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SGA president Students share expands on plan tattoo tributes to go green P 7 P 10 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
VOLUME 94 ISSUE 18
www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com
February 6, 2017
Unity march protests immigration ban
P 8-9
Residential life adds service to ULM app P 3
Australian basketball player finds niche P 15
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 2
February 6, 2017
BRIEFS CALENDAR 6
Monday, February Men's basketball at Georgia State, 6 PM
8
Wednesday, February
Managing Anxiety workshop Student Center 170, 4 PM
9
Thursday, February
"Charmed" art lecture and reception, Sandel Hall Room 236 and Bry Art Gallery, 2 PM Women's basketball vs Troy, FantEwing Coliseum, 6 PM ULM's Got Talent, Brown Auditorium, 7 PM
Friday, February Softball vs Sam Houston State, Softball Complex, 5 PM
Saturday, February
10 11
Men's basketball vs South Alabama, Fant-Ewing Coliseum, 4 PM Softball vs Grambling State, Softball Complex, 5 PM Softball vs. SIUE, Softball Complex, 7 PM Monroe Symphony Orchestra Chamber Concert, Brown Auditorium, 7 PM
NEXT WEEK
Thursday, February
16
Movie: Cyrano de Bergerac, Stubbs 100, 6:30 PM
2 Washington, D.C. 3 United States 4 Central America Child refugees not Delta and LA Tech DeVos close to Labor market getting the job starts strong just from Syria form partnership 1 Louisiana
Louisiana Delta Community College and Louisiana Tech have created an easy way for students to transition between schools. Students who attend a community college might have a hard time transferring to a four-year accredited college. Students may not know what credits transfer or know the right information for the university they want to attend. La. Tech and Delta made an agreement on how credits will be transferred between the two institutions. Les Guice, president of La. Tech, signed a document called the Memorandum of Understanding at La. Tech, which ensures that the two institutions help each other in enrolling students into college. ULM signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Louisiana Delta Community College in 2008. According to the News Star article
The U.S. Senate is not making headway with Betsy DeVos’ nomination for Education secretary.If not, Vice President Pence might have to pick who he wants as Education secretary if the senate cannot choose for themselves. A small number of republican senators stated that they would not vote for DeVos, meaning the vote would be split down the middle. Most democrats do not think DeVos is qualified. Public school teachers have tried to get democratic senators not to vote for DeVos because she did not know simple facts about the education system. Most republicans are voting for DeVos and cannot believe that Democrats will not give her a chance. They said that they don’t understand why someone outside the education system cannot improve it.
(MCT) - The labor market started the year strong, adding a robust 227,000 net new jobs last month while more people began looking for work, the Labor Department said Friday. Although the January job growth figure exceeded expectations _ and was the best since September _ that was somewhat offset by a downward revision of job growth the previous two months by 39,000. Those changes meant job growth averaged 187,000 for 2016 and that President Trump took office with the job market expanding at a solid pace. "He's inheriting a very healthy labor market and a healthy economy," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group. "Obviously some of his core voters don't feel that way. But overall the unemployment rate is under 5 percent and jobs have been growing." d
QUOTE
PARTY LIKE IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY
TODAY IN HISTORY
February 6
"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time." Leonard Bernstein American Composer
Front page photo credits: Main story photo by: Siddharth Gaulee Top photo courtesy: Christy Acree Top sidebar photo by: Kandice Johnson Bottom sidebar photo courtesy: Sam Alabakis
(MCT) - President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration has halted a government program that allows Central American children to seek refugee status in the United States. More than 11,000 people have applied for the program since 2014, when former President Obama launched it in an attempt to dissuade Central Americans fleeing violence from making risky journeys to the U.S. border. The program is available only to children who have a parent who is residing in the U.S. legally and in some cases a child's adult relative. Applicants are screened in their home countries. Since the effort was launched, more than 2,000 people have been resettled in the U.S., either as refugees or through a process known as humanitarian parole, according to the State Department.
photo by Siddharth Gaulee
Global Ambassador Susan Egbert and Michaela Harris celebrate Harris' birthday at the Local-International Birthday Meet.
1815: New Jersey grants the first American railroad charter to John Stevens. 1899: Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate. 1918: British women over the age of 30 get the right to vote. 1959: Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit. jail earlier in the month. 1959: At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished. 1988: Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo. 1989: The Round Table Talks start in Poland, thus marking the beginning of the overthrow of communism in Eastern Europe.
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
February 6, 2017
PAGE 3
NEWS TECHNOLOGY
BRIEF
Residential Life
creates new app for dorm
Aims to improve
communication by Corlyn Key
Residential Life is finding new ways to better the lives of students this semester. Using their new application withing the ULM application, ULM Better Living, they have found a better way to help speed up complaints dealing with roommates as well as maintenance requests. FixIt, the previous resident website, did not allow for easy of use with the residents. By embedding the app into the already successful ULM Mobile app, Residential Life was able to address the issues of the webpage. Alex Cooper, a sophomore secondary english education major, said, “I haven’t used the app yet but I’m glad they incorporated it into the ULM app because when you went to the actual FixIt website, it never worked.” The app allows students who live on campus to easily send in-
2 BR / 2 Bath 1100 Sq. Ft. Rent: $830/month
photo courtesy ULM photo courtesy Kandice Johnson
THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: If you log into the ULM app, the Residential Life category is now next to announcements.
formation straight to the director of Residential Life. The app asks for the student's building and room number and then prompts them to report problems. There is even a section for additional comments. “We’re always looking for ways to make it easier for our residents to communicate with us,” said Residential Life Director, Theresa Buckhaults. Buckhaults went on to say that this app helps students quickly convey any issues or to answer simple "how to" questions. The app will also provide students a way to report issues they are having with their roommate while avoiding the awkward confrontations. All submissions go straight to
Buckhaults, who then seeks out the appropriate staff member to deal with any trouble that needs be taken care of. Senior communication major Reanna Roberts said, “I think it's pretty efficient whenever you don't have your laptop with you. However, I don't think it's necessarily needed. Whenever you have a question about anything reslife related it's easier to go up there.” The residential assistants have also received a new handbook that reinforces some older rules and also gives procedures on how to deal with certain problems that could arise throughout the semester. contact Corlyn Key at keyc@warhawks.ulm.edu
Dr. Paul Sylvester was awarded a $10,000 check to total his findings for breast cancer research to $107,500. The Louisiana Cancer Foundation has continually given Dr. Sylvester funding over 10 years for his research. The Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute founded the Louisiana Cancer Foundation. The institute’s purpose is to increase awareness and treat patients with cancer. Dr. Sylvester has been researching how nutrition affects breast cancer and a form of Vitamin E, which has anticancer activity. Dr. Sylvester said he was humbled by the generosity of the Louisiana Cancer Foundation. He also said, “gifts such as this are extremely important in maintaining our efforts and progress, and provide a means by which we can obtain important and equipment and supplies required to advance our studies.” Civilians also noticed Dr. Sylvester’s research. He received $600,000 from the late Mildred Maurer. Maurer took an interest in Dr. Sylvester’s research after being a breast cancer survivor.
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 4
February 6, 2017
OPINION STUDENT ISSUES
HAWKEYE P.O.V.
DeVos isn’t fit for our education system While most of our staff is horrified at the prospect of this woman being in charge of our education, there are some of us who remain unbothered by the appointment. Normally when the President is electing new officials to hold important offices, we as college students find we have better things to do like study for a test or binge watch the latest season of New Girl. However, we no longer have the luxury to remain ignorant. Last year our state’s education report card was a D. This is why we can’t stand behind Trump’s nomination of DeVos. Someone who has no empathy or insight on the country’s education doesn’t need to represent it. Our teachers are underpaid and they seriously need an increase. DeVos made the comment this nation’s teachers are receiving adequate pay. This is inconsiderate. While watching her committee hearing, it became quite clear that she was not familiar with the current education crisis. We don’t need someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to be a part of these programs because that person will not understand just how important these programs are to some people. She is the true definiton of what it means to be unqualified and unbothered. And we need to be bothered by that.
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Stubbs 131 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209 Editor in chief - Olivia Barfield Co-managing editor news - Kandice Johnson Co-managing editor design - Sandeep Shrestha Photo editor - Siddharth Gaulee Opinion editor - Corlyn Key Freestyle editor - Cory Thaxton Sports editor - John Stevens Multimedia editor - Brea Joyner Advertising director - Clarence Nash, Jr. Chief copy editor - Megan Kirk Henderson 318-342-5453 ulmhawkeyead@gmail.com Faculty adviser Dr. Christopher Mapp 318 342 5454 mapp@ulm.edu Feedback 318 342 5453 newsroom 318 342 5452 fax ulmhawkeye@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in personal columns are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of the editors, staff, adviser or the university. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The Hawkeye’s editorial board, but not necessarily the opinions of the adviser or the University. The Hawkeye (USPS #440-700) is published weekly except vacation, exam & holiday periods by The University of Louisiana at Monroe, 700 university Avenue, Monroe, LA 71209. Annual subscription price is $15.00. Periodicals Postage Paid at Monroe, LA 71203. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Hawkeye, 700 University Ave., Stubbs 131, Monroe, LA 71209-8832.
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Do better and get more recognition Clarence Nash, Jr. “Excellence is never an accident. It is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities.” My friend and coworker used that quote in her email last week. Who said it? I’m not sure, but I’m glad they did. Every semester, maybe every day, there’s a student complaining about how their department is ignored. In the College of Business and Social Sciences, it seems as if marketing students get favored because they have a computer lab to themselves. Risk management and insurance majors get their own conference outside of the Business Symposium. As a student pursuing degrees in both marketing and risk management & insurance, I see what warrants the extra resources and attention. The computer labs and conferences happen because each of these programs offer something unique to the university. Some of the programs and groups even profit from their work. Along with that, industry professionals and alumni support and donate to these departments. The marketing department has its own computer lab on the third floor of Hemphill Hall. It’s open to those majoring in marketing or currently taking a marketing class. There’s no public information about the benefactor because the lab was a result of a private donation given to the college of business. After asking a few professors about it, I found out that the donation was given because the supporter was very happy with the education that students have been receiving in the program. The risk management and insurance program operates its Risk & Insurance Talent Search (RITS) through donations from industry professionals and companies. The program coordinator, Professor Christine Berry, along with many of her students, work together to meet with industry professionals so they can fund conferences and give students an opportunity to meet the people that are doing the job they’re learning about. Professor Berry does all she can to give her students similar opportunities every year. In November, I and seven other risk management students attended a conference in Metairie. We got a
chance to meet the Louisiana House of Representatives’ Chair of the Insurance Committee Kirk Talbot, and the Louisiana Insurance Commissioner, James Donelon. No wonder most risk management majors accept job offers before they graduate. If you want a piece of the pie, I believe that it is up to the students to make that change. The professors here at ULM are always ready to help students who want to better themselves and the school. If there’s a project idea that you have, bring it up to your adviser, professor or other students in the same discipline. A great research project, app or business plan could change the trajectory of a degree program. Students and professors arriving with new, innovative ideas lead projects that grow into grants and endowments. This allows greatness to continue. ULM is primarily a pharmaceutical and health sciences research university. That is obvious in the continued success of those programs. In September, a $1.7 million grant was given to Dr. Karen Briski, a pharmacy professor. In December, two pharmacy students were both given $1,000 grants to use for tuition. Imagine what could happen if the same kind of dedication seen by those programs was put toward other programs. If the students didn’t work as hard as they did, we wouldn’t be seeing any of the accolades. I don’t think there are enough students on this campus that want to make a change and be different. Sure, we’re here to graduate and get a job. But why can’t we graduate and make our own jobs? To put things into perspective, I’ll tell you a simple fact. Google, Facebook, Reddit and Yahoo are companies built on ideas by college students. They’ve changed the way we learn and interact with each other. I think that the same thing could happen here. Last semester, someone said to me that he and a few of his close friends are working on what he believes will be “the next Facebook.” A few people laughed when they heard him say it, but I looked him in the eye and said I couldn’t wait to see it. I didn’t see the humor in what he said. If he thinks that he can build the next big thing, who am I to stomp his moonshot? I can admit I’m not a wealth of ideas when it comes to creating something new. What I am is the type of person who likes to help see things through and build on what’s already there. ULM has a strong foundation to work on. With success comes reward, and I believe there are many programs at ULM that could be built and improved upon. It just takes students with goals and the enthusiasm to follow through. contact Clarence Nash, Jr. at nashcj@warhawks.ulm.edu
February 6, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 5
OPINION POLITICS
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We can help immigrants A letter to
after we help ourselves
Kaitlynn Harris Yep, you read that title right. As a child, raised in church, most hear the story from Luke 10:25-37 of the man who was beaten, robbed and left for dead. A priest passed by and when he saw the man he kept walking. Then, a Levite came along and he too passed by the man. Then, the Samaritan came by and he took the man in and took care of him. Through this lesson, Jesus says to have mercy on others. Mercy by its definition means to have compassion or forgiveness. The Samaritan had the means to help the beaten man. He stopped because he could, he paid the inn keeper because he could afford to. Let’s take a step back and look at our own country. Over 500,000 homeless people live in the United States. About a quarter of that group are children. Riots on the streets, violent “protests” and people of the United States literally killing one another (where the black lives/blue lives matter thing comes into play). We have gun abuse by those illegally obtaining or snapping and using to do people harm.
me) and braces. In response, she was compared to a dog by Rush Limbaugh, and John McCain flat-out called her ugly. George W. Bush’s daughters were pegged as party girls and alcoholics. A West Virginia official named Pamela Taylor said she was “tired of seeing an ape in heels,” a racial slur aimed at Michelle Obama, a woman who has been an intelligent, positive role model for many young women. The list goes on and on. Obviously, no one should be taking any legal actions when something like this happens. The First Amendment protects everyone’s freedom of speech, even when it’s ugly and hateful. I don’t like censorship in most cases, but just because you have the right to say something, doesn’t always mean you should. We need to hold those in power and those in the media responsible when they make unnecessary cheap shots at the expense of children. We need to let them know that it’s not OK, especially when those kids aren’t even old enough to vote. Let’s be civil adults and talk about our political stances without bringing the innocent into it. contact Megan Kirk Henderson at kirkmc@warhawks.ulm.edu
contact Christopher Wade at wadecn@warhawks.ulm.edu
contact Kaitlynn Harris at harriskk@warhawks.ulm.edu
1st family did not choose political life
Megan Kirk Do you remember being 10 years old? I do. I was constantly looking for guidance, acceptance and love everywhere I went. I was also bullied. Kids, especially at that age, are very insecure. They care about how they look, and they care about what other people think of them. Keeping that in mind, I think everyone might agree that an adult ridiculing a 10-yearold would be a pretty terrible thing to do. So then, why is it OK to make fun of Barron Trump? I get it, a lot of people don’t like his dad. I don’t like his dad. But that doesn’t matter. This child has no control over the ideals his father holds or the bills he signs into law. Barron isn’t the one signing an endless
by Christopher N. Wade, ULM Alum
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” In consideration of Trump’s recent barrage of executive orders including, but not limited to, his ban of Muslim immigrants and refugees from select countries, one emotion in particular arises: disgust. Having been born a white American male to a Christian family, I will likely never experience discrimination on the basis of skin color, gender, nationality or religious beliefs. Those of us with said privilege, therefore, have a moral obligation to speak out in defense of those who would be subjected to such discrimination. This letter is not intended to push partisan politics and accordingly, is not meant to be divisive. On the contrary, my aim is to unite our community in resolve to speak out against state sponsored injustice. As citizens of this country, it is our civic duty to involve ourselves in public affairs; therefore, I cannot and will not sit idly by as President Trump impedes the civil liberties of my fellow man. To do so would be an affront to our founding fathers and to democracy itself. This nation does not endorse one religion in particular; that said, freedom of religious identity is explicitly asserted in our constitution. Consequently, Americans are free to enjoy varying degrees of religiosity, yet Trump’s executive ban of middle eastern refugees and immigrants specifically targets those of the Islamic faith. This is apparent and egregious bigotry inspired by ignorance and exacerbated by xenophobia. Syrians are currently facing a very clear and present danger. Countless are suffering atrocities you and I will likely only ever read about. Explosions have left families buried by rubble; blockades have forced the starvation of entire villages. Many have died trying to flee this war-torn country. These people have a right to live as much as you or I do. To turn our backs on an entire population of suffering people because of their religious beliefs would be an insult to our notion of religious freedom, and it would be especially insulting to our Muslim-American servicemen and women who fight for such freedoms. Do not mistake my words for liberal idealism; doing so perpetuates the fallacy that one must either be a liberal or a conservative and that the two ideologies cannot fight on the same side. This would invariably detract from the gravity of the content. The preservation of human life should not be so radical an idea. The people of the United States must remain resolute in solidarity with those who need defending and those who seek refuge from war. Our humanity depends on it. I encourage everyone to write your representatives. March in the streets. Publicize your support for human life. Do not allow the president of the free world to discriminate against an entire population under the guise of national security.
We have people storming the streets and literally defacing, wrecking and tearing apart businesses. We are the definition of a nation divided. So why so much controversy over refugees and the travel ban? Do I agree with everything my President does? Of course not, nobody will ever agree with someone about everything. But I do support him, I believe that he is trying to get the mess that is the American people and society straightened out before bringing anything else into iy. Yes, I do, think there was a better way to go about this and do it, but its only 90 days. It isn’t a lifetime. These 90 days help give the people in charge time to figure out the most efficient way to keep you and I safe, as well as help those in need. America has been poking its big nose into everyone else’s business since our country began. Sending help to those in need, taking people into our broken melting pot. It’s time to fix ourselves. Everything starts with the little person, if you aren’t doing your part to help the country, then you’re hurting it. Once we learn to stand together again then we will have the ability to help others as we always have. America has always been a place for people to legally immigrate and seek a fresh start and it will continue to be that once we straighten up. We can’t help them if we can’t help ourselves. We are broken warhawks, and duct tape just isn’t doing the job anymore. We need something far more permanent to heal our nation. It’s time to stop whining about finding a solution or complaining about who is in charge. Show this nation what we can do. Be the domino effect you wish to see in the world.
stream of executive actions or making speeches about building a giant wall. He’s a child. Granted, an extremely wealthy child, but a child nonetheless. So when Katie Rich, a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” tweeted, “Barron will be this country’s first homeschool shooter,” she was laughing at someone who didn’t deserve to be laughed at. Rich was suspended from writing for the show, and I think it was justified. He didn’t ask for any of this. For all we know, he may not even want his father to be the president, just like many of the people making fun of him. The children and spouse of any president should be off-limits. I don’t mean they shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions. Obviously, if they break the law or commit some other offense they should be punished. But calling them names and making inaccurate assumptions about them just because they’re related to a certain politician should not be permissible. Barron isn’t the first one this has happened to. Sadly, it’s actually a normal thing for people to take their anger and frustration toward the president out on his family. Chelsea Clinton was going through her awkward adolescent stage when her dad became president. She had frizzy hair (like
students
PAGE 6
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
February 6, 2017
NEWS CAMPUS POLICY
Administration says NLU gear okay on campus, but not everywhere by Olivia Barfield A ULM spokesperson said students are free to wear shirts with logos from other schools on campus, but some offices may not allow it. This statement came after a graduate student was asked not to wear a Northeastern Louisiana University (NLU) shirt to her job at the Office of Student Life and Leadership, and her mother posted about the incident on Facebook. “It’s fine to wear NLU shirts on campus, if you choose to, because that’s part of our history and our heritage,” said Public Relations Director Julia Letlow while speaking on behalf of Vice President of Student Affairs Camile Currier. She added that some departments can ask their workers not to wear shirts from other schools. Last week Julie Carmack, the mother of the graduate student, posted that her daughter was told her NLU shirt was racist. Her daughter chose to remain anonymous as her name has not been published. The Office of Student Life and Leadership policy asks that workers not wear the logos of other universities. In 1999, the NLU Indians became the ULM Indians. ULM didn’t adopt the Warhawk mascot until 2006, when the Nation-
• • • • • •
graphic by Sandeep Shrestha
?
al Collegiate Athletic Association threatened to penalize ULM sports teams for their potentially offensive mascot.
“There are some departments on campus that request that if you come to work and you wear a t-shirt promoting a school that you choose to wear ULM... But there’s nothing really written officially or policy that says you can’t wear another school’s letters.” Julia Letlow, Director of Communication and Marketing Public Information While many argue that NLU and ULM are the same thing, Director of Student Life and Leadership Laura Jennings said the name change was a brand change and should be treated as such.
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On August 27, 1999, the university officially changed its name from Northeast Louisiana University to the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and on June 26, 2006, ULM officially changed its athletic mascot from “Indians” to “Warhawks”.
“Part of the dress code for our department includes that only ULM logos may be worn if any college logo is worn at all,” Jennings said. Jennings said that wearing an NLU shirt to work is promoting an old brand, and is comparable to wearing a CenturyTel shirt to work at what is now CenturyLink. She also said her office supports ULM Athletics, which is no longer allowed to be affiliated with the NLU photo courtesy Julie Carmack
contact Olivia Barfield at barfieor@warhawks.ulm.edu
OLD-SCHOOL SPIRIT: A ULM graduate student wearing her NLU t-shirt.
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February 6, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 7
NEWS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
GOING GREEN
Students learn business-savy skills from movie
SGA discusses campus improvement says improvements are coming soon by Alan Rawles
by Pujan Dahal With their eyes focused on the movie screen, students at ULM watched the documentary “Generation Startup,” Thursday night at Hemphill Hall. Pi Sigma Epsilon hosted the event. The insightful documentary showed the struggles and successes of six recent college graduates who are solely dedicated to build startups in Detroit. Trevonata Jones, a sophomore management and marketing major, said that the idea of the movie was to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, and teach them to take risks. “For our economy to thrive, we need more entrepreneurs” Jones said. The documentary rotates in the orbit of six insecure graduates who showcase their ways to reach their goals. It incorporates risk-taking and diversity to explain the importance of entrepreneurship in the nation’s economy. Assistant professor Claire Stammerjohan said the marketing team of the movie contacted the university in the fall to teach entrepreneur skills to the students. “We did not get enough time last fall,” Stammerjohan said. “This is
Excellent Location and Southern Charm
photo by Matthew Johnson
SHOWTIME: Students watch the documentary “Generation Startup”.
a great movie, and I thought we could do it even though it’s spring.” Stammerjohan compared entrepreneurship Poudel to unstructured problem-solving. “You don’t know what the answer is because you don’t know what the question is,” Stammerjohan said. “Entrepreneurship is finding the question. You have to look for people who are in need of whatever you are going to provide and also if they will be able to afford it.” She also said that the startups lose energy pretty soon and “they do not actually check what they need to provide.”
Prakriti Poudel, a sophomore accounting major, said that there should be a mutual understanding between the partners in a partnership business. “You should be clear with your business partner what you want the company to become,” Poudel said. “One of the characters left his startup because of disagreements.” Poudel expressed that startups have varying consequences. “Think of the consequences…you might succeed or fail in your startup, and be prepared to face them in either situation.” She also said it’s normal for the beginners to be impatient and lose hope, but they have to look back where they started and walk with contact Pujan Dahal at dahalp@warhawks.ulm.edu
Students can look forward to another campus improvement project soon. The Student Government Association is one step closer to once again giving back to the students. At their weekly meeting Tuesday, SGA officers were in the final stages of deciding between two projects. One project that SGA is considering is a remodel of the deck in Bayou Park. The deck, located at the edge of the water next to Northeast Drive, is to be upgraded to fit more people according to SGA president Kaitlin Arnett. Arnett, a senior risk management insurance major, said the new deck will have a safety railing and seating room. Lighting will also be added as a part of the new renovations. SGA confirmed that the current step to upgrade the wooden deck is to finalize a quote on the cost. SGA officers also have one other idea in mind to help improve campus. According to Laura Jennings, director of student life and advisor to SGA, the second project idea is a walkway from the bridge at Bayou Suites to the new Student Event Center. The bridge would allow easier
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walking access from the Northeast Drive vehicle bridge to the rear of the Student Event Center. Jennings said neither of these projects is completely confirmed yet. “We are currently examining multiple options for this year’s project, including requesting quotes, to find out what is feasible and then we will move on to what the preferred project would be.” Jennings said. Arnett did mention a possible third project. In a meeting with President Bruno, Bruno mentioned an idea for an amphitheater in Bayou Park. Arnett said once more information is available, SGA will start making the changes to improve the campus. contact Alan Rawles at rawlesar@warhawks.ulm.edu
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
February 6, 2017
NEWS FREESTYLE
DEMONSTRATION
More power in unity than division
Students, teachers and faculty march in reaction to immigration ban by Sisam Shrestha Times when hate and fear overpower humanity, even the smallest ray of hope can provide a sense of comfort to hundreds. The “Unity March”, organized by Christopher Wade and few other ULM students, was a joint protest against the Trump Administration’s new “immigration ban” and general marginalization targeted towards minority groups. The march had around 50 protesters, both from ULM and the Monroe community, marching back and forth through University Ave. The crowd was an even mix of old er people, college students and high school kids. Protesters carried posters filled with messages of anti-discrimination and words of love. Wade planned the march after a group of students approached him with concerns on Facebook’s “Student to Student” group. Organizing this type of march in a Trump-supporting state was a bit difficult for Wade. However, he plans to overcome the backlash and the hate-
ful comments by continuing to drown out hate with love. The event also allowed protesters to write letters to their respective representatives concerning their disapproval of the bans. “If their representative is from down South or not from Monroe then we’re going to mail them. But we’re gonna make sure that they go to their appropriate representative. That way we get a blanket of support and not just flooding Bill Cassidy’s office with letters,” Wade said. Among the protestors was sophomore psychology major Brittany Ladner, whose t-shirt read “It does not say RSVP on the McEachern statue of Liberty”. Ladner, who is close friends with some of the international students, marched to show her opposition against the “unconstitutional and un-American” executive order. "How would I feel, how would they feel, if they went to visit their families and they couldn’t come back. It humanizes those people for me personally,” Ladner said. Some of the protestors claimed the march to be more of a patriotic movement than a political one. Rabbi Judy Ginsburgh from Temple B’nai Israel in Monroe was also
seen protesting in the march. According to Ginsburgh, Judaists were once strangers in Egypt. “We are to treat strangers as we would have want- Ladner ed to be treated. So to come here and have a peaceful gathering for the unity of all people in our country, America, that has always been a place of freedom, where people could express themselves freely and not be in fear of what they believe. That’s what America is and should continue to be,” Ginsburgh said. Wade also voiced his concerns about the ULM’s administrative representation in support of the march. “Louisiana Tech’s president has already made a statement, and so I think our president should say 'I support our international students, and I’m gonna do my best to protect you.' I think with the international community that we have on campus, he owes it to them,” Waid said. Junior risk management major, Drake McEachern marched to show his support towards the international community present in ULM. “I do think this will bring change. If it affects even one person at ULM then it was worth it,” McEachern said. contact Sisam Shrestha at shrest8@warhawks.ulm.edu
PEACE, LOVE AND UNITY: Participants marched from the Student Union Building to Schulze Cafeteria.
THE REAL MUST STAND: Chris Wade, the organizer of the unity march, speaks to participants.
photo by Siddharth Gaulee
February 6, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 9 NEWS
DEMONSTRATION
WEATHER
Teachers and students plan for possible bad weather during spring by Kandice Johnson
“Louisiana Tech's president has already made a statement, and so I think our president should say 'I support our international students, and I'm gonna do my best to protect you.'...he owes it to them." Christopher Wade, ULM graduate student
TOGETHER WE WIN: Clockwise: Teachers, faculty and students holding hands before the march. Dori Monier showing her painting. A participant signing a post for the march. Professor Vanelis Rivera raising her sign during the march. photos by Siddharth Gaulee
Springtime for Ouachita Parish has brought overwhelming weather conditions. While harsh storms are not an uncommon occurrence, recent years demonstrated that sometimes the unexpected can happen. Although some students see severe weather days as a much-needed escape from the relentless workload that classes can drop on them, it’s always a good idea to plan for the worst. Sometimes these precautions involve a simple lastminute cancellation of classes due to inclement weather. Mathematics teacher, Dr. Telitha Doke, said, “The implementation of technology in the notification process is one important improvement.” She further explained, “the administration issues guidelines for dealing with students affected by severe weather, but allow faculty to determine how to incorporate those guidelines in their courses. That gives faculty freedom to fit the guidelines to a wide range of course structures.” In other instances, however, severe weather can prove to be more than ULM, its officials and even governments are prepared to handle. For instance, the flood that ravaged Ouachita Parish in March 2016 proved to be more than anyone expected. This severe flood saw days where over nine inches of rain fell in a single 24-hour period and over 26 inches of rain total. Thousands of homes were destroyed and roads were broken up and swept away. Many establishments prepared in wake of this massive flood by stacking up sandbags at vulnerable points of their buildings. Robin Thorpe, a senior communications student at ULM, spoke about the dangers of traveling in this weather. “I’ve seen people on the news in these situations, but it doesn’t capture the fear that I felt when driving through high waters and thinking that I might be in a potentially life-threatening situation.” Dr. Doke advised students to “have a plan in case something does happen.” She explained, “In the middle of an emergency is no time to be coming up with a plan.” She recalled a time when a tornado came through campus while she was in the Math Resource Center and what her priorities were at the hectic incident. “I remember hearing the sirens go off. My mind raced through all the drills and training. I got the students away from the windows and waited for the ‘all clear’ signal.” Thankfully, no damages were inflicted on the Math Resource Center, but this shows that planning is important for emergencies, especially with some rooms on campus being notably vulnerable to high winds and debris that come with the weather. The spring season may have its beautiful days, but it’s important to have a plan for the bad days as well. Students can rest assure that ULM has that plan prepared, and that will be the first to know about it. contact Kandice Johnson at johnsokf@warhawks.ulm.edu
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
February 6, 2017
FREESTYLE
photo courtesy of KayLee Johnstone
SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME: KayLee Johnstone and her mom with matching angel tattoos.
photo courtesy of Claire Waggoner
POOH BEAR: Claire Waggoner’s tattoo of Pooh Bear for her brother.
photo courtesy of Molly Boydstun
HUMMINGBIRD HEARTBEAT: Molly Boydstun’s tattoo for her grandfather.
photo courtesy of Christy Acree
DADDY KNOWS BEST: Christy Acree’s feather tattoo dedicated to her dad.
Just like a tattoo, I’ll always have you by Cory Thaxton
MEANING IN TATTOOS Some give their testimony at church, these Warhawks say it with ink. Many think people shouldn’t mark up their bodies with tattoos, either because they think it looks bad or for religious reasons. What they don’t know is that, for a lot of people, their tattoos mean something to them. Molly Boydstun, a senior elementary education major, has a tattoo of a hummingbird on her torso dedicated to her grandfather Carlos Fandal. Her grandfather was someone very special to ULM. Fandal started the language program. He was known as Dean Carlos. “My grandparents always kept hummingbird feeders at their house. He loved to sit on the porch and watch them drink and fly around. They didn’t really have a specific meaning, it was just an animal he loved,” Boydstun said. Boydstun also has a tattoo of a semi-colon on her wrist for her cousin who comitted suicide. She said her cousin was a carefree guy, and he was pretty aggravating, but no one could stay mad at him very long after he would flash his big smile.
Boydstun wishes she could have seen his struggles so she could have helped him, but she said he left behind the most beautiful daughter who is now in kindergarten. “When a writer wants to end a statement they put a period. When they want to keep the statement going, they put a semi colon. No matter what struggles you’re going through, never put a period on your life,” Boydstun said. His daughter is his semi colon.
DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL Christy Acree, a senior communications major, also lost someone close to her. She got a tattoo of a feather with his last name, Acree, inside of it. Charles Acree wasn’t Christy’s biological father, but he raised her for her entire life. She didn’t even know he Acree wasn’t her father until she was 16 years old. Charles was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and had to have double-bypass heart surgery. “It is a terrible disease to watch someone you love suffer with. He was in the hospital more than he was home.” Christy said. “My sister
and I came up with the idea to get matching tattoos to represent our love for him.” After his last release from the hospital, Charles was home for about a week before falling unconscious. He never woke back up. Christy watched him take his last breath. “Our appointment for our tattoos was two weeks later,” Christy said. She said he hated tattoos but he would have loved these because he was a “big mushy, sentimental man.”
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER Kaylee Johnstone, a junior prenursing major, got a tattoo for her brother Daniel, who she actually never met. Daniel was born with gastroschisis, which is a birth defect where the baby’s intestines stick outside of the body. Daniel was only two when he passed and then KayLee was born. “My mom and I always talk about him and she’s told me stories of him. My mom and I are very close, so we decided that we wanted to get matching tattoos in his memory. He is our guardian angel,” KayLee said. Claire Waggoner, a junior
psychology major, also got a tattoo for her brother. It’s a tattoo of Winnie the Pooh with her brother’s signature underneath. Her brother, Cole, is autistic and she said that when he Johnstone was little they knew he was different. “I chose Winnie the Pooh because It’s something that we watched together when we were younger,” Claire said. Besides having a tattoo dedicated to a loved one these Warhawks had something else in common, they don’t think anyone should be judge just because they have tattoos. KayLee said a tattoo doesn’t make a person who they are. “Tattoos do not speak for your knowledge or your talents.” Christy thinks that there aren’t a lot of people these days that don’t have tattoos. “My feeling is: my body is my house. I can decorate the walls of my house how I choose. You hang your art. I wear mine,” she said. Tattoos are more than just ink. contact Cory Thaxton at thaxtocj@warhawks.ulm.edu
xton
a by Cory Th Poll taken
Graphic by Sandeep Shrestha
February 6, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 11
FREESTYLE
‘Split’ is informative, not offensive
Everyone handles trauma differently. Some people crack under pressure, others cope the best they can until the situation resolves itself. Then there are those who do the truly remarkable and learn to compartmentalize. Before writing this article, I did a lot of research on what Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is and discovered some amazing things. Although most people develop DID through cases of extreme trauma, that is not always the case. There have been cases where people naturally developed the disorder, such as Robert Oxnam. Oxnam had a normal childhood and even became a scholar who studied Chinese Culture. However, after being diagnosed with alcoholism, Oxnam was placed in therapy. When he tried to leave therapy, a 10-yearold boy named Tommy emerged. Later, it was discovered that Oxnam had 10 other personalities living within him. M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split” offers a glimpse into what it’s like to live with this disorder. “Split” was a fascinating movie for different reasons. Although it only briefly touched on the battle that is going on in the medical community to truly recognize that this is, in fact, a disorder that people suffer from, the movie did shine a light on the fact that there are people living successful lives with this disorder. It’s confusing to me how anyone with the disorder could be offended by the movie. While the movie takes DID symptoms to the extreme, it also showed how these people are handling life with their disorder. Take Barry for instance. The movie never specified why his particular personality popped up, but you could see that he was clearly functioning quite well in society through the vlog’s he created and his talks with Dr. Karen Fletcher, Kevin’s, the core personality, psychatrist. Not to mention the fact that Dennis was still able to keep Kevin’s job at the zoo and no one knew what he was up to underneath it. Seeing as how there is still much debate
going on over if the disorder is actually real or if people are faking it, the movie will only serve to raise awareness of the disorder. Some people were outraged that Kevin, was harming people. The DID community fears that this movie will cause people to fear those who suffer with the disease. However, the movie only highlights that some people with the disorder do, in fact, commit criminal acts. Take Billy Milligan for example. Milligan was a 23-year-old who kidnapped and raped three different women from the Ohio State Campus area. The arresting officer claimed that he felt as if he was talking to two people at different times. After sending Milligan to the psychiatrist, a fascinating tale unfolded. Milligan was taken over by the personality of a 23-year-old Yugoslavian named Ragen, who wanted to rob people. Ragen was then overtaken by 19-year-old Adalana who was a lesbian and raped the women to feel close to someone. Milligan had no recollection of what his “alters” did and became the first person to be found innocent due to mental illness in 1978. As bizarre as this may sound to those of us who only have one person living inside our heads, there have been other cases such as this one. Most of the people who are outraged about this movie have not even seen it. I think they are judging it prematurely. I wasn’t frightened by the characters portrayed in the film. I laughed along with Hedwig and his quirky jokes. I looked on in amazement at the clothes that Barry designed and I was envious of Dennis’ and Patricia’s cleanliness. However, it was Kevin’s turmoil at the end of the movie that truly moved me. To know that there are people who go to sleep in one place and wake up in another is truly heartbreaking. The look on his face as he realized what he had done and the way he begged for death is something that I will not forget in the near future. This disorder is both amazing and terrifying, but I don’t believe these people should be ridiculed or ostracized. Nor do I believe that the people who suffer from this disease should fear the public’s reaction of the film. They have done something truly remarkable. They have found a way to keep fighting. There are so many people who go through unmentionable horrors and succumb to the weight of their suffering. These select individuals, however, find a way to keep pushing forward. They have found a way to use more than 10 percent of the brain that most people can’t. That is not a fact to be ridiculed but rather something to be marveled. contact Corlyn Key at keyc@warhawks.ulm.edu
Poll take n
by Cory T h
axton
Graphic by Sandeep Shrestha
PAGE 12
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
Febuary 6, 2017
FREESTYLE
Oscars: Any one of the ‘Hidden Figures’ women deserves it
The 2017 movie “Hidden Figures” is nominated for three Oscars: best picture, writing adapted screenplay and best actress in a supporting role. The movie captivated the audience with real-world situations of the past. The most touching scene was when Taraji P. Henson yelled at her boss because he questioned her about going to the bathroom. She responded that there was no colored bathroom for her and she had to walk 40 minutes across NASA’s campus to relieve herself. Although Henson did a fantastic job in the movie, Octavia Spencer was nominated over her other two co-stars, Henson and Janelle Monae. Trailers and commercials for the movie depict Henson as the star more than the other two women. All the actresses portrayed amazing black pioneers, but why was Henson’s character, Katherine Johnson, shown more than the others? Spencer edged out her co-stars for an Oscar, but why? Her role in the iconic movie “The Help,” make her a candidate for a historical movie like “Hidden Figures.” With help from “The Help,” Octavia won best performance by an actress in a supporting role at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, AfricanAmerican Film Critics Association, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the list goes on. Spencer played her character, Dorothy Vaughan, with passion and dignity like her co-stars. But who should the nomination have gone to? Was Henson the main actress, and were Spencer and Monae the supporting actresses? When it boils down to who the Oscar nominee should be for “Hidden Figures,” it could be any one of the actresses. They all did a great portrayal of an untold story in African-American history. Also with African-American history, the Oscars have been under backlash for not nominating African-Americans for awards. The Academy has tried to make efforts to do this but overall the diversity has not been and will not ever be 50/50. Hollywood is a white-dominated place and African-Americans have to squeeze in where they can fit. This year more black films like “Fences,” “Moonlight” and “Loving,” got nominated, which is supposed to diversify the awards. “La La Land” itself got 14 nominations and six nominations go to black actors and their films. “Hidden Figures” has three of the six black nominations. The balance is not equal, but it may never be equal until an influx of black films hit theaters. contact Brianna Duronslet at duronsbl@warhawks.ulm.edu
Gallery crawl captivates art lovers by Ethan Ozburn The Monroe/West Monroe Downtown Gallery Crawl took place on Thursday, Feb. 2, and was a place for fine art, good food and live music. Fans of the arts gathered to observe and discuss pieces from local artists in several galleries, while fans of local breweries could try some new beers and wines. There were 10 galleries between the twin cities for art lovers to congregate and enjoy a night full of expression. The Sykes Gallery included a drawing of stacked, empty teacups. Dr. Mara Loeb, a communications professor at ULM who is very knowledgeable in the arts, describes a drawing of stacked empty teacups as, “a re-viewing of classical columns.” She continued to explain, ”the way they tip informs the viewer of the dimensions and characteristics of each individual cup.” One oil painting in particular, titled “Instant Gratification,” was six feet tall and depicted a young man holding a
crowbar shrouded in harsh colors with different types of technology surrounding him. The painting seemed to be a statement on the millennial generation and the way technology has influenced their way of seeing the world around them. Another gallery featured in the art crawl, the Sugar Gallery, featured many different types of conventional wall art, each with its own imagery. Part of the room was dedicated to paintings while the other part of the room was set aside for photographs only. One of the more Loeb vibrant paintings on the wall was a portrait of a majestic unicorn that was made up of bright colors, which made it an eye-catcher. Some of the photographs featured on the wall include pictures of rural settings that symbolize the natural beauty that surrounds the Louisiana countryside.
One photo in particular was a depiction of a full moon over a perfectly still lake with trees standing symmetrically on each side. Another noteworthy photograph was a close-up of an alligator whose head was peeking out of water. Ithad what looked like a tear under its left eye. The art featured throughout the galleries showed the interesting influence that Louisiana has on its artists. When asked about the significance in the art direction on display at the Downtown Gallery Crawl, Loeb pointed out, “of course we’re going to find things that hark back to the local agriculture, architecture, and history” she sai. “It’s younger in its spontaneousness of the line and the freedom of the color. I think we find things that are less selfconscious and more expressive, Loed said. Loeb, along with everyone else seemed to thoroughly enjoy the hard work that the artists so willingly put on display. contact Ethan Ozburn at ozburnet@warhawks.ulm.edu
‘A Dog’s Purpose’ under fire for disturbing video
Honestly, who isn’t a sucker for cute dog movies? “A Dog’s Purpose” has been advertised for a while, a cute commercial about how dogs are reincarnated so they can be their owner’s best friend all over again. The movie’s commercial has had many dog lovers raving about how it would be an adorable movie about the love for all dogs. But you know what’s not cute? A behind the scenes video of a German shepherd being forced into turbulent waters. “A Dog’s Purpose” was supposedly going to be a hit, until
TMZ released the controversial video of one of the dogs resisting a trainer as it was being forced into rapid water. It didn’t take long for the video to reach thousands of people and soon after, people were tweeting others as a warning, saying “do not watch this movie, it supports animal abuse.” PETA urged animal rights supporters to boycott the film on opening day. I for one, after watching the clip for the first time, was appalled. How could someone force a helpless animal into the water just to earn a quick buck? At first, I was on PETA’s side, but once the directors dismissed the video by saying that TMZ edited the video to make it look worse than it really was, I was still a little non-convinced. It seems that the video looked a little “too real” in my opinion. The dog was clearly resisting the trainer because it was afraid of the turbulent waters, yet the trainer still forced the poor animal in. The video definitely impacted the amount of money that the film was estimated to make, going from a beginning estimate of $75 million to only $25 million on opening weekend. Now, the controversy of using live animals in movies is being brought to the surface. What do you think? Do you still support the film after watching TMZ’s video? contact Tori Anderson at andersvc@warhawks.ulm.edu
Febuary 6, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 13
FREESTYLE Crossword
Horoscope Aries The moon is opposite your sign, so take it easy. You have a lot going on, but things are gradually going to get better. Focus on taking good care of yourself and being kind to all the nice people who are supportive of you.
Down 1 Not as forthright 2 “Old MacDonald” letters 3 Webzines
4 Mail again, as a package 5 Fancy-schmancy 6 Have __: freak out 7 Pulsate 8 Like grandpa’s jokes, probably 9 Contemporary of Mozart 10 Jazz combo horn 11 Don Ho’s instrument 12 “Gone Girl” co-star Affleck 15 Mint of money 20 High school junior, usually 21 Merit 24 Dickens villain Heep 25 Totaled, as a bill 26 “Pomp and Circumstance” composer 28 Capital of Latvia 29 Sch. near the Strip 31 “Abominable” critters 32 Insurance rep
33 Paris newspaper Le __ 35 Golfer’s starting point 36 __ Christian Andersen 37 “Still sleeping?” response 39 Regular payment 43 Precipitation stones 44 A pop 48 Rescued damsel’s cry 50 Enlighten 51 Throat dangler 52 Bicycle feature 54 Encrypted 55 Monday, in Le Mans 56 Use the delete key, e.g. 58 El __: weather phenomenon 59 Throw away 60 Mensa nos. 61 Billiards stick 62 Breakfast grain
“In the fall you were there. Grace began before I was aware. A shame too great for me to hide. Covered now because of Jesus Christ. I can’t believe the price you paid for me, what you did not owe so that I could know you.” “I Can’t Believe” - Elevation Worship
Mars is offering some challenges, and this could affect your romantic relationship. You might be stressing out about work or money matters. Instead of dumping negativity on your honey, try to have some loving and open discussions with your sweetheart.
Scorpio
Your psychic side is being stimulated, thanks to Neptune. You need to trust your gut. If you meet someone on a blind date and things feel off, don’t risk a second date with that person. Or if you have a powerful dream, pay attention to the messages in it.
You’re going to have more fun with your honey this week as a friendly sun brings you good energy. Stage a romantic dinner out or attend a fun concert. Or cook something special for your honey at home and simply relax together.
You’ll enjoy some fun banter with someone as Mercury increases your powers of communication. You could find yourself flirting with a co-worker or neighbor. Or you might bump into a former flame and have some sassy dialogue with that person.
42 NYC thoroughfare that becomes Amsterdam at 59th Street 45 Vert. counterpart 46 Gandhi’s land 47 Garbage email 49 “Get moving!” 53 Wash or spin 57 When time is running out 60 Computer image 63 TV signal part 64 “Giant” author Ferber 65 Four-sided campus area 66 Extended families 67 Cincinnati ballplayers 68 Tennis match segment 69 Saintly rings 70 “Garfield” pooch
Libra
Taurus
Gemini
Across 1 Soothsayer 5 Quick fix for an elbow hole 10 Underwater vessel 13 Cuba libre fruit 14 Lorena of LPGA fame 15 Phony 16 Votes in favor 17 “My mistake” 18 Rice field draft animals 19 Panama Canal nickname 22 Robotic maid on “The Jetsons” 23 Inherently 27 Where to find Lima and llamas 30 Like farm country 31 Thanksgiving tuber 34 When baseball closers usually shine 38 They’re often big in showbiz 40 Sparkle 41 “I’m hungry enough to __ horse!”
Courtesy of MCT Campus
Cancer
Sagittarius You could be attracted to two people at once. Maybe you’re still attracted to a former flame, and you’re considering getting back together with him or her. Or maybe you’ve met someone recently and are enjoying a good flirt. Venus says go for it.
Capricorn
Your emotions are really intense, courtesy of the moon. Try to chill out. If your sweetheart is being annoying, find a way to laugh about it. If you need extra support, consider talking with a therapist, minister or close friend.
You’re focused on making some positive changes. Jupiter is inspiring you to find ways to get healthier and wealthier. You should avoid interacting with negative or depressed people who only drag you down. Surround yourself with supportive cheerleader types.
Leo
Aquarius
Two cranky planets are creating some delays or temporary setbacks. Be as patient as you can. You might have to put in some extra hours at work to complete all of your tasks. Or you could have a communication glitch while you are interacting with a close loved one.
Mercury will be in your sign for several weeks, and this will lift your spirits. You’ll find it easier to get along with those troubled people in your life. And if you are still nursing feelings for a former flame, you’ll finally be ready to let go of that relationship.
Virgo
Pisces
The sun will be moving opposite your sign for several weeks, and this means you’ll be introspective. Do some meditating. Write in a journal. Vent your spleen in a blog. Get stuff off your chest and focus on healing and renewal.
You could find it difficult to remain focused. A sensitive moon has you daydreaming. You’re imagining what it would be like to spend intimate time with a certain sexy friend. Or you could be fantasizing about going on vacation or winning the lottery.
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
February 6, 2017
SPORTS OPINION
Try cheering for a smaller sport
When people think of ULM athletics and what kind of sports we as a fan base spotlight, it’s most likely football or maybe even basketball with the recent success of their postseason play. While football and basketball get the most fame at any school, why can’t we support the smaller sports that are having better seasons? It’s time we branch out and watch new sports that we may have never thought we would have an interest in. For instance, our tennis team is off to a great start with a 3-1 record. When they play at Raymond Heard Stadium, there should be more than a couple of friends of players in the stands. Our tennis team is full of international talent that is amazing to watch. To be completely honest with you, I have not covered many tennis matches until last week, but when I did, I learned a lot. Frankly, I was in awe of how conditioned these athletes have to be. When I first came to ULM, all I really thought I would watch on campus was football and maybe some basketball here and there. After some friends convinced me to watch a volleyball match freshmen year, I instantly became interested in this new sport. Now here I am three years later, and volleyball has become a large part of my life. Whether it is playing with friends for recreation or representing ULM at the state
intramural tournament, I’m glad I branched out and watched volleyball because I never knew I enjoyed it so much. Virtually, the same thing happened to me with the sport of softball. I had never picked up a softball until coming to college when one of my friends from university seminar class was on the team, and I decided to go watch her play. It was a much more exciting game than baseball and a lot faster paced. I was hooked instantly and have now played intramural softball every year I’ve been in college. While some that are close to me may say that I just love athletics in general, so it’s easy for me to get hooked to a new sport, I think there’s a lot more to it than that. Supporting smaller sports you may not be familiar with can bring you a sense of closeknit family. When these tennis, volleyball and softball players are competing they can feel your presence more than you think. A home crowd in front them makes them feel like someone has their back and can even push momentum in their favor. But how can we get any positivity out of a community that doesn’t show up to support? There are no excuses in terms of finances for not showing your support. Tennis, softball and volleyball games all have free admission for fans. It’s a cheap way to entertain you, your family and friends on the weekends. I understand that maybe these sports don’t have the biggest markets and following on a national level, but that shouldn’t matter when you support them at home games. One thing I can say is you will see basketball and football players at these smaller sports all the time. They fully comprehend that support works two ways and can help athletes greatly. Maybe football and basketball are your interests in sports, but you never know. You might be missing your new favorite sport because you’re too ignorant to try something new. contact John Stevens at stevenjr@warhawks.ulm.edu
TENNIS
photo by Siddharth Gaulee
HIT IT: Stefana Andrei sprints to return the ball over the net during Friday’s match.
Tennis swings to streak The ULM tennis team packed their bags and took a short trip to east Texas where they took on Stephen F. Austin on Friday. The ladies continued their dominant performances as they routed the Lumberjacks to a 6-1 doubles victory with strong performances by all players on the team. Petra Horakova and Madalina Grigoriu showed out yet again winning their doubles match and each winning their singles matches as well. Horakova moved to 4-0 on the season in singles making her a threat to every opponent. Another pairing with a dominant match was the team of Tiffany Mylonas and Luana Stanciu. They never gave their opposition a chance to get into the game as they won 6-1, 6-2 and 6-0.
However, doubles isn’t the only team strength. With Friday’s match, the Warhawks have now moved to 16-5 in singles this season, including three players who, like Horakova, have yet to lose a singles match this season. Heading into the match, the ULM tennis program was 17-4 all-time against SFA. After Friday, they were able to gather their 18th win against the Lumberjacks. ULM Athletics announced that the next home game will be the makeup game against Alcorn State, which is now slated for Feb. 10 at 1:30 p.m. After the makeup match, the Warhawks will remain at home as they take on Jackson State on Feb 14 at 1:30 p.m.
TRACK AND FIELD
Let me run this bayou With previous success in Houston the week before, the ULM men and women’s track and field team traveled to Baton Rouge where they competed in the LSU Bayou Bengal Meet. Teams from schools all over the region were present at the meet, including, Grambling, Louisiana Tech, Alcorn State, McNeese State and Nicholls State. The women were well represented in the distance competitions when Angela Jepchirchir finished in third place in the mile run. Meanwhile, in the field events, Dominique Allen threw for 13.34 meters in the women’s shot put. The throw was long enough for her to finish
third as well. On the men’s side of events, Delwin Nelson was able to find success in the triple jump. Nelson posted a 14.56-meter jump that leads him to finish in sixth place for the meet. with throws of 14.96 and 14.53 for the Warhawks. After two straight outstanding team performances for the ULM track and field program, they will look to continue their success moving forward to their next meet in Alabama. The team will travel to Birmingham on Feb. 11, where they will compete in the Samford Invitational.
February 6, 2017
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
PAGE 15
SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
GSU Eagles
wipe out Warhawks
SAM ALABAKIS WESTERN AUSTRALIA
by Sisam Shrestha
Many athletes often pick up their sport at a young age. However, Sam Alabakis first held a basketball in 10th grade, when he had the option of skipping early morning rowing practices in ice cold water to play for the school basketball team. Marketing freshman Alabakis is from Perth, Western Australia. He started his basketball career at the 3rd Division, made it to the U-18 Western Australian state team and ended up getting recruited by the Perth Wildcats as a developmental player after high school. “I was the tallest in my high school. I figured I might as well use my height for something good,” said Alabakis, who is 19 years old. However, being the tallest one on his high school team did not exactly work in his favor. New to the sport, he often found himself uncoordinated on the court. “I would get bumped around a lot because I was very thin and tall. I would shoot and get my own rebound three times and constantly miss,” Alabakis said. After high school, Alabakis joined Elev8 prep school in Florida, where he later got recruited by ULM. Since Alabakis went to a boarding school, living away from his family was not a big problem for him. However, Alabakis still misses the chill Australian life by the beach. Some of the cultural differences for him were the Southern food and the fast-paced American life. Life in Australia for Alabakis mainly consisted of driving to remote beaches, surfing the waves, fishing and eating home cooked meals. “Food here is a lot more fried and not as fresh,” Alabakis said. However, the biggest cultural shock for Alabakis was the American gun laws. “It’s crazy walking into Walmart and seeing guns for sale. All you would get back home was food, clothes and electronics,” Alabakis said. With the support of his team, especially his roommate and fellow teammate Ramses Sandifer, Alabakis
by Jerimee Washington
has slowly been adapting to the new culture. Basketball in Australia is a lot more play oriented and slow-placed, both in the professional and the school level. Thus, Alabakis had to adjust both physically and mentally to keep up with the fast-paced American basketball.
“I was the tallest in my high school. I figured I might as well use my height for something good.” Sam Alabakis Freshman Center “Basketball here is a lot quicker, there’s not much stopping. It’s more like think off the top of your head. The style of play is a lot faster and more physical,” Alabakis said. But the straight-forward coaching techniques of Coach Richard have been very helpful to Alabakis. During his time with the Perth Wildcats, Alabakis got the experience of playing alongside players who had already been Alabakis through college and some who had also played in the Olympics. “It’s good getting tips from experienced players like Travis and Nick, who have been playing for the past few years,” Alabakis said. “I’ve always got a support team. Everyone supports each other.” Currently, Alabakis is working on improving his post-game and outside shootings. During his free
HOOPS: Alabakis is a freshman basketball player. time, he works with the coach to improve his offensive game. Apart from basketball, Alabakis spends what little free time he has staying on top of his studies and fishing on the bayou, where he feels closer to home. Along with Alabakis, there are two other Australian players on the ULM team, Sam McDaniel and Kirr Deng. “Whenever I’m with them I feel a bit closer to home. We like to talk about Australian stuff,” Alabakis
photo by Siddharth Gaulee
said. According to Alabakis, just accepting the fact that he is going to be here for a while has helped him cope with new surroundings. “You’ve always got time to go back home. It certainly helps having people who are like you, that you can relate to, to get through difficult times or when you’re homesick.” contact Sisam Shrestha at shrestk8@warhawks.ulm.edu
It was an ugly game for the ULM women’s basketball team as they lost hopes of a conference playoff spot to Georgia State. The Panthers’ home crowd fueled Georgia State to an 8735 blowout win on Thursday night in Atlanta. The last time the teams faced off, ULM was able to steal one at home late by a score of 72-63. Unfortunately, Thursday was a different story. While the margin was wide, Stephanie Ratliff lead the Warhawks with eight points and five rebounds, and Gabriella Cortez followed with seven points. After the tipoff, the game was pretty close in the first quarter. The Warhawks began to run their sets and became comfortable with the Panthers defense. The Warhawks headed into the second quarter only down six points. The second quarter was a whole different story as the Panthers began to smother the Warhawks offensive attack holding them to just four points. The Georgia State defense was clearly a major problem as the 2nd quarter came to an end. The Warhawks looked for some adjustments to their game plan offensively heading into halftime. The second half started and the Panthers continued their stifling defensive strategy as the Warhawks couldn’t buy a bucket. In the 3rd quarter, the Warhawks only scored 3 points to the Panthers 28. Everything was working for the Panthers as they built a comfortable lead. In the fourth quarter, the Warhawks were finally able to make shots, but it was too late as the Panthers closed out the game outscoring the Warhawks 21-15 in the fourth. The Panthers handed the Warhawks their largest loss this season. “Georgia State is a team that can hurt in a number of ways,” coach Dow said. Take a look at their post players; they are obviously a hand full.” Looking ahead, the Warhawks will look to bounce back after the big loss to Georgia State when they return home to face Troy. Come out to Fant Ewing Coliseum this Thursday at 6 p.m. to support the ladies as they start their three game home stand. contact Jerimee Washington at washinjd@warhawks.ulm.edu
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
February 6, 2017
SPORTS MEN’S BASKETBALL
photos by Siddharth Gaulee
BRING IT AROUND TOWN: RIGHT: Nick Coppola drives around a defender to the basket on Monday night. LEFT: Sam McDaniels goes up for a midrange shot during Monday night’s game.
Men secure 1st conference win Strong offense leads to 68-52 victory at home by John Stevens
We know that all good things are supposed to come to an end, but what about all bad things? When do they end? Monday night the Warhawks were able to defeat the defending Sun Belt champions at home 68-52. Solid shooting and not nearly as many turnovers lead the Warhawks to their first Sun Belt conference win as they shot 57 percent in the second half compared to the Trojans’ 51 percent. The Warhawks went into the half down by two but were able to not let their heads out of the game late in the second half like they have in recent games. “I was happy to see us be able to close
a conference game and not fold in the second half, but the true story of the game was the play of Prince Cooper,” head coach Keith Richard said. Cooper is one of the seniors on the team. He hasn’t seen very many minutes until Monday night, but he made sure his presence was felt. Cooper shot 5-6 from the field, including both 3-point shots that he drained to give the Warhawks the edge going forward. “I was eager to get my chance tonight, and when coach put me in he had confidence in me, and God did the rest. It feels great to be able to help my team win since we had been on a bad streak,” Cooper said. Besides Cooper, the other story in the Warhawks’ win was the defense in the second half where the Warhawks held the Trojans to a Sun Belt Conference low of 22 points. Late in the game, Cooper was able to hit a mid range shot that gave the Warhawks the cushion and made it harder for the
Trojans to play the intentional fouling game. After the last seconds ticked off the clock, you could tell the Warhawks were relieved and able to get the losing streak out of their mind. “I am extremely proud of this team here tonight for being able to get over the hump that we have been battling to get past for the first part of conference play,” Richard said. Monday night was ULM’s first win against the Trojans since Feb. 11, 2016 where they beat them 86-82 in the same arena. Looking ahead, the Warhawks will face off against South Alabama at home on Saturday Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. With only five more home games left in the season, the Warhawks will look to make a late run and get themselves back into a higher position in the Sun Belt standings. contact John Stevens at stevenjr@warhawks.ulm.edu
During the losing streak
60 70.75 Average Points For
Average Points Against
3
5
Home games
Away games
Team Leaders Points: Sam McDaniel 12.4 Rebounds: Travis Monnings 8.3 Assists: Nick Coppola 4.3