Scaring is Caring

October: the month of scares, Halloween planning, Breast Cancer awareness and research. These things come together for the people who work at Scare for a Cure. Scare for a Cure is a volunteer based haunted house in Mason, Texas. Everything, including supplies, time, and acting is donated. No one earns a penny. All of the money that Scare for a Cure raises is donated to local cancer charities. 

I had the opportunity this weekend to attend the Scare for a Cure’s main attraction Return to Zombie Wasteland, the sequel to their 2012 attraction Zombie Wasteland. Like every year, I was given two choices when buying my ticket, I could take the Green pass or the Red pass. The Green Pass follows the traditional haunted house rules. No one get’s touched and no one gets dirty. The Red Pass is a little more intense. The actors can touch people and everyone gets covered in blood and gore. 

The group I went with had the Red Pass. We had to run, climb, and at one point crawl. I had actors touch my face, inspect me for the disease, and attempt to take a blood sample. At no point was I in any real danger; I just got really dirty and really bloody. Everyone involved in Zombie Wasteland made sure that everyone who walked through was a character in the story. No two groups have the same experience and everyone is given choices that change how the story ends. 

My group was the last to go through the night I attended, which gave me the opportunity to talk to some of the actors who volunteered their time to work for Scare for a Cure. When I asked, around everyone loved talking about his or her experience “I’ve worked here since we started in 2006 and I plan on doing it for as long as I can.” said one woman.  

“It’s really fun to build the sets and  to create a world that is so intense and real.” Said a teenager. One man said, “I came because I believed in the cause. I stayed because of the family I made.” 

While talking to the actors about their experiences, someone mentioned The Quest. The Quest is an interactive Dungeons and Dragons attraction that Scare for a Cure does in the spring. Volunteers start building in February and the attraction opens in April. After The Quest, Scare for a Cure has a three month hiatus until August when they prepare for their Halloween attraction. 

After my personal experience, I can say that anyone who wants an immersive environment with a scary situation, Scare for a Cure is a great way to celebrate Halloween. It’s an experience of a lifetime. 

Me, after my adventure through Scare for a Cure's Return to Zombie Wasteland.
Photo provided by Julia Zuniga.

Julia Zuniga, Reporter/Blogger

Coach's Corner: Michael Hunt, TLU's Head Tennis Coach

This week I got in touch with Michael Hunt, TLU’s head tennis coach. The beginning of June 2010 marked a change in the body of TLU Tennis, Hunt came in and put all of his attention in creating a program that embodied success. Hosting tournaments, local clinics and summer camps became normal for TLU Tennis thanks to Hunt. He has put TLU players in ASC All-Division spots, coached Sofia Vega through national tournaments and pushed the team to excel academically simultaneously. 

I got to ask him a bit about the current season, the conversation is below: 

Q: What was your goal at the beginning of the year for TLU Tennis? 

A:        We actually don't set team goals until the beginning of the spring. We have a pretty thorough list of program goals and objectives that we are always working towards, which include on-court performance, academics, community service, recruiting, marketing, etc. Without getting too specific, we are always trying to get to the "next level" in each of those categories.  

What have you been working with the team on to achieve those goals? 

The fall is really more about teaching the new players our system - how we practice, introducing them to college academics and athletics, teaching them how to play our style of doubles, and getting them used to a team concept which is new for many of them. 

Head Tennis Coach Michael Hunt. 

Photo courtesy of Michael Hunt.

Which wins this year have been crucial? Which wins have been really important? 

The women really have been impressive in each of their first two tournaments - the ITA Regional and the Doc Skogman Invitational. The freshmen have already bought into doubles and have easily had the best team fall semester since I've been here. Sofia winning her second straight ITA Regional Tournament and qualifying for the ITA Small College National Championships (in South Carolina) is also a highlight. 

Have any losses been hard or unexpected? 

The men struggled in their only tournament - the Doc Skogman - last weekend. We only added one new men's player this fall and many other teams added more new ones. So, we are probably still about the same level, but other teams around us are getting better. We are going to have to work harder to be better by spring. 

Which players have been crucial in holding down their spots? 

I think Gunner (Robison) looks better so far this fall. He is more comfortable and understands how we do things now, so he's off to a faster start. Ryan (Beene) also looks better today than one year ago. It's good to have Cliff (Pack) back - we didn't have him for much of last season. We miss Wade (Dillenbeck) who is recovering from knee surgery last year and won't be back until December. 

Which players have stepped up to a role they weren't previously inhabiting? 

All of the first-year players (Alli McLain, Peyton Webster, Joni Baxley, Megan Ingram, Carly Miller, and Cody Lane) have been impressive so far. The women's team now has very good depth, which we've never had since I've been here. I haven't looked yet, but I think we've won more matches this fall than we have in the past.  

What are you expecting to be challenges for the rest of the season? 

As I mentioned, the men have to work harder and get better. Our competitors added more new players, so they all have improved. If we stand still, we will move backwards. So, we've got to work harder on-court and in the weight room and in conditioning. We need some of our juniors and sophomores to take leadership roles and set a hard working practice ethic on a daily basis. 

For the women, they just need to adjust to college tennis, college academics, and college life. Their challenge will be to adjust to the growing pains while hopefully being more competitive and picking up more team wins. 

What is your prediction for the end result of the season? 

I don't really believe in making predictions. I know our women's team is better already and if they work hard, we should finish higher in the SCAC than we did last year. The men's team has high expectations with winning the ASC West two years ago and finishing second in the SCAC last year. I don't know if we can do that again or not.  

Both teams just need to focus on grinding, day-in and day-out and focusing on improving. Wins will come if you are better. But you can't think so much about wins or accomplishments. Just improve and get better each and every week of the year. 

Hunt is dead set on improving the tennis program, this is evident with the increase of participation and of events in general. Expect to hear more from Coach Hunt and his team as they begin their next season in the upcoming semester. 

Dylan Stork, Reporter

Bringing the Fun to TLU

CAB: Who They Are and What They DO

Have you ever wondered who is in charge of most of the awesome events on campus? Well the answer to that question is the Campus Activities Board, also known as CAB. CAB’s members consist of Chair, Alley Goyer, senior, Co-Chair, Elyse Hlavinka, junior, Megan McBride, senior, Caroline Jordan, junior, and Teanna Lewis, sophomore.  

CAB is an organization that creates events in order to help get students involved and to encourage diversity and critical thinking as well as helping to strengthen leadership skills. “We organize events that we try to make fun for the students here on campus. It’s either going to make you think, or it’s going to be a safe alternative because we’re trying to keep people here so that they’re safe,” said Goyer. 

Goyer also said that for each event they plan, a board member volunteers to be the chair of that event that way there’s a variety of people leading different events, but all CAB members help to make the events happen.  

Some of the CAB events that have happened this semester have been the Dive-In Movie after Freshmen Orientation, Game Night with Playdate University, the volleyball tournament after the first day of classes, the Comedy Show featuring Kevin Craft, Bulldog Bash featuring B Smyth, Constitution Cab on Constitution Day, Cultural Food Throwdown: Hispanic Heritage, the Pep Rally, and they have had a tent at tailgating with SGA.   

Emily Hulsey and Megan McBride facepainting during tailgating.
Photo taken by Wallace Presley

Goyer said that the Board meets every Monday night and talk about what’s coming up and what they want to see on campus. 

Tuesday October 21 was one of CAB’s Cultural Food Throwdown nights at Hein. “It’s an Islamic New Year celebration where we’re celebrating Middle Eastern culture. I thought it was a pretty cool idea because when we did the Hispanic Heritage night in Hein, I was thinking to myself ‘what’s the least understood culture here in America?’ I automatically thought about the Middle East. I wanted to do something that centered around understanding other cultures better because that’s one big thing that we’ve been wanting to work on. We want to understand other people, cultures and ethnicities,” said Goyer. 

The event planning doesn’t stop there because CAB already has another event lined up. 

“Our next event is purely for fun. This event is called Winter Fest and will be held on December 4. It was an awesome, huge success last year. It’s probably going to be in Jackson Park in the Party Barn. It’s going to be huge this year. We can’t really give away a lot of details because we’re trying to keep this one under wraps a little bit. But it’s going to be awesome,” said Goyer. 

If you’re interested in volunteering, CAB is always looking for help. 

“Volunteering is a great way to try to get yourself on the Board next year. All positions on the Board are paid positions. We’re always looking for volunteers, it’s a lot of fun. You get to see “the behind-the-scenes” of what happens here on campus. 

If anyone is interested in being a volunteer, you can email Elyse Hlavinka at emhlavinka@tlu.edu,” says Goyer. There is also a board in the ASC across and down a little bit from Conference Room C that has a list of CAB events and a sign-up sheet for volunteers.  

Make sure to like “TLU CAB” on Facebook, follow @TLUCAB on Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop of awesome events on campus.

Jennifer McCoskey, Reporter

Are Students Becoming too Involved at Texas Lutheran University?

Following the  article “When is Being Involved, Too Involved?” I gave a random survey to 50 students on campus at Texas Lutheran University. The students were asked what gender they associated themselves as, their age, if they feel stressed, if they feel over committed, and how many organizations they are currently involved in on campus at Texas Lutheran University. 

I ended up with 43 surveys. These students were randomly selected and should represent the diversity of students on campus at Texas Lutheran University. There were 21 students who identified themselves as male, and 22 who identified themselves as female. The age ranged from 18-38, but the average age of survey takers was 21.  

Upon calculating the amount of students who were stressed, and the amount of students who considered themselves over-committed I was amazed. A shocking 75% of students labeled themselves as stressed.

Furthermore, half (49%) of the students identified themselves as being over-committed. If about half of the student population feels they are over-committed then TLU has some work to do. “Most of the people I know are involved in multiple organizations, and it seems that most of the people I know at bigger Universities aren’t involved in anything,” states student Dylan Pique. 

Dylan Pique
Photo taken by Chaney Hill.

What makes TLU students take on so many on-campus activities that they feel too involved and stressed? Is it the obsessive need to stack ones resume three pages thick with on-campus involvement or co-curricular activities? While involvement is not in and of itself a bad thing, when taken too far, it can hamper students more than help them. “I work 20+ hours per week for TLU, which can sometimes leave me tired and less motivated to do school work,” states Pique.  

Often times when students become too involved (Refer to the “When is Being Involved, Too Involved?” to see if you are too involved) their judgment is clouded and they loose sight of what they really want to do with their lives and their careers. Often times the pressure to become involved comes from all sides, parents, professors, peers, and faculty. This over involvement can cause feelings of disparity in students because no one student can do everything.  

If you are a part of the 49% who feel they are over involved, or the 75% who consider themselves stressed, maybe it is time to reevaluate your involvement on campus. Decide which activities are most important to you and will benefit you most in the future. If you cannot see a certain organization benefiting you, it may be time to drop it.  

Chaney Hill, Reporter 

Cyber Bullying at TLU: Share Your Experiences and Thoughts

On October 6^th, students and faculty were called to meet on an issue that has recently affected the TLU community. Cyber bullying, a form of bullying that directly targets other students or people in an online setting, hit home for many of us here at TLU in the past semester.  

In response, the “Cyber Bullying Forum” was created by Dean of Students, Christi Quiros, to allow students a time and place for their voices to be heard. Students were invited to speak out and respond to questions asked by Quiros, the forum’s moderator. 

Dean Quiros began the discussion by delivering a few opening comments to the students on cyber bullying’s definition and its detrimental effects. When referencing TLU, she said, “I’d like to think of this as a community.” She went on to say she thought, “this kind of behavior has been negating that sense of community.” 

Quiros then opened the floor of discussion with a question. She asked students: “How do you think cyber bullying affects the community?” This prompted many students to speak up. 

Most of the initial comments conveyed students’ feelings of insecurity, a lack of general safety on campus, and most of all, a loss of the sense of community most students value. Students conveyed that a sense of community was what drew them initially to TLU.  

Many of the cyber bullying attacks were aimed at women and were of an inappropriate sexual nature. When addressing this, one student commented, “I don’t want to be objectified anymore.” These feelings cried out for answers and for justice to be done at TLU. However, as the Forum continued, those in attendance realized that a unified conclusive course of action was extremely difficult to find.  

Ideas that students brought up were suggestions hoping to find a solution to the Cyber Bullying issue on campus. However, with so many opinions and diverse actions being presented, the conversation soon came to a stalemate and time was running short.  

The Forum brought to light a few key points that students were able to take with them into the community. One was the feeling that they could take the power away from those who choose to bully others. By uniting with other students against this issue, it gave a sense that they were now the majority making bullies the minority.  

One way Dean Quiros plans to continue the conversation about cyber bullying is through The Cyber Bullying Task Force. The Cyber Bullying Task Force is comprised of students who signed up the night of the Forum and have agreed to be the ones to initiate change. The Task Force will be meeting to further discuss what should be done to address the issue on campus and move to find an appropriate action plan. All of the changes and actions that students anticipated in the Forum discussion can hopefully become reality as a result of the Task Force. 

The Forum, at its heart, sparked a change in thinking and made a statement. That statement says that students are tired of seeing classmates targeting classmates and they are ready to do something about it. As one student put it, “It’s not an us and them issue, but just ‘us’,” because after all, it is the sense of community and closeness that makes TLU unique.”  

Almost a month after this forum, we want to know what, if anything, has changed, here at TLU. Share your experience and thoughts below! 

If you wish to join the Cyber Bullying Task Force and be apart of the change that was initiated by the Cyber Bullying Forum, contact Dean Kristi Quiros for more information. 

Chaney Hill, Reporter
Jaime Ohm, Reporter

TLU Takes 72-16 Hit in UMHB Game

This Saturday TLU hosted the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, both teams bringing their undefeated status to the field. Only UMHB walked away with the ability to make that claim. 

TLU students, parents, and alumni mingled at the tailgate before the game, but at 12:45 the stands started to fill. In the first quarter both teams were scoring retaliating field goals, keeping the score competitive. The second quarter is when our opponents began to shine. UMHB came with a barrage of running and passing plays while they had their dials tuned in on our Marquis Barrolle. 

As I sat near TLU’s 10 yard line I heard alumni and students hollering for our team. No matter the score, behind me someone was beginning a chant or stomping their feet on the bleachers.  

Our team is no joke and neither are our fans. This weekend we face off against Trinity. So be at Bulldog Stadium at 1pm!

Dylan Stork, Reporter

ArteFest

ArteFest is being held at Jackson Auditorium this Saturday and Sunday. What is are ArteFest, you ask? It is a celebration of Dia de los Muertos shown through music, film, art, and food. Over the course of two days, so much will be happening. The preshow begins with live body painting, dancing, poetry, and the premiere of La Llorona – a short film written and produced by our very own Professor Shannon Ivey. All of these fun festivities start at 7:00pm in Jackson Auditorium and lead up to the headliner, Grammy Award Winning accordion player and "Father of Conjunto Music" Flaco Jiménez, who will be preforming on stage for all to enjoy. Throughout the course of the weekend during the day there will also be face painting, tons of food, and an altar decorating contest.  

This is the first time ArteFest is being put on here at Texas Lutheran University, and should not be missed. It is a time for celebration, relaxation, and a chance for a new cultural perspective. Also, most importantly, Ladies and Gentlemen, IT’S FREE. So, feel free to stop on by Jackson this weekend and partake in the celebration of Dia de los Muertos.  

Tyler Salinas, Reporter