October 23, 2014

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

The Newspaper of Lamar University Vol. 91, No. 8

Thursday, October 23, 2014

SGA presidential impeachment denied LAUREN VAN GERVEN UP EDITOR @thegerven During a closed-door Student Government Association meeting on Oct. 14, SGA President Sabrina Lewis was impeached.

However, on Oct. 19 a campus announcement from the office of Vicky McNeil, vice president of student engagement, read as follows: “Last Tuesday, a subset of the Lamar University Student Government Association voted to amend Section 400.3 of the By-Laws of the Constitution Impeachment.

The Office of Student Engagement has reviewed the Texas State University System Rules and Regulations for Student Governments (the “Rules”), Ch. VI, Sec 7.12 of the Rules which states that ‘an amendment to the Constitution or ByLaws of a student government may be adopted by the association in accordance with its constitution and bylaws but the change cannot become effective until transmitted and acted upon by the Chief Student Affairs officer and approved by the President of the University.’

The amendment noted above did not receive campus approval; hence, both the amendment and the group that convened were not in compliance with

the policies of Lamar University and the Texas State University System. Any actions taken by this subset of the SGA premised on this unapproved amendment cannot be endorsed as an official action on behalf of the Lamar University Student Government.

The University is dedicated to supporting the Student Government Association as it seeks to affect positive change for the student body while maintaining a diligent commitment to protecting the individual rights of our entire student community.”

This announcement followed an an-

Courtesy photo

See SGA, page 2

Student Government Association President Sabrina Lewis, center, is flanked by vice president Ryan Dollinger and secretary-treasurer LaRissa Wilson.

HOMECOMING TO KICKOFF MONDAY EVENTS PLANNED FOR WEEK-LONG CELEBRATION

FLOATS TO HIGHLIGHT HOMECOMING PARADE

BRANDIANNE HINTON UP CONTRIBUTOR

BRANDIANNE HINTON UP CONTRIBUTOR

Monday sees the start of a week of Homecoming festivities leading up to the big game against Houston Baptist University, Nov. 1.

The week-long celebration begins with voting for Homecoming Court, beginning at 10 a.m. in 104 and 106 Setzer Student Center. T-shirts will be given away to voters.

“Everybody gets a T-shirt that shows up with their student IDs.” Elizabeth Jeanes, marketing coordinator for the division of student engagement, said. “We’re going to have some computers available for students to log into their Self-service Banner to take the online Homecoming voting.”

A cake cutting will be held at 11 a.m. in the SSC Arbor.

“Anybody can have cake, but you’d better get there at 11, because it’ll probably go fast.” Jeanes said. “The cake cutting is kind of our official kick-off to our week of Homecoming activities.”

Monday’s events conclude with the Cardinal Nation Block Party, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., on the lawn in front of Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall.

Voting continues Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Activities that day also include Dodge Ball Mania in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Greek vs. Faculty basketball game, which tips off at 7 p.m. in McDonald Gym. Capture the Flag will wrap up Tuesday’s activities, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., in the Quad.

A campus-wide cleanup will take place Wednesday. Students, faculty and staff are invited to meet in the SSC at 3:15 p.m. to volunteer to make the grounds presentable for the weekend’s visitors.

Wednesday’s activities conclude with a Midnight Breakfast at the Brooks-Shivers Dining Hall, from 10 p.m. to midnight, where the winners of the campus decorating contest will be announced.

“We currently have five different teams that are competing against each other to decorate some areas of campus in preparation for Homecoming, and the winners of that competition will be announced at the Midnight Breakfast,” Jeanes said.

On Thursday, the Bonfire and Pep Rally will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the bonfire field next to the driving range on University Drive. The bonfire will follow the “Firefighter Games,” which will be

Homecoming without a parade just wouldn’t be Homecoming, and a parade without floats — well, that’s just not going to happen.

This year’s Homecoming Parade will feature 22 floats, plus 14 walking and vehicle entries representing various departments and student organizations.

“There’s going to be additional floats, specifically for the football team and the Homecoming royalty, and the LU band is marching, along with area high school bands,” Elizabeth Jeanes, marketing coordinator for student engagement, said.

“There will be various VIPs riding in our parade, such as our parade marshal Bud Leonard, the university president, our vice president and deans of colleges as well.”

The parade route will circumnavigate the perimeter of the Lamar University campus, ending at the Plummer Building.

“It starts at the corner of Jim Gilligan Way and Jimmy Simmons Boulevard — that is by the golf driving range near the baseball field,” Jeanes

See EVENTS, page 5

See FLOATS, page 5

HIGH SCHOOL BANDS TO PERFORM DURING PARADE BRANDIANNE HINTON UP CONTRIBUTOR

UP Megan White

Members of Pi Kappa Alpha put the finishing touches on the bonfire, Tuesday, near the driving range.

The bonfire and pep rally, which will take place, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Oct. 31, are part of next week’s Homecoming events.

The Lamar University Homecoming Parade will feature six area high school bands — Deweyville, Kountze, Orangefield, Ozen, Hudson and Memorial.

Scott Deppe, LU director of bands, said he is reluctant to call it a band contest.

“If it’s a contest, then there are winners and losers,” he said. “The bands aren’t coming here because there is a contest. They are coming to support Lamar. It’s a parade. During the parade, bands will be awarded for performing.”

The bands will all receive trophies for their See PARADE, page 5

LU Community garden promotes sustainablilty LAINIE HARRIS UP CONTRIBUTOR

UP Lainie Harris

Tom Matthews, advisor to the Lamar Community Garden Student Association, picks a ripe fig at Lamar's Community Garden, Oct. 7.

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

“One of the ideas is, when we’re through with this plot, it should all be better than it was when we found it — the soil should be more nutritious and productive.”

That is the philosophy behind the Lamar Community Garden, located between the tennis courts and the Communication Building, Tom Matthews, Lamar University director of assessment, said.

The Lamar Community Garden opened in Fall 2012, after Matthews wrote a letter to LU’s vice president suggesting they have some conversations.

“He was very supportive,” Matthews said. “We had those conver-

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

sations, and the next thing you know we had selected a spot and away we go.

There was a committee of about four or five people, and we considered about a dozen different locations, and finally we settled on this one.”

The garden’s location has the right kind of sun exposure, in addition to water and electricity, and it doesn’t flood, Matthews said, adding that a number of different plants have flourished there.

“There are plenty of beautiful traditional gardens, in fact this is a beautiful campus, but we aren’t trying to duplicate that over here,” he said. “We are doing something much different. It has in common the fact that it’s full of plants, but the way they’re planted and taken care of is much different than how the

rest of the campus is taken care of.”

Next to the community garden is the spiral garden. Students built the spiral out of used bricks, Matthews said.

Some of the bricks were donated, but the ones they’re really proud of were salvaged after the Brook-Shivers dorm was torn down.

“They are the only bricks on campus left from that dormitory, so it is sort of a historical thing,” Matthews said.

The Lamar Community Garden Student Association tends the area, Matthews, who is the group’s advisor, said.

“They’re not trying to have a straight industrial model,” he said.

“They have plants spread out in the garSee GARDEN, page 2

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE Thursday, October 23, 2014 University Press

GARDEN •••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 den. It is a design program called permaculture. We are trying to use nature as the model, so we go with no fertilizer, no artificial chemicals, and mixtures of plants rather than monoculture.�

Matthews said the garden’s mission is sustainability and to produce wholesome foods by using organic methods. “We actually encourage insects in here, because they work to keep each other in check, and that is one of the ways we can get by without using pesticides — the insects control the insects,� he said. “We are trying to focus on some plants that grow naturally in this area, indigenous plants.�

Among the indigenous plants that grow in the garden is the elderberry. “We didn’t plant it, it just came up, you can make elderberry jelly out of it when you pick the berries,�

Matthews said. “We don’t actually get any berries though, because the birds eat them before we get them, which is OK — we want the birds in here. The birds provide fertilizer and spread seeds.�

Irrigation pipes were added in 2013 so the group can turn the water on in any of the beds and the system is set up on a timer. “If we want to water this bed for an hour, we set the timer for an hour,�

Matthews said. “It makes a big differ-

SGA •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 nouncement on Oct. 16, from McNeil’s office that read: “Impeachment of any Student Government Officer is a severe and harsh action of last resort. Due to the volatile and divisive nature of the action, careful procedural rules are established and followed. These rules provide due process protection to

Page 2

QUOTE OF THE DAY

NOTICE

“Maybe some of today’s papers have too many ‘feel-good’ features, but there is a lot of good news out there.� — Ben Bradlee

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

ence, otherwise you have to have somebody standing out there with a hose in their hand for hours on end.�

The Lamar Community Garden was chartered as a student organization in 2013.

Sophomore Bette Paredez is president of the association and said her favorite plant is the tomato, and she grew them when she was young. “I like them because they have this certain smell, and that’s how you know you’ve been moving a tomato plant around too much,� she said.

Matthews said Paredez takes most responsibility for the planting in the garden.

Vice president David Devers has taken the lead on composting. “The compost looks better than it did a year ago and smells better too,�

Matthews said.

The Dining Hall supplies much of the raw material for the compost, Matthews said, because the gardeners don’t use fertilizer and the plants have to get nutrients from somewhere. “They give the garden what they call kitchen scraps — they cut the ends off the celery and broccoli, skin the cantaloupe — and they have all this stuff left over,� he said. “We get about 80 pounds of kitchen scraps a day from the Dining Hall.

The gardeners pick up the scraps and take them to the composting area. “All the soil you see in here started off with that compost — we haven’t bought any soil at all,�

Matthews said. “I figure we have re-

cycled 15 tons of food scraps, it’s probably one of the biggest recycling projects on campus.�

The bulk of the produce is taken to the Southeast Texas Food Bank, with some, occasionally, taken to the Dining Hall. “We’ve made any number of runs to the Southeast Texas Food Bank to donate boxes full of produce, and that’s always nice,� Matthews said.

People come from all over Southeast Texas to pick up food for their organization, and the first thing they pick up is the fresh foods, Matthews said. “(The Food Bank doesn’t) worry about it spoiling or anything, it only sits there for about five minutes before somebody gathers it up and takes it away,� he said, laughing.

The group also donates to Slow Food Beaumont. “They just got funded to provide food to people in the neighborhood below margin cost, and we’re providing them with donations,� Matthews said. “Rebecca Boone, a faculty member here on campus, is setting that up.

The community gardeners encourage faculty, staff and people from the community to go and work, Matthews said. “In fact, we’ve had people from the Jefferson County Master Gardener’s Association come out and work, and give us their opinions about things,� he said.

Some campus groups adopt beds and tend them for a year. There is no cost for adoption.

both the accusers and accused. Moreover, reasonable and open rules of evidence are created and followed to establish the factual grounds considered during the impeachment process. As known in some corners of campus, Ms. Sabrina Lewis was impeached late on the afternoon of October 14. The Office of Student Engagement, the SGA and others are carefully examining the procedural and evidentiary grounds of the impeachment. Until this review is com-

pleted, Ms. Lewis remains SGA President. Thank you for your attention.�

In an interview with the University Press on Oct. 15, Lewis said that it is impossible to impeach the president without a Supreme Court.

McNeil said in an email to the University Press that “President Sabrina Lewis has submitted three students to the Student Senate for consideration to the Student Supreme Court. The process for the Student Supreme Court is located in Section

CALENDAR October 27 Homecoming activities begin (See page 5 for a full schedule)

October 28 Course Schedule available for Winter Mini session and Spring 2015

October 30 Advisement begins for Winter Mini session and Spring 2015

November 1 UP Lainie Harris

Sophomore Bette Paredez, right, president of the Lamar Community Garden Student Association, and Tom Matthews tend the tomato plants in the garden, Oct. 16.

Football: Lamar vs. Houston Baptist Provost Umphrey Stadium Kickoff at 6 p.m.

November 3 Last day to drop without academic penalty.

November 4 “Each season, we are bigger and more productive than the season before,� Matthews said. “By a long shot, we haven’t made all the decisions.

Come out and you get to help make those decisions.�

The garden is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers may work Mondays, from 4 p.m. to 6p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon. information visit For orgsync.com/76399/chapter or like them on Facebook.

For additional information, email bparedez@lamar.edu or call 273-9505.

Last day for undergrads to apply /pay for Dec. 2014 graduation.

November 5 Speed Networking Setzer Student Center Ballroom 10 a.m. to noon

November 6 Registrastion begins for Winter Mini/ Spring 2015 - Special Populations Eleemosynary Studio Theatre 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

November 7 401 of the By-Laws. The Student Senate has approved two of those submissions. I understand a fourth student will be submitted by President Lewis to the Student Senate to be considered for approval.�

Lewis, on Oct. 15, said she knew there was a meeting the previous day, but as it was to be a closed-session meeting for Supreme Court justice she would not be there.

The SGA meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon was canceled.

Eleemosynary Studio Theatre 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

November 8 Eleemosynary Studio Theatre 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

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

<Zi ndjg

a^ [Z WVX`

3U RRI U H D G W R 3D V V

&KHF N RXW

RXU V L V W HU KRRG #/DPDU B$'3L #/DPDU B$'3L

/DPDU $'3L

+L U H

D Q 0/$

$3 $ SU RRI U H D GH U

W RGD \ 5D W H V

V W D U W

D V

O RZ D V

)RU PD W W L QJ 5H D GD EL O L W \ &RQV L V W H QF \ 2U JD QL ] D W L RQ 'H YH O RSPH QW 'R Q Q D

:L V R U

$F D G H PL F

(G L W R U

3U R R I U H D G

3D V V #J PD L O

F R P

83/ DPDU #83/ DPDU DPDU #83/

3

EDITORAL Editor Lauren Van Gerven The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the University Press student management as determined by the UP Student Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the University Press student management. Student opinions are not necessarily those of the university administration.

UP EDITORIAL

HOMECOMING WEEK OFFERS CHANCE TO SHOW PRIDE, SPIRIT Monday will be the beginning of Homecoming week and it is a chance for every student to get involved in the many activities happening around campus.

Homecoming week is a time when every Cardinal can show their school spirit and cheer on our football team.

Around Texas, nothing is done bigger nor is more exciting than Homecoming week during football season.

It seems to be the turning of the fall and brings about Homecoming courts, mums, corsages, bonfires, parades, games and activities.

This week will offer many opportunities for students to get involved, including a scavenger hunt, cake cutting, games, the annual Midnight Breakfast, along with a multitude of activities scheduled throughout the week. There will even be a costume contest as Halloween falls on the Friday before the game.

Lamar has seen many changes lately to draw in more students. We have a new president, new buildings and facilities that are starting construction, and even a new college. With all of these changes, it is important that we come together and show pride in our school.

With the renewal of the Homecoming Parade, even more attention will be on Lamar this year. The inclusion of area high school bands in the parade will gain the attention not only of Lamar students and alumni, but also of students and parents all around the area. It is a great recruiting tool.

For some area students, it is sometimes easy to overlook Lamar as an option because it is so close, and not only are students used to seeing it, but they want to get away from home. They might look at larger areas, larger schools, and larger-than-life traditions.

This is the perfect time to show potential students that Lamar is a school that they should consider when applying to universities.

This is the perfect time to show Lamar can be larger than life.

Check the list of Homecoming Week events on page 5 and find something to attend.

Get out there and show your Cardinal colors — and your pride.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Raise to save $10.10 MINIMUM WAGE COULD SAVE $ 7.6 BILLION Raising the federal minimum wage would save the government billions in public assistance programs.

Billions.

Roughly 11.9 million Americans, half of all people earning under $10.10 per hour, receive some form of means-tested benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Medicaid and food stamps, among others, according to a new analysis by the Economic Policy Institute.

The report found that if the minimum wage was raised from the current level of $7.25 per hour to $10.10, as proposed by the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2014, more than 1.7 million Americans would no longer rely on public assistance programs, saving the government $7.6 billion or more.

If the Fair Minimum Wage Act were to pass, it would gradually bump the federal minimum wage up to $10.10 over three years. This would likely boost the wages of 27 million American workers.

71 percent of the nation’s 19.7 million college undergraduates were working in 2011, according to a U.S. Census in 2011. Of that number, one in five undergrads were working at least 35 hours a week year-round.

In Texas, 20.0 to 24.9 percent of college undergraduates work full-time, year-round.

Students, myself included, are working and going to school full-time to minimize loans and debts.

Although some may argue that increasing the federal minimum wage would have an overall negative effect, the United States Department of Labor says that it is just not true.

The DOL has its own lists of myths and facts regarding the increase of minimum wage. The “Minimum Wage Mythbusters” corrects myths such as “raising the minimum wage will only benefit teens” and “increasing the minimum wage is bad for the economy.”

According to the DOL, a review of 64 studies on minimum wage increases found no discernable effect on people losing their jobs.

A June 2014 survey found that three out of five small business owners support increasing the minimum wage. They believed that it would benefit business in important ways, such as increasing consumer purchase power, helping the economy, lowering employee turnover, and increasing productivity and customer satisfaction. Academic research has shown that higher wages sharply reduce employee turnover, which can reduce employment and training costs.

Full-time employees of McDonald’s and Wal-Mart — the largest fast food chain and the largest private employer — are often the largest recipients of aid in their states. McDonald’s even has a “McResource” line that helps employees and their families enroll in various state and local assistant programs.

According to Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, in many states Wal-Mart employees are the largest group of Medicaid recipients. They are also the single biggest group of food stamp recipients.

These are not “lazy” Americans. These

COMMENTARY

by

Kristen Stuck

are full-time employees of large corporations that live below the poverty line because the companies pay them so little.

Raising minimum wage and forcing these companies to pay their workers a wage above the poverty line would make little difference to consumers. The costs would be slightly higher at fast food restaurants and low-end retailers. If the entire cost were put on consumers, it would raise prices by about 1.4 percent at Wal-Mart, making a 68-cent box of macaroni and cheese just a penny more.

The DOL argues that increasing the federal minimum age is not bad for the economy. Since 1938, the federal minimum wage has been increased 22 times. For more than

75 years, real gross domestic product per capita has steadily increased, even when the minimum wage has been raised.

If the minimum wage had been compared to the overall productivity of the U.S. economy since 1968, workers would be earning about $18.42 an hour today, according to the EPI. Federal minimum wage hasn’t been increased since July 2009. More than 600 economists, seven of whom are Nobel Prize winners in economics, have signed a letter in support of raising the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2016.

Raising the minimum wage is an issue that has broad support. Polls conducted since February 2013, has consistently shown that an overwhelming majority of Americans support an increase.

Because so many students depend on part-time and full-time jobs to facilitate their education, an increase in minimum wage would take some of the pressure off of their backs. It’s easy to see that increasing the minimum wage would benefit much more than it would harm the U.S. Kristen Stuck is UP Managing Editor

UP illustration by Desmond Pickens

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

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

Editor ................................Lauren Van Gerven Managing Editor .......................Kristen Stuck Sports Editor ..........................Grant Crawford Web Editor ..............................Melissa Conley Staff ..................................Desmond Pickens, ............................................Mallory Matt, ................................. Brandianne Hinton, .............................................Molly Porter, ...............................................Coty Davis, ......................................Elizabeth Grimm, ......................................Jared McClelland Advertising .............................Melissa Conley

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.

PICTURE SAVES A THOUSAND VOTES PERSONAL ID WOULD BRING AN END TO TEXAS VOTER ID LAW ISSUES The Supreme Court of the United States has decided that the Texas Voter ID law can stay as it is, for now. The law states that all voters must present a valid picture ID at the polling place.

Apparently this is a big deal. To be completely honest, I am more than a little confused by this. Sorry to play the foreigner card here, but I didn’t know that it was possible to vote anywhere in America without showing a picture ID. To me, this is very strange.

After the Supreme Court filed their decision, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that it was “a major step backward to let stand a law... (that was) designed to discriminate,” and that it was “an affront to our democracy.”

After reading this, I was even more confused. Last time I checked, one has to be a U.S citizen to have the right vote in any U.S. election (obviously). So, if one is a U.S citizen, and really wants to execute his right to vote, it can’t be that hard to obtain a picture ID. Heck, I’m a foreigner and I even have a Texas ID! Accepted picture ID’s to vote include a state-issued driver’s license, a personal ID card, a U.S. citizenship certificate, a military ID card, a passport or a concealed handgun license — we all know how easy those are

COMMENTARY

by

Lauren Van Gerven

to acquire, but that’s a whole different story.

What amazes me is that there isn’t some form of personal ID card that every U.S. citizen needs to have. In Belgium, where I am from, everybody has a personal ID card. We really don’t use it that often, but one can use it to travel within the European Union and one needs to show it when being treated at a hospital or to vote.

If there were a form of picture ID that every American carried, the Texas Voter ID law wouldn’t be an issue. Also, it would make it a lot easier for law-enforcers, or hospitals to identify people.

But, until this happens, I see no harm in requiring a picture ID to vote.

People against the law argue that 600,000 people in Texas don’t have a state-is-

sued ID. Yes, this is true, but how many of those people are, or would be, registered to vote if they did have an picture ID? Only 13 percent of the 71 percent of registered voters in Texas showed up for this year’s Primary elections anyway.

The showing of a picture ID at the polling place makes it harder to cheat.

Earlier this year, I was visiting friends in The Woodlands when they went to vote during the primary elections. All they had to do was say, “This is my friend from Belgium, I want to show her how voting works here in the U.S.,” and I walked right into the voting area.

This to me was shocking. Back home, voting is a very serious matter. One brings their voting letter and picture ID, and after it has all been scanned, one goes into a little area that is closed off like a fitting-room where one casts the ballot. Without the picture ID law, I honestly believe that I could show up on voting day, with someone else’s voter registration card and information, and cast my vote under their name.

The Texas Voter ID law as it stands can be discriminatory, but this would not even be an issue if everybody had a simple ID card.

Lauren Van Gerven is UP Editor

Straus visits campus to praise enrollment, progress

Page 4 Thursday, October 23, 2014

University Press

ELIZABETH GRIMM UP STAFF WRITER

Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, visited Lamar, Tuesday, to talk about the enrollment rate and the education that Lamar provides. Straus gave his talk in Gray Library following a tour of the campus.

“Higher education is critically important in our growing state,” he said.

“By educating the next generation of leaders and attracting companies to Texas, Lamar University is a real success story. In the last decade, the student body has grown by 78 percent, which is unprecedented.”

Straus said that Lamar is developing well and that there are many degree programs that are offered to the students.

“More importantly, the university has thrived and has served all of your students very well,” he said. “The university recently received, as TSUS chancellor (Brian) McCall has mentioned, the prestigious Carnegie Doctoral Research Classification and graduation rates continue to rise.

There are over 100 degree programs to choose from and you’ve partnered with the private sector to offer students more flexibility in their studies.

“You have programs that are very highly regarded, specifically, engineering and environmental and energy research — being uniquely situated in oil and natural gas region and this great refining area, chemical and manufacturing. Lamar is educating the next generation of experts in a very critical field. I only expect to see more good things here at this university.”

Lamar President Kenneth Evans said that this year is an important year for Lamar because of the record enrollment and that there is an opportunity to move forward.

“Our university system has flourished in the past four years under Dr. McCall’s watch,” he said. “System wide degree programs are up 110 percent, online credit hours are up 210 percent, doctorate degrees granted for four years are up 142 percent, and enrollment is up 10 percent.”

McCall was also in attendance and said that the university is in a good position due to Evans.

“It’s a happy day at Lamar University for many reasons,” McCall said.

“One (is) the enrollment growth that the new president has talked about (and) the strategies that he has put in place with his good team to continue the trajectory that put this university

UP Elizabeth Grimm

Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, left, joined Texas State University System Chancelor Brian McCall, center, and President Kenneth Evans, second row, to tour the LU campus, Tuesday, before speaking about the school’s growth in Gray Library. in such a good spot. “(Lamar is) a Carnegie Doctoral Institution – making it one of the top 7 percent of universities in the United States, which offers doctoral degrees.

We’re excited to have the speaker of the Texas house — the most senior member of the big three, who will be leading our state this next legislative session. Who is a champion for

higher-education and has been a true friend to this university system. He took great interest in seeing what we’re doing here and what we can do.”

New literature classes focusing on ethicsto be offered in spring MALLORY MATT UP STAFF WRITER Lamar University brings a new spin on four literature courses to be offered in the spring, focusing on ethics.

“We have a new core,” James Sanderson, Chair of English and modern languages. “The way the core was shaped at Lamar is that we require English 1301 of everyone and English 1302 becomes optional. Then, that goes to the different departments and the different colleges to decide whether 1301 and 1302 are both required or only (1301) is required.”

The college of business now requires 1301 and an ethics course, but

not 1302, Sanderson said.

“We don’t have enough faculty to teach that many ethics courses,” he said.

“The College of Engineering, I believe, require either philosophy 1370, the traditional Ways of Knowing course, or philosophy 2306, ethics.

“That means that if we have all those people in engineering taking ethics, that’s not going to leave a lot of room or it’s going to leave people hustling for this class. We can’t go out into the community and ask for people to teach philosophy.”

In order to work out a solution for the College of Business, Sanderson met with the college and advisors.

“Those business majors are going

to have 1301, 1302 and some kind of practical ethics course,” he said. “I found a pamphlet called ‘Theory and Practice: A Primer for Students of Applied Ethics,’ which goes over four very broad ethical systems: Virtue, Deontological, Utilitarianism and the ethics of care.”

About a year or two ago, Sanderson began creating English 2300 called “Close Readings” in which students are required to read three or four long, sustained works and write about them. The courses were officially approved by the university in March.

“We kept our traditional literature courses, like British, world and American, requiring 1301 and 1302,” he said.

“What that left out was a potential Eng-

lish course for those students who only had 1301. We had a fail-safe there of sorts in that we had philosophy courses.”

The problem there is that we didn’t have the staff to offer philosophy courses for whatever demand there might be. That is why I created these literature courses.”

English 2300.01 is God and Atheism in Literature, taught by Steven Zani.

The course will look at different texts, film and works of art that explore the issues of belief and atheism.

English 2300.02 is The Death Penalty in Literature: Ethical Questions within Literary Genres, taught by Jesse Doiron. The course is designed to en-

gage students in the examination of literary works and the ethics of the criminal justice system.

English 2300.03 is Literature of Illness and Trauma, taught by Melissa Hudler. The course will reveal the real world and professional relevance of literature through empathy-enhancing exercises of role play and expressive writing.

English 2300.48F is an online course called The Moral Life: An Introduction to Ethics and Literature, taught

by Donald Carey. The course will bring together classical and contemporary readings on ethical theory and practice.

For more information, call 8808591.

University Press Thursday, October 23, 2014

FLOATS •••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 said. “It starts at 11 a. m., and tailgating opens at 9 a. m., so that’s plenty of time for everybody to get on campus, get their tailgating spot set up and then find a really great vantage point for the parade.”

The theme for the Homecoming activities and parade is “A Nightmare on Red Street — the Red Will Rise.”

Parade floats will compete for cash prizes based on how they are decorated.

“All of these student orgs that are in the parade — these 22 floats, trucks and walking groups — are all going to be in competition with one another for six different prizes,” Jeanes said.

Some student organizations and departments are building their floats on campus in bits and pieces.

“We couldn’t come across anybody with the capacity to store a trailer indoors, so we had to resort to doing it the old fashioned way,” Gabriel Graham, senior, president of

LU American Society of Microbiology, said.

“We’re measuring and making sure things are going to fit together, making sure all the pieces are going to work. We don’t want to get out there the day of the event and see that things don’t fit.”

Graham said the group received $300 in alumni donations toward building their float.

A panel of judges will determine the winners, Courtney Horton, assistant to the president, said.

Parade judges include Susan Simmons, former first lady of Lamar; Joe Domino, University Foundation President; Vernon Durden, former alumni advisory board president; and current alumni advisory board president Stephanie Molina.

For student organizations with floats, awards will be given in three cash prize categories. The Grand Champion will receive $500, the President’s Award winner will receive $250, and the Cardinal Spirit award winner will receive $125.

Jeanes said there will be grandstands for the parade judges set up in

PARADE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

the Setzer Student Center parking lot.

All entries, including walking and vehicle entries, will compete for recognition in three categories of judging — most creative, best use of theme and most spirited.

Winners will be recognized during the game and will also have their group, department or organization listed on the Homecoming plaque to be displayed in the Setzer Student Center, beginning a new Homecoming tradition, Jeanes said.

A contest was held for early parade float registration and the Cardinal Signers were awarded $250 to be spent toward building their float.

Parade floats and organizations are required to meet eligibility requirements to participate in the parade, which include rigorous safety requirements, including pre-registering licensed and experienced drivers to pilot the floats and vehicles.

“We’ve set some hoops that they have to jump through because we want to make sure they’re serious, and we have a lot of safety regulations, Horton said. “A whole lot of thought has been given to making sure the stu-

Page 5

UP Megan White

Members of the LU American Society of Microbiology make decorations for their Homecoming float for the parade to be held, Nov. 1. dents are safe.

“We want ever ybody to have a great time. The only way everybody’s going to have a great time is if everybody’s safe at the end of the day.”

A complete schedule of Homecoming activities leading up to the pa-

rade can be found at www.lamar. edu/homecoming.

“We’ve got really high hopes and expectations for what the students bring to the parade,” Jeanes said. “We’re really, really excited about it.”

GRAY LIBRARY TO HOST HOMECOMING EXHIBIT

Continued from page 1 participation.

The musicians will be reviewed by a panel of four judges, including President Emeritus Jimmy Simmons; Ross Boothman, Lamar alumnus and Lumberton High School band director; Barry Johnson, former LU vice president; and Mike Barnes, band director at Ridgepoint High School.

“The bands are going to just march and play, and do whatever style they do,” Deppe said. “We have a combination of the show and the corps style. They will go past the viewing stands marching and playing the music selection that they choose.”

Deppe said that awards will be given in three overall categories — outstanding band, outstanding marching skills, and outstanding music.

Awards will also be given for each UIL classification, including outstanding drumline, outstanding drum major and best auxiliary, which can be twirlers, flaggers and dancers.

The awards will be announced during the halftime show of the Lamar Homecoming game, which will include the Port Neches-Groves High School band.

The Lamar band will also perform at half time of the game.

“We’ll do a number with our dance team first, and then all the high school bands will march out in blocks and join us on the field,” Deppe said.

Altogether, there will be approximately 750 musicians on the field.

“Just being on the stadium field will be a big deal to the high school students,” Deppe said. “Hopefully, we will have a big crowd. Most of these are smaller schools that are not used to seeing that many people at one time at a football game.”

Deppe said the halftime selection for the massed band production is “Everything is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie.”

BRANDIANNE HINTON UP CONTRIBUTOR On game day, Gray Library will host a memorabilia exhibit at 1 p. m. in the lobby where there will be balloons and free lemonade offered.

“We’re working to give more exposure to the library, and that’s one of the reasons we’re excited to be included in Homecoming,” Penny Clark, university archivist, said. “We hope people will come and drink lemonade outside, and know that the library’s a wonderful place to come.”

The exhibit will include photographs of Homecomings past from as far back as the 50s.

“We have so many great photographs and so many great collections,” Clark said.

Vintage Lamar Tech Homecoming programs and schedules will also be displayed at the exhibit.

“We’re going to display a lot of things in addition to the photographs. We’ll even have an old football jersey and helmet.”

The old black and white photos of the Lamar University campus that are

EVENTS •••••••••••••••••••••••• Continued from page 1 held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday activities kick off with the Cardinal Craze Car Smash on the SSC back patio by the senior parking lot, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We get an old junker-car donated from a local wrecking yard and we spray paint it with the colors of the school that we are fighting on Saturday — in this case, it’s blue and orange for the HBU Huskies — and we bash it up with sledgehammers,” Jeanes said.

No tickets or purchase is required for participation.

“You just have to wear safety goggles,” Jeanes said.

A Halloween costume contest will round out the week of activities before game day, as students compete for best costume in the SSC Arbor from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Jeanes said that things will wrap up early, so that people can get to Halloween parties. The event will feature entertainment between categories.

“This is a collaborative effort between some of the entertainment and fashion groups on campus, so I think they’re really going to impress us with what they bring,” Jeanes said.

The categories for the costume contest are “scariest or funniest,” “most realistic or fantasy” and “best transformation,” which is geared specifi-

UP Desmond Pickins

Bud Leonard’s Lamar Tech football gear will be part of the memorabilia exhibit which will take place at Gray Library, Saturday 1 p.m. framed and hanging in various campus buildings and offices are from the library archives.

“Dr. Evans is all about tradition, and that’s the reason behind all the photos in all the different areas,” Charlotte Holliman, library associate for special collections and archives, said.

The point of including the library in homecoming celebrations is to draw peo-

ple into the rich history and tradition already established at Lamar, so that it will continue.

“We want people to know how wonderful the library is, and to celebrate our history because we’ve got some amazing collections, and then we’ve also got things beyond the university,” Clark said. “We want people to come and have a good time.”

cally toward the community of make-up artists on campus.

Game day celebrations begin at 9 a.m. with alumni tailgating at the Montagne Center where there will be a live band, to be announced later, and food in parking lot A-5 under the marquee.

“The Alumni Homecoming Tailgate is a great opportunity for LU alumni to get together before the Homecoming game for food, fun and fellowship, while they prepare to cheer on the Cardinals,” Linda Embs LeBlanc, director of alumni affairs, said in an email interview. “This year we will be serving gumbo, chili and Frito Pie, and a variety of beverages. In addition to alumni giveaways, we’ve added activities including washer boards and a photo booth.”

Stephen McKenzie, assistant director of marketing and promotions for Lamar athletics, said there will also be a tailgating spot for Bud Light, and Q94 will be doing a live remote broadcast from the event.

The Lamar University Homecoming Parade will begin at 11 a.m. It starts at the corner of Jim Gilligan Way and Jimmy Simmons Boulevard and ends at the Plummer Building.

After the parade, Lunch on the Lawn will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cherry Engineering Building and will feature area food trucks.

“Hopefully, we’re going to have a beautiful day, and it’s so pretty out on the Cherry lawn.” Courtney Horton, assistant to the president, said. “We thought

that would be a fun place for families and other guests to gather in the afternoon after the parade.”

Other game day activities will include a variety of events for students and alumni of all ages.

The Walk of Honor dedication will be held at 3 p.m. in the Quad on game day.

President Kenneth Evans will speak at the official unveiling.

The Spindletop Yount Lee Equestrian Day will be held at the Spindletop Gladys City/Boomtown Museum from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., including a reenactment of the eruption of the Lucas Gusher.

An Art Extravaganza will be held in the Art Building featuring a show, sale and free paint workshop for all ages, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tailgating activities include a Kid Zone at the LU Dauphin Athletic Complex Practice Field, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

“We usually have three or four bounce house inflatables where kids can go and bounce and play around on the football practice fields,” McKenzie said. “We also have Big Red and LU, our mascots — they stop and visit for about 30 minutes and interact with the kids.”

The football team will participate in the Walk of Champions from BrooksShivers Dining Hall to Provost Umphrey Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

Completing the week of celebration, the Homecoming game against Houston Baptist University is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

— HOMECOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS — Monday, Oct. 27 Royal Court Voting and T-shirt giveaway 10 a.m.-2 p.m 104, 106 SSC Homecoming Kickoff Cake Cutting 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Setzer Student Center Arbor “Are you smarter than a professor” 5:30-8 p.m.

Science Auditorium “Residence Evil” Block Party 8-11 p.m.

Dining Hall front yard

Tuesday, Oct. 28 Royal Court Voting and T-shirt giveaway 10 a.m.-2 p.m 104, 106 SSC Dodge Ball Mania 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Recreational Sports Center Greek vs. Faculty basketball game 7-9 p.m.

McDonald Gym Capture the flag 9-11 p.m.

The Quad

Wednesday, Oct. 29 Campus Clean-up 3:15-5 p.m Meet at Setzer Student Center front lobby

Bonfire & Pep Rally 7-10 p.m.

Bonfire Field Friday, Oct. 31

Midnight Breakfast 10 p.m.-midnight Dining Hall

Cardinal Craze Car Smash 10 a.m.-1 p.m Setzer Center back patio

Thursday, Oct. 30

Halloween Costume Contest 7-9 p.m.

Setzer Center Arbor

Firefighter Games 3-7 p.m Bonfire Field across from Spindletop Museum

Saturday, Nov. 1 Tailgaiting 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Homecoming Parade 11 a.m.

Memorabilia Exhibit 1 p.m.

Gray Library Walk of Champions 3:30-4 p.m.

Start at Dining Hall Football Game 6-9 p.m.

Provost Umphrey Stadium

Page 6 Thursday, October 23, 2014

University Press

SPORTS

7 Thursday, October 23, 2014

UNIVERSITY PRESS

UP SPORTS BRIEFS Men’s Tennis Lamar’s Michael Feucht won the round of 128 consolation singles title to highlight the Cardinals’ efforts on the final day of the USTA/ITA Men’s Tennis Regionals at Texas A&M, Monday, in College Station.

Feucht won two matches on the day. He started off with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Gustavo Gonzalez of Rice in the semifinals before claiming a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over Trevor Johnson.

Feucht and teammate Nikita Lis saw their quest for the doubles crown come to an end with a 6-3, 75 loss to the TCU tandem of Johnson and Cameron Norrie in the semifinals.

“I thought we had a very successful tournament,” Lamar coach Scott Shankles said. “It was definitely a great way to end a good fall season.

“This is something we can build on for the spring season. We won many matches this week against quality opponents.”

Softball Five Lamar pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout as the Lady Cardinals defeated Lamar State College-Port Arthur in a fall exhibition softball game, Saturday.

Shannon Sain and Lauren Dannelley each struck out three in their two innings of work to highlight the pitching effort. Jenna Holland sparked the offense with a two-run home run. Holland, Casey Cromwell, Jenna Holland and Sable Hankins had two hits apiece for Lamar.

Both teams wore pink jerseys in an effort to raise breast-cancer awareness. After the game, the teams conducted a “Gleaux For the Cure” 5K run that featured more than 100 participants. Sain and Cromwell tied for the top finisher among members of the Lamar softball team.

Funds raised from the event will be given the Beaumont chapter of the American Cancer Society to help in the fight against breast cancer.

The Lady Cardinals continue their fall season when they face Weatherford College at 2 p.m. Saturday at Port Arthur Memorial High School.

Women’s Soccer The Lady Cardinals lost to McNeese State, 1-0, in front of 323 fans at the Lamar Soccer Complex, Friday night.

The loss put the Lady Cardinals (4-10-1 overall, 2-5-1 Southland) in serious jeopardy of missing the Southland Conference Tournament for the second-straight season.

“It’s the same problem, we just couldn’t finish our chances,” Lamar coach Orlando Cervantes said. “We worked on it all week in practice.

Finishing your opportunities — finishing under pressure. But we just can’t carry it over into the game.”

Lamar goalkeeper Bailey Fontenot made 10 saves for the Lady Cardinals, but was unable to stop the game-winner with 2:35 left in the first overtime period.

“I can’t fault our effort,” Cervantes said. “The ladies are not quitting, but we can’t put the ball into the net.”

It was the third straight loss for Lamar, all by shutout.

“You’re not going to win if you don’t score,” Cervantes said. “We had some great chances, but we couldn’t capitalize on their mistakes.

We made big mistake and the ball ended up in the back of our net.”

The Lady Cardinals likely have to win their three remaining games to have a chance at qualifying for next month’s conference tournament, set for Nov. 6-9 at the Lamar Soccer Complex. Even then, Lamar may need some help to get in.

“We can’t worry about what other teams do,” Cervantes said.

“We have to take care of our own business and see what happens.”

Lamar is at Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word this weekend before wrapping up the regular season by hosting Central Arkansas at 7 p.m., Oct. 31.

LU RUNS THROUGH NICHOLS QB BERRY BREAKS RECORDS IN 63-21 CONFERENCE ROUT GRANT CRAWFORD UP SPORTS EDITOR @GrantLamarUP The LU football team traveled to Thibodeaux, La., Saturday, where they defeated Southland Conference opponent Nicholls State, 63-21. Senior quarterback Caleb Berry became Lamar's all-time leader in completions, yards of total offense and passing yards.

“It’s very strange that all three of those records were attainable in one game,” head coach Ray Woodard said.

“He’s the kind of guy you like to see break those records, because he deserves it and he’s worked so hard to get there — very proud and happy for him.”

Berry completed 27-of-32 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Woodard said that Berry is the best representation, since the return of the program, of what the team is all about.

“He’s been here all five years,” Woodard said. “He came from a red-shirt freshman, to a third or fourth team, to getting on the field and finishing a game with a broken leg. He battled his way to the starting job. He’s gotten better and better and worked his way through it.”

Lamar finished the game with a school record 691 yards of total offense, including 362 on the ground. Kade Harrington led the Cardinals with 18 carries for 123 yards and four touchdowns, while Carl Harris added eight carries for 116 yards and a score.

“It looked to me like we had a different gear early on that they couldn’t match,” Woodard said. “We knew we had the talent to put up a performance like this. My concern all week was getting our guys to focus on the task at hand. A lot of times, young guys can get caught up in an-

other team’s record and you can’t do that.

“It is no secret that we haven’t been a good road team, but I thought our guys remained focused throughout the week and the game.”

Lamar had two players with more than 100 rushing yards, which hasn’t occurred since 1967.

Coach Woodard said that his team needs to be able to run the ball with more efficiency, to avoid having his offense become one-dimensional.

“Everybody in this league has good defensive players,” he said. “And when you let them become one-dimensional, because they know you’re going to pass, it makes it very difficult. I’m happy with how we ran and held on to the ball.”

The Cardinals are now 5-3 (2-2 in the SLC), and have four games left. Woodard said he feels good about his team’s position as they prepare for their next game.

The Cardinals will have a bye week before their Homecoming game against HBU, Nov. 1.

“Conference play has been a rollercoaster for us,” Woodard said. “We are very happy to pick up the win. There are still a lot of positive things that can happen for our team. I like where we are as a team.”

Woodard said the team will take it one game at a time.

“At the minimum, we want to have a winning season,” he said. “If we win out, there are a lot of good things that can happen. We are going to try and refresh our bodies, as well as our minds. We’re going to give them a few days off, and then we’re going to treat it like a normal week. Because of where we are in the season, we have to improve every game.

“I’m glad we won the game, but it’s time to move on.”

Photos courtesy of Nichols Media Relations

Carl Harris, top, crosses the goal line for a touchdown during LU’s 63-21 victory over Nichols. Receiver Mark Roberts, above, makes one of his seven receptions during the game.

Lady Cards volleyball falls to Central Arkansas COTY DAVIS UP CONTRIBUTOR The Lady Cardinals Volleyball team lost their second Southland Conference game in a row as they fell in a 3-0 sweep to the undefeated Central Arkansas Bears, Thursday, at Conway, Ark. The loss, following defeat at Sam Houston last week, gave the Lady Cardinals (3-16 overall, 3-4 Southland) their first two-game losing streak during the conference season.

“Both nights, last Tuesday and Thursday, we felt like our top end was good enough to win both of those matches, but we don’t play at our top end for very long and that’s an issue for us,” head coach Allen Edwards said. “We tend to make a lot of mistakes. Through the first two sets at Central Arkansas we made 27 hitting errors, and against a great team like that, we are going to lose the match.”

The Lady Cardinals tried their best to pull off an upset over the Bears, and heading into the match against a team who was undefeated on the SLC season, the main thing for Lamar was to stay with the game plan,

Edwards said.

“For us going into Central Arkansas, our plan was to just be us,” he said. “We haven’t had a match yet this season where both middles have been really good for the entire match, so we wanted to get the balls to our middle as often as possible and be fast to the outside, but we did not do a good job executing it.”

LU lost the first set by three points, 25-22, and it seemed as if the Lady Cardinals had what it took to steal a victory from the Bears.

However, throughout the second set, the Bears showed why they are top of the SLC, winning 25-18, and allowing the Lady Cardinals to hit a match low .69 hitting percentage during the set.

“If you watch us over the course of the season, it’s kind of who we are,” Edward said. “In one match, we would have a set where we will have a hitting percentage of .275, and then in the next set have a hitting percentage of .205. For us to be great, that’s the one error we have to eliminate. It’s reasonability to change that, but it’s just something we are not doing at the moment.”

After the break, Lamar came out

Lady Cardinal Autumn Taylor had a match high 14 kills,Thursday, during their 3-0 loss to Central Arkansas. full of intensity for the third set as they tried to extend the match to a fourth set. Late in the game, they trailed by only one point, 23-22.

However, two straight kills by Central Arkansas’ outside hitter Alicia Dittrich sealed the victory for the Bears, winning the set 25-22.

The Lady Cardinals’ outside hitter

Autumn Taylor had a match high with 14 kills and middle blocker Cortney Moore added 10 kills, but Lamar could not overcome the match low .200 hitting percentage and the multiple errors that spoiled the chance at an upset.

“We had 14 hitting errors, another 15 serving errors, and five reception errors — that’s 34 points we gave away right there,” Edwards said.

“Just those errors alone, we gave away a set and a half. It’s just who we are and we have to hold ourselves more accountable to a higher level of play throughout the course of these matches.”

The loss puts the Lady Cardinals road record at 0-8 overall and 0-4 in Southland play. Edwards said that playing on the road with a young team is tough.

Lamar continue their four-match road swing this week when they travel to Northwestern State on Thursday, and Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. Edwards said it is a week the Lady Cardinals must find a way to win at least one game on the road, which would put them in a good standing for making the Southland Conference tournament this fall.

Page 8 Thursday, October 23 , 2014

University Press

GUBERNATIONAL CANDIDATE WENDY DAVIS VISITS BEAUMONT ON FIRST DAY OF EARLY VOTING JARED MCLELLAND UP CONTRIBUTOR Early voting started on Monday, and Senator Wendy Davis decided that Beaumont was where she wanted to be.

The Texas gubernatorial candidate made a stop at the Solid Rock Community Church on the corner of Pine Burr Boulevard to discuss state education and women’s rights.

The Democratic State Senator is on the ballot against the current Attorney General Greg Abbott.

“Freedom, for our children, comes in making sure that they have oppor tunities to become whatever it is that they dream if they’re willing to work hard,” Davis said. “Freedom also comes in the form of investing in education.

“I hope for the freedom and the opportunity of our children, Texans will elect a Governor who’s going to fight for their children to have those very opportunities they deserve.”

Davis said the people of Texas need someone who will fight for them.

“Who will fight for their children to have a good education, who will fight for an increase in the minimum wage, and who will fight for equal pay for equal work for women,” she said.

Davis said that what is at stake in the election is the future of the children, adding that she is advocating for a full day pre-K for every 4-year-old in the state. “(I’m) someone who believes our teachers ought to be paid more because they’re living so far below the national average,” she said.

Davis said that it is important for people to exercise their right to vote.

“Not voting in the election is not an option,” she said.

Davis said that she is the better candidate for women, adding that her opponent has said he will veto an equal pay bill.

“I will stand and fight to make sure that women are safe in the reproductive health care arena,” she said. “For women, and men who love women, this race is particularly important because women’s interests are going to be determined depending on the outcome of this election.”

Gubernational candidate Wendy Davis addressed voters and signed autographs during a stop in Beaumont on Monday afternoon.

Early voting started Monday.

UP Photos by Jared McLelland

God’s Economy The key to understanding the Bible... “...in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things nor give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.”

(1 Timothy 1:3b-4)

Bag A Great Deal With an Education First Gold or Platinum Credit Card.

Free & non-credited classes at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday during the fall semester, in room 112 of the Family and Consumer Science Building. Come and join the class!

Sponsored by Christians on Campus

(On all purchase & balance transfers!)

APPLY APPL LY TOD TODAY AY EducationFirstFCU.org Educa tionFirstFCU.org rstFCU.org 409.898.3770 .898.3770 *1.99% APR (Annual Percentage Percentage Ra Rate). te). Credit restrictions trictions may aapply. pply. Ra Rate te after promotion based on individual dual credit file. 1.99% purchase and balance transfer rate raate applies applies pplyy & fund between September 5, 2014 and October 26, 22014.

014. Please contact a CU representative representative for complete details. etails. to new and existing cardholders. Must aapply