Full Issue Feb-04-2019

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Jones inspires at live podcast event P 6

Fichtner prepares for softball season P 14

P 7

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

VOLUME 96 ISSUE 17

www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com

February 4, 2019

Opinion: Students divided over New York’s abortion law P 5

Community marches against abortions P 8

Warhawks lose 6 straight games P 16

ULM’s Got Talent wows P 9 crowd

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 2

February 4, 2019

BRIEFS d

CALENDAR Monday, February 4 No events planned

Tuesday, February 5 Family Feud with NAACP, 7 p.m., Walker 2-105

Wednesday, February 6 Men's basketball Vs Georgia State, 7 p.m., Fant-Ewing Coliseum

Thursday, February 7 Leadership workshop series with Johnny Quinn, 6 p.m., SUB ballroom Tennis, 2 p.m. @Alcorn State Women's basketball, 5 p.m. @Georgia State

Friday, February

8

Final date to remove "I" grade Men's basketball Vs Georgia Southern, 7 p.m., Fant-Ewing Coliseum

Saturday, February 9 Women's basketball, 1 p.m. @Georgia Southern

Sunday, February 10 No events planned

Shreveport

Connecticut

Mexico

According to KNOE, authorities have arrested a woman for allegedly abusing a special needs student at a Monroe elementary school.

On Friday, Monroe police were called to Roy Neal Shelling, Sr. Elementary School to investigate the alleged incident.

According to the police, multiple school employees saw Mary Bryant, 66, spray hand sanitizer in the mouth of the student. Police said that the involved student was highly autistic and non-verbal.

Bryant said she was holding a bottle of hand sanitizer at the time, but was also holding a paper towel and was only wiping the child’s mouth, according to the police records.

Bryant was booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center on a charge of simple battery to the infirm.

A trauma surgeon at Louisiana State University-Health Sciences Center in Shreveport was found guilty on Friday of stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security disability payments.

According to KNOE, John R. Owings, the chief of Trauma, was charged with 20 counts of theft of government property and one count of “concealing or failing to disclose an event affecting right to a government benefit.”

Owings started working at the University of California-Davis in 2012 and made $22,000 a month.

In 2013, he was hired at LSU Health Shreveport where he was paid $40,000 a month.

As per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Owings applied for benefits in 2008 and continued to receive them until June 2017. According to officials, he didn’t notify the Social Security Administration of his employment at those times.

MCT- Marcus Fisher, an 18-yearold, admitted to stabbing his grandparents to death in their home before starting a fire early Monday in Montville in an attempt to burn the house to the ground.

Fisher, who lived with John and Gertrude Piscezek, was the one who first alerted police to his grandparents' deaths.

In an interview with state police, Fisher told detectives that he stabbed his grandfather with a kitchen knife during an argument.

According to the police report, he then stabbed his grandmother and cleaned the knife before turning the gas on and setting a fire outside in an attempt to burn it down.

On Tuesday, Fisher was charged with murder, murder with special circumstances and second-degree arson. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

MCT-Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday that he has deployed federal troops to Tijuana to combat the city's spiraling violence.

The new National Guard will consist of about 70,000 troops. The members would include recruits from the army and navy but, unlike the armed forces, would have the mandate and capacity to assist in criminal investigations. The plan has yet to be approved by Mexico’s Congress, but Lopez Obrador hopes to have the form ready this year.

Lopez Obrador’s landslide win last summer was partly due to his promise to curtail Mexico’s rising violence.

Killings in Tijuana have risen by 400 percent since 2012 due to its booming drug market.

In 2018, Tijuana had a record of 2,518 murders.

National Guard Teacher arrested Surgeon guilty of Teen admitted for abusing student Social Security fraud stabbing grandparents to combat violence

d

QUOTE

Monroe

TALONS OUT

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."

February 4

Bill Gates, American business magnate

Front page credits: Main photo: Ashlyn Dupree Top sidebar photo: Miles Jordan Bottom sidebar photo: Prajal Prasai Top left photo courtesy: Kendrick Jones Top right photo: Miles Jordan

TODAY IN HISTORY

photo by Prajal Prasai

Attendees at Thursday's ULM's Got Talent stand up to sing along with Jonathan "Main Main" Commings during his performance of "ULM Anthem." Commings placed third in Thursday's competition.

1971: The NASDAQ stock exchange, the second-largest in the world, behind the New York Stock Exchange, is founded in New York City.

1988: Panamanian General Manuel Noriega is indicted by US federal grand jury for drug trafficking and racketeering.

2000: German extortionist Klaus-Peter Sabotta is jailed for life for attempted murder and extortion in connection with the sabotage of German railway lines.

2003: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is officially renamed Serbia and Montenegro and adopts a new constitution.

2004: Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook from his Harvard dormitory room.

2013: Paris, France, annuls 213 year old law banning women from wearing trousers.

2014: Same-sex marriage is legalized in Scotland.

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

CAMPUS LIFE

Senators to vote on amphitheater in Bayou Park

Bats force Sugar Hall shutdown, class relocation

The Student Government Association is set to vote on a proposal to build an amphitheater in Bayou Park.

Voting will take place on Tuesday during SGA’s regular meeting.

Budget for the project is set for around $1.3 million.

If the project gets approved, as discussed in the meeting, students wouldn’t be asked for any additional fees for its construction.

The proposed amphitheater will be nestled on the western side of Bayou Desiard, as per last Tuesday’s

meeting. It will be compliant with the American with Disabilities Act .

As discussed in the meeting, it will be equipped with a green room, stage lights, green space on both sides and fixed seating among other amenities.

According to Camille Currier, the vice president for student affairs, the amphitheater will be “a tremendous asset for our students, to our campus and to the community.”

Lastly, as per the meeting, the Mardi Gras court run off election has been set for Wednesday.

Budget: $88,609

Laine Rogers was in her Forensic Toxicology class on Monday when a bat peeked its head out from behind the classroom’s projector.

The bat then started flying around the room and the class had to be stopped while the bat was evacuated.

Rogers, a toxicology junior, was among the many affected by the hundreds of bats currently residing in Sugar Hall.

The bats apparently started coming in through the building’s ducts.

According to a Facebook post by ULM’s official page, the bats were being removed by “a nuisance wildlife removal company."

The post assured that the bats were being removed as humanely as possible.

Classes in Sugar Hall have since been relocated to Walker, Strauss and the library.

Sugar Hall will be closed until all the bats are removed, which is estimated to take about two weeks. Bats crawling on the ground next to Sugar Hall was a common sight last week.

PAGE 3

BRIEFS

photo by Miles Jordan

BATS ON BAYOU: A bat lingers around the walls of Sugar Hall. The building is currently closed to remove all the bats.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Saulsberry appointed to state council to empower families

photo courtesy ULM Photo Sevices

Dr. Pamela Saulsberry attended the first meeting of Empowering Families to Live Well Louisiana Council last week at the State Capitol.

Saulsberry, the director of School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, was nominated to the council by Dr. Eric Pani, the former Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Gov. John Bel Edwards addressed the council at its first inaugural meeting. The purpose

of the council is to create a strategic plan “dedicated to benefit and empower families out of poverty.”

Saulsberry is also the organizer of the annual MLK Day of Service on Martin Luther King Day. This year, she was presented the Unity Award at the City of Monroe 40th Annual Birthday Salute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The theme of the event was “Sevice to Our

Community.” The Unity Award and five other awards recognized local achievers and leaders who “honored Dr. King by their contributions to education, community service, public service, justice and other humanitarian efforts.”

For more information about Saulsberry and her work in the council make sure to pick up next week’s Hawkeye.

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 4

February 4, 2019

OPINION OPINION

Trans people must be allowed in military

Madelyn Stewart Last Tuesday, the progressive growth of the U.S. came to a screeching halt. In July 2018, via tweet, President Donald Trump proposed new legislation banning transgender in the military. On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Supreme Court ruled 5:4 on a case that overruled orders from lower courts that had served as a block to prevent the ban from going into action.

Many are saying that this new order is a “green light” of sorts which paves the way for further legislation.

To give you an idea, this ban will prevent potential service members from joining as well as ban current service members from continuing their military careers. The ruling is an insult to the transgender

Stubbs 131 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209 Editor in chief - Sisam Shrestha Co-managing editor design - Prajal Prasai Co-managing editor news - Ethan Dennis Opinion editor - Alfonzo Galvan Freestyle editor - Kaitlin Maness Multimedia editor - Samrat Dhakal Photo editor - Miles Jordan Sports editor - Nate Nasworthy Copy editor - Ashlyn Dupree

community in service and we should not stand for it.

There are currently around 2,450 active service members who are transgender, according to MSNBC. That means that these people have met the required criteria and undergone the same harsh training as their cis-gender [conventional gender] counterparts.

To put this into business terms, since that’s how our country is run these days, this ban is essentially removing qualified employees from the jobs they have worked hard to earn. This ruins their chances of progressing in their desired career field.

But since this is not a business, I must remind you that these newly unemployed citizens have made the decision to lay their lives on the line and serve their country which should be a right for all citizens.

Regardless of where you stand in the social argument of gender, if someone is willing to make a sacrifice for their country, you can’t stand in their way. For this proposal to come from an agenda that claims to be more patriotic than its counterpart, this brazen discrimination is ironically not patriotic at all.

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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If a citizen has passed through training and worked their way to where they stand in military ranks, they can’t say they are not fit to serve.

President Trump tweeted about the issue saying the military should focus on victory and not medical costs and disruptions that transgender people bring.

However, a FOX news report stated that 0.001 percent of our $600 billion military budget is spent on transgender medical treatment.

As of now, the ban is only a proposal. It has not gone into effect because there are orders from lower courts that block legislative action from being taken. However, if decisions like the one by the Supreme Court keep occurring, more of these blocks will continue to be lifted.

There is a common misconception that students cannot do much to impact the governmental proceedings of our country. That is far from the truth. We are the future. If they are truly representing the people’s best interests, they will hear ours.

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

Over 20 percent of transgender adults in America have served in the military.

3 out of every 1,000 adult

Boycotts should be common practice

Faculty adviser Dr. Christopher Mapp 318 342 5454 mapp@ulm.edu

Don’t agree?

Let us know!

Over 130,000 veterans are transgender.

Source: www.fortune.com, www.marieclaire.com

318-342-5453 ulmhawkeyead@gmail.com

Feedback 318 342 5453 newsroom 318 342 5452 fax ulmhawkeye@gmail.com

There are less than 16,000 transgender people in the military.

contact Madelyn Stewart at stewarmc@warhawks.ulm.edu

Circulation director - Emerald Singh

Assistant director Kristin Nieman 318 342 5450 nieman@ulm.edu

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea Terrell A boycott is a withdraw from commercial or social relations with somebody or something as a protest. Although boycotts are still used today, people have begun to pull away from them due to a lack of support or willingness to stand for what they believe in.

People have the right and should boycott if they want to.

Not all boycotts are successful or big. In fact, some boycotts are very

small, but can still have the public’s eye and opinion on certain matters.

For example, consider former San Francisco NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality. After being refused by all teams of the NFL, Kaepernick urged his fans to cut all ties with the NFL. Eventually, others joined in on his protest and continue to this day to support Kaepernick.

Some boycotts don’t highlight social issues, but rather the people’s discontent with something. Many Saints fans are boycotting the Super Bowl over a missed call against the Rams. Protests like these show that not all boycotts are serious in nature. The fans boycotting the game represents the people’s willingness to speak out for what they believe in.

It’s ok to protest small things like a referees missed call.

People don’t like to be the only

ones speaking out on a topic. There’s strength in numbers after all. What everybody has to understand is it only takes one person to make a change just like Kaepernick did in the NFL. Now the question is does doing these protests have the desired results? When it comes to companies’ revenue the answer might not be so clear.

According to a study made by Northwestern University, boycotts affect a company’s reputation rather than hurt their revenue. We can have a big effect on how others view an institute and its beliefs, but not so much of an impact on revenue.

Eventually, a bad reputation can lead to a loss of revenue. This means protests still result in something and we shouldn’t stop boycotting just because others think it’s a lost cause. contact Chelsea Terrell at terrelcl@warhawks.ulm.edu

February 4, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 5 OPINION

New York brings back abortion talks AGAINST

FOR

Prajal Prasai There is this kid who looks very sweet, is almost 10 years old and lives in an orphanage.

She has bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. She has never seen her parents. She doesn’t have someone she can trust and is always bullied.

This kid might be one of the 171,750 kids who are in foster care or in an orphanage that never get adopted. According to Adoptuskids, about one fourth of 687,000 kids in foster care will not be adopted. This information will make sense a bit later.

First off, I want to clarify that I am not arguing whether abortion is right or wrong. I am simply arguing why the legalization of abortion bill, recently passed in New York, is necessary.

Over a week ago, New York’s Catholic governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed the abortion bill to put it into the rule book of the state.

In brief, the bill allows abortions under three conditions.

First, if it is performed earlier than 24 weeks of conception. Second, in an absence of fetal viability and third, to protect a patient’s life or health.

So, what is the problem here?

Well, pro-life activists are pointing out that the exception for health, which is not restricted to a physical definition and can be interpreted to cover psychological and emotional health, is broad enough to cover basically any possible late-term abortion.

Also, a lot of pro-life supporters believe that the foster care of U.S. is good enough to take care of these ‘unwanted children’.

But, in reality, that’s not the case as I have mentioned above.

There is a good chance that not all kids will

be adopted and will have a decent life.

But, still, I do not think this idea alone makes this topic that big of an issue. I think the problem here is that some people are trying to impose their righteous worldview on other people.

Coming back to rational discussion, criminalizing abortion will not stop the process of abortion itself. According to womensnews, in Egypt, where the abortion rules are very strict, abortion is still a common practice. Instead, the pregnant women have to take significant risks to get the fetus aborted which may or may not be done under a trained official.

Another thing to consider is that most abortions occur before the 21week time period. According to plannedparenthoodaction, only about one percent of all the abortions are done after 21 weeks of pregnancy which is mostly due to the health status of the fetus.

I do not believe the state of New York did anything wrong. Instead, I believe that such necessary laws to help women are very much needed.

Carrying a dead fetus for the next 20 weeks is physically, mentally and emotionally draining, especially after you’ve already figured out that the fetus is dead. According to BBC, Erika Christensen had to travel to Colorado for abortion when she realized she could not abort her 31-week non-viable fetus in New York. Christensen said the laws of New York made the grieving process so much harder.

No sane women would want to kill their own flesh and blood. But, there are certain circumstances that we need to be sensitive about and let the women decide what is best for themselves.

I think that such bills should be passed all over the U.S. so the doctors will not have to face criminal charges for saving lives and the patient will not have to travel hundreds of miles to get an abortion.

Standing strong to my views, abortion itself may be right or wrong, but New York legalizing it was definitely a correct move. This law will ensure that women will not have to die while birthing children just because it offends some group of people. contact Prajal Prasai at prasaip@warhawks.ulm.edu

ABORTION FACTS

Ashlyn Dupree Recently, New York passed a bill called the Reproductive Health Act (RHA). The bill is expanding abortion.

This act allows pregnant women to get an abortion up to the birth of a child for the mother’s health or if the fetus isn’t viable, according to Pulpit and Pen. Also, it is no longer required to have an abortion by a doctor, but instead someone can get a nurse practitioner, a midwife or anyone with a title eight of the education law, which can be a dentist, massage therapist and a landscape architecture.

There’s many problems with this bill.

First, the name is very misleading. The definition of reproduction is the action or process of making a copy of something or the production of offspring by a sexual or asexual process. The definition of health is the state of being free from illness or injury.

But is this act really about not being sick and producing an offspring? No, not really.

The RHA prevents offspring from leaving his or her mother’s womb and entering the world.

Well, does this act actually help a woman’s health? The RHA does state that if a woman is having a health problem, then they can abort the baby. However, this isn’t why the RHA was created. The RHA was created so women can abort their babies with excuses of not being healthy.

According to abort73, 25 percent of women said they wanted to get an abortion because they were not ready for a child and 19 percent of women said they were done having children.

The RHA isn’t really about keeping women healthy and helping produce more babies,

but a way out from an unexpected pregnancy.

Abort73 also stated that only 4 percent of women get abortions because of physical health problems and 3 percent of abortions are because of fetal health problems.

When this is put into perspective, many women use the excuse of having psychological health problems than physical health problems.

Lastly, and to me, the most important reason, this act will kill innocent babies.

Many will say that a baby isn’t a baby until it has a heartbeat. A baby’s heart beats around six weeks However, an abortion can occur up to 24 weeks, according to the RHA. So, to the RHA, it doesn’t matter if the baby has a heartbeat, fingers or toes. A baby reacts to touch by eight weeks and can feel pain between 16 and 20 weeks. The RHA doesn’t care if the baby can feel pain and doesn’t consider the baby a “person” until it is born.

This act is selfish; it cares for the health of the women, but not the baby who can feel pain just like the mother. Women, we need to fight for these babies and stop harming them.

We care so much for our rights, but what about those unborn women and men who we keep aborting.

We fight for our rights, but we should fight for the rights of women and men who will come after us. They deserve a voice. They deserve to be heard. We cannot keep living selfishly and abort the next generation of powerful women and men.

This past weekend, I attended a Life March for all of the babies whose voices would never be heard. It was amazing to watch men and women march with unique signs and hear their different stories about abortions they had and regretted.

I think if we want to save babies we have to be involved. We have to serve the women who are lost and feel like abortion is their only option.

We can love them, foster children, adopt children, donate supplies, give money and babysit.

We should support these women in whatever way we can to give these babies a voice that deserves to be heard. contact Ashlyn Dupree at dupreeaf@warhawks.ulm.edu

• 30 percent of American women will have an abortion by the age of 45.

• 59 percent of women who have abortions have already given birth.

• 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision made abortion legal in the U.S. • 18 states (including Louisiana) limit access to the abortion pill.

Source: www.self.com

PAGE 6

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

NEWS

Big dreams in small places Alumni Jones inspires people to create

by Asja Jordan ULM alumni Kendrick Jones, a dreamer and a pursuer full of purpose, decided that he wanted to bring big dreams into small places. He achieved this through his “Dream Dreamer Live” event that took place on Jan. 26 at Rumo’s, a small barbershop in downtown West Monroe.

“My goal with this event is to bring people into a space for them to enjoy creatives and know that dreaming is a together initiative,” Jones said.

In 2018, Jones created a podcast called “The Dreamer Collective Podcast.”

“The entire initiative of ‘The Dreamer Collective’ is to cultivate a creative hub that seeks to share the stories of dreamers everywhere and inspire the world to awaken passion and pursue purpose,” Jones said.

The event was an extended edition of his podcast in which he hosted a live interview with Sarah Chestnut, the creator of Good Time Hat Line. This is a product service that handcrafts hats.

“It’s about the people embracing individuality. Different people from all different walks of life can make a hat their own and that’s why we picked hats,” Chestnut said.

The room was a reflection of that statement. A group of diverse people filled Rumo’s space and they

wore hats all designed from the same place - Good Time Hat Line.

The event also served as a platform for other creatives to showcase their work such as Dreux Coffee and Sara Lambert, ULM alumni and the creator of The Lavish Mutt. The Lavish Mutt is Lambert’s personal brand in which she sells handcrafted wire earrings.

“The Lavish Mutt has been a wonderful journey of celebrating the exact person that I am,” Lambert said. Lambert uses The Lavish Mutt as a way to express herself and help others do the same.

“My hope is that from all of this, people would understand the value they hold in simply going for what’s on their heart,” Lambert said.

Lambert and Jones have been long time friends and supporters of one another. Jones’ act of featuring Lambert in his event meant a lot to her. “’The Dreamer Collective’ has played a significant role in igniting that fire and helping me to understand the importance of why I do what I do,” Lambert said.

In this event, groups of various people were brought together for the same purpose- to see and hear what it means to pursue dreams.

“I want people to walk out empowered and inspired to go after the things they’ve been dreaming of for years,” Jones said.

To learn more about “The Dreamer Collective” and upcoming events follow @thedreamercollective on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about the featured creatives search @goodtimehatline and @ thelavishmutt on Instagram.

A DREAM LIKE NO OTHER: (Top)Kendrick Jones (left) and his guest, Sarah Chestnut, conduct a live interview for Jones’ podcast, “The Dreamer Collective Podcast,”during last Saturday’s event.

(Right) Attendees at Jones’ “Dream Dreamer Live” event mill about Rumo’s, a small barbershop in downtown West Monroe.

contact Asja Jordan at jordana1@warhawks.ulm.edu

Social media causes increase in missing persons awareness

by Dallon Lewis Awareness in the Monroe area for the amount of missing people has increased. If a person was to scour social media for a length of time, a missing persons report would make an appearance.

On average, Monroe missing persons’ cases are usually runaways 17 and below according to the University Police Department (UPD).

“College students are rarely accounted for

missing persons reports,” UPD Lt. Jeremy Kent said.

Cases with older citizens with dementia and Alzheimer’s also find their way into reports at a slightly lower rate. In spousal disputes, one parent might take the child which creates a child custody battle. Monroe Police Department typically track missing persons through one investigator.

photos courtesy Kendrick Jones

Crime trends like a pattern of homicides or robberies have no correlation to people that go missing.

Tracking an increase in missing people is possible by checking open reports, Calvin however, on an annual basis, a case may be resolved rather quickly and will remain part of the statistic. A good example is if a child runs away from home and parents file a missing persons report only to recover the child later, but the report still exists.

Take into account the media’s involvement in public awareness. If media did not report on trafficking, missing people or even murders, most people wouldn’t be aware of them. A con of this, though, is that the public can be swayed to believe in things that have not been official-

ly confirmed.

“Social media uses scare tactics revolving around missing people to incite fear,” Kent said.Students already have preconceived notions about police and how they handle their investigations.

“I personally believe that the police could try harder. If they looked at it from the parent’s standpoint, the amount of effort put into missing persons investigations would show results,” said Kameron Calvin, a freshman kinesiology major.

From some citizen’s eyes, certain cases take priority over the other depending on specific factors and discretion. This also happens to be a factor of public perception, not to mention social media influence. contact Dallon Lewis at lewisdt@warhawks.ulm.edu

February 4, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 7

NEWS

NAACP hosts black history game night

by Ethan Dennis

Imagine being thrust into a fastpaced “Kahoot!” game night where your “black card” is on the line. This was the case for ULM students who attended the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) “What Do You Know” game night.

This event took place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in Stubbs 100 and featured questions from a popular card game called “Black Card Revoked.”

“Black Card Revoked” is a game wherein players discuss and debate black culture in America by answering questions based on their

experiences growing up as an African American. Denisha Jackson, co-chair for NAACP’s social action committee said the game night was a definite success.

“We got students to come together and be social while learning about black history. This game night was a fun and educational way to prepare for the celebration of our history, culture and black excellence,” said Jackson, a sophomore psychology and marketing double major.

Jackson also said that using “Kahoot!,” an online, interactive game, made the night easy and fair.

“Everyone had access to the question at the same time, and the

scores were easy to keep track of,” Jackson said.

Colby Pogue, a sophomore accounting major, placed second and said he had an amazing experience.

“I did not expect to win! There were so many intelligent people sitting with me in that room. I honestly surprised myself with how much I knew about Black History,” Pogue said.

The top three finishers were Chiemeka Onyemechara in first, Colby Pogue in second and Kearra Odums in third.

For the rest of the story, visit: www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com contact Ethan Dennis at dennisec@warhawks.ulm.edu

photos courtesy Kendrick Jones

BLACK EXCELLENCE: (Top) NAACP members intently look at Stubbs 100 projector screen to see the answer to one of the “Kahoot!” game night questions. (Bottom) First place winner Chiemeka Onyemechara (right) and second place winner Colby Pogue pose after receiving their gift baskets for wininng.

PAGE 8

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

NEWS

photos by Ashlyn Dupree

UNITED FOR LIFE: Participants at the Life March hold up signs displaying "Stop Abortion Now" to protest a bill signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Marching in downtown Monroe Community protests pro-abortion bill

by Ashlyn Dupree

“I’m not pro-life. I’m actually prolove,” said Tessa Holyfield-Hoff, a ULM alumni and Life March attendee.

On Sunday, Jan. 27, men and women marched in West Monroe and downtown Monroe for the lives of the unborn children who were aborted or will be aborted.

The Life March, hosted by Louisiana Right to Life, had around 3,500 people attend this event.

Many citizens came to the Life

March to protest the Reproductive Health Act that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed.

The bill made abortions past 24 weeks legal if the fetus is not viable or if it affects the women’s health.

Also, a non-doctor, like a nurse practitioner, mid-wife or anyone with a title eight of education law, which includes a social worker, a dentist and a massage therapist, can perform an abortion.

At the Life March, many people had different signs with quotes like, “Stop Abortion Now,” “LIFE” and “A person is a person no matter how small.”

Kodi Barber, a Life March attendee, had a sign that said “Unborn Lives Matter.”

Barber said that her hopes for the community were for people to become more aware of the importance of a baby’s life.

There were some attendees who had previously had an abortion, but were now fighting for the lives of the unborn babies.

One of these people was Heather Dawsey, a Life March attendee and minister.

“At the age of 22, I took two lives. I did not know and did not understand the dynamic, the heart break, the depression and the life that I would suffer. No one told me that just because I was giving up something, I would live with something

else for the rest of my life,” Dawsey said.

Barber also said that she almost had an abortion, but decided to raise the child instead.

While this Life March is an important aspect of making others aware that abortion is not the only option, Rachel Shamburger, a foster parent and a mother of five adopted children, said that foster care and adoption are important parts too.

“You can’t be pro-life without being pro-foster care. To make a difference, you have to get involved. If you can’t adopt, there are other things you can do,” Shamburger said.

LIFE, LOVE: Young and old citizens march on Jan. 26 in order to be a voice for the voiceless fetuses that could potentially be aborted.

At the Life March, there were many booths to learn more about foster care and other options available that exclude abortion. One of these booths was Connect 1:27.

Margie Nielsen, director of Foster Care and Adoption Ministries, shared that Connect 1:27 partners with pregnancy associations and supports the children, biological parents and foster parents in any way they can.

“We can help with the pregnancy all the way through childhood…

We want everyone to know that they have the resources to choose life,” Nielsen said. contact Ashlyn Dupree at dupreeaf@warhawks.ulm.edu

February 4, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 9

FREESTYLE

GOT TALENT?: Sixteen ULM students performed at ULM’s Got Talent 7 p.m. last Thursday in Brown Auditorium.

ULM’s Got Talent engages crowd

by Madison Smith

Ge’untraveous Lewis, a psychology major, wowed the crowd Thursday night with his dancing skills at ULM’s annual talent show, ULM’s Got Talent.

The crowd gave Lewis a lively standing ovation as he bowed and waved. While making his way off stage, a huge grin lighted up on his face.

The cheering continued even when the stage was empty and the hosts began to announce the next act. Lewis went on to take first place and the grand prize of $400.

After taking pictures with his plaque and the second and third place winners, Liam Morrison, a psychology major, and Jonathan Cummings, a political science major, respectively Lewis was in disbelief.

“I’ve been dancing since I was two years old, but stopped when I came to college.

It was amazing to dance on stage again,” Lewis said.

Even with his claim of being out of shape and out of practice for two years, Lewis had no trouble accepting the support and amazement from the crowd.

Neither did Jasmine Bingham, a management major, who did not place, but received overwhelming support from fellow students in the auditorium with her singing.

“I’m a little disappointed. I love singing though and I want to keep pursuing my passion.” Bingham said.

Many other students made their way to congratulate her on their way out.

Julia Bolt, a junior biology major, said she

thoroughly enjoyed the show.

“I didn’t expect so many different performances. I really liked it,” Bolt said.

There were no empty seats in the auditorium to the point where some students even opted to stand in the back to watch.

“It was crazy to see so many people this time,” said Jonathan Commings, a junior political science major.

Commings, known as “Main Main,” has been performing in the talent Lewis show since he arrived here as a freshman. Last year, he won second place.

This year, he performed “ULM Theme,” a song dedicated to the school he loves.

His performance had the crowd up on their feet and chanting. When he pointed the microphone toward the crowd, people were eager to belt out the lyrics with him.

Commings’ ULM anthem had the crowd going wild and got him third place in the talent show.

Sixteen students in total participated and the show lasted about two hours.

However, with a wide variety of acts ranging from guitar playing, slam poetry, singing, rapping and even a magic act, it was far from boring.

contact Madison Smith at smithmm@warhawks.ulm.edu

photos by Prajal Prasai

HIP-HOP NEVER DIES: (Top) Crowd cheers for talented ULM students. (Bottom) Ge’untraveous Lewis dances his way to first place in ULM’s Got Talent.

PAGE 10

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

NEWS

New student groups can now form

by Cameron Ott

Since the beginning of this school year, ULM has made some drastic changes in several of its departments. One of these departments was Student Life and Leadership, specifically pertaining to Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs).

In fact, there was an indefinite ban on establishing new RSOs on ULM’s campus which started in the fall of 2018. This ban barred students and faculty from creating groups ranging from academic to social clubs, but thankfully, the ban has been lifted for most RSO groups seeking registration.

Meagan Lee, coordinator for Student Life and RSO advisor for ULM, explained why the ban, known as a moratorium, was initially placed on new RSO’s: “The moratorium was initially put into place to temporarily prevent any new RSOs from being formed while the university administration reviewed and updated policies that specifically pertained to student life and student groups on campus.”

Chuck Riddick, a junior communications major, says he is super excited about the ban coming to an end and ready to see what the new process is like.

When Riddick started his own RSO back in

The moratorium was initially put into place...while the university administration reviewed and updated policies that specifically pertained to student life and student groups on campus."

Meagan Lee, coordinator for Student Life and Leadership photo courtesy ULM Photo Services

early fall, he had to jump through a lot of hoops to get things started, so he hopes the new process will encourage students “to get out of their comfort zones and start something big.”

This process took the administration most of last semester to completely update the new policies. During this time, Student Life and Leadership were not accepting any applications for new RSOs at all which angered several students trying to start RSOs to coincide with the new academic year.

It was unclear how many RSOs were waiting to be registered during the ban due to the suspen-

sion of the application process, but there were enough to encourage the administration to fast track their updates for the new semester.

As of spring 2019, Student Life and Leadership is now accepting applications for new RSOs again but only for professional, academic or cultural organizations – preferably with a na-tional affiliation. Social RSOs are still on hold indefinitely.

Junior political science major Andrea Hernandez has begun the process of starting a new RSO on campus this semester called College Democrats. She is seeking to register the group as an

academic club devoted to increasing political activity on campus and aiding Louisiana Democrats running for office.

Hernandez commented on the process saying that she was told she had to resubmit the group’s application from last semester, because all old applications were thrown out, and the application verification process took up to two to four weeks. She was taken back by the wait time, because College Democrats have the funding and on-campus interest, but overall, she’s just glad the ban has been lifted.

If you are interested like Hernandez in applying for a new RSO on campus within these requirements, applications can be found on the Student Life and Leadership webpage at ulm. edu/studentlife/. Detailed instructions on the process are provided under the tab: "How to Create an RSO." Before you try to create a new RSO, make sure there isn't already a chapter of the group you want to start on Wingspan, you have an academic advisor and ther are at least 10 people interested in your group. After this, you can contact Meagan Lee at mlee@ulm.edu to schedule an appointment about your potential RSO. contact Cameron Ott at ottcw@warhawks.ulm.edu

February 4, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 11

FREESTYLE

3 places Open Mic Night unites local artists Top to eat in Monroe

Monroe’s restaurants vary from fine dining to casual family restaurants. No matter what type of eating experience you are looking for, Monroe has a place for you.

INSPIRE EACH OTHER: Local creatives showcase their unique talents on Tuesday’s Open Mic Night at CC’s Coffeehouse in Monroe.

by Kaitlin Maness

Rowland also said events like Open Mic Night give growing artists and local theaters like CA Studio, a chance to promote their work and find new fans.

A few members of CA Studio performed monologues from their upcoming play, “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead,” and passed out fliers promoting the dates it would be shown. Their monologues gave a preview of what’s to come and intrigued audience members to attend the play.

Jade Wheeler, the reference librarian at the Ouachita Public Library, organized the event. For Wheeler now, Wheeler said Open Mic Night will be held quarterly which means the next Open Mic Night isn’t until April 30. If the event continues to draw in a crowd, Wheeler hopes to hold an open mic night each month.

Wheeler sees the potential for a strong artistic community in Monroe. Her goal with Open Mic Night was to unite local artists and begin forming a bond between them. She said the “rich culture” of northern Louisiana is what makes the potential for an art community great.

Wheeler said, “We haven’t developed that community yet, so I think it’s very important to get the artists together so that they can get to know each other.”

A poet who goes by the name Random Straightface, has known Wheeler for a long time and has attended open mic nights organized by her in the past. He’s even hosted and co-hosted a few mic nights of his own.

He said that it is important for artists to share their work with each other and form a community. He believes it is a vital part of being an artist.

“Nobody understands the mind of a creative like another creative,” Straightface said.

CC’s Coffeehouse stayed open after hours for the Open Mic Night. The workers even photos by Amelia Wilkes continued selling coffee and treats during SPOKEN WITH LOVE: Shanterrica Sampson the event. recites a poem from her poetry album series

Daniel Simmons always lacked confidence in his talents, but that was before he performed last Tuesday at Open Mic Night.

The Ouachita Parish Public Library partnered with CC’s Coffeehouse in Monroe to host an open mic night. Creators of any art form were urged to share their talents with the attentive audience before them. Poets, actors, musicians and magicians came to CC’s Coffeehouse ready to share their gifts with Monroe.

Simmons performed two songs by himself on an acoustic guitar. Then, he performed a few more with his close friend, Hannah Beth Rowland. Simmons learned about Open Mic Night from Rowland who convinced him to go. He said he enjoyed the experience. “[Open Mic Night] helps to improve the confidence in performers and helps bring others together. Aside from that, it’s great entertainment and I’m definitely planning on coming to the next one,” Simmons said.

Before singing “dear insecurity” by Gnash, Rowland talked about her struggle with learning to love herself.

Rowland was comfortable enough with the crowd at CC’s Coffeehouse to be vulnerable in front it.

Open Mic Night served as a way for Rowland to let her guard down Sampson and temporarily forget her insecurities as she performed with her close friend, Simmons.

Rowland said events like Open Mic Night “give shy people or people who don’t really have a way to perform their talents an opportunity and a safe place to do so.”

Shanterrica Sampson read a poem from her poetry album series titled “Love Chronicles.”

She agreed with Rowland that Open Mic Night was a safe place to perform. She found the audience to be encouraging of her work.

“It was such an intimate and welcoming atmosphere,” Sampson said.

Her favorite part of the event was getting the chance to share her love for poetry with contact Kaitlin Maness at other poets. manessk@warhawks.ulm.edu

“Love Chronicles.”

Trio’s Dining Trio’s Dining is an elegant bar and grill that has a lunch and dinner menu with various appetizers, pastas, soups, sandwiches, pizzas and specialties. Trio’s Dining is open on Monday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Sundays, Trio’s offers brunch from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The brunch menu is full of unique specialties such as shrimp and grits, wild blueberry flapjack stack, Denver omelet and to top it all off bottomless house mimosas.

Doe’s Eat Place An amazing fine dining restaurant in Monroe is Doe’s Eat Place. Doe’s is located on 300 Washington St. It’s known for its steaks and original hot tamales appetizers. Doe’s also has a selection of different seafood such as fish, shrimp and lobster tails. However, Doe’s Eat Place is only open for dinner. Doe’s is open on Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from four p.m. to 10 p.m.

Braiz’n American Bar and Grill If you are looking for a casual, family-orientated restaurant, Braiz’n American Bar and Grill might be the place for you. Braiz’n has an amazing menu and daily specials that are perfect for college students on a budget. Braiz’n’s menu includes many kinds of tacos, burgers and starters such as elotes, empanadas and nachos.

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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

FREESTYLE

Improve leg strength with ‘Dumbbell Doom’

by Asja Jordan

It’s understandable to go into the Activity Center and feel completely lost. “Where do I start?”, “What do I do?” and “There’s too many people,” are thoughts that can make you go upstairs and spend an hour on the treadmill.

But there’s more to fitness than that.

As a certified personal trainer, I understand there is a need for guidance when it comes to fitness. I constantly see people get discouraged when they don’t know where to begin.

You can improve your fitness routine or begin having one by completing “Dumbbell Doom” at the Activity Center.

I promise that if you follow this workout, you will walk out of the gym with more confidence than when you started.

All you need for this workout is one pair of moderately heavy dumbbells and a small space on the wall.

If you are completely new to working out, choose a light weight to make mastering form the first priority. Every time you repeat the workout, see if you can go a little heavier or do more rounds to make progress.

Each exercise will be performed with little to no rest in between. Be sure to complete three to found rounds of “Dumbbell Doom.”

Dumbbell straight leg dead lift x 10 reps: With a slight bend in your knees, move your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep majority of the weight on your heels. Inhale and lower the dumbbells toward your ankles.

Slide your hips back as you lower the weight.

Exhale as you move to standing position by moving your hips forward.

All while maintaining a neutral spine position. Avoid rounding or over arching the back.

30 second wall sit:

Dumbbell front squats x 10 reps: Start with your feet slightly wider than hipwidth apart. Balance the dumbbells on your shoulders by facing your elbows forward.

Keep your head facing forward, back straight and your chest high as your hips shift back until your thighs are parallel.

Ensure your knees stay behind your toes.

Extend your hips and knees until you return to starting position.

Dumbbell reverse lunge x 10 reps each leg: Stand with dumbbells in both hands hanging down your sides.

Extend one leg back and lower your body until the back knee is almost in contact with the floor.

Return to original standing position making sure your torso is straight during the whole exercise.

Start with your back facing a wall.

Walk your legs out until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Keep the back pressed into the wall, knees in line with the hips and ankles in line with the knees.

Rest 1 to 2 minutes: After repeating this workout two to three times a week, you will no longer dread those flights of stairs to the third floor of Walker Hall. contact Asja Jordan at jordana1@warhawks.ulm.edu

‘Kingdom Hearts 3’ released 6 years after first trailer

by Dallon Lewis

The Kingdom Hearts series is a collaborative gaming experiment that spawned a glorious franchise. It is a mixture of animated Disney movie magic and the action role playing elements of Hironobu Sakaguchi’s video game series, Final Fantasy.

The series centers on the main character, Sora, and his journey and experiences with various Disney, Final Fantasy, The World Ends With You and Pixar characters. The heroes clash against the various incarnations of the antagonist, Xehanort.

The series consists of 12 games available for multiple platforms with future titles planned. Most of the installments have been positively received and commercially successful.

Kingdom Hearts director, Tetsuya Nomura, habitually works on multiple games simultaneously and leaves time gaps of development for Kingdom Hearts.

To put that in perspective, the last

game from the Kingdom Hearts franchise to be placed on a major console was the colossal blockbuster “Kingdom Hearts 2.” However, this was released 13 years ago.

Nomura was given word that kids wanted to play his projects on handheld devices such as the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS. Following “Kingdom Hearts 2’s” debut on the Playstation, a series of side games were released that developed the plot beyond a combative Disney wonderland.

Even a mobile adaptation, that was initially poorly perceived by critics and fans alike, found its way into the rich lore of the series.

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, “Kingdom Hearts 3” officially released after six years of trailers and the initial announcement at the E3 gaming expo in 2013. Fans have been at odds with Nomura’s decision to continue making handheld ports of a consolebased franchise for years.

Many players have given Nomu-

ra a hard time about how long it has taken to release the next Kingdom Hearts game. While Nomura was upset by this, he explained there were many other projects happening at Square Enix, according to GameSpot.

A major reason behind the stall in Kingdom Hearts’ development was Nomura’s role as director in Final Fantasy XIII which was later renamed Final Fantasy 15 under new administration. Square Enix switched gaming engines for the new Final Fantasy installation in the middle of gaining headway.

This immensely slowed the expansion of both franchises as companies embraced the oncoming torrent of the eighth gaming generation.

Kingdom Hearts is a fusion that captivated the minds of millions who are currently invested in the series’ progression. Even after 13 years of waiting, Kingdom Hearts has a fanbase that continues to grow. contact Dallon Lewis at lewisdt@warhawks.ulm.edu

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

Crossword

Horoscope Aries Expand your territory together. Take a group endeavor to new heights. Celebrate breakthroughs with friends, social networks and community under the New Moon.

1 Gather in a pile 6 City transport 9 Assume the role of 14 Dashed in the direction of 15 Fireplace remnants 16 Baseball’s home __ 17 Military decoration 18 China : cha :: U.S. : __ 19 Resistance member 20 Misdeed exculpation 23 Garden product word 26 Lyricist Gershwin 27 Ages and ages 28 Word after photo or black 29 Done tidily and without stress 33 Skillful 34 Early riser?

35 Wyatt of the Old West 39 Bedouin abode 40 Takes out the sloop 42 Classic cookie

Down

1 Pitcher’s asset 2 West of “My Little Chickadee”

3 Plus 4 Ollie’s partner 5 Single singer 6 WWII Philippine battleground 7 Manipulative sort 8 Causing disgrace 9 Cooks’ protective wear 10 Sheet music symbol 11 Forbidden 12 Consumed eagerly 13 Disposes of on eBay 21 60-min. periods 22 Subjects, usually, in grammar class 23 Bitty biters 24 Show with horses and bulls 25 Warning signs 30 Model Kate married to Justin Verlander 31 Willow twig 32 South Korea’s capital 36 Elizabeth of cosmetics 37 Creator of yummy “pieces”

38 Entourage 40 Do what he says or you lose 41 Made sacred, as with oil 45 Observed 47 “Murder on the __ Express” 48 Marx co-author 49 Cultural funding org.

50 Machu Picchu builders 51 Point of a fable 52 Wagner work 57 Huge amount, as of homework 58 Slick, like a garage floor 59 Forbidden thing, and what each of four long answers is?

63 Spots on television 64 Understand 65 NFL scores

Courtesy of MCT Campus

Libra This New Moon sparks a family, fun and passion phase. Romance flowers. Take advantage of a lucky break. It’s all for love and love for all.

Scorpio

Professional opportunities shine under this New Moon. Accept new responsibilities as you prepare.

Develop a project from an idea to reality. Grab a lucky opportunity.

Wrap your love around home and family. A New Moon domestic phase arises. Tend your garden with all your heart. Seeds planted long ago flower.

Education, travel and exploration sprout under this New Moon. Consider a wide variety of views and perspectives. Expand your terrain to discover new horizons.

43 Mediocre 44 Suffix with alp 45 Models for some Adam and Eve art 46 Precisely 50 Texter’s “I believe” 53 Louis XIV, par exemple 54 Badminton partition 55 Originally called 56 Exercise mantra 60 Minotaur’s island 61 Overtime cause, in sports 62 Seashore 66 Brother of Moses 67 Right-angled pipe shape 68 Came to a conclusion 69 Slope 70 Prefix with -lexic 71 Gives medicine to

FREESTYLE FREESTYLE

Taurus

Gemini

Across

PAGE 13

Cancer Grab a profitable opportunity. A lucrative phase dawns with this New Moon. Find creative ways to grow your family’s nest egg. Launch a profitable initiative together.

Sagittarius Good news provides an opportunity. Profit through communications. Breakthroughs arise in conversation under this New Moon. Write and express your view. Share your gratitude and appreciation.

Capricorn Lucrative possibilities abound. Get creative with sales and marketing under this New Moon. Step into new levels of prosperity. Begin a new chapter.

Leo

Aquarius

New beginnings arise between you and someone special. Partnership blossoms under this New Moon. Collaborate for a shared passion. Start another chapter together.

Fortune shines your way. A personal phase dawns with the New Moon in your sign. Take charge. Raise your talents, capacities and skills to new heights.

Virgo Fresh energy floods your work and health under this Aquarius New Moon. Nurture yourself before caring for others. Power into physical routines.

You’re growing stronger.

Pisces Discover something new about the past. Insights, breakthroughs and revelations sparkle under this New Moon. Begin a philosophical, spiritual and mindful phase.

PAGE 14

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

SPORTS

Fichtner takes reigns as new softball coach

photo by Miles Jordan

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Coach Fichtner (left) instructs the softball team during practice. She joined the team in fall 2018.

by Miles Jordan

Dressed in ULM embroidered sweats and a ball cap to match, ULM’s new softball coach instructs her team with an energy of appreciation and confidence.

That energy and confidence are what made new head softball coach, Molly Fichtner, the right person for the job.

The former academic All-American and second-team All-SEC catcher spent just four seasons as an assistant before becoming the Warhawks’s seventh all-time coach.

The job was a shocking opening when former coach Corey Lyon left the program to join Marshall University’s coaching staff in Aug. 2018.

“Dr. [Nick] Bruno thought it was important to open the coaching search when coach Lyon left. I was in the opposition,” said Todd Dooley , the executive associate director of athletics.

Off-cycle job openings can be a hit or miss for programs, but when Fichtner came to ULM, Dooley and athletic director Scott McDonald knew she was the program’s future.

“She was a rock star. We talked to a few other people and had a couple of other phone interviews with coaches who would have been really good, but there was no doubt,” Dooley said.

Coach Fichtner felt the same way coming to the campus for the first time.

“The moment I got here, I knew this was the place for me,” Fichtner said.

Since her landing on campus, Fichtner has only propelled that confidence forward.

In only a few months, she has opened the Vic. L Pisano, Sr. Player’s lounge, started construction on new batting cages and has created new traditions for the program.

These changes have created a whole new

atmosphere for the softball program as a whole. Senior outfielders Victoria Pederson and Sydney McKay are both happy to see that future Warhawks are Dooley taken care of.

Freshmen, too, have been moved

by Fichtner.

“Coach Molly has been an absolute blessing for me coming in as a freshman! At first, I was scared hearing that the coach I had committed to wouldn’t be the coach I would be playing for,” said freshman pitcher Blaire Wilson.

Building the softball program was a huge part of what Fichtner wanted.

“ULM is right for me because I believe we can be very successful. I love to work and I know that we will have to work hard to be successful. Nothing is handed to you and I love that,” Fichtner said.

Fichtner lives by that idea. Her college story is an example of that. She went from starting and dominating at the University of Texas-San Antonio to the Univ. of Alabama where there was much more uncertainty.

“Fortunately, my family is my rock…

My parents said, ‘Look, we’ll postpone retirement. You can walk-on. If they give you a spot, we’ll pay out of state. Whatever you need. Just finish your career there.’

I went to Alabama. I took notes at every meeting. I took notes because I wanted to understand. Playing was icing on the cake,” Fichtner said.

Fichtner was always going to play, though, as friend Victor Pisano tells it. Her opening weekend freshman year, she showed off in front of Alabama.

“That weekend as a freshman, she hit

five home runs. You just don’t do that,” Pisano said.

Fichtner was a part of an Alabama team in 2014 that got into the finals her senior year. Then, she moved into the role of graduate assistant.

“She always had a growth mindset as a player and as our volunteer coach,” said Patrick Murphy , the head coach of Alabama’s softball team.

Fichtner credits her early coaching success to her transition to Dartmouth.

“Going up to Dartmouth for my first job was very eye-opening because those girls are incredibly smart and incredibly analytical… I had to figure out how I was going to communicate with them,” Fichtner said.

Former Dartmouth head coach and current Syracuse head coach, Shannon Doepking saw that Fichtner always paid attention to the Wilson little things.

Fichtner then transitioned to East Carolina University for a year, where unsurprisingly she left an impression.

“One thing I try to do with all of my assistants is to put them in charge of areas that they haven’t had experience in so they can grow as coaches who can teach the entire game. Molly handled that challenge with the utmost confidence,” said Eastern Carolina’s head coach Courtney Oliver.

The season has no expectations for Fichtner, but to be high energy.

“ULM is a great kept secret. I want for people, when they come to a game, to see high-energy and an exciting team to watch,” Fichtner said. contact Miles Jordan at jordanm1@warhawks.ulm.edu

February 4, 2019

February 4, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

PAGE 15

SPORTS

Jebet and Keter: Kenyan distance duo

by Nate Nasworthy From Eldoret, Kenya to Monroe, senior distance runners Edith Jebet and Elias Keter have made the most of their experiences in America.

Keter, the first-born child, has two brothers and two sisters, but will quickly tell you that they don’t run at all.

“I tried to get my sister to run, but she said ‘No’,” Keter said.

On the other hand, Jebet comes from a running family.

“My dad was a runner before, but he quit. I have three sisters and they all run track. One of them is in Alaska, but the other two are studying in Kenya,” Jebet said.

The son of a farmer and a stay-athome mother, Keter never thought about track competitively.

“They used to make us run every day after school. Everybody had to do it. I always had fun running, but when I finished high school, I never thought about doing track,” Keter said.

Poor conditions at the school track didn’t help matters any.

“The team in high school wasn’t very good and because the track wasn’t very good, we could only run short distances,” Jebet added.

Both Jebet and Keter had medical aspirations for their futures. However, things were about to take an interesting turn.

photo by Miles Jordan

DISTANCE RUNNERS : Elias Keter (front) and Edith Jebet (back) practice for the Bayou Bengal Invitational.

“I wanted to go to pharmacy school. We had to take a test and I didn’t have the score to get in, so I decided to come here because it was a really good opportunity,” Jebet said.

Keter had the grades, but turned down a sponsorship from the Kenyan government.

“The university was near Somalia where a lot is going on because it’s our Islamic part. I didn’t want to go because it was too far away,” Keter said.

With Jebet already on her way to America, Keter still needed some convincing.

“Hillary [Kirwa] already went here and said, ‘If you’re good at running, try it and apply for school.’,” Keter said.

Keter was ready to make the jump, however, one road block stood in the way-his mother.

“She was very against me coming to America because she thought I was too young. She was so scared,” Keter said.

In the end, Keter made his way to Monroe as well and they were both off to the races.

Last season, Jebet was a very important part of the women’s side

while Keter placed third in the Sun Belt on the men’s side. Their success last season was due in part Warren to new distance coach, Chris Warren.

“Both of them had great seasons last year. There’s always a learning curve when a new coach comes in. By the time outdoor track rolled around, they both were doing really well,” Warren said.

Warren, who is now in his second

year as distance coach, really expects for Jebet and Keter to hit their strides.

“When I first came to ULM, it was my first time interacting with international students. But now that we’ve gotten to know each other, the goal is to do even better than last year,” Warren added.

Both Jebet and Keter have the same goals, however, Keter has one that goes a little more personal.

“This is my last season and I want to do better. I want my parents to come see my last race, especially since they don’t believe I run,” Keter said.

Keter’s mother couldn’t believe he could run because he was so lazy as a kid.

“I would tell her, ‘I’m too tired. I can’t go to school.’,” Keter added.

Jebet, a toxicology major, has high aspirations after college.

“I want to stay here for some time and then go back to Kenya to become a scientist and focus on forensics,” Jebet said.

Keter, a health studies major, doesn’t quite have it all figured out yet.

“I’m not really sure if I’m going to stay here or go home. But for right now, I want to go to graduate school,” Keter said.

No matter where their life goes, the distance duo of Jebet and Keter will always have two places to call home. contact Nate Nasworthy nasworna@warhawks.ulm.edu

Track & Field dominates in Bayou Bengal meet

by Erika Guerrero

The ULM track and field team has once again showed up and showed out proving just how talented they are. Yesterday’s track meet was in-state located in Baton Rouge for the LSU Bayou Bengal. Although in-state for ULM, there were many teams at the meet from all over the country.

The ULM women’s track and field team took a total of two first-place finishes, five top-three finishes and eight top-five finishes. The men’s team ended the meet with a total of three top-three finishes and seven top-five finishes bringing the totals to two first-place finishes, eight top-three finishes and 16 top-five finishes between the two teams.

Brianna Sam, a sophomore from Pearland, Texas, and Sharon Jerono, a freshman from Kitale, Kenya, took home the highest placings for the women’s track and field team. Sam placed first in women’s weight throw with a throw of 18.35m and Jerono took home first in the women’s one mile run with a time of 5:19.34.

Brittney Roberson, Fiebe Tengrootenhuysen, Niaya Fant and Sydney Curry stretched passed the finish line in the 4x400-meter relay and grabbed the third-place title with a time of 4:02.56.

The women weren’t the only ones who showed up ready for race day as Jakob Fudge, a freshman from St. Francisville, placed third in men’s weight throw with a throw of 16.81m.

Also, bringing home third place was sophomore Sam Healy in men’s long jump with a distance of 7.29m with teammate Colm Bourke following in behind for fourth place with a distance of 7.15m.

The next meet will be the Samford Invitational on Feb. 8 in Birmingham, Alabama.

This invitational will be a bit of a road trip for the Warhawks, but based on their high placings of this photo courtesy ULM Athletics past meet, there are high expectations for the WarSHOT PUT STAR: Senior Micah Dye throws the shot put at the Texas Tech Classic. Dye hawks in Birmingham. contact Erika Guerrero at guerreec@warhawks.ulm.edu

placed fourth in shot put at the Bayou Bengal Invitational.

PAGE 16

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE

February 4, 2019

SPORTS

Men’s basketball loses both road games

by Dallon Lewis

photo courtesy ULM Athletics

TAKE THE SHOT: Travis Munnings goes for a layup against Coastal Carolina on Thursday. ULM lost to Coastal Carolina 92-81.

Sophomore guard Michael Ertel scored 26 points and junior guard JD Williams had 23 for the Warhawks (11-9, 4-4) in the loss to Appalachian State 85-84.

This was the Mountaineers’ third consecutive victory and ULM’s third loss in a row. Senior guard Daishon Smith added 11 points. ULM shot 53 percent from the field.

Saturday’s game marks just the seventh meeting between ULM and Appalachian State. The Warhawks lead the all-time series, 4-2, including a 2-1 record in games played in the Holmes Center.

Last season, Appalachian State snapped a three-game losing streak in the series by winning the only regular-season meeting, 79-73, in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

After dropping its first six Sun Belt games, Appalachian State (7-14 overall, 2-6) has recorded back-toback league wins at Little Rock (77-73) and against the Ragin’ Cajuns (104-77) Thursday night. Four of the Mountaineers’ conference losses have come by a combined total of 10 points.

Overall, Appalachian State has lost eight games by eight points or less.

Both teams were very efficient

in the first half with Appalachian State shooting 61 percent and ULM shooting 54 percent.

The Mountaineers led 46-40 at halftime and went up by 13 early in the second half.

The Warhawks rallied and there were five ties and two lead changes in the next several minutes before Appalachian State built an 83-77 lead with just under three minutes to go.

There was no scoring, but plenty of action in the final minute. Both teams worked the shot clock on alternating possessions, only to come up empty.

With 13 seconds to go, ULM’s Smith missed a jumper that was rebounded by Appalachian State’s Hunter Seacat, who was fouled with 11 seconds to go.

He missed the front end of the bonus, but made up for it by blocking

Williams’ layup at the other end as time ran out.

This comes off the heels of a hard-fought battle against Coastal Carolina where the Warhawks lost 92-81.

The Warhawks went into the Coastal Carolina game leading the Sun Belt in 3-pointers made per game, free-throw percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Chanticleers, who led throughout, took a 46-35 advantage into the half. Coastal Carolina opened the second half with a 15-6 run and led 61-41. The Warhawks answered with three unanswered 3-pointers to close to 61-50 with over 12 minutes remaining.

ULM closed to 65-57 after Smith drained his fourth 3-pointer of the game.

The Warhawks closed to 87-81 with less than a minute remaining after Smith made two free throws.

However, Coastal Carolina slammed home a dunk for the final points of the night.

ULM is now 11-10 on the season and 4-5 in Sun Belt play. The Warhawks will come back home for a rematch on Wednesday against Georgia State. contact Dallon Lewis at lewisdt@warhawks.ulm.edu

Women continue losing streak

by Nate Nasworthy ULM (7-12, 1-7 SBC) hosted Appalachian State on Saturday hoping to break their five-game losing streak.

However, the Warhawks couldn’t keep up with the Mountaineers’ fast-paced offense as ULM lost the game 80-58.

ULM’s offense played better this game than they have in the recent skid.

The Warhawks shot 24-for-56 (43 percent) on field goals, 5-for-11 (46 percent) on 3-pointers and 5-for-10 on free throws. However, the defense couldn’t find a rhythm to stop Appalachian State.

The Warhawks were able to score 24 points in the paint, but the team also committed 16 turnovers which hindered the offense’s ability to score.

Junior guard Lauren Fitch led the team with 14 points. Sophomore guard Arsula Clark added 13 points and six rebounds while junior guard Amber Thompson recorded 10 points and five rebounds.

On the season, ULM is shooting 35 percent on field goals and 26 percent on 3-pointers.

The Warhawks are also averaging 17 turnovers per game.

Appalachian State opened the game on a 9-2 run and never looked back. ULM only shot 4-for-13 on field goals and the score showed it. The Mountaineers led at the end of the first quarter 22-8.

ULM rallied back in the second quarter and tried to gain momentum going into halftime.

Appalachian State led at halftime 43-26.

The Warhawks never held a lead during the game and never got close to it.

Appalachian State led by 22 at one point in the fourth quarter.

“We clearly lost our edge defensively. We’ve got to make some significant improvements there,” said head coach Jeff Dow. The Warhawks are now on a six-game losing streak and are 7-13 on the season and 1-8 in the Sun Belt conference.

ULM will travel on Thursday to Georgia State for a showdown with the Panthers. photo by Miles Jordan

contact Nate Nasworthy at nasworna@warhawks.ulm.edu

TEAM PLAYER: Sophomore Arsula Clark dribbles down the court looking to score in ULM’s two-game home stand. ULM lost to Appalachian State 80-58.