March 27, 2014

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

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

Vol. 90, No. 20

SGA accepting applications for 2014-2015 officer elections LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP STAFF WRITER Applications are now available for Lamar University’s Student Government Association elections.

Positions up for election include president, vicepresident, secretary/treasure, senior class senator, junior class senator and sophomore class senator.

“For senator and executive board positions, students must have a 2.5 GPA to apply,” Charity Ogbeide, SGA president, said. “For president, you must have at least 45 credit hours, for vice-president at least 30 credit hours, and for secretary/treasurer you must have been at Lamar for at least a semester.”

For the senatorial positions, two spots are available for each class and one for each academic department.

“If you want to run for senior class senate, junior class senate or sophomore class senate, you must be in that grade classification,” Ogbeide said. “For the college senators, such as College of Fine Arts and Communication, you must belong to that college to be in that position.”

There are no senatorial positions available for freshmen.

“We don’t have senators for freshmen,” Ogbeide said. “We have a council where we give them a chance to learn about student government, teach them about how it works.”

After electoral applications close, all applicants are evaluated by the office of student engagement.

“Once you file the application you will be contacted, and you will receive information about a rules meeting where we tell you about the rules and talk about what is going on,” Ogbeide said. “After the rules meeting, campaigning can begin. During campaigning there will be a debate.”

As of press time, Wednesday, SGA election dates were still to be determined.

Ogbeide said his main role as SGA president is to be the liaison between the student body and the university administration.

“You are the leader of the student body,” he said.

“So you always have to be communicating to know what the students want, what the students need. You have to vote accordingly as the students’ voice. When there are issues on campus, you need to be able to address them, things like that.”

The senators form the student congress.

“They are responsible for voting and establishing bills that they want to have passed at Lamar University,” Ogbeide said.

Students don’t need previous experience on the SGA to run for vice-president or president.

“Anybody who fits the criteria is able to apply,” Ogbeide said.

Applications can be found online at orgsync. com/22733/forms/101565.

The final day to apply is April 4.

See new SGA constitution for more information: orgsync.com/23695/files/535771.

NOTICE Friday is the last day for undergraduate students to apply — and pay — for May 2014 graduation. For more information about applying for graduation, visit dept.lamar.edu/ records/graduation.htm.

UP illustration by Chelsea Henderson

Source: weddingstats.org

INSURANCE PROTECTS COUPLES FROM MATRIMONIAL DISASTERS PAIGE SHELTON UP CONTRIBUTOR The dresses have been purchased and altered and are ready to be worn, along with the tuxes or suits. Flowers and other necessary items have arrived. The locations of the ceremony and reception have been decorated and are ready. Caterers and photographers are ready. Everything

is in place. The only thing on the bride and groom’s minds is their special day.

Nothing has been left to chance. Surely, nothing can go wrong — but, as the saying goes, “The best laid plans….”

Many couples are taking out wedding insurance, a new type of event policy that can protect couples should something go wrong.

“Weddings are a huge ex-

pense and a lot of work,” John Paschall, president and CEO of Beaumont’s Better Business Bureau, said. “A lot of people are focused on all plans going right.

Most don’t think about what could go wrong.”

Based to the type of policy purchased, coverage can include ruined dresses, food, vendors or photographers failing to show up, or even the bride or groom being

left at the altar.

“For a one-time premium, with coverage beginning up to two years prior to the wedding, a policy will usually cover cancellation or postponement and a variety of other optional services, including lost or stolen gifts, damaged rental property and personal liability,” write the editors of Bride’s magaSee WEDDING, page 2

UP editor wins state recognition with Barbara Jordan Media Award KRISTEN STUCK UP STAFF WRITER

Photo courtesy of Junebug Clark

Chelsea Henderson, University Press editor, displays her bronze medallion with Aaron W. Bangor, vice chair of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, at the Barbara Jordan Media Awards luncheon, March 20, at the University of North Texas.

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

When Chelsea Henderson first met Cecelia Johnson she never expected the meeting would lead to recognition from the state of Texas and Gov. Rick Perry.

Henderson, University Press editor, won the Barbara Jordan Media Award in the college student category for her article, “Multiple Sclerosis: Painfully Invisible,” in the April 2013 issue of the UPbeat Magazine.

“The whole point of the awards is that you’re focusing on the person first, not their disability,” Henderson said.

“And that made me really want to, as the editor, stop and look at the stories we write about people with disabilities.”

The Barbara Jordan Media Awards were named after the Houston native and U.S. congresswoman who

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

gained recognition for being a remarkable orator. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1973.

Every year, the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, in conjunction with local committees throughout the state, recognizes media professionals and students who produce material, which accurately and positively reports on people with disabilities.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that the people honored at the awards each reflect Jordan’s spirit of inclusion.

“By putting the person first, and not the disability, they remind us that anyone can overcome life’s challenges and make a difference in the world,” Perry said in his welcome video to the awards luncheon.

The article focused on Cecelia Johnson, a Lamar University alumna, and her journey to receive stem cell treatment for her multiple sclerosis.

“Specifically, as a woman, Cecelia felt a lot of times she wasn’t being taken seriously,” Henderson said.

“Part of what makes MS so bad is that it is an invisible disease, so you don’t have any scars or anything physical on the outside to really identify you as you having multiple sclerosis at all. So when she would go to see doctors, she felt like they weren’t taking her pain seriously, so she just stopped bringing it up — which is not the way to handle any disease, whether it’s serious or not.”

Johnson, who graduated with a fine arts degree, has a YouTube channel where she explains MS and talks about how she is feeling that day. She is also an artist, which piqued Henderson’s interest.

“Her art is really amazing,” Henderson said. “And a lot of it now, beSee JORDAN, page 2

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE Thursday, March 27, 2014 University Press

WEDDING ••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 zine in “Bride’s Book of Etiquette.”

According to Mindy Weiss, in “The Wedding Book,” wedding insurance can also cover severe weather, lost deposits, vendors that don’t show up, lost, stolen or damaged property, technical failures, stolen or damaged gifts, serious illness or even military leave of either the bride or groom.

The cost of a wedding insurance plan is dependent upon a variety of factors including how much coverage is wanted and the cost of the wedding itself.

According to a press release from the BBB, a basic policy that covers loss of photos, videos, attire, presents, rings and deposits can be purchased from around $155 to $550 depending on the amount of coverage wanted.

General liability insurance can also be included. This addition, which can cover up to $1 million in the event of an accident or injury to the bride, groom, a member of the wedding party or any guests, costs around $185.

On protectmywedding.com, supported by Travelers’ insurance, a wedding in Texas on July 12 for around 151 to 200 guests would have a premium of approximately $600.

While that may seem like a lot, when one considers that, according to weddingstats.org, the national average cost of a wedding, not including the honeymoon, is $28,671, it is a good investment. The average venue costs $1,993, the average reception is $3,106, and the average dress is $1,189.

The premium includes core coverage that will reimburse the couple in case of deposit loss, cancellation or postponement, protection against no-show or bankrupt vendors and damage to attire, gifts, etc. It also includes optional liability insurance that covers $1 million with $250,000 in property damage, as well as an additional liquor liability that protects the couple and their immediate families against alcohol-related accidents.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

NOTICE

“Man is a dupable animal. Quacks in medicine, quacks in religion, and quacks in politics know this, and act upon that knowledge.”

— Robert Southey

Page 2 When considering whether or not to purchase wedding insurance, a BBB release states that the couple should check and see how far in advance coverage can be purchased, because some insurance companies have limitations for how long the event can be covered.

In addition, couples should check with each vendor to see how well they’re covered. Some vendors may provide their own insurance and some may not have coverage at all.

Couples should also make sure to make sure to get everything — reservations, purchases, rentals, etc., Paschall said.

“Many around here use friends or people they know so most of the time, these are never in writing,” he said.

Paschall suggested getting contracts with all vendors in writing.

“If something goes wrong, you have a paper trail,” he said.

In the book “101 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding,” Barbara Cameron writes, “You’ve been charging everything on a credit card so that you have recourse in case anything happens, and you’ve signed contracts putting every agreement about goods and services in writing — and that’s great. However, those steps won’t get your money back if something unforeseen happens.”

With wedding insurance, written contracts and documents help in the event of a problem along with the possible postponement or cancellation of the wedding.

When a couple is considering purchasing wedding insurance, there are several steps.

“As with any insurance, you should shop around,” Paschall said, adding that couples should compare the plans available to them and the potential companies providing the insurance, as there could be differences in prices, coverage and deductibles.

Couples should ask questions about limits, deductions and exclusions the plan has and verify what the plan offers.

For more information on wedding insurance or to find local vendors, visit southeasttexas.bbb.org or call the BBB at 835-5951.

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

JORDAN •••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 cause she doesn’t have that dexterity, is a lot more basic than she would like it to be. She worked a lot with charcoal for a really long time because that was the only thing she could control. She couldn’t control her paint as well, so she just did charcoal drawings. At one point she was painting with her feet and her toes because she couldn’t hold a paintbrush with her hand.

“Her work is simple and abstract, but you can see all of her pain that’s in there. She just draws however she’s feeling.”

The theme of the awards — putting the person first before their disability — made Henderson rethink the way she looks at her own stories.

“A lot of times, we focus on the disability because it’ll be something like, they are doing a fundraiser to go get treatment,” Henderson said. “I realized that most of the stories we write have been like that, so it’s been very focused on their abilities or their limitations, and what they are trying to do, instead of what they do as a person.

“When I went to talk to Cecelia, I wanted that to be the most important thing. Yes, she did all these things to go get her stem cells and her treatment, and everything that happened to her for her to even get to that point to go to Germany — but I really wanted to focus on her, not her multiple sclerosis.”

Henderson said that the story doesn’t even mention Johnson’s disease until eight or 10 paragraphs in.

“In our journalism world, that is the most delayed lead I’ve ever written in my life,” she said. “The whole beginning is just what I saw her doing in her apartment that day and how she looked to me. I just described her and how really gorgeous she is, and I talked about the socks she was wearing — because that’s her thing. She wears really long, crazy, mismatched socks every day. So I was talking about her, and then it kind of went through her background and how she realized she had MS, and then

I talked about MS for a little bit, and then it was just all her and her experience from then on.”

Henderson said that her new outlook on the way she writes about people with disabilities has opened her up to a broader range of people.

“Before, it wasn’t an intentional thing, but it never really crossed my mind,” she said. “And then, the more I thought about it I was like, ‘Well, I’m sure that it’s helpful to them and I’m sure most people appreciate that, but if that’s the only time we talk about them, then I think there is something wrong with our news coverage.’ And that gave me a better range.

“I’ve been meeting more and more people on campus who I would like to do stories on in the future. If you stopped them and asked them what their disability is, most of them will talk to you, but they would much rather talk about themselves and what they’re actually doing — just like any other student on campus would.”

Henderson, a senior communication major, said that winning the award was a surreal experience. When Jo Virgil from the committee called, she initially thought she had messed up her submission.

“I didn’t believe her for a second,” Henderson said. “I thought I was in trouble. It was terrifying. So I was nervous and really excited at the same time.

I was really, really excited.”

Andy Coughlan, director of student publications, said that Henderson’s work was of such a high quality, that the committee wanted to check that she was actually a student.

“I don’t think there can be a better compliment than that,” he said.

“Chelsea has always striven to produce professional work. The fact that is recognized says a lot.”

Coughlan said that Henderson’s award reflects well on the University Press, but also on the university as a whole.

“I think Chelsea has a very bright future, and we shall be sorry to see her go,” he said. “Chelsea deserves this award, as she deserves the myriad other awards she has amassed up over

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the last few years. She is conscientious and is an old-school journalist, in the sense that she likes to tell stories about people, and she doesn’t mind rolling up her sleeves and doing the work that is required to get a good, comprehensive, well-balanced story.”

As well as the recognition, Henderson also received a large bronze medal. As she presented it, she said she doesn’t want to touch it as she is afraid it’s not real.

“She’s one of my heroes,” Henderson said. “It’s very humbling, and it’s a really big honor that I have this little tangible piece of her legacy with me — and it’s now on my desk for me to look at every day.”

The Barbara Jordan Media Awards honor journalists in nine categories.

The other winners include: TV Feature “Fran-Tastic” by Adam Winkler Austin KEYE-TV High School Student “Uncharted Waters” by Nikki Lyssy The Featherduster: Westlake High School Radio “Legally Blind Austin Man to Run Boston Marathon with a Special Guest”

by Matt Largey Austin KUT Radio Photojournalism “Finding His Voice” by Ralph Barrera Austin American Statesman Special Contribution “An Interview with Dr. Temple Grandin” by Coalition of Texans with Disabilities Austin Coalition of Texans with Disabilities and Golden Arm Productions 10th Annual Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival TV Feature-Extended “Roxy’s Recipes” by Bob Phillips, Dan Stricklin and Mike Snyder Dallas Texas Country Reporter Print “Scruggs Finds Sister of Strength”

by Sarah Mervosh Dallas Morning News Internet “Visions Made Real” by Tina Phan, Omar Gallaga, and Ralph Barrera Austin American Statesman

EDITORIAL

3 Thursday, March 27, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

No education

Editor Chelsea Henderson 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.

UP EDITORIAL

STUDENTS MUST EDUCATE SELVES, PARTICIPATE IN SGA ELECTIONS UP illustration

by Desmond Pickens

The SGA is now accepting applications for candidates to run for office. That means elections and debates are right around the corner.

Who cares? Right?

Wrong.

We should all care.

Get out and vote in these elections. We should all participate in the debates and make ourselves aware of the issues being brought up by the SGA and its members.

But, one vote doesn’t matter though, right?

Wrong.

Think about it this way — if everyone in the school thought that their one vote didn’t matter, and didn’t vote, then they would be right. But one vote can completely change an election.

Yes. That’s a real thing. In a tight race, one vote can make a huge difference, especially if the turnout is low.

Maybe your friends have commented on the good ideas you have for improving things at Lamar.

But, there’s no point in running for SGA, because you have no chance of winning, right?

Wrong.

Do it. Even if you don’t win, you can affect the election. Just participating in the process will allow your good ideas to be heard.

Besides, the one sure way not to win is to not enter the race.

Elections are important, whether it’s at Lamar, or in county elections, state elections or national elections. Get out and vote.

More importantly, we must make ourselves aware of the issues. When it comes time to cast our ballots, we must be sure we are educated about all of the candidates involved.

Attend the debate. These candidates will speak for you during the upcoming year. We should all want them to represent our voice.

If we don’t get out and participate in these things, we really have to basis for complaint.

Those of us who don’t take the time to educate ourselves or to participate in the elections are speaking loud and clear.

They obviously don’t care.

And that’s just wrong.

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

Student athletes receive conflicting messages Why don’t student athletes value education?

They are given a chance to get a college education at a free or reduced cost as long as they can play a sport. That’s the dream.

Yet, time and time again, we read stories about college athletes flunking out of school, cheating in classes or having the school cheat for them. It’s not exclusive to college athletes, either. High school, and sometimes even middle-school, athletes chose the playing field over the classroom.

Which leaves everyone else asking, “Why don’t student athletes value education?’ This obviously doesn’t apply to all athletes, but there does seem to be a disconnect between sports and education in our society.

The truth is, as a society, we value sports over education — we either don’t realize it or just don’t want to admit it. We put a lot of time and money into making sure our youth have a chance to participate in sports. But we are quite happy to confine education to the few hours kids are in theclassroom.

Now, we all want to claim that, “Oh well, that attitude doesn’t apply to me.” However, if you played an organized sport, take a moment to think about when you stopped playing. For most of us, it was when we could no longer play — due to injuries, lack of talent, lack of commitment, etc. Most of us keep playing until we can no longer do so.

Parents spend money making sure their little champ has the best equipment, attends the best camps and plays in multiple leagues year round. They buy minivans so that they can haul the children around to the practices (and the minivans need to have televisions in case they attend tournaments out of town). This is all done in the name of sports.

How many honestly put as much time, effort and money into education? I’m not talking about the money put into school supplies and clothing. I mean summer programs, books or anything outside of the eight-hours-a-day, nine-months-a-year.

COMMENTARY

by

Chris Moore

By and large, we tell children that they have to maintain a minimum grade of 70 to continue playing sports. Best-case scenario, we tell them that if they read for a certain amount time then they can go play. We put education as an obstacle that a child has to overcome to play sports, instead of something they need to survive.

This all takes place before we even know if they are going to be any good at sport, at least before we have any idea if there is a chance that their skill is marketable.

One huge problem is the fact that we need to fix many neighborhoods and school systems before we start getting on parents who push sports on their children. The truth is, in too many places, you are more likely to become a professional athlete than a doctor or lawyer, and it really doesn’t matter what the parents do because the proper government funding isn’t going toward those school districts.

Society tells the student athlete, before they get to high school, that sports is more important than doing well in class. Some get preferential treatment, or they get passed because teachers just want them to do well enough to keep playing, especially if the student athlete is doing well enough to play at the college level.

Or a student athlete will get stereotyped as a “dumb jock” and will not receive the same amount of intellectual attention. In rare cases there is just outright corruption where grades are changed, or athletes get preferential treatment.

At my high school, the administration gave us the option to get out of class to watch a player receive his All-American honors. I don’t remember any time we were let out of class to see someone get a prestigious math scholarship.

At the time, I thought it would be cool to be able to be recognized and lauded for nonacademic abilities. Honestly, the only reason I view education to be as important as I do now is because I realized I was undersized and lacked the physical commitment it takes to get better at sports.

Those fortunate enough to make it to play at the college level, still get the same treatment. There are numerous stories about “student” athletes enrolled in phony classes or given favorable grade changes.

Grades are not only required to stay on the field, but to maintain enrollment at the university. This is why we see student athletes receive free tutors. The universities can pretend that it’s all in the name of education, but it’s really to make sure that the athletes stay on the field. This is also why the, “They’re getting paid with education,” argument is so flawed.

This doesn’t mean that we should put every student athlete in this box. There are athletes who are self driven to become educated. One needs only look at Lamar’s punter, Kollin Kahler, who was recently named a Beck Fellow.

There are plenty of student athletes that are more educated than I’ll ever be, but there does seem to be a disturbing trend.

Even more troublesome is the fact that we are putting all of the blame on the athletes.

We chastise them for not taking education more seriously, while failing to realize that we don’t take it seriously, either.

But then, no one is paying big bucks for season tickets to the 2014 UIL Poetry and Prose competition — which, by the way, has some great drama as well.

Chris Moore is UP Sports Editor

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

Editor...............................Chelsea Henderson

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Graphics Editor ........................William Jones Sports Editor...............................Chris Moore

Editor:

Web Editor ..............................Melissa Conley Staff ..............Joshua La Salle, Sierra Kondos, ......................Kristen Stuck, Jessica Lane, .............Mallory Matt, Lauren Van Gerven, ......................Olivia Ivins, Grant Crawford, ...................Coty Davis, Desmond Pickens 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.

Recently, I picked up a copy of the [Feb. 27 issue of the] University Press, intrigued by a photograph of anger and violence portrayed on the first page. Reading the caption and remembering that it is indeed spring semester, I was not surprised to find that it was an attack by one of Lamar’s “traveling evangelists.”

Every spring semester these guys come out of the woodwork condemning us all to hell for any number of reasons, and I’ve heard reports of some getting violent and invoking strong emotions from the students.

Luckily, my course schedule rarely takes me through the Quad, and when I do have to venture to that half of the campus, I’m absorbed in my headphones and really pay them no mind.

This article however? I now mind.

The article is titled, “‘Preachers’ test free speech limits” and goes on to describe how the “preachers” were calling out men they deemed too feminine and girls they deemed too masculine, calling them “gay and lesbian sinners” and condemning them to hell.

Then it speaks of the scene found in the photograph, a very angry, unidentified stu-

dent in the face of the “man of God,” looking quite ready to give him a Texas-sized beat down. This student was simply a boyfriend standing up for his girlfriend and, inadvertently, all women on campus.

This man, this “preacher,” was standing on my campus, which I pay a good sum of money for every semester, calling out women — like me — slandering them as “whores,” as “jezebels” and as “whoremongers.” And nothing could be done?

Now, I’ll admit, while I’m not the biggest fan of politics, I do know there is a freedom of speech clause, hence the title of “testing free speech.” But seriously? Is there not also something called “hate crime”? Do I not have a right to walk across the campus without worrying about being called a Jezebel?

For those who do not understand why I take such offense to that name, let me lay out a small history lesson. Jezebel was not just known for being a “whore” as these lovely visitors are shouting; she was an evil queen, and not the fun kind like Angelina Jolie playing Maleficent.

She was the queen of Ahab, the worst king of the Bible. She entices her husband to leave the worship of God and persecutes those who continue in the faith of God, accusing an innocent man — leading to his death. She is eventually thrown out of a window and eaten by stray dogs.

Jezebel was pure evil, a murderer, and

this is what is being screamed at me as I walk through the Quad, simply because I am a woman?

I don’t always agree with the things some girls wear, nor do I understand why women feel it is okay to put their beautiful bodies on display for the whole world to see, but that in no means gives any one, let alone a stranger who walked onto the campus and does not pay the thousands of dollars we do to attend here, the right to call them evil.

This is 2014, and times are different. If a man wants to wear pink, let him. If a girl wishes to dress in fatigues, so what? If I chose to put on make-up, curl my hair, or wear a sleeveless dress in the sometimes unbearable Texas heat — that does not make me a murderous woman who deserves to be eaten by ravenous dogs.

And do I not have the right as a woman, as a human, to walk across campus without having to worry about hateful and spiteful names being thrown at me because I am a woman?

Do we not all have that right?

So which right is going to be preserved here at Lamar? That of a man who walks on campus simply to hate everyone or the students who pay to come here for an education — not a condemnation?

Brittany Beall LU senior

Page 4 Thursday, March 27, 2014

University Press

DRAWING INSPIRATION LU alumna founds Memory Project to aid orphanages TARA WIGLEY UP CONTRIBUTOR Pulling her blonde hair into a loose bun, Amanda Lilley shoos her tabby cat, Zorro, from its position on the couch as she settles in with her art supplies. It takes a moment for her vision to adjust to the dim lighting provided only by her laptop and the beams of sunlight sneaking through the cracks in her venetian blinds. With a few clicks, she brings up a photograph of a small boy wearing glasses who looks to be about seven or eight years old. She studies the photo as she decides where to begin.

The boy Amanda is preparing to draw is Kamal, who lives in an orphanage in Thailand. He is one of the two underprivileged children that she has volunteered to draw for The Memory Project.

“The Memory Project has volunteer artists and art students draw portraits of neglected children to send to them all around the world,” Amanda says, “They give donations to the kids as well. My mom came across the project during the process of getting into drawing illustrations for children’s books. During her search for publishers and markets for her work, she came across a friend who mentioned this art project to her. When she told me about it, I told her I was definitely interested in helping as well.”

According to www.memoryproject.org, upwards of 10,000 portraits are sent out to orphans each year.

Amanda graduated from Lamar University in 2011 with a degree in political science and currently attends Oklahoma City University School of Law. After a long class day, if she is not scheduled to work at her internship with the Logan County DA’s office, Amanda says she finds it relaxing to work on a drawing while lounging in comfortable pajamas.

“My mind is always so busy and filled with information that it is nice to just sit and sketch,” she says. “I usually just do pencil sketches in a sketchbook

UP Tara Wigley

Amanda Lilley, Lamar graduate, works on a portrait of an orphan for The Memory Project. or the occasional watercolor, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time preparing to draw. I just sit down and do it.”

However, drawing the children takes a bit more preparation and concentration, she says.

“I know it sounds like cheating, but essentially what I do when I start is what even Di Vinci would do — I start by tracing an outline of the major lines in the face,” Amanda says. “If I were at home, I would use my mom’s fancy pro-

jector. But, as a poor law student, I just blow up the grainy photo on my laptop and use the screen as a light box. As I said, you aren’t tracing every line. You just pick out the important ones that you need to make sure that the facial features are correctly proportioned.

Then, I start adding the shading. I work on each feature until I’ve done them all, then I do the hair and clothing.”

Not only does Amanda not get paid for her work, it costs a $15 fee to be as-

signed to a portrait. So along with the personal keepsake the children receive, the participation fee provides the orphanage with basic upkeep, such as shoes and mattresses.

Amanda says she has been drawing ever since her small fingers could pick up a pencil.

“I actually still have my first sketchbook that my mom bought me when I was only a couple years old, that has some of my first drawings in it,” she says. “My mom was my first teacher, and I was fortunate to grow up in an environment where art was a common activity. She even had a table put into her art studio for me to draw at. When I got older, she bought me a drafting table and a nice lamp because I’m left handed and could not use hers.

Plus, it worked out better that way because we could sit next to each other and draw together.”

Working on The Memory Project has been a bonding experience for her and her mother, Amanda says.

“As a professional artist, my mom has volunteered lots of time doing things like this, or raffling off portrait sessions to help good causes,” she says.

“So when she got the information about this project, we were more than happy to volunteer. I believe she agrees with me when I say it’s very rewarding.”

Artists interested in volunteering can complete the sign up form on the website, and will receive digital pictures of the children as well as full-page printouts to look at while sketching. The website states that two representatives from the project travel to the countries to personally deliver the portraits and take photos and video of the children receiving their portraits to give you a sense of the children’s excitement. The representatives also send a copy of the children’s reaction to the artists who provide the portraits.

Although the drawing process is not difficult, sometimes the quality of the children’s photograph can make accuracy a challenge, Amanda says.

“The kids’ photos that they sent us were not the best,” she says. “Some of them were overexposed or grainy, and

Kamal’s glasses had such a bad glare that you could barely see his eyes. Because of stuff like that, it worries me that I have to take more artistic license and guess at what the individual actually looks like. When the photograph is of good quality, it is much easier to get a portrait that looks more like the person you are drawing.”

Amanda spent two hours drawing a little girl named Roshani, and took extra measures to ensure the portrait was ready for the trip to Thailand, she says.

“Because I work in pencil, I have to be very careful not to run my hand across the drawing or I will get dark smudges — especially as a left handed artist,” she says. “I usually go back over my background with an eraser to get rid of any shadows and unwanted smudges. Because these drawings had to travel so far, I sprayed it with hairspray to keep the pencil from smudging. It’s not perfect, but it really does help a lot. Then, I put it in a page protector, included a photo of myself for the director as instructed, and sent it to the project.”

The children are usually happy to receive their portrait, as the orphans do not have families around to take their picture, Amanda says, adding that she identifies with the orphans who may feel a sense of isolation.

“I never really fit in as a kid,” she said. “I had a disease that made me legally blind in one eye, so I had to wear an eye patch to school for a few years to make my bad eye work harder. So anything that will make kids feel more included, I’m there to help.”

Amanda says she and her mother plan to continue to draw children for The Memory Project.

“I’m probably just as eagerly waiting for the video of them receiving the package as they are waiting for the portrait,” she says. “Imagining the children’s smiling faces as they open the pictures fills me with excitement. I would imagine it makes them feel special.”

To participate in The Memory Project, visit www.memoryproject.org.

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FEATURES

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

”

It is not the intelligent woman v. the ignorant woman; nor the white woman v. the black, the brown, and the red, it is not even the cause of women v. man.

Nay, tis womans strongest vindication for speaking that the world needs to hear her voice.

— Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (1859-1964) African American educator and feminist. “A Voice from the South”

BLACK FEMINISM COOPER: ‘I SPEAK FOR THE COLORED WOMEN OF THE SOUTH’ NHU PHAM UP CONTRIBUTOR

March is Woman’s History Month, and it is the perfect time to explore the contributions of women to the story of the America.

When Anna Julia Haywood Cooper earned her doctorate in philosophy in 1925, she was the fourth woman to earn the degree, but, more importantly, she was the first woman to take men’s courses.

Cooper was born in Raleigh, NC. Her mother, Hannah Stanley Haywood was a slave to George Washington Haywood, who was believed to be her father.

“State laws prohibited educating slaves,” Jeff Forret, associate professor of history, said. “Whites never intended for them to be upwardly mobile. By depriving them of an education, slaves would continue to do the work that whites wanted.

“A few masters taught their own slaves to read. Sometimes it was motivated by religious reasons, so that a slave could read the Bible.

Other times, it was for more practical reasons, such as being able to function for the master in the marketplace. At times, though, slaves quite cleverly made the effort to acquire an education on their own, surreptitiously, without the master’s permission.”

In 1868, when Cooper was nine, she earned a scholarship to Saint Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute. The Episcopal school’s mission was to educate former slaves and their families.

“During this period, St. Augustine’s pedagogical emphasis was on training young men for the ministry, and preparing ambitious men for additional training at four-year universities,” bigggripp.com states. “The school had a special track reserved for women dubbed the “Ladies’ Course,” and the administration actively discouraged women from pursuing higher-level courses.”

At a time when Greek classes were only open to male students of theology, Cooper expressed her desire to participate and was at first excluded, episcopalarchives.org states.

She protested this exclusionary practice to the administration and eventually became the first woman at the school allowed to study Greek.

“African American women had much

more difficulty because they are what we called doubly discriminated against,” Mary Scheer, history department chair, said.

“They’re female and they’re black. They have double burden on their shoulder for equality.”

In 1881, she left St. Augustine’s for Ohio, where she attended Oberlin College, one of the first American colleges to admit both African American and white students.

At the time Oberlin offered two courses of study — a traditionally rigorous course for “gentlemen,” and a two-year course design to provide “ladies” with basic but inferior college education. Cooper opted to pursue the Gentleman’s course, and earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1884, according to episcopalarchives.org.

“When she was older she wrote in her journals the struggles she encountered when she became interested in math and science, at that time these subjects were considered the preserve for male minds,” according to an article on the University of New Mexico website.

Upon completion of her degree, she continued her studies at Oberlin, earning a masters of science in mathematics in 1887.

“Cooper’s philosophy on education for African-Americans differed significantly from that of other leading black educators, notably Booker T. Washington, who was friendly with Cooper’s predecessor as principal, with the

‘God’s Not Dead’ debates Christian faith REVIEW COTY DAVIS UP CONTRIBUTOR If you are a believer in God or have any question to believe, then Harold Cronk’s “God’s Not Dead,” is a must see. This movie illustrates that Christians will not be pushed aside in today’s world.

The movie focuses on Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), a Christian college freshman who doesn’t give any thought that God would affect his studies. On his first day in philosophy, Wheaton has his faith shaken by his professor, Dr. Radisson (Kevin Sorbo), who is an atheist. At the beginning of the semester, Radisson demands that each one of his students must deny the existences of God in order to make a passing grade in his class. He asks every student to write a statement on a piece of paper — “God is Dead.”

Unable to accept his Professor’s request, Wheaton politely declines.

Radisson informs Wheaton that if he does not deny God’s existences, he must engage in an argument to prove God’s existences to stay in the course. If Wheaton fails to prove it in three attempts, he will fail the class.

Courtesy photo

Anna Julia Haywood Cooper

Wheaton’s attempts form the basis of the theological debate that drive the movie’s message.

Viewers will leave the theater questioning to what lengths they would go prove God’s existence.

Even if you are not a believer, and consider yourself an atheist like the professor, the movie has the power to change your perspective on God’s existence.

Wheaton does not let other people change his mind his faith, and is determined to prove Radisson wrong.

This movie is powerful and raises interesting questions about faith — and the loss of faith. The movie is better than one might expect from the typical religious movies, which are often boring and overly dramatic.

The ending feels contrived and somewhat less than the overall message and intelligence of the movie.

However, “God’s not Dead” is well done.

The movie features guest appearances by Willie and Korie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty,” and also features Grammy Award nominee Christian pop rock band the Newsboys performing their hit song, “God’s Not Dead.”

The movie is rated PG.

superintendent of the district, and with the man who replaced in her position,” episcopalarchives.org states. “Cooper felt strongly that all students, regardless of race or gender deserved the opportunity to receive a solid college education.”

In 1881, Cooper received an invitation from the Washington, D.C., superintendent of colored schools, to become a faculty member at what was then known as the Washington Colored High School, according to balckhistorynow.com. During this period, Cooper began writing and publishing books.

In 1892, Cooper wrote a book titled, “A Voice from the South: By A Woman from the South,” published in 1892, and is widely viewed as one of the first articulations of Black Feminism.

“Cooper declared herself “The voice of the South,” because during the ‘fledging’ of the feminist movement, it all but ignored minority women,” according unm.edu.

“Its central thesis was that the educational, moral, and spiritual progress of Black women would improve the general standing of the entire African American community,” the website bigggripp.com states. “Cooper advanced the view that it was the duty of educated and successful Black women to support their underprivileged peers in achieving their goals.

Cooper declared that “I speak for the colored women of the South,” in a speech of the same title.

“Because it is there that the millions of blacks in this country have watered the soil with blood and tears, and it is there too that the colored woman of America has made her characteristic history, and there her destiny is evolving.”

The UNM website states that, “She urged listeners to embrace the notion of solidarity with their African-American sisters to work together so that opportunities being discussed, for instance the potential to vote, would be open to all. ‘A bridge is no stronger than its weakest part,’ Cooper exhorted, ‘and a cause is not worthier than its weakest element.’”

In 1914, Cooper began courses for her doctoral degree at Columbia University in New York, but she was forced to interrupt her studies in 1915, when she adopted the five children of her late half-brother when their mother died.

However, when the children went to boarding school, Cooper transfered her credits to the University of Paris-Sorbonne. Over the course of a decade she completed her doctorate in philosophy, publishing her dissertation, “The Attitude of France on the Question of Slavery Between 1789 and 1848” in 1925. She was 65 years old, becoming only the fourth Black woman in American history to earn a doctorate in philosophy.

Cooper died on Feb. 27, 1964 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 105. She was a groundbreaking feminist and Black educator who deserves to be recognized for her pioneering efforts.

Cooper believed that women’s rights were universal and not limited to race, as she wrote in 1893: “The colored woman feels that woman’s cause is one and universal; and that not till the image of God, whether in parian or ebony, is sacred and inviolable; not till race, color, sex, and condition are seen as the accidents, and not the substance of life; not till the universal title of humanity to woman’s lesson taught and woman’s cause won — not the white woman’s not the black woman’s, nor the red woman’s, but the cause of every man and of every woman who has writhed silently under a mighty young.”

‘True’ love thaws cold heart ‘FROZEN’ GIVES TRADITIONAL FAIRY TALES MODERN TWIST REVIEW MICHELLE BURDETT UP CONTRIBUTOR Little girls grow up being told that a magical prince is out there, somewhere, waiting to whisk them off their feet. But this is the 21st century. Isn’t it about time little girls were told they can create their own magic?

Disney lets romantic love take a backseat in this journey, as familial love takes the wheel. “Frozen” tells the story of sisterhood overcoming a frozen heart.

Loosely based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” “Frozen” tells the story of an outgoing, fearless young princess, Elsa, who sets out on a journey alongside Kristoff, his loyal pet reindeer Sven, and Olaf, a happy-golucky snowman, to rescue her sister, Queen Anna.

Anna has magical winterizing powers which she cannot control, and has turned the kingdom of Arendelle into eternal winter.

During the course of their adventures, the sisters learn the importance of staying true to one’s self, and the power of true love.

While “Frozen” seems to follow the usual fairy tale themes, there is a thoroughly modern twist that has delighted girls of all ages.

Disney’s latest musical extravaganza features the voices of Idina Menzal as Elsa, Kristen Bell as Anna,

Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, and Josh Gad as Olaf.

“Frozen” features sweepingly beautiful visuals, crisp lines, vivid colors that pop, and flawless high definition animation that will keep the viewer glued to their television screen, computer or tablet.

“Frozen” has won more than 35 awards, including Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Picture.

The movie has already earned more than $655 million at the box office worldwide and is now available on DVD and Blue-ray. On its first day of release, March 18, the sets sold 3.2 million units, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

For those who saw it at the theater, the DVD is packed with extras, including the original theatrical short: “Get A Horse!” the original teaser trailer, and music videos of “Let It Go” sung in four languages — English, Spanish, Italian and Malaysian.

For even more goodies, the Blu-ray set has all of the DVD extras as well the documentary “The Making of Frozen, D’frosted: Disney’s Journey from Hans Christian Anderson to Frozen,” “Breaking the Ice — The Real Making of Frozen” and four deleted scenes with in-

troductions by directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Don’t be surprised to find yourself singing along to one of its many great tunes even after the credits have run.

There is almost nothing not to love about this film.

“Frozen” has struck a chord with nearly everyone that has seen it — young and old alike.

Its memorable characters, unforgettable music and gorgeous animation make it a must have for any movie collection.

“Frozen” is rated PG.

Page 6 Thursday, March 27, 2014

University Press

SPORTS

Lady Cards fall in WNIT to Southern Miss The Lady Cardinals’ season came to an end Thursday, as Lamar dropped a 7560 decision at Southern Miss in the first round of the Women’s NIT. “I’m excited about next year,” Harmony said. “We have some good players returning and we have a good group of incoming freshmen. I think the future looks bright. The Lady Cards finished the season with a record of 18-13.

7 Thursday, March 27, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

SPORTS ROUNDUP Golf The Lamar men's golf team was unable to improve upon its secondround 288 Tuesday afternoon closing out the 2014 Valspar Collegiate with a 299-288-311 - 898 to finish 15th overall. The Cardinals struggled down the stretch having three golfers finish the day with a sevenover par, or higher, score on the par 72 Floridian Golf Course in Palm City, Fla. “This was a very tough field that we faced today,” said head coach Brian White. “You will be hard pressed to find another tournament with as many nationally ranked programs. When you play in a tournament like this you can't afford to make mistakes. We had some opportunities but just gave away too many strokes.”

The Cardinals will take three weeks to prepare for the Wofford Invitational. The tournament in Spartanburg, S.C., will be the team's final tournament before traveling to McKinney, Texas for the Southland Conference Championships.

Lamar’s Mason Salazar misses a ground ball during the Cards’ 8-6 loss to Nicholls State at Vincent Beck Stadium, Saturday.

UP William Jones

Cardinals find ‘three ways to lose’ to Colonels Softball The Lamar Lady Cardinals put their eight-game winning streak on the line when they open a fivegame road swing with a non-conference contest at Texas State at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Lamar (12-10) comes in off a three-game Southland Conference series sweep of Central Arkansas that put the Lady Cardinals in sole possession of first place in the conference. It is the first time ever that the Lady Cardinals have held sole possession of first place.

“We’re playing well right now, and I want to keep this momentum going,” Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. “Texas State is a good team, and this will be a good measure of how much we have improved.”

Texas State (18-15) comes in having been swept in a three-game non-conference series at Texas Tech.

The Bobcats are 9-4 at home this season.

Tennis After getting back on track on Saturday with a win over Prairie View A&M, the Lady Cards (4-7) look to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season as they prepare to continue their Southland Conference slate vs. Central Arkansas this weekend.

Lamar’s Katya Lapayeva added to her team-best win total of seven, awhile both Hanna Elfving and Nadiya Kulibaba earned their second victories of the year.

The results for Wednesday’s contest against UAB were not available at press time.

First serve for Saturday’s game is scheduled for noon at Lamar’s Thompson Family Tennis Center on campus.

Awards Lamar senior Tina Schulz was named the Southland Conference's Hitter of the Week for the second straight week after leading the Lady Cardinals to a three-game sweep of Central Arkansas over the weekend.

Schulz hit .857 (6-for-7) with three home runs and seven RBIs over the three games as she ran her hitting streak to eight games. Her slugging percentage was an incredible 2.143 for the weekend.

For the season, Schulz leads Lamar in hitting (.379) slugging percentage (.759), home runs (6), RBIs (20), runs scored (16) and stolen bases (4). In conference play, Schulz is hitting .522 with conference-best marks of five home runs, 14 RBIs and a 1.217 slugging percentage to help Lamar (12-10 overall, 7-1 Southland) move into sole possession of first place.

“Tina has worked incredibly hard," Lamar coach Holly Bruder said. "She's listened to the things we have told her, and she's stepped it up from last season.”

GRANT CRAWFORD UP STAFF WRITER The Lamar baseball team was swept by Nicholls State this weekend at Vincent-Beck Stadium, dropping Friday’s game 4-0, and a doubleheader Saturday, 6-4 and 8-6.

Senior J.T. Autrey started the series’ third game for the Cardinals, Saturday, giving up three runs in four innings of work. The righthander gave up a three-run home run in the first, before leaving the Colonels scoreless in the next three innings.

Lamar was only able to manage one run through eight innings, before the bats came alive in the ninth with five runs. However, the Cardinals were unable to decrease the deficit any further.

“It was a pretty lethargic weekend,” senior Jude Vidrine said.

“Everybody’s best arms are going to be their starters. The biggest thing is to get in the bullpen early. As you can see, when we got in the bullpen we had a lot more success.”

The Cardinals were also beaten in the second game of the series, Saturday. Junior Chase Angelle started for Lamar, pitching 7.1 innings with

one earned run on nine hits.

“I just try to keep us in a position to win,” Angelle said. “We had a good chance to win that first game today, it just didn’t happen. It’s tough to get swept three games at home. We just need to have a short memory and find a way to bounce back.”

Nicholls scored five runs in the last two innings to win the game.

In the series’ first game, Lamar was shut out. Lamar sophomore, Will Hibbs went seven innings with two earned runs on eight hits.

Lamar is now 14-11 on the season (1-5 SLC).

“I’m very, very disappointed,” head coach Jim Gilligan said. “We didn’t find a way to win. We found three ways to lose ball games this weekend. It’s a sign of a very inexperienced club. We’re not near where we want to be. It was a team loss this weekend.”

The Cardinals played Wednesday at Rice. The result was unavailable at press time.

The Cardinals return to Southland Conference action this weekend as they host McNeese at VincentBeck Stadium. First pitch Friday is set for 6:30 p.m., with games Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

UP William Jones

Lamar’s Reed Seeley gets a hit during their 8-6 loss to Nicholls State, Saturday.

Lamar shortstop Sam Bumpers throws to first base, during the Cards’ 8-6 loss to Nicholls State at Vincent Beck Stadium, Saturday.

Texas A&M highlights 2014 football schedule The Lamar Cardinals will play seven games in Provost Umphrey Stadium during the 2014 season announced head football coach Ray Woodard Tuesday. The 12-game schedule will consist of three nonconference home games, four Southland contests in Beaumont, and will include a trip to 2013 bowl participant Texas A&M. “The eight Southland games have been set and we've had A&M on the books for some time,” head coach Ray Woodard said. “So we wanted to fill three more spots, hoping to get two home games, but we were fortunate enough to get all three at home. I'm very excited that our kids will be able to play in front of their friends and family so often this season.”

The one thing fans will notice is different about the upcoming schedule is rival Stephen F. Austin is not on the upcoming schedule. With addition of several new teams to the UP Joshua La Salle league in 2014, SFA was dropped, but Lamar quarterback Caleb Berry does position drills during Lamar added Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist and Incarnate Word. the Cards’ practice

The Cards kick off the season Saturday, Aug. 30 when they host Grambling State. The game against GSU is a rematch of the 2013 contest in Grambling that saw Lamar fall behind 16-0 before rallying to score the game's final 27 points for the victory.

Lamar will travel to College Station, Texas the following week for a showdown with Texas A&M. The date against the Aggies will be Lamar's lone road game in the nonconference portion of the season.

The Cardinals will then turn their attention to a three-game homestand that will extend into the start of Southland play. Lamar hosts Texas College (Sept. 13) followed by a date against Mississippi College (Sept. 20) to close out the non-conference schedule. The Cards close out the month of September, and open the conference docket against Sam Houston State on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Lamar will travel to Abilene Saturday, Oct. 4 for their first game against the Wildcats since the 1972 season. The Cardinals will return to Beaumont the following week to

face defending SLC Champion Southeastern Louisiana. Following the game against the Lions, Lamar will prepare for a Nov. 18 showdown against Nicholls in Thibodaux, La. The game in southern Louisiana leads into Lamar's open week.

The Cardinals begin the season's final month against conference newcomer HBU (Nov. 1), before making the trek to Central Arkansas to take on the Bears (Nov. 8). The Cards close out the home portion of the regular season the following week against UIW, before traveling to Lake Charles, La. to take on rival McNeese State.

“I said heading into last season that it would be the best team we have fielded since we brought the program back, and it was," said Woodard. "This season we have an opportunity to be even better. We have a lot of players returning who played well for us last season. Now they return with a sense of confidence which needs to translate into wins on the field.”

Page 8 Thursday, March 27, 2014

University Press

SOUTH TEXAS STATE FAIR TO BEGIN TODAY Catholic schools to offer HamshireFannett students free enrollment MICHELLE BURDETT UP CONTRIBUTOR

A ferris wheel. Camel rides. Smoked boudain. Stingrays.

Yep, it’s that time of year again. The South Texas State Fair will kick off today.

Opening ceremonies begin at 5:30 p.m. Anyone in line before the gates open will enter for free. The fair runs through April 6.

“During the fair, the rodeo is probably the biggest attraction, but there are also the rides, food vendors, games, exhibits, and livestock shows,” Larry Acker, YMBL Public Relations/Publicity committee member, said. “There is definitely something for everyone.”

“More than 600 volunteers have been working tirelessly for weeks to get ready for this year’s fair,” Acker said.

“A half a million visitors will travel to the fair, not only from this area but all the way from Louisiana to Houston to Jasper,” he said.

The Young Men’s Business League assumed operation the fair in 1942.

Pat A. Riley, PR Director of the YMBL said “The YMBL mission is to develop and pursue programs which will maintain and improve the city’s educational facilities and opportunities and undertakes activities that will enhance the agricultural and commercial resources of the area.”

“We are so excited about several events that will be taking place this year. We will kick off with the rodeo on the first weekend then the specialty acts will take place. This year’s Harold Engstrom Memorial Special Kids Rodeo will also be something you will not want to miss. It will take place on March 27 from 10-2 in the Ford Arena” said Riley.

This is the 71st incarnation of the South Texas State Fair. While fairs across the nation ceased to function during World War II, the South Texas State Fair continued to provide entertainment for thousands of soldiers, who were stationed in Beaumont, and their families.

The fair has only been cancelled twice, once in 2005 and again in 2008, due to extensive damage from Hurricanes Rita and Ike. The fair was moved from the fall to the spring in 2009 to avoid competing with hurricane season — and with football season.

“My favorite thing is the smell of all the fair foods mingled together — it just smells like the fair,” Theresa Ener, Lumberton junior, said.

In 2004, the fair moved from the Fairgrounds to Ford Park.

“Before they moved the fair to Ford Park, it was on the other side of Beaumont and my mom’s childhood home was behind it, (as kids) they’d jump the fence and go every year,” Ener said.

The food is one of the fair’s main attractions.

“Anything on a stick is delicious,” Acker said.

More than 70 concession stands will serve

tasty foods ranging from fried cookie dough–ona-stick to smoked boudain and crawfish links.

Taylor Roberts, LIT freshman, said she loves the funnel cakes.

“It’s the only time you can get a good one really,” she said.

Eight-time world champion bull rider Don Gay will provide play-by- commentary play for the rodeo, held in Ford Arena. “(It is) one of the best rodeos this side of Las Vegas,” Acker said.

Rudy Garcia, who has worked the fair auction for six years, says the thing he enjoys most about the fair is helping the kids.

“The auction provides them a way to earn the money for college and keeps them off the streets. They show lots of different animals from pigs to lambs to goats to chickens. Our fair is one of the few that allows all of the money that is won, to be kept,” said Garcia.

General admission seating for the rodeo is free with the fair ticket. Boxed seats are also available for advanced purchase.

Entertainment includes the Flores Family Thrill Show, which features a woman performing on top of a pole 65 feet above the ground.

The Thrill Show will also feature “The Cage of Death.

“It is two motorcycle riders inside a huge metal cage that is round,” Acker said. “They are riding around, barely missing each other.”

YouTube sensation and “Nashville Star” contestant, Coffey Anderson, will perform on the Entertainment Stage.

Other performers include David Joel, Time Travel Band, Z-Fitness Zumba, Corey Mitchell Band, LSPA Section 51, Orange Community Band, Christy Sheffield Band, Last Resort, Sabine River Bend Bluegrass, Dance Funk, Hello February Band, Lamar Drum line, Casey Chesnutt, Silas Feemster, Keith Kire and Bryce Shaffer.

On April 6, the fair will feature Hispanic entertainers such as DJ Valdez, DJ EPI, Lucha Libre, Kumbion Zelekta and Los Cazadores.

Entertainment is included in the fair’s admission.

Other events include camel rides and a “Live StingRay Encounter Exhibit.”

Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for under 18 with student ID. Children 10 and under are free.

There are also special event nights such as Entergy Military Appreciation Night, Sonic Drive-In Buddy Night, Conn’s Ladies Night and Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper Cantastic Sunday, that offer discounted admission.

“Coming to the fair is not only a way for entertainment, but a way for you to support your local community,” Acker said. “The money raised at the fair is put towards many activities and charities held throughout the community.”

For times and a full schedule of events, visit www.ymbl.org.

MALLORY MATT UP CONTRIBUTOR From ashes it began, and to ashes it returned.

Hamshire-Fannett Elementary must not have been ready to give up their Spring Break so easily.

When the school burned down, March 17 at 1 a.m., it left school children without a place to study.

After hearing about the school’s “spontaneous combustion,” Marcia Stevens, superintendent of the Diocese of Beaumont Catholic schools, was driving home from work, wondering what could be done for the children without a place to go to school, and for the parents without a place to babysit their kids while they’re at work. She came to the conclusion to offer tuition-free enrollment for the rest of the year.

“I thought, ‘Why don’t we just open the doors?’” Stevens said. “Realistically, it doesn’t cost us anything more. If there are two or three seats empty, we’re still paying the teacher and we’re still paying utilities. We still have all the overhead costs that we have normally. Wednesday, they were talking to other school districts about bringing in portable buildings. I’ve had a little experience with that and it takes a lot of time to be able to prep the area, run the electricity and get the buildings set up. It’ll take them weeks to do that, so I thought that this was at least a quick way to help.”

The nearest Catholic school is St. Catherine’s Catholic Church School on 39th Street in Port Arthur.

“It’s right off the highway,” she said. “It’s fairly accessible. They’re pretty close to having a lot of their classes full, but they do have some space and they could accommodate a child or two here and there. I also thought about parents who work in Beaumont. We’ve got two convenient schools, St. Anthony and St. Anne. If you’re working in Beaumont, you’re coming to Beaumont anyway. It’s really interesting because our schools have children from all over.”

Father Jim McClintock, pastor of St. Mary in Fannett and St. Martin de Porres in Cheek, has taken steps to inform his parishioners of the opportunity.

“We sent home information sheets to all of the elementary school students, kindergarten through third grade, because those are the classes that are involved,” McClintock said. “There’s also an insert in the bulletin this weekend so everybody in the parish will know what it is that’s being offered.”

McClintock held a collection Friday night at a fish fry, hosted by the Knights of Columbus, and is also accepting donations of all school materials at mass.

“We’re trying to find ways to help with their needs the best we can,” he said.

The offer is not only for the elementary school children.

“If there’s a family who has an older child and they want to bring them and we have room, then we’re happy for them to come, too.” Stevens said.

The offer reaches out to families of all denominations. Stevens said that 30 to 40 percent of the Diocese’s students are not Catholic, so it’s not unusual to have a large number of non-Catholic students.

Stevens has asked that parents contact the school of interest directly to check for availability and to go through the application process.

“They’ll fill out an application and they’ll have to bring their last report card with their grades and attendance,” she said. “One of the things that we pride ourselves in the Catholic school is that it’s a safe environment and so if there is a student who has a significantly poor discipline record then it might be a problem for them to enter. We feel very strongly about having a disciplined environment — that’s very important to us — but we’re happy to work with kids the best we can.”

Another consideration to keep in mind is that the schools are not equipped to accommodate certain handicap conditions, Stevens said.

“We do have some special programs at our schools, but there are some handicap conditions that we just don’t have the resources to accommodate,” she said. “We have special needs support but we don’t have a special education department, but our parents still have access to services through the public schools.”

A common misconception about Catholic school is the cost, Stevens said.

“Obviously, it costs to provide a quality education for students,” she said. “Our tuition is on a sliding scale based on income. There are discounts for additional children and we also have tuition assistance. We vigorously write grants to get support for our schools and we are very fortunate to get a lot support, not only for up-to-date materials, but for tuition assistance to help students supplement the cost of tuition.”

Catholic school students are required to wear uniforms.

“We do wear uniforms, but for these parents who are coming just for these two months, it wouldn’t be a problem,” she said. “We have uniform rooms where we do uniform exchanges so let’s just say that you’ve out grown your uniform, you turn them in and you can exchange them for other uniforms. The uniforms are pretty basic — khakis and a colored polo.”

McClintock said that it is important that the church be seen as promoting outreach.

“The main thing we would like, as the Catholic Church in the area, is to be a part of this — to help serve the needs of the community and to help people see the Catholic Church in action in the ministry world,” he said.

For more information, contact Stevens at 9244322 or visit www.dioceseofbmt.org.

Spring PR Professionals Series to begin Tuesday The Lamar University communication department will begin its fourth Spring Annual Public Relations Professionals Series, Tuesday.

The series features established public relations professionals from Southeast Texas discussing their work in nonprofit, government and corporate PR sectors.

“This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in what public relations professionals do to meet three very different PR practitioners — to learn about their backgrounds, the demands they face and the issues they confront daily,” Paul Hemenway, communication professor and series host, said.

Marcus Powers, public relations coordinator for the McFaddin-Ward House Museum, will discuss handling press and

publicity for one of the oldest “living museums” in Southeast Texas on Tuesday.

Tammy Kotzur, Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau executive director, will discuss the challenges of handling PR for Port Arthur’s governmentfunded tourism organization, April 15.

Vice President/Owner Renwick DeVille and Associate Payton Keith of the public relations firm Harris, Deville & Associates will discuss the challenges of handling publicity, issues management and crisis communications for organizations internationally, April 22.

Guests in the series will present from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in 103 Communication Building, across from both the post office and police station on the Lamar University campus.

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