UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Newspaper of Lamar University
Vol. 92, No. 10 November 12, 2015
SOGGY, BUT SPIRITED
Paricipants on the Homecoming Royalty float throw out swag to spectators during the parade prior to Saturday’s game against Nicholls State.
UP Josh Aych
Rain fails to dampen Homecoming Kara Timberlake UP staff writer
UP Kyle Swearingen
The bad weather didn’t stop President Kenneth Evans and his wife Nancy from showing their school spirit.
Despite rainy conditions Saturday, and a 30-28 loss to Nicholls State at Provost Umphrey Stadium, Cardinal fans celebrated the conclusion of Homecoming week. The final day of the week-long festivities started with tailgating and the Homecoming parade. “Turnout and participation went really well,” Kiet Le, associate director of student activities and civic engagement, said. “I was really excited to see that people weren’t scared away by the weather. There were a lot of people excited about the game, and alumni excited to be back home on campus.” Spirit and Traditions Council president William Hill said he was impressed by the Homecoming parade turnout.
“There was rain and there was horrible weather, but people still went out there,” he said. “The Homecoming parade was way bigger than last year. We noticed that the floats looked even more extravagant. They had that extra push and that extra bit of creativity that we saw all around. They built their floats and weathered the storms.” Parade entries were judged in two categories. In the float category, the first place Grand Champion, winning $500, went to the biology department. The second place President’s Award went to Kappa Delta Pi, international honor society in education. The third place Cardinal Spirit Award went to the Honors Student Association. In the Recognition Category, the most creative award went to the LU Police Department. The best use of theme award went to the National Student
Speech Language and Hearing Association. The most spirited group award went to the College of Education and Human Development. Drum major John Ellis said the Homecoming parade was “a blast.” “We got to meet with five or six different bands from local high schools and even from far away,” he said. “They marched in the parade with us, and we had a massed halftime performance with them as well. It was so much fun.” After the Homecoming parade concluded, tailgating activities followed. “Tailgating went really well,” Le said. “A lot of students were out there. The students really enjoyed themselves, and there was a lot of interaction between the student groups. That was really exciting to see.” Hill said he enjoyed tailgating with See HOMECOMING page 2
Speech and Hearing International Education Week assists aphasia patients to begin, Monday Trevier Gonzalez UP staff writer
Kyle Swearingen UP contributor Starting Monday and lasting through Nov. 20, Lamar University will host an International Education Week to celebrate the benefits of international travel. The IEW will feature events all over campus over the course of the week focusing on the theme, “Access for All.” “International Education Week helps LU promote international understanding, specifically by recognizing the contributions of students from other countries who are studying on our campus, and by building support for programs that prepare Americans to live and work in a global environment,” Jeffrey Palis, Global Studies and Study Abroad director, said. “IEW gives us the opportunity to celebrate our unity through diversity.” Palis said the IEW has two main goals — to recognize Lamar’s international population and support programs that allow our domestic students to engage with their world. “We have designed our calendar of events to achieve both of those noble missions,” he said. One of these many events is the International Culture Festival which will take place in the Montagne Cen-
ter, Monday, at 5 p.m. “The festival is a showcase of the vibrant global Lamar community,” Palis said. “Attendees get to sample food from around the world while enjoying performances from the many cultures represented at LU. “The best thing is, all the food and performances are prepared by our very own students.” Palis said the festival will also feature a guest speaker from Lamar’s partner university in Mexico — Universidad Veracruzana — to give a talk about food culture in Mexico. “His visit is a part of the One Hundred Thousand Strong in the Americas grant project housed in our department of health and kinesiology,” he said. As well as the festival, the week’s events include workshops for future and former study abroad students on scholarships and on resume building strategies. “Those are a few examples among several events of interest to the entire campus,” Palis said. Palis hopes the week-long event will educate students on various cultures and said he believes in its importance.
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See IEW page 2
Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from damage to areas of the brain that contain language. In most cases, aphasia is caused by a stroke, and is causes difficulty in the production and comprehension of language, as well the ability to read and write. Lamar’s Speech and Hearing department has launched a project to assist those who experience the ongoing battle with aphasia. Most people who have aphasia are in their middle to late years, according to www.nidcd.nih.gov. “Most of the elderly population don’t have that support,” Jessica Mancha, a grad-
uate clinician, said. “They live their life one way — this traumatic event happens — and then suddenly, they have to overcome it. A lot of families will put them into nursing homes, but in nursing homes, they don’t get that support. For what we offer here, (the patients are) able to relate to people.” Graduate clinician Taylor Miguez said the strategy used in the project is called “facilitating authentic conversation.” “We, basically, are having a conversation, but we’re shaping their conversation through strategies that we are embedding in the conversation,” she said. “So, if somebody were to be watching us, they may not realize what exactly we’re doing, because it See APHASIA page 8
Courtesy of LUTV
Graduate clinician Taylor Miguez, third from left, talks with the aphasia support group in the Speech and Hearing Building, Nov. 4.
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