums up what had happened in symphonic music up to that point, and that it foreshadows the work of Beethoven.

Composed in 1788, the ‘Jupiter Symphony’ uses five different melodies simultaneously in the final movement, making it a challenge for

any orchestra that takes it on and proving the supremacy of the work.

“This performance of such a forward-looking piece of music of its time represents the SOST’s commitment to the musicians of the future.

The guest musician performing along with the orchestra in Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2, is young cellist Gabriel Cabezas.

“Now 21 years old, he won the 15th Annual Sphinx String Competition in 2012 and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, among numerous others.”

“Gabriel Cabezas is truly a musician of the future you don’t want to miss,” said SOST music director Chelsea Tipton.

Single ticket prices range from $17 to $41; senior, student and group discounts are available.

To purchase tickets or get more information, visit www.sost.org or call 892-2257.

the students. I don’t know that they have had a lot of previous opportunities to discuss cultural history and literary representations as art, and they seem so committed and so excited to talk about it.”

The group’s first meeting is scheduled for April 4 in Maes 3-B from 1-2:30 p.m.

“For the first meeting, we’re hoping that everyone will have had the chance to at least read half of the novel,” Anderson said. “I want to figure out how many layers of the book we can uncover.

How many meanings can it have for people?”

The second meeting is scheduled for April 25 in Maes 3-B from 1-2:30 p.m.

“For the second meeting, I think that we’ll take some time to discuss as a group what to read next, and times and dates of future meetings, so that it’s not just me leading the group, but something that Lamar is deciding for itself,” Anderson said. “We’re really hopeful for the future of the book club.”

Anderson said that attendees can expect a very casual conversation that is a place for people to think about their academic investments outside of the classroom. The department has ordered ten copies of the book to lend to those who are interested.

For more information, email sanderson14@my.lamar.edu, or call 880-8599.

University Press

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Page 5

From the archives

Spring break activities limitless, exhausting LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER The semester is almost half way through, which means that spring break is right around the corner. For many, this means that it’s time to get out of town to enjoy a well-deserved week off.

According to www.travelchannel.com the top spring break destination inside the U.S this year are Las Vegas, Miami, Daytona Beach, South Padre Island and Panama City Beach.

For people crossing the border, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the Mexican resort towns are considered the top destinations.

If you haven’t already spent a previous spring break at one of these places, then they at least sound familiar. That is because they seem to be the same every single year.

But, have you ever wondered what spring break was like back in the ‘80s, maybe when your parents were in college?

Well, it turns out, according to a University Press article published March 11, 1987, that for Lamar students in the ’80s spring break was pretty similar to what it is today: The key phrase is spring break. It means rest, relaxation and trying to start a tan before summer sets in.

Mexico is the number uno choice for people leaving the country, fol-

lowed by Jamaica and the Bahamas, but for those staying in the states, the hot spots–literally and figuratively–are the usual.

South Padre Island, the Florida beaches, New Orleans and Los Angeles are the places to go, according to local travel agencies.

For Friday, these areas will have low temperatures ranging from the 40s to 60s and 70s.

For people who want to chill out during spring break, Colorado is a popular choice.

Aspen, Breckenridge, Purgatory and Vail will have some good skiing, mostly with packed powder and spring conditions.

Anyone undecided between skiing or sunning can go to Miami Beach to ski for free on the “Bush Mountain.”

Hundreds of tons of crushed ice will be brought in to form skip slopes on the beach.

Bush CitySki will hold downhill racing, open skiing for the public and professional instruction.

Daytona Beach has scheduled the National Collegiate Sports Festival to be held during spring break, featuring a variety of sporting events such as ultimate Frisbee, softball, weightlifting, swimming and volleyball.

Walt Disney World is offering special rates to college students going to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, as well as giving away prizes to people enter-

Larry Woodcock, Lake City junior, foreground, lays out in the sun on a roof to get a head start on a tan. ing either park.

Padre Island is gearing its activities to the under 21-year-old crowd.

Fun runs, talent shows, dances, body building and beauty contests are planned by the Port Isabel/South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce.

Sons of the Beach will sponsor weekly sand castle building contests and attempt to set a new world’s record for the longest sand sculpture by constructing an 11,000-foot-long “Millerpede,” reputed to be a creature with a lot of legs, and a fondness

1987 file photo by Brad Horn

for beer.

Even if the main goal of spring break is to get away from it all, if someone attempted half of the activities half the activities the resorts have planned, spring break would be more exhausting than midterms.

UP photos by William Jones

Dishman hosts Bowl Making Marathon Lamar students and Southeast Texas residents spent their Saturday fighting hunger at the Dishman Art Museum’s “Empty Bowl Bowl Making Marathon,” Feb. 8.

Linnis Blanton, adjunct art instructor, right, instructed Breigh Richardson, Beaumont 9th grader, and other attendees on the clay wheel.

The marathon was a combined effort between Feldspar,

Lamar’s clay student club, and the Dishman Art Museum.

The finished bowls will be sold at the Dishman Art Museum, April 12. Prices will range from $5-10 for smaller bowls and up to $30-50 for larger bowls, according to Megan Young, Dishman Art Museum director, said.

All money raised will be donated to the South East Texas Food Bank.

The next issue of the

University Press will be March 20 Editorial and Advertising deadlines are noon, Monday March 17 Have a safe spring break!

National WWII Museum to offer summer study abroad program The National WWII Museum, in partnership with Nicholls State University, is offering high school and college students the opportunity to gain hands-on leadership and decision-making skills based on those exhibited by the great leaders of WWII. Normandy Academy is a summer study abroad program that challenges students with the same impactful decisions as generals, officers and soldiers during the historic D-Day invasions.

The 10-day, leadershipthemed program starts in the exhibits, archives and warehouses of The National WWII Museum in New Orleans and ends in the historic American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach, Normandy. In between, students will visit battle sites, interact with French citizens and tour monuments and museums.

“This summer marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and the men who fought in Normandy are leaving us,” said senior director of history and

research, Keith Huxen said.

“For students interested in history, this is an opportunity of a lifetime and never to be repeated.”

The National WWII Museum also offers students a summer learning experience in New Orleans. The Student Leadership Academy-Summer Residential Program takes students through the history of WWII with the aim of exploring leadership lessons from one of the most important periods in world history.

This six-night, seven-day program immerses students in the museum’s wealth of exhibits, artifacts, images and documents with structured Leadership Lesson Debates along the way.

Students will experience what it was like to be a member of a five-man crew inside a Sherman Tank, inspect the flight logs of a bomber pilot and handle the gear of an infantryman in WWII. Not only will students have the opportunity to study WWII history at one of the world’s top-

rated museums and meet some of the men and women who experienced the war firsthand, they will also venture out to historic sites in the community, including the Chalmette National Battlefield and NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, the former site of the plant that produced the Higgins Boats used in the war.

Upon completion of these programs, students will leave with a deeper understanding of US history and knowledge of the skills exhibited by some of our nation’s most distinguished leaders.

Students who participate in Normandy Academy and Student Leadership Academy are eligible to receive three credit hours after a rigorous online course administered by the Museum and the history department of Nicholls State University, an accredited regional university located in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

For more information, call (877) 813-3329 x 514 or visit www.ww2museumtours.org.

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University Press

Four students Sigma Phi Epsilon donates time, to represent LU labor to Habitat for Humanity at 2014 Clinton Global Initiative Approximately 1,200 students from more than 70 different countries will gather this spring to come up with new solutions to world challenges during the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) 2014.

Among them are LU students Kristeen Reynolds, Joshua Barnes, Javed Surani and Tapan Acharya.

Reynolds, an accounting major and one of the Lamar University Ambassadors, will partner with mechanical engineering and physics major Barnes.

Their work, titled “Carrying the World on our Backs” will focus on developing mobile origami-style shelters to help alleviate the homeless population in third-world countries and serve as first response tools in regions struck by natural disasters.

“We want to go a step further,” said Reynolds. “We want to create a lightweight backpack that can gather energy from the wind, withstand crumbling due to earthquakes, all while providing environmental reactive heating and cooling, privacy sections and modular seating.”

Barnes says that with that invention, an individual will be able to live, cook and use the restroom sanitarily using only the tools on their back. The team is willing to start their commitment in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“As soon as we receive funding, this survival tool will be field tested for several months,” said Reynolds. “We will have about 100 to deploy when the next third world disaster hits and if the units prove successful, we will go into mass production.”

In addition to helping a community to survive and recover from a disaster, LU students Surani and Acharya will present their “L3 Technologies” commitment to improve the quality of water in developing countries and give populations access to clean water.

“The first treatment stage will consist of using tea bags filled with powdered peels from fruit, immersed in a glass of water for five minutes resulting in cleaner, purer water with free fruit flavor,” said Surani. “The secondary and tertiary treatments are designed to remove pollutants, pesticides and bacteria from water by putting a few drops of oxide suspension and leaving the mix in the sunlight for 30 minutes.”

One of their goals is to educate people around the world and help them enjoy better health. The project will start in Lucknow, India and hopefully will become global.

Acharya says that the most important measure of success is undoubtedly the number of lives saved.

The seventh annual CGI U meeting, which will take place from March 21-23 at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz, will include hands-on workshops and seminars facilitated by former President Bill Clinton and other notable speakers.

More than $750,000 is available to select CGI U 2014 students and help them turn their ideas into actions.

“We are so pleased to be a part of this unique and committed organization,” said LU president Kenneth Evans. “It is an exciting opportunity for our students and their faculty mentors who have long been involved in the study, research and solution of local, national and global problems.”

Past CGI U commitments have included a soccer ball that generates energy, a mobile app that identifies counterfeit drugs, a low-cost wheelchair designed for the developing world and a solar-powered telemedicine terminal.

“I personally am profoundly grateful that people care enough to show up and think of one more thing they can do to give one more person a better chance,” said Bill Clinton. “And I hope that next year, you want to do it again.”

For more information about CGI U, visit www.cgiu.org.

NEWS ROUNDUP Lamar education programs nationally recognized by accreditation council Three programs in the Lamar University College of Education and Human Development were recently nationally recognized by specialized professional associations, branches of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the accrediting agency for the college.

“NCATE accreditation is one of the highest recognitions that a school of education can receive,” said Michael Wallace, director of the department of professional pedagogy. “There are only 15 schools of education in the state with recognition from NCATE, which is now transitioning into the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.”

The EC-6 Generalist program for early childhood through sixth grade teachers in the Department of Professional Pedagogy was recognized by the Association for Children’s Education International. It is one of only 11 EC6 Generalist programs in the state to receive this recognition.

The School Principal Certification program and the Principal Certification Only program in the Department of Educational Leadership were recognized by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council, making the Principal Certification program one of only 15 in the state with this recognition.

“In the state of Texas, many universities offer programs that prepare elementary school teachers, but only 11 have national recognition,” Wallace said. “I was awfully glad about the work that was done.

“We have to submit several things to be considered for recognition. The SPAs look at curriculum, faculty qualifications, student projects and lesson plans, student teacher performance and scores on the Texas Education Agency certification exams.”

The accreditation and nationally recognized programs status will also benefit its current and prospective students.

“In many areas, state education agencies require that candidates for educator certificates and licenses graduate from NCATE-accredited institutions. Thirty-five states require their institutions and programs to stand for

UP William Jones

The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity work together, Feb. 8, to help construct a Habitat for Humanity house on Galveston Street. Nicolas Parker, Burleson freshman, above, cuts roofing boards, which the fraternity brothers will use to provide cover the home.

accreditation review. Texas is not one of them. We do this voluntarily,” Wallace said.

The Superintendent program in the Department of Educational Leadership is also nationally recognized by the ELCC. Programs receive national recognition for seven years.

For more information, contact Michael Wallace at michael.wallace@lamar.edu.

Lamar Veterans Organization nationally affiliated with Student Veterans Association The Lamar Veterans Organization (LVO) is now nationally affiliated with the Student Veterans Association (SVA).

The LVO was first chartered in 2008. The SVA is a 501(c)(3) organization with more than 800 branches dedicated to providing military veterans with resources and support for pursuing higher education.

“The affiliation process for the SVA is quite simple, actually,” said Eric Matthews, LVO advisor. “There are three steps to becoming a chapter. We had to create a governing document; have a dedicated local contact person and email account; and, finally, be an officially recognized student group of the university.”

Matthews said the affiliation will help the LVO receive grants, leadership training and advocacy of student veteran needs on a national level, as well as benefiting its members.

“The SVA partners with other military veteran organizations and corporations such as the American Legion, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Microsoft, Disney and Google to provide support, scholarships and job opportunities for veterans,” Matthews said.

Matthews said the mission of the LVO is to provide support to veterans, active duty and their families, and the organization is open to all who want to help.

“One of our former members called it ‘Rucksacks to Backpacks,’ and I think that’s an apt motto for the group.

It isn’t always an easy transition from the disciplined life of the military to the more relaxed atmosphere of a college campus, and the LVO hopes to make that change as easy as possible,” Matthews said.

For more information on LVO, visit the Veteran Affairs Office in room 101 of the Wimberly Building, email the group at lvo@lamar.edu or visit the group website at https://orgsync.com/75952/chapter.

7

FEATURES Party ABROAD Advantage Plus Homecare threw beads from their float, Saturday, during a Mardi Gras parade in Orange.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Illustration by Chelsea Henderson

International students explain homeland traditions MOLLY PORTER UP CONTRIBUTOR The term “Mardi Gras,” or Fat Tuesday, typically brings to mind thoughts of parades, beads, king cakes and parties.

However, while Americans show off their purple, green and gold, people around the world celebrate the days prior to the beginning of Lent much differently.

The American celebration of Mardi Gras originated in France and began with the French settlers in the Louisiana territory.

Today, the celebration flourishes in the home country of University Advancement assistant Julie Aimé.

“In France, we really celebrate it as a carnival, like here pretty much,” she said. “The kids all wear costumes and adults just wear kind of big, colorful heads, like weird mascots. And you just go to big cities and go through the streets.”

Aimé said that for children in France, Mardi Gras traditions are similar to Halloween.

“In boarding school, we celebrated every year,” she said. “It’s a crazy mess because kids can throw confetti everywhere, and you just

walk around and see colorful costumes. You don’t know what’s happening. You’re just running around and you don’t know where you’re going. But I still have pictures of me dressed up and looking like a clown.

“In the afternoon the kids go to neighbors and ask for flour, sugar or any ingredients to make cakes or crepes. And then you just cook in the afternoon and eat everything in the evening on Mardi Gras. You just eat candies all day long.”

Aimé said the French also have Mardi Gras traditions related to their food. “’Mardi Gras’ in Italian is ‘carne levare,’ which is literally ‘take off the meat,’” she said. “You take the meat off the table for a week, and you don’t eat that much. Then on Mardi Gras you celebrate, and you eat pretty much all the meat and everything that you haven’t eaten for a week. That’s a big meal and a big celebration for us.

“During the week of ‘carne levare’, we are also not supposed to eat any eggs, so in order to use all the eggs, we make crepes. You just get together and you have fun. I’m not a little kid anymore, so it’s not like I want to eat candies all day.

Baking and cooking with friends is

probably the most fun part.”

Similar to the French tradition of Mardi Gras is Carnival, which is celebrated in graduate student Lauren Van Gerven’s home country of Belgium.

“We have these parades, and it’s mainly for children, really,” she said.

“Usually it’s schools that organize them. All the children dress up really in whatever they feel like dressing up in. There are a lot of clowns and princesses.

“When I was a kid in school, I went to these parades. I think the very first one I went to, I was a clown. I remember that, and I remember it was very cold and rainy, which didn’t make it very fun. But I remember going to several of them just to get the candies.”

For Van Gerven, the parades are the most important part of the festivities.

“They have these big wagons that people decorate and drive in the streets,” she said. “They’re really big and then people stand on the top. There are even awards you can get for having the nicest wagon and the nicest decoration. If yours is the best one, you win, and then you’re considered the ‘prince carnival.’

There is usually a kind of stage on

the wagon where people will throw candies for the kids. That’s what it’s really about. It’s about the candy.”

Fasching marks the end of the carnival season in Germany, the home country of freshman Michael Feucht.

“Fasching lasts for four or five days, not only one day,” he said. “It’s like when you guys put costumes on at Halloween. We just put on different costumes and party. There are always cars that go through the cities, like parades, and everyone just goes with the cars. They give candies. In the evening there are usually great parties.”

Feucht said that many of the festivities are child-oriented.

“It was always pretty big in kindergarten,” he said. “Different people came to see us, and all the parents were there. It was fun then.

Adults dress up as well, but of course it’s funnier for kids. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s just cool for kids.

“It’s just a time when people come together, meet in the streets, and celebrate together, so it’s always fun.”

However, in England, the home country of graduate student Lorna Maudslay, the tradition surrounding

this holiday differs considerably.

“They call it Shrove Tuesday in England, or we just call it pancake day,” Maudslay said. “It’s the last day before Lent, and everyone just puts everything in a mix before they have to give all of the sweet stuff up, so it’s an opportunity to get rid of it all.

“In my family, personally, my granny has 15 grandchildren. On pancake day, she makes the pancakes, and all of the grandchildren have a competition to see who can eat the most. I’ve gotten eight before, but ours are more like crepes, not like thick pancakes.”

Maudslay said that over time pancake day has become more of a secular holiday.

“It’s not as big of a scale as it is here with Mardi Gras,” she said.

“You just go out and eat pancakes.

It’s not as much of a religious holiday anymore. It’s more of an opportunity to eat food.

“I went to the Mardi Gras in Port Arthur before, if that counts. It was pretty cool. I mean, I liked it.

But then, there were a few other English girls, so we still had a little pancake day like we would have back home. I guess I have the best of both worlds.”

UP illustration by Desmond Pickens

PORT ARTHUR TO BEGIN MARDI GRAS FESTIVITIES TODAY MOLLY PORTER UP CONTRIBUTOR Southeast Texas Mardi Gras kicks off today in Port Arthur, promising four days of parades, music and fun to the Golden Triangle.

Courir de Mardi Gras, the opening parade, is one of several that crowds can view during the

festival.

“Courir de Mardi Gras is the old fashioned Cajun parade,” Laura Childress, president Mardi Gras Southeast Texas, said. “Friday, you have the golf cart and ATV parade, and that’s all krewes. Then Saturday morning, the krewes have their royalty march in costumes, and then you have the motorcycle showcase, followed by the grand parade.”

Childress said that the Mardi Gras festivities are very affordable.

“The carnival is outside, so it’s free,” she said. “You can just buy your wristband to ride.”

Wristbands are $20 in advance and $25 at the carnival, and the wristbands provide unlimited rides for the day. Admission into the entertainment area is $5 on Thursday, $15 on Friday, $15 on Saturday and

$10 on Sunday.

Childress said that the Mardi Gras festivities are fun the whole family can enjoy.

“The carnival is the biggest attraction for children, but there are children’s parades as well that they can enter themselves into,” she said. “There’s a munchkin parade, which is a free parade. There’s also strolling entertainment, like a fire

breather. There’s lots of activity going on out there for kids.”

Childress said that the festival also features a variety of food.

“It’s anything you can imagine, including anything you can think of on a stick, corndogs, funnel cakes, gyros and Mexican food,” she said.

Mardi Gras ends on Sunday.

For more information, visit mardigras.portarthur.com.

Page 8 Thursday, February 27, 2014

University Press

Pre-med, biology major continues family tradition Growing up around medicine, Nederland native Will Pickard could not imagine pursuing another profession.

“Not only is my dad a doctor, but two of my cousins are as well,” said the biology/pre-med major. “It was an amazing feeling to watch my father help each and every one of his patients in his practice and to watch the patients’ attitudes change once they were treated. This made me realize that I would not be happy doing anything else other than medicine.”

With the majority of his family having attended Lamar, Pickard listened to his father’s advice on where to further his education.

“Although I was accepted to other universities, my dad urged me to consider Lamar, saying that it got him to be where he is as a doctor today,” Pickard said. “I discovered that Lamar has an excellent track record with its pre-med students getting accepted into medical schools which ultimately led to my decision to attend Lamar.”

Since arriving to Lamar, Pickard has participated in organizations such as the Lamar Honors Program, American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Beta Beta Beta (National Biology Honor Society), has been inducted into the Phi Beta Delta International Scholars Honors Society Beta Xi Chapter, participated on the rugby team, and was selected as a LU Ambassador.

As a LU Ambassador, Pickard acts as the face of Lamar’s student body. Ambassadors are chosen from a variety of backgrounds and attend community and university events as representatives of the campus.

“The opportunity to hold a leadership position, one that is highly valued, as well as the ability to let other people know that I enjoyed my time at Lamar, led me to apply to be an Ambassador,” Pickard said.

“I take pride in showing donors that students are able to pursue a future with their financial help.”

Through his participation in these organizations, Pickard said it opened his mind to other cultures.

In the summer between his freshman and sophomore year, Pickard set off to enrich his college experience via a study abroad trip to Belize with the biology department.

“Belize was my first trip to Central America, and it was a blast,” Pickard said.

“We stayed at a research camp facility, visited the jungle, and went to an island. Not

only did we perform research, but we had fun as well.”

During the trip, Pickard met Ana Beardsley Christensen, an associate professor of biology at Lamar who performs research concerning the occurrence of hemoglobin in brittle stars. After returning from Belize, Pickard asked if she had an available spot in her lab, where consequently they came up with a research project regarding regeneration in brittle stars.

“Beforehand, I was interested in regenerative medicine and I knew that performing research would be helpful before going on to medical school. Beginning the fall semester of my sophomore year with the help of my mentor, Dr. Christensen, I began my research dealing with brittle stars and specifically afuni — a protein that brittle stars use for regeneration,” Pickard said. “We observed this to see how conserved the gene was in different species.

This protein works with cell signaling and cell differentiation when the cells regenerate.”

“Basically, we isolated DNA from different species of brittle stars, then we had to amplify the DNA, and then we made sure we were isolating the correct protein,” Pickard said. “After that, we sequenced the DNA and analyzed the DNA sequence to see how many different changes there were in the coding sequence. The reason for doing this was to build a phylogenetic tree to see how closely the different species were related regarding this protein.”

Pickard presented his research at the Texas Academy of Science in February 2012 and later went on to present at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in New Orleans this past December.

“The conference is large and designed for honor programs throughout the country,” Pickard said. “For the presentation, you set up a poster and people come around and ask you questions. It is great for networking and seeing what other people are working on.”

In addition to his research and involvement in campus organizations, Pickard works as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for the anatomy and physiology classes through the STARS Tutoring Center.

“I have the opportunity to interact with students and help them learn, which in turn helps me learn,” Pickard said. “I get to give back to those who might be struggling in their classes.”

Before graduating in May 2014,

Pickard plans on attending the National AMSA Annual Convention in March.

“The conference has different presentations over a variety of topics about medicine, including how to get into medical school. It allows people from around the country to discuss ideas and to learn about what’s going on in medicine today,” Pickard said. “Last year at the convention, students were taught how to do intubations and basic first aid maneuvers.”

Pickard said that with financial assistance from scholarships such as the Dr. Floyd and Marie McSpadden Sr. Memorial Scholarship, McMasters Honors Scholarship, and the Hahn Family Scholarship, he gained the opportunity to further his education.

“With the rising cost of education, these scholarships give me, as well as other students, a great opportunity to continue their education without worrying about paying off loans,” Pickard said.

Along with his love for living in the Cardinal Village residence halls, “a home away from home,” Pickard likes to hang out in the Setzer Student Center. Pickard loves the small classes and the chance to develop strong relationships with professors.

“At Lamar, it really is a personal relationship where professors know your name, unlike other bigger universities where you’re just a face,” Pickard said.

“Also, the smaller campus makes everything seem much friendlier like a closeknit community.”

Pickard feels that his time with the Lamar biology department has thoroughly prepared him for medical school.

“Lamar has provided me a challenging education that I believe is on the same par of bigger universities,” Pickard said.

“Also, the professors at Lamar taught me how to think outside of the box and more critically. I can’t thank my professors enough for pushing me to my limits and bringing out the potential that I have.”

Attending Lamar has provided Pickard invaluable experiences such as the ability to pursue research opportunities while establishing a solid foundation for attending medical school.

“Since coming to Lamar, I am a more open person. Graduating from high school and entering into college, I was shy,” Pickard said. “However, participating in organizations forced me out of my comfort zone and made me more socially inclined.

Overall, I have grown tremendously as a person.”

UP photos by William Jones

Cruz pays visit to SETX U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep.-Texas, donned a gold tie with blue elephants and his signature black leather ostrich cowboy boots, Feb. 19, to promote The American Energy Renaissance Act — a new piece of legislation proposed by Cruz — at a press conference held at the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum in Beaumont.

SPORTS

9

Baseball sweeps LIU-Brooklyn Kevin Santana, left, had a big weekend against LIU-Brooklyn, and Sunday proved no different as the junior helped propel the Lamar baseball team to an 11-4 victory and four-game sweep of the visiting Blackbirds at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

SPORTS ROUNDUP Golf The Lamar women's golf team fired a 295 in the final round of the Islander Classic Tuesday afternoon to put an exclamation point on their victory. The third-round 295 equaled Lamar's second-round score, and was the lowest score of any team in the final round. The Lady Cardinals fired a 302-295-295 — 892 to defeat their next closest competition by 16 strokes on the 6,108-yard, par 72 Corpus Christi Country Club course.

"I am very proud of our ladies," head coach Brian White said. "We entered the day with a very slim lead against a very tough field, and we made the shots we had to have to not only win but to give ourselves a little breathing room. We received some great play from everyone."

Football The Lamar Cardinals ran approximately 60 plays in Saturday’s scrimmage at Provost Umphrey Stadium to close out the second week of spring camp. The scrimmage highlighted the potential of Lamar’s young, inexperienced defense, which came through for several big plays.

“I was very proud of our defense today,” said head coach Ray Woodard. “We have so many new faces on that side of the ball that we are going to see some inconsistency until they get the experience. With so many pieces of the puzzle returning on offense, I think we will go as far as our defense will take us.”

The annual Crawfish Bowl will be Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.

Lamar’s Shauna Long, left, and Gia Ayers press the Sam Houston State during the Lady Cards’

Lady Cards’ defense, sharpshooting outlast SHSU GRANT CRAWFORD UP STAFF WRITER

Softball Candyce Carter’s walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Lamar Lady Cardinals to their first win of 2014 as they edged Marshall 3-2 at the Citrus Series Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Sunday.

Lamar (1-6) dropped a 7-0 decision to IPFW in the second game Sunday to finish 1-3 at the event.

“It felt good to get that first win,” Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t carry that over into the second game.”

Lamar returns to action next weekend with five games at LSU’s tournament.

“We have to turn things around,” Bruder said. “I was really excited about our hitting at the beginning of the season, but we’re not having quality at-bats right now. We’re hitting too many lazy fly balls and swinging at bad pitches. We’re going to work on that this week.”

Tennis Katya Lapayeva continued her strong freshman campaign, picking up a team-best fourth singles victory, but the Lamar women’s tennis team ultimately fell 6-1 to visiting Louisiana Tech at Lamar’s Thompson Family Tennis Center.

Lapayeva, a native of Belarus, earned a 6-0 victory in the first set before suffering a setback by the same scoreline in the second. However, she regained her footing and posted a 6-2 win in the third to hand Taly Merker a defeat at No. 6.

Unfortunately, it was the only point the Lady Cardinals would secure on the day.

Lamar will return to action at Thompson Family Tennis Center next month against New Orleans.

UP William Jones

UP William Jones

Lamar’s JaMeisha Edwards attempts a lay up, during the Lady Cards’ 81-64 win over SHSU in the Montagne Center, Saturday.

The Lady Card’s basketball team beat Sam Houston State 81-64 in the Montagne Center, Saturday, to improve to 10-4 in Southland Conference play.

Lamar is currently ranked second behind Central Arkansas in the SLC. “It’s good to get a win in the Montagne Center,” head coach Robin Harmony said. “We had a great crowd and there’s nothing like winning at home. I think tonight was really about our defense, we put a lot of pressure on them and got some really nice steals.”

At the end of the first half, Lamar led 38-36. The lady Cards shot 51.6 percent from the field in the second, and outscored the Lady Kats 43-28.

“During the game, we allowed them to think they could win,” Harmony said. “We just can’t keep living like that. (The Lady Cards) busted their butt for 39 minutes, and it’s that one

minute we’re talking about with them. We know what’s at stake, and we want to send our seniors away with a ring and a championship. Now it’s just a matter of winning or misery.”

Sophomore JaMeisha Edwards and junior Shauna Long combined for 7-18 from behind the three-point line Saturday.

Senior point guard Gia Ayers totaled seven assists and leads the conference with 131 this season.

She also contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.

“I have really great shooters,” Ayers said. “I’m really grateful that they’re on my team. They were the reason we were able to push the ball more, which opened up our transition offense.”

Edwards finished the game 9-17 from the field with 22 points and three steals. Lamar finished with 16 steals, compared to Sam Houston State’s six.

“If Shauna is not on her game, then I am,” Edwards said.

“If I’m not on, then Gia is.

There’s always one of us that has to be on. When Shauna’s on her game, I’m giving her the ball.”

Long contributed 18 points, shooting 4-10 from behind the three-point line. She is now fourth on Lamar’s all-time list with 105 three-pointers.

“It feels great,” Long said.

“We were talking on the bench at the end of the game and we said, ‘It feels really good to get a win.’ I think that last loss really gave us a spark and made us say, ‘Ok, no more losses for the rest of the season,’ and it really lit a fire under us.”

The Lady Cards have two road games before returning home to finish out their schedule against New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana.

Lamar returns to action tonight at Oral Roberts.

Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Tulsa, Okla.

The Lady Cards’ next home game is set for March 6 against UNO. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 in the Montagne Center.

Cards come up short in Price’s debut GRANT CRAWFORD UP STAFF WRITER The Cards lost in a nail-biter 74-71 to Sam Houston State at the Montagne Center, Saturday. Lamar was down 32-29 after the first half to a Sam Houston team that is second in the Southland Conference.

This was Tic Price’s first game as interim head coach.

“It’s kind of disappointing,” Price said.

“I was real happy with the effort. I thought we had some mental breakdowns offensively, but I kind of expected that. Our kids had to learn on the fly this week.”

With 27 seconds remaining in the game, Lamar inbounded the ball down 7271. Junior Nimrod Hilliard ran the clock down to five seconds before driving and missing a mid-range jumpshot with one second left. SHSU were immediately fouled, making both to put the game away.

Hilliard scored 21 points and Lamar

had four players score in double figures.

“We had the right guy with the ball,” Price said. “Nimrod is a guy that is always going to contribute. We would run that play again if we had to. This time, the ball just didn’t go in. Hopefully, from now on, we won’t have to play people this close.”

After shooting 0-5 from behind the three-point line in the first half, the team shot 5-10 in the second. Junior Donovan Ross shot 3-4 from the field with 11 points.

The team is now 2-12 in the SLC, 3-23 overall.

“We just wanted to give our fans a good show,” Ross said. “We’re not giving up. We just wanted to come out tonight and play hard. That’s all coach asked of us. We only have one shot at this basketball game, and we try to play every game like it’s our last.”

Lamar has four games left in the regular season. They will resume play tonight at Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla. Tip is 7:30 p.m.

Track The Lamar men’s and women’s track and field programs will look to add to their extensive histories at the 2014 Southland Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. The SLC tournament began Wednesday and conclude today.

UP William Jones

Lamar guard Anthony Holliday, 2, drives the lane against Sam Houston defenders during a 74-71 loss, Saturday in the Montagne Center.

UP William Jones

Lamar forward Rhon Mitchell blocks a shot during their 74-71 loss to Sam Houston in the Montagne Center, Saturday.

Page 10 Thursday, February 27, 2014

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