Full Issue 11/16/2020

$10k donated Ark. State game for breast cancer postponed after research athletes catch COVID-19 P 8 P4

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

VOLUME 98 ISSUE 11

www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com

November 16, 2020

Voter fraud is not a threat to election results P 3

University honors campus veterans, active duty military with ceremony P4 Speaker teaches students how to reach goals P 7

Festival honors dogs, spreads culture P 6

PAGE 2

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

November 16, 2020

BRIEFS CALENDAR Monday, November

16

Baptist Collegiate Ministries' Haven, 6 p.m., BCM

Tuesday, November

17

31 Ambassadors Donation Drive, 11 a.m., SUB overhang

Wednesday, November 18 Wesley Out-Back, 7 p.m., the Wesley Foundation

Thursday, November 19 Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant, 7 p.m., Bayou Pointe

Friday, November

20

Gingerbread House Building, 3 p.m., SUB overhang

Saturday, November

21

No event planned

22

Sunday, November No event planned

QUOTE

United States

Monroe

Louisiana

Florida

Man accused of rape at knifepoint

Climate change prevention planned

Astronauts set to launch Sunday

Biden begins building cabinet

KNOE- A vehicle slammed into the elevated patio at Trapp's in West Monroe early Friday morning, and the driver got away. Notably, the riverfront patio is elevated 20 feet off the ground.

A juvenile faces charges in the incident but has not yet been arrested.

West Monroe Police Chief Jeff Terrell said his officers saw a vehicle leave the Kangaroo gas station on Bridge Street at a high rate of speed and lost it in the pursuit. It was spotted again on Coleman Avenue.

The vehicle then hit part of the bridge and went airborne before hitting the building, rolling and landing on its tires on the ground below.

Restaurant owner Joey Trappey said he was in the building at 1:30 a.m. when it happened.

Terrell said the driver was later taken to the hospital, and he does not know if the male juvenile has been released.

Trappey said the building is stable.

KNOE- On Monday, Nov. 9, Governor John Bel Edwards kicked off two new initiatives to address climate change.

He announced a new push to try to build wind farms off the Louisiana coast as he convened a climate initiatives task force.

Gov. Edwards says eight hurricanes threatened the state during the 2020 season, with Laura being one of the most powerful storms in history to strike. “Climate change is affecting us and we have the trifecta: coastal erosion, subsidence, and sea-level rise,� Gov. Edwards said.

Three months after he issued an executive order establishing a climate initiatives task force, it met for the first time in Baton Rouge Monday.

The task force consists of state agency heads and leading scientists on climate change, with many calling for alternative energy sources.

MCT- As Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico, book-ending the first crewed launch from American soil in almost a decade, the astronauts who would follow them were watching from NASA's Houston control center in awe.

America's Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi had already been selected to succeed Hurley and Behnken's historic flight, the beginning of a new era of routine crewed commercial launches from the United States after the space shuttle program ended in 2011.

And that cannonball return was the final test.

The crew of four will ride the same model capsule to the International Space Station on Sunday, launching from Kennedy Space Center at 7:49 p.m. They'll reach the ISS about eight hours later and stay at the station for six months before flying back.

MCT- Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is under consideration to be President-elect Joe Biden's Treasury secretary, according to people familiar with the matter, joining other possible contenders.

Yellen has withdrawn from at least one upcoming speaking engagement because she is now in contention for Treasury secretary, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Biden has promised to pick a diverse Cabinet, which means he could choose the first Black or female Treasury secretary in history. His team is also eyeing Fed Gov. Lael Brainard and former Fed Vice Chair Roger Ferguson for the job, Bloomberg News reported in September.

Biden is launching his transition efforts to shape the new administration, but he is still weeks away from making Cabinet nominations.

TODAY IN HISTORY

THAT'S RUFF

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

November 16 1764: Native Americans surrender to British in Indian War of Chief Pontiac.

Alice Walker, author

1824: New York City's Fifth Avenue opens for business.

1901: Booker T. Washington and his family are invited to dine at the White House with Teddy and Edith Roosevelt.

1939: Al Capone is freed from Alcatraz prison.

1950: U.S. President JFK decides to increase military aid to South Vietnam without committing US combat troops.

Front page credits: Main photo: Carley Nail Top sidebar photo: Skylar Henry Bottom sidebar photo: ULM photo services Top right photo: ULM photo services

photo by Calli Sinclair

A Warhawk relaxes with two dogs at the Tihar Dog Festival hosted by ULM's International Student Association on Nov. 15. The festival honors a tradition where dogs are worshipped for their loyalty.

2002: The first case of SARS is recorded in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China.

November 16, 2020

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 3

OPINION

Politics

Puerto Rico should be state instead of territory

Ashlyn Dupree Imagine being a part of the United States, but having little to no rights. You don’t get to vote for U.S. president. All you get is to elect a governor, the Senate and Assembly.

This is exactly the anguish Puerto Ricans experiences every year around election time.

According to TIME, Puerto Rico has been a territory of the U.S. since 1898 after the U.S. defeated Spain in the Spanish-American war.

However, unlike Hawaii, which receives complete voting rights, Puerto Rico is controlled by the U.S. government and its citizens are given birthright citizenship as Americans so they can travel between their island and the U.S. mainland, but aren't allowed to vote for president.

Puerto Ricans deserve to receive

voting rights and choose who their president will be. And this is a right they so desperately want.

In June 2017, around 97% of votes were in favor of becoming a state instead of a territory. But only 23% of the population voted on it, according to Ballotpedia.

According to the New York Times, Puerto Ricans voted again on the same question in this November's election.

The majority of Puerto Ricans said yes, they wanted to be the 51st state to join the union.

It’s time to stop asking Puerto Ricans what they want—We know what they want. Allow Puerto Rico to be a state.

The Declaration of Independence says that “all men are created equal.”

If this is true, then Puerto Ricans have as much right as Americans on the mainland to vote. They are just as much a part of this country as we are.

Plus, if the U.S. government allowed Puerto Rico the right to vote, we would become uniquely diverse.

Puerto Rico would be a progression for the U.S. to develop itself into a nation that is equal and just. We all know that for hundreds of years different groups have had to fight

their way to receive the rights they deserve.

If the U.S. would give Puerto Rico its right to vote without protests or harm to citizens, it would be a proud moment in American history.

Unfortunately, that’s not normally how it goes. Think of how long it took women and African Americans to gain the right to vote. These two groups had to fight hard to get to that point.

If the U.S. decides to find “roadblocks” preventing Puerto Ricans from voting, then they will have to fight for these rights. They will have to protest in the streets and make their voices to be heard.

And we will have to help them. These are our brothers and sisters who should receive the right to vote. We must fight alongside them. We have to make others realize how important this situation is.

We all have to stand up. This is a season of development and growth for the U.S. and the government must feel us shake the foundation of the nation. contact Ashlyn Dupree at dupreeaf@warhawks.ulm.edu

graphic courtesy Pixabay

Politics

Stubbs 131 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209 Editor-in-Chief - Kaitlin Maness Co-managing Editor Design - Sunil Bishwokarma Co-managing Editor News - Loryn Kykendall Opinion Editors - Loryn Kykendall, Kaitlin Maness Freestyle Editor - Uchechi Owunna

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.

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by The University of Louisiana at Monroe, 700 University Avenue, Monroe, LA 71209.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Hawkeye, 700 University Ave., Stubbs 131, Monroe, LA 71209-8832.

Voter fraud not likely to affect election results

Circulation Director - Ashlyn Dupree Multimedia Editor - Saugat Shrestha Ad Director - Chelsea Terrell 318-342-5453 ulmhawkeyead@gmail.com Faculty Adviser Dr. Christopher Mapp 318 342 5454 mapp@ulm.edu 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 manessk@warhawks.ulm.edu

Mitchell Raley The election has come, but it has not gone. We don’t know when it will be over.

The 2000 election was not settled until after the Supreme Court case, Bush v Gore, which was not resolved until Dec. 12 of that year. A five week wait.

The 2020 election could take even longer. I don’t see Trump conceding to Biden anytime soon, as he keeps filing frivolous lawsuits about voter fraud and a mysterious influx of Biden votes.

But the voter fraud claims shouldn’t be taken seriously.

HG defines voter fraud as “manipulating the results of an election, rigging the votes and electoral fraud.”

There are videos circulating of alleged poll workers making ridiculous statements and alleged USPS officials burning mail-in ballots that were for Trump. You can use any search engine to finds these kinds of videos, but the links you will stumble upon are not reliable sources.

There is one conspiracy going around that involves Richard Hopkins, a former USPS worker. He claimed that a postmaster told workers to backdate the postmarks on ballots to make it look like ballots arrived on time when the actually didn’t.

But the actual issue here is not conspiracies. Trump and his administration are currently in court battles with five states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

All of these states except Nevada flipped from Republican to Democrat in this election. Almost all the lawsuits Trump has filed have been dismissed due to lack of evidence, while one is currently being appealed.

Trump himself has supported the claims of voter fraud in this election, but when it came time to argue and provide evidence, his attorney failed to show any.

To stop the widespread misinformation about voter fraud, get your information from reliable sources. Try to find anything released on government websites and don’t just believe anything you see.

Make sure the person who wrote what you’re reading is qualified to be giving you the “facts.” If there is no information on the person who wrote your news, it’s not reliable.

Pay attention to what everyone says. Not just the president. contact Mitchell Raley at raleym@warhawks.ulm.edu

PAGE 4

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

November 16, 2020

NEWS

Service

Ceremony honors campus veterans, active duty military

by Uchechi Owunna

Everyone stood around the water fountain in the Quad on a bright, warm Wednesday afternoon beside a huge American flag and a POW/MIA flag mounted in Warhawk Circle.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the Monroe community were all gathered to honor veterans and those on active duty on Veterans Day. The event started with the presentation of the colors by ROTC cadets. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by veteran Mark Johnson.

Miss ULM, Allison Newton, followed the pledge with a captivating performance of the national anthem.

Ralph Brown, a history professor, was invited to speak on the historical significance of Veterans Day. He spoke about the importance of the military and their love of sacrificing for their country, defending their people and Constitution. Brown “I have several recent family members as well as ancestors who have served different branches of the U.S. military going back to the American War of Independence,” Brown said. “They were able to overcome difficulty and at times danger, inspiring me to work to overcome the travails of our time.”

Through anecdotes from the life of a veteran, Brown said that the military desegregated long before the rest of America. He said that even though a black person could not go to the movies with a white person, both white and black people were serving side by side under the American flag.

Brown said that veterans who are relatives and students, as well as those who he has interviewed for his research, inspired him to study and teach military history.

Capt. Ernestine, who teaches military science in the ROTC program, emphasized the importance of support and community in the life of any military personnel, especially college cadets.

Treina Kimble, ULM’s special projects officer and Title IX coordinator, is a lieutenant in the Navy. She called the names of the students, faculty and staff that are veterans so they could receive their ULM pin and a commemorative mug.

Luke Crawford, a sophomore criminal justice student, is a private first class. He said that being a veteran gives him a sense of pride in who he is.

“Since joining the military my view of Veteran’s Day has Crawford changed very much,” Crawford said. “Now I can better understand

photo by Carley Nail

LAND OF THE FREE: President Ronald Berry and other members of the ULM community spoke at a ceremony to honor students, faculty and staff who are veterans or on active duty.

the struggles soldiers face when they are away from their families for long periods of time and big holidays.”

“I would say one thing that could better help military personnel would be the ability to find a job. After my deployment, I found it hard to integrate back into normal society without a structured schedule like a steady job,” Crawford said.

Crawford said that he thinks it would be beneficial to veterans and other military personnel to have events on campus where they could all meet and know that others understand them and they’re not alone.

contact Uchechi Owunna at owunnaud@warhawks.ulm.edu

Medicine

Paul Sylvester granted $10k for breast cancer research

by Loryn Kykendall

Paul Sylvester began studying cancer in graduate school and his research is still going strong. In fact, he just received a $10,000 grant from the Louisiana Cancer Foundation.

The LCF has been supporting Sylvester’s research since 2005. James Adams, the executive director of the Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute and LCF, said the foundation board was looking for a way to support cancer research at the time, and that’s how they ended up finding Sylvester.

“We initially met Dr. Paul Sylvester and were immediately impressed with his research using tocotrienols for breast cancer prevention and treatment,” Adams said.

Tocotrienols are a type of Vitamin E. Sylvester’s research focuses on the relationship between tocotrienols and breast cancer.

This is because when he first began studying cancer, he was studying the relationship between nutrition and cancer.

He knew that the consumption of high fats was something that caused breast cancer

that palm oil was the only type of tested oil that didn’t cause tumor development.

It was also the only type of oil containing tocotrienol. When they extracted the substance and tested the palm oil without it, it caused tumor development just like all the other oils.

So, he stopped studying the effects of fat on cancer and began studying the effects of tocotrienol against breast cancer.

“Subsequent studies have shown that combined treatment of tocotrienol with other traditional chemotherapies often results in a synergistic inhibition in cancer cell growth and viability,” Sylvester said.

Sylvester joined the College of Pharmacy in 1998 and has maintained grants from the National Cancer Institute at NIH, American Cancer Society, American Institute of Cancer Research and First Tech International Ltd., among others. photo courtesy ULM photo services He has also authored 145 peer-reviewed SEARCHING FOR THE CURE: Paul Sylvester, a professor at the College of Pharmacy, has been research publications, 22 book chapters, and studying the effects of tocotrienols on breast cancer since he was in graduate school. has given more than 162 talks at national and international scientific conferences. development and growth, so that’s where he asked if it mattered whether the fat was saturated started. or unsaturated, vegetable or animal. contact Loryn Kykendall at According to Sylvester, reviewers of his research That led to more experiments and the discovery kykendalllk@warhawks.ulm.edu

November 16, 2020

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 5

NEWS

Presidential Election

Absentee, mail-in voting results in high turnout

by Loryn Kykendall The pandemic has changed the way we do just about everything, including the way we vote for president.

It doesn’t seem to be loosening its grip on the population, so with the fear of even more outbreaks in mind, the rules for voters changed in this election cycle.

Rules about mail-in ballots were changed to make it easier for everyone to vote and it resulted in increased early voting.

In Louisiana, absentee votes in the early voting stage were up about 267% from 2019 according to the Louisiana Secretary of State website.

John Sutherlin, Sutherlin a political science professor, said that there has been record-breaking early voting this year.

“We have had absentee or early voting for years,” Sutherlin said. “Just never on this level.”

Before this year, most states already allowed any registered voters to request mail-in ballots without making them give an excuse as to why they needed the ballot.

But according to Ballotpedia, Louisiana is one of the few that does

graphic courtesy Pixabay

require an excuse, which means you can’t vote by mail just because you want to. You have to be in some type of circumstance that qualifies you for voting by mail.

Things that count as excuses include being a senior citizen, living in a nursing home, being hospitalized and working offshore.

This year, some states who had

similar restrictions changed their rules to allow voters to use fear of COVID-19 as an excuse, according to Public Integrity. Louisiana was not one of those states.

But they did change the rules to allow absentee ballots for those who have tested positive for the disease or have conditions which put them at high risk of getting it.

Although early voting accessibility resulted in a higher voter turnout this year, it also fueled conversations of potential voter fraud.

For example, there were claims that deceased people’s information would be used to vote more than once.

There was also a fear that too many people would vote by mail and it would take too long to count all the ballots, or the postal service would slow and ballots wouldn’t arrive on time.

Jaidyn Oliver, a junior communication major, voted Oliver early this year to avoid the crowds.

She said that in the future, early voting shouldn’t be as easy as it was this year simply so everybody can avoid waiting in line to vote.

“I don’t think there should be as much absentee voting or voting by mail unless [voters] are over 65,” Oliver said. contact Loryn Kykendall at kykendalllk@warhawks.ulm.edu

Academics

State’s overall ACT score decreases, ULM’s increases

by Loryn Kykendall

One possible reason for the state’s The ACT is one of the most important factors to getting decrease in score is the pandemic, into college. which resulted in cancelled tests last Every year, high school students take the test in an effort semester. to get the highest score they can.

Ruiz said that despite the obstacles, Higher scores generally mean bigger scholarships and a “High school students made some likelier chance of getting into the school you want. good strides during the difficult This year, ULM students excelled and the university’s times.” average ACT score went up from 22.1 in 2019 to 22.3 in Ruiz But he also said that changes must 2020. be made to avoid falling scores like This may not seem like a huge jump or a big this in the future. accomplishment. However, the average ACT score for “This is a trend that should be alarming to the state,” Ruiz the entire state went down from 19.3 to 18.7 in that time. said. “We must be able to find strategies and avenues to So despite the state decreasing in ACT performance, increase the scores to prepare our students in this ever ULM increased. changing world and society which we live in today.”

Alberto Ruiz, president of academic affairs, said that He said the freshmen this year have found ways to ULM is now offering higher scholarship packages succeed even during a time like this and expects they will dependent on ACT scores, which has motivated high continue to do so. school students to do well on the test.

“ULM is preparing our students for success in their He also said the recruitment staff is doing a great job futures,” Ruiz said. “Brighter days are ahead for them.” this year and has been successful in not only increasing enrollment, but in attracting “some of the brightest” high contact Loryn Kykendall at school students from Louisiana and surrounding states. kykendalllk@warhawks.ulm.edu

graphic courtesy Pixabay

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THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

November 16, 2020

FREESTYLE NEWS

Culture

Tihar festival honors dogs, unites campus to community

by Calli Sinclair

Students, staff, faculty and others gathered at Bayou Park, on a windy Saturday, with their canines to celebrate the Tihar Dog Festival which was hosted by the International Students Association and the Nepalese Students Association.

The Tihar festival originates in Nepal, and spans for five days a week. On each day, specific celebrations occur. Kukur (dog) Tihar is celebrated on the second day.

The celebration honors dogs, thanking them for their loyalty, companionship and service throughout history. In Hinduism, dogs are revered as messengers of the god, Yama and incarnations of the god Bhairava.

Dogs are sacred creatures, and are adorned with garlands of marigolds around their necks and tikka on their heads.

During the ULM Tihar Dog Festival, pups and pooches had the

opportunity to play with one another and anyone who wished to celebrate them. It was a wholesome, beautiful experience for human and companion alike.

Eliana Battle, a freshman criminal justice major, brought her dog, Elly, a poodle and schnauzer mix, to the festival.

“I think it’s very good for the dogs to get out and be social with other dogs and people. The festival helps bring people together,” Battle said.

Misisipi Bhandari, a Nepalese member of the ISA and NSA at ULM, did henna for the attendees.

“In Hindu culture, Tihar is the festival of light. The main theme of this festival is to remove the darkness from our souls in order to hope for peace and love. We also worship dogs to celebrate the special connection they have with us,” Bhandari explained.

Bhandari also said that humans need nature; we cannot survive

on our own. The Tihar festival in Nepal acknowledges our deep connection with the elements in nature as well as honoring specific animals like dogs, crows and cattle.

Tihar takes place annually in Nepal during the months of autumn.

This was the first Kukur Tihar festival at ULM to date. The festival received a substantial turnout. The ISA and NSA plan to host more Tihar festivals in the future.

“I am very thankful the international office planned this event.

It offers us and the dogs a break from stress. On this day, we honor the dogs by giving them food, tika and garlands to please them.

We worship them for their loyalty to humans, and I think we need to keep doing this every year. To us, this is therapy. Right now, I’m at photo by Calli Sinclair peace.” Sujata Gautam, a Nepalese WHO’S A GOOD BOY?: After the dogs have been worshipped, member of NSA, said. contact Calli Sinclair at sinclac@warhawks.ulm.edu

photo by Saugat Shrestha

MAN’S BEST FRIEND: As part of Kukur Tihar, Misisipi worships the dogs with tikka, garlands and incense.

they are able to play with each other and toys, while also being fed tasty doggy treats in a safe area.

Awareness

International Education Week celebrates culture

by Ashlyn Dupree

Almost every day, there seems to be a national holiday like National Donut Day or National Pickle Day which are celebrated throughout the year. But one important week, that strongly relates to college students but easily gets lost in the sea of national holidays, is National International Education Week.

According to the International Education Week’s website, the holiday is a way for people to celebrate the benefits of international education throughout the world.

The week lasts from Nov. 16 through Nov. 20.

NIEW encourages students to study abroad, learn and experience new cultures and traditions worldwide.

While ULM is not hosting any activities involving NIEW, you can still celebrate on your own. Here are a few ideas you can adopt to recognize the week:

1. Support local international restaurants

graphic by Sunil Bishwokarma

There are many local restaurants that serve different cultural foods around the Monroe area. Athena Greek and Lebanese Restaurant, Latin Food Restaurant, Taste of India and the Himalayan Café are all restaurants with a wide variety of authentic international food. Ask the waiters questions about the food and the culture of the country.

The owners will appreciate your interest in their culture, and you may discover a new favorite restaurant.

Find a country you are interested in and learn more

2. Do your research about their history, culture and traditions. Doing this can help you find ways to incorporate your knowledge into everyday conversations with people. You can even do your research by visiting stores within our area. The Spice & Tea Exchange has multiple spices and exotic teas from other countries. You can discuss the history of whatever tea interests you with the cashier. You could also go to the Saigon Asian Market to see what kind of food they have and ask about the cultural significance of that food.

3. Participate in a study abroad program Participating in a study abroad program can help you wholly submerge yourself in the culture and traditions of the country you are interested in. Study abroad programs also help you properly appreciate the impact of international cultures on the education system. ULM has a study abroad program that offers students the opportunity to study in multiple countries like France, Mexico, Belgium and Costa Rica as well as many others. To participate, contact Joni Noble, at noble@ulm.edu or 318-342-1383.

There are many ways to celebrate NIEW. You only have to be creative and open to discovering new cultures and places. contact Ashlyn Dupree at dupreeaf@warhawks.ulm.edu

November 16, 2020

PAGE 7

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

FREESTYLE NEWS

Campus Event

Warhawks learn to pivot, not panic in workshop

by Cameron Jett

As 2019 came to a close, Raven Turner was hopeful that she would accomplish her goals the next year. Little did she know what 2020 had in store for her or for the rest of the world.

Turner watched as the country suddenly shut down in response to coronavirus. Stores, schools, jobs all changed in the blink of an eye.

“When I saw all these things shutting down, I did too,” Turner said.

Raven Turner, a Prairie View A&M graduate, is also a public speaker, serial entrepreneur, author of two books, former collegiate athlete and has been in multiple magazines.

As part of the Campus Activities Board’s leadership workshop series, Turner visited ULM to speak on how students can keep track of their long-term goals despite challenges—Even ones as great as the coronavirus pandemic.

Carlos Moses, a freshman predental hygiene major, said he found Turner’s message eyeopening.

“Her whole message was extremely eye-opening and is a great reminder to all of us who have been impacted by this pandemic that we still control our destiny,” Moses said.

In addition to personal anecdotes, Turner also used stories of celebrities. One of them was that of the legendary work ethic of the late

Kobe Bryant. Turner’s down to earth approach appeared to speak volumes to the audience.

Aakriti Pant, junior risk management major, said it was the way Turner related to college students that made her speech impactful for her. “[Turner] was an excellent speaker. I truly felt that her message reached the audience,” Pant said. “She did not talk like she was above us but she talked as though she had been in our shoes before.”

During her speech, Turner laid out the four principles she believes people should follow to be successful in any endeavor they put their mind to. The first principle she covered was the importance of competition.

“You’ve got to wake up every single day and compete,” Turner said. “Your biggest competition is the person that you see on the other side of the mirror.”

Turner said she went off track during quarantine, because she did not compete with herself.

“There are thousands of people in this world who want to be where you want to be,” Turner said. “How can you separate yourself from the rest?”

The next principle Turner explained was vision. She asked students to visualize where they wanted to be in 2021 and to consider

photos by Skylar Henry

POSED TO PIVOT: Students burst into appluase after Raven Turner asks them if their future self will thank them for the effort they are putting in today to acheive their dreams.

which steps they would need to take to get there. Turner recommended creating a vision board to focus your goals.

“When you write something down and you visually see it, you have a greater chance of actually completing the goal,” Turner said.

After talking on the topic of perspective,

Turner closed with what was arguably her strongest point: Mental momentum. She described mental momentum as doing the small steps correctly and efficiently to not become fearful of your long-term goals. contact Cameron Jett at jettcm@warhawks.ulm.edu

Education

Survival tips to cope with finals amid pandemic

Time your study sessions

Use your phone timer to study off and on.

Study time can vary from person to person, but the recommended time is between 30 to 45 minutes with a 10 to 15 minute break in between. Doing this will allow you to fully concentrate on a particular task for some time without as many distractions. Especially since college students have become so dependent on social media, our attention span is now shorter. It is better to study in small chunks. By doing this, you will be able to get more done without feeling overwhelmed.

Find a study-only zone

With coronavirus limiting when and where you can go, finding a new place to study can be beneficial to your mental health. Studying in your room can not only make it harder to concentrate but can also make falling asleep difficult. Doing schoolwork and sleeping in the same location makes your brain unable to discern between when it is time to sleep or when it is time to study. If you cannot find a study area, you can try places like the Student Success Center, Bayou Park or the front of Starbucks.

Make a to-do list

It can get overwhelming when you think of all the many things you have to do. However, being able to cross things off a list motivates you to keep going while also giving you a structured system so you remember what you have to do. You can choose to put whatever you want on the list, but your goals should be realistic so you do not get discouraged if you don’t meet them. Feel free to add little things to your list because they help you feel more fulfilled. As long as you can get the tasks done, that is all that matters.

Take time for yourself

Being a college student is already overwhelming, but being a college student amid a pandemic can be even more challenging- Especially as the semester comes to an end and finals approach. The best way to cope with stress is to do what you love. Take some time to slowly decompress. Whether taking time for yourself means running, playing video games or cooking, make sure it’s something that relaxes you. You can also look into attending any of the events on campus, doing yoga in the Bayou Park or visiting the Activity Center.

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November 16, 2020

THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

SPORTS

Opinion

Game attendance motivates athletes

Football

COVID-19 postpones Ark. State game

by Cameron Jett

Dallon Lewis The ULM football team is currently in one of their biggest losing streaks in recent memory, and the question to ask is, “Why?” There’s a big change in starting personnel from last year’s roster which of course will impact any team’s performance. But this is not a piece to cast down on the football team. If anything, supporting a team through troubled times is when you can see your team for what it really is.

Now, imagine that a global pandemic disrupts a team’s schedule and majorly lowers the attendance of a stadium: Therein lies a key problem with the Warhawks this season.

Coronavirus has impacted every facet of our culture, and of course it has affected game attendance for ULM, among other things.

The Warhawks’ season struggle could be attributed to COVID-19 regulations and the decline in attendance. The National Basketball Association’s 2019-2020 playoff series held in Orlando, Fl. gave America a case study of how these new restrictions could alter the performances of players, both positively and negatively.

Scoring outputs like the Indiana Pacers’ T.J. Warren was unheard of before the NBA’s official restart in Florida. Even though the sports may differ, the Warhawks have not been on a losing streak like this in the last decade.

The case of attendance affecting ULM’s players is worth considering. Playing for lighter stands almost feels like playing for no one.

People may joke about the downfall of the Warhawks, but it’s the duty of true fans to support a team even if things seem bleak. When exposed to an audience, it is reasonable that a player’s performance is affected.

It’s a difference for a kicker kicking field goals in a noticeably different arena with less fans.

Pressure defines the best athletes when every eye in a stadium is glued to the ball, waiting with held breath on a game-winning play.

Presently, this massive social change to athletics will affect players’ determination and willingness to play. A team is only as strong as its most loyal fans. So, if you have been bummed about the Warhawks’ losing streak, get out to a game when possible and make sure to bring friends. contact Dallon Lewis at lewisdt@warhawks.ulm.edu

As the nation sees a surge in COVID-19 cases, the effects are being felt everywhere, and the world of college football is no exception. ULM’s game against Sun Belt rival Arkansas State has been postponed until Dec. 12 due to several athletes receiving positive coronavirus tests.

“Our number one priority remains fostering a safe campus environment for our studentathletes, coaches and administrators, and it became apparent that the team wouldn’t be able to safely resume practice in time to prepare for Saturday’s game,” Athletics Director Scott McDonald said.

This is not ULM’s first encounter with COVID-19 this season. Team activities were shut down mere

weeks before their season opener against Army West Point. However, the game was still played as scheduled.

Depending on how the affected players recover and how soon they were effectively quarantined could determine if the rivalry game against Louisiana Tech is played next weekend.

LA Tech’s final home game against Rice was also cancelled this week because of numerous positive tests within Rice’s football program.

While much of college football has had to make adjustments to counter the global pandemic, ULM football has been able to put together a full schedule of games, being one of only four teams in the nation to do so. ULM’s game against Arkansas State is one of 15 Division I football games to be

WArHAWKS vs RED WOLVES graphic by Sunil Bishwokarma

postponed, rescheduled or cancelled according to the NCAA. High profile games such as Alabama vs LSU, Cal vs Arizona State and conference rivals Costal Carolina vs Troy all have been postponed due COVID-19 spikes in their respective programs.

A silver lining in all of this is that it will give additional rest and re-

covery time to injured players on the roster, particularly the injury ridden running back position which has lost its first and second string running backs, Josh Johnson and Isiah Phillips, over the past two games. contact Cameron Jett at jettcm@warhawks.ulm.edu

Volleyball

Warhawks fall to Trojans 3-1 Little Rock wins last three sets

by Kaitlin Maness

The ULM volleyball team had a good start Saturday, winning the first set of the game, but it wasn’t enough as Little Rock won the final three sets, 3-1, at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Charlie Olson, volleyball head coach, said that this game against Little Rock wasn’t a bad finish to the season.

“It wasn’t the storybook ending by any means, but we played very good volleyball,” Olson said.

“We’ve worked on some things over these past few weeks and we finally saw them come together.”

Warhawks used a 5-0 run to take an early 7-3 lead on junior Cali Assaley.

Within a point three different times, the Trojans pulled, including at 10-9.

However, ULM pushed the

photo courtesy Little Rock athletics

HUDDLE UP: ULM’s volleyball team huddles up during their match against the Trojans in Little Rock. Warhawks fell 3-1.

lead back to three on a kill from senior Alix Christie and service ace by Assaley. Little Rock and ULM battled until the Trojans made another push to cut the gap to 17-16.

After a timeout, the War-

hawks scored eight of the final 10 points to win the first set, 25-18. But that win wouldn’t come to fruition.

During the second set, Little Rock came out on top, building an 11-6 lead.

ULM then scored three straight points, including a block assist and kill from sophomore Kathryn Raschilla and Christie to cut the deficit 11-9. Eventually, the Trojans regained a five-point lead at 15-10

and maintained that lead until they led the game 21-16.

In the last two sets, ULM took the lead only to be taken down by Little Rock again. No matter how far ahead the Warhawks got, the Trojans caught up.

Assaley led ULM with a 15-kill, 12-dig doubledouble, and sophomore Madeline Hogan achieved a career-high 32 digs. In the end, Little Rock hit .205 in the math and ULM hit .110.

“I’m so proud of our team for continuing to fight, especially after the morning match yesterday,” Olson said. “Most teams would throw in the towel, but after the match today we’ve already closed this chapter and began talking about the conference tournament.”

The Warhawks will play again on Nov. 18 at the Sun Belt Conference Championships at the Foley Sports Complex. contact Kaitlin Maness at manessk@warhawks.ulm.edu