UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 95, No. 8 October 25, 2018
CELEBRATING LIFE AND DEATH Live altar to be displayed in SCC for Day of the Dead Cassandra Jenkins UP editor
Hispanic Heritage month is over, but that doesn’t mean the celebration stops. Events are scheduled to celebrate Día de los Muertos, Monday through Thursday. National Hispanic Heritage month typically lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, but these dates miss one of the most important Hispanic traditions and a widely celebrated Mexican holiday — Día de los Muertos, also known as “Day of the Dead.” As an extension of the month-long celebration, The Office of Global Diversity and Inclusive Excellence is adding a Día de los Muertos celebration, Tuesday and Wednesday. “The second event we are having, they are sort of connected — Day of the Dead and the outdoor movie event,” Imelda Wicks, executive director of diversity, inclusive excellence and training, said. “The
feature movie is going to be ‘Coco.’ The theme for Day of the Dead is going to be ‘Coco,’ too. Day of the Dead is all about honoring our loved ones.” Wicks said she is looking forward to watching the film with the students at the outdoor event. “We are encouraging everyone to come out and watch this movie,” she said. “It talks about celebrating life. It also talks about life after we die and in the Latino culture, Day of the Dead is a very popular and festive event. The reason for that is because in the Latino culture they talk about dying and not being afraid of it, but, rather, living your life to its full capacity and still being connected after you die.” The Office of Global Diversity and Inclusive Excellence will present ‘Coco,’ as an outdoor movie event on The event will include food and drinks the Dining Hall Lawn, Tuesday at 7 p.m. in preparation for the Day of the Dead. provided by various student organizations on campus. The event is free and open to students, faculty and staff. ‘Coco’ will pre- aged to bring a blanket or lawn chair. the Dead,” Wicks said. “We are going to miere Oct. 30 at the Dining Hall Lawn “After the movie, we are skipping over from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Viewers are encour- Halloween, and going to celebrate Day of See HISPANIC, page 2
‘PASSION PLAY’ AMSET hosts ‘Passion Play’ until Nov. 25 Eleanor Skelton UP contributor
The current exhibit at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas leaves more questions than answers. Deborah Luster’s “Passion Play” doesn’t fall neatly into any specific interpretation, photographer Keith Carter said. “It’s meant to be an experience, a visual question,” Carter, LU Walles Chair of Performing Arts, said. “It engenders conversation, or it should — that’s what she hoped. “I think the whole thing is courageous and powerful. It’s not about pretty pictures — they’re meant to be thought provoking.” Carter said he admires Luster’s old school techniques. He discussed her unique approach in The Art Museum of Southeast Texas’ Taste of the Arts Lecture Series, Monday. Carter first met Luster when she was part of a summer workshop he taught in Maine about 25 years ago. The two have stayed in touch. “I thought she was extraordinarily talented at the time,” he said. “Her personal history enters into the type of work that she does. She’s very literary and she loves poetry.” Luster’s photographs use convicts from Angola prison in Louisiana and casts them in the roles of the Biblical story. Luster became friends with an
REDtalks to explain safe alcohol use Morgan Collier UP contributor
UP photo by Eleanor Skelton
Keith Carter, LU Walles Chair of Performing Arts, talks about Deborah Luster’s, “Passion Play” exhibit on display at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas until Nov. 25. assistant warden in the Angola prison during her earlier project — a book titled “One Big Self,” which featured silver gelatin portraits of Louisiana prisoners compiled between 1998 and 2002, Carter said. The warden called Luster after seeing a prisoner’s Passion Play in Scotland. She was planning to bring it back to Louisiana and invited Luster to
photograph it. The photographs in “Passion Play” draw on a historical tradition, Carter said. Like “One Big Self,” the prints are silver gelatin scanned from two-and-a-quarterinch film, not digitally photographed. “The portraits are in the tradiSee LUSTER, page 4
Casey Smith and Jori Wingham, LU peer health educators, will present the next REDtalk, “You Booze, You Lose — Alcohol and Consent,” 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Tuesday, on the sixth floor of Gray Library. “They are going to share information about alcohol consumption, to give students information that will help them be safe while consuming alcohol,” Kelly Williams, REDtalks coordinator, said. “They will also share statistics with everyone about how alcohol is related to sexual assaults.” The talk will also cover how consent in relationships can be either cloudy or awkward to discuss, Williams said. “We want students to be able to recognize that relationship between alcohol and consent so that they can protect themselves and their friends,” she said. The REDtalk will be an interactive way for students to learn new information they might not have known before, to become aware of different services offered on campus and to have fun, Williams said. “There will be beer goggles for people to wear, along with other activities, including one with marshmallows,” she said. “At ‘You Booze, You Lose’ we are serving free pizza to anyone who attends.” There are around seven to eight REDtalks a semester, and range from academic success to health and wellness, along with personal and professional development, Williams said. “Basically, we are just trying to offer presentations for students that will help them be successful, and maybe make connections with other students, faculty and staff,” she said. Students who have an interesting topic they would like to present can pick up proposal forms in the Student Tutoring and Retention Services (STARS) office in the Communications Building. For more information, visit lamar.edu/redtalks, email stars@lamar.edu, or visit 109 Communications Building.
Lamar Opera to present ‘La Canterina’ Vy Nguyen UP staff writer
Lamar Opera Theatre will present “La Canterina,” Nov. 2-3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rothwell Recital Hall. There will be a preview performance for students, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public. The two-act comic opera, written by Joseph Haydn, takes a look at Gasparina, a songstress, and her mother, Apollonia, who are skilled in con artistry. They target Gasparina’s male fans and followers in order to take advantage of them financially. Throughout the opera, Gasparina finds herself juggling two love interests — Don Pelagio, her main benefactor and voice teacher, and Don Ettore, a rich merchant’s son.
“‘La Canterina’ was intended to be a composition to be played in between the acts of a serious opera, so pretty much an intermission piece,” Serdar Ilban, associate professor of music, voice and opera, said. “The story of the opera is still very universal and may be attractive to today’s audience.” Ilban said that he chose the piece specifically for his beginner opera students because of its accessibility. “It’s their first exposure to acting and singing together, so I wanted to choose something that was going to challenge them, and, at the same time, be enjoyable for them to learn — and enjoyable for the audience to watch,” he said.
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UP photo by Noah Dawlearn
LU’s Hannah Meyer, left, and Christian Jack, warm up their voices before rehearsal for “La Canterina,” Tuesday. Lamar’s Opera See OPERA page 2 Theatre will perform the work Nov. 2-3 in the Rothwell Recital Hall.
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INSIDE
Thursday, October 25, 2018 University Press
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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HISPANIC from page 1 have a live altar on display. The display will be up from Monday to Thursday in the Setzer Student Center for anybody who wants to pass by and look at the altar. “But, the actual (Día de los Muertos) event will be on Nov. 1. We are going to have, in Spanish, what we call, ‘Botanas’ which are snacks. Then we will have an area designated for arts and crafts where students, faculty and staff can bring in a picture of a loved one who has died, a pet, person or anyone, and they can decorate their own frame and we will add that to the altar.” The Office of Global Diversity and Inclusive Excellence celebrated Hispanic Heritage month by focusing on Hispanic excellence in academia, and hosted a reception to honor the accomplishments of the Latino students on campus, Sept. 14. “Seventeen percent of our student population is Hispanic,” Wicks said. “Eleven percent of our
workforce, faculty and staff are Hispanic as well. We have a large Hispanic population at Lamar University, so we definitely wanted to do something for Hispanic Heritage Month and focus on academic excellence. We invited students and their family members to come over and highlight the positive contribution of the Hispanic/Latino population to Lamar University.” Día de los Muertos is a holiday celebrated on Nov. 1. In Latino culture the day is spent commemorating lost loved ones through festivals and celebrations and remembering them with food, drinks and activities that the dead enjoyed in life. Some of the most familiar symbols of Día de los Muertos include skeletons and skulls that can be found in sweets, masks and dolls. For more information, email the Office of Global Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at globaldiversity@lamar.edu or call 880-1732.
Day of the Dead facts • The ofrénda is often the most recognized symbol of Día de los Muertos. This temporary altar is a way for families to honor their loved ones and provide them what they need on their journey.
• Ancient Mesoamericans believed that death was part of the journey of life. Rather than death ending life, they believed that new life came from death.
• Día de los Muertos originated in ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico and northern Central America) where indigenous groups, including Aztec, Maya and Toltec, had specific times when they commemorated their loved ones who had passed away.
“I was benevolent and good, misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.”
— Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
OPERA from page 1 There are four arias for each individual character, and two big ensembles — quartettes — in the show, Ilban said. “I enjoyed every musical number, to a certain extent, but (especially) the number where the comedy is revealed, like the voice lesson number where Don Pelagio and Gasparina basically are singing together and her mother constantly interferes with the lesson,” he said. “That is one of the funniest scenes in the entire show, and I enjoyed directing it.” The opera will be sung in Italian, with projected subtitles, and with an English dialogue, Ilban said. “What we do, here at Lamar, is we try to perform all operas in their original languages,” he said. “I don’t believe in, just for the benefit of the audience, translating the opera and performing it in English, because it loses a lot of its musical characteristics that way. “It’s also a disservice to our students to not learn the operas in the original languages.” Christian Jack, Norfolk, Va. sophomore, said that singing in Italian is a lot of fun. “As classical singers, we have three main languages that we sing in— Italian, German and French, which all have certain aspects that make them unique,” he said. “Italian is personally my favorite, because it’s a very lyrical and flowing language, so I really enjoy it.” Ilban said that opera is important because it expresses feelings that one can’t express by simply talking. “There has to be a moment in the show where the characters are propelled to sing instead of continuing to speak,” he said. “It is basically telling us there are more heightened emotions that can only be expressed through singing — that please the singer and the audience at the same time.”
Jack plays Don Ettore, an entitled merchant’s son who is trying to win Gasparina’s affections through gifts. “While growing up, my parents taught me to really take care of my own stuff and not just live off of them,” he said. “So, doing this role definitely has a more whiny, pretentious attitude than I’m used to, but also a lot of fun to do.” Lauren Wynn, Alvin senior, plays the young songstress. “Becoming Gasparina was difficult for me, because I’m more of a reserved type of personality, and she is really out there, flirtatious, and has the men all over her,” she said. “At the beginning it was uncomfortable, but I’m getting more used to the role and it’s better.” Ilban said that the cast is wonderful. “Despite the fact that this is their first experience on operatic stage, trying to sing and learn how to act at the same time, I think they’re doing a very respectable job,” he said. “I’m hoping that by the time we get to our performances, it will be at a level where our audiences will appreciate it, too.” Ilban said that the no. 1 goal for the production is the students’ learning experience. “This is not a competition, and it’s not, ‘Who runs the fastest gets the medal,’” he said. “This is just their first exposure to operatic stage, and the most important aspect of it is to learn from the process before moving on to more challenging productions. “Each time that I’m able to put a production together with younger students, I not only live my dream as a director, but also live vicariously through them. To a certain extent, it keeps me young.” For more information, call 880-7181 or email serdar.ilban@lamar.edu.
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CALENDAR Oct. 25
LU Volleyball vs. Central Arkansas McDonald Gym 7 p.m.
Oct. 27
LU Volleyball vs. Stephen F. Austin McDonald Gym 1 p.m.
Oct. 30
REDtalks presents: ‘You Booze, You Lose — Alcohol & Consent’ Sixth Floor, Gray Library 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Oct. 30
Frankenreads — An International Celebration of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ Sixth Floor, Gray Library 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Oct. 30
Outdoor Movie Night — ‘Coco’ Dining Hall Lawn 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Nov. 1
Day of the Dead Celebration Setzer Student Center 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Nov. 6
LU Men’s Basketball vs. Huston-Tillotson Montagne Center 7 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, October 25, 2018
Page 3
M IDTERM E LECTIONS G UIDE UP photo by Olivia Malick
Campaign signs line the sidewalks as voters enter the polling station at Rogers Park, Monday.
Early voting runs through Nov. 2, election day is Nov. 6 Nov. 6 is Election Day for the 2018 midterm elections. Early voting opened Monday and will run through Nov. 2. Midterm elections are held every four years — the midpoint of a president’s four year term. The 2018 midterms have been closely watched across the
United States to see if Democrats will regain the majority in Congress. In Texas, the Senate race between incumbent Ted Cruz and Rep. Beto O’Rourke has gained national attention, but there are several other seats open for election this year.
Texans will vote on the U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative (congressional district varies), Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner, Texas Supreme Court Places 2, 4 and 6, as well as the
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Places 1, 7 and 8. For local elections, candidates depend on the county in which they are running. The Texas secretary of state’s office has a list of county websites to check to see who is on the ballot. To view a sample ballot for
Jefferson County, visit www.jef fersonelections.com. For more information on what to bring to the polls to vote, visit votetexas.gov. To view a complete list of early voting and Election Day locations and operation hours, visit www.jeffersonelections.com.
— U.S. SENATE — Ted Cruz (R) Sen. Cruz has served as the junior U.S. Senator from Texas since 2013. • supports states’ rights • pro-life • against same-sex marriage • critic of the Affordable Care Act • opposes net neutrality • opposes gun control
Beto O’Rourke (D) • opposes the legalization of marijuana • supports the death penalty • pro-free trade • disagrees with scientific opinion on climate change • supports border wall • in favor of decreasing government size
Rep. O’Rourke has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas’ 16th congressional district since 2013. • supports universal health care • wants to strengthen public schools • civil rights advocate
• supports criminal justice reform • agrees with scientific opinion on climate change • supports decriminalization of marijuana • advocate for veterans’ issues • supports gun control reform • supports immigration reform
— GOVERNOR — Greg Abbott (R) Abbott has served as Texas’ 48th governor since 2015. • pro-life • supports campus and open carry • opposes comprehensive gun control reform • supports the border wall • opposes “sanctuary cities”
Lupe Valdez (D) • worked to deregulate climate change policies • revived the “bathroom bill,” which stated that transgender students must use the bathroom corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate.
Valdez served as the Sheriff of Dallas County from 2005 to 2017. • advocate for veterans’ issues • against gerrymandering • supports LGBT rights • against wage gaps • supports immigrant communities
• supports universal health care • supports gun control reform • wants to strengthen public schools • supports decriminalization of marijuana • wants to end mass incarceration
— LT. GOVERNOR — Dan Patrick (R) Patrick has served as Texas’ 42nd lieutenant governor since 2015. • opposes abortion • supports increasing charter schools • fiscal conservative • opposes illegal immigration • opposes same-sex marriage
Mike Collier (D) • supports Texas’ current statutory rape laws • supporter of maintaining Confederate monuments • favors creationism in schools • opposed legal protections for LGBT persons • pushed for a “bathroom bill,” similar to North Carolina
Collier served as a PriceWaterhouseCoopers Partner for 10 years, then became CFO at a Texas oil company. • supports property tax reform • supports public education reform • wants to propose an amendment to stop government corruption
• wants to modernize Texas’ budgeting process • supports labor unions • supports raising minimum wage • supports effective border security • wants to strengthen coastal storm preparedness policies
— ATTORNEY GENERAL — Ken Paxton (R) Paxton has served as the Attorney General of Texas since 2015. • Tea Party conservative • supports President Trump’s border wall • wants to dismantle EPA regulations • supported the “bathroom bill”
Justin Nelson (D) • against voter fraud • supports open and campus carry • blocked a climate change probe by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts into ExxonMobil • opposes same-sex marriage
Nelson is a professor at UT Law School, former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and is the founder of the non-profit One Nation One Vote. • wants to strengthen public schools • supports consumer protection
• supports ensuring safety and welfare of senior citizens • supports universal healthcare • wants to end separation of immigrant families • opposes gerrymandering • supports child support reform • supports criminal justice reform
— 14TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Randy Weber (R) Weber has served as Texas’ 14th Congressional District U.S. Representative since 2013. • pro-life • supports a balanced budget amendment • opposes same-sex marriage • opposes affirmative action
Adrienne Bell (D) • supports tax incentives for job creation • supports the death penalty • opposes decriminalizing marijuana • opposes gun control reform • opposed Violence Against Women Act
Bell worked at Southwestern Bell for 30 years and is now a second grade teacher. • wants to raise minimum wage • supports Medicare for all • supports public school protection policies • wants to repair the immigration system
• advocates for veterans’ issues • supports fully-funded higher education • supports affordable child care • supports criminal justice reform • supports paid family leave • supports student loan debt forgiveness
— JEFFERSON COUNTY JUDGE — Jeff Branick (R) Branick has served as Jefferson County Court Judge since 2015. • supports economic growth • supports strengthening emergency management policies • currently developing an emergency management command center in Galveston County Source:OnTheIssues.org
Nick Lampson (D) • supports environmental protection polices for the Gulf Coast • supports mental health reform • supports tax abatement policies • wants to enhance Jefferson County’s population growth
Lampson served as the U.S. Representative for Texas’ 9th Congressional District from 1997 to 2005 and Texas’ 22nd Congressional District from 2007 to 2009. • supports comprehensive immigration reform • supports the U.S. military
• supports public education reform • supports high-tech jobs coming to Jefferson County • wants to increase Beaumont citizen retention rates • supports storm recovery policies Compiled by Olivia Malick
Page 4
Thursday, October 25, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Humane Society to host Halloween adoptions The Humane Society of Southeast Texas is offering 50 percent off adoption fees for those who show up in costume or donate dog/cat food to
the Community Share Food program on Halloween Day only, Oct. 31. For more information, email www.hsset.org or call 833-0504.
UP photos by Noah Dawlearn
LUSTER from page 1 tion of 19th century, sitting formally, staring unsmilingly at a camera,” Carter said. “The fact that they’re large like that forces you to scrutinize them eye to eye, pay attention to every square inch of the portraits.” While portrait photographers usually talk with their subjects to engage them while shooting, Carter said Luster didn’t talk to the inmates. She told them to just be and captured them as they are. “(Luster’s) very empathetic,” he said. “She has a social conscience. It’s perfect work for her. In her hands, it becomes like a small parable full of implied narratives rather than concrete information. “It’s always in the eyes. You can’t help but look at their eyes.” But “Passion Play” isn’t just the larger than life portraits, which Carter said are about 60-inches tall. It’s also a black and white film. “It’s 35-millimeter film in a dark room,” Carter said. “It’s about 20-minutes long. You sit on wooden backless benches made by prisoners.” Luster’s choice of black and white is intentional. Carter said Luster thinks of color as a distraction from the picture’s message. “She does not want the seduction of
color changing perspective on what you see,” he said. “It’s startling, particularly I assume for the younger generation.” The film is brutally sharp, Carter said. “Her inspiration for that was some Bolex camera films that Andy Warhol made in the 60s,” Carter said. “He took an idea from a New York police pamphlet called ‘Thirteen Most Wanted Men’ — like mug shots, but done on film. She was very affected by that film and she’s taken that idea.” Luster set up a makeshift studio at the Angola prison in the rodeo yard, using animal stalls and all-natural light for the portraits and the film, Carter said. “They’ve got over 5,000 inmates,” he said. “They have some arcane laws in Louisiana, 4,000 have been sentenced to life out of over 5,300 inmates — that’s probably one of the reasons she was drawn to it. “Many of those prisoners were put there for unduly long sentences that wouldn’t happen anywhere else. Whether or not it was because they were black, that’s not my area of expertise — but you can read between the lines.” Luster became obsessed with the effects of violence on society after her
mother’s unsolved murder, which inspired much of her art, Carter said. Her mother was shot five times in the head by a hit-man on April 1, 1988. Luster took up photography as a way of dealing with the trauma. At first, her work was mostly southern vernacular black and white photographs, Carter said. But, then, she grew interested in crime and crime motifs. “That’s when her work, in my view, began to mature,” he said. Some of the men Luster photographed had been incarcerated for more than 40 years, Carter said. Mirrors aren’t allowed in prisons since broken glass can be turned into a shiv, so they hadn’t seen their own reflections in all that time. “Some of them were just so startled (to see) how they’d aged,” he said. “They’d gone in as a young person and not been able to see really what they’d looked like.” While “Passion Play” prompts the viewer to ask sociological questions about incarceration and racism, Carter said he came away with other thoughts. “The only question I was really interested in was how they were cast, who chose them?” he said. “Is there an audi-
tion? Is there some back story to who plays Jesus, who plays Mary, how did all that evolve? “The other thing that was poignant to me was those costumes were so bad that it looked like school children had made them. I thought the whole thing was like a folk parable in a terrible sort of dark way, and you hoped that there would be redemption at the end.” Carter said he also wondered how playing those roles affected the actors individually. “If you were watching a movie, they’d have gone to everyone in the play and shown how it had changed them,” he said. “Did that change them in any way or was it just a respite from the tedium of prison work?” Carter said that Luster’s project probably couldn’t be done again due to changing rules for media and fear of lawsuits. “She told me that she felt pretty sure that even today that would all be off limits and you couldn’t do it again,” he said. “Deborah Luster: Passion Play” is on display until Nov. 25. AMSET is located at 500 Main St. in downtown Beaumont. For more information, visit www.amset.org.
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UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, October 25, 2018
Gothic tale still resonates after 200 years Two hundred years ago, a creature that challenged morality and the laws of humanity was born. It was cemented in lore and became a figurehead of horror. During the Halloween season, one is hard-pressed not to find him lurking around the corner. He is Frankenstein’s monster. Published in 1818, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” altered the landscape of English literature — bringing in a new age of storytelling that has stood the test of time. “It was a groundbreaking text — it deals with so many different issues,” Sharon Joffe, LU assistant professor of English and Mary Shelley scholar, said. “In the text, Victor Frankenstein has attempted to create life from dead body parts, something only God can do. “Even people who have never read the book know the story. Most people have some comprehension of what ‘Frankenstein’ is about.” When “Frankenstein” was originally published, with the appellant “or the Modern Prometheus,” it was published anonymously. Joffe said that there was speculation as to who had written it and that upon its release, it received negative reviews because of its subject matter. “The story of creating a human being from dead body parts was a way for Mary Shelley to work out some of her own feelings about the loss of her children, or the loss of her mother at a very young age,” she said. “This text can be analyzed on so many levels — Shelley shows us several elements of her childhood through the creature, rejection, her education, etc.” Shelley’s “Frankenstein” was developed during a perfect storm — literally. “She was in Switzerland with (her husband) Percy Shelley and her step-sister Claire Clairmont, in June 1816,” Joffe said. “They were in Geneva, and living close by for that particular summer was Lord Byron, the famous British poet, and his doctor, John Polidori. Because the weather was not good, they stayed inside.
Mary Shelley
“They entertained each other by reading ghost stories and then it evolved into, ‘Well, let’s create a competition and see who can tell his or her own ghost story.’ From that competition, ‘Frankenstein’ was born.” Shelley’s life influenced what she wrote about, Joffe said. “I’m sure some people are not really aware of her background — she was the daughter of two very famous writers and philosophers — Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin,” Joffe said. “She lost her mother at a very young age, like nine or 10 days old, and so she was brought up by her father, but with her mother’s educational principles. To me, the absent mother is so present in Shelley’s life. Within ‘Frankenstein,’ through the education of the creature, we see the kind of educational principles Mary Wollstonecraft actually recorded in her books.” The first edition of “Frankenstein” was published in 1818, and was republished in 1831 with some alterations. “There are not major differences between the two, but they are significant,” Joffe said. “Critic Anne Mellor has suggested that Shelley’s life experiences between the composition in 1818 and then the publication in 1831 — she’d lost a number of children, she’d lost her husband Percy Shelley – made her more pessimistic.” Joffe said the discovery of Shelley’s 1816 draft manuscript was monumental because readers were able to see the story from its inception. “They found it in the Bodleian library in Oxford, and Charles Robinson has actually given us the 1816 draft manuscript with both Mary and Percy’s notes, and then compiled Mary’s alone without Percy,” she said. “So now we have an even earlier draft of the 1818 text, which is incredible to see how the text has evolved.” Frankenstein’s monster has been a beloved movie antagonist since it was brought to the silver screen in 1910. Joffe said because of this, the creature has been able to live on in pop culture, especially during Halloween. “Shelley has given us one
Library to host ‘Frankenreads’ To commemorate the novel’s 200th anniversary, Lamar is hosting “Frankenreads — An International Celebration of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein,’” 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday, on the sixth floor of Gray Library. The event will feature a panel discussion about the text with presenters Sharon Joffe, LU assistant professor of English; Adrienne Blackwell-Starnes, LU assistant professor of English and Modern Languages; Amy Smith, LU associate professor of English and Modern Languages; and Brendan Gillis, LU assistant professor of history, as well as a showing of the the 1931 James Whale film version of “Frankenstein,” and a birthday cake. “There will be more than 500 institutions worldwide participating in ‘Frankenreads,’ and I’m excited that Lamar is one of them,” Joffe said. “I could be wrong, but I don’t think there’s been anything like this around the world, and it’s pretty groundbreaking.”
story, but then you have Boris Karloff, who acted in 1931 in the James Whale movie of ‘Frankenstein,’ and he acted as the monster in a certain way that changed the character,” she said. “I think the association with Halloween came about as a result of the 20th and 21st century, and the way the story has been taken by Hollywood. I think it’s very far removed from what Shelley intended.” Joffe said that “Frankenstein” is still relevant because of the underlying themes that deal with rejection, and nature vs. nurture. “The creature commits murders and does all sorts of horrible things at the end of the text, but at the beginning, all he wants is to be recognized by his father figure, Victor,” she said. “(The creature) is benevolent. He is kind. He wants to be recognized by Victor and Victor rejects him. It is that rejection that I think Shelley is really focusing on in this text. What are the effects of rejection? That’s a question we ask ourselves today. “In Shelley’s own life, she’s raised by her step-mother who did not like her, it was wellknown she didn’t like her. I think she felt that rejection from her step-mother and wrote that into ‘Frankenstein.’” The novel has inspired horror authors such as Stephen King, and became a major turning point in the gothic novel tradition popular at the time. “As a genre, horror has evolved,” Joffe said. “The gothic tradition transitioned into the horror genre, and Shelley was not the first to write in that tradition,
but because this is probably our first text that deals with creating new life out of something dead, it made a huge impact.” Joffe said that “Frankenstein” is a commentary on the society of Shelley’s day. “We have a character like Elizabeth who — after Caroline Frankenstein, the mother of Victor who’s killed off pretty early through scarlet fever — is now Victor’s future wife, but is also a very important character within that family, because Alphonse Frankenstein turns to her for assistance for help raising the younger children,” she said. “I think Shelley is talking about women’s rights — here we have this 19th-century society, and a woman like Elizabeth is relied upon to help Alphonse raise those children. “When Justine Moritz is accused of killing William, it’s Elizabeth who goes to the judges and pleads for Justine to be saved. She’s not successful, but she has a voice. Shelley is saying that there’s a place for women in society — there are important female characters and although they are living in the 19th century, she is asserting the importance of females within that society.” Victor Frankenstein may be a fictional character from the 1800s, but he represents characteristics that are still seen today, Joffe said. “That desire to create life — questioning what God should do — we still see that today,” she said. “It might be considered a flaw to question something that we don’t really have the answer
to, but there are other flaws Victor has. He’s indecisive. He doesn’t protect his family and he’s all about himself. He’s got a mission in life and he doesn’t really care what the ramifications are of that mission, even when the creature appeals to him, he listens but he doesn’t do anything. “He shows weakness because he knows that many of the evil deeds that have been done were done because he rejected the creature and didn’t reach out and say, ‘OK, what can we do to heal the rift between us?’ He’s extraordinarily selfish and that’s probably something we might recognize today.” Joffe said there are important lessons to take away from “Frankenstein,” even in 2018. “Shelley deliberately shows us the effects not only of an education, but also what society can do to people if we reject them,” she said. “She definitely presents us with this benevolent character in the creature, and then he changes because of what society has done to him. That, in-and-of-itself, is a lesson. “The takeaway of this text is to be kind, be nice and accepting of people.” Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” remains an ominous moral struggle between the living and dead, and where those two worlds intersect. It’s a story of sacrifice and self-reflection that has survived for two centuries and will be just as revered in two centuries more, Joffe said. Story package by Olivia Malick
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Thursday, October 25, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
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SPORTS
UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, October 25, 2018
UP graphic by Cassandra Jenkins
DECLAWED! Cardinals upset Bearkats, 41-23 Cade Smith UP staff writer
The Lamar football team defeated the no. 14 FCS-ranked Sam Houston State Bearkats, 41-23, Saturday, at Provost Umphrey Stadium. This marks the first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since the 2015 season when the Cardinals also defeated SHSU who were ranked third at the time. “It was a fun afternoon,” LU head coach Mike Schultz said. “This is probably the most complete game we have played to date. We did a nice job offensively. I must give credit to Dan Dodd and the offensive staff. “Sam Houston has a good offense with a fast group of kids, and we saw that. You have to give credit to our defensive staff, also. Troy Douglas and Cam Clark did a good job getting our guys ready to play, and they went out and executed.” In the first quarter, the Bearkats scored on their opening drive with a 37-yard pass from quarterback Ty Brock to receiver Davion Davis. However, the Cardinal defense blocked the PAT to give SHSU a sixpoint edge. The Cards answered back with a 31-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Elvin Martinez. The Lamar defense forced two threeand-outs before LU quarterback Darrel Colbert, Jr. was sacked, causing him to fumble the ball. SHSU lineman Spencer Williams recovered on the LU 22. The Bearkats scored with Brock passing to Davis from nine yards out to increase the lead to 10. Four minutes later, Brock was picked off by LU junior back Caleb Abrom to set up the LU offense. With the momentum from the interception, the Cardinals struck back when sophomore running back Miles Wanza scored from 17-yards out to end the
first quarter, 13-10, in SHSU’s favor. In the second quarter, the Lamar defense prevented Sam Houston from scoring, blocking a 28-yard field goal attempt by kicker Tre Honshtein. After the blocked kick, the Cardinals scored on a sevenplay, 80-yard drive that ended with Colbert calling his own number from 14-yards out to give Lamar the lead at the half, 17-13. In the third quarter, the Cardinals scored on their opening drive with a sixplay, 82-yard drive that ended with Colbert rushing from eight yards out. Colbert was injured on the play and taken off the field. “I wanted to come back into the game,” he said. “The coaches had made a decision to find out what was going on — they didn’t want to risk it or make the injuryworse.” Junior quarterback Jordan Hoy replaced Colbert. “There was no pressure coming from my part,” Hoy said. “I prepare myself each week to come into the game in the event of something happening like this. I saw Darrel go down, so I knew I needed to come in and run the offense. Darrel told me to keep it going and do what you can to run the offense.” The Lamar defense forced another three-and-out. On the next possession, the SHSU defense pressured the Cardinals, forcing Martinez to kick a 25-yard field goal to increase the lead, 27-13. Three minutes later, Sam Houston responded with a two-yard rush from running back Kyran Jackson. Sam Houston was back on the move, but the Lamar defense forced Honshtein to kick a 40-yard field goal to cut LU’s lead to four points. The Cardinals scored on a three-play, 75yard drive that ended with a 35-yard rush from Wanza to end the third, 34-23.
Myles Wanza, 22, runs the ball during the 41-23 victory against Sam Houston State at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Saturday.
In the fourth quarter, the Cardinal defense prevented the Bearkats from scoring. With less than five minutes remaining, the Cardinals scored on a five-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Hoy calling his own number to score from seven yards to complete the scoring. The Cardinals finished the day with 566 yards of total offense, with 435 of those coming from rushing. The Cardinal rushing attack was led by Wanza with 168 yards (11.2 yards a carry) and two touchdowns, and junior A.J. Walker who had 121 yards. Colbert had 12 carries for 63 yards and Hoy rushed for 33 yards. The remaining 131 yards came from passing, led by Hoy with 90 yards and Colbert with 41 yards. The Cardinal defense held Sam Houston to 382 yards, with only 79 yards rushing. The defensive effort was led by senior back Davon Jernigan, who ended the night with a team-high 16 tackles, including one for a loss. Senior back Rodney Randle, Jr. UP photo by Abigail Pennington had nine stops, and three pass breakups, LU’s Jordan Hoy, 8, runs the ball while dodging defenders just before scoring a touchdown, during the and senior back Lane Taylor had eight solo 41-23 win against Sam Houston State at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Saturday.
tackles. “We knew we had to keep them out of the end zone,” Jernigan said. “Coming into the game, we knew we had to keep them off the field on third downs.” The Cardinals will look to continue their two-game win streak as they travel to Nacogdoches to take on Stephen F. Austin, Saturday. This will be Lamar’s first trip to Nacogdoches since 2012. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium. The game can be heard on NewsTalk 560 KLVI, and is on ESPN+.
LU soccer defeats Islanders, 6-1 Cade Smith UP staff writer
The Lamar soccer team defeated the Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Islanders, 6-1, Sunday, at the LU Soccer Complex in their final home game of the season. The Lady Cards move to 11-4-2 (7-1-2 Southland Conference). “I feel great to get the win,” head coach Steve Holeman said. “To get six goals against a Southland Conference team is fantastic.
It was a nice win for us.” The Lady Cardinals struggled in the beginning of the game as the Islanders scored in the 21st minute when Dana Curtis took a pass from Reaghan Lang to shoot past keeper LU Sandra Nygard who was out of position after supporting the Cardinal attack. However, the Lady Cardinals struck back 15 minutes later when sophomore forward Lucy Ashworth dribbled the ball down the middle of the field, turned,
and fired the shot past Lady Islanders keeper Kyleigh Hall to make the score 1-1 at the half. “We were not very pleased with our performance in the first half,” Holeman said. “I have to give credit to A&M-Corpus Christi who came out aggressively. That goal that we allowed woke us up a bit, and though we managed to tie it up at half time we felt like we were not giving our best.” The Lady Cards returned in
the second half ready to play as they claimed their first lead when sophomore forward Madison Ledet found Ashworth on the left wing. She fired in a cross to senior forward Kelso Peskin to headed in from point-blank range. Lamar added to its lead 10 minutes later when Peskin fired it from 25yards out. The second half onslaught continued with two more goals in the next eight minutes. The first from Ledet on a pass from Pe-
skin, and the next from Peskin by a penalty kick. The final goal of the game came when midfielder Juliana Ocampo found the ball at her feet after Irene Saether’s shot deflected off Ali Hebert onto the cross bar. Saether and Hebert got the double assist. Peskin’s hat trick gave her a team-best 10 goals for the season, and 19 career goals. “We did really good second half,” she said. “In the first half, we made passes, but they kept intercepting them and playing around us. In the second half, we came guns blazing, and we just played for each other and our team. Coach Steve came out at halftime and told us, ‘Look, we have to pick up our game.’” The Lady Cards will close out the regular season Friday, when they travel to Lake Charles, La., to take on rival the McNeese State Cowgirls. The game will begin at 7 p.m. at Cowgirl Field.
UP photo by Ricky Adams
LU’s Kelso Peskin, 12, kicks the ball at Lamar University’s Women’s Soccer, 6-1, victory match against Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Sunday, at the LU Soccer Complex.
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Thursday, October 25, 2018 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
HOW TO HAVE A SPOOKY HALLOWEEN Haunted Hotel and Rosehill Asylum
Two attractions in one. Come see what lies within 5,000 square feet of insanity. We invite you to step inside the walls of the Rosehill Asylum where nothing is exactly as it seems. Our staff and patients are more than ready to show you around and experience the place they call home. Just when you think it’s over, you enter 6,000 square feet of the Haunted Hotel. The attraction is proud to be a family tradition for Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana, generation after generation and continues to bring a safe, but terrifying Halloween experience to guests. To keep spectators on their toes, there has been some added new features that will leave guests with chills and questioning their senses. Rosehill Asylum and the Haunted Hotel are open Friday-Saturday from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Sunday’s from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sept. 28 through Oct. 28, with special dates Oct. 29-31 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets include the price of both the hotel and asylum with general admission starting at $21.50. VIP fast pass starts at $29.50 and family 4 pack starts at $118.00.
Nightmare on Crocket Street
Downtown Beaumont is hosting its annual Halloween Party, Nightmare on Crockett Street, Saturday through Sunday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. The event, hosted by Dixie Dancehall, The Gig and Red Room, will host various parties with all different music formats. The event will also include a cash giveaway and prizes during the costume contest. Admission gets you into all three venues for $10. Must be 18 and older to enter this event.
Spindletop Spookfest
Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown will hold their annual event, “Spindletop Spookfest,” today at 5:30 p.m. The free event will include trick or treating through the boomtown buildings and fun activities for children young and old.
Lamar University students, Boy Scouts, and other community groups will lead children in games such as Halloween pong, stick horse racing, pumpkin bowling and other fun games. The event is open to the public and will include Kona Ice for anyone who wants to buy a sno-cone. This event will be held at 5550 Jimmy Simmons Blvd.
Beaumont PD Haunted Jail
Officers from the Beaumont Police Department’s specialized tactical units will be on hand to give away sweets, treats and safety tips at the Beaumont Civic Center, Oct. 31 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Beaumont Police Station Haunted Jail will also be open for tours in the basement of the police station.
Fall Festival
The Christian Fellowship church off of 3950 Pointe Pkwy in Beaumont will be holding a fall festival that includes free food and drinks, archery tag, knocker balls, a video game truck, sub zero ice cream, trunk or treat, cake walk, inflatables and more. The event goes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 31.
Trunk-or-Treat
Other local areas hosting trunk-ortreating events, Oct. 31, include the Brentwood Country Club from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Clairmont Community Nursing Home from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Haunted Heritage Happy Hour
Come wander the halls of this historic 1906 home with a one-of-a kind look into the past. Guests of all ages will enjoy a peek into the lives of departed Chambers family members portrayed by costumed actors for one night. Giglio Distributing Co. will be showcasing seasonal craft beer, with
UP photo by Abigail Pennington
LU senior, Morgan Collier, tries on different costumes, masks and props for her Halloween costume at Spirit Halloween, Tuesday. Spirit Halloween is located at 4450 Dowlen Rd. wine and non-alcoholic beverages also available. The event is free to Beaumont Heritage Members, $10 for non-members 21 and older, free for 21 and under. Event lasts from 5:30 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. Heritage Happy Hour is an on-going outreach program typically held every other month, with each event highlight-
ing an historical landmark, time, or exhibit, as well as craft beer, brewery or wine. The Heritage House believes that by promoting and sharing local history in a fun and social way, they can also promote the efforts to preserve Beaumont’s historical landscape. The Chambers House is located at 2240 Calder Ave.