Full Issue 08/16/2021

Football enters new era with Bowden

HUB construction begins, to be completed in 2022

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THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

VOLUME 100 ISSUE 1

www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com

Mask mandate necessary for public health

ULM faces uncertain future during Delta spike P4

Back to school looks for a stylish semester P 6

Target, Walmart to pay workers’ tuition P 5

August 16, 2021

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THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

August 16, 2021

BRIEFS CALENDAR Monday, August

16

BCM Luau, 6 p.m., BCM

Tuesday, August

17

Karaoke Night, 7 p.m., North Monroe Baptist Church

Wednesday, Ausust

18

College Hour Kickoff, 8 p.m., North Monroe Baptist Church

Thursday, August

19

Fireworks Showcase, 8:30 p.m., the Grove

Friday, August

20

International Student Welcome Party, 6 p.m., Wesley Foundation

Saturday, August

21

No event planned

Sunday, August

Texas

United States

Afghanistan

Hospitals overrun with COVID cases

Five cases of lambda Teacher unions resist 5,000 US troops assist in withdrawal variant detected vaccine mandates

News Star- Gov. John Bel Edwards said Louisiana remained the COVID capital of the United States this week as the state's hospitals struggle to find beds and staff to treat the most seriously ill with the infection.

"We don't have much good news today," Edwards said during a Friday press conference. "As bad as things have been in last few weeks they keep moving in the wrong direction."

"We have the highest COVID-19 growth rate in the country, and it's not even close. We're in a bad place," Edwards said.

But Edwards resisted imposing more restrictions on commerce and gatherings other than the state mask mandate already in place.

Meanwhile, French Quarter Fest and Festival Acadiens et Créoles followed Jazz Fest and other signature fall festivals being scrapped or postponed.

MCT- A new, little-understood variant of the coronavirus has arrived in North Texas. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center have detected five cases of the so-called lambda variant in patient samples taken at the center between early June and July 18.

“This represents what happens when there is continued viral replication and spread across the entire world,” said Dr. Jeffrey SoRelle, a pathologist at UT Southwestern’s genomic sequencing lab, which has analyzed more than 1,000 samples since the start of 2021.

Little is known about how contagious the lambda variant is or the severity of illness it can cause. Two recent studies, neither of which has been peer-reviewed, found it to be more contagious than older versions of the coronavirus and more resistant to antibodies generated by vaccination.

MCT- A growing chorus of public health experts and educators are calling for COVID-19 vaccine mandates for teachers, but several states with high case rates ban such measures, and teachers unions have yet to change their policies surrounding them, creating a tricky situation as schools reopen.

The Delta variant has swept the country in recent weeks, and pediatric COVID infections are on the rise. During the week of Aug. 5, more than 93,000 pediatric COVID cases were reported nationwide, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics — more than double the 38,654 pediatric cases that states reported two weeks earlier.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the surge is reason enough for school districts to require COVID-19 vaccines for all school staff.

MCT- President Joe Biden said he authorized the deployment of 5,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to assist with the final weeks of the withdrawal of American personnel from the country as Taliban fighters took control of multiple cities and approached the capital of Kabul.

Biden said the decision — a significant increase over a 3,000-person deployment of Marines and soldiers announced earlier this week — was made after consultation with diplomatic, military, and intelligence officials.

The effort was intended “to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of U.S. personnel and other allied personnel and an orderly and safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops during our mission and those at special risk from the Taliban advance,” the president said in a statement Saturday.

Louisiana

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No event planned

QUOTE

TODAY IN HISTORY

FUN IN THE SUN

“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

1896: Edward Prescott patents the roller coaster.

Jane Goodall, primatologist

1930: The first color cartoon with sound, "Fiddlesticks," aired.

August 16

1948: Babe Ruth dies in New York, aged 53, of throat cancer.

1977: Elvis Presley dies of a heart attack at 42 in his Memphis home.

2009: Usain Bolt beats the 100-meter world record at the Beijing Olympics, with a time of 9.58 seconds.

Front page credits: Main photo: Carley Nail Top left photo: ULM athletics Top right photo: ULM photo services photo courtesy ULM photo services

Incoming freshmen welcomed the new semester at PREP this summer with games and activities.

August 16, 2021

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

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OPINION

COVID-19

Louisiana mask mandate saves lives Carley Nail You’re running late to your 8 a.m. communications class that starts in five minutes. You race to get ready and make your way to Walker Hall.

Three minutes left, so you start to jog a little bit. Seconds from entering the building, you remember — You left your mask in your car.

This is the reality that most of us lived through last year. And now, the reality we will have to live through again because of the new reinstated mask mandate.

And while it may be annoying, it’s the best decision for everybody.

The first Louisiana mask mandate was announced in July 2020 and continued until April 2021.

Over the summer, regulations were lessened because of the vaccine roll

out.

This allowed many of us to begin a return to life without masks.

Even so, ULM decided to keep their mask mandate throughtout the summer to avoid anymore outbreaks.

But the entrance of the new Delta variant has raised concerns because it’s more transmissible, according to the CDC. Whereas the original strain of COVID may only infect three other people when correct precautions are not taken, this new variant may infect seven.

And those who aren’t vaccinated are the biggest concern.

As of Aug. 14, 38% of the Louisiana population has been fully vaccinated.

But according to the Louisiana Department of Health, unvaccinated people account for 90% of COVID cases in the state.

On Aug. 2, governor John Bel Edwards announced that the mask mandate would be reinstated.

This was the best decision that could have been made because it puts people’s safety first.

And with this decision we are avoiding many COVID hospitalizations and deaths.

We already have enough as it is. Hospitals are beginning to be overrun once again with COVID patients.

As of August 11, Louisiana has a total of 2,901 hospitalizations and 54 new deaths, according to WWL-TV. Even though the Delta variant is more transmissible, masks are still proven to work and fight against the spread.

We want to avoid falling back into the way things were in the past year.

We should all be willing to do whatever it takes to keep from a nationwide quarantine again.

The current mandate will only last until Sept. 1, but can be extended if need be.

With vaccine numbers on the rise, there is hope that the mask mandates won’t last too much longer.

And maybe then we can begin to make the transition to the post pandemic life that we had a small taste of this summer.

As ULM students, we have an obligation to do our part and help our campus: mask up and save lives. contact Carley Nail at nailcn@warhawks.ulm.edu

photo courtesy MCT Campus

Athletics

Stubbs 131 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209 Editor-in-Chief - Loryn Kykendall Co-managing Editor News - Chloe Chapel Opinion Editor - Carley Nail Freestyle Editor - Uchechi Owunna Sports Editor - Cameron Jett Multimedia Editor - Saugat Shrestha Photo Editor - Calli Sinclair 318-342-5453 ulmhawkeyead@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.

Assistant Director: Courtney Collins 318 342 5450 ccollins@ulm.edu Feedback 318 342 5453 newsroom 318 342 5452 fax ulmhawkeye@gmail.com

Don’t agree?

Let us know!

Contact the writers or the editor at nailcn@warhawks.ulm.edu

Stop putting unfair pressure on professional athletes

Maggie Eubanks Gymnastics Legend. Olympic Champion. The greatest of all time. All of these terms have been used to describe Simone Biles.

Having asserted her dominance on the world gymnastics stage by becoming the most medaled gymnast ever, Biles went into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the heavy favorite for Team USA. But that quickly changed on the night of the Team Finals event. After a conversation with her teammates and the USA team doctor, Biles decided to withdraw from the remainder of the team final for mental health issues.

Not only is the decision of an athlete to opt out of competing for mental health issues valid, but it illuminates how much pressure athletes feel to do well. It’s unhealthy and it needs to be stopped.

Initially USA Gymnastics released a statement via Twitter that Simone withdrew from the competition due to a

medical issue, but Biles later clarified that she did not compete becasue of ongoing mental health struggles.

This statement began a new conversation for not only gymnasts but Olympic athletes as a whole.

What kind of toll do the mental pressures of the Olympics take? The athletes who compete in these games train long hours, and many work their entire lives to have the chance to represent their country and have a medal put around their neck. But at what cost? By the looks of it, a pretty high one.

Recently, other Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps and Naomi Osaka have come forward about their battle with mental health and being in the spotlight. Phelps and Osaka both said that the pressures put on them have led to struggles with anxiety and depression.

These athletes are voicing an opinion likely shared by many other Olympians.

It is time to lower the expectations we put on our athletes.

Let’s start celebrating them for the incredible things they can do and not just the awards they bring to our country.

A new environment needs to be created on the Olympic stage that makes our athletes feel welcome and safe talking about their struggles.

Like Simone Biles said, “Put your mental health first. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the biggest stage. That’s more important than any other medal you could win.” contact Maggie Eubanks at eubanksml@warhawks.ulm.edu

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THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

August 16, 2021

NEWS

Pandemic

Delta variant causes another spike in COVID

by Chloe Chapel

Finally, life seemed to go back to normal after dealing with coronavirus for over a year. Then, boom—Another major COVID spike happened: the Delta variant.

The Delta variant was initially detected in India last year. Now, it’s the most dominant strain of COVID globally, according to the CDC. With another spike in COVID cases came another round of confusion.

Many schools have had to decide if students should be allowed to participate in person or if masks and vaccines should be required. ULM is no exception.

Shane Dykes, the facilities management and environmental health and safety officer, said while the next steps are undecided, the university is constantly working with students to keep them safe.

“While we cannot eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19 on campus, we can help reduce the likelihood of its spread through vaccinations and safe health practices,” Dykes said. “We need your help and patience as we navigate these some-

graphic by Kassidy Stanford

STAY SAFE: According to the CDC, in the last thirty days, over 36 million individuals have tested positive for COVID, and almost every state has a high level of community transmission.

what familiar waters again.”

While the university has mandated masks on campus for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, ULM

has not fully figured out what to do about vaccines.

However, it is slowly working out how to incorporate vaccines into the

normal flow of university life.

The first step was requiring students to bring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to move

into their dorms.

Despite everything not being figured out, many students are still excited to get back to school.

Mya Thornhill, Dykes a sophomore psychology major, feels nervous to come back to school but is comforted by being vaccinated.

“Personally, I’m a bit nervous but excited,” Thornhill said. “I’m halfway vaccinated myself, and I’m getting my second dose Thornhill later this month, so I feel a bit better about returning.”

The Delta variant will be around for the foreseeable future so the university will take things day by day. contact Chloe Chapel at chapelcb@warhawks.ulm.edu

Campus

HUB to replace SUB, set to open Fall 2022 It will include five food vendors, seating for more than 600

by Loryn Kykendall The HUB—A place where students can eat, socialize, study and buy groceries.

It doesn’t exist yet, but by this time next year everyone on ULM’s campus will be able to enjoy it.

Construction of the HUB began in July and is expected to be completed by Fall 2022.

According to Tommy Walpole, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises, discussions about the HUB began in 2019 but had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new building will include five food vendors: Starbucks, Subway, Flip Kitchen, Bento Sushi and Chick-fil-A.

There will also be a small market with groceries.

Amenities will include Wi-Fi, charging outlets and seating for more than 600 people.

President Ronald Berry said that for students, having a place like the HUB is “an important part Berry of the college experience.”

“When I was a student here, we discussed classes and assignments at the SUB,” Berry said. “A lot of collaboration goes on over dinner.”

The HUB is a collaborative project between ULM and Aramark, which provides food services at ULM. Aramark will invest $6 million in the $11.6 million project.

The rest will come from student facilities fees.

Fee Once the HUB is open, the SUB will remain open and Aramark will continue to operate a kitchen there as well.

photo courtesy Yusef Davis

photo courtesy ULM photo services

BUILDING THE FUTURE: The grounbreaking of the HUB was June 18 in the empty lot at the corner of University Avenue and Northeast Drive.

SGA President Lauren Fee said the HUB is the exciting beginning to a new chapter of ULM’s history.

“Our students deserve nothing but the best,

and I have no doubt that this is exactly what the HUB will be,” Fee said. contact Loryn Kykendall at kykendalllk@warhawks.ulm.edu

August 16, 2021

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 5 NEWS

Academics

Target, Walmart to pay 100% tuition, books for employees

by Chloe Chapel

When finding a perfect job, there are many important benefits to look out for.

Some benefits include insurance, paid time off and a retirement plan.

But what about paid college tuition?

Walmart and Target have recently announced they will pay 100% of college tuition at certain universities for their employees. They will also pay for books.

This comes in response to a worker shortage.

The coronavirus pandemic has made finding workers nearly impossible.

Many companies have started coming out with incentives such as these to help attract and retain workers.

Marla Herrington, the Financial Aid Services director, feels these programs are great for students because they can help reduce the amount of loans and stress students have.

“Many students have no other option except student loans to pay for their degrees,” said Herrington. “[These programs can] give them the means to pursue dreams they thought were out of their reach.”

However, there are cons to programs like these.

Ariana Brown, a speech language pathology graduate student, agrees with Herrington but is skeptical because these programs could affect employees.

“I definitely think it is a good incentive,” Brown said. “But it is basically buying workers, which could

force them into bad working conditions that they are then obligated to stay in.”

There are also cons for Target and Walmart.

Eugenie Ardoin, an associate professor of finance, said incentives like these programs might not be sustainable.

“Increasing c ompen sat ion, either through direct pay or benefits, is al- Ardoin ways advantageous to attracting employees, but if it causes prices to rise and impacts profits, it may not be sustainable,” Ardoin said. contact Chloe Chapel at chapelcb@warhawks.ulm.edu

graphic by Kassidy Stanford

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THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

August 16, 2021

FREESTYLE

Summer Activities

Vacation

Hawkeye’s hobby discoveries

Warhawks share their summer highlights

Cameron’s Pick:

Over the summer, I found my love for hiking. I spent hours a day hiking in Carson National Forest and in Pikes Peak during my two weeks in Colorado and New Mexico. Stopping to look through even the most ordinary places can make you appreciate mother nature more.

Carley’s Pick:

Crocheting has become one of my favorite hobbies. I discovered I enjoyed crocheting bucket hats during the summer vacation. It quickly became a way for me to be productive while also not doing anything stressful. It has definitely helped me pass time and all I needed was yarn and a crochet hook.

Chloe’s Pick:

I was able to do an internship with a digital content creating company in California that specializes in photography and videography. Through this company, I was able to learn so many photography techniques by covering a lot of events that were being held in the country. Photography has always been something that I love. The beautiful ways we can capture moments in people’s lives, in photos, and make the moments last forever—not just in their minds but in a way they can always pick it up and have their memories come flooding back.

I spent my summer in Colorado. I was doing interior house painting. I also hiked several trails, one of which was about ten miles both ways, in Estes Park. The air quality up there is very bad because of smoke from wildfires, nonetheless I still enjoyed it.

This summer was filled with days of hanging out with my friends, getting caught in a flood and learning how to roller-skate. My aunt bought me some roller-skates off Amazon.

I mostly learned on my own. I just put the skates on and wobbled all over the place until I was able to move forward with little difficulty. I am still learning how to skate though. I am also going to try to watch videos that teach you more about how to skate and practice at the local rink.

Style

Back to school trends: Look chic, stay cool

by Uchechi Owunna

Short Butterfly Locs:

During the summer vacation, I really started to enjoy going outside on walks at sunset and sunrise while listening to body positive podcasts.

Some of the podcasts I listened to were Pretty Basic and Real Pod. My favorite episode was the Real Pod episode with Remi Bader.

This summer, I went back home to Vietnam, but I had to quarantine myself for 21 days before meeting my family. As soon as the 21 days were over, I spent time eating and hanging out with my cousins as we shared our college experiences.

Then, my city went into lockdown and has been that way until now. So I spent the rest of my summer staying home, tutoring my little brother and cousins in English. Even though tutoring was something I had never tried doing before, it was fun finding out different ways that help little kids focus and love English more. I also enjoyed talking to my parents in person after months of having to rely on virtual communication.

For my melanin beauties, these extensions are available in a lot of colors that will compliment your skin. The short length of the hairstyle will help you cope with the Monroe summer heat by giving your neck some room to breathe but will be long enough to style however you please. In addition to the individual extensions, you can also use the crochet form that is easier and faster to install on cornrows. Look chic with this look and some laid edges.

Maxi Dresses: This summer trend is taking social media by storm. More and more influencers are sporting maxi dresses and slippers every day. These dresses can be styled with delicate accessories, heeled sandals, some shades and a tote.

They can be dressed down with some simple slippers, a sling bag or a purse. They can also be easily transformed with a bejeweled belt to look like an entirely different dress.

be thrown on almost any outfit and will bring it together. The details on the ruche add a little ‘oomph’ to your outfit.

Birkenstock slippers:

Even though Birkenstock slippers have been quite common in European countries because of their comfortable nature, this German footwear came back with a bang across America this summer. These slippers especially allow you to remain casually dressed while keeping your feet cool and comfortable. The muted colors lend more adaptability to the sandals and slippers, meaning you can easily wear them with a variety of colors.

Floral shirts and twopieces: The days of guys going for more neutral colors are slowly fading away, and the era of more graphic and flashy designs is coming to stay in the world of men’s wear.

You can also find these shirts as half of a two-piece set with soft, boldly designed button-down shirts paired with solid shorts that compliment the colors of the shirt. This trend proves that guys can also fashionably hop on the two-piece style

Loryn’s Pick: I recently started learning how to skate board.

I have a lot of friends who skate and they always look really cool doing it, so I wanted to learn too.

It was really hard at first because I kept falling off, but now it gets a little easier everytime I practice.

I took it on as a project over the summer and I am determined to continue practicing.

Ruched Baguette Bags: These bags are deliciously classy. They can be worn for dinner, church, date night or even to school. It’s very versatile and can

contact Uchechi Owunna at owunnaud@warhawks.ulm.edu

August 16, 2021

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 7 FREESTYLE

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THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

August 16, 2021

SPORTS

Football Preview

photos courtesy ULM athletics

STRENGTHEN THE SECONDARY: Safety Keilos Swinney and the defense run an interception drill. The Warhawks look to increase their takeaways this season after only nine total takeaways last year.

Hawks on the rise again Bowden era begins Sept 4 at Kentucky

by Cameron Jett

Change is coming. After grueling summer workouts, football at ULM is on the horizon. The excitement around Terry Bowden’s Warhawks has all of ULM anticipating the start of the season.

Bowden helped raise hype for the season with the help of university president Ronald Berry. The two traveled the South in the BerryBowden Roadshow as a way to visit with ULM alumni.

The roadshow ended with the Pursuit, where Bowden met with the media and fans in Monroe.

While the team has dealt with challenges on and off the field ever since the first practice, they most recently faced their greatest. Terry Bowden’s father, hall of fame coach Bobby Bowden, died. Terry Bowden stepped away to be with his family prior to his father’s passing.

But the team did not slow down in Bowden’s absence. Associate head

coach Rich Rodriguez filled in to ensure the team stays at full speed.

Between Rodriguez and Bowden is nearly 50 years of head coaching experience.

After the worst season in school history, many would be skeptical if Bowden, the former Bear Bryant Award winner, is enough to make strides this season. However, much more has changed in the offseason.

The star status of Bowden and Rodriguez has attracted new players.

Over 50 players have joined Warhawks football, many coming from the transfer portal.

Rodriguez has been a mastermind of developing effective running games. The Warhawks struggled to get a run game going, averaging three yards a carry and not breaking 100 yards rushing until their final two games.

Defensive coordinator Zach Alley has to get his defenders to get third down stops, a stat where ULM was among the worst in the nation.

Many coaches may feel stressed or distraught when taking over a losing team. The seasoned coach Bowden uses this to his advantage. Almost all of his teams had losing records upon his arrival, and within two years they had winning records or were bowl eligible.

While there has not been a deci-

sion on who will start at quarterback, Rhett Rodriguez, son of Rich, has stood out from the rest ever since their spring game. His experience at Arizona and a fundamental understanding of his father’s system has helped his development.

The season kicks off against the SEC’s Kentucky. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-6 season and a bowl victory over North Carolina State.

The Warhawks’ other opponent in the SEC is LSU. The Tigers had a rough 2020 campaign. They did not compete in a bowl game for the first time since 1999.

Nov. 27 is a day all returning Warhawks have marked on their calendar. That day is their chance to redeem themselves after an embarrassing 70-20 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette at home.

ULM has their first home game against Jackson State. They are led

by NFL hall of famer Deion Sanders. Sanders was coached by Bobby Bowden at Florida State before being drafed into the NFL. ULM will get a chance to compete with seven teams from last season, six of whom are in the Sun Belt. They also face Liberty, a team who shut down their offense, silencing the Warhawks 40-7. contact Cameron Jett jettcm@warhawks.ulm.edu

TURN ON THE JETS: Quarterback Rhett Rodriguez shows off his mobility in practice as he takes off out the pocket and scrambles for extra yards.