UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 92, No. 8 October 29, 2015
LU email server to change, Monday Lainie Harris UP staff writer “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we’re swapping your email,” Dale Lack, Lamar University senior director of Enterprise Services, said. As of Tuesday, the university will move away from the Zimbra email system and switch to Microsoft Office 365,
Outlook and the Cloud, Lack said. “We’re going to take care of (students) getting a new email in Microsoft Office,” he said. “So, when you come in on Tuesday, anything you’re getting in email — whether it’s from the financial aid office or whoever is emailing you in (Zimbra) email — is going to start going into the Microsoft
Office 365 mail. Your Zimbra is just going to sit and never get anything new anymore.” Lack said students have the option to move old emails from Zimbra into Microsoft Office 365. However, students must transfer old emails themselves, he said, and if a student wants to move mail from Zimbra into Microsoft Office 365, they should do so by Dec. 15.
Instructions on transferring old emails can be found by visiting lamar.edu/luemail. Lack said students’ email addresses and passwords will remain the same. “So anybody that emails to you won’t know any difference,” he said. Students who currently See EMAIL page 3
BUILDING TO HOMECOMING
UP Kara Timberlake
William Shipp, left, and Faustino Cisneros work on the Student Engineering Council float for the Homecoming parade to be held, Nov. 6.
Week-long festivities lead up to Nicholls State game Kara Timberlake UP staff writer Lip sync battles, a bonfire and a treasure hunt — these are just some of the Homecoming 2015 festivities leading up to Lamar’s football game against Nicholls State University, Nov. 7. “There’s a new spirit around campus, and Homecoming week is a
great way for students to be a part of this experience,” Terry Mena, associate vice president and dean of students, said. “The hope this year is for us to encourage as many students as possible to participate in all of the events that are happening during Homecoming week. There’s a variety of opportunities that will be available for the students.” The week-long campus events
Challenge awards $8,000 for students’ business ideas Kyle Swearingen UP contributor The Big Idea challenge was held Saturday, with $8,000 awarded to five student winners by Dave Mulcachy, director of the Small Business Development Center. The challenge is an entrepreneurship competition where students develop ideas, and learn what it takes to put those ideas into practice. Mulcachy said students are challenged to think of ways to benefit others. Christopher Robertson placed first for his idea “Hands Down.” Second place was awarded to Manisha Patel for her “Portable
Water Filter.” Third place was chared by Darshil Patel for “Pulse Detonated Ramair Turbofan,” Gerald Landy for “Video 911” and Theja Roop Nagisetty for “Solar Energy Confluencer.” “One of the students this year, his idea was an app that once you got into your car it disengaged your phone so that you couldn’t text or call or anything else,” Mulcachy said. “That was the first prize winner.” Past prize winners of the Challenge have varied from trolling motor to quilts. “An individual took a trolling motor, put a screen See IDEA page 4
www.facebook.com/UPLamar
begin with Royal Court voting at 10 a.m., Monday, in the Setzer Student Center. T-shirts will be given away to voters. Throughout the week, footballs will be hidden around campus as part of the Cardinal Spirit Treasure Hunt. The footballs can be turned in for free Homecoming gear or turned in for the Student Organization Spirit Competition. The event is sponsored by
Lamar Alive! and students can check out the organization’s Facebook and Instagram accounts for the Clue of the Day. Also on Monday, a Homecoming kickoff pep rally will be held at 11 a.m. in the Quad. “We will have partners from our division there promoting their upSee HOMECOMING page 2
LU celebrates National French Week Kara Timberlake UP staff writer In observation of National French Week, Lamar University will host a variety of events, Wednesday through Nov. 10. “This is the first time Lamar is participating in National French Week, so I’m keeping it low scale and hoping to build it from there,” French instructor Caitlin Duerler said. “I am interested in organizing something like this because French is a subject I am extremely passionate about, and Lamar supported me when I was an undergraduate here.” Duerler said she believes Lamar is a good place for students to explore French culture. “We’re in an ideal location with the presence of French and Cajun culture from Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas,” she said. “America has a lot of business interests with France especially, in this region with the petroleum plant Total. Also, French is very
UP Kara Timberlake
French Circle president, Ashley Norton, left, and French instructor, Caitlin Duerler, reanact a pose from the French movie “Une Femme est Une Femme.” far-reaching. It’s not solely spoken in France.” National French Week will kick off with the French Film Fest XXVIII, presented by the French Circle, Wednesday at 7 p.m. in 103 Communications Building. “We’re showing the 2012 film ‘Les Intouchables,’ which won an
www.lamaruniversitypress.com
award and shows a different perspective of Paris,” Duerler said. “It challenges race, social status and things like that, but it’s also really heartwarming. As part of French Film Fest, there will be films showing every Wednesday See FRENCH page 3
www.twitter.com/UPLamar
INSIDE
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Thursday, October 29, 2015 University Press
HOMECOMING coming Homecoming events such as Glow Zumba, which will be put on by Rec Sports,� Kiet Le, associate director of student activities and civic engagement, said. Students will be able to drink “Big Red Floats� and Rao’s will provide LU cookies. There will be a Homecoming photo booth provided by Career and Professional Development, and there will also be photo opportunities with the spirit teams. During Homecoming kickoff, University Advancement will give out free Tshirts to students who have filled their “Phil the Pig,� a red piggy bank that serves as LU’s philanthropy mascot. “The donations that come from the filled pigs will buy recycle bins for LU classrooms,� Angie Kannada, development specialist, said. “After students bring their full pigs and dump the contents into a container, they will get their pigs back, receive a free T-shirt and ring a bell. We will take their names and keep track of them so that the students become official donors to Lamar University.� Monday’s events conclude with the “Are You Smarter Than a Professor?� game show, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the SSC Ballroom. Royal Court voting continues Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities that day include the Greek vs. Faculty basketball game in the Montagne Center, starting at 5:30 p.m., and the Red vs. White Cardinal basketball scrimmage at 7 p.m. Wednesday will commence a day of service, beginning with the 19th annual
Page 2
“The true use of speech is not so much to express our wants as to conceal them.� — Edward Gibbon
from page 1
Setzer Student Center food drive kickoff at 11 a.m. in the Quad, and followed by Holiday Cards for the Community at 1 p.m. in the SSC Arbor. The day’s events will conclude with the “Be The Match� Donor Packet Competition, 6 p.m., in the SSC Ballroom. “Every year we strive to collect that year’s amount in canned goods, so this year we are striving to raise 2,015 canned goods items,� Le said. “Right after our first event, we will have thousands of holiday cards for students to complete to send to the military, nursing homes and anyone in the community who is willing to accept them. Later, we’re going to host an event where students can help us package donor packets for “Be The Match� (a bone marrow collection program) to use.� On Thursday, Bubble Soccer, Bongoball Mania and a Human Hamster Ball Race will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ty Terrell Track and Art Building lawn. Other activities include Glow Zumba at 6:35 p.m., in McDonald Gym, and a Lip Sync Battle at 8 p.m., in the SSC Ballroom. Friday activities kick off with the Road to Victory at 11 a.m., in the Quad. A bonfire and concert featuring D and
Chi will be held at 7 p.m. at the Spindletop Field. Float Build Night will begin immediately after the concert at 9 p.m. in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center parking lot. Interested parties must complete the OrgSync form to participate in the float building. “We’re trying something new this year, and we are squaring off the Rec parking lot to allow student organizations to build their floats,� Mena said. “They can stay out there all night. We will have security, and we will provide music and food.� Game day celebrations begin at 10 a.m. at the City Spindletop-Gladys Boomtown Museum where there will be a Lucas Gusher reenactment at 11 a.m. The Dishman Art Museum will be open from noon to 4 p.m. featuring photographer Eliot Dudik’s prints from two recent series, “Broken Land� and “Still Lives.� The Homecoming Parade begins at 1 p.m., featuring area high school bands, the LU marching band, the Showcase of Southeast Texas, LU Cheer and Dance teams, student organization floats and more. The parade route will begin at the corner of Jimmy Simmons Boulevard and East Lavaca Street and will travel east on Lavaca and south on
the MLK feeder. After the parade, Cardinal Fan Fest, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Wimberly Parking Lot E-2, will feature a live band, local food trucks, alumni spirit station with face painting, Pint Jockeys craft beer testing and fan gear giveaways. An Art Extravaganza will be held in the Art Building featuring a free workshop for all ages, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a Fun Zone featuring outdoor games, face painting and balloon art, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Vernon Glass Field of Champions. The football team, marching band and spirit teams will participate in the Walk of Champions from the Setzer Student Center to Dauphin Athletic Complex at 3:30 p.m. The Bryce Shaver Band will provide entertainment during tailgating from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Parking Lot A5 near the Montagne Center. Alumni tailgating will be held at the Montagne Center porch from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Advance reservation and payment are required. Completing the week of celebration, the Homecoming game against Nicholls State University is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Mena advises students to get their tickets early. “The earlier you can get them, the better,� he said. “(Past games) have had record attendance, and that’s only going to grow. We encourage students to help us reach a new height of student attendance and reach well beyond the number of 3,800 students in the stands.� For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/home coming.
NOTICE
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.
CALENDER October 29
Advising begins for Winter Mini and Spring 2016 LU Theatre Presents Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Studio Theatre 7:30 p.m.
Undergraduate Research Faculty Talk
Landes Auditorium, Galloway 3:30 - 5 p.m.
October 30
Quality Enhancement Plan Topic Proposal Workshop
Gray Library, 6th Floor 2 - 4 p.m.
Gulf Coast Reads: On the same page
Gray Library, 8th Floor 2 - 3 p.m.
LU Theatre Presents Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Studio Theatre 7:30 p.m.
October 31
LU Theatre Presents Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Studio Theatre 7:30 p.m.
November 1
LU Theatre Presents Mrs. Warren’s Profession
Studio Theatre 2 p.m.
November 3
Last day for undergrads to apply/pay for Dec 2015 graduation
5HV HU YH \RXU DGV QRZ
7KH 8QL YHU V L W \ 3U HV V Âś I HDW XU H PDJD] L QH 83EHDW ZL O O SXEO L V K RQ 1RYHPEHU
/DPDU 8QL YHU V L W \ ZL O O F HO HEU DW H +RPHF RPL QJ ZL W K F DPSXV HYHQW V W KU RXJKRXW W KH ZHHN RI 1RYHPEHU ZL W K W KH W KHPH &DU GL QDO V 6W U RQJ 3DV W 3U HV HQW )XW XU H
6KRZ W KH F RPPXQL W \ W KDW \RXU EXV L QHV V V XSSRU W V /DPDU 8QL YHU V L W \ DF DGHPL F V DQG DW KO HW L F V D GY HU W L V L QJ#O D PD U XQL Y HU V L W \ SU HV V F RP
UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, October 29, 2015
Page 3
Hollywood actor to present one-man show STEVENS TO CONDUCT MASTER CLASS, NOV. 6 Haley Bruyn UP staff writer Everyone has a story or two. Chambers Stevens has a 100 or more — and he loves to share them. Stevens, Hollywood acting coach, actor and playwright, will perform his one-man show, “It’s Who You Know,” in Lamar University’s Studio Theatre, Nov. 6 and 7. Tickets are $5 for Lamar students with valid ID, and $15 for the public. Stevens will also conduct a master class for students at 1 p.m., Nov. 6, in the Studio Theatre. The class is open to all students regardless of major. “We hope students from across the campus will take advantage of this great opportunity,” Joel Grothe, assistant professor in the department of theatre and dance, said. “We’re really excited to have him teaching this class.” In “It’s Who You Know,” Stevens has a thick stack of 100 index cards with famous peoples’ names written on each one, and each corresponds to a real-life story about the time he met that person but he won’t know which stories he’s telling until he takes the stage. “I shuffle all the cards and grab about 25. I throw them in this box and the rest get thrown on the floor,” he said. “So each time you come to the show, there could be different true celebrity stories I tell. Some are really touching, some are funny — they have different qualities.” Chambers has no shortage of celebrity encounters to pull from. “I was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, right in the middle of country music land,” he said. “Johnny Cash was the sponsor of my little league baseball team, I lived next to the Mandrell sisters and Roy Orbison lived down the street from me.
“Many times in my life, I’ve been at the cool moment where someone famous has started. Then I moved to Los Angeles, and you can imagine all of the people I met there.” Stevens’ own life inspired him to create this unique play. “In L.A., I’ve done a number of one-man shows, and I’ve toured them around different cities — I was looking for a different oneman show,” he said. “I wanted to think of something really interesting and exciting that would be fun for the audience, because a lot of times, people come (to my performances) more than once. “It’s always weird to do exactly the same jokes if I see the same people in the audience.” Stevens decided the best way to avoid the weirdness was to ensure he never performed the same show twice. “I thought it would be really cool if I did a one-man show about all the different celebrities I’ve fought with, teased, coached — all the cool people I’ve worked with and ran into,” he said. To motivate himself to perfect the play, Stevens contacted his friend and Southeast Texas native, Ramona Young, to help him arrange a debut performance. “I have an acting studio in Los Angeles so for ten different weeks I invited people to come watch me perform the play, kind of like a workshop,” he said. “About a month and a half before I was supposed to come to Texas I realized, ‘Oh my god — everybody in my studio are people that love me, and when I go to Texas, people aren’t going to know me — maybe the stories don’t work for people who don’t know me.’ Stevens arranged preview performances to test the waters in Denver and Phoenix. He learned how important it was to clarify that his stories actually happened. “When I was in Phoenix, I forgot to mention that the stories were true and people thought that I stood there for an hour and ten minutes and made everything up,” he said. With all of the kinks ironed out, Stevens debuted his show in Beaumont, kicking off the play’s tour.
“Since then I’ve been to places like Montana and St. Louis, and I did a performance in L.A. — I just got back from Memphis,” he said. “Actually, I got the award for critics choice in Memphis, and I got critics choice also in St. Louis — and the tour itself got critics choice from Broadwayworld.com.” Stevens said he is excited to be returning to Beaumont. “I really like the people there,” he said. “They are smart, and they get things really fast, and the food is fantastic. The last show that I brought there sold out, so — I like going to places where my shows sell out.” Grothe said Stevens’ unique and expert brand of storytelling will delight the audience. “I saw the show when he did it
in Beaumont before, and he’s kind of re-worked it somewhat,” he said. “It’s great. He’s a great storyteller. You get a very unique perspective of how he’s been successful in his career.” Young, artistic director of Divergent Theater, who is producing the play, met Stevens by chance at an acting conference in New Orleans, said she is excited to have her friend back in town. “I feel incredibly fortunate that fate has lined up in such a way that I’ve developed this friendship with Chambers,” she said. “He’s a prince among men — just so generous and talented. He’s helped me so much personally, that I’m glad I have the chance to pay it back to him — or even, pay it forward by sharing him with my community.
“I’m just tickled pink.” Stevens said Lamar is the ideal venue. “This show is perfect for a college campus, because people in college love to hear about celebrities,” Stevens said. “It’s a great show for young people to come see. A lot of the reasons I’m a successful acting coach, or playwright or actor are because of the people that I met. “When I met them, sometimes I did the right thing, and sometimes I made a mistake — and, you know, these are stories about how sometimes these things pay off and how sometimes they don’t. But the overall theme is that miracles happen. Look for a miracle.” For tickets, visit www.diver genttheater.com.
from Briefcase in their Zimbra email which enables users to store documents online. Students can save their contacts from Zimbra by downloading them as a CSV file. Instructions on saving data from Briefcase, as well as downloading contacts, can be found by visiting lamar.edu/luemail. “Our hope is that students can go to this (link), walk through it, and have no questions,” Jones said. The LU information technol-
ogy services team will be available in the Setzer Student Center, Nov. 3 and 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., to help students setup the new email on devices and transfer old emails. “Some students have their mail going to their phones,” Lack said. “If they have it going to their phone, within a minute, we can have it hooked up going to your phone — in other words, to where your phone actually downloads the mail.” Jones said the IT team does-
n’t want students to think something is malfunctioning with their Lamar email. “We know we have a lot of online students — people living all over the state — and they’re not going to be on campus in the Setzer Center,” he said. “So we’re going to have a marketing campaign. There are going to be things splashed out on lamar.edu, we’re going to put announcements on Blackboard and we’re going to put announcements on self service
banner.” Lack said the students are the first to transition to the Microsoft Office 365 email service. Faculty and staff are scheduled for the switch in late February. “We wanted to divide it and have some separation in between, to make sure we support all of the students, and get them up and going without a problem,” he said. For any questions about the upcoming email transition, visit lamar.edu/luemail.
from page 1
have their Zimbra email forwarded to another personal email account will have to reset the forward once the transition occurs. “I think the main thing that the students need to know is that none of their data from Zimbra is coming over to the new mailbox — it’s a clean slate,” Carol Jones, LU application system administrator, said. Jones said students are able to download their saved data
FRENCH
from page 1
evening in November except before Thanksgiving.” French Circle president Ashley Norton said National French Week provides the opportunity to educate the community. “This gives us the opportunity to share with others about the French culture, history and the overall language itself,” she said. “When you’re passionate about something, you want to share it with everybody. “We know our heritage, but we don’t know it. We know who we are, but we don’t know what makes us who we are. It’s interesting to celebrate a heritage that is popular where we are from.” The week’s events will continue Nov. 5 with a French history presentation at 2 p.m. on the sixth floor of Gray Library. “Dr. Rebecca Boone, a history professor on campus, will be speaking about Henry IV and religious violence,” Duerler said. “Her knowledge of French has helped her to read primary sources and secondary sources in French to aid her in her research.” On Friday, a “Swingin’ Sixties” French Fête and Costume Party will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the sixth floor of the library. Duerler said she encourages students to come dressed in their best Frenchthemed outfits. A $100 Amazon gift card will be awarded for the best costume and
there will be food and door prizes. “This party will give us a chance to come together and celebrate the French culture,” she said. French professor Kenneth Rivers said that National French Week has more significance in the local area than in the rest of the country. “It’s part of the heritage of our students,” he said. “In Jefferson County, for example, we have a population that is roughly 25 percent Creole or Cajun. Lots of our students had grandparents and great-grandparents that spoke only French. I think we’re fortunate here that we have that cultural diversity, and that students are interested in learning about the language and culture that means something to them personally.” The French Circle will host a bake sale Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the main entrance of the Maes Building. “We are starting our macaroon campaign,” Duerler said. “This is an opportunity for us to raise funds for our upcoming summer study abroad trip in Paris.” The week’s events will conclude with a Paris study abroad informational meeting with study abroad director Jeff Palis and associate art professor Richard Gachot at 2 p.m., Nov. 10, in 206 Setzer Student Center. For more information, email ceduerler@lamar.edu.
Study abroad Paris trip to study French culture Kara Timberlake UP staff writer Students can learn more about studying abroad in Paris at an informational meeting at 2 p.m., Nov. 10, in 206 Setzer Student Center. Study abroad director Jeff Palis, French instructor Caitlin Duerler and associate art professor Richard Gachot, who is offering an art study abroad trip in Paris, will attend the meeting. “I felt like there was a need for this kind of trip,” Duerler said. “When I graduated with my degree in French, they weren’t offering the kind of study abroad courses that were applicable to my major or that I was interested in. In the past, the French department has had tours abroad or students have sought out study abroad programs on their own. Since Jeff Palis has been here, he’s really been pushing study abroad, and he’s been very helpful in helping me organize this trip.” Duerler said she encourages students to sign up early to apply for scholarships. “There are local scholarships
and funding opportunities for students,” she said. “Everybody that does study abroad is getting $500. If students start early, they can take advantage of finding the most funding possible.” The study abroad program has received a widespread, positive response, Dueler said. “People from all backgrounds – – from engineering to modern languages to sociology — are interested,” she said. “Students will go to Paris where they’ll be taking language classes and doing excursions as part of the cultural aspect of the class. However, students are going to have time to develop their own projects for the course as well as have time to explore the city. “My main thing about study abroad is that it is not just about going to Paris to see Paris. It’s also about navigating a city, gaining skills, being confident to travel on your own or to places where you may not be familiar with the language or the culture.” For more information, email ce duerler@lamar.edu.
Page 4
Thursday, October 29, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
Lightbulb Moments puts a twist on tutoring Ryan Ruffaner UP contributor Lightbulb Moments Enrichment and Tutoring, a new tutoring center in Port Neches created by Lamar Honors alumni and Mirabeau recipient Katherine LaFleur, strives to improve tutoring by employing college students to teach a wide range of subjects. Students with math-focused careers are preferred, but they hire English and reading tutors, too. When LaFleur was six months pregnant going into her first semester of college in 2013, she developed the tutoring sessions that evolved into Lightbulb Moments. “Not that I ever thought that anything between my husband and I would happen, but I wanted to be independent,” she said. “I wanted to be able to provide for myself in case something did happen. I never expected it would become a business.” LaFleur earned her degree in speech and hearing sciences and is now working on a master’s in speech language pathology. Her mother was a math teacher for 20 years. “It’s just genes, I guess,” LaFleur said. “I’ve always been good at math even though it’s not something I’d want to pursue as a career. I started tutoring in the math field because that’s the main subject people need help with.” She began tutoring a few neighborhood kids at her dining room table for a few hours each week. As she gained more students, the dining room table would no longer suffice.
IDEA
“The fall of 2014, we opened the backroom attached to our garage, and I set it up like a classroom — I had one employee,” she said. “Before the second semester was over I had two employees. By the end of last year I had four employees.” Lightbulb Moments opened commercially for the first time in August. LaFleur said the jump from a residential business in her home to a commercial business in an actual building has been a huge adjustment, particularly learning how to organize records of payments and schedule an ever-increasing number of new students. “Right now we have about 65 students, and we gain an average of four students per week,” she said. “I get very little sleep, but I have a great support system and I’ve always been very driven and organized. I’ll figure out a way to make it work.” LaFleur said the business has grown through word of mouth, and has recently expanded to include reading, science, and history, as well as some college subjects like college algebra, precalculus, calculus, and statistics. They also proofread college essays and do ACT and SAT practice. LaFleur said the tutors connect with the students on a personal level, and she has found that the best tutors are college students. “My college students are the most fresh in all these topics,” she said. “They’ve taken classes over the topics. They can do it and they have the time, the will, and the passion, whereas adults have jobs already, or families. I think
our students connect better with younger students than a teacher they might see in school.” The majority of the tutors are going to be teachers so they already have an instinct and passion for teaching, LaFleur said. “The other main group I have is engineers, because they can do the higher-level math.” Tutor Samantha Reichardt, a senior education major at Lamar, said the small, personalized atmosphere is one of the best aspects of Lightbulb Moments. “It’s very comfortable there,” she said. “It’s not informal to the point of being unprofessional, but it’s informal to where it’s comfortable and the students are comfortable asking other people for questions.” Tutors are assigned to students based on a pre-assessment called ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces), which uses the theory of knowledge spaces to develop a combinatorial understanding of the topics a student does or does not understand based on their answers to the questions. LaFleur said it’s adaptive and personalized, with the ability to figure out what students did right and what they need to work on based on the steps they took to get their answer. “Our tutors also go through the same pre-assessment as our students and we hold them to a higher standard of capability,” she said. “We also go based off their personalities and sometimes what the parents say.” LaFleur said she does her best to suit the tutor to the student. “If they’re not connecting, we re-evaluate,” she said. “But if a
from page 1
on the front, then a cone around the propeller which captured the vortex and threw it out the back, which made the trolling motor a little more cost effective,” Mulcachy said. “One year, somebody was doing quilts made out of T-shirts. You have a favorite T-shirt that you can’t wear anymore, she cuts out the logo and puts it into the quilt along with other T-shirts.” Mulcachy got the idea for the challenge from a competition held at Texas A&M
each spring. “I went up there about six years ago to take a look at what they do and how they do it, and on the way back we decided it would be a good idea to start something like that,” he said. “We have been doing it for the past five years. “What we are trying to do is to provide arenas for the students of Lamar University to excel, and the only way they can excel is be getting out of their own boxes.”
UP Ryan Ruffaner
LU Alumna, Katherine LaFleur tutors students, Monday. student really clicks with a tutor, I’ll make sure they go to that tutor every week.” Lightbulb Moments provides supplemental problems and worksheets that relate to the students’ current curriculum in school, LaFleur said. They also work on weak areas that are identified through the ALEKS assessment.
Lightbulb Moments is located at 1720 Magnolia Ave. in Port Neches. The cost of tutoring changes depending on the need or the service. For more information, visit the Lightbulb Moments Enrichment and Tutoring Facebook page, call 344-0810, or email tutoring@lightbulbmoments.us.
Editor Lauren Van Gerven pulls the strings so you get best coverage of campus and sports news
courtesy Image
Christopher Robertson accepts his first place award for his idea “Hands Down” from Small Business Development Bureau director, Dave Mulcachy, Saturday.
>\k gX` [ k f \Xk
N\ j _fg X c fZXc D\o` ZXe i \j k Xli Xek Xe[ e\\[ dpj k \i p j _fgg\i j k f [` e\& XZk Xj efi dXc Zlj k fd\i j % 8] k \i nXi [j # pfl n` c c ] ` c c flk X i \gfi k fec ` e\ XYflk pfli m` j ` k ` e \oZ_Xe^\ ] fi pfli d\Xc i \` dYli j \d\ek lg k f X dXo Xdflek % N\ _Xm\ _le[i \[j f] Zc ` \ek j _fk \c j # k _\Xk i \j # [` e` e^# i \k X` c Xe[ Xi \ X d\dY\i f] k _\ 999 Xe[ k _\ DJG8% K _\i \ ` j ef Zfj k k f j ` ^e lg% <dX` c j Z_\[lc ` e^7X$ Zc fj \i $ c ffb% Zfd ] fi dfi \ ` e] f%
Daylight Savings Ends Sunday, Nov. 1 Set your clocks back!
UNIVERSITY PRESS 6W XGH QW RU JDQL ] DW L RQV 7KL V DG F RXO G EH \ RXU V
%X\ W ZR DGY H U W L V H PH QW V JH W RQH I U H H 7KU H H [ DGV I RU RU RQH I RU &KH F N 2U J6\ QF I RU PRU H GH W DL O V
5
HALLOWEEN
UNIVERSITY PRESS October 29 2015
Spooky or Cheery? The real intention of ‘The Nightmare before Christmas’ Lane Fortenberry UP contributor Why is it they get to spread laughter and cheer, While we stalk the graveyards, spreading panic and fear? Well, I could be Santa, and I could spread cheer! Why does he get to do it year after year? Jack Skellington had the right idea, but went about it in the wrong way. He just wanted to bring joy to Halloween Town, but kidnapping Santa won’t accomplish anything. With all the stealing and giving of macabre gifts to the small children of Christmas Town, since its 1993 release, people have debated whether “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie. The answer is pretty clear. It’s a Halloween
Sally
movie — no question. It is easy to see how some people could say Skellington was trying to get into the Chrismtas spirit, spreading joy and giving gifts to make people happy rather than scaring them. The argument for the animated classic being a Christmas movie would be that it gets the viewer into the Christmas spirit. However, with a mere 11 scenes involving either Christmas Town or Santa, it’s hard to believe Christmas was the real intent of the original poem by Tim Burton or the film’s director Henry Selick. The main theme of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is Halloween. It’s centered in Halloween Town and the residents make up a majority of the movie. We see ghosts, ghouls, corpses and skeletons throughout. Oogie Boogie, the keeper of Santa, is almost like Krampus or the devil. Jack Skellington actually kidnaps Santa, which is a bit of an evil thing to do on Christmas. Where does all the evil in the world belong? It belongs to Halloween. Nicki Michalski, associate professor of communication, said the movie is really about both Christmas and Halloween. “The whole concept behind the movie is that Jack is jealous because Santa gets more attention and is more loved,” she said. “I don’t think you can really say it is either/or. It is thought-provoking. “There’s a lot in there about pointing out the commercialization of our holidays and our cultural life events, and how it’s sort of taken them into a different realm of what their original intention was. The overall point of the movie is that both perspectives are valid and all of these events are important. It’s all worthwhile and we deserve to be recognized for who we are.” Lamar alumni Hayden Gilbert, who earned his degree in film, has a different opinion. “You can watch the film from October all the way through December,” he said. “It plays well to all themes for Hal-
loween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, ultimately, it is a Halloween movie. “It starts with Halloween, it ends with Halloween. The atmosphere and aesthetics are permeated with a child’s view of the holiday. It’s about acceptance of worlds and views other than the ones you were raised and brought up by. It’s about cherishing your traditions, but also developing a greater perspective.” The point Tim Burton and Henry Selick are trying to get across is that one can’t combine holidays. Christmas is Christmas and Halloween is Halloween. Santa is meant for giving and Jack Skellington is meant for scaring. Jack fails at trying to be Santa and realizes being the Pumpkin King is his rightful job. The key word in “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is “Before,” because the movie is ultimately about the holiday before Christmas. At the end of the day, one thing that everyone can agree on is that the film is a classic. Burton’s twisted vision permeates every single stop-motion frame, and the film features classic songs, as well as a beautiful love story between Jack and Sally. The last word should go to director Selick. At the Telluride Horror Show festival on Oct. 17, a fan asked what the movie was about. “It’s a Halloween movie,” he said. The debate is settled.
Jack Skellington
Remembering the dead Stormie Hughes, Houston senior, looks at one of the sugar skulls on display at the Day of the Dead altar in the Setzer Student Center, Oct. 27. Student organizaions have decorated altars to commemorate Dia de los Muertes, the Hispanic Day of the Dead celebration. The event celebrates ancestors that have passed on and helps support their spiritual journey. Photos by Josh Aych
Make the ‘kid-you’ proud
Don’t get me wrong, I completely respect the potato and all of its starchy goodness — but, can I say the same for the sexy costume it has inspired? Not so much. To my disappointment, I realized that the ad for the “sexy potato” costume was just a photoshop that happened to appear on Reddit. The fake costume was made by online user/comedian Obvious Plant, and though I’m sure that the intentions for the costume were strictly humorous with little or no hidden symbolism, it inspired me to try to find some underlying message. This day and age — as a male college student — I’ve got Halloween down: dress as someone or something you like. What’s that, you say? That’s what
Commentary
Trevier Gonzalez
you’re supposed to do? Wrong. At least, that’s what society tells you. When I say “society,” I’m not talking about the occasionally dark, cruel place known as social media — I’m talking about the people you interact with on a daily basis. Flashback to the year 2000: my first Halloween in kindergarden. You know what I wanted to be? Something scary. Did I like scary? Of course not — but I had a certain image I had to maintain because, well, elementary school logic, I suppose. Five-year-old me ended up being the only boy without a scary costume, decked out as a non-threatening, custom-made gumball machine. I suppose my parents thought “cute” was the way to go, and considering that my five-year-old self was still unfamiliar with English, I really couldn’t argue. The significance of this, however, was that at the age of five I still somewhat-rationally made a decision based on outside influences — even though I had little to no interest in that costume. Sure, you might say my example is elementary. Well that’s because it is. Literally. Let’s try a movie. “In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say
anything else about it.” — Cady Heron Even though “Mean Girls” is about high-school girls, this line delivered by Lindsey Lohan still holds some truth. If you can recall the Halloween scene, it plays out like this. The main character, Cady, goes to a party, hosted by the “Plastics.” Assuming that their interpretation of how Halloween is celebrated will be similar to her own, Cady finds contrasting realities begin to collide, and that the one with the most support usually survives. Even though Cady is dressed as an undead bride and totally nails the costume, she is discouraged due to being different — being scary. Joke all you want about wanting to dress up as the sexy potato, a sexy pizza, or a sexy Barney (yes, it is a thing), but speaking as the woman I am not, I feel our choices are a combination of both the influences of people who interact with us and the media that we see. These factors severely influence us to skim over the thought process of what we choose to dress up as. It’s almost as if — in some situations — we choose to sacrifice our own modesty for the sake of being accepted by others. This isn’t to assume that all females go through the stage of wanting to dress up as a sexy mouse, nor is it meant to alienate those who choose to rock their sexy lumberjack costume. If that’s what you feel like wearing, go for it.
It’s more targeted to those who choose their costumes as a result of peer and societal pressures. My advice is simple — just do what “kid-you’’ would want; make her proud. Go as something or someone you like and are comfortable with. Maybe even scare a child or two if you feel up to it. But whatever you choose, make sure that it’s part of your reality. Trevier Gonzales is a UP Contributor
‘THIS IS WHAT
Page 6
Thursday, October 29, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
LU basketball hoping to build on last year’s turnaround season Grant Crawford UP sports editor @GrantLamarUP While some Southeast Texans are excited for the upcoming Halloween, the only thing Tic Price is focusing on is the start of the 201516 basketball season. The head coach is in his second full year at Lamar, after taking over as interim coach in 2013-14, and said basketball season can’t come quick enough. “Basketball is my life,” Price said. “It’s the fabric of which I’m made of. This is what we live for.” He points to a sign on his desk that reads, “We interrupt this marriage, to bring on the basketball season.” “That’s the way it is at my house,” he said. “I have a strong passion. When October hits, I know it’s about time to throw it up. So, I get really excited for basketball season.” Price said that he’s not the only one excited. “Even our players seem excited to get started,” he said. “(Practice) gets old. They bang against each other for a month, or two, and they want to play against new blood.” This year, the Cards return after finishing 15-15 overall last season, and 9-9 in the Southland Conference. The team is currently preparing for their first bit of action, when they play the Red vs. White scrimmage, Tuesday, in the Montagne Center. Price said that right now he is focusing on getting the team ready, and especially focusing on the incoming freshmen. “You have to have the physical stamina,” he said. “You have to be in that weight room lifting. It’s an adjustment. They don’t understand. They’re not going to grade 13, they’re in college and in division one.
Cardinals Schedule Date Opponent Time Nov. 3 Red vs. White 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Nov. 13 Austin College Nov. 16 @ Fresno State 9 p.m. Nov.21 @ Delaware State 11 a.m. Nov.25 @ Rice 7 p.m. 2 p.m. Nov. 29 California Riverside Dec. 2 Texas-Rio Grande Valley 7 p.m. Dec. 5 Idaho State 8 p.m. Dec. 12 @ Liberty 1 p.m. Dec. 13 @ Virginia Tech 2 p.m. Noon Dec. 18 Jarvis Christian Dec.21 Texas Lutheran 7 p.m. Dec. 29 Howard Payne 7 p.m. Jan. 2 @ Nicholls 3:30 p.m. Jan. 4 New Orleans 7:30 p.m. 4 p.m. Jan. 9 @ Central Arkansas Jan. 11 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Jan.16 Northwestern State Jan. 18 @ Southeastern Louisiana 7 p.m. Jan. 23 Houston Baptist 4:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Jan. 25 Stephen F. Austin Jan. 30 @ Abilene Christian 4 p.m. Feb. 1 Sam Houston State 7 p.m. Feb. 6 UIW 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 Abilene Christian 7 p.m. Feb. 15 @ Houston Baptist 7 p.m. Feb. 20 @ McNeese State 3 p.m. 7 p.m. Feb. 22 Stephen F. Austin Feb. 27 @ UIW 4:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Feb. 29 McNeese State Mar. 3 @ Sam Houston State 6:30 p.m. Mar. 9-13 SLC Tourney TBA “In division one, you have to learn to challenge the challenge, because they’re going to be challenged. So we’ll find out the true personality once we get smacked in the mouth.” Of the mix of newcomers this season, the Cards have acquired six freshmen, and two junior college transfers. All of whom Price expects to make a contribution this season. “Right now it looks like we can play eight to 10 guys,” he said. “So, those new guys will have a chance
Coach Tic Price watches LU practice in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Center.
Freshmen Boaz Williams, left, and Josh Nzeakor take a breather during LU basketball practice in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, Friday. Junior transfer Christian Kennedy, right, takes a jump shot during practice.
to hit the floor, and they will definitely mature by the time we get to midseason. I’ve got to go into the lab and mix up the different ingredients, and come out with something really good.” One of Price’s new “ingredients” this year, is Port Arthur freshman Dorian Chatman, who was named the Southland Conference Preseason Freshman of the Year earlier this month. In high school, he was ranked as high as No. 16 in the state. “I think Dorian has a high ceiling and a bright future ahead of him,” Price said. “If he continues to work hard, he can become a very special player in this league. Chatman is probably one of our most promising freshmen.” Also joining the team this year, is freshmen Nick Garth out of Houston, who is ranked among the top-10 players in the state at his position out of high school. “I think Nick has really been knocking down his shot,” Price said. “He gives us a threat on the perimeter, and he can play the one, or two. He’s a versatile player.” Of the seven returners from last season, senior Dontavious Sears, who led the team in scoring off of the bench, has high expectations. “I want to win a lot of awards, and be a real part of the offense,” he said. “I want to do big things, like knocking down big shots. I want to be the go-to guy this year.” Lamar’s .500 season was recognized as the 11th best single-season turnaround in the nation by College Sports Madness. “That’s the plan, to make progress every year,” Price said. “When I took the job, I knew what I was hired to do, and that was to win — help change the culture — and we’re continuing to do that. “We’re not there, yet. You can’t take the elevator to the top, sometimes you got to take the stairs. So,
we’re building step by step, and eventually we’ll get to the top.” While Price is looking for small steps in the program’s progress, forward Sears is hoping to make giant leaps. “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he said. “We had a good season last year, but we’re trying to turn the tide more this year — be better than .500. We want to win 20plus games this year.” Also returning for his final season, is senior LeMon Gregory. Gregory played in 27 games last season, starting 12. This year he’s looking to make a greater contribution. “It’s my last year, so I’m trying to win a championship,” he said. “I want to be a bigger part of it. For some of us, this is our last go around. So, us seniors have to do everything we can to try and win a championship this year.”
Dorian Chatman
See CARDINALS page 8
Senior LeMon Gregory (left) guards freshman Terrance Hubby during practice in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, Friday.
UP photos by Grant Crawford
WE LIVE FOR’ UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, October 29, 2015
Page 7
Junior Kiandra Bowers helps pick up teammate freshman Kiara Desamours after falling to the court hard during Lamar’s women’s basketball practice in McDonald Gym, Thursday. UP photos by Grant Crawford
Lady Cards look to pick up where they left off Grant Crawford UP sports editor @GrantLamarUP It’s that time of the year again. Basketball season is closing in, and Lamar’s women’s basketball team is currently preparing for their season, which starts Nov. 13 when they travel to Stillwater, Okla., for a game against Oklahoma State. The Lady Cards are coming off of a 1713 overall record, and finished 14-4 in the Southland Conference. The team ended their 2014-15 campaign in second place in the SLC, and fell to Northwestern State in the semi-finals of the conference tournament. The season prior, head coach Robin Harmony led the team to the regular-season conference championship in her first year at Lamar. “The team that we won the championship with, we just kind of got lucky and we outworked people,” Harmony said. “With the second year’s team, we were expecting to build on that. We fell short a little bit.” Now in her third year, Harmony said there is a much different atmosphere in the squad, compared to last. “I don’t think we had great leadership the whole entire year,” she said. “There wasn’t good competition in practice. I think this is a whole totally different team, than what we had.” The team returns nine players this year, with five newcomers. “We’re deeper,” Harmony said. “We have more athletes, better athletes that play multiple positions. We didn’t have that type of player last year. We had two or three that could
do it in the starting lineup, but we didn’t have all five at once that could do it.” Included in the nine returning players is senior guard JaMeisha Edwards. Edwards was named to last year’s first-team All-Southland Conference, and to the SLC’s All-Defensive team. She is currently working her way back into the team’s system, after having surgery this summer. “We’re bringing her back slowly,” Harmony said. “They kind of did something to her bones, so it takes longer to heal.” Harmony said she isn’t worried about having her for the beginning of the season, but is focusing on the long haul, once conference play starts. “I don’t need her for right now, she already knows what she’s doing,” Harmony said. “She can already play, she’s a fifthyear senior, but she’ll be ready.” Edwards was second in voting last season for the conference player of the year, and averaged 18.2 points a game in the SLC. “JaMeisha has shown that she is one of the top players in the Southland Conference,” Harmony said. “We are definitely counting on big things from her this season.” Also returning, is junior Kiandra Bowers, who made 27 starts last season, and was fourth on the team in scoring. “It’s the best part of the year for me, and for the team for the most part,” Bowers said. “We work so hard, and all the blood, sweat, and tears — it’s paying off
Baileigh O’Dell
Sam Morgan
Freshman Sam Morgan takes the ball down court during the LU’s practice in McDonald Gym, Thursday. now, because we get to play games.” With a long season ahead of her, Bowers said she is setting her goals high and looking to take on a bigger role. “Personally, I just really want us to go to the NCAA tournament — win as a team, and win the conference,” she said. “I just want to do whatever I can, leadership wise, to lead this team to victory. “I think I’m going to be a threat on the offensive end and on the defensive end. I definitely have improved my post skills this year. I think there is going to be improved scoring from me, and all-around game.” Bowers said she will have a quality team to lead. This year’s recruiting class was ranked 84th in the nation, and first in the conference. “We have a lot of young players, so I definitely have to be a leader this year,” she said. “It’s comforting, because we’re really talented. I think they’re going to progress as the season goes along. I think we can be the best team in the conference, and I think we are the best team in the conference.” Of the incoming freshmen, Kiara Desamours was selected by CollegeSportsMadness.com as the SLC’s Preseason Freshman of the Year. Desamours comes from Dunbar High School in Fort Myers, Fla., and won the state championship during her four years there. “KD is coming on like crazy,” Harmony said. “If you see her in practice, you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s a freshman doing that.’” Also joining the team this year, is DeSoto freshman Chastadie Barrs.
“I think the chemistry is really good,” Barrs said, in an interview with LU media relations. “That was one of the reasons I chose Lamar — the team seems to be a family. Everybody gets along.” New players aside, Harmony said that there is an obvious difference in the team this year. “Last year’s team was not a fun team to coach,” she said. “They just weren’t. Every day we had to yell at them. It just wasn’t self-motivated. This year’s team is more self-motivated to be successful.” See LADY CARDINALS page 8
Lady Cards Schedule Date Nov. 13 Nov. 17 Nov. 19 Nov. 22 Nov. 28 Nov. 30 Dec. 5 Dec. 14 Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Dec. 30 Jan. 2 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 11 Jan. 14 Jan. 16 Jan. 21 Jan. 23 Jan. 27 Jan. 30 Feb. 4 Feb. 6 Feb. 10 Feb. 18 Feb. 20 Feb. 24 Feb. 27 Mar. 2 Mar. 10-13
Opponent Time @ Oklahoma State 11 a.m. @ University of Utah 8 p.m. Louisiana College 7 p.m. @ Northern Arizona University 3 p.m. @ Loyola University Chicago 3 p.m. Schreiner University 7 p.m. @ Prairie View A&M University 5 p.m. Canisius College 7 p.m. Texas A&M University-Kingsville 7 p.m. @ University of Missouri 2 p.m. Howard Payne University 7 p.m. @ Nicholls State University 1 p.m. New Orleans 5 p.m. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7 p.m. @University of Central Arkansas 7 p.m. @Southeastern Louisiana 7 p.m. Northwestern State University 2 p.m. @ Stephen F. Austin 7 p.m. Houston Baptist University 2 p.m. Sam Houston State University 7 p.m. @ Abilene Christian University 2 p.m. Abilene Christian University 7 p.m. University of the Incarnate Word 2 p.m. @ Houston Baptist University 7 p.m. Stephen F. Austin 7 p.m. @ McNeese State University 1 p.m. McNeese State University 7 p.m. @ Incarnate Word 2 p.m. @ Sam Houston State 6:30 p.m. SLC Tourney TBA
Page 8
Thursday, October 29, 2015 • UNIVERSITY PRESS
From CARDINALS page 6 Headed into 2015-16, Lamar lost their top-three scoring producers from last season, in Anthony Holliday, Tyran de Lattibeaudiere, and Donavon Ross. Price said he’s looking for all of his players to step up and fill those gaps. “Every year you lose people, and of the returning guys, you’ll find there’s always somebody who’s worked hard all offseason — who’s willing to take the team to another level,” he said. “I think it will be a collective effort.” While some fans are curious as to who will fill in as the lead scorers, the Cards are more concerned with their efficiency on defense. “The thing that’s going to be key for us, is that we’re going to have to be a very, very good defensive team, and a tough rebounding team,” Price said. “Those two ingredients are going to be key to our success. “We believe in bringing good ball pressure and shot pressure. We want to make it very difficult for our opponent to run their offense.” Winning aside, Price said that he expects his team to play hard every game, and nothing less. “That’s one thing that last year’s team did, they always fought to the end,” he said. “No matter if we were behind or ahead, that team really never quit. I’m hoping that’s begun to be the culture that we build here at Lamar, that the teams that we put on the floor, game in and game out, if nothing else,
UPsports briefs Football
The Lamar football team (3-4, 2-3 SLC) will return to action Saturday, when they travel to Houston to face Houston Baptist University for a Southland Conference matchup. The team is currently coming off a 35-17 loss to Central Arkansas, Oct. 24. Kade Harrington finished the game with 243 rushing yards and two touchdowns. “You have to give Central Arkansas all the credit,” head coach Ray Woodard said. “Similar to last week — we got down in the first half and just like last week, we fought back. When you get down that big, you’re not giving yourself a good chance to win.” Saturday’s game against HBU will kickoff at 2 p.m., in Husky Stadium. UP Grant Crawford
Christian Kennedy dunks the ball during LU basketball practice in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, Friday.
you know that they’re going to come to play, and they’re going to fight for every inch.” The Cardinal’s first home game will be Nov. 13 when they face Austin College in the Montagne Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m. For ticket information contact the Lamar ticket office at 880-1715, or visit www.lamarcardinals.com.
Volleyball
The volleyball team will start a fivegame road swing today, going up against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The team will then move on to play Houston Baptist, Saturday at 11 a.m. The Lady Cards begin their road swing after losing to Stephen F. Austin Saturday, 3-1 (25-23, 16-25, 17-25, 2025), in the McDonald Gym. Lamar is currently in 13-10 overall, and 3-6 in the Southland Conference. Tonight’s game starts at 6:30 p.m.
Men’s Golf
Junior Mans Berglund claimed his first career tournament title at the Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate, Oct. 20. Berglund finished four-under par, three strokes ahead of UTEP’s Frederik Dreier in the 84-player field. Berglund’s efforts helped the Cardinals finish in a tie for fourth place in the 14team event. “I am very proud of Mans’ performance,” head coach Jessie Mudd said. “It’s great to see him break through for his first collegiate victory.” The team begins their spring season at the James S. Litz Memorial in San Antonio Feb. 8.
Women’s Golf
The Lady Cards took home first place at the ULM Fred Marx Invitational in Calhoun, La., Oct. 20. “Winning a tournament is a huge accomplishment as it is, but to do it without the insurance of a fifth player is incredible,” head coach Jessica Steward said. “I’m so proud of the effort everyone put forth this week.” Lamar took home the top-3 individual spots. Junior Wenny Chang finished first, after beating teammate Senior Taylor Stockton in a suddendeath playoff. Meanwhile, sophomore Olivia Le Roux took home third place.
From LADY CARDINALS page 7
UP Grant Crawford
Coach Robin Harmony watches Lamar practice in the McDonald Gym, Oct. 22.
Although the team’s atmosphere is different this go-around, Lamar fans can expect to see some of the same mentality, especially on defense. “We’ve always hung our hat on our defense,” Harmony said. “Defense gets us easy baskets. We want to press for 40 minutes, whether it’s in a zone press, or a man into a zone in the back. We are always going to be a pressing team.” On offense, the Lady Cards outscored their opponents by 5.2 points per game last year, and with added depth to team are looking to raise that margin. “We’ll still be a good three-point shooting team,” Harmony said. “We’ll have decent post presence with Bowers. We can get it inside. We rebound well, and we’ll find our points.” While the team continues to prepare for the season, Harmony said she has plenty of different options as to what the starting lineup will look like, adding it as a testament to the team’s recruiting.
“For everybody we lost, we gained twice as many,” she said. “Now, our first and our second team is so even, that they do compete every day. You don’t really see anybody taking advantage of another team.” The team has been forced to practice in the McDonald Gym and the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center while the Montagne Center’s court is modified. Harmony said she is eager to get back into the arena, and for the season to be underway. “This is what we live for,” she said. “I’m excited for October to be over with, so we stop getting up at four in the morning. “The traveling — the away games, the home games where we play on our home court, that’s the fun part. This is the work part.” Lamar’s home opener is scheduled for Nov. 19 in the Montagne Center, against Louisiana College. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC RADIO WITHOUT THE P UBLIC TUNE IN 838-7000 1.877.860.KVLU (5858) www.kvlu.org
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT TODAY
KVLU 91.3 FM IT’S YOUR CHOICE Member Supported Public Radio