The Bells - Volume 162, Issue 12 - April 13, 2018

New ballroom dance club, pg. 4

Opera to open at the PAC, pg. 5

Coach Fred: Hall of Fame! pg. 6

Friday, April 13, 2018

Volume 162, Issue 12

Easter Pageant showcases the Gospel to community and globe

By Sarah Ifft Opinions Editor It came close, but the annual UMHB Easter Pageant has never been stopped by bad weather in all of its 79 year history. This year was no exception after all the rain in the morning and the night before.

Though rain storms delayed the first showing by fortyfive minutes, prayers were answered as the three performances of the play about Jesus’ life were performed that afternoon under clearing skies, just like the first performance in 1940.

Although the noon showing was delayed 45 minutes due to rain storms, there were still three performances that went as planned on the afternoon of March 28, just as it has since 1940.

That year, Easter Pageant began providing the surrounding community of UMHB with the extraordinary opportunity to witness the retelling of Jesus’ life.

Every year people come together from near and far to acknowledge and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as students at the university perform the story

based on the ultimate sacrifice.

This was the second year that live-streaming of the play was seen by people across the world. Last year’s performance generated around 31,503 viewers, who came from 22 states and six countries, including Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria and Germany. According to the university’s website, 1,000 streamers watched an entire performance online this year.

In addition, 5,000 people attended Easter Pageant on campus.

One attendee, Lois Williams of Belton, has lived in the area for eight years.

“I think I’ve only missed one year since we’ve moved here,” Williams said. “I just love the story and the commitment of all the students who put it on, and I have three little grandsons who live here who come with us with our kids. I look forward to their response to the Easter story.”

Another audience member, Cynthia Tryon, is the advisor for the Association of Black Students on campus and has been coming to Easter Pageant for eleven years.

See Pageant, Pg. 2

Photos by Riley Rogers

Top photo: Glen Fontenelle (Captain of the Guard) places the crown of thorns onto Matthew Langford’s (Jesus) head. In back from left to right are: Matt McVey, David Taylor, and David Saracho. Bottom: Dylan Birdsell (Jeering Thief), Matthew Langford (Jesus), and Zach Eason (Repentant thief) portray the cruxification as crowd members yell at Langford.

Revival 2018

Student amputee shares personal struggles and accomplishments

By Sophia Vieyra Contributing Writer

Photo by Madeline Oden

Every spring, UMHB hosts a religious event called Revival to reignite students’ passion for God. Under the big white tent in the Quad, the band, Sixteen Cities, lead students in worship and prayer.

Emily Parker describes her life beginning after her surgery to remove her leg. She described her childhood as always being in pain, never being able to keep up with her classmates, and constantly dealing with the term “disabled.”

Parker was born with a genetic disease, neurofibromatosis, which caused her tibia to break when she was nine months old. Parker and her family tried to fight the disease for 10 years while enduring 14 surgeries in the process. Multiple techniques were used to heal her leg, like

Photo by Sophia Vieyra

Emily Parker holds her prosthesis, “Clarisse.” casts, braces, bone rods and halo devices.

After the second halo device was placed, her leg did actually heal for about a year. It wasn’t until a roller skating accident that it broke again

because the bone itself was so brittle and fragile. Emily said she didn’t even realize the bone had broken again because the pain was not excruciating. Emily and her mother both went to the hospital soon after where they were given two options: a third halo device implant or amputation.

Emily said she remembers thinking the halo device might have worked but amputation was a definite answer to life without suffering. She knew she would have a life outside her disability.

After the surgery, Parker had to learn how to walk again, as if learning how to walk for the first time in her life.

See Amputee, Pg. 2

2

Friday, April 13, 2018

The Bells

Campus News

Amputee: Living life without limitations

Courtesy of Kari Sanders

Todd Graves (founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s) and Kari Sanders pose together while celebrating Sanders’ one year anniversary working at Raising Cane’s restaurant in Temple.

Recounting alumni’s life/career path

By Madeline Oden Assistant Editor Kari Sanders (formerly known as Kari Reitmeyer) is a 2004 alumna who graduated with a degree in business administration and a minor in marketing. She attended a small Baptist high school so she knew that she wanted to attend a smaller Christian college.

While attending UMHB, Sanders participated in many events and intramural sports such as football, ultimate Frisbee and softball intramurals. Sanders also went to Mexico with the School of Business to study small businesses in developing countries and ended up meeting her husband, Keith Sanders (also class of 2004) on the trip.

Since graduating, she married her husband, moved to Waco and the two started an insurance agency together.

They have two children Austin, 9, and Abigail, 2. Both parents both serve on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) board in Waco.

“I knew since high school that I wanted to be in marketing. I have done different variations of marketing at each company and I have enjoyed them all,” Kari Sanders said.

“I am still very happy that I

chose marketing. It was the right path for me.”

After graduating, Kari Sanders began working in the advertising and sales department at Time Warner Cable in Harker Heights and transferred over to the marketing department in Waco within a year as a marketing coordina-

over to Raising Cane’s. “[As a marketing advisor,] I support restaurants by assisting with national marketing campaign coordination, negotiating collegiate and high school sponsorships, developing local marketing/community involvement strategies and much more,” Sanders said. “I am field-based, meaning I do not drive into the office in Plano every day. I work from home when I am not visiting the restaurants that I support.

My territory ranges from south DFW to College Station.”

Sanders explained that each project she works on takes several months of planning and grand openings are usually the biggest events she plans.

When preparing to open a new restaurant, Sanders must first develop marketCourtesy of Kari Sanders ing plans for it, as well as Kari Reitmeyer poses with fucoordinate any events that ture husband Keith Sanders at will take place during the her graduation from UMHB opening, such as the first in May 2004.

100 customers receive a tor. Afterward, she transferred T-shirt, etc. Her more recent to The Dwyer Group as a projects involved opening the marketing specialist and was Temple restaurant in 2016 and promoted to a brand manager the Copperas Cove restaurant focusing on national franchise in 2017. marketing.

Sanders also said that later After nine years at Dwyer, this year a Raising Cane’s will Sanders decided it was time to make its grand debut in Harktry something else and moved er Heights.

Continued from pg. 1 As she began this new experience, reality set in. “It was like –‘Wow. This is my life now. And this is how it is going to be forever.’ ” Parker currently serves in an amputee mentorship program. She says serving new amputees is one of her biggest passions in life. When giving them advice, she points out the realization that each amputee’s life is not over, it is a new beginning. She mentioned the hardest part is coping with the fact that a physical limb is now gone from the person’s body. Amputees can look at it as cutting away the wrong that is harming their body.

Another piece of advice would be to find a physical activity that the amputee is passionate about. For Parker, that was snow skiing. Snow skiing was the first physical activity she was able to try and overcome.

If being an amputee has taught Parker anything, it is that she can do anything she sets her mind to. She will have to make some adjust-

ments in certain activities, but other than minor issues, the sky is the limit. Parker definitely credits amputation as her new form of confidence.

Courtesy

Emily Parker poses for a photo with her prosthesis.

“Being an amputee has really given me a true sense of purpose and life to where I am able to accomplish anything I desire.”

In addition to gaining confidence, Parker was able to gain new friendships and community because of her amputation. She talks about a funny rule in the amputee world: only another amputee can name your “nub.” Fellow amputee and friend, Brenna, named Parker’s nub “Glen.”

Parker also named her full time prosthesis “James” and her formal leg “Clarisse.” She said it is a rule all amputees know to name all prosthetics.

Best friend and roommate Rhema Jones talked about some of the funny and unusual memories with Parker.

She said it was different to see a leg laying in the tub from time to time or hear the process of attaching the leg because it does make noise.

Jones forgets majority of the time that Emily is an amputee. It’s the jokes and humor between the two roommates that reminds Jones of Emily’s disability.

“She is a normal person and every now and then I forget she doesn’t have a leg,” Jones said. “It doesn’t change anything.”

Courtesy

Not letting anyone or anything hold her back, Emily Parker goes cliff jumping at Jasper National Park located in Alberta, Canada

Pageant: Tradition continues to inspire community

Continued from pg. 1 “I look forward to the scene where the tomb is rolled away, and Jesus comes out,” Tryon said. “I love the part where they always invite everyone to come to Jesus, to invite Him to their hearts.”

The performances that were livestreamed are up on the website and are still available to be viewed.

Alyssa Silva, who works for the media services at the university, helped film Easter Pageant, and said that she learned a lot from the process.

“Last year, I was a part of the special make-up team

and I was up close and personal with Jesus,” Silva said. “I saw firsthand what was happening behind the scenes and the emotional draining Jesus went through.

This year was a lot different.

It was a combination of my love for film and watching the full view of Easter Pageant.

“My favorite part of being involved is getting to see Easter Pageant not only once but all three times and knowing I captured it for people to look back on for years to come,” Silva said.

“I love that no matter how many times you see Easter

Pageant, it has just the same amount of emotion every single time and it’s such a great reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross.”

The director for this year’s pageant was Jacob Chesser, a sophomore Christian studies major.

“It was amazing to watch Easter Pageant unfold,” Chesser said. “Seeing the whole thing from the audience this year was incredible. In all three shows, I really felt the Lord’s presence and love at the last scene, called Joy and Sorrow. It’s where everyone finds out

that Jesus is alive. Everyone did a really good job with that scene. I felt like it gives you a little glimpse of the joy of heaven.”

Around 500 students came together to put on the show, which took a lot of dedication and effort throughout the year.

One participant who was actively involved in Easter Pageant was sophomore Christian studies major, Isabelle Smith. She was not only in the performance, but she also portrayed an ensemble member as well as a child caretaker.

“My favorite part of being

involved in Easter Pageant is always the day of the performances,” Smith said. “It is an incredible day full of joy and sorrow.”

Easter Pageant is a major component of the university, and it also positively impacts the students who partake in it.

Jacob Dellinger, a freshman church music and music education major, was one of those people who was influenced by Easter Pageant.

He played as one of the Sadducee’s in this year’s performance.

“My favorite part about Easter Pageant was the com-

munity of friends that I’ve gotten to know for the past month,” Dellinger said. “I gained a little bit more experience of what it was like during Jesus’ life before dying on the cross. Even though there are still things that I won’t understand, it’s been a life-changing experience for me.”

Isabelle Smith agrees with Dellinger.

“Being in Easter Pageant gives you the opportunity to get a taste of the death and resurrection story of Jesus; to feel the way people felt during Biblical times,” Smith said.

Left top photo by Lauren Lum, Left bottom and above photos by Riley Rogers

Top left: Daniel Locke (Temple Guard), Seth Blankenship (Temple Guard), and Tanner Watson (Pharisee) take Katie Winekauf (Adulterous Woman) out into the public during the market scene. In back from left to right are Michaela Williams (far left), Caleb Kirkland, Isabelle Smith, Allie Cossick, Glen Fontenelle, and Jaycee Wright. Bottom left: Warming by the fire are (L-R): Anthony Tharp (Simon Peter) with Simon Peter’s accusers Schyler Malloy, Rachel Singer, and Eunice Michaelson.

Above: Matt McVey and Glen Fontenelle lead Matthew Langford (Jesus) away to be flogged and crucified. Visit thebells.umhb.edu for more photos from UMHB’s 79th Annual Easter Pageant.

Friday, April 13, 2018 3

The Bells

Opinions

The real meaning behind charity

By Lauren Lum EditorInChief

It’s 2018. Why is poverty still a major challenge? Why are third world countries still struggling?

Every year, kind-hearted people box up old clothes and donate money to send to these countries, but we’re not seeing results.

Poverty, Inc., a documentary by Michael Miller and Mark Weber that has received 30 film festival honors and won 11 awards, attempts to address this problem.

According to the documentary, the reason we are not seeing results is, because emergency disaster relief has become a permanent model. The documentary suggests that it might be time to stop sending clothes, money and shoes to third world countries.

According to Huffington Post, the East African Community made up of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burandi, and Rwanda, have proposed to ban all imported used clothing by 2019.

According to the same article, (Goldberg, 2016), the clothes that are being donated are being resold for extremely low prices such as in the Gikomba Market, located in East Africa. The article said that jeans can retail for as low as $1.50 at the market, which is between five to 10 percent of a new

clothing item made in Kenya.

Movie stars, presidents, pastors, non-profit institutions, and just regular people push to send more items to developing countries.

But it may not encourage new economies if goods are handed over for free. It was pointed out in the Poverty, Inc. film that these countries don’t need fish handed to them; they need to be taught how to grow a fish economy.

I agree. We can’t keep treating these countries like they are in a permanent state of disaster. They shouldn’t be treated as the beggars under the global table, when they deserve a seat at the table.

These countries are rich in natural resources that can make a profit. Africa holds approximately 30 percent of the world’s natural resources. It is rich with diamonds, gold, nickel, titanium, oil and gas (Aljazeera.com).

Haiti’s natural resources include bauxite, copper, calcium, carbonite, gold and marble (Haitigeo).

As a society, we need to rediscover the true meaning of charity. Charity isn’t only about writing checks or sending over a box of used clothing to Africa or Haiti. According to Weber, co-filmmaker of Poverty, Inc., the Latin root word of charity is “caritas,” meaning love. 1 Corinthians states: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.”

We must stop letting those we help become faceless and nameless. Real love is more than writing a check. Real love is about

getting more involved than just a one-time visit. We really should look at how to love others by being a servant. And how we can love others by washing their feet and by serving them just as Jesus did in the New Testament.

We need to love others by forming relationships with them.

When deciding what organization to give to, individuals must first assess how the organization spends their funds. Are they just buying items and sending them over to these countries? Or are they cultivating people’s God-given talents so that they can get out of poverty?

One such organization that is channeling charity in a new way is BeadforLife. This nonprofit teaches women how to make beads from recycled paper. These beads are then made into jewelry and sold in the United States and Europe. Mary Ogwang, a bead maker with BeadforLife, earned enough money for her family to buy

a brick house and a TV (Forbes).

In short, the present charity model is not working. We can’t just write a check and call it love. As Weber said, “You can’t love a charity. You can only love people.” So, how can you help those in poverty? By not letting them develop a reliance on donations and realizing that everyone is made

in God’s image. The people in developing countries will be capable of being self-sufficient if only they are given a chance.

Poverty, Inc. can be found on Netflix, Amazon Video, and Google Play Movies.

Graphic by Gishwhes

Cheers to the London Studies Program: Students share their experiences

By Tori Van Hooser London Correspondent Trips across the English countryside plus top-notch theatre performances and fish and chips galore: the London Studies Program has it all. In its 11th consecutive year, the program is the only semester-long study abroad program that UMHB offers, and for good reason: UMHB invests every dollar they receive from the participating students back into the program itself.

Dr. David Holcomb has been the director of the London Studies Program since its inception in 2007.

In choosing the location, Dr. Holcomb said, “London is a fantastic place for study abroad to begin with. It’s rich with history and culture. It’s a great place for multicultural and international study, so you’re getting exposed to lots of different types of people. And, you’re not having the same struggles with language you would have in other places.”

Although British people speak English just like Americans, it is not to say that there are no struggles with language or culture.

“Talking on the tube is weird,” said sophomore pre-med and biology major Kristopher Hurst about the London Under-

ground transit system. “I can always spot American groups on the tube because they’re just loud.”

The differences in culture led students on this trip to learn a lot about the world around them and about themselves.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself socially since we’ve been living in an apartment with 12 girls,” sophomore audio art major Bronwyn Taff said.

“I’ve definitely developed another layer of empathy.”

Twenty-eight students have accompanied their professors to London this last semester, and have lived together, studied together, and traveled to other countries together.

“The 28 of us have grown so much closer, and I didn’t think I would be this close to people after 3 months,” Hurst said. “I never thought I’d have friends from Hardin-Simmons or Howard Payne, but we’re such good friends now.”

Being in a group of such a small size for three months is a unique environment for most of these students. Hurst learned more about opening up through his new friendships.

“I’ve really learned that being vulnerable with people is good. I want that to be a staple of my personality; I want to be vulnerable and make a community of vulnerability with others.”

Dr. Holcomb hopes for positive changes in the students he sends overseas.

“I have seen students who have a narrow and provincial view of the world, who after spending a semester [in London], really become more sensitive to the world and want to become world citizens, and have a little more appreciation for other cultures,” he said.

According to Hurst, his endeavor was successful.

“I’m not stuck in what I have to believe. I realized my views have changed on certain issues because I’m not so focused on retaining my Texan identity,” Hurst said. Taff concurred.

“Studying abroad has taught me about so many situations outside of small town Texas that I never thought about. It’s given me a different perspective.”

Hurst also mentioned an issue that being in London has brought to his attention.

“Homelessness is such a big issue in London, it’s become more of an issue on my heart than it used to be.”

The students agree that explaining their semester will be a unique challenge. “You can’t understand what it’s like, unless you come and do this yourself,” Taff said.

Hurst agreed with this.

“It has been hard, but one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

For more information on the London Studies Program, visit https:// go.umhb.edu/academics/studyabroad/london-studies-program or speak with Dr. Holcomb.

Courtesy of AZCentral

Poverty in the United States Americans living in poverty.

That’s a lot of people in

By Katrina poverty. If you added the Wordell populations of California and Contributing Oklahoma, you would get around 43 million. It is unacWriter ceptable for a country that is as highly developed as America to have a poverty rate When one thinks of poverty, that is at nearly 13 percent. they probably think about According to the CIA, countries in the Middle East, the United States is ranked Africa or Asia. They picture number 20 for highest gross the commercials of starv- domestic profit per capita. ing children and how $3 can There are many countries in feed them for an entire week. the world that ranked lower When one thinks of pov- on the list in terms of GDP, erty, they do not think of the yet they have a lower poverty United States. When people rate. For instance, according think of the United States, to The World Factbook, counthey think of the hustle and tries such as Canada, Austria bustle of cities like Chicago, and Serbia have poverty rates New York and Los Angeles. that are all under 10 percent.

They think of the suburban If the United States ranks so lifestyle. They think of the high on lists when it comes to “American Dream.” Even statistics regarding economy, people who live in the United why is it that the United States States don’t think of the pov- still has such a high poverty erty that surrounds us. But rate? According to a 2012 arthe harsh reality is that there ticle in the New York Times, are more than 43 million

one of the greatest causes is because many Americans are working minimum wage jobs.

These jobs don’t allow for a livable income for a single person, much less a single person with children. According to that same article, this has been a problem in the United States since the 1970s.

America is one of the most developed countries in the world. Yet 13 percent of the population live under the poverty line. Many people are focused on giving charity to other countries. This can be helpful. However, those people focused on charity tend to forget that there are people in their own country that are suffering as well.

For the U.S. to help other impoverished countries most effectively, they first need to help their home front.

When the poverty rate in America is lowered, it will allow America to be an even more successful country.

The Bells University of Mary Hardin-Baylor - Publisher Dr. Randy O’Rear - President Dr. Rebecca McEntee - Adviser Leadership Team Lauren Lum- Editor-In-Chief Madeline Oden- Assistant Editor Geri Wissink - Sports Editor Katrina Wordell - Contributing Writer Peter Zuniga - Staff Intern

Sarah Ifft - Opinions Editor Jasmin Ortiz - Entertainment Editor Tori Van Hooser - London Correspondent Riley Rogers - Staff Writer

The Bells newspaper is a biweekly publication, owned and published by UMHB. Editorials express the opinion of the author; opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser, staff and/or the university. Feedback from various points of view is encouraged.

Letters to the editor must include the author’s name, email address and phone number. The Bells reserves the right to edit grammar, punctuation, length and relevance.

The Bells mission is to represent the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor community through print and electronic media. The Bells strives to serve the campus and community through reporting fair, accurate and relevant news. The Bells adheres to the standards, policies and procedures established by UMHB. Email: thebells.umhb@gmail.com

Campus Phone: 4598

4 Friday, April 13, 2018

The Bells

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THROUGH THE MAZE? TEST YOUR SKILLS!

Cru Ballroom is a new student organization focusing on getting people together to learn ballroom dancing.

Club President Storm Garcia defines ballroom dancing as “partner dancing across many different cultures, countries, and types of music.”

The club can teach students 32 different types of dances and features country, line, and swing dancing.

Since the club is new, it currently averages 10 people who meet to dance. This club allows students to receive hands-on-help and offers new skills for all dancers, beginners and professionals alike.

Garcia encourages students to attend meetings.

“It’s a great way to meet people and a good way to get your mind off of school and have a good time. [Dancing] is also a very useful skill to have,” Garcia said.

During each meeting, members spend time at the beginning talking and getting to know each other while waiting for more people to arrive.

With the first dance of the meeting, Garcia will demonstrate the basic steps and then he’ll spend time dancing with each female dancer.

Meanwhile, Vice President and senior psychology major Brook Shuck explained that members spend their time go-

ing through different dances.

“Lately it’s been Swing, various forms of country dancing, and Waltz,” Shuck said. “ We usually break up categories of dance with a fun line dance.

This usually gets people to relax a little,” Shuck said. “Our meetings are extremely laid back and it’s kind of like a come and go type thing.”

Lauren Floyd, a freshman Christian studies major, is a member of the club.

“I like ballroom dancing because it’s an expression of elegance and art that takes energy. It’s really fun when you get into it and the organization is a fun way to make friends,” Floyd said.

A few more dance styles included for practice are Latin dancing, swing dancing, spot dancing, and progressive dancing. Students don’t have to worry about being good at a certain style. The club’s atmosphere is an accepting one that allows students to become more confident in their dancing abilities.

“Ballroom dancing is a skill that is applicable to life, a fun way to make friends, and it’s a great workout,” Schuck said. “We’d love to see more people join Cru Ballroom, especially some guys.”

The organization meets in the Mayborn aerobic room every Friday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

For more information on how to join, students can contact Storm Garcia at 817-7065258.

Design club enhances skills and networking

By Sarah Ifft and Madeline Oden Opinions Editor/ Assistant Editor Design is a relevant topic in this day and age. Many companies are looking for those who have strong design skills to brand their product appropriately.

Getting involved in a club that suits your major is important for networking and interacting with those who share your same passions and goals.

American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design and its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, branding and identity.

UMHB is lucky to have our very own chapter on campus that caters to those interested in graphic design or digital art.

The organization’s aim is to be the standard bearer for professional ethics and practices for the design profession.

The official website for AIGA states that it is the profession’s oldest and largest professional membership organization for design—with more than 70 chapters and more than 25,000 members. AIGA advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force.

The AIGA website states: “From content that defines the global practice to events that connect and catalyze, we work to enhance the value and deepen the impact of design across all disciplines on business, society, and our collective future. From design fans to the profession’s leading practitioners, AIGA members come from all backgrounds, all fields, and all levels of experience—from all around the world. Whether you’re a design enthusiast, student, freelance designer, in-house designer, design educator, design thinker, or a business owner, AIGA is here to welcome you into the wider world of design.”

Ballroom club: A chance to dance

By Riley Rogers and Madeline Oden Staff Writer and Assistant Editor

Graphic by Edgar Ortiz Design

Finish

Start

Features

Recently, members of the organization came up with a logo design that resembles The Incredibles title. Chriscina Lampkin, a junior graphic design major, produced the design.

She is actively involved in creating digital art. She explains that in her graphic design class, the students had to make a logo for another person.

“I eventually got to do a product mockup of a tattoo ink bottle, because the guy I did the logo for was into tattoos,” Lampkin said. “AIGA has really helped me gain progress in my designs.”

Alexandra Boivin is a senior fine arts major and the current president of AIGA. She is looking for someone to take the reins over the organization after she grad-

AIGA advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force.

Photo by Riley Rogers

Senior Storm Garcia (Left) and freshman psychology major, Kennedy Joy (Right), perform the country waltz.

uates in May. She has many visions for the future of AIGA. She explained that one purpose of the organization is to make and develop connections that students can have long after graduation.

Boivin says it’s important to “have that crowd of people” to go back and connect with later on in your career.

Any students who enjoy collaborating on art, coming up with ideas for their projects, or just seeking to learn and improve on their artistic capabilities should consider joining this organization.

AIGA meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 5:15 p.m. in the conference room of the Baugh Center for the Visual Arts (BVAC) building.

To get more information contact the organizations advisor Matt Smith at mjsmith@umhb.edu.

The Bells

Friday, April 13, 2018

5

Life & Arts

Without Borders, an International Love From Belgium to Texas, a love that surpassed all expectations

By Jasmin Ortiz Staff Writer With 8,597 miles, a 7 hour time difference, and native languages between them, a love between crusader Regina Hauser and Belgium resident Mathis Deville was unlikely. However, now three years strong, the pair has a bond between them that no ocean could break.

Sophomore Clinical Lab Scientist Regina Hauser is originally from Bynum, Texas, population 199. Being from this tiny farm town, Hauser grew close to many in the student body and participated in many school activities and sports. Mathias Deville is originally from Brussels, Belgium with a population of 1.175 million people.

Bynum residents usually flocked to meet any new foreign exchange students that would be living and studying for the school year, but Hauser noticed girls especially flocked to one new foreign exchange student in particular. She noticed this at one of the first football games of the fall 2014 season.

“I remember noticing how strange that most of the girls were surrounding him like bees with honey on the bleachers, but I didn’t know who he was so I didn’t care,” Hauser said. “I was dressed in my volleyball uniform, sitting on one side of the gym, and weirdly enough, I remember what he was wearing. Mathias was wearing a pink polo shirt with khakis. Then I saw everyone adding this guy on Facebook so I added him and saw

his pictures but didn’t talk to him.”

After a few months of glances and flirtatious smiles, Deville messaged Hauser on Facebook, and a whirlwind romance bloomed. Soon, the two began hanging out together outside of school and on social media, and they quickly became inseparable.

“The first time I saw him outside of a school setting and we spoke… I struggled understanding his French/Flemish accent,” Hauser said as she laughed about it. “We dated for about two months after that, and it was awesome. We became close and usually pretty inseparable. But then, he started listening to all of the negative comments school boys were saying about me.

Since I had rejected all of them and instantly started dating the new boy in school, they started spreading awful rumors about me, so we decided to break up.”

Weeks went by, and Hauser began dreading her encounters with her former boyfriend. Stolen glances and lingering tension was all that seemed to remain between the two, until one day Hauser suspected her sister of withholding information.

“One night my sister told me he approached her to ask about me and that he’d been keeping up with me through her the whole time,” Hauser remembered with a smile. “Mathias started texting me again and we started to become good friends again. On January 29, he asked if we can go out to

Photo courtesy of Regina Hauser

Regina Hauser, current junior, and her boyfriend Mathias Deville maintain an international long distance relationship while she finishes her degree at UMHB. eat at a restaurant, and after he asked me if I officially wanted to be his girlfriend again. But this time, we were going to ignore any rumors and make this work.

And, that’s exactly what we did.”

However, their time together was limited, as Deville had to return home after his exchange year in Texas.

“After he boarded his plane, everything seemed much duller and bland without my best friend around,” Hauser said. “In November of 2015, during Thanksgiving, my mom and I went to visit Mathias in Belgium. We were together again after 6 months of waiting.”

Hauser came to be a crusader after being pushed by Deville to

pursue her passions, and to follow her heart into the medical field.

“He’s the reason I came here,” Hauser said. “If it weren’t for him, I would have done a twoyear program near my parents, and probably be working somewhere near them. I never would have met all these amazing people or been part of this community if it weren’t for Mathias. That’s just one of the many examples that of how he’s had so much influence and changed my life.”

After learning multiple languages including French to better communicate, multiple trips oversees to not only Belgium, but Spain, France, and more, the dynamic duo has powered through long

distance and now vacations during breaks from classes together.

“Due to school and our schedule, we weren’t available during the year to see each other so we planned every end of the year and summer time ….we’ll take turns to visit each other.” Hauser said. “As time goes by, we remain faithful and in love. We both believed that we were soul mates from the day we first saw each other at that football game.”

Despite all odds, Hauser and Deville are excited for what their future may bring.

“From the capital [of Belgium] to a Texas town of Bynum with a population of 199, he found me and gave me life,” Hauser said.

Ready Player One: A critical film review by a true film buff

By Peter Zuniga Staff Intern Disclaimer: this review is coming from a film nerd who has not read the book this film was adapted from.

That being said, I walked into the showing of this movie with only a moderate level of anticipation.

The trailers enticed me to a point, but I was not dying to see the movie.

The most exciting aspect was that Steven Spielberg was the director.

The plot revolves around a young man living in the year 2045, where the real world is reduced to slums and extreme poverty.

However, an escape from this dreadful future exists in the form of a free, virtual reality game called the Oasis, and nearly everyone plays it daily.

Wade Watts, the protagonist, goes on a journey in the game to find an Easter egg hidden by the inventor of the game.

The Easter egg promises a large sum of money and complete control of the Oasis.

A villainous company, wanting to monopolize the game world, is trying to reach the egg first.

This movie is a rollercoaster. There is a wonderfully fast-paced flow to the film, with only one scene bogging down that pacing.

Back-to-back, exciting sequences are filled with breathtaking visuals, which really come as a surprise, given that the majority of the film is completely CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).

With CGI however, no

angle is out of the question.

As a result, certain chase sequences provide such a high level of immersion and intensity that it almost seems like virtual reality, sitting in the theater.

Some character development is sacrificed to advance the plot, but all of the lead characters have a natural charisma to them, both in reality and in the Oasis, where they can choose their own customizable avatar.

The humor hits the mark most of time, and the action is spot on every time. It ranges from being close-quarter firefights to explosive duels at a colossal size.

All the while, 80’s rock anthems blare in the background, so the music elevates everything to another level of energy.

With the film switching between a completely CGI world and the physical world constantly, my fear is that it would be too jarring.

That is not the case with Ready Player One. Spielberg, the director, brilliantly starts o f f the

Graphics By Jasmin Ortiz

movie with very infrequent cuts between both realities, and increases them as the film progresses. This gets the viewer adjusted to the transitions, and by the time the climax is switching between realities at a seconds pace, the experience is not confusing and muddled to the audience. certain plot points made it seem a bit too convenient and easy for the characters.

However, the awesome concept of the story is something that easily drowns out a lot of missteps in the storyline.

The film would be better if it had more character development. Despite this and the overly conveniant solutions, the concept of the story keeps the mind turning and imagining the entire time.

It really is a beautiful film, filled to the brim with well-crafted action, humor, acting and even nostalgic video game references.

If you want to see this movie, you will not be wasting your money on a ticket.

Photo by Lauren Lum

Left to right: Amberlee Pendleton, Marguerite DeWulf, and Katherine Spellmon on the rehearsal set of the coming opera, The Old Maid and the Thief, which is set to be performed Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 at 2:30 p.m. at the Sue & Frank Performing Arts Center.

The Old Maid and The Thief:

An uncomfortable situation that “dominoes”

By Lauren Lum Editor-In-Chief

UMHB music professors George and Penny Hogan are once again to conduct the theatre’s newest opera, The Lady and the Thief.

This is the first opera to be performed in the new Sue & Frank Mayborn Performing Art Center on Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Alumni will also be performing in this year’s show.

The Lady and the Thief is a one-act grotesque, radio opera that takes place in 1939. NBC Radio commissioned Gian Carlo Menotti to write this opera for their radio program.

Professor George Hogan said there’s a lot to learn from the opera.

“This [opera] is situationally grotesque,” George Hogan said.

“There’s life lessons you can take away. We’re looking at the human condition in this. It’s basically grotesque hospitality.”

Hogan describes the plot of the opera and how situational hospi-

tality plays a part in it.

Hogan said that there is an old spinster, Miss Todd, who has a younger maid. There’s also a town gossip named Miss Pinkerton, who comes over one night to talk about the new minister.

Hogan said that they’re having tea, there’s a knock at the door and a man who’s drenched from the storm outside. Hogan said the first grotesque hospitality occurs when the two women do what nobody in their right mind would do- invite the strange man into the house.

He said the situation dominoes from there with one uncomfortable decision after another.

The Hogans are trying something new with this Opera since it was originally on the radio before it was ever performed live.

“We’re going to have a foley artist (someone who creates all the sounds on the radio),” George Hogan said. “We’re setting up the pit to be the NBC radio studio… then we’re running two scrims,

which is like a veil.”

George Hogan said that while the singers are in the pit, the actors will be up on stage.

The Hogans said that the actors are supposed to be a part of your imagination as you listen to a radio program.

“It’s been really exciting to see this unfold, because it’s a new way to present this,” Penny Hogan said.

George Hogan hopes that the opera provides more than just entertainment.

“I hope it’s thoughtprovoking like a sermon would be.”

George Hogan says that it’s been different being in the PAC this year instead of at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple.

“This has been a learning curve, but there’s been some really wonderful blessings…

We’re excited about being in our new building. It’s kind of a freshman year for all of us.”

The performances will be tonight at 7:30 p.m., and then at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday. It is an FAE event.

6 Friday, April 13, 2018

The Bells

Sports

Coach ‘Fred’ inducted into Texas Sports Hall of Fame

By Lauren Lum Editor-In-Chief Football Head Coach Pete ‘Fred’ Fredenburg was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Saturday, April 7 in Waco, Texas. The University of Mary HardinBaylor head coach was inducted along with eight other well-known Texas athletes and coaches in the class of 2018.

Coach Fredenburg was inducted along with former Texas A&M running back Johnny Bailey (deceased), former University of Texas basketball and volleyball player Nell Fortner, Texas A&M quarterback and Super Bowl winning Head Coach Gary Kubiak, Duncanville girls basketball coach Cathy Self-Morgan, former Texas Tech basketball coach and athletic director Gerald Myers, Olympic medalist and former University of Texas swimmer Jill Sterkel, Texas Ranger Michael Young, and University of Texas National Champion quarterback Vince Young.

Coach Fredenburg started UMHB’s football program from the ground up 20 years ago in 1998. Since this time, Fredenburg has led the Cru to an overall record of 210-39, 15 American Southwest Conference titles and the 2016 NCAA Division III National Championship. Under Fredenburg’s leadership the Cru has played in the Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the national championship three times. He is a winner of the Liberty Mutual Division III Coach of the Year (2014) award and the American Football Coaches Association Division III National Coach of the Year (2016) award.

In the press conference, Fredenburg stated that when he came to UMHB, the football program didn’t have any equipPhotos by Madeline Oden ment, coaches, or even a field.

Top: Coach Pete Fredenburg at his induction to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame “I made a plan to try to get within a Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 7 in Waco, Texas. Bottom: Coach Fred 75-mile radius of Belton to tell our story,” with former players Shaun Rochon, left, and Jerrell Freeman, right. Rochon Coach Fred said. “We felt like that 100 and Freeman last played at UMHB in 2002 and 2008, respectively. guys would be a break even for the pro-

gram. We had 217 guys show up that first year.”

Jerrell Freeman, former Chicago Bear linebacker and UMHB alumnus played underneath Coach Fredenburg’s leadership from 2004-08. Freeman attended of the induction ceremony for the famers.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Freeman said. “He’s an old school coach, so you know exactly what you’re getting from him. He’s built a really great program. He’s tough, but he knows what it takes to win.”

Fredenburg also has ties with two of the other inductees, Nell Fortner and Gerald Myers. Fredenburg’s wife, Karen, used to coach Fortner and would sometimes have her husband come to basketball practice to guard Fortner. Also, Fredenburg briefly attended Monterrey High School in Lubbock, where Myers coached. Myers approached Fredenburg about playing basketball for the team.

“He was a good athlete, and I was looking forward to coaching. But then his family moved. If he had stayed in Monterrey, he might have gotten a basketball scholarship [for college],” Myers said.

During Fredenburg’s acceptance speech, he discussed living in the “sweet spot,” according to author Max Lucado.

This was defined by Lucado as honoring God, helping others and loving what you do.

“This is just such an honor for me and for everyone who has helped me get here by being what I have been able to accomplish and helping me find that ‘sweet spot,” Fredenburg said.

He remains humble when asked about being in the same class as other talented athletics and coaches.

“It’s amazing that we’ve come so far and done so well at Mary Hardin-Baylor to get that type of notoriety,” Fredenburg said.

Hometown Huddle

Cru Football players help inspire youth to be active

By Geralyn Wissink Sports Editor

Crusader Stadium hosted the United Way of Central Texas’ event “Hometown Huddle” on Saturday, March 24.

This event, which was free for both boys and girls ages 7-12 in the community, aimed to promote healthy lifestyles through different exercise stations and included two notable guest speakers.

“The purpose of Hometown Huddle was to teach children the benefits of eating healthy, exercising daily and making smart food choices, Graduate Assistant Baylor Mullins, who was involved in the event, said.

“Children participated in multiple non-contact football stations guided by Titan Total Training Chief Executive Officer and UMHB alumnus Ike Shaw and NFL Free Agent Linebacker and UMHB alumnus Jerrell Freeman, along with current UMHB football players.”

Cru football players had the unique opportunity to serve the community and inspire children to pursue their dreams in a more personal setting.

“As a UMHB football Graduate Assistant, I assisted in getting current UMHB football players there to help work with Ike Shaw and Jerrell Freeman in the different exercise stations,” Mullins said.

This event, which takes place annually, is a fun and interactive way for kids in the Belton/Temple community to be educated on the importance of daily exercise.

“I think it is beneficial for the kids that were involved because so many of them look up to older football players,” Mullins said.

“Seeing older college and a professional football player there to help teach and guide them through different stations is very beneficial to the young kids in seeing how they can be successful in living a healthy lifestyle.”

Mullins said his favorite part was seeing the many different ages of kids come out and just have fun while also learning about how to eat healthy and learn different exercises.

“It is great also to see current UMHB players and former Cru player Jerrell Freeman come back and give to the community,” he said.

Photo courtesy of United Way of Central Texas Former Cru football player and current NFL Free Agent Linebacker Jerrell Freeman and current Cru football players teach the importance of living an active lifestyle.

Boxercising for fitness fun

By Rachel Brooks Contributing Writer

Although boxercise was originally founded in the UK, this popular workout method can now be found most anywhere, including Temple’s Wilson Park Recreation Center.

There, Lisandra Hernandez has molded her hybrid class to be a “unique blend of cardio, kickboxing, punching and body weight workout,” according to the City of Temple website.

Hernandez, a five-year kickboxing veteran, said she began this class when she was training a woman who suggested starting a boxing program at the rec center.

“I said, ‘yeah, why not!’ I already knew people who were interested and so they followed me here,” Hernandez said.

The classes usually begin with some form of cardio, like running and jumping rope.

Next, Hernandez leads her class in an intense ab and squat workout. Then the boxing begins, when Hernandez will partner up her students, one with gloves and one with mitts, and she will have students weave around cones while throwing a punch combination that is sure to make any bystander cower. Once the cardio and boxing are completed, the class ends with another run. Hernandez says that although she likes to stick to a schedule, every class is different. She enjoys bringing new exciting ideas for her students to try.

One of the main reasons why she started

her boxercising class was to see “how people feel afterwards,” Hernandez said. “Women feel more confident after learning these techniques and everyone gets that euphoric glow on their faces.”

One of her students, Loney Johnson, continues to come back because of the self-assurance she feels. And she is determined to keep the wardrobe she has.

“I’m determined not to buy new clothes because I can finally fit in my old ones,” Johnson said.

Although this class is mainly taken by women, there are a few men who are regulars, one of which is, Samuel Rodriguez, who has been participating in Lisandra’s boxercising class for about three months now.

“I hate doing the bike machine and running on treadmills for cardio,” Rodriquez said. “But here we run, jump and box. Time goes by faster here.”

Not having worked out for years beforehand made it difficult for Rodriquez to keep up. However, after attending for three months, he has begun to see drastic changes.

“I weighed 210 pounds when I first started and now I weigh 189 pounds,” Rodriguez said.

Even if the hip, upbeat music playing isn’t enough to keep students going, Hernandez cheers them on from start to finish, leaving them with nothing but a feeling of accomplishment.