University Press October 26, 2017

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Newspaper of Lamar University

Vol. 94, No. 7 October 26, 2017

Homecoming festivities begin Sunday Sierra Kondos UP staff writer

YouTube artist/comedians, a dance marathon and escape rooms throughout Lamar’s campus are just a few things to expect among the Homecoming 2017 merriments beginning Sunday and leading up to the football game against Central Arkansas, Nov. 3.

“Homecoming is about coming together and celebrating as a family,” Emma Lockett, coordinator of spirit and traditions, said. “We all come from different backgrounds, and this year, we want to celebrate our diversity.”

SUNDAY The week-long campus events begin with Paint the Campus Red at 1 p.m., Sunday.

“We decided to paint the campus red by decorating with Homecoming and LU spirit, invite the whole campus, and be united because we are LU,” Lockett said.

The Powder Puff football tournament will be held at 3 p.m., at the intramural field “Gather a group of your friends together and come watch the exciting powder puff football,” Lockett said. “This time the event will be bigger than ever before. And Tuesday, the girls will play on the football field

and win medals.”

MONDAY There will be a spirit booth located at the Student Organization Annex Lawn, at 10 a.m., where students can participate in the T-shirt swap for a new ‘We are LU’ Homecoming 2017 Tshirt, and multiple DIY activities.

“This year we are doing it with a twist,” Lockett said. “We want your high school or previous college shirt to see where you come from.”

The Homecoming Kickoff and Block Party begins at 5 p.m., with free food, rides and Homecoming swag.

“We will have mechanical bulls,” See HOMECOMING, page 6

CTLE offers training, resources, and events Sierra Kondos UP staff writer

UP photo by Olivia Malick

Spirit Halloween’s Jeff Dixon, below right, said animatronics are trending for Halloween this year, while the popularity of political costumes is waning.

Traditions Out, Creativity in Halloween appeals to young and old alike Olivia Malick UP staff writer

For many people, Halloween is a once-a-year opportunity to be anything they want to be. Adults and children alike observe the spooky culture by donning various costumes whether it’s superheroes, princesses, period costumes, franchise costumes, political costumes or something of their own creation.

Every new year brings new costume and decoration trends, and when Halloween rolls around, the seasonal store Spirit Halloween pops up, providing all the latest bells and whistles for All Hallows’ Eve. “The best part about working at Spirit is helping someone find a costume that they really want and is perfect for them,” assistant store manager Jeff Dixon said.

“For example, when a kid is in love with Spider-man, and they come here and see the Spider-man from the movies and try on the costume and won’t take it off, that’s the best thing.”

Superhero costumes are a Halloween staple and have been for decades, but

they’re not just for kids. Classics like Superman and Batman are still popular, but after the release of new movies like Wonder Woman and Power Rangers, sections of the store have been dedicated to costumes ranging from newborn size to full-grown adult.

“Everybody wants to have a theme,” Dixon said. “Family costumes have become increasingly popular in recent years. People tend to go for movies like the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ or the ‘Addams Family,’ because each person gets a different costume, but it’s collective.”

Halloween is a chance for people to showcase their interests and personalities, and a lot of costumes are easily do-it-yourself so that people can stand out, even if they go for a mainstream idea.

“Steampunk and Day of the Dead costumes have been very popular this year,” Dixon said.

“We used to have one or two costumes for each theme, but now we have upwards of five for both males and females. Plus, we’ve added a lot of new accessories so people can make the same outfit look several different ways.”

Dixon said that one thing that has changed dramatically is the prevalence of political costumes. Despite the obvious opportunity to imiSee HALLOWEEN, page 2

The Center for Teaching and Learning Enhancement offers programs to help faculty learn effective communication online, techniques to maximize student engagement, and methods and strategies for assessment.

“I participated in a faculty development program in my third year at Lamar and it was eye opening for me about this institution,” director Amy Smith said. “I knew I wanted to get involved in faculty development in 2012.”

Smith said CTLE’s core mission is about teaching and supporting faculty in a broad way.

“There are a lot of different programs we offer throughout the year advertised through emails and fliers,” she said. “This year, we have changed our traditional seminars and added online programs, such as a teaching certificate geared specifically for teaching Lamar students.”

As classes are held more and more online, the CTLE offers teaching tools for the See CTLE, page 2

UP photo by Sierra Kondos

CTLE director Amy Smith.

UAC offers advising on choosing, changing majors Sarah Davis UP contributor

College is a time for learning, but when one is unsure of one’s major, what is the next step? The Undergraduate Advising Center, located near the Carl Parker Building, can help decide what to major in.

“A vast majority of freshmen and sophomores don’t know what they want to do, and that is OK,” Robert Hamilton, UAC academic advisor, said. “That’s one of the reasons why we have them come to the UAC. “If you look at the research, 65- to 85-percent of all college students will

change their major, and they will change it an average of three times.”

Hamilton said that if a student is unsure of which major to pursue, he recommends a general studies degree.

“A general studies degree is not what people think it is — it is a bachelor’s degree, just like any other undergraduate degree at Lamar,” he said. “This degree has a lot more electives in it, allowing exploration.”

If a student is majoring in one subject but, during the course of taking a class, they decide to pursue a different degree, the first step is to contact an advisor in that major.

www.facebook.com/UPLamar

“Students coming into or leaving a major will meet with their advisor, and they can be signed out of an old major and into a new one,” Hamilton said. “For example, if somebody is entering into psychology, but was set up with a major in speech and hearing sciences, the student would set up an appointment with somebody who advises for psychology. After that, the next step is to fill out a change of major form and, depending on the department, have the department chair sign them into that new major.”

Some students may find

UP photo by Morgan Collier

See UAC, page 4

UAC academic advisor Robert Hamilton goes over a degree plan with a student.

www.lamaruniversitypress.com

www.twitter.com/UPLamar

INSIDE

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thursday, October 26, 2017 University Press

HALLOWEEN

CTLE

“Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes they win.”

— Stephen King, “The Shining”

Page 2

Halloween Events

from page 1

tate President Donald Trump, people are not picking up masks of his face or donning their head with his infamous hairdo, Dixon said.

“Last year, we couldn’t keep up with how fast our political costumes were selling,” he said. “This year, people aren’t reaching for them. We have Trump and Bernie (Sanders) masks but they’re not really selling. The “Make America Great Again” hats sold, but other than that, not much is selling. But we do carry a roll of toilet paper with Trump’s face on it which has sold out four or five times.”

Along with politics, pop culture is highly influential to Halloween. The ‘dancing hot dog’ (a Snapchat filter) is one of the top-trending costumes of 2017. So are iconic characters like Jack Skellington from the Tim Burton classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Cher Horowitz from the 1990s movie “Clueless,” and Tom Hanks’ character David S. Pumpkins from the last season of “Saturday Night Live.”

“This year I had someone come in and ask for a Grim Reaper costume with a faceless hood so that they could be the Zodiac Killer, which I thought was pretty interesting, especially with the whole Ted Cruz conspiracy theory,” Dixon said.

Halloween isn’t just about dressing up.

Trick-or-treating is an integral part of the season. A lot of people stop trick-or-treating in their pre-teen years, but Dixon said candy sales are strong.

“After Hurricane Harvey, I think many people are just looking to return to normalcy,” he said. “Our sales of totes and candy buckets have definitely increased this year — more so than recent years.”

Adamant lovers of Halloween tend to go all out in decorating their houses in a creepy, old-haunted-house way, with fake spider webs, bloody handprints, yard headstones, and much more. People compete against others in their neighbor-

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.

hood to see who can decorate their house the best and scariest. Halloween decorations set the scene for a night of mystery and mischief, and are just as much a part of the celebration as eating candy in an elaborate costume.

“Our animatronics have been selling very well this year,” Dixon said. “We had a scarecrow that leaned over a bowl that you would put candy in, and when someone went to reach for the candy, the scarecrow would jump up. It’s one of the faster-moving animatronics that we have.

In fact, a kid got so freaked out by it, he pooped his pants in the store. After I told that story, the scarecrow sold even more.”

Halloween evolves with each year with new trends. Costumes change to reflect the world we live in. So whether you like the frightening aspects of the celebration or the innocent childish imagination of it, Halloween has something to offer everyone.

UP photo by Olivia Malick

Spirit Halloween features a plethora of political costume accessories

TODAY The annual McFaddin-Ward House Fall Picnic will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 1906 Calder Ave. The picnic is free.

The Spindletop Gladys City/ Boomtown Museum will host the Spindletop Spookfest from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 5550 Jimmy Simmons Blvd. Admission is free.

The Beaumont Heritage Society Chambers House Haunted Halloween Happy Hour will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 2240 Calder Ave. Admission for members of the Beaumont Heritage Society is free, non-member admission is $10.

FRIDAY Rocktoberfest will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Theatre, 345 Fannin St. in Beaumont. Tickets are $10 each.

A Halloween Costume Contest will take place starting at 11 p.m. at Sugas Deep South Cuisine and Jazz Bar, 461 Bowie St. Admission is $15 per person.

SATURDAY The Beaumont Police Department Cops and Kids Halloween Carnival will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 701 Main St. Admission is free.

The Wheelhouse Halloween Bash will take place beginning at 7 p.m. at The Neches River Wheelhouse, 720 Lee Ave, Port Neches. Admission is free.

Painting with a Twist will host a Witchy Boo Paint Party beginning at 7 p.m. at 229 Dowlen Rd, Ste 3B. Admission is free.

The Art Studio, Inc. will host Halloween BAND NITE at 7:30 p.m. at 720 Franklin St. Admission is $5.

The LogOn Café will host their Annual Halloween Ball with The Ron Jeremies from 8 p.m. at 3805 Calder, Ave. Admission is $5, 21 and up only.

TUESDAY Lamar will host the Wings of Success Halloween Forum at 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Sixth floor, Gray Library. The event is free.

from page 1

digital classroom. Smith said teaching online can be a rewarding experience, providing one is equipped with the proper tools.

“All effective online courses are foundation based on sound pedagogical principles,” she said. “Effective modes of communication, proper methods of assessments, and maintaining an active engagement with your students are all key to running a great online course. You’ll also find effective strategies for time management and maintaining a great online presence.”

Smith said the CTLE has a number of events scheduled for November: “Lunch and Learn: How to

Write a Grant” will be held Nov 1, noon to 2 p.m., on the sixth floor of Gray Library. Presenters will be Keivan Davami, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and Craig Escamilla, instructor of management and marketing. Z “Lunch and Learn: Using case studies in class,” will be held Nov 8., noon to 2 p.m. on the sixth floor of Gray Library.

Presenters will be Henry Venta, LU College of Business dean, and Ali Beheshti, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.

The STEM conference will be held Nov. 16, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Nov. 17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Center for Innova-

tion, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, 5091 Rolfe Christopher Dr. Guest speakers will be Todd Primm, Steven Koether and Renee James from Sam Houston State University.

Smith has been involved in faculty development for two years, and started a program for new faculty called, “The Smart Program,” standing for Support and Mentoring to Advance Research and Teaching.

“The program helps new faculty find their way into the school and get oriented — an extended orientation — but also learn effective teaching methods for teaching our students,” she said. “It includes

support for research. If faculty are on tenure track and need to publish, then we start helping get that underway.”

Smith was appointed CTLE director in January.

“I love it.” she said. “We have been trying to expand our mission, in addition to offering support and training in our teaching. We also want to support faculty in their whole career, in terms of research and mentoring.”

Faculty can learn more about developmental programs at www.lamar.edu/ctle. The site includes new technologies for teaching, and teaching through workshops, one-onone instruction and tutorials.

CALENDAR

October 26

REDtalks: “Breaking Down Barriers” with Caitlin Duerler Mary and John Gray Library, Room 702 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

OUR faculty talk: “The Kaleidoscope of a University Professional” with Tammy Henderson Landes Auditorium 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

October 27

Women’s Soccer vs.

McNeese LU Soccer Complex 7 p.m.

October 28

Football vs. Stephen F. Austin Provost Umphrey Stadium 6 p.m.

5th Annual Texas STEM Conference Archer Physics Building 8 a.m.

October 31

Wings of Success Halloween Forum Mary and John Gray Library, 6th floor 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Phi Alpha Theta Halloween Costume Party Archer Physics Building, Room 206 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Incarnate Word McDonald Gym 7 p.m.

November 2

REDtalks: “Leading Out Loud” with Nechele McClinton Mary and John Gray Library, Room 702 2 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

November 4

Football vs. Central Arkansas (Homecoming) Provost Umphrey Stadium 6 p.m.

CALL FOR ENTRIES The Art Studio, Inc. is encouraging artists to create works for

‘SOUND/IN-SIGHT’ an open invitational show inspired by a pair of original compositions by Lamar University music majors

TOMMY MCPHEE AND AUSTIN FRANKLIN

Submissions will be accepted in person

noon to 5 p.m., Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at The Art Studio, Inc., 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.

The show will open Nov. 4

To hear the music, visit

artstudio.org/soundinsight All media accepted

3

REVOLUTION

FEATURE

UNIVERSITY PRESS Thursday, October 26, 2017

1917 Examining 100 years since Russian revolt 2017 very once in a while, a perfect storm of events and circumstances come together to change history. So it was in 1917 with the Russian Revolution.

The lead-up to the revolution, however, began long before 1917.

“There had been a very long tradition of revolutionary activity in Russia, going all the way back into the 1850s and even earlier,” Mark Mengerink, LU associate professor of history, said. “There were lots of revolutionaries from different parts of the political spectrum who were always kind of upset with the czarist regime, so that’s part of the background. Economically, Russia was not exactly in the greatest place leading up to the 1917 revolution, so there were also economic factors that were at play.”

These factors were further exacerbated by the impact of World War I, Mengerink said.

“The more short-term cause of the revolution was how badly the war was going for Russia,” he said. “The main thing was the distribution of food. What was happening was, most of the food was going to the front for the soldiers during the war, which left cities, but also the countryside, scarce of food. In early 1917, you start to see bread riots in the cities, and that’s how the czarist government is toppled, eventually. The soldiers who are sent out to stop the bread riots actually join in.”

Initially, Russia was ruled by a provisional government from Czar Nicholas II’s ouster in March to November 1917.

“A more moderate group of people step in once the Czar abdicates, led by a guy named Alexander Kerensky,” Mengerink said. “What Kerensky does, when he comes in, is that he makes three crucial mistakes: first of all, he keeps Russia in the war. The second mistake is that he wants writing the new constitution to take time.

That doesn’t please a lot of people. The third thing is that he doesn’t find a solution to the food problem.”

Eventually the provisional government also fell, and Russia was taken over by the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

“When (the Bolsheviks) realize that Kerensky is not going to move the revolution any further forward, they start agitating in the cities,” he said. “This entire time, Lenin is actually not in Russia. He’s in Switzerland. He had been exiled for his previous revolutionary activity. In order to undermine Russia’s war effort, Germany agrees to allow Lenin to travel across Germany by train.

“In March of 1917, when the revolution begins, you get a series of workers’ and soldiers’ councils that are set up throughout the country, mainly in the cities, and these councils are known as Soviets. They consist of lots of different political viewpoints.

(Lenin) essentially gets some of the Soviets to support his coup. What happens in early November is the Bolsheviks, with the help of some army units and some of the Soviets, decide to overthrow Kerensky and the provisional government.”

Once the Bolsheviks were in power, one of their first actions was to pull Russia out of WWI, Mengerink said.

“They enter into negotiations with the Germans to end the war with Germany,” he said. “Lenin didn’t believe in the war at all, and the Bolsheviks didn’t believe in the war, so there wasn’t any way they were going to fight it. But they also believed that fighting the war was going to get in the way of creating socialism in Russia, so that’s why they ended it. In March of 1918, officially, the war between Russia and Germany ends. The Bolshevik government signs a treaty with Germany. Russia had to give up a lot — most of Ukraine, most of the industrialized sector of the Russian economy.”

However, the sudden changes in government in Russia led to armed conflict inside the country.

“Almost immediately after the Bolsheviks overthrow the provisional government, you essentially get a civil war inside of Russia,” Mengerink said. “The war lasts until 1921. It’s extremely brutal and involves not only issues of politics, but also ethnicity, because the Ukrainians (whose territory had been given back to Russia under the Treaty of Versailles) are trying to gain their independence and they don’t know whether they should go with the Bol-

E

STORY, GRAPHIC AND LAYOUT BY CAITLIN MCALISTER

sheviks, or if they should go with the Bolshevik opponents, who are known as the Whites. You’ve got the Poles in there — since the 1790s, their country disappeared from the map, so they want their independence. So it’s a political-ethnic civil war.”

The Bolsheviks eventually won, at which point Russia officially became the Soviet Union.

“The White forces, while they’re antiBolshevik, can’t get together on exactly what they want to replace the Bolsheviks with,” Mengerink said. “You’ve got some people who want the monarchy back, you have some people who want Kerensky back, and then you’ve got all those people in between who want all kinds of other things. It’s really difficult for them to agree on what they want, which impacts their ability to agree to coordinate their efforts against the Bolsheviks.

“Another reason the Bolsheviks win is that Lenin had kind of a secret weapon — it’s not so secret, but it’s a guy named (Leon) Trotsky, who early on had taken control of the Red Army. He whips it into shape, reorganizes it, retrains it — all in the midst of a civil war, and makes it into a very effective fighting force. A third reason is that the Bolsheviks realize if they lose the war, it’s over for them. They’ll never get another chance like this, so they’re highly motivated. By 1921-1922, Lenin is firmly in control of Russia. They then name it the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.”

The Russian Revolution ultimately impacted the world in several ways, including the outcome of WWI. “If you look at the peace treaties that are signed after WWI, Russia is not involved in any of them,” Mengerink said. “They don’t get to participate in creating the new Europe that emerges.”

Mengerink also said that the Communist regime that arose out of the Russian Revolution had a detrimental effect on the people of the Soviet Union.

“If you want to look at it from a more negative view, certainly you can make the argument that Communism in Russia results in the deaths of millions of people,” he said. “Eventually what happens is

(Josef) Stalin, when he gets into power, is using terror and violence to maintain, not just the party’s control, but his control.

“This has disastrous consequences for the people of the Soviet Union, especially the ethnic minorities on the borderlands of Russia proper, like Ukraine. Between 1928 and 1932, they lose several million people through a man-made famine. Ukraine was the breadbasket of the Soviet Union.

(Stalin) was forcibly seizing the grain, and exporting it to raise money to industrialize the Soviet Union, and not allowing the Ukrainians to keep anything.”

The Russian Revolution also had a significant impact on the role Communism played in the 20th century.

“It’s the first Communist government, and that, in itself, is extremely significant,” he said. “It serves as an inspiration to other Communists around the world — China, with Mao Zedong, places like Cuba, other Communist insurgents after WWII, especially in Latin America. They’re looking at the Russian Revolution as a model, not only of how to get into power, but also what to do once you’re in power.”

The Russian Revolution also impacted American history, through the Cold War. “Some people would say the Cold War began in 1917,” Mengerink said. “If you look at tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, the situation is very tense in 1917. Even during World War II, we were allies with the Soviet Union, but we weren’t necessarily friendly. Even most scholars would argue that the Cold War begins before 1945 — at least by 19421943. It just depends on how you want to define Cold War. If you just want to call the Cold War a serious tension that impacts the relations between the two countries, then you can certainly say that it begins in 1917.”

With the immense role that relations between the United States and Russia still play in world politics, and the massive impact that Communism had on the way in which the 20th century played out, the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution is an occasion to look back and realize how fundamentally one event can change the world.

Page 4

Thursday, October 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Touching trucks leads to learning The Beaumont Children’s Museum held it’s 7th annual Touch-aTruck fundraiser, Oct. 21 at the Beaumont Event Center. Children were able to get up close with vehicles such as ambulances, construction trucks and police cars, ask questions to personnel, and test science experiments.

UP photos by Hannah LeTulle

UAC

from page 1

themselves between two majors within the same department.

“Let’s say that someone that starts out as a broadcasting major wants to pursue more filmrelated things, but isn’t exactly sure,” Hamilton said. “As advisors, we know how to coincide classes that apply to both majors to make things easier. At the same time, in the communication department, everyone takes the same basics anyway. If a student has a semester where they have to take those lower level commu-

nication classes, like English 1301 or performance-based classes, they are going to eventually come to a point, midway through sophomore year, where we need to try to figure out which track they are leaning more towards.”

Hamilton said that students should be aware that changing majors can stall progress towards the degree.

“We do see that it does push students back about a half a year if they are changing their major,” he said. “This sounds scary, but

this is something that comes with changing your major.”

This mainly happens when students are done with the core and are taking major classes, but then decide that the major isn’t right for them, Hamilton said.

“I know I had to take 27 hours of lab sciences because I kept major hopping,” he said. “But it happened. We do run into these situations.”

Students switching majors can also encounter issues with credit hours.

“Let’s say someone was a speech and hearing sciences major and they want to change to American Sign Language,” Hamilton said. “ASL doesn’t have any electives within their major.

Imagine a student has already taken a class like Intro to Language Disorders. Well that’s SPHS 1371, and there is not a place for that in an ASL degree.

That class will still count towards the student’ Lamar GPA, and still count towards their hours, but it won’t count towards the 120

STUDENTS EARN YOUR WINGS

hours for that specific bachelor’s degree.”

Ultimately, students considering changing their major should not hesitate to contact their advisor, Hamilton said.

“Let them know that you’re thinking about switching, or that you aren’t sure,” he said. “Then you can set up an appointment with your specific advisor and talk about what you have in mind.”

For more information, call the UAC at 880-8822.

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EDITORIAL

5 UNIVERSITY PRESS October 26, 2017

Student loans: relationships that just keep lingering

Student loans are both a blessing and a curse. As college students, we want a degree that will help us get our dream career and excel in life. But to get to that dream we need a large amount of money and the loan companies have it.

A college degree is a necessity priced as a luxury, and we don’t all live a luxurious life.

Some of us are first-generation college students, lower or middle-class. We don’t have the resources to afford college, so we turn to loans. In the end, these loans become a burden that we have to carry for many years.

Student loan debt exceeds more than $1 trillion in America, among approximately 44 million student borrowers. Degree holders ranging from ages 20-30 average a monthly student loan payment of $351. The average graduating class has a debt of at least $30,000, and

the student loan debt has surpassed America’s credit card debt.

There are several systems in place. However, not everyone is in a position to take advantage of the forgiveness, A bachelor’s degree has become a necessity just to make a living wage. We would think the degree would get us a middle-class lifestyle but the joke’s on us. After trying to pay our rent, car note, multiple insur-

ance companies, food, gas and, of course, our student loans, we are left with little. This causes us to either go back to school, live with our parents, or get a second job.

Didn’t the Obamas only just pay off their student loans right before they left office? The Obamas, people!

Although a bachelor’s degree is the same in any field, they lead to vastly different salary. As a communication

major, I doubt I will be making the same as my friend who is earning his degree in engineering.

The interest on loans has grown over the years from 3.42 percent in 2013 to 3.76 percent in 2017. The interest rate was as high as 6.8 percent in 2008.

The interest may have gone down, but the prices of car notes, car insurance, groceries and, most importantly, rent has gone up. The Washington UP illustration by Cormac Kelly

Commentary

Karisa Norfleet UP contributor

UPeditorial

LU athletes need support Lamar University participates in 15 collegiate sports, — eight for women and seven for men.

The school hosts teams from all across the country, bringing in new talent, new faces and new rivals.

Whether it is basketball, football, volleyball or tennis, college sports is an activity that brings people together, decreases stress and boosts school spirit.

Players across the campus wake up early and leave late, practicing from sun up to sun down, spending countless hours sweating in the hot sun or freezing in the cold rain.

Lamar athletes are a different breed — they work to be the best, to represent the name on the front of the jersey, and nothing can boost a team more than seeing a full stadium and hearing the chants of a fervent crowd.

Going to games boosts morale for the teams, and a rowdy student section can be the difference between a close loss and a runaway victory.

Students should attend athletic contests and represent the school. We should go to sports games of all varieties and cheer on our fellow Cardinals.

Sometimes life gets in the way, we might have an exam or a test the next day, but just wearing a shirt or a jersey with one of Lamar’s teams on it to class means something to those players.

We do it for professional sports, NFL, NBA, and everyone seems to be wearing an Astros jersey at the moment. We have posters of athletes most of us will never meet plastered on our walls.

In the meantime, we have local athletes right here in our hometown needing that same support. Show up to games, cheer, clap, dance — support the Cardinals and watch the difference it will make.

Editor.............................................Caitlin McAlister Managing Editor........................Shelby Strickland Sports Editor ...................................Cassie Jenkins Staff ..................................................Noah Dawlearn .......................Keiosha Addison, Antonio Del Rio ........................................Olivia Malick, Matt Beadle .....................................Cade Smith, Karisa Norfleet ...............................Hannah LeTulle, Shane Proctor Business Manager..........................Taylor Phillips Advertising Assistants........................Jason Tran .......................................................Gabbie Smith Advisors Andy Coughlan and Stephan Malick Member of Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

Post reports that average rent has not been this high since the 1980s.

There are programs, such as the closed school discharge, teacher loan forgiveness, Perkins loan cancelation and discharge, among others, but they all come with restrictions.

For example, the Perkins Loan cancelation and discharge are for student loan holders who have performed a certain type of public service or are employed in a certain profession.

For every year completed, a certain percentage of the loan is canceled until you stop or your loan is completely canceled.

The program is a good step to helping struggling students get rid of their school loan debt, but the ultimate goal is to eliminate the financial burden and have students attend college for free.

New York recently passed a bill that provides free tuition for public colleges and universities. This program was created to be fair to all students with different financial backgrounds.

If the cost of higher education continues to rise, even the best loan program will be out of reach for most, and we will end up with a class-based system where only the rich can get higher education. When that day comes, America will lose.

Don’t think, just Spotify Music app changes game for music listeners

A few days ago, while stuck at a railroad crossing, I made a terrible decision to listen to the radio. Within ten minutes I heard the same five songs twice. If radio hits are your thing, that is completely fine. As a music lover though, I cherish variety. So, I decided to listen to music from my favorite music app called Spotify.

Spotify, unless you’ve been living under a rock, is a music, video and podcast streaming service that came on the scene in 2008.

According to stats on its website, the Swedish company had more than 140 million monthly users and more than 60 million paying subscribers.

I don't normally pay for premium subscriptions, but that all changed once I realized how much Spotify has to offer. With over 30 million songs in its database and the ease of use, the premium price of $9.99 per month is

Commentary

Antonio Del Rio UP contributor

Letters Policy

well worth it for me. I have created multiple playlists for every moment of my life. I wake up to metal, shower to opera, work out to hip hop and listen to Polka while waiting at railroad crossings.

Spotify is simple and easy to use. Just search any song, album or artist that you want to hear.

You can listen as many times as you want, add songs to a specific playlist, download them directly to your phone and even share songs with friends. One of my favorite features is the option to follow an artist for alerts on new content such as new singles, albums and tour dates.

Another great feature on the app is the radio. Based on the songs you like, Spotify radio will play similar artists and perfect its playlist the more you listen and interact with it. If you like the song that is playing you can thumb the song up and this will play more songs and artists of that style. If you do not like a song that you are hearing, then you can simply thumb the song down and you will never hear it again.

Also, liking a song from the radio will add that song to a playlist on your profile where you can go and listen to everything you’ve ever liked from the radio. When is the last time the car radio has ever cared that much about the music you like?

In the efforts of promoting

Individuals who wish to speak out on issues should send a letter fewer than 400 words in length to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 10055, Beaumont, TX 77710, or drop letters off at our office in 202 Carl Parker Building. The writer’s name, address, telephone number and ID number must accompany each letter. Letters received without this information cannot be printed. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, style and possible libel.

Opinions expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the UP student management. Letters by the same writer on the same subject will not be published. Poetry and religious debates will not be published.

new music and songs of the past, Spotify offers features like Discover Weekly which generates a playlist that brings users two hours of custom-made music recommendations created by mixing a user's personal taste with songs enjoyed by similar listeners. Also, listeners have access to all of the songs of the US Top 50 (No, “Despacito” is no longer number one on the charts), Global Top 50 and the top 50 of over 54 individual countries from around the world that includes Japan, Canada, Ecuador and Latvia.

Unsigned artists will also find use for Spotify as they have the ability to upload songs and receive money for their songs being played.

Look, I used to enjoy listening to car radio, but the truth is that the radio has not played anything interesting in a long time.

I used to enjoy MTV as well, but that died a long time ago. Does it even play music anymore? Nevertheless, music streaming and other internet services are the current way to find the music you want to hear. With so many options to chose from, the decision for which music app that you, is all completely in your hands or ears.

My advice is to go with Spotify.

Who am I? Just a guy blasting the La Macarena on his way to class all thanks to Spotify.

The opinions that appear in editorials are the official views of the University Press student management as determined by the UP Student Editorial Board. Opinions expressed elsewhere on this page are the views of the writers only and are not necessarily those of the University Press student management. Student opinions are not necessarily those of the university administration. ©University Press 2017

Page 6

Thursday, October 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS

Henderson to present ‘Faculty Talks’ lecture today Cade Smith UP staff writer

“There are many elements to being a professional,” Tammy Henderson said.

The LU department chair of Family and Consumer Sciences will present a lecture, “The Kaleidoscope of a University Professional,” today at 3:30 p.m., in Landes Auditorium.

The lecture is part of the Office of Undergraduate Research “Faculty Talks” series.

“My ‘interactive discussion’

is what I call a kaleidoscope, because there are many elements to what I will be talking about,” Henderson said. “One part of being a professional in higher education is that we are the engineers of knowledge, so I want to show people how exciting research and instruction is.”

Henderson said she wants to link research to everyday life because it is beneficial to those interested in undergraduate research.

“I want to show my profes-

sional interests and expertise in being a professor,” she said.

“I want to open my dialogue by showing the best practices on how to have a successful career.”

Henderson said she is humbled and glad people think she has something worthy of saying.

“I hope that people who come to the lecture will be inspired about research, instruction and professional service, and that others will learn about how to be a slow starter but a

great finisher,” she said. “I am a first-generation college student, doctoral, and professor in my family.”

Henderson said Lamar is a university that has a lot of soul, conviction and values.

“With every pathway that you take or every crossroad that you reach in life, it prepares you for the next one — happiness comes before success.” she said.

For more information, call 409-880-7947, or visit lamar.edu.

Tammy Henderson

UP Trivia

In honor of Halloween University Press staff has compiled a series of questions related to horror movies. How much do you know?

Answers are posted below.

1. What famous actor said the line, “Heeere’s Johnny,” in a horror film?

2. What year was the movie “Halloween” released?

3. What famous actor starred in the 1931 Universal Pictures version of “Dracula”?

4. What vampire movie starred Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Antonio Banderas?

5. What horror TV miniseries starred Tim Curry as a killer clown?

UP photo by Matt Beadle

Alumni Kendall Wilkerson and Ed Long examine a painting by Domenic Cretara in the Dishman Art Museum, Monday. Cretara, Nicole Duet, Yu Ji and Christopher Troutman will hold panel discussion at 5:30 p.m. Friday, prior to a reception for the exhibition “The Art of the Teacher.”

6. What nationality was Boris Karloff?

Art panel, reception set for Friday

7. Which Oscar-winning director helmed the zombie flick “28 Days Later”?

BAL seeks submissions for Latin art show

2. 1978. Musician and film director Rob Zombie made a remake of the film in 2007.

The works of four teachers — two of them also students — are on display in “The Art of the Teacher” in the Dishman Art Museum, with each artist expressing their own unique style of the human expression.

LU assistant professor of art Christo-

Lauren Munoz UP contributor

“If you create, you should share it with the world,” local artist Ines Alvidres said.

The Mexico native is the organizer of “Latin American Influences in Art,” an exhibition at the Beaumont Art League in November.

Submissions for the show will be accepted today through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at BAL’s gallery, 2675 Gulf St. in Beaumont. Entry fee for members is $10 each entry and $25 for non-members.

The show will open with a reception, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Nov. 11.

“You don’t have to be Latino to enter the show, but your artwork does have to be influenced by Latin America, which opens the invitation to everyone,” Alvidres said. “Anyone can enter anything as long as their piece portrays Latin America in some way.”

Participants can submit paintings, sculptures, photographs, or any other medium. Pieces cannot be larger than a door or heavier than 50 pounds,

HOMECOMING Locket said. “We will have more DIY activities to take home, like Homecoming 2017 designs. We will have a line of food of various sweets like cotton candy, snocones, funnel cakes and popcorn.

The traditional Homecoming late-night breakfast will be served at 10 p.m. in the Dining Hall Lockett said the events are designed to bring the campus community together.

“No one wants this Homecoming to be divided,” she said.

“We did not come to a separate school, we are at the same school and we will celebrate together.

Once everyone is fed, there’s going to be another party.”

TUESDAY An Escape Room tournament will held at noon, in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports

pher Troutman, Domenic Cretara, Nicole Duet and Yu Ji will discuss their work during a panel discussion at 5:30 p.m., Friday, prior to a reception at 7 p.m.

Troutman was a student of Yu JI at Long Beach State and Duet’s mentor

Alvidres said. Each artist can enter up to three pieces and sold work will be subject to a 30 percentage commission will be charged the sold pieces of art will be collected by the art league.

Dues for membership at the Beaumont Art League are $40 fee for an individual, $50 for a family, and $25 for students. Memberships may be purchased at the time of submission to take advantage of the member discount.

“We’re actually putting on two shows so that we can include the younger artists around Southeast Texas,” Alvidres said. There is no entry fee for those who are under 18 years of age.

Greg Busceme will be the juror for the adult show, and cash prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place.

Alvidres said it is important for artists to exhibit their work.

“It’s always nice to be in the presence of people looking at your work, even though it’s scary, because, like I always say, it’s like you’re butt naked in front of everyone while they judge you,” she said. “It’s part of the experience to be scared though. You create something

was Cretara. The show illustrates the bond between artist and student, and viewers can see the influences in their works.

The Dishman Art Museum is located at 1030 E. Lavaca in Beaumont.

For more information, call 880-8959.

1. Jack Nicholson. The film was “The Shining,” and was based on a Stephen King novel. The line comes from a scene in which Nicholson’s character busts through a door with an axe after being possessed by the ghosts in a haunted hotel.

3. Bela Lugosi. Lugosi went on to star in several more horror films throughout the 1930s.

4. “Interview with the Vampire.” Released in 1994, the movie was an adaption of a 1976 novel by Anne Rice, the first in the series “The Vampire Chronicles.”

Mural by Andy Ledesma beautiful and put it out there for the world to see. The fun of an art show is getting out of your comfort zone.

During the reception, artist Calvin Carter will do live sketches, a DJ will supply music, and there will be tacos provided by Tacos La Bamba.

“We’ll just dance, eat, embrace everyone’s artwork and have a great time,” Alvidres said. “We’re honoring the people and the Hispanic culture. It’s one big fiesta and we’re all celebrating each other.”

For more information, visit the Beaumont Art League’s Facebook page, or call 833-4179.

5. “It.” Based on a Stephen King novel, a remake of the film was released this year.

6. English. Although famous as the archetypical Frankenstein’s monster, Karloff , born William Henry Pratt, was a private school educated gentleman.

7. Danny Boyle. He won the Oscar for directing “Slumdog Millionaire.” He also directed the classic “Trainspotting.”

from page 1 Center racquetball courts.

“We brought in three different escape rooms,” Lockett said.

“The 60-minute Halloweenthemed rooms each have a riddle for a team to solve in order to get out. The losing team will take a picture that shows they lost. Organizations can sign up and compete as a team.”

The Powder Puff championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Provost Umphrey Stadium.

“We want everyone out there cheering on the girls on the football field,” Lockett said.

WEDNESDAY A Mini-Cardinal decorating event will be held at 11:30 a.m. on the Annex Lawn, and a game show will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn, where students can test their knowledge and skills.

“Students have opportunity to win cash and prizes,” Lockett said.

The day’s events end at 7 p.m. with Hump Day, featuring performances by fraternities, sororities and alumni.

“We are encouraging alumni to come join us to come dance on Hump Day,” Lockett said.

THURSDAY Another T-shirt swap for Homecoming shirts will be held at 11 a.m., Student Organization Annex Lawn.

A Homecoming comedy show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Montagne Center.

“Last year we had ‘Wild ’n Out,’” Lockett said. “We tried to top it by bringing in the Hudson Brothers, who are known on Youtube for ‘Asking All the Questions’ parts one through

three. One brother, Emanuel Hudson, is on ‘Wild ’n Out’ and works with Nick Cannon. There will be meet-and-greet challenge on Twitter. Follow on LU_students.”

FRIDAY The Cardinal Reunion BBQ will be held at 3 p.m. in Cardinal Park. The lighting of the Homecoming Bonfire will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Spindletop Field.

“We want everyone in LU gear and turn up,” Lockett said.

“We are trying to make it more diverse with music and having fun together. We will also announce a part of the Homecoming Court at this time, from freshman to juniors, and the top three for king and queen.

At 8:30 p.m., a dance marathon to raise money for

children who are suffering pediatric illness will be held in the Rec Center.

SATURDAY “There are a variety of events to engage not only undergraduates, but alumni as well,” Lockett said.

The antique car show will be held at Gladys City, and will start at 11 a.m. and end at 1 p.m.

Fan Fest will be held on the guest parking at Wimberly from 3p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Homecoming Parade will start Saturday at 2 p.m. at the rec center parking lot followed by tailgating at 3 p.m. in the Montagne Center parking lot. The game against Central Arkansas kicks off at 6 p.m.in Provost Umphrey Stadium.

For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/homecoming.

UNIVERSITY PRESS • Thursday, October 26, 2017

Page 7

UPsports briefs take a 47-20 lead into the locker room.

The second half started with the Bearkats scoring on their first two possessions. The Cardinals first score of the second half came on a nine-yard run from Randle, and it would be Big Red’s only score of the half. The Bearkats closed out the game with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals return to action, Saturday, when it hosts rival Stephen F. Austin. The game against the Lumberjacks will kick off at 6 p.m. from Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Men’s Basketball New Mexico transfer Jordan Hunter scored a game-high 18 points to lead the White team to a 61-48 victory over the Red team in Lamar University’s annual men’s Red vs. White scrimmage in the Montagne Center, Tuesday.

Hunter was one of four Cardinals to finish the night in double figures.

Hunter was joined by teammate Torey Noel who scored 11 points and a game-high eight assists. Junior Josh Nzeakor just missed a doubledouble with nine points and eight rebounds.

The White squad did the majority of its damage from point-blank range outscoring the Red team, 34-15, in the paint. The White squad also held a 12-point advantage in second chance points while outrebounding their counterparts, 27-19.

Led by 17 points from senior Colton Weisbrod, the Red team was 18-of-37 from the field and nearly 50 percent from three-point range.

Junior Nick Garth scored 10 points and also dished out four assists. Indiana State transfer Laquarious Paige added nine.

The contest remained close for the majority of the night. The Red held the lead for the majority of the first half before senior Zjori Bosha hit a three-pointer with 1:15 remaining in the first half to give the White team a one-point lead.

After tying the game, the White got a basket from Hunter with three seconds on the clock to take a twopoint lead into the locker room.

The White team built its lead to as many as five before the Red squad got a basket from Paige and an and-one from Weisbrod, to tie the game at 42 with 8:30 remaining. The White team responded by going on a 14-4 run and never looked back.

Women’s Basketball Junior Moe Kinard scored a game-high 32 points to lead the Lamar University Black squad to an 81-56 victory over the Red squad in their first annual Red vs. Black

Volleyball

UP photo by Cassandra Jenkins

The action was keenly contested during Tuesday’s Red vs. White Scrimmage in the Montagne Center. scrimmage at the Montagne Center, Tuesday.

The Black squad jumped out to a 21-6 lead and never looked back pushing their advantage to as many as 27 in the second half. The Black team opened the night shooting nearly 46 percent from the field in the first half, and knocked down 30of-71 attempts. The Black team also converted 13 three-pointers.

Senior Kiandra Bowers finished the night with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while junior Chastadie Barrs finished the night with a game-high 10 assists. Defensively, Barrs finished the night with four steals and five rebounds.

The Red squad made a run late in the second quarter to pull within 14 points. After trailing by 21 points, the Red team closed the half on a 70 run to pull within 14 points. LU got a three-pointer from Shedricka Pierson to open the second half and cut the lead down to 11 points, but that would be as close as the Red team would get as the Black squad responded by pushing their advantage to 21 points before the end of the

third quarter.

McKenzie Alton led the Red team’s effort with 13 points. She was one of two Red players to finish the night in double figures. Senior Baileigh O’Dell added 12 points, while Kyla Green scored nine points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.

The Red team finished the night shooting 21-of-51 from the field, including seven three-pointers. Neither team found an advantage on the glass as each team pulled down 40 rebounds .

Football Sam Houston State scored just 13 seconds into the game and never looked back defeating Lamar University, 63-27, Saturday, at Bowers Stadium. The Bearkat score was one of three in the opening 15 minutes as Sam Houston jumped out to a 16-0 first half lead.

The Cardinals cracked the scoreboard with just over two minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Allen guided the Cardinals on a sevenplay, 81-yard drive, that ended with a

two-yard run for the score. The momentum didn’t last long as Sam Houston answered right back on the opening play of the second quarter.

Briscoe hit Stewart from 30 yards out to give the Bearkats a 23-7 advantage.

The Bearkats built their lead to 23 points before LU went back on the attack. After giving up a score, the Cardinals marched down the field on a 15-play, 75-yard drive, that ended with a six-yard TD from Allen, 30-14.

Following a Bearkat field goal, the Cardinals went back on the march.

Allen guided the Cardinals on a fourplay, 75-yard drive. Allen opened the drive with an 18-yard completion to Robinson, and followed that up with a 37-yard run from Banks.

After a four-yard run from sophomore Derrion Randle, he got the call again on the very next play and carried up the middle for the score. The point after was blocked but the scoring drive pulled LU within 13 points.

The Bearkats got the ball back before halftime and tacked on another score with 21 seconds remaining to

Murielle Hlavac registered a double-double for Lamar University, but it wasn’t enough for the Cardinals as visiting McNeese posted a 3-1 win in Southland Conference women’s volleyball match at McDonald Gym, Saturday.

Hlavac finished with 14 kills and 10 digs, compiling a team-high 15 points, but the Cardinals came up short against their archrivals. McNeese (15-11 overall, 6-5 Southland) won the first set 25-22, before the Cardinals (3-17, 1-9) responded with a 25-23 win in the second set to even the match at one set apiece as the teams headed to the locker rooms.

The Cardinals had leads deep into the next two sets, but the visiting Cowgirls found a way to win those sets, claiming 25-18 and 2519 victories.

LU and McNeese were tied at 17 in the third set before McNeese put the set away with an 8-1 run. T The fourth set saw LU take a 1614 lead on a kill by Amy Hollowell, before the Cowgirls ran off five straight points to build a 19-16 advantage. McNeese never trailed after that.

The Cardinals look to snap their five-match skid when they travel to Hammond, La., to take on Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m., tonight.

Compiled by Cassandra Jenkins

8

CARDINAL HOOPS

UNIVERSITY PRESS October 26, 2017

Chasing a Title Lamar hoops ranked second, aiming for top spot Cassandra Jenkins UP sports editor

Lamar University’s men’s basketball team has started the 2017-18 season already breaking records. The team was picked to finish second, only 34 points behind SFA, in a preseason poll announced by Southland Conference officials, Oct. 16. The selection was the highest pick since 2007.

Last year the Cardinals posted a 19-15 overall record, 10-8 in SLC, and made it to post-season play for the first time since 2012. The Cards return most of that squad, including four starters.

“We’ve got more returning players this year since I’ve been here, led

by Colton Weisbrod,” head coach Tic Price said.

“Colton is coming off a real special year. He has been battle tested. He knows what it takes to win on this level and is

one of my most experienced players. At the end of the day, he is our go-to guy — he makes things happen for us.”

Weisbrod, a senior from Nederland, was named first-team AllSouthland Conference last year. He started in 34 games of the season and led the team in scoring and rebounds. He finished fourth in the league with 10 double-doubles, seventh in points averaged per a game, tied for second in SLC rebounds, fifth in free-throw shooting and had a career high of 34 points in one game.

“It’s exciting,” Weisbrod said. “We have a good group of guys and familiar faces, which is always good. Coming into the conference, having senior leadership is always going to be a good thing for the team. Usually, the teams that win this conference are experienced teams, tough

teams. I feel like we can bring that to the table.”

Other returning starters are point guard Joey Frenchwood, and guards Zjori Bosha and Nick Garth.

“Joey Frenchwood is one of the most underrated point guards in the Southland Conference,” Price said. “He is coming off an injury right now, but if he can pick up from a year ago, I think he has a chance to have a special year. Then we have Zjori Bosha, who’s been with the program for four years. He does all the little things for us. Defensively, he gets his hand on a lot of things, he anticipates well. He set the school record last year for 10 steals in one game. We have to follow his lead defensively.

“Nick Garth is one of the most prolific threepoint shooters in our conference. He is capable of exploding at any time

UP photo by Matt Beadle

Colton Weisbrod goes up for a layup in practice in the Montagne Center, Oct. 19.

UP photo by Cassandra Jenkins

Nick Garth (3) powers through a defender during Tuesday’s Red and White Scrimmage at the Montagne Center. offensively. He gets it, he understands and he can play multiple positions.”

Price said besides the returners, the team consists of fifth-year transfers and two freshmen.

“We have one transfer, James Harrison, (who) helps us stretch the defense with his outside shooting — we need his experience, as well as Da’Shawn Robinson, who is another transfer,” he said. “Then we have Tyrin Atwood, who was a freshman last year, who adds to that experience. We only have two freshmen — Avery Sullivan, a big kid, a wide body, who will give us a presence inside, and Jordan Foster. They are putting in the work and seeing the difference from high school basketball and what it takes to play on Division I level — both of them have bright futures here at Lamar.”

Sullivan said he is excited about his first season at the university.

“I’m looking forward to playing with my team, making good experiences, helping us win a conference championship and doing the best we can this season,” he said. “I feel real confident about our team.

It’s a daily grind and every day we get better.”

Price said he is looking forward to seeing this team grow during a wellstrategized, balanced preseason schedule.

“There are different styles of play,” he said.

“We have teams that bring pressure defense and some teams that run a little bit more than others. I think that life on the road, especially early in the year, is going to, hopefully, teach us how to overcome playing in a hostile environment. I think the schedule will be very good to test our mental toughness, being able to sustain effort and concentration for 40-minutes.”

Tulsa, Coastal Carolina, University of Texas El Paso, North Carolina, Radford and UC-Davis will be some of the tougher opponents on the non-conference schedule.

“We have strategically scheduled games based on us building our program,” Price said. “We certainly don’t want to get overloaded by jumping out into a schedule knowing we don’t have a person out there to

match the opponent.

What we’re doing is setting it up for us to continually make progress.

There are always going to be ebbs and flows during the season, peaks and valleys. It comes down to how mentally tough you are, to be able to overcome those ebbs and flows.”

Price said Southland Conference play will be a challenge.

“No one is a gimme on our schedule,” he said.

“We must be locked in and focused when we step between the lines.

When I try to prepare our players, I make sure they know to stay in the moment, seizing that moment, regardless of who we play.”

Weisbrod said he is ready for play to start.

“I feel good about the upcoming season,” he said. “We have a lot of leadership and some great guys on the team. I don’t see why we can’t compete for a championship. Everyone wants to get to the NCAA tournament. I’ve never been there and I don’t think any of the coaches have been there here at Lamar.

That would be nice to do for everybody.”

Lamar had the opportunity for extra practice over the summer when they travelled overseas to play in Costa Rica.

“It was good,” Price said. “It was a good experience. It was team building in another country. It was us against the world, it was just us. We had maybe two or three fans that were there. We had to grow together.”

After seeing the hard work they put in at practice, Price said he is starting to see the team’s strengths and weaknesses.

“One of the weaknesses that I am concerned about is taking care of the basketball,” he said. “Right now, we are turning the ball over a little too much. We have to value the basketball a little more. We have to clean that area up, and then know when our shot selection is a good shot, know when to and when not to. I’m a stickler about detail, but those are areas we can clean up. We’ve got to get better at it before we play the first game.”

Team defense and scoring has been a strength, Price said.

“I’ve seen glimpses of good team defense, but it can’t be glimpses it has to

be sustained,” he said. “I think that we can score.

We do that well. We have some offensive firepower.

Defense, to me, is going to be the key to our success if we make our stops.

I think that that should be a commitment from every guy across the board. We need to get tougher on the defensive end, that’s going to be big for us. That would be the difference between chasing a championship and being a champion.”

Price said one thing he isn’t worried about is team chemistry.

“We’ve had team chemistry for the last two years,” he said. “Those guys hang out together.

They don’t really care about who has the leading scorer, they just care about winning. That’s the culture we are trying to make sure we have — the camaraderie. We always say, ‘Be a good teammate.’ The guys pull for each other.”

Freshman Sullivan said the veteran guys really took him and the other newbies in.

“The older players treat me with respect,” he said. “They look out for me. They make sure everything is good with my classes and make sure I’m good throughout campus. If I need anything I can go to them.

They act like big brothers.”

As they head into their season, despite the high prediction, Price said he is focused on getting the team to that No. 1 spot.

“To be honest, with me, second place is a compliment to how people see us,” he said. “But when I look at our rankings, no one has played or won a championship in October — championships are won in March. We’re not celebrating being No. 2, the goal is to be No. 1. We have a lot more work to do to get there.

“The rankings are more for the fans, not necessarily for me or the players. We know whatever we get from this point on, we’re going to have to earn it. When you are a team, you don’t think about that, all you focus on is at the end — are you a champion or not? There’s only one place and that’s No. 1.

That’s where we have to get to.”

The men will make their pre-season debut at Tulsa, Okla., Nov. 10, at noon. Audio will be available on 560 AM.

LADY CARDS

9 UNIVERSITY PRESS October 26, 2017

Leading the Way

Chastadie Barrs prepares to crossover an opponent, Tuesday, in their first annual Red and White Scrimmage at the Montagne Center.

UP photo by Cassandra Jenkins

LU ranked No. 1 in SLC pre-season poll Cassandra Jenkins UP sports editor

Lamar University’s women’s basketball team is picked to finish in first place in the Southland Conference for the upcoming season. The Lady Cards posted a 22-8 overall and 15-3 SLC record last year, making it to the conference tournament before being knocked off

by SFA, 48-62. This year the Lady Cardinals return all five starters and are looking to dominate the season.

“I think that we have a lot of talent,” head coach Robin Harmony said.

“We’re athletic. We’re competitive. We’re getting tougher mentally. We have our veterans returning, that is a positive. Two of the three games we lost last year were on the road.

We should have won and it costs us a championship.

“Our kids know that and they’ve learned that you just never know. I think that’s a strength now that we have veterans coming back.”

Lamar returns 10 players and five starters, among those, three have been selected first-team preseason All-Southland Conference — Kiandra Bowers, Chastadie Barrs and Moe Kinard.

“I’m not going to say I don’t really care about the rankings, but I’m just here to play,” junior guard Kinard said. “I want to get a ring. The ring is what I’m focused on right now. I want two, one for conference and one for the tournament. That’s what I want.”

Mixed in with the returners, the roster contains five freshmen, including new starter Jadyn Pimentel from Saint Louis, Mo. “It’s a great feeling really,” she said. “I didn’t expect it to happen, but it’s a good feeling. Now I just have to keep my spot as a starter. I’m going to make sure I’m prepared for the season. It’s going to be

hard. It’s very intense. In high school, you are doing it for the school, but at Lamar it’s structured, organized — it’s very different.”

The Lady Cardinals have a tough non-conference schedule, Harmony said.

“We start out with Baylor, and when we play Baylor they are going to be ranked second in the nation, probably,” she said.

“We go to Purdue and they’ll be in the top 25, along with New Mexico.

We go to UTSA for a tournament over Thanksgiving break. They are the four big games that will help prepare us for conference.”

Harmony said she expects the other SLC teams to try and bump them off their spot at the top.

“I think we are just trying to work on our nonconference schedule and get prepared to play in conference,” she said. “As a No. 1 seed, I think that every team in the conference will come here and try to give us their Agame. Every game we have to make sure we are prepared for, not take anyone lightly, no matter where they’ve been picked. Central Arkansas is still a very good team. Stephen F. Austin and New Orleans, I think have all their starters back, and then the rest of the conference is pretty young, except with a couple kids that are back in Incarnate Word and Southeastern. But, as a whole unit, it would be those three teams.”

Harmony said she would have been surprised if LU hadn’t been picked at the No. 1 spot.

“I know that there are some schools that voted for other teams in our conference, so it wasn’t like a landslide of everybody voting us No. 1,” she said.

“But, we have five starters back, we have good classes we’ve signed as far as our freshmen and sophomore class. A lot of our starters are juniors and we only

graduate one senior that is game, Harmony said. fenses, defenses,” she said.

“We also need to work a starter and three altoon mental toughness. Last “It takes us a while. We are “Last year we were last gether — Kiandra Bowers, a defensive team. We do a in free throws in our conyear, when things were Baileigh O’Dell and DeA’n- ference,” she said. “We’re going our way, we were special press where we gela Mathis. press for 40 minutes and OK. When we hit advertrying to get kids to come “So, we are still kind of have to learn the spots and in on their own and they sity, whether it was the ofyoung, but we suffered have been. This is the only ficials or being on the road rotations, it takes a while when these kids were or not hitting shots, we got to get that. Every day we team, since we’ve been at young. That’s all we talked Lamar, that come in on in slumps. Now we have put in like one or two new about, but now we’ve been their own and are workbeen practicing that. If you things, so we can get there. They’ve been to the everything in.” ing. Before it would be one are a shooter and your tournament, they know Kinard said she is ready shots aren’t going in, you or two kids, now, just yeswhat it’s like. We have don’t just go and pout, you for the season no matter terday, on their day off, I three players picked presay, ‘OK, I can play dewhat the outcome is. had eight kids in there season All-Conference. We getting shots up on their “I am excited,” she said. fense, I can rebound, I can have all the tools, we’ve get steals, I can help my “I’m ready. It feels like last own. You see the change just got to do the job.” season was yesterday, but team in other ways.’ That for us. They want to get Harmony said she sees is a maturity-level thing.” it’s a new day, a new seabetter. They want to imher team making it all the prove. They don’t just Harmony said the team son, a new year, so we way to the NCAA tournahave to go get it.” want to wish they are betis always looking to imment.

The Lady Cardinals will prove in practice. ter shooters. That just “I think that we should play Baylor University in comes with time and repe- “We’re just trying to put be able to win regular seatition. our scheme in of our ofWaco, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. son,” she said. “We should be able to win our conference tournament. We should go to the NCAA tournament.”

Harmony said that depends on the RPI (rating percentage index) at the end of the year. There are 351 Division I teams.

“Our RPI last year was 134, so that means we’re on the upper crest of the teams in the tournament,” she said. “If we win our conference tournament we have an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

“Obviously, the No.1 team plays the No. 16 team, (but) if we can get into the 12 or 13 spot we have a chance to get a W — at least have a shot. But if we are the 16 seed playing the No.1, like UCONN, Baylor or something, there is no way. The odds are a billion to one. That’s why we are trying to play a tougher non-conference schedule. We have some kids that could have been on top 25 teams, but they might not have been starters or would have waited two years to get into the starting lineup.

Instead, they came here where they can be a difference maker. They have something to prove to those teams.”

Free throws and mental UP photo by Cassandra Jenkins toughness are two things the team needs to work on Moe Kinard jumps in the air to attempt a two-point shot in front of a defender in Tuesday’s Red and before playing the first White Scrimmage at the Montagne Center.

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Thursday, October 26, 2017 • UNIVERSITY PRESS